A one-live cat's life

Us and the World Youth Day

Been 2 months ago when you feel the World Youth Day fever going around the city. It’s a good feeling you know. A year ago, February of last year, is when I learned that the WYD will be held in Sydney.

That was the period I first came to Sydney, Australia. Which at that moment I did like the country at first sight. Because of I, when I saw the countdown at St. Mary's Cathedral, I told myself, I will come back to Australia no matter what to see the WYD. Same thing I told myself I am coming back to this huge country/continent to discover the place and backpack. Maybe that was a prophecy on my own which led on subliminal way on myself to come here.

Anyway going back to the WYD event. Weeks ago I was thinking of joining the volunteer program for the event. I sent an email but they only accept volunteers fulltime on all days of the event. So I thought of sponsoring a homestay. A few also requested on my Couchsurfing account and suddenly the agreement I had with a colleague to temporarily host her while she looks for a home was more reasonable/on my own opinion to be a Christian and standing on my own promise. So I appologized and at least sent emails to those who requested. Until now I am thinking what can I do to become a contributor in this world event which is happening in Sydney.

Last Sunday the Pope Benedict arrived in Sydney for the week long event. Buses were delayed and there were road closure since then. Tomorrow will be his parade.

In the papers, there were a lot of news regarding this event. Some still puzzles me. Like the priests who are sex offenders, the Pope did make a public appology. Aside from that in the paper, a man was hosting 5 pilgrims, and during the course of their stay the host did introduce his partner another Man and they turned out to be gay couples. So the guests did left the host's home, condemn him and his partner that they will burn in hell. That I can not understand.

So that was read aloud by my colleague while we were eating at the pantry reading papers and he commented on a picture of young couple making out/kissing, he said that should be the one that will burn to hell. Now I am confused!

The world and society makes its own rule. I wonder what were the rules during Jesus, the prophet's days? I wonder in Jesus' time if kissing was bad, or it is a mere not display but a extension of affection to one person? Maybe if it is lust then that is bad.

I am not religiuos and I do not know the bible by the back of my hand. But I did complete and did get high marks on my religion subject at school. In the Bible it mentions Jesus/God being compassionate. It mentions on focus on the poor in spirit, heart, physically. Don't this people do belong to the group mentioned in the Bible? It says all of us belong to the Kingdom of God. Those who Believe, ok ok… butthen those who believe…why do they act/condemn people who need guidance morally/spiritually? I myself I agree should be condemned therefore I have no right saying to someone that he/she will burned to hell.

It’s the same question I have in mind. Organ donation. Doing good and donating your organs when you accidentally die is a good thing (on my own opinion) as you help others, YET it is socially questionable? Or religiosly questionable of why extend a life of a person whom God/Life is already telling that is over? Or why donate your organ to a person dying and you might not know that he/she is a criminal.

This is not for discussion on religion or morals. I do not know if some of you guys reading this do have specific answers to this questions and you think the answers and beliefs you have are RIGHT in the eyes of the SUPERBEING.

So I may not be able to attend any of the WYD events even if I wanted to, and its not an excuse not to either, but on my thinking its better to treat your neighbors with good deed and continue living as a Christian than being a hypocrite of attending the WYD event and yet you do have a selective heart and a judgemental mind.

Underconstruction

I am semi-migrating my blog to One-Live Cat's LIfe and is still a work on progress.

I will still be maintaining this, but maybe not the MySpace anymore as i get too many strangers in MySpace.

I will be just generally copy-pasting my blog although wordpress will allow me to be free in design.

Caring for the environment

3 weeks ago, I got this little green plastic thingy waiting beside my apartment door.  As I look around the level, everybody have it.  hmm i wonder what it is. i carried it in and looked at it. hah! its a bin for biodegradeable refuse.

It contains the info sheets and a roll of biodegradeable plastic/garbage bag.  Yes, you read that right.  biodegradeable plastic, one of the newest inventions.  Its a plastic ade of starch. 

So a week after i received it i started using it.  All kitchen refuse, including paper towels, tea bags and cofee filters/grinds.  I feel good about it.  And the collection is once a week and they do the compost somewhere, which will be used for the community parks and gardens.

