The Cat in the Bag

Chinese New Year Tarot Card Reading

2012-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Made a tarot card reading for the Chinese New Year and it all pointed to businesses. For families in business, your business may prosper this year. All roads point to families, emphasis on that, actually.

But in general, for businesses that have been established, it will be successful.

Although there may be tough competition present. And if this persists, this shouldn't be a hindrance to being successful and making the right choices. If you stumble and fall, there's nothing else to do but stand up, right?

Then old ideas/choices/decisions have to be set aside. It's time to make new ones and learn from the past. Changes will definitely occur. Things will turn out for the better if changes are allowed to happen.

Definitely, knowledge has been gained from those errors done that's why new ideas/choices have to replace old ones. It is the start of a better journey.

There may be people who want the easy way out. But in life, there are no short cuts. You just have to do the right thing to avoid unwanted circumstances.

If there are still errors after making choices, one has to think things through and regain energy to face life once more.

In summary, businesses will proceed and succeed as long as new ideas come forth and lessons have been learned.

I may not be an authority on these matters, I'm just sharing a piece of my mind. It may or may not be applicable to any one of you, but it may help most of you. It's just my Chinese New Year reading.

As I always say, "Only God knows the future and it is you who make the final decisions."

A First-time Tarot Card Reading Event

2012-01-19T00:32:00.000-08:00

It all happened lastyear in this event sponsored by www.herword.com. I was invited to doTarot Card readings for their clients and readers. I was kind ofscared at first because it will be my first time to go public with mytarot card readings. I was scared because I didn't know what to expectwhen I'm there. I mean I was reading for friends already but inpublic?

Iwas one scaredy cat. Haha. But I couldn't resist to try it because itwas already an invitation from www.herword.com and you don't get aninvitation from anyone that often, right? So, I met with the peoplebehind herword and we all agreed on what we're going to do during theevent.

Okay,so my call time there was from 2 p.m. up to 6 p.m. I arrived therelate. And the people who reserved for the readings were alreadywaiting. As I sat down in the booth, Miss Melody briefed me in on howthings will go. She had a list of people already and would starttexting them as soon as I got in.

That'show it started. I had a table covered with white cloth and a chair. Iput down my bag beside me on the floor. I have to keep watch on itbecause there were some people there who lost some things, as Ms.Melody warned me.

Ihad to prepare myself for the line because I was running late so I hadto get started with the first readee of the day. There wasn't any5-minute breaks, as planned, anymore because there were like 25 peopleor so who wanted their readings. I would let them shuffle the cards,cut it into 3 and let them pick 10 cards. That's how I would do it.

Iwould then look at each of the cards laid out and read to the person infront of me. I would also take a look at the person's reaction,whether it's doubtful or trusting, yes, I could feel that in theperson. Usually, I would ask her, "Is that true?" or "Was thatcorrect?" And they would respond in a way that made me feel contented.

Attimes, when I would ask about a certain person in their life, theperson would just be teary-eyed, can you believe that? I couldn'tbecause I didn't know that that person I mentioned was someone whoreally made a dent in their life. There was one who really had tearsroll down her cheeks. And I had to comfort her and tell her, "I'msorry, I didn't know and I didn't mean to make you cry. I saw it inthe cards."

Yes,that's what happened. I really didn't expect that. Well, there aresome things that would really surprise you and take you aback. Butthat's part of life, right?

Anyway,there was a client who was begging to have their tarot cards readbecause they said they came all the way from Manila and they wantanswers to their questions. The time was already like 6:30 orsomething and I was about to wrap things up. But they begged that Istay and read for them. To which, I gave in to their request.

Neitherdid I expect that they would narrate to me their whole life story,which I really wish I could do something about. They trusted me aboutthis and I was secretly hoping that they would be successful inwhatever they will do. With that, I wrapped things up and had dinner.

I was with my daughter, Willi-Ann, and we were looking around the booths at the event.

This is what I found while Willi-Ann and I were looking around. Just couldn't resist taking a snapshot of the blue pendant.

There were also some interesting items on sale. I wanted to get one but my budget didn't permit me to do so.

Oh,well, I just love to look at these beautiful things because it's eitherthey're colorful or they're glittery. Anything that glitters is veryattractive to me.

Tocontinue with my experience as a public tarot card reader, my readingsdidn't actually stop there. After Willi-Ann and I went around, we metsome more people who recognized me as the tarot card reader and askedto have their cards read. To my amazement, I agreed, as I was alreadytired from reading almost half the day.

Istill read for some people, in different places this time. Either intheir booth or just outside a restaurant where there were tables andchairs. I was really surprised that some of the readees were ofChinese descent, and the rest were mostly Filipinos.

Iactually didn't expect a lot of people wanted their "fortunes" read. There were even questions like, "Will I have a boyfriend?" or "Will ourbusiness prosper?" and other questions that a person could think ofduring a reading.

Itold them that my readings usually revolved around their present, somethings in the past and the future. I don't usually answer questions. It usually depended on the cards they picked. That's where I get theanswers from.

Allin all, it was a successful day. I should have written about thisright after the event itself. But it doesn't matter. I just wanted toshare this experience with others since it was a first for me.

I hope I didn't bore you. If you want readings read and posted on the column, go to www.herword.com on the Mystic Readings page and follow instructions there. I will see what I can do for you.

Thank you very much.

Do It Now

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

It's another year added to our lives. Another year to look forward to. I believe we should do the best we can in any thing we do because, as the saying goes, life is too short and you'll never know when our time is up.

If we want to do something, we just have to do it. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. So, what are you waiting for? Do it now, not later, not tomorrow, NOW.

Iya Villania as the new endorser for RedoxFat Slimming Capsules

2011-12-10T22:05:00.001-08:00

I got this chance to attend an event recently about a slimming supplementary. It's not just any kind of slimming supplementary, this contains the necessary ingredient to break down one's fat and develop one's muscles, L-Carnitine.

It's the RedoxFat Slimming Capsules re-launch held at Wheatberry Bakery and Cafe in Quezon City. ATC Healthcare, one of the leading food supplement companies, was at the helm of this event.

According to Kathleen De Los Santos, ATC Healthcare Marketing Manager, they chose Iya Villania, yup, the Iya Villania, as the product endorser because for them, she embodies the lifestyle of their target consumers. Because despite her busy schedule as an actress, host, VJ and a product endorser, she still finds time to keep herself fit and maintains a good reputation.

RedoxFat Slimming Capsule Relaunch and Contract Signing with the unveiling of its newest brand ambassador Iya Villania. In photo (L-R): ALV Talent Circuit Inc. Talent Manager Arnold Vegafria, RedoxFat Endorser Iya Villania, ATC Healthcare President Albert Chua, ATC Operations Manager Carmelo Espiritu, and ATC Marketing Manager Kathleen De los Santos.

ATC Healthcare is a trusted brand that was why it was easy for Iya to accept the project. "I feel blessed and happy that ATC trusted me. I've experienced a new zest of energy when I started using it, which helped me a lot in my dance performances and hosting stints," Iya reveals. That's not all. "It also made me sexier and healthier."

RedoxFat Slimming Capsules, ATC Healthcare's own brand of diet aid, has seven times more L-Carnitine than other leading brands. To top it all off, the capsule is made more effective as it also contains Green Tea extract to further enhance weight loss, lower cholesterol levels and release energy channels.

"Our dietary supplements are all 100% natural and has passed the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) quality control standards," assures Miss De Los Santos.

The re-launch also featured fitness guru, Coach Chappy Callanta and Dr. Marthony Basco.

Coach Callanta shared some tips to the guests and quad media alike on how to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. It's eating more fibrous foods, exercise regularly and avoid smoking or second-hand smoke, if possible.

On the other hand, Dr. Marthony Basco, a Public Health expert, gave a more scientific approach on the benefits of L-Carnitine, how the pill help reduce the risk of heart and kidney disease, diabetes, infertility in men and fatigue.

RedoxFat Slimming Capsules are available now in leading pharmacies and wellness stores nationwide.

Lorenzo's Way

2011-12-06T19:59:00.001-08:00

Going to Lorenzo's Way was a breeze. It was just along the rows of restaurants in Greenbelt 5. As soon as I got to the venue, my friend, Reden and I were seated at the head of the table and they started serving the dishes rigt away. It was as if on cue, the meal began.

First off was the Salad Luxe, which wmthstt an appetizer, complete with asparagus, aragula, ro
maine, tomatoes, fresh spinach, and the best of all, smoked salmon. Umm, sounds delicious already. Before I forget, it was topped with their creamy dill sauce. and the salad also had lemon wedge.

Next on the menu was the Mediterranean Seafood Soup. This was filled with your favorite seafood moresels namely, shrimps, clams, calamari slices and fish cubes. It's basically inspired by the French bouillabase, a tomato-based soup.

After that refreshing soup, another dish which was exciting was the Salted Egg Fried Alimango. The mud crab is cooked in a rich sauce of salted egg and garlic, which is the restaurant's Chinese version of a crab dish.

But the buck doesn't stop there. In came the Spanish Garlic Chicken served with Vegetable au Gratin, which was a dish of garden vegetables cooked in light cream sauce, topped with cheddar cheese. I must tell you, the Spanish Garlic Chicken was a delight because it was tender and juicy, with just the right taste.

Then we were served an exquisite dish, Braised Lamb Shank with Cranberries, Honey and Onions. The lamb is braised until it's tender and then it comes with an exotic cranberry, honey and saffron sauce, which makes the dish all the more mouth-watering.

For the finale, we had a taste of the Grilled U.S. Top Blade Bordelaise, for the steak lover who prefers a different type of steak served with an unforgettable bone marrow-red wine sauce. A side dish of steamed vegetables and mashed potato comes with it.

