The Traffic Sign

This is my 2nd speech entitled THE TRAFFIC SIGN, delivered last November 10, 2009. The Lenten break is really a good time to reflect and organize, that I am able to post the speeches I had from our Toastmasters...


A sign comes in different colors, shapes and sizes. A sign with symbols in round, square or triangular shape has their own meaning. For everybody’s appreciation, I will talk about a very common sign that we get to see in our day-to-day life, a sign that puts order on the roads we go through, and that is the Traffic Sign. I will not be a traffic officer or a reporter that will give points on how to avoid a terrible traffic. My speech for tonight will give you a different perspective for a traffic sign.
Let me start by envisioning yourself in a car you are to drive. You start your engine and travel to a certain destination. Upon reaching the main road out from your house, you came to an intersection together with the other vehicles trying to get on their way. There you see this traffic sign in a corner. Now, what colors do you see in a sign? There’s green, orange and red. These colors have their own meanings. In a traffic light, green means go, orange means pause and red means stop. Otherwise, without these traffic signs, the roads will be chaotic.
Let me correlate the importance of traffic signs to the ride of life we have. Most of the time, we would always want to be on the go, the green light. We are always rushing, trying to beat deadlines, grab opportunities, speak yourself up, be on the right track and be the first to reach your goal. We do not want to be interrupted with pauses, the orange light, because for us, we know this causes delay in what we are doing. Yet, we have to realize the importance of the other two signs, the orange and red light.
The orange light, means pause, yes it is a pause and not to speed up your car for the red light is about to appear. I used to do that from time to time. A pause is very important in our lives, for it gives us time to think. It is a way to re-align your goals to where you are really heading to. Orange light or a pause does not cause delay for it only gives us time to better decide on which path to go. An example is when you are confused before coming up with a decision. Try to take a break, a pause which the orange light reminds us, take a breather. This helps us to clear our mind and weigh the circumstances accordingly.
Finally, the red light which means to stop. Why do we have to stop? In a road, a stop gives way for others to go. For in an open intersection and all vehicles coming from opposite directions goes for the green light, all of them will definitely crash, paying for their lives. Same as in a relationship, you have to stop to give way for the other, and know when to stop if it is no longer right.
I hope this little sharing of my perspective gave you some things to ponder. We should always notice the signs around us to better appreciate and live the life we have. We may be going through our own hustles and bustles when we go for the green light but always remember when we have to pause for the orange light and when to stop for the red light.

BIGGEST LOOSER

Sharing with you my 5th speech for our Toastmasters session last March 17, 2010 entitled The Biggest Looser...

What do this sign mean to you? For kids, they’ll say it’s a gun. For politicians, they’ll say it’s a sign of Cory Aquino. For others, this is a sign of Looser, especially if they place it on top of their foreheads. Yes, I want to be a Looser, a looser in a way that I will no longer have flabby thighs, bulging belly, double chin and other problematic body parts. I want to loose weight. Why is this important to me? Because I love myself and I am vain of my looks. Being part of the sales team, it’s a must to be pleasant and presentable. Otherwise, clients will not entertain you and give you projects. Another reason is for me to fit in any clothes I wished to wear. And lastly, for healthy reasons, I don’t want to die due to fat related problems.

This has been a goal long time ago and ever since I did not loose weight. This frustration, made me decide to enroll myself to the gym last December 2008. They say that in few months time with the proper diet and exercise, you will definitely see results in 2 months. The first few months are okay because I have been diligent on my diet and exercise. But in the middle of the year, I missed my gym sessions and with the holidays approaching, I lost track of my diet.

To continue with this frustration, last week, the gym’s account manager called me and asked when am I going back? With my goal in mind to loose weight, I went back last Saturday and found out that I gained 7lbs from the first time I started going to the gym. From 127lbs I am now 135lbs. I am 5’2 in height and my ideal weight is only 110lbs. Imagine that I need to loose 25lbs. That’s a big number for me. Now, I am back to start and have not reached the finished line of the weight lost track.

I went back to the thread mill and jogged for 30 minutes. I used the machines carried the dumbbells. But the most difficult part here is the floor exercise, the crunches. For me, doing this will require a lot of will power and determination to have a 6 pack abs. So imagine me in the floor, taking a deep breath as you pull yourself up and exhale as you lie down. I have to do variations of crunches for 360 repetitions. After a stress busting work out, I felt quite different. I felt more energetic with my adrenalins at high but the following day, all my body muscles are aching, that I can hardly take a step. Despite of the body ache, I thought that this is a good sign because it means that my work out is taking effect. I went back the following day and the other day with my motivation in mind that I will succeed in loosing weight. I just have to make time for it even if you have a hectic schedule. I conditioned myself to be in the in the gym every Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesdays for the Hip Hop Aero dance, Thursdays for the Belly dancing, and Saturdays and Sundays for the machines. Of course diet is part of the routine, drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, a complete and nutritious meal with a lot of fruits and vegetables, small servings of meat and a cup of rice twice a day only. I also moderated my cravings for sweet foods, instead of having it after every meal I only have it once a day either breakfast or lunch.

With all these activities done, there is no doubt that I can be a biggest looser in due time. I agree with the saying “No Pain, No Gain!” and “No Guts, No Glory!” I really have to dedicate time, effort and the will power to achieve this. I have to be consistent, diligent and most of all determined to be totally fit. And hopefully someday, I will be one of the biggest looser around.

Food for the Thoughts

Food is the most primitive form comfort.  If you remember, we have 3 basic needs, food, clothing & shelter.  And the biggest need that we have is food.  My speech for tonight will not be about inspiring quotes, as the title goes Food for the Thoughts.  Instead, I will talk about one of my secrets to be happy in this fast phased environment that we live in, my comfort foods.  I am not a cook but I know what tastes good.  I can share with you all of my favorite foods but I only picked the top 3 munchies I usually crave for specially at times when I don’t feel good.  These are the times when I feel overworked, tired, emotionally high or simply about to have my monthly period.

To begin with, for my appetizer, I love to have Kuchay Dumplings.  Kuchay Dumplings is a foul flavorful food I tasted in Causeway, one of the Chinese restaurants that serve this kind of dimsum.  Kuchay in English is the Chinese Garlic chives.  It is similar to a grass with buds at the edge.  It is chopped and wrapped in a dimsum wrapper.  Most Chinese restaurants add pork balls and shrimp to make if tastier. What I like in Causeway’s Kuchay dumplings is its purely kutchay, no other ingredients, and since it’s a vegetable dish, I don’t worry for my diet.  I can eat 9-12 pieces in one meal.

For my Main Course, I go for a bowl of a steaming hot Goto paired with Pork & Tofu.  Others don’t like it because they only take Goto when they are sick. Congee is their Chinese version of Goto.  I like the savory smell of garlic bits, onion chives, Chicharon bits, ox tripe and the egg.  My Goto meal will not be complete without the pork and tofu.  The pork and tofu may be a simple dish since this is only fried but what makes it special is the mixture of condiments.  The sauce is made of suka, toyo, diced onions and a pinch of sugar.  This meal great specially when served hot and its raining.

Before I give my finale, I have seen this quote from a pastry shop in Mall of Asia.  And it says, Stressed when spelled backwards is Desserts.  Coincidence?  I think not.  I guess, whenever we are stressed and we get a delectable dessert, the high sugar intake from the chocolates and other ingredients triggers the happy hormones, making us hyper active.  For Desserts, I go for a slice of Torta delos Reyes cake from Aristocrat.    My friend and I will really go to any Aristocrat bakeshop just to have a taste of this cake.  It is a very rich chocolate-coated cake with the insides similar to a Silvanas and it melts in your mouth like M&M chocolates.  Whenever I have a bite of this cake, I really close my eyes and feel its rich and sweet taste.  For me, this is one of the best tasting cakes I had.

Well I hope I gave you delight with this simple sharing that I have with a few of my favorite things - The Kuchay Dumplings, Goto with Tokwa’t Baboy and Torta Delos Reyes.  It never fails me to feel better and go home with a smile in my face.  With that let me leave you a quote from The Barefoot  Contessa’s Cookbook, “Food is not about impressing people.  It’s about making them feel comfortable”.  Good Evening.

Cherish the Moment

Every day down to the tiniest second must be a valued time shared with your loved ones.  I am saying this because you will never know how long each moment will last.  There is no guarantee that the persons around you will stay forever.  The moment may not be happy at all times but the fact that they are with you, there is still a chance to spend the days better.  And each time spent will be part of a treasured memory that will be kept forever.

Being the eldest in the family, I have always been fond of my siblings.  After 28 years since I was born, I never thought that my siblings will be married and start a family.  Two of them are already planning to settle a life with their special loved ones.  Of course I am happy for them.  It was just ironic that they are getting into married life while I am getting out of it.  I am just saddened that they will no longer be with us at all times.  Surely they will be missed.  I told myself that this will not mean a loss but will be a bigger family circle. 

This is an eye opener for me, specially for my baby.  I will surely spend each moment with her and see to it that I am present in every  highlights of her life.  

 

The Package

This my ice breaker speech, delivered for our Toast Masters session last October 21.  Read on, and know more about me...

 

I woke up this morning, trying to get past sleepy mode.  I looked in the mirror and asked myself, how will I deliver this icebreaker speech about myself.  Will I enumerate my characteristics, my likes and dislikes, or let them know bits and pieces of my life?  And I have decided to do them all.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am Ann Margaret Danga-Pardo, 28 years old and I am a mother packer!  A Mother because I am a mom of a cute and cuddly 2 year-old daughter, named Trisha Marianne.  And a packer, because I work in a packaging company, that is San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation, for 4 years, seven months and six days to be exact.

Basically, I am a mother packed with super abilities to juggle my career and family life.  A seasoned young lady who has been through an adventurous journey, with ups and downs, bumps and crashes, but always gets back on her feet.  When I was young, I have always been eager to grow up fast not realizing the big responsibilities you have to face when you are a grown up.  But I am always up for the challenge.  As the eldest child among five siblings, I have been taught by my parents to be responsible enough for the whole family.  I have to watch for my brothers and sister and be patient enough in dealing with them.  I was molded to be compassionate, understanding and hardworking.  At times, I may have my mood swings.  I guess that is another reason for being a woman and being an artist as well.  Being an artist just made me express myself through works of art and pushed my creative limits.  I get to know myself better.

As I entered the corporate world, I knew this is another phase of learning.  The real battlefield where only the fittest will survive.  I started from a small company and jumped from one work to another, trying to find a place to fit in.  I worked as a graphic artist, sales, media relations and accounts executive, dealing with different folks of different strokes.  I almost thought of giving up, for graduating with honors from college, expectations from me are very high.  But then I said to myself, I never dreamed of anything I can not achieve.  I worked my way out. Finally, I landed here in San Miguel as an Account Executive under Design Centre here in Packaging, a job that suits me best.

Family for me is my top priority.  Although job may be demanding but when it concerns my family, I have to stop everything I have been doing.  I work to live and not live to work.  Especially now that I have a loving daughter to attend to, I do not want to miss the highlights of her life.  I always wanted to be there for her, for you can only see her as a child once and there is no rewind when you missed a scene.  From work, I may be tough, but at home, I am soft hearted.  I am really sensitive when it comes to family issues, maybe because of my current situation. 

 

But this does not stop me from dreaming, I may have loved and lost but I do not regret the things that happened in my life, for I believe that things have their own purpose.  You may not know it now, it may be hard to understand, but things will work what is best for you.  I have deep faith with God which I trying to pass on to my daughter.

A good package comes in different shapes and sizes.  It was molded and created through good craftsmanship.  A package to survive the test of time.

I am Ann Margaret Danga-Pardo and I am a Mother Packer! 

 

 

 

My Toast Masters 101

Hahaha!  Glad to blog again, if not with the brainstorming I needed for my 1st toastmaster's speech, I guess I will not be here.

Yes, I am now a member of the Toast Masters in our office with members from the Makati club.  I have attended 2 meetings and for our upcoming meeting this Wednesday, I will deliver my first speech.  They call it the Icebreaker, where new members will talk about themselves.  Just to give you a little briefing, this session is held every Wednesdays of the week at 7pm in our office, where members are gathered here to practice speaking in front of an audience.  I believe that this is a good practice especially for people who does a lot of communication in their jobs like Sales/Account Executives, DJs, Hosts, journalists, etc.  What I admired about this club is they correct your grammar, they make you think creatively on how to deliver speeches through their Table Topics and you interact with other people.

I am trying to squeeze out my creative juices for my working title as well as my intro and my ending.  Whooaah!  I hope I get this right.  I just needed a good start and I know, I can do it!  I'll try to post my speech.  Wish me luck!

A thought of Love

Few days ago, I overheard the TV series of Juday & hubby Ryan, "George & Cecil". It reminded me with two of my friends who ended up together in marriage and are now working in Dubai. I just thought that after the heartache's from their past relationships, the on & off kind of relationship and other sour things that happened between them, they finally made it through. They finally found their match. Someone filled the missing part of their lives that they complemented each other.

On the side, I thought to myself, how long do I have to wait for my long lost love. I've been through a lot of heartaches, learned my lessons well, I even had my baby, when will my night and shinning armour rescue me from my loneliness? When will love find me again? I no longer want to wait for love, I will just allow love to find me.

One of our conversations with my good and very supportive friends, how was the criteria I now have after all the things that happened? Does it become higher or lower? For me, my criteria went higher, for I finally realized that during my past relationships, it was always me who tried to make the relationship work, until I got tired to enslaving myself for their love. I pittied myself for doing this. Now, I know that whoever comes, should love finds me again, it will be greater than the past relationships I had because I know my worth and I am worth loving for.