Home sweet home.

To me home is the place where I am most free to be myself. It is the place where I have the greatest sense of belonging and where I can relate most intimately to the people who mean the most to me. It is the place where I have around me so many things that represent me as an individual - and things I treasure, which hold many memories - including innumerable people who have been part of my life.

There is, of course, an old saying that home is where the heart is. In that respect it can indeed be anywhere you are for a longer or shorter period of time, as long as you feel a sense of belonging there, and your heart is in that place at some point in your life's journey.

And maybe like you, I also consider two places I regard as home - the place where I am currently living now and the place where I grew up.

You see, I spent most of my formative years in Sagay with my father and sister and a long list of relatives. When our mom left us, my dad brought us to live in the ancestral house and in my mind and heart that house will always be my home, even though I have another house in a different village in the city now. But no matter how frustrated I may have felt during those times by how cramped, cluttered and chaotic it was during the overwhelmingly trying years when I was growing up - it was, above all my family's sanctuary.

That house is where we came together, where I was nurtured and feel comfortable with my own personal identity. It is the place where I shared the most meaningful relationships I have in this world. It's the place where I can shed any masks I had worn into the world to cover the most vulnerable parts of my soul - and where I can feel free to express myself.

Home is not only where the heart is. It is the place where the pulse of the family unit is felt by each individual.

I am going back to Sagay next month….and I am very excited!

The sound that was...

This was sent to me in an email and I am sharing this with you. Do you still remember the 7 kids in "The Sound of Music"? Well they had a reunion after 40 years and see how well they aged.








Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "The Sound Of Music."

Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things..

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Of course, she got a standing ovation for this!!!

A cold truth, too.

I noticed that Tracey normally has a cold at the onset of the winter season. Me, I got it w/o warning. Maybe its the dust or the changing of atmospheric temperature. I just woke up today with a sniffles, a triple-double sneeze which causes nasal drip, a tickling on my ears and I am having congestion like I am plugged up.

I really hated it when I have a cold because aside from the discomfort, I have to deal with a running nose. But I got to do what you got to do!

There is blowing my NOSE and then there is BLOWING my nose. When it gets really itchy then I do the latter but only after I had excused myself to the comfort room. Besides, I think it is better to wipe and blow my nose that is running than to let it go and end up in my mouth as this can really be disgusting. At least I don't squeeze my nose, and throw its content on the ground!

Yuck, some people even make a big production of it and make a real loud blow and look at it afterwards, which is really rude and gross. And have you encountered guys that will just put their thumbs up to one nostril and blow and then do the same on the other side? That's not just rude but CRUDE! And when they wipe it on their sleeve or down the side of their pants...darn, that's just so unsanitary!

But of course, all of us get a cold once in a while and sometimes we don't have the option of staying home or out of the public eye. If somebody is offended by me blowing my nose in public, they are most likely some stuck up prude that I could care less about anyway.

What's a nose for if not to release mucus from and we need to blow to get it out. We all have to do this at one time or another and it should not be considered bad manners.

How about you? What would you do when you have to blow your nose in public?

Ooops, here's another one coming! Prrrrrrrrrrrt!

Spreading sunshine!

Another post in one day, wow! It's because I got an award from Mimi and I am too excited to share it you, my dear readers.

First, I would like to thank Mimi for this sunshine award. I am happy that something on my blog spreads a bit of sunshine to those who read it. So okey, I'm supposed to pass it on to my twelve favorite bloggers, so here they are:

Sid - my oracle & guide to all things science and beyond.

Mimi – she’s a wonderful mom and has lovely ideas of what to do with kids!

Tracey - because I laugh, cry & learn all from one blog.

Randy – because he and Mike are cool and how I wish they were my neighbor.

Jenni – i love all of her photos and ideas and she’s a constant source of inspiration

Amy – because she has a lovely family and this makes me want to have more babies!

Penny – she makes me want to pack up and move.

Joey – because she is a stunning writer, a great friend and an exceptional soul.

Ray – because I can compel him to comment or do I need to say more?

Bren – a stunning photographer and her garden is just bursting with life!

Arun – because he writes beautifully and inspires.

Boysie – where do I start, one day I just found myself writing a blog because of him.

Oh there’s more than 12 bloggers I want to give this to, but you know who you are...so just grab the gerber daisy and paste it right on your beautiful blogs!

This is also to express my appreciation to those of you who visit here every day and make me feel like I'm connecting with real people and not just figments of my imagination. I especially thank those who left comments, because it's way more fun to have a conversation with you guys than to talk to myself. (Not that I would mind talking to myself if that was all that was available to me. But most of the time, other people are necessary. So...thanks for being my "other people."

And thanks for allowing me to be your other people, too! I can't tell you how much I enjoy visiting your blogs and getting a little glimpse into your thoughts and lives. What a remarkable bunch of men and women I've met in this bloggy journey. You truly inspire me!

So pick up that award and have some fun with it! And if you are a lurker, say hello.
That would make my day!

A midlife scare.

Here I am at the tail-end of my forties. I find myself wondering how I got here so quickly. (sigh!)

Looking back, I heave a sigh or relief that all the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, school field trips and teen angst were worth it. And amazingly, despite my mistakes and periods of crisis, my children have grown into well adjusted, happy people... and they love me!

But mirrors nowadays scares the hell out of me! Seeing my reflection in the mirror this morning is kinda depressing or is it only because I am PMSing and I usually get depressed during this time?

How did that happen? Where did it all go! The years - the black hair - now gray in a flash. Why can't I get rid of this bulging stomach? Can I go back and do it again, please?

Alas, it was too late. Somehow, I must have traveled through a Star Trek style worm hole and moved forward in time. Darn, the fact that I am now referring to Star Trek and worm holes is also an unwelcome development. Is a sudden interest in Science Fiction age related?

Okey! Calm down. So what if I am nearing 50. I still think I have aged better than those I went to school with. However, a quick look in the mirror shatters THAT illusion. And to think that I haven't even tried getting a tattoo or went downhill on a skate board!

Never mind, I will do my best to get through this difficult time in my usual mature, sensible and dignified way. I shall simply ignore the fact that I am reaching a depressing milestone, then sulk and snap at anyone who dares to mention it!

And if I do feel down, I can always watch some Star Trek.

What the hell is that?

I can’t help but noticed that almost everywhere I go, I am reminded that Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Even my favorite online game is dishing out valentine loots!

Of course, I don’t hate everything about the holiday, because after all celebrating love is great. But I am so over seeing a nude kid taking aim at people with a crossbow, red heart and roses, chocolates of all shapes and sizes and many more.

And what is the logic of this large teddy bear that cast a bigger shadow than Shaquille O’Neal? Ok, I got it! An 8 foot bear will show how much you care! But it might also show that you haven’t thought where your special someone will store the enormous expression of your love. And what if she doesn’t like it? Duh!!

It’s very unlikely for this gift to be misplaced like an ugly piece of jewelry or unwanted perfume. Look guys, an eight-foot teddy bear will be part of a girl’s life until the relationship ends. Maybe even after the relationship is over, because that XXXL teddy could weigh a whopping 40 pounds!

See, Mega-teddy and Valentine’s Day are a lot alike. They’re both bigger than they need to be, they are designed to make money and very hard to ignore.

And neither is very romantic.

If you bring home flowers, jewelry or other gifts on an ordinary day, then you’ll be romantic. But on Valentine’s Day, your just fulfilling a duty.

Nuff said.

Changing one's decision.

"If I only knew then what I know now..." That lament pretty much sums up how I feel about the bad choices I made in the past.

Like everyone else, I have made bad choices in life because I am human. I am not perfect and I do not know the answer to every question, nor the solution to every problem. But making bad choices is inevitable, because we make so many choices in a day that it would be so darn impossible to make perfect choices all the time!

Okey, Okey! I regret quite a few of those choices I have made and there were times I wish that I had a time machine so I could go back and make a different choice... Or would I just be opening myself to a whole new set of choices that could be wrong?

Anyway I think it will be fun to think what choices we would rather have if the circumstances presents itself again. Here's some of mine:

I should have learned to drive.

I think learning to drive would be a more satisfying experience and practical rather than having to depend on my cat to take me where I want to and when I want to.

Push-up bra.

I am not saying I should wear one all the time, but I think every woman should own one after they turned 30.

Choosing a husband.

I husband should not be an accidental acquisition but he should be the result of a deliberate choice.

Missed opportunities.

If I want something bad enough, I should have gone for it.

Actually every experience I have, whether good or bad, contributes to the person I am today. I have had wonderful moments and tragic ones. I have been incredibly happy and horribly depressed. I have had moments in my life that I sometimes wished had never happened.

But for every one of those moments, something was learned...

Money, money, money!

I saw this at the 6pm news. The lotto prize money as of last night is over 500M and as usual there's a long line of people waiting to buy a ticket. All of them with a twinkle of hope in their eyes. Why not? Hard work and tedious odd jobs won't get them anywhere fast and working until the ripe age of 60 years and getting only a tiny fraction of the money isn't appealing. Winning the lottery, is!

You know whenever I hear someone hitting the jackpot I automatically think " I wish that was me!" and I admit I get a little jealous. Then I would think " what will I do with all that money?" Well honestly I doubt very seriously if that is something I will ever have to worry about because I come from a large family. But just the same, it is fun to think what I would do with half a billion. Yes, a B!

Okey, the very first thing I would do is to call the telephone company and get an unlisted telephone number. I am sure that people I have not heard from in years will all of a sudden want to be friends with me. Hmmm...does that mean I have to change my email address too?

Second, I would definitely give a chunk of my winnings to my 3 boys and my grandchild. My boys are old enough to decide on what business to venture and how to manage their finances so they would always have some kind of an income. I would want to make sure that each of them have an adequate home, paid for and a good vehicle.

I would want to build a retirement home in Sagay. I don't need a mansion and I don't really want one but just a nice comfortable low maintenance house that will last me and my partner the rest of our lives. I am never been one that has to keep up with the Jones's.

Then there's my relatives and extended families. I want to give each of them huge money so they can pay off debts and probably start their own business. I am by no means a greedy person and I would be happy just to use the money to fill in the blanks that I haven't got at the moment.

An animal shelter will definitely be something I will have to tick in my list of projects. And I most definitely love to travel. I want to see other parts of the world and feast my eyes on the different sights they offer.

Ohhh, it's so much fun to dream, isn't it?

If only I had bought a ticket...

Don't ask. Don't tell.

Just a short post because I just want to get this off my chest.

You see, I was in my room this morning sipping coffee while watching BBC news (I prefer this than CNN) and I am intrigued at the debate over Obama’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

I am not an American, but I distinctly remembered Obama’s campaign policy of creating a new America which is open and accepting. Then how can he deny gay people from serving in the military as this will stand opposite his own promise of change!?

As far as I know, being gay is not against the law, therefore this policy is against the American way that promises freedom to all to live their life the way they want.

What is the difference between a gay service member and a straight one? What is it that makes a gay person not fit to serve openly in the military? Do they have a gene or something that makes them unfit?

I listened to the Conservatives opinion on this policy and again they are bringing in religion to the debate. I cannot help asking if they are happy discriminating against their fellow citizens just because their lifestyle is "different" and how would they feel if their own child, friend, family members was gay and was being denied the opportunity to serve their country?

Oh well, for a country that talks about promoting fairness around the world, America better start it at home.

Old politicians never dies.

I was thankful I have Facebook account because through it I was able to follow the happenings and recent events in my home province. I just need to open a link and viola, I have the front seat in a heated debate of the time – election.

Please note that my hometown Sagay is a very young and vibrant city teeming with brilliant and young minded people who have the potential to become good leaders. But as far as I can remember, our leaders or politicians continue to fight during elections and get elected till the ripe old age.

So, when should a politician retire? When he wants to? Oh sure, we human beings are blessed with the power to know when it’s time to stop… but do they?

Some say that a government position needs experienced leaders, and that they should be old and wise, because young politician aren’t mature enough. But wait, didn’t they start young themselves and kept going? I know of many successful young politicians who became great statesmen! Personally, I don’t get how a 60+ years old, generations removed, can understand the ways and life of a 30 something. Despite their lack of wisdom and experience, what young people do bring to the table is a different perspective, one significantly lacking in people who are more 'set in their ways' - often the old ways.

Debates over this can go on and on… but we know that every job comes with a retirement age. So how come that a job of being a politician doesn’t? In fact, for politicians it is said – the older the better!

What’s your take on this?