Milk Tea Happy

The Green Shop

2011-04-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Early this year, Cecille, a friend of mine, was telling me about her plans to open a shop that sells environment-friendly and natural products. About a couple of years ago, she sold Envirosax bags and we bought plenty from her! She also occasionally sold other organic products, and they are often products she uses herself. However, once her stock of items runs out, we all wait until the next time she gets hold of these earth-friendly merchandise. This time, she has decided to actually set up her own shop and sell regularly. She also aims to make more people aware of these products and actually use them. Cecille calls her store:

The Green Shop - Earth-friendly natural products & wellness remedies

My sister and I went shopping for the first time from her store last month (we brought our own shopping bags) - she set up a stall outside of St. Francis Church in Mandaluyong City. We found some of the products we are already using, such as those made by Plantex, Daila, and Messy Bessy, along with other new ones we discovered from her.

These were just some of the items available last month, since she has just started, but there will definitely be more. In fact, my sister and I have decided to regularly shop for our personal care and household necessities from The Green Shop, especially those which we cannot find in other similar stores anymore.

She occasionally sets up a stall near St. Francis Church, but her shop is really located in Barangay San Antonio in Pasig City. Those who are interested to check out her merchandise may get in touch with her at thegreenshop@gmail.com.

Let us help each other in taking care of the earth! :)

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-01T04:44:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, I have stopped coming up with New Year's Resolutions. Partly, it was because the excitement and motivation that is present at the start of the year dwindles as days pass, and I realize that all the idealistic goals I set seemed so easy to fulfill only because I was feeling quite festive from the holidays. Also, I would tell myself that I do not have to wait for the New Year to address issues or make changes that should or can be addressed or made before that, or anytime after that.

The past year, though, has brought me a lot of lessons. Of course, each year does. But this time, the lessons were more pronounced, just as the consequences of some mistakes and the fruits of certain efforts were more apparent and effectively ingrained into my being. Especially during the last quarter of 2010, more and more signs and guides and answers came to me. Signs that were not just those I wanted to see - signs that sometimes hurt a little. The guides came most frequently. They came in various forms - books that someone owned that I happened to browse through, things my mom owned that I happened to find as I helped her with chores, friends who were there all this time, and wisdom shared by people close to me, which went a long, long way, and are still being helpful to me now. As for the answers, I found some by following the guides that came, some by simply asking someone my questions, and some I found from within me.

And then, for the first time again after a long time, I felt that despite some worries and things I somehow fear that are in store for 2011, I was ready to face the new year. I know I need to be braver and more aware, but I feel much more ready than anything else. It is a pleasant mixture of excitement and calm. Think of the warm sun on your face and arms, as the cool wind blows against you - that kind of pleasant mixture. (That was what the weather was like today - and it was almost like a good sign, or an approval from the Universe, that things are becoming more balanced.)

And so, I was in the right state of mind, heart, and body to be able to easily name doable, practical, and sustainable New Year's Resolutions. I have started them some time during the last couple of months of 2010, but this time, I have the conscious intention of keeping them for the rest of the year, or even the rest of my life.

There are actually more things, but I am listing the 10 things off the top of my head. And yes, "more" things actually count as my New Year's Resolutions, and that might sound impossible as one or two often end up going down the drain after a few weeks or months, but as I mentioned earlier, these resolutions are doable, practical, and sustainable. And did I mention they are simple and basic things anyone can do? Some things require practice, but they are still much easier to do for many people than religiously going to the gym three times a week. (I am one of those who rarely went to a gym.)

1. Regularly do clutter-clearing, immediately packing and pricing the things for selling. This also involves having broken things dispatched right away for repair, or fixing and sewing them myself if I can.

2. Move more. Avoid sitting for hours in front of the computer, or a game, or movie marathons. If I do watch or play, I should take breaks and tidy up in between.

3. Study and practice my Nihongo more often even when there are no classes. (I'm starting a handwritten journal today in Nihongo. I wrote my first couple of posts this morning!)

4. Use more of the makeup that I buy and have, instead of just letting them expire and go to waste. This means refraining from being lazy! I often go out without using them because I feel lazy preparing and applying. Lately I have used the beautiful stuff I have to match the look I have on! (On New Year's Eve I wore a red top with Japanese designs so I wore Japanesque eye makeup and rosy blush.)

5. Watch more of the movies, series, and anime that I have, then decide which ones to keep, which ones to resell, and which ones to give away. I will also do that for the rest that I will be buying or getting. I realize I have accumulated a lot and I would forget then I'd keep buying more. So, time to watch and catch up with them, and sort them after. The same goes with games.

6. Drink more water daily. More water than coffee and tea.

7. Focus more on the beauty and joy of others and see how these can inspire and help me live a richer, fuller life, instead of wondering why I don't have that form of beauty and joy.

8. Avoid Delaying Tactics. Just do and act.

9. Learn when to detach and just go with the flow whenever necessary.

10. Stop and see the beauty around me or to think of good thoughts, and let them work their magic in me.

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish all of you plenty of happiness and peace in your homes and your hearts.

Why Are You Doing It?

2010-12-22T04:16:00.000-08:00

"It" could be anything - collecting character figures, making every little thing on your desk purple, writing notes to that someone though you never actually send them, monitoring a colleague's every move, or constantly imitating the latest hairstyle of your favorite star.

You Could Have: A Collection of Wine Corks

Some of the things you do may sound quite strange to some, or even many people, but of course, at the end of the day, it is Your thing and therefore Your decision and Your freedom to do it and keep doing it. I guess the more important thing to consider is why you are doing it.

Some of us begin a collection, a personal tradition, or regular task because we wanted something to happen, until it comes to a point that we just end up doing it because we got so used to it. Oftentimes, we become unaware of the real intentions we had for starting it. It just became a cycle in itself, or, in worse cases, a dead end. And then it becomes some sort of "clutter" in our system, in our way of doing things, and in our lives. Even when it is time to let it go and stop doing it, we still continue to do so because "that's how things have been."

But if we stop and think about why we are still doing it, we may find ourselves speechless and lost because we realize that it has become an end in itself. The passion or the inspiration that triggered it has been long gone, or was perhaps, just a short phase.

Right at that point of realization, we may immediately stop doing it, relieved at the sudden discovery of more time and less "junk" or clutter in our system. Or, we may hesitate and suddenly wonder if suddenly quitting it will mean putting a stop or even "killing" an aspect of ourselves. But at this perhaps we can ask, is this thing or habit truly necessary in order for us to "find" or define ourselves? However, the fact that we may not even be sure why we are doing something simply tells us that it did not really help us "actualize" or discover something of ourselves. Perhaps it did help, not to show us who we are but who we are not.

So take a look at the things you are doing now. Why are you doing it? You do not need to come up with deep and impressive answers; as long as you know why you're doing it, then it's perfectly okay to do it. You may need to ask yourself a series of whys to get to the bottom of it.

I have asked myself the same whys - and I found out that I myself have been trapped into some old ways or stuck in a pattern because they are things that I thought were essential to my progress or my self-awareness. Some of the things I do became strengthened when I asked myself why I'm doing them, yet there are some that showed me it is time to let them go and choose to make a change for better ones.

Sweetness in Shibuya

2010-11-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

One evening, in Shibuya. We were walking back to the apartment hotel where I stayed.

Somehow the others have gone ahead, and he asked if I wanted chocolate, and I could pick anything I wanted from the store. I suddenly felt shy, so he led me to the aisle where all the sweets were. He picked one out for me, and asked me if I liked it. I nodded, and he went to the counter to get it for me.

I suddenly felt awkward, and he probably picked it up, so he went back and said perhaps it might be better if we got something for everyone else.

Everyone else had gone ahead, and I was suddenly very much aware of taking a walk in the streets of Shibuya, with someone I used to wish for.

Then very immediately, I brushed off anything else from my mind. I remembered how someone waited for me back home.

***

About a couple of evenings later, at the Cerulean, over drinks.

Brief moments of an awed smile, which I pretended not to notice.

Somewhere in the conversations that took place, he spoke.

What happens in Shibuya stays there. No one should know back home.

I held back the gaze with the awed smile, which I thought was awesome.

I thought of the right thing to do, smiled, and looked away.

***

Sometimes, a voice asks, was it worth it, since the one you thought of from back home turned out to be someone who lived a life you did not know existed at all, with people you did not know at all, while making you believe otherwise?

At the end of the day, even if the person I indirectly stood up for turned out to be a lie, I still feel satisfied that I chose to do the right thing. Regardless of what this person turned out to be, I know deep inside that I never wronged him.

As for the brief moments of endless possibilities in Shibuya, I guess I would always be curious, but maybe they are not for me to find out and live with.

I will always have the fondest memories of Shibuya, though. How the weather felt, how the silence seemed to stretch for a long time during the walk, and how often I saw that awed smile - especially when he came by to say goodbye one morning before he flew off someplace, just right after I woke up. It must have been the puffiness on my face under the early morning Tokyo sun, and it was the first time he saw it.

Unplugged

2010-11-04T04:09:00.000-07:00

What do you do during a power outage? Most people nowadays, both kids and adults, seem to be "unplugged" themselves when there is no electricity. It seems to many that even a couple of hours without it is hardly any different from lying inside a coffin. Several people immediately run to the mall for "light and air conditioning," grab tickets to the cinema as a sweet alternative to "cable and series downloads," or grab their laptops and dash to the nearest coffee shop with free wifi to "keep in touch with everyone." Those who cannot leave the house whine about an upcoming period of agonizing boredom.

What about the older ways of enjoying our time? There are MANY ways to kill time during a power outage. There are many things we can do actually. It is hardly boring at all. In fact, because we are limited as to what we can normally do if the electricity was running, we are actually given free time to do the Other Things we would have wanted to do, or could have done during other free times, but never managed to do. We can catch up on reading, engage in a relaxed conversation with people at home, cook meals on gas stoves and prepare the ingredients manually, and share the meal with the people we have around us - as opposed to picking what's microwaveable and quickly consuming it in front of the TV. Of course that is also a fun thing to do every now and then, but power outages sometimes give us the moment to be aware of the "other things" around us, the living, breathing people who are with us, and how we can actually slow down a bit with life. However, most of us feel that when there is no light, TV, cable, internet, computers, mobile phones, or iPods, even for just a couple of hours, there is no life as well. There is NOTHING to do. EVERYTHING stops. Time runs out, wasted.

