Where's Your Sense of Humor?

Sometimes I can take things or decisions in life too seriously. I'm still learning to lighten up. In the meantime I love surrounding myself around really funny, passionate, and positive people.

If you know me you'll know that I laugh REALLY loud! I know Angelo makes fun of me. I mean, I really belt my laughs. My mom says its not proper for a lady to have such a hearty laugh. My head tilts back and you could probably see my tonsils! But when I think something or someone is really funny I really let go! I love sharing a good laugh. I think it really bonds you to someone. Mostly because they get you and your silliness.

Anyways, I need a laugh today so tell me your funny and corny jokes. Ok, here's my joke: What did the Salmon say when he hit the wall? He said, "DAM!" he he he Get it? Dam? Damn?! Ok, you're turn ;)

This Made My Day

Gerber daisies are my favorite flowers! Thank you for my surprise!

About Me

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's just the nature of December with the holidays rolling around. Its nice to have some down time though. One more week of work and then I am off for vacation for two weeks in Bali. I can't believe I'll be spending Christmas and New years in Bali! So i'll be spending the first week in Bali all by my lonesome and Missy will meet up with me after new years. I was a little hesitant about traveling alone but I say screw it! I'll conquer Bali on my own. Every year just keeps getting better despite little glitches here and there. Whatev.

Aunt Judy forwarded me this and I couldn't resist to fill this out.


1. What time did you get up this morning?
10:00 am

2. Do you like diamonds or pearls?
Duh, diamonds!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Enchanted

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Sex In The City

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
cereal with soy milk, fruit

6. What is your middle name?
Mae

7. What food do you dislike?
Durian fruit

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Bebo Norman-Between The Dreaming and The Coming True

9. What kind of car do you drive?
Mirage

10. Favorite sandwich?
Turkey, Avocado, and swiss cheese

11. What characteristic do you despise?
gossip

12. Favorite item of clothing?
tank tops

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation,
where would you go?
I want to back pack India for a month or zip line in Brazil!

14. What color is your bathroom?
Mocha, white, and Coral

15. Favorite brand of clothing?
Jcrew

16. Where would you retire to?
Anywhere with the love of my life and family.

17. What was your most memorable birthday?
My 30th in La Jolla, California with my best friends.

18. Favorite sport to watch?
Volleyball

19. Farthest place you are sending this?
East Coast

20. Who do you least expect to send this back to you?
Joy

21. Person you expect to send it back first?

Rae

22. Favorite saying?
shooot!

23. When is your birthday?
5/21

24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning

25. What is your shoe size?
6 1/2

26. Pets?
none yet, I want a dog when I move back to the states.

27. Any new and exciting news you like to share?
Last Weekend I spent three days in Tokyo with Greg. Toyko rocks.

28. What did you want to be when you were little?
Nurse

29. What are you today?
Registered Dental Hygienist

30. What is your favorite candy?
Currently it's Expressions Chocolate covered blueberries

31. What is your favorite flower?
Pink Peonies

32. What day on the calendar are you looking forward to?
New years.

33. What church do you attend?
Lately i have been doing my own devotionals out on the beach or at Bonzai.

34. What is your full name?
Beverly Mae Cabanatan

35. What are you listening to right now?
Christmas music

36. What is the last thing you ate?
Hyatt Veggie Fajitas at street market

37. Do you wish upon a star?
Sometimes

38. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Red

39. How is the weather right now?
Warm Sunny skies

40. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Michael

41. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
yes

42. What is your favorite soft drink?
Diet Coke

43. What is your favorite restaurant?
Grotto 2298 in Saipan
Splashes in Laguna Beach, California

44. Hair color?
Black . . . thinking about getting high lights and cutting it.

45. Siblings?
1 big brother, Ed and 1 little sister, Gin. Yup, i'm the middle child

46. Favorite day of the year?
Friday. I only work a half a day.

47. Your favorite toy as a child?
Easy bake oven

48 Summer or winter?
Winter. I miss snowboarding and wearing winter clothes like scarfs, beanies . . .

49. Hugs or kisses?
hugs

50. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate

51. Do you want your friends to email you back?
yes

52. When was the last time you cried ?
when i crashed on my bike=(

53. What is under your bed?
nothing

54. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Raelene, my best friend since the second grade.

55. What did you do last night?
Walked street market and ate alot of food.

56. Favorite smell?
Fresh Plumerias

57. What are you afraid of?
losing a loved one

58. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn?
buttered

59. How many keys on your key ring?
two

60. How many years at your current job?
one year in Saipan.

61. What is your favorite day of the week?
Sabbath

62 How many towns have you lived in?
four

63. Do you make friends easily?
yes

Three Words

Get Over It.

