LilGautz-Joss's

Yay! We Made It!

2009-04-02T14:13:00.006+08:00

There's a reason why Filipinos should
rejoice. The Philippines topped last
saturday's 1-hour long lights-off
drive in terms of power savings. That
means more Pinoys were aware of the importance
of the effects of global warming worldwide.
And we Filipinos are mighty proud to have
much contributed to this awareness campaign.

But Earth Hour should not just be an annual
event but rather let us all continue on doing
our part in conserving energy and protecting
mother earth from the harshness and effetcs
of global industrialization in order for the
next generations to have a better world to
live in than what we have right now.

Record power savings for RP in Earth Hour 2009

For 60 minutes Saturday night (March 28), a recorded all-time high

of 650 cities switched off its lights for Earth Hour, placing

the Philippines as the top participant in the event,

an official of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said.

(Video courtesy: GMA7)

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines topped
last Saturday’s hour-long lights-off drive
in terms of power savings.

According to information posted in the website
wwf.org.ph, the Philippines saved 611 MWh of power
during the Earth Hour 20009, outshining the rest
of the world.

The website also disclosed that with
over 15 million Filipinos in 650 major cities
participating in the event last Mar. 26,
the Philippines edged out all other countries,
including Australia where the first Earth Hour
was conducted in 2007.

Greece placed second with 484 cities and towns
participating, followed by Australia By with 309.
The website indicated that the power conserved
by the Philippines during voluntary event was
estimated to be equal to that saved by shutting
down a dozen coal-fired power plants for an hour.

Earth Hour 2009's power savings was deemed
“at least 10 times more massive and effective”
compared to last year.

- By Katherine Adraneda
(Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20090331/tph-record-power-savings-rp-earth-hour20-541dfb4.html

Do you even care?

2009-04-02T00:59:00.003+08:00

Here is poem that I would like to share with everyone

especially to those who has experienced this kind of friendship …

Friendship and Hurt
by Bonnee(salma

I thought we had a good thing
this "special"friendship between you & I
why did you leave me alone online tonight
and why did you make me cry?

I called you at your home
hoping to work things out
wishing for you to explain
what this was all about.

But you wouldn't talk to me
your voice was laced with doubt
you...my new found friend
just up and shut me out.

What did I do
what was it I said
this special bond between us
is it ...already dead?

I really like you
I think you're an awesome guy
but the strain on our friendship will remain
till you tell me why....

Why you're mad at me
why did you throw me aside
do you know when you wouldn't talk with me tonight
a part of my heart died.

I treasured your friendship
I thought you did mine too
but when you turned me away..
you broke my heart into.

You told me that you liked me
so many times before
I opened up my heart to you
but you closed its door.

So if you still wanna be friends
just let me know
coz if you don't
I'll just pick up my shattered heart..and go.

I am quite sure some of you may

have had a friend with whom you

have established this kind of

attachment. A sort of bond of

special friendship but drastically

ended for some unknown reasons

you don’t quite know why…

You feel abandoned, alone, left in

darkness and anxiety.What has

happened? Have I done him wrong?

Do I deserve this kind of treatment?

Why has he left? You desperately

want to know the answers to these questions but cannot…You

then seek comfort with your other close friends, crying your heart

out and all they could tell you, “He’s not worth your time, dear.

You’re even lucky you found out earlier. It’s his loss not yours …”

So sad that things like this sometimes has to happen in a

relationship. When you thought you had found a trusted and true

friend but turned out not to be… tsk! tsk! What a waste!

But how can we tell? People do things for some reasons.

Don't they? But do you even have the courage to ask why

it is so? Some may bravely do it but others won't. I guess

they have accepted the reality of it.

Yes, friends do come into our lives and quickly go.

Some stay a while but leave footprints in our hearts

and we are never ever the same . . .

