interesting article...

The Soul Never Forgets
(by: Jaime Licauco)

WHEN she was only 5 years old, Shanti Devi of India told her mother she had another name, that she had several children, that she died giving birth to her baby in a town some 50 miles from their own and that her husband was still alive.

Her mother dismissed her daughter's claims to be mere products of a child's fertile imagination. When Shanti was 9 years old, a man from that town where she said she lived in a previous life visited her family. The mother asked if he knew the woman Shanti mentioned who died during childbirth.

The visitor said there was such a woman and he knew the family very well. A subsequent trip to that town, together with scientific investigators, like Dr. Ian Stevenson, confirmed every detail of what the child told her mother, details no one could have known except somebody who experienced them.

Ghandi was reported to have sought an audience with the woman who remembered completely her past life. The story of Shanti Devi has filled many books on reincarnation because of the richness of her memory of details of her past life that have been verified.

Glimpses of the past

But everyone of us has, to a certain extent, glimpses of our past life. For example, how many of us have had dreams of being in a foreign country, wearing a certain costume and talking in a strange language? How many of us visited a place for the first time and got a distinct feeling that we had been there before? We can even give details of what we will find inside that place.
And how many of us, though seeing a person for the very first time, have the feeling we knew that person before? Sometimes the feeling is instant attraction, at other times instant repulsion. What accounts for that seemingly irrational reaction on our part? We have often heard cases of "instant love" or "love at first sight." What accounts for these emotions?

These can be explained by the fact that the soul never forgets. Our subconscious mind holds the memory of all our past incarnations on earth, and even of those lifetimes we may have spent in some other galaxies or planetary systems. But because we are so focused on the earth plane, we seldom pay attention to inner voices from the very depths of our souls.

Past connections

The reason two people get attracted to each other in this lifetime is because they have had similar encounters in their past incarnations on earth. Your spouse or lover may have been your sister, or mother or child in the past. Your child may have been your lover in the past, and your enemy may have been somebody who betrayed you in the past, etc. You meet each other again now because you have to work out your karma with that person. Until that karma is fulfilled or exhausted, until you have learned to forgive and let go, you will meet that person again and again in future lifetimes.

Remember that both great love and great hatred will bind you to another person. So if you don't want to meet your enemy again in a future life, you have to learn to forgive and release that person.

It is the same with selfish or possessive love. You have to learn to let go and allow your loved one to grow by interacting with other people. Love must be unconditional or unselfish so as not to have karmic repercussions.

Each encounter we may have with people from our past lives affords us the golden opportunity to work out our karma with them, pay our debts, or learn a lesson in love or forgiveness, patience or selflessness.

Sometimes the lessons we get are difficult and painful but they have to be regarded as opportunities for growth in spirituality and understanding.

So, in this month of love, let us learn to go deeper and discover what binds you to another. Usually it is a past life experience you had with that person. Without an understanding of past life connections we have with others, we will not be able to work out our karma with that person and will be condemned to live life over and over again with that person in a vicious cycle until both of us learn what we are supposed to learn in this lifetime.

How to Date A Male Model (And Still Keep Your Self-Esteem Intact)
By Tals Diaz


IN THE smoky, orange-tinted haze of the dance floor one night, a guy grabbed my hand and I panicked in sheer terror.

Not because he resembled a shiitake mushroom, or that he wore colossal gold-plated bling blings over his chest hair that curled like pancit canton. Neither was he a sweat-soaked D.O.M. who smelled like a mix of mentholated cream and stale Old Spice. It was the polar opposite in fact--he was tall, stunning and built like a samurai. He was a male model.

I know, I know--a lot of girls would probably pass out or be killed with kilig if they were ever picked up by a handsome human mannequin. Yet my reasons for having wanted to push the eject button at that particular moment runs a bit deeper and stems back to recent history. And it's not because I've seen "Zoolander" more than the usual accepted number of times and thus associate the company of male models with a fiery death at a gas station to the tune of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."

Macho ado about nothing

I've had more than my fair share of experiences with these "Blue Steel"-gazing pros during my hey days as a magazine editor. The first close encounters with such species were disarming indeed, but as soon as over-bloated egos were revealed, I developed the skill of rolling my eyes so far back up my forehead I could have given myself a frontal lobotomy.

I remember one post-photo shoot experience wherein one such fair male creature, who had hit semi-celebrity stature a few years back, grabbed my phone and actually had the cheek to tell me, "I think you should have my number." He proceeded to input his digits, and then deleted another important number on my phone's fully-booked contact list! Suffice to say he was taken aback at my reaction--instead of bubbling over like a grateful pre-teener, I asked him point-blank, "And why would I ever waste my thumb chi texting you?"

