Big and Small Company Warehouse Sale

Holy Cow : The Atrium

This is the interior of the restaurant. It is L shaped and the bar or the counter/cashier is located on the right side, so if you plan to eat here sit near the counter. If you sit in the area where we sat, chances are, you will not get noticed. They looked understaffed to me because I cannot see them because they are on the other side.

The restaurant seemed to lack customer service because we have to call the attention of the waiters because they are missing or in the other side.

With regard to the food, Irwin ordered a burger steak which costs 155 pesos with java rice and vegetable plus add 25 for a refillable ice tea. Ice tea tasted good. The burger steak tastes ordinary. I ordered the parmesan chicken that costs 160 pesos and the pesto with garlic bread.

My parmesan chicken tasted good too, the chicken was tender but it lacked seasoning. Irwin liked what I ordered, he don't like the burger steak.

So will we try it eatng there again. Maybe not.

How to Avoid Text Scam

Last Sunday, my sister was scammed thru text. I have a brother living abroad and my sister received an unregistered number and thought that it was my brother. The text goes "kumusta kayo dyan, malamig dito" and she replied to the text and the next text she received goes like this " ang mahal ng load dito, gusto mo magbusiness, yung 500 na load dyan doble dito". My sister believing it was really my brother went to buy 5,000 worth of Globe prepaid card and sent the pin to the number. She never verified with my brother if that was really him. They even bought the sim cards from a seller and even cautioned them that there are a lot of scam similar to that. They never doubted the person texting her ( she was with my mother).
So when I met them that Sunday and I learned about that, I immediately checked the pin code if it was used, we were lucky to load 2,000 worth of load to our cellphones, the 3,000 load was already used. It seemed that the scammer was also loading the pre-paid cards during that time. It was a race against time reloading the prepaid cards.

Lesson learned. Do not trust unknown text especially this season of Christmas.

Property Management

I have an aunt living in the United States who has several property here in the Philippines. We are currently managing two apartments and a house here in the Philippines. We would collect the rent and inspect the house for any repairs or maintenance. Little did I know that this method of inspecting and looking for tenants, managing properties are full blown business organizations in the United States.

The practice of Real Property Management in the United States is a big business. Home owners can have the opportunity to have their property managed by these firms and all you have to do is sit down and wait for collection. They will take care all of the administrative stuffs and hassles of doing the maintenance and collection yourself. They will look for tenants for your property and also perform a credit and criminal background check of the tenants.

How interesting. I have a friend who do just that, she has no permanent job and all she has to do is look for tenants, even sell real estates and property and other stuff. I ever I win in the lotto draw I would buy some property and enrol it in a real property management firm. That will be easy for me.

Gingersnap Sale- November 16 to December 29

This is the Armal Compound Gate.
Their banner, on the right side of the road coming from Luis St. or M. Eusebio.
This is M. Eusebio ST.
Here is a map of the Armal Compound I've taken a snapshot from google maps. Just look for Armal Compound.


One of the benefit of living is Pasig is being close to a lot of Warehouse Sale. Yesterday since I went to my parents house we passed through the advertisement of Gingersnap for their annual sale.
So this morning, I went there at 9:30 am and I already see a lot of warehouse "raiders" with their chosen gingersnap clothes. Ang daming magaganda napili na nila. I was already within the area at 7:30 pero hindi pa ako nagpunta, sayang talaga. Anyway, I still got some bargained merchandise na magaganda rin.. Agawan lang talaga. Super dami, if I can't control myself, I would get them all.

Tips for Bargain Hunters

Kiara Singing Lovers in Paris Theme

I've been watching Lovers in paris since it started and even tried to teach Kiara the song. Hehehehe. Galing ni baby ko..

Relief Goods in DSWD

I got these pictures from ella's blog and she gave permission to use these pictures to show the world what is happening to the relieft goods sent to the Philippines and distributed by the DSWD.

You can find the whole story in her blog and I have some additional information that would verify the allegations. Of course I do not know if these are true because these are second hand information only unlike Ella who really took these pictures and made her own interpretation.

Is it true from what I've heard that Crocs and Havainas made some donations and it was replaced with fake ones?

How true are the news or perceptions of my students whom I asked to interview Ondoy victoms and they claimed that relief to Baranggay were not distributed equally? Barangay captains would give the first round of relief to their relatives and the remaining were for the barangay constituents.

I even heard that tale by the boatmen when we were still going to Pasig during the floooded days.

There was even a comment from one government employee who claimed that it was their practice to distribute "undistributed" goods to their office and friends and other government agency.

That was our topic during dinner last Friday when we heard the news about the undistributed good.

