tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23684709892299804592023-11-16T09:24:38.756-08:00burns.in.wordsThis Is How I See The World…hidden in the depths of a soft whisper, lost in the shadows of unuttered words. This Is How I View Creation…discovering the meaning of my existence. This Is How I Portray My Role…a complex being in a play called LIFE.Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-62087088283530876682010-01-01T05:55:00.002-08:002010-01-01T06:23:55.917-08:00Tears of New Year...Today, I shed my first tears of the year...I remember a guy who works as a janitor...I saw myself in him.<br /><br />For a reason I cannot explain, when I saw him, I felt that my heart was breaking...that I was him, doing his job, to earn a little money, a fare barely enough to make ends meet so I cried.<br /><br />It may be hard to understand why, unless you personally know me. I guess being one of them (I will always see myself that way), it's hard not to feel for them as well...<br /><br />CHEERS to the people who make our lives easier.<br /><br />People have equal opportunity to walk on the same spot...how we walk makes all the difference.Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-46306952533337114862010-01-01T05:29:00.000-08:002010-01-01T05:52:07.757-08:00Twenty Oh Nine 2 Twenty Ten!Another New Year...another shot at life...like a thousand chances too many, another challenge...another adventure.<br /><br />2009 wasn't heaven but it wasn't hell either...it was somewhere in between with enough blend of happiness and a little pinch of struggles to keep me grounded.<br /><br />I have a wonderful job which I am deeply thankful for...yes, even if stress is its synonym.<br /><br />I am able to send my twin brothers to school...bit by bit, though I must admit that sometimes, it makes me sweat even in the coldest temperature.<br /><br />I have a halfling who tolerates my crazy whims and childishness, I was never a baby, never a kid after all.<br /><br />I thank all the people who stood and still standing beside me...<br /><br />I thank God for every little things he bestowed upon us...tears mean there's a reason to laugh...struggles mean there's a reason to survive...<br /><br />LAUGH MORE...LOVE MORE..."LIVE" MORE!Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-451609322183733942009-08-01T20:45:00.000-07:002009-08-01T21:16:24.240-07:00and the nation mourns...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsHI8Ot8rC5kk1dNZBWPpuNhYA1qSC1S_BlpWCO-_AXfzJYXvPOwjbNLUbXyuo1Irg8E-8EudcJWYbqqW78ReX2LnBC7vRHwyhDrovH923GXbAvzxmKjJdeXwdhv_2cQLfRReChsPMCQ7/s1600-h/n656366415_6707.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsHI8Ot8rC5kk1dNZBWPpuNhYA1qSC1S_BlpWCO-_AXfzJYXvPOwjbNLUbXyuo1Irg8E-8EudcJWYbqqW78ReX2LnBC7vRHwyhDrovH923GXbAvzxmKjJdeXwdhv_2cQLfRReChsPMCQ7/s320/n656366415_6707.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214498352427970" /></a><br />Cory Aquino, in life or death, remained undefined, in so far as the words "woman", "mother", "patriot" would go...it's not enough and it will never be. I am a person rather busy trying trying to make ends meet and I only had a glimpse of her existence, she lived in a limelight, after all--may she rest in peace. She was a woman who ascended to men's world by conquering the politacal arena. She became "parents", when Ninoy sacrficed himself for this country...it was already more than her fair share when she lost him and yet, she offered herself to us...to heal the bleeding nation...but she can only do so much...Imagine if I had followed her every move or if I had not been far away from the sidelines, I may have written more, knew her more...We thank you Cory...and so the nation mourns.Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-82375239941958331652009-06-04T07:56:00.000-07:002009-06-06T09:39:21.055-07:00Burningly HOT Picks: Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs of 2009<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><span id="fullpost">As an entry to Janette Toral's </span> <a href="http://digitalfilipinoclub.blogspot.com/2007/05/organizing-online-writing-project.html">writing project of identifying new and emerging blogs</a> that had created greater impact to their wide group of readers or viewers for 2009, I came up with this quick post... This is just to support those blogs that simply deserve to be part of the <a href="http://www.influentialblogger.net/2009/05/join-top-10-emerging-influential-blogs.html">"TOP 10 Emerging Influential Blogs of 2009"</a>, especially a close friend and an officemate at the same time, who has supported and helped me create this blog.