And then move on with your life. Thats all I would like to say for today. lol

Change Is Good

Most people are uncomfortable with change. I think its easy to get stuck in a routine or set in your ways. I'm so tired of having a set schedule especially when it comes to training. I get restless. I usually hit Gold's Gym or Beach Road for my morning runs. Beach Road is nice for a run because of the view of the lagoon in the mornings however the fumes from all the cars passing by really bothers me.

For a change early Friday morning EJ and I drove up to Suicide Cliff and ran from the base of the hill all the way up to Suicide's look out. Its a gradual steep incline run and it's a killer on my legs. I'm so glad we did that. I love the north part of the island because its so green and it's away from everything.

When your running, there is nothing out there but you and the road. My thoughts are silenced and I am left with the feeling of numbness. Numbness is good. Sometimes I think i just need time to zone out and forget about . . . I think I have come down with a case of island fever and am longing for my trip to San Francisco. 17 more days till I can breakaway . . .

Blah

I have come down with a wicked cold, again! Whatever it is, it has progressed in the past 2 weeks. Dag nab it, I think its time to see a Dr. I can't seem to shake it. Any suggestions for natural cures of the wicked cold?? Hmmm, what has helped so far: chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwich, laughing at the funny sayings in the Princess Bride movie even though it hurts to breathe, and great company! heh

My Personal Influences: 52 People Who Have Changed and Shaped My Life

I found it challenging to compose a master list of people who have influenced my life. There are so many that I considered. I think everyone I have come across throughout my life has impacted my life in some positive or negative way. For this post I chose to focus only on the positive influences in my life. The number 52 was random and just how many names I ended up with. Most of these people I still keep in contact with but some I have lost touch with. I’m so blessed and grateful to have these people in my life even if some were just for a season in my life.

So inbetween my scuba diving and other random posts I will be writing about each category and how each of them touched my life. By the way I stole this idea from Sean.

Influence: Affect, Have an impact on, Impact, Guide, Determine, Control, Shape, Govern, Decide, Change, Alter, Transform.

Family

Antonia Cabanatan
Eddie Cabanatan
Ginger Ath
Sitha Ath
Edward Cabanatan
Janice Cadavona
Jourdanne Cadavona

Spiritual Influences

Pastor David Asscherick
Pastor Michael Knecht
Michael and Gemma Mercado

Teachers and Mentors

Nicholas Caplanis, DDS, MS
Chuck Dart
Sylvia Davis
Mairlyn Heide, MPH, RDH, BS
Shirley Lee, RDH, BS
Joni Stephens, RDH, Ed.S
Kristi Wilkins, RDH, BS
Lane Thomsen, DDS, MS

Formative Friends

Nicole Cayabyab
Raelene F. Delamen
Brandy Humphries
Michelle S. Kim
Olga L. Loreto
Angelica Martinez
Susie Nguyen
Janssen and Jennifer Sacro
Michael A. Sacro
Sheila M. Sausi
David F. Soliven, Jr.
Erween Tangunan
Maggie Woods

Catalyst

Rosana Beharry
Lori Cerna
Missy Chamberlain
Atsuko Eck
Genevieve Koh
Britney Gleason
Grant Graves
John Moreno
Angelo Villagomez

Inspiration for 2007

Maria Agulto
Maritess Castillo
Cinta and Gus Kaipat
Sean and Barbara Maycock
Melissa Nguyen
Mai-Rhea Odjyar
Crystal and Ken Pierson

Bubble's Last 8

Boni , EJ ,and Deece tagged me to list my last random eight. So here they are!

1. Last Music Concert I went to: Jack Johnson (San Diego, CA) I love a guy who can sing and play the guitar! I want to see
his concert in Hawaii =) My favorite song so far is Banana Pancakes



2. Last Purchase: My Canon SD 850 camera, underwater
housing unit, and 2gb memory card. It is suppose to arrive on either Saturday (fingers crossed) or maybe Monday.
3. Last time I got pulled over: Last year for sleepy driving From the OC to Loma Linda. The cop thought I was drunk but I
was not.
4. Last TV Show watched: Curb Your Enthusiasm (Larry David is so funny!)
5. Last drink: Iced Green Tea Latte at The Bean’s Coffee shop (mMMm)
6. Last Song played on my ipod: Sweetest Thing by U2
7. Last time I cried: While I was chopping onions to make eggplant curry. Note to self: wear scuba diving mask while chopping onions.
8. Last phone call received: My 2 year old niece, Katelynn, is my 5:30 am daily wakeup call. She says “hello!” and
everything else I cannot understand! Isn’t she the cutest ever? You will not be my friend if you disagree =P heh



I'd like to tag Crystal, Sean, Grant, Mai, Brit, Greg and Rosana. Go Go Go!