If there are any imported goods distributed how sure are we that the people are getting them?
We are not really sure. I would rather believe that it was being hoarded and will be given as a Christmas gift or give away to government employees.

But in fairness to those who are really giving reliefs, we are one who are relief goods recipient and thanks to those people who continued to give relief good. We have extra soap, toothpaste, rice and even pail! That is very useful. I for one will be glad to receive one of those.
There are a lot of news in facebook and the net who continues to post news and pictures.
I admire them who took their time to help our contrymen.

Half-breed Shih Tzu for Sale

Half-breed shih tzu for sale, they will look like the bigger dog in the picture when they grow up. Looks like a giant shih-tzu. Call me if interested. 0915-7801966. Thanks.

Eat and Go - The Atrium Megamall

We tried eating at Eat and Go at The Atrium in Megamall. We ordered Roasted Chicken for me and Fish Scaloppini for Irwin. The two main entrees' cost 299.00 with drinks and 2 side dishes.
Your choice for a side dish consists of pasta marinara, corn and carrots, roasted pepper rice, and baked beans.

The interior looks brand new but the food was displayed in the counter. it looks like an expensive canteen where you can order your food and place it in a tray. Kenny Roger's chicken style. I was hungry for a burger that time and want to eat a burger but we ended up eating there.
I might try their London pies and but will never try the other entrees.

Do you want to be a Filipino?

This article is in response to a written blog of one of my student.

If I am asked that question if I want to be a Filipino, I would want to be a Filipino but do not want to live in the Philippines, I guess I would rather earn money somewhere and spend it here.
I am starting to loose hope in our country, but maybe I am too close-minded to say that.

It is just so frustrating, yes we have a lot of good things, and bad things too. I am thinking of my baby Kiara on what will happen to her when she grows up and expect a not so good country.

I've been trying all my life to do what is right, what is good and avoids evil at all possible cost but in a country where corruption is open and there is a large gap between the poor and the rich and there seems to be no way of reversing or balancing all of these. I have no hope anymore.

People are forgetting their values. Even children do not have values. I was raised in a Catholic School where we are taught to greet every teacher that we meet. In our school, students pass by their teachers. They ignore them. I do not know where they get that attitude. People cheat, they are dishonest and mistrustful. Sometimes I have a feeling that it is not safe to live here anymore.

I have been working for almost 14 years now and I am not getting anything from the government. I would rather maybe work in European countries even if the tax deduction is high because you will benefit from it. Here, I never get anything, I pay the tax, I have a GSIS deduction, PAG-IBIG etc. but I get nothing in return.

It is only here in the Philippines where squatters live by the river and eventually have their own homes somewhere because they are relocated I do not know if they paid any tax in their lives.
If you do not give to your neighbors people will label you, "I want to say to them' "get up and work", "do not beg". "Huwag kang tatambay dyan".

If I have a little "hitler" attitude I would say to "clean" the city of peddlers and squatters and those who do not do anything worthwhile in their lives.

They will just add to the problems of our country. Maybe when that time comes, when the proper distribution of wealth and benefits will "benefit" us at last.

When these social problems are solved that will be the time when we will feel the worth of our labor. When would that day be?

Ben's Burjer

When in Mandaluyong you can try out Ben's Burger. I do not know if this is the burger owned by Benjamin Abalos. I seldom see this place full of customers but it is still there.
When I tried it, I thought that I will never go back. The burger tasted so ordinary.
And it is a little expensive. This one costs 65 pesos and their soda in can is 20 pesos.
I liked the good burger even more or brother's burger.
Hoowahh... I suddenly want to eat at Brother's Burger...
I've been on a fish diet since Monday and I am craving for meat..

Ondoy, Ondoy

This picture was taken September 27, 2009, Sunday at our school. We had to stay overnight because we cannot get out or go home due to the heavy rains and flood, we do not have any TV with good reception so we have no idea what is happening outside of the school. This is the water in front but now it has subside.
One of my student even took a picture of me riding a make shift boat. But I do not have that picture yet.


This is the chest deep water in Eusebio Avenue, I really cannot imagine myself walking in flooded water that deep but I was able to walk past my waist. Hehehe. I guess it is too much for me. This was taken when we were riding the boat with Miss Andal.


RTU inside from top October 8

RTU inside taken from above October 8
Near Immaculada School near the Pasig City Hall

Pasig Market
Eusebio Avenue again

No Yaya Day

I was absent yesterday and took care of Kiara. Her yaya left Sunday for her usual day off but did not return because there is a problem with her daughter. No yaya day today still. So Irwin took a leave of absence. It is really hard to get a yaya for babies. One office mate told me to really treat the yayas right because they are the ones who are left to take care of the kids. Who knows they are hurting your child or loving them or teaching them anything you wouldn't teach your child. It is very precious to see a loyal yaya, so if you have one, treat them equally but then it is hard to delineate the role.

