These Children Put Their Lives on the Line Each Day To Get To School

School is finally out for the school year in my city and I can't be any prouder with my child for ending her year with high honors, including an award from our U.S. President's Education Awards Program for Outstanding Academic Achievement. As a parent, it's definitely one of our proud moments. I'm blessed that my child have the passion to learn, best of all, the love to go to school. I'm equally grateful that she lives in a country that provide good schools and amenities for everyone. Not all countries in this world offers the same privilege, and kids her age in these underprivileged countries suffer the dire consequences and have to persevere each day just so that they can go to school and learn.

Top 10 Signs of Aging Women Hates

"Old age is the revenge of the ugly ones" - French Proverb

After doing my rather funny impromptu video about why I hate gray hairs, I was inspired to survey real women about aging and what they hate about it! Their responses were phenomenally unanimous! And they told it like they felt it!

So here's the not-so-hot deal on aging according to you!

Why I Hate Gray Hairs And I'm Not Alone In This

Yes, right on the bat, I would tell you that I hate gray hairs! Seriously. Imagine yourself looking older than you really are! That's what gray hairs would do to you. Then there's the pain in the rears of getting it colored, covered, hidden, camouflaged... Ah my hair! Not only is it time and money-consuming, it is rather very cumbersome!

I can hear you saying "Just embrace it!"  Trust me, I've heard that so many times. Not just from other women-friends but more from my unfazed-by-gray-hairs, indifferent, male peers who would endlessly rag me about embracing it. But no. I can't. I won't. Not yet.

"Nothing ages worse than a beautiful woman's ego" - Paulina Porizkova, Supermodel

Watch Why I hate Gray Hairs directly on our YouTube Channel

Shall We Say Merry Birthday?

Losing someone to death during the holidays may be the worst unfortunate event one can ever experience, but I'd say having your birthday during or around the holidays comes close second. I should know this. My birthday is (3) three days before Christmas. And I tell you now. It ain't fun at all. No not at all.

Un-joys of Un-Motherhood: One Woman's Story on Giving Up On Being a Mom

I'm sure that at least 90% of you would agree that women are destined for motherhood. We were created for it. Women in other cultures, that's their ultimate purpose - to be mothers**. Motherhood is what spurs an instant connection between the female specie, especially those who are blessed to be mothers. But others aren't as lucky. And that validating question "do you have children?" or "How many kids do you have?" takes a sudden awkward turn. This is what happened to me today.

Wanted: Someone Who Believes in Me

My title probably sounds like a desperate call but it could well be to a certain degree. Both professionally and emotionally. I think we all do one way or the other. Take Bill Gates for example. If it wasn't for his friend Paul Allen who believed in his abilities and who kept pushing him to open a new software company, we wouldn't have Microsoft today. Steve Jobs wouldn't have Apple today if Mike Markkula, former Intel Executive, did not believe in him and have not to invested $250,000 into Apple in January of 1977. Then there's the rags to riches story of Arnel Pineda, the new lead singer of Journey, who happens to be Filipino - ahem! His story digs deep into the heart of having someone truly believing in you.

Life Hack: What Divides You and How You Can Bridge the Gap

We were on our way to North Lake Mall to do a short errand when this mind-blowing realization smacked me right on the head. As we cross the bridge that connects us to the other side, where the mall is located, I, for some reason, suddenly stared far ahead at highway I-485 which seemingly looked long and endless. A highway that will soon come full circle. Then it hit me! This highway is a gap that divides. Just like all the other highways and rivers in the world, they create a chasm, a divide...

As I ponder on that, I took a quick memory check. In the city I grew up in, we have this enormous and sometimes tumultuous river that separates us from the center of the city. To get to it, I have to either cross a bridge or ride a canoe, we call "baloto" in Ilokano ("banka" in Tagalog)  across the river. There again, a divide.

Homeowner Woes: I Hate Forrest Gump and His Box of Chocolates!

I don't hate (well, maybe sometimes) but Forrest Gump and his "box of chocolates" epiphany is just proverbially annoying me right now! Especially with the "you never know what you're gonna get!" part because right now, I'm feeling like we got the crappy chocolate out of his box! "Why Forrest Gump? Why add crappy chocolates?!"

Truth be told. It really has nothing to do with Forrest Gump. It's all about LIFE being like his box of chocolates. You REALLY never know what you're gonna get!

In Moving Purgatory

These couple make moving look good! If only it was real.

Lately, my days are surrounded by a growing number of boxes. Big, small and little ones in between. It's making my house look like a cross between a warehouse and a sardines can. It's getting tight in here so fast and we've just about started packing! All 10 years worth being squeezed in moving boxes.

