Our Adorable Dog

Stolen shot while I am trying to make her bark :)) 

A month ago, our friend woke us up early in the morning only to bring a puppy for us. We have been wanting to have a pet dog but we don't have the chance to buy one. I was still half asleep that time but the puppy was so cute and adorable that made me adopt her. There was no hesitation at all. Because of excitement, we immediately decided to buy her a feeding bowl and dog soap. We even forget to give her a name. It took us two days to think of her name. The first word that came into my mind was "Winter". It is because I always long to experience the winter season and she will always reminds me of reaching that goal. :))

Winter is deeply asleep

She is just an ordinary dog in my country however she is well-fed with dog foods which made her grow beautiful. We also dewormed her and gave her vitamins so she will have a good appetite. Fortunately, all our efforts of taking care of her had good results. She is a very active dog. She always helps me release stress whenever she wags her tale and hugs my feet. She taught us to become more responsible of taking care of her by waking us up early in the morning to feed and bathe her. The most important thing  I learned since we have our dog is that they can truly understand people. She knows when I am really mad or just pretending to be mad at her. She is aware if the food I am making is for her or not.

In conclusion, we love her so much that we can't stand losing her. :) She is now a member of the family. I will surely buy her dog treats for Christmas eve. :D

Nail art designs

Angry bird 

Polka dot 

Just a thought...

I have been handling this company for a long time and I have dealt with so many people; from applicants to employees to clients. I can still accept that clients are always expecting the best value for their money and I always put that in mind. Since the company provides service, employees as a team should make sure that their clients are happy with our offer. However, I failed in this area. I am still positive that I will soon find better employees who I can count on. I am planning on having someone to train and will ask him/her to stay for the company no matter what happens.  

I am also connected with other companies but so far I can say that I am not a pain in the ass employee.  I always try to give my best for the companies’ good. A home-based job is expected to be under a minimum supervision. Therefore, you don’t expect your managers to remind you of your schedule all the time and to do daily tasks you are supposed to do. Being a freelancer requires resourcefulness. If you don’t have that kind of working attitude, then stop seeking for a home-based job.  It’s good to ask but it is irritating to ask all the time.

A month ago, I met this employer online. The company needs to hire people since we are expecting for a higher volume of work. I have asked some of my friends to apply but there is still a doubt as to who am I going to recommend. Though I have forwarded few resumes, I also attached a brief summary of their work ethics since I want my employer to review them carefully. I no longer want history to be repeated. The company needs people who are dedicated and patient enough to handle stress at work. We don’t welcome fly-by-nights employees.

There are a lot of jobs available online yet there are a lot of people unemployed. All you have to do is be patient to browse the net and find something that is suitable for you. However, I have proved that a home-based job is not for everybody. There are those people who can't work well without their boss looking over their shoulders. 

Religion Can’t Guarantee

With all the news that we are seeing on TV these days, the unending statements of people just to prove someone is not guilty makes me sick.

Justice is to be served no matter what kind of religion you have, whether you are an atheist, Roman Catholic, Born Again Christian etc.  This fact cannot guarantee you can’t behave in unlawful manner. We are born to be sinners and that’s a fact that people must not forget. I HATE TO SAY, PLEASE STOP CLINGING ON RELIGION JUST TO HIDE YOUR TRUE IDENTITY.  Religion might guide you to where the right path is, but it is still your mind that dictates your actions.

It is disgusting to hear people say “He can’t do that because he is a Christian”. This is not even true since you don’t know what is running into someone’s mind. I have known someone who is going to church almost every Sunday, doing bible studies once a week and so on but still her attitude towards everyone is worst than someone who doesn’t believe in God. My previous boss when I was still working in an office put up a church in the Philippines but the way she treats her employees is unlawful. These things are just examples that religion can’t guarantee who you are and who you will be.

Stop using religion just to make people believe that you can’t act like animals. 

Jardin de Dasmarinas Resort and Restaurant: Review

Looking for a place to relax?  I will highly recommend Jardin de Dasmarinas Resort and Restaurant. My friends and I planned to go swimming to a resort recommended by one of our friends too. Before we decide to go, we already talked about not checking in unless we see the place. We learned from our previous experience. We don't like to waste our time and money to a place where we can't enjoy our holiday together. 

