Feel good.

Fashion Rush at Candyshop Superclub on Apr 13

I’ve said before that I don’t think I’m quitting the party scene anytime soon but you know…things happen. Unless it’s a birthday of a friend or in this case, for a cause.

Organized by H2G Productions, Fashion Rush is going to be held on April 13 at the Candyshop Superclub. It’s a fashion + car show event—cars owned by Girl Racers Club and Emperors Club are going to be displayed, for us to drool over— with lots of bar games on the side.     

Would you join us? Bring your friends and it sure is going to be so much fun!

To learn more about #aidforjoyce, like us on FB: https://www.facebook.com/aidforJoyce

Can you be enjoying amidst a storm?

Joyce Anne Pimentel, or Joyce for short, is a daughter of two of my parents’ closest friends. We’ve known each other our whole lives—we’ve spent countless vacations and went to gazillion parties together. During get-togethers, while I’m being my usual weird self who just sits by, Joyce, along with her siblings, is everywhere. Turning 24 this year, she’s very chatty, energetic, lively. Think Energizer bunny. Only this beautiful bunny was born with a major birth defect. 

At 2 months old, Joyce was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (or she was born without functioning bile ducts) that she had to go under the knife right then and there. She had undergone Kasai procedure, where the doctors attached her small intestine to her liver for the bile to drain out. The operation has allowed her to live a normal life, up until two years ago when her condition deteriorated to liver cirrhosis. She’s been in and out of the hospital from then on. She had two major liver operations and had been in heavy medication for more than two years now, which really exhausted her parents’ money. And now, she’s in need of a liver transplant.

I’d be very frank—I didn’t realize the gravity of her situation until recently because, I still see her and her family in their usual cheerful selves. Because instead of crying to the whole world, they just choose to put up a happy facade. They aren’t the type of people you see in Pinoy telenovelas when faced with tremendous problems—distraught, moping and over the top melodramatic. But when I learned more about her sickness, medication and hospital bills, I knew this is way serious.

We need to raise a huge amount of money for her liver transplant, which will be done in Gleneagles Hospital, in Singapore (where there’s a high success rate for Living Donor Liver transplant). Her doctor estimated it at 12M pesos. We’d very much appreciate if you or anyone you know can help us fund. Below are the bank accounts where any amount of financial help can be deposited. Thank you in advance.

Bank account: Banco de Oro – Diliman Capitol Hills Branch

Account name: Joyce Anne Pimentel

Account no. (Peso): 3920023875

Bank account: Banco de Oro – SM City Fairview Branch

Account name: Corazon de Jesus Pimentel

Account no. (Peso): 1270940579

Bank account: Banco de Oro – SM City Fairview Branch

Account name: Corazon de Jesus Pimentel

Account no. (USD): 101270539688

You may also reach the following, in case of any helpful information or inquiries/comments:

Joyce: joyceanne.pimentel@yahoo.com

Cora Pimentel (her mom): cors296@yahoo.com / +63917-8514220/ +63916-5539025

Dr. Wilfredo Polido Jr. (her attending physician): 0917-7953861

It’s been more than a month now, I think, when a good teacher told me what I’m going through. A thing I couldn’t really understand and explain until then. I would never forget how he said something like, ‘I think I understand what you’re going through more than you yourself understand. You are going through a spiritual awakening. It’s going to be hard and nobody knows when it’s going to end. But hold on because it’s going to be worth it.’

It was quite a mouthful. Spiritual awakening? What. is. that. But for some reason, despite not really knowing what those words mean and what it entails, I knew he was right.

And that was why I veered away from writing in the past weeks. My mind was in an overdrive mode, most of the time. The thoughts and ideas in my head were just too many I could neither talk nor speak about them in an intelligible manner. And yeah, I have been reading the Bible and books and articles on Catholicism and Christianity. I have been going to the Church a lot lately. And just yesterday, I went to Confession. Do I think I’m almost done with this spiritual awakening? No. Far from it. I’m just beginning. Is it hard? It is. To try to change the kind of life I’ve had since, what forever?, is not easy. And when I say to try to change my life, I mean to change it for real this time. No compromises. No more turning back. All those commandments? All those Gospels? All those avoiding sins? I’m going to live them. ALL of them. It’s not going to be easy for sure. But it’s not impossible. It’s going to be worth it, anyway. The Bible says so. My Church says so. My heart says so. 

Dear Jesus, we pray for the safety, recovery, and grief of our Filipino Brothers and Filipina Sisters today who have suffered great losses in the typhoon and floods. Help those who have lost family to find them alive and well. Help calm their spirits Lord. May they receive the physical help, food, water, clothing, and medicine they need immediately. Send the right spiritual help to minister to those grieving, traumatized, and lost. In your powerful name we pray Jesus, AMEN! Please SHARE so everyone can pray.

beandelphiki asked: Do you believe in soulmates?

I hope you don’t mind me publishing my answer. =)

As much as there is a divine plan for each one of us, yes, I believe in soulmates. We just have to open our hearts so we can recognize them. 

misscoweena:

I beg you…to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. do not search fo rthe answers, which could not be given you now, because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

Love is always all around us. (OSRP-Octagon edition)

We need not look far. =)

Grabe sa effort exagg! The lovely girls Ekai, Drei, Ej (aka Eva) and Aiyah worked on collecting going-away notes from the rest of the onSale marketing and merchandising team for me and taped them together, rolled and placed it in the clear container with my name and a photo of a girl in Lotus pose. Kaya pala sila tense kanina as I kept loitering around. Nakaka touch sobra. And ang kapal ng roll in fairness, mas makapal sa buhok ko. Hahahaha!

I felt like I was a teenager again, receiving sweet notes from people. Nakaka kilig lang. =) There were some drawings and doodles too. I just have to share what Cassie (I hope she doesn’t mind) wrote,

“For your success, always see each of them like beautiful fireflies flying around you— you can only catch one at a time.”  

It kind of gave me goosebumps because it was just a week or two when I randomly wrote in my journal, ‘I want fireflies.’ And there they are! Cassie wrote about them for me. So cool.  

They made me so happy! I kept re-reading the post-its kahit na it’s hard to roll them back together. Hahaha! I don’t know how to tell them how much grateful I am. And not just for today. I read it somewhere that we can see Jesus in the people around us. Although admittedly I kind of realized it a bit too late, I saw him clearly through them. I don’t think they’re ever going to realize how much comfort they gave me. I say a bit too late kasi had I opened my eyes even a bit sooner, mas marami pa sana akong fun break time (that is, ‘unauthorized noise’ time) with them. But we shouldn’t focus on regrets. Let’s just say it had to happen that way. =)

I will forever remember these guys. Kahit magpa retoke pa kayo, Somer! Hahaha 

Excuse my bad collage skills. I can email the photos to anyone who wants a copy. =)