Jeremiah 29:11

Day 31/366: Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

- Jeremiah 29:11

Thy will be done.

Here's to staying positive and moving forward!

The Warrior and Faith

Day 30/366: Paulo Coelho Tales

Let me share an excerpt from one of Paulo Coelho's thoughts and reflections.

"Often what we call 'experience' is merely a sum of our defeats. Thus we look ahead with the fear of someone who has already made a lot of mistakes in life and lack the courage to take the next step.

At such moments, it is good to remember the words of Lord Salisbury: 'If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome: if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent: if you believe the soldiers, nothing is safe.'

It is important to accept one's passions, and not to lose one's enthusiasm for conquests. They are part of life, and bring joy to all who participate in them. The warrior of light never loses sight of what endures, nor bonds forged over time. He knows how to distinguish between the transient and the enduring. There comes a moment, however, when his passions suddenly disappear. Despite all his knowledge, he allows himself to be overwhelmed by despair; from one moment to the next, his faith is not what it was, things do not happen as he dreamed they would, tragedies occur in  unfair and unexpected ways, and he begins to believe that his prayers are not being heeded."

Today is such a heartbreaking day. I've had enough breakdowns for the day. I hope that tomorrow would be a better one!

Bottle of Dreams

Day 29/366: Retreat

For our last session, we were asked to write our goals and dreams along with our strategies, resources, purpose, vision, etc. on a small piece of paper and secured the note inside a bottle - our bottle of dreams. I shall make those dreams come true at the right time.

Light in Darkness

Day 28/366: Retreat

Our block went on a weekend retreat somewhere near Tagaytay. Two days to take a break from our busy routines and schedules in school, two days to pray and reflect, two days to find ourselves and God.

God is everywhere. Even in darkness, He would never give up and would always find a way for us to find Him.

Childhood Bestfriend

Day 27/366: Happy birthday Kaye!

Today's feature is for my awesome best friend, Kaye, who's celebrating her birthday today! I couldn't hug her in person 'cause we're a thousand miles apart right now, so I'm making this post extra special for her! ☺

We've known each other for so many years! Since birth as many people would say. More than a best friend, she's like a sister to me - The sister that I never had. When we were kids, we would often draw Sailormoon, compile them in folders, and sell them to others, but would always end up buying each other's drawings! Haha! We would often go to each other's house to play hide and seek, or watch our favorite cartoons. She would always visit me at our gate when I'm not allowed to play outside. She'd always remember me as the kid who's standing behind the bars (our gate), eating hotdogs while watching her and the other kids play outside. We would always jump every New Year, hoping we'd get tall. We used to exchange letters just because we wanted to write each other.. And a whole lot more of childhood memories!

Then she moved to New Zealand and coincidentally, our family moved somewhere else too. It was a drastic change, you know. We got separated and didn't see each other for years. What's cute though was we were contented with the snail mail then. We used to send long letters and cards and wait for them to arrive even if it takes forever. Then came Friendster, e-mail, Yahoo messenger, and of course, Facebook! Communication was definitely made easier.

We don't really get to talk about every single thing that's been happening to us, but we tried to keep the connection tight. And when she visited Philippines about 2 years ago, I'm so happy that everything still feels the same. She didn't turn into a stranger. She was still the best friend that I knew 22 years ago. She's still my sister. ☺

I promised that I'd go visit her in New Zealand soon. So with that being said, I'll see you soon Kaye! Okay? Just give me time. Haha! Happy birthday! I love you! ♥

Vanity

Day 26/366: Photo with Chai & Chico

Well, what can you expect? This is what happens when you're bored, waiting for your next class, and you're with Chico! Out of a dozen or even more photos, I chose this one. Yes, only one 'cause we all look the same in all the pictures! Haha!

Sweet Blends

Day 25/366: Fruitas Mango Shake

I got thirsty and I wanted something fruity. Good thing there's Fruitas in school! It's been a long time since I had one and I missed it! ☺

Quarter Pie

Day 24/366: Banoffee Pie

If you'll ask me about my most favorite treat among Starbucks' dessert line, I'd gladly say that it would be the banoffee pie. I'm a great fan of bananas and I love almost anything that has banana in it. Banana, toffee, and layers of chocolate combined: Just heaven! ☺

Banana and Goodness Combined

Day 23/366: Conti's Bananalicious Pie

An afternoon snack treat for my fat tummy! I love Conti's cakes and this one's my personal favorite. ☺

California Dreams

Day 22/366: Katy Perry in Manila!

5. Watch a foreign concert!

Right then and there, I've crossed out one entry from my bucket list.

