fishing

One of the things that I've always wanted to experience is to go fishing. I think that would be exciting. I have watched some people do some fishing by the bay once and it seemed so fun, although of course one needs to be patient since it's not that easy catching fish. I want to experience using a fishing tackle and putting worms as bait and be able to reel in a live catch! Some uses shrimp as bait but I think that might be more expensive than what I can catch! Hahaha! Well, I really hope I can try fishing soon. My dad used to do that with his friends. He even owns his own pole. Well, I can probably borrow that for my first fishing adventure!

house issues

I enjoy talking and planning the future with my sweetie. We've been thinking on where to stay after we get married. I absolutely do not consider living at their house. Not that I don't like being with his family, but I want us to enjoy our being a couple independently. Even if they say that the in-laws won't dip their fingers on how we live our new lives, I still want to live in a separate house. I don't mind visiting them every weekend, that's fine with me, but I just really want a place we can call our home. Hopefully we'll find a nice one. A small one would do since it would just be the two of us. I'm already excited to furnish it and personalize it so we'd both be comfortable with our new place. We'd probably put some quoizel lighting to make it a little stylish. Good lighting really makes a difference in one's house. I would also prefer a place with a garden since I love plants. It would be refreshing to have different flowering plants around. Anyway, I just hope everything will fall into place.

online academic library

My best friends Andrea and Ramil are both teachers. I love hearing their school stories and adventures as a teacher whenever we meet up and catch up on each other’s lives. Teaching is really a noble profession. It is not an easy feat. You always need to be prepared for your class especially if you have witty students who almost ask about everything. Good thing there is the internet, the gateway to loads of information. They always make it a point to read a lot of books and articles related to what they’re teaching. They can browse through Over 5,000 FREE Books at Questia’s online academic library. Having this virtual library is really cool! No need to keep those heavy books which just accumulates dust in your book shelves. Questia is really a great resource pool for information. You can almost find everything here. Of course having these materials easily available online doesn’t become an excuse for students to just copy and paste assignments from these sites. That’s plagiarism. They still encourage their students to read and understand their lessons. They’ve had experiences wherein students just hand over home works wherein it was so obvious that they were just copy pasted. They even checked it online and it was exactly the same from the first result given by Google.

Paypal in the Philippines

Yep, you can now receive money in your paypal account in the Philippines. I've tried it and it works! I have now forwarded all my paid to blog accounts to my own paypal. Well, I haven't tried withdrawing yet since I need to do a couple of things first since my paypal is not yet verified and I need to apply for their expanded program in order to be verified (or add a US bank account, which I do not have). This task is a little tedious since I lost my cash advance pin for my credit card which I need so I can view my credit card transactions online. So I first have to apply for a new cash advance pin which I already got, but then I found out I need to have a security device before I can use the online feature. Well, I requested to pick it up instead next week rather than wait 15 more banking days to have it delivered at home. *sigh* so tedious! Anyway, I have also applied for Union Bank's Eon Card so that I would be able to transfer money there from my paypal account and then withdraw it in cash.

Scrapfest 4

I enjoyed last Saturday's Scrapfest! The kit was really superb! There were a couple of patterned papers, flowers, and other goodies. It even included a personalized tag!

Too bad I wasn't really prepared for the scrapfest that much since I was kinda busy the past few days and I didn't have time to print some pictures for scrapping for the challenges. Oh well. Sayang nga e. I promise myself that I'll be much prepared for the next scrapfest. Too bad it's gonna be on May 2008 pa.

Scrappin' Time!

Trying out the stamps at the demo table

Having fun die cutting!

Since I couldn't scrap much, I just used up my time shopping and using the die cut machines. I bought mostly patterned papers and flower embellies. I would've loved to shop more but my budget didn't permit it. The goodies really got me drooling and vowed that someday I'll buy one of those die cut machines for myself. Gotta save up as early as now for the next scrapfest!

Scrappin moms

Congrats to the Scrappin Moms for the successful Scrapfest 4. Congratulations also to Cabbie for winning the first Scrappin Idol! Congats to all the finalists and to all who won the challenges! You all have inspiring layouts!

*All pictures are courtesy of Jeff Lopez

surfing

Interested to go surfing? Check this out:

Start:	Oct 13, '07 01:00a
End:	Oct 14, '07 10:00p
Location:	La Union

Learn to surf on Oct 13 - 14, 2007
For Surfers and Surfer Wannabes!
P1,700 per pax

includes:
- private van service (manila - la union - manila)
- aircon room accomodation
- surfing lessons + surfboard + 1-on-1 instructor
- side trip include stops at Midway Grill, Halo-Halo de Iloko, Isdaan, Kart City

* meals are not yet included. but you are encouraged to bring food & drinks to save money
* meals range from P80 to P150, depending on your appetite
* carting costs P130 per 10 laps

Itinerary
DAY 1, Saturday
1:00 am meeting at McDo El Pueblo
2:00 am departure to La Union
5:30 am breakfast somewhere in Tarlac
9:00 am arrival & check-in at La Union. free time & rest
12:00 nn lunch time then siesta
03:00 pm (or earlier) start of Surfing Lessons, Skimboarding
07:00 pm dinner
09:00 pm surfer's night (if you still have the energy)

DAY 2, Sunday
07:00 am option to surf or skimboard
11:30 am check-out
12:00 nn lunch
04:00 pm stop over at Kart City (if people agrees to drop by and kart!)
06:30 pm dinner at NLEX
10:00 pm ETA in Manila

For reservations email your name and contact details to travel.factor@gmail.com.
P1,000 downpayment is required to confirm reservation.

