'The Triangle of Life'... safe or not?

    When I was small, I always put in mind  the lessons taught by my teachers and some elders to go under a table, bed or any big furnitures during an earthquake. I taught my kids the same lesson knowing that it was the right and safe thing to do in that kind of situation till I read an article two years ago of Doug Copp, a Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI ). Just click the link to read an extract of the article about his advise      
                                                                                                     
                                 http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_triangle_of_life.htm

    Here are also photos by Yusra_malik (found on 'all voices' website) of the so called 'Triangle of Life' to show illustrations of Doug's advice.

                                 

Doug Copp's theory in accordance with the term of 'Wikipedia' :

    'According to Copp's theory, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside tends to crush them, but the height of the object that remains acts as a kind of roof beam over the space or void next to it, which will tend to end up with a sloping roof over it. Copp terms this space for survival as the triangle of life. The larger and stronger the object, the less it will compact; the less it compacts, the larger the void next to it will be. Such triangles are the most common shape to be found in a collapsed building.'

    On the contrary, lots of professional critics discredited Doug for his advice and saying that 'The Triangle of Life' is a misguided idea. Lots of them say that the 'Drop, Cover and Hold' theory is still better. To read more about this theory, please check this link 

                                                                             http://www.earthquakesolutions.com/id44.html 

    No matter which theory is true or not, I believe it will still be a case to case basis and one earthquake experience will not always be the same as the last one. So my only concern is that whenever we are in that situation, we should always be alert and must not panic because once we panic, we lose our concentration on what the right thing is all about. And if anyone of you has got a better idea, please don't hesitate to leave your comment below. Our friends will be very grateful and happy to hear a word from you about lessons from a past earthquake experience. Always be safe everyone!

I'm happily married!

    Marriage is one of women's countless dreams.  They all wish of a fabulous wedding.  Some women may not have the wedding that they dreamed about but still happy with their loved ones. Some actually had a very elegant and extraordinary wedding but the marriage didn't last that long for some reasons. Whatever reasons we have behind our marriage, one best reason is LOVE. 

    It will soon be June and that month, being in some way superior, is the month that I will not forget.  Being  a June Bride, as they call it, it has been almost four years now after my unforgettable wedding. I now realized how lucky I am because I met a very nice, respectful and loving husband. It was June 24, 2007 when we became  united as one... as husband and wife.

    As a couple, we also experienced bad times in our lives. We had misunderstandings and fights due to difference in culture and other family matters.  Yes, these are just normal and we managed to carry on despite hardships looking forward to see sunshine after the storm. We managed to change the fear into excitement in this roller coaster ride.  We had ups and downs but never gave up as we promised through thick and thin we will fight for the family that we built. Because of these trials we became stronger and I can say that we're happily married and more blessed. We counted the blessings we received quickly after the fall. (and still counting...) 

    Let me share our photos as I reminisce the happy memories we had that time.  Hopefully, we can inspire couples out there to stick together for the sake of the family and in the name of love.

I personally chose the materials and the details of my gown. I told my husband that it was a simple design but he was really surprised to see my wedding gown that day.  For him it was so special. Well, I still think it was simple. 

Mr. and Mrs. John Boath

Chosen friends who witnessed the solemn vow.

Inside the chapel just after the wedding.

 It was even raining that day but we still enjoyed taking pictures outside with my husband wearing the traditional Scottish kilt.

 I had my daughter's gown made exactly the same as mine.

    Do you have problems just now? Or blessings maybe?  I am very much willing to listen to what you want to share.  People have different ways in solving a problem but I believe each one of us can also learn from somebody else's experience.  Let us hear your voice and share the lessons you learned in married life.

   

'Run for Japan' Moment

    It was Sunday morning. My alarm went on and my husband from UK also gave me a ring just to wake up at 4am. Still too tired and sleepy because I went to sleep at 2:30am. It was my daughter's sweet sixteenth birthday the other night and some friends left late as well. I managed to get up because of the excitement of going on that run anyway. I woke everybody up to prepare and we didn't want to be late.

    We went to the meeting place, saw everybody warming up and the 10K runners were getting ready for the gun start. Then the 5K runners...  then us. As first timers in running, we chose the 3K run. After the gun start, we all went off. Some went slight jogging, some went brisk walking and some really started fast running maybe aiming for medals. (wink!) And picture taking galore! There were volunteer photographers too!

    Almost 7000 people joined the run. Generous people registered expecting a fun-filled Sunday morning with family and friends. There were booths giving some drinks and other stuff and there were even people who registered and went there wearing their cosplay costumes. 

    No regrets of waking up that early for this kind of event. It was a different experience with a happy feeling and I intend to do a lot more running in the future. Proceeds will be given to Japan Red Cross to help the victims of the tsunami. A lot more runs are scheduled for charity purposes. Are you willing to try this? You can check websites for fitness. Lots of choices to join like swimming, cycling, running etc. Be aware, be one of us and be happy to help. Cheers!

A Run For A Cause

    Recently, we have heard about the misfortune of Japan about the earthquake and a tsunami. People say different things about the issue but as far as I'm concerned, we are not in a position to judge anybody in this world. We should feel lucky not to be in that situation just now. We also had misfortunes in our country and a lot of people helped. So in return, we also need to share our blessings to the ones who are experiencing bad things.

    People help in many ways. Through prayers, through medicines and giving the victims shelter and food. But as an individual who thinks that you can't do anything to help directly, there is a way.

    As I was browsing the internet, I happened to look for something new to do. Because I am always at home, sometimes I couldn't help but feel so bored. I managed to see this one site advertising about a free run and you have to register online to be a part of it and the proceeds will go to charity. Unfortunately, when I tried to register, slots were closed. Under the same page, I noticed different companies having such marathon... a run for a cause... I went to see the 'RUN FOR JAPAN' and registration was still ongoing. I told myself, 'Wow! I think I know how to help in my own way'. I had an experience running when I was in gradeschool. I was a runner... track and field... but due to sore stomach everytime I run too much, my mom told me to stop. My trainor got disappointed because he can see I got a potential.  I ran fast he said. Well, that's life. Maybe running wasn't really for me. But now, after so many long years, I decided to do it again. Although my reason is not to be an athlete anymore, I would like to run to stay fit and be able to help Japan and I plan to continue doing it for charity. This time I am helping,  having fun and staying fit.

My daughter's singlet. Still waiting for mine... 

                                              
    I'm starting my preparations now. I go jogging, brisk walking and doing some warm ups. To stay healthy is not just sitting down anyway. You have to work on it. I feel inspired with this run knowing it is something of considerable importance and I'll be a part of it.

    Getting excited now for Sunday, April 17, for my first run and I invited my sister and my daughter to run with me and help Japan. For those of you who wants to try it, there are more runs coming up to help different charitable institutions. For more details, you can check http://www.pinoyfitness.com/.