waaaahh.... na miss ko ang malling sa Square One!

ako'y pagod. gudnyt!

its almost an hour and a half left before the day expires and i've been preoccupied with things to post in my blog. i wanna discuss my own view on FPJ's bid for the presidency, as i had already posted a lot of my thoughts in Pinoy Exchange - Local And Foreign Issues Forum. I think the FPJ threads in PEx are ballooning in number. i hope the mods just merge them into one FPJ thread so the forum might not be too cluttered by the same issue. maybe in the next few days, i'll tackle it here in my blog. i have to hear his platform if he releases them in the next few days. geez... what has gotten into him?

------------

this morning i guarded in the chapel and as i wait for the time, i reviewed our thanksgiving hymns. i thought i had memorize the english processional hymn last saturday but when i tried to sing it without a copy this morning, i can't seem to finish it straight, without glancing at my copy. anyway, they have given a revision copy of the hymn. now, its back to square one.

------------

i cooked sinigang for our dinner today. i loved it and so does my sister. hehe.. our conversation when she arrived from work:

me: ate, kain na tayo. nagluto ako ng sinigang.
her: wow. nagluto si uncle. sige, lika na... ria, renjo, tulungan nyo ko maghain.
(habang kumakain...)
me: ok ba yung asim ng sabaw?
her: umm... oo. ang sarap!
me: sus, gutom ka lang kaya kahit ano, masarap sayo ngayon.
her: hahaha! pero masarap nga. anong pinang-asim mo?
me: eh di yung sinigang mix!
her: yun lang? ano pang sahog na panlasa?
me: sya nga pala, ate, bilisan mong kumain, alas-sais na baka ma-late tayo sa tupad.

------------

its Mark Diaz's birthday today. he is the eldest son of my choirmates, Ka Lorgie (my seatmate in the choir loft) and Ka Rio. Mark reminds me of my CWS and binhi sakops when i was in Village East locale. Among the kids here in Mississauga who had the guts to approach and talk to me without any hesitation although being snobbed frequently, it is Mark who stood up. hehe.. the boi has an attitude. anyway, i bought him a dollar card from the dollar store (haha! kiddin' boi), no i mean, i chose him a beautiful card from Hallmark last last week and this evening i handed it to him. one thing, boi, if you ever read this: i was expecting to see you in the first seat, front row inside the church this evening. God has been waiting for you very early to set aside that little time for Him coz he blessed you another year in your life. Now tell me, why did you keep "Him" waiting until the first row was filled, huh?

------------

i have to be ready for tomorrow. loads of paper to come... and eventually go.
good night, blog.

i have opened my own checking account at Canada Trust this afternoon and i'm very happy to have my own account. i just need to adjust a bit since they use checking accounts here more than the usual savings account that Filipinos normally open in the Philippines. now i am starting somewhere.

------------

i just got home from another Tim Hortons break with my good buddies. they picked me up at home and drove to the nearest shop in our place. we talked about how life here in Canada is. well, we just *sighed* with our conversations as most people here do not notice that a week passes by, mas mabilis pa sa alas-kuatro, eh?

------------

kuya butch was very excited with his first day in the Mississauga News "business". hehe... i just have to help him and my sister, as they "caught" what Noriel, Charlie and i gave up last weekend. of course i'm still IN with the thing because i just have to help them. after all, i could use the time until i am able to legally work here. prayers (with faith) take me everywhere!

------------

i did my laundry today and i'm glad i finished it together with all the things i did for the day. as early as nine in the morning, kuya butch and i headed to pick-up the papers in Mississauga News warehouse. afterwich, i began inserting the flyers into the papers while doing the laundry, and then fetched my niece at the bus stop. immediately after lunch, we headed to open my new account at the bank. earl, the banker, was nice. i wonder if i was as accommodating as he is when i was working as a new accounts clerk at Equitable PCI Bank. hehe... obviously, lagi akong nakasimangot nun lalo na pag end of the month. haha! anyway, after our banking transactions, we delivered the papers into our old routes. i got hungry and ate my dinner immediately upon reaching home. Apung Nining gave me a piece of what she was cooking for their dinner. our conversation:

me: Apo! komusta na ka?
her: oyni, maglutu ku! nukarin ka 'bat?
me: kayari mi pang mig-deliver dyaryu, apo. wow! kabanglu ning lulutu mu? makaranup!
her: (laughs) maglutu kung tapa, keni, mangan na ka keni.
me: king lalam namu po.
her: ay ali. o sige, dinan da na kamu.
me: wow, sige po. thank you.

~ ~ ~ ~ translation ~ ~ ~ ~

(well, just shout out if you're interested in it. i'm a bit sleepy already)

and so, i ate the tapa that my lola cooked, then checked on my laundry. and after that, i went to Tim Hortons with my buddies.

this has been a fast day. it's thursday tomorrow, thank God. one of my most-awaited day in a week!

before i end this blog, i just have to make a few notes that had made (somehow) an impact on me for today:

* FPJ confirmed his intention to run for the presidential slot.
* Loren Legarda is now politicizing
* someone's been irritated with my PEx nick, and offered a thread for it.
* PEx had finally put a philippine flag in its logo
* my friends in Manila continously text me though i can't reply to them. thank you all..
* i got my own checking account here.

good night, blog.

suddenly i feel down. i have a lot of accomplishments for the day and i was happy the whole day, until my sister arrived. whenever they come from work, world seems to have a lot of pressure. with this i wonder, life in Canada is work, work, work. and so i ask, can i really call it "life"?

got this from Friendster:

Quick Eye Exam...

This will blow your mind...!

Just do it - don't cheat!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try this its actually quite good.

But don't cheat!




Count the number of F's in the following text:


FINISHED FILES ARE THE
RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC
STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCE OF YEARS











Managed it?










Scroll down only after you have counted them!












OK?











How many?










