A Very Special Poem

I just got back here in Manila from the province this morning and I'm still kinda tired because I went out with some friends in the afternoon so I'm not really in the mood to blog. But then, I just thought of sharing a particular poem that a very special friend also shared to me not so long ago, instead of forcing my neurons to work in writing a good blog. Hehe. I can actually fall asleep any moment as I'm writing this sentence. hahaha!

So this is a famous romantic poem on love by Pablo Neruda. Enjoy!

SONATA XVII

Pablo Neruda

I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz

or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:

I love you as certain dark things are loved,

secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries

hidden within itself the light of those flowers,

and thanks to your love, darkly in my body

lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,

I love you simply, without problems or pride:

I love you in this way because I dont know any other way of loving

but this, in which there is no I or you,

so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,

so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

I especially love the last stanza. :) I hope you enjoyed, no I hope you got inspired after reading this! :D Hmm..... there's actually a strong typhoon right now on the northern part of the country. I heard it really is stronger than the other strong typhoons that hit the country. I'm pretty nervous right now since my family's in that region. Hopefully it'll exit the country without any mass casualty.

See? My thoughts are all mixed up already. I seriously need to get some sleep. hehe. Ciao!

Pain IS Beautiful

Having a facial can be one of the most painful things a girl has to experience in order to maintain a nice, smooth skin and stay pretty. I just had one recently and to tell you frankly, though this was not the first time I had a facial, the pain was excruciatingly nauseating. Ugh. I can't believe I had that for three times already.

As I lay there on the bed while my face was being pricked mercilessly, I thought to myself, "Why on earth do I allow myself to experience this???" Haha! Tears kept coming out from my nasolacrimal sacs uncontrollably as I deal with the pain of the whole process. There and then I kept thinking that pain was indeed part of becoming beautiful, concretely and abstractly speaking.

The pricking part was very painful. Gaaaah! I can feel it deep through my bones! But it's purpose was to get rid of the impurities that can't be removed by simply washing the face with those cleansers sold commercially. I let myself experience the pain because I wanted to become aesthetically pure or pleasing. I know that after this uncomfortable situation, my face would be smoother and cleaner.

Like having a facial, getting rid of bad habits and negative stuff inside of us can be very painful and the process is more than unpleasing. But pain is only transient, it would pass away and what would really matter is the result and what becomes of a person after undergoing such moments. Indeed, there is a reason to fret when we are in pain, but it doesn't mean that we have to end there. We just have to be reminded that we need only to be still and strong until finally when the pain is all over, we see the beauty of the whole process.

I believe that beauty can spring forth from almost every kind of painful experience. There would be some who would disagree, but as they say "beauty lies from the eye of the beholder". An abstract painting, for example, can look and mean a dozen different things, depending on the angle from which it is viewed. In the same way, the pain of loss can also become beautiful when after losing something or even someone, we become stronger and more appreciative of this life, if only we view it at that way.

"We need pain to remind us of our vulnerability and make us constantly alert and aware of the beauty of the world around us, but we also need its end because the resolution is part of the aesthetic experience."

- Rachel Usala

P.S. As for the facial, I'm not sure if I'd ever want one again. But who knows? Still, there is beauty from pain. *wink*

The Drama Craze

I know it's been quite a while since my last post here. Ever since I got into a craze on a particular Korean drama entitled Playful Kiss, I've only went online just to witness every turn of events in the life of Oh Ha Ni, the female lead. I'm actually downloading the parts of episode 14 as I'm writing this blog. Haha! It's currently being aired so I still have to wait like 'til next week before I'd be able to finish the whole thing. Well, you could say that I'm really hooked to it that even most of my recent tweets would be about it.

What's so unique about this koreanovela? Well, if you ask me, the theme is quite the same with the other Kseries I've been able to watch so far - girl likes a guy, guy doesn't like girl, girl becomes part of guy's life and eventually guy likes girl. If you've watched the series, It All Started With A Kiss, the story's pretty much like it except that the latter's the Taiwanese version. I think the Korean version's better though. :p

Then why is it the fancy of many? Well, maybe because love stories like these are near to every girl's heart. I, for one, had my own visions, ideals or dreams of love when I was younger. I think it's part of every teenage life and of human nature. Besides, just the face of the male lead, Kim Hyun Joong, is enough to get the attention of many girls. (^^,) And he's looking a lot better now than when I last saw him in Boys Over Flowers. :)

I know that the story's plot can be a bit unrealistic but what the heck? I'm in love with it and it sure is bringing lots of entertainment to people worldwide. I like the feeling of being inspired, those moments filled with "kilig", that feeling of laughing and crying with the characters and the times when I just can't get enough. Hehe. I really can be childish and sentimental a lot of times, but hey! Who says I can't? I believe it's my freedom to enjoy stuff like these, especially on a typically boring school break. Hahaha! Well then, off to watch Ep14! love, love, love.

Oh Ha Ni & Baek Seung Jo on their way to school :)

On Growing Young

They say that little children eventually outgrow their appetite for petty and silly things like cartoons and the playground. They say that as we become adults, we become more cerebral in our thinking processes and with regards to the things that we become interested in. They say that one of the major differences between an adult and a child is that a child knows how to appreciate little things that an adult will regard as nonsense.

Well, if these things may be true, then I refuse to grow old. I refuse to narrow down my perspective on the things that really matter, because sometimes, small things can be the most important things in our lives. I refuse to be sucked up in the vacuum of dull and boring days when I can keep on becoming curious like how a child is who's always wanting for fun and adventure. Most importantly, I refuse to give up my sincere liking for cartoons and animated shows. Haha! I kid on the 'most important' part.

Thankfully, I've resolved to grow young despite the difficulties and challenges of the adult life. Years may be added unto me but my heart will always want to stay like that of a child. And hopefully I could continue learning from the youngsters how I'd be able to live life in awestruck wonder of the grandiosity God has given it. I remember what Jesus has said in the Bible, that "if we do not become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven." And I wholeheartedly believe, he's right.

Battling the Muffin Tops

It's been about 4 days since I've started committing to an exercise routine and a new diet. I've been sort of running and doing abdominal crunches every morning that I can. I'm a person who loves eating, but then I've kinda resolved to lessen my appetite for carbs especially rice. Hmm. The reason for such a seemingly healthy outbreak in my lifestyle? Well, first it's definitely NOT because I'm fat. In fact, most people would regard me as slim. It's just that I became so comfortable being slim that I kinda forgot that I'm getting older and that my metabolism's not as fast as when I was younger. Eating too much was not a problem for me THEN. Hehe.

And so, after finding out that I'm starting to have those unsightly muffin tops or love handles or whatever you might want to call them, I panicked! Hahaha! I started noticing them more when I started medical school but I didn't really pay attention to them because I felt "thin". I can get very conceited and self-reassuring, I know. But sooner or later I finally came to face the horror of the truth that I'm carrying. (disgusting)

I was shopping with my 2 friends last week. Normally any shirt or blouse would fit me perfectly when I try it on. But nuh-uh, not this time. To my shock and dismay, I saw small mounds of fat bulging from my lower abdominal region when I tried a body-hugging blouse on and it was nearly heartbreaking. (gaaah!) From that day on, I knew what I had to do and that I had to do it.

So here I am, suddenly becoming a health and wellness buff. Every morning, I try to discipline myself and really commit to this new consciousness that I'm trying on. Then I realized that it's not only because I want to look good and all. Of course, that's all part of it but then there's a lot more to the package than looking good. It's also about "feeling" good about myself, about becoming aware of my body, about being healthy and fit. And I feel very happy about what I'm doing. I want this to become a personal habit and not merely a fleeting gusto. I don't wanna wait 'til I'm old and my knees are weak and I get tired too easily. As the old dictum goes, "Don't wait for tomorrow, if you can do it NOW."

Hopefully, I'll be filling this blog with updates about my battle with the muffin tops. Haha! Stay tuned! :)

On living and existing.

I would like to be a flower which blooms to full glory and dies than be a tree that never blossoms. I would like to be a spark which burns with a brilliant blaze for a moment, than be a light which cannot show path to anyone. I would like to be a superb meteor which carries a magnificent glow, than be a sleepy and permanent planet. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them, I shall use my time.

I am born to LIVE. Not to exist.

-Anonymous