Unreal. Just like the process. Put together box, sort, toss, fill, tape, pile, repeat.

It feels endless. Like a broken record, it's almost annoying. If this was Lord of the Rings, I'm in middle earth right now. Not hell. Not heaven. Purgatory. 

Do I Look Pregnant? Don't Answer that!

Hello? Anybody there?

Warning: This article is the ramblings of a woman under coffee coma. If you don't like muffin or loathe the word skinny, run away as fast as you can. If you love humor (at this woman's expense) then READ ON.

Not too long ago, I made a disconcerting decision to look at myself in the mirror, LIKE REALLY LOOK! I was probably naked. I tend to develop amnesia with things that shocks me. Though I remember, I started with a squint then bravely opened my eyes wide open, trying forcefully to not blink! If you were me, you'd be scared too and probably screamed! I did not scream. But what I saw in that reflection was one of those moments where you simply have to drop the "Whadda FFFF" expletive. Tracy Beckerman of Lost in Suburbia came to mind, not because she's a potty-mouth, though I'm sure she is sometimes, but rather specifically, of that chapter in her book where she mentioned "WIDE LOAD".

7 Things No One Told Me About Motherhood and More!

Whenever I see a mom with 3 or 5 or even {God help her} 6 children in tow and they're ganging up on her like a wild herd on a rampage, in public spaces no less, my head would literally go spinning to no end. I grew up in a big family and seeing this fucked-up poor mom reminds me of how crazy it had been for my mom! We were good kids {believe it or not}, all six of us, but we were also KIDS -- so heck yeah, we drove her ape shit insane!

Hail to the Women!

My S.O. just told me that today is International Women's Day. "Huh?! It is?!" Was my pathetic response. "Yes it is!" Him affirming with a clever smirk that shows he has yet again outwit me. It doesn't happen all the time. So, little victories like this makes him smile. But seriously, how can I not know this? Too late in the night to bust out my favorite wine to celebrate now -- but not to late to cheer. Hail to the women!

Isn't it great that there is a day dedicated to recognize our femininity and the power of our gender? Though equality is not yet achieved globally, it is great to know that there are powerful women who broke the gender barrier and made it into history!

20 Bad Habits Drivers Do While Driving

A few years ago, My family and I have been a victim of a driver who was texting while driving and got us in a bad wreck in the highway.  That accident left me with a trauma, a whiplash and a heightened sense for bad behaviors on the road. Thank God, texting and driving had been illegalized {that's a proper word, right? LOL} but there are other stupid acts factors people do that should be placed in the same category because they are equally harmful, highly distracting and very annoying! See if you agree.

Downton Abbey Addictive as a Controlled Substance and as Real as My Past

Downton Abbey is back for the 3rd season and I can't be any happier. It's like my drugs. I crave it like I would chocolate or chips. I can't get enough of it. A safer option than the real you-know-thing but that if it was real, it should be legalized pronto! Because I'm hooked on Downton and no plans of being rehabilitated.

The Day in Photos: In Remembrance #26Candles #365Photoproject

Unresolution Your Way to an Awesome-r You in 2013

It's the New Year and I'm relentlessly asked what my resolutions are. The yearly resolutions that are endlessly discussed, asked, and plastered on every print, tv and online. Even my inbox gets inundated by brands suggesting I include buying more of their products as my resolution. Eeks, seriously! Nice try but NO thanks! Shaddup already. Resolution has gotten so "commercialized", it's basically turned into a noisy, non-stop buzz that's almost as worst as having Tennitus which seem to get louder especially at the onset of New year and the whole month of January. What is about a resolution anyway that keep us into creating them yet most often than not, NOT keep them?

The Domino Effect Created by the Sandy Hook Elementary Tragedy. Are you Prepared? #26Candles

I normally don't write about tragedy and loss because I know how much it HURTS and it makes me sad, but with the recent tragedy that literally rocked our world and with holidays fast-approaching, it seem harder to celebrate knowing that there are 26 families out there who are hurting and grieving in Connecticut right now. The same tragedy that unfortunately sent a wave of FEAR and big changes like a domino effect in schools all across the country, if not the world.

Falling in LUV 30,000 Feet High Up In The Sky

I have been traveling a lot and I know that I should at least be telling you my great travel escapades the past few weeks out in the West and back East but there's this LUV story THAT is just juicy-licious and so delish-ly romantic, I purposely kicked everything else to the curb to go cheesy-cheesy on you! But just to be clear,THIS is NOT my love story (I wish) but it's so ticklingly good, I just have to write about it. You'll see! So, How do you want to FALL in LUV airborne style? Yes airborne! Kinda like Gangnam but better.