Three?
















Wrong, there are six - no joke!







Read again!




(F)INISHED (F)ILES ARE THE
RESULT O(F) YEARS O(F) SCIENTI(F)IC
STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCE O(F) YEARS




The reasoning is further down...

The brain cannot process the word "OF".





Incredible or what?




Anyone who counts all six F's on the first go is
a genius
Three is normal.

------------

i guess i'm just the normal guy. i counted four at first glance. oh well...
good night, blog.

I'm Happy and Tired

I'm happy because:
1. i had the chance to share talks with my sister (while sorting flyers)
2. i feel so productive today
3. its delightful to see REAL snow for the first time in your life!
4. i feel that i'm not alone.

I'm tired because:
1. my cousin moved to their new house and i carried heavy loads of furnitures and stuffs
2. we finished sorting out the flyers for tomorrow's paper deliveries
3. i was sleepy this afternoon but wasn't able to take a nap

------------

True love is being happy when you see your loved one happy and contented even if that loved one of yours is not with you.

i went outside to put out the garbage upstairs and i found this:



and this:



and this:



hmm... ayoko na yata ng heavy snow pagkatapos nito..
(photos were taken in our backyard with date and time as indicated in the first photo, remote linking courtesy of Photobucket.com).

RANTS

1. wala na kong raket sa dyaryo
2. ang ginaw ngayon, maginaw bukas, maginaw sa makalawa, at patuloy pa...
3. di ako nakalabas ng bahay maghapon, domestic helper ako
4. nagtampo si friend sa amin ni jorry potter
5. maglilipat kami ng gamit bukas eh ang ginaw-ginaw
6. narinig ko na hindi marunong magpasalamat yung nagpapatulong maglipat bukas
7. nagugutom na ako

RAVES

1. may raket na ulit ako sa dyaryo
2. sa couch ako matutulog ngayon
3. nakapag-email na 'ko sa mga taong dapat kong i-email
4. kakain na ko!

yey!

it's snowing outside!

RANTS
1. tinatamad na akong mag-surf sa internet
2. amoy-ulam yung bahay
3. miss ko nang matulog sa couch
4. ang ginaw ngayon
5. umuulan bukas
6. maginaw sa martes
7. kailangan ko ng raket
8. umuwi na kaya ako ng pilipinas?

RAVES
1. malapit na ang pasalamat!

...yun lang!

MAYBE
Neocolors

There I was
Waiting for a chance
Hoping that you'll understand
The things I wanna say

As my love went stronger than before
I wanna see you more and more
But you closed your door
Why don't you try
To open up your heart
I won't take so much of your time

Maybe, it's wrong to say please love me too
'Coz I know you'll never do
Somebody else is waiting there inside for you
Maybe it's wrong to love you more each day
'Coz I know he's here to stay
But I know to whom you should belong

I believed what you said to me
We should set each other free
That's how you want it to be

But my love went stronger than before
I wanna see you more and more
But you closed your door
Why don't you try to open up your heart
I won't take so much of your time

Maybe, it's wrong to say please love me too
'Coz I know you'll never do
Somebody else is waiting there inside for you
Maybe it's wrong to love you more each day
'Coz I know he's here to stay
But my love is strong
I don't know if this is wrong
But I know to whom you should belong

Maybe, it's wrong to say please love me too
'Coz I know you'll never do
Somebody else is waiting there inside for you
Maybe it's wrong to love you more each day
'Coz I know he's here to stay
But my love is strong
I don't know if this is wrong
But I know to whom you should belong

my buddies are giving up with our raket as we talked about it over cups of hot choco and double-double. i have talked to my kuya regarding this and he intends to "catch" it. if it pushes through, i'll still be IN that raket coz i'll be the one assisting them as "first timers".. hehe. howell...

------------

ka dan was late in our appointment so i just worked for four hours today. i was supposed to work for six full hours but then, he had to attend to some matters before he could fetch me at home. at least seven people went in to see the "open house" in a span of four hours. its pretty cold inside the house although the doors and windows are closed. the centralized aircon was open and i didn't bother to put on the fireplace. good thing though while waiting for people to visit, i managed to memorize our processional hymn for our thanksgiving service. sister esther, our choir mentor, will visit us tomorrow in our practice.

------------

mom had arrive from her long air trip to Manila. dad fetched him at the NAIA and she's now cooking in our humble cainta kitchen. maya-maya lang, sasamba na sya sa lokal. makikita ulit nya mga amiga nya sa village east. inggit ako. dapat andun na rin ako eh!

------------

i had a fruitful chat with Abby thru Yahoo! Messenger last night. its always been nice chatting with her thru YM. kahit pagod yan, basta kukunsulta tungkol sa boylet ng buhay nya, gising na gising yan! kumusta na kaya si ate jawee?

------------

i called friend MarieL last night (morning sa Manila) in her cp. she's in Baguio right now with some friends and i just can't help but reminisce the time we had in the same place last year. i told her to eat binatog with milk, which i enjoyed eating while we were strolling along Burnham Park. i miss them, and everything there...

------------

tumawag ang kinakapatid kong si Chaddy bandang alas-dos ng madaling araw kanina sa Manila. "O, madaling-araw na dyan ah!" "eh, kase ikaw lang ang alam kong gising na kaya tinawagan kita. nasa ospital ako." "ha? anong nangyari sayo?" "si ryan, sumasakit ang tyan. baka sa kidney raw pero wala pang confirmation yung doktor." "sya na naman? sakitin talaga yang si ryan. kumusta na kayo dyan?" "ok naman, wala na nga pala akong trabaho." "ano? walang trabaho tapos, OK?" "eh kase magsasara na yung kumpanyang pinapasukan ko eh." "maghanap ka na agad ng trabaho. sa jobstreet ba, naka-register ka? marami run!" "oo kaya lang di ko nao-open. sige nga, check ko. ikaw, kumusta ka na?" "eto, paalis ako eh. susunduin ako ng employer ko." "aba, ok ah! yung employer pa ang sumusundo!" "hehe... wala kase akong transpo rito eh." "o sige na, kumusta na lang kina ate jane." "ok, musta na rin kay mama."

