My Life's Adventure

Obama Inauguration: As witness by someone far away

2009-01-21T11:18:00.002+08:00

I stay up until 1:40 am Manila time to see a historic landmark unfold in American History. The first ever African-American President to be elected in the United States of America. Who would have thought that such an event would happen? I thought things like these would happen way beyond my lifetime or in the movies, but I'm sure glad it happen when I'm still alive and in my prime. It makes me appreciate the advantages of technology we had today. This blog is my way of being part of history. I saw, I heard, and I was amazed. This could be a turning point in human history.

I consider today also as the birth of Real Racial Equality in America. These event is the ultimate affirmation that all men are created equal.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -- A phrase from the Declaration of Independence first used by another great American President Thomas Jefferson.

Abraham Lincold would have been proud of America if he is able to see this. Him as the President who freed the slaves and Obama as a descendant of slaves ascending as President.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Gratitude: The Health Benefits

2009-01-20T07:41:00.003+08:00

I found a very nice article on gratitude. Nowadays, people has forgotten how to be grateful and just look after for number one. Which is themselves. It is refreshing to see an article like this. Read on......

Most people do not realize the many health benefits of gratitude. Studies indicate that thankfulness is directly linked to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Compared to people who do not live a lifestyle of thankfulness, research shows that grateful people:

1. Experience higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination optimism and energy
2. Experience less depression
3. Better manage stress
4. Are more likely to help others
5. Exercise more regularly
6. Make more progress towards their personal goals
7. Have stronger immune systems
8. Have fewer symptoms of physical illness

Those are some impressive benefits that can be yours without even increasing your physical activity or changing your nutrition plan. All that is required is a grateful heart.

Are you a thankful person? If you are unsure, then it maybe in your best interest to consider the following questions:

Are you the type of person who dwells on the good or on the bad things that happen to you?

Do you tell others about the blessings in your life as much as you tell them when things go wrong?

Are you considerate of the people closest to you or do you often take them for granted?

Are you thankful only when things are going well or do you look for blessings even when bad things happen?

Is there someone you admire who is a thankful person? What other attributes do you admire about him/her?

Are you leaving a legacy of thankfulness that others will remember you by?

There is nothing complicated about gratitude. Quite simply, thankfulness is a choice. To say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our life is great. It just means that in spite of all we see that is worthy of complaint, there is far more we can choose to focus on that is worthy of thankfulness.

Why not choose to extend the tradition of giving thanks through the entire year, instead of limiting it to the Holiday Season? You’re physical, emotional, and spiritual health will all reap the benefits of a thankful heart. The choice is yours.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Deal or No Deal: My Gameshow Experience

2009-01-19T11:02:00.002+08:00

What an experience I had when I joined a top rating game show called "Deal or No Deal" (Philippine setting). I joined this game show just by texting using this format: DEAL Name/age/gender/address/phone number to 2331 (for Globe subscribers), sample DEAL Juan Dela Cruz/20/M/1 Matapang St., Makising City/021234567. If you were pick as a possible studio contestant you will receive a text message. This is the exact message I receive from ABS-CBN "Gud day kapamilya dis is jimmy capulong of abs-cbn kapamilya deal or no deal u'r invted 2 come on monday jan. 12/09 for screening/exam 9am call tym centergate entrance mother ignacia st. Q.C. pls bring valid id n ballpen tnx. godbless". At first, me and my wife are a little bit skeptical if its for real or just a hoax. But I'm more incline to believe its for real. For one thing, I did register to join the show, the text message did not asked for any money, and the address is a real place of the ABS-CBN network. I need more assurance so I would not waste time in going to the place mentioned on the text message. I surf the net and see for myself who Jimmy Capulong is. And sure enough this person is for real and he did work for ABS-CBN. And I read a forum of previous contestant wannabe posting their experience.

Realizing that this was for real, it got me excited and started visualizing myself in the studio picking a number. My wife caution me not to expect much since its just a screening of possible contestant. Its not yet a sure thing since I would be battling it out with other people like myself.

