A Story to Live by

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear; for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.

Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who died too early on this earth.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Mahina pa rin pero pagaling na...

Linggo, ika-apat na araw ng aking pagpapahinga subalit hindi pa rin lubusang malakas. Hindi ko alam kung anung klaseng virus ang sumanib sa aking mala-maskuladong katawan (hahaha... natawa ako!). Ngunit sadyang malupit ang virus na kumapit sa katawan ko na hanggang ngayon ay dinadaing ko pa rin. Kung anu anong gamot na lang ang sinalpak sa bunganga ko para lang mapuksa ang virus na to pero sadyang malakas ang kapangyarihan ng lintik ng virus na ito. Kelan ba kita matatalo?

Sa ganitong pagkakataon, may mga namimiss ako... na-miss ko ang pag-aaruga ng aking butihing ina na siya lamang ang nag-aalaga sa t'wing ako'y magkakasakit. Napakahirap talaga! Pipilitin mo na lang bumangon at wag isipin na ika'y mahina kasi wala ka man lang masandalan o mapaglambingan sa mga ganitong pagkakataon. haaayyy! Ayoko nang pahabain pa ito baka mag-eemote na naman....

Sana'y gumaling na ako.... miss you all!


-Marco Paolo-

As sweet as

Your sweetness is like a box of almond chocolates when I taste each I feel the love of yours. - Marco Paolo-

LOVE

What is Love?

Love has many different meanings to all different types of people. It is one of the most difficult questions to ask. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is blind. You really cannot give the true meaning of love. But no matter how you define it, the most important is that you do feel love and know how to share it or show it to someone special. The deep of love cannot be measured, so do not measure or even question it because sometimes it makes your someone special hurt their feelings if asking them on how much he/she loves you.

Love is caring someone so deeply that without her/him you feel so incomplete. Your day will not complete if they are not around or without talking her/him and you feel sad if not communicating each other. You would do anything just to make them happy and to protect them. Love is like a magic that would touch your heart so deep and makes you happy if he/she is in your side in good and bad times. And of course, if you love someone always appreciate what he/she does unto you.

But love also is not always in a happy moments that both individual shared. There’s also sad moments when time comes that you and your partner had trouble, misunderstanding, fight etc. You don’t have to worry about because that is normal in a relationship. You just need to understand each other and try to be humble and always put in our mind that nobody is perfect. Through with these, the relationship that you’ve been creating will be stronger. Without fights, I guess, the relationships are poor.

A lot of trials will come in any relationship but if the two of you overcome it, I am sure the relationship will go stronger and healthier. Just be together, share the joy and sorrow, understand each other, or provide space to each other, but always be there for each other’s need.

In long distance relationship, it is impossible to create such relationship that both sides are far. But in my own belief it is possible to build a relationship even you and your partner are not together; meaning both are thousand miles away.

Trials are always present in this kind of relationship, it measured your patient. Distance, in fact, is a big challenge in any relationship. Some relationship failed because it didn’t work out and they allowed temptation to set in, destroying the relationship in the process. But if both have trust each other and have belief that they can make it by then success in relationship will follow.

*** I am ok now... Thank you people... :)

-Marco Paolo-

My Current Mood

I just want to shout out loud........


wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Just Treated Myself

It's was a memorable birthday that I may considered because a lot of friends greeted me on my birthday. I am so touched from their messages. Thanks also to my mother and Ate Annalou for greeting me. Thanks to Nidalyn (my bestfriend); finally I heard your voice again and I am hoping that we will meet soon. Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Ok. I treated myself and with me was Genyze. Enjoy the food!!! Hehehe...

-Marco Paolo-

Grazie!

(edited)

It's my BIRTHDAY!!! whew!!! I am not getting any younger.... thanks sa lahat ng bumati... thank you so much!!!

Guys, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for greeting me in advance. I really appreciate it so much. Now I can tell to myself that I am human…primate kasi ako dati… Hehehe…just kidding! Honestly, I really don’t want to tell when my birthday is. I always keep it to myself. I just don’t know how weird but that is true. I’ll always ignore people asking me about my birthday because I really don’t celebrate my day. I don’t know, siguro nasanay lang ako na walang celebration. But when I was in high school my friends insisted me to celebrate my 15th birthday and they were so lucky because they made me say YES!

My first birthday celebration was great. I was with my classmates and friends. My family was not around, I was totally alone that day but thanks to my friends because of their presence, it filled me with a lot of joy. And that was a memorable one. Though I am not with my family, my friends are always there to make me feel complete and make my day bright. Thanks for them! I miss you guys…

My second birthday celebration was last year. I celebrated my day with my officemates. We just had early dinner at Shakey's with Gen, Jun, Ver, Rey and Mommy Ritz. I miss you guys… Na-miss ko ang kulitan… Hehehe! Gen, Ver and Mommy Rits were not connected already in the company I worked.

And of course, allow me to thanks to all bloggers who greeted me in advance:

Thank you to:

DHIANZ – you’re such a sweet and nice friend. Thank you also for the advices. Thank you for understanding my mood… Hehehe!!! Thanks a lot!!! Salamat din sa effort na ginawa mo sa greeting post mo sa kin. Whew!!! Salamat talaga sis…

AMOR – salamat sa pangungulit mo at pagiging kontrabida minsan pag nag eemo ako… hahaha… joke!!! Mga lolzness mo nakakahawa… langya yan! Pero hey, thanks po sa lahat… katulad ni dhi isa ka rin sa malalapit kong kaibigan dito sa mundo ng blogsphere.

JOSHMARIE - oy… thank you sa palaging pagbisita sa aking tahanan kahit maituturing ko itong walang KWENTZ… Hehehe!!! Thank you!!!

PAPERDOLL – Salamat din sayo at hindi ka nakalimot Hehehe… kahit busy ka sa lab layp na yan… Hehehe!!!

YANAH – Salamat din sa pagbati mo… Hehehe!!! Ingat sa mga arabo… just kidding!!!

MS. DONNA – Aba! Makakalimutan ko ba ikaw… e ikaw lang naman ang bumati sa kin with my complete name… Hehehe!!! Di ba? Salamat sayo!!!

GENYZE – thank you din sayo… see you later, Gen…

LORD CM – salamat sayo dahil sa kwentong tsinelas na yan… Hehehe… pano di mo ba gawan ng murneng amor poem? Hehehe!!!

KOSA – Salamat sa tae break mo… kahit nawala na yon… Hehehe!!!

PAJAY – Prof. Nakiki-prof na rin ako noh… grab ko yon ginawa mo… ok lang? Salamat!!!

DARKHORSE – salamat din sa pagbati… sa pagbasa sa aking mga likha… Ingat parekoy!!!

RJ – Doc, salamat din sayo… ikamusta mo ko kay koala... hehehe!!!

MULONG - Salamat din sa walang sawa sa pagtambay sa aking tahanan... buti ka pa lagi tumutungga ng tea hahaha...

SALAMAT din kina: GILLBOARD, SAULKRISNA, LIONHEART, TING TING, POGING(ILO)CANO, JHOSEL, MAYYANG, CHYNG, CHRISTIAN BRYAN, MARLON, JULES, ERATO, KHULETZ, PUSANG GALA at sa lahat ng mga nasa blog roll ko hindi ko na siguro nababanggit ang mga pangalan niyo sa dami niyo… Hehehe!!! Salamat rin!!!

SALAMAT din sa mga nagmensahe sa kin sa thru text messages and email just to greet a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, namely : MITCH (my cousin), Nidalyn (my best friend), Kuya Doc Joey (my kuya kuyahan dito), POJIE (Sir, Thank you!), Kirk (my cousin) and to Raf (thank you so much...).

Malas nga lang dahil hindi ako matawagan ng mga kaibigan at kapamilya ko sapagkat nawala ang cellphone ko noong Martes ng umaga. Akala ko ibabalik ng nakapulot pero hindi pala. Nagpapasalamat pa naman ako sa nakapulot pero di na nagpaparamdam e. Haayys… anyway, hayaan ko na lang… may kapalit naman siguro yon!!! And I believe in KARMA... :)

Again, THANK YOU so much!!!

Lubos na nagpapasalamat,

-Marco Paolo-

How to make a LDR work?

It's hard enough to make local relationships work, but having miles, States, and sometimes even an ocean between you makes it even more...

STEPS

1 - Ask the important questions at the onset, to make sure you are both clear on the parameters of the relationship. Setting parameters such as naming your relationship ( dating, seeing each other, boyfriend/girlfriend, engaged)as well defining exclusive(limited to one person,) non exclusive. These can be difficult and awkward questions to ask, but will save you great heartache and misunderstanding down the line. Example: "Are you open to the possibility of relocating if the relationship should become more serious?” or "What are you looking to get out of the relationship?". Stating your end goal or ideas will allow each person to maintain what they need.

2 - Communicate in some way every day, more than once if possible. Since you won't be seeing each other, it's important to establish and maintain an emotional connection. These don't always have to be long, in-depth conversations. Tell each other about your little triumphs and tragedies. Ask for advice. Use an instant messenger program or VoIP for real-time chat, or web cams for that visual connection. E-mail is great so make sure you use it, especially if long-distance phone calls put a strain on your budget. Remember that e-mail and even instant messengers can increase the possibility of misunderstandings. Write love letters. Send small gifts or flowers for no reason. In this case, quantity is as important as quality. You may discover an advantage over others whose partner is close at hand - you don't take communication for granted!

3 - Do things together. Defy the distance. As a long distance couple, it's important to do other things together besides the usual phone call. In a long distance relationship, interaction over the phone can become dull in the long run. Incorporating other forms of interaction are important. Just think... people in short-distance relationships do not spend the majority of their time talking, but rather doing things with each other. Try to replicate this by finding things to do together such as watching a TV show or movie simultaneously. For an extensive list of more things you can do with each other (or for each other) click here: Things for LDR Couples to Do .

4 - Take advantage of the benefits a long distance relationship offers: more time with friends and/or family, no arguments over toothpaste caps, the pleasure of seeing your sweetheart again after a long absence, time to mull your options (rather than snapping at your partner impulsively) before you respond to that email s/he wrote that seemed so rude the first time you read it, etc. Most important, being far apart gives you a chance to maintain your individuality - something that can get lost in the shuffle when couples spend all their free time together.

5 - Pursue common interests, even if it means pursuing them apart. If there's a movie you're both interested in seeing, watch it individually and then call each other afterward and talk about it. Read a certain book at the same time. Stargaze while you're on the phone. Set your watches to go off at the same time every day, and synchronize your alarm with that of your partner. Make it a point to think of each other when your watch goes off, and revel in the fact that he or she is thinking about you, too. Find creative ways to bond.

6 - Avoid the temptation to be controlling. People have free will and no one can or should control another person. As long as you are both interested in being in the relationship, you will stick with it and distance will not make a difference. As soon as one of you decides the other is not a good match - or someone else is a better match - your relationship ends, whether you live 3000 miles apart, two streets over, or share the same bed with your wedding picture on the wall. You are going to have to trust each other completely if this relationship is going to work.

7 - Talk about your future together. Assuming that ultimately you'd want to live together, discussing how you're going to get to that point will help you prove to each other that the relationship is going somewhere and that your efforts and frustrations are not in vain.

8 - Know when to say good-bye. While this is tough in any relationship, this can be especially hard over long distances. When communication becomes one-sided or sparse for too long and for no apparent reason, when arguments (yes, you'll have them) become too frequent, when the whole thing just seems like more trouble than it's worth, it's time to re-evaluate the relationship. You have to remember that for a healthy relationship, no matter how far or close, you must be willing to let go.

9 - Remember: things will get better with time, and even the relationship will become better. Have hope.

10 - Visit often. Try to make the time to visit each other as often as possible or as often as your budget permits you to. A relationship cannot thrive if the only thing you have is the phone calls. You need to see each other up close and personal every chance you get. The key here is to set up some "rules" about frequency of communication and visits and stick to them, consistency can help a LDR survive.

11 - Avoid jealousy and be trusting. One of the easiest ways to destroy a perfectly healthy relationship is to poison it with jealousy and drama. When you start a long distance relationship you must be realistic of the difficulties ahead. It always helps if you go in a relationship with the idea that everyone is innocent and worth of trust until proven otherwise. Don't fall in the trap to interrogate your partner every time he/she decides to go out for a drink with people you haven't met or he/she didn't get back to you right away when you called and left a message. Just because you are in a LDR, you lives won't pause. Your partner will naturally have a social life where he/she lives and so should you. Sure it helps to have your eyes open and not be totally naive but being overly suspicious is unhealthy for you and your relationship too. You should both maintain your social activity and be happy with yourselves.

12 - Be positive. Staying positive and not focusing on the negative aspects of a LDR is essential to keeping your relationship blooming and your partner content. Being away from your sweetie is not all bad news. Use the opportunity of personal time to pursue your interests and hobbies as well as your career objectives. Another positive points it that long distance dating pushes both of you to be more creative, communicate better since you don't have "face-to-face" time and test your feelings. As long as you see the long distance relationship as a temporary state, you will keep your chin up and transmit that feeling of security and happiness to your partner too.

Long distance dating is all about a balanced relationship between partners; a relationship built on strong foundations of trust, understanding and determination to make it work. The two partners should be reasonable about their expectations and willing to cooperate so that this relationship can lead to a happy ending. If these parameters are taken care of, you have nothing to worry about.

February: Love Month

February is known as the Love Month and we celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th day of the month. Flowers, candies, chocolates, or candle light for the two... Many partners, today, are excited in the said occassion. This is their special day as lover, as couple or as partner. Some are going to have dinner with their honey, baby, or love and of course with matching candle light or singer who'll serenade them (hmmm... that's so sweet!). Some are going to watch concert of their favorite artists. And of course, some are going to take their (2nd...3rd...4th... and so on) honeymoon somewhere. Hehehe!!!

Single do celebrate also this occassion? Why not? Because this is for all you should show your love to your friends, mother, father, brothers and sisters. Why you dont' date them? Bring them to movie house, watch concert also, or dinner. Just show them how much you value their presence...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Ooppss... February is important month for Marco Paolo (ako yon...) because on the 7th day of the month I celebrate my 25th birthday. Whhhaaattt??? Yeah, it's my 25th birthday... Hehehe...

Hmmm.. so that's it for now... have a good evening to all!!!

-Marco Paolo-