New Year, New Me…that’s the goal, right?

I’ve been working on this list for quite some time now, thinking hard about what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year.  Like most, my list has a few things on it that are the typical “New Year’s Resolution” which you will read shortly.  For many years, I’ve had the same things on my list of goals, but I’ve never accomplished any of them completely and had to ask myself why – what’s holding me back?  The answer…ME!  I am the only person standing in the way of my success and it’s all because of my own excuses, which leads me to my first New Year’s Resolution for 2012:

Start following my dreams and stop making excuses!

There are so many things that I have said I want to do over the last five or six years and I haven’t done them because I didn’t have the money or didn’t have the money.  I would say those are the two primary excuses that I seem to make for anything and everything!  Photography is my “dream job” – taking pictures of kids and weddings is what I’ve wanted to do since I worked for an incredible photographer in college.  Everyone tells me I can teach myself, but I’d rather take classes and learn everything I can about the art.  Since I’ve been working on ships, I use that as my excuse for not taking classes.  Well – I’m determined to start taking some online classes to educate myself and start taking some better photos – cause I have no idea what I’m doing when I take them now!

I love Zumba and want to teach it on ships – just for fun to the crew, but I’ve been saying it for 3 years now.  I’m going to take the certification course this year!

I want to take dance classes again – I miss it!  There are classes all over the country where I can just take one class at a time for fun and exercise.  I’m going to set aside my fear of the unknown and do it.

I’ve always wanted to take a Bartending class and I think it’s because of teaching the mixology classes on board that I’ve always wanted to take a class and learn all the fun stuff and mixing drinks the right way (not just pouring ‘til the glass is full :)!)  I’ve learned so much while working on ships, but would love to have it as a backup job when I’m home and I just need to learn how to do it!  What’s stopping me…NOTHING THIS YEAR!

The New Year’s Resolution on everyone’s list….lose weight!

I need to lose 30 more pounds.  The only person holding me back from that?  ME.  I am my own worst enemy and do my own self-sabatoge.  Not anymore.

Wash my mouth out with soap.

My Mom did it to me – only once – as a kid…but I obviously didn’t learn much because I’ve only gotten worse!  I need to get better with my language.  It is not easy in the industry that I work in because we definitely talk like sailors, but I would like to clean it up a bit. 

Be better with money.

I started working on this over the course of the last year, but I’d like to get even better with it!  I need to educate myself on a retirement plan and all the ins and outs of investing.  My personal want/need/goal of the year is to purchase a condo in the Orlando area as well as one in the Philippines and rent them out when I’m not there.  I hope and pray this one works out – I know it’s lofty, but I think I can do it and succeed!

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Simple enough.  A work in progress.  Letting the little things roll of my back and not worrying about things that, in the end, won’t matter.

Be present & live in the moment.

The last year has been a tough one, but I’ve made it through and I’ve come out on top!  I want to enjoy every person, place and activity that I can! 

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Trust myself.

Listen to my heart, my head and my instincts and TRUST that they’re telling me the right thing.  I seem to trust everybody but myself.

Share my passion.

I’ve posted this before – but it has been my mantra since the day I found it.  It sums all of my goals and resolutions up perfectly.

Here’s me at the end of 2011…let’s see what 2012 brings, folks! 

Boi-oh-Boi Bumba!

I recently joined the Prinsendam on November 27th and really have not gotten of the ship at all.  We’re on a 24 day Amazon River cruise, which I did last year and hated.  Between the heat, the dirtiness and the bugs – I was perfectly ok if I never had to come back.  Well….I’m here again!  The only thing I didn’t do last year that guests and crew alike had raved about was the “Boi Bumba” Show.  Truly, I didn’t really know anything about it other than it was full of incredible lights and costumes.

The day before we arrived in Parantins, Brazil I was sitting in the Entertainment office on the ship and talking to Kelly (Event Manager) and my friend Britta.  They had both mentioned that the Shore Excursions department had handed out the escort forms for the crew to go to the “Boi Bumba” for the following day.  I had not signed up/requested for a tour, but mentioned to Kelly and Britta that I wished I would have signed up.  Well, lucky for me – Kelly took one of the escort tickets from the cast (since they get all the tours anyways) and gave me one - this was one happy lady!

