Sandier Pastures

I found this fun meme at Betty Wien’s World.

Rules are simple. Go to your photos, and post the sixth photo in your sixth folder. Or, you know, the sixth photo in your photos if you don’t have them in folders.

No cheating.

Here is what turned up:

This is one of the photos we took last year during our first trip to the beach. We thought the water is still cold on March but we were surprised to see so many swimmers there. It was perfect beach weather. Only, we didn’t bring our swimming costumes that day.

Nevertheless, the little girl still embraced the beach with wild abandon, wetting all of her clothes on, and ours too. We had to spend time under the sun to dry ourselves off since no taxi driver would allow us in wet clothes!

If you would like to play this, consider yourself tagged and start searching for that 6th photo!

Genesis tagged me for this fun book meme.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open it at page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence/phrase.
4. Blog the next four sentences/phrases together with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig your shelves for that very special or intellectual book.
6. Pass it forward to six friends.

I have near me, By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept by Paulo Coelho and quoting the book:

I think that when we look for love courageously, it reveals itself, and we wind up attracting even more love. If one person really wants us, everyone does. But if we’re alone, we become more alone. Life is strange.

Don’t you just like how these lines are beautifully written? I love this book in Coelho’s collection. There are so many inspiring lines inside that I found myself high-lighting so many of it.

I now tag Donetta, Jack’s Mommy, The Bluest Butterfly, MakiMeji, Lynn and Yen.

I grabbed this from MakiMeji. 

1. What is your occupation? Technical Consultant/Translator

2. What color are your socks right now? black

3. What are you listening to right now? the sound of the keyboard only since everyone is asleep.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Brown bread.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes and honestly I prefer to drive manual than automatic.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? light blue

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My husband.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, we’ve been friends for more than 10 years.

9. Favorite drink? water

10. What is your favorite sport to watch? tennis

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, two years ago.

12. Pets? none, we gave away our rabbits last year

13. Favorite food? calorie laden chocolates!

14. Last movie you watched? (on DVD) Monster House

15. Favorite Day of the year? My birthday

16. What do you do to vent anger? I chat with my sister or a close friend or most of the time, I go out and see the sun and the blue skies!

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? plastic toy guns that squirt water.

18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Fall, I find Spring still a little bit cold.

19. Hugs or kisses? Both

20. What kind of pie? Apple pie I make.

21. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes. I’d be sober if they ignore my email.

22. Who is most likely to respond? Most.

23. Who is least likely to respond? Those very very busy.

24. Living arrangements? I am living with my husband, daughter and my mother who takes care of my daughter after school.

25. When was the last time you cried? Can’t remember but in most cases, it’s during my PMS period.

26. What is on the floor of your closet? unused duvets.

27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Charlotte

28. The friend you have known the shortest amount of time that you are sending this to? Cathi

29. Favorite smell? White Musk by Body Shop.

30. What inspires you? People who succeed despite the odds.

31. What are you afraid of? Dying young

32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheeseburgers.

33. Favorite car? A convenient family car I guess. If for myself only, I’d love to own a Honda CRV.

34. Favorite cat breed? Sorry, I am not a cat person.

35. Number of keys on your key ring? 5 (One for the apartment main door, one for the bedroom, one for the office, one for the car and one for my office drawer)

36. How many years at your current job? 1 but I have had several jobs before this one.

37. Favorite day of the week? Friday, my day off.

38. How many provinces have you lived in? 3

39. How many countries have you been to? Excluding stop-overs: 7 (Philippines, Japan, Germany, Belgium, UK, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates)

Charlotte and Cathi, also Kpriss, Lorelyn, Kaylee, Jaxie, Melba, Kat and Krista, I would like to know you through this meme, too.

I got tagged by Candy and for a change, I’ll be talking about the hubby not me.

How long did you date? 4 years.

How old is he? 33 this year but I swear, he looks like a 15 year old!

Who eats more? Him but he’s an ectomorph with a metabolism like a rocket flame.

