Silent Night

A very silent Christmas eve indeed.

This is by far the most silent Christmas eve I've ever experienced. I woke up at around 12:30am today, greeted my husband a Merry Christmas, and went out only to find out that the lights outside our room were off. I was actually hoping to see my younger sister watching the television, since she said earlier that she won't be sleeping. But when I got out of the room, no one's there. I carried my daughter and observed for a minute or two outside our room, then went back inside. I put her back in our bed, then observed from our room if someone's outside. I saw that the lights went on so hurried out again. And there at our terrace, I saw my father, the last person I expected to be awake today. He was just there observing my sister's family lighting up some fireworks. He was worried that the fireworks might torn the roof they worked hard for earlier before they got to bed. Then my sister came to give us the Buko Salad and Spaghetti they prepared for Noche Buena.

Later, after filling up the water in the comfort room, my father went back to sleep. So I was alone again. I washed my son's milk bottles and sterilized them. Then transferred the Buko Salad to a smaller container that can be put in our fridge. I took four plates and four pairs of spoon and fork to the table, in case someone else wakes up. I went inside the room to ask my husband if he would like to eat or just sleep and take a rest (he was complaining about his headache earlier this evening). When he said he'll just take a rest, I went outside again and waited for a moment, hoping (again) that someone will walk out of their room to eat Noche Buena. But nobody came out so I decided to eat alone.

I took a peace of banana cake, a portion of the spaghetti from my sister, and two slices of Liempo, then just a cup of Pepsi. I went to the sala, turned the television on, and sit at the center table. I browsed thru the channels, and finally landing at Star Movies, watching "Titan AE". After finishing my food, I washed my plate and my cup, then went back in front of the television. But after 20 minutes, I turned it off and went back here at our room. I asked my husband if I can surf the Internet...I guess you know his reply.

So here I am now. Instead of having fun with my family, I'm typing this blog. Pretty boring and silent. I guess I should expect this from now on. My family's becoming busier each year to be very tired to even have Noche Buena. Lucky for us last year, my brother went home for my wedding. We had our usual Noche Buena. But this year, nothing. I think it's safe to say, our tradition is now lost. Is this the price we pay for having a successful year (financially, so to speak)?

Updates

*sigh

After weeks of being away from the pc, here I am again. A lot of things happened...and just too many to mention. hehehe...

So to cut the story short (as if there's really a story...haha!), here's a picture of my kids. I took this photo last week, when my son was in the mood to hold his baby sister. Funny thing, when I already took my daughter, he was really angry. He still wanted his sister on his lap. haha!
More pictures at Joemelle's Multiply...^_^

The Aftermath

After how many weeks, I'm able to go online again tonight. And thank God the connection's faster.

Today's just another day for us here in Kidapawan. But of course, aside from my son, we have a new addition to our family. Yep, that's right! I gave birth to a "quite" healthy baby girl last November 9. She weighed 3.5 kls., obviously bigger than Myles when I gave birth to him. We named her Joannie Melle, and although Joemelle wanted Jemellaine Mai, I insisted the former. I've got reasons. hehe....

Anyway, the delivery was not that easy. Well, not as easy as during Myles's. It was more painful, and I can say, there was fear involved. I really believe it's traumatic, though not as long as during my labor with my son, and made me tell myself, "I don't want to undergo the same pain and feeling again". I was really afraid, and this feeling wrapped my whole body and soul. Everytime my parents and siblings check on me, I'd tell them I'm fine. But when my husband and I were alone, when I was alone, fear overpowered me. No matter how I told myself, it was just the same as the first time I gave birth, I knew that something wasn't right, I knew that something's off. And I was right.

THE DETAILS
My water broke at around 4:00 AM last November 9, but the contractions started just later that day. From that only, I thought, the timing was off. Usually, in a normal labor, the contractions are the first to encounter, then the mucus with blood, then the water will break. But in my case, it's different. I ignored it anyway, thinking that it might be normal in some cases. So when the mucus with blood came out at around 10:00 AM, I told my husband, then my Mom. But since I could still handle the pain brought by the contractions, we didn't go to the hospital yet. Well, not until 12:00 NN, after we had our lunch.