The next morning, I was up for work at 9:00AM, went to the gym and then got ready for the show.  We didn’t have to take any buses or anything – only the tender from the ship to shore and then we walked to the convention center which was literally 2 blocks away from the tender pier.  I walked with Tina (the future cruise consultant) and Alexa (one of the cast members) to the facility and when we reached the entrance we felt like we walked from hell into heaven going from the heat to the freezing AC.  It was amazing!  We were greeted at the door by performers in costumes with trays of caipirinha (see the bottom for description) that were so strong, you only needed two to knock you on your behind.

We stood at the very back of the room (there were already 392 guests from our ship watching the show) on risers and waited for the show to begin.  I was really disappointed because on the tender ride over, I took my SLR camera out of the bag only to find out the battery was dead.  UGH!  Luckily, I had my little point and shoot – but I was really excited to get some good shots with the SLR.  Anyways, when the show began the music and energy took over the room for the next hour.  The costumes, music, colors and overall vibe of the room was just exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.  There are no words, pictures or videos that could describe how incredible some of the props were.  I have a few pictures here – they are blurry because of all the motion – but you can make out some of it!

   

  

I apologize that I can describe or give more information about it – but there are just no words other than GO SEE FOR YOURSELF!

Quote of the Day:   "We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors. But, they all fit nicely into the same box." -Unknown

**Caipirinha (pronounced kie-purr-REEN-yah) roughly translates to "country bumpkin". It is made with cachaça, an intensely sweet Brazillian style of rum made from sugarcane juice. The Caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil, where it originated, and is a common Carnavale drink. Although it is more difficult to find, it's important to choose a premium cachaça for this cocktail in particular because the drink is not heavily flavored and a cheaper brand can ruin an otherwise perfect Caipirinha. You may also like the neater Caipirini.**

Devil’s Island

Last year we stopped on Devil’s Island as well – but I wanted to get off the ship again to see if I could see more of the island and see if there were any more monkeys this year.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have a ton of time to explore any more – but myself and the lifestylist Jo went out for an hour.  I did see monkeys…TONS of them this year. 

Last year we had only seen the squirrel monkeys (I think that’s what they’re called) – this year we saw lots of those but a ton of these bigger monkeys.  The downside is that this year, all the monkeys were very aggressive.  They were all screaming and yelling and it was almost a bit scary at times!  There’s not much to tell about the island because there isn’t much there – they speak French and there’s only a few tourists that stay on the island at a time. 

If you read the book Papillion, it has all the information about the original purpose for the island which was to house the prisoners.  Here’s some of my favorite pictures from the day and a small blurb from Wikipedia about the island itself…

     

 

    

“Devil's Island (French: île du Diable) is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) off the coast of French Guiana (South America). It has an area of 14 ha (34.6 acres). It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean.

The rocky, palm-covered island rises 40 m (130 ft) above sea level. The penitentiary was first opened by Emperor Napoleon III's government in 1852, and became one of the most infamous prisons in history. In addition to the prisons on all three islands, prison facilities were located on the mainland at Kourou. Over time, they became known collectively as "Devil's Island" in the English-speaking world, while they are known in France as the bagne de Cayenne (French: Cayenne penal colony), Cayenne being the main city of French Guiana.

While the colony was in use (1852–1946), the inmates were everything from political prisoners (such as 239 republicans who opposed Napoleon III's coup d'état) to the most hardened of thieves and murderers. A great many of the more than 80,000 prisoners sent to the harsh conditions at disease-infested Devil's Island were never seen again. As an island, the only way out was via the water; accordingly, very few convicts ever managed to escape.

