Beauty is how you see the true person behind the face

Sunday, November 30, 2008

People put too much value on face and beauty. It's no wonder beauty products and cosmetic surgeries are always a good business. People just can't get enough. They want to be whiter, prettier, sexier, flawlessly scar free as the list goes on.

In pursuit for that perfect beauty we sometimes find ourselves on worse situations. The complications may not be as serious the the woman who injected cooking oil into her face but sometimes too much vanity can lead to nothing. We're an insatiable beings and we always seek for more and more.

I use to have a face like a baby's when I was younger - until I turned 21. I suddenly got pimples and on rare occasions acne breakouts. I didn't know it was so embarrassing to meet people even friends if you have some imperfections on your face. When I do, they always mention and that they wondered what happened to my flawless countenance.

I actually don't know. Doctors say it's mainly influenced by hormonal fluctuations. Some people are inherently less prone to pimples and acne breakouts. I thought I was lucky but I wasn't. Although I only had one pimple after another - my problem was each one left a scar and my face started accumulating blemishes.

So product after another I tried what my friends recommended me, which made things worse. I've had allergies to some and sensitivities to the others. I tried creams, facial scrubs, gentle exfoliation but they were too harsh on my skin. I think they've torn the protective layer of my face.

Now, I smile when I watch at TV commercials - how they promise to whiten your skin, or remove the dark spots and revitalize your pores - whatever they call it. Most products don't and will actually cause irritations on your skin. Some are even harmful. Now that the scars have healed naturally (took almost two years), I don't gamble easily. I don't put products on my face directly without trying it on my arms or neck. My beauty regimen now is simple - germicidal soap, a cream moisturizer and loose powder.

As for people with acne complex, I think it's largely hereditary and hormonal too. Since our technology is so superior now, various treatments have been developed - that specially cleans deep down. Although I am not sure, I've heard that Acne Complex® worked for so many people especially those with murad acne.

Sometimes, beauty is just superficial. Our measure of beauty largely depends on how we see ourselves. Start looking at yourself in a positive light - and start a transformation. Believe that you are beautiful, and indeed you are! You're unique and special and God loves you just as you are.

Friday night fever - what a relief!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

It's Friday finally. I am so happy!

Don't get me wrong. I like my new day job. I am not complaining. My new officemates are very warm and friendly and they received me quite nicely. I am taunted as the girl who always finishes lunch last. I am sorry but I could not eat my meal in five minutes. I have to chew the food properly or else I will have a problem ridding them out after a few days.

My new job occupies my time during the day. I wake up at 6 and report to the office by 7:45. You know the usual office hours so I come back home at around 5:30. In between during the lunch break, I hope to have a nap but I can't; so I visit some of my friends' blogs. I try to cook if I still have the energy when I get home. I also try to sleep for an hour before I proceed to my part-time job as English tutor at night at 7, which usually ends at around 12:30. Hopefully, due to exhaustion I am already asleep by 1:00 so I can wake up on time the next day as the cycle repeats.

It's Friday (actually it is already Saturday) so it means I don't have to wake up early tomorrow morning. I will have the leisure of relaxing and doing what I wish to do. Hopefully, I can catch up with blogging 'cause I haven't been able to drop ECs and respond to comments and link exchanges for the past week. You might have thought I'm a snob because I haven't visited you back.

My former college professor and thesis adviser sent me a personal message through Yahoo Messenger asking me whether I was interested in working with him as a home-based programmer. For a moment I wished I could but I couldn't. My schedule is full now and I am already burning my candle at both ends! Surprised, he quipped I'll get rich young. HAHA. I am not dreaming of becoming rich; but I know that as of now I have to try the real world - beyond what I am comfortable with; a working environment with a boss to please, clients to conform and colleagues to interact with - even for a while. Then I will see which is more suitable for me and my future career plans.

So help me God.

Did I make sense? I'm too sleepy.

How do you face your problem if your problem is your face?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Have you heard or read about the story of the woman who injected cooking oil into her own face?

Left: Woman after so many plastic surgeries and injecting cooking oil into her face
Right: After surgery to reduce her swollen face and remove the foreign materials

This woman was so hooked to cosmetic surgery that her face had changed grotesquely with too many foreign substances added to it. She wasn't really ugly (See picture below). I think she just wanted to see how she will look like when she had some parts altered. The problem was that she got addicted and wasn't able to see that the plastic surgeries were making it worse than better. Her face turned uglier and the damage was irreversible. Now she regretted and hopes she could have her original face back. I thought about Michael Jackson when I read the story. More information here.

