Weekly Questions: Happiness

This question hit me hard and I had to think about what to write about. A simple question but it calls for a complicated answer, don't you think?

Are you happy?

Happiness as defined by Merriam-Webster is "a state of well-being and contentment." Yet it is difficult to define it when it comes to your own personal happiness, right? Right. It is quite easy to say "I am not happy" than it is to say "I am truly happy." In fact, I have learned that a lot of things that I thought would make me happy really didn't make me happy.

Inasmuch as I would try to believe that I am happy, I find that there is something lacking. It is not discontentment, mind you, but something more. Sure, I may have more that others have today but I find that it is not enough.

My life, while growing up was quite happy, but complicated. We all have our own personal stories, so I am not going to bore you with mine. Suffice is to say that my childhood was unique however, I was spoiled. I used to think that everything could be solved by material things, and for a time, they where.

Someone told me once that their family may not have what I have but they were happy. They lived simply but they were together. I was slowly welcomed into their home and I realized that there was more to being happy than I thought.

This made me remember the song Love Will Be Our Home that I kept listening to when I was still a child and this time, I know why I love the song so much. I listen to this song right now and I cried. I finally know what it truly means and why I was drawn to this song.

I am happy. It only took one person to make me happy.

-----
I also wrote something here.

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A Few More Days

I only have a few days left here in Dumaguete then it's bye bye Philippines hello United States. I'm currently experiencing bittersweet emotions here. I am excited to leave and start a new life for me in the US unfortunately, this means that I would leave my hubby of 2 months behind. This is really hard for me. Well, we did try this before back in '06 when I stayed in the US for almost a year. We were still dating at that time so I guess this time won't be different.

Leaving is always hard for me. Not only to I detest leaving the people I love behind, I also loathe packing and I am always postponing it up to the last minute! Ha! Things really get left behind in this case but I am making sure that the essentials would be packed and ready to go before June 10.

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2 Months and Counting...

Today marks our second wedding monthsary! Well, I just had to share this with you today because we remembered! It was really funny that we forgot our first monthsary. He was busy with work and I was really busy with intensive practicum after graduation.

Aww, what a way to start our life together, huh? This occasion (although it's not really a major occasion) is something new to us. In our 6 years of being together as boyfriend and girlfriend, we never celebrated our anniversary or monthsary or whatever it is they call it. If you ask us, we could never answer you the exact date when we became a couple! It was just one of those relationships where the couple starts out as friends and before they know it, the lines become blurred and they wouldn't know when their real relationship started.

As I look back at us, it was really best that we started out that way. In a sense, our relationship was put into a test, well, sort of. We had our share of "remember I'm not your bf" and "remember I'm not your gf" phase when one of us gets jealous or when we're in a middle of a fight. At that time, it really hurt me but we got through it all. I'm sure he also felt the same.
At the time that we met, we were both in fading relationships. I had questions of my own and he also had the same. It would be downright rude to go into the details so I will just leave it at that.
I would say that we were both happy to find each other at the exact time where both of us needed somebody. I was there through his problems and he was there through mine. We helped each other go through serious issues and uncertainty and we survived.

Cor vincit omnia.

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Power Outage...AGAIN

There was no power again this morning! I think it's becoming a regular Sunday thing in this city! I really don't know what's wrong with the power lines these days. Hmmm, perhaps it could be that the lines are really ancient? I guess you could say that!

When it comes to our power lines, they are a mess! You can see that the lines are criss-crossing each other! Well, at least it came back on at 12 noon or we would die of the heat! I guess I should be thankful, though. I mean, it used to be that power outages lasted a whole day and came back on at around 5 PM! Now, that was hell!
On a happier note, we drained two lappys and one DVD player this morning. We finally caught up with our movie marathon! Well, TV Show marathon, since we were watching Heroes Season 2 this morning. We didn't finish the whole season since we drained all our batteries. Lucky for us, the power came back on. Unfortunately, playoff finals are drawing near and the hubby is now watching NBA on BTV. Well, I opted to get online and check on my accounts because I so loathe watching sports on TV. Ah well, to each his own!

On a much happier note, I'd like to announce that this is my 100th post! Yay, me! I am so ecstatic! I didn't realize that I would reach this many posts! (clapping hands, jumping up and down)

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Leaving on a Jetplane

Well, not really on a jet plane...but I am leaving...
Yesterday, I had a chat with one of my closest friends Lurch only to find out that she didn't know that I would be leaving. To make things worse, I realized that my the Buluyagonz didn't know about it either! I'm sorry, guys. I guess I just assumed that you knew. Perhaps I didn't tell them that I would be leaving because I couldn't accept the inevitable. However, I am now making a formal announcement:

I WILL BE LEAVING ON THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, 2008.

