Change is Good

Another year is drawing to a close. I've neglected my blog mostly because I've been busy doing other things.

Four years ago, I started this blog as a way to vent about the anger I felt towards my ex-fiancée, Voltaire Sinigayan, who cheated on me up until a few weeks before our wedding. He is an after thought now, and I honestly believe that although his actions were extremely cowardly and hurtful, divine timing and intervention occurred at that point in my life. For that, I will always be thankful to the universe for changing the course of my life, and leading me towards the path of happiness and to Paul. It's also about letting go, accepting the fact that the universe and karma will restore balance and deal him his consequences in their own time.  Even karma has divine timing.

After all, real love can't be measured by superficiality and monetary value, but rather how much you and your partner are willing to give and sacrifice for one another.  It really is about finding a partner for life. No pretensions. When you vibe with someone, those special moments that we often see in rom-comes and Hallmark commercials, happen naturally. Paul has taught me to be comfortable with change and spontaneity. It's good to be comfortable with some routines, but not be complacent. I love that throughout the course of our relationship we have chosen to live simply, and we're not bogged down by following trends or other people's opinions.

I don't regret anything I've very written on this blog. It's kinda cool to be able to look back at my journey thus far. I'm looking forward to the future. I went from thinking that my previous situation was a catastrophe, to thanking my lucky stars. It was a small bump in the road compared to what other people have experienced, and I came out of it a stronger and a better person.

We are ending 2013 and starting the new year in Thailand. House hunting is also on the agenda when we come back from our trip. Paul sparked my wanderlust, and I'm looking forward to many more travels with him.

Four years ago, if you had told me that I would be living in Southern California with three dogs, a partner who is a competitive fighter, teacher, and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, I would have called you nuts. I still miss my cat, The Sibbie, but I know she's being spoiled at home.

I am a lucky girl, and I feel blessed every day of my life.

Change is good indeed.

Prayers and Reflection for My People

I'm not sure how to really begin this blog post in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, so I'm just going to talk about some of the things that are bothering me about this situation.

I've seen the CNN post on just about everyone's Instagram and Facebook. I'm not sure who left this comment on CNN's page, but I find it insulting, to say the least. From my perspective, this person is not giving us props, but rather insulting us and equating us to beasts of burden. Historically speaking, our people have no choice but to be resilient, but to imply that we are used to devastation and that we'll just "shake off the dirt" and "smile" afterwards, is a slap in the face. To say that we were "given the 'privilege' of bearing the burden of the strongest typhoon ever recorded" clearly justifies that the person who wrote this has no concept of how much devastation this has caused our people and our country. No empathy.



I want to give thanks to all the folks who have sent their donations to me via PayPal. I will be pooling donations until next Sunday, then sending it to my cousin Bonsai's PayPal account. I applaud my cousins Gail and Bonsai for their relief efforts, and please know that 100% of your donations goes to the people.

More importantly, I'm asking that folks in the Philippines please refrain from posting any selfie pictures, or images of what you had for lunch or dessert. There are more important matters to tend to. There are people in our country who lost everything, loved ones, and have not eaten for days. Show some empathy towards our kababayans and kapwa tao. Do something. Every little bit helps. Get your friends together and collect used clothing, canned goods, first aid supplies. DO SOMETHING.
 

I'm Blaaaaaahging Again...sort of.

I realize that I've ignored my blog because I've been so busy. I have some time on my hands, so I figured that I would update a bit.

I'm still loving SoCal. I'm thankful for the many wonderful folks I've met along the way. I'm looking for a new job, but I'm not in a rush either. I'm enjoying my break, and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the year has in store.

I'll be applying to get certified as a Master Gardener through UC Irvine. I want to work with Ron Finley and help him in his vision to make sustainable organic living more accessible in underserved communities.  I want to change the urban landscape, one garden at a time.

I'm back in Sac right now, and I totally forgot that it gets hotter than Hades up here. I got spoiled by 80 degree beach weather.

I have two half marathons in October that I haven't started training for. Now that my soccer leagues are nearing the end of our summer seasons, I need to start my training.

That's all I have for now. Perhaps when I've had more coffee and stop playing Candy Crush, I'll have more to write about.

Peace.






 

More fun than a sprinkled donut.

It's Friday night and I'm enjoying just hanging out at home with Paul and the dogs. I am such a homebody now, but mostly just tired. I may be getting older, but I'm getting wiser too.

Let's see. Since my last update, I ran the Surf City Half Marathon, started Muay Thai, and signed up for two more half marathons this year. I started an edible garden project at my preschool to encourage the children to eat more veggies and fruits. It's a beautiful garden. Just see for yourself. I've attached a picture below. I gave my semi-green thumb a high five. I still love my job, Paul, and the dogs. I miss my Mom, but I talk to her almost everyday.

I loved the Surf City Half Marathon. I ran the whole way, albeit rather slower than what I had hoped. I still made it in at about 2:40. Not bad, but I should probably train more seriously. I wasn't as consistent when it came to training, but I felt I did better than when I ran the Nike Women's Marathon. Up next is the OC Half Marathon and the LB Half Marathon. I'll consider a full next year.