The woman's picture before plastic surgery

I've heard that in Korea (from a Korean student), it is common for people to have plastic surgery. Most actresses have had something altered on their face or body. This might be just a rumor or a hasty generalization. It sounded like people have better chances of finding a job or looking for a partner if they're more beautiful or good looking than everybody else. Maybe it has become a part of the culture and if you haven't been operated, it would appear that you're not "in". Teenagers especially are pressured to have designed and better bodies and so they augment their bust sizes, change the eye shapes, etc.

Who doesn't want to be flawlessly beautiful?

I think that cosmetic surgery is a really helpful technology especially for re-constructive purposes like to repair congenital defects or damages after an accident or fire. But people have been using it to change their bodies to make them more suitable to their taste. I am not against people who have undergone or will be taking these procedures. It is a personal choice and of course everybody has freedom. On the other hand, it might appear rude to our parents that we try to change our physical features - these could only mean we are not satisfied with the genes we have inherited from them.

There's a going trend now of women wanting to have labiaplasty - an operation to change the way the vagina looks. Some people contest on the moral and ethical issues of this procedure but let's not go into the details of that yet.

What I am trying to say is, let's be warned, cosmetic surgery might be addicting! Women who take surgery from time to time maybe suffering from a deeper problem - lack of self esteem. I hope we don't put much value on outward appearance so that people won't be so pressured to look unrealistically beautiful.

What do you think about plastic surgery?

Photo Credit: Telegraph.co.uk

Disclaimer: I am sleepy while doing this article so if you find inconsistencies or errors kindly let me know so I can edit. Thanks!

What I learned when I lost my boyfriend

Thursday, November 20, 2008

"What if he's gone?" kept nagging in my head when after three days he still didn't show up after our supposed date on our second anniversary. Even his parents didn't know where he was.

I thought that I might never fall in love again. I might never marry. I don't feel like dating another person from scratch again after I've been so comfortable and sure about him. I felt weak and fragile just imagining that my best friend, cheerleader and support strength is gone. Life must go on but how? How am I going to face tomorrow when I've always imagined him on it? Honestly, I didn't have a plan of my own - we have always planned and looked forward to a future together. If he isn't on it, how do I carry through it? Yet I know that God knows the plans he had laid out in my life so although I resisted the idea, if what I was thinking is true, I submitted and prayed, "Lord, your will be done."

I realized how uncertain life is. We make plans, hope for a better future and do all the necessary things to make them work. We choose how to live every single day but there are things beyond our control. If one's lifetime is up, no matter how we protest or how hard it is to accept it, we can never do anything about it. A man lives and a man dies. Your life and mine - aren't ours to keep. But God holds the world in the palm of His hands and there's nothing else I am most sure of but that He holds me securely. But I was drifting away from His grasp, and I was slacking in my personal relationship with Him. Sometimes, other loves compete my attention and I'd put Him aside. I would feel guilty at times when I'd get so committed with my family or friends and boyfriend especially but I put God aside. What if I die today without me knowing it, how will my sins be forgiven?

The experience also made me understand that I shouldn't have any unrealistic expectation on anyone. Any human being is capable of hurting us, failing us, taking us for granted, abusing us, neglecting us, using us even only once. But that doesn't mean we should stop trusting and loving people. When we do, we also cut ourselves from being happy. We only feel truly happy when we have meaningful relationship with God and with the people He gave us to love and trust deeply. In the process, we expose ourselves to pain and hurt as we learn and get more mature in loving. In reality, we never really learn to love until we learn to forgive other people's faults and mistakes and accept them as they are no matter how much they hurt us. Of course, there is a big difference on being foolishly martyr. Don't just ask me how to draw the line.

My boyfriend showed up on the fourth day. He told me that he sent me messages of his whereabouts but I am sure not a single one reached me. It is not really important. On the lighter note, I can always tease him about it now. One single gaffe cannot erase all the other good things he did for me. I know he would make more blunders in the future and I will as well. We try to forget about our shortcomings and make new and better memories out of our best times.

Where to buy best deals on electronic gadgets and gaming consoles

I always wonder how technology would turn out a few years from now. It is hard to imagine, what do you think?

One of the benefits of today's new and emerging technologies is that they keep improving. I asked my Japanese students what innovations that are not developed yet but they hope to be invented in the future - they said they can't think of anything else to ask for. They think that the introduction of mobile computing especially cellphones, computers and the Internet have dramatically changed their lives and seems they're already content with how things are turning out.

