I was asked to do a dance number with some boys for the birthday party of a friend. Apparently, this dance by Ms.Marian Rivera has been quiet a hit in the Philippines.
Well, I probably can. Actually I’m confident that I can, but a lot of people keep telling me that I can’t really do it… They say it does not match my image…hehehe. Who knows, we’ll all just have to wait and see. You can all come to the party to watch me, *wink* do a Marian so sexy!
This park looks empty on a very warm sunny day. Well, I was there on a weekday. People are either at work or in school. There were some old folks enjoying the park though. I like parks. I like to sit on a bench and read a book. I also enjoy observing the birds dropping by every now and then hoping for a crumb or some seeds. Or watch a family or two enjoying a nice day together. Heck, I also like to walk around whole park. I used to do that before back when I was still in Bruxelles. I used to walk through one specific park, Bois dela Cambre for some hours. But I don’t like parks when it is just overflowing with people. Anti-social am I not. I just don’t like the boisterous drinking crowd and then once they get drunk, start pestering the other park-goers. Just that.
I feel good. Not because summer fever is here, but because I just started a regime for my body. I heard from a colleague who used to weigh 80 kilos perhaps even more and after a year she has now a really perfect body. Firm stomach, no flagging arms at all and most of all, the legs and bottom are in a perfect shape. I was so envious that I thought I should do something good for my body too. The secret… ZUMBA fitness.
http://youtu.be/qsSrq3HBa7A
I searched about it at first online. It seems to be a fun way of shaping up, so I decided to give it a try. No harm there, I thought. And I was right.
See, early this year, I was scheduled for another “Fasting” week to detox my body and loose some weight as well in the process. Since I couldn’t go for a vacation last March, I had to re-schedule my Fasting week. The problem is, I am slowly gaining weight again. I actually already gained a kilo and a half during the last 8 months or so. I am gaining weight so fast. My next scheduled “Fasting” is sometime in October. Until then, I have to maintain my current weight despite all the barbecue parties that I am invited to.
So, I started with my steps. 12,000 steps a day was my original target. That’s like an hour on the stepper plus 30 minutes hula-hooping. I feel good but somehow, with the steps, I feel like it’s not enough. Until my colleague told me about ZUMBA fitness. She asked me if I heard about it already. I said “somehow, I know it was mentioned in passing during one of my talking marathon with some friends at a party. But, it didn’t really register much. That’s when she explained it all.
I ordered my videos and started immediately right after I got them. Amazing thing is, I am now maintaining my weight. Everyday I go on the scale and each time, my weight is constant! Great. Oh, I don’t need to loose weight. I just need to tone up my muscles and maintain my body weight. I will loose weight anyway when I go fasting again come October. For now, I am happy!
Welcome back sa LP from a two week rest. O ready na ulit sa pani-niyut?
Ang Kalye: sementado man o mabato. Makitid. Mabuhangin. Maputik. Malawak.
Akala ko meaning the band, pero tungkol sa piktyurs ito…kaya Freestyle na lang sana sa swimming, kaso di naman ako marunong lumangoy, kaya, kahit anong litrato nalang ang ipo post ko…hehehe.
Obvious ba? Mukhang nagiging favorite subject ko siya… ang Ulap. Kuha ito sa Italy, nung nilibot namin ng asawa ko ang Kastel Sardo sa Sardinia, Italy. May mga kasunod pa itong formation ng ulap na kinunan ko, pero baka maging boring para sa iba, kaya, sinamahan ko nalang ng litrato sa paligid na Old Castle. (Sorry po hindi White Castle Whiskey picture with me riding on a white horse. Siguro, pag kasing seksi na ako ni Roxanne Guinoo, hehehe).
