One Tree Hill: One More Time

I just finished watching the season 5 of One Tree Hill on dvd (pirated, sorry Papa Edu). I have been finding time to do this, thanks to the long weekend I was able to finish the whole season. Actually this season wasn't as long as the last 4 so I got it done and over with during the weekend.

Season 5 was more of a fit for me right now because it focused on the characters' lives after college. Unlike the other 4 seasons, it was mostly high school life, even if the actors don't look like high school students. I have watched the fast forward over the net - the fast forward was an overview of season 5 so that you will have a better understanding when the season starts.

Four years after college the Tree Hill guys were doing their stuff, pursuing their passion and making their dreams come true. But at one point they all realized that they will be happier if they go back to Tree Hill and make their dreams come true there.

I can totally relate. I always look back and asked myself "What if after graduation I went home and started my career there?" Truly, there's no place like home but I know I wouldn't have learned and matured this much if I went home. No regrets.

The best episode, for me, in that season was episode 18, the season ender. It was where Marvin was given the big break by the TV station he's working for. He was covering the Ravens basketball game and captured all the drama during the game, first hand. He's got the story that could bring him a step closer to his dreams. But he chose not to tell story. Why? Because all the drama involved his friends and their reputations. Obviously, friendship mattered to him even if he ended up doing all the dirty work in the station because he told the station manager he didn't get the story.

Loyalty in friendship, existing but rare. I wish Marvin is my friend - someone who'll stick with me and can never be swayed by money, power and popularity.

I've had lots of Marvins in my life - true friends,that is. But I wish for more...yeah, that's my wish-more Marvins please Lord.

Happy birthday to me.

Where's the fire?

I had a heart-to-heart talk with one of my mentors yesterday and she asked me "where's the fire Loveme?" She was talking about the fire she has seen in me when she first met me.

I have always been passionate about life - everything about life. I got that from my father. He taught me how important it is to keep the fire burning, to love everything, to be passionate about life. I am still passionate, I still have the passion to bring out the best, not only for myself but for the people around me. It has never died down but as I grow more mature I have come to realize that things and sometimes people will try to test you. They will try to squeeze out all that passion and leave you with nothing.

But at the end of it all you will end up asking yourself is it worth it? Is my passion worth fighting for? Will I let them take it away?

In this 29 years of existence I have asked myself those questions several times already. And guess what my answer was when my mentor asked me that question yesterday, I said "no it has not died down, its still burning, naka-low lang". =)

The Kings Reign

Last night we watched the championship game between Air21 and Ginebra. During the 1st half we almost lose hope that the Kings would be the champions. But as they say the ball is round, anything can happen. The 2nd half was amazing for Ginebra though when the 2nd half started it was close fight but the Kings managed to have a 10 points lead during the last quarter.

My favorite Tubid (#71) was the Finals MVP together with Menk. I was really not a fan of Ginebra until Tubid joined the team, that was after Shell stopped playing for the PBA. Hubby is a die hard fan of Ginebra so that gives me another reason why I should be a Ginebra fan. Lance was watching with us and was cheering for Ginebra. He was shouting “Inebra! Inebra!”. He was even wearing his Ginebra jersey that Hubby bought last weekend. Sayang wasn’t able to take some pictures I was engrossed at the game that I forgot to capture the moment and I could have posted how big Hubby’s smile was. Yes! He was really ecstatic.

Hail to the Gin Kings! PBA Fiesta Conference Champion for 2008!

Dirty

“Don’t work for the government. There’s so much politics in there.” As an Iskolar ng Bayan I used to hear these words from people around me but 8 years and 4 months after graduation I have come to a realization that dirty politics doesn’t only exist in the government agencies (the Philippine government to be specific) but also in private corporations.

My parents have always encouraged me to work for the government. I come from a place where working for the government was like a trend or a status symbol but to me it wasn’t appealing. Instead, I applied for a corporate job in a private company thinking that private companies don’t have the kind of politics government offices have, dirty politics.

That was how I see things before…before I started climbing the corporate ladder. I became a middle manager at the age of 23. I have only worked for 2 years and it was during that time that I had my first taste of office politics – to me then it was just office politics. I wish I could dwell on the details of how politics got into my senses but I know it will only bore you.

Moving on…I recently had another bout with office politics. Back then it was just office politics for me but now 6 years after my first encounter with politics I already call it dirty office politics – I didn’t know it can be so dirty. It has caused me sleepless nights and has stressed me out big time. I am not stressed about the issues involved I am so stressed in holding my sanity and my temper. As much as possible I don’t want to deal with these “dirty politicians” but they just get into your nerves and then to your blood stream and to the other parts of your body! They suck your energy and enthusiasm. They start to kill your career, your dreams.

I made a lot of thinking on how to get rid of them or at least make them stop. I have thought of confronting them but as it is in the government no matter how many times you bring the “dirty politicians” to senate for an inquest nothing really happens. I have thought of resigning but I have signed a non-compete agreement and I know it will be difficult to change careers at this time of the year. I have even thought of hiring assassins – just kidding! All peaceful options were explored in my mind but at a certain point I know it won’t work out

Last night as I lay in bed looking at my son I was reminded of the reasons why I work hard. I work hard for the future of my son, of my family and it would be unfair to them if I start to get destructed because of these “dirty politicians”. NO! I won’t let these “dirty politicians” take our dreams away. Quoting Gandhi “No one can hurt me without my permission”, I am not giving them the permission to hurt me or my family.

I will fight them not by force or power. I will endure. I just need to hang on a little more on my sanity and my temper and if worse comes to worst I can always retreat gracefully.

Long Weekend

How did I spend my long weekend? Well, we stayed home in the mornings to take care of some domestic stuff and spent most of the afternoons at the mall. The evenings were great because of the movie marathons, 2 movies, at the least. What's best was that I wasn't alone doing the marathon. Hubby usually would fall asleep in the middle of the movie but this weekend he was kind enough to stay up until the movie is finished. And on the 2nd night of movie marathon he was the first to ask " So, what are we watching tonight? I was surprised and ecstatic at the same time (you know me, mababaw lang ang kaligayahan) I think he got addicted to movie marathons because Monday evening he was asking me why aren't we watching any movie that night. So I told him, like a mother explaining to her child that there's work tomorrow so we have to rest early.

Take note, the movies we watched were all romantic comedies! It makes me think that if he can stick with me all throughout a mushy movie then I think he'll stick with me thru thick and thin...

Sigh! I think I'm in love...even more.

Loveme: Missing Tender

My sister left the country this morning. We had bonding moments yesterday and she was able to spend quality time with the little boy (thanks to her my son has learned a new nursery rhyme). I think I irritated her yesterday because I was being myself again (the worrier) and kept bugging her about stuff like her travel documents, her luggage, the phone numbers, etc., etc. Hey! I am the big sister here so the least I could do is to remind her of these stuff, right?

I'll miss her. Though she's just few flight hours away I still cried. We have been apart for almost half of our lives (she was admitted in another UP campus) but still I will miss her. If she's here we can always meet up whenever we get extra time or I can always bug her to call me, making several calls and requesting her to call me so that we can talk about anything. I normally do that when I know she's busy and pretend to be upset if she won't call me. (Evil me!) That's just my way of telling her that I miss her.

In the days to come, I will be always on the look out if she's online so that I can start bugging her again.

August 1

August 1, exactly 30 days before my birthday. It is when my countdown starts. Speaking of birthday I'll be 29 by then, the last year in my 20's, and next year I'll be 3-0 already. Gosh! Time flies so fast. Ten more years and I'll be 4-0 but I'm not half way yet on my to do list before 40. Guess I have to work double time on that.

I told Hubby I don't want to have a party but he told me that I should celebrate it since next year I'm no longer at my 20's. He said he'll be in charge of the celebration. Well, why should I disagree to that?

I have realized Hubby will also be turning 29 few months from now so would this mean I have to reciprocate? He he he Well, having a party on his birthday is not unusual, its only me who wants to celebrate my birthday privately.Hay! Getting old...yet getting better! Hope so.

August 1, my kumare's birthday. Happy Birthday Atty.Sheing!