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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Hard to say what it is I see in you...

because I don't allow anyone in for fear of...LOVE. As far as I can remember, dating has always been something I had a hard time doing...until now. It's hard to believe that 1 in 5 relationships stems from an online dating site. YES. I have known at least 5 couples who are either married, engaged or really f*cking serious at the moment and its comforting to know that 20% of all successful relationships happen within the interwebs, which brings me to the point of social networking sites. You know which ones I'm talking about. Don't even try and front dude. I know. That one never even crossed my mind, but whatevs. Go for it DIVA!

Could you possibly see yourself being a main attraction after responding to a tweet? For someone who has NO prior knowledge of you, through 140 words or less, can now respond to you and instantly grab your attention? In this day in age, who says you can't meet perfect gentlemen on the internet. I've found and gone on dates with at least 3, since Halloween. Yes. I know, lame for like, 2.3 seconds but kinda fun at the same time. The most recent is through the brilliant idea of microblogging, developed by Jack Dorsey,
Evan WilliamsBiz Stone-TWITTER. If you don't already have one, get on it. If you don't see the point in it now, I guarantee you will in the next 6 months. If you don't have a business to promote or a record to release or a baby on the way, this may not apply to you...but if you are a tech-savvy business person, you would create a free profile. RIGHT. NOW. or if you just wanna tap some a$$, this DEFINITELY applies to you. It's probably better than match.com or Plentyoffish.com and I'll tell you why. You can keep scrolling down on someone's profile, granted that they keep their tweets unprotected like all them teen moms on MTV, and legitimately stalk that person. You can even do a search to see what other people say about them under the trending topics. So yes, this is kind of silly, I admit,  but totally legit. I kinda like the outcome of this happenstance and only time will tell what will come of it.
I am not professing any kind of love for the aforementioned but just an observation I am reveling in. Not sure what has been presented in front of me but organically, I like where its going. Subconsciously, I have dreamt of such a happenstance and grateful for the pace that it seems to be going in. I am living in the direction that God intended me to go and I continue to pray that it all unfolds at the right moment.

Friday, December 24, 2010

The Kardashian Brand-Christmas EDITION


Yes, I do Keep up with the Kardashians. As far as being a family business I gotta high 5 them for their savvy BRANDING skills. How can someone who was a stylist to the celebrities end up earning $40,000 per episode and has a net worth of $6 million? Between the fabulous Kris and ex-Olympian Bruce Jenner, they have 10 children who are all in the public eye. The beautiful Kim, well known for her infamous sex tape with singer Ray J (Brandy's lil bro) and the most popularly watched reality show, Keepin' Up with the Kardashians as well as the most recent installation, Kourtney and Kim take NY, has given rise to her uh, fame as well as her bank roll. Kourtney and her seemingly improved baby daddy, Scott Disik and their little Mason has become quite popular as well. The oddball sister, Khloe is married to Laker Lamar Odom and has had radio segments in Miami and has endorsed a slimming product called QuikTrim. Robert Kardashian (named after their OJ-Simpson lawyer father) had a brief relationship with a Cheetah girl but that's really all he's famous for other than being a sibling. The two youngest sisters, Kylie and Kendall are both kickstarting their careers in the modeling world signed on with the prestigious Wilhelmina. Kris Jenner, aka MOMAGER had done a great job at pimping out her family and I want to high 5 her for that. Way to make Hollywood fund your lifestyle!

BUT, I have to wonder WHY are people obsessed with such vapid shows? Or are they relatable enough to the point of skyrocket ratings that E! appreciates having. I mean, I am 30 and so is Kim-what is she doing right that I don't have a great handle on yet? Our lives are incomparable but you have to wonder if it's fate that would have her be this $6 million asset to the Entertainment world or just a mixture of tenacity and networking in Hollywood that put her there.  Ryan Seacrest serves as executive producer of the shows and he's another one to watch. He has, like, 4 jobs on television...why not share the love shorty? I mean, really?!?!? But, to be honest, if I were in his position I'd probably hog all the attention too. ALL I know is that these people work hard and their longevity just keeps on being perpetuated as long as viewers tune in and watch the drama ensue.

