Forests and Trees: In My Lens
By ax, bulldozer, chainsaw and fire, the world trees are falling- much faster than man’s efforts for tree planting. Although government battles to practice and regulate selective logging and reforesting, but still illegal loggers rape the forest and our trees that has been all part of our history and existence.
The Philippines was once covered with tropical rainforests and home of giant trees. In Bukidnon, Mindanao, forests of pine trees make a veritable cathedral of wilderness, where all sounds are muted, where man stands humbly before nature.
Fortunately, whenever I go for vacation in the mountainside, I can still appreciate the mountainous ends of Bukidnon - still with preserved rain forests. I love the vast green landscape of the hills and valleys beside the road, though some have lost the extensive stand of trees – but still a beauty to behold. The blending of the green forests and blue skies displays a wonder on every glimpse of the scenery.
In Misamis Oriental, specifically in the district of Initao, a national park has been protected for centuries at the foot of Kitanglad Mountain Range along the Iligan-Cagayan de Oro road. Recently, this has been preserved still as a forest park, however, with some tourist attractions, thus now named as "Lasang" (a Cebuano word for forest) Adventure Park. Tourist can now enjoy hiking, caving, and zipline adventure. There are also campsites and picnic areas, of course waste disposal is a strict compliance.
This is the national highway of Iligan-Cagayan de Oro, and in both sides are the thick forest of Initao Forest Park extending over to the rocky coastline. Thus, it always captures attention to travelers and locals of the province while traveling.
Today, poverty forces some rural people and farmers to cut sections of the forest for agriculture. Land haphazardly cleared for farms and grazing – usually a national excuse for deforestation. Commercial forces are also at work undeniably to sustain livelihood, like planting crops and selling firewood, which is the principal fuel for almost all rural dwellers. The Philippines were blessed with so much dense rainforest before that many Filipinos thought it was inexhaustible. Trees were exploited, forests were depleted and hills went bald after a turn of century on exporting hardwood leading to the corrupt issue of illegal logging.
The challenge, however, is not just to plant trees; but also to stop most causes of deforestation- fuel, farmland and fodder, and the worst of all illegal logging. I think we have enough lands to till for the farmers, for the buildings and residences. We still need wilderness to release our tensions from a busy and stressful life. The kids should have the opportunity to fill their hearts with affection for the mysteries of the forests and nature.
For @JonicaBradley Writing Prompt: Nature
More of the author's Photography Series:
Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk: In My Lens https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/scott-kelby-worldwide-photowalk-in-my-lens-74a5a707
Diyandi Festival: In My Lens https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/diyandi-festival-in-my-lens-8466833a
The Seaside: In My Lens https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/the-seaside-in-my-lens-1d5d6dd5
Sunsets: In My Lens https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/sunsets-in-my-lens-74097352
Photos are all MINE
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Never Never Never
I think I was tagged by someone to write about this challenge Never Have I Ever Questions few days ago, but then at the back of mind "never, never, never" lol! Just kidding! The truth is I always forget making one. But tonight I am struggling what to write, I have started a paragraph about nature, but the ideas won't come upon me. Sigh. Earlier I was tagged by @Momentswithmatti with the same challenge so okay let's do it.
**Never have I ever covered a wall with crayons when I was little.**
I bet I am guilty of this pretty annoying crime in our childhood. I admit it's really annoying because now I often got mad when my nephew wrote stuffs on our wall. Obviously, I won't be able to remember anything anymore because this was so long long time ago. However, when I was in middle school, I happened to notice some writings of red crayons in the wall at the back of the cabinet in our living room. I asked my mom who did it and she said that I did. So, yes, I left traces of my crime when I was little, thus I am guilty. But we are five siblings, so that won't be entirely me, lol!
**Never have I ever had popcorn at the movie theater.**
I always have popcorn watching a movie in the theater and at home. In the theater, I have the cheese flavored, at home, I like the Goldilocks Caramel and if I can't get one because their shop is not accessible for me, I would opt for the Oishi Caramel Popcorn in the grocery. Cooking it? Never.
**Never have I ever dressed up as the opposite sex.**
I did. In my elementary days, I attended a school exclusively for girls. I remember, perhaps I was in Grade 5 when we had a play about wild wild west lol! I played as a cowboy together with 7 other girls, and we were wearing jeans, a checkered long sleeves polo shirt and boots, of course the cowboy hat made the look so boyish. I even got mad to my mom before that because she brought me to the barber shop to cut my hair short- boys cut. Not fun, I cried!
**Never have I ever accidentally forgot to take the price tag off a piece of clothing I wore.**
Never, in an obvious manner, lol! But, I did in a concealed way. We were having a Christmas party that time and I'm desperate what to wear, that's why I hate going to corporate parties, especially if thematic because I'm not so creative in picking up what to wear and would procrastinate in thinking and planning an outfit. I ended going for a quick last minute shopping and rushed back to the hospital to change and do some retouches. The party was at a garden venue beside our workplace so, everything can be done in a jiffy. At the venue, when I went to the bathroom to pee, I then noticed that I forgot to remove the price tag on my skirt, good thing that it was hidden inside and not hanging outside, gosh! That would be very embarrassing.
**Never have I ever participated in a school prank.**
Never. I don't like to be a victim of pranks, and make myself miserably stupid, so never have I ever participated in anything like it. I believe that what we do to others will come back to us two folds so NO. I have seen quite a number of unbelievable pranks on Facebook and I can't believe that kids should be doing that even if it causes harm to their friends. Just insane!
**Never have I ever listened to country music.**
I love some country music, I'm a fan, so I am listening to some of those. I'm a Swiftie, actually. I like Taylor Swift country songs from the Fearless album, up until now with the Folklore. When she shifted to pop few years back, I haven't been a fan anymore, I can only appreciate her writing country I guess.
Since I like music, the next question would be related to it, lol!
**Never have I ever watched the Grammy Awards.**
I've been watching sometimes, not annually though. But of course I watched the recent Grammy Awards when Taylor won the Album of the Year for Folklore.
**Never have I ever been to a concert.**
I've been to a concert once and that was Jaya "the soul diva" lol! Not really a fan of hers, but I like the quality of her voice and some of her songs. That time I was on vacation in Bataan and my cousins were going to watch and they bought tickets for me too for free so yes I got tagged along and I did enjoy. Well, the best things in life are free, as they say.
**Never have I ever created a YouTube video.**
Never. Though I always love the thought of making one, two, three or more, and even dream to make it big and perhaps make it to have an Adsense account. Wow! Anyway, I'm camera shy so I don't think I can do that. But who knows, I can see faceless videos on YouTube making waves! Well, if I do, you guys will be the first to know, lol!
**Never have I ever watched a superhero movie.**
Again, I'm a fan. So, I definitely had watched almost all of those - Avengers, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. lol!
And, that would be it. A bit and pieces of me.
You can also do this challenge by choosing at least 10 questions from the Random Word Generator (click it and you'll be directed to the page). https://randomwordgenerator.com/never-have-i-ever-question.php
Tagging without pressure @bbyblacksheep and @MizLhaine
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Compassion Beyond Borders
I have read articles from some writers here about compassion and I am in awe that despite of how futuristic and sophisticated the world turned out to be today, still there are lots of goodness left in society, we still cling over humanity and value compassion with our humankind, even the living things that we co-inhabit with.
Compassion encompasses simple to complex expression of giving and sharing of talents, services, time, money, goods and etc. Often times we perceive it so easily that some people tend to abuse it, but that should not limit us from showing kindness to anyone.
Simplicity of Compassion
I have read this post from a friend of mine in Facebook earlier, mentioning about her constant visitor in the morning - the birds feasting on her birdfeeder. This has been part of her morning, and I think my friend loves the company of the birds like Snow White or Cinderella, that she would feed and be mindful of them. Such gesture is simply compassion in daily basis, indeed God takes good care of the birds through His compassionate people.
"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? - Matthew 6:26
Prayer and Compassion
In this trying times, getting sick and the anxiety that it brings knowing that Covid19 is just around the corner to conquer us can be depressing. However, I thank God that our friends we share with the same faith are compassionate to devote prayers for us. Just recently, one of my friends got diagnosed with Covid, she was asymptomatic but her mom was severe though not intubated but she has been in supplemental oxygen for more than a week already. Though we are really far from each other, but compassion can go a long way through words of encouragement and prayers. Sometimes, our battles are just a prayer away for victory, let us help each other lifting our needs up to the throne of heaven. Until now, I am joining in prayer that her mom would recover soon, and hopefully everything will be fine for the both of them, by God's grace.
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” - Proverbs 12:25
The Law and Compassion
Compassion can be a bit complicated too, the word must be so ordinary to describe it but sometimes difficult to deliver especially with legal complications and when the law has something to say. I can remember this Kdrama I watched not so long ago entitled "While You Were Sleeping." In the story, there are series of cases the lead star has to solve. He was a prosecutor and on one of his case he has to decide whether to autopsy a dead body of the victim to unveil the truth and console the grieving family for justice, or skip the autopsy and save a young boy's life by receiving an organ donor. From here I realized that compassion in the grounds of the law is difficult, both sides of the coin needs mercy and kindness unfathomable but whom should you choose if you're on his shoes? Fortunately both sides got a happy ending on this case, because the prosecutor was just so diligent to go an extra mile for everyone.
"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." - Matthew 5:41
Compassion Without Borders
Lastly, I coined the title of this article "Compassion Beyond Borders" for the benefit of all healthcare workers. As a healthworker we deliver the service without borders. Almost all healthworkers in the Philippines have been employed underpaid, yet you still see us working. A lot are working day in and day out. Most patients yell at us, ridicule us especially the nurses and caregivers, yet they still choose to care without question.
I also admire medical practitioners in Doctors Without Borders, these people go far and wide and exhaustively to places where there are chaos and calamities, where emergency healthcare is very needed. I don't know if they're compensated well because mostly these are Non-government and Non-profit organizations. However, to voluntarily risk your life to places like Syria, etc. to care for the sick and the less fortunate is just so noble, I think there is no monetary amount that can compensate their services. I have read one article of a Canadian Physiotherapist in Doctors Without Borders sent to Baghdad, Iraq, her story and experience was really compelling. When she was asked, how she get through it every single day? She just answered this three words: **Breath A Lot.**
Conclusion
Simple and menial like the bird-feeding, some would take prayers irrelevant, weighing options to make a deed of kindness and going extremes for the service of humanity. All conveys empathy in deeper meaning, and compassion beyond our imagination.
Compassion is always beyond borders, because there is no small act of love and kindness.
Your every good deed is GREAT! ❤️
For @JonicaBradley Writing Prompt: Compassion
Similar articles you might like reading :
Passing the Kindness https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/passing-on-the-kindness-342600b2
Love in Different Ways https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/love-in-different-ways-ce285e06
Grace Under Pressure https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/grace-under-pressure-4f23b867
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The Gift of Sense of Humor
I have seen this video from Mikey Bustos "If Alladin Were Filipino" (A Whole New World Disney Parody) - Pilipinas (click it to view), that showcase the beautiful tourist attractions around the Philippines. As for me it was artistically created and entertaining, the Philippines is of course a beauty to behold and Mikey has an undeniable gift of sense of humor. https://youtu.be/3eM-_-lSJWk
In the video, I love how the lyrical arrangement was done to make it apt and fitting for the Disney song "The Whole New World." First, it is so Pinoy that he used a "banig" instead of a carpet. Banig is traditionally Pinoy style, kind of a native mat use for sleeping. Second, I am completely amused with this part of the parody stating about the Philippines' seasons are "hot, hotter, and hottest" lol! and that is really a funny and accurate truth about our country. Third, I laughed out loud when the Aladdin part replied "Don't you dare sing 'My Way" when the Jasmin side of him mentioned Karaoke Fun. Lol! Every Filipino knows the story behind it, or should I just warn you in advance not to sing that song in the Philippines' Karaoke bars if you still value your life, hahah! Lastly, I love it when "Pinoy time" was included in the parody, indeed we aren't late everytime lol!
Anyway, that was really a hilarious way to showcase the Philippines, and this guy is witty and smart to make a video entertaining and amusing. I can say that its a whole new perspective of introducing the tourism aspect of the Philippines.
The video and the concept, together with lyrics and the acting of Mikey displays his amazing gift of sense of humor. It is a gift because not everyone has it. If I have to compare myself for someone like this guy, I can say he is extraordinary. I know I can crack some jokes but I'm not that skillful to make people laugh. Indeed a gift that some people have.
Moreover, it is a priceless gift to have the capacity to poke fun on yourself, like Mr. Bean did. If you happened to watch his movies, or maybe those Mr. Bean animated stories in "Cartoon Network," you will know that he is a prodigy in that aspect. Year after year, Mr. Bean goes on merrily skewering himself – to the delight of millions. Why does his sense of humor was amusing? Partly because we know he’s not making fun of us and of course there is no threat in a self- directed humor.
Sometimes, when things are going badly, a good humor can lighten up our mood and it helps you keep your perspective. Thus it creates some positivity in the situation. Some guys who has this gift of sense of humor, often has the key of that intangible adorability called charm. I don't know if every woman would agree, but I think it does in some aspect. Obviously, people always love to have someone in a group that knows how to make fun.
Laughing at yourself can also make life pleasant. I can remember a friend of my friend, whom we visited ones for prayer a year ago, was suffering from stage 4 breast cancer, despite of her suffering she took this hurdle by making fun of it, perhaps a denial as others perceive it but actually she is not. Humor has been her gift before her illness, and her sickness did not rob her that gift. For her family, her sense of humor took the sting out of affliction, caring for her was not much of an unbearable pain and struggle.
A lot is needed to master this wacky art, really, sometimes with sense of humor we must go through the self- assurance not to mind being made to look momentarily foolish. Like Mr. Bean, he is so passionate on his gift. And like our friend who has cancer, yet never got bogged down from being humorous. Both might have entirely constrasting situations, but shares one inspiration and passion.
**“The man who recounts triumphs is a bore; the man who invites you to laugh with him is a delight.”**
Humor is contagious and people will love you for it.
Live and laugh.
Laugh and live.
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The Turtle, The Snail, and The Worm
I know most of us are familiar about the famous Aesop Fable "The Turtle and The Rabbit" or "The Tortoise and The Hare". This has been told for generations because it conveys a lesson that laziness and procrastination can be our biggest defeat. The rabbit no matter how fast a runner yet still a loser in the race, in contrary the turtle though walks so slow but steadily was able to win because he never procrastinated during the race. That was something we all learned from this story since childhood. Similarly, when heaps of reality TV shows became a trend in most TV channels locally or internationally, like my favorite "The Amazing Race," we have learned that we can never underestimate the underdog, they can always get an opportunity to snatch the pot prize. **This is the inspiration that in the world anyone can have its own chance of success.**
However today I have learned from another story that during the race the turtle have met some friends that would tell us great lessons about life also. So along the way during the turtle's battle to win and show the rabbit that he can beat him, he got friends that cheered him up to walk and run steadily.
On the course of the race, while the rabbit was sleeping peacefully and the turtle walked doing his thing, he met a snail along the way, and looking at the snail the turtle thought that the former looked so weary crawling slowly thus the turtle told him to climb up to his back for a lift, the snail smiled and climbed, and happily thought that he could finally take some rest at the turtle's back.
A little more farther when the turtle almost passed the rabbit sleeping under a tree, he noticed the worm creeping slowly on the ground. The turtle again offered the worm to give a lift and up to his back the worm went. When the snail noticed the worm rested beside him, the snail quickly blurted out, "Brace yourself, my friend! This turtle is really fast!" As soon as the turtle heared the snail, he then steadily walked faster going to the finish line. And, eventually won the race.
In the finish line, not only did he won the race, his kindness made him won both the snail and the worm his great cheerers and friends.
**LESSONS**
The story of "The Turtle and The Rabbit" already teaches us a lot of moral lessons. As I've mentioned on the first part of this article laziness and procrastination can create an obstruction from attaining our goals. Moreover, **overconfidence can create complacency in our actions that would also hinder our success.**
Socially, we should not underestimate anyone, for even the smallest of this world can beat the best of us. And this is a wisdom from God.
**But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. - 1 Corinthians 1:27**
How about the new addition in the story, the snail and the worm, what does it teaches us? It must be a funny remark from the snail to brace themselves because the turtle was just so fast, I too laughed at it at first. However, I thought that, with the slowness of movement and locomotion these creatures have to live with each and every single moment of their existence, I can say that the snail blurted out honesty and sheer innocence. Life was never so easy for them living that way and an experiece of being transported way better than what they can achieve is an amazing experience. Like us, every little achievements we made in our life is extraordinary and worth to be grateful about.
Lastly and definitely the most important lesson I learned from the snail and the worm- **NEVER MAGNIFY THE LACK THAT YOU HAVE**. Actually, we are all blessed. But unfortunately, some could no longer appreciate the small blessings because adversities and anxieties are overwhelming. The snail after experiencing a ride at the back of the turtle, can easily whine or fret about his innate slowness, he can do that, but he didn't. Instead he enjoyed the moment and with his positive mindset he can definitely go places.
Count your blessings!
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Life of a Traveling Physiotherapist
Today, July 8, 2021, I want to take you to my world... A day in the life of a traveling Physiotherapist (or Physical Therapist). I do traveling three times a week and the rest of it I'm on hospital duty except Sunday, that is if we don't have on-call for in-patients on that "supposed- to-be" rest day.
Anyway, since I don't have much inspiration to write about other things at the moment, I want to take you instead on how my usual day went when I'm traveling to patients who needs Physical Therapy services at home. Usually patients under homecare PT are either bedridden or bedbound, or sometimes they're just difficult to transport in a nearest hospital or center with PT, or maybe no one can drive them to and fro at a regular basis, however can afford to pay a traveling PT. With my patient's case, she needed homecare because she's an elderly patient, who lives with her elderly husband and no one can drive her regularly for PT sessions. Also at this time of pandemic, senior citizens are afraid to go out especially to the hospital.
Yesteday, I got this new referral with a below knee amputee patient. She got amputated a year ago because of Diabetes, and received PT right after surgery for home instructions about exercises and proper care of the amputated limb. This elderly patient have second thoughts of getting a prosthetic or artificial limb so it took a year for them to decide. Her daughter that has been working in the UK as a nurse wanted a prosthesis made from the best Prosthetist in Manila, however with the current pandemic situation it seems impossible to travel just for this reason so instead they opted for what was available in the city.
They had prosthetic planning a month ago in our hospital and just yesterday the limb was ready for donning. We met in the department yesterday together with the prosthetist and our physiatrist for co-management, planning and etc. So today, I'm off to see her at home.
In the morning, I still have one home PT for an old patient with stroke, the patient's home was near my place just 10 mins walk. I would spend there for an hour and 30 minutes for her PT session, that includes Electrotherapy, standing balance and tolerance exercises and gait training. This patient has cardiac precautions, so usually we have rest periods in between and that would mean a time to do some breathing and more chit chat, lol! That's part of the program, I guess.
In the afternoon, I'm headed to the new amputee patient. But before that, I have to make sure where I'm traveling and with the bliss of technology and internet, google map revealed that I would be driving an hour and five minutes to reach my destination, if I won't make wrong turns (google sounded so specific and completely trusted my driving, lol). Anyway, it's not my first traveling to this place, so I was a bit confident that I won't get lost.. I really hope so though.
On the way, I got a call from the patient and instructed me that I have to make a right turn from the highway, and then a left turn from the barangay road. The first turn was easy because landmarks were all familiar from the national highway. The second turn from the barangay road was hardest because the landmark was just a description of the path, and all the rest I could see in the road were trees, and more trees! Sigh and long sigh**. I have to make a stop and call them again perhaps someone can fetch me in the corner where I should make the left turn. They agreed and yep, I was half kilometer short before making the turn. Glad I made a call or else I would just keep driving further and away from the patient's home.
The PT session was just an hour and 20 minutes. Prosthetic care and donning - doffing instructions were given to them yesterday, I just reminded them again for familiarization and compliance. She performed some exercises without the prosthesis mostly muscle strengthening and some stretching of her hip flexors. For amputees this muscle is most often tight, though hers wasn't really that tight, because she's so active despite on wheelchair for a year. She also performed exercises with prosthesis on, and gait training with a walker. I'm pretty sure, she can ambulate well in a month or so, though I'm not sure if she can walk without a walker because at her age at 76 postural and balance problems that comes with aging is inevitable.
Patient's case and condition is not difficult to handle. Though she's diabetic but not under insulin injection, so her blood sugar is well controlled by medication and diet. I also learned that lady's-finger or okra water is a good way to maintain the blood sugar in normal levels for patient's with Diabetes. She has been taking a glass of this water every morning after waking up, she believes that it does wonders! Well, I do believe that with the old couples' lifestyle and location far from the city would hone them with better food choices.
Going home, it was nearly dark when I almost reached home and made a quick stop to take a photo of the beautiful sunset. Looking at it and the cooler breeze does refreshes my mind and body. That's one thing nature can do. Praise God for this beautiful world!
Work does not stop there for me at this time of pandemic. Everytime I arrive home, I have to rest for a bit in the garage, and head directly to the bathroom to shower. Only then I can say that the day is over.
Tiring, but there is always something to be grateful for in every single day despite of busyness and the tiredness.
I thank God...
... For my work and his provisions...
... For the strenght, the wisdom, and the skill.
... For the protection and safety, covered by His blood.
... For the passion that makes working a joy to achieve.
... For the things around me that sustains wellness in my mind and body.
... For this platform and community to vent out and share my thoughts and life in writing.
There are really lots of things to be thankful of, thus I think that too is part of my day before I end the night.
Photos are all MINE...
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When Your Bestfriends Cheated On You
How many times have we encountered stories about someone being cheated by their bestfriend? Some would shrug it off, but some would get hurt deeply because of all people why would a friend betray you? Friends are supposed to be on your side of all people no matter what, others would rely more on friends that their family. That's how usually we take our friends for, that's why we call them BFF - Best Friend Forever.
I am currently watching this kdrama series Full House, I am nearly at the end part of the series and though the story barely amplifies the bestfriends betrayal, rather than the lovestory of the person she met at the process, still I can't get over how brutal Ji Eun's bestfriends were. If this happened to me in real life, I would be seeing my bestfriends in court.
Anyway, a short background about Ji Eun the leading actress, she's already an orphan without any family relatives, what was left to her when her parents both died was a beautiful house near the beach with decent furnitures/landscape and wonderful childhood memories. She's surviving on her own, with some savings and with her obnoxious bestfriends.
Let me direct you now on how bad they cheated?
Ji Eun's bestfriends were a married couple, when they both learned that they're having a baby, both became frantic of building a better life instantly like winning a lottery, for them however to the expense of other people, their bestfriend. The guy friend who worked at a bank, manipulated that Ji Eun won an all expense paid travel to Shanghai, China. He booked her a one-way ticket to Shanghai, made dummy travel itinerary and hotel, faked a travel agent and phone number. The only legit document handed to their friend was the plane ticket to China, the rest was a bluff. Imagine they're abandoning her in a foreign land. The couple BFF were complete jerks.
The scam did not end there, because right after Ji Eun left the Korean soil her couple friends sold her house - the only thing her parents left for her. I don't know how they did it, but they're just so cunning to scheme evil for their friend. Really these scammers were really frigid in destroying the life of someone they call a FRIEND.
So, Ji Eun ended penniless and problematic in Shanghai, China. Turned out that nothing was arranged for her during her first dream travel out of the country - no travel agent that picked her up in the airport, and no hotel accomodation was being booked for her, worst no return ticket to go home to South Korea. While on perplexing vacation, she tried to pursue her bestfriends to help her out but both were out of reached. On top of that, she's so baffled where to get money for the hotel and a ticket to go home.
Fate must be so kind for Ji Eun, she bumped into a few people in Shanghai to help her go home. Back to her humble abode, she discovered her house completely empty of furnitures, she even slept on the floor without sheets or anything. She looked for her guy friend in the bank he used to be working but he already resigned, likewise she find out that her savings were all gone too!
The cheating was unraveled completely few days after her comeback to SoKor, when the new house owner arrives and Ji Eun to finally vacate the house her family used to own.
End.
So, let me end it there. If you want to watch the entire series of 16 episodes you can search for the title "Full House."
**Conclusion:**
I purposely write about the cheating part because seriously people who want to cheat on us would go high and below just to successfully carry out their plans. Like in this story, I always thought that it's impossible to sell a house you don't own but maybe with technology and deceptive manipulation one can do it instantly. As this famous saying goes "if there's a will, there's a way" and I bet this also applies to some cheaters who would always want to cheat.
Everything must be so easy to some scammers or cheaters, one might be able to get away with it. But, God is just, one day in many different ways one will surely pay.
For @JonicaBradley writing prompt #6 Cheating
Photos from Pixabay (No attribution required)
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Let's Wrap Up June
Another month came to an end. Buh bye June!
Actually, I'm struggling on how to start this article, I must be on a writers block but I have to squeeze in this sort of documentation on how this month goes so I can keep track on how I was doing in the cryptoverse and with blogging, as if I have done so much, lol!
**Earning** is by far wonderful as always in this platform, thanks to the @TheRandomRewarder and to my friends/ subscribers from this platform for the tips. To the generosity of sir @MarcDeMesel and the good owner of read.cash for sustaining this platform for its users. You're all awesome and a lot more of blessings your way.
This month I earned $270 with 13 articles (amount based on tips per article) , that is $60 more from the previous month. My highest earning article How to Avoid Muscle Cramps and Side Stretches During Exercise has $43 worth of tips, a bit bigger than last month's top article with $41. All in all this is really a great help to build my portfolio and to share some blessings with the family and the community. https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/how-to-avoid-muscle-cramps-and-side-stretches-during-exercise-651b83bb
I am still hodling BCH via Binance flexible savings and always grateful to earn passively from that platform despite of the bloody market that seems to be on stagnation for a couple of months now. In the same online crypto platform, my BNB is increasing each day, still a good passive income. At the advent of June, Binance launched ATA and luckily I got its drop from the BNB vault rewards launchpool. Now, I have an increasing hoard of ATA of which I am holding who knows its value might increase too in the near future. The TLM from last month's reward pool remained the same, i still don't know whether I'll just hold or convert it to BNB soon. Recently, another asset is added in Binance - KLAY, still a reward from BNB vault launchpool, this I guesd is to encourage users to stake, but minimum staking is a bit expensive for me so I guess I'll just hodl for now. Looks like investing in BNB vault is a good investment, getting pennies from their lauchpool is better to collect who knows these coins will go strong in the future. But first, I hope BCH will reach another ATH soonest. Wishful thinking ** lol!
Lastly, I have zero earnings in noisecash, I seem can't get good value from the heart tip so I give up posting and maybe just concentrate in writing and interacting with some friends here in this platform. My goals in that platform is gone in oblivion too, though sometimes I do post and share my read.cash articles there but rarely get tips. Sad**
**Goal** for July here in readcash will just be the same, write every other day or 3 articles in a week. I like this pace so I won't pressure myself everyday of what to write, and it also gives me freedom to still spend some time with the things I love doing. In short, I like the balance that I get in life with my "me" time, family time, work offline, and blogging/crypto online. Last month, I mentioned about venturing outside readcash and Binance for crypto, thus I'm in Stormgain too mining lately. I like it because I can timed it for a minimum of 4 hours and had an option to rest or continue mining. However, with this option I keep forgetting turning it on again so for like a week now I haven't reached the minimum amount of 10 USDT to withdraw. Yeah, I'm slacking as always. In case you want to try mining in stormgain, the amount withdrawn from it can only be use to invest for trading only, the profit you get from trading can then be exchanged in your preferred crypto. Pretty good, eh? This month I'm thinking about Nexo, this would be an additional goal for my crypto journey so we'll see.
**Sharing the blessing** will always be a part of whatever provision we are getting online or offline. This June I have converted some BCH for my mom's medical check up with her ENT, and the tests she went through in the hearing center. I opted to pay for it be cause both needs online payments and it will be convenient if I'll get the funds from my coins.ph. Also, this month I dished out a smalll amount for the aunt of tiredmomma who experienced recurring cancer. I also giveaway sponsorships for some deserving users here, this month I give out 6.
In return, I also got amazing sponsors - special mention to @wrabbiter @Jane @Bloghound and @JLoberiza thank you so much for appreciating my works, and to all my friends here thanks heaps as always.
Read.cash and BCH are blessings and I always tried sharing this awesome journey to my sisters, but also constantly disregard it. Just sad that they don't want to learn something new and profitable at the same time. They prefer the hype of typing captcha and eventually get scammed, what a waste of time. Anyway, that's life, sad if you have to learn from it the hard way. Soon they will be asking me how to do it. 😉
I hope y'all have a wonderful June too. Let's wrap up and move on with more bountiful earnings this July!
To God be the Glory!
Lead Image from Pixabay (no attribution required)
Photo below is mine.
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Moments of Forgetfulness
"Peter had seen many tragedies, but he had forgotten them all."
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
If you have read the book "Peter Pan" you will know that forgetfulness is so common in the character of Peter. I don't know why the author made him that way, might be a bliss for him to forget all the tragedies. But, just sad that he has to forget everything, I bet adventures are always so wonderful to remember.
I was reminded of Peter while writing this article because for us, normal human beings, it is so easy for us to vividly remember memories and write them down. Going through one article will poke our mind of things from the past and then here we are writing it.
Let me start reminiscing when my nephew was still little, perhaps he was 8 or 9 years old back then, he got into this bad habit of sneaking bills and coins from my pants' pockets, purse or my wallet. Often times i'll have missing P5 coins, P20 bills and I would undermind it thinking that maybe I have spent it already. Eventually, this bad habit got intense I begun to noticed missing P50 and P100 bills, which became so alarming. I confronted my nephew about it and he would deny, of course kids won't admit their mistake unless they're caught in the act.
Everyday after school, he would tell me that he will be going to the neighboring internet cafe, when I asked him where he got his money to spend for playing online games he would tell me that he spare P10 from the money I gave him in the morning, he didn't spend it in school so he can play computer games. For few weeks, he would come after 30 minutes, then in the next succeeding weeks he comes late an hour or more. When I fetched him to school one day, his classmate told me that my nephew was in the snackhouse beside the school, to find out that he treat 6 of his friends for a glass of milkshake that cost P15 each. Well, it sounded like he really have lots of money, and looked like living a good life, lol!
Praise God! My nephew had a 180 degree change when he got reprimanded from his dad some months after. His dad, my brother - a single dad, worked far from home so he didn't have much time for his kids but I'm just glad that when he disciplined them they listened.
Anyway, I was reminded of this story when I happened to read an article from @Jane about "Forget The Kiss, Not the Keys."
Those days when I have to deal with my nephew's stealing habit when he was a kid, prompted me to hide my wallet elsewhere instead of leaving it in my purse. Thus I kept forgetting it whenever I ran out for some errands downtown .
One time on my way to work, while commuting I forgot to bring my wallet hidden in my bedroom closet. I was really dumbfounded when I was about pay the fare because I don't have any coins left in the pockets either, my nephew I guess emptied it all out. Good thing I have my ATM card hidden in my purse. So, I instead talked to the driver, who happened to worked with our family before because we used to own a public jeepney. I told him that I will make a quick withdraw and hand him my fare when he passed by again after the roundabout near the market. All good thank God!
Another same incident happened, this time I don't have any ATM or anything at all to save me. However, that time I was able to check for my wallet and the certainty that I will be going downtown penniless hit me while I was still a kilometer away from the house, so I have decided to get out from the jeepney, explained that I've left something and had to go back. Indeed, I walked back home, 1 km is fine I'll just have to think that I am on my afternoon walk only that its early afternoon. Odds weren't on my favor that time because it rained so hard while I'm still away from home, sooo freaking ironic. I was terribly annoyed and mad about both incident that my nephew received a good scolding from me, I grounded him for a week of no online games whatsoever. I know I am partly at fault for those senior moments, but I wouldn't be hiding my wallet if not for my nephews sneaky behavior, then my wallet would just be in my bag and I won't bother hiding and checking it everytime I leave.
Anyway, these incidents have taught me to always check on my stuffs before leaving, since then I always double check things like keys, wallet, cellphone, now I have to check for a spare of face mask in my bag, just in case the mask I'm wearing gets torn or worn out. Since he got reprimanded from me and his dad, I didn't noticed missing bills anymore, my nephew had realized his mistakes for sure and I don't need to hide my wallet any longer.
Oh well, these memories are practically gibberish but still remembers them. How much more those wonderful ones that we treasure deeply. What a shame Peter have to forget them, like meeting Wendy?
I'm sure we all have those moments of forgetfulness, some people even purposely forget about their debts! Or accidentally forgets them? Lol!
Just some random thoughts popping out. Thanks for reading!
Photos from Pixabay (no attribution required)
Photo below is mine
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The Rain in My Thoughts
It has been raining hard yesterday morning, Sunday of June 27, 2021. I just want to emphasize the date so in history I can jog my memory so easily through my blog, venting out what I feel at the very moment. The weather was in sync with what I am feeling, the rain in my thoughts flooded my mind with fear - and more fear as time passed witnessing my body getting weak.
Yesterday morning I had an upset stomach and felt weak and tired. I have watery stool and my appetite for food was waning slowly. I tried a bite of Cloud 9 chocolate bar and I am confident that my taste was still intact. The entire day I choose to stay just in my room trying to isolate myself from the family. I don't know what causes my stomachache, I just had coffee, egg sandwich and a slice of papaya for breakfast. After that, my tummy starts to torture me, I can feel my organs wringing with acids, enzymes or whatever juices inside it. At the back of my negative mind, I had a bad feeling that I might've contacted Covid from someone on our appointment last Saturday.
The other day, Saturday, I accompanied my mom for her ENT check up in a bigger hospital in the city. We had apprehensions going there because this hospital has been continuously accepting Covid19 admission, and there were stories that the virus has been randomly nosocomial in the hospital environment. However, we have no choice because this is the only facility who have fully equipped hearing center and my mom needed it for her check up, because has been struggling for a month already hearing tinnitus sound on her left ear, and as time pass our fear worsens that this might be going just bad for her. We got no choice, so we went there, the queue was short but the procedure was a bit long so we really stayed there for some time, check up done and head home.
That same day after dinner, I got stomach upset and I blamed the coke that I took after my meal. I went to bed early because I don't want to drink any medicine, I just want to relax and pray hopefully the pain wil be gone. This has been a habit for me if I have pain somewhere in my body, I don't want to drink any pain meds as long as I can manage to relax and sleep then all good. The following morning I woke up with a good tummy, but went bad again after breakfast, the rain of negativity begun to emerge making my entire weekend so gloomy. So, yesterday was a completely depressing day, I want to write something to make myself productive while staying in isolation but NO, the rain in my thoughts drowned all the words away.
Before I wrapped up my dreary Sunday, I informed our department supervisor that I am taking my sick leave I explained to her my health status and she told me that our doctor will call me later. I waited and indeed got a call, I explained my case and she suspected that I might be having gastritis. She approved my leave for Monday to observe myself for persistent diarrhea, for new symptoms and/or maybe I just needed a rest. Why gastritis? Because, in the first place, mom was fine, to think that we're together the entire Saturday. I guess, I must've overreacted, she said. Duh! Our doctor is smart!
Thankfully today, since morning, I am feeling so much better. Thank God! I am positive that I really just had gastritis triggered by the Coke in the evening and the coffee in the next morning, then precipitated by anxious thoughts, and the bad weather. LOL! Blaming the bad weather.
For this entire week, I say No to Coke or any softdrinks and no coffee yet. I admit I had a hard time staying away from my morning coffee, morning isn't complete without a cup. Sad.
Anyway, I was reminded of this quote now while writing, thinking about my ordeal this weekend.
"What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it if it comes."
- Raymond L. Cramer
Indeed, I think I was just magnifying things and my anxiety over the whole pandemic thing hits me. Well, I got a day off though and tomorrow I will be finally free - Free from worries, free from isolation and free to work again.
Praise God! I am okay!
Off for work tomorrow. Sigh.
Now, I wanted a holiday.
Photos from Pixabay (no attribution required)
Photo below is mine
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A Lifetime of Questions
Why?
How?
What?
What if?
When?
Where?
Who?
We often hear these words in our day to day life. Questions must be the most common thing we all ponder upon every single day and we never run out of it.
One question my mom hates asking herself is: *"What is our viand for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?"* And I can relate to it. Few years back when I just arrived here in the Philippines from my work overseas, my parents were both in the farm and I have to stay home with my nephew, niece and our youngest. That was a year I guess of asking myself what to cook, again and again. It can be really annoying in the long run, lol! So, I can't imagine my mom asking herself the same question 3x a day for a very longggg time.
Dad in my middle school and college days love to ask this question: *"Why are you home late from school?*" Jogging those memories now, I can just smile of how redundant that line from dad, it was like a broken record, lol! But, mind you I cried a river on those times, thinking how unfairly I was being judged by my father. I was never a rebellious child, the constant reasoning I can give for that question way back college days was, I always end up in long queue for photocopying notes and books, or we had snacks and chitchat with classmates over a bowl of Lomi. Well, simple things like Lomi with sliced bread is h-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s. Always brings back wonderful memories.
At work, a whole lot of questioning is part of the job. Patients should be asked about there past and recent medical history: *"do you have this or that?" "what is your chief complaint?" "where is the pain?" "how is he/she feeling?"* and etc. These questions are so much important for the initial evaluation, and to gather information that would serve as baseline facts or figures for the patient. One occasion, a patient came for PT with both legs swollen, a PT assistant was about to apply electrical stimulation on right leg as written in the file. When I noticed the condition of the patient's legs, I quickly ask if she has heart problem and said that she have for 5 years now. I then ordered to discontinue the treatment session because muscle stimulation might cause overload to the heart. My colleague had a reckoning after that, of how important to be so keen for new signs and asking questions for pertinent causes.
Watching this Korean drama series "Law School" magnifies my understanding of how important questions are and the process of interrogation. The lead star, who is a law professor and ex-prosecutor, is so sharp in asking questions and so discerning in getting the answers he imagine. No matter how tense a situation can be, a lawyer's engaging attitude to get answers is on point and unyielding. Indeed, lawyers are topnotchers in the field interrogation and have the artistic ability to orchestrate a perfect question. Yes! Just amazing.
Life takes us to a lot of questions and realizations. No matter how simple and mundane or complex life offers, questions always come heaps and bounds. Often times, we doubt ourselves and so often ask if we can make it? Yet, we never provide ourselves with answers, we just decide and take action. Questions are like this, they're just there to condition our minds of what we should be doing and must be done. **Life questions aren't always with answers, they only have results.** And how we choose to do it, makes up our life now.
If questions begins to be so overwhelming..
Just have FAITH.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1
This is a fun prompt to write about. This would be my take for @JonicaBradley writing prompt #4 Questions.
Photos from Pixabay ( no attribution required)
Photo below is MINE.
#questions #faith #LifetimeOfQuestions
Waiting on the Night to Fall
I have read a few articles about darkness and I can only think about that melancholic feeling of loneliness and suppressing will to fight in people with depression. I was thinking to start writing about it, but then the other day as I was reading an article from @Jane about darkness and its gloomy ending, while listening to this song from Casting Crowns "Waiting on the night to fall," this inspires me to share instead how awesome the message this song has, and of course encouraging ourselves to conquer the darkness.
The first few lines of this song is a great reminder...
"There's an old man living in the back of your woods tonight
You forgot he was even there, but you've never slipped his mind
He's living off of scraps of you you never knew you left behind
And as the sun goes down, he rises with a smile"
This reminded us that we all have this old man inside us, that is our old self. The person we are hiding because he/she has been a part of our dark past. We hide it, some conceal it, we bury these dark memories in those little corners of our mind. Often we forgot that it was there, we said that we've moved on but then when life teases us with its tricks and surprises, the scraps of our dark past resurface hurting us, the fear make us tremble again, and the pain still magnifies in the dark. The old man, our old self smiles again when life hits us rock bottom, because life is a surprise party. We might like it or not, we have to deal with it. And how we deal with it is different between people, some rises up and some don't. There are people who chooses to remain in the dark. We see them smiling and carefree, some are successful people, and good-humored. But then inside are empty vessels, when alone they're crying in pain and agony. They're unseen, struggling.
"He knows you have the answers, but truth lies dusty on your shelf
And the sword that you could slay him with has become an ornament and nothing else."
Yes, there is always something that we can do. We are smarter and stronger than any creature in this planet to thrive and survive. Nevertheless, **our mind perhaps can defeat us because inside that head is a battlefield. A ground where good and evil, our fear and reasoning is at war.** When we always have a choice to dust off and fight back.
In the song, our answers lies dusty in our shelf. The book we often neglect to use - the Bible, offers wisdom and understanding about life and our battles within. Ephesians 6: 10-18 promises that **our strength comes from Him, we have the sword of the Holy Spirit which is the word of God, to dismiss our enemies in that battlefield. Indeed, we are already conquerors, but sometimes we missed it because life is overwhelming!** Battles are continually never ending and exhausting, our mind is also in a persistent fight, how we make our mind fit to endure everything is up to us, or we can simply let go and let God.
Why? Is a question I often hear from people who lost their loved ones from suicide. I don't know why we always miss seeing the reason beforehand. It's sad and painful.
A person struggling mentally and emotionally can sometimes not seen, and sometimes nobody believe. Must be because they're in the dark...
But,
***HIS***
***"wound is where the light shines through.***" - Switchfoot
I always believe that our articles speaks to anyone so apt and timely.
So, let me tell you this...
You're a fighter
An overcomer
You are never alone
God cares for you
He can hear you and longs for your story
God loves you ❤️
Writing this and listening to some powerful music made me emotionally broken and whole again.
Thanks for this writing prompt #3 Darkness by @JonicaBradley
Photos are all MINE (Also appears in my Flickr photostream)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Father's Day Out
Today is Father's Day, celebrated every 3rd Sunday of June. I know we can make every single day special for moms and dads, but I think it's more okay to set apart one single day of the year to celebrate a super duper more special day for them. Anyway, not all men can be a father, only a man who has the audacity and determination to raise a child can be a FATHER. So, let's make it extra special.
My father is the simplest man in the planet, I guess. He does not shop for his stuff, the last time he bought himself a t-shirt was in a thrift shop 3 years ago. So, usually my mom buys what he needs - clothes, undies, caps, shoes, even slippers, lol! He is so uncomplicated and straighforward, but sets the rules. So, as I grow up I only see him as a good provider for our needs, but so stiff on his rules. However, as we mature, he became gentle too. Perhaps, the responsibilities of being a father of five growing up kids adds so much weight on his shoulders before, making him stern and unyielding. Now, that we've grown up pretty well, his stiffness wears off. And looking back to our life years back, made me think about a dramatic musical play. As an actor on a lead role, he has to set the mood of a convincing role to set an entire play convincing for everyone. I think, my dad portrayed that part of his journey as a father truly efficient.
Anyway, I had enough drama about my childhood so let's skip that part. Instead, let me talk about how we made father's day out special in a simpler way, guess it was so easy today on this time of pandemic. You see, he does not go out so often now and rarely allowed to eat some foods that might be high in cholesterol since he got mild stoke more than a year ago. So, we made Father's day a cheat day for dad.
This afternoon around 5pm, we went to C3 Road - this road in the mountainside of Iligan City is famous for street foods. We had snacks there while waiting for sundown, the view was just so wonderful overlooking the city at sunset on this side of the city.
Since it's dad's cheat day, he had his first "balut" after one and half years. He used to love this exotic food on his youth, but today he only eat two and he said enough. Well, dad I guess finally had a control in his eating and food choices, except Coke (He still loves to drink one everyday, sigh). Back to the balut, our youngest, my nephew and his dad had 4 each, gosh! I even can't eat a single one, neither stare at the inside of it. But, for them all 12 eggs gone in just a matter of minutes. Poof!
Balut is a popular exotic food in the Philippines. It is a fertilized duck egg, incubated usually for 14- 21 days before it will be served boiled and hot in the streets. Its popularity can be seen in any street corner every night, and vendors would bring with them a bottle of vinegar and salt with chili peppers to accentuate its distinct taste. Balut contains lots of nutrients, especially protein. However, a single balut also has lots of cholesterol, thus also bad to eat many. The main reason why I don't recommend this to my dad.
Mom and I aren't into exoric food, so we had tempura and squid roll instead, with that spicy sauce. Before heading home we take-away some barbecue for dinner and dropped by to get the cake we reserved in a local bakeshop my dad loves. We had our dinner at home, with a 1.5 liter of coke, of course my dad had a big smile drinking, lol!
That was a fun Father's Day Out and a complete excuse for dad to go out and enjoy his favorite balut.
For my parting words, I want to ask, how did you celebrate Father's day?
But then it is more fun to ask, have you tried eating "Balut?" How was the experience? 🤔😀
Photos are all MINE.
Thank you @wrabbiter for the sponsorship!
How to Avoid Muscle Cramps and Side Stretches During Exercise
Muscle cramping and side stretches are very common effects of exercise that we all hate to happen.
This afternoon in a hydrotherapy session with my colleague on his osteoarthritic patient, the latter complained of intense muscle cramping while doing gait training in the pool. The therapist desperately rushed to save his patient held immobilized in the water. This was the patient's third time to do hydrotherapy and the therapist as well assumed that the patient did warm up exercises before the treatment session. Anyway, we all know muscle cramping and side stretches are bound to happen during exercise, it is always necessary to take heed of what should be done in case it inevitably happens and what to do to avoid it.
**Muscle Cramping** can be due to poor conditioning and muscle fatigue, often people from colder climates develop this when they proceed exercising without warm up because the muscles are still stiff due to the cold weather. The most common muscle to experience cramping is the muscle at the fleshy back part of the leg or the gastrocnemius muscle. It is important to know what should be done when muscle cramping attacks. If this happens, immediately stop exercising and stretch the affected muscle until it relaxes before resuming your workout.
**Side Stretch (Exercise Related Transient Abdominal Pain)** is the sharp pain below the rib cage, this usually happens while running, jogging and brisk walking. This is a type of cramp that is cause by frequent jarring while breathing in and out during running, thus stretching the Coronary Ligament that connects the diaphragm to the liver.
When side stretch happens don't stop abruptly, just gradually slow down your pace from running to walking while putting a slight pressure on the painful area. Perform stretching on the affected side by raising the arm on the same side and stretch away from the painful part. You can avoid this from happening by doing core exercise beforehand as warm up. Core includes the chest muscles, back and the abdominals.
Now, if you really decide to do regular workouts, remember these **warm up and cool down tips to avoid cramps:**
1. It is best to do 5-10 minutes stretching for warm up.
2. Avoid ballistic stretching. Ballistic movements can cause pulled and tear muscle. This can also traumatize joints which will eventually lead to degenerative changes or arthritis.
3. Streching can be done by holding the position fot 7-10 seconds. If you have tight muscles, it is better to hold it longer up to 20-30 seconds. Then repeat each movement for 5-10 repetitions. This will really help to improve flexibility and circulation to avoid injury.
4. The more strenous your workout, the more warm up you will need. Older athletes will require gentler but longer (more repetitions) warm up.
5. People doing weight training should start with minimal resistance so your muscles and ligaments can adjust with the load. Never overload your muscles abruptly or else you will suffer with musculoskeletal injuries sooner.
6. Cool down is also very important, 10 minutes of slow walking, stretching will do.
Exercise should be a part of our weekly activities, 30 minutes a day 5x a week is already a great start, and/ or enough regimen for health and fitness. But we should also take note on how to take care of our body as we carry out this activity. Our muscles and other supporting structures like ligaments and joints also require gentle care while we workout, give your muscles a time to adjust and recuperate to avoid injuring it.
Moreover, we should also observe our diet and food choices, like eating fruits and vegetables and drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Our sleep is also very important. These are great things to consider in order to condition our body in the activities we wish to perform, and ultimately a healthy shape.
Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something from here.
Related articles:
Can You Stay Slim After Dieting? https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/can-you-stay-slim-after-dieting-a87babdb
How to Control Hypertension? https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/how-to-control-hypertension-6486ce46
What are The Benefits of Sports https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/what-are-the-benefits-of-sports-cf566ac2
Photos from Unsplash with attribution (free images)
Photo below is mine
Similarly Resilient
It may seem somewhat troublesome to take note of our struggles in life, for sure we got heaps of stories to share. In Facebook, some people haven't disposed any problem because they always have a dose of it almost every day. It seems they too have these similarities, worries and anxieties - things that bugs us is something so common to anyone, however who would want to dwell on that?!
I want to cling more on what is noble, inspiring and worthy to share - and that is **our resilience to get up from those struggles and storms in life, because we are all similarly resilient in many ways.**
Resilience by definition:
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. - Google
Resilience on this quote is extraordinarily practical:
"Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good."
Elizabeth Edwards
This morning, I have a talk about one single parent who have to endure the hardship of raising her daughter. She said that the hardest so far that she have to conquer will come few months from now when the school would send out a reminder to complete the tuition fee for her daughter to finally graduate Medical Technology. Wow! I can't imagine the untold times of resilience every semester that she have conquered rising tuition fees and other miscellaneous expenses. Just unfathomable.
Few days ago, I have read an article here somewhere, I discovered that the author was from Cagayan de Oro. She mentioned that the rain reminded her of the tragic typhoon Sendong. The tragedy might have a little stir in the mainstream media, but for someone like me, a resident of Northern Mindanao, this left a tinge of pain in my heart remiscing that nightmare. That typhoon killed thousands of people, hundreds more missing in the sea and hundreds of homes, a school and businesses got destroyed. That was my first to see dead people piled on the streets, some remained unidentified by family members who survived from the tragedy. However now, the horror were replaced by the people's resilience to face adversity and willingness to move on living and hoping.
In Facebook today, I happened to watch an audition from an aspiring singer "Nightbirde" in the "America's Got Talent." Her voice was really good and the fact that she sings an original song she composed herself was amazing. Nevertheless, what captivates me was her story, she battled for cancer for 2 years and right at the moment she knew that it metastasized to her lungs, spine and liver, yet she's still singing her song and life out, showing a beautiful smile and radiate inspiration to the world. She even added this line that captures my heart..
"You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore until you decide to be happy."
Nightbirde
True. We can decide everything for ourselves, and she decides to be happy no matter what. Indeed, our resilience is a choice, we have to decide to be strong and take a good fight.
When my dad had a stroke less than a couple years back, and had to be hospitalized again few months after because of gastric bleeding (and had to be transfused with 7 bags of blood). My fears popped from every single fissures of my brain, I always thought myself as strong but NO, doubts just creep in like a gas leaking from nowhere. Everyday was a trudging fight for resilience. Now, looking at my dad, I can say that we opted to be resilient as family.
I hope there is an immunity card to ward off ourselves from all these troubles, hardships, struggles and tribulations. Life would then be easy.
However, life is what we made it. On one hand, we have freewill and we enjoyed and loved how we designed it, problems included. On the other hand, we have choice and this is us trying and staying resilient.
This is the similarities we have as humans.. Similarly resilient.
"Be ready in season and out of season." - 2 Timothy 4:2
Be Ready. Whether we feel like it or not, do something.
For @JonicaBradley writing prompt #3 Similarities
Lead image and 1st photo from Pixabay (no attribution required)
2nd photo by Brenda Milan in Facebook
Photo below is mine
My First Job in The Academe
I got this article brewing for some time waiting to be finished. Yes, I'm the type of author that starts with something and gets out of focused when life/family/work interferes at the process, good thing I always come back to it and finished one at a time when I run out of topic to write,lol! This was inspired from @Jeaneth from last week when she started writing about her experience in the academe, and @MizLhaine too. Instead of commenting a lengthy experience about mine, I thought how about writing one for an article. So, here it goes.
I never thought I could be a teacher though the teaching profession has been in the bloodline. After I passed the board exam for Physical Therapist, I worked for a few months in a hospital near home as a volunteer. That time my alma mater also scouts for Licensed PT to fill in the position of Clinical Coordinator in Manila since the staff assigned will be leaving abroad soon. I then applied for the position, I was thinking that I could look for better oppottunities in Manila while I have this job on hand. I was accepted and off I vanished Iligan City with new batches of students for internship in Manila for 5 months. The first time was like just a continuation of my internship days, my students were some friends too back in my college days, and one was my classmate back then who got delayed from back subjects. Well, this classmate was always known to be happy go lucky, and no wonder this has been a challenged for me. PT supervisors from some hospitals he got assigned in to would call me that he has been sleeping and snoring while on duty, of course what can I do other than assure them that I will talk to him in the weekend and it won't happen again. Well, the bliss of dealing with adults than kids in school, talk is always diplomatic. So, in my first year I have been most of the time in Manila, I held a short lecture, but mostly exams every Saturday with my interns, after 5 months I would be back in iligan for a week and gone back to Manila for another 5 months with new students for hospital internship.
I love that set-up with my job, I work in my own pace I travel here there, that was the time I was able to explore Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon. However, after a year, I was instructed to suspend the affiliations in Manila because the school has less students for internship. This was the year when enrolees for Physical Therapy plummets, while the College of Nursing enrolees soared. The second year of employment in my alma mater was home-based, thus the real deal of teaching started.
My second year has been a difficult adjustment, I was still the Clinical Coordinator, and travel from time to time to Cebu City and some provinces in Mindanao, since the admin pursued internship program just near here. On top of that, I was given teaching units too for the College of PT, I also teach Anatomy and Physiology for the College of Nursing and Medical Technology. The first semester was a difficult adjustment because I need to make my syllabus and lecture stuffs, after the first semester everything was a breeze because I'll just be lecturing the same stuff over and over again. The challenging part was getting intimidated by students older than me (I was 21 or 22 that time perhaps and some of my students were 30-40+). Mind you this was the year when Nursing got so famous, and some of my students were licensed teachers, engineers, bankers, etc who wanted to pursue the course for greener opportunities. Well, intimidation was short-lived though, I think I really got the bloodline.
Teaching is fun but tiring too. On my third year, my responsibilities escalated. I was given another task as Alumni Coordinator, since I worked and graduated on that same school. Few months after, the College offered Board Exam Review for test takers and I was again appointed to spearhead the review schedule, scout for lecturers and I have my own subjects to lecture too. Eventually, I got burned out and resigned.
When I handed my resignation to the Dean of Academic Affairs- I didn't know she was a friend and co-teacher of my grandmother, she advised me to pursue graduate studies and continue teaching, but I was firm in my decision to resign gracefully because the world is big enough to explore, lol! Of course, I didn't reasoned out being pressure cooked and burnt in my 1st job in the academe.
That was the end.. the next chapters were no longer moments with students, but with patients. Somehow, I love the fact that I started being a teacher because the experience honed me to become a better Physical Therapist.
Why?
**Experience can be a great teacher, but the theories and the basics has an edge too!**
Today, I love doing what I'm doing. It is fulfilling to see patients recover and living a physically functional body. The challenge it brings is also different because the human body is an engineering marvel and mysterious in many ways!
Thanks for reading!❤️
Lead Image from Pixabay (no attribution required)
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Philippines Independence Day Recollection and Covid19
Today, June 12, 2021, the Philippines celebrate its Independence Day. A tribute to all heroes and to a nation liberated from Spain in history. This also includes our liberation from numerous colonizers like the Japanese and the Americans.
While we salute all our unsung heroes who died and fought for liberty, at the back of my mind how are we as a nation now? Yes, we are thriving and fighting – a word from the poor and the middle class. It seems that we bear all the weight of economic turmoil, inflation and double to triple taxation. However, when Covid19 made havoc everywhere in the world, the third world and the mighty nations, the rich and the poor, stood equally suffering for independence of this disease. As this famous phrase goes, **"we are on this together."**
Reading on some articles online, are we being colonized silently by China’s upheaval over economic dominance? I’m not an economist so I don’t have much opinion about that. But as a medical frontline worker, are we just going to blame anyone and everyone of such fate? Aren’t we more capable of fighting this pandemic on the best way we know how - by being united to pin it down.
Right now, repeating history, we battle not for our nation’s sovereignty from strong national oppressors, leaders might have great contribution to help but the greatest force comes from us. Let us work hard in making a difference, let us cooperate and be proactive with the government in the solution they know on hand. For now, the vaccine is our only hope for herd immunity and the latter is our only chance of getting back our independence – the independence to travel again, the independence to experience a normal school, the independence to work in a regular set-up, and the independence to enjoy company with the people around us. The life that we used to enjoy before this pandemic started - independence from the Covid19 scare and the fear it brings.
Perhaps we could no longer eradicate Covid19 from the face of this earth, but we can only pray that God will bring out amazing technology, bright minds and sincere hearts to explore medications and treatment strategies to adjunct the vaccines, making both processes effective in combatting Covid19. Well, there is nothing impossible with prayers, only God knows how to rise up multitudes of believers to pray without ceasing and make all these come to pass. In His time.
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
To end this Philippine Independence day recollection I am sharing this verse to remind us that **from** **ourselves we can bring healing into our lands.**
Anyway, yesterday was a bright sunny day in this part of world and I love doing discreet street photography with my mobile phone, enhance it with post processing to accentuate the common subject in this context. I don't do street photography often, just now because the flags everywhere are so uplifting to see. The last time I did photography in this genre was last 2017 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk.
For a week now, I can see the Philippine flag waving everywhere, proud and loud on the streets of this city, its a beauty that we seldom see nowadays. Students would see this often in the school ground, but now no more while classes are shifted at home, on the computer. Employees used to see the Philippine flag every Monday before commencing for work, but now we don't. The ordinary makeshift workers in the streets will only see the flag waved gracefully when Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao marched courageously before a boxing match.
I love how this day tickles our spirit of nationalism, it is a rare moment to enjoy. Most often, we only talk about ourselves, our life, our failures, our worries and our success. **NOW, it's time to boost our roots, and be proud to be Pinoy. 🇵🇭**
Happy Independence Day, kabayan!
Photos are all MINE.
#PhilippineIndepenceDay #Covid19
Course Against Cancer
Just as the captain of a ship charts the safer course by heeding signals, so too have many people made safe by recognizing the warning signs and signals of possible cancer and taking proper action.
I have written this because much people have been denying signals of possible cancer, when diagnosed one become poignant and would resort to depression, isolation, and self-pity. Which is actually a pessimistic approach to address this disease.
In fact, thousands of people are alive and well because they knew cancer’s warning signs and were treated in time. For your own protection, know the danger signals listed here:
1. Any sore that does not heal
2. A lump in the breast or elsewhere
3. Unusual bleeding or discharge
4. A change in a mole or wart
5. Persistent difficulty in swallowing
6. Persistent cough
7. Change in normal bowel movement
Remember, however, that **these signals do not always indicate cancer. Rather, they may just be signs that something is wrong – and that you should see your doctor promptly.** If cancer is found, priceless time will be gained by starting treatment immediately.
My teacher in Biology before detected cancer early as stage 1, she then immediately undergo treatment, a change in her diet and lifestyle was given appropriately for several months, she even lost her job as the Dean in the College of Education in the processes of recovery, but now, just recently, she is back teaching, living and cancer-free.
My cousin's wife also detected a lump on her breast one time and immediately asked her doctor to remove it for biopsy. When the result came, the mass was indeed malignant stage 1. Everyone in the family was crying, asking why and 'why me/her?' but her husband was a fighter and encouraged her for treatment. For 1 year, they kept everything a secret, even her Facebook was intentionally deactivated so she can concentrate on the treatment, also to stay away from negativity and pity party. She experienced gettting bald, skinny and sick while undergoing bouts of chemo and radiation therapy. Soon after all that, during our family reunion, she announced that she just recuperated from the sickness of cancer and its dreadful treatment, also cancer-free.
I am sharing these stories because these are successes from most horrific cancer stories we usually hear. Just this year, a high school teacher of mine died from cancer. She didn't make it, partly because it was detected late, I think it was already stage 3 when she knew it.
If people would act promptly when a warning sign is noticed… if apparently doctors will diagnose them early… then a lot of cancer patients will enjoy the rest of their lives.
Treatment, lifestyle change, proper motivation, support group (especially the family) and of course, God’s word will do wonders too, I quote this wonderful verse,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalms 103: 2-5
This will inspire anyone that we can have breakthrough and healing, claiming His promises to us.
Photos from Pixabay (no attribution required)
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#Cancer #CancerWarningSigns
The First Family Road Trip to Bukidnon
This article sparked into life when Facebook sent photos of "Memories Six Years Ago." As I scribbled on the photos the memory went vivid and so here I am converting those memories into words and maybe few years more I can appreciate much clearly this wonderful memory from this article. That's how amazing writing and photos can create.
Anyway, this is a memorable short vacation for me because this was the first road trip we had as family, no one was left behind everyone got tagged along!
Summer of 2015 we had a road trip from Iligan City to Maramag City, Bukidnon, it was a 6 hr. Long travel by land. That time RR Family Spring Resort was still a bit new to the public and so everyone in the family was excited to explore. The planning was simply put on paper the night before the trip, after my birthday. It started with a fun reminiscent talk of previous travel escapades we had when we went to Bohol for the family reunion, that too was our first to travel far as one big family. When my father said let's go in our chitchat, everyone was surprised and hurriedly said yes! Lol! Good thing we have leftovers from my birthday dinner, and we're jam packed for the getaway.
We left at around 5 o'clock before sunrise, everyone was excited and woke up so early even the kids were awake before we tap them to get up. We just have coffee and sandwich, I prefer eating my favorite leftover revel bars or oatmeal bars. After a quick breakfast, we're off in the road. My dad and my brother drove in shift, while the rest were back to sleep, including myself. We dropped by in Lantapan, Bukidnon, my younger brother's place, and we're on convoy going to our destination, still 2 hours farther.
Everyone were silent again during the trip, except for my dad driving and my mom on the front seat. I couldn't recall anymore what they were talking but I got up awake when they started debating about making a turn to that billboard sign beside a road going to a rocky path. We're all clueless, I just watch out for any signs that will lead us to the resort. My dad was still driving until we reached downtown of Maramag City. It was around 11AM that we passed by Jolibee, the kids wowed and complained starving to us so we decided to dropped by and dined in for lunch. After our meal, we went out and ask some locals for directions. Indeed, we passed by the resort already, we could have made that left turn from the billboard sign along the way. Bummer, my cousin's direction to us was "before entering the city from Davao" that's why my father drove past it. The right direction should be before the city's downtown coming from Cagayan de Oro, see the difference? Sigh. Anyway, this is how road trips should be getting lost once is okay, lol!
Finally, we reached our final destination RR Family Spring Resort and the place was amazingly beautiful, huge and clean. They have quite a number of pools for kids and for grown ups. They too have a fish pond for ornamental fishes like koi, carp and goldfish. The wonderful part is the pond for Coldwater Bangus (milkfish) and Tilapia, after checking in the boys went there to fish, the catch would be weigh and we will be paying how much the cost per kilogram. They planned to grill it afterwards and an instant dinner for everyone!
The place is huge, it has gardens landscaped beautifully, concrete pavements where we can walk conveniently to exercise or just stroll around the resort, the water is clean and cold because it is flowing freely from a spring somewhere and amenities is great, a bit expensive though but that is a price to pay for a wonderful experience. Anyway, we rented a big room like a dormitory type, this one is cheaper compared to the family rooms. It has a patio outside where we can eat, really convenient for the price. There are also guests on picnic during daytime, open cottages are available for rent, price depends on the size of the cottages.
We had the whole afternoon to swim, the kids wanted to swim and play in the water again at night but no way! The weather is cold because there are lots of trees and of course Bukidnon is a province with a cold weather like Baguio or Tagaytay.
Ambiance is wonderful, I love everything in this place. Before the sunset we went out for a walk and we can still feel the cold breeze, we don't care because later on we will be going back to our hot and humid home Iligan City. We left the resort at around 7am and off to a road trip again going home.
If I have to rate this place, I would still give 5/5. Though some services that time was not totally okay maybe because they're short of manpower.
I hope you enjoyed the tour with me. If you want to visit this place, you can search RR Family Spring Resort, Maramag, Bukidnon. Don't ask me for directions because you might get lost like us also, lol! 😂
Photos are all MINE. Some are posted in my Flick account.
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#RRFamilySpringResort #SummerGetaway #Roadtrip #MaramagBukidnon
Go Higher in Motivation
The good side of motivation is that it will surely take you places of success, though sometimes these little successes of our everyday lives can be intangible because we often view it as something ordinary whilst we can only appreciate them with realizations, a little meditation before proceeding with the busy bouts of life and of course in your prayer time. As for me, motivations are like responsibilities only that they're not tiring to think about.
I am the eldest of five siblings and growing up I was always encouraged by mother to be a responsible eldest sister. I can remember my mom nagging on me to humble down before my brothers and sisters, and she would slap me whenever I reason out over siblings petty quarrels. At a young age, I felt so much burdened on such responsibility. Worst comes to worst I felt so useless when I had my shortcomings. I experienced running away because I felt like I was a nobody in our home, I even attempted suicide because I always thought of myself as someone so worthless and useless. Soon, when I perk back to the reality I took responsibility as a mandatory obligation to always look into the welfare of my family.
All along as I grew up, the stiffness of my parents towards me was well, nevertheless beneficial. I was able to graduate college, passed the board exam thereafter, I was able to work in my alma mater few months after I got my professional license. In short, life was fine. However, looking back I wasn't completely fine.
Anyway, how did this brief history influenced me on MOTIVATION? It did, big time.
Again, these responsibilities were like motivations that I'm willing to beat no matter what. I'm taking it like a horse with blinkers!
Few months before leaving the Philippines to work overseas, I experienced a wedding proposal but I dumped it simply because he wanted me stay in the country, and unfortunately at the back of my mind were responsibilities for my family. Marrying wasn't an option that time while we still have debts (over me and my brothers' college expenses) a glimpse of the story can be seen here They Grow Money on Trees. On top of that our youngest will soon be in College, that time these were my motivation. So, for five years overseas I motivated myself to work and earn money for the sake of paying debts, and to help my parents finance our youngest college bills. I even dumped a marriage proposal. Only God knows how much I sacrificed and perhaps only God can reward me for that. I didn't tell my family about it cause I don't want them to feel guilty of my choices. https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/they-grow-money-on-trees-a-success-story-6ffa7dcc
Fast forward, after five years, I resigned from my work in Saudi Arabia and settled down in the Philippines. Here, I discovered that our youngest shifted from one course to another vice versa wasting money and prolonging the agony of my parents. Supposedly that year she must be a graduating student if my calculation served me right. Her delaying tactics let her graduate after 2 more years. Imagine?! When I was a student, my parents rules were like get a 5-year course and graduate in 5 years or else we will forever miss the diploma. But, because of favoritism our youngest had it her way.
Also, after that five years our debts were cleared, we had the land title back. However, my mom sold the property to my aunt in the following year and this breaks my heart.
Moreover, in Saudi Arabia I had a boyfriend of 3 years, planned with me to settle down, get married, have children, and enjoy life - wonderful lies a woman can have. That too was a disaster! My landing back to home sweet home was a mess, cruel, deceptive, and heartbreaking. This period of agony exacerbated because after overseas work I resorted to work as content writer for like 9 months and most writings were vehemently SAD. I cried while writing, I cried with my pilllow at night, I cried with the wind when I walk and run. I just cried. God must've seen me torturing myself, that He shutdown that website for good, I got sad for a bit I love writing and earning from there. But I can't move on from the bitterness if I have to linger on writing! So, yes! I became a Physical Therapist again, after few months of melancholic existence. Good news! God and my therapist self helped me with the healing.
Now, whenever I listened to Coldplay's "Champion of the World" I got reminded of that period in my life and smile. Those tough decisions, unpredictable outcomes and breakthroughs, are still a champion no matter what. Let me quote this part of the song because its inspiring how our life went upside down for life's motivation - and still be a champion! https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kayI9QB1-IA&list=RDAMVMkayI9QB1-IA
"So I'm flying on my bicycle
Heading upwards from the Earth
I am jumping with no parachute
Out into the universe
I have E.T. on my bicycle
Because giving up won't work
I am riding on my rocketship
And I'm champion of the world."
- Coldplay
Nice line, right?
**I have learned so far, giving up is never an option, we can build walls or build bridges to move on, both are alike - a motivation. We can say NO and still move forward because NO always comes with a reason.**
Perhaps today I am channeling motivation a bit different from before. I won't work for anyone or for something, I am motivated with a higher purpose.
*I work because God don't want me to be lazy.*
*I love because that's the greatest commandment.*
*I honor my parents, my family and others because that is charity.*
*I dream because hope is sweet.*
*I forgive because I deserve peace.*
*I write because life is tangible in words.*
- LykeLyca
What is yours?
This again is a writing prompt #2 : Motivation of @JonicaBradley
I was tagged few days ago by @MizLhaine
Tagging (without pressure) @bbyblacksheep
Here are the rules:
1. Write about motivation
2. Write 100% original content
3. Write at least 600 words
4. Tag me and @JonicaBradley
5. Have fun
Photos from Pixabay (no attribution required)
#Motivation #HigherInMotivation
Thank you JLoberiza for the sponsorship 😊 God bless!
May: The Force Be With You
The title originally from Star Wars, a famous remark of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I had chosen this title because for the past weeks of May, BCH struggled to reach another ATH. So, I just want to borrow this phrase for my wishes for BCH and our online earnings this June - May the force be with you!
Anyway, just a brief recap of how was the month of May for me on both platforms: readcash and noisecash, and a teeny weeny investment in Binance.
****My earnings**** went so well thanks to rusty and to some users who have been supporting me on this platform. For this month I reached $210 with 12 articles, this means I did a good job with my goal for this month to write 3 articles per week. The article that earned the most tip was about Covid19 Pandemic Stringent Measures. I wrote here how was our city after our Local Government Unit enforced stringent protocols. I earned $41.70 for this article and so far my highest in a single article here in read.cash. Earnings in noisecash improves too compared to my first month- April. This May I earned $25 that means roughly a dollar per day with 3-4 postings, not bad for sneaking some time from work. On a couple of days before the hiccups and adjustments with the heart tip, I was able to earn $2/ day, this makes me so happy because this would be a great momentum for June. However this was just short lived, when the heart tip went berserk, my goal for June in noise.cash to continue making $2/ day is unattainable with my number of subscribers. Meanwhile, Binance earning with the savings option is quite low maybe because of BCH running bear for most of the days this May. My BNB vault got me a chance to earn some TLM (cool because of its name "Alien Worlds" lol!). In addition, I got a new sponsorship from @Jane this month. Yay! Thank you! https://read.cash/@LykeLyca/covid19-pandemic-stringent-measures-4b5694b4
****Goal**** for June would most practically to increase my subscribers in noise.cash, go around and interact to attain 500 or more this month, I hope. As well as continue writing articles in this platform 3x/week or every other day, making 15 articles hopefully for June. Moreover, I want to venture out in other social media platforms for probable writers and my affiliates here. At the same time this would be an opportunity to educate them about Bitcoin Cash, as if I know much! Lol! Anyway, with continuous reading with heaps of articles about crypto here, we will all gonna learn as long as we keep our mind open for these opportunities.
****Sharing**** ****the blessings**** for May goes out to a stranger in noise.cash. I say stranger because this person never progress to someone I would constantly interact, it just disappear like a thief in the night after I transferred $5. So, I must've been scammed at that moment. Then, after a couple of weeks the issue explode and yes, I was I guess one of the victim. However, paying forward didnt stopped there. I used some part of my earnings for my parents annual medical check-up, that was before there Covid19 vaccination. I spent roughly $100 for the both of them - bloodworks and chest xray. So much grateful for the blessings here that I was able to share for my loved ones and others as well! Thank you everyone and praise God for this provision.
****To conclude****, I would be continuing my jourrney here, this immensely supplements my income in the real world. Pay in the Philippines is really just the minimum of the basic salary, while being a traveling PT might suffice it but right now with surging cases of covid19 most patients in homecare set up refused treatment. But life has to go on, whether or not this pandemic would affect us greatly, my goal for 1BCH and more has to live on.
May this platform be a continuous portal of provision from Him. To God be all the glory!
Photos from Pixabay (free to use no attribution required)
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Celebrating Pandemic Birthday
May 30 is a special day for me, it was the day my mom risked her life to bring me to this world. I know I'm special for them because as the eldest I gave them the first and fresh feeling being a mother and a father. Whenever I see my friends getting married and eventually giving birth to their first born, the excitement is by far the most memorable. Well, every experience is special some have had traumas too, that's why some couples couldn't aim for another baby. I'm glad I didn't gave them that predicament when they had me, with four more siblings, everyone is a blessing!
How was the day went? It was a bit busy, and fun. The busyness started Saturday, I have to juggle my time for my homecare patients and some tasks like grocery shopping, dropping by to confirm an order I made with this cake that didn't pushed through. Actually, I have to blame myself for being so obsess on the design, I could've settled for something different but my OC self takes over and stressing my days. So I ended with this new released yema cake in Red Ribbon and it really console me, I love it! The taste and sweetness is just right. My mom isn't a cake lover but she enjoyed a couple of slices.
Sunday morning I have to clean the kitchen before cooking. I just can't work on a very messy workplace, and it's hard to complain because we don't have househelp and everyone is as busy as me, so i just have to do it. Before lunch, I was able to finish all the cleaning so after our meal, I rested a bit and proceeded with - again kitchen stuff, lol! Guess, I became a kitchen buddy on my birthday. I only have plans of cooking baked spaghetti, but when my dad said he wanted chicken viand later I opted to cook chicken afritada too. I was here, there and everywhere for 3 hours - cooking, washing the serving dish, changing the table cloth, etc. I got no time for my online routines during the day with noise.cash, however my mind was over there. In the morning I noticed that the heart tip wasn't right instead of the usual 0.01 I got 0.001, I kept asking myself if I was tagged as spammer or somebody might have rated me negatively. This has been running on my mind the entire day.
Dinner came and all are set. My colleagues who lives nearby wanted to come, I told them its okay because we don't have visitors, but they didn't come perhaps because of fear too. The rising covid cases in our city is really alarming despite of the stringent protocols, just yesterday there were 58 new cases for that day alone and that was by far the highest recorded case in the city since the pandemic started. Now, who would love to go out for social gatherings?! None, I hope. Yet there are still stubborn people everywhere infecting others so now we are in crisis. Just sad that we have to endure another pandemic birthday, part 2, lol!
Since traveling was put on hold for more than a year now, I was able to afford 1 lechon for my birthday, hahah! If not for the pandemic I would still be celebrating a simple one because my budget would always go for my bucketlist, lol! So, we enjoyed the whole lechon for ourselves plus the viand I cook and the "dinuguan" (package with the lechon). While eating my niece was watching a movie from Netflix "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" a bit funny cartoon movie for kids, but entertaining so all of us ended watching it. Well, you'll be amazed watching food not from our dinner table, but in the movie- falling from the sky like rain!
The day ended in noise.cash, I've seen quite a number of users experiencing the same predicament with the heart tip, thus I got a sigh of relief maybe this is just one of the adjustments we have to endure for a newly developed platform. So, all good. I have to stick around with it.
That's it and thanks for reading another random article popping out for convenience! Lol!
Photos are all MINE
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#PandemicBirthday
The Awesomeness of Freedom
There is always something awesome when we think of freedom. Living alone in a country with so much freedom is wonderful (some even abused it), I can't imagine living any place where government suppress some of our rights for suffrage, our right to choose what career path we want to take, and of course in some places, the longest battle of women for freedom to practice some things they aren't allowed doing because of gender. Freedom on this agenda is complicated, like the case of Myanmar's democratic crisis, freedom is futile as I see it for now. Sad.
Moreover, each of us are battling our own freedom. No matter how free/happy we could be in a general state, deep inside we are on bondage, we are crying for help, and we are fighting for freedom. **We have those shackles that we longed to be free**.
What are these shackles that limits our freedom?
**POVERTY**. This is very common in a lot of people around us. We see them on the streets, homeless, nothing to eat. They roam around, yet they're not free. Some might not be on the streets, but they're stuck in poverty too, some in debts. **Being poor is not a bondage, but laziness is**. Some don't want to learn, and when the government help them with livelihood projects they would see it in a different way, others would neglect it and some abuse it. They want easy money, they don't want to work for it. Thus, there is no room for improvement.
"A lazy person has trouble all through life; the path of the upright is easy."
- Proverbs 15:19
**PAST TRAUMA**. We have this wound from the past that keeps our freedom to enjoy life, like physically or verbally abused, molested and raped, witnessing heinous crimes and death, etc. We love hiding them in the secret corners of our mind and heart, but when you're reminded of it, the trauma and the pain resurface hurting you again. I admit I have been on this bondage too before and it hurts everytime I had a conflict with someone that involves insulting and belittling words, it's sad because I would break in tears and I would sob like the pain was still so fresh. (Its a long story maybe I have to make another article about it) . But one thing for sure, I was set free long ago when I know that **Jesus cares about my past and He heals them,** yes I had closure and healing.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."
- Isaiah 53:5
**SICKNESS AND DISEASES**. I have one patient with bone cancer that is consuming his back, he could no longer walk and enjoy other things he love doing. He used to love early morning or late afternoon walks but could no longer make it, he got stuck on his wheelchair perhaps for a lifetime, and he once said this to me **"my freedom is compromised"**. How about us on this time of pandemic? Aren't we freedom compromised too? Yes. We are. But faith will keep us going despite all the restrictions.
"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see."
- Hebrews 11:1
**OBSESSIONS.** We think wealthy people are free, but not really? They are in bondage too from the obsessions they want from life, things or power, anything that controls them and hinder their chance to enjoy a free and happy life is a malady. **There is no freedom in continous worrying over what we want to acquire.** Yes, we need to work for our dreams and goals in life, but it must not come to a point of hurting people, of corruption, wrong manipulation and eventually destroying ourselves. Our motive should be fair and just before God.
"Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes, if revenue, then revenue, if respect, then respect, if honor, then honor."
- Romans 13:7
**FRUSTRATIONS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.** The constant beating that we give to ourselves when we make mistakes, when we fail on something, and when we lack in our efforts to accomplish things. Not to mention parents who nags their children with low academic performance in school. Give yourself a break! Forgive yourself. And parents, take it easy. **Life is better with less expectations and no comparisons. Each of us are unique, in gifts, life, family, struggles, and story**. Be free!
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9
Freedom will always be man's nature to fulfill. We all are in this playing field and our mind is the battlefield. Whatever bondage you are in, know that God's wisdom will always enlighten your mind for answers, for comfort, peace and healing. If you are suffering with doubts about yourself and God, ask God and He will make Himself known to you in an amazing way!
Writing this made me realize that freedom encompasses a lot of issues in life. However, we rarely see it, because we've been so busy working and living. **One day, will find the awesomeness of freedom and make life in this world worth living.**
Cheers to freedom!
I was tagged by these lovely ladies @Jane @bbyblacksheep and @Momentswithmatti for the Writing Prompt : Freedom of @JonicaBradley
Tagging @Bloghound @MizLhaine and @leejhen@leejhen 😊 you ladies might have something to share about this topic. 👍
The article should be:
Anything about Freedom
100% original content
At least 600 words
And don't forget to tag @JonicaBradley
Photos from Pixabay (free to share, no attribution required)
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#Freedom
Thanks @Jane for the sponsorship! 💚 Touch nmn ako madam, nagulat ako swear🥰
Living Alone and Leaving Home
Some people believe that living alone is advantageous. The independence offers a lot of convenience in many important personal, economic and social issues.
Furthermore, they hold this notion that being independent sets them off from a lot of responsibilities. You would be caring less from the stress of having someone to dictate you of how to decorate the house, when to tidy up, what time to go home, what groceries to buy, who would use the bathroom first, and a lot more. Economically, living alone is practical too. This means budgeting for food and other necessities would only depend on you.
However, I don’t agree that living alone is advantageous in all aspect. Maybe if I have to work overseas far from home, indeed being alone would be an only option. But for someone whose family is just near, I still adhere to the Filipino’s mentality of “family”. It is always warm to come home every single day from work with your family, spending dinner together and have an opportunity to talk about everything. It is also gratifying to spend some of your money with them, and create that opportunity to help each other. Financially, everyone can contribute to the budgeting; one should just conform and adjust with others.
In my experience, I have been an Overseas Worker for 5 years in the Middle East. I did a pretty good job living alone in the company’s villa for Filipino employees. Unfortunately, for 5 long years too, I kept missing the crowd that I have back home, and I thank the technology we have now that we can easily access making video calls in order to eliminate homesickness. Though, I believe that we have friends around us to keep us company, still nothing can suffice the company with one’s family.
Therefore, I still adhere to the thought that living with family is more advantageous to the society; psychologically it uplifts spirits and improves our social well being.
P.S. Just tonight I was skimming over some essays I wrote when I reviewed for the IELTS test few months ago and the one you’ve read up was one of them. I published it here because I was reminded of @bbyblacksheep article about Comfort Zone.
In a personal note, for Filipinos, I know we are so much inclined in working abroad for better opportunities, thus it seems living alone in a foreign land is just a common segment of our lives. So, I think it is always best to spend every moment with your family now that you’re with them so when the time comes that you have to leave and work from afar, you can always look back on the time and moments you have invested with them in the past.
Leaving our comfort zone can be sad really, but we can set our mind for better chances to grow and other helpful/ brighter perspective in order to make leaving less painful.
**"Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons."**
Donald Miller
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#LivingAlone #LeavingHome #ComfortZone
Books I Grow Up With
Milestones are these progressive events that we learned and developed as we grow older. Like when you utter your fist word mama or papa at 10 months, and learn to walk at 12 months.
My journey through life with books were like milestones as I see it through now. I tried to jog my memories how it begun and I must say that it started in the library in primary school. The library perhaps was so enchanting for me in my childhood.
When I was a little kid, I can only remember my grandmother reading the newspaper and my mom on her favorite tagalog (Filipino) magazines. That was the only exposure I had with reading at a very young age when I even don't know how to read yet. Thus, my perusal with these things were only through photos, that's it.
On my elementary days, the school had a huge library, the smell of books was addicting and the silence of the place was fascinating. At this point, my love affair with books started. I'm a fan of borrowing books from the library and even stayed there if we don't have "patentero" practice with my classmates. Perhaps at the age of 9, I explored reading thick hardbound books of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. These were the books, I could remember reading with. Most stories were suspense, mystery and thrilling kind of genre. Funny, I must've indulged so much on this stuffs that I started to have nightmares few months before our graduation, this time my mom started to become frantic and guess I had a long day of scolding from the books I've been reading. Mind you, these books aren't morbid and horrifying, just my mom overreacting.
Since then, my mom forbids me to read books of that sort. However, in middle school I got hooked reading comics! This time I was not alone reading in the library because most of my classmates were a fan too- of Archie, Betty and Veronica, well Jughead too. I so love them way way back, lol! My age must be showing now. Obviously, these comical series can't be available in the school library, but that time there was this bookworm hub available in the city that offers books for rental, and this has been my sweet abode aside from my room. I always spare some money in renting books, eventually I got bored following Archie and his gang and started readiing Sweet Valley High - just a superficial romantic novels of high school drama, first love, crushes, and etc. Well, pretty much of an opposite from the first reading obsession so I didn't get any scolding from my mom.
My literally book-ish milestone went up to college, this time with Danielle Steel's novels, and yes I'm still renting the books from that hub in the city. The bookkeeper already knew me, lol! And she even sponsored my membership that last year when the shop got closed. Sigh. Fortunately for some time, perhaps the reading population grew in number, another shop opened near our house. That time I'm all smile watching it open, it was like seeing ice cream in a hot summer day. However that time, I will be on my third year with my Physical Therapy course and reading pocketbooks was replaced with reading and studying absurdly thicker textbooks like the human anatomy, physiology, neuroanatomy, medical/surgical conditions and etc. It was a whole new world of reading exploration, this time not for a hobby but rather working on my future. For like four years I had completely forgotten pocketbooks. My face got stucked on the books I need to devote to pass the PT board exams. By God's grace I passed the exam and behold I'm done with the textbooks! Only for half a year.
Six months after passing the board exam, I got employed back to the school where I graduated as a College Instructor for the College of Physical Therapy, part-time with the College of Nursing. This time I have to love again the textbooks that was once thrown out from my life, for the sake of adulthood - career and work path. This time I juggle it with the books I grow up with, not the pocketbooks from Danielle Steel or Sweet Valley High, Archie, Nancy Drew and the like. The milestone leveled up, guess I mature somehow.
The first comeback book I've read was the "Little Prince," those cute illustrations and drawings were maybe too childish but it has deeper meaning about friendship, family and life. This genre took me to the books of Mitch Albom, Paulo Coelho, Og Mandino and other authors who writes stories about life in general.
**Today, I'm still on my reading streak with read.cash and I still love reading YOUR story and writing my story in between.**
The bonus of earning and learning about BCH and cryptocurrencies will always be a new delight exploring at this new era of digital technology. Well, I love this part too!
Just amazing where my reading takes me!
Just a random article when I had a fun short chit-chat with a patient this morning while she's on treatment.
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#Books #NancyDrew #HardyBoys #ArchieComics #SweetValleyHigh #DanielleSteel #PauloCoelho #MitchAlbom #TheLittlePrince #OgMandino #textbooks #ReadingMilestone #ReadingJourney
@LykeLyca
