birthdays

There are a lot of different ways people celebrate their birthdays, some depending on what having birthdays mean to them, celebrate birthdays because they want to share their happiness, others celebrate because it gives them a reason to be with friends or to act foolish or to buy something for themselves without feeling guilty. While still others celebrate just for the heck of it or because they were pressured by their peers to throw a party or have a few drinks. Still others do special things on their birthdays like ask their loved ones to marry them or actually get married on their actual birthday. Others that I know of get a physical examination during their birthdays.

When I was a kid, I used to celebrate birthdays just because of ice cream, balloons and cake. The as I got older, I celebrated it because of the gifts. In my teens, it was a reason to have friends and cousins over at your place. But as I grew older, I became quite cynical about having birthdays. i would feel depressed about getting old and not to seem to accomplish anything and this was just right out of college and not some mid-life crisis thing. I would call it my birthday blues, it comes to me on my birth month and would last until after my birthday.

But things started to change when I got married and had kids, I was looking forward to birthdays specially that of my kids, I would take pictures and videos but always of the people attending the birthday celebrations and none of myself.

I had a big celebration when I hit forty. It was an accomplishment for me. I had what I wanted, good friends, a stable job and good health. Then I started evaluating my life after my 40th....using my birthday as a measuring stick. What have I done since my last birthday, have i done something worthwhile to improve my current situation. Sounds profound, but that's just me.

Well, to me now that I am 47, I see my birthday again as a different thing, I look at it as a blessing, a blessing that is given to me, a chance to live and do something about my life and do something for others. I have done and doing my part for my birthday this year, I have stopped smoking and have not smoked for the last 7 months and counting. I have also been brisk walking for the last month.

I thank God for yet another birthday, I thank him for the gift of life.

When it rains...it pours

I am not a slacker when it comes to writing, I am just busy doing a lot of things...and this blog is not about the weather either.

I mentioned in my last blog that the Chinese New Year has given me do much opportunities, well it continues to pour, i am being overwhelmed....it's a good problem though...I would accept this anytime rather than just sitting and doing nothing.....it takes me away from my family, but that is a small matter compared to what I am receiving.

As a friend put it, I am into corporate social responsibility projects, TRUE....social responsibility in the sense that the projects I have right now are for Humanitarian reasons (thank God there are still people willing to help others). Corporate...well in its basic form yes it is still corporate but the difference now is I get to run the show. These things are all happening so fast its making my head spin, its a good thing I still have both feet planted firmly on the ground.

The projects are diversified and in extremes and I wouldn't believe them if I wasn't the one negotiating the deals myself. Lest I spook the deals I will discuss them at a later time. I can talk about them at length then for now let's just say I am being kept busy and on my toes.

Thanks to everyone and anyone who has helped me along the way....you know who you are.

Looking back at where I am now and the things that I can do, well I am just extremely happy I was raised right. You have to have a level-head in dealing with things like this, otherwise you might end up being swallowed by the system.

More updates to come.....

new year new opportunity

Well, it didn't take long for the New Year to shine on me, I am now faced with a new project a whole lot of possibilities. Maybe this is the one, I am just glad that I am not losing hope, it kind gets down right depressing at times when you keep on losing jobs and opportunities that you have hoped for. But then again, I have always believed that if it wasn't for you then it wasn't meant to be for you no matter how much you want it.

Sometimes you pray so hard for things to happen that you do not see that what you have always wanted is already being given to you in a different form. I sometimes think that I have so much problems and worry too much about them but when you look back at it; hey, I'm still getting 3 squares a day and none in my family are sick unlike others who don't even have roofs over their heads. I guess sometimes we just don't see and appreciate what is given to us or what we have.
So now I look at things in a different light, this based on my experiences the last 5 years. I have been and will always be patient and thankful for everyday that I wake up in the mornig...since others don't.

I will keep my trust in the Almighty for he knows what is best for me.

Failure only comes from within andcannot be blamed on others. I am fortunate to have family and friends who are out there always lending a helping hand.

I will keep you posted on the developments as they happen.

the year that was 2007

We bid goodbye to 2007 and welcome the new year with an open mind and a hopeful soul. Last year was not a good one for me as I lost my Mom, it did bring our family closer though. A lot of things did not happen for me but I am still hopeful that things will change. I lost my job again but was compensated for it but still, the way it happened was not very good, you think you are working with professionals....but damn, office politics sure screws things up. I just hope karma doesn't catch up with them.

I learned a lot of things this past year, the most important one is patience, not that I am unfamiliar with it but I did learn to give more leaway to other peoples way of thinking. After all, not every person is the same and you don't expect them to act the way they should. I have learned to roll with the punches and to wait for my turn...(been waiting a long time though), but as the saying goes...Patience is a Virtue that gets rewarded.

Oh and yeah, I got to travel again...for free! I am now up to 35 international cities that I have visited and almost all at no cost to me. Part of the perks of the job I guess.

So what am I looking for to the coming year....good health for my family, that's it...I don't ask for much, I figure if we are all in good health then we can work for a living and that pretty much takes care of everything. I am not putting all of my hopes of getting my US work visa this year, I just have a feeling that I would get that job I am hoping for, the one that puts me in financial stability. I have paid my dues, well so I think, and I think this will be a good year for me.

So, I wish you all a Happy New Year and may the best of last year be your worst this year., keep praying and keep hoping, if you lose hope then there isnothing to live for.

Cheers.