Life As We Know It, Is Nothing but an Endless Extension

 

This life we live, a never-ending stream of moments, memories, and endless dreams

A journey we embark on from our birth, a story of existence, our time on earth

 

We start off small, innocent and pure

Our world so new, our hearts so sure

Each step we take, a new discovery

A journey of learning, of growth, of mystery

 

As we grow older, we start to see the world around us, so vast and free

We try to make our mark, we leave our trace on this endless extension, this endless race

 

We laugh and love, we cry and grieve

We fall and fail, but still we believe

That life is worth it, the highs and lows

The endless extension, the ebb and flow

 

We search for meaning, for purpose and truth, for something that lasts beyond our youth

We seek to find our place in this world, to leave a legacy, a story to be told

 

And as the years go by, we start to realize, that life is not just about the highs

But also the lows, the struggles we face, the endless extension, the never-ending race

 

For in these moments, we learn to grow,

to find the strength to face the unknown

To embrace the journey, the twists and turns,

 to live each day, to love and learn

 

And though this life may seem so long

It's but a moment, an ephemeral song

So let us make the most of every day 

and cherish each step along the way

 

For in the end, it's not the length of life but how we lived, and loved, and thrived

Let us embrace each moment, every breath and make this life a beautiful, endless quest.

Is This How It Should Be?

 

I lost myself in love, 

surrendered every inch of me 

to someone who never cared enough

to see the beauty I could be.

 

I thought I knew what love was 

but it was only an illusion. 

A fleeting feeling 

an empty buzz that left me with confusion

 

I gave and gave and gave 

but never received in kind

I thought I could be brave 

and leave the past behind

 

But every time I tried to leave, 

the pull of love was strong

And I was back again, 

to the same place where I didn't belong

 

I lost my sense of self 

in the pursuit of someone else's heart

I put my dreams on a shelf 

and watched them slowly fall apart

 

I thought love was supposed to heal 

but it only left me broken

And every time I tried to feel, 

I found that love was just a token

 

A token of affection 

that meant nothing in the end

A mere fleeting connection 

that I couldn't even comprehend

 

So here I am, lost and alone 

with nothing but memories to hold

I wish I could have known 

that loving wasn't worth the toll

 

But still, I can't help but wonder, 

if I'll ever find my way out 

of the spell that I'm under

And step into the light of a brand new day.

Am I Worthy?

Sometimes I feel so small and weak,

As if I'm not enough, not meant to speak.

My worth feels lost, like it's out of reach,

And my confidence wavers with every speech.

I compare myself to others, and I fall short,

My insecurities take hold and become a sort

Of heavy weight, dragging me down,

I wonder if my worth can ever be found.

The world seems to demand so much,

And I struggle to keep up, to keep in touch,

With who I am, with what I want,

As if I'm always playing a game that's taunt.

But I know that I'm not alone,

That others feel this way, in their own zone.

And though it's hard to see my own light,

I know it's there, shining bright.

So I'll take a deep breath, and let it out,

And remind myself what I'm all about.

I'll focus on my strengths, my unique flair,

And remind myself that I'm worthy, that I'm there.

BULONG NG ISIP (WHISPER IN MIND)

 

Nagtatanong ba ang iyong isip habang ika’y nakatulala?

Kung ano ang sorpresa ng bawat umaga?

Nais mong sumaya ngayon sa kung anong meron ka?

Ngunit sagot ng isip ay karapat dapat ka ba?

 

Nadudurog ba ang iyong puso habang ika'y nakatulala?

sa kahapong pakiwari mo'y tuso’t mapanlamang

Isip mo'y ika'y nagkulang ngunit ang bawat araw ay sadyang magkakaiba lamang

At iyong napagtanto binigay mo’y sapat naman pala, padududa ay dapat walang puwang

 

Nararamdaman mo pa ba ang pagasa habang ika'y nakatulala?

Dahil dilat pa ang mga mata at papalapit na ang bukas

Sa bawat tunog ng pag ikot ng kamay ng orasan, dalangin moy tumigil muna ang oras

Nang sa gayon makapaghanda ng wagas at may magagamit na lakas

Paano ang bukas, ang tanong ng isip sa isat isa

Maari bang balikan ang kahapon

at nang maitama ang mga maling lumipas na

o sadya bang nakatakda ang bawat panahon

 

Nakatanaw sa malayo ngunit walang nakikita

Tila bang bulag na dapat mangapa ngapa

Walang maisip kundi maging tulala

Nararapat kayang mamahinga muna?