And if you're looking for a unique dessert, you should try the Gigil Tart, which is a combination of fresh coconut meat and preserved egg baked in custard coupled with a jaggery syrup. It comes out with a taste of leche flan, buko pie, bibingka and egg pie altogether.

Thingamajig

2011-09-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... what's thingamajig all about? Well, it says that it's something that has been forgotten or something that is not wish to be mentioned or something. I know Dr. Seuss of The Cat in the Hat series says that about his vehicle that travels to different places with two kids. He calls it the "Thingamajigger".

At this point, it seems, I do not have much to say or to write about. There are just lots of ideas in my head that keep popping up but just doesn't come out of my hands. Haha.

For one, right now, there are certain things up in my sleeves and I just am not in the liberty of telling anyone right now, not even in this blog. All I know is that the plumber is here at home today fixing our bathroom problems and my son Pierre is going to the toy con at Megamall, which usually holds cosplays and those are events that I do want to watch.

It's just frustrating, isn't it? If I go later, no one will be at home to wait for my 78-year-old mom who keeps forgetting things these days. So, I just can't not be out of the house because she needs people to be around her all the time in case of emergencies.

So what's a mom to do, huh? Well, at the moment, I'm in a dilemma. I just pray that the plumber will go early so we could go out and be home before my mom gets here. Haha, you wish, Milay, you wish!

My Work

2011-07-25T03:07:00.001-07:00

So much has happened in the past few months. First, I was just a transcriber for this company and was still competing my head off with the rest of the team. Hah! Yeah, I'm not kidding. I was. At my age, I'm not supposed to be competing head-to-head with younger people anymore. That's why I had to prove my mettle so that I could go up the ladder this time.

And my hard work paid off. I took advantage of the opening in our office and our Team Leader gave her go-signal and even if I'm not too keen on applying, I still applied for the position of an editor. I guess it was the right time to do so since I failed the first time I tried. The person who interviewed me most likely saw that in me too that's why I was one of those who got promoted.

Being in this position entails more responsibilities though. On the first day of work, I felt like I wanted to go back to being just a transcriber. But then again, I didn't want to go back to competing for segments with others. Because for one, if I didn't get to have more segments for that day, I'd feel bad because I was usually the one who would have the most number of segments.

So, I chose to be an editor and that's where I am now. But, as I have told my Team Leader now, I am so grateful to our first Team Leader because she was the one who encouraged me to work and strive harder in order to be at par with my colleagues since I've been known to be a good at what I do right from the start.

Just imagine, when I was starting, I wouldn't go over my segment and just be contented with what I've typed. I would be graded and the editors would still find mistakes in my work. Yes, I've gotten such low grades too. But when my Team Leader called my attention regarding that, I had to change my attitude towards work and it really worked. I always thought at that time that I would erase having a grade of 87, 88, 89. I wanted grades that were in the 90's - 92, 93, 94, 95, et cetera.

I found that it was just mindsetting. I told myself that time that I had to do this better every time. I had to listen very hard to every segment and not to be careless. I enjoyed what I was doing and I knew it was the job for me, no matter what I did. That's why I'm in this job right now. It's actually my first time to have a really regular job, with benefits, and even a promotion. I've been with this company for a year now and still going strong with my job.

What more could I ask for? I would just have to keep doing better every time, every day. I want to thank whoever has been guiding me all this time. I owe it all to you.

I just pray that people will also find their niche in this world like I did. Search for yours. I did.

A First Time Chicken Event

2010-11-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

I was late for the office on that day. But I already asked permission from our team leader that I would be attending an event on October 14 for bloggers. I'm glad I did.

It's all about chicken. I learned that chicken is better to eat than most meat like pork and beef because of its nutritious value. That is what Bounty Fresh wants to impart to its customers.

During the event, Bounty Fresh's nutritionist, Joan Sumpio explained how nutritious chicken is. It has protein, phosphorus, vitamins B3 and B6 and selenium. I didn't know that before this event. There are other nutrients found in chicken. There's iron, fat, calcium, beta-carotene and vitamins B1 and B2. So, chicken is packed with those nutrients for our growing family.

And to this, Bounty Fresh has recommended a daily menu for parents to serve their children with nutrition-packed food for a more healthy lifestyle. These are their suggestions.

Chicken Afritada
Fried Chicken
Chicken Adobo
Chicken Bar-b-q
Chicken Tinola
Chicken Curry
Chicken Fillet Steak
Lemon chicken
Chicken Cubes Menudo
Chicken Ala King

And many others. These are just some of the dishes that we could prepare with chicken. And down below are some of the concoctions of Chef Bruce Lim of The Chef's Table using Bounty Fresh's chicken products. Check them out.

The Chef at work, Bruce Lim.

That's the chicken tocino right there. Doesn't it look tempting? Wait, there's more.

Now, isn't that so delicious? Doesn't that make your mouth water with so much gusto?

That's the chicken sausage that is so delicious. I never thought chicken could taste that good.

I have a video of Chef Bruce in action on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA2uREHNw5U

Hope you can check it out.

SEO Secrets for Your Website

2010-08-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

SEO - I'm sure you've heard of that or have some idea of what it is.  Let me refresh your mind. It's Search Engine Optimization. Now, I'm not a technical expert on that but here's an event that could give you a bigger picture of what that whole SEO thingy is all about. It's the Google Insider Secrets to Search Engine Optimization seminar that's going to be held on August 25 and 26, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria, Manila.

This two-day seminar will teach you the secrets on how to use SEO for your website. Now, you're probably thinking why is SEO very important? There are quite a lot of reasons why this is so. I can name at least two. One of which is the use of keywords. Keywords are usually part of the content of your website.  If there are keywords in your website, there is a big chance that when people search for your product with a specific keyword for it, your site will be searchable in Google and probably land on the first page. Aside from creating traffic, because keywords can help build traffic to your site, you can also link to other websites which have high traffic too and this in turn can increase your visibility on the Net.

So how does one get to be at the top rank in Google? Now, that's what Google Insider Secrets to Search Engine Optimization is for.  You will learn more what SEO is all about, why it is so important, what do you have to do to get more traffic, know what the competition is doing, or even know how to dominate the search engines, yes, that's right. You will get first-hand secrets to utilizing Google and work your way in it to your advantage. Two of the most sought-after speakers on SEO will guide you into the Google Insider Secrets. Simon Leung, retired most senior Google Optimization Specialist and Fabian Lim, the CEO of Asia Internet Academy.com and Director of Click Media.com.sg.

Learning more about websites and Google can make your company one of the top visited sites and that equates to more sales. This will also work best if you get your marketing people to attend this one-time event.  This will be perfect for them or anyone who is interested in marketing using digital media.

What are you waiting for? Grab your seats to this first ever event and get your site at the top. For more information or other inquiries, please call LENI at 470-1055 or SMS: 0905-3364486.

Ayosdito.ph

2010-07-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Online shopping has become the in thing these days. I, for one, have tried online shopping and it has been successful on my end. There are sites that contain a lot of things within a webpage and that kind of distracts me to buy from that site. But with Ayosdito.ph, it's easy to take a look at the item and kind of scrutinize it. The description on the post can be easily seen and so are the photos and once you click on the smaller icon of the photo, it will easily go to that photo in an instant. A prospective buyer like me can easily contact the seller through their numbers posted in the webpage.

It's a site where people strictly buy and sell . At this site, people can post their wares to a wide customer range. I saw in their list of items for sale which are original items that are for high-end buyers. That means that the people who check out the site aren't just the middle class. This site also caters to the AB crowd, which usually are the people who can afford to buy those items. So if you have anything to buy and sell, this is the place for you. Even the most expensive items are up for sale there.

But the one that caught my attention definitely isn't that expensive and it's found in the cellphones for sale and is an unusual kind of a cellphone. Its design is unlike any other phone I've seen from other sites that sell mobile phones.

Here's the photo of that unique and cute cellphone. It's worth P5500 and take a look at its features below. It's just amazing!

What do you think? I'm already sooo tempted to buy one. I'm going to wait for my budget and get one of those soon. Check out Ayosdito.ph and you'll know what I mean.

Panciteria Lido, Home of Pugon-Roasted Asado

2010-07-02T03:09:00.000-07:00

I have known Panciteria Lido way back in 2003 or 2004 when it was someone's birthday. Since we have Chinese blood, we know the asado dish and it was one of my favorite dishes when eating in a Chinese restaurant. That was what I would look for in a Chinese restaurant. And if the asado we order wasn't good, I wouldn't recommend that to friends.

My mother knew Panciteria Lido that was in Binondo then. So when we saw Panciteria Lido along West Avenue and it was a new branch and nearer to our residence, we would eat there for birthday celebrations within the family and definitely order their ever-famous Pugon-Roasted Asado. Eating at Panciteria Lido is not complete without having their Pugon-Roasted Asado.

That was several years ago and Panciteria Lido has grown over the years and now has its newly-opened branch along E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, on the ground floor of Capital Towers right in front of Trinity College, to be exact. Several bloggers were there and got a taste of what Panciteria Lido has to offer.

We got to try their Steamed Tofu topped with green and red bell peppers and white onions and see how it looks so tempting to eat already.

Then we were served their Chami Special.

The next viand that we were served was the, guess what? Yup, you guessed it. The Pugon-Roasted Asado. And it was really a plateful and of course, the taste was so delicious and succulent, you can even eat it without the sauce, thanks to their unique way of cooking this dish, their specialty. It's "carefully cured loin of pork is roasted using an old-fashioned brick oven in just the right amount of heat from firewood." As it says in one of their gigantic posters that you can see once you're inside their restaurant.

