Something about wala lang...

I took this photo last night...

Something about the Year of the Earth Rat Forecast...

I got this from one of my officemates...

Year of the Earth Rat Forecast

Rat	The Rat-born feels lucky because 2008 is their year. It signals new beginnings and opportunities both in life, career, and love relationships. For some, there is the urge to move to a new place to seek greener pastures. Goals this time will be easy to achieve as the Rat is more determined to succeed. In love, the Rat will meet a new love prospect, and relationship that started this year has a high chance of lasting for a very long time. For married Rats, having a baby is auspicious.
Ox	Your hardwork during the previous years pays off during the year of the Rat. Even if you don’t look for it, luck will track you down. It’s just a matter of choosing the right opportunity that will present itself to you. Some will enjoy a career boost from their bosses or moving to another company with tons of benefits. For those who incurred loans the past year, this is a nice year to settle your financial obligations.
Tiger	The year of the Rat opposes the luck of the Tiger-born. If last year is smooth-sailing for you, you will find yourself with unforeseen problems this year. However, if you keep focused and always have a back-up plan, then nothing can stop you from getting your goal. Also, you need to get along with the flow of events. Resisting change can spell disaster for you. In love, there’s always a room for improvement.
Rabbit	The Rabbit is in harmony with the Rat year but there is a need for cautiousness. Though generally a lucky year, you need effort to make luck possible. Investing money may also be tempting but watch out for unwise decisions. If in doubt, seek the opinion of elders or your mentor. Being in contact with people full of negative energy can also be detrimental for the Rabbit and this can affect health.
Dragon	You are fiery and this sits well with the Rat year. You can make things happen even if you will it. It is a nice idea to begin a new phase in your life like a new job, getting married, living independently, and the likes. You are full of charm and single Dragon will find themselves swamped with admirers.
Snake	This is your love year. A new love prospect is likely by the middle of the year. If you and your partner survive a difficult first half, marriage is likely by the second half of the year. Your career will be have good luck as well as you get support from someone older than you. Financial luck can come when you least expected it so this is the year for you to concentrate on what you can do and put worries away.
Horse	The horse-born will find this year a bit hard and unpromising. It is best for the horse to stick with the tried and tested formula that he applied in his life the past year. Even if there’s room for improvement, venturing into the unknown is not advisable. However, studying is favored this year. Add another diploma to your belt. Patience is called for this year.
Goat	The Goat has a lot of nice surprises and celebrations in store this year. Rewards from the past year’s efforts will be given this year. Financial stability is not a far-fetch idea. On the other hand, you must not be too trusting even to friends. Being used is possible so be careful. Love relationship will be more passionate and intense than usual. Having a baby is possible.
Monkey	Stop clowning around this year and be serious in life. However, the year of the Rat is favorable for the monkey-born and he will find support from family and friends. There’s a need to be more responsible in career and life in general. And always be sensible. Being emotional can cost you a lot of wrong decisions. Love life takes a backseat this year. You need to focus more on life-long plans.
Rooster	Always put your best foot forward and you’re on your way to a lucky and prosperous year. But be warned because being too successful can make you forget your good manners. Finances will be stable. Make sure that you invest your money or save it in the bank for future use. For some Rooster-born, buying a new house or condo is possible. Social life will also take off to new heights and single Roosters will meet a love partner.
Dog	Just be patient and your loyalty will be rewarded. You’ve had a hard year last year but everything’s looking rosy now. However, avoid breaking your back while working too hard. Take some time off this year to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Treat yourself to some travel and shopping. In love, your sweetheart can be too clingy. Your domestic life needs some changes.
Pig	Think prosperity and it will be yours. The pig’s luck moves uphill this year. You have to be more aggressive though so that you’ll reach your goals ahead of time. Family and friends will show support if you need them. In love, getting married is possible. Relocation is not advisable this year but you can buy a property, and maybe just rent it o

Something about the Little Mermaid...

