Profound teaching

A paragraph from autobiography of His Holiness the DALAI LAMA of Tibet


We might be humiliated, and our most cherished inheritances might seem to be lost for a period, but if so, humility must be our portion. I was certain of that.


LIFE LESSON I guess this is the biggest lesson in my life right now: when things are falling apart, when it is harder to give and even harder to understand, we must transcend by being selfless and by choosing to be humble. I must take solid steps toward my goal of keeping harmonious relationships. I believe this is attainable. I believe.

Relationships

A big pile of soiled clothes looking at me across the room --- wash me.

The loud tick-tock sound of the wall clock --- it's nearing 8PM, hear me.

My Anthro readings lying on the bed --- read me!

Dry and humid evening --- feel me.

Why can't I make it final? What's stopping me from leaving it?

I want to be free . . . yes. Free from the chains of our past, of the inequality, of what went before.

I have to free myself. I will be strong. I will be disciplined. I will hope.

I am solid. I am rock-hard. I am stable.

(repeat for two weeks) this will make me overcome it all. I believe.

De quelle couleur est votre rêve?

-------> Gone reading, busy with acads!

Warning!

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

by Jenny Joseph

Journey Essentials (dos) ---> Correspondence box

My dear friends,

I am posting an open letter to you today so in case you are wondering what gift to give me this Christmas you need not do intensive research anymore (just assuming you will go that far! Hahaha!!) Anyways, I will not prolong your suffering and will go straight to the point. I am deeply, madly in love right now. And of course, as good friends you will help me any way possible to keep me feeling this way. Such sweet friends you really are <3  The source of my affection is this box below. I named it Correspondence Box. I have been in love with it since last week, so please be kind.

My sweet correspondence box

Correspondence box is not just any ordinary box, of course it is not. It contains all my stationeries, my colorful stickers, glue, envelopes of different sizes, post cards (oh my, can't help having goosebumps as I typed its contents) pens, craypas, little colored papers and the little wonderful things that are heavenly. Oh my, did I mention I am sooo in love?! So dear friends, if you want to make me swoon this Christmas, please help me add more content to my sweet Correspondence Box (my pet name for it is Corbie). You can get anything from stationery sets to postcards to specialty papers or stamps, anything that will make my Corbie fuller.

Swoon . . . 

Anyway, last Saturday I got a joyful surprise from the mailbox. Yes, you guessed it right! I had a little mail from Germany (insert an excited giggle). Do you know that feeling of lightness when you open an envelope which contains the excited greeting of a new friend? It is a most wonderful feeling to wake up to such a treat! Here it is ------------------------------------- > 

My friends, thank you for taking time to read this. And please remember to look at the stationeries section when you do your Christmas shopping!

Lots of love,

Joyce

Self-reflection: (chapter 2) a lesson on waiting

This week was full of adventures that I cannot even stop a moment to blog. It started with a holiday in the Philippines, so I decided to bike inside the campus with the goal that it will be the start of active physical regimen to break the sedentary lifestyle that I lead for quite a while now. So I cooked breakfast, went to the university to bike and I sweat a lot. Then the next day, I enrolled to the university. Then on Wednesday my classes began.

I am taking up Spanish language class and Anthropology. These subjects will be the focus of my life in the next 5 months. A letter from Germany arrived this morning, I am sooo excited!! Que bonito!

A lesson on waiting . . . Actually this phase of my life is also a difficult one. Life is not as it was before, it is getting harder and tougher. I have to hold tight to inspiring thoughts to get me through the rough patches. Yesterday, I had this amazing epiphany. I was waiting for ride home for at least thirty minutes (that's really long!) along commonwealth avenue. I stood there before sunset but long minutes passed and I could not get ride. Darkness started to paint the sky, the blue hue got inked by the black. I started to lose my patience. When will the darn ride arrive?


Then a warm pool of light greeted my eyes. It was hiding behind the rows of trees and buildings. Then it carefully climbed up, gracefully moving to her zenith, showing her perfect golden sphere. The moon shone brightly up in the sky, I was in awe. Maybe the whole point of endlessly waiting for ride is to see the beauty of the moon. And to take it in for a while. To appreciate its eternal grace but not to own it. To linger then to move on with my plan of getting home. To look at the bigger picture, perhaps it is good to wait a while because we will never know when we will witness such magic of nature, appreciate for a moment then we must move on, because we are expected to grow, fly and experience more. Who knows, maybe another full moon is waiting for us just around the corner as we fulfill our journey.


Vale la pena.

Weekend, a time for slowing down and listing things down

1. Today I feel so down and out. Maybe I feel so isolated or maybe it is growing pains, I just feel so sensitive.
2. Finished four letters bound for Germany ---> check www.letternet.de   I joined the mailing pals community there, it is interesting.
3. Have four Hong Kong postcards from Masa ---> arigatou-gozaimas Toshi-kun! ^_^
4. Have one Sagada postcard from Romina ---> Danke, Romina! <3
5. Have one sticker for the 2012 planner of a coffee shop.
6. Started listing down gifts for my family and friends for Christmas.
7. Unearthed UN stationeries (envelopes, cards and papers) way toooo cool, awesome, three hearts!!
--->courtesy of Macel, spasiba!!!
8. I watched coffee prince again! Just the first episode though. It made me happy . . .  a bit.

Sera toujours mon coeur  <3

One Rainy Morning

Memories come back whenever the morning feels so misty and cool. I am having a comfortable and easy morning today, the kind where you just want to get a book and curl up in your bed. I am reminded of those childish dreams that we all want to come true forever, a hard bound book of my favorite author under the Christmas tree, waking up with boxes of chocolates at the foot of my bed, a warm cup of creamy chocolate while it's drizzling outside, different color sets of pens and diaries as a birthday gift or maybe the scent of freshly picked flowers at the living room mixing with the aroma of mom's newly baked macaroni pasta in tomatoes and rosemary. Mmmm, heaven! 

Now aside from the above mentioned pleasures, please let me share you one of the finest poems that I ever read. It was also adapted into movie, Turn Left, Turn Right. 

Love at First Sight

by Wislawa Szymborska

Both are convinced
that a sudden surge of emotion bound them together.
Beautiful is such a certainty,
but uncertainty is more beautiful.


Because they didn't know each other earlier, they suppose that
nothing was happening between them.
What of the streets, stairways and corridors
where they could have passed each other long ago?


I'd like to ask them
whether they remember-- perhaps in a revolving door
ever being face to face?
an "excuse me" in a crowd
or a voice "wrong number" in the receiver.
But I know their answer:
no, they don't remember.


They'd be greatly astonished
to learn that for a long time
chance had been playing with them.


Not yet wholly ready
to transform into fate for them
it approached them, then backed off,
stood in their way
and, suppressing a giggle,
jumped to the side.


There were signs, signals:
but what of it if they were illegible.
Perhaps three years ago,
or last Tuesday
did a certain leaflet fly
from shoulder to shoulder?
There was something lost and picked up.
Who knows but what it was a ball
in the bushes of childhood.


There were doorknobs and bells
on which earlier
touch piled on touch.
Bags beside each other in the luggage room.
Perhaps they had the same dream on a certain night,
suddenly erased after waking.


Every beginning
is but a continuation,
and the book of events
is never more than half open.

-translated by Walter Whipple