Hmmm... doesn't it look so tempting? Aren't you hungry already? It's so tender and meaty and a mouth-watering dish that everyone would really love to have at a very affordable price too. This is what makes Panciteria Lido unique among other Chinese restaurants that makes one want to come back to.

Another pride of theirs is the Drunken Lechon Macau. It is called as such because it is marinated with wine to make it more inviting and crisp to the bite and yet tender on the inside.

They not only serve pork. For those who love fish, this dish is for you. It's their Steamed Fish Fillet in Soy Sauce. Hmmm...its fish meat was so tender and well-cooked to suit the fish lover's taste buds.

This is their serving of the shrimp balls with authentic shrimp meat inside. I couldn't get enough of this that is why I put it on top of my rice. It was so crunchy and delectable and goes well with the Yangchow Fried Rice.

Oh, yes, they served us their Yangchow Fried Rice. Even if I shouldn't be eating rice, I love Yangchow Fried Rice. They cooked it like the way I wanted it. It tastes just right and I definitely wouldn't miss it for the world.

And for me, my finale was the Hot Chocolate that they served after eating the mouth-watering dishes they prepared for us.

Just look at its rich, chocolatey texture. It's worth your P70 for a cup.

Panciteria Lido in Capital Towers has this cozy interior that is very welcoming to any customer who want to get a taste of their unique menu, that sets them apart from any other Chinese restaurant.

On the business side, Panciteria Lido earns around roughly more than P60000 per day in this branch, which was higher than their expected profit even if it is not that big for a restaurant and this even makes it so inviting for an investor who wants to see the fruits of his labor after a year or so, or even less.

This is because of the take-out orders and delivery service that they have. They deliver right at your doorstep for those who live within a 1.5-kilometer radius.

Since Panciteria Lido has already three branches to serve old and new customers alike, they are spreading their wings and they are now open for franchising. Their first franchise, which is located in Ground Floor, JOHVER Bldg 1, 23 President’s Avenue, BF Commercial Plaza, BF Homes, Paranaque City, is now under construction and will be open to the public on August 8.

It is interesting to note that an initial investment on a Panciteria Lido franchise could make its investors gain back their return-on-investment (ROI) within just 1.5 years instead of the usual ROI of 3 years.

It looks like Panciteria Lido is way ahead of the pack in terms of its menu and business outlook. Going into franchising is a great way preserve the legacy of Mr. Lido's Pugon-Roasted Asado, Drunken Lechon Macau, Steamed Fish Fillet Soy Sauce and all their exciting dishes that has been around since 1936. Not only is it authentic Chinese food, Panciteria Lido also has a tinge of Spanish orientation with its Syphon-brewed Coffee and the Hot Chocolate they serve their customers. And they guarantee that their dishes are 100% NO MSG ADDED.

So what are you waiting for? Go to Panciteria Lido and reward yourself that special Pugon-Roasted Asado that they are proud of. I'm sure you won't regret it. In fact, you wouldn't forget it that you'd like to go back again and again.

If I were you, I'd go there as soon as I get the chance. Just like I did. It was worth it.

What will you do if you will win $100?

2010-06-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is my entry to the contest http://livinglifetodfullest.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-thanksgiving-contest-will-start.html.

Yes, what will I do with the $100 if I win it? Well, there are so many things to pay. I will pay my bills like for the Internet service provider, my phone bills.

After paying the bills, I'll try to buy things that my kids will need. Or if that isn't enough, maybe I could buy the cell phone model that I need. And it's just right below.

If the money isn't enough, I'll save some more so I can get that cell phone model that I need. My cellphones are all outmoded, well, there are just two of them, actually. I want something that can take photos and I can listen to music at the same time.

Or if I can still save that $100, I will buy this dream camera of mine. I saved it in my pictures folder so I could take a look at it every day.

Well, those are my dream things at the moment. I do wish I could win that $100 and there's nothing wrong in dreaming and wishing. For one day, I know my dream has come true if I keep dreaming about them non-stop.

Join Noel and Levy in their Thanksgiving Contest on the Net!

2010-06-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

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Power Kids Run by Tiffany Chocolate

2010-06-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

I was invited to the Power Kids Run by a PR guy-friend of mine from way back in 2002. Bloggers were part of the media who would cover events like these.

I got to be part of this momentous event and experienced food-tasting and sampling, checking out new products that will come out in the market or is already out in the market. The event was pretty much a success because it was something that the whole family could enjoy.

The organizers, Tiffany Chocolate, held their first-ever fun run in McKinley Hill just recently. It's only now that I got to blog about it. I have photos of it and I will post them in a while.

There you go. That’s just one of the photos that I took while the event was taking place. It was really crowded because the whole family was part of the affair.

I took photos of the booths that were there while the fun run was happening because most of the people were in the sidelines, watching the race that’s why the booths were empty at this time.

Then there were kids playing old school-type of games like the one below. Just looking at them made one feel, “Oh, shocks, we used to play that game a long time ago!”

This was the soccer game.

It's the Tender Juicy Hotdog mascot. He was entertaining the children and everyone else watching him.

This was a booth that would always be full of people because of their food sampling or drink sampling. But this time, it wasn’t swarmed with people - yet. But people were starting to approach them already.

Another game that was a bestseller for the kids was the inflatable basketball ring by Purefoods.

Here’s something that I really like. The biggest plastic of pan de sal by Gardenia.

And then, a photo of my little E.J. with the mascot of a laundry service in Makati, Panda Cleaners.

I saw also this cute booth of Kinder Golf. Check it out, there’s the mascot of the Tender Juicy Hotdog.

The next booth is the Panda Cleaners. As I have said, they're located in Makati.

The Pampanga’s Best booth while the staff was waiting for people to come to their stall after the race.

Now, here’s everybody’s favorite. McDonald’s. This booth was swarmed with people when the host, Suzie Entrata announced that they were giving away free toys for everyone who joined the fun run.

This is the Clara Ole Booth, which was right next to our Evian booth.

This was where the race was held, this was the starting and finish line.

This structure was so beautiful that I couldn’t resist taking a photo of it. Just don’t mind the inflatable can of Pocari Sweat, I think.

My two lovely daughters, Yuwii and E.J., joking around because I brought them to this event.

Of course, my blogger friends who were invited to this event. From left, Nica, Karen and Josie.

Nica with my daughter, E.J. Don’t they look alike?

Here’s another photo of them. Actually, E.J. didn’t want Nica to let go of her.

Nica and her daughter, Gabby, after her number was called and won some bag of goodies.

We didn’t go home early because the event was until early evening and people were eager to find out the winners and to claim their prizes.

The winners. Father and daughter or the mother and son tandem.

But all in all, it was a great event. I’m sure everyone went home with a lot of things in their hands. There were leaflets, flyers, brochures and other giveaways for the whole family. And the picture shows all the participating companies of the fun run.

And due to the success of this Fun Run, Tiffany will hold another Fun Run, this time with longer running distances. Not just up to 3K, these will be 5K, 10K and 16K that’s why it’s called POWER RUN. It will be held on October 10, 2010 and it will coincide with Tiffany’s Great Adventure grand raffle.

For more details, call 364.6201 & 0917.392.8343 or visit www.adevents.com.ph for event updates.

Nurture Spa: A Spa Lover's Hideaway

2010-06-04T01:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect to experience such a treatment from such a nice place which was very close to nature. No, sir! But it happened. When I saw an announcement in the wall post of Mr. Paolo Florenda, I immediately grabbed the opportunity to join because, my, after 41 years, this will be my first time to go to a spa. Yup, you heard it right, it was a spa.

This place is Nurture Spa Village, where one can get that relaxation, rejuvenation, de-stressing that one needs if one is so fed up with city life. I knew I had to take this trip. And this blog has long been overdue.

Actually, since my kids knew how my life is here in the city, they even encouraged me to go and said, "Yes, Ma, you need it, badly." They knew very well the reasons and that's another blog altogether.

But going back to Nurture Spa, it was such an adventure for me because I know there are a lot of spas around the metro but going out of town every once in a while is always a great idea for me. I love nature and this place is teeming with green grass, fresh air and cool breeze to soothe your stressed body.

When the bloggers grouped together and stayed in the dorm, we were in for a surprise. I say 'we' because I wasn't the only one who was treated like a queen. There were several of us who stayed overnight for a more in-depth look at what Nurture Spa has to offer.

Okay, so we get down to business. Once we got there, we were greeted with the courteous staff and even showered us with rose petals as we entered the place. I have proof. Look at the picture below.

We were led to the Salo Pavilion and had some cocktails first. The cocktails, which really filled my hungry tummy, were the chicken avocado fingerfood and the shrimp dipped in avocado sauce, which was my favorite since it was so delicious! I just didn't get to take a photo of it, awww, shocks. And the welcome drink they served us was the lemongrass tea. It was also soothing.

After the cocktails, we were told to put our things in our dorm, since there were like 6 of us and after settling down, our tour guide, one of their well-trained staff gave us a tour of Nurture Spa Village, where all their services were offered.

Okay, so what you're seeing is one of their Ifugao Huts where couples can relax and enjoy and be taken to a whole new world of rejuvenation they need.

That's what's inside the Ifugao Hut, they call "Ulog." It looks relaxing and refreshing to stay in it, right? Whooh, I'd love to sleep in one of those next time!

Here's what you can find under the bedroom of the hut. Then the next picture shows that a client is having her foot massaged.

In the next photo, you'll see the room so immaculately clean and arranged for the next guest to occupy and get a dose of Nurture Spa's treatments.

And look at the shower! it looks so marvellous, doesn't it? Its door is just the capiz shells to cover you while taking a bath in that white bath tub.

Here's what the room looks like from another angle. You can see it's a four-poster bed and a table at the foot of the bed.

