Enjoying My Surroundngs in the Hague

The other time, I have the showcase of Rotterdam in my post entitled Rotterdam Day II. This time, it is my chance to feature the place where I live: The Hague. Actually, it is the place where the queen of Netherlands reside and we are just few minutes away from the Queen's palace. The images will come in the succeeding posts though.

Just a palace where I pass everyday... and I just discovered that it is the "Palace of Justice" in here..

Compared to other cities where have lived before, I consider The Hague as the most peaceful and orderly one, of course with the respective status of the city in terms of progress and infra structure. I live in the very center of the city where everything is at reach. I don't know though if I got to live in the same place because the current building where I am at the moment is not very good, nor very beautiful. But location-wise, I love it here: I can just walk anywhere: parks, restaurants, fast foods, grocery stores, shopping malls, palaces, name it and it is just a walk away. Of course these activities are made possible now that is summer time and not so cold yet, but when fall to winter comes, back to stay at home due to severe cold.

A relaxing scene from the park five minutes from home...

Nothing much, just a plain view of the city center...

At the meantime however, I just enjoy staying around. I would love to share the beauty and images of this place, the Hague for all those who might drop by in here and see some of my posts. Here comes the Hague from the photos I have taken around two weeks ago. Enjoy viewing around.

At the city center still, the same location as above..

Inside the city hall... I dunno that giant face though...

In fact there is an International tribunal here in the Hague but I don't want to be political this time in this post so I simply share some photographs of the place to you, Reader.

Across the grocery store where I buy them, few minutes from home...

The city hall building, and this view is the library where I borrow books to learn Dutch... ^^

Another view of the Justice Palace..

Down my living room window..

The japanese resto down my bedroom window...

Why I am Always Mistaken?

It is not a single instance. It is not even twice or thrice. But more.. I am talking about my gender here folks. Everyone online, most of the blog buddies consider me as a man. Maybe it is in my wordings? I don't have any idea what is the real reason anyway. I got to ask them what made them think so.

Because of the above fact, I decided to put some proof that indeed I am not someone who belongs to the male species. I cannot really fathom why I have been made into "male" in this blogosphere. It is either someone calls me Mike or something! Weird huh! And the most funny part? When I commented in one post that I have been using lip stick or my lip gloss flavor is strawberry, I was asked..."That means you are not a boy?". I only laughed like crazy alone at this notation.

A week back, when I was wandering with my thoughts and getting lost as I wander, an idea came up to my mind. I told myself, "what evidence can I show that I am not a man?". Then I ended up taking photos of my own lips with red paints to show that not too many men do it. So here they are, I am sharing with you, as well as to show all that I am not a man.

However, since this is a personal post and written in a personal blog, I want the readers of my WebbieStuffs blog and I Love PhilippinesToo as well to know that I AM NOT A MAN!

PPP: Prosciuto, Panna e Pasta con Funghi

Guys, for all of us who are not Italian, I think I need to explain first. It has been a week since I last posted about a pasta dish and I would like to share another. Buon appetito a tutti!

Although my resources here, where I stay, in terms of cooking is very limites, I try to do my best to have a good food, where the taste suits mine and my buddy here. Thus, at this particular post, I am sharing one very simple cuisine.

The ingredients....

The cut ham (cooked) or prosciuto with the fussilli (the pasta) ready to be boiled..

Prosciuto cotto (pro-shoe-toe) is actually the commonly known as ham for us and 'cotto' means 'cooked' for that matter. On the other hand, 'panna' here means the ìcooking cream' while pasta is known to everyone. Finally, funghi (fung-gie) is our 'mushroom'. Thus, you can imagine now what is the mix in preparing this 15-minute pasta dish. Oh! The 'e' there in the title means 'and' in Italian. In short, "Ham, Cream and Pasta with Mushroom" is the english version of the title. But you have to take note that the ham here is cooked.

This is the sliced funghi...

Trying to cook.. ou may put spices at your option like onions/garlic, etc...

Honestly, this is my favorite in terms of pasta dishes. This one has a mild taste and I do love mushroom cusines that is why I am addicted to this. Imahe-wise, it does not look so appealing and beautiful as a food but I do love this "Prosciuto, Panna e Pasta con Funghi" meal. Why? When we make regular pasta, be uìit penne, fussilli, maltagliati, spaghetti, maccaroni or any other pasta with mean, it comes in two servings, more often than not. First, we must eat the pasta mixed in its sauce without meat and the second dish comes the meat that was mixed with the sauce before.

