Chasing the dream

It’s the irony of life to sort through the things you don’t want before finally realizing what it is that you want. You have to go through that tiring process and live with what you have right now because of many circumstances. But you then realize that that process is vital, a prerequisite.

Some people are lucky enough to realize what they want to do early in their life. Some think it’s what they want to do; however, things don’t go according to plan (which is what usually happens in life) but they still end up going after what they want anyway.  Some do realize this but, due to many reasons, cannot muster the courage to leave their comfort zones and go after what they want.

After all, the familiar is safe while with uncharted territory, it’s a hit or miss.

I’ve been holding this in for a year now and I think it’s high time I go after what I want. I have no clue if this is still what I want to do ten years from now– two years from now even. But a wise colleague shared that what’s most important is that if right now,  you already know what you’re supposed to be doing, you go pursue it.

And this courage and opportunity is mostly because of the help of my personal fairy godfather (yes, the culprit is male). Thank you, Lord for allowing me to meet these people. Thank you, Lord for these mentors. May you reward them a thousand-fold. The dreamers wouldn’t stand a chance if it weren’t for them.

Honesty Hour

1. Jump-start – verb 

A chapter with the promise of a clean slate. This time around, hopefully, doing the things you really love. The trade-off: the people you’ve met and come to love.

2. Hooked – adjective

To some, coffee. Mine would be words and/or good music that can tear a soul apart.

3. Acceptance – noun

I think about you, and I. About the things we could have been and what we could have had. And I realize that that’s all there is to it. You. And I.

4. Desire – noun and verb

All the things we could do with the ears, the mouth, the lips and our hands. In that order.

5. Tie – noun

Because of and inspite of. My Achilles’ heel.

6. Words – noun (plural)

Revealing and concealing. Simultaneously. Ah, the beautiful paradox.

We survived the outbreak

April 14, Saturday (9:52 AM) — The scorching heat burns your back as you struggle to catch your breath. You have just made it past a zombie and you finally notice the chaos surrounding you. People are screaming. They cannot seem to distinguish between zombie and zombie bait. Suddenly, everyone seems to be an enemy. Some have been separated from their friends, while others have already lost a life flag just minutes after gun start. You scan the area and shout a friend’s name. Amid the chaos, you see her with another friend. You look around; your mind finally registering that you have been separated from four other friends. But before this finally sinks in, in front of you are five zombies. You have just found yourself in the middle of a zombie outbreak.

You think about last night’s events to recall if you were ever prepared for this outbreak.

You are not.

You run with your friends, with a lot of zombie surprises around. As you run for your lives, you meet lots of people and team up with various groups. You’ll be surprised by the things you are willing to do just to keep your life flags intact (read as, charging talahib just to evade a life flag-greedy zombie). At some point, exhaustion sinks in, but you and your friends motivate each other and boost each one’s morale. Along the way,you meet gentlemen, loud girls, douche bags, cute hipsters, tough sporty chicks, a lone sheep who finds temporary solace in your herd of three, bibo runners, and lots of other people.

You find lots of water stations and temporary safe zones to make you feel secure, even for just a few minutes. At one point, you find yourself hanging on to a brown piece of cloth (zombie gut, as the organizers have called it) to save you from the numerous zombies waiting for your unarmed group. You are defenseless, and have only your legs, your friends, and nature to help you escape the living dead.

You never stop running and dodging. You live in fear and uncertainty. Until, finally, you smell the scent of liberty.

You survived the outbreak with your friends

You realize that you have not one, but three health flags. And you savor the moment. At least, going through the talahib was not in vain.

For the first time, you take pride in a photo featuring your sweaty selves. You have survived an outbreak.

You finally regroup with your team as you learn that they have survived the outbreak, as well. In, you know, their own way.

You dine...

And make merry. All is well again...

Or so you think. But in the back of your mind is a lingering thought. If it has happened once, what’s stopping it from happening again? We are unarmed. We live and sleep among the living dead.

And you believe-- yes you believe, that another outbreak is bound to happen soon. And when it does, you'll be there to survive it once again.

NatGeo Earth Day Run 2012

Registration for the NatGeo Earth Day Run 2012 is extended until April 20! So it’s not yet too late to grab those running shoes and start training for the Earth Day Run! I myself am running in the 5K race and wouldn’t miss it for the world. I really want to start living a healthier lifestyle and I figured, what better way to get motivated than to go to events which are attended by people I want to emulate? Someday, I want to run in a 21K race also.

So hurry and go to Greenbelt 3 (Ground Floor Left Wing) to register. Or, if you won’t be in the Greenbelt area anytime soon, try the online registration!

I hope to see you there!

What one year can do to you

April 2011

April 2012

Nowhere to go but forward. Let’s do this!

 

Would you wait for the lion?

“Here, here’s simple and happy, that’s what I meant to give you.”

Just saw Beginners today and I found it very deep and insightful. Here’s a quote to pique your interest:

Hal: “Well, let’s say that since you were little, you always dreamed of getting a lion. And you wait, and you wait, and you wait, and you wait but the lion doesn’t come. And along comes a giraffe. You can be alone, or you can be with the giraffe.”

Oliver: “I’d wait for the lion.”

Hal: “That’s why I worry about you.”

My idealistic self would definitely opt to wait for the lion. But definitely I understand why some people would settle for the giraffe. Life’s not that easy, you know. Things wouldn’t be as smooth as we want them to be. And sometimes, these movies and literature which we gobble up, waste hours on trying to download and getting a copy of from friends; these complicate things. They romanticize and sugarcoat love. Sometimes, they give a one-sided report on relationships. And unfortunately, the naive inexperienced viewer uses these films as their bible, a handbook to the uncharted territory of love.  The hopeless romantic in me would say that there’s someone out there for each one of us: true love, the one, a soulmate, what have you. But then there’s a part of me that keeps questioning if it’s all real. Or like a lot of things in this world, just another man-made concept. I wouldn’t know. I admit, I’m one of those inexperienced viewers. But I’m definitely taking everything with a grain of salt; carefully rummaging through the pieces of films/literature to see which of these would get me through and which of these I should just dispose of.

Commitment

No more crash diets. I think it’s high time I change my lifestyle.

Fox International Channels 3k Run with my office loves

With Gel and Bianca

Stressed because I don't know how to put the damn D-tag on

A lifestyle change will be hard, but with supportive friends, it will be bearable.