5 Tips to Boost Your Immunity During the Holidays

The cold morning breeze, the Christmas carols, the sparkling and colorful lights at night remind us that the most awaited season of the year is here. The season of sharing and giving has finally arrived!

Christmas is a very joyful season, a celebration we all look forward to. Personally, Christmas is about making up for lost time with friends and loved-ones. To others, Christmas means giving and completing items from their Christmas wishlists. While others associate Christmas as an opportunity to relax and unwind from heavy work demands. 

Blissful and festive as it is, the so-called holiday rush can be stressful. Attending parties, reunions and merry-makings here and there is exhilarating but can be tiring. Many people in popular establishments mean crowded places and heavy traffic; which adds to the normal holiday traffic because of shopping mall sales and extended mall hours. Making your way through the crowd just to find that perfect gift can be exhausting. Brainstorming for your Christmas gift list can be draining and completing your noche buena items can cause increased stress levels because of long lines at groceries and department stores.

Increased stress levels weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to illnesses. While they say that stress is inevitable, there are some ways to keep our bodies strong and healthy this season:

1) Begin the day with a positive mindset.

As the old cliche says, mind over matter; our brain is very powerful that whatever it conceives, there's a big chance it will happen. Say you wake up and think of how bad this day is because of the deadlines you have to meet, most probably, you will really end up having one.

Waking up to a new day is one of the best blessings to be thankful for. How lucky are we to be given another day to enjoy, learn and make a new start. So why destroy a brand new day with a negative thought in mind? We all have our fair share of struggles so never let them affect your day and life. Remember that there's a solution to every problem and every time you think of stressful things, you are not just ruining your day but you are also harming your health. So the moment you wake up, be thankful and think of positive thoughts to attract them.

Give Thanks

A wonderful promise to claim

This was supposed to be posted on the last day of July, but because Mr. Fatigue visited me last week, the posting had to wait. I really don’t like July (my apologies to those who love this month) because for the past years it has always been associated with unfortunate and unexpected losses. This year despite being the same gloomy and rainy July it has always been, I gained worthwhile realizations about life and God’s love and goodness.

We went to Divisoria, the shopping mecca of Luzon, last July 12. We arrived at Buendia at almost 10 in the morning where we boarded a jeepney to Divisoria. Jeepneys are the most popular mode of transportation in the Philippines, in Manila and other parts of Luzon particularly, patterned after the American jeeps; passengers occupy the parallel seats at the back usually 6-10 passengers per side. It took some minutes before all seats were filled. Surprisingly, an officemate rode the same jeep with her mother and aunt.

The Gift of Education

If there is one thing I could give the Philippines, that is the gift of education.

In terms of effort, the government has been doing its part. They have been continuously exploring ways to improve the quality of education, hence the implementation of the K-12 education system program. Financial resources have been utilized to build additional classrooms, hire teachers and buy school books and materials. A mobile education system was formulated to help more Filipinos gain access to education. Despite the efforts, there are still a lot of things that need to be done.

We have seen television documentaries of children taking the extra mile just to pursue education. Children walking for hours ignoring the scorching heat of the sun or the heavy downpour of the rain just to get to the lone school in their municipality located kilometers away from their homes. Some were forced to cross dangerous bridges or rivers or even embark on a wavy and terrifying boat ride just to get to school. Some would have to work extra so they can buy schools supplies or have pocket money to buy food. Some would have to settle for recycled school supplies, worn-out uniforms and even torn books; while some just won't have the luxury of having a single school supply. 

Lost but Moving On with God's Grace

I'd rather view a broken dream not as the end of the world rather a beginning of something new. 

A birth of something that's beautiful and perfectly written by the Master Writer, 

the Creator and Giver from Whom perfect love is exemplified.

Dear Lord, 

I may not understand why I have to go through this over and over again 

but I am keeping my faith in Your promises for I know that Your plans are not just better 

but the best than what I could have imagined for myself. 

I know Lord in Your perfect time, 

that perfect story and that perfect moment will all come true. 

Teach me Lord the virtue of patience 

and help me be faithful to You always. 

Amen. 

Photos from Spiritual Inspiration. Visit them on facebook and tumblr. 

My Birthday and Christmas Wishlist

Longer nights, soothing carols and relaxing morning breeze - can you guess what I'm thinking? Yes, Christmas it is! As one song goes, "It's beginning to feel like Christmas." This lengthy Filipino celebration began as soon as September approached (-ber months as we Filipinos call it) and the countdown to one hundred days before Christmas started.

Likewise, I have started the countdown to my 27th birthday. Oh yeah! I'm turning 27 few months from now and I am grateful! With these celebrations in mind, I have listed down my wishlist and I will be very happy to receive these stuff from generous people around. (*clearing throat*) Online stores such as Lazada makes shopping convenient and easy, that's a promise. 

