Man Plans, God laughs

Yesterday, I was so broke that I decided to go to my bank to withdraw over the counter during lunch break.  When I handed my withdrawal form and ID to the teller, the teller told me, we don't allow withdrawals without the passbook (it was a passbook account and I couldn't find my passbook).   I said, but it's the same bank, though in a different branch and you're computerized right now and I have more than two valid IDs and I still can't withdraw? He said, "sorry ma'am, you can't talaga."

So I thanked him and left.

I told myself I'd eat at Rob instead of going to the canteen because Rob was nearer. Then I panicked because when I opened my purse, I couldn't find my coin purse inside but there was a 100-peso bill tucked in one of my ATM cards! Wooooohoooooo!!!!! (Now looking back, I'm pulling my hair for panicking because I forgot my purse when there's only 70 pesos in my purse! What was I beating myself for???)

So I had my meal, (Chef de Angelo has meals as low as 69 pesos hheeeeheeee) and went back to the office, again feeling so depressed that I have work, I am now in my dream office, and yet I only have 31 pesos in my pocket and 75 pesos in my purse. And students nowadays are probably a lot richer than I was! (To think I have an a-t-t-y in my name) And I couldn't withdraw from my bank!

But life has to go on, one must still work and enjoy life's surprise. A surprise I really got at 1:30 because a co-worker said that my initial salary was already available for pick-up at the Checks Releasing Section! Weeeeeeeeee!!!! (Ok, it's not so much, but it's enough to last me a week, without begging alms on the streets.)

God really knows how to perk me up. Sometimes, I think he teases by not giving me all I want/need reight away. 

One of my favorite authors, Harlan Coben, wrote: "Man plans, God laughs." I think it's a Yiddish proverb.   But I really believe this one's true.

We plan our lives the way we want it to be.  Oftentimes, if we don't get what we want and we feel that life has become unfair and we blame almost everybody for our sufferings.  We even blame God  because we feel that he does not listen to our prayers, or if he does, he denies us our hearts' desires.

But you see, I believe that  God works in His own time.  We may do all the planning, and the works in-between, but He may just laugh at us because He will surely give what's best for us when he finally decides to give it... in His perfect time... just like my initial salary yesterday.


 

Of Hurt Feelings and Bitterness

I am not as magnanimous as people think I am. In fact, I am the exact opposite of such. I don't give unless I know there's something for me in return.  I harbor ill-feelings.   I don't forget.  I get even. And if I can't get even, I hold a grudge... for eternity.

I read somewhere that kids can be more forgiving than adults. I believe that is true.  Probably because they have much purer hearts and souls or because they haven't experienced much pain and suffering that they have lost their belief that forgiveness is a healing balm.

Yes, I am no angel. 

I have a lot of patience. I rarely contradict other people's opinions, in the fear that I might hurt their feelings.  I try to be sensitive enough to others' sensibilities in order not to offend them. But it's always not so easy.  Why go through all the trouble of being nice at all? Because, I don't like people saying anything bad about me behind my back.  That's how self-absorbed I am.

I try to see the best in people sometimes, but once I see that my life would be better off without you being part of it, then I would gladly part ways with you.  I can easily write a period to whatever we have once my mind decides (despite strong objections from my heart).  Because you see, I get most hurt by people I love.  And if you knew me and you've caused me more pain than happiness, then life would be much more fun and less stressful with one less person I have to worry about: you.

And if I cross you out from my Christmas List (with finality), I would have sleepless nights and nightmares about it for many days to come (and probably for all my life), but you will always be forever there - in the section reserved for "acquaintances".   Again, why?  Why make my life miserable with you in it when I can have it more fun without you?

I don't wear my heart on my sleeve. It is a very rare occasion for people to see me cry.  Except for my husband.  I often wear a mask in front of people - the happy mask, the pissed mask, the puzzled mask, the incredulous mask, the innocent mask- but rarely the sad mask.  It is one thing I reserve only for myself, my husband, or my best friend.

In short, what you see is not really me.  I am not proud of it. So be careful, I am me.

 

Why June is Important in the Philippine Judiciary

The Supreme Court Building in the 1930s
Photo credit: Mr. John T. Pilot

June is an important month for the Supreme Court because of the following events:

June 1, 2004 - The New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel took effect.

- Cayetano Arellano was appointed as the first Chief Justice in 1901.

June 2, 1989 - Proclamation 417 declared June 11 as Supreme Court Day 

June 5, 1899 - The Courts of First Instance and Justice of the Peace Courts are re-established in Manila

June 6, 2000 - Proclamation No. 322 declared June 11, 2000 to June 11, 2001 as "Centenary Year of the Supreme Court" 

June 7, 2011 - The Supreme Court upheld its decision dated November 23, 2010 which held the establishment of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) as constitutional in G.R. No. 191618 (Macalintal v. Presidential Electoral Tribunal).

- In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's proclamation of a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat shortly after the Maguindanao massacre for failure of petitioners to demonstrate that the proclamation lacked factual bases in G.R. No. 190259 (Ampatuan v. Puno)

June 11, 1901 - The Supreme Court, Courts of First Instance, and Justice of the Peace Courts were formally organized under the Judiciary Law  (Act 136).

June 11, 1978 - The Sandiganbayan was established (PD 1486).

June 11, 1978  - The Katarungang Pambarangay Law was passed (PD 1508).

June 11, 2001  - The Supreme Court celebrated its Centennial Anniversary in 2001.

source: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph

*** My sincerest gratitude to Mr. John T. Pilot for lending me his very valuable photo.  You may view his other amazing photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/.

Back to School!!!!

Getting ready to cover my son's books and notebooks

When I was still a student, one of the things I look forward to was going shopping with my family for school necessities. We'd shop around the second week of May each year to avoid the long lines in cashiers and our favorite venue was National Bookstore in Harrison Plaza.

Of course, one's school needs aren't complete without the requisite notebooks. I have always loved covering notebooks and books and when I graduated from college, I usually offered my friend/relative/kumare-in-the-future (Mukmik) to cover her notebooks.

Now that I am a mother, I relish covering my little one's books and notebooks and I am quite happy with the available materials these days that weren't available in my time: (Hindi na ganun kahirap magcover ng libro at kwaderno!)

1. Color-coded notebooks.

Hindi na kailangan ng art paper para gawing red ang cover!

A lot of schools require that notebooks are color-coordinated by subject. These notebooks are extremely handy for parents who have grade-schoolers since they no longer have to first cover the notebooks in specific colored art papers before covering them in plastic. (Diba, hindi na doble-doble ang pagbabalot)

2. Notebooks with handy information.

Handy info at the back of each notebook

I remember I chose notebooks with the multiplication and division guide, or those with the table of periodic elements, etc. My little one's school gave him notebooks with the lyrics of the "Lupang Hinirang" written at the back. Now, ain't that nice. At least the little kids will have a guide when singing of the national anthem during flag ceremony. (Hindi na sila mang-iimbento ng lyrics)



For kids and parents - para wala nang mag-iimbento ng lyrics

3. Plastic Covers that are pre-cut in various sizes and could just be slipped in notebooks or books.

Hmm... I haven't bought these yet, because I think they are too expensive. But for parents who have very little spare time, this one is really very convenient, but more expensive than the regular plastic wrappers that are bought per meter.



Sakto Diba?

I also appreciate that there are plastic covers that would fit in normal sized-testbooks (Hindi na sila super haba na para kang may hawak na curtain rod sa malayo kapag bumili ka sa bookstore). I find that this cut saves on plastic covers (hindi na masyadong maaksaya) and, it's not too hard to cut anymore. Imagine cutting a plastic cover that is the length of one meter or so (minsan tabingi na ang gupit diba, tapos pagsukat natin, bitin na pala sa isang libro; sayang!)

Oh the fun of going back to school after months of vacation (with the help of newly-developed prodcuts) ... I hope my little one enjoys this school year while learning... a lot.

By the way, I saw this logo in this notebook -

--- Tama, let's buy Pinoy products so that our children will become aware that some Filipino-made products are at par or even much better than imported products.

Happy school year everyone!!!


sMiLe!!

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