------------

and i call it a day!

kaninang hapon ay nagpabakuna ako laban sa influenza, na ito'y inoobliga ng pamahalaan ng Canada para sa kanyang mga mamamayan at maging sa mga tao na bumibisita sa bansa. kasama ko ang bayaw ko at mga pamangkin, tumungo kami sa isang Pilipinong doktor, kung saan nagamit nila ang tinatawag nilang OHIP samantalang ako, bilang tourist, ay nagbayad ng sampung dolyares.

hindi ako gaanong nakatulong kanina sa paggawa ukol sa Mississauga News at gayundin bukas. pareho nang masakit ang katawan ng dalawa kong kaibigan, na halos gawin nang full-time ang bagong career na ito. sana makabawi ako bukas sa kanila, pagkatapos ng aking gawain sa maghapon.

kahapon ay huling hapunan namin para sa pag-alis ni mamsi, kapiling ang aming mga kamag-anak sa itaas ng bahay na aming tinutuluyan. pagkatapos ng pagsamba kagabi, humingi muna kami ng panalangin sa destinado ng lokal, ukol sa paglalakbay na gagawin ni mamsi pauwi ng Pilipinas. pagkatapos nito ay dali-dali kaming umuwi upang saluhan sa hapunan ang aming auntie Esther at uncle Franco na naghihintay sa aming pagdating mula sa kapilya. at
kanina ngang umaga, ihinatid namin ng ate ko (at bayaw) si mamsi sa toronto airport, matapos isakay ang mga pamangkin ko sa bus stop patungong paaralan.
malungkot si mamsi. natural lang yun. malungkot din ako, syempre. paano ba naman, wala na kong aasarin at aalaskahin kapag nalulungkot ako. syempre pa, si mamsi ang tumutulong sa akin pagdating sa pinansyal na pangangailangan. yung matagal ko nang inaasam na pag-iisa at pagsasariling mamuhay, marahil ito na ang pinakamagandang pagkakataon. maaari akong tumungo sa estados unidos at doon mag-asikaso ng papel ko, o maaari rin namang lumipat ako ng tirahan, hiwalay sa ate ko, pero dito rin sa Canada. subalit marami akong isinasaalang-alang. unang-una na yung kaginhawahan ko sa pagtupad. wala kase akong sariling sasakyan dito at sa tema ng transportasyon at takbo ng oras dito, mahirap ang walang sasakyan. baka mag-alangan ako pag lumayo ako sa lokal. pangalawa, wala akong sapat na pinagkukunan ng panggastos ko. kailangan kong kumita ng sarili kong pera para mabuhay at makatagal dito. marami akong naiisip. nakalapat na ang mga plano ko sa tulong ng inaasahan kong tagapayo, at panalangin na lang ang kulang. lahat ng bagay, inihahabilin ko na sa "Kaniya".

sa mga oras na ito ay nasa himpapawid si mamsi, lulan ng Northwest Airlines patungo ng Manila. Mahigit tatlong buwan din sya rito sa Canada, bago ipinasa ang mga papeles nila ni papsi para ma-petisyon dito sa Canada at dito na manirahan. kaya ngayong nakapasa na ito sa tanggapan ng immigration, kailangan na niyang umuwi. ako? ang plano ko? ewan ko.

Happy Birthday sa pinakamamahal kong Lola, si Apung Ingging, siya ang nanay ng aking itay, at ngayon ay naninirahan sa Lourdes, Minalin, Pampanga;

Happy Birthday sa mabuti kong kaibigan na si Arman Catchuela, ang aking kanang kamay noong nanunungkulan kami sa NEU Glee Club, naging manggagawa sa Ihaw-Ihaw, Kalde-kaldero at Kawa-kawali, Aawitan Kita atbp. bilang isa sa mga Singing Cooks & Waiters, na ngayon ay nasa bansang Tsina at doon ipinagpatuloy ang pakikipagsapalaran sa buhay;

at Happy Birthday din kay Tristan Santos na nagkaroon ng bahagi sa buhay ko noong mga taon na ako ay nasa kolehiyo sa New Era University.

bago ko makalimutan, natalo ang Raptors laban sa 76ers kanina, homecourt pa ng Toronto. first loss nila sa home. sheesh... sayang yung mga ginawa ni Chris Bosh.

Yesterday, Tuesday. hmm... lemme see. oh! my personal adviser by the monicker of CY registered in Friendster. I'm sure glad to see her there! I have emailed her something that rattled her whole self (well, i suppose with the way she replied to my email) hehe.. and told me she'd check on this blog to be updated on what she's been missing since we parted ways 3 months ago. sorry, hija. yung in-email ko sayo, di mo matatagpuan dito. lam mo naman ako, i love privacy when it comes to that matter. You can't even find the name of "G" here, remember? Yung sinamahan mo sa lokal nung tumupad ako?

Still yesterday, we had dinner at Ron & Cathy's house. Together with me is my mom, and my good buddies Noriel & Charlie. Ron is a soul i have been praying for since i first set my foot here in Canada one year ago. He has been my forum mate at PinoyExchange (PEx) and we discuss a lot about theology. I have invited him at our Grand Evangelical Missions here in Mississauga and he expressed his interest to learn more about the church's basic doctrines especially lesson no.1. Please pray for him also.

Today i left home early and headed to Islington to meet up with my consultant. We discussed a few matters and the Canadian government's upcoming program for those who aspire a status here. My consultant showed two options and personally, i prefer the second one he presented wherein i must leave this country and stay somewhere else.

