A Walk Through Life

finding a good real estate agent

2012-01-22T11:21:00.004+08:00

Whether you’re buying or selling homes or properties, real estate agents are very important for any profitable and secure real estate transaction. In many cases, property agents are only known through word of mouth. Perhaps you know these agents because they are recommended by your family and friends who are satisfied with their services in past transactions. You can also find real estate professionals through advertisements in classified ads or through the Internet.

From the moment that you advertise your intention to buy or sell a home, it would usually mean that you will be opening your door to property agents. These agents will be very persistent in trying to represent you; after all, they make a living through buying and selling properties. They are also willing to do the extra mile just to help you achieve your dreams and goals.

A good agent is known for his credibility, so don't be shy to ask questions. You can ask and get yourself educated on the many aspects of buying and selling property. Every agent has a responsibility. Expect him to do more than just driving clients to various homes and properties that are for sale. Helping his clients with negotiations, inspections, contracts, and closing processes are the major parts of his job. The best property agent must continue to educate himself in order to keep up with the laws involved in buying and selling property. Moreover, he needs to be knowledgeable about the market trend.

When choosing an agent, you need to choose a licensed one because he is legally required to stand by the Code of Ethics. With a licensed agent, you can be sure about his qualification, capability and dedication to sell and to help in the buying of properties. Of course, it is also important to verify that this agent has a good reputation and a proven track record.

If you have plans of buying a good home, contact real estate agents who are within the community first since they are likely to know the price range of the property that you intend to buy. It should also be the same way if you intend to sell your property in the same community. An agent who is in the community should be knowledgeable enough on how to properly price and market the property you are selling.

Finally, don’t forget to look at how well the agent represents all his clients. It is never a bad idea to visit some of the open houses that he has organized. You can snoop around and check whether he is able to explain everything about a client's property with confidence. This is a good way to gauge his ability and skills which will help you decide if you can trust him to represent you in front of sellers or buyers.

on walking our talk

2012-01-22T10:43:00.002+08:00

We are probably not aware of it but most of us are guilty of not walking our talk. There are times when, even when we have already set our own principles and standards on what we believe to be the right thing to do, we would find ourselves settling to do the wrong thing.

Why is it just so hard for most of us to walk our talk? Why is there discrepancy between words and actions? Perhaps it is because it is tempting to backslide or to do the opposite especially if this would mean convenience on our part or something that can keep us out of trouble. But hey, why should we complicate things? Let's not make a wrong thing seem right just because almost everybody is doing it and it is something that we all can benefit from. Just saying. :-)

written over a cup of coffee (note to self)

2011-11-27T15:41:00.001+08:00

Change. We all want to change for the better but, at times, it is such a struggle to be able to successfully do so; but once you finally found the courage to take the first step towards the process of "change", everything else will soon follow... hopefully, with God's will and guidance. However, it is always possible to find yourself falling into the trap of going back to the previous state you are in. You might feel tired about your failed attempts at changing because you would always find yourself back at square one rather than progressing towards the finish line. And you will then start to wonder and ask yourself, "Why did I mess it up, again?" Of course, it is easy to figure out why you failed because you will be able to assess the consequences of your failed attempts. On the brighter side, you can always start again - 'more intelligently', as Henry Ford puts it.

Today, with the help of God, I am changing. I am starting again more intelligently today. No more procrastination this time. And if I should go back to square one and try again with a different approach, I will not complain and happily do so. After all, this walk through life gets more and more exciting when I have trials and failures to overcome.

Really now? Hehehe :-)

something rare and durable

2011-11-26T14:45:00.003+08:00

Didn't you realize how quickly the days go by? I began to realize that it's almost Christmas time when we officially started our Kris Kringle this month. Definitely, it’s time to buy gifts these days. It’s really fun and exciting to be receiving a little something each week. I am looking forward to the revelation part where we get to know who’s been giving us the gifts we’ve been getting each week.

Speaking of gifts, I have also been planning to give something unique as a Christmas gift to my hubby. Clueless on what to give, I started to browse online for gift ideas and this led me to seeing pictures of Tungsten Rings, particularly the wedding rings. Oh, I would have loved for us to be wearing beautifully designed wedding rings made of rare and durable metal like Tungsten to symbolize our rare and enduring love for each other; however, we already have our wedding rings because we've been married for 4 years already. So, I'll just have to suggest that my friend in the U.S. get this type of ring on her wedding day; that is, if she and her partner would want to deviate from gold or silver where wedding rings are usually made of. Hopefully, their church wedding in the Philippines pushes through next year.

my ever thankful heart

2011-11-26T11:23:00.010+08:00

I just love it when the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving holiday. I am loving this holiday more this year especially now that I just got back from working in traditional office. The company I work for follows the American holidays in determining our non-working days. This is why I was fortunate to have enjoyed a two-day respite from work. In fact, I'd consider it as a four-day vacation from work if I were to include Saturday and Sunday. Yey! Thank you, America! :-)

In connection with the Thanksgiving holiday, I told my husband I am going to post again something about gratitude. I always have a lot of things to be thankful for in my life. Overall, life has been great. Despite a few setbacks here and there, I feel like the Lord has been very kind to me and my family. With God's help, there weren't troubles that me and my husband weren't able to endure together. I think I've said or written this somewhere. Why do I feel like I keep repeating myself? *grin*

In terms of work and career matters, one of the things that I am thankful for is having met wonderful employers along the way. I am referring to both my previous and current employers. There is only one word I can describe both of them - they're "heaven-sent"!

It was a little hard to say goodbye to the previous company I have worked for. In fact, I had initially thought about keeping it (it was a full-time online job) while also working in traditional office. However, I know it would be a point against my integrity if I don't let my previous boss know about my career plans. Besides, it would be hard to serve two masters full-time since I obviously don't have a bionic body. To make the story short, ex-boss wished me well in my career move. In fact, he sent me a wonderful and touching message that I will forever cherish and I will share them to you here, my few readers! :-)

Now, I am not so sure if I deserve ALL those words from him.. Husband has only one advice for me - cherish these things in your heart and not in your head.... :-)

I also have nice words to say about my current boss and the company I am now working for in general. I would like to thank them, especially the big boss, for taking me back without hesitation. I promise to work harder in order to meet or exceed (hopefully) their expectations.

There will be more gratitude posts to follow.

work and career matters

2011-11-17T23:39:00.003+08:00

After careful consideration, I have decided to go back to working in traditional office. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made considering that I have always wanted to stay and work at home so I can also be where my daughter is. Among the many plausible reasons I have, recent health concerns in the family added more weight to the decision that at least one of us should be back working in traditional office setting so that the whole family can have health insurance as part of the benefits. Anyway, I am not going to be working in the office the whole day and my Saturdays and Sundays are always free.

Indeed, even as a freelancer, work-at-home employee or a casual worker, it’s really important to have an amount set aside for contingencies such as health setbacks and other emergencies. Sometimes, we tend to put these things off (if not forget) hoping that we would stay healthy all the time and especially since we’ve always known ourselves to be not the sickly type.

However, we can’t always tell when ailments strike. We can never be assured that we won’t get sick because we are taking vitamins and other health supplements. As these things do come in unexpected moments, we need to be prepared so that we have something to use when our health needs proper medical care and attention.

financial matters

2011-10-17T18:34:00.003+08:00

Lately, we have been getting a lot of calls from representatives of different banks. Some of them wanted to talk to me while the others wanted to talk to my husband. I wonder where they got our names and telephone number. Perhaps they got it from a telephone directory or from the bills that were sent to us. It could be from raffle coupon forms that we have religiously filled up at the malls hoping we would get lucky. Could it be possible that some establishments would sell customer information to these banks? Anyway, these bank representatives were calling us for one purpose; and that is to tell us that we are qualified to avail of personal loans. Personally, I was really surprised how confident they were to offer us this type of loan when they do not even know yet if we are capable of paying them back.

To be really honest, it looks really tempting to avail of a loan because we could use it for house improvement and other important things. To rely on our salaries from working online wouldn’t be enough to carry out these projects. I told my husband that it would probably take forever for us to accomplish our plans. However, he would be quick to remind me that we are not in a race to become rich. He said that we would rather live a happy and simple life than end up burdened with unnecessary debts which could potentially take a toll on our relationship. I couldn’t agree more. I would probably consider getting a loan if the money would be used for business.

thank you grace period

2011-10-14T22:55:00.003+08:00

Just wanted to write a quick and short note - I'm still alive. :-)

A month after this domain expired, I realized that I'm not ready to take down this blog. For some reason, I'd still want to keep this despite not being able to write updates for ages. Thanks to things like "grace period", and husband's approval, I was able to reactivate this blog with grace. Period.

Today marks the end of my blogging hiatus. Hopefully. Welcome time management. I'll take this walk through life again one day at a time. :-)

Just wondering if I still have some readers... I certainly hope so.

just an ordinary Monday update

2011-06-27T15:20:00.006+08:00

Happy Monday, everyone!

Life had been extremely busy that I missed to update this blog as often as I would have loved to. As usual. I thought I could fit blogging regularly but I guess I will not push myself too hard on this itinerary anymore. Hopefully, I can manage to at least update and do some blog hopping on a weekly basis. We'll see.

No matter how busy I get these days, though, I am still loving life. Stress won't defeat us if we believe that there's a God who can lighten all our burdens. If there's anything heavy that I was not able to address yet at this point in time, that would have to be my weight. Even my husband would remind me to exercise more or I might be able to make myself an eligible candidate for the second season of Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition. It's not funny but he's right, though. So, I won't complain anymore if I hear anyone telling me the obvious that I'm getting bigger. The truth hurts, indeed; but if that's what it takes to get me to do something about it, then I'd gladly welcome pain!

I look forward to the time when I would be comfortable to have pictures of me taken. Right now, though, I'll have to be content with just the head part of me shown. :-)

Or better yet, don't focus the camera on me. :-)

Goodness, got caught eating again!

just another summer post

2011-05-12T22:24:00.000+08:00

I'd like to further affirm my declaration that I am not yet done with summer by putting up another post about it. Yes, I am so not over it yet. In fact, this cover song Summer Breeze from Jason Mraz just keeps playing over and over my head and I am still not tired of it.

Not all episodes of last song syndrome irritates me. At least not this one. I think it is possible to have a very long but relaxing trip when you're listening to beautiful songs like this. Okay, probably anything from Jason Mraz (and John Mayer...).

Okay.. here's the song I am talking about...

a post for memorial day and then some

2011-05-09T08:48:00.006+08:00

One of the things I wouldn't forget about being employed from an American outsourcing company before was the fact that we've also celebrated American holidays with our American bosses. I would remember that when it's a US holiday, it's usually the time of rejoicing for us because it means we have no work. However, a more in-depth look at the holiday made me realize that we should not rejoice only because it's going to give us a respite from work; instead, we must also understand why we celebrate such a thing. The month of May, come the last Monday of the month, is US Memorial Day. Now, it's clear to me because I already got myself educated that this day is in honor of those who died in the service of the military such as, but not limited to, those who became officers and crew of the USS Bluegill. I believe that declaring a holiday in memory of those who died for the country's sake is indeed a great form of respect we can give to them.

Remembering those who died also reminds us that death also happens to each one of us. Indeed, we will never know when our time will exactly come but it's always a reality that everything we have here on earth is just borrowed time. Nowadays, although some are still not comfortable at the thought, preparing for funeral arrangements ahead is already considered a smart move, especially for those who don't want to leave such burden to those they will leave behind. I guess it's best to plan it ahead when Burial Insurance rates are still not that high, right?

Somehow, it's a little awkward to be planning for our own funeral ahead but for some of us who have often witnessed a situation where someone's family has mourned and grieved not only because of the loss of their loved one but also because they are having a difficult time looking for means to get their dead a good and decent funeral, we might as well think of ways to relieve our loved one of such additional burden when it is our time to go. Anyway, I believe no senior is too old to qualify for an insurance like the seniors Burial Insurance. Eventually, we all know that we all must go, right? Like the soldiers who are always prepared for a battle, it is also important to prepare for our own battle.

two great weekends

2011-05-09T07:39:00.001+08:00

Just had two great weekends (Saturday and Sunday) this month of May. On Saturday, on our way to our in-laws, we dropped by at Greenwich pizza to meet up with two ex officemates. I thought we wouldn't be able to make it to dinner time because it was really hard to get a ride and the weather wasn't cooperating. Thank God, they're still there, though. Pizza, pasta and french fries with friends -- hmmm, friendship is making me bloat! :-)

Sunday was Mothers Day. Happy Mothers Day, mother bloggers! Or should it be blogger mothers? Both, didn't sound too good :-) In my previous post, I mentioned we were going to spend this day with the in-laws in Aloguinsan. We were supposed to be basking at a beach called "Hidden Beach" in Bonbon, Aloguinsan; however, the road going to beach I envisioned to be a paradise beach seemed too muddy because of the heavy rain that we decided to make a retreat and went in one of the beaches in Pinamungajan, instead. It would have been a perfect day to watch Manny Pacquiao's victory over Shane Mosley but we were already scheduled for this beach outing. The weather wasn't a perfect time for a beach outing but our presence made it perfect. I wasn't able to take pictures because my camera went off after I took a video of our long ride, earlier. Not a smart thing to do, indeed!

not yet done with summer

2011-05-07T14:01:00.001+08:00

I am already excited to pay my hometown San Carlos City (Negros Occidental) a visit because I haven't been back there for ages since our family already moved here in Cebu. Time to check on my calendar for this itinerary. I told my husband I need to find some time to show him and our daughter what our hometown looks like. I thought we deserve to spend at least a day or two in one of those beautifully developed resorts and beaches there. I can only imagine myself waiting for my cold drinks, sitting on a beautiful outdoor lounge chair and enjoying the breath of fresh air. Oh, and did I mention taking a dip in the water, too?

Summer or not, we're going to make a splash. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I get to spend it with my in-laws at Aloguinsan. Not good with geography but it's in the southern part of Cebu. I don't know which resort in Aloguinsan we are heading but I hope to get good pictures so I can share it here on my blog. Sadly, I am still stuck with this old camera - can't part with it yet but I hope to get a good replacement soon. If only cameras are part of our priority expense. Sigh! Anyway, it's going to be fun with or without pictures to document any itinerary.

Yay, it's time to catch up for summer fun. Let it rain but I am definitely not yet done with summer!

toddler got vaccinated again

2011-05-06T13:35:00.006+08:00

In line with the Department of Health's immunization program for children between nine months to eight years old, my little girl received her measles/rubella shot on April 29th. Even though she's been completely immunized already with the MR vaccine when she was under a year old, I did not hesitate to let her receive immunization again because I have paid attention to their campaign on television and got myself educated that it's still okay and safer to get another shot. I thought they'd never make it here in our place because it is almost the end of their door-to-door immunization campaign but I am glad I was wrong.

Anyway, I got to tell you how brave my daughter was. I could hear the cries of some toddlers in the neighborhood when they received their shots but my daughter didn't shed a tear. Yes, it's the same painless reaction all over again when it comes to the needles. In fact, she just watched how the needle entered her skin. Not quite like her mom, eh!

It's funny because I was scared she would shriek in pain that I chose not to hold her. Anyway, glad I grabbed the camera and took a video of it. You'll have to excuse her not wearing anything on top because she took it off. It's summer here and the temperature is just too hot (It started to rain though as we entered the month of May). She was actually playing and running around when people from the Department of Health entered our home. Aside from the vaccine, the health worker gave her a drop of Vitamin A. We were also given a chewable deworming tablet for her to take at night time.

Thanks, DOH! Glad you came here. :-)

his eyeglasses as a necessary expense

2011-04-30T19:24:00.000+08:00

As far as I can remember, my husband has been wearing prescription glasses ever since the first day I saw him in the same office we were working before. Some people who would talk about him would actually refer to him as the "guy with eyeglasses" when they would forget his name but I must say, though, that even then, I already knew there's something more to him than just being that "guy wearing eyeglasses". I guess it just can't be helped that his eyeglasses are already part of his personality. He's been wearing them since college. More importantly, he just can't leave the house, face the computer, or read books without them.

Incidentally, some time this year, he said goodbye to his old pair and bought a new one. We thought it could last for another year before he would be able to buy his next one. It was like our little girl decided it when she grabbed the eyeglasses while he was carrying her and just let the pair fall to the ground. Anyway, we can't do anything about it but let it go. The one in charge at the optical shop said repairing it would cost almost just like new. More importantly, he badly needed to wear one as soon as possible because he definitely can't see well without eyeglasses. He needs his prescription eyewear especially when he's driving his motorcycle out in the road or when he is working online.

Certainly, his eyewear will always be a necessary expense that we can't put off when it needs replacement. Unfortunately, we just noticed that the price of prescription eyeglasses at the nearest optical shops are getting too pricey these days that I told my husband we need to try buying his next pair of glasses online. After looking at the range of prices from Zenni Optical and after checking out how easy it is to find the glasses that would look great on him (they have a smart interface to let any user try different pairs online), I told my husband "Zenni Optical is your smart choice".

I believe that shopping online is already the trend nowadays and that certainly includes shopping for eyewear. Buying prescription glasses from Zenni Optical shouldn't be a problem for him because he already knows what specifics to enter into his order (his prescription type, pupillary distance, etc.). In fact, I let him choose one today and below is what he wanted to buy as his next pair.

We'll be asking mother-in-law as well in case she wants to upgrade to a new pair to make the most out of the shipping cost.

As for me, even though it's quite tempting to buy fashionable plano eyeglasses for myself, I guess I'll have to be content with not having found the need to wear one just yet. :-)

buying a good home

2011-04-29T19:30:00.001+08:00

For those who are still renting an apartment, it is time to consider buying and owning a house. It is a waste of money if you spend for a place of dwelling that you can never own even in the long run. For this reason, it is practical to invest in a good house where you won’t think about having to look for another place to stay later on when landlords or apartment owners would already decide they no longer want to have the place rented. Indeed, renting a home will not provide you with the security that you will always have a place to go home to for many years. It is time to decide on buying a good home now rather than in the future because the price of homes will surely increase in the future.

Below are some important things to consider when buying a good home for the family:

1. Location. If your purpose is to have a house for the family that you can all go home to every single day, you need a location that is in close proximity to where you are working. You don’t have to live nearest to the place if you enjoy a long drive everyday before and after going to work. However, if you have children or intend to have children later on, you may want a home location that should be nearer to some of the best schools especially if you don't want to put them on a home school.

2. Size of Family. If you have a large family or are planning to have one, you need to consider purchasing a bigger house with a lot of rooms in it. However, if it is a small family you have, you may find it practical to buy only a home that should be good enough to house a small number of people.

3. Security. An ideal home should be secure enough for the whole family. This is somehow connected to your location of choice. If you are thinking of building and moving to another place, you need to be assured that your family will be safe and secure in that place. If you are aware that peace and quiet is something that you cannot always look forward to have in that certain place, then it is best to go find another house that will not endanger your household.

4. Cost. There are many homes now that are already built and should be ready for occupancy. Depending on your budget, you can choose to buy a brand new home or you can choose to buy one of those foreclosed homes. Consider the price of a particular home before deciding. Making price comparisons should not be that hard since a lot of the best homes being sold in the market today are already advertised online.

You can easily purchase a good home via a housing loan or mortgage. Even if your purchase is covered via a housing loan or mortgage, you can always get a reasonable price for a good home. The earlier you decide to do that housing loan or mortgage, the more time you have in paying it back and then owning it officially. This should be a whole lot better than renting.

home improvement ideas with toddler in the house

2011-04-27T12:34:00.000+08:00

I told my husband maybe it is about time that we would agree to a home makeover because the house looked almost too boring already. It’s been three years now since we moved here but it seems like we still haven’t done much to get past its vintage look. :-)

Anyway, it’s not like I am insisting for a total makeover all at once. I just want to make a few little changes at least twice a year. It probably wouldn't hurt our budget if we would just spare some amount every payday for a home improvement project. Perhaps, we can start painting those vintage looking walls with odorless paint. Then we can probably add hanging cabinets so we can already have proper place of storage for some of the wedding gifts we have received three years ago. Most of our gifts were just collecting dusts in storage boxes and these boxes are just simply eating up a lot of space in the other room upstairs. I’m really all about saving some spaces in the house and put them to good use. In fact, I’d like to be able to put our picture frames and some of our collectibles in one organized place - in one corner of our living room, perhaps. I thought it would be great to have one of those beautifully designed etagere corner shelves. With a toddler around the house, though, I’m not sure if adding such piece of furniture to place all our neat stuff is a grand idea. My little girl always wants to grab anything that's within her reach. Somehow, aside from budget, child-proofing can sometimes get in the way with implementing home improvement ideas.

got my first book from booksneeze

2011-04-26T07:21:00.001+08:00

I thought I'd wait forever but when the mailman came to our home two weeks ago to tell me I have a little package to receive, I knew it came from booksneeze.com. I've long been expecting this free book because I had asked for it last year in exchange for an honest review but, for some reason, I was informed that the book was sent back to them. Thankfully, after confirming to them my home address, they had promised to send it back. So now the book is already in my hands.

Anyway, this book entitled "Living Life In The Zone" came right on time for Holy Week. To recall, I asked for a free copy of it so I can also give it to my husband as a gift. :-) Anyway, it's conjugal property now. Even though this is intentionally written for men, I have also found the time to read it but only when he's already done reading it for the day. So far, I did find the first few parts of the book to be a good read. I'll definitely be back to write about my review of this book, including that of my husband's.

Me and my husband can't wait to finish reading this book. I hope to be able to write my review pretty soon so that I can already request for another one. Hopefully, they have a book for my toddler, too! :-)

time cannot erase good memories

2011-04-25T23:05:00.003+08:00

Last week, I found myself looking back on my childhood and younger days as a sort of reflection during the Holy Week. Flashbacks! My thoughts suddenly returned to my birthplace – the place and the home where I grew up. This is a part of my life where I will always cherish the most because those days were my carefree, innocent, and free-spirited days. Aside from the wonderful upbringing of my parents, the challenges I have encountered during my childhood have made me a stronger person – someone strong enough to face life's challenges as I moved forward towards adulthood.

an old photo from my childhood...

another old photo with classmates...

Today, even though I already have a family of my own and living far from my first home already, I am still happy that I am connected to my classmates, friends, and neighbors in the past. Thanks to technology and social networking sites, we are now able to keep in touch. Just even seeing pictures of old acquaintances from my hometown brings me back to those childhood moments. Oh, I can still remember those fun times just playing traditional games with our contemporaries, back when computer games and the Internet are still not in existence. As time goes by, I realized that so much has changed already. So much of the place has changed since we left. Almost everything and everyone has changed. I think I have changed as well but there’s still one important part of myself that has never changed – it’s my heart! There is a large compartment in my heart that beats for my birthplace and all the people that are connected to it.

the road that almost didn't look familiar anymore :-(

I never meant to sound a little emotional like this. It’s funny how it got me to think and write this far. I remembered only a few minutes ago, I was merely looking at large wall clocks online. One pendulum wall clock I saw there looked familiar. It looked like my grandmother’s (from my father’s side of the family) antique wall clock. I used to hate how it sounded before each time the clock would strike at twelve midnight. It reminded me of horror movies I have watched back then. Ah, useless frights! Now, I already want to own something like that in my own home. I also realized how much time has already passed. Grandmother had been gone for ages. Then I remembered other significant people in my life that have also left this world. Grandfather, mom, and other relatives - they are already gone but they are definitely never forgotten. Recalling my childhood brings happy memories of them back alive.

Certainly, time cannot erase good memories, can they? :-)

Good Friday

2011-04-22T01:12:00.004+08:00

After watching The Seven Last Words program on television (I forgot what channel we were tuned in) where some speakers were invited to talk for a few minutes to narrate their own story/experience as it relates to The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ before He had breathed His last breath, I was completely touched by this message from Matthew 9:13 which was also shared by one of the speakers/sharers:

"But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

the resilient woman is back :-)

2011-04-21T00:12:00.001+08:00

Okay, so I failed again. I failed to be be back from the blogging hiatus earlier as I promised I would. Somehow, I misappropriated my return to the blogging world but, hey, please spread the word out - the resilient woman is back :-)

Now I understand why one of my blogger friends chose to quit the blogging world to prioritize other more important things like taking care of her toddler, her family, and her studies. I don't blame her. As for me, though, I really have no plans of leaving the blogging world for good. I am resilient. This is why I keep coming back. :-)

Anyway, I'll just let you in on my past activities that have kept me busy.

Aside from work, parenting has kept me and my husband busy. Yes, weekends especially. We make sure that we have time to bond with our toddler who just turned two years old last March.

Yes, she has already entered her second year and so far, she's been a little harder to handle. Quite an attention seeker!

Let me share to you our bonding time with my little girl at SM.

My sister lied to the attendant that she's already over 3 years old so she would be able to try that little pony ride. Good thing she didn't ask for a birth certificate. Anyway, even though we broke the rules, she was well looked after. :-)

Enjoying her ride

This is another ride. My sister rode with her.

Her mama forgot about the calories...

Here's our family picture attending a general assembly of our homeowner's association. At the risk of stating the obvious, it looks like I got very busy putting on more weight as well. :-)

This is the part where I would say goodnight for now. :-)

breaking the blogging hiatus

2011-03-23T04:14:00.002+08:00

I am trying to… Whew! Being on blogging hiatus has been quite addicting. I thought I haven’t really left blogging for a long time but I realized it’s been almost a month since my last update. Now, I’m forcing myself to write something! :-) With that, I’m wondering if it was all worth it to renew my parenting blog domain because it looks like I would not be able to regularly update it these days. I decided to renew it, though, because it has somehow achieved a PR1 ranking from the mighty G and I thought I should keep it going as well. Hopefully, I would get to spend a few minutes of time for it each day pretty soon.

As an attempt to break the blogging hiatus, let me just acknowledge my top ten Mashkan commenters. Thank you to the following friends for taking the time to visit this site and to leave sensible comments:

Brother Mel of Random Thoughts (International Blog)

Gee of Georyl

Eli of Business Sphere Consulting

June Zach of Fledgling Blogger

Drake Sigar of Drake’s Doomsday Corner

Jellybelly of The Twerp & I

Lon of Humble Path

Jenn of My Sweet Haven

Andrea of Memories As A Mom

Thank you also to my 99 followers from GFC. Wow, one more follower and I would soon achieve my dream of having a hundred followers. Thank you, guys! If there’s anyone I haven’t followed back yet, please do leave a message to this post.

Anyway, you must be wondering where I have been the past few weeks. Or maybe you’re not wondering anymore, huh! Lately, I also found myself already out of words because of the things that are happening around the world. It’s like the world is experiencing disaster after another; tragedy after another; and chaos after another. What is happening to the world? What is worth writing about? Is it the dirty politics? The situation in Libya? Bahrain? Yemen? Japan tragedy? The nuclear radiation threat? Or the death sentence of our fellow countrymen in China? Honestly, I have been lamenting in silence. Deeply saddened and sometimes worried. I guess we need to pray MORE.

blogging boredom

2011-02-28T20:35:00.001+08:00

Hello mashkans! Obviously, I forgot to leave a message and took an immediate hiatus from blogging. Although I know I don't really need to explain anything, I feel like I owe it to my friends and fellow bloggers to let them know that, as always, I appreciate all the visit and comments and that I shall be back to blogging pretty soon.

So, in answer to my friend Georyl's post on blogging burnout, I'm not really bored with blogging. It's just that life gets in the way sometimes and it really needs to take a back seat. LOL Missing you my friend and everybody else in the blogging world. You understand, right? :-)

Rest assured that I'll return all your visits and I promise to come back with some awards again to give. This blogging hiatus shan't be long as I look forward to March. Soon, it will be my daughter's second birthday!

The Untold Love At First Sight Story

2011-02-16T14:22:00.002+08:00

This is my post-valentine treat - an untold story from the past. Was it love at first sight for me? You decide. :-)

I just had my successful job interview with the owner and CEO of the company that day. So, when I told a good friend of mine who was already working there ahead of me that I was already shaking hands with the CEO and got the job I was applying for, he happily toured me around the department to get the feel of the office where I would soon become a part of.

It was an "unofficial" tour because it's actually HR's task to welcome and introduce me as the newest addition to the work force. Anyway, looking back now, I was really glad my friend toured me around that day because that day happens to be the first time I caught sight of the man that I didn't know would become my husband three years later. :-)

The first time I saw him, he wouldn't even look up because he was very busy and seemed too preoccupied with computer-related tasks that he actually didn't mind that a visitor was inside the office. Because of that, I instantly took notice of him - the looks, his eyewear, and how shy I think he was! Man, I thought I heard a song playing and birds happily chirping in the background. For a moment there, I already felt that unexplainable feeling in my heart. Strangely, I felt some kind of connection to him. At that time, it felt like he looks just like the future husband I envisioned to look like. However, my good friend told me that he's already "taken" and in some kind of a long-term relationship.

So, instantly I came back to my senses and totally dismissed that happy feeling in my heart. But little did I know, things just fell into place. I believe God was preparing him to become my husband three years later. I realized now that "Destiny is real" and we did not just invent it. :-)

the first time he said he loves me

2011-02-09T15:05:00.004+08:00

When we were still dating, I got almost all of my "I love you's" from him through text messages. Yes, he's not really the vocally expressive type. I asked him why and his explanation was that it's a little awkward for him when he would say that in person because even in their own home and even when members of their family are all close to one another, they wouldn't say I Love You personally to each other. Then I told him that it's time that he express himself well vocally without feeling awkward about it. I don't remember exactly when it was. It started with me saying this to him first where I would get the "I Love You, Too" back and then gradually he would just surprise me with those words without me having to say (or suggest?) it first.

Oh, I hope you didn't think I was the one who gave him a hint that I was interested in him. No, not at all. It's just that he had his own way of courting a girl. In fact, I remember the first time he had talked to me about his intentions, he tried to tell me in a shy kind of way why he likes me (which seemed justifiable, ahem!) and wants to be my boyfriend. Ironically, even with the shy approach, he had made sure I understood that he wants a serious relationship that would eventually lead to marriage if our personalities get along and that we should not waste each other's time if I had no thoughts of a serious relationship, or making it work, or getting married one day. Like most of the entries I've read so far, he's had a serious relationship before me but unfortunately (and thankfully, LOL), it didn't work for the both of them. :-)

This is my entry for: