Friday, August 1, 2014

My Top 5 List of Things I Want To Do in my Bucket List

My bucket list seems longer than I thought.  And so, I forced myself to choose the top five items that would make me most happy before I leave this earth.  After so much deliberation, I surprised me!


Top 5:  Dub a Korean Telenovela

Talk about something totally out of the box and whimsical, this would be it!  I enjoy watching these Korean series. The story lines are simple and fresh.  But what makes them unique is the manner in which issues are tackled.  I also find it easy to relate to the characters.

Why are we so engaged by this pop culture? Maybe they reflect parts of our lives. At other times, it would be because we want their lives for ourselves.  The more cerebral among us would say it’s an escape from life’s realities. 

Whatever the reason is, I like them a lot!  So much so, I want an active part in one.  I can’t think of a better way than to be the voice of one of the characters.  It would be a thrill to watch them and hear myself breathing life to a character.  I would like to be part of something current even at my age. It would give me another layer of relevance at this point in my life.

Top 4:  Go bungee jumping 

Ever since I can remember, I have always been afraid of heights.  It’s the high open spaces that make me “scared silly”.  My knees seem to buckle under me when I’m way up there.   It would take so much courage to even look over. 

But I am determined to overcome this phobia.  One problem though, I need to seek my doctor’s clearance.  I suffered a compression fracture due to a bad fall.  Should I get the green light then I definitely will take the plunge!

I’d like to fully understand what total surrender means.  A free fall is simply letting go without qualms, without hesitation.  Much like life, what’s meant to be will happen!  Some things are just beyond our control.  Acceptance on your part will spell the difference.

Top 3:  Learn Argentine Tango

Sure I can dance!   But I was never comfortable doing a number in public.  My friends like to dance and they are really good.  Maybe that is what made me shy away from this art form.

For me, Argentine Tango is a sensual dance.  I see the embrace as an illustration of the connection between man and woman; and the leading, a gracious submission. I want to learn the intricate steps of this dance that echo the rhythms of life.  I crave to feel the raw emotions its music elicits.  The marked counterpoints and articulations are simply divine.  Improvisation is very characteristic to Argentine Tango.  This mirrors life whenever we have to be on our toes to get over our hurdles.

Advancing in years, we somehow forgot our passions.  I guess we nudged passion gently to the side to make way for the other life concerns.  It’s now time for our passions to take center-stage.  Whatever maybe our reasons, now is the instance to embrace it!

Top 2:  Bake a Soufflé

My family claims I’m a good cook.  I have also dabbled in a little baking that produced pretty decent edibles.  But the pièce de résistance of my culinary work would be the soufflé!  It’s a lightly baked cake made of eggs and other ingredients that can both be served as a savory main dish or a dessert.  Many a chef swears it’s not easy to produce one.

I am so intrigued by its delicacy, its temperament and the patience as well as skills to cook one.  A soufflé is an interesting metaphor of life.  We each had our shares of “delicate” moments that made us either “puff” in victory or “collapse” under.  It is at these times that the temperaments of life reveal our true nature and disposition.  Patience is very much needed to live in this world.  And lest we forget, a little dose of humor would do us good.

Top 1:  Start a Blog

I found my “little notebook”!  Scribbled in it are my thoughts over anything that caught my interest and attention over the years.  Of late, I have decided to organize them into writings and publish them as Notes on Facebook.  It was a pleasant surprise that friends found them as good reading. 

My niece, Bianca, encouraged me to start a blog.  While this has always been my top bucket list item, it is scary to do so.  Baring your soul is never easy.  To express my spirit in a way all my own could even prove to be controversial.  To make public my kaleidoscope life is a test of boldness.  But I'm quite sure I shall do it one day soon!


To be able to do one or two of my Top Five before I finally say my farewell would be great.  I realize now I don’t need to tick-off each one in my list.  Daring to achieve at least one is the essence of a bucket list for me. It’s the adventure that is most important.  A change in perspective is to know myself better. To stretch myself beyond my limits would ultimately lead to the real me.

            So cheers to everyone with a bucket list of his own!  In the end, all our roads will merge to new discoveries.