Aside from the ubiquitous Internet and the very useful PCs and mobile communication devices, we have our personal favorite technologies. What's yours?

Many of my students mentioned portable gaming consoles as one on top of their lists. I don't see any surprises especially when they preferred Nintendo DS games. Personally, I like the thought of gaming consoles being translated into fitness equipments like the Wii Fit. These are really beneficial especially if we don't have enough time to go to the gym or play sports. Nintendo Wii is an interesting substitute. Its interactive environment simulates a real-life experience with games for everyone in the family. Mario Kart DS is of course a classic favorite of my geeky programmer friends. I prefer Mario Kart Wii though.

Nevertheless, it is so hard to choose from and since I am trying to put much value on the money I am earning, I researched for a site where I could find the best deals in electronic gadgets and gaming consoles without necessarily sacrifing quality. I found SaveBuckets offering cheapNintendo DS games and will sure invest when I've had enough money.

Sweet friendship poem to pass around

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It is hard to imagine a life without friends. A friend makes burdens lighter. Friends make life much happier. If it weren't for the friends I've met through blogging, I would have succumbed to the pressures of life and forget writing on this online journal altogether. Thanks to Iceah for this sweet friendship poem she shared with me. She's the lady with beautiful legs, maker of sumptuous cheese cakes and other delights and a darling wife and mother with a chicken heart.

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another, 'Let's fight together,'
Another, 'Let's walk away together.'

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier, Another the wind beneath your wings.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, But for many, it's wrapped up in several...
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.

So whether they've been your friend for 20 minutes or 20 years,
AND ONLY IF YOU'D LIKE TO,
Pass this on to the women who has a place in your life/lives.....

Sharing this to all my women friends in the cyber world

Update!

Friday, November 14, 2008

I am OK now. I am sorry I haven't made the continuation of my entry last time yet.

My boyfriend is back and we are still together. He didn't explain the details and I didn't ask. It's my time to forgive him. He just wept and was sorry. He's trying hard to make up for the lost time. HAHA. Will disclose details next time.

Deciding which credit line to apply? Check their reviews

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Credit cards are handy, cash dispensing little small plastic cards that allow you to buy now, pay later. But which credit card company gives the most secure, most convenient, low interest rates with perks, gift certificates and other benefits? CompareCards is an website with tools by which users can compare different cards according to quality, category, brand, issuer, popularity, etc. It also provides information on user ratings about a particular credit card provider.

I use to think that credit crds are not good. I think it is not really. Money is not evil either. It depends on how man uses it. Man's greediness makes money or credit cards evil. If we wisely spend our money and not just splurge on anything we want to - we can benefit a lot from a good credit line provider like CitiBank.

Whether it is money or credit, let's make use most of our money. If you are looking for a good financial institution to aplly a credit line with, begin by researching different credit cards in the market.

Had to lose my boyfriend to learn a lesson

Monday, November 10, 2008

On Thursday, Nov 6, my boyfriend didn't come as expected.

I was excited. Happy. I was anticipating his presence. But he didn't and I started getting worried.

What if something happened? What if he's dead? Why didn't he send me a message that wouldn't be able to come on the night of our anniversary. Thinking of the negative "what ifs" made me numb; as I lost control of the tears streaming down my face. I wanted to make a blog entry about it but I lost my way with words. I just couldn't find the words to write.

I could only scribble "I am under repair!"

We exchanged text messages with his mother. The next day, the next, and the next, still no sign. I didn't know what to do. But life goes on. I still worked. I tried to fake the cheerfulness that I always have when talking to my students and I did! Faked it until it became true.

It was a mentally and emotionally exhausting experience. When you are waiting indefinitely; you hope for something that you're not sure if it exists or not. But I definitely learned something, it was a humbling experience and God caused it to show me insights I wouldn't have noticed in ordinary situations.

What did I realize? Can you guess...

Out of order

Friday, November 7, 2008

Might not be able to respond to messages/comments/ex-link requests for a long time :(

Report and look up unwanted callers

Sunday, November 2, 2008

While looking for possible articles that my Japanese students and I can discuss, I've come across a gadget that helps block unwanted calls especially from telemarketers and voice phishers.

I've never really applied for a call center job that would make me do outbound calls to customers. Myself included, most people find it annoying. It's the same thing with email spammers, they just waste your time. We try to be nice to them (of course) - because they're just making a living. But what if you consistently receive prank calls or threats especially in the dead of the night? You might have to address this problem head on and seek help to the authorities, install the gadget that would eliminate cold callers or find out who the culprit is by doing a harassing caller report to ReportPhoneNumbers.com. The site is really helpful... at least they can track who are your enemies; that way, you have a better chance of winning against them.