What is the normal life span of a cellular phone? I ask this because, just yesterday, something strange happened to my old Nokia E61. As I was organizing and cleaning out my contacts, the phone just suddenly died. It made one last long blink and suddenly was off. I thought perhaps the battery was down or something. I plugged the phone directly to charge it again but it was not reacting at all. So I changed the battery to my stand by battery that I ordered a few months back. I tried to turn it on, but it wouldn’t budge anymore. I searched online on how to reset the phone. It didn’t matter that I would loose all my data in it, I have a back up anyway in my computer. I tried what was suggested online. To press buttons 3 + * + green button + power button at the same time until the Nokia sign would show up.
It didn’t work. It was really frustrating that I couldn’t get it working again. I also searched online for a licensed Nokia Shop in the area where I live or any Licensed Nokia repair center somewhere in Frankfurt am Main area and of course in Wetterau area, but I didn’t find any. There are one or two shops with phone number listings but when I tried to call them, the number does not exist anymore. Either that or the shops has closed down already. I also called the Nokia hhotline number to ask for assistance, at least maybe they could tell me where I can get the phone repaired, but the call center agent could only give me the numbers that I already tried to call earlier, which does not exist. Darn!
Okay, maybe I should just give up and just start thinking of getting a new one. But the phone was really good. I used it to it’s full capacity. It was really very helpful to me. I couldn’t even imagine my life without it anymore. That’s why I can’t imagine getting a new one. But maybe I should just do it. Resign to the fact that even this material thing also has an expiration date. I mean, if people expire, why not gadgets or material things?
So, I left the phone lying on my desk for a while and started searching the net for a new phone. If not the same, probably a better one. After sometime, I ended being partial to an Android phone. As I was musing, and surfing my hand wondered to where my Nokia E61 was. I looked at it again and tried to reset it again. Left it on a while longer and suddenly… it came back to life.
Now, I am busy with the task of installing some applications that would be useful to me. I may have to leave some out, so as not to overload it with apps like before. I have to be very gentle with it now. I feel like handling a newly operated person. Not too much movements. All no-no’s has to be watched out for.
Finally, it is almost complete. Now, about the Android thing… I think it can still wait for a bit.
LP Challenge for the week: Anteojos, specs, eyeglasses…salamin sa mata.
I am attracted to slim, elongated eye glasses. Shades for the sun, or prescription ones for the eyes. My very first shade against the sun was one half frame Ray-Ban pilot eyeglasses. I loved it. At the time it came, I still couldn’t afford. I was still working at the Duty Free Philippines then, so I asked one Store manager if they could reserve one for me. My Manager, although jokingly, told me that it was not necessary. I should just get something else, because the shades was simply too small for my wide eyes. “Huwag yan,” he said. “Hindi naman kayang takpan ang talukap ng mata mo niyan!” I shrugged him off and put the glasses to a corner in one of the storage cupboards. It stayed there for a while, until I could finally afford to pay for it. I used the eyeshades for a while until one relative finally convinced me to part with it. “Siya naman ang nakinabang kahit hindi din kayang takpan ang talukap ng mata niya nung shades ko…hahaha!”
From then on, I made it a point to look for the right shades for me. Optimal size and darkness of the tint on the glasses. But every now and then I still get the wrong ones. But I still enjoy using them. Who cares? I like it so I use it. “Nasa nagdadala naman yan, diba?”
Some years back, I was ordered by my eye doctor to get myself eyeglasses. I was starting to use the reading glasses which was not actually helping my eyesight. On the contrary. She checked my eyes and ordered me to go the the eye shop to get the right ones for my eyes. I did, it has the right lenses, but again, I was attracted to the elongated, thin frames. I ended up getting three, two as reserves. The one from Elle was my favorite. White and yellow combination of frame color, very chic and very feminine. I always get compliments when I use it. Apparently, though it is too thin for my face, it still looks good on me. Or maybe the people are just being friendly? Well, I used it for a while, until I finally lost it. Or so I thought. Then just when I was cleaning my cupboards last week, I found it again.. Yehey!
