leaving....

Everyone's going places now...Aileen, Melody and Andrew are going to Beijing. Tara's leaving for the US. There are probably other people I know who may be leaving that I don't know about.
It's one of the things that is inevitable. We are growing up. We are now in the stage of our lives where we are not bound to stay in one place to comfortably finish our studies. We now can go to wherever we want...as long as our finances don't go dry. haha

Good luck to everybody! I envy you guys! Although, yeah, if circumstances permit, I might also be leaving in the near future. haha

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am currently watching Lover's in Prague. It's nice, although it lacks the excitement that Lovers in Paris had. I don't like the guy who plays the detective. His facial expressions are kinda stoic. The major thing I don't like about Lovers in Prague is the fact that Yoon Jae-Hee can't seem to just go steady with one guy. She meets with her ex even when she "likes" Detective Choi. It's just too awkward.

after the longest time...

Met up with my friends in high school on Saturday night. We went to Burgoo at Rockwell. It was great seeingeverybody again. It seems that we've all grown up in the short time since we graduated from high school. Everybody has become older, wiser, yet in some way things were almost like they were in high school. The night was real fun with all the cameras and picture taking. It was almost like grad night.

Aileen: Hey there! GOod luck in Beijing! Have fun! Beijing is a really great experience. Its a chance to get in touch with our Chinese roots and understand the culture we come from more.

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Went to Red Box with Atsi Sheree, Dorothy, Abbie , Ahiya Jerome and Atsi Bernice yesterday afternoon. It was so much fun! It was my first time to go to a KTV. hehe

thoughts on media stuff

I was just thinking...How come other countries replay what is shown on TV three to four times a day? The Philippines never repeats what is shown on TV. Is it because the discrepancies between the tastes of the numerous viewers at different times are much greater than in other countries?

I really can't answer this one.

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AD:
BLIA YAD Manila has its new home
Check it out http://bliamnlyad.blogspot.com

Taiwan food

I just can't get enough of Taiwanese food! I cooked the 拉餅(la bing) I brought home last time. Gosh! It tastes super good!!!! Even dad likes it.

I really really mis Taiwan. I miss the conference the most...I don't know, but all throughout the conference, I was always up and about, not feeling tired at all even when I only have 4-5 hours of sleep at night. If I only had 4-5 hours of sleep here in Manila, I'd probably be all grouchy and sleepy all day. hehe It is true that your environment defines how you act.

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Saw this quote on TV earlier, "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." Confucius said that. Now, I think that if everybody thought like that, we'd probably still be living in the 90's. hehe

Today

I went to take a PROFILES test in Mandaluyong today. The test was for a job I applied for. I passed the first interview already, so this is like a second step. I like the job, but the thing is I don't like the working conditions and the location of the office. But aside from these two factors everything is perfect.

I've been thinking a lot about receiving more than giving. I don't know, but even when I'm jobless and all, I still feel that somehow I'm so much luckier than others. Theres this feeling in me that although I am not satisfied with the life that I have right now, I am still able to be happy. I am so blessed to be born in a family that keeps me happy and gives me a good life(although we do drive each other crazy at times). Right now, I want to be able to share this feeling with others. Give them the same feeling of happiness that I have.

sharing

Just a little something that I wanted to share with everybody. Got it from the South Bay YAD blog.

"While I sit here, I don’t think of somewhere else, of the future or the past. I sit here, and I know where I am. This is very important. We tend to be alive in the future, not now. We say, “Wait until I finish school and get my Ph. D. degree, and then I will be really alive.” When we have it, and it’s not easy to get, we say to ourselves, “I have to wait until I have a job in order to be really alive.” And then after the job, a car. After the car, a house. We are not capable of being alive in the present moment. We tend to postpone being alive to the future, the distant future, we don’t know when. Now is the moment to be alive. We may never be alive at all in our entire life. Therefore, the technique, if we have to speak of a technique, is to be in the present moment, to be aware that we are here and now, and the only moment to be alive is the present moment...To be here and now, and enjoy the present moment is our most important task."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Nobel Peace Nominee

chao shan experience

從山下拜到山上，一路唸著「南無本師釋迦牟尼佛」的聖號, 給了我一個靜靜思考的機會. 在朝山的時候我幾乎把所有的不愉快放了下來. 什麼都不去想, 只帶著一顆毫無傲慢, 毫無顧慮的心一步一步的拜上去. 我的心充滿安定和沉靜，愈拜愈輕安。雖然剛開始拜的時候覺得很累, 可我發現越拜越輕鬆. 可能是因為,當我們在拜的同時我就把我的煩惱一一放下.

Above is what I have to share about my first chao shan experience...too lazy to translate it right now.hehe I'll do it one of these days. Promise!

International BLIA YAD Conference 2006

I'm back! The Conference went well...Although we didn't get to perform during the Night of the Buddha's Light, due to some technical difficulty. =( Sayang...but at least we already have another idea of what we can perform next time.

I attended the group discussion on how to promote and have more youth joining overseas volunteer worth. I have a couple of ideas about that. Coming from a third world country, I believe that before the Philippines youth should start helping out overseas, we should help our own country first. Actually, the first thing the BLIA YAD here should do is get itself organized. Once we are stable, then we can go out and help in the propagation of Buddhism and helping the world become a better place.

Personal reactions to some personal things: YOu know how I hate it when people start to annoy me when they are pretty slow when reacting to things or they just see what's short term instead of long term? Well, that pretty much happened a lot during this trip..all with just one person. I know he's supposed to be older(and wiser) than me so that made me even more easily annoyed.

Oh yeah...if YOU are reading this, I'm not mad at you. Just irritated by the fact that you blamed for the really horrible presentation you made. It was not my problem to begin with and yet I had to stay up extremely late just to finish everything. I do hope that you acknowledge that.