2007: A Bittersweet Year

2007: A Bittersweet Year
Bittersweet refers to a combination of the standard tastes of sweetness and bitterness, and is often used as a metaphor for experiences which have elements of both happiness and sadness. So here are my top 10 events that made up my 2007.

1. USA:The American Dream
Who would have thought I’d be able to go to the US? This wasn’t even in my plans this year. Just a spur of the moment decision to try & see where it leads me. Already made a previous post in this blog about all the things that happened to me during that whirlwind trip. Definitely one the defining moments of my 2007.

2. Work: Internal Conflicts, New Post. Probably the reason why I just wanted to get away from it all. But I realize that work really gets to me, I cried so much, & so many times this year because of work as compared to just silently enduring problems in my personal life.

3. Toastmasters adds Life! Accomplished many roles: as Secretariat Head for May Cebu Discon, Contest Chairperson for Div C & I contest, one of the judges to Gullas Intercollegiate Oratorical Contest of diff. Cebu schools. And being Division C Governor of course. It’s a different side to Toastmasters, taking on leadership roles. Also had outside speaking engagements: 2 at CIT,1 with SWU MBA for Bonna.

4. My Marriage. Chafing at the reins – a previous post in my blog says it all about my marriage this year & being verbally harassed & being on tip toe all the time. His parinigs. Brought him with me to most Toastmasters meetings in different clubs this year. His violent quarrels with Garleth & Flor & both maids leaving this year. Drowned my sorrows in staying at home with VCD movies/tv series marathons. Even resorted to taking my allergy meds so I’d be able to sleep & escape his harassment. He did go to Manila of course, although what this means for my marriage will be revealed in 2008 I guess.

5. USJR Doctorate. It was an experience being in a different part of Cebu – Carbon & downtown area & walking around, window-shopping. The classes were way too easy though. No challenge. But did get to know some of my classmates but did not bond as much as my SWU MBA classmates.

6. My Son: Prime: a new school for my son, & taking on Risperdal again due to his cheek-hitting episodes. Visited the doctor several times for the kids: dentist visits with both my kids losing their front teeth this year.

7. Club Ultima Lifestyle.This was a mutual decision of us as a couple, for the family, esp. for my son. Weekends swimming with the kids. Even had my pizza birthday videoke party here. It’s a different kind of luxurious lifestyle that I could very much get used to.

8. A Family reunion. Having the family together for the first time in so many years. Went home from the States with Mom, Dad, Ate Cherry & Jaime, while Ate Ethel went here a weekearlier & had time to clean the house. We also stayed over at the Hilton. Having the family together was really, really wonderful.

9. Social: New friends, old friends, friends I’ve managed to keep in touch with. Celes & Danny’s Sinulog visit- Riding the Mactan Channel ferry for the very first time. Had the annual Sinulog outing at Welda’s place with Aboitiz friends. Doulous floating ship outing with MBA classmates. Chris bday’s bash at Gerry’s & being with Aboitiz friends. An old friend from the past!- Jingle getting in touch once again. And Toastmasters friends of course.

10. Going back to church. I’ve been going almost regularly to Church every Sunday this year, which I haven’t been doing for the longest time. Its what’s made my life bearable this year also. I have made my peace with God.

2007 was a bittersweet year for me, full of ups and downs, but still memorable nevertheless.

LISTEN

LISTEN

I remember Niel placing the song from Dreamgirls on
how,in spite of what's happening, of making the other person
love you all the more, of desperately wanting to make it happen.
Although I like that song, I forgot the title, the song below, "Listen"
is for me my favorite song in the entire movie.
I guess coz it speaks about the loss of not being seen,
& the pain of not being heard.

