You know you're from Canada when...

(I've italicized/boldened the ones that are personal faves - things that I can attest/relate to.)

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM CANADA WHEN...

You eat maple syrup like it's sugar.

You go down south people ask you if you sleep in igloos or ride dog-sleds to work/school.

You keep Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.

Everything is labeled in English and French.

"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary and more polite than, "Huh?"

You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."

You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed" not "Zee".

You get excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.

You understand the Labatt Blue and Molson Canadian commercials.

You design your Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Canadian Tire on any Saturday is busier than the toy stores at Christmas.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled in with snow.

The local paper covers national and international headlines on 2 pages, but requires 6 pages for hockey.

You know which leaves make good toilet paper (and you know it's not poison ivy).

You find -40C a little chilly.

You know hockey was truly born here.

There's a Tim Horton's at all American/Canada borders... on the Canadian side.

You know the French equivalents of "free", "prize" and "no sugar added", thanks to your extensive education in bilingual cereal packaging.

You can do the hand actions to Sharon, Lois and Bram's "Skin-a-marinki-dinki-do".

You can eat more than one maple sugar candy without feeling nauseous.

You know that a "Premier" isn't a baby born a few months early.

You think -10 C is mild weather.

You know the ingredients for poutine.

You know that the 'Extra Creamy' in Kraft Extra Creamy Dinner is 'add more milk.'

You die a little inside if you can't get your Tim's double-double every morning.

Someone accidently stepped on your foot. You apologize. - (I've done this.)

You pity people who haven't tasted a "beavertail".

You can complete the phrase: "The good old ____ game is the best ____ you can ____."

You find it difficult to explain "milk in a bag" to non-Canadians, and even more difficult to describe the "snippy-thing" used on bag corners. - (I miss my milk in a bag!)

You know what the four seasons means: winter, still winter, almost winter, and road work/construction.

You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan"

You've ever had your tongue frozen to something.

You have more kilometers on your snow blower than your car.

You head south to go to your cottage.

You can play road hockey on skates.

You automatically read 'Z' as 'Zed' and don't give a damn that it doesn't rhyme with "now I know my abcs".

You know what a Mickey and 2-4 mean.

You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays, with good cigars.

You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway

You drive on a highway, not a freeway

You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!

You know what a touque is.

You were/are in grade twelve not twelfth grade.

You actually get these jokes.

The feeling of snow on your bare feet is comforting.

You work in a hockey arena.

You can drive 80 km through a snow drift in the middle of a blizzard without flinching!

You have worn a parka and shorts at the same time.

You know what a parka is.

After skating on a local rink, you can skate all the way to your front door because of the mass amounts of snow and ice on roads.

Someone calls your house and it’s the wrong number, YOU apologize for NOT being the person they ask for.

We can bring duotangs to school because we have them.

You get mad at the people on American television for complaining its -1 outside.

You laugh when Americans think Canada is overseas. (Didn't Britney Spears say this?)

You measure distance in hours

You are proud to pour ketchup on anything. (and gravy, vinegar, salt & pepper)

You are hosting the 2010 OLYMPICS in Vancouver!

You have to fly to the airport to fly out of the country.

You know what beavertails are REALLY made of.

You know how to spell FAVOURITE, COLOUR...etc. (I still do this to this day, cannot get rid of it. It just doesn't feel right spelling these words any other way! LOL)

You start to watch a show because there is a Canadian actor in it. (This also applies to British actors.)

You HONOUR your country with proper spelling.

You say poutine the right way. (Yum! I should really make some.)

You know that snowshoes aren't tennis rackets.

My NKOTB Rendezvous.

Since I wrote about my night with Boyz II Men, naturally, I have to write about my rendezvous with New Kids on the Block. Just as I was a huge fan of Boyz II Men back in the "way back machine" (Sherry, I'm lovin' that term!), I was also a huge fan of the New Kids on the Block (or "The Block" as they'd like to be called these day). I was the typical teeny-bopper fan in the sense that I had the tapes, and the pull-out posters from the teen mags such as Bop!, Big-Bopper, 16, etc... I actually just found a picture of myself, circa 1991, holding up one of those pull-out posters of NKOTB and posing for the camera! LOL

New Kids on the Block Reunion Concert - Nokia Theatre L.A. Live!, Los Angeles, CA (November 26th, 2008)

Thanks to my friend (and fellow Rockapella fan), Sherry, April and I got tickets to see New Kids on the Block for their reunion tour. She purchased the tickets around August, so we had a two-month wait.