To estimate the time of travel, it is just 30-45 minutes drive from our place (Istana Subdivision). It is actually located at 83 Brgy. Sabang Dasmariñas City, Cavite, Philippines. We don't actually know where the place is so we just drove and ask people around. Fortunately, we were able to find the place with no hassle.

Upon arrival at the place, we parked near the resort. I guess it is an intended space for customers. However, the parking space is not that wide enough to accommodate a lot of cars. I would suggest, it's better to commute going there specially during summer season.

Before we went in, they checked the place first. If the water is clean and if it safe for children since we have two kids with us. According to them it was nice so we decided to settle up.  I was actually surprised with the place. It is not that big but it looks big because the ambiance is clean. The cottages are well-built with tables that are spacious enough for a group or a family. The floor is not slippery even wet. 

The big swimming pool 

They have one big swimming pool, I can say it's an Olympic size pool. The water is so clean that you can even see the floor very clearly. They also have two other swimming pools. The one is not that deep and the other one is actually under a shade for people who don't like the sun (but it's cold).  All the pools are built with stairs which I guess is purposely done for children.  There is also a life guard on duty situated in a tree house where everybody is visible to him. 

The entrance fee is affordable including the rent for the cottage. They also offer an overnight stay which we really plan to do anytime soon.  So if you are looking for a nice place to relax specially if you are living in Cavite, try Jardin de Dasmarinas. I am sure, you and your family will enjoy :)) 

Keep up the good work for the management of Jardin de Dasmarinas Resort and Restaurant!

Divorce

Marriage is sacred for most people and I am one of those. I can’t forget the discussion or better yet call it an argument I had with some people I talked to this morning.  It caught my attention when one claimed that it is sad to know that Philippines doesn’t have this kind of law.  Out of curiosity, I asked why it is a sad thing. One pointed out that Philippine government should give chances to those youngsters who happen to be in a marriage they really don’t intend do. This one makes my blood boil! Getting married and it isn’t your intention? Come on! Did the government let you do this for them to be blamed? Aren’t we given brains to decide what’s best for us? Or isn’t it sharp enough to use it? 

Some people use marriage as scapegoat to solve another problem which I think is not right. And when they realize that their decision wasn’t that wise enough, they will cling to divorce! I would highly recommend, settle things on your own before you make things worse.

How about if your husband abuse you? Like you are beaten up? Another excuse! It means you didn’t know what you went into? You didn’t know what your partner really is. My suggestion, know your partner first before you settle down.

What if you caught your partner is cheating on you? There are reasons why your partner cheats on you. Not because men are born to be polygamous as they say. You have to do something to get your partner’s attention back. If this means you are becoming silly just to have him/her back, then do so. Loving is also discovering in the process.

I always think that when I get married, it shouldn’t stop there. I would like to consider my future husband as my best friend whom I can tell the deepest secret I have. A brother, whom I respect no matter who and what he is and a lover with whom I can share the greatest gift humans have, love! 

Marriage is the biggest commitment a person can make. There are those people in other culture who work hard just to be worthy of marrying someone and yet there are those people who just give up on it whenever they face troubles in marriage. How ironic!

I just hope that I no longer exist when divorce is implemented in the Philippines. 

Help

"No man is an island". A very famous saying that applies to everybody. 

We have a family who helped us from the time we where born until we, their children decide to stand on our own. But even if we live away from them, we still can count on them whenever we experience troubles in life. I know this doesn't apply to all parents (based on experience). 

We have friends whom we share our happy and sad moments in life. Most often we share our secrets with them. This applies of course to our true friends. Friends in times of good and bad. We can't deny the fact that we have friends that I often call "leech". These are the friends who just come along with us when they need something: I am specially talking of material things here. 

We often give help to our family and friends when they need us. Sometimes, we do things that we shouldn't be doing just to help them. For example: When our family or friends need money badly and we are not capable of lending them, we borrow from others so we can help. I know this is not a bad thing but we also have to consider the situation. And our family or friends should also try to understand. I always say, how can you help a drowning person if you yourself is drowning? Simple, help yourself first before you help others. In this way, you might give help in a better and bigger way. 

One thing that irritates me the most is when a person is asking for a help and yet you are aware that he or she is not determined enough to help himself or herself. If you are in my situation, would you still help? I also experience obstacles in life but I try to solve them myself until I can. Why is it so hard to let them understand this? Why do they always cling on someone who can't help them and they are even aware of it? Can't they instill in their minds that "POVERTY IS NOT A HINDRANCE TO SUCCESS?" 

