July 2006 » Page 2 of 2 » Touched by An Angel

15Jul 2006

Misadventures of a Photo Blogger: Part 1

Aside from this blog, I maintain a few websites and blogs for pro-blogging purposes. Don’t get me wrong, I blog for fun and with a goal in mind but if one can make money on the side, it’s an added bonus. ( If you have no idea what a pro-blogging is, read “How Bloggers Make Money Online“.) I became a pro-blogger by accident only this year after reading up on Google adsense and reviving abandoned domains left behind by my daughter. To my amazement, I discovered that my daughter’s Photo Gallery (which she started in 2001) raked in a modest Google Adsense income. The photos in demand are mainly food and Philippine scenery photos. Our lonely overseas Filipinos must be missing our lechon (roast pig) , barbecue and other Filipino dishes. Comments like “I can just taste it” or “How can I order this lechon?” etcetera prompted me to launch a Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Manila’s Daily Grind (sights and sounds). Taking amateurish photos is also a passion which I took after my father. Oh how I remember him saying “kodak . kodak! Picture! Picture!” even if I haven’t even imbibed the breathtaking scenery of wherever we were travelling at that time. And because of the random photos that dad took, I learned to beam a “closeup” smile. A picture is forever so why not give your best smile. Sadly enough, I took after my dad’s obsessive photography and now my daughters do the same… posing their pearly whites in the best smile they can ever emote.

You will always see me armed with my Canon Powershot and my cellphone camera ready to take photos that amuse or entertain me. My photos have inside stories that I’d like to share. I am also curious if my fellow photo bloggers encounter the same experiences like me.

(enlarge)
At the Fil-negosyo expo, the owner (partly shown above) of the booth asks:

“What is the photo for?”

“Oh, this is for my blog.”

“What is a blog?”

“I write about things on the internet. It’s like a website.”
(How do I explain it in layman terms?)

“Oh, you’re a columnist”

“Sort of. I write in my blog.” (Stumped. Lost in explanation)

Lesson: Not many people know what blog means. So don’t try.

12Jul 2006

TechnoratiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Philippine Top 100 Blogs

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 5 Comments

I was googling for my name and discovered that my blog is now on Technorati’s Philippine Top 100 Blogs (View stats here). In fact at the bottom rank at number 92 with Rank: 71,446 (103 links from 41 sites). Not too bad at all considering the official launch of this blog was on February 2006. A big thank you to all my beautiful readers who believe my blog is link worthy. Please sign my map so I know what part of the world you are coming from. (Thanks to Cathy for the link)

11Jul 2006

Pushing Family Buttons

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 4 Comments

Who knows better how to push our buttons than family members? Family members encompass our family of origin and our spouse’ extended family. I just recalled Cathy’s blog entry, Portrait of Marriage which talked about LEAVING – leaving your parents physically, emotionally, financially, is crucial to every marriage. This doesn’t mean not wanting to associate with parents. Families that stay together are an incredible blessing. One needs a good balance between having a healthy relationship with parents, family and friends, but not letting those relationships interfere with your personal relationship with each other.

A family member really pushed my buttons the past months because I refused to get sucked in to their manipulative control. Worse, I found out another family member blames me solely for the death of my son. True, I feel the guilt but to be blamed blatantly is just so irritating. This latest blow left me in an emotional tailspin for a few hours. An honest discussion with my husband over this family member helped a lot because he gave me total support and love. I used to hide my feelings from my husband just to preserve family peace but what about my peace of mind? The “new me” is more assertive and communicative with my feelings. I know that I shouldn’t give these family member the power to annoy me. I know I cannot control what they do or try to do but I can gain some sense of control on how I choose to react.

Their behavioral patterns with me are their issues. How I react or allow these patterns to influence me is my issue. How I take care of myself is my issue. I can love my family and still refuse to buy into their issues. I can love my family but refuse their efforts to manipulate, control or produce guilt in me. I can learn to be assertive with family members without being aggressive. I can set the boundaries I need with family members without being disloyal to the family.

I can learn to love my family without forfeiting love and respect for myself.

09Jul 2006

Pampering Couple Day: Relaxing spa

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 5 Comments

Sunday is supposed to be family day. But both girls were engrossed with their school activities. Lauren as Associate Editor of Katipunan Magazine needed to beat the press deadline while second daughter was rehearsing for her UP chorale group. Such is our empty nest but Butch and I turned our otherwise lonely day to a “couple time” day. Off we went to the Fitness First gym to burn some of our fats and acquire our endorphin fix. At 10:00 AM, the gym was pretty quiet which made it even more relaxing. We agreed to have a quick sauna and steam bath in preparation for our Goat Milk bath. Downstairs at the “Body Care” , our warm milk bath was ready. My husband thinks the milk bath is unnecessary . I gently threw sudsy water at him. Just relax , will you? This is to soften our skin in preparation for the body massage. Besides it’s complimentary so don’t complain. I read somewhere that Cleopatra bathed in goat’s milk daily, and it has been used for years to moisturize and soothe dry skin, as well as to heal eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Body massage was the next agenda and amidst the twittering bird and buzzing bee music, our bodies surrendered to the soothing pressure of the long, flowing strokes. I felt all the stress being flushed out of my system.

