Dreams

A Tribute To All Eagles & Lions

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9am in the office door ready for that 10am earth-breaking pitch to seal a $100K project in, then talking to your team all revved up and be replied with a “Huh, but I have to have coffee and toast first!” whined the Queen Whiner of the nation. Soul plummets to your feat. How? How in the life of me could you soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys? In this instance turkey.Eagles

Do you feel that? It is hard enough to sum up the courage of a might-be-scary-presentation to an awe-inspiring-triumph moment. So being the optimist that you are what do you do? Get rid of the turkeys! Make your own pack. May your pack be the professional stiff collar world or the warm and gooey-potato couch buddies!

Lions

Thank you Monalisa for inspiring this blog!

Reference for images: http://mynutritionninja.com/what-it-takes-to-be-a-champion/

“Learn to Weep” – Pope Francis

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I was chatting with my best friend and was solicited with advice,  with me feeling tired and melancholy, it hit home. The story goes, It was her birthday when she paid a visit to University of Sto. Thomas, her alma mater, to witness the visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines. She was moved by the whole experience, just by being there.

There was an encounter between Pope Francis and a child where the child asked why God let bad things happen to innocent children. Quoting his response from the heart came “Only when the heart is able to ask the question and weep can we understand something.”

Whenever something bad happens in our lives we seek advise, people who console us until we feel better or found justification to the mortifying feeling we are experiencing. There are tag replies to, say, a loss of a love one, e.g. ‘We are destined to be gone, its just time is the essence.’ For me, when I had lost my loved one, I cried not because they are gone but because I don’t know how to survive without them. I’ll be lost.

Learn how to weep, cry with your heart for after the tears all will be clear.

Ref:

http://ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/pope-francis-if-you-dont-learn-how-weep-youre-not-good-christian

http://www.angelfire.com/art/mygarden/fairy2.html

Time for the Heart

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The color is red, its everywhere! People bustling going about their joyful tasks. Everyone feels important and have a sense of giving an audacious deed. Love is everywhere, guess what we are having?

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Gong Xi Fa Cai or Gong Hey Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! Got you there didn’t I? I will dedicate a blog for that in the days to come but as for now I would like to give the heart the spotlight.
I mean the heart as the embodiment of love, not as the muscular organ keeping us alive. Going back to my rose colored glasses, where’s dinner going to be? Planning for flowers or nervously waiting for them? Hoping the hints we sent his way gave clear signals. Nevertheless a piece of advise to the expectant she-half, be glad with the greeting then you will be jubilant if there are more. To the not-so-romantic he-half, come on! Hallmark made billions on this day alone, make them one card richer today! Ir flowers, or dinner? Are you the practical one? Well then get a mutual fund, put it in her name and jot down projected interest. There is effort in the plan. Speaking of plan why don’t you get a couple shirt? Affordable, no hassle, unique, what else can you ask for?

And I mean now, there might be time for you yet 🙂 Happy Hearts Day!

#happyhearts #valentines #couplesshirt #love

Visit http://www.fashionistees.com

Picture references:
1) http://www.welcomechinese.com.cn/lunar-new-year-opens-travel-market-2015/
2) http://pictures2015.mobi/valentine-photos/
3) http://theniceidea.com/blog/2009/02/

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

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Hmmm, food for thought, quite a chunk. We always get inspirational quotes, motivational speeches and encouraging dialogues that moves us forward for whatever decision we have to make. Accepting a promotion, becoming a parent, getting married, that sort of life altering decision in life.

We need that, aware or not, that is one factor why we go ahead with a decision, when we get told to. I always had qualms, and most of the time my mind is made up but I just can’t go ahead sometimes, specially if it concerns other people’s welfare, I need an accomplice.

 

In my life, I always had my mentor, Pascale, she’s different from me like night and day, that was the first day I met her. She was my mentor, financial manager, for 10 years and had been the greatest motivator in my life. She never really told me what to do but she makes me ‘say’ what I want to do. She narrows everything down that made me select the best answer like a quiz. For the last 14 months I haven’t seen her yet as we are continents away. She made me believe and she made me who I am. She was and is the friend, adviser, boss, logical judge and french connoisseur, best I ever had. Thankful for the lessons given. The best advise she gave me was, I am great and I should believe I am. There is no better person who could think less or more of you than yourself.

 

Merci beaucoup Madame! Gros Bisous!

 

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Image:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/your-biking-photos/

Kiss her before its too late.

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Typical day in high school, walking home from school, saying good bye to the friends for the weekend, looking forward to sleeping late and waking up late. Reading books and staying on the phone for hours are just typical teenage norms. Knowing that after 2 years I have finished High School, in Asia we finish High School at 16. Then off to University, I even started to dream of having my own car. Mom told me she will buy me one so I could take her to work then I go to school. Ahh, that sounds bliss. My father works overseas and comes home periodically, I never really knew my father as he was always away.