So some of other things i do: i shut off my pc everynight, use electricity as possible, shower the quickest possible time, and walk to and fro the grocery and use the public transpo.  Well it might be too late as we are already experiencing the global change but at least i try to be good to mother nature.

1 year anniversary of running races

July 11 a year ago was my first race.  That was the Fun run sponsored by the Mandarin Oriental.  And whoa! i never imagined, i will get hooked this way. this far, this long and i never felt the time so fast that its been year that i have been seriuosly doing runs for fun/hobby.  so what have i been doing the past few weeks related to running?

Weekend ago, i went overboard and spent more almost 200bucks for leggings and socks :D.  I needed leggings as it the winter even above 0 is too cold for me.  At last i got myself skins. well guess what i got a size L from the Youth department.  yea because the smallest for the female is too long for me.  Aside from that another leggings and socks.  Cant find a long sleeved shirt of my size :(.

Coming this weekend will be the Bay run.  Its not that long distance for 7K but I am not sure as usual how i would perform.  I will have fun, that's what's important and finish the race. 

And last Friday, I just got my race bib, #10051, my timing chip and race information from post for the City2Surf. I am not yet done psyching myself on this on the hellavalu hills, plus entered myself in the group category so its a bit of a pressure, despite of this, I will try to have fun and not caught up behind a lot of runners as this would be ran by 60K or more people. I got a green bib, :) despite of my first entry to the event as it says runners who joined previuos years with a pace of 70-100.  Glad the organizers considered my Philippine races.

Still thinking there are three races i came accross i want to join.  The Pub to Pub race, which is 2 weeks after c2s.

And the Woodtsock's 3rd Handicap run. which i will defenitely join as long as i am in NSW on August 30, 2008

And the Bridge to Bridge race, which is co-organized by Woodstock Running club and a week before the Sydney Bridge Marathon.

Not as busy running races every Sunday just like when i was back in Manila, but my legs are sore from doing the hills and my first speed training, so there haas been a step forward in this love of mine.

Ranting on work …

Strange as I had loved and wanting to stay in Sydney/Australia as their lifestyle is more laid back compared to Asia.  Although I miss the night life in Asia Malls and restaurants closing really late, I mean here, they value recreation after office hours which 5pm.

So I am suppose to be not stressed here compared when I was back in my home country office.  I feel work is still lighter here BUT my face is breaking out and im kinda pimple-faced as of the moment, and some skin irritation which I am guessing (and went to the doctor) that this is caused by stress.

I am a junkie for being busy at work, workaholic in short.  Not that I am complaining of too much work as I find these things blessing,  and I've been through to this stress since 6 years ago working for another company.  Anyway, strange but I get more stressed if I am idle, to the point that you do not know which website to browse!  Well I think that being the new kid in the team, its better to show your visibility on doing stuff than doing nothing and feeling it has not been worth shipping me from Asia to down under.

So now, I am under a manager who does more of managing me administratively AND! Reporting to 3 project manager and one technical manager. It does feel good to be needed.  Some days I only have a fourth of my plate full sometimes nothing but most of the time its more than full.  I am a happy worker.  I am happy working and helping projects and the colleagues I have been interacting since.  But just lately, things are starting to irritate me.

Rant 1.  There's this EXTERNAL/Contractor guy who is called a Solutions Architect for the project.  They are suppose to do a reporting application.  The project lacks resource to do the documentation for testing.  I was volunteered as there is no choice but me! So I created the document they wanted NOT KNOWING anything about the project! Yes I am able to produce the document.  Now comes this Architect telling me it has to be changed blah blah and I told him that of  course his inputs are needed as I am doing the document like a blind chicken.  And I told him to just edit what needed to be done (as It was always done with other architects I have been working with) and suddenly he reverts back and say "oh no no, because if I do that I am already doing your work and your work is done!" Like duh!! I am doing this document in your favor! And I am not even suppose to be a fix resource for this project.  And plus! I don't work for him! Not even he is more senior (age wise and length of tenure) he is a contractor of the ex- acquired company.  And I hate him always saying, actually most of these EX- acquired company colleagues  always complain bout during their time during their time! Which sucks as I do not hear any of my ex-N colleagues complain being merged with this company and we suffer of not getting much salary raise because of we have to "leverage" with them! I find this guy too arrogant! He does not want to do the deployment at Sydney, because they do not want to Travel! I don’t think he even should be in this company as this company requires traveling to do work. I can not believe to be working with these kind of lazy (incompetent) people!! (aside of him asking me what are my skills … duh!! They wouldn't bring me over here if I don’t know anything!-- such an insult.. Just because I am Asian and a female.. dammit! --- okey end of rant 1..i am glad he just left Sydney today, I would still be dealing with him on the phone and email though)

