tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16639817046657457932024-02-20T01:51:51.699-08:00MushingsMushings started out as personal notes on my Facebook account. I could say they are my reflections and takes on things. The topics could be anything that usually spring from my conversations with friends and loved ones. It was my favorite niece, Bianca, who suggested I start my own blog. Propelled by the “likes” and “comments” from friends, here it is now. What was I thinking? I really don’t know! I just want to put into words what it is inside me. So, here goes...Meng Mariano Sanchezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13464109504452380255noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663981704665745793.post-63266767195086093272014-08-01T22:28:00.000-07:002014-07-31T22:37:02.998-07:00My Top 5 List of Things I Want To Do in my Bucket List<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top 5: <b><u>Dub a Korean <i>Telenovela</i></u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top 4: <b><u>Go bungee jumping</u></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top 3: <b><u>Learn Argentine Tango</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top 2: <b><u>Bake a Soufflé</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My
family claims I’m a good cook. I have
also dabbled in a little baking that produced pretty decent edibles. But the <b><i><span style="background: white;">pièce de résistance</span></i></b></span><b><span style="background: white;"> </span></b><span style="background: white;">of my culinary work would be the </span><b><i>soufflé</i></b>!
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am
so intrigued by its delicacy, its temperament and the patience as well as
skills to cook one. A <b><i>soufflé</i></b>
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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top 1: <b><u>Start a Blog<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> So
cheers to everyone with a bucket list of his own! In the end, all our roads will merge to new
discoveries.</span></div>
Meng Mariano Sanchezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13464109504452380255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663981704665745793.post-29664935154251736002014-07-27T03:46:00.000-07:002014-07-31T22:31:21.606-07:00Claim The World<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
My two sons are
part of a band called <b>Orca</b>. And their kind of music is metallic
rock. They also write and record their
own music. As much as I can, I watch
their gigs and try to appreciate their songs. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Once I asked
them if they had plans of graduating to other genres. They simply said no and explained that metal
was their “<b>core</b>”. And that to do so would be “<b>selling-out</b>”. It took a while for me to totally understand
what they mean.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
I remember when
I was younger, I was very sure of my “<b>core</b>”
too. I knew who I was and was daring
enough to show the whole world. I also knew what I wanted and was raring to get
them. Youth gives us a certain sense of
confidence and superiority. When you are
young, you take everything with large doses of ambivalence.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
But somehow,
time has a way of taming us. While I
knew the person within me, I learned to conform to fit into the various groups
I was with. At that stage, it was
important for me to be accepted. Compromise
crept into my life. I don’t think it was
“<b>selling-out</b>” at all. But I understood fully well why I needed to do
it. It was a way of surviving adulthood. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
I did feel the
toll of my decision to conform. There
were moments I felt unhappy not really knowing why. But looking back, the restrictions I imposed
on myself were the culprits. It’s never
easy to steer away from one’s true self, no matter how slightly. It was like asking a willow branch to stay
rigid when it is natural for it to sweep down to the ground.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Now that I am
half a century and a year old, I somehow feel unafraid to be who I truly
am. While the years have tempered my
soul, I know my spirit is free. I am no
longer bound to conform. Growing old
gives you permission to express yourself sans the guilt of going against the
grain of society. Maturity allows you
not only to appreciate yourself but also those around you. I have noticed how tolerant I have become of
others too. And surprisingly, the
younger ones find it cool! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
So, it’s not too
late to be bold and happy. It’s not too
late to do the things in your bucket list.
It’s not too late to proclaim your true self and worth. Claim the world – it has always been yours!</div>
Meng Mariano Sanchezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13464109504452380255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663981704665745793.post-76221436747967892172014-07-11T22:21:00.000-07:002014-07-31T22:32:30.676-07:00Of Books and Memories<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have nothing against e-books. I have
actually read several. And technology
makes it more convenient, especially when travelling, as you don’t have to lug
a thick pocketbook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Call
me old-fashioned or even Jurassic, but I do miss holding a book. The warmth created holding one after several
hours of reading is soothing. It makes
me feel part of the story, as if I were truly there myself. I miss the feel of the pages as I turn them
with so much expectancy. I feel a surge of adrenalin rush as I can't wait to
find out what happens next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
then, there is the scent of ink as I turn the pages - that slightly irritating
and invasive smell of printed matter. This connects me to the author, as if he
wrote the book only for me. My over
imaginative mind sees myself talking to the writer over a cup of java on a
rainy afternoon. Such bliss.... such
privilege!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have
a habit of putting bunny ears on pages that I find meaningful. I even highlight passages I consider moving
and beautiful. All these enable me to return
to these pages to read over and over again.
Marginal notes on the pages - inscribing therein my insights and
reflections, are sure signs a book belongs to me. I reread favorite books after a few
years. Imagine my joy at finding out how
I felt and thought years back. My notes sort of become a journal into my inner
self. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
wonder if our children even use bookmarks these days. When I was younger, I remember how my friends
and I would give each other bookmarks. They were delightful gifts - beautiful
quotes and dainty designs on colorful paper.
Using them made reading more interesting and memorable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
is a sense of joy I feel looking at my books lined up on a shelf. You can be sure that the tattered ones are my
favorites. Seeing them is like seeing my
favorite book characters leap to life, reliving a memorable part of a story,
and realizing what important life lessons they have taught me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Meng Mariano Sanchezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13464109504452380255noreply@blogger.com0