Rain was pouring hard this morning and i was soaked real good. It's been a long time since i went out on the streets, wet and soaking in rain water. my mind was focussed on other matter while i was walking in the Islington area. I was even followed by one of the security man of Islington Subway Station since i entered a No Entry zone, where i could have been fined $500 at an instant. I apologized though and thanked him for the warning. My mind was really blank that time.

When i got home, i sorted out the flyers and papers that we're gonna deliver late afternoon. and at night (a while ago, actually) my buddies here prepared us a great dinner at their place. thank you so much for everything. for all the people who have been helping me, and my sister when they were just starting their life here, if we have nothing to offer in return, you are all in my thank you prayers to God. May God bless all of you!

i miss my friends in Manila. i should be there with you, guys.

it's puzzling me.
she loves he,
he doesn't love she.
he loves she,
but she doesn't love he!

huwaaaat?!!!

ang PAG-IBIG ay mapagpahinuhod, at magandang-loob; ang pag-ibig ay hindi nananaghili; ang pag-ibig ay hindi nagmamapuri, hindi mapagpalalo. Hindi nag-uugaling mahalay, hindi hinahanap ang kaniyang sarili, hindi nayayamot, hindi inaalumana ang masama; Hindi nagagalak sa kalikuan, kundi nakikigalak sa katotohanan; lahat ay binabata, lahat ay pinaniniwalaan, lahat ay inaasahan, lahat ay tinitiis.

kung ganito ba ang lahat ng nararamdaman ko, masasabi kong tunay na akong umiibig?

Sunday
As early as 0830 hrs, we were off from our house to go to my sister's appointment in Scarborough for their *******.

we then had a lunch date with Jen, Chito & Judy at a chinese resto, and afterwards headed to the choir practice.

highlight of the day: i was scolded by our choir leader. hehe.. although she was referring to the choir, her eyes were just focussed on me as she utter the words, with trembling voice. i felt embarrassed and i also felt my blood went up to my head (which tells me that i blushed out of embarrassment) geez... she didn't even tell us that she has a reminder after the prayer so i went down the choir loft while she was speaking. i thought it was just one of the "informal" (and short) reminder and to think, it was just all about the year-end number of the choir. i can't believe it. oh well. i felt sorry for it.

committee-prayer of our group is always a look-forward-to activity. our group, headed by Ka Resty, has a pretty good bonding. we always end up eating, laughing, story-telling and having so much fun, after a serious and very solemn prayer-meeting. i'll miss this group of brethren.

after the committee, my good buddies were kind enough to accompany me to Ka Ellen's house to have my haircut. ang sarap nung hazlenut coffee creamer! and oh. the Raptors won over the Rockets via double overtime. free pizza for those who watched the game at ACC as the Raptors hit the hundred mark!

Today is another day, i'm expecting a call from Ka Dan for this on-call duty this afternoon, and later tonight we will be in Alice's place.

Saturday
another busy day, morning saw me performing in the Filipino-GEM. Afterwards, my buddies and i went straight to Mississauga News to pick-up the papers and then delivered them, just before we perform for the evening service. We finished early as expected so we still had time to have a sip of hot drinks from Tim Hortons.
Evening worship service was graced by the Father and the night of activities ended with our hymn practice for the next two services and a review of the english processional hymn.

My past weekend>>>

Friday
most of the day, i was attending to our newspaper delivery since this day has the most number of flyer inserts. good thing though, mom extended a helping hand in sorting out the flyers, and my buddy Noriel was present after lunch, so we had delivered the papers earlier. Buddy Charlie reported off from his work earlier than usual to catch up with us but we finished earlier than the usual after office hours, so he instead went straight home. Don't worry boy. no big deal with us. we all work for the three of us no matter who's available and not available. wala naman nang iba sa atin eh, ok?

Ron & Cathy gave in to my invitation to attend the GEM that night, and we gladly met again with some of my chorister friends. a fruitful and tiring day it was.

what i expected to happen today

1. i'll rake the leaves in our yard and gather it in one corner.
2. greet my lola for her birthday.
3. wait outside for the flurries (hindi McFlurry ng Mcdo, ha!)
4. sleep and rest for i don't have an on-call duty
5. prepare for the worship service


what exactly happened today

1. i checked outside to see if it's a perfect day to step out in our yard and gather the leaves in one corner as i wait for the new paper bags where i can put them for garbage collection day next week. but then, i realized its not too advisable to rake them since wind chill is blowing like hell. good thing (with the hell wind chill), it blows in one direction, going to our yard wall and i was delighted to see the leaves gathered in one corner by 12 noon. suits me, haha!

2. i grabbed the 7"diameter black forrest cake from the fridge (in Manila we term fridge as "ref") which i bought last night from No Frills, and topped it with one small birthday candle. i slowly walked up the stairs and as i open the door upstairs, i sang the birthday song for my Apo.

Our conversation:
me: happy birthday apo, happy birthday apo, happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday, apo!
apo: wow... thank you. ika talaga
me: oyni mu pin ing abye ku, apo eh. (then i kissed her)
apo: aru.. ika naman. thank you. ala kang obra ngeni?
me: ala pu. king tutuking dominggu pasibayu, apo.
apo: mag-dinner tamu potang bengi ne? ati kayo?
me: ay apo, magdalit kaming ati ku ampo i kuya butch, pero reng anak ampo i mommy, atilu.
apo: a makanyan? eh bali, sige, ila namu ing tuki mi. sayang naman.
me: ok mu, apo. next time ulit. hehe... munta ku post office, mamaldug kung sulat.
apo: a wa sige. mag jacket ka, marimla ngeni ampo masikan ing angin!
me: wa po. pilan na ka palang banua, apo?
apo: 86 na ku! haha!
me: wow! kasikan na pa ning apu ko! haha! sige po. muna na ku. kanan me ing cake mu ne!
apo: wa sige. thank you ulit.