Rant 2.  This guy I have been working since I was way back my home country office.  Been with him in a project in Indonesia.  Had training with him in Finland.  I started hating him when I was in Finland.  Me and another of my colleague ran out of accomodation since there this Presidents coming to Finlandia.  So all hotels are booked.  One of our other colleagues volunteered that I can stay in his room and our youngest colleague stay in this Guy's room.  Instead of being kind-hearted and being a so-called-Christian himself, he said No he is not comfortable doing that.  And the guy who volunteered to accommodate me can only get one.  So we just decided to travel 1 train hour away Helsinki for accommodation :).. Out of nowhere.  Looking at the silver lining of it, we were able to travel to a very different town of Finland.

2nd time I hated him, is @ Jakarta's project.  We were all working at the customer site/data center.  On a weekend.  And its past 7pm and Im hungry and decided to go back to the hotel.  To find out that they already have left, since they are working one level below where I was working!  Left the only female team mate at night time. How gentleman is that!

3rd time, he emails me yesterday and today asking for advice/consulting me on product expertise with a bunch of colleagues on copy furnished.  I replied what I have which I think is with substance, oh guess what? Not even a reply to me (reply all not needed) to thank me is received.

You must be thinking I must be stupid to have been being a good colleague to him despite the things he has done.  I prolly just forgot everything what he have done not until again earlier. Grr! Engrata! jerk @#%#@%!!

Oh well that's all :)  going home now as it is 6 pm.  I will just go run this off at the treadmill. ;->

Finally my 2nd running Club!

Again, same thing, I have been overly lazy and you will have to bare with this cycle of me writing my blogs centuries after the events has happened!

One weekend ago while doing my Bay Run, about 500 more meter to my finish point, I was handed out with a flyer saying Join us in our breakfast, running club.. I tucked it in my pocket.  As I have been looking for running club since I arrived in Australia.

Arrived home and read through it, I told myself maybe I should give it a  try.  After researching them on the web I finally joined their Saturday runs and met a few regular weekend members.  They are called the Woodstock Runners.

Boy they were fast.  I ended up on the 2nd / 3rd to last in the pack :D.  They were nice bunch of runners :) maybe this is also a start of my social life/running life in oz.

Lack of word to describe my feeling, I have been stubborn or my own choice of not going out too much and finding ways to make friends, as strange my running is just keeping me happy as of the moment.  Work and keeping fit.  Satisfied that I was able to find a running club which even I have been absent for the past 2 weekends :(. Blame it on the late times working and the weather!

I will be running wearing my Woodstock's uniform on the City2Surf race. I am excited, although I know I am going to be slow, ill have fun and try my best!

Oh some might be asking, what is my first running club? :)

Of course, its h@ppy feet!

Way back my home country.  I'd still wear both flagship on the races :D and the new uniform of Happy feet is coming soon, just don't know when I am going to have it!

Running Goals

Recovering from my disappointment and frustration from the Bondi Barefoot Run, I ran the Mother's Day Special run to start me of with my Australia life the running part.  Missing the 8 km in the latter race, i missed the Sydney Half Marathon as well, well good as my physical self is not ready anyway.

So this time i will prepare, will remind myself that I am in Australia and focus on finishing the race and not with my speed.  Different race course, different climate, very competitive runners.

I will be targeting to FINISH these races... (hope my sched for work would allow me to! ... no overseas work on these days!)

