unconquerable. . .

other people's words could also teach you resilience. and i, for one, love INVICTUS by wiliam ernest henley 

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 

on bragging. . .

i'm commenting on the link that a friend of mine posted on her fb wall. although the word "bragging" poses a negative connotation, which is synonymous to "showing off" or "being proud", in my opinion, what makes it sound unpleasant depends on how the listener feels on the success or happy story being told. do you feel a form of envy and jealousy and make you feel less of yourself? if you do, that negative vibes will be passed on the person you're talking with by labelling him or her as a "braggart". here is what i think. . .

bragging is not actually an awful thing to do. the sharing of joy and pride could only be twitched as bragging if the person being shared to a happy news of success wouldn't take it welcomly or happily. sharing stories of successes and achievements to friends and families could also mean well, only if we regard it as an inspiration or a guide to make our lives better! remember that these people who have accomplished their goals have worked hard and perhaps took some monumental steps to be successful. for most of us, we do our best to live well in our own places and if we did so, who wouldn't be so happy and proud about it? i guess for people who has the urge to share what they have achieved could speak openly but carefully. share it with a grateful heart and exude a sense of inspiration towards others. we do our best to carry on with God in our lives. but don't forget as well that we live with a community of people. hope this helps at some point! have a nice life everyone!

sssshhhh....

when i'm bored i think i am tired of my surroundings but i am really tired of my thoughts. it is trite, repetitious, unobserved thinking that is producing the discontent. adopting a quiet awareness, a kind of listening attitude, usually freshens my mind and brings the situation i am in to life.   

boredom

when i'm bored i think i am tired of my surroundings but i am really tired of my thoughts. it is trite, repetitious, unobserved thinking that is producing the discontent. adopting a quiet awareness, a kind of listening attitude, usually freshens my mind and brings the situation i am in to life.   

(echoing hugh prather)

humility. . .

when gabby concepcion returned to manila years ago he was asked of his life experiences during his stay in the US. he said it's been very humbling to live and work in america. i seconded him on that because i felt the same way when i migrated in canada to build my life, family and career. i met the first face of humility in victoria university during my very crucial first day at work through welcoming handshakes and gestures from my colleagues who, until now, remains humble and grounded. it's a breath of fresh air to be around people who are not enamored of their position, power and ideas. the humble experiences i go through is the thing i would like to pass on to my children and to the people i meet everyday. i won't elaborate the virtue of humility here as i continue to be cognizant about it. in the real sense though, humility is the way to achieve wisdom, perseverance, blessing and successful relationships. we all reek with pride, and so "humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God." (1 Peter 5:6).

agree, disagree

whenever i find myself arguing for something with great passion, i can be certain i'm not convinced. i find it almost impossible to make a strong declarative statement in conversation without feeling little nagging doubts and reservations. "i agree" and "i disagree" are impossible states of mind. no two people can think exactly alike or anthithetically. sometimes i say "i agree", because i want to avoid an encounter; sometimes i just want to get the other person to shut up. i usually say "i disagree," when i want to exhibit myself. there is an important difference between telling a person how i experience him and adding arguments to support the correctness of my view. my feelings about another do not require a case. i don't notice them deductively. 
(echoing h. prather) 

celebrating women. . .

again we’re in celebration of the day when crucial steps towards gender equality were made. this year international women's day marks 100 years since it’s first March 19, 1911 in austria, denmark, germany and switzerland. the decision t...o observe this day happened in 1910 at the second international conference of working women held in copenhagen where it was proposed that every year in every country to celebrate and to press for various demands made by women. being a feminist, i’d would always mark the day by sharing titles from my archives which might give you answers to some perinnial questions about gender equality. happy reading and happy women’s day!



ain't i a woman- the book is about intersectionality and the manner racism and sexism correlates and interacts. the book was written from a more scholarly and historical perspective.

singled out - talks about the lives of women during world war 2 and n deals with the generation of unmarried women that followed world war 1.

singled out - talks about the lives of women during world war 2 and n deals with the generation of unmarried women that followed world war 1.

one of the most beautiful sunrises we've ever seen. . .

one of the most beautiful sunrises we've ever seen. . .

cai's sun! she noticed the glowing orange disc this morning, january 19, 2012 at 7:53 am, while dressing up for school from my bedroom window. she blurted out "mommy sunset!" i said "sunrise!" to correct her. the sun's glorious display in the east was so beautiful that we couldn't let it disappear without taking a photo. neil took a photo of it from her DSi and i did mine too. a mixture of yellow and orange was so beautiful when the sun peeked over the horizon. with the light of the sun coloring the clouds the sky had turned in pinkish hue. as the sun slowly ascended, the sky in the west became a deep neon blue as the light reached further out. God surely showed himself to us this morning. :-))