Another Day

Its night time again, another day has passed. Time to rest and recharge for the next day. At the end of each day, sometimes I feel so tired from work that I can no longer think nor care on what’s happening around me. The sad part is the things that should matter and significant are the ones that I tend to take for granted because all my energy and focus were already spent on my job.

Lately, when I stop and look back on the day that just passed I realize that what I am looking at are the same events that have already taken place over and over again. The job that I was so excited about before eventually turned into a routine. Coupled with the politics, never ending gossips and uncalled for reactions of some of my colleagues, it’s no longer surprising that I feel so tired and disappointed.

I understand and accept that my work just makes up a portion of my life. More than my job I have my family, my friends, and the love of my life to focus on, for which I am truly grateful. I will forever be gratified that next to God, I have my love ones who give me the strength, courage and patience to face my ordeals.

Nonetheless, since I spend a greater portion of my time in the office, I cannot help but be affected. It saddens me that your job can actually shape you into a person you do not want to be in order for you to survive. I wonder why there are people who find pleasure out of the pain of others. Is it really impossible to attain success without stepping into anybody?

I remember the time when I joined a company teambuilding. There was one game wherein the objective is for the team to cross over a field full of bombs. The mechanics of the games states that a person is only allowed to step twice on the field. On the third step, the bomb will explode. Because we are all educated and intelligent individuals, we were able to cross over. The technique was to form a bridge. But to lengthen the bridge, a person will eventually have to step on the person ahead of him. And then the rest will follow.

There were several things that I realized from the game. First, the only way to achieve the goal in any organization or in life for that matter is through teamwork. No man is an island. Second, in one way or another, somebody should make sacrifice for any endeavor to succeed. Lastly, a person, whether intentionally or unintentionally will have to step into someone to get ahead. It becomes inevitable because we are being dictated by the system that is already in place. Think about it? Why does there have to be bombs in the field anyway?! These bombs are the limitations and problems that any man will have to deal with in order to survive. So what if I step into someone? The bottom line is I was able to survive the bombs.

Forgive me for ranting. Forgive me for whining. This is just me sharing my thoughts. Tomorrow is another day after all. We may have limitations and there may be systems in place that doesn’t work to our likings but that doesn’t mean that we do not have a choice. At the end of the day, what matters is what we feel after we make a certain decision. Perhaps the key is to let our conscience speak and let our values manifest on the choices that we make. Focus on priority. No regrets because to have one in the end means that even if you win in the eyes of others, you are still a failure within.

My Life as a Believer

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you should always be on guard? I do. Such emotion has been my constant companion ever since I realized that I am a Muslim living in a predominantly Catholic community.

Mind you, for a girl who has always been shy and somewhat insecure, it was not easy. It was not easy to look at the surprise and wary faces of the people when they learned that you are a Muslim and you are different. It was not easy for a 4 year old to attend a birthday party, line up in the buffet table and discover that she cannot eat the hotdogs and spaghetti because they have pork. It was not easy to eat your own food contribution in Christmas parties because you have nothing to eat. It was not easy to be ridicule just because other people find your practice odd. It was not easy to perform fasting during the month of Ramadan and expect other people with different religion to understand why we do it. It was not easy to defend your religion to people whose knowledge about it is so limited and crooked. People who think they know so much yet so little. Wherein their only basis are what they see and hear from the media, which unfortunately are discriminating to Muslims and their religion, Islam.

I have been and still am very much expose to the teachings and practices of Christianity. After all, I attended Catholic schools, my friends are mostly Catholics and some are even members of organization known to apply strict compliance to the ways of the Catholic faith. On top of that, most of my relatives are Catholics. I would say if my faith to Islam is weak, I would have converted already, for these people, my friends and relatives, are mostly good and sincere individuals.

So the ultimate question would be why do I remain a Muslim?

My father is a Muslim who is born and raised in Mindanao, the only area in the Philippines that predominantly practices the religion of Islam. My mother, on the other hand, is a born Catholic from Rizal Province. They met in college, fell in love and marry with the agreement that all my father’s children will become Muslims. At that time, mom is not yet ready to embrace Islam. Papa did not insist under the belief that there is no compulsion in Islam. It took mom six years with already four children, I being the youngest, to search for the true religion. In my mother’s quest, she joined different religious organization, which even led her to become a Born Again Christian for some time. In the end, mom found her true God, the one and only omnipotent being with the name Allah.

Unlike my mother, I am a born Muslim. From the very beginning, my parents made sure to instill to the minds of their children that they are Muslims and their religion is Islam. Naturally, we were oriented on the basic ways and practices of being one. However, from my experience, I realized that knowing is not the same with understanding especially when you are surrounded with practices and beliefs that are more widely observed in the community and are far from your own. If my mother’s challenge then was to find Islam, mine is to love Islam.

