Sharing my faith and my life one day at a time.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A Day of New Things!

Robert joined this golf tournament to benefit the local Hope Center and although he did not win, he got a gift card of $50 of salon services in Reaction Salon.

Reaction Salon is considered one of the best salons for cut and color in the United States. Yesterday, I decided to go for a nice, new haircut.

I asked the stylist Cherie (she was so pretty!!) to give me an emo-style haircut. Emo haircuts look something like this:


I wanted something similar but a lot softer, which I feel is more appropriate for my age. Cute di ba?

Here is my before picture:


And here is the after picture:


I love!!!!

And then when Robert and I got home, I saw this box by the door:


It was taking my breath away:


Yahooooo! It’s here!!!!!!!!!!! I love it love it love it.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

I Really Really Want to Like Barack Obama But...

I am not telling you who to vote for. If you are a citizen of the United States of America, you SHOULD exercise your responsibility (no it is not privilege) to vote and select the candidate that best represents your values and believes in the issues you feel strongest about.

Lately, I have kept myself updated with election news because I am at a stage in my life right now where this stuff fascinates me.

Why? Because there is a great chance that Robert and I will permanently move to the U.S. in a few years.

That means there is a big possibility that I will be raising my children here. That is why I am concerned on who will lead the country that I might be calling my permanent home in the future.

I want to like Barack Obama. I really really do. He seems like a nice guy. Charming and charismatic without even trying. Very likeable. Eloquent speaker. He says he loves God. I like that. My husband likes him a whole lot too.

However, he is against the very issue I feel extremely strong about. He believes abortion is ok. To say that you believe in God and what He stands for and think killing babies is ok is something that I don't personally get. It just doesn't make sense to me.

If you want to know more, please read Steve Murrell's blog.

He says it better more than I ever can.

I am not asking you to change your mind about Obama. Like what I said earlier, abortion is one of the most sensitive issues to ME and I feel extremely strong about it, so my desire for him to be the leader of the free country is non existent.

Another thing, I watched him in the Compassion Forum a couple of months ago and basically had neutral stands on issues like Biblical creation versus Darwin's evolution.

First, he said he "doesn't really know" where life really begins which explains his stand on abortion. That made me sick in the stomach.

Second, he says creation and evolution can work together and make a cohesive theory.
Are you kidding me?

Aside from the fact that we don't agree with what we believe in, what bothers me the most is his tendency to be neutral on his responses.

As a leader of the most powerful country in the world, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FIRM STAND on the issues that concern your citizens. We may not agree on all stands and opinions, but you have to have one. You need that quality to form intelligent decisions that will determine the future of the country.

Once again, if you do decide to vote for Obama, that's ok. I am just talking about why it is unlikely that I will vote for him if I had that right. The issues you feel strongly might be different from mine anyway.

But what am I trying to say here? If you are a U.S. citizen here is what I suggest you can do to prepare for the elections.

1) Know the issues you feel strongest about. Write them down. Make a list. Is it the war? Taxes? Environment? Take time to know yourself.

2) Determine among these issues which are the deal-breakers, the non-negotiables. For me it's killing babies, being too neutral. For you, it might be different. But DO ASK YOURSELF AND FIND OUT. The greatest disservice you can do to your country is voting for someone because your buddy/spouse/family likes him or worse, because it's who Oprah is voting for.

3) Go online. Research on the candidate's stand on the issues you feel strongly about. CNN online has the best summary of these issues. Educate yourself.

4) If you haven't registered, DO IT NOW. The United States has made it extremely easy and efficient for people to register, no matter where you are.

5) Pray about it. Ultimately, it's important to know who God wants to lead your country. Pray for the candidates. That they honor and glorify Him through the rest of the campaign and throughout the presidential term.

Friday, June 20, 2008

So Disappointed with Dell

It took me a long time to research, look around and decide which laptop I was going to purchase because it is a major purchase and wanted to get my money's worth.

I decided to get a Dell Inspiron 1525 because I had the option to custom-build it online and see immediately how much it would cost.

Anyway I purchased it June 1st, 2008 with a delivery date of June 12th. I am sad to say that until NOW, the laptop's status in still "in production."

Robert called Dell Customer Service hotline three times to let them know that this is unacceptable or at least do something to make up for the delay.

The customer service rep who sounded like he is outsourced from India said he cannot do anything and we have two choices: suck it up or cancel the order.

I just decided to be patient and wait for it to be delivered. Not too happy about having to suck it up but this is the only laptop I want and it took me a lot of work to customize it.

But I just thought I'd let you know just in case you are thinking of purchasing anything of Dell soon.

If you need more information, look around the web. Great product reviews but lousy customer service and fulfillment.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Kelly and Erica Got Married!

I met Kelly and Erica around the same time but during that time, they did not get the chance to meet. However, I thought that if they met, they will like each other a lot.

When her brothers Lamont and Mark got to spend more time with him during our wedding... they secretly thought they would be perfect for each other. However, I kinda let it go because they were both in different relationships at that time.

But they DID eventually meet middle of last year, decided they were perfect for each other. Kelly did not waste time and proposed to Erica New Year's Eve in Boracay.

Last June 7th, Kelly and Erica finally tied the knot! It was a happy, happy day. Had another proud moment: Robert co-officiated this wedding (his first) and I thought he did wonderfully.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Friday Night at the Movies

Robert and I decided to go on our first official date since coming to Nebraska. I have been wanting to watch McDreamy's movie "Made of Honor" and saw that it was showing in Marcus theaters in 20 Grand and Village Pointe.

First we went on a late lunch with Mama in the mall in Offutt Air Force Base. It was a new mall and it was the grand opening day.



We had some good ol' Popeyes fried chicken with biscuits.



Then we went to Grand 20 to catch the 7:40pm show time.



I completely forgot how small movie theaters are here.



I personally like smaller theaters.

The movie was cute and had some really laugh-out-loud funny moments. I am sure it got slammed by the critics but I loved it! And I am glad I have a husband who appreciates romantic comedies and laughs along with me.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Knomo Laptop Bag

I recently ordered a brand-new, custom-made laptop from Dell. Since then I have been on the lookout for a laptop bag to go with it.

Looked at a lot of bags but it was only this morning that I think I may have found the one that will make me happy everyday!

I love, love the quilted design of the Knomo laptop bag. This is the Una design which fits 15" laptops perfectly.



Ang ganda ganda! I prefer it in the navy/white combination.



The price tag is what makes me want to weep. $275! I will be seriously praying if God wants me to purchase this. I rarely splurge but this still requires serious thought.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Last Week in Manila

Have been missing in action these past several days. Robert and I are now here in Omaha, Nebraska and have been enjoying our first couple of weeks here.

More on that later. Lots to tell and pictures to share.

On our last week in Manila, we got the chance to spend time with people we love and I thought of sharing a few pictures.

Our friend James Muleta had his 17th birthday party. James is probably one of the most mature, level-headed young man we know.



We also got spend quality time with Pastor Manny and “Ninang” Joy Muleta at their home. We are grateful for who they are and how much they have prayed for us all throughout the years.



One stormy night, I had this craving for my favorite buffalo wings and chicken tenders in Flaming Wings in Katipunan Avenue. We drove out there in the midst of the strong rains because we wanted it so badly.



Yes, it tastes good as it looks. We also had Fried Oreos for dessert. A must-try!



And even though we had more than enough to eat for dinner, we had to make a stop at Cello’s and have their cheese dougnuts. Yummy!



I absolutely love my job, my co-workers and karaoke. One night, my co-workers threw me a going-away karaoke party. 3 hours of singing is the best way to unwind after a long day!



Said goodbye to the baristas of my favorite Starbucks branch (Pearl Drive).



Mom cooked my favorite Filipino meals of all time: TAPSILOG! Nothing like tapsilog made at home.



Had my last Sunday service at the church that I love so much – Victory Christian Fellowship Fort. I miss Pastor Joey Bonifacio’s messages and examples of leadership, my spiritual family, the worship, the church itself – the people!



Although I am not homesick as of the moment, I DO miss the family and friends who I love so much.

Till my next post. More about my life here in America!
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