To My Godson: AJ Caragan

My super handsome godson. Miss you baby Aj!

Happy birthday AJ! I am sorry I miss your birthday this year. But I know you have many more birthdays to come. I won't say I will make it up to you because in reality I can't bring back the past. I won't promise that I will be present on your next birthdays either because I don't hold the future. 


I just would like to give a simple message for you. I am aware that your mom loves you very much opposite what your father does. She was and is always there to guide and help you no matter what. If you only know her sufferings and I am sure you will know and understand this when you grow up. Now, she has a dad that protects her from those people who made her life miserable. In the future, you will be the one protecting her from those who will make her cry. 


I won't say that you have to get mad at your dad who abandoned you and your mom but I would say that it is your choice if you will acknowledge him when you grow up. I also know that you won't hurt your mom the same way your dad did. 


You are a gift and a son to a loving mother. I will not say be a good boy but I'd rather say, choose the path you know what is right for you for I am aware you will be able to differentiate what is right from wrong. 

Nail Art

Two flowers

I love painting my nails since then and I love painting other people's nails as well.  I have been thinking to do nail art but I hesitated because I am not good at drawing. Anyway, there's no harm in trying besides I can always erase it if the outcome won't be good.  So last night, while I was waiting for my hair to get dry, I tried to paint my nails and this is the outcome. 

First, I painted the nail with a base nail polish. Any color may do it depends on your taste. I used a lighter color. And then let it dry. 

Second, with a dotting tool or a toothpick make four dots close to each other. I used golden plum (frosted) for the first flower (near the tip) and red nail polish for the second flower. After making the dots, I put a small stem using dark green nail polish. Let it dry. 

Third,  apply the top coat to avoid chipping off and then let it dry. 

Try it! :)

Just Can't Get Over It

It was shocking and I can't believe it! We always watch American Idol at GMA Newstv Channel 11 while having dinner and I can't deny the fact that we always wait for Pia Toscano's performance. We've even concluded that she will be in the top 3. But now, maybe almost everybody is asking what happened. This is the question that until now is in my head. I just hope that the judges(Jlo, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler) have another save button to save Pia but what can we do? This happens when we rely on votes. 

I still believe that she will definitely stand out someday. Keep singing Pia! 

Always the government

I was watching Balitanghali at GMA Newstv few hours ago and I can't understand why most Filipinos blame the government of whatever happens in their lives.  I am aware that upon writing this, I will probably receive negative criticisms. 

We are all aware that poverty in the Philippines is on large scale. Everybody knows we are in a third world country!These large scale of people below the poverty line if not always, often blame the government of being poor. Why always the government? Why always the president? Are they doing something for their lives to get out from that scenario? I think not! Because they still have the guts to bear many children despite the fact that they can't even feed themselves! It's been a long time since we were given democracy and I know that was most people wanted to have. Freedom to do everything; journalism, working abroad, putting up a business etc. I am thankful also for the democracy given to us for I can write right now. But why is it that most of us are still complaining and blaming the government for the disease of our country? Isn't it that we are also contributing to the disease of the country? If there are problems in the government, we go out, shout for our rights and rally. What if the time that the government is facing problems, we unite and help? Isn't it better? 

The latest news was the three Filipinos executed in China. I think the government did something for them. Vice president Binay even went to China for them. And yet still other people blame the government of not doing anything. Come on! What do you want them to do? Do you want them to start a war against China? Did the government send these three Filipinos to go to China? No! Their only mistake is they inherited the problems from other leaders decades ago. We have to bear in mind that the president alone can't solve all these problems or the government itself. We have to unite if we want change. This is the concept that is lacking in the Filipino people after People Power I. UNITY is very important for the prosperity of a country. If we will just remove CRAB MENTALITY in our society, we will probably progress step by step and we will probably eradicate corruption soon.

Computer Game Review: The Serpent of Isis

The Screenshot of the game

I stayed up late last Friday because I have to finish something. While trying to force my brain in thinking for other ideas, I decided to relax for a moment. I then decided to find a game that will exercise my brain. Oh well, I stumbled on The Serpent of Isis by Bigfish Games. It is a kind of computer game that will make you find hidden objects to get a clue. I started playing at 2 in the morning and I decided to stop after one hour. Why? It made me feel too eager to finish the objective. I wanted to relax but this game just made me more aggressive. It will truly exercise your brain and your eyes. 

