Pirates of the Caribbean 2

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dmcwriters2.jpgWeekends are now reserved for the girls as it is the only time that they are home during the week. Today started out on a sad note. After reading twisted lies about a 6 year old incident, my husband and I were enraged. So? What more bad news can we get anyway? My husband and I resolved to let it go for now by watching a movie. And what better movie than Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest? Great escapism movie full of playful and dizzyingly entertaining adventure. What really comforted me tonight is the memory of my dad’s resonating laughter. The [tag]Pirates of the Caribbean[/tag] was the first theme ride I took in Disneyland with my daddy many moons ago. I still remember my dad’s enthusiastic face as he insisted on hanging on to the long queue of the theme ride. “It’s worth it…you’ll see“. Minutes after sitting beside my dad on the boat ride, I heard the thundering of a waterfall,and suddenly a plunge and a yelp of surprise escaping from my lips. AHHHHHH! Dad roared with that infectious laughter. He must have laughed so hard that he held on to his tummy. Dad practically enjoyed seeing my surprised reaction. And then came the second hair-raising plunge further into the depths of an underground grotto. More laughter! Haha, this time we laughed together. Being entertained by the movie and reliving the memory of my dad’s laughter brightened my spirits. Butch wants to watch it a second time around.

And what about the news we received earlier today?

Properly warned ye be… Dead Men Tell No Tales!

Misadventures of a Photo Blogger: Part 1

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photoblogger.jpgAside 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.

entrepreneur
(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.

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Pampering Couple Day: Relaxing spa

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milk bathspaSunday 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.

vegetali paniniarrabiataIt’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.

Bayantel ad now shows a satisfied kid

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bayantel_billboard.jpgRemember 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

Accidental Tech Entrepreneurs Turn Their Hobbies Into Livelihoods

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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:

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Birthday Celebrations and a High School Reunion

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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.

manila_reunion1.jpgI 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)
cebu bibingkabudbud

And just some of the food I devoured over the weekend celebration:
alimangopancit
mixed dishbuko pandan

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

Chatting with Bayantel guys

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I’m right now at the VOIP conference having a lunch break. Remember that entry I wrote about the Bayantel ad? I visited their Bayantel booth to check out their Sky Internet VOIP services. For their cheapest subscription fee of 499 pesos a month with a 2900 pesos installation fee, one can get clear voice calls for as low as 5 pesos per minute and 100 minutes free voice calls. Then I met Ricky, the associate brand manager and I couldn’t help asking him “What is that satisfaction guarantee?“. I introduced myself as the blogger who wrote that entry. “Ah so you are the one who wrote that? I finally meet the writer. “, he laughed. Apparently, their satisfaction guarantee is a 15 day money back guarantee. So why couldn’t the ad agency or their marketing guys promote the “15 days money back guarantee” instead of that tasteless ad? I wanted to test their Sky Internet VOIP services but my sister in San Francisco barred incoming calls. The satisfaction guarantee has yet to be tested . If and I ever get satisfied, I don’t intend to look like that model in their tasteless billboard ad. Anyway, I am looking forward to talk to the Brand Manager later for other business questions.

VoIP Conference 2006

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VOIPJust came from the First International VoIP Conference in the Philippines at the World Trade Center. The conference is timely because the House of Representatives just recently approved the VoIP deregulation bill on June 5, 2006. The Senate has yet to approve it. [tag]Voice Over Internet Protocol[/tag] ([tag]VOIP[/tag]) is a transmission technology that uses the internet to send voice and image in real time. Bah, I’m tired to talk about it so just browse the photo gallery

Vacation Ownership

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Read Danvil Plans, Crown Regency, Nuskin and other Scams

crown regency“You have just won a FREE 4 days 3 night package for two including 2 children from Crown Regency Hotel.“, the caller congratulated me. I know there is always a catch to freebies. They got my name from a “raffle stub” that I dropped at the Fil-Negosyo Expo 2006. The lady sounded a bit defensive “There is no catch. The gift certificate is valid for 6 months and you have the choice of staying in our Mactan or Davao Hotel. All you need to bring is a valid ID. You don’t even have to bring cash, credit card or a checkbook“. Something about the “too-good-to-be-true” call piqued my curiosity. This must be a new marketing gimmick which I needed to experience. When I relayed the news to my husband, he immediately thought of a time sharing scheme. When we arrived at the reception area, we found out that we could only get the gift certificate after listening to a 90 minute audio visual presentation. I couldn’t imagine why it would take that long to view the hotel features.

So the catch is this. No, it’s not time sharing. It’s a club membership of sorts. The guy introduces the concept of a dream vacation and the expenses it entails. But with an investment on a lifetime Club Ultima membership, your vacation expenses are not lost forever. One can avail of discounted hotel rates around the world including the Philippines. Their partnership with Interval International is very appealing.

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Pinoy Entrepreneurship: Fil-Negosyo Expo 2006

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fil negosyolectureI had a lot of time to kill before picking up my daughters at their dorm yesterday. I knew about the Fil Negosyo Expo 2006 at the 5th floor Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall starting on June 23 till July 2, 2006 . My curiosity got the better of me. What are the latest small business ventures that one can enter to these days? I wanted to see if some existing businesses could complement my ecommerce plans. A quick glance at the booths showed that most of the business ventures didn’t need a lot of capital.

pinoy expofil-negosyo

enegosyodloads

A number of e-load dealers touting “1 SIM Load all” in the expo proved that the e-load retailing is a multi-billion industry. There was the eNegosyo, d-loads, Load Xtreme and Megaload. One thing in common with this business is networking opportunity and low capital requirement . For instance the capital for the retailing with networking business is 500 pesos ($9.40) enegosyo , 800 pesos ($15.00) for d-loads , and 16,000 pesos ($301) for Load Xtreme. Megaload claims it has no networking so its capital outlay is only 299 pesos ($5.60). It looks like Load Xtreme makes a killing just on networking model.

Visit my Pinoy Travel Booking Engine and take that romantic vacation to the Islands of the Philippines. Compare our Cheap Airplane Fares.

megaloadLoad XtremeSince I already had an eLoad retailing at home, I invested 500 pesos at eNegosyo to complement my existing eload services. Why enegosyo? Though they are relatively new, they had a professional demonstration at their booth. Well, it’s also because their financial goals seemed more realistic. It remains to be seen if they are really reliable but hey, 500 pesos isn’t going to kill me. Take risks, right! (Add me as your sponsor if you’re joining eNegosyo )

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