This is called multi-tasking... boiling the pasta and making the other...

With PPP con Funghi, all I have to do is mix them all, and when it is ready, put in the plate and eat! That's it! Don't tell I am lazy even to it but I just feel I eat better when all are mixed already. Maybe this is because of the fact that rice is eaten with something and not eaten alone, just with a little sauce with cheese, right?

Time to add the cooking cream...

Boiling and mixing the rest... almost ready, both of them...

Creamy, yummy and ready...

Buon appetito!

Enjoy your meal.. Let's eat!

Anyway, so much for the discussion and here I am sharing with you what I prepared and how I did it in a photographic manner with just simple captions. In case you have complains, comments, simply leave a note. All right?

Rotterdam Day II

Since it is another day today, I will just make a new post on that Rotterdam images I have promised in my previous post. Surprisingly, today it is not too rainy. In fact there were some sunny streaks around as we went out from the activity that helps prepare food for the homeless. In the city center near the city hall...

Even though I mentioned visiting in the place for the third time, actually, yesterday was my sixth time. I forgot to count my volunteer activity every week whic is located in Rotterdam. Actually, since it was sunny today, I have amassed a few more photos. More remembrance to say.

Dunno who they are...maybe your relatives?

Rotterdam is actually one of the most important ports in the world, the second city and the industrial heart of the Netherlands and the economic, social and cultural centre of the Rijnmond (�Rhine Estuary�) region. I know that the many "dam" means "port" down here. In addition, Rotterdam is a city of modern architecture, events, leisure and recreation. More than one million people from 162 countries live in the Rotterdam region. Just see the evidence folks.

Just another shot of the same photo as above...

Is this a lion's cage? Whattcha think?

The modern city....

The city made ugly by those lines of electricity or something.

Going out of the center...

Far from the center by then...

The canal that seems clean... over the rest..

Be a Part in Knocking the Alzheimer's Down!

"Hitting two birds with one stone."

It was only few days ago when I talked about trimming the body to fitness and it seems that this fall, everyone has a chance to lose some calories and at the same time, contribute to the cause of Alzheimer's Association by walking with a purpose. Now that is hitting two birds with one stone.

The first hit is getting fit and the second one, a heavy hit on knocking the hateful Alzheimers disease down. Knock the disease that badly affects our aged loved ones. Thus, my friends in the United States, this is your call! In fact this is our call... a call to the whole humanity that only with a few passage of time can be also a victim of this dreaded illness! That could be YOU or ME!


Thanks to the initiaitive of Alzheimers Association that this Alzheimer's Memory Walk has come into our way to give us all the awareness and information that can guide us about the disease. The walk is available to all ages, young and old; is available in 600 communities all over the United States; and it typically lasts for two (2) - three (3) miles on a weekend during the fall.

To walk with a cause is a great activity. This can MOVE a nation. This can improve awareness. This can help you. This can help me. Let us all team up with the Alzheimer's Association, you and I can walk with a purpose – and let us move closer to a world without Alzheimer's. Together, we can MOVE a nation! Be the Captain of this MOVE!

Rotterdam Day!

Due to some necessities, yesterday, half of the day, I am in another city in Zuid Holland Area. I was in Rotterdam. I have to admit that Rotterdam was more of a modern city and a bit more busy and chaotic to where I currently stay. It is not so far actually from here, The Hague, but the differences are pretty obvious. It was a fifteen minute trip by rail and for €8 something fee for a return ticket.
It was quite a rainy morning or should I say, a regular day for Rotterdam. This is actually my third time going/passing by the area and all these three moments, I never found the are dry. I wanted to take photographs to compare to the tranquility of my place here but I have no much time to take the camera and have the umbrella and a shoulder bag at the same time. Another bad thing is, the umbrella was partially beaten by the wind!

Honestly, it was a wet morning. I was able to take some photographs of the wet city though. In the afternoon, I went back home and opened a bank account in The Hague. Outside, there is an open museum of some sort and I took some photographs for some reasons. Maybe for the blog? I want to compare here the two cities. I hope I will have some success!

In fact the photos I shot were all taken from a single place. I was inside the tourist center so the rain was not able to disturb me so much although the angle is not that much good, still.

more images to come soon. they arew too big to upload. i need to adjust...