"Up where they walk, Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wandering free... Wish I could be...
Part of that world"
-excerpt from Part of Your World (OST Little Mermaid)

I grew up watching Disney animated fairy tales. One of my favorites is the story of the little mermaid named Ariel and how she traded her voice to have a chance with his prince. It is a typical and-they-live-happily-ever-after story, little did I know the Disney version has a different ending from what Han's Christian Andersen made.

The original Little Mermaid is also about a little mermaid who lives with his father (Sea King), five older sisters and her grandmother. It was their custom that when a mermaid turns 15, she will be allowed to go to the surface and see how the land creatures' world. When the Little Mermaid turned 15, she saw a ship with a prince and fell immediately in love with him. Like the animated version, the prince fell off the ship and the Little Mermaid saved him while bringing him to the shore. The shore was near a temple and she waits there until a young girl (from the temple) finds him.

In the story, it was explained (by the grandmother) that humans have a shorter life span as compared with the mermaids. The mermaids can leave up to 300 years but when they die, they will turn into sea foam and they ceased to exist; whereas, humans have eternal souls that goes to heaven upon their death. With this knowledge and the love she felt for the Prince, the Little Mermaid went to the sea witch and traded her voice for a potion that could give her legs. It was also told that if the prince will love and marry her, she will gets a soul but if he marries another, she will die with a broken heart following the first day of his marriage.

Once she gained her feet and met her love, the prince was attracted to her to the point where he considered her as a potential wife if he was unable to marry the girl from the temple. When the prince's father ordered him to marry a princess from another kingdom, he said that he could only love the young girl from the temple and if not her, he would choose the little mermaid who was beginning to take the place of the girl from the temple in his heart. But when the prince finally met the princess, he found out that she was the same girl in the temple and decided to marry her.

After their marriage, the little mermaid's heart was broken and she realized the things that she has to sacrifice for him. She later saw her sisters and told her that in exchange of their hairs, the sea witch gave them a knife that would help her to become a mermaid again if she kills the prince.

Because of the love she has for the Prince, it was impossible for the Little Mermaid to take his life. So at the morning after the Prince's marriage, the Little Mermaid jumps to the sea, her body turns into foam but unlike of the under mermaids, she turned into an eternal spirit and becomes a daughter of the Air.

Moral of the Story: When we fall in love, we risk a part of ourselves to gain an opportunity to fulfill the possibilities of a happy ending. But sometimes, we don't get what we hoped for and have our hearts broken. But this failure should not be a reason to blame others for our despair. It was our choice to give (or accept) love, our choice to share a part of our selves, our choice to give them a chance to be part of our lives. But they also have a choice... that we have to respect even though it would hurt us.

Who knows... Maybe, the reason why we cry today is also the reason why we will smile tomorrow.

Something about Koreanovelas...

I have always enjoyed watching koreanovelas. It all started with the Endless love series and got more hooked after watching Song Hye Kyo in Full House as she played Han Ji Eun (Jessie Han in the tagalized version).

A couple of months ago, just before starting this blog, I swore to stop watching korean soaps because it made me (more) idealistic. I've always believed in true love, in soulmates, in finding/waiting for that special someone who would give me a kind of love that will last for a life time. I have always thought that I was this kind of person that is worth waiting, worth pursuing, worth loving.

Having to grow up in a family that turned romantic movies into reality made me more akin to believe that there exists a perfect love story. The moment I heard my grandma's story on how she met lolo made me feel that I too, will have that kind of story. The way she described me the place she met lolo, how she got there and how she unknowingly made him fall in love with her made me believe that just like her, I will experience that kind of love and story with this special person that God destined for me.

Few months ago, I thought I had met him. It was the first time I actually felt connected with someone. It was the first time I genuinely fell in love, the first time I took a risk and the first time (and hopefully the last) I really got hurt. I knew that I have fallen before, but what I felt at that time was different but like the other times, the outcome was still the same. I got hurt and he moved on. At that time, I swore never to watch romantic comedies, read books about true love and of course stop my obsession with koreanovela.

