About me :-)

Four Things You Don't Know About Me

Real Name: Marianne Sheryl Ibañez Saminal

Four jobs that I have had in my life:

1. garment merchandiser
2. business coordination specialist (merchandiser din for short)
3. formatter
4. billing clerk

Four movies I have watched more than once (or 100 times) :
1. a walk to remember (the best love story)
2. sound of music (recommended for all)
3. magnifico (don’t bring hanky, prepare a towel)
4. billy eliott (i only stopped watching it when I lost the vcd)

4 Places I have lived:
1. phnom penh, cambodia
2. laguna, philippines
3. tay ninh province, vietnam
4. albay, philippines

Four TV shows I watch:
1. maging sino ka man
2. palos
3. lobo
4. tv patrol

Four places I have been:
1. baguio City
2. ho chi minh City
3. dalat City
4. legazpi city

Four People who e-mail me (regularly):
1. grace
2. marmie
3. ryan
4. dayrich

Four favorite foods:
1. adobo
2. seafood friedrice
3. fried chicken
4. carbonara

Four Places I would like to visit:
1. Machu Picchu
2. Batanes
3. Palawan
4. Boracay

Four friends I think will respond:
1.
2.
3.
4.

4 things I am looking forward this year:
1. watch 2008 beijing olympics
2. vacation/trip with my whole family
3. buy a laptop computer
4. spiritual and emotional maturity

A Thought

A Thought

The boy in the hill staring out at the stars.
Deeply wondering why, his soul is in disguise.
No matter what I do, emptiness creeps.
Sign of losing is trailing behind.

Across the universe, people do cry.
In joy and in sorrow you wonder why?
I had been insanely waiting for what
Unknown anxiety deep in my heart.

Hopelessness cripples my dreams
But faith lingers deep within.
Don’t worry for tomorrow
Don’t be bothered by today.

Shadow of the night will come
Open your eyes and be alarmed
Truth sometimes hard to bear
Nevertheless it just gives a scare.

Fuji S-5700

It’s Friday once again and I heard it will be our salary day..wooohooo...I will be able to send again money back home. I am also planning to buy a digital camera. Well as I only have limited budget I’m really praying that it will worthy to have one. I had been reading digital camera reviews for the past week to help me decide what to buy. Well, as we all know if you want a branded and superb digital camera, then, for sure there is a high price behind it. I found one camera last week in Sorya mall (Phnom Penh), the brand is Fuji model S-5700 and cost around $249.00 It was like love at first sight or should I say physical attraction.I think this camera was launch in the market maybe two years ago. I was impressed with its features like 7.1mp and 10X zoom capacity. Regarding its other features...hmp..Im not sure of it yet. Maybe when I have it in my hand,I can discover it further. I was really dreaming of a Canon or Nikon DLSR cameras but whew the price were really high. Maybe I can start first with Fuji then see if I really have talent in photography (LOL)...I'm really afraid of being disappointed because it's hard to earn the money so I really really really pray that this camera is worthwhile.

But if in any case someone can read my blog that has a knowledge in photography I hope you can give me some advise. Ciao...

Valentine's Day 2008

Just for fun...see below if will match you...got this email from a friend...

February 14, Valentines day, come to work wearing your heart on your sleeve…

Wear WHITE if you are SINGLE AND LOOKING
Wear GRAY if you are NOT INTERESTED IN RELATIONSHIPS/COMMITMENTS
Wear RED if you are COMMITTED AND HAPPY
Wear BROWN if you are COMMITTED BUT YOU WANT OUT
Wear BLUE if you are IN LOVE WITH YOUR FRIEND/LIKE SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE
Wear YELLOW if you are DATING/INLOVE BUT NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP
Wear GREEN if you are in a 3RD PARTY RELATIONSHIP
Wear BLACK if you are BROKENHEARTED
Wear STRIPES if you have MORE THAN ONE RELATIONSHIP
Wear PINK if you are in SAME SEX RELATIONSHIP
Wear ORANGE you DIDN’T HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP SINCE BIRTH

Thank You

thank you for my great parents...
thank you for the best brothers...
thank you for supportive relatives...
thank you for the catholic faith...
thank you for letting me finish college...
thank you for having a very challenging job...
thank you for having good friends...
thank you for my complete senses...
thank you for letting me go abroad for free...
thank you for letting me enjoy music...
thank you for letting me appreciate nature...
thank you for giving me patience...
thank you for being patient with me...
thank you for all your mercy...
thank you for all you graces...
thank you for the salvation...

Questions???Questions???Questions???

I will be turning 29 on October, but it seems I have so many things still undone. I had been working for almost 9 years but until now I do not have any savings. I don’t have my own house. I don’t have my own car. I had been to 6 different companies but I still feel that I don’t have yet the expertise in my chosen field – Garment Industry. I can say that I am fortunate enough being able to work in Vietnam and Cambodia but still not enough to boost my confidence that I am good. I have so many questions still unanswered. What am I here for? What’s my purpose? What is true happiness? Where I can find true happiness? Am I useful?

I have seen a lot of people same as my age or even younger than me that are very fulfilled and confident about themselves. Why I cannot feel the same way? I know for the fact that comparing myself with other people will make me feel inferior but comparison gives realization. It usually helps to open my mind into changes and improvement. Why is it very hard to achieve contentment? I should be happy because I have my father, mother and two younger brothers who are very supportive of me. It gives me happiness to see that I am able to help out my family but still…it doesn’t give contentment.

While working here in Cambodia, weekend and salary day gives me temporary happiness. Hanging out and talking with colleagues brings joy and ease in my life.
After all of this temporal happiness, there is somewhere that still questions life and a very deep emptiness inside of me. Emptiness gives sadness and makes a person succumb to depression. Last, year I was in a great depression. I was in so much pressure and stress. I cannot get my work done properly. I committed so many stupid mistakes and errors. There were mornings that I feel I don’t want to wake –up anymore. I would even pray for death to come on me. I just want to give –up.

Right now, the work is not much, but I do not know why I feel guilty that I don’t have much to do. I should be happy right? When I am alone, I ask myself am I being crazy? Why do I always have to worry in my so called life. Can I just be happy of what I have and no need to worry about tomorrow? I know I am not perfect but I am trying to be a good daughter, sister, employee and a Christian. There was even a time I asked my brother that I need to see a psychologist. I think I need professional help to ease down my anxiety in life.

There are times when I’m contemplating to leave this job and be a volunteer in helping people in Cambodia. But again a question will pop my head. How can I help others when I cannot even help myself. I just pray I will get over this confusion in me. I really want to be useful. I want to serve others. I want to serve God.

Chinese New Year - 2008

In-Front of the Hotel


May, Ate Connie, Myself and Ate Filma

Chinese New Year 2008 is coming. As our company’s expat employees were mostly from Chinese descent our company’s management prepared a dinner last night in (of course) a Chinese restaurant – Chung Shin Hotel. All of its foreign employees, Chinese and Filipino were invited in the celebration. Our subcontractor graced the occasion and some local employees were invited. The place is not an upscale one but they served a delicious rice noodle. Each table was also given one bottle of Johnny Walker (Black Label). At the beginning I was not in the mood to have a drinking spree but later on I tried to mix it with Coca Cola and I liked it.

As the dinner was finished earlier, we decided to proceed to Riverhouse (my new hang out…woohoo) for some dancing. We invited some Chinese and Filipino colleagues who never been there. We arrived before nine o’çlock and to our dismay the DJ will start only at ten o’clock. It’s so embarrassing but I really don’t want to go home yet. But as most of us cannot wait anymore until ten o’clock, we decided to go home. I was really frustrated because I had been waiting for the weekend to be able to go to Riverhouse. Well there are still so many weekend ahead and hopefully I will be luckier next time.

I had been enjoying hanging out in Riverhouse Restaurant and Lounge. I love the music they play and I love observing other people who are there to enjoy. It’s nice to see people from different backgrounds, different culture enjoying the fun of dancing. I am not a good dancer but at this point of my life I can say I’m suddenly addicted to dancing especially if Sean Paul’s ‘’Temperature’’ is playing.