Almost TGIF

TGIF!  Not really, I still have work tomorrow and every Saturday thereafter, excluding Saturdays for my sideline--meaning, all my Saturdays will be a working day.  I hope there'll be eight days a week.  Although I said to my boss that it is alright for me to report on Saturday, I still have this sad feeling deep inside me because that means now, I can never do the things that I do on a Saturday... lounging most of the time while Lance is busy lining up his toys if I don't have household chores to do.  Yesterday, before my boss detonated the bomb on my face, I was thinking of watching a movie--Salt in particular, because Sunday is my self-declared "home only" day.

Salt

Yipee!  Salt is now showing!  I can' wait to see Angie kick some ass.  I could not remember when was the last time I saw her doing stunts... Mr. & Mrs. Smith perhaps.  Anyway, several months ago I said to my friend that I will not miss this movie and I was so excited about it that I went to the cinema two weeks ago to watch it without confirming if it is already showing.  Haha!  I went home after realizing that once again, I have made a blunder.

My Mom and the Toyota Camry

My Mom, after thinking a hundred times about having a vacation, finally said yes and together with a friend, they went to Illinois.  My Mom could possibly be the most hilarious woman on earth.  Here is one of her misadventures during her vacation in Illinois.

Her friend's sister owns a Toyota Camry and my mom's friend asked her sister if they could borrow the car for a week.  Her sister said yes.  Off to the town they went and my mother was the driver.  They went to the grocery to buy some stuff before they visit Harpo Studios--not to watch Oprah but just to be at the studio.  They hurriedly went to the parking lot to get the car and my mom noticed that it wasn't locked.  Her friend said that they should take it to the auto repair shop to check what was the matter.  They dialed a Chicago auto repair shop near to where they are and before anyone on the other line could answer the phone, a man went running towards my mom and her friend.  This is the part where everything became hilarious.  Apparently, the car in trouble is not the car they borrowed.  Their car was parked on the other side of the building and the car they thought theirs was the man's.  My mom explained that it looked exactly like the car they were driving and because they just borrowed it, they did not know the plate number.  My mom and her friend were so apologetic and thank goodness the man was forgiving.  They went to the other side of the building to where their car was and drove to Harpo Studios laughing their hearts out.

The State of the Nation

I was not able to watch President Noy's SONA yesterday and if you were not able to watch too, you can read the SONA's English translation in this blog. 

Of course I will not let the day pass by without commenting about the current buzz.  So, please bear with me as I address the state of our nation according to me that most government officials don't see or have seen it but did not do anything about it.

I do not frequent Manila but each time I would go there, I notice new buildings being built and new attractions to see and more people in their tattered clothes knock on car windows for alms.  I live in the province and beggars are not a common sight in streets when I was younger.  Looking back to the years when there were few subdivisions and fewer commercial establishments, children still roam the streets, not begging but walking with their friends to go to their favorite hangout to play.  Now, I don't need to go to Manila to see beggars.  It has become a common sight in our province that once you give alms to one, like pigeons, others will flock towards you like you are showering seeds of grace to them.  I couldn't help but ask why.

Last night in the news, a young boy drowned and his body was retrieved after four hours.  A news reporter asked why it took that long for the rescuers to find the body, they said it was because of garbage.  I don't know what made me cringe... the boy's dead body or the sight of the creek full of garbage on national television.  How can we not address this problem with garbage?  Should we wait for another Payatas or Smoky Mountain tragedy before we address the stinking issue?

One Congressman was held in prison for drug charges in Hong Kong.  This Congressman was very vocal about the nation's worst enemy (yet)--drugs.  His being vocal about his condemnation to illegal drugs led him to filing a bill against it.  Funny isn't it?  There is no greater irony than this.  I said "yet" on the previous sentence because what we should look out for and be afraid of are the people who said they will protect us, yet, they are the ones who lure us to plunge into the pits of hell.