Monday came and I was late. The traffic in Cainta is monstrous as always. After I reach Robinson's Ortigas, I decide to flag down a cab to take me to ABS-CBN. Me and the driver had a chitchat and suggested to him to make every possible effort to use the quickest route to reach our destination. I reach the place at around 9:15 a.m. and the line is already very long. But it did not matter. I was there and the excitement is already building inside me. After I entered the center gate, I saw 5 more lines after I got inside and quickly go to the line for male contestants. There are 4 lines for women. So, there are more women joining the contest than there are men. The line was there to check my identity against a list they have printed out. And the text message on my cellphone was also checked and deleted by the employee. After this, they would hand you a form for you to sign. Basic information, and a few questions. After this, we all went to another line for the screening/exam for studio contestant. I was in batch 2.

Batch 2 was screened at 12 noon. I was already hungry, but I ignored it when we are ushered to the studio set of "Deal or No Deal". All of us guys sat at the stage where the 26 K dance and stand holding their brief cases. And the women sat at the audience sits. And Jimmy Capulong went on the stage and introduce himself. So this is Jimmy Capulong I thought to myself. He was like a stand up comedian giving intructions and tips to all of us there. There are probably around 200 people inside the studio. He introduce us to the psyschologist (forgot his name, but a familiar face since he is the Psycologist or Psychiatrist of PBB) who would be giving the exam. He instructed us to write our name and batch on the 3rd page of our form and put a number from 1 to 8. He then asked a question answerable by "Yes" or "No". After that we passed our papers and waited for the result. During the waiting period, Jimmy Capulong entertained us by showing a clip of previous contestants. After that, he scanned the audience and called three women to come on stage. He asked question and have fun with the girls. Its like a comedy bar, we were all laughing hard. Finally, the papers were marked and Jimmy had the list of people who passed the first round. He called name after name, and when finally there are two papers left. I was praying silently, I hope my name will be called. But to my dissappointment, I wasn't called. The other people who got called would be going to the 2nd round of elimination.

Better luck next time. That was an experience certainly worth repeating. Lucky for me, I saw Charice Pempengco, Zanjoe Marudo, Nicki Bacolod, and Saizy (the dancer in Wowowee). So the trip is not a total lost. I would text again, and hopefully the next time I would be a studio contestant.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

The Year 2008

2008-12-22T12:12:00.004+08:00

It has been 2 years since I last posted anything on my blog and a lot of things has happened since then. 2008 is a very eventful year. Why you may asked, its because of the following reasons:

1) I'm now in a new job with a much higher pay and very good benefit package.

2) This is also the year that my father passed away. He was 79 and was bedridden. He died peacefully in his sleep. I miss you dad.

3) Barack Obama won the U.S. election. An event that I thought I would never see on my lifetime. But I did.

4) Pacman won the "Dream Match" between him and Oscar Dela Hoya. A man many took for granted and predicted that would lose the fight. I guess my boy proved them wrong. Again. Dad would have been jubilant if he had seen Pacman won.

5) This is also the first time I've seen a shoe thrown at a President of the United States. Not only once but twice.

6) This is also the year of hard times. Prices of oil seems to inflate at will and the economy hits rock bottom in some countries. Personally I'm grateful for my new job that its seems to be stable and unaffected by the crisis.

I hope the coming year would be a lot better. My son would be going to school and I'm hoping that 2009 would usher a new member of the family. Me and my wife like to have another baby. Its pure joy to have a baby in the house, I just want to double it. If possible quadruple it. Hehehehehe....

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Energy Saving Device

2006-10-26T15:03:00.000+08:00

I always complained about our electrical bill being to high and by chance my mother-in-law was offered this device that could cut down your electric bills by almost half. Unknown to me, my sister-in-law already deposited an unrefundable amount of 500 peso hoping to use it at their home. However, they could not produce the P5 thousand plus amount to pay in full the said device and the 500 peso deposit would be forfeited.

With doubt in my mind if the device would work, I reluctantly paid for the full amount of the product. The device is a small metal box where you can plug two household appliances that has very high wattage. The device could hold 3000 wattage capacity only, so I decided plug the air -conditon and the tv to give it a test drive and see if the thing actually works.

