A reflection on "Uncertainty"

We’ve been talking of “uncertainty” all day in our lecture on ISO17025. When you are working in the laboratory, every measurement you do has a subsequent uncertainty --for us to safeguard the quality of our analysis. It is a plus-minus a certain value giving you range of values… outside that range, you are not anymore confident of your result—you become more uncertain… you become doubtful…indecisive… For lab people like me--- we live in a milieu of uncertainties and measures. Haha!
I hope in real life I gain that self-assurance to live within the plus-minus range of God’s love… never doubtful of the purpose He has for me. I live a happily married life with a really good husband… not doubtful but certain that my life now is full of His blessings and care. When people around seem to be against me—I cling to that assurance that He is at my side to cheer for me. God’s love cannot be measured with uncertainty values because it is always certain. It is through deviating from it that we become doubtful of His presence in our life. My life as lab person is full of uncertainty measurement but my life as a Christian is made certain by the love of Jesus.

The look of uncertainty...

47 seconds... whew!

The amazing videographers... mga pogi (daw)... made this cool 47 seconds fast- paced video! This is a combination of the on-site avps of wawies these 3 hilarious guys made and fused into one video! Presenting... our wedding videographer--- Threelogy. Just click on the title to view the video!

Have You Been This Tired?

My friend emailed me these really cute pics...
















I was never been that tired... but I think my husband was!!! Haha!

Wedding upshot...

“I will love you as long as we both shall live…” Those were the final words of our wedding vows! What unusual sentiments these words brought to mind for each of our loved ones? But for me… I’ve been learning everyday the meaning of our vows. At the moment, I am experiencing marital bliss--- but I am expecting trials along our journey as husband and wife. It’s so beautiful to discover new things each day about ourselves... and as things unfold, we learn to accept and love each other more. Some features of my husband are as follows...Haha!

• Morning cough alarm---His morning cough is my wake-up call each morning. When he gets to the bathroom, he starts coughing. Raenan has this gastric reflux which causes his morning cough.
• 7 undies wash mode---I cannot wash his undies when he haven't used atleast 7 of them. Tipid sa sabon daw! Haha!
• Automatic shut-off time in 1 minute--- ganun kabilis siya makatulog! Kahit nagkukwento pa ko, tulog na pala.
• Biological alarm set at 6:20 a.m.--- kahit puyat kame, gigising pa din siya ng 6:20 a.m.
• Katingko addict--- He can't sleep without putting katingko in his nose. He's addicted to the menthol smell.
• 9 p.m. body stretching activation mode--- He does his body exercise and stretching at night and not in the morning.
• Jewel in the Palace fan--- avid fan talaga!

Some other features are private. hehe! Wala na ako mahahanap na husbandry na ganyan... but still I can trully say .." I will love him as long as I live!"

Post Valentine thoughts...


Got this while searching for the chemistry of xanthines... Very timely for the love month...

Monogamy

Only about three percent of mammals are monogamous, mating and bonding with one partner for life. Unfortunately, scientists tell us humans are not one of these naturally monogamous mammals.
Maybe a few injections of vasopressin would help us. It has been called the monogamy chemical.
By isolating male voles before and after mating, scientists found that lifelong mating could be linked to the action of vasopressin. Before mating, the male vole is friendly to male and female voles alike. Within 24 hours after mating, the male vole is hooked for life.
When the chemical vasopressin kicks in, he is indifferent to all females but one. He is also totally aggressive to other males with a classic exhibition of the jealous husband syndrome.

Cuddling

The chemical oxytocin has been termed the cuddling chemical. Linked to milk production in women, oxytocin makes women and men calmer and more sensitive to the feelings of others.
It plays an important role in romantic love as a sexual arousal hormone that signals orgasm and prompts cuddling between lovers before, during, and after lovemaking.
Oxytocin production is derived from both emotional and physical cues. A lover's voice, his/her certain look, or even a sexual fantasy can trigger the release of oxytocin.

Attachment

When infatuation subsides, a new group of chemicals takes over. This new type of chemical reward is created by endorphins.
These morphine-like opiates calm and reassure with intimacy, dependability, warmth, and shared experiences. Not as exciting or as stressful as PEA, but steadier and more addictive.
The longer two people have been married, the more likely it is that they'll stay married. In part, they become addicted to the endorphins and marital serenity. It is the absence of endorphins that make long-time partners yearn for each other when apart. Absent endorphins also play a part in grief from the death of a spouse.
According to Mark Goulston, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles, "Adrenaline-based love is all about ourselves, we like being in love. With endorphins, we like loving."

Chocolate

What does chocolate have to do with love and chemistry?
Actually, chocolate is full of phenylethylamine, that chemical cousin of amphetamine. So, when we say we are in love with chocolate, there is a certain chemistry there!

My Mr. Unconventional...

(A proposal story)

There were neither bouquet of flowers nor classy places … no romantic expression of eternal love and commitment … there was not even a question of “Will you marry me?” He is the “unconventional Mr. Raenan Malig!
As early as three months in our relationship, Raenan was already talking seriously about spending his life with me forever. I knew from the start that I have found myself a man who was earnestly thinking of an enduring relationship. Until one afternoon of September 2004, we were intrigued about this famous venue for wedding … Fernwood Gardens. I dared Raenan to visit the place just to snoop around. I was just fascinated but not hopeful because the place sounded expensive and would not fit our shrinking budget. With the map I kept for so long, we traveled towards QC circle to Tandang Sora Avenue and finally got into the place. We “oohed and ahhhed” at what we saw and fell in love with the place at once. We found our ideal “walking distance Church to Reception” set up that’s certainly perfect for our big day. I was surprised that my ever practical boy friend did not have second thoughts and wanted to reserve the place immediately. One of my cherished realizations on that day was this man, “Mr. Unconventional,” was actually considering marriage earnestly even without asking. That very moment, I was assured that He truly loves me as much as I love him too. What happened next was---the date December 4, 2005 was reserved for Malig-Wagan Nuptials. As our church and venue were already set in place, however, I still feel there was something missing… the ring!

