Fallen

As we walk our path of life,

We meet people everyday.

Most are simply met by chance.

But some are sent our way.

These become special friends

Whose bond we can't explain,

The ones who understand us

And share our joy and pain.

Their love contains no boundaries.

So even when we are apart.

Their presence enhances us

With a warmth felt in the heart.

This love becomes a passageway,

When even the miles disappear.

And so these friends,

God sends our way,

Remain forever near.

The poem above from an unknown author was sent by my colleague to the family of another colleague who recently lost his life in a tragic shooting and hostage incident in Tikrit, Iraq.  He was a Reuters photographer and journalist who was reporting on gunmen attacking a local government building in the area.  He was shot and killed along with 52 other people and a hundred other injured (it was all over the news yesterday).

Today, our entire company spent 5 minutes of silence--no calls, no meetings, no talking with anybody, to pay tribute to a fallen colleague and say a prayer for his grieving family.

I didn't know him, of course, but this message from his manager brought me and I'm sure so many others to tears: “When I worked with him, at a time when Iraq seemed to be descending ever deeper into bloody chaos, life to Sabah seemed somehow joyful. I remember him showing up late one night, unannounced, at the Reuters bureau in Baghdad which felt under siege. It was Dec. 31 but we had little cause to celebrate. What brought him down to the city on a frightening night like this, we asked. 'Happy New Year!' he laughed, offering presents all around. It was a generosity in Sabah which we shall all remember amid the sadness.”

His name was Sabah al-Bazee, only 30 years old and he died doing his job--capturing a story so we all would know what's happening in his side of the world.  He was the third Reuters journalist who died tragically in the line of duty in the last 12 months.

It is heartbreaking to see people die through natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, but it's more heartbreaking to see people die in the hands of fellow mankind, in the midst of violence, greed and unresolved conflicts.

Airbrushing

What to do on a lazy Saturday morning?

It's raining outside.  It's been non-stop since this morning.  The weather forecast says we're supposed to have a storm.  I guess it's not the kind of storm that comes with strong winds, just rain and lots of it.

Lucas is napping right now.  He woke up very early today so my plan to sleep in didn't happen at all.  It wasn't his usual waking up time so immediately after breakfast, he went right back to sleep.  He normally naps for 3 hours, so when he wakes up it will be just about time for his swim class.

So when there's not much to do outside, here I am catching up on blogs, Facebook and editing some old photos while learning some new techniques.

sooc

This photo was taken by Charles. One day, my boss asked me for a headshot.  The good thing about us photography enthusiasts is that we can have new and updated headshots anytime we want.  In the past, it would have taken me time and money to have this done at a studio and you can't redo it once it's done without paying more money.  Now, I just find a clean wall, stand in front of it and have somebody take the shot.  Even our friends benefit from it.  Charles did somebody's passport photo a few weeks ago.

enhanced

I'm also learning how to airbrush.  I've never done it before because every time I try, the photo ends up looking so fake.  This one I think isn't so bad, though I hate what the sharpening tools did to this photo. It added noise to the areas I sharpened and I couldn't get rid of them.  Tips, anyone?

New Recruit

Charles, meet MacBook Pro...

MacBook Pro, meet Charles!

This arrived today.  Not mine, but the hubby's.  Though this is one of those things I would gladly consider "conjugal properties" (grin)!  He promised I can borrow.

Finally, he who was a big fan of IBM Thinkpad (now Lenovo), and has probably been a PC user almost all his life, is now a Mac-convert.  He is my newest recruit to the world of Mac.  I've been asking him to convert for some time now.  A year ago he was looking at getting a new laptop.  I started nudging him to get a MacBook but he refused and got another PC instead.  This time, he finally decided it was time to switch.  Whatever the reason is, I'd like to take credit for it. ;-)

I have nothing against PC.  It works just fine. But to me, Mac is a no-brainer.  Mac and I are a match made in heaven.  If I were to pay for a computer, I'd pay for anything Apple.  I use PC at work because I don't pay for it.

Charles, on the other hand, would look at all possible options and factors first before buying.  And I have to admit--Mac doesn't always make the most sense, technically and financially.  But I go with it because it feels right.

It's only the first day and he's already loving it.  It's light, slick, trendy and smart.  The more he uses it, I'm sure he'll love it more.  I just hope I can still get my hands on it.  Soon.  I can't wait!

Losing

Seeing my friend Lori at her baby shower gave me a reality check about my weight.  I know I gained a lot since I stopped breastfeeding Lucas and I haven't been back to shape since then.  I knew all along that I needed to lose some weight. I worked on it quite a few times, but I haven't tried that hard to be consistent.  I thought I looked ok--not great, but ok.

Yet I couldn't believe that my 8-month pregnant friend looked even slimmer standing next to me!  Years ago, we spent long weekends together. We would try on each others' clothes.  We would look at ourselves in the mirror wearing our bikinis or underwears and we would marvel at how our bodies were shaped very much alike. We weighed about the same for a long time, but that has changed in the last couple of years.

We both love to eat!  But my friend maintains an active lifestyle and I don't.  Like me, she also hates exercising and going to the gym. But she pushes herself to go to cardio and dance classes to stay active. I tried that one too and it worked. I shed off pounds dancing, but that success was short-lived because when I later found an excuse to quit, I did.

Now there are no more excuses (well, there never really was).  I resolve to slim down and I am committed to achieving that. It's been four weeks now since I added exercise back into my routine and I am happy to report that I have lost about 5 pounds. I have just stepped below the 130-lb mark. 

My goal is to hit 120 lbs. It ain't going to be easy. But if I'm halfway there in 3 months, I am a happy camper! It helps to have the support of people around me, like the husband who happily watches Lucas while I work out, and throws compliments when he too sees the results.  And seeing results is even more encouraging. Early this week, I wore a favorite suit that I had not worn since I was 4 months pregnant. I can see and feel a few inches coming off my waist and my energy level is definitely up.

No efforts stay unrewarded--this I keep in mind these days.  I sure hope I can keep up this time around and feel good about my body once again.

Photos will help me track progress (or the lack thereof)

Choice

This week, I turned down a potential job offer--a job that would have paid about the same but should be less demanding than the one I have now.  It is one that would have allowed me to travel less and spend more time at home, and one that is not likely to make me and my family move to another state. 

I still think about whether or not I made the right choice.  I do feel comfortable about the job I have now, but sometimes comfortable to me isn't always good.  I get bored pretty easily and I am one who prefers new challenges than routines. Sometimes I like going out of my comfort zone to try something different. I embrace changes with wide-open arms.

But this time, I feel that staying where I am made the most sense. It is not easy what I do--in fact, it is exhausting at times.  But here I think is where I have more opportunities to grow and be a better person.

Sometimes we forget how great it is that God gave us the gift of choice, the freedom to choose our way of life. I know some people in other parts of the world and under some circumstances, don't have as much choices as we do.  I feel so lucky that while some people have found their companies shutting doors on them, one opened its door on me.  And I can only hope that whoever lands that job is one among the many who are in need of it.

Dearest Chichi

Dearest Chichi,

Ten years ago, I knew you as a colleague and a leader.  You weren't my boss but I looked up to you as such because (1) I hated my boss and I wished I was in your team instead, and (2) I saw how effective you were at managing your people.  I once said to myself, "I want to be like her someday--someone that people look up to, someone very well-respected, one who can laugh and joke around with the team and yet still take charge so not under any circumstances one would mess with you!"

I have to admit that you intimidated me.  You are so smart that I had to tiptoe in front of you so I won't say or do something stupid.  I had to behave myself every time you came to the US office because I wanted you to see only the good in me and not the bad, afraid that you would judge me or think of me as one of those young and inexperienced, too eager to conquer the world yet too clueless of life's realities that lies shortly ahead.

But the more I knew you, I learned how young you are at heart, how you sometimes like what we mere humans like, how you love to dance, how humble you are at admitting that you'd rather wash dishes than cook, and how you have a soft spot for your kids and for the many people that you care about.

It never dawned on me that someday we would still be talking and exchanging messages and reading each other's journals.  But after all that I've done and all that I've been through, you were one of those who remained supportive. You understood my choices and stood by me when others didn't.  I made many mistakes yet I never saw you pointing a finger at me.

So how can I forget?  How can I not be grateful to you for treating me the way you treat me?  How can I not be humbled that the person I look up to reads my blogs, makes my photo one of her favorites, sends encouraging and flattering comments on my Facebook page, and appreciates what I do as a woman, a worker and a mother.

I still look to you as a colleague and a leader--that will never change.  But now I also look to you as a good friend, an inspiration, a mentor, a great coach, a light at the end of a tunnel, a rainbow after a storm,  a dream come true! You are farther from us than you've ever been, yet you've never felt closer. And for this, I couldn't thank you enough.

Happy Birthday, Chichi!  My wish for you is that you'll find whatever it is you're seeking for. I think you may already have.  And that every single one of those things in your reveries be yours one of these days.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and THANK YOU for being the wonderful person that you are!

Sincerely,
Liza