On 30 May 1854, a new law provided that convicts would be forced to stay in French Guiana following their release for a time equal to their forced labour time, or, for sentences exceeding eight years, for the remainder of their lives. They were to be provided with land to settle on. In time, a variety of penal regimes emerged, convicts being divided into categories according to the severity of their crimes and their imprisonment or forced residence regime.^[1]

In 1885, a further law accelerated the process, since repeat offenders for minor crimes could also be sent. A limited number of convicted women were also sent to French Guiana, with the intent that they marry the freed male inmates; however, the results were poor and the government discontinued the practice in 1907.^[1]

The horrors of the penal settlement became notorious with the publicity surrounding the plight of the French army captain Alfred Dreyfus, who had been unjustly convicted of treason and sent there on 5 January 1895.^[2]”

The Gratitude Project: Day 30

I’m back to work now and I’m so grateful that I have an incredible team with people that know what they’re doing, they like to have fun and they all pull their weight.  That’s not easy to find.  I love my work family here on the Prinsendam!!

The Gratitude Project: Day 29

I’m so grateful for healthcare – that I can afford to take care of my health needs or problems, should any arise and that I can afford medication to keep myself healthy and functioning correctly.

The Gratitude Project: Day 28

I’m grateful for WINE…enough said :)

The Gratitude Project: Day 28

I’m grateful that I’m a passionate person with drive and motivation.  I’ve seen & talked to so many people that don’t have it and I couldn’t imagine having nothing to work for or look towards.  Hmph…

The Gratitude Project: Day 27

  I mentioned the gift of hearing a couple days ago, but one I think I’d be devastated to lose would be the gift of sight.  I love watching people and things and looking at pictures – I don’t know what I would do if I lost it…so I’m going to be grateful to have it!

The Gratitude Project: Day 26

I’m so grateful that I was raised with an open mind and to have respect for everyone.  To believe that I’m not better than anyone and that everyone should be treated equally.  If only everyone I worked with understood that they aren’t better just because of a stripe or two…the (ship) world would be a better place!

The Gratitude Project: Day 25

I am blessed beyond belief to have the gift of hearing…one more thing we tend to take for granted. To hear music, the rain, people talking…

The Gratitude Project: Day 24

I love smiles….a smile can make anything better. I’m grateful for a smile and anybody who sends one my way!  A smile can make you feel comfortable and welcome and can say so much…without saying a word.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

The Gratitude Project: Day 23

This sounds so simple, especially in times like these – but I am beyond grateful to have a job. Not only a job, but a job I LOVE, working with people I adore, traveling the world and getting paid to do it. Who wants to be me? Just kiddin’….

The Gratitude Project: Day 22

I love, love, love the rain – as long as I can stay at home, curled up in bed and watch movies all day. It’s so relaxing to listen to and watch…so, I’m grateful for it :) There’s even a song about it that I’ve listened to for the last 7 years by SheDaisy about the rain…I love it!

“I wish I were the Rain”

You said I bled
You meant, I went
Overcomplicated, spent
Love's a series of broken sentences
Miscalculations, reconciliations
Seductive highs, destructive lows
Words that fly too fast
Feet that move too slow
Wish I could dance outside this windowpane
Oh, I wish I were the rain
'Cause it can fall as hard as it wants to
Gingerly drip down a lover's face
Cry for hours and weeks on end
And never feel a bit out of place
And it can (feed) feed a field, put out a fire
And never feel the pain
I wish I were the rain (rain, I wish, I wish)
I wish I were the rain (rain, I wish, I wish)
I wish I were the rain (rain)
Oh yeah, I wish I were the rain
Don't speak, I'm weak
You cry, I lie
Overcompensation, why
Our arsenal of hope has been bled dry
Don't you wish that you could live outside the insane
(the insane)
Don't you ever wish for a free reign
'Cause it can fall as hard as it wants to
Gingerly drip down a lover's face
Cry for hours and weeks on end
And never feel a bit out of place
And it can (feed) feed a field, put out a fire
And never feel the pain
I wish I were the rain (rain, I wish, I wish)
I wish I were the rain (rain, I wish, I wish)
I wish I were the rain (rain)
Oh yeah, I wish I were the rain
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
The blistering, twisted, hard-fisted blows
Have drowned the once fervent glow
I wish I were the rain
I can cry just like the rain, the rain
Yeah, I wish I were
I, I, I wish I were the rain
I wish I were the rain
Yeah -
Fall down, down down down
Hoah, oooooooh
Fall down, down down down rain
The rain

The Gratitude Project: Day 21

I’m cheap. Everybody knows it. I prefer to call myself “thrifty”, but I do splurge on a few little luxuries that I know aren’t feasible for everyone, but I’m grateful to be able to treat myself once in a while to a manicure and a pedicure. It’s only an hour or so – but it’s worth every penny spent for two weeks of prettiness on my hands and feet as well as the hour of pampering at the salon.