 

ENTABLADO

ENTABLADO

Sumapaw sa gabi ang malungkot na imahe
Lugar na makasalanan dyan sa may tabi-tabi
Napukaw ang paningin, sa may sulok di mapakali
Nakita kong hindi makalipad ang isang kalapati

Isang musikang mapanglaw ang kanilang isinalang
Lahat ay tumahimik at pawang nag-aabang
Sa isang maliit na entablado lahat ay nagtinginan
At isang wasak na bulaklak ang kanilang pinagpyestahan

Natapos ang isa, sumunod ang pangalawa
Sa anino pa lamang niya, natuwa na ang madla
Mapapansin mo agad ang kasuotan ng dalaga
Isang sapatos, yun lang at wala nang iba.

Kapit sa patalim kung kanila itong tawagin,
Sa ayaw at gusto nila katawan nila ang gagamitin
Kung hindi nila kayanin ay ibabaling ang tingin
Kaysa naman sa isang araw ay wala silang makain.

Natapos ang gabi, mag-isa lang syang umuwi
Sa kanyang mga mata, kalungkutan di mapapawi
At patuloy inaalis sa isipan ang mga nangyari
Isang gabi ng pagsisisi ang hindi na naman niya mababawi.

I Want To Breathe

Royalty? Princes? Lady?

What I am?

I tried to fit in, I was trained to fit in

But it is never ending amount of criticism, I no longer know what to believe in

Discipline? Manner? Class?

What must I do?

I changed almost everything, even the way I talk

But it’s either less or too much and I can’t even get in between as you’re blind.

Silence? Mute? Shut up?

What else do you want?

I just breathe in and breathe out

But even this has meaning, you can even hear from the distance you think it’s a clout.

Explained? Speak? Burst out?

Which one is true?

I want to do what suits you

But though I think this way, you still view me as the fragile woman anyway.

Don’t you even get tired?

Do you even ask yourself how I feel through this plight

Do you even sleep at night with your misoginistic mind?

Do you even wake up with a smile?

Enough, enough already, enough!

I don’t need titles, castles, wealth, I just want peace.

I need my life back and let me get back on my feet.

Give me time to breath

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

 

Here is my attempt in writing an acrostic poetry. 

Live today as if it’s your last, for tomorrow is unpredictable.

Inspire others in your own little way, for the world is full of despaid,

you could be a light to anyone.

Feel every emotion, may it be sadness or happiness, for it is a gift, 

but never exaggerate as it will lose its fit.

Empathize as much as you can, for each road is different, you may have walked with the light, 

them with the dark.

Illuminate your day with a smile,  for it could be reciprocated by those who need it,

and, it makes you feel younger.

Safeguard your secrets, for not all have good intentions, but never be too suspicious, some can be trusted.

Believe in yourself, for everyone is given the chance to become better, never lose hope as long as you live.

Entertain others opinion, for they can help shape your principle, remember, each is a gift.

Accept your mistakes, for only then you can change, we are not born perfect,

but we can strive for excellence.

Understand differences, for it makes life more challenging, it could be a reason to keep going.

Treat yourself from time to time, for our body is like a machine, we do better when we are energized.

Influence the young with positive thoughts, but teach them the beauty of the opposite,

for life needs balance.

Fill your heart and mind with respect, for it is a foundation of  a relationship, 

without it, the world is in chaos, and you’ll be driving a sinking ship.

Uncover your true potential, for no one will and no one can, it is you who will grow through 

what you go through then.

 Leave your past after learning from it, for life is a journey,  you need to travel light with self-honesty.

A Challenging 2019

When there's darkness, there's light

Every year brings a lot of surprises may it be a sudden trip somewhere, a long lost friend who emerges on messenger or an extremely unexpected responsibility at work. 

As human as I am, I have been through a lot of "sudden" this year which I say have tested my patience and my perseverance to an exponential level. However, these challenges make me thankful in the long run due to the fact that it will definitely be useful, it may not be in all aspects but most aspects of my life. 

Don't Trust Anyone But Don't Distrust Everyone

This has been ingrained in me for more than a decade of handling people virtually. However, this year, it was put to the test how well-versed I am in this. I used to shed tears whenever I am disappointed on how people perform at work because I put my full trust in them.  This year however, made me care less on whatever they feel but cared more on how they perform. You sign up for the job, better do it the best you can, or you hear from me, friends or not. Learning to read people made me become more efficient on what I do. On the contrary, I also make sure that I don't generalize people as I am aware everyone didn't come from the same mother. 