Here it goes:

 1) Samsung Galaxy S4

With specs like a super-fast-quad-core processor and a 13MP auto-focus camera with LED, this phone is just superb. I won't be resentful for a gift like this. 

2) HTC One

Apart from having an Ultrapixel camera which capture good photos in dim light, this phone is also equipped with a flash player which is needed to run certain applications. A definite plus, plus for this phone.


3) External hard disk

Honestly speaking, this item was in my wishlist last year and hopefully I will be able to cross it out come Christmas time this year. As a photography-enthusiast and a struggling Master's student, I have so many files that consume the space of my laptop. An external hard disk will help save space and keep my files safe in case my laptop finally retires in the future. 

Remembering Ninoy

Benigno 'Ninoy' S. Aquino, Jr. (Source)

21st of August 1983, the year that was. In the tarmac of then Manila International Airport with the Philippines eagerly waiting for your return. A bang, a gunshot - it took your life, but never your legacy.

"But I knew, that somehow, I will regain my freedom, maybe not in this world, but elsewhere, and I knew, that sometime, somewhere, Mr. Marcos and I will meet, and in that meeting I will have my satisfaction." Freedom rally symposium by the Movement for Free Philippines. Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, California; February 15, 1981 (Credits: Quotation Source)

Thirty years after (now it's raining and flooding like forever in your Motherland), we remember and celebrate your greatness. Your death sparked a realization that there is power in unity and that the government is for the Filipinos.

"I have carefully weighed the virtues and the faults of the Filipino and I have come to the conclusion that he is worth dying for because he is the nation’s greatest untapped resource.” (Quote taken from here)

Make Everyday Valentine's Day

As popular as the old cliche, "Make everyday Christmas day"; I am coining my own by saying, "Make everyday a Valentine's day."

Wondering why? I would like to believe that expressing love and spending time with our loved ones need not to be done only on special occasions, rather it should be celebrated everyday, for each moment can be regarded as special even without an event.

Yes I know this is a little late (by this time, it's already February 15 in the Philippines), I would like to greet you guys a Happy Hearts Day. And let me share with you one of my favorite Bible verses about love.

Photo taken from here.

Spread the love everyone! Let's make everyday a Valentine's Day!

♥♥♥

In God's Time...

Today I was reminded of how much I value honesty and truthfulness. I was also reminded that God loves me so much that He saved me from wrong people, wrong decisions and a pitfall.

I know that God is busy writing my story and that it will come true on His perfect time with the one He chose for me. I may be single but there is no drop of desperation running on me. There's no need to rush and there's no need to worry for someday all my hopes and dreams will come true. As written in Ecclesiastes 3:11: "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Photo taken from google.

As for now, I will seek to become somebody better. Someone that my perfect match is exactly looking for.

♥♥♥

Welcome 2013!!!

In less than three hours, the Earth will be completing its 365th revolution around the sun. We will be bidding goodbye to 2012 and will be welcoming another year with high hopes that it will be better, more prosperous and happier than it was in 2012.

As I welcome this year, I pray for abundance of love and happiness. I also pray that the Lord will continue to grant me and my loved-ones with good health and longer life. And like my wish last year (if it is not too much to ask) aside from success in thesis writing for my masters, a love story written and perfected by God. 

So, without so much ado, I am greeting everyone a prosperous, purposeful and joyous 2013!!! May all our hopes and dreams come true this year. Have a blast and keep safe everyone!

At the Sky Lantern Festival at Nuvali (123012).
 Taken by EPL-1 in Candle Scene mode, post-processed in Instagram.

Cheers!

Tis' the Season to be Jolly!

Merry Christmas everyone! May this season be merry and bright for all of us. Let's make this Christmas more meaningful by reflecting on the things that we could do not just to make ourselves happy but to make others happy as well.

Remember happiness is not counted by the material gifts we received but by the value of love we give and share and returned to us. Happy holidays everyone! Have a merry, merry Christmas!

Lovelots,

Love Never Fails...

(Since multiply as a social network is about to close in a few hours, I am now completing the process of copying and transferring my blogs from multiply to their new home. I will be sharing with you some of my favorite blogs written in Multiply.)

I received a text message from an unknown subscriber early this morning, it said, "The best part of being in love is when you just love a person and be happy about it, even if that person can never be yours, even if you know that it can't last forever! That's the true essence of love. It's not winning someone. It's not owning a relationship. It's just about being happy cause you know you've loved and love unselfishly..."

How many times have we heard people say love means letting go or that love means seeing someone happy despite the pain you feel. Well, honestly as a hopeless romantic myself I do believe in these virtues. But I have to admit that loving in a one-way street is not happy, nor is the best part of loving. Sometimes the only best part of riding a one-way street is the lessons you learned after. 

