Portia Speaks

The Dangers of Soya for Ladies

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:15:00 +0000

I love soya products --- tofu, soy sauce, soya milk, etc... But like other foods, i want to eat it in moderation. I am not a healthy food addict but i am also not taking my health for granted, so i eat some healthy foods as well. I eat variations of food, even junk food as well.

Here is an article i want to share with you and see if you believe this? This had been forwarded to me and might be of interest to you as well...

THIS ARTICLE IS THRU THE KIND COURTESY OF MS SUREKHA

RAMCHANDANI ONE WOMAN'S STORY ON SOYA...

All Males - PLEASE pass this info to all your female friends... It may save their lives!

Something to take note of. This is my true story, nothing altered. These are facts, as they relate to my experience, my opinions

based on what I have read and felt. I am relating them to warn other young health-conscious women who are unwittingly harming themselves.

In 1989, I graduated from high school in Texas and couldn't wait to hit the big college city. One of the changes I wanted to make was to eat healthier.

Once I moved to health-conscious Austin, Texas, I began to fortify my body with the best and healthiest foods I could find.
Tofu was the main ingredient in every healthy dish and I bought soya milk almost every day and used it for everything from cereal to smoothies or just to drink for a quick snack. I bought soya muffins, miso soup with tofu, soybeans, soybean sprouts, etc.

All the literature in all the health and fitness magazines said that soya protected you against everything from heart disease to breast cancer. It was the magical isoflavones, the estrogen-like hormones that all worked to help you stay young and healthy. I looked great, I was working out all the time, but my menstrual cycle was off. At 20, I started taking birth control pills to regulate my menstrual cycle.

In addition to this I began to suffer from painful periods. I began to get puffy, it was as though I was losing my muscle tone. I began to suffer from depression and getting hot flushes. I mistook all this for PMS since my periods were irregular. By the time I was 25, my periods were so bad, I couldn't walk.

The birth control pills never made them regular or less painful so I decided to stop taking them. I went on like this for another two years until I realized my pain wasn't normal. At 27, my gynecologist found two cysts in my uterus. Both were the size of tennis balls. I went through surgery to have them removed and thank God they were benign. The gynecologist told me to go back on birth control pills.

I didn't. In 1998, he discovered a lump in my breast. Again, I went through surgery and again it was benign.

In November 2000 my glands swelled up and my gums became inflamed. Thinking I had a tooth infection I went to the dentist who told me that teeth were not the problem. After a dose of antibiotics the swelling still did not go down. At this point I could feel a tiny nodule on the right side of my neck.

I told my mother I had t hyroid trouble. She thought I was being silly. No one in the family suffered from thyroid trouble. Going on a hunch I saw a specialist who diagnosed me with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

After a series of tests he told me it was cancer. My fiance and I sat stunned. We were not prepared and I was so scared. We scheduled surgery right away. The specialist told us that it would only be after the operation that a pathologist would be able to tell us for sure if it was cancer. They found a tumor in my right lobe composed of irregular cells and another smaller tumor growing on the left, so the entire thyroid was removed.

They told me that after undergoing radioactive iodine I would be safe and assured me that I could live a long life. After treatment I began to search for the cause of all these problems. I never once thought it could be all the soya I had consumed for nearly ten years.

After all, soya is healthy. I came upon a web page that linked thyroid problems to soya intake and the conspiracy of soya marketed as a health food when in fact it is only a toxic by-product of the vegetable oil industry. This was insane, after all, the health and fitness magazines had said nothing about soya being harmful.

I visited a herbalist who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1985.

She informed me that soya was the culprit. She had a hysterectomy due to cysts and other uterine problems. A few months later another acquaintance who had consumed soya came down with thyroid cancer. A girl in EnglandI met through the Internet in a thyroid cancer forum had just undergone surgery and she was only 19.

What was going on???? Breast cancer is linked to estrogen. What mimics estrogen in the female body, SOYA!

But I never suspected soya because until now I never once found a single article that sta ted soya could be dangerous. Women who took soya prior to thyroid problems will continue to take it after if they are not aware of what soya actually does, what it contains and how it reacts in the female body. I think this is the reason that women with thyroid cancer often develop breast cancer later.