When we arrived at the hospital, I was admitted, and took the preliminary tests (IE and all sorts). First IE, the OB-Gyne told me it was still 7cm, but she could already touch the head. So we were all expecting the delivery to be sooner. But before that, added to my fear was, we learned that my OB-Gyne was out of town, she was in Manila. Now that's really comforting!

Anyway, 4:00 PM came and I couldn't handle the pain anymore, so even when I wasn't that sure, my husband alerted the nurses that it's coming. So I was taken to the delivery room, and waited there. They cleaned me again, IE over and over again. My worries grew when I saw that OB-Gyne's expression in her face. It's as if telling me, something was wrong. My anxiousness pushed myself to ask her, what was wrong. And she truthfully answered me, instead of the baby pushing her way down towards the opening, she's being pushed back up, so even when the opening was bigger than the previous, we couldn't do the delivery because the baby was now farther from the opening. They couldn't force the delivery, too, unless the baby comes nearer, because if they'll do, my organs will be damaged. That time, I was really worried.

Two hours passed and still nothing happened. They couldn't decide on what to do, because they were not the one's I was having check-ups with in the first place. Thankfully, Dra. Lily Mudanza, my OB-Gyne came (fresh from Manila). After a few prelims, she told me, I might undergo CS operation if the baby won't really go down. So she consulted my husband first, and when it was agreed, they scheduled me for the operation. But while they were preparing, Dra. Mudanza was still hoping that I will have a normal delivery. Unfortunately, I didn't.

So they took me into the Operating Room after a few minutes, prepared myself, then started the operation. More than half my body was really numb that I couldn't believe my right leg had cramps right before they injected the anesthesia at my back. I was awake the whole time (even when another doctor assisting the operation injected something at my dextrose to put me to sleep) but I couldn't feel a thing. I could just hear their voices, and at 7:43 PM, I heard her cry. She was out and alive, thank God.

As they were stitching my muscles back, I could already feel the pulling of what they were suppose to stitch. I started to say something, so they injected the drug again to put me to sleep. This time, they succeeded. I already fell asleep. I just woke up when they were placing me into a stretcher to be delivered in my room. I was wrapped in a thick blanket but was still shivering. For a moment there, I actually thought I was going to die. Well, that's how I felt.

So, I was out from the Operating Room, was delivered to my room, with the newly born baby, and saw my family waiting for me. I was really glad. Anyway, it ended the details of my delivery, by the pain didn't end there.

Unlike a normal delivery, the pain from the operation won't wear off that easy. I remembered when I gave birth to our son, I was able to do household chores after a few days from being discharged. But now, even at this moment, I can't do my laundry, or sweep the floor, or even carry my son. My actions are limited, and my body, especially the part with the stitch, still aches. But who am I to complain? If I do, it's as if saying, having this baby is troublesome. I don't want to think that way. These babies are God's blessing. So I will bear everything that comes with them. (Charr!!!)

Anyway, 'till next time. My daughter's waking up now. =p

Big Deal!

I'm online again, twice in a day. It's a miracle! hehehe...

Anyway, my father asked me to update his profile for PhilGEPS, (correct me if I'm wrong please) an organization under the Department of Budget and Management that handles suppliers (and another one that I totally forgot) who want to be connected with government businesses (which includes manufacturers, contractors, distributors, businessmen, etc). His PhilGEPS certificate expired last May 2008, and he's been bugging me since then to renew his certificate. Now that I'm doing nothing except looking after my son, I don't have any more reasons (more like excuses) to say that I wasn't able to renew it. Well, it's no big deal anyway. After all, it's the least I can do.

Anyway, the aforementioned situation isn't the real reason why I'm blogging now. Found this post from my husband, and made me think, why can't I remember that much. hehehe...I'm really not good with remembering things. Anyway, enjoy reading.

THINK BACK TO your 1st sem in college. Let's see how much you remember and how much you regret.

