Eight months

That's how long I have to stay with the company where I work before my contract expires. I have already made up my mind to go forward and look elsewhere. I know there is no looking back and I am up to it.

For the past month (January), there were some instances that the upper management in the US caught my attention but I know I had learned my lesson and I'll make sure it won't happen again. Not to the next company (or venture) where will I work for sometime soon.     

Though my wife didn't expect that I would renew my contract last September, I had to do it for several reasons. By the time it ends, I know I'm ready to move on and move forward.

But for now, I have to enjoy and do my best here in the office so I would exit with a clean slate.

The week that was (January 22 - 28)

Sunday: I got up a bit early as I took Migmig out for some fun in the sun. After almost an hour, we went back so she could get her morning nap. By that time, I got Sunday's paper which I was able to read them before noon. While my wife went online, I got to take care of our baby and put her back to sleep before I fell asleep for at least an hour. By 5:00pm, We went to church to hear mass. Its me, my wife and our baby who went there to listen to the priest's lecture. After mass, we went to my mother-in-law to spend some time there while having snacks. When we got back home, Migmig felt sleepy so I was the one who put her to sleep while my wife was watching TV downstairs. I took the chance to go online for a couple of hours before going to bed.

Monday: We got up early again as I took my baby out for some fun in the sun. Then by the time she fell asleep, We prepared to get ready to the hospital for her check-up and vaccine. Hailing a cab was a breeze and so is getting there. Despite its a holiday on that day (Chinese New Year), the clinic was still open and probable, were the last group to arrive. My baby was at her cheerful best while her doctor is checking for some vital signs. He (The Doctor) mentioned that she needs to gain more weight. But he was amazed that she's quite lengthy for a 9-month old baby. After her check-up, we went to SM Megamall to have lunch there. I wanted to have lunch at Dad's but my wife find it expensive plus she said that we won't be able to enjoy it as the buffet would be until 2:30pm only. With that, we had lunch at Holy Cow and they were able to see Phil Younghusband in person XD.Unfortunately, my wife and her sister wasn't able to do a photo-op with them XD. After lunch, we went to the baby section to look for a sturdy walker for our baby. It took us almost an hour to find what our baby wanted. Taking a cab home wasn't that hard too as we left the mall for home early. When we got home, my wife went upstairs to put our baby to sleep while I assembled her walker. Its pretty big but I know she would be using it more often. When Migmig got up, my wife feed her on the walker which it also acts as a rocker while she's not walking XD. My baby had so much fun in it, everybody else seem to enjoy seeing her home. I went online at around midnight until 1:30am.

Tuesday: Got up at almost 8:00am and took Migmig out for a walk. I took her walker with me so she could practice walking. My baby really liked her new activity as me and my mother-in-law kept on watching her. When we got back home, I went online for a while before doing some errands that needs to be taken care of. Then, I left for work early as my fellow colleague won't be able to make it for work. I got in the office with plenty of time to spare so I went out to grab something to eat. Work was quite light as I got a single call and very few emails to handle. Kinda boring day if you ask me that's why I'm exploring the possibilities of moving elsewhere =P. After having dinner, I'm still craving for something sweet so I went out to look for some dessert and I ended up at Banapple for my Banoffee Pie XD. The guys from the night-shift reported early which made my work even lighter. After my shift, I went home right away. But when I got home, I went online for an hour before going to bed.

Wednesday: Got up early as my mom paid us a visit. Migmig was still sleeping by that time when she got up all of a sudden. She was at her cheerful self again. After she left, we went to her other lola so she could have her exercise. Again, I forgot to take our digicam so I just pictured my daughter's happiness in my mind. An hour later, we went back so she could have her bath before going to bed for her morning nap. I went out to buy 2 orders of dumplings from Chowking so I could pair it up with rice. For a change, I got to edit a few sets of pictures that I took a few months back. Then I got ready for work again. I left at 11:45am and took my usual route. For a change, I didn't pass by my milk tea spot (Chatime) and instead, I went to Fully Booked at Greenbelt 5 to look for photography books. I was able to find some books that are not available at other locations. I got in the office just in the nick of time. Again, I am the only one on-shift so I had to be more aware. I had to look for food before dinner and I ended up ordering 2 servings of dumplings again. By night time, I got a little bit busy with work and with watching some documentaries on you tube. Before I went home, I passed by Mc Donalds to grab something to bite before finally getting home at past midnight. I was really tired and weary for the day that I look forward to sleep for 10 hours (I wish! XD). 

