Me, Myself and Irmee

Scottish Highlands and Harry Potter-inspired trip

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 03:11:00 +0000

This year marks our 25th wedding anniversary. After going to Alberta, we really saved and planned for this trip to Europe. After all, this is a special celebration and the destination is different from the rockies.

As I was planning, I asked the kids what they would like to see in Europe and they just said - related to Harry Potter. So we ended up with 3 cities as our bases - Edinburgh, London and Paris. The last city was for my youngest kid's request to go to Euro Disneyland and also my top choice. After all, lovers visit the city of love during honeymoon or anniversaries. I will post a separate one for the Parisienne stories.

Scotland

Highlights were the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the bridge featured in Hogwart's Express. These are the places we visited during the Highlands tour - Loch Lomond and Trossachs, Glen Coe, the Skyfall filming location, Fort William, a glimpse on Ben Nevis, Pitlochry where we tried the whisky Ice cream. Also on other days we tried a DIY tour to Stirling, Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel. I fell in love with the beautiful city of Edinburgh where J. K. Rowling penned the Harry Potter books. We joined a free Harry Potter tour around the city and had fun when the guide told and showed us interesting facts about the HP and the Kirkyard (graveyard) where the HP character's names were taken.

London and Oxford

The mega city of London got lots of Harry Potter filming locations but our visit to the Warner Bros Studio was a blast. The kids had fantastic time celebrating while browsing through the many artifacts used in the movies. The 9 3/4 platform in King's Cross station caught our attention as soon as we got off the train from Edinburgh. Then there's the Renaissance Hotel where Ron Weasley parked his car before they tried getting on the Hogwart's Express. The Leadenhall, St. Paul's Cathedral and Millennial Bridge had appeared in the HP movies. We chose a Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford tour to explore and recall more Harry Potter scenes from the Oxford University. We love the old buildings and cloisters but those that stood out were the Bodleian Library, Bridge of sighs and Christ Church college.

I only mentioned all relevant sites and scenes from Harry Potter but we had other amazing experiences from this trip - the Stonehenge, the London Eye, walking along Royal Mile, Victoria Street and hiking to Calton Hill, visiting the museums and galleries. I will include those in another blog, maybe. We really had a very hectic schedule. I would say we jam-packed our days with activities, with rests sa parks or just staring at a painting in a gallery. We tried to cover most of the attractions for the 15-day trip. Sinulit talaga namin ang euro spent and the time to be together as a family enjoying the vacation. Hindi ito yung tipo ng trip Na mema lang - Me masabi lang na nagpunta sa Europe. Pinaghandaan at pinag isipan talaga to Get all the money's worth. We worked hard but also deserved a value-for-money enjoyable vacation.

On this note, I am sharing some of the travel tips I followed to save time, money and effort (from reading other travel vlogs and friend's recommendations, shout out to Gwen Carag :)

1. Buy tickets early - airfare, attractions, train tickets. I booked everything in advance. Very significant ang cost savings sa transport kung bibilhin ng months before. i.e. Yung Eurostar ticket na dodoble ang price kapag on the day binili.

2. Buy Rail cards - (Family and Friends ung kinuha namin sa Scotrail) 30% discount sa train tickets. Nag apply ito sa lahat ng train tickets sa Scotland (Stirling, Falkirk) at sa London (Watford Junction going to Warner Brother studios), bawi na ang ibinayad sa rail card at ang daming discounts, more on number 3.

3. Avail the 2-for-1 or days out in Scotland or London. The train ticket that you bought discounted from the rail card also gives you discount to participating attractions, we used this in buying Stirling castle tickets, sa London Eye, we even had a timed entry meaning no need to line up. 50% discount ito, we are 5 in the family so malaking tulong ito to Save.

4. DIY your tours - research the places you want to go and how to get there, then compare the price and consider the complexity or effort vs. The comfort when joining a bus tour. Kung pwede mag rent a car, you have more flexibility and can explore more, pero dahil right-hand drive sa UK, public transportation na lang kami :).

We joined tours going to Highlands in Scotland, also the Stonehenge-Windsor Castle-Oxford University as these are longer trips and tour guides gave more information about the attractions.

But DIY ang trips namin going to Stirling, Kelpies and Falkirk in Scotland using trains and bus. Ganun din ang mga attractions in London-combo ng underground and Double-decker bus. Sa Paris, we did a lot of walking like 20k steps every day and sa Edinburgh din with uphill and downhill pa.

DIY din ang pagpunta namin sa Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studios using overground train to Watford Junction, there's a free shuttle bus na going to the Studios. Just show your etickets To WB HP. Book and buy those tickets early. Spots are filling up fast.

We rarely used an Uber or never joined a Hop on, Hop off bus because we wanted to be adventurous and to save the fare to something else like souvenirs. Can you guess how much is the fare per person to the Official Shuttle going to Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios from London? I'd rather save that for butter beer and HP merchandise.

5. Rent Airbnbs - accommodation with kitchen and washer/dryer saves lots of £ and €. All the Airbnbs and aparthotels we rented had 3 bedrooms each or 2rooms plus sofa beds perfect for our family. We saved on food as we cooked our breakfast and dinner. Had extra € to try the local foods. We also had access to laundry facilities. We only brought carry-ons as this saves $, time and effort in lugging those in cobblestone-paved roads (sometimes uphill pa).

6. Use bank credit card vs oyster to tap on underground stations, do not buy travel cards or day pass if you will not have more than 5 trips per day. Plan the destination per day to reach more with one trip or route.

7. Buy Esim with a local provider. We used Orange eSim that covered both UK and Paris. The package includes data, calls and texts worldwide. Kahit nasa gitna kami ng bundok sa Highlands meron signal at sulit sa tawag at text. Gamit na gamit ko siya sa citymapper, transport apps.

I hope this helps you in planning for your next trip to Harry Potter locations and other Scotland-London attractions.

Our Canadian Rockies Trip 2022 Tips and Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 05:11:00 +0000

After 2 years of not being able to travel outside of Ontario, we were able to finally took off and visit the Canadian Rockies for my advanced birthday celebration and Alexus graduation plus the honors / academic achievement. I am going to share here all the tips and tricks for a smooth, relaxed and value for -money travel for a family of 5 -

This is what we've accomplished, our Canadian Rockies Trip details

Time: 10 days - June 30 to July 10, 2022

Scope: Lake Louise, Lake Moraine (hiked Rock Pile), Takakkaw Falls (and other Yoho National Park viewpoints, Johnston Canyon, Golden, BC (Skybridge /Adventure Package), Kicking Horse Whitewater Rafting Exciter Level 2, Banff (Canoeing, Gondola / Sulphur Mountain and other viewpoints), Canmore, Drumheller, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Calgary Stampede Parade and Rodeo Show

Out of Scope: Columbia Icefields Parkway and Jasper National Park (as the parkway closed due to an accident on the highway) we missed getting on the Skywalk, riding the big Red Bus to go to the Glaciers, Athabasca Falls, Maligne Canyon, Pyramid Lake, Maligne Lake and other mountains to climb like Edith Cavell etc.

Cost: I will share high, average and low cost options so you can plan better.

Like our Disneyworld Trip in Orlando in 2018, we followed the Project Management Principles to focus on the 3 major constraints - Time, Scope and Cost and be successful in our trip.

Tip no 1. - Book flights early and buy your tickets for activities online. Cost of budget airlines are cheaper on sale months. Note that everything in a budget airline will cost - Carry-on bags (choose to check in and max the luggage space, bring backpacks for each passenger), do not use counter service that is +$25 (buy seats, pay for luggage and check-in online), bring food or eat before flights. The lines to buy activity tickets onsite are longer especially during peak season. We skipped many lines and enjoyed the attractions immediately than those who opted to line up. Our companions do not like waiting so that will also change the mood of the party if you hear complaints from impatient teenagers.

Tickets to attractions that you can buy online ahead of time:

1. Discovery Pass - each time you go and park to a national park like YOHO, JASPER, BANFF, Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, Emerald, Peyto, you will have to pay $20 per car. Buy the annual pass of $145/family if you plan to go to all of these parks and other national parks in Canada, also valid for a year.

2. White Water Rafting Exciter Level 2 - Wild Water Adventures http://www.wildwater.com

3. Banff Gondola, Golden Skybridge / Adventure Package, Columbia Icefields Adventure Skywalk / Glacier - https://www.banffjaspercollection.com

4. Park and Ride tickets to visit Lake Louise and Lake Moraine - https://www.banfflakelouise.com/explorethepark/lake-louise-moraine-summer-shuttle

Note that in the crazy days at Pearson Airport nowadays, all airlines were either delayed or cancelled regardless if you are budget airline or not.

Tip no. 2 HOTEL Find a location that suits whatever activity your family plan to do or likes to do. We stayed in a variety of locations to be close to the attractions and maximize the travel time. Canmore is 20 minutes to Banff, Banff is 30 minutes to Lake Louise and Lake Louise is 3 hours to Jasper via Columbia Icefields Parkway, 30 minutes to Yoho National Park, 1 hour to Golden, BC. Do the math and find out the duration of your travel to and from the locations mentioned. We stayed at Lake Louise during the dates we planned for the visit to the 2 lakes, Yoho, Golden and Columbia, then moved on to Banff for the attractions near Banff, then Canmore to get closer to Calgary, then stayed in Calgary near the airport for the Stampede and Drumheller days.

High Cost but very nice locations : Fairmont Lake Louise (when I inquired the rate at the time we are going -> $1,800 / night phew! Lake Moraine Lodge is another - very serene location. Moose Hotel and Suites along Banff.

Average to Midrange - the hotels along Banff Avenue, walking distance to everything. Lake Louise Inn or the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. Holiday Inn Express in Canmore

Low / Budget - Hostel International at Lake Louise - this is where we stayed for the first 3 nights, first timers using a hostel, we liked it. very clean, 24 hours check in, with clean kitchen and utensils, with restaurant if you don't like cooking. Try the HI in Banff or try camping at the campgrounds near Lake Minnewanka, OTenTiks are inviting but too difficult to book. There is a shuttle bus from Banff going to the campsite. There is another campsite in Tunnel Mountain near Banff. There are Airbnbs and townhouses available but you have to book early and trust that the rental will proceed because we experience cancellation at the last minute. I do not trust Airbnbs now. Canmore Airbnbs are newer and bigger but consider the additional travel time.

Tip no. 3 FOOD Prepare meals and packed lunches especially if the activities call for energy like Hiking, walking, Rafting and there might not be any food places in your destination, better be prepared than starved. Stopover at Walmart near YYC then buy essentials - bread, cold cuts, eggs, bananas, apples for your packed lunches. Buy water, oil if you are cooking also dishwashing soap and laundry soap. I brought my French Press to brew my own and save on coffee :)

Foodies must try (High): Sky Bistro at top of Sulphur Mountain for a date nite, Chuck's Steak in Banff, Balkan (Greek), The Elk or Bison meat Burger at Eddie's Burger in Banff, the Ramen Arashi (ramenarashi.com) Place at Sundance Mall in Banff (the line up is still long at 2:00 pm, must be good). Fire and Rain, for Jasper I heard, Something Else is something to try. Golden - Reposados tacos in a unique setting and the Korean resto,. We ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory, the menu is the same as other locations, same as BP and other resto / chains in Banff.

Low-cost: Food stalls in malls at Banff - Cascade Mall (Popeyes, Subway, there is also a Chinese and Bento place), you can order from Domino's Pizza to deliver at your Hotel, it was raining one night and we did this.

FOOD TO TRY near CALGARY -> BIG SKY BBQ PIT in OKOTOKS, AB

Tip no. 4 - SAVE TIME by planning on your activities per day - no spaghetti diagram - that means going back and forth, go one direction. Which activities are close to each other? We did Golden and Whitewater Rafting in one day, the 2 Lakes in one day, all Banff attractions at the same time. Estimate the travel time and TRY TO LEAVE EARLY, you can do so much when you start early, when the others are still sleeping LOL. We left for the Lake Louise very early and arrived there at 5:40 am and guess what? the area is packed, the boardwalk where you can take nice photos are full of people posing! After savoring the moment, move on to the next. We would have not been able to enter Lake Moraine in our rental car if we arrived there after 8:00 am. We were one of the few who arrived at the Lake Moraine parking lot at 7:00 am and made it. ARRIVE EARLY and accomplish more, less hassle finding a parking spot, less people, more time to enjoy the view. Summer is when all the people decide to visit the Canadian Rockies so be out when they are still in lol. Yes, our kids complained for waking up early but when we are back to our hotels by 3:00 pm to nap, relax or enjoy the WIFI to connect with friends, our vacation is really considered a vacation, no stress just lounging and enjoying the cool weather and each other's company.

Tip No. 5 - CLOTHES Pack light and do laundry there. Bring winter clothing - single digit in the morning and in the evening, some hotels don't have aircons and they open the windows so expect the cold lol. Check the weather.

Tip No. 6 - ACTIVITIES Whitewater Rafting is a must, Golden Skybridge and the Adventure package will make your heart flutter - Treetop trekking aka Canyon Edge, Ziplining, Axe-throwing. Hiking is expected, so be prepared and be fit - savor the mountain air and enjoy the view. You can see how great and creative our God is coming up with all those different lake colors. Different lake, different color - visit and take note of the color of Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, Peyto Lake just to name a few.

When you go in July be sure to watch the Calgary Stampede Parade. The downtown roads will be closed by 7:30 am so be sure to hit the road early and park close the Calgary Tower because that's where the parade starts. The early bird Parking fee is only $13, if its beyond 9:00 am it's $25. Watch the Rodeo Show and wear Cowboy outfits just to feel the vibes. Buy Western hats at a western store (high) or at Dollarama (low) along Stephen's Avenue. After leaving Banff and before Calgary, try the Skyline Luge or Downhill Karting at the Olympic Park. It's a must-try for kids and adults.

Tip No 7. - Download the Gypsy guide app - the tours are amazing, we learned a lot while driving and viewing the mountains. The guide also give tips on where to stop and what to look for. I thought we will be bored during the long drive to Drumheller but the guide was very entertaining, we learned a lot about dinosaurs even before arriving at Royal Tyrrell Museum to see the fossils and bones.

Car Rental - choose the one with gas-inclusive, bring your own GPS because that is a add-on. Book online early.

Tip No 8 - Shop in Calgary - the outlet Mall is Crossiron Mills and it's on the way back from Drumheller the Tax is only 5%. buy a new luggage or throw away old clothing lol.

All these tips are for saving Money, Time and Energy. We tried and experienced it so I hope this helps.

It's already my birthday now Ciao!

Faith over Fear

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 20:14:00 +0000

Covid-19 happened and for the past 2 years, the normal suddenly become something else. We were not spared from this pandemic. To those who are asking - Yes, we have been infected and here are my thoughts for the past few days. I am sharing this with you and I hope somehow it will help you with responding to difficult situations.

When we decided to cross the border even after the non-essential travel advise, we knew the risks and we just prayed for God’s protection especially from the Covid-19 new variant Omicron. Then a few days before we were supposed to return to Canada, we all got infected with Covid-19 despite being vaxxed and following the protocols. You are probably wondering how I reacted to the news received that we were Covid positive. Surprisingly, I was calm. I could have allowed the enemy to rob me of God’s peace and joy and replace it with fear, anxiety, anger, complains and questions as to why even with constant prayers, we still got sick. But one thing I learned or still learning to do when my brain begins to have anxious thoughts trying to gain a foothold in my mind, I shift my focus. Whatever I’m facing, whatever uncertainty, whatever problems threatening my well-being and my loved ones, I remind myself that I am not alone, that I don’t have to have everything figured out, that Someone will help me and lead me – I focus on being still and know and believe that God is God. I have my protector, my provider, my friend and my Savior Jesus Christ. This is the truth that I go back to. Situations sometimes painful, arise for a reason. These situations reveal some truth that deep inside, you will realize that you have GOD to seek, to pray, to pour out your cares to and in doing so, you are assured that He is there. He will guide you, give you the right people and resources to solve your problems. As I pray and read His words, it is comforting to know that the powerful and loving God wants to be close to me. When bad things happen, I call on Him, depend on Him, surrender to Him and let Him be God – the One in control. I feel His comfort and His love, the bible stories of faith and miracles remind me that it can also happen to me and yes, to you as well. He will provide answers, He will lead us to where He wants us to go. He will reveal to us that even if the situation is too big for us, He is bigger. Our God can do immeasurably more than what we ask or imagine. Believe - have faith not fear. He promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us even in these Covid times. He will heal and restore us. Even if we reach the moment of facing death, we know we will be in His hands and in His Kingdom. No matter what happens, God loves us and wants us to come to Him. Let us come and cling to God. We believe that we will all be healed, in Jesus’ powerful name. Amen.

Our Dadilo's and Mama's True Legacy

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 01:21:00 +0000

Now that they are both gone and went with the Lord, I remember many things about them, all the wisdom and advice I've heard and the good practices I've seen. One of the most impactful memories I stored in my heart is their huge faith in God. I can vividly recall when we prayed on one Christmas Eve because we didn't have any food or gifts at that time and they claimed that that will be the last time we celebrate Christmas with nothing because God will provide, which eventually happened; we were blessed and prospered the year after that and year after year. Another is their belief and hope for a better tomorrow. It was from them that I always hear "tomorrow is an opportunity to get better, strive harder, exceed, excel, be a better version of yourself." It was from them that I heard, "stop complaining, the pain will be gone tomorrow." It was from them that I always look forward to something better, more rewarding, results of hard work. Dad said, that is not good enough. "HINDI PWEDE ANG PWEDE NA!" The standards keep on getting higher kaya when when we reap the rewards, it was always sweet victory. Mahirap pero sulit. Ganun ako pinalaki. Not dependent, not complacent, not mediocre. Ako lang ata sa aming magkakapatid ang maagang naexpose sa hirap kaya ganun na lang din ako naging ka-ambisyosa. Imagine, ang bata bata ko pa, ang dami ko nang ginagawang chores mula 8 years old, mamalengke, mag igib ng tubig, magtanim ng kangkong, kamatis, mag alaga ng baboy, manguha ng kohol, maglaba at mamalantsa ng lampin, maghugas ng plato sa dilim hahaha. Ang hirap na masaya kasi kapag natapos ko lang ang mga yun chaka ako nakakapaglaro, so dapat mabilis kumilos para me reward, maglaro sa bukid. Ang saya saya! Mahirap pero rewarding. Daddy and Mama trained me to be independent, to strive more, accomplish more to have a better life. Work, play, study - cycle repeats. By the end of my elementary days, I knew the hardships paid off. But that didn't stop me from striving, setting the standards higher. It went on until high school, college, working part time while schooling. By this time, my high standards were established and mama and dadilo wanted it re applied with my siblings. I hoped and prayed that whatever they saw in us, they will continue. We started on the right path we all worked part time while in school, we finished and got our degrees and worked. Eventually, we started our own families, had our own children.

Why am I saying this now? What is it for me, for my children, nieces and nephews and the younger generation? True, past is past but we can learn from it. There were so many good learnings from the past that we can use and follow. Maybe it was the thought that I don't want them to experience what I had, I let the children live comfortably. I am having those regrets, I wanted to continue what Mama and Dadilo started in me with my children, my nieces and nephews because I believe and could still hear Dadilo saying "Hindi pa pasado yan, magaling ka, believe that you can do better than that!" It is true, we can continue with their legacy - to be an achiever, not to quit but to work harder, to accomplish more, to find how and become a champion. We are all blessed with skills and talents that we don't want to get wasted. I hope the younger generation - our children will realize this that even if they can afford not to do chores, or be happy with the grades they've achieved, they will do more, be more, be of significant value. I hope my children while imagining me in the middle of rice fields carrying water containers, will realize that Mama, Dadilo and I worked hard to be where we are today, that they will continue the legacy of faith, hope and belief in hard work and growth mindset. Not complacent, mediocre or no drive at all. That is not what God wants us to do. He has great plans for us, plans to give us hope and a future. Only then, we can truly say that we are Mama and Dadilo's offsprings because we are achievers and always aim to be the best versions of ourselves.

To you my beloved: "Are you making Mama and Dadilo proud with what you have or accomplished right now?"

There is a time to live and a time to die

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 01:10:00 +0000

We had snow storm before mama died, last Saturday when we went to the beach there was gusty winds on a supposedly hot summer day, yun pala that was a warning. My Dadilo passed away yesterday, he just stopped breathing. Not Covid-19 but he had brain tumors and seizures and was bedridden since my mom died 18 months ago. Up to last week, I try to chat with him every once in a while and tell him stories and make him feel good by telling his jokes again. We had beautiful moments together in his last days even if sometimes his eyebrows would meet because he probably forgot the name I'm mentioning. I prayed with him and read bible verses with him.

Why am saying this? I just wanted to remind everyone that life is short and we all have little time so we make sure we spend that time with our precious loved ones because we never know when we or they are leaving. Leave all the worries or pagkakasamaan ng loob behind and make each day significant for them lalo na sa mga oldies. Kahit na zoom or facetime or tawag basta makita at marinig ka at mga apo nila malaking bagay na yun. Let us live and love as if today will be our last.

Today, i wanted to be reminded and for you to know about hope and God's promise at a time of death. Let us all believe.

“... If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2b-3 NIV)

Many believe death is the end of life, but Christians know it is the portal to eternal life. When Christ died on the cross and rose again, he went on ahead to prepare a place for us. I take great comfort in knowing my Daddilo who is a believer in Jesus is with him in a real place called heaven. Instead of mourning because I’ll never see him again, I can look forward to spending eternity with him and mama in the presence of Jesus.

Check out my other post: https://irmee.blogspot.com/2018/02/are-you-ready-to-die.html

"Kumain ka na?" (Have you eaten? ) - a post about true nourishment

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:26:00 +0000

I was able to see my mom who was in critical condition before she passed away last year. After the long-haul flight and the terribly slow traffic in Manila, I thought that I will miss the visiting hours. Good thing, I made it before they are about to close, just 10 minutes. I have mixed emotions as I finally saw her - excited, happy, sad, anxious, tired, burdensome it was heavy on my heart. When she saw me, she was smiling and asked for pen and paper (she was intubated) she wrote - "Kumain ka na ba? (Have you eaten?)

I couldn't control the tears falling down my cheeks. Here she was, very sick and lying on what could become her death bed but all she could still think of was me - her 50 year old daughter not nourished. You cannot take that away from your mom - the "pangangalaga" (the love and caring of parents - I realized later on that I also ask the same question to my children when I come home late or they arrive from school or somewhere).

She wants to ensure that I'm well and nourished before her own needs. I really feel loved at that moment. Nobody loves you more like your mom does and that makes me miss her terribly.

Why? What is it with Food? Food gives us nourishment, strength, keeps us from being sick, makes us grow. Food gives that comfort, rest and sense of fulfillment. It's like a goal achieved. Do you feel that satisfaction especially when you burp? Most of us, that is when we say - "Salamat sa Diyos" (Thank you Lord)

I remember my mom and her question because in my devotional today, I read about the last supper when Jesus ate with his disciples. Luke 22:19-20 in the bible says -

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Jesus' words at the last supper were symbolic of what was about to happen in His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus was soon to become the true Passover lamb who would be sacrificed for the sins of the people. This would be the last Passover meal in a long history of looking forward to the Messiah.

What is happening today makes the world ravenously hungry for answers. The COVID-19 pandemic cannot be stopped at this point and whether we like to admit it or not, we are hungry, we are longing for some answers, satisfaction, we are weak. We need not just physical but also spiritual nourishment. Do you know that you are a child of God and just like my mom and every parent, He wants us His children to be nourished? He thought of you more than His own Son who suffered on the cross.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 emphasizes to Israel and now to us that the source of spiritual nourishment is more important than the nourishment itself. If we have the right source, the nourishment will be good. Otherwise, the situation is hopeless. Our source of nourishment must, of course, be God

May you find peace and comfort in the presence of God this week. May you partake in God's nourishment and think about it the next time you are asked - "Have you eaten?"

Giving Thanks in Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:34:00 +0000

Dadilo is celebrating his birthday today but he is sick, bedridden and in the hospital for quite some time. Mama passed away early this year and I heard an unexpected news that I couldn't accept because I thought it was all set and laid out perfectly for me. This has impacted the plans I've made for the financial difficulties we've had with Mama's and Dadilo's health conditions.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I know what Paul is saying, but I am not sure how I can possibly do this. Maybe if it said, "In good things give thanks." I'd know exactly why we should obey this command because it makes perfect sense. But when we consider the phrase "in everything", we begin to question whether all -encompassing gratitude is even possible.

Life includes many painful experiences - loss of loved ones, financial downturns, illnesses, natural disasters, accidents, and broken relationships are just some of the possibilities. How in the world are we supposed to thank God in the midst of all these?

It's in the whole counsel of His Words that we learn to know who He is and what He does. Then we'll understand why we should be grateful and how we can give thanks in everything, even those that don't seem worthy of gratitude at all. We don't have to look around at our circumstances and think that we are helpless victims of fate or evil. Every event and situation that comes our way has first passed through the hands of the loving heavenly Father. Although we may not understand what He is doing, we can find peace in knowing that He is in control.

Gratitude is not dependent upon good circumstances but is based on our confidence and trust in the Lord and His promises. It's the evidence of submission to Him and dependence upon Him, and the result is peace that transcends comprehension, a relationship with Christ that is steady and unwavering, and a powerful witness that influences those around us.

If you are a child of God through faith in Jesus, He is with you in whatever situation you are facing today. Although you may not be able to see the good He's working at the moment, can you trust that He is? The most priceless good He brings comes in eternity; therefore, our greatest gratitude in every situation is for the salvation of our souls. After we've received His temporal benefits, unimaginable blessings await us in heaven, let's be faithful and thank Him today. God will use your witness of gratitude in everything to touch the lives of those around you who are struggling with hardships, loss or pain.

Thank you Lord for Dadilo's life, for our families and lives filled with blessings, struggles and hope.

Life is what we make it

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000

I am turning 51 today and I am so thankful for the life I'm blessed with. Thank you Lord for my life. One of my birthday wishes is for our family to continue to serve the Lord. This was fulfilled this week as we volunteered for the kid's camp (vacation bible school) at Church on the Queensway.

Only Alexus is participating in the camp and both Aloysius and Kyle are volunteering as audio video tech staff for the kindergartens. I am so proud and thankful.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 6:14 "

I have another wish, that my service offering will become truly meaningful if I have asked and have been forgiven by those I have wronged or felt wronged. To you, you know who you are, I am really sorry. I admit I have said hurtful words in the process of interfering with your causes or have not done what I am supposed to do but have no control over. I can only pray for God's supernatural power to restore our relationships. I hope that you forgive me and that we will continue to live and love as how God intended our lives to be - free from anger, hurt, worry, grudges but only love, kindness, joy, peace, forgiveness.

I pray to God that you will give me that chance to be reconciled with you so we can live our lives in the way God designed and we can both live happily and peacefully.

Life is too short to be negative. The outcome of our life is the result of how we view and live life - if it's full of anger, hate, regret, envy, complaints then the result will be the same. If it is full of love, hope, faith, kindness, joy, gratefulness then it will produce the same, the cycle continues. Wouldn't it be more productive to live in the latter? God will add and multiply. I hope that one day you will also see life as how I am seeing it now. We never know how much longer we have in this life so we make it worthwhile, make a difference, be an instrument to spreading love - It is what the world needs now. I'm sure when we reach the end of our tunnel, we can smile and anticipate God's telling us "Well done."

My other wish is to share a song to you, something that I heard our Pastor sing and is also very close to my heart :

My life is in You, Lord, my strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord, in You, it's in You
My life is in You, Lord, my strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord, in You, it's in You.

I will praise You with all of my life
I will praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life, and all of my strength
All of my life is in you.

Happy Birthday to me. Checkout I'm 51.

My Disney World Trip VOP Project - VOC Rides and Shows (Part 4 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 04:25:00 +0000

VOC or Voice of the Customer is the term used to describe the stated and unstated needs or requirements of the customer. The objectives of a project depend on what the customers requirements are. In this case the customer are my kids, my main stakeholder and project sponsor is my husband. All of their “voices” need to be heard. Before the trip, I asked my children what rides they wanted to do, shows they wanted to see or even characters to meet. Since they are all in tweens and teens, their memory of the Disney Channel days is dim so we had to watch the Disney movies again so they will be familiar with the stories and characters. Our trip went well, based on the three constraints (cost, time, energy) although not 100% in the scope were done.

Liked Best

It took a while before I can complete this post (this is part 4 – previous parts link above)

because my kids just handed me their feedback today, 2 weeks after the trip. Well, they said it was hard to choose their favorite rides, attractions and shows from all the 4 parks. I only asked 5 from each park and rank per level of likeness (ranked by all 5). Here is the verdict:

Magic Kingdom

RANK #3 Splash Mountain - they remembered that 50-ft drop

Space Mountain – the dark rollercoaster ride that really scared me

Big Thunder Mountain – the drops and fast turns were exciting

Pirates of Caribbean – they liked all the animatronics rides but this one stood out

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – the kids were not thrilled anymore after experiencing all the mountains, but they all liked it anyway

Astro Blasters – shooting is our favorite

Monsters – “we were already laughing but Mom is still staring at the screen” (slow or couldn’t get the joke, or just needs to be ready to be focused on camera LOL)

Hollywood Studios

Fantasmic Show – because this is included in a dining package at Hollywood and Vine, we were in a good spot and walked in a VIP lane

Star Tours

Toy Story Mania

Indiana Jones

RANK #4 Jedi Training and meeting all the Star Wars Characters

EPCOT

RANK #2 Soarin

RANK #5 Mission Space

Test Track

Frozen – only Mom liked it. This is where Alexus asked, “How come this is called Fastpass lane when the line is slow?” he was so loud that the cast members heard it to say this is a popular ride and new.

Animal Kingdom

RANK #1 Avatar’s Flight of Passage

Kali Rapids

Festival of Lion King

I used Fastpass to book most of these rides and shows but for some of them we rope drop or line up as soon as we arrive. Definitely, FOP, Slinky Dog, Soarin, Test Track and all roller coasters for me are worth the fastpasses. Shows and meet and greets, you can rope drop or wait for low wait times. I’ve observed that during lunch time and when there is a parade, the wait times are shorter so check MDE app often.

Liked least

In as much as I liked meeting the characters up close and have a photo with them, the kids didn’t like it. We lined up for Cinderella and Elena meet n greet near the Castle because it says on the My Disney app that it only takes 10 minutes to wait but it ended up 60 minutes. Of course, my Alexus complained. “Why are we lining up this long?” “Can we not use a Fastpass for this?” “Who is this character we are meeting?” Meeting Star Wars characters was a different story. The kids didn’t mind waiting and the area where we are standing in queue are all decorated with Star War’s elements and Storm troopers are walking around so I think it kept them interested.

What would you do better or try next time?

The following are the rides that we really liked but were not able to go to. We either missed it during our FP schedule (we are only given a 1-hour window), we didn’t get a FP reservation (all schedules were taken) or it broke down while we were already lining up:

Slinky Dog – Hollywood Studios

Rock n Roller starring Aerosmith – Hollywood Studios

Everest – Animal Kingdom

Navi River – Animal Kingdom

Mission Space (Mars) – EPCOT

Tower of Terror – Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast live – Hollywood Studios

Dinosaur – Animal Kingdom

Illuminations – EPCOT

Watch the March of the First Order in full – Hollywood Studios

Notice we missed rides and attractions at Holllywood Studios because of too much time waiting in line to meet and greet Kylo Ren, BB-8 and Chewbacca. This means that there is a need to go back after the Star Wars Land is completed and more rides are available. I hope the Project Sponsor /CFO will agree to the Phase 2 of the Project LOL!

Meet and Greets to do

Because the kids didn’t like to wait in line for the meet and greets, the next time will need to include character breakfasts or dinners to meet them and get more personal interaction. Dining plan is a must in the next trip because each character dining will make you fall off your chair after seeing the bill. This is something for the CFO to consider.

Winnie the Pooh and Friends – Crystal Palace

Cinderella’s 2 sisters – Back of the Castle

Princess Jasmine and Aladdin – Morocco

Mulan - China

Belle and Beast – book dinner at Be our Guest

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider – Trattoria Al Forno

Ariel and Prince Eric – Trattoria Al Forno

Or dinner at Akershus to meet all Princesses – I hope he agrees because he liked the encounter with Cinderella– kinikilig pa nga eh hahaha

Overall, I would say since the kids enjoyed and were happy, we are all happy – project was successful. Our experience was not the same as how younger kids would describe it. Yes, we can call it fantasy land but we have a more mature outlook now that the kids have grown. There is a certain experience that I couldn’t put in words but earns my respect and admiration for Disney. All the theming, processes, planning, communication geared towards ultimate customer satisfaction. Service was impeccable – every cast member is knowledgeable, helpful and ensured that we are safe, informed, satisfied, served right. One of my sons who has an entrepreneurial spirit told me that “Disney is very good Mom, all the shops are in the right locations – after each popular ride to keep the guests buying stuff. I wonder how much Disney earns daily.” The Disneyworld experience is an eye opener for us. I know we already tried our best to make it memorable and maximized our investments, but we gained more. The Innovations stirred our creative minds, new plans and upcoming attractions we saw opened our eyes to how vast and endless possibilities there are. Disney gave us insights more than the fantasy. Magical if you would say, yes, we had a Magical Disney Experience.

We thank the Lord for this answered prayer.

My Disney World Trip VOP Project - Saving Time and Energy (Part 3 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 03:34:00 +0000

I like planning. It's my second nature. A carefully planned and organized strategy is needed to accomplish the specific objectives. For this project, we wanted to enjoy the trip, to try and experience most if not all the activities or attractions that Disney can offer. I know there are people who will just go with their instincts without any plans at all, I don't see anything wrong with that but it's just not my thing. Even with little plan, I believe I'm going to achieve my objectives.

Human factor
Like any DMAIC projects, the only way to ensure that your plans will work is if you have all the stakeholders informed and aligned to the plans for the day. No room for tantrums, or other plans. Their own preferred rides need to be told and included during the planning stage. Our Epcot day was the only day our 2 families got separated because Carlisle didn't feel like going to the park that day but he decided going later but that meant they were behind us for an hour and we didn't see each other at any of the rides. The good thing is, they were able to go back and repeat the rides they liked and enjoyed them. VOC is important.

Other essentials - people thirst, get hungry, get tired or grumpy. You need to stop once in a while and let the kids and adults drink water, have some snacks and rest for a bit. This is the perfect time to go to no lines, stationary rides like people mover or the trains or watch shows or hang around gift shops to take a breather so that energy levels go up again. The magic bands shown above are your personal link to all Disney related stuff, your room key, your entrance ticket, your fast pass, your photo pass ticket, sometimes it works like wallet too so ensure that these bands are always on your wrist and your children's. By the way, they always think that they are doing a fast pass when the magic band is scanned.

TIME and ENERGY constraints
Saving time is linked to saving energy and motion. If you noticed in my previous post, my plan started with the rides, the fast passes and getting around the Magic Kingdom park per area (in one direction). The intent is to always save time and energy.

Hotel room location
If you can, try to request for the room near the lobby, the food court or the bus station. Some resort complexes are so big that if your room is located at the far end, you will need more time to reach your room or the bus stops. I saw families with young children and I could feel their frustration when these children who are tired becomes grumpy or will cry a lot on the Bus and on the way to the hotel room - the farther the room, the longer the agony. The farther room locations I saw were Little mermaid building of Art of Animation and 90's building of Pop Century resorts. These 2 resorts have buses directly coming from and going to these destinations so guests have an advantage. All-star hotels share the buses so they will need to pick up and drop off guests from all the 3 all star hotels. That is something you need to consider when choosing the Disney hotel you're staying at. These are the value resorts I'm referring to, there are other moderate or high end resorts where waiting is minimal, but the cost is more. The choice is yours.

Matching shirts have advantages
It is easier for us or any family member to see who is missing or how to catch up when we know what they are wearing. Wendy and family wore bright coloured matching shirts so we see them easily if someone got lost in the crowd. Another way that worked was when Alexus had to go to the washroom and they had to leave the line, they were able to spot us right away when they returned because of the matching shirts that Wendy and family wore that day. They also look good in pictures.

"Why do we have to line up everywhere?"
My youngest Alexus is very expressive of his thoughts. These were his comments each time we line up for something. It starts from the bus stop at the hotel, then at the security check, entrance at the park, before you pose for photo pass, meet a character, watch a show, order food, ride or even a fast pass ride. He even told a cast member that the line was not supposed to be called a fast pass because it is slow.

Waiting game strategies:
1. At the Bus stop leaving the hotel - wake up early, eat breakfast at your room or eat the sandwiches while lining up. Check the park opening hours. The objective is to get on the bus early so you could "rope drop" and go to the ride you didn't save fast pass for without waiting that much.

2. Security check- do not bring too much, a back pack should be enough. There should be only one person per family lining up at security and those without bags can go through the line and go straight ahead the park entrance. They can go to their first ride or character meet and greet while those who went thru the security check catch up with them.

3. Watch a show - always check the show times on the app and just line up on stand by lane at least 5-10 before the show starts. Everyone will be able to sit just make sure that your party are on the same line.

4. Order food thru the mobile order app. - you will be able to see the food on the menu, click and order then wait for your notification while sitting at your table. You will only need to be at the counter when the food is ready for pick up.

5. Ride- try the single rider so you don't have to line up as a group, we did this at Test track in Epcot. Sometimes if the line is short you are allowed to repeat the ride to fill up the space, we did this on the Kali Rapids ride. While waiting at the stand by line plan for your next ride, use the app for the wait times, have a back up in case the ride breaks down or the weather acts up.

6. Take advantage of "Extra Magic Hours". Onsite disney hotel guests are given extra hours to get into the park and avail of shorter lines. We were able to do this and finish all the rides at EPCOT before entering the Pavilion and complete the 11 countries visit in no time. We arrived early before 8:00 am and was able to leave the park at 4:00 pm completing everything we planned for the day. With the extra hours, the kids were able to go swimming at the hotel pool. You could also use that extra time to do hotel activities like scavenger hunt, watch movies outdoors, do s'mores, check out Christmas decorations at fancy hotels by resort hopping or joining activities at other resorts. When we went to Polynesian they have a great show - activity for kids. That gave us time to explore the high-end resorts and ride the monorail gong to Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian hotels. This is also an opportunity to go to Disney Springs if you haven't included it in your plan to do some shopping or eat there.

Of course, you and your family would want to spend more time together in your rooms and hang out while resting your tired feet and review how the day went to repeat the good and forget the bad. It's fun to reminisce the reaction to the rides, shows and character meetings while mumbling on your favourite snacks and watching TV. At the end of the day, you will realize that you maximized the time and enjoyed most of Disney, getting ready for another fun-filled day.

My Disney World Trip VOP Project - FASTPASS (Part 2 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:39:00 +0000

Before I continue the part 2 of my Disney World Travel Story, I will share some of the Lean terminologies and how I was able to apply these to the project. The word "value" is familiar to you, you want to get the most value for the money you spend, the time and effort you exerted. We live by these principles and my kids know that whatever we do, we get something of "value" out of it. VOP or Value Optimization Project is a term we use in the workplace for all the Lean Six Sigma projects we are doing. Going to Disney is a VOP that is why in my first blog post, the title included Project. I don't think this will end up completing the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control ) cycle but you will get the picture when in one way or another you will see the phases in each scenario. The intent is for you to understand that not only in this trip but in any situation, you can do process analysis, continuously improve and achieve results.

2. TIME CONSTRAINT

Today, I'm going to talk about FASTPASS, some ride description and what to do (and not to do) at the parks to save time.

Wastes and how to prevent them

I hope you are already familiar with the 7 types of wastes . The types of wastes we encountered the most in our trip were: Inventory, Motion and Waiting.

Inventory (COST) - the food servings are huge. On our first night, our dinner orders came with fries and for the leftovers from all the 3 children combined, I think there was a big platter of fries. To think, they were fries eaters. We couldn't finish them because Lito and I ordered adult entrees which we couldn't finish either. Maybe we are really small eaters but I think the food leftovers are a huge waste. It could have fed more children with those fries. Sayang talaga. So in the following days, either I ordered a kids meal for myself or Lito and I shared an adult entree.

Motion (TIME, ENERGY) - before we go to each park, I make it a point to study the map and review the plan for the rides or attractions we are going to do. We don't want to end up doing a Spaghetti Diagram (right picture) as there will be lots of Motion waste.

One of the perks of staying inside the Disney World hotel is the FASTPASS reservation for popular rides 60 days before the trip. If you are staying outside WDW, you are also given a fastpass opportunity but only 30 days before. Imagine I already have made plans for the parks and the rides we are going to 60 days before. The timing, duration and wait times on the Fastpass ride and the next rides need to be considered.

Fastpass Tip #1 - Make your last day the Animal Kingdom Park day, and Second to last day is Hollywood Studios Park day. Why? Because the most popular and difficult to reserve (if you are on wrong timing) rides are from these parks. Avatar's Flight of Passage (FOP) in Animal Kingdom and Toy Story Slinky Dog in Hollywood Studios are too popular (and probably still new) that even if they don't have a Fastpass reservation, people will still line up for it (yes, we saw people on stand by lines with wait times of 160 minutes) I will discuss other rides worth your Fastpasses in another paragraph but for now I will focus on these 2.

When your Fastpass Day arrives, you should have a list of the rides in each park and the timing (AM or PM) handy. There will be more chances of you getting the Fastpass if you start on your last day then backwards because not all reserving for Fastpasses will even have that park in that day in their list. Example: We went to 5 parks during our trip (November 12-16). My Fastpass day was September 13. On that day, I was to reserve for all the days during my trip. People usually think that they need to start Fastpass reservation on their first park day when in reality they can start with any day. I am saying to focus on the last day because not all have that day in their plan. Some people will only have 3 park days, some 2 and so on and so forth. So start with your last day and choose Avatar's Flight of Passage right away. If you have small children, you need to consider height restrictions (should be 44 inches tall) because this is a single ride or choose among you who will watch over the kids while you are taking this ride which is a must by the way :) This is highly recommended and our family's favourite, one of my kids even said, "This ride beats them all". I hope you take my word for it. Do the same with Toy Story Slinky Dog. We didn't get a FP for this ride because there was nothing available on our Fastpass day and we can only choose 1 FP from Toy Story land. We waited in Stand By line but the wait time was 90 minutes but eventually we did not get the chance because the ride broke down. Have a back up plan when ride breakdowns happen.

Fastpass Tip #2 - Choose between Rides, Shows or Character Meet and Greets. Because our family already agreed that we will all do roller coaster rides, my Fastpass list consisted all the Mountain Rides at Magic Kingdom, and all other roller coaster rides from other parks. Character Meet and Greets also take up most of your time and getting good seats in shows like Fantasmic merit a FastPass for those who are not into thrill rides.

Fastpass Tip #3 - Choose all the morning fastpass schedule, if you can, select the rides that are close to each other so you can prevent spaghetti diagram, finish right away and you can add more Fastpass after you finish all 3. You are only given 3 FP in a day but if you finish them all, you can get another one after you entered in the last one, then you can get another one again and so on. Example: Magic Kingdom - We had our Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster Fast Pass ride after Splash Mountain which are both located in the same area - Frontierland and were able to finish right away, had more time to find a good spot in watching the parade between Frontierland and Adventureland. At Epcot - Fastpass at Mission Space and Test Track, Magic Kingdom Day 2 - choose Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway. These are only examples, you can choose based on what your family prefers.

After you completed all your Fastpass reservations, the next thing you should plan is where are you going next after each Fastpass ride. Look at the Magic Kingdom map below:

Depending on where your Fastpass ride is, you should focus on that area. Example; Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is at Fantasyland where you want to go next is probably the next attraction with the least wait time in that area (use the My Disney Experience app for this). To prevent Spaghetti diagram, just go One Direction - remember the boy band? LOL. Our last stop at Fantasyland was the Barnstormer roller coaster ride which was near the Train Station (see arrow). We took the train going to Frontierland which was on the other side. This saved us time and restored our energy while resting our feet from walking.

You can find other touring plans on the internet, on Pinterest, and from other Disney frequent visitors. I actually checked them out but I created my own because I really want to save on energy and time (remember our Time and Energy constraint?). Below was our touring plan for the Magic Kingdom park Days. The arrows indicate which way we are supposed to go to reach our destination. The check and cross marks are based on priority or if it was a Must-do or can-be-skipped activity:

In the next blog post, I will discuss some waiting game strategies and how we tried our best to avoid waiting (there is always waiting in line at Walt Disney World). More on the ENERGY / EFFORT Constraint. Stay Tuned. Meanwhile, @ Animal Kingdom

My Disney World Trip VOP Project - Cost (Part 1 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:48:00 +0000

WHAT: Our Walt Disney World Trip in Orlando, Florida
WHEN: November 11-17, 2018
WHERE we stayed: POP Century Resort
WHO: Castillo and Ordaz Families

WHY: It's Mickey's 90th birthday, my 50th birthday and Alexus' 10th birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary celebration all in one and we all deserve an amazing vacation.

I will share our Disney experience in the context of Project Management and Lean Six Sigma concepts. Based on my notes from University of Toronto, a project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a product or service. For this blog post, the product will be the outcome of the trip. Now in order for a project to be successful, it has to be within the three constraints; COST, TIME and SCOPE but I will replace the last constraint with energy or effort as it is more applicable to this project.

1. COST CONSTRAINT
When you hear Disney, you know it is expensive. The biggest constraint for us is cost and I guess to most of you. This is my way to help those who are hesitant to go because of the cost. The Walt Disney World experience is expensive but still possible for those with less budget if you plan and organize well.

Rooms

Timing is important. Plan ahead, use the crowd calendar to see when is the least crowded and book those dates because that is when the value resorts are least expensive. There are lots of infographic images on Disney calendar at Pinterest. I used one and the room rates are cheaper but the crowd volume is still the same. I think there are no less crowded dates at the parks. Disney Value resorts are Art of Animation, Pop Century, All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports, All-Star Music and The Campsites at Fort a Wilderness Resort. Last week of August, January, February and hurricane season are less crowded. Get the Magic Your Way Package (Park Tickets, Room and Dining plan). There are offers for free dining and room discounts on certain dates. After you decide on a date and booked the MYWP and an offer like free dining or room discounts becomes available, Disney will apply that to your package. You can call Disney and ask an authorized Disney Travel Agent to assist you on these. One of the perks of getting the MYWP is the bounce back offer where a unique discounted rate for booking a resort room is available to resort guests currently staying for future dates.

Offsite hotels - I only mentioned about staying onsite because of the many benefits in staying with Disney hotels. Free airport transfers, airline checkin at the hotel for some US airlines, faster access to the parks - this is a perk for time constraint which I will discuss later but most especially the Disney theming in the rooms and the total Disney experience. There is a certain vibe when you are onsite, the smell, the theming, the personalized approach and ultimate service from Disney staff. The hotels near WDW are okay, some of them have Disney themed rooms and free shuttles to Disney Springs, this is where the terminal of buses going to the parks are located. The prices are cheaper all right but you have to check the fees. When I was looking for hotels offsite, I discovered that most of them charge resort fees per day. This adds up to your hotel cost, the total would be more than the price of a value resort room per night. Cost and time going to the parks are cons of staying offsite. These made me choose to stay onsite. At the end of the day, we are only going to sleep there anyway.

By the way, we opted to remove housekeeping for the duration of our stay. That meant $10 per day per room. The replenishment of supplies will still be done, just call and request for towels, soaps or coffee. Because we had 2 connecting rooms for a family of 5, we received $100 worth of gift cards that we can use to buy souvenirs or even pay for food. All we did was took out trash and let the kids continue doing their chores of tidying up and making up their beds.

If you still choose to stay offsite, the hotels near Disney Springs are my best bet and also those near the entrances. For the villas or houses for rent with pools by VRBO, those from Windsor Hills are highly recommended by those who stayed from my Canadian Disney Addicts group.

Park tickets
The more park tickets per day you buy, the cheaper the cost. There are four parks and 2 water parks at Walt Disney World. You can also buy a park hopper where you can do 2 parks per day. Depending on your family's preferences, you can choose to do whatever suit your needs. We are first timers in WDW that's why we chose to do 1 park per day and a 2nd day at Magic Kingdom. We also availed the Canadian Residents Ticket offer, so watch out for that kind of deals. But you cannot convert it to Magic your way package, you can only choose one offer. You can also buy cheaper tickets at mousesavers.com or AAA/CAA.

Dining
Food is important because you need energy to do all those walking, standing in line, and waiting. But everything in Disney is expensive including food. Because my kids are picky eaters and we didn't have MYWP, we decided not to include the dining plan and just pay as we go. We only had 2 Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) Hoop De Doo Revue (Dinner Show) and Minnie's Holiday Dine at Hollywood and Vine (Buffet with character experience and reserve seating at Fantasmic Show). ADRs are one of the perks of staying onsite. You and your family are given priority to reserve for Table Service Restaurants 180 days before your trip. I would say the first ADR was amazing and we got the value for money. I felt like our date was perfect except for very late showing and arriving late to our hotel. The other ADR was just okay because of the character experience and Fantasmic show reserve seating. But when we think of what we paid for and compared it to the food that our kids ate at the buffet, the cost was too much for only chicken nuggets and fried chicken and ice cream that the kids consumed. Halos mahulog lang naman sa silya si Lito nung nakita niya ang bill, ano daw yun? yung tipong me usok sa tenga after the 2nd and 3rd look hahaha, even I myself couldn't believe that the cost per person was $60, the old rate was only 48 for adult price and 36 per kid. After the price increase this October, the total cost change We are just thinking the cost is in exchange for the long queues at meet and greet for Mickey and friends and also for the Fantasmic show. If I were you, I would just use a fast pass to do these. It was not worth it. Other than these two which took most of the pie share of our food budget, all our other dining were from Quick service restaurants and I found them to be more sulit (value for money). I chose those that serve more filling food like rice and pasta. I also chose kids meals or Lito and I would share an adult entree because the servings are big enough for 2. If you plan to include a dining plan either Quick Service only, or Table Service and Quick Service, the following are recommended based on our experience and my friends from the Canadian Disney Addicts group.

Quick Service Restaurants we tried and must try food list:
1. Landscape of Flavours - Art of Animation (Grilled Fish, Chicken Bowl, Tandoori Chicken thighs)
2. Everything Pop - Pop Century (Chicken Parmagiana, Pot Roast)
3. Captain Cooks -Polynesian Resort (Thai Coconut Meat balls, Asian noodles)
4. Aloha Isle - Magic Kingdom (Dole whip soft ice cream)
5. Pecos Bill - Magic Kingdom (3way tacos, fajitas, smoothie)
6. Columbia Harbour - Magic Kingdom (Lobster Roll, Seafood Platter)
7. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - Magic Kingdom
8. Gaston's Tavern - Magic Kingdom (Cinnamon Rolls)
9. ABC Commissary - Disney Hollywood Studios
10. Backlot Express - Disney Hollywood Studios
11. Satuli Canteen - Animal Kingdom (Beef Bowl with Rice, burger bun pao)
12. Eight Spoon Cafe - Animal Kingdom (Mac n Cheese with pulled pork)
13. Flame Tree Barbeque - Animal Kingdom (pulled pork burger, turkey leg)
14. Be our guest - Magic kingdom
15. Katsura Grill - Japan Epcot (teriyaki, maki rolls, green tea colada)
16. Sunshine Seasons - EPCOT (rotisserie chicken, pork loin, Mongolian beef, pasta)

Below is the summary of our food expenses, I ordered grocery (milk, eggs, ham, cheese, bread, jimmy dean frozen breakfast and snacks) online and have it delivered to the hotel lobby. There are microwave ovens at the food court for these. This saves time and money for our breakfast. Do not forget to order water bottles as each bottle at the parks cost USD3.99. You can also bring water container, fill it up with water and ice from the food court of your hotel and get a refill at quick service restaurants. Another must do to save on snacks is to buy a refillable popcorn bucket and get a refill of only $2 each time during your entire stay.

Other Essentials

Buy your Mickey Ears, Rain Ponchos, Autograph books, Souvenirs and other accessories like glow lights from a dollar store before the trip or at Walmart near WDW. Wendy got our Mickey ears from Claire's. They cost Double or Triple at Disney, they are all made in China anyway. There are lots of matching shirts at Walmart with generic print shirts (Dad, Mom, Brother, Sister) in different colors) or you can order online too.

The weather in Florida is unpredictable and rain might appear anytime so bring the poncho, you could use that at wet rides like Kali Rapids or Splash Mountain. The cost of Poncho at Disney is $10 for a kid size.

Getting there (air or land)
I waited for Boxing Day to get a good deal. Choose the non-popular airlines, we chose Air Transat because of the price, it's nonstop and they have a good kids club where my birthday celebrator received perks. He is the reason why we doing this trip because he is celebrating 10 years. I'm happy because Alexus is happy.

Other airlines that are worth checking out are Southwest, Frontier, Spirit in US (BUF for those from ON). Airlines flying out YYZ with good deals are Air Transat, West Jet, sometimes Air Canada offers good deals, Sunwing (they have good Disney packages that are worth checking out).

More savings are in store for those who will drive down South. You just need to plan on your vacation days, consider hours of driving, driver reliever, hotel to stay in the middle of the trip.

I hope this helps. Thanks for reading. I will discuss the next constraints "TIME" and "ENERGY /EFFORT" in my next post.

Confidence is a choice

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 15:21:00 +0000

Many people think that the only way to be confident is to be successful. While it is easier to believe in your abilities when you have proven success, it is not the only way to feel a sense of confidence. Confidence is a choice. It comes from choosing to focus on your strengths and knowing that you are good. It comes from choosing to be positive with yourself. It comes from focusing on what you need to do rather than uncontrollable, situational factors. My friend Christeen Lewis always tells me, "Focus on what you can control." Confidence comes when you're not worrying about being the best, but focusing on being your best. But how can I start, how will I do my best?

True source of Confidence

Most importantly, confidence comes from the Lord your God who created you, gave you the skills, knowledge and strengths. As a consumer, are you not choosing the product based on the brand or who the maker is? When you buy from a tested brand, you are confident that it's good quality. What more about our Creator, we are wonderfully made. If you believe that the same God who gave you the confidence before, will do the same today, what else could go wrong? I remember my old motto, "I will do my best and God will do the rest". We hold on to His promise in Proverbs 3:6 - In everything you do, put God first and He will crown your efforts with success.

How can I create confidence?

The first step in creating confidence is Preparation. In sports, champions are not created overnight. If you fully engage physically and mentally in practice, you will feel more prepared in competing. Focused practices allow you to trust that you did everything you could to enable yourself to perform your best. Even if in my mind, I know what I'm going to say for a meeting I'm facilitating or a training to deliver, I still prepare a cheat sheet, and practice many times -in front of a mirror, in front of my kids, or record myself in a video or audio recorder to see how I can build more confidence and improve on the delivery. Do you think that the Hollywood actors or even your favorite stars can execute perfectly what the scripts say in one reading or sitting? Practice makes perfect and build confidence.

Second, it is important to Act Confidently. Our mind reacts to what our body does. If your head is down, your muscles are tense or your shoulders are hunched, your mind will sense your self-doubt. So always make sure that your body language and your communication with yourself and others portrays confidence. Even when you don't feel confident, act confidently.

Finally, realize you don't need other people to tell you that you are good. Back to the athletes example, many of them wait for their coaches to tell them that they are good in order to believe in themselves. You may want others to tell you that you are good, but it's not something you need. Believe in yourself and believe in the One who created you and destined you to be great. Set your mind that you have that confidence within. Whatever your mind conceives, the body achieves.

Choose to be confident. You have a reason to be.

Keep Calm I'm turning 50

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 18:38:00 +0000

Wow, how time flies. I am so thankful that I have reached this important milestone in my life - fifty years! I am a Golden girl, it's my year of jubilee.

In the Bible, the year of Jubilee occurs after seven sets of seven yearly intervals (49 total) are completed. The fiftieth or "liberty" year is proclaimed on one of God's annual feast days known as the Day of Atonement.

This fiftieth (Jubilee) year is sacred — it is a time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families . . . If one of your brothers becomes indigent and has to sell himself to you, don't make him work as a slave. Treat him as a hired hand or a guest among you. He will work for you until the Jubilee . . . (Leviticus 25:10, 39 - 40).

As I am celebrating and blowing my trumpet for my year of jubilee, I am sharing my list of 50 blessings that I am thankful for (lifetime ito).

1. My relationship with my Lord and Saviour - Jesus Christ
2. My Papa P - Pogi - (in English - my handsome) husband Lito and how each day is valentine's day
3. My 3 sons who are equally smart and handsome as well - Aloysius, Kyle and Lex
4. My parents - Naty and Rolando who I am indebted for my life, the good life, life lessons.
5. My siblings - Wendy and Roty and our unique relationships
6. My other siblings, nephews, nieces in the Philippines.
7. My church - Church on the Queensway who keeps us growing in the knowledge of the Lord
8. My other church family - Servants of Christ Ministries for starting our walk in the Lord in Canada
9. My challenging but rewarding career
10. My current employer - MCBC who gave me opportunities to work and travel to the following places:
11. MCBC UK - Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, UK
12. London
13. Windsor
14. Cambridge
15. Stonehenge
16. Roman Baths
17. MCBC HQ Denver, CO
18. MCBC Golden Brewery
19. Hiked and reached the top of North Table Mountain at Golden, CO
20. MCBC Montreal
21. Manor Saint Sauveur, QC
22. ADEC Innovations / AMDATEX who gave me the opportunities to work and travel to the ff:
23. Rockwall, Texas
24. Irving, Texas
25. Binghamton, Upstate New York
26. Deposit, New York
27. New York City
28. San Francisco, California
29. RFM Corporation and the exposure to IT and dealing with challenging personalities
30. SGS Philippines for the multinational environment experience and for meeting Lito there
31. SGS Far East Limited for the travel to Southeast Asia
32. For all my officemates who also became close friends and mentors until now.
33. To my old church - Lighthouse Community for introducing God to my children in their young age.
34. To all my lifelong BFFs from Grade and High School, whom I shared with all joys, pains and successes ever since.
35. To all my relatives whom I share all my childhood memories.
36. For coming here to Canada and becoming a resident and adopting us as citizens.
37. For letting us explore the beauty of nature in and around the corners of Ontario - falls, beaches, ostriches and beautiful lakes
38. For the travels in other cities in Canada with family and friends like:
39. Ottawa
40. Kingston
41. Old Quebec
42. Old Montreal
43. for all the other planned trips in the coming months - Money and time to do this:
44. Disneyworld Florida, Philippines plus Japan or Seoul side trips
45. for the invention of TV and letting us watch all Korea Drama and TFC series
46. for the invention of social media - like FB, IG etc. for keeping me updated and connected with friends online
47. Music and all the perks in listening to it, any genre - bring back all memories
48. The opportunity to be with, work and sometimes disagree with people. The joy of being human and learning about the different kinds of people and how to deal with them.
49. for all the wisdom and lessons in life, the errors committed to correct and have room for improvement, the capability to adapt to change
50. for the life filled with hope, faith and love that comes from something supernatural - God.

I would say I have lived the life I wanted to have, the blessings are bountiful and I believe there is more to come. Thank you Lord for the true love, joy and peace that I believe will only come from You.

Happy birthday to me, it's time to blow the trumpet and consecrate the fiftieth year. It shall be a jubilee for me, because God owns everything, this is the year when a man's possessions would be returned to Him. My time is His, time to give back time - volunteer work to be used for His glory.

Are you ready to die?

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 02:56:00 +0000

There are only 2 permanent things in this life - change and death, we cannot escape both. I have written about change and managing it has become a day to day activity at work. It is challenging and inevitable.

Death on the other hand is an avoided subject. No one wants to talk about it or even prepare for it. I just realized that it's about time that I write all the thoughts that I have been setting aside because we need to be ready as death comes like a thief in the night.

Today, my sister Wendy told me a story about how her husband witnessed a car accident and how the victim's last minutes in life were spent in Carter's arms. Carter responded and gave the victim CPR to save his life until the ambulance arrived but it was not successful. He died. Wendy and I wondered about how that morning went before the accident happened, has that man spent his morning with the wife and children? Did they have a good breakfast or good conversations? Were they happy? Did they kiss the dad goodbye before they parted ways? Were the memories about his life during those last minutes all good, positive and fulfilling? What if they are not? What about you? Do you want to die in bitterness, pain or regrets?

Life is too short and it could end anytime. We are all going to die anyway so why don't we live life as if it is our last days - all positive, no regrets. What do you want to be remembered while you are here on this earth? I remember a manager officemate and our odd moments together. One time, she saw me and my other friend who is her direct report in a small cafe that only a few people know, only the managers frequent. When she saw me and her staff, she asked “What are you two doing here?” with the look that says only ”Managers” are allowed to eat here. Dumbfounded, we stood there waiting until another manager said,”they have the money, they can eat here, so let’s go.” The first manager had a sudden death and while most of the staff were sad of her dying, I was sad in another way because she died with my last memory of her as condescending to Marlyn and me. Do you want to be remembered like that manager? Be joyful, hopeful, loving and forgiving, kind and helpful. No room for negative thoughts, no mumbling, complaints, worries, fear, anger or pride. Just live happily and at peace with our Creator. We will all come to see HIM in judgement day anyway.

Now, if you are a planner and want to prepare before that time comes, here are some ways to give you that peace of mind and also your loved ones even if you leave:

1. Purchase a life insurance - term or not, find out about your options from your insurance broker. It is important to indicate the beneficiaries so they will not have financial problems when you leave.

2. Purchase a service that will take care of everything - viewing, casket (style, colour) funeral, cremation, cemetery, church, eulogy? etc. You don't want to leave your family the trouble of deciding about all these while they are also grieving. The cost of these services are also more expensive when you need it right away compared to pre-planned and pre-paid or lay-away.

3. Make a will. What do you want your loved ones to do when you get sick, when you are in a coma, when you get into an accident? Do you want to donate organs? Do you want to be resuscitated? Do you want them to pull the plug of the life support machines? Until when do they need to wait for you to wake up? Who decides? Who will be the custodian of your children? There are decisions to be made and it will be easier for the family to cope if these decisions are already stated in the will.

It is important that your assets and properties are indicated in a will so that your family will not fight over those assets later on or worse, go to an estate. My friend gave me an example of what's in her will. She took photos of all her jewelries and asked her children to choose which one they would like to have when she dies. The outcome of the exercise are indicated in her will. Now she will not worry who will get more or less because the children are the ones who chose. The same should be applied to cars, real estate properties, investments/stocks, companies. Well, more valuable assets need to be assessed and financial values / equal distribution need to be considered.

4. Write letters to your loved ones. While most of those who are left behind will get over the loss and move on, there are a significant number especially children/teenagers who are greatly impacted and will have difficult time recovering. Tell them your deepest thoughts in the letter and prepare them to be strong to face the situation. Words of hope and reminders of great memories will help them move on. Make birthday letters especially milestones so that they will still have your influence and memories when they turn 10's,20's,30's, etc. This is a perfect opportunity to remind them about seeking God's wisdom in making major decisions like a career, a ministry or lifetime partner, purchasing a property etc. It will be nice for them to remember or think about "What would ___ do if still alive?"

5. "Proverbs 22:6 -
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.." The perfect legacy that a parent can give to their children is showing and teaching them the way they should go. Good habits, Christian elements like going to church, reading the bible and praying are essential. They will continue doing it if it has become a natural habit. Being responsible and holding them accountable is not only taught but also shown. You prepare them and make them experience the joys and pains of doing manual work themselves and not depending on someone. You can start training them with household chores, doing menial jobs. A boy doing a girl's thing like budgeting, marketing, cooking, laundry is challenging but also rewarding. These chores are life's essentials. The earlier they learn and do all these, the earlier they become more independent and the less pain to experience when you are gone. They also add value to their community. You don’t want the children to be a burden to others, they need to learn how to survive and move on.

6. Make memories. Travel, enjoy doing things together. The pictures that show where you've been and the special memories from that place will remind them about how you spent your time with them. It could be the many falls you experience during the first ski trip, or completing the scavenger hunt on a mountain hike or it could be a simple memory of playing a game board or a movie marathon watching together. The laughters will echo and will surely bring back the happy times.

7. Express your affection. Do not cease saying "I love you" "I'm sorry", "Thank you, I appreciate you". Do not be embarrassed to show your affection even in public - kiss, hug, hold their hands or just look lovingly in their eyes - smile. Those moments are what you surely want to be captured in your memory and want to play back over and over again until your last breath.

8. Get ready to face death and surrender your life to The Creator. The most important preparation- settle everything with The Lord now while you can. Do you know that God formed us from dust and gave us life by breathing into it? He gave us life and can take it back anytime. But it doesn't end there. He loved us so much that He gave us His Son - Jesus. His promise is whoever believed in the Son will have everlasting life. The life here on earth is temporary. If we experience God here, it will be easier to face death because we know that we will see Him face to face. We have settled our life and all its issues with Him while on earth that we can smile and assured of an everlasting life after.

If you haven't yet, please surrender your life to The Saviour. Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life.

Life is short. Celebrate it.

Travelling for business (there’s more to it than meets the naked eye)

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 01:59:00 +0000

LMS Project for Canada. When I first heard about the project, I really wanted to be part of it because that is the heart of my job – the tracking of training and development in our brewery. But because I was not a Manager and they had somebody else in mind, I just accepted the fact that I will not be in the project. The National Manager left and it opened an opportunity again so I tried and sought to be part of the LMS project team. I was initially chosen as an SME and my manager is going to be the representative but when the actual workshop date was decided, my boss schedule had a conflict, he couldn’t go and so I was sent instead. I am so grateful because I know the Lord made it possible for me to go to Denver Headquarters to represent not only the Toronto brewery but the whole Canada region. It was a whirlwind turn of events as my circle of connections just become bigger and wider. I am thankful that God gave the knowledge and expertise that I can execute and deliver per the team’s expectations.

Adventure. This is my second business trip in Molson and same in UK, I maximize the time by exploring the city and really made friends with my counterparts in the US. Food, Beer, People are expected but it was also a different experience to be travelling close to Christmas time where the places I visited are all festive and jovial. It was also cold but I consider it normal and the same temperature from where I came from.

Colorado State Capitol

I enjoyed the walks in the downtown area. BTW, there is a free bus ride in one street (16^th Street Mall) and around the area during rush hours. What caught my attention are the homeless people in the streets. I felt sad and worried for them during the cold nights. I realized that I really matured in my thinking when I would usually say “Ewww, kadiri, ang baho (I don’t want to get close to them, they stink) and now would think about their welfare. I usually will bring with me a fruit from the hotel where breakfast is free and at night when I would eat out, I will bring the leftover to give to these homeless people. My heart would sink every time they will thank me and tell me God bless you. I will usually leave them with spark in their eyes, hopeful and thankful that God gave them their manna for the day. I am also teary eyed with joy as it slowly sinks in me that I was an instrument of God’s blessing.

There are a couple of more trips after this one and I always look forward to sharing some food to the homeless. Of course, the challenges of being a jetsetter (being away from your family, getting in and out of airport security and waiting for delayed flights) are compensated with experience of knowledge sharing (from brain draining activities) and of course, free food, beer and laughter from friends after a long day. I couldn’t ask for more.

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 04:05:00 +0000

As I look back and reflect this past few days, I thank the Lord for the year 2017. Not all the plans I made and listed in my first blog post in 2017 transpired but there were twists and turns that made the year still something to be grateful for.

I didn't take my driving tests, nor took classes at U of T or even pass the PMP designation exam. In early November, I was already considering this year not as fruitful as the previous ones but I think God intended it to be that way to show me that He's got better plans for me.

First Volunteer Experience
When I planned for the family to go on a major trip to the Walt Disney World on my birthday, it didn't materialize. Funds were not enough and the Ordaz family was not yet ready to go too. Because I already booked my birthday week as my vacation days, I ended up volunteering for the daily vacation bible school (DVBS) that my kids also volunteered / attended. It was a fruitful experience. I saw that there are lots of opportunities to see how God works in a person's life - be it the volunteer, the adult or child attending. Aloysius had the same opportunity and I was glad he agreed to take on a leadership role. This was a great character-building experience for a first-timer as he was able to test his patience with children.

Career Turnaround
The last quarter of the year at work was a whirlwind of training activities. I was getting bored with the routine and also frustrated with the culture or very slow pace of change. At some point, I decided to do something to change that scenario. With determination and a prayer for guidance, I sought to be part of a global project that will make an impact to people development in our organization. I was not chosen at first but miracle happened and in December of this year, I ended up going to our headquarters in Denver, Colorado to represent not only Toronto but the whole Canada for the project kick off and process reviews. I made it to the project team and this was not the only trip but also the start of many business trips scheduled in 2018. God is really good with surprises.

People-oriented
I believe that there are reasons why you are put in a certain role or situation or why you met a person. You are there because you have a mission. I think I was able to figure out why but only after the fact. It could be something to do, say or show and to prove that your presence has an impact. I am sure that my relentless reminders, to do lists made someone achieve something or sharing inspiration and hopeful comments brighten some else's day. I didn't realize this until some of them just came back to tell me they were grateful that I was there - to give a little encouragement, or a little push or shed light to something they were unsure of. I too have met people who inspired and gave me hope and I'm thankful. I just want to pay it forward and I told them to do the same. Maybe this is my calling, even if I could not make it in a management role but if the work I do will have a great impact to the people, it will be phenomenal. Whatever or wherever God wants us to do, we'll just do it because we will be blessed so it's important that we seek where God wants to lead us. This is done through prayer, reading the bible and having a personal relationship with Christ. I hope you will see the people around you through the eyes of God - to touch their lives as how God touch yours.

Trips all over Ontario
This year was Canada 150th year and our family is so blessed to have enjoyed seeing some of the beautiful nature that is only found in Canada. This year, our family went to these wonderful places:

1. Tobermory
2. Sauble Beach
3. Lion's Head
4. Elora Gorge
5. Parry Sound - Islands Cruise
6. Collingwood - Blue Mountain Resort
7. Niagara Falls
8. Cherry Picking at Cherry Avenue
9. Kelso Beach
10. Pingle Farm Hampton, ON

So that's it for 2017? There's more - lots of blessings and miracles not only for myself, but for my family, my friends and we are all grateful. I hope you are too. If you haven't figured out yet, let me remind you that God loves you, wants to bless you and will always be there for you. May your new year start in that perspective.

Big hairy ambitious goals (BHAG) - an inspiration to dream, believe and survive

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:33:00 +0000

BHAG - this is big, hairy, ambitious goals and it could also be read as BIHAG in Pilipino which means captive or a prisoner. I think I can consider myself both. I am ambitious and also marked by complete attention to ambitions. Don't get me wrong some people might think of this word as something negative, something that you will want to get, whatever it takes. It's all positive. it could be about your career, your love life, your health goals, your showbiz dream, anything goes. Big, Hairy, ambitions and goals could also mean visions of what you will become in the future and at the time of the vision seemed impossible to reach.

When I was 10 years old, I remember telling myself that someday when I will have children, I will try my best for them not to experience what I'm experiencing. At that time, potable water was a scarcity in our town and we had to fetch water from faraway places. Being a small and thin girl, you could just imagine that my lean arms would be carrying 2 gallons of water and we had to walk kilometres to and from the source carrying those water containers. It was improved 2 years later with a makeshift car (wooden cart) and I have to help push the cart carrying the water containers. At that time, I had imagined myself in the future staring at a window while I fill up my glass with potable water from a faucet. It was free to dream, right? This was almost 40 years ago and I could just laugh and cry at the same time now because the vision has been fulfilled. From farmlands in the Philippines to a City in Canada, that's a BHAG.

I am not ashamed of my past, I came from a poor family and just because my parents were industrious, faithful and ambitious, our lives improved. The same as other families with OFW (overseas Filipino worker), we took the risk and sacrificed our being together as a family when my Dad had to leave to work in the Middle East starting when I was 12 years old until all of us (the 3 children) finished university degrees. My young mind was exposed to drastic changes and great improvement initiated by big, hairy ambition. It dawned on me that there is hope and everything is possible if you are focused and worked really hard to achieve your goals. There were lots of sacrifices and out-of-comfort zone scenarios but they all paid off. We were also faithful to God, we believed that He gives blessing to those who earnestly seek Him. Do you remember my first Christmas prayer?

Now when I went to school, I didn't stop dreaming. I graduated with honours in elementary but I was not a Valedictorian, not the top so that motivated me to dream bigger. I graduated as a little above average High School student (at least top 5% of class) because I enjoyed my youth and filled up my schedule with extra curricular activities, still not the top, more room to improve.
These activities (school paper, peer facilitating, Girl Scout, school librarian, leadership camps and lots of organization) in a university-like high school (6000 graduating class at that time) molded me and exposed me to becoming a leader at a young age. It didn't stop me from envisioning my life to be better. I was a working student in college, it was hard juggling school and work but the ambition was still there and it drove me to work harder and accomplish more. My goal then was to be exempted for final exams and that meant getting good grades all throughout the term. It was always a relief to find that despite not showing up in some classes because of work, I still ended up exempted and getting good grades.

When I started working, I was blessed to have started my career in a service-oriented multinational company. The experience exposed and trained me to be quality-driven and taught me how to deal with foreigner bosses. It also gave me a chance to travel and meet employees from same company in Asia. My very first business trip was to attend a workshop in Singapore when I was only 24. Would you believe that I was the youngest and I was the only female in that group? At that young and ambitious age, I told myself that after Asia, I dream to be sent to Americas then to Europe. That dream was realized many years later when I went to the US (Texas and New York) with my American employer and now with another global company sending me to UK (to represent Toronto) and back again to the US (to represent Canada).

I have not stopped making my BHAGs, every time my goal will be realized, I moved on to the next. Of course, there are always bottlenecks, detractors, blockage - something or someone to prevent you from achieving your goals or grabbing the credit from you or making you fail or real failures. But that should not stop me. I could have given up a long time ago - when a coworker would prefer another person to be in your spot, or when a Manager didn't believe in you, when someone stole the limelight from you because you are just a support or "you are a woman in a man's world", when someone tells you that "people of colour or a different accent will not make it in the boardroom" BUT I didn't give up. I also received cold shoulder, snobbish looks, backbiting comments. I would set up meetings and nobody will show up or you will receive last minute bail out. In meetings, I experienced being thrown off the bus or my ideas ditched and told to my face it won't work, or "maybe in Asia but not here". I just cried silently it's the natural reaction, grieve but only for a while. Don't let it drown you and you will lose focus.

Here are the things I remember doing:
1. While I'm down, admitted that I can't do it on my own- anchoring and drawing my strength in God's words. Pray for guidance and comfort.
2. If there are still thoughts of it coming back, all those negative thoughts - brush it all off.
3. Research and contemplate on the word "resilient".
4. People - Rely on your support system. I owe a lot too to my family and friends who are always there, who continued to cheer, encourage and inspire. There are people who reminded me that if a door closes, a window opens, so do not give up, continue to do good, look for opportunities and deliver brilliantly.
5. Forget the past, look to the future - One day, your day will come, your light will shine and you will get there.

I admit I'm not there yet, I didn't say I don't have a dream to become a CEO someday, I'm not even a Manager yet but who knows. Maybe my goal is to just become a catalyst or change-driver or someone who is instrumental in making a huge change a success. Or maybe my ambition is to just sit in a boardroom from a high floor with global counterparts, making a decision or new process for the global companies to follow. Maybe my dream has been realized, or about to, who knows? I'm not particular with positions, but with connections and with impact and how I can contribute to making a change and making an ambition become a reality - whether it is a global ambition or personal, I'm all for it and I should not stop now. In the same way as I've learned before even with hardships or blockages, just continue to dream, believe and survive.

Have faith in God, He made us to be great, believe that you can do it, and do not stop learning and excelling. Once you are there, move on to the next!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed " Proverbs 16:3

I could just sing this forever - "My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord, He has done Great things to me."

4 steps to Managing People firmly and fairly

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:28:00 +0000

I highlighted on the title to focus on developing people. That way, I will attract and keep the audience interested. Some people will consider this applicable only to workplaces and those with direct reports but the tips are applicable to anyone or anywhere. Whether at home or in an organization, or a team or just one person, if there are set goals and you want to achieve results, the pointers apply.

Now let’s do it, you might want to try using the words motivating people or empowering people, makes more sense, right? Here are the steps:

Clearly tell the task; what you expect them to do.
Give them a reason to do it - “whys’” and make them want to do it - “rewards”
Make the job doable; provide tools and resources.
Give Feedback - positive or corrective to encourage and omit recurring mistakes

My guinea pigs for all the concepts that I’m learning and application are my kids. Like organizations, we also have OGSM and one of them is Feed Your Body. That means, they need to eat the right kind of food to get the right nutrition to be stronger, healthier and live longer. Feed body with value and not just any food to fill them up. To illustrate the pointers, I need to tell the kids what to eat and the reasons why they need to eat veggies and fruits aside from meat and eat less sweet food. We have a weekly checklist on who finishes all the tasks assigned to them including finishing all the food in the lunch box and at the end of the week, we give them “rewards”. Because they are big boys now, money is our reward. It could be saving for something big like a game add-on or something else. Visual tools really help. We have a Poster of the Canada Food Guide in the kitchen so they will be reminded on how many servings of these nutritious food they are expected to finish each day. We also have recently bought different containers to use for their daily servings. Lito and I are now starting to use the Bentology containers to get the right portions.

It’s always hard to implement at first but we need to be consistent so we will achieve our goals. I ask the kids what they like and don’t like about the food (of course, they will always say they don’t like) but asking for feedback helps. We made a list of all the healthy food that they like and I’ll try to repeat what I know will mean empty lunchboxes from school.

Be creative. If we fail the first time, we try again and get better at it. I just want to mention that I found out about cauliflower rice and made the kids eat the fried rice without knowing it’s not rice. Research and find more ways to get the person understand more so that he will change the mindset and do it. Once you let him experience the rewards, he will do it on his own. Do not give up on encouraging. Good luck and I hope we achieve our goals in no time.

Success Factors - did you really win?

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 21:32:00 +0000

Last hurrah in winter. We found ourselves checking in a Niagara hotel while Rhea and Michael are catching up on their short-lived honeymoon. To avail the package, we walked to the Clifton Hill area and spent the hours in a place where the kids liked - a game arcade. This was in March break - mid-March but it was still cold and 2 nights before, there was a blizzard in Niagara. We walked for about 3 blocks in snow but when we were near the Pirate's Cove, my kids got excited. We started off with a game called Cannon Blasters. This game is to be played in teams and the goal is hit the other teams target areas when the laser lights turned on. The rule is to aim the cannon blaster and shoot, when the ball hits the target the team gets a point.

This is a popular game and we waited in line and we watched how the previous teams played the game. The one before us is a family of 6, I think they were all siblings or cousins. They were all grown ups. There were six players and also six blasters but one of the cannon blasters didn't work. The time already started and the teenager in the busted blaster started throwing the balls at the target areas instead of shooting it using the blasters. The other kids followed suit and soon all of them were just throwing balls at each other and not anymore at the target areas just to keep them from scoring. Some of the team mates just punched the target areas on the opponent side to increase their score. Of course the team who would hit the most wins. When the alarm sounded, they stopped playing and they were all laughing from getting even or getting high scores without following the rules. I heard one of them said, "we won anyway, highest scores decide who won the game". I know they were just having fun and I knew I was being a kill joy because I did not like the way they played the game and my kids witnessed it. Actually I was angry, so before we were given the signal to go and take places, I told my kids to play the game the way it should be and I don't care who wins, just follow the rules. The real winner is not a cheater. I said it loud enough for those "cheaters" and other teams waiting in line to hear.

It's the same in life -whether it's a game, sports, career - climbing a corporate ladder, holding a public office or doing business, the success factors should not only be about winning, money, fame, status. It should be about how you played the game, how you deal with people, how you followed the rules. The right way of how to determine success is the peace of mind and heart. Did you really win? Did you really achieve the goals or scores by hard work? Did you get to where you are now because of doing it "ethically"? Are you humble enough to say that the outcome is a result of hard work, prayers and the favour that made you become successful is from God?

I am so amazed at how some popular athletes today give reverence to whom their strength and success come from. Before each game, they would give a sign or even pray with the teammates. God blessed them continually because He is acknowledged. His promise is real and eternal.

Proverbs 3:1-4 says:

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success[a]
    in the sight of God and man.



My kids and I played to our hearts desire and we enjoyed hitting or missing the targets, everybody wins, it was how we played the game.  We left the arcade with happy hearts.   I believe we are competitive in most aspects of life and that game previous to ours is a perfect opportunity to make them remember that there is another set of rules in every game we play. That is God's rules and how he sees us and our reactions to defeat, how we are ethical in our actions.  I admit I am sometimes disappointed or frustrated because after I did my best, I still did not achieve my goal or I lost in a game or was not successful in something but deep in my heart I have peace and a trusting heart that allows God to intervene.  For me, that is my success factor.  What about you?

People Development Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sun, 28 May 2017 16:41:00 +0000

My title was just recently changed from Training and Documentation Specialist to People Development Specialist. I believe it is more impactful now and I'm scared that I'm not able to fulfill the role in the truest sense of the title. What if People will not develop? That is the challenge - to keep the employees engaged, aligned to the business goals, and have the desire to develop themselves.

Now do I want to worry about other people? I will just think about what I need to develop in myself first and we'll figure out if that will be applicable to others. Let us consider these soft skills that can be learned and applied early on.

Here are some of the essential skills that I can share based on the learnings in my leadership course at U of T and my training in UK last year:

Time and Cost are 2 of the 3 constraints of a project and definitely managing these 2 are your top priorities in order for you to become successful in whatever project or career you are developing.

1. Money Management - knowing how to create budget, living within means and not accruing credit card debt is crucial. In the past, financial literacy was rarely discussed except for those interested with studying commerce and business. Today, no matter where your income is coming from, you need to become good in your bookkeeping and balancing the debit and credit. If you are good with managing your own money, then you'll be good at doing it for your organization. Companies are now focusing on projects and initiatives that save money. This skill is a must.

2. Time Management - With so many social media apps and other distractions, we sometimes lose focus on important things. We don't want to miss an appointment, or be late in a meeting or submitting a school work or perform a task.  The skill to balance time is as equally important as in balancing the books. There are so many things to do now - household chores, getting physically fit, meeting friends, attending class, aside from spending the bulk of your time at work. The key is to learn how to balance the time, identify which are priority, which can be done at the same time with another (multi-tasking) without decreasing the value of the outcome or which can be transferred or shared with another. Learning how to self-manage your stress-level and your time is an indispensable skill that everyone needs to be confident with. Success is based on you and you alone.

3. Conflict Resolution - Employers are now adding this as a skill that they will look for in a candidate. Being in L&D, I have opportunities to attend free training. I have attended numerous sessions about personality traits, finding out your temperaments and handling difficult people.  The sessions on influencing and conflict management are my favorites. All these are good sessions except that the success depends on the application and experience. I hope that we will have opportunities to handle situations that call for preventing or resolving conflicts. I only remember WIN -WIN as my keywords and it meant to always choose the positive outcome and whatever is best for everyone.

4. The Ability to Stay Positive - Have you watched or listened to the news lately? All you see is violence, terrorism, war, poverty, people losing jobs - all negative. Maintaining a healthy outlook on life has been a skill that many people encourage. Today, since the workplace is stressful, it is essential. Having the inner resource of being able to see things in a realistic way can help with anxiety, nervous tension and constant worry. If you haven't figure it out yet, the Divine intervention is foundational. You can't do it on your own. God is your inner strength. For example, understanding that a negative feedback from your direct manager is never going to make or break you. No one needs to be perfect to succeed. It is the person with the ability to accept constructive criticism and the maturity to accept imperfection, that truly succeed.

5. Emotional Intelligence - EQ is better than IQ. Employers are increasingly focused on how well employees fit in with their company culture. Thus, people with more highly developed emotional intelligence will have a greater chance of making it. Possessing technical and social media skills is not enough. Being able to build business relationships in person using emotional intelligence and cultural awareness is more vital.

If you are a new graduate or just starting out in your career, or seeking a new career or niche in the field, you need to do a self-assessment first to check where you are in these skill sets. If you want to develop into something, you have to remember that times are changing and you need to adapt to the emerging trends in the workplace. School might help in developing these in you.  If you expose yourself in activities where you can exercise these and learn from other people, then you have the chance to improve and apply these skills in your career. If not, you have to start somewhere, read, learn from others. Find a mentor or someone you can trust to help you. Keep an open mind and open your eyes to these opportunities. Good luck!

Are you goal-oriented?

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 17:30:00 +0000

My friend Annabel reminded me that we both shared the same criteria in choosing friends and much more - our lifetime partner. Goal-oriented, Results-oriented, someone with personality, can deal with all kinds of people and most of all God-fearing. I know it was not right when we couldn't help laughing at some of her suitors who had the face (and body) but didn't have goals in life. Can you imagine?

First of all, we need to define a goal. Goal is something you want to achieve, work on and get better at. There are long-term and short-term goals. A normal person will have dreams and ambitions but not everyone will have goals who are close to planning on achieving them. The latter is our ideal person.

Before I took my Project Management course at University of Toronto, I've already known the concept of SMART goals. In order for our goal to be smart, it needs to conform to the following criteria:

SMART Goals

Specific

Well defined
Clear to anyone that has a basic knowledge of the project

Measurable

Know if the goal is obtainable and how far away completion is
Find out when you have achieved your goal

Agreed Upon

Agreement with all the stakeholders (family, spouse) what the goals should be

Realistic

Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time

Time-Based

Enough time to achieve the goal
Not too much time, which can affect project performance

Because this is just the start of the year, this is a perfect time to set a goal and plan on how to achieve it. The Smart guideline above will help in setting these goals.

The following are the different types of personal goals that you may want to consider:

1. Financial Goal - example: Save 50 dollars a week for the whole year to attain the $2,600 goal
2. Fitness Goal - example: Exercise for 30 minutes everyday, eat vegetable everyday, Run for 5K
3. Travel Goal - example: Japan and Manila Trip by 2019
4. Career Goal - example: Enroll in a class to learn or improve skills; Get certification
5. Spiritual Growth Goal - example: Join a Ministry or bible-study cell group
6. Relationship Goal - example: Level up or Propose marriage to GF or break up with a married partner

I mentioned about friends sharing the same goals or having goal-oriented traits that we ourselves possess. It's important that you share the same goals with those who are close to you to inspire you and help you achieve your goals. I admit that these people are the same ones who poke you and remind you to get going in case your motivation is slowly diminishing. If the friend is not aligned with you, you will slowly lose the interest so choose your company well. They are there either to support you or watch you fail.

Please keep in mind that the outcome of your goal is not because of other people, do not blame it on them. It is not about them, it is you, only you who is accountable and responsible about achieving your goals. Start right, act now and sustain it. Remember, time is passing by and your age is not getting any younger, maybe for some of our goals, the age or physical strength will prevent us from achieving it.

I hope you have a change of mind if you are not yet a GOAL-ORIENTED person. Don't you want to achieve something remarkable this year?

See this blog post too - TRAC and BHAG/BHAP

Types of Friends: let's see if you are one

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 17:15:00 +0000

Friends are treasures, but they are rare or you need to invest time and effort to find them.

I have this notion that all those who are friendly to me are my friends. With that, I am thinking that I have lots of friends even online. I have lots of followers but there are only a few that I am confident will show up at my funeral because they are your true friends. Are you one of them?

I'd like to share my notes from our Pastor who helped me understand the levels of friendship and how they are different from each other:

Level 1. Acquaintance - these are the people that we have met one time or we are around with everyday, we share small talk with them. They can be our not-so-close relatives (remember those family reunions you had and you were introduced to one or two), they can be your classmates (you have become group mates in one of the projects in school), they can be our co-workers, sports team member or opponent from another school, our Sunday school classmate or a friend of our friends, or our neighbors, or the lady at the Library whom we shared some book reviews with. It could be anyone that we know, smiled at and met casually.

Level 2. Friend - the next level is when that acquaintance become more present in your day to day activities either physically or online. You have become closer because you shared personal stuff, you both know what your likes and dislikes are and most likely, you have the same feathers or fall in the same group. The conversations you have tend to focus in knowing the other person more and how you relate to his or her opinions, beliefs and character. You will want to find out more about that person and everyone that surrounds her like family, spouse, work, school and sports activities. I consider this the "dating phase".

Now it gets deeper when emotions are shared. When this person is happy, you share and celebrate it together, you are also happy for the person, not jealous. When your friend is in trouble or in sad moments, you comfort him and being there for him counts a lot. You are not a friend when you are only there for happy moments and you leave when trouble comes. If you are in the dating phase and you want to find out if this person only wants to be with you because you are popular, or rich, or smart to help him in school, you will discover his intentions when the going gets tough - when you are no longer popular, or smart, or rich. The fake friends are easily known because they get lost as soon as the perks are lost so be vigilant.

When you are in the older age, it's easier to find friends because you know who have stood by you and are still friends with you even if you married, moved, either home or work or country.

Level 3. Close Friend - you will be considered a close friend if talking to each other is regular or catching up is imperative. I have my sister as my closest friend because we talk every chance we get but apart from a relative, you may have 3 or 4 persons who are really close to you who are the same as level as you but the relationship is more personal. This person is someone you can confide anything with. You know the saying - anything under the sun. You share feelings, you can pour out problems, frustrations and plans that you will hesitate to share with any other friend because you trust and respect this one special person and vice versa. This stage is sometimes tricky because most of the time when you thought that you can share with a person, you will end up finding out that whatever you shared is also shared with one of her friends. You can't trust that person anymore right? Betrayal.

One thing that I consider a factor in making the Friend stage move up to the next level is when I am able to challenge my friend or I can also accept the challenge from him. We have come to a point that we can tell each other even the wrong things to correct them. A true friend will accept criticisms and also give constructive ones. The next level is reached because you will realize that the friend really cares for you to give you warnings - Iron sharpens iron. This is the best level to consider if that close friend is also qualified to move up and become your partner in life. The best marriages start with good and very close friendships.

We can have many close friends too but there are only a few who are Good, Godly and have been there Praying for you. Christ even on his last night at the Garden of Gethsemane only chose 3 of his disciples to wait for him while he is praying.

It is true that in these times, it is very hard to find a Good, Godly close friend so here are the tips I took from Pastor Billy from Church on the Queensway based on God's words:

1. Pray for that friend.
2. Choose well. Proverbs 22:24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person. Do not associate with one easily angered.
3. Be careful. Proverbs 12:26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
4. Test the friendship - with time, distance or confidence
5. Caution in communication - talks should be pleasing to God.
Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict and gossip separates close friends.
6. Create Depth - society and media is robbing us of true friendship.

Proverbs 18:24 says "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

To accomplish this we need to consider the L's of friendship:
Love - to move from acquaintance, you need to add love
Loyalty - you can't change friends in the same way as your clothes
Learn - knowledge about the friend is a leverage
Listen - give and take, you can confide
Lean - you can count on a friend
Laugh together - cry and laugh. The close friend will help you laugh when you are crying.

Take time.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you.
God wants you to have a Close friend.
Be a Good and Godly Friend yourself first

I wanted to put this in my blog so that one day, I will be reminded that I was blessed with good and Godly friends until now and I'm sure they will show up in my funeral. But most of all, I am blessed to have found Jesus as my very best friend. He is there in my ups and downs, 24/7 and I'm forever grateful.

Kyle's 11th Birthday at East Side Mario's

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:07:00 +0000

Today is Kyle's 11th Birthday. I am amazed and thankful how time flies and I just realized that my kids are all grown. Here we are in our Birthday Lunch celebration at East Side Mario's. The kid ordered pizza and we ordered pasta. It was not as how I expected it to be, nothing special. I am pretty sure my kids loved my pasta more. Anyway, we just wanted to spend the birthdays differently now so we hold it at a restaurant. BTW, Alexus enjoyed the bubble gum milkshake so that is something that I would definitely recommend for kids and kids at heart.

2017 - a year to look ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Irmee) — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 22:49:00 +0000

Happy New Year! A new year is always a good time for a fresh start. Start the year with a bang, with plans and activities laid out for the coming months. I know some of my plans last year didn't materialize but I hope and pray that this year would be the year that some of the items in my checklist will be marked as completed or achieved.

I will not list everything but I still want to write those that I really need to accomplish this year:

1. Take and pass the G2 Drivers License.
2. Write the CAPM designation exam.
3. Finish a project and be a certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
4. One or two Big Family trips this year, down south (WDW) and east.

I just trust God and I rely upon His mercies and provisions. So please help me Lord.

Proverbs 19:21 says - Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

My prayer is that this year will be a year of blessing and spiritual growth as my family follow God. No matter where He leads us or what situations await us in the coming year, He is always with us, guiding and guarding our way.