Can We Change the World?

What are you going to do if you have a magic wand?

I am going to end poverty, environmental plunder, corruption, wars, conflicts, prostitution, human trafficking, violence against men, women and children, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

I am not perfect like the rest of humanity, but I wish to see a world free of evil and I know I am not alone. There is still beauty though. There is still goodness. However, it is hard to turn a blind eye. I remember having a conversation with some folks before. I can't remember how it all started but the topics were sex tourism in Southeast Asia and the spread of HIV. Is it taboo to talk about such things? I see nothing wrong talking about a trade and virus that are killing people. Awareness is the key.

Real men don't buy girls they say, but still the trade continues. Prostitution caters to both local and foreign men. This trade doesn't only happen in the region. It is a worldwide phenomenon from time immemorial. It is more obvious now because of the internet. It is easier to access information. It is illegal just like poaching and wildlife trade, but it seems the law is not fully implemented. It is just an observation. I have heard different stories why people are involved in this industry. The worst is when girls are forced because of poverty and the main culprit is one of the parents (in other cases, even both).

Are these days like the time of Noah before the flood? Others might say that no such event occurred. Regardless of differences in faith, I think we all have eyes and ears to understand what is happening. Well, I can always go back to my own little bubble and pretend everything is perfect. But no, the injustices are hard to ignore.

Nonetheless, I think it is futile to change others. I believe change should start from within. It is a conscious effort and it starts by accepting there is something wrong. Every time I feel frustrated, I read Hebrews 11. There is hope.

Therefore, we can't change the world, but we can hope and influence others within our reach.

We can always agree to disagree. I rest my case.-J

Essential Over Trivial

The post about weight has the highest number of views as shown by stats. Most humans indeed care about appearance. This is only my observation. I could be wrong.

I usually prefer comfort over style in real life (I mean if there's no need to dress up). For instance, I comb my hair in the morning and that's it. Now I'm trying to find time to comb my hair during the day and before going to bed (if I'm not too sleepy). Please don't laugh...

Okay you can. I am actually laughing too. I really count 1 to 100. I am not kidding. It isn't to please others. No. I'm doing it to train myself. It takes patience. 

On the other hand, it is a must that we remove all our makeup or to clean our face before going to bed if we don't want to wake up having a zit. Deadlines, however, can rob all our energy so sometimes a quick nap turns to deep sleep. Before we know it, it's already morning. That happened to me a few times. 

I was not fond of makeup. I never wore any on a daily basis. I'm still not so fond of makeup, but I find it interesting now. See I'm even writing about it. It's art. Instead of paintbrushes, we have makeup brushes. The face is the canvas. I'm still a work in progress. 

At the end of the day though, knowing ourselves, our worth and purpose is better than being focused on having fancy dresses, shoes, makeup and accessories. Why I always emphasize these things? I'm not trying to be a saint, but I know how it is to be laughed at. There were instances. It didn't bother me, but it made me think...

We, mortals, seem to focus more on triviality and forget what is essential. The former often makes our lives more complicated as well. What is trivial and what is essential could vary from person to person though. I remember the movie The Devil Wears Prada. I can somehow relate to Anne Hathaway's character. -J

Tracing Ancestry

I like hanging out with elders. I find their stories interesting and they usually have answers to questions. One of the questions I ask is about ancestry. I don't know much about my own ancestry. I only know the names of my great grandparents and some stuff like what they did for a living and where they were originally (not all of them) but nothing more than that. Unfortunately, even the elders only know a little too.

Someone should have written something before. However, it is understandable why no one keeps a record of such information in the family. Oral tradition is the norm. Even the dialect spoken at home and the major language in the region are not learned formally in school. Some ancient words are not currently used and are feared to be extinct. 

I am aware that people should live in the present and not in the past. However, I am curious. I am not sure if both surnames of my parents are included in the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos, the book of surnames created during the time of Spanish Governor General Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa in the Philippines. They are not common in other parts of the country unlike other Filipino surnames. If other people use it in Metro Manila for instance, it is likely that their ancestors came from the same island as mine.

I did some research before when I had time and found out that my maternal grandfather's quite unique surname (the one my mother used before she married my father) is Sanskrit in origin. It is not only used in the Philippines (those I know who use the last name are from one Philippine island only) but also in Europe (mostly in France, Croatia, Slovakia, Germany and Hungary) and North America (found some immigration records from Europe to the US in the 19th century). Known records in the Philippines date back to the 18th century.  I have no idea if these people are one way or another connected to each other. If in case there is a connection, where is their original homeland? I fear there is no answer to that question. My mother looks like other Southeast Asian women though I have aunts who look more Middle Eastern especially when they were younger. She has natural light complexion, which she inherited from her paternal grandmother (little is known about her ancestry too). 

