Olah!

Dee signed me up for the A to Z April Blogging challenge. It's a good thing to actually get myself into the habit of blogging religiously. Well, I do enjoy and love to write just about anything I can think of from serious thoughts on life, love and faith to the most random, trivial whatnots. So i thought why not?! This would be fun!

So tomorrow is going to be the start! Woot!

Anyway, let me share with you about 2 things that amazed me today...

Everyday, I take time to say my short prayer on my way to work. First, I pray for my loved ones and family. Then I end it by saying, "Surprise me today, will you?". With a sweet smile and a lets-do-this sigh, off I start my daily toil.

Today seemed to be like any ordinary day. But just when I was on my home, I bumped into a good friend of mine. We didn't know all this time that we both live east side. It was a pleasant surprise to see him and catch up with him since the time I moved to another floor. I know how people can be very busy oftentimes so it was just nice how fate accords us the chance to catch up on each other's lives. Just like the good old days. :) With this, it makes me look forward to the coming days. Counting on Faith. :)

Speaking of Amazing, I remember a line well said by Jim Carrey during his commencement speech at the Maharishi University of Management in 2014. 

Credits to the owner of this photo.

When I listened to Jim Carrey's speech, I was really amazed. And inspired. I never thought a comedian like him who is excellent at what he does, by the way, is also a very profound man. With his speech, he kinda bared his true persona, sans any mask that he usually has to put on when the camera rolls. I love how deep and inspiring his insights are especially on life. This is empowering. I like this line too;

"I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."

Here's the full transcript of the Speech by Jim Carrey. I hope it will inspire you too.

Transcript of Full Commencement Address by Jim Carrey

Why I so Love Captain America?!

Well, who doesn't love him?!!!

Most girls go gaga over Captain America. I mean, c'mon! Seriously? Should there even be a doubt why? Look at my Bae. Isn't he just impeccably gorgeous?! (Imagine me saying this with hearts in my eyes! Haha!)

Hey, since this is not a real person, (geez! insert face-palm here), he is therefore exempted from that "thing" that I am in. Haha. So I am still good.

I know that it is so wrong and crazy to adore a fictional character. But don't worry this is just for the meantime. Very soon, I will get myself back into the real world. Please DO NOT judge me. Haha! Just take this as that little girl in me writing  in here.

I remember when I was a kid, I and my brother would rush to the master's bedroom at 4:30 p.m. every Sunday to watch Captain America, the cartoon series. And all that I saw on the screen were "Woosh!" "Bash!" "Thud!" as if the clashing sounds were not enough for the viewers to get that they were fighting, huh.

Credits to the owner of this photo. Source: Google

20 years later, I never thought there would be so much life into the character which was portrayed by no less than my most favorite male Hollywood celebrity (my soulmate in the next life! Haha!), Chris Evans. Such a perfect choice for the role! I could not think of anyone better, really. It's like I have always imagined Captain America to be Chris Evans all my life. Exag. I know. 

So what makes Captain America my most admired superhero of all time? I guess because he is the closest character to my ideal guy. Ideal means almost perfect, which does not exist in the real world. Hence, he remains to be just a subject of my imagination. And I am fully aware of this. :| But who knows, we never know.

He is persistent and determined. Steve Rogers used to be bullied all his life but he's never run away, he fought back, and ended up getting beaten up instead. He felt in his heart that he was no less obliged to defend his country just because he is physically weak. He kept trying to get enlisted but he wasn't given the chance to prove himself beyond his inability. And he just wouldn't give up. He was so determined that Dr. Erskine saw his unrelenting spirit as something that set him apart from all the big guys out there.

(I like this part here. Tommy Lee Jones was just so funny.)

His most powerful weapon is the Goodness in his heart. If you noticed, amongst the avengers Captain America is one of the least powerful, physically. I mean, he only got his famous shield, that's it. Well.. He is tall, strong, and charming, and good-looking... Oops, sorry I got carried away there. Haha! The thing is that, although he was a weakling, what he lacked physically, he made up with the goodness in his heart. He always puts others  ahead of himself. He may just be a small guy but he's got the biggest heart of all. And to me, a good heart always wins. 

