For our anniversary, BA gave me a card that made my heart melt. Just wanna share the words with you. I love reading it over and over again!
With you,
I've found the someone
who accepts me as I am,
yet helps me become
a better more fulfilled person.
With you,
I've found the something
that allows me to be strong,
yet gives me comfort and support
whenever I need it...
With you,
I've found what it seems
I've been looking for forever-
the wonderful, and very real meaning of love.
I'll love you forever and always...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Happiest Day
I don't believe in love at first sight. Love takes time to blossom and flourish. Love is when you know the person, really know him and accept him for everything he is - flaws and all. Love just don't magically happen the first time two people meet.
Attraction at first sight however, is a different story. Attraction is what brings two people together. It has to be there, right from the very moment you meet, for love to eventually ignite.
I was attracted to him the first time I saw him.
It was exactly a year ago, during the hiking meet-up that I go to every month. He wore a blue shirt, a Michigan cap and a beautiful smile. I was intrigued.
Through some random twist of fate (or maybe not), we and two other guys, ended up walking together. We went through the normal routine of introducing ourselves, talking about the weather, and giving out bits and pieces of information about ourselves. At first, we were part of a group, but as the hike progressed, the world began to center around the two of us (well, that's what it felt, at least). Even when the whole hiking troupe regrouped a couple of times, the two of us still ended up walking together (he never left my side ;-) ). At the end of the 3-hour hike, we have covered every topic of conversation there is to cover. I've never felt comfortable with anybody as I did with him. As cheesy as it sounds, it felt like we've known each other forever. The attraction between us was palpable and the chemistry was completely undeniable. There was no doubt in my mind that he'd ask for my number before the hike was over. And sure enough he did.
Five hours later, he called and asked me out.
Five days later, we had our first date.
And since then, we're inseparable.
So inseparable in fact... and very much in love... that yesterday, we decided to spend the rest of our lives together...
Attraction at first sight however, is a different story. Attraction is what brings two people together. It has to be there, right from the very moment you meet, for love to eventually ignite.
I was attracted to him the first time I saw him.
It was exactly a year ago, during the hiking meet-up that I go to every month. He wore a blue shirt, a Michigan cap and a beautiful smile. I was intrigued.
Through some random twist of fate (or maybe not), we and two other guys, ended up walking together. We went through the normal routine of introducing ourselves, talking about the weather, and giving out bits and pieces of information about ourselves. At first, we were part of a group, but as the hike progressed, the world began to center around the two of us (well, that's what it felt, at least). Even when the whole hiking troupe regrouped a couple of times, the two of us still ended up walking together (he never left my side ;-) ). At the end of the 3-hour hike, we have covered every topic of conversation there is to cover. I've never felt comfortable with anybody as I did with him. As cheesy as it sounds, it felt like we've known each other forever. The attraction between us was palpable and the chemistry was completely undeniable. There was no doubt in my mind that he'd ask for my number before the hike was over. And sure enough he did.
Five hours later, he called and asked me out.
Five days later, we had our first date.
And since then, we're inseparable.
So inseparable in fact... and very much in love... that yesterday, we decided to spend the rest of our lives together...
BA gave me a bouquet of roses for our anniversary.
Then, with this beautiful ring...
... he asked me to marry him!
Of course, I said YES!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Men Say the Darnedest Things
I was walking to my car the other day, when a car pulled up in front of me. There were two guys inside, and the one in the passenger side rolled down his window and asked if I could give him directions. I told him I will if I can. He smiled at me and said, “Can you give me directions to your heart?”.
I’m a romantic at heart. I cheer happy endings in chick flicks, I lament my friends’ sorrows over their heartbreaks, and I swoon at declarations of love. That is… simple but meaningful declarations.
Cheesy lines and flowery declarations? Now, that’s a different story.
When I was in high school, I received a love letter from a guy who seriously annoys me. He constantly followed me around, won’t take No for an answer and would endlessly declare his love. If I was just slightly annoyed at him before, that letter sealed the deal. He wrote of how his heart is bursting with so much love for me and that I must be an angel sent from heaven, then mailed it in an envelope that’s literally ‘sealed with a kiss’. It goes without saying that love letter ended up in a garbage can.
Fast forward to several years. I went on vacation to my hometown when a guy I went out with (once) in the city, sent me a text message that goes like this. ‘Is the sun shining in Tarlac (my hometown)? I bet it is. You took it with you when you left me. Come back soon so the sun will shine on me again.’ It also goes without saying that there was no second date.
Fast forward to several more years. My Ex, who came from a culture famous for men wooing women with amorous words, gave me a butterfly necklace with a note that says ‘a butterfly for my beautiful flower (he always call me flower).’ A couple of days later, I made a comment on how pretty the woman was walking towards us, of which he brushed off and said, ‘Why would I notice silver, when I have gold by my side?’
I don’t have a problem with expressive men. But there’s a fine line between expressing how you feel with genuine, heartfelt words, and expressing it with flowery, metaphoric sentences. The latter comes out almost like bu**s**t. Mr Ex. and I’s break-up wasn’t because of his flowery words, but I swear, if he didn’t back those words with proofs of how much he loved me, I would have dropped him faster than a hot potato!
Suffice it to say that I’m glad to have finally found the guy who knows the right buttons to push and the right words to say. Now I can swoon when BA tells me ‘I’m so glad I met you’, ‘I’ve never been this happy with anyone before.’, ‘I love you so much’. Simple but sweet. Genuine and heartfelt. At least, there are still some men who say the sweetest lines.
I’m a romantic at heart. I cheer happy endings in chick flicks, I lament my friends’ sorrows over their heartbreaks, and I swoon at declarations of love. That is… simple but meaningful declarations.
Cheesy lines and flowery declarations? Now, that’s a different story.
When I was in high school, I received a love letter from a guy who seriously annoys me. He constantly followed me around, won’t take No for an answer and would endlessly declare his love. If I was just slightly annoyed at him before, that letter sealed the deal. He wrote of how his heart is bursting with so much love for me and that I must be an angel sent from heaven, then mailed it in an envelope that’s literally ‘sealed with a kiss’. It goes without saying that love letter ended up in a garbage can.
Fast forward to several years. I went on vacation to my hometown when a guy I went out with (once) in the city, sent me a text message that goes like this. ‘Is the sun shining in Tarlac (my hometown)? I bet it is. You took it with you when you left me. Come back soon so the sun will shine on me again.’ It also goes without saying that there was no second date.
Fast forward to several more years. My Ex, who came from a culture famous for men wooing women with amorous words, gave me a butterfly necklace with a note that says ‘a butterfly for my beautiful flower (he always call me flower).’ A couple of days later, I made a comment on how pretty the woman was walking towards us, of which he brushed off and said, ‘Why would I notice silver, when I have gold by my side?’
I don’t have a problem with expressive men. But there’s a fine line between expressing how you feel with genuine, heartfelt words, and expressing it with flowery, metaphoric sentences. The latter comes out almost like bu**s**t. Mr Ex. and I’s break-up wasn’t because of his flowery words, but I swear, if he didn’t back those words with proofs of how much he loved me, I would have dropped him faster than a hot potato!
Suffice it to say that I’m glad to have finally found the guy who knows the right buttons to push and the right words to say. Now I can swoon when BA tells me ‘I’m so glad I met you’, ‘I’ve never been this happy with anyone before.’, ‘I love you so much’. Simple but sweet. Genuine and heartfelt. At least, there are still some men who say the sweetest lines.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Just Asking
Explain to me why oil prices are calculated based on PREDICTIONS of how the market's gonna be or how the economy will fare that day, and not on how much the oil retailers bought the oil barrels, and the actual demand of oil.
Explain to me why CEOs earn millions of dollars, while factory workers earn a measly $7.00 per hour (at least in Ohio), why there's a minimum wage but not a maximum salary to keep people from getting greedy, and why in most countries, the rich keeps getting richer while the poor keeps getting poorer.
Explain to me why racism still exists in this modern world, why people still generalize people when in fact, skin color has nothing to do with someone's personality, and why people still don't believe that all of mankind were created equal.
Explain to me why US goes through a roller coaster of being a country in depression, then a world superpower, then back again to depression (well hopefully, just a recession).
Anyway, I'm just asking (",)
Explain to me why CEOs earn millions of dollars, while factory workers earn a measly $7.00 per hour (at least in Ohio), why there's a minimum wage but not a maximum salary to keep people from getting greedy, and why in most countries, the rich keeps getting richer while the poor keeps getting poorer.
Explain to me why racism still exists in this modern world, why people still generalize people when in fact, skin color has nothing to do with someone's personality, and why people still don't believe that all of mankind were created equal.
Explain to me why US goes through a roller coaster of being a country in depression, then a world superpower, then back again to depression (well hopefully, just a recession).
Anyway, I'm just asking (",)
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Greatest Treasures
Pre-BA, there are exactly four people in this world who love me and I love completely and unconditionally: My Dad, my Mom, my sister and my brother. Now, there are five, but I'm not here to write about BA. This one's all about my family.
Unlike Paris Hilton, I wasn't born with a silver spoon. The complete opposite, in fact. My family had to deal with poverty and hardships in life. We struggled. I won't bore you with excruciating details, but suffice it to say that my present life is a far cry from what my life was when I was a kid. But what I lacked financially, my parents filled emotionally. I was one of the most-loved kids in this world. Believe it or not, I was actually a spoiled child. I didn't do domestic chores, I was sheltered from the harsh realities of life, and my parents rescued me whenever I 'effed' up.
Whenever I think of my Dad, I think of that time when I was a second-grader trying to cross an ankle-deep flooded street to get to my school. He decided that I was too precious to let a drop of water touch my feet, so he enveloped me in a poncho, put on his rain boots and carried me almost all the way to the school (it was walking distance). He had always treated me like an angel. If I asked him to take me to the airport or pick me up from school, trust me, he'd be there. Be it 5 in the morning or 12 midnight. And he's always on time. Sometimes even an hour or so earlier. There are a couple of times in college when I had to work on my thesis until wee hours of the morning and my Dad would be there waiting for me for hours until I'm done and ready to go home.
My Mom loves me with the same ardor. I've always thought of her as the one person who understands me better than anybody else in this world. I've got to admit, I'm a bit moody and hard to put up with when in a bad mood, but my Mom knows exactly what to do. She had always been a terrific Mom. She'd been with me through all my competitions, entrance exams and school applications. I'd tell her things I'd tell a bestfriend. I've cried on her shoulders or over the phone (now that we're miles apart) about boy troubles countless of times, we've watched all kinds of movies - from Braveheart to 9 1/2 weeks and Original Sin(",), and we've enjoyed countless shopping trips. She is a mother and a friend, rolled into one.
My sister, brother and I also have a bond that transcends that of blood or ordinary kinship. We take care of (although I probably did more, since I'm the oldest and I've taken my role as a big sister to heart) and supported each other, and were never jealous of each other's accomplishments. Like most siblings, we have our fair share of fights, but nothing was and never will be strong enough to break us.
I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life. But there's nothing I'm more thankful for, than my family and BA. To me, they are the greatest gifts anybody can ask for. They are... my greatest treasures.
Unlike Paris Hilton, I wasn't born with a silver spoon. The complete opposite, in fact. My family had to deal with poverty and hardships in life. We struggled. I won't bore you with excruciating details, but suffice it to say that my present life is a far cry from what my life was when I was a kid. But what I lacked financially, my parents filled emotionally. I was one of the most-loved kids in this world. Believe it or not, I was actually a spoiled child. I didn't do domestic chores, I was sheltered from the harsh realities of life, and my parents rescued me whenever I 'effed' up.
Whenever I think of my Dad, I think of that time when I was a second-grader trying to cross an ankle-deep flooded street to get to my school. He decided that I was too precious to let a drop of water touch my feet, so he enveloped me in a poncho, put on his rain boots and carried me almost all the way to the school (it was walking distance). He had always treated me like an angel. If I asked him to take me to the airport or pick me up from school, trust me, he'd be there. Be it 5 in the morning or 12 midnight. And he's always on time. Sometimes even an hour or so earlier. There are a couple of times in college when I had to work on my thesis until wee hours of the morning and my Dad would be there waiting for me for hours until I'm done and ready to go home.
My Mom loves me with the same ardor. I've always thought of her as the one person who understands me better than anybody else in this world. I've got to admit, I'm a bit moody and hard to put up with when in a bad mood, but my Mom knows exactly what to do. She had always been a terrific Mom. She'd been with me through all my competitions, entrance exams and school applications. I'd tell her things I'd tell a bestfriend. I've cried on her shoulders or over the phone (now that we're miles apart) about boy troubles countless of times, we've watched all kinds of movies - from Braveheart to 9 1/2 weeks and Original Sin(",), and we've enjoyed countless shopping trips. She is a mother and a friend, rolled into one.
My sister, brother and I also have a bond that transcends that of blood or ordinary kinship. We take care of (although I probably did more, since I'm the oldest and I've taken my role as a big sister to heart) and supported each other, and were never jealous of each other's accomplishments. Like most siblings, we have our fair share of fights, but nothing was and never will be strong enough to break us.
I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life. But there's nothing I'm more thankful for, than my family and BA. To me, they are the greatest gifts anybody can ask for. They are... my greatest treasures.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Future Doesn't Shine as Brightly
When you have a significant other who passionately laments the deteriorating state of the economy and rants about the status of the government, you wouldn’t wanna nod in agreement (even though you badly wanted to) and add fuel to his fire. You’d end up creating a full-blown inferno. Instead, you try to act as a devil’s advocate (or angel of optimism?) and calm him down.
There are times however, when you feel an absolute need to vent.
So you do what I do.
Vent in a blog.
When I came to the United States to pursue graduate studies five years ago, I only had high hopes and unbridled optimism about my future. I love my country and was reluctant to leave it, but I had to pursue the path to a better life.... for myself, my current family and my future one. Coming to US feels like the answer to my dreams. It’s the land of opportunities. It’s where the so-called 'American dreams' come true. I was so sure a bright future lays ahead of me.
Fast forward to the present.
I got my graduate degree and landed a great job with a good pay. Now, I have a decent apartment, own a nice car, travel here and there, send money to my family, and shop anytime I want.
Lately though, watching the news about the collapsing economy and seeing people around me get laid off from their jobs, I can’t help but worry. I ask myself, how long will this last? Will I keep my job? Will I be able to lead the current lifestyle that I lead?
I’m usually optimistic about life (as I’ve always been blessed in many ways), but the things happening now are making me apprehensive.
How did US get into this sorry state of financial crisis?
I blame people with wealth and in power. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve come to love this country and consider it my home away from home. The love of my life is an American and our future kids will be one. And I do attribute in part, my better life to this country. But I fear that because of greediness of some people in power, misallocation of funds, misuse of resources, US is going down in depression.
And it’s extremely daunting.
Nowadays, I feel that my future doesn’t shine as brightly as it used to. I feel fear, not only for myself but for the kids that I would bring into this world. I feel fear to the point that I might reorganize my entire life and have kids a little later than I originally planned (or hoped). I’ve been though hardships in life before, and it’s definitely not something I would want my kids to go through.
The optimist in me still hopes though. Hope that this crisis won’t last long and US will get back on its feet soon. Hope that even though we’re at it right now, I’ll keep my job, BA will keep his, and we'll save enough money for our life ahead. Hope that our would-be-kids will have a bright and recession-free future in this country.
One can only hope. Here's hoping that... this, too, shall pass.
There are times however, when you feel an absolute need to vent.
So you do what I do.
Vent in a blog.
When I came to the United States to pursue graduate studies five years ago, I only had high hopes and unbridled optimism about my future. I love my country and was reluctant to leave it, but I had to pursue the path to a better life.... for myself, my current family and my future one. Coming to US feels like the answer to my dreams. It’s the land of opportunities. It’s where the so-called 'American dreams' come true. I was so sure a bright future lays ahead of me.
Fast forward to the present.
I got my graduate degree and landed a great job with a good pay. Now, I have a decent apartment, own a nice car, travel here and there, send money to my family, and shop anytime I want.
Lately though, watching the news about the collapsing economy and seeing people around me get laid off from their jobs, I can’t help but worry. I ask myself, how long will this last? Will I keep my job? Will I be able to lead the current lifestyle that I lead?