A family of nine who lives in a 50 square meter house struggles to make ends meet with their 200-peso daily allowance.  You don't need to be a grocer or be an expert in math to know that this will no way give the family a decent meal.  I am not at all surprised why more and more children perform poorly in school because of malnutrition.  And the Church is still against unnatural family planning methods.

The government offers low cost houses, the mass bit the bait.  But how can they pay for their mortgages if they do not have a job or they have lost their jobs because of poor company performance?  Agricultural lands are being made into subdivisions... but who will live in them?  If those houses were built for the homeless... why are they still sleeping on cartons on the streets or on lands they do not own?

This is the state of the nation in our eyes that only a few take time to see.  These are the issues that are desperately begging for attention and yet they are buried in the depths of the government offices that are elaborately designed for the incumbent to function effectively and efficiently.  

 This is the state of the nation and yet the uppers are eating on a plate that is worth a month's salary of a common Filipino.  Bite after bite, chew after chew... our hopes for a better life are being swallowed and our future being digested by hungry vultures while crocodiles are fighting over a pork barrel.  

This is the state of the nation... would you still dare to see?

Reading List

I am back to reading books.  I have just finished Ken Follett's Paper Money and I just started reading Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club.  I promised to read Michael Crichton's Rising Sun after I read Paper Money but I got too excited reading Tan's.  I am halfway through the book and it just gets exciting chapter every chapter.

What led me to reading again is my blogging.  Reading and writing should go hand in hand especially if you are an author.

I hope to finish those books in a week and I am off to the bookstore again to discover more literary treasures.

Pyramid by Charice

I am so proud of this girl. After being a runner-up to a singing competition in the Philippines, guesting to Oprah's show and having a duet with her idol Celine Dion... she is now taking the world by storm with her self-titled album carrying the Billboard hit single Pyramid.  You go girl!

To Date or Not To Date?

How long have I been unattached?  One year.

Ever since Lance's dad left us about a year ago, my perspective about life and relationships has changed drastically.  I completely closed my doors to everything about love and relationships--even dating didn't happen.  I just felt really tired and had to take some timeout after getting out of a six-year relationship.  I was badly hurt that it made me numb.  After a year of being away in the dating scene and after realizing that I have not completely moved on with my first love... do you think it is about time for me to get back to accepting male species in my life?

No Shoes

I went to two shopping malls the other day to buy shoes but I went home empty handed.  I am really choosy when it comes to shoes--the heels should be the right height, not really elaborate, comfortable like it was really molded on the cruves of my feet and not too expensive.  I tried on several shoes but they do not have my size.  I was really sad when I went home.  I guess I will have to try my luck next week.  In the mean time, I will just have to suffice myself to looking at the most beautiful shoes in the web.

By the way, those turquiose maryjanes are from Anthropologie and it sells for $95.

Blog To Earn

I know that blog exists but it was only last year when I considered signing up for a blog because of my friend who makes blogging as her means to share her thoughts and feelings and at the same time earn extra by sponsored posts and advertisements.  I tried it last November with my maiden blog entitled Random Thoughts.  I really had no idea how things go about with blogging, I just write whatever I like--from the latest news to my personal advocacy.  It's fun.  I did not primarily sign up for a blog to earn, in fact I do not have an Adsense account to begin with.  I got curious when I heard that one of my friend's friend's career is blogging.  I asked her the basics to this earning while blogging thing and I got hooked to discovering more about it.  Aside from paying bloggers for every click on the advertisements in their blog, they also earn by blogging about products.  If you will ask bloggers where the majority of their income comes from, they will say it is by product reviews.  I searched on the internet the best sites where bloggers will be hired by advertisers to write about their product or their own website. Here are three of those blog paying sites that I have tried:

1. Pay Per Post - I still have not received an opportunity for this but this is where most of my friends are getting write-up requests.  You can check out if you have opportunity leads and reserve for an opportunity.  Payment is through PayPal.

