Blogging from Jurong Library

Customer Appreciation month ngayon sa National Library. I'm not sure what's happening on other branches, but in Jurong they're giving away baloons and ID jackets. May children program din kaya there's a lot of children here right now to attend the storytelling hour. Sa mga members, ang book quota ay doble, that means I can now borrow 8 books. Sa mga mabibilis magbasa tulad ko, ayos yun. Ndi mo nga lang maappreciate if you opt to read your books slow because ndi naextend ang borrowing time.

Still ang daming nanghihiram, kaya yung mga bagong releases and hard-to-find books ubos kaagad.

Kadalasan, to borrow something, I just go online, reserve a book and pick it up in Tampines Library. Before though, I made it a point to visit as many library branches as I can because that's the one thing I didn't have the chance to do back home.

Ndi ko nga lang pa napuntahan lahat but among the ones I was able to see, there are three places that I favor going back once in a while: Tampines Library because that's the closest to my work place, Geylang Library because mas wide ang selection of books dun then Orchard Library since ito naman ang pinakamalapit na mapupuntahan ko for manga and american comics. Pero sa lahat, Jurong Library ang pinakafavorite ko, ndi lang bilang isang library but also as one of my favorite places here in Singapore.

It's in my list because I love the ambience. They also have Cafe Galilee here... ang sarap ng kape nila... at ng tuna puff. Maraming pumupunta dito but it's big enough that you can find a corner and then watch the people go about and do their business. Children running around, parents reading the morning paper... and yet it's not as noisy.
Ndi rin basta basta yung corner na pede mong puntahan. May mga tables with sofa chairs... may study table... may corners na solo mo lang... may corners na pede nyong gamitin magbabarkada... may dim light at may seat beside a window pane. Basta library goer ka, you'll be able to appreciate the comfort that this library can offer. The staff are all friendly too but at the same time not to eager to push their business to you so you have the peace and quiet that you want.

The main library, located in Queen Street near Bugis, is the newest one. The old one was demolished to give way to one of the biggest in asia. Oo sabel, mas malaki pa sa PUP library. Ang weird nga, kasi ang basement nun reminds me of the PUP library basement kung san natutulog kami pag lunch break. I haven't seen all the floors, mostly because when I went there karamihan restricted pa. Nice collection of manga and comics though, but maybe irereserve ko na lang yun kesa bumalik uli.

Pero talaga... ang sarap ng kape sa Jurong. langhap sarap. babalik balikan. kahit walang asukal. kahit walang gatas. kahit ndi sprinkled ng choco powder or cinnamon. amoy barako pero ndi kasing tapang.
ay... library nga pala ang pinag-uusapan.

Ocia! Storytelling in english open for all kids from aged 4 to 7 will start in a few minutes. Kelangan ko pang magreserve ng seat.

'til next, sabel.

Thank You by Oprah

Forwarded by a friend... really love Oprah...

Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, forthis is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1Thes 5:16-18)
===========================================================
THANK YOU By Oprah Winfrey
I live in the space of thankfulness - and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started out giving thanks for small things,and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.

That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on thegoodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships,even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.

"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent. "Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided. "But - you don't understand," I sobbed. To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone,which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," shetold me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud. 'Thank you.'

"Tentatively, I repeated it:
"Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"

"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it.You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm,God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"

So I did - and still do. Only now I do it every day.

I kept a gratitude journal, as Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests in SimpleAbundance, listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. My list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet(like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and mycocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.

My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job(and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share myvision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security. Iwon't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But asI look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99 per cent of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money . (It had a lot to do with food,however.)

It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you:PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way. When you learn to say thank you, you see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated:

"If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is a Thank you, that would suffice."

Here's a link to the Thank You episode: http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_20011119.jhtml

So Dark the Con of Man Da Movie

Da Vinci?