I told my friend who is a computer game addict about this. She wanted to try so I gave it to her. She told me she enjoyed playing the game. I thought she was able to finish the whole journey of the game but she didn't.

Last Saturday, she invited us to have a conversation over a cup of coffee. While having a cup of coffee and talking about a future project we are thinking to do, my friend and her sister were playing the game. So me and husband helped them find the hidden objects. It is more exciting because we played just like a team. We tried to have a race. It was really fun! 

Today, I tried to play it again but it just gave me a headache. It is really damn difficult! If you don't have a good eyesight, please don't play it too long. It will hurt your eyes. But for those who have good one, go on!

I just want to give thanks to the game developers. The credit goes to Andreas Schneider and Sandra Pieper for such a good idea and concept. This game isn't just a game but it will also test our ability and patience. The graphics is good enough. It will definitely attract people to play it without knowing how difficult it is. Another game with more walkthroughs would be perfect for someone who is having a boring day. 

The saying patience is a virtue applies to this game. Sometimes I am impatient in looking for something missing and because of this game, I have to put in mind that I have to use my eyes not my mouth. And that's the purpose why we were given eyes; and that is to see. Give it a try! Enjoy playing!

Change

Time flies! I just couldn't imagine that it's April now. While I was staring at my to do list, I began nagging on myself why I haven't done much last month. I even told that I will punish myself whenever I fail to do things I have to do. Believe me! I was talking to me in front of the mirror. I am doing personality check again just like what I have done last month. I guess promises are made to be broken applies this time. The question is why is it just so hard? Is is time for me to ask help from someone who could push me to change? I guess I am not going to wait for my someone to this. 

Well, I have to set goals this time; goals that I think I can think of every time I wake in the morning, goals that will make me smile though I am aware that it is hard. As they say, there's nothing hard if you want to. I also have to set goals for myself that will make the best of me. Last month was not mine. I had decisions that I even forgot to include my wants and needs on the list. This will be different now. I have to tell myself that I am working because I don't want to go back from being hand to mouth. If I need to post this at my workplace I will do so just to remind me the reason why I am working. Being so kind makes me poor. 

It's weekend tomorrow and I have things to accomplish despite of not feeling well. However, I can still move my two feet and my brain is still working to command my body parts to where I should be going. And that's exactly what I have to do tomorrow. I have to shut down my life from any trouble first this time. As they say, you can't help a drowning person if you are also being drowned.  

Stolen Idea

Have you ever experienced asking an opinion about an idea that you will soon be doing and suddenly the person you have asked for copied your idea? I just can’t imagine why people do this. I have seen and experienced it many times but I just ignore it. Is it really our custom doing this?

First, we Filipinos are very good in music I know. We have a lot of famous composers and we can’t deny that these composers can write lyrics that people will patronize. So why is it that these days, singers keep singing revived songs? Would you rather listen to the original singer or the duplicate? It is definitely annoying to listen to the revived one especially if they sing it exaggeratedly. Can’t we just make our own music? Or are we becoming westernized and we are trying hard to adopt westernization despite the fact that we can’t do it in all aspects?

Second is in business. We can see a lot of the same concepts of businesses around the neighborhood. It is because when neighborhood A put up a business and neighborhood B noticed that many people patronize it, neighborhood B will use the idea neighborhood A did. It is just so irritating. Well, I have experienced it and I just kept silent because of the so called “freedom”. Will we prosper with this kind of business cycle? I don’t think so. That’s the reason why Coca-cola bring people in court whoever tried to copy their idea.

Third, writing nowadays is becoming a freelance job. If you try to search for writing job on Google, it will display thousands of online companies looking for content writers, short story writers and other varieties of writing. Plagiarism is very popular in the internet. Many writers try to copy other writers’ idea and changing some of the words and claim it original (rewriting). Or worse, copy the same concept of what to write.

I guess whenever we have ideas in mind for business or for whatever, let’s just keep it ourselves and never give anyone the recipe of it. As the saying goes, family, friends and religion; these are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business. It is hard to do but if you want to than you need to do it. 

Movie Review: State of Play

What could be so interesting in politics? Politics as defined by Wikipedia is from the Greek word πολιτικός “of, for, or relating to citizens”). It is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs. I think the most interesting part of politics would be politics in general. It would be so interesting to know the ins and outs of it without being involved. Well, I guess you know what I mean.