Russian Dating

A lot are into chatting online. It’s so much easier to meet new people through chatting. Some even use this mode to meet potential partners. This can be local or international. I know of some who prefer partners from another country. A friend is actually into Russian Dating and is surely enjoying it even if he sometimes has a hard time communicating with her. They would usually use the webcam whenever they chat. He really is getting hooked on her already! I’ve seen the picture and she is really pretty. I just hope she’s being sincere with my friend or else he might end up heart broken.

Sierra and Anton's Wedding

Text from Sierra day after the wedding:
"We would like to express our deepest gratitude for making our wedding really really wonderful. We has such a great time yesterday. Everything was just perfect. Again, thank you very much :) Anton and Sierra"

Were you able to watch Lovapalooza a few years back when this guy proposed to his girlfriend on stage in front of thousands of people? It was even televised. I, myself, was able to see it on TV and couldn't believe I knew these people. They are Anton and Sierra.


I met them at the FOPC (Freshmen Orientation Program Committee) in UP Diliman where we were part of the Steering Committee. I was the head of UP CIEM and Sierra was the head of JPIA. Anton then was one her VP's.

Who would think that after all these years they'd pick me and my team to be their wedding coordinators?!?! Of course I was excited! Although I have to admit, I was a little scared since Sierra is a self-confessed OC. I was really praying hard that we get to give her the dream wedding that she wants.


We had several meetings before their wedding to ensure that every detail is taken cared of. It was actually a bit tricky since it's still rainy season and if it rains we'd have to hold everything at the Mango Farm Pavillion instead of outdoors (so that everybody can appreciate how nice the place is)


Sept 29, 2007 - Signal #1 (Typhoon Hannah). Wow, of all the days to have strong rain it had to fall on their wedding day. It was a bad start. I knew my bride was a bit weary already, but then it wasn't in our hands anymore and just had to leave it up to God. I just had to remind her that what really matters is their marriage not the wedding. She just has to let go if we need to go for plan B instead of the original plan.

It was just really great that in the afternoon God seemed to answer all our prayers and the rain stopped. Actually the caterer was a bit hesitant to set up the cocktails outside since it might rain again. Everybody was almost settled that we'll do everything inside the pavillion. It was really a big risk to take but I knew how much my bride wants to have it outside. I needed to push them to set-up at the last minute just in time before the ceremony ended. It was just a relief I made that right decision and nature was cooperative enough to give us a moment to enjoy the ambiance of the Mango Farm.

My pretty bride was beaming. And it felt good seeing her smile.


We were able to have the cocktails by the gazebo near the mango trees and they were able to have their pictorials outdoors. Noel Cabangon was also their to perform during dinner.

It was a pretty tiring day (not to mention that I had to make around 1,500 pcs of chocolate for their souvenirs a couple of days before). But as the event unfolded and things fell into place I was proud that my team was able to pull it through. It also felt great hearing compliments from the guests and the couple themselves.

Getting great feedbacks really takes away all my tiredness. It reminds me why I love doing these kinds of things. Oh and it's a bonus that we're able to book another wedding referred to one of the guests who loved our service!

Cheers to Anton and Sierra!

Scrapfest

I enjoyed yesterday's Scrapfest (as usual)! Hopefully I can join the contests next time. I wasn't really that prepared to go yesterday and actually arrived a little late. But I really enjoyed shopping. I'm planning to save up as early as now for the next scrapfest so that I can buy all the other things that I've been drooling over. I also super enjoyed the free use of die cut machines. That's one of the things that I'm really aiming to buy! Anyway, after yesterday, looks like I'm inspired to do some scrapping again! Let's see if I get to finish some layouts soon.

new credit cards

Credit Cards can really be your best friend especially when you’re buying appliances. There are a lot of zero percent interest monthly installment promotions that you can take advantage of. I realized that it would even be great if you have multiple credit cards so that you can buy appliances all at the same time when you plan to furnish your own house already. My hubby and I are thinking about this since hopefully after getting married we’ll also have a new place to stay that’s why we’re planning to get more credit cards. It would really be a great help financing all the shopping that has to be done for the new place! It’s easier to get your application approved when you have existing credit cards already. Read more about this in sendmethecard.com for more information about pre-approved application.

