Bold choices x Bravery

I just got out of a job that I really loved and left it for something that I have no experience of. 

If you ask me, “how’s that choice working for you?”

I’d say I’d rather live a life of courage than comfort.

I’d say I would rather try than not.

I’d say go on, life is only limited when you set it to be.

I’d say I can be better, I can have better.

I’d say change is something inevitable. No one is ever secure.

I’d say love yourself enough to chase your dreams and jump into the unknown.

I’d say take heart, have faith and go on.

Yes, you can do it! Leave your comfort zone. 

For Comfort lies in the spirit of you being yourself and loving every piece of it.

Surrender to your greatness!

Plunge into Love

Celebrate Life!

Felt like Royalty at Queens Taj Mahal #TastyTuesday

It was a good day to write about something good yesterday. I was actually thinking what to tag or call the Tuesday portions of my blog. I was having a hard time what to call it until a friend/officemate of mine asked me to join her on a meeting with the owner of Queens Taj Mahal.

Queens Taj Mahal is located along the stretch of Jupiter in Makati City. It is in between Aristocrat and Cafe France.

Queens Taj Mahal is in the same group of Queens Bollywood in Greenbelt and Maharaja formerly in SM Southmall but is now closed. This chain of restaurants is owned by an Indian-Filipino family who moved here in Manila a few years ago.

Last night, my friend and I was able to meet the nephew of the owner and is one of the managing partners of Queens. His name is Vivek. He moved here 2 years ago for his education and is now working in one of the largest companies in the country. It was a business meeting but Sir Vivke was very friendly and hospitable that it felt like we are talking to one of our new found friends.

He started with "Have you been to an Indian restaurant before?". It was like an opening line to a good movie or something. And so I answered, "Yes in Queens at Bollywood in Greenbelt and we drank alcohol throuh that tube where you sip it and ate a bread-like food and dip it to something brown". My friend have'nt tried it. And obviously, I have no idea what I drank and ate that time.

SIr Vivek hosted dinner for us. Before the meeting started he asked Raffy, Officer in charge, to serve us Mango Lasi but instead we were served Mango Shake at first. It tasted really good and creamy but it was not what we are supposed to taste. Few minutes after, we were served with the real Mango Lasi, which is made of Indian Yogurt and Mango blended well together. You can taste the mango and also taste immediately the "kick" from the yogurt. Overall, Mango Lasi is one of the most unique and refreshing drinks I have ever tasted.

Then he asked us what do we prefer Chicken, Lamb, Fish? My friend and I both answered Chicken. And so the Chicken Biryani and Chicken Kebab was served.

Nothing can go wrong with Indian style Chicken Kebab

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Kebab was  both marinated in yogurt and grilled in charcoal. The white one was kind of sweet while the red-orange one was spicy. This, with Chicken Biryani made my tummy full and happy :)

Chicken Biryani has full white meat, cashews, raisins and some spices for a delightful partner for the Chicken Kebab. Just when we are about to leave with a smile on our faces and stomach (hehe), we are asked by Raffy to stay first as they will serve our dessert. 

Could not ask for more ;)

This one is called Cassata. It is a vegetarian Ice Cream that is served in small portions of each flavors: vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. I could not think of any other way to end a sweet and wonderful night at Queens. 

We definitely felt like royalty in that Indian Restaurant in Makati and we're sure that we will back to taste the rest of their menu offerings. 

Cheers to a Tasty, Tasty Tuesday! :)

I am better than my sickness dictates my body! #MondayMurders

Good Morning, Good Morning! I surrender to my greatness and am now blogging while riding the train. I am this awesome haha :) 

Anyway, i would like to share what i have victoriously conquered yesterday (Monday), dizziness and vomitting and that guilty feeling of not being able to report for work. It was just like any other day when i would take a bath after opening my eyes in the morning but something is changed when I stood up, i felt like the whole world was spinning slowly and i cannot stand still. I continued to take a bath, wear my office clothes on and drink water and medicine, which btw usually works. I felt nothing but vomitting after doing that and I decided not to go to work. 

Today, after hours of sleep and bedrest, with just noodles, porridge and two boiled eggs on my system, i am glad to say that I AM FEELING BETTER and STRONGER. I probably needed power rest. Superwoman is not always super you know? ;)

With an ample amount of courage, strength and love for what I do, I will face this week with high hopes that I will still be able to reach my target and do it with joy and passion. Moving forward, I promise to give my body the rest that it needed and love that it deserves. 

