The Hand That Shakes the Papaya Tree

Have you ever been hungry and you had no money – and there’s no possibility of you getting anything to eat anytime soon?

Life can throw a lot of challenges our way, but unless you know what it feels like to be without money AND food, well.... you should just be thankful.

I’ve known once what it felt like to be that hungry. Just once. I was only around 12 then. My mom, my brother and I lived in a 2-storey apartment. We were not living in poverty; I don’t remember us ever being in that situation. But I recall, that my mom had a difficult time raising us on her own. I didn’t understand it fully then, and she tried her best to not let it affect us. She tried to give us a good life, and for the most part, we had everything we needed.

Because of this experience, I hate to see hungry people, and I can never turn my back away from a child rummaging through the garbage for food, or an old person, begging in the streets. I know what it feels like to have no options.

Put A Faucet On Your Bucket (Saying No to the Demands on Your Time)

As you grow in skills and value in your career, you'll notice that one day there will be a lot of people expecting something from you. This is a good sign, if you're looking for a gauge to judge your success by. Colleagues turn to you because they know you get things done. It's certainly a better alternative too being the untrustworthy wallpaper in the office.

In your personal life too, sometimes you unintentionally give that perception. That everyone can dump their problems on you and you'll listen and help. They're like the faucet and you're the bucket. The only problem is that the faucet is not in your control.

Dreams Happen One Shovel at a Time

Today we went to visit our new house Maggie, to do a little cleaning. It wasnt clear to me what my husband meant when he said "clean a little", so I took 2 broomsticks and a broom and wore clogs for the day trip.

The developer didn't bother to have the perimeter cleaned to remove the debris left over from the construction, so yeah the grounds were kinda dirty. So that's where we started cleaning. I got my broomstick and started sweeping the sidewalk, removing sand, gravel and stones. My husband made a makeshift shovel out of a slab of iron sheet he found somewhere, and shoveled as I swept. 30 minutes into my task, I was tired already and we weren't even 20% done. There had to be a better way to do this, I thought. The job was too big for the tools we had on hand.

Where's the darn sidewalk?

The village only had 25 residents, it was very new. On our street, only 2 houses were occupied. I went over to the house nearest to us and asked if they had a shovel. Luckily, they did. I took my loot back to my husband and we resumed working. As I watched hubby shoveling gravel and then crossing the road to dump it on an unoccupied lot, I realized he needed a pail or something. Just walking back and forth was tiring and unnecesary... if only we had a pail so we can remove more with less effort. I went into one of the half finished houses and waddya know, the workers left a small empty paint pail. 

Why Is It So Hard To Love Yourself?

We all say, "I Want Happiness" and some wise person will respond, remove the "I", remove the "Want" and you'll find happiness. Well, if that's the case, why don't we just all kill ourselves then if the "I"is not so important? Maybe we can release our nameless, faceless soul into the void and be happy. It's the most absurd thing, to say that the "I" is preventing our happiness.

If there is no "I", then where will all the yearning for happiness come from? Happiness would not have any meaning if someone's desires were not being satisfied.

I've always been a believer in the philosophy, that before we can do or be anything, we must first have dreams and visions of who we are and what we want in life... and those thoughts come from our knowledge of ourselves. What do we believe? What do we want? What do we envision life to be? All of these self affirmations come from our rational brain, where dreams are born and made - the "I". 

Can You Really Make Money Online?

The idea of trying to make money through online freelancing came to me when I started to tire of my job. I needed some distraction and a possible income alternative in case I decided to quit. Aside from that, we got ourselves a new car and a house, and so, any additional income would be welcome. It was these combination of factors that made me decide to check out online freelancing.

Like they say, good ideas are born when there's a need.

What is the Difference Between a Regular Movie and a 3D Movie?

Today, we watched The Hobbit - Battle of the Five Armies on IMAX. At almost PHP 500, it's a little expensive as compared to a regular 2D movie ticket. But since The Hobbit has beautiful cinematography, extensive CGI and considering that it's a fantasy film, we thought it would be worth it... and it was! No doubt about it. It was a different movie experience.

The reason I'm writing this piece is to explain what a 3D movie is. I think that people who haven't been to an IMAX theater or watched a 3D movie yet can benefit from this article and avoid looking like a newbie.