I wonder if God has his hands in this. I am praying that my hard work, tenacity and commitment to do well in the Entertainment Industry pays off. I may not have a perfume or a sex tape out there, but I will do everything else with God's help to get me to a net worth of a couple million. My desire to help others and give of my resources is not quite conducive with my current JOB(s) so I gotta do something. LEARN and become a sponge to what the Kardashians are doing.

CHEErS To you on this Christmas Eve!




 Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology

Friday, December 17, 2010

Bi-Sexual Actress, Deitrich-inspired Tuxedo Wear

The Fabulous Marlene Deitrich pioneered this look in the 30' and 40's and is NOW making a reprise down the red carpet. Deitrich was publicized as a bisexual actress late in her career so it makes 'sense' for her to have outfitted herself in menswear. Fast forward to 2010 where gender biases are constantly being blurred and crossed over due to the power that women have now in the workforce. Sure, we still earn about 75 cents to every dollar that a male counterpart earns but I am seeing a lot of men take a backseat and staying at home with the itty bitties. I have a pocketful of friends where the papa stays at home while the mama brings home the bacon. She is seen as an equal rather than the traditional 'breadwinner' definition that we have been socialized to think as far as financial wealth. The men do not feel emasculated at all, they are proud to have a powerhouse lady getting her hands dirty out there and putting food on the table (NOT cooking it, necessarily-there's take-out for that).
I know that I will definitely be working my brown butt off even if my male counterpart, whoever that may be, is a successful well-to-do business man or rock star. For every successful man, there is an even more successful and level-headed woman. OR something like that. Barack is only made cooler because of Michelle's tenacity and hands-on approach to the atrocities going on in the world (Haiti, Palestine etc.) She is headstrong and can definitely hold her own, sans the articulate and well-spoken, trying to quit nicotine, Barack.

SO, I have been tracking this look lately (from Joan Rivers' Fashion Police and Magazines) and is forecasting a resurgence of the modified pant suit for us ladies in the upcoming season of Academy, SAG and Golden Globe awards. Jennifer Connelly stole my look for NYE but I'm not mad at her. Go 'head girl!
If you have a hot body but want to wear menswear and still maintain a feminine silhouette, follow the guide above from FabSugar.com. Cheers to you and happy shopping for that PERFECT Femme Tuxedo look a la Deitrich!

Keepin' it 100 (as in 100% all day everyday)

Yes. That is indeed, the fabulous Edie Falco and I on the set of the final episode of Season 3: Nurse Jackie. If you're not a fan, please HULU or webwire it right now and you'll know why I love the show SO dang much! She leads such a great example for those wanting to be successful in the industry. Her great attitude and humble personality and generosity towards the cast and crew is exemplary-something that the show Gossip Girl should learn from. NOT trying to dis GG but the younger actors have an upturned nose, holier than thou attitude that I cannot partake in. I have a newfound respect for veteran actors whose longevity is marked by their gracious selves and humble attitude.

THERE is however, another thing that I cannot stand and that my friends, is THIEVERY. I was called on set to film a scene and was gone for maybe an hour and half only to get back to the holding room to find my phone amiss. YES. I had never had a problem with personal items going missing in holding rooms until yesterday. I truly had a knippsh*t when I discovered my plugged in phone with earbuds lost. GONE. NADA MUCHO. The thief, left the charger plugged onto the wall AND my $30 Apple earbuds. Seriously, WHAT?!?!?! Much to my dismay and the amazing Kevin (PA on set) making a heartfelt announcement to everyone in the holding room, the phone never turned up. My SAMSUNG Fascinate was no more. I immediately called VERIZON to suspend the service and my insurance company to file a claim. Several minutes and $90 later, I get a nice representative to assure me that I will get a replacement phone at my door in T-minus 4 hours from when I write this blog. I don't know what to make of it. Was God teaching me a lesson in being more human and actually interacting with people face to face rather than sitting in the corner, minding my own business with my nose buried in the newest fascination in my life...my dang mobile phone?

