The Upside of Being the 3rd Mice

“It’s the second mice that gets the cheese.” So they say. Ever wondered where the third mice is in the picture?

The third mice stood behind watching the first one get caught on the mouse trap and the 2nd feast on the cheese. Hesitation has its advantage as well. You can be bold and daring, or such a risk-taker and win the game, but sometimes being scared and saying no can do as much favor… sometimes it pays to just stay still and listen to your heart palpitating… ‘Saves the day as well.

While the world witnessed the recent disaster in Japan and sincerely expresses its deepest sympathy, I can’t help but feel distressed with the idea that tragedy can in fact strike anywhere. Regardless of the national economic status, when it hits you it just hits. You can be prepared for it but survival may not be an assurance for all. Japan being the third most progressive economy (next to China and the United States), didn’t see it coming at all, did they?

Well, with that in mind I have nothing to say except that we cannot squabble with nature. Nobody ever can. The sinkholes, the earthquakes here and there, the numbers of flood and tsunami incidents… Whatever is happening to the world these days may be beyond comprehension but one thing’s for sure, it’s the people who are accountable for all these imbalances.

To make things worse for Japan, now they would have to deal with the downside of a progressive economy probably brought about by a few of their major decisions in the past… the Nuclear Plants being one, that is.

Going back to the third mice and looking at the lighter side of it, on a Pinay perspective… made me look back at my elementary years , circa 1984, my memory serves me right, I was one of the kids in school who would join a mock student rally and would shout “NO TO NUKES!” not to sound radical, ‘got me carried away with the scare campaign led by our teacher on nuclear weapons eventually turning people to mutants. That’s all I knew back then, not that I didn’t have a choice but I remember bein’ just proud standin’ up for a cause.

If you look at it now, not the best but probably the smartest decision the Aquino regime ever made was to scrap the operation of the Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan—supposedly a response to the economic oil crisis, during the martial law regime when Marcos believed nuclear power to be the solution to meeting the country’s energy demands and decreasing dependence in imported oil. Such a visionary he is, nothing against his being a dreamer, was actually all for it except for the nukes. The Plant was completed but never fueled. Good.

Imagine how progressive our country could have been, had the Plant been put into operation. We could have been the 2nd mice. Getting the cheese though, doesn’t spare you from any consequence. Had we not been scared about the Chernobyl incident in 1986? Hmm… Thanks to the strong opposition from Bataan residents (that includes my mom) and our citizens. Among other issues raised back then was that it was built near major earthquake fault lines and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano. A few years later, Mt. Pinatubo erupted. Did our cowardice save the day? Definitely! Maybe!

In 2008, there was a motion to rehabilitate the Nuclear Power station in Bataan, but thank goodness the 3rd mice strikes again. Last year another Aquino scrapped bids to revive the nuclear plant. Whew! Now I doubt if someone would still ever file a motion for reconsideration on this. How about turning the facility into a six-star-hotel instead? Kidding aside, a lot of the taxes we paid went to building that nuke plant in Bataan, right? Might as well turn it into something profitably useful.

We would have not seen the bigger picture if not for what happened in Japan. It was a series of unfortunate events not even the most powerful of nations was ready enough to face the blows. Let us deal with things that are still beyond our control for now. Being the third mice has its advantage after all. Lessons are learned, only the hard way for our Japanese brethren. Now unlike Pinoy Media, Japan’s ethical broadcasting chooses not to show deaths footage brought about by the tragedy in respect for their losses. It’s better off that way. My heart still bleeds on the devastation; I can only keep on praying for their fast recovery and healing. PEACE.

http://vyjae.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/the-upside-of-being-the-3rd-mice



My Sweet Sinful Serenity… Banoffee!

Sugar High. I should start by saying I am not a big fan of cakes and pies. Like any other foodie when it comes to pastries and cakes I used to just eat those chocolate icings and confectionaries, indulge on those colorful glaze & frostings and leave the BORING spongy part of the cake for someone else to finish, haha, but my taste buds were so used to sweets and sugar-heavy diet, so I didn’t mind – at least back then. 