Now, we go to the Institute of Natural Healing and Wellness Center. Well, it's a village so there are a lot of places to go and the next few photos will show that these are the services that clients like to avail of when they're here in Nurture Spa.

The next photo shows that some of us experienced walking on this stone path and it's called Lakad Kalinga (Healing Path) wherein one should walk barefoot to enjoy its healing effects through reflexology, as it says on the poster and it's great for the soles of the feet.

It's a circular path that one has to walk on until the person reaches the end point.

Also, we went to their Hardin Panggagamot (Herb Garden) where the lemongrass were planted and their source for this specialty of theirs.

After this, we saw a portion of the sprawling garden which has this enclosed section. It's the Bahay Paru-Paro (Butterfly Haven) where butterflies hang out. It was cool. There was one interesting butterfly that was perched on the bench in the Bahay Paru-Paro. I took a video clip of it as my digicam could not capture a photo of it.

So Nurture Spa didn't just have those massage rooms, they also had these sanctuaries that one could go in and take a look at the beauty of nature. The garden was also a breather for me as I like wide spaces with lots of room. It makes me feel relaxed. The pictures speak of what I mean.

And of course, for those who are celebrating their wedding anniversary or those who want to enjoy a natural setting to make that much-awaited proposal, here's a nice spot for you to sit and talk and make her say, "I do."

There's a pool in the middle of the garden, in the upper right side before you get to the main garden. I took a photo of it but just don't mind the background, okay? I got it in a hurry because we were already supposed to stay together for the program that was going to be held at dinner time.

But afterwards, we went back to the pavilion and grouped together with the other guests and we got the chance to talk with Ms. Cathy Turvill, one of the co-owners of Nurture Spa and she was explaining to us the computerized Digital Meridian Scan (DMS) (P1400) that could identify what are the forthcoming potential problems of the body based on a scan of the different key organs of the body. It's non-invasive, nothing scary. There are probes that are connected to the Meridian points of the body, energy points of the body. I have a photo of her while doing this. I also have a video of her which I will upload also in my YouTube account later and will connect it to the blog here.

After a few minutes, Dr. Samuel P. Dizon, whom Ms. Cathy introduced to us, joined in the discussion about the Institute of Natural Healing (INH) which he and Nurture Spa have partnered with to provide individualized program of holistic healing for those who have cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease.

After this interview, we were told that there will be a program that will be held in the garden. So we went there and the host introduced Ms. Cathy and Mike Turvill, the Undersecretary of the Department of Tourism - Ms. Cynthia Carreon, an interpretative dance by Ms. Marge Enriquez entitled "Binhi," which was the highlight of the program.

This was followed by a sumptuous dinner prepared by their caterer, Josiah's Catering. Guests were given the choice to eat Japanese, Korean, Italian or American food. I chose to eat spaghetti first by getting the ingredients and choosing the noodles and the sauce to go with it and handed it over to the lady who was going to serve it to me and everything was heated in a frying pan in front of me and everyone else as we all lined up to taste what they had prepared for us. I had pasta first, okay.

But I still had space left in my tummy so I went for the barbecue or steak buffet table. There was this table for those meatlovers and most of the guests lined up for this so I just had to wait for the people to get what they wanted and be seated and finally got to choose the food I wanted to have a taste of. My, I didn't regret going to the meat section of the buffet because the meat was sooo tender and yummy and so nice to eat. Hah! My diet gone down the drain. But never fear, I'm still on it.

During dinner, Cathy was making rounds and talking to the guests. At a certain point, she and some bloggers talked about something they probably wanted to clarify with Cathy.

After dinner, some of us tried having a free massage, the DMS, or just went back to our room and freshened up for we were going to wake up early the next day.

That's the view from our dorm. Someone was already asleep, Ria was already checking her email and Ms. Josie was just staring at the ceiling.

As you can see above, that's where we were going to do our Qi Gong exercises led by our instructor, Jerry. After this, we had breakfast in the Tanglad Bistro and this is what I had for breakfast. Don't you think it's so mmmm... tempting?

I definitely had to take a photo of it before I chomped it all down so I could put it in my blog, my first picture of a breakfast that was served to me. Isn't this just terrific?

This is the interior of Tanglad Bistro but not the whole interior, though. I just wanted to capture a spot that was interesting and attractive that's why I took this picture of the dining table with the spoons and forks laid out properly for fine dining.

A portion of their menu. As you can see, the choices are for people who want healthy options.

Just playing around with the place mat, spoon and fork before the breakfast was served.

Their Amu'in products near the lobby, as you enter the premises. This was the time we were about to check out after our 1 hour body massage. That was the highlight of our stay there. Of course, it was my first time, as I have mentioned at the start.

More Amu'in products on display.

Just a photo of a white gumamela within Nurture Spa. I miss photography, that's why I'm practicing it using my point-and-shoot digicam.

Now, this is interesting. Herbs or plants placed in this pot with the explanation of what these are used for. It's just something interesting for me.

Rose petals soaked in liquid. I'm just not sure if the liquid is just water or it's mixed with herbs in it. I took this photo because of its beauty.

It's been a long blog and I guess I would have to end it here. All in all, it was not only a de-stressing experience, it was also educational as a whole. I even got to meet other people like the other bloggers who do blogging for a living or just a hobby. It is definitely something I will never forget.

If you want to avail of Nurture Spa's services like the massages, the wellness programs, the venue for weddings or other special occasions, you may contact them through telephone numbers 632 - 584 4228 or 6346 483 0804/05 or through mobile number - 0918 8888SPA or 0929 950 5724. Website: http://www.nurture.com.ph/ or you can email them at info@nurture.com.ph.

What A Day!

2009-09-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today started with a bang. My son, Pierre and I had an argument about their going out today with his friends. I argued that if he and his sister, Willi-Ann and their cousin, Jeremy went on an overnight trip to somewhere, E.J., my three-year-old daughter, and I would be left alone with my 75-year-old mother.

I'm sure I wouldn't be able to handle a toddler and an old person at the same time. Although my mom doesn't need any nursing or caring at her age since she can still stand up and walk around, but with care because she is having pain every time she walks or stands up too long. She also has Bell's Palsy, where one side of her face has the inability to control facial nerves, as Wikipedia defines it. So that side has sort of drooped already like the melting of a wax face. It's actually hard to define.

So my teenaged kids decided not to push through with their trip which they had already paid for. I'm sure their friends would have been disappointed that their outing was cancelled. They had planned this for weeks and this happens? All because our maid was a no-show.

Well, the weather isn't really cooperative at the moment since it's been raining and there's supposed to be a typhoon headed up north called "Labuyo."

But after the shouting and everything, my son approached me and apologized and embraced me for shouting at me. That made me cry even harder. My son has always been like that ever since he was small. He has great respect for his elders and that's what I'm very proud of in him. He has moods and gets angry at times but after a few minutes, he realizes he made a mistake and tries to make up for it.

My daughter has the same attitude and that makes me proud of them both. We all have an open relationship and we are a close-knit family. I stand as their mother and father at the same time.

And my three-year-old has this attitude of eating Cerelac by herself in a plastic bowl and after she finishes eating, she puts the bowl into the sink on her own.  If I'm boiling water in the whistling kettle, once the kettle whistles, she'd volunteer to turn off the stove and does it well.

My kids are really amazing, aren't they? If I'm going to have my life all over again, I'd like to have them all as they are. I wouldn't want to change anything in them. I love them as they are and for what they will be. Because they also love me for who I am. Now, the tears are swelling in my eyes.

That's how my day went.

Thanks for reading.

The Hans Montenegro Article

2009-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

I was going through the magazines where I wrote articles. There was one article that sort of stood out. It was about Hans Montenegro. I forgot I was able to interview him in 2005. Imagine, that's been 4 years ago. That fast, huh. I was working for a new magazine back then as the editor-in-chief. I was the one collecting articles for publication.

I met Mr. Montenegro in one of those events that I went to. I think it was a Sony press con. He was the host of that event. The opportunist that I was, I went up to him and introduced myself and asked him for his contact number. Luckily, he gave it to me. But now, I don't have his number anymore because that was kept in a phone that got stolen.

Back to Hans. So, the day after, I sent him a text message and asked for an appointment for the interview. He mentioned a date and I went on that day. I was quite excited since I was the one who was going to do the interview and write about him. I also took pictures of him.

After the interview, I discovered that he has stopped TV guestings, doing movies or soap operas. He has gone into the corporate world but still in line with the broadcast industry at that time.

Although it's been four years since that interview and I saw in LinkedIn that he's already a senior manager in Convergys. I may scan that article and upload it here. I will still have to buy my own scanner one of these days.

photo credit: www.cosmotalents.com

Lou Diamond Phillips

2009-09-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Meeting Lou Diamond Phillips was never planned. But unlike Cynthia Luster, I saw him just the same. It was during the time when he was promoting his movie, "Bats," that he came to Manila and guested in ABS-CBN.

I was having lunch with officemates in the cafeteria. At one point, I saw Lou Diamond Philips come out of the conference room and alone. Finding a piece of paper and a pen, I gathered all courage to approach the famous actor.

I called him, "Sir, may I have your autograph please?" and he said, "Sure." And he scribbled his name and signed the piece of paper I had. Actually, when I approached him, some people saw this and followed suit. When I left him, he was being swarmed by fans asking for his autograph.

Was I bad or what? I started the commotion. Geez. I didn't think other people had the same idea. Or nobody wanted to take the risk of doing so. But I always thought to myself when there are famous people around, take advantage of their presence because you only see them once.

And so, that's my story of being a fan. That's why every time I'm in the office, I would always bring a pen and paper along with me, just in case.