What section were you?
Z2

Who were your seatmates?
English - Can't remember a thing
Filipino - Joemelle (since he said I was his seatmate..haha!)
CS111 - Can't remember a thing
Math - I remember sa Trigo, si Cathy M., sa Algebra, parang si Cherry
P.E. - we sit everwhere...hehe

Still remember your English teacher?
nope...

What was your first class?
FYCF

Best friends?
I considered Joemelle as my best(est) friend. I could also be seen together with Cherry, Em-em, Leah, and Eileen.

How was your class schedule?
fine...freshmen are still adjusting to college years so it's understandable that we were not that busy....

Made any enemies?
i dunno

Who was your favorite teacher/s?
don't have any.

Sport?
none

Back then, do you always buy your lunch?
yep. I live in a dormitory, and my parents didn't allow me to cook...it wasn't wise since I'm alone, compared when my Kuya and Ate were studying, nakakaluto sila minsan.

Were you a party animal?
nope...just loved hanging out with my roommates after curfew. hehe

Were you well known in your school?
i don't think so

Did you get suspended/expelled?
nope.

Can you sing the alma mater?
uhmmmm...what was it again? hehe...joke lang. I know it, but I can't sing it

What was your favorite subject?
Trigonometry..I think it was Math 212

What was your school's full name?
Ateneo de Davao University

Where did you go most often during breaks?
lounge, dorm...that's it

What color of pen do you always use?
black

Recited often?
nope, I'm a silent type

Ever cheated?
can't remember...maybe

Do you bring your own paper and pen?
of course...kakahiya manghingi

Are you in the top ten of your class/es?
i dunno, maybe not. there were a lot of guys/gals better than me

Favorite things to do in class?
none

Classmates you didn't like?
secret....hehe

Subjects with highest grade?
Algebra..haha!

Lowest?
uhmmm...where's my transcript? hehe

Ever had a crush? Who?
yep...2, but I told myself, I'm taken. Well, that was before we broke up

What's your theme song for him/her?
none

Which of your classes was he/she in?
all of them!! ^_^

Fave events in 1st sem?
all events that didn't involve getting inside the classroom for a lecture. haha!

What are your favorite classrooms?
lab A

Do you sleep in class?
thinking about it, i think I have

Ever thought of burning your school?
nope

Ever messed with a prof?
ni hindi sumagi sa isip ko...

What do you miss most in your 1st sem?
ewan...

If you could go back in time and do it all over, would you?
nope...I might still have forgotten it anyway

Favorite PE?
i can't remember

Saan ka nag-aabang ng hot girls sa Ateneo?
ako ang inaabangan..hehe..jowk. my college life was boring...dorm-school-mall ang destination ko. plus, my brother was still working there, so bantay-sarado ako. hehe

Nakapag-field trip ka ba?
yep.

Ano ang Org mo?
ACCESS, ateneo circle of computer studies students...and SAMAHAN, of course!

Dorm, Boarding house, o Bahay?
Dorm

If you had your way, what was your dream course/major?
accountancy...or bs math...

Sino ang pinaka-una mong nakilala sa Ateneo?
Si Cherry...But it was Joemelle whom I first saw, we were the first ones in the z2 group sa covered court kasi

First play na napanood mo sa Ateneo?
i can't remember

May frat/soro bang nag-recruit sayo?
none

Masaya ba sa Ateneo?
yeah

Nakasama ka na ba sa rally?
nope

Pinangarap mo rin bang mag-laude nung 1st sem 1st year mo?
nope...just wanted to graduate with the course I first enrolled in (meaning, hindi nagshift)

Kung di ka Ateneo, anong school ka?
UP-D, MSU-IIT, etc. dami...but i know, Ateneo pa rin ang bagsak ko.

What do you remember most about 1st sem?
Algebra...haha!

Tagging: Anyone na makabasa nito...hehehe

Finally!!!

Well, I'm finally able to write a new blog entry today. Hopefully, this will be posted. hehehe

Anyway, this will be quick, I've still got a lot of things to do. I'm really busy being a full-time mom. Can't even finish my laundry..hahaha! But other than that, I'm doing good, with my pregnancy and my son, I mean. I'm trying to reduce my food consumption (char!!!) so as not to get the fetus grow so big. I've been advised to have a balance diet, and since I'm not working anymore, I'm doing what I'm told (as if I have a choice. he he).

