And now I realize it’s the biggest gift that I have ever received: weight. By having the opportunity of being obese, and also a “normal” weight, or at least on my way to it, I have been able to hone the qualities that I found most endearing in a person. I also was able to learn at a very young age that it doesn’t matter what a person looks like, and not to judge by appearances, the way that most people did with me.
The most important lesson I learned is that you have to love yourself, before anyone else can love you. Happiness lies completely within the individual. No one else can make, or break it for you, without your permission. Throughout high school, I cursed the body that I was “given,” and now I realize that it has made me a stronger, better person.
-- http://mysticsclub.wordpress.com/
Thursday, January 31, 2008
An Important Lesson
I came across Jessica's blog, after having gastric bypass surgery and losing nearly 200 lbs she wrote:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Latest Fashion Show - Taya Jeans
This is the latest fashion show of Taya Jeans, the company that I work for. Take note of ALL the accessories that all the models used. Im proud to say that I was the one who chose and bought them. (Whoa! Big achievement huh?!) LOL!
Hollywood couple sentenced in Filipino maid 'slave' case
This is sad...
A former top Hollywood studio lawyer and his wife were on Monday sentenced by a Los Angeles judge after admitting to mistreating their Filipino maid in a case of "modern-day slavery," a court heard.
US District Judge Dale Fischer ordered James Jackson, 53, a former vice-president of legal affairs at Sony Pictures to perform 200 hours of community service for admitting a charge of alien harboring.
Jackson's wife Elizabeth, 54, was given a three-year jail term after pleading guilty to a charge of forced labor.
In passing sentence, Fischer said Elizabeth Jackson had treated the victim, former schoolteacher Nena Ruiz, worse than her dog.
Ruiz was forced to eat three-day-old food and to sleep on a dog basket after working 18 hours a day. Over the course of several months' employment between 2001 and 2002 she was paid only 300 dollars.
"These defendants subjected their victim to what amounts to modern-day slavery," said Justice Department prosecutor Wan Kim after the Jacksons pleaded guilty in August last year.
In a related civil lawsuit, Ruiz said Elizabeth Jackson regularly slapped her and pulled her hair.
The Jacksons also threatened to turn her over to immigration authorities if she left them, Ruiz said. Ruiz finally fled the Jacksons after she was hit in the mouth with a water bottle in February 2002.
Elizabeth Jackson said in a letter read out in court on Monday that she took full responsibility for her actions.
"In my life I have always tried and strived to do the right thing," she said. "I failed in this case."
Defense lawyers argued against a jail sentence for Jackson, saying the couple had already suffered enough by being forced to declare bankruptcy.
However Fischer denied a request for home confinement, telling the court: "It seems she treated her dog much better than she treated her victim."
Ruiz won 825,000 dollars in damages from her former employers at a 2004 civil trial in Los Angeles.
A former top Hollywood studio lawyer and his wife were on Monday sentenced by a Los Angeles judge after admitting to mistreating their Filipino maid in a case of "modern-day slavery," a court heard.
US District Judge Dale Fischer ordered James Jackson, 53, a former vice-president of legal affairs at Sony Pictures to perform 200 hours of community service for admitting a charge of alien harboring.
Jackson's wife Elizabeth, 54, was given a three-year jail term after pleading guilty to a charge of forced labor.
In passing sentence, Fischer said Elizabeth Jackson had treated the victim, former schoolteacher Nena Ruiz, worse than her dog.
Ruiz was forced to eat three-day-old food and to sleep on a dog basket after working 18 hours a day. Over the course of several months' employment between 2001 and 2002 she was paid only 300 dollars.
"These defendants subjected their victim to what amounts to modern-day slavery," said Justice Department prosecutor Wan Kim after the Jacksons pleaded guilty in August last year.
In a related civil lawsuit, Ruiz said Elizabeth Jackson regularly slapped her and pulled her hair.
The Jacksons also threatened to turn her over to immigration authorities if she left them, Ruiz said. Ruiz finally fled the Jacksons after she was hit in the mouth with a water bottle in February 2002.
Elizabeth Jackson said in a letter read out in court on Monday that she took full responsibility for her actions.
"In my life I have always tried and strived to do the right thing," she said. "I failed in this case."
Defense lawyers argued against a jail sentence for Jackson, saying the couple had already suffered enough by being forced to declare bankruptcy.