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost">Below ar</span><span id="fullpost">e the ten (10) blogs which for me are those that have greatly influenced and affected my blogging passion... in random order...</span><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://insearch4you.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ADvb1R1MMwODVhdx1jclbEUsadHa7uhGo-E9EKqad0ngd0Myud2k2WyLRUxkgkUUEZlkJYOQml6Rec7G82nIYT4eJizyA2JE_UmMBQ2hjBQKm2TK2e265GH2Wobru4qz2hoy3lUws9nB/s320/4470290.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247399267220290" border="0" /></a><a href="http://insearch4you.blogspot.com/">••• atenean101 @ Blogspot••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://pinoycopywriter.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwaBlfHnDseixRftDkO7zvsWyyf2ykZXLbj5AlGV3RDMnXRKBN9UNiuln-5kNQ5sufJSkL37YU5VzqqdIVfz6AVAvHbtaKLV1rAwmYUuZG02EWG3lV6BIq5STDW9PWIJ96rcYeJm7sRBy/s320/4432190.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247222744596386" border="0" /></a><a href="http://pinoycopywriter.com/">Pinoy Copywriter••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://politekon.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwmtIPp3zGkn8Mf82TMgjnHVgaVAhyYGwTkP_W3HVX5jeSJtXRGpYZ74yMweZlgECIkN8G86VsiNPJ0b7nLsWU5LStnXzewLlxQQRQbyF2co7UNP90Ie1fg-SEhgnwW93exwddzEtxs9I/s320/PolitEkonLogo3-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247916395749250" border="0" /></a><a href="http://politekon.blogspot.com/">PolitEkon••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cebubloggers.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHHp6YA8k5T7eWsCF-BqdrGQki9irncQm2UNeDs-d7kYhp8YPgvVpty83elW8tBZuNl4ho-2gNVwA7hka5ZtaYLgiHTtshdV7GGpzSu2GeReZCbpkfBV6DlL9PQtwGvhubuUTAe0Ja3z3/s320/logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247669993101506" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.cebubloggers.com/">Cebu Bloggers Society••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://reflectionsbymariz.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSTUIeB0EfYHM1kpDLjpF10sfAMZey4tWghpejT2_kfkHzJl0tPlrmqeIeLGuLv3EGcsZANLpNOob1R3HojCrTYtNimHZoS7P6M1fKbqJmohgow9mMNkbeVrbWufNTokmIkSScTPsy-uF/s320/4410805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247130223563522" border="0" /></a><a href="http://reflectionsbymariz.blogspot.com/">Reflections by Mariz••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thepinayblogger.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_UrVODFPZClWeM6fDwuYssqjoMs7qwk3iTWPi7gLI98gMyQ-TixOx7KXk_XrhYlDSTmShOafBpBpcSwZRhmcm-RDnHtzy9pXIp477AVR0axOKZW8gK9neqxyHvY015MlVtR2Xjik-7Hk/s320/header.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247537990715378" border="0" /></a><a href="http://thepinayblogger.com/">The Pinay Blogger••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mycranialjuice.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_l0Fjo8k4_BSwfOf0Ae297xxeirb0qgt5W2XXsoqrGu_8Lml8BIDH_W8uzf7FT_lMHGJ11HGQAkOT3XbCrUK50BG5lguVvJovZ-4hOosjB-WtyeziQSnnWCi_DS8IRDDPD_Mf44IgYFkQ/s320/4459714.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247323066426466" border="0" /></a><a href="http://mycranialjuice.blogspot.com/">dangerzone••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://myunrevealedthoughts.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3Umg33_ts4tlun7WpVe8an9F0xwF7mEBbb6PBA26qii8Nj29iGPNDQCfroNaZd9nedojPX98vXV0L59KZOOigkxl9gyP1ACWapW1TWpW8t3gCNYfETKNRrRfYhKa49TvkdSE4JTqzdBc/s320/header+copy.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247603912772146" border="0" /></a><a href="http://myunrevealedthoughts.blogspot.com/">My Unrevealed Thoughts••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kcatwoman.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQQqaHGrwJsxqdw11w__1EqUtMg6C0WXnnNNzrGreN_6ZjxZjEDLq86hAuihAYnCxojL1TAGY5sL5pKcjCKFNehyt7JrbSGVz_BLQtJ_KjmJAoEuqXdgO4p229OFwRox1BszWMWVA6TKg/s320/4493249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247470333536402" border="0" /></a><a href="http://kcatwoman.blogspot.com/">Kcatwoman••</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://simplemarriedlife.