State of play is a 2009 remake of a British thriller mini-series. Cal McAffrey played by Russell Crowe, my all time favorite actor, a grumpy, old-school reporter was involved in covering a conspiracy together with his sidekick Della Frye played by Rachel McAdams pushed by a mentally nimble and resourceful boss Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) . They work with police detectives to get into the story of the conspiracy. With a troubled past linked to Rep. Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), Cal begins to find clues. These clues gave him the way to personally witness covering up, witnesses and assassins. He is getting closer to the truth which will test him as a reporter. Will he write the truth even at the last minute of it or will he make stories to cover up for his college buddy?

Being a thriller fan, I was really fascinated with the twist of this movie. I have seen Russell Crow in action and drama kind of movies and he is undeniably a very good actor. Playing John Nash in “A beautiful mind”, my all time favorite movie made me excited and looked forward to his role in this film. I guess Crowe is inclined to do films with the role of a silent, smart and wise man plus unending arguments with a Brit accent Helen Mirren.

Ben Affleck with his stunning physique emphasized on his corporate attire drew my attention. He had done different films before and we all know who he is, being the dirty oil driller who saved the world in Armageddon. However, I can say that his lines and scenes in this movie are so inappropriate for him.

Poor Rachel Adams, she seems like an extra cast in this movie. I can’t imagine her doing this kind of film because everybody knows she is well-appreciated in romantic movies. God knows her role in “The notebook”! Well, better luck next time.

Let’s give credit to Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Roy for the twist and well-written screenplay. Continue writing good or maybe better films like this.

I would like to say two thumbs up to Kevin MacDonald in making this film. I can see in his line of work that he loves making documentaries. I think I will be looking forward to your next documentary film.

Overall, this movie is good which can capture your interest to blog about. I recommend this movie on a lazy weekend afternoon. You may not know if this movie will cure your laziness and will make you turn on your computer and write about it. 

Valentine's Day

February 14^th is the day of love for most people. It is also the day when profits for chocolates, flowers and restaurant skyrocketed.

Valentine’s Day is 2010 movie filmed for a purpose as the title says. It is a romantic comedy movie ( I am not so sure if it really is) with multiple stories. Three couples, Liz and Jason (Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace), Estelle and Edgar ( Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo), and Julia and Dr. Harrison awake together, two teenagers Grace and Alex  (Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins) and Felicia and Willy (Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner) planned to do first time sex, a boy who wants flowers for his true love, a sports TV reporter assigned to find romance in LA and a group of people who hate Valentine’s Day. Will cupid be able to solve the crisis until midnight?

It is a rated PG-13 movie because of sexual scenes and partial nudity. This film turned viewers confused. With all the Valentine’s Day movies that I have seen, this one didn’t make me fall in love. You’ve got to chase the storyline till the end of it because of switching from scene to scene every now and then.

Big stars are in these movie and that's the reason why I watched it. Julia Roberts is undeniably a well-known actress who could have done better if only the scenes are not limited. Despite that, she still did a good job. You would also love to see Anne Hathaway with her sexy voice as an adult phone entertainer. 

The part that I consider the best was when Jennifer Garner pretended to be a waiter in a restaurant just to humiliate her partner in a professional way who lied to her about his married life and who is having a dinner date with his wife. I guess those people out there who happen to have the same situation might borrow this idea. 

I hope I can just sleep during Taylor Swift’s scene. There are a lot of acting schools! Come on! 

Gary Marshall, a well known director for its Runaway Bride and Pretty Woman can do better omitting the idea of multiple stories in just one film. I guess it is his forte to direct romantic comedy films anyway.

Katherine Fugate, the writer made a bit of a twist in this movie but this kind of stories is common. We’ve seen a lot of movies about couples trying to solve crisis in their lives. In addition she should have ended it a more interesting way so viewers won’t just sigh in disappointment while walking out of the movie theater.

I guess I will just be looking forward for a better Valentine's Day movie special. 

Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

Would you like to go back in the past without knowing it? This is what happened in the movie, hot tub time machine.

