Christmas tree greeting

To the fishers of men,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

 

sayong

12-23-05

 

==========
 

 

This

Xmas,

I would

like to put

up a tree in my

heart, and instead

of hanging presents,

I would like to put the

names of all my friends.

Close friends and not so close

friends. The old friends the new

friends. Those that I see every day 

and the ones that I rarely see. The ones

that I always remember and the ones that 

I sometimes forget. The ones that are always

there and the ones that seldom are. The friends of

difficult times and the ones of happy  times.  Friends

who, without meaning to, I have hurt, or, without meaning

to have hurt me. Those that I know well and those I only know

by name. Those that owe me little and those that I owe so much.

My humble friends and my important friends. The names of all those

that have passed through my life no matter how fleetingly. A tree with

very deep roots and very long

and strong branches so that

their names may never be 

plucked from my heart. So

that new names from all

over may join the existing ones. A tree with a very

pleasant shade so that our friendship may take a

moment of rest from the battles of life. "May the

happy moments of Xmas brighten every day of

the new year". These are my sincere wishes.

memory of a heart

Gratitude is the memory of a loving heart.

Whatever heart I may have, I am certainly grateful. Today
is one month since my operation.

I am grateful for all the people who cared for me – my
family, friends, etc. And most of all, I am grateful to the one who
guided and protected me: God.

sayong
12-22-05

Felix Felices

This is one day when I woke up feeling so positive that anything is
possible. It is a wonderful feeling. This must be the feeling if one
has taken Felix Felices. Of course, this is crazy. It was a potion
in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

sayong

the good Samaritan

Our priest for today's misa de gallo was Fr. Mike Castillo.

Before the mass ended, he said that he was a good Samaritan
as he came from Samar. Of course, it was a joke as a person from
Samar is Samareño. He must have forgotten that he also said it last
year.

If my memory was right, this was the third consecutive year
that he celebrated mass in our parish. I remember him well because
the first time I heard him, I thought that this was one priest who
experienced first hand in daily doses the tug of war between good and
evil. He was and is still the chaplain of the Western Police
District.

sayong
12-21-05

luck overflowing

I consider this day one of my really lucky ones.
I pigged out at Saisaki/Kamayan/Dad's in EDSA in a Christmas treat by
Tito Con and Ate Libby.
And I received many gifts and cash :)

sayong
12-20-05

lean not on thy understanding

Father knows best. Once again, God showed me how true it is.

I applied for a foreign scholarship last year but I didn't
made it to the final list. I applied for a German foreign language
course at the Foreign Service Institute not expecting to pass it but
then I did. Although I've always thought that God has His reasons for
these, I never really thought what those reasons could be.

But this morning, it finally dawned on me how God blessed me
by not sending me abroad this year. Had I passed the scholarship, I
would have been in a foreign land when I needed to be operated on and
just when I needed my family beside me most. There's no doubt that I
would need a surgery this year for my ovarian cyst is a condition that
has been existing for many years now even if it didn't let itself be
known until very recently. It introduced itself when it is on stage 3
already and big enough to cause unbearable pain.

So God let me fail in one foreign course but let me pass in
another so that I would fulfill my need to learn more but still be
near enough my family and all those who care for me.

God is really awesome.

=====
3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and
lean not unto thine own understanding.
3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths.
- The Proverbs
=====

sayong
12-20-05

PASKO

Monsignor Dean Coronel celebrated our Simbang Gabi today.
Every year, he celebrates one of our parish's Christmas novena masses.
As usual, people were captivated by his anecdotes and singing.

Today, he expounded on the meaning of PASKO (Christmas)

P = Pagmamahal (Love)
A = Aginaldo (Gift)
S = Saya (Happiness)
K = Kristo (Christ)
O = Opo (Yes, Obedience)

Christmas can't be celebrated without Christ. But some
greetings like Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings seem to have
forgone Jesus Christ.

sayong
12-19-05

just like heaven

talaangkanan

power of Christmas

Christmas is in the air. And the lesson drove by today's
happenings is that Christmas is shared by everyone.

The Simbang Gabi (Christmas novena masses at dawn) started today.

One of the reasons I had my operation last month was so that
I'd be strong enough this time to attend the novena mass, as I have
been doing for the past years.

It was difficult for me to wake up at 3 am when I slept at
11 pm because I watched Jewel in the Palace (which airs every 10pm).
It was also hard to take a shower despite the cold morning and my
aching wound.

Our parish priest extolled the power of Christmas to draw
people to the Church and attend Simbang Gabi, even those who seldom
hear masses.

I watched Merry Christmas tonight at SM City Sta. Mesa. I
really wanted to see it last month. I figured that it would be very
good because three embassies sponsored its premier last month – the
British, French and German embassies. It is a very good movie and I
loved it.

sayong
12-16-05

party

I won a deskfan from the raffle tonight.

chronic poor

While many employed people, like me, bemoan the rising costs
of goods and services, the insufficiency of our salaries to meet our
needs, etc., there are those who are out of work and who cannot afford
even just to meet their basic needs.

