Chicken or Egg

My sister is the only person in the world:
whom I can have intelligent conversations with in 1 minute and not-so-intelligent discussions the next...while half-asleep...
who can wake up in the wee hours of the morning to open the door for me...and not be grumpy about it...
who can watch dvds with me while I make funny sounds humming the Universal Pictures theme song...(one of her happy thoughts..)
who can live with my laziness (turning off the lights/TV, getting water/cookies, throwing trash, etc.)
who can trust me with her journal...I will never read it ..(even if it's already opened to page #...hehehe)
who knows that when I seek validation, it just means that I need her support and I will still do what I want even if she does not agree...
who can scream at me and sing with me while driving...to keep me awake...
who can laugh at me and with me for my stupid mistakes...she also makes her own anyway...
who can play the next-song-game and book-game with me...analyses included...
who will accept me no matter what...

So in one of our intelligent/not-so-intelligent conversations, she asked me, "Ano nauna, chicken or egg?". She promised me that there's a psychological explanation for my answer. Without batting an eye, I answered, "Egg."

Then she explained that she and my mom both answered chicken and they are the ones who always think logically before making any decisions. And me?! What about me?

She said that I always tend to follow my heart. Hmmm....tsk..tsk...I don't know if that's a good idea...

I still haven't decided if it's good or bad...but one thought that came to me is this: I'm really so lucky to have a sister like her. Because I know that whether I make decisions with my mind, or with my heart, she'll always be there for me. (It's such a cliche but it's true..)

***Mental note: If ever I get to have two girls as my kids, I will let them share a room because it has done a lot of good to both of us. I know my sister wants to have a room of her own..but for now...she's stuck with me... hehehe... =)

How I survived 2 weeks in India without my teammates

I've been alone in Mumbai. And it's a weird feeling. Weird because I usually travel with someone from my team. Though our trips sometimes overlap, I am usually on my own for 1 - 2 days...max...never this long.
I usually treasure moments of solitude...but not when I'm in an 'interesting' country, with 'interesting' people. And for more than 10 days.... parusa.

How did I survive?

1. Skyflakes: My mom is a genius. She bought a pack of crackers for me, just in case my hyperacidity attacks again. I cannot eat Indian food everyday...my stomach reacts in a negative way. A pack a day, keeps the doctor away.

2. iPod: No more Indian music please. Everyday, I make it a point to listen to OPM songs --- current faves are songs from Ultraelectromagnetic Jam album, MYMP, Christian Bautista, & Eraserheads. I love Tagalog....

3. Room Service/Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich: I'm a fan of room service orders and I love their thai green curry prawns + rice. My baon for lunch (almost) everyday is grilled ham & cheese sandwich. I make it a point to bring sandwich from the hotel so that I'll have an excuse not to join their 'Indian' lunch. It's not really that safe here to be adventurous when it comes to food...

4. Email/SMS/YM/Blog (and all other forms of communication): I am always happy whenever I receive non-work-related emails, short SMS, IMs, blog updates...thanks for keeping me sane. Actually I am not sure if you are really keeping me sane or making me crazier. I sometimes laugh (or smile) like a lunatic even when I'm alone...hehehe...

5. TV/Reading Materials: Current programs I'm watching (and getting addicted) are --- 5 Takes, Miami Ink, and Faking It. Thanks also to the ever-reliable Time magazines and DNA newspapers --- my constant companion during breakfasts.

So, just 2 days more to go. I still have 4 packs of Skyflakes...these will be enough.

Epictetus reflects on meetings

*From Paulo Coelho's Warrior of the Light

Epictetus (55 AD - 135 AD) was born a slave and became one of the great philosophers of Rome. He was expelled from the city in 94 AD and it was while in exile that he came up with a way of teaching his followers. Here is an extract from his Art of Living.

"Two things may happen when we meet someone: either we become friends or we try to convince that person to accept our beliefs. The same thing happens when a hot coal meets another piece of coal: it either shares its fire with it or is overwhelmed by the other's size and is extinguished.

But, since, generally speaking, we feel insecure when we first meet someone, we are more likely to affect indifference, arrogance, or excessive humility. The result is that we cease being who we are, and matters move into a strange world that does not belong to us.

In order to avoid this happening, make your good feelings immediately apparent. Arrogance may only be a banal mask for cowardice, but it prevents important things from flourishing in your life."

My take: A coal's essence is to share its fire for warmth. If it does that and in the end turns into ashes, then it has lived its purpose.

No need to be sorry

I have developed my daily routine in Mumbai:

7:15am - Wake up
8:00am - Eat breakfast
8:30am - Go to the office

The traffic route going to the office and the hotel car driver may be different everyday, but one thing remains constant --- the questions asked by the driver for the day:

1. Madam, where are you from?
2. Are you here for business? Which company?
3. How do you find Mumbai?
4. Are you married?

I know these are all harmless questions but sometimes it's too tiring to answer them everyday. And the funny thing is whenever I answer the 4th question, they will then answer me with a polite, "I'm sorry madam..."

So what does that mean?!

They are sorry that I am single? Why the hell will they be sorry that I'm not yet married?! Trust me, it's not a good way to start your day...

Then eventually I found out that here in India, it's common for women to get married at a young age. They even have arranged marriages and it's just normal for them to finish their education and get married. That seems to be true because there are not a lot of women in the workplace (specifically in Mumbai). I even conducted a training with 16 participants --- all of them guys. (Yes I'm the only woman in the room. Of course I was not intimidated..well maybe a bit...but pushed that thought away..)

What a highly patriarchal society! Maybe after 5 - 10 years it will change. No one knows what will happen.

The only thing that I know is that I'm very happy to be single and unmarried. Thank you very much for asking.

My Turn - from Ilya (Quattro - I've been tagged)

four jobs i have had in my life:
1. intern (aka 'alila')
2. programmer
3. project implementation slave
4. N/A

four movies i would watch over and over:
1. Serendipity
2. How to lose a guy in 10 days
3. City of Angels
4. Under the Tuscan Sun

four places i have lived:
1. Our house
2. Burgundy Condo in front of Ateneo
3. Somerset, Sydney
4. The Ascott, Shanghai

four tv shows i love to watch:
1. CSI
2. CSI: NY
3. Travel Asia and Beyond
4. Will and Grace

four places i have been on vacation:
1. Batangas (my lolo's house)
2. Vancouver
3. San Francisco
4. Bangkok

four websites i visit daily:
1. www.cnn.com
2. silverstrands.blogspot.com
3. www.google.com
4. p2p portal ... hehe...

four of my favorite foods:
1. lasagna
2. pancakes
3. crabs
4. coffee

four places i would rather be right now:
1. manila
2. hawaii
3. boracay
4. venice

My Database

I have my share of happy thoughts.
Whenever I feel bored, lonely or sad...I just browse through my happy thoughts database and replace negative feelings with positive ones.
Instant relief!
Right now, I am feeling sad because I'm leaving home again.
Time for my happy thought search.
Query results returned one happy thought.
I am now smiling because I know we will meet again.

In the meantime, I will be content with this.