Anticipation

New Year, New Blog

2011-02-05T01:43:00.002+08:00

I am currently trying out the Wordpress platform for blogging. Please bear with me. This is my new blog (for now) http://iamcamerashy.wordpress.com.

Right now, I am also enjoying this blog. So funny & candid.

See you there!

Tis The Season for Wishlists

2010-12-14T07:46:00.005+08:00

For the sake of fitting in, here's my Christmas wishlist"

new glasses
a sewing machine. Brother bm-2600 or a singer advance. I wanna learn to sew.
Florence & The Machine CD
She & Him CDs
a huge desk
a vacation (somewhere scenic. no mall necessary)
a nice looking & functional planner
iTunes credits
a nice looking, subtle, laptop bag.

And to borrow a quote from a friend, "Santa, define Nice...?"

How Are You?

2010-12-11T01:05:00.004+08:00

How are you guys? I know, lousy blogger, I am. Yoda, I'm not. hehehe :)

Anyways, what's new with me?

Love. My brother & his girlfriend are getting married next year, in June! Which gives me a good reason to lose 20 more pounds! Argh! I'm stuck right now, I just lost 20 lbs. but I need to lose 20 more. Lipout didn't work with me, Redoxfat did a better job. But I also enrolled with my bro & Dad's weight loss doc (who is such a robot). The trick? Bland food, no oil (not even olive), select fruits & veggies, no rice, chicken & select seafood, definitely no bread. Another thing that I'm anxious about is that my son is their ring bearer. Gulp. 6 more months to practice. Lesdudis!!

Hobby. I have officially gotten tired of photography. The DSLR kind. Every now & then I would dream of new concepts to try, new faces to shoot, new locations. But that's about it. Dreaming & conceptualizing. My work & my slave driver employers are just too demanding. "Excuses" I know. After work, I have my son to spend time with. I have also gotten tired of looking at these enthusiasts, who are literally a dime a dozen. I hate what photography has become. They brag about the type of gear used, the excessive post-processing. A very commercialized photography. I have even put some of my untouched photography books on sale right now. I realized that all I need to take photos is my iphone, the hipstamatic app, & maybe the g10 for special occasions.

Inspiration. I am currently "very" interested in sewing. Not just clothes, but also bags, pillows, runners, making prints, painting fabrics. I am looking to H & M home for inspiration, also Martha Stewart's Sewing Encyclopedia (which I just purchased), Project Runway, Etsy's stationery selection, & Fashion Institute of Design & Arts (where I enrolled for a basic sewing & basic pattern making class). I am so excited, I have gotten overboard with the supplies shopping yet again. I have created a different blog dedicated solely to my "creative journey". All this has made me realize, inspiration drives creativity. I know it now. It is important that artists stay inspired. Which is a very hard thing to do. My plan is, if I am good enough to sew clothes, then I will take up fashion illustration. Because FIDA's 2-yr AA in Fashion Design & Apparel Tech. sounds so tempting right now. (tulo laway)

Death. Last month, my father in-law lost his battle with lung cancer. We discovered it January 2009, already stage 3. Just a day before his grandson was born. Jacob is mainly the reason why he didn't want to go yet. He wanted to see Jacob grow up. It breaks my heart. Jacob got his love for cars, trucks, anything mobile, from his Lolo Jun. He was only 64 years old. Just when he had a new love in his life.

Life. I am making a decision to do & go after what I want (art, creativity), but at the same time, also be a working mom, & a wife. When I was younger(kindergarten to elementary), I have always wanted to be a painter, or a fashion designer. I lost track of those dreams when my parents started to make money in the family business. Suddenly, their work seems so important that I just had to make sure to continue with it. The devoted daughter that I am, I just wanted to please them. So I took up a business course & lost sight of what I truly wanted. Heck, I didn't even remember thinking about art after high school. After college, I realized I made a mistake. I wasn't happy. I was constantly pressured to do their bidding. Be their messenger, record keeper, etc. But as the years passed, I have gotten comfortable with it, they have backed off a little ever since I got married & had a kid. And now, I think I have gained the confidence to go after what I want. And what I want is to learn new things, the things that I'm really interested in. I'm not letting them stop me again. I'm just glad that a second chance is possible.