My co-worker is big into soya and I see her losing hair and gaining weight despite a walking workout during her break and after work, and apples and oranges for lunch. She just had cysts removed from her uterus too.

I warned her to stay off soya. I referred her to websites but until it is on the evening news on all four networks, women will suffer. Since the thyroidectomy, I do not touch soya, haven't for two years.

Dear readers, please use my story in any way you can. There are so many young girls who are consuming soya because they think they are taking care of themselves, and women taking soya because they want to be healthy. It is so unfair that the information about the dangers of soya isn't more widely circulated. It is sad.

There are many out there who feel this way and it is a terrible blow when you realize you are not as healthy as you thought and that the information that you depended on was wrong.

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Hand - the First Spoon

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Here is an art that i love a lot which i took from an art exhibition in Hong Kong Art Museum... The art is about the demonstration of the evolution of the spoon from the hand. I think it is very cool. In this exhibit, the artist named Anne Wan(Yin Lijuan) swaps the pairs of human hands for pairs of mimicking objects - spoons, which also create an illusion of something between the two. During the artistic process,the arist's mind followed a free flow of thoughts committing to no particular meanings or emotions.

Take a look at this...

Travel the Continents Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:33:00 +0000

I got this tag from Desperate Blogger. Thanks a lot,my blogging pal! The idea is to know the location of our buddy bloggers.

Rules :

1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".
2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)
3. Leave your url post in here and I'll add you to the Master List.
4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!
6. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.
7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.
Master List :

A. Asia : 1. Moms... Check Nyo (Philippines) 2. Hailey's Beats and Bits (Philippines) 3. allinkorea (Korea) 4. kimchiland (Korea) 5. korean food (Korea) 6. idealpinkrose (Korea) 7. Manna from Heaven (Philippines) 8. and Life Goes On for... (Philippines)9. A Great Pleasure

B. Australia : 1. your turn

C. Afrika : 1. your turn

D. North Amerika : 1. your turn

E. South Amerika : 1. your turn

F. Europe : 1. My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands) 2. Juliana's Site (Netherlands) 3. Picturing of Life (Netherlands) 4. Portia (UK)5. your turn

G.Antarctica : 1. your turn

~ End Copy ~

Can the following blogger friends travel with me?

1. Prily
2. Lynn-Chic
3. Tricia

Sharing the Love

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Got this tag from cousin Lynn. Thanks a lot.

This award is extra special because Crystal created it in honor of the donor who saved her son's life. Her son Noah had to have a heart transplant when he was just over a month old. This award is supposed to help raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

“The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

As you may have recently seen on my side bar, I have finally created a custom blog award!! I have wanted to do this for a long time but never came up with something that “fit”. I didn’t want just anything. It had to be something that meant something to me. And what could mean more than Sharing the Love by giving you pieces of my heart?? So I created this award in Honor Of The Donor That Saved Noah’s Life. I share this award with those of you whose love and friendship have enriched my life and made my world a better place.

I hope by passing this award around the blogging world we can all help raise awareness of the need for Organ Donation.”

I am sharing this tag to all my blogging pals. Let us keep the love around.

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Titillating Tulips

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:40:00 +0000

I took photos of these flowers on my daily walks here in a foreign country. They are breathtaking... They are multi-colored --- pink, yellow,lavender, orange, white. They made my day...They are called tulips.

Although tulips are connected with Holland ( dubbed as "Land of the Tulips") they can actually be found anywhere especially on mountainous areas with the dormancy of cool temperature. Hence, it will always be found in temperate regions. Since i am in the European country, tulips abound everywhere. I love tulips.

Here are some of the photos that i took. I hope i can go to Holland one day and so i can take photos of millions of well-manicured tulips. For the meantime, i am quite content with these ones...

Here is the origin of its name....

Although tulips are associated with Holland, both the flower and its name originated in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip is actually not a Dutch flower as many people tend to believe. The tulip, or "Lale" as it is called in Turkey, is a flower indigenous to Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia. A Dutch ambassador in Turkey in the 16th century, who was also a great floral enthusiast, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, got their very names because of their Persian origins. Tulips were brought to Europe in the 16th century; the word tulip, which earlier in English appeared in such forms as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend, "muslin, gauze." (The English word turban, first recorded in English in the 16th century, can also be traced to Ottoman Turkish tülbend.) The Turkish word for gauze, with which turbans can be wrapped, seems to have been used for the flower because a fully opened tulip was thought to resemble a turban.