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008: The concert that I'd been waiting for finally came and went... And it went by too fast! It was blur! Blink and you would've missed it. At least, it felt that way to me. There were so many things going on, I barely had time to soak it in. Next thing I knew, it was all over.

Pictures and videos, of course, were top priority that night. My arms were cramping from holding up my camera to take pictures and videos throughout the entire concert. I made it a point to take a video of "If You Go Away" in its entirety, as it is my favourite NKOTB song. I sang along with Jordan Knight in the chorus, and tried to harmonize at certain parts (I'm such a nut! LOL). What made it more special for me that night was that I could totally hear Jonathan Knight (my fave NK) singing the melody an octave lower during the chorus. The classics were a blast, "The Right Stuff", "Valentine Girl", "I'll Be Loving You Forever", "Please Don't Go Girl", "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step"! Hearing the crowd sing (more like screaming) every word at the top of their lungs was quite an experience.

Then the section where Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan and Joe McIntyre did their solo spots came and I almost died when I saw Jordan sing "Baby, I Believe in You". I mean, who didn't, really? LOL And I danced along to "Give it to You". My jaw dropped to the floor when Donnie picked up a guitar and started to play the opening riff to "Cover Girl". I wish he'd done it longer though. I love it when people get to show off their other musical talents, besides singing, of course. Donnie, I was ALMOST impressed. LOL If only he'd played longer.

I must say, Jonathan was a rare bird. I had a hard time capturing a picture of him because he's rarely in the forefront. The few times he was shown on the big screen, I was too slow to take a picture, because it was so unexpected! He did have his moment in the spotlight when Joe mentioned to the crowd that it was his birthday and asked the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. If it weren't for that moment, I wouldn't have had an up-close picture of Jon (thanks, Joe!).

I was deaf by the end of the night what with all the high-pitched screaming around me, but it was completely worth it! If only it hadn't gone by so fast! They just added a show in L.A. for their Spring tour this year. I may just go one more time. ;)

After they'd sung the final song and the house-lights came on, April and I looked at each other with a hint of sadness in our eyes, and we both said, 'it's over." I was so glad that I got to share that night with her, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

My night with Boyz II Men.

It's been almost 3 weeks since I saw Boyz II Men, I can't believe I haven't written about my experience! To think that it was quite an historic occasion for me, being that, I was the biggest Boyz II Men fan back in the "way back" machine (thanks, Sherry!)! My best friend, Rizza, and I obsessed over them endlessly, we pretended that we were dating two of the guys. LOL That's how crazy we were! My friends knew how huge of a fan I was that, when they threw my parents and I a going-away party (we were moving from Toronto to Los Angeles), they bought me a button-up shirt that looked very similar to the ones they were wearing in the video "End of the Road" (yes, the brown plaid ones). But despite my claim of being their biggest fan, I had never seen them live, in concert until now. It took almost 17 years for me to actually see them in concert, and that moment happened on January 14, 2009, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. My dear friend, Vanessa, accompanied me to the concert even though she was not a Boyz II Men fan like myself (she liked their songs, but never really followed them).

After a semi-OK opening act, Jupiter Rising (no offense, the music was good, just not my cup of tea), the Boyz took the stage. Boy, it brought back so many memories! They opened with "Motownphilly", then after a couple of new songs (which signaled to me that they may be coming out with a new CD with new songs), they sang "On Bended Knee" and I almost cried! LOL Mostly for sentimental reasons. I absolutely love that song. It was a monster hit. The whole concert was like a huge sing-along! Everyone was singing the words, at the top of our lungs (I tried to harmonize in some songs), it was quite an experience! I did get very teary when they sang "A Song for Mama" and asked the crowd to take out their cellphones, call their mothers and hold it up so they can hear the Boyz sing the song on the other end of the line. I called my mom, but couldn't hear her on the other end, so I just told her not to hang up and listen to the song. LOL I know, silly me. Hey, but I wanted my mom to somehow share that moment with me. Later on, when I got home, I asked her if she heard the song, she said she barely heard it because it was so loud! LOL Poor mom. So, I just started singing the song to her. :)

Everything was such a blur, next thing I knew it was all over! Vanessa told me that she enjoyed watching me more than she enjoyed the concert. I'm really glad she came along and indulged me. ;) I really wish I had shared it with Rizza. She went to her first Boyz II Men without me (I had already moved to L.A.), so we didn't get to share that as well. I wish I had my camera with me so I could take pictures. I didn't know that they allowed cameras at the HOB (from many previous times I've gone to concerts at the HOB, they have a no-camera/video policy), but for some reason, they made an exception for this concert. I tried taking pictures and videos with my cellphone, but they didn't turn out well. Oh well. There's always next time. ;)

the inevitable.

