Through the generosity of my landlord, I am now sleeping in a real bed. He had let me use their spare bed. Thank you!
When I came here last year, I have stayed for a month in a hotel which of course meant having an elegant bed with it’s sheets being replaced almost everyday. But since the time I left the hotel and moved to this flat, I had been humbly sleeping in a mattress laying in the floor. Well, not anymore. I am now elevated to some inches higher. Nyahahaha!
Going home with a decent bed waiting to embrace you for a night sleep is an extra consolation after a whole day’s work. Too good to be true! ZZZzzzzzzz!
Look who’s in town?! Yes! The events princess of Sunny company made a short visit in Dubai. I am a bit honored to be part of her schedule. Hahaha! I know she will not agree with my statement.
Together with her Dubai-based friend, Cherryl, I met them at the Mall of Emirates around past five in the afternoon. Of course, nothing to be done but shopping; though she revealed that they had been to Dubai Outlet Mall and was so enchanted with bargain prices which is typically one of Dubai’s main attraction. Branded items at a cheaper price.
After moving around, we stopped at Cinnabon to have a snack and exchanged updates about the latest buzz in the Sunny company. She handed over an envelope containing picture cards from some of my group of friends in PH. I appreciate the thoughts though the pictures are somewhat naughty. Thanks guys!
From MOE, we decided to move to Madinat Jumeirah. This is a hotel-mall beside the famous Burj Al Arab (7-star hotel). We had dinner at a Japanese resto. I personally enjoyed the unending chats that we didn’t even noticed the time. I have even come to know that Cherryl’s office is just beside our office in DOZ. Small world! We ended the night at around past 11 pm. Since they are using car lift, they had asked the driver to drop me first in my flat. To my surprise, princess Tania even gave me a souvenir token from Scotland; the country she visited prior to Dubai. Few hours from now, she will be flying back to Manila. Until next time!
If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn’t oversleep.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
One thing I can give and still keep … is my word.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished.
One thing I can’t recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won’t work unless ‘ I ‘ do! .
My mind is like a parachute…it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don’t. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
I do not commute nor ride any vehicle in going to the office. My daily route is powered by a 15 to 20 minutes walking. Some may say it is good for the health. It may be true especially during the winter season where pumping your blood is a must to get you moving. But now that the real 30 to 40 degrees summer has started, walking under the heat of the sun is a disaster. Thus upon reaching the office, I have to gulp more than two cups of cold water.
With this daily walking, I have accustomed myself to same scenarios and same people. Same group of kids waiting for their school buses. Same faces of strangers who are walking towards my direction. Same cars parked along the road. Same delivery trucks in the nearby grocery store. Same security guards. Same street cleaners.
However, there are few instances when the routine takes a break. That is, when I don’t report to work. Or, when I go on a different route which obviously takes a longer time. Or, when some unfortunate things happen like when I was hit by a bicycle while crossing a street.
Honestly, I do not know how to end this piece. Ha!ha!ha! Keep walking …
Our team had lunch today at a Chinese restaurant located inside the Ramada Hotel. We took around 15 minutes to walk from our office to the resto. The food is good but somewhat expensive. While waiting for our order, the crew gave us a complimentary fortune cookies. I am not a believer of such kind but just for fun, I too gave a crack of it. The fortune statement that I got is written in four languages.
(NL) lemand voelt zich tot u aangetrokken.
(F) Quelqu’un sera atire par vous.
(D) Jemand fuhlt sich zu dir hingezogen.
(GB) Someone will be attracted by you.
This song from Juno OST sounds cool. There are two versions of the lyrics. I think, the first one is the version used in the movie. The second is from the original composer and performer. Click the links to see the videos.
Anyone Else But You
by Michael Cera & Ellen Page
You’re a part time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on you’re back is the latest trend
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
Here is the church and here is the steeple
We sure are cute for two ugly people
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
We both have shiny happy fits of rage
I want more fans, you want more stage
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
You are always trying to keep it real
I’m in love with how you feel
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train
I kiss you all starry eyed, my body’s swinging from side to side
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me
So why can’t, you forgive me?
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
Du du du du du du dudu
Du du du du du du dudu
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
Anyone Else But You
by The Moldy Peaches
You’re a part time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on your back is the latest trend
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
I’ll kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train
I’ll kiss you all starry eyed my body swingin’ from side to side
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
Here is the church and here is the steeple
We sure are cute for two ugly people
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
Pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive
So why can’t you forgive me
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
I will find my niche in your car
With my MP3, DVD, rumble pack guitar
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
Up up down down left right left right B A start
Just because we use cheats doesn’t mean we’re not smart
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
You are always tryin’ to keep it real
I’m in love with how you feel
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
We both have shiny happy fits of rage
You want more fans, I want more stage
I don’t see what anyone can see im anyone else…but you
Don Quixote was a steel driving man
My name is Adam I’m your biggest fan
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
Squinched up your face and did a dance
Shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants
I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else…but you
But you
Have I mentioned that there is a Catholic church here in Dubai? I regularly attend the Sunday mass during Friday mornings since our weekend here covers Friday and Saturdays. And Sunday is the first day of work week. I hope you got what I mean. Sounds confusing huh?
Palm Sunday’s celebration here is different too. Just like Van’s story in her blog, there were no vendors selling palms outside the church. Instead, the parish provided the palms. Just a single piece of the leaf. No flamboyant designs.
In the mass, there was no homily after the Gospel because the Passion of Christ is read in its entirety. Aside from the priest who took the role as Jesus Christ, several people are assigned to read the dialogue of some characters in the Gospel. The whole crowd also participated in the part where the people are shouting to "Crucify Him!" and "free Barabbas!".
While Ash Wednesday signals the start of the Lenten season, the Palm Sunday commences the Holy Week. This will be my second Holy Week away from PH. This time, there will be no Holy Thursday "Bisita-Iglesia" , no Good Friday road-trip/food-trip in Tagaytay with Don and JV, no Black Saturday seafood pasta with my family, and no Easter Sunday meat-feast.
Have a blessed and safe Holy Week.
Some people were asking me how did I spent my birthday here in Dubai. Well, let me define it in one word. "Blastful!"
I don’t normally come to work during my birthday! But this time, I have to because of some important meetings that I need to attend to in the office. And knowing that nobody in the office knows my birthday, I thought that it will be a safe day for me. Safe day from surprises or "embarassment" of being the center of attention. I really hate that feeling. Haha! Unfortunately, one of my female colleague remembered my birthday because during one of our discussions some months back, she had asked me for my birthday. And coincidentally, she remembered the date because her son’s birthday happens to fall on the day before my birthday. To cut the story short, I was not able to escape the ordeal. Hahaha!
At around 11am, my team and some colleagues from other department were waiting for me to comeback to my desk. I was supposed to be on a meeting from 10am to 11am only but the meeting ended around 1pm so they had no choice but to postpone their modus operandi. So, at around 3pm they started gathering in my place and brought a chocolate flavored birthday cake with my name written on it. Aside from the cake, they brought some Indian pastries.
No other choice but to go with the flow! I appreaciated and felt the sincerity of their action. It was like having a new family around. After singing the birthday song (addressing me as "my dear Jonathan"), the rule is that I have to cut the cake and distribute the slices to everyone. Unlike in PH where the celebrant keeps the cake and take it home. Hehehe!
The experience is good! Thanks to my AAB family!
In my flat, there was no big surprise. I am the one who gave my flatmates a surprise! I ordered pancit and fried chicken from Chowking. And lots of pizza from Papa John. Two of my flatmates (Marie and Belen) gave me a gift. A hooded CoolCat sweat shirt.
Though I am still longing to spend my next birthday in PH next year, today’s experience is something to be grateful for. After all, the most important thing is that God is still giving me the chance to serve my purpose on earth according to His devine plan. That is more than enough to ask for.
Happy Birthday to me!
When you are far away from home, you realize how technology works for you. I received a number of greetings through different channels, from various parts of this world. As I conclude my day, I would like to pay back the generous and selfless effort from these people. Allow me to name you here.
SMS: Fatz, Brother Jun, Ermats, Michaela, My Sis, TinTin, DennisV, JV, Charrie, Rhedd, Jonard, Helen, Jellen, Rhea.
Phone Call: My Sis, Brother Jun, JV (missed call ’cause I am having a shower during that time), Dhey, Beth R, Marie (my flatmate), Trek, Coleen
YM: Lito (my brother-in-law), Amy C, Charrie, Resqu, Van
Email: Louiegi, Repapips, Ernest, Meggy, Zaldy, Dhey, DonPJ, Anna, Ada, Leah, RoseR, Connie, Brother Jun, Charrie, Amy C.
Friendster: Bing, Mike
Blog: TinTin, Joan, Lorraine, Rhedd, Renco, Pao
Thanks everyone! You made my bday "blastful" enough!