Onassis Diamond is Sold for 3.6M Pounds

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:57:00 +0000

DIAMONDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOREVER...

But not if you are Athina Onassis, who three days ago sold a flawless,icy, pear-shaped 38-carat diamond that belonged to her heiress mother Christina for 3,650,000 pounds at auction or 317,550,000 billion pesos! The pear-shaped, colourless Christina Onassis Diamond, which is the centerpiece of a pendant necklace, was bought for twice its estimated value by an anonymous phone bidder (i wonder who that was??? what a hell of a billionaire!!!). Athina wore the glittering item during a 1980 party in Versailles but the stunning pear-shaped 38-carat rock which the daughter of Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis wore that night is to go under the hammer.

Athina, 23, sold 44 of her mother's jewels for 6.8 million pounds, nearly three times the 2.5 million estimate. Christina Onassis was born in 1950 to Aristotle Onassis and his first wife, Athena. She lived a life of luxury between exclusive Swiss mountain resorts, country clubs and the yachts her billionaire father favored —including a converted Canadian corvette he named Christina after his daughter.It was on this yacht that Onassis reportedly kept a jade-colored Buddha by Peter Carl Faberge, renowned for creating ornamental eggs for Russia's imperial family. The figurine's hands and head moved on springs and pivots, and would have serenely rocked as the ship sailed the Mediterranean. The Faberge Buddha ornament from Aristotle's yacht also sold at 1,273,250 pounds.

Christina died from a heart attack in 1987 aged just 37 after a history of drug abuse, weight problems and four failed marriages. Her daughter, who is Aristotle's sole descendant, sold the collection in a jewellery sale at Christie's in London because it was said to be too-old fashioned for her. She is young and she just doesn't wear them anymore. She wants to feel comfortable in what she wears. That era was gone.

The items were among a total of 230 lots by designer such as Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels. Christie's said Christina's gems were the highlight of the day's auction, which made a total of 15 million pounds - a British record for a jewellery sale. Christina Onassis was thrown into the spotlight when her father died in 1975, leaving her to lead the family's shipping and real estate empire. Reports of an inheritance dispute with her famous stepmother — Aristotle's second wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — kept Christina in the news, along with her own short-lived marriages to a Los Angeles real estate broker, another Greek shipping heir, a Soviet civil servant and French businessman Thierry Roussel. The latter is the father of her only child, Athina.

Oprah Is Rocking It Up Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:51:00 +0000

She is again the cream of the crop... So, do you think Obama will win because of the influential Oprah??? Anyway, on another matter here is a breaking news...

NEW YORK - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity for the second straight year and for the fifth time ever, according to the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List released on Wednesday.

The annual list also included two couples among its top 10. Actress Angelina Jolie came in at No. 3 and her partner Brad Pitt nabbed No. 10, while music mogul newlyweds, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z were fourth and seventh.

Golfer Tiger Woods remained No. 2 and soccer player David Beckham was No. 5, while actor Johnny Depp took sixth. Music group The Police nabbed No. 8 after reuniting for a successful world tour and British author J.K. Rowling was No. 9 after the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.

"It's not surprising that Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods remain at the top this year -- they're certainly some of the biggest earners," said Matthew Miller of Forbes magazine.

The rankings give the most weight to earnings over the past year but also factors in such things as Internet presence, press clippings, magazine covers and mentions on TV and radio.

During the past year Winfrey made $275 million, Woods, $115 million, Knowles $80 million, Beckham $50 million, Depp $72 million, Jay-Z $82 million, and The Police $115 million.

While Jolie's earnings of $14 million and Pitt's salary of $20 million pale in comparison, the popularity of the couple, who have four children and twins on the way, and their constant presence in magazines saw their power soar.

"Had (Jolie) made a couple of millions dollars more she probably would have been close to topping the list because the number of magazine covers that she was on, the number of stories she was mentioned in, far surpassed anyone else on the list," Miller said.

And it was Beckham's move to Los Angeles with former Spice Girl wife Victoria and their three sons in a blaze of publicity that helped propel him into the top 10 for the first time.

In contrast, Rowling earned $300 million in the past 12 months, more than Winfrey, but is a reluctant celebrity.

The 2008 top 100 is made up of 20 film actors, 20 athletes, 10 musicians, 10 talk show hosts, 10 TV actors, five "tween" stars, five directors/producers, five celebrity personalities, four authors, four hip-hop impresarios, four chefs and three models.

The "tween" category, a marketing term that usually refers to an audience ages 9 to 12, is new, Forbes said, with "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus making her debut in the top 100 at No. 35 "following a sold-out concert tour, a hit 3-D movie, and a controversial photo shoot that had the press buzzing."

Among those dropping from the list are Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba, Hayden Panettiere, Adam Sandler and Scarlett Johansson, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Jessica Simpson.

The full list can be seen at http://www.forbes.com/celebrities.

Madonna's Adoption Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:35:00 +0000

After lots of painstaking criticisms, Madonna's adoption of two-year-old David Banda was finally approved by a Malawi judge. Malawi is a landlocked nation located in southeast Africa. The singer compared her experience of adoption to the pain of childbirth. I could imagine the bureaucratic process she had gone through! I, one day, if Godwillingly would like to adopt a child as well. But right now, just cannot do it for very practical reasons. It is expensive and very time-consuming.

Madonna has a good heart( and very good money) of taking care of David and is spearheading a campaign by her Raising Malawi charity to get help for the 900,000 orphans in the country, many of them HIV-positive. AIDS has destroyed many families in Malawi, which has a population of 13 million.

David's mother died when he was a month old. His father couldn't care for him alone and placed him in an orphanage. He did not object to Madonna adopting David. In fact, he is very, very pleased!

Right now, the star has been caring for the boy at home in London with film maker husband Guy Ritchie. Madonna and Ritchie already have a son and a daughter. They will raise David with their other children in Britain and in the US.

Madonna made a documentary I Am Because We Are which focuses on Malawian AIDS orphans.

Philippine Showbiz Couple to Join the Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:08:00 +0000

I really thought everything was alright about Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano after saying to the media last January that everything had been patched up. There was then that much publicized rift between actress Sunshine Cruz and husband Cesar Montano allegedly because of a Brazilian beauty, apparently everything is all right between the celebrity couple. But recently it is not. The things had gone from bad to worse...

I like the two of them. They are one of my few favorites actually in the Philippine local showbiz couples. But just like many of the Hollywood couples(and also some local couples), they themselves will be joining the bandwagon --- and that is an Annulment case had been filed by Sunshine Cruz. What a sad case again ending a romantic marriage solemnized in a romantic twilight garden wedding on Sept. 14, 2000. They should have been celebrating 8 years together this coming September, but unfortunately, that would probably not happen. Just sad!

One of the causes? It’s been reported both in the tabs and in the Internet, that Sunshine and her sister-in-law have been hurling unsavory words and accusations at and against each other. It’s painful to learn that an old controversial clip from an unfinished (and therefore unshown) sexy movie has reportedly been uploaded in the Net to "destroy" Sunshine. Just really foul! It must have been a very bad marriage if some of the family members are always intervening the private marital affairs! And Cesar? Did he defend his wife? Oh well, celebrities...celebrities...what else is new?

Geneva Cruz, Sunshine's cousin had been divorced from her first marriage and now it will be Sunshine... I hope Donna Cruz , also another cousin( who is married to a doctor)will never follow their steps. And Sheryl Cruz? Did she divorced as well? Oh well, what else is new?

Rice and Life

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:54:00 +0000

I am out of the country and the other day i talked to my sister on the phone. My sister is 3 months pregnant. She told me, "how i wish i am not pregnant right now, the rice is 50 pesos per kilo already and it might reach 60 pesos per kilo this year". I answered to her, "you better be pregnant now than when the kilo of rice will be 100 pesos or more!".

The fact is : when is the right time to get pregnant? The right time is when you are there and when you think you can support a life. As for me, there is no right time to get pregnant.

The businessmen are so tricky brilliant. They had been hoarding and hoarding how many cavans of rice? They want to sell it for higher price. Of course, they want profit. What about the NFA (National Food Authority) Rice? I just think they are the lowest, lowest quality of rice. It is just a manifestation how infected our government is! Okay the price of NFA rice is 25 pesos per kilo and you should queue as early as 6 o'clock in the morning to be able to avail. I mean, what a deplorable state of our country. Do you think the price of rice will become less? Do you think the quality of NFA rice will be atleast closer to Jasmine rice? Or Basmati rice? or any other kind of rice? I always believe that price and quality goes hand in hand. What is free in this world?

As for the unborn child in the womb of my sister and for the other unborn children, what future await for them? The very sure thing is : they will eat rice. It doesn't matter if they will eat it with a sprinkle of salt or a little bit of oil, or a little soya sauce. Rice is always a staple food no matter what is the partner. And the price of rice? Always high. And life? It is priceless! Probably, we need to parctice eating maize now! Or just like what my neighbors are eating right now, rice porridge(" lugaw"), with lots and lots of water!

All About Portia : A Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:22:00 +0000

Got this tag from MIAH. Thanks a lot,sis!
RULES:
1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.
2. Get back to ME(refers to YEN)and I’ll add your blogs to the master’s list here! Yup, another linking thingy but this one has 15 questions and you get to enjoy answering them too!
3. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tag in order to join.

QUESTIONS:

1. When you buy a greetings card, are the words or the picture more important to you?
+ both...

2. What’s your favorite kind of cake?
+ Chocolate moist...

3. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?
+ I usually buy. It depends what i will give and to whom --- can be jewelries, can be perfumes, can be outfits, can be chocolates --- really depends...

4. What’s your favorite holiday?
+ Rome... Cape Breton Island. Niagara Falls..

5. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?
+ Yup, in Canada.

6. What was the best party you’ve ever been to?
+ A friend's wedding in Malaysia. Me and my husband were dancing and my son is in the middle of us....hehehehe... just funny! Ah, there are lots of parties really!

7. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like?
+ My wedding was solemn and fairy-like. Yup, a garden wedding! We had it in the Pearl Farm Resort, Island Garden City of Samal.

8. What's the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you?
+ Going for a honeymoon in Thailand. When we arrived in our hotel room, there were flowers and fruits in our room and chocolates formed into a heart in the middle of our bed! Ah, just so goddamn romantic!

9. What’s your favorite girl’s name?
+ I love the name "Sophie" or "Sophia"... but i love "Portia" as well!hehehehehe!

10. What’s your favorite boy’s name?
+ I love the name Scott!

11. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with?
+ Uhmmm, hehehehe, dream date? probably, Pierce Brosnan... i know he's older but oh, look at him, he's still sexy as hell!

12. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful?
+ Ah, there are sooo many, but Nicole Kidman's beauty is immaculate.

13. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive?
+ Aha, let me think.... think... think... probably, Leonardo di Caprio.

14. What is your best character trait?
+ Honesty. Integrity.

15. What is your worst habit?
+ Over-eating.... being disorganized...

Now, guys, you can grab this tag if you feel like making it! Enjoy blogging!

The LIST

1. Me and Mine
2. Creative In Me
3. Little Peanut
4. Pea in a Pod
5. Sugar Magnolias
6. Me, Myself + 2
7. Fun Fierce Fabulous
8. Supermodel Wannabe
9. Meiyah

Till "DEBT" Do Them Part

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:19:00 +0000

I always feel sad when two people who are bestfriends will not be on good terms anymore just because of debt or "utang" in Filipino dialect. I had very bad experience with it although not with my bestfriend. The bad thing is that: those who will borrow money from me were the ones who will not even talk to me anymore! Isn't that so strange? I cannot just imagine that!

Okay, of course, each individual is different and each person has just different ways in handling their finances. There are people who do not have the means but still because of "ego", "pride", or whatever you call it would resort to borrowing money just for the sake of buying things that, honestly, they cannot afford. I am very different person. When i was in elementary till college, i can only remember having things that were neccessary. I do not have the "extras". There was even Christmas that we have nothing to eat! But i cannot remember borrowing things or getting envious because some children got new clothes, new dress, new toys. I had grew up without even a doll in my childhood days, but i am okay! I always thought that if people will only live within their means, there can never be too much problems! But when people try to be so "conscious" with how they look, when people will always recognize the things that they don't have instead of the things that they have, oh well, there goes the trouble.

Okay, let's go back to borrowing... I just learnt that my two friends Annie and Sonia who had been bestfriends for probably over 10 years had separated ways due to debt. I was stunned. Both of them are godparents to my eldest son. I feel so sad. What happened from what i heared was that Sonia borrowed money from Annie and that Sonia hadn't paid. This is really crazy and i didn't know how to patch them up as the two of them are not in good terms anymore. If i'll mention the name of the other party, obviously, the person concerned is not very comfortable. So, usually it's me that will avoid the topic. It's just strange that how can real friendship be broken by material things?

Ah, i hated debt. Honestly, i do and i hated people who have no "palabra de honor". I never had material debt in my life. And if i will have in the future, i will never forget to pay plus the interest. The thing is: when we borrow, we enjoyed the money. I remembered borrowing things before, like when i graduated from highschool, i borrowed dress and shoes from our neighbor because my parents could never buy me one! All the people that had helped me when i was in the downest part of my life, i hadn't forgotten. Honestly, when i visited them the last time, i cried and was very thankful to them. And they,too had cried!

I mean, what are material things compared to establishment of friendships? I admit some people had borrowed money from me and never pay me back, but i learned my lesson. The lesson? They can never borrow again! They are the ones who have the nerve not to talk to me. And who cares? I never cared for negative people, never at all. And if they don't want my friendship? It is never my loss.

But i am still sad about my good friends who will never be together again, all because of debt. I never asked how much is the amount. I am just more concerned about the friendship. Ah, just one of those things that made me realize that sometimes in this world, material things would value more than anything. I know it is a lie, but it is a lie that is really happening. And if i will say that FRIENDSHIP or LOVE are the most important, i don't know if it is true for some people. It might be true in an idealistic world but never in this worldly, materialistic society!

More Dark Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:18:00 +0000

Here is another one of my dark chocolate collection. The name is Cote d'Or. It is in the market since 1883. Wow! So long already! It is 86% dark as the label said. Naturally rich in anti-oxidant as most of the dark chocolates would claim, this one is really full-bodied and elegant as can be seen by the lovely elegant design. I love elephant and i just adore the design while i am biting it! And the taste? Not so sweet, just the right flavor, but i cannot eat this everyday. There are still so many that i need to taste!

No Hassle STD Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:02:00 +0000

STD testing might be embarrassing. I can just imagine the thought of it! STDs or sexually transmitted diseases testing as found out had been embarrassing, time-consuming and unreliable. But here comes tSTD . It guarantees an easy testing, private, no hassles, complete and accurate with 7 STD tests in one visit. Get tested now and your partner,too!

Fancy Some Dark Chocolates?

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Ah, life is sweet but actually there is no such sweeter thought than taking a break and
eating a chocolate. Milk chocolates are actually sweeter than dark chocolates, but oh well, i have on my collection this Bellarom Deluxe finest dark chocolate. Wanna take a bite?

SugarCRM and Corratech

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Had you heard about SugarCRM? It does have a very close relationship with Corratech. SugarCRM is a product that is installed,maintained and managed by Corratech, which is an open-source software consultant. It is Customer Relationship Management software which is used by companies to manage all aspects of their relationship to their customers. To know more about this product, please check the website now and see more for yourself the advantages which are higher quality, faster upgrades and more flexibility.

Flores de Mayo and Sta. Cruzan

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:11:00 +0000

What will i remember on the month of May? Since i was a child till adolescent age , month of May would mean Flores de Mayo. It would mean performing church activities from May 1 to May 31. I had regularly attended and would always won goodies and awards for being a good kid. Together with the daily catechism classes, there were lots of incentives, not mentioning the daily snacks ( ah, i would remember the "binignit" and the "chocolate rice"--- "champorado")... In other words, i had religiously attended because snacks were free and i would get "tickets" which i can exchange for goodies,candies, or treats at the end of May. Those were the childhood days...

When i am entering my early teens, i would regularly attend because i will meet my "crush". hehehehe. I am just joking... The main purpose of Flores de Mayo is actually honoring the Virgin Mary, offering prayers and flowers for her as she is the Mother of Christ. We usually recited the Holy Rosary and sang many, many songs for HER.

Ah, i had miss those days... how fast the time flies... those were the times when we will dance at the end of May. We'll get awards for being attentive, resourceful, etc... etc... There were lots of awards and really, many, many children would attend. Those were the days when only the people who can afford would have television sets. We only got a television after i graduated college and got a job, so, attending church activities were really regular and saying the Holy Rosary would always be everyday. (I wonder if teenagers and young children now would still regularly say the Holy Rosary or any prayers? Oh well, times are different and they probably are more abreast to American Idol or Pinoy Idol...).

And the Sta. Cruzan? Santacruzan is a religious-historical pageant held throughout the Philippines during the month of May which commemorates the search of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena (Reyna Elena) and her son, the newly converted emperor, Constantine. Her mother, Reyna Emperatriz, is also portrayed while our Lady, Queen of the Flowers (Reyna de las Flores), takes an important role in the procession of characters. I hadn't been a Reyna Elena. I've guess they always chose the Most Beautiful One! So, since i was not, i am contented to become "buddy-buddy of Reyna Elena". I became a Reyna Emperatriz once.

Oh well, i am reliving those memories and since i am out of the country now, i am missing this event. I wonder how they celebrate it now? I wonder if still many kids go to this catechism classes? The last time i heared, there was even Sta.Cruzan procession for the gays???

I wonder what the church would say about that? Ah, i am missing the old days... i am missing those days...

How Much Trump Gives for Tip?

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Cost of Meal: $82.27
Tip: $ 10,000

Wow, lucky waiter/waitress who served him!!!! He is soooo generous! Probably, the service was sooo fantastic! Good for the one who served! Such a lucky day! I wonder if anyone on earth would give such a big tip? I wonder if this message forwarded by my friend is real? Uhmmm, does it matter? He is super rich and he can afford everything. And in our our culture, tipping is a status symbol!

Friendship Tags on Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Before the Month of May may end, i would like to make this overdue Mom's day tags from my lovely mommy blogger pals--- Aidisan and Shiela. Thank you,my friends for your smashing efforts of including me in your tags.

From Shiela i got this flattering World's Greatest Mom Award. What a heartwarming award!

From Aidisan, i got this tag: Best Quote For Moms. Here is my best quote for moms...

A father may turn his back on his child; brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies; husbands may desert their wives and wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world's condemnation, a mother still loves on, and still hopes that her child may turn from his evil ways, and repent; still she remembers the infant smiles that once filled her bosom with rapture, the merry laugh, the joyful shout of his childhood, the opening promise of his youth; and she can never be brought to think him all unworthy.
- Washington Irving

In other words, mothers just know best. The love of a mother is unconditional and she will do anything for her child.

To all the great mommmies out there, keep on smiling and keep on shining!

Uncle's Trophy Room

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:50:00 +0000

You know how people value things in life? Each person has different likes and dislikes. My husband's uncle loves to collect stuffed animals. These stuffed animals here consisted of falcon, deer antlers and heads. I don't have an idea where he got these!

It is quite impressive really considering the great quality of his collection. I can not help but really be amazed by the uniqueness of those. Hats-off to you Uncle Steve!

An Open Source Leading Executive

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:42:00 +0000

This guy is remarkable and his knowledge on his own field can not be compared. He isRonald Bongo. He is a leading executive in the open source software industry. He is presently the CEO of Corra Technology, known in the industry as CorraTech. Ron Bongo brings two decades of diverse experience, to his position at CorraTech, during that time, he honed his expertise in technology, management consulting and finance. He manages CorraTech's corporate strategy, directs its management team and builds key business and strategic relationships for the company.

Resources and Population: Always Related

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:20:00 +0000

I was born from an impoverished family. We are eight siblings. My dad did not have a steady income, going from one job to another( mostly menial labor) and it was only my mom who was a seamstress who was supporting us regularly. That was a very hard life. A hard life unimagined. It still amazes me up to now how we had survived!

Honestly, i don't want to blame the government why we became poor. Honestly, i asked myself, "why did my parents never think about our future? why are we so many? why will they never think about how many of us will divide a kilo of rice?" Sometimes we never had viand at all and just some sprinkle of salt will be fine or sometimes soy sauce. That was quite special that time. My most favorite will be dried fish and sometimes fish paksiw(fish with vinegar accompanied with local condiments). So, i learned how to grow vegetables especially "malungay". In fact i can still memorize the scientific name : moringa olifera lam! It's because it is always my favorite. And what will i do with the malungay leaves? I will boil 1 liter of water put the malungay leaves, sprinkle some salt, a little bit of msg, and that was our viand. Oh, well, we survived and i survived!

There is always a relationship between resources and population. That is why the price of rice will always be surging so high is because the demand is soooo high and the supply remains the same. And just imagine, how we, Filipinos grow everyday. Look at the rich people. Most of them got 2 or 3 kids. It is quite rare you will see the rich couple with 8 or 10 kids. But you go to the impoverished communities, in our Barangay alone in General Santos City, there is a family with 24 chilren and the house is a nipa hut in a squatter's area. How they sleep? They sit. Yup, they sit when they sleep!

Now, okay, i know how government is corrupt. I know also that family is a basic institution where in the discipline, security and comfort should start. Corruption always start within the family. If every family is secured, then our country is. I always love what John F. Kennedy had said, " Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Anyway, i got some facts related to rice:

1. The NFA rice is currently the cheapest available in the market, with the “regular variety" being sold at 18.25 pesos per kilogram and 25 pesos per kilogram for the “premium variety." The prices are way cheaper than that of the commercial rice that are already being priced at 38 pesos per kilogram.

2. Rice is a staple for Filipinos and have rice on top of their list of food to buy. Rice, being a source of carbohydrates, is particularly important for the poor who perform difficult tasks or heavy labor.

3. Filipinos consume as much as 29,000 metric tons of rice a day, but with the country’s growing population, rising faster than its Asian neighbors, the demand for rice is also increasing.

4. The government has announced that the number of Filipinos grew nearly 16 percent to 88.57 million as of August 2007 from 76.50 million in May 2000. By 2009, with a projected population of 92.22 million, the Philippines will consume 9.75 million metric tons of rice, higher than the expected 9.56 million metric tons that Filipinos will consume this year.

Rice production, however, is not increasing.

UK Holiday : Right Hotel To Be

noreply@blogger.com (Portia) — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:33:00 +0000

United Kingdom is always a favorite travel destination to many people. My husband and me had toured all around London before and that was one of our finest travels indeed. The only thing that we made a mistake was paying exorbitant prices for our hotel rooms. I just can not believe how we pay a lot. The reason was my husband booked us directly at the hotel's website. We did not knew then that by searching other alternatives online, we should have saved a lot of money. But that was past and we did enjoy going to many places. We stayed at Marriot Hotel at Grovernor's Square. A nice hotel and very near to many embassies of the world, which was what we really need at that time, as we needed to go to Canadian Embassy. We had discovered many things around the city of London---we rode on the London Eye and saw the fascinating, panoramic view of the city; saw the Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and never miss to take a photo of the Big Ben. During that time, 2003, I-Max Theatres were still knew and we did watched an Imax show,too. We went to Piccadilly also. I never missed the St. Paul's Cathedral where Prince Charles and Princess Diana had been wed. We walked through the stairs consisted of 529 steps and wow, what a breathtaking view at the very top of the dome!!!!

We will definitely go back to England and actually our planned holiday will be in the famous place of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon plus visit our friends in Bath. It is very good to know about this site online that offers good prices on last minute hotel rooms. We are very spontaneous travelers and we can just decide right away where we wanna go in the last minutes also. The hotel pride themselves in finding last minute deals, even up to the day of departure & customers can save up to 70% OFF hotel room rates!
I am so delighted to find out about the good deals and packages that they offer. Check this out guys and let us visit UK!