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp76mcFrpDkktgBDWoNZQ4yCt-LUHUM0CK45i_bRKTn8sc5EpujQuD9Z2UgWm8eSxGF2aRKaum0d2Bm4FtjYj0sAImQSh3ZhwjPi3uS0Ir0SwNXhAWRt8V446lc3kUP_fB_CF93ijas_89/s320/logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344247775402087106" border="0" /></a><a href="http://simplemarriedlife.com/">A Simple Married Life••</a></li><br /></ul><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><br /><span id="fullpost">Cogratulations! I hope you'll make it to the final.</span><br /><br />And before this blog end, we appreciate the help of <a href="http://www.absolutetraders.com/">Absolute Traders</a>, <a href="http://www.mybrutecheats.com/">My Brute Cheats</a>, <a href="http://www.bizsum.com/">Business Summaries</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://www.fitandthecity.com/">Fitness Advantage Club</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://buddygancenia.com/blog/?page_id=67">Events and Corporate Video</a>, <a href="http://www.eventsatwork.com/">Events@Work</a>, <a href="http://www.dominguez.com.ph/">Dominguez Marketing Communications</a>, <a href="http://www.redmobile.com/">Red Mobile</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span><a href="http://www.blog4reviews.com/">Blog4Reviews.com</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /></div>Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-88455060392219804542009-02-08T04:40:00.000-08:002009-02-08T05:07:31.212-08:00friendship and friendshit..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuEHscxxjp_7ffYQb8EEwUKecl1uQy4r7zVeyuJxNOOcxFHqFZ3AuwQbRcftEYbq-JW79KfZg-FUT1i6h8xowN1PwZkXpv25Tsthr7s8vuGyWZYNBKtUZThfS9pwCc-b8GDOPpsi95lJ5/s1600-h/IS334-060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300411949716310210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuEHscxxjp_7ffYQb8EEwUKecl1uQy4r7zVeyuJxNOOcxFHqFZ3AuwQbRcftEYbq-JW79KfZg-FUT1i6h8xowN1PwZkXpv25Tsthr7s8vuGyWZYNBKtUZThfS9pwCc-b8GDOPpsi95lJ5/s320/IS334-060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I have friends but rather few...and I like it that way...I have met a lot of people in my journey, and though many have made a mark in my life, a small number have remained for keeps...you see, I have this annoying attitude of holding grudges forever...not healthy, I know, but I can't help it...when friends with someone, I am loyal to the bone...but, when you do something to me that I will never never do to you, then, I will never never forget...friendship turns to friendshit...I am a strong believer of "reciprocation"...how you treat me is how I treat you...and it has been forever since I stopped pleasing people...when you grow old...you figure it out on your own, that you can't please everyone...so stop trying...works better for everybody...but then again, since life is an unfair unfolding mystery...we just gotta live it...friendship or friendshit...it goes on...just keep moving forward...and aim for that "walking barefoot in foreign soil"...hey, I'm talking to myself...stop rolling that eyes or else...</div>Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-64257158084017712742009-01-01T02:09:00.000-08:002009-03-01T05:50:24.522-08:00NEW YEAR TATTLE...This was written June of 2008...I had to muster enough courage before finally posting this...I feel guilty as hell...but...I have to be human...at least in words if not in acknowledging my emotions...<br /><br />It is one of those days when my thoughts are in disarray. The family load feels a little heavier than it usually does...work is not satisfying anymore...no longer fun. I know I should not feel this way about my family...it's just that, I have been working too hard for too long, and I still don't feel satisfied and content. I still sense this emptiness burning inside me, wailing to be filled. Personally, I have fought a hard battle getting to where I am now...yet...it's still not enough. I get frustrated when reality hits me that my sisters are not as persistent as I am...or that my brothers have no inkling how to move their butts so as not to go hungry...not to mention my father who has no idea what I do so I could send a little money home...trying to wear the shoes he should be wearing. My job has become a burden instead of a challenge. I used to say that though not getting the rewards I should be getting in the kind of job I have, I am not complaining. Lately, I do nothing but that: complain. I feel I could no longer give what the company asks of me, that I am no longer an asset but rather a liability. I so want out. From everything. I don't know if I just need a break or if the hardship I had had to go through finally succeeded in stealing my will and instinct to survive...and yes, even my crazy dream of walking barefoot in foreign lands...