An Apetite for D. For someone who grew up in a household where desserts were never an after-thought, that sweet, final touch to every meal was something we were guaranteed to get, no matter what the occasion – or lack thereof. To my family dessert  is something you don’t dare question, you devour in it, enjoy it and most of all you’d better not forget about it. Nope, doesn’t really have to be cakes, we’re talking just about anything with sugar on. Only this time I’m zooming in to my new subject of affection………… BANOFFEE PIE!

My Sweet Tooth. Thing is, I’m not sure if I’m just being biased about this particular pie. Could be that a special memory has just been associated with the first time I ever ate one. I remember I was topping it off with a slice of banoffee cake while settled relaxing in my pad… with someone I care a great deal for. Clearly adding to it some nice music and a casual conversation of just about anything and VOILA! automatically a sweet, romantic occasion….. {Sigh} banoffee mem’ry. My fascination could be overated but hey, you be the judge.

Goin Banoffee! It’s a must try, really. Below is the recipe, for those who wish to try to impress someone it’s pretty simple to make, or you may opt to just take your significant other and try indulging at it at BANAPPLE Branches in Katipunan or Il Terrazzo Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Have tried Starbucks, Red Ribbon, Charlie’s Burger, but BANAPPLE tops my list. Every time I return to their branch in Tomas Morato, Banoffee pie is often down to its last piece. It’s their most popular creation. It is seriously fresh and delicious. The morning is your best chance to snag one! Banoffee is such a sweet treat. If i were you find out how BANAPPLE take their cakes seriously.

 

Make or Bake. This pie is so easy to make. Although the preparation time is quite long, most of that time involves the condensed milk caramelising in the pan without your supervision. Others use the microwave, but I heard it’s a little risky. Caramelising will define the success of your banoffee, there are other ways to caramelize though, you can try googling it. Hope you have fun and enjoy your banoffee!

Ingredients:

1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust you can buy from the grocery store(or make your own crust from graham biscuit) 

1 (400 ml) can sweetened condesed milk 

3 bananas  (you can buy from Seven Eleven)

300 ml all purpose cream/ whipped cream

hot chocolate powder or cocoa for dusting or hersheys chocolate syrup 

Here’s How:

1. Place the unopened can of condensed milk (don’t open the can!) in a saucepan and cover with water.

2. Bring the water to the boil then reduce slightly and let the can boil covered for 2 1/2 or 3 hours (if you’re patient enough to wait for 3 hours it is better).

3. IMPORTANT- Don’t ever let the saucepan boil dry.

4. Keep checking up on it and adding water if necessary.

5. Remove the can and wait a few minutes before opening it very carefully in the sink.

6. The condensed milk will look like creamy brown caramel.

7. Stir the caramel in the can with a fork to remove any lumps, then pour into your pie crust and let it cool, then refrigerate till cold.

8. Slice bananas thinly and lay them on top of the filling.

9. Whip the cream and spread it over the bananas.

10. I usually just cover the bananas, but if you like more cream, spread it as thickly as you want.

11. Dust the cocoa or powdered drinking chocolate on top for effect. You can be creative and even spell names using Hersheys Chocolate Syrup. 

Happy Eating!

[published www.vyjae.wordpress.com /march 29 2010]

I believe I can FLY

5:00PM TODAY. Two-frustrating-hours on the road trying to find a reroute, looking for possible way out- or back from where I came from. I swear, it was just one straight line… Never imagined driving Espana to EDSA-Quezon Ave. would take me forever, stuck in a traffic jam that I found no visible cause other than the fact that everyone else has decided to slow down for no reason. Terrible! And then there was Alanis…  on the radio, of course, singin’ IRONIC…

She goes “…Mr. ‘Play-it-Safe’ was afraid to fly, he packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye.  He waited his whole damn life to take that flight, and as the plane crashed down he thought ‘Well isn’t this nice…’  Isn’t it ironic… don’t you think?”