2. Social Spark - You can see lots of opportunities in this site--from CPC, Affiliate to Posts.  Of course you have to be qualified to write something about the advertiser.  If you are still waiting for your site to have the desired number of visitors and PR, you can suffice in becoming an affiliate.  Payment is directed to your PayPal account.

3. Blog Advertising Store - New sites with insufficient Alexa rank can still have an opportunity to blog and get paid because of their flexible advertisers.  You can sign up to ten blogs to your account and reserve for an opportunity for up to three times per blog.  If your blog does not qualify to any of their opportunities, you can still have a shot at earning by putting your badge to your website to let advertisers hire you directly. Payment is also through PayPal.

If you will make blogging your career, here are some of the things that you should consider.

1. Be sincere and truthful with everything that you will write.  Blogging has become one of the best and cost efficient means to advertise, in fact, businesses have come to advertise on blogs to reach their target market in just a click.  Even if it is a sponsored post, be sincere and allow your readers to make their own judgment about the product.

2. Do not rush into accepting sponsored posts if you have little knowledge about the product or it simply doesn't interest you.

3. Read.  Just because you write doesn't mean you need not read.  I don't know any writer who is not also an avid reader.  Expand your horizon and share it with your loyal readers. 

4. Consider submitting your articles to article directories so that more and more people will learn about your blogging prowess. 

Free Yourself From Acne

I hate acne.  Who doesn't?  It makes anyone conscious, ugly and unhygienic.  I don't know anyone who, at some point in their life, didn't have acne.  I met this dreaded skin disease when I was in high school and I knew that it would show its ugly being when I am about to have my period.  I was so uneducated about it and associate it with my eating a lot of chocolates and having too many boy crushes all at the same time.  That's what my friend told me but now I know better.

Acne is caused by the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and hormones play a big role in its development especially during the peak of a woman's menstrual cycle.  Of course there are other factors for having an acne prone skin. 

There are a lot of products in the market that promise elimination of acne after a number of applications.  I really don't believe in eliminating it, I think the more appropriate term is prevent. 

This article focuses on the cure and prevention of acne in just three easy steps that I think are practical.

1. Avoid vegetable oil because it contains omega 6 that aggravates inflammation.  Skip number 6 and use cooking oil with omega 9 instead to help you get rid of acne and at the same time help you have a healthy heart.  Chocolate has vegetable oil, which explains the teenage belief of eating it will give you acne aside from the fact that it will make you fat.

2.  Eat nutritious foods like vegetables and fruits.  I don't need to expound on this.  Balanced nutrition is the key to healthy skin and healthy body.  Our doctors and other health experts have said this over and over.

3. Get rid of candida.  Candida causes your digestive system to malfunction and that means malabsorption of all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables that you eat.

In addition to the three steps, my foolproof way to prevent acne is to drink plenty of water and wash your face before going to sleep.

The Gay World

I have many gay friends and time with them is one of the happiest moments of my life.  I really admire them for being strong and their positivity is just amazing.  I heard many triumphant stories of them being accepted by their families and friends, I am happy that they are accepted because I really don't see them as different.  There are still many gays out there who are afraid of coming out but let us not judge them and pray that they may find the right time to show who they really are and hope that people around them will not treat them differently.

I am glad that there are sites and gay blogs that somehow help them release their emotions, discover who they really are and what they want, the happy and sad truth about their chosen path and just about everything they need to know about being gay.  These sites are a great way to make people understand the 'mysteries' behind what they call third sex.  

Bath & Body Works Fruit Scented Body Lotions

These are my favorite body lotions from Bath & Body Works.  As you can see the Cucumber Melon scent is half empty because I use it everyday.  What I love about these lotions is that they leave a long lasting scent that you can skip spraying perfume or cologne.  And the fruity scent is just oh so yummy!  I have also tried the Japanese Cherry Blossom and Sensual Amber and they also smell really good.  I actually have stocks of this brand courtesy of my Aunts who live in the US.  These are really affordable, if you buy two of this for $10.50 you get a FREE bottle or if you buy three, you get two FREE bottles.

