Me and Kris Aquino's brother during the Oath taking rites held yesterday afternoon at the Manila Hotel.

How I evolved as a person and as a professional lies solely on the events that happened from the year 2004-2006. Napakadaming ngang nangyari. Every event overwhelmed me to the point that I almost snapped. Haha!

It is never too late to thank some people, right? Gusto ko lang sabihin sa buong mundo na salamat tlga at nakapasa ako sa boards. Passing the licensure exam for occupational therapy was a humbling experience. Thanks to:

1. God

2. St. Therese, St. Jude, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Catherine (Faith can truly move mountains)

3. My family esp. my parents. Sa lahat ng dumalaw before the exams at kamustahin ako.

4. Anna Limpingco, Lorra Padiernos, Claire Uy, Irmadel Vertucio, Hero Yason, and Nina Fenix - thanks for the emotional support during some trying times =)

5. Ms. Michelle Lo

6. My mentors in UST-College of Rehabilitation Sciences esp. Ma'am Trina

7. To the ever-friendly baristas of Starbucks T. Morato

8. Alma Chang and Sheila Marquez

Ayan. Sila lang naman yung mga gusto i-mention. Pero syempre marami pang iba na tumulong tlga sa aken. Thank you tlga! Thank you! Thank you!

To view results of the Physical and Occupational Therapists Licensure Exam, please go to:

For Janette Belda, OTRP:

After awhile you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean possession
and company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up
and your eyes ahead with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your roads today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight.
After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
so you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
and you learn and you learn...with every goodbye you learn.
--- Virginia Shopstall

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

I always think of this paperclip I had lost as a kid. I loved this yellow paperclip for some strange reason. Maybe it was the shape I loved or the color. One day, I lost it. I remember clearly understanding for the first time loss, that it could happen easily, no matter how vigilant one was; no matter how much one loved something, or someone.

A few days later, I found it among my clothes. Such joy at the revelation that it was only lost, to me. Things are never lost completely. They are put away. They are misplaced. Someone else takes them. Sometimes, they are transformed into something else. But nothing ever disintegrates or disappears. That precious paperclip lies somewhere in this world. It must have a new shape, or a new color, or even a new form. Just like the love you have for someone who has gone. That love does not disintegrate either. One day when you least expect it, you will find that things are less. . .achy. You will be amazed at how much the heart can bear. And yes, you and I will be grateful for all that weve lost and all that weve found, in time.

- Taken with permission from a friend, Rica Bolipata-Santos. You can reach her at Rica.Santos@gmail.com.

tagay na! =)

"The more you rise in life, the more you are obliged to stoop down." This was what my grandfather said when we visited him today. After my brother passed the medical board exam, he was very ecstatic about it and immediately invited us for a get-together. Everytime we go there, he kept on sharing us his "wisdom", life lessons, etc. Parang Lola Basyang ang dating...hehe. The rocking chair scenario with children and feeling-children surrounding him. You'll get really amused by how he choose words that would really hit you to the core.

Leo is ruled by the sun; the most advantageous day of the week is therefore Sunday. Since the sun is the eternal source of life and the center of our solar system, Leos are likewise the source of great happiness to the other signs, and quite naturally the center of attention in any group. It's also no accident that Leo falls in the center of the zodiacal year, during the earth's hottest months. Leo is therefore a fire sign.

Lions are large animals, and so are Leos. Everything about a Leo is on a grand scale. This is not to suggest obesity; quite the contrary. Leos are known for strong upper bodies and muscular tone, all the better to fight off predators and command the respect of the other signs.

Since Leo rules the heart, you are prone to heart disease. Your preference for red meat only compounds the problem. Also, your love of the sun can sometimes lead to heat exhaustion or sunstroke, so be careful there. In fact, no other sign spends as much time in the sun as you. Your ideal vacation is a trip to a warm, tropical beach, where you can bask in the rays all day and show off your body. You tan eas-ily. You enjoy summer sports that are social and outdoor-oriented, such as tennis or golf.

Your other favorite activity is charity work, due to your unbridled generosity. You'll often spend a weekend presiding over and organizing fund-raisers for this group or that.

Finally, you love to be on stage, be it as an actor, musician, lecturer, or just about any type of performer. Whether professionally or just for fun, your need for attention leads you to constantly show yourself off.

Surprisingly, you sometimes have a problem settling into a career. This is because you know you were born to lead, and therefore you have little patience working your way up the ladder. Realistically, you can't expect to just inherit the chairmanship of a corporation out of college (although Leos are known for their good fortune when it comes to this sort of thing).