I had a great time in the holding room interacting with fellow actors doing the grind out here in NYC and opening up their souls to me as they empathize with my situation. So, I guess, it's not KARMA after all...just God's way of making me PAY closer attention to what's important-people and relationships. NOT an electronic device to make my life more complicated than it needs to be. Keepin' it 100 as Ray J would say.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Zuckerberg=Person of the year 2010



Lev Grossman writes,

"He is formidably quick and talks rapidly and precisely, and if he has no data to transmit, he abruptly falls silent. ("I usually don't like things that are too much about me" was how he began our first interview.) He cannot be relied on to throw the ball back or give you encouraging facial cues. His default expression is a direct and slightly wide-eyed stare that makes you wonder if you've got a spider on your forehead. "


I can't help but wonder how our world would be like today if not for this 26 year-old mastermind of FACEBOOK. I mean, if it were a country, it would rank 3rd next to China and India. That blows my mind! How did a single man create a social network that connects 550 million people speaking 75 languages? DISTRACTION. He wanted his dorm at Harvard to connect with other dorms on campus and then to other Ivy Leagues like Princeton and Yale and then eventually people caught on. Every 1 out of 12 people alive right now has a Facebook page. Our quench for connectivity and closeness to our loved ones, even those remote people that would never know our name in a million years could now share a site to do just that. CONNECT. ENGAGE...distract. YES. Distraction. The amount of time spent face-stalking or reading about a new band or retail shop or restaurant is mind-boggling. Mapping out our social networks in a very intricate and meticulous way (much like Mark's attentiveness to his fingernails) is both genius and detrimental to our health. I find myself logging on for hours to try and reconnect with old friends who are now proud parents or are expecting or feel like I attended a wedding I was invited to but could not make. Even in tragedies like my mom having cancer last year was alleviated because of all the prayer posts and support that my friends and family wrote on my Facebook 'wall'. It is used as a springboard for ideas, a therapy session, a soapbox for opinions on current events or favorite foods. Incredible idea spawned from DISTRACTION and need to connect.
There are things in life that should be kept private and for those of us living the entrepreneurial route, we like to PROMOTE, ENGAGE and INCLUDE our faithful followers/friends in what we're trying to sell. COMMERCIALIZE. Even the fact that I have a 'blog' about my everyday musings is inspired because of social networks. Having a beautiful mind like Zuckerberg's is a thing to be envious while simultaneously glad NOT to have because it could be very dangerous and wonderful all at once. I cannot even begin to see the little hamsters rolling around in HIS brain at night. I could hardly keep mine at bay and as a result, insomnia takes over and keeps me hostage for hours upon hours. 

As it is now, I have about 23 tabs above connecting me to distractions that feel relevant for the work that I do, but really? Finding out the balance between work and distraction. It's a fine line but I owe it all to Mark Zuckerberg for making me the social network manager of my life (and my clients). Whew. Thank goodness for FB and a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to the man behind it all!



Wake-up Call from Paris

My brother Brian called me from the storefront to tell me he was getting me a box of these delicious morsels of ganache.



So it's 10 days before Christmas and French macarons has got to be on my list of favorite things. (Hint, hint Santa) My amazing brother called me at 8 in the morning FROM gay Paris to tell me that he was walking towards the infamous macaron shop. Because I am obsessed with the French culture, even studying the language from Junior High to College, I almost peed my pants when I got the call. Like, for real. If you were to put a french macaron in front of me and a cheeseburger, I would probably opt for the sweet, sometimes savory former. Yes, flavors like wasabi grapefruit or vanilla rose petal seem a bit curious but I like that Pierre HermΓ© combines interesting fillings with the beautiful meringue-esque egg white almond flour and 2 kinds of sugar goodness to sandwich the exotic filling like dulce de leche with fleur de sel. One day I will learn to make some from home and replicate Pierre's recipes but for now, I will be waiting by my mailbox of assorted macarons from my brother. 