The Gratitude Project: Day 20

As a teenager, I can remember my Mom getting on me about the money I spent on CD’s and music. Music has always been an outlet for me – a way to escape or express emotion. There is a song out there for every feeling and every emotion….without a doubt. I think my iPod is my favorite thing in the world….all I have to do is put in the ear buds and slip away from the world for a just few minutes when I’m having a bad day!

I’m not leaving without trying it!

In 2009 while I was here, everyone kept talking about Balut and how I had to try it.  If you don’t know, here is what “Balut” is according to Wikipedia:

“A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines. They are common, everyday food in countries in Southeast Asia, such as Laos (where it is called kai luk – ໄຂ່ລູກ), Thailand (khai khao – ไข่ข้าว in Thai), Cambodia (pong tea khon ពងទាកូន in Cambodian)^[1] and Vietnam (trứng vịt lộn or hột vịt lộn in Vietnamese). They are often served with beer.  The Filipino and Malay word balut (balot) means "wrapped" – depending on pronunciation.”

The last night that I was in the Philippines in 2009, we were at Sherwin’s house and somebody had purchased some for me and his cousin to taste.  Several of us, for some reason, had a stomach bug and couldn’t eat anything (let alone pack!).  Needless to say, I didn’t try it.  Whenever Filipinos on the ship ask me if I tried it, I have to tell the whole story as to WHY I haven’t tried it.  This time…I was gonna do it! 

Edwin planned my farewell “party” for our little group at his Mom’s karaoke bar.  We were gonna eat, drink and sing!  He picked me up around 9PM and we met up with Joyce & Ed at Ed’s place before heading over to the bar together.  While we were in the car on the way over to the bar, Edwin told me that he bought me “good quality” balut for me to try.When we arrived at the bar, we sat outside so we could eat and I swear Edwin ordered everything they had!  It was all delicious, but I knew the time was quickly approaching for me to try IT.   

I was more and more reluctant to try it..  It wasn’t necessarily trying something new that was turning me off – it was my concern for how it was going to taste and feel in my mouth.  Before trying it, I asked all the necessary questions.  1.  Will is make any noises at me?  2.  Will I feel feathers?  3.  Will I feel the feet or crunch down on a beak?  After they all got a good chuckle out of my perfectly valid questions, I decided to take the plunge. 

Step 1:  Check for chirping:

Step 2:  Verify with the group that I will NOT feel feathers or cough them up at a later time:

Step 3:  Take a bite (chew, Sydney):

Step 4:  Evaluate

Survey Says…Tastes like a hard boiled egg!

Quote of the Day:  Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.

The Gratitude Project: Day 19

Every day I miss being a part of color guard/winter guard, but I am so blessed that I was able to be a part of an incredible program.  The staff, the team, the parents and the ability to participate in the activity was such a gift and I will never forget it.

The Gratitude Project: Day 18

There is nothing better than a hot shower to clear your head, cure a tough day at work or relax after a good workout.  Hot showers are a cure-all for just about everything!  I’m grateful for hot water and showers with pressure.  (If you kept up with my posts from the Philippines, you realize HOW grateful I am for hot water!)

It’s a Hard Rock life!

My friend, Edsel, and I worked together on the Eurodam a little over 2 years ago.  Edsel was a bartender and he was part of our group that always hung out together during the wee hours of the morning.  Today, I was sitting in my condo and he happened to send me a message on Facebook to say hello and then I told him that I was here.  Turns out, he lived not to far from me and he asked if I wanted to hang out.  A few hours later, Edsel knocked on the door and we hung out for a bit reminiscing about the good ole’ Eurodam days and the people before we headed out for dinner.