So that's all for today, got to check my son. Bye for now!

Last Day

Well, this day marks the last day that I'll be working with the company (ironic, since I'm not working at all, just spending my last employee hours here. he he). Anyway, I'll be parting from this company, which has given me the chance to prove to myself that I can do so much better (and I'd say a lot of things) than being a tester. Working here (even before when I was just a Junior Web Developer) gives me the feeling that I have slapped their faces so hard (I mean my previous employer), for putting me in the Verifications Team, without even looking at my Transcript of Records (politics, huh?). Come to think of it, an Ateneo Cum Laude given the tester role, while the average fresh graduate from San Carlos became a Software Developer. Well, that's one reason why a lot of people hated that company.

Anyway, so now I'm walking away from this company proud, even with a little hurt feelings because of some "minor catastrophic events". I'm not expecting anything more from the management, since they haven't given me much too, except for the chance to work as a programmer, train and teach me a little, and pay me for my hardwork. I just hope I get my last pay, that's all. But I still thank them for risking to hire me, even if my experience was a Quality Assurance Engineer. I thank them for their trust that I can do programming stuff (unlike the previous one that didn't even look at my grades. Sheesh!!!). And I also thank Sander, for trusting me with his projects, and recognizing my skills. Even if there was a time that I failed you (I think) when your client sued you (was it my fault? I don't really know), you're still thankful for having me.

So what now? Tomorrow, I'm going home, with some of my stuffs. I'll leave early since my son is also scheduled for immunization. I'll be back on Tuesday for my salary and my clearance. I planned on going this Monday, but I have to take care of some business. Actually, someone's not doing their job well so I'll go there and give him some lessons. I hate unprofessional people. Hehe

So that's it! It's my last day at work, but I hope it's not my last day to be online and do the usual stuffs. The internet connection at home is freaking slow, but I hope I can manage and still browse the net, upload pictures and videos, play games, etc. he he he

Freedom; Birthday

I felt so depressed (again) yesterday. I know, it's not good for me and the baby, but what can I do? My husband's far from us, and I don't have anyone to really comfort me, especially during these times of my pregnancy. From what I've noticed, most pregnant women are more emotional compared to women who are not pregnant. And it's really bugging me, because I don't want to get so stressed out.

Anyway, I told him that even though I'm the one together with our son, I (quite shamefully) envy him. His "freedom", I mean. He gets to go to a lot of places easily, without considering someone else, and get to enjoy and have fun and laugh and do whatever he wants, God knows what. I know I'm not in the right position to say these things, but that's just me. I love freedom, I'm accustomed to freedom, I'm used to it. My family, my parents exactly, gave me so much freedom that I get so depressed thinking that I don't have that freedom anymore. Now, I'm quitting my job to "embrace" more of that "freedom"-less life. And the only thing that kept me holding on, kept me moving forward, is the thought that someday (SOMEDAY!!!), I'll have that freedom once again.

Of course, I didn't say all of these to him yesterday. It's enough to tell him that I was so depressed, and I was thinking he understood me perfectly (I hope I'm right, though). He, on the other hand, made an effort to make me smile, to forget my depression. He sent me these:
Peace, Baby....mwaaaaaaaahhh

Moving away from that topic, since it will just bring more tears in my eyes (again), it's his Mom's birthday today. I'm planning to give her a basket of flowers, as a present. I can't think of anything else, and since girls love flowers, that's what I've decided to give. I went to SM last night to find a flower shop, but to no avail. I went home empty handed. Today, I'll try going to NCCC Mall, will checkout a flower shop there. I hope I found one (though my officemates already told me there is). If I can't find one, then I'll think of something else. *sigh

Uploading/Importing File in C# .NET

Just want to share this code I used when uploading a file. I need to read a CSV file and save the data on a database.

First off, of course, is to add a file upload function in my page. I used the following syntax in my page, then code everything else.

<asp:FileUpload ID="fuCSVFile" runat="server" />
<asp:Button ID="btnUpload" runat="server" Text="Upload" OnClick="btnUpload_Click" />

Then in my source code, when click button event is being called, my page will save the file in another folder. Then call a function to process the import to database.

void btnUpload_Click (object sender, EventArgs e){
.
.
.
String Name = "Import_" + System.DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString().Replace(" ", "").Replace("/", "").Replace(":", "").Replace(".", "");
HttpPostedFile hpfCSV = fuCSVFile.PostedFile;
String textFile = HttpContext.Current.Request.MapPath("../" + Name + ".csv");
if (hpfCSV.ContentLength != 0)
{
hpfCSV.SaveAs(textFile);
ImportFromCSV(textFile);
}
.
.
.
}

void ImportFromCSV(String csvFile)
{
StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(CSVFile);
ArrayList values = new ArrayList();

// reading each line of the file
while (!sr.EndOfStream)
{
string[] val = null;
string fields = sr.ReadLine();
if (!fields.Contains("Artikelnummer"))
{
fields = fields.Replace("\"", ""); //remove all double quotes
// split each field
// delimiters depend on what is used in the CSV file.
// mine was a semi-colon
val = fields.Split(new char[] { ';' });
values.Add(val); //save the array of strings to an arraylist
}
}
foreach (string[] v in values)
{
//...
// import each array as one entry in the database
// we may call another function for the import to database
//...
}
}

Everything worked fine, until when I tried importing a CSV file, which is around 6MB. I always get a connection timeout error. My colleague told me to check the maximum file size that ASP.NET allows. And there it is, by default, ASP.NET only permits files with at most 4MB file size. So I researched again for the solution and found this handy solution. This should be put in the Web.config file.

<configuration>
<system.web>
<httpRuntime executionTimeout="90" maxRequestLength="7168"
useFullyQualifiedRedirectUrl="false" minFreeThreads="8"
minLocalRequestFreeThreads="4" appRequestQueueLimit="100" />
</system.web>
</configuration>

Anyway, if you want this setting to all of your workstations, or all of your web pages in your PC, then put this in your Machine.config, which is located in the \System Root\Microsoft.NEt\Framework\Version Number\CONFIG.

So that's it. Just want to take some notes so that I won't forget this. he he

Suzuka

I just finished reading this manga yesterday. It's a story of two high school students who fell in love with each other. Well, the boy already fell for her the first time he saw her, and the girl eventually developed her feelings for him.

Typical love story? I don't think so. But what made it amaze me is its plot. It's quite similar to what happened to me and my husband. Each chapter I read, I remember my husband more, I MISS him more. I always remember how we were when we were still together. And it's really pretty similar to the manga.

Anyway, I really recommend this manga. I almost cried at some chapters. Just a precaution, it's a little bit ecchi. Hehehe

September

There are a lot of things that I want to talk about in this post, so I can't decide my title for this. Since one common thing of them all is that everything takes place during this month, then I entitled this post "September". Silly reason, isn't it? He he he

Anyway, it's pretty lonely this time. My husband left for Japan last Sunday, August 31, for a business trip. He'll be there for two straight weeks. Which means, I won't be able to hear his voice during these two weeks of September. We can still communicate, though, through SMS, but that's just it, no voice. huhuhu. After two nights of being there, I miss him even more. It's quite weird since there's no big difference about it, we're not together, anyway. I don't know, I just miss him.

Second thing, since yesterday, I'm just counting my last days here in the company (countdown begins!!!). My last reporting day will be September 12, and I will be officially out starting September 15. I'll be returning that day, though, because I still have to get my salary for the first half of the month. Then I'm gonna take care of my clearance. I just hope there won't be any problem, since traveling from Kidapawan to Davao and back is really tiresome, and is not good for me and the baby (not good for my money, too. hehehe).

And come to think of it, I'm the last remaining pioneering employee of this company, who started out in Brokenshire College. All of them already left, and if it wasn't because I'm pregnant and trying to hold on, I might have left this company earlier too. But right now, I just can't take it anymore. People were saying, why leave now? Why not enjoy the benefits of being an employee first, before leaving? They were referring to the Maternity benefit's I'll get if I'm still part of the company. But no, I'm really stressed right now. Aside from the fact that I really want to go home, I just can't handle these people anymore. For what reasons, it won't be appropriate if I will start pointing those out. For all I know, the former employees of this company, who left before me, know very well those reasons.

So after my last day, what now? I don't actually know. I haven't accepted my boss's offer yet to work for him as a freelancer. When I say boss, I don't mean the one owning this company. I will never work for him again. Why I say boss? Because I know the real deal. Anyway, I haven't accepted it yet, so maybe I'll be a fulltime Mom, right now. Well, I can always help with my father's business through my own ways (they are feeding me anyway...he he he), so I may still be online from time to time. Plus, my sister's teachers are also demanding, want them to research through the internet about things that we usually learn even without connecting online. So I can get some chance to go online, too. He he he.

What's next? Hmmmm...September itself. Start of the -ber months. It'll be Christmas in three months. But before that, my delivery in November. Anyway, I can feel the cold breeze already. In fact, I'm having a running nose because of this cold air. It's really annoying. But aside from that, I don't feel the season at all. When I looked at the calendar this morning, I just told myself, "Hala! Ber na man diay, hapit na December. Pero dili pa nako feel ang Christmas." (Oh! It's a -ber month already, and December is approaching. But I don't feel the spirit of Christmas yet.) I don't know. I just don't feel it. Maybe because of the depression and stress that I feel right now.

Other things during this month. Well, my former dorm-manager's birthday is coming up. I forgot her age, though, but she'll be celebrating her birthday this Saturday, September 6. After her, my mom-in-law's birthday on September 10. I'm thinking, shall I buy her a present or not? What do you think? I can't say I will be short of budget if I do. My husband won't be able to give his share of Myles's finances until he returns, and my next salary will be on the 15th. So until then, I will have to stretch yesterday's salary, which won't be that much anymore since Myles's needs are increasing and becoming more expensive because of economic fall. Hmmm...What should I do?

Another birthday coming is Art's, which will be on the 15th. He's in Cebu anyway, so a simple greeting will be enough. Then Carlo's birthday is also coming, this September 20. Who else? I guess that's all of them. I don't think I forgot anyone. he he he.

"Tension" in North Cotabato

For those who don't know it yet, North Cotabato is having this tension caused by the war between the military and the MILF. I think it all started with the postponed signing of MOA, after that, we received news about the bombings in the North Cotabato area, including Midsayap and M'lang, which are pretty near Kidapawan City. Anyway, I didn't feel so much pressure before, since these two places are still at least 1-2 hours away from us. Well, not until this weekend.

I learned that my sister's class was sent home (the classes of the entire school, I mean) last Friday, because the war was already in Amas, Kidapawan City, that's 30 minutes away from the City proper. The school administrators were alarmed by the news so they sent all students home, for their safety.

Then I thought, when will they ever stop? The kids are already affected because of this war, aren't they concerned about their sons and daughters? I don't want my kids to live in a place like this. Another thing, why would the MILF fight for something that doesn't even belong to them? "Ancestral domain"???? Come on! We all know both Christians and Muslims are not the rightful owners of these lands. The natives are. So thinking about it, the war is really pointless. They'll just worsen things up, and a lot of people (civilians, too) already died because of this war.

Sometimes, I'd wish that all of them will be wiped out from this existence. But I'm not God, and not powerful, either. So all I can do is to pray that my family will be safe, and ask God that someday, this nonsense war will stop, and that my kids, nieces, and nephews (nephew for now) will have a peaceful future.

Tagged

Well, while waiting for my site to load (as in super slow!!!)

Tagged by: JOEMZ


Rules of the game:

A) People who have been tagged must write
their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike
with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag eight
people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These
people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person
whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other
people.