Philippine Cities Embrace Earth Hour

2009-03-28T20:21:00.009+08:00

Manila and many other Philippine cities are gearing up for Earth Hour 2009. Last year in the Philippines, millions of people switched off their lights to signal their support of this global warming

action. Manila, being the largest city, will be a big focus this year and Earth Hour continues to spread its positive message about the importance of energy saving. The Department of Energy in the Philippines is a supporter of the Earth Hour campaign.

Local businesses in Manila are contributing to Earth Hour and will be switching off their lights on the night. Thousands of people, around the Philippines, will be coming together to light a candle in support of this global warming awareness initiative.

An estimated 50 to 100 million people around the world switched off their lights for Earth Hour in 2008, and global landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Rome’s Colosseum, the Coke billboard in Times Square and Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai darkened for one hour.

In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach 1 billion people around the world in more than 1000 cities involving business, government and the community in the world’s largest global action on climate change on 28 March 2009.

In 2009, millions of people from all walks of life will join together for Earth Hour and show the world that it’s possible to take action on global warming.

Come on Philippines, join us for Earth Hour 2009, turn off your lights at 8.30pm Saturday 28 March and sign-up here at earthhour.org.

What you can do

Turning your lights off for an hour is a great start. However, there are many other things you can do to make Earth Hour 2009 a success.

Tell A Friend. Better still – tell them, your family and even your work mates. Encourage them to sign up. Email them a link to this website and mobilise even more people!

Tell Your Story. How is climate change affecting your family and your community? We want to hear how you're becoming part of the solution.

Run your own Earth Hour. Download our quick guide for how to run Earth Hour in your city or town. It's easy!

Your Earth Hour. What will you be doing at 8.30pm on Saturday March 28? We're keen to know what you have planned for Earth Hour 2009. If you'd like to share your plans with Earth Hour and the media, then please send us an email describing with as much detail as you can what you have planned to myearthhour@earthhour.org. Don't forget to include your name, where you live (City and Country), and your contact telephone number including your country code.

Blogger Tool Kit: Create a blog post about the importance of global action on climate change and how participation in Earth Hour can make a difference.

First Love . . .

2009-03-21T22:36:00.006+08:00

I decided to post a different blog today
to set another mood on my page.
Nostalgic you might say….. hmmm?
Well, here is a lovely and cute song
original by the APO Hiking Society.
Revived so many times, in different tempos
thereafter until recently made into
a movie set for last valentine… this song
is one of my faves way back my jumper clad
schooldays…hahaha! So inspired with my crush
then…Sigh! The good old days … the moments
when you feel so uneasy when you don’t
get to see him but hates it when he’s always
around? Gosh! So kilig! But I won’t tell you
whose version was it at that time, ha? No way,
Jose! LOL. Hey, we went through this same stage
one way or another, right?… well, didn’t you?
Anyway, enjoy the song as much I did before
and even now…

When I Met You - KC Concepcion

There I was an empty piece of a shell,
Just mindin' my own world;
Without even knowin' what love and life
were all about.

Then you came,
You brought me out of the shell;
You gave the world to me
And before I knew,
There I was so in love with you.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.

I love the touch of your hair
And when I look in your eyes
I just know, I know I'm on to
something good

And I'm sure my love for you will endure
Your love will light up my world;
And take all my cares away with the
aching part of me.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.

You taught me how to love,
You showed me how tomorrow and today
My life is diff'rent from the yesterday;
And you, you taught me how to love
And darling I will always cherish you
Today, tomorrow and forever.

And I'm sure when evening comes around
I know we'll be making love like never before;
My love, who could ask for more?

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.
When I met you.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.
When I met you.

A Short Story 2 : Puppies For Sale . . .

2009-03-20T00:03:00.008+08:00

"There's no charge for love . . ."
Such a touching praise . . . how cool is that!
How many people have ever made you feel
an overflowing of love . . .? One or two?
Sometimes? or never? . . . well, read on and
see what I mean . . .

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell.
He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups.
And set about nailing it to a post on the edge
of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into
the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked
down into the eyes of little boy.