Edsel said that he wanted to take me to Hard Rock Live in Makati City since I hadn’t been there yet.  After 40 minutes or so of watching Manila’s traffic at its best, we made it to Hard Rock and quickly ordered an adult beverage!  After a few drinks and a fabulous dinner, we waited to hear the live music for the evening.  They were called the “Mocha Girls.  Yes, they are EXACTLY what you would think of….but worse.  Individually, the girls had good voices – but as a whole….left a lot to be desired.  They were scantily clad in nothing more than skimpy skirts and lingerie!  They did covers of all the latest hits – which was fun to listen to and sing along and just laugh at how the men oooo’ed and ahhh’ed over them.  Granted, they were beautiful girls with amazing bodies…but I can’t believe they got away with some of the sexual gestures that they did on stage!  A fun night though – can’t complain!  It was great to see Edsel and catch up – especially since he surprised me and told me that he’s getting married next week!  Congrats, Edsel!

We asked the waitress to take a picture and apparently she wasn’t the most skilled of photographers because she didn’t zoom out.  Not the most flattering of photos, but hey!  It’s another memory documented!

Quote of the Day:  "It takes a long time to grow an old friend."
- by John Leonard

The Gratitude Project: Day 17

In some countries, they are forced to wear the medical masks because of pollution and poor air quality.  We are fortunate enough that at this time, we don’t have to do that – we can be outside in the beautiful fresh air without a care in the world.  I am grateful for clean and fresh air!

The Gratitude Project: Day 16

Blankets…something we all underestimate, I think.  One day I was stuck in the Atlanta airport and had a 6 hour layover.  They offered a hotel, but since I didn’t have any luggage, I thought I could easily sleep in the airport because it was only 6 hours.  The airport was quiet, but I only had on jeans, a long sleeved shirt and flip flops.  Never in my life have I ever been so cold!  It was that cold where your feet feel numb and you can do nothing to get warm – you feel like your bones are chattering. The Delta attendant brought me blankets from the planes but nothing worked.  That night, I realize that if I was that cold with clothes and small blankets, I can only imagine how the homeless feel up north during winter.  When I make a home on land, one of my projects will definitely be to collect blankets for the homeless. 

Needless to say, I now always travel with socks and a sweatshirt in my carry on!

Happy Birthday, Tita Belen!

When I was at Sherwin’s house the other day, they asked me to come back for Tita Belen’s birthday (Mama Pat’s sister).  She doesn’t live in town, but she came in for the weekend to celebrate with the family.  After talking with his cousin, she said that she would come to pick me up to make sure I got from my place over to the city where they live and arrive safe.  Around 10:00AM, they picked me up and we took a 45 minute cab ride (which cost a whopping $5 and change!) over to the house and as I walked in, Tita Belen was sitting in the front room.  What I didn’t realize was that Tita Belen had no clue I was in the Philippines and the family kept telling her that there was a surprise guest coming for her party.  She was so surprised and happy to see me (thank goodness…otherwise that could have been bad!).  Soon after arriving, we sat down to eat and as usual there was a ton of fabulous food!

The rest of the day was spent talking (some in english and some not…but I’ll get there), drinking Bailey’s, eating A LOT and just enjoying the company.  I’m sad that this was my last time to spend with them before I leave the country – but I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to spend two different days with them.  But hey – I’ll be back this summer ::fingers crossed::!

~ Tita Belen posing with her cake ~

~ A group shot…one of the many.  So many people came by, we had rotating participants in the photos! ~

~  I love these people! ~

~ Me & Baby Matt ~

 

Quote of the Day:  “Tears are prayers too.  They travel to God when we can’t speak”

The Gratitude Project: Day 15

I have NO DEBT.  I might not have much to my name, but I am beyond grateful that I don’t owe anybody anything.  That is an incredible feeling!

The Gratitude Project: Day 14

I am so grateful to have an education – not only lucky enough to have a college education – but I was blessed to attend wonderfully ranked schools from elementary school all the way through college. There are so many folks out there that will never have opportunity whether it be because of their financial status, responsibilities or even because of their inability to motivate themselves to do it.