The one from Carerra, I gave my sister. (Now you know why I had to have two reserves!) She needed a good frame for her eyeglasses. She liked it so I gave it away. I just told her I wanted the lenses back. She can get it swapped with the lenses made for her eyesight specifically. She promised she would send them back to me. The one that I got from Agnès, is very sentimental for me. I bought it with Mamang. We went to a shop together to order her eyeglasses and she saw that other one which she immediately said was suited for me. I bought it, with no second thoughts about it. Not even the purple color prevented me from buying it, haha…so lame! It’s the only one left with me now. I already had the lenses changed since then.
With regards to shades though, I learned to get the huge ones now. I had one from Gucci, that my colleague from work loved so much. NOPE! I definitely did not just give it away to her. I still have it in my cupboard earning dust, hahaha. The other one for daily use, is from Guess.
Lately I have been tired all the time. I wondered why this was happening to me again. I was like this before, that was 4 years ago, before I started with Fasting and Wandering and before I changed my eating style. But after the change, I have been fit all the time. Very energetic, hardly sick–not even my allergies managed to disrupt my days. In short, I still have allergies but seemly controlled. I have my spray from my Heilpraktikerin (Alternative Medicine doctor) that I still use regularly as therapeutic help in getting rid of my allergies. I digress.
As I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me, the thought that I could be pregnant was first in my list of “could it be?”.
If my memory serves me right, the first day of my last full period was January 17. In February, I had it for just a day. And this March my period was delayed for a week…which is actually not abnormal since it has happened already before. Not often but it has happened once or twice. It should have started already March 14, but I just had it March 21. March 24 at night, I had strong back and abdomen pains. After sometime, during early evening I had a very strange discharge. It was one whole clump of fat or so I thought. Luckily, it did not fall directly in the toilet but it came out just when I was about to go to relieve myself. It fell directly on my sanitary pad. Thing is, it was not bloody at all.
The following day, after work, I went to my OB-Gyne to show it and ask what it is. She unfortunately she has never seen anything like it before. She immediately sent me to the hospital and had me checked and the specimen too. At night, the head doctor finally decided that she they would have to perform Curettage to be sure that there is nothing left inside my uterus that shouldn’t be there.
Since it was just a minor operation, I could go home the same day. I was discharged from the hospital after 9 and a half hours admittance. But I was ordered to stay at home, no take a long bath, no heavy lifting and take everything slowly.
Anyway, from the time that I had the discharge, until now I still have no idea what it was that my body forced to emit from me. I have to wait till the end of the week or at least until my OB-Gyne would contact me for another appointment to talk about result of the tests on the specimen. The hospital crew did promise that it would happen at the latest by end of this week. Until then, I sit and wait…eagerly.
If indeed it was pregnancy, I live in peace knowing that I am capable of bearing a child. I just need to wait for the time when I would be blessed with one. I live in HOPE.
Woke up at around 06:09 a.m. today with pain in my abdomen. Got up, went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When I got there, I noticed hubby’s huge wall clock and saw the time again. 07:09…huh??? Time travel? Rubbed my eyes to see if maybe it was just the morning glory playing with my eyes. It’s not. It really was 07:09 turning 07:10. Okay, walked past the dining room and crossed over to the living room, turned the television on and saw the time was 07:11. Huh??? Oh….
We just had the night before time change. We have Daylight Saving Time here in Germany. A lot of people get confused about the change. It’s always the question of either (we) add one hour or deduct one hour from the actual time. Then, of course, people who have to go to work on weekends have the misfortune of either getting to work late or one hour too early. I should be used to it by now, but I still get confused each time we have time change. It does happen twice a year. Once in Autumn and then again in Spring. I guess we will have to live with this changes all our lives. Every European country, except Iceland observes Daylight Saving Time.
In Russia though, I heard on the radio that this will be the last time they will have time change. People there claim that this time changes make their life routine chaotic and and may be causing ailment therefore, DST will be abolished in Russia, according to the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on his announcement last Feb. 8 this year. “When the clocks change over for summer or for winter, people experience a stress and may develop an ailment. So the unchanged time would have a positive effect,” he said. They changed time last night for the last time this year. Come October they will not turn back their time. Should I say lucky them?
