Although January started the year well for me, it hasn't been my best days since February came in. I came home early from work today because I felt annoyed, irritated and pissed. It's one of those times when all of a sudden you seem to hate your life without really giving it a thought.
After dinner I went straight to my computer browsing stuff, most especially songs, hoping it would make me feel better. I came across this Josh Groban song that speaks (or sings) of what I feel.
And I never want to let you down Forgive me if I slip away Sometimes it's hard to find my ground Cause I keep on falling as I try to get away From this crazy world
In Israel, we had to go through the very tight security check at the immigration. We had to unpack our stuff for them to survey our belongings and check if we possess any suspicious items. It didn't come to me as a surpirse when they asked me to unpack my camera bag. I had to dismantle the lenses and other accesories to satisy their curiosity. I can't object and I can't blame them for having such strict procedures. Israel was being bullied by neighboring countries. Israelis can't rely on anyone else but themselves to protect their country and their countrymen. I was more impressed than annoyed.
Le Meridien Dead Sea
After the immigration duties, we went straight to the bus where we met with our Israel tour guide Yoram Attias. We then traveled to Le Meridien Dead Sea to enjoy an overnight stay at the 5-star hotel. It was past dinner time when we arrived and the staff was already cleaning up, but it was nice of them to open up the kitchen and dining area and to serve us dinner. We headed to our respective rooms right after to have a good night's sleep.
Sunrise view from our Le Meridien hotel room
We had to wake up at around 6:00 in the morning to be able to experience floating on the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a pair of slippers so I had to make do with the bedroom slippers provided by the hotel. Imagine the amount of sand that got caught by the slippers when I returned after a short Dead Sea swim.
Dead Sea
The experience was amazing! Whatever you do, you just won't sink. You can feel and taste the saltiness of the water. You can't stay in the water for more than twenty minutes because it will harm your skin. When you get out of the water, you will feel an oil-like film coating your skin.
Congratulations, Shamcey Supsup for doing a great job in representing our country and finishing 4th in the recently concluded Miss Universe 2011!
If I had to change my religious beliefs, I would not marry the person that I love because the first person that I love is God, who created me. And I have my faith and my priniciples. And this is what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, [he] should love my God too.
Shamcey Supsup Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner-Up
She was asked the most challenging and most controversial question and I think she nailed it by answering it honestly and with conviction. She truly stood up for what she believed in. Besides, she is the only candidate among the five finalists who didn't need an interpreter to express herself. Although she did not bag the most coveted title, it's heart-warming to know that there are people from all over the world who support her and think that she should have been Miss Universe 2011.
I don't know if it's true, but there's news circulating in the internet claiming that even Oprah Winfrey thinks she should have won saying,
I have reservations with the results. If the only basis is the Q and A portion. After having been trimmed down to 5, Ms. Philippines deserved to win. What made her different from the rest is that she had no seconds to rethink of her answer as she had no interpreter to break the ice. The rest had their interpreters and having breaks on seconds to think about their answers. Hands down, Ms. Philippines answered straight to the point.
I tried looking for reputable sources, but I couldn't find one.
I wanted to post an entry about how my long weekend went and so here it is...
In a word it was memorable. I wish I could say that all that happened were wonderful experiences. I had to go through a roller coaster of emotions with all its ups, downs, loops, and corkscrews. Nevertheless, everything that took place has taught me a thing or two.
Events in our lives may not unfold the way we want them to, but during tough times, I have learned to look back on the happy moments and be thankful for them. I have learned to appreciate and show gratitude for all the blessings that I have received. It's not easy to accept the troubles that we face in our lives, but thinking about the times when we were at our best, when we were at our highest points, plus prayers and faith, can help us feel better and have even the tiniest spark of hope. These wonderful memories serve as constant reminders that the obstacles are just temporary and can be overcome.
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Ecclesiastes 7:14
Talking about recounting the milestones in our lives, the song Moonlight or Memory comes to mind. For me, this is one of the most beautiful renditions of the song:
Here's the Filipino version of the few lines from the song which was performed as Act II opened when Cats, the Musical was staged here in Manila. It's a great experience to have seen it live.
Liwanag, hanapin ang liwanag Ang iyong ala-ala ang gabay na sundin Sa liwanag, ligaya ay matatagpuan Bagong buhay ay darating
Amidst the news about the typhoons Juaning and Kabayan that hit the Philippines, a certain Chris Lao trended on Twitter.
Watch this video to see why:
We all know the lesson we have to learn from this - blaming other people for our own mistakes won't do us any good. We have to own up to the choices that we make in our lives. Suffer the consequences, if we must, and learn from them.
A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. Blessed is the man who reveres God, but the man who doesn’t care is headed for serious trouble. Proverbs 28: 13-14
I believe he already learned his lesson.
And now he has this to say:
Official Statement from Christopher Lao 4 August 2011
The past few days have been very disheartening for me and my family. As you know I have been a subject of a viral video that showed my helplessness during a trying moment. As it stands right now, I have several hate pages in Facebook and Twitter with hurtful and derogatory messages attacking my person. The reputation that I built the past years has been besmirched. A bad day has now turned into wounded feelings and sleepless nights for me and my family.
I have been silent the past few days as I want this to go away soon but not before saying sorry and thank you to people who matter.
I would like to apologize for my behavior that was seen on nationwide television and now on the internet. It was unfortunate that I was caught on camera immediately after an overwhelmingly stressful mishap.
I would like to again sincerely thank those who braved the flood to help a distraught stranger like me. Their selfless act reminded me of how dependable Filipinos are in times of crisis.
Lastly, I would like to thank my family, friends and all of those who showed empathy, consideration and support throughout these trying times. You have given me strength and courage to rise above and be a better person.
