MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

After having tried several times to take a photo of our Christmas tree a part of our Christmas tree, this was the best that came out.

My digicam's weakness is poor lighting, and however I adjust the functions, it still didn't cooperate.

So, since Cityville gave my city some snow just in time for Christmas day, I thought this would do.

Then, I wanted to have an archive of the gospel for today, so here it is:

Saint John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world., and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by man's decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only son, full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The on who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'"

From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God. The only son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

Have you thought about this?

I saw this notice at the emergency room of the hospital.  I was waiting for our turn to be attended to and I don't know why it caught my attention.  I know that I belong to the group that looks around and see things, but this was at the most inconspicuous place; on the side of the water dispenser, and you could barely notice it.  Ironic because this should be placed on the most conspicuous place for us to notice.

My apologies for the blurred image.  The place was not brightly-lit and it was at the corner, not enough light for a good image.  But anyhow, light or no light, corner or no corner, I just want to share the message, which I think is very important for us to know, just in case you still haven't thought about it.

Eight days to go

and it's Christmas.

I heard that that Santa sitting down is somewhere around Php 40,000.00.

What's Up This Week?

~ I don't know if we can still watch the movie, "My Amnesia Girl." It's going to be on its third week here in our town's cinema and we have been putting it off since.  The thing is, my first ever free ticket from the cinema was in between the pages of my 'Miami Ink' notebook which I lost two weeks ago.  I settled to the conclusion that I lost it inside the jeepney.  I am sooooo pissed off with anesthesia.

~ I was walking along one of the streets less traveled here in our town when I came across with one of my 'dating suki sa video shop.'  I nodded and smiled.  He smiled back and when we were just passing by each other, he said, "11-27."  So, I asked, "what are those numbers?"  Then, he replied, "STL."  Oh.  Small Town Lottery.  So, is it the reason why we're having a hard time with coins these days?

~ Ok, I admit.  I'm still playing Bejewelled Blitz, and my highest score so far, which I made some time last week was about 421,000.  Which, I think I would be right to say now that it would be hard for me to beat that.  I'll try to look and sound busy with "CityVille" instead.

~ In the news some time last week, a homeless woman gives birth on street in QC.  I just want to ask, if she gave birth on the streets, where exactly did she make it?  Is it right to say that it is also on the streets?

~ Does entrecard really makes a difference?  What it does to me is take much of my time blog-hopping instead of writing.  Too much of my time actually.  Yes, it does makes a difference on the traffic numbers, but I'm not really sure if they are really my target readers.

~ Pepe is wearing a razor back.  Well, it's been a little cold lately.

~ This new facebook font is really small that sometimes I have to read something twice to make sure I got it right.

~ Do you actually believe those people in the hospital where Jewel is will not open spill the beans?  I started following the teleserye sometime two weeks ago, but I stopped when it seemed that Lance is succeeding in hiding Jewel in the hospital.  Come to think of it, the rumor between JLC and Shaina at St. Luke's went viral even without confirmation, how much more with the case of Jewel?  Stop pulling our legs, please.  And people, don't let your legs get pulled by these shows.

~ I have been going out a lot lately.  Aside from the project, there is something else and I am intending to go full blast at the beginning of next year.  Well, this meant that I am off the tv most of the time and not pissing myself off with the OMG capsule.  Oh, they probably read my last entry that's why the show was shortened so that the rocking chair people won't have the chance to doze off before the show ends.  Don't you think it's pretty clever?

~ It's okay if you want to laugh, but the I just finished with the audio book, "The Secret Garden" which I started months ago.  Had I known that it started to get exciting on the chapter after I left off, I wouldn't have stopped.  Anyway, right now, I started with "The Man Who Was Thursday:  A Nightmare."  The reader is a little fast for me and I don't think I can keep up.  So, just before I started with this post, I added "Pilgrim's Progress" just in case I decided to stop.  And just in case you're looking for classical audio books, I get mine on this website.

I would if I could but I didn't. All because of the lame excuse.

I wrote this post because of this:  House to probe mandatory OFW insurance.

Flashback.  c.a. December 2007.

I got a job and was to start on Christmas day.  I went home to the villa where I was staying and shared the joy with my room mates.  Over dinner, I tried to convince them that we should all get the OWWA card.  The funny thing about this is, I was the newbie and all six of them have been OFWs for more than a year and none of them had the OWWA card.  All because they had no time.  So, I convinced them that we should all go to the Philippine Consulate and get them on a certain day.  We agreed we would... but on which day?

Since I left our country and started to find work there, one of the persistent thoughts in my mind was:  how my body would be repatriated back home if I end up dead outside the country?  Excuse me if you find this morbid, but I just find this a crucial part of my existence as an OFW.  I have been bothered by those news about Filipinos ending up dead somewhere out there and their bodies couldn't be brought back home because either they were tourists, undocumented, didn't have insurance or repatriation, or non-members of the OWWA.

After my sponsorship visa, residence visa, and labor card came out, I was officially an OFW.  And as I spent each day of this life of mine as an OFW, I have always thought of getting this card.  But I never had the chance.

I never had the time.

That's why I am for the implementation of mandatory insurance for OFWs.  I don't mind how much it costs really.  This might look like a big cut from whatever part of my salary, but I really wouldn't mind.  No, no, no. My take is that I believe that medical insurance is something that I always wanted to have but DO NOT want to use.

This happens, and this happens a lot.  Most of the people I met in Dubai did not have insurance, not even an OWWA card.  And if you ask them why, they will tell you what I myself will tell you:  I didn't have the time to get it.  We couldn't take a leave from work to get the card.  Because taking a leave from work will mean that it will take more than a day to process the card. And, your employer is most likely not to allow you to get that leave.

If the OWWA card and the medical insurance have been mandatory during my time, I wouldn't have to worry about the coverage.

All I had during my time as an OFW was the Workmen's Compensation.  It covers repatriation expenses of my body, and just in case I ran out of work and had to go back to my home country.  But honestly, I didn't even find out how much was the cover.  I knew it was for AED 7,500.00 but I don't know if it would be enough to cover the whole expenses of bringing my body back home.

Walter talked about the Prius at 2:15

And in the news at the Inquirer last November 30,2010, Toyota to 'voluntarily' fix 650,000 Prius models globally

What's up this week?

And it has been two weeks since.  A lot of things were there.

