When the songbird sings

Freedom of choice, tolerance, security, and a great sense of belonging or solidarity played the biggest roles in the life satisfaction of people from the happiest countries in the world, according to World Values Survey. A strong correlation between wealth and happiness still exists, though. Majority of the top 10 are from Europe, joined by countries from Latin America, and then Canada. Denmark is still the happiest place on Earth (GDP Per Capita: $37,400), while Zimbabwe is the most depressing (inflation rate at 2,200,000%). Our happy country is 38th in the list, with a GDP next to Switzerland (7th happiest with GDP per capita of $41,100), but with 84 million more mouths to feed and per capita income of $3,400. I guess that our tolerance for corrupt politicos, gossips and traffic, penchant for borderline insane religious beliefs, and having strong family ties make up for what we lack in the money department. We may be 122nd in the purchasing power parity list, but hey, we’re not doing so bad when it comes to finding reasons to be happy…somewhat.

From BusinessWeek:

“…freedom of choice and social acceptance are the most powerful forces behind national moods. ‘Money’s pretty powerful, but it’s not the whole story,’ says Inglehart, though he maintains that a strong correlation still exists between high standards of living and happiness measures.

“Generally, a rising global sense of freedom in the last quarter-century has eclipsed the contribution of pure economic development to happiness, he says. This is especially evident in developed countries with stable economies, where the freedom of choice gained through wealth has made people happier—not necessarily the wealth itself.

“What’s more, ‘there are diminishing returns to economic progress,’ Inglehart says. In poorer countries, happiness can be linked to solidarity among tight-knit communities, religious conviction, and patriotism, which probably explains the happiness of some relatively poor Latin American countries,’ he says.

“Social tolerance is another important factor in how happy a country rates itself…’The less threatened people feel, the more tolerant they are,’ says Inglehart. Tolerance simply has a rippling effect that makes people happier. “

Further readings:

The 10 Happiest Countries
Happiness Viewpoint: It Doesn’t Take Much
What is Happiness?

Citibank ad photo by tantek.

Appetizer
List 3 emotions you experienced this week.

Happiness, annoyance, affection.

Soup
Name a car you’d love to have.

A fuel-efficient, hybrid car or SUV. These and these look promising.

Salad
Describe your typical morning routine.

My alarm goes off between 7 and 8.30, depending on whether I have to leave early (i.e., attend 10AM meeting or be picked up from my apartment by Philip). Then I brew my favorite barako coffee and consume it while reading a magazine or newspaper, or watching morning TV. After about half-hour of getting my caffeine fix, I prepare for work for about 45 minutes, then take the morning commute by bus to the office.

Main Course
Have you ever emailed someone famous? If so, who, and what did you say to them? Did they reply?

Hmmm…never. Why should I?

Dessert
Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which ones?

I used to listen to Ricky Gervais’s podcast. He’s a funny guy. I used to download French Lessons podcasts as well from The French Ecole.

Got tagged by Jane, so here goes.

Instructions:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I hardly go out without wearing sunscreen.
2. I learned how to swim by myself.
4. I don’t know how to ride a bike.
5. I’ve turned down three job offers, including a name-your-position deal, this year. All because of the bond.
6. I own 112 books , and that does not count the ones I’ve given/thrown away because they were eating too much space in my room.
7. My morning starts with a mug of freshly brewed coffee.

Tagging: Arnold, Roxy, Abe, Peachy, Chris, Scott, you.

Update:

My boyfriend who was blog-hopping his boredom away this morning got tagged. But since he didn’t have a blog, he gave his list by YM.

1. I don’t know how to ride a bike.
2. I don’t know how to swim.
3. I’m afraid of heights.
4. I’m not a coffee person; I rather have hot chocolate.
5. I’m a fantasy genre geek, waiting for the next books for Wheel of Time, A Game of Thrones and Harry Potter
6. Plays a priest, a mage, a hunter, a paladin in World of Warcraft
7. I don’t have a blog

Appetizer
How fast can you type?
It depends mostly on the quality of the keyboard, but being a technical writer, my typing speed should be decent enough so it must be around 90+ words/minute.

Soup
What is your favorite online game?
I’m not into online games. But since someone close to me is intensely playing WoW, I might give it a try one of these days. Might.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?
Hmmm…this is a double-edged question. Maybe between 7 and 8. I’d like to think that I’m smart, but I am not that so far from making a_lot_of_dumb_things, not to mention that “blooper” is my middle name.

Main Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.
Mrs. Jasmin from 2nd grade was my favorite. My Comm 120 (Mass Media Law) professor, a self-professed top notch lawyer, is also another favorite. He was a reasonably tough professor. Our finals exam with him lasted for four grueling hours. Third spot is a toss between two professors whom I’d rather not name here. They gave me very good marks in two majors which said nothing about my aptitude for the subjects that they taught but about how well they imparted knowledge.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?
Badminton. Dinner. Work.

Survey questions were lifted from Fridaysfeast.com

Appetizer
When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?

Anything that’s available. Car is most preferable, though.

Soup
Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?

Yes. Granted that I have a lot of friends who blog–as well as friends who have *lots* of blogs–meeting “blogging friends” is not impossible. I’d love to meet the owners of some of my favorite blogs, though, such as Guy Kawasaki, Kathy Sierra, Tom Coates, Robert Scoble, etc.

Salad
When was the last time you were really, really tired?

Last Wednesday, after playing four games of badminton.

Main Course
If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?

It would have to be John Galt. He’s a very smart character from Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”. And while I don’t subscribe to all of his beliefs, I find his views interesting. I’d also like to have dinner with William of Baskerville (The Name of the Rose), Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Pi Patel (The Life of Pi).

Dessert
Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see _______________.

This, this, and this.

Appetizer
What are you proud of?

Hmmm…nothing much to be proud of. I’m not one to count achievements, not that I haven’t got any, so let’s talk about what I’m proud of that that are not necessarily about me. I’m proud of my mother, for one, since she’s the one who worked hard in sending us through school, who’s always acted not only as a mother but as a best friend even in those times when I could not reciprocate her kindness.

I’m proud of my grandparents and my sisters.

Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?

Sheesh. The biggest prize I ever won was a badminton racquet from a tournament I joined almost two years ago. It’s a good back-up, though.

Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.

Answering silly surveys like this one, but what can I do? It’s so much fun!

Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?

This year. Like now. Like, now na! But honestly, this is the year when I’m opting for a lot of things that I would like to do for the long haul. QLC is over, demmet!

Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?

Definitely not inside my head. Within the pages of books, so to speak. I find peace as well in badminton courts, or when I’m playing or watching some hot dude strut his smashing stuff, or when I and a few friends are cheering/jeering at other players.

Ahh…here’s a good one–inside a shoe store. I don’t have to buy a pair when I pass by one, but just looking at shoes is therapeutic.

I wasn’t able to do this in the last three Fridays, so here goes:

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?

I usually hit my bed between 12 MN and 1:00 AM. I wish I could fall asleep an hour earlier, but getting the ZZZs has always been a problem of mine, especially when I’m reading a terribly engrossing book.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I give advice more often. It’s only when actively seek advice that I get a few. Otherwise, I give my opinions, whether they are unsolicited or not. LOL!

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you’ve had.

It was with a friend. Good food at an Ok-ok place. It was one of those small but very pleasant surprises to end a bad day when I wasn’t feeling good about life and the world around me. I couldn’t be more thankful for the food and the time we spent together.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

I guess Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” changed my views about the world around me a lot. Although I hardly look at the world in absolutes, there isn’t denying that there are a lot of things that could only be seen as either black or white, as either 1 or 0, that not all knowledge are open to interpretation. On the other hand, Harry Potter brought back my passion for reading.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

Pineapple.

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?

Everybody was wearing Giordano shirts and jeans. The brand was expensive and utterly lacked character (still true even to this day). The wearer might as well blend into the wall. The tees were comfortable, though.

 
Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.

I’m super sweet? Haha. It’s something that I could turn on or off. I could be sweet one time, feisty when provoked and dedma when displeased.
 

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?

9. It all depends on how interested I am with the work at hand, if I am passionate about what I’m working on. I’m a technical writer, and contrary to what others believe, it’s not a boring job. I like what I do, the learning, the collaboration/teamwork, badgering SMEs (hehe!). It even pays better than most writing jobs (though, of course, I’d appreciate getting more than what I currently make).
 

Main Course

If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?

Nothing. I’m really not into selling personal stuff even when I own something I could sell. Each item in itself has a sentimental value, while those things that I associate with not-so-nice events and people, I give away. I once traded a leather wallet that was worth half of my salary back then for a knock-off.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when _________.

Answering surveys/ I can’t think of what to write about.
Borrowing books from colleagues/I see interesting titles on their desks.
Hanging out at Starbucks, 7-11, CoffeeBean, Country Style/it’s already 6:00 pm
Cleaning the apartment/it’s weekend

Survey taken from Friday’s Feast.