Why I Miss Cebu City

2010-04-22T16:42:00.005+08:00

I'm a Davaoena. I was born here, resumed studying elementary, until College, and eventually settled down in this peaceful, laid-back city. My heart belongs to Davao. But of course there's always a "one that got away". In my case, it's Cebu.

We transferred to Cebu when I was just 2 yrs. old. And we stayed there for seven years. After I got married, my husband went back there for his work (call center). So as a compromise, I went to Cebu every month to be with him. That's when I got to know Cebu for who she really is.

All my life, I was sheltered. My parents being very strict about me going out late, and eventually I lost interest in having many friends because in my mind, what's the point? I can't go to parties, I have to come home at a fixed time, and I had to stay at the family business. I couldn't try working at other companies because my Dad didn't allow it. But thank God he allowed for me to go to Cebu for 1 week every month after I got married. That was one condition he gave my husband, that I stay in Davao so he will give us his blessing to get married.

Whenever I went to Cebu, my husband, as an employee of a large call center, was only able to spend "quality" time with me on his days off. He worked late hours, as do most call center employees. So he slept from 12 noon to 8 PM, and went to work at 10-11PM. Leaving me with no other activity during the daytime than to explore the city on my own, and sometimes with my Aunt who also lives there.

And no I didn't miss it because of the malls, the designer retail stores, the new restaurants, the swanky hotels, or the popular coffee shops. I missed Cebu because it was there that for the first time, I knew what freedom tasted like. Ironically, it was when I got married that I got to taste, and savor it. And Cebu didn't disappoint. The people are still so nice, the food delicious, the places authentic & properly preserved. It was still the Cebu I remembered from my childhood, but with a lot of improvements. Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened to me had my family stayed there instead of moving to Davao? Sigh. What if we hadn't moved? I wouldn't have minded at all.

Someday, if circumstances permit, I just might move back there, who knows?

(photos: tripadvisor.com; lakbay pilipinas)

Piece of Me - January 2010

2010-01-09T10:50:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the delay folks. I've been soooo busy last month, it's not even funny, or fun! I wasn't able to post this last Sunday because it was my son's first birthday, and we had a party at home. A crazy party. My parents were shocked at the number of guests that arrived. Duh! Parents' guests + my guests + my relatives + hubby's guests + hubby's relatives = pandemony! As if they didn't expect this. That's why I wanted the party to be held somewhere else, and not at home. The experience was a little traumatic for me, if not for the cute gifts that my son received. Never again!
How fast time flies. My son is growing up before my eyes! *sniff* Seems like only yesterday I gave birth to him, now he's walking by himself (albeit wobbly), holding the milk bottle by himself. *sigh*

Anyway... better late than.. oh you get the drift!

This month....I like: To finish all my pending reports for work and not start the new year with worries, and unfinished stuff. Also to start listing my goals for 2010. :) I have to think hard about that last one.

I don't like: People asking me if I'm pregnant. Hellooooo!

I want you to know: I've been a lousy blogger.

I've planned: To go out more, bring Jacob on outings.

I want to say to someone special: I hope this year will be for the family.

A Piece of Me - December 2009 Edition

2009-12-07T20:33:00.002+08:00

This month....I like: To finally finish my Christmas shopping. Was in Manila for the weekend and ended up buying stuff for me, Jacob and Ron, instead of the people on my list. Can't help it!
I'd also like to finish planning for Jacob's first birthday party next month (January 3). The pressure is on!

I don't like: Last minute shopping. So stressful!

I want you to know: This is Jacob's first Christmas.

I've planned: To have a peaceful Christmas.

