By any other name, would still be as sweet.

 BY-866360, Sender: Anya
Sent: 24 April 2013, Sent from Mogilev, Belarus
Received: 23 May 2013, Traveled 8,747 km in 29 days

What's in a name? That which we call a rose?

By any other name would still smell as sweet.

Romeo & Juliet (2.2.45-47)

In these lines from Romeo and Juliet, Juliet argues that the name of things do not matter, only what things "are".* 

I am on a crossroads. Or perhaps, it's better to characterize these confused feelings and mixed emotions that I'm having lately as symptoms of the ever-famous phenomenon, that so called quarter-life crisis. I find myself staring blankly in space. At the same time, there are so many things running in my head. I cannot focus and I'm having difficulty in making decisions.

I am not happy with my profession, yet I'm still excited by it. Maybe it's unhappiness with my job, and not really the profession? Maybe a new work place will renew my enthusiasm? Perhaps I'm not really born to be a medical physicist? But I refuse to accept the idea of 'nature', I lean more into 'nurture' -- that you can be what you work your damn best to be. Still, I question myself whether I have the real talent for the profession. Then, what talents do I really have? A friend told me I am a 'people person'. Yet here I am, trying to fit in a profession that requires a bigger percentage for talent in the technical department.

Should I try to find my happiness in a different career? But isn't it a bit too late now? Is this unhappiness a transient thing? Perhaps I'm just lacking motivation right now? Perhaps it's just all in my head. Perhaps I'm just allowing myself to dwell on negativity? I actually find it humiliating and ironic, that many friends and acquaintances have come to me for advice; many considered me successful in this profession. Their compliments often surprise me as I think of the internal and external struggles. Some say I am very hard with myself. Perhaps I am...

Or, perhaps the profession doesn't really matter. That it is what lies in your core as a person which counts the most. That wherever you find yourself in, whatever profession you take, whichever road you thread, it is your motivation and determination to be happy and find real success whatever the circumstances are which counts the most. Like what Juliet said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would still smell as sweet."

I haven't found the final resolution for my thoughts on this matter. But I know I should get some sleep now. Tomorrow is another day, and I pray that it is a better day.

~maria

p.s. Pardon this melancholic post. I really need an outlet for the random thoughts in my head. My thoughts are really crazy right now. I don't know which way to go. Your comments are very welcome. If you disagree with what I've written, I'd greatly appreciate if you tell me why.

*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_rose_by_any_other_name_would_smell_as_sweet

Beschuit met muisjes

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Aritha
Sent: 29 April 2013, Sent from Veenendaal, Netherlands
Received: 7 May 2013, Traveled 10369.34 km in 9 days

Aritha said that beschuit met muisjes is a cracker with pink and white mice on it. The cracker is actually rusk, a hard and dry biscuit. Rusk is baked twice, hence the texture. The mice are the aniseed sprinkle, coated with colored sugar. The sprinkle is called mice because the stem of the aniseed resembles the tail of a mouse. The aniseed is believed to aid lactation and the muisjes to symbolize fertility.

This white and pink beschuit met muisjes is eaten when a baby girl is born in the Netherlands. There is a a blue one for when a baby boy is born. Orange ones were sold in 2003 in honour of the birth of Princess Catharina Amalia. Parents of the newborn baby serve beschuit met muisjes to visitors. Older siblings bring beschuit met muisjes to school to share with their friends.

I think this is a beautiful Dutch custom. I'm thinking of what Filipino custom we have for when a baby girl/boy is born but I can't can't get out something right from the top of my head...

~maria

Angel of God

Facebook Postcard Swap, Sender: Vanessa
Sent: 18 September 2012, Sent from München, Germany
Received: 10 October 2012, Traveled 10,179 km in 24 days

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here:

Ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard,

to rule and guide. Amen.

I remember this as a favorite prayer.

It's a shame I pray less nowadays...

I think going back into saying these verses

is a nice way to go back into praying.

It's a simple prayer but it means a lot to me --

I need to regain a faith, similar to that of a child.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday and happy weekend everyone!

~maria

Little Sugar Hearts

Bag of Vruchten Hartjes, Sender: Mary
Sent: 6 May 2013, Sent from Sassenheim, The Netherlands
Received: 14 May 2013, Traveled 10,429 km in 9 days

Little sugar hearts or suiker hartjes in Dutch. Finally, I know now how they taste!

Mary read my write-up about the postcard she sent and my curiosity 

about these sweets. She offered to send some and the sweets arrived last week.

I was in Singapore to visit the boyfriend so I wasn't able to try them right away.

I arrived here in Manila today and the first order of business upon getting into my apartment:

try these really sweet-looking little goodies.

And I was right! It's the melt in your mouth sugary candies.

The different colors of little hearts also taste somewhat different from each other.

I think I've eaten around 10 little hearts in one sitting. I put them away in a safe container for now,

otherwise I'll eat all of them in less than 24 hours. I kinda worry about the calorie content

but oh well, life is sweet and good -- enjoy it to the fullest!!!

Speaking of life being sweet and good, I was really happy being with the bf.

And yep, for once I have a nicer reason from not posting blog entries,

different from the usual of being too busy for work or my residency.

It was really good life for us because every time we're together, we love to eat a lot 

and try different restaurants and cuisines from all over the world, per the bf:

'It's always a gastronomic trip!' -- and no one can deny, eating always brings pleasure.

We're both starting to gain weight. But we can always try to exercise (next time). 

The bf and I in a tea shop after a heavy dinner.
Among all of our gastronomic delights,
this is definitely and always the healthiest!

I already miss being with him but then again, I subscribe to the idea that,

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Posting this for Guest Heart Thursday and hoping to find more nice heart link-ups at 

Clytie's Random Hearts blog.

~maria

Mothers are angels.

RU-1235850, Sender: dinches
Sent: 24 Sep 2012, Sent from Ufa, Russia
Received: 16 Oct 2012, Traveled 7,089 20 in 22 days

I believe we shouldn't wonder if guardian angels are real or not. Mothers are the living proof that   guardian angels do exist. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all mothers and to all moms-to-be!

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the weekend!

~maria

Under the shade of an umbrella.

CZ-281015, Sender: ptpj
Sent: 19 April 2013, Sent from Ostrava 18, Czech Republic
Received: 9 May 2013, Traveled 9,660 km in 20 days

This postcard that the mailman delivered just this morning made my day! I bet no one can argue about its cuteness. It has that cheer of the innocence and bliss of sweet young love. It's also a beautiful coincidence that I got it on an extremely hot and humid day. Going out in the sun without an umbrella isn't advisable at all. So I fancy myself one like that in the postcard.

My darling and I have always think about reading books together while lying side by side each other as one of our couple's activities. I think it would be great to do it while lying on the grass in a park during mid to late afternoon. We can toss off our shoes and just enjoy the tickling grass on the bottom of our feet. And we can bring a nice umbrella, like this in the postcard if we want to steal a kiss or two -- so not to offend passers by.

Forgive my romantic side on the lose. I am still counting 5 days before I can see the darling again and these days feel like they'll last forever. I'm so impatient to be with him in person again. I never missed someone so badly before. I never knew missing someone can be this tormenting, until we became a couple and experienced spending quality time with each other as a couple. (I deeply miss my dear lolo / grandpa who passed away in 2007 but that's on a different level). Despite the difficulty of being apart, I'm still very happy I've got a very special person; my bestfriend, who is also my boyfriend, to miss.

Happy Guest Heart Thursday everyone! Check out Clytie @ Random Hearts for more heart posts. :)

~maria

Beach Tents

NL-1373509, Sender: jokebo
Sent: 11 Aug 2012, Sent from Drenthe, Netherlands
Received: 7 Sep 2012, Traveled 10,266 km in 27 days

The heat is really unbearable these days. I feel like all the heat from the sun has been focused to the Philippines! I really can't wait for summer to end. Hopefully by June, rainy season will begin and it can get a bit cooler.

Many friends have been going to the beach to cool down. I must say I'm envious. I'm not really a fan though of being in the beach during the day, even if there are tents like those in the postcard. I think it will still be very hot with the sand radiating the heat it absorbed from the sun. Perhaps I should go to the beach at night instead. I'm just dreaming right now though, I really can't do an out of town to hit the beach since I am already going away next week for something nicer than being in the beach. Well, at least to my opinion...

I'm so impatient for this week to end. So I guess it doesn't really matter to me that it's Monday today because I'm already thinking about Friday. Nevertheless, Happy Monday everyone!!

~maria

Mantis & Beetles

The theme this week @ Viridian's Sunday Stamps 

is stamps from China and Taiwan.

I'm happy to find insects at the back of postcards received from 

China and Taiwan. This is like part 2 for my post last week, 

which are beneficial insects from Canada.

Here is a Tenodera aridifolia sinensis or Chinese mantis.

Being a fan of Kung Fu Panda, a computer-generated action/comedy

martial arts film, I was curious whether the mantis technique is related to the 

Chinese Mantis. The answer is yes. Mr. Wiki said that the Praying Mantis kung fu

was developed in the Shangdong Province of China in the mid-1600's

based on the quick movements of the Chinese mantis.

Our second insect is the Aphrodisium faldermannii yuagii.

What a long scientific name! Whew! It's common name is the

"musk long horned beetle". It was issued by the Chunghwa Post in 2010

to raise the awareness about the long-horned beetles.

It's a relatively relaxed Sunday for me so I'll probably get a nap after posting.

I wish it's a relaxed day for all of you, too!

Happy Sunday Stamps, everyone!

~maria

Take me to Warsaw!

Facebook Postcard Swap, Sender: Joanna
Sent: 27 August 2012, Sent from Katowice, Poland
Received: 3 September 2012, Traveled 9,614 km in 7 days

The entire morning was for a 99-item examination, noontime was for a working lunch -- meeting for the clinical residency, and  in the afternoon, I facilitated a forum on writing of bid specifications for a CT scan equipment. It was completely draining. The fact that we've got real warm weather here in Manila nowadays doesn't help. Worse is that the weather bureau announced that temperature is not going anywhere down the scale for the month of May. It's a terrible experience sleeping at night without an air conditioning unit. My sleep has been intermittent, and would often wake up in the morning, feeling that I haven't slept at all. Lack of sleep and all these things I did today, I am really extremely exhausted right now but I know I can't miss posting for the Friendship Postcard Friday.

I have been imagining being transported into somewhere cooler. Europe has been constantly in my mind, particularly Warsaw, Poland. This postcard really makes me dreaming of walking holding hands with my love in the cobble-stoned streets of the Old Town. Him and I both love medieval architecture / places so being in this town for sure would be perfect for us. Well, it could have been any other 'colder than Manila weather European city/town' right now. But I've always wanted to see Poland for the admirable effort in reconstructing their old town after World War II. It speaks a lot about the people's regard for their history and keeping it alive for their future generations to see and experience.

I cannot afford a Warsaw visit any time soon. So since I'm almost nodding off here in front of my laptop, I'm running now to bed so my dreams can take me to Warsaw.

I wish all of you a fun closure for the week, or a quiet one for those who prefer it that way.

~maria

Le cœur

US-2157231, Sender: Carol
Sent: 31 March 2013, Sent from Akron, Ohio
Received: 18 April 2013, Traveled 13,419 km in 18 days

Receiving this card is very timely since I need to brush up on Anatomy 101. Plus, I think I really need to get serious with studying the French language. Le cœur of course, is the heart in French. As for the rest of the labels, I'm too lazy to look it up on an equivalent diagram with English labels. I'll see the boyfriend in 13 days so I'll bug him to translate everything for me (would be a nice activity for a reunion, don't you think?). I know...that can be severe and boring. But I'm always fascinated while listening to him speak in his mother tongue, with how he does that nasal 'r' cause I can never do it myself! *sighs*

On a lovelier and more personal note, mon amour and I are celebrating our 6 months as a couple today. Also, we are just 1 month and 8 days shy from celebrating our 4 years of wonderful friendship. Yippee! I am overjoyed on how things are smooth and wonderful between us. I believe that it's really a great blessing that we've been real confidantes and bestriends before deciding to be a couple. So now, our love for each other only continues to grow despite the frustrations and challenges of being in a long distance relationship.

I am impressed that the PhilPost and SingPost are both very efficient in delivering my handwritten love letter. He complained to me though that I made it hard for him because he received the letter on 26 April and I put instruction on the flap that he can only open it on 1 May. Perhaps it had been easier and more inspiring wait for him if I sealed the letter with a wax stamp? Something similar to that on the USA 2013 forever! stamp which came with the 'Le cœur' postcard? He was happy nonetheless and sounding very much in love, thanking me, when he finally got to read the letter last night.

Oh love, love. You never fail to inspire. Such is that other stamp that came with the postcard, the satin Love Ribbons from the USA 2012 forever! issue. As the USPS described it, satin ribbons often accompany our gifts of love, may it be a box/wrapped gift or a bouquet of flowers. Ah, now that gives me an excellent idea ... 

I should cut myself here. It's no surprise anyone can be unstoppable when it comes to love. But it's almost 3AM here in my timezone so I need to get some sleep now. I'm sure you're longing to read more about hearts, so hop on to Clytie @ Random Hearts to get your fill.

I wish this Thursday is leading all of us to a wonderful end for this week. I have my last in-service examination to take for the residency on Friday (before the major major assessment comes in June/July). I am supposed to have learned most of the things by heart right now but I'm still far from it, so please wish me luck. I thank you in advance, from the bottom of my heart.

~maria