Listen to the song here in my heart, A melody I start but can't complete
Listen to the sound from deep within, Its only beginning to find release
Ohh the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turnedInto your own, all 'cause you won't listen

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried, To say whats on my mind
You should have known, Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what, You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened

There was someone here inside, Someone I thought had died
So long ago
Oh I'm screaming out, And my dreams will be heard
They will not be pushed Aside or turnedInto your own,
All 'cause you won't listen

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried, To say whats on my mind
You should have known
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what, You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened
I don't know where I belong, But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't

Listen to the song here in my heart, A melody I start, but I will complete
Now I am done believing you
You don't know not what I am feeling
I'm more than what you've made of me,
I followed the voice you think you gave to me

But now I got to find my own - my own

Honoring My Dead

DEAD LOLAS

The Chinese has what they call as "Ancestor Worship". Although not to the point of worship, like in the movie "Mulan", I do believe in honoring the dead. Last All Soul’s Day, we visited our "dead lolas" in Queen City cemetery. It’s a good time as any to remember the dead & share a little bit of their stories. Although I never knew any of them, there are aspects of their lives that I have picked up important lessons from. In one cemetery plot, we have my 3 lolas: Teodora Otarra, Pacita Cabando, and Epifania Valenzona. The first, Lola Pacing, is my maternal grandmother. She died before I was born, even before my parents married. She met my maternal grandfather during World War II in the small island of Banacon, in Bohol. It was a turbulent time, & since it was wartime, they couldn’t find any priests thus she & my lolo lived as common-law husband & wife, & were accepted as such in the community, & they had my Mom & her younger sister. But when my grandfather got stationed in Iloilo, he was caught in a shotgun wedding & thus he was legally married to another woman, with which he had 5 children. This was a bitter story that affected the lives of my grandmother, & my mother as well, the latter having to bear the stigma of being an illegitimate child, although she was the eldest among her half-sisters & brother. Aside from this tragic bent, the stories I have heard of Lola Pacing is that she worked real hard to support my Mom, travelling back & forth to Manila & Cebu, buying & selling RTW clothes. She was a single mom, who had to deal with a philandering "husband", bore the death of her youngest child(I never really knew what my aunt died of, of a childhood sickness probably, & even my Mom has not shared stories of her younger sister, & I’ve always thought this was because the story was too tragic to tell). But she was able to send my Mom through to Law School. Aside from this hard life, I grew up hearing about how she was the original "singer" in the family, & she would often be called upon to sing during town fiestas & have politicians call on her asking her to sing during crowd gatherings during elections time. Many said she had a marvelous voice, & that I must have gotten my singing talent from her. She was also very gregarious, & in spite of her hard life, always had funny stories to share & songs to sing. She loved my Mom very much, but I do recall my Mom painfully retelling about the time her mother had beaten her up, when she had told her that she wanted to leave home & enter the convent. She did it out of love, & I think she must have been a grand old lady & I would have loved to meet her.

Pacita Cabando, is my Mom’s grandmother. I have few stories to tell about her, but I do recall my Mom telling me about her being such a devout Catholic. She also lived her life in an island, in Banacon, & that she would wake up my Mom very early every morning, to pray her numerous novenas. I wonder about her life & how it must have been for her, to have borne 2 daughters, both unmarried & with children borne out of wedlock. But from what I understand, hers was the steady hand that guided my Mom while she grew up as a child, while my Lola was out working.

My last lola, I know her as Lola Baybay, my paternal grandmother who hailed from Baybay, Leyte, hence the name, as it was my Dad who gave us the monickers for each of our lolos & lolas, depending on the place they came from (that’s Lola Baybay – from Baybay,Leyte. That’s Lolo Carcar, from Carcar,Cebu). To help us little kids, from being confused in remembering the many grandparents we had. Lola Baybay died at sea, when I was three, when the boat from Baybay sank & there were many people who also died in that event. They said, when she was a young maiden, that she had a very persistent suitor, who she had spurned, & who, out of desperation, waited for her in the dark one night & accosted her. He became my lolo, & my Dad came nine months later. Theirs was not a happy marriage due to this tragic beginning, & my Lolo was enscripted into the army soon after their marriage, to fight the Japanese in WW II, & he died in the war. My father didn’t even have pictures of him, for these pictures were burned during the War,in case the Japanese would find them. Or perhaps this was the story that my paternal grandmother shared, for she was still full of bitterness because of what happened, & & seeing my Dad only made it worse, for they said my Dad looked so much like his father. Aside from my mental picture of this pained, bitter woman, Lola Baybay did get to marry another man after all, & had 2 daughters, but my Dad’s stepfather also died, which left him the sole breadwinner of the family & thus he grew up supporting my 2 aunts, & my Lola of course.