1. What are your reasons for having an LJ? I don't have an LJ account.

2. What do you do before bedtime? Have a phone conversation with my hubby.

3. What will your dream wedding be like? I'm married. :P

4. What is the city of your dreams and why? Paris, France and Venice, Italy. For the reason, it's very obvious.

5. Is there a special song out there that inexplicably describes your life/love life/hate life? Explain.
Right now, it's "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. 'Coz right now, I'm just holding on.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone? Both!!!

7. Do you trust easily? Nope.

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do? No comment about this, I was the one who was attached, not him. hehehe

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? A lot of things, actually. My job, my current situation, and sister's situation, and my brother's health.

10. What is your best quality? What shall it be? hmmmm...easy to adapt?

11. How easily do you forgive? It takes a lot of courage for me to forgive. (it is THAT hard)

12. How well do you know your loved ones? Enough to know how to interact with them, and move in a way that won't hurt them

13. Of all places in the world, real or imaginary, where do you feel like you belong? Home.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? Tech addict!!! But he's claiming he minimizes it na, maybe.. (^_^)

15. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor? Married and happy ... hehehe

16. Do you cook? What's the most memorable thing you have ever cooked or bake? Not really. Another thing, at home, we don't name our food (viands).

17. Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them? All the time.

18. What kind of sounds are the most annoying? My younger sister's pag-iinarte.

19. Are you happy with your current job? Not really.

20. What were your parents going to name you if you'd been born the opposite sex? I have no idea. hehe

Tagging: (hope everyone will participate. hehehe) Alain, Niña, Dirk (ikaw Tiu..hehe), RJ, Big Bro, Cecil, MJ, Barbie

Don't Complain

My Ate complains so much. Not that she complains on me, but her husband does. This month, I've received text messages from him, saying that my sister doesn't love him anymore, or since the day they got married, her love fled (I don't actually know to where, but I'm certain it's not to whom). They were married for five years now, but this dilemma in their relationship just came recently.

Sometimes, I'd wake up to my brother-in-law's text message, asking me what was happening to my sister. She won't talk to him and kept in ignoring him. Then I'd reply, "Kulang lang na ug laag si Ate" (She just lacks strolling). When she was still pregnant with their second baby, her husband would text me, is she always like that? Having tantrums, he meant. I told him it's just mood swings, after all, she was pregnant. The last time he texted, he told me there she goes again. Everytime she's not in the mood, she'd tell him she doesn't love him anymore. I was thinking, "Come on! Is she following our sister-in-law's footsteps???". I mean, my brother's life IS complicated, and her life is really nothing compared to it. I'd accept if my brother will always feel helpless, but not her. Anyway, I just told my brother-in-law that he needs to talk to her. They need communication. I mean, my husband and I have been there before (not as husband and wife, though), but I do know how my brother-in-law feels.

She has actually no reason to complain about her current status. She has a very loving and kind husband, a healthy and wealthy living, a house, and her husband has a business. Compared to our brother and myself, she's the luckiest. Our brother's family is broken, he works away from us, and I know, he doesn't have that much money. My life, on the other hand, is not as complicated as his, but not that fortunate as her, too. I have a one-year old son, and yet, I'm almost 6 months pregnant, my husband is far from us and his job is just enough to support our son, my job is just enough to support myself and this second child (so if I stop working, it will be very hard for us), I'm living with my mother-in-law on weekdays, then with my parents on weekends and my mother want's me to stop working after delivery (that's the time everything will be harder). So my sister is waaaayyyyy better off than us. But do we complain? Well, maybe our brother does, but I don't. I feel lonely, and down, but I don't complain. Complaining means accepting that in this game of life, you already lose. Have I lost? Not yet, because I'm still young.

There are more people in this world that are much less fortunate than us, but some of them still face life with a smile, and still thank God for having a life. The secret to this game is contentment. My sister is not contented with what she has, at least it's how I interpret my brother-in-law's text messages. But we don't have the right to complain about everything. We are alive, and that's enough reason to not complain. I wish my sister will realize that.

Just For Laughs

Found this thread in Istorya.net's forum. It's entitled "Hacking through the Jargon Jungle". One reaction, though. I'm not a nerd. hehehe...Enjoy reading.

