A dream becoming a reality

Last Friday, I got a call from the social worker in-charge of the adoption case of our special child and she said the court's decision is about to be released. Weeks earlier, I also learned about the possibility for our special child to be sponsored in an Elks program in the U.S. Looks like the events are gearing towards the fulfillment of a dream! What's lacking now is the money I will need for us to go to the United States. Before I woke up this morning, I dreamed that a friend just told me a way to get a million dollars. And then this same morning, I read a blog's post titled "Nouveau Riche - dream which become reality".

Wow! Just look at those coincidences! Look what a "Dreams List" can do! I am now encouraging everyone to make a list of your dreams and write about them in detail. Have you read or watched "The Secret"? I've watched it after I've created this blog, so it was not related to this blog's creation, but what "The Secret" was saying is exactly what this blog is doing.

"Nouveau Riche" is "the new rich". Like what Ukion described in his blog, I want to be a "nouveau riche". Not to be a millionaire, but to use the millions to experience or realize the dreams that I believe in.

The fulfilled dream of Charice Pempengco

Once upon a time, a little girl's dream was to sing with Celine Dion. She knew it was an impossible dream, but last September 15, that dream of Charice Pempengco was fulfilled when she was invited as a guest at Celine Dion's concert at the Madison Square Garden! So you can see for yourself, here are videos of that fulfilled dream of Charice with Celine, starting with Part 1. I suggest you view Part 2 after this Part 1 video. I was very touched with these videos, I wonder if others will feel the same.

Fulfilled dreams in Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2

Finally, the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 contest is over. I was right that Laarni will be the "Grand Star Dreamer", but before I tell you why, let me tell you first about my observations for the top four scholars of the season:

Liezel: Her extraordinary talent was evident from the start. She could easily emerge as the winner.

Miguel: During the first gala nights, his flats irritated me, though it was nice to know that he is really a musician because he plays musical instruments as well. The first time he sang a fast song, I must admit I was impressed, but I was thinking that maybe faster or pop songs will fit him better. But from then on, whatever he sang was impressive and showed how greatly he has improved.

Bugoy: He also has an extraordinary talent which was evident from the start just like Liezel. His "Cinderella" story would make him a winner.

Laarni: At first I thought it would be great to recruit her as a soprano in a choir. Before the season ended, I thought she has the potential to be the next Lea Salonga who can perform outstandingly in a Broadway play. But that's only as far as her voice is concerned. I've seen more about her, I've seen her determined hope to change for the better, in all aspects.

Now here's to summarize the people's choice for the Top 3 scholars of the season:

Third: Miguel, the improved musician

Second: Bugoy the talented, whose "Cinderella" story proved appealing to Filipinos.

Grand Star Dreamer: Laarni, not only because of her voice but because of the "hope for change" that she symbolized, in my opinion.

So there you go, maybe the winner is who can best relate to the dreams of the majority of the people. For us Filipinos, we subconsciously dream for "change for the better", even in a singing contest.

A dream product

What can be a dream product? Maybe it is something that can give you sweet dreams. I know that statement sounds corny, but it can be true. The Tiens Dream Bio-Energy Health Mattress has an unusual silent magnetic vibrations that exercise your body while you sleep. This could activate your body’s anti-aging, anti-cancer water molecules, revitalize your kidney functions and blood circulation, also activate your cells, improving their metabolic functions, and balance your automatic nervous system. Also purify your blood, balance its pH, strengthen your immune system, and regulate your body temperature.

How is that possible? There are 380 pieces of 3 different types of stones in Tiens Dream Bio-Energy Health Mattress. These stones are the source of miracle healing power of Tiens Dream:

Germanium is also known as far infra red stone. This is the newly developed FIR Stone. It is produced from a combination of germanium, quartz, feldspar, loess and ceramic. The stone is heated at 1300 degree C using high technology method. After processing, Germanium stone releases higher intensity of F.I.R than other gem stones.

Tourmaline is the highest energy crystal in the world. It has two physical features, namely Pyroelectricity and Plezoelectricity. Pyroelectricity is the condition where Tourmaline carries positive and negative charge under different temperatures. Plezoelectricity is the vertical direction of Tourmaline that meets up two ends and produces negative charge. Such negative charge will be absorbed by molecules in the air and becomes negative ions.

Jade stone is validated as one of the sources of F.I.R. It is widely used in promoting blood circulation, anti-aging, enhancing immunity and relieving fatigue. Besides, examinations showed that jade stone contains lots of important elements such as calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. For thousands of years, jade stone had been used as health accessories by the oriental people. This was recorded in a lot of ancient medical books.

The arrangement of the stones has massaging effect on muscle nerves. It can relieve tiredness, improve air circulation and remove body heat. Its exclusive structure helps improve health while sleeping. For maximum effectiveness, the temperature of the mattress can be regulated by a controller.

Note: The above product was upgraded to this latest model, the Tiens Photon Bio-energy Mattress.

A new dream

I have a new dream, and that is to learn the acupuncture points of the body so I can perform acupressure or acupuncture using the more modern gadgets (electronic acupuncture). I wonder how long it will take me to study those acupoints?

Among the dreams I ever thought of, this seems to be the simplest, but can be a most challenging one because of what it can achieve after I learn. I can save lives, even my own life! Isn't that wonderful?

A dream house and garden

When we are young, we can dream even for the impossible. But when we're at the last decade of our lives, I wonder if we still need to dream for something big. Yes if it's for the benefit of mankind, but if it's just for a material thing, maybe not anymore.



I dream of a house that will fit me when I'm too old, and it will just be a small one but with a big garden. The house I want should be a different one, made of logs, like the one shown in the photo. Surrounding the house should be a garden full of flowers, much better if orchids. The garden of orchids on the photos were taken at The Malagos Garden Resort at Davao in the Philippines. Even just a part of that garden outside my dream house will make me really happy!

Awesome dreams

Funny, but all my activities for the last few days were based on my dreams during my sleep, the night or early morning before. I'm not sure if doing the activity in my dream is the right thing to do, or if there is any explanation to that. It just makes me feel that I have started the activity and just have to continue it as soon as I wake up.

Maybe I should share this awesome experience: Last Sunday, maybe it was already morning when I dreamed that I should be selling a health product that comes in a package of several gadgets, than the single gadget that is already the whole product. I was awaken by a phone call from my father to make a presentation on selling a product since he knew that I was starting to sell health gadgets. The presentation will be for a Toastmasters project where my sister was supposed to present but has no time to prepare and it was just timely that I was selling to my sister and father a health gadget the day before my father called up. I had to be inactive in Toastmasters Club since 2006 because I wanted to study.

The past days after Sunday, my dreams were about the presentation I am developing so that was what I did during the day, so I even blogged about the product, which is an Electronic Acupuncture Healthcare Apparatus, in my other blog. Last night, I dreamed about the background of the calling card for the manufacturer of the product where I am a member. That reminded me that I have to make and print my own calling cards, which I am about to start now.

One dream I had that I will never forget was when I was still developing computer programs and I could not debug my program until I became sleepy and decided to go home, though I was obliged to produce the payslips, the output of the program, before 10 o'clock the following morning. I couldn't believe I would dream about the exact location of the bug in my program, so very early the next day, I was at the office at 6:30 in the morning and was able to debug the program, and print the payslips before 10 o'clock.

A leader sees everything as opportunities

Yesterday, I've attended one of the best leadership trainings I have attended so far. One of the speakers is a missionary, and there was one statement about leaders and his lecture about it stuck in my mind because it was the first time I've heard it. Since I know that there are many others like me dreaming to be an inspirational leader, I might as well share this, in addition to what I've shared in my last post.

The statement was "a leader sees everything as opportunities".

His lecture about it surprised me because he said "everything" includes anything, including problems. Looking at myself now in a problematic state because of financial distress, I could see his point. Because of our financial situation, I am now confronted with a lot of opportunities, and these include the following:

1. To value each cent that I have.
2. To eat just the right amount of food.
3. To travel by car only if absolutely necessary.
4. To be more humble.
5. To be happy even with the smallest things or help that I receive.

The list goes on. No wonder why even the homeless are happy with what they are doing. But of course, we should not stop at just being happy because of those opportunities. Opportunities are there for us to change continuously for the better. Not just to be helped, but also to help. Not just to be loved but also to love... the list goes on again.

To be an inspirational leader

One of the most recent dreams in my mind and is therefore not yet on my list, is to be an inspirational leader. There is a book that tells me how to fulfill such dream and this is "The Heart of a Leader". I enjoy reading this book because each chapter is short and is started with a quote. There is a quote that confused me not only once or twice. It says:

"People of humility don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less."

Every time I read the part that interprets this quote, I'd feel a strong desire to impart it to people but never had the chance, until today. This is the part I'm talking about:

A great rule for doing business today is: Think more about your people, and they will think more of themselves. And don't act like you are perfect. Leaders need to come from behind their curtains of infallibility, power, and control, and let their "very good" side -their humanity- be revealed. Folks like to be around a person who is willing to admit his or her vulnerability, asks for ideas, and can let others be in the spotlight.

I guess the quote and interpretation is a good guide to be the kind of leader I and many others dream to be.

Dream Academy

To be a soprano had been another childhood dream. I can remember regularly watching the "Sunday Sweet Sunday" show of Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, a Filipina soprano, when I was a child. She became my favorite, though I've kept that to myself, as well as the desire to be a soprano myself, maybe because I was very young then, and should go with the trend of singing pop music instead.

So that was what happened. I followed the trend but felt there was something wrong with my singing. At first it was nasal and then it was throaty.


Until the Carpenters became popular and I tried to emulate Karen Carpenter. I guess I was successful but that was with the help of a family friend, Raffy Amaranto, who taught me how to follow the diction of Karen. I still had limited range though, because I could not sing the high notes.

When I gave birth to my eldest daughter, Lauren, we noticed her exceptional talent in Music, and her profound interest to take up Bachelor of Music in college, at the University of the Philippines or UP. She majored in piano and even graduated Cum Laude. That inspired me to take up voice lessons at the extension program of UP's College of Music, for two summers. I learned a few techniques but I still need constant exposure and practice.



I'm glad that there is now a Pinoy Dream Academy that teaches scholars how to develop their voices and that I can watch in TV everyday so I can also learn. It's actually a double treat on weekdays, started by Uberture hosted by Billy Crawford! Pinoy Dream Academy's Headmaster, Ryan Cayabyab, who was one of my daughter's best teachers in UP and someone who doesn't need an introduction if you're a Filipino, Kitchy Molina, UP's Voice Department Head, and Joey Reyes, a popular film director, are the mentors of Pinoy Dream Academy, so the scholars are really very lucky!

I'd like to think I'm becoming a better soprano now, thanks to my son, O.C. and daughter, Lauren, who are persistently monitoring my singing and who are now both members of one of the best choirs in the Philippines, the Novo Concertante Manila, and yes, Pinoy Dream Academy for inspiring me. I want to try singing Mariah Carey's songs but I still like to sing Karen Carpenter's songs, so I'm now trying to practice shifting my voice from chest to head tone and vice versa.