I’m currently doing a “How to Love Your Life” series on my blog to share ideas on how to…LOVE YOUR LIFE! Enjoy!
Last Sunday, my family and I headed over to Roxas Boulevard to check out Manila Ocean Park, “the Philippines’ first state-of-the-art Oceanarium, open water marine habitat, boutique mall, restaurant row and function facilities all located in one complex at the back of the Quirino Grandstand.” (Description from their official website: http://www.manilaoceanpark.com) Here are some of the photos I took during our little field trip:
My nephews had a blast! We even tried the Fish Spa, which kept us laughing for the first 10 minutes, because it was tickle torture! We laughed so hard that we had an instant ab workout. Just look at my brother, my dad, and my sister-in-law:
While you’re there, you MUST try the Makansutra Asian Food Village. It’s one of the restaurants that you’ll pass by as you exit the Oceanarium. They serve Thai, Chinese, Singaporean, and Filipino food, among others. The prices are very reasonable, the food is delicious, the choices seem endless, and each order can serve two people or more. We loved it!
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Manila Ocean Park is located behind the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. The Park is open all year round, including holidays. Operating hours are 10 am to 7 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 8 pm on weekends and holidays. Admission fee is P400 for adults and P350 for children (4.5 feet and below). For more info, check out http://www.manilaoceanpark.com
I love reviewing books, so I’m taking a break today from my “How to Love Your Life” series.
I used to love reading ‘chick lit’ (that’s ‘chick literature’, FYI). Back in 2002, when I would go through a new book every week, Sophie Kinsella (of Shopaholic series fame) was a staple on my bookshelf. Nowadays, my bookshelves are filled with Lucado, Maxwell, Zacharias—barely any fiction there at all. Do I miss it sometimes? Of course I do! So when an opportunity came to read a Christian fiction book, I jumped at it, because I don’t see a lot of those.
Seaside Letters is your typical love story, with a protagonist (Sabrina Kincaid) that most readers could relate to (i.e. awkward). She’s a waitress at a local cafe, and she happens to fall for one of her regulars, Tucker McCabe. She doesn’t fall for him because she sees him everyday, but because she’s actually the mysterious woman he’s been exchanging emails with–the same woman he’s been searching for. Of course, we’re all thinking that it would be great if she just came out and told him who she was, but she can’t, because that wouldn’t make a good story because of a secret from her past.
So you’re probably wondering, what makes it Christian fiction? Well, the story is about a woman who’s afraid that her past may have forever prevented her from being loved and accepted, and disqualified her from having a good future. Sounds like a lot of us sometimes, right? The story’s ending reminds the reader of God’s redemptive love. You have to read the book to see how it works out, but I think you can use your imagination.
It’s interesting to see how a love story written for Christians plays out. It’s not much different from your typical love story; it has a happy ending too, but unlike a lot of love stories nowadays, it’s clean, wholesome, and there are no big makeover stories that make you feel like you’re inadequate to begin with. It’s not exactly one of my favorite stories, but it’s a welcome break from my usual reading fare. More up my alley: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham, which I’ll be reviewing soon.
It’s no secret that I’m an avid reader. In fact, I have a backlog of books to review! But my favorite week of the year has come, when one of my favorite bookstores (OMF Bookstore) goes on its super sale!
Most people think that OMF only sells Christian books (they do have the best selection of Christian books and Bibles), but they also sell a lot of books on leadership, finances, practical living, relationships, family, etc. They’re the local distributors of authors such as John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Max Lucado, and more, so you’re sure to get the best deal over there. And speaking of best deals, here’s their super sale that I’m talking about!
The books come out really, really cheap! I already went there today to check out the new stuff, and I’ve already set aside several ones I’m planning to give as Christmas gifts. I stopped myself and only bought 2 for myself…the rest, I’m putting on my Christmas wish list. Haha!
If you’re planning on going, I suggest you go early, because the lines can be very long. For more information, click here. If you want some book recommendations, read my blog post: “Best Books I Read in 2008“. Enjoy!
…and allow yourself to laugh. Smile. Be joyful about the blessings and be grateful about the grace you’ve received. Look at your past and see how far you’ve come.
I was given a chance to do that this week as I was preparing for a couple of career talks I had to do in the Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills. Since they asked me to talk about working in the media, I had to look back, specifically in the years 2002 to 2008, when I was working at Summit Media and MTV. I couldn’t help but smile. Those were good times. I recalled the fun/surreal/fulfilling experiences, the challenges that I had to go through, the amazing people that I had the privilege of working with, the places I went to, and the people I met, among many other good memories. And then there were also the dark days: sleepless nights, days of depression (quarterlife crisis, perhaps?), angst, bad decisions, fatigue, etc. Oh, those days!
When I get to look back and realize how far I’ve journeyed, I see that there’s just so much to be grateful for. I am blessed with great experiences, but I’m most blessed by God and His grace which has carried me to where I am today: constantly ‘refined by fire,’ but happier than I’ve ever been.
I know I said I’d blog about the recent RepubLIKHA Children’s Music Fest, but I’m excitied about this event that we have coming up, so this couldn’t wait. I’d like to invite you (yes, YOU!) to come to a fundraising event for our non-profit org, REPUBLIKHA, which is being produced by the awesome people from Light It Up Productions. Not only will you get to enjoy a one-of-a-kind gig (you’ll get to watch some of the country’s coolest artists playing their hits AND some children’s songs too), but you’ll also make a contribution to our efforts to bring good quality, educational music to Filipino children. Find out more about RepubLIKHA at www.republikha.org.
Please come! It’ll surely be fun, and we’d love to see you there.
November 27, 2009 • Friday
Mag:Net Cafe at Bonifacio High Street Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines (I just had to throw that in there, just in case!) Tickets will be sold at P250 — proceeds go to RepubLIKHA
If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed that I have been very delinquent when it comes to posting. Of course, I have a ton of excuses, none of which I am posting, because at the end of the day, I know I just really need to make time to post! I think I’ll go back to a 30-day blog challenge or I’ll do a 3-posts-a-week challenge to boost my blogging again.
And speaking of boosting, I’m going to kick it off with a simple list of great links, because I haven’t posted one in a while. What can I say, I like to share! Different topics for different folks….enjoy!
1) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT – Adorable advice from a 4-year old’s perspective over here at Steven Furtick’s blog. A must-watch for those who need to learn a simple and easy way to budget, save, AND honor God at the same time.
4) METAPHORICAL READING, MARKETING & THE MUSIC INDUSTRY – An insightful blog post from music marketing guru, Derek Sivers. His blog is a must-read for all people who want to make music for a living. Having come from different jobs that immersed me in media, marketing, and the music industry (and also from being around musicians a lot), I’m a huge advocate of taking into account marketing principles when it comes to making and selling music. I believe that musicians (and all artists, for that matter) can be true to themselves while being wise and strategic with their careers. Artists don’t have to die for their art. Really…please don’t.
Okay, that’s it for now from me! Random selection, right? Well, if you know me, you know I love randomness. Here’s what to expect this week from my blog:
1) RepubLIKHA’s 1st Children’s Music Fest – photos from the event, highlights, and more
2) I’ll be reviewing a new book. I’m thinking if I should go with Seaside Letters, a Christian chick-lit book (oh yes, they have those too!) or Find Your Strongest Life by strengths guru Marcus Buckingham. Either way, I’ll review both this month By the way, in case you were wondering, the winner of my A Million Miles in a Thousand Yearsbook giveaway was Terri Tan. Congrats Terri! I sent her the book a couple of weeks ago. I hope she’s liking it!
3) Photography class – should you take one or not? I’m taking my first-ever class now, and I’ll tell you more about it. For now, I’ll tell you, I’m loving it.
Eureka! That’s it! From now until the end of the year, I’ll be going with a theme: HOW TO LOVE YOUR LIFE.
I miss one of my best buddies, Jorel (also known as the guitarist of the local rock band, Kjwan), who’s over at Boston, living it up at his dream school: Berklee College of Music. He recently put together a benefit concert for the Typhoon Ondoy victims. Check it out here:
We were already proud of Jorel way before this, but seeing this video reminds me of how much we miss him and how talented, passionate, and selfless this guy really is. We miss you Jor, see you when you get back! (Huwag ka na humirit! Haha!)
I don’t know about you, but when I was kid, I wanted my life to be a fairy tale. I think most boys wanted to their lives to be an action-adventure movie. Bottom line is that I think we all just wanted to be living great stories. However, as we grew up, some of us found ourselves living horror stories…or just horribly boring ones. If anything I said resonated with you, then you will love Donald Miller’s new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.
One of my favorite books that I’ve read the last couple of years was Miller’s bestselling book/memoir, Blue Like Jazz(if you haven’t read it, I highly encourage you to do so). As an author, Miller is easy-to-read, witty, and his thoughts and insights always make me go, “Woah.” That being said, I was eager to read his new book, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
Basically, some movie producers approach him with the idea of turning his bestselling book (Blue Like Jazz) into a movie, but in the course of pre-production, they more or less tell him that the story (i.e. his life) needs to be tweaked a bit, because it wasn’t as exciting as it should be (i.e. it was missing the good stuff that movies are made of). So this new book is all about what he learns along the way as he sets off to “edit” his life. Beautiful stuff.
“The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.” – Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
It’s one of those books that I’m going to want to read again and again. It’s thought-provoking, poignant, and inspiring. I like it so much that I’m giving away one copy of the book so that someone else would be blessed by it.
Yes, you read it right! I am giving someone a chance to win this book! So here’s how this goes: if you want to join, you have to a) be a resident of Metro Manila, Philippines (sorry to the international folks!), and b) leave a comment on this post and tell me what you would be doing with your life if you didn’t have to worry about time, money, and resources? It’s just a random question, but I love asking it!
On Thursday , October 29 at 12 noon, I’ll randomly choose (i.e. I will close my eyes, scroll up and down, stop, and click) a winner, and I’ll send you a message to let you know you’ve won. Got it? And if you don’t win, I’m sorry, but I still encourage you to read this book. I think you’ll love it, too. You can start by reading an excerpt here. Enjoy!
Day 4! The number of people rescued has increased, but so has the number of fatalities.
In case you missed it, the Philippines has been in a state of calamity this past week due to Tropical Storm Ketsana (Philippine name: ‘Ondoy’). I blogged about it here.
The outpouring of support has been amazing. Relief and rescue efforts are happening all over the metro, but it’s still not enough. We still need more relief goods (there are so many people out there who need water and food, the goods disappear in minutes!) and better road access to reach those who are still inaccessible. On the one hand, we don’t want it to rain anymore so the flooded areas won’t get worse, but at the same time, some areas need the rain to wash away the massive amounts of mud that are drying up and making rescue operations more difficult.
Here’s a video of one of our Victory pastors (Coach Robert Gonzalez!) together with some of our church staffers, campus ministers and students from University of Makati (UMAK), taking relief goods to evacuated families in Taguig City:
I’m so proud of these guys, especially the UMAK students! This is just one of the dozens of areas these guys have gone to in the last couple of days.
If you’d like to help, do check out my last blog post for ways to support the relief and rescue efforts. Since I wrote that post, there has been lots of good news pouring in. Abby, Bridel, and their respective families are all safe (thank God!). And as for the kids from the Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation (JLLCF), here’s the update I posted on Facebook:
I dropped by the River of God center at Galleria earlier to give a donation for JLLCF, and the pastors were telling me that the area is still inaccessible by vehicles. Only boats/rafts/amphibians can go near the center. The older boys (the ‘kuyas’–Benjie, Aldren, Loget, Ariel, Jovie, Jobeth, etc.) were able to build a makeshift raft that allows them to go to the market to buy stuff when they’re low on supplies and food. However, it’s still not completely safe because there’s still a current.
According to the pastors, the best items to donate would be non-perishable food items, because they still have trouble bringing them in. If the goods are to last them throughout the month (because the water still isn’t going down), they’ll need to be able to ration them.
Given that fact, they said it’s easier to give them RICE, CANNED GOODS or instant noodles. Not to worry, they have can openers on hand at the center Sana raw wag na muna yung sardines, because the first batch of food they got was sardines, so that’s all they’ve been having so far and for the next couple of days. Hahaha.
BOTTLED WATER is the most important need right now. Doesn’t matter which size, but the bigger ones (i think that’s 1.5ml or 1L?) are better for easier transport.
They also need CLOTHES for the little boys (ages 4 and up). They’ve been getting donations of clothes for the older kids and the houseparents, so don’t worry about them.
They decided that it’s best for everyone to stay in the center for now instead of evacuating them. At least at the center, they’re all safe and comfortable. They are so blessed because of that new school bldg in their center that was donated by HSBC. All the essentials are in the 2nd floor: kitchen, beds, bathrooms, etc. Plus they have a rooftop where the little kids can play. They also have one working landline that was just installed last week! Ain’t that a blessing? So we can check on them constantly. I just got to talk to Jovie earlier, and he said they’re all doing good. They get to hang out on the rooftop all the time and the little kids have just been playing.
The pastors said that the kids keep saying they’re doing good kasi “sanay na sa hirap” (in English: “they’re used to hardship”). They said that they’re so proud of the older boys (the ‘kuyas’) because they’ve really been doing everything they can to take care of the younger boys and houseparents and make sure they’re fed, even periodically going through the waist-deep water to get some food.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross is also going to be sending volunteers to check how they’re all doing, health-wise. Also, I was super thrilled to enter Victory Fort the yesterday and I saw that they had already set aside and sent a lot of donated goods to River of God and the Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation. Yay!
Let’s keep praying that the donations keep pouring in, and that everyone there is kept safe and healthy. Let’s also pray for better transportation for them–sturdier boats are needed; boats that can be covered so that the relief goods can be protected and not stolen…but at the same time let’s also pray that the people in the surrounding areas are also safe and provided for. I know that the River of God church will also use the excess goods to provide for the other people in the surrounding areas.
Again, let’s praise God that they’re safe and let’s thank Him for everything He has blessed them with! They should rename the place to “Jesus REALLY LOVES These Children Foundation”. Haha Thanks again to everyone for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers!
There are so many people that need help in our country right now, I don’t know where to start. I’ve been gathering clothes to donate, then stopping to post updates. If it’s possible and safe, I wish I could leave the house and physically do something to help, but before I do that, I just want to get the word out there. In case you haven’t heard of what is happening in the Philippines, do check these out:
It broke the record for the largest amount of rainfall ever to hit Metro Manila. Reports say we experienced one month’s worth of rain in just 6 hours. That was yesterday.
Today, it’s still raining, and while thousands have already been rescued (last count was 5,146), thousands are still waiting to be rescued, stranded on their rooftops or in the second or third floors of their homes or buildings. Even if they are safe, they lack food and have been freezing, due to being engulfed by winds and rain since yesterday morning. Some of the areas are still unreachable because the floods have not entirely subsided, and the sad part about it is that these areas are spread out across Metro Manila, not just concentrated in one area. And to make things worse, the sun is about to set in around an hour, making it more difficult for rescue operations to navigate the affected locations.
Evacuation centers and hospitals are filled, and they badly need bottled water, food, and supplies, among others. As of last night, some places (even hospitals) did not have electricity and their ground floors were already flooded. Some streets and highways are still clogged up, making it difficult for rescue operations to go through. The mobile phone lines are erratic, and by now, the phone batteries of those stranded have run out, making it impossible to communicate with them at the moment.
I still haven’t heard from my friend, Abby. Her parents live in Cainta, and I know she’s been staying at their place the last couple of days. Cainta is one of the areas most badly hit by Typhoon Ondoy/Kestana. Another friend, Bridel, is unreachable too. Her family home is in one of the villages hit in Pasig. Across Metro Manila, in Del Monte, Quezon City, my uncle (my mom’s brother) and his family were stranded on the roof of their home. Last we heard from them was yesterday. As the hours go by, I get more reports of missing friends. Two of my former co-workers at MTV are in trouble: one is stranded with her family in Cainta, and another one still can’t be reached. Another friend, Acel, is stranded with her husband and their 1 y.o. baby who now has a fever. (Update as of 10 pm: Bridel and her family are stranded in 2nd floor of their home and badly need edible/cooked food. I heard that Abby and her family are at her neighbors’ house, but they are still unreachable. My uncle and his family were able to get to dry land via a makeshift raft. Right now, I’m grateful that they’re all safe and alive.)
I just got a text message that the people (houseparents + kids) at the Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation in Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City are safe but stranded in the second floor of the school building next door to their home that was just recently finished. Praise God for that! Unfortunately, they’re going to need help soon; I don’t know how long they can last without food. There are a lot of kids there, and I’m sure a lot of others from the community have taken refuge in the building. These people are very special to me, and my heart is breaking at this news. From Pastor Rachel Sanchez of Jesus Loves the Little Children (she and Bishop Chito live near the center):
“Flood and high waters everywhere specially in Pinagbuhatan. We cant go to the home. We’re trapped inside our houses. Children and staff at the orphanage are safe. They are in the 2nd floor of building. Literally, building is their noah’s ark. Praise God the construction is so timely. Community houses are gone. Bishop walked in waist deep water to get to church. No power and houseparents could not go anywhere to buy food, everything is submerged. Praise God we are safe! Many died. Many are missing too. Need food and toiletries for kids. Not passable for vehicles. We need help asap.”
Weather reports say that the rain will continue pouring all day. Let’s pray that the situation doesn’t get worse. Lives still need to be saved, people need to be clothed and fed, and after all this, thousands of lives need to be rebuilt. People lost their homes, cars, and everything they owned. Some have lost family members as well. According to this report from the Red Cross, 96,138 people have been affected.
If you live in Metro Manilaand you’d like to help, there are many ways to do so. Right now, all evacuation centers and hospitals need bottled water, food, clothes, blankets, and milk for children. I can imagine they also need medicines, medical supplies, rubber boats and life vests, and even things like cellphone chargers and prepaid load to help them communicate. Facebook and Twitter are flooded with options of venues to send donations; you’re sure to find one in an area near you. Here’s another resource to check out that lists down a list of places where you can drop off relief goods: http://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tBMVeBvbdAtYRaRB6ErFWnA&toomany=true. I am also updating a list of helpful links to websites with comprehensive information at the end of this post. For most of these places, volunteers are also needed in these areas to help pack and distribute food and emergency supplies.
If you’re in the Philippines and you’d like to donate quickly and easily, you can donate to the Philippine Red Cross Flood Rescue Operations by sending a text message: type RED<space>AMOUNT and send to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart). To those who live in Canada and the US who wish to help in the rescue and relief operations, I’m not sure, but I think you may donate through the American Red Cross. Call 1-800-435-7669 (just got this info from Facebook and Twitter). You can also donate via the Canadian Red Cross here: https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/new/index.php. For those who would like to remit their $ for donation, please remit to ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. Account # 5630020111 or coordinate with ABS-CBN Foundation if you’re in the U.S. at 1-800-5272820. More info on how to donate to the Philippine Red Cross here: http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx. You can also donate through our church here: http://victory.org.ph/archive/typhoon-ondoy-relief.html. We have ongoing relief efforts coming out of all our churches all over Metro Manila.
Understandably, we are all overwhelmed, and it’s difficult to decide where to start. I hope, after reading this, you’ll have an idea of what you can do to help. Even if it’s just spreading the word to people who would be able to offer goods or assistance, please do it, because every little thing we can do right now will count.
Most of all, do keep our country in your prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” If you’re reading this now, let’s thank and praise God for keeping us safe, but let’s also do whatever we can to help rescue, heal, and rebuild our nation. Let’s spread the blessings and love to those who need them the most right now.
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More useful links here (I’ll be updating this list):
“Hi liz. The children are ok. They are in the second floor of the new building. The water is still waist deep. We bring food to them daily. The roads are not passable, only rafts and boats.”
“Donations of canned goods, noodles, rice, milk, medicines, and toiletries for the orphanage and community are being accepted at the River of God church located at lower level east lane, Robinsons Galleria mall, Ortigas, next to LTO and Ryan Cayabyab’s music school. Tel #4701439.”
“Monetary support for Jesus Loves the Little Children can be sent to these accounts: Direct Deposit – Peso Account
Account Name: Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation, Inc.
Account No.: 6791001283
Bank: BPI Family Bank – Ortigas Branch, Emerald Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines
Direct Deposit – US Dollar Account
Account Name: Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation, Inc.
Account No.: 398929500013
Bank: Philippine National Bank, JMT Bldg., ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines”
I'm a teacher, writer, speaker, photographer, doodler and sometimes an all-around multitasker! I love God, I love my family and friends, and I love being random. :)
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Just look at my brother, my dad, and my sister-in-law:
While you’re there, you MUST try the Makansutra Asian Food Village. It’s one of the restaurants that you’ll pass by as you exit the Oceanarium. They serve Thai, Chinese, Singaporean, and Filipino food, among others. The prices are very reasonable, the food is delicious, the choices seem endless, and each order can serve two people or more. We loved it!
Seaside Letters
And speaking of boosting, I’m going to kick it off with a simple list of great links, because I haven’t posted one in a while. What can I say, I like to share! Different topics for different folks….enjoy!
One of my favorite books that I’ve read the last couple of years was Miller’s bestselling book/memoir, 
