Badminton November 23, 2009

BADMINTON! This sport has been a craze here in our place since 2004… and people from all walks of life have been enthused to play this sport.

My Spiritual Family, or in simple term churchmates, is having a sports’ day every Sunday. We, i should say “they” since I do not play due to my eyesight problem, start playing every 5 o’clock in the afternoon til 8 in the evening.

So what do I do since I am not playing? I just cheer. To motivate, especially my husband, everyone from playing. Oh by the way, my husband does not play badminton. He plays basketball with the other men. The ladies and few guys play badminton… sometimes, our badminton players will rent 2 badminton courts. Normally, they play doubles.

Now, we do all these badminton and basketball games in one venue. Our city has this place called BIG SHOT. It all started as badminton courts only but later on converted two badminton courts into a basketball court.

We have been doing this consistently every Sunday unless of course when the venue is closed for holidays. We started this weekly event last March 2009.

Here is the trivia about badminton…

The sport of badminton is one that has roots heavily planted in history, as an early form of the game existed with the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. At that time, the activity was referred to as “The Game of Badminton,” until a shortened version of the name (“Badminton”) became the official label.

The coming years brought a wealth of changes for the sport, including the 1901 switch in indoor and outdoor play and hourglass-shaped courts becoming rectangular.

Extreme Zipline November 16, 2009

This video was made“ prior” to the opening of the Dahilayan Adventure Park.

Now the next video below was taken when my friends and I checked out the place. We tried all the ziplines. Infact, our batch was the last to zip since the place was packed with a lot of adventurers. And we ziplined after the sun set.

Night Zipriders October 15, 2009

I went to visit my hometown. That is Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Philippines. It was a short visit. I had to meet my very good and great friend, Christine. She is from Germany and she is my spiritual mom (christians coined this term “spiritual parent” for their disciplers that minister to them as they begin their walk). Christine, pronounced as /krIs.tI.nI /, was a missionary here in the Philippines from late 90’s up to early 2004. Her family came to visit Malaybalay. Since I am currently residing away from my hometown, I had to travel 7 hours just to see  her and her family.

Anyway aside from seeing her, I got the chance to see my old friends and my spiritual family from CCF. My girlfriends – Abie, Marie and Relaine, took me to DAHILAYAN ADVENTURE PARK. As of today, this park offers the longest zipline in Asia. It is located in Brgy. Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Dahilayan Adventure Park boasts of two 840 meters Ziplines with a drop of 100 meters. Zipriders are transported via 4WD Safari Cruiser to a launch tower at 4500′ ASL. Zoom thru a rainforest canopy at 60-80 kph to land at Carrier type flightdeck using a special arresting gear system. They also have 320 mtr and 150 mtr ziplines for the family.

This park also offers a Tower of Ropes Course, a twelve stage High and Low Wire obstacle course complete with a multisided Rockwall, Rappeling Tower and Zipline. This Course is definitely good for team-building among company or office workers.

Of course, I got to ride all their ziplines from 150 to 840. Since there were so many Zipriders, my group came last for the 840 meters. Eight of my friends backed-out since it was already dark and scarry. But Kuya Francis, Kiko, Abie and I never thought to crawfish out from zipping. Well, the nerve to zip through the night, you say. But we never thought of any possible problem or the “what if” as we zip through the dense canopy of the pine trees. You bet, it was really dangerous considering that the place is new and there were no electric lights, so we literally zip blind, we do not know if we are at the end of the line… and it was the first time of the park to have Night zipriders. My mom would panic if she’d know about it. Yet, at that time, I honestly never thought of that. After the experience and looking back, that was really brave of us then. Abie said she will never do it again – ME? I can’t tell. I realized I was never afraid of heights… which I thought I was…  the fear being inside the elevator is probably not of the heights but because I may be am claustrophobic. I enjoyed zipping and I love it. I wanna zip again.

and oh! Riding the Safari Cruiser was really fun! My group really whooped, screamed and even shrieked!

Metamorphosis October 8, 2009

I have been silent for awhile… I am already in the process of healing… sometimes attack comes but it ain’t that hard as it was. I can sleep without Xanor anymore… and I have to rest whenever I feel tired already to avoid the attack. I am getting a hobby so I can unwind and relax. I drop all the works and we moved in to a new house.

Right now, I am inside my cocoon…  but I am almost ready to come out and fly. I really do not have much to say… but it is doing me good to be still and quiet. In time maybe, I can narrate the whole experience but then again…for now. . . I want to stay silent in this area of my life.

Beyond Depression September 24, 2009

Depression is real. It might be not easy to recognize it instantly but once it strikes to a person, physical manifestation is evident and sometime inescapable.

