Boarding your dogs

They say that dogs are a man’s best friend, true enough. Dogs only knew one master and that is you, which make them the most loyal animal on the planet. They feel what your mind is into and whether it is for denial or approval, they response back with a bark or a wag of their tail. Dogs have their own unique way of understanding their master and give us laughter. They make you want them more by merely listening to your calls, stories, adventures in life, even sorrows and heartaches. A steady and growing relationship is always a two-way traffic. That being said, how can you pay for the love that your puppy is giving you unconditionally?

The answer is simple. Give them not a house but a home they can own, a place where they can stay out of trouble and out of misery, a place where they can relax, exercise, sleep and whatever for the remaining days of their lives. Before we place them in a dog’s house located outside our place. That scenario is far unethical than if we can give them a puppy boarding. How does it sound? It’s a place exclusive for dogs of your own with unique facilities and qualities for your dog’s daily needs. It would be a perfect gift to your dogs: a home they can call their own.

Journey to Abu-Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates of UAE and is 3-4 hours away from Dubai, unless your car is at most speed; you will reach the place for 2 and a half hour.  I’ll be accompanying habibi for an interview at 10 in the morning of December 24, 2009. Apparently she is short-listed for an interview for a government hospital there and so she is honored by that fact. Excited!

Early at 7, the bus that will bring us to our destination from Bur Dubai Bus Station started its engine. Ticket is worth AED20 each though when I checked months before December it costs only AED15. I was awake the whole journey while the other passengers of the Toyota mini bus have closed eyes with open nose and mouth snoring.  There’s no stopping along the way not like the usual journey of bus from Baguio down to Carmen, Pangasinan in the Philippines (the same journey time without traffic!) for a quick tea break or something. Before the journey I consumed enough water so you can imagine the pain I’m bearing while waiting for the bus to stop for a pee break to which it didn’t happen. I focused on the scenery right in front of me, the way the sand were stretched on the horizon, air breezing on top of it making smooth wave-like structures that simply amazes me. There is this part where there’s a herd of camel travelling by (another mode of transportation between desserts) along the highway (there’s boundaries on the highway like LEX and SLEX, so camels are safe).

Before 10 we reached the place. We had the chance to get a taxi and it took us only AED6 considering the distance it travels when you’re in Dubai will cost you AED15 or more. They don’t have a flag down rate unlike Dubai that costs AED3.5 and there’s no such thing as a minimum fare (Dubai has AED10). The increment is 25 fils only unlike Dubai that is 50 fils. I said to myself this place rocks more than Dubai! You can expand what your money’s worth even more!

Unlucky circumstances arrive after hours of waiting when the interview is done. She didn’t have it; it should have saved her from financial difficulties especially for her mom who needs medical attention immediately. But only God knows what’s best suited for all of us. He knows. What can we do in return is for us to trust and have faith in Him. If He doesn’t want her to have the Abu Dhabi experience that is because there is something greater that He knows she can grab, and that’s the file number for Canada. As of writing, it was 3 days ago that Vision expressed their gratitude for us. Dreams are meant to be fulfilled, and one of those is to have her mom seek medical attention in Canada. So help us God.

Happy valentine’s day

The weather is like the seasons we celebrate each year: always changing and on the go. The joyous Christmas season is way over and people around the globe is looking forward for the heart’s day filled with romance and love, the Valentine’s day! Little we know that Valentine came from not only one person but numerous early Christian martyrs like Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni but later associated with Saint Valentine who died on February 14, thus the holiday began.

Since this is the day we celebrate and share our love through cupid-heart- shaped cards, what will be the sought-after Top Valentine’s Gifts for 2010 that can go with it? Chocolates and flowers are the most presentable gift that you can give to the one you adore, with candle-lit dinner and red wine at the rooftop while counting the millions sparkling and glittering faces of the stars and while listening to your favorite theme song or wedding song is superb, an idea that always lead to more intimate and passionate night after a delightful delicacy.

For your parents, spending the whole day helping them on what they’re doing on that particular day is much appreciated especially if they don’t see you often in the house, coupled it with your own designed cards with personalized deep-sea thoughts, feelings and thank you’s will delight them eventually. Finally giving them a hug and whispering to their ears “you’re the best mom/dad in the whole world, happy valentines”, will surely hit!

What about jewelry? It is no-doubt a must for any occasion to share it with, especially this time of the year even if the fashion is always changing, jewelries doesn’t come out of fashion, they are always there to enhance what you intend to project.

