I cn raed

I would like to stray away for the meantime from that MVP thing. (I'm getting stressed-out just thinking about it) My sister-in-law forwarded me an email and I found it cool. The amazing things our mind can do!

I cn raed
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

MVP

I left the house this afternoon amidst the crying of my kids, pleading that they accompany me. I was rushed to the hospital by my brothers, Ron and Cak, because I fainted. I was conscious already, though my breathing was still a bit shallow.

I was in the kitchen when it happened. I suddenly felt a rush of heat up my neck, then to my head, then my vision started to blurr. I was used to this though i only happens about once in 3-4 months or so. I usually stop and close my eyes until that episode goes away. But this time it was different. I felt my whole body trembling. I went to get a soda. Probably need a little sugar in my system. But then I had to sit down. I felt so heavy and both my arms started to get numb. I felt my head all swollen up, vision was almost blacked-out and it had affected my hearing. My cousin, Angge was there and she mentioned how pale i was. Sobrang maputla. I got scared because I felt I was slowly slipping away. My breathing was very shallow and everything became quiet...I swore I thought I never heard or felt my heart beat.I woke up with a jolt, I was slouching already. beside me was Angge, my kids and my brother.... I felt so hot, and I had cold sweat. Everyone thought I had a mild stroke (what!?!?! now everybody's scaring me).

The doctor couldn't find anything wrong. Sugar level was fine, and so was ECG. I was advised to undergo a CT scan just to be sure... and maybe i will. Now i cant sleep. I am absent from work. The top of my head feels heavy and numb. Both my arms feels so "tired".. mabigat ang feeling, parang nangangalay. The doctor advised that I rest for 1-2 days, and in her diagnostics it read: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Benign
Positional Vertigo. On the next line was something i dread about seeing in a medical certificate: Mitral Valve Prolapse. I was diagnosed with MVP way back in 1995 and I really didn't mind it at all. Aside from the fact that I had to be wary of open wounds, and have prophylaxic treatments before going to the dentist, it doesn't bother me much. Now it looks like I had to take this seriously now because apparently according to some resources, what I experienced this afternoon may be one of the symptoms considered, triggered by stress, (or subsconscious stress) for MVP.

Meow

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Just sharing a picture that brightened up my evening. Thanks, Abs!

P.S.
Yes, this little kitten's just sleepy. Yes, this little kitten DOES have a body. No, This is not just a head (geezz!)






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Thinking...

Two days off finally! Arrived home around 11am. Should've been home earlier (around 8am) if it were not for a few hours of girl-talk and bonding sessions with a few friends over coffee. When I got home, I received news that early this morning, there was police line near our corner here (less the 2 minutes away), and an ambulance on stand-by. Apparently, a house was forcefully entered and members of the household were, umm, k----d.

It was quite a shock for me, as I have lived in Marikina since I was 2 yrs. old. I just remember those times when closing the front door doesn't necessarily mean that you had to lock it. But now it's different. Not too long ago, I was held up right in our street corner-- 3 houses away from mine! I've seen Marikina prosper and I carry a certain pride to say that I live here. Our place used to be a quite subdivision. Well, things do change.

Going back-- it was really scary. I never thought it would happen here. Near our place. At the corner where I always pass going to and from work. Maybe things like that do happen. When places prosper. Where there is growth. When other people start to come in. "You have to be vigilant!" I definitely agree with Mad-Eyed Moody there.

Of Manny and Eric3: Lupang Hinirang

According to Dong Puno's column 'My Viewpoint' in Philippine Star this morning, Martin Nievera (my favorite balladeer, by the way) , who was in the audience during Manny's and Eric's bout, volunteered to sing our National Anthem. But instead, it was a certain Jenny something, who, in full traditional Filipina saya, "belted" out (yeah, she did...more like shrieked out) a 'sleepy' rendition of Lupang Hinirang (now how did she managed to do that?!?) She has a good voice, mind you, but we had our mouths hanging when she finished the anthem with a shrieking climax (read: with a flat note) and shouted something like "Laban Pacman!!"

LOL you should have heard the "oh no's" and "oh my God's" at home. I really thought she was bad. But when they called John Secada, I thought, "We're dead!!!". Imagine having a great singing icon like John Secada singing both the Mexican and American Anthems! Wow! What made us raise eyebrows was when the oh so ever helpful TV anchor said that, and I quote, in Dong Puno's column, "....that our earnest, but not-ready-for-prime-time, diva is related to the chair of a sports body, a former senator, and an incumbent senator.."

Kaya pala. Bow.

Of Manny and Eric2: FG and GMA

Isn't that sweet? Call me whatever you want, but pushing aside whatever rumor there is between First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and President GMA, there is something there that we may not really 'see'.

FG called up GMA when Manny Pacquiao won. Of course the President would want to congratulate him. I'm sure there were again mixed reactions and raised eyebrows when, after FG got his mobile phone back from Manny after his President-of-a-spouse said her congratulatories, did FG whispered sweet-nothings (actually loud enough to be heard on world-wide TV)... "te quiro muchos" How sweet!!!

Visitor

After publishing my "Of Manny and Eric" entry, I refreshed my browser to see the blog in its entirety (I uploaded a new title header..like it? ). As I read my last entry, feeling so proud of how Manny Pacquiao has finally beaten Mexico's "El Terrible", my eyes gazed to the left column of this blog, to my Neocounter online visitor count: 1 visitor from the Philippines (that would be me), and 1 visitor from Mexico!!!!!

Of Manny and Eric

I was awaken this afternoon by shrieking and shouting from the living room downstairs. Now what? I was thinking what mischievous thing Diego did again. Or if Andee had began to boss around, or Jaki ( my 5 year old nephew) started his tantrums to which my kids 'joined' in.

It was almost 2pm. 4 hours of sleep. (I got home from work around 7am and was only able to sleep at 10). When I finally got out of bed and opened my door, guess what? My mom, my brother Cak, the two maids, and 3 kids were watching the boxing re-match of Manny Pacquiao and Eric Morales. Was it today?!?!?! I found myself sitted in front of the tv and cheering on, shrieking and shouting too. I never did like boxing, but hey, show support for Philippine boxing. Eric Morales of Mexico had beaten up Manny Pacquiao in their first match and what is more exciting than to watch them both 'fight' again? Manny won by TKO on the 10th round, much to the joy of everyone in the house. ( I swear our cheers can be heard from outside).

Diego and Jaki started to mimick the boxers and ended up shouting at each other! Oh dear! Things they see on television! I. Some are good, most are, well...depends. I had to make sure they understood that boxing was a sport, which means that they just don't go on and hitting each other whenever they feel like it. Congratulations, Manny Pacquiao! You made the Philippines proud.

Zo exzited!!

Much to our (mine especially!!!) anticipation of the upcoming ZsaZsa Zaturnnah: Ze Muzical, I really really get so excited when Cak would give me updates on what's happening. He attended the musical's presscon last Tuesday and he had a great time. I am sharing a few pictures of the cast. Visit my brother's blog for more updates!

Eula Valdez is so pretty. She is one of the more popular teeny-boppers during my generation (read: same age heheh). She sings well too, but I wonder why she didn't explore a singing career. I hate to admit it though that she resembles ZsaZsa Zaturnnah in a way... we still have to know whether she would be able to pull-off Zaturnnah's "babaeng kabaklaan".

Agot Isidro was a surprise to me. She was once tagged as Crush ng Bayan in the early 90's and is known for her song "Everyday". Her role as Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux fits her perfectly (I was hoping it would be Cherry Gil..but anyway..). I know most will agree, especially those who had seen and read the book, is that these two (see picture) is THE characters personified!

Ricci Chan, Lauren Novero, and Tuxqs Rutaquio plays Didi, Dodong, and Ada respectively. According to Cak, Ricci has that thing to be Didi though his latest challenge is putting on more weight! Lauren, on the other hand, does have those 'noodles' that Didi described in the book, but in my opinion, he does not really fit that barrio-boy-next-door image. His alternate, Arnold Reyes, looks more of the role. Tuxqs gets to play Ada. His ever so serious personality fits the role too.

So the countdown till opening night begins! Can't wait! Can't wait! We've been bugging Cak for complimentary tickets but all he gives us is a smile. Well, family can watch for free, right?!?

I have a surprise for my bro brewing up my sleeve... and I'll be posting it here once it "materializes"! In the meantime, enjoy the pics :-)

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Right here, right now

My friend Ann sent this to me..

Right Now -
-somebody is thinking of you.
-somebody is caring about you.
-somebody misses you
-somebody wants to talk to you.
-somebody wants to be with you.
-somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.
-somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
-somebody wants to hold your hand.
-somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
-somebody wants you to be happy.
-somebody wants you to find him/her.
-somebody is celebrating your successes
-somebody wants to give you a gift.
-somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
-somebody loves you.
-somebody admires your strength.
-somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
-somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.

Never take away anyone's hope. That may be all they have but we must remember to "Let Go and Let God". God is good--ALL the time!

HE is that somebody. I admit I've almost lost faith in Him. All those times and years I called for Him and yet seemingly can't find any answers. But now it's all clear to me. I was just impatient and the answer was there all along. :-)
... and though thinking I can name some of those "somebody's" with people I know, how I wished I knew who the remaining "somebody's" were!!!

$2,087,766

I am worth $2,087,766 on HumanForSale.com

Have you been thinking about putting yourself up for sale lately?

This is the first line I read when I first clicked on a link my friend sent me. Oh, ok. And it goes on..

Ever wonder how much money you could get on the open human market?
HumanForSale.com will attempt to place a value on your life using a variety of
criteria in 4 basic facets of life(physical,mental,lifestyle,personality).

Well, what the heck? This is obviously a very subjective matter and is not intended and does not claim to be scientifically accurate. Or something to joke about with friends, etc. The more honestly you answer the questions, the more realistic the dollar value returned will be. There really isn't any concrete basis here, aside from mostly physical attributes. How they categorized each value, I don't know, but obviously, you get low scores when you smoke, or drink, or if you have cavities, or did drugs. Maybe it could be a good idea to put 'tags' on people? that way you get to know up front who you're dealing with. Oh well, what's 'worth it' anyway?!?