Three friends who are in the middle of failures in life; Adam (John Cusack) whose girlfriend ditched him, Nick (Craig Robinson), whose wife is a cheater and with a job without opportunities and Lou (Roby Corddry), a self-destructive alcoholic were thrown back in time. How did it happen? Lou tried to poison him. His two other friends wanted to help him recover, so they decided to go to a winter resort with Adam’s nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) and this resort happen to be their old party place. They had a great night drinking in the hot tub . Suddenly, they didn’t notice that there is something wrong happening with the hot tub and it takes them back to 1986, on a disastrous night for each of them. They agreed that maybe if they will do the same thing the way they did before, it might get them back to the future so Jacob will be born. Imagine, letting someone punch you without any hesitation and experiencing that twice in your life. Seriously, there are a lot of temptations to do things in a different way but they tried to fight those temptations. Does changing the past makes them go back to their poor lives? Find it out!

It is my first time to see John Cusack in a comedy movie and I was really impressed the way he did it. It looks natural.

Craig Robinson did an entertaining job with his wonderful vocals. He turned this movie into a funny and entertaining one.

Roby Corddry is a perfect combination of John and Craig. They are like singers with a perfect harmony.

I hope Steve Pink, director, should have reduced the flaws of this movie. Since it is full of sex scenes, cursing and many others that is not “acceptable” to all audiences.

The writes, Josh Herald and Sean Anders made a good story line. They made the viewers think of what will happen at the end of the movie.

The movie is totally entertaining despite its flaws. People who are not fond of watching this kind of movie would judge it senseless. However, understanding it deeply would give you a lesson.

Lesson learned: You can choose your destiny. If you want and you are determined to do it, you will succeed hundred percent.

I would love to have a hot tub like this. :)

Leech

We are all aware that the love of money is the root of all evil. Why? One reason is that an individual's mind will turn evil when he or she loves money so much. You will become selfish that you can't even help your love ones when they are in need. Selfish and practical are two different words so those people who have their love on money shouldn't say they are just being practical. 

What made me write this? I have a lot of experience dealing with people like this. Way back 2006, I had a foreign friend who happened to make Philippines one of his travel destination. Before he arrived in my country, I told him some of the flaws that he might encounter while staying in the Philippines. I was not mistaken. From Ninoy Aquino International Airport going to Malate, Manila, the cab driver was charging him double the exact fare. I was glad that he didn't give what the cab driver was asking. Is being an alien to another country an excuse for this cab driver to ask for a tip or worse double the price of the service? I don't think so. I am not generalizing that all cab drivers are doing this but most of them. One more unforgettable experience was when we went to Subic, Olonggapo. We decided to book a hotel for us to be sure we have a place to stay. When we arrived at the hotel, everything was ready. The place was fine, the receptionist was accommodating but the bell boy wasn't. He helped us with our  luggage. I was quite surprised at that time because he was waiting for a tip. He just stand at the door waiting for something. My friend then called me. So, I asked the bell boy, is there something wrong? He answered nothing. I then asked what was he waiting for? He just answered me with a smile. I asked him if their guests are obliged to give a tip. I told him that not all foreigners coming in the Philippines are rich who you can rip off. I was so angry at that time and I was so ashamed at my friend. I apologize for whatever bad experience he will encounter and will be encountering. 

Recently, my boss visited Philippines and I encountered almost the same situation again. I told those people that my boss isn't rich and that he is working hard for his family too. And because of that, I became bad for other people. I don't care if they will get angry because I was just protecting my boss for shameful purposes those people are thinking. Besides my boss is paying the services they are providing him. 

How can we keep our tourism industry well if this is the attitude we are giving our visitors? Come on! If we want our lives to be better, I guess we will just have to work hard for ourselves. Set aside whatever leisures you want to experience if you yourself can't make both ends meet and stop clinging on other people for your own benefit.

Money is so powerful that can corrupt your mind.


Note: This is also published in bubblews.com with the same and only one username.

Broken Friendship

No man is an island; a saying that we always remember and one reason why we make friends. Aside from that, there are also lame reasons why people make friends. First, they make friends so they have someone to cling to in times of need. Shall I call it monetary friendship? Second, they make friends because of low self-esteem. They can't make decisions on their own and they always need someone such as a friend to ask advice for. 

I have this attitude before that when I meet someone and my instinct told me that this person isn't good, I back off. But I changed. I changed because people deserve a second chance; that first impression doesn't last. The fruit of it was good. I had lots of friends whom I can share anything I want to share. Until recently, I noticed that someone isn't that kind of person whom I should trust. What hurts me most is that, I trusted that person much. He knows almost everything about me and the people around me. A trusted friend told me that this person told bad things at my back. The shocking part of it is that those things he told other people weren't true at all. I want to confront this person but my other friends told me not to step down to his level. I listened to them and I will just show him that he isn't a part of my life anymore. I may talk to him but not like before. 