I greatly admire the values practiced by Christians and I greatly respect the beliefs of other religions. This is because this is what Islam orders Muslims to do. With Christianity, for instance, why would we not respect this religion when there is a thin line between its teachings and ours?

Let me first correct some common misconceptions about Islam in terms of belief in God;

1. Islam a.k.a Mohammadanism. NOT TRUE. Muslims only worship one God called Allah, and Prophet Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. Therefore, Mohammad is not a God, he is just a Prophet of God

2. Muslims worships the moon and the stars. NOT TRUE. The teaching of Islam say no to paganism and reiterates that there is only one God to worship and that is Allah.

3. Muslims worship pig, hence, it becomes forbidden to eat it. NOT TRUE. It is stated both in the holy Qur-an and the holy Bible that it is forbidden for a man to eat the flesh of swine primarily because it is unclean. For a better understanding, allow me to quote the verses from both holy books.

Bible: Leviticus, 11:1 -8

11:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 11:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 11:3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. 11:4 "'Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. 11:5 The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. 11:6 The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you. 11:7 The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn't chew the cud, he is unclean to you. 11:8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.

Qur-An: Al-Baqarah, 2:173

"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful" (Al-Baqara, 2:173).

To summarize, Muslims believe that there is only one God, Allah, and none has the right to be worship but him. He is the creator of the heaven and the earth and all the things, living and non-living in this great, big universe.

Now that we have established the issue on belief in God, let me now explain why I mentioned that there is a thin line between Christianity and Islam. All the holy writings, namely the Psalms of David, the Torah of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus, which are the books and the foundation of Christianity are also the same books that makes up the history of Islam.

I would like to emphasize that the only difference between Christians and Muslims is that the former stopped with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and made him God while the latter acknowledged that after Jesus there was another Prophet namely Prophet Mohammad, which is known in the Islamic world as the last Prophet of God.

In Islam, Jesus Christ, like the other messengers of God, Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Moses, Mohammad, to name a few, is a Prophet of God, to whom the same love and respect is given.

Islam as a religion is a very broad subject to discuss. I would like to consider this article as a preview on the succeeding articles that I am planning to write about my religion. With the guidance of Allah, I hope that these articles may help the non-Muslims understand the true teachings of Islam. With all the negative news being associated with Islam mainly on terrorism, I must admit that I cannot blame them if they have a bad impression about it. This is precisely the reason why I am doing this. Hoping that in the future, they will be able to see the beauty of Islam the way the "TRUE" Muslims see it.

Minds like streams maybe so broad that they are shallow. The key is to open our minds and free ourselves with what we already know in order for us to appreciate new ideas.

The End is Only the Beginning

“The end is only the beginning…”, I remember these words delivered by the high priest, Imhotep, from the famous movie The Mummy. I believe this is also the most fitting line that can best describe the series of events that took place in my life, which started on March 2007.

Over 2 years ago, I made a decision, which I considered then as very significant, life changing even. I decided to resign from my job of three years from the “world’s local bank”. Some thought that it was a drastic move given that I do not even have a ready job to replace it with but I chose not to listen. I chose not to care. I plunged into the unknown, impelled by the realization that my life is not going anywhere and will continue to do so if I do not make a move, now.

So effective 15 March 2007, I officially became a BUM (Beautiful, Unmarried and with dwindling Money). On the days that followed I begun catching up with the things that I actually would like to do but do not have the time and energy to do so like watching Korean novellas and DVDs, working out regularly, cleaning my room, sleeping around and of course surfing the internet to my hearts content.

At this point, I actually remember that I have a Friendster, imagine that. Frankly speaking, I am not really a Friendster fanatic, but since I am a BUM now, I might as well kill the time by checking my account. After visiting it ages ago, God knows when, I logged in. Thank God, I still remember the password, and there I met him, the beginning of the next chapter of my life. For purposes of anonymity, allow me to call him Cheekboy.

Cheekboy would like to be your friend, click the “approve” button if you are really friends.

Naturally, I was curious after all, I do not know anyone with the name. Besides, he seems like a decent person and it truly helps that he looks like Carlo Aquino in his picture (hehehe!). I found that we attended the same high school, so there was the connection, and that he is an engineer working in a well-known telecommunication company “connecting people”. In the end, I decided to accept him, and just like my other “friends” in Friendster who are actually more of acquaintances than friends, that’s the end of the story… so I thought.

As the days passed by, I have completely forgotten Cheekboy. Until one day, while I was checking my email, hoping that some company might have already responded to my job application, there he was again.

Cheekboy has sent you a message in Friendster.

What does he wants now, I wonder. After checking his message, I was surprised and found it refreshing to see that he actually said thank you for my having accepted his invitation. Mind you, not everybody does such courteous gesture in this time and age anymore. From then on, the wheel starts to turn.

Come tomorrow, we are going to celebrate our one year and six months as a couple. It never occurred to me that the drastic move I made would open the door to a new and much more exciting phase in my life. It might not be related to my career but it is a blessing nonetheless; a blessing I would not exchange for anything else.

Naturally, I would like to take this opportunity to say….

"I still thank God for the day I decided to resign and be a BUM for it gave me the opportunity to meet the man I am going to spend my whole life with. Happy 72nd week honey!"

The journey from the time we first met to where we are now, like any other couple, is not smooth sailing. We have lots of differences and misunderstandings to deal with. Even more so considering our long distance set up coupled with our religious beliefs! No less than a Muslim and an Opus Dei! A match made in heaven, indeed! Nonetheless, nothing is impossible with a little maturity, a dose of patience, a sprinkle of respect, a cup of trust and a whole lot of loving!

In life, there will come a time that a person has to learn to let go and move on. Expect that every action that we do have its corresponding consequences. However, let us NOT expect that these consequences will always be bad. My experience thought me that letting go of something significant in our life does not mean it is the end the world. All we have to do is keep the faith and believe that God has a grander plan for us.

When life presents you with an opportunity to change, grab it! As the saying goes, the one thing that is constant in this world is change. So embrace it. For together with change is chance. A chance for you to experience something different, may be better, may be worse, but a learning experience all the same.

A wise man once said and I quote “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” … very true, very well said …. Thanks Einstein!

A Glimpse

To start the ball rolling, let me tell you a little something about myself. I am the youngest in the family. Like any family, we have several problems, dramas and issues to contend with beyond anybody’s imagination (so much so, it’s like being in a telenovela… whew!). However, surprisingly, unlike any other family, we are very close. In this life, I realize that every person has a way of dealing with problems specially those that concerns the people they love. They may opt to stay or run away.

I personally believe that in making choices, whether to stay or run away, the decisions that we make at the specific moment is never wrong. Mainly because those are the best, we can come up with, given the time and circumstance. Only history will tell whether we made the right or wrong decisions. Here is where the power of prayers will play its role.

In the almost 5 years of my career, I have already been part of three companies in the (exciting!?) world of banking and finance. Until now, I am still deliberating and asking myself. Is this really the career for me? A wise man (I do not really have any idea who in particular, because I just heard this in our team building! ehehe!) once said that a person should find a job that he is most passionate about and make sure that he will be the best in the world at it.

Frankly speaking, I do not see myself becoming passionate and best in the world at dealing with other peoples money! Still, I have to be practical. I may not be ecstatically happy with my current position (for sure, I am not alone in this area!) but that does not mean I am going to stop searching. After all, a job should not just be something that we have to do. Considering that we are investing 8 hours, even more, or our time to it everyday, it should be a vocation, a calling. In time, minus all the limitations, I know I will find that job to which I can share my heart.

Speaking of my heart, it is currently single but taken ; ) Only time will tell what will happen in this area of my life. What I am sure about is that I am happy with the person I am with right now. Our relationship is not perfect. We acknowledge that we have many shortcomings. But it’s ok, because I know that these imperfections are what makes our love for each other relatively perfect.

I love the beach but I do not want to get dark. I crave for burgers, ice cream and chocolates, time and time again, but I do not want to gain weight. I need to work out regularly but I always have a reason not to. I want to be mean sometimes specially at work but my values get in the way. I miss bonding time with my friends but do not have the time. I smile even though I feel like hitting someone. I laugh when it is more fitting to cry. I want to go to heaven but lack the discipline to pray regularly. These are only some of the paradoxes that I have to deal with everyday; they are also the aspects in my life that makes me human. Life is no fairy tale, indeed, but it’s worth the try.

The Start of Something New

Today, I am going to do something that I have always wanted to do but just do not have the time or better yet the courage to do so. That is to express my thoughts and feelings through writing.

Other people may consider this as just a journal of someone insignificant that just want to be notice. After all, what exactly is so interesting about me that people will give their time and energy to read what I have in mind? True, but what the heck, my general reaction to these people would be “THINK WHAT YOU LIKE! In the end, it has always been and will always be a personal choice of an individual to read whatever he or she wants to read. Therefore, if YOU are reading this right now, whatever you feel afterwards, remember that you chose to read it.

One thing I know for sure, I am doing this for myself. I am aware that by doing this I am giving myself a sense of direction. A sense of happiness and fulfillment for I am putting into action what just have been a dream. Nothing is more fatiguing than an unfinished task, they say. If this is the case, imagine how fatiguing it can be not to be able to fulfill your dream.

After feeling happy and positive about myself, I know that I can also make the people around me happy. More than anything else, I wish to set that as my goal.

At this point in my life, I am very thankful that I have met a special person who believes in me. A person who is proud of me and makes me feel important. So much so that little by little I am starting to realize my worth as a person. This person is the same person who constantly encourage me to turn my dreams into reality. You know who you are, thank you. ; )