Thursday: At 4:00am, Migmig was already up though my wife and I were still sleepy plus our fan is making this weird noise that kinda annoying. By 7:15am I got up again as Migmig threw-up lots of milk after being fed by her mom. I'm wondering why does this happen while most of the time when we feed her in the morning, she doesn't throw-up. My daughter got to walk just within our home as my body felt that I need to sleep more. Then I went online for an hour before I got back home to watch more TV. By 11:45am, I got ready for work and took the same route. I got a Taro Pudding Milk Tea this time from Chatime instead of my usual Pearl Milk Tea. By the time I got to Glorietta, I checked the Photoworld Asia Tradefair and I didn't notice any change. Probably, I wasn't that keen on staying there for long. At work, I'm kinda pissed at the moment once I got to work but I had to set it aside and do work. To be honest, I'm not in the mood to work today and I'd rather be somewhere else than her in the office (for today). Though I got to fix several issues pretty quick, I wanted to be somewhere else, period. I had 3 packs of lomi for my late lunch as I need to save money and get better. By dinner, I was looking for a decent place to eat. After looking through Greenbelt 5,2 and 3, I ended up at Landmark's foodcourt XD. I had Savory Chicken Solo MEal for dinner which was so filling. I grabbed something to drink before heading back to office. Work was pretty much better now and I was able to calm down in the evening. Though I thought I have to stay for the entire night as one of my colleague told us he won't be able to report but after a few seconds, he showed up. Before I went home, I grabbed a sundae at Mc Donalds to cool me down completely. When I got home, my wife was still awake. 

Friday: Thank God I got up at almost 8:30am uninterrupted from my sleep the whole night XD.I went online for an hour before doing other things that needs to be done like cleaning my camera lens that I haven't been using for almost two months now. I left home at past 12:00pm and stopped by at Food Extreme to have my lunch Though I wanted to have lechon kawali, it would be safe to avoid that for now as my dentures are not yet fixed. Then it was a long journey for me to the office and I almost got late thanks for the stop at PWA at Glorietta Activity Center XD. Work was quite slow as I got to process three tickets. But my mind wanted to do something else and somehow, I wanted to do it now. For dinner, I went to Chicboy and luckily, their lechon sisig was still available. After dinner, I went back to the office and enjoy the rest of my shift before going home. When I got home, my wife was still up and online before I used the laptop for a couple more minutes.

Saturday: Got up at almost 8:30am again and I didn't noticed that my cellphone rang its alarm. When I decided to get up, I took Migmig down with me for some fun in the sun. Then we went back so that she could get her morning nap. But she doesn't want to go to sleep yet so we (me, my wife and my baby) went down and had her walk with her walker within our neighborhood. My baby loved walking these days as she gets very curious at her environment. My wife fed our baby while she's at her walker and she seems to like it. I didn't notice of the time and its almost noon when I took a bath and get myself ready for work. Same route but different pit stops (both at Landmark). I got my taro pudding milk tea from Chatime for the third time and chicken sisig meal from Sisig Hooray before reaching the office. Work was literally boring so I got to do something else that made me a bit productive. By dinner, I went to Ayala Triangle Garden to have lunch Banapple only to find out that the place was too crowded so I took a jeepney ride to Glorietta. From there, I went to food choices to look for a place to eat. Manang's Fried Chicken just recently opened so I tried their food and it tastes good. After dinner, I quickly went back to the office to do some server monitoring (all servers were fine XD). Before I ended my shift, my boss told me to create a ticket for one user (VIP) in the US who is having problems logging-in. It turned out to be that the problem was the same as the one that one of our US counterpart was having problems with. Eventually, the VIP wanted us to disregard his problem and I just closed his ticket. Before going home, I had a quick stop at Mc Donalds for some Oreo Mc Flurry and I got home a few minutes before 1:00am. I went to bed ahead of my wife as she's busy online.   