Power outages do not always mean life has to stop. We are not electrical equipment or machines. True, our lives are made easier by electricity, but life is not run by it. Even during blackouts, life can still be fun and the hours during a power outage can still be productive.

We rarely get power outages now, but the last time we did because of a storm, I lit candles, put my feet up, and spent the whole hour of the power outage reading a book. When the lights came on again, I was glad because I could get back to work (I work at home) on my computer, and I could upload the photos from my camera, and do other online things. But the whole hour without electricity - a whole hour of silence - did not seem like a drag at all. It was quite refreshing to sit quietly in my room without the sound of the TV downstairs, nor the voices from the nearby videoke bar. I could hear some people talking outside, those who decided to pull out chairs and chat with some neighbors. It was like suddenly, everyone was free, and had time to do what they would not be otherwise free to do if there was no power outage. In some way it was like a "mandatory" break time, after which, when the lights came on, everyone went back to the usual grind, though more refreshed and rejuvenated.

Most of us may feel like life is on an awkward pause during blackouts, as though we were "unplugged" from life itself. But because we are not electricity-run beings, we are in fact being "recharged" during power outages. We just need to find the right "charging stations" for us. In my case, it was with a good book. For others, it was catching up with their neighbors. Perhaps for you it would be gazing at the stars or sitting by your window to watch the people passing by - it really depends on where you can find the "right place" which would remind you that you are not "unplugged," and that you on your own can make your life fun and fulfilling.

Regrets and Moving Forward

2010-10-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Oops.

Looks like I ate something I shouldn't have. Just as I have said something I shouldn't have. Done something I shouldn't have. Most of us have had these moments. And then most of us regret it. Some of us get over it soon enough, and then we learn not to do it again. To deal with a similar situation much more wisely. Yet sometimes, we end up doing the same mistakes and then we experience regret again, perhaps with more remorse because we tell ourselves we should have learned from the first time we did it the wrong way.

Looking back, I can say that there have been so many things I regret doing, and things I regret to have failed to do. But since it is often pointless to fixate on the past and mull over lost chances, I can at least start by being grateful for recognizing the occasions when I felt regret, so that now, I would be more highly aware of making things right or dealing with things more wisely.

I would not be who and what I am now if it were not for things I did and decisions I made before, whether they were good or bad ones. I like to focus on the fact that each one of those actions and decisions brought with it lessons, both simple and great.

So now, I can only focus on what I can do in the present, and think of how each action, word, and decision will make its impact in the future, or on the people around me, my relationships with them, or how it will change the direction where I am headed. Should I make mistakes and falter or experience halts, I would like to think of them as opportunities to learn.

I may sound quite idealistic, but this mindset has helped me deal with a lot for a long time. Also, at my age, I have learned that the time I have in my hands is too precious to be wasted on regrets and on fixations about what could have been in the past if this or that path was chosen. What I have now is the power to influence how the present and the future will go, and I can only do my best to make sure that I get the most out of everything I have now, out of whatever is available to me, out of life.

Weird Habits

2010-10-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

I grew up thinking I was the only one with a very weird habit - a habit that has been so ingrained in my system that prolonged periods without doing it disrupts my usual functions. However, as I grew up, I discovered other people who have their own unusual habits which they NEED to do on specific times. They, too, thought that it was just them with such nearly obsessive-compulsive behavior.

So mine is the habit of letting my feet rest on a soft rug whenever I'm working on my desk at home. (When I used to work in an office and I had my own room, I would take off my shoes and let my feet rest on the soft cushiony carpet.) And it does not stop at letting my feet rest on the rug - my feet move on their own, feeling the texture of the rug or the carpet, until my feet feel warm and stop to rest on the rug's softness.

Feeling the Softness of the Rug

It sounds pretty ordinary to want to feel a soft, comfortable texture under your feet when you are working, but my compulsion to have a rug on which to let my feet rest is strong. On days when the rug is in the laundry, I have to tuck my feet under my legs and sit in seiza ON my chair just so my feet do not unconsciously, and unsuccessfully, try to seek the comfort of the rug.

Enjoying My Coffee

Sometimes, when I take short breaks from work and I just sit back and enjoy a mug of coffee, I push back from my desk, and I pull out the rug from under the desk as well. Then I enjoy my coffee, listen to music, or read a book, with my feet on the rug. Sometimes I put my feet up, but after a while when my feet start feeling "cold," I let them rest on the rug again.

Comfort Zone

There are other people I discovered to have these unusual habits too. There is a guy who cannot fall asleep unless his feet (what is it with our feet XD) are rubbing against something that has the texture of a fishing net or a soft woven basket. There is a girl who cannot type on the computer for prolonged periods of time without having to lift both her hands from the keyboard and do a series of odd finger-brushing movements. There is a child who cannot climb to bed if his hands are dry. His hands just need to dry while he is "inside" the bed area, which means they have to be wet when he goes to bed.

It is something like an obsessive-compulsive disorder, except that it is not just a matter of having to do the thing, but there is also some kind of comfortable feeling or sensation that one gets from doing so. It is just about Not Stepping on the Cracks on the Sidewalk or having to March Three Times Before Crossing the Street, like a required "ritual." These seemingly weird habits actually entail a comforting, familiar sensation that helps one fall asleep, concentrate on work, or think straight.

What are your weird habits if you have any?

Mr. and Ms. Inspiration

2010-09-26T04:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I go through "dead" phases when everything feels like a drag, or, on "better" versions of these "dead moments," I feel like an automated robot which just functions as needed. During these times, I have very brief pockets of awareness when I actually notice that I am in such a phase, and I start wondering how I came to be so, and then I am sucked back in to the deadpan phase. Later on, another pocket of "lucidity" would surface, and I would realize that I need to snap out of it. Otherwise, I would probably be deadpan for days, or worse, I'd feel sad about something I cannot put my finger on.

When I start "waking up" from this zombie state, I become aware of what I need to get out from but I would not know what the best thing is to help pull me out of it. Sometimes it's just as simple as listening to songs I love, but there are also occasions when the songs I love listening to would not even make me feel anything.

Sometimes, I effortlessly come across someone or something who would remind me, perhaps not directly, about the things I am passionate about, or bring my attention to things that would lead me to another thing that would completely pull me out of a forming rut.

Usually, the things that help me are stories about a person, or perhaps something he or she owns that reminded me of how much I enjoy doing certain things, or maybe a photo that he or she took, the beauty of which took my breath away and made me realize I have been somewhat dead. Other times, the people are fictitious characters that I can totally relate to, or perhaps it's a song from a movie or anime that I can identify with.

So recently, I have not been noticing that I am "zombifying," until I came across some photos taken by Danny Choo of Tokyo. I have been checking out his blog and his photos for quite some time, though there are special occasions when a story he shares or just some photos he posts, would remind me of the things that are important in life. He has often reminded me (not personally, though I wish that is so XD) to follow my passion and to do what I love and to find joy in whatever I do. So right now, he's like Mr. Inspiration, and he has inspired me recently, together with Ms. Inspiration, whom we will get to shortly.

Danny has always been an inspiration, though as I mentioned, there are even more specific occasions when something he posts makes me snap out of a dark state, instantly.

Ms. Inspiration is the stunningly pretty Michelle Phan. Her character sort of wakes up something in me - something that reminds me how much I enjoyed girly things that I may have been too busy or too lazy to take care of, get back to, or maintain. As I grew up, I have often become more functional and plain, too busy or too lazy to take the time to look great. Not just okay, but great. I think people like Michelle Phan inspire the "sleeping" beauty in all of us, causing it to wake up and let itself shine. In effect, she also makes one realize that maybe the self has been neglected due to various reasons. So, one learns to look at oneself again, to listen to it and see what it needs.

Clearly, I am waking up from a zombie-like slumber. I am grateful that there are people like Danny Choo and Michelle Phan who can inspire others and show that living the life you want is not some distant, idealistic dream. And I am grateful that I have not fallen too deeply in any deadpan state, and I am still "awake" enough to recognize these remarkable people and identify what I may need to work out with myself.

Death by Tuna

2010-09-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

About a decade ago, a man we shall call the Stealer of Charlottes left his home with a back pack of necessities - a toothbrush, some fresh change of clothes, money, and a few canned goods, including a can of tuna. He was going to run away and marry the girl of his dreams.

Nine years later, the Stealer of Charlottes was talking to a friend, and he was telling her about how the girl of his dreams turned out to be a monster. The Stealer of Charlottes is completely over her, though occasionally he felt a hint of anger about everything that happened. Eventually though, he just became indifferent when it comes to her. He just does not care at all.

A year later, he was talking to the same friend about other things, particularly about an arrogant Living Slab of Mud, Dirt, Booger, and Earwax, whom they both had to deal with at work. As their conversation progressed, they got to talking about food, then coffee, then canned goods. The subject of tuna came up. Apparently, the Stealer of Charlottes and the girl of his dreams who turned out to be a monster never got to sharing the can of tuna.

And the can of tuna is still in the Stealer of Charlotte's cabinet at home.

"Aren't you supposed to throw that away already?" the friend asked.

"No," the Stealer of Charlottes decided. More than the can having some sentimental value or memorable significance, the Stealer of Charlottes is almost afraid what he will find inside the can if he does decide to open it.

The friend suggested that perhaps another Stealer of Charlottes will arise from the opened can of tuna.

However, the Stealer of Charlottes is worried about something else. He feels that the can's contents has morphed into something so hazardous to human life that it can actually release some kind of poisonous chemical that will wipe out the entire human race. All over the world.

The friend laughed and coaxed the Stealer of Charlottes to open it. She thinks it is not even safe to simply throw the can away, as a homeless person might find it, open it, and die of food poisoning.

"Alright," the Stealer of Charlottes agreed. He took a can opener. The friend excitedly waited for what they are about to see.

The Stealer of Charlottes opened the can. Inside was nothing but brown, murky liquid that smelled like pure evil. However, the Stealer of Charlottes and his friend had no time to comment, because everything went black.