Guard Your Secrets

Social media nowadays is becoming more of a place to gossip instead of becoming a place to inform, learn or educate. There are things that need to stay private for there are people who are just waiting to make stories about you. This also applies to a workplace; it is fine to be friends with your co-workers but learn to isolate personal relationship from that of work. There are those people who lose respect because they think you are friends. 

Be Firm When You Say "NO"

We are in a society where we lean from each other, friends, family, or colleagues. I really had difficulty saying no to a request especially if they are close to me. My attitude of being generous had taken a toll on me a long time ago however, this year, I have said "NO" to a lot of requests. There is a big difference between asking for a help and taking advantage thus saying no to someone who is already taking advantage of you doesn't mean you are being selfish.  

Just Do It!

Many of us get scared to do what they are passionate about maybe because of having no resources or just simply because it will mean getting out of their comfort zone.  I, too, have been scared of starting new things in my life. I was scared to take other responsibilities at work because I was scared to fail. However, I realized, I will never know if I won't try. As they say, trying and failing is better than never trying. If you plan to do something new, it is fine to be doubtful but don't be scared to try. Often times, we are afraid of the unknown.

The year 2020 is almost beginning and may these lessons remain executed to become better.  No matter what happened in 2019, good or bad, those are already part of life. Learn to never regret anything you have done and only then you know how to think before you do.  

South Korea: It Has To End To Begin

My battle for finding time to write is endless. I know it just boils down to having time management but it's just difficult when there's really no time to manage. LOL! And, again, it's long overdue!

To continue from where I left of, some of my days in South Korea were idle. It's because I still needed to work. Working in a totally opposite timezone make me feel exhausted when traveling. My body reacted badly to the point where I felt sick I just needed to sleep to regain my strength. I was lucky enough that my colleagues covered for me. One thing that's really annoying was when my laptop refused to turn on! I bet is was also reacting to the different weather!

Anyhow, may last few days went well even with all the blisters I have on my feet due to long distance walking. This is what I get when I have a hermit life!  

As scheduled, my sister and I met up with my former boss and his family. We visited The National Museum of Korea which educated me more of their history.

What fascinated me more is that, they discuss the things they see inside the museum to each other which is enriching their knowledge more.

This is the Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda which is on the first floor of the building. It has a very rich history which was discussed to me by my former boss during our tour but I won't discuss that here. LOL

The museum houses prehistory and ancient history of Korea which includes evidences of Korean culture and civilization, the medieval and early modern history which include Goryeo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty and Korean empire. These are the three important period in Korean history and here you can trace the happenings during those times.

What's really interesting to me is how the Hangul was developed. Well, the story was known to me a long time ago when I first became interested in Korean culture which was way back 2002. However, seeing those artifacts just gave a different feel and fascination. This gave me the interest in visiting more of our country's museums. 

Again, I don't have my tripod with me thus the photo I want to capture was never achieved! LOL

Moving on, we decided to go to Dongdaemun then to Myeongdong but since he isn't used to going around, he was lost when we were on our way to Myeongdong. I'm not into shopping, well, I would say, this is one thing I really hate to do, so just passing through Dongdaemun made me tired.

Doing street photography while finding our way to where we want to be is absolutely fun! It actually occurred to me to just sit there, take photos and watch anything until it gets dark.

The next days were spent going around nearby places. My sister told me to visit a park near her apartment, the Nakseongdae Park, when she is in SNU however, the cool weather made me stay in bed instead.  So, we decided to visit together. It such a very good place to run!

At night, we went to watch the Moonlight Rainbow Show at the Banpo Bridge where the famous Han River is.

It was a cold, windy night which makes it a lot better to watch due to the cold wind touching your face. I love that feeling! I maybe the person who likes taking photos but for events like this which I know it will take a long time to convince myself to visit again, I take a moment and pause and just immerse myself in it. The show was almost over here, it's just taken with my iPhone. Not a good photo but it will do.

I wonder how much energy is used with those lights! Photos can't really show how awesome it is in there! The sound of the waves of the river, the cold wind together with the glistening lights is spectacular to make your mind run free.

The next day, my sister told me we are going somewhere and I have no idea where it is.  We got on the train, I saw the train to Busan, of course without the zombies, rode the bus and finally we where there! It's Kyung Hee university! It's considered one of the best universities in South Korea and a European inspired one just by looking at the buildings.

I wondered how much to they pay for tuition fees. This must be for the elite students, just seeing the outside like this means only one thing, the facilities must be excellent! I can't avoid to imagine studying there without having any financial worries. Oh well, not bad to imagine.

Having a society like South Korea which puts pressure on everything, this kind of environment, having trees all over, could help combat depression, that is, if majority knows how to be thankful of the little things. Sadly, this only applies to the selected few.