REASON number 5 for moving to Paris=Pierre HermΓ© macarons. 

Who wants to go to Almondine in Dumbo, Brooklyn in the meantime? 
My awesome NOT-SO-LIttle Brother BRIAN and I

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Way to GO Marivic



My friend's dad, Gary Black is one of the best speakers I have ever heard and I am excited to share this with you. Growing up Catholic, I felt critical to whomever was speaking to the congregation because they would always speak about how righteous they were and how perfect everything is if you prayed to the right saints and confessed your sins. There was a formula to being close to God and I felt inadequate, still sometimes do but I realize that there IS no right formula to guarantee you a spot in heaven. At this point in my life, I am not interested in achieving or doing the right things to get me a key into aforementioned destination. I just got back from another message from the Brooklyn Tabernacle with my Tuesday night small group from Forefront Church and the pastor said something very poignant. NO one deserves to be loved by God, he just does it. There's nothing you can do to get him to love you, he just DOES it because his love is unconditional.
I challenge you to BELIEVE in a God of your choosing (Buddha, Allah, Krishna, Vishnu, Tom Cruise's God etc) for a week and read whatever book is written and let me know how much (or less) your life has been enriched. I know mine has been enriched in the year and a half that I decided to follow Christ and it has been a struggle but grateful that I started to grow in my faith that I was making someone proud. That I was pleasing him by doing the right thing and helping others who are less fortunate or just at a bad place in their life, or that I forgave someone that did me wrong because that's what HE would've done.
There are still a handful of people that I care about that claim to be agnostic or atheist and I just pray that God touches their heart in a similar way that he's touched mine because I am a much better human being because of it. I am still a broken person with my own misgivings and insecurities but I know that God will ALWAYS have love for me just as I have for him for accepting me the way I am. Broken. Deprived of parental guidance and love. Selfish. Selfless. Stubborn. Philanthropist. FOODIE. Dreamer. Realist. Daughter. Sister. Friend.
Glad that I can call upon God in both times of need and praise as I hear and BELIEVE him say, "Way to Go, Marivic." HIGH 5'ing you dude upstairs! Thank you for being awesome and loving me unconditionally...

JUST BReATHe~ even if I DIDN't end up being the baby mama

BReATHe. Simple concept right? (TAT credit to my friend Joe Squadrito) BUT what does it really mean to take a step back and DO just that? I recently saw engagement type pictures but with a pregger wife and hubby with their dog frolicking in San Francisco and it made me think. This time 2 years ago, I could have ruined the aforementioned scenario by flying to SF for New Year's Eve to spend time with said hubby. It's amazing what being in the right place at the right time can do to the destination of your current situation. Now, this is not to say that I could have replaced the pregger wife but they would not have met on NYE if I had flown to SF like I planned. BREATHE. God has always provided an answer to my prayers and he did by bring the ~Los back in my life and then he quickly put a fork in the road so that he can meet his now, beautiful and accomplished baby mama. I was in a somewhat relationship at the time back in NY so I chose NOT to fly to SF like I had planned with the ~Los . We had decided that after he flew me out just a month and a half before for my 27th birthday that we needed to spend some more time together. Well, I'm glad that I didn't end up going there because to see him SO happy with her and their soon-to-be born baby warms my heart. YES. I said WARM my heart, NOT eat at my heart. Is like that old saying, "If you love someone, set them free..."

