The Fickle Minded

What's Going On

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:01:00 +0000

It's been a looooong time since I made my last entry. I felt bad I didn't have any single post in 2011. But looking back, 2011 is such a busy year for me. Having Andre and Jaden have completely changed my life for the better of course but that means I don't have much extra time. Even if I have a nanny, it doesn't feel like I have one because each of us is focused on one of the Twins at all times. In the early months of my Twins, even bathroom breaks were considered a luxury, much more a decent shower.

I only had a reliever when we went back to the Philippines. Actually, I had many relievers because of relatives who are excited to see and play with the Twins and volunteered in taking care of them. We stayed in Philippines, both in Manila and Bataan for about five (5) months. During my free times, I took the opportunity to take baking and cake decorating lessons.

As soon as we got back here, the Babies got sick on and off for about three (3) weeks. I also started the preparation for my Twins' 1st birthday party. After the party, I got busy preparing for Christmas. It was my intention to launch my home-based business before Christmas to take advantage of the holiday season business opportunities. But between Twin's birthday and Christmas time is such a short-time to prepare considering that I'm still a full time mom. I was so glad that I had the chance to participate in the Museum of Islamic Art Bazaar to make up for the missed opportunity. It gave me the chance to showcase my baked products to wider audience. It also gave my friends a chance to try my products by buying retail quantities. The bazaar will be a regular activity, happening every first Saturday of the month except on summer months of July, August and September. So that's something that will keep me busy for the next few months, aside from taking care of the Twins.

E-mail Scam? - AAA Liquidators Warehouse

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:45:00 +0000

I just received what looks like an e-mail scam. It's either a scam or perhaps illegal activities that needs someone to work for them. I actually googled "AAA Liquidation Warehouse Scam" and it did not yield any result except for this FB link. Looks like e-mails were sent in the Philippines sometime in December. Google search results also provide maps, etc. of this AAA Liquidation company. There's even a positive review at bloglines though it's also suspicious. I don't believe in product reviews anymore because when I was looking for "work at home jobs," there are many "job openings" to make positive reviews of their products. If you receive this e-mail, beware. I really think it's scam because....

- First, the offer...It's too good to be true. If you search for jobs from home...the most you can receive for virtual assistants is US$ 15/hour.

- Why would a company entrust receiving payments to a stranger? Considering the offer, it is safe to assume that receivables would be large sums. For legit transactions, bank transfer is the usual mode of transfer - not western union. So either it's a scam or illegal activities going on.

Here's a copy of the email...

ATTENTION :::::::::We are one of the largest Hotel / Restaurant equipment warehouse in Miami USA. Due to the large amount of order we receive from Qatar, we are in urgent need of workers who will work part time as payment/fund receiving agents.JOB RESPONSIBILITY / MAIN REQUIREMENTSOur customers in Qatar will divert payments to you, we will then give instructions on how to remit the funds to any of our office location or clients in UK using Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram. Payment will be sent in QAR and you will instantly deduct QAR 3,500 on every payment and also get a Monthly Payment of $4,000 (USD). You will receive about 2 payments weekly.IF INTERESTED, EMAIL US THE FOLLOWING DETAILS:Full Name : Contact Address : Mobile Phone Number : Age : Current Occupation : Do you have a DOHA BANK ACCOUNT ? : Note: You are required to have a DOHA BANK ACCOUNT (Account will be used in receiving payments)Our agent will call you to give you more information and also guide you regarding this offer once we receive your application. We will also email you your employment letter and a sample of our products.Awaiting your quick response and application. Confirmation and Employment letter will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

Two More Sleeps

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Note: Found this entry in my drafts. It was originally written on November 28, 2010, two days before my scheduled CS delivery. Somehow, I did not finish it; thus, it wasn't published. But I'm posting it anyway.

I thought I’ll write an update before I deliver my twins. Two more sleeps before my little angels will come out but tonight will be the last night I’m going to have a peaceful sleep. Tomorrow evening, I’ll be admitted at the hospital in preparation for the CS delivery the following day. When we go back home, we’ll have little angels whom I hope will not be cry babies like when mommy was a baby.