The Bay Run - 7 Km course, and actually it is in the area where i live, my turf. 

City To Surf - Most participated run in Sydney, I heard.  More participants than the Sydney Bridge run.  This will be a 14KM race course, from the City to Bondi Beach, which explains the derivative of the events name.  A very hilly course as well, and they mean HILLY!

Sydney Bridge Run - the come back! as predicted from my last year's post.  This time , I am hoping to join and finish and my first half marathon!

A bit nervous as the 2 last ones will be my firsts, and theyre more distance than the usual 10Kms. Let's see. No PRs, and will finish it with fun!

Why Running?

Its almost a year and I never really talk about one of my passions, running.  Yea you see me blogging about my runs and my routes and the races but what got me into it really?

A lot of friends and of my Family member had same opinion and reaction on my running since last year ..

"Kinareer mo na ang pagtakbo mo"

Many would not really understand, as I grew up as a tiny, stick frame, bespectacled type girl went playing the varsity soccer in highschool but that was it.  I can remember my mom always complaining about my practices on soccer that takes my time from staying at home and coming home early. I think it is the same now, they would always remind me about being careful and not to over do my running as why running?!? My sister asks what? 10Km? What fun do you get in running and tiring yourself for 10KM?!? No way! Maybe same reactions and questions from friends who are still puzzled why running and I wasn't really in track in field in school but why?

But here again my 2nd Q&A with myself:

When did you start running?: July of 2007 at the park and streets of Salcedo Village
What made you start to do running?: I gained weight, ate a lot and never really had physical exercise but sit in front of my computer
Why Running?:As I said I was in the University Varsity women's team when I was in Highschool for the soccer team.  Playing the forward/half back depends on who the opponent is.  I had fun with this sports got me friends and good team work attitude.  I Googled and can't find women team playing in the areas of makati, so just to keep myself fit, I started running.  Coupled with a strict health and eating right I got the good results of loosing 10Kls.  And I am actually lighter when I was in collegere at 45KLS now I am maintaining my 42-43KLS weight.

Aside from health reasons, work can sometimes be stressful, running is one way hat gives me time alone with myself and de-stress and medidate while running, sorting stuff in my head while running, the more stress I am the longer runs I do.  It is sometimes literally running away from problems in life, but it is not.  It is sorting it out while running.  There can be lazy days that your mind is dragging your body and go exercise.

My Grandfather, dad side was a track and field coach, I don't know why some can not find the relation here. :P  One relative even when I was a kid says I am a good runner having a small mole on my right leg… maybe it was a good prophecy? Hah! I wish!

What satisfaction you get from running? From tiring myself and some would think it’s a pain to walk a 3km what more for a 10KM run or longer? I get myself distressed.  I am blessed to have good legs to do this activity, it keeps me sane that's the satisfaction I get from it.  Keeps me competitive as well, builds my self-confidence and self discipline.

So you really addicted to running? Yes I am! I feel bad if I don’t get my at least 3 x a week runs.  It is not a bad addiction, no? its not like being addicted to drugs or alcohol or anything else.

Ever thought of doing this before? No, not in my mind not in my plans. It was just a late discovery which is a self help getting away from stress, and (depression).

Was/Is there anything that hinders you from running? Some would think it is a hindrance.  As a child I was born with primary complex.  Weak lungs.  Had pneumonia when I was a young kid, then bronchitis then still asthma until now.  It was less frequent now I get my asthma attacks eversince I started running.

When will I ever stop? I don't know when.  When I broke a toe last december 2007, my dad says it’s a sign I should stop running … I did not … 2 weeks that was the daoctor's recommendation I can start doing light training.. Two weeks after the accident I started running again. Had my share of swolen toe join because of my stubornness of overdoing it.  I don't know when I will stop.. Since I am not a good swimmer and still I am scared to do biking on the road.

Run alone or with group/company? Depends.  Stressed days, run alone and if I already had my mileage for the week, running with friends is okey with me.

Favorite accessory(ies) in running? Running shoes, and a cap… and hydration belt on long runs.

