Saturday, July 31, 2004

Another fionski??

Oh my gawd! I just did a search fionski using google and I can't believe I have a name sake here, she happens to be a Filipina too! Good grief! I thought I was the only fionski in the whole wide world, well there's another one in livejournal but she's Polish I think. Been doing the search weekly, new fionski is new!
Is she as old as I am? Has she been using fionski longer than I have? Is she as pretty as me? Well, she has to be pretty, she's my namesake!!
There goes my identity...
*sigh*

Friday, July 30, 2004

Look at this!

Wanna see something creepy? Click on the title to direct you to a link. Stare at the picture for a while to see something creepy.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

IS IT NOT BREACH OF PRIVACY?

Did you know that you can see anyone's Drivers License on the net including your own?
It's an American based site, but apparently it now links into Canada, and the Philippines, and other countries where they've been for nearly a year now. Just key in your first and last names and then hit the search button. Just disregard the "state" field, you can bypass it and just input the "city".
I just searched for my license, and there it was, picture and all. This something I didn't know you could do. I'm not sure I like this info out there ready for anyone to access. This is a serious breach of privacy!


http://www.license.shorturl.com

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

YAP ka ba o hindi?

Got this from Arlene aka drumz...


Ang YAP ay acronym for Young Affluent Pretenders o in short, YAPs. Sila yung mga feeling rich, mga wannabes and social climbers na professionals at executives. Karaniwang nasa edad 25 hanggang 40, ang mga YAPs ay paboritong target market, because they'll lap up everything, buy anything, do what it takes as long as everybody else does. Kaya kung may 3330 yung ka-opisina niya, para maging "in" din siya, bibili din siya, kahit hindi niya talaga kailangan. Kung may Palm Pilot, bibili din siya. Kung nagba-bar hopping, magba-bar hopping din siya, basta lang maging "in" or "sosy" siya. They're image-driven, caring deeply about belonging, being called something, which they strive madly for. That's why, kahit hindi niya afford o hindi niya gusto ang pagkain sa isang cafe, pupunta at tatambay pa rin siya dito, just to be seen and just to be "in".

Atleast, masasabi niya, "Well, y'know I had café latte, cappucino and sandwiches there, and I saw this celebrity, and that sports star, and that singer and that famous person." Imbes na bumili ng P5.00 kape sa isang karinderya, they are willing to fork out P100.00 for the same coffee, just for the ambience, and just for the sake of saying, "In ako."

Nakakatawa ba ang lifestyle nila? Ngayon ang tanong, ikaw ba ay isang YAP? The point is, you don't have to be "in"; you just have to be true to yourself, to others and to the Lord. You can dress up in your best designer outfits, splash on the latest cologne or perfume, buy the latest gadgets and go to the trendiest discos, nightspots, exclusive restaurants, cafes, vacation spots, etc. So, do you think after you've gone through all those things you'll be happy? Are you? See!? The point is you don't have to be a YAP. We live in a materialistic age. Gadgets and luxuries with their glitter and glamour entice even Christians to spend too much energy and money to obtain them. That's why it's important to keep spiritual values foremost in our minds. Have you been putting all of your energies into getting ahead in this world while neglecting heavenly values? Jesus said, "Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures everlasting life (John 6:27)."

So when looking for a good time, forget about everything commercials tell you. It's okay na mag-bus, mag-jeep o mag-pedicab ka, bumili ng second-hand clothes, kumain sa karinderya o turo-turo at tumambay sa mga restaurant na walang dress code. Forget about the pa-class thing, nobody needs it. Just do whatever it is you feel like doing, wear anything you feel like wearing, evolve into whoever it is you're being. And remember, you don't have to be called anything but your name, to belong to any clique but your own circle of close and trusted friends, or to be anybody but yourself. And before I leave, let me share with you this simple thought:

"What we are is God's gift to us. What we become, is our gift to God."

Monday, July 26, 2004

This is how grammatically sound I am??

Grammar God!
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!


If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday, July 24, 2004

A Matter of Trust

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. - Luke 16:10

I remember this verse way back in college. This has made an impact in my life but I wasn't even aware then that the verse was from the Bible. The exact verse that keeps playing over and over in my mind is:
"If you can not be trusted w/ small things, how can you be trusted w/ bigger things?"

Thursday, July 22, 2004

The Truth

"There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper, and a friend who loves you dearly."

- Antisthenes. ( c 444 - 371 BC) Philosopher who was born in Athens and founded the school of cynicism

Saturday, July 17, 2004

Fwd: [upgeclub] pakiusap lang

Carmela's reaction...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Carmela Litonjua
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 07:43:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [upgeclub] pakiusap lang


I third the motion. Let us do ourselves a favor and
use this venue as a means to practice our English
and/or Tagalog language skills, not to mention our
typing skills. Personally, I do not bother reading
those mails that are in text speak during the rare
times I do check my email.