Apo/apu is a Kapampangan term for a grandparent.

3. as i prepared to mail my sister's papers, i wore my thick jacket over a shirt and a long-sleeved-Tshirt (a total of three upper clothing), and my bonnet which extends upto my ear (the one that my friend Anne gave me during my despedida. Its the most useful bonnet i have.) As i went up outside, i came back home. the wind was so strong and i was afraid to walk upto Shoppers Drug. So, i got the van keys and drove to South Common. haha! i was looking left and right for possible police officers but luckily, i reached South Common with smooth driving. Its been so long since i touched a steering wheel for about a kilometer distance.
When i got off from the van, the flurries were falling. para silang mga balakubak na mula sa kalangitan haha! first taste of "soft snow"! then as i walk from the parking lot, the wind wanted to blow me away from my destination. but then, after going to Canada Post, i still grabbed a few apples from No Frills for mom. parang ayoko na ng heavy snow yata. tama na yung na-experience ko kanina. mahirap daw kase pag heavy snow. lahat ng inconvenience nandyan. oh well.

4. i did sleep and took a good rest after lunch.

5. worship services are always my most-awaited time. i need not explain further now.

------------

tomorrow's another day. heavy load of papers must be delivered before the scheduled GEM, and afterwards, i'm hoping to meet Ron in the chapel by 745pm.

good night blogger!

PExadik aajao!
pahinga ka muna hijo *bop*

this image courtesy of hannah17smb

ok. i just got home from delivering papers. and afterwards i proceeded to my buddies place and then headed to No Frills to buy my grandma a cake for her birthday tomorrow. i have no on-call duty with ka dan tomorrow, as i have said earlier, and i am supposed to assist Larry with his work but he retrieved the offer upon knowing that i have a choir performance tomorrow night. he wouldn't want me to miss it so instead, he told me that he'll call me next time he will have another assignment. wow. job offers are all around. thanks to the One above.

good night, blog.

as i ponder on top of a hill
i never realized how much time to kill
it passed by as the days of my years
with moments of joys and tears

i am here in a blink of an eye
no time to think or even ask why
it's so sudden as a runner's breathe
or an accident that leads to death

on this day i think deeply
what really is in store for me
looking intently as the sun sets in the west
tomorrow in east it will rise at its best

as i look from up there i found a gem
sparkling bright in the midst of them
i never have imagined that in this far away land
the gem that i long will be in my hand

as i see it sparkling in my eyes
its just a bit far beyond my reach
like a precious treasure trapped in a transparent ice
waiting to melt for me its my rich

you hear you see you know
the wait i'm doing for how long
i wonder if you ever will consider
can differences blend well together

my gem my gem will you ever be mine
i'll treasure you with my life i am thine
if only you can feel what my heart does reveal
you're my gem forever, my death until.

oh wells....

its 3 pm and ka dan hasn't arrived as per our appointment. oh well, suits me. i finished doing the inserts on the papers that we're gonna deliver tonight, with a little help from mom who insists to do the stuff. oh well.

------------

my outgoing texts and calls are barred. that means, i can't reply to text messages and i can't place outgoing calls. i'm thinking, maybe i have surpassed my CL and SUN Cellular found out. hekhekhek... oh well.

------------

i messaged ******* and ******* hasn't replied yet. maybe ******* is busy, or maybe trying to figure out what to say to me. oh well.

------------

i called an appointment with my consultant on Friday but he will not be available. he has to attend to some family matter. so we will meet next week instead. oh well.

------------

i just received a call from ka dan (see first entry above), apologizing from the cancelled appointment today. something came up with his business so i'll be reporting to him next week also. i bet i'll have a busy week after the weekend. and hopefully, i can finish them all. oh well.

------------

c'est la vie

i'm here in South Common Library. i just got off from Ka Dan's car after touring in Oakville, and he handed me a two-hour worth of "compensation". His open house didn't push through and he told me to report to work tomorrow afternoon. After that, i'll be facing our Mississauga news delivery with my buddies. hmm...

-----------------------

my mind is still preoccupied with so many things. i have talked to a lawyer this morning and i don't wanna buy what he said, although we have the same thing in mind. oh well...

---------------

Happy birthday, Ka Ellen.

---------------

Today is Canada's Remembrance Day. Kuya Butch and i saw Renjo with the choir in their school program this morning and i took some video shots of him and Ria.

got to go... 30 minutes is up.

----------------
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ September 12, 2003 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
----------------

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!
From: "erika burnett" < breaker_erika@hotmail.com >
To: "JM"
Subject: i cant find the words to say goodbye............
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 05:27:33 +0000

So what do you
do
when somebody you’re so
devoted
to suddenly just stops loving you and it seems they
haven’t got a clue…
of the pain that
rejection
is putting you
through…
Do you cling to your pride
and
sing
“I will survive,” do you lash
out
and say
“How dare you leave
this,”
do you hold on in vain as they
just
slip away?


I can’t tell I
Love
You,
I can’t tell you my
feelings,
but I know their
really
there.
I can’t tell I want You coz I want
you
to stay.
If I tell you my
emotions…
You might go
away.

Accidents do
happen.
I slip, I trip, I
stumble and
I fall
and usually I don’t
mind it
all….
But now I don’t know what to
do
because I slipped
and.....
fall in love with
you!!!



Can’t say I don’t like you since it’s
not
true,
can’t bear to leave you coz all I cant say
a
word
when with u coz all I can think of
I how much I love You.