PPUR is now officially one of the seven new wonders of nature

Taken from Google

While doing my rounds on facebook, I noticed this post from a friend of mine regarding the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Right now, this tourist spot located in Palawan is one of the Seven New Wonders of Nature. 

Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, congratulated the people of the Philippines for supporting their national finalist in the global campaign. Mr Weber was speaking during a meeting with Edward Hagedorn, Mayor of Puerto Princesa, Nardz Villafranca, PPUR campaign coordinator and Jean-Paul de la Fuente, New7Wonders Director. Subjects discussed included the arrangement of the Official Inauguration events and the implementation of the strategic plan for promoting PPUR using its title as one of the New7Wonders of Nature.

For me, I'm proud that one of Philippine's tourist destination became one of the seven new wonders of nature because it took several good tourist destinations from all across the globe to become one of the best. Before I didn't took notice of it as I am more keen on visiting Coron and El Nido sometime in the future for its breathtaking views of the islands and from within. But after this, I have to include it in my bucket list as well. 

Are you proud that PPUR is one of the seven new wonders of nature?

Photoworld Asia 2012

Taken from Google

At the start of the year, most photographers (including me) do always look forward to the 25th Anniversary of Photoworld Asia as it serves as a jumpstart to more events for the coming months. Sponsored by The Federation of Philippines Photographers Foundation Inc. (FPPF), it is usually a week long event that is considered heaven for some photographers.

This is where most photographers spent their hard-earned saving as most camera shops offer discounts they (including me) couldn't refuse. Last year, I got my camera bag (Lowepro 250) though not at a discounted price (Boo-Hoo).

Taken from Google

Every year, they (FPPF) also conduct a week-long seminar which comprise of top-notch photographers here and abroad. Last year, the line-up of speakers were so good I felt I should have attended the seminar (Fee costs around 5,000 pesos excluding a photo safari to a surprise location (This year, The Photosafari would be in Banaue from February 1-3).

Also, this is where some practice their photography skills as some major sponsors do have their models which are willing to pose for photographers. As far as I know, Canon has been a major sponsor for quite sometime now and they always do have model to shoot at. Though recently, there are other sponsors who have their own model shoot as well. I've been looking forward to this event for the past few months but unfortunately, I won't be able to enjoy much of it.

Why? First, I DON'T have a working camera (DSLR) with me anymore and I've been using a point-and-shoot for almost two months now. Though I've been eying to buy an upgrade from Canon, it may take me a while since I had to convince my wife to support me fully on this.

Anyway, Photoworld Asia 2012 will run until January 31 at Glorietta's Activity Center. Do come and visit and who know, we may bump into each other there. XD

The week that was (January 15 - 21)

Sunday: Got up at 8:00am though I was suppose to go home in San Pedro to have my dentures checked. But my wife told me to reschedule it the next day as she needs an extra hand in taking care of our baby. I got to read Sunday's paper before having my hair cut (they say having a haircut reduces my irritation towards things). When I got back, I took a bath and went upstairs to get a nap.When I got up. I felt dizzy throughout the afternoon that I wasn't able to go to church that day. Since I had to be careful with my dentures, I had no choice but to eat lugaw for the day. I went online as well until I got to bed at almost midnight.