Who said “I love you” first? Not me.

Who is taller? Him - by 10 cms.

Who sings better? He does but he rarely sings.

Who is smarter? He is book smart, I’m street smart.

Whose temper is worse? His (you just couldn’t see by his gentle look!) 

Who does the laundry? Both of us.

Who does the dishes? If I cook, he does the dishes and if he cooks, I am the dish lady.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Him.

Who pays the bills? Both of us.

Who cooks dinner? I do, but sometimes, my mother who lives with us, cooks before we get home. I know, I am very lucky.

Who drives when you are together? He does but alternately, I drive when he is tired.

Who is more stubborn? Him, I think (just because this is my blog, I can bash him, right? lol).

Who kissed who first? *frantic, pointing fingers* Don’t look at me now, it’s him! He kissed me first! He kissed me first!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me, I think.

Whose parents do you see the most? Now, mine! We live with my mother.

Who proposed? He did, of course.

Who is more sensitive? Believe it or not, him.

Who has more friends? Absolutely me.

Who has more siblings? Me - I have 5 siblings while he has only one.

Who wears the pants in the family? Meaning? Who wins in arguments? I don’t really understand this question but if it means who decides for the family, I guess the answer would be, we both make the decision. We consult each other on every little thing.

I would like to know the man in your life, Kailani, SusieJ, Robin, Maribeth, Nat, Charlotte, Maria, Jennifer, Desert Songbird, Claudia, Jaxie, Wenchy, Melany, Nicki, Darla, Tiffany, Donetta and Krista.

There! That’s a whole lot of tags!

The Month of My Birthday - Look in November for my answers

Here’s the rules:
1. Pick the month of your birth.
2. Bold the 5-10 things that most apply to you
3. Strike out everything that doesn’t apply to you.
4. Place the list of all the months under a cut.
5. Tag 6 people from your friends list to do the same.

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable ( sometimes).

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

*****

Looking at all the months, I would say, except for Sexy, I think I should have been born on December.

Here’s tagging everyone who likes to do this!

I grabbed this from Shiera: 

1. Name one thing you do everyday.
* Write a blog post.

2. Name two things you wish you could learn.
* playing the piano- I wish I started early and continued the lessons I took 4 years ago.
* fiction writing - I love reading fiction and I wish I could write my own fiction too.

3. Name three things that remind you of your childhood.
* Popsicles - My brothers and I used to make some to sell during summer.
* Comic books - I used to save every extra penny I had because I got addicted to comic books in the local language a long time back.
* Radio dramas - On lazy afternoons, the whole family would listen to radio dramas, yes, all of us!

4. Name four things you love to eat but rarely do.
* Lanzones- almost every fruit is imported from other countries here in Dubai but my beloved Lanzones is nowhere in sight.
* Lechon - Whole. Roasted. Pig. Don’t freak out. It’s really good!
* Daifuku Ice cream - Creamy ice cream wrapped in glutinous rice paste. Only available in Japan, on winter.
* Yakiniku- We only go to a yakiniku-ya (Yakiniku restaurant) during special occassions because an overnight weight gain is most likely guaranteed if I indulge!

5. Name five things/people that make you feel good.
* Email from family, surprise phone calls and/or emails from long lost friends
* a trip to the salon (which I haven’t done for more than a year already!)
* a long, uninterrupted sleep
* being outside in a nice weather
* unlimited, unrestricted internet access

13 TEACHERS I REMEMBER

1. Mrs. L- She was my first grade teacher. I was under her class in Grade 1 in the first school I was enrolled in. She was pregnant that time and very moody. I thought pregnant ladies are no fun.

I didn’t have to put up with the hormone-laden pregnant lady (#1) in the private school as I was transferred to the public school the next year. I vehemently resisted and asked over and over why I had to be transferred. Though I hated teacher #1, I loved that school and the pretty uniform.

2. Mrs. T- As a transferee in the public school, they don’t know where to place me. The school policy did not have any evaluation tests to help place transferees in the right classes. We were drawn at random and I was lucky to be in Mrs. T’s class. Out of 20 classes in grade two, I was in the lower section.

