Mrs. Felixity

Please visit my new space --

http://mrsfelixity.blogspot.com/

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Be Happy, Be Lucky!

Photo Credit: http://www.scenicreflections.com

Hubby always tells me to stay away from the unlucky and the unhappy. Today, I’ve realized that he’s actually right. All that unhappy people talk about are negative things and most of the time, probably because of your desire to contribute to the conversation, you end-up sharing something sad as well. Also, when the mood is sad, it’s difficult to say something happy or just change the topic of the conversation because you’re afraid to appear apathetic or insensitive.

It’s also odd how unhappy people find a way to make a good news sound like a bad news. Here’s an example –
You: Hey, I got an A in my writing assignment!
The Unlucky & The Unhappy: Really? I thought that wasn’t achievable! I worked really hard on mine, but I was only given a B.
See? I bet after that negative reaction, you end-up feeling undeserving of an A. Either that, or you try to be “sensitive” and you put your happiness aside as you try to also feel bad for the other person.

You’re not being fair to yourself when you put yourself in these kind of situations. So, how do you deal with the unlucky and the unhappy? Filter-out the negativity. Choose who and what you listen to. Don’t let other people’s feeling of being unworthy to be happy affect you. Know yourself better. Remember all the hard work and passion that you put in what you do. You deserve the things that you are getting. More importantly, you’re not being apathetic or insensitive when you try to change a sad conversation to a happy one. You’re actually being a positive influence. Happy thoughts make the world a better place. Yes, they really do, so be happy and be lucky!

As for me, I guess I should try listening to hubby more. Hubby knows best, I guess?!? =P

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Seven Dresses

Kevin (James Marsden): All right. So what's your favorite part of a wedding?
Jane (Katherine Heigl): Oh, that's easy. You know when the music starts and the bride makes her big entrance and everybody turns to look at her? That's when I look at the groom. ‘Cause his face says it all. You know, the pure love there.

- From the Movie "27 Dresses" (2008)

***

After about a hundred times of surfing the net and going through some magazines, we were able to select the designs for the dresses for our wedding. Yes, “we”, because Erwin did have a say on them. I showed him several designs and we agreed on which ones to pick.

***

The Bridal Gown

It’s going to be my first time to wear a ball gown cut. When I’m required to wear a gown for special events, I’d usually pick the A-line or sheath type. I originally picked a simpler one, but I ended-up picking this because as what my designer said, it would make me look like I’m the bride and not just one of the bridesmaids. Erwin wanted it to be made mainly from silk because he thinks it would look classier than a lace gown. Lots of bead works is also something that he doesn’t like. I guess he just didn’t want the flashy-type. As for me, I just didn’t want the tube type ones because as I always say – “Wala kasing pagkakapitan. Baka malaglag.” Kidding aside, Erwin and I (and the designer and also my sister) were happy about the dress that’s why we picked it. I just hope the designer and I give justice to the design. I’ve been hitting the gym lately, so hopefully, everything looks good on the wedding day. By the way, I’ve never went on a diet my entire life, so the next 4+ months would definitely be a test of discipline. Wish me luck!

***

The Bridesmaid Dresses

I got lucky when I came across these two-toned dresses because I feel like, they would perfectly go with our brown and turquoise motif (more brown than turquoise). Also, I think that if the designer executes the designs well, the girls (Weng, Diane, Cors, Noreen and Vene) could still wear the dress assigned to them for other occasions. Erwin preferred knee-length dresses over long gowns, so he was also okay with this set. I think most of the girls are also on a serious diet now, so I’m not alone in my so called “battle for weight loss”.

***

The Flower Girl Dress

When I saw this design, I didn’t have to look further. It already carries our motif, so this one was a no-brainer. I’m sure Danielle, Rhoda and Fran would all look adorable on the wedding day.

***

I’m quite excited to see the actual dresses. I wonder how they would look on us when we’re already all made-up. Nevertheless, I know that when “the” day comes, it would be the natural glow from wearing a genuine smile, the sign of pure happiness, that would make everyone look stunning. That means that everyone, even the guests, would look just as lovely as the entourage! Why? Because the event will be strictly for happy people only.

