It helps to have my husband there. Our families are also very supportive. But God has created another venue for me to find support and inspiration. I have met parents like us who are in the same boat. I have met their children, who like my son, have this special task from God. They serve as my inspiration.

God also allowed me to be part of a great community where I draw strength from their life stories. It makes me feel so small because what I’m going through is nothing compared to theirs.

Aside from this, God created channels for me - technology, information, media. Places to share my joys and places where I can find Him. I believe God has a great plan for me, plan to prosper me and not to harm me. I claim that promise.

In all your trials, there is a hidden purpose, a hidden blessing. Even if you can’t see it yet, trust that it’s there, and thank Him in advance.

Let this be my testimony - this special journey. I can do this through Him, who is the source of my strength.

Lord, give me the inner strength to persevere, to hold on, to never let go! Give me the courage to always love no matter what happens

As the one who does the budget in our household, I felt the rising prices more than my husband could. If before we can afford to keep our groceries at 1k per week, now we can’t. If before we can buy our gas at 600 pesos per tank, it shoot up to 650, and now 700! Not to mention our electricity and water bill…

I like Dr. Habito’s standpoint. As always, he explains it clearly. I used to think it’s just because I was his student at UPLB, but now, as a common housewife, I still can. He has argued that no matter what figures Gloria shows on her SONA, be it that we improved or not, it all boils down to three things - prices, jobs, and income.

Prices - prices are drivers of your money’s purchasing power. If prices are high, you can only buy this much. If they are low, then you’re lucky you have extra. Food, fuel, rice and other main commodities’ rapid increase in prices drove our inflation to 11.4% in June (or so I remember Gloria saying earlier). I remember buying 2kgs of rice for P50 in Feb, now, it can only buy me 1kg! Sigh.

Jobs - I know a lot of companies retrenching, especially BPOs. Whatever reason they give, they cannot hide that people lost jobs. In this time that call centres and BPOs have instability due to the worsening US economy, what consolation do Filipinos have? It has spared many of going abroad to be OFWs but is causing uncertainties in job security. Not to mention the ballooning number of working age Filipinos about to graduate or have graduated and are part of the unemployed statistics already.

Income - our gross domestic product slowed down to 5.2% from last year’s 7%. Okay, let me not expound on this one… Another sigh.

I agree with Sir Ciel, the true state of our nation lies in the quality of life we Filipinos live. Our ability to send our children to school, feed them healthy and nutritious food, afford hospitalization in times of sickness, all these are a mirror of what our true state of the nation is.

But no matter what statistics tell us, no matter what Gloria states in her speech, let these not hinder us and lose hope. In these times, all we need to do is to trust God and hope for the best. I know this is what we are doing.

The rules are simple. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? Freshie at UPLB
2. What are the 5 things on my to-do list today?
   • Answer the tags (teeehee)
   • Finish the survey questionnaires and email specs for work
   • Calculate the sample size for the multivariate testing project
   • Continue party planning for the li’l boy’s 1st birthday
   • Communicate with the agency for the yaya’s replacement
3. Snacks I enjoy: Oreos, Herb Cheese from Pan de Manila, Domino’s Double Decker pizza, anything pasta
4. Place where I lived: Pasig, LB, Pasig
5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
   • Help shelter the poor via my own Gawad Kalinga site
   • Build a foundation that will send poor kids to school
   • Spend my time serving full time
   • Invest more
   • Give more
6. People I want to know more about: Cheryll, Carla, Joy, Alpha, Anna, Mec.

Participants:
1. Me and Mine 2. Creative In Me 3. Little Peanut 4. Pea in a Pod 5. Sugar Magnolias 6. The Salad Caper 7. All Kinds of Me Stuff 8. Aggie Scraps 9. Winding Creek Circle 10. Mommy Talks 11. Fun Fierce Fabulous 12. Me, Myself + 2 13. Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe 14. My Precious Nice 15. Just Me.. Eds 16. Eds Mommy Life 17. Jean’s Live it Up… 18. My Simple Joys 19. My life is Peachy 20. Mommy Talks. 21.My Colorful World 22.Changing Lanes 23.Pit Stop 24. Shopaholic Ties the Knot 25. Jown’s Brewery 26. The Adventures of Dong and Jing 27. That’s the way the cookie crumbles 28. We are Family 29. Maialancholy

RULES:

• Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your blogs. It’s okay if you post these questions in one blog as long as you answer them
• Get back to me [YEN] and I’ll add all your blogs to the master list here.
• Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tagged in order to join.

QUESTIONS:

1. I posted this experiment at URL: http://www.maialancholy.com
2. I posted this on the date (day, month, year): 19 July 2008
3. I posted this at time (24 hour time): 21:15
4. My posting location is (city, state, country): Pasig City, Philippines
5. My blog is hosted by: HostGator
6. My age is: 26
7. My gender is: Female
8. My occupation is: Web Analytics Professional
9. I use the following RSS/Atom reader software: Google Reader
10. I use the blog format to post to my blog: Wordpress, ScribeFire
11. I have been blogging since (day, month, year): November 2006
12. My web browser is: Mozilla Firefox
13. My operating system is: Ubuntu Linux

Now, I’m tagging Jannesse (returning the favor), Rhea (ditto), Marnellie (nice to meet you), and Freeze (hello). Let me know how this turns out ‘eh?