See 'ya!

Photo credit: www.freewebs.com/moviemonger/actors.htm.

How I Got to Interview Cynthia Luster (a.k.a Yukari Oshima)

2009-09-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Cynthia Luster? Maybe in one of those Hong Kong action movies with Cindy Rothrock? Still not familiar? Well, in any case, that's okay. She has not been around for quite some time now. But I wish I could have that chance of meeting her again. She's an interesting subject to interview and I had the chance of interviewing her in 1998 when she was here in the Philippines.

Yes, that was a rare chance. I just saw her in one of the Sports Unlimited episodes which was hosted by Vince Hizon and Dyan Castillejo back then. I called up the station and looked for the person who had Ms. Luster's contact number and asked for it. I was lucky enough to get it because I was writing for a publication then, Men's Zone, which is published by BusinessWorld.

Actually, I just suggested the business of Ms. Luster to the associate editor of Men's Zone at that time. It was just supposed to be a one-paragraph explanation of her business and its location, and what they were offering.

But then, I got a call from Men's Zone to turn it into a full-blown article with photo, I was elated. That meant writing the article and taking the photos myself. Wow! What a break! It was such an honor to do a full-feature article about her.

So, I contacted the person and set the appointment.

I was so excited and I felt so lucky that I was given the privilege to interview her in her shop which was Sports Quest on Dr. Lozcano Street in the Morato area.

Finally, that day came. I was expecting her to be quite aloof since she's already a star in her own right. But I was wrong. She was the opposite. She was very courteous and even answered most of my questions without hesitation. She also said some Tagalog words and she even mentioned her favorite Filipino dishes - pinakbet, garlic rice, bangus and lapu-lapu. It was a perfect interview, I must say. I mean she told me how she got into the movies and other things. I will have the article scanned and probably post it here one of these days.

After the interview, I was taking photos of her dive shop, Sports Quest. She was into the scuba diving business.

Writing the article wasn't that hard to do. I just wrote from the heart, how I would interpret or let the article flow. I sent it along with the photos that were on slides at that time, not yet digital.

I was excited when it was published. It was published on the magazine's anniversary and their theme was about successful women on the cover. I got a big professional fee from that. I wish I could still get that much fee from a publication again.

One thing was certain. The article I sent to them wasn't edited that much. If ever there were mistakes, it was minimal. That is why I am proud of "Enter the Diveshop," the title of my article, which the editor in Men's Zone entitled it.

To me, it's one of my achievements in my writing history. It's a success story of a writer, someone like me, who isn't that famous and yet, I had that chance of interviewing her.

That's one writing experience I will never forget. It only happened once and it will forever be treasured in my memory.

I'd like to give credit to the photo source - http://homepage3.nifty.com/hkaction/photo10.jpg.

Bad Trip

2009-08-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Excuse me for the title but I really am feeling that way. I was expecting that the maid would come today as she PROMISED, but she's a no-show and not even a text message to me.

My boss is expecting me today to be at the office but I have not left the house because of the no-show maid. It is pretty bad because I don't have any salary for the whole month if I don't work in the office. Where will I get my daily allowance? Or money to spend for my son's birthday this coming September 15?

I feel so fuming mad already. I have been so kind to her and understood her situation with her live-in partner and now, this? Honestly, if she doesn't want to work anymore, she should just tell me straight to my face or through text even. But I didn't receive any of those. Who wouldn't feel so fuming mad, huh?

If only I could leave my three-year-old to someone I can really trust like a relative or something, that would have been ideal. I couldn't leave her to anyone because I feel that she's not their responsibility. She's my responsibility.

Oh, well, I have to give up on this. It's hard to find a reliable, trustworthy maid these days. I want someone who doesn't use the cellphone, who doesn't have a boyfriend nor a husband and kids and someone who is into the job she's doing. Because if she isn't all of those, she's not dependable.

What a day, huh?

I'll write another blog a little later.

Geez... Guys, have a nice day!

Creative Writing 2

2009-08-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not really an expert in blogging but I'm trying my best to write something interesting or something worthwhile.

Being a writer isn't really that easy. Before, I wanted to join the Palanca awards to prove to myself that I could write well. I know people won't believe me if I didn't have any award up in my sleeve. I mean if I'm not an award-winning writer, I feel that I don't have any authority to teach other people to write. That's what stopped me from teaching creative writing to younger people.

I had plans to teach younger people about creative writing. I even had modules prepared for them. I have prepared all the activities, games or lecture. But I stopped to think: "Am I an authority? Do I have enough credentials to teach creative writing?" Yes, it's true, I graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communication arts from DLSU Manila but I don't have the MA degree yet. Nor have I been practicing writing for several years now. Nor have I a book to show to people that I am an accomplished writer licensed to teach.

I had to think things over before I jumped into it. And at one point, I just dropped everything and found another niche that I was good in.

I still am a writer although I set that career aside because I found a job as a transcriptionist and this is full time.

I can still manage to write in my blog but not write for any magazine at the moment. But that's okay. I know there are a lot of good writers around who have established themselves in the particular industry they're comfortable writing about.

I was kind of the all-around writer back then. I tried writing about the construction industry, call center industry, badminton, golf, or anything that was available for me to write about. I was basically dependent on editors to give me an assignment. This assignment would usually entail me to interview a person who is an authority on the topic I was assigned to. It's either I would prepare the questions or the editor would give me the questionnaire for the interview. Sometimes, the questions would be sent before the interview so the interviewee could review and prepare the answers. There are times that the interviewee would just be interviewed on the spot.

Those were my writing days. I sure enjoyed that. I wish I could still do that.

More on Creative Writing on the next blog. Keep reading!

Thank you.

Parenting 101

2009-08-30T01:09:00.000-07:00

I just read an article today in the Sunday Inquirer about College 101. It was written by Cate De Leon. I agree with her 100% that as parents, we should not expect our kids to be copycats of ourselves. We were born in different times, dates, situations, et cetera. It's like forcing yourself to eat something you hate so much. Or doing something that is out of your league. Geez. I just don't understand why some parents still insist that their kids take up the course they took up that made them successful. That doesn't mean that those kids will also succeed in that endeavor, unless they really want that same thing, definitely for different reasons.

There was one time I had this liking to become part of the Cadette Officers Candidate Course, just like my sister. I told myself back then, "If she could do it, why couldn't I?" That stuck in my head for several years until my time came and it was in a totally different scenario.

I was not the top 10 in class nor was I one of the intelligent students. I was just an average kid living a simple life. My sister was more intelligent and she handled a whole battalion as the Battalion Adjutant in her haydays. I became the Delta 2 Platoon Leader during my time. There's really such a big difference.

In other words, I am not my sister. I AM ME. Not my DAD, not my Mom, nor my Brother. I AM ME. I will always be me. I will always think differently than my sister. And that's the way it will always be.

That's why I was lucky to have chosen my career path without people breathing down my neck. I listened to other people then. I wanted photography as a subject so I took up communication arts in De La Salle University Manila and got my wish. And part of the course was writing, which was one of my first loves. So, I knew I was in the right course.

After I graduated, I applied as an account executive, photographer, writer, translator, transcriber and got those jobs that I wanted and I am proud to say that in every job that I was in, I was happy and proud that it was something that I really wanted to do.

I hope you could do the same to your kids too. You want your kids to be happy, right? Make them do the choosing and deciding for themselves and that will make them proud of you as a parent. Believe me, I've been there.

Thank you for reading.

Facebook

2009-08-29T03:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have a Facebook account. I like Facebook better than Friendster. That's because I have more friends in Facebook I haven't seen in a long time since high school and college, imagine that? And that's been like 20++ years already.

As I see it, Friendster is for the younger generation who would like to connect with younger people. Facebook is for a little bit older people who want to connect with their long-lost friends/classmates/relatives, et cetera.

I was actually quite lazy to start my Facebook account back then because I wasn't sure how to go about it. Or how it would turn out. When I started searching for friends and seeing more people are there, I got hooked on it. Even my daughter is into it. That's probably because of the games in Facebook.

And if you want to write something, you can just type it in your wall and it will be published in a few seconds. You will see people commenting on what you wrote after a few minutes. You could easily react to it too.

There's also the chat feature of Facebook. You can chat with your friends who's also online. That way, it's as if you're in Yahoo Messenger or MSN or Skype or what-have-you, and you get connected with that person wherever he/she may be.

The wonders of technology, huh?

But there's a warning there though. I saw in an article previously that people should be wary of what they say or post or include in their albums. Employers are now checking into Facebook accounts and sometimes see some unpleasant things about the applicant and decide not to hire that particular person. If I were you, I'd put my best foot forward even in Facebook so that even if I'm not looking for a job, I might be considered as an applicant and they won't find anything against me since I didn't post anything that would harm another person's reputation or ruin my own.

Let's just be on the safe side, shall we?

Thanks again for reading.

Have a good day, people!

Learning How to Type

2009-08-29T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, bloggers! It's Milay again. Today, I want to encourage people how to type. Not necessarily type fast but at least, know how to type. First things first. You have to be acquainted with the keyboard. Or if you're using an old squeaky typewriter, you must know the keys. There are different types of keyboards. There's the QWERTY type or the Dvorak type.

What we use is the QWERTY type. When we used the typewriter back then, the logic behind the QWERTY is that the keys wouldn't get entangled with each other unlike if it was the ABC style. I'm not much of a historian but that's how I understand this type of keyboard we are using. The Dvorak isn't that much used and a lot of people even haven't heard of this type of keyboard. To find out what it is, you can just use Google and type in the word Dvorak and there are a lot of things about it and you will know what it's really like.

