Friday Bliss

Reasons to be happy on this day:
- Payday!
- My bonus will be included on today's payday (sweet!)
- I can relax, stay up late and wake up late tomorrow (hehehe)
- Help Maricon with her agenda in Glorietta (looking for a huge tennis racket to be converted into a wall clock)
- Grocery shopping (I will cook the Buttered Shrimp recipe of Sheryll tomorrow or on Sunday)

Happy Weekend to all fellow bloggers! Ü

All About Costumes

Commonly, costumes are in demand when during Halloween though there are times that costumes are used during school activities or themed parties like birthdays or Christmas. I'm not sure in what particular theme party you can wear a detective costume but most likely it will be for Halloween though it's not that scary at least it's still in the league of mysteries.

If only the masquerade theme won last year for our Christmas party then I might have come and dress myself up with this type of costume:

Or just like the episode in season 1 of Gossip Girl where Blaire held a Masquerade Party, the characters wore stylish dresses then paired it with a mask just like these two:

In the future, when I have a child of my own. I will definitely hold a Costume themed party but that will be on his/her 7th birthday. It's much cuter to see all the kids donning different outfits when they are all grown-up and aware of what's happening on the event.

The only time I remember that I have to dress up was when I was in high school and my friends in Cavite held a small party themed 60s or 70s era. So imagine all of us wearing skirts and blouses topped with an oversize polo tied around our waist with matching flat (rubber) shoes while we danced the Boogie =)

5S

Improve your productivity at work and be competitive professionally.

SORT - Take out unnecessary items and dispose.

SYSTEMATIZE - Arrange necessary items in good order.

SWEEP - Clean your workplace.

SANITIZE - Maintain high-standard of housekeeping.

SELF-DISCIPLINE - Do 5S spontaneously.

Birthday Wishes

Tagged by MM =)Here are the rules...
1. Make a list of what you want on your birthday...
2. The list should be 10 numbers
3. Post the image of this award in your posting
4. Give it to 10 friends of yours.

Here are my wishes:
1. For all of us to surpass the recession and economic financial crisis ;)
2. Hubby finding a stable job
3. Work abroad (hubby and me)
4. Good health for our whole family for this year and the coming years
5. For my younger siblings to finish their studies
6. Out of town trips
7. A lot of our own for our dream house! Or a house and lot ;)
8. A condo unit for investment
9. A pair of Nike trainers (exactly the same ones that I saw last December in Nike Warehouse Sale)
10. RL Bree Medium Tote Tie Top


Passing this tag to - Jhona, Kerslyn, Laya, Eden, Marj, Faye, JoyD, Gracie, Carla and Sheryll.

Wiki Phone Numbers

For a call center agent especially if you're under a US account, memorizing or getting familiar with the area codes across the United States is a big help. Your work will be done in an efficient manner and you don't have to worry on making out the time zones on each state when an incoming call barge in your phone.

I used to have a map of US pulled up in my PC when I was working with Dell as a TSR. Then on the next window, I have website where I can check the area codes of the 50 states. Its function and purpose is almost the same as the Wiki Phone Number Info. You will get all the information you need based on the area codes and phone numbers. I haven't tried the reverse phone look up since we don't need that.

Those experiences made me missed them but I don't want to go back to that kind of occupation unless I have no other choice. I'm doing fine with my current job :)

Still scouting...

I've called 8 schools from Monday to Tuesday to inquire and check the possibility of a good school where we can transfer my youngest sister as a Grade 4 student. So far, all of them are not that appealing to my mother's perception of an ideal school.

So, I called the two schools where me and my sister went during our grade school and high school years.

First is Malate Catholic School (this is where I graduated in high school). Surprisingly their tuition fee is still affordable. They are way cheaper than St. Andrew's School but I think the level of education is the same. It's also the alma mater of Kuh Ledesma (I remember when I was a student and I saw her yearbook). She's a member of the choir group in MCS during her student days. Then there is True Faith whose lead vocalist is a graduate of the school. Notice the motto of the school versus the name of the band The academic curriculum is good. Teachers are dependable.

Next, St. Mary's Academy in Pasay (this is where I graduated in grade school). Just as I thought, their tuition fee is pretty pricey but compared to St. Paul they are cheaper of course. One thing that I loved in SMA was the quadrangle is spacious (we even held a small carnival during my sixth grade on that area) and all class rooms have lockers. The academic curriculum is great. I think I was in third or fourth grade when we were taught to use a PC

Let's see what will happen tonight. I'm pretty sure that my mother will have an answer on what school my sister will go to for the coming school year.

Happy 1st Bday!

It's been a year since I started this blog and I'm praying and hoping for more years to come!

Cheers! I still owe my blog a web hosting and a new domain name. Patience my dear blog... I will do keep my promise this year. Hopefully everything goes well ;)

It's Prom Time

Next week will be February aside from the fact that it's considered as the Love Month, it's considered as the Prom Season as well. Teenagers will be wearing formal attires like tux, suit, gowns and prom dresses to celebrate this event.

I didn't participate in the dancing/party of our JS Prom. I was avoiding someone so I always make it a point to join the program but not the dancing. I will immediately go home or make plans with my classmates who will ditch the dance as well. On my senior year, we ended up watching a movie in Greenbelt 1...hehehe. I vaguely remembered what I did on my junior year. But I think I just went home. It saved me from buying two prom dresses for junior and senior year =P

Most private and exclusive schools do the formal prom program. They will have a program like the ones you see in a movie where there is a Prom King and Queen and the girls are all dressed up in their new prom dresses while the guys are in tux.

That's my experience on prom but if my daughter will have her own prom on her high school years, I would want her to enjoy it. You can only have this event twice in your life and I don't want her to deprive of that kind of experience. Of course, buying a prom dresses or gown to wear for her makes me excited but it will be how many years from now. I wonder what my husband's take to this topic. He can be a little anti-social =P

It's enjoyable to view and search for prom dresses or gowns on the net. It' like the same thing when I had my wedding preparations. Ideally, I want my bridesmaid and secondary sponsors to wear a dress/gown that they can wear for other occasion like formal parties or prom. It will help them to spend and save money. Maybe next time, I will ask my sister to do that on her future wedding. Or maybe I can ask her to have a prom theme for her wedding. That way all the female guests will be required to wear prom dresses look alike while the male guests a tux or formal attire ;)

Facebook

Just last week my friend/colleague here in the office encouraged me to create a Facebook acct. I was hesitant because I have so many accounts on the net that I have to maintained - Friendster, Multiply, Gtalk forum, Imeem, Blog, etc.

He won me over through his persistent pestering...hehehe. And I can say that I'm thankful for him because Facebook is way much better that FS! It has more features that is user-friendly and the site is faster (there are times that FS will be down due to maintenance or other times there is a technical error so you can't access it).

I love it!

(my Facebook Profile)

Net Habits

Snagged from Yen :)

1. What types of blogs do you usually read?
+ Some of my blogger friends blogs

2. What kinds of products do you usually buy when you shop online?
+ bags, blouses and accessories

3. What kinds of online videos do you usually spend time watching?
+ It's mostly in YouTube

4. Besides Friday 5, what weekly memes do you particularly enjoy?
+ CoffeeBreaks! Too bad the moderator is busy to start the Season 2 but I'm still hopeful that one of these days (or next month) we will have our first coffee break for this year!

5. Where do you like to go for streaming online music?
+ I normally download the mp3s that I like then saved it on my PC.

Spas and Tubs

Last December, I made a promise that I will pamper myself by hitting a spa. Unfortunately, I've spend too much on gifts for my siblings, godchildren and friends that I have no more money to spare.

It's okay, at least I was able to spread some cheer last holiday season and it gives me a sense of happiness by seeing their faces once they received my gift. Priceless! :)

Hopefully I'd be able to achieve my long-over due "pampering me time". This year (still have plenty of time!). I was really looking forward for a "ventosa" session since I have a lot of cold muscles at the back. It will be a treat to soak myself in a tub to soothe my aching body and relief stress like a massage bath. I just hope that they don't use too much hot tub chemicals otherwise organic ingredients used for the soaking treatment might not work.

I long for a vacation this year. A real good one! Ü

I wish!

	Travel Horoscope for Leo
	When you travel, you crave sun soaked days and warm nights. You want a vacation where you can party hard and sleep in the sun all day. You should travel to: Cancun Miami Bali Saint Tropez Key West

What's Your Travel Horoscope?

Dakota Fanning as Jane?

Dakota Fanning...with fangs?

It's possible. I can exclusively report that the 14-year-old child star—she turns 15 on Feb. 23—is in talks to play Jane opposite Robert Pattinson & Co. in New Moon, the upcoming sequel to box office megahit Twilight.

"There were no auditions," a source reveals. "They just offered it to her outright, and now they're in negotiations. They've been going back and forth."

Jane is a member of Italy's Volturi, the most deadly group of bloodsucking killers in author Stephenie Meyer's' best-selling series.

In the casting notice we got our hands on earlier this month, Jane is described as a petite blonde with a "Botticelli angel-like face…[and] crimson irises." While fellow Volturi guards Demetri & Felix "are three times the size of her, they are terrified of her," the casting notice reads.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), an online petition started by a Twilight fan already asks the studio, Summit Entertainment, to cast Fanning because she would be "perfect" for the role.

Early last month, Entertainment Weekly suggested Pushing Daisies star and Broadway diva Kristin Chenoweth. "Her voice is certainly high enough, and at 4'11'', she's also short enough," writer Amy Wilkinson proposed.

Director Chris Weitz is expected to start shooting New Moon in March in the U.S. and Italy. If all goes as planned, the movie will hit theaters on Nov. 20.

Is Fanning right for Jane? We're sure Twilight fans have plenty to say about it.

(from Yahoo Movies)

Scouting

I'm helping my sister in making phone calls in different private schools in Parañaque and Pasay City. She's planning to enroll our youngest sister in a private school for 4th grade.

I've called Lycee d' Regis Marie, St. Andrew's Scool, Sacred Heart School, Lesil Montessori and St. Rita College (all of them are in Parañaque) yesterday so we can have an idea how much the tuition fee, books, miscellaneous fees of each school for a Grade 4 student. Today I've called San Isidro Catholic School (Pasay-Taft) and Davidville Academy (Sucat). I'm still waiting for Ms. Tina of St. Francis Academy (Sucat) for the computation of the expenses for their 4th grade.

Schools are getting pricier every year. What more if it's my time to send my child to school, how much the expenses will be by that time? Need to save and work hard!

eCommerce

Shopping, trading, selling, etc. is easy nowadays as long as you have an internet connection and a website. That's what eCommerce is all about.

Online business can seek an adviser in order to promote their products and create a strategy to succeed. Take for example the Ebay store which is huge not only in the US but also on other parts of the globe. Online consultants for e-business created some store design/web template for Ebay to catch more customers online when they visit the website. Plus, it's a huge advantage if the template is user-friendly for easy access.

Being a user-friendly means that shopping, selling or any business trades online are made easier by having a search functions, integrated shipping features, newsletters, etc. These features can be achieved by a channeladvisor custom store. A channel advisor serves as a consultant for online businesses to help them succeed and grow.

For future merchants who are planning to put up a business online, you can read more about eCommerce and some tips and tricks to succeed by checking out this blog.

Kung Hei Fat Choy

Happy Chinese New Year!

Stargazer

I learned about her through DZMM Teleradyo. It was November at that time and that's the month where spirits, souls and anything paranormal are famous to be the topic in TV shows and radios.

In fairness to her, though she's a psychic she do not encourage people to believe about zodiac signs, dreams, etc. For her it's still on one's faith and God's will. Predictions and interpretations are just a guidance and it's not 100% accurate.

I actually added her in friendster (she has an account) and she usually posts some helpful info about signs and predictions on her friendster blog. Hopefully someday she will begin her own blog like the The Occult Blogger who if I'm not mistaken has the same interests (or hobby) as hers.

Fabulous Award

Thanks sis Jhona for the award! It's been awhile since I received one =)

The Rules for the Tag are:

1. You need to list 5 Addictions that you have.
2. You have to pass this Tag to five (5) or more people with fabulous Blogs.

My Five Addictions:

1. Hubby! =P
   
2. Web surfing and Blogging
3. juices and breads
4. watching DVDs
5. travels/trips

I'm passing this award to : Thet, Mandy, Chie, Jody and Marj

Happy Weekend peeps!

5 Intel Sites To Close Down

...it's five sites. Yesterday it was confirmed that the assembly test facility in Cavite will be shutting down and there are four more sites added to the list -> assembly test facility in Penang, Malaysia; wafer fabrication facility in Hillsboro, Oregon; D2 facility in Santa Clara, California and one in China.

One of the PM here in the office whose husband is working in Intel were given a notice about this. As I heard from her story in the shuttle (I'm not completely eavesdropping since she's right next to me in the seat, how can I avoid hearing the words she said? I don't have an Ipod to plug it into my ears), that some of the employees were given a heads-up last year about this issue and they all thought that they are prepared for it when it comes but when it was officially dropped they were all stunned and sentimental for the years they've spent working in Intel is coming to a close.

The financial crisis and recession in various companies are felt gradually here in Manila and in other part of Asia as well. I have some friends in Singapore and one of them though holding PR visa was laid-off to work last year. Two of my friends who are both recruiters in SG told me that the work demand there was slow and there are lay-offs mostly from financial companies.

It's pretty scary considering I'm part of IT/Recruitment industry. Thankfully I still have job requirements to work on. Thanks to my US recruiters for a great teamwork. I just hope that I will still be around this year :)

It's Summer Again

This means time to explore and travel the wonders of nature and the world! Last year we were not able to do it (hubby and me) due to his medical issue at that time.

This year, me and my colleagues are planning to spend a weekend in Punta Fuego (Batangas) on April. We will get the group package to cut-down the expenses. I have to tell hubby about this so he will know that we have plans and it's his choice if he wants to join or not. I have a gut feeling that he will decline and spend the rest of the weekend playing DOTA instead. Sigh!

Apart from the tour packages that we see on the travel and tours multiply sites, they even have trekking packages like the Mt. Pulag in Baguio. I'm not really a mountaineering person unlike some of the peeps I know here in the office whose been to a lot of mountains last year. Apart from spending mountain gears like Arcteryx and North Face, I have to get myself a pair of Rock Climbing Shoes as well.

I guess you really have to spend if it's your hobby and you are having fun.

It's slow...

for my online sideline this month unlike last year during the BER months where I was able to earn a lot which I already withdraw and it's now on our savings account. It's alloted for our house rent payment for 2 months.

For bloggers like me you might want to try the offer of ted murphy. It's not much but the good thing is there's no conditions/requirements needed ;)

We are one of the Childless Couple

The topic in N@W is pretty intense. My take is "to which his own". After all, not everyone is created with the same perspective and POV in life so respect each other's decision.

Some couples like to have children right away after they are married while others want to take their time to be alone and save money. Regardless of what other people may think about equating children to money, let's face the truth. Not everyone is financially ready in order to take care of a baby. Every movement you've made in order to provide for the baby/child needs money. Medicines, checkups, clothing, food, vaccines, schooling etc. Those families in squatter's area have many children, but I bet that not all of them are given the basic necessities they need. Most of them are not given a chance to go to school.

I feel for the couples who are childless despite of how many years of being married. Because I am like them (we are married for over a year). Though I have an experience of taking care of babies/children (thank you to my parents for making me the eldest), I know that we are not yet ready. The fact that I'm the only one working for the time being is enough reason for us not to have a child (yet).

Just like any parents, I want to give the very best to our future child/children thus we are preparing ourselves to be a good provider to their needs. I don't want to be the type of person whose dependent to other people (relatives specifically). Being a parent means being responsible in every possible way and we want to be that kind of parents.

Motivation

“It's not your salary that makes you rich, it's your spending habits.”
~~~Charles A. Jaff

This will be my inspirational quote to succeed for this year's resolution.... does this mean that I have to give up the idea of having a dinner in Spiral for hubby's bday? =(

Mustang

Initially I will be thinking about a type of horse then second will be a type of car. Never knew that a Mustang car looks like this...

So, that's the reason why some cars here in Manila have their cars painted with stripes at the front hood and top portion so it can look like a Mustang =D

Wonder if there are Mustang Parts Store in Banaue, QC. It's the automotive parts center of the Philippines after all so there should be one or two stores somewhere on that place :)

A month...

...to go before hubby's 32nd birthday. I was planning for us have a dinner buffet in Spiral Restaurant in Sofitel but hubby wants to spend his bday in our home. He said that it's much cheaper to eat at home and there's no need for a celebration since his age is not in the calendar anymore! I think his depress....

I know that my New Year's Resolution is to save money but bday comes once a year and I want for us to celebrate his bday. My bday is 7 months away so there's a lot of months in between for us to save money before spending again on my bday.Think....think....think....

W@W Desktop Calendar 2009

I finally got one last Friday! When I dropped by the Wedding Library in SM Megamall to pick-up my own copy, there were a lot of stocks left.

Last year I was not able to get one and I was calling the Heritage Library at that time but they always tell me that there are no stocks yet.


I owe a lot of thanks to W@W when I was preparing my wedding. A lot of my suppliers are from their website and recommended by other W@Wies as well.

Brrr!

It's so cold here in the office. Good thing that my colds and cough is gone. Two weeks ago, hubby persuaded me to see a doctor because at that time I was running with fever accompanied with colds and cough. Although I have a medical insurance with benefits like Tonik, I opted for hydro therapy and daily intake of Vitamin C to get me back in shape. Thankfully it worked!

I just hope that my resistance is strong enough for the temperature here in the office. I don't want to be sick again.

I miss these views...

I missed the city lights at night and some skyscrapers visible in my workstation when we were still in PBCom.

Truthfully, my workstation has the best location here in our office in Mckinley. That's what Ryan told me yesterday when he asked us if we are okay with our respective places (his a help desk associate from CAI main office in Allentown, PA). I totally agree with him since I'm located way at the back, far from people bustling around. Not to mention far from the eyes of people who can see what I'm doing here in my PC (like blogging for example).

I'll post some pics of our new office next time.

Bebe Gandanghari

After his 3 months stay in New York to study modeling, Rustom Padilla as he was known in the Philippines showbiz industry surprised everyone with his ALL NEW LOOK.

Gone was the matinee idol that everyone was used to see on TV and films instead a sophisticated and graceful lady came upon them on the airport.

On his interview, Bebe Gandanghari said that Rustom Padilla is dead and that Bebe is here to stay for good so expect much of her on the upcoming days =)

Ford Cars

I'm not a big fan of cars, I admire them of course but owning one is not in my priority list. Probably in the future when we have our children, having a car will come in handy.

I was browsing through some New Ford cars designed specifically for families. Ford Focus C-Max or Ford Fusion is ideal for family trips and getaways.





Who know maybe someday we can have our own ;)

Settled

...here in our "new home" at One World Bldg in Mckinley Hills. It's pretty far from Ayala Avenue where I'm used to for more how many years. Sigh!

There are some nearby establishments that are under construction here. There are a few food stores available like McDonald's, Starbucks, 7-11 and of course, we have three cemeteries just a few walks away from the building! Hehehehe.

Good thing that the company provides us a shuttle service going to work and back in Ayala. They knew that a lot of employees will complain and they will demand a transportation allowance so having a shuttle service is the cheapest and practical way. Just need to fix a few of my things in my workstation and I'm ready to work for the day.

Just Dance

I've been playing this song over and over again by Lady Gaga since Monday , weird huh?! I like the upbeat music and surprisingly I'm not getting tired listening to it.

I'm done with my work. Finished! Ü So I have the whole afternoon to fix my things and pack them in a box. This will be our last day here in our office in PBCom. Tomorrow we are not required to go to work since contractors will be very busy gathering all the remaining furnitures/ things here in the office and transferring them to One World Bldg in Mckinley Hills.

Once I'm done packing up, I hope I can snag at least one "sideline". Thankfully Mr. G is still kind to me.

Real Estate Foreclosures

I enjoyed watching the Million Dollar Listing TV show on cable (forgot the channel though). Imagine, three young men on the game of real estate. They are earning 5 to 6 digits as their commission (that is in US$)! Wow!

But due to the unpaid mortgages, loans, etc. for sure there will be a lot of Real Estate Owned foreclosures. One of my US recruiter was able to buy a house before 2008 ends. Lucky him! It seems that his not afraid to invest in real estate and of course he was able to save money despite the financial problem. I wonder if he browsed for free foreclosures on the net.

Financial experts here in Manila said that the basic necessities like food, clothing, car repair, etc will still boom on 2009 however, having your own house will be a less priority for most Filipinos.

I'll just have to wait for the upcoming Real Estate Expo for this year and check for possibilities for us to own our own lot and house. Hopefully they can provide a free REO foreclosures search for convenience sake.

Summer Person

I know I am!

You Are a Summer Person

You are energetic, outgoing, and active. You love to be out and about... hanging out with friends or getting things done. Summer is the perfect time for you to be as hyper as you want to be. In fact, during the rest of the year you feel half-asleep!

Are You a Winter Person or a Summer Person?

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Today I will start counting down the days on when I will be getting the 50% of my retention bonus. This is the same bonus that I fought very hard last year.

My other colleague will be getting his on the 30th of this month but what about me? No update or feedback. No email yet or whatsoever. I know that the managers involved already talked this over earlier in their ManCom meeting.

Let's see what happens, I will let this coming payday pass....then I will make my move.

Bed Bugs Guide

Last December when I got my bonus, I decided to purchase a mattress for our bed. Having an airbed was not ideal for us since it always gets punctured and air keeps coming out from it.

Good thing that Uratex Mattresses have 5-year warranty and apart from that you can register the product via SMS which is easy and of course consumers don't need to worry of misplacing the registration form.

It's been a month and so far the mattress is okay. Its 3-inch thick but it's not the commercial type where it sags easily. I'm hoping and praying that in 2-4 years time, I don't have to worry on a bed bug (s) because they are like lice who fed on human blood. They are hard to catch since they are small and comes out when you least expect it (that is when your sleeping).

Preventive measure is to make sure that the whole house is clean especially your bedroom. Pesticide will help but it's not 100% effective because there is a tendency that bed bugs will scatter and hide inside the walls then comes out from different directions making the matter worst.

I'll just have to check every now and then on our mattress.

Movies for 2009

For a movie buff like me, I'm sure you're going to feast your eyes for this year's films.

It seems that 2009 is the year for Anime/Cartoon/ Comic(s) characters debut on the big screen.


< Fast and Furious 4 - Vin Diesel and Paul Walker re team for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on cars. In Cinemas on April 2009.












> Dragon Ball - Adapted from the manga series created by Akira Toriyama; the work was also turned into a Japanese anime series that played all over the world.In Cinemas on April 2009.







< Warner Bros. is reinventing the "Terminator" cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over a three picture span. In Cinemas on May 2009.










> Transformers 2 - aka "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" will be released in 3D! It is the sequel to the 2007 worlwide movie box office blockbuster courtesy of Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. In Cinemas on June 2009.


- is the sixth series of eight Harry Potter movies (the seventh and final HP book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be divided into two movies). In Cinemas on July 17, 2009 Worldwide.









> Astroboy - it's an all-new full length feature film full of action, adventure, humor and heart. It will be brought to life on the big screen in breathtaking CGI animation. In Cinemas on October 2009.







< is the second in the four series of Stephenie Meyer's vampire-human love story. This time it will be directed by Chris Weitz who brought us The Golden Compass. In Cinemas on November 2009.










> Sherlock Holmes - in Guy Ritchie's first major motion picture - a movie starring A-list movie star talent and produced by Warner Bros. Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Detective Sherlock Holmes while Jude Law will portray the stalwart partner of Holmes named Watson. In Cinemas on November 2009.


< revolves around a group of humanoid cats who must flee their planet of Thundera after it's destroyed. TBD 2009.




> Silver Surfer - is a spin-off movie and not a sequel to the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The movie focuses more on how Silver Surfer came to existence. TBD 2009.