Maleficient

 "I had wings once, and they were strong. They could carry me above the clouds and into the headwinds, and they never faltered. Not even once." - Maleficient

I love that line! I cried a little. I saw myself in her saying those lines to my daughter. In the corporate world I used to have strong wings that my peers and teams both loved and feared me.

Angelina with daughter Vivienne, who plays the little Princess Aurora who is not afraid of Maleficient.

Sometimes as humans we do things out of hurt which we don't really mean. This movie mirrors my belief that people are not inherently bad. And if only we get to know others more, we wouldn't really want for harm to come to them. It's a lovely movie and I'm glad Disney did a take on her character -- and so it seems our fairy tale books would be one villain less and I hope that it'd be the same in real life for everybody.Thank you Bryan for taking me to watch this movie today. :-)

Summer Rain, Withered Lavenders, Zinnias and Sunflower Dreams

It's heart breaking to see, but this is how it is with lavender growing in the Philippines. From close to 100 seedlings, and now down to four today. The picture below was taken a week ago and two more died since then:

The ones that survived are the French lavenders. But it is still very hard to cultivate due to the high level of humidity and rains that we get.

My small experiment comes to an end and I therefore conclude that True Lavender (Lavandula angustifloia) will not thrive in the Philippines. However, French Lavender (Lavandula dentata) can thrive provided that you don't over water it. They also grow pretty easily through cuttings.

I have yet to plant more French lavenders and let's see how things will turn out. For now, while I'm nursing my lavender hearth ache, I'm moving on to new things. My next project is this:

And this!!!

So follow me on my next gardening adventure and let's see how far it will go this time. And if it fails, well then it's all part of one great adventure because...

And always remember: "Life is either one great adventure, or nothing."- Helen Keller

:-)

This post also appears in http://manilaurbangardener.blogspot.com

I Believe in Mermaids and Here's Why

Today, I was teaching my baby girl about mythical creatures such as giants, fairies and "memids" (mermaids)as she calls them when I came upon something I haven't seen before on Animal Planet. I was just looking for short films on mermaids that I can show my daughter, but what I stumbled upon is a documentary by Animal Planet on Mermaids: The Body Found (2012) and Mermaids: The New Evidence (2013).



I believe that there are some parts here that may have been the source of inspiration for the new TV series by ABS-CBN: Dyesebel. In one episode it shows a coral which was in a form of a spear used to kill a fisherman. In one of the videos from Mermaids: The Body Found there were fishermen in the Baltic Sea and in other parts of the world who noticed how some fishes and whales have spears in their bodies.

If you ask me if there are evidences, I believe there are---it's just not enough yet. In our Evolutionary Biology class in college we talked about how man evolved and I must say that the evidences presented are plausible.


You shouldn't believe everything you see on youtube, but there are some worth thinking about. Below is the video of a boy who found a mermaid washed ashore. This was also part of the documentary by Animal Planet. The scientist who exposed the truth about mermaids, Dr. Paul Robertson, a marine biologist, was also part of the investigating team who studied what the Navy Team recovered the body found by the boy that day.





Below are the video clips from Animal Planet on Mermaids: The Body Found and Mermaids: The New Evidence



I don't think that this is a hoax. What I keep thinking about though is what Dr. Paul Robertson revealed about how Sonar Testing possibly kills them together with other sea creatures such as dolphins and whales. I think they should put a stop to this sonar testing. Of course, the global warming which causes an increase in the temperature of our seas possibly affects them too in the same way that we are affected by it. Yesterday was Earth Day, this should remind us to protect the Earth because it's not exclusive to us humans, we share it with plants and animals such birds and beasts of the earth, creatures the seas -- and mermaids too. One day, I believe when all the evidences pile up, they will finally stop becoming mythical creatures.

Top 10 Crafty Paper Crane Ideas

Last year I folded 1000 paper cranes and when I was done, I  didn't quite know what to do with them. I read somewhere they're lucky and if you fold 1000 of them your wish will come true within a year. While waiting for my wish to come true I scourged the web for ideas and came up with my Top 10 Crafty Things You Can Do Paper Cranes:

1) Use it as a garnish.
There's one website I found where they folded the dumpling wrapper as garnish. How cool is that?

courtesy of: http://www.thekitchn.com/the-wow-factor-origami-crane-g-100711

2) Lamps.
Try covering an old lamp with paper cranes and see what happens when you light it up like the ones below:

Image courtesy of: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vsa2i39Oi-TBt4FdCj0D8E9iniklZcGPTks0xVWsTLxjpA_q9xGIBtnMKt9r8wnUcb6W4oPvBPeJAqyGmm6mt7NdIVfbWELKrT9IhL7yC_eFZq4__aZZ9ab6O2iE-stDea_HzQ/s1600/paper-crane-light_thumb.jpg

Image courtesy of: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-paper-crane-pendant-lamp-117520

3) Earrings:

The image below is from FoldIT Creations and they make paper crane earrings with real gems.

Image courtesy of: http://folditcreations.wordpress.com/tag/dragonfly/

4) Home Decor.

Below is a really cute room with paper cranes. If you are going for something unique you can try this idea for a teenage girl's room.

Image courtesy of: http://p-ec2.pixstatic.com/51b1cc6c74c5b61fe8000908._w.540_s.fit_.jpg

The items below were used for a wedding, but they can also add a burst of color in any room. You can also try painting a branch of a tree white and then putting the paper cranes all over them.

Image courtesy of: http://www.sweetwedding.pl/papierowe-fantazje-zapowiedz-posta/

Paper cranes can give color and dimension to hallways like the picture below. You can also hang them outside but be prepared if it gets windy or when it rains.

Image courtesy off: http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/207/b/0/1000_Paper_Cranes_by_ChibiIce.jpg

5) Theme for a Wedding or a Party.

Whether you choose white or colored paper cranes it can be a lovely theme to any wedding or party.

Image courtesy of: http://www.100layercake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Vintage-barn-wedding-32.jpg

Image courtesy of: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/roshipotoshi/30402070/101425/101425_original.jpg

5) Party favor or giveaways:

You just have to fold them really tiny to fit in a small jar and since they symbolize luck, prosperity, longevity and good health,not to mention inexpensive, they can make good party favors or giveaways.

Image courtesy of: http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/84/2c/8d/842c8ddde35e35eef70d11ec10fb13f7.jpg

 

Image source: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/be/0f/59be0f6dce732b8e6922f21f1bc594a5.jpg

6) A Gift.

In Japan they make ideal wedding gifts as they mean luck for the newly weds especially if it's the father of the bride who folded them. In some countries they are given as gifts to ill patients to wish them good health and fast healing. But it doesn't mean you can only give them to sick loved ones, even if they're not sick you can also give it to them so they can make a wish for themselves.

Image courtesy of: http://blog.stephbond.com/2012/07/make-thousand-origami-paper-cranes.html

7) Paper Crane Dress:

I don't think it's wearable but I found it unique.

Image courtesy of: http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/paper-crane-dress-1.jpg

8) Pin it on a clothesline.

They just look cute on a clothesline, period. :)

Image courtesy of: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/cf/12/6dcf12ea2ebec7865671acae5b6ac9de.jpg

9) Mobile

It's one of the most common things people do with with paper cranes most especially if you can't fold 1000 of them. You only need a few, some sticks and a ribbon and your little one can enjoy a crafty and handmade mobile for their nursery.

Image courtesy of: http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/medium/DSCF0503.JPG

Image courtesy of: http://www.deliacreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/paper-crane-mobile-14-of-16.jpg

10) Curtains. 

Finally, after folding 1000 paper cranes I decided on hanging them by the window as curtains. Below are the paper cranes which hangs in our playroom. It's made out of all kinds of paper and used post its from the office.

If you would like to give a go, click the youtube video below where I learned how to fold paper cranes and let me know how it goes:

Lavender Growing in the Philippines: 6th Month Update and How to Grow Lavender from Cuttings

From 42 a month ago, I now have just 24 left including the one which I was trying to grow from cuttings. It is pretty scary seeing them turn brown one after the other. And it's not just the ones that I put in full shade that are dying, even the ones in partial shade. But if I'll be successful growing them from cuttings, I should be able to grow back the same number of lavender I lost.

I know that rain during summer will definitely kill them but I left them in the rain when it rained last month. But if I didn't how will I know for myself?

 Anyway, here's how you can propagate lavender from cuttings in case you decide to buy a mature plant and not start them from seeds:

1) Cut a stem as close to the main branch as possible. Use a very sharp pair of scissors or secateurs.

2) Peel the bottom part around 2 inches from the base.

3) Pop it in some well draining soil.

Water them heavily at the base and keep them moist for a few weeks. At around a month, water them lightly as you would any lavender plant. It wouldn't hurt to fertilize at around a month. I use Manusol Growth Fertilizer 30-10-10 to encourage strong growth of leaves, roots and stem. I use a tablespoon of this fertilizer for 8 liters of water. I usually fertilize once a month or every other month depending on the state of the plants.

I did this three days ago and my cutting is still alive. I will let you know how it'll all go in my next update in a month.

The Death of a Lavender :-(

One of my two french lavenders died. I tried transplanting them to a bigger pot because they've grown so big. I gave one a bit of a shake to loosen the roots as advised by my online research on how to transplant lavenders...and it didn't like it.

Lesson #8. When transplanting lavender, take it as is and don't attempt to loosen the roots because they are super sensitive they'll die.

This weekend I'm going to try to grow them from cuttings.

A Broken Jar

Image courtesy of: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6677537903_07f0e8e5f8_z.jpg

It was a candy jar I broke.

I was dragged
Dumped where the dog sleeps
And then the lashes came...
I counted them to dull the pain.

One..two...six...sixteen!
Why doesn't it stop?
Twenty-two.. .thirty....

My back is raw and my body is shaking.
My shirt clings to the oozing flesh on my back.
I want to rip it off.
Please make my heart stop beating.

She is my world--my one and only.
How can she hurt me like this?

I'm just a child and my hands are still tiny 
To get a good grip of big things like jars.

He is my defender
My knight-in-shining armor.
The heavy buckle of his belt crosses my cheek
Something tastes like the metal lid of our salt shaker.

What is wrong with me?
Why am I like this?

My Mona Lisa stops him to say not on the face
I'm so sorry...little arms reaching for a hug
For a blanket of protection

But some things never come.

In between the lashes
A little heart was dreaming
To be ever so tiny no one could see me
Oh, I'm a dust in the afternoon sun!

Some wishes never come true.

She lets him have a go
His hands--the broom--a stick--the thin black belt!
A shoe across my face
On my fifteenth birthday.

The days roll past into months
And years into faded photographs of decades past
I try to live my life
But something's not quite right .

How can he hurt me like this?
He is my world my one and only.

I will wait.
I will strive.
I cannot fail...

What is wrong with me
Why am I like this?

I need some sweets
I need a fix.

It got broken when my hands were still tiny
To get a good grip of big things like jars.


©2013 Ma. Leonor Jambalos. All rights reserved.

Lavender Growing Update: 5th Month

It's been 5 months since I started this small experiment on whether lavender could grow here in the Philippines. The answer was an obvious yes, but whether they will thrive as perennials, is another tough question that I'm facing as the months go by.

I started with 70 seedlings. After Typhoon Yolanda and a few rainstorms, it was down to 54 last month.Today there's only 42 left (2 dentata and 40 angustifolia varieties). More died since I stopped running like crazy outside to put an umbrella over them whenever it's raining or moving them over to a shady part of the garden when it gets too hot. I was thinking that if I'll be realistic about this experiment then I should stop doing that. I left a few in the shade though just in case...

Today, the temperature reads 34 degrees Celsius (92 degrees Fahrenheit) with 52% humidity rate in Manila. And this weather is just wicked even for the other plants, my lawn is brown and the other plants are also dying from the intense heat and humidity. The good news is,the ones that survived are healthy and branching out. These are the True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia):

Below are the French Lavender which I bought from SM Makati Supermarket in December. They're so much bigger now I need to transfer them to a bigger pot:

From my research, seasoned gardeners recommend French Lavender in the tropics because they are more tolerant to the extreme heat, humidity and rain. Though if there's a storm, I would still bring them inside because as with any lavender, wet roots kill them. Just look at the ones below:

Above are the ones which I notice that even after two days the soil around them is still wet unlike the other plants.

What I learned so far are these:
1) Water only every 2-3 days.
2) Use a water sprayer and water them lightly at the base. Never over water or else they'll die.I can't highlight this enough.
3) Water early in the morning to give their roots a chance to dry throughout the day. Never in the late afternoon or evening If you skipped it, then just water the next morning.
4) The soil should have good drainage. I bought Folia Tropica potting mix from Ace Hardware. It has a good mix of sand, compost and coconut coir. I had the mistake of using leftover seed growing mix in the past and the ones I planted with those died because the mix is designed to retain water which is important for seeds to germinate but causes root rot for lavender.
5) Put some pebbles at the bottom of the pot before putting soil for better drainage.
6) Fertilize at least once a month.
7) Cut dead leaves as close to the stem as possible because that's where new leaves/branches sprout.

I only have a few plants left than when I started but if you consider the leaves and the branches, I actually have more. From what I read, they aren't fully mature until about a year so I have a few more months left to wait and hopefully on my next update they're starting to bloom.

Thank you for all your messages and sorry if I am not able to respond sooner than I wish. If you have started growing them (in the Philippines) please share your experience with me. Perhaps we can find a way to make this lavender growing work. If not, I still think it's worth knowing first hand.

Cheers!

Growing Lavender in the Philippines

Can lavender grow in the tropics? Will it grow in the Philippines? Yes it most certainly can! For I have been asking myself the same question since September and been researching as much as I could on the web about it. There is a lot of information available about growing it but none about growing lavender specifically in the Philippines.

Here in Manila, it is something you wouldn't find in your neighbor's garden. According to the website on Philippine Alternative Medicine, it isn't native to us and was introduced to the Philippines though it doesn't say how. As such for the benefit of those not familiar with it let me share with you what I found in Wikipedia: lavender belongs to the genus Lavandula of the mint family. This probably accounts for it's strong fragrance. It is an herb usually with purple flowers (though there are also yellow, white, pink and green varieties) and are used in perfumes, oils, soaps, shampoo and even in detergents (like in these Bonux  and Surf TV ads) due to its fragrance. If you want to know more about this plant you can Google it for more info as I'm going to limit the information here related to growing lavender in the Philippines.

So I took the initiative and started my own experiment to see how they will thrive here in Manila. You may find updates as the months go by on my little lavender growing experiment by clicking on the 'Home' or 'Gardening' tabs at the top of this page.

Below is my simple three-step plan:

My Three-Step Plan. The Lavender picture and farm were taken from http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/giftflowers/flowersandfragrances/lavenders and http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6022/5956794509_2238b6b3cf_z.jpg respectively.

Step 1. Research. 

Why do people always want what they can't have? My research leads to the conclusion that I'm one of those people. But as the The Little Prince said in Antoine de Saint Exupery's famous novel, what makes a desert beautiful is that it hides a well somewhere. And I am determined to find that well.

 If you look at the map below which I found in Wikipedia, it will show you areas where lavender grows. Look for the green regions representing the temperate regions like France, Canada, North America, Spain, and the southern part of Australia among others.

Source Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Klimag%C3%BCrtel-der-erde.png

As you can see, the Philippines is on the tropics where it's either sunny or rainy. This lavender flower that I'm trying to grow loves the cool climate with a little bit of sun and hates getting wet. So it's already a challenge to begin with, but I'm not backing down on opportunity it could present.

There's really very little I could find on the web about growing lavender locally. Mostly people want to grow them, but couldn't find how. There were a few who saw lavender being sold at Quezon City Circle and some at SM Supermarket. Further digging around led me to sites and people who seem to have grown lavender successfully in the Philippines.

1. Yahoo Answers Philippines shows that someone was able to grow them 5 years ago but they wouldn't bloom. It's just all leaves.

2. In a website about Philippine Alternative Medicine, it says it's cultivated and grows in Baguio.

3. Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm in Silang, Cavite. In English "ilog" means river and Maria is the same as Mary. They're the biggest honey farm in the country. I don't exactly remember which blog was it that mentioned Ilog Maria but there was a write up about them in the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2002. According to reviews they make one of the best lavender and honey soap. Then I saw a picture of a lavender that grows in their farm. As per the person who uploaded this picture saying it was taken at Ilog Maria, it seems genuine lavender:

Image source: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5180/5490367969_e2fa335ba0_z.jpg

I

I haven't been there but I will definitely grab my sister one of these days to see for myself. They prefer to be contacted via email at:  info@ilogmaria.com.

4. Fil Mabuhay Pot Garden Herbs Distributed. I found their ad thru sulit.com. Here's a picture of the plant that they sell. I don't know whether this is a picture of the actual plant so it's best for you to check it out for yourself. This is the one on sulit.com:

Image source: http://cdn.sulitstatic.com/server2/images/2013/0626/062541183_396efbb505fc2d520ed41ee1d982833d3642b594.jpg

They are selling their lavender for PHP 150 per pot and when I asked them how much they charge for delivery to Muntinlupa, it's PHP 400. So if you want to save some money and just want to buy a few pots, I suggest you go to their shop. Below is their contact information:

FIL MABUHAY POT GARDEN HERBS DISTRIBUTED
BY: FIL MABUHAY HOTEL & RESTAURANT SERVICES
1202 GENERAL LUNA ST., ERMITA, MANILA

Phone numbers: 505-7784, 383-5580, 0917-6123508, 0916-3776466, 0922-4655241

Step 2. Grow them into something like this:

Image Source: http://thegraphicsfairy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lavender-Plant-Stock-Image-graphicsfairy3.jpg

So to answer the question on whether lavender can grow in the Philippines? The answer is YES!

Please see my youtube video below so you can see how well my baby lavender are growing. I grew them from seeds on 20th of October. I bought specialty seeds at SM Supermarket which says: 5 in 1 Herb Italia from Ramgo . It has Parsley, Chives, Basil,Dill, Lavender and even comes with free Rocket Aragula seeds.





So what do you need to start growing lavender?

Lavender Seeds
Soil
Paper Cups with punched holes at the bottom
Pots
Water Sprayer
Patience
Slow Release Fertilizer (only after 3-4 set of true leaves has emerged)

I used ordinary garden soil with a bit of rice and coconut husk to improve drainage. Since the seeds are so tiny, I made sure that the seeds weren't planted too deep just around half a centimeter or 5 mm. Then I planted them in paper cups and placed them on my window sill. I also put anti-ant chalk around the base of the cups to protect it from ants and other insects. It's been raining like crazy so I kept them safe from rain and direct sunlight since it's really hot in the tropics during the day. I lightly sprayed it with water when needed. It took three weeks before the first few seeds germinate.

After one month I had about 20 seeds germinate from around 100 seeds that I sowed. After 40 days I have more than 70! This morning, I was surprised to see a few more seeds that just sprouted. I guess it's also because I planted them now that it's a bit colder but I doubt they will grow as well if you plant them during the hot season from March-May.

I had to transfer the ones with true set of leaves to a bigger pot but since I didn't have enough soil nor pot I put around 4 in a pot and will transplant them again once they grow bigger. It's okay as long as the spacing is at least 2-3 inches. But you need to transfer them once they grow bigger, otherwise their roots will get all tangled up and it will be hard for you to transplant. You also need to make sure that it's not too crowded to allow for better air circulation. Don't water them unless you see that the soil is really dry because while they need water the plants hate it when their roots are wet. I sprayed slow release fertilizer for the plants that have 3 or 4 sets of leaves just to encourage new growth.

During the Typhoon Haiyan (which the strongest Typhoon ever recorded) I put them all inside. Last night it started to rain again at around 11 PM and I run down the stairs like crazy (I bet waking up the entire barangay!) because I forgot to put my baby lavender under the window sill where it's protected from heavy rains. This morning I put them out again under the sun for a bit of sun-bathing. :-)

Step 3. Dream big and start a farm

Right now, I am still in the first part of Step 3, which is dreaming big. This post about growing lavender in the Philippines is one my life dreams. I hope you get inspired by it and learned something. Please feel free to comment or ask a question if you need clarification. Right now, it's 1:07 AM and it's time to dream more dreams. Wish me luck!

Image source: http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/736x/15/da/74/15da743146f9af78b4f1707c2ddcb45c.jpg

©2013 Ma. Leonor Jambalos. All rights reserved.

Prophecies of Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda

     November 7, 2013, Manila Time. We knew he was coming. The Angel of Death named Haiyan or Yolanda in the Philippines. It was like an apocalypse saying "in the hours to come I will sweep upon your land and reap souls by the thousands."

     Who could prepare? Nobody. Nothing could prepare us for this. Everyone in Samar and Leyte lost someone they knew.

     Yet, it seems like we've been given a warning before. I saw a video on Youtube of a man and another of a woman who both predicted that this would happen. Below is a video from four years back of a prediction made by Cindy Jacobs.

     And this is another video which I just saw today of an Indian prophet named Sadhu who predicted the tragedy in Samar and Leyte:

     God spoke to them to warn us of this tragedy and also to give hope that after this an anointing of our land would follow. Whether or not this is true, all I can say to God is this---I don't understand why, but I have faith and trust in Your plans for my beloved country.

     As I prepare a compilation of video clips and images that struck me I can't help but cry. Here I am in the comfort of my home, watching my baby play. I am safe and my family was spared, but that doesn't mean that we don't share their pain. The tragedy is felt everywhere in the Philippines and the whole world.

     There was a picture of a father carrying the body of his lifeless daughter, another is a woman on her knees crying and dead bodies were piled everywhere. There were images of newly orphaned kids wet and crying and in another photo-- a boy with a wounded face amidst debris they once dearly called home.