<br /><br />I should be thankful I am not jobless...that I could still drink my starbucks coffee...while others go hungry or die from it...<br /><br />I should be grateful for my stars I have little money to send home...that my family is blessed not to beg for it...<br /><br />I should be glad I have my little notebook to write with...others has no money to buy a pencil...worse, yet, others do not know how to write...<br /><br />I should welcome the hardships life throws at me...it means I'm alive...<br />I should be happy to wake up...it means I would have the chance to sleep again...<br /><br />---<br />And I decided to live my life...only in my journey can I find answers...only in truth can I freely whine...and as the saying goes..."what does not kill us make us stronger"...Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-56728283023708730042008-11-30T02:33:00.000-08:002009-07-28T07:05:29.789-07:00LeashedIt was a peaceful and rather relaxing Sunday, one of which I always look forward to, after a long stressful-full-pressured-nerve wrecking week of work. That and a mocha frappuccino grande with an extra shot: my sinful weekend beverage, not only because of the calories it contains but I secretly think it’s overpriced. Yummy...and I must say it again, sinful. (Hoping to repent my “sin” by saying it over and over again, huh?)<br /><br />Lost with my own thoughts, amid the animated chattering of the vamps around me, whose nocturnal habits I consider similar to my own, something caught my attention, my full attention, everything else forgotten, buried six feet under. A family, or at least, I assumed, because I had not seen the father, was dropped off in front of us. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, except for one disturbing fact. With them was a lively three- year old kid, I wildly calculated, whose innocence and carefree demeanor, shows a promising future, on LEASHED. I was dumbfounded and my heart, yet, broke again. What is this world becoming to? Or should I say, what are we becoming to? Animal on leash, that’s the norm, but a human being?! Imagine how the child would feel when he grows up, or once his mind could comprehend such a matter, knowing he was treated like his favorite doggie. It’s way beyond what my extreme imagination could conjure. I don’t know, maybe I am exaggerating, this is my own perception after all. Then again, I grew up in a society where a child has to be nurtured. Held. Loved. Disciplined. Nothing could accurately describe the scene which I witnessed but CRUELTY. Tsk. Tsk. And we wonder why people become evil. Unknowingly, we unleashed them when it no longer matters.Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2368470989229980459.post-47038914454015654152008-11-30T01:36:00.000-08:002009-07-28T07:03:46.270-07:00I Maid It UpFeeling good after a long slumber, I opened the glass window. What my eyes beheld, sunrise at its best, made me feel even better. The world is awake, I told myself. The sky so blue, the clouds immaculate and the trees so green it's illuminating silvery hues against the early morning sunshine. With a satisfied smile, I left the beauty of nature unfold its magic to the rest of the world and made myself a cup of coffee. Perfect. Not wanting to do anything, after a long week of hard work, which, stress and pressure an understatement combination, I turned the television on. I am not a fan of the boob tube though I have nothing against such a marvelous product of human intelligence, but not being privileged to have one in my growing up years, the stage when all kids glutton on its wonders, I can live without it. A program, which, as I vaguely recall, features people from different facets of life, was on. Today, the featured <em>bidas</em> (heroes) are the housemaids. While enjoying my coffee, amidst the shrieks and laughters of the Indays, (a term sometimes used by other people, synonymous to a maid) as the host conducts a little game, my memories drifted back to a not-so-distant past. I remember everything vividly, as if it was just painted in my mind by an artist, all strokes perfectly applied, no flaws, a masterpiece.