Even if you treat them right it is not a guarantee that they will not leave.

Noynoy For President

I watched the morning news on Noynoy's decision to run for Presidency. I was watching their reactions and it seems that they really are united in their support for Noynoy's candidacy. It feels good to see our leaders agreeing in something that they believed in. Noynoy looked liked a reluctant leader, he seems to be a shadow of Cory, Ninoy and Kris.

For me he seemed indifferent to what was happening during his mother's wake and the entire necrological service. He was crossed arm and in Psychology this behavior is a defensive mode. Maybe he was protecting himself from the pain of loosing his mother, or maybe that is just a front to show that he is brave and unaffected. He was not emotional. I never see him emotional. Though I never really know the man, I believe that the blood of Ninoy and Cory runs through his vein and there was no opportunity for him to show what Noynoy really has to offer. That's what's missing the opportunity for him to grow and self-actualize his potential.

Maybe there really was no challenge for him in the Senate, as I've said he was reluctant. but maybe his candidacy for president is his opportunity to prove his worth as a descendant of Ninoy and Cory.

He may look weak and indifferent, he was someone who wants to stay in the background and was being pressured into running. But I know that every human has a capacity for growth and to reach his or her potential.

I believe in him and want to support him in his candidacy. I was moved to tears when I was watching the live coverage. Yes, the Filipino can. I as a mother just wanted a country where my child can move freely and safely. Where Kiara will be secure and not harmed. Where the people who serve our country take into consideration the welfare of the people.

Then I thought again, maybe Noynoy was coñio and he will support only those he know and his relatives know. Then I thought again, that was very far from the Cory and Ninoy that I know.

Anyway, I want to give him a chance.

Baby Brianna " a child abused"

I've seen this video in one of a random blog's that I checked and I was moved by what they did to this baby. I was watching this video and I can't help but feel angry and fury to the parents of this child. It seems that the parents were still young and do not know how to take care of the baby. She even dared biting the child. Maybe baby Brianna's parent's were on drugs.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sometimes you wish for a child and then found in the news that in some other part of the globe, a child is being abused.
I remember Kiara now and starting to miss her, they went on a trip and I did not go with them because I have a lot of work.
I've been to busy with work and keep on forgetting that a child is only a child once. They grow up fast.. I cannot make up for the lost time.

Now when they arrive, it will be late and she will be sleeping and tomorrow I will go to work again until Saturday..
Decision to be a stay at home mom is still being decided.

Hope I could make up my mind.

Need Help in Buying a Car?

Irwin commented one morning when we were going to work that people nowadays are selling their Mazda cars because the gasoline cost went up. Though we are experiencing a time of crisis, people do still buy cars, old or new ones.

The demand for a vehicle is I think still popular because right now during rainy days, it is convenient to bring a car than go out in the rain.

Just in case you are in need of a used cars or new car, this site offers wide variety of cars that you can rent, lease, buy or sell. It even comes with an insurance quote and car loan. Everything you need to know in buying a car can be found in this site.

You can advertise your car and it also offers some review of cars, and when navigating through their site, I found an article on avoiding car scams.
Since this is an online buy and sell, you can't help but find scams but owners of online buy and sell are protecting their customers from such fraud.


There is no need to worry if you want to purchase a car.

Where to Find an Essential Guide for Webhosting?

Anyone wishing to start an online business should first think of aweb hosting site that provides essential information in hosting their site. Let's face it, not everyone who uses a computer and surf the internet can be considered a techy. Some computer users are just plainly users. They have no background on the inside of the computers, hardware and software stuff, unless they are working in the IT department and are knowledgable.

I for one is a techy person because I used to be a technical support and a programmer. But for some mothers who are into blogging and internet, finding a host site can be difficult. This web hosting site offers a comparison of different hosting site that indicates what you need.

Do you need a dedicated server hosting, blog, budget, business, anything related to hosting? Just visit their website and see all the information that will help you start your site right away.

This article is helpful for those who are into SEO and want to gain traffic to their site.

I Want a Rolex

Last week Irwin received a package from the mail and it was a free watch from HSBC. Its brand was Dunlop and it was a sports watch. Two weeks ago I tried to have his Fossil watch repaired. I too had my watch repaired. I noticed that the watch repairman was wearing a very expensive-looking watch and tried to see the brand. It was a Rolex watch! Now I wonder if is real or a fake.