In my perspective (with all courtesy to the author of the message) the best part of loving is to love and be loved back. The true essence of loving is sharing yourself with others who appreciates you for who you are and knows your real worth. It's all about being true to yourself despite being one together. In true love pain is inevitable (a point I agree with the message) but in time you will realize that pain will make you a stronger and better person. And true love is a love that is designed by the Master, a love story He created just for us. A perfect match He has prepared in which we are to share our ever afters.

Still the perfect definition of love is how it was described in the Bible. I Corinthians 13:4-8 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This is the kind of love that will make us truly happy.

*First posted on Multiply: Apr 28, 2010, 10:46 PM*

Regards,

People Change... Even Friends

More often that not, I find it a pointless drama to get a bit disappointed with friends. I've lived up to the idea that if you love a person, you will try with all your might, to understand them and be reasonable about everything and anything you are going through. Not until the day I discovered that my "pointless drama" is not really pointless at all, I realized that "Hey! I am also entitled to a plight of emotions, and it is my right to get overly upset at times."

It was repeatedly heard and said that change is the only constant thing in this world. I have learned along the way that people change, but I was not oriented to deal with the fact that somewhere along the way, friends- my friends- will change, find new ones and eventually forget.

It was just disappointing when your so-called friends replace you with new ones (replace is the perfect term) while you, the pointless drama queen, is still keeping their place in your life despite meeting new people along. Then, at a snap you would realize that things were not really the same after all. 

And in these times I would wonder, are these changes for the good or bad? 

The reality: People and feelings change, and friends are not exempted from the rule. Not even them.

(Photo taken from tumblr.)

The Nissin Yakisoba Story

Setting:
Department of Education
City Schools Division
City of Santa Rosa
Division Office 4th floor

Characters:
Venus (moi)
Kristine (nurse)

Introduction:

It was a typical Monday in the office, came lunchtime wherein every body's so idle in going down and buying their food. At 1 pm, my hungry stomach prevailed so I went down with Kristine and bought food at 7-eleven. I bought a jumbo hot dog sandwich and a nissin yakisoba cup noodle.

We went up, i read the cover only from numbers 1 to 2 then started pouring the flavoring and the oil on the noodle (which is a no-no) then I poured hot water and waited for 3 minutes before eating.

Climax:

After 3 minutes, I began eating my yakisoba alongside with my customized hot dog sandwich. I wondered why it tasted bland but I just thought that probably its really bland. Then, Kristine my beautiful co-worker asked me if I was eating it with soup. Of course, I replied YES!

Then she said, "Di ba walang sabaw yan." Then I got the cover then she read it and lo and behold. Number 4 instruction says- Remove the water while Number 5 says- Then add the oil.Then we just started to laugh. Well, everybody commits mistakes.

Morale:

1) Always read instructions before doing anything you aren't familiar with.

2) Ask if you don't know.

3) Learn from your mistakes so it won't happen again the next time around.

4) Laugh and move on, cest la vie. :)


*This post was first posted in Multiply on 11-18-08, 8:12 am.*

Generosity and Honesty

I would like to say that this has been one of my favorites because the act in itself is not something that's too-good-to-be true. Here it goes:

What will the world look like if there's none at least one man possessing a generous heart? What will happen to me if there's not even a single person who will help me with my problems? These are few of those many questions which entered my mind yesterday as I was on my way home.

At the terminal, I encountered a man asking for help. He needs to purchase medications for someone with epilepsy, he even brought the prescription. Though I know that this could be one of those familiar modus-operandi that people use to fool others, I took the risk and gave something from my humble pocket. Why? Not because I want everybody to know that I am a nice person but because I felt his sincerity and honesty when he spoke his lines.

I also wondered if he was actually telling the truth how painful could it be that no one bothers to believe you- that no one even cared for you. Or if he wasn't then his conscience will take care of him. And what if someday I am placed in that same situation and asking and begging are my last resort- at least someone bothered to care.

I just really hope that people would become honest and sincere with everything they do, not playing around with others even if they could work and earn money on their own. Then it would be one wonderful place to live in.

*First posted in Multiply on 08-01-08 at 1:15 pm.*

Say It With Flowers

Because I am way too excited to unleash the photographer in me and my next photo session will have to wait until next week, I decided to use these zinnias as subjects so I can test and try the specs of my new "baby".

I took these pictures using RAW format and exported in JPEG format using the camera software. No major post processing done, except for the Popart filter (which is also incorporated in the camera and available for pictures set in JPEG format), some cropping (because of the tarpaulin and gates in the blurry backgrounds which I find not appropriate to be in the pictures) and the watermarks which I placed using Lightroom.

So here they are:

Focal length: 14mm, F/3.5

Popart filter, focal length:16mm, F/3.6

 

Focal length: 16mm, F/3.6