Life: is it what you make it?

so, what's giving you "life" these days?

is it your job? your career? your travels, your fashion shows, parties, your ambition? is it school stuff? lovelife? family life? or you're just buried with your books in the basement of your house? is it backpacking? babysitting? family bonding? movies? music? your kids?

but really, what does?

well, for most people my age, life to them is all about career. but i don't have that to brag about. at this point, i don't have a career to talk about. what i have right now is a job, not a career. but i don't hate it though, 'cause what's really keeping me busy right now is school stuff. it is something that makes me feel alive. i mean, a career in the making is in sight. and that is enough.

people actually get awed by others who seem to have been trotting around the world. i had to admit. i feel a twinge of envy sometimes.

but hey, life is not all about travel. it isn't like in the movies where all get lucky in life and they go on travelling all around the world. in reality, only a few of us do get lucky to have jobs that involve travelling, all-expense paid.

and so i ask myself these days: am i happy getting "life" with school stuff? and the answer is "definitely!"

i sure do enjoy school right now. I mean MBA and ID aren't all "wine and dine" kind of stuff but these two make me alive. i feel like i got a purpose here on earth and not just slave away in my job like an automaton.

so, life is really what you make it. if you are not happy with your "life" then do something about it. just get a life. another kind of life. :)

way back into love

i'm listening to the song "way back into love" by drew barrymore and hugh grant right now. and it takes me back to a familiar place and time.

i am not talking about getting back the feelings i had with an ex, but it makes me remember the days when i was still in college. the song was the soundtrack of the movie "Music and Lyrics" shown in 2007 i think. and i found both the music and its lyrics striking. maybe because i missed the times singing songs with my bestfriend as he went on playing his guitar during those times. ah! those were the days.

well, i am not a professional musician myself. i do play the guitar from time to time but i have not had any chance to play in front of a crowd, aside from occasional org parties and jam sessions with friends. i even watched the movie alone. but given a chance, i could have watched the movie with my bestfriend. this could have been our song together.

aside from the fact that we both are artists by heart, we really enjoy acoustic songs. he plays the guitar so well he could have been a musician by profession. and in watching movies as such, he would always be the best choice for a good companion. for one, we both love playing songs in his guitar and we both love meaningful lyrics or lyrics that somehow tells a story, or somewhat like that.

and i am glad i did not watch the movie with my boyfriend then. well, it was a good thing we broke up by the time i was able to watch the movie. i had to admit i wouldn't have enjoyed the movie as much as i've enjoyed watching it alone. it's because he might not have the same appreciation of the movie as i did. one reason is, the movie involved songwriting and musicians. second, well, it was a bit of a sappy movie most guys don't wanna watch, 'cept for some romantics who are either artists or musicians. and in some way, it was a love story. and who wants to watch movies like that? girls, of course!

and though my bestfriend is some kind of a 'chickboy,' he has never been a guy's guy who prefers watching movies with a lot of bed scenes. he is a romantic artist who, somehow, relates to other romantic girls out there.

yeah. modesty aside, some guys like him still exist. however, there's only a few of them left. and to tell you honestly, i have always been dreaming of a guy like him. but perhaps, some things are not meant to be. so we are still bestfriends up to this day.

it doesn't matter though. i'm happy the way we are. and the fact that he can still make me smile even though at times i feel down is a very positive thing to talk about. but the wonder of our relationship being bestfriends remains. we both share this "connection" we could never understand. we just both know that there is something between us, like we are kind of related by blood. i can't explain it myself. it's like we are likeminded, something like that, that we do think in almost the same way and we look at things in the same perspective, too.

oh, well. i guess i'm not making myself clear by trying to explain further. but i do believe that most people out there who do have a bestfriend, be it a girl or a guy, pretty much feel the same way, too.

and what else do i have to say? i guess i really need to find my way back to love now. :))

how to make good impressions

the way we look matters a lot. and whether we like it or not, we are being remembered either by how we dress or how we talk, or even with whom we go out with. and thus, it is very important to always make a good impression. one that usually lasts or makes anyone remember you.

so the first thing to ask yourself each time you go out for a job interview is what impression are you going to make with that dress you chose to wear? are you gonna be remembered as smart, girly, feminine or creative even? or it's just going to ruin the image you want to project for a good impression.

well, it all depends on how you carry yourself around with the suit or dress of your choice. most people believe that someone is real smart with crisp suits that come with a pair of glasses and black shiny shoes. creative ones are known to have a unique fashion sense and those girly are usually known to be donning girly dresses that flows.

well, it seems to be depending much on your fashion sense. but without your skill in carrying out a good conversation, then you're not making a good impression in there. it helps to look yourselves in the mirror, do some talking like how you usually do in interviews, turn around, or even walk to see how are you doing when it comes to projections. however, make sure that you are having the character of the person you're trying to project in you. or else, everything will turn out to be just a show.

so, remember to always let confidence ooze from within naturally. it gives out the impression that you believe in yourself and you are not afraid to really go out there and interact with other people. Choose clothes that feel comfortable but make you presentable as well. Always maintain a clean or neat look that suggests you are an organized and well-coordinated individual. Small things as such usually make the impression that you are concerned with small details, perfect for a person who orients himself to be sharp at all times and one who doesn't take even small things for granted.

music in my ears

listening to taylor swift songs right now and i can't keep falling in love with her voice. this girl's really got talent she sings so well and even plays the guitar. she's cool and she rocks.

kris lawrence, the one who revived the song "i will take you forever" is doing a great job as well with denise laurel. the song's really good to hear especially if your energy is at a low level during lazy Sunday afternoons.

music is real upper. :)

headache

i feel kind of ill today. my head aches and i feel nauseated. it must have been the sleepless nights i had the past few days. i guess stress is slowly getting on my nerves.

looking back, i had a very busy week behind me. job interview, subject change, 6-9 p.m. class, workloads. argh. toxic.

sometimes i long for hours of break, or even a month of bumming around, getting sleepovers and stuffing my face with popcorn as i turn into a couch potato for a while. the truth is, i want a year-long vacation.

yeah. that long. i need that long to be able to recharge my batteries. i just wanna finish my associate degree in ID and my MBA. i wanna get over with this post-diploma thingy and just jumped into the bandwagon of career shifting.

wala lang. it's probably PMS (post-menstrual syndrome).

how to encourage people to become better the right way

everybody wants to become better. who doesn't right? but the wrong way of doing it can ruin just about every chance you have with somebody you want to get better. so here are some points on how to make it work.

1. don't criticize. you can point out one's weaknesses without criticisms. first, you have to praise somebody's good points, and work your way from there to identify his or her strengths and weaknesses. then suggest how she or he can turn her weaknesses into strengths to allow room for growth, improvement and development.

2. don't compare her or him to anyone out there. everybody is unique. each one has her or his own talent to boast about. so don't even bother comparing him or her to anyone, lest you want to be shut out of her or his life for good.

3. develop her or his potentials. if you have seen something so unique about her or something he is really good at, try egging him on so she or he can fine-tune her or his craft.

4. give your full support. anything you can offer can push someone further on what she or he does. just don't overdo it so she or he won't get misled by false praises.

5. brag about her or his accomplishments to people close to you. this would always make her or him feel good and it gives her or him the confidence to even get better.


so there. just a few of the good points in encouraging someone to become better in anything that she or he does. next time you try encouraging someone, try those tips above and you will never fail.

change

tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis. i'd never forget this ever.

it was one line that changed my perspective as a person somehow. In the english language, it means "seasons change and we all change with them."

change. the only constant thing in this world. and what good it does to us?

well, a lot, i guess.

from a timid shy girl who grew up in the province, i became a changed woman. life has been simple and boring for a time, but as soon as i got into college and then stepped out into the real world four years later, a lot of things changed my perspective.

conflict. it was one thing that did it. i was once an idealist, a believer of the "almost impossible" thing that can happen in one's life. meeting her soulmate, or someone she's destined to be with for the rest of her life.

until one day, i saw a lot of things i could not believe they exist. i could not talk about them here, but to give you a glimpse of it, consider a same-sex relationship, casual sex between friends, sex between a straight guy and a gay..name it. and most of them shocked me. i was even a hesitant believer.

when i was 18, i just thought of my future, of better things to come, not knowing that a lot of "different things" happen out there. yeah. i was naive, ignorant even. so unaware that human frailties lead others to be doing things i never thought exist.

when i started working for the Inquirer, my eyes were opened to the ugly truths of life. reality. and it bites.

then, the thing that never crossed my mind happened to my family. just months into my job after graduation, rumors went around that my father was having an affair with another woman. well, i did not believe it. but i saw how it changed my father. it was then i had to shed my ideals, and start believing that there is no such thing as close-to-perfect.

i almost believed my family was one of the close-to-perfect families back in the province. we are not affluent. and we are not even always together. but we are happy, just like many of the close-to-perfect families everywhere else.

but that little change in my father led me to accept reality, though it is ugly. and when i came back to Manila, i became a changed woman, looking through things this time in a different perspective.

that we as people are meant to be here not to enjoy life, but to live it. and life is not as beautiful as we expect it to be. it is a matter of perspective, a matter of seeing things.

at the end of one of my MBA subjects last semester, a brilliant teacher left us the story of an egg, a carrot and coffee.

she went on saying that eggs are delicate but becomes hard after getting soaked in a boiling water. on the other hand, hard carrots become soft after an hour or less of boiling, while coffee just perfectly blends with the boiling water.

she asked us which one we do want to become. do we like to be toughened after a lot of problems just like the hard-boiled egg? do we turn soft after getting battered by the "storm" that comes every now and then, just like the carrots? or do we just ride along with the struggles of life just like the blending of coffee with the hot water?

of course, every one wants to be coffee in this case. and now what am i saying?

well, i have just been through a lot of confusion, both job- and relationship-related. but i emerge stronger and more capable of a quality decision each time i get to face heart-breaking or mind-boggling distractions.

change allows us to make adjustments, to study what has been happening around us, and even allows us room to slip into our best selves and continue living to the fullest. it allows us to step back from it all to see a different yet better perspective. something that suits the situation or something that perfectly fits who we are.

i had become bitter for a time after knowing that my family is going to be listed down as part of the statistics of broken homes. but you know what? a lot of better things came in lieu of that.

my brother is a successful lawyer now; another brother, younger than i am, has just taken the bar exam, too, last September; and my sister who took the licensure exam for pharmacists last year landed the sixth spot and is now working in one of the top companies along Ayala Avenue.

Well, as for me, i have discovered how lucky i am being with the Inquirer recently, and i would soon be an interior designer, too, and hopefully i'd be able to put up a little business of my own after graduating from an MBA program at the UST grad school.

see? change can make us better. and if i had not changed my perspective about my present job now, i might have still been looking out for another job.

but now that i am looking through a different perspective, i would say i'd stick it out with the Inquirer till a better job or a career chance comes along.

so, stay happy and at least like, if you can't love, your job. :)

realizations

we tend to realize the value of what we have when they are taken away. and we start to really know what we are missing if there is an element of comparison involved.

i realized that just yesterday.

well, i have been whining quite a lot about the monotony in my job. and as they say, you would never know how lucky you are if you keep on looking out instead of looking in. and indeed, i came upon a great realization yesterday.

i was wishing hard to land another writing job that comes with the same compensation as my salary at the moment. if you feel you have been staying in one company for too long, all you do is look out for another one.

i thought i was right. but i was wrong.

all along, i have not realized how lucky i am getting paid for doing something not quite hard as other workloads in the corporate world.

to give you a better understanding on this, let me just breeze through what happened yesterday.

i applied for a writing position in a startup company located at the Global City in Taguig. The compensation offered for a blogger or content writer is almost the same as my compensation in my present job.

Well, in my excitement, i missed the part where it was written there that the setting would be like a call center, in which writers, the unlucky ones, would be having a graveyard shift while the lucky ones would be writing during the day, like a 9-6 work schedule.

so there. i applied for the position. and a day after submitting my resume, i got a call for an interview right away. it was good news, right? Wrong!

so i went there, too hopeful to even realize the disadvantage of working in a place a bit far from where you live. i slipped into my best suit, hailed a cab and cheerily greeted the people at the reception area upon arriving.

i answered some questions, filled in a bio-data form and waited for about 15 minutes. then i was given 2 writing exams later. well, it was like writing a press release for the netizens. the article must be concise and it should be written in a way that grabs and retains the attention of readers. and it must be informative and must take a conversational form to create more connection between the author and the reader.

there were at least 8 of us who aspired for the position. and they were as impatient as me as we waited for about 25 more minutes after finishing the writing test. after 5 minutes, i was called for the initial interview. the girl who was not even in an office suit did the interview. she must have been the HR head, or someone like that. so since when did people in the HR department start wearing platform sandals, an ordinary blouse and pants in a formal interview?

but what made me raise my brow is the fact that the initial interview was conducted in a room that looked like a storeroom, complete with chairs in disarray and a broom and a dustpan. gosh. what have i done, i asked myself quietly.

and as soon as the interview started, i also started thinking of at least 20 reasons why i should not have been there talking in the first place. well, for one, i hate a graveyard shift. Second, who wants to write at least 10 articles a day? And third, it is a startup company, which means there is no guarantee if it is going to succeed. i have worked with a startup company before. but that was when i was still a newly grad. so, whether it stays or it closes, i wouldn't mind looking for another job.

and when the girl asked me a question that concerns my MBA, like she was trying to see if i'd give up my MBA for a call center job (in case i would need to, or if the job asks for it), i knew right there and then that i was still a lot luckier than the people who have started working for that company.

and you know what? i usually complain about wasted time doing nothing after work, but in there, breaks are even recorded. duh! what an uptight environment. too strict for a very laidback person like me.

so there. i went to class which happened to get dissolved after. i did not feel down, though. 'Cause i've gotten into a great realization yesterday.

now, i know where i belong. perhaps i just need a lot more time to somehow appreciate what i have in the present, and just look forward for the better things to come, like a promotion, right?

so when you feel like changing careers or shifting jobs, make sure it is what you really want. 'Cause regrets in the end don't give you back what you have already lost. Just stay where you are at the moment and look out for chances of career advancement in the same company.

Well, still depends on you, though. just think first before letting go of something you might wanna have back in the end. :)

right choices...how to make one?

Making choices. Easy as it sounds. Doesn’t take a genius to make one. but be sure to make it right, if not all the time, most of the time.

But how do we go about making the right choices? Well, just listen to what God tells you through your heart. Sometimes, it seems easier doing the things our enemies do to us. But don’t bother. Being like them doesn’t solve the problem. You can only watch them do their thing. And the best thing to do is stay put where you are. Never ever cross the line that sets the good apart from the evil.

Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. ‘cause if you let them, it’s as good as retreating from your very first strike. Keep going and know that God’s always behind you. So put a fight for good things. If they strike you down, don’t give in to doing the same thing.

when it seems like you're always making the wrong turn...

Making a mistake does not make you less a person nor make you less than others. it only makes you human and nobody ever has the right to condemn you or subject you to judgment. That is not the work of man but it’s God’s.

we all do make mistakes sometimes. Everybody does. And that is why we are humans and not gods or goddesses. Just make sure to make amends or correct those mistakes. And try not to stumble upon the same mistakes or fall flat on your face on the same spot again.

And when somebody tries to put you down because of those mistakes, don’t let them. it is like letting the devil destroy you without putting up your faith as a defense. So hang in there and carry on. God is with you all the way. Promise.

Marvin: the coolest guy of survivor philippines, Palau

i just finished watching survivor. i got a bit sad when Marvin was voted out. but what really caught my eye is his being so sport when it comes to the game.

he looked sad as he talked in front of the camera, saying goodbye to the tribe. but what touched me most is this:

"i wanted to be at least on the top 6, pero what can we do. ganun talaga e. everything is planned, there are no accidents in life. maybe this is what God has planned.''

Grabe! i was kind of expecting some expletives from him but he turned out to be such a cool guy. now i wonder how many guys out there have the same strong faith as him.

Sana madagdagan pa katulad ni Marvin whose faith remains strong in the face of adversity. that is why he had easily accepted being the 7th survivor voted out of the game.

saludo ako sau, Marvin!

what to do in the face of a supertyphoon

news source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
disclaimer: i am just reposting this story from the Inquirer and all rights belong to the reporter and the company


Pagasa:
Seek refuge
in strongest
building

By Nikko Dizon

LOOK FOR THE STRONGEST building where you can take refuge and stay put while the storm passes.

This advice from Nathaniel Cruz, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) deputy director for operations on what to do when Supertyphoon “Pepeng” hits the country.

Packing gusts of 230 kilometers an hour, Pepeng was approaching the northern province of Aurora and its effects could be felt by dawn today. A United Nations’ humanitarian agency said yesterday some 1.8 million people could be exposed to the worst winds from the supertyphoon.

“These gusts are strong enough to destroy houses, rip the roofs off houses,” Cruz said yesterday in a radio interview. “The best thing we can do for the lives of our countrymen is to look for the strongest building where our countrymen can take refuge while the storm is passing.”

His warning came as millions of Filipinos were struggling to recover from Tropical Storm “Ondoy,” which killed at least 293 people as it pounded Manila and surrounding areas with the worst flooding in four decades.

More than three million people were affected by Ondoy, which dumped more than a month’s worth of rains in just nine hours on Saturday.

Stay safe

“All preparations and contingencies should have been in place days ago. Just stay in a safe place [when the supertyphoon hits],” Cruz, told the Inquirer yesterday in a phone interview .

He said a supertyphoon with winds reaching 175 to 200 kilometers per hour, “is very destructive.”

He recalled that in Albay at the height of Supertyphoon “Reming,” winds actually twisted the metal towers of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) before dumping them on the ground.

However, Cruz was quick to clarify that a supertyphoon should not be confused with a tornado that could pick up anything in its path.

Pick up roofs, uproot trees

The Pagasa official said the winds of a supertyphoon was strong enough to pick up “lighter objects” such as rooftops. It could also uproot trees, damage rice and corn plantations, destroy electrical power lines and residential buildings.

Gusts of wind could also push vehicles, he said, just like how the strong currents of the floods brought by Storm Ondoy caused vehicles to pile up on top of each other.

“Overall, the damage a supertyphoon could bring to affected areas could be very heavy,” Cruz said.

Pray and hope for the best

Meanwhile, Aurora Gov. Bella Angara, said officials were preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

“The prediction is that this typhoon is very strong. Our prayers are that no lives will be lost. God answered our prayers [during Storm Ondoy] and we are hopeful we will be spared again,” Angara said on radio.

Aurora is a mainly rural province of mountains and rice plains, with a population of about 187,000 people. Isabela is another fertile farming region but much bigger and has a population of about 1.4 million.

More wind than rain

Cruz said Pepeng would likely not bring the heavy rains of Ondoy that hit the country last weekend, and the worst of it was forecast to strike over 200 km north of Manila.

But it would still still bring rain to Manila, compounding the heavy flooding which has not yet receded in large parts of the capital and its surroundings.

Cruz warned people in Aurora and the neighboring province of Isabela not to be fooled into thinking the typhoon would not wreak havoc, just because the winds had yet to be be felt.

“They might think it isn’t something to worry about but from our radar and satellite image, we can see it is an incredibly strong typhoon,” he said. With a report from AFP

caught off-guard

as i watched the latest reports on tropical storm Ondoy on TV last Saturday night, my heart wrenched at the harrowing sight of flooded streets, submerged houses and cars, drenched people, hungry and cold. i could not help but feel sorry for the children. the most i could do was pray for them.

most were caught off-guard of the flood brought about by Ondoy. Marikina city and the province of Rizal were among the places hardest-hit by the tropical storm. In fact, two of my officemates live in those places.

My family and I were among the lucky few who live in a 4-floor apartment complex here in Makati, high enough for floodwaters.

last night, i started rummaging through my closet for old, unused clothes to donate to the survivors and victims of the storm. i hope whatever little i can give will help them pull through this disaster.

and i salute those unsang heroes who died of service to their fellowmen like 18-year-old MUELMAR MAGALLANES, who saved at least 30 people, including a mother and her 6-month-old baby; Army Private First Class VENANCIO ANCHETA, who saved 20 people in Laguna; Army Cpl. ADRIANO REGUA; Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit militiamen JOEL HERNALIN, ERINEO OLAGUER, FLORENCIO DEQUINO, and PEDRO FALCON in Barangay Nanguma in Mabitac town, Laguna; and two more CAFGU militiamen who were still missing.

May they all rest in peace and God take them all to His kingdom. Let us all pray for all our fellowmen who were victims of tropical storm Ondoy, and do our part in extending help to them no matter how little they are.

i'm outta here

i'm outta here by 2012. and looking ahead into the future, i ask myself what option to take in case my friend and i won't be able to put up the business we want by 2013.

trying my luck in Singapore as an interior designer crosses my mind sometimes. but the question lies in my ability to stay away from my family for long periods of time.

i am on the process of finalizing my first business venture, just a small one, just right for somebody who is starting out. but a lot of other things can happen, though.

last week, i had a hard time deciding on what business to take on. with the help of a tool from a business site online, i was able to pick out 3 of the most viable business plans.

since i am passionate about design, i decided to choose three that are design-related. one is putting up a t-shirt design shop or store; second is a soft-furnishing company that doubles as an interior design firm; and third is a rental apartments or complex with interiors designed by me.

the last one requires at least P2 million in capital. but i opted for a million or even half to have a 10- or 5-door apartment. on the other hand, the t-shirt design shop requires a much lower startup capital. i can always start with P20,000 and tap the Internet for an online shop.

The second one might need about P300 thousand in startup capital. however, going with the second business plan would be a problem, with me still in interior design school. if i am going to push through with it, i have to wait till 2012.

so, last night, i decided to finalize everything, finish with my research and come up with the t-shirt design business plan sooner.

Christmas is just around the corner and it might be a good opportunity to test the market this coming December, not to mention the availability of funds during yearends.

i have initially thought of putting up a laundry shop but i realized it has nothing to do with my passion in design. i have thought of putting up a pharmacy in the province as well, but the required capital is too high for me. having a franchise of the popular rice in a box is more affordable at P300 thousand in startup capital, but this would mean i have to give up my present day job. it was a requirement for a franchisee to work full-time as was written in their site, so i have to cancel this as well. but i would still pursue this plan after resigning from my job in 2012.

so there. final decision is to have a t-shirt design shop and then work my way around it as a first-time entrepreneur.

i know. it won't be easy. but if others can, why can't i?

i know i can do the same :)

bad day

now that Typhoon Nando has left the country, the sun shone brightly this morning. but the first day of the week did not start right for me.

i was hoping to feel some kind of oomph with the good weather. but the day has not yet ended and already, i felt getting back to bed.

that is how i usually deal with a bad day. i sleep on it, so i'd feel different the next day.

but today was different. well, if getting a lil hitch with your mom counts, then i'd say i was dealing with a bad day.

now, i was rambling again, typing away in front of my pc so i can still work well even feeling a bit upset. sometimes i want to believe things always go in pairs.

we have two eyes, two ears, two hands, two legs and so on. and there is also what you call love and hate; joy and anger; happiness and sadness.

i remember feeling all so giddy last night. it had been the second day for my younger brother's bar exams and we were all talking about it.

and since i made a banana toffee ice box cake yesterday morning, i was so excited having a mouthful during dinner. and indeed, the cake tasted so good. and with the good feeling of eating while having a good chat with my family, i had a good night sleep. i felt real joy last night. i was happy.

but today was the opposite. i woke up to a different mood this morning. whenever i have a lil dispute with any of my family members, it leaves me in a bad shape. i could not even work so well knowing somebody was not in good terms with me.

i do wanted to avoid these kinds of disputes, especially petty ones, but i could not ignore it either. i mean, when i know i am right, i fight for it, but it usually causes friction between me and the person involved. now i dunno if i just need to shut my eyes though i find some things are wrong, or i just need to keep quiet, though i know something isn't going right.

sigh. i guess today is really a bad day. but you know what? i refuse to believe. maybe it's just a coincidence.

power hour

i don't exactly believe in superstition or even in feng shui. but i finally discovered my power hour. maybe this is what taking a lot of online quizzes does to you. nevertheless, it was a good thing. it helped me set the time when to get productive, which means writing stories during the time i feel most energized, inspired and creative.

it was a bit funny, though. about the same day last week, i found myself dozing off in my chair while reading a story. i had stopped drinking coffee last year when i started noticing heart palpitations after drinking iced tea. i suspected it had something to do with taking a drink with a lot of caffeine, so i stopped drinking coffee as well.

but last week, i had no choice but to take a cup to stay awake at work. i put a lot of water in it to avoid palpitation again and the thing i noticed, my muse kicked in.

after drinking half of it, i found my imagination in a high gear. so i had to put it down on paper, i mean on my computer. so since then, i started working on my manuscripts again, making sure i start writing at around 5 in the afternoon till 10 in the evening.

and the good news is, it's working.

i once took an online quiz from one of the websites offering different kind of quizzes, which was entitled, `what is your power hour?'

i could no longer remember what the result was, but now i remember it so well, ever since i have discovered mine.

now, i can say my power hour starts at 5 in the afternoon till 10 in the evening.

what about you? do you have your power hour? maybe it's time to discover yours, too, and make it your cue to get productive each time you feel your creative side kick in.

good luck! :)

make your cake and eat it, too

i have finally done the thing i've been putting off for a long time. and that is to make a banana toffee ice box cake.

the procedure was a bit easy. you just need to mix ingredients, heat some chocolate chips in a sauce pan, pour water in a container and bring it to boil then submerge a can of condensed milk, layer graham crackers in a pan with whipped cream, slices of banana chocolate and condensed milk in that order, put it to the fridge and voila! an easy-made banana-toffee ice box cake.

i have yet to taste my cake as i was still typing away in my keyboard while writing this. but tonight, i'd surely indulge in that mouth-watering recipe from www.wmn.ph

it's easy. you can try other recipes of your choice. just log on to the site and click on the food button. so try it now so you can make your cake and eat it, too. :)

less is more

i've decided to take down the latest blog i've created here in blogger. i found it a bit difficult switching from one blog to another for maintenance.

so i am reposting the content of the deleted blog here, including the dates they were created. happy reading!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
don't fret on something that isn't yours

try getting into something. if you fail, try again. if you fail one more time, don't get tired trying.

but if you fail the third time around, well, you need rethinking.

if doing something gets you down, it is probably not yours. try doing another thing.

``pag tinatamad ka gawin, it's not your calling.''

very well said.

knowing what you are getting into is the most important part in following path. you can never choose where you wanna be. you can only follow your heart.

there is nothing wrong with improving you your weaker areas, but focusing on your strength does the trick. specializing on what you are good at leads you to expertise, then toward excellence. it's not enough being good. it pays being the best. it is what makes you stand out. so do it now and reap the fruits of your labor later. Posted by iRis vaLera at 12:22 a.m.

Monday, June 15, 2009
catch my attention if you can

i learned a thing today. inviting readers' attention is not exactly getting a controversial issue posted on your blog for everybody to pore on. it is making an extraordinary thing out of an ordinary one. and how is that?

well-written article, or even a shoutout, won't mean a sure way of getting read by netizens and fellow bloggers. but well-thought out writing style does it. and how is that again?

styles in writing take many tones and forms: it can be funny; it can be serious; it can be satirical; can be offending; can be informative and more often than not, can be boring. what works well for bloggers is something that can lift the mood; something that makes someone smile, or even elated. better yet, it must grab attention, something that leaves others wanting more. it's not exactly a `juicy' news, but something of a mystery. a style that poses a question: either why, what, who, where and how.

in journalism, the 4ws and 1 h must always be answered in the story lead, the so-called inverted pyramid, with which the reader must capture the essence of the story with the first line or at the opening paragraph.

but in blogging or online writing, it is totally different. the lead must spark in them the desire to know something more about it. in short, it must usher them to read the entire article.

writing succintly does the trick. precise writing or short articles don't bore readers. online readers are usually lazy and busy individuals who don't have much time and patience for long articles.

bulleted points or highlights do contribute to the readability and appeal of an article. so go on and try it at once. you'd be surprised to create traffic in your blog or site. Posted by iRis vaLera at 11:45 PM

Satuday, June 6, 2009
do your best and God will do the rest

ever heard of the magic of believing? you could hear it from everywhere, especially in the world of people who work with passion.

i remember what a superior told me back then when i was still a workforce newbie: 'Believe in yourself, 'cause if you don't, no one else will.'

this has stuck in my head ever since. though at times, my confidence backslides, i have remained my biggest fan ever. and quoting a teacher in one of my MBA classes, 'if you won't stay focused onto your dreams and goals, all you'd only see are obstacles way ahead.'

my 2nd term in interior design would be finished by end of june. i was doing well with my subjects, and even with the craft itself. however, grades in my freehand drawing class don't necessarily reflect that. i'm a full-time working professional studying part-time. that explains it well. it was one of the drawbacks of getting into school while being employed full-time.

interior design school is no different from other courses, but it eats up much more of your time compared to others. in doing a plate, for instance, it takes an average of 4 hours. and having four plates as take-home assignments would mean four days of work activity, not to mention late-night activity.

i have a day job that runs from 2 in the afternoon till 11 in the evening. sometimes, i even go home past midnight. Thursdays would always be an overtime work for a lifestyle section, which does not afford me time to work with school plates at night nor in the morning the next day or the evening the next day.

reason is, i have to get some sleep to function well during the day. and that means two days missed for the late-night school work activity. i tried cramming a day before my freehand drawing class. but this proved to be a `suicide.'

doing a plate isn't like doing an article fast. you need time to put all the details in and so i was not able to turn in two plates the next day.Twenty points were deducted from two of my plates, giving me a grade way below passing. but given enough time, i would have aced the said plates.

yeah. i believe i am a talented artist.it does not sound as a pure brag, though. you can look at my plates and see the difference from a pure brag to a fact. i have the talent and skill. i just don't have the time. i should have said this to my teacher when he got pissed over my `unorganized' way of submission.

yeah. older people get irritated way easier than we do, younger people. and that is an excuse, though i believe it shouldn't be. cause more often than not, being short-tempered makes us say words we don't even mean.what i'm trying to say here is this: that teacher who asked me in jest if i was really a [budding] interior designer made one of his worst mistakes.

reason is, i still have a long way to prove i am one. but in his case, he could no longer prove that he is right, given his age.time is going to witness my great works yet. and that is long after he is gone. who knows, i'd even end up one of the best designers of my time, right?

and he could no longer take his words back.judging people while they are starting up on something is not a wise thing to do, especially for people who have grown through time. they should stay as someone younger generation should look up to, better yet, serve as inspirations.

and so i say, if people around you don't contribute much to your dreams, especially teachers who say what they feel right on the spot, stay away from them and ignore them.stay on track toward your goal. steer your sights clear of the obstacles [like one of my teachers] and carry on with what you do.

remember what the milo slogan is? DREAM. BELIEVE. PREPARE.

so, just keep believing in yourself. don't lose sight of your dreams and do the necessary things to reach that goal.just don't stop believing in yourself and keep on trusting God and have faith.Do your best and God will do the rest. :) Posted by iRis vaLera at 11:32 PM

RU 1 of them?

i especially hold high regard for people who dare dream big and dauntlessly march out there to make it happen. two former classmates exactly did that, bolstering my resolve to push through with my dream of carving out a name to be known in the interior design industry.

it's a bit ambitious. it's no doubt a lofty dream. but people who are dauntless and driven are the ones who get the chance of seeing the limelights of success.

so, RU one of them?

i don't exactly know how to word it. but if people would ask me the same question, i'd say YES at once.

without a doubt, I AM one of THEM. :))

make it happen

make your dream a reality. you have to make it happen. it's no use keeping them all in your head. you have to go out there and make it happen.

but if things in your life seem to take longer than you would like, worry not. God is up there looking out for you. patiently wait on His timing, for He knows best when to make the right steps.

just don't lose sight of your dream. hold on to it, till the time is right to take action.

remember to take careful steps while treading the path of your dream. be sure to make it happen, but do not head off without a plan.

God always gives you what you need, so do your best and leave the rest to Him. Let God be God. :)

the meaning of success

i wanted to believe that life on earth is unfair; that some were either born lucky or rich while others weren't. but the thing is, this isn't true at all times.

noted men of success share the same path and story as those at the grassroot level who dream of making it big in this world as well.

And that man who dreamed big and made it is Manny Villar.

While some might raise their brows in doubt, they could not disagree. This top businessman started with a humble beginning. And he was never ashamed of it. In fact, the story of his success is an inspiration to many others, aspiring to be like him one day.

And who'd believe that this man was never born rich? He was a commoner who lived in a rented home just like many of us. But he never saw the realities of life as obstacles. Rather, these have become his source of motivation that stoke his passion for business. And thus, a vision of a better life was borne.

A better him in the future, a life that is far removed from the shackles of ordinary living: a vision that put him there, together with his passion for business.

Success may be viewed in different ways. It may mean fortune to many while some believe it is prestige. Still, it may mean popularity to others.

But whatever success may mean to you, just remember one thing. There is no shortcut to success. You have to work really hard for it. Nobody grew a business in so short a time. It takes months to put up one. And knowing whether you succeed or not, then don't look very far. You all have your humble beginnings behind you to prove how far have you gone.

Good luck!

reaLity biteS

i've read a letter posted in our office bulletin board today. it was an officemate's who is having a bout with cancer, lymphoma to be exact. and getting face to face with such life's realities gets me down sometimes.

i mean, i am too much of an idealist, and it gets the best of me sometimes. well, i am well-grounded. just that, i have yet to outgrow the idealism in me. and such encounter always makes me sad.

my view of the world is nothing like what it really is. i always think that life is beautiful and the world is a beautiful place to live in. i forgot to include the adversities in the process. but i know too well that it is somewhat flawed.

seeing the different faces of reality really gets me down: homeless people living in the streets; people who dig into garbage bins for something to eat; people who can't go to school; people who live by taking odd jobs such as being prostitutes; people who have gone out of their wits, and remained as such with nobody taking care of them; people who live near dumpsites, living by selling scraps and discards, trying to stand the stench, dirt and grime of garbage.

meaningless questions often pop in my head seeing such things. why can't we live happily, minus incurable illnesses? can't we live in peace, just like how we wish to be? are we not supposed to be here to be happy?

my officemate is too young to have cancer. she has given birth to a baby boy a year ago and it is heart-wrenching to think she's into this situation. is it the environment? our lifestyle?

i dunno. maybe there aren't always reasons for everything. it simply is, period. but just the same, it breaks my heart. just last year, the mother of an ex-bf died of breast cancer. and this year, Francis M passed away because of cancer.

i know. our lives were never ours in the first place. these were God-given. but just the same, i can't help but feel sad. all i can do now is pray for her, that she's gonna survive cancer for the sake of her baby.

faLLin' again..(pero di pwede!)

is it possible getting attracted to someone 12 years your senior?

i dunno. seems he's quite old for me. pero eto ha, andami naming similarities na i believe would get us mentally connected. kumbaga sa music and lyrics, our relationship would be like a song. there would be a meeting of the minds and souls, naks!

but seriously, here are the things na feeling ko, would get us in tune with each other:

pareho kami fan ng horror movies; sobrang family-oriented xa, meaning, close sa family. parang aq, i could not imagine myself without my family or malau sa kanila.

strong ang faith nia. di naman aq sing devout nia na catholic, pero when it comes to faith, pareho kaming God-fearing. my talent xa in dancing, just like me. we are both homebodies. he loves movies, whether dvd or sa cinemas and he loves eating and cooking. so similar with the things i love doing talaga. we are both artists, pati professions na gusto, similar din. he is also a novelist, aq aspiring pa lang, hehe.

haay..kaso teacher q xa. tho he is single and good-looking, pde kaya un? hirap naman. pero when i'm in class, kinikilig kilig naman, haha!

secret na nga lang, hmp!

positive eNergy

fate has its twists and turns and life has its ups and downs. it's always a roller-coaster ride. but no matter what, make sure to stay positive at all times. believe me. you can't go wrong with this.

there are actually so many things going on around me right now. but most of them inspire me to follow my calling. well, i wasn't spending much time with close friends anymore. hectic schedule prevents me so. though at times, i miss my social life, i remain satisfied with a few special moments spent with my loved ones.

i won't be able to take a longer vacation this year. well, it's been obvious since the beginning of this year. interior design school is a priority.

though i am a laidback person who loves lounging around most of the time, i've changed since i started interior design. and i believe this year's gonna be my shining moment. i was able to spend 4 days with loved ones in a resort in the north provinces last holy week. and though it was a bit short, i was happy. the first five days of the holy week had been solemn. we visited the shrine of La Salette in our town on a Friday, had lunch and took some pictures.

it felt so good being with a family and loved ones. and these moments were just some of the priceless keepsakes of my heart.

knowing that i belong to a home warms up my heart. it's the same feeling i felt upon discovering where i really belong. and i am looking forward to the day my designs finally come to life.

see? you have to stay positive. i've never known i was meant to be an interior designer before. but maybe, right things come your way at the right time. took me so long, though. but no matter.

now i am here so happy and giddy. remember. stay positive to attract positive energy. ;)

8 years after

curiosity had me checking out some pictures of a familiar face today. and to my surprise, he finally graduated on the 25th of february this year.

huwaaat?! after 8 long years?!!

grabe. can't believe talaga. if i got it right, he must have graduated 4 years ago, and that makes it 2005 supposedly. 'cause last time i checked, he was in his junior year in 2003. well, sometimes fate throws you a curveball and you end up reaping what you sow. *tsk tsk*

'nyway, good for this fella. at least he'll know how it feels to be in the real world soon. what can i say? brace yourself.

chinky and arrogant (apologies to all of those who are chinky-eyed)

note: some might have interpreted the satire column the wrong way. chip tsao has actually taken the role of Hong Kong chinese who have Filipino domestic helpers in their employ and he satirized their supposed reactions. he is not actually the one turning the Filipinos down since the column is a satire.

i came across a news article today. it was all about the apology of chip tsao, the hong kong magazine columnist who branded Philippines as a nation of servants. he finally said sorry and admitted to the government/people he crossed the line.

the following is the story from Inquirer, and parts of the column were included. i also posted his photo here. reading through the satirized column, it makes me cringe, to think that most chinese (those from China) who study here can't even speak English. now i don't regret not helping a Chinese classmate who was able to get into post grad school but could barely understand nor speak the English language. these chinky people (Hong Kong chinese with Filipino domestic helpers in their employ) really do come off like they do rule the world. talk about arrogance.

i admit there is some truth to it: Filipinos being domestic helpers in some parts of the world, but i have not heard of any domestic helper having a degree. that's a bit far from reality. i could not help but react negatively. i would not say i am patriotic, but just the same, i am a filipino and it hurts me reading the column demeaning the Filipinos. though it is satirized, it still hurst to know a lot of Chinese think of Filipinos this way.

The Philippines might be a third-world country, or a developing one, but it is rich in natural resources and teems with talented intellectuals, not mentioning beauties which the world came to know. and these chinky people who hail from the other side of the world [the mere mention of its name makes me cringe a bit more] usually come here and put up businesses and make themselves rich, exploiting both our resources and our people.

and if indeed they are our masters, how come some of their people come here to get rich? isn't it ironic to call themselves masters of Filipino servants? it is such a blatant display of arrogance for them to call our dear country a nation of servants. people from other parts of the world, like them, can sometimes be rude. respect is never part of their virtues. tho it might be too judgmental on my part and too general to use it as a reference, i could not help but tell that those chinky people don't have manners, esp. table manners. well, my chinese classmate who hails from that country is a perfect representation of what i'm talking about. he spits on the street in full view of the public, he blows his nose even during lunch and i-dunno-what-else-can-he-do things.

well, dear readers, just read the article and find it for yourselves.

disclaimer: the following article is owned by Philippine Daily Inquirer and all copyrights belong to the newspaper company. it is herewith pasted on this blog as a mere reference and intended for no other purposes. the photo is also owned by Philippine star and all copyrights belong to the newspaper company. it is used here merely as a reference.


HK writer: ‘So sorry, I crossed the line’

By Cynthia D. Balana

A HONG KONG MAGAZINE COLUMNIST yesterday admitted that he had indeed crossed the line when he branded the Philippines a “nation of servants” and apologized to the government and its people.
“I realized that I had crossed the line. I now offer my public apology,” columnist Chip Tsao said in interview aired at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night over Hong Kong’s ATV.

The Philippine consulate in Hong Kong relayed the apology to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
On Monday, the publishers of HK Magazine, Asia City Publishing Group, also issued an apology for “any offense” caused by Tsao’s article.

A group of Filipino migrant workers in HK have planned a protest rally against Tsao on Sunday. Dolores Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in HK, said she expected thousands of marchers.
Racist, demeaning
“We are united in our position that the article was racist, discriminatory and demeaning to Filipino domestic workers in HK.”

Tsao was yesterday quoted in a report by Agence France Presse as saying the article was a satire and “was never intended to be insulting to the Filipino domestic workers.” He then added that “English, being a global language, is open to different interpretations by those who come from various cultural backgrounds.”

Tsao’s column entitled “War at Home,” published in HK magazine on March 27, made fun of the Philippine claim on Spratly Islands and satirized the response of Hong Kong Chinese who have Filipino domestics in their employ.

The threats to Chinese sovereignty by Russia and Japan they could live with, wrote Tsao. These countries have been mentors to China or exert major cultural influences on them. “But hold on—even the Filipinos?”
Manila’s Congress, said Tsao, has recently “threatened to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.”

Quipped Tsao: “As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.”

“Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

“Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

Manila Immigration did not think the piece was funny. It has since barred Tsao from coming to the Philippines.
Running priest Robert Reyes, however, had said that if anyone should apologize, it should be President Arroyo for making the country a nation of servants.

one down, one more to go

this morning was the last day of my elements and principles of interior design class at the Philippine School of Interior Design. we had a grueling task of setting up our themed table presentations as the final exam. though i had been juggling too many things at the same time, i was able to pull through and earned a grade of 1.25.

not bad for a newbie to the industry like me. though i had spent sleepless nights over plates doing designs and all that, it's worth it. here are some of the photos i have taken during this morning's presentation.

tomorrow will be the last day for my mechanical drawing class, and i hope and pray i'm gonna make it the same way i did with my design class. wish me luck *wink*

Among those i have taken photos with are tine-tine (wearing red japanese costume), ian (wearing the white japanese costume) and fred (the one in blonde hair). i am with nes (in white off-shoulder dress), brian (in glasses), ed (in black suit) and kris (in hawaiian costume) on the photo on top left. =)

final plates and enrollment

a week more to go before term ends this month. and though i did well in my final plates in both subjects in interior design, i feel a little sad. i won't be able to take the second term this summer. simply for the reason that classes available don't fit my schedule.

i was disheartened to know i'm gonna miss one term. i was hoping i could have both subjects on a Friday; freehand drawing in the morning and color theory in the afternoon. but when my fave designer told me there wouldn't be classes in the afternoon, my knees buckled at once. well, that is an exaggeration, but really, i'm kinda worried.

missing one term means not graduating on time. i had a rough calculation i'm gonna be a candidate by 2012. this comes really unexpected. nevertheless, i'd wait till the last day of enrollment. and i'd pray from now on till that day students will enroll in drove so classes will be opened for the afternoon sched to accommodate more students. *sigh*

the photos on top were some of the first basic drafts i did in my mechdraw class. i'd be uploading the final plates after the finals next week. =)

my teacher topped the '94 ID licensure exam

guess what?

my mech draw and ID elements and principles teacher, Victor Ruel Pambid, topped the licensure exam for interior designers in 1994. i discovered that upon reading an online article on our website.

no wonder he is such a great teacher..and a very patient teacher. actually, he's kind of an inspiration to a lot of his students right now, including me, given the way he teaches and encourages students to do well with the course. and he clearly demonstrates this with giving fair grades to beginners like us.

i swear, i won't forget this teacher. i even intend to teach in the same school after finishing the course. i hope he'd consider, hehe!

here's the article:

disclaimer: all rights belong to inquirer.net. i just copied and posted this on my blogsite.

Space for bigger things
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines - After 30 years of producing some of the country’s best interior designers in a cramped two-story building in Makati, the faculty and staff of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) will soon be moving to a bigger, more student-friendly building in Taguig.

Built from the ground up, the three-story affair on Bayani Road, Fort Bonifacio comes with a basement and modest parking area. Once they’re fully settled in their new home, school administrators and faculty members led by Rosario Cancio-Yujuico, PSID president, will be introducing a number of specialized art programs next year.

“The move brings us closer to our vision of becoming a specialized art center in the Philippines,” says Cancio-Yujuico. “Since we now have the space, we will be offering more seminars and continuing education programs to interested individuals.”

Unlike its interior design courses, these specialized programs are shorter—around six to nine months—and designed specifically for craftsmen and artisans. One such program, to be handled by muralist Alfred Galvez, who’ll fly to Italy in December to undergo further training, focuses on decorative paint finishes.

“In keeping with our goal to market ourselves as an institution, the programs we will be introducing won’t just be about painting,” says Victor Ruel Pambid, PSID director for external affairs. “Aside from honing our students to become skilled craftsmen, we want to produce graduates who are thinkers. We want them to turn this knowledge in conceptualization into their own businesses.”

Apart from slowly turning into a “creative economy,” says Pambid, the country is also entering an age of specialization. As such, PSID plans to introduce a lighting design course two years from now. Beginners need not enroll since the course is designed for practicing interior designers, architects and even engineers.

More space also means additional room to hold review classes for interior design graduates intending to take the board exams. Because of space constraints, Pambid and company have been catering exclusively to PSID graduates. Thanks to its new and bigger building, this situation will soon be a thing of the past.

“Having been around for only five years, PSID’s review classes are fairly new,” says Pambid, an aspiring doctor who later shifted to interior design and eventually topped the board in 1994. “But we’re getting better in terms of results because we train our graduates to answer design questions well.”

With a passing rate of 55 percent (much higher than the national average of 35 to 40 percent), PSID has earned a coveted slot in the “top three,” alongside the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines.

PSID would have earned such an honor sooner, says Pambid, had its earlier batches of successful examinees been credited to it and not to other schools. The confusion stemmed from the fact that PSID, since its inception, only offers interior design subjects.
Students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree in interior design (and, thus, make themselves eligible to take the board) have to cross-enroll with other colleges and universities in order to take up general subjects such as Math, Pilipino and English.

In fact, PSID has an existing arrangement with the College of St. Benilde for this purpose. Moving to bigger digs won’t likely change the school’s thrust.

“We don’t see the need. Most of our students are either college graduates or transferees from other schools,” says Pambid. “It’s quite seldom that we encounter students fresh out of high school.”

With the opening of its new building, PSID also expects an increase in the number of enrollees. Although the school welcomes such a development, it will never sacrifice quality over quantity, Pambid assures.

“It’s not easy to run a good interior design school,” says Cancio-Yujuico. “For one, it’s quite difficult to get qualified interior design teachers because most of the good ones are either reluctant to teach or have gone abroad in search of greener pastures.”

Becoming a full-fledged college is also not part of PSID’s agenda. Building or no building, it would rather focus on what it does best, which is to provide students with the best interior design education available. Alex Y. Vergara

going, going...

i've read the newspaper yesterday. and the global economic situation is getting worse. and honestly, it's giving me the jitters.

i am not talking about paranoia here. this thing is real. we face a bleak future ahead of us. and if we don't take an action now, it could be worse. i know that i must do something about it. people who are not aware of the situation may not care at all. but the truth is, this crisis will stay until 2012. that is the forecast i have read on the newspaper a month ago.

and according to an economist, a professor of mine in MBA, US is gonna hit the bottom by next year. so what is the implication of this?

Philippines is dependent on US's and Japan's economies. these two countries are our partners. if these two countries are in a recession, can you imagine what's gonna happen to us?

The number of company layoffs is getting bigger, with big players in the global market even closing down. and if this crisis is gonna go on till 2012, worst-case scenario is, a lot of companies will either lay off more employees to cut on cost or a number are gonna close down later on. who knows? might be yours. there is an imminent danger of losing our jobs no matter how big the companies we are working for are. intel is one of the big companies in the country, but it closed down last month. things are so unpredictable now. and nobody knows what else is gonna happen in the next six months.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed and i keep on praying we're gonna survive this. but nothing beats early preparation when worse comes to worst. and what better time to start than now.

so instead of spending most of your salaries, allot at least 25 percent for your savings. if you have a lot of free time, tap all those freelance jobs online, e.g. language tutoring; freelance writing jobs; graphic design; creative writing; scriptwriting. and the most important thing is, work hard and keep praying.

let's all pray that this too shall pass, amen...

a year after

It’s gonna be a year come 14 of February since my last breakup. And now that the painful experience is far too distant to even remember, I look back with a feeling of relief. At long last, everything has been put to rest.

I’ve gone through a letter I have written before, ending the courtship. Indeed, I was too busy even before I jumped into that relationship. Now I know I have wrongfully decided to take that guy for a boyfriend, when what I had just needed at the time is companionship.

And now, I can’t even remember a thing or two when I did really feel happy having him for a boyfriend, ‘cept for the convenience of having a companion at all times.

But why was it so painful and hard for me to let go then? Well, the best explanation is the word `nasanay.’--I had someone to fetch me before going to work; I had someone waiting for almost five hours for me for dinner; I had someone to walk me home after getting out of the office too late at night; I had someone who was willing to do errands for me if I got too busy; I had someone to fetch me with an umbrella when it is raining and I had to go to work---the convenience of having someone by your side everytime you need something. Meaning, I needed him, but maybe I had not loved him at all. But sometimes, the feeling of `need’ is mistaken for love.

I’m going to share with you the excerpt of my letter to the guy when five months into the courtship, I decided to let him down. btw, the file was saved in my pc as `sorry’.

``IN A WORLD full of hatred and bitterness, lies and deceit, it’s hard finding real people whose sincerity and love are quite real.

It takes a lifetime to find one, and maybe, the others have all gone to extinction. One is quite lucky if he/she is going to find the last one.

You are one of those kind. A caring and thoughtful person who is passionate with things he deems special.

And I’m pretty lucky to have met you in this modern age, when almost every guy is just trying to get in every girl’s pants. Know what I mean?...

….. the picture of too-good-to-be-true relationship might be great, tempting to others but the cold hard truth is, I’m not entering any relationship in the near future. I can’t fully commit and perhaps, I won’t be able to, till I am complete.

I’m not ready to face the challenges of another relationship. I’ve got a lot of loose ends to tie up….my dreams ….. In the long run, time will be scarce for both of us and soon, I’d be seeing you taken for granted all the time.

It’s all pointless. And you don’t deserve such kind of deprivation.

You are young. ….You’re fresh. You need to enjoy life and not get entangled with the world’s complexities too soon.

You deserve to be happy. And that does not depend on anyone but yourself and your dreams. I don’t want your world to revolve around me. Stay the same, go out and don’t miss out on things you should be enjoying. Life is so short, remember that.

I’ve tried my best giving back the care and attention you deserve, but it incurred compromises either to myself or to my work. I don’t have enough time for both.

And though I’ve got a plan, this is one of those many plans rerouted. I am sorry to bring your courtship to end. I can’t bear the gnawing guilt any longer. Don’t want you to waste time waiting while passing up on chances with other girls.

Cuss me, slap me on the face if you want. And I know that it would never be fair to you. I know I’ve been indebted to you in a lot of things….

But someday, when things about me would be okay, when I have already finished my higher studies, I would be proud to tell you I could help you in any way you want.

I need a lot of space and time right now. I am so sorry if I can’t meet all your expectations. I know it would be too painful for you, cos you’ve exerted too much effort, you’ve put in a lot of emotions and financial investment, but someday, you would understand.

It’s not easy, I know. But this is the only way for me to be complete and to be better ….

I am so sorry, but I guess, we could no longer continue with your courtship and waiting.

Back to square one. Let’s remain friends. If you need someone to talk to, I’d still be there, but not all the time. Can still eat merienda with you but not always. Anything but a relationship.

I’d understand if you would hate me for the rest of your life but all I can say is, thank you so much for coming into my life, for sharing in my miseries and for always listening to my troubles, for always being there, for your endless understanding, for the love and care.

You would remain a special keepsake of my heart and I’d always remember the time we have enjoyed together. you’ve touched my life and one day, when things are better about me, I’d be knocking at your doorstep for a chat over coffee in my favorite coffeeshop. And each time I would remember our happy times together, I’d smile cos you’ve been part of my life.

Take care...i’ll miss ya..’’

now that all of the things i have planned for myself before are slowly coming to life, i am far much happier. yeah. good times come, but certainly great times are better.

indeed, good things come to those who wait, and perhaps, i might not have experienced such a painful goodbye if i had seen what's quite more important back then. but it's never too late to celebrate in happiness. cheers to fellow interior design students, and have a happy valentine's day this saturday.

see you on Monday, ;)

love story

since wala pa namang ginagawa, i might as well tell you a story para naman maaliw kayo. sayang energy, ya know.

let's have a trip down memory lane. i was a frosh at UP Diliman. a wallflower to be exact; someone who was `allergic' to love and boys, but someone who knew how to ogle at them at the same time. proof was the list of crushes i had back then. i'd stay somewhere at the back during class so i could always admire my crushes from a distance. i had even participated in a `gimmick' of an organization back then in which one should tell the residence where the guy she had a crush on was staying, and an assigned member would snap a picture of him.

but in a twist of fate, the one i had grown closest to was the same guy who would break my heart later on. i was known to be a `promdi' girl during my high school years. i was even labeled a 'nerd.' if there'd be someone who'd prefer studying than going out to the JS prom, that would be me. but then again, college life changes people and so i learned how it was to fall in love for the first time. ironically, it was to the same guy who had lived next-door during my college years. a big bonus for me who was really falling slowly in-love at the time.

tall, dark, handsome. name it. and as if fate had been teasing me into it, we grew closer together. i'd be found seated beside him on the grass on a weekend night and we'd talk about the future under the moonlight. it was all between bestfriends. he'd talk about a girl he really liked, and though i'd be feeling disgusted inside, i'd feign i was happy about him. then i'd tell a make-believe story about a boy i had a crush on. well, talk about being a liar. familiar with taylor swift's song `teardrops on my guitar'? the story of the girl was the same story i had back in college.

however, falling in love with my would-be bestfriend at the time was the last thing on my mind. reason is, we had grown closer to each other like real siblings. and losing the friendship would be the most painful thing to happen. how had we come to know each other, you ask? then here's the story.

it was one cold december night. i was a big fan of eraserheads and i was one of the students who first lined up to buy tickets in a booth. my date had not shown up and the first thing that came to mind was to call someone who was a fan of the band, too. back then, pj and me were just mere acquaitances. i was introduced to him on the phone by my landlady's daughter who was bestfriends to his cousin. and him being the nearest person available, i crossed my finger and dialled his number. luckily, he didn't have a ticket and i offered him mine. course it wasn't for free.

funny thing is, on that night, it would be the first time we'd be seeing each other in person. so he came to the house i was staying in. there was a knock on the door and i started getting nervous. remember, i was going out with someone i had only known through the phone, though his cousin tirelessly told me he was a good-looking and intelligent guy. and the description fit my standard right. yeah. i prefer a moreno guy over a fairly-skinned boy.

i took a deep breath and practically wiped my sweaty palm against the fabric of my pants. then i seized the door handle and slowly turned the knob. curiosity made me take a peek first. i saw two guys standing at the doorstep. both were moreno but one was tall and the other stocky.

i had the hunch he was the tall guy wearing a baseball cap. he had that mysterious smile like monalisa's *kidding*. though i wasn't sure if he was feeling shy at the time, or he was as curious as i did.

''are you pj?'' i inquired. ``no. it was him,'' he said pointing his finger to the guy beside him. and when i was about to pop another question to his company, he interrupted at once and said, ''i was kidding. i'm pj. nice meeting you by the way,'' he said and smiled.

i took his hand when he offered a handshake. well, i knew back then my palm was sweaty and cold. so i shook his hand briefly. upon stepping out onto the street, his company bid us goodbye and left. we were with three of my friends. and as we walked on the misty and grassy footpath leading to the concert ground on the sunken garden, both of us were silent. i looked fine, but inside, my heart was throbbing heavily. it felt as though it wanted to pop out of my chest. yeah. i was freakingly nervous at the time.

i had never gone out in a date before. and though it was a casual thing to go out with friends, i considered that as my first blind-date. he stood 5 foot 8 and i was a petite 5 foot 3. and so when i talked, he had to lean over to understand what i was saying. topics of conversation came in trickles. till we reached the concert ground and the feeling of tension was drowned by the shrill screams of the crowd.

i took the tickets out of my pocket but both accidentally fell to the ground. i tried getting them back instantly but his hand was quicker than mine. our hands touched and it felt like an electric current shoot down my spine.

when i looked up, he was staring right into my eyes. it was then i realized he's got the most gorgeous eyes i'd ever seen. it took me a while to avert my gaze. good thing the crowd started to get wild as the band members emerged from the backstage. so there i was jumping and screaming at the same time. i had a big crush on buddy zabala, the bassist of the band, at the time and seeing him helped me shook off the feeling i had with pj on that night. though it was a weird feeling, it felt indescribable just the same.

the concert drew to a close. at 2 a.m., we started heading back home. i was at a total loss for words. the thing is, it might be because of the concert or because of pj. i dunno what struck me that night. all i knew was i met someone who was really different from all of the crushes and guys i have met. one: pj is intelligent. two, conversation-wise, he was not bad. dead air in betwee is not so unusual when both of you have just met. and three, our minds connect. you pop a question and the conversation just takes its own course. i felt we could talk forever.

the group decided to sit down for a while and have a little talk on the grass covering the elevated part of the sunken garden. though i felt cold, i agreed. in my head, it would be the last time i'm gonna be talking to a great guy, so i took the chance of knowing pj more. talking to him was so easy. it was like starting a sentence and have him finish it. we were good vibes. so we clicked at once.

we talked mostly about trivial things. and the funny thing is, pj's personality attracted me at once. i could not describe how i felt about him but i knew i was starting to like him. he plays the guitar. he said he draws. and the way he talks, he's got substance. i prefer the artist-type of guy. someone who's got depth and an inclination to music and the arts. maybe because i am an artist myself. though my creativity leans more on the design side, i guess, what got us together so easily is the fact that we are both artists by nature.

we see things on the same perspective; it was like finding a match by random. what a concidence, isn't it? how do i knew our minds travel on the same wavelength. well, i told you. it was like singing a song and have him recite the lyrics.

so that was how i met him. by the time we reached our homes, it was time to say goodbye. feelings of sadness washed over me. ``this is going to be a sad goodbye,'' i told myself, faking a big smile saying it was nice to have met him and talked to him for a little while.

``i enjoyed the night with you. thanks for coming,'' i told him, extending my hand.

he held my hand and shook it. then he looked me in the eye and smiled. i felt like melting in that moment. but it would be a disgrace to give it away. so i just turned my back and stood by the door.

just then, my friend came closer and talked me into asking a favor from pj. unfortunately, it was too late for her friends to go home. at past 3 in the morning, there won't be any cab coming into the campus anymore. and it would be a problem for the both of us to let her guy friend sleep in an all-girls apartment.

i was sure my eyes glistened upon hearing the bad news. so i walked mechanically toward pj as the smile that crossed my lips grew wider. i whispered into pj's ear as my friends watched in silence. when pj flashed a thumbs up to them, i knew then our story had begun.

(to be continued)

wasting time away

i have been seated in front of my pc around 2 this afternoon. time check: my computer clock says it is 6:28 in the evening. if i am correct, that would be 4 hours and 28 minutes. i have wasted away 4 hours and 28 minutes today. and when i say that, it means i have been seated in front of the monitor doing nothing: e.g. staring at the monitor; chatting; watching clips from youtube-basically killing time.

ilang tao kaya ang may gustong makipagpalit sa pwesto ko para lang maging ganito din kadali sa kanila ang kumita? i bet, marami, especially ngaun at may krisis sa buong mundo. pero believe it or not, NAKAKABATO NA TALAGA TO! kasi feeling ko, nagiging useless akong tao pag wala akong ginagawa. feeling ko, kinakalawang na ang utak ko sa kakatanga sa monitor ng computer ko. sana lang wag sya mag freeze kasi sayang naman yung talent at creativity ko.

dapat, bago pa man mangyari eto e nakapag design na ako ng kahit isa man lang bedroom para maging kumpleto na ang career life ko, waaah!

job mismatcH

shit happens. and when it does, i begin questioning my profession. is it the profession, or just the people who make my life miserable?

life on earth is enjoyable. but is this feasible around people who don't know what respect means?

last time i checked, journalists are not supposed to be scolded by editors like executive assistants (no negative meaning for exec assistants intended). they went to school just like them and studied journalism for four years, too. they are part of the news team. they are educated people who deserve respect as well. some are not just journalists by profession. a lot are equally intelligent, talented and perhaps, a lot better in other areas of concetration. the thing is, they might have been trapped in a place that offers nothing but repetitive tasks that led them to stagnation.

i have no qualms about journalism per se. but how `bosses' behave in the newsroom sometimes leads me to doubt whether i have been in the right profession. i am much more than what my position says. anyone's ability can never be measured by what she does inside the newsroom. all people commit mistakes. and when journalists do, it does not mean anybody has the right to shout at them as though they are idiots who don't know anything at all. mistakes aren't tickets allowing 'bosses' to let off some kind of ego-breaking words, so their morale can plunge deeper.

being last in the editorial lineup does not give anyone the right to belittle them, or shame them for others to view as though they have done a crime. besides, the bosses are also accountable for mistakes. and if the error has never caught their eye, is it right to pass the buck or blame it on the person whose position is at the bottom of the line? i don't think so.

it's no denying that bosses are superior in knowledge and experience. but this does not make junior journalists a lot inferior in education. they should be treated as part of the team, and better yet, an equal.

bad vibes

three of us do overtime work for the Lifestyle-Super sections during thursdays. and i remember one instance when the page with the most images was handed to me.

i declined doing the editing. i managed passing it on another colleague in a nice way.

for some reason, i could not take working for this junior editor who gives off bad vibes. to whom? to me.

don't get me wrong. i don't hate her. but being a picky person, i also choose whom to talk to. it was my way of avoiding misery at any cost.

a colleague ask me what was wrong about her. but i could not tell her either. maybe we are just bad vibes. and it makes me sick getting fake with her all the time.

so, i thought it was best to just avoid having anything do with her altogether, because that is the least bit thing i can do.

top six

i was sprawled on the bed on a friday night watching TV when suddenly, my younger sister who had just taken the pharmacy licensure exam on tues-wed, broke into tears.

my mom and i asked her what was wrong. in between muffled sobs, she said her former classmate texted her she was not on the list of the board passers.

i looked at the clock. it was only quarter to 10. she told me yesterday the result would not be in till 10 in the evening. i raised an eyebrow and scolded her for her lack of faith, or rather lack of confidence. instead of answering back, she just kept mum and cried in silence.

i felt a lil bit guilty. so i stood up, slipped into my jeans and hurried out of the door. the office is a block away, and in my haste to take a look at the official result issued by PRC, i forgot to combed my ruffled hair.

so there i was, gasping for air while climbing up the stairs in a hurry. and hope surged upon learning the official result was not released yet. i searched online for the alleged source of the news saying my sister did not pass the exam. but the website did not bear the result either. to get things straight, i called other newspaper offices, and these too did not have the result either.

exasperated, i decided to surf the net for a while and waited in a gripping suspense. then in a minute, the result finally arrived. an officemate told me `my cousin' passed the exam after he had downloaded the file. he said she landed the sixth spot. i was not sure he was talking about my sister but as soon as i heard him read her name, i almost fell out of my seat in a great surprise. `that's my sister!' i exclaimed.

so there i was reading through the top 10 board passers. and as i scanned for my sister's name, indeed it was written on the sixth spot.

i ran back home as fast as i could to tell the good news. and as soon as she heard she passed the exam, even landing on the sixth spot, my sister jumped up on her feet in a surprise. she almost could not believe it, repeatedly saying i was kidding.

now, she's always smiling and thanking God so much for this blessing. So, i told her: now you know it. trust in Him and have faith. God always gives you what you need.