There is a website that offers the best price on Rolex watches. www.bestoftime.com. They offer the best deal because they are operating as an independent dealer of genuine Rolex watches. They are free from the control of the manufacturer's pricing; instead of passing some manufacturing costs to their customers they instead give discounts. By buying Rolex watches from them you actually get a bigger discount.

Best of Time offers a wide variety of authentic and genuine Rolex watches. They sell like-new and pre-owned Rolex watches that comes in a genuine box and a GIA member appraisal papers. Each watch has a serial number and certificate to make it sure that you purchase a genuine one.

They assured the customer the best service that they can give when you purchase a Rolex from them. Check out their credentials and they are a member of Better Business Bureau where they got the highest exceptional rating of A+.

Warranty is at 3 years and it offers free FedEx shipping.

Genie The Deprived Child

I asked my students to watch this YouTube video on Genie, who was a child raised in isolation by his father. She was 13 when she was discovered. She could barely stand and so thin and frail. She cannot speak. She was locked up in a room and was tied to her potty chair. When she was brought to the hospital she had callous in her buttocks from sitting too long in the potty chair. She was like a blind child, who seems to experience the world for the first time.


This topic on Genie were the result of our class discussion on Social Interaction and the importance of interaction in the survival of humans.

Babies and children in particular need interaction from significant others; their parents, siblings and even relatives and neighbors. It is their basis for the formation of their personality. Through language babies learn the everyday rules of social interaction. They can also get cues from facial expression and the tone of the voice.

Children needs warm, love and care especially the love coming from the mother. That is why massage therapy is important in pre-mature infant. There was also a study that a mother's voice is recognizable by an infant because the baby prefers the mother's voice than any other voice.

As a mother, I always try to talk and interact with Kiara. There was even a time when I suspected that she had autism when she was still a baby because of her lack of interaction. But it was just another anxiety attack on my part.
Now is she laughing and smiling and making everyone around her happy. She is my little sunshine.

I just can't imagine someone or some parents hurting their children.
All children are dependent on the adult to provide for all the needs and it's not all money. What is even more important is the love and care that you can give to your child.

Where to go in Dumaguete: Silliman University

This is the famous Silliman Hall in Silliman University in Dumaguete City. We went there August 12 to August 15 to attend the Psychological Association of the Philippines National Convention. It is good to see psychologist gathered and convene with it's theme “Character Strengths of the Filipino: A Positive Response to Current Challenges.”

It is my first time to attend an event like this, I was excited to see my old teachers and famous personality in Philippine Psychology like Dr. Lourdes "Honey" Carandang, Regina Hechanova, Allan Bernardo and others.

Attending the convention inspires me to do relative researches in psychology just like their presentations. I always keep in mind my daughter, Kiara, that I want to make a better place for her when she grows up. Psychologist has a role in country building and I would really want to make a positive change in our country.

The influence of the recent death of Cory Aquino was manifested in the convention, since the theme was more on values and strength, she was depicted as a person with character and really an inspiration. A true leader.

Going there made me a little broke, hehehe, because of too much Silvanas and Sans Rivals which is a delicacy in the city. I will miss the sweets and the gentleness of the people.

I might come back and bring back a loadful of silvanas..

I Have Fallen In Love (With The Same Woman Three Times) lyrics

I have fallen in love
With the same woman three times
In a day spanning nineteen years
Of tearful joys and joyful tears.

I loved her first when she was young
Enchanting and vibrant, eternally new
She was brilliant, fragrant and cool as the morning dew
I fell in love with her the second time

When first she bore her child and mine
She's always by my side, the source of my strength
Helping to turn the tide…
I fell in love again with the same woman the third time

Looming from the battle her courage will never fade.
Amidst the hardships she has remained
Undaunted and unafraid
She is calm and composed. She is God's lovely maid.

HANDOG NG PILIPINO SA MUNDO Lyrics

I used to remember this song, and I still memorized some of the lyrics and I know the melody.. Very touching, I am one of those who experienced the Edsa revolution when I was a kid, my uncle who was a soldier lived in Camp Crame and I remember seeing them (my cousin, Beng) that day wearing their pambahay because they walked from Crame to Pasig. They have canned goods which was given by the people in the street. They left their house in Crame fearful there will be a war.
Now, I have false memory of joining the Edsa Revolution when I was a kid but it really did not happen. I was in grade three then and I know I had a collection of Ninoy pictures which was a project in school. I was still young but it ignite something in me and with Cory's death the memories keep on coming back, I find strength as an individual first and then a mother. It was a legacy that she gave us hope. I hope something will change with her death and this is not just another drama show..

'Di na 'ko papayag mawala ka muli.
'Di na 'ko papayag na muli mabawi,
Ating kalayaan kay tagal natin mithi.
'Di na papayagang mabawi muli.

Magkakapit-bisig libo-libong tao.
Kay sarap palang maging Pilipino.
Sama-sama iisa ang adhikain.
Kelan man 'di na paalipin.

Ref:
Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo,
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat.

Masdan ang nagaganap sa aming bayan.
Nagkasama ng mahirap at mayaman.
Kapit-bisig madre, pari, at sundalo.
Naging Langit itong bahagi ng mundo.

Huwag muling payagang umiral ang dilim.
Tinig ng bawat tao'y bigyan ng pansin.
Magkakapatid lahat sa Panginoon.
Ito'y lagi nating tatandaan.
(repeat refrain two times)

Coda:
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan.
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat!

Jaime Rivera Song for Cory

I just watched the ABS-CBN Umagang kay Ganda, and tried to write down the lyrics of Jaime Rivera's song.
I was close to crying when I was hearing this but I only caught the chorus of the song.

* Naging isa ang buong bansa
mayaman at mga dukha
natutong lumaban
ng walang nasasaktan
ang iyong mga kamay
ang aming naging gabay
sa iyong pagdarasal
nakamit ang tagumpay.

Mula sa aming puso
maraming salamat po.

Everytime I watch the tribute to Cory I keep on crying, I just can't help it, she triggers a lot of emotion from the Filipino people, whether spiritual, maternal, political, national or personal you can relate to her, for me especially as a mother and her being religious. I just wish and "pray" that I could also be as prayerful like her. She is really an inspiration.

Farewell, dear mother..

Rorschach Inkblot Test

I have seen this controversial Rorschach article and immediately read it. I have taught Rorschach, I have the Exner's Comprehensive System (unupdated), all of my old students have the manual and the interpretation, they have the cards.

Though the Rorschach is a test of personality, it is really difficult to score and interpret. Now I am taking Projective Technique in the graduate school and I have to prepare a battery of test which includes the Rorschach but I am against it. I may not finish graduate school.

So anyone wants to take the Rorschach?

Kiara Encounters Jollibee for the First Time

Since our university President declared a holiday today, we were able to have a trip to Starmall this afternoon with Kiara. This is her second time to see Jollibee (the figure outside the store). The first one was when she was about 5 months old and she has more comprehension now at her age. She was very excited and almost slipped because she was rushing to get to Jollibee fast.
She started to walk unassisted at 12 months and 2 weeks. She can now balance herself, walk up the stairs and run slowly. She is starting to get independent. She doesn't want anyone holding her. She is a small me, she smiles a little, a little shy with strangers, not the type who gets the attention of many. Though attention is cast her way. I know that toddlers can be a little KSP but Kiara is not one of those toddlers.
She is quiet in her own ways. She looks pretty and serious. Oh, but I do not want her to grow up like me, I was a shy girl and needs confidence while growing up.

Just yesterday morning after giving her a bath I discover that:

recently

1. She wants to comb her hair in front of the big mirror ( I do not know how she learns that)


I know this before:
2. She can now do the fishy-fishy ( hands clasp and swinging to the left and right)
3. She knows the title of her books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Good Night Moon, and Moo, Baa Lalala.
4. She knows the word shampoo.
5. She can bless to elders.
6. She likes to kiss and cuddle and hug.
7. She knows how to put on her crocs sandals, unassisted.
8. She shares her food to everyone. ( A trait which she sees when we feed Cassie, our shih tzu dog)
8. She wants to clean the house with her clean clothes.

Hahaha!

I think she has been observing Ate Juliet for a while.
I am a busy mom, stressed at work, I want to spend more time with my Baby, I keep on telling Irwin that I want to quit my job. But with his salary alone, we will be living from payday to payday.
Which would translate to me not buying things that I want because majority of the expenses will be Kiara expenses.

God will provide. God will make a way.

When Couples Fight

Their heartbeat goes above 100 beats per minute. The normal is around 80 beats per minute. When the heart beats that fast our body produces adrenalin and when that happens it is impossible for two people to understand what each other is saying.

So what they've been saying is true, when you fight or get angry at your partner, let only one person stays angry. Let the other person steam out, let all emotions out and the other should listen because if both speak, both are demanding for a listener and that is impossible unless one gives in and listen.

Kiara's Got a New Haircut

...and it was not done by a professional hair stylist for baby. The crime was performed by Ate Auring, our housekeeper. Kiara has long curly on the end hair which is longer than mine. Now it is much shorter than mine and she looks like a baby boy not a baby girl.
It was a real crime. You might want to ask " Buhay pa ang gumupit sa iyo?".

Hmm. well, after a while you get used to it at sasabihin mo na lang na, hahaba pa ang buhok niya.

Look na lang at the first picture, her hair was very long na! Hayy..

Pretty Girls, Special Girls, Lucky Girls

These are Kiara's Ninangs living in the States. They stand less than 5 feet. They are American citizens of Filipino descent. Their father is a surgeon and their mother is a nurse. They have their own clinic and their family is rich compared to the average American family. Tawny the eldest, is 18 and had her debut in a fancy hotel, very intelligent and received an award from their State as best in Science student.
Pretty, Lucky, Special Girls. I am glad they are living a rich life in America, I you are short and living in the Philippines, it might be ok because there are a lot of short people here but in the States they are the exception. I am also glad they are intelligent because they will not be bullied. I am glad they were able to retain their Filipino values and they are very sweet and kind cousins.

Will Kiara also grows up to be as smart and pretty as them? I hope so.

Property Management

Nowadays, in the time of recession and if you have the money, it might be wise to purchase a property because the price may be affordable. This is a technique used by a friend who invested in this business. He would buy some property at a cheap price and then have them rented. So instead of leaving your money in the bank you can earn from investment.

Now, if you have a lot of property and can't manage all of them, you might be interested in Real Property Management. Real Property Management (RPM) receives the "Franchise of the Year Honarable Mention" award. So go for a property management that has been recognized by the client.

RPM Midwest Featured in the Bizjournal of Cincinnati and Columbus. There is a booming business in Real Property Management to be featured in a business journal.

RPM manages over 20,000 units nationwide, it means that poeple trust them to handle their property.

Freddie Mac has Signed an exclusive agreement with Real Property Management to manage the new REO Rental Initiative.

RPM Midwest joins the National Association of Residential Property Managers to ensure the highest standards in property management services.

Online Billiards Game

I used to play billiards in pc games... during break time... in my past work as a technical support in SVI. Hehehehe.. I can be quite good. really.. I even tried to copy the software and bring it at home. Now there is an online site where you can play billiards with multi-players or even with the computer. The site is very fast and you need to register before you can play. There are several rooms where you can choose to play. The site is http://www.8c1.net.
There is also a visible guide so you know if you can hit the ball or not. The pages loaded very fast. TRy it!

Happy Birthday Kiara!

Kiara's birthday was at Mcdonald's Metropoli in Libis, Quezon City. This picture was with our SVI friends. Taken by Ging Lorenzo using my friend's camera. I am very excited to see the pictures from ging. I'm sure it will be full of wonderful shots.

My Own Mommy Website

It is one of my dreams to have my very own niche in the web. How can I realize my dream? By having my own dot.com address and finding a webhosting site that can supply and support my needs. First thing I would do is try to think of a very unique name. Since what I blog about is on my baby Kiara, a little bit of fashion finds, restaurant reviews, movies and other stuff. The name should be a general one because I have a lot of topics. But then, maybe I cold have a lot of domain name for each area right? As for the disk space, I will need a little space for the pictures that I will be uploading. There are webhosting sites that offer unlimited disk space and traffic. I do not need this I guess. As for the unlimited site traffic, I do not know if I could hit 10 million visitors simultaneously. But I do need a 100% uptime. They also offer a mailing system which I could probably need if I could turn my website into a blog and business site where I could offer services and great stuffs! What a nice idea!

All of these information are available at this webhosting site. This site offers review for all the available webhosting providers. I tried to read their review that’s why I got an idea what I will need if ever I will build my site. If you have a business that you need to promote, there is an available webhosting package for you, it may not necessary be the cheapest but you should go for reliability, no downtime and excellent technical support service. If you are not familiar with building a site, some webhosting package offers free site builders check out the reviews in the link above.

I tried to check out their blog and found a very useful article for potential web hosting searcher. The article discussed your need for a large disk space and bandwidth. It seems that not everyone needs a very large disk space as I earlier thought and wrote above. This article verified my thoughts.
If you have a lot of visitors go for a large bandwidth if you need a lot of files to upload or pictures go for a large disk space.

I hope that in the near future this domain name will become a reality.
Hmmm.

I Love the Powder-Citrus Scent

My current perfume is the Gucci Rush. I still have my old Hugo Boss Red and Benetton HOT. I have some Victoria Secret cologne and a Johnson's Baby cologne too. Sometimes I like to wear perfume that is designed for Men because they sometimes smell cool and fresher. I like the CK collection, and the scent of my male college classmate (hehehe) which until now I do not know the name but remember the smell. I like Issey Miyaki scent, I would rather smell them from others than wear the perfume.

I like a Scent that smells like you've just taken a shower. There are some shampoo scents that I like lavander but I do not like them as perfume. Clean scent and citrus, vanilla and melon and cucumber. Even the smell of raw cucumber refreshes me.

I do not like flower scent, fruity (some) and those perfume that is too strong. I once had an Oscar dela Renta perfume and I only wear it once and got an allergic reaction. I got colds afterward.

I like baby cologne too. My baby uses Zwitsal products and it smells good.
I do not like berries smell but I like the smell of grapefruit.

I wear perfume depending on my mood and where I am going but since I have a baby I have to choose my perfume well because I do not want to suffocate Kiara. For everyday scent, I would prefer Victoria Secret brand and some local colognes are good too.

I want a furniture that is...

If money is not a problem I would like to have different sets of furniture for every part of the house.

Kiara's room

An ideal furniture for kids room is something soft so the baby will not get hurt from bumps, scratches and should be accident prone. I would choose soft and colorful furniture maybe something like a bean bag. But you cannot sleep in a bean bag I suppose? I can't find a picture of what I like in the net but this room decorations and the furniture are also good. A cabinet for the baby's thing and her bed.



Our bedroom

This Chinese bed is one of my dream furniture. I wish I could have one. It reminds me of the old Chinese movies that I've watched. This is ideal if you have a house keeper, but if I do not have one, I would rather choose a simpler bed. For a working mom like me, I could only clean during weekends.



This is a simpler bed which I could keep. It looks modern and classy.




I found this sofa set for the living room area and it is good for relaxing and unwinding. We have a similar one at home and I couldn't ask for more. Maybe a bigger one. The sofa is not too soft nor too hard and you could always lie down because it is long unlike other sofa that is only good for sitting.



Dining Area

For the dining area I want a simple and modern design. I do not want fancy style because those furniture are confined to large houses and require a lot of space.
I could upgrade to one of these designs maybe when Kiara's grown up.


Since I have a baby in the house, my taste depends on what is good for her.
But if I have a lot of houses, I could choose a lot of furniture. Take for example, a rest house maybe in Tagaytay or Baguio needs rustic furniture which is really natural and homey . Something comforting for a cold day while sipping a hot chocolate or coffee.

For city living, I like the minimalistic designs more like Zen type. I want squares, circles and simple shapes and design. Not too big nor too small.

Excess Weight and Feeling Good or Bad About Yourself

I found this article in the web and it is very timely for me because I am one of those people who have a weight problem and want to get back to shape. This article talks about the differences in attitudes of men and women on excess weight, the effects of excess weight on health and psychological well being. According to this article, men do not take excess weight as seriously as women did until later in life; people view their ideal body image from magazines especially media; weight gain affects health which predisposes a person to a lot of health problems; and losing weight with as little as 10 pounds can work wonders on the self-image of a person and it also shows the opposite of weight gain which is weight loss to being thinness or waif-like.

As a review to this article, I agree to most of the content of this article but this should not be generalized. This article lacks citation for the researchers the author was mentioning. He failed to include other means of adjusting to an excess weight.

For me, not all excess weight has a negative impact on a person. I for example have been trying to loose weight, I tried to drink herbal tea, bought a twist and shape to help me exercise, downloaded a hip hop abs video and tried to diet but still no significant weight loss. But it has no negative impact on my psychological being. I am a little sad, I couldn’t wear my pre-pregnancy clothes but it is a good excuse to shop, right? I keep on thinking, “I will loose weight” so I do not want to discard my old clothes, but when I was able to accept my body image, I am happier. I personally know a lot of people who are overweight, my husband for example but they do not have a negative self-image. As you can see in the Philippine magazine, they do have heavy-side model but they look good.
I bought a book, “What You Wear Can Change Your Life” by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine and according to this book, you have to know what looks good on you and a change in clothing can definitely change your attitude about yourself. I read it and tried it and people around me said I’m blooming with the excess weight and all. I would welcome any day a loss in my weight but I am taking my time.

N1H1 Virus in schools and other matters

The N1 H1 virus is really scary. I just watched the news tonight on Channel 2 and there are 13 new cases of Influenza A in our country. Four of them came from De La Salle University. There was another case in FEU, a student who came from Japan. Where could these people be getting the virus from? The country where they came from or they get infected while inside the plane? It is really scary, I was brought to Medical city this morning because of gastrointestinal infection, I've been having diarrhea for four days and I was scared it might be amoebiasis. I am still lucky there was no bacteria instead they found out I had UTI. I was also dehydrated and loss body fluids, low on potassium and high count of white blood cells. They prescribed I take Ciprofloxacin which if ever can cure the bacteria in my urinary tract, respiratory and gastro-intestinal.

So if ever I contracted a virus from the hospital this morning, the antibiotics should be able to combat the infection. I was scared because while waiting at the lobby, I saw a girl cough and she was looking sick, then when I had a nap this afternoon I feel a slight warm almost feverish, well, false alarm, because now I am sweating.

I hope to go back to work tomorrow, today is suppose to be my first day at work, I was re-assigned to the HR department in Training. I was in charge of the Registration booth this morning, but I failed to come. I was prepared for this event, I was searching for a new blouse I could wear today, yesterday but I wasn't able to buy one because I was having diarrhea still. Grabe..
It seems every time I was excited on something, I get hospitalized.
Last year in August, it was my cousin's wedding and I bought a blouse to wear to that wedding but I had a miscarriage. Last year May, it was my college friend's wedding and I bought a blouse but I was admitted because I was having contractions, now I was again admitted this time, with no blouse. ;) It is really hard for me to get excited.

What I Really Want to Do

What I really want to do is to be a full time mother to Kiara. I do not want to work not because I do not like my work but I like being with Kiara best. I am a workaholic and just like what the Bible says " you cannot serve two masters" and if I have work, I tend to prioritize it more than Kiara. Then I would feel guilty for not spending time with Kiara. Being a teacher is full of hard work, you have to prepare for your class and then even if an ordinary office girl finishes her work in the office, a teacher sometimes has to bring home work. I was able to manage my time when Kiara was smaller. I do not bring any work at home because I can't find time to do it. I do it at school but I am pressed for time, the quality of my work is compromised and I do not want a half-baked work. I can be an effective mother but not a good teacher and I think I have to let go one and I want to let go being a teacher.

I know myself, I've been dreading this time, before Kiara was born I was contemplating of leaving work or asking for a re-assignment. I would accept a job as a telephone operator that does not require a lot of thinking. Then maybe by 5pm I could rush home to be with my baby. Leaving all the worries behind not thinking of doing any quizzes or exams. Even if I am with Kiara, I keep on thinking of all the unfinished things to do and I can't be happy at the moment.

This is my big problem. ME. I am my own problem. I guess I have to concentrate on Kiara when I am with her and not think of anything else. I really have to make her a priority, sacrifice some sleep if I want to be an ever effective teacher, like what I am doing, doing my class work when everybody else is sleeping.

Or maybe change my style of teaching. I am very factual, knowledge, knowledge. I would try to go for higher-thinking skills and then maybe require them for a to-die for exam or project. ;) I will have to adjust myself to the changing times. Every time, every effort counts.

I promise to be at home right away and not stay late at school.
I promise to teach Kiara everything she needs to know, especially how much we love her.
I promise to be a good mother.

SO Help me GOD..

Kiara's Turning One!

It's KIARA'S birthday next week June 13, Saturday at McDonald's Metropolis at C5, Libis. Oh how time flies. Kiara's grown so big.. Me too. I haven't lost the pounds I gained when I was pregnant with her.

What Does it Take to be a Business Analyst Professional?

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It is a six week course where you can review, learn and access to a bank of questions about the BABOK 2.0 in preparation for the CBAP exam. A little time during your lunch break or in the evening gets you occupied with the instructor-led presentations. In this course you will experience learning techniques, strategies, tools and other skills needed for you to succeed in your job; you will be engaged in a mixture of assignments, quizzes, flashcards and CBAP exam simulation that will try to enhance your business analysis skills. There are a lot of business analyst site offering benefits of their course, this one has a comprehensive coverage giving you the needed skills. This is the only course you need in preparation for the exam giving you 21 CDU's toward certification and recertification.

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July 21st - September 4th, 2009
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Where's the Party? Shakeys, McDo, KFC, Jollibee?

St. Michael's Retreat House



Fazolis


Clubhouse of Riverfront

shakey's El Pueblo


I've been preparing for the birthday of Kiara, I already booked Ging Lorenzo for the photo. She is the first supplier that I booked. I've browsed through several birthday supplier rating, checked out several stores, still I can't decide where to celebrate it. Then, I read an article that what is important for a baby's first birthday is that the baby will be surrounded by family and friends who can make the baby happy or laugh. Yes, a mother is proud of her baby but the comfort of the baby should be considered. We were almost aiming at Antipolo for her birthday and we live in Pasig. It would take a while to get there and go back after the party. Right now, I can't send Ging the details for the service agreement because I haven't finalized the venue yet.

I am busy with my summer class but it ends this Saturday. Hopefully, I could really focus on the birthday preps. Hopefully!
God Help me!