Well, for now, I can’t decide if I prefer to have DST or if I can imagine not changing times come Fall or Spring. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to rush to work today.
Hospitals, i don’t really like them so much. Looking at the hospital buildings from the outside, I already get an eerie feeling. Most of the time, they look like boxes anyway, cold and boring. The inside of the building is worst. No matter how much they try to make the place or at least the waiting area homey and nice, it is still as square and as scary looking. The smell. They try to make it smelling like sterile but it always has the smell of “sickly and dying”. Oder?
Then, the Waiting game. You go into one and register yourself. It doesn’t matter if you only have a few hours to live or you are just there for vaccination. They tell you, to “wait just a while“. A “while” turns out to be three hours. If they tell you to be patient for “a little bit longer“, then it means another two hours of wait. And then, after the examination, the doctor or the intern will tell you to “wait” again outside and he/she will be with you “in a few minutes” – translation, within the next hour. To top it all, when the doctor finally comes to you for the result of the tests done to you, they will say, we did this and that, which you knew anyway, cause, hey, you were there… right? And then eventually, would say, what you actually thought you have – the reason why you went to them in the first place, right? Then, you get the crap answer that they need to do more tests. That the samples taken from you will have to be sent to a laboratory somewhere else. That you will be contacted for the result. Meaning again, you wait for them to call you or send you a post telling when you should make another appointment with the Doctor handling your case.
Yap, that’s what happened to me. Right after work Friday afternoon, I drove directly to my OB-GYN for a check up. The night before, I had severe pain in my stomach and could hardly get out of bed. My Gynecologist suggested I should go immediately to the hospital for more checks and scans and perhaps would have to undergo a minor operation. So, I went in late Friday afternoon for a follow up check. I arrived at the hospital around 17:00 and was accepted immediately, since my OB already called in advance and informed them that I was coming. I was given a form to fill up and then was told to wait for a short moment. After more than two hours of waiting time, the doctor finally could check my condition. Then, she scolded me for coming too late to the hospital. The nerve! But, since I am the one who needed her assistance, I didn’t dare to give her a piece of my mind. Diplomacy?!? Probably stupidity. Anyway, after my check, she told me I would have to undergo a minor operation. It didn’t have to happen immediately, but I should think about it, she added. Then told me to go back to the waiting room because she needed more time to go through the result of my scans. She also mentioned that she would be with me again very shortly. So, like a very obedient lamb, I went back to the “waiting” room.
While there, I was weighing the situation and at the same time checking my work schedule. I was trying to figure out the soonest I could go on the table without disrupting my work schedule. In the end, I decided that I would have it done the following week, on a Tuesday, where I have anyway my normal day off. The sooner the better, I thought. I had other appointments for the two days where I don’t have to go to work, but I thought I could just cancel those, since they were of minor importance to me.
Alas! When the doctor came around 21:15, she surprised me with: “You need to be here tomorrow at 9:00 A.M. sharp, with empty stomach. The operation will have to be tomorrow. It cannot wait longer since we don’t want you getting infection and more bleeding. The specimen that we now have, plus the one that will be taken tomorrow will be sent to the lab and then you will be informed through your general doctor for the results of the tests.”
“But”, i tried to reason, “it is also possible to do it next week Tuesday, right?” You said I could still think about it. I thought to myself.
“No”, she said firmly. “It has to be tomorrow. We don’t know yet what time you will go on the OP table tomorrow, but it will be sometime tomorrow. It could be morning or it can also be in the afternoon, after the other major OP’s are done.” —Well, why was I not surprised that even to go on the operating table there is also a very long waiting line? I waited for more 4 hours for this very abrupt decision, didn’t I?
So, hubby and I drove early to the hospital again the following day. When we came, they told me again to wait for a few minutes. The “few minutes” turned out to be an hour. After which, another doctor wanted to do more checks on me. I asked why? because I thought all the tests were done already last night and the decision of the doctor present was that I am supposed to be operated on today.
She reasoned that maybe, we could still avoid the operation if the situation inside my body has changed already! I got confused there for a while. First, the doctor the night before said it was necessary that we do the operation. Then here comes another doctor saying maybe I don’t need to be operated on. But she has to do more tests.
After all the trouble that I had to go through the night before. All the phone calls that I had to make for the changes in my schedule. All the adjustments that had to be arranged, now here comes another human being telling me that perhaps the operation can be avoided. So, what should I do with all the changes that I already made abruptly the night before? Call each and every agency and tell them that I do want my appointment dates back. That it was all just a mistake of one human being I had the misfortune to meet? NO! I said I didn’t want the tests anymore. We should just get on with the operation and be done with it.
Don’t you just hate it when somebody else totally foreign to you would ruin your schedule just because another person made the wrong decision in the first place?
Well, I am finally at home now. Recuperating and getting ready to go back to work again. Last word I got from the head surgeon: “We will send the specimen to the laboratory and your OB-Gyne will be informed of the results. To which, you need to make another appointment with her and talk to her about follow up check ups. if in case before the schedule appointment with your doctor, something will happen, you feel not well, want to throw up or has severe pain, please come back to the hospital immediately.”
And then what? Wait for hours again? Hmmmm…
Ang LP challenge para sa Linggong ito ay Itim. Bakit ang anino itim? Bakit hindi siya puti o kaya ay makulay tulad ng dilaw, orange o kaya berde? Ito ba ang nagpapahiwatig nang itim na budhi ng tao? Pilit man itong itinatago o kaya ay kinukulong sa ating sariling kalooban, lumalabas pa rin ito. Pero hindi ibig sabihin lahat ng tao ay masama, dahil ang anino ng lahat ay itim. Ang ibig sabihin lang nito, bawat isa sa atin, may kasamaan sa kalooban. Yun nga lang, sa iba ang kasamaang ito ang nangingibabaw. Karamihan naman sa tao ay ang kabutihan ng sarili ang lumalabas na pangunahing pag uugali at hindi ang kaitiman ng budhi na natural na kasama sa ating pagkatao.
Okay, opinyon ko lang po ito.
Happy LP week po sa inyo!
Would it be like…
“…trying to distract myself from the everyday misery”
“…unstable, complicated, lonely, confusing, funny, seeking, curious, wanting”
“…aches, pills, relief, friends, phone calls and fast food!”
“…work, sleep, more work, weekend, drink sleep, work”
“…long years wasted trying to please other people.”
or would it be like…
“…I am a lucky, grateful, positive, healthy lady. “
“…saved by Grace through Faith in Christ Jesus.”
“…Saved only by the loving providence of God.”
“…curiousity pushing me to discover new things, always.”
“…an unfolding of a beautiful multicoloured inner tapestry”
My life can be described as:
A life with Hope and Faith in God!
Can you describe your life in 8 words?
Since I arrived here in Frankfurt, Germany I only went to two hairstylists. The first one was in Eschborn were I had a normal wash, haircut, blow dry and styling that cost me 89€+ tip. Okay, in fairness, I liked the cut. It was very much 60’s just as I wanted it to be. But it was way too expensive for me. I admit I am a sucker for discounts and whenever I cannot get a good bargain, I try not to go back to the same place anymore–if I can avoid it.
So, the next haircut I had, I went to a Pinoy who was then learning to become a registered hairstylist here in Germany. I liked his style, probably because he knows the Filipino way of pampering the hair and the client. Since then I was hooked. I always asked him to take care of my hair… my shining glory, so to say. I noticed that my hair felt good in this Pinoy hairstylist’s careful, good hands. Back then it was not very difficult to make an appointment with Jezz. One call, as long as it is outside his school hours and practicum time, I managed to get my hair pampering done. And since Jezz is really good at his profession, I started to recommend him to other Filipina colleagues at work, too.