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your
puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat
off the back of his neck, "These puppies come
from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment.
Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out
a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

"I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take
a look?"

"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out
a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called Out from the
doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed
by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain
link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the
dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy
noticed something else??stirring inside the
doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared,
this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it
slid Then in a somewhat awkward manner,
the little pup began hobbling toward the others,
doing its best to catch up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to
the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said,
"Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be
able to run and play with you like these other dogs
would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the
fence, reached down, and began rolling up
one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed
a steel brace running down both sides of his leg
attaching itself to a specially made shoe.
Looking back up at the farmer, he said,
"You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and
he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, farmer reached down
and picked up the little pup.Holding it carefully
handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy.
"No charge," answered the farmer,
"There's no charge for love."

Reflections on a Sunday . . .

2009-03-15T07:43:00.016+08:00

“The most endearing song I have ever come
across in my life. So enlightening and yet
so true ... When I am feeling down and so low...
alone and forgotten ...Turning to God is my
strength. Praying is my hope. Singing ismy love.
Then my faith is renewed. I stand up to fight
once again my life's battle everytime.
Thus, is my song ...”

Take Me Out Of The Dark (Acoustic Version) - Gary Valenciano

Just what is it in me?
Sometimes I just don't know
what keeps me in your love
why you never let me go
And though you're in me now
I fall and hurt you still
My Lord please show me how
to know just how you feel
'coz You have forgiven me
too many times it seems
I feel I'm not what you might
call
a worthy Christian after all
And though I love you so
temptations
finds it's way to me

Teach me to trust in You
with all of my heart
to lean not on my own
understanding
‘coz I just forget
You won't give me what I
can't bear
Take me out of the dark
My Lord
I don't wanna to be there,
no, no, no more

You never left my side
You gave Your hand to me
to hold on, oh Jesus
I'm no longer in the cold
And yet I leave You there
when I feel satisfied
I'd like to thank You
everyday
not only when I feel this
way
No, I've never known a man
who'd give His life for
sinners like me
And yet because He loves us so
He’s promised us eternity
And we can have His promise
and be His if we have faith
and just believe..

Teach me to trust in You
with all of my heart
to lean not on my own
understanding
cause I just forget
You won't give me what I
can't bear
Take me out of the dark
my Lord
‘coz I don't wanna be alone
Take me out of the dark
my Lord
I don’t wanna be there,
no..no.. My Lord

Teach me to trust in You
with all of my heart
to lean not on my own
understanding
'cause I just forget
You won’t give me what I
can't bear
Take me out of the dark,
My Lord
cause I don't wanna be alone
I don't wanna be there,
No more
May your glory be yours
right here, My Lord!

I LOVE THE WHOLE WORLD!!!...

2009-03-12T12:54:00.008+08:00

... I just love watching Discovery Channel's 2008
commercial ad. Never fails to bring out the smile
in me. Besides, I can't help singing "boom de ya da!
boom de ya da!"...over and over again!...LOL!
Don't you just love this too? It's so much fun!
Awesome!

Discovery Channel - I Love the World (with lyrics)

... I love the whole world!
and all its craziness...
boom de ya da, boom ...!

3 Stars and a Sun . . .

2009-03-11T18:43:00.009+08:00

Farewell, Francis M . . .

May your legacy still live among us.

You are truly an artist to reckon with . . .

You made us proud to be Filipinos!