Whew, that finally came out! I am leaving for sunny California and leaving my hubby behind (sniff sniff). Most of you know that I just got married a little over a month ago and would tsk tsk tsk about leaving him behind. Well see, I don't have a choice even if I don't want to leave him behind. Skeptics would think (not out loud and not tell me to my face, of course) that this is one trouble brewing in the horizon. I am going to prove you wrong (I am still crossing my fingers, though)! I know long distance relationships seldom work and I can also attest to that, myself but my hubby, then my BF, and I have tried being apart for about a year last 2006-2007. It was a pretty lonely year for both of us since we were apart even though we chat a lot, text and call each other. But I'd like to say that we grew closer since then. I could tell there was a change on our relationship - a positive change! It was like moving on to a new plane!
Fast forward to today. We are now married and we have talked about this. Both of us know the consequences of being apart for a long time (I still don't know when I'll be able to come back). I know times are going to be rough but we'll manage. I know I have been used to him being around so leaving him is like a bitter pill that I must swallow if only to get better.

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How do you eat your Peanut Butter?

Good morning blogosphere!

It's still raining of our corner of the globe but I have been up and awake since 5 AM! With that early and surprising feat, my hubby and I actually ate breakfast together. It was not just a few bites and he was out the door, but a real sit-down breakfast! We had bacon, hotdogs, and pork tapa (dried pork) with rice, of course. Plus we added a little bonus to our meal (yes, it's a bonus because we don't usually have it), Peanut Butter Toast!
What is so special with peanut butter toast, you ask? Well, because I don't like peanut butter on my bread and I refuse to eat bread with peanut butter, I made up a new way to prepare mine - toast the bread and the butter together! Now, it becomes good enough to eat. Yum-o! It's not a big discovery but I know some people don't eat peanut butter because it's so thick and creamy on their bread but toasting it with the bread makes it more palatable. I think it eliminates the gooey-ness of the peanut butter.
If you guys want your peanut butter to be gooey and icky (hey, it's your preference!), then this one isn't for you. But for the heck of it, I'm going to tell you how to make it.

Prep Time: 2-3 minutes
Ingredients:

• slice of bread (your preference)
• jar of peanut butter (your preference)
• butter knife
• toaster

Directions:

1. Spread the peanut butter over the sliced bread. You can even make it fully loaded with peanut butter.
2. Place sliced bread with peanut butter on toaster.
3. Set the timer to 2 minutes (or however you want your bread to be toasted; I put it between 2 and 3).
4. Wait impatiently.
5. Eat to your heart's content
6. Enjoy!
   

Makes 1-2 pieces of Peanut Butter Toast

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How's married life?

"How's married life?" How do you answer that question? Do you tell them that it is great? I mean, of coourse it is great but what do they expect that I would answer? Well, to those people who are really, and I mean, really, curious about my married life (blush), I am going to answer your question as best, and as truthfully as I can. (breathe in) Here goes!

• The Honeymoon: Usually, the honeymoon happens right after the wedding! Of course, the day after our wedding, I had to go to school and take the comprehensive exam and prepare for the intensive practicum which is still underway. We still don't have any formal honeymoon yet but I hope that we'll have one soon!
• The Endearment: No it's not honey, sweetheart, or dear, or langga! We call each other boss! Ever wonder why? It really started out as a joke and then after a few weeks of banter (inspired) we started calling each other boss. It's pretty unique, I think!
• Living Together: There's nothing different, I guess since he usually spends most of his time here. I guess I'm still adjusting to having someone beside me at night (blush blush!)
• Pet Peeves: Of course our marriage isn't a bed of roses. We do have our thorny sides to take into consideration. What really irks me a lot is his mercurial moods (I've already worked around this one though!), not to mention the stink bombs he throws here and there (Ugh)!
• Kiddies: No, we're not planning to have them ASAP and no, I'm not pregnant! Babies would be nice but not at this moment. A year or so would suffice. I think it's very important for both of us to adjust to each other and not complicate it by having a baby right now (secretly, I would love to have a baby!).
  
• Wifely Duties: I'm an only child and I am used to thinking about my own self. Now, however, I need to think about him, too. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus should be planned a few days before and the groceries and food stocks must also be monitored. Although he helps me with the groceries and such, it is still my job make sure that we still have the basic necessities available. Keeping the laundry and newly ironed clothes in order is also one of my responsibilities.
• Home Maintenance: Now, I do know minor home repairs and such but that is his forte and not mine! Changing lights, minor carpentry, and mechanics are his responsibilities. Whenever things need fixing, he's the man to call so I have know problems in this area.
• Computer/Internet Usage: No fights here! He programmed both our lappys to be in synch and both of us can now use the internet together...wifi, if you will. Since both of us have lappys, we don't fight over its usage and what not. Since I'm the internet addict, I'm usually the one online and he doesn't mind.
• Other Gadgets: We do share our gadgets except for the cellphone, however since each of us have our own. We work some sort of a schedule, though and take turns using these gadgets. We squabble sometimes, but it's nothing that can't be managed.
• TV Usage: We do fight over the TV! Sure, we have 3 but we still fight over the one in our room! I don't mind most of the time since we both watch the same shows and I'm mostly online however, there are still some shows that I do love to watch that he doesn't watch so I just ask nicely (pretty please with sugar on top?!).
• Friends/Barkada: I really don't mind if he's with his friends. Both of us have a different circle of friends and getting married didn't dissolve these friendships. We still hang out with each of our friends separately and both of us understand that our peers are also important to us.
  

Our married life so far has been pretty much typical of what married life should be. We do have our fights and disagreements but we're pretty much handling them like married couples should. Our life is not perfect, but to me, nothing could be better than this!

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