It was my first time to watch a foreign artist sing live! Seriously. And I'm so glad Katy was my first. I couldn't contain my excitement the moment I saw her on stage! I loved the production. I loved her voice. I love her perky attitude. I love her! Absolutely. No ifs, no buts.

I swear, I'll go for VIP the next time she visits Manila again!

Katy Perry: Just Purr-fect!

Day 21/366: Gold Tickets

Anica and I got gold tickets for Katy Perry's concert TOMORROW! Yes the ticket says it's complimentary, but we didn't actually get each one for free. We thought gold tickets were already sold out, so Anica tried to contact people and found a couple who's selling theirs. It's illegal, as you may say, but the important thing is we got them! It's still the same price even though we bought tickets from Ticket World, (kumita lang yung couple!) so yeah. Haha! We are so ready for you Katy! ☺

Unhealthy Diet

Day 20/366: Junkfood

You could never go wrong with Lays, Cheetos and Doritos paired with Frito Lay's French Onion dip! That is, if you wouldn't really care about the excessive jump in your calorie count for the day. Haha! ☺

Elephant Love

Day 19/366: Elephant Keychain

Second to pandas, elephants, for me, are one of the cutest creatures God has ever created! ☺

Check out these interesting trivias that I found about elephants:

· Elephants sleep standing up.

· Elephants poop 80 pounds in one day.

· Elephants weigh 10,000 pounds. It would take 250 students to add up to 10,000 pounds.

· Only grown up ladies and their babies live in the herds. The daddy elephants leave the herd when they are 12 years old.

· Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and have memories that span many years.

· All elephants walk on tip-toe, because the back portion of their foot is made up of all fat and no bone.

· An elephant's pregnancy lasts for about twenty-two months from conception to birth.

· A new born elephant usually weighs between 180 and 300 pounds.

· A typical adult elephant weighs between 6,000 and 12,000 lbs.

· The adult elephant is the largest animal living on land. Giraffes are taller but nowhere near the body mass of an elephant.

Even hippos and rhinos weigh far less than an elephant.

· An elephant cycles through six sets teeth during its lifetime. Each tooth weighs about 9 lbs.

· An elephant will drink 15-20 gallons water each day if water is available. A thirsty elephant can drink 50 gallons.

· The elephant has the largest brain of any creature that ever lived on the earth.

· When elephants meet up with family or friends they entwine their trunks ... elephant style hugging.

· When it walks, the elephant moves it trunk side to side along the ground, testing it before it steps forward.

Back to Basics

Day 18/366: Sliding Ruler

Just like how the body is made up of cells as the basic structural unit of life, every complicated thing, be it abstract or not, starts from a simple thing. Take for example in engineering - Before you actually learn how to solve differential equations or simplify block diagrams of control systems, you must first familiarize yourself with the basic operations and also deal with all sorts of fractions. Before you could program different codes, you should learn to understand how a computer thinks first. And before you could actually design a machine, you must first learn the basics of measurements and control of drawings.

As we progress, we encounter a bunch of theories and principles, but it's good to go back to the basics once in a while to appreciate how far we've gone in terms of the knowledge that we've gained - And that's what makes learning fun. ☺

The Paris Dream

Day 17/366: Eiffel Tower

"N" years from now, I'm going to fly all the way to Paris and see the real thing. But for now, I'll just have to keep it close by wearing it over my neck, so that I'll always be reminded of my dream to have my picture taken there.. Someday. ☺

Trusty Panda

Day 16/366: Hammie

Meet my trusty panda! I named him Hammie 'cause he looks a lot like a hamster. He came all the way from Japan and found his way home to me. He keeps my laptop monitor free from dust and he lets my wrist rest on his back when I get tired from typing. He's the cutest baby panda one could ever have. ☺

With Mochi on Top!

Day 15/366: Tutti Frutti

While Enzo and I were waiting for dinner time, we tried to kill time and strolled around the mall. We passed by Tutti Frutti and instantly thought of one thing: Mochi toppings! To our surprise, there were new yogurt and mochi flavors that we haven't tried yet. We got all excited. Haha!

Cups of joy, cups of heaven!

Enzo's cup: Strawberry Cheesecake and Vanilla yogurt + Plain and Green Tea mochi toppings

My cup: Strawberry Cheesecake and Vanilla yogurt + Plain and Strawberry mochi toppings

We were two happy kids, I tell you. ☺

Strings Attached

Day 14/366: Guitar

One of my frustrations: Playing the guitar, or at least learning how to. But I'd be very glad to sing as long as someone would play the guitar play for me. ☺

Pick a color, pick a gem!

Day 13/366: Iced Gems

Who says gems can only be found on necklaces, brooches, or rings?