I am thankfully still in his life, even if I didn't end up being his baby's mama but glad that I can still call him up and tell him how proud I am of him and the direction that his life has taken. I will always have a friendship with him no matter where our lives take us. BREATHE. Taking a really deep one now as I reflect on my past, and being grateful that I can only lean on God's plan and NOT on my own understanding. I am really adhering to that plan of attack because there are things that I cannot explain and I know that the dude upstairs has a fantastic handle on it...WAY more than I can ever imagine.
 So, remember to BREATHE and know that everything will fall into place before you even know it. Happy to be where I'm at in life and high-five-ing everyone who has enriched it over the years...

Sunday, December 12, 2010

SAS reunion kickoff with photographer Noah KALINA



My one day a week at Alias is proving to be a good investment of my time. I promised myself that I would never go back to the restaurant/bar industry but the cost of living in NYC keeps rising while I remain in the unpredictable world of freelance. My stubbornness really gets the best of me sometimes and I had to swallow my pride and find a way to make some extra cash in order to tag-team sponsor a child I met in Uganda. Sunday's brunch shift was extra special because I ended up serving a fellow SASer
who was in time.com's top 50 most watched YOUTUBE videos. His 6 year photo-journal of himself has been viewed over 17 million times and imitated by all walks of life. I cannot believe it's been almost 10 years since we sailed the open seas but he is an absolute inspiration to keep up with your passion and to retain that travel bug. He was excited to tell me, over his medium-rare steak and scrambled eggs, about an upcoming job in Shanghai. I told him that I would be back on the ship next month for the reunion voyage sailing from Nassau to San Juan and that I would check out his infamous video. After my shift, I proceeded uptown to be at church and listened with undivided attention to the 3rd part of our Giving Birth to Life series.
Conversing with Noah and hearing the message that Brian delivered put things in perspective once again and solidified my decision to book the reunion voyage and see the world encore fois. High 5 Universe! You've done it again.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

My newly-parent friends BEWARE of your LIFE schemes

Reading about the latest suicide making headlines just made me think of how much responsibility is attached with being a parent. Being female and entering the dirty 30's unwed and sans child makes your inner ticking reverberate louder and louder. Is there such a thing as being READY to be a parent? Probably not. NO financial status, university education, self-made instruction manual or therapy session can prepare you. AS I read about the Ponzi scheme offspring, Mark, I am definitely putting on the brakes to the possibility of involving a child in my life. YES. I am feeling the Angelina-syndrome of adopting a bunch of babies and then hooking up with a gorgeous (married) man and spawning a brood of genetically matched offsprings as we speak, but AM I equipped with enough good tidings to pass on to said itty bitty? Like, seriously. Do my everyday decisions and business transactions reflect what that itty bitty is going to later on emulate? Mark repeatedly denied that he had knowledge of his father's Ponzi scheme but really? How can you be an investor in your OWN father's company and not know that he was swindling millionaires and billionaires of their own hard-earned duckets?

Would my choices to give back to the universe and volunteering my time and resources to my church be seen as altruistic or 'showing-off' to redeem my past poorly-made choices? Not sure what my future kids would think of me as their mother but I am already one step ahead of them. I definitely want to procreate with a gorgeous UNMARRIED man but can we be a couple who will set a GOOD personal example for our itty bitties? I guess I'll have to be careful not to device a Ponzi scheme so that they don't hang themselves in their SoHo apartment.

*NOTE-phrase 'itty-bitty' was inspired by my cherry pie and top 'mo friend: Jeff Dreher. Gracias.

THE POST headlined the story today, read it if you want to:

Friday, December 10, 2010

Food Wars and Harley Davidson

Being in dirty Jersey for most of the day was pretty awesome! Got to meet the fabulous Camille Ford (you can too)http://vyou.com/camille# and found out that she has the same crew as Adam on the Travel Channel. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I am gratefully blessed to be surrounded by food experts who have been exposed to America's greatest palatable joints. I can't wait to do a FOOD-WAR with both Camille and Adam. I should totes abs add it on my bucket list!

