Saying it Out Loud

When you love someone, you should tell them. Not because you want them to love you back. Not because you want to make a fool of yourself. Not because you have a right to say so. Not because you know you can stand by your word.

Love, in itself, should be said as often as you can. Whether it’s fleeting and momentary or whether its the kind that scars you for life, it should always be said. Whether it’s romantic, platonic, to any kind of love, we should always say it out loud.

It does not matter if the love goes away the next day. What’s important is that when it was there, you were able to let the other person know how you felt. If you think the love is never going away, you have all the more reasons to say it.

Let’s try that with our family. Let’s tell them we love them. Let’s build our circle of love, and maybe in time, we can make a bigger circle and include as many people as we can in our loving hearts.

Hypocrisy and Personal Freedom

I watched Easy A on cable TV earlier tonight. I like that movie. I like the actress. I like the way it shows how difficult high school can be. I never had a hard time in high school, but that’s beside the point because that is not the reason why I am writing this blog now.

What I actually want to talk about is the fact that the movie depicts those who are supposed to be the “religious” crowd are also the quickest ones to judge. And I have to admit… That is sooooo true in real life. You know those people who go to church every freaking Sunday and tell the world how much they read and follow the Bible and heed the word of God? Well, they also almost always happen to be the most unforgiving.

I am not saying these people aren’t any good, and I certainly have nothing against them. I just wish, however, that these people got off their high horses. I hate to say I am judgmental sometimes, but at least I don’t pretend to be holier than anybody.

As much as we tell everybody that we now live is a new world, one that’s more liberated and open-minded, the truth is actually far from that. We are still on the dark ages when it comes to understanding each other and having compassion for others. We are still.controlled by the thought of “what other people might say” instead of what we have to say for ourselves. Unless we start remembering that we are only accountable to our personal God (and I say this because I respect other religion), we will never truly be free to become what we are meant to be.

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On Procreation

When GOD said “Go forth, and multiply,” there were only two people, Adam and Eve, and they had everything in the world they could ask for.

That is not the world we live in today. Now, our world is full of different kinds of people. While there is goodness in every man, there is also evil that lurks in every corner. There is poverty, sickness, and suffering. We don’t have the garden of Eden anymore, so yes, while we still obey the very first command to multiply, that does not mean we can multiply anytime we want to.

A parent’s responsibility does not end in child bearing. The biggest responsibility is in raising a child and making sure that that child grow up well and becomes a good man/woman who makes significant contribution for the good of the community, however small that community may be. That is why I support the RH Bill.

I don’t have children. Yet. However, that does not mean I never thought of having one or that I never wanted one. I did, and I still do. The only thing that stops me is the fact that I know I am not ready. I am not ready to take care of a child emotionally, psychologically and financially. While I can afford to be pregnant and have the baby at the best hospital in the city, it is the “after” that I cannot afford yet. The sleepless nights, the expenses for baby care, the dramatic change in lifestyle… and it does not end there. When the infant becomes a toddler, I cannot afford the education, the maturity to guide my child into making the right decisions, the stability… Having a child costs so much, and I don’t want to have a child just because I feel like it. When I start my own family, I want to be able to give my child the best out of everything, which is what a every parent should have the capacity to do.

Why would anyone not want to support a bill that will help the women and Philippine households become more aware of their choices and provide them with easy access to their reproductive health assistance? Is it because the Catholic church says it is against their religion? But it is not the only religion in the country. Is it because it promotes abortion? Well, abortion is still illegal and will remain illegal. Is it because it opens the risk of teenagers having premarital sex? Come on, this has been going on long before the bill was even thought of. Plus, if teenagers engage in premarital sex, it is the responsibility of the parent to make sure their children know what’s right and wrong and that these children make decisions that are for their own good. Is it because they keep saying it is just a front for other countries to gain control of the Philippines? Since when have we, as a country, become truly independent? Do we say we are independent because we have our own president and our privilege to organize “people power” rallies? Are we really that ignorant?

