Have You Ever Called Your Lover By Your Ex's Name?

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Well, Su Jin did. Even worse, after saying, "I love you."

Su Jin got Alzheimer's disease.

Upon realizing that she had called her husband by her ex's name, Su Jin couldn't help it but cry uncontrollably. Few moments later, Chul Soo found their house empty and Su Jin gone. She had left a letter for him.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
I never meant to break your heart.
God, what have I done?
Are you crying now?
I didn’t want to see you crying or in pain.
I wanted to make you happy.
But all I’ve done is put you in agony.
Chul-soo! Oh my love Chul-soo.
Don’t get me wrong.
I only love you and only you.
I only think of you. I only remember you.
How badly do I wish to show you my heart!
Is there any way I can do that while my memory remains?
Oh, how my heart races.
I, Kim Su-jin love you Choi Chul-soo, only.
I don’t want to forget that. And I must not.
Can you see that? Can you feel my heart?
I’m afraid my just-returned memory will leave me again….
Before I can tell you everything I have to say
I love you. And I’m sorry.
I met you because I was forgetful.
I’m leaving you because I’m forgetful.
You were the best thing that ever happened to me.
How thankful I am to God for having sent you as a gift to me.
I don’t have to remember you. You’re a part of me.
I smile, laugh, and smell like you do.
I might forget you but nothing can drive you out of my body.
Although you’ve never told me you loved me, I know deep in my heart that you love me.
Forgive me for leaving you.

I was sobbing while watching Chul Soo read this letter! This is one of my favorite parts of the movie.

If you were Chul Soo, what would you do? He stayed by her wife's side despite her progressing memory loss. With his wife in front of him and she staring at him like a total stranger, he couldn't help it but hide his tears by putting on his shades.

You better see A Moment to Remember -- my favorite Korean movie so far. ^^,

Hangul

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Hangul is the name of Korean alphabet.

It all started three years ago when I had to teach Korean students for the first time.

Full House, a Korean comedy drama, was popular in the Philippines that time. There was this part in the drama where the lead actress sang "The Three Bears Song". In Tagalog, it goes something like this:


May tatlong bear sa loob ng isang bahay
(There are three bears in a house.)

Si Papa Bear, si Mama Bear, si Baby Bear
(Father Bear, Mother Bear and Baby Bear)

Si Papa Bear ay malakas
(Father Bear is strong.)

Si Mama Bear ay maganda
(Mother Bear is pretty.)

Si Baby Bear ay napakaliksi
(Baby Bear is lively.)

Tingnan nyo, tingnan nyo
(Look at them. Look at them.)

Ang saya-saya!
(How fun they are!)


Jenny, one of my first Korean students, taught me the Korean version of this song. Since then, I have been enjoying singing it in Korean.


kom sema-ri-ga

han chi-be-yi-so

appa gom, omma gom, ae-gi gom

appa gommun tung-tung-hae

omma gommun nal-shin-hae

ae-gi gommun na bul-gwi-yo-wo

hishuk hishuk cha-rhan-da

CCM is also known as Contemporary Christian Music. It is nice to know that Hanna (also one of my former Korean students) is a Christian. Sometimes, between lessons, we would sing a CCM together -- she singing in Korean while me singing in English. Isn't it wonderful?

As of the moment, I am into Phone English. Meaning, I am not teaching Koreans face-to-face any more. Rather, the class is being done over the phone.

Even though my students are miles apart from me, special connection springs up between me and some of them. These "some" students are the ones who would willingly and gladly share anything about them and their country. They are the ones who would talk to me not only as a teacher but also as a friend.

Little by little I familiarize myself with and got interested in Korean culture. And, I decided to study Hangul as time passed by.

Of course, just like any other, learning a foreign language is never easy. As logoi.com puts it...

Therefore the secret rules of learning foreign languages is time, persistence and hard work. Motivation is perhaps the best trick to get you going but you will simply need to bite the bullet and keep going once your motivation runs out.

Time, persistence and hard work with a dash of fun and love on what I do would help me make it. Aja!

Aissa

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You used to be a Mama's girl and a spoiled baby.
And I used to wonder what may happen to you if one of us in the family would be gone.
Then it happened. Ma and Pa had left us too soon.
Amazingly, the pampered baby is now growing as a lady.

You used to wail whenever Ma and Pa goes to work.
But now Ate, Kuya and I can leave you alone and be assured that you can take care of our home.

You used to be bullied in school.
Not any more.
Your classmates now understand you more since they also have needs as same as yours.
They even see you as their older sister.
You even told us that you've been chosen as a leader.

You were such a bubbly, delicate, sweet, loving little sister.
Well, you still are.

You still get scolded by us from time to time.
And it always seems that you never take them to heart for so long.
You are always the forgiving and sweet you.

One time, as I was lying in bed feeling depressed and all, I never expected you to be saying these words:
"Ate, okay ka lang? Kung may problema ka, sabihin mo lang sa akin, ha?"
(Sis, are you all right? If you have any problem, just tell me, ok?)
I would never ever forget those words.

You may have more limitations than your peers.
You may act and look half your age.
It's a challenge.
It's a struggle.
But it's also a gift.
You are one of a kind.

We love you!

Time Doesn't Wait For Me

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25 years old soon to be 26. That is my age. And until now, I still don't know who or what I want to be. Yeah. I think I got stuck being a teen.

Oh, good Lord, give me vision.

Shoot Me! (16 to 20 of 52)

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Hello, my dear Shoot Mates! It has been a while! You may not notice it but I had been out of the scene for six weeks! Yeah, six weeks! Argh! (>_<) A lot of things came up. First, the Internet connection at home had gone bonkers for quite some time. Next, I had to finish 27 monthly evaluations, that is, narrative evaluations for each of my Korean students, before this month ends. Thanks God I am already finished doing them all. No reason to cram! Yehey! Lastly, housekeeping is now part of my routine. Hey, it doesn't mean that I haven't been doing any household chore before. It is just that I have to do more stuff. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. I feel privileged for being able to work more around the house actually. (^^,) So, there you go. My apologies.

By the way, thanks to Carin for still welcoming not-so-updated Shooters like me no matter what.

6 weeks = 6 Shoot Me posts. But, for now, I would only be sharing five. I'll be needing to post two entries next week to make it up to the six weeks I missed.

And now, without further ado, it's time to Shoot!

(1)
June 25: farewell party @ Madison Square (Mandaluyong City) before the teams reshuffle

teachers gael, sandy, aliyah and me

(2)
June 27: after dinner @ McDonalds (Victory Mall Caloocan Branch) with my sisters and brother-in-law

Hanna Montana wanna-be? :P

(3)
July 9: @ BANCHETTO "Weekend Overnight Street Food Fiesta" in Ortigas with my colleagues

teacher selle and i

(4)
July 16: me and two of my friends/colleagues during our own comical and out-of-nowhere photo shoots @ the office building after work

me, teacher candy and, yup, teacher selle ^^,

(5)
July 17: @ Crystaland Resort (Malabon City) during an overnight swimming. NSO employees including my eldest sister and brother-in-law deserved a break after more than a month of census services. My youngest sister and I weren't actually part of the team. It was all because of their kind boss who told us to also go swimming with them that we got to join fun.

the morena me

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Shoot Me! It's time to post a picture of YOU (yes, you) every Thursday with your child, your spouse, your friend, your dog, or even by yourself. Just get in the picture, you'll be glad you did! And, just jump in now with 1 of 52. You can do it! - Carin at Forever In Blue Jeans

Wanna link your own Shoot Me post? Oh, please do! Just type and add your link to MckLinkly (just below Carin's post) and then visit other Shoot Me posts from our fellow bloggers by clicking their names in the list. Make sure to leave some love, too! Comments! Comments! Comments! Who doesn't love comments? \(^^)/

Lesson From The Laundry

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Fruits Basket is one of my favorite mangas. One of the lessons it gave me was the "Laundry Analogy." I finished reading the manga already months ago so I couldn't exactly remember in which chapter I found the analogy.

Thanks to nightmaren for having the same post and for promptly letting me know the chapter and page I was looking for. Here is his version:

Imagine if you were a maid and it was your duty to do the laundry. Now imagine that somehow you were out in the middle of nowhere, with just a laundry tub and clothesline with mountains of clothes to be washed. Mountains of clothes surround you, and there are so many that clothes are even at your feet. You imagine how daunting a task it is and you stand there in amazement if such a job could ever be done. The more you think about it, the more panicked you become, you become more and more overwhelmed by the task at hand…

However, all this time, the laundry is still sitting there. The more you think about all of these things, the more time keeps passing by, with no progress at all. If you were to start at the clothes at your feet, and keep washing, sure enough, you will finish your work. Once the clothes are all hung out to dry, you can look back on what you have just done, and reflect on how much you can accomplish.

And here is where it all came from. Shigure gave Tohru this advice when Tohru seemed overwhelmed of everything that has happened and is happening to her.

Fruits Basket Chapter 46 pages 28-30.
(NOTE: This manga is read from RIGHT to LEFT. )

When Wound Amazes Me

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Don't get me wrong. I am not a masochist!

It wasn't my first time to fry fish. I am not an expert in frying neither. To cut the long story short, I got seared while frying an uncooperative milk fish. This is the worst sear I got so far from cooking. It left four scars on my right hand and another one on my forearm. Not really a good sight.

Where is the amazing part? It is just that human anatomy amuses me. It holds my attention whenever I stare at my scars and see differences each day as they get healed. Isn't God wise for creating our body as it is?




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