RSVP! ;-)

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Dreams

Browsing the net, I came across these pictures that remind me of my dreams. I'm quite a realistic person and I guess my dreams pretty much reflect that. I mean, my dreams… They may be big, but they're not impossible to achieve. Yes, in this lifetime.

My Dream House

I've always wanted something big, spacious, pastel-colored and really homey. Actually, I have a list of "must haves" in my dream house --

• A big living room / sala with a huge comfy sofa and probably, a bar for hanging-out with family and friends
• Two rooms designed to match my two kids' personalities
• Big master's bedroom with a king-sized bed for hubby and me
• Two guest rooms for visiting friends and relatives
• One small room for the helpers
• One movie/entertainment room
• One karaoke/videoke and billiards hall
• A big kitchen furnished like a professional chef is going to use it
• A walk-in closet and lots of storage space
• A swimming pool beside a garden full of colorful flowers (roses, daisies, etc.)
• An outdoor barbeque kiosk
• An indoor McDonald's like that of Richie Rich's (Nah! I'm just kidding about this one!)

My Dream Business

It would be great if I would have my own dress shop, restaurant and salon-spa. I love clothes, food, massages and all sorts of pampering! And I guess, more than doing what I love to do, it would be really nice to earn from letting others experience the things that I love.

My Dream Family

I'd like to have two kids, a girl and a boy. If they are twins, that would be a bonus! I'll be very hands-on in taking care of them. I'll read them stories, help them with their school homework and play with them. Basically, I'll raise them in the same way my parents raised me. They'll grow-up as beautiful people -- God-fearing, confident, self-sufficient, smart, loving and very family-oriented. Hubby and me will give them the best education, the best life, the best home, the best experiences and of course, the best parents.

My Dream Life

I'll always go for a life of balance. Balance between career and personal life. Balance of being a good provider and at the same time, an excellent teacher of the value of being self-sufficient. Balance of having both material/physical and spiritual fulfillment. Balance between having abundance in life and yet, still having things to work hard for and look forward to achieving and experiencing.

See? My dreams are indeed big, but again, they're not impossible to achieve. Not at all. I'm a believer of dreaming big and living it, so in time, these dreams will all turn into a reality. Yes, I'm a dreamer. I dream big and I dream awake.

What are your dreams?

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Three Years

Last anniversary as MR. and MS. --

Will be MR. and MRS. in the next years to come. ;-)

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Sisters

As I am writing this, the doctors at Saint Luke’s Medical Center are assessing my sister’s condition. She has been feeling severe abdominal pain since yesterday and they are suspecting that it’s either appendicitis or it’s her ovarian cyst that’s causing the pain. The doctors said that, either way, she needs to go through surgery once the findings are finalized. Nanay said that my sister is in so much pain that she couldn’t get-up from bed and she turns really pale when trying to sit down. Unfortunately, since the doctors are still trying to figure-out her case, they cannot give her any pain reliever as it would mask the pain and make the examinations difficult to do.

It’s news like this that people like us, who are away from our families, dread of hearing. It’s bad enough that your family is going through tough times, it’s even worse because you’re not by their side. It probably just has one very minor advantage for me because I really don’t know if I’m strong enough to see my loved ones go through such difficult physical torture. I remember, I was still too young to realize the gravity of the situation when my sister had her scoliosis surgery. When she gave birth, she was in labor for about eight hours and was almost brought to the C-Section because my nephew’s umbilical cord was coiled around his neck. I was clueless about what’s happening the whole time because Nanay only gave me a call after my sister already gave birth. She said she didn’t want to get me worried. So, all the time that my sister was going through these kinds of stuff, I was always wasn’t there to personally witness things. Maybe it’s also better this way because honestly, just “imagining” how much pain she’s going through now, makes me feel like vomiting already. I don’t know, but hopefully, these scenarios don’t make me lesser of a good family member or sister.

Like all siblings, my sister and I also went through that stage where we feel like “killing” each other. That would be over very small things though like over borrowed clothes and stuff. But we’ve grown past that now. We’re not very close like we’re the best of friends, but I know that we have a mutual understanding that sisters should stick with each other. Blood is always thicker than water. And financial matters? They are not worth cutting family ties. Yeah, I have to point that last one out because I’ve heard of so many stories about relatives fighting because of money. I hope I’m not speaking to soon, but I’m sure glad we’re not the type who would value money over family.