'Syado ng maraming nasangkutan ang libro na ito since it was published...
from the Baigent/Leigh vs Brown plagiarist case...
to the controversy over the film's soundtrack...
you can't help but wonder if it's all hyped.

ndi siguro naimagine ni Dan Brown na ganito kalaki ang resulting avalanche.
You know what the greatest lie here is? The Con of Man is for you to be convinced that this movie is big. Mas kontrobersyal pa ang Angels and Demons, as it relates more closely to recent times in the church. So what's all this hulabalou all about? Maraming pumatol ng irerelease na ang movie dahil biglang me mga call to ban the movie. Naturally, mas maraming nasangkot sa gulo.

Stripped away all these controversies, you'll get nothing but a common formula theme. Boy meets girl, comes into peril, goes to different places/countries for an adventure and then solves the mystery and saves the day. Me kaunting revelation pa sa ending ng movie. Sounds familiar? Oo sabel... katatapos lang ng MI:III.

Sabi ng self-righteous groups: 
kelangan natin ipagtanggol ang christian faith... 
kelangan wag itolerate ang pagbalahura sa ating simbahan...

Sagot ng iba: may karapatan kaming husgahan kung ano ang dapat naming panoorin at pakinggan.

So pano yan pareho silang tama di ba? Walang panalo... ay meron pala, si Dan Brown at ang distributor ng movie. Free publicity. maning mani ang over $224 million overall grosses.

Try reading Deception Point and Digital Fortress... halfway through these books, you'll see through the hype of Da Vinci. Compared nung libro pa lang ang Da Vinci, mas maganda pa ang resulta ng mga debate. People were inquiring about Christ, about the Christian faith, Opus Dei, the Priory, the knights of the templar. May patutunguhan ang mga pag-uusap. There was an opportunity to learn and increase awareness of the Faith. It wasn't about commercialism. Even the church at that time played it smart and cool, tahimik na pagliliwanag lang ang binibigay nila. Now, it's all about the box office. The millions of dollars Brown gained. 

Just like in Richard Gere's Visa commercial... "but there's only enough for one bird.." 

(side note:
-anak nung guide ni Gere yung magkapatid-girl na bumili ng ibon & boy na aalis
- tito nya yung me ari ng tindahan ng ibon
- at iba pang kamag-anak ang ibang nagtitinda...
- ang mga ibon, babalik sa me-ari pag pinalakpakan...
- it's such a small sleepy village...)

p.s.
Me isa pa kong narinig na nagbato ng opinyon tungkol sa pagtanggap ni T. Hanks sa kanyang role... ganito ang takbo ng usapan nila :
SR1: Ba't ba tinanggap ni Hanks yang role na yan? *kunot noo*
SR2: Ndi ba nya alam na sa ginawa nya diretso na sya sa impyerno nyan? SACRILEGIOUS na rin yun eh... *palo sa mesa*
SR1: Ndi lang, ngayon pa lang pede na syang maparusahan. Ikakabagsak na ng career nya yan. Kakalaos na nyan yan."smirks*

Si SR1 pala nawalan ng trabaho. Sabi nya, me nagsabi sa kanya "magresign ka!". Ano kayang "sacrilegious" ang ginawa nya?

Quote of the day: Always guard against a harsh, fault-finding, and bitter spirit.
Related links:
Matthew 7.5 - u hypocrite... (read here).
Slanderous Judgment or Righteous Judgment (read here)
Cracking Da Vinci (read here)

review on filipino maids

If you find that poverty mentality keeps you from achieving the success you deserve, the reason may be in your own past. Having the frame of mind that sees you with far less than you are capable of attaining can come from being raised in poverty. The deep belief that you cannot achieve more, or don't deserve to is the ingredient that makes a reality of this mindset. -- anon.

Nung unang panahon... early 19th century.. may naging komento si Jean Mallat na nasulat ni Ambeth Ocampo sa inquirer tungkol sa mga chinese foreign workers (http://www.inq7.net/opi/2004/apr/16/text/opi_arocampo-1-p.htm) sa tin non. Noon daw, sila ang pumupunta sa bansa para magtrabaho at may ipadala sa pamilya nila back home.

Fast forward ngayon, nakakita ako ng article sa shanghai tungkol sa pagreview ng skills ng mga filipino maids.

Iba na talaga ang panahon ano. Ngayon tayo na ang may pangarap na bumalik ang panahon nung tulad ng kina Rizal.