Everything went black for everyone else too, around the world.

A few minutes later, the arrogant Living Slab of Mud, Dirt, Booger, and Earwax was walking on the street, wondering why everyone has just suddenly fallen asleep. As he walked on, he noticed that most people seemed to have died with a stunned expression on their faces.

By some odd chance, the arrogant Living Slab of Mud, Dirt, Booger, and Earwax passed by the place where the bodies of the Stealer of Charlottes and his friend lay, and he found the can of tuna, opened and untouched. He thought it must have been sad that they died without having the chance to enjoy their last meal. He also noticed that they are the ones with the most stunned expressions on their faces, that it almost looked like they were about to cry out in agony. He quickly got over it though, and he took the can of tuna, and gobbled it all up.

The arrogant Living Slab of Mud, Dirt, Booger, and Earwax burped, and walked on. He decided it would be wise to look for and finish off any leftover pizzas that the dead would never be able to enjoy. Happily, he marched off, savoring the idea that this time, there would be no pesky workmates to compete with when it comes to getting the best, biggest, cheesiest pizza slices.

(For a McDonald's/KFC/Dunkin Donuts buddy, who gave the idea of Death by Tuna. May you never come across the Living Slab of MDBE ever again XD)

Today's Simple Joys

2010-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. The weather is so nice and the sky is a strange shade of pink (yes, the strange shade of pink is pleasant for me XD).

2. I had fun this morning practicing kendo kata with my sister and having lunch together afterward.

3. I received my Japanese language book for next week's start of classes.

4. I made a nice carafe of cold mugicha at home and I am enjoying a glass now.

5. My dad bought a new toaster for my mom out of the blue and my mom looked happy about it.

Every now and then, make a list of things or events from your day that you find joy in and you feel grateful for. Focus on them and how nice they make you feel. When you feel bad about something, think about the last list that you made and try to remember how good the things in it made you feel. Creating these lists remind you of life's simple blessings and how you can find happiness in even the small, everyday things.

What is on Your Christmas List This Year?

2010-08-27T02:45:00.000-07:00

Make a List

If you were to create a Top 5 List of things that you want to receive this Christmas, what would those top 5 things be, as of this moment? Of course some items may change within the next couple of months, but right now, if you were to make a list and someone would pick one from it and give it to you, what would you include in that list? Really, think about it. It can be ANYTHING. Perhaps you can make a list now before you continue reading (^^,) Don't take too long; just list down whatever is at the top of your head that you really like. Then, set aside that list and prepare more sheets of paper for more lists XD

What did you write down? This would be my list, the items in no particular order. Let's call it The General List.

Rome, in the Evening

1. Payment of my credit card bills, especially since I've been on a tight budget >.<

2. Two or three new high-quality shinai XD Complete with a new bogu set XD

3. A complete makeover of my room

4. A trip to Russia

5. A trip to Rome

Now to make the list-making fun even more fun, you can make more lists under specific categories. For example, if you could make a Top 5 list of places you want to visit, for free of course, since it is supposed to be a Christmas gift wish list, what would these places be? Make your list now (^^,)

This is mine:

1. Of course Russia is included XD, specifically Omsk

2. And Rome (^.^)

3. Would like to go back to Japan, specifically in Hokkaido

4. The Bohemian side of Paris

5. Zanzibar!

Put aside this Travel List with your General List.

For our next category, it would be your Top 5 List of shops you will go to for a 30-minute shopping spree XD Go ahead and start your list as I do mine XD

1. Fully Booked

2. A gaming store where both old and new games are available, for various consoles

3. A store that sells all sorts of manga

4. Any of the largest bombuguya in Japan XD (A bombuguya has stationery, stickers, pens, and a wide variety of other related items)

5. A music store with a really wide selection of music

Now you have a General List, a Travel List, and a Shopping Spree List. Next would be your Feast List. This would be your Top 5 eating places where you can walk in anytime and dine for free for the whole of the following year XD

1. Cafe 1771

2. The shabu-shabu place I went to in Tokyo, though I forgot the name >.<

3. Mos Burger

4. Korea Garden

5. Max Brenner (^^,)

The last category would be under Lessons You Want to Take. Like the items in the other lists, you get these lessons for free, and you get complete lessons (^^,) Go on, make your list XD

Skiing

1. The Italian language

2. Ski!

3. Play the violin

4. Archery

5. Paint

That was fun (^^,) Didn't it feel great to think about the things you want and what it would be like if you actually received them? (^^,)

Things falling into place

You can use these lists as your inspiration or to lift your mood when you are feeling down. Remember the nice feeling you had as you thought about what you want and made a list of them.

Your lists can be pasted on a nice, bigger sheet of colorful paper or you can tack them onto the cork board by your working desk. Who knows, any of the items on your list may just be given to you, and then you can cross them out one day and put a smiley face next to it (^^,)

Let Go, and Enjoy

2010-08-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Over a week ago, I was going through a totally hyper state. I was constantly glowing, I was full of energy, and I was doing one thing after another, hardly stopping at anything. It was not like a frantic, busy state which I had to be in. I was simply inspired. Because of that, I did not need any convincing to get on my feet and get things done. The best part was that I was completely enjoying every minute of it. I love those phases.

And then, sometime when this week started, I noticed that my high energy level gradually "normalized" again, and has now plateaued. This means that I am not in any lazy mode, but I am not overly enthusiastic either. I have just the right level of energy to get me through the day and get things done. It is as if I slowed down a bit, but just enough so that I can enjoy whatever I should be doing.

In a nutshell, I have moved from the Inspired Phase to a Fully Functional Phase. In the Inspired Phase, I was particularly driven by the thought of a person I look up to. Now, of course I still look up to him, but since the start of this week, I just naturally shifted to a calmer, more functional mode, where he does not play a major role.

For a while, a part of me wondered and became worried what "killed" the Inspired Phase. However I realize that it is not that my inner drive has dissipated; I am just going through all these natural phases. And while I am in the Fully Functional Phase now, I should just do what I can while I am in it, and enjoy being in it, just as I enjoyed being in the Inspired Phase. It should not matter whether my inspiration is working full time on me right now or not. Surely, it will come back. All I need to do is let go of my thoughts about it, and enjoy my current phase.

In the same manner, we can always just simply find the joy in doing something, without having to think so much about it. A couple of things came to my attention recently, which led me to realize that I should not think so much about my transition from one phase to another, but rather, let go of these thoughts that make me worry and over-think, and enjoy where I am.

Time to Milk the Cows

One is about all the fuss that has emerged because of Farmville. Farmville is one of the most popular games in Facebook now. Clearly, this game is here to be enjoyed. Zynga, its maker, continues to develop the game and add features to keep it exciting for its players. But apparently, there are groups of people who greatly dislike the game and have very strong opinions about the game being a major distraction for kids, being mindless and pointless, and not having any values to teach its players. Some comments went as far as the game trivializing the real efforts and hard work of farmers.

Christmas at Farmville 2009

If we think about it, Farmville simply exists to be enjoyed. It is there for those who wish to unwind or play simple games. It is simply about having fun. It is not supposed to be judged for not having values or for being mindless. Farmville was not created to be a deep, mind-boggling game that will lead to one's self-actualization. The best way to deal with it is to simply enjoy it - this means playing the game without having to analyze so much about what it does for the player and what significant role it has in one's life. Of course, game addictions and failing grades are another matter, but assuming that one plays the game at a normal frequency and level of interest, the game should only be a source of fun and enjoyment, and not be a point of stressful discussion about how "bad" and "unhealthy" it is. If someone does not want to play it, no one is forcing him or her to.

Chocolate Mint Torte from Cafe 1771

The same goes for the second thing that came to my attention - enjoying a wonderful and hearty meal with family or friends. Nowadays, so many people are on different kinds of diets and are so conscious, sometimes way too conscious, about what they eat. Oftentimes, because of over-thinking about what goes into their bodies, they miss out on the fun and enjoyment of savoring the flavor of the food, and sharing it with others. The meal then becomes a "challenge" or a "test" to them. In worse cases it becomes a guilt trip. A slice of very tender beef shifts from delicious to "very bad for the heart." A thin slice of chocolate cake turns from "heavenly" to being a "sin to be paid for." Somehow, the enjoyment of the food lasts for a few seconds, and then is immediately followed by thoughts and feelings of guilt and deprivation, aggravated by the stress of having to count and compute calories and kilometers as "punishment." Food becomes an "enemy" or a difficulty.

It is even worse when these things are discussed over a table of people who are heartily enjoying their meals. Cannot some people nowadays just let go of all these depriving and limiting thoughts and just enjoy what is laid out on the table? ESPECIALLY when there are other people who just wish to savor the meal? The key after all, to a healthy body is to have everything in moderation. It is not about chewing on a piece of beef and feeling guilty about it. It is about eating just the right serving of meat. It is not about depriving oneself of chocolate and feeling sad about it. It is about having a piece of chocolate cake and enjoying it. Over-thinking about what one eats immediately KILLS the enjoyment of the food.

Whether it involves playing a social media game, meaty dishes, sweets, or a natural shift in one's moods, sometimes, it is good to just let go of too much thinking and analyzing, and just enjoy the moment.

The Ultimate Break

2010-08-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

There are many ways we take a short break from work, a meeting, studying, or any task that requires us to spend long hours. Sometimes, these breaks consist of the length of time it would take us to:

Make and hurriedly finish a cup of coffee
Visit the restroom and freshen up
Quickly check a personal email account
Step out for a 2 to 3-minute walk
Close and rest our eyes for 5 to 7 minutes

Everything is fast-paced.

A lot of times, these breaks re-energize us and bring our brains back to working mode, but as they become more incorporated into our routines, they sometimes lose their effect. They become part of the whole picture or scenario of work, chores, or obligations. Eventually, we try looking for alternatives that will feel more like "effective" breaks. On certain occasions, we even feel like nothing will work, and we just need to get AWAY.

I have tried different methods for re-energizing my brain and my body so that I can get back to whatever I am supposed to be doing. Sometimes though, even these breaks require effort because my mind just has way too much information and responsibilities to think about. For instance, trying to clear my mind for the few minutes of break time that I have was effective at first, but eventually, even that required me to exert the effort to clear my mind at all.

