I think I'm jet-lagged. I get sleepy and sleep for four hours then after that, I wake up. I can't go back to sleep until eight in the morning. My biological clock is really messed up.

I think I'm having a Europe hangover. Exactly eight days ago, I was still in Europe. It was a nice experience. Of course, when I was there, I never really got the chance to appreciate anything since our tour group was always in a hurry. Tour groups may be cheaper but they're more hectic. When you're in a group, everything is scheduled. You have to wake up at a certain hour. You have to take your breakfast at this time in the morning. You have to leave at a particular hour. If you're slow, naturally, the group is going to leave you or they're going to wait for you but they're going to be very ticked off once you show up. I should know the feeling. I got delayed for one hour and I received deadly stares from our group members. Of course, the delay wasn't exactly my fault. I got lost.

During the last leg of our trip, we parted ways with the original group. We didn't proceed to this other country. Instead, we went to Belgium. I had no expectations of Belgium. I didn't know much about this country. I knew that they were famous for chocolates but then, so was Switzerland. I didn't research on the country. I could have before we left for Europe. It would have been easy to just look it up over the internet. But being an adventurous girl that I am, I decided not to. It's nice when you discover a city all on your own. Sure, reading guide books sounds like a good idea but for me it sort of dampens the fun.

I've been balling my eyes out since one in the morning. I'm watching episodes of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I just love the show. The concept is great. It gives families with run-down homes, a chance of owning a brand new, customized house. It feels great to see tears of happiness on these families' faces.

I probably watched four episodes one after the other. The first episode that I watched was about this African-American guy who was shot in the back four years ago. A gang member, the shooter, mistook him for someone else. As a result, his arms and legs became paralyzed essentially making him a quadriplegic. The young guy used to be a promising athlete before he got shot. His story was really touching.

I was also touched by the story of a single mother and three daughters who lost their house in a fire. They went to watch a school play one day. When they got home, they found their house burned to the ground. For nine months they lived in a shack since the insurance coverage on the house wasn't enough to pay for the rebuilding of another house. I loved how the young kid, a thirteen-year old girl, screamed and jumped for joy when she saw their new house. The mother was very grateful of course. She wouldn't have had the resources to rebuild her house since she only works at a cafeteria serving lunch to school children. In the end, she got her wish of turning their house into a bed and breakfast place.

The other episode that I watched was about this enthusiastic and gregarious six-year old boy who has osteogenesis imperfecta. His bones are so brittle that he'd break his bones whenever he falls hard on the ground. Even if he has been in and out of the hospital many times, he still has retained his affability. He's still very much a normal hyper six-year old.

Ty and his design team made a fall friendly house for the young kid. Basically, they placed cork tiles and rubber on the walls and floor. They even had squishy bean bags and tos for the boy to play with. The boy simply adored his baseball-themed room. He's a fan of the Angels.

Watching these kinds of shows just makes you feel good about the human race. It's nice to know that there are people out there who are generous. It's nice to know that there are people out there who truly care about other people. The show has inspired me to help out with the community.

Actually, I've been wanting to help out the community long before I heard of this show. It's just that in the place where I live, there isn't much information about where to volunteer. I want to help out with the local branch of the Habitat for Humanity project but I don't know who to approach. In my country, you still have to know someone who knows someone so you can get into anything which includes community organizations. In fact, just to get into those civic groups, you have to be somebody or to know somebody who is a somebody to get in. It's hopeless, I know. That's what I hate about this country. But what do you expect from a third-world country?

I'm not trying to put down my country. It's just that I find it exasperating to live here somehow. I'm sure that there are others like me who want to help out but can't for one reason or another. What we need right now is an organization that encompasses all organizations.

I'm just rambling. I'm sleepy now. It's five in the morning. I have to get a few zzzs.