500 DAYS TO MARRY
I was at Arizona Charlie one night trying my luck on their slot machine. And suddenly, a woman sat next to my seat. A few minutes of playing later, she stood and turned around her machine to leave but looked at me and saw me looked at her at that same moment. She then returned back to her seat and played some more.
I should talked to her but my heart was still getting over some girl, even after a whole two months since I last saw her.
I may have seen Chelsea on Valentine's Day sitting alone. She looked the same as that last time. But I didn't stop by her and went my own way. It wouldn't be proper to present yourself to people with a fresh wound, with my heart still bleeding like the bleeding Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Anyway, the girl in the casino, she was sort of beautiful, more beautiful or as beautiful as Chelsea when I glanced at her face as I left my machine. Again I should have talked to her, but I wasn't ready to find a new romance and I gave myself "500 Days To Marry." 500 Days to find the girl and marry her. And again I was still sort of bereaving over the lost of my true love. Of course, it was true love or I'm a monkey's uncle and pigs have already flown and I don't know about it. And moreover, I don't know how much more truer love can be.
Anyway, the girl at the casino was probably around 26, just like the age of that girl I told you about when I went to eat lunch with my parents last month.
I know what a 26 year old woman look like. My supervisor told everyone one day when she was asked how old she was on a wedding reception in a restaurant which everyone in the office attended, including me.
I've talked to her in her cubicle office and she talked of her family, not her own because she was single. She might also have seen my few doodles of "Joanne" on my day calendar in my desk. Then on her last day, she brought her fiance and introduced him to my new supervisor.
Her eyes and mine looked at each other across two desks and I seemed to have read through those eyes "I wish he was you."
There was another girl in the office who I knew liked me. Her desk was next to mine. She admitted she was the one who playfully put the Post-it note with a message I can't remember now behind my office shirt one day.
Ena showed me her picture when she was younger. And she always liked to play Tic-Tac-Toe with me when I asked her. Then she said she was going to marry a co-worker. Then she didn't invite me to her wedding reception in a restaurant, when almost everybody else was invited. It's a bride's prerogative.
I was sort of like Peter Pan when it came to love back then. I was naive or Cupid wouldn't dare shoot me with his love arrow. And if I sort of like a girl, like Serenity, I didn't know what to do. I was waiting for Cupid's arrow.
I didn't know what love was. And I didn't have anybody to tell me what to do if it got me.
It was many years later when love got me. And love showed me what to do.
500, 499, 498, 497, 496, ....
John Sindayen
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Happy Valentine
HAPPY VALENTINE
Happy Valentine to all!
Valentine's Day is all about creating your Valentine's Day cards and giving it to your teachers and your mom. That's what it was all about when I was in school.
So, I'm going to show you how our teachers taught us how to create Valentine's Day cards in school on Valentine's Day.
HOW TO CREATE HAPPY VALENTINE DAY'S CARD
1. Get a piece of white bond paper about 11 1/2 and 8 inches long.
2. Fold the paper in half and use a pencil to make sure it is tightly folded.
3. Fold the paper again in half and use a pencil to make sure it is tightly folded.
4. Get a second piece of paper and fold it in half.
5. Get a scissor and cut along the crease of this second paper a shape that is half a heart.
6. Unfold the shape of the half a heart paper along its crease to reveal a full heart.
7. Get a red crayon and color the edges of the full heart.
8. Place the full heart on top of the first paper.
9. While holding the full heart steadily on the first paper, use your fingers to spread the red color to the first paper in an outward fashion until you have completed the full heart.
10. Open the folded first paper and write inside it with your red crayon "Happy Valentine's Day!"
11. Now give it to your mother or your teacher because that's what a Valentine's Day card is for!
Want to see a picture of how this Valentine card might look like? Okay, but first create the card because part of having fun is discovering for yourself. Then go to this website: http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/7223/create-fall-leaves-with-chalk-pastels-early-childhood-art-activity/.
Our elementary school teachers always had us making Valentine's Day cards on Valentine's Day since they knew that all Philippine public schools pupils were all poor and couldn't afford Valentine's Day cards. We didn't even have a student store.
PATEROS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
In Catholic parochial schools, where I spent my high school years, students were expected to be rich enough. So we have a student store and a student cafeteria where we have to buy our own food or bring our own lunch there.
So, no, we don't have to make our own Valentine's Day cards. We buy them in the student store, including our books and school uniform, our student ID, our JROTC shirt and trouser uniforms along with the military cap, and our senior bus excursion trip which took three buses to take us to many Filipino historic sites and establishments, including a visit to a university medical school laboratory where we walked freely along the aisles of many open cadavers used by students to study medicine.
The only thing that was free was our senior JROTC field bivouac training where two huge military trucks took us for a ride into the mountains and had us crossing a small river stream through two ropes fastened on both ends, among other fun things. And for lunch, they fed us military C-rations. All these fun were provided for free by the government.
Private high school days can be so much fun, much better than public schools, but your parents have to pay for lots of stuff.
The only thing you don't have to pay are all the awards, medals, and diplomas they give. And they gave me quite a few. Second in Academics, 3 certificates. First in Academics, 1 certificate. First in Religion, 2 certificates. A bronze Most Behaved Boy medal during graduation. My high school diploma. And my JROTC diploma with the rank of Sergeant on it.
I had my aunt pinned the bronze medal on me high on the stage in front of the entire graduating class because my parents were already abroad in America. All the rowdy boys were whistling and yelling as she pinned the medal because she was sort of pretty. But the monsignor and the school principal were both on the stage and hushed them all.
There were two of us competing for that medal for that school year, and I won because my Religion teacher during my freshman year fought for me to have it. (I was sort of a teacher's pet to her. My third grade teacher also liked me so she had me in the front row and gave me full custody of the board eraser.)
I guess you could say a lot of people loved me in my high school years.
So Happy Valentine to all, wherever you may be. And until we meet again, here on earth or in Heaven, I give you all my thanks for being there for me and a warm-hearted hug.
Happy Valentine Philippines! Happy Valentine USA! Happy Valentine World!
John Sindayen
PS: I would also like to send a Happy Valentine to the U.S. Army and the U.S. government who rescued me and saved me a few years ago. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Happy Valentine to my third grade teacher who made me feel I'm special!
Happy Valentine to my fifth and sixth grades Music teacher who made me love singing!
Happy Valentine to my freshman Religion teacher for believing in me!
Happy Valentine to all!
Valentine's Day is all about creating your Valentine's Day cards and giving it to your teachers and your mom. That's what it was all about when I was in school.
So, I'm going to show you how our teachers taught us how to create Valentine's Day cards in school on Valentine's Day.
HOW TO CREATE HAPPY VALENTINE DAY'S CARD
1. Get a piece of white bond paper about 11 1/2 and 8 inches long.
2. Fold the paper in half and use a pencil to make sure it is tightly folded.
3. Fold the paper again in half and use a pencil to make sure it is tightly folded.
4. Get a second piece of paper and fold it in half.
5. Get a scissor and cut along the crease of this second paper a shape that is half a heart.
6. Unfold the shape of the half a heart paper along its crease to reveal a full heart.
7. Get a red crayon and color the edges of the full heart.
8. Place the full heart on top of the first paper.
9. While holding the full heart steadily on the first paper, use your fingers to spread the red color to the first paper in an outward fashion until you have completed the full heart.
10. Open the folded first paper and write inside it with your red crayon "Happy Valentine's Day!"
11. Now give it to your mother or your teacher because that's what a Valentine's Day card is for!
Want to see a picture of how this Valentine card might look like? Okay, but first create the card because part of having fun is discovering for yourself. Then go to this website: http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/7223/create-fall-leaves-with-chalk-pastels-early-childhood-art-activity/.
Our elementary school teachers always had us making Valentine's Day cards on Valentine's Day since they knew that all Philippine public schools pupils were all poor and couldn't afford Valentine's Day cards. We didn't even have a student store.
PATEROS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
In Catholic parochial schools, where I spent my high school years, students were expected to be rich enough. So we have a student store and a student cafeteria where we have to buy our own food or bring our own lunch there.
So, no, we don't have to make our own Valentine's Day cards. We buy them in the student store, including our books and school uniform, our student ID, our JROTC shirt and trouser uniforms along with the military cap, and our senior bus excursion trip which took three buses to take us to many Filipino historic sites and establishments, including a visit to a university medical school laboratory where we walked freely along the aisles of many open cadavers used by students to study medicine.
The only thing that was free was our senior JROTC field bivouac training where two huge military trucks took us for a ride into the mountains and had us crossing a small river stream through two ropes fastened on both ends, among other fun things. And for lunch, they fed us military C-rations. All these fun were provided for free by the government.
Private high school days can be so much fun, much better than public schools, but your parents have to pay for lots of stuff.
The only thing you don't have to pay are all the awards, medals, and diplomas they give. And they gave me quite a few. Second in Academics, 3 certificates. First in Academics, 1 certificate. First in Religion, 2 certificates. A bronze Most Behaved Boy medal during graduation. My high school diploma. And my JROTC diploma with the rank of Sergeant on it.
I had my aunt pinned the bronze medal on me high on the stage in front of the entire graduating class because my parents were already abroad in America. All the rowdy boys were whistling and yelling as she pinned the medal because she was sort of pretty. But the monsignor and the school principal were both on the stage and hushed them all.
There were two of us competing for that medal for that school year, and I won because my Religion teacher during my freshman year fought for me to have it. (I was sort of a teacher's pet to her. My third grade teacher also liked me so she had me in the front row and gave me full custody of the board eraser.)
I guess you could say a lot of people loved me in my high school years.
So Happy Valentine to all, wherever you may be. And until we meet again, here on earth or in Heaven, I give you all my thanks for being there for me and a warm-hearted hug.
Happy Valentine Philippines! Happy Valentine USA! Happy Valentine World!
John Sindayen
PS: I would also like to send a Happy Valentine to the U.S. Army and the U.S. government who rescued me and saved me a few years ago. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Happy Valentine to my third grade teacher who made me feel I'm special!
Happy Valentine to my fifth and sixth grades Music teacher who made me love singing!
Happy Valentine to my freshman Religion teacher for believing in me!
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Chelsea Story 2+
CHELSEA STORY 2 & PROUD AMERICAN VETERAN
All right boys and girls, ready to hear what happens next in the Chelsea Story began on January 28. Well, have a seat, relax, and read on.
This story is actually inspired by a person who is very dear to my heart and I will probably always cherish our times together. If there's a person that inspires you, you, too, can make a story out of that inspiration.
Chelsea Story
Copyright 2017
By John Sindayen
Chapter 2
"Wake up! Wake up, Chelsea!"
"There's a dragon in the sea. It breathes fire and looks at us so monstrously."
And Chelsea would yawn and say, "Did somebody say dragons? I love to fight dragons. They're easy to see, when their mouth is on fire."
And the people would say, "Yes, dragons, Chelsea! But only one dragon. So that should be easy. You should be done with it before lunchtime."
And Chelsea would get up and open her closet of clothes.
An armor of copper red metal,
an armor of silver white metal,
and an armor of golden gold metal
stood sharply in their clothes stands.
You didn't think I would write the whole story in this post, did you now? It's a long story. I've only completed less than 1,000 words. And it's gonna be a book or an e-book. But I will post the first 1,000 words on a sort of weekly basis.
But if you like fantastic stories, I recommend the book "The Wizard of Oz". Don't watch the movie. Enjoy the book, instead.
PROUD AMERICAN VETERAN
Congratulate me! I just got my Veterans ID. Now I can ride the bus for half the fare. And it's good for five years, at which time I'll probably be driving a car again.
I'd like to thank the Veterans group that made this Veterans ID possible. They make me proud to be a veteran!
What is a veteran? An American veteran is someone who was brave enough to fight for freedom. Freedom for myself or one's self, freedom for Americans, and freedom for all men, women, and children.
But I don't recommend everyone to be a veteran. Because in times of war, your mind might not be willing to watch the horror of war unfold before you. Then again, many World War II soldiers came home scot-free and with a healthy mind.
I am proud to be an American and this I will defend!
John Sindayen
SP4, 3rd Infantry Division & 1st Cavalry Division
All right boys and girls, ready to hear what happens next in the Chelsea Story began on January 28. Well, have a seat, relax, and read on.
This story is actually inspired by a person who is very dear to my heart and I will probably always cherish our times together. If there's a person that inspires you, you, too, can make a story out of that inspiration.
Chelsea Story
Copyright 2017
By John Sindayen
Chapter 2
"Wake up! Wake up, Chelsea!"
"There's a dragon in the sea. It breathes fire and looks at us so monstrously."
And Chelsea would yawn and say, "Did somebody say dragons? I love to fight dragons. They're easy to see, when their mouth is on fire."
And the people would say, "Yes, dragons, Chelsea! But only one dragon. So that should be easy. You should be done with it before lunchtime."
And Chelsea would get up and open her closet of clothes.
An armor of copper red metal,
an armor of silver white metal,
and an armor of golden gold metal
stood sharply in their clothes stands.
You didn't think I would write the whole story in this post, did you now? It's a long story. I've only completed less than 1,000 words. And it's gonna be a book or an e-book. But I will post the first 1,000 words on a sort of weekly basis.
But if you like fantastic stories, I recommend the book "The Wizard of Oz". Don't watch the movie. Enjoy the book, instead.
PROUD AMERICAN VETERAN
Congratulate me! I just got my Veterans ID. Now I can ride the bus for half the fare. And it's good for five years, at which time I'll probably be driving a car again.
I'd like to thank the Veterans group that made this Veterans ID possible. They make me proud to be a veteran!
What is a veteran? An American veteran is someone who was brave enough to fight for freedom. Freedom for myself or one's self, freedom for Americans, and freedom for all men, women, and children.
But I don't recommend everyone to be a veteran. Because in times of war, your mind might not be willing to watch the horror of war unfold before you. Then again, many World War II soldiers came home scot-free and with a healthy mind.
I am proud to be an American and this I will defend!
John Sindayen
SP4, 3rd Infantry Division & 1st Cavalry Division
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Forgetting Someone 2
HAPPY SONGS TO FORGET SOMEONE SPECIAL
I was putting four strips of bacon in my plate in the buffet counter last Sunday when a voice came from behind and said, "Bacon! Bacon! I love bacon!" I turned around and there right in front of me was a nice young woman with a very big smile facing me. I didn't know what to say, but I smiled at her and went straight to the table where my parents had already began eating.
I should have been more cordial to her and say something like, "Hi, I love bacon, too." But my mind was still thinking of that girl I'm trying to forget, C, and I studied her face and she did not remind me of C.
It is very important that when you are trying to forget someone, that you should not try to remember or compare every girl that you meet with that someone special you are trying to forget. Because each girl that you meet has her own unique qualities that she only possesses. And you need to appreciate and acknowledge her own unique qualities, so you can forget that special someone you want to forget.
Here are more songs that is guaranteed to make you happy. This list continues My Top Ten Songs I started on February 5.
4. YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY by the Beastie Boys. The title of the song is emblematic of how having fun and joy in life can be elusive if you don't fight and overcome what you are feeling. Then again, happiness is only a state of mind.
5. ROCK THIS TOWN by Stray Cats. The fast pace of the electric guitar and the drums can get you happy fast, especially when you're dancing to the music.
6. THE POWER by Snap! This song is very powerful to me because of its lyrics, though the lyrics repeat themselves over and over again. If you want to know how the music was created, follow this website: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3819.
More power to you all,
John Sindayen
I was putting four strips of bacon in my plate in the buffet counter last Sunday when a voice came from behind and said, "Bacon! Bacon! I love bacon!" I turned around and there right in front of me was a nice young woman with a very big smile facing me. I didn't know what to say, but I smiled at her and went straight to the table where my parents had already began eating.
I should have been more cordial to her and say something like, "Hi, I love bacon, too." But my mind was still thinking of that girl I'm trying to forget, C, and I studied her face and she did not remind me of C.
It is very important that when you are trying to forget someone, that you should not try to remember or compare every girl that you meet with that someone special you are trying to forget. Because each girl that you meet has her own unique qualities that she only possesses. And you need to appreciate and acknowledge her own unique qualities, so you can forget that special someone you want to forget.
Here are more songs that is guaranteed to make you happy. This list continues My Top Ten Songs I started on February 5.
4. YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY by the Beastie Boys. The title of the song is emblematic of how having fun and joy in life can be elusive if you don't fight and overcome what you are feeling. Then again, happiness is only a state of mind.
5. ROCK THIS TOWN by Stray Cats. The fast pace of the electric guitar and the drums can get you happy fast, especially when you're dancing to the music.
6. THE POWER by Snap! This song is very powerful to me because of its lyrics, though the lyrics repeat themselves over and over again. If you want to know how the music was created, follow this website: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3819.
More power to you all,
John Sindayen
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Forgetting Someone
WAYS TO FORGET SOMEONE SPECIAL
If you're trying to forget someone special, there are many things you can do. I know, C is the hardest girl to forget, exactly 2 months now, by the days.
Here's what you can do. Refer to that special someone by another name or use only one letter for her or his name. As soon as you mention or remember her or his name less, the sooner you can forget her or him.
Maybe if our names were all numbers, we'd have no problem forgetting names. Hey you, Mr. 55591124745309411867711! Yes sir, that's my name.
Another way to forget someone special is to listen to music that does not make you cry, not a tearjerker, not sad, and not a love song.
Here is a list of songs that is guaranteed to make you happy and sing along to the lyrics.
1. HALLELUJAH CHORUS from George Handel's opera or oratorio "Messiah". It is a majestic declaration of loyalty. It would help if you like Jesus, not necessarily believe.
Hallelujah Chorus Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcwWl5JBnoU
Hallelujah Chorus English Lyric:
http://www.hallelujah-chorus.com/text/english.html
Hallelujah Chorus Latin Lyric:
http://www.hallelujah-chorus.com/text/latin.html
2. EXODUS by Matt Monro. This is the theme song of the movie with the same title. The lyric exemplifies the courage of why the nation of Israel won the Arab-Israeli Wars, against all odds. Matt's version is more forceful and so more powerful.
3. FOREVER YOUNG by Rod Stewart. The song is about someone wishing a person dear to his heart how to live and to be young forever.
Here are some happy songs below My Top Ten Songs.
Dancing in the Street – David Bowie
Modern Love – David Bowie
Born Free – Matt Monro
More Than a Feeling – Boston
Carry On Wayward Son – Kansas
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
Wild Montana Skies – John Denver
Thank God I'm a Country Boy – John Denver
Come Sail Away – Styx
Grand Illusion – Styx
May the road rise up to meet you ...
John Sindayen
If you're trying to forget someone special, there are many things you can do. I know, C is the hardest girl to forget, exactly 2 months now, by the days.
Here's what you can do. Refer to that special someone by another name or use only one letter for her or his name. As soon as you mention or remember her or his name less, the sooner you can forget her or him.
Maybe if our names were all numbers, we'd have no problem forgetting names. Hey you, Mr. 55591124745309411867711! Yes sir, that's my name.
Another way to forget someone special is to listen to music that does not make you cry, not a tearjerker, not sad, and not a love song.
Here is a list of songs that is guaranteed to make you happy and sing along to the lyrics.
1. HALLELUJAH CHORUS from George Handel's opera or oratorio "Messiah". It is a majestic declaration of loyalty. It would help if you like Jesus, not necessarily believe.
Hallelujah Chorus Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcwWl5JBnoU
Hallelujah Chorus English Lyric:
http://www.hallelujah-chorus.com/text/english.html
Hallelujah Chorus Latin Lyric:
http://www.hallelujah-chorus.com/text/latin.html
2. EXODUS by Matt Monro. This is the theme song of the movie with the same title. The lyric exemplifies the courage of why the nation of Israel won the Arab-Israeli Wars, against all odds. Matt's version is more forceful and so more powerful.
3. FOREVER YOUNG by Rod Stewart. The song is about someone wishing a person dear to his heart how to live and to be young forever.
Here are some happy songs below My Top Ten Songs.
Dancing in the Street – David Bowie
Modern Love – David Bowie
Born Free – Matt Monro
More Than a Feeling – Boston
Carry On Wayward Son – Kansas
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
Wild Montana Skies – John Denver
Thank God I'm a Country Boy – John Denver
Come Sail Away – Styx
Grand Illusion – Styx
May the road rise up to meet you ...
John Sindayen
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Open Letter
OPEN LETTERS
An Open Letter to the People of Aleppo, Syria
You are in the middle of a battlefield. You are made to choose between 2 sides of ideologies. You are made to endure the fighting between the 2 sides.
One day the war will be over, as all war goes. Survive as much as you can, with your humanity intact.
Remember that even the Jewish Holocaust, the Bataan Death March, the Vietnam POW camps have their survivors. And these survivors live on to have a good life and made humanity proud.
Good luck to all of us in 2017!
John Sindayen
An Open Letter to All Combatants and All Governments
You have a belief, a philosophy, a personality, or an ideology to defend. But yours have been offended by some one, some group, or some government, and you feel you must defend it. I do not know what to say to you.
But remember that you are made human the moment you were born and you were made to belong to the family of humanity, where every one of us belongs. We are all one family! We are all brothers and sisters!
Please do not alienate your family. Please do not alienate your brother and sister. Please do not alienate each other and please do not alienate me.
Let's celebrate one another in 2017!
John Sindayen
An Open Letter to the People of Aleppo, Syria
You are in the middle of a battlefield. You are made to choose between 2 sides of ideologies. You are made to endure the fighting between the 2 sides.
One day the war will be over, as all war goes. Survive as much as you can, with your humanity intact.
Remember that even the Jewish Holocaust, the Bataan Death March, the Vietnam POW camps have their survivors. And these survivors live on to have a good life and made humanity proud.
Good luck to all of us in 2017!
John Sindayen
An Open Letter to All Combatants and All Governments
You have a belief, a philosophy, a personality, or an ideology to defend. But yours have been offended by some one, some group, or some government, and you feel you must defend it. I do not know what to say to you.
But remember that you are made human the moment you were born and you were made to belong to the family of humanity, where every one of us belongs. We are all one family! We are all brothers and sisters!
Please do not alienate your family. Please do not alienate your brother and sister. Please do not alienate each other and please do not alienate me.
Let's celebrate one another in 2017!
John Sindayen
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