~ I haven't been watching a lot of tv lately, especially since Magkaribal ended.  But one night (I think) last week, there's something I noticed while watching "Kristine."  Well, aside from the fact that Kristine Reyes is pretty, that is.  It's just fun to think that the wardrobe budget is very easy and not that expensive.  Imagine, just sando and kamison most of the time every time I had the chance to sit down and watch.  Is it just coincidence?  Or is it really?

~ We were at the mall to buy 'some' groceries.  The lady at the entrance was handing me one of those baskets.  I refused.  Well, I don't know about you, but I really won't grab one of those baskets whether it's just less than ten or more than ten items.  I will get the cart!  My take is, why will I give myself a hard time carrying those baskets when the carts are always there?  Besides, there is no grocery law that that says you can't put less than ten things in the cart.  I'm talking about convenience and comfort.

~ A single bettor won the Php 700 million lottery.  He did it by lucky pick.  This is the eternal discussion everywhere.  The PCSO guy once said that don't rely on birthdays since it's just calendar numbers.  And I think he's right.  My take is whenever I place my bet, I always do it by lucky pick.  Ayoko mag-alaga ng numbers since I don't bet regularly.  Can you imagine the regret if your 'alaga' wins and you did not place a bet?

~ Remember Budoy?  Well, his favorite bed is this:

~ I have been reading "Angela's Ashes" for a while now.  I have been putting it down more frequently than I should.  I know I should have finished the book long ago, but it's just too hard to continue when all you read about is poverty, and not because they were poor, but because their dad simply do not understand how it was to be a father.  But, then again, Frankie said, "My father in the morning is still mine."  And my heart broke.

~ I have more notes about the book here, in case you're interested.  I hope you'll read the book once you read my notes.

~ I interviewed a college teacher last, last week for another feature in my Laguna Life blog.  But it's been two weeks and I haven't posted.  I just felt tired of writing.  It's probably the weather.  Or, if I am writer, is this what they call writer's block?

~ Remember my post about "Down, they go?"  I think it's really happening.  Notice that their time slot is now moved to an even later slot... just in time for merienda siesta, when every fan of these four tend to doze of on their rocking chairs.  Then, the OMG jackpot round is set to be aired the next day.  Then, the biggest irony of it all is.... the "lucky" home partner could not be reached (read: is not watching the show).

~ It was a year after my surgery last November 23.  The same date that the Maguindanao massacre happened.  We heard mass as a way of thanksgiving.  Just before the mass ended, the bell tolled 57 times to commemorate those 57 people whose relatives are until now are seeking justice.  It was this same mass where this song was played.  I felt really good because I have been wanting to hear this song for quite a time now.  Back in Dubai, Filipino masses were offered twice a month on a Friday, which did not fit my schedule.  And when I got back home, I was teary-eyed when I finally heard the mass said in Filipino.

~ The past posts about "What's up this week" are all here.

We are still singing the song

Panginoon, turuan mo akong maging bukas-palad

Turuan mo akong maglingkod sa iyo

Na magbigay ng ayon sa nararapat

Na walang hinihintay mula sa 'yo.

I haven't heard this song for a while now.  And oh, how it moves me.  The melody, the lyrics, the message.  It's the kind of song that I once missed so badly when I was out of the country.

A year to be thankful for.

At about this time last year, on the same date, I think I just regained my consciousness after a surgery that made me come home from Dubai.

Whenever I tell my friends that it's been a year, they couldn't believe it.  Time really flies that fast, they would say.

It's not easy to get back to my own feet again.  After having lost my job and recuperate from sickness and the surgery.

To those who knew what was there after the surgery, I will forever cherish the support that they have given when we found out about the biopsy result.  And I will also forever cherish their presence as I found out that the CT scan yielded an all-clear result.  I will also forever cherish all those things that they have given me in those times.  I can't believe how my friends tried to give whatever they can to show their support to our family.

Right now, I am trying to regain what I lost and I can't believe at the trust and confidence of all our friends and relatives to support me on those ventures that I am trying my hands on.  For those who understand more than I thought they would, my token of thanks and appreciation for that unbelievable support.  Whether it's a peso or a hundred, it's your support that counts.

Ok, it sounded like a speech to me.  But whatever, I really thank you guys.

A coffee from somewhere out there

My afternoon started right after lunch.

I had a very insightful meeting with someone that I will be featuring in my project.  I told her it won't take too much time, but it turned out that there were a lot of things we could talk about.  In fact, I told her it would only take about 15-20 minutes, but we talked for two hours and still we look forward for another meeting about a lot more other things.  I was even late for my other meeting set to this day.

Well, if you guys know me, late for me is a meeting where I cannot be there fifteen minutes before.

This other meeting was with one of my biggest sponsors for my project and you can find a glimpse of what went on here.  We talked at his office about his proposal for the first quarter of this year and I said that I will still have to qualify the proposal, since it's a bit leaning towards politics - which I am trying to avoid.

But anyway, he told me he would like a cup of coffee and a smoke and asked me if it was okay for us to go out to get one.  I thought he'd take me to the coffee shop in the mall which was quite near a recording booth.  Something I didn't like.  When someone's paid to record his songs in that booth, it was such a noise even if he sings good.  The speakers are just too loud and not really that conducive if you want to have conversations.

But no, he didn't.  He led me outside and into a small canteen beside the mall.  The place is called Masuwerte Canteen.  He ordered coffee and it was served in a styro cup, which remind me of those chais and coffees that I order in Dubai.  But, at least it isn't served in those empty coffee glasses like those Blend 45 days.

That was a good coffee!  I told him.  And he said that's why I brought you here.  Well, aside from the silence in the place, I enjoyed the coffee and we were able to talk about more of his proposals on that place.  It's actually beside the jeepney station beside the mall, the place where the jeepneys park while waiting for their dispatch.  It was quiet, not so many people, no sounds coming from speakers.

How I really love life's simple pleasures.

Where is the photo of the week?

You can still click on the Photo of the Week tag to see the past photos.  But as I was looking for a template on both this blog and the other project, I came upon and template designed for a photo blog and I liked it.

So, I created the blog and tried to post all those pictures that I can since I bought my digicam.  But some of them are from my Nokia 3230 mobile phone and most of the photos were taken when I was in Dubai in 2007.  Putting it chronologically was never a problem since the pictures are marked with date, but just the same, it's hard to put them all together all at the same time.  It took me about three or four days all in all to finish.  And it wasn't like it as consecutive.  I got tired so I had to pass on certain days.

