This Journey Called LIFE

The Ebay Phenomenon

2006-08-26T00:38:00.000+08:00

I started selling stuff at ebay.ph (it's the Ebay Philippine site) last year and since then, I couldn't stop myself from selling just about anything I could think of with my 'product sourcing' mindset. Yes, that's how ebayers turn out after a while, everything that occupies time and space can pose itself as a potential merchandise for ebay. It's an addiction that rubs in you day in and day out. I started selling old stuffs at home, primarily old and worn out books that I have kept in my closet for years. I also tried selling my cellphone, memory card, ipod and cd's I have kept through the years. Amazingly, people saw those listings on Ebay and bought them one after another. It left me with a wonderful sense of fulfillment that I began sourcing out all kinds of stuffs beyond the confines of my home. I became a genuine full-blooded bargain hunter.

Since I'm a certified bookworm, I rummaged through practically all the inexpensive, dirt-cheap wholesale bookstores in the metropolis and invested in a considerable number of classic novels, children's books, magazines, fiction and non-fiction pocketbooks that I figured would sell at ebay. And they did sell and continue to do so up to this point.

I discovered that it's not so much the price of the items that draws people to buy in ebay as it is the thrill buyers feel by winning their bids. Yes, an item could be far cheaper than its real market value in regular stores (simply because said items are mainly secondhand but 'in good condition'), but even if the price is a bit closer to the prevailing rates of brand new items in the market, it would still be 'a good buy' to the buyer at Ebay.

This is the Ebay phenomenon that has already set other fires in the U.S. market over the years but is only now starting to blaze in other territories like mine. And I certainly enjoy every minute of it....

Livin' in the City

2006-08-22T16:31:00.000+08:00

Life in the city can get really exciting. Exciting because you get to face fresh challenges in your work environment (new business prospects here and there), meet new friends and acquaintances and, of course, enjoy the perennial shopping galore in department stores and malls. Here in the metropolis where I am based, people enjoy going to malls in weekends to shop, dine or just watch the latest movies. In fact, we have the largest mall in Asia or the largest in the world in terms of gross area. It's called the SM Mall of Asia, covering a 19 hectare piece of reclaimed land in Manila, and built by the 14th wealthiest man in Asia. It would take the whole day for a regular shopper to look into all the shops and stalls in that mall..it's really unbelievable that the word 'shop till you drop' could take on a more literal meaning to the unprepared.

Aside from shopping, city people sometimes would like to go out to listen to the latest showbands in fancy restaurants, clubs or bars. Since we are a people who have a natural ear for music, bands and musicians in Manila have proliferated to a considerable degree in the past year or so. And people in the Metropolis regularly flock to these venues to listen to their favorite band, singer or musician. A few days from now, I would be hosting a good friend of mine from the U.S. and would treat him out to one of the more popular showbands in town called 'Fat Session' and 'Freestyle'..can't wait to hear from them. This is city life at its best..enjoy it while it lasts!

Mark Base - Helsingblog

2006-08-21T09:02:00.000+08:00

Mark Base - Helsingblog

Tragedies, how do we cope?

2006-08-17T10:09:00.000+08:00

In my previous posts, I mentioned that my fave uncle 'perished in the fire'. He was trapped in his room annexed to our main residential house. I was just first year high school at that time. The accident happened so quick..we were not given any chance to bid farewell to a dearly loved one. The whole family was watching an annual citywide beauty pageant in an auditorium several blocks away from our house. No sooner had the contestants walk the ramp with their elegant gowns and skimpy swimwear than we heard fire engine sirens outside the auditorium, as though beckoning us to vacate our seats and run to the scene of the tragedy.That's what we did.We ran as fast as we could to our residence only to find out my uncle's annexed structure gutted down to the ground..along with his remains. It was the worst time of our lives. It was so unreal like a scene from one of those horror movies. No, it could not happen to us, the dead body found in my uncle's quarters was not his. Maybe there was a burglar and that burgler got caught in that dreadful blaze. Maybe my uncle left town and he was coming back sooner or later. Maybe..maybe... Even up to the point where my 'uncle' was buried, I was hoping that he would finally show up. But no, that stage of denial had to come to an end. I had to stare reality in its face..it was my uncle, and I had no time to say goodbye to someone I loved so dearly.

How do we cope with tragedies like this? I'm a married man now with one kid. But when I remember my uncle up to that fateful day, I couldn't help but feel sad that it happened to him nonetheless. He could have been a strong source of support to me and my family if he were still alive. He was a good man, full of zest and so much to look forward to. Did I get over that grief? Of course, we were designed to self-heal over time. But the good memories I have about my uncle still remain etched in my heart and mind. He will always be my 'ninong' as I fondly call him. What makes me move on is the reassuring thought that someday, in another place I call 'heaven', 'ninong' and I will meet again face to face and perhaps rekindle feelings of love and affection cut short by a fallen world.

