moving!

back to Livejournal: caffeinefix.livejournal.com

:)

read if you must.

happy mother's day, mama!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama! This fits my greeting for you best (refer to post card from PostSecrets.com below).

Also to Tita Nette, Tita Mabelle, Mommy, Tita Agnes, and all the MOTHERS I know. :)



postcard from postsecrets.com

please don't forget about Burma, i know i wouldn't

"Please use your liberty to support ours."
-Aung San Suu Kyi

When my father got his Yangon, Myanmar assignment during the late 80s, he went ahead of us (his family). When he got there, it was the time of political turmoil in the country where thousands of college students as well as ordinary citizens rallied against the oppressive military junta that rules the country to this day. These people were tortured and even killed. There was a massive slaying during that rally of the late 1980s. Curfew was imposed and political prisoners were tortured and those who were brave enough to stand up against their government, like Aung San Suu Kyi, were locked up. They were labeled as threats to the government. Aung San Suu Kyi was placed on house arrest. Until today, she is still locked up in her own home.

I remember that he talked about this to Filipino friends but I was a little girl then so I did not make much of this story. I was a little girl who knew little of political events. All I knew was that sometimes there would be riots, rallies, and army on the streets and that was it.

Aung San Suu Kyi is a famous political figure there. I saw her on tv, heard about her from our helpers at home, as well as from my parents and their friends. But I did not know how great of a woman she is until now when I'm old enough to understand all that she fought for and is STILL fighting for. I remember as a child, I picked up a book at home which was a biography of hers. I did not read it, I just flipped through photos of her because I had a little background of who this famous woman was. She was a general's daughter, a very smart lady, a wife to a British national, and a mother as well. It was a pity that when her husband died in Britain she was not even allowed to attend his funeral because she was on house arrest. I now regret the chance I let pass for not keeping the book or even reading it. I wish I took my time because I want to get to know this extraordinary lady, one who gave up all the luxuries in life to lead an oppressed nation on the road to democracy.

During the last few weeks of my life in Yangon, my family gave up our house (I LOVED THAT HOUSE) because the contract had ended. We moved into our family friend's house which was a stone's throw away from where Aung San Suu Kyi lived. Every Sunday after mass, we would pass by that house with the tall green gate and see a crowd outside. Sometimes there she would be standing behind the gate with barb wire, talking to her supporters. Her guards were members of the army. That gate was heavily guarded but there you'd see her every Sunday.

I did not make a big deal out of it all back then. But looking back from where I am now, I'd tell myself how awesome it was because I got to get a glimpse of this extraordinary lady. She was worthy of her Nobel Peace Prize.

I think it's time to look for another biography on her.

"Those fortunate enough to live in societies where they are entitled to full political rights can reach out to help their less fortunate brethren in other areas of our troubled planet."

-Aung San Suu Kyi
(pronounced as AWNG-SUN-SOO-CHEE)

I urge you, PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT BURMA. It is a beautiful country where people are very hospitable. They are very much like us Filipinos and if you are not aware of the kind of political oppression the people there are experiencing, please take time to educate yourselves.

PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT BURMA. Especially during this trying time of humanitarian crisis left by the cyclone Nargis.



CLICK: http://dontforgetburma.org

new soul living in a strange world

The decision to take my life really SLOW is the best decision I've had so far. It gave me time to think about what I want to do for the rest of my life, how my plans should be, and which career options to think about. It gave me more room to breathe, more room to take in what this world has to offer, and more room to feel that I am very blessed with every good or bad thing that were thrown my way.

Letting go of my fears gave me strength to face my future boldly too. Whenever I'm scared I ask myself this question: What would you do if you weren't afraid? This will really make you fierce, I tell you. TRIED AND TESTED. I mean really, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T AFRAID? I have a long list of things to think about but like I said, I'm taking things slowly and I'm enjoying the ride.

Perhaps this is a non-conventional way of living the post-college life. But it's the best decision, I kid you not, because if I won't...ten years from now when I'm already an overworked grumpy I'd look back when I was young (LIKE THIS DAY) and say "I should've enjoyed every day of my life when I had the chance".

And it is but fitting to introduce the new song to the soundtrack of my life, New Soul by Yael Naim.

I loved loved loved this song the first time I heard it. And then last night while watching Ellen, they previewed the next episode featuring Yael Naim! That's the singer's name and the song is New Soul. It's apparently the new Macbook Air commercial song.

Here are the words to another song that I have added to the soundtrack of my life.
I love the lyrics to it.

_____________________________

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take
But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

La, la, la, la (21x)
La, la, la, la (21x)

See I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate? try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

La, la, la, la (21x)
La, la, la, la (21x)

This is a happy end
Cause you don't understand
Everything you have done
Why's everything so wrong

This is a happy end
Come and give me your hand
I'll take you far away

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take
But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

New soul... (la, la, la, la,...)
In this very strange world...
Every possible mistake
Possible mistake
Every possible mistake
Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes...

____________________

My childhood best friend Esther (from way back DSY days) got married. I got her pretty pink and cream wedding invitation the other day. I was touched that she even thought of mailing me an invitation. Snail mails are still for the win, really. :) Congratulations, dear! I wish I were there. I thought she was going to be wed in Myanmar but it took place in Australia. GOSH, first wedding of a friend. Haha!

Myanmar was hit by a terrible cyclone over the weekend too. Death toll has reached 4000 and is expected to double. If it does, it will be the worst natural disaster to hit Asia since the Asian Tsunami that killed over a hundred thousand.

Please pray for the dead, the injured, and the thousands missing.