The Dance of Life

What will that day be like? I wonder…
What will it feel like? I wonder…
What holds my future? I wonder…
It could be wild and exciting,
It could be dull and depressing,
Oh, my heart should be rejoicing…  to see what’s waiting for me.
Am I being silly? What am I thinking?

I’ve always longed for an escapade
To try and do things I’ve never dared.
For a long time that’s what I see in me
But now I wonder why am I so scared.

To be oblivious of the future is not easy
I can’t be warned, I can’t predict
Oh I must stop all these fears and worries
Face tomorrow and not look back
These dreams I have, I must seek
Give myself courage and not anxieties.

The courage to arise when I fall
The courage to face troubles on the way
The courage to remain calm and stand tall
The courage to do better than my best and pray.

With every step I am more confident
Everything will end up all right
My weaknesses become my strengths
My faith will guide me day and night
With nothing to fear
And no reason to doubt.

While browsing the net this morning, I found this article and I found it funny so I thought I’d share it to everyone.

Reasons why All
  Saint’s Day in the Philippines is better than Thanksgiving in the US

1. You’re not obliged to serve turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie to your family and they can’t complain if you just hand them out kornik and kropek.

2. You get to hang out in the cemetery.

3. There’s no football here so you won’t miss anything if you go to the cemetery.

4. Family reunions– deceased members included.

5. You think you’re in Lollapalooza when you reach the cemetery except that instead of rock and roll, you hear cheesy, bakya music, Britney Spears, the current hits remade into dance tunes or some drunk man singing
  off-key to a karaoke song.

6. Collecting candle drops so you can either sell them or use them to wax your floor.

7. We have none of that "I’m so thankful for yada-yada-yada" crap those crappy Americans are so full of; heck Erap’s already a handful.

8. You get to hit on girls/guys in the cemetery and people won’t think you’re some sort of sick weirdo.

9. You’ve always wanted to have a picnic in an exotic place, well here’s your chance; the local memorial park’s waiting for you.

10. You don’t have to be actually thankful for anything.

(source:  http://www.angelfire.com/sc/synthesis/10arc0.html )

I’ve made a little research as to when do people celebrate the holiday and I gathered that the first formal celebration of Thanksgiving in North America was held by an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who attempted to establish an English settlement on Baffin Island, after failing to discover a northern passage to the Orient in 1576. Canada established the second Monday in October as a national holiday, "a day of general thanksgiving," in 1957. 
In America, the actual day they celebrate Thanksgiving was picked by their presidents, starting with George Washington who declared a one-time holiday. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be "…a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939, to prevent a 5 week November from shortening the Christmas shopping season.

All my life, have I ever celebrated this part of holidays?  Well, not really, i don’t remember having this kind of celebration back in the mountains..hahahha.  Now that I’m in the states, however, it gets me thinking about it because of the fact that it’s considered as one of the biggest holidays they celebrate here.  So what are people really looking forward to for thanksgiving?  Who are they giving thanks to?  Do you like thanksgiving day?

If I’m going to start celebrating Thanksgiving Day, I am going to like the holiday, not because it is only about giving thanks to God but also to people who helped me out.  We all need a helping hand from someone else, even if it’s just a listening ear when we want to gripe.  John Donne said "No man is an island entire of itself" and what he said suits Thanksgiving Day perfectly.  It reminds us of giving something back to other people who we owe to, and not only thanking God for the blessings that you’ve received.  Thanksgiving has many many meaning to us and that is how I’m going to define it if I were to give meaning to it.

We often forget to be grateful for things in our lives, even if they are small and may seem meaningless.  So I’m really glad that there is Thanksgiving Day.  Do you ever realize how lucky you are to have a good family, or good friends, or have food to eat, even luckier if you have a turkey sitting on your table on this specialy day? Or to have a computer right infront of you or else you won’t be reading my blog right now? Or that you are the person who you ever wanted to be?  Not only God helped you but also family and friends………and most especially yourself too.  Now don’t you need to treat yourself too and say "I’m proud of myself of what I’ve become, of what I’ve accomplished this year?" 

It would be nice to share what you are thankful for, too.  Just click on "Comment" to respond. 

