comprehensive exam

i spent two days at grand city hotel for my review for the comprehensive exam last november 21st, 1 day at nature's pensionne, and a day at elena tower inn in Iligan City...i went to study alone but friends (earl, arnold, rethse and james) came to join me in the evening...my kids stayed with me too..In iligan, i shared the hotel room with ms. eng, and ms. eva...then dr. miso and prof. petz joined us in the group study...sleepless...the following day, we were all so tired and drowsy...LOL...God help us, hope there will be no more retake otherwise it will be a prolonged agony..the first set of exam was really easy but comprehensive...i don't know what it would be like to take an exam under palanca winner professors...the next set is scheduled on saturday so we are again preparing for the group study and hopefully my personal study starts tomorrow...too many readings to make and review on...so groggy until now after that 8-hour exam with only 15 minute break every after category..whew...

Christmas Decoreation

I only spent about 120 php for each decor but if each of these is going to be sold, the price is surely high..you cannot buy Christmas decors like these in less than 300php.. i am glad i was able to come up with such...actually, some of the materials were bought like the balls and the Christmas flowers but the rest are recycled and were taken from indigenous materials...the brown wooden cone in picture 3 is a fir tree flower which i just picked from Elento's (moonlight park)little baguio last January 2009...i already had this in mind...and finally, 10 months after, i have materialized my plans...i made it!


I am supposed to do a lot of reviewing for my comprehensive exam on Saturday but it seems like things just wouldn't sink in as of now....so i am trying to relax...the "adrenaline rush" is still absent...maybe in a few days it will come when necessity demands...meanwhile, i have been doing Christmas decors lately with jam.. it gave me pleasure and helped me unleash the creative, innovative and resourceful side of me...just take a look at these...these output may look as luxurious and costly as those that are in the malls, but these are all guaranteed less expensive...however, these are not for sale....

time flies so fast?

9:50 pm

in my room again recounting the day it has been today. There's nothing new so far, nothing exhilarating. today is November 13, 2009. Friday the 13th. 41 days to go before Christmas. OMG, it has already been a year since this blogsite was born. now, another year is about to end and a new year is expected to come. oh! how fast time flies!

early this morning, i heard a commentator over the radio that this year, the spirit of Christmas could not be felt as intensely as it was in the past years. before, as early as the month of September,we would see Christmas lights sparkling glamorously in almost every house. but now, you would only see Christmas decors and lights inside the shopping malls. i just don't exactly know what's up but probably financial crisis could also be one factor. i hope as Filipinos we keep on nurturing the tradition of Christmas.

the true spirit of Christmas is not seen on the sparkling lights nor on the abundance of material things, but it is the condition of the heart; the sincerity and truthfulness of acknowledging that God sent His son to die for humanity.

my kids always love Christmas. yesterday, jam and i did the decoration. we were able to create one for the kids to be brought to school. i love it.

more power..

routine

9:45 am

sipping my morning coffee in the office
waiting for friends to buzz me up for a chat
listening to students' footsteps passing to and fro
watching the green trees at the park through the office window
facing my ultimate solace and confidante
glancing at my cell phone once in a while
preparing lessons for the next class
browsing my favorite websites
arranging stuffs in my topsy-turvy drawers
reading my favorite book
answering crossword puzzle
anticipating for students to come for consultation
staring blankly at my untouched research paper
feeling bored of these routine
anxious. annoyed. tired. drained.

good night

it's 10:51 pm and i am in our bedroom facing my favorite partner, my laptop. been chatting with a high school friend who is in NYC now. we talked just like how we used to talk way back many many years. we laughed a lot and recalled friends, faces and fun as well as the foolishness we did. it was really awesome. she's now out to prepare for work while i am left here, alone still facing my silent partner with a smile still painted on my face. how wonderful it is to reminisce the good old days.

sleepy. have to go to bed now so i will see you again tomorrow with a new positive outlook. anticipating fro something beautiful to happen in my life in the nest few days and the days to come.

good night...

au revoir!

great unwind: fun and pleasure with family and friends

just came from my early morning 7:30 speech class at the nautical department. i am now back to my usual routine after a very wonderful semestral break. i spent quality time with family and friends. we went to beach with pop, kids and siblings. went out boating too...it was really an exhilarating experience, one that i will never forget in my life because i am sure i have made my family happy. i was very happy myself to have spent time with my loved ones which happens very occasionally especially since i went back to school and started teaching. i realized how important it is to give time to our family, make them part of our priorities. i am partly guilty of setting my family aside and became so glued to my work and studies. my very inquisitive boy one time asked me why i don't personally fetch him to school while most of his classmates' moms are there. no matter how much i tried to explain to him my reasons in a very logical way, somehow i felt a twinge of pain inside because i know my son longs for a mother figure who would personally attend to his needs. material things could never suffice the child's longing for a mother to guide him in school. whew, tough role it is...my girl can actually manage herself but i know that she still needs my guidance and time. so i always make it a point that i give her time for girl's talk. i was touched when she wrote in her diary that i am her best friend..true, she tells me everything from her likes, dislikes, disappointments and joy in school down to her petty crushes and those who have crushes on her;

i went to visit mama's grave to with siblings and the entire family on oct 31st. i thought that we need not wait for nov 1 or 2 to go there..we stayed there until midnight..packed lunch and ate there with bessies arnold and rethse...on november 1 they came to the house "morag mga kalag" kalit lang tungha then on nov 2, rethse invited us to come to her house..the rest of the "friendships" were there too...

last nov 7, was arnold's 25th birthday, we went to maramag at cynthia's place..she accommodated us in a lodging house near their glass shop...we went to malinao first, took a bath at the cold spring, went to elento's moonlight park then returned to maramag in teh afternoon..that night we did videoke bar hopping...we also went to waig resort the following day where we all had so much fun...hubby, earl and bb james did zipline, the rest took cable car ride, while i just simply crossed the hanging bridge with eyes closed and hubby holding me tight...SO SCARED!!!LOL...

now, i am in my cubicle thinking hard about so many things...my apprehensions, my desires, my dreams, my pains, gains, my everything...and i just realized , i may not be on top but so far, i have gone a long way and definitely, there's no turning back in my life...got to move on, live my life for my family and DREAM ON...

why am i saying all these? i am so tired kasi and i need to encourage myself that i actually have done something in my life, something worthwhile despite my failures and shortcomings...

Strive and Thrive

You see, i have really been so totally busy with my MAELS program at MSU-IIT...i never noticed that this is already my second year and my last semester so far, God willing..from the basic to the most complicated subjects, i never missed striving for excellence but sometimes my best wasn't just enough and missing the opportunity to excel sometimes loses the motivation to go on. However, recently, i had the chance to be with myself and evaluate my performance...it may not be the best, but it wasn't bad either...i know i have done something which i have never done before...i have done things beyond my own expectation..i am so grateful to my Heavenly Father who constantly guides me and refreshes my soul with His overflowing love.. I have done my proposal defense last october 5, 2009, stayed in a hotel with hubby and jam a day before the actual defense. last week, have enrolled my last semester at MSU-IIT but definitely not the easiest semester...gracious, thesis writing is so tedious and requires so much time and effort, money, references and inspiration...yesterday, we finished applying for the comprehensive exam which is scheduled on the 21st and 28th of this month...this, i guess, is the most critical part of our MAELS life...LOL..So help me God...we have done series of review with my colleagues and classmates but still the apprehension of failing and retaking the compre keep haunting us...God, you are our LIGHT and WISDOM...enlighten our minds and keep our hearts at peace with you..Dr. Ai broke out the news that we will have a colloquium by January 2010 in the presence of the public (students and panel at msu-iit) for our research presentation, that's basically a month before our final defense...then after final defense, do we expect to graduate?

WAY TO GO!!!!

so the question now is, what comes next after MAELS? Doctorate? still a big question.

My Angel and Friend

by Smile

I never thought that I would find
a friend so great and a friend so kind
I look up to you in every way
'cause I learn something from you every day.

Without you I don't know where I'd be
but you're still here, friends with me
you deserve so much more than I can give
but without you I wouldn't live.

You've given me more than money can buy
and for you I'd give my all and I would die
This feeling I feel gets stronger every day
hoping not to screw it up, I constantly pray.

I know we have our problems every now and then
but once it's fixed our friendship is better times ten
and I want you to know that I truly do care
even in fights when I say things that aren't fair.

You're an angel from God up above
and I'm thankful for your understanding love
because when you're around everything seems right
and for you, until the end, I will fight.

It doesn't matter what you do or say
because you'll be my friend anyway
I know the real you that's down deep inside
and in you, I'll always confide.

Thanks for being the friend you are
you're my best friend, an angel by far
everything in you is an inspiration to do great
and you'll be loved by all cause that's your fate!

So never stop being the real and wonderful you
cause God shines through in all that you do
and whenever it seems like I'm never there
remember this: I love you and I'll always care!

http://www.netpoets.com/poems/teenfriend/1482001.htm
i just want to share this poem as i was so touched when i read it myself...the poet expressed her gratefulness to a friend she cannot live without, one whom she considers her angel because she found hope in her when she was hopeless. she said, not all angels wear wings nor reside in heaven...I too have found my angel...

epiphany

My family has taught me great faith in God. I was always told that when i pray, God's angels will always uphold me and take care of me. Which is quite true. I grew up believing that angels are imaginary beings who stay beside us to guide us and protect us, someone we do not see...but an epiphany struck into my senses that aside from the heavenly angels that I was thinking about, our friends, loved ones, and family are the angels we oftentimes ignore. Their guidance, sweet tender loving care and nurturing advices are oftentimes not hearkened because they too are just human who also commit imperfections...but you see, life is not about being perfect, it is about being honest and truthful about our weaknesses and acceptance the fact that we need help.