An online education inquiry

I’m wondering what I will become if I enrolled in one of the most sought-after way of educating busy-at-work professionals: the online education, whether it be in a criminal justice online degrees or a post-graduate  for IT or engineering, or a new course for architecture or medical transcription, a million and intensified yoga should be done. The thought came during one of my moments with mother of all nature, when I escaped the lifestyle of the city thus returning and isolating myself to the rest of the world. I prayed for enlightenment for the road that I’m going to tackle (not necessarily online education), for all the obstacles that I will face with the path that I’ve chosen, for all the trophies that I’ll acquire after the battle with angels and demons around, that He’ll be with me all the time.

Time and consistency will be my 2 most hamper that I can think of, financially, I can always use my wage, or my penny in the bank. My advantage to get an online education over others is that I’m still capable of enhancing myself through the openness of my mind from the fast and changing world and me being single with no head-turning, weight-pisser responsibilities. Shall I enroll now and not be sorrow tomorrow? Where will I start? I’ll ask for signs.

Knowledge Village, Dubai

The village consists of blocks of buildings allotted to universities, food court (my favorite); government (does it have one?) and private offices. The reason it was called the Knowledge Village (in my opinion) is because of the merging of different universities that has one aim: to educate Emiratis, expats and expats children alike. 

UOWD originated from Australia, as what I’ve heard from Virgin Radio 104.4’s commercial report. Other universities are residing here as well; unfortunately not all of them I got the chance to take a photo. Other universities are Middlesex University Dubai, The British University Dubai and….

From this village I seek job vacancies too through sponsored job-fair a year ago (November 2008), exactly 2 days after arriving at Dubai. I found a job and they immediately acquired my passport copies and were told to report to Abu Dhabi for medicals. As much as I wanted to go there I didn’t. The reason why I came here is to be with her and not be away from her again. Damn, the offer’s good! Anyway there’s no better feeling than be with her all the time, right?

Playing with her 8megapixels pink-themed shock and water proof up to 50m Olympus digital camera, I found out that I still have passion for taking pictures, only, the pictures have no passion for my camera, errr her’s! Someday I will get myself an SLR, am too excited just merely thinkin’ ‘bout it (hoping she gets to her senses and give me one, ooops).

a wedding planner???

They said it would be too toxic to plan for your own wedding, engaging into, and hoping it will turn out the way you wanted it be in the first place. More often than not but not always, the question to answer is are you ready? Ready for a life changing environment, ready for sacrifices, ready for rocket-high patience? Are you man enough for indulgence, intimacy and more romance? I’d like to answer the latter :) This simple yet complicated question will lead you further and deeper into your planning, and by answering this question truthfully, you will advance to the next series of questions.

Of course, the reason why you want a good wedding is you have answered the questions am I financially stable to support my better half and start a new family after the wedding, emotionally drained? (no prepared!), psychologically capable, and the like? If for some reason, there is a 50% lack for each category, better plan and don’t execute (just for the meantime, while you’re preparing yourself!).

The next series of questions are am I going to hire a wedding planner? (That would depend on your capacity to pay the planner :) ), if so, your mind will be at peace (at least for the next couple of minutes), if not, then choose wisely on cheap wedding invitations that are roaming around the place, they are plenty though mostly few are dedicated. Next is the place, do you want a church or a garden wedding? Your sponsors, how many are they? Can they attend to the place you want to tie the knot or will they just send someone as their representative? And don’t forget the type of food you’ll be offering for thanksgiving to Almighty and your visitors, that would include your favorite cake and wine.

Lastly, your motiff. This will set you free for the type of wedding dress/groom’s you’ll gonna wear. That will not be focused only between you and your future spouse but for those people who will enhance your matrimony as well, your principal sponsors down to secondary, until your ring bearer…  Goodluck on your own sink hole!

Divorce because of third party

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly.  

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

  She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning.. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife’s divorce conditions.. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully..

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time.. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

  I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage?

I’d like to give credits who first shared this from facebook, I’d like to share this too, it might change someone else’s lives.

BURJ DUBAI to BURJ KHALIFA

Today at 8pm local time, the tallest building built by human hands will be inaugurated. Lots of fireworks display with matching music to dance with it with the help of laser lights and fountains will eventually make histor. Burj Dubai was the name of the tallest building from the start to finish, but due to economic status of Dubai, at the time of its inauguration, it was renamed as Burj Khalifa, from Sheik of Abu Dhabi. Rumors were heard that Dubai changed it in honors of Abu Dhabi to pay for its debts from the said Emirate.