Facing my Fears

Have been plagued by fear recently and I'm not the most optimistic person.

This sharing spoke to me.

Overcome your fears by…

• Face your fears, don’t run from them ~ if you don’t confront fears you will never overcome them. It’s okay to be fearful, that is normal, but it’s not okay to let that fear control you. Recognize you are afraid then ask yourself, “How do I overcome this?”
• Failure is an event, not a person ~ remember that failure is an event it is not you! We all make mistakes in our lives, we all fail, but it doesn’t mean we are failures. Even if you do fail, pick yourself back up and try again knowing that you can always do better and learn from each experience.
• Stop thinking negative & envision the positive ~ Don’t focus on the negative things that can happen. What you think is what you become. But when you think, think positive, envision success and how you see yourself overcoming your fear and being great! What you see, is what you get!
• Practice and Preparation calms your fears ~ many times we are fearful because we are not equipped. When we practice and prepare for what we are called to do, it will calm our fears because we know that we can do it and we know how to do it. Much fear is based upon a lack of preparation.
• Prayer & Meditation ~ There is no better way to get your eyes off yourself and on to God then through prayer. It is through prayer that we realize we need help from above to do the impossible. When we pray, it calms our soul and gives us faith that we are not alone, but with the help of God.
• Go with your heart & let doing your best be your success ~ You only fail if you don’t try. If you do what is in your heart and you do your absolute best, no matter what the outcome, it’s not a failure it is a success. Knowing this, you will not be afraid to fail.

Thank you DD for Your timely reminder. Am still learning to capture my thoughts.

Sick

Just got back from my trip to Manila last Tuesday and was immediately assaulted by a mild cough and sore throat the very next morning. I thought that I am coughing and sniffling more this morning. Hopefully it won't turn into a full-blown coughing frenzy.

The trip has been a very enjoyable and eye-opening experience for me. I am still missing the sight, food, culture and shopping - not that I bought a lot. There are just so many things to look at since it was my first trip to the Philippines after all.

Will try to update my quiet blog soon with more pics from the trip. For now, here's a pic of Philippines' famous food - Lechon (roast pig).

Lechon on a pit

June 5: Laloma Street

Semester Ends

I sat for my last paper this morning and as of 11.40 a.m., my second semester has come to an end.

Can't believe how quickly times passes by.

It seems like a blur and honestly I did not do much this semester though I took three papers and there were more assignments.

I've yet to churn out my final proposal for my dissertation but I will have to work on it and send a copy to my supervisor before my much-anticipated trip to the Philippines at the end of the month.

I think I now have a clearer idea of how all the theories, concepts and principles fit in together as compared to last semester and is less anxious. However, I'm still quite unsure of the area that I want to research on.

Somehow my initial idea is not that good and I might have to cut my losses and discover a new angle or a totally new area of research.

Anyway, will be working on my research in earnest starting next week and I pray that I'll really find something I'd really love to do and enjoy the whole process.

Yet Another Birthday

Another Birthday

Firefly and Jack Daniels

It has been a consecutive three days of eating rich food with Jen. My waistline is definitely expanding!

Together with Elizabeth, Jacelyn, Monica and of course, Jenny, we celebrated Jen's birthday at the Firefly Bar & Grill at Times Square. It was also my first time setting foot at this 'new' block of shops since its opening. All these while, I had been driving past Times Square, questioning its existence because it had looked like a dead project to me.

True enough, the only signs of life here were the few eateries and pubs.

I was informed by Eliz that this establishment is well-known for its pork dishes, especially its Bourbon Back Ribs where the ribs are marinated in Jack Daniels. The rest ordered this signature dish while I opted for Pork Chop in Alfredo sauce.

Bourbon Back Ribs

Pork Chop in Alfredo Sauce

Verdict? Both dishes were delicious although I thought that the pork chop was slightly on the salty side. The best part had to be its veggies which were well-blanched and sauteed.

Eliz ordered a slice of choc moist cake for Jen, complete with a lit candle and birthday greeting written in choc sauce, which was delivered to our table by the staff.   

Cake

April 19: Firefly Bar & Grill

I'd definitely be coming back for its ribs and choc moist cake.

Ten Plates of Sushi

With Jen's sushi discount voucher, we had these at Wagamama, Star City. Unfortunately, or fortunately for our waistlines, we only had ten plates of sushi between us, which is not the norm.

Roses and Buffet

After class today, I went to order a bouquet of roses for the birthday gal, Jenny, as we were going to celebrate her big day a few days earlier. She has invited Lily and I for dinner.

The florist sprinkled some silver paper strips over the mixed-colour roses which I thought is quite a unique touch to the whole bouquet. 

Dinner was at Tivoli Cafe, Shangrila at Bandaran Berjaya and the spread was quite impressive.

And these were what I had in chronological order... :)

The most unexpected were the desserts. They were just so tasty. As someone who prefers savoury over sweetness, Tivoli's dessert spread was surprisingly good. Its puddings and cakes are well-made and texture, delightful!

Just had to go for a second helping!

Courtesy of Peter, who was also there that night, we got to taste strawberry tea from Germany. It was just lovely! The aroma of strawberry was delightful.

Not forgetting a pic of the three of us before indulging ourselves.

And what's a birthday post without the VIP? Here's a pic of the birthday gal herself with her bouquet of roses.

Birthday Gal

April 17: Tivoli Cafe

Happy birthday, kindred spirit! May God bless you.

Late Night Crush

What did I chance upon on the telly near midnight yesterday?

My favourite Korean drama's male lead, Lee Min Ki, receiving his Baeksang Award.

Lee Min Ki on the telly
March 14: Home

He is keeping longer hair. I thought he looked better with short hair.

Stigma

Am currently going crazy listening, over and over again, to one of Chuno's OST, entitled Stigma / Brand sung by Yim Jae-Beom. He has such a manly voice and though initially I didn't know what he was singing, I thought that his feelings were clearly emoted through the song. (The Youtube embedded here displays the English translation of the lyrics).

'Chuno' or The Slave Hunters is currently aired on ASTRO's 303 KBS channel every Wednesday and Thursday night at 9 p.m. Though I don't follow the series, I really like this OST (Original Sound Track) when I first heard it in January.

(Youtube uploaded by changmin510, Jan 17, 2010)