It can be effective to switch to different ways of maximizing your breaks, but one thing I recently learned to do is to just spend my time doing nothing. By doing nothing, I mean nothing at all. I am not even trying to push away thoughts or worries. I am not thinking of anything that I will need to deal with after the next few minutes of my break time. I am not hurriedly checking emails, sending text messages, or stretching my legs. I am just sitting There, doing Absolutely Nothing. So far, I think this is the ultimate break that I have taken - more than the brisk walks and more than washing my face with cold water.

Finding the time to do Absolutely Nothing.

When you do nothing, you just let the thoughts come by, but somehow you do not use up so much effort trying to keep them away. At that point, they just seem to fleet by, and you just naturally notice how calm your breathing has become. Sometimes you find yourself staring into space, and you realize how quiet it really is deep inside you, despite the noise around you. Sometimes you find yourself thinking of things in the past, or things you will need to do later on, but they seem so distant, that you cannot be bothered by them. It is just you being present where you are, allowing the world to fleet by, as you rest in your own stillness. When it is time to get back to work, you will just know. There is no need to time this kind of break.

It sounds quite simple though it might be hard to do at first. I guess the best way to put it is that you just need to stop, take a deep breath, and let go. Then just sit there and do nothing. If it helps, let your eyes rest on a blank wall or a plant. In my case, I face my window and watch the sky as it starts to darken. Somehow my body starts asking for this ultimate break at sometime around dusk. Sometimes, I have the need to take it during the wee hours, when it is most quiet, and I happen to be awake doing something.

Occasionally, certain emotions will surface, but just like everything else in that moment, they will just pass you by. It is really as if you have stepped inside a shelter of stillness, and you get to see the world as it spins around you. You will see that you are not always required to catch up to that spinning; you can always step back and just take a rest.

Memories of Green Tea Chocolate

2010-08-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we might look back and amaze ourselves at the things we are willing to do for love, or anything that feels like it. At that moment of remembering, we either laugh out loud, amused at how dramatic it all seemed way back then, or we wince and ask ourselves, "what was I thinking???"

I am one of those people who, on my calmer moments, would say that I would think twice before doing anything like confessing my feelings for someone or even letting it slip to someone that I am interested in getting to know him. However, when I suddenly find myself turning sparkly at the sight of someone, I am inexplicably in some kind of mission to express what I feel.

I may not have done it for every occasion I find myself liking someone, due to various reasons. Sometimes it is the guy who notices me first and makes himself more visible to me, so all possible first moves come from him. Other times, the emotion is not enough to make me exert the effort to try to be noticed. But when I do decide to make my feelings known, or let us say, when I find myself suddenly on a mission to put out a you-might-be-interested sign, it is not surprising to see me creating one of the most amusing memories that will take a significant place in my life story.

Most people I know would think that what I do is terrifying - but I often realize how scary it really is when I look back at the incident after a long time. I sometimes wince and ask myself, "how was able to do THAT???" This is especially true when I look back at myself during my much younger years - like when I wrote a long letter to someone back in college, or when I sent a Card of Confession to someone I knew from an organization I joined in when I was in high school.

A common worry that most people have about confessing to someone is how to deal with the rejection - especially when it comes with a sarcastic remark, with the ending of a friendship, or with the mockery of the friends to whom he told your confession about. Of course later on, these will count as reasons for Being Glad That Now I Know He Is Not Worth It, but the reality of the pain and the embarrassment that goes with it is a huge factor that can stop anyone from even thinking about actually making a move.

However, though I have had my share of such difficult phases, I have also learned that these things will not kill me, and that I will eventually get over them. Though these thoughts do not help me at all as I go through the anxiety of preparing to declare myself or leave A Significant Hint Lying Around For Him To See, they also remind me that it is better to seize the moment, and deal with the What Now than the What If.

These attempts lessened as I grew up not because I became less open to it, but because I became more discriminating on which ones seem worth "confessing" or "declaring" to. Of course I have made mistakes and ended up telling someone who turns out to be A Complete Moron after all, but I would like to think that it means there is One Less Wrong Guy I Might End Up With.

Knowing that the declarations will not kill me and that they may show me realities I need to know before actually getting involved, and knowing I have seized an opportunity that I know deep inside I should grab, are often enough to support my strong inclination to follow what my gut is telling me about Doing Something About How I Feel.

There is also the thought that whatever happens, at least "now I know."

When was the last time I did it? Early this year. On the weekend of Valentine's Day. Prior to that, I cannot remember anymore because it had been SOOOO long ago.

I had no plans of doing anything, but an idea came to me about a couple of weeks before The Day. The idea made me feel so anxious and would not let me rest until I decided that I will do it. When I made up my mind to follow what my gut is telling me, I felt more relieved - though that is just the relief from making the decision. I had a brand new set of Anxiety awaiting me in going through the process of realizing the idea the completing it.

The guy involved in this Declaration is a much older Japanese man. And the idea that just landed right in my head is to MAKE green tea chocolate. Homemade chocolate is quite close to an official declaration, as opposed to giving a generic chocolate that can be bought from the store, which may just be an "obligatory" chocolate in Japanese custom. Giving homemade chocolate on Valentine's Day was supposed to create an opening because it translates to "you mean something to me so let me know if I just might possibly do so to you." Supposedly, the guy should give back something if he is possibly interested, though the level of this interest is a completely different matter. But then, first things first, and I looked for a recipe on how to make the green tea chocolate. I read somewhere that green tea chocolate is a popular choice for homemade chocolate presents.

Green Tea Chocolate Balls

They were supposed to be green tea chocolate balls, but a few nights before I made the chocolate, as I drifted off to sleep, another idea came to me so suddenly - to make the green tea chocolate into one heart-shaped piece. This will not only be easier to do since I would not have to create chocolate balls, The Idea said, but its message will also be clearer, in case he feels he is too old to even assume that the chocolate means something.

Magically, as I bought some of the ingredients, I just suddenly found a lone heart-shaped mold, with just the right size - it fit perfectly in the box I bought for the chocolate. It was the last piece and I was starting to see stars about how perfectly things are falling into place.

The night before The Day, I made the chocolate. A part of me wanted to drop everything and just forget about declaring, but I knew I would feel bad later on, and The Idea will not stop making me regret my chickening out. So I stirred and mixed and got lost in thoughts of him, until the chocolate was finished and I just had to let it sit in the fridge for it to hold together.

The following day, my soul left my body but I was determined to not let my efforts go to waste. With an invisible gigantic ball and chain being dragged by my stone body, I managed to approach him. I bowed, and held out the box with a Rilakkuma sticker on it as I lifted my head, hardly finding my voice to speak his name and say it was for him. He looked utterly surprised and said thank you a number of times as he took the box from my frozen hands. I smiled, bowed, then RAN AWAY, thawing.

What happened after that? Nothing. XD He is still very much NOT my koibito (boyfriend/lover).

I had no expectations of how he was going to feel and what he was going to do, because all I needed was to be able to somehow let him know how I feel. So when White Day came, when he was supposed to give back something, and he did not, I was not crushed as I would have been if I were in my much younger years. Besides, a part of me thinks he probably felt it was not appropriate for him to give back anything, given the particular context of how we know each other and how we interact. But in any case, I was just glad I did it - whether or not he gave me back something.

From one perspective, it may look like my efforts were for nothing, because he did not budge. But from my perspective, I may have done it for him to see that he has the opportunity to approach me if he wanted to, but mostly I also did it for me - for me to be able to release this strong emotion I feel, and for me to be able to know, in one way or another, if there just might be a possibility that is bigger than what I have in mind. Sometimes, I just need To Know.

Every now and then, I wince at the idea of having declared myself to him like that, and then regularly seeing him afterward, with his usual detached expression, and with him seeing me as someone just among the thousands of unremarkable girls he has met, but I absolutely have no regrets about making green tea chocolate for him and making an amusing memory out of it. In fact, despite the occasional embarrassment I feel at the thought of having done it, I also feel somewhat proud that I actually had the guts to do it - to commit to the idea, go through the excruciating process of preparing and walking up to him, and to hand it to him looking all put together though I was all melted chocolate inside.

I am sure I would have felt worse if I did not do it and instead spent so much time wondering if I have let a wonderful opportunity pass. At least, by taking a huge step forward to follow what I feel I should do, I found out where I stand, and then I can start moving on from there.

Finding Joy in the Journey Itself

2010-08-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Whatever you are trying to learn, or to master, I think it is very important that you have FUN while you are at it. Of course, there should be the balance between enjoying what you are doing in the process, and maintaining a level of seriousness and commitment to it. But I believe it is crucial that you find joy in the journey of learning itself.

Being able to enjoy the process of learning keeps you motivated and helps you cope with failures and disappointments. It reminds you that everything - your progress, your mistakes, and even the changes that take place within the process - are all significant factors that will help you achieve your goal, particularly the reason why you are trying to learn something in the first place.

While it is important to keep your mind and heart focused on and driven by the end-result that you envision, it is equally important to stay focused on what you are doing at any point within the process of learning. You can let your envisioned goal be your reminder of what you wish to achieve and why you are going through all these processes, but do not let it take over you to the point that you are already failing to see what is happening right before you.

In your journey towards a favorite vacation spot - whether it is a long drive through the countryside or a few hours' flight to a country you love visiting - you feel excited that you are finally going on a vacation. Even if you have not reached your destination yet, you are already enjoying the trip itself. This is because you know where you are headed and anything you do within that interval - reading, eating, napping, chatting with your companions - is magnified as being enjoyable because you know that this is all part of the excitement of getting to your destination.

In the same manner, you joyfully undertake the process of learning because you know where it is supposed to lead you. You know that it will eventually bring you to your goal.

But what if, as you journey towards your vacation spot, something arises and you need to switch flights or transfer to another train, or bus, or have the car repaired?

The moment seems to have been disrupted, but do you let this completely ruin the fun you are already having even before you have reached your destination?

There may be some delays, but you will still get there. Perhaps things do not exactly go the way you imagined them to be, but it does not mean that the fun stops there.

