Missing Miguel

I miss my baby love, Miguel. :(

Di bale, I will just visit Jena, Jeric, Lolo Ciano, Lola Baning, and Lolo Lope on October 31. I will volunteer to take care of him on October 30 and November 1.

So short a time with my baby love.

My mother is a bit worried that at his age, he still does not know how to do things that full term babies naturally do. She is actually considering availing the early retirement offer from her employer to take care of our little baby.

Hays.

Sana anak ko na lang siya no? :(

I just miss him so much. And I am not even his mommy. Tsk.

Happy 28th Birthday!

Dear Mahal,

Happy 28th birthday! Thank you for everything.

Love always,

Jing

~~~



SHOW ME YOUR SMILE
APO Hiking Society


Show me your smile and then kiss me
Tell me you love me again
Come to my room and then lye in my bed
I love you, you know
Although sometimes it just doesn't show

Giving is my way of loving
It’s the only way that I know
I've got nothing much, I’ve got nothing to show
I love you, you know
Although sometimes it doesn’t seem so

CHORUS:

Love me forever,
Love me all night through
Love me for a lifetime
I live my life for only you

I love you, you know
Although sometimes it doesn’t seem so

Show me your smile and then kiss me
Tell me you love me again
Come to my room and then lye in my bed

I love you, you know
Although sometimes it just doesn’t show

Special weekend

I was given a special weekend...

I went home last Friday with my Mama and Papa. For two consecutive Fridays, they waited for me so that we could go home together. For some reason, I know they like it this way – me going home every weekend instead of every other weekend. These days, going home has been everybody's priority because of Miguel. By the way, I had a meeting at Los Baños last Wednesday and immediately after the meeting I went home to Alaminos to see our little angel. I was so sad last Tuesday when i heard the news that his doctor found a lump on his lung (not sure whether it is on the left or on the right).

Anyways, I was able to spend time with him and his parents, with Inay and Carlo, with my Mama and Papa, and with Jopet last weekend.

... with Miguel

Miguel and his new socks/shoes. He is getting taller and taller every time I see him. His dietician said that he gained .3 kilo since the last time she saw him. But he still needs 1.3 kilos in order to meet the standard weight for his age, which is 5 kilos. Nevertheless, we are very happy for the improvement. I was quite amazed at how much milk he consumes every day. Five (5) days lang sa kanya yung milk niya na 500g samantalang dati 2 weeks yun. =) So yes, I am certain that he will be ok now. In his own way, he is assuring us that the battle he is fighting is something that he will win in the end. =)





... with Inay and Carlo

The age difference between these two persons and the chemistry they create never cease to amaze me. =) Papa asked me to go to SM to have his cell phones fixed. So i asked Inay, who is currently staying with us in Alaminos, to accompany me. When we’re about to leave Taluts called to inform us that Tito Mike will bring Carlo with him to our place. When Inay heard this, I though I saw sparks in her eyes. Kapag si Carlo kasi ang pupunta ng SM isinasama lagi niya si Inay. This time, its Inay’s turn to bring Carlo to SM. It was an adventure for me, because we were not with Mama or with Taluts or with Papa. I was the one in charge of the two lovely persons. =) Here are their pictures together. I found it so beautiful that the 70 years age difference is almost negligible because of how much they love each other. Inay assisted Carlo while he played at WOF. On the other hand, it was Carlo who assisted Inay while she shopped for a faucet replacement and some toiletries.





... with Jopet

Two weeks ago, Jopet promised to do something for me but at the last minute, he told me that he was not sure if he wanted to do it! I was furious, kung hindi ba naman talaga siyang naghanap ng away ng ganun. Kung magkalapit lang kami, I could have punched him. But like all our misunderstandings in the past, this one did not last longer than a day. I do not know how he does that but he has his way of making me smile. Marunong maglambing!

We usually meet in Bicutan. But last Sunday he insisted on meeting me in Alabang. Travelling all the way from Fairview to Alabang just to meet me was actually enough, but wait! While having our lunch, he asked me to close my eyes because he’s going to give me something. After much hesitation, I just covered my face and looked the other way. Then he showed me this..

He said, “Nagustuhan mo no? Kasi may lalagyan?!” Sabay smile. Then he showed me the handle of the container. Panalo! :) He stayed until yesterday so that we could have lunch together. :)

~~~

Last Sunday, while looking at the picture of Mark Bautista, he commented that it was edited in Photoshop because of the lighting. I asked why the artist/photographer had to do that, he told me that it was for Mark Bautista to look like he is “wired”. After explaining what being “wired” means, I asked, “eh ikaw, wired ka din?” Sabi niya... “No. I’m plump.” Haha! Tawa talaga ako. I thought he would insist that he is “wired” din. Buti na lang hindi kung hindi lagot siya samin ni Arlene. =D

Seriously, I super like it that he is a bit on the plump side. :)

~~~

Jopet and I are like afternoon and night, dawn and mid morning. Not opposite but not really alike. I would like to think that we just complement each other. And we exert effort to work on our differences.

He is adjusting on..

1. Walking. Growing up in LB, I am very fond of walking. He hates it. We almost always fight every time I ask him to walk even short distances. But lately I observe that he is exerting effort in spending time walking with me to different places - kahit pa malayo-layo ng konti. =)
2. Messy room/house. I hate it every time he does not put something back to its original place. As in hate! Last weekend I saw that he arranged the seat cover and the slippers and the papers on the table after using them. =) He even washed “some” of the dishes that Arlene used. =)

On the other hand, I am learning how to..

1. Use electric fan.
2. Lessen my kasungitan every time may nagugulo siya sa gamit ko.

There are still a lot to learn but we are taking one happy step at a time towards achieving them.

~~~

My Super Crush

Before: Mark Nelson
Now: Dereck Ramsey

=)

7 Rules of Success

Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success

By Carmine Gallo | Entrepreneur – Fri, Oct 14, 2011 2:36 PM EDT

Steve Jobs' impact on your life cannot be underestimated. His innovations have likely touched nearly every aspect -- computers, movies, music and mobile. As a communications coach, I learned from Jobs that a presentation can, indeed, inspire. For entrepreneurs, Jobs' greatest legacy is the set of principles that drove his success.

Over the years, I've become a student of sorts of Jobs' career and life. Here's my take on the rules and values underpinning his success. Any of us can adopt them to unleash our "inner Steve Jobs."

1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, "People with passion can change the world for the better." Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, "I'd get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about." That's how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.

2. Put a dent in the universe. Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, "Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?" Don't lose sight of the big vision.

3. Make connections. Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn't have any practical use in his life -- until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don't live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.

4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the "A-Team" on each product. What are you saying "no" to?

5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?

6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't communicate your ideas, it doesn't matter. Jobs was the world's greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.

7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It's so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don't care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you'll win them over.

There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that's the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.

Carmine Gallo is a communications coach, a popular keynote speaker and author of several books including The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs. His latest is The Power of Foursquare (McGraw-Hill, 2011).

The innocence of a child

Christmas time is fast approaching. Love has always been the greatest thing that ever happened to mankind.

THE INNOCENCE OF A CHILD

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, “Hi there.” He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with glee.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat, dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. “Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,” the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, “What do we do?” Erik continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, hi there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, “Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.” Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. “Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s “pick-me-up” position. Before I could stop him,Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man’s. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.

The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor-gently, so gently, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take care of this baby.” Somehow I managed, “I will,” from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest-unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, “God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.”

With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, “My God, my God, forgive me.” I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking “Are you willing to share your son for a moment?”when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, “To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.”

Author Unknown