as part of Caitlin’s “The Ultimate Blogging Challenge – Day 3” I’m reblogging one of the first articles that I have posted. It was part of an assignment when I did an online course. Have a great day everyone 🙂
“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least–at least I mean what I say–that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!”
― Lewis Carroll
How about a coven of writers brewing our stories? I don’t mean we’re witches, meeting on a full moon, each one adding some herbs or spices in a big pot of the cauldron, cooking over an open fire. I was just thinking about this course – with all of us coming from different countries, backgrounds, experience, culture, and each one have a story brewing in our minds, waiting in anticipation to come out. Yes, we are a group of writers and I want to know what…
This is going to be based on things that make you happy. It could be something as simple as making a list of your favourite things, or perhaps you could write a poem. It could even be about a certain special person in your life, a close friend maybe. You could write about a memory you share, or just what they mean to you.
it’s all in the mind
simple things make me happy
pure heart, no worries
living with nature
happiness is within our hearts
together with love
sunshine, flowers bloom
birds singing, feeling of content
life is wonderful
Memories of youth
My happiness
When Sabel was young
Naive in the world
I wanted simple things
Ate ice – cream
Played hide-and-seek
Played catch , marbles , yoyo
Rented a bike
Strolled in town
Bathed in a creek
Along with carabao
Memories of youth
My happiness
being with you is magic
magic as in worth living
living a dream forever
forever we grow old and ageing
love is happiness
happiness shared with you
you and I together
together we stick like glue
why is the sky so blue?
blue as the wavy sea
sea breeze and summer dream
dream as my love for thee
the world’s our oyster, the future in our hands
with just a wave of my hard to make out wand
it’s how we look at it, be it a challenge or a setback
if I’m not careful, I’ll find myself sitting on a yak
will we accept the challenge, or will we stop at the first fall?
and shot up all the rest with caffeine, happiness, life and all?
life is not always smooth sailing; there’ll be some setbacks
oh my God, do I feel a knife in my back?
we shouldn’t stop at plan A, there should always be a plan B
I have to take things breezy, gladly and calmly
and if they still don’t work, go on until the last letter plan
though I seem to have misplaced my recipe for flan
Let’s not give up just easily; it’s all a test on our determination
I think it is easy; it’s not thermodynamics or nuclear fusion
From Caitlin: Here is the first day of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge and I can’t wait to get started!
If you don’t know what this is, click here to read more. There is no sign up and you are free to join as and when you please.
Right! Today is all about us getting to know you better.
I would like you to create something that represents you in some way. It could be as simple as writing a [insert number] facts about me post. Or, it could be a story of something that inspired or influenced you as a person. You could even share a piece of artwork that you feel a connection to, whether it was created by you or not.
The possibilities are endless and you can go as “off-topic” as you like, as long as it has a strong relation to you and lets us get to know you better.
I was 23 when I first left my country. The first time to be away from my family, the first time to travel to Europe, my adventure. I could still remember that day when they all took me to the airport, my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends – quite disheartening, actually. I was sad to leave them, but at the same time, looking forward to my journey.
A week after I’ve arrived in France, it started snowing. I couldn’t believe my eyes; the whole world was blanketed in white! It was so incredibly gorgeous and perfect, no footsteps in it, just lumps and bumps where plants sat in the gardens and cars entirely covered in snow. I was mesmerised. As soon as I’ve felt its powdery texture, I thought to myself, “This was the White Christmas people were dreaming about.” I couldn’t imagine that just a week ago, from sweltering morning – traffic starting to build up in Manila. The noise of cars, taxis, motorcycles, vans and jeepneys beeping and honking, children going to school and adults to work, street vendors selling taho (soya) or peanuts. Such a difference! A normal hectic day in Manila compared to a peaceful, snowy one in France.
Four years later, I was returning to the Philippines. I have lived in Switzerland, Germany and the United States. I worked as a Secretary to the Ambassador of Ethiopia at the United Nations Office in Geneva. I did the English correspondence and dealt with his appointments. It was a great diplomatic experience. Then I went to Germany to do some laboratory training. I’ve got my Chemistry degree from the Philippines, so I was able to get a 6-month training at BASF, Ludwigshafen. There, I met Him Indoors, who was also doing some training. Action and reaction, love happened and we were sad to part ways after the training. I went to Los Angeles, California, USA and he went back to the UK to finish his Chemistry degree. In the summer, he visited me in Los Angeles and we decided to get married. That was the reason I was returning to the Philippines – to tell my parents that we were getting married.
EDSA REVOLUTION / FEBRUARY 1986 Catholic nuns and supporters of the EDSA people’s revolt greets a soldier on board his V-150 armored tank at EDSA. PDI PHOTO/BOY CABRIDO
The EDSA Revolution of 1986 in the Philippines. I was part of the crowd – a bizarre mixture of people coming and going in every direction, military tanks and cannons with their soldiers greeted with flowers and food, burning tires, activist flags and streamers, vendors selling their wares, vehicles parked everywhere and some beeping their horns, portable radios, foreign correspondents and religious altars. Strangers flashed wide grins at each other. People were marching, praying, crying and singing all at the same time. It was one of nonviolent protests that led to the departure of the then President Marcos and the re-establishment of the country’s democracy. I was there. I wanted to make a difference. I was part of that history.
We got married on the nicest day of June (it was the only weekend it didn’t rain, thank God) in the UK. We prepared a big fish (baked) with mayonnaise, red and green peppers, chopped carrots on top. I also cooked spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce and other Filipino dishes. Him Indoor’s mother baked the cake, and did the other dishes. We prepared before hand, so we used the fridges of their neighbours to store them. My cousin from Germany and her husband came and she was my Maid of Honour. She wore a Royal Blue Dress. I wore a creamish dress from the Philippines, made of pineapple fibre, like silk. It was exquisite! Him Indoors wore a dark blue suit, with his great grandfather’s pocket watch. We got married in the Register Office, which was a magnificent timber building and the oldest building in the country. It was so romantic!
Four years later, Him Indoors was accepted to work in Bavaria so we moved here. It was a new place for both of us, not knowing that we would be still here after 27 years. HRH the son was born here and he considers Bavaria as his home. We’re happy here – we have the mountains to hike or ski in the winter, and the lakes, beer gardens and parks to walk or cycle in the summer. It was just the right size for us, not too big a city and not too little a village. We have a terrace house and a garden. When HRH the son was born, I decided to stay at home and looked after him. We did lots of things together, from toddler groups, music school, kindergarden, school, etc. I volunteered to work as one of the librarians in their library. When he was 10, I started thinking about going back to work. I did some training, a Master’s in English Language Teaching. Now, I’m a freelance English trainer/teacher. And so, my journey continues.
ladyleemanila 