Nowadays, it makes me realize that it isn't bad to choose friends at all. It is because we can only count on our fingers those people we can trust. I guess I will be very kin to the people I will be meeting in the future. I just wish that this person will realize what he is doing since I didn't create harm in his life. Despite all the good things I have done to him, this is all I get. Anyway, lesson learned, I should be more careful in giving my trust next time. 

It is very hard to mend a broken friendship

Education: Is it enough to succeed?

Education is important for success but not enough.

Since we started learning things from childhood, we were always been told that we have to study hard to succeed in life. Most parents are pushing their kids to study hard for them to have a better future. Most students are trying their best to make sure they will get higher GPAs. But is this enough? Will it satisfy our parents when we graduate with flying colors?

The past few days I have been thinking about someone who I know in the middle of education crisis. She is a high school graduating student and I can’t deny that this young girl has the ability for her to stand out. She comes from a poor family who can’t even make both ends meet.   Now, that she is going to make another journey in her life, I was thinking and puzzled how she can cope with college life. Why am I having this question? It is because the kind of education that she received from her teachers is not enough for her to survive college.Her parents can't afford to enroll her in a better high school. She took an entrance exam from one of the universities in the Philippines but unfortunately she didn’t pass. We asked her if the exam was hard and she told us that most of the questions were not taught to them. Now, is education enough to succeed?  The answer is definitely NOT!

There are a lot of people who succeeded without proper education. Let’s not get that far. Take Bill Gates for example. He is a college drop out but because of his passion in computers, he is ranked the world’ richest man from 1995-2006. One more popular entrepreneur who didn’t need college to succeed is Walt Disney whose accomplishments and career are astounding despite being a high school drop out. He is now the most influential animator. With all these people whom we can look up to only proves that education is not enough to succeed in life. I am not implying not to study because it doesn't guarantee success however, there are proper ingredients of success. 

I would like to say that, passion, patience and the determination to succeed would make a perfect combination for someone to be successful. 

This blog is dedicated to this person. Take the right path that you think will make you a better person inside and out. 

Book review: The Secret

Way back 2007; I was still working for a foreign company based in my country. It is a kind of call center industry where in we teach non-native English speakers improve their English communication skills.  It was that time I met these two kids named Nikka and Rachel (it’s their English names I gave them). At first it was too difficult to make them focus with our lesson until when I changed my approach. We became friends. I exchanged mails with their mom and I discovered a lot about them.

October 16, 2007; my birthday, I was surprised when the mailman arrived in the office and was looking for me. According to him, I have packages from South Korea. I was wondering from whom the packages are. When I saw these two boxes, it was from the kids. I was so excited to open them. I got a lot of things from them.  The one thing that caught my eye was a small box. It was wrapped beautifully with a ribbon on it. To my surprise, it was a book entitled “The Secret”.  I really don’t have an idea what the book is about. So when I got home, I read it. That was Friday so its fine for me to stay up late since it’s my day off on weekends. I tried to finish the book that night.

I learned a lot from the book. I can say that this book changed my way of thinking.  This book has several ideas that are considered exciting and controversial. It tells about the Law of attraction.

1.     It says in the book that if you focus your attention on achieving your goal and believe that you can do it and you have done it, you will be successful in achieving your goal virtually that you set on your mind to. 
2. If you focus on things that you don’t want and you can’t do, you are actually inviting those things into your life. The secret is you have to think of only the positive things. For example: Instead of saying I don’t want to be late for work, you have to say, I can go to work early. People should stop asking the questions “how” instead say it and put it in your mind that you can do it.
3.   The principle of the Law of Attraction is whatever you focus your energy on, whether it is relationship, possessions, work, and even your health you will be able to achieve good or bad.

This book became controversial. Some people say that this book is anti-religion. It might be because readers would tend to focus on material things alone. But I disagree because it depends on how readers interpret it. 

This book has a lot of secrets to reveal. I am super thankful to Nikka Kim and Rachel Kim for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Movie Review: Knight and Day

Everybody wants to have a knight in shining armor whenever we face troubles. However, is there a knight in shining armor in our modern world? Definitely yes!