The Gratitude Project: Day 13

There's that question that was always asked in those old MySpace surveys that said "If you could save one thing from your house if it was on fire, what would it be?"  Without a question, mine would be photographs.  Yes, memories are kept in our head but those days where you happen to open a box and go through old photographs and that feeling of happiness you get when remembering all the good times with family and friends.  I do it all the time when I'm home - just flip through old albums and it puts the biggest smile on my face but also reminds me of where I've come from and what I'm working towards.  Grateful for visual memories!

Lola would be so proud (I hope!)

Every time I go to the grocery store (UniMart), I check out all the possibilities of vegetables and things that I could be cooking, but my limited kitchen supplies have prevented me from doing.  Well, to be completely honest I’m SICK of cereal, peanut butter and jelly (you can’t keep bread from molding here…it’s so humid!), eggs (hard boiled), rice & eggs (yes, rice in a tea pot works well!), crackers and dried mango. 

Whenever I’m home, Lola (Misty’s Mom – Lola is the Filipino term for Grandma) goes and gets some of the small eggplants from the Asian market and fries them up with egg.  At the store, I’ve seen these eggplants, but didn’t know if I could do it with what I had but decided to give it a shot and see what I had learned from watching Lola make it.  I picked up a pack of the eggplants (I think there were 6 or so in the bunch for less than $1), some corn (the Philippines has the most amazing sweet corn), oil, eggs and the rest of my groceries and went home.  I got out the frying pan from Edwin’s house, a tupperware container for the egg, my bottle of oil and my amazing utensils made of “crystal” plastic.  I used my plastic knife to slice up my eggplant, dipped them in the egg and cooked me up some delicious eggplant!  My corn was in a microwavable bag and I had made a big batch of rice previously so I reheated it and voile – a fabulous Filipino meal cooked by me!!  (Unfortunately, two plastic forks were harmed in the making of this film.)

 

Lola’s is the best – but I must say mine definitely came in a close second!

And here’s a picture of my Lola in her “garden” at the house.

The Gratitude Project: Day 12

Beyond blessed with my health. I'm so grateful for the ability to go to the gym every day and be physically capable of doing everything for myself. It's something so many of us take for granted every day - just getting up from bed, cooking dinner and doing day to day things without having to rely on anyone.

The Gratitude Project: Day 11

Grateful for every single veteran who has served and fought for the freedom that we are lucky to have and enjoy!

The Gratitude Project: Day 10

I LOVE the Philippines if you haven't figured that out by now, but one thing that is evident is quite a bit of poverty here as with everywhere else in the world.  It's really hard to see some of these kids begging for money and people digging through garbage scavenging for food.  Honestly, I have never in my life been grateful for this, but after really thinking about it and paying attention - I'm grateful for my these innertubes around my waist because it means I'm healthy and taken care of and I'm blessed enough to never go without anything.  Thank God!

The Gratitude Project: Day 9

Sad to say, but I’m thankful for enemies.  I often stand up for myself and get myself into trouble (as most of you know), but I’m never doing it to be difficult.  Truly, when I make an enemy, it’s because I stand up for myself as well as what I believe to be right.  I will well admit that I have been wrong a time or two, but I’m thankful that I have the courage to stand up for myself and what I believe in.  It’s a “gift” whether some people believe it or not.  I’ve seen so many people get walked all over because they lack the ability to do so.  Some see me as difficult.  I see me as attempting to make a difference.  Love me or hate me…your choice.

 

The Gratitude Project: Day 8

Although I have no place to call my own at the moment, I’m so lucky and blessed to always have a place to go.  I have family that graciously open their homes and friends that have given me bedrooms and that’s more than so many people in this world have.  Sometimes, I get upset and frustrated knowing that I have nothing to my name but then I remember I’m luckier than most.

The Gratitude Project: Day 7

The Gratitude Project - Laughter really is the best medicine.  My favorite times with friends and family are when we all end up laughing uncontrollably until our bellies hurt. When the conversation is over, we're all left with huge smiles and that "warm and fuzzy" feeling. 