Paypal

It's really great news that they are now allowing the feature to receive money through Paypal here in the Philippines. This really changes the ball game specially since I usually make use of Paypal to get my earnings, but I used to use my uncle's account in the US to receive it for me and then he's the one who sends it to me via money transfer. Now, I can easily withdraw it on my own. This would be really great and more hassle-free. Well, I hope my Paypal account gets verified soon!

movies

I just watched No Reservations. It was just OK. Somehow I just feel drawn to movies involving food, chefs, and cooking, thus enjoying the movie Ratatouille as well. It never fails that everytime I watch these kinds of movies, I ask myself that what-if question. I have always loved cooking and sometimes dream of going into culinary schools to hone my skills then open up my own restaurant. For the mean time I just enjoy cooking for the people I love. Oh well. It really is hard when there's a lot of things that I want to do. *sigh*

great deals

Planning for a travel trip has become much easier through the help of the internet. You can easily get some great deals for your flight and accommodations! I was surprised to read on one of those sites that an Orlando Villa can cost as low as $10 per person per night! How cool is that? Every one of us has preference when traveling. Others prioritize value over money and want their accommodations to be as luxurious as possible. While others prefer to just backpack and would just want to have a place to sleep and bunk beds at low costs are enough for them already. Well, no matter what your preference is, I’m sure with all the information available in the internet, you’d easily find the place suitable for you!

davao

My mom has just arrived from a 5-day trip to Davao. I love all her pasalubongs! I just feel envious that she was able to go to Eden Park and Crocodile Farm. I hope I can return soon to Davao and visit those places as well. I really love Davao, I've been there twice only but I feel that if in any case I would relocate, I would choose Davao to live in. One of the things I love about the place is that snorkeling and island hopping is just so easy to do, having Samal Island just nearby!

getting ready for scrapfest

It's scrapfest again in just a few hours. I haven't even packed my stuff. I guess I'm just not as excited this time since I haven't been feeling creative lately. I remember how stressful yet exciting it was finishing the layouts during the last scrapfest just so my layout could be included in the contest.

I guess more than the scrapping, I'm more excited about the shopping. Too bad my new earnings have not arrived yet. Although I guess that's a blessing also since I just might end up spending so much during the scrapfest.

It's just really fun seeing all those ladies with the passion for scrapbooks. Some even end up spending 10k shopping for scrapbook materials! I guess when you see all their pretty works you'd understand and say it's all worth it.

medical equipment

Have you heard of Allegro Medical? It is one of the largest online retailers of products such as Nutritional Dietary Supplements, Exercise and Fitness equipments, Maternity and Baby supplies, etc. They actually have over 55,000 products. That’s how big they are! So in case you need medical equipment for whatever reason, try checking them out. If there’s a diabetic in your family, you may want to get from them some Diabetes Test Strips so you can easily monitor their blood sugar. I know these can be costly at times, but check out their free Allegro Ecatalog, you might just find those medical stuffs you need at a discounted price!

Flickr account

I have just upgraded my Flickr account. I was surprised at how affordable it was. I would've upgraded sooner if I found out much earlier. Oh well. I still have to upload a lot of pictures I've accumulated. I just love their unlimited storage capacity and easy upload drag-and-drop tool. I would just need to devote some time organizing my photos and adding up tags so that it's much easier for searching.

Toblerone Thank You Day Concert

I just got this from Juned:

How do you say thank you? Can you say thank you in more than 100 ways? Paul Simon has 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. There must be a hundred fifty (150) ways to say Thank You. How many living and dead languages are there ?

Do you want to go to the Toblerone Thank You Day Concert on October 20 at the Mall of Asia? As stated in the poster above? FOR FREE.

Here is how -

1) Try to come up with a creative or different way of saying Thank You. We are looking for just one-liners

2) Leave it as a comment on Juned's blog

3) Each original comment will get two tickets to the concert

4) The five most creative entries will receive a special prize: Five most creative expressions will receive One Thousand Pesos GC and a Toblerone Gift

BE CREATIVE AND AS ZANY AS YOU CAN BE!

We are trying to get around 150 one-liners or phrases.

Mailing Lists Company

As a consumer I would want to be informed of new information or promotions for products I am interested in. Thanks to Mailing Lists Company which connects consumers to those businesses which provides good products and services they’re interested with. It really becomes a win-win situation for everybody. It makes it even more like a personalized way of advertising since consumers are directly contacted and provided information which often results to a higher response rate, thus increasing their sales significantly. I see this type of advertising to become more popular since using their extensive database of possible consumers of their products are indeed very cost effective specially for small businesses.

comfort rooms

I'm glad of the CR system at SM North, the Block wherein they follow just one line to go to the stalls. It now ensures first come, first served. It's much more fast and orderly this way. The line might look long, but it's actually the fastest way you can get your turn. I hope all comfort rooms apply this system.