Mrs. T was the first adult aside from my parents who truly believed in me. She included me in the evaluation test for honors although it was not the norm - only pupils from the upper sections get to be evaluated for honors but she believed in me and convinced the principal I had what it takes to go up the stage. And I did!

3. Ms. L - A slender lady with the softest voice. She was single at 40? — well she looked 40 to me that time. I only have vague memory of her maybe because she refused to take me in to join the school band! I loved twirling batons and dreamed of marching in fluffy skirts and white boots but she thought I moved like a boy.

4. Mrs. T2 - The teacher who trusted me with the class keys. I was ordered to open our classroom in the morning and close it after she leaves. She was also the teacher who introduced me to gardening.

5. Mrs. A- In one simple word, horrifying. She had the look that would make you run for cover, if that is not enough, wait till she raises her voice! There was a time when we had to read a fable every single morning and then she would ask for the moral story. That’s when the terrorizing begins. How many 10 year olds can really extract the moral story of an Aesop?

6. Mrs. S - The petite teacher who was sweet as well as very serious. One day, a black cat jumped out of her table drawer and I made a comment that she must be a witch. Of course that was meant as a joke but she took it seriously and almost failed me in her subjects because of that. If not for that cat remark, I feel I deserved a place a little higher than being 3rd in the graduating class of 300.

7. Mr. R- My high school principal and Science class teacher. He made me love Science. Sweet old man died on my birthday before I graduated. He choked on peanuts. What a waste.

8. Mr. and Mrs. F- Husband and wife team who displayed all the things happy married partners should have. Mr. F fondly talks of his wife in his all-boys class and Mrs. F beams everytime she mentions her husband in her English class, especially if the topic is love. They have been married for more than 20 years yet very affectionate as if they’ve just said I do yesterday.

9. Mrs. G - The P.E. teacher who taught me ballroom dancing. It was a requisite that we learn social dancing and she was present in the prom to evaluate us. She once told me, I am a complete opposite of my name because I am not graceful enough.

10. Mr. O - The reason why I didn’t graduate with honors in high school when I should! He handled chemistry and handled it very badly. He had a substitute teacher teaching us the subject for one term and then suddenly appearing during the final exams with questions he made, not the substitute teacher. Almost the entire class failed and I hung with an 84. School rules says a student must not have any grades 85 below to qualify for honors.

I did pretty well on my final year but just because I got an 84 in Chemistry the year before, I was automatically disqualified.

11. Ms. S- The dainty single lady of the high school faculty. She handled Values Education and dealt with my lack of values in her class. She was the first teacher (the last also!) to send me to the guidance counsellor for throwing crumpled a paper across the room. In the crumpled paper, I wrote a boy classmate’s name and passed it on to my friend sitting a few meters from me. Ms. Salvador caught the paper and read it to the whole class.

Ms. Salvador suffered from a kidney disease and died at a very young age, a few years after I graduated from high school.

12. Mrs. A2- My best Math teacher ever. Math is my waterloo but she showed me the way to keep my screws intact.

13. Mrs. A3 - My English teacher who introduced me to Shakespeare and the wonder world of English literature. She was also the school newspaper’s moderator and pleasing her during journalism seminars is like pleasing the Gods. She motivates people and shower you with praises if she likes you but if she doesn’t, expect spears thrown at you.

13 SIGNS THAT SAYS YOU’VE BEEN IN JAPAN TOO LONG - PART TWO

1. You are disappointed you can’t buy Japanese wine for cooking in supermarkets in Dubai.

2. You keep on complaining why the taste of Japanese rice sold in malls is not authentic.

3. You prefer Asahi or Yebisu beer over Heineken every time.

4. When you talk with other foreigners in Dubai, you almost always start with, “In Japan, we…”

5. You pull up at a gas station and expect a bunch of Norman Rockwell type attendants to jump out and clean your windshield and car windows. and you get disappointed they don’t exist in Dubai.

6. You are irritated why the buses don’t follow the time schedule in Dubai.

7. You automatically remember all important dates in Showa numbers.

8. You have mastered the art of simultaneous bowing and hand shaking.

9. You are appalled to see your mother pour miso shiru over rice.

10. You rush home to catch the last minutes of sumo!! So true, I love, love that sport and while in Japan, I sometimes violated traffic rules just to be home before Yokozuna Asashoryu’s fight at the end of the show!

11. You think one kind of rice tastes better than another kind. I still believe Niigata Koshi-hikari is the best!

12. You can’t read the story book The Three Little Pigs to your child without giggling when you get to the part “Not by the hair of your chinny chin chin*”

13. You do not possess the ability to mispronounce Japanese words like a non-Japanese would.

Like it? You can check out Part One.

Claudia tagged me with this cool (Technorati score enhancing) meme.

Rule #1: Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate letter of the alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an “A,” you’d replace the link under that letter and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don’t forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.

1. A. acowboyswife.com

2. B. bloggingcents.com

3. C. caffeine-overload.com

4. D. DadThing.com

5. E. everyday-kindness.com

6. F. forumfinder.net

7. G. GeekMomMashup

8. H. happykeg.com

9. I. ipentimento.com

10. J. juliesjournal.com

11. K. kabalyero.com

12. L. ladylike4.com

13. M.my 3 boys and i

14. N. notjustmama.net

15. O. On-A-Limb.com

16. P. peapodsquadstuff.com

17. Q. qweddings.com

18. R. rowdigrl.com

19. S. sandierpastures.com

20. T. thesocalledme.net

21. U. utada-online.net

22. V. valmg.com

23. W. wiredfornoise.com

24. X. xaviermedia.com

25. Y. yimto.com

26. Z. zbudapest.com

Replaced link: SheBecameAButterfly.net

Previous tagger: On-A-Limb.com

Rule #2: You now have to “tag” at least five people and encourage them to participate so that this thing spreads like a virus.

I am tagging bloggers who participated in the previous contests here in my blog:

1. Mommy Cracked
2. Peek-a-boo Jack
3. The Rock Pile
4. Keep up with the Smiths
5. Raindrops & Rainbows

And all of you who wants to do this!

13 THINGS THAT HAPPEN IF YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET WHILE AT WORK, EVEN ON LUNCH BREAK

1. You become restless.

2. You wonder what is happening in the outside world. I’m an information junkie and not seeing the news for the whole day makes me really weary, not to mention terribly bored during lunch break.

3. You’ll be missing friend’s blogs, and can’t wait to get home to read and comment.

4. You get reacquainted with Solitaire.

5. You develop the ability to clear mine sweeper in 10 seconds (restlessness causes sudden lucky finger reflexes).

6. You master Spider Solitaire, a game you have never touched your whole life until now, in only 30 minutes.

7. You learn to hate notepad because there is no PUBLISH button after you write a blog post.

8. You become the queen of organization and plan vacations months early, carefully detailing things to do and clothes to wear.

9. You start to think about looking for work somewhere else — a lot.

10. You plan carefully what to do online later at home for a meager two hours, 10-11pm and 5-6am. Keeping a list of tasks is essential. No more stumbling upons (the channel-flicking net style tool), no more hollywood gossip articles!

11. You realize that two hours feels like two seconds once online.

12. You think of buying a PDA/business phone that is WIFI able to be able to relieve yourself of extreme tension during spare time at work.

13. You start to cook up some ideas how to save for that PDA and how long will it take. 

I am sure this made an impression that I am not working at all and just doing internet in the office.  :!: No, I am working of course, but my working schedule allows me to have some free times later in the day because of time difference (I closely coordinate with Japan and I can’t do anything when it’s late at night there) and on Saturdays and Sundays when I have to work in this part of the world and the office there is closed. And of course, there’s lunch break. Think about sudden no news reading when this is what you do during lunch break for years and years. Is this enough to explain myself? :oops: