Random Thoughts on Rain's Domain

Get Paid to Blog and Share Contents on the Hive Blockchain

2020-11-17T17:11:00.000+08:00

Follow my continuing journey on the front end PeakD.com where you own the keys to your account and own your contents. On top of that, you also can get paid posting your blog or photos and stories.

I have been a Hive owner for a little over a year and have managed to climb up to Dolphin status. I have a long way to go to become truly influential on the platform, but for now, I'm quite happy with what I have achieved. On top of that, there is potential for me to grow my passive income online.

There are endless possibilities on the Hive blockchain. I suggest you do check it out and give it a try. 😊😊😊

Scammer Alert! Beware!!

2018-02-25T18:06:00.000+08:00

Have you ever received a chat request on IG (Instagram) from someone who claims to want friendship? I'm not saying that everyone who's friendly and just want to chat are scammers. In this case, it was interesting how it all unfolded. Hey, I'm just a human being who thinks it's nice to be kind to someone and perhaps help ease a little of the loneliness they are feeling. So, I went along for the ride.....

That particular someone requested if we could chat on google hangouts instead. That was fine. However, when they claim that they will send you something and ask for details such as below, be very vigilant. Be skeptical as well. It doesn't hurt to have friends and chat mates, but when they sound too good to be true, be wary, 'coz they probably are! LOL ^_^

Take note of the wrong spelling and grammar. The above email is most likely not from a legit company. There's more below.......

A-ha! Be on point and raise questions. Again, the wrong spelling and grammar do stand out! UGH! Plus, be wary of receiving a call from +122225555 number. I tried searching it on google to read about possible scam related issues on it. I found one that suggested it was from someone who wanted to ask some money or something. Well, I want to add to that information, and so I decided to write about it on this blog.

Finally, the cat is out of the bag. The supposed package delivery company is now asking for $200 to send you the package. Hmm, seriously? I actually got to watch about a similar story on TV, exposing this type of modus operandi. I bet that this email was sent by that bogus person who claimed to want friendship and even went so far as to propose love. Uh-uh! I detest scams. I don't like people who try to fool others by playing on their emotions or feelings. But I do believe that karma is a bitch. That person will soon receive his just desserts.

Be empowered! Be positive! Be wise!

Postcrossing July Stats

2015-08-03T01:00:00.000+08:00

Wow! I still can't believe how fast time has flown. The 8th month of the year has just started and there's still a lot more to look forward to. I started with Postcrossing at the start of the year. Here are my latest stats on the site...

I now have over 100 postcards from all over. I still want to receive more. Indeed, in a short span of time, my postcard collection has grown. >.<

What I love about Postcrossing is the steady number of cards I receive over time. To date, I've received postcards from 18% of the world. (Source: Been app) There's a lot more on my wish list.

I would love to receive more cards from unique countries. >.< Plus, I'm still on the lookout for more unique and amazing local cards that I could send and share to the world. Postcard exchange is indeed a wonderful way of learning more about the big world out there!

Till next update... ta-tah! May you have a productive month ahead! ^_^

Lovely Postcards via Postcard United

2015-06-20T16:36:00.001+08:00

Well, Postcard United is a postcard exchange site that I discovered while browsing through IG. It's similar to Postcrossing.com. I decided to give it a shot since I'm new to postcard exchange. A few months down the line, I'm happy I checked it out. I've received a number of really nice and interesting postcards via Postcard United.

Postcard from Poland

The postcard above came in an envelope with an equally beautiful stamp! (See below) >.<

Postcard from Czech Republic

What a nice shaped card from the Czech Republic! >.< I do like getting these multiview touristy cards. It's lovely to see wonderful views from places from all over the world.

My first ever card from Tunisia (African continent). At the moment, I arrange my postcards according to continent, then to countries (alphabetical). To date, I've received a variety of cards that range from touristy sites to illustration cards. I totally like them all! >.<

The two cards above came from Russia via Postcard United. I've a lot of cards from Russia, and I find each of them totally unique and really interesting. >.< As of the moment, I've sent a total of 39 cards via Postcard United and have received a total of 22 postcards. I'm still waiting for a lot more before I will start sending out once again via Postcard United.

Postcard exchange is an engaging and interesting hobby. It could also be a bit expensive sometimes. However, you could always set a budget in order to enjoy this hobby. In my case, I enjoy receiving snail mail. It's way better than just seeing bills in your mailbox. Won't you agree? >.<

I hope you enjoyed my postcard updates. Till next time.. ta-tah! Enjoy your weekend! ^_^

Postcards Galore

2015-05-31T03:41:00.000+08:00

It's been a few weeks since I last shared about my postcard collection. Well, I've gone a bit slowly in terms of direct swapping via IG. It's a bit of a hassle for me, that's why. Instead, I decided to focus on the official Postcrossing and Postcard United sites. Plus, there's the Postcrossing forum swapping. The latter has proven to be more reliable. To date, there are about three to four cards that I haven't received. Perhaps they have really been lost in the mail. Oh well, that's not so bad, is it?

Anyway, I was motivated to share this batch of postcards I've received mainly because they look nice. Even the stamps are worth sharing.

Monkey King postcard was sent via Postcard United from China. It's one of the first shaped cards that I've received. I find it interesting. Even the stamps look really nice.

The Little Prince card and stamp. Castle card and stamp. Both postcards were from a fellow swapper on Postcrossing. Anja from Germany contacted me via private message to ask if I would like to swap with her. Normally, such direct swapping transactions are risky. But I agreed as I'd like to help her get some cards from the Philippines. Plus, there's really not much to lose for trusting fellow swappers, perhaps just a few nice cards. As it turned out, it was all worth it.

The above cute saying card came from Japan. It's a swap via the forum at Postcrossing. I find it cute and interesting. Even the stamps used were lovely. I do love the "Traditional clothes, festivals, and events RR" on the forum.

I'd say that a touristy card from Saint Maarten is rather rare. I'm so thankful that the fellow swapping with me went there for a vacation. I got this from the "Southeast Asia x World RR" forum at Postcrossing. Yey!

Last, but not the least, is an illustration card from Russia. I do so love lots of cards from Russia. Plus, the stamps used were really nice.

Cards such as this batch that I've received recently are the main reason why I love exchanging postcards with other collectors as well. It makes me feel like I've traveled the world and been to places I could only dream of. That's it for now... I will definitely keep updating from time to time about my postcard collection.

Have a nice weekend! Ta-tah >.<

Postcards, Postcards, More Postcards...

2015-03-28T03:46:00.000+08:00

It's time for another update about my postcards received from Postcrossing.com and PostcardUnited.com. If you're into postcard sending and receiving, I'd recommend that you check out both these sites. Anyway, I've received a few more to be added to my growing collection... note that these are official postcards received from both sites. I have a bigger number of postcards received from outside of these official sites.. mainly from swapping on IG and the Postcrossing forum. Here goes...

Sandra from Finland

Brrr! 2C indeed sounds too cold for me. It is after all summer now here in the Philippines. But I did love receiving this card that featured snow. I felt cooler just by looking at it. ^_^

Vika from Ukraine

I registered this card and discovered that it has been traveling for 51 days! Whoa! I didn't know it takes that long to travel from Ukraine to the Philippines. I'm glad I got it before the 60-day traveling time allotted on the site. It was in an envelope and was blank except for the ID code from Postcrossing. Upon checking I found out that the sender was also new to the site. I would have loved to read something about him/her. Oh well! It's my first card from Ukraine too.. so all is well! ^_^

Hans from the Netherlands

My first card from the Netherlands... Yey! ^_^ I have previously sent one card to the said country. I'm happy to have received one from it! It's pretty interesting too, don't you think?

Tatyana from Russia

I have previously received a card similar to this also from Russia. It seems that there are lots of beautiful landscapes from that country. I wonder if I'd ever get a chance to visit there at all.

Alyona from Russia

Russian illustration cards are truly lovely! I've previously also received a few from IG swapping. I just wish we also have more of these types of cards in the Philippines. I've found a few but they're a bit too expensive to be sent out casually. They're more ideal for a collector's series or the like.

Olevsya from Russia

This card is from Russia too. It's the only one added to my Postcard United official cards. It's just the third card I've received from the said site. I guess the cards do take a little longer to get to their destination, esp. if they're from Russian countries. It really doesn't matter, as long as I still receive them. I do get worried when my mails get delayed. Ugghh!

To date, I've sent 12 postcards and received 17 postcards from Postcrossing.com. I still have around 6 travelling cards that have yet to reach their destinations.

For Postcard United, I've sent out a total of 8 and have received a total of 3 at this time. I also have around 11 travelling cards -- 2 of which are past 50 days travelling time. I hope I get some more soon.

Well, that's it for now. More updates soon... esp. the March stats once the month is over.. which will happen in a few days! ^_^

Enjoy your weekend! Ta-tah!

Postcard from South America

2015-03-18T01:20:00.000+08:00

Just a quick update for today. I've received my first ever card from South America the other day. It's from the land of Pope Francisco, Argentina. Yey! It seems my cards take a long time to reach their destination there. In fact, one of my traveling cards got expired today, after traveling more than 60 days to Colombia. I truly wonder if it would ever be received. :(

Julio from Argentina

Pretty ad card, I'd say, although I would have preferred a view card. Oh well, perhaps next time around I'd get something nicer. ^_^

Lately, I'm into Postcrossing forum swapping. There are various themes and groups that one can join, although some take a longer time to be completed. However, I've noticed that forum swapping cards get sent faster than the ones I swap with on Instagram. I guess some swappers don't mail them out right away. I've still a few from a month back at least that I haven't received at this time. I hope they're not totally lost, wherever they may be. I'm still counting on receiving them... even if it takes more than two or even three months! Ugghh!

Well, till next update... ta-tah!

Going Gaga Over Diego Loyzaga

2015-03-16T20:30:00.000+08:00

Arrgghh! I have every reason to react this way! And why not? I'm definitely too old -- overaged -- to be fangirling over a teen star. LOL! :) Yet, fangirling I am! I can't get over this M.A.C.Y. song since it was first featured on the show. It's now on my playlist that I keep playing over and over again!

Diego Loyzaga, plays Jay Fernandez a.k.a. Batman, on the Pinoy TV series Forevermore. He's a recent addition to the show. And I must say, I have started watching the show again because of his character. Jay, I suppose, is pegged to be the third wheel to the Xander-Agnes tandem, played by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano.

I must admit that I have stopped watching most Pinoy TV series as the theme could be quite redundant. I initially watched Forevermore when it was first launched and quite liked it. However, when the going got too rough for the good people of La Presa, I stopped following much of the show. After all, who wants to be all stressed out with TV characters' problems when we do have reality to contend with. ?!#@%$

A month ago, a new beginning was introduced, and I started following the show once again 'coz of the Jay-Agnes tandem. Yup! I do look forward to the fresh start for the good people of La Presa and Agnes. But I guess that's too much to ask for. After all, the show also dwells on the clingy past and the people who can't seem to let go and move on, like Alex's ex-wife Cherie and Buboy's ex-wife Maritess. In Book 1 there was Xander's ex Kate, who thankfully was taken out of the picture now. But in Book 2 there's Xander who's trying hard to win Agnes back.

Well, I've got to admit that the show was a Xander-Agnes love story. But more than that, I believe that Forevermore applied more to the other cast of the show like Alex & Bettina -- Xander's parents -- and Buboy -- Agnes's dad -- & Mirasol. Their relationships have stood the test of time. As for the younger casts, I just hope that the Jay-Agnes tandem would be given a chance. But a part of me also knows that in the end, this is a Xander-Agnes show. That's life! :) However, since I do love the Jay character, I'd love to write a happy ending for him too... I hope the writers of the show treat him well! :)

Oh, and after Forevermore, would it be too much to ask for a new TV show for Diego???

Postcrossing Wonder

2015-03-13T01:08:00.000+08:00

And I'm back for another couple of updates! ^_^ I'm sharing another two new postcards from random Postcrossing members. This batch is awesome, although I didn't receive them at the same time. One came a few days ahead of the other. Ooh, and that one card of mine that's traveling to Colombia is in danger of expiring soon... 5 days and counting... boo-hoo!

Leila from Finland

I love it that some members really take to heart your wish list. Leila from Finland went to France for vacation and shared with me a card of La Louvre. I totally loved it! I dream of visiting France one day too... esp. Paris. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower in person! LOL ^_^

Svetlana from Russia

Moscow Kremlin is on my wish list as well. And look what came today? It's from Svetlana, who's from Moscow, Russia. How awesome indeed! It's been 70 days since I joined Postcrossing, and for me, I'm doing a lot of traveling, albeit via these international postcards that I've been receiving. I simply love the cards and the stories from each sender. It's such a wonderful experience to also be able to share my own experiences.

Perhaps if there's something that I would need to work on, it would be local travel. Yup, I'd love to travel around my country more. I'd love to experience for myself the beautiful places featured on the different postcards that I've been sending out. That way, I would also have stories to tell. ^_^

Well, I've sent a total of 12 postcards now. Three more and I would be able to send an additional card. That would mean 7 traveling cards at the same time. The more traveling cards, the more that can be sent and received. Yey!

Eventually I would need to organize my album into the different countries. Right now, I just upload each photo consecutively. It's not even arranged by country or continent. LOL! Soon... I hope...

Well, that's it for now! Till next update...

Official Postcrossing: Postcards from Germany

2015-03-09T01:18:00.000+08:00

Here are the cards that I previously mentioned. They both came from Germany, from official Postcrossing members.

Dieter from Germany

I'm amazed that there are some people who are truly picky or choosy when it comes to postcards. Some don't even like multiview cards like the one above. Frankly, I don't know what's not to like. I appreciate multiview cards. It's a great way to introduce one's own city, if you ask me. Then when there are views that are worth looking at, that's a good time to go for single view cards. Oh well, to each his own.

Yvonne from Germany

This card rocks! (Pun intended LOL! ^_^) The sender mentioned about some balancing art just like the photo. And true enough balance is indeed something we should all seek in our daily lives. Thanks for the reminder, Yvonne! I truly appreciate it! The postcard looks like it came from a postcard book. It seems to have perforation on one side. How I wish I could get hold of a really nice local postcard book. I haven't seen one yet. Perhaps I should start out an edition. I would love it, but then it would mean I would need to do the traveling and the picture taking myself! ^_^ Now that's a great idea! Perhaps someone with more financial capacity would read this and embark on this project!

At the moment, I'm just waiting for one more card from official Postcrossing. One of my traveling cards is due to expire in 9 days -- uh-oh! In a way, that's pretty good as I get to send one again. But I do hate it when my card doesn't make it in time for the 60-day deadline. It's the first for me, and the destination is Colombia. It truly amazes me how come some cards travel a long, long time before reaching their new homes.

Well, it's the start of another week. I truly look forward to Mondays and every weekday as I await the arrival of more postcards. These days I've added forum swapping to my activities. I guess I would be more picky when it comes to whom I swap with. Some swappers truly are irritating. I don't like sending blank cards.. lest alone in an envelope! Ugghh! Oh well, other than picky swappers, it's fun to send and receive postcards. More updates to come next time around...

Have a great week ahead! ^_^

Postcrossing February Stats

2015-03-06T11:24:00.003+08:00

And so, February's gone! It's now March, and I'm entering the third month of being a Postcrossing member. I've recently discovered the forum as another venue for swapping. There are themed swaps there, so I guess it would be a great way to complete some collection series. It does take time for some categories, esp. for countries that are rare. I've signed up for a few, and I've also sent out postcards for them.

How was my February as a Postcrosser? Well, my stats have started to look better.

I have now sent a total of 10 postcards. I'm waiting for 5 more to be received before I have another increase in the number of postcards to be sent. There are 6 more cards that are traveling.. so I hope that at least one of them gets received soon. I'm just wondering how come it takes too long for some cards to reach their destination.

So, in February, I've sent out postcards to the above countries. So cool to see the colorful pie chart, huh? I'm hoping to receive as well from the countries I've sent to, esp. Italy and the Netherlands. My goal is to receive cards from as many countries as possible.

I received two postcards each from USA and Germany. These are the countries that have more numbers of Postcrossers. I guess that's why I happen to get more cards from them. But, I'm happy to have received from Finland and Norway too. I hope to receive more from rare countries. My postcard collection has grown and I'm quite happy. Pretty soon, I'd need a nicer storage for them all. Right now, I have them sorted according to continent, then sorted alphabetically according to countries.

Well, that's it for now. Yesterday, I received two Official Postcrossing cards from Germany once again. I will be sharing them soon.

Till next update... ta-tah! ^_^

Big Incoming Snail Mail from Postcrossing

2015-02-27T03:27:00.000+08:00

I've been a Postcrossing member for almost two months now (56 days as of this writing). I must admit that I've been waiting for quite some time for more incoming mail from random members. The thing is I seem to be able to send out faster than I receive. It must be 'coz I mail out at the main post office in Manila. Nonetheless, I find the incoming process too slow. ^_^

Earlier, I got the surprise of my life when I found that I actually had 14 incoming mail. Yebah! It was truly a happy mail day for me! It's about time I keep getting my mails. After all, I've been mailing them out regularly. If you're a newbie at Postcrossing, you may need to wait a little while to start getting lots of mail. What works for me is that I also do postcard swapping via Instagram. Of course, it's not easy at the onset. There's always that benefit of the doubt whether the person you're swapping with will really send it to you. In my case, I decided to take a leap of faith. But I digress.

Back to Postcrossing, here are my 5 incoming official Postcrossing cards:

Joa from Oregon

The above card is from Oregon. It's an artist sketch in the early 1900s of a famous mountain in Oregon. It's kinda cool as I do like art illustrations. And finally I got a postcard from the US.

Chris of Ohio

I truly liked the above card as it is both a map and a flag card. How awesome indeed! I've been trying to collect map cards from as many countries as I possibly can. Then, there's the US States map cards too. I find map cards a bit fascinating but they're a bit harder to trade for.

Irene of Germany

I liked this owl card a lot! One reason that I like owls is that I'm a night owl myself! I just happen to work better when all is quiet around me. ^_^ Anyway, it's from Irene who lives in a dairy farm. I bet that's pretty cool. I've been a city girl all my life and sometimes wish I do have a hometown.

from Finland

Although the above card had a nice message and stamps, it wasn't signed; so I couldn't tell who sent it. The sender must like being anonymous. It's awesome since I do like cards featuring light houses. I happen to find them interesting. Some day I'm going to visit and climb a real light house! ^_^

Hedy from Taiwan

This one came from somewhere closer to home -- Taiwan. One of the good things I like about sending or receiving cards to/fro Taiwan is that it takes less than two weeks for mail to arrive. Yup! So far it's the fastest send or receive for me! Plus, Taiwan has a lot of really nice cards that I can't find much of in the Philippines. I'm always on the lookout for good local cards to send out.

Anyway, that's my biggest incoming mail from Postcrossing so far. I dream that one day I will be receiving a postcard a day for each day of the year!!! ^_^ How awesome would that be indeed!

Well, till next update folks! Ta-tah!

Weekend Movie Night with Kingsman: The Secret Service

2015-02-24T01:30:00.000+08:00

My daughter and I actually watched this movie on the night of the Chinese New Year. She was the one who recommended it after seeing the trailer, saying it was a really cool action movie. Apparently it was some British spy movie. Since I'm a James Bond 007 fan, I figured why not check it out. As it turned out, it was such a fun movie to watch. However, it's rated R-16, so better bring along some ID's, esp. if you look younger than 16. LOL! ^_^ My daughter was almost not allowed to watch it.. and she's 19! >.< What a moo!
Overall, it was such a fun movie to watch, not so serious as some Bond movies, but not as wacky as Austin Powers. Newcomer Taron Egerton looked hot after the transformation! ^_^ I read somewhere that there's going to be a sequel. I sure hope so as I'm going to wait for it!
Till next random update... ta-tah!

My Postcrossing Update

2015-02-20T02:01:00.003+08:00

I've been a member of Postcrossing for more than a month now. Just thought I'd log some updates. So there, I have sent 7 postcards that have been received. How awesome! I hope that means I would be receiving more postcards soon. I have yet to receive any since the first week of February when I got two at the same time. ^_^

For the meantime, I've been stacking up on local postcards as well as doing some postcard swapping on Instagram. I must admit I'm not too fond of direct swaps, but that is one good way of completing one's collection of postcards, esp. the rare ones.(My Postcards - received from various swaps on IG)

I've also accepted an invite recently to join a forum group that does personal swaps of postcards under a moderator who organizes the categories as well as the participants. I signed up for a couple of groups, but have yet to belong to a completed group. That would give me ample time to fill in the needed postcards for each group.

Well, it's another Friday today. We're coming from a holiday -- Chinese New Year celebration; today it's back to work & school. I sure hope I will start receiving more postcards soon. I'm still expecting a bigger batch from all the postcards that I have already sent out. Inshallah!

Till next post and update... Happy Chinese New Year to all who celebrate!

Officially A Postcrosser

2015-02-08T03:39:00.000+08:00

I'm back... with good news too! I consider myself to be officially a Postcrosser now! How so? Last week, I finally received two Official Postcrossing postcards! ^_^ Yebah!

Angela from Germany

One of the cards was from Angela of Germany. It features a lighthouse -- one of the view cards I would love to receive. What a great way to start my postcard collection!

Heidi from Norway

My second card is from Heidi of Norway. It is a map card of Heidi's hometown. What a lovely map card indeed! It's my first one too! There are indeed lots of map cards of the different countries. I would love to start a map card collection, but they're a bit too difficult to swap for. I wonder how many map cards I would actually get to collect, huh? ^_^

As of this writing, 4 of my postcards have been received, so I'm like expecting two more postcards from Official Postcrossing. I actually need one more in order to have six simultaneously traveling postcards. ^_^

I can't wait to send and receive more postcards! Till next update... ta-tah!

Postcard Fascination

2015-01-23T03:48:00.000+08:00

Howdy! I haven't been blogging here in a while. I guess you could say life happens. It's been three weeks down another new year. How time flies indeed! ^_^

I discovered not too long ago this website that enables one to send and receive postcards from around the globe. I must say it got me fascinated as I used to have international pen pals when I was in my teens. I guess I thought that snail mail has gone out of style. Boy, was I ever wrong!

Instagram is a fascinating smartphone app as it led me to rediscover that I actually would like to receive postcards from all around the globe. I used to have a collection when I was younger, but I lost it all when we moved to another place. Pity indeed! Now, I will get another chance at starting over with my postcard collection! Travelling is a lot more expensive. Perhaps even in postcards, I would get to realize my dream of travelling the world.

I have been sending out postcards for three weeks now. I have yet to receive one in the mail. I'm sure a few of them are on their way. My, I've forgotten how long it actually takes for snail mail to arrive at its destination. LOL! ^_^

I was tempted to start another blog for my postcard fascination, but thought better of it. I guess since I'm quite new to Postcrossing, I won't be getting lots of postcards at the onset. I can add updates here now and then when I do get some positive news regarding my "new" hobby. Till then, I have something new to look forward to every day.

You may want to try joining Postcrossing too, esp. if you'd like to get surprises in your mailbox. I know I do! ^_^ Well, till next post... ta-tah!

Scarlett Johansson as Lucy (Movie)

2014-06-28T03:14:00.000+08:00

Transformers 4 : Age of Extinction is showing in theaters this weekend, so my daughter had a movie bonding day with her dad yesterday morning. Upon coming home, she was excitedly telling me about the trailer of an upcoming movie starring Scarlett Johansson. She said it was an action movie and that it seemed interesting... Here's a clip from YouTube...

I kinda agree that the movie seems pretty awesome. I guess we're going to wait for the showing... perhaps some time in August! ^_^

June 24 -- Manila Day

2014-06-24T03:11:00.001+08:00

credits to owner of photo

It's the 443rd founding anniversary of the city of Manila. As such, it's a special non-working day in the city. ^_^ Students in the city are naturally happy to take another break from school... Yeah!

Sleepless in Manila

2014-06-22T01:46:00.000+08:00

I do miss posting on this blog. I guess that life happens all the time that I hardly took time to stop and think of what to share here. Tonight, it's actually early morning where I am, I find myself being random once again. It's about time, actually. So here I am, sleepless under Manila sky. I'm so used to having my daughter around that I totally miss her. She's spending the night at her dad's place -- yes, he's back for just a little while (I hope) after around seven years. I'd be too selfish not to let her go, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be to be away from her even for a night. That's one down side of being a hands on mom I suppose. Alas, I have to find something to do to keep my hands and thoughts busy. It's a good thing I have my online marketing stuff to work on. I do need to step up on my online earning ventures. Two of my PTC sites recently closed down. I would need new ones to take their place. Plus, I do need to blog more often. It's just that sometimes I don't really feel like sharing anything. Yup, I blame it on my mood swings.. LOL! I know I will get around to sharing more stuff soon. One day at a time... right now I need to focus on what I'm doing. For the next few hours, this is going to be me...

5 Tips for Men on Valentine's Day

2014-02-13T10:50:00.000+08:00

And so just for today I'm the love guru... just kidding! Since it's in season, I might as well pass this on. My inspiration was an email I got from John Gray, Ph.D.

"Valentine's Day should be all about her, so the most important thing a man can do is plan ahead." - John Gray, Ph.D.

1. Get her a card or write her a letter.

Personally, I'd go for a personalized letter. You don't need to be a poet or writer to come up with a really good one. Just write from the heart and let it flow through. I find that really romantic. Or if you're still having trouble, just grab a Hallmark card and you'll be fine.

2. Buy her roses.

I would suggest you buy her her favorite flowers, like tulips or carnations perhaps. Find out ahead of time. Although I personally still like roses, they're a bit too common around this time.

3. Plan a date.

I've been coming across a lot of articles about nice places to go to for this Valentine's esp. if you are on a budget. Personally I don't believe it's how lavish your celebration is. It could just be a simple yet romantic and intimate occasion. Perhaps you can cook a special dinner for two instead, if that's your thing.

4. Buy her or make her a gift.

If you're the creative type, making your own gift is special. However, there are lots of shops where you can purchase personalized gifts too.

5. Make it special.

Make every celebration special and memorable. It's really worth building lots of good memories together.

Christmas Graphic Comments

World Capitals (An Answer Guide to Freerice.com)

2014-02-06T08:12:00.001+08:00

I've been assisting my daughter in reaching her target assignment of 240,000 points on Freerice.com. One of my favorite categories is "World Capitals." I must admit it's a bit tough to remember all of the answers, and so, I came up with this list to assist and guide me. I also hope it helps out those who need it. The list is by far incomplete. They are based on the ones I have encountered most. I will work on adding new entries as I come upon them.

Items below are listed as Capital - Country:

Abu Dhabi = United Arab Emirates

Abuja = Nigeria

Accra = Ghana

Addis Ababa = Ethiopia
Ankara = Turkey

Antananarivo = Madagascar

Apia = Samoa

Ashgabat = Turkmenistan

Astana = Kazakhstan

Bamako = Mali
Bangkok = Thailand

Bangui = Central African Republic
Banjul = The Gambia

Basseterre = Saint Kitts and Nevis

Belgrade = Serbia
Belmopan = Belize

Bishkek = Kyrgyzstan

Bratislava = Slovakia

Brazzaville = Congo-Republic

Bridgetown = Barbados

Bucharest = Romania

Bujumbura = Burundi

Canberra = Australia

Caracas = Venezuela

Castries = Saint Lucia

Chisinau = Moldova

Colombo = Sri Lanka

Conakry = Guinea
Copenhagen = Denmark

Dhaka = Bangladesh

Dili = Timor-Leste

Dodoma = Tanzania

Doha = Qatar
Dublin = Ireland

Dushanbe = Tajikistan

Freetown = Sierra Leone

Funafuti = Tuvalu

Gaborone = Botswana

Georgetown = Guyana
Guatemala City = Guatemala

Harare = Zimbabwe

Honiara = Solomon Islands

Kampala = Uganda
Kiev = Ukraine

Kigali = Rwanda

Kingstown = Saint Vincent-Grenadines

Kinshasa = Congo-Democratic Republic
Kuala Lumpur = Malaysia

Libreville = Gabon

Lilongwe = Malawi
Lima = Peru
Ljubljana = Slovenia

Lome = Togo
London = United Kingdom
Luanda = Angola

Lusaka = Zambia

Majuro = Marshall Islands
Malabo = Equatorial Guinea

Managua = Nicaragua
Maputo = Mozambique

Maseru = Lesotho
Melekeok = Palau
Mexico City = Mexico

Minsk = Belarus

Monrovia = Liberia

Montevideo = Uruguay
Muscat = Oman

Nassau = The Bahamas
Niamey = Niger

Nouakchott = Mauritania

Nuku'alofa = Tonga

Oslo = Norway
Ottawa = Canada

Palikir = Micronesia Panama City = Panama

Paramaribo = Suriname

Phnom Penh = Cambodia
Podgorica = Montenegro

Port Louis = Mauritius
Port Moresby = Papua New Guinea

Port-Vila = Vanuatu
Port-of-Spain = Trinidad and Tobago
Porto-Novo = Benin

Pretoria = South Africa

Rabat = Morocco

Roseau = Dominica

Saint John's = Antigua and Barbuda

Saint George's = Grenada
Sanaa = Yemen
San Salvador = El Salvador
Santiago = Chile
Sarajevo = Bosnia and Herzegovina
Skopje = Macedonia

Suva = Fiji

Tallinn = Estonia

Tarawa = Kiribati

Tashkent = Uzbekistan
Tegucigalpa = Honduras

Tirane = Albania

Tokyo = Japan

Tunis = Tunisia

Victoria = Seychelles

Vientiane = Laos

Vilnius = Lithuania

Wellington = New Zealand

Windhoek = Namibia

Yamoussoukro = Cote d'Ivoire

Yaounde = Cameroon

Yerevan = Armenia

Zagreb = Croatia

MMFF 2013 : Kimmy Dora Ang Kiyemeng Prequel

2013-12-21T08:30:00.000+08:00

Although this Kimmy Dora movie is the third installment, it seems that it's actually supposed to be the prequel. I must admit that I'm a fan of the series. I still remember the tummy ache I got from laughing the first time I watched the first series on the big screen. Besides, I do enjoy Eugene Domingo's comedy. I can't miss this one as it's the last of the Kimmy Dora trilogy (Well, first, since it's the prequel.) Okay now that sounds confusing! LOL ^_^

Metro Manila Film Festival 2013 begins on December 25th and runs till January 1st. Sometimes it gets extended, depending on how popular the movies are. I hope that Kimmy Dora makes it big amidst the bigger movies showing alongside it. Plus, it also stars Sam Milby. The movie promises to be funny as well as action-packed.

MMFF 2013 : 10,000 Hours

2013-12-20T08:30:00.000+08:00

Here's another official Metro Manila Film Festival 2013 entry called "10,000 Hours" that stars Robin Padilla and many more. It's another action movie and it really looks interesting. I want to watch it too!

Robin Padilla is no doubt one of the best action stars around. I don't quite recall any of his contemporaries who are still active in making movies. Anyway, one other good thing is that Bb. Joyce Bernal also directs this film.

The trailer really looks promising!

credits to owner

MMFF 2013 : Boy Golden "The Arturo Porcuna Story"

2013-12-19T08:30:00.000+08:00

Now, this is one Metro Manila Film Festival 2013 film entry that I would like to see -- "Boy Golden : The Arturo Porcuna Story" ! The main reason is that KC Concepcion stars in another different kind of role! Wow, I've noticed that KC has the knack for doing something bold, daring, and different! I think I like it as it shows how versatile she is as an artist!

KC Concepcion recently won the Best Supporting Actress award from Star Awards for TV for her outstanding performance as Alexis. This time around, I hope that she will get noticed once again and get a nomination... and win (I'm wishing) for Best Actress.