Below are the physical symptoms of depression from HEALTHY PLACE.

Major depression is also known as clinical depression, unipolar depression, and major depressive disorder. People who experience major depression feel persistently sad. They do not take pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. Other physical and mental problems often experienced include sleep problems, loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, memory problems, and aches and pains. People who suffer from this condition often feel worthless, helpless, and hopeless about their ability to fix things. They often welcome sleep and experience their waking life as a living nightmare. No matter how hard they try to snap out of it, they feel as though they are falling into an abyss with nothing to hold on to.

Major depression usually strikes people between the ages of 25 and 44, although it can affect any person at any age. For most people, episodes of major depression last from six to nine months. Sometimes, even if major depression goes untreated, it will run its course and leave by itself. Doctors are not sure why this happens, but it is often attributed to the body’s tendency to correct abnormal situations.

MY STORY:

I had a counseling session last friday, September 18, 2009. She is not a psychiatrist or a psychologist. She is a missionary of our church. And she has been doing spiritual counseling with numerous women, locally and internationally. I am honored to be ministered by her that day. Over the course of our conversation, she was able to lead me  to the root causes of my depression. She has unearthed those multi-layered angst that I have been keeping for … roughly 28 years. We traveled back time and she dug my memories since I was 4 or 5 years old. The fear that I am feeling now has been rooted by those incidents in my childhood and had been piled up in my head… until that fear grew and confronted me. The confrontation is ugly and is almost overtaking me, causing me to be depressed and fearful of a lot of things.

I am still quite unsure to narrate the details all at once. It is kinda overwhelming to reveal it all in one entry. So I most likely relate it bit by bit. I hope that is okay. Thank you for reading and Until then.

Depression 101: Causes September 14, 2009

When I learned that I am going through this condition, I began to search about it online. I am even reading a book about it. From my researches, I have learned that it “has no single cause but rather a combination of things. Like me, I was so surprised that it struck me.

Below are some of the things I read about depression. This information is lifted from DEPRESSION (dot) COM.

Depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:

Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations.

Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.

Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).

Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.

Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.

My Story.

I have yet to confirm what causes my condition. But I can at least pinpoint that emotional trauma and emotional stress have a lot to do with it. So many things have happened to me for the whole month of August, but I also think that it all started back in 2006 when we moved to a new place and then the entire thing had stirred up my marriage. Although my husband is a good man. He is a christian who loves and honors God. He has no vices like drugs, gambling, smoking, drinking and even women. He turned his back from all that when he made a commitment to follow the Lord. But somehow, that is not the only issue in marriage. There are other factors around us that may harm relationships particularly marital relationship. I wish I can relate everything now, but I still have to ask permission from my husband if it is okay with him to share delicate issues. For now, that is how far I can discuss.

Depression 101 September 8, 2009

I am still on denial about this whole thing. I thought this would not happen to me. I view myself as a strong woman who can handle any blows. But yeah, my system gave up. It is like a bridge that collapsed.

August 25, 2009… past 11 in the morning after my husband and I went to meet a possible business partner. I was already feeling all the physical manifestation: difficulty of breathing, palpitation, tightening of air passage, numbness, tingling sensation on my palms and soles, nerves inside are trembling, and I could not help but cry. I was not brought to the hospital yet, my husband tried to medicate me, he thought I am having an asthma-attack. I have been complaining of having a difficulty of breathing for quite sometime, and he said I might have an acquired asthma. So, going back, he got our nebulizer, placed a drop or two of ventolin and handed me the pipe. After 3o minutes, I could hear my heart beating to its loudest but I am not relieved. Things never gotten better… past 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when he decided to bring me to the hospital because I was really yearning for oxygen. I thought I would die in any minute. In the hospital, I was checked even administered an ECG test. But the findings were all normal. There is nothing wrong with me physiologically.

As days went by, attacks are frequent and sometimes involuntary. Until, our closest friends at church, a couple, talked to us and told us that I might be having panic attack or even depression. From there, issues have been revealed. I will talk about the highlights of that conversation some time. And i will try to post those series, one at a time once a week. I hope that is fair enough.

stress + fatigue = depression September 3, 2009

I was not able to update my blog for quite sometime… this is not because I am busy at work. In fact I vacationed myself from work for two weeks now- well most of my workload I dispatched except for a few articles to write. So what happened? I got burnout. From there, I am feeling a lot of physical symptoms that truly challenged my health. During those times, I was brought to the hospital for difficulty of breathing, chest pain, numbness and severe headache. My nerves were all shaking and i could not help myself but cried. It took me awhile to accept that I am actually experiencing depression…God knows to what degree. There were psychological struggles like fear of things. My emotions are unstable and I am overwhelmed by the feeling of rejection.

I am trying to recall what brought me into this condition but my mind shuts me down. And i could feel my nerves trembling inside. I must have been in pain, hurt and wounded for quite a long time. Though I have ignored the actual blows of those pain, subconsciously it has been eating me inside… so this is what I got.

I am told to release all those burdens. But I do not know how. I am not the type of person who loves to talk about my inner feelings. I tend to shut myself out if I feel threatened, or abused, or oppressed. I tend to cope up – so I thought that I am- by isolating myself away from anyone or anything that is harming me.

My immediate resolution now is to talk slowly about it in my blog… from time to time…Yes I will talk.

Yellow Ribbon August 4, 2009

Yellow Ribbon. This is not just about the song. This is not even the campaign in Singapore neither the outreach program or campaign in America. The Yellow ribbon has given a new symbol among filipinos. It signifies democracy, freedom from tyranny… and lately refers to the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Her biography stated:

Maria Corazon “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino (January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a President of the Philippines and an advocate of democracy, peace, women’s empowerment, and religious piety. She served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the first female president of the Philippines and was Asia’s first female president. Aquino died on August 1, 2009 after suffering from colon cancer.

A self-proclaimed “plain housewife”,^[3] Aquino was married to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. (1932–1983), a leading figure in the political opposition against the autocratic rule of President Ferdinand Marcos. After her husband was assassinated upon his return from exile in the United States on August 21, 1983, Aquino, who had no prior political experience, became a focal point and unifying force of the opposition against Marcos. She was drafted to run against Marcos in the 1986 snap presidential elections. After Marcos was proclaimed the winner despite widespread reports of electoral fraud, Aquino was installed as President by the peaceful 1986 People Power Revolution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corazon_Aquino)

And historians have recorded all the accomplishments and the significant things about the late President Cory Aquino. Books, publications, magazines, enews, online articles, were written about her. Indeed, she is one of a kind. She was a very honorable leader and admirable woman. I was still very young when she became president. I did not understand much about politics. I was in grade school and I could not comprehend everything when my parents explained to me what happened to her husband and what brought her into her office as President of the Republic of the Philippines. I recalled those days and now I am retelling the events to my kids. I wonder if they do understand. Perhaps not. But I know later on they will.

How Scammers use YAHOO July 29, 2009

My good friend and sister’s [in faith] email was hacked or let say used by scammers/defrauders/slickers/embezzlers [whatever name you got]. This person indeed was successful and able to take home 1200 euro… this was the content of his email to me…

Hello,

I am in a hurry writting this mail to you,Sorry i didnt infomed you about my urgent trip to London,Unfortunately for me all my money was stolen at the hotel where i lodged, I am so confused right now, I dont know what to do or where to go,I didnt bring my phone here and the hotel telephone lines was disconnected during the robbery incident,so i have access to only emails, Please can you send me 1000 pounds today so i can return home, As soon as i get home i would refund it immediately.Write me so i can give you my address and name where to send me the money via Western Union Money Transfer,i will be waiting for your reponse

xxx name of my friend xxx

I knew right then and there that this was a scam. My friend would not write this kind of email. It doesnt sound like her…despite the fact that i knew she is well-traveled. So I emailed her using her FB account. I had the feeling that her email account’s password would be altered. However, one relative of my friend responded and indeed sent the person money. They chatted through YM. So the 1200 euro was wired in Western Union. The rest was history… leaving us all the lessons and feeling sorry for my friend’s relative.

So how would these scammers start… they will send you this so called yahoo alert. Read on. So how did i know this was fake? This alert has a different email… the email came from Yahoo Alert! <fricksallz@verizon.net>. When you tried to reply on the email, this is what will come out, mailalertservice621@yahoo.com.

Hmmm… tricky. You really have to read everything in your email. The sender’s name, the email address, these are details that sometimes we pay attention less. I’ve nothing against yahoo. I have yahoo email account. I am using their services…and scammers too. This is just an eye-opener to the unknown emails that we are receiving in our inboxes. Be alert and be critical on the content and the sender. If it doesnt make sense, be on guard. You can always call yahoo. You can inquire and send feedback to Yahoo. We can always double check the information we received.

Dear Valued Member, Due to the congestion in all Yahoo users and removal of all unused Yahoo Accounts,Yahoo would be shutting down all unused accounts,You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply botton, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons. UserName: Password: Date Of Birth: Country Or Territory: After Following the instructions in the sheet,your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.Thanks for your attention to this request.We apologize for any inconvinience.

Yahoo! Customer Care

Case number: 8941624
Property: Account Security
Contact date: 2009-07-29