You will have to bide your time for awhile, at least, until your talents and popularity become obvious to those in charge. If you simply do not have the patience to be an underling for awhile, try employing yourself. Quite a few Leos are entertainers; others have successfully created their own businesses.

If you choose the corporate route, use your organizing skills. Take advantage of those opportunities that arise when people begin to naturally come to you for advice, and make sure everyone notices how skilled you are at handling problems and challenges.

The situations you want to avoid are those dead-end jobs where you become one of the cogs in the wheel, or one where you're alone most of the day, or where you feel confined. Get out of those jobs quickly, and find one where you can rise to the top without too much competition, or one where you're entering as a big fish in a small pond.

The list of famous Leos is extensive, because the sign is so successful by nature. It includes Henry Ford, who popularized the automobile, the dynastic conquerors Alexander the Great and Napoleon, the dictators Fidel Castro and Benito Mussolini, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille (who is famous for his grand epics, demonstrating the Leo trait for doing everything on a large scale), and the wonderfully generous Lucille Ball and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Although romantic opportunities are plentiful for you, choosing a life-long partner is rather difficult. Your natural tendency is towards the casual affair, but after awhile even you will get bored of this pattern. Here, then, is your challenge: you need to learn to settle down and compromise a little-unlike most of the challenges you're used to winning, this one requires giving up a little to succeed, quite the opposite of what you're used to. Furthermore, you're so open, straightforward, and generous with your heart that your sincerity can easily be manipulated. You? Outfoxed and deceived? It's true. After awhile, you'll find your truest companion to be Aquarius. It's your zodiacal opposite, but there are few conflicts here. You both prize your fellow man, believe in the same ideals, and admire creative pursuits in different and complementary ways. Your fire-sign relatives, Aries and Sagittarius, are also natural companions, but on a more casual level. Like you, they're used to being the leaders, but they'll allow you to preside over those areas you're good at, and you them.

You'll want to avoid partnerships with Gemini (they're mostly mind-oriented, you are all heart), Capricorn (you'll overpower them, and they're not likely to forgive your mistakes), and Pisces (you'll hurt them before you even realize it, and they'll harbor a long resentment).

You are a born leader, and you know it. You are blessed with many talents, and a destiny for greatness. The sun is a star; you, then, are the star of the zodiac. Because of this, you are eternally optimistic and cheerful. If something gets in your way, you conquer it, the way a lion will defeat virtually any foe in the jungle. And like a lion, you do so with dignity.

Your charm and generosity are unending, and people love you for it. You have a big heart-in fact, Leo rules the heart in the zodiacal body- and for this reason, you love buying a round of drinks, sharing colorful stories over a meal, and generally being the life of the party. Your many friends can always count on you for livening up their day. And best of all, they love you even more because you never ask for anything in return- you were born with gifts, so there's no need. You just love sharing them.

Like a cat, you are a hunter. You spot your prey, take aim, and pounce on your target. In human terms, this means your ambition is highly focused.

You know you will reach the top; it's just a question of when. Along the way, you are highly organized, frank, and outspoken-all qualities which focus on your target of being the leader.

You often expect people to do things for you. Especially the little things, details a leader like yourself shouldn't be bothered with. Well, in real life, this can cause its share of irritation, even among your admirers. It's fine to prioritize, but don't let arrogance come at the expense of friends or family.

You expect to be high priest and master of any group, and you will not tolerate a challenge to this position. You will either fight bravely and win, or exit the group with dignity and find another situation to preside over.

You also get upset by change. Once you've attained your leadership status, you prefer things as they are. If the apple cart is upset, you immediately feel your role is threatened. Not surprisingly, then, many Leos are Republicans.

Since you are a fire sign, and the sign of the sun, you are naturally attracted to gold, yellow, orange, and red. You are also the king of signs, so naturally the royal colors purple and burgundy figure strongly in your life.

You like heavy, well-made clothes, but you make just about anything you wear look good, because of your confident bearing and posture.

Your taste in general leans toward the best of everything. Even if you can't afford it, you live the good life, buying expensive clothes and gifts, and taking luxurious trips. You'd rather spend than save.

You enjoy fancy cars, such as long limousines or sporty foreign models. You expect to attract attention everywhere you go, with everything you do, and your outward appearance in terms of clothes and cars is no exception.

******

Should I be thankful that I was born under the sign of Leo? Of course!!!