I want to say to someone special: Thank you for the Manila trip hon. We needed that!

Bittersweet

2009-12-03T20:43:00.002+08:00

My hubby and I are going to Manila tomorrow! Aaah! It was all so sudden, yesterday was our 3rd wedding anniversary. We were having dinner at Marco Polo and he was asking me where I wanted to spend the weekend: Pearl Farm Resort, Cebu, or Manila. I said Manila because I haven't been there since 2003 or 2004 (see? I can't even remember).

But amidst the excitement, there's Jacob. We decided not to bring him so Ron and I can have some time for ourselves, 'coz this year has been about Jacob. It breaks my heart to leave him (even if it's just for 3 days!) 'coz I know he'll be missing us and wondering where we were. But his Lola Carmen will stay with him and his Lola Dolly and Lolo Carlos will visit so at least he won't feel so lonely.

We'll be staying at the Heritage Hotel since it's the closest to Mall of Asia.

If it weren't for this huge migraine, I'd be so giddy right now.

Monster

2009-11-28T01:21:00.002+08:00

That is the only word that I could think of to describe the suspect in the Maguindanao Massacre. How can a human being stomach that kind of act? And at what cost? To think, my parents live in the same neighborhood as they here in Davao. Ever since they lived in our subdivision, we have been intimidated by the sight of huge cars of his entourage that visit Davao every week. Violating traffic rules, his "posse" of black cars blaze thru traffic even the US President would envy. Sobra na. Davao is not their city.

I find it unfair to describe Mindanao as a "lawless island". Davao is part of Mindanao. The media should be clear about this. Maguindanao is where these people "rule". Maguindanao is the third poorest in the country, but it's "leaders" live in palatial mansions, own a number of luxury cars, and whatnot. The government has been playing blind long enough.

What are the chances that the prime suspect will be found guilty? I sure hope and pray that justice will prevail. Let us continue to pray. For the families of the victims, for Mindanao, for this clan, for the president, for the new leaders. May they not be overtaken by power, by greed.

The infamous massacre has made it to Wikipedia.

Manny Pacquiao on Time Mag Cover

2009-11-13T08:25:00.002+08:00

(photo:philboxing.com)

Among other things. He and his so-called entourage were even mentioned on The New York Times. Sometimes we wonder does anyone need such a large group of people to function for him and do things for him. In Manny's case, they just want to sleep on the foot of his bed. It's a must read, I tell you. So click on that link right now!

He is even mentioned in the Sports Illustrated website, in an article by Chris Mannix, on why Pacquiao is his choice for Sportsman of the year(2009):

Like most professional athletes, Pacquiao spends money as he makes it. But his paychecks don't go towards a fleet of cars or flashy bling. His money goes back into his country. For Filipinos, Pacquiao is a one-man stimulus package. When he's not fighting, Pacquiao can routinely be found in General Santos City, handing out bags of food and wads of cash to anyone who needs it. When a series of typhoons ravaged the islands recently, Pacquiao was on the front lines handing out supplies. His home isn't his hideaway. If someone shows up looking for a handout, chances are they walk away with one.

In the much-awaited Pacquiao vs. Cotto bout this November 15, indeed Manny is on the forefront of the news and media hoopla. Let's just hope, as a nation, that in this fight Manny will still come out on top.

Books and more Books

2009-11-06T09:44:00.004+08:00

Looks like somebody got carried away.

When I saw this book at National Bookstore, I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to get it!

It's always relaxing, and therapeutic (for me) to go to a bookstore and browse for hours! Even better if I get some treasured finds. :)

What relaxes you?

A Piece of Me ... November 2009 Edition

2009-11-02T13:25:00.005+08:00

This is a post started by the Toothfairy. I have decided to post as well coz I wanna remember my state of mind for every month that passed. I will try to have a "A Piece of Me" post every first Sunday of the month. Well, I'm one day late so I better get started.

