Flowers or Weeds

In many of my blog posts, I have mentioned that my biggest dream when I was a teenager was to be a journalist. I was attracted to capturing life changing moments and putting them into writing, or snapping a picture of a moment that would never again repeat itself.

I started seriously blogging in June of 2013. I started putting together bits and pieces of my previous works, scattered over social media. I met Zen online, through a common interest - writing. This was way way back when Friendster was the "in" thing. She was the one who kept on prodding me to write, she gave me motivation, supported me and praised me for my blah-blah articles. 

Zen never failed to give me pointers and I learned a lot from her. She gave me new blogger friends, Betchai and Cherry, who like Zen gave their all out support to new bloggers like me. 

Zen is the genius behind the blog "The Letters In November". Betchai's talent in photography is showcased in the blog "The Joys of Simple Life", and Cherry's family centered blog "Sweet Memoirs" offers a good read every time. These three women are also behind the blog "The Salitype Society", written for a noble cause of supporting the education of two young children.

This post is to give thanks to these wonderful women - Zen, Betchai and Cherry for their wisdom, their help and their selfless effort to provide other people the hope to pursue their dreams. 

God bless you, my friends.

She was Beautiful, Deep Down to Her Soul

I found this online on a lazy Friday afternoon. I wasn't doing anything particular, just scrolling, reading, looking at pictures. And then this came up on the screen.

I had to stop and just stare at it. The words came alive. 

This is me.

I believe no one gives me the worst criticism than myself. I hate my chubbiness, I hate having to admit that I am not a young girl anymore. I hate not being as fair skinned as my sisters.

I must learn to love myself even more. I must remember that I was created in the image of God, just like everybody else. 

I am a child of God. 

I AM BEAUTIFUL.

Print Your Dreams

The cost of living has been on the rise over the past decade and we have to find ways and means to augment our income. As a parent, my goal is to see all my kids finish college. My daughter has a degree in Economics and is gainfully employed in an international banking institution. My two sons are on their way to earning their own - one in Marketing Management and the other in Hotel and Restaurant Management. 

I have done some market research and feasibility studies on a business that would be easy to manage with a quick ROI (Return of Investment). I have been looking into the printing business. There are many products that could be offered, from banners to business cards to corporate give aways. My only concern is the time constraint to produce unique designs and the stiff market competition.

However, I have learned that with a good web 2 print software, starting a printing business can actually be hassle free! I can start small as a print broker until such time that I would have enough working capital to grow it big. At Eoncode, I can choose the type of software suitable for the size of business that I intend to establish. Complete software packages and suites take care of everything from e-commerce storefronts, website development and workflow management applications.

My dream of owning a business and being financially stable in my twilight years is about to become a reality. 

My OOTD: XX Years Ago

It is always fun looking at old photographs. In my youth, cameras used film and we had to wait a week or so to have them "developed" into pictures. I had my very first Kodak Instamatic camera when I was in 6th grade and I guarded it with my life! My aunt's big professional camera had a stern "Do Not Touch" warning, while my dad's Polaroid was only for special occasions.

One of my favorite childhood pictures was taken at home. It was a big family dinner after my very first piano recital. My OOTD was a white dress, white socks and shoes. I had a white ribbon to keep my hair in place. For accessories, I had a watch, a bracelet and earrings and a necklace.

Children's parties during my youth were a big thing. There were no McDonald's, Jollibee, KFC, Shakeys. We had home cooked food that children really loved. Spaghetti, hotdogs, cake, lots of ice cream and candy. We had parlor games, balloons, loot bags for our guests. We got to invite all our classmates and more. It was a fun time. The following is a picture taken during my cousin's birthday party. My OOTD for that day was a shirt with a butterfly design, a red belt, and tangerine pants. Did you find me? Haha.

I loved growing up in the time that I did. I skinned my knees, I broke some bones, I had my share of my butt being whipped, kneeling in front of the altar with my arms outstretched as punishment for misbehaving. I learned a lot from experience.

I had my cousins as my very first best friends, the outdoors as my playground, my family as my rock.

My childhood was the best and I would not wish to have grown up in any other era as the one I grew up in.

Its About Time We Speak Up

Our village office regularly holds town hall meetings for the residents of the community. It is during these times that the officers announce scheduled medical missions, free services, or current updates to existing rules and regulations in the village. 

With all their good intentions at hand, it is still difficult for them to keep everyone's attention. Their dilapidated PA system makes their voices come out like a squeak and a crackle. I think it is the opportune time to replace the "century old" speakers. 

The Peavey PA Speakers would do the job perfectly. Its woofer and titanium diaphragm compression driver provide the best audio for any purpose, whether it be for town hall meetings or gigs. It boasts of a 400W power program and durable moulded plastic enclosures making it lightweight and portable. 

Our village would be very pleased to have a pair of these quality speakers. The Senior Citizens attending their weekly Ballroom Dancing classes would be very happy. The day care nursery class could now do their field demonstrations with better sound systems. Most important of all is that we will now be able to hear the announcements of our village president better. We'd be more than willing to sign a petition to our Mayor to provide funding for this much needed pair of speakers.

The Death of the Work Itik

This is my page. These are my thoughts. Like it? Read on. Hate it? Read even more.