Finding joy and discovering something new to amuse yourself are ways to get back on track. If you suddenly need to spend a couple of hours waiting for the next flight or kill some time waiting for your ride, it is best not to think of this as wasted time. During this waiting period, you can always find something fun to do, or discover a way to enjoy the unexpected break in the routine you had in mind. It is natural to feel disoriented or even irritated at first, but you may eventually realize that this time given to you can actually bring about unexpected, pleasant discoveries. It may not be as grand as discovering an antique shop and obtaining a magical item, but it can be as simple as finding some quiet time by yourself and suddenly coming up with a resolution to or a great idea for starting something. It could be as simple as feeling exhilarated at discovering a beautiful park where you can take a walk and feel as if you visited an additional vacation spot.

Finding joy in the "halts"

As you get onto your next flight or ride, you realize that these "halts" in your journey were much needed after all, or were at least able to provide you with an unusual form of an extension of your journey, that will, after all, add richness to your whole experience. When you recognize these "halts" and let them remind you to enjoy the journey itself and not just the thought of the destination, your entire journey is magnified as being the vacation itself already - you will see that the fun parts do not just start when you get to your destination - they have already started as soon as you decided where you are going and began taking action towards getting to it.

In the process of learning, being able to enjoy the journey itself and recognizing your growth and progress in it will show you that you have already started moving closer to your goal the moment you decided to take on the tasks and accept the responsibilities that will lead you to it.

This means that tormenting yourself over a difficulty or crushing your own spirit for a mistake is just not worth it - this is just you not enjoying the journey at all and refusing to recognize how each part of the entire process will contribute to your achievement of your goal. Oftentimes, these mistakes and challenges are the ones that help give you an even better version of your desired results.

I have heard of stories of people who miss out on all the fun in learning. They
force upon themselves how things should be, and they never allow room for changes, feedback, nor very tiny mistakes. A man who is trying to learn a foreign language surprises his teacher when his hands start shaking out of frustration because he forgot how to read a word, though he hardly makes any other mistakes and is doing well in his lessons. A girl who has always imagined herself to be the best in her class winces and violently shakes her head whenever she forgets a tiny detail from her lessons, and shoots dagger looks at her classmates whenever they fail to give complete correct answers. A woman decides to give up her martial arts lessons because she felt that no one was praising her enough, which therefore means there is no point in trying to be good at it.

Perhaps a goal is set for the wrong reasons, or the intention was clear at first, and it got clouded as the journey progressed. Whatever the case, the fun in learning and the idea of enjoying every stage in the journey have been lost.

I have my own moments too when I feel that I should stop practicing something because there is no way for me to improve. I feel this especially during times when my body and my spirit and my mind seem to be going in different directions, or when I am not able to do what I imagined myself to be able to do. Sometimes I remind myself that it is just a phase and that I should use these moments to bring myself forward, but I would dwell on the idea that perhaps I should stop now. If I did that, I would have just thrown away all the fun I have had all this time in learning this thing which I love doing, because by then, I have allowed the halts in my journey to keep me from getting to my destination.

Finding joy in the process itself, or mindfully treasuring each step in the journey, significantly changes the quality of the time you spend in it, and remarkably affects the kind of person that you are as you grow and progress with the process, or the journey towards your envisioned goal.

Whether it is a halt in your journey towards your dream vacation, or a halt in your learning process which comes in the form of mistakes, failures, or "dead" phases of yourself, do not let it "kill" the beauty of the whole experience. When you look more closely, you may see that these halts are necessary to add spice to your journey, or that they may turn out to be signposts that will lead you to a more exciting or fun path towards your end goal.

With a clear intention to fulfill your goal, make sure that you do not miss out on all the fun that goes with the journey to it. This will open your mind and help you learn more, without the strain of putting too much pressure on yourself. Next thing you know, you will be surprised to find that you have just reached your goal.

Shopping at Saizen

2010-08-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Saizen is a really cool store which sells Japanese items, all for Php 85 each. There are many great finds in this store, since they are basically the same things you will find in an authentic 100-Yen shop in Japan. They sell things for the home, garden, pets, and various kinds of storage. They have all those cute Japanese stationery, stickers, erasers, and things you will need for school or office. They also have clothing, bags, and personal care products.

I have visited their store in Robinson's Galleria a few times, and I always end up buying so many things. Apart from having a wide variety of Japanese items, the store is also well-lighted, spacious, and very well-organized, which makes it a very pleasant place where you can comfortably look around and take your time in shopping.

Last Friday, Saizen opened its 4th store in Trinoma, and they opened the stores to bloggers who wish to take pictures. It was super fun and I am so glad they did this (^^,) I wanted to share the wonderful and interesting things I found in their Galleria store with others, but of course I could not just take photos before. This time, I was free to do that, and so I took photos of the nice things one can find in Saizen.

Some of the home and dining items - they may seem like ordinary, everyday things for some people, but those who like and appreciate a Japanese "look," "design," or the charming Japanese prints on their dining ware will surely be thrilled to find these items at a very affordable price.

Osake Bottles

Small Plates for Individual Servings

Tea Cups

Daruma bowls

Teaspoons

Chopsticks Rest

Chopsticks Rest - You will see one of these again later XD

Miso Soup Bowls

Saizen has a section for cooking ingredients and seasonings which makes it easy for those who cook, or those who are trying to learn how to cook Japanese meals, find the right ingredients for their cooking.

Okonomi Sauce: Used for okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese dish similar to a pancake, and has savoury ingredients contained in it.

Takoyaki Sauce: Takoyaki is a kind of Japanese dumpling that contains tako, or octopus.

Tonkatsu Sauce: For the popular breaded pork dish

Yakisoba Sauce: For another popular dish of fried noodles.

Seasoned Seaweeds: For various Japanese dishes

A happy customer picks out the sauces she will use for cooking.

There are also traditional items which can be used for decorating any place to create a Japanese feel to it.

These signs can be placed where appropriate. One says "we have beer" and one says "oden," which is a Japanese broth with various ingredients. Clearly, the sign at the center says no mobile phones, or refrain from using them.

Koinobori, or carp streamers, traditionally raised during the Kodomo no Hi, or festival for children.

Daruma Dolls: Symbols of Good Luck

Maneki Neko with Chimes: The Maneki Neko, or Beckoning Cat, is believed to invite good luck.

You can find various Japanese traditional items in Saizen to decorate your home, room, working area, or if you are running a store with a Japanese theme.

The happy customer chooses from a variety of traditional items.

A really cute kitty bowl

She finds an adorable fish ceramic that she likes.

Bento sets and chopsticks in all colors and sizes are available in Saizen - personally, I always feel like wanting to buy several pairs of chopsticks because they all look so pretty, but I have to remember that I already have plenty at home >.< The same goes with those colorful and adorable bento sets.

Chopsticks!

She checks out a bento box with a strawberry theme.

Only in a Japanese store: Banana Carrying Cases - so that the bananas that you bring with your bento do not get... squished.

Banana Carrying Cases, or Banana Cases

Of course, with Japan being the land of kawaii, or cute, items, Saizen offers cute phone straps, among other things in their stationery section.

"Toast with butter and jelly"

Cherry Bells (^^,)

Other items in the stationery section include calligraphy materials (such as pens, papers, brushes, bottles of ink), notebooks, notepads, origami paper in different sizes, pens, and erasers. Several items have those cute designs and prints that mark them as authentic Japanese items (^^,)

Origami Paper

Calligraphy Pens

Erasers: Meals

Erasers: Beverages in PET Bottles

Erasers: Canned Beverages

Again, that was just a sneak peek XD Visit the store for more of these amazing items (^^,)

For this event, Saizen gave their invited bloggers a gift certificate each worth Php 850, which is equivalent to Ten Wonderful Items from the store XD I was quite lucky to be one of the bloggers so as I took photos, I picked out items to be purchased with my Saizen Gift Certificate (^^,) Time flew as I and my sister (She came with me because she also loves shopping in Saizen) went around the store, picking those we wanted to buy.

Each blogger was supposed to name his or her Top 5 Amazing Finds and join a short discussion at the end of the tour. I had to leave early though, so I was not able to join them. However, I know it would be hard for me anyway to pick out my Top 5 because there are too many things I love from the store XD So, based on my "needs" at that moment I was in the store, perhaps I will just name my Top 10 Finds, which are the 10 things I bought with my gift certificate XD Please take note though, that my Amazing Finds from Saizen are way over just 10 items >.< Perhaps I would just consider these my "Top 10 Amazing Finds As Of July 30th Afternoon" XD Besides, there is a story behind each item which makes them my Top 10, only for that specific moment (^^,)

Also, my "Top 10 Amazing Finds As Of July 30th Afternoon" are not in any particular order XD

1. Banana Carrying Case

I bring Cavendish bananas to my Nihongo classes for eating during break time, and that is why a banana carrying case is relevant to me. :p

Ciotolina, my cactus pup, seems happy about it, as well as Reina and Mihara. XD

Ciotolina on a Banana Carrying Case

Reina-san wanted a photo with the case too.

Somehow, Mihara-kun finds it amusing.

2. Bottle Container

This keeps my Gatorade cold whenever I bring a bottle to martial arts practice. (^^,)

Bottle Container

3 and 4. Calligraphy and Brush Pens

One of my classmates in Nihongo school told us about the brush pen she bought from Saizen a few weeks back, and she uses it for making her Kanji flash cards. We tried out how the pen writes and we liked how it made our Kanji look on paper, so my sister and I decided to buy our own (^^,)

I bought one exactly like what my classmate has, and I bought another one in brown ink.

Calligraphy/Brush Pens

A closer look at the brush pens

5, 6, and 7. Calligraphy Materials

This set is basically a bottle of ink, a pack of calligraphy paper, and a set of brushes. After our sensei in Nihongo showed us her calligraphy set and taught us the basics of how to write, a number of us in class wanted our own XD So, though I am not really a master of calligraphy, I think it would be an interesting way to practice writing and memorizing our Kanji lessons. (^^,) It is quite fortunate that Saizen has the materials we would need (^.^)

Ink, Paper, and Brushes (^^,)

Somebody seems happy with all the writing materials.

8. Cherry Bells

Yup, I bought the one pictured in the earlier part of this post (^^,)

Cherry Bells for my phone!