Old friends, New Memories

Most of you know that the last time I was here, I was with my (ex) boyfriend, Sherwin.  No hard feelings with him and I will always have a special place in my heart.  He taught me what it means to love.  But anyways – I spent a month here with him and had an incredible time.  The other day, I had my friend Edwin drive me over to their house so that I could spend some time with the family and I just love them.  His sister, Sheila, got married the last time I was here and now has a 5 month old baby, Matt.  Sherwin’s Mom (I call her Mama Pat) made a huge pot of Filipino Style Spaghetti, which I love (and she remembered) and home made lumpia.  We sat and chatted for a long time and just had a nice afternoon visiting.  It was a hot and rainy day, but I was so happy to see them again and so blessed that they still accept me in their home despite both of us have moved on.

Me, Baby Matt (Sheila’s Son), Gwen & Jhazmine (Sherwin’s girls)

  Me & Gwen (with Edwin in the back)

Sheila and Matt – we were trying to get him to smile, but he just wasn’t having it.  He smiled the whole afternoon though – sweet and happy boy!

Jhazmine wasn’t in the best of moods.  She’s a bit of a spitfire!!  When I left the kitchen to get my camera in the other room, she told everyone (in Tagalog) that Tita Syd was speaking Chinese.  A few minutes later, she was listening to an English song on the phone and I told her that it was Chinese and she looked at me like I was crazy! 

Baby Matt…I love babies :)

I’m going back to see them on November 15th for Mama Pat’s sister’s birthday, Tita Belen.  I’ll get lots more pictures then!

The Gratitude Project: Day 6

I am beyond grateful and blessed for my baby brother, Kaline. Every time I see him, he reminds me to laugh, have fun and not take life too seriously. The little things he does and the small things that it takes to make him smile, reminds me to enjoy the simple gifts that life brings!

When I saw him a few weeks ago – this happened and it warmed my heart!

My 2 year old brother had two girl friends over at the house. I went outside and the conversation went something like this...
Me: "Kaline, can you introduce me to your friends"
Kaline: "Yes"
Me: "Can you say, ‘this is my sister"
Kaline: (throws his hand in the air to point at me) "THIS is my sister."
Me: "What's my name?"
Kaline: "Sissy"
I love it :)

The Gratitude Project: Day 5

This sounds funny as well, but I am grateful for ex-boyfriends. Some people look back and say that they regret time spent with an ex. Recently, I was talking about a very long relationship I had and my friend said to me "Don't you feel like you wasted all that time?" I told them no - because in that time I learned what I deserve, what I don't deserve and what it takes to make a relationship work and I've grown from the experience. Each time I leave a relationship and move on to another, it only gets better and better :) ♥

The Gratitude Project: Day 4

This sounds funny, but I am so grateful for facebook. Without facebook, I would never be able to keep up with friends that I've met throughout my life. Just the other day, a good friend from my childhood popped up! It is a bit of an addiction, but to be able to see friends go through life, get married, have children and watch their families and lives develop is incredible!

Touch Up

My tattoo on my wrist has faded drastically since when I first got it in April of 2010.  I mentioned this to Edwin and his girlfriend Joyce and she said that she has a friend that does tattoos.  Skeptical, I asked for his “credentials” and she told me how he worked in Dubai and was actually contracted to do the tattoos for the US Navy, so I said if he had the time I’d love to meet him and see what he can do.