Cheers to a wonderful workweek ahead!

Much love, 
L

Love Lost and Found

4pm, in the middle of class, a young girl received a call that her dad was brought to the hospital very far from home because he collapsed going down the jeepney and was stroke. She had to leave school early, be with her family and visit her dad.

She saw her dad's eyes filled with tears and sadness as she and her two other sisters come in the room. She hugged her dad, thanking God that he was still alive. The youngest of the three hugged her dad as well and cried a little loud. The middle child remained silent. Sound of tears, thankful, sad teardrops surrounded the hospital room. The old man apologized for everything he has done and he said he might not make it.

Unlike any other days, the man lying on the bed, seemed to be a weak, frail version of the young girl's dad. "This is just a dream, a really, really bad dream", she said to herself. But reality slapped her in the face, when she realized she is waking up with her dad on the other room every day, no longer reporting for work, unable to move half of his body, cannot speak clearly and is stubborn than ever. He would be upset if he is not eating normally. He has therapy sessions weekly. And when he wants something and we cannot understand it, he will loudly cry in frustration.

It has been a tough 10 years for the family. He got better eventually. Better physically, as he grew strength from his regular sessions with the therapist. Though he still needed his cane, He became capable of walking straight from our home to the store on the other street. Even though his words are still tied up, people can understand his sentences better. More importantly, the old man seemed to be more expressive on his love and appreciation for his family. There was a time when the young girl got into a fight with an older man and when she came home crying, Dad was persistently pushing to go out and get back at the old man. There was also a time when he was sitting in front of our gate, seemingly waiting for someone or something to happen, and their neighbor's house was burning in fire. His family was still sleeping that time and he wanted to call their attention. Dad banged the gate for a lot of time to wake his family up and get their attention. He was shouting at the top of his lungs just to save his family and home from burning also.

Actions worked better with the old man, He made words unnecessary in communicating love and care to the people around him. Yes, he was stubborn at times but the family thought since then that everything will now be okay. Dad was getting better, The Mom's getting stronger and the young girl was getting wiser and older.

Seasons changed, years passed and there they are. Dad was joyfully spending his days at home, Mom was persistently working hard for the family, the younger sisters have grown to high school and college and that young girl from the beginning, the eldest in the family, is now on her senior year in college. She was the first granddaughter who will graduate in college that time. And though it has become somewhat a struggle, what the family then was doing was to wait until Graduation come and celebrate the first "victory" in the family.

Struggle in the waiting became misery when a call in August 24, 2009 was received by the young girl, 7 months and 7 days away from graduation, she got a call from her sister that Dad was not able to wake up from his siesta and that she needs to go home immediately after class because they need to fix the wake and everything.

It felt like a shooting star landing at the very bottom of her heart. Time stopped and world stood still. The young girl was shocked and didn't know what or how to feel. "Is this even real?" she said to herself. "Is this really happening? Because if this is just a dream, I would really like to wake up now." She couldn't bear it. Her feet was stucked in the position where she received the call. "What did I do to deserve this? I'm about to graduate without a father...One day I am going to marry someone I love, without my father."

And so she cried. Cried in the wake. Cried on the mass that was done before the burial. Cried before and after his cremation. Cried in the restroom of her school. Cried in the jeepney. Cried on her graduation. Cried on her way to her first job. Tears was uncontrollable. She felt like she was being miserable. And thought, "If i die now, I wouldn't want my mom or any of my love ones to be this miserable or sad when they think of me...I want them to smile and feel that I am still around. That death could not even surpass how much I love them." It had to stop, the sadness in her life. She had to move on.

One day, a good friend invited the young woman to a church named Victory. "Worship Night", her friend said and the young woman was okay with it. They entered a very clean and nice building, rode up to escalator. You can hear the singing of people from outside. Doors opened, colorful spotlights are everywhere, hands are raised, music was loud and lyrics was posted on a big screen.

"You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me

And 'til I see You face to face

And grace amazing takes me home, I'll trust in You"

It will not come as a surprise if the young woman cried again that moment. This time with joy in her heart, knowing, feeling that she will see her dad again. Realizing that the key to happiness moving forward, is the fact that her dad was part of every good thing that is happening to her and for the greater things that await her.