Monday: Got up at 7:30am as I had to take Migmig downstairs. I had to wait for my wife's cousin to arrive before I got myself ready to visit to San Pedro for my dental check-up. While traveling, I fell asleep indicating that I need more sleep. When I got home in San Pedro, I was surprised that our door had an additional lock that my mom haven't told me. Anyway, I left my stuff hidden before visiting my dentist.When I got to the dentist, I was quite disappointed that I wasn't able to get it done the first time. Instead, he told me to come back after a week or two to have it finally done. After visiting the dentist, I unpack my stuff and hid it very well before I went home to Manila. I had to stop by at SM Manila to have lunch there and to try my dentures if I could eat something solid. I have to be careful though so my tooth won't get extracted. I finally got home at around 4:00pm as my wife was already at work. I went online for the rest of the afternoon as I waited for my wife to come home from work. Then she went online while I took care of our baby.

Tuesday: Got up at around 7:00am as my mom paid us a visit. She brought milk again (though Migmig still has more left) for our daughter and brought an extra key for me (Our home in Laguna has an additional lock). After my wife left, I went online for a while before getting ready for work. It took me a while to travel from home to work as I felt like I'm walking in outer space. I got in the office with a few more minutes to spare. At work, I wasn't able to blog much as my left foot really hurts. I hope by the time I get home and sleep, the pain would go away the next day. By 6:00pm, I went out to have lunch at Teriyaki Boy. I got to try their promo (50 pesos for an order of their California Maki) which I ordered two. After dinner, I went to the nearest drugstore to buy some pain killers for my left foot. Walking from one place to another took me much of my time as I walk like I walk in the park. Work was pretty much steady for the rest of the shift as I waited for the clock to tick at 11:00pm. I took a cab straight home to check my baby and she was peacefully asleep while my wife was online. I ate some leftover food before joining them in dreamland.

Wednesday: Got up a bit late as I kept on checking Migmig if she's better now. When I got up from our bed, I know she'll be much better though my wife woke up late for work XD. I left home at around 12:15pm after having lunch and took the same old route knowing my left foot has somehow rested quite well last night. After a quick stop at Chatime, I got in the office with some time to spare.Work was pretty much okay as I got to resolve some tickets and do other things. After work, I got back home as quickly as I could as I needed that sleep.

Thursday: Got out of the bed at past 9:00am as my wife has already left for work. Though I've been awake since 7:30am, I'm too lazy to get out of the bed though XD. I just spend the morning with Migmig as she's at her cheerful self. Thank God she didn't have fever anymore. I left home at past 12:00pm to report for work. Up to this point, I always arrive before my shift starts which make me felt a little bit good.   For dinner, I paid Chichboy a visit. Instead of ordering my usual Cebu Lechon combo meal, I tried their sisig specialties (Chicken Sisig to be exact). It was quite delicious as I had three cups of rice to go with it XD. I was really stuffed when I got back to the office. There were tension when I came back but I've got nothing to do with it XD. After my shift, I took the bus heading home and got home an hour later. My wife was already sleeping so I joined them.

Friday: As early as 5:30am, Migmig was already awake as she kept on tossing and turning on our bed. Then we fell asleep again and both Migmig and I got up at around 8:30am. After having breakfast, I went online for an hour before getting ready for work. I couldn't wait for lunch at home so I took some rice with me. I left home so early, I had time to check some Photography Books at National Bookstore at Glorietta 5. It was like heaven for me as I see several titles that I'm looking forward to get. Come this payday, I'm gonna get one book for me. I still got to the office just in time for work. I am the only person on shift aside from my boss. Well work was so light for the day I didn't have any calls at all (just several emails XD). For dinner, I had Chicken and Bangus Sisig from Chicboy plus Halohalo from Chowking. While having my dinner, I noticed that I am tasting the temporary pasta on my tooth which tells me to take it easy on eating. I don't want it to chip-off completely while I haven't plan my next visit to the dentist. Before my shift ended, I called one of the users in the US to assist her in installing a software that she needs and I was able to complete it successfully. Then, by 11:02pm, I logged-off and head for home. My wife was still awake but offline. It happens to be that our daughter is having a hard time sleeping with her coughs and colds =(

