Another year unfolds

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love. Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

It's time now to sing out,
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

Oh you got to got to
Remember the love!
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love.


Lyrics from Rent's Seasons of Love. 
Cake and pics from Glee Baker.

Today is my Birthday!

Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn't original sin. He's born with the tragedy that he has to grow up...a lot of people don't have the courage to do it. - Helen Hayes

The Best Things In Life Are Still Free

I was asked by Ynday to attend a meeting in her behalf for their cooperative’s general assembly. With nothing to do and with an incentive for attending, I readily accepted it. Even if the meeting started early, I actually took pleasure in attending the meeting because I knew I would be seeing familiar faces once again. Liza, the provincial agriculturist was there trying to convince somebody to give her the other’s chair so she can seat beside me. Tata, the project coordinator of UNFPA was across my seat, busy chatting with everyone. These two are my friends.

After the meeting (and a hearty lunch), Tata and Liza dragged me along to a massage session at Grand Royal Spa at the back of the Gallares Memorial Hospital. I was actually laughing along the way because massage was the last option they had. It was foot scrub first, then hair spa, then foot massage. When we arrived at the Grand Royal, they wanted a body scrub after all. Oh, women. While they were arguing, I already had body massage in my mind.

My masseur did it well and I fell into a slumber with the music of three of the most beautiful musicals I’ve heard- Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and Sweeney Todd. I had one of the most relaxing massages ever.

The therapeutic session was actually free. Tata and Liza said they would pay for me, sort of a gift because I had my birthday two weeks ago. Had I known, I would also take the body scrub session. But that’s abuse, of course.

A hot cappuccino capped our day. Tata dropped me home. I was feeling sleepy and relaxed. Feeling grateful and somewhat inspired, I opened my computer and started poking on the keys.

And so I wrote this blog.


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Life Begins At 40

Turning 40 I thought would be that easy. Honestly, I have never celebrated my birthdays. Not that I can remember, except that when I was young, The Mother cooked biko (sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar) and invited my classmates to come over. That was my first and last birthday celebration. Most of the time I was alone during my birthday, thinking of something good happening to me, daydream, drink as if it was the end of the world, or volunteer to some good cause, in any of that order. I don’t know if having a birthday is a curse or just counting how much more you can live your life.

But being 40 is different. People expect you to be more mature, more responsible, more focused with what you want your life to be. In other words, they want you to be like them.

Which is worse, I think. Nobody, not anyone, would like to become somebody else. Except of course if you are that desperate. Why should I pattern my life with someone else when in fact I could not be like them? I mean I could not be like Bill Gates, or Gloria Arrovo or Lito Osmeña. If I try to be like them I could never be because of some basic principles. Like, I am not a computer wizard, for your information, nor a politician, nor a babble mouth. I am a dropout. Like what Lucien said to me, You are just some dropout from Divine Word College and what can you be proud of? I felt insulted but it was the truth. But at least I have the dignity to accept that fact, who am I and what I have become. Self-respect is one thing. It is the greatest gift one could have.

Which I think is a good way to justify my being 40. There is nothing more sacred and more important than SELF-RESPECT. I’d rather have no money, no friends, and no family than lose my self-respect.

That was why when I was kicked out of my former house (Lucien's house, actually) because I have had enough of insults and had a cleansing amok within my room to preserve my self-dignity and self-respect, I never regretted it. In fact, I was even proud that I finally made an escape after suffering from mental and physical abuses for so many years. Imagine yourself being confined in a jail-like situation that breathing freedom was only a dream. Whew!

And so as I begin to venture my life (they say life begins at 40); I have also gained my freedom, dignity and self-respect once again. Isn't that a great birthday gift one could ever have? I could be that poor and will work to make both ends meet but at least I have my dignity intact.

That is what living life is all about, after all.

(I will be turning 40 on February 6th.)
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