When my electric bill was delivered to me yesterday, I was surprise to find that charges are indeed half. From a high of 5 thousand plus monthly bill to just only 2 thousand plus. Wow, I saved almost 3 thousand pesos. It made a believer out of me. Although I must also credit the typhoon Milenyo that rip thru the country and destroyed a lot of electric cables that rendered our rented apartment in total darkness for 3 days. But still, 3 days would not dramatically lower our electric bills in half. I'll see if our November electric bills would still be this low.

Being the business minded that I am, I'm already thinking of negotiating with the store that sells this stuff. Maybe I could be an agent and generate some extra revenue as well.....

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

26 One Liners

2006-09-19T11:20:00.000+08:00

These 26 One Liners have been circulating in emails and bulleting boards. I on the other hand saw this posted on another blog and thought its too wonderful not to pass around. I hope that to anyone who read this will also be bless as I am.

26 One Liners:

1. Give God what's right -- not what's left.

2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma - - but never let him be the period.

6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.

8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty.

9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.

10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.

11. The church is prayer-conditioned.

12. When God ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord.

18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

21. He who angers you controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.

24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.

25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

26. Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.

E-Load Expenses

2006-09-12T09:37:00.000+08:00

My wife's e-load expenses balloon to P1,200.00 pesos in a span of only 4 days. I did not even notice it until I did my accounting last Sunday. We bought a Smart SIM card and activated its roaming function. One text message from the U.K. will cost P20 pesos, and I'm task to do the loading or e-loading the Smart SIM here in the Philippines.

I'm a very thirfty person, I spend on thing that I need and not what I want. Hmmm, may be sometimes I spend on things that I want. I always like to see some money saved at the end of the day and hated when I have any financial debt.

When it comes to money expenses I'm faster than a speeding bullet in estimating the monthly cost. And when I got the calculator to confirm it I was amaze at the amount. If the cost of e-load for 4 days is P1,200.00 it would cost us P9,000.00 pesos for 30 days (1 month). Wow!!! I could buy a 2nd hand pentium 4 computer with that amount. So I devise a plan, when I'm at work we would communicate by email and I would text her (it cost only P1 from here) regularly even if she does not answer back. And she would text me at least 3 or 4 times a day and would call on the phone during the weekend to minimize our expenses. I also instructed her to look for an internet cafe with webcam, its much cheaper to rent a computer than calling by phone.

However, if she really need to call us immediately its quite ok for her to call anytime. Its only money. The plan is not a strict compliance to save money, save money on e-load only when possible. Her emotional well being comes first, family always comes first after your love for God.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

My Home Minus One

2006-09-08T14:42:00.000+08:00

Last September 4, 2006 my wife flew to the U.K. as part of a 10 person team that will develop 4 systems for a major client. Her flight was scheduled at 11:05 am and I had only 2 hours of sleep. I was restless during the night and sad at the thought of being apart from my wife for 90 days.

That Monday morning was a sunny day. We did not encounter any traffic going to the airport. Our ride (sundo) came at the appointed time and everything went well. She arrive around 2am in England and immediately went to work in the afternoon. This week have been a roller coaster ride for me emotionally. I could feel the loneliness of not having her around and exhaustion of doing additional chores at home. Lucky for us that our son who is almost 3 years old does not notice that her mom is away.

I'm constantly entertaining myself with watching tv and playing with my son so I would not dwell to much on my wife. I never imagine that it would be this tough not having her around. But I'm coping and surviving.

Today after work I'll probably drop by the video rental shop and pick a dozen of movies to watch just to pass the time at home. This is very helpful especially when I'm the only one still awake at night. Tomorrow is a Saturday. Me and my son would just spend the time watching Blue's Clues and playing with his cars. I think I would also drop by the Toy Shop and buy my son a new toy we could play with.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Guimaras Oil Spill

2006-08-31T11:56:00.000+08:00

Last Monday when I was watching tv I came upon a special report about the Guimaras oil spill. It was the worst trajedy I've ever seen happened to our environment. But what irk me the most is the attitude of the these oil company. They are practically doing nothing to clean up this horrible mess. They gave the people doing the clean up this piece of special paper like material and it is suppose to absorb the oil from the ground and whatever it touches. Well, it doesn't seems to absorb much oil based on what I saw on tv. Another thing that got me all fired up is the fact that they are letting the people in Guimaras clean up their mess. These oil company should be sending their own workers to clean the damage they created and help the people of Guimaras and other affected areas.

The captain of the vessel and some if not most of the crew have expired licenses. Golly wow!!! No wonder the ship sank. I even heard this arrogant captain being interviewed on the radio. He denied any responsibility and blame it on the weather. Golly wow again!!! I could strangle this guy and deep him in boiling oil if I ever see him walking on the street. May God forgive me.

The damage done to the environment and livelihood of the people in Guimaras is immeasurable. Maybe its time to look for other sources of fuel other than oil.

I remember this movie of Steven Segal titled "On Deadly Ground". It depicts this evil oil company that has no concience in destroying the environment just to extract oil in Alaska. What strikes me the most is the last part of the movie. Steven Segal was in an auditorium and a projector is being run. He was speaking about dirty politicians and corrupt companies that suppress advance technology that would have given the planet another source of fuel that was less harmful on the environment. I often wonder how much is fiction or facts about what he had said. I am more incline to believe that its true.

There was this inventor I saw on tv that drive his car using water as fuel. He invented a machine that split oxygen and hydrogen, the car actually runs on hydrogen. He demonstrated it and was documented on tv. I am amaze at the lack of support coming from the government. Trully there must be some kind of conspiracy going on. A lot of money would be gain (or lose) is involved in the continued use of fossil fuel as against to using water.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Hectic Weekend

2006-08-22T09:21:00.000+08:00

I had a very hectic weekend. We just had a 3 day vacation cause by the 21st of August holiday which is the death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino (a Filipino hero/martyr). My wife and I went shopping for all the stuff she will need abroad. We bought jeans, snickers, pants, blouses, socks, jacket, a tape recorder and a bunch of other stuff. I don't mind buying all these things because I know it is really necessary for her work. But the shopping itself, man oh man it was tiresome. We would go from one rack to the next and spent minutes upon minutes, hours upon hours looking for the perfect pants or whatever. But through all of this exercise I was content to accompany my wife and spent the whole time being with each other. I would be missing her for four months.

Its tough going to the U.K. since there are a lot of restrictions when it comes to bringing liquid substance on the plane. I saw on tv how the passengers left behind their perfumes, tooth paste, bottled water, and anything that is liquid during baggage check at the terminal. The English are really tightening their security since the bomb scare at Heathrow Airport. Anyway I would rather choose for them to be strict than lax on their security. I feel a lot better knowing that there would be no bomb scare on my wife's flight.

There is still a possibility that my wife's flight would be canceled since her visa is not yet in our possession. Although there are already bulletin in her office announcing her flight date the visa is still nowhere insight. So I advise her to buy things that she would still need even if plans did not push through.

Early last Saturday we went to my in-laws and told them the good news. My father and mother in-law are both happy and excited about their youngest child working abroad. They gave her their advise and reminders about the simple things in life. After lunch we proceeded to 'Market Market' and do some shopping since there is a mall wide sale.

Yesterday, we decided to take a half day break from all the shopping and watch a movie. My wife loves Johnny Depp and watched most of his movies. Lucky for us 'Pirates of the Carribean - Dead Man's Chest' is still showing at SM Megamll. I enjoyed it and relished the moment with my wife. After the movie it was another gruelling shopping in the afternoon. But who's complaining, I'm enjoying every minute I spent with my beloved wife.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

UK Assignment

2006-08-10T18:23:00.000+08:00

My wife will be sent to the UK on assignment for four months by the last week of August. She will be handling the transition for one of the systems by a very large client. I'm sad at the prospect of not being with my wife for four long months. I just wish that her stay in the UK would not be extended beyond this coming December. This would be her first time on an airplane and away from family and friends. Its a good thing that she would be traveling with a co-worker who is also a first timer. She would be living with other Filipino women in an apartment sponsored by the company. But what bothers her the most is our son. She would miss him terribly.