If I'll have enough time in the future, I'll do more research about my father's ancestry as well. I did some before, but the origin of his surname was more difficult to trace. Another thing that is a big question mark for me is my maternal grandmother's ancestry. She looks East Asian (at least her eyes). I had the chance to ask her last summer, but she had little information too. 

------
9/10. World Suicide Prevention Day

That Thing Called Time

Time is precious. Time is gold. Of course we know how valuable time is. I still need to remind myself though. 

I often heard this from my father before, "dramatic entrance." He used to say that to me because I often refused to go to an event an hour earlier. I didn't like to be the first in a place, but he was right. We should be conscious about time especially when we have a meeting or appointment. It's not good to be late and annoy others. 

Speaking of time, I'm a good procrastinator to be honest. I occupy a higher position in this field. Times are changing though because I keep on reprimanding myself more often these days. There is an improvement because I spend lesser time on social media and watching reruns of Law and Order on TV. There are even days when I don't open Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. It takes weeks before I remember there is a TV inside the room as well. 

Good thing I don't communicate with my folks using social media. We do it the good ol' way - texting each other or calling. Skype is seldom used these days too. Actually I can survive without internet or TV as long as I have a book or I'm chatting with family, friends, colleagues...in person. It's still better to hear people laugh than see smileys, right? I wish. 

Social networking is fun. It connects people. It's great, but I need to let go of some fun at the moment if I want to have more fun later. However, blogging is another thing. It's like the 'KitKat' in the popular slogan, "Have a break, have a KitKat." 

A Bitter Pill

To have a stress-free life, we should live simply. Am I right? Moreover to survive rainy days, we should prepare beforehand. A very good example are the ants. I think we all know the story because we were all kids once. Even at an early age, I knew I was not a trust fund kid so I was fully aware that I should let go of some 'wants' and focus on the 'needs' more. In other words, it was inculcated in me that I should not spend more than what I can afford.

Money is not evil. It is the love of money. We all need to have it to pay all our bills, groceries, etc. However, the thought of having none doesn't scare me much because I already experienced it though not to the point of being homeless. It made me let go of things that didn't matter and to hold on to things that did.

Being ripped off though is another story. The real world is scary and one needs to be wise, patient and tough to survive. I do not want to divulge much but just a friendly reminder, before importing valuable things make sure you are aware of such terms like CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value, VAT (value added tax) and custom duties. I am willing to let go (it's not a fortune but still...), but I still hope they would realize their mistake though it is an illusion that life on this planet is always fair.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."1 Timothy 6:10 NIV

Resurrecting the Main Blog

I made the main blog, whensheisblogging public again and just wrote about the status of the adventures blog. It is under renovation and still unavailable. Getawaysnaps is also a work in progress. 

I like to blog. At first, it was a medium to express myself then later it became an avenue to reach out to others and hopefully to make a difference in my own little way. Here in thoughts (and even on tumblr), posts are more about what I feel and think at the moment. I am discreet about more personal things because this is the internet, but I don't post anything that aren't what I feel and think.

Why do I have different blogs? I know that it's easier to have only one site but I don't like to mix posts even if it's possible to classify them into different categories. That is the reason. I want each blog site to have its own identity.

On the other hand if anyone reading this is a contact on facebook, I'm not using it at the moment. My account is inactive. 

Hypocrisy, Love, and the Verb

I grew up in a household of believers. Though I was a shy child and didn't say much most of the time, I did have an inquiring mind. When I got older, I heard people judged others who didn't share their opinions and beliefs. I started to question the hypocrisy of it all.

The God I know and believe in is a loving and yes, a just God. He is faithful. Unlike humans, God doesn't care how you look or who you are. He looks at the heart. The 10 commandments are summed up into two: 1) loving God above all else and 2) loving others. Jesus Christ even called the self-righteous Pharisees hypocrites. Sadly, Pharisees still do exist in this day and age. 

Sin is a sin but as saved by grace ourselves, we have no right to judge others or sneer at them as if we are holier.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31 NIV

Everyone is a masterpiece. Everyone. We should not think that we are better than others. Our fleeting existence has a purpose but we should not forget that we all came to this world with nothing and we are going to leave with nothing too. 

Love, love is a verb. It requires action. Mere words are not enough.