We're going to Oahu in May, and that vacation can't come soon enough. I am looking forward to seeing Paul's old stomping grounds and just sitting by the beach.

Anyhoo, I'll try to update more later. I'm sick again. Preschool germs are the worst kind.

Peace.

An older picture of the lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and carrots.


Some before and after pictures.



 

Resolutions

It's been a minute since I wrote. It's not necessarily because I haven't had anything to share or talk about, I've just been busy enjoying life.

My move to Southern California has been nothing but wonderful. Paul and I are in a great place in our relationship. I can't thank my lucky stars enough for bringing him into my life. He makes me laugh and balances me out. Paul keeps me grounded and humble. It's like he took all the chaos and noise out of my life, and I'm finally where I want to be, more importantly where I deserve to be. He makes me laugh and always puts a smile on my face. I'm talking laugh-until my-sides-ache-tossing-my-head-back kinda funny. Laughing is good for the soul. Laughing together and learning to laugh at each other is good for our relationship. I'm a sucker for that boyish smirk of his. He loves me.

Work is going well. I couldn't have asked for a better school to work for. I love the children and the families. Speaking of children, much love and congratulations to Kim O. and Sedapoo for their babies. I can't wait to meet both lovies!

The year is coming to an end, and it usually requires a life review of the past year. Aside from my occassional Facebook rant about some of my petty first world problems, I really can't think of anything that I would consider a resolution for the new year ahead. I wish for more happiness ahead, not just for me, but for everyone. I want everyone to feel as loved and blessed as I do. I have a wonderful partner, friends and family to thank for that. The Beatles were right when they said that "All we need is love."

Merry, Happy Holidays to all!

Peace.

Busy, Busy, Busy Bee

Wow. It's been a minute since I last blogged. The weather outside reminds me of being up north. I miss fall and the rain. I'm thankful for whatever little pockets of fall weather I get to experience down here.

Everything is going well down here in SoCal. I left my teaching job in Huntington Beach. It turned out to be more corporate minded than non-profit. There was no sense of community. The families and the children were great, but the administration could have been better. A WHOLE LOT BETTER. I just didn't want to work in an environment where the employees hated coming to work and were just trying to get through the day.  The quality of the program is suffering because of the lack of direction and leadership from the administration. The children deserve better.

I have a great new teaching job that I'm starting tomorrow. It's a happy place where the teachers are excited to come to work every day. The children are great too. It's more like Sutterville Preschool and it's more community oriented.

I also ran the half marathon in San Francisco last weekend. I've been trying for three years to get into the NWM and I finally did! I also got my uber cool Tiffany's necklace.  Much love and thanks go out to Paul for driving me up and down the coast. You know your man loves you when he's willing to do a crazy 24 hour commute just to support your love of running and because he knows you're homesick and need to see your Moms.

Happy Happy Happy Birthday to one of my oldest and dearest besties, Larrah Feliciano! I miss you.

My next update probably won't be until Turkey Day when I go home. I'll have all three dogs with me, so we'll see how that goes.

Peace.


My roll doggs on the long and boring drive to NorCal on the 5.



I'm too short to reach my name on the wall.



I got my NWM finisher's shirt. Wheee.



The coveted prize.

Changing at Light Speed

"Now hang on to your fur...we're going to pop into light speed." --Han Solo

It's hella official. I got the teaching job in Huntington Beach. The first person I called was my Moms. As her youngest, I still get a kick out of her being excited over my grown-up developmental milestones. Hehe.

I'm in transition, every thing is developing and changing so fast. All in a good way, of course.  It's like ripping off a band-aid. No time for second thoughts or doubts.

I'm excited to start this new chapter in my life. I'm going to miss being away from my family, but I need this fresh start.

I flew into Sacramento last night and didn't realize how much I missed being home. My cat, The Sibbie, seemed perfectly happy to ignore me for being away from her for so long. Yet, she still curled by my legs when I went to sleep. I'm sad to leave her behind, but Paul is allergic to cats. I hope she forgives me.

I was so happy to wake up in my own room this morning surrounded by my own things. Everything was familliar, even the three cats staring at me from my book shelf. It is easy to get comfortable and stuck in a bubble, but change is necessary and constant. Anyone and everything has the ability to change.  The only difference are the paths and choices we make, and whether or not we change for good or for worse.

I am a creature of habit. I have my own routines that bring me comfort and keep me cozy. I guess you could say I'm definitely going through some culture shock, but adjusting quite nicely so far.

I'm still going to say HELLA because I am from Northern California. The community and people in SoMa will always be a big part of who I am and will always have a special place in my heart. I'm also thankful to my friends who have rallied behind me and given me the extra push in the tush to follow my heart and take a leap of faith. Most of all, I'm very thankful to my family for their unconditional love and support.

With that said, it's see you later Northern California. The next time I'll be up in the area will be for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.