Can this quiz be right?

What Your Dreams Mean...

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Overall, you are very content in your life. Your dreams indicate that you have very conflicted feelings. You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind. You secretly want to hide your dreams from your waking mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Mere hours after posting the entry before this, I found this from blogthings. It really doesn't answer my questions nor does it give clarity to my confusion. Or should I even believe this? It does hit the spot on some areas. Hmmm...

Dream state

I mentioned in a post of mine last year that I visualize a lot. I don't think I dream but I know visualize. But lately, I am positive that I am not visualizing but dreaming. My visualizations are initiated by me. Usually before I go to sleep, I concoct this story in my mind which helps me fall asleep but lately I am in no need for those. I have been too tired that I instantly fall asleep as soon as my back hits my bed. But, for the past few days, I have been waking up totally bewildered.

It is a fact that people dream a lot in the course of their entire sleep. We remember those dreams wherein we wake up in the middle of it. That is what has been happening to me. When I wake up, I usually ask myself "what the heck was that?". Frankly, it is a big surprise to me. This has not happened to me before. Some are a little bit odd: Grecian outfits, sun that looks like a big orange ball that wont set, being chased by men with knives, etc. Some are normal: familiar places, on a vacation, attending a wedding, etc. In some instances, the details are blurry, in black & white but there are times like this morning where its is so vivid and in color. But though they have been of different scenarios, the cast of characters, if one can call it that, are pretty much the same, with one person recurring more than the others.

I don't understand why it is making me think about it this much. I guess because it has been happening almost daily which is making me not really uncomfortable but just puzzled. Dreams are sometimes manifestations of current events, wishes and desires. They are also sometimes our subconscious or unconscious way of telling us something. If that is the case, I wonder what my subconscious or unconscious is telling me.

Things that make one go "hmmm"

After my excitement about my uncle's proposal yesterday, it was eerie to find this in my inbox: My horoscope for today.

Wednesday, January 24:

You've got enough energy to power a city, so now the question is, what are you going to do with it all? Why, anything you darned well please, of course! A million things catch (and keep) your fancy these days.

It was made even more eerie by the fact that things are starting to fall into place today. My cousin was contacted by a friend of a friend who happens to live near the area that was proposed. It turned out they are fans of the said movie. Plus we may be able to get them as sponsors too.

All of our creative juices are just pouring in . The last time I felt like this was when we were planning for my Lola's 85th birthday last August. There were problems here and there but it all turned out so well in the end. I think it was a test that I had to go through if I have what it takes to make the cut. I think I did fine or more than fine plus I had my cousins support which helped a lot.

My horoscope said about "a million things catch (and keep) my fancy". Its right. Aside from really being excited about what my uncle has proposed. My cousins, sister and I want to go into event planning as well. This has always interested me but I wasn't so sure if I can do it until I got experience planning Lola's birthday and Ate Joelle telling me that "if I survived planning a family party, I can organize a party." With a morale boost like that how can a person question still? Our list of vendors is growing. So far we have 2 venues, a DJ, a flower supplier, a place to buy party things from, a baker. I am in the process of getting the contact information of the photographer and videographer that my cousin used for his wedding.

We will see what happens next. =)

So exciting!!

I just got off the phone with my uncle and I just had to shout with glee with what he proposed to me. I cannot say the details yet but it involves what was considered one of the best Filipino films for 2006. He said I would have to work. I already have a packed schedule as it is but this is one opportunity I cannot turn down. I already shouted with happiness when he mentioned the film without him asking if I would want to have an active part in marketing it. What more if he is going to give me an incentive by working on it. He even proposed to give me half of what he is going to earn. Call me crazy but I was actually about to tell him he didn't have to. Frankly, earning from it didn't even register in my mind. I just want to be part of it. But if he insists then I would gladly accept it. The proposed date and venue is making me a bit apprehensive though but I think its workable. So I hope the details are ironed out soon so I, along with some cousins can start working on it.

This and that

When I woke up today I had all the intentions of going to the gym. Stress on the "intentions". I didn't say the execution. I got my gym bag ready and all but at the last minute I decided not to go and just do my chores instead. Plus, I really didn't feel like going alone. My sister and cousin had to go somewhere. I couldn't contact my other cousin to ask if she was going. I really should go back to the gym. I stopped going when December rolled in. Too many things to do, so little time and the first that I had to sacrifice was going to the gym. Wrong choice but had to. But that is done and over with, just have to get back to it. I have to. I need to. I am starting to feel lethargic and its not helping me at all.

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The weather has been so erratic of late that I have been feeling sick. I have been sneezing and sneezing and I am always cold. I am not a fan of heaters but we have too. In fact even with the heaters turned on, I still have 3 blankets to keep me warm. The weather has been crazy. So crazy that it snowed in Malibu of all places. Snow in Malibu?! A place known for its sunny weather and beaches. It also snowed in Westwood which is right in the city. As a friend of mine said, "Al Gore must be snickering somewhere". I don't think people really paid attention when he said that global warming is getting worse and worse. Now he doesn't even need to open his mouth because I think people already get the message but the question still remains, "what do we do about it?"

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I found myself near Sprinkles Cupcakes again this week and I couldn't be happier. I just had to buy a box of 4 cupcakes. Its costly but its good. I wasn't really that blown away by my first try but I was willing to give it another chance and good thing I did. I once again ordered 4 of different flavors: red velvet, banana, carrot and coconut. My aunt and I shared them. I tasted the red velvet before but I wasn't impressed but its the most popular flavor so I was going to give it another chance and maybe this time my experience would be a positive one. Yes, it was. The frosting wasn't too sweet and the cupcake wasn't too dry. It was just right. I liked the carrot and you can tell that they used real carrots because there were actually strips of it. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting that came with it really complimented the cupcake. We still have to try the coconut. What about the banana, you may wonder. I had to save it for last. Red velvet is the most popular but wouldn't say my favorite. But the banana..WOW! I LOVED it! Its my favorite. I almost regretted sharing it with my aunt. LOL I also regret buying just one. But at least now I know the days it is featured: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I have to keep that in mind. The cupcake was just enough. Not too dry and not too moist either. I don't like moist banana cakes. This was my comment when my sister baked some banana cakes a few weeks ago. The creamy vanilla frosting was so good and went well with the cupcake. It would have been more perfect had there been walnuts in it but sigh I guess I cannot have everything.

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After numerous plans but always not pushing with it, my aunt and I are finally watching the Smuckers: StarsOnIce show today. I am really a big fan of iceskating. I don't do it but I love watching it. Its the only WinterOlympic event that I watch. Tonight I will get to see in person and perform the athletes that I have admired for a long time. Bonus is EkaterinaGordeeva and IliaKulik will be performing tonight. Though they are part of the cast, they will only be performing in select cities and Anaheim would be one of them. I really hope we have good seats. I did chose "best available seats" when I bought the tickets online. Downside is "no flash photography allowed". I am debating whether I should still bring my camera. Not to use it during the performances but who knows after. But I worry that it might delay us getting to our seats. I have seen times wherein cameras are checked in before the performance and retrieved after. I don't want to go through that hassle. But I am definitely bringing binoculars. I hope I remember where I kept it. I am so excited for tonight.

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As if my excitement couldn't get any better, tour dates for the US Tour of Bamboo and Parokya.Ni.Edgar have been released. Imagine two of the most popular and great Filipino bands in one concert. It has been dubbed as "The Ultimate Pinoy Rock Experience". Indeed it is. They will be in L.A. on March 17 at the Avalon Hollywood. If that isn't good news enough, their US tour will have two parts: March and October. I already checked my schedule. I am free that day and even if I wasn't I would make a point to make sure that I am. Good thing our monthly meeting doesn't fall on that day. Now if my cousin will be able to contact a friend of his who is one of the members of Bamboo in time it will be an even greater experience.

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There is one Korean Show that I really enjoy watching. Never mind that I am watching it without subtitles. Its called HappyTogetherFriends. (Not able to find an English website of the show.) The premise of the show is for two popular celebrities to correctly identify long-lost friends. The guests are initially behind closed doors with only pictures of them when they were younger shown to the audience. After some introductions, usually tidbits about them when they were young are revealed, they are allowed to go out to the stage. On one side of the stage is a group of people who were the guests' friends from way back. To make it more fun, random people are mixed into the group of former friends and these are people they haven't seen in ages. Most of them I think were classmates in elementary. The guests have to go up to who they think is a friend of theirs and ask the question "friends?" and and if that person is a friend he/she replies "glad to see you". Usually I think each guest has four friends each. Whoever is able to correctly identify the four friends, he or she along with the friends get to have dinner courtesy of the show to catch up on each other's lives. Keep in mind I know nil of the Korean language so I can only speculate what is going on and sometimes make up my own theories. Who knows if it is even near what is right. But I have never laughed so much in my life when I watch this show. Its funny when the guest incorrectly identifies the person as a friend and they either cant believe it or are so embarrassed. Oh if after four times that they are not able to identify a friend, the guest goes through this almost like a moving sidewalk and he/she passes through a group of people that includes the friend and random people. This group shouts out stuffs to the guests and he/she tries to identify once again which one of them is his/her friend.

I think its a good premise for a show to allow these guests to reconnect with friends they haven't seen in a long time. I don't know if I will have the same hard time as these guests experienced but we have to realize that people change whether in appearance or personality. Our friends can surprise us a whole lot especially if years has stretched between us. But since I have pretty much kept in touch with majority of my close friends, I don't need a show like this. However, I think it would still be fun to reconnect with friends that we haven't seen for a long time at all. I know I have a couple of them. But since an opportunity like this hasn't been opened to me at least I have this show to entertain me for the time being. Bonus is, one of the Korean actresses that I admire, Eugene is the new host of this show. So I really cannot wait to watch it again.

Worrying over nothing

Who was I kidding?

Vegas was cold and it was a good thing that I checked the weather before we left so I was able to make sure that I brought enough warm clothes. The drive to Vegas was surprisingly smooth. No traffic at all which allowed us to get there in 4 hours which is ideally what the whole drive is supposed to be. But since we left at 8PM, it was midnight when we got there and left with no choice but to sleep. We had an early start the next day.

My trip to Vegas this time was so much different from my previous ones. While my previous trips were more for relaxation and sans agenda, this time around its the opposite. We had a full day schedule to follow from 9AM to until we finish which was around 6PM with breaks only for lunch.

I learned a lot from the strategic planning. It is quite unique for an association of this kind to have such an activity. It makes it so professional that the officers and members are pretty much expected to be the same. I think its a good exercise so that all the officers are moving in one direction and goals are uniform. Though we didn't have a quorum since other officers had prior commitments I think we accomplished a lot as far as our plans for this year is concerned.

Part of the day's activities was a sharing of our personal motivations and organizational expectations. Even if its been a year since I was elected I still had apprehensions and anxieties whether I can do this. Don't get me wrong, I like being part of this association and I feel and believe that I have something to contribute. However, being a newbie and the youngest, I am not sure if I have a big enough voice to be heard. I expressed this during that time and I got assurance that it wont be the case. Our parliamentarian, Mano Karlo summed it well when he said that I shouldn't worry because isn't it a fact that when the "baby" cries it gets everyone's attention. That got me thinking and was a big relief to me. Oh they laughed at the fact that my emails to them have "mano" and "mana" before their names. Its a term of respect in our dialect and though it may seem like we are all equals here, my parents taught me better not to disrespect those older than I am. Its a habit that is hard to break nor do I have plans of breaking.

As secretary, I am in charge of membership and our goal now is to make use of technology to be able to reach out to more people, especially the younger ones. We have seen a surge of visits to the website and we want to use that to its full potential. In time a downloadable membership form will be available through the website.

I don't know if I am good enough representative for the younger ones but I think I was able to express our hesitations as far as having an active part in the association is concerned. I just am glad that the An Taclobanon does not only welcome this but is also appreciative of this. In fact they have been hoping for a long time now that the younger ones would take part. You seldom see this in associations that have been existing for as long as the An Taclobanon has which has been for 21 years now. There have been and still is skeptics out there. There are still negative responses and reactions out there. There are different factions out there who want to break the association apart. There have been problems here and there. It is expected especially if not everyone share the same vision and mission regardless if you come from the same place and some are only there for their self interests. It cannot be helped but the important thing is not allowing these things to break us nor succumbing to them.

At the end of the day much like me worrying over the declining temperature, my apprehensions were eased by the meeting and getting to know my fellow officers. Yes, it was cold but I came prepared so it didn't bother me.

Low of 23!!!

Weather for Las Vegas, NV

37°F Mostly Cloudy Wind: NW at 17 mph Humidity: 38%

Fri 45° | 28° Sat 41° | 23° Sun 41° | 27° Mon 45° | 29°

Oh my!

My bag is packed and I am hoping beyond hope that I packed enough warm clothes to be able to survive this weekend. I am not a big fan of cold weather having been born and raised all my life in a tropical country. Its been awhile since I have been living in SoCal and I am still not used to the cold weather that much. The temperature I think I can handle but its the wind factor that is making me a bit worried. Sure, we will be staying indoors for most of the time but still.

I am going to Vegas this weekend (leaving Friday, coming back Sunday) for the An Taclobanon Strategic Planning. Its my first time not going with relatives or with close friends. I am going with the other officers and though they are my friends as well and some are even relatives still it will be a new experience for me. I hope my brain doesn't freeze from the cold since we would be discussing and finalizing our plans for the year ahead and with almost 300 plus members whose interests we would be bringing along, its going to be a big challenge. This year is going to be challenging especially for me since this is my first time handling and being part of such a big association. My only other experience being an officer of an organization was still back in high school and that has been a long time ago. I can only do my best.

Due to my involvement with the association, my schedule for the year has been pretty much mapped out. I have meetings once a month, Sto. Nino novenas from January until June, fiesta celebration in June, camping in July, Ms. An Maglipayon event in November. On top of that we have this ongoing fundraising raffle which will end in June. These are just the major ones. We will deal with the minor ones as they come along. Phew!

I think this year would be my opportunity to venture out of my "bubble". For the past few years all my free time have been devoted to family - members, matters etc. This year, I want to go out there, go out of myself and be of actual use not only to other people but to society as a whole. Odd thing, my horoscope overview for the year actually mentioned something along these lines. Not that I let horoscope rule my life but at least its some inspiration to be hopeful for the year ahead. I realized that going outside my "box" is keeping me sane from the turmoils that plague life from time to time. It is actually giving me a sense of peace that I unknowingly have been looking for but didn't know how to achieve.

But before I could tackle on the world, I have to survive this weekend. Hopefully, Old Father Winter will be so kind and ease up a bit on the cold temperatures. Though it would be nice to see snow fall for the first time, just ease up on the wind chill and I think I will do fine. That and just come prepared to face it head on. Thick sweaters? Check. Scarves? Check. Gloves? Check. Warm jacket? Check.