He will do everything for his beloved. Haha! Ok, this sounds so cheesy, I know! But I appreciate that part when he went out of his way to look for his best bud, Bucky. He didn't mind the danger of going there all by himself. I attended a teaching a week ago and it said there, "It is not true love if you are not willing to do ANYTHING for the beloved." Imagine, someone would cross oceans and climb mountains just to find you. Hhmmm.. That is Love. 

He is a One-Woman Man. I think every girl dreams of finding that someone who loves only her. Someone who needs to dance with only one partner. I have a big thing for faithfulness as I certainly would love to dance with only one partner for the rest of my life. The Right Partner would be enough for a lifetime. 

Hahaha! Again, do not judge me!

Oh Captain America, my Hero! :)

Acknowledgment: Screenshots and scripts were taken from the movie "Captain America: The First Avenger"

Happiest Birthday, Mama!

Today is a very special day that I am grateful for. Why? Because today is the birthday of the most important person in my life - my Mama. Take note, she dreads turning 59. Haha!

My mom and I have gone a looong way together. And I feel blessed with every moment that I get to spend with her. You see, I could not imagine my life without her. And I refuse to even think about it. She is my life's greatest blessing.

Oh, Mama why do I adore you? Here let me tell you why.

• You are the most supportive mother, ever!!! Well, this is true especially when it comes to my love life. Apparently, it is her primary, most urgent concern these days. Geez, you can imagine, before whenever I have a visitor at home, she'll be sitting right in the middle to entertain the guy. She would even spoon feed him. (literally!) And just the other night, she was actually telling me that I should try "going out" more because I will never know if the right person is out there unless I go out. O.K. She has a point there! Thanks Ma! Haha!

• You are the Sweetest Person I have known. My mom does every little thing with great love. I can tell it by the taste of the food she prepares and by the way she takes care of me whenever I am sick or even when I am perfectly well. She always makes sure she sends her message of love across not only to us, her children, but also to her friends. No wonder she has a number of friends who love her dearly. 

• You are like a best friend to me. What I love about her is that we get to treat each other just like we're best friends. We can talk just about anything except about a few subject matters I opt to never discuss with her. Sssshh. Haha. We would laugh and cry together. And I love making fun at her, especially when she makes funny mistakes. Haha. She often needs to remind me that she is still my mother because I tend to forget that when I cross the line. Peace Ma!

• You are my Life's Greatest Inspiration. Throughout the years, I have come to witness how she has gracefully hurdled every struggle in different facets of her life. I have seen her at her weakest but I have always admired the strong woman that she is. She is a living testimony of God's Grace for me. If I could deepen my faith like hers, I know I can get through anything. She inspires me to become the best person I could ever be.

• You are my life. She has been my constant source of strength and security. Often, she is the reason why I do the things I do. Because of her, I dreamed of achieving big things in my life. 

And so my list would go on and on. 

I have always wished to repay her for all the hard labor of love she has done for us. But I know I can never outdo her. Mama once told me that when she was younger, she only hears of the wonderful places from the stories that her friends would tell her. So in my own little way, I try to make her dreams come true. And together we marvel at God's creations, one place at a time. 

Here are some of the snaps of the places we visited:

Pattaya, Thailand, 2008

Bangkok, Thailand, 2008

See, how crazy we can be together! Huh

Venetian, Macau, 2009

Hong Kong Harbour Front, 2009

Hong Kong Disneyland, 2009

Batam, Indonesia, 2010

Batam, Indonesia, 2010

Singapore, 2010

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 2010

Bohol, Philippines, 2010

Singapore, 2011

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2011

Yes Ma? Feel na Feel! Haha!

Davao, Philippines, 2011 (Alms, alms for the Poor! haha!)

Singapore, 2012

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, 2013 (She climbed up the 200 steps! Good job Ma!)

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, 2013

Ottawa, Canada, 2014

Old Quebec, Canada, 2014

And so we dreamed of visiting more wonderful places together. :)

Feliz Cumpleaños, Mama! I love you to the moon and back!

Niagara Falls, Canada, 2014

The Next Beautiful Thing that can happen to you

I saw a friend posted this quote on her IG page. And it hit me just when I was thinking of "something". 

