Day 7/40: Bucket List #7 Checked!

My bucket list number 7 which is attend a dance class just got crushed on my list! Woot! A few days ago, we started our unlimited dance lessons in Movement Dance Studio. I've long wanted to join one so when a co-worker mentioned that MDS was giving a 50% discount from their regular price of unlimited dance lessons for 30 days, we bought the discounted vouchers right there and then. I'm no dancer dancer, I even have a hard time memorizing dance steps even way back then, but I love it when I am able to follow and move to the beat of music right. So this class was a dream come true for me. We do not only get to dance hiphop, we also get to join their different classes in sexy jazz, belly dancing, zumba, cardio striptease and pole dancing beginner. And unlimited pa! Work lang ang kalaban kasi there are lessons held in between office hours. Good thing I love my job. :) It's an answered prayer. Yes, I pray for small things like this and I know God would love to listen us pray for small things like this, like a child. I know He have a gazillion big prayers to listen to. Parang ice breaker nya lang 'to from those serious, heavy prayer concerns but treats them all equally. Happy, happy! It's our 3rd day today. A good way to lose some pounds and to work out those blues! The teachers are fun and are good in what they do and the receptionists are the nicest and the friendliest! Photos below taken today while we wait for our next class:

The dance studio! One of my current happy place! :)

With Ate Jaja R waiting for our next class, Cardio Striptease.

And they have another home here in Shaw. A 5-minute walk from our place so hopefully we get to catch another 50% off discount from their regular unlimited lessons classes. Haven't increase my cash flow yet or thought of or found a regular sideline job that would allow me to spend on luxuries like this. Once in a while pwede pa. But for now, this is more than okay. I'm happy and kilig that I'm dancing again!

How about you, what is your current happy place? Share! ;) (Yes, I'm referring to you, my dear avid reader...Hi Bestfriend!)

Day 6/40: Faith

Stumbled upon this photo from Pinterest which has a beautiful message about Faith. I am grateful that God knows when we needed messages like this one. And so I am reminded of His promise that He will continue to take care of me, my family and the people I love and care as I continue to serve Him. :)

It's 1:45 AM and we just got home from a wonderful celebration of friendship and love, the reason for this short post. Congratulations Justrina!!! We heart you and we are happy and excited for both  of you! We pray that God will bless your marriage and your future family. Enjoy the ups and downs of married life! Cheers!

Day 5/40: Optimist Prime

"Bawal ang NEGAtron, dapat Optimist Prime!"

I have heard of this phrase...more of, I have read this phrase a lot in twitter. And I liked what it says but at the same time I love how it is connected to one of my favorite movie characters, Optimus Prime. Yes, I am a Transformers fan but this post won't be about me being one. 

Today was the last leg of the Digital Technology For Social Change #DigiTech4SocialChange workshop which was held in Naga City. Because I wasn't able to join the workshop held here in Metro Manila, I was happy when they had a livestreaming for their workshop today. I was tuned in the whole day though there were a few hiccups due to slow (at times) internet connection. One of my top favorite environment advocates (as she preferred to be called), Anna Oposa, spoke...fun! Below are some of the tweets I've retweeted while the workshop was ongoing:

• At least 27 million Filipinos are on Facebook. @chayhofilena
• Online is nothing without OFFLINE. #DigiTech4SocialChange ~ Ana Santos
• Content curation lets you organize the vast amount of online information. Tools: Storify, Paper.li and Pinterest ~ Chay Hofilena, rappler(dot)com
• Q: How do you start to share about something you truly believe in? A: Start writing a story. Start writing your story. ~ Chay Hofilena, rappler(dot)com

I missed the talk of Mark Bantigue because the livestreaming suddenly stopped working. I was most "tutok" on the last talk by Anna Oposa. I love how animated and expressive and passionate she is when sharing her advocacy and the way she presents her presentation and materials. Very educational. I enjoyed every single moment of it and reminded me of my family who is passionate in protecting the environment and educating the people around us about the environment back home. 