Pangarap ko na dumating ang panahon na buhay pa ako at ndi na tayo nirereview sa pagiging maid. Sana magkaron ng kabuluhan ang pagsisikap ng bawat filipina maid sa ibang bansa.. na iangat ang pamilya nila, ndi
lang financially pero pati na rin sa lahat ng aspeto sa buhay. Sana bawat isa sa anak nila lumaking responsable at productive citizen ng bansa... ndi man makagraduate bilang doktor, engineer, nurse etc. maging isang
magaling na businessman na lang na magbibigay ng trabaho sa iba, o kaya maging isang simpleng guro na may pangarap itaas ang antas ng edukasyon.

Sana dumating ang panahon na nirereview naman ang skills ng karamihan sa tin bilang professional o kaya bilang economic assets of the country.

Ito na yung article.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/05/17/278155/Filipino_maids__039__mixed_reviews.htm

Filipino maids' mixed reviews
2006-05-17
FILIPINO
housemaids have not been widely used by local Beijing families
since
agencies started marketing their services in March.
An estimated 1,000 to
2,000 Filipino maids work on the Chinese
mainland, with up to 300 in
Beijing, where four agencies offer their services.
Employers of Filipino
maids in Beijing, however, are mostly from Hong
Kong, Taiwan and overseas,
and include very few native families, local
media have reported.
Wealthy
white-collar professionals with strong English skills are the
main employers
of Filipino maids, said an agency manager quoted by the
Beijing-based Global
Times newspaper as saying.
"Beijing needs at least 200,000 home servants
every year, of whom three
to five percent must be skilled professionals, and
Filipino maids
probably account for one percent," he said.
The
relatively high cost is one reason why Beijingers stick with native
Chinese
maidservants.
Besides the US$350 to US$400 for the monthly salary, employers
must pay
about US$1,060 in fees for training, visas, employment permits,
physical examinations, insurance and annual flights for a Filipino maid.
The average monthly salary of Beijing residents, by contrast, was about
US$340 last year, according to the Beijing Statistical Bureau.
On
arrival, maids and their bosses face obstacles in communication,
lifestyle
and cuisine.
Mr Wu, a businessman from Singapore, fired his Filipino maid
because
she was incapable of cooking Chinese food properly and he worried
about
the influence of her Philippine accent on his children, Beijing Youth
Daily said.
Wu has since hired a Chinese servant for just over US$100 a
month.
Philippine servants, nevertheless, though, have an international
reputation for their high-quality service and cheerful temperaments.
Mr
Chen, who works for a foreign-funded company in Beijing, said his
breakfast
is ready and his home and car cleaned when he gets up every
day.
"She
likes to sing and sometimes dance while working, and that makes me
happy
too," he said.

The Invitation by Oriah

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's
longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will
risk looking like a foolfor lovefor your dreamfor the adventure of being
alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...I want to
know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow if you have been opened by
life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further
pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving
to hide it

or fade it

or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy

mine or
your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips
of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us to

be careful

be realistic

remember
the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are
telling me is true.I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to
yourself.If you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own
soul.If you can be faithless

and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you
can see Beauty

even when it is not pretty

every day.And if you can source your own
life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure

yours and
mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full
moon,"Yes."
It doesn't interest me

to know where you live or how much money
you have.I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and
despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the
children.
It doesn't interest me who you know

or how you came to be here.I
want to know if you will standin the centre of the fire

with me

and not shrink
back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied.I
want to know what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.
I want
to know if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly like the company you
keepin the empty moments.

Fw: Good or Bad Hard To Say

heard a good story from a friend today...

Once upon a time, there was a king.
The king liked one of his
followers very much because he was very wise and
always gave
very useful advice. Therefore the king took him along wherever
he went.

One day, the king was bitten by a dog, the finger was
injured and the
wound was getting worse. He asked the follower if that
was a bad sign.
The follower said, 'Good or bad, hard to say'. In the end,
finger of the king
was too bad that had to be cut. The king asked the
follower again if
that was a bad sign. Again, the follower gave the
same answer,
'Good or bad, hard to say'. The king became very angry and
sent the follower to prison.

