Saturday, July 30, 2005

Beauty and the Beast

It's now 11.30pm, just got home and I won't sleep yet 'til I share my review of Beauty and the Beast (now playing at Diamond Head Theater). The play is as ravishing as its Broadway counterpart albeit being short to some special effects. Well for a local production, it is indeed good enough. I remember being called in by the producers to audition for it but that was the day after I arrived from New York and chose to spend that afternoon with a friend. I could've been a part of the production but my tight schedule with school and work would force me to quit later on. Marius called me up if I could join him to watch a movie in Waikiki, i think he was pertaining to the free movie while you lay on the sand. Unfortunately, I had to decline because of Beauty and the Beast. Anyway, I'm seeing him tomorrow so what the heck. Anyhow, I was even happier because my credits for my Calculus and Managerial Economics subjects from Manila was already evaluated and transferred to UH. And guess what, another 2 As on my belt. That advanced me to 1 semester. The goal is to have a 4.0 average and to graduate summa cum laude in Nursing and go to Harvard for MBA in the long run. I think the power of Ying Yang is working for me. Before I sleep, I'd like to share this thought: "The walking wounded are still bound to care for the more seriously injured". Sometimes we would whine but there are a lot more people below us who chose to stay quiet amidst their adversities. So to you folks, count your blessings. That's the golden mantra!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Tired...

showing around Marius all day.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

German friends are here!

well, my friends from Germany are finally here. =-) They want me to go with them in Maui but my schedule is so tight. But who knows? Actually my German friend is taking summer classes in University of Hawaii and his friend came over too. Wow...Party party party.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

The Perfect Person

the perfect person by j.m. whitaker

For as long as I can remember, I have been searching
for the perfect girl. Since I was old enough to begin
longing for female companionship, I have been on the
hunt. I guess it started out as just a simple dream or
fantasy, not unlike most of us. The strange thing
about it was that it never stayed just a dream or a
fantasy. The more people I dated, the more times I was
let down, the more I hungered for that perfect person,
the one that would fill all of my needs and desires,
the one that would never let me down.

I dated girl after girl. Some of them were great while
others got me into some trouble. Some of them made me
laugh, but a lot of them made me cry. Through my
journey, I found a lot of joy and a lot of sorrow, a
lot of happiness and a lot of pain, but never the
perfect girl. I had dreamed about her. Dark hair,
darker eyes, a slim figure tinted golden brown from
the sun. She had an accent and could play the cello.
She would love to talk, but wouldn't expect me to talk
too much. She would always ask me how my day was and
would always have a smile on her face; absolute
perfection. I began to devise methods in how I would
meet the girls I would date.

I knew I wanted an intelligent girl, so I hung out in
libraries and museums. I meet this real crazy girl at
a library after school one day. She was smart and sexy
and, well? crazy. I would rather not go into a lot of
details about it. Let's just say she had some real
deep-seated anxieties about our relationship and,
consequentially, our break up.

I knew I wanted an artistic girl, so I went to music
stores and coffee shops, I even tried a couple of
classical concerts. I met this wonderfully cute girl
who dressed really dark and loved to write poetry. She
was great, we used to stay up all night long talking
about the silliest things, but she ended up dumping me
for some guy who did drugs and rode a motorcycle. I
got into a car accident with a girl driving a Pontiac
Sunfire. She had no driver's license or car insurance,
but she did have a really great smile and the
prettiest hair. Instead of calling the police, we
called in sick and went out to eat.

We dated for a while but eventually came across an
irreconcilable difference in opinions. She didn't
always feel the need to come "straight home" after
work. Okay, to be honest, toward the end of our
relationship, she rarely came home at all.

Then there was the girl from the International House
of Pancakes. She was an exact replica of my
personality. I mean if you had met us both over some
Internet chat room, you would swear we were the same
person using multiple screen-names. Sounds sweet, huh?
Have you ever considered marrying yourself? Have you
ever thought about growing old together, just you and
yourself? We both found that the whole idea of finding
that "perfect person" was to find someone different
from yourself to fulfill the empty spots within you.

I searched every where. I left no rock unturned, no
leaf moved aside, but to no avail. After much pain and
heartache, I began to believe that the perfect girl
just did not exist. Then one day, I found her.