I’ve kissed a guy, I’ve kissed
guys.
I just haven’t felt that thing- that
thing,
when you kiss someone,
everything around you becomes hazy,
& the only thing you focus on is that
person.
And you realize that...
That person is the only person
you’re supposed to be kissing for the rest of
your
life
and for one moment you get this amazing
gift
and you want to laugh and you want to cry
cause you feel so lucky that you’ve found
it
and so scared that it will go away,
all at the same time.


well this are the words i can't tell you personally..... coz i really
dont
know how., u know its hard for me to reveal who i am.... maybe it just
im
stupid! till now 'coz im falling for a wrong guy whose not really mine
and
never be mine! i love him but he didn't fell anything for me. POOR ME!
This is my first and last letter, i hope you dont mind. dont worry i
wont
bother u anymore., now i know where to stand., Just always remember
this I
love you so much., more than you ever know.God knows how much i do.
Thanks!

--------------------

hangga't pwede ko pang i-delete itong post na 'to, magpakilala ka. ang ayos-ayos ng tanong ko sa yo kung sino ka. all you have to do is to say who you are. you keep on sending me offline messages sa YM. i'm irritated.

[this last entry was posted at 1:09AM, September 12, 2003]

I'm looking forward to a busy week ahead. I hope i get to do a lot of things this week. I can't organize my thoughts right now. my mind is preoccupied with so many things. be blogging soon. good night, blogger.

RANTS!
1. hindi ako pinapawisan pag umiinom ng mainit na kape!
2. andaling lumamig ng tinimpla kong kape!
3. bago ang creamer namin, di pa gusto ng panlasa ko!
4. antamis masyado ng natimpla kong kape ngayong umaga!
GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

The Blessing of Thorns

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she
pushed against a November gust and the florist shop
door.

Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in
the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor
automobile accident stole that from her.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered
a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't
enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer.
Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted,
called saying she could not come for the holiday.

Then Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her
grief was a God-given path to maturity that would
allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She
has no idea what I'm feeling, thought Sandra with
a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a
careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when
he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life
but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's
approach startled her. "I....I need an arrangement,"
stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving? Do you want
beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge
the day with a customer favorite I call the
Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm
convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued.
"Are you looking for something that conveys gratitude'
this thanksgiving?" "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out.
"In the last five months, everything that could go
wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when
the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement
for you." Just then the shop door's small bell rang,
and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara...let me get
your order." She politely excused herself and
walked toward a small workroom, then quickly
reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows,
and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the
rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched
for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who
would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for
laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please,"
Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd
think after three years of getting the special, I
wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can
feel it right here, all over again," she said as
she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her
order.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with,
uh....she just left with no flowers! "Right," said the
clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special.
I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet." "Oh, come
on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for
that!" exclaimed Sandra. "Barbara came into the shop
three years ago feeling much like you feel
today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very
little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to
cancer, the family business was failing, her son was
into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the
clerk, "and for the first time in my life, had just
spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no
husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to
allow any travel." "So what did you do?" asked Sandra.
"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the
clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good
things in my life and never questioned the good things
that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I
ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that
dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the
'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the
beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says
that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from
His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the
very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess
the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby
and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey,
Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.
"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving
Special....12 thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed
Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped
arrangement from the refrigerator. "Those are for your
wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind
me asking why she wants something that looks like
that?" "No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four
years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty
years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's
grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after
problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the
clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind
her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and
that was good enough for me. I took home some of those
stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a
specific "problem" and give thanks for what that
problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to
Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in
my life." Sandra said. "It's all too...fresh."
"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience
has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We
treasure God's providential care more during trouble
than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of
thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love.
Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time
since the accident, she loosened her grip on
resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed
thorns, please," she managed to choke out. "I hoped
you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them
ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal
your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on
me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra.
"I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe
you would like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my
thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my
roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the
glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my
thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You
along the path of pain. Show me that, through my
tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more
brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!

-- Author Unknown
(from my email inbox dated 05 December, 2002

Saturday Wrap-up

Generally, i'm happy today, with just a bit of disappointment. Of course we can't have the best of all the world, but thinking that i have my friends with me and my family who always support me, I feel more blessed than anyone else.

Early today, Noriel, Charlie & i started our Mississauga News route with an initial number of 93 houses. we finished everything in less than two hours from picking-up of the papers and flyers, sorting and finally, delivering. It may sound so "little" but having this kind of a sideline is a BIG help. Whatever i imply on the word "big", its for me to keep.

After delivering the papers, we stayed here at home, munching over a large order of pizza and until my family got home from the mall. Nenet & Alice followed and we shared some snacks at home while chatting and laughing until past 8pm. Ka Ellen joined us also and despite the not-so-good news i heard, i have seen things through its lighter side.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The not-so-good news

The application passed by my employer for the process of my work permit has been rejected by the HRDC. When i read the letter from the department, they stated three reasons of the rejection. Now i'm thinking. weather-weather lang yan.

RANTS:
1. i wish i could drive!
2. it's deym cold.
3. i wish i could drive!
4. someone's giving me a dose of my own medicine. *sheesh*
5. i wish i could drive!
6. we're having problems in picking up the papers on weekdays.
7. i wish i could drive!
8. HRDC hasn't replied for about a month now.
9. i wish i could drive!
10. i am missing ManiLa again.
11.i wish i could drive!

------------------
from weather.ca, the following are the forecast for today, overnight:

FRIDAY OVERNIGHT
Temperature = -3 degrees centigrade
Condition = isolated flurries
P.O.P. = 30%
Feels Like = -10 degrees centigrade
Wind = NW 25 km/h
Humidity = 94%
Snow = Trace "may snow na mamaya!?!"

------------------------

RAVES:
1. i have watched Love Actually and i liked it.
2. i'm positively thinking that our news job will flow smoothly.
3. its a blessing having buddies who have big hearts. i'll return the favor, boys. :)
4. i'm performing in GEM and hopefully have a guest, too.
5. thanksgiving is fast approaching.
6. i was allowed to sleep on the couch again! yey!

just got home from Ka Eric's place. we set up a small surprise dinner for him. Happy Birthday, Bro. Choir Leader!

before we called it a day, we watched Debbie & Rajham's wedding which was solemnized in Imus locale. Programs and reception followed at Island Cove. Sounds familiar, eh?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One song i learned and since then, i used to sing when i got hold of After Image's first album Touch The Sun, is the song "Only You".


ONLY YOU
AfterImage

There is no one else for me
I could search the world through all eternity
(And) I could sweep the sky and the sea
If there'll be no one else for me.

I need nothin' else to say
I could live my life on through another day
A thousand words I want to speak
But I need nothin' else to say.


(Hoh) And through me eyes will see
There will be only you, only you.

There is nothin' else that's real
All the things we have and all we feel
Through time and change when all is gone
There is nothin' else that's real.

Only you, you touch my life
You clear my eyes
You until the darkness turns to light.

Only you
Only you...
Only you.

What Key Signature Are You?
from Quizilla.com


Eb major - you are warm and kind, always there for
your friends, who are in turn there for you.
You are content with your comfortable life and
what you are currently achieving; if you keep
in this state you will go far.


what key signature are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

E flat, eh? hmm... lower do is in the note of mi. first line on the staff.

Charlie just rang me a good news. Thanks my good buddies, NorieL & Charlie. :)

i miss my lolo and my lola. it has been a family tradition to go home in the province, with me driving for the family, during All Saint's Day. I wonder if Pampanga isn't flooded now, with all the news of heavy rain that i've been hearing from friends in Manila. I just wanna see my lolo and my lola again.

i have to stop thinking about Manila. It just saddens me to miss every single person in there. oh well.. c'est la vie.

"hey, aajao! wanna watch a Raptors game again?"

from weather.ca, i can see the sun in their forecast, shining only on Thursday and Saturday. Its been raining for four days now and it's impractical to stroll out when you are not obligated to go. seeing the sun in the forecast, i can see that it will be useless in fighting cold weather since on Saturday, the forecast reads a high 2 degrees celcius while Sunday is even colder at a high temparature of 1 degree. both days have a forecast of -4 degrees celcius as its lowest. pretty cold, eh?

A Super Friends Story
Do anyone of you remember the cartoons where the super heroes gather in one Hall of Justice to fight the Legion of Doom? Well, in there you will see the popular and the not-so-popular super heroes that every 80s child can think, gathered together in the cartoon show known as SUPER FRIENDS. From Superman to the Wonder Twins, also present in the Hall of Justice are Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (who i find the most useless--- sorry Aquaman fans), Green Lantern (my favorite!), Apache Chef, Flash, Black Vulcan and others.

Well, i found one website that tells the "inside story" behind these American super heroes. As usual, you will witness the unfortunate plight of a Filipina in the hands of this so-called super heroes.

Now, turn your speakers ON and see how evil really these American "heroes" are: MARITESS *vs* the Super Friends

Sunday. Assignments for thanksgiving performances were finally announced. I am lucky to be a part of the primary choir for two performances. I hope these blessings for me I can use for the glory of God!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I called Ron at lunch time to confirm if he and Cathy got the church's invitation for a tea party. Ron told me yes, but unfortunately they couldn't come by four PM since they have prior commitments this same day. But he promised to meet with Bro. Roland this coming week for the Bible study lesson. That's good. May God work for Him. :)
For the tea party, Kuya Ralph and my sister Jane had four visitors, including their good friend, Ana. I didn't stay too long at the tea party, though.

After going to the tea party, we proceeded (again) to Judy's house for her post-Bday celebration. I didn't eat much, but sang a lot. haha! oh well... good night, blogger!

November 01 & 02: food-filled weekend. Saturday, November 01, Jordan celebrated his 13th birthday and dinner food were served upstairs. We had to be late for the occasion since Saturday was our scheduled performance for the worship service. His party started at 6PM, and we came home by 9PM after the choir practice. My aunt was waiting for us because she put the birthday cake in our fridge so they were able to get it only when we arrived from church. oh well... we can miss everything, but not our church duties.

earlier that day, i strolled around Square One to find a shirt for my nephew, Jordan. I wasn't able to find one for him that will suit my budget, so instead, i was able to buy two shirts for me at a discounted price.

Funnier thing happened before that, though. While I was looking for his present, i was approached by this survey woman from McDonalds', i believe, marketing department. She asked me to answer a few questions for their survey, about McDonald's 2004 Olympics promo. Since i have time to kill, i give in to her request. After reading the papers to me (they don't even know how to explain the promo. they just read directly from the paper the promo description), i answered her questions and in return, after about seven minutes of questioning, she gave me two complimentary stubs for breakfast at McDonalds and five dollars for the time i gave her. Not bad. I can do that again some other time. LOL.

October 31, 2003 while the kids were out on the streets trick or treating (with the exception of my nephew & niece, who were in church for the CWS-sponsored Pyjama Party), Alice, Nimfa, Ka Eric, Ka Ellen, Noriel, Charlie & i, together with Kuya Lenner, Kuya Albert & Ate Vanessa cheered on the Toronto Raptors against the Washington Wizards. The Raptors first quarter was terribly low, where they netted only 11 basket-points. But home court advantage and perhaps the Raptors game spirit paid off, as they emerged victorious over the Wizards at the final quarter of the game. Cheers for the Toronto Raptors!

Its nice to be in a live basketball once again after watching my last live game at the Araneta Coliseum featuring Adamson *vs* UST in the UAAP league. That was way back early 1990's. My first basketball live experience was in ULTRA, a PBA game featuring San Miguel Beer *vs* Formula Shell. I was a basketball fanatic during my high school years and i can't imagine that after my interest in watching these ball games faded, my next basketball live experience would be in the NBA. I used to love Boston Celtics when i started watching NBA, then followed Chicago Bulls, but now... obviously, i am for the Raptors! I'm looking forward to watch their games again at the Air Canada Centre, and once again be familiariazed with the players of the NBA league like before.

now, i took the BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TEST
and the results:

The Big Five Personality Test

Extroverted	||||||||||	38%
Introverted	||||||||||||||||	62%
Friendly	||||||||||||||||||	72%
Aggressive	||||||	28%
Orderly	||||||||||||||||	68%
Disorderly	||||||||||	32%
Relaxed	||||||||||||||||	62%
Emotional	||||||||||	38%
Intellectual	||||||||||||||	56%
Practical	||||||||||||	44%

Take Free Big 5 Personality Test

The Big Five is currently the most accepted personality model in the scientific community. The Big Five emerged from the work of multiple independent scientists/researchers starting in the 1950s who using different techniques obtained similar results. Those results were that there are five distinct personality traits/dimensions. Here are your results on each dimension:

Extroversion results were moderately low which suggests you are quiet, unassertive, and aloof.

Friendliness results were high which suggests you are very good natured, trusting, and helpful but possibly too much of a follower

Orderliness results were moderately high which suggests you are organized, reliable, neat, and ambitious but possibly not very spontaneous and fun.

Emotional Stability results were moderately high which suggests you are relaxed, calm, secure, unemotional but possibly too unobservant of your feelings.

Intellectualness results were moderately high which suggests you are creative, original, curious, imaginative but possibly not very practical.

Overall, you scored highest on Friendliness and lowest on Extroversion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

well, so much for the outdoor things...

i have known the following test thru browsing from friend Mariel's LJ:

Conscious self	Overall self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Your results on all types are calculated into two mean scores. Your Vmean is 2.75 and your Hmean is 4.89. Plotting them on the Enneagram map determines your overall mean personality type which is 1w9.

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism |||||||||||||||||| 74% Type 2 Helpfulness |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 3 Ambition |||||| 22% Type 4 Sensitivity |||||||||||| 42% Type 5 Detachment |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 6 Anxiety |||||||||| 34% Type 7 Adventurousness |||||| 30% Type 8 Hostility |||||||||||| 50% Type 9 Calmness |||||||||||||||| 62% Your Conscious-Surface type is 1 Your Unconscious-Overall type is 1w9

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

above 3 Vmean
intellectual
withdrawn
idealistic
alert
progressive
non conforming
future oriented

below 3 Vmean
too instinctual
too attached
too practical
too settled
too conservative
too conforming
too past oriented

sub 5 Hmean
too manipulative
too solicitous
too receptive
too submissive
too self obsessed
too sensitive
too socialistic

above 5 Hmean
too coercive
too antagonistic
too assertive
too domineering
too externally obsessed
too insensitive
too individualistic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the Conscious self & Overall self results are quite accurate. Thanks for it, i am now sure who jon really is.

This date, one year ago
By this time last year, October 31, 2002, i was preparing my papers for employment at Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. Sir Anthony helped me in getting into the new mobile company, which, by that time hasn't launched commercially yet. I was excited to work again after the tedious trip to my sister's new home--- Canada.
By that time, i haven't informed my mom & dad yet that i'll be working again. I want them surprised and probably, i wanted to know how they would react to it, thinking that i am supposed to leave Manila again by March 2003. Probably i will hear some comments like "Bakit ka nagtrabaho eh aalis ka na ulit sa March?" But no. I didn't hear a word against it from them. Maybe they had accepted the fact that i don't wanna leave Manila.

This date, two years ago
By this time two years ago, October 31, 2001 (exactly 1:12pm on my PC clock now), my colleagues and i were busy balancing money in order for us to go home, after the bank declared it halfday since early in the morning. We anticipated it to be a very busy banking day because of the following: It's end of the month, meaning, its payroll time; and second, long holidays await the country and people are mobbing the banks to get money.
Although exhausted, we wear smiles on our faces. Why? October 31, 2001 is a Wednesday. November 01, which is a holiday falls on a Thursday, and Friday is a sandwiched day. So, we get to report only for a day after All Saints Day, and transactions couldn't be that busy since people are mostly still in the provinces by then. I remember going into the supermarket before going home. Funny because, when i was a bank employee, 'twas the job where i complained a lot, and yet, it was the most satisfying job i had with regards to compensation.

oh well... its now 2003. moving on...

its halloween. this is my first time to be out of my home country at this time of the year. it amuses me to realize how people here give that much importance to observe halloween. this modern time, people here observe the popular trick-or-treat where kids get out at night in costumes and knock on doors to collect candies. it might be fun for the kids and they await such practices.
Some houses are decorated with pumpkins, others convert these pumpkins to jack-o-lanterns. Other houses are decorated with spider webs, mummys, and even graves in their yards. The freakier, the better. In light of this event, i would like to post here a brief history of halloween which i got from theholidayspot.com.

to quote:
Behind the name... Halloween, or the Hallow E'en as they call it in Ireland , means All Hallows Eve, or the night before the 'All Hallows', also called 'All Hallowmas', or 'All Saints', or 'All Souls' Day, observed on November 1. In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'sanctify'. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherians used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown. They used to consider it with all solemnity as one of the most significant observances of the Church year. And Catholics, all and sundry, was obliged to attend Mass. The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1. The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
Despite this connection with the Roman Church, the American version of Halloween Day celebration owes its origin to the ancient (pre-Christian) Druidic fire festival called "Samhain", celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Samhain is pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with cow. In Ireland the festival was known as Samhein, or La Samon, the Feast of the Sun.
In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en. In Welsh it's Nos Galen-gaeof (that is, the Night of the Winter Calends. According to the Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Society: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troops (esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned. also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess).
(1) The Scottish Gaelis Dictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Soula. Sam + Fuin = end of summer."
(2) Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "lord of death" as such. Thus most of the customs connected with the Day are remnants of the ancient religious beliefs and rituals, first of the Druids and then transcended amongst the Roman Christians who conquered them.

tricked or treated?