My train of thoughts began. Those lines… why do they keep playing automatically at the back of my head each time I’m up there flying?  

After hearing about the Yemeni plane which recently crashed in the Indian Ocean, and Bahia Bakari, the 14-year-old sole survivor of that flight… ‘could not help but think… think deeply.

Had I completely overcome my PHOBIA? It’s not a fear of airplanes I guess or even a fear of heights. For me it’s more like a fear of lack of control, the idea that I am contained in the plane, if something goes wrong in a snap, I can’t do anything!   

And then I remember those bits of nasty humors about local airline company slogans insinuating their vulnerabilities.  Like Cebu Pacific… where you fly from Cebu land in d Pacific (ocean); Asian Spirit… fly as Asian(s) wither as Spirits; Zest Air… fly with Zest, vanish in thin Air. Geees… I don’t see how remembering any of these would help me forget about my fear of flying.

Every time I set foot on a plane, can’t help but get the notion that I am risking a lifetime chance to be with my loved ones still.  Like half/half… every flight could mean either an exciting trip…or to the least, and may the good Lord forbid… an ‘emergency landing’.  Just the thought of a plane crash gives me the creeps!

And then I began wondering how it is to be in the airplane physically, when it actually loses control and start to go down and crash. Like, due to heavier weight of the plane compared to passengers, are the passengers pushed back towards the rear most part of the plane killing everyone virtually instantly? Or does something else happen?

Also, when an airplane crashes through the water, what happens? Does it continue down towards the bottom of the sea, eventually being crushed by the water pressure when it has gone down long enough; or it lands rather “peacefully” on the water surface, with passengers largely intact.

Do you know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes? The ‘why can’t they make the whole plane out of the same material,’ is out of the question already, the material could be WAY too expensive, yes, but I’m pretty sure AN OPTION (to survive a crash)would sound GREATER than GREAT!

Of course any plane crash is tragic. A 14-year-old kid who can barely swim, could have just given up after that traumatic crash, considering how strong the impact could have been.  But her FAITH and will-to-survive saved her as she clung to a floating debris for more than 12 hours before the search team spotted her in rough seas…and thinking what could the mother have done up to the last minute of her life in order to try to save her daughter? Picture how she has embraced her daughter in a way that would completely protect her from the impact.  That is LOVE.  That’s why I can obviously say that the kid’s seemingly miraculous escape from such air disaster, perhaps, is simply God’s way of telling us that there is always HOPE even when we think all hope is gone.

And then it all dawned on me, it really doesn’t matter where you are at. When it’s your time… it is! When it’s not… no matter what hell you go through in any tragic circumstance… you’ll make it! It doesn’t take a bad weather, or a stupid pilot, or a lightning, or any freak accident to dictate an ending. Our days would surely come in each of our own time… and when it does be sure you have your 3 things intact- faith, hope and love, these will SAVE you from any of your two possible destinations… life or eternity.  If you have invested on these things your entire life, only then you can say YOU’RE GOOD TO GO!  As for me, COPING as you can see… I believe I can fly!

“Keys Me”

Alyssa Alano is not the only one…

Whatever she meant by ‘beat in the verdict valley…’ (click this link to appreciate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leW9nn8ZCAM) she probably just wanted to get that big debut of her ‘spectacular’ performance over and done with. Nah!

Thinking about it, it’s just striking how we Pinoys commit grammatical slips at times when we’re expected not to, in singing, for instance, in front of a live audience (whether it’s a huge one or just you and your buddies). Some of us get it mixed-up perhaps because we didn’t listen hard enough, or could be that we couldn’t understand the accent of the artist, and so we try to make sense out of the vague words said in those songs, plainly inventing in the hope of being spontaneous just because we didn’t know the lyrics…

The following are bits and pieces of song lyrics that people might have misheard, mangled, misunderstood, mispronounced, and messed-up in funny ways. They’re called MONDEGREENS… (yup, Beng, there is such a word, you can check that out on the dictionary). Simply defined as misheard and mangled lyrics, and in fact a universal syndrome. I’m pretty sure a lot of you might have already enjoyed ‘KEN LEE (tulibu dibu douchoo)’ by a Bulgarian Idol. If not, hey, you’re way outdated, search it over at youtube to see what I mean. Or better yet, okay fine, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQt-h753jHI

One of my friend’s house help can be a potential Mondegreen contender, she has been caught screwing up such hits like: ‘Nothing’s gonna change my love for you, you know naman by now, how much I love you..’ in fairness, it sounded pa-tweetums lang, ha. ‘Napatingin ako sa kamera’ when I heard her sing (The Greatest Love of All) ‘If I pay, I can’t believe, never to walk with Edu Manzano..’ wow naman never…papa Edu! siguro diehard fan ni ate V? And then there’s ‘But now, there’s no better guy, since you push my lover’s eye (ouch!), I’m out of my bed, hope the city voted to you..oooh.. hope the city voted to you!(ay election?)’ Believe it or not, that’s her version of ‘Hoplessly Devoted to You.’

Stand-up comedians have their ways of slippin’ in malicious minds to their funny antics and humor, all for fun sake. Replacing words to sound the way they want it, like in the song ‘in good times, and bed times, I’ll be side-by-side forever more, that’s what friends are for’ or one of the Breads’ classics- “Make it With You’ sang ‘..and if I chose the one I’d like to help me through, I wanna make out with you.. I really think that we can make a girl..’ and Irene Cara’s Flash Dance lines sounded ‘take your pants down, (instead of take your passion) and make it happen.. ‘

There are those that made a little sense, somehow: ‘Ahas, in the middle of the street, ahas, in the middle of the street..’ Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Scarborough Fair’ was sang ‘Are you going to starve an old friend? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…’ and then there’s Neil Diamond’s ‘Selsun blue everybody use one’ instead of ‘Song Sung blue everybody knows one… ‘ Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing in the Wind’ held the lyrics ‘the ants are my friends, they’re going & they win, the ants are just going and they win..’ talk about country songs being murdered?! I got a little ‘diri’ hearing one of the Beatles songs (Ticket to Ride)sang this way instead.. ‘She’s got a tick in her eye, she’s got a tick in her eye, she’s got a tick in her eye, but she don’t care!’ MAJOR EEEWWWW! Haha.

A hopeless romantic manang singing her heart out over a karaoke sounded a little desperate with a Joey Albert song that went ‘I wanna die… I can’t get over you…’ (originally ‘Oh what a night, I can’t get over you’). A college barkada used to sing a very powerful song by the Cranberries ‘Zombie’ at the top of her lungs with an earsplitting ‘Some-day, someday, some-day-hey-hey-ho-oh-oh…’ instead. (Joiz, CJ, you know who she is…our adorable friend… now, with a PhD?) I heard a sampaguita vendor singing ‘I’m 264 my shirt, 264 my shirt 260 its hers..’ (Too Sexy) with matching dance steps pa.

Those who made these songs up obviously got confused: ‘I believe our children, or our future, piss them when they let her give away..’ hu-whattttt?!? Overkill, you won’t believe this really happened, but it did. I was a witness how the bride cried over her wedding not exactly tears of joy, perhaps of humiliation? After hearing the church soloist rendition of ‘It Might Be You’ with the most hideous lines one can ever think of singing on a wedding… ‘Something’s telling me it’s me and you… all of my wife… maybe it’s you, or maybe it’s you, I’ve been waiting for… all of my wife’ Haay, nako, believe me. Me and my siblings had to get out the church for a while, because we couldn’t stop laughing and giggling.

Holidays were never spared as we all know, by those little carolers singing happy ‘Jing-gam-bels’ song and the always screwed-up lyrics of ‘nagluto ang ate ng manok at tinola…’ I heard something new last Xmas, though, ‘Olive, the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names’ instead of the original ‘all of the other reindeer’ has given rise to a new fictional character- Olive. Haha!

Guilty as can be, I’ve got a fair share of misheard lyrics, a couple of times its words were nice and clear, sounding perfectly, projecting confidently but then my sisters would frustratingly hold up my singing telling me I’ve got the words all wrong! The annoying part for them is when stubborn me would insist on goin’ on thinking the stuff I’ve sung actually sounded better than the original lyrics. Haha! After all, I’d say, it’s my rendition, right?

The list is just endless… I know that you probably have a lot goin’ on in your head right now. Share it… let other people suffer from the last song syndrome of the silliest mondegreens you have encountered… I can see you’re enjoying flerida, ‘til next time fwends. ‘Chuvaness, chuvaness, everything you own in the box, chuvaness!’ ;-D

Online Burol Anyone?

Ever heard of this before?

Promoting a columbarium as a FREE WIFI ZONE is one of the most ironic marketing ideas I had ever encountered. I mean, for crying out loud.. a prologue to your final resting place doesn’t have to be wifi ready… does it? Unless you’re certain there is no way the gate of heavens will open for you without an email notice to St.Peter of your coming?

I mean, can you believe that? Right in front this Columbarium is a huge tarpaulin saying FREE WIFI ZONE? Was the idea thought about as a ‘COME-ON’ strategy or sort? Funny, I can imagine only one scenario, where a person calls a friend and ask ‘where are you?’ ‘oh I’m at the Columbarium’ ‘Oh-mi-gosh, who died?’ ‘No, I’m just here for the wifi!’ You see what I mean?

Whatever happened to the solemnity of the interment? For practical reasons they might contest, yes, it might makes sense for busy people, but putting yourself on a businessman’s shoes, would you bring work to your business associate’s wake? What’s a few hours of your time to spare? If it’s family who died, aren’t you entitled to a leave? Oh please.

Strange, but it seemed that the people behind it were not satisfied with their initial concept; months later came out with “THE ONLINE BUROL” oh, good Lord! I really don’t get it, sorry. Doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose of personally expressing your condolences to the family of the deceased? Yeah, yeah, I understand. Proximity wise, they must have conceptualized such, considering families abroad who usually are the ones that miss out on the funeral ceremonies.

For me, it’s only either you make it or not at all, send flowers or mass cards, offer vigils or sponsor a mass; but to see for the very last time a deceased loved-one over your webcam… that tops my list of the WEIRDEST THINGS. It will not even be on my NEXT BEST THING options.

I’m sorry but I can only assume one thing- that the marketing head of this columbarium happened to be a computer course graduate who just wanted so much to make the most of what he’s learned from school. That’s the only rational explanation that I deem acceptable. Perhaps, running a family business, he’s left with no choice but to think out of the box (by box it probably meant casket, haha) to be highly competitive. Let’s just put it at that.

Mamma Mia Takes it All!

 

Oh, my… Mamma Mia!… Loved this film. Its story plot is very typical yet it perfectly captures the joy of the free-lovin 70’s and the gorgeous Greek Isle’s that became the symbol of a generation devoted to freedom, beauty and love.  It’s the ultimate “feel-good” movie that I have ever seen so far.

And why not? BBC reported this movie musical masterpiece has indeed become the biggest British movie ever after surpassing previous record-holder Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone. It has also gone on to become Universal Pictures’ most profitable project ever.

Top that. I found myself smiling throughout the entire film, and even wiping away a tear or two as Donna (played by Meryl Streep) conveys through her songs the deepest, unexpressed sentiments of her sweet but painful past.

Corny? It’s easy to hate a movie if you’re not into it. But for me, Mamma Mia! fits this genre just right. If you’re not an ABBA fan, perhaps, then you really won’t have 
much reason to watch it, unless you’re a Meryl Streep fanatic or you happen to like musicals as well. I have never really been a “die hard Abba fan”, but I sure did grow up with their songs. The film was brilliant! Such a wonderful tribute to the group giving their classic songs another great mark in the entertainment history. Bottom-line is, Mamma Mia is a great watch!

No question about it, Meryl Streep is the real star in this film. She is such a delight! Just when I thought she has already given her all in her past award-winning films, there she goes now singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. A little over-acting at some scenes, if I may say, but really… cute, I adored her even more. Such a wonderfully spontaneous comedian, great singer and serious actress, considering that she’s already on her 60’s… no body from Hollywood could have done the role better than Streep. She deserves another Oscar for this! Pierce Brosnan, meanwhile, is at his funniest and most un-Bondish act. Bless him, but the man cannot sing at all. It’s not that he can’t hold a tune, exactly, more of that you can really see him trying hard to sing. But he and Colin Firth were really such hunks. I now have the funny memory of them in Elvis’ sparkly spandex. The very young Amanda Seyfried, meanwhile who played Sophie is beautiful to look at, a good singer who fits her part extremely well.

Needdless to say, I could have not enjoyed it as much as I did seeing it on film perhaps rather than on theatre, two “S” distinguished it from the stage… the perfect “setting” of the movie and “Streep” being on it. Investing a cliff-top rendition of The Winner Takes It All with far more solemnity than should be possible for such song, set on the captivating backdrop of the blue seas of Greece… such uplifting, a little tear-jerking but sure-fire stirring movie experience! It simply takes it all!

 

Spelling Happyness with a ‘Y’

Another great, moving masterpiece starred by Will Smith: The Pursuit of Happyness is a film that would leave you crying bucket of tears, feeling as if you are actually part of it all—of the life of Mr.Chris Garner (portrayed by Smith)- a salesman’s struggles and misfortunes, and eventually his triumphs. Happiness has been defined in this film as more than just a state of being- it is a goal, a finish line, a rewarding experience brought by the fact that such strong character could prevail-over all the hardship and miseries. A constant reminder that any person who dares despite all odds… has the greater probability to make it; and that at the end of the day, any penniless salesman with such will-power, dignity, integrity, courage and hope could really stand out and win over the mediocre.

What really touched my heart throughout the film was the strong manifestation of Mr. Gardner’s values: despite him experiencing real life’s battles—looking desperately for a place to live, finding food for his son and himself to eat or simply getting them both through the day. Not only for the viewers, but also for the salesmen who could in some ways relate, one would find the film very hard to watch for one reason: You can’t help but feel terrible for both Mr. Gardner and his son. His son being in a way punished by having to rush through streets and subways to get around. But you can’t help but also feel sympathy for Gardner, providing for his son and himself day-by-day, never letting sorrows fill their shabby souls. Despite a life of adversity and emotional scarring, he teaches his son some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he hopes his son would follow. In spite of where he came from and how hard life’s challenges is, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself… He stressed this out over and over “If you want it, get it and never ever let anyone tell you, you can’t do something, period.”

The Pursuit of Happyness for me is by far the most appropriate title for such an inspirational story. I could not help but sympathize with how Mr. Gardner meant happiness as something difficult to achieve. How critical the fulfillment of those basic rights, including the “pursuit of happiness” or in this case “basic necessities” had been to their lives. Happyness spelled with a ‘y’ in a kid’s point of view is anything but superficial, manifested by a priceless smile and sometimes even with teary eyes—which were evidently demonstrated by Mr. Gardner at the last part of the film. Happyness is not a state of perfect joy… rather a simple act of being fulfilled. The father and son tandem have been capable of holding together and giving magic to even the most difficult moments. That is perfectly the pursuit of happyness.

With such strikingly beautiful and original story, very touching and often breathtaking performances by Will Smith and his real life son Chris Smith, virtually no weaknesses to speak of, for me, this movie very much deserves the highest rating any movie critic could give.

Small but Horrible: “Go, Grow, Glo!”

Despite the multiple accusations of corruption against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her family members, most controversial of which is concerning the on-going exposition on the National Broadband Network (NBN), this detrimental eensy-weensy has managed to stand tall (at least the tallest she could) and proud with her counter-corruption blah-blah campaigns. Nah!

Seems obviously to me, as if this is a desperate move by Arroyo to have an anti-corruption image that she hopes would make people forget the controversies hounding her regime. But she keeps forgetting Filipinos are not dumb.

To show her sincerity in fighting corruption, why doesn’t she open herself and her family members to a full investigation on all corruption allegations against them. What is there to hide? And of course, also to investigate if she is even the legitimate president of this country.

Blame it to the Hormones

Went to bed knowing that I would feel better in the morning. Laid my exhausted head on the pillow and tried to condition myself… But was just not up to it… then I said, maybe in the morning.

Woke up in the morning… with that same ol’ feeling of sadness.

Dragged myself out of bed, completely forgetting about conditioning. Wondered why I kept feeling unhappy

Each day is just the same routine… putting on a brave front for the world and pretending to be the same ol’ Jennie.

Bidding all “hello” and “great day” but when everyone finally clears out, there I go wonderin’ how I’ll make it through the day. There’s nothing to be happy about. I’m tired, that’s all. Tired of life… and then I cry some more.

After all, they say, it’s an all too common scenario in this almost always deranged life of mine.

And then I ask, how can I possibly use that magical law of attraction to my advantage feeling like this?

The Law of Attraction takes work says my best friend Joiz… Great work on your inner self. It can appear that it is just easier to accept the life you are living rather than change you, but the change is worth it.

But how do I start when I feel so bad?

For months now it’s been running through my head over and over again. Maybe it’s a chorus of I’m always tired. I want my life to change but I don’t know how to start.

Very soon they say I will have to leave the space I am comfortably hangin’ in… that is, if I want to.

I don’t expect an answer too soon. But when it finally comes, I hope it would be as evident as this negativism that seem to have been embracing me for some time now.

A sane thing to do in the mean time is trust that the universe will bring me the desire to be happy in my life. Then each day will get better and hopefully better…

Mushy Lines

Like in the movies, when put into a heartbreaking, tear-jerking scenario with someone, I wish I could just gracefully step forward, face-away, stare right beyond the horizons, breathe deeply, and then deliver a grammy-award winning punch line that would mark the mind of that someone in the hope of addressing whatever issue there is.

Movie buffs and hopeless romantics perhaps would conform with these top most romantic and unforgettable Hollywood flick lines on my list. Here ya go:

Jack: “I don’t know about you, but I intend on writing a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all of this. You’re gonna go on, and make lots of babies, and watch them grow. You’re gonna die an old lady, warm in her bed. Not here, not this night. Do you understand me? Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me… it brought me to you. And I’m thankful for that, Rose. I’m thankful. You must do me this honor, Rose. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.” Rose: “I promise.” -Titanic

Jerry: “I love you… you complete me.” Dorothy: “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello.” -Jerry Maguire

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I hope to give to you forever. I love you. I’ll be seeing you. Noah.” -The Notebook

“If you love someone you say it… you say it right then, out loud, or the moment just…passes you by.” -My Best Friend’s Wedding

“I don’t want to need you, cause I can’t have you.” –The Bridges of Madison County

Jack Dawson: “No, let me try and get this out. You’re ama- I’m not an idiot, I know how the world works. I’ve got ten bucks in my pocket, I have no-nothing to offer you and I know that. I understand. But I’m too involved now. You jump, I jump remember? I can’t turn away without knowing you’ll be all right… That’s all I want… They’ve got you trapped, Rose. And you’re gonna die if you don’t break free. Maybe not right away because you’re strong but… sooner or later that fire that I love about you, Rose… that fire’s gonna burn out…” -Titanic

“I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell you perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. It’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” –When Harry Met Sally

“I guarantee that we’ll have tough times. And I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don’t ask you to be mine I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart you’re the only one for me.” –Runaway Bride

William: “I live in Notting Hill. You live in Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world knows who you are.” Anna: “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” –Notting Hill

“Well that’s what we do, we fight… You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass. Which you are, 99% of the time. I’m not afraid to hurt your feelings. You have like a 2 second rebound rate, then you’re back doing the next pain-in-the-ass thing… So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me… everyday.” -The Notebook