Her name was Malia. She was from Hawaii, raised in
Italy. She wore silk pajama pants to bed. She had
written a novel. She loved the beach and hated cats,
just like me. She had silky, dark and curly hair that
swayed perfectly if the breeze was right. She had a
caramel colored body, etched out of a block of pure
perfection, and her face was that of an angel. From
the very first time I saw her, I could not seem to
take my eyes away from hers. She was like a siren,
calling my name, beckoning me closer to her, even when
she was asleep. The attraction was complete, with no
faults, no annoyances. Every time she spoke she
mesmerized me and every time she moved she amazed me.
She was... well, perfect. Oh, and did I mention she
played the cello?

We spent all the extra time we had together. We spent
so much time together that we decided to move in
together. We were paying rent on two places, but one
of them was doing nothing but collecting dust. We
would sit on the porch when it rained and hold each
other. We would lay on the beach and soak up a sweet
combination of sunrays and pina coladas. Life was
good. No, life was perfect and I knew it just couldn't
possibly get any better than it was right then and
there.

Two years later, Malia left me for a
career-opportunity at a really prominent university in
Europe. There were no harsh words, no angry feelings,
not even any sad good-byes. She was so perfect that if
she wanted to leave, I wanted it for her. That is,
until she was gone.

I cried for days, and began to drink for weeks after
that. I felt as if my life was over, that the only
reason that I had existed was gone, and every breath I
took from that moment on was a futile attempt to hold
on to something I later found I never had: The Perfect
Love.

Malia was perfect. She was perfect in each and every
single way, but I was not. Our love for each other was
a deeply committed one, but it was far from perfect. I
know that now, but if I could go back in time to tell
myself that in an attempt to save myself from all of
that pain and suffering, I fear I would not have
listened to myself.

I slept with many women, sometimes a different girl
every week. I drank excessively and spent all of my
money on temporary satisfaction, anything to ease the
pain. But the pain did not ease, it only grew
stronger. It became a vicious circle of self-inflicted
torture that eventually brought me to my knees and
forced me to open my eyes to the real world. But not
before it made me a bitter man.

I was wiser, but to this day, the decisions made left
a coldness in my eyes that made my heart appear as
lead to anyone who dared look. I became a loner,
staying home on the weekends, saving my money for a
healthy but lonely retirement, having accepted my
fate. I was to be alone for the rest of my life.

Kathy with a K. Actually, her name is spelled Kathyrn.
Quite peculiar, but I didn't think so until later. For
the longest time, I never even knew her name. But she
was a sight for sore and lonely eyes. I saw her at
work. I was her boss (actually, I was her boss' boss)
and did not want to risk the chance of even speaking
to her. She was just too beautiful, and I had become a
beast with a past too horrible to mention. I would
just watch her as she passed my office every day. She
didn't walk, she frolicked, and I would sneak out for
a break whenever she did just to watch that
frolicking.

She smiled every time someone spoke to her, a smile
like the early morning sun, and her eyes were so dark
that you couldn't see her pupils, only the glimmering
from the light that made her eyes look like two bright
stars. I was under her spell and I didn't even know
her name. One day, watching her outside, I convinced
myself to ask around about her. Find out her name and
maybe even find out if she was seeing someone. Just as
I had decided that she spoke to me. Kathy with a K.
She ended up asking me out, you know. I told her I
couldn't that night because I had to work late.

Actually, I was too scared. I called her and asked her
if she wanted to go to Starbucks after work the next
day and she agreed. It turned out to be the most
romantic night of both of our lives. We were both
still pretty new in town and didn't really know our
way around. I had no idea what I was going to do or
where I was going to take her next so I winged it the
whole way. Like I said, it turned out to be the most
romantic night of both of our lives. It was perfect.

She was not perfect, but neither was I. We both
carried a truckload of emotional baggage and we both
had a mountain of flaws. But it was perfect. She would
always forget to plug in her cell phone at night, but
I would always remind her. I couldn't do laundry worth
a flip, but she showed me how. She could never get to
work on time, and she hated to drive, but we both had
to be at work on time so I drove us both there.
Whenever she was slacking I was always right over her
shoulder, and when I would lose track of what I was
trying to do, she would help to keep me focused. We
complemented each other in every single way. Neither
of us was perfect, but we were perfect for each other.


