I went home last May to attend my grad; it was an honor to represent the class! Here’s the link to my speech.

Update:

Saw this video - grad fireworks - from Truveo…(nandyan ako, hehe, ung nagsalita ng “dalawa” - di ko alam yan haha…)

While waiting for husband to finish his work until 9p.m. tonight, yes, he’s so workaholic and is a likely candidate to take this course (I’d likely recommend this course to him hehe), I took the second health course at the Open Learning World - the course on “Stress: Can you fight it?” - an 8-hr course, but you can take it in just a few hours depending on how fast your connection is <strike>(or more importantly, at how fast you read. I finished the course in just an hour)</strike>. Well, the truth is, some of the links in the course could not be accessed (ugh. ok, I need not be stressed on this thought *grins)., but nevertheless, it’s a great course!

Some pointers I got from the course:

• Stress comes from the French word, “distress”, meaning narrowness
• Latin word, strictus, meaning “draw tight”
• Stress is “the wear and tear of the body”
• Stress is not always harmful: “Only unmanaged stress leads to ill and the unacceptable effects.”
• The effect of strain on the body is called “strain”, which is evident on face and other parts of the body.
• In handling stress, “the choice is yours”
• Refrain from borrowing trouble from the future “long-distance worry”
• Stress leads to diseases such as high blood pressure, ulcers, asthma, skin rashes and allergies, and to stress-related diseases such as migraine, nervous breakdown, alcoholism and chemical dependency
• 70% of illness has some relation to stress
• “It is us who welcome stress in our lives”
• Offices should have stress-management programs

Sources of Stress

1. emotional disturbances
2. family responsibilities
3. social need
4. fear of change
5. chemical reactions
6. work pressures
7. rational decisions
8. phobias
9. physical workload ~ “KEEP WORKING, I’LL BE FOLLOWING YOU ~ Stress” (I wish hubby would read this! I will show him this entry.)
10. disease and pain ~ Stress has this to say, “So, I guess I’ve many good friends in your body”
11. environmental situations ~ From Stress again * “So I’m very much a part and parcel of your life. You can find me all around yourself. Isn’t it?”

Three bestfriends of Stress

• hypertension
• digestive disorder
• clinical depression

Prevent Stress

• steady emotional support from family and friends
• spiritual nourishment
• dominant positive attitudes
• healthy habits (diet and exercise)

Fight Stress!

1. Meditate
2. Healthy diet
   1. refrain from drinking tea, coffee, alcohol, just drink water (have cold shower as well)
   2. less intake of fat
   3. fresh fruits and vegetables (go for steam-cooked food)
   4. eat fiber
   5. no to sugar and salt
   6. cook food (refrain from eating out)
   7. take vitamin B
   8. monitor weight

So now it’s a must that we learn how to address STRESS. If properly managed, we can get away from Mr.stress at the onset.

Be stress-free! Enroll at this course at the OPW or at the VU. Classes at the VU will start on June 16.

I wish you success.

I’ll start with the Freedom from Migraine. The course duration is six hours, but I won’t finish the whole course tonight. I’ll just read the first few items, and resume the rest of the course tomorrow. (Update. I was able to finish the course in 15 minutes; some of the links cannot be found..)

I copied the list of foods causing migraine, and sent it to Mom.

Other courses on Health that I will take up tomorrow/soon:

Stress- Can you fight it?
Good Bye to Office Fatigue & Stress
The Concepts of Ayurveda

I don’t have much to write today. I am trying to catch some sleep, but sleep eludes me.

In 10 days, we’re going to the Philippines - ecstatic to go home and see my parents and siblings (Don is currently in Pinang, My).

A few weeks back, I was searching for some courses to study again. LOL. I thought I’d stop studying for a while after my grad school, but my brain cells won’t stop from learning for more. Glad that grad school’s over, but for some reason, I am missing the pressure.

I revisited one of my links in my simplywired’s blog. Glad that there are free sites where my brain cells can lurk first while trying to decide which course to pursue this June. I hope husband won’t know of this entry. hehe.

Soon-to-be-added to my gadgets collection; we’d buy PSP next week!

PSP is WIFI-ready, suitable for the Internet-addict-me.

Other features:

1. MP3 player (I wish there’s FM as well)
2. Games (play up to 8-10hrs)
3. Movies (watch up to 2.5hrs)

I wish it has a mini-keyboard attached to it (I can’t imagine attaching a USB keyboard or a full keyboard). Otherwise, it defeats the idea of portability.

Sony will be releasing a new version (sort of mini-laptop!) by mid-2009. I would definitely love to have this, but I can’t wait for its release. I might buy the available PSP, and then swap it with the revised version upon its release.

photo credit: qj.net

I’ve totally forgotten about buying Creative Zen upon seeing PSP last night when labs and I went strolling around Farwaniya, and last week in Salmiya. He’s having second thoughts on buying two PSPs (for each one of us) for he’s set on buying Bose Speaker. He has Bose headset, and the sound’s quality really rocks.

But I told him, he shouldn’t borrow my PSP just in case he’d choose Bose over PSP. hehe

UP Ang Galing Mo

INTRO:
C#m B A-F#m B

I.
E
Narito kami nagpupugay
E
Sa unibersidad ng aming buhay
C#m B
Ikaw pa rin ang binabalikan
C#m B
‘Di pa rin malilimutan
A F#m B
Ikaw ang UP naming mahal

II.
Salamat sa iyong mga guro
Salamat sa iyong pagtuturo
Taglay niyo ang kahusayan
Taglay niyo ang karunungan
Hinubog niyo kami sa kabutihan

REFRAIN I:
E G#m
Sandaang taon na tayo
A E
Lagi ka pa rin sa aming puso
E G#m
Kaya’t kami’y sumasaludo
A-F#m B
UP ang galing mo
A (break) E
UP ang galing mo

III.
Wala nang iba pang maihahambing
Sa talino mo’t angking galing
Daanin man sa siyensiya
High-tech man o kahit ano pa
Ikaw UP ang nangunguna

IV.
Sa iyong mga dugo ang kasaysayan
Dumaloy sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan
Sagisag ka ng kagitingan
Bandila ka ng kalayaan
Pag-asa ka ng mamamayan

REFRAIN II:
Sandaang taon na tayo
Lagi ka pa rin sa aming puso
Sandaang taon na tayo
UP ang galing mo
UP ang galing mo

(repeat INTRO 2x)

REFRAIN III:
Sandaang taon na tayo
Lagi ka pa rin sa aming puso
Sentro ka ng pagbabago
UP ang galing mo
UP ang galing mo
Sandaang taon na tayo
UP ang galing mo
UP ang galing mo

Source: ronyu.livejournal.com

When God is going to do something wonderful
He begins with difficulty
If it’s going to be something very wonderful
He begins with impossibility
Have faith and never quit!

(thanks ne and boy for sharing this quote with me. just what I need.)

When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.

Martin Luther King Jr.

asked me

a few minutes ago:

Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?