Did you know? (taken from Anna Oposa's presentation)

• Ang pinakamayaman na karagatan sa buong mundo ay ang karagatan ng Pilipinas
• The center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world: Philippine Seas
• The Philippines has more diversity in land and sea than any other place on Earth.
• 80% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the sea.
• We are home to the golden south sea pearl, only found here in the Philippines.
• When you eradicate sharks, you destroy the whole ecosystem.
• The word is REsource. That means that you're supposed to be able to take from it again and again

Cool noh? Makes you proud to be Filipino. She shared that whenever she goes to other countries to visit a marine exhibit, the Philippines and our marine species are always presented as examples. 

Below are quotes and quotable quotes from her presentation that I lurve:

• Sometimes, the only available mode of transportation is the leap of faith.
• Follow your Heart but take your Brain with you.
• For people to care about the environment, it has to be about them. It is.
• Common sense is not very common.
• Improvement begins with I. And that's really how change happens.
• A campaign begins with a desire to tell a story. There are always simpler ways to tell a story. Translations.
• Learn how words behave. READ. You become the writer that you read.
• You just can't sit and tweet and re-tweet forever. Bring it outside!
• We only preserve what we love, we only love what we understand, we only understand what we study.
• Hope has two beautiful daughters: courage and anger. - St. Augustine
• Changemakers are troublemakers!
• PLANT the world w/ HOPE.
• Passion. Pass|On
• My real advocacy is to stop global whining.
• Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
• I'm not an ACTIVIST. I'm an ADVOCATE!
• How can I serve other countries when I haven't even served my own?
• COME OUT OF THE ADVOCATE CLOSET! 
• The Earth without Art is just "Eh"
• Write bite-sized inspirations. Break it down. Tips and Lists. Put pictures.

Storified? Haha. Almost all her thoughts and quotes found on her presentation are just worth sharing. More than being a green advocate, a thresher shark advocate, a marine life advocate, I like that she uses her being a good speaker and writer to spread and advocate hope and optimism and the Philippines. I agree that we should be our own country's ambassador, an advocate of hope, faith and love. The world, offline and online, has had enough of devastating news. We have a part, we can do our part, no matter how young we are, to change this world for the better. Big or small, a difference is still a difference. Let's not get tired of spreading (and planting) the good news of hope...pass it on! 

Day 4/40: Family

Right after the People Power EDSA celebration (which ended earlier...happy!), we all went straight home to get a much needed rest. It's been two nights in a row where we only had 3 hours of sleep at most because of rehearsals and production meetings. After 7 hours of rest yesterday, I decided to have a Saturday movie night. 

The first movie I watched was The Art of Getting By. It was a movie of a young guy who is about to graduate in highschool but have lost all motivation to live, lost all motivation in life. One thing he realized at the start of the movie was that what use is living life if at the end of it all, you'll die. But he found inspiration to start living and doing his school stuff and pursuing his passion for arts when he saw his mother struggling through life and meeting a girl.

The second movie I watched was the Change Up. It reminded me of the movies 13 going on 30 and 17 again where the the lead stars wished that they lived different lives. So that's what happened in this movie, the married lead star wished he had his bestfriend's single life. The married lead star who was already in his bestfriend's body found himself missing his wife, missing waking up at midnight to feed and change the diapers of his twins and listening to the stories of his daughter. And so at the end, his soul returned to his body and he was back in his crazy, married life. And I love that it was shown how he missed every single moment of it. The common denominator of the 2 movies: family.

Family studio picture. I love!

So I found myself missing my family back home. I visited them (a surprise visit!) one weekend ago. My father turned 50 and before his special day was over, I decided to book a flight home. That was my most expensive MNL-CBU-MNL ticket purchase but no regrets. I spent the whole weekend with them and loved and enjoyed every minute of it. I went to watch the basketball game of my brothers, John and Mark and cheered and took lots of photos! Stage Ate at that. Then attended John's Parents' Recognition in school where Mama, Inday and I get to dance with him and we all went to dinner afterwards with a family friend. The next day, we all went to hear mass at the Sto Nino Church...but we missed Nyn-nyn. She's been very busy lately (every weekend) for  out of town trips because of her school projects which requires them to visit forests, marine sanctuaries, mountains and islands. Fun noh? I love that she's loving (and enjoying every minute of it) the course that she chose. I'm praying and wishing that Arboy and Inday who'll be in college next school year to choose a course that they love or will love too. 

On a family mission trip. During the SAGIP Conference in Cebu.
Fun and everyone was in their GK shirts! 

Top things I miss about my family:

1. Waking up with breakfast ready cooked by Mama dear and waking up to the noise of everyone cramming and getting ready for school.

2. Papa tagging us along to wherever his work is taking him to. This is one of the reasons why we too became passionate about GK and now the environment. He would bring us when he goes on mission trips on weekends and on long breaks. I miss working and serving alongside with him. In the future, I pray I get to serve with all of them again! 

3. Lazying around especially during Sunday mornings when we have no appointments to go to. Just talking, laughing, singing, hugging, asaran, kulitan, sharing stories and just enjoying laying down side by side with each other on our cramped bed...or floor. Haha

4. Serious talks with Papa while Mama listens. We have lots of this every now and then. When we have done a bad thing, collectively or individually, Papa wakes us up either very early in the morning or very late at night and talk to us. When Papa does that, it scares the hell out of us because Papa seldom gets mad so when he does this, he must be very mad and losing his cool. But there are those talks about mission, faith, hope, love that I always love.

5. Kissing the parents goodbye and magmano every morning before I leave for school and every night after I arrive from school or a YFC or GK activity. 

6. Late night talks with the siblings and Mama or Papa telling us to stop the giggling and harutan because we still have school the next day.

7. Kissing everyone during mass and going to mass together. 

8. Praying the rosary together.

9. Going on GK builds and GK activities together. Going on mission trips. Jumping, singing, dancing side by side with the family during worships.

10. Tampuhans. :)

On our way to a family gathering and even in the taxi,
 kulitan pa rin.

Though I never regret to be away from them for the time being, there are always those days like tonight that I wish I was back home in the comforts of the people who loves me for who I am and am not. I couldn't thank God enough for giving and blessing  me with such a beautiful family. As they always say, you never get to appreciate them until you lose them. I know I'm not losing losing them but I don't get to see them everyday as I used to. Makes me appreciate them more. Makes me appreciate and more thankful of the love that they've shown me all these years. I continue to pray that we grow as one family in mission, in love, in hope and in faith. That God will use us to inspire the families that surrounds us as well. I also pray for those kids of broken homes or of those absentee parents. I also pray for those parents with kids have lost their way home, figuratively. I pray for the families in our GK communities that they continue to strive and find the will and the grace to become better for their respective families. I pray for all families that we may be anchored in God, and find ourselves serving the families around us. AMEN. :)

Day 3/40: Fly

New Directions - Fly/I believe I can fly from Someone like you on Vimeo.

Another mash up masterpiece by Glee: Fly/I Believe I Can Fly! And that's what I intend to do in my lifetime, FLY! But not leaving anyone behind. 

Day 2/40: Of Celebrations and Realizations

Tonight is videoke night with my first and previous SFC household with our household head's original household to celebrate because Nanay Hazel (my household head) passed the recent Physical Therapist Board Exam and (supposedly) Tatay Gilbert's (my household head) new married life with Ate Zha (but they couldn't join us). Cheers to celebrations and the gift of friendship and community! And of course because it's videoke, I belted my heart out singing the song "Realize" by Colbie Caillat (above).

I am still a little bit scared and anxious of all the things that I have to do and catch up at work and I have to wake up at 3 AM later for a sideline job. But tonight I am reminded, as Ate Hazel gave her thank you speech, to learn when to surrender, pray and entrust our plans and make way for God to reveal His greater plans for us...and so I rest my case.

And oh, I catch myself smiling as I type these last few words. It must be the cold weather tonight. Or it could be the song "Ikaw Ang Aking Mahal" that John Lloyd (JL fans, whuttup!) sung in the movie Unofficially Yours that was played in the videoke. Or my bestfriend's text (Hi Mishy!). Or the stars (I've never seen that much ever since I came here) that we saw as we walk to the car. Or it must be something else. :)

Let's Work Together!

GK has always been so good in working with a lot of groups and individuals who shares the same vision and mission. I have met a lot of people from different background and beliefs and yet we share the same passion, showing our faith through GK, hoping to make a significant impact to the lives of others. But never was I this excited to actually share, work and learn from other NGOs who wants to make a difference in the world as much as we do, one step at a time, one child at a time, one sick person at a time, one family at a time, one community at a time. I was given an opportunity to meet a couple of them twice since I started working in GK. The first meeting, I was not yet that enthusiastic because I admit, I was too engrossed about GK being the best and so I didn't even mind not being able to meet fellow participants who where from other NGOs. Not thinking that they too are just like us, that we too started small, with a desire and mission to help, choosing to dedicate and commit our lives so others may simply live and start dreaming again. On my mid-first year in GK did I open my heart and my mind, less possessive about the GK spirit, and started and decided to embrace the mindset that for us to be able to spread the GK way and the GK spirit across a bigger network, we have to be more willing to work together with not only the usual organizations, groups and corporations we work with, but with NGOs too, big or small! And help the small non-profits to scale up and find a way for us to work together.  

I am in charge of everything online about GK and as a newbie in the digital world two years ago (and I still am at this time!) and in the working population, I tried to read everything that is related to the work I do. I have learn to love it as well. It is in those searching for knowledge and best practices that I came across blogs and online communities and even twitter hashtags of non-profit organizations that support and work and learn from each other. One perfect example is Connecting Up in Australia. They provide a venue for non-profits in Australia to meet, to talk to one another online and offline, to learn from each other and to share their respective non-profit's best practices. Very, very cool! I was wishing the same thing for the Philippines and so I posted in Facebook last night about that wish. And guess what? Ate Ish, our IT Head, invited me to sit in in their meeting with Techsoup. I was thrilled especially because I know they're working with Connecting Up and Microsoft who is by the way starting to provide a venue for non-profits to work and meet , just like what Connecting Up does in Australia. Innovative collaboration, knowledge sharing and digital landing. Those just stick in my mind after today's meeting. Last December's Social Media for Social Good Workshop too inspired me to be able to be of help to other non-profits in whatever way I can. And I'll be more willing to learn from them too!

So there. Just trying to release the excitement that  is inside of me right now. I am excited where this will lead us to and I know God has a bigger plan for GK, as always. I like what Ate Issa said during that meeting, that as GK, we don't mind that our name never got mentioned and published but as long as we are able to help our fellow non-profits grow and be able to help and reach out to more communities, to touch more lives. We cannot do this alone so collaboration and working together is indeed key for our 2024 vision to become a reality. For God and country! 

Day 1/40: Finding Our Way Back Home

Magical, wild and unique!

"The Phillip Island Penguin Parade is one of Australia’s most popular wildlife attractions - perfect for a family holiday or getting back to nature.

Every sunset, wild little penguins emerge from the sea and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows. Phillip Island is home to one of the largest ittle penguin colonies in the world.

The little penguin is the world’s smallest penguin species and the only penguin permanently found in Australia."

source

Phillip Island's Little Penguins came up in today's Ash Wednesday homily. As Fr. Sescon was sharing this story, I couldn't help but shout deep within, "I must visit that place! I must see those wiggling, cute, little penguins! I must add that to my bucket list!" Fr. Sescon shared that these little penguins (they're really called that because they're the smallest of the penguin species) leave the island to go swimming, and look for food, which lasts from 1 day to 4 weeks, and come home to this island, to their home, every night. They always try to find their way home to the burrow where they grew up in. Because only when you are home will you be secure and find peace. This story is related to today's reflection of the first day of the Lenten Season: about coming home with LOVE to the One who breathe life into us.

As I was reading through the Little Penguin's profile here, I came into another reflection. The Little Penguins come ashore in groups at sunset every time. As we come home this Lenten Season, may we never forget to tag along the people who are dear to us, those who we think need a gentle push or pull to bring them back home too. Heaven would be the best place to hold a reunion. That's what I always think! That'd be exciting! As we wiggle and waggle everyday back to the arms of the Father everytime we fall to our worldly pleasures, may we not forget to grab a friend's hand or two, heaven won't be as fun without your partners in crime. *winks*

A Firm Resolve for 40 Days

Marinduque mission trip...Sunday homily...quality time with the family...new online learnings. A few words (max of 140 words) isn't enough to capture all I want to share about my everyday adventures so I'm having a firm resolve. To write and be inspired by it. (here I go again with my...I will write more rant.)

Photo source

Tomorrow's Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent. I was thinking of what my fasting will be, to take it seriously and take it to the end. I was searching of what necessary everyday routine or pleasure to give up for 40 days. Sleep? I couldn't make it to 40 days...or maybe I could if I choose to...after 10 minutes of self-arguing and watching TV in between... Geez. Just writing this post made me discover that. See? Writing a.k.a. ranting (for me) can sometimes or always gives me clarity. I think I'm losing my point here. So back to fasting, I heard from a homily (way back) that fasting could either mean you take away something or you add up something to your everyday routine or schedule. It's either you give up meat or add attending mass to your everyday schedule. But we were exchanging insights and learnings about abstinence and fasting with my roomies a few minutes ago (yes, we discuss a lot of insightful theology stuff. Thanks to Ate May, we are learning a lot about our faith. Loving it!) and she said that in the olden times, fasting means NOT eating meat every Friday for one whole year or skipping a meal. But it has evolved into adding up instead of giving up. But I would want to do both. I know I haven't really been praying on what to fast but I hope to take this to end. When your fasting during the Lenten season, it should go with other 3 elements as well: prayer, almsgiving (not comfortable with this word...sounds too giving-one-time-then-am-good attitude) and scripture reading (from Ate May's notes which was expounded online). I too don't think it makes any sense that you fast without prayer.

Reading through here while blogging. Important points to remember below taken from the article:

Lent is a period of fasting which leads up to Easter. Lent recalls Jesus' 40-day fast in the wilderness, mentioned in the synoptic gospels. Catholic Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends right before the evening Masses of Holy Thursday, although Lenten penance continues through Holy Saturday.

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, spiritual growth, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.

Whatever you decide to fast from, remember, as Steven Clark likes to say: "Lent is more than a diet." Lent is about spiritual results, not material ones. So, while losing a few pounds may be a nice side benefit, all fasting should be done for God's glory and spiritual growth. 

Fasting VS Abstinence

Fasting: The Western Rite of the Catholic Church requires its members age 18 to 59 to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, unless a physical condition prevents otherwise. This means only one full meal is permitted in a fast day.

Abstinence: The Fridays of Lent are days of required abstinence, meaning meat, and soups or gravies made of meat, are not permitted. Abstinence is required of those age 14 and older.

Fasting should go with:

Prayer:
Lent is a good time to develop or strengthen a discipline of daily prayer. 

Almsgiving (Charity):
While Lent is about giving something up (i.e. fasting), it is also about putting something positive in its place. The best way to remove vice is to cultivate virtue.

Scripture Reading:
When facing temptation in the desert, Jesus relied on Scripture to counter the wiles of the devil. It is a formidable weapon for us as well.

