Happy New Year

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Take Pride in Being Different

A repost of something i've written about four months ago:

I was bored last night so before i went to sleep, i watched the movie Meet Dave. Although the movie was not up to my taste, however, the Dave, main character in the movie, said something before the end of the movie, “Take Pride in Being Different”. That phrase meant something to me because ever since I always considered myself, and in some people’s opinion, different.

I am different because i don’t usually go with the flow of events. This doesn’t mean that I am a rebel because i am not. I followed rules and do things that learned through the course of my life as correct. Some have described me as an idealist and arrogant because I sometimes do not conform with what some people consider as the norms of society. In short, in today’s world, i will never be “cool”.

I believe that what is right will always be right and that a wrong will never be right even if all are doing it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider myself better than anybody because of my convictions. I also don’t impose myself and my beliefs to others. Each one is unique and we all have to learn right or wrong differently, the easy way and the hard way. However, most of us will only remember the things we learned the hard way.

I remember a quote from Alice in Wonderland of which Alice and the Mad Hatter had a conversation how to accomplishing things : Alice said, “You’re quite right, Mr. Hatter, I do live in a topsy-turvy world. It seems that i have to do something wrong first, in order to learn from what not to do. And then, by not doing what I’m not supposed to do, perhaps I’ll be right. But I’d rather be right the first time, wouldn’t you?“

Before, I have wondered why I am different, do things and think differently from other people. I found out out that was different because i want to be better than what is expected of me. I am not being different to be noticed in a crowd or be labeled as “unique” by others. I just want to be me in a world full of imitations. And Dave was right, i should take pride in being different.

Pristine Waters

The pristine waters of the Villa de Mercedes swimming pool in Toril. The best looking pool I've seen so far. Quite stylish in a minimalist way. The water is ionized as compared to the chlorine-treated pool that we usually encounter. Odor-free and pleading to the eyes. A quiet haven for everyone, if you can get in.

Start Living and Stop Viewing

There's so much spectating going on that a lot of us never get around to living. Life is always walking up to us and saying, "Come on in, the living's fine." And what do we do? Back off and take its picture.

Russell Baker

Double Vision

Reflection of a Christmas tree on water

The Nightmare Before Christmas, well, After Christmas

Jack Skellington of "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
One of the few collections that we have at home.

Red Star

At last, we have seen the guiding star light our way.

Merry Christmas

Let the bright lights be a beacon of hope for everyone as
we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas.

Into the Horizon

Again, this is one of the "prenuptial" shoots that I took. I suggested this scene to the couple because it reminds me of the movies that I saw before were lovers walk into the horizon and magically disappears. It is as if it is saying "happily ever after".

View from the Top

A wonderful view of Makati City's business district from the top of their City Hall.

Tao of Pooh

To know the Way.
We go the Way;
We do the Way
The way we do
The things we do.
It's all there in front of you,
But if you try too hard to see it,
You'll only become confused.

I am me
And you are you
As you can see;
But when you do

The things that you can do,

you will find the Way,
And the Way will follow you.

Benjamin Hoff, "Tao of Pooh"

Direction

This way / That way. So many directions to consider. In some cases, the direction is clear on where we should go. It is the proper route to follow but sometimes we don't choose that path. Instead we deviate from it. With full knowledge that it could end up badly for us.

Why do we do that? Why do we make life more complicated that it is?

On experience, I have done things knowing that the outcome is negative. And i did it to try to prove that I can change the already predicted outcome. Futile in my attempts, most of the time. I have discovered that I cannot dictate the outcome of my actions. All i can do is act what I wanted to do and wait for the results. I can only do my share and let the other decide their response.

I have known of a person who who has all the choices in front of them and not choose from them. Instead, choose something that is not one of the choices presented. It is as if they want to complicate their lives. Trying so hard to become different from what they are. Worrying about the past and fearing the future and acting as if they are just enjoying the present.

It reminds me of how a person described what life is. He compared it to a card game of which we are dealt with different hands. It is up to us to get to our goal using the cards that we have. We cannot substitute our cards for another. So, accept the cards you dealt with and move on from there.

Sweethearts

This was my first attempt to take a "prenuptial pictorial" upon the request of one of my friends. It was quite difficult to me do because I have no knowledge in posing people for a photo shoot. I like to capture real emotions in my photographs so I usually take candid shots of everything. But all in all, the result of the photo shoot was good and I learned a lot of things from it.

Playing in the Sand

Here's a couple of kids playing in the sand. This was taken during one of my few visits to the beach. I remembered that I used to do that when I was a kid. Making castles and watch how sturdy they were to the the incoming days. Oh, how I missed those simple, carefree days of my childhood.

It Croaked

A sad sight for a frog, it's about to croak. : )

Lemonade Award

I got this from Sheng who happens to be my former office-mate. Thanks!

Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Giving these awards to the following great bloggers who show a lot of spirit and character:
1. edelweiza The Life of a Breadwinner
2. evilicioussecret
3. Joy-Anne From This Side
4. Lispeth Leaf in Deforest
5. wenQ True Colours

6. kittykat Amazingly Me

7. chelle chelle's diary
8. dylan The Way of the Son of the Sea
9. JP Handyman's Life
10. AnnaRhea The Train Thoughts

Enjoy the award.

Enjoying the View

Just enjoying the view.

Under the Coconut Tree

The Security Guard - always on the lookout

A Distant Reminder

This serves as a reminder for all of us not just during times of crisis but also in our daily lives.

Waiting for A Ride

In a Nutshell : Waiting for Things

Jump into life at every opportunity. Live in the now. While you are waiting for one thing to happen, do something else. If you are waiting for Hollywood to discover your prodigious talents, go take a class in basket weaving in the meantime! If your boyfriend is late in picking you up for the ball, read or organise your photo album or bake a cake until he arrives.

In doing so, you demonstrate a certain detachment from the end result.

"LETTING GO" of the situation accelerates the results.

Andrew Matthews, "Being Happy"

Follow the Bee

This is the only clear shot I could take when I tried tried the take a photograph of a bee in flight. I got dizzy trying to follow it since it was moving very fast. Made me turn my camera all over the place

Flower Series - Violet/Purple

Along Came a Lizard

I've never really been a fan of creepy crawlies like this lizard before. They give me the shivers. But they look interesting though from up close. Just not that close to me. : )

Flower Series : Red Hot

To Change, To be Happy

"Being Happy!" is the title of the book I'm currently reading. Just bought it a few days ago. I came across this book while surfing the internet and read the Happiness in a Nutshell series by Andrew Matthews. It gives advices that doesn't need to be deciphered. It's just plain, unadulterated advices that came in 2-3 short sentences. Reading those articles gave me insights on living life simply and happily.

Those advices are a delight to my ever-wondering mind. I have always prided myself in understanding or at least try to decipher some of the more challenging books and movies I have encountered. If at that point I still haven't understood the subject, I will do my research in order for me to get a hint of what it is all about. Frankly speaking, my knack for understanding is training my mind. I would burden myself with thoughts that are not are way beyond what I am trying to understand. Coming to a point in my life that I would try to predict every outcome of my actions. Never becoming spontaneous in my activities. Each act is thought out over and over again that oftentimes it brought me much pain because being a pessimist, my assumptions would always lead to heartache and/or failure before it even happened. My only consolation is that sometimes, I will still do what I already assumed is a failure. I will challenge my own assumptions and try to prove them wrong. But more often than not, I find it hard to prove my assumptions wrong. In a nutshell, I was living in the past and the future but not the present and, also, complicating the simple.

Still I have most of those qualities but I'm still struggling to change that attitude towards all that is yet to come. And using that quality of mine, I can see that I can be happy living like that. First, I must recognize that I need to change for the better. I know that this would be a struggle for me and admitting that is even harder. After reading a few pages of the book "Being Happy!", I've learned a few tips already that could somehow help me deal with myself.

That remind me of the the lines from the song Constant Change by Jose Mari Chan,

"Why couldn't we keep time from movin' on?
Hold on to all the years before this moment's gone?
Why must we live the days at such a frightening pace?

'Cause life's a constant change."

I too have to change and it's never too late to start.

Throwing Out the Labels

Whatever limitations we place upon ourselves are our responsibility. Throwing out the labels we hang on ourselves is the first step towards living the good life.

Andrew Matthews, "Being Happy"