The Cherry Bells will accompany Hello Kitty, though Kitty is not quite pink anymore XD I am keeping it though because it came from one of my previous Japanese bosses who brought it as omiyage, or souvenir, from Japan.

Bastardino the Cactus Pup eyes the Cherry Bells.

9. Chopsticks Rest

Chopsticks Rest

Mihara-kun likes it though the chopsticks are too big for him >.<

10. And then there is a cutting board XD

I know that this is something I can buy from a bookstore, though I do not remember seeing one in a cute color like this one >.< It also comes in green, pink, and I think there was a purple one XD

Mihara-kun enjoys his onigir on the cutting board.

It was a totally fun afternoon, and I happily left the store with a bag of Amazing Loot XD

After leaving Saizen, my sister and I met up with her boyfriend for late lunch at Tokyo Tokyo, and we started trying out our new brush pens XD

Please forgive our handwriting; we are still practicing >.<

To everyone in Saizen (written using the brush pen XD):

"Saizen is an interesting and amazing store. (^^,) Thank you very much!"

I will definitely go back and shop some more XD

Creative Gifts for Any Occasion, Even Random Ones

2010-07-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, some friends and I celebrated the birthday of one of our friends. Tomorrow, it will be my grandmother's birthday. Since I do not have many projects recently, I am trying to manage my budget, which means I could not just go out and buy something special for my friend, or my grandmother, especially when the gift ideas that I already have in mind will cost a lot. However, we all know that being penniless should not be an excuse to not give anything to those who matter to you, especially if you really want to give them something.

It is perfectly understandable that you also do not want to just give whatever comes into your mind; you surely want to give a gift that the receiver will like, or that will mean something to them - basically a gift that will show that you really thought of them when choosing the gift, not just a general token that you can give to mere acquaintances. But if you are under a tight budget, this can be an occasion for you to be more creative in thinking of what to give others for any special occasions. This also applies on random occasions when you are feeling great or happy about something, and you just feel like sharing the love and joy that you feel. An example of this is one of those days when you wake up feeling happy and everything seems to go well for you, and you just want something to give to or share with colleagues, classmates, or neighbors, to express your delight.

Here are some ideas for gifts that do not cost a lot, yet can clearly express your intention to let others know that you really thought of them in choosing your gift, or that the gift was given wholeheartedly, and not just as an obligation or a matter of tradition. These ideas were based on what I have actually done for others, or what my family and my friends have done for me and other people.

Of course, do not limit yourself to these ideas. These should only give you some ideas for what you can do. Basically, the idea is to be able to give people gifts that are not "generic" yet not costly, and which are meant to make them feel special.

1. A Homemade Version of Their Favorite Food

My friend who celebrated her birthday last week is someone who is crazy about anything green tea and anything sweet. Most of the presents she gets are green teas in various mixes and different kinds of food in green tea flavor. So what I did was make green tea chocolate for her. I made some a few months back, and she was able to taste it, and loved it right away. So I decided to make her a fresh batch. I just bought some white chocolate and thick cream from the supermarket, since I already have green tea powder and milk at home. Then, I made the mixture and put it in a transparent tub, and tied a ribbon around it - a white one with colorful balloons printed on it. Voila, a birthday gift of her favorite food.

2. Handcrafted jewelry and accessories

For my grandmother's birthday, I am thinking of giving her a handcrafted jewelry. I admit, though, that I will not be making it, since I do not have enough materials with me. A best friend though, makes and sells handcrafted necklaces and bracelets, which she made herself. No two pieces of her accessories are exactly the same, except for those that come in just one color and type of beads, but generally, each of her necklaces and bracelets are especially and carefully made. Knowing that she pours her heart out into making each item, helps me appreciate her merchandise even more. They are also more affordable than those sold in malls and jewelry stores, plus there are more designs to choose from. So, such carefully made accessories are also great presents for those who love them. In my grandmother's case, she has boxes and cases and drawers full of all kinds of accessories - and she actually collects all of them. Any new piece of a beautiful trinket will never fail to make her laugh.

3. Personally designed wooden frames or any wooden decor

There are craft stores that sell plain wooden picture frames, containers, or other decor, which are meant to be designed with beads, flowers, and other various materials. One Christmas, my sister and I decided to give away small wooden frames for all the couples, i.e. aunts and uncles, during one of our big family reunions. So we bought these small plain wooden picture frames, and we designed each frame, creating a whole set of unique frames for each couple. We used beads, seeds, and dried, decorative leaves and flowers. Then, we placed each couple's photos in the frames.

4. A collage of one's best photos

This collage can be made with one's best photos, or with a series of photos illustrating an important occasion, the different stages and phases of one's life, or a collection of photos that will remind the person about how everyone cares for him or her. My mom creates these very creative and colorful collages, and I have received quite a number of these too. Some have inspiring quotes and some contain private jokes that never fail to make me laugh. Sometimes, her friends request for such collages, because they love receiving them. Everyone she gives them to always appreciates getting these collages because they know that my mom spent hours cutting and gluing and choosing the best photos to be placed on an especially selected theme or design as background. Truly, every receiver of these collages feels really special and happy whenever they get one.

5. Sharing your own masterpiece

My sister makes the best blueberry cheesecakes. Family, relatives, and friends recognize her as some kind of blueberry cheesecake master, or something to that effect. She occasionally makes and sells them, taking a lot of time and effort to produce large batches of these sought-after cheesecakes. She makes several other kinds of cheesecakes but her blueberry cheesecakes are the most famous of them all. Every now and then, as a present, she gives the special people in her life her very own, homemade blueberry cheesecake. People always appreciate this a lot because they know she makes these herself, despite her busy schedule. So, if you know you are seen as the best in doing something, you can use that skill to give someone something special from it.

6. Cook for others

This is another way to treat someone, or a group of people, on a special occasion. Instead of buying everyone several rounds of drinks or treating them out to a fancy restaurant, home-cooked meals that you prepared yourself are always a welcome treat. If you are cooking for just one person and it would be odd or too unusual to dine with him or her alone, you can always just bring the well-presented dish to his or her home. Of course, the dish has to be something that the receiver will surely like, and not something that you think they should like from your menu.

7. A modified piece of clothing or fashion accessory

Adding some personal touch to a shirt, a pair of jeans, a dress, or a bag, is another way for you to give a special kind of gift to someone. This is just like Idea # 3, except that this time, you add beads or print something on a piece of clothing or bag, to make it personalized, or to make it look better for the person you are giving it to. In the case of my aunt who sews for a living, she occasionally offers free repairs for my mom. Sometimes, she adds some frills or rhinestones to some blouses and dresses which she is sure my mom will love. Sometimes, she gives my mom curtains with her personal touches, which will match the look of our home.

8. Offering to do something or be of service to someone

This applies to people who rarely get to go out, or who rarely get to visit a specific place. Offering to do something for someone special is a truly priceless gift, because you are giving the other person a marvelous experience. In our family, people offer to drive my grandmother around, and to take her to places she wants to visit as she sits on her wheelchair, since she cannot walk long distances.

9. Handmade pop-up cards

Pop-up cards with themes specific to a private joke, a personal experience of the receiver, or a nice time that you both shared, is a very creative way to make someone smile and think of good times. A unique pop-up card for each person in a group is also another way to mark an important occasion or celebrate an achievement of the group.

10. A random bag of loot

I attended a language class some time last year, and there were only five of us students in the class. It was a really enjoyable class and our teacher was so kind and smart and easy to talk to. We talked a lot in class, both about the lessons and insights about life and relationships, and we occasionally ate cookies and candies to add to the fun. One day, before a long weekend, I brought everyone small, colorful gift bags of assorted chocolates and candies. (I prepared one for myself too. XD) It was quite unexpected and I think it made everyone happy.

Basically, something that you made, designed, or something that represents a wholehearted service for the other person, is a wonderful, creative gift idea that will not require you to spend a lot, yet will surely make the other person happy. On days when you just feel great and would like to share and spread the joy, do so in simple, creative ways that would multiply the blessing of happiness even more.

To find out what you can offer, think of anything that you already have. It can be a skill that will allow you to create something pretty and thoughtful. It can be a network of people who can help you purchase materials for a low price, or who can refer you to sellers of unique items that you can easily afford. It can be a combination of different things you can find around you - flowers, art materials, food ingredients, photos, anything. Let your creative self surface. As you get more used to acknowledging that part of you, you will find it easy to find something to make and give someone, whether it is for a special occasion, or just a random act of kindness.

The Perfect Girl

2010-07-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

I came across the name of an old grade school classmate in Facebook. I remembered her as one of the girls I envied most in school. She was not the cheerleader type who ignored everyone; she was the serious, ironed, super-neat type who was always proper and smiled a good-girl, wise, and proper type of smile.

Seeing her name brought back memories - quite funny memories - of my thoughts as a child. I told my sister about it and I was laughing. As we talked though, I realize that now, I am just laughing at it because they seemed like kiddie concerns, but back then, these were the tough realities I believed I had to deal with as a child. So I was telling her about this Girl I Envied. My sister asked, what’s to be envious about? She said there was nothing spectacular about her, just looking at her photo and her tired smile. So I told her what it was like when we were kids.

“Do you know how ENVIOUS I was? I tried to copy her handwriting and tried to fix my hair like hers. I tried to copy her mannerisms when reciting and tried to copy even the way she sits in class. Sometimes I would even try to sound like her even if she sounds like her nose is clogged and like she has a bad cold.”

My sister asked, “yeah so WHY were you envious? What is it about that person I saw in the photo??”

I was envious of her because:

1.) She had TWO attache cases. One in black and one in blue. Back then, attache cases were a hit because it means your parents were rich (because they were somewhat expensive for a kid) and all your books and papers were neat. And somehow you just NEVER appear frumpy when you are carrying your attache case. And she had two. Sometimes when her black one was being cleaned, she brought the blue one. And I would get envious whenever I'd hear her clicking and clacking the locks.

2.) She had one of those cool bento boxes - a sturdy container in which a stack of bento is kept, together with a huge container which you could fill with either a beverage, or additional food. And then you lock in everything with those clicky clacky locks. It was just as expensive as those attache cases so I could not afford it. And then it kept the food warm and the drink cold. All in one magical lunch box. And I would again, be envious whenever she'd click-clack the locks of her bento box.