A Dreamer In Me!

2006-08-15T11:12:00.000+08:00

Have you watched or heard about the musical, 'Joseph The Dreamer'? It centers on a story in the bible about this young male Hebrew who was forsaken by his brothers, put to slavery, but, by a surprising turn of events, became the second most influential leader of his time. But you know what? This was all because of a dream Joseph had..that someday,the sun, moon and 11 stars would bow down to him. He held on to God's promise even in the midst of the pain he had to endure in his life. In the end, his dream became a reality.

I'm a dreamer too. I even have this journal where I write down things, persons and events that happen as I fall into what scientists call an REM (Rapid Eye Movement) mode. I even had this dream about the tsunami that hit Indonesia and certain parts of the world a day before the tragedy happened. Some of these dreams I have are multi-colored.Some are just plain gray. I have vivid dreams that speak about people I happen to know and when I inquire about them, I find that the very thing that is happening in their lives are the things I dreamt about. Many times I've discovered that the reason why I was given those dreams about others is so that I could pray for their well-being..or so others would feel that there is a DreamGiver that truly cares about them..that even in their slumber, the DreamGiver is carefully weaving every pattern and stitch of their lives from beginning to the end. How reasurring can that get!

But I do realize that having dreams that come true in our natural world could make us better individuals or it could be the source of our downfall because of issues
of pride and self-aggrandizement. Call it prophetic, call it gifted..whatever this is I have, I know it carries a tremendous responsibility on my part. It's about being able to carefully bring a message of hope from an infinite world of limitless possibilities to a world that is bounded by despair, cynicism and bloodshed. To the dreamers out there, keep believing inspite of the madness and seeming uncertainties in your lives because someday, just like Joseph, your dreams could blossom into reality!

My Hiding Place

2006-08-12T14:51:00.000+08:00

Loneliness - a state of “producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation;.. being without company”

Solitude – “suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

(definitions taken from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

There are moments I love being alone but never feeling lonely. I guess this has to do with my growing awareness ever since that somewhere in this universe, there is this Unseen Being watching over me and guiding me through life’s unchartered path. That is why the word ‘Solitude’ brings out a deeper meaning in me than what all the dictionaries in this world could ever define.

Some call it “quiet time”, “reflection”, “meditation”, or “personal retreat”. I call it “my hiding place”, a place where I am often drawn to where I could just be myself, ‘far from the maddening crowd’, withdrawn from the pointing fingers and the diverse points of view that often clutter one’s vision of the future. I am led to that place where the created becomes one with his Creator and draws strength from in order to face challenges anew with renewed vigor, direction and a face set as a flint, ready to conquer the world at any cost.

There is, indeed, a place of solitude that brings one immeasurable peace and unspeakable joy this world could never offer. This is my hiding place… why not make it yours too?

The Journey - Rodney Olsen's blog about life, faith and family

2006-08-10T16:19:00.000+08:00

The Journey - Rodney Olsen's blog about life, faith and family

Greater Love

2006-08-10T13:14:00.000+08:00

Why do we need friends? Simple, we need comforting voices to reassure us that life is still worth living for despite the various pitfalls, disappointments and myriad of troubles that go along with it. We need heartfelt hands to point to us the right direction when things get a bit too clouded from where we stand. And, of course, we need strong, dependable shoulders to cry on should we stumble along life's rocky and meandering path.

God breathed in each one of us the innate capacity to be a friend to some other..it could be your spouse, your kids, a neighbor, a classmate, officemate or a wandering soul in the streets. But whatever form it takes, you could well be the single living expression of what love, mercy and compassion are all about in this world of madness and despair. Charity begins at home, they say. I say charity begins at the heart of one willing to take the extra mile. This is what defines true friendship. It's not what you get most out of people that matters. Rather, it is what you give from yourself to make a difference in somebody else's world. That kind of friendship is not only chivalrous...it is heavenly.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for a friend"

The Paradox of Life

2006-08-10T12:47:00.000+08:00

I remember my favorite Philosophy of Religion Professor in college throwing the aged-old question to our class, "If God is good, why is there so much suffering in this world?" One after another, hands raised in class citing free will, sin or the devil as the primary force behind the suffering, poverty and disillusionment seen on this chunk of mass we call "earth". Like my other classmates, I mustered the courage to throw back an even deeper question to the professor, "Sir.." I said, "If you consider God the most evil person or force to contend with in the universe, why is there still goodness, kindness, mercy and justice around us? Can something good come out of something evil, selfish and destructive?""Ah... that's a good question.. I'll get back to you once I know the answer" Summer break came and I never got an answer from my professor. I knew he didn't have one...

This is how we go through life facing tough battles left and right. We end up blaming everybody except ourselves as to why we became 'the scum of the earth'. We take delight in putting to blame persons in authority over all aspects of our lives without realizing that we could be the very cause for our own debasement and the very solution to our own problems. Reality bites.. which is why it is easier to just pin the blame on others for problems we ourselves should be held accountable for. This certainly delays that stage of serious introspection, personal reflection or deep repentance which cuts through the solid layer of pride we often refuse to admit or realize. This is the paradox of LIFE....

Angels Watching Over Me

2006-08-10T12:44:00.000+08:00

Believe it or not, they do exist. I really cannot approximate the right words to describe them, but they're just there for whatever Destiny has assigned them to do.In my younger years, I had a penchance for mini motorbike-riding, you know, those newly invented honda mini-motorcycles that appeal to high schoolers like me. I'd just wander around the small city through the night experiencing a mild, cool breeze and enjoying every minute of it. One night, while I was cruising through the city plaza with a friend, I felt something (or someone) tugging at my bike, as if wanting me to stop over. I began to check the condition of my bike but saw nothing wrong with it, it was in tip-top shape. The tugging motion happened several times that I could literally feel an outward force pressing on my front brakes. Every time I would feel the tugging, I would stop. A sudden notion came to me.. that I was not alone, that there was an angel guiding or protecting me from an impending harm. No sooner had I come to that realization than the motorbike I was driving suddenly got hit on the side by a raging pickup vehicle. My companion and I were both thrown off the bike due to the impact. Some witnesses thought we would die with that kind of collision. But no, by some stroke of miracle (not luck, that I don't believe), we survived the incident with minor injuries. I knew at that time that had I not pulled over occasionally due to that mysterious tugging force, I could have rammed straight into the moving vehicle, leaving me and my companion dead.

That, my friends, is why I believe there are angels who are assigned to protect the living from imminent disasters. Why so? Your guess is as good as mine. My purpose here on earth had not yet ended. The mysteries that await me had yet to be unraveled in time. And only the Master of the Universe knows when this life should end. It was still an exciting journey ahead...

Destiny Calling

2006-08-10T12:35:00.000+08:00

I was lost...so lost because of deep inner struggles that bound me to my past. I couldn't move on with what life had prepared me for because I was haunted by dark conniving villains that led me to an abyss of despair and oblivion. I distinctly remember that moment when I heard a deep resounding voice utter words of gloom, "you're doomed to die", "you're doomed to die..." I was like 9 years old then. I couldn't share with others my harrowing experience because people might think I was nuts. I just kept telling myself it was a nightmare I wanted to wake up from. But the voice didn't leave me. I was drawn to situations in my life that reminded me of that voice.One night in a small city I grew up in, my whole family was suddenly overtaken by the gravest news of all, my favorite uncle perished in the fire. No time to say goodbye, no time for last-minute hugs and kisses. Why him? Why not others who may have deserved it? I felt no one understood my pain. I got so caught up with the turmoil inside I lost all sense of time and space. Many questions were flooding through my fragile mind.. but there were more questions than the answers I so desperately wanted to find. Deep within me, I began to hear that same voice announcing to the world, just like your uncle, "you're doomed to die". Creepy, yes, but this time it was not a nightmare. It was stark reality gloating in my face.

Was there hope for me? Yes, indeed, there was hope. Destiny was preparing me for a vision beyond my wildest dreams. Deep within me, I seem to hear Destiny calling..a different voice than the one I was accustomed to. But this time, it was a more gentle voice, a reasurring one. A voice that soothed my fears and apprehensions about the future. And so my journey had just begun!

My Journey

2006-08-10T12:28:00.000+08:00

I love life and what it has to offer. Not so much because I hold on to it dearly but because it is something I am ready and willing to give away for the very people I love and the bonds of friendships that come along with it. My God, my family, my friends, my business partners, and acquaintances. This is what defines my existence...I grew up thinking that if you work hard, put your heart and mind into something, you could easily achieve the level of satisfaction or happiness every man longs to have. I was not quite right. Over the years, I should say I'm one of those 'been there-did that' group of individuals who delve into almost everything imaginable to find some meaning or purpose in their somewhat mundane existence. In high school, I was the 'nerdiest' of my class (or so I thought). I always came up on top believing that if I made it there, then somehow people would accept me, look up to me, tickly my fancy.But the more I thought I came close to that image I wanted people to laud and emulate, the more I realized I shunned them off.

And then I started to innovate. I decided one day to add some spice to my skin-deep existence. I needed people to know that hey.. this guy is cool after all. So I acquired the habit of smoking, drinking and partying all week long. Oh was I the head of my pack! Finally, I got what I wanted (and so I thought). I had friends who found me interesting not inside class but inside pubs and disco joints. I enjoyed the thrill of losing myself with this friend called 'Alcohol' that I often ended up being literally carried out of the pub and waking up the next morning wondering how I got into my bed with a new set of clothes on. This was just the beginning of my journey into life's arduous yet colorful path....