A couple of days ago, I again found myself dumfounded, amazed at how in a world of 7  billion population, two people who are meant to be together find their way to each other. Well, thanks to the movie "Serendipity", for a moment there I was again in a state of confusion. Haha! The movie almost always leaves me with the same feeling every time I watch it. Confused. But Hopeful. While the movie highlighted on "Serendipity" or destiny with a sense of humor, in the end, the 2 main characters met again because both of them made the choice to look for each other. In other words, while life presents us with countless of chances, ultimately, it's our choices that determine our life's outcome. O.k. maybe, just maybe, my human mind dictates we need both the chances and that decision to make things happen. 

You see, I believe that a love story is like a beautiful tapestry with two souls represented by 2 threads whose lives are carefully and intricately interlaced so that however seemingly far apart they are from each other, all series of events are woven together on a loom to form one wonderful work of art - their life together. And the loom that holds the 2 threads together is that one Greater Force Up There.

I fervently believe that above and beyond Serendipity is God's provision. So whatever it is, pray over it. Ask for His Grace. Trust His leading. Be proactive. Take chances if you're prompted to. Brace yourself for the surprises ahead. "The next possible thing that can happen to you is the most loving thing that God can give to you!" 

"May He grant you your heart's desires and fulfill all your plans!" Psalm 20:4

Miss Adventure: Part 1 Things to do in Toronto during Winter

Yes! I'd like to call myself Miss Adventure! Haha! I do have a heart for adventures. And I always want to challenge myself by either doing something for the first time or doing one thing that scares me.

Since I have declared 2015 to be my year of pursuing more adventures and conquering my fears, I am going to start writing here all the activities that I will do in the name of adventure and fun (woohoo!), some of which may perhaps be items in my bucket list. Plus I am just lucky to have my circle of friends here, I call them the Kids, who are as adventurous and spontaneous as I am. 

For this first part, I have listed down some of the fun activities that you can do during the cold weather here in Toronto.

1. Skating - Coming from countries with 28 - 32c temperature all year round (except on a few months of monsoonal season), I was looking forward to doing some fun things in the snow. It would have been great to try snowboarding but this is also definitely one activity that I had on my list. I admit skating is not something that's easy for me but as my friends said I am not afraid of falling and getting hurt anyway. (I wish I could say the same in some other aspect of my life. Haha!) There are a number of skating rings here in T-dot and the one that we went to was at Markham Civic Center.

2. Fun Games at Dave and Buster's - When these kids told me that we're going to a huge arcade gaming center, I was ecstatic! I missed playing basketball on summer so this one would really be a good place to do some catching up with the ring. D&B is not only a hub of fun, it also has good food and drinks! You can bring your date here if you both are up for the play (the clean kind of play huh!) or you can bring your entire family. While your kids enjoy themselves with a number of games, you can spend some quality time with your spouse at the bar. This is a one-stop entertainment spot indeed! 

=== > Dave & Buster's

3. Escape Room Game - Ok, this one is another first for me. I had wanted to do this in Singapore but I just didn't have the time. So we went to [AT Escape]. You can actually gather max of 6 players and you get to choose the level of difficulty. I'd say for a start, you go for the easy one. There were only four of us that time and since it was our first time trying it out, we opted to go for the least difficult - the toy room. Haha! We had 45 minutes to solve, connect the clues and get ourselves out of the room. I enjoyed the thrill and the brainstorming. And Yes, we got ourselves unlocked in the last 30 seconds. Whew! It was really fun! You guys should try this!

4. Wall Climbing - This is one item crossed out in my bucket list. I would love to do hiking and mountain climbing. The real thing. So this should be a good prep for me. And True North Climbing would be the best place to go here. They got a big space and you can actually choose to climb up to different walls/boulders with varying heights, elevation and degree of difficulty. They do give training before you climb. I can say their facilities are safe and secured. And for someone who is not afraid of height like me, this is certainly a good challenge to hurdle. I have never done this before but I think I am going to be doing this quite often going forward. It is quite addictive for me. Haha!

So I quote:

"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure." Christopher merchandises

Never be afraid to do something for the first time! :)

Till my next adventures, friends! Xoxo!

I am Single and I am Fine. Thank you!