Anyways, since I’m so far away, I can only pray that my sister is relieved from pain soon. And also, that whatever process she goes through doesn’t affect her and her husband’s plan to have kids. I sincerely feel that her husband is such a good person and that more than any man out there, he’ll make such a really good father.

I hope to get some good news soon.

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Quick One!

It's been ages since I wrote something for this blog! I don't think I even know how to do this anymore, so apologies if this entry ends-up not having any coherence at all.

UPDATES, UPDATES!!!

I’ve been working again since last March (for almost nine months now). I’m now with a healthcare IT company and so far, it’s been okay. Yeah, just okay. Is it my dream job? Well, not really. I feel that I can still do more. I want to do more, but probably, not now. Not yet. I have to lay low for a while. Think. Prioritize. Put things in perspective. No rush.

Yes, that's an engagement ring that you're seeing on my finger. I’m getting married in about seven months! Huge step, huh? Yeah, but I’m ready for it. Or should I say, I have “decided” to be ready for it? If you know me well enough, you’d know everything for me is a decision. Happiness is a choice. Life is what we make it. And yes, love is a decision. Am I happy? Yes. Why? Because I am marrying a good man, someone who I love and trust. You see, I can never imagine ending-up with someone who I don’t love. And more than that, I will never choose to spend the rest of my life with someone who I cannot trust. I must say, I am indeed in very good hands. And yeah, so is he! *wink* Anyways, to learn more about our upcoming wedding, go to http://www.sharedweddings.com/leahanderwin.

We’re going home for the holidays! I can imagine, it’s going to be sooo hectic. We’ll be doing tons of prenup stuff and also, lots of catching-up with family and friends. We only have two weeks. *sigh* It’s gonna be B-U-S-Y. And it’s gonna be F-U-N! Can’t wait!

Gotta go for dinner now... Until then! Oh, in case I don't get to blog again before Christmas -- HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! :)

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Just Another Countdown... ;D

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Tsokolate!

I am branching-out and will be going back to my first love, which is Filipino writing! Visit me at TSOKOLATE --


I am still keeping this almost two year old blog for a lot of my random thoughts and musings. One day old TSOKOLATE is for satisfying my craving for writings that are more on the Filipino literary and journalism side.

See you there!

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Two Years. Priceless.

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Patience is a virtue…

…that, I think, I am beginning to lose! :(

I probably should be internalizing my Friendster horoscope for today --


I am anxiously waiting for my new employment contract. My HR contact said that they are just getting the final approval for the compensation package. I am sooo bored. I want to start working already. It’s been a week of no work for me now. I guess I should be seeing this whole situation as something that’s similar to just taking a vacation, but I can’t. Well, you see, I am technically considered “unemployed” until I sign that contract! Argh!

Oopps, sorry, this is supposed to be a happy blog. Hmmm… Okay, here’s the thing -- I’m not really sad, just anxious and super bored! Does that make any sense? Hmmm… I think it does. Whatever... Oh well, I should probably be doing something worthwhile. Okay, I’ll start reading a new book soon. I’ll cook dinner in a while. And maybe, I can do clean house too. Erwin should be done working by the time I finish doing all that. Maybe we can meet-up for movie or coffee.

*sigh* I really sound bored. Yeah, I am bored, really really really bored. *sigh*

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MyTheme Online Photo Editor

I came across this online photo editor, which is very handy for someone who finds Adobe Photoshop quite complicated to use -- http://www.blibs.com/editor/. Below are what I was able to come-up with using this online tool and some of my old photos:

= Batangas Tali Beach 2008 =

= Singapore Downtown East Mall 2008 =

I'll post more of these stuff if and when I am able to come-up with more. Good night for now! *yawn*

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Today is The Best Day of My Life

My "Words of Inspiration" video (see upper right section of this blog / right below the banner) linked me to this "The Secret" motivational clip. I think that watching it could actually help you start the day right, so here it goes --

NOTE: "The Secret" is a book, written by Rhonda Byrne, discussing the law of attraction and the power of positive thinking.

Have a great day everyone! And remember, always think happy thoughts! :)

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Thankful!