By the way, those who live outside the Philippines, you do know the drill right? The arrangement is that 3 or more ladies would come for the hair treatment. Haircutting schedule is always arranged at somebody’s place where bonding, eating and storytelling (chismiss) are already included.
As the years passed and Jezz finally finished his degree, it slowly became difficult to get appointments from him. He was always on the go, to a wedding, a birthday party or a gala event where he is booked. And of course, he also was employed at a hair salon here in Frankfurt am Main, where some of his customers include TV moderators and models. On top of that, he was also doing his Masteral studies, hence, his schedule was really tight. So, what we did, after every session with him, we would already book the next appointment in six weeks time. Yes, that’s how long we would have to wait. For some, who can’t make it to the said appointment will have to wait for the next one after that. I for one, always had to wait longer because I would always miss the appointments for some spur of the moment reason. Lame, I know..but it always happened.
Right in the heart of Frankfurt am Main, Jezz found a place where he could open his own salon. His clients from his previous work still comes to him. Of course, his Filipino “suki” are more than happy since now, it is definitely easier to make an appointment with him.
Last night, Jezz officially openned his salon. The guest was a mixture of German and Filipino beauties. Jezz hairstyling is finally open for business. The Philippine Consul General, Her Excellency Maria Cleofe Natividad graced us wih her presence. Among others were Jezz’ close friends, ex-colleagues and those valuable long-time clients. So, to Jezz, I salute you. I wish you much success in this new venture of yours. I’m so proud of you sister!!!
Jezz has a cosy two seater salon located at Eschersheimer Landstrasse, 25 in Frankfurt am Main. For appointments, he can be reached at 01741843863. Or visit him at Facebook: Jezz Hairstyling.
Loosing weight and getting cleansed internally with the help of a Heilpraktikerin, Frau Martina Kienzle-Schott in Weimar.
HP Martina Kienzle-Schott
Neueröffnung der
Praxis für Naturheilkunde in Weimar am 01. 05. 2011
Das mögliche Therapiekonzept wird nach ausführlicher Anamnese (Gespräch) und gründlicher körperlicher Untersuchung individuell erstellt und speziell auf Sie abgestimmt. Unter anderem kommen zum Einsatz:
* Klassische Homöopathie
* Akupunktur; Ohrakupunktur nach Thews
* Ausleitungsverfahren nach Aschner
* Autogenes Training
* Bachblütentherapie
* Blutegeltherapie
* Darmsanierung
* Eigenbluttherapie
* Energiearbeit
* Fastenwandern
* Gua Sha Fa
* Irisdiagnose
* Schröpftherapie
* Spagyrik
* Tapen nach Dorn
* Wirbelsäulentherapie nach Dorn und Breuss
A long time friend from high school asked me once: “How are you?” A simple question. For some, just an expression but they don’t really want to know the real honest reply from the person who was asked. For others, it’s just to know if you have a juicy “chismiss” about a certain person whom you are acquainted with and whom the person inquiring is also acquainted to.
So I replied to my long time friend. “I know that you really want to know. I am actually fine. Believe it or not, I am happy. I have peace, I like my job, I have a very undertsanding and loving hubby. I don’t really have to pretend to others that I am actually contented.”
My only regret is that I did not stay in contact with a lot of my old classmates in high school. It’s not by choice, it just happened like it did. Suddenly, after high school graduation, I just sort of drifted apart to a new beginning. Which is how it is supposed to be, but still, I miss them. My old friends, my best pals. Now, I am just happy that I found them again through online networking. Gosh, even those whom I was not on a regular eye contact level chats with me now.
Ganun nga talaga siguro ang buhay. (Maybe, that’s life.) You live, you conquer, you move on. Then later… much, much later you say, “hey, what happened there?”. Then you start over. You live, make friends, conquer and then move on… the circle of life rolls further. The cycle is never ending. What’s important is to keep your sanity and level mindedness in tact. Be happy with who are now. Keep the old friends and try to make new ones as well. Love and spread love to others.
Only then would the World be a much better place to live in.