As I was getting ready for church yesterday morning, I discovered, I suppose, the inevitable - GRAY HAIR. Not just one, but quite a few. I'm still in denial, so I'll just chalk it up to stress. Who am I kidding?! I'm not-so-young anymore. *gulps* This means that I will be buying hair dye to cover up, and not just for style anymore. Oy! Eh, what are you gonna do? LOL

When I think about it, there's actually a bright spot to this. I've always liked Stacy London's (What Not to Wear) hair. It's all black, with a streak of white at the front. Hmm... the possibilities.

Gray. hair. WOW. LOL

I want one!

I saw one of my co-workers with his new HP Netbook and now, I want one! This one is Acer’s version, but my co-worker says that it’s comparable. It’s about 8.9″ with a 120 GB hard drive. Only catch is that I’d have to get an external dvd/cd-rom hard drive. But Bestbuy is selling one for $99! I would love to get this for my birthday (hint, hint)! If I get one, I wouldn’t have to carry around my 15″ laptop! This one is so small, I can actually put it in my purse and carry it everywhere!

Here’s the dvd/cd-rom that I was referring to:

So pretty!

Puzzling...

I stumbled upon a blog of a man who says he’s a former Christian, but is now an unbeliever and a skeptic. After reading some of his entries, I wonder if he was ever a Christian, in the truest sense of the word. What I mean is, someone who took the step of faith to repent of their sins, accept Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour, and has the Holy Spirit living him/her, and live by Jesus’ teachings in the His word, the Bible.

The word “Christian” has become so generic, that people most often use it to categorize someone or something that is one of the following: non-atheist, non-Buddhist, non-Confuscionist, and so on. A lot of people consider themselves “Christian” if they were either born into a Christian family and/or grew up in a Christian church, and have followed the Christian values and ways all their life, and that’s all they’ve known. But do they really understand what a Christian is, and what becoming one entails? It’s so easy to take on the role of a Christian, especially if that’s all you’ve ever known - being born into it, growing up with it, surrounded by it. You can talk-the-talk, use the “cliches”, be involved in ministry, etc, etc. But I wonder what his conversion experience was like, if he ever had one? Let me point out that this man (the former Christian blogger) said that he’d been a Christian for 10 years, but now he’s a skeptic and an unbeliever? I truly believe that once you’ve encountered Jesus, and when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will never, ever be the same. THAT IS, if your conversion was ever real and true. I pray for this man, that God will open His eyes to the truth and really have a true encounter with the Saviour.

Counting sheep...

Still up, trying to fall asleep. I'm watching some TV hoping it will speed up the process (it works for me, sometimes). "The Fresh Prince" is on right now. I love Will Smith. :)

OK, my eyelids are getting heavy, and it's almost 2am. I really should be sleeping.

Slow day.

It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today. I hope that everyone enjoyed their break today, since I didn’t get one at all! All day long I’ve been getting calls here at work asking if we’re having classes today. Other than that, it’s been quite an uneventful day.

I’m currently chatting with my friend, Vanessa, who just got home from taking her precious cat, Maddie May, to the vet. Her brother (Vanessa’s, not Maddie’s) Given told me that the cat hasn’t been eating all day and is having diarrhea! They took her to the vet as soon as Vanessa got home from work. The vet told them that there’s a possibility that she needs to get admitted for some x-rays and observation. Thankfully, it didn’t have to come to that. She is now telling me that the cat has a cold! But guess what, she had to pay $66 for the consultation/check-up and anti-biotics. $66 for a cold? How much do we usually pay for a cold medicine, Nyquil or Sudafed? $8 or $10 max? I told her that her cat is very high-maintenance. And she agrees.

The clock is slowly ticking away. I want it to be 8pm already! I want to go home! Well, actually, I want to go to Walmart and buy an HP Deskjet printer, copier and scanner for $29. Yes! $29! Only catch is that it doesn’t come with its own USB cable. But you can purchase one for about $8. I’m excited! And I get to use the Walmart gift-card I got for Christmas! I need one mostly for church stuff. I can’t use the copier at work anymore for my mass copying-spree.

This past week, I had to have all of my brakes and brake-pads replaced because I didn’t realize I’ve already ran it to the ground. Yeah, I know… So, I’ve finally gotten them replaced (all 4 brakes), which cost me an arm and a leg, but I had no choice, it was a necessary expense. The bright spot is that my car doesn’t make that weird, scratching-the-metal sound anymore. I vowed to myself to get my car checked more often. I’m so bad at it! Up next, an oil change. I’d have to agree with my cousin Joyce when she said, “serves you right.” LOL

Transitions: My first post for 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I can’t believe I haven’t posted since the year started. It just so happened that things were quite hectic for the past 3 weeks. I know that a new year means new beginnings, but it also brings endings. The past 3 weeks saw 4 family friends that have gone home to be with Jesus. Our beloved deacon, and father to my dear friends, Babie and Cathy, Uncle Boy Paalam, passed away the week before the new year. Then, this past weekend, we said goodbye to the mom of my friends, Reushann and Kurtz, Tita (Auntie) Joyce Ison, who left us this past Tuesday. Last Thursday, I received a call from my friend, Ate Ruth (Diamsay) Dignadice, informing me that her father, Pastor Rudy Diamsay, passed away that morning. And yesterday morning, I received an e-mail from my college friend, Kristine (Cunanan), informing me that her mother, Tita Lydia Cunanan, passed away last Friday. What a way to start off the new year, you would think. But God always has a plan and a purpose of everything. In the book of Ecclesiastes, it states that there is a season to everything, a time to be born and a time to die (I’m paraphrasing, of course). We know this and we understand this. And what I saw was that all the families of these saints that went home to be with the Lord were prepared and are at peace with everything that happened. They know that their parents are no longer suffering from the illnesses that ravaged their earthly bodies, and that they are now in the presence of their Saviour, Jesus Christ. I know what they have gone through and are still about to go through because I have gone through it myself, almost 8 years ago, when my dad went home, permanently. Despite the fact that we are sad that we will not be with them here on earth, we rejoice in the fact, the truth actually, that we will see them again when we are all reunited in heaven! This hope can only be found in having Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you, Jesus! Let’s keep praying for my friends as they go through the “grieving” process (we are human, we still feel the loss). It gets easier as the years go on, but it takes a while. Let’s pray that the God of all comfort will minister to them in the coming days, months, years.

It has been quite the transition for me, personally, as well from 2008 to 2009. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I became the Music Director of Olive Christian Church, a position that was once filled by my dad. For those of who don’t know, my dad was a church music director for the majority of his life. He served at our church in the Philippines (Pasay Baptist Church) for 20 years before we migrated to Canada. In Toronto, he became the music director there as well, for 5 years. We then moved to the United States, where my dad served as choir director at First Southern Baptist Church in Pasadena, CA for a few months and then became Olive’s music director from 1997 until his death in 2001. You would think it was just inevitable for me to step into his shoes. But, actually, I never really thought that I would be a Music Director at a church. When I decided to major in Music Education in college (Biola University!), I wanted to be a performer. I wanted to be on stage, singing, performing. Becoming a Music Director at a church was probably the last option. Fast-forward almost 11 years later, here I am! LOL When I first started, I was a bit apprehensive. There were so many things that are going through my head. And to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with some of the reactions I received when I shared to people the news. But ultimately, I know that God called me, so He’s the only one that I’m doing this for. He will bring people who will partner with me in this ministry, so now I’m not worried. And I see how God’s working right now, and I’m very encouraged! So, continue to pray for me, and for the Music Ministry, that God will use it to be the “shot-in-the-arm” our church needs, a revival so-to-speak.

Well, I think I’ll end this here. I should be getting as much sleep as I can. I’m still recovering from the flu that hit me this weekend. I didn’t really make any resolutions for 2009, but I suppose sleeping early should be on top of my list. My sleeping patterns are just out of whack! No wonder I get sick so easily! Anyway, I’m off to bed. Good night!