earn while you learn

i always come across 'earn while you learn' program under classified ads of sunstar newspaper.. i have found this interesting since late of last year.. first world consultancy, one the organizations in the ads, offers free orientation and assessment about how one can go to United Kingdom, study in London's most prestigious college, avail of a post study work permit.. other organizations also have programs for Australia and Canada.. all these places mentioned are my dream workplaces..

maybe i could attend one of their orientations one of these days to find out how that works, how much money is involved and check if their legitimate :)

no rest days

it's a saturday.. i have a work tonight and i haven't reviewed my lessons for midterms next week, yet- not even a page in one of my notes or books.. i have nothing but anxious days and nights when i think about my schedule not changing.. IT'S A LONG STORY WHY ALL THIS HAPPENED!!!

on weekdays, i go to school (mon- fri) and i go to work (mon- wed).. on weekends, though i don't have classes, i go to work.. 

officialy, i DON'T have rest days and i don't have a LIFE.. do you? 

the perks of SNS

Social networking sites or SNS are all the rage these days. It started with Friendster, then Multiply, and now Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social networking sites to date. People keep up- to- date with friends and contacts through SNS, and most businesses have hoped onto the bandwagon, too.

You may have just joined for the fun of it, but maximize SNS' potential and take advantage of the perks of being socially active- online!

Reconnect with old friends. Look up old friends from grade school or high school and have fun catching up with them. It may be another restart of a beautiful friendship.

Find out what's going on with people in your circle. The great thing about social networking sites is that it's a great way to stay abreast with your friends' lives- especially since most of us lead such busy lives. If its hard for you and your pals to meet up, SNS can help you stay connected and up- to- date with the latest chismis.

If you have a business, a Multiply account will definitely help you as you can showcase your products without having to pay a fee. Facebook, meanwhile has lots of programs to make cyber- interaction more interactive. It's easier to spread news about your business through SNS, and get almost immediate feedback on your services and products.

Make announcements. Looking for a new job, a new place to move into, need referrals, or do you want to get rid of your old stuff? Post it at Twitter, Multiply, or Facebook and get instant replies!

- BDJ

quick stress relievers

In this day and age, who doesn't get stressed? With technology making our fast- paced lives even more hectic, having to slow down is quickly becoming a thing of the past. But, too much stress can take its toll on your health and sanity. So here are some quick fixes to help you de- stress in the middle of a busy work- day.

Skip the coffee and drink green tea. Not only is it calming and soothing, green tea is also slimming (all the better for the better- conscious). Coffee will only make you more anxious and agitated and may even cause heart palpitations.

Practice deep breathing. For five minutes, clear your mind of thoughts and worries, and breathe deeply. Inhaling and exhaling is a way of clearing physical tension, as experts and studies have reported throughout the years.

Get out of your desk and go for a quick stroll. It doesn't matter where; just stand up and take a quick five- minute walk around the block. Let the sights and sounds fill your senses and crowd out the stress in your mind. And do not feel guilty for leaving your desk; it's only five minutes. The world doesn't end if you decide to take a five- minute break.

Practice Deep Muscle Relaxation (DMR). It only takes about five minutes. First, find a quiet spot in your office (say, lock yourself in a bathroom stall or the library). Then, tense all your facial muscles; grimace if you have to, squeeze your eyes shut, and clench your teeth. Hold this position as you inhale deeply while counting to eight. Then, exhale and let your facial muscles relax. A feeling of calmness will wash over you. You can also do this short exercise to relieve tense shoulders and neck.

- BDJ

they don't care about us

kudos to cebuano 'dancing inmates'!

he has been playing this over and over again in youtube until it has become both of our 'last song syndrome'.. 'they don't care about us'.. we kept on singing that line..

up

From Disney•Pixar comes Up, a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. It invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth.

I bursted out laughing from watching this comedy film.

hide and sick

been hiding and staying home for the last two days, addressing my health and safety needs.. for more than a year of work, i just use two of my sick leaves.. i don't wanna use them, though.. but i have to.. got colds, cough and fever.. i'm going back to work today and i still don't feel like working.. what i hate most is my severe coughing, just can't talk straight and clear, huh! i'm taking meds but i think they're not doing their part :)

the proposal; the duchess

Hilarious performances by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds improve this romantic comedy. She bullies her ambitious assistant, Andrew Paxton earning the ire of all the underlings at Colden Books in New York City. But Margaret, a native Canadian, finds her career in jeopardy when she is denied a visa and learns she will be sent back to her country. She forces Andrew to become her fiancé, but she’ll have to take a trip home to Alaska with him to prove to U.S. Immigration that their impending union is genuine.

With Georgina's marriage to the duke, she achieves an impressive level of fame as Britons follow both her clothing style and her political advice. But even celebrity and wealth can't act as a salve in her marriage to the boring, boorish duke. When he begins to flaunt his affairs, Georgiana is tempted to return to a teenage crush, Charles Grey, to the anger of her husband and her mother. Fiennes's portrayal of the duke ranks roughly with his Lord Voldemort on a scale of beastly behavior, but the acclaimed actor manages to give him a level of humanity that far surpasses what he deserves. The movie focuses on the lack of power possessed by Georgiana and, in fact, all women of her time, and the duke is the primary agent of her suppression. Impressive locations.. lush costumes.. and forbidden love..

time traveler's wife; julie and julia

Released August 14, 2009 is this movie about love that transcends time. Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler -- cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry’s travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.

Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

coffee bean

i started using my BDJ planner coupons today at the coffee bean and tea leaf. if i complete and use at least 40-54 coupons before September 30, 2010, i can get a 2011 Belle de Jour power planner at a discounted price or 60 for free.. i'm not only after that, though.. these coupons also have surprising treats and discounts to enjoy with not just from restaurants but from spa and salon, boutiques to shopping stores..

we paid for tomato and herb linguine for P169.00 and chilled spicy chicken pasta salad for the same price.. and we saved P190 for the iced tea 'coz we already got them for free (supposed to be P95 each) :)

fest bangs

i had my bangs cut during Sinulog and i wish i had not.. it's just so... so uncomfortable.. good thing i can still hide them with a headband.. so so sucks :o

none is to all (0:all)

standing in line for 30 minutes to answer the call of nature inside robinson's (Sinulog 2010).. we still have to turn right and left again.. that's still a long line out there..

 

 but why does it have to be like this??? *laughs...

street parade

 street parade photos

Thanks to Philippines' geographic location! Magellan's expedition reached Philippines on March 16, 1521 presenting Sto. Nino to the native queen of Cebu, as a symbol of peace and friendship between the Spaniards and the Cebuanos. That was when Christianity was initiated and is now being depicted in Cebu's cultural event, Sinulog- one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines from its rich history.

sinulog day 3

Few walk away from where I am staying, this is what we have seen. People were looking through the left side because the parade, float and street dancing were there while the other side of the road was free where people can make their way to wherever they want to go. There were also a long line of food vendors in the sidewalks so we had lechon and puso for lunch near acha pizzeria :)

didn't miss to take photos of one another with the crowd as background :)

 

face painting..

 

the results.. he also has another on his hand, a real Francis M. fanatic, hehe..

spice fusion

At Spice Fusion for lunch yesterday, we ordered a pork herb soup 'bakuteh' for P180.00. It is a Malaysian pork herb soup. We also had 'mee goreng', an Indonesian spicy stir fried miki noodle with chicken, seafood and sambal. Sambal is a condiment made of chili pepper, salt, lemongrass, onion, lime juice, sugar, oil and/or vinegar.

sinulog 2010 day 2

SM Cebu had an hour of spectacular display of fireworks in front of North Wing in celebration of 30th anniversary of Sinulog competed by various places nationwide.

We both have marveled at the beauty of the different forms and effects that bursted in the night sky. There were like stars falling down with a delightful outcome. There were like flowers. There were like branches of a palm tree. There were like cones and fountains. There were flickers and flashes in the sky. There were glitterings of different colors and shades. We also admired the bangs, cracks, whirls and whizzes of the fireworks adding excitement to the music played by a band. As they glowed, dissolved in the air and showered sparks, cheers from the crowd was loud and clear with their clapping and with their ooh-ing and aah-ing.

I have taken 5 videos of the event, each has 200- 300 MB size which takes 2-3 hours to upload. I don't want to wait that long unless I'd leave my computer upload one video at a time while I'm asleep or away :) I should have taken photos of them, instead.

his photo with a colorful painting and i with Gov. Gwen Garcia's festival costume from previous mardi gras..

We have also seen Sto. Nino's different faces and images.

We saw Avatar at SM's last full time show. He was the one interested and he bought the 3d tickets for us but he ended up sleeping and I waking him up from time to time, haha..

Prior going home, we had barbeque dinner at Fuente Circle.

starting the cebu fest

To start the Sinulog festival, we both decided to try a different cuisine. This is my second time in Rai- rai Ken, though. We were both covered up since it was raining hard and it was so cold :)

3 kinds bento (P285.00): beef, mixed seafoods and shrimp tempura

 
garlic chili (P170.00): ramen with ground pork, garlic, mushrooms and shrimp in (shoyu) soy sauce base soup; appetizer gyoza (P55.00): 3 pieces of Japanese pork dumplings

After we had dinner, I had a package service of body massage and body scrub for P500.00 at IT Park's Body and Sole. I was not able to avail of the discount since I haven't gotten my VIP card yet from Emall branch :( It was an hour and a half of total relaxation.

During his break, prior going home since I didn't have a shift, we ate at Mcdo.

I had the rest of the night to sleep while, him at work. I'm sure he was tired. It's pretty obvious, hehe..

beauty supplements

Poor nutrition affects skin, nails and hair, as well as energy levels. If you find it hard to eat well, vitamin supplements are a good option. Vitamin E, found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, heals the skin. It can also prevent skin ulcers, cold sores and eczema. Vitamin C helps produce collagen, which gives the skin strength and helps avoid wrinkles. Both vitamins protect the skin from sun and pollutants. B vitamins found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy help you maintain a healthy blood supply, and a deficiency limits the oxygen to the hair and scalp, resulting in slower hair renewal. As hair and nails are comprised of the same proteins, pitted or ridged nails show your hair is suffering too. Copper, used with zinc, can benefit the hair condition, as it is a component of melanin- a pigment in hair and skin. Zinc is good for brittle hair.

Source: SHE April 2006

burning calories

The number of calories you burn when exercising depends on how much you weigh- the heavier you are, the more calories you will burn because of the extra effort required to move. The information below shows how much energy is used by a range of different exercises. It is based on someone who weighs nine and a half stone, so the calories will be higher if you're heavier and lower if you're lighter. However, regardless of your weight, running is always going to be the most effective exercise for shedding the pounds. Also, as you convert fat to muscle, you'll be using up more and more calories just going about your daily business. Calories burned will also vary depending on the intensity with which you exercise- especially with activities such as yoga, aerobics, and dance, which can vary from high to low impact.

Exercise                                          Approximate Calories Burned

Running                                            800 cals per hour

Jogging                                            500 cals per hour

Walking                                            250 cals per hour

Tennis                                              650 cals per hour

Cycling                                             500 cals per hour

Dancing                                            350- 400 cals per hour

Gardening                                        300 cals per hour

Cleaning                                           300 cals per hour

Aerobics                                           600 cals per hour

Fast-paced yoga                               500 cals per hour

Pilates                                               300 cals per hour

Treadmill                                           600 cals per hour
Cross- trainer                                   550 cals per hour

Rower                                              550 cals per hour

Bike                                                  450 cals per hour

Stepper                                            550 cals per hour

Swimming                                        500 cals per hour

Source: SHE April 2006

tribu buyoganon (sinulog)

reading sunstar's newspaper this sunday made me felt sad when i knew that our town's festival, tribu buyoganon is unable to defend its title for this year's Sinulog free interpretation category.. they were the crowd's favorite of last year's sinulog making them the champion.. it made me felt mad at the abuyog, leyte officials at the same time though for selfishly wanting the choreographer, Victor Cuenco to exclusively handle them without other places hiring him and dividing his time especially that these places are  joining under the same category and therefore, will be competing each other.. they could have set their minds positively that if they are really in for a challenge and willing to promote our place's tourism, then they could have done it despite any reasons..

a photo from their last year's performance at Cebu City Sports Complex receiving a lot of applause and cheer from the crowd..


a video embedded from youtube..

their not joining is the reason why we prefer watching the contingents in the streets rather than buying a ticket to watch other place's exhibition.. :(

gratitude

on my way home today from work, i observed an old american man having difficulty walking and getting in the jeep while i was sitting on the edge.. i moved to my right so that he won't be going to the real inside of the vehicle.. i wasn't aware i was of help and he must have really interpreted the situation as something big because he told me, 'i owe you one' and gave me a piece of chocalate :)

that situation made me feel the importance of gratitude regardless of how big and small things are.. expressing gratitude will positively effect what i see manifests in my life everyday..

good-bye

i only recently knew the importance of saying the word 'good-bye'.. it's not merely an expression of good wishes or acknowledgment before parting or after a conversation.. it is derived or contracted from the phrase, 'God be with you'.. i wouldn't be looking this word up in the internet but for my class assignment's sake i did :)

 

According to randomhouse.com, the first use of a contracted form of "God be with ye" is recorded in a letter written by Gabriel Harvey in 1575: "To requite your gallonde of godbwyes, I regive you a pottle of howedyes." From the 16th to the 18th century, this contraction was spelled in many different ways: godbwye, god b'uy, god buye, god b'wy. The change from god to good, reflected in the spelling good-bye/good-by, was not fully established until the beginning of the 19th century, probably influenced by previously existing phrases such as "good day" and "good night."

a new task

every task i have in my job is challenging especially that now we're handling enhancement team in the absence of a new wave.. in the world of customer service, a multitude of issues can get in a way especially when it talks about hitting targets.. people work together for the team and the center but of course it has to start from hitting the numbers individually.. and it's a matter of being in competition with yourself, improving from your yesterday's outcome and working on to make it better everyday.. balancing a scorecard is a big responsibility that you have to do good on one metric without failing on another so as to keep the job..

developing these people in a variety of ways is a challenge.. we have to help them produce the results expected from them in a certain period of time.. we have to coach them- not just to tell them what to do but it's also about support.. we have to set goals for them about starting a new initiative, implementing a change, achieving work- life balance and building commitments..

the desire to succeed and do well is in us all.. it's a matter of staying on track..

windows 7 tuneup

Windows 7 TuneUp

'for your computer's better maintenance, security and performance...'

passion never dies

loving the soundtrack by Cold Play, 'The Scientist'..

Today, I watched 'Wicker Park', starred by Josh Hartnett and Diane Kruger. Matthew, a young advertising executive in Chicago, puts his life and a business trip to China on hold when he thinks he sees Lisa, the love of his life who walked out on him without a word two years earlier, walking out of a restaurant one day. With a little help from his friend Luke, Matthew obsessively and relentlessly tracks Lisa down and while doing so, runs into another young woman calling herself Lisa whom, unknown to Matthew, is an actress named Alex and may hold the key to Lisa's disappearance, and discovery.

In Chicago, advertising executive and former photographer Matthew is closing a business deal in a fancy restaurant with a Chinese representative, when he sees a woman that looks like his former passion Lisa. Two years ago, Lisa and Matthew had a love affair, and Lisa simply vanished when Matthew invited her to move with him to New York, where he had the invitation for a better job, and Matthew is still obsessed with her. Matthew decides to follow Lisa, and when he meets her, he realizes that Lisa is indeed another woman with the same name. Instead of going on a business trip to China, Matthew stays in Chicago with his friend Luke and decides to investigate the mystery.

- http://www.imdb.com

Lyrics:

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are.
I had to find you, tell you I need you,
Tell you I set you apart.

Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions,
Oh lets go back to the start.
Running in circles, Comin' in tails
Heads on a science apart.

Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.

Oh take me back to the start.

I was just guessin' at numbers and figures,
Pulling the puzzles apart.
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart.

And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start.
Runnin' in circles, Chasin' tails
Comin' back as we are

Nobody said it was easy,
Oh it's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be so hard.

I'm goin' back to the start.

Ohhhh oooooo
Ahhhh oooooo
Ohhhh oooooo
Ohhhh oooooo

my grown- up youngest

Time flies. Ten years ago, we watched her crawl and cry. And when I went home to celebrate my new year, she had grown up to a young fine lady, now a Grade IV student. Her sweetness the way she hugged me when she saw me came is such a wonderful experience. She is amazing in her every way and I love her so much despite the gap that we have and despite of having different moms. She inspires me and thankful that though mom died long time ago, she had replaced her absence.

 

Camprocks' sountrack 'This is me', performed by Demi Lovato is her favorite and she sang it for me the last time I went home. She have watched the movie multiples times that she even had memorized the lines of the different characters. She made herself a video of the music through mobile with her singing and dancing. She deleted it because Jasmine discovered about the video and doesn't want anymore people to see it. Well, my aunt and gradma did. And they say it was really amazing :)

2010, here we are

woohoo! i want 2010 to be a good year, too.. not just that, it should be  better and bolder than the previous years.. these are few things i have to accomplish for this year:

1. learn a foreign language- or at least 50 words to string together a sentence or thought

2. go on a trip on my own to have some serious 'me' time

3. volunteer for a cause

4. read more books and magazines

5. try out a new cuisine and explore new restaurants

6. buy one gadget i really covet

7. take up a sport

8. visit a foregin locale

9. do something new with my hair

10. go to the spa more often

11. get drunk (which i haven't done yet, lol)

12. get a sexy new dress

13. travel more :)
14. create a savings account
15. venture out a business

thanks to bdj for introducing this checklist! there's more and i wana work on accomplishing them one by one..

end with a bang

2009 is practically over and that was indeed a celebration all year long.. i made myself a great year because I chose to be happy throughout whatever came.. life had its ups and downs, but the important thing was i appreciated all the big and small blessings, and knew that everything happened for a reason..

the top things i'm most grateful of for this year are:

- being able to finally go back to school to finish my degree course
- being able to enhance my relationships with family, relatives, him and friends
- being under post- transition team after i got regularized to handle post- transition agents in hitting their metrics
- being able to move up as a QE/TL assist or SME (subject matter experts) after an exam and two interviews by supervisors and managers to help the learning curves of the new hires
- being able to try out new experiences through visiting new places and restaurants

cheers to a year full of smiles and laughter :)

ML dimsum and tea house

We ate in Mlhuillier Dimsum and Tea House at Robinson's Tacloban. We ordered steamed beef siomai, rice top with pork rib and chicken feet and rice top with chicken and black mushroom.

the menu

our photos..

new year photos

Nothing is better than a time spent with loved ones. Family gatherings are a time to catch up with family members. It is a chance to enjoy the special feeling of being surrounded by family and relatives.

with my younger sisters jesheryl and jasmine..

with airyll and nanay..

dexter with jasmine and airyll..

with dexter and papa..

jay-r, dexter, aunt tess and nanay

grandma with her grandchildren..

food celeb

I have taken a photo of the foods that my lola and aunt prepared for New Year. All of these tasted good especially that they spent the whole day in the kitchen :)

These are more than enough that when we left to go back to Cebu, there were still a lot left in the fridge :)

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

-Louisa May Alcott