I swore not to be over dramatic, to change my thinking about love and life... to simply put, to stop being me - optimistic, childlike and hopelessly romantic. I promised never to think about him and when his thought came rushing in my head, I try to brush it off by all means... going to the gym, writing, watching movies, going out with friends and I even tried dating...

I find it stupid on how women koreanovela choose when it comes to love triangles. They often fell in love with a hard headed man who always hurt them and take them for granted. Whereas, there is another man, who would give everything to them if only they would give them a chance. I always exclaimed that if I were Han Ji-Eun (Jessie Han) of Full House, or Shin Chae-Kyeong (Janelle Shin) of Princess Hours, or Park Eun-young (Ariane) of Spring Waltz I will choose Yoo Min-Hyuk (Luigi Yoo) over Lee Young-Jae (Justin Lee), Lee Yool (Troy Lee) over Lee Shin (Gian Lee) and Phillip over Yoon Jae Ha (Christian).

Its funny when you find yourself in a middle between two persons who says they love you, one who treated you well and the other who for the most part makes you cry... You will choose the one who hurts you and just see the other one as a friend.

Few months after, after the so called drama in your life, you still find yourself watching romantic comedies, reading love stories and obsessing with koreanovelas... and as much as everyone feels that you haven't change, you know that deep down inside that you have. That eventhough you still believe in true love, in waiting and in soulmates... something is missing and you know it will never be the same... And as much as you want everything to go back to normal, you know that at that moment it is not possible and all you can do is hope and pray that someday it will...

Something about the A Walk To Remember Syndrome...

"Love is Patient. Love is Kind. It does not Envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves"
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I first heard of this quotation when I watched A Walk to Remember on cinema with my brother. I must admit that even though I graduated in a Catholic University, I am not familiar with the different passages in the bible. This particular verse enticed me because of how it defines love as something self less and pure.

The movie itself was very appealing especially for people who believes in true love, in sacrifices and in waiting. In the movie, Jamie Sullivan would always say "I'll pray for you" to Landon Carter. In the book, it was impliedly stated that what she really meant was "I'll pray for you to love me". The love she shared with Landon Carter was an answered prayer and a special gift from God that she considers a miracle.

There was a scene in the movie where Landon said "She makes me want to be different...better". As soon as I have heard this line and coupled with my tendency to be overly romantic, I got infected with a social disease that I would like to call "A Walk to Remember Syndrome".

People affected by this syndrome usually has a tendency to bring out the best in individuals. It usually makes a person a hopeless romantic, a patient lover and relatively, a more forgiving person. At its worst, this syndrome makes a person to be to be overly vulnerable and gullible. The effects of the "A Walk to Remember Syndrome" is mostly dependent on the characteristics on an individual. Its outcome my either be good or bad, depending on the situation, faith and emotional prowess of an individual.

A lot of people suffers from this syndrome, especially the ones who fall in love deeply and/or easily. But if we are the kinds of person who loves patiently, kindly, unselfishly and purely, having the "A Walk to Remember Syndrome" is something that we should not be afraid of... hence, it should be something that we should be proud of.

*********************************
Cry
From the Movie "A Walk To Remember"
Sung by Mandy Moore

I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended too soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

The moment that I saw you cry

It was late in september
And I've seen you before (and you were)
You were always the cold one
But i was never that sure
You were all by yourself
Staring at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

I wanted to hold you
i wanted to make it go away
I wanted to know you
I wanted to make your everything, all right....

I'll always remember...
It was late afternoon...
In places no one would find...

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

Something about being scared...

I had a "falling out" with one of my college friends a few years ago. Last year, I had hoped that we'll be friends again but eventually, the hope died down thinking that probably it was not meant to be.

Today, I received a text message from her inviting me to come to her house for he birthday to hang out with our other friends. I was pretty excited with the thought. I used to get caught up with the memories I had when we were friends, those times when we line up to get tickets for Cine Europa flicks... fun times at CCP.... Videoke.... Teaching kids at Iraya... And now, the hope I had could probably turn into reality now.

Though I can't help but be scared still.