And what about the dead lolos? Mine really is a highly matriarchial family, for I have few stories to share about my lolos. They either died young, & left my lolas as widows, or they were quiet, non-descript men who didn’t figure much in the lives of my forebears. I do know, that both my Lolos served as soldiers during World War II, & that they were both part of the Bataan Death March, that 60 miles march during WWII where the Japanese forced 90,000-100,000 American & Filipino prisoners of war to march from the Bataan peninsula to prison camps. My paternal grandfather died along the way, while my maternal grandfather, owing perhaps to his street smarts related to his Chinese descent, was able to make ends meet & escape along the way. There must be a story there somehow, but as its already lost in the pages of history, & I can only make romantic guesses or notions about each finding the other. Or I somehow think about my dead Lolas, & the lives they must have led.

Which makes me wonder, when I’m dead & gone, what stories will my children’s children have of me? I do pray that life, & history will not leave me tales of woe such as these, although I do know that these women in my past have lived full lives, worthy in their pains & substance, & that they have made it possible for me to be here. And make my own story, that’s still in the telling.

AMERICAN DREAM

Went to the States, left last Aug10 & got back last Aug24. I really had fun during my US trip. Went to 3 states (California,Washington,Arizona) in my 14 days trip. Although I did spend a lot of that time waiting in airports (counted 12 airport stops, in 6 airports, logged in 38 flight hours), so its like 2 days of my trip was spent in transit. Lots of memories worth cherishing!

Things best remembered about my trip:

* Travelling becomes me. Felt so beautiful!= kept being complimented, from NAIA's security guard saying lasses from Cebu are really beautiful, to the black security lady at the Sacramento airport
calling me young lady, to the Mexican shopkeeper in San Francisco calling me "maganda", & the Washington Filipino restaurant owner telling my aunt I look so young & pretty.

* America: The Land of Plenty. Where are the people in the neighborhood? Was shocked at how few people there are. In my stay in the US,really only saw crowds when I'm at the airport, & even their malls are deserted (unlike SM over here). The US sure is huge. My mom said even if all Filipinos come to the US, there'd be space left over. Only saw 3 beggars in my whole stay in the different cities I visited. Freeway driving - so unlike the traffic jams back home. & radar detection signs if you go past the speed limit! & cameras on the road! Everything comes in big sizes - shampoo, lotion bottles,
etc.

* Home Sweet Home. US-Hermag version. I was so amazed by how Mom & Dad have made themselves such a beautiful home in Anaway,Sacramento. Their house was really nice, characterized by Mom's cleanliness, organization & beautification touches.

* Food! I gained 7 lbs in just 2 weeks! American pizza is as delicious as what we see in the movies! Visited & was toured by family & relatives & eating out was the norm. I love pigging out on vacation!

* Toastmasters Convention. Being a first timer at the TI convention was quite an experience for me.
It made me realize that I do belong to an international organization, seeing & getting to know
people from different countries, from different races. Being the VJ at Pawe's Videoke sing-along & coercing Toastmasters from different countries to sing songs. Time spent with dear Linus.

* Shopping!Bought gifts for home- I love Russ for Less = clothes, Shoes, shopping in California, the Arizona Desert Mall, bought books, even at Goodwill for ukay-ukay, American style = cheap, really nice clothes! My parents gave me 700USD to spend. Even shopped at Arizona airport, only mins.
after I'd disembarked from the plane, on the way to the bus stop to go to the hotel!

* Washington. I love Washington's greenery! Seattle was such a beautiful city, loved shopping at Pike's Place, going to the first Starbucks, & climbed the Seattle Space Needle! Ate Cherry's place on the Golf Course, with Bill Gates as neighbor, & near the lake, was impressive. Had fun with Jim, Jayme,Ethan & John(rambunctious but really adorable kids!). Had a tiring,early morning walk with Jim's parents.