The last place we went to was at the Gwanghwamun Square, where the statue of King Sejong The Great is and the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It was difficult for us to find the statue although it was towering to a height of more than 6 meters. It's probably because we were already tired from walking.

The palace gate was swarming with so many tourists hence the difficulty in taking a photo of the entire gate. A clean shot is zooming in some parts of it.

Overall, although I never expected my visa to be approved but it did, I had fun experiencing what Seoul could offer. From the cleanliness, well-developed transportation system in which a good chance to experience no traffic to the silence of the environment.

Though it seems an almost perfect place to live, I, being a very observant tourist came to love my country and my culture even more. I cannot imagine Filipinos being detached to everyone else, losing the characteristic of always ready to lend a helping hand, may it be on the bus, climbing the stairs or even just crossing the street and to lose the ability of choosing to smile in the middle of a natural disaster. 

However, it is the honesty and the discipline of South Koreans that will always captivate me to visit again! 

South Korea: Day 2 and Day 3

It's been a long time since and this time I am going to try to walk down memory lane. My second day in Korea was a bit gloomy as the weather was not really that good. We didn't want to go out in a rainy weather so I stayed indoors while my sister did her school activities at Seoul National University. I wanted to go with her but I didn't have enough sleep yet due to work schedule. Talk about going on a trip and bringing along work with you! That's just me!

While at home, my former boss called me for a possible meet up. He also didn't like to go out in a gloomy weather so we scheduled some other days.

My third day came and fortunately, the weather was really nice! My sister decided to show me COEX Mall's Starfield Library in Gangnam, Seoul. After getting off the train, she mentioned that this place is where most KPOP fans gather to have a glimpse of their favorite KPOP stars. Well, the walls are filled with TV Screens with Korean famous actors' faces on them.

The structure of these buildings are so fascinating it seems your photo is not enough to tell how good it is! Well, it will never be enough though!

Since the sun was too hot, we were too in hurry to go inside the mall. My sister is scared of the sun. hahaha! She's lived in Korea for so long she already adapted the Korean culture. As for me, I love the sun due to the fact that I rarely go out and enjoy it. I am living a hermit life which makes me stuck in my home office with my eyes glued on the computer screen. There are time I am being reminded to take my morning coffee outside the house just to catch the first rays of the sun. LOL!

Upon entering the COEX mall, I was stunned by this ginormous library! I was told it's 13-meter tall with more than 50,000 books in them! I was in owe!

Starfield Library is really fascinating my mind goes into thinking, "this must be a good place to work."

Time is running so fast in South Korea for me so we moved on and went to Seoul Forest. Can you imagine there is a forest in the middle of big city? Yes, there is, in Seoul, South Korea!

Even the locals are enjoying the nice weather, there are so many of them when we went there. 

This flower stood out from the rest. It's just so beautiful and so big plus my favorite color I wanted to pick one and bring it home. Haha! But of course, I'm a very good tourist so I just took a lot of photos of it in different angles!

I was trying to capture the bee but then again, I kept cursing myself for not bringing my tripod, again! 

When two photographers go together, expect for stolen shots since both are busy taking photos! haha!

So we ended up having selfies together. 

This grass as I call it, is just so picture perfect but difficult to get a good one since it's just grass! LOL! But you gotta try no matter!

This one is famous for reflection photography but then again, I didn't bring my tripod I can't hold my breath for that long to get a clear photo so this is the best I can get. 

There are many couple who were doing prenup photo shoots here so I had to be fast in taking photos. I would like to take a stolen shot of those couples but I might be sued if it got posted! 

My second attempt in getting a reflection photo but still not successful! No tripod! At this point, I gave up!

I'm not photogenic so let's play hide and seek, well, unless you are a very good photographer. 

These are just some of the things I saw in Seoul Forest that fascinated me.

After we got tired of going around here, we went to Understand Avenue. It is a shipping container store which brings support to teenagers, artists and local vendors. It consists of 115 shipping containers and of which offers various things from foods to coffee shops and arts. 

I think it's an awesome concept for aspiring entrepreneurs. We could have gone around more but the heat of the sun is already unbearable for both of us at this time. 

After a long, tiring yet fulfilling day, we decided to take a rest and enjoy a cup of coffee near my sister's place at BEOLS Floral Factory and Cafe.

Nothing is more relaxing than the combination of the coffee aroma and the flowers. Imagine drinking a cup of coffee while you are smelling those flowers on top of your coffee cup! 

If you just want to relax and forget how your day went, I highly recommend this place in Seoul!