So, now you know what type of keyboard we use. Learning to type isn't really that hard. You just have to know where the letters are placed. Like typing ASDF, that's on the left hand. Then, JKL; is on the right hand. And there are these two lines that indicate F and J as the point where you have to go back to after reaching out for the upper and lower letters on the keyboard.

The way to learn how to type is, or my secret to learning to type is what my sister taught me - type the sentence THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOGS. Why? Because all the letters are in that sentence and you will get to memorize the placing of the letters if you keep typing that sentence over and over.

Then when I got to high school, we got to practice all the right letters using the proper finger for each letter. I was lucky enough to get to learn typing back then. It really helped me a lot. Just imagine, I used a manual typewriter to type reports and articles and I had to bring the article to the editor. Or I had to fax the article to the magazine. And to make copies of these, I would have to have it photocopied. It was tedious but it was very helpful.

Times have changed, obviously. Now, I use a laptop computer to send emails and compose articles or type in transcripts and just attach it to my email and send it to the recipient and, voila, the email, article or transcript reaches my recipient in a few minutes.

And typing is a breeze. The laptop keyboard or any computer keyboard was tailored after the manual typewriter, which is basically the same principle. Knowing this, it was easy for me to adjust. My fingers wouldn't have to get inserted in between the keys and stop typing. Now, I just have to press the keys on the keyboard and the letters pop up instantly.

So, if I were you, I'd practice typing on the typewriter, if you have one, and when you transfer to the computer, typing is easier. That I can assure you.

Just keep practicing typing and you'll reach the 100 words per minute record and be proud of yourself. Wait til you hear your friends tell you, "You're a monster in typing!"

Haha. Well, that's just how it is. Start typing. Now.

Thanks.

Just Bumming Around

2009-08-29T01:03:00.001-07:00

Right now, life has been just waking up late, taking care of my 3-year-old daughter, did the laundry a few days ago, staying home, tinkering with the computer usually checking emails and chat messages, or watching television.

I am thinking of a business regarding transcription training. I still don't know where to start and how to start it. I have to write them all down. I just don't have the ballpen to start jotting the ideas down. Maybe I could do it here. List down the necessary actions I have to do.

This business is in line with a computer shop owner who wants to earn a few more bucks for his shop. I want to help him with that. I just have to figure out how to begin.

Well, as they say, a journey begins with a single step. I have to start somewhere because the scope of this business is wide that I don't know how to trim it down and do it.

But I know I'll get there some day. And when I do, I'll let you know right away.

Thanks for reading.

I'll write again something soon.

Have a nice day!

Photography

2009-08-26T09:05:00.001-07:00

The previous entry was about creative writing. I'll get into that topic a little later on. I want to share my experience in another favorite topic of mine which is photography.

Well, I must say I'm not the type of person who would play around with the computer and tinker with the photos using Photoshop or something. I just take photos period. I mean I am an artist and photography and writing are two ways in which I can show my talents in the arts department.

Although I'm not much of that techie person but I know how to take pictures, that's for sure. I can prove it to you through my Facebook account or my Friendster account, take your pick. In Facebook, I took most of the pictures in THE E.J. FILE. And of course, the profile photos too. But there's one favorite subject of mine that I am very proud of - the sunrise in Taguig that's found in my Friends album. I knew I was at the right place at the right time then. And I had a camera with me so I took that majestic skyline, it was more like the dawning of a new day, the hands of God was really showing through the sky or something like that.

If you're a photographer, you would know the right timing and the right moment to take a picture. So, voila, I took the picture and you can see that it's really so beautiful. I knew that that moment would fade away in a few minutes so I had to capture it in my camera quickly. And, success! It's there in my Facebook and I can just stare at it in awe.

That's why I like being a photographer, not a subject or anything else, but THE photographer. I like to capture the moment and seize the excitement and share it with the world.

Well, right now, I don't get to practice photography that much that's why I must be rusty. But if you do get the chance to be in the right place at the right time, at the right moment, capture it because you'll only get it once. As they say, opportunity only knocks once. So better grab it before it goes away.

That's my photography story. Share yours with me. You're welcome to do so. I'll be waiting for them.

Thank you.

Creative Writing

2009-08-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I was able to tell you the story of how I got into writing in the early 90s. Well, I guess it's time to tell you about it.

I don't want to bore you with the gore and other stuff but I just want to let you know how I discovered my hidden talent in writing.

It started with my writing in a diary. Yes, I have my notebook that had Francis Magalona on the cover. Imagine that? I even put the date on it. It was 1985. Geez. O, oh. My age is going to show. Oh, well, that's fine. Let it show. What have I got to lose, huh?

My writing stint was supposed to have started during my high school, fourth year to be exact. I wanted to see my name in print back then. It was sort of the 'in' thing for me. Okay, so I asked a friend who was writing for the paper how to get in and she told me I just had to take an exam and pass it. So I did.

After like a day or two, I was told that my work wasn't accepted or it was rejected. I really felt bad and depressed. So I just thought i wasn't cut out to be a writer.

Then when I got to college, I thought it would be my break to write for the college paper. I felt it would be prestigious to write for them. I would be able to practice my journalism skills if I get into it.

Then, again, I had to take an exam. I think the topic was about politics. I took the exam. I thought I knew something about it and passed it. To my dismay, I didn't get accepted again.

I thought it's the second time around so I think it was a sign for me to stop wishing for the stars. I gave up on that dream of becoming a writer.

After graduating from college, I applied in an office as an editorial assistant. I was sort of an account executive selling air time to clients for the television show, "PinPin," a Chinese-English program that caters to children so that they would learn the lingua franca of the Chinese. It was shown on channel 4 at that time and it was being aired in a non-primetime slot. It was not rating at all so I was having a hard time booking a client to advertise in it.

An idea came to me. At that time, I was already married and had my 3-month-old son. I wanted to write about having a family at a young age. I suggested that to my editor-in-chief, Teresita Ang See. You probably heard of her. She's one of the leaders who would protest against Filipino-Chinese abductions, kidnappings back in those days because it was very rampant.

She then encouraged me to write my personal experience about having a baby at 22. You're probably guessing how old I must be. Well, just add two and two and you get my age, though, not the real age. Haha.

To make the story short, I wrote my article and the next week, I saw my byline and photo along with it in the Tulay Weekly, a supplementary of the World News Newspaper then. Wow, it was really something. Imagine, I just wrote a personal experience article and I got it printed! That meant I could be a writer! Hah! I just proved to myself and to the rest of the world that I CAN be a writer.

That other people who turned me down didn't believe in my capabilities. I thought that when you get into the real world, you would get more rejections and depressions. I was wrong. I even got encouraged to write more.

Well, that's my writing story. How about yours? Do you have a story to tell? I'm sure you do. You can share it with me. I'll wait for your stories.

Thank you and do have a great writing life!

The Transcriptionist's Office

2008-06-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, there.

I'm back. I just wrote a comment from my brother's blog about the gasoline price hike to around 60 pesos per liter. He wrote some issues about not buying from Petron or Caltex in June or not buying from Shell in July or something. All I know is that I made my comment there. He asked me to.

It wasn't a hard thing to do. I actually enjoyed it. I explained to people what I did for a living and where I work.

Well, I hope that people will get to read what I wrote even if my ending wasn't related to the body of my comment.

By the way, the title "The Transcriptionist's Office" will soon be a reality. I hope and pray when I start my own.

I'm a general transcriptionist, as I have said in my previous post. And I have big plans for this industry, I must say. I plan to stay long in this career since I've switched from being a writer to a transcriptionist.

Well, I guess, that's life. The inevitable happens.

The Transcriptionist is In

2008-06-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hi there, bloggers!

I'm back after a hiatus of several months. I stopped blogging because I would rather work than blog.

Anyway, I would like to explain something. Most of the time people would ask me what a general transcriptionist is because that is my profession now. I've switched from a writer to a transcriptionist.

It's someone who would receive audio files online from clients and then he/she would download the file into his/her computer and then put it in Express Scribe so that he/she could easily hear the audio by using the function keys as start/stop/play/rewind. Others would opt for the foot pedal to control the audio.

Then as that is done, he/she would then have to open a Word file, then if there is a format needed, do the formatting for that client and then start the transcription.

Once the audio is ready, the person can start typing everything that is heard on the audio. Just make sure that what you hear is what you type and you have to know how to end the sentence, or where to put the commas, the quotations and the periods. Of course, don't forget to spell the words correctly. Guys, I mean this is just typing what you hear verbatim. But sometimes, the uhms and the ahs, the you knows are not included anymore. This is called the clean transcript.

You see, if only Filipinos could listen very well and have a good grasp of the English language, it would be easy to transcribe for people here and abroad for a fee. It's a very decent job and you can even do it at home as long as you have a broadband or DSL Cable connection for your research, yes, you have to do some research on terms like medical, architecture, IT, etc because those are important in the transcript. If you are a transcriptionist and you have poor spelling abilities, your client won't give you more stuff to do.

I'm lucky I studied in a good school, Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills way back in the 80s and it turned out that my English is fair or a little higher than that. I'm not saying I'm really that good, I still have a lot to learn as I go through the daily chores of transcribing.

But transcription is for everyone, whether you're a college student who wants to earn on the side, a housewife who has nothing to do during her free time, or an employee who wants to earn more for the family. It doesn't choose which profession you are in as long as you can understand English, that's fine.

There are tough accents to consider though. But it would be easy for you if you watch different movies every week and try to listen to their dialogues. You will get what I mean in due time. That's my training when I was a teenager. I didn't know I would end up as a transcriptionist, how do I know?

Well, for those of you who want to learn this job, better get your fingers ready because you would need to do a lot of typing, I mean typing fast but 98% accurate that is. You can type fast but your accuracy is just 80%, that's not enough. You have to aim higher. And you should type the correct way, the QWERTY way to make it easier for you. Or if you're used to your typing style, that's fine as long as you type accurately.