3.) ALL her pens were Pilot ballpens. Pilot pens were expensive pens back then. They never "skipped" and they had FINE, OH SO FINE lines. And she had more than one red Pilot pen and more than two black Pilot pens, though we were only required to bring that specific quantity of red and black pens.

4.) She had the expensive kinds of intermediate pads. And nice folders. All her papers were smooth and white. Plus, her penmanship was perfect. It was The Perfect Handwriting of a Good Student. All the teachers praised her for her handwriting.

5.) One day we were asked to describe what kind of families we came from, e.g. did we come from a family of artists, engineers, or anything that the family is involved in. When it was her turn, she blushed and felt shy about saying that she came from An Intelligent Family. Apparently, her entire family was recognized by relatives and friends as an Ideal Family, where everyone is smart, the parents are rich, and the children are neat and polite. The older kids wore barrettes on their shiny hair, and the younger ones, like my classmate, wore neat pigtails in perfect ribbons.

I felt so improper and poor and slow.

I tried everything in my power to be LIKE her. In my own little world, it made me feel better when I felt like I could be almost like her.

But I could only do my “copying” when we were at school. I knew that outside of the school walls, her life was so different, and I thought, “so much more exciting.” And then I remembered, her dad wore a NECKTIE to work. I saw him a few times when he would pick her up in his nice car, or when he was all pressed and neat like her during the end-of-school year events, where we received our honor student awards.

I did not know much about her mom, as she was the type who was very ladylike and stayed indoors more often, to avoid too much sun. She never made my Ideal Classmate do chores, since she was given books and opportunities to travel, rather than household tasks.

Looking back, I realize that as a child, I had the perception that ideal, rich families had dads who wore neckties to work and moms who ordered maids around and never asked their children to do chores.

This Perfect Girl Classmate is one of the Other Children who made me feel like they were living the life I wish I had. Girls like her were the modern-day princesses that I knew I would never be. They had the smoothest papers in school, the shiniest hair, the neatest uniforms, and they had the most exciting summers and weekends. They had so much more opportunities to taste more flavors of ice cream than I could ever have, in my entire life. They had Necktied Dads and Choreless Moms and they always spoke much better than I do. Next to them, I was totally invisible.

Growing up, of course I came to realize that neckties do not always mean better pay, the presence of maids did not always signify an extravagant life, and “chorelessness” is not always a good thing. At the end of the day, no matter what your childhood was like, and no matter how you saw the world back then, you can always create the life you want for yourself now. Of course, up to a certain extent, those who always had it financially easy have their advantages, but it does not mean that they will always have a better life than you. Maybe things will always be easier for them in some respects, but then, maybe that is their blessing, and surely you have yours that they do not.

Perhaps I could have grown up with better pens and bags and had parents who went to an air-conditioned office, but then I would not be the person that I am now. It could have been possible that everything has been laid out for me at my convenience, that I never would have realized the value of earning things for myself, or have learned the ability to manage and be thankful for whatever I have.

It does not matter that I was not the child of a dad and mom like the others have; I would not have exchanged them anyway for those that I thought were ideal when I was a kid. A bulk of the realities in life that helped me grow came from them. And though I knew I was not the princess that they were, living in their ideal castles, I was able to learn my way through the forest of life by being my parents’ child.

Looking back, I can see how things have eventually worked out for me too. I can see how things that I considered unfortunate back then worked to my advantage now. I can see how everything has made me who I am now. And whatever it is I may not like about now, at least I know I can do something about it. It is no longer about what others have; it is now all about what I have, and what I can do.

The Magic in Wishes

2010-07-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

In one of our recent classes in Japanese, the topic was all about learning how to say what we want. We were taught how to say it if we want something, if we want to do something, and how to say what we want the most at any given time.

In one of our activities, our teacher gave us small pieces of papers where we wrote one thing that we wished for at that moment. Of course, we had to express our thoughts in Japanese. And though we knew the sentence pattern, what made it somehow difficult for some of us was to name just one thing that we could wish for. Most of us naturally had a number of things in mind, though in the end, and after only a short time, we were all able to write down just one thing that we want.

In life, many of us wish for so many things, while there are some who only have just one, or perhaps three. Some have so many but are willing to "settle" for the fulfillment of at least five of those, or even three.

When we make wishes, some of us simply say a prayer, lifting up the wish to the powers that be. Some light candles in the church, or by the image of an ancient deity. Some toss coins into a well, or a fountain. Some write their wishes on a piece of paper and let the wind, or the water, take it away. Some meditate on it and visualize the fulfillment of the wish. In one way or another, we make wishes and we express our desire and our hope for them to come true in different ways.

As I looked back on our activity in Japanese class, I remembered an occasion when a birthday wish was mine to make.

Birthday wishes are taken seriously by some - they believe that it is THE day for someone to make a wish and it will come true. Some take birthday wishes as simply part of the fun - meaning, it may or may not come true, but in any case, let the birthday celebrator have a birthday wish, and let everyone hope it does come true.

A few days after my birthday earlier this year, I was with a group of people, and someone asked me what my birthday wish was. That time, I put off making a wish because I did not know what I wanted. Some would say that a birthday wish is "forfeited" if not made on the day itself, though I am not so particular about it. I would think that a birthday wish is still like any other wish; it just seems extra special because it is supposed to made on one's birthday and it is believed by many to be more likely to come true. But just like any other wish, it can come true just as easily as it can on any other day. Not that birthday wishes are not likely to come true - it is more like, any wish made anytime can come true. Perhaps this is why they say, "be careful what you wish for; it might just come true."

Going back to the question that was asked of me, I was not able to give an answer because that time I have not "declared" a birthday wish yet. Then, we got to talking about birthday wishes and wishes in general and things we could wish for.

Suddenly, someone says, "Wishes, wishes. Wishes don't suit you guys anymore. You're grownups."

*stunned*

He was with us by the way; he was not some cynical passerby who overheard our wishful statements. So anyway, he said that.

Understandably, we just let him be. He is the kind of person who requires a reason for everything and finds the idea of magic and wishing seriously unacceptable in life. He takes pride in declaring that he does not need anyone and can make anyone cry just by picking on them. He is proud to show everyone that he is grumpy and is not a friendly person.

In the case of most people though, I think it is a good thing to wish. It is healthy and natural and inspires hope. It makes the heart feel happy and opens up the mind to new ideas. It gives one good feelings which, in turn, help one see the best in any situation.

Wishing is not just for kids. Wishing is not something that should "suit" only those who are young. Being a grownup does not disqualify anyone from wishing, and from believing in the fulfillment of wishes.

Regardless of our age, we are free to wish and we are free to believe that wishes can, and do come true. Perhaps not always in the way that we expect them to, but things always have a way of falling into their right places.

Wishes help us think of good times. Wishes help us get through tough times. Wishes give us hope.

Of course, we should really be careful of what we wish for, for they might just come true. It is also no use obsessing about the wishes we make. We wish, then we let the wish find its way to its fulfillment. Sometimes, the wish runs into other wishes and they all magically work together and we might experience something that seems to "work out for everyone." Sometimes, we forget the wish, until we find it back on our doorstep, ready to be received.

When you wish for something, make your wish, then let it go. The magic in these wishes may cause the wish to take unexpected forms, so just trust in it.

Remember, it does not matter how old or young you are. Do not think that wishes stop coming true once a person has fully grown. Wishes are for everyone.

What do you wish for now?

Getting Over That Someone

2010-06-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

Around this time last year, I went to hell.

I had the worst breakup ever.

Unlike my other breakups, I did not see this one coming. I was in such a great mood, and I was finishing my work for the day. I was cheerfully listening to my favorite music, and I was looking forward to leisurely activities for that evening.

And then it happened.

I would also consider it as the worst, because of the story behind the breakup, and because it was the only breakup that made me wish I were dead.

I thought I would NEVER get over it. Though I knew that I was able to get over the previous ones, I felt that this one was different.

However, one day, as with all the other breakups which I thought I would never get over with, I found myself over it.

Of course it was not like waking up one day feeling nothing. It was still a gradual process, but I realized that I have gone quite far in that Getting Over Phase, when I realized that I was in it. And when I did, that was when I felt The Calm After The Storm. I was quiet, but I did not feel the need to run away from it. Nor did the negative voices in my head come out. I was no longer angry too, I realized. Of course I still felt the aches, but I was no longer hurting as badly as I did at first. I no longer wanted to die.

I realized that I was already enjoying my life, and not just starting to enjoy it again.

I knew I still cared for the guy though I knew that given the chance to be back with him, I would not have let it happen. Not because I wanted to get back at him, or because I was scared. It was simply because I did not feel the same way anymore, plus I knew it would be wise for me not to subject myself into that kind of situation again.

In any case, I got over him, and I got over the whole incident - the pain of the breakup, the shock of finding out harsh truths, and the whole process of transition from being in the relationship to suddenly finding myself out of it, to walking away from it.

My point is, no matter how bad a breakup may seem, and no matter how much we love the person who has chosen to leave us or has given us a reason to end the relationship, we always, always get over it. Sometimes it takes a longer time than we expect, but we always get over it. We just cannot see it as we are starting out in the process, but we do eventually get there. We may feel impatient, or even hopeless, about the day when we find ourselves over it. We may mistake an unusually happy day for Getting Over It. Then we may falter along the way, or find halts that cause us to doubt the ending of the phase. But we all need to remember that we always, always get over that someone. We will always be able to get over that relationship. We always do.

Changing the Country by Changing Our Lives

2010-06-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

I rarely watch TV; the few times I get to watch advertisements and hear TV news are during lunchtime or dinnertime, because my dad usually likes the TV on while we eat. I don't actually watch though. Sometimes, even as the news reporter reports away, my mind either manages to shut out the bad news, or my attention would be on the garden outside, or I'd be talking to my mom.

Other times, though, I get to hear snippets of news, especially when both my mom and dad are so intent on whatever is being reported.

Currently, as everyone knows, the President Elect is preparing for his new role.

Now, most of what I hear are people demanding things from him. It's almost as if he were a god who can magically make the BIG changes that everyone is hoping for. As early as now, so many people are already starting to get angry for what he may not deliver. For what he might not do. For wrong things that he may be suspected of doing.