I think that the best way for me to start the New Year is (1) to be thankful for what 2008 has blessed me with and (2) to look forward to 2009 with so much faith and enthusiasm for the good things to come.

The past year has been a year of milestones for me and I must say, despite the huge roadblocks along the way, I still have so much to be thankful for.

• I’m thankful for the opportunity to work here in Singapore. My first six months have been very challenging, from adjusting to a totally new environment – to overcoming the learning curve related to my new job – to getting through being really, really homesick – to struggling to stay employed because of the global recession – to setting-up and starting a new life away from home. It really was “sink or swim” for me. Considering how easy life was for me back home, going through these things all at the same time really forced me to toughen-up. For that alone, I am thankful because we all need to do some growing-up sometime. It just so happened that the last quarter of 2008 was my turn to do that.
• I’m thankful for Erwin’s coming to Singapore. I sure know, it took a lot for him to do that. People from our previous company were quite surprised of him choosing Singapore over a Chicago onshore assignment. Not only that, he also gave-up law school. Given everything that he has given-up, I can only hope and pray for us to one day, look back and say that this Singapore decision is one of the best decisions we have ever made. It’s too early to tell what exactly is waiting for us here, but one thing is for sure, this change has made our relationship stronger and better than ever. For that alone, I am still very thankful.
• I’m thankful for the new friends/people in my life. Adjusting to a new environment would have been a lot tougher if not for the company of some new friends. It was so much easier for me to blend-in to my team because two of my teammates were Filipinos – Elyse and Almin. Coordination between my team and another project’s team was also not difficult because the other team’s lead developer was also a Filipino – Ate Loi. I’ve also met a couple of new lunch and coffee buddies – Maytee (Filipino) and Banya (Indian). I may somewhat be unlucky with some things in life, but meeting friends is definitely something that I’ve just always been lucky with. I am, again, thankful.
• I’m thankful for my old friends. It just means so much to me that my old friends are still there for me. An email, sms, or a Friendster note from them really makes my day. Given that Singapore is just something temporary, it’s good to know that home will still be home when I go back because I know that my old friends are still there and I still have people to come home to.
• I’m thankful for my family. Despite the distance, my family is still my primary source of strength and inspiration. It is still their words of encouragement and so much faith in me that help me made it through the tough times. I appreciate how they have always supported my every decision in life and how they never pressured me to do anything or to be anything. I will forever be thankful to them as I am the free-spirited person that I am today all because of them.

There are probably a hundred more things to be thankful of for the past year. These are, more or less, just the major ones. As for 2009 – I am, as always, just optimistically looking forward to the best things that life can offer.

Have a great 2009 y’all! All the best this year and always! And to all those who have shared their 2008 with me, THANK YOU! I am surely looking forward to more years of friendship and companionship with you! :)

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Reminders

BE STRONG. Trust that God will never give you anything that you cannot bear. Believe that you are never alone in fighting your battles. Your family is always behind you. If you ever fall, they will surely be there to catch you. They have your back. Draw your strength from the people who have so much love and faith in you. Keep in mind that whatever it is that won’t kill you will only make you stronger. Someday you will look back and you will realize that you’ve fought a good fight and you’ve survived, bruised maybe, but definitely better and stronger than ever.

STAY POSITIVE. Do not dwell on the negatives. Forget about the things that you did not get and the people who did not care. Life is not about what you don’t have. Embrace and nurture your blessings. Realize that you have the power to make things right. Be courageous in pursuing your dreams. See each “good bye” as an opportunity to say “hello.” It has become a cliché, but only because it is true – there will always be a sunshine after the rain. Have a cheerful disposition. Things will be better and life will always go on.

BE STRONG. STAY POSITIVE. LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.

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Gio's Home Videos

I scanned through my laptop's folders and found these home videos of my five year old nephew. They're quite fun to watch, so I thought I'd post them here --

Presenting Gio... The Poet!


Presenting Gio... The Singer!


Presenting Gio... The Carwash Boy!

Isn't it amazing how children are just so full of pleasant surprises? They never fail to effortlessly brighten-up someone's day.