LOL. There goes my default answer.  Catch my drift? >.<

Funny but I guess most single ladies (and gents too) in their 30's would somehow agree that the society has an issue with them (us) being unattached or unmarried. It seems that there is a mistaken notion that a beautiful life only starts when one gets hitched and it would be such a pity for those of us who still remain single. (Ahhhh....) And why is it so? We're at the prime of our life - career is at its peak; it is the most convenient time to go for our most ambitious pursuits or any major changes, however we want in our life - after all, we only have ourselves to think about. (For most of the time, that is.) It is the perfect time to be anything but desperate and lonely. (The last sentence reverberates in my ears. Haha!)

Ok, SINGLE people out there, back me up here. Don't you get a bit annoyed or uncomfortable sometimes when people make unnecessary remarks at you still being single at your sister's or brother's wedding? Or do you also get this comment, "Oh! you should not be so picky! Time is running fast!" Yeah like everyone is on a race? But I am not joining any. How about this - "why are you still single after all these years?" Why not? Is that a global problem? 

So here are some of the funny personal encounters I had:

Landlady to me - - -

Landlady: Are you dating anyone?

Me: No. Not at the moment.

Landlady: If only my son was older than you, I would love for him to marry you.

Me: [Shocked] Where did that come from?

Geez. Awkward but that was sweet of her!

----------

My colleague messaged me - - -




Male colleague: Soon the lucky guy will find you.

Me: Oh, thank you. :)

Male colleague: If only I got friends who are single. Would be nice to have friends meet and end up with each other.

Me: LOL. Thanks for that. Don't worry. He will come. 

Male colleague: Yes, like your blog site. Love takes time. 

Me: Indeed! Hahaha!

----------

....and this one is the epic among all - - -

Mom: You know, earlier at the mall, there was this good-looking guy. I wanted to really approach him to ask if he's single.

Me: [LOL] That would be unnecessary!

Mom: If I could only find a good man for you. 

Me: Mama, stop! [LOL] I am fine. It takes time. Let's just be patient.

Mom: In God's time, you two will meet.

--insert face-palm here--

 

Aahhh... 

Sigh. Pressure cooker level. Haha! To be honest, I do appreciate all of their efforts and wishes for me and I know they are in good faith with no intention to make me feel bad, whatsoever. And so "my status" becomes the subject of a friendly banter especially when a family member expresses this concern. BUT... But I find it funny because it seems to me that they see a "deficiency" in my life just when I am living it in the best possible way I could. I mean, I won't say I am not desiring for someone to spend my life with. That would be a lie. And it's not like I just sit around and wait all this time. I'd say it is more of a choice. It is a shared choice of me and my Guy up there. 

For me, "singleness" is not like a disease that gets cured by finding someone for an antidote. There is NOTHING wrong with being single. Perhaps, like some of the single people out there, I just happen to have high regards about finding and praying for a suitable partner in life. I cannot and will not allow myself to be persuaded or pressured by the demands of the people around me. Choosing one's lifetime partner, if one opts that path, is his birthright. 

Someday soon, I intend to build a successful, sustainable and lasting relationship. And to me, for this to happen, the way to even start one needs to be carefully thought of and prepared for. Besides, I also need time to prepare myself to be that suitable partner for someone. 

Yes, there are a number of avenues you can avail to meet people in the hope of being able to find that one person meant for you. But you also have to note that this is not like a game or a race with timetables. Thinking about timelines adds pressure and you could end up making the wrong choice.  Beautiful things take time to grow. Just like in the life cycle of a caterpillar, time is essential to its metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. A relationship for me needs to be cultivated in Love, no less. And Love takes time. 

More so, Marriage is something that I do not want to be just dragged into. Personally, I see it as something like a one-shot deal. It is a beautiful gift to behold. And I intend to be married only once in my life. Hence, I want to take my time to find my best self while finding the One. But of course, I understand that every other person has differing opinion on this. I respect that. 

Ultimately, if one chooses the path to Marriage, he should bear in mind that: there is NO "Perfect" mate. But I believe that there is that one person who will perfectly fit into your life, the one who will constantly choose to love you unconditionally and commit with you. Until then, one proactively searches, patiently waits and joyfully lives his sweet life. :D