There are strange mixes of reactions. Some look up to him as if he were placed there to make Each Individual's wishes come true. Some are already despising him for what he seems to be.

Sometimes, people are already picking on the smallest detail of his life, his personality, and even his mannerisms.

I am not taking his side, because I did not even vote for him. However, perhaps, instead of spending so much of our time waiting for him to make a mistake or waiting for him to realize our wishes, spending so much time ranting about what the new government should do, and spending so much time dwelling on the minute details of his personal life, why don't we act like the people who deserve the treatment that we demand from our government?

How can we expect our government and our President Elect to make the big changes for us, when we cannot even take small steps towards a better nation? We are so quick to judge when someone in power fails to meet our standards or fails to observe certain rules, but are we so true and disciplined ourselves?

True, the government has its flaws and have failed us many times before, but it is not ALL their fault why the country is the way it is now. True, the President Elect is supposed to serve the country and its people, but it does not mean that no one among us should lift a finger to help. We should also do something, even in little ways, to help make the country a better place.

For example, the simple task of disposing of our trash properly - this is something so simple and so easy that it may seem insignificant compared to the problems that the country is facing. But then again, it does not mean that because we are not happy with what's happening with the country, there is no more reason to keep the environment clean. You see, the President Elect is in the position to help and serve the country, but it does not mean he was also placed there to pick up our trash. That is our job. That is one of the little ways we can help the country.

The funny thing is, as we lined up last month to vote, all these people who were griping about how the government sucks, were throwing empty soda cans, plastic wrappers, and empty chip bags on the grass, while the trash bin was just a few steps away. And we DEMAND that the government be responsible for their actions.

The same people who spit on the streets or wherever they are standing on DEMAND for free medical treatment and other freebies from the government.

Traffic - we complain about heavy traffic all the time. But are we all responsible drivers? Do we cross the streets using the appropriate lanes or overpasses? Or do we cause the traffic ourselves because we cross the streets in BIG groups, when we shouldn't be crossing at that time? When we drive buses or our huge vehicles, do we not take advantage of the size of what we are driving? Yet we demand for better and more roads and easier modes of transportation. We cannot even manage what we already have. We cannot even follow the simple rules. We choose to ignore regulations even if they try unusual tactics to put things in order as to warn that "someone has died" already while crossing the street.

When we voted last month, we had to fall in line for almost four hours. It was quite understandable because everyone was still adjusting to the new system, plus there were only few efficient volunteers guiding the voters and giving directions. However, we also fell in line for a much longer time because a number of people turned out to have inched their way into the lines, and were able to vote ahead. They refused to fall in line "because it was hot" and "because the line was too long." Yet we demand that the government experience the "difficulty" that we are experiencing. When we, too, are acting like the officials that we pick on - those whom we judge as being given a special treatment because they are "powerful." But for those who used their "power" to get into the lines and vote ahead, weren't their actions just like those that they pick on? In fairness to our President Elect, he fell in line during the elections.

Yes, the government can still do better. But we are not here to waste our time ranting and complaining about what they must or must not do. We can make better use of our time by doing what we can to make the country a much better place to live and work in. It is not fair to choose to do the wrong things and expect the government to magically clean up our mess for us.

Let us not dwell on the bad things that we see, but try to focus on the help that we can give to our President Elect, which, in the long run, will help the country and ourselves as well. Our constant griping will never help us nor make the government do what we want them to do. So we can just begin to make the changes in ourselves, and how we live our lives.

This may all sound idealistic, but the news about the demands and complaints are getting tiresome. The President Elect has not even sworn yet, yet it seems like so many people are already out to get him.

Perhaps we can try to give his leadership a chance, and help and support him even in the tiniest ways. We are not even doing it for him - but for the good of whole nation. After all, we can't keep voting for someone, then after a time, vote him out. It will just be a vicious cycle. Let us all do our part to help, for a change.

How I Manage to Stick to My Schedule - 5 Effective Ways

2010-06-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

My sister and I were having early dinner some time last week at the Banana Leaf, when we started talking about managing our busy schedules. (Well, we normally talk about our schedules, but usually in the context of quick run-downs, occasional panicking, or smug declarations of being on time for everything. But that particular late afternoon, we had one of our Longer Conversations About Our Schedules.)

I am proud to say that for quite some time, I have been able to stick to my schedule, and I mean Really Stick to It.

My Fruits Basket planner practically lists down everything I would need to accomplish for each day. Sometimes some tasks or activities change places, but everything would still be in order.

My sister commented (as she has done so many times recently, in this same manner): "You're so disciplined! You're so good in managing your time!"

I think that she actually notices my "discipline" in sticking to my schedule, because I was not quite like this before. I mean, Really Far From It. I mean, Faaaaar.

Hence, she noticed it since I have been so organized lately. She is amazed at how I seem to have everything in order, and even if the list seems to go on, I still manage to sleep early, wake up after SEVEN restful hours, and then accomplish all the things I intend to do for the day. And then I rarely look "rushed" or harassed.

I think one of the important factors for anyone to be able to stick to a schedule is for him or her to find joy in whatever he or she is doing, and to focus on one task at a time. So, number ONE: Enjoy and focus on whatever you are doing at any point in time.

For example, if I have several projects to work on in a day, but prior to that I have scheduled to do yoga, have a leisurely breakfast, and check my personal email, then while I'm doing all the relaxing and leisurely stuff in the morning, my mind should not get ahead of me and think, "I shouldn't be relaxing like this! I still have to do this, and this, oh and that.... etc. etc." What I do is I actually enjoy every minute of my yoga or my breakfast, and often times, I have the time to step out into the backyard to enjoy the sun. I do not let "later's" thoughts affect my "now."

That's what the planner is for - for taking note of the "laters." Which brings me to my second point. Of course, you prepare your schedule ahead. Specify the hours that should cover a task or activity. Later on, you can just take a look at it and there it is. No need to keep thinking about it. Call it obsessive, but it really pays to manage and allocate your time wisely. When I said earlier that I was FAR from being what I am now in terms of handling my time, I meant that I never actually prepared for anything ahead. Well, perhaps I did, but maybe a little too late. I mean, really, I have been Queen. QUEEN OF DELAYING TACTICS.

Also, when you allocate hours for each task or activity, be realistic. If the shortest time you can finish a task is half an hour, but on your "slower" days you take up an hour, allocate 45 minutes or an hour max for that task. You do not need to eat up the whole hour just for that task, though. Meaning, it's still better if you can finish it in less time.

In a nutshell, number TWO is all about preparing your schedule ahead and allocating specific and realistic time frames for each task or activity.

Further to number two, I personally consider having enough sleep as a very important element for anyone to begin the day with a proper mindset, and to be "awake" enough to think clearly during any activity. So, even if I feel that I can survive with just five hours of sleep, and I used to do that before (sometimes just three to four hours), I still try my best not to put too many To Dos throughout the day until way past midnight, especially before the days when I would need to wake up at 5:30 AM.

By allowing myself enough sleep, and by scattering a variety of tasks throughout my week, I get to pace myself, and I find myself being able to do more, with much less stress. Sometimes, like today, I finished a certain stage of a project I was working on, so I already used my remaining "working time" to do some advanced work for tomorrow.

Of course, there are days when I either sleep late, or sleep on time but leave a task undone, but they seldom take place, and usually for reasons that are worth my time. But generally, I get enough sleep, which also makes me much less groggy than I would be when I lacked sleep.

For you to have the energy to stick to your schedule, allow yourself enough sleep. That's number THREE.

Now, let us say you have noted everything down in your planner, and you are able to focus on a task because one, you had enough sleep, and two, you are not worrying ahead about other things, allowing the planner to hold them for you.

Number FOUR: Focus on your accomplishments and what you have learned. Every now and then, we may all feel like, I've done x number of things already, but my planner tells me I still have y number of things to go. And then tomorrow it's going to be like this again! *rant rant*

It does seem like that on some days, but when I feel like that, I look back and realize that hey, when I did This Project, I learned about ABC. When I did That Project, I found out about XYZ. And then I would remind myself that I was able to ACCOMPLISH something. Something to check off my To Do list. Something that is off my shoulders as I speak. Something that I can count as Experience.

You may feel tired, but your time was not really wasted. You have created and finished something out of it. Somehow thinking this way helps me feel better on days when I feel like I am going in circles.

Basically, the idea is to always see the Happy Aspect of anything, even if it is something that tired you out. This is especially helpful when you had to deal with a difficulty during your day.

What if you are now able to efficiently manage your time and can focus on a task that you are doing at any point in time? What about those times when you cannot even START on the task you are supposed to focus on? Or what if you just can't get up in the morning? XD Or what if you can't even start planning the week because you are overwhelmed by the workload or the errands you need to make?

Number FIVE is SO Nike: Just Do It. XD

Seriously, this has helped me a lot. It's a Nike line, but this Nike line surfaced in my mind as I browsed a book by Sark, wherein she was talking about a friend who manages to attend yoga classes regularly, while that time, Sark couldn't even stick to scheduled gym classes, or something related to her work out routine. She asked her friend how she manages to do that, and her friend said, "I just show up."

Sark's friend does not even think about the process of preparing to go to class, or how she will feel while in it, or how she will benefit from it after doing it. She Just Shows Up. And in the same manner, this woke me up because now, whenever I find it hard to get up or to do something, I Just Get Up and Do It.

Before, I would try to "motivate" myself by thinking of what I will benefit from doing a task, or I try picturing myself being strong and determined as I start doing the task, but I end up not doing it because I have been so busy trying to think of ways to make myself do it. Or, I'd get up and do it but it would either be too late, or I would be looking for the "me" that I imagined, and I'd get disappointed because it's not the determined me or I'm not exactly experiencing the benefits I imagined about. So I'd end up not doing it anyway.

For Visual People like me: XD

One: Whatever you are doing now, or at any time, enjoy it and focus on it.

Two: Plan ahead - specific and realistic time frames. This will help you keep number One.

Three: Allow enough time for sleep. Integrate this as you do number Two.

Four: Focus on the Good Stuff - stuff you have Finished (yay) and new things you learned (yay).

Five: Just do it. Just show up. Just get up. Just go ahead and start.