graduation

It was Eizel's graduation today :)

D and I took lots of pictures and videos :D

Congrats to Eizel! Proud of you!

Had lunch at Little President afterwards. Then headed to the office.

Had a graduation dinner celebration at Kimpura trinoma. Lots of food :| Still full now.

I liked the coconut sherbet :D Yum!

Doing some last minute packing for tomorrow's trip.

It's going to be a four-country trip! :)

small pleasures

Went grocery shopping with Mom and Ni today.

Had dinner at the food court and shared a Wendy's Frostie.

Frostie always reminds me of the "fat free" ice cream Jughead made in one of the Archie comic stories. Same color and consistency and I believe, same sweet yummy taste. Definitely not fat free :| Hehe.

Read this on Tumblr today and it just made me smile:

"She lived on one side of the sea and was always searching for something. He lived on the other side and knew what he was looking for. One day, she decided to put on her bravest wings and fly across the ocean. At the very edge of the other side, he met her in a place called Hope. "I know you," he said, so they laughed and loved and explored and one day at dawn he asked her to spend the rest of her life with him and they got married amongst the trees, laughing."

Sweet and whimsical, don't you think?

Yahoo! Shine featured "101 small pleasures of life" today. It inspired me to come up with my own list. So here are 10 of my small pleasures.

1. Veggie hot dog in downtown Toronto

2. Sitting on our marble panda bench

3. My soft warm blanket

4. Laughter

5. Hanging out at Fully Booked with D

6. Pancakes and waffles with butter and maple syrup

7. Backyardigans (special mention to Uniqua :D )

8. Warm bagels with cream cheese

9. Phone call from a friend

10. Hugs

i heart toothless

The weary week has come and gone. I thank friends and family for cheering me on :) Special mention to Lin and D and my two beautiful sisters *hugs*

Went to watch How To Train Your Dragon on Saturday night, with my sisters and D. I originally planned on watching When in Rome (Has anyone seen it?) because of my love for Kristen Bell. But this animated dragon film looked interesting enough to catch my attention. It was a funny and relaxing and endearing film. I believe the dragon Toothless could give Hiccup, the main character, some serious competition as main lead. It's one of those movies that leave you smiling even days after you've watched it :)

The main plot is about Hiccup, the son of the chief Viking, who can't seem to fit in in the community. He's lanky and awkward and thus doesn't show any promise of being a true warrior and dragon fighter (as his dad is). His status in the community greatly changes however, when he takes care of a dragon, and not just any ordinary dragon but a night fury, the one dragon that his people have never seen nor fought. And so goes this lovely tale of how Hiccup finds his true calling with the help of his pet dragon.

***

Sunday was the Globe Run with Lin, Kristine, Vendric, Mic, Rainier, and D. This 5k seemed to be a lot shorter (and faster) than the Century one. Am I improving? :D My legs still hurt post-race though. Soreness :|

Had lunch with D's family at Circles afterwards. I got to meet cute Baby Morgan :)

Headed off to the Fort where D and I played drums at Timezone :) Great stress reliever hehe.

Had an oriental foot spa afterwards - perfect for my post-marathon feet. Got to see the barre3 studio at The Spa. I'm looking to attend a trial session in April.

***

The weekend was surprisingly relaxing. And I wasn't as harassed today so the weekend must've calmed my strained nerves :)

weary

Tiredness has sunk into my bones.
Even the upcoming weekend seems tiring.

panda bench

Our marble panda bench gives me an uncanny sense of comfort.
It could be that I feel amazed at its carved design and Mickey Mouse ears, or that it's marble slabs provide cooling comfort during summer nights, or that it adds a touch of cutesy charm to our landscaped garden.
Whatever the reason, I love sitting out there at night, after dinner, and just enjoy the cool summer breeze, gaze at the stars, and relax after a long day.
Walking in the garden reminds me of my grandfather, who would always go sit out by the round table in their garden after dinner and in the late afternoon. More often than not, he'd go out to enjoy a cup of coffee. Most of the time, when we went over to visit, he'd be by the garden, just sitting quietly and sipping coffee, or talking to my grandmother.
I love our garden best during Sunday mornings, just before the sun gets too scorching hot, and in the late afternoons, around 4 or 5 pm when the sun is just about to set and the breeze really kicks off.
There's a certain calmness that I find in the garden, a peaceful solitude that I embrace esp. after long work days.
And so, I'm thankful for that Mickey Mouse panda bench of ours, because it's allowed me to enjoy and appreciate the little oasis I have at home.

pyramid

Enjoying Charice's new single :)

Catchy pop song. And she looks like she's really enjoying herself in the video.

Reminded me of "Essence, essence." Hehe

inspiration

God gives us inspiration in the most unlikely places.
One of our clients came to the office today. He had no hands, and still he was able to write beautifully and carry his delivery out the door by himself.

I'm reading a book about choice now - The Art of Choosing.
Is resiliency an innate trait or a chosen trait?
Good news either way for me. If it isn't innate, I can always choose to be so.

quality of life

Today was tiring. It was one of those days that just zip by without you really noticing.

I think I need to add more pizzazz to my daily routine. My routine's just getting too...routine. Pun intended (>.<)

I sort of feel as if my life's reached a hump. And I haven't quite figured out how to get over the hump yet. It's as if I'm itching to do, create, manage, construct something, but I have no clear images yet. And so, I've been praying -for guidance, for strength, for direction, for confidence, for passion, for trust.

I've been thinking about quality of life lately, and how much I'm willing to sacrifice and forego for the sake of the "future." My dad seems to be a very forward thinker, in the sense that he thinks far ahead into the future. Long-term thinking, one may say. Visionary, others may say. I live too much in the present, maybe. Is that even possible, I think sometimes - living too much in the present. I just don't feel that emotionally ready to embrace living for the sake of the future.

These days, I feel stretched, perhaps a bit too thinly in some places. Being pulled here and there, never quite settling in either place. Tons of choices and here I am, where I am now. There's got to be a reason, I say. There's always a reason, isn't there? And so, I can only choose to grow where I am now. I'm still lost, in more ways than one. I have no idea where to go, how to go about things, but I trust - in myself, in the universe, in God. I trust that I'll find my direction one day.

Now, if I could only set the gears in motion...