About a month ago, I randomly remembered how much I loved iced gems when I was still a kid and wondered where I could buy them. And now, I finally found these goodies somewhere where I least expected them to be. Costing only around P40.00, I didn't think twice and bought a pack for myself! ☺

How to eat iced gems:

(1) Pick a color. You can choose from different colors: Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and White

(2) Eat the icing!

(3) Lastly, eat the biscuit.

*Note: 2 & 3 may be interchangeable.

All smiles!

Day 12/366: It's Karen!

(L-R: Me, Karen, Chai)

Say hello to our model friend, Karen, who isn't and never gets fat at all. ☺

Motivators of History

Day 11/366: Highlighter

As I was reading articles for my History class, I stumbled upon a very catchy line worth looking into.

"History is not merely a chronology of events; it is not the story of heroes and great men. Essentially, history consists of the people's efforts to attain a better life." -Renato Constantino

Pause and reflect. Are you a motivator of history yourself? Think about it.

Circles and Loops

Day 10/366: Friendship Ring

A lovely ring from a lovely friend of mine. I can't even remember the last time I wore one! I shall always remember our friendship symbolized by the circles and loops on the ring: Unending! Thank you, Grace! ☺

Paulo Coelho Tells a Story

Day 9/366: The Funny Thing About Human Beings

I have always loved Paulo Coelho. I love how he can naturally connect with his readers through his unique and true to life experiences. He keeps his ideas clear and manages to fascinate people with the simplicity of his words full of wisdom and passion.

'We think so much about the future that we neglect the present, and thus experience neither the present nor the future.'

True story? Yes.

Sweet Treats in a Box

Day 8/366: Cupcakes by Sonja

Ever since I've tried Cupcake by Sonja's ever famous red velvet cupcake, I've become a loyal customer. Their cupcakes are really something to die for! And I'm pretty sure a lot of people will agree with me on that one. So the next time you stroll around Serendra and you haven't tried their cupcakes yet, do yourself a huge favor: Buy a cupcake (I highly recommend the red velvet flavor). Eat it there, or have it to go, whichever you like will do, and prepare yourself for the first bite! Don't say I didn't warn you if you can't stop wanting for more. ☺

Big Word

Day 7/366: Understand

Understand: A ten-letter word which is easy to spell, easy to say, easy to memorize, and even easy to type, but there's so much more in this word that's beyond the literal.

You understand because you're not selfish.

You understand because your mind listens completely.

You understand because your heart does the same.

You understand because you care.

And you understand because you love.

B&W Squares

Day 6/366: Yellowcab Wall

For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow which nobody can deny. *If ever you're reading this Pj, I'd like to say, "Happy birthday! And thank you for the random invitation to your dinner treat. Till next year!" ☺

For real?

Day 5/366: Reflection

There is a thin line between seeing and understanding the real thing and being deceived by a reflection.

On the Loop!

Day 4/366: Churros Con Chocolate

Even when you're still full from eating kare-kare or bagnet for lunch, same some room for dessert 'cause you could never go wrong with closing your appetite with this set of churros (paired with a good drink of Cocoa with Rocksalt and Cheese! Yes, it's a pig out day alright). The churros were crunchy, yet have the soft cores, best dipped with the right kind of bittersweet chocolate dip which will definitely keep you munching for more! Probably one of the best churros that I've ever tasted. ☺

Color Your Life

Day 3/366: Rock Candies

I was strolling in a mall in Bangkok last month and I came across these goodies. Attractive looking as they are, these candies come with lots of fruity flavors such as strawberry, orange, lemon, lime, and so on. On one side of their station, they have a clear glass which attracts people to watch on how they do these wonders. It was like a free show at the same time. Pretty amazing! Craving for something to satisfy your sweet tooth? Made in Candy's rock candies will definitely do the trick for you! ☺

Tutti Frutti

Day 2/366: Fruits

I look at our table and I wasn't surprised when I saw the centerpiece: A basket of assorted fruits! From jumping to increase height up to wearing polka dots, it has become a New Year's Day tradition for Filipinos not to miss preparing a set of fruits on the table usually of twelve kinds as well. Each kind represents one month of the year and the round shape signifies coins which are said to bring good fortune, good health, and prosperity this year. Want to have good luck all year round? Well, better start consuming all the fruits before they get rotten! ☺

2012 Kick-off!

Day 1/366: Fireworks

Close to five minutes before the clock strikes 12, fireworks were lit and we all witnessed how these colorful sparks started to fill up the clear sky. Every single person was in awe with the majestic display and we were all thinking about the same thing: Finally, the new year has come bringing new hopes and dreams for everyone! ☺