Am I Beautiful?

Am I beautiful?

What brought about this question was something that somebody said to me tonight. What actually happened was that she first asked me if I had any boyfriend before. Then this was followed by why I did not get married. What came next was something that gave me mixed reactions. I didn't know whether to laugh, be annoyed, feel insulted or just be amused.

I was advised by a fifteen year old girl to have a make-over in order to land a husband. LOL. As if I wanted one.

I never claimed to be a ravishing beauty. But when given such an advice by somebody who lives in a country where cosmetic surgery is pretty common even among teenagers, I wondered what is considered beautiful nowadays by young people. Does it constitute having double eyelids, a V-line face, a very slim body and fair skin? I guess, if the public is bombarded by such images as icons of beauty then I can truly understand why it become a standard for them.

The concept of physical beauty varies. What may be considered beautiful in one country may seem unattractive in another place. The elongated necks of the women is associated with beauty in the Karen tribe but this may seem strange to people from other nations. In the pursuit of beauty, many men and women subject themselves procedures which sometimes become detrimental to their health.

I dare say though that real beauty is something which radiates from the within. It is produced by the goodness emanating from a pure heart.

March On, Defenders of Human Rights!

December 10 marks the annual celebration of the International Human Rights Day. This year's theme focuses on the recognition of the efforts done by human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.

Human rights defenders are people who, in their personal capacity, worked so hard to put an end to a seemingly endless violations against the basic human rights of people all over the world. They gave voice to the plight of victims of oppression and discrimination who have become mute due to fear of reprisals. They fought for the rights of the victims of violence. They have become the faces of justice.

Who and where are they - these human rights defenders? They can be ordinary people just like you and me. They can be somebody whose names are recognizable worldwide. They can be persons whom you meet in your daily life. They can be anywhere - in the countryside, the big cities, in a developed country or in the third world.

What makes a person a defender of human rights? What sets them apart from the rest of the populace? The reason is not that they are better educated or wealthier than the others but it is because they made a decision to take action. In a seemingly indifferent world, the defenders of human rights chose to be concerned and involved in the battle for the protection of the rights inherent in each human being.

Yes! March on, defenders of human rights. We salute you.

On Soap Opera

Soap operas have become a staple fare in the lives of a lot of people. It seems like they are living vicariously through the lives of the characters. It is also possible that many can relate to story. Situations are so exaggerated in the soap operas. It may also be that some of the audience feel a bit better when they watch these shows because it seems that their lives are better compared with the often chaotic ones of the characters. It may also be that they can find the excitement that they wish for in their lives in those of the characters. One thing though is that these shows can be very engaging and so addictive.

Decisions...

I am at a loss.

I am not sure if this can be considered as a midlife crisis or not. I hold two jobs and have another one waiting for me. Now, the question is if I leave my day job for another one. The current one is fast-paced and challenging but the turn-over is really frequent. The one waiting for my decision is a bit more laid back and stable. The pay's almost the same.

I guess I have the weekend to think about the various pro's and cons and then that's it for me...decision time. I dread doing that.

Finally...

Yes, I finally got to watch 2 World Cup matches last weekend. It was fun and heartwarming.

I can remember a line regarding the agony of defeat when I saw a certain player cry because his team lost. At the same time, I can feel the energy emanating from the cheers of the audience. I also got to see the exultant faces of the winners.

The one that I got to see till the end was the game between Ghana and Uruguay. I also got to see the first part of the Germany-Argentina match but I fell asleep and never got to finish the game. I really wanted to check out the other games but can't because of my very heavy work schedule.

I just wish though that an Asian team would have made it but that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Goodbye, 2009...

True enough, there are many ways of celebrating new year. The traditions in most countries in Asia are very similar to that of the Chinese.

In our case, the new year’s celebration and some of the things that we do and prepare have been greatly influenced by the Chinese. They have taken a part of their own local custom and brought it to the Philippines where more than a million Filipino-Chinese live. Then the those practices became wide-spread. For example, people set off firecrackers during that night because the noise that it makes is said to drive the negative spirits away. Then 12 round-shaped fruits are prepared.Red colored clothes are worn.

These practices are done in the hope of inviting good luck for the new year.

Thanks, my friend...

We’ve often talked about dreams and just now I remembered a quotation which is very much related to it. It says that we should let go of our idealism for without it we are nothing. Just like dreams, if we give it up, we don’t have anything to look forward to - no goals, no direction, no source of inspiration.

As we grow older, we become more cynical and jaded. We become skeptics. We have overlooked so many essential facets of life. It is true that there are negative forces around us but we shouldn’t also forget that there’s a lot of goodness in the world.

It will be another challenging year for all of us. Let us keep our fingers crossed and pray for the best.

I am glad that I met you.