A Delicious and Fast Throw Food: The Italian Pasta!

Since I have been away from my Philippine rice food for ten month already, I have discovered the beauty of having the Italian cuisine. I have been eating Itaian for the past ten months and in the process, I have learned how to make them... and make them fact and delicious!

Enjoy your meal!

When I was in the Philippines, any foreign food (or even local) means a lot of hustle bustle when you have to cook/prepare them. I swear! There were alot of ingredients! In fact, as I discover how real Italians do their food, the ingredients I know we use back home (Philippines) could be considered unnecessary. Don't get me wrong! I like the taste of the revised version in the Philippines too!

Part of the preparation. The sogo and the boiling pasta...

Anyway, no more tattering about the Filipino styles of cooking. We both know that Pinoys are great immitators...and sometimes, even better than the original, right? But what I cannot stand when it comes to pasta, especially the (famous) Spaghetti in the Philippines is the complication of making it. Only after living in Italy I discovered that I can make an entire meal of pasta for only ten (10) minutes. And that is a Filipina hand and mind cooking. And the catch? It is with real Italian flavor and taste.

I do love making food fast and without hustle. Aside from time and effort that is conserved, the electricity as well is saved or shall we say, added the gas savings. I cook pasta almost everyday. The boiling time is eight (8) minutes. While it boils, the sauce (sogo in Italia) can be prepared as well. It can be done in the same amount of time until the pasta get boiled. However, if you have an "old" cow's meat or old cow's beef, more time is needed.

The ingredients.. EuroShopper is the cheapest I have found so far in Netherlands and it is NOT bad tasting for its price. The rest are olive oil, tomatoe conserve and aceto balsamico (balsalm vinegar)...

Practicality wise, I always use soft ingredients as well to make the job even faster. Now I am sharing you some beans (soft and conserved) in tomato sauce or oil and I made it with pasta (specifically calle fusilli). The process is very simple actually, as I have repeatedly told, it is fast and convenient.

The images are the rough representation of procedures and they are self explanatory. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to post it down. Buon appetito!

Now let's eat! One for me, one for you... een voor mij, een voor jou.. Buon Appetito!

By the way, the title with the phrase "fast throw" is fast throw inside a bowl or any cooking pot or something. Not fast to throw!

The images are all taken by myself and all of them are my original photos. No photoshopping, only cropping and resizing.

A Friendly Coincidence

It was a surprise! Living thousands of kilometers away from friends and family, I have a limted set or sets of real friends. I am glad that I can also make some online although let's admit it, the feeling is strange when you don't actually meet them. But at least, the lonely days can be forgotten even with virtual friends.

I am not also one who really put so much fuzz about something insignificant but these days, I just realize (more) the power of friendship and how one can be helped or help or vice versa with a relationship built out by two strangers before, but now, are real friends.

In the Philippines, my friends are still active and we do send emails to each other. In fact, this last two weeks, I have sent post cards to at least twelve (12) people remnding them I never forgot them and of course, they too never forgot me. This actually includes my university friends and work friends in Ernst and Young member practice Company in the Philippines.

Although I have mentioned I do not give too much of a fuzz about things, when I remember my friends and the old good and bad days, I just get teary. Actually, I am blessed with my selection and collection of friends for they are really a set of heavenly blessings to me. When I need something, believe me or not, it is the friends I turn to and ask. And they have never failed me. How thankful I am they exists and I have chosen a right/correct bunch of them.

So why all these dramatic writeup on friendship and friends? Is it friends' day or friend's month or smething? Actually I don't have the barest idea if it is. But what I know is, friends day for me is everyday. And what is more? Yesterday, I have wrtitten a post on "networking" in my coputer and internet-related blog and at the same time, one of the online friends, Sheng Gorgeous sent me something that really made me think about friendship and the coincidence of what I have posted here.

We need friends for many reasons,

all throughout the season.

We need friends to comfort us

when we are sad,

and to have fun with us when we are glad.

We need friends to give us good advice,

We need someone we can count on,

and treat us nice.

We need friends to remember us

one we have passed

sharing memories that will always last.

This message made me thinking and I do believe in it actually. I thank her for being a friend as well and for all my offline friends that are always with me whether it's my up or down.

Nothing Much

Openmindedness. Opportunities present. They make people better!