Knight and day, an action romance comedy in one has such a jump-starting and quite puzzling introduction. The story goes this way. June Havens (Cameron Diaz) bumps into Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) at the Wichita Airport while she is struggling in carrying his luggage full of car spare parts that she is going to use to restore his deceased father’s GTO for her sister wedding. Only to find out that they are on the same flight, however, she was not in the list of the passengers after checking her boarding pass. With that, Roy told her, that sometimes things happen for a reason. Puzzled June sat at the waiting area hoping that she could get on that flight. After a couple of minutes, she was asked to board on the plane because they found an available sit for her. To her surprise, he noticed that there are only four or five other people present. She chats with Miller about her dreams driving to Cape Horn and the latter is preoccupied glancing on the other passengers while they are both trying to make themselves comfortable with the bumpy flight. She is strongly attracted. She goes to the restroom to freshen up. While she is busy, Miller is attacked by the other passengers on the plane.  The fighting, chase and surveillance started. June Havens’ simple life is tangled with Roy’s troubled life.  As the story goes, Havens has trouble thinking who to trust. But Miller convinced her that he is the good guy protecting an energy source that a rogue agent wants to gain for his own benefit.  The question here is: Can she trust Roy when she starts to see bullets flying and explosions anywhere they go? You have to find it out.

We’ve seen Tom Cruise doing Mission: Impossible franchise and definitely he nailed this movie again. His charisma together with his moves made this movie a wonderful one combining with Cameron Diaz’s charm and easy to handle any movie past mediocrity. It was a perfect combination of the two.

Patrick O’Neil, the writer, wrote a good story to make the viewers excited for the next scene. The story was not boring because it was fast. I would keep on flipping the pages if this is a book.  Though the twist isn’t that unnerving, you still have to think what’s going to happen next.

James Mangold, who often directs an action movie made his ability to run this one. However, he could have added a bit of love to make it more special. But I guess romance is not his forte. But of course, every project has its own flaws.  Even so, I would still recommend this to everybody.

Clear your living room as you might accidentally kick and punch your pop corn and soda while you are enjoying this movie. :)

Movie Review: Kick-Ass

As I was trying to find something else to do to kill my boredom, I accidentally bump into something that caught my interest. I saw the movie kick-ass over the internet and I decided to watch the trailer on YouTube. Well, the trailer was a bit fascinating because the main character came up with the question “How come nobody has ever try to be a super hero? His friends obviously don’t want to be because for them it is impossible, but for him there’s nothing impossible when your intention is to help people.

It made me more interested when I saw one of my favorite action stars in the trailer. I then decided to stream the movie.

The movie is narrated by the main character, Dave Lizewski. It started with a question from Dave about how come someone hasn’t ever tried to be a superhero given those large amounts of comics over the decades.

To summarize the story, Dave is an ordinary high school student and a huge fan of comic books with a few of his friends. He lives alone with his father. There’s nothing very difficult in his life. His personal trials are not that tragic as well. However, he makes a simple decision to become a superhero despite the fact that he has no powers or training suitable for being a superhero.

Nicolas Cage (Damon), one of my favorite action stars is in this movie and I have noticed that he did remarkably well. I was a bit sad that he died in the movie.

Mindy, (played by Chloe Moretz) one of the other main characters in the movie had awesome moves. I was really fascinated! However, parents out there might not like their kids to like Mindy because she storms the movie with lots of swearing which is not common for super heroes I guess as super heroes should be teaching their viewers moral lessons.

Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), did also great specially being beaten by thugs! Of course, as expected, a superhero is going to save someone at the end of the movie. And he did so.

Mark Strong (Frank D’Amico) together with his son Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Chris D’Amico/Red Mist) is the main protagonist in the story. I really like Mark Strong’s aura being a criminal. He is really good at that. Chris shows that with lots of money, you can be a superhero or a super villain. This happens in reality.

For me, the movie is totally entertaining but don’t expect too much about it as it is not that big like other superhero movies. If you want to add something in your list for the weekend, watch this. Learn some moves. (I hope I can play martial arts again). A word of advice, don’t let your kids watch this alone.

There is something I learned from this movie. If we want change, then let’s start with ourselves. It is risky to be a superhero especially if you don’t have superpowers. It is also risky to change as we might lose some of our love ones but if we change for the better, go for it!