At 11PM one night, Edwin called and said he was on his way to pick me up because the guy was available and I said okay (even though I was ready to crawl in bed).  Edwin took me over to this guys (his name is Joey) apartment/shop and we sat and chatted and hung out for awhile before we discussed what I wanted to do about my tattoos. While we were all hanging out, Edwin started playing on my iPad, so he didn’t chat much!  The other photo is of me telling him what to do…

   

Now about the tattoo: number 1, I wanted my wrist tattoo touched up and number 2, I wanted a small anchor tattoo behind my ear.  This is a tattoo that I’ve thought about for a little over a year now but could never find what I wanted so I didn’t pursue it until this opportunity arose.  I took in a few tattoos that had things I liked but none of them were “just right” so I wanted to combine “this” and “that”.  In less than 5 minutes, Joey had come up with this…

Edwin and Joyce went back to Edwin’s House to say Goodnight to his sons and get some food and while they were gone, we got all set up and did the tattoos.  The one behind my ear took about 40 minutes and truly didn’t hurt at all.  Well, the only part that hurt was the assistant holding my ear to keep it out of the way, so my ear was a bit tender after the fact. The tattoo itself was no problem at all!  This photo isn’t the best – it was taken by myself as soon as I got home that night. 

My reason for wanting an anchor is because ships have been a HUGE part of my life (so far) – I’ve been working for Holland for 4 1/2 years now (Can you believe it?) and it has truly opened my eyes and changed my world.  While searching for the “perfect” tattoo online, I came across this which just sealed the deal on the anchor tattoo.

He touched up my wrist tattoo because my wrist just soaked up all the ink – it was black when I first got it with Gus a year and a half ago but has since faded tremendously.  The first time I got this tattoo – it only hurt a bit on the top of the “B” but the rest didn’t bother me.  This time it did hurt a bit more, but nothing terrible!  Here’s a before and after of the wrist…

 

When the tattoos were done, Edwin and Joyce hadn’t made it back yet so myself, Joey and his assistant sat and watched Jackass for a bit.  What a RIDICULOUS movie!  The guys were fun and I had a great time hanging out with them and was really happy with the final product!  My second and last tattoo, complete.

Leave it to me…

So as mentioned in previous posts, the condo came with no pots, pans, knives, spoons…nothing.  Edwin’s family lent me a pan and a tea kettle (to boil water for a hot shower) as well as a spoon and I have definitely gotten creative because I’m sick of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as well as cereal and yogurt.  I wanted some spaghetti so I bought Filipino spaghetti sauce and noodles…the tea kettle is for the noodles and the pan for the sauce!  hey hey, look at me!!!

PS – Tea kettle is also great for boiling eggs.  Well, so is the pan – I did it that way the first time I boiled ‘em!  Just remember to roll the eggs half way through ;)

The Gratitude Project: Day 3

I am grateful for my family. Just like friends, family can be all over the world. It can be months and years in some cases between visits, which makes it hard to maintain closeness or relationships. I absolutely love the way we can pick up right where we left off as if no time had passed. The last two years have taught me a lot about family and how blood is not the only way to define a "family", but the actions as well. I love all of you ♥

B-E-A-utiful

I looked outside my window last night and this is God’s little reminder to me that life is beautiful…

 

I just stuck my little camera out the window (they open out, so I couldn’t really focus the camera) and took two shots…just gorgeous!

The Gratitude Project: Day 2

I am extremely blessed with friends.  Both on and off ships, I have met tons of people that have made an impact in my life and continue to do so each and every day.  I'm in the Philippines on vacation now and I have so many friends looking out for me and taking care of me and back at home I have friends that would do anything for me and I thank God for them - without them I truly would be lost at this point in my life!

Home Sweet Home…for now.

Just wanted to share a few pictures of my condo that I’m renting.  I love it – it needs some decorating and a few things here and there – but for me, it’s home right now and I’m thrilled to have it…cold water and all.

The condo is actually two studio units that were purchased and it was made into a one bedroom condo hence the two bathrooms.

The view from the front door as you walk in…

If you turn to the right, you’ll see this…

If you stand behind the kitchen table – here’s a full view of the “spacious kitchen”…and my beautiful orchid!

And the bathroom that’s for the guests, I guess…

Now, where you see the stove in the first picture of the kitchen, there’s a door to the left of it leading into the bedroom…

On the other side of the door…

Put your back to the door and you see…

Put your back to the cabinets and you see two things…my bed with the jaw-dropping 14” flat screen “television” and the bathroom that I use…

 

And the view from my kitchen…

Just wanted to share…I hope you enjoyed your tour of my humble abode. 

One never reaches home, but wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time. - Hermann Hesse