I’m usually optimistic about life (as I’ve always been blessed in many ways), but the things happening now are making me apprehensive.
How did US get into this sorry state of financial crisis?
I blame people with wealth and in power. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve come to love this country and consider it my home away from home. The love of my life is an American and our future kids will be one. And I do attribute in part, my better life to this country. But I fear that because of greediness of some people in power, misallocation of funds, misuse of resources, US is going down in depression.
And it’s extremely daunting.
Nowadays, I feel that my future doesn’t shine as brightly as it used to. I feel fear, not only for myself but for the kids that I would bring into this world. I feel fear to the point that I might reorganize my entire life and have kids a little later than I originally planned (or hoped). I’ve been though hardships in life before, and it’s definitely not something I would want my kids to go through.
The optimist in me still hopes though. Hope that this crisis won’t last long and US will get back on its feet soon. Hope that even though we’re at it right now, I’ll keep my job, BA will keep his, and we'll save enough money for our life ahead. Hope that our would-be-kids will have a bright and recession-free future in this country.
One can only hope. Here's hoping that... this, too, shall pass.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Of Dreams and Fairy Tales
I’ve always been a dreamer. As a kid, I had visions of what my life would be in the future, which school I would get into, how my dream house would look like, which places I would explore, etc. I had no doubt in my mind that all my dreams would come true. All I needed was determination and hard work.
Career wise, they came true. I studied my butt off when I was young, and as a result, got into the only college university I wanted to get into, was offered a teaching position after college graduation, got into a
My love life though, was an entirely different story.
Even though I was raised in an environment where ‘you-don’t-need- a-prince-to-rescue-you-since-you-can-rescue-yourself’ philosophy was constantly instilled in my mind, the dreamer in me dreamed of living a fairy tale life. I dreamed that I would meet my Prince Charming at a certain age, be each other’s first and only love, get married and live happily ever after. I wasn’t prepared however, to the fact that dealing with love life and dealing with career are two different stories. Hard work and determination’s got nothing to do with love.
I reached my planned age without falling in love. It was a couple of years later that I did. And I was happy. I thought, this was it, the realization of my fairy tale. To my naive heart, he was almost perfect… Tom Cruise look-alike, lawyer-to-be, sweet (or at least, sweet talker), and seemingly in love with me.
Until his one unforgivable mistake.
I was crushed. Coupled with the pain of betrayal, I mourned what I realized was the death of my fairy tale story… I would never be married to my first love. This was definitely not how I pictured the ending to be.
But Survivor Me moved on and Dreamer Me re-wrote my fairy tale. Guided by the cliché, ‘you have to kiss several frogs before you meet your prince,’ I met, dated and kissed a number of frogs in my journey to meet my prince. And boy, what a journey! Wrapped up in my fairy tale and armed with a slightly jaded heart, I found it hard to fall for anybody less than perfect, or who showed the slightest indication to cause me pain. I dumped guys for silly reasons, or for fear of getting hurt. There was that cute guy who’s personality is as dry as dust. Or that rich guy with a convertible car and a jacuzzi at his big house but has curly hair. Or that guy who drives a Lexus SUV and completely insane about me but can’t have kids. And then, there was the guy who I liked tremendously but broke up with before the relationship had the chance to grow - for fear of becoming a rebound girl! With each dating mishap, I plummeted deeper and deeper into the abyss that was my lovelife. In the midst of it though, love found its way into my jaded heart, and I fell for a great yet completely wrong-for-me guy. He’s got an amazing personality but our world’s too different that we’re forced to let the relationship go.
That’s when reality struck me in the head.
There’s no such thing as a fairy tale.
Then, a couple of years later, I met BA. I won’t say he’s perfect, but he’s perfect for me and I love him for everything he is. He’s gorgeous, smart, adorable, genuinely sweet, and completely in love with me. We fit each other like two peas in a pod. I don’t believe in fairy tales anymore but if I still do, he'd certainly be the prince.
On my birthday, he gave me a card that mirrored exactly how I felt for him, "Because of you, the world’s brand new. Because of you, I am too."
As we seriously plan the next chapter of our lives, the dreamer in me can’t help but think… maybe, just maybe, fairy tales do exist.
And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a storybook ending, afterall.
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