Why Forty? The number forty, hallowed by the fasts of Moses, Elijah, and especially Jesus, probably influenced the later fixed time of 40 days.

So where does writing come in? Well, because I am resolving to wake up 6:30 AM everyday for the next 40 days (except for Sundays!), that means I'm giving up the pleasure of oversleeping. And I thought of adding in praying and scripture reading everyday but that doesn't count because both tasks (I didn't know til now) should go with the fasting already so I'm adding in writing everyday. But no rules like, it should be at least four paragraphs long, cause...okay now my brain's giving me a lot of ideas today. Not very helpful. Haha. Basta yun lang for now. Waking up early is too much of a sacrifice already. Though I'm not measuring Lord ha? You know me. But I think I would even go beyond that based on this first entry. 

My stirrings today lead me to fasting, then to this post. I like! Few hours ago, I made a resolve to find it in my heart to really write for the following reasons below:

1. My GK Ates aren't giving up their "hirits" of me writing. I don't really call myself a writer writer. But I know I can tell a story or two so I'm putting my writing muscles to work to help write stories for GK.

2. We had an exchange of thoughts during lunch time with Ate Tine and Ate Ja about not having enough of (written) stories on the ground to be shared both online and in our marketing materials. I've always believed that we have thousands (tucked in the hearts of our volunteers and partners but never recorded on paper) and it is in these stories where the magic and spirit of GK is best captured. So I shared that we have asked a number of volunteers and workers to do that especially those who are immersed on ground to write about their experiences or different inspiring activities but they shy away and are intimated by the term "writer". There already are a few starting to submit lately. We encourage them to write in the language they are most comfortable with and we do the revising and editing for them, just so they don't get all too conscious about writing (better to use "sharing" with them) which (always) results to letting go of the necessary and usually inspiring parts. So I made a resolve to write too and not be intimated about what a writer writer should be. 

3. For the people I love and who loves me, who wants to keep up with my everyday "trips" and encounters. I too want to inspire a couple of friends to write more so I get to be up to date of their everyday "trips" and encounters too. And my bestfriend Mishy is back to her 365 thing so I'm joining her for the first 40 days of that challenge.

4. Style bloggers. Food bloggers. Photography bloggers. Digital Marketing bloggers. Travel bloggers. Journalists/bloggers. Personal bloggers. Lifestyle bloggers. We have loads of those already. Individuals who blogs about inspiring stories and encounters with struggling families and individuals who wants to become and live better, not much. Individuals who write about stories of hope and transformation and sacrifice, they are slowly coming around. So I'm joining the latter. Hope you'll join me too. Calling (young) fellow individuals who love what they do and are passionate in changing the world one little step at a time. Join me. Join us! Bloggers Anna Oposa and Noreen Bautista are the best examples that I can find and you should head over and subscribe to their blogs to know what I'm talking about that. You will read a lot of other stuff her but I resolve to make this blog exude more HOPE and LOVE and sharing a cause that I share with the organization I am working in and team I am working with, ending poverty and help create an environment to inspire more individuals and groups to join us ending poverty and putting faith into action. God wouldn't want us to grow in faith as a country and yet a lot of people are still out in the streets and dangerous areas living difficult lives. As Anna Oposa said, " It’s so easy to say what we’re against, but what we’re FOR is far more powerful." So I'm all for hope and love and faith in action and first world Philippines for the next generation and utilizing digital technology for social change.

So it'd be 40 days of fasting, praying, scripture reading, giving, waking up at 6:30 AM and writing for me. I was thinking of asking a few people to join me in the next 40 days, so I'm tagging you Bestfriend Mishy, Purlalu, Kirstin, and YOU for fasting, praying, scripture reading, giving, giving up ________ and doing ________! :) 

Day 1 begins tomorrow. May the next 40 days be full of reflection, prayer, self-discovery, realizations and inspiration. We are created to glorify our Maker. May we be reminded of the reason of our existence and the implanted desire in our hearts to give back and reflect His glory, every single day.