Well, so much for the transcription lesson. I hope you learned something today.

Nothing much is written about transcription in our country. I hope to start a forum about this one of these days.

Thank you and good luck.

Got Home Work

2008-01-21T02:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been ages since I've written here. I don't normally write in my blog because I just keep the memories to myself that's why sometimes, I forget. At present, life is quite confusing. Our maid has been in and out of the house for 2 days and she's saying that she's going to come back this morning but she isn't here yet. She's such a liar, and I mean a genuine liar and I'm sure she'd have excuses to tell me again. I don't know what she takes us for - gullible people or something or that we trust her so much. I'm sorry I tell her some things but it's okay.

Secrets are meant to be blurted out anyway. That's why these days I don't want to talk to her that much but there's nothing I could do. I don't have anyone to talk with at home except my one year old little girl, my two teenaged children and my mother.

The Got Home Work is something I enjoy doing even if it doesn't pay much. I'm still waiting for people to pay me or react to me. No one has reacted to me yet. I already passed my files.

I don't know. Life right now is undefinable to me. I hope you understand.

See you guys around!

In The Office

2007-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

There are so many things you learn when you're in the office. Like you have to type information in someone's contacts list, or you have to copy links to a file, or encode a voice transcription into an excel file, or just type in a transcription into a word file.

Or at times, learn from your officemates about life in general. They share experiences you've never encountered before. Or they'll share their insights on some thoughts.

You see, in life, we never stop learning. We learn new things everyday, we discover new angles to old ideas, that there was such a thing as this or that. When other people think that what they know is what's important. Well, it doesn't work that way. That idea may be passe already and it needs some polishing and it has to have more than what it already has.

This saying may not be related to what I'm discussing here but as what people say, there's always hope when you're alive and kicking. So, there's still a chance for those people who are living to change their ways, learn from their mistakes, learn how to bend and be humble and think about things in a different light and not to stick to what they believe in.

This doesn't just apply only to the office environment. This applies to every place we know - the school, the home, the church, wherever else you can think of.

Think about it.

Back in Business

2007-06-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well, hello, there! It's me again. It's been almost a month since the time that I blogged here. I just want to say that it's good to be back again. I mean blogging. There's just one thing. I had a creative writing student but he stopped coming over and didn't even tell me he'd be stopping. That's so grrr! I mean he didn't even text me a day before or what. I even made a powerpoint presentation for the day's lesson then, he just didn't appear.

Some people have the nerve, right? I didn't even charge him anything for the time and effort that I gave him. It's not fair. But what can I do? I'm not an expert on the subject, I just wanted to help. At least, have the decency to tell me that I'm not helping or anything that's why we'd have to stop the lessons.

Anyway, I just got a babysitter last Monday and I plan to go back to work with a vengeance by not taking my days off, if they will permit me. I want to prove to them that I'm not that pabaya with my work. And that the job is really for me and I want to help the firm achieve its goals through my services, if I could really help.

Please pray for me that I will be given the chance to work. I just want to pay back my absences. And make up for lost time.

In the Office, finally

2007-05-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, there! I'm here now in B&M office and I finally got a permanent job, not contractual, not just temporary, I mean probationary right at the start. I'm so happy that this company took me in and appreciates my talents. That I am worth hiring in their company. What more can I say? I should do well so that I would be regularized in 3 months or so.

I just am so lucky I was one of the chosen ones to be part of the document support centre of this company. I'm part of the voice file transcription specialist team. I'm more of a transcriber and I will get to practice my talent here.

Wish me luck!

Thank you.

Jobs

2007-05-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

Today, I made a boo-boo. I told a client that I couldn't finish the job and they almost reprimanded me for doing so. I should've told them ahead of time and that I shouldn't have made promises that I could accomplish the job in a certain period of time. Although I really did want to make the deadline longer but I wasn't certain they would do so. I feel like such a failure at this point. I should've told them earlier and gave them all back because I couldn't do it. I was even told that I could raise my price if it was difficult or something. I wasn't really after the difficulty or whatever it is, I was after the quality of the work to be done. It was really such a terrible thing that I did. I mean I couldn't really get my mind off of it. Well, I learned something - if I have a bad feeling about it, do not accept it. Yes, I learned my lesson. Actually, right at the start, it was really something like a disaster already. I could foretell it was because I wanted to back out already because I didn't have the proper equipment, they didn't want to let go. Number two, I wanted to see if I could do it, the girl was giving me just two tapes and she decided to give me all the tapes. Then, the next day, I called her and told her I don't think I could do it because it was really such a mess I mean the people in the tape were all talking at the same time that it was going to be hard for me to understand and it would take a longer time for me to transcribe it. But she told me to go on with it. I really wanted to back out then. But the girl was insistent.

But now, it seems it was all my fault that I failed. I still went on with the project. I feel so bad about it. It's my credibility that was at stake. And it's gone. But I guess I just have to face it bravely, without fear because we all are humans and we make mistakes. We should learn from them.

And to add to the injury, when I went to the BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE, I had cases that I didn't know existed. My gosh! I still had to pay taxes. I'm just a small fish compared to the famous actors and actresses who really run away from paying their taxes. I just can't imagine my life situation like this.

I'm not a criminal so why do I have to suffer this way? Is it karma? Because I've been so haughty against some people in the neighborhood? Well, whatever it is, it would all be over. Soon.

THE ANSWER

2007-05-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! Finally, I got the answer to my prayers. I really prayed hard for it and I got it. That's what I have been trying to do the past few weeks. Just thinking positive and using the visualizations I've read in several articles over the internet, it really works. That's what the Secret is also trying to promote. It's believing that you have a powerful mind that gets you going, that makes things happen. All you have to do is to concentrate on that very thing that you want and think it's already there. Do this everyday and you will get what you want, without you knowing it's already there, just around the corner. Who knows, might be the next millionaire. Just let me know. It really helped me. I am not a millionaire, I just got what I was hoping and praying for.

Try it. You've got nothing to lose. Just have faith in whoever supreme being you believe in and think about that thing that you really want and for sure, you will get it.

Got a Job, Finally

2007-04-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I must say my prayers were answered. I don't know how, I don't know how it came about. All I know is I have a job right now. I'm in a pr firm in Ortigas. It's actually my first day and I am free to do whatever I want today. Our oic for the day said, "It's a light day today so you can do anything you want - surf the net or chat or what have you." That's a good thing because I'm still trying to take in that's happening around me today.

I have applied to several companies and this one was the first one to call me after several months of waiting. I applied in January but it's only this month they called me, last Friday, to be exact.

Although I'm not really a pr person, I tried to answer their exam as best as I could. I was interviewed by the CEO then that time. It was a good thing that I brought my portfolio then. If not, it would've taken a longer time to process my application.

But as an applicant, even if I wasn't asked to bring my samples of work, I brought it, just in case they needed to see my articles or the way I write. The articles would be their basis as to my style of writing. At least, whoever wants to hire me can see that I can prove I have the writing ability. If I didn't get published, it means that I can't write, right?

As I previously mentioned, I have other pending applications in other companies. I told my daughter that even if the compensation was greater in the other office, I'm still not sure of my getting accepted because they are still waiting for other applicants to come in. And in the other applications, one company is still in the decision-making stage if they would get me or not, while another company put my application on hold because of my priorities.

And here I am right now in the office. I'm with a group of happy people. I hope they would always be happy even if they're busy and stressed out.

I'm still thankful I have been taken in. At least, I'm not a 'bum' anymore, waiting for people to call me at home. Actually, that was the consideration I thought of. I was called twice and I felt that I'm needed that's why I'm here. I also hope I do justice to the job. Wish me luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2MqciSMOmk

In Limbo???

2007-04-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know where my life is headed right now. I'm in between jobs. I'm not sure if I'll be taken in by this company I've applied to. I have to wait for their decision. I just wish someone would hear my prayer and give me the job that I really want. And compensate me well, enough to pay my bills, send my kids to school, and hire a nanny.

Although I typed in another entry that life's been great. Yeah, it has been because of the help that I needed at a time I was in the dumps. Right now, I still have to pray hard for what God wants me to work for. I will just leave it all to His decision, what He wants for me.

After all, He's our Boss.

Application Time

2007-04-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Geez! I was really surprised today because I was supposed to go to a call center and apply as a call center agent and be like a living zombie. Meaning a life without a nightlife. But I called the office of the person who I was about to turn down. And voila! I talked to her over the phone and discovered that I was one of the shortlisted applicants from the email and she wanted me to apply as a writer and be part of their company. And the pay was way, way higher than I had expected. Can you beat that?

Actually, I was turning down this offer because it was a day shift job and I would find it hard to work during the day because of my daughter's time for herself with her friends when she wants to go out.

But I couldn't resist the lady's offer of the job that I would be missing so I decided to pursue my application with them and she gave me an exam, take home exam at that, mind you. Yes, she is quite lenient and patient with me. She told me over the phone that she was impressed with my resume and I assumed that people really wouldn't be impressed with my resume because of the job hopping kind of background I had.

But I do hope and pray that I would be part of the team and I'm also hoping that I'd make good in the exam.

Thank you, Lord, for clearing my mind and making me see that there are other jobs out there that could fit my qualifications and be appreciated by other people.

I hope I'm not being preachy. Well, thanks again to the One above.

See you guys around!

Take a typing test and see how fast you are

2007-04-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

free typing test (c) CalculatorCat.com

Looking for the Right Job

2007-04-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

I feel so down today. It's one of those days that leaves me uninspired. It's when companies tell you that they're not sure they'll hire you because you're not fit or you have a baby to take care of or that your resume is filled with short-term jobs which makes things really not nice.

