They call me tedpen...

I know people have been posting this app in their friendster profiles for quite some time but it was just now that I have tried it myself. And must I say that I'm quite shock about what I've read. It's almost accurate, I think. I was smiling and nodding my head while reading it. What do you think?

You Are Spontaneous and Whimsical

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Apprentice no more...

Because I have a lot of free time in my hands these past few days, I’ve decided to spend it in the kitchen. I want to enhance my skills in baking and have something for my family to munch on. And who would have thought that I would have a lot of fun too, from surfing the net for recipes, to buying stuff in grocery, to baking itself, mixing, folding, beating, sifting, cutting and a whole lot more.

So I'm back in the kitchen again mastering more recipes. And the latest happens to be one of my favorites – Sans Rival. I never thought that its ingredients would just be eggs, sugar, butter and cashew for its staggering price at bakeries and cake shops. I guess its tedious preparation makes it expensive – it takes forever and a lot of effort.

At first I was not that sure about trying it out for we don’t have an electric mixer. But what the heck! If it turned out to be a disaster, guess my family will still eat it. And so I warmed up the oven and my biceps for the heavy task ahead. And it was a heavy task indeed. I beat the egg whites for almost an hour just to make them thick and creamy. But the recipe requires them to be stiff and glossy and unfortunately my muscles cannot tolerate any longer. So I decided to just settle with the thick and creamy instead of the stiff and glossy. The result – a flat Sans Rival. It doesn’t have that much crunch and bite into it. But it still tastes great though. In fact, it did not reach 24 hours for it to be consumed. Till next time! Godspeed!

The Baker's Apprentice

Because Ate Jaja is already back in the land of sand and dirhams, our kitchen is now empty. The oven’s cold and some ingredients are just stacked.

That is why I decided to try it myself – baking that is. With some of the things I learned from watching cooking shows on tv, I grabbed on the spatula and started with excitement. It is amazing how useful the World Wide Web is – there you can see recipes with step to step ways and tips on how to do and perfect it.

I’ve always loved cooking – but just recently had the courage to put on the apron after I had been an apprentice to Ate Jaja whilst she was here. And of course there’s the practical reason of lack of ingredients.

Here are a few of my courageous undertaking with the kitchen and the oven.

Smores Brownies A layer of graham crust, brownies and marshmallows My fave - Egg Pie!!!

Fortunately, all of them were successful. And I guess all of them were delightful as well. My mom even said that I should already take cooking lessons. All of them were consumed promptly and I even had a food critic in the person of CJ and fortunately I received very good reviews. Hehe! Till my next oven exposure! Godspeed!

Moving on

Now, I can move on with my life.

It’s not what you think it is. I did not have a recent break up. What I’m referring to is my career path. I took the examination that marks the end of the class. That was also the sign for me to move on. That was the point of transition – an end and a beginning. Now I can proceed fully to the next stage – without hang-ups and what ifs.

Now all I have to do is wait. But while waiting, I must make use of my time. What better way but to work and to do some training and gain some experience. I hope I’ll do well with it. I hope I can give my best and apply my remaining knowledge and skills (if there’s still) to good use. With courage and confidence, I must face this new page of my life.

But before that, I must now submit my applications and pray that I may be accepted. Godspeed!

23 @ 09

Yep, I turned 23 this year. We celebrated it at Chema’s. I had alot of fun. The place was amazing ang the food was superb. Here are some proof of our fun-filled day…

Another year added in my life but feels like nothing’s totally change. I don’t quite understand myself these past few days. I’ve been having a lot of doubts and worries about myself and life in general.

I have always been afraid of the unknown – worried that everything may not turn out well. Anxiety and worries can sometimes drive you nuts and dormant. It holds you in stagnant position and even affects your vision. I have always been an optimist – seeing the glass half full. But there are times like this that I see the opposite.

Sometimes I also feel like I cannot do anything right. Sometimes I do not pursue good plans just because I am afraid that I might fail. I’m afraid to take the leap thinking that I might fall. Even if I haven’t started a task yet, I’m already thinking about failing – that I cannot do it. My self-esteem may sometimes dwindle down.

So for the new year, I am asking God for an armor of courage and a weapon of confidence so that I can battle the obstacles that lie ahead. That I may be able to utilize all opportunities given to me and that I can face all the trials that come along. And that I may be confident enough to continue with life knowing that I can make it after all.

And just today, God talked to me. How I love it when God’s message is just so clear – as if God’s in front of me uttering those words. I went to hear mass and the gospel was about the story when some of the disciples went to the sea and their boat toppled over. And there they saw Jesus walking on the water. At first they were even afraid thinking that He was a ghost.

But God said, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid”. (Matthew 14:27)

Now I know that I mustn’t be afraid for I have God. That fear we have can lead us nowhere and that you will reach nothing if all you do is worry. It is better to have tried and fail than never have tried at all. But I know everything will be good and even great with Him. My God will never let me down. Now, I will face this life and everything that lies ahead courageously and with full of might. Godspeed!