Her only consolation during her stint abroad is the financial freedom we would achieve. We could pay all of our debts and have savings to spare. I'm a very thrifty person, I plan on spending only her local salary and not her UK salary. Her local salary would go to the payment of bills, debt, in-laws allowance, my son's needs and wants, house expenses, and my daily expenses. My salary plus her salary abroad would be our savings. Spending on a modest luxury would be done when my wife comes home a few days before Christmas.
I'm somewhat overwhelm at the idea of keeping thing in order while my wife is away. I would be going the market alone, taking my son to doctor for a check up, keeping tabs on our monthly bills, and many other stuff. How could I survive this four months ahead of me without my wife!!!! Aaahhhhhh!!!!! I miss her already.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Our Babysitter (Yaya)

2006-07-25T09:41:00.000+08:00

In our country babysitter are stay-in employees and part time maid. Unlike other countries, babysitters are not stay-in employee and are paid by the hour or whatever amount they verbally agreed upon. This post is her story.

She lived near my wife's former home (when my wife was still single) and was tutoring her on math subjects. She was a high school graduate, stand at 4' 10", dark complexion, and looks like an elementary student. She tends the cow they bought on her free time and take care of her younger siblings. Her parents are separated and both have new partners. She has 2 half-sisters by her step-father, and 1 brother from her biological father. The sad part of this very sorry set up is her step-father and brother are both alcholics. Their family were poor, and this two males squander whatever money they earn on beers and other vices that comes along with it. And to add to their misery her brother was a teenage dad who knows nothing about parenting.

Fortunately they hava an aunt who is base in Australia that is very rich that help them get out of poverty. The Aunt is helping them financially and shouldering the expense of building them a house. How I wish I could be like her Aunt, generous and tender hearted.

The aunt sends them money thru a family friend's atm account. This so-called friend show kindness to them and gave every penny that was due them. Several months went by smoothly until the financial support slowly dwindle. No more money was being sent and the construction of their new house was put on hold for the time being. Unknown to them, the friend has purchase a brand new tv, cellphone, refrigerator, furniture, made house repairs and other stuff. One doesn't have to be a genius to put two and two together. This so-called friend had stolen their money and bought numerous things for her own family. The money amounted to at least P550,000 pesos ($10,000).

Love of money is trully the root of all evil. But crime does not pay and no secret this hideous would go unnotice. The aunt came to town and surprise all of them. She wanted to check up on them and to see the progress on the house she was building for them. She was surprise to see the construction was stopped and the money she sent was never received for the last 5 or 6 months.

They confronted the friend and she denied any wrongdoing. Wow, the nerve of this con-woman, instead admitting and reimbursing the money she even had the gall to get mad and retaliate. To make a long story short, the aunt could not file formal charges against this creature. The money was in her account so its her money, that simple. However, this incident had spread to the surrounding community and this person had been branded a thief and a liar. Like what the good book said "A good name should be treasure more than silver or gold". Her credibility now is non-existent.

Let this be a lesson to all, money corrupts even the best of us. So please, if you are going to send money to a friend, relative or even to charity deposit it directly to the recipients' accounts and not to someone else.

Our yaya (babysitter in Filipino language) has a colorful but sad life. But she could still manage to smile and have a good time. Maybe I would post another story of her adventure with our family.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Bad Business Practice

2006-07-24T08:59:00.000+08:00

I was eating alone at a table in our office pantry when I saw one of our computer technician washing his utensils, apparently he just finish eating his lunch. I engage him in a light conversation. I express my thoughts about the company's current problems and was hoping that we land a major contract so I would stop looking for a new job. He smirk and commented that only good companies acquires good contracts. I was curious at his reaction and ask him why?

He said that grace comes to those business owners that fairly treat their employees. Our call center subsidiaries has just been sold and employees have been retrenched. Retrenched employees who deserve to have the employer's share of the provident fund have been withheld by the company. He mentioned other unacceptable practices that I will not share in this post. For eight years this company has given me work and paid my salary on time. I would no longer add more damage to the company's already struggling reputation.

But knowing all this things has deeply hurt the pride I once felt at being part of the company. I just hope and pray that the people on top will come to their senses and stop this unnecessary activities. All of this begun to happen when the company started loosing its clients. But this is no excuse for doing what they are doing.

God has blessed this company before and He could again if only they would do things the right way even when its hard.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

A Team Member Have Just Resign

2006-07-19T10:47:00.000+08:00

I often felt sad when a team member pass his/her resignation. A co-worker have just resigned from her position as Business Analyst and will be working with a non-IT company. She decided on a major career shift.

