What It Really Looks Like

I discovered last night that some computers (i.e. PC) can't project the actual template of my blog. Not that it's a big thing but I just like seeing the cliff whenever, wherever. Seeing the cliff creates a stirring in me to swing my arms, fall off and fly. So, here's the actual full look of it.

Click photo to see actual size

Novo

Obviously I'm emphasizing what is obvious by writing it out. Haha. Well, after two years I decided to change my blog template. It took me hours to find this and make alterations according to how I want it. Anyway, it isn't much of expert work and I suspect that blogger template makers are likely to raise their brows and say, "That took you hours?!"

It's the same blog still, just a different look. It's still down from my door where it began--only that the door is now so far away and I've been up and down, under and over cliffs, highways and lonely roads. Since I'm away so often I might do something new to at least give a cared-for feeling to my very neglected blog. Let's just see when I will be back.

Where be my cloak now? Well, I'll be off!

Wedding & Music

Editing a groom's wedding vow is such a sweet privilege of preview into the ceremony. But even sweeter and glorious is witnessing the groom give life to his words for his bride.

Today is the first time I attended a wedding ceremony of a couple with whom I have a close connexion. The weddings I’ve attended before are more of just invitations and there wasn't really much of a connexion with them. This morning, when the groom began declaring his vow, I couldn’t keep my tears bottled anymore because two days ago they were just sweet and nice words. But today it’s so much different. The words aren’t just simply sweet and nice but vibrant, jubilant and passionate. 

The exchange of vows is my favorite part but aside from that I've never seen music become so alive in people's lives. I listen to a lot of music but instrumentals have a special soulful niche in my heart and Yiruma Music and Korean drama instrumentals reside there. Most that were played all throughout the ceremony (there wasn't a "music-less" part) are Yiruma's except for one. Here's the list and should you think of getting married someday, do consider Yiruma's music. =)

*Maybe

*Hope

*What Beautiful Stars

*Love

*River Flows In You

*Present

*Doo bun jjae sarang Instrumental

Maybe and Love are special-est among them because it strikes a chord in my aorta.

Three People

I got into a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago and the main topic is about living people you want to meet. It's not the kind of wanting to meet someone because they're famous or something but people who made an impact in our lives. There are many people who made an impact in my life and somewhere at the plateau top of my list are these three:

Joshua Harris

I want to meet him and personally give my thanks on how God used his books to spur me into actively knowing more about God. I read I Kissed Dating Goodbye when I was 14 and it made me start thinking a lot. I thought I was smart enough and knew so many things but then I didn't. I guess if I have not read IKDG at that time, I would have been in a romantic relationship/s and jeopardized my walk with Jesus.

Seven years later he came up with another book entitled Dug Down Deep. It gave a similar impact on me but this time it's deeper and more significant. I don't know who this man is and it surprises me that I clearly understood what he wrote and could relate to it very much. Maybe because I've been a Sunday School achiever back then and lived a similar life except that I think his exploits were quite unacceptable in a goody-two shoes standards. See here, I'm your Miss Goody Two-Shoes in action.

Francis Chan

This bald Chinese-American pastor is one of my heroes. My flesh hate him for saying things that make me feel bad but my spirit would just love him say things that nail me down and cause me to grieve over my sins. He's like an uncle who chastises his niece for not sharing her candies to other cousins--that's why I often call him Uncle Francis. God literally used him to make me obey His command (Jeremiah 1:4-10) and learn more of Christ's sovereignty in everything. I am a disobedient child you know and often have an opinion on how I want things to go.

Francis Chan isn't perfect as much as I am disobedient, stubborn, indomitable, and prideful but it's humbling how God can use people like him to influence and inspire people while molding his character into Christ-likeness.

Adam Young
How do I say this? His music draws me closer and drowns me into the richness and beauty of music's Creator. His music doesn't end in music itself but it draws me to appreciate the creation and praise its Creator. A lot of people think his music and lyrics are weird but I find them totally creative and brilliant, like someone writing a novel expensively embellished with imagery--only through the unseen art of music.

When I first heard Meteor Shower, especially the instrumental part in the beginning, I was like, "Lord, this is so beautiful. How could this have entered Adam's mind? You must have put such brilliance there. Thanks so much!"

Another thing about Adam too is that he's like a friend. He expresses himself in such a way as if I've already met him and he's already met me. Simply amazing.

The Sunbeams They Scatter

For a woman
whose beauty and grace 
scatter like sunbeams...

Mrs. Sono Harris.
October 17, 1954 - July 4, 2010 

It's Korean and Persistence Bug

I am persistent but not that persistent in ALL things. But there are times if I'm bitten by a persistence bug that I do not stop until I achieve something--especially that of solving memory puzzles. I will not be able to sleep until I have remembered the name of someone I recently met. I rack my brain until I remember. I make my head hurt to figure the title of a tune stuck in my head. And it's not just a tune to a song but a tune of an instrumental music--which makes my brain really squashed off its fluids.

Such are the activities of a teeny weeny brain of a slave driver. Haha.

But my teeny weeny brain garnered some success the past few days in solving memory puzzles of tunes and names. One of it is the title of Track II Sound in Yiruma's website. I can finally listen to it without scolding my brain for not knowing the title. Track II is Love (with lyrics) from his P.N.O.N.I (Piano and I) album. I wonder why have I not thought of Love as its title when it's so obvious with his music?

********************************************

It's Korean. I will learn to speak, read and write in Korean. I've been hopping from one language to another for the past years. At first I made up my mind that I will learn French until I can write and speak it fluently. But it proved harder than I've imagined. The availability of French learning tools are hard to come by like good French films, French native speakers etc. As for Korean, I have a wide array of good Korean dramas to watch where I can learn conversational Korean and most of all, I have a bigger chance of meeting Koreans around here. I'm not giving up on French. It's just that Korean/Hangul is more practical to learn right now.

I'm finding Hangul chincha yeppuda now. It's melody in my ears when I hear Koreans talk.

한국은 대단한 나라입니다. I will learn 한글! 앚아! 밷잉! ^_^

Departures

Today, the laptop I was using departed. Gateway has been a faithful servant and has lived a long fruitful life. A man in the computer repair shop asked what country I’m from. I gave him a puzzled look and he asked further, “Philippines or USA?” Of course, I am from the Philippines and have never been near the US. He said I talk like American.  Really.

Also, the front desk computer has mood issues. The Internet browser just crashes whenever it wants to. I was reading a news article and before I could finish a paragraph, it crashes. I finished reading the article after six crashes. I must really be a slow reader.

Mrs. Harris just went to be with Jesus. 30 minutes ago, that is. 12:30 here and probably 12MN in their place. I had to let people in my Facebook friend list know about Mrs. Harris meeting with Jesus today and ironically a status post above Sarah Harris’ (Sono Sato Harris October 17, 1954 – July 4, 2010) says: The fireworks are starting.

Well, it’s not really ironic. I think it’s beautiful that on the day/night she left earth to be with Jesus, there were colorful fireworks and some thunderstorms (according to another status of a friend). I’d say that’s quite a rare and exquisite exit.

More than Joshua Harris and the twins, I’d say for the past six months, I was more excited to meet Mrs. Harris than any of them. She’s been on the phone with Kuya Derek and he told us everything that they’ve talked about and it felt like she’s a very wonderful woman to be with. Someday though, I’ll surely meet her.