* Arizona & the Desert Marriot. What the tour guide said that the temperature in Arizona is the same as in Baghdad, gives you an idea of how hot it was. Yet spent a morning walking the deserted streets of downtown Arizona with 3 senior citizens: Sirs Dodong & Noli & Mam Sonia. The locals must have thought we were crazy. The Desert Marriot is a 5star hotel, what fabulous pools! Took advantage of the Stargazing tour, but ended up moon-gazing instead! Loved looking at the moon craters(a high for a moon enthusiast such as me). Had a desert walking tour.

* Relatives Galore. All Filipinos have relatives in the States, & I was certainly no exception. Was shuttled back & forth between houses & States.Even my parents & sister were too busy & can't go on leave for the few days I stayed with each of them. Stayed with Auntie Pacit(my Dad's sister) & Uncle Allen in Washington where she toured me in Poulsbo, a really quaint,lakeside village. Stayed with Auntie Mila(my mom's cousin) in California & she & Auntie Prelly & Uncle toured me in San Francisco. Didn't have fun touring the shopping district with Auntie Mila - we went to Neiman Marcus & Gucci looking at jewelry & 3K USD bags! Would rather have visited Charmed house - rode the Sausalito ferry though & passed by Alcatraz Island & San Francisco Bridge.

* Friends Reunion. Met Glet, my best friend in college & her family (Icky,Gaby & Joshua Miguel, yup, he has almost the same name as my son! We weren't sure if we'd talked about it, but well Miguel is older so it was Glet who copied!). Also met Arlene, a close kabarkada in high school, & her husband. It was fun, we all had lunch in Mom & Dad's formal, rarely used dining room.

* California. California is so hot!!! Its really summer in August! Saw open spaces & dry brush all around. Toured Sacramento city hall grounds for America's retirees gathering with parents,
& got free food & shirts. Even had fireworks on my last night in the States due to the state fair.

* Family Reunion . Stayed with Ate Cherry & sina Mom & Dad in the States, but bonded more
when we all took the flight home to the US for another week-long vacation in Cebu. Though it was back to work for me, still had fun. Spent the 1st weekend at the Hilton Mactan. Touring Cebu. Ate Ethel arrived from Greece! The first time the whole family have been all together in 10 years.

Throughout my stay though, kept having bad dreams of the kids, the hubby, & of my workmates (& I never dream about people at work!)I guess I was missing family, what would have made my vacation complete would have been having the kids with me. & I was also worried about work, knowing this is just a breather for me, the eye before the storm. So after travelling, we all have to get our feet back on the ground once more. And face reality.

SILVER LININGS

Every cloud has a silver lining.
I’ve always loved that expression, in fact clung to it in times when the storm has been at its worst, sort of like grasping for straws in desperation. Still, looking at the positives in any given situation, does make my mood lighter. Thus, in the midst of the turmoil of my professional life, it bears looking at
why I love working in my present job, or things that have made my stay worthwhile in my present company.

1. Lexmark billboard model
2. Being a non-punching employee
3. Being part of the extended management staff
4. Being promoted to HR Officer
5. Overseeing an annual Php8M training budget
6. Having held 3 positions (being tasked with 3 growth assignments) in 5 years.
7. Having reached almost 5 years working in the same company
8. Being the voice behind the 6am,2pm,6pm & 10 pm prayer over the PA system everyday (for the past 4 years & counting)
9. Company cel
10. Company laptop
11. Working for a multinational, American company
12. Making the LIPI culture videos & starting the videoediting service in this company
13. Attending numerous training programs in Manila over the past years
14. Alegre beach resort stay due to company management outing
15. Significant salary increase every year
16. Good pay that has made it possible for me & my family to live comfortably these years
17. Coop loan facility
18. Singing in company programs!
19. Working in a really nice company facility
20. Hotel stays (Dusit,Galleria,Sofitel)
21. Friends acquired (meron din naman, I guess not a barkada type though like Aboitiz)
22. Being a Lexmark scholar & finishing my MBA!

Meredith Gray

Dr. Meredith Grey: At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross.

Dr. Meredith Grey: You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them, but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true.

Dr. Meredith Grey: At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you , and once in a while people may even take your breath away.

Dr. Meredith Grey: A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop.

Dr. Meredith Grey: I wish there were a rulebook for intimacy. Some kind of guide to tell you when you've crossed the line. It would be nice if you could see it coming, and I don't know how you fit it on a map. You take it where you can get it, and keep it as long as you can. And as for rules, maybe there are none. Maybe the rules of intimacy are something you have to define for yourself

Dr. Meredith Grey: I've heard that it's possible to grow up - I've just never met anyone who's actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don't go our way, we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark, we look for comfort where we can find it, and we hope - against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope...

Dr. Meredith Grey: If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you wanna spend it

Dr. Meredith Grey: Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time pain can be managed but sometimes the pain gets you where you least expect it. Hits way below the belt and doesn't let up. Pain, you just have to fight through, because the truth is you can't outrun it and life always makes more.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Pick *me*. Choose *me*. Love *me*.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. Head on, guns blazing. De Nile. It's not just a river in Egypt, it's a freakin' ocean. So how do you keep from drowning in it?

Dr. Meredith Grey: There's something to be said about a glass half full. About knowing when to say when. I think it's a floating line. A barometer of need and desire. It's entirely up to the individual. And depends on what's being poured. Sometimes all we want is a taste. Other times there's no such thing as enough, the glass is bottomless. And all we want, is more.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human. Maybe, we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.

Dr. Meredith Grey: At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. Some things you say cause there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Four hundred years ago, another well-known English guy had an opinion about being alone. John Donne. He thought we were never alone. Of course, it was fancier when he said it. "No man is an island entire unto himself." Boil down that island talk, and he just meant that all anyone needs is someone to step in and let us know we're not alone. And who's to say that someone can't have four legs. Someone to play with or run around with, or just hang out.

Dr. Meredith Grey: Sometimes doing something is worse than doing nothing.

Dr. Meredith Grey: When you were a kid, it was Halloween candy. You hid it from your parents and you ate it until you got sick. In college, it was the heavy combo of youth, tequila and well, you know. As a surgeon, you take as much of the good as you can get because it doesn't come around nearly as often as it should. 'Cause good things aren't always what they seem. Too much of anything, even love, is not always a good thing.

Dr. Meredith Grey: How do you know when how much is too much? Too much too soon. Too much information. Too much fun. Too much love. Too much to ask... And when is it all just too much to bear?

Dr. Meredith Grey: Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking the harder it becomes to know what to say. Or how to ask for what we really need.

Dr. Meredith Grey: The fantasy is simple. Pleasure is good. And twice as much pleasure is better. That pain is bad. And no pain is better. But the reality is different. The reality is that pain is there to tell us something. And there is only so much pleasure we can take without getting a stomachache. And maybe that's okay. Maybe some fantasies are only supposed to live in our dreams.

Dr. Meredith Grey: At the end of the day, when it comes down to it, all we really want is to be close to somebody. So this thing, where we all keep our distance and pretend not to care about each other, is usually a load of bull. So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to, and once we've chosen those people, we tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them, the people that are still with you at the end of the day - those are the ones worth keeping. And sure, sometimes close can be too close. But sometimes, that invasion of personal space, it can be exactly what you need.

Piracy

Piracy. I know its a crime.

Like I know I wouldn't steal a cellphone. I wouldn't steal a car.

But let's face it. Pirated CDs are so cheap as compared to the original items.

And I figure, in a third world country such as the Philippines,

buying these pirated CDs wouldn't matter, coz so few can ill afford to buy a P300-500 worth CD.

This year has been the year that I've discovered the lure of pirated CDs.

What with my self-imposed exile, a lot of my time has been spent at home

watching these CDs. Am especially partial to CDs of television series,

& weekend marathons (16 or more hours) watching these shows,

is my current addiction.

Here are the television shows in CD version, that I've watched this year:

* Prison Break (Season 1 & 2) = Lincoln Burrows is on death row for the murder of the vice president's brother. He insists he's innocent and only his brother Michael Scofield believes him. As an engineer who helped design the prison where Lincoln is being held, Michael takes drastic measures to help his brother. He gets himself arrested and sent to the same prison so that with his knowledge of the building the two of them can escape together. However, while inside, Michael discovers a massive conspiracy that is determined to see Lincoln's sentence carried out. Breaking out will be more difficult than he thought, but he's still going to try. (Note: I like this series because, hell, I can so relate with the characters, that feeling of being imprisoned & wanting to break free).

* Heroes = the story of several people who "thought they were like everyone else... until they woke with incredible abilities" such as telepathy, time travel and flight. These people soon realize they have a role in preventing a catastrophe and saving mankind. The series follows the writing style of American comics with short, multi-episode story arcs story that build upon a larger, more encompassing arc. (Note: Always been fascinated with superheroes, from watching Superfriends & the Hall of Justice, back in my childhood days. If I had a superpower abilities, well, I'd love to have the ability to teleport - coz I hate commuting!, but on a deeper level, I'd love the power to bring out the good in people, sort of a more active power than that dwarf character in Xmen who had the power to strip Xmen of their powers when he's in the vicinity)

* Invasion = When a small town at the edge of the Florida Everglades is threatened by a raging hurricane, U.S. Park Ranger Russell Varon must go to great lengths to protect the small community and his family safe. During the storm his young daughter claims to have seen mysterious lights, seemingly unaffected by the gale-force winds, floating near the water. Varon dismisses the sighting, but begins to wonder if there really was some truth to the story after his missing ex-wife turns up naked and her memory of the storm is completely gone.While the community begins to clean up after the storm and piece their lives back together, Varon begins to investigate the strange happenings as he tries to make sense of what is happening. (Note: I'm fascinated with aliens also, I started watching this on TV's Crime & Suspense channel & was so happy that there was a CD available)

* Jericho = After a nuclear disaster caused by several terrorist attacks destroys most of America, residents of a small Kansas town must come to terms with a new and very different reality. (Note: I love end of the world scenarios, or disaster movies/genre. There's something about contemplating the end of the world, that puts all things in perspective)

* Lost (Seasons 1-3) = follows the lives of Oceanic flight 815 survivors on a tropical island, somewhere in the South Pacific. (Note: Always toyed with the idea, what if I'm shipwrecked on an island, well I wouldn't mind if I'm in the company of these guys: Jack, Sawyer, Sayid,Charlie....The mystery of this island gets me hooked though, like where is it that these people are really?)

* Grey's Anatomy (Season 3) = A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors. (Note: I just love the dialogue! Plus, my first dream was always to become a doctor...)

* Commander-In-Chief: (Note:Technically, this shouldn't be in my list, because I'm just watching this on TV. But the story is so good, & this for me is the best of all I've mentioned above. I actually saw a CD of this in the mall, & this was before I saw the first TV episode, I had thought of buying it but was low on funds that day. When I went back to buy it, it was gone. So bad! So I actually sacrific & stay up till 11:30 pm Wed nights just to watch this on TV.Imagine!)Mackenzie Allen (Academy Award®-winner Geena Davis), the 45-year-old Independent Vice President of the United States, is about to venture into territory no woman has entered before. While at an official ceremony with husband and Chief of Staff Rod Allen (Kyle Secor), she is informed by the President's Chief of Staff, Jim Gardner (Harry Lennix), and the Attorney General that President Bridges is about to undergo emergency brain surgery for a tumor.MacKenzie Allen becomes the first woman American president after she ascends to the job following the death of president Teddy Bridges.

Well, the bummer about watching television series on pirated CDs is that they run out of episodes, & you have to wait for the next season. But then, I guess its a good thing really, coz you can't just go on and on and on....