I haven’t posted any update since I entered the second trimester of pregnancy so I’ll pick up from where I left off last time. By the time I entered the second trimester, my nausea slowly went away. My sensitivity to smell also started to decrease though it did not completely go away. Until now, there are certain smells which I cannot stand for long periods. I started to have an increased appetite at around 24 weeks – about the same time I tested positive for gestational diabetes so I was put on diet for the rest of my pregnancy.

I’m glad I started my leave as early as my 29th week because my energy level has gone down even before I entered the third trimester. I easily get tired and I can’t stand for long periods. Finding a comfortable sleeping position became more and more difficult specially during the last three to four weeks. I am also struggling to get up and the and the first few steps after getting up from lying down position are painful. Trips to the bathroom became more frequent and there's always a feeling of urgency!

13th Week Scan

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:35:00 +0000

I had my 13th week scan on June 14th at a private hospital (Al Ahli Hospital) and on the June 16th at a government hospital (Hamad Medical Center). Yes, I go to two hospitals and two different doctors for my pre-natal check-up. If you are wondering why...My husband is not very happy that he is not allowed to join me during ultra sound scans at Hamad Hospital so we decided to do parallel check-ups at a private hospital. Why not just have the pre-natal at Al Ahli then? I didn't want to stop visiting my doctor at Hamad Hospital until I've decided where to deliver.

Scan done between 11 to 14 weeks is called Nuchal Translucency screening to assess the baby's risk of having down syndrome. During the scan, they check the nuchal fold or the fluid on the baby's neck and the nose bridge. Babies with down syndrome tend to accumulate more fluid in the neck. This test can only assess whether the baby is likely to have a down syndrome but does not provide a definite diagnosis. A diagnostic test maybe done if the fetus has a high risk of having down syndrome.

I'm glad that both scans came out with normal results. Next important scan will be between 18 to 20 weeks to determine if the baby is developing normally. It is commonly referred to as anomaly scan. At this time, the gender can also be determined, if the baby is in the right position. So excited for the weeks to come!

1st Trimester Ends, 2nd Trimester Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:29:00 +0000

***written on June 7th***

Today, I'm exactly at 12 weeks of my pregnancy based on my LMP. The 1st trimester has officially ended and I'm about to enter the 2nd trimester. I am really hoping that I'd feel much better in the days to come.

While I've been compalining of feeling sick from time to time, I think I'm among the lucky women who have manageable pregnancy symptoms. As long as I avoid anything that triggers my nausea, I'm fine. The most challenging for me is my heightened sense of smell. There are times...I'll rephrase that - I can't really stand being in the kitchen or just being outside our room when something is being cooked in the kitchen. The smell is just unbearable and makes me really sick. I can't even bring dirty plates to the sink because it makes me want to puke even just standing near the kitchen. Walter comes to a point where he doesn't know what to do anymore :) It's also frustrating that I can't do anything in the kitchen - not even getting water from the fridge.

Well, now that I'm entering the 2nd trim, I do hope that my sense of smell will be back to its normal levels or at least at less intense levels.
How about you? How do you manage pregnancy symptoms?

9th Week Scan

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Last monday (May 17th), I went for my 9th week scan. Actually it was a follow-up of the previous scan to determine the viability of the third sac. At this time, the third sac still has no heart beat and was concluded not to be a viable so it's definitely going to be twins! I did not go back to my doctor after the scan. He said, there's no need to visit him. If the sac did not develop, it will just be re-absorb into the uterus so there's nothing to worry about that.

When I found out about the possibility of triplets, I was thrilled by the idea. But somehow, I felt relieved that that there's only two and not three. Having twins will have lesser complications for me and the babies. Risk of pre-mature birth will be much lower and I'm sure the prenancy itself will be more managebale.

Given the chance, would you like to have twins?

The Cravings and Nausea

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Unlike other women, I don't have any weird cravings; but, I did have strong cravings for Filipino food during the early weeks (before the 6th week) of my pregnancy. Unfortunately, there's no pork here so I am not able to eat anything pork during that time.

I'm glad that during the early weeks of my pregnancy, I did not feel sick at all. But by the time I reached six (6) weeks of gestation, I started feeling nauseated intermittently. It wasn't too bad though and good thing is I am not throwing-up. In fact, I am able to go to work without any problems. Later on, I found out that keeping myself stuffed relieves me of feeling sick. Eating cereals, apples, bananas, small sandwiches between main meals kept my nausea away.

But I have another problem. By 6th week, I developed a strong sense of smell and I feel sick whenever I smell food being cooked especially garlic. I started being picky with what I eat. I can't eat food with very strong flavor like green bell pepper and coriander although I am still able to enjoy a wide variety of dishes. I also can't stand stinky smell like that of dirty rest room and strong body odor, not even for few seconds.

Overall, my pregnancy is going well with manageable discomfort. I easily get tired and I can't stand for long periods but that's also manageable. Can't wait for the nausea to go away completely! I am so looking forward for the second timester. How's your pregnancy experience?

It's Twins

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Tue, 11 May 2010 07:23:00 +0000

So we went for a scan yesterday morning. The ultrasound (U/S) tech found heart beats in two out of the three sacs. We're having twins!!!! I'm very happy with this development. The U/S tech gave another schedule after one week to confirm the heart beat of the third sac.

In the afternoon, we visited Dr. Shahata and he explained to us that it is unlikely that the third sac will still develop heart beat since I'm already at 8 weeks of gestation. He also told us that having twins will have lesser complications than having triplets so we shouldn't feel feel bad if the third sac will not develop at all. He gave me enough meds (progesterone and folic acid) for another six weeks. Another U/S was scheduled on the 13th week of gestation to confirm if my baby is developing normally. He also ordered blood tests and urine tests as part of routine lab tests.

While I'm quite happy with my doctor at Hamad Women's Hospital, we will be seeing another doctor in a private clinic later today because Walter wants to see the heart beat in the U/S scan. He feels deprived of the joy of seeing and hearing his babies because men are not allowed inside the U/S sound room at Hamad and copies of U/S reports are also not provided to patients.

I am happy that my pregnancy is progressing very well. Can't wait for the next months to come and finally see them in flesh.

Too Excited

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sun, 09 May 2010 11:59:00 +0000

***This post was witten on May 9, 2010 and intentionally published on May 11, 2006***

I am scheduled for another ultrasound tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll finally see the fetal heart beat in at least one of the three sacs in my womb. Too excited to think of anything else. Lord, we're only asking for one, but if you give us triplets, we'll be very grateful.

The Long Wait is Over

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:57:00 +0000

***This post was written on May 3, 2010 and published on May 11, 2010***

Finally, after waiting for six long years, I am pregnant! My husband and I are overjoyed by this blessing. I can't say much at this point because I'm only at 7 weeks of gestation. I had my ultrasound (U/S) last week (at 6 weeks gestation) and they found three (3) gestational sacs but only one of them has a yolk sac and none of the sacs has fetal heart beat yet. Actually, I was a bit shocked to find out there are three sacs in my womb and that there is a high possibility of carrying a triplets. As soon as it sank-in , my mind raced as fast as a bullet train and I thought of 3 car seats, 3 strollers, bigger car, loads of feeding bottle, baby dresses, etc. My nausea also quickly disappeared! At the same time, I was thrilled by the idea of having triplets. When I came back to the car and told Walter of the results, he was also a bit shocked but very proud :)

In the afternoon, I visited my doctor and he said, it's too early to conclude anything at this point because there's still a high possibility that fetal heart beat may not develop in any or all three sacs. I need another U/S at least a week later to confirm the fetal heart beat. Since I was scheduled for another U/S in two weeks, I'll just wait patiently for my schedule because early U/S sometimes gives unnecessary disappointment.

Welcoming 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:52:00 +0000

It’s been al most a year since my last update. Yes, I am one of those people who neglected blogging because of FB addiction. LOLs. As much as I would like to write updates regularly, it’s difficult to juggle between work, household chores, baking, FB and FB games. Many times, I attempted to write an update but crops waiting to be harvested and dishes waiting to be served kept me glued to FB . Yes, it’s bad, I know.

I have to admit that while FB is more exciting, blogging is still better than posting mini-updates in FB. Some thoughts are just too long to be posted as status updates and it’s really nice to keep a proper journal of personal thoughts in a personal domain.

As I welcome 2010, I hope to catch-up on my posts as well as my blog-friends.

Tough Four

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Again, I was tagged by Dee to do this meme. It's a bit tough to choose the best answers as I love so many things. My answers are the first things that came to my mind and not necessarily my top four (4) favorites.

Enjoy reading and don't forget to tag your friends.

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Environmental Specialist, (DENR, Philippines)
2. Project Officer (Office of the President)
3. Laboratory Engineer (Schlumberger, Qatar)
4. Environmental Consultant, (Doha, Qatar)

Four movies I watch over and over:

1. The Sound of Music
2. Sex & the City
3. Titanic
4. Ghost

Four places I have lived:

1. Bataan, Philippines
2. Manila, Philippines
3. Pampanga, Philippines
4. Doha, Qatar

Four TV shows that I watch (or used to watch):

1. CSI
2. Sex & the City
3. Scrubs
4. Lost

Four CDs/songs I could listen to over and over:

1. Oldies by goodies music
2. Love songs
3. Our wedding CD
4. Danceable music

Four best places you have been:

1. Boracay, Philippines
2. Paris, France
3. Florence and Rome, Italy
4. Bruges, Belgium

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Pinoy
2. Chinese
3. Japanese
4. Italian

Four of my favorite beverages:

1. Diet Pepsi
2. Florida’s fresh fruit juices
3. Iced tea with lots of ice and sweetened with syrup
4. Water

Four things you are looking forward to the rest of this year:

1. Getting pregnant
2. HK trip with family
3. Weight loss
4. Achieving my savings goal

Another Meme...

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:23:00 +0000

It seems that there are more meme in Facebook. I was tagged again by Dee and ofcourse I answered the questions. Memes keep my blog busy while I am not in full blogging mode yet. Hehehehehe!!!!

* * * * * * *

Indulge me, really interested to know your answers :)

Post this list on your profile (in Notes) replacing my answers with yours. Tag 25 people to do the same thing. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you :)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, the perfume NINA RICCI

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Two weeks ago.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, except when I am in a hurry.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Luncheon meat? SPAM and SPAM and SPAM

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Still making one :)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, because I am
loyal and sincere.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Sometimes, when one tries to use sarcasm on me ;)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? So far, yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, I don’t like extreme activities.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Muesli with lots of nuts and dried fruits.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, because my feet are big and
difficult to remove shoes from my feet :)

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Authentic gelato.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? The face – eyes, nose and lips.

15. RED OR PINK? Pink.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Fats in the "wrong" places
(copying Dee’s answer, hehehehe).

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Right now, I miss nephew!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? Yes, if they can.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? White capri and black silk blouse,
house slippers.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? None, I am watching TV while waiting for my husband.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purple.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Fresh and crisp scent.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My brother, he called a few minutes ago.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes :)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? None really but the last one I’ve watched is Tennis
during the 2009 Qatar Open.

27. HAIR COLOR? Black.

28. EYE COLOR? Black.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I used to before I underwent LASIK.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Pork, Pork, Pork. I miss so it much ‘coz there’s no pork here.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, of course ;) I never liked scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Confessions of a Shopaholic.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Black silk blouse

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Since winter here is actually the summer in other countries, I’d go for winter but my favorite is spring.

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs only.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I have no idea.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I have no idea.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? None but I blog hop everyday if that counts in lieu of books.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I have an optical mouse so mouse pad is not necessary.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? GMA news.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S) old songs, instrumental music, etc.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles, only because I know some of their songs.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Europe / USA/ Middle East

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Hmmm….Eating?

46 WHERE WERE U BORN? Bataan, Philippines

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Everyone’s

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? He is a colleague from my previous work.

I'm not tagging anyone, although I tagged some people in my facebok account. Let me know if you did this meme so I can visit yours :)

Arrgh, it's back again!

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:08:00 +0000

I gained back those stubborn pounds again plus more! It’s so frustrating to try different types of diet, start an exercise program, which I can’t sustain, etc. I wish there’s a more effective solution to my never ending saga to lose weight. I am thinking of trying Acai Berry for a change. Any thoughts?

Hibernate Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:03:00 +0000

I will be in hibernate mode indefintely to attend to some personal matters. I will still check updates and read e-mails but will be inactive most of the time. Talk to you guys soon!

25 Random Things About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:33:00 +0000

I originally posted this in my Facebook Notes. If you have a facebook account, you might have been tagged also to do this meme. It's my first time to do "random things" meme and I had fun with this one!

1. I get upset when people make me wait for a long time (read: wasting my precious time) especially if we agreed to meet at a specific schedule.

2. I was born and raised in Bataan.

3. Me and my ultimate best friend have known each other since we were five-year olds. We were classmates in nursery and grade school and roommates in college. The only time we were separated for a long time (physically and geographically) was when I went here in Qatar in 2004 and eventually she went to the US in 2006.

4. I took piano lessons when I was in grade four and continued it in high school but never performed a recital and can’t play any piece now.

5. I passed PSHS's first screening exam but I am not able to take the second screening exam.

6. I went to an all-girls high school in Guagua, Pampanga.

7. I’ve always wanted to become a CPA but ended up taking Chemical Engineering at DLSU.

8. I took Master of Engineering major in Environmental Engineering and Management at DLSU but I’m yet to complete my project to earn the degree.

9. In 1999, I was chosen as Reyna Elena in Santacruzan held in Balanga, Bataan with Illac Diaz as my escort.

10. When we were steadies, I broke-up with Walter by writing him a break-up letter. We had no communication for two years until one day, he sent me a text message asking for some info and the rest is history.

11. My husband is also a Chemical Engineer.

12. My husband bought me a nice electronic threadmill so I can exercise at home. It’s gathering dust now.

13. My high school best friend passed away in 2005.

14. I used to have very bad eyesight (around -5.5) until I underwent LASIK surgery at Asian Eye Institute in 2007.

15. I love travelling. My ultimate travel goal is to visit all the beautiful places in the Philippines before turning 50.

16. I collect ref magnets of places (cities and countries) we’ve been to.

17. I used to be a COKE light (diet) fan but I am diet PEPSI convert now.

18. I enjoy baking. Part of my long-term goal is to study pastry arts, put up my own bakeshop and enter into food processing business.

19. Given the opportunity, I want to study MBA at Asian Institute of Management

20. I had a completely different outlook about my finances after my graduate school classmate introduced me to Rich Dad, Poor Dad book (by Robert Kiyosaki).

21. I want to be financially independent at 45.

22. I want to do scuba diving but I need to learn to swim first.

23. One time, somebody asked me out because he wanted to use his GC from a certain restaurant in Malate but he made it clear that it’s going to be dutch treat. Am I too assuming or he is just a cheapo?

24. I prefer home-cooked food anytime.

25. I want to retire in the Philippines.

After writing this, I felt like I'm a boring person. What do you think?

More Cravings...

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:14:00 +0000

I will not refuse a delish chicken empanda anytime...

I baked this during the New Year...hoping to do some baking again sometime soon! Do you like chicken empanada?

Cravings...

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:50:00 +0000

I'm so craving for this...

...but I don't have time to bake yet. Are you craving for anything right now?

Priorities of a Good husband

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:36:00 +0000

I came across a blog entry entitled "Duties of a Good Husband" from A Good Husband. The post was interesting as it talks about what should be the order of priorities of a good husband according to Richard Moffat. Okay, I don't know who Richard Moffat is. I tried to google him but I didn't find relevant results. Anyhow, A Good Husband listed the following priorities in order of importance.

1. A Higher Power
2. Self
3. Spouse
4. Chruch/Volunteering
5. Career
6. Social

The complete entry is here. The post is interesting but it made me feel good seeing the spouse is third on the list while career and social are at the bottom. That means as a spouse I have every right to be given attention and importance before career and social. It's surprising though that the kids are not on the list. I assume spouse also means family.

I know some husbandsd can be very workaholic or have too much social activities like hanging out with friends 'til morning, bar hopping or simply chilling out. I hope every husband out there should not forget that their wife should be given more attention and importance than career or social activities.

Do you agree with listed order of importance? Are you a good husband?

Looking Ahead 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:13:00 +0000

Last year, I wrote my goals for the first time. Periodically, I reviewed my progress in fulfilling them but unfortunately, I was not able to post any updates in this blog. In my previous entry, I revisited my last year's goals to see how much I've accomplished by the end of the year and I'm happy that I fared well.

This year, I am writing my S-M-A-R-T goals once again. I divided them into two groups: personal and financial. The fianancial goals include those that involve money while was placed under personal goals. Some of my goals are non-bloggable and not published here.

S-pecific M-easurable A-ttainable R-elevant T-ime-bounded

Personal Goals

- Consult a good Ob-Gyne and be diligent in follow-up check-ups.

- Threadmill exercise 3x per week, 30 minutes per day.

- Read at least four (4) good books by end of the year.

- Try at least one new recipe per month.

- Discover four (4) new places in Qatar.

- Complete the board interview for Project Management certification

Personal Finance

- Save at least X amount per month for my own (separate) savings account.

- Save X amount by end of the year to replenish our high yield savings account.

- Continue paying my credit card bills in full every billing cycle.

- Buy a term insurance.

- Add X amount in our Mutual Fund investment.

- Buy a new personal laptop by 4th quarter of the year.

- Travel to at least one international destination (where I haven’t been to).

- Travel to at least one destination (where I haven’t been to) in the Philippines.

Revisting my 2008 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:05:00 +0000

I know, this post is long due. Most people revisited their last year's goal as the New Year unfolded. But I guess it is still good to post how I fared in fulfilling my my 2008 goals before writing my 2009 goals.

Last year, I targeted to review my goals regularly and post the progress in this blog. While I am able to do the regular reviews, unfortunately, I am not able to post my progress. Nevertheless, I am quite happy with my last year's achievement.

Last year, I divided my goals into three parts: Personal, Work and Financial. The financial goals included anything that involved significant amount of money. Other goals went under personal and work-related ones went under personal goals at work. I pasted my 2008 goals here (bold) and wrote my accomplishments below each goal.

Personal Goals

Have a baby.
This is more of a hope/wish rather than a goal. Unfortunately, we were not blessed with a cutie little angel yet. This year, I plan to visit a good doctor back home for serious consultation.

Lose 20 pounds by end of the year.
I lost about 14 lbs and gained it back towards the end of the year! I have to persevere more this year.

Read at least one book per month.
I’ve read only four (4) but I visited lots and lots of blog. I haven’t really read any good book for a long time. I will add this again to my 2009 goals.

Do at least one different activity per month.
I did ten (10) new activities including (watching tennis games (men’s), trip to singing dunes, an afternoon at Wakrah beach, Dukhan beach, Zekreet, Fuwairit Beach, Fort Zubarah, attending 110th Philippine Independence Day, The Pearl Qatar, watching tennis games (women’s), Al Ghariya Beach. I also tried five (5) new eating places.

Personal Goals at Work

Complete at least one on-line training per week.
I started slow, letting the first few weeks pass not doing any training. When I realized that I am not progressing, I set a specific day and time for doing the on-line trainings. From then on, I consistently finished three (3) for four (4) trainings per week. By mid-year, I 've completed the all the required training for Project Management(PM) certification.

Complete the PM Curriculum.

This is related to the above. I've completed all the trainings required and I just need to pass the board interview (which is one of my 2009 goals) to become full-pledged certified Project Manager.

Personal Finance

Achieve my planned savings of _________ for 2008. Keep part of this amount in a high-yield savings account. Then a good portion of this will be allotted for a family trip to Hong Kong in 2009.
Me and my husband started saving a certain amount every month and we did open a high yield savings account, which was supposed to serve as our emergency fund too. However, we had to revise our savings plan when we found a lot property in a very good location. We did not achieve our original cash savings goal but I believe we've made a very good investment move despite the current global financial crisis.

Open a high-yield savings account in Qatar by 2nd Quarter.
I did open a high-yield savings account (cum emergency fund) but much of it was diverted into a lot investment. This year, we plan to replenish this account.

Start a financial investment (equity) in Qatar by 3rd Quarter.
I was able to accomplish this by second quarter of the year although I wish I did not do it too soon because by third quarter, the global financial crisis happened. My investments shrank almost 50%. But since I have a long-term outlook, I am not worried at this point.

Pay my credit card in full every billing cycle.
I was glad that in 2008, I did not incur any finance charge for my credit cards. I diligently paid all my credit card bills every month.

Repainting of my old car by 3rd quarter.
It costed a lot of money including other repairs but this goal was accomplished.

Travel to at least one international destination by end of the year.
Despite some hesitation, we went to France and Italy. I wish though, we went a few weeks later when the Euros weakened :)

LP - Lila, Kahel, Asul at Pula

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Mga ka-LP, kumusta na? Hindi ako nakasali noong mga nakaraang linggo kaya eto at pinag-isa ko ang lahok para sa apat na Linggo.

Hindi ako mahilig sa ube cake pero noong naging OFW ako, lagi akong bumibili doon sa Pinay na na gumagawa ng made-to-order na ube cake kasi pinoy na pinoy sya. Kapag pasko ito rin ang ipinapalit ko sa tradisyonal na halayang ube. Yong unang larawan, halaya ang icing nya kaya parang may halayang ube na rin kami kapag pasko. Yong pangalawang larawan naman ay bigay sa amin yan noong pasko. Pareho silang masarap.

Ito ang kulay-kahel na sand dunes sa Dubai. Noong 2006, nag sand dunes bashing kami sa Dubai na talaga namang kakaibang experience. Nakakalungkot lang kasi ang daming kalat na naiiwan ng mga turista sa disyerto gaya ng water bottles. Noong December 2007, nag sand dunes bashing din kami dito sa Qatar. Pero hindi mala-kahel ang buhangin sa Qatar, mas maputla.

Ito ay isang kite na ginagamit sa kite surfing. Magandang pagmasdan ang grupo ng surfers kapag sila ay nagsu-surf. Nakaka-aliw ang kanilang pag-glide ayon sa ihip ng hangin.

Ang pulang gumamela na ito ay sya na atang pinaka-karaniwang variety ng gumamela na makikita kahit sa text books. Sinasabing ang gumamela ay complete flower dahil lahat ng parte ng isang bulaklak ay meron sya kaya sya ang pinag-aaralan sa science kapag parts of flower na ang lesson.

Alin ang nagustuhan nyo sa apat na litrato?

Bisitahin ang iba pang miyembro ng Litratong Pinoy.

Mileage

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Sometimes, there are unimportant things that bothers me. One of them is the space after a period and another one is the use of word mileage to mean travel allowance or total distance traveled.

mileage

Pronunciation: \'mī-lij\

Function: noun

Date: 1754

1: an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile2: aggregate length or distance in miles: as a: the total miles traveled especially in a given period of time b: the amount of service that something will yield especially as expressed in terms of miles of travel c: the average number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline that is used as a measure of fuel economy

Source: Merriam-Webster

So what's the fuss? It's just that Qatar and Philippines are using metric system; hence, distance (especially distance travelled by cars) are measured in meters, kilometers, centimeters, millimeter and not miles. But then I guess, in the end it doesn't really matter as long as you can understand each other. Besides, I also don't know any word with similar meaning but less specific to the unit of measurement so I guess, I will still use mileage :)

*Updated Jan 26, 2009*

Oh I forgot, the air miles accumulated in air travel is also called mileage but that one is used properly because the mileage points is really calculated based on the distance travelled in miles. What bothers me sometimes is when car travel allowance is referred to as mileage when in fact the allowance is based on kilometers travelled (atleast here and in the Philippines). Also, when you have a car, you are usually asked "Ilan na ba ang mileage ng kotse mo" (how many mileage have you done already?) though the distance displayed is really kilometers.

Abandoned Cars in Dubai...

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Last night, I was chatting with my friend who is based in Dubai. One of the things we talked about is how the global financial crisis is affecting Dubai and Qatar and their residents. I was shocked when she told me that there were hundreds of abandoned cars in the parking lot of Dubai International Airport. I cannot confirm the estimated number of abandoned cars because news articles are giving different figures from less than 100 to as much as 3,000. It appears that the owners left Dubai after losing jobs and unable to repay loans. She said the banks have stopped giving car loans. This says a lot about the real situation in Dubai and frankly, it's quite alarming!

So far, how is the global financial crisis affecting you?

Who is your first love?

noreply@blogger.com (Nina) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:11:00 +0000

When I saw this video from Reyna Elena. . . I watched it over and over again. I was so touched and teary-eyed right after. . .