Contrary to what you may think, I strongly believe in God and life. I am “for” life. But what good is “life” when you end up in slums and become the problem of society? What good is life when all a child ends up being is a drug addict or a criminal or even just a poor little boy/girl who never becomes nourished with everything essential (and no, I’m not talking bout just food)? And for the parents, particularly for the woman, what good is bringing children into the world if it is at the expense of you being able to properly rear them?

Is it really just BRINGING A LIFE into this world that’s important? Aren’t we supposed to also think about what we can give to that life we bring? Aren’t we supposed to strive for something more, something deeper, something that’s not just meant to be enjoyed by you, but by your community as well?

Take Me to The Water

Seaside

What do you think it would be like if you could fly? I’ve always wanted to know that. Looking at the birds when they’re on flight always makes me envy their freedom. To be able to soar and savor the sky, to be completely free from anything, to be peacefully by yourself… It just sounds so inviting.

However, I would still have to say that I absolutely love the sea. I love the way the water smells. I love the sounds that the waves make when it crashes on shore. I love the foams that form when the sea kisses the sand. While I envy the freedom of flying, I definitely can live in the sea side for the rest of my days.

So if I had to choose between sea and sky, the sea is the clear winner. At least from the waters, I’d still have the pleasure of looking at the blueness of the skies above.

Blind Curves

I’ve always been the kind of person with no definite life plan.

When I was younger, I’ve always wanted to become a doctor. When I grew up, I realized I could never stand the sight of other people’s blood. How was I possibly going to attend to the sick?

When I entered college, I was dead sure I’d be enrolling for a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. However, I ended up pursuing Sociology-Anthropology. I spent the next seven years professionally working in the BPO industry, I loved those years. In all my life, I have never learned so much and absorbed so much than when I was in the corporate world. There may have been days when I questioned my decision to stay, but, in general, I was happy.

However, Fate had many other plans for me. I was given an opportunity to leave the corporate life and start a quieter work environment by working from home full-time. I took a chance, and I am so thankful to God that the risk paid off.

The past three months, hell, the past year has never been what I would have expected. For someone who doesn’t really plan on how my life should be, what I am going through now is still beyond my wildest imagination. Never would I have thought I’d be spending a 26-hour workday at home.
Surprise

I am happy. I mean, what person would not love being able to work from home and still earn something decent? I don’t see far into the future, but I can honestly say that where my life is going now is absolutely the greatest surprise I have even received.

Happy Birthday, Brother Dear!

I am so happy and proud of the person that you have become. I thank God for all the wonderful blessings He has poured on you.

I believe no other siblings are as different as we are. We almost never see each other, but that does not mean I care for you any less. I will always be here to help you out in any way I can, in any way you need me to.

I can’t wait for the day when we’d see each other again.

Much love from your one and only sister.

Peace and love,
Ishabelle

Please check out my photo. Check out this application: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.roidapp.photogrid Sent from my Android.

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On Smartphones and Smart Users

With the official release of the iPhone 5, many people are again debating over whether the iOS or Android is better. Forums and blogs over the cyber world are full of discussions on whether the new model is even worth all the anticipation.

Personally, I think the iPhone 5 is something that can easily be skipped. I don’t need a phone that has virtually the same features as the iPhone 4s but has a significantly higher price. I mean, come on, I think I get better fulfillment and enjoyment from my Samsung Galaxy Note than what I’d get if I got the iPhone. Yes, Apple is definitely superior as a brand. What person wouldn’t be proud to own an iPhone, right? It’s just like you’re really just paying for the name instead of the actual things you do get from the phone. The phone is now sporting a 4-inch screen, which, unfortunately, is still way smaller than my phone.

I’d much prefer my Samsung because it gives me so many options to optimize how I want my phone to function. While the Apps Store has a lot more apps available compared to Google’s Play Store, the Android has a lot more tools to choose from for functionality and productivity. Why would I want to look at the iPhone’s same old screen when I can have a completely personalized screen on my Android? Why would I endure Apple’s own tools when the internet offers so much more out there?

I am not saying that the new iPhone sucks. If I did not have my Android, I would probably buy it. If I’m a person who doesn’t have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s, I’d buy it. Other than that, there’s pretty much nothing special to say about the new iPhone at all.

On TV and Quality Shows

Walang Hanggan is a Philippine TV Series shown on a primetime slot and rakes in a good percentage of national viewership. The show’s actors are some of the industry’s biggest names. I used to love this show. But not anymore.

Recently, I have to admit, there has been so many things on the show that were too unreal and stupid to happen in real life. They took a good love story and made it into an exaggerated soap opera where everything bad seems to be happening to the protagonists while the antagonists appear to always hold the upper hand.

In the course of the next blogs, I’ll be posting my opinions on the show. Forgive me if the next few posts will bore you. I really just have to react on this because this show has extremely disappointed me.

My first reaction has to be the inconsistency on the character of Manage Genia (Susan Roces). For those who aren’t familiar, Manage Genia is an old lady who took care of Daniel (Coco Martin) when he was kidnapped by Donya Margaret (Helen Gamboa) and left outside the gates of an orphanage. Manage Genia is known to be conscientious and always does what is right, even if it becomes the downfall of a beloved family member. She was the one who told everybody that Daniel is the son of Emily (Dawn Zulueta) and Marco (Richard Gomez) who was taken from them the day he was born. This caused a rift between the mother-son relationship of Marco and Donya Margaret.

When Manang Genia learned that Margaret helped Miguel in getting a loan and corrupting corporate money from Emily, she reprimanded her sister. She also did not support what Daniel what doing for Katerina (Julia Montes) because Katerina was already married to Nathan (Paolo Avelino) and she kept telling Daniel to move on and let the married couple be. No matter how important a family member is to her, if that person has done something wrong, Manang Genia always asks the person to do the right thing and she herself always tries to do the right thing everytime.

However, when she was kidnapped by Nathan, so he can blackmail Daniel to surrender, Manang Genia did not press charges. She saw that Daniel was badly beaten up by Nathan and his goons and was even turned over to the police even if Daniel really did not do anything to Nathan at all. When Manang Genia and Nathan had a confrontation, she said that she can press charges, but she chose not to. Nathan said she could not because she cannot do such a thing to out a relative behind bars.

Now, tell me, what happened to the ever righteous Manang Genia, who was always on the right side and always acted on conscience? Did she, all of a sudden, become an empty shell of a person who did not practice what she preached and was more concerned with family loyalty than in doing the right thing?

You see how inconsistent this character has become? That’s one reason why this show sucks big time.

Indelibly Inked

I don’t like politics. I especially don’t like Philippine politics.

Every now and then we hear of some politician, whether local or national, that gets involved in shady things. From drugs to money laundering to plagiarism, Philippines politics has it all, even tear-jerking dramatic privilege speeches. Yes, you know what I’m talking about.

However, what has this done for the government? Bills and laws take so long to be approved. Out legislation lacks so many things. There are so many issues and details that needs ironing out in our laws. None of those get resolved. It is sad that our legislators have years in office, but our laws never seem to change. We still have a lot of grey areas. The administrative branch does not even fare any better. While I applaud some cities for their discipline and progress, some local government units do not deliver as expected. Many people are still disappointed.

To be fair, whatever stagnant state we are trapped in now is not entirely the fault of politicians. A huge part should be placed on voters as well. If Filipino voters really take the election process seriously, I don’t think they’d be too careless in voting for certain people. Vote buying is still rampant. I hope that we realize that the money we get from selling our votes during elections is nothing compared to the next few years we have to endure if we happen to let the wrong person win.

I’d have to think that our country tops the bill when it comes to having the most actors and celebrities turned politician. I am not saying actors have no right to public office. I am just saying that while some of them really do want the good for the people and really want to help the country, it is not enough to run for public office. Everybody wants to help, but not everybody who wants to help should run for office. Let’s leave the politicking to those who have been trained well enough.