The term "chronic poor" has just registered on me while
browsing through the Second Progress Report on the Philippine
Millennium Development Goals. And these are people who are forever
unable to get gainful employment due to lack of education, etc. and
meet their needs.

I've always thought myself poor but at least, I'm transient poor :)

sayong
12-14-05

expensive greetings

I mailed Christmas cards to some relatives and friends abroad
today. And I was surprised how expensive it is now.

Just how much more expensive it would get when the government
post office is privatized, I wonder.

I'd rather get regular mails than emails and I think that
many still appreciate the snail mail, too. But for practicality's
sake, I'd have to send more ecards and greetings via email soon.

sayong
12-13-05

con artists, aren't they?

Quiapo day

Today is also the first time I went to Quiapo after my operation.

return to work

Today is my first day back at work. Thankfully, it has been
a very light day.

It's completely opposite my official first day back at work
after my one-year study leave in 2000. It was September and the heavy
rains flooded Metro Manila, which caused the suspension of work and
classes. Only my immediate boss and I made it to the office. Though
I didn't like to come to the office in the heavy rains (work hadn't
been suspended then yet), I didn't think anyone else could go to work
and there wouldn't be anyone to attend those that needed to be done.
My guess was right – no one else could come and it was a very busy
day. By late afternoon, the rains stopped coming and so did more
work. I was able to attend that evening my one and only remaining
class for that semester.

It just goes to show that we may walk to same path twice or
a number of times but our experience will never ever be the same.
Nothing is constant in this life :)

sayong
12-12-05

firing range

darf ich...?

====================
Let It Be Me
by The Everly Brothers

I bless the day I found you
I want to stay around you
And so I beg you, let it be me

Don't take this heaven from one
If you must cling to someone
Now and forever, let it be me

Each time we meet love
I find complete love
Without your sweet love what would life be

So never leave me lonely
Tell me you love me only
And that you'll always let it be me

Each time we meet love
I find complete love
Without your sweet love what would life be

So never leave me lonely
Tell me you love me only
And that you'll always---let--it be--me

From: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/classic-country/let-it-be-me---the-everly-brothers-14982.html

Christmas preparations

I finally got around to buying some Christmas gifts. My mother and I
were supposed to look for gifts yesterday. But as I tire so easily
these days, I begged off.
But then, I spent yesterday arranging and decorating our Christmas
tree. I had to sit down every few minutes to catch my breathe. Isn't
this a symptom of iron-defiociency anemia? :)
Anyway, I had to wait tonight for 30 minutes for my turn at the gift
wrapping counter at SM City Manila, where I bought my gifts. That's
how long the queue is. Imagine that it is not even a weekend and 20
more days before Christmas.

French baguette

All day today, the air seem to have been smelling of French
baguette. Of course, I could just be missing it :) I usually buy
French baguette or the Parisienne at French Baker in SM City Manila
after my German class.

Thinking that I was already spending so much last November
3, I refrained from buying French baguette at Delifrance. I went
instead to Goldilocks. I ended up spending more as I bought Brazo de
Mercedes and Mocca Taisan. The following Saturday, November 5, after
my check-up at Delos Santos Medical Center, I went to Shangri-La Plaza
Mall. I saw Le Coeur de France on my way home and bought what I've
been craving for - French baguette.

The next day, November 6, I went to Podium with my mother,
nephew Tom and niece Joy, to watch the German films, Blind Flyers and
Rhythm It Is. We proceeded to SM Megamall and guess what I found. Le
Coeur de France was selling "buy one, take one." I refrained myself
from buying more French baguette :(

sayong
12-03-05

early Christmas gift

This is a lucky day; a day in which I really feel grateful..

Today, I saw my doctor for the first time after I left the
hospital last Friday.

And for the first time, I saw my wound. I was afraid to
look at it but my doctor insisted that I saw it before she dressed it.
And I had nothing to fear. My wound is healing so well and the
stitch scar I was afraid I'd have might probably be less visible than
the marks I now have from scratching the paper tape holding my
previous bandage. The paper tape was really itchy, especially since
it was placed after my operation last Tuesday and was just removed
today. Nine days! But my vanity has been rest assured today.

My doctor also said that I might not have to buy the
expensive medicines she prescribed before my surgery. She said that
she'd put me on pills for three months, which is a lot cheaper, and
then take it from there. I was really worried about my follow through
(follow-up, whatever) medication. My doctor insisted that I take
further medication to prevent more endometrioma or recurrence of my
endometriosis. But her previous prescriptions would cost me about
10,000 pesos a month for the next six months. And I just don't have
the budget for it. I really thought that I wouldn't be able to have
anything to spend for Christmas.

But now, I can think about buying my Christmas gifts :)

sayong
12-01-05