My First European Polish Christmas

The Christmas celebration is fairly done globally, but not in the Philippines yet. I recall seeing homes, shopping malls, companies and establishments with christmas lights and decors already up around of October in the Philippines. Filipinos are overly enthusiastic and in love of this season maybe because of the strong influenced by (the) Catholicism and other Christian denominations.
Personally, I view christmas as the celebration of Christ born in this planet though December wasn't the accurately exact date of Christ birthdate. However, I find it such a great celebrations that promotes happiness & unity among Filipino people.
This has been my second lonely christmas abroad, firstly was in Thailand. I'd say it was the saddest season I had since Thailand doesn't celebrate christmas because it's a buddhist country. Long before I could think of another christmas away from home, my fate has just brought me to a farthest country that for sure celebrated my favorite season of the year.
Poland is in eastern part of Europe, a cold country filled with history, but I won't tell stories about it though. I always dream of a white and snowy christmas and Poland is the perfect country that fits to my dream. Sadly, christmas has just over ,yet, the weather isn't fair this time which it supposed to be snowy early of December.
I spent most of Christmas day facing my laptop and listening to various christmas songs that took me to different places and different times of my life. Clouds of emotions filled my chest and gone up, eventually watered my eyes. Memories started to flash back and soon fell down and enveloped my mind. Every tune of the christmas songs that played had taken my emotions to be more dramatically sensitive that tickled me to rekindle the sweet memories, reminiscing the beautiful moments in my life while I was with my family and friends back in the Philippines.
When this season comes that's when I miss my parents the most. I am this longingness in my heart that one day soon that I'll be with my parents together in one home celebrating christmas.
It is honestly so hard celebrating christmas with few people around me especially in the absence of my parents. The more I could feel the sadness when Polish people doesn't much seriously celebrated different to the environment that I've known.
I didn't even see the full view of how they celebrate it as a catholic nation. Better yet, I spent my christmas just as it was and partially observed how the Polish family did it. Thanks to my Pinay friend and her extended Polish family forcing me to stay and celebrate with them till noche buena hour came. Without them, I might have my first lone christmas in Europe. The food that was served was fantastic and traditionally Polish.

The Way that He Loves

Been blog absent for a while, I failed to update here due to some unavoidable circumstances. These past few weeks were truly toxic. I've been stressed and is still recuperating for now, the cause that I couldn't even make a few dash in here nor think of any words to write or gather any thoughts in mind.
I miss blogging and since I started to have one, this blogsite of mine has been my rendezvous and a shock absorber of sort, everytime I want to cry out and unload my burden. Speaking of burden, I came across of an old song or let say a hymn that I used to hear when I was a kid. It flashed back in my mind the days that I was still a new converted Christian. Thanks to a new pal, who just sang it by chance. Sometimes, songs or music are good remedies to cure the brokenness in us.
The song that I am talking about is a religious song, of course, an old Christan song that slowly heals the damage done by stressful errands. It tells that the Love of God never fails and it's everlasting.
It will always be in my memories believing the way that God loves is like a sweet rose that provided beauty and aroma.



THE WAY THAT HE LOVES

The way that He loves is as fair as the day
That blesses my way with love
The way that He loves is as soft as the breeze
Carressing the trees at night

VERSE 2
So tender and precious is He
Contented with Jesus I’ll be
The way that He loves is so thrilling because
His love reaches even me

VERSE 3
The way that He loves is as deep as the sea
His spirit shall be my stay
The way that He loves is as pure as a rose
Much sweeter He grows each day

VERSE 4
His peace hovers near like a dove
I know there’s a heaven above
To Jesus I’ll cling, life’s a wonderful thing
Because of the way He loves

The Paradox of Our Age

I read this poem a long time ago that touched me and moved me in some way everytime I read it. It touches my soul and sometimes it gives me some sort of insight and different thoughts to ponder. With this poem, I've been able to stop and realize just how small I have donely good in life and how I should I try that much harder to be happy, understanding and tolerant. This moving piece has been an inspiration for me to be more appreciative for all that I have every day in life.
The essay appeared under the title "The Paradox of Our Age" in Words Aptly Spoken, Dr. Moorehead's 1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts.



THE PARADOX OF OUR TIME IN HISTORY IS THAT ...
We have taller buildings ... but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways ... but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more ... but have less;
We buy more ... but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses ... but smaller families;
More conveniences ... but less time;

We have more degrees ... but less sense;
More knowledge ... but less judgment;
More experts ... but more problems;
More medicine ... but less wellness.

We drink too much,
Smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly,
Laugh too little,
Drive too fast,
Get angry too quickly,
Stay up too late,
Get up too tired,
Read too seldom,
Watch TV too much,
And pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions ...
But reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom ...
And hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living ...
But not a life.
We've added years to life ...
But not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back ...
But have trouble crossing the street
To meet the new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space ...
But not inner space.
We've done larger things ...
But not better things.

We've cleaned up the air ...
But polluted the soul.
We've split the atom ...
But not our prejudice.

We write more ...
But learn less.
We plan more ...
But accomplish less.
We've learned to rush ...
But not to wait.

We have higher incomes ...
But lower morals.
We have more food ... but less appeasement;
More acquaintances ... but fewer friends;
More effort ... but less success.


We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies than ever ...
But have less communication.
We've become long on quantity ...
But short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
Tall men, and short character;
Steep profits, and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace ...
But domestic warfare.
More leisure ... and less fun;
More kinds of food ... but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes ... but more divorce;
Of fancier houses ... but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips,
Disposable diapers,
Throwaway morality,
One-night stands,
Overweight bodies,
And pills that do everything ...
From cheer ...
To quiet ...
To kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window ...
And nothing in the stockroom.

Indeed it's all true.

Think about it ... read this again.

~ Dr. Bob Moorehead ~

The Things I Realized About Life

As I grow older, my perspective in life has changed a lot. I tried to be fair and mutual when things has not the way I wanted to be at all times. I guess, it is already a sign of maturity in me. Sometimes life is so hard to understand when you see it in a different angle, yet, that's the way it has to be. It is not exactly the perfection in life that matters, because nobody's perfect but the appreciation that counts.
Life isn't fair no matter how tragic the surrounding could be, still it's good. No one know's you better than your family. As always, things are not always as complicated as you make them out to be, there is always and so much to be thankful for.
Herewith, are the list of the "Things I Realized About Life" which I copied from Definitely Filipino. As I go down all the way from the list, my realizations proved me right that I need to be fair and just.





1. Reality changes. It depends on what perspective you take.
2. No one’s really objective, your experience and the people that surrounds you affect your judgment about things. People see things the way they want to see it.
3. First impression is important. It will always comes into your way. How one perceives you and how you perceive others will determine the relationship that you will have with them.
4. It is difficult to think rationally when you are emotionally involved.
5. Student life and work life are two different things. The moment you left college and started working, everything changes. College buddies will be replaced by officemates; making ends meet with your income is another thing. Your parents will be your last resort when you need money.
6. It is the way you carry yourself in all circumstances that matters. No matter what the situation is and how clueless you are in the situation that you got yourself into.
7. Know yourself. People will always be judgmental. At the end of the day, you are the only person who will answer for yourself.
8. When something screwed up, we tend to look for others to be blamed. Guess what? It’s human nature. Sometimes it is difficult for us to accept we are at fault.
9. There will always be good days that all you wanted to do all day is to laugh. Nothing can ruin your good mood. And there will always be days that even the simple things annoy the hell out of you.
10. Don’t overanalyze things. Just accept it the way it is.
11. No matter how good your intentions are, people will have good and bad interpretation of what you have done.
12. Don’t generalize. You might be surprised about the thing called “individual differences”.
13. Dream big. You’ll never know how important it is until it happened.
14. History repeats itself.
15. Power changes everything. People will do everything just for power.
16. It is the way you deliver your message that changes everything.
17. You’ve got to know a person first before you can judge his character.
18. What you sow, you reap.
19. Everything happens for a reason.
20. There is always hope. Even if the situation couldn’t get any worse.
21. Don’t dwell on your problem too much. Sometimes fate has its own way of solving it.
22. Destiny comes into the way, but it also needs your consent before it happens.
23. Age is a number when you started working.
24. When you do not conform with other people’s opinions, they would presume that you are weird or a deviant.
25. It’s not good to compare yourself with others but sometimes it will push us to do better, strive harder and be competitive.
26. When you were a fresh graduate, all you wanted was to have an experience and as you grow older, you realized that money plays a vital role in one’s job.
27. There are always two sides of the coin.
28. Hurt,betrayal and disappointment are part of life.
29. You can forgive, but it is hard to forget.
30. Don’t argue with your boss. After all, no one wins an argument with the boss.
31. Sometimes it is hard to be happy for someone else’s success. It only highlights your weaknesses.
32. Positivism and realism are two different things.
33.Don’t take everything personally. Sometimes, people are just too caught up with their own problems to be aware of their actions.
(Texts owned by Definitely Filipino)

Friday Night - Out

It has been a couple of months that I haven't been out of my comfort zone and getting wild for a while. Thanks to my Polish friend Paulina ( & a fellow couch surfer) who invited me to be included in her celebrations after she successfully defense her dissertations.
My hesitations had prevented me at first to say my yes because of the freezing cold weather outside. I guess, that's where I got a bad cold. However, confining myself in the four corners of my room would killin me more, so despite of the chilling weather I need to stretch out of my legs and jive with the people whom I only meet occasionally.
The good thing about it you tend to meet new friends, though friendship intimacy would not be that close enough to go, one day or another you will still meet them on the way 'coz we are only living but in a small world.

November's Fall Colors

I haven't updated much lately because of my busyness, now that I have enough time to do so, let me write something here about Autumn/Fall experience. Just to continue of what I have had posted lately, pictures would do more of the talking rather than doing the blah - blah. Since, I got hold of a cheaper camera, taking snapshots and different subjects has been a good habit of mine and I would say its addictive.
The sad thing is I don't have a DSLR camera yet, and I don't even know when I could get the chance of getting one, hope it would be sooner than later. I just wish somebody out there would serve as santa claus & unselfishly give me a DSLR, sounds like I'm dreaming with my eyes open, I knew that it wouldn't happen.
Well, November provides splashes of colors that is what we called fall foliage. The temperature & the circle of time has changed, the sun completely refused to show. Fogs and moist envelopes the surrounding to keep the daylight shorter.
As we know, fall or autumn is the time for harvesting the crops sown in spring and ripened in summer. Trees loose their leaves and is often called Fall in USA because leaves fall from trees.
I appreciated so much of the changes of the autumn hues, and seeing its differenty colors makes it even more beautiful than spring so to speak. Now, I have completed my four seasons experience and this winter would be my second time.

My Autumn Blues and Fall Colors

This is my first Fall experience,I would say that I am happy & a bit melancholy when summer is gone because the atmosphere started to be so freezing, but the Autumn color gives so much vibrant and spectacular features of nature's beauty.
The beauty of Autumn is filled with colors. The crisp cool wind, the bright red-yellow maple trees, is the perfect time to explore the colorful vistas of the surrounding.
A full colorama of Autumn, a joyous feasting for the eyes. The magic of the autumn colors and the fragrances of falling colored leaves together with the freezing cool wind gives me a feeling of excitement and joy while the loneliness of winter hasn't come yet.
Herewith, are the photos that I took for Autumn souvenirs since I can't experience it back in the Philippines.