One day, the king went hunting in
the jungle. He got excited when he was
on the chase of a deer. Deeper and
deeper he went inside the jungle. In the
end he found himself lost in the
jungle. To make things worse, he got
captured by the native people who
lived inside the jungle. They wanted to
sacrifice him to their god. But when
they noticed that the king had one
finger short, they released him
immediately as he was not a perfect man
anymore and not suitable for
sacriface. The king managed to get back to
his palace after all.

And he finally understood the follower's wise quote, 'Good or bad,
hard to say'. If he hadn't lost one finger, he could have been killed by
the native people. He ordered to release the follower, and apologized
to him.
But to the king's amazement, the follower was not mad at him at all.
Instead,the
follower said, 'It wasn't a bad thing that you locked me up.'
Why? Because if the king hadn't locked the follower up, he would
have
brought the follower along to the jungle. If the native found that
the king
was not suitable, they would have used the follower.
Again, the quote 'Good
or bad, hard to say' stands.

The moral of the story is that
everything that happens in this world,
there is no absolute good or bad.
Sometimes good things turned out to be bad
things eventually, while bad
things become a gain.
Whatever good things that happen to you, enjoy it, but
don't
have to hold too tight to it, treat it as a surprise in your
life.
Whatever bad things that happen to you, don't have to feel too
sad or
despair, in the end, it might not be a total bad thing after all.
If one can
understand this, he or she will find life much easier.


And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good
to those who love God, to those who are called according to
His
purpose. Rom 8:28

I Ching Ka Ching

I was googling astrology when I came across I Ching. I have the freaky habit of checking out all kinds of predictions having this belief that consistency will make any forecast closer to becoming a reality. That's why when I learned about I Ching, I welcomed it like a lost son.

Here's a site where you can learn more, toss the coin and read interpretations: http://www.cyberastro.com

Each hexagram is composed of six lines. Each individual line can be either a Yang line or a Yin line. The Chinese sages have evolved 64-life situation called Hexagrams, a figure of 6 lines each. These life situations are in constant flux. The type of line (Yang or Yin) and the position of each line indicate the direction of this flux. Thus (64x6)=384 are possible directions of change or possible situations in life. In this section, we are giving the interpretation of each line as they appear in the particular hexagram. Those interpretations of each individual line will give you a closer picture of how the situation depicted by the specific hexagram can unfold in your life. The ups and down, the opportunities and danger that will be unfolding. The interpretation provides you a caution and also suggests a course of action. It tells you, whether the particular aspect is auspicious or inauspicious for you - whether you should continue your present course or you need to change your direction.

Here's what I got after tossing the coins:

--- Yang at the top
--- Yang in the fifth place
--- Yang in the fourth place
- - Yin in the third place
--- Yang in the second place
- - Yin at the bottom

--- Yang at the top
Sit Calm
Danger ahead
No problem

What it means...You should do your daily duties
without fail. Attend to all routine matters. Do not undertake new work. A
greater force is working in your favor that will drive away all the dark
clouds.

--- Yang in the fifth place
Wise man meditate
Noise do not disturb him

What it means...Let nothing disturb your peace of
mind. Let nothing sway away you from your path of duty. The external disturbance
will be suggestions, statements and actions from so-called well-wishers. Ignore
them like passing clouds. You have nothing to fear. You are now tuned to the
infinite.

--- Yang in the fourth place
Waiting in the mud
Invites the enemy

What it means...You should not be afraid because
the enemy is coming. You are prepared for him. You may be in the mud but you are
not weak. You are weak and afraid only when your faith is on the evil. But your
faith is on god. No matter who the enemy is - you shall overcome.

- - Yin in the third place
Waiting in blood
Coming out from the pit

What it means...This indicates a person just coming
out of danger. It had not been an easy task. God's battle is not easy. You have
been his chosen general.

--- Yang in the second place
Waiting at the feast
It is time for good
fortune

What it means...You do not any god other than the
living spirit, almighty, the Supreme cause and power. This is the celebration
for this victory .You humbly surrender to the good fortune that the almighty has
blessed you with.

