SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW.....

It 2:07 a.m. & I am super wide awake. I took a nap before my 8:15 yoga class & did not wake up! I don’t have an alarm clock…for some reason my body (or mind) goes on auto-pilot & no matter what time I sleep, I always get up by 7:30 am. I thought I could program myself to get up 15 minutes before yoga class but apparently it failed. I guess I need to restructure some “MANual” program in my life….hahahaha!!! On the brigher side, I think I deserve the rest & now I have energy to write on my blog. I love the blog. I told my best friend couple of weeks ago how I wonder how people have enough time to write a blog…now here I am addicted to it. I guess we all have time to write a blog, we all have time to do anything, everything we want, if we put our hearts into it.

So, I turned some music & put the shuffle mode in my Itunes. The first song that played is Anne Murray’s version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I almost cried. I was happy & sad & NOSTALGIC! My sister & I used to come over Cristie’s (my longest best friend) house & watch the “betamax” again & again & again. We loved the song & we loved being scared by the “green” witch. It was one of our favorite movies (together with Care Bears, My Little Pony, ThunderCats, to name a few)…



I loved the part where everyone became friends & they traveled together so they could have their wishes granted: The Scarecrow - his brains, the Tinman - his Heart, the Lion his courage, and Dorothy - to be HOME...The BASICS of life: Knowledge to succeed, Heart to Love, and Courage to continue life’s journey even through all the failures and obstacles so we can find HOME….just love it! And I love the magical red slippers. I dreamt & wished & prayed for the red slippers for so long. Like what Glinda, the good witch told Dorothy: “If you can't find your heart's desire in your own backyard, then you never really lost it to begin with.” And I realize that it has always been my heart’s desire to travel….from the moment I was processing my passport in college, from the moment I stepped on the plane on my way to Australia, from the moment I came to America to work…I knew that it has always been my dream & desire to travel to all these magical places just like Dorothy....I promise myself I won't give up till I reach my heart's desires....

Somewhere Over The Rainbow….I love the song….it is the epitome of hopes and dreams of youthful aspiration for an ideal world of love and joy. It depicts a child’s desire for an escape from the "hopeless jumble" of this world, from the sadness of raindrops to the bright new world "over the rainbow." It expresses the childlike faith that "Heaven" will magically "open a door" to a place where "troubles melt like lemon-drops."


"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?




Last but not the least, I most especially loved the part where Glinda instructed Dorothy to "tap your heels together and repeat the words, 'There's no place like home'." She awakens in her bedroom in Kansas surrounded by family and friends and tells them of her journey. Everyone laughs and tells her it was all a bad dream. A happy Dorothy, still convinced the journey was real, hugs Toto and says "There's no place like home."



HOME……where there's FAMILY, FRIENDS, LOVE & LIFE, where there's MAGIC, where DREAMS are ALIVE, where I feel COMPLETE, where ever I may be, that is HOME for me. So, I thank you LORD, for making me feel at home always, when you are with me.

The Secret To Life....

The Secret of Life...

Take time to Think.
It is the source of Power.

Take time to Play.
It is the secret to perpetual Youth.

Take time to be Friendly.
It is the road to Happiness.

Take time to Work.
It is the price of Success.

Take time to Pray.
It is the greatest power on Earth.

Take time to Love and be Loved.
It is the way of God.

post valentine's day

My lovely niece at the beach....

Real love....just listen to a child's heart and you find real love. I read my niece's Valentine's card (I guess they have to make this in school or homework or something) to her parents and I was so touched with her explanations why she loves them: "I love you when I am sad," "I love you when I am scared," "I love you when I am bad." Simple yet profound. Indeed the simplest things in life are the most profound: a touch, a kiss, a hug, a smile, a hand to hold.....

Again, I celebrated Valentine's Day by myself -- this is the 2nd year that I did not have a date (I guess by choice, hahaha) on Valentine's & I'm proud of it! :) ....... (I just had to post the roses that my co-worker got from her husband 'cos they're beautiful.)

This is silly & a little bit embarrassing........but today is actually not ASH WEDNESDAY! I left work an hour early so I could go to yoga class and visit church afterwards. I was thinking that it has been years that I practiced Ash Wednesday, and I should try to do it this year. I got home...checked the church service schedule and thought that there was a typographical error on the bulletin...Ash Wednesday Service - 8pm, 2/21??? I was so embarrassed that I decided to hide my previous posting & deleted the "Ash Photos," but who cares....I'm posting it back because I meant everything that I wrote last night. On the brighter side, I'm happy that I was able to go to Joy's class (my good friend who just recently finished the teacher's training). I had a great practice....thanks to yoga, I think my "focus" is back. Hahahaha! In fact, I am glad that I am able to realize how blessed I am, and I do not have to wait for Ash Wednesday nor Valentine's Day to thank God for ALL His blessings in my life. Now, my next purpose is also to be a blessing to others....

Can't wait for Friday & the weekend.....Yes, I am happy it is Valentine's Day (eventhough it's not yet Ash Wednesday)....EXTREMELY HAPPY!

Valentine's Day & Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, Feb. 14...Today's Valentine's Day and also Ash Wednesday. It has been years now since I had gone to church to get my forehead marked with black ashes, and several years since I celebrated Valentine's Day...

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It is the beginning of a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection. The priest or minister offers the worshipper an instruction while applying the ashes and he would say either of the ff:

1) "Remember, man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return."
(Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.)

2) "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

3) "Repent, and hear the good news."

The first line has touched my heart the most. My bestfriend just came back from a 2-wk vacation from my country & here I am sleeping over at her house and sharing stories & updates about her trip. It is sad to hear stories of poverty & hardships but it is a fact in a Third World Country. What is more sad is the huge disparity between the rich and the poor. However, in the end, no matter what your status in life is -- we will all go back to dust.

What matters most is how we loved & lived our lives. So, today (on a very special Valentine's and Ash Wednesday), I THANK God for EVERYTHING that He has given me, most especially for LIFE & LOVE. And I PRAY that God will teach me how to TRULY love unselfishly for the less fortunates; unconditionally to my family & friends; lastly, patiently & completely for the right one that He has chosen for me.....

The teacher's training

I'm soooo excited -- my first blog in my entire life!!! I guess the help button does really come handy when you couldn't figure out how to post a photo. So, here I am browsing the bikramyoga website & the next teacher's traning will be held in Hawaii!!!! I love Hawaii (was just there a week ago) -- this is definitely one of the most AMAZING places I've ever been. I fell in love with the LAVA & pineapples & holo holo IN.& the simplicity of life...reminds me so much of my country, the Philippines...Sooooo, I am writing my FIRST blog to remind me of my dream(S)....yes, I want to be a yoga teacher. I dream of traveling all over the world & teaching in different countries. My friend recently graduated from the teacher's training and I understand how much time, discipline, perseverance, patience (& money...yep - $6,000!!) this training will entail. In the end, it's all worth it. Yoga keeps me balance in my life. Like my title, Prana is very important in yoga. It is the sum total of all latent forces, which are hidden in men, and which lie everywhere around us. Heat, light, electricity, magnetism are all the manifestations of Prana. It is related to mind; through mind, it is related to the will; through the will, it is related to the individual soul, and through this to the Supreme Being. Sometimes, in life we forget to breathe & smell the roses....Yes, I will learn how to breathe....Yes, I Love Yoga & I Love Life....and of course keeping in mind my favorite mantras "Lock Your Knees & Yes, I CAN!" :)