I mean I don't know what it means when they say they put your application on hold that you're being compared to someone else's credentials and they'll give an update after 2 weeks. It's as if they're having second thoughts on my personality. It's really tough on me because I like the job and I can do the job for them. I don't know what's keeping them from hiring me. I wish people would tell me.

That's the problem with Filipinos, they can't say it straight to the point. People, or applicants for that matter, would have to guess what's wrong with them. That's how life is here in the Philippines. Unlike in other places. You would know right away why you don't qualify for the job. At least, even if it breaks your heart, you know where you went wrong. And they did not leave you hanging.

It's really sad for me.

Taking Application Exams

2007-03-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, recently, I just had another transcription exam. It's kind of unique because we were all tested for this copy and edit thing from PDF to word. It was hard because I thought I was good already in exploring word but when I took this exam, I felt I didn't know a thing. Then, we also had an exam on powerpoint. We were supposed to make a powerpoint out of the file they showed us and had to do some tricks to keep it to their format, not the client's. Then, there was the typing test. As usual, it was typing master. Wow! It was great because I got 88 words per minute there and finished the 10 minute typing test in I think 7:45 minutes. That was really the best part for me. And, the final test, the audio transcription. It was the voice of an executive dictating what the transcriber has to do. It was a good dictation because of the voice quality and the pace of the person dictating. It wasn't really that hard. It was actually fun to work on. I hope I really did my best there. The accent was Australian but it was understandable.

Then, I also applied for this website as an internet researcher. The second phase of the application was an exam. There were three parts - Multiple choice, typing, and an essay. The multiple choice was quite confusing but I hope I made the right choices. Then, the typing. I just had to copy verbatim and type fast. I don't know if I typed that fast though. Then the essay. I read the topic and it was about global problems of hunger, poverty, animal extinction, pollution, as in the problems that we face in the new millennium. I was tasked to write down my solutions to these problems. I guess these problems were problems that would entail the governments to do something about it. Or, some problems like water scarcity could be done by saving water starting from the home. And disease spreading could be stopped by starting from ourselves that we should clean everything before we use them and that governments should also disseminate information about that disease if there was an outbreak. It was really not so hard but kind of general. But for those things to be solved, we can start from our own homes. Then, we could help in the community, then the city and then the whole country. For someone like me, I could do very little if I was tasked to solve those problems. But if we do it as one nation or one world, we could very well succeed.

To top it all, I guess examinations aren't that hard, come to think about it. After taking so many exams in the past, I must say I'm a pro at doing this. They're always just exams. After that, the waiting comes. It's the verdict that makes me tense. Interviews aren't that hard either. I mean, I always have this mind set: that the ones who would interview me are also humans, they're not perfect but they're good in their job. So, don't be tense when you're being interviewed. It's just like talking to a boss or a friend but make sure you know your limits.

Thank you and good day, everyone!

Life's Been Great!

2007-03-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

I say this because I've been blessed with a good life, even if I'm jobless at the moment. I have things to work on to keep me moving. I have a baby girl who gives me strength to go on living, I have my children who keep me on my toes when it comes to using the telephone or the computer and I know they love me very much. I have a family who has fully supported me all these years, who never lost their hope in me that I would make it, not to the top, but to have a contented life.

Then there's someone who's just there to cheer me up, to keep my spirits up and just makes me happy. He knows who he is. Though everything that has happened is also a mystery. Just like in my previous post, it all just happened. It's not the 3 letter word though. It's nothing of the sort. How I wish I could...whatever. It's something so...ugh, I just couldn't explain it. People wouldn't believe it could happen. Neither could I believe it happened. It's something so unusual that it's the first time I've experienced something like this. He knows that. And I really thank him for coming into my life. Maybe without him, my life would be just my kids, my family and me, no him. It wouldn't be any fun.

Not that I'm not happy with my family. I'm happy when I'm with them and when we're all laughing. It's just that he gives that certain kind of happiness you couldn't find anywhere else. Only he could give such emotion. It's unusual because he's not here and yet I could feel him, I could see him in my mind, touching my very soul.

I know people wouldn't understand because it's something so outrageous and crazy and impossible. But we made something possible out of the impossible. It's hard to believe but it's true.

Well, I'll leave it at that. And I hope you guys out there can think about it even if you don't have any idea of what I'm talking about.

It's a wonderful world!

Can you guess what it is?

2007-03-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

Well, hello again! It's another day. But it's a nice feeling because I know that someone out there loves me for who I am. I just couldn't put my finger on it. I mean I don't understand how it all happened but it did even if I avoided it, it just happened. I always question why me, of all people. I'm not that young anymore and yet, I still get to do things that young people do. I know you're kinda lost here. I just don't want to spill the beans yet. I just want to keep you guessing. Maybe you know already. But just you can guess what I'm talking about. It's not something tangible. It's a feeling that people think they are capable of. Now, you know.

If you still don't know what it is, well, then, maybe you should experience it first and then you'll know what it's like to be in it. It's fun, it hurts, but sometimes there's that tingle that it gives you. I'm sorry to keep you guessing. I just don't want to be direct at the moment. I should give people that feeling of suspense for once. Because I've always been a direct kind of person that sometimes I get to be tactless and people know me right away. Right now, I want to give out that air of mystery about me.

Well, I hope you had a nice time reading this. It's really kinda weird though. I just want to keep things to myself first. And when I'm perfectly sure about it, that's the time I'd give the word out.

Thanks.

Milay

Two Days in the Life of an Applicant - Geez!

2007-03-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well, good day, folks! Today, I went to another appointment in an office in Pasig. I was applying as a web content writer for this data solutions company. I actually didn't know what I was getting into but I tried my best to answer the exams.

The first exam was about writing an article spoiler for a television series which starred Kiefer Sutherland and the other one was to write a biography and something about the characters of a super hero in a television series. The first one took me almost an hour to finish because even if it was that famous on cable, I wasn't watching the series, not even a glimpse of it. The one about the super hero thingy, that, too, I didn't know anything about but thanks to technology, I was able to get information about them and was able to finish the exam. So, I thought the exam would cover just those topics but I was wrong.

I was handed another exam. It was about re-writing this article on Insurance for senior citizens. It was a long article that I had to re-write. It practically took me another hour to finish because I wasn't sure how I would attack the article. I don't know how I get to do it, but I get to finish these tough exams even if I wanted to give up right at the start, like I just want to hand over the exam to the girl assisting me and tell her, "Ma'am, I don't think I could do this. I give up. Thank you for your time anyway." But, no, I didn't. I went on with it and even got to do something about it. When I thought that it was hopeless, that I wouldn't be able to understand what the topic was about or something. The instructions were to rewrite the whole article and change the title to a slightly different slant from the original and make sure that no phrases are copied exactly the same way as in the article. But I couldn't not copy some phrases because these were quotations from the article's sources that's why I retained their thought.

Anyway, just hope and pray that I pass, which is somewhat 50-50. I am not that confident I would get this job. I certainly have reservations about it. But it would be okay if I get accepted though.

But that's not the only job I applied for. Yesterday, I went to this office in Makati where I took audio transcription exams. The first one was quite tough because of the quality of the material and the voices of the speakers weren't that clear. It took me quite some time to finish the task. Maybe it was around half an hour of transcription or so for a 2-minute worth of audio material. That's something, isn't it? When I thought I could do that in a jiffy since I could understand different English accents because of frequent watching of foreign films.

But the problem was I was quite disappointed with what the first interviewer told me. I was too slow for their line of work because the files of audio materials were mostly that kind of quality and the transcriber would have to transcribe the file in real time, if not in just a few minutes, not 20 nor 30, in 3 or 5 minutes only! Can you beat that? I was really so depressed when I found out that I couldn't transcribe that fast. And I was told I couldn't keep going back to the audio material leisurely because I was really time pressured. Or else the files would pile up and they would lose clients.

So I guess, that job isn't exactly for me. And the pay isn't really that much. There would be training and it's night shift and I would receive just 7,000 for the training period. It was something like, hey, I have kids to feed and look after, I can't simply take in that amount, it wouldn't be enough. I was asking for an amount more than twice that given but I don't think they're willing to do so because of the way I typed in the exam.

There were several short audio files then and I thought I did well with them. There was one that was worth 1 and a half minutes. But I finished it in 20 minutes, tops. Gosh, the audio was poor because of the generation loss of the tape because it was taken from an answering machine then passed on to the computer that's why it's not from an original source. Maybe it's not the job for me too, huh?

Wow, this is the first time I tried to write in a blog and this is what turned out. A novel. Well, it's sharing my experience to other people, if they get to read my blog. I hope they won't get bored. Til next time. I'll see you soon! I'll write another exciting snippet of my life here on the Cat in the Bag.

Welcome to my Humble Abode!

2007-03-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new abode! Maybe it's about time I get out in the open. Oh, no, I'm not gay or anything, it's just that I want to come out now in a blog with my crazy ideas that's always going on inside this little head of mine. There's nothing wrong in trying to be a writer, right? I mean I'm a writer and I have published articles but that doesn't mean I'm the greatest. These days, there are a lot of good writers around. We just don't notice them.

I'm not sure if I'm a good writer though because my vocabulary is not that high as in I just use very simple words that people could understand unlike an entertainment columnist who writes with high-falluting words that I wouldn't understand. Maybe you could say I'm one of the masses. But I really want to express myself in very simple words. That's why you wouldn't see me using all those very formal words people use to say something. Uh-uh, not me, okay?

I'm your typical, old-fashioned and simple writer who gets the word across - no matter what.

Next time, I'll upload my picture here so you could see who Milay 68 is.