I need to remind myself too. ~j.

Via Dolorosa

"He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me." 

I don't sing professionally, but I do sing occasionally. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to share the love of Christ through music. This song is a Sandi Patty original and the background video is from the Passion of the Christ movie. Please click the play button for it to play.

This was recorded during the rehearsal for the Sacrificial Dinner and Concert for a Cause. I just knew  I had to sing a few days before the show. I was grateful nonetheless. It was a humbling experience. The music and video were used for the sole purpose of making people understand more about God's great love for humanity.

Ruins and Rain

The sound of the roaring engine is deafening. The plane bound for Cebu is now preparing for its departure. Two hours earlier, my parents and I arrived in this post-Haiyan Tacloban airport after a two-hour drive. They had to send me off to Manila. I felt like a teenager again. It was here that some precious tears were shed when break was over and I had to go back to school. Though I've been here countless times since I was a kid, my departure now is different but quite similar to my arrival almost two weeks earlier. I have felt this sadness that is hard to explain.

Hearing the very loud sound makes me realize more the devastation caused by Haiyan. The strong storm surge destroyed the airport's walls. My parents told me that the sound of Haiyan's winds was like that of a plane's engines too. I couldn't bear to think the terror people here and the rest of the city felt that fateful November 8 morning. One survivor outside the airport earlier said that the water was dark when it reached their house and it rose so quickly. 

The day is gloomy. The rain outside pours down endlessly, nonetheless you can still see hope in people's faces. The airport staff in particular is helpful and kind. Though it would take years, but hopefully this city will rise again and other towns that were destroyed by Haiyan. 

#TeamPW

This was originally a multiply entry years ago. This movie really moved me.

PW was involved in his non-profit organization Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW). He loved the ocean and did study marine biology. I was saddened by what happened to him and his friend after attending a charity event for Haiyan victims in the Philippines.

Man's Bestfriend

Aug 21, '08 11:52 AM

The movie (Eight Below) was not really new because it was released in 2006.  It was a story about a team of Antarctic explorers and their sled dogs. Jerry Shepard (the guide played by Paul Walker) agreed to lead a geologist (Dr. Davis McClaren played by Bruce Greenwood) in a very risky mission to find a rare meteorite from planet Mercury in the icy wilderness. They were able to find what they were looking for but barely survived because of some unfortunate events. A major storm was coming, Dr. McClaren had a broken leg and Jerry had frostbite. However, thanks to the team of sled dogs the two humans were able to return to base camp alive. All members of the team were evacuated later to safer grounds except the dogs. They were chained outside the desolate camp, all eight of them. 

The scene was so sad.  I knew what Jerry felt. He wanted to go back and save them but it was impossible. He wanted it so badly but all circumstances were against him. Nevertheless, the film ended with a happy note. Jerry was reunited with his dogs. The scene when Max wanted to tell Jerry that Maya was still out there was touching. I finally cried when he realized that Maya was still alive. It was great because he got his dogs back though not all of them and the woman that could understand his passion.

We had dogs around the house when I was growing up and I loved their company. My favorite was a dog named after my younger brother. It was loyal to our family. Whenever I had a late night practice in high school, it patiently waited for me and accompanied me home. 

Reach Out Worldwide is currently conducting relief efforts in the Philippines together with Waves for Water and Hurley H2O. I know Visayans and other Filipinos will forever remember Paul Walker. We are truly grateful. May your legacy lives on. We are grateful as well to the countless men and women around the world for all the help.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families of both men.

via wavesforwater

Weight Talk

Are you bothered about your weight? We're not going to talk about height. Just wear heels if you're a girl. If you're not, that's great. It's the same as the "love the skin you're in" campaign. It's important to accept who we are because we are all unique and if we want to change, change for the better. I'm not an expert (these are based on experience), but if you want to gain or lose weight, these things might help:

1. Don't skip meals.

2. Breakfast: Eat like a queen or king. 
    Lunch: Eat like a princess or prince. 
    Dinner: Eat like a beggar.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. We want to be healthy regardless of weight.

4. Don't watch anything while eating. Avoid eating in front of the TV or computer.

5. Exercise. If you can't, then walk or ride a bicycle to work, school or anywhere not so far from where you live. If it's not possible, just find time. Cut the time you spend online perhaps?

6. Try to sleep well. If you're sleepy, sleep. Don't force yourself. I'm telling myself countless times as well. Why? We tend to eat or drink more junk if we don't (not sure about you though).

7. Smile. What's inside is really more important than what's outside.
"What is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)