The ratio of those resigning from our company is now 10 person per month if I'm not mistaken. I'm sad about the company's situation but I felt powerless to do anything except join the others in hunting for a new job. I just pray and hope that we land a big huge titanic contract. Whew, three superlatives to describe a contract, I just hope the company can close the deal in one or two of their prospect. Or else there would be no more crew left to run the ship except the captain and the officers.

Two more of my team mates will be resigning soon if the price is right. Negotiations are underway and they are being asked if its a deal or no deal. Wow, I never thought that hunting for a job is like a gameshow. Anyway, one of these days it would be my turn to negotiate the terms of my compensation. Until that happens I'll just keep on submitting my resume to different companies or a major deal will save the ship from sinking.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

A Change Of Heart

2006-07-17T09:20:00.000+08:00

I decided not to pursue in publishing the other blog about Questions and Answers on religious topics. I have looked around the net and found other people who are equip and better trained in answering question about the Bible. I found myself just a speck compared to them. The responsibilities of answering peoples' questions about religion is an awesome task that requires experience, insight, wisdom and lot of things that I lack.

Instead, I will create a separate blog about my own convictions on religious matters. I think that is what I'm capable of. Maybe, just maybe thru this I can help people.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

I Created A New Blog

2006-07-14T15:43:00.000+08:00

I just created a new blog. I don't know whether to push thru in publishing it or delete it. The blog I just created will earn me a lot of unsolicited mails and probably some hate mails as well. As a Christian, I have this desire to help people get answers to a lot of questions that are troubling them.

Blogging are a good means to reach out to alot of people from different part of the world. Religion as a blog topic will attract both nice and rude people. I am scared of the responsibility that this kind of blog will entails. I'm answerable to God of whatever comes out of these. Even though I don't have all the answers to the hardest questions I felt that I could make a difference in someone's life.

I will still continue posting update to this blog.

I will do some soul searching over the weekend and let God speak to my heart. And on Monday I might publish that other blog.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

What is it like to ride a plane?

2006-07-12T18:47:00.000+08:00

Being in an IT company I've seen alot of my peers and newly hired employee being assigned abroad. Some are assigned to the US, Singapore, Costa Rica, England and other far off place. I envy these people, they get to experience different cultures and free travel. I on the other hand have worked for 8 long years and the only place I got to travel are the different floors of our building.

I keep wondering what's it like to ride a plane? What it's like to visit another country? I do hope that one day I could get to travel around the world, see historic places, see breath taking view of nature, and meet people from all walks of life.

I imagine myself with my wife and son going to Disneyland and Universal Studios enjoying the rides and having lots of fun. Or going to Europe and visiting all those wonderful places that I only see on movies and tv.

Oh well, maybe one day my boss would notice me and give me an assignment overseas along with my family of course. Its not enjoyable going abroad without them anyway. With My family is still the best place where I would like to be.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Our Money Problems

2006-07-10T14:50:00.000+08:00

How I wish that money grows on trees. Although my wife and I make above average salaries we still could not manage to save and budget our finances. Every month we incur additional debt that would break a camel's back.

Sometimes, when I'm the only one awake at night I kept wondering how we would overcome this problem. I never showed any worries when my wife asked me about our situation. I would always tell her to "have faith and God will provide". Most of the time I doubted even my own advise. But surprisingly we manage to keep ourselves afloat inspite of our many financial woes. I know God is teaching me a lesson. We are Christians, but we seldom find time to thank Him on even the simplest blessings. It has become a cruel habit of thanking Him after He bail us out of trouble only to be in trouble again. Its a good thing He never ran out of patience. Maybe we should pray a lot more often, problems or no problems. This is one of my major weakness in my earthly existence, I'm lazy when it comes to praying. God, please forgive me.

Aside from increasing our prayer time we have also decided that I (the all powerfull Patriach, with my wife's permission of course) should be the treasurer of our small fortune this month. Traditionally, in Filipino families (except for the wealthy), the wife handles the budgeting and is in-charge of accounting for all the money that went in and out of our pockets. Now, its my turn to take a shot at it.

We tend to buy things that are not really necessary. Except for the Gameboy for my son of course, and its my idea (see previous post). Hehehehe.....Ok, maybe that too is not necessary. But it is for my lovable son. I'll probably buy him another toy on Christmas. For now we just have to be creative in presenting the old toys and making it look new in his eyes.