So, just click on the link above, "Photo Blog" to take you to that blog, or you can click here and bookmark it on your browser.  That's what I am doing starting today instead of the 'Photo of the Week' posts.

Oh, but this doesn't mean I won't be posting pictures here anymore.  Of course, I will still do.  I just think that there are certain shots that are meant to be here, while others are just meant to be there.

As on this blog, please free to comment, so I know that you visited took a look at those photos.  I'd be more than happy to reply to what you have to say.

Watching the news is just like watching commercials

I have been noticing this for a few weeks now.

When you watch the news, you get something juicy but just get a bit of it.  The highlights were shown and then the trying-to-be-funny newscaster will tell you to watch the full story on his show later on this day and time.  Don't you just find it kind of funny that the news has become a place to advertise another show?  

The other funny thing is... okay, you took note of the day and date and you sit down and watch the full story.  But you end up getting no more than just additional information that were not as juicy as you expected, or not as juicy as they portrayed it would be in the news teaser.  

Funny how it again becomes just like any movie trailers.  They show you those funniest highlights as teasers, and when you go to see the movie, you find out that what they showed on the trailer is just it.  No other thing.

This takes me back when I was younger and the only channel available where we live is RPN channel 9.  The news was exactly at 6:00 pm and it was just for 30 minutes.  But you get what you deserved with that full 30 minutes.  Nowadays, it's a little short of an hour with extensive commercial breaks, and a teaser that's not a teaser at all.  Because the teaser is already the story.  

I admit I was with M.

I admit that I used Mozilla for about three days. But, that was just it.

It turned out that the real problem was the updates they did with Chrome. After that day, it was all good. Had the Chrome people made an announcement about such updates, I wouldn't have been clueless and doubted its reliability.

Now, I'm back with C.

I think it will be another long relationship before I try another.

Then there's E.

eBay had been bad to me the past month. It wouldn't allow me to relist my items so I gave up and just let the other items expire. I thought it was some issues with the personal account but I thought wrong. It turned out that my friend's store also had the same problem. She logged in to the forum and I did not. So, she brought me the news that all is well and good to go. I thank God for giving me friends like her.

So, tomorrow, the world of the Filipinos will once again stand still at about after lunch, up until Manny Pacquiao finishes his fight. Of course, the Filipinos will be for Manny, and the Mexicans will be for Margarito. Go, get him, Pacman!

After that, I'll be off to fix my eBay. I am quite excited, because aside from the old items that I will relist, I have been able to find another new line - affordable skin care products. There are quite several items and I think this will keep me busy until late at night. But I am hopeful that this will be the start.

In my real world, I am off to a bit of business this Christmas. I am taking orders for Christmas hams, particularly the Purefoods Hamon de Bola. This is really exciting.

What's up this week?

~ Let me see.  Just for this week, I changed the layout of this blog probably thrice.  It's just a work in progress.  But, I finally decided to be a minimalist.  I took out some things that I felt like taking out.  I wanted white to be the dominant color.  I don't want strong colors to go with it.  I have been one of those who wants earth colors than pastel.  This would probably stay for a while.  I'm a bit contented.

~ I forgot to tell you that the week before this, I got my highest score ever at Bejewelled Blitz.  It was 306,000.  For this week, it was just 256,000.  I don't think I would ever beat last week's score.  I am getting tired of playing.  But, wait, I need to spend my million coins before I stop, right?

~ Does torrent harm your computer?

~ In ten days, it's going to be a year since my operation.  I thank Him that I can still count the days.

~ My sister asked me the other day.  Can you sing "Through the Fire" while brushing your teeth?

~ Pidong is probably my most photographed pet.  Well, the fact that he seems like a model posing in front of a camera, here he is again.  I'll probably stop for taking pictures of him for a while.  I'm getting too much of him... lol.

~ I went out to meet someone yesterday.  But just when I was at the entrance of her work place, I got my mobile phone to ask for directions.  I got a message in my inbox from her telling me she had to go somewhere for some office errands.  That's okay.  These things I understand.  But certainly not the one totally ignoring your message and then seeing her at the top of my leader board at Bejewelled Blitz.  This is the time when busy is just such a lame excuse. LAME.

~ This morning, the lady I was supposed to meet yesterday sent me a message asking me if I am busy today because she wants to make up for yesterday.  Now, that's professionalism.

~ "In My Dreams" by Reo Speedwagon is such a song for me.

~ I am predicting that I will be busy next week.

Passport Picture

You saw him outside our window.

You saw him lying down comfortably complacently.

Now, he's wide awake, and bigger.

He's now about six months old.

My dad says he's hardworking. He catches everything that flies within his peripheral vision. His real owner says he catches all the rats in the house.

He eats like there's no tomorrow.

What's Up This Week?

There were attempts, but there were only a few successes.

~ My dog, Pepe, is a survivor. He has this rare neuro disease that afflicted him when he was young. The vet says if FARGO has a 75 to 100 rate of survival, this neuro (I forgot what they call it) disease's rate is 50/50. And he made it. But he has to live with that for all his life. It's like Parkinson's (but it's not Parkinsons) because his body moves involuntarily. All of them who saw him when he was just about three weeks old said that he won't make it until the next day. But he's now five years old and a very smart, good dog. As an example, I give him bread every morning and had to give it to him in small bites to make it easier for him to chew on it. Unlike humans, he takes care not to bite the hands that feed him. (Does this ring a bell?) He carefully bites on the small piece on my hand, taking care not to touch even a small part of his teeth anywhere on my fingers. Isn't he smart?

~ I don't want to call it a habit because it never was. When I was in Dubai, I rarely get hold of a newspaper, spreadsheet or tabloid. I once tried to buy a newspaper but only lasted a few days. I didn't like the way the contents were discussed. It almost always feels like there is something else on the news. But now that I'm back home, I keep track of the news through the free tabloid paper called 7days.ae. And one of the news today carried a shot of Tom Cruise doing his stunt as he supposedly swings from the height of the Burj Dubai. The thing is, the shot was said to have been taken from one of the view decks of the Burj. Therefore, you don't see him alongside the Burj. If I were to take a picture and have the access, I would have taken it anywhere near the Burj and not from the Burj, with a telephoto lens or whatever, showing Cruise hanging from a rope and the background is the Burj. Sigh.

~ Funny how people want to advertise their business without having to spend anything.

~ "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt is truly a revelation for me. The fact that Frank was able to write a story about how some people of Ireland is poor makes me see that this is not happening only here in my country. It's not like it is a celebration to know that we both have this situation. This just helps us to realize that everything that happens in our country does not happen in our country alone.

~ Smokers nabbed as Saudi implements airport cigarette ban. Ever since I got operated, I have this thing for cigarette smoke. My opinion is, you can do it in the open air, that's fine with me. But pag nasa jeep, I actually call their attention and tell them to throw their cigs, please. I really hate people smoking while inside the jeep, especially if the trapal is down because it's raining.

They Never Learned

I wanted to write about this since the re-launch, but things were busy especially with the project. Although I got stood up by one of the featured teachers, my interview with my next one is really very enlightening. And everytime I get to talk to a teacher, it's like climbing one rung to the ladder of my respect for them. But that's another story.

Anyway.

They never learned. They even re-launched it. Oh, I am talking about the OMG Capsule.

And even if these people from this network didn't learn, their contestants did. Have you seen them fight till the end since the relaunch?

Don't ever think that these contestants are chicken when they choose to go home when there are only three choices left.

Given their reputation of trying to mislead the contestants, the security of going home with Php 100,000.00 +- is the best move. It's the smartest move against the misleading game. So much for the crap of misleading the contestants.

This time I'm not going to say, "There you go."

I want to say, "Down you go."

This Time, it's Budoy

This time, it's his turn.  Even though I see Pidong sleep like this almost all the time, I still find it funny.  Then, it's even funnier to see Budoy like this.

Budoy is already four years old.  He's away most of the time, but will surely be back for dinner, even if  he's late.  He has to have a handful of Whiskas in the morning and as a midnight snack.  Otherwise, his chronic diarrhea will come back and you will pity him just seeing him suffer from it.  He doesn't want to be patted most of the time, but takes his time to  make lambing by brushing his body on your legs while he passes by you.  We know it his way of showing his love.  He knows where he has to sleep although at times, he'll try to seek new comfort in other soft sofas and beds.

Knock, Knock

Sa maybahay ang aming bati

Merry Christmas na mal'walhati

Kung pag-ibig ang maghahari

Araw-araw ay magiging Pasko'ng lagi

(For non-Filipino readers, please use "translate" at the toolbar below)

What's Up This Week?

~ Gracia said that no matter how hard you try to chew on the fish's eye, it's still as hard as a rock.

~ I've been eating Guyabano (soursap) for a while now. It's been a part of my diet every now and then (just as long as it's available on the fruit stand, one will usually ends up as my dessert). One time this week, it was soooo sour that after eating it, I tried to 'erase' the taste with a stick of Chubby chocolate (local chocolate that's my favorite). The chocolate ended up tasting a bit sour. Arrccchhhh....

~ Even though I've always known that Martin Burnham died back in 2002 after the rescue, I still felt sad after reading through what they have been through and how he died that one rainy morning.

~ I changed my profile picture on Facebook. This time, I was holding a cat with me. A good friend of mine wrote on my wall: "Ang cuteeeeee!!!! Ng Pusa!!!!" Good thing she said it was the cat. Because I know that she would be kidding if it was me! LOL...

~ When watching 'Pilipinas Win na Win,' I can't help but think that the only original host left is Valerie. Valerie should be given a compensation of any kind for sticking it out with the show.

~ The same show above is not the same without Pokwang. That goes to say even before the series of 'reinventions.'

~ Update from a friend in Dubai: those delivery boys that 'live' on their bikes finally have protection. There's a law that says that they should wear a uniform (green over-alls) and safety helmet. I have always thought how these guys put their life on the line whenever they cross the streets of Dubai.

~ Did you hear about the Filipina domestic helper who stole things from her employer-on-vacation and tried to send the stolen things by cargo to the Philippines? I was saddened by the news. But I wonder how hard it was for her co-worker (a Filipina, too) who squealed that she was also lured to do the same but she declined.

~ I went to the town mall yesterday to watch the XB Gensan group perform. I thought I was too old for that stuff, but hey, I enjoyed!

~ Watching "Magkaribal" is even better with a pack of Marty's.... the white one!

~ I was in hiatus in doing field work for the project. The weather is so conducive to staying home. And I am thankful I still get to make the choices.

~ Still with the project, I still want to continue with the "My Teacher, My Hero" series even after October (which is the Teachers' month). But unfortunately, the one I wanted to put next in line is ignoring my messages. Why can't she just say no? To think that my admiration for her is just great!

The Yellow Box

The morning of October 25.

I woke up early to take a morning walk at the sports complex.  It's been a while since I have done some early morning walks and I think I really must do it.

We hailed a jeep and this is what is in the middle.  I think we call it 'estribo.'

That's my leg sticking out because we didn't have enough room at the estribo

Side by side with the taho container sits our precious ballot box.  There were several teachers who were supposed to be having a break from class.  But instead, they had to stay up late the day before and woke up early this day to be of service to our country.

Their hair still wet from a bath they quickly took, they board the passenger jeepney loaded with several taho containers side by side their ballot boxes.  That was just past six o'clock in the morning.

I thought ahead of time.

Later on, they will have to do with cold, packed lunches.  Then, they will have to stay up late to count the ballots.  What a sacrfice.

Then, early evening, we will hear in the news.  The voters are sooooo pissed off and complaining because they didn't have a pen?

Jesus!  These teachers didn't even complain about what they had to give up for this day.

Is It The CBox? Or Is It Chrome?

I have been encountering some problems with browsing lately.  The images takes time to load, my sister had to keep on refreshing when she's playing Bejewelled Blitz, etc.  I didn't mind... maybe it's just the provider doing some upgrades or something.

But just this morning, I just published my post to the project and I got a Malware warning.  I wasn't even blog-hopping or accessing any website... not just yet.

Then, I thought it might probably the message that was left on my CBox.  The message came from someone posing as "Justine Beiber Hater."  And the message was, "OMG! I wish I never watch this video.  I'm hurt!" I'm suspecting that this is the one who has the Malware because that's the newest thing on my page, and I'm not even into other websites yet, other than my own.

So, to settle this problem that has been kind of going on lately, I am removing my chatbox on this website and the project.  It's not about chatbox, really.  It's about those people with malicious intents.

Then, this Chrome has been acting up lately.

I have been using Chrome for two years and I think these changes that they have made recently has started taking its toll.  The pages kept crashing and the images sometimes do not load.  I have been very comfortable with Chrome because of its features, the best being the big view of the page.  But if it keeps on giving me problems more than the comfort, then I am actually considering Firefox as of this writing.

Green Isn't Always GO

An OFW was killed in Dubai road accident  last week.

I'll tell you one thing I learned when I was there.

In Dubai, GREEN doesn't always mean GO.

Last March of 2009, it became a part of my job to always go out of the office for some field work.  This means that I was exposed to the unfriendly roads of Dubai.  I learned my lesson.  I blogged about one of the incidents I saw.  But that is minor compared to what happened to others, especially to this OFW.

I remember writing about another incident, too, but I'm not patient enough to search for it and writing it again is easier for me.

Early morning, I was in the island waiting to cross.  An RTA bus just made its full stop and I was just waiting for my walk light to turn green.  When all of a sudden, I heard a loud screech followed by a loud 'Bang!'  It was a car hitting the back of the bus.  Because of the force of the impact, the bus jolted forward a few inches. A smoke came from the front of the car, and then, one by one, the passengers of the car went out.  The front of the car was totally wrecked.

I suddenly felt cold.  I didn't cross right away.  I felt very thankful that I didn't walk right away.  Otherwise, I might have been hit by that forward jolt caused by the impact.

I think what happened to this OFW could be what I have always been afraid of when crossing pedestrian lanes in crossings and stop lights.  Many drivers in Dubai attempt to beat the red light.  Only to end up stepping on their brakes a little too late, making their full stop sometimes in the middle of that X portion in the middle of the 'crossing.'  This means that by the time they pass the pedestrian lanes, they are still at half of their speed.

This time, I am saying this again.  This is something that I learned from those days of crossing one street to another.  Please do not cross the road until you see all the cars in front of all the lanes in full stop. At least this would mean that those cars aren't already trying to beat the red light.  Also, another safety precaution I took was to always cross at the far end of the pedestrian lane - far from those cars in front, just in case something like the above happened again.

Do not try to beat your 'walk light' either.  It's so not worth it.

From Someone Sitting on the Couch (But Not the Potato)

Dear Network,

Don't push the TRO.  The show, obviously trying hard to be how it was with your network, is not going anywhere.  If you watched it yesterday, the camera man couldn't pan out to the whole audience since they are not too many.  I think one section was just up to the second bleacher.

The question marks on the third roulette is very questionable.  The people couldn't see what's really inside.  It could also just be questions marks.  On your network, the calderos were opened one by one so we can see where the million pesos is.  But here, the rest of the question marks remain a question.

Aside from the host having a law suit with your network, the other guy with a laptop also had (almost had or still has?) a case with his former network.

That makes them two.

Oh well, these are just a few observations.

From,
Someone sitting on the couch

Photo of the Week: 24 Oct - 31 Oct, 2010

Tutubing Karayom (Damselfly)

I took this yesterday. I went out before lunch (and it was kind of hot) and was actually looking for a butterfly or a dragonfly. But I was really, really glad that this tutubing karayom (damselfly) crossed my path as if posing for a shot. I had several, and this is the most memorable. (This photo is also here.)

What's Up This Week?

• In case you haven't noticed, I added some more quotes in my page, "Between The Lines." I know I haven't been updating this for a while and you may have gotten tired visiting that place and seeing nothing new.
• In case you haven't noticed, I added another link. Well, it was just yesterday, so it's like you didn't miss anything yet. Check it out! It's a collection of some of those photos that didn't make it to this blog, at least not yet for some of them.
• Monday and Tuesday were definitely a stay-at-home day for me. It was rainy and I was too lazy.
• I'm still with Martin and Gracia. Sheesh! Reading what happened to them was really tiring. What more was it to them? But I really admire the couple's faith and trust to the Lord. If you haven't check this book, I suggest you do. Just make sure you read about their faith and trust and not about all the hard things they have been through. All the goodness and greatness are written between the lines.
• I was moved by this painting by Mathis Gothart Grunwald entitled, "The Mocking of Christ."
• Remember our cat, Pidong? That feline who sleeps like us? Well, there are still a lot of photos like that. I just can't believe that he sleeps that way most of the time.
• When I was a kid, I was already a little well, chubby, but I remember playing Chinese garter and luksong baka. But if I would be a kid these days, I don't think I still can, they have another version of the 'sport.'

This generation's version of 'Luksong Baka'

• I had the second giveaway with the project. It was so exciting because I didn't get to know who the players are until after the draw. I asked them to just use their aliases to: (a) make it more exciting, and (b) to avoid accusations of being 'biased.' The winner turned out to be one of the project's awesome supporters. Please continue visiting the project because I am coming up with more things and more giveaways. The first wasn't a success at all. I guess it was a little hard.
• I think I missed my "What's Up This Week?" last week.
• I am thinking of taking off the C-Box because on my project, there was a guy who left a link that when I opened, led me to site with characters that looked like maybe Chinese or Korean or Japanese and I got afraid that maybe it's a form of Malware.
• The update on the airplane suicide guy said that his resignation paper said that it was problems with his personal life. Well, personal life could mean that it maybe with his wife or someone else other than his wife, right? Also, it could be just a sort of an excuse to expedite his resignation. There were problems with his salary and he maybe wanting to go home really soon. Over there, you cannot afford not to pay the rent. Your kasera will really have a problem when you fail to pay it monthly.
• The color purple also stands for saying "No To Bullying." I remember when I was a kid, someone from my class teases me all the time. He calls me elepante. As if he looks like Brad Pitt??? One time when I couldn't take it anymore, I hit him with my umbrella and the next day, he wasn't in school. The day after that, his mom came over and told the teacher that her son got sick with a fever because of what I did. What the EF? So, I told my teacher how this guy teases me almost everyday after class. The mom kept quiet and her kid stopped teasing me from that day on. Would you blame me now if I feel good that he ended up being someone he didn't dream of becoming? Because I'm sure he didn't want to do what he's doing now since he can't look at me straight in the eye whenever we came across each other at the streets. Well, the thing is, now, I learned to accept that Fat is Sexy (hahahaha!!!), but I don't think he has accepted that he is what he is now. My indulgence for the rant!

Pidong says, "Stop Bullying Kids!! Do you get me??"

Happy weekend everyone! And to all Pinoys, don't forget to vote and vote wisely on Monday!

Thou Have Been Warned

I said, "Thou shall not come."