At another shoot, a photographer asked me to examine the lighting on a contact Polaroid print he had taken of a shirtless male subject. As I was checking out the Pola, the model shouted out to me, "Don't sell that to your friends, ha!" (Cut to: an image to me holding down my vomit.)

Then there was the time when another model complained to me, "They made me wait all day and I'm only getting P70,000 for it!" (Cut again to: me calculating in my head how many thousands of articles I'd have to write over the years to even come close to that amount.) Call it a reverse form of snobbery, but for a while I actually lumped all these pretty boys as either full of themselves, or full of sh*t. Besides, I'd take cool over hot any day.

Eye candy with filling

By the hideous hand of Fate, however, I did find myself at one time going out with a Zoolander. He was eye candy with substance. He spiced up dinner conversations with a wicked sense of humor, relevant quotes from Garcia Marquez, arthouse film discussions including the hidden symbolisms in "Before Sunset," and fascinating tidbits on Tibetan Buddhism. Jumpin' Jehovah's witnesses, could it be? He was actually hot and cool at the same time!

The trouble in paradise began when I was suddenly sucked into an alternate universe that I'd never ventured into before. For one, my best male friends started excusing themselves from gimmicks a bit earlier than usual. My female friends, on the other hand, suddenly channeled pre-pubescent, giggling schoolgirls whenever we were out. And for the first time in my life, the fear of getting dark undereye circles was actually a sustainable reason to call it a night at 9 p.m. on a Saturday.

I was in a bizarre world indeed. Thus, I've compiled a little amateur guide on what to expect when you so happen to be dating Mister Perfect Cheekbones.

#1 When you two walk into a bar, accept the fact that no one will be looking at you... and if they do, it's just to wonder how the hell you landed him. No matter how healthy your self-confidence levels are, there is nothing more unnerving to see girls, gay guys and even straight guys checking out your "trophy" date while you have suddenly transformed into a gaseous substance. Certain nightspots in the city are notorious in fact for being peopled with overly flirtatious females who see no shame in bumpin' and grindin' your partner even as you stand merely inches away in aghast. Oh right, lest you forget, you're vapor.

#2 Be wary of leaving your date with your best friend. Even if you and your best female bud grew up melded at the hipbone, be mindful that she is still a creature of estrogen and that makes her as trustworthy as Michael Jackson in an orphanage. I realized this when I first introduced her to my date over drinks, and her stare pierced him like a dental drill on bicuspids. She also suddenly developed a previously nonexistent interest in Latin American cinema, the Mahabharata epic and potted plants, in the attempt to find common interests with him. Later, she excused herself to the bathroom and texted me, "Please don't leave me alone with him or I will jump him." The situation was remedied after three more rounds of vodka tonics--my friend started seeing two of him and it was officially a double date.

#3 You suddenly have more gay friends than usual.Even if you're a certified fag hag, the presence of a handsome arm accessory will ensure that you will be surrounded by an assemblage of Wills and Jacks when you're out. So much for painting the town red, expect it to be more like a shade of cherry pink. Take note, however, that the sudden influx of the fairy sex may not necessarily be from your side of the friend fence. In your man's industry, gay guys are kings, er... queens of the kingdom and as such be prepared to hang with his stylist, fashion director, fashion director's boyfriend, production assistant and social scene chronicler. This is not a bad thing, for being in such gayer-than-Christmas company usually ensures a spleen-busting, unforgettable night. It may even be an ego booster, for in between their harmless flirtations with your guy will come surreptitious nudges and whispered congratulatory approvals, usually worded as, "Ang ganda ng lola moh!!! [Your beau is great]"

#4 But suddenly, your best male friends are nowhere to be found. It doesn't matter if your new boy toy sincerely wants to meet your best male posse to bond over beers. It's a near impossible feat to assimilate your mate into the fold. For one, guys don't like being talked down to--literally. Being beside another male who is obviously the visual target of every other female in a party is not exactly a guy's idea of fun, either. And it doesn't bode too well for their egos when they're chugging six packs while your guy sports a six-pack. Forgive your ol' friends then for excusing themselves early with lame excuses like having to change the aquarium filter, or needing to catch "The Fifth Wheel" on cable.

#5 Be prepared to find more grooming products in his bathroom sink than your wildest dreams. And don't be shocked to find yourself sharing makeup either. My life took on a whole new level of meaning when I discovered the benefits of Bed Head hair wax, undereye gel, after-sun cooling spray and moisturizing spritzers, products which he claimed to have been given to him for free. I then questioned the presence of a range of foundation creams and concealers lined neatly in his bathroom cabinet. He could only sheepishly mumble, "It's for work. Try the Natural Tan mousse."