The death of the work "itik"

1. I shut some people out of my life not because I hate them, but because I RESPECT ME.

2. Put an end to the phrase "We are all family here." People in the workplace are NOT my family. My family is the people I leave behind when I go to work at night. Workplace people are PEERS, NOT FAMILY.

3. I did not find employment to make friends. I sought employment to earn money. Gaining new friends is just a bonus.

4. I am an individual. I am unique. I am a rational being. I am not an item in the production line that will blindly conform to your specifications. 

5. Respect and earn respect.

6. I can be the most faithful ally. I can also be the worst enemy. It all depends on the situation presented.

7. Do not judge me unless you have walked a mile in my shoes.  

8. If you did not have a happy childhood, don't rub off your disappointment on others.

9. You can never be perfect because only GOD is perfect, and you are NOT GOD.

10. Most importantly, I would advise you to never meddle in the affairs of the dragon, for in my eyes you are crunchy and good with ketchup. 

Tasty Treats with Healthy Benefits

It is a fact that not all oils are bad. There are natural oils from plants and animal sources that provide a lot of health benefits. One of these are cod liver oil (fish oil) that has been known for centuries for its healing properties. Fish oil contain Omega 3 fatty acids that help raise the level of high density lipoproteins (HDL) in the blood.

Omega3 Innovations offers products with a high grade of  full spectrum oil in its natural composition. They have changed the conventional practice of popping a soft gel capsule of fish oil into your mouth to get your daily dose of omega-3. Now we can enjoy all the benefits of omega 3 fish oil by indulging in their Omega cookie or Omega Passion Chocolate Truffle. Now how good is that?

The Omega Cookie comes in chocolate chip, ginger raisin, cranberry or tropical flavor, specially formulated to contain less sugar than an apple. Each cookie contains essential nutrients like Vitamin D3, calcium, gluten free oat fiber and omega-e fatty acids (equivalent to 7 regular fish oil capsules worth of omega-3)

Chocolate lovers can likewise enjoy the health benefits of omega-3 in tasty treats aptly named Omega Passion and Omega Heaven. Both contain fish oil, beta glucan oat fiber and antioxidants.


Have I hyped up your urge to start making healthy choices? Don't forget to check out Omega Cure too. It is the world's finest, natural full spectrum fish oil. Neutral tasting and can be mixed with fruit juice, salad dressings, yogurt, etc. Take the right dose daily and marvel at the amazing changes in your joints. Pretty soon, you'll get that full range of motion back. Your skin, eyes, brain, and heart would benefit from it too.

We only have one body, one life, one chance. Invest in your health and your family will thank you immensely for it.

My Flower Album 2014: Nature in Bloom

On my way home from work, I noticed the burst of color in the garden around the church. The flowers are in bloom! I whipped out my camera (yes, I do have it with me every day) and started clicking away. When I got home, I took a walk around the neighborhood and took more photos of those colorful creations of God.

Here is my Flower Photo Album. My apologies, I do not know the names of these flowers. All I know is that they are beautiful.

Here are pics from my mom's flower garden. She does grow some amazing orchids!

Thank you Lord God for the pretty little things you send my way every day.

A Passion for Sounds

I work as a Quality Analyst in a BPO company. My job entails sitting in front of the computer for a nine hour work day, listening to agents' recorded calls and checking for compliance. The skills needed in this kind of job are good judgment and a very keen sense of hearing. 

Company issued headsets are baseline functional, so I chose to use my own headset that gives me external noise reduction and good quality sound. These two criteria were met by the american audio headphones at guitar center. 

A professional headset for DJs, it provides an ultra dynamic range with great sounding highs and lows, high powered, filling your rears with booming bass and trilling treble. I know that this would be too much of a good headset to use for listening to agent-customer conversations, but with its fold-up feature, I can take them home with me and listen to my favorite 80s music. 

I don't have to be a DJ to own a headset like this. It is a perfect companion for the "perfect listener." 

Vocabulary Booster: Wave 2

Every day I eagerly await Fox News Channel's "The Factor" with Bill O'Reilly. There is never a dull moment in the show. Mr. O'Reilly's topics are always about interesting news and events that may impact our daily life.

The best part of the show for me is the #Factor Word of the Day. It is interesting to learn about a new word, how it is used and its etymology. 

Allow me to share with you my love for languages and the latest group of words I have learned.

1.  SALUBRIOUS

An adjective meaning "beneficial," "good for one's health"

Its origin came from the Latin word "salubris"  meaning "safe, healthy"

"We should encourage our children to practice the salubrious habit of eating a generous serving of fruit daily."

2. PARVENU

A noun used to refer to a person who achieves sudden wealth. It is also defined as one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity or manner associated with it.

Its origin is from the French word "parvenir" meaning "to arrive." It also has Latin origin, "pervenire" which means "to come"

"Despite his multi-million winnings from the Lottery, Jose could not escape being labeled a parvenu by the elite members of society."

3. INGANNATION

A word that simply means "Deception" or "Cheating"

The etymology is unknown and is no longer listed in Merriam Webster's dictionary. 

"Be wary of get-rich quick business schemes. These have ingannation written between the lines."

Credits:

www.billoreilly.com/factor-words-of-the-day

www.merriam-webster.com

www.phrontistery.into