Strawberries and Sunshine

You know when you're tired and would like to pause for a while and have a donut. You'd go down the office, buy one, and after a bite of that Strawberry filled Dunkin Donut, all of a sudden, you will feel at ease and energized to move on and finish what you have to. In my life, that Dunkin Donut was Sunshine. :)

The person I am referring to is a former top manager in my last work and she preferred to be hidden under the name of Snow White for privacy purposes. Sunshine is a woman of power, grace and love. She is an epitome of the leader, lover, daughter, trainor, and 50 year old woman that I would like to be. This post is dedicated to her who inspired me to live my life to the fullest; to take things lightly and positively and more importantly, to stay grounded and kind always.

She always walks in the room with a smile on her face, light in her eyes and a warm hello. Normally, she will ask how you have been and offer you a snack or drink. She is the type of boss that knows how to completely trust her people that they are capable and at their best when executing tasks. She is the type who will reward you well after a job well done and provide you "the talk" when she knows you have something to improve on. More importantly, she knows how to correct people with love.

With so much love, that I have realized after a year that our heart to heart talk was one of the foundations of why I pushed myself to become better at my work then. I am embracing openness and vulnerability as I share a part of the loving email she sent me.

Her courage and love worked. She was frank and very clear with her intentions. And because I would like to share the light she is giving in my life, I asked her to answer some answer some of the questions from our magical query box and convinced her to share! (Yey!)

Name the Top 3 Dream Jobs you’d like to have

"Christiane Amanpour in CNN, President’s Chief of Staff or President of the Philippines and to where my passion is; preparing special trips for people in a cost-effective way"

(Side Note: One of the things I love about her is that she is well-traveled and she has been to a lot of places around the globe.)

What images come to your mind when you are asked about your childhood?

"Beaches and pine trees. Also airplanes. That's because when i was young we always go to Baguio, Batangas, and ride airplanes all the time."

You are the judge for the coolest book ever written, what book would get the award?

"Tuesdays with Morrie, Everything from Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steele. You know in life, you must always be reading a book. It helps in making conversations and connecting with people more."

If you had to write a book about your life, what would be its title?

"Love, Life and Relationships or Live the Moment" (Pak!)

What invention would you like to offer the world today?

"A Time Machine" (That’s so thoughtful of you ma’am J )

If you could choose one person who would remain youthful forever, who would it be?

"My Mom because she is my bestfriend and I want her to be as young as me forever"

What's the best advice you'd give to yourself today?

"Do not be impulsive and choose wisely"                

(Side Note: In need of a good advice, she always have one! ;) )

For you, what is the "perfect man" or "perfect woman"?

"A perfect man is someone who is so accomplished and secure of himself that he is capable to admit his mistakes and is sensitive enough to commiserate feelings"

If you had to be a lifeless object for a day, what would it be?

"I'd be the windows on the Empire State Building" 

Complete this sentence: " I am the only person I know who_________"

"I am the only person I know who  enlists the money (bills and coins) that go in and out of my wallet. I am the only person I know who has so many rituals before sleeping, most especially, I cannot sleep without lotion in my feet."

Describe your dream home

"Well, you are looking at it right now what's missing yet is the infinity pool"

Who would you like to meet and spend the whole day with? (Can be someone from the past)

"Oprah Winfrey. You know after everything she has been thru. And on her last interview she said: “I am at the point in my life where I am, is who I truly am and I am just learning to enjoy it.”

Which year would you wanted to last twice as long?

"1998 Brazilian Cruise"

If you were given a chance to pick the 8th natural wonder, what would you choose?

"Hmm. 8th Natural Wonder of the World will be either Reefs of Palau Micronesia or Glaciers of Alaska"

Beginning of my #MondayMurders

Good Morning, Good Morning Monday!! Out of all the 7 days in a week, Mondays are usually labeled as the worst or hated. For some, it is the beginning of a hell week at work or school. For some, it serves as the fresh start to be better than their last week. 

I for one used to hate Mondays. Number one because of the traffic and/or long lines to the train and number two because of the people's attitude about it-Tired to exist, too lazy to function, or whatever. It gets me. It gets me so much that I let it affect my whole day. If we will evaluate all the mondays of my life, most of it are unproductive or forgettable. 

But you know, today I am choosing differently. I am welcoming every week with victory and a smile on my face and I will call this act Hashtag Monday Murders (#MondayMurders). 