     Yesterday I heard Susan Boyle's version of You'll Never Walk Alone and in my mind I saw the pictures of survivors of the typhoon and the overwhelming help we got from all over the world.  Kindly see the video below that I created and uploaded on Youtube as a tribute to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda and to the International Community who came to our aid. You'll see pictures of survival, courage and faith in God. This is a story of humanity and that how different we may seem we are one. We breath the same air, we see the same stars at night and feel the same kind of joy and pain.

     I made this so that when we get through it all we will feel proud at recalling how we survived this nightmare. At the same time for all the Filipinos to remember that in our time of need, our brothers and sisters from different countries helped us and was with us on our grieving.

*
Please note that I do not own any of the materials used in my youtube video.You may see the credits page for the original sources. Neither do I own the other two videos and picture used in this blog post.

In My Agents Shoes

I was just like you.

Like Lexi, I was fiesty and rebellious. Brutally honest and crazy like Nina. After all I was just like Kaye --young and carefree. I used to put on make-up while working and had a mirror on my monitor (like Jane). I was unsure on which path to take (Gerwin, at one time). But I tried my best to be strong (Ayie) for my dreams because I couldn't depend on anyone but myself (Dax) until I decided to give my all (Rommel) and tame myself (Cecil).

I digged around my old blogs and now I find myself meeting my self seven years ago. I must have been one tough employee to manage:

" Wednesday, August 18th, 2004 6:24 pm


Purple Angst
How I hate the world today! How I hate the way the keyboard makes me feel stupid. I hate the cold air that make my fingers numb. I hate the rain outside--it will drench and put dirt on the edges of my pants. I hate the callers I got today! I hate the Q.A., I hate my age, I hate the friendster addicts! i hate the stinging pain on my back.
I hate the way i hate the things I used to love.
I hate him.. I hate spaghetti, I hate the stars... I hate these thoughts that wouldn't keep me still. I hate the way time pushes me, when all i ever want is to just breathe for a moment and feel myself.
I am young but the world doesn't seem to be for my age today. Just today....
Maybe I should go get myself a drink and sleep.

Good morning--sleep tight graveyard firefly.

Current Mood: cranky "



And in one blog:

http://purpleowyn.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_archive.html

"*ring...ring* that's the landline, as it breaks the silence downstairs. I hear it, but I don't give a damn. *ring...ring* that's my cellphone. "Hi...me pasok ka today, right?" that's my supervisor in his calm voice. My conscience bugged me. I have the most patient, and the most understanding boss in the planet. "Opo...papasok na po..." my voice sounds sleepy. I told him I am not feeling well. I don't lie to him. If I don't feel like going to work, I tell him straight out. And today, it's true that I am not feeling well...my soul is sick. I realized it's an hour past my shift. I slept a few minutes after that...woke up and screamed "AYOKO NG PUMASOK!"


Have a read at the link above for the full blog if you like. For I was just like you at one time.... Just sharing these with you so you would know that I know how you feel and when say I understand -- I REALLY DO. ;-)

But you can get ahead and turn things around.

For at one point in my not so recent past...I was famous.

Dahil sa office namin, ako ang pinakang pasaway!




Sana wag kayong magpapasaway sakin ha? ;-)

Like Bread Crumbs

I just deleted one blog I made because I just don't want people to know about it.
In my line of work, I learned that privacy is sacred.

It's is amazing how much you can learn about a person if you really want to. For like bread crumbs...everybody leaves a trail.

Chocolate Lonster

September 15, 2010. I got my certificate in Basic and Advance Chocolate Molding. I can now make 3-D chocolate figures, chocolate lollipops, chocolate truffles, chocolate cornflakes, bonbons, etc! I hope I could get started with my own chocolate designs for my business.

Like Sunshine

It's way past my shift and I am still here at the diner singing a happy love song over and over.... and it makes me want to write a poem about how I feel today.


Like sunshine 









and marshmallows

And freshly squeezed orange juice

Like the smell of the dock
At the back of my grandfather's beach house
On a Sunday...

Like pink, red, orange and blue dragonflies
I used to catch at the playground

I kept them safe in between my sweaty little palms

Like hugs from Yumpkin

And a spoonful of Mama's yema

Like staying up all night talking
With your best friends in a tent

Or jamming with Utoy while eating manga't bagoong

On a summer at home



This is how I feel today
And I know it's not just because of the chocolate cake...

I just ate

©2009 Ma. Leonor Jambalos. All rights reserved.

***Blogger's note: Please note that I don't own any of the pictures used above except for my dog's picture.