<br /><br />One sweltering afternoon, four years ago, barely asleep, I jerked awake, if such a thing is possible, wondering where I was at. My hair, unkempt and matted from the sweat which won't ever stop, like running water in a broken faucet, was all over my face. My baggy old shirt, no longer comfortable, clung to my skin, making me extremely frustrated. The old tiny electric fan, whirring loudly, could hardly produce enough air to give me a breather. Still lying on my aching back, on the damp thin mattress, which made the heat almost unbearable, I stared at the low ceiling and surveyed the small four-sided box which I was confined in: my room. The inevitable question, like a mantra, followed. “What am I doing here?” No answer came. I had just moved out from my employers' place, my home for almost ten years, a week ago. The reality is beginning to sink in. I would be living on my own, alone but with myself. Independent. I mustered a lot of courage to ask permission to leave. I had to consider many things. Could I fend for myself? Am I strong & wise enough to brave the real world? As the show continues, the <em>bidas</em> all smiles, my mind drifted farther. While going to college, I was working for them as a housemaid and they, in turn, paid my tuition fees. I needed to finish my share of chores early so I could avoid the afternoon rush hour traffic, Manila's ever growing problem. I attended evening classes. Not an easy task. I would always be dead tired, all spent. There were times when I would go into crying bouts, which, until now, I have no idea why. Maybe I was just tired. Maybe I wanted to give up, to escape my fate. Yet, strive, I did. I left home, barely seventeen years of age, with a purpose but full of dread. But then, I thought, things couldn't be worse, could it? After all, from my point of view and limited understanding, nothing is worse than sleeping in an uneven makeshift bamboo bed, with an empty stomach, waking up with still nothing to eat, combined with a father who hits you and your siblings and worse, your mother, for no reason at all, except that he wanted to. I never understood his reasons, nor will I. My mother, who has the simplest dream of having coffee to drink whenever she wants to, is my inspiration. I cringe for her whenever I recall such an ordeal. It wrings my heart to no end. Why did the artist include such a black dreadful memory in his master piece?<br /><br />I celebrated my 18th birthday cleaning other people's toilet, unwanted tears falling uncontrollably from my eyes. They say, when a girl turns 18, she has come of age, a woman. For me, I have always been a woman because I was never a kid, never a baby. I guess when life presents you giant mountains with equally giant boulders, you have two choices. One, sulk and wither with them. Two, harden yourself steel and face them. I'd choose the latter anytime. Life is too precious to be wasted into nothingness. It is just plain death.<br /><br />After six long years, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree: a fruitful struggle. During those times, my problem was my own. I never bothered to share them with my family. I told them bits and pieces of what's happening to me but I never wanted to worry them with “trivial matters”, especially my mother. Nothing I can't handle.<br /><br />Back to my square box, I finally found answer to my question. I am here because I want to see the world with my own eyes, to embrace what life has to offer without other people telling me where to look and what steps to take; to search for a deeper meaning of my existence, to know my purpose. To get to that road less traveled.<br /><br />As the show concludes, I jolted back to the present. I hardly understood the rest of it but I grasped the message. Somehow, it's one way of saluting my countless and nameless sisters around the world, a tribute to us. After all, thousands work overseas, doing menial job, humbly contributing to our struggling economy: a proof of a resilient Filipino race.<br /><br />I still live in a box but a little bigger and more comfortable one, with a real bed. I haven't conquered them all yet but I will. For now, I am contented my mother has her coffee to drink. Life is not perfect, it will never be, but I have gained not only experience but wisdom. I am no longer naive, but rather, independent and pragmatic. I deeply thank the family who helped me survive the trying times. Without them, I will never be where I am and where I want to be. God is an extraordinary artist, we are His master pieces. Now I truly understand, without the color black, it isn't a work of art. Believe me, I maid it all up!Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208325549111895135noreply@blogger.com1