Carmela Sarabia-Litonjua

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Subject: [upgeclub] pakiusap lang

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paolo Campo"
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 1:44 AM
Subject: [upgeclub] pakiusap lang


to everyone,

I would just like to make a suggestion and a comment
at the same time. Could all of us please refrain from
writing emails using the so-called "text speak." I ,
for one, am irritated seeing messages coming from the
internet written using "text speak," when you have a
keyboard and a full set of fingers that you could use
for typing. I understand that when using a cellphone,
we would like to maximize the length of a message
using only 160 or so characters, that we only have our
thumbs to do this, and that we are using our phones'
keypads. Not so when typing on the internet, unless
you guys are using your keypads still. For one thing,
it is difficult to understand "text speak" since it is
not standardized. Another is that we tend to lose our
English writing skills in terms of spelling and
grammar. And finally, i hate seeing the word "me"
being used inappropriately, whatever the case may be.
Whoever started this trend of using "me"
inappropriately in sms messages and whoever thinks
that using this word is cool or cute should be shot.

I am one of the advocates of the "no to text speak in
the internet." Believe me, people in forums and other
groups are beginning to ban the use of text speak
because of the abovementioned reasons.

But then again, I may be the only one here who
actually hates text speak in the internet. It's just
a suggestion anyway.


 
My response to Paolo's email:

Paolo has a point, no offense to text-typers/speakers. I do believe that there is no limit to the amount of characters we type on the internet, well except for some very few instances. Even when I send sms/text, I pretty much use regular words most of the time. A former student constructed a sentence similar to this: D roses is on d table. I was appalled!!! His Ate said he is used to text speak. I have a cousin who lives and breathes text speak. I make her repeat everything she types on IM or email when she uses text typing. I tell here that she doesnt have to make tipid the words she says on IM or email. I have a hard time understanding text typing or text speak. Her justification why she uses text typing: she's TAMAD.
Although technology has made our lives easier it has also has made most of us tamad. Pinoys are inclined to text rather than call, when I say call I mean use the landline to call someone who also has a phone at home. Everything has become impersonal. Are most Pinoys tamad or maybe we have forgotten the art of good old fashioned conversation? I'm not saying NO to text speak but we should all realize that there is a right time and place for everything. This also goes for the murder of both English and Filipino: alis na me, go ka d2, 22log na u, etc. Duhh?! Sometimes I wonder if I'm reading shorthand...
Of course, to each his own. If text speak works for you and the person you're "texting" online then go right ahead! MY generation rarely uses text speak online anyway. Understandably, the generation AFTER US are pre-disposed to use text speak because of genetics: most people of this generation are born all thumbs. Hehehe.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

Friday, July 09, 2004

Mahal Mo Ba Siya Talaga?

Message: Para sa mga taong nanliligaw, nagbabalak manligaw, nililigawan, naliligaw, nag-iintay maligawan at nagbabalak lumagay sa magulo...


Ang LOVE ay hindi minamadali...hindi pinipilit..
at lalong hindi kina-career...aray ko!


Unang-una...

PAANO MO BA NASABING MAHAL MO NA SIYA???...

Dahil ba natutuwa ka sa kanya???...
o kaya naman naaaliw ka???...
naswee-sweetan ka ba ng sobra sa kanya???...
kinikilig ka ba pag nakikita mo siya???...
at nahi-high kapag naririnig mo na ang boses niya???...

Eh teka muna...
baka naman infatuated ka lang....
o kaya naman kagaya nga ng sagot mo...
Baka naaaliw ka lang...dahil kakaiba siya...
may spark na hindi mo maintindihan...

tsk!!!...ang saklap nyan!...

Pangalawa...

GAANO MO NA BA SIYA KAKILALA???...

Madali ba siyang mapikon???...
pano ba siya mabadtrip???...
madali bang mahalata na may topak siya???...
ano bang suot niya pag nasa bahay siya???...
shorts ba o pantalon???...
nakasando ba siya o naka-t-shirt lang???...
matagal ba siyang maligo???....
kumakain ba siya ng vegetables???...
tamad ba siya???...
mas gusto ba niyang manood ng tv kaysa magbasa ng libro???...
nagpe-play station ba siya???...
tatlo ba ang pamangkin niyang lalaki???...
makukulit ba yung mga kamag-anak niya???...
green ba ang kulay ng gate ng bahay nila???...
sa village ba siya nakatira???...
may sakayan ba ng jeep na malapit sa kanila???...
nagsisimba ba siya linggo-linggo???...
kasama ba yung pamilya niya???...
at nagdadasal ba siya bago matulog???...

In short...
alam mo na nga ba???...ang mga bagay-bagay...
ang mga simpleng bagay tungkol sa kanya...
na nagdedetermine ng sarili niya...
as in kung sino ba talaga SIYA...

Pangatlo...

KAYA MO BA SIYANG TANGGAPIN???...

as in TANGGAPIN ng buong-buo...

sa lahat ng trip niya sa buhay...
sa lahat ng katopakan niya...
sa lahat ng pag-iinarte at pag-dadrama niya...
sa lahat ng kasalanang nagawa, ginawa, at
gagawin pa lang niya...
sa lahat ng naiisip niya... sa lahat ng sasabihin niya... sa kilos niya..
sa pananamit pa pala niya... sa pagsasalita...
sa pananaw niya sa buhay...
sa pagtrato niya sa tao...
sa lifestyle niya...
sa uri ng pamilyang meron siya...
sa uri ng kaibigang kasa-kasama niya...
sa style niya pagdating sa love...
sa kasweetan niyang natural...
sa paglalambing niya...
sa tawa niyang pagkalakas-lakas...
sa manners niya...
sa bisyo niya kung meron man...
sa mga pang-aasar niya sayo...
sa style niya pagdating sa pagsolve ng problema...
sa problemang maaari ka ring masama...

Pang-apat...

KAYA MO BANG MAGING TOTOO???...

kaya mo bang makita yung sarili mo...
na kasama pa rin siya ha...
sa isang sitwasyong pag naisip mo eh...
mapapaiyak ka na lang sa sakit...
nang dahil din sa kanya???...

kaya mo bang magmukhang tanga...
as in umiyak ng dahil sa kababawan...
ibuhos ang mga nararamdaman mo...
kahit na puro kababawan nga lang naman...
as in kahit sa harapan niya???...

kaya mo bang maging barubal pag kasama mo siya???...
yung tipo bang wala ka ng pakielam...
mawala man ang manners mo...
na wala ka naman talaga...

In short...

KAYA MO BANG MAGING IKAW KAPAG KASAMA MO NA SIYA???...

yung tipong hindi ka nahihiyang ipakita kung sino ka talaga...

dahil alam mong...

HINDI MO LANG SIYA TANGGAP...

TANGGAP KA RIN NIYA...

BUONG-BUO RIN...

MGA PEOPLE!!!...
tama na kasi ang trip...
tama na ang pagmamadali...
Oo, masarap ngang ma-involve sa isang tao...
pero di ba mas masarap yun...

LALO NA KUNG ALAM MONG TOTOO YUNG NARARAMDAMAN MO....

kaya dapat, hinde tayo nagpapa-bulag sa akala nating LOVE....
mag antay na lang tayo....
wag natin unahan....

For all we know, nde pa pala cya ang para sa atin......

Pero pag nasagot mo lahat ng nasa taas....
Baka nga... MAHAL mo na siya!

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Saturday, July 03, 2004

A Place Called 35

By Alya B. Honasan

Of course I'd love it if Prince Charming zoomed into my life today, at the onset of my high-risk pregnancy years, preferably in a late-model car. But women like me aren't holding our breath anymore; we've got too much living to do.

WHAT was that awful ratio again? Something like five single Filipinas to every eligible Filipino man? About five to ten years ago, that statistic threw me and my friends into wide-eyed panic. The prospect of never finding a Significant Other and spending every Saturday night or (worse) Valentine's Day alone for the rest of one's life was unnerving indeed, notwithstanding the assurances from both the cynics ''Better than settling for a jerk'') or the optimists (''There is somebody meant for you somewhere in this world'').

When you're 35, and there's not a glimmer of commitment and/or motherhood on the horizon, things aren't so simple. You wonder if the jerk won't be rich and funny enough to make you happy; you ponder whether that ''somewhere'' is an East Timor war zone, and The One Who Was Meant For You just got blown away in the last skirmish. Heck, you can be really philosophical about it.

Thank goodness the days of the inevitability of marriage are gone, even in this country, where your aunts still ask about your chances at every family reunion (although in fairness to them, my dear sensible aunts have gotten off my own back). ''Old maid'' has become more a matter of personal style than an age bracket. Filipinas are marrying later than ever, and fertility doctors are making conception possible into our early 40s, even if 35 is supposed to mark the onset of the years of high-risk pregnancy, if you haven't gotten around to it earlier. Even when there is a man waiting in the sidelines, and he's neither married nor gay, Filipinas are opting to wait.

Those who are unattached, like myself, are no longer as pressured
about meeting biological deadlines and using that uterus before it gives.

Which is not to say 35-year-old single Filipinas don't get lonely. This is not a naive celebration of female independence or an exercise in man-bashing. Any single woman my age who says she is never, ever lonely is lying, and there are some really good men out there. But some of us run into them, and some don't.

For me, staying single has not always been a bold and painless choice. I thought I'd met someone I wanted to marry, but things didn't work out. I do believe in love, and am still of the opinion that sex is more than just a biological need akin to eating and sleeping.

I'm not mad about diapers and losing sleep, but I do think I'd make a fun Mom. I would love to marry someone willing and able to make the commitment that a real marriage entails, somebody I love and who loves me--but I haven't met him yet, and I feel no urgent need at the moment to comb the streets in search of him. I've also learned enough, vicariously and through my own close calls, to see marriage for what it is--not an escape, not a solution, but a privilege that will also take a lot of work.

A writer once told me that one should get married as soon as one falls in love, before one changes one's mind-- a romantic notion, but a bit too flaky a course of action for me. Like I said, I'm a believer in love, but I'm also convinced it takes a lot more than that to keep two people together. At 35, if you still waltzed into an unwise relationship hoping love will conquer all, then, girl, you haven't been paying attention.

With the discrimination that comes with age, I've come to view
marriage like every other major decision to be made If conditions
aren't ideal, don't bother. There are other things to do with life.

The biggest difference between 25 and 35, I guess, is that the older you get, the less frightened you become of loneliness. You've confronted it often enough,you've learned how to make it go away or, better, to see it for what it really is. And you've seen enough evidence that a husband, babies, even friends may not be able make that occasional emptiness in your heart disappear miraculously. In short, you have to learn to love yourself enough to be comfortable going solo if you have to, just you and your Maker jamming in that solid place inside you.

Why isn't it such a bad idea anymore, staying single today? Well, at 35, most of my contemporaries and I are sitting in jobs we generally like, at levels of professional accomplishment and financial security that we've worked our butts off to reach. We may not be millionaires, but we can take care of ourselves, with room for occasional indulgences. At least when I go on a week-long diving trip to the Sulu Sea or have to rehearse late for a play, I don't worry if my toddler has fallen down the stairs when her yaya wasn't looking. But then again, I won't have a little angel running into my arms when I get home. Such are the trade-offs.

I read somewhere once that you have to have made peace with everybody in your life by 30, so by 35 you must be bursting with goodwill. We, my friends and I, have befriended our parents and siblings, become mentors and doting aunts to favorite nephews and nieces, and figured out more or less which friends will be with us for the long haul.

It's a warm, strange place, being a 35-year-old woman. You're not yet quite middle-aged, but you're no girl, either; you can swing between the wisdom of your years and the enthusiasm for a good time that you can still express without looking ridiculous. To be more concrete, you can get bloody drunk on the finest wine
one you bought with your hard-earned money one weekend--and spend the next one curled up at home with a good book, leaving the night to the 25-year-olds without feeling too washed up.

A few weeks ago, I got together with some of my dearest, oldest
girlfriends in the world, schoolmates since first grade, to celebrate a birthday. There were four of us, all age 35, and only one in a relationship, with marriage still a far-off prospect. Yet, over the years, our conversations had expanded from fleeting heartbreak blues and family conflicts to the bigger picture--what was going to happen to us in this country we called home, what options were still open to us, what did we want to do with our lives.

We threw around our dreams and plans, what we wanted to do, what we could do. We joked about snagging rich husbands, but we all knew we would keep dreaming, alone or with someone by our side. When you're a 35-year-old Filipina, you've still got your options, and they aren't at all bad.

Should You Give an Ex a Second Chance?

By Laura Synder

Every player in the dating game has the tale of the one that got away. But sometimes we get a second chance to reel that catch in for good. But should you?

If you're hooked on starting over with an ex, consider the following:

How bad was the break-up?

It's not just a matter of who dumped who, but what the reasons behind the split were. Was it just a circumstance (like too far a distance or too demanding jobs) or was there bigger reason behind the split, like infidelity? All relationships deserve to start on a clean slate, but some old hurts are much, much harder to erase.

How have things changed?

Maybe it's as simple as your long-distance ex moving back to your zip code, but most likely a reconciliation requires a change in behavior on both sides. Has your cheating girlfriend proven that her wandering eye is finally focused on you? Or are you sure your jealous boyfriend is really ready to trust you? Make a little time for self-reflection here, too. Chances are, you have your own burden of fault in the end of your relationship. Have those conditions changed?

How long has it been since you broke up?

After the break-up, give yourself enough time and distance to gain a little perspective. Break off all contact with your ex, if possible, until you've recovered enough from the pain to honestly decide if ending your relationship was really the wrong thing to do.

Why do you want to get back together?

The most important question is often the hardest to answer. Neither of you should be on the rebound from another break-up, nor want to get together just to escape the sometimes lonely life of a singleton. Are you feeling particularly vulnerable or nostalgic? It's a challenge to pick up the pieces of a relationship that's already failed once; you'd better have a good reason for taking the risk again.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

LETTING GO…

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it take too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to ...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge .. LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction .. LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents ... LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better... LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him... LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .... LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!!