 

After University then maybe a good work in a known company, boyfriend, husband then kids. There is a summary of a teenager growing to an adult life. Shouldn’t it be? We’ll it wasn’t for me. The day that had changed my life forever was on new years day when my mother gave in to cardiac arrest and died at 40. I was 14 and my brother was 11. We were left to a father that we barely know and to our grand parents who are ageing. Then my vicious journey began. My father left overseas after 2 months, he can’t bear the pain. I was too young to comfort my brother, I guess my grand mother and aunts did all the consoling. I cannot remember. I was still trying to get a glimpse of what happened then. I can’t see anything with the tears in my eyes.

I had to fight, and fight I did. I fought the hopeful notion that all was a gag and my mom will walk pass the door anytime. alive. Fought the child in me and grew up from 14 to 40. I had to learn to be an adult the hard way. God was and is with me because I could not see how I would have survived without Him. Every struggle I had, every lost way, I look for my mom and she wasn’t there. She never will be.

 

Before her final arrest, she was awake and was speaking to us, she said to me “You know, I was not taken yet because He knows you and your brother still needs me.” and she smiled but after a few hours she took her last breath. This is still painful to me and it feels like yesterday when I think about it. That is why I don’t. I try to remember the good times but there were so few. I had so many regrets, I should’ve kissed her every night before I go to sleep since I was a child (as if by premonition, I started kissing her at night when I turned 13), I should’ve been a nicer daughter (smart is all I have ever been but never nice) and I should’ve helped her more, I should’ve …, I should’ve…,

Too late, sigh, go ahead, that is all I could do. I changed. This tragedy changed me.

What changed in me since then? I grab every chance I get, to say what I feel, to express what I really want to do and think, to kiss in gratitude and love, to cry and comment specially to the ones I love as I don’t want to have regrets anymore. It took years to get to this stage, decades actually.

I am definitely stronger than I used to be. If given the choice I don’t mind not being this strong as long as I have my mother. This is why my attribution is always with mothers as it is the only way I could pay homage to the person I could’ve kissed and hugged more.

Life it indeed too short, we don’t live that long to experience all what life has to offer, learn from me. Take a look around, see if you are neglecting someone and kiss her/him before its too late.

 

Picture from:

http://cmoh.blogspot.ca/2012/12/night-road.html

Sunset in Vancouver

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Yellow back draft with hints of gold glittering on the air before darkness sets it. Sunset in Vancouver, today that is at 8:48pm. Nice to play a round of golf before heading home.

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Talked to an old friend yesterday. She still lives in Dubai and is still running with the crowd to make it to the finish line. I told her I started a blog, and she smiled (skype 🙂 ) she said, “Ah finally you have the time.” And she still doesn’t. Life in Dubai with its numerous perks are so tempting. Malls are open until 10 pm on normal days and until 1am in Ramadan for a whole month. It’s a festivity!

Do I miss it? The shopping, well yeah! My brother and his family, definite yes! But other than that, hmmm, not really. I miss the people but my life there as a whole, no. I work long hours, I barely see my son. I had witnessed my office plant grow though. Not a very good sign.

Vancouver with its heart is different. I am human here. I finally get to watch movies (not to exaggerate but I could squeeze a movie or 2 only in a year) with the pace I was living in.

Less money, less pizzazz, more life? I was more alive in Vancouver, alive to see life not running pass by you but with you. I am finally living it! And enjoy watching the sunset in Vancouver at 8:48 tonight.

sunset walk

 

 

Odds and Ends 2

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As promised I am bringing in your midst the sights and colors of my migration.

opp La Plage

Speaking of migration, these are migratory birds, often a common sight during winter season. In case you were wondering where do the birds from your place go during the freezing winters well here are some of them. This shot was taken by Michael Jarabelo, 4 years ago at the back of my previous office in Jumeirah 3, Dubai.

It was a beautiful day then, but aren’t all days? hmmmm

Not to be out done, here’s a burst of color last winter in Vancouver,IMG_1549

 

I took this shot, its almost evening. Isn’t life glorious?

 

Life the tent ladies days, there are colors, represented by the untoward happenings to her life that made a surprising turn of events when she was crowned queen. Her grays turned into gold. Things happen for a reason. No one can explain why (I can definitely argue with you endlessly but I could never confirm nor can anyone does) it just the way the universe works. We can perceive and receive. The best advise “en garde” and don’t delve. Life is too short.

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http://fleity.deviantart.com/art/turn-your-face-to-the-sun-45382943

 

Odds and ends

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This is a typical sunset in Dubai, very rare that doesn’t appear. Sunset could be from 5 – 7 pm only. For all seasons, by the way, the seasons there are hot and hotter remember? Predictable, short spanned, sunset times.

Now let’s talk about Canada, image

This is whistler in summer, thank you Michael Jarabelo, another great shot! It’s like a dream. The brilliant sunshine and amazing temp comes almost predictably between July to September, unless global warming starts challenging my statement, this is the time to enjoy.

Vancouver is indeed beautiful. I’ll be posting some more pictures in my next blogs, so stay tuned. Feel free to ask. I’ll be pleased to reply. Have a great weekend!