Condominium Shopping

by ⋅ 9 Comments

porch.jpgThis beautiful ancestral house is inhabited by ghosts. No kidding! I’ve been ignoring the footsteps, the weird sounds, odors and the cat getting spooked for the past 8 years. We moved to Makati in 1998 and thought it was the best decision we ever made. Sure, it took only 15 minutes to my husband’s office. Luijoe was only 4 years old. He cried every night the first few weeks because he wanted to go back to our cute bungalow in Pasig City. He often said that “This house is not beautiful. Let’s go back“. He’d stare forlornly by the window sill.

In early 2000 we already knew that this house didn’t bring in good vibes. This led us to purchase a house and lot somewhere in Sta. Rosa , Laguna and thought of moving the whole family to the south. That meant looking for a new school for the girls and Luijoe. Unfortunately, Luijoe died May 27, 2000 and our plans got shelved aside. Moving out took a backseat because we were too stressed out in our bereavement. The house is being rented out to a Japanese family who want to hold on to the house because it gave them “good luck”. We can’t move in there yet. So I don’t know. Can a house affect good or bad vibes? I think so.

Read More →

Work at Home Mom Part 1

by ⋅ 13 Comments

nook1.jpgThis is my Home-office, Business-office (HOBO) or does Small-office Home-office[ (SOHO) sound better? Whatever you call it, I’ve been a work-at-home-mom since my daughter, M was born in 1987. That’s my working station and right behind it is the kitchen which overlooks the front door of the house. It’s a small nook that allows me to be in touch with kitchen activities and family members hovering behind me.

Everyone is yelling distance away except for my kids if they are in their bedrooms. That’s because the walls of their rooms are almost sound-proof. Nothing to worry about, the Yahoo Messenger is a convenient tool for getting their attention. An example….
ym.jpgMy husband goes “What are you doing?”

“Talking to Lauren”

“you’re lazy. Why can’t you just go to her room? ” He teases.

“Yahoo messenger is faster“. I quip.

The girls had their own computer upon reaching college. I believe that young kids should share a family computer so their activities can be monitored. Not that I don’t trust them . Staying too long in the computer is unhealthy.

One of the hazards of an online business is sitting on the computer chair all day long. Not to mention getting afflicted with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I also tend to get engrossed with work that I forget the time.

 

nook2.jpgPhysical activity is limited to finger exercises which does not derive cardio-vascular benefits. Hence, my daily routine entails a two-hour gym workout in between my work. If that’s not possible, the stationary bicycle is a wonderful alternative. As I bike , I watch TV shows at the same time. Computer work also strains my eyes. Just before bedtime, placing a cucumber slices on my eyebags highlights the end of a productive day.

(to be continued…)

Chocolate Lover & The Micro entrepreneurs

by ⋅ 64 Comments

chocolate loverMy daughter dragged me to Chocolate Lover , in Quezon City yesterday because she wanted to try her hand in chocolate molding. It’s been years since I’ve molded some [tag]chocolates[/tag] but the process remains fresh in my mind. When the kids were well, little kids, I stayed mostly at home except when I needed to meet clients for real estate transactions. My hobbies varied from cross-stitching, grandmother’s quilting, Chocolate candy making, cake decorating, baking and crafts. I even baked and iced their birthday cakes. How proud my kids were when I churned out Barbie themed or cutesy dolly cakes. The smell of cinnamon and molasses filled the air during the Christmas season. Christmas decors created by the girls and myself adorned our little home. That was until I discovered the internet in 1995 and neglected all those hobbies behind. But hey, those days were not in vain. My kids still do crafts and baking. During special occasions, I still bake but I avoid cake decorating with fancy designs.

Read More →

On Eload business & Cashless Transactions

by ⋅ 15 Comments

Woe me, the hazards of an eload or auto load business or for cash transactions for that matter.

I have a small SMART Eload and Globe Auto Load Max business in the village. It doesn’t really yield significant profits since one only gets 14% profit. But hey, 14% of anything is still something. You can’t even get 14% a year in bank time deposits. You can just imagine how much money our telecom giants like GLOBE and SMART make a month.

Having an eload business pays for half the helper’s salaries. With a profit sharing scheme, the helpers are happy. And happy helpers generate better work attitude. It also offers them a chance to socialize in our neighborhood.

Today, when I deposited some of the earnings for my SMART MONEY at the Banco de Oro, the bank teller immediately spotted a fake 100 peso bill.

Read More →