Another major decision is a new job for me. My wife will be working with a new company that pays higher before the end of July (as mentioned on previous post). I'm currently on the hunt for a new boss, hopefully a more generous boss. I'm an Oracle Applications Developer (E-Business Suite), proficient in GL module but knows enough about AP, AR and CM module.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

My Son's Gameboy

2006-07-07T12:20:00.000+08:00

My 2 and half year old son loves to play with my wife's cellphone games. We have Snake, Dragon Island, Mosquito and Rally something (car race). At his age he knows how to control the Nokia 6600 cellphone's joy stick. He also like taking pictures with it and giggles a lot upon viewing his masterpiece. Lucky for us, he does not call the numbers listed on the phonebook or dial random numbers on the pad.

Problem arise when he is playing with the games on the cellphone and there are incoming messages or calls. He won't immediately give the cell back to his mother. He would whine when interrupted, then we have to bribe him with other toys for him to surrender the phone.

We decided to buy him a different toy, a Gameboy Advance to be exact. We bought a 2nd hand Gameboy for him to play with, of course with parental supervision. His face light up immediately upon seeing the new gadget. Curious, he took the toy look at it from all angles trying to figure out what it is. Then looking at my wife he put the toy in her hand and encouraged her to play it. Mommy turn-on the toy and played it with my son on her lap. My son recognize what kind of game it was and observe every move mommy makes. It took only about half a minute before he started pressing the buttons and arrows of the Gameboy.

We could see that our son was very please with this new contraption in his hands. He just kept on pressing and giggling and pressing and smiling. His contented for now. Now we have to buy new cartidges for us to play with when he is asleep. Buying the toy was my idea. I should be able to get my hands on it every once in a while.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Superman Returns!!! I love it!!!!

2006-07-06T09:17:00.000+08:00

Wowoweee!!! This movie is definitely worth watching again. Its like going back in time when I first watch Superman in 1978. The opening credits are amazing, the drumming & marching sound of the movie theme, then the flying credits in blue followed by the swosh sound. Its fantastic. Its really good that they retain the original music of Superman, it makes me feels like a kid again.

Brandon Routh is perfect for the part, he even look like Christopher Reeves. Kate Bosworth is definitely the most beautiful Lois Lane I laid my eyes on. The story I believe is a continuation to Superman 2 movie. Missing for five years and suddenly coming back is like seeing him again for the first time. I like the scene when he first appeared again as Superman. Rescueing a plane with Lois on board and finally preventing it from crashing in a football field. Fans cheering wildly in the stadium, people clapping on the control tower, people giving hi-fives on the bar and on the Daily Planet after watching the spectacle live on tv (except for the people on the stadium of-course). And the music again blaring its familiar theme. Its like Christmas in my ears.

Of all the comic heroes that have been published only Superman stands out. In today's society when children relate more to what they see in movies or television only Superman movies or tv series has a sense of decency. Among the character traits that I like about him is he had no attitude problem, no vice, think welfare of others first, respect for his parents and love for humanity. Unlike other comic books so-called hereos that smokes and drinks, curse a lot, act more like thugs, has an attitude, disrespect authority and looks that are almost demonic.

Children mimic what they see, and if there are any comic book character I like my son to read its Superman. All the rest fail in comparison except of one other character, Spideman.

My wife and friends like the twist in the story. I could relate to Superman being a dad. Its about time he had a kid. I could not wait for the sequel to come out, the kid would definitely play a bigger role. I wish he would fight an alien or Doomsday on the next movie. There is definitely going to be a sequel. Did I say 'definitely' again? Oh well, this is definitely fun to write.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Where are my peanuts?

2006-06-30T14:14:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Royalty day. My wife and I frequently joke about it when we received our monthly salary. It's the most awaited event when you are running out of cash. I simply could not take my eyes off the calendar and count the days before the 15th or 30th day of the month. We could now again live like King's or Queen's. Maybe not exactly like a King but its close when you have money in your pocket.