However Fischer denied a request for home confinement, telling the court: "It seems she treated her dog much better than she treated her victim."
Ruiz won 825,000 dollars in damages from her former employers at a 2004 civil trial in Los Angeles.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Space Between
The lyrics to the song "Space Between" by Dave Matthews Band, are absolute poetry and reality at the same time, its almost ironic. Love - the great gray area. It was just so amazing how in 2 lines loves little lost tale was summarized.
“The space between what’s right and wrong is where you’ll find me hiding, waiting for you. The space between your heart and mine is the space we’ll fill in time.”
So Close...
SO CLOSE
Jon McLaughlin
You’re in my arms
And all the world is calm
The music playing on for only two
So close together
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive
A life goes by
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close
So close to reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
And now you’re beside me and look how far we’ve come
So far we are so close
How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We’re so close
To reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Let’s go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
So close
And still so far
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Searching for the Dream...
It has always been easier for me to write whenever I feel down and depressed. It seems like the words just keep on flowing from the heart if its hurting. On the rare moments of blissful happiness, I just crave to write but I end up just babbling on and on. Writing about how I can't write and how I have to type and delete entire sentences or even paragraphs because it just doesn't make sense. Just like this introductory paragraph.I just need to write something about how great this week has become. My boss left for Moscow and she's coming back next week. So thats 6 days of light work and stress free work environment. I also had a final interview with Fire Island Pines. Hopefully they'll get back to me within next week to let me know that I got the job. I also met someone this week who just completely blew me away. He's an awesome individual. I think I've only met a handful of people who I think is just all around genuine and real. And have I mentioned that im a sucker for people who can carry a good conversation? It was just topic after topic of anything under the sun (or the moon). Its always a good reason to celebrate a new acquaintance and blog about it. So there ya go!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Talented Friends: Alex & Lesley
Whenever, Wherever, Whatever..
Alex is the one wearing a red sleeveless shirt
Lesley is the tall girl on the left
Arent they amazing?
Alex is the one wearing a red sleeveless shirt
Lesley is the tall girl on the left
Arent they amazing?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Project: Self Diagnostics - Call an old Friend
My boss recently bought a new car. I had the most exciting privilege of scheduling the first ever diagnostics for the car. Apparently (as i dont know much about cars) a regular check up for the car is needed in order to ensure that it is in good running condition and just in case there's anything that might go wrong, it could be fixed before it goes really bad. I thought thats a great idea. So I decided to do a little bit of self diagnostics.
I thought I would bring you guys in. All 6 of my readers! LOL! I was thinking, maybe we can do a bit of an overhaul on ourselves, how we live our life and how we interact with the people around us. I'm going to try to post a weekly assignment every Wednesday and hopefully we try to do it together. I promise to keep it simple, yet very meaningful.
So lets begin. This week -- Call an old friend. Just say hi, ask how he/she is, y'know just simple keeping in touch. It would be nice to reach out and maybe bring back a closeness that you once shared.
Ayt!
I thought I would bring you guys in. All 6 of my readers! LOL! I was thinking, maybe we can do a bit of an overhaul on ourselves, how we live our life and how we interact with the people around us. I'm going to try to post a weekly assignment every Wednesday and hopefully we try to do it together. I promise to keep it simple, yet very meaningful.
So lets begin. This week -- Call an old friend. Just say hi, ask how he/she is, y'know just simple keeping in touch. It would be nice to reach out and maybe bring back a closeness that you once shared.
Ayt!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Jump!
For many of us, we don’t jump because it seems too risky. It means stepping into the unknown. We ask ourselves, “What if things don’t work out?” There seems to be no security in the unknown.-- Dave (http://www.breaktheillusion.com/)
But alas, the universe works in mysterious ways. When we step into the unknown and follow our heart, the universe provides us with everything we need. Things always seem to “work out” in the end. It just requires a leap of faith; when we jump, the universe will catch us. Following your heart and stepping into the unknown is, ironically, much more secure and safer than proceeding on a path that you know isn’t yours.
Im jumping...
Carlo Gavino and Don Bosco days...
It was a very nostalgic weekend. I dont mean that in a melodramatic kind of way. Its just that seeing Carlo Gavino, Robin Tomas and Leo Leal together in one place was just surreal. It took me back a few years (ok a lot of years back) when we were still in High School, happily strolling the halls of Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati. We talked and laughed and talked and laughed some more the entire night until the wee hours of the morning on Sunday. We ended with a feeling of contentment as we decided our lives turned out pretty well. We also said goodnight to new friends with the promise of seeing each other again. I am looking forward to spending more time with our new found friends. It is rather hard to meet new friends in the city.
To sum up the night, it was a good feeling to be able to rekindle good times with people you grew up with. It was great to say that we have come a long way since our rosary carrying days. And it was an awesome feeling to know you have friends you can count on.
Cheers!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Brief Life Expectancy
Dr. David Reuben's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, first published in 1969. The chapter on homosexuality explained, "The homosexual must constantly search for the one man, the one penis, the one experience, that will satisfy him. He is the sexual Diogenes, always looking for the penis that pleases. That is the reason he must change partners endlessly. [In gay marriages] the principals never stop cruising. They may set up housekeeping together, but the parade of penises usually continue [sic] unabated ... Mercifully for both of them, the life expectancy of their relationship together is brief."Whoa. To say that I was dumb struck with astonishment by the statement from the good doctor would be a huge understatement. But i wasn't surprised. Unfortunately. I am hoping that it's not 100% true, all the time. I'm sure as hell going to bet all my eggs that I would remain true to the fact that the magic can happen again.
It will.
No really...it will.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
"Looking for Something Real"
That was the title of Bryan's ad that he posted on CraigsList. I haven't really talked to anyone about him in depth. But yes, I did respond to one of those "men seeking men" ads on craigslist. But I swear, I was just there to look at pictures. No really. But then, I saw this ad that was looking for something real. I thought that was quite rare because as we all know, that portion of craigslist is really for hooking up. So i was curious to find out who was at the other end of the keyboard. Who is this someone that posted an ad on a hook up site. Could he be some desperate fool, trying to finally find something real online. So i responded.
End result of things, minus the details, we corresponded via email for the first few days. Them escalated things to phone calls. Then met each other a couple of times. I was once again hopeful. And that was where things fell apart. Phone calls weren't returned. Text messages took forever to be answered. And one final text message said.
"I am having some issues with work and life right now, will catch up later..."
I wanted to give it a chance. I wanted to think that it could really be issues with work and life. But something tells me that its a hint that things aren't going to work out between us. Sometimes, its just what it is. I wanted to tell him, i'm a big boy. I can take a hint.
Still, I might be wrong.
End result of things, minus the details, we corresponded via email for the first few days. Them escalated things to phone calls. Then met each other a couple of times. I was once again hopeful. And that was where things fell apart. Phone calls weren't returned. Text messages took forever to be answered. And one final text message said.
"I am having some issues with work and life right now, will catch up later..."
I wanted to give it a chance. I wanted to think that it could really be issues with work and life. But something tells me that its a hint that things aren't going to work out between us. Sometimes, its just what it is. I wanted to tell him, i'm a big boy. I can take a hint.
Still, I might be wrong.
Subway Love...
New York can be very exhausting. Its a 24/7 kinda place. We always joke around that if we wanted shrimp fried rice at 3am, you can always find an open chinese restaurant around the corner. So amidst the busy day of an executive/personal slave, running errands and picking up deliveries and ordering new supplies for Moscow, i came across love in the subway that made me stop and think. Will I ever have matching leather jackets?
Funny Stuff
I actually don't know how to start this post. I found this super funny sign that was posted in one of the local resorts in the Philippines. At the same time, I feel embarrassed to post it. Oh well.
6,644,452,088
Six billion six hundred and forty four million four hundred and nineteen thousand one hundred and forty four. It’s the current population of the world. (http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html)
...and i am still single!
...and i am still single!
Rent is Closing...
The award-winning Broadway musical "Rent" will end its 12-year-run in New York this June, according to an announcement on the production's Web site.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A New & Improved Francis (?)
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Its been a while since I planned on setting up a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Yes, I do want to get plastic surgery. Nope, I promised my mom when I came out to her that I will always remain a boy (inside and out). Its facial reconstructive surgery. I will tell you guys next time what part(s). So I finally scheduled a consultation with a surgeon here in Manhattan. He is Dr. Kwan. He specializes in Asian reconstructive surgeries. I was thinking, if i wanted something done to my face, Id still want to keep my Asian/Filipino roots.
It went very well. He informed me on the advantages and disadvantages of the operation, side effect and also psychological effects after. Its pretty expensive. I guess thats the only thing that hinders me from really going for it. .jpg)
We'll see...
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