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.