On October 10, 2004 right after the celebration of my Mom’s birthday, we had an ordinary spaghetti dinner in my apartment. I noticed that Raenan was teasing me since our fernwood adventure and I felt so irritable. When I was about to burst, he suddenly brought out a tiny bling-bling. I told him “ Ano ‘yan?” He said, “Engagement ring mo!” Then I said, “Totoo ba ‘yan?!!” Suddenly, he placed the ring on my finger without saying anything. I remembered hugging him and the feeling running through me was inexplicable. I read his thoughts and if what he meant was loving him forever then I would embrace that moment while my inside was screaming “Yes!” I guess, that moment was memorable and unexpected though not as grand as I wished. I smiled and told myself… “It’s happening… I’m getting married! Look at my ring!”

Reminiscing

"my Yes!"

Raenan is like a melody in perfect timing when he entered my life. Yielding to our common friend’s request, we clinched to the idea of being text mates. I wasn’t really mindful of what’s going to happen because there was really no expectation that something romantic would come along. I must admit, it was a bit uncomfortable to text someone I haven’t met in my entire life. That time, Raenan was courting another girl and we used to talk about his feelings to that girl in our exchange of messages. Likewise, I have a special someone or should I say a “potential bf’ that I can call. It was through Raenan that I had a better understanding of men through our regular chitchat. It came to a point that I felt so comfortable opening up to him and even imparted my sentiments that I often receive chocolates than bouquet of flowers from admirers. I even told him that the first man who would give me fresh roses would apparently receive my first ever “YES!” But I did not tell him that the color would be white. Our constant outpouring of thoughts led us to a deeper discovery of each other as a person. Sometimes, in the middle of our conversation, he would tell me “Ghie, wait lang ha? I have to massage my mom or I have to cuddle Mikoy (his pet dog),” etc. Such simple ways of him gave me an impression that ‘this guy is really capable of true love!’
We finally decided to meet each other in person. Raenan went to our dorm clad in his barong and carried a long umbrella. I didn’t go down at once but had a glance of him at the third floor stairs and feeling kind of curious but a little uneasy. I came down, introduced ourselves to each other and talked. It was strange that even how open we were to each other in our text messages, I felt awkward talking to him in person. He was not a ‘guy next door’ type but his goodness oozed over his ‘baduy na barong and long umbrella.’ There was neither attraction nor love at first sight between the two of us. We exchanged the usual hellos but no sparks flew.

On November 10, 2001, Raenan asked me out for dinner to celebrate his birthday. We dined together and this time I felt comfortable talking to him. I noticed that Raenan was trying to find a bit of comfort, though, as if he was composing his thoughts. Then a courteous invitation caught me, “Ghie, this will not be the only time that I’ll be asking you out. I mean, can I ask you to have dinner with me more often?” I remained silent and ignored his invitation. But the irony of it all we ended up having dinner together every other night until he finally told me that he’s falling in love with me and that he wanted to court me. My world stopped for a minute and was silent for a while. I was not ready for this and I thought that in my silence my unpredictable emotion could have freely reigned. I told him its okay but I warned him of my fear of entering a relationship. He told me it’s a risk he had to take and he was determined to court me.

The Magical Night...

On the night of February 15, 2002, Raenan invited me to watch the concert of Brian McKnight and Regine Velasquez at the Araneta Coliseum. It was that night that I intended to reveal my real feelings about him. With much anticipation in my heart, I’d hinted for a week by sending the jumbled individual letters of the magic words “I LOVE U” to his cell phone each day. There was no way he could miss my message. But strangely enough, Raenan never had an inkling of what was going to happen. Manhid eh! I wrote a letter to him uttering, “I love you” and ended it with the last letter “U” to complete the magic words. Determined not to mess my plan, I even requested Arcie (my college friend) to text Raenan that it’s time to propose. It will be my cue to give the letter. Many songs touched us during the concert and I thought that it perfectly set the right moment for him to pop up the question. I told myself, “was he intentionally being indifferent or this Raenan was really just an insensitive dude?” We were in the car when the song “All I wanna do is to say I love you” suddenly played over the radio. I asked him “Raenan, please listen to the song” just to give him an obvious clue of what I want to happen that night. Haay… poor me, manhid talaga! Arcie was my only hope, but no message was sent. Finally, we arrived home and I gave him my letter. I told him to read the letter at home but he persisted. He took a quick glance of the last page (that I think most men do) but I told him to read it from the start. I felt really scared and told myself “This is it… after tonight; I’ll have my ever first boyfriend!” After he finished, he couldn’t believe it at once and read the last page over again, then, he realized it was real. He held my hands in his and held my gaze with his smiling eyes. He uttered promises and kissed me. After that moment, He received Arcie’s text (The “late-Arcie” as we fondly called her ay late pa din talaga sa eksena! hkhkhk!), which said, “A friendly reminder…please ask!” His head was still in the clouds and did not understand what she meant. I just explained that He was supposed to ask, “Do you love me?” so that I can say, “YES!” That was such a magical night!

We were blessed with a love we have mantled with much warmth and respect for one another. We were blessed with friendship that we have nurtured and became God’s sacred gift for us. Little did we know that God have woven our lives into a tapestry of love and prepared our future together. As we recall, we knew that He paved the way for us to meet at the right time… His own time!