Photo credit: Yahoo Tech Blog

Top Ten EC Droppers

A big thank you to all EC droppers. I could testify that EC really increases traffic and Alexa ranking. I've been dropping 300 EC drops a day since two weeks ago when I am free; and my Alexa ranking decreased by 500,000 points.

It's time to thank the people who've been consistently dropping here. My personal top 10 are as follows:

Please take time to visit them as well...

Keeping fit even at home, how I wish!

Sitting at the desk or computer table for hours, lazying in the couch while watching TV for a long time, and eating lots of food without exercise can increase our chance of hypertension, heart attacks and other diseases as we get older. Modern lifestyle affords us to more leisures - portable games like PSP/XBox/Nintendo DS, browsing the Internet, watching movies etc. Sedentary lifestyle is doing us more harm than good really. We don't have to move often, we can have everything on our finger tips, we don't even have to go to the nearest food shop because they offer delivery services. What else do I have to list?

Exercise is really important so I make it a point to walk at least five kilometers a week. Really simple, right? No, not really. I can work at home. There's an accessible transportation when I buy groceries or do errands for my family. It's hard to keep motivated especially when you don't have someone to walk with. My boyfriend and I do stroll and walk five kilometers a week or more if we have free time together; but we don't very often. I have to decide in my mind that I really need to walk even if I am alone and slowly, I will increase my pace and cover more distance.

I am not trying to lose weight. I am quite underweight as of now and I need to gain two more kilos. But exercise is not really about looking sexy, it's about keeping fit. I wish I could buy weight training equipments so I can exercise at home. Should I?

Actually, I am really considering buying one - not just for me but for my parents as well. So I researched and found a guide for buying gym quality treadmills. But, it is unrealistically too expensive for me. Well, who knows I might be able to afford one next year.

Way to go!

Rose says "I am a beautiful blog"

Saturday, November 1, 2008

I am honored to receive another award from Rose. I am so amazed how she manages to write posts everyday, be a good mother and wife, do a day job; and still have enough time to read and comment to her friends' blog.

I am giving back this award to Rose, not just because her blog is beautiful... but she is also a beautiful person. Read her life experiences in her BraveJournal and you will see what I mean. I'd also like to give this award to my friends here in the web world: Berry, Bingkee, Gem, Iceah, Jemade, Khaye, Miah, Nanay Belen, Nyl, Pasti, RJ, Tigis.

This will be added to the roster of awards I've been given. Thank you. *bow*

Get the code here

I am joining the cyber peace revolution

**start copy**

Join The Revolution

Here are the rules and the story.

Copy this into a post
ADD YOUR NAME to the bottom of the tag list
Tag at as many people as you’d like.

The Peace Globe project began in the fall of 2006 with a simple post from one blog, Mimi Writes. The post ignited a flame in the blogosphere. The flame became a passion. The passion became a movement. It amazingly traveled from blog to blog to blog across the globe. Bloggers wrote passionate articles on what peace means to them, along with the promise of three Latin words scribbled on a globe - Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) - branded with the integrity of their names or blog names. It was positively inspiring to watch. And it began to happen all over the world - from Singapore to China to Afghanistan to Brooklyn.

It was simple. And powerful.

In less than three weeks bloggers from all across the globe will blog for peace.

We will speak with one voice.
One subject.
One day.
Won’t you join us?
November 6, 2008

How To Get Your Peace Globe In 4 easy steps!

Right CLICK and SAVE the peace globe below or choose from other designs HERE.
Sign the globe using Paint, Photoshop or a similar graphics tool. Decorate the globe anyway you wish. You can even include the name of your blog. Click here for hundreds of inspiring examples from previous BlogBlasts.
Return the peace globe to me via email @ mimiwrites2005 at yahoo.com - Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving a comment HERE and signing the Mr. Linky. Your submission will be numbered and dated in the official gallery. Your globe and post will be listed on the Official BlogBlast For Peace website and The Peace Globe Posts page. Here’s the most important part:
On November 6, 2008 DISPLAY YOUR GLOBE IN A POST. Title your post “Dona Nobis Pacem”. This is important. The goal is for all blog post titles to say the same thing on the same day. Write about peace or simply fly your globe.

Go HERE for the other 3 globe template choices!) If you’d like to help spread the word, take this button to your site. The code is in my sidebar.