This month....
I like: to have a postpartum massage again. Perhaps also a facial, foot spa, and mani/pedi.

I don't like: unsolicited advice. If you haven't gone through what I'm going through, please get off my back. Chances are, you don't know what you're talking about anyway.

I want you to know: that being a mom is the most challenging, difficult, but most wonderful job in the world.

I've planned: to start attending Sunday Mass again with Ron and Jacob. That was our tradition, Ron and I, before we got married. And to have lots of family outings when Jacob gets bigger.

I want to say to someone special: To my son and my husband, you are my world. Without you, life is meaningless.

If you want to join, visit this site.

Ron and I will watch The Time Traveler's Wife later. Probably catch a bite to eat too.

PLDT Call-All

2009-11-02T00:20:00.006+08:00

(This is not a paid review.)

How much is your cellphone bill lately? If you're a postpaid subscriber like moi, you probably call home a lot while you're out, especially if you have a kid. Being a new mom, I think about my son 3,218,544 times in a day when I'm at work. And when we lost our internet connection for a week, I couldn't ignore my emails, that's why I had to connect using my phone. And with the default kilobyte browsing of my service provider, my cellphone bill more than tripled! Yikes!

Seeing that I had an obvious spike in my bill, my dad and brother enrolled me in PLDT Call-All. It's basically like having your landline with you all the time. You enroll, and they give you a sim card that you can use in a cellphone(look for your old, functioning ones laying around inside your drawers), If you're an existing PLDT subscriber, they just add... Php 250.00 per month to the monthly fee! If you're a new subscriber, it's Php 850.00 per month. Not bad eh?

What makes Call-All different and budget friendly? It's a service that allows free local calls to your home zone even when you're anywhere in the Philippines.

For more info, pls. check out this site. www.pldt.com

Adam Lambert's Album Cover

2009-10-28T10:41:00.002+08:00

(photo courtesy of yahoo)

Here it is guys and gals. What do you think? So glam rock inspired, don't you think? He looks so dreamy, in an androgynous, makeup-wearing-guy kind of way. But then we all knew that when he was still competing in American Idol . I heart Adam!

DSWD's Statement

2009-10-24T11:17:00.005+08:00

Lack of volunteers? Uhm, why didn't you effing say so?! Or is that an excuse because somebody caught the non-perishable goods on camera and exposed them? I am not convinced.

Personally, I am proud of the people who have brought this issue to the public's attention. This is the perfect age for Twitter and Facebook. No issue will be left unsaid, and ignored.

See the full statement here.

"S" for Swapang?

2009-10-23T16:59:00.005+08:00

This is a repost from a popular blogger's post. I really hope DSWD releases those goods they are hoarding/"reserving". What are they going to do with these donations? Sell them perhaps? Do they feel that the victims don't deserve such comforts? Don't the victims' children deserve toys after all the trauma they went through? Losing their homes, losing their loved ones, losing everything? Pati ba naman donations ipagkait pa sa kanila? Shame on these people who think they can benefit from a disaster, at the expense of the victims and those kind-hearted individuals who made donations! I'm not one who wishes other people harm, but I can't help myself.

Please read the article below from a volunteer/whistle blower.

Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo?
(A special report from a volunteer)
Oct 21st, 2009 by ella

Dear friends,

I’m asking your help to spread the word. Tulungan po ninyo akong ikalat ito. Beyond this, we should also demand action. I disabled a plugin so you can copy the photos of relief goods rotting in DSWD warehouses. You can link this post to your blogs, facebook, websites etc. You can also email the photos.
Philippine News (US based Philippine newspaper) will use this as its front page story this week. Every Filipino has the right to know where the tons of donations from the UN and other counties go. Kahit po nakakahiya sa mga nag-donate. Kung sa ganitong paraan, matutulungan natin ang mga nasalanta, then by all means, let’s do it.
For those who have the time, please try to volunteer sa DSWD warehouses. Getting in was not easy. A friend had to put in a word for us. Let’s see kung madali nang makapasok sa DSWD warehouse ang mga volunteers.
Please read on and good luck to us.

Ella

(This post was last edited Oct 22, 12:30 pm)

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?
DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya - “Walang volunteers”.
I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit.
In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.

Deaths from Philippine storms nears 1,000

“Tropical Storm Ketsana left 420 dead and 37 missing when it flooded 80 percent of Manila on September 26, a disaster the government said affected 4.35 million people.
Some areas are still flooded three weeks later and 189,000 people remain in evacuation centres,
Typhoon Parma hit the northern Philippines on October 3 and lingered as a tropical storm for a week, triggering landslides that killed 438 people and leaving 51 missing mostly in mountain communities.
The government agency said Parma affected 4.16 million people, including more than 32,000 who remain at evacuation centres.”

• • •

During the first week after the storm, lumabas ang “bayanihan spirit” ng mga Pinoy. “Makatulong lang kahi’t konti,” katwiran nila.
kung walang volunteers, ano ‘to, komiks?

From Stella Arnaldo’s blog:

“At the offices of many civic groups and private organizations, hundreds of people showed up to volunteer in packing relief goods.
At the Tulong Bayan center at the Expo Centro in Cubao, Most of the volunteers were adolescents as young as 10 years old, along with their kuya or ate in high school and college.
They came in huge numbers, many of them barkadas, classmates or siblings, dressed just in their tees and shorts, wearing their Havaianas. All were just enthusiastic to do their share!

Photos by Leah Navarro

Even grade school kids pitched in to help!

Youth volunteers repack detergents for distribution

Making beds from carton boxes

GMA asked world for donations

Our government begged the world for more donations. Sumagot ang buong mundo sa ating panawagan. In less than three weeks, dumaong ang mga barko, ibinaba mula sa mga cargo planes, i-diniliver ng mga trak at container vans ang sandamakmak na relief goods. Cash donations were in the millions of dollars.
But these donations must be coursed through DSWD.
Nagpalabas ng directive ang pangulo. Individuals, private companies and other nations were ENCOURAGED to send their donations to DSWD. I blogged about it here and the video of her announcement here.
This PGMA directive sounded suspicious to me then. Now I know why. Here’s the story.
A group of eight people, your ate Ella included, went to one of DSWD warehouses to help in repacking relief goods. We know they need volunteers pero hindi namin akalaing WALANG TAO TALAGA SA LOOB NG WAREHOUSE!
As in sa isang humongous warehouse (1000++ sq.m) NA PUNONG-PUNO NG RELIEF GOODS HANGGANG BUBONG, ISANG DSWD employee lang at ISANG SECURITY GUARD ang tao!!

Kailangang magpa-register at i-schedule ang volunteering

UNICEF Registration (as a volunteer)
The warehouse can only take as much as 50 volunteers at a time or per shift. Here you will find that there is a 4-hour shift, and an option for a 6-hour shift for the volunteers to indicate their availability.

What “volunteers”? Nasaan?
Aside from the 8 of us? Nope, there was nobody there. Bakit kailangan ang scheduling? Feeling hindi ba magkamayaw at nagu-unahan ang mga volunteers?
I know somebody who wanted to volunteer many times. She was always bumped off, laging nirere-schedule kasi “there were too many volunteers” daw. At tuwing Sunday lang daw puwede. What the hell is going on here?
Nakatambak ang donations ng UNICEF sa warehouse, local and international
Mga banig na dapat ay nahihigaan ng mga nasalanta. Mga imported camp beds na hindi na yata masisilayan ng mga biktima. Mga kumot na hindi naman nakabalot sa katawan nila. At mga pagkaing hindi sumasayad sa sikmura nila.
The relief goods are not going anywhere
We arrived at about 8 am and left by midafternoon and yes, you guessed it right. Kami pa rin ang tao bukod sa isang DSWD employee sa loob ng warehouse maghapon. Walang ibang dumating.
The relief goods are not moving. By the way things look, they are not going anywhere. Hindi maglalakad mag-isa ang mga donations na ito papunta sa mga evacuation centers.

LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING

Note: Pinagbawalan kaming kumuha ng pictures sa loob ng warehouse. I wonder why.

“Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse.”

Parang haunted warehouse ang dating. May multo na yata.

Kahit na daig pa ang tindahan sa Divisoria sa dami ng naka-stack na kaldero

At walang katapusang kaldero pa ulit

Kahit halos natakpan na ang mga bintana sa dami ng mga kahon

Kahit umabot na hanggang kisame ang stack ng mga kahon

(Close up ng Coleman camp beds sa previous photo) Hindi ito kasama sa ni-repack naming goods. Para sa mga “special victims” kaya ito? Ire-repack kaya ang mga “imported” camp pads na ito ever?

Sabagay, may BANIG naman para sa “ordinary victims”. Ito ang kasama sa inimpake namin. Sayang ‘yung imported.

Ano kaya ang laman nito? Hindi rin pinabuksan. Pang-special victim din kaya ito? (teka, dito nga pala galing ‘yung mga kumot)

Mahiwagang mga kahon from Japan Aid.

(close up ng mahiwagang kahon) Hindi rin ito kasali, of course. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang laman nito. “Imported” are not included, we have concluded.

Marami ito, mga laruang kasinlaki ng tao. Hindi nakunan ng pic kasi nasa tabi ng sikyo.

PORK AND BEANS? Yup, you’d think kasama ito sa relief bag. Pork and beans lang ‘to, puwede na sigurong ipamigay,

Naaah! “Imported” pork and beans from Spain po ito. Sorry, hindi pa rin included

Now let’s take a look at what a victim will get from DSWD

Look Ma, sampung lata ng sardinas! How generous! Kaldero ang unang ilalagay sa sako. Sabong panglaba (bar soap) at sampung sardinas sa ilalim. Siyam na sabon sa gilid ng kaldero. Local goods lahat syempre.

Tapos papatungan ng isang tuwalya at isang pack ng sanitary napkin.

Sisiksikan ng tatlong rolyo ng kumot(?) ang blue water jug tapos ipapatong sa kaldero sa loob ng sako.

Last but not the least, lalagyan ng dalawang banig.

Sabay tatahiin na ang sako. O di ba, parang asong tinapunan ng buto ang mga nasalanta? Eniwey, busog naman sila sa SAMPUNG lata ng Mega sardinas

YOU THINK?? WTF is the matter with these people? Mag-iisang buwan na mula nang masalanta ang mga kababayan natin. ISANG BUWAN!! Do you mean “do not delay ang dati nang delayed”?? Shet.

Anong ginagawa ng mga donations na ito sa warehouse?? APAT na warehouse ang nasa loob ng compound na ‘yon! APAT na warehouse na punong-puno ng inaalikabok na relief goods! Relief goods na ayaw yata ibigay sa mga nasalanta. Halatang-halata.

Marami pang pabubulukin

Wow! May bagong shipment na naman! At the rate DSWD is moving, next year na madi-discover kung ano ang laman ng mga kahong ito.

“The first of two of the largest high-energy food shipments from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country two days ago for victims of storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”
The biscuits were fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for supplementary feeding to children, pregnant women and the elderly in evacuation camps. Another 100 tons of biscuits will arrive on Oct. 24, in a continuing effort to provide food assistance to flood victims.
Sige, ideretso ‘nyo ulit ‘yan sa DSWD warehouse. Para AMAG naman ang abutin ng biskwit… at sapot ng gagamba.

Conclusion

Sa maghapon namin sa warehouse,nakagawa kami ng 150 sacks of relief goods. 150 bags of relief goods lang ang lumabas sa warehouse na ‘yon that day. At nandoon pa rin sa loob ang mga imported relief goods, safe, sound and packed as the day they arrived.
Nakisakay kami palabas sa isang DSWD delivery van. Gusto sana kaming ihatid ng driver hanggang Makati pero wala raw siyang sobrang gasolina. Ibinaba na lang niya kami sa gitna ng EDSA. Millions of dollars in donations, walang extrang pang-gasolina.
Susulpot din siguro ang laman ng mga mahiwagang kahon at mapapasakamay din ng mga tao…sa ARAW NG ELEKSYON. O mabibili na nila ang mga imported goods na ‘yon sa mga puwesto sa Quiapo at Divisoria.

Suggestions lang po sa DSWD:

# Alam ‘nyo palang walang mag-volunteer sa inyo, bakit hindi kayo mag-hire ng mga tao? Bayaran ‘nyo ng arawan para mag-repack. Ang daming walang trabaho, makakatulong pa kayo. Hindi naman malaking kabawasan ‘yon sa bilyong pisong donasyon na natanggap ninyo.
# Isa pa, gaano ba karami ang mga sundalo natin? Hindi ba puwedeng ipagawa sa kanila ‘yan? Baka isang araw lang, tapos na ang problema ‘nyo
# Bakit hindi ‘nyo ibigay ang trabaho sa mga NGO, churches, private charities, TV stations? I’m sure they are more than willing to help. Time is of the essence. Huwag kayong suwapang. Obvious ba, hindi ‘nyo naman kaya.

Kung talagang gugustuhin ninyong makarating agad sa mga kawawang biktima ang mga donasyong ‘yon, nagawa ‘nyo na ‘yan. Maraming paraan…kung talagang gusto ‘nyo lang.
You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

Sale Loot

2009-10-19T10:10:00.005+08:00

I was thinking of buying Christmas gifts since this weekend in Davao a lot of sales were going on. But instead, I bought stuff for me & Jacob ;-).

Here's what we bought Jacob:
(Ashbee high chair)

As you can see in the background, the high chair is not the only thing that we bought for him. We bought Ashbee stroller and walker as well. His Dad insisted on the walker. Jacob doesn't like it yet, he still needs to get used to it. The high chair he loves. We decided to buy him one after we had dinner at Bigby's restaurant. It was a relief because Jacob likes to grab stuff and watch them fall (yikes!).

(Jacob at Bigby's)
Enjoy them while you're still "tiny" nak!

Cloud over Moscow

2009-10-14T09:50:00.001+08:00

When the first photo of this halo appeared on the internet, skeptics immediately bashed it merely as a photoshopped photo. True UFO enthusiasts call this a "true mystery". Now here's the video to prove that it's none of the above. What is that thing? A tornado waiting to form? A giant UFO the likes of which were seen in the movie Independence Day? Afraid not kids.

It is actually an optical illusion. An official spokesperson for Moscow's weather department said, "Several fronts have been passing through Moscow recently, there was an intrusion of the Arctic air too, the sun was shining from the west — this is how the effect was produced."

So there. No need to bring out your emergency kits just yet. There's no invasion happening. Yet.

The Wandering Juan Photo Contest

2009-10-11T10:52:00.001+08:00

Win Cebu Pacific tickets with their Wandering Juan Photo Contest.

Click here for the mechanics.

Date:

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 - Saturday, October 31, 2009

Contest

source: kikay.exchange.ph

The Help

2009-10-08T09:15:00.004+08:00

I have two housemaids at home. One watches after my son (his yaya), and the other does all the other work (cook, clean, laundry, garden). I am quite content with the quality of their work, not to mention that I get along with them fine. I can trust them not to steal, gossip, etc.

Then comes this third one.

She was a former housemaid of my mom. She worked for us since she was 14, and I was 9. She left us to get married, and for lack of any work opportunity in their province, she came back. And since my mom's house was full, she lived with us. That's when all hell broke loose.

She gossips, says bad things about my all-around helper (not clean enough, lazy,) which are not true by the way. Before, the third one used to work for me, before the first two came along. And it was not exactly paradise. She makes maktol when I give her something to do, as in bangs the doors, mumbles to herself loudly (I can hear), and has a permanent scowl on her face. Not a pretty sight. And now she comes and thinks she does a better job than anyone. Insecure much? She even told my mom on me, that I wasn't keeping an eye on the two. But thankfully, my mom brushed her off, and told her that instead of criticizing, she should help and teach my two maids.

My cousin, Astrid's theory is, maybe since we're all settled in and seem to be getting along fine since she came along, maybe she got envious of the harmony, and wanted to point out every little thing that was wrong, like the cleanliness of the house. She knew that that was her strength. Maybe she wants us to see her worth.

So, what I did, so she will not call my all-around helper unpleasant names behind her back, I assigned them their work, and I wrote it on paper, and posted it on the fridge door for all the world to see. So there will be no more pointing of fingers. I'm making a spreadsheet soon, so there will be a sense of finality.

Maybe you're wondering why I'm allowing myself to be bullied by a housemaid. Well, I'm wondering that myself. But i promised myself that everytime I see the third one do something I'm not keen on, I will call her on it, and reprimand her. Before, when I lived with my parents, I wouldn't dare reprimand her because she was older than me. But things are different now. She lives in my house, and I'm in-charge.

Two More Months

2009-10-01T08:15:00.005+08:00

(Image: piercedhearts.org)

Time flies so fast. Only two more months and it's Christmas again. Let us think about this before splurging on Christmas gifts and Noche Buena: The displaced families of typhoon Ondoy/Ketsana, the 840,000 homeless families, the children of those families who are suddenly away from the comfort of their homes, the missing loved ones of some of the families. Heartbreaking.

Let us reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. And what we can do to somehow alleviate the dilemma of those families. What could they be looking forward to this Christmas? Are they still looking forward to Christmas? What about the children who look to Christmas as a season of giving and color, and celebration.

Let us pray that the incoming tropical storms would change directions and miss the Philippines entirely.

Let us remember that Mother Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger. Our savior was born in a manger.

Garbage

2009-09-30T14:46:00.004+08:00

Sagip Kapamilya is doing so well in the distribution of goods, as well as Worldvision, and others.

But we have another problem.

Think of all the plastic bags the relief goods are being distributed in. Let's hope that the volunteers tell the recipients to collect the plastic bags and re-use them, instead of throwing them everywhere.

Now Reading...

2009-09-26T14:07:00.003+08:00

(image:Amazon)
and

(Image: wppl.org)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

2009-09-26T13:39:00.002+08:00

This book is aimed for tweens and older. The story takes place in present day New York. Reminds me a lot of Harry Potter. The differences are: instead of being a wizard, Percy Jackson is a Demigod, which Greek God is his parent? You have to read it to find out. And instead of Hogwarts, there's Camp Half-blood. And instead of Prof. Dumbledore, there's a centaur. And instead of Hermione, there's Annabeth, the child of Athena. Well, you get the drift. I still enjoyed the story immensely. I also liked the author's humor. A lot of dry humor and sarcasm.

There are five books in this series. There is also a movie coming out next year. I can't wait!

All in all, I give this book four stars.

I suck at book reviews.

Child Labor

2009-09-26T10:35:00.001+08:00

Please read this post before you think about patronizing counterfeit goods. There is a lot of suffering behind the industry. Do your part.

Child Labor | Mom Exchange

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Tracy Raver

2009-09-12T17:09:00.003+08:00

Take a look at these baby photos by Tracy Raver. Don't you just love them? Ang cute! She has a technique on how to make babies stay asleep. It only takes a full belly and a warm room to do wonders for making a baby sleepy. She says baby girls tend to be "feistier" than boys. Haha.

She was a guest on the Today Show. Makes you want to take lovely photos of your own children, right?

Check out her website: www.tracyraver.com