Good thing we can always stay young... at HEART. ;)

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Cyber Clutter

For someone who is online almost 24/7, it’s so easy to create a lot of online accounts non-stop. Just the other day, I was blog-hopping and I noticed that there are a lot of lovely, lovely WordPress blog templates out there. The next thing I know, I was already signing-up for a WordPress account! But just when I was getting ready to customize my new WordPress blog, I realized that I really don’t want to maintain a lot of online stuff. That, by the way, is the same reason why I haven’t accepted any MySpace invite from friends. I already have a Friendster account and I’m sticking to it, in the same way that I’m sticking to this blog, for now. In any case, I’m happy that I was able to reserve the WordPress URL that I wanted (can’t share it yet… it’s going to be on hold for the time being). I should be able to use it if/when I get the urge to splurge more time in cyberland again.

Before this turns-out to be a “shopping”-related entry (the whole “urge to splurge” thing is making me want to shift to another topic), I just want to share my “still” long list of online accounts. Feel free to visit my sites, drop me a note, and/or add me as a friend –

For online community, as mentioned earlier, I’m sticking to good old Friendster (http://profiles.friendster.com/aljbundoc) –

For blogging, I’ll be maintaining this one year and seven month old blogger space (http://notjustaboxofchocolates.blogspot.com) –


For photo hosting, I’ll still be using my growing Picasa Web Album (http://picasaweb.google.com/aljbundoc) –

For instant messaging, I’m keeping the following accounts (and saying goodbye to my AOL account) –
*MSN – aljbundoc@hotmail.com
*YM – aljb08@yahoo.com
*SKYPE – aljbundoc (Skype is very reliable when it comes to computer-to-computer calls.)

For emailing, I’ll be maintaining and constantly checking (as much as possible) the following –
*GMAIL - anna.leah.j.bundoc@gmail.com (This account I check almost everyday. Thanks to Erwin for configuring it in my laptop’s MS Office Outlook program.)
*YAHOO - aljb08@yahoo.com
*HOTMAIL - aljbundoc@hotmail.com

So there… Hopefully, having this list could help me maintain and organize / avoid cluttering my personal cyberspace. You might want to try doing it. It’s just like creating a shopping list (shopping again?), so that you can avoid picking-up things that are just fancy and not really necessary. It might just help…

Enjoy browsing everyone! =)

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Erwin was here!

Erwin came to Singapore for an almost two week stay. Super saya! Below are just a few pics from his first out of the country experience (yes, first time as he doesn't like travelling that much) --

We pigged-out at Gluttons and Hooters, met-up with his Singapore-based friends (APB brods Junpads & Nat and high school friend Dobol), visited a few Singapore tourist spots, etc. etc. Basta, sobrang saya talaga! :D

More photos can be found @ http://picasaweb.google.com/aljbundoc/ErwinSSingaporeVisit.

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Just a Quick Update...

Photo from http://www.jasonink.net/

Hello!

I’m already here in Singapore (for two weeks now). Last Monday was my first work day in Citi and so far, so good. Of course, there are more adjustments to be made, but I’m keeping the faith and I have high hopes that I’d be able to make it through.

I’m still feeling super homesick, but I'm doing okay. Thank God for TFC (The Filipino Channel), Smart Pinoy (Smart overseas SIM card), and SG-based Pinoy friends (mostly ex-ACN people)! With more "links" to home, I know I’d be able cope with the changes that I am and will be facing.

Hayyy... I really miss my family and friends, my ACN teammates and buddies… Everyone and everything back home! 'Di bale… As I always tell myself, home is just three hours away.

Take care everyone! I’ll try to take some pictures to post here soon. More stories coming-up too!

Ciao for now! :)

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Breather

High CPU utilization and out of memory!?! There are too many things on my mind that like a computer, it just seems to hang sometimes. I’m leaving for Singapore on the 20th and there’s still a lot to organize – my company car loan, my resignation clearance, my luggage, my finances, my despedida meeting with friends, etc. etc. etc. There’s no enough space for my to do’s, but there sure is space for some anxiety and of course, sadness. In fact, I actually feel like my processor has allotted a lot of memory for those two things. I’m going to miss home. I guess from here on, I just need to constantly remind myself why I am doing this. Everything’s gonna be alright. This is a blessing. This isn’t a curse. And I know that the BIG MAN up there will give me the strength to make things happen. We’re in this together, totally in this together.

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