1. Chicken sa McDo, Jollibee, or KFC? - All of the above!
2. Pepsi, Coke, or rootbeer? - Coke Light, teee heee…
3. Greenwich, Pizza Hut, or Yellow Cab? - Yellow Cab
4. Adobo, sinigang, or nilaga? - Adobo
5. Beef, pork, or chicken? - Chiken
6. Starbucks, Coffee bean and tea leaf, or Gloria Jean’s? - Seattle’s, hehehe
7. Cornflakes, Honey Stars, or Milo cereal? - Cornflakes
8. Goldilocks or Red Ribbon? - Red Ribbon
9. Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy or Rai Rai Ken? - Rai Rai Ken
10. Take Out or Dine In? - Dine In

Now tagging Jozzua and Pink. No violent reactions please, first time ko to play tag… Tenchu!

I will be joining Wordcamp Philippines 2008 this coming September courtesy of the Mindanao Bloggers. Since I’m an avid Wordpress user, why not increase my knowledge in Wordpress and reach out to the experts themselves huh? Though I’m not a techie person, I would love to explore techie stuff to improve my blog right… So I’ll be there.

This event is generously sponsored by:

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.

And yep, saw this over at Jozzua’s. Hey, great minds think alike eh?

The hubby and I have a wonderful baby boy who is our joy. We had him from just one of my ovaries (since the other one had a cyst and was removed even before we got married) so it’s a miracle in itself, aside from babies are God’s miracle. I thought that I would have difficulty in getting pregnant due to my condition but God has other plans for me.

The little boy was diagnosed of hearing loss during his newborn screening test. His doctor advised us to take a series of preliminary tests to see the level of his hearing loss. Of course I was crushed. My little boy, still so helpless, had to be strapped with cords and machines to see if he can hear clearly. And there is the issue IF he can hear. I stormed the heavens with my prayers (more like whining) why this has to happen to my son. I wanted to protect him, to make it all better. If I could have gone through it myself, I would. If I could trade myself, I would volunteer.

Tons of OAEs, ABRs, ASSRs, and a behavioral test to boot, today was the last assessment for the little baby. We are faithful that as God is a perfect God, He will also make the little boy’s hearing perfect. God is also a God of miracles, so I am sure healing is on its way. But no. The results showed the same result we already know. The little boy indeed has hearing loss and should be on hearing aid soon to avoid developmental delays. Again, I am crushed. Now I know what unconditional love meant.

I cried buckets of tears, asking God why. But His answer was why not? God made my son so special, that even with his condition, he is still a jolly little baby, bringing a smile to everyone he meets. I know deep in my heart that God has a great plan for him. Healing and miracles are still on its way, perhaps not just what my mind can fathom. God is a loving God, that even I, a mere human, can love my son this way, means that God loves my son so much more.

So, again, I am letting go, and letting God. I still want to work hard for my baby, give him all that he needs, and protect him, and love him. But God know best. God has blessed us with my son, and He has chosen us to take care of His angel. That must mean we are capable. He will equip us with all that we need to take care of my son in order to glorify Him, as in all things.

And glorify Him we will.

I have long been searching for mentors. For all the things I want to do and must learn to do, I really pray for mentors. Bro. Bo has been saying, when the student is ready, the mentor will come. I have been waiting patiently, learning all the things I can by myself in the hope that the mentors will come. And thank God, they are slowly trickling…

This past weeks, I have been blessed to meet two new people. They will be my mentors in one endeavor I would venture into (more details on this later). I also noticed that I have a colleague who answers my questions on a particular subject so diligently. Yay, in some sense I found a mentor in her too. I guess mentors are really just people around you, whom you ask for help. People that inspires you and helps you get that ‘lightbulb’ effect. It is just a matter of building relationships with them.

Oh well, my quest does not stop here. I have lots to learn and do, and God knows what I need. I’m just happy to share that the mentors I have long prayed for are here. Rock ‘n Roll!

Introducing Tokyu! Tokyu is hidden in Kapitolyo, Pasig City, very near the heart of Ortigas Center. It is within the compound of Pioneer Center, a local supermarket along Pioneer Ave. It’s choices of Japanese food are the same as with your usual restaurants, but the quantity and prices are better! Prices are lower and quantity is more. Where can you get that. I introduced the place to some officemates and they have not stopped going back, and they are spreading the love. I think we should demand a discount when we get back. Hmmm…

Last night, the hubby and I are there and we ordered Beef Teriyaki, California Maki, and Shrimp Tempura. Our total bill - 380 pesos. Here’s where it is so nice. The Beef Teriyaki is good for two persons already and costs only 120 pesos. The Shrimp Tempura is five pieces from the usual three in other restaurants but costs only 150 pesos, and the California Maki is 14 pieces from the usual 6 and it’s just 95 pesos! Okay, I don’t have time to compute for variable contribution margins, but on top of my head it spelled cheap…

So there you go. Another one of the secrets we, Pasiguenos, keep. More to come.

Enter the Good Burger. Competing in the lines of Brothers Burger, Wham, and Hot Shot Burgers, Good Burger is different because their patties are totally healthy. You can only choose between a chicken or veggie meat patty. Their choices are also cool, from the usual Mushroom and Cheese to the Margherita Burger, you won’t run out of things to try. Prices are also cheap, ranging from 75 pesos to 115 pesos only. They only have two branches, one in Greenhills, and the other one along C5, infront of SM Hypermart in Tiendesitas. I must say, this is one secret Pasiguenos boast of. More posts on these coming!

It was a laid back Friday in the office (4th of July in the US) so we decided to have a Feel Good Friday. So we all ordered Good Burger! I got Mushroom and Cheese, a rip off of Wendy’s, but unique in a way. I usually get the Bbq or the Margherita Burger, but Mushroom is good for South Beach, so I went ahead with it. You can have the bun whole wheat too! Some officemates tried the veggie meat and was so full. I guess this is why they call it Good.

They only deliver! Just call 627-GB-GB.