Where do you run? (Oz) Threadmill on weekdays, outdoors on weekends… I pick my own route, too many choices to make!, (Pinas) weekdays Legazpi Park/Salcedo Park Weekends/Holidays long run wherever

Running Goal?: do a quarter marathon, then half marathon, then Full Marathon and just do in constant cycle until my body still can do it

Just watched Sex in the City … okey Charlotte is a runner :p so I am part Charlotte … the girls in Desperate housewives run, Katie Holmes did her Marathon last year and she ain't really was a runner or we just did not know about it …Senator Pia Cayetano is a runner (Triathlete)… so why can't I be a runner? :)

Running Diaries

2 weeks or 3 weeks has passed and I did not have much time to blog because of work. okey not complaining, just been busy but every weekends i always tried to run outdoor.

lately I have been getting bored and tired running in the thread mill.  But i do not have any options as it is already winter and sunset comes too early, and still I do not think i can go running in the evening here.  It looks safe but it is not. Just hard to explain.  In Manila, people think it has its bad reputation of crimes etc but i think i even feel safer running there until 9PM.  Anyway just to keep track of routes and whoever wanted to visit me ;-) ...

I discovered there too many routes around my area so it is all good.  below are some of the routes that i discovered lately :)

8 - KM Rozelle

8 KM - Rozelle - Rocks


9 KM - Rozelle-Balmain


14 KM - Rozelle-Balmain


16 KM Rozelle

and the views :)

Why not travel?

Contemplating on a haven for backpackers, I was thinking, what made me love traveling?

As I go back to my younger, kid days, I remember that during Summers and New years day we head down low lands where my dad's origin is.  We go there to relax for a day or a weekend in the beach.  On the other hand, we travel too up north on my mom's side to the mountainous areas and join rituals of their tribe.

Not until I was 12 years old, when I was in 6th grade.  I can remember that was the first traveling experience I had without my parents or my family/sisters.  We were going on a Regional Science Fair, I was with my team mates at school and with my coach.  I was excited and happy and not scared at all.   I can not remember that I did cry looking for home.  Most probably is because our coaches were good and nice and the team was good.  That is one thing that makes traveling a whole lot different, your travel mates.  So from that time on I think I just didn't mind being away from home even if it means school work, but getting to know different people, a new place, new culture etc.  Lucky should I say that at school that was what gave me opportunity to travel until I was in highschool.  Fairs, conferences, sport meets.  I just remember one conference that I have to go alone without any coach and it was different.  Tough emotionally but I learned to be independent from that time on.

Now that I am OLDER yea older … I travel for business and leisure on my own or with friends.

Anyway I listed some question on my self interview (hahaha!) about my interest in traveling:

Longest period away from home: 6 months, I was already working but I was away from my own place, my friends and family for 6 months.  It is long enough since Pinoy culture have very close family ties.

When you travel where do you stay? Hotels - business travel/holidays; Travelling as a backpacker: hostels/guesthouses/friends houses/travellers houses (through couchsurfing.com)

Any favorite accomocation? Hotel: although they do not have the home feeling you pay for the service and the nice room - Ritz Carlton in Jakarta.  Guesthouse: Youth Guesthouse in Japan - clean and friendly.; couch: a number of favorites

Favorite Airlines? Singapore Airline! I don't mind sitting in the economy class.  Good food, nice service from the staff, good entertainment system, staff treat you well
Item you always bring when you travel: a book, cellphone and camera

Favorite destination? So far from my travels abroad, its Luang Prabang, Laos! Very simple life and idyllic envronment.  Locally: its Bohol and Palawan.  When you travel as well, even if you've been in the same destination, what makes it different experience is the people you travel with.

How do you get around: Business: taxi, backpacking: all kinds of the public transpo, and walk a lot!

What have you learned so far from traveling: A lot that money the money you spent can not even buy! The experience first hand of the culture, language, people, history that is very different from the books while you were learning at school.  Aside from that, it taught me to be more independent, got more sensitive of who really am I, you learn life while you travel.

Everyone should travel because … it makes you grow maturer and life is short.

Something you wish to do whenever you travel that you always don't do? Sketch! Or write a real travel blog of the destination … just that there are too many things to do, to less time!