The above words/notation are the adjectives I can describe my fellow volunteers today. Actually, every Tuesday I get to wake up early and be ready to run at 8:30. This means that shower, breakfast and morning stuffs must be done before this hour.

The central station is eaxactly ten minute brisk-walk away from where I live and it is one good thing and a great advantage for the location of the apartment. Since I start a bit early, i still have time to wait for the bus that arrives exactly at 8:52 goinf to the 6th station from the central station. Actually, people arouns simply walk or use bike but the mornings here are cold and so I took the bus.
Making the whole story shirt, I was from The Hague and went to Amsterdam for a volunteer activity for the soup kitchen feeding many hungry mouths of the homeless. It is actualy managed and under the project of Mother Theresa.

While chopping vegetables, my fellow volunteers, two of them are Americans, one Czecholovakian, an Australian, an Irish and another from Netherlands (i think so) started some serious topics. It was actually on Muslim studies and all about religion and we were discussing how such a thing can break the humanity instead of uniting them. Then the conversation fly to the next topics such as concentration camps, travel experiences and stuffs.

It was quite a day.

What puzzled me is the understanding of each one of us. No one said that Christianity is over all or that Muslims are wrong. It made me think that it is indeed wonderful to be with people with open minds. Although they are too religious and faithful, they never say bad things about others, nor they think others are too wrong.

I have been contemplating how wonderful this world can be if there is harmony. How wonderful it would be if there is understanding between and among each other despite the differences. The sad reality, is, there is None! Religions, race, color and many other things divide the world to pieces and i can only think that the bigger the division, the bigger stone will be hitting the world crushing it to pices.

The Older, the Better. The Dirtier, the Fancier!

This Sunday morning (today), after attending the liturgical mass (where the celebrant was a priestess.. that is another story to tell), we went to an open market where there are stuffs being sold to passersby and of course buyers. It was actually far from the church (English/International) where we went but maybe near the local Dutch churches that's why there were also lots of people roaming around.

Actually, most of the displayes are antiques from all over the world. We were very entertained with a lot of old and valuable stuffs there ranging from a pair of cuttlery for €100 or a painting for €658 among others.

The antiques came from all over the world because there were also china porcelains and others were even broken but they have still a very good price for the sellers. I remember taking one of those china wares and looking at the mark behind to see if it was authentic. Indeed it was! (I learned how to identify from my honey bunnny who used to have an antique biz) As I looked closely however, the plate or chinaware was already broken in half and it put it back as fast as i could before i break it in my hand! ^_^

Talking bout antiques, it seems a funny thing to think of. As I noticed, the dirtier they are, the better. The older they are, the more expensive they become! As long as we can settle good here, antiques would be the ting i would like to explore further.

The bad news today is, I was not able to take photos. Although I have had the camera with me, i forgot the memory card in the laptop so I just let it pass. However, talking about antiques, I still have some photos of them back in a very very old hous/property of some relatives back in Italy. My honey bunny actually appraised all the natiques inside for some thirty thousand euros if sold.

The house, which is medieval built and the antiques inside it are the photos you see. The house-like image there is called Trullo. Just have a look at some disarranged old stuffs inside it where I happen to take some snaps of.

...

Biography of Pope John Paul II

I am a devoted Christian. I made the following biography of the late Pope John Paul II. Feel Free to copy because it is well referenced. Look at the bottom. If you want to buy it, I will delete it here so you can have it, deal?

I. Early Life
The Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyła, before his papacy in October 1978 .He was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. Karol Józef Wojtyła was then the youngest of the three children born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929 while Edmund, his eldest brother who was a doctor, died in 1932 and his father who was a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.

Fr. Franciszek Zak baptized Karol Józef Wojtyła on The 20th of June in 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice. He was nine (9) years old when he took his First Holy Communion and was a confirmed Catholic at the age of eighteen at eighteen (18). “Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.” (Short Biography, 2005) A year after, the university was closed by the Nazi forces. The young Karol instead had to work in a quarry from 1940 until 1944 and after in the factory of chemicals, Solvay, to earn his living and to keep away from being deported to Germany.