When you're out there looking for that perfect person
keep these things in mind. People change, no matter
how hard they try not to. As you grow older you
mature, and with each new level of maturity comes
different ideas, different needs and wants. The person
who was perfect for you at twenty could be the person
you hate when you're thirty-five. You have to find
some one who will grow with you, change with you,
laugh with you and cry with you. A person who fills in
where you lack, a person whom you can fill in for when
they are lacking. But what about the perfect person,
you ask? They do not exist. Even Malia was not perfect
because the perfect girl in mydreams was supposed to
stay with me.

There are no perfect people, only people who are
perfect for each other.

You deserve to be happy not in the arms of someone who
keeps you waiting but in the arms of someone who will
take you now, love you forever and leave you never..

Monday, July 18, 2005

Hail to my country

As my Philippines is currently beset by political turmoil, I hope she could find the light soon. I realized that wealth, prestige and power could make a good leader evil. We don't have to be dirty on politics. Have we come this way now?

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Credo

Max Ehrmann


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.


Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.


Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.


Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.


You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.


Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.


With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

The fortune teller

A trip around the world is in store for you
With it a great deal of happiness too.
You will have unlimited money
And life for you will be very sunny.

You are a very serious person, and have had little time to relax. But your future looks very bright. You are a fastidious person, and your surroundings have the power of making you very happy and miserable. Do not seek for new friends. Your old ones are very worth while. You have a stubborn nature, but sometimes you yield to persuasion of those you love.

from the soothsayer at Dave and Buster's.

I agree. I agree. I agree.

Friday, July 08, 2005

See ya soon guys!

Cousins and uncle, miss you guys!



my nieces with kuya junjun


kuya rodel and kuya junjun

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

A pat on my own shoulder, encore.

Yeah...the thrill seeker, the partygoer and the drinker did it again!!!

What is it?

TJ got another A! Again? Again? Again?

The Goal within 20 years.

Last year, I got the certificate from KCC(i took their Spring 2004 ARCH class) and the State of Hawaii to operate a carehome facility. That plan was put aside pro tempore to meet the demands of my schooling. After I get my RN degree, I'll be more confident to operate one. Then, I can apply my skills in Business Administration and Nursing. In God's time, I'd like to branch out in California and Nevada where a carehome facility is also deemed a lucrative business. I already did a feasibility study on this one. The healthcare business in the next 10-20 years will boom like crazy since the baby boomers(a worldwide phenomenon)would all be needing healthcare services all at the same time. This will be chaotic that we would be needing more nurses and caregivers here and abroad. The Federal Government would be short on its budget to send all the elderlies to nursing homes which costs $7000/mo compared to a carehome that would only cost them around $1,200-2000/month(case to case basis) datum: 2005. When all goes well, I can get my masters in Healthcare Management or Masters in Business Administration perhaps in UCLA or Harvard(either or) or Univ of Pennsylvania-Wharton School of Business. I'd like to advance the business to a retirement home in the long run. My function would be more of an administrator than direct bedside care. In this case, I could help my relatives in the Philippines to work for me and improve their lives here in the United States. My sister who is a doctor can also contribute her knowledge on the game. With this goal in mind, I always strive for excellence and perservere on my studies as if my energy is boundless. Eventhough, I wipe the asses of unknown patients, I know it'd be a good training ground for my dreams to materialize. The end here afterall is not making money although it's incidental. It is extending my arms of helping other people in a grander scale. Nothing is written in stone. I just keep my faith in God that everything could happen in His time.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

The first class Filipinos haha.

I miss our university days in Manila.(classmates and cheating mates)

I hope matters of the heart are ok with you now, Nobel.

Congratulations to my friend iynah in LA(the one in green)--the New Del Monte Tomatoes Supervisor for Production. And to Kristine in Vegas, I'm happy coz things are coming your way now. I wish I could move to the mainland with you 'coz that's where the competitive Filipinos belong. Those who would gossip about the economy and not other people.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

On keeping friends...

I heard this comment again. Some people regard me as snob; that I'm selective with friends. Partly true because with so much friends, I have reached the point wherein I have to go by quality. I have all the means to be popular in all the clubs here but it doesn't sit right by me. I always want to be incognito and be recognized only by the people I care about. For me, privacy is priceless.

Eureka!

Current Mood: Happy.
Why? secret.




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