And you really shouldn't.

Gulf Air Flight 154 landed yesterday at the NAIA with yet another very bad news.  (Another because this is the same flight that carried that baby, George Francis, who was found in the plane's trash bin).  They found a man in one of the toilets after their routine checks before landing.  The man had a cord tied around his neck.  Initial news says it was suicide, but then, there will be further investigations.

The man, a Filipino, came from Abu Dhabi.  News said he worked there as an electrician for three months.  Only three months.

I have many questions when I heard the news.

What happened during those three months?  And why did he work for only three months?  Does he have the appropriate papers to work there?  If not, then this is probably the reason why he's coming home in three months' time.  If he has complete documents, then why did he come home?  Was the contract not met?  Or if it was met, I can only think of something worse than these things.  There are still a lot of questions. But, one thing is for sure...

There is something really wrong.

But how do we find out?

Like an Ant

I've been busy with the project.  I got a new look that I kind of ripped off from a template that I wanted so much but couldn't get because it's from WordPress and I need to have a host.  I did try it on free hosting but there were problems.  I still don't know if it is because it's free or if it is because I didn't have enough knowledge on these things.

But anyhow, I got the advertiser I have been pursuing.  Well, just one of them, but it's such a big deal for me.  I am hoping to go out and close some more once the bad weather goes away.  It's not that I am afraid of bad weathers.  I love walking in the rain.  But my weak knees and ankles is such a trouble for me that I am afraid I will slip and break a bone.  So, I just decided to let Megi do her thing while I fill up my brain with some goodies.   I had the chance to read the book that's long been overdue and two books that I got on sale this weekend are sitting and waiting in line.

We were invited to a kiddie party this weekend.  One of the parties I love to go to, whether it's at home or in a resto.  This time, it was at McDonald's.  I like the way they serve their food warm (not hot).  In fact, I was surprised that they served it warm at all.  I don't know if it's a normal thing for fast food chains during parties.  I already forgot how it was when I attended a few more years back.  But, right now, all I can say is that they gave me a good impression on this.  The timing was perfect, I guess.  With the party games and all, they were able to serve the food just warm enough for the guests to eat.  Although it's okay for me to eat it cold, I have always enjoyed warm food.

The bad weather made me stay home, yes, but of course, that itchy feeling of clicking my camera came yesterday.  It wasn't raining anymore, so I went out and searched for something to shoot.  Lately, I have been fascinated with close-up photography and I find it a little funny because it's not like I have a powerful camera. But then again, my camera has this close-up setting that I have truly enjoyed.  This time, I took a picture of an ant.

Every Story Has a Side Story

Thou Shall Not Come

Trafficking Victims Find A Haven in Abu Dhabi and the shelter has been operating for two years already.

So far, it has been a shelter 100 people. A big or a small number, it's up to you.

Somewhere in Naif: where they say everything is cheap - even s*x. I took this shot during one of my client calls in 2008.

But as for me, it's small, becuase I believe that there are a lot more unaccounted for.

• Those who have been forced to live the life that they didn't know - as sex workers or domestic helpers
• Those who were not aware of the shelter and seeks home from their relatives and friends
• Those who refuse to seek shelter and thus, sell themselves for food and shelter
• Those that have expired visas and hiding from the authorities

So far, these are just situations that I know, having lived there for just two years. I was one of those countless people who went in the UAE on tourist visa all alone. All alone meaning not depending on anyone to find me a job or a home. Although I thought and still think that this is still the best way to go out of the country, I suggest that it's not the practical thing to do these days anymore. The rules have changed, and people need to know about this. It's not as easy to go to the UAE on tourist visa. And it never was easy. I guess, I, along with those countless people who tried, were just a little luckier than the rest. But don't do what we have done, because you might end up not being as lucky.

Just A Little Harder

The project is doing good.  I wouldn't say better, at least not yet.  I started to do the field work and go get them to learn about my site.  Aside from e-mail blasts and doing different strategies in gaining visitors to my site, I still hit the ground and personally talk about what it's all about.  This is a hard part.

But the harder part is getting people to support what I am trying to promote.  I know many of you will agree to this.  My fulfillment so far is that a few business that actually 'SEE' what it's all about has supported my site and really, a big 'KUDOS' to these people.  Then, the only mall here in our town, The Sunstar Mall, supported my cause and agreed to an exchange deal which I know would work to both our advantage.

It's amazing how I have come to know a little about some people in less than five minutes.  Once, I approached a fast food chain.  The manager didn't even sit down while talking to me.  Another didn't even ask me to sit down at all.  I say professionalism isn't taught in schools and doesn't come with the diploma nor the license.

To the people I have met so far:  You may not know me, but I have come to know a little bit about you.

To those people I have yet to meet:  Who knows, this might be the chance we've both been waiting for.

Everything is an experience.  I have the bike.  I only have to pedal just a little harder.

Take It From The Cat

I don't really know what's with this cat.  He was awake when I saw him this way.  Then he closed his eyes and stretched a little bit more, as if he didn't mind me getting closer with my camera aimed at him.  He acts as if he really wanted me to take a shot.  I guess he really likes to be photographed.  I guess there is something that he'd like to say.

Take it from the cat... It's a good life!

Photo of the Week: October 10-17, 2010

A Butterfly on a Yellow Bell

Last week, I remember I posted the photo, 'Raindrops and Flowers' as a way of testing my digicam in shooting drops of water. While I was hunting for that 'drops' that I think would have the effect, I was surprised to find this butterfly perched on the flower. I, then, asked myself, 'Do butterflies fly even when it's raining?' as I was start aiming for a shot. It stayed there for a while, allowing me to take some shots. This is one of those opportunities.

What's Up This Week?

'fried' ice cream

• Our dog, Pepe, prefers to each pandesal or monay (local bread) than dog food.
• Update on my favorite Andok's Dokito chicken:  it even tastes better with Jufran catsup!!!
• I thank God for giving me this life and the fact that I'm still living it right now.
• Oh, I played Bejewelled Blitz again, and tadah!  I'm stuck with 216,000+.  I can't make it higher anymore.
• The reason why I didn't believe in Santa Clause is becuae we don't have a chimney and none of our neighbors have.  I have always believed that Santa Clause enters houses thru chimneys.
• Ever since I bought cotton candy, I am craving for it.
• I bought a newspaper!  Yes, this is siginificant because I can't even remember the last time I got my hands inked and I actually miss it.
• I am craving for pichi-pichi for a long time now, but I still can't bring myself to cook it... because I'll be cooking it for the first time.  I don't know where to buy the good ones eh.
• We didn't have to worry about the gravy that goes with Dokito.  Our dog, Pepe, loves it with rice!
• Someone asked me if I'm 'photo-shop-ing' my pictures.  I said, "NO! I don't even know how to use it!  I only know how put my signature, that's all."  She didn't believe so I said, 'I swear with all my life I don't.'  She kept quiet.
• I saw this from Discovery channel yesterday:  It's confirmed that playing dead when in shark-infested waters will save your life.
• I was at the mall yesterday and saw this fried ice cream.  I talked to the 'chef.'  I found out that fried ice creams are 'cooked' on that pan with a temperature of 0 degrees.  Well, that isn't my concept of 'fried' at all.  Frying for me is when you cook something with oil.

Don't Disturb a Sleeping Cat

A big yawn

Our neighbor's cat, Pidong, was stretching after we woke him up.  He is so comfortable sleeping on that doormat that belongs to our cat, his Kuya Budoy.  Pidong's previous name was Basiang, but we found out from his owner that his name is Pidong.

When The Dog Bites, When The Bee Stings

Apples and pears and everything else

♫ ♪Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudles

Doorbells and sleighbells ♫♪ and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon ♫♪ on their wings

These a re a few of my favorite things.♪♫

I went out yesterday to start the field work part of my project.  I had a good time.  I couldn't resist to take a shot of the presentation.  And now, when I was trying to put my "signature" on the photo, the song started playing in my head and wouldn't stop, even though I don't know the words.

Shifting To A New Audience

I know the old ad may still be fresh with you, but you probably haven't seen the new one just yet.  So, I'll start this post by asking:  Do you remember the old coffee creamer ad?

Let me draw you a picture:  there's a couple sitting in front of each other in a very cozy setting.  I think she is in her satin clothing and the guy is in linen.  There were no words, just a couple of uhm's and ah's as a sort of disagreement to adding another teaspoon of the coffee creamer.

To me, it seemed that they are relaxing on a Sunday morning, reading the papers and all.  I am not sure though whether it's a garden or a lannai - but one thing is for sure, they both looked like they're rich.  Or in my opinion, that's what the ad was trying to make it look like.  And I guess it was effective because I saw it that way.

Last night, I saw their new commercial.  I think it's just a fifteen-second ad.

The setting?

A sari-sari store. (For my foreign readers, a sari-sari store is a small retail store within the community that sells small amounts of goods such as cooking oil, vinegar, and other daily needs.  You can see images of sari-sari stores here.)

The girl was inside the store selling a sachet of the coffee creamer to the guy at the other side of the counter.  This time, I think what they're trying to say is that the guy is courting the girl.

Whatever.

What caught my attention is the difference in the settings between the old and the new ad.  This new setting, I think, suggests that the coffee creamer is now trying to reach a new set of audience.  A different marketing strategy during these times.

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday

Pilipinas Win na Win's OMG portion is really crap. The OMG item the other day was a pair of tsinelas (slippers or flip-flops). And what was the theme? Ang hinahanap natin ngayon ay mga bagay na karaniwang nakikita sa beach (Today, we are looking for the things most commonly found at the beach). I think they really do not want their contestants to win. This is more manipulating than the Cash Bukas portion of "Wowowee." If you say what is the most common thing you find at the beach, then, will it be a pair of tsinelas? It would have been something like a lotion or a beach towel or a dried star fish or sea shells. But tsinelas? For me, the people behind the show are just making themselves look stupid. Have you observed the audience's reaction when the computer marks the board "X." They are quiet... with disbelief.

Raindrops and Flowers

I thought my Saturday will just be a regular day. But it wasn't. A very good friend of mine told me about this medical mission going on as we spoke, at the Cultural Center of Laguna, so I went there to take a look at what's happening. It was already about 11:00 and there were still a lot of people seeking assistance. One of the volunteers told me that they were supposed to be there until 12:00 noon, but from the looks of it, they might stay until late afternoon. There were actually two medical missions happening yesterday. One was at the covered court of the municipal hall and that was organized by the PGMHS Batch 1980 group. Please correct me if this is wrong. I just saw one of the banners. I think this is the most practical activity to organize nowadays. Our provincial hospital has been very busy with a lot of dengue cases lately apart from other emergency cases, and it's just good that those with other cases can go to this activity. Of course medical missions do not serve as replacements from hospitals, but it would sure be a lot of help.

I wanted to go out at an earlier time to take some pictures. I wanted to take the opportunity of the perfect light on taking photos. But it was raining and I could always wear a raincoat but my camera will get wet. So, the furthest I could go was between our front door and our gate. I thought of testing my camera's limitations again. This time, how it will capture those droplets of water that form on almost everything that the rain falls on. And the picture above is what I got. Not bad for a rainy day, right? And for a camera as limited as mine. Then,

I thought of this quote:

"You can buy the camera, but not the eye to take photos."

If someone else coined this before me, then I give credit to him/her. But if not, consider this as my quote.

What's Up This Week?

• I was supposed to do this in the morning, but I got half-busy and half-lazy. It was drizzling when I woke up and it's just so inviting to stay in bed longer.
• For this week, I've been busy working entirely on my own. But I'm glad to know that the moment I asked for some friends' help, they are very happy to support my new project.
• My new project is www.lagunalife.org. Please visit the site. A comment would be appreciated. Sharing it to your other friends will really make me smile to the max. Thank you!
• I never believed that Santa Clause really exists, until I was older.
• I just submitted my third article on this get-paid-to-write thing. And the site will be in hiatus next week. I guess the reviewers got sleepy reading my article.
• I need to learn to put this quote into practice: "Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubts." ~ Mark Twain
• I'm really sorry if you kept on seeing changes in the website. But right now, I assure you, this will stay for long because I am now satisfied with the way it looks. I hope you are, too, dear reader.
• I learned that the english term for our local 'calamansi' is musk lime. If you're a late-bloomer like me, now you know, too!
• Did you know that Martin and Gracia Burnham lived in Malaybalay, Bukidnon for eight years? Now, you do.
• I was surfing the tv channels and stopped awhile on the 'Living Asia Channel.' I learned that the beautiful Camiguin Island is an island that was formed by a cluster of volcanoes.
• It's only 25 days before the elections. Damn! I can't vote!
• On cameras, all I wanted is a Nikon D40.
• Get this: do you know who Gelay 'Punit' Agustin is? I just couldn't help but notice that in almost every episode of 'Magkaribal' these days, she kept on tearing papers.
• Who the effin' shit has thought of putting all these 'gurangs' in Pilipinas Win na Win? Especially the very rude and R-18 guy, Rico J. Puno. Oh dear, it's a lunchtime show...
• Malware, malware and more malware in those blogs I visit... I'm getting tired of visiting websites these days because of this.
• Do you know that in Batanes, windows and doors are only placed on the three walls of their houses? The only wall that doesn't have a window nor a door is the side that's facing the direction where the typhoons come from.
• Do not believe everything you watch. The next time someone asks you where they can have their fridge repaired, don't tell them what "Pilipinas Win na Win" showed yesterday. When you need to have your fridge repaired, you go to the shop with a sign, "Refrigeration and Air Conditioning," and not in an "Electronics Repairs" shop. Where are the researchers of this show get their results?
• For me, a birthday party is livelier when you have balloons, even if it's the 85th.
• To all celebrators this mont of October, "HAPPY BIRRTHDAY!"

Photo of the Week: October 1-7, 2010

He's Coming To Town

Paete is home to the makers of the famous 'taka' or paper mache. Some time this month, one of my trips there greeted me with stores that changed their displays.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Good Customer Support

Along with my search for new template and a free web hosting, I was also looking for cheap domain names. That was only one of the requirements. I need to buy it using my Paypal. Also, it has to be from a site that is from the Philippines so that customer support will be easier on the phone just in case the internet will not be enough.

Unfortunately, I got in touch with two local sites with very poor customer support. On the first site, I got as far as getting the domain name in my shopping cart but I had to stop and ask thru their email support if they accept Paypal. I was a little lenient since it was a weekend. But it was already Wednesday after the weekend and no reply yet. I figured if they cannot reply with payment options, I wonder what happens if it's technical support after the sale.

The second one was more expensive, but I took the chances, because I was thinking, they might be offering a better customer support. But then again, when I asked for the process of paying thru Western Union (Yes, I ignored my Paypal requirement just to get the domain name) so I can start the process. But then again, two nights have passed and no response from them. Again, I figured that if they can't deal with the question of payment, what more with customer support?

Being a bit disappointed, I tweeted that I was looking for a cheap domain name. Luckily, one of my readers here and a frequent commentator linked me to www.namecheap.com.

I got the domain name for less than $9.00 and I did the registration in no time at all. This is even cheaper than the other two local sites.

The pointing and redirecting and all took a little more time. I tried doing it myself first but I wasn't successful after several tries, so I tried to connect to their live support. It took a minute to connect me to a guy named Igor who helped me through the process with a lot of patience.

I am really disappointed with the local sites that I've tried getting in touch with. I wanted to buy Filipino, but it just didn't work. I wouldn't have mind getting the domain name from them even if it's a little expensive. But I guess they are not up to customer service at all.

Do You Remember?

The week ended with Boy and all the entertainment people going all over Robin and Mariel's wedding and all. But we are asking: was it just an excuse that Mariel said she had an ovarian problem that's why she filed a leave from Pilipinas Win Na Win?

Well, you guys might have forgotten but we haven't. Coming from a surgery almost a year ago, I get a certain amount of interest on people who are going through what I have gone through. Mariel is taking too much of the limelight. Can you please step aside and deal with it off the tube?

A Meeting

This would be quick, because I have to go prepare early.

Last Saturday, I attended an oath-taking ceremony. The new set of officers for the Municipal Culture and Tourism Affairs Council swore in their new set of officers and you can click here for a brief article about the program that night.

I met the Tourism Officer of Sta. Cruz, Laguna and I told her about my new project. Because it turned out their organization will be of help to my project and probably one of the biggest benefactors of the goal of my website.

Oh, and that night, I had the chance to see the No Kru group performed live. Well, I didn't see them in all of their stints in the program, "Showtime." So, I didn't know they were that good! They didn't make it to the monthly finals but followers of the talent search said they can still wait for the wildcard after six months. This time, I really hope they get in. The wildcard concept gives the group a chance to get better and be counted in.

I am guessing this will be a busy day. I really hope it will.

I Just Got Out

For those returning visitors, I'm sure you've noticed the changes that took place about two days ago. I got a new template which I hope you find better than the previous one. I have actually looking for ways to change the look for weeks now. I tried and failed and stopped. Being ignorant with HTML and all, I know I've done enough damage to my site as a result of editing html and not being able to get it back. Getting it back wasn't part of the instructions on how to add this-and-that anyway.

For the newbies, I guess you're lucky for not having to take a look at the old one.

If you must know, it took a lot of courage to get this new template working. After having failed a few times and did some damages - like the big space after each entry that wasn't supposed to be there, I said I've had enough. I've been keeping this blog since 2007 and I guess you will understand it if I say that I just want to stay within my comfort zone.

I am one of those so-called creatures of habit and changing the template meant getting out of a three-year-old habit. But I wanted the change so bad that for weeks, I looked and looked for something that will make it easier for me to make that change. Honestly, I downloaded a number of templates but just didn't know what to do so I ended up just storing it with a wish that I can pull it out someday and use it.

Now this site ourblogtemplates.com made me make that change. And the template I am using now came from their website. It came with simple instructions. Simple enough for simple minds like me. No jargons nor edit this and that html. It just gave a few notes about the template and how to get your own picture and thus, this website.

This beach template comes with a downloadable image of ah... yes, of course, the beach. But I wanted to use something of my own. Yes, this image is my own shot. I took it during dusk at the Pagsanjan Falls Lodge in Pagsanjan, Laguna. It was actually a product of a series of clicks that I had to do in a hurry lest I missed the sunset and the effect. I knew better after I read that that sunset scene in the movie Titanic was shot with the idea in mind that sunsets only just a few minutes.

So, there. I just got out of my comfort zone and changed my template. There are still more to learn now. Luckily, my best friend's daughter, Laysa, who also blogs here, is very patient enough to teach her Tita some things like Fantastico, free webhosting, html editing, and a website that teaches you html for free.

After all, getting out of my comfort zone is a welcome change. I am now contented with the new look and hopefully, more changes after I learn how to edit html.

The template is called 'The Beach,' and you can download it from the website here.