#6 Accept the fact, with utmost dignity, that he may be half-naked around beautiful girls all the time--for work. It's immensely character-building: acknowledging that no matter how many hours you spend prepping yourself up to look good, the chick he shot a commercial with the day before will still be way hotter than you. It's also trust-building: When he shows up with two girls who look like they just stepped off the catwalk and introduces them as "friends he met through work," it's the truth. It's also humility-building. No explanation necessary.

#7 If you ever happen to get into a public conflict where physical contact will be involved, chances are that it'll be you who'll fight the aggressor. Your date can't afford to have a black eye, after all. It happened outside a club one night. Some psycho chick accused my date's other model friend of cheating on her. So his friend, instead of coming to him for help, instead came to me to suddenly channel Buffy and slay the crazed, jealous lunachick. I didn't think twice about confronting her, imagining pulling out some kickboxing moves (or maybe just pulling her hair) if she made the first move. I did think thrice, however, when the whole fiasco was over and they thanked me for saving them from having bruises on their flawless faces, which would have surely made them fail the next day's VTR.

#8 When out having dinner, your meal plates will usually look like a rainforest compared to his three salad leaves. He needs to watch his weight, after all. A few extra pounds is multiplied tenfold on TV and print.

#9 Don't feel bad if he has to be sent to exotic locales like Mexico, while you'll be off to Mexico, Pampanga. A seemingly harmless call from his agency on his mobile phone can be enough to throw a monkey wrench on your weekend plans. After all, getting sent to Puerto Vallarta and Colombia will still be infinitely more appealing than Puerto Galera and Calamba.

#10 If the relationship is short-lived, console yourself that it was worth the experience, and you can finally go back into a semi-normal life. I didn't expect it to last; his agency took him off the Asian circuit and he was sent to the other side of the earth.

But all's well in the end-chapter. For you're now enhanced with the gravity-defying properties of hair wax, you know which is your best angle when posing for photos, and what prints best flatter your figure. Plus, you've got your male friends back, your best female friend is finally cured of the giggles and you've got a whole new network of gay friends. And at some point, when you come across his face plastered on a billboard, it's kinda cool to say, "hey, I know him."

dolce vita

"Life is a box of chocolates, you'll never know what you're gonna get." That was what Forrest Gump said. It's a good credo indeed. I have learned that in this life, nothing is permanent. Life is just too precious to simply dismiss it or throw it away. It's funny because, in our everyday lives, it's just too easy to ignore the importance of life. We spend our days in reckless abandon like there's no tomorrow. The devil may care, you might say. The thing is, you never know when you're gonna be involved in an accident or whether you're gonna get sick. By the time you realize it, it's already too late. We should value life because it is our very existence! There is a line in a movie which got stuck in my head long after I have watched it, and it really struck me hard. The line goes something like this: "If you love someone, you have to say it out loud, right at that very moment, or the moment will just pass you by." It was a line from the movie My Best Friend's Wedding. It sums up how we should handle life and our loved ones. Carpe diem! Don't wait for tomorrow for tomorrow might be too late!

But how many of us could actually claim that they value life more than anything else in the world? I, for one, am guilty of neglecting it. There are moments when I overlook the precious moments I spent with the people around me. I have forgotten how they anchor me through tough times. I usually worry about tomorrow, in the process I momentarilty forgot the present. In the end, it is really our choice how to spend our life. You wanna waste it? Go ahead, you have your free will. You wanna savor life? Then by all means, you're free to do so!

L' amour

EM's SURVEY ABOUT LOOOOOVE
By: Jane Tabuzo
i suggest you guys copy and paste your own answers and post!

1. Do you believe in soulmates?
- I like the idea of soul, I like the idea of mate… other than that, you got me! -- Sex & The City

2. Why is it hard to let go of someone you love?
- because you still live in the memory of what might’ve been

3. Why do women cry after a break-up?
-to mourn the loss of something wonderful, although men cry too.

4. Who will you choose: the man/woman who is the center of your world or the man/woman who gave the world to you?
- ‘there is no spoon’ - Matrix

5. Are you good in hiding your emotions?
-as defense mechanism or to prevent you from hurting the people around you, yes sometimes

6. Why do we need to love?
-security, fulfillment, to feel good about ourselves

7. Being single or being taken?
-can I be both?

8. What's so nice in being single?
-independence

9. Ever cried infront of a bf/gf?
-as much as you don’t want to, you’d be a hypocrite not to admit it

10. Most painful thing said by a loved one?
-when he keeps you guessing

11. Most painful thing did by a loved one?
-hurt you emotionally. Physical pain heals but not emotional pain

12. How do you cope with a breakup?
-you go look for toyboys… he he

13. Describe love in one word
- love consumes

14. What's your ideal date?
- good conversation over a cup of coffee or tea. Intellectual stimulation…

15. How do you spend a day with a loved one?
- see above

16. Can lovers be friends?
- but of course… unless it was a nasty break up

18. Are you the type of person who expects too much from someone?
- I’d rather not

19. What things/qualities that deceive you the most?
- Looks; too much honesty

20. Do you believe that first love never dies?
- True Love lasts, marriages don’t

food for thought

the golden rule in fashion is: 'When in doubt, it's always best to go underdress than to be overdressed.' The rule applies generally in everyday living. Always keep it at a minimum. Excesses are an eyesore.

gone haywire

you know, ever since I got into this biz (read: call center), my body clock have gone haywire. At first I had trouble sleeping at day with the sunlight bursting through my window. So I ended up feeling really drowsy while at work at night. Then after making another re-shuffle of scheds in the office, I had difficulty catching some much-needed sleep at midnight just right after my shift-- with my mind still alive and pulsating with ideas. Nowadays, I sleep like a log during the day and wide awake at night-- even finding some time cleaning every nook and cranny of my room so I can be in the right frame of mind, thus hitting the sack with no trouble at all. Now I guess I'm turning into a nocturnal creature. Be it a good thing, I really don't know. Sleep is important to me. I have to be fully rested so as to function properly (mentally, physically & physiologically). I am not a morning person either. I get cranky if someone or something wakes me up. And since I am a light sleeper as well, I wake up too easily at the sound of doors opening, pots & pans banging, etc. In other words, noise of everyday activity. Don't even dare talking to me early in the morning, or you'll just get blank stares & monosyllabic responses. If I don't get the proper amount of sleep, it shows in my face: droopy eyes, lethargic mood, black circles around the eyes, you name it. My energy level just goes down, even if i drink some caffeine-booster. I guess that's the folly of everyone who works in this biz... we have to be resilient enough to withstand constant change, especially if you're talking about transferring workplaces which happens quite often indeed in my account....

my two cents

i was able to watch 2 good movies during my rest day, namely: Alfie & The Phantom of The Opera. After watching the life story of Alfie (a.k.a Jude Law), I decided that you can never have too much fun in life. Someway, somehow, your bubble is gonna burst. Reality does bite-- and it bites hard. Relationships gotta work both ways, give & take. Alfie is a type of person who bolts the minute he sees some 'cracks' or imperfections in other people, something that he wish he would never see or witness. He always has an excuse to end a relationship. I think it's just sad-- not sticking around when the goin' gets tough. The second movie was of course the acclaimed musical of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I saw a French version of that film but it wasn't produced by the composer. Anyway, this recent version is much better. I went to sleep last night with the songs from the film playing in my mind. The film also made me realize that love can turn to a monster of possessiveness. Once again, I wondered if you can possibly love without possessing or can you possess someone without loving at all?

sleepyhead

I am desperately trying to keep my eyes open right now since I am currently in the office, hence I really don't have anything to say. No witty sarcasm, no insights, no self-analysis, no criticisms. Nothing, as in nada, kaput! Tomorrow I'll be attending a stress management seminar so hopefully, I would be able to apply it in my daily life, he he.

gotta catch some zzzzs....

let's be cerebral

you are sort of wondering how to go about ending something that has been lingering all this time, clinging to you like a stubborn virus-- aware that you are already infected by it and yet couldn't seem to decide what to do about it. You are perhaps just waiting for the right moment to finally distance yourself and eventually lose the grip-- or just wait for it to die a natural death. Whatever the case, this leaves you utterly confused, guilt-stricken, berating yourself on how you could possibly think the unthinkable. Yet, this has become a burden to you, a chip on your fragile shoulders-- something that have become unbearable to handle. You didn't think it would eventually come to this. Or you didn't think far enough. Or you simply refused to think. Your sense of self-worth have been slowly ebbing away, removing any traces of what you were, a fact that has made you panic. You didn't even realize that it crept up on you. In its place, you now see paranoia, doubt, distrust. Everything else is becoming mediocre, turning into a mockery of your life, extinguishing the very thing that made you unique, that made you alive. You are having second thoughts if continuing this is still worth your while. Or there might be a way to just finally accept things as they are and live with it...

sightings

today is a good day, even though I just had a bout of sickness. I saw my crush today and we even talked for a while. That was a good one...

the ramifications of having a sedentary lifestyle

I have just spent the last 48 hours getting sick with influenza, and a whopping total of 96 hours holed up in my tiny room with nothing else to do but to mop around. I have just about given up doing anything productive or relevant. Since I am not allowed to do heavy work (read: getting sick is downright frustrating!), I have resulted in doing as minimal work as possible. On the brighter side, I was able to wash my hair (it's actually my boyfriend who did just that) after having spent one day of practically no bath due to my silly illness. Turning the telly on bordered somewhere between laziness and scorn. The former being my bane of existence after being holed up in one place for much too long and the latter having realized that there's nothing much to watch anyway. My joints still ache, my body's complaining, my stomach's grumbling (food is not palatable at the moment), and I have this irritating buzzing sound in my ear! The kind of sound you usually get when you are sick.

Turning the radio on and surfing the right dial has been one helluva task. Reading is not an option. I have just about finished reading the book I just bought before I got sick. Going out is not an option either. I guess I could've opted to sneak out and watch a movie. I mean, I could lose myself in a really good movie. My aches and pains will be momentarily forgotten in the 2-hour that my attention is captured or spellbound by the moving pictures. Then I would probably feel a whole lot better. Yet again, I am stuck here for the next couple hours or so.

So how is this story, to say the least, relevant? You would probably ask. Well, I have racked my brains for anything that would put me out of my misery-- short of killing myself, so hence, the monologue. You might say, I have finally gone bonkers. But what can I do? Being stuck home alone for far too long is not my idea of living such a dandy life. Sure, I do seek my own space once in a while but staying at home for more than 2 days is too much to take already. Especially if you're not feeling well and not exactly bursting with enthusiasm. You'd probably suggest to just go right ahead and pick my nose or do something really outrageous and I wouldn't even care less. None of it mattered right now. Oh sure, go ahead and whine about the lack of activity (physical or otherwise). Go ahead and blame it on the government if you wish. The awful feeling of non-productiveness is the cultural bi-product of this twenty-something year old girl who, after being held prisoner of sickness and boredom, have decided to just go ahead and rant... Now I feel better already.

state of being

have you been in a state where you feel like you're having a major mid-life crisis in your mid-twenties? well, that's how I feel...

can't carry a tune, so?

This song is what I define as falling in love...

BLISS
(Alice Peacock featuring John Mayer)

Your touch is electric
I felt it the first time you held me
The way we connected...So easily
I've tried to define it
Searched for the perfect phrase
I've tried to describe it
In a million different ways

(Chorus)
It's joy, it's ecstasy,
it's truth, it's destiny
And even love is not enough
to tell you how you make me feel
There's only one word for this...

I've got to admit it
You took my heart by surprise
Don't know how you did it
But baby, I've never felt so alive

(Chorus)
It's joy, it's ecstasy,
it's truth, it's destiny
And even love is not enough
to tell you how you make me feel
There's only one word for this...
It's bliss

Hey, I already know what the future holds
As long as you're here with me

(Chorus)
It's joy, it's ecstacy,
it's truth, it's destiny
And even love is not enough
to tell you how you make me feel
It's faith, it's honesty,
it's life, it's everything
To say "I love you" is not enough
to tell you how you make me feel
It's in your smile, in your kiss
It's the reason I exist
There's only one word for this
It's bliss...

prophecies?

now, this is really the weirdest dream I have had so far! I took a nap early this afternoon prior to coming to work today. My dream took me to the ancient times-- the time of Jesus Christ Himself! Anyway, I was some kind of a preacher (?) and that my current boyfriend was a highly regarded 'prophet' of some sort-- almost equal to Jesus! And his son, David was actually there too and he was with me along with a multitude of people who were following me on a mystical journey! My boyfriend was some kind of a Chosen One-- whatever that means! I was on a journey to meet another 'prophet' who happened to be none other than. . . Jackie Chan! Can you believe that?! He was dressed like a Chinese man similar to the 17th century nobleman. It was almost a set from one of his action movies. But the mood was actually somber. It was a period of chaos and unrest, which I can't possibly describe. It was like something really big is going to happen.

so what does this dream tell me? that I have a potential to become a leader, religious or not? Does it connote something about my present state of affairs? My personal relationship with Jesus? Does it tell me of my spiritual side? And what about my boyfriend as a prophet? Is he worthy of his "title"? That dream was actually intertwined with evilness-- and there was an instance where I saw the sinister side of him when his face suddenly contorts into something grotesque and menacing. To be honest, I really don't know what to make of this dream. Hell, I don't even know how to interpret it! Maybe it was a manifestation of what I feel about the present state of my faith-- and Christianity as a whole. . . Or maybe because I just finished reading too much about the history of Christianity as reflected in my book, 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail.'