after 7 long months of hiatus, here i am again.... don't ask me why i suddenly vanished off the loop. it's complicated yet a decisive choice made.
i'm back and healthier in mind and spirits!
miss the blogworld! and i miss my blog friends as well!
This is Burlington's Central Park playground -- well, at least a part of it! I took this shot amidst the chilly, foggy afternoon taking advantage of a kidless opportunity! My daughters were in the library and no one was playing in the park.
Happy Ruby Tuesday everyone!
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It has been a while -- in fact, it has been a long, long while since the four of us spent a good deal of time during weekends. My wife doesn't work weekends anymore so the kids and I are happy because we can tag her along to our weekend escapades!
This weekend has given me a very timely reflection. Something I ought to have known a long time ago. Well, I must admit that this reality has always been upon my shoulder but never really went through to sink into my heart.
We have never forgotten nor have questioned our faiths. My wife & I aren't actually deeply religious. Well, we're not actually religious, at all! But we are strong in our faith. Even if we are able to attend Mass just last Sunday for the first time after a year and two months here! Yes, contrary to what it seems. For some reasons, we are not really "Sunday Catholics" and attending Mass has never really a practice for us much so an obligation. Even back in the Philippines, we don't attend Mass every Sunday but, yes, we do attend more often. And for one, we visit and pray in the Church with the kids more often than attending Mass on Sundays.
Last Sunday was our first ever Mass attendance. Although we visit and pray inside the Church as often as we can, we have never actually convinced ourselves to attending Mass until recently. Well, actually, we could have attended our first Mass the other Sunday but it was so funny because we didn't realize that the time setting has already adjusted so we were in the Church an hour or so before the Mass started! And we thought that there was no more Mass already!
Last Sunday, all of us were excited. The kids most especially. JC, our eldest, has always been reminding us for the longest time already about going to Mass and she always has these stories of her memories of us going to the Mass in the Philippines. MJ, our youngest, of course, does not remember a thing but surprisingly, she was just as excited!
We attended the 8:00AM Mass at the St. Gabriel Catholic Church. And for the first time, the kids were extremely, surprisingly behaved & quiet in the Church! I was so happy seeing my children holding hands and singing hymns. I was so excited seeing them both holding their own Mass Booklet. I was holding my tears for the joyfulness inside me. My wife & I held hands all the time...
Faith is always relieved and strengthened by attending Mass. It makes us feel closer to Him and closer to our fellow believers as well. It makes us feel more part of the Ecumenical community whom we share our faith with. I don't know but last Sunday's experience has somehow made us realize how much we miss celebrating Mass on Sundays. It was just a great feeling!
Shot through the glass of Angela Coughlan play area after the kids' swimming class last Saturday.
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sometime 2 weeks ago, i applied, interviewed and got an offer for a new job with Bell Canada distributions division, the largest telecommunications conglomerate in the world. i have been dying to get back to sales, ads and marketing since we got here in canada.
during the final interview, i've discussed and negotiated my work schedule giving priority, of course, to meeting my chores with the kids. the regional manager told me that it can be worked out and that she'll send me an email of the schedules the following day. she even mentioned that they were flexible because they employ part timers, too. i was clear on stressing that i could only work from 9am to 5pm, straight weekdays and can even work up to nights on weekends. i was offered the job and was requested if i could start nov. 5. i said i can. i was so grateful. much more excited!
i waited for her email then it finally came just last monday. more than a week after. and to my surprise, the schedules given to me were broken shifts and totally unworkable. 2 different shifts which were all in conflict with the schedule i negotiated which she said was workable. i emailed her back and asked how come the schedule was like that. i reiterated our previous discussion about my schedule availability. to my surprise, she shot back saying that she thinks that there was no misunderstanding with the schedule and that there were no prearrangements. she stressed out that the schedules were fixed and could not be adjusted. wow, she had amnesia all of a sudden!
i was so disappointed but i emailed her a very short but polite response thanking her of the opportunity and that it was so unfortunate that the schedules seemed to have not complemented. i even apologized if i caused her schedule forecasts some readjustments.
she did not response.
good thing i only filed for a vacation leave.
maybe the Lord has some other plans for me. for one, i know that He wants me to prioritize the kids. second, it's a blessing in disguise because i certainly know i cannot work with an incompetent boss.
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