It’s past 1:00 PM and we’re hungry but we couldn’t wait to go home for lunch. At the “Pasto Cafe”, our light lunch consisted of a vegetali panini and the spicy Arriabata pasta . Watching my husband’s smiling face, I can’t help being happy for him. At least he’s learned to let go of rigidity . Learning to be spontaneous and fun takes practice. It’s something we forgot after grieving for years. I know this will be another difficult week as our son’s 13th birthday approaches on July 13.

Our day culminated in a Sunday Mass. The day is not complete if we don’t thank God for such a wonderful day. I am thankful that God continues to guide us in our road to recovery.

Today we pampered our body, our mind and our soul. Getting away from the children and devoting our day to each other gave us the opportunity to reconnect and de-stress. Love the second time around is indeed so rewarding.

08Jul 2006

Bayantel ad now shows a satisfied kid

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 20 Comments

Remember that tasteless Bayantel billboard ad photo which I blogged early June ? Surprise! The new Bayantel ad now shows a cute kid happily eating ice cream. Very wholesome ad that touches any mother’s heart. Awwww… It was my daughter who pointed the new billboard. I never notice billboards because I drive and they just distract me.It’s good that the Bayantel and their ad agency changed the billboard to a more PG rating ad. I know Bayantel read this entry because I had an informal talk with one of the brand managers a week ago during the VOIP convention. Whether the ad campaign was effective or not, I told them it doesn’t sit well with parents like me who are their likely customers. They called me early this week to try their Bayantel internet service but I told them I am moving out of Makati . Besides I have two internet providers already :Smart Bro and Destiny cable. Maybe I will try it out one day when I move to my new place.

See the difference from the previous ad?

BEFORE (June 2006)
old bayantel ad

NOW (July 8, 2006)
bayantel

06Jul 2006

Nicole, not just a rape victim

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 33 Comments

Updated– Read the latest development at Nicole, Subic Rape Victim Doubts the Rape

I am disappointed at some of the public opinions regarding ‘Nicole’, the rape victim (read Subic Rape case). Reading this ‘Nicole Tells her Story news article on Nicole shows how judgemental some bloggers can be. Yes some bloggers but I have yet to surf a blog that blames Nicole. Or maybe I am not in that circle of bloggers.

But if blogs, Internet chat rooms, or family conversations are to be the gauge, Nicole is not doing all that well in the court of public opinion, according to Evalyn Ursua, one of her lawyers.

“This means we have a long way to go in terms of educating the public about rape,” the private prosecutor said.

Ursua said that per the “monitoring” done by volunteers, among them law students of the University of the Philippines who are assisting her in the case, Nicole is even being “blamed” for the alleged rape.

“Opinion is divided, and there’s a significant number of blogs we have monitored that are against her or think she doesn’t deserve support because she was drunk [on the night of the incident] and ‘therefore’ had it coming,” Ursua told the Inquirer.

Why should she have it coming? I know a lot of girls in their twenties who drink and want to have fun. I don’t condone alcohol drinking and I warn my girls of the dangers of alcohol intake. It’s just that they should look at themselves or their friends first judging “Nicole”. The UP Law center shows in a survey that 70% of young adults like Nicole drink. How do they even know she has loose morals? And even if she did, it doesn’t mean she sought out sex with these men. Does she deserve this kind of public opinion? There are so many myths and misconceptions about rape victims. A rape victim is credible if she was a virgin at the time of the rape. Perhaps even date rape is not acceptable in the Philippines.

Rape is defined as forced, manipulated or coerced sexual intercourse (or other sexual act) against the will of the victim. If the act occurs while the victim is unconscious, asleep or otherwise unable to communicate unwillingness, it is still considered rape.

source:
http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/Policies/Judicial/sect16.html

I know the courts will establish if it was indeed rape or not. But in the meantime, those who judged ‘Nicole” should educate themselves on what rape really is.

As Nicole said:

“I am only fighting for my dignity and that of my family,” she said. “I just hope people would support me in this struggle. Please don’t judge me too harshly. I’m only seeking justice.”

Edit- December 5, 2006– Court Decision is out. Lance Corporal Daniel Smith is guilty. Read Nicole Moving on After Subic Rape Case Decision

05Jul 2006

The Role of the Wife: Helper

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 3 Comments

My husband and I attended the third session of the Biblical Portrait of Marriage. The topic for the night was : Helper- The Role of the Wife. Helper means as in the one who assists, encourages and supports her husband. Not katulong (the literal translation of helper in Tagalog)

To our amazement, there were 2 biblical principles that we re-discovered that night. We only learned this after Pastor Larry finished his lecture.

Surprise! Surprise!

Me first!