It'z Ze Muzikal ..!!!

The Cultural Center of the Philippines presents a Tanghalang Pilipino production:

Carlo Vergara's
Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Ze Muzikal

Eula Valdez Agot Isidro
Tuxqs Rutaquio Ricci Chan
Lauren Novero Arnold Reyes
Deeda Barretto Wilma Doesnt
Mayen Estañero Tess Jamias
and the Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors’ Company

direction Chris Millado
music/lyrics/musical direction Vincent A. de Jesus adaptation Chris Martinez
lighting design Shoko Matsumoto
choreography Ding Cruz
set design Sonny Aniceto
costume design Nicole Mori
technical direction Barbara Tan-Tiongco
stage management Chynna Roxas

February 10 11 17 18 24 25 March 3 4 2006 8:00PM
February 11 12 18 19 25 26 March 4 5 2006 3:00PM
Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater)Tanghalang Pilipino 832-3661 / 832-1125 locals 1620 / 1621 /(0920) 953-5381 / 0920 953-5419
email ccptanghalan@yahoo.comTicketWorld 891-9999

Superblessed!

I accidentally surfed into this blog. Ganns' Superblessed blog emerged as runner-up for Most Informative Blog in the recently concluded 2005 Philippine Blog Awards. It was quite a read. I never thought I'd find a blog as inspiring as this is. Simply refreshing! It was also a pleasant surprise to know he has been visiting AND reviewing other blog finalists, which is why I am posting an entry right now :-) Thank you Ganns for that simple yet beautiful review, in which he described My Scratch Pad as:

"... a feminine, cat-oriented blog with thoughtful entries that reflect a charming nature and love for life. Lovely! ..."

..now that really made my year :-)

Simply sexy?

One of the gifts I truly enjoyed last Christmas was a personalized one from my friend, Maan. This is a simple framed colored pencil hand-drawn picture of our college barkada in swimsuits! The reason why I enjoyed this so much was because Maan was never really that of an artist, but how proud she was! (and I am too!) Our group has 8 members and we were guessing who's who in the drawing. (She made one for each of us and majority guesses that I am the one in the red two-piece, 2nd from the right). Hmm..very observant, Maan! LOL. This is really great!

I appreciate simple things as these as opposed to expensive gifts (well, it does not mean that you can't give me one!!! lol). For me it's the sincerity, thoughtfulness and creativity that goes along with it. I still keep old, old wrappers of chewing gum with a 'thank you for being my friend' written at the back of it (from a friend way back in grade school). I had received a card with my picture drawn on it for my birthday, a personalized beaded bracelet, an ordinary drinking glass embelished with artificial flowers and leaves, a cassette tape personalized with all my favorite songs, an ordinary folder filled with birthday wishes and doodles from my staff in retail, a small round stone with my name in correction fluid, a humongous card made from a one whole sheet of white cartolina, etc., etc., etc., given mostly by friends, and admirers (yeah I had those!!!)

This 2006 has given me a lot to look forward to. Though 2005 has been a really tough and frustrating one, I do hope everything will do a turnaround this doggy year!
I've got new friends. I'm meeting interesting people.
Great barkada. Beautiful kids. Obedient cat.
New job. Easier to smile. Confidence AND weight gain.
Carrotte. Marga. DJ. Yna. Gracelyn. Grace. Agnes. Lynn. Em-ay. Ed. Brax. Abner. (mwah!)

Sing your heart out

I sort of caught my 7-year old daughter singing Pinoy Big Brother's Sam and Say's song "Magmahal Muli" on the phone to a boy named Jom from school. While having coffee in the kitchen with my mom, we took occassional glances at Andee who started singing "Pinoy Ako" on the phone complete with choreography!!! I couldn't believe this. But it was a better shot than the first time I heard her. She was singing 'Lupang Hinirang' (Philippine National Anthem) to this boy at school. Apparently, this boy wanted to hear her sing because it was the time when they were asked to memorize the song, and Andee was tasked to lead the class during flag ceremonies.

I remembered the time when Andee was four. She came into the living room and surpised me by saying, "Ma, si Rafael, lalaro kami sa kuwarto ko" ("Ma, this is Rafael, we will just play in my room") referring to this handsome 4-year old neighbor. Then off they went. I turned to my brother and said "Nag-uwi ng lalaki ang anak ko!" ("My daughter brought a boy home!") My brother thought it was funny. Well, I thought otherwise. It brought a tear to my eye. Honest!

Times are surely different now. There were instances when Andee would say that she has a crush on this boy, or how a boy looks at her in school, etc. etc. I never, never remembered telling my mom that I had a crush on whoever when I was Andee's age. I'm glad of course, because at this age she has been open with regard to feelings about anything.

Happy new year to all! I know I should post pics from the holidays so that, I owe you!