Saturday: Well, I haven't much had a goodnight sleep the previous night as our baby kept tossing and turning every hour plus she's coughing too. I was kinda sad and worried her condition may have worsen. When I got up at 7:30am, I took Migmig down for a change of scenery before we went back up at catch some more sleep. From 8:00am, we got up at past 10:00am which was quite enough for me to last a day. By 10:30am, I went out to have breakfast at Chowking before going to Goldilocks in Espana to buy cake for my baby's 9th month celebration (I just coincide it with my birthday XD). When I got back, its my turn to babysit our daughter. Since the day she was born (Plus the death of my DSLR XD), my afternoons are confided within home as some how I miss going out to shoot (Oh 7D, my 7D, when will you come to save me? XD). I didn't mind skipping an event or two just to take care of our baby but missing ALL would be different. By 5:35pm, I went to church to make sure I got there by 5:40pm. There, I said a short prayer thanking The Lord for the past year and I'm looking forward to the year ahead as I celebrate my 33rd birthday XD. After church, I bought some ice cream as I know the cake that I bought won't be enough for all of us back home. Then by night time, I need to go out again to buy some "ulam" as my mother-in-law wasn't able to cook. I grabbed some from Andok's as its already been cooked. By 11:00pm, I am already in our bedroom joining my daughter who was already sleeping soundly (Thank God).

A Quick Guide to SOPA/PIPA blackout this January 18.

Internet is now a major source of free information. It is unfortunate that while the United Nations has declared internet access as a basic human right; censoring content due to SOPA and PIPA will reverse this triumph.

I saw this news from Yahoo about a blackout on the internet. Its quite alarming especially if these two bills “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) and the “PROTECT IP Act” (PIPA) would be passed.  Wikipedia will be joined by thousands of other sites, all of which will be blacked out for between 12 and 24 hours. In anticipation of the confusion this will cause, we’ve put together a quick guide for those of you looking for answers, and for a way to get in on the action.

Taken from Digitaltrends

 

The Computer Professionals' Union (CPU) expresses strong opposition to the "Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)" and "PROTECT IP Act" being pushed in the United States Congress. We join our fellow computer professionals, free and open source advocates and developers, and human rights defenders all over the world in standing up against these proposed blacklist bills. 

Taken from Google

The SOPA & PIPA Acts are not only clear and present dangers to free speech. Moreover, it functions as a threat to the free sharing of information. We believe that ideas and information are not commodities no one can claim strict ownership of such. RESIST CORPORATE CONTROL OF IDEAS. FIGHT AGAINST CORPORATE CENSORSHIP OF THE INTERNET. IDEAS ARE FREE.

To know more about SOPA/PIPA, you may check the following here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The week that was (January 8 - 14)

Sunday: Got up at 7:30am as I tried to put Migmig to sleep by feeding her. It turns out that it had her energized so we had to play for an hour before she fell asleep. I slept for two more hours and I got up at 10:30am, missing my visit to the hospital in the morning.Instead, I went online outside for an hour and bought Sunday's paper before going back home. While my wife went online for the next 3 hours, I went to the hospital to my blood extracted to check my Uric Acid. It was a little bit painful as I felt that the Medtech wasn't confident enough in taking some samples. After that, I had my lunch at Chowking as I really miss their Chinese-Style Fried Chicked Lauriat. When I got back home, my wife was already done and they are playing with Migmig. Then by 5:00pm, we went to St Anthony Shrine to hear mass. Migmig was a bit cranky again so we had to go out so other church-goers won't be disturbed. After mass, we went back home first before getting my results at the hospital. Once I got the results, I was surprised as my Uric Acid increased to as high as 800+ though I don't feel anything wrong with my foot or with how I walk for the time being. It was my turn to put Migmig to sleep as my wife went downstairs to do videoke. I got to edit some of Migmig's pictures for probably an hour before she woke-up. We went downstairs to her mom before I resumed editing pictures. Then I got to watch TV before joining them in bed. But before I slept, I went online again XD.

Monday: Got up at around 7:00am but my body feels like I need more sleep. I got up eventually at 7:45am after failing to put Migmig to sleep again. We went outside instead to her lola as I had breakfast at Chowking before taking her back home. My wife's cousin came as they had an agreement with my wife to take care of Migmig as my wife gets ready to get back to work by next week. I hope our daughter would behave well with her. I left home at 9:30am and went online outside for about 30 minutes before leaving for Canon in Magallanes. I took a quick stop at Chatime to have my milktea before taking the MRT ride to Magallanes. I forgot the receipt that is highly needed in claiming my camera. When I got to Canon, I only waited for a few minutes before my turn. I told the service representative that I only have my ID with me and she accepted it. Customer service was quite fast and pleasant as I got my camera back but I won't be able to use it anymore =(. Then I went back home. On my way back, I saw a factory outlet by Levi's and they have a high as 65% discount on their jeans and other products. Once I got to Gateway, I had lunch at Max's as I got hungry and sleepy. When I got home, Migmig was already sleeping together with my wife's cousin. A few hours after, my baby was still sleeping and when she got up, she's at her perky self again so I took her with me for a couple of minutes. Since it was the Feast of the Black Nazarene, our connections were cut temporarily as there are possible terrorist attacks feared during the event. I took that opportunity to edit all of Migmig's pictures that I took using Rebel, our DSLR (RIP 2008 - 2011). I got to watch the late night news before hitting the bed. I'm wondering whether I could buy a new DSLR again or not. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Tuesday: Got up again at almost 8:00am as Migmig was already up.By the time we went out for some fun in the sun, my wife's cousin was already there ready to take care of our daughter. By the time I left for office, my baby was fast asleep after taking her bath and being fed. I had my lunch at food extreme as there wasn't any food cooked yet. Then I took the LRT2-MRT ride with a pit stop at Chatime (for my milktea fix) and at SM Makati (to buy diapers for Migmig). I got in the office with plenty of time to spare as well as most of my colleagues were present so I had to wait for at least an hour for me to set-up my workstation. Then it was work and play for me as I got 2 calls for my shift. By night time, I went out to settle our internet account before buying my dinner at Bonchon. The rest of my shift went well and got to enjoy some of it before I logged-off at 11:00pm and took a cab. When I got home, Migmig was sleeping already though she got up because of a bad stomach. She cried so loud it reminded me of our stay on New Year's day. Thank God she pacified and went back to sleep again. Then I joined her to dreamland again.

Wednesday: Same routine in the morning though I still feel really sleepy. I was able to take Migmig out for some fun in the sun as I got to take her pictures outside our home. When we got back, my wife was getting ready for her first day at work after a 9-month absence as she felt that she needs to take care of our daughter full-time. But now my wife's cousin would be taking good care of our baby as she grows into a fine young lady XD. I went out to go online for a couple of minutes before getting ready for work. I took the usual route again as I am getting used to it somehow. I still got in the office early as most of my morning-shift colleagues were still working. I got to work on some tickets as my other colleagues were on call. Before I go home, I dropped by at KFC to grab a Krusher for me. Once I got home, I went online for a couple of minutes before going to sleep.

Thursday: Got up at around 7:45am as my wife was also trying to get up early as she'll be off to work. I took Migmig out for some fun in the sun while my wife gets ready. When we got back my wife was still there so we made sure Migmig won't see her mom as she'd cry if she sees her go to work. I went online for less than an hour to check on my status on Facebook. Then while watching TV, I had my lunch as well so I could save on some money and leave home early and get ready for work. I took the usual route and had my usual milktea fix before I got in the office at 1:30pm. Work was quite fine as my colleagues were the ones who answered most of the calls while I get to answer some tickets and created some emails. We had a small salo-salo as it was the birthday of our IT Manager. For dinner, I had my baon that helped me save some money for the rainy days. After shift, I was craving for crispy fries so I ordered one to go at KFC before finally reaching home.

Friday: Got up at almost 8:00am as I am still sleepy at that time. Migmig was already awake so I had to take her out for some fun in the sun while my wife was getting ready for work. By the time my wife got to the office, I went online to upