Greeting all of you a…

Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone out there!

I wish all of you good luck, good health, and more blessings for the rest of the year.

Left homeless

My heart goes out to the many families left homeless by Bagyong Ondoy. It is hard to see your house that you worked hard for left to ruins. I know that it’s also hard to part with it, especially if you’ve called it home for the past 10 years, more so three decades. A family stuck to their home despite the danger it posed because according to the matriarch, they’ve lived there for more than 30 years already. I know it’s bad to be too much attached to any material thing but you can’t fault these people. Blood and sweat were shed just to be able to afford a house of their own. And then to leave it just like that? I am sure each one of us won’t be able to do it easily.

We are lucky that the place of our residence is on an elevated area. We didn’t experience any flooding and our street looked normal if you wouldn’t look to the left and to the right. Neighboring streets were neck-deep in flood water.

I hope everyone’s safe. Classes in all levels are suspended for this week and will resume Monday next week already. There is a brewing storm about to enter the country within the day and I hope every one is prepared for this.

Keep safe!

Last will and testament

With all the talks about Michael Jackson’s will, you are given the chance to realize that a last will and testament is very important. Regardless of how little you have, you need to be able to clearly define to whom it will be given once you are gone. It is better to be prepared for any eventuality so that the ones you will leave behind won’t have a hard time determining which is which and to whom it will be. Or worst, fight for the biggest chunk they can get from your estate.

This talk about a last will reminded me of a neighbor’s large family that he left behind. His children fought like dogs out for a large bone once he was buried. They were fighting for the house. It was determined later on that he left a last will stating that his house will be subdivided between his children and that should they continue to fight for sole possession of the house, it will be turned over to a relative that took care of him while he’s sick. That settled the issue.

Lesson learned: It doesn’t matter when you will die, or how much you will leave behind. Make sure you have a last will and testament that you will leave that clearly defines the division of your estate.

Rainy Friday

It’s the end of another day for me. My day ends before 6AM everyday. I work at odd hours and have found myself to be productive during these times. I was able to drop EC and do some posts. I am still wide awake, my sisters are listening to the radio regarding suspension of classes. Both teachers are going to school today.

I wonder why our weather bureau and the Department of Education can’t decide right away whether to suspend classes or not. The PAGASA can’t even predict the weather accurately! What kind of weather equipments are this government agency’s using?!? Today, June 5, 2009, all elementary and high school classes in the NCR are suspended, both public and private. DepEd made the announcement at 5:20AM! I hope the kids are still at home and have heard the announcement by now. Heavy rains will pour around 8AM according to PAGASA.

Be careful everyone! Happy rainy Friday!

Costly education

I just got the assessment form for my brother’s first semester in second year college. Can you guess how big my eyes became when I saw the tuition fees? Yes, that big! Only one thing crossed my mind while I was looking at the total amount I need to pay… if not for the state colleges, I wonder how parents earning a minimum salary can send their children to college. It would be really hard.

Times are tough and it becomes tougher each day. I hope every kid out there are already enrolled and ready to go back to school come June 1st.

Daily routine

My daily routine goes like this: wake up around 7:30 or 8AM, boot computer, morning ritual, drink a cup of coffee while checking emails and to-dos, check cellphones for text messages and missed calls, start doing my pending tasks and other to-dos. This routine varies if I have to run an errand.

These days, though, there is another variation to my daily routine. I frequent web sites where I can find things I can give myself this coming Christmas. I check Amazon books most of all. I also check gadgets online.

Oh, I also added another step to my daily routine: check entertainment sites for Twilight updates! Hehe

Former staff

When I was still working for a graphics company, I had five people reporting directly to me. Three of those people became my friends outside the office, and even after we all left the company. Up to now, I still communicate with them regularly. For the past few weeks now, they have been requesting a get-together. I said yes about two weeks ago but due to some schedule differences, it didn’t push through. But we rescheduled it to this coming weekend.

The last time we saw each other, I was still a bit slimmer. I am worried they might ply me with Anoretix the way I look right now.

One of the things I loved when I was still a corporate rat was supervising people. It was really great to be able to teach those under you. Stressful but at the end of the day, the good you did by teaching them what you know weighs more than the stress brought on by it.

I am excited to see them again. Both are doing good in their careers and I would like to think that I contributed even a bit to what they know now.

An unsolicited advice

I can really feel the effect of the global financial crisis. Money kept pouring in this time last year. This year, since October, money is hard to come by. Oh yes, I am still earning more than if I am employed by a corporation. But you can just feel how much this quarter is different, especially when I look at my bank statement.

I don’t know if everyone is feeling the financial crisis like I do. Some may be earning more now because they just discovered paid posting. But most bloggers I talked to have the same situation as I am.

The point of this post is to reiterate the value of saving for the rainy days. My savings were mostly spent on vacations with the whole family. I kept on telling myself that I could earn it again easily. But look at me now.

So let me offer an unsolicited advice to everyone… SAVE! Find ways to save even a peso/dollar daily and you will be amazed at how much that peso/dollar can help in times of crisis.

Through thick and thin

I have friends who’ve been with me all these years. One way back in kindergarten. The others way back in second year high school. One of them is with me through thick and thin. There were so many tough times in my life. Two that really almost broke my spirit. In one of these two periods in my life, my friend Shen was there to tough it out with me. It was a time I won’t forget soon.

Happy Father's Day!

To MY DAD and all my blogger friends and visitors who are a FATHER not just to kids but one who also acted as such to his siblings, relatives and to friends…

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Win people to your way of thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
10. Appeal to the nobler motives.
11. Dramatize your ideas.
12. Throw down a challenge.

For all of us…

We may not be mothers yet but in some way, we have been mothers to someone in our lives…
You might be a man but have been both a father and mother to your kids…
Moms, your children might be grown-ups now but rest assured that you are still their mom and they need you no matter what they say…
You may never know this, my dear mommy-blogger friends, but you’ve been a mom to me one way or another…

Tomorrow is a day for all of us.