- - Yin at the bottom
Entering the pit
Three unexpected guests arrive
Treat them well

What it means...Good fortune at the end. When God
is with you -what is the fear of the unknown or unexpected? You can move
mountains. You can walk through fire. You can cross the sea. This is the hour.
God is testing your finest faith. You have to go through it as you do you will
wish for everybody all the blessing of life. As you do so, a miracle will take
place-All the good fortune will be for you to enjoy.

The Answers to Your Questions
Fortune Medium good fortune Wish Will not be
fulfilled immediately, but will be realized if you have patience and
perseverance.
Marriage Do not rush. There will be delays and
obstacles. It will materialize, but not at this time
Offsprings A boy but late childbirth.
Sickness Long and chronic digestive ailment. Only
rest and proper diet will ensure recovery.
Disputes Not favorable .It is better to compromise.
Employment For the time being, the prospect is not
bright enough. Wait for sometime, the right opportunities will come. This is not
the right time for new project venture.
Travel Not the best time. There will be last minute
delay and cancellation.
Lost Articles You will take a long time to locate
it Look towards north and north west - in your home or in your office.
Money Not immediately. However in the end money
will pour in from unexpected sources.

The Time of Realization...
If the answer to a question is favorable, the time
of realization signifies when is the event likely to happen. It is usually given
in days/weeks/months. This should not be taken in a literal sense. Days signify
immediate fulfillment, Weeks signify that it will take place in the near future.
The month signifies that there will be delay but is going to happen in the end.
Whether it is immediate/medium or long term can be judged from the status of
fortune. If the answer to a question is unfavorable, then time of realization
signifies the duration of the unlucky period. Whether it is days/ weeks/ months
will again depend on the conditions of fortune.
For the Image casted for you
One week, One month.

Moving Line Interpretation

This is the Image of Ta Ch'n - The The taming power
of the wise.

The Significance of the ImageThe creative heaven is
tamed by Ken the mountain. The hexagram has a 3 fold meaning expressing 3
aspects of holding firm. The first Heaven is within the mountain, the two are
joined together. Both are great powers and are acting in harmony.

The second the Mountain Ken is holding Chien the
Creative. This signifies holding back or restrain but for a positive purpose. It
is like you create a dam to control the flow of water to create electricity.

The third idea is the continuation of the positive
inflow, it is like a holding firm for care and nourishment like the flow of milk
for a child being breast-fed by the mother.

The Judgement
Heaven under the mountain
The Superior man stores in his mind
The truths of history
He pays his debtsHe gives away his
rewards
He keeps to his course
He crosses the great water.

The I Ching's Guidance - In Persuit of
Relationships

It is not enough to have power or a great
potential. The issue here is, one must be able to use one's power effectively
and appropriately at all times. This is the sure path to prosperity.
Potentially, you are capable of achieving great things. But you have to canalize
your potential in the right direction. You may be already a very powerful and
successful person.

Your influence is far reaching. As a habit, you can
control and influence other peoples' lives and destiny. You have reached a
position where you may not do anything, because the society rewarded you with
extreme good fortune. However, you cannot forget to pay your debts to the
society.

This is the time for you to take some very
important steps, which will have far reaching impact on your life. Your success
will depend on your ability to focus and channel your efforts effectively. This
is the essence of the message that you tame your great power in the right
direction.

The I Ching's Guidance - In Persuit of
Spiritualism

Stick to the ancient and traditional sources of
whatever spiritual path you have chosen. You may sometimes feel contradictions
and irrelevance in some of these ancient procedures. But stick to them all the
same. At the right time, there will be revelation, which will enlighten you and
you will be free.

Interesting, huh?!

Doing the things you cannot do

Saw a re-run of one of the episodes of Grey's Anatomy (the one with the lady with the big cyst). I love what Dr. Grey said on the last part:

A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin
shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow,
he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You
think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put
things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear.
Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a
decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you
can't undo?


The early bird catches the worm.

A stitch in time saves nine.

He who hesitates is lost.

We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the
proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted
time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have
to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own
lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we
can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin
really meant.

That knowing is better than wondering,

that waking is better than sleeping,

and even the biggest failure, even the worst,

beat the hell out of never trying.