We immediately went to the grocery and bought the usual stuff. I bought peanuts for my mom and bought cashew for myself. Upon returning home, my wife notice that the peanuts are missing. We look for it at every grocery bag and found nothing. The bagger at the grocery must have misplace it. That is the only explanation for the missing nuts. Lucky for me that it was inexpensive or else third world war would have erupted at my home.

The moral of the story is "don't take your eyes off your groceries". Specially your nuts.

I'll buy my mom peanuts today. I'm in a very happy mood.

Friday is always a happy day for me, specially when there is a good movie showing. Me, my wife and a few friends would be watching "Superman Returns". I hope it is as good or better than the old movies.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Netpreneur

2006-06-29T10:36:00.000+08:00

Netpreneur is a word I coined for myself to described a person that generate an income entirely from the web. No selling of any tangible products. That is who I am, Mr. Net Preneur.

I just recently begun my quest and I find it encouraging. There are a lot of stuff out there that anyone could freely get their hands on. For starters you might want to look at ProBlogger, this guy has created for himself a steady flow of income. The site offer tips, tools, technical know how, and a lot of free stuff. It would be so cool if I could mimic his success and apply it on my own site. Then my money woes would be no more, what a wonderful dream.

Adword and Adsense is a term that a netprenuer should be familiar with. Adword is Google's main source of revenue, an advertising product that appears on a site in a form of text or banner. Adsense is a follow up program of Adword, it was created to give every website owner (including blog owner) a chance to place Adwords on their site. Monetize is another term (in net lingo) that means generating income from your website or blogsite.

Keywords are equally important. This are words or phrase that relate to a particular topic. Some keywords are search most often than others and these are your keys to having more revenues. Words I found that are search more often are credit cards, mesothelioma, debt consolidation, drug rehab, etc.

The key to being a success at this venture is research.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

Work Crisis

2006-06-28T17:31:00.000+08:00

Our company which was consider as a Titanic in the IT industry in our country has just hit an iceberg. Ever since the 9/11 attacked on the Twin Towers our company has never been the same. We are losing clients left and right, and the turn-over of people resigning are very high. There are at least 2 to 3 people moving to greener pasture every month. My wife is among those people who will be moving on to another company this coming July.

I, on the other hand have some reservations. I have been with the company for almost 8 years and I'm very much comfortable with my daily routine. I was there when the company experience abundance in clients and revenues. Now, in its most desperate times I wish that we could bounce back. Or it is just wishful thinking.

To be totally honest, I'm a little bit scared of moving-on to another company. I'm afraid of adjusting again to a new set of people that I don't know, assign to a project that I don't like, working hours that has no end, project managers that are too damn demanding, blah, blah, blah...

But then again, I have endured 3 years of no mid-year bonuses that resulted in a lot of debt. And now they have announced a suspension of our yearly increase in salary. Wow, talk about tightening your belt. Currently I'm surfing the Net looking for a job that best suit my skills in Oracle Applications. If I'm single I would not consider resigning, but as a father, instinct tells me that my child will have to come first. I have several prospect, I just need to update my resume and send it online instead of updating this blog. Hehehehe.....

For now I really need to take a break. Maybe I could convince my wife to watch a movie after work. Superman Returns is now showing.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....

My Family

2006-06-23T16:27:00.000+08:00

I work at an IT company base here in Manila. Me and my wife first met here at work in 2001 and immediately got married on February 2002. I have a very cute and cudly son which is the greatest gift God have ever given to me. Being a husband and father is both tough and rewarding.

My wife is an intelligent woman academically. She was a college scholar, good cook, a caring daughter, a strict mother, and an understanding wife. She do has a temper that could match an oven and a quick wit when we are arguing.

I'm an average joe (or juan) who like to surf the net, watch movies, play with my son, and eat. I also have a temper that match my wife. Maybe, not like my wife just a degree or two lower than hers.

My son is a bundle of energy. He is now 2 years and 6 months old and sleeps at around 12am or 1am, which cause me and my wife to wake up late when going to work. He already knows the alphabet, number from 1 to 20, at least 7 colors, and a bunch of other stuff. He loves to sing with the commercial being played on tv.

My mother and father lived with us. This is a normal set up for a typical poor to middle class Filipino family. We also have a baby sitter who stays with us and help my mother take care of my son when we (me and my wife) are at work.

Ok, that's it for now. My life's adventure To Be Continue.....