When I went to college in the 1970's, I heard a lot of words like "data
input" and "beta version." They confused me. I wanted desperately to
know what people were talking about, what Big Secret resided in the
computer industry.

Now that I've worked with computers for the last few years, I've gained
an insider's perspective. I decided to share my knowledge with the
uninitiated by creating the following brief, handy glossary:

ALPHA: Software undergoes alpha testing as a first step in getting user feedback. Alpha is Latin for "doesn't work."

BETA: Software undergoes beta testing shortly before it's released. Beta is Latin for "still doesn't work."

COMPUTER: Instrument of torture. The first computer was invented by
Roger "Duffy" Billingsly, a British scientist. In a plot to overthrow
Adolf Hitler, Duffy disguised himself as a German ally and offered his
invention as a gift to the surly dictator. The plot worked. On April 8,
1945, Adolf became so enraged at the "Incompatible File Format" error
message that he shot himself. The war ended soon after Hitler's death,
and Duffy began working for IBM.

CPU: Central propulsion unit. The CPU is the computer's engine. It consists of a hard drive, an interface card and a tiny spinning wheel that's powered by a running rodent - a gerbil if the machine is a 386, a
ferret if it's a 486 and a ferret on speed if it's a Pentium.

DEFAULT DIRECTORY: Black hole. Default directory is where all files that you need disappear.

ERROR MESSAGE: Terse, baffling remark used by programmers to place blame on users for the program's shortcomings.

FILE: A document that has been saved with an unidentifiable name. It
helps to think of a file as something stored in a file cabinet - except
when you try to remove the file, the cabinet gives you an electric
shock and tells you the file format is unknown.

HARDWARE: Collective term for any computer-related object that can be kicked or battered.

HELP: The feature that assists in generating more questions. When the
help feature is used correctly, users are able to navigate through a
series of Help screens and end up where they started from without
learning anything.

INPUT/OUTPUT: Information is input from the keyboard as intelligible data and output to the printer as unrecognizable junk.

INTERIM RELEASE: A programmer's feeble attempt at repentance.

MEMORY: Of computer components, the most generous in terms of variety, and the skimpiest in terms of quantity.

PRINTER: A joke in poor taste. A printer consists of three main
parts...the case, the jammed paper tray and the blinking red light.

PROGRAMMERS: Computer avengers. Once members of that group of high school nerds who wore tape on their glasses, played Dungeons and
Dragons, and memorized Star Trek episodes; now millionaires who create "user-friendly" software to get revenge on whoever gave them noogies.

REFERENCE MANUAL: Object that raises the monitor to eye level. Also used to compensate for that short table leg.

SCHEDULED RELEASE DATE: A carefully calculated date determined by
estimating the actual shipping date and subtracting six months from it.

USER-FRIENDLY: Of or pertaining to any feature, device or concept that makes perfect sense to a programmer.

USERS: Collective term for those who stare vacantly at a monitor.

Users are divided into three types: novice, intermediate and expert.
NOVICE USERS. People who are afraid that simply pressing a key might break their computer.
INTERMEDIATE USERS. People who don't know how to fix their computer after they've just pressed a key that broke it.
EXPERT USERS. People who break other people's computers.

You Are Not Alone

I've read this in Friendster bulletin board, and decided not to re-post this, but put this in my blog instead. Posts in the bulletin board can be forgotten, but in this blog, I have an archive that I can read everytime I want to.

Love vs. Sex

A teenage girl about 17 had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly as each shared their various experiences of the past year. She ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn't afraid because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house, she decided to take it. However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her. She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her. When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely. The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.

She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story. The police asked her if she would be

willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed out the

man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the man was told he had been identified, he

immediately broke down and confessed. The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She asked if they would ask the man one question. Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.

When the policeman asked him, he answered, "Because she wasn't alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her."

Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you're never alone. Did you know that 98% of teenagers will not stand up for God? Repost this as Love vs. Sex if you truly believe in God..,

PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what.....and if you stand up 4 him he will stand up for you. I bet 93% of you people dat read this wont repost...