As for the Harley Davidson shoot, a bit different from the other 4 shoots I've been on. NO Milwaukee Thunders on site today but being OUTSIDE of the dealership made the shoot more efficient and QUICK! I was impressed at how much we got done by 330pm. HIGH 5 to the cast and crew of the Spring/Summer 2011 catalog!

Here's a little sneak peak:

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Engaged to the dude upstairs

As I let the Melatonin and Valerian root take their course in my veins, I have a few minutes until I am in deep sleep without having to count some ugly a$$ sheep.
I have to admit, the last couple of weeks have been extremely eventful due to the fact that I have unlocked what life is like to have it be completely OUT of your control. Like in Proverbs, I am NOT leaning on my own understanding but letting it up to the dude upstairs to pave the road in front of me. I still have a bit of excess concrete on the side to pave my  OWN path but I am slowly but surely letting it dry out. Seeing my small group leader get baptized and hearing the stories of why people chose to let GOD into their lives is humbling and quite refreshing to see them renew their FAITH.
As I reflect on my OWN deductive reasoning to letting the dude into my life, I can't help but think about my life without him. I was SO much harder on myself before that step of acceptance and the pressure of having to be a certain way and make a certain amount of money and make the right group of people surround me and wear just that right shade of red on my lips to attract the opposite sex is now more and more irrelevant to being H-A-P-P-Y.
I still feel like I have to make a certain amount of money *especially here in NYC and be surrounded by JUST the right group of people and attract the opposite sex but the pressure is off and I am more concerned about making my existence be for the dude I am having a very intimate relationship with.(-GOD-) As my Auntie Sor Paz is getting ready to celebrate 50 years as a nun, I am preparing to have a lasting relationship with GOD as a civilian...NOT married to him like my auntie. If you had asked me a year and a half ago if I would accept Christ into my life, the answer would have been a resounding MAYBE but now it is an absolute HECK YEAH!
I feel a glaze coming over my brain and my eyes are getting heavier and heavier as the Valerian root and Melatonin make their way into my blood stream...so until the next musing. Bonne Nuit tout le monde!

Cha Cha Flash Mob in NYC




I am sad I cannot partake in this. Sorry Staci and Conroe but I sure am gonna post it on my blog so that my NY peeps can join in on the fun!

Love you both @flashmobamerica!

Man Vs. Food buddy and me as a self-proclaimed foodie

So, I consider myself a foodie and I am lucky to have Adam Richman as one of my guides to the best spots in NY and other cities in the US to satisfy my mouth watering cravings. If you don't already, follow him on Twitter @AdamRichman or subscribe to the Travel Channel's YOUTUBE channel:
Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food

Adam and I used to ruminate about theatre and acting when I tended bar in the Slope at the new pub on the block called Cherry Tree Bar. This was 4 years ago. Since then, our conversation at the Barnes and Noble in Union square has turned into a nation-wide obsession with food and travel. LOVE IT! Adam is an inspiration and more importantly, a good friend.

I recently had a Dirty 30 FilthyPino brunch and cooked up a Filipino Food Feast. My mom is a great cook so I learned to cook by helping her out in the kitchen and watching her make magic under fire. The menu consisted of pansit, lumpia shanghai, chicken adobo, sapin sapin, bibingka, halo-halo, longanisa, tocino and rice. I know. I went a little overboard but it was delish and it really made me miss home and my mom's cooking.
Anyhoo, if you love food and have recommendations in your city, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will record myself at that establishment and post it on here. I have traveled the world and have an iron stomach so bring on the weird, textured, hard to pronounce, saucy, gooey, buttery goodness and challenge me to eat it. *WARNING* Must be a legit place of business (preferably with an 'A' rating, ok. I'll settle for a 'B' rating as well) GRaciaS everyone!