Live your everyday life to the fullest

Call it vanity but since I was a kid, I love to look at myself infront of the mirror.  Actually, I’ve considered the mirror as a friend, talking to it, laughing, crying, smiling, and spending quiet a long time there, sitting, sometimes standing, sometimes dancing or singing.  I also love to stare at some certain things that I love about myself, like the shape of my face, my almond-shape brown eyes, and my full lips.  I’ve done and tried lots and different styles of hairdo: long, short, layered, colored with different shades of brown, curled, permed, even the telephoned/zigzagged style and to my surprise, they all suit me.  Also experimented with make up, color blending and stuff.  Although my brothers always thought I look better without any make-up, I still like to put on a little touch of this and that.  One of my friends also say "Nora never leaves the house without putting on her mascara".  And I guess that’s true, just add to that a light eyeliner and a touch of lip gloss.  I also look at my sizes, my height, my fat and all that.  I’ve always been thin/slim, only got big and fat when I had my daughter.  But most of it I always think of myself as ordinary, plain, a simple girl from the mountains, a country girl that is.  I am a petite, and from 89 pounds to 120, I am now exactly 100 pounds.  One of my bestfriends, no matter how much she eats or how less, she seemed and looked the same, still thin as always.  As a matter of fact, I’m not sure she will ever gain weight as much as I did, no matter how we want her to atleast gain a little weight, she’s very thin but it’s a good thing she’s also healthy.

Now let’s explore the interior part of me.  Although I can be very shy at some circumstances, I’ve always felt confident about most things, never scared to do or try anything; they say I have a very strong self-esteem, personality and I agree.  Now I’d be happiest if I also have the charm that my sister have.  I’ve always loved her charm and her humor.  She makes me laugh a lot, now talking about it is making me miss her even more.  I’ve always like to try new things that all of my school years, I’ve joined a lot of extra-curricular activities and attended shows, mostly in dancing and sports.  It must also be the "igorot" blood in me that I love adventure, I used to be a very outgoing person, my cousins and I used to go hiking a lot, climbing mountains, having picnic, horse back riding (even if I never really learned how to do it right…LOL).  We did it a lot every time I visit my homeland.  It’s something that I definitely want to do again.
Overall, I haven’t any slightest idea what life had for me and I wasn’t ready of what’s out there but just kept moving.   

Looking back now infront of the mirror, I see a different person.  In life, people always change, some for the better, some for worse.  I’m not sure where I am standing on that now, though.  I’ve never been out much lately, actually, I’ve never been out for awful long time, years now to be exact.  And the surprising part is that, I am not going crazy missing it anymore.  I guess what I’m saying is that I miss it but I don’t mind if I’m not able to go out more.  In fact, I, now, just happy being at home, tending to my daughter, cooking for the family and housechores with only hula dancing and morning jog/walk as extra activities.  I’ve learned, through experience that once you have your own family, things won’t exactly be the same.  I know I can still do what I used to do but I just have to make some transitions as I keep on learning about myself, my life.

I can still see a little of the cute old me infront of that mirror but mostly replaced now with a more matured woman.  A woman who is not perfect but always strives for her goals in life.  A woman who never knew she has potential to become whoever she wants to be.  A woman who have lost a lot of her self-esteem as she moved on with the worse of life but now slowly being revived, more courageous than ever, now I can see a woman who can break free of her weaknesses and step up to what she really wants.  Someone who now knows what’s out there and ready to face whatever it is.

Photo starting from the top, that’s my beloved mother:
My very best mama ever, now in her 40’s.  She’s very  strong and courageous and I admire her for that.  She’s been a very understanding mother to me and I love that we both not only treat each other just mother and daughter but also bestfriends.  I wish she’s with me right now, she knows the right words to tell me.
Location: Philippines

My adorable daughter ever, Helena Roxanne
4 years old now, she lives with me and we both love our times together.  She’s such a darling.
Location: Canada

My loving sister ever, Lorna
29 years old now, living with her fiance, Michel.  I miss the times when she just pops in at my place (back in Cambodia) with different things on hand for me and Helena.  I miss our karaokeeing together in my living room.  I miss shopping with her.  I miss telling jokes together and laughing and sharing how our days went.
Location: Cambodia

My ever so pretty goddaughter of 5 years now, Raiza Shanize
5 years old now, living with her mother, Redz, of course.  I miss her voice, so cute and miss her smiles that make smile too.
Location: Philippines

My ganda ever gf 7 years now, Yvonne,
27 years old now, living with boyfriend, Howard.  I miss going out with her, having our usual coffee and smokes and chats that make us laugh and sometimes cry.  I miss listening to her nag about her work (back in Cambodia) ..lol.  I miss going to a bar with her, sitting to our favorite spot where we can watch the mekong river, asking ourselves about why those people there do what they’re doing, laughing at things we see, sometimes saying "my god that is so stupid" or "yeah that’s smart"…lol, while having coffee and fries.  I miss her hugs and kisses whenever I felt bad. 
Location: United Kingdom

My sweetest gf of almost 8 years now, Redz,
27 years old now, living with her daughter, Shanize.  I miss her sweetness , the laughs we love to share, our funny stories.  I miss karaokeeing with her back in Baguio City.  I miss our heart to heart talk and then laugh them out in the end with a puff of a cigarette.  I miss our coffee and little drinks together at our favorite bars and coffee shop in Baguio.   I miss her dearly for her very understanding nature. 
Location:  Philippines

My wonderful gf of 6 years now, Carol.
36 years old now, living with her hubby, Lee.  I miss dancing hula with her.  I miss our night out together.  I miss her stories about her own businesses back in Baguio, I’ve always thought she’s very smart with finances.  I miss driving with her and not knowing where to go…lol.  I miss  watching her smoke her  very  thin  cigarettes that we  always make  fun of…lol.  I miss our coffee times and laughters.  And I feel terrible that I wasn’t able to attend her wedding
Location: Florida

My cool gf of almost a year now, Lynn.
27 years old now, living with her hubby, Rey.  I miss visiting beautiful places with her.  I miss watching her and her tummy that’s starting to blow like a balloon…lol.   I miss  our little chats in her car while driving.  I miss being around her.  She’s very sweet, very cool, and a wonderful friend.
Location: California

My good gf of 7 years now, Mitch,
26 years old now, I feel so sad that I’m not updated with her current status.  I miss our heart to heart talk in my veranda (back in Cambodia) that either makes us sad, angry and happy.  I miss putting make-up with her and dressing up, taking pictures of each other.  I miss her joining me and Helena for a meal at my house, talking about sometimes nonsense things that we laugh about..lol.  And I feel bad that she doesn’t email anymore.
Location: Dubai

These are the girls that are part of my life and my history.  We’ve all shared tears and laughters and we love each other dearly.  I wish to hang around with them again and maybe do things that we have missed doing together.  I miss them all so much!

Finally found a pic of Redz so now she’s up there.  The new banner I made is now up to my header on this page.  Aren’t they all beautiful?

It’s bright this morning and it feels good to see the sun up again.  My sweety pie -> Helena, and I went for our regular (atleast we try to make it regular)  walk and it was nice to feel the cold breeze of Fall, too many colorful leaves flying everywhere and on the ground.  It’s cold but it feels good that the sun is brightening up the day.   

This morning it’s so nice to have a morning chat with Lynn again, I miss that, too.  And this noon, I feel happy that I was able to talk to Carol and Redz on the phone.  I miss them so much that it feels good to hear their voice again and know how they were doing.  It’s really nice to have girlfriends you care about and love and who feel the same way, endlessly.  Thanks to intelligent human brains for our technology that allows us to communicate with our loved ones regardless of the geographical differences we may have.

I almost cried when I was talking to Redz on the phone today, her voice was so clear, she seemed close, like she’s just here talking infront of me.  I missed the fun we used to share together, she was always there when I needed her, back in Baguio City.  No matter how busy she was, she always made sure she’s spent time with me before the day ended.  Sometimes we both bring our daughters (she has one, Shanize, and my dearest Helena) with us and just hang around somewhere. 
Redz  was the very first bestfriend I had in my college years and then later Yvonne, then Mitch, Carol, and just a few months ago I met Lynn in person whom I’ve been chatting with for nearly a year now.  They are the sweetest girls and we all feel the same towards each other.  It’s just kinda hard now that we are all living in different countries.  I hope someday we can all be together again, like the old days. 

Right now I’m listening to our favorite song and it brings tears to my eyes: Listen to "Danny’s Song" here! It’s instrumental so you can sing with it while you look at the lyrics.

P.S.  I have just activated my Photo Album here too and added some photos that were taken lately.  You can view them on Nora’s Gallery

Friends forever are cherished for life

A friend is one who knows you as you are…….
Understands where you’ve been……
Accepts who you’ve become…
And still gently invites you to grow!

Girlfriends don’t Compete and aren’t Jealous of each other.
Girlfriends bring Casseroles and Scrub your bathroom when you are sick.

Girlfriends keep your Secrets.

Girlfriends give Advice when you ask for it.
Sometimes you take it,
Sometimes you don’t.

Girlfriends don’t always tell you that you’re Right, but they’re always Honest.
Girlfriends still Love you, even when they don’t agree with your choices.

Girlfriends might send you a Birthday card, but they might not.
It does not Matter in the least.

Girlfriends Laugh with you and you don’t need canned jokes to start the laughter.

Girlfriends don’t Talk about you Behind your back
or Pretend to be your friend for Personal Gain.

Girlfriends pull you out of Jams.

Girlfriends don’t keep a Calendar that lets them know
who Hosted the Other last, for any Engagement

Girlfriends will give a Party for your son or daughter when they get Married
or have a Baby in whichever order that comes!

And Girlfriends are There for you, in an Instant and Truly,
when the hard times come.

Girlfriends Listen when you lose a Job or a Husband.
Girlfriends Listen when your Children break your Heart.

Girlfriends Listen when your Parent’s minds and bodies fail.

My girlfriends bless my life.
Once we were Young, with no idea of the Incredible Joys or the Incredible
Sorrows that lay ahead. 
Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

I have been missing my girlfriends so much and how I really wish to hang around with them again.  I put all our pictures together and made a banner of us.
I have put the banner on the header of this page so it’s bigger.  I still have one girl missing there though, it makes me feel very sad that I couldn’t find any pic of her on my hard drive.  I will update the banner as soon as I find one.

You’ve Got A Friend Here………….

Hello there,

Thanks a lot for the comments sent here and to my emails.  I always appreciate and always more than happy to read your comments to my blog entries.  It’s nice to know we all share some experiences and different opinions of things.  I will continue on posting and please feel free to comment anytime, too.

Regards,
Nora

Well, this is my first Fall experience in Canada and I’m still not sure I am enjoying it.  However, I must surprisingly admit, watching the multitude of fall foliage colors is very very soothing to me.

I am starting to think that autumn is a season of change.  The weather is changing, from bright, shiny and warm breeze of summer to fall’s dark, foggy and chilly air.  And to add to that, I am experiencing a major  changes in my life.  Just before Fall season began, we moved here in Canada all the way from Cambodia…. that’s huge already.  I am definitely starting a new chapter of my life where things are so unpredictable, very challenging, very exciting, very frustrating, very interesting.  It’s yet, another stage of my life, where new learning, new experiences arise.  I am turning 28 in a few weeks and I undoubtly feel the difference when I was 25 or 26 or even my years being 27.  I am more knowledgeable of things, gaining a better understanding of my whole being, of who I am, my presence in this life, my purpose, and the right things to do, the right decisions to make in this chapter of my life.

Perhaps I am just associating the season with all the things that are frustrating in my life because of the gloominess or the dreariness it brings everyday.  At the same time, the interesting and exciting things in my life to the sometimes sunny days of fall season, the colorful leaves that I love to watch, the colorful rainbow that I always stare at.  All these things that the season bring to me give different, mysterious, interesting meanings to every stage of my life.  Or maybe it’s just the feel or the smell of the season that is bringing along new insight for me?  This brings me back again to the idea of life being like a puzzle that needs new tricks, new idea, new plan, to complete the puzzle, everytime old schemes fail.  In other words, to keep moving on.

In the past, any season has never been a highlight of my life.  I wonder why that was?  It’s only now that I am getting the importance and the meaning it gives to us as an individual.  But if you ask me now, I would rather be where I am now than go back in the past and start all over again.