Francis Magalona (October 4, 1964 - March 6, 2009), also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, and The Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. Often hailed as the "King of Pinoy Rap", he was considered a legend in the Philippine music community. With the success of his earliest albums, he was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream. He is also credited for having pioneered the merging of rap with Pinoy rock, becoming a significant influence to artists in that genre as well. He was also a television host on MTV Asia and on noontime variety television show Eat Bulaga! Magalona died seven months after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. The Philippine government has announced that Magalona will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit, for his contributions in promoting patriotism through music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Magalona
http://happybattle.multiply.com/

Kaleidoscope - Francis M. w/ Parokya Ni Edgar

Akafellas' "Kaleidoscope World" Music Video

So many faces, so many races
Different voices, different choices
Some are mad, while others laugh
Some live alone with no better half
Others grieve while others curse
And others mourn behind a big black hearse
Some are pure and some half-bred
Some are sober and some are wasted
Some are rich because of fate and
Some are poor with no food on their plate
Some stand out while others blend
Some are fat and stout while some are thin

Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most, yeah

Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin' round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world

Some are great and some are few
Others lie while some tell the truth
Some say poems and some do sing
Others sing through their guitar strings
Some know it all while some act dumb
Let the bassline strum to the bang of the drum
Some can swim while some will sink
And some will find their minds and think
Others walk while others run
You can't talk peace and have a gun
Some are hurt and start to cry
Don't ask me how don't ask me why

Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most, yeah

Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin' round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world

(Words and Music by Francis 'Kiko' Magalona)

My Prayer . . .

2009-03-09T02:04:00.017+08:00

I found this lovely and oh so touching prayer right before my eyes when I went to the Adoration Chapel at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa City . . . this prayer instantly pierced right through me because that's exactly how I felt at that moment . . . and then I poured my heart out to Him . . .

Laughline please!

2009-03-06T13:56:00.001+08:00

Just sharing a few laughs . . . enjoy!

Student 1 : "Why did the teacher wear glasses?"

Student 2 : "Because his class was so bright!"

1st Roman Soldier : "What is the time?"

2nd Roman Soldier : "XX past VII!"

Teacher : "You aren't paying attention to me. Are you having trouble hearing?"

Student : "No, Teacher. I'm having trouble listening!"

Student 3 : Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher?"

Student 4 : He couldn't control his pupils!"

Teacher 1 : "Are you good at Math?"

Student 5 : "Yes and no."

Teacher 1 : "What do you mean?"

Student 5 : "Yes, I'm no good at Math!"

Teacher 1 : "I said to draw a cow eating some grass but you've only drawn the cow?"

Student 5 : "Yes, the cow ate all the grass!"

On MoneyWise . . .

2009-03-06T11:31:00.002+08:00

Nowadays and at this time of recession, it's better to think a thousand fold where to put your hard-earned money. First thing come to mind is to deposit it in a bank but bank interests is fairly too small to earned you enough a year. People may channel to stock investments or putting up a business. But starting a new business pose so many risks. It's not as easy as many people would think that if you have enough capital you can start it right away. Putting up a business involves planning more like staging a feasibility study first before anything else. More importantly do a business that you love most to do. You got to have a strong desire to go into such a venture. If you don't, doing a business is not for you.

Aside from stock investments, realty or monetary investments, one very good option is to invest in franchising. Yes, franchising! Why would a newbie like me start a business that I may barely know how to manage? I would rather put my money and time on a franchise that is already well-established and has proven its namesake in the business. Right?

We, Filipinos, sure do love to eat. And we pride ourselves with our Filipino cuisine. So I am thinking of one day venturing into food franchising. Here's one idea, so unique and very Filipino, of a food franchise I am very well interested in . . . . binalot!

I am featuring here the humble beginnings of such a business venture . . . I hope to inspire others to make choices well thought of when making an investment.

My Money Story: Binalot Fast Food

By Rommel T. Juan

as told to Lynda C. Corpuz,

MoneySense magazine

I come from a very entrepreneurial family. My dad, Bienvenido Juan, is into automotives. My mother, Charito Tambunting Juan, has a school. Rowena, my sister, now runs our mom’s school. Raffy, my brother, is into truck manufacturing. Our youngest, Rosario, is country manager of Figaro Coffee Company in Shanghai. It’s not uncommon for us to talk business over dinner. And establishing a business is like no big deal for us.

While our mom thought us social graces and moral values, our dad taught us everything we needed to know about business. He thought us we had to work for our money, especially during school vacations when we didn’t get any allowance. And the most important thing we learned from our dad is to keep our credit clean.

My dad is very supportive, apart from supplying items for us to sell, he’s also financing our ideas. Basta babayaran namin siya. Para sa kanya, kapag uutang ka, dapat bayaran mo. He always says a businessman is always as good as his word. Once he lost his credibility, he’s gone.

Despite the lessons, I was still the late bloomer in the family. But from those lessons, I realized, I wasn’t really in for the money, I enjoyed the interaction more, so I gravitated to marketing and sales.

Finding a niche

After finishing marketing and management from De La Salle University-Manila, I worked in Toyota to learn about the automotive industry and in Honda to learn about vehicle sales. After which I rejoined our family business. Since everything was already in place when we joined, Raffy and I had to find our own place in the famil y business.

We found ourselves with a lot of free time then, and that’s when we thought of putting up our own business. We thought of food since we both love to eat. At `pag ako ang nagbenta, may kredibilidad ako – as you can see in my size. But we didn’t know how to cook. We asked our friend, Aileen Anastacio, a graduate of the Center for Culinary Arts, to cook adobo for us, eh, masarap, kaya sinali na namin siya sa pagtatayo ng Binalot noong 1996, which we first thought as delivery service to minimize our overh ead.

Binalot came from childhood memories, when my mom used to wrap our food in banana leaves as our baon when we used to go to our little farm in Cavite. With about P50,000 as capital, we were actually not serious about it. We didn’t expect it to grow. And in finding our niche, I found some difficulties when we’re starting Binalot .

For one, our family business is already established. Nagsimula ang Binalot nang ako lahat. In automotive, the customer feedback is not that instant, the reaction sometimes comes a year after they bought our products. In food, the reaction is right away – we’re as good as the last Binalot that we served. Here, we focus on operationa l excellence. Our family business is more on product excellence. The people always look at Binalot’s quality, service, and cleanliness.

Despite the difficulties, we were called the darling of the delivery industry since we were selling as much as 500 units daily to offices and condo-dwellers in Makati. Our customers love our rice-and-viand combinations, which we creatively named lik e Fiesta Adobo, Bistek Walastik, Vivo Tocino, Tapa Rap Sarap, and Pork Bongga Longganisa.

Then the economy crashed in 1997. Suddenly, our market’s gone. Our customers stopped ordering. When we followed up, we found out that the office we’re delivering got closed, or that the person who used to order from us was already gone. We we’re in the brink of closure, and we’re very realistic. “Kung mag-aabono pa tayo, sara na natin,” we thought.

Going for broke

We’re able to survive because of sheer luck and persistence. We looked for creative alternatives, which one practically fell on our lap. In May 1997, Shangri-la Plaza offered us a space in the food court. We decided to go for broke. That was our first outlet, and on our first day, we did well. We realized that’s the advantage of having a storefront, you’ll have constant sales, unlike in delivery – sometimes there are many orders, sometim es, none.

Now, our business model already shifted. Delivery is just gravy and dine in and take out are our main cash cows. With that, we gained confiden ce and we started opening company-owned stores.

We wanted to go into franchising in 1998, with our three to four outlets then, but I was still nervous. I was not that confident of our support system. In 2003, I enrolled in the Asian Institute of Management and took up Masters in Entrepreneurship. That time also, there was a very persistent franchise applicant. With the lessons from the graduate school and the persistence of that applicant who I felt has so much belief in the brand than I had that time, I began to see the whole forest, not just the trees. We decided to go for it, and so far, we’re successful for franchising grew us to 30 stores now – 24 franchised, six company-owned, with eight dine-ins (three are company-owned), and the rest are kiosks in supermarkets and storefront in food courts.
.
From there, our main expansion strategy is now franchising. We now have multi-franchising and we don’t franchise a model that we haven’t tried yet. And we’re introducing the LQ2 model – low capex, quick set-up, and quick return franchising. We will come up with small outlets, like the jolly jeep concept of food stalls in Makati, offer ing our limited line of our top-sellers.

In 2005, we loaned from Planters Development Bank (Plantersbank) to build our head office in Sun Valley, Parañaque and spruce up our commissary as well. That loan from that bank for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) helped to keep us going. Now, depending on the location, we’ve experienced 40 percent to 50 percent increase of sales from last year to this time of the year. I guess it’s because the brand is now well known. And all our supplies are local. We’re now looking for suppliers who we can partner with. It’s critical that we h ave high-quality products, and the best way for us to ensure that is to partner with suppliers.

Sharing blessings

Our mission is to be truly the Number 1 Filipino fast food in the Philippines since there’s no true Filipino fast food yet as far as we’re concerned. G usto namin `pag tinanong ka ano ang pagkaing Filipino, Binalot agad ang maiisip mo.

Our design is modern and hip but with Filipino touches, as we want to promote our culture, humor, and values. We espouse the modern Pinoy and our menu board speaks of that, we use Taglish, like in our all time pinoyvorites. I love to see that the customers are smiling while lining up to get their orders from us, since they find our menu not only appetizing, but also humorously appealing. That makes my day. With that, we’re a chieving our vision.

And to share our blessings, we started our corporate social responsibility program this January, called DAHON (Dangal at Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon). Before, we got our banana leaves from the markets. Now, we decided to get straight from the source. We trained some farmers from a Southern Luzon province to harvest, fold, and cut the leaves to our requirement.

We now have a jeepney transporting the leaves. Pagdating ng hapon, ang mga kababaihan ang nagpuputol ng mga dahon. Bago kami dumating, nagto-tong-its at nag-chi-chismisan lang sila. Ngayon, sabi nila, nagchi-chismisan pa rin sila , pero kumikita na sila.

With such, we’re aggressively improving our offerings. We’re working to endear ourselves more to the Pinoy customers. And for 11 years now, w e remain proud of how we’re wrapping ourselves with success through Binalot.

http://www.binalot.com/main

This article is from MoneySense, the country's first and only personal finance magazine. You can read more financial tips and stories at www.moneysense.com.ph.

Thought for the Day . . .

2009-03-05T22:03:00.005+08:00

I dreamed I ate a

ten-pound marshmallow,

.........and when I woke up
the pillow was gone. -Tommy Cooper

Shakespeare In Love by Layla Kaylif

2009-03-05T16:57:00.004+08:00

OMG! I am so loving this song . . . my fav song at the moment.
It's from the movie, "Shakespeare In Love" (1998). It's a romance film with a sense of humor.The story is very romantic,interesting and enjoyable.It is definetely a memorable movie. The synopsis goes...William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is on a cold streak. Not only is he writing for Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), owner of "The Rose," a theatre whose doors are about to be closed by sadistic creditors, but he's got a nasty case of writer's block. Shakespeare hasn't written a hit in years. In fact, he hasn't written much of anything recently. Thus, the Bard finds himself in quite a bind when Henslowe, desperate to stave off another round of hot-coals-to-feet application, stakes The Rose's solvency on Shakespeare's new comedy, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter." The problem is, "Romeo" is safely "locked away" in Shakespeare's head, which is to say that not a word of it is written. Meanwhile, the lovely Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an ardent theatre-goer -- scandalous for a woman of her breeding -- who especially admires Shakespeare's plays and, not incidentally, Bill himself. Alas, she's about to be sold as property into a loveless marriage by her mercenary father and shipped off to a Virginia tobacco plantation. But not before dressing up as a young man and winning the part of Romeo in the embryonic play. Shakespeare soon discovers the deception and goes along with it, using the blossoming love affair to ignite his muse. As William and Viola's romance grows in intensity and spirals towards its inevitable culmination, so, too, does the farcical comedy about Romeo and pirates transform into the timeless tragedy that is Romeo and Juliet (source : http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-synopsis/shakespeare-in-love/). Watch it and enjoy this romantic-comedy movie ... have fun!