The key priority of the wife is her husband, not her work, ministry or child. Somewhere along the way, I thought the children were the first priority because of their young age and innocence. Hubby can easily fend for himself, I thought. I was so wrong. Maybe I didn’t know how to balance my act. Only when the kids left for college did I re-focus energies on my husband. Well, it’s never too late. It’s precisely the reason that husbands are the first priority because children leave some day and we are left with each other . We’re even experiencing the semi-empty nest syndrome these days. The mere fact we’re attending a bible study on [tag]marriage[/tag] means we continue to strengthen our relationship as husband and wife.

And my husband’s discovery…

The wife is to actively “manage the house” under her husband’s authority. Remember how I mentioned that he is my co-homemaker. Hah, now he knows that managing the household is my duty. I think he grew up with the notion that a husband’s duty include management of the household. No wonder he takes on my job to do the grocery, plan the menu or what not. I let him be that way because he loves doing it. Lately, he’s been buying these home improvement magazines like “Real Homes” to plan on the interiors of our new home . I believe some men are gifted with home maker roles. We learned that in a healthy marriage, the wife should actively manage the house. Maybe after this session, he will give me free reign of my kitchen. hehe. I don’t mind.

Behind every great man there’s a great woman… and a

surprised mother-in-law (another entry some day) *wink*

03Jul 2006

Accidental Tech Entrepreneurs Turn Their Hobbies Into Livelihoods

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 2 Comments

In my previous job as a researcher and consultant to small and medium businesses, I knew that most of the entrepreneurs’ business orginated from a hobby. Much as I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I didn’t have the guts or the hobby. Sure, I had the management skills. Ten years ago, I discovered the internet and web design. It was a whole new world and I got obsessed with it. Reading this article Accidental Tech Entrepreneurs Turn Their Hobbies Into Livelihoods made me smile. Basically, the article reveals some of the common features from its interview of 5 accidental tech Enterpreneurs:

1. They all possess [tag]Information Technology[/tag] backgrounds
2. They all were in the right place at the right time with the right product/service
3 They have supportive people around them (i.e. life and business partners)
4 They all faced a moment of truth, when they had to screw up courage and stake their financial futures on their new businesses.
5. They all are a little obsessed

The 5 common traits are so true. I don’t earn as much as these interviewed tech pros but being an accidental [tag]Tech enterpreneur[/tag] has given me financial freedom. At the age of 45, I wanted to enter back in the corporate world. Alas, I was not in touch with the latest economic policies. Of course, I didn’t expect a high starting salary but the offers were just a pittance. Sales is not my cup of tea either. So I was left with ways on how to start a business. But what? I’ve already told you how I entered into the IT business. I’d just like to list down how the 5 common traits of the Tech Entrepreneur applies to me:

02Jul 2006

Birthday Celebrations and a High School Reunion

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 3 Comments

I’m not a party animal but this weekend was something. I attended 3 parties. Two were birthday celebrations while the other was a high school reunion . I feel so bloated with all the food and the yummy desserts which I couldn’t resist.

I have never attended a single high school reunion because going to Cebu seemed depressing. Whenever my classmates would hold a Cebu reunion, a family member recently died and I didn’t feel like socializing. The thought of a reunion used to bring me anxiety. In the back of my mind, the image of the catty classmate or the popular mestiza
loomed. Those were the days when my inner child issues weren’t resolved yet. Healing my inner child addressed my child-self’s wounds and freed my adult-self to make decisions based on the present. Good thing I got rid of that emotional baggage.

I looked forward to meeting some of my classmates whom I’ve never seen since high school graduation in 1974. A number of them flew in from Cebu just to meet up with a balikbayan classmate. Talk about embarassing moment. My house is just 2 blocks away from the party venue and I was late. I lost the address and I ended up driving in circles. It seems like half of my classmates in that reunion didn’t age at all. It’s like I never left high school. Maybe Cebu is not as stressful as Manila. It was also difficult for me to shift from Tagalog, English to Cebuano. The change of accent is not easy. Time ran so fast and before we knew it , we were yawning. The sign of old age beckoned. Much as we wanted to continue our girl talk, the sleepy brain refused to cooperate.

Congresswoman Neri Soon-Ruiz couldn’t make it but sent us lots of bibingka (rice cakes) and budbud (the Cebuano term for suman, gelatinous rice delicacy wrapped in banana leaves)

And just some of the food I devoured over the weekend celebration:

I have so many food photos that I’ve decided to talk more about these photos at my Pinoy Food Photoblog.

02Jul 2006

Fire in MC Home Depot , Makati

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

My daughter and I had a wonderful mother-daughter time at Fitness First in The Fort. I love sweating it out in the gym after all the parties I went to this weekend. Gym time enables me to have small talk with my daughter whom I will not see next weekend. On our way home at 5:00 PM, the dark clouds looked like there was a fire near our house. I hope it’s not in our village. I didn’t think it was because Butch didn’t give me a call. The fire was at that MC Home Depot (sells construction materials) at Chino Roces Avenue beside San Lorenzo Village . The smoke was so thick I thought it would swallow our car in darkness. Hopefully the brave firemen of Makati can bring it under control. (read more?)