2nd blog in one day...I know. NEPOTISM at its best

As I smell the Coconut Milk Mango scented Illume candle (http://www.illumecandles.com/pages/searchresults.cfm?selectmethod=Fragrance&searchkeyS=12&keyword=&x=16&y=13 at my bedside table, I can't help but be inspired by today's wonderment. I'm a big fan of aromatherapy and my senses are being overloaded and now feel inspired to type my morning ruminations.
I recently read an article by a fellow tweeter, @LorenIdinger: http://fb.me/uTb7I0Pm about some tips on being a millionaire at 30. This, of course was already on my vision board that I stare at EVERDAY and now have to revise and edit because the images, text, goals that I had placed on there have 98% come to fruition. YES. I received a check for $1300. CHECK. Yes. My mother is now in remission from her cancer. CHECK. Yes. I now have a place to live (I didn't for 6 months after taking a hiatus from NYC to be in chemotherapy with my mom in CA) CHECK. Yes. I have produced and directed a play off-Broadway/CHECK! Yes. I have seen myself back on Television and continue to having my face recorded for all to see...but is that enough? Would I constantly envision myself in these situations and achieve all the things that I have asked the Universe for? AND now, constantly pray for?
Yes, I said that this blog isn't going to be about Religion but I can't help but practice being God-Centered in my everyday life because it HAS and continue to be the pinnacle of my interests and everyday goings-on.

As for the notion of being a millionaire in my 30's, well...being a business owner in the non-profit sector kinda makes that a juxtaposing goal BUT I will trust that the dude upstairs has something to do with that. After all, he put me here and I'm on borrowed time. He can easily (or my mom) can take that away instantaneously. A 21- year old man was run over in front of our Madison Ave. location for agnΓ©s b. yesterday and that just goes to show that LIFE is so precious and everyday is a gift.

My progress in being financially wealthy is at a slow pace but my progress as a child of wonderment and  gratitude on a wealthy scale has exponentially grown since my acceptance of God in my life...so, there is an underlying religious tone after all but if you disagree, you are free to UNFOLLOW.

Thanks for reading along...until the next musing...<3

The Keri BAG Marivic's Favorite Things Propitious MONKEY

The Keri BAG Marivic's Favorite Things Propitious MONKEY

30 years and 23 days later

SO it's been a while since I've taken the pen to paper so I am tickling my keyboard instead and going digital with my musings.

Thirty point twenty-three years ago my mother gave birth to me, giving breadth to life that has seen much, traveled plenty, tasted much, loved all, heard much and even severed contact with a few so-called 'friends'. Turning 30 last month got me thinking about where I am in life and then I get hit with a message from my pastor about the different versions of me and how NOT to compare my life to others around me. GOD, whether you believe in the dude or not, has put me here to serve a purpose. I may not be Miss Universe or an international singing sensation or even a doctor but I am a: daughter/sister/lover/friend/writer/director/actress/fashionista/jetsetter/foodie/philanthropist/board member/BUSINESS WOMAN.

All these VERSIONS of me could not be possible if I had not trusted my faith in something. Whether that's God or Buddha or Allah is irrelevant but it certainly counts for something. Being raised ΓΌber Catholic (with a nun for an aunt and an uncle as a priest) born in the Philippines and raised in Southern California and now living in NY as a CHRIST FOLLOWER (www.forefrontchurch.com) can be quite disarming. I recently received a letter from my mom expressing how disappointed she is that I now attend a 'Christian' church but happy that I still believe in God. Even my baptism story stated that I was afraid to follow Christ because I would be denouncing my mother (who gave me life and could take it away in an instant) but I am here. In NYC, following him but this blog is NOT about religion or spirituality. It's about my ongoing research on why I was put here and the lives I encounter and hopefully enhance by my being here and to learn from and experience the 'WHY' I was ever a speck in this grand solar system.
Sit back, ENJOY and feel free to tell me to shut the F up if you don't agree with what I am writing.

Gracias. Merci. Danke. Salamat. Tak. Obligato. Arigato. Grazie. Xie Xie and thank you...