Also from Bath & Body Works, I am obssessed with this Breathe moisture boost body lotion in Happiness scent.  I have this in my bag and use it to perk up my mood.  The scent of citrus and watermint are so refreshing.  This is also available in Romance and Comfort and sells fro $12.50.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

My aunt bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 recently and this guy costs thirty two thousand pesos (Php32,000) in the Philippines.  This has a 8 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 1 GHz processor that is fast enough to allow you to surf the internet, chat, tweet, change your Facebook status and whathaveyou!  I am not surprised that she was able to buy this expensive guy because she has an equally expensive salary (denied disclosure).  I wonder when can I buy something like this?  

Typhoon Basyang

It has been almost a week since Typhoon Basyang made her unwelcomed visit to the Philippines.  I have never anticipated that she'll be as destructive as Typhoon Pepeng.  A week has passed and still I haven't recovered.  Our electricity is back after less than 24 hours but I do not have an internet connection.  I can't believe that my neighbors are already back in the net and I am not.  I called my provider and they politely asked me to monitor my connection for 24 hours.  Nothing has changed after 24 hours so I called again their hotline to follow up my complaint but they asked me again to monitor for another 24 hours.  So here I am now, renting a computer with internet connection because probably I would still have to wait for another 24 hours for them to repair my internet connection.  Why oh why?!

Jealous

I am jealous.  I saw a picture of an ex with his current girlfriend and they looked really happy.  I felt my ears burn, my cheeks flushed and my heart felt a throb.  I am jealous.

I am friends with this guy even after our break up a long long time ago.  He would even ask me advices of his troubled relationship.  I knew right then that I've moved on.  Our relationship wasn't the perfect one, we seldom see each other because he lives in the city and I am in the province.  Despite the distance, we never lost communication and when the time comes that he'd visit me, it was like falling in love with him all over again.  I think he's my first love although he wasn't my first boyfriend.  I met him through a friend when I was in college, we exchanged numbers and we'd talk for hours over the phone.  He'd visit me as soon as his schedule and budget permits, he's a college student too.  Courtship didn't take long.  Our relationship lasted for three years.  I ended it because I could not bear anymore the distance, it was not enough for me to just hear his voice or see him twice a month... I need his presence.

Seeing his picture with his current love brought too many happy memories and the things that could have been between us.  When I heard that he has a new girlfriend a year after our break up, I did not feel a bit of jealousy, I have moved on.  I don't know why  I am feeling jealous right now after seven years of breaking up with him.  I have never moved on, is that it?    

It breaks my heart to wish them well.  I just couldn't. Uttering the words "I am happy for you" is like stabbing myself.  I hate this feeling.  I need some divine intervention.

Psychic Octopus Predicts Soccer Winner

Paul, the famous octopus of Germany with an 'ability' to predict the future is making a buzz in the world of sports.  On July 9, the mollusk predicted that Spain will win over Netherlands on their soccer game tomorrow (July 11).  Do not under-estimate this underwater creature because out of his 13 predictions that involved Germany's game, 11 were correct.

Paul doesn't use tarot cards or crystal balls for his predictions, he just eat the mussel inside the flag bearing box inside his aquarium and there you have it.  Let us just watch the game tomorrow.

Sephora Color Play 5 in 1 makeup palette

This is another budget friendly makeup palette from Sephora.  Each set of 5 color stories has 10 eyeshadows, 2 lip colors and a blush.  What is ingenious about this set is that you can pop out the set of color stories to make it to a convenient and smaller makeup palette that you can bring in your vanity kit.  Get this at Sephora for only $29.50.

Free Product Samples

Get free five product samples from brands like YSL, CLinique, Bulgari, Clarins and others just by buying any 50 dollar worth of Sephora products online.  Your order will be packed in a special Sephora bag that is perfect for travelling.  This promo runs today until July 13 or until supplies last, click here.  Hurry!