Karol was always aware of his religious callings, and it was in 1942 when he started courses of becoming a priest in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, managed by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, the archbishop of Krakow at that time. “At the same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine.” (Short Biography, 2005)
II. Post World War II Life with the Church

Karol Józef Wojtyła pursued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow when it had reopened after the Second World War. At the same time he was a faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. It was in 1946, at the first day of November when he was ordained to the priesthood in Krakow. Archbishop Sapieha did the honor to ordain him. Thereafter, the same cardinal sent Father Karol Wojtyła to Rome to work under the direction of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange
It was in 1948 when Father Wojtyła finished his doctorate in theology having a thesis on the “subject of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross (Doctrina de fide apud Sanctum Ioannem a Cruce)”. (Short Biography, 2005). Even then, he was a good catholic and a person because that time after having his doctorate degree, while he was on vacations, he applied his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland. During the same year he returned to his home country and became a vicar of many parishes in Krakow as well as chaplain to young students in the university and these roles and activities lasted until 1951.

Beginning 1951 he pursued his studies again to widen his knowledge on philosophy and theology and two years after he was to defend a thesis on "evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler at Lublin Catholic University.” (Short Biography, 2005) After this event he became a professor teaching about moral theology and social ethics in the key seminary of Krakow as served as a Faculty of Theology of at the same time. He was appointed as a titular bishop of Ombi on the 4th of July in 1958. The Pope Pius XII also appointed him as an auxiliary of Krakow on that same moment. On the 28th of September of the same year he was consecrated as a bishop by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak in Wawel Cathedral located in Krakow.

Bishop Wojtyła had a lot of meaningful religious activities before he became the pope in October 1978. Among these are the publication of his dissertation in 1960, "Evaluation of the Possibility of Constructing a Christian Ethic based on the System of Max Scheler” and the publication of "Love and Responsibility"; and in 1965 he made his Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops, containing the famous words "We forgive and ask forgiveness" (Pre-Pontificate, 2005)

III. And He Became the Pope John Paul II
It was October 16, 1978 when Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was elected successor to Pope John Paul I, the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church and takes the name John Paul II. (Pontificate, 2005) During his election as the pope, “there were three surprises: that the new pope should be so young -- 58; that he should be a non-Italian; and that he should come from an Eastern European country. Though there has been noticeably less talk about the Holy Spirit, once again the cardinals have said how satisfied they are with their choice.” (Hebblethwaite 3)

During his first year in the papal seat in 1978, he made numerous and notable activities and encouragement to the whole Catholic world. Among these are the Urbi et Orbi radio message, John Paul II's historic embrace of Cardinal Wyszyński, the visits to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella, Rome and to Assisi to venerate the tomb of St. Francis, patron of Italy, and to the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva to venerate the tomb of St. Catherine, patroness of Italy.

The preceding year of his papacy and the years after it, Pope John Paul II simply inspired the whole Catholic community with his leadership. In 1979, the Pope accepted the request made by Argentina and Chile for the Holy See’s mediation in solving the controversy that was on going between the two nations. He also made the Pastoral Visit to Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic, to Mexico for the Third General Conference of the Latin American Bishops and the Bahamas on January 25th to February 1st 1979 for his 1st Apostolic Voyage. (Pontificate, 2005) This voyage was succeeded by the second, third and fourth, all happening in the same year, 1979. These were the visits or voyages to Poland in June, in Ireland, the U.N. and the United States of America in September and in Turkey in November.

During his voyage to his homeland, he had a very specific message to his countrymen. “The pope's letter on the purpose of his visit, in which he stressed that he hoped to serve "the unity of the Poles." (Hebblethwaite 3)

During the 1980s, among the outstanding activities of Pope John Paul II involve Pastoral Voyages to Zaire, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ghana, Upper Volta and Ivory Coast, France, Brazil, and West Germany. His pastoral visit to Naples, Potenza, Balvano and Avellino was made after the earthquake. The apostolic voyages, which obviously result to greater acceptance among the Catholics of the respective visited nations, also serve as reminders to each and every one to restore their faith and be better followers of God. The pope never missed in reinstating this message anywhere he visits. At the year 1980 was ending the pope made his Apostolic Letter Egregiae virtutis in which he proclaimed Sts. Cyril and Methodius, together with St. Benedict, Patrons of Europe.

As the leader, teacher and model of millions of Catholic followers, John Paul II made and performed his papal responsibilities dutifully. The Pope's 1988 encyclical, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, which is about social justice threading a middle ground between the sides of capitalists and socialists and putting arguments on both economic developments and placing the needs of those millions of poors over the wants of the selected wealthy. This Sollicitudo Rei Socialis is in fact believed to be “one of his most substantial documents.” (John Paul II)

A new catechism was approved by Pope John Paul II in 1992. This contained comprehensive statements of devotion meant to unify the entire Catholic It was in October of this year when the Pope was able to publish a large encyclical on moral issues fairly “inspired by the pedophilia or the sexual attraction of adults to children crisis” (John Paul II) that was rampant in the United States. It was called Veritatis Splendor or The Resplendence of Truth.

In 1994 the Pope was with the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops on the theme:” The Church in Africa and Her Evangelizing Mission Towards the Year 2000: 'You Shall Be My Witnesses'. On that same year however, on the month of April the Pope had an accidental fall on the evening of the 28th causing a fracture on his right femur. Thereafter the Holy Father recovered at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital and undergone an operation and was hospitalized until the 27th of May. (Pontificate, 2005)

Fulfilling the promise of his apostolic letter Tertio Millennio adveniente (As the Third Millennium Draws Near, 1994 the pope entered the year 2000, which he greeted by a proclamation of this year as the year of the Great Jubilee. The Pope carried on this year “with a series of epoch-making activities calling for dialogue and brotherhood among the faiths.” (Pope John Paul) In February of the new millennium, John Paul II was the first pope to make a visit to Egypt, where he celebrated a mass in Cairo, stirring on discrimination against Christians in Egypt and other countries of Africa.

On March 12, 2000, the pope also asked for forgiveness for many of the Catholic Church's past sins, such as its treatment of Jews, heretics, women, and native peoples. “This was believed to be the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that one of its leaders sought such a sweeping pardon.” (John Paul II Biography)

In the beginning of 2004, the Pope made his appeal to everyone regarding World Peace. “All of you, hear the humble appeal of the Successor of Peter who cries out: today too, at the beginning of the New Year 2004, peace remains possible. And if peace is possible, it is also a duty!”(John Paul II, 2004)

A year before his death, Pope John Paul II was conferred the International Charlemagne Prize, a prestigious award given annually by the city of Aachen, Germany, in recognition “of the Pope’s personal commitment, and that of the Holy See, in favor of unity among the peoples of Europe on the basis of the values rooted in the common human nature and efficaciously promoted by Christianity” (Pontificate, 2005)

On February, at least a month before his death the Memory and Identity was published. This book was all about the Pope John Paul II, his life, and his legacy to the world. With his great contribution to the Catholic Church and in humanity in general, Pope John Paul II died in Vatican on April 2, 2005 at 9:37 in the evening. He was a great pope, leader, teacher and a person who gave much inspiration and teachings to his followers.

Works Cited

Hebblethwaite, Peter. Pope John Paul II and the Church. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward,
1995. Questia. 21 May 2008 .

“John Paul II Biography.” Notable Biographies. 21 May 2008. .

John Paul II. An Ever Timely Commitment: Teaching Peace. Vatican, 2004. 20 May 2008. <>.

“Pontificate: His Holiness John Paul II.” Holy See Press Office. 30 June 2005. 20 May 2008. .

“Pope John Paul II the Great”. Help Fellowship Organization. 21 May 2008. .

“Pre-Pontificate: His Holiness John Paul II.” Holy See Press Office. 30 June 2005. 21 May 2008. .

“Short Biography: His Holiness John Paul II.” Holy See Press Office. 30 June 2005. 21 May 2008..

On Losing Weight

I am a person, who, no matter how I ignore it, I always notice if I gain some pounds/kilos of weight. I cannot tolerate it! Why? I always feels so heavy and without ease in my moves and at the same time, I feel pain in my lower back if i sit for some minutes. What I am saying is, I am always on guard for my weight because of the reasons mentioned.

The other day, a fellow blogger asked me about any advice on losing weight. Maybe she saw some of my comments around becasue here, I have never posted weight loss yet. Since the question popped, I wonder what does it take really to be fit. Well, personally, I do not consider it as a weigh loss or weight gain. I have observed it frm myself. I have some main points that I want to share:

1. I gain more weight when I eat in bulk with much food THAN when I eat bits n pieces but I eat many times. In short, the manner of eating mattered to me.

2. Houseworks, such as scrubbing the floor, washing dishes (manually) or even arranging them in the dishwasher right after eating really helps. This technique put our helper in awe back when I lived with friends because I often help or even washed the dishes alone.

3. Sweat is not that bad. I got to love it. Not so much though but I love walking and having some little sweat out. In fact, for a woman/girl/lady/female like me, it does not cause smell and in fact became a sweet scent when mixed with natural body chemicals and some cologne or perfume.

4. I am 151 cm tall or around 5 feet high. I weigh ranging from 45-53 kg but now, I have not weighed myself lately but I feel that I am 48-51 kg at the moemnt. It can be overweignt or what I do not know. What I know is, when I was training for my national tournament in karate, I looked like a zombie with my feature of being too much thin but my weight remained. So I do not trust the weighing scale. I trust how I look and how I feel!

5. The mirror helps like magic. If I get to see myself often and I feel I gain some weight, I cannot weight to have the dance and have my 'balancing' or 'lying bicycle' exercise.

6. Sports helps great. I was a karate. baskketball and soccer player as well as volleyball, kickball and table tennis athlete so I know all the basic exercises and how to arrange them and utilize them. This simple knowledge and experience always come handy when they are needed.

7. Dancing. Yeah, dancing always paved the way. You do not feel the effort, you enjoy, you smile, you go with the beat and snap! Some calories are gone. Personally, I utilize Shaggy and Shakira. Now I am stuck with the 'SHA' in them and yes, they both helped!

8. YouTube. Broadcast yourself! And how the hell youtube got in? All the beats are there. Try to search anything that suits your wants and needs and they are there. I use you tube. From aerobics, kickboxing, abs forming or whatever you want, it always help.

Now that is a lot of personal experiences shared on staying fit or becoming fit. Stay helathy buddies. I blog and sit yet now, I am on kneeling position. Just took a little pause from my morning exercise. I woke up at 5:30 for it.

It's Time for Me to Celebrate!

I am currently having two blogs from a list of more than ten blogs. I used to have at least ten blogs honestly. They were sorted by topics but since it is quite hard to maintain all them, I decided to delete them and abandon the other three. Actually, the blogs that I left still have visitors from google searches so I just left them the way they are.

Now I started to focus on my two blogs and continue to provide them with posts. Actually, this one here is the general blog that I use personally while the other one that I have are strictly on computer and world wide web. Or should I say, I try the contents to fit the topic as much as possible.


My two blogs have different layouts but the arrangement and beautification was made possible with the help of a blogging friend. Now my blog contents are more arranged and all I need to do is build traffic to both of them and continue providing them with original and posts with 'sense'. In fact it is the first time today that I treated the two blogs equally when I stated to drop entrecards and allowing the two to reach 100 drops each. Of course the same is true in commenting when I made at least 20 comments for both of the sites today.

Also today, I remembered to register my other blogat pay p€r p0st and after four hours I received an approval. It was quite a surprise for me for I have registered my previous blogs before and they were all declined. But this one, aside from the fact that it was approved, it was approved so quickly. This means I have the chance to post now but I would be very careful. Anyway, I do hope it is worth it and I do hope all will go okay. I remeber to have put a minimum offer of $10 per my post and I hope Western Europe blogs will have offers. I will try to see tomorrow what I can get.

I am excited to have the first post as well as to register this blog after my other blog have made at least ten (10) approved pay p€r p0st sponsored entries. I would not be making much though and I would not like destroying my blog only for paid posting so I do hope I will be paying attention to many things.

To all my fellow blogger, let's have some cheers for us. Happy Blogging everyone!

I Miss The Italian Sun

Italy might be a country of four seasons but its summer is really hot with a mighty sun. Now that I am one month here in Holland, I miss a little the bright and sunny summer from the country where I recently resided. Of course, no one can beat the Philippine sun but I just have a good view in my balcony back in Italy, right in the terrace of my room where I can have a good view of the sea plus the god breath from fresh air that passed through olive plantations and mandarini or lemon plants. It was a sweet healthy life back there.

The image here was taken exactly the day I left from South Italy going North, at a very early time, around five in the morning, and after staying a day in Milan (north), Netherlands was the next destination. Here, it is often rainy despite the summer season and the ghust of the wind is always cool. No chance to show off with the sexy clad tops or outfits! Sigh... ^_^



Anyway, as I have mentioned from previous posts here, the tranquility is the thing that I like here most plus the the culture of park with conserved plants and animals. It makes my day when I get to have at least few minutes exposure to the sun in the parks and watch nature at its peaceful tranquility and with humans that takes care of it.