Thoughts on Running

I started running as a reaction to the road. Before I moved to Saipan, I use to commute 65 miles one way to work everyday. Traffic and long commutes to work became a daily routine. Actually, it is a way of life out here in Southern California. I was so busy working that I had put on 10 pounds over a year without noticing. I was just too tired to exercise after work. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t fat but I wasn’t healthy either. That’s the day I bought my first pair of running shoes, and I haven’t quit running since.

I started running 20 miles a week and I lost the weight fast. I feel so much sharper now. I consider myself a beginner, but I like that. I enjoy it more when I feel like I’m learning a lot. My shoes are the one of two things I’ll take everywhere with me. The other is my ipod.

I went running with the Sacros at Mile Square Park in Orange County. Michael and I sprinted towards the end and I almost won. We ran a good four miles tonight. While I was running I thought about my morning run in Saipan. There is a trail on Beach Road that I run every other morning. I get up just before sunrise, drive down to Beach Rd and start running.

Running has been a safe haven for me. It’s my time to reflect. It's quite addicting actually. Early morning it’s quiet, the water is like glass, and as the sun comes up her coral rays scatter across the ocean. I look around and think, what a luxury.

Sometimes I hate getting up at 6 am for a run after being up so late. But I tell myself I can go back to bed as soon as I’m done. Usually, I’m dumb enough to believe it.

Note to self: LIVE your life.

Dag Nab it! The big 3-0 is approaching around the corner. I came across this poem at lunch yesterday while eating at Remington Cafe in Garapan entitled: On The Road. It "woke" me up again and reminded me to take more risks in life.

On The Road

Aren't you bored standing on the sidelines
Watching others run really hard
Cheering them on
And exchanging opinions?
Worrying if you'll be able to finish the race
Standing at the start line with uncertainties

Its time to get up there on the road
And start running
Its ok even if its slowly
And if it gets tiring, then walking is ok
Coming in last place is ok, with each step the scenery will change
Even if you run in place
The soles of your shoes are bound to wear out.

I think its easy to get caught up in the rat race and than lose your passion for life. Anyway, it made things more clearer for me! Just thoughts about living life to its fullest . . . =)

Catch 30

Meet my best friend Mel. Mel and I met fourteen years ago during our freshman year in high school. Our friendship has outlasted ex-boyfriends, careers, and past hurts. She's more than a best friend. She's like my sister.

She's half Chinese and half Filipina. She's a talker! She loves to bake. She loves being a mom. She loves to camp with her air mattress. Two words: retail therapy. Her closet is organized by colors. She's thoughtful, often sending me home made cards and care packages from Colorado. I appreciate her honesty. She tells me what I need to hear not what I want to hear. She's the kind of friend that will pick up 3 am calls. She's always encouraging. Just a beautiful person inside and out.

It has been a challenging road for her these past couple of years. I have just admired her quiet strength and attitude to push forward through some of the difficulties she deals with on a daily basis. When I lived in California I would always talk to her on my cell while driving to work everyday. Since I have moved to Saipan it has been harder to keep in touch because of the time difference. So we have found a creative way of staying close with our daily lives. Everyday we email one picture. My pictures have ranged from the sunsets in Saipan, to gross teeth I work on, to what I ate for dinner, to church activities, to diving . . . And she emails me pics of her, her family, her dogs, the snow in colorado, friends.

Mel is the first one in our little click to turn thirty. My other best friend, Rae, is in Colorado celebrating with Mel this weekend. I wish I could be there=( I just feel really blessed to have such great friends. Their friendship is the best part of my everyday. Happy 30th Birthday Mel!!=)

100 Things About Me

Because I had time . . . This post was inspired by Deece

100 things about me.

1. Fall is my favorite season
2. Coffee addict
3. I currently dig the sounds of Jack Johnson, Rodgrigo y Gabriela
4. I love coffee ice cream
5. I like to drive with my bare feet
6. I dislike my hands
7. I’m the middle child
8. Shoe fetish
9. I dislike mayo
10. I’m an early riser
11. I love volleyball
12. Favorite book: Memoirs of Geisha
13. My middle name is Mae
14. Art enthusiast
15. I want to salsa dance with Alex Da Silva
16. I hate being late. I hate it when people are late.
17. I speed.
18. I like lounging at Bookstores like Barnes ‘n Noble or Borders
19. I love deep tissue massages.
20. Love Pottery barn and Crate and Barrel
21. My favorite holiday: Christmas
22. My favorite flower: Pink Peonies
23. My favorite scent: Ralph Lauren girl or Victoria Secret Love Spell
24. Love Godiva chocolate covered strawberries
25. I want a Toyota FJ or Tacoma truck.
26. Believer in Christ
27. Born and raised in Loma Linda, CA
28. I shop online.
29. When I lived in Laguna Beach, I watched the sunset everyday.
30. I have a Mac laptop.
31. I love spicy food
32. I wore coke bottle classes from elementary up until freshmen year in high school
33. San Diego Charger Fan
34. Laker Fan
35. I enjoy watching CSI, Food network, Grey’s Anatomy, and Sex and the City
36. I like Orbit Peppermint Gum.
37. I played the clarinet in high school
38. My favorite teacher is Dr. Lane Thomsen (oral pathology)
39. I’m sentimental
40. I've learned the happiness is a journey not a destination
41. I never swam in the ocean until I came to Saipan
42. Favorite place that I’ve visited so far: Paris, France
43. I’m a registered dental hygienist
44. I’m CPR certified
45. I like to dress up.
46. I love watching plays
47. Favorite love story: When Harry Met Sally
48. INFJ
49. Quiet exterior
50. I sing loud in the shower
51. I’m scared of the dark
52. I believe that with every ending is a new beginning.
53. Passionate about serving God
54. Independent
55. Accepting
56. Brevity
57. Favorite memory verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love . . . It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
58. My favorite animal: monkey
59. I’d like to try to be a professional photojournalist.
60. I dislike flakey people.
61. Nicknames: Bev, Bevie, Bevers, Beaver, Bubbles, Ganda, Cana, veggie Filipina
62. I love my family.
63. I’m so lucky to have a lot of close friends. True friends that I can really count on.
64. My favorite color: blue
65. I haven’t broken any bones.
66. I cheat when I do crossword puzzles
67. I read the end of each book before I start it.
68. I’m a donor.
69. I like cats.
70. I love a guy who can sing and play the guitar.
71. Shoe size 6 ½
72. I’m 5’1” tall
73. I have one tattoo
74. Favorite fruit: oranges
75. I love it when he makes me laugh.
76. Favorite board game: Scrabble
77. I want three kids
78. My hair is usually chin length. This is the longest I’ve had it since high school.
79. I want to get my DDS degree and practice as a missionary dentist.
80. I was born the year of the snake
81. Idealist
82. I want to try and live in New York for a couple of years.
83. I speak more Spanish than Tagalog =(
84. People watcher
85. Star gazer
86. True romantic at heart
87. I love meeting new people
88. I want to get my pilot’s license
89. I want to try extreme snowboarding
90. Training for a Triathlon this year.
91. 3 things I do everyday: floss, check email, and pray
92. I’m horrible with remembering names
93. Favorite Restaurant back home: Ruby’s
94. Someone, who I’ll always keep close to my heart, taught me the importance of finding balance in life.
95. I’m a photo junkie.
96. I hold my breathe and make a wish whenever I drive through a tunnel
97. I wish I were a better writer.
98. My favorite spot in Saipan: So far it is the cliffs near Dan Dan. I could sit there forever.
99. I’m stubborn
100. I laugh LOUD!

Bev-The Nun.

Conversation with a local while standing in line at the grocery store Joeten's:

Local: So you said you’re a missionary?
Me: Yes.
Local: So does that mean you don’t date?
Me: I’m trying to focus on my mission out here.
Local: So you’re a nun?
Me: (Laughs) No! I’m a missionary!
Local: But are you dating out here?
Me: No.
Local: So you’re a nun!
Me: I’m a Missionary not a nun!
Local: (Laughs)

heh! :P~

Home Sweet Home

My cousin, Mitch, posted this pic on his myspace page. Its a pic of my exit off the 10 E freeway back home in So Cali. and today . . . it made me miss home=(

On Procrastination

A couple of hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. He said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” This is the man who discovered electricity for goodness sake . . . you think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I have to admit that procrastination is a weakness of mine. I don’t know why I put things off. It could be fear of failing, fear of rejection, fear of making the wrong decision, or it could just be sheer laziness. I’ve heard all the Chinese proverbs and sayings . . . He who hesitates is lost. Wasted times. Carpe Diem. You’d think I’d take these sayings to heart. But still sometimes things are left unsaid and undone. I just have to keep remembering that tomorrow may never come and the window of opportunity to take care of things may be lost . . .

5 Things

Hummm . . . 5 Things You Probably Don't Know about me:

1. I went to Interior Design School at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchadising in Los Angeles. When I first got out of highschool I was trying to avoid the usual route a filipina goes - nursing school. I loved art and design. I compiled my work for my portfolio and was accepted to design school. A career in the Interior Design field did not last
very long given that I lacked the competitive edge back then in order to make it big in the design industry. Its more of a hobby for me.

2. When I eat french fries I dip them in a mixture of mustard, ketchup, and pepper. I don't know what it is about the mix but I cannot eat fries without it!

3. I got "kicked out" of the Cathedrals Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur in Europe during our euro backpacking trip. I'm a photo junkie! There are signs posted all over the cathedrals that says no pictures allowed in certain areas of the church. I couldn't help but sneak a picture here and there. So during my last shot I was escorted out of the church=( My friends were kneeling and in the middle of saying a prayer when the deacon escorted them out as well! Needless to say, i got all three of us kicked out twice in one day. Sorry Angie and Mng J but the pics turned out beautifully=)

4. I mostly see out of my left eye.

5. I star gaze and am hoping to see the northern lights someday.


Next I'm going to tag Grant, Walt, Angelo, Sean, Ken and Crystal, Steve and hope they will respond=)

Reboot!!

I mostly attend all church, choir, women's ministry, school, and clinic functions. This week was a bit tiresome for me so I opted to skip out on one beach vespers. And at church today, I got a million questions from everyone where I was=( My answer: I simply needed time for myself to breathe and reboot. I think I got alittle overwhelmed with all the things I need to get done this year along with trying to decide if I should stay another year. Funny thing, I went down to the Fish and Wildlife Division yesterday to report an incident and I saw this sign: "God put me here to accomplish a certain number of things and I am behind! I'm never going to die!" I just sat there cracking up and the employees were just looking at me like I was crazy! Time alone to do nothing keeps me sane . . . And so I'm off again to CHC Hospital with Women's Ministry to sing and pray with patients. Happy Sabbath!

Words.Words.Words

My morning walks. The water is like glass at 6 in the morning.

Why do people say such cruel words to each other and then try and take it back later? When things are said, its done and over with . . . you can't take it back no matter how much you want to. I don't think most people realize the power of words and how they can affect you tremendously. Yes, there are times when someone really pushes me and I want to say something . . . but I always try to hold my tongue because I know I'm going to regret it later. So here's a thought: say what you mean and mean what you say. Oh, and exercise some discipline please.

On Planning

Planning is what I do best. We had our first church board meeting last night to prepare for the upcoming year. Each department gave dates and events they have planned for the 2007 calender year. One by one each month was filled and just like that, the year was planned out in less than a couple of hours. Its only the first week of January and I feel busy already! With God's help, we are really hoping to make an impact in Saipan this year.

Not that anyone cares . . . but I was just thinking about how different it feels to be "involved" with church rather than just "attending" church. Being on the other side of things has really opened my eyes to see how much effort and dedication it takes for a church to really grow not just exist.

I have a new found respect for our pastoral leaders because I see the weight they carry on their shoulders. We can't do it alone. Everyone is busy with work, family, school . . . it is easy to just sit back and think that someone else can do it. But it is an awesome sight to see different people in the church stepping up to challenges and dedicating their time to ensure things get done despite the busyness of their lives.. I am really excited about being here in Saipan and I'm really excited to see how God is going to work through us this year.

Soundtracks to LIFE

Because I am bored and high on coffee. . . You set your ipod to shuffle and fill in the songs in order of the following questions. And there is to be no cheating, although we will both wish I had by the end of this.

Waking Up: Woo Hoo . . .The 5.6.7.8’S
First Day at School: World In My Eyes . . . Depeche Mode
Falling In Love: Stronger . . . Britney Spears
Fight Song: Yes, I believe . . . Point of Grace
Breaking Up: Whereever You Will Go . . . The Calling
Prom: Dansez-Vous . . . Pink Martini
Breakdown: Say Somethin’ . . . Mariah Carey
Ballroom Blitz: The First Cut Is The Deepest . . . Sheryl Crow
Wedding: Ultra Violet (Light My Way) . . . U2
Birth of Child: Cousin Mary John . . . John Coltrane
Final Battle: Beautiful Stranger . . . Madonna
Death Scene: Clocks . . . Coldplay
Funeral Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends . . . Green Day
Credit: I Have Always Loved you . . . Enrique

Okay, a little embarrassed about Enrique . . . You can file this entry under WTF, TMI, or both