Well, here's the song and I hope you get to sing along with it as well....enjoy!

Layla Kaylif -- Shakespeare in Love

He's fought and he's fallen
He's on his knees before he's on his feet
A sinister romantic
Oh, he's about to be and she's about to see

Teachin' torches to burn bright
She's hanging on the cheek of night
A snowy dove trooping with crows
He never saw true beauty till tonight

CHORUS:
She'll take him to the brink of deliverance
Show him that much
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
So he falls in love to feel that he's falling
She'll let him know his heart
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
That's Shakespeare in love

He's fought and he's fallen
He's on his knees before he's on his feet
A glittery romantic
Oh, he's about to be and she's about to see

His bounty's boundless like the sea
His love is endless, just as deep
The more he gives the more he has
`Cause both of them are truly infinite

CHORUS:
She'll take him to the brink of deliverance
Show him that much
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
So he falls in love to feel that he's falling
She'll let him know his heart
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
That's Shakespeare in love

That's Shakespeare in love

A sinister romantic
He's on his knees before he's on his feet

CHORUS:
She'll take him to the brink of deliverance
Show him that much
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
So he falls in love to feel that he's falling
She'll let him know his heart
Oh, don't you know it
Oh, don't you know it
That's Shakespeare in love

That's Shakespeare in love

A Short Story 1 : A Boy's Love . . .

2009-03-02T08:21:00.001+08:00

"I found a series of romance/love short stories on a website, posted by a dear friend. All compelling and oh so touching yet so heartwarming... and I want to share them with you.... "

A good reminder: "Take time to appreciate what you have now." --Dont miss reading this one . . .

On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to go to the supermarket to buy the
remaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier.

When I saw all the people there, I started to complain to my self,"It is going to take forever here and I still have so many other places to go.
Christmas really is getting more and more annoying every year.How I wish I could just lie down, go to sleep and only wake up after it..."

Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section, and there I started to curse the prices, wondering if after all kids really play with such expensive toys.

While looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5 years old, pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad. I wondered who was this doll for. Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?"

The old lady replied, "You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear."

Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I started to walk toward him and I asked him who did he want to give this doll to.
"It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her."

I replied to him that may be Santa Claus will bring it to her, after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly.

"No, Santa Claus can not bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there."

His eyes were so sad while saying this.

"My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mummy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought that she could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister."

My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket."

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me, "I also want mummy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me."

I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.I quickly reached
for my wallet and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we checked
again, just in case if you have enough money?"

"Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough."

I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it.
There was enough for the doll, and even some spare money.

The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough money."

Then he looked at me and added,
"I asked yesterday before I slept for God to
make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me."
"I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and the white rose."

"You know, my mummy loves white rose."

A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. I
finished my shopping in a totally
different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my
mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young lady and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away.I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunch of white roses and I went to the mortuary where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wish before burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place crying, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to that day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him.

Next Story . . . coming soon!

Start of Something New . . .

2009-03-01T16:53:00.000+08:00

Do you remember the song, "Start of Something New" from the HSM Soundtrack?

Well, this is how I feel like embarking on this new pace of my life, blogging....hehehe! Here it goes . . . .

"Action is the foundational key to all success."_(Pablo Picasso)

Often times we know what we want to do in a general sense, but we aren’t quite sure where to start. We sit around waiting for the right opportunity but it never comes. When you find yourself in this position DO SOMETHING. DO ANYTHING. Action is what we’re really afraid of. It’s uncomfortable and risky. It takes time and it doesn’t always work. But action is the foundational key to all success. Instead of looking for flashy new answers, take the simple ones you already have (they’re probably the best) and start taking action.You will probably make mistakes and have to start over, but by acting you build a foundation of knowledge, gain experience, and make contacts. One venture leads to another, and before you know it, that opportunity you’re dreaming of presents itself. We can’t control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success.If you sit around and wait, you will always be waiting. If you really want something "get in the game" and "start making moves."

So, no matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something!