Saturday, February 26, 2005

happy bday chi!

Atchie Ghans, Happy birthday! Will send you the bill ok? hehehe...

Friday, February 25, 2005

yahoo!

1. I earned a substantial amount from doing book summaries (my part-time job / "racket") this month. My goal: to do at least 4 book summaries next month.

2. Condo payment assured til June 2005. Next goal: to have a buffer of at least 5 months. (hmmm, better save more and do more book summaries).

3. Having little or no carbo intake for the past week has done wonders. I fit into my old jeans this am. Have to have more will power to say no to chips, cakes, pasta and pizza. "Pigging-out" on ice cream, cake and pasta today (my officemate's bday) means that i will have to lessen my carbo intake tomorrow... did i say lessen? I mean, i should try not to have any carbo for the next few days. hehehe... will a chip hurt?

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Edsa 1

Tomorrow, February 25, the Philippines will be commemorating the anniversary of EDSA 1. To those born after Edsa1 and/or are too young to remember, Fenruary 25 will seem just another holiday (and the chance to go out of town), but to those who have lived and experience the darkest days of the Marcos rule, it will be remembered as the day when the people spoke against the oppressive dictator.

Happy Edsa1! Hope the spirit of Edsa remains in us and inspire us to change.

german measles

I woke up today with rashes in different parts of my body (arms, hands, legs, feet). Although i was concerned about it, I dismissed it as an allergic reaction to something I ate or to dust. So i treated it with a topical ointment to lessen the itch, and got ready for the office.

I said to myself that i will go to the doctor the next day to have it checked and will just observe if the rashes will worsen within the day. When i got to the office, the rashes seemed to have spread...fortunately, the office doctor was in and i was able to visit her and consult regarding the rashes.

After a quick interiew and check-up, she told me that i have a case of german measles. She then gave me medicine and told me to take it for 3 days. I think the medicine was for the itch (to lessen it).

When i checked the Net on german measles, i found out that it usually last for 3 days. Buti n lang walang pasok bukas... it looks like i would be spending this long weekend at home.

I remember when i was younger, i had the measles. My siblings had it too. I think they even had the german measles the same year. Hay naku, hindi kaya I'm too old to get this?

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

i hate this...

I hate this feeling of not knowing what will happen next...
I hate this feeling of waiting for the phone to ring and the phone never does ring...
I hate the feeling of anticipating for things that never pushes through...

Why can't some people have the decency to advise people before hand? Or be sensitive enough that the world does not revolve around them?

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

cute pet pics

my friend sent these cute pictures:


cuddling


cuddle



sleepy


need a shut eye


make up

Monday, February 21, 2005

kat's take

Got this one from a friend:

Did you know that those who appear to be very strong in heart, are real weak and most susceptible?

Did you know that people who occupy themselves by keeping others company orhelping others are the ones that actually need your company and help?


Hmmm, do you agree?

what???

This one's for the books... it seems to be straight out of a movie or telenovela: An ex-congressman / ex-actor is the prime suspect for a kidnapping gang.

Where is the country going to? We can't even trust elected officials (or ex-officials), we can't trust the police... we can't even trust our neighbors.

Friday, February 18, 2005

to cel and bruce

Best wishes and all the best!

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Islamic subjects in public schools

While browsing the papers this morning, i came across this article: "Islamic subjects to be taught in some public schools - Deped" (Philippine daily inquirer, page A5, Feb 15, 2005).

Public elementary schools with sizeable numbers of Muslim students would be required to teach Islamic subjects starting next school year.

Starting June, Arabic and Islamic values will be taught along with regular subjects of Math, Science, English, Filipino and Makabayan. Taking up Arabic and Islamic Values will be optional for non-Muslims.


This is welcome news... I do hope that with the introduction of Islamic subjects in some public schools, will forster more understanding between the Muslims and Christians. I believe that understanding of each other's religion will pave the way for a better relationship.

------------
I remember during my elementary and high school days in Zamboanga (I was enrolled in a state run school), Islamic values subject taught to us once a week during our values education subject. I remember Muslim students were excused from regular class (christian values were also taught the same day)to attend the to the Islamic values class. I do wish more schools will be able to offer Islamic subject

a look on love

my sister sent this to me... cute noh?


love bites!

Monday, February 14, 2005

this is the day

Today I start on a healthier diet... i just hope that can i stick to it and won't give in to my craving of chocolates, coke and junkfoods. I do hope to lose a couple of pounds in two weeks as well as lose my belly fat. hehehe.

Here's to two weeks of salads, cheese, meat and vegetables! The count down begins...

Day of Hearts

Happy Valentines day!

This is not just a day for lovers but a day for families and friends. Have you showed someone you cared? Have you told your significant other / parents or partner "I Love You"? To all my friends, thanks for always being by my side through thick and thin. To my family, thanks for the unconditional love. I am what I am today because of all of you. Thanks!

Thursday, February 10, 2005

another one of those days

Another one of those days where the boss thinks that he is always right and that the things he does are always excellent. Hay naku, this "I'm better than anyone else" attitude sure is a bummer.

Islamic New Year

Today is the first day of the Islamic New Year. happy amon jadid!

Why is the Islamic Calendar different from the Chinese and gregorian calendar? I got this information from islam101.com:

The new Hijri year 1426 A.H. begins February 10, 2005 . The Islamic calendar is based on the year prophet Muhammad () emigrated from Makkah to Madinah in the year 622 C.E. (Christian Era). The emigration took place after spending thirteen years preaching Islam in his hometown, Makkah, where he met extreme resistance and severe persecutions by the people of Makkah. By the command of God, the Prophet left the city with his close friend Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A.) and escaped a death threat by the disbelievers. The event marks
the beginning of the second phase of Prophet's mission. It is the phase when Madinah became the center of an Islamic state.

The Islamic calendar is lunar. Each month must begin
with the evening when the new moon is sightable by the unaided naked eye.

Muslims are obligated to sight the crescent in every country. Different countries may begin the year at different days based on their own sightings. The calendar is called Hijri calendar. The Arabic word Hijrah means migration.


Wednesday, February 09, 2005

the rooster year

Today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar year of the Rooster.

Kung hei fat choi!

Monday, February 07, 2005

ground vs. official truths

Ground truth refers to what is actually happening on the ground or the grass-roots. Official truth is what is generally available for public consumption and is often viewed as propaganda.

Ground truths are discussed around water coolers, in the parking lots, but rarely shows up in the boardroom (or newspapers/programs) where it is needed the most. Knowing the ground truth is crucial in interrogating reality.

Our government is so blinded by the "offical truth" they have circulated about the economy, peace and order situation and politics that they have lost touch with what really matters to the masses.

Government's official truth: Increase in sales of cellcards and beer indicates a better economy.

Ground truth: The increase of sales in cellcards reflect that more filipinos are foregoing some essentials / food just to buy cellcards.

Government's official truth: Less Filipinos are going hungry, the economy is improving.

Ground truth: Filipinos are tigthening their belts, making smaller budgets. The all-family-median home expense level needed by a family so as not to be considered poor dropped from P10,000 in the previous years to only P5,000 per month. (note that the 5,000 budget 4 years ago will not buy the same items today) Self-rated poverty threshold, or the monthly budget that households say they need in order not to be poor, has decreased from previous years. The SWS said that since the cost of living is actually rising, a declining poverty threshold means that households are lowering their living standards -- in other words, belt-tightening.

Government's official truth: The strengthening of the peso is due to the tax measures (particularly the added vat) passed by congress.

Ground truth: The change can be attributed to a variety of factors such as ofw's dollar remittance, weakening of the usd, etc. and not just one factor.

Found another "official truth" lately?

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Monique Lhuillier

A Filipina is making waves in the international fashion industry. Born of Filipino/Spanish/French heritage, Monique Lhuiller is fast becoming a major fashion designer in the US. Her Ready-To-Wear collection has been worn by megastars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Connelly, Janet Jackson, Debra Messing, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey, and Sarah Michelle Geller. She makes our country proud.

pinoy nanny journal

A friend of mine refered this bbc site that featured a photo journal of a Filipino nanny. The woman featured (Josie Pingkihan) said that it is ironic that she is taking care of another person's child in Hong Kong, while another woman is taking care of her child in the Philippines.

It is sad that many Filipinos are resorting to working abroad as nannies because they don't see much hope nor earn as much in the Philippines. When will the Filipinos show a new face to the world?

Friday, February 04, 2005

success

"What is your standard of success?"

I came across this question while I was surfing the Net. I can't help thinking about it... what is success for me? Is it pulling a 5 to 6 figure job? Having a family? Having a career? or having time doing the things I want?

For me, success is having achieved the goals / things that I set, being able to do the things that I love to do (such as writing and getting paid for it), and being with the people I love. While money is important, it is not the end all or be all of what I consider a success. While I might be having that 30k paying job in makati (not that I have this), I am so stressed out that I don't even have time for my self, my family and even appreciate the life. Hey I might not even have time to stop and pray / reflect on life.

For now, I'm fine with my work. While it doesn't pay that much, I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I even get to take some part-time writing job that augment my income. Both jobs give me the freedom and flexibility to do it on my own time. Plus I get to spend time at home and my family.

What is success? it is doing the things you love, while being paid for it.

love hurts?

Sometimes in life, you don't end up with your greatest love. Sometimes, even your love cannot sustain the relationship if people close to you are hurt or oppose to the relationship. It takes a back sit, then comes back when you least expect it.

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

gmail

Anyone interested in having a gmail account?

What is gmail you ask?

Gmail is a free, search-based webmail service that includes 1,000 megabytes (1 gigabyte) of storage. The backbone of Gmail is a powerful Google search engine that quickly finds any message an account owner has ever sent or received. That means there's no need to file messages in order to find them again.

When Gmail displays an email, it automatically shows all the replies to that email as well, so users can view a message in the context of a conversation. There are no pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail, which places relevant text ads and links to related web pages adjacent to email
messages.

Gmail is in its test period and you can have an account through invites. I have several invites, please provide me with your name and email address if you want gmail.

choices

In choosing a job, should you go for the one that offers you a higher salary and career advancement but lets you spend less time for your self, family and friends?

Or choose the one that offer you the flexibilty you need to do the things you want but is less rewading financially?

Php54 to 1usd!

More good news: the pesos is still gaining strength. It has broken into the 54php to 1uds level. This is the highest the peso has been since October 2003. This upbeat news is such a welcome one, but i wonder, when will we feel the effect of the strengthening of the peso? I pray that our currency will continue to gain strength so that we all could appreciate the turn around in the economy.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

love month

February is called the love month being that valentines day falls on the 14th. We shall again be bombarded with sappy movies, chick-flicks,love song, concerts, and date offering.

This commercialized day of expressing your love to your significant other is being embraced by thousand (hey even millions) every year. I'm sure that all roads leading to restaurants, movies, hotel and yup even motels will be full on the second weekend of Feb (and days leading upto the 14th).

Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against this day nor persons who celebrate it. In fact, I am glad that at least once a year some people get to express how they feel romantically. What I don't like is the feeling that you are pressured to go out on dates or be with someone or be romantic and all that stuff.

If you really care for that one person, you should try to make everyday valentines day. Let them (your husband, wife, mother, father, siblings, partner) know everyday that you care for and love them. Don't wait for that one day in a year, tell them now for you will never know what will happen in the future.
 

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