I will make June 2, 2014, a beginning of a new tradition in my life. And maybe, just maybe, I can make a difference in the coming Mondays of my remaining life. :) And for my first #MondayMurder post I will share with you my daily struggle and my new attitude about it. 

Lucila: Woman of the Century

In Spain, Lucila meant illumination, light. In my life, Lucila meant everything. Lucila Porciuncula was the name of my late grandmother. She was the heart and light of our family from my Mother’s side. She was the wall behind our great wall (Lolo Carling). To me, she was life and she was my light.

Earliest moment that I can remember was when she built a mini store in front of our house and all we did, my sisters and I, was ask for candy, chips or plastic balloon (yey!). Latest memory on the other hand was in my dreams, waking up in my room and she was sitting beside me smiling then when I finally realized she was dead then, I shouted, “Lola, Lolaaa!!” then dream skipped to sort of an old movie where my lola was young, in black and white, smiling and dancing to an old song. God, how I miss my Lola.

Though It is sad that she is not physically present with me today, I would like to share with you some of the most valuable lessons Lola taught us:

• Integrity is  a much better choice than financial wealth
• Family first
• Always use “po” and “opo” and show respect to elders
• There is always a way
•  I can still show how I care and love you despite being upset with you now

 (Side Story: I remember one time when she and Lolo was in the middle of an intense Lover’s  Quarrel, she still brought him a glass of iced orange juice while he was cutting grass in our  backyard. Sweet!)

• Give. Give and give even when you will not have anything left.
• Always have a smile on your face when greeting people.
• No blessing is too small for you to show gratitude.
• Love. Love with all you heart. Love with all your might. Love with everything that you have. Love patiently. Love hard.
• Nobody is perfect. Forgive fully and move forward with love.

You are always in my heart Lola, always and forever. J

Superwomom: For the One Who Started It All

To start off a good project to express myself more and embrace my joy for writing, I will dedicate my first ever blog post to the woman who made “unconditional love” not just a phrase, but her life- My Mom. 

I am the only person I know who gives love so much.

My mother’s name is Rosalinda but I call her Mommy, Mommybear and Mudrabear. She has been a single “superwomom” ever since I can remember. For 23 years, her daily routine will be to travel 2 hours from Novaliches to Taguig, function as a manager for 8 hours, travel for another 2 hours again to Novaliches and quickly shift as a “momnager” by the time she set foot on our doorstep. Most often than not she is working both jobs at the same time because as a kid I remember calling her on her phoneline for the littiest thing I can bring up. Something like, “Mommy, ano pasalubong mo sa amin mamaya?”, or “Mommy, anong oras ka darating?”. She was responsible for sending us to top schools in the country and for providing our lifestyle needs as middle class family in Quezon City.

The love-hate relationship that I have with my mom ruled over almost half of my 23 years of existence. She was trying hard to be our mom and dad at the same time and I was trying hard to please her to make her sacrifices for the family worthwhile. It is only when I experienced the hardships of a corporate slave that I have learned to embrace compassion and gratitude towards my mom. I guess, as a kid trapped in a yuppie’s body, I needed that wake up call to appreciate how much body pain my mom is experiencing as she commute to get to work, how focused she needs to be in the office when she has 3 kids calling and waiting for her to get home, how strong and energetic she has to be to be able to attend to her family after work. I never saw that side of mom until I went through it. And if there is one thing that I prayed I have acknowledged earlier, it’s the fact that I have an awesome, hardworking, loving, and passionate mom.

Fortunately for us, this rockstar agreed to provide us  a piece of her mind (and heart) when she cheerfully answered a few questions from our Query Box. 

©       If you had to be a lifeless object for a day, what would you be?

“ I will be a laptop so I can always be with my daughters.”

©       Describe your dream vacation

“I want to go to Jerusalem to see where Christ was born and died. And Vatican so that the Pope will bless me. And lastly Paris, because I want to see the Eiffel Tower and erect it.”

*side story: I told her “choosy ka pa, gusto mo Pope magbless sayo!” She told me, “well, sabi mo mangarap eh!” 

©       Complete this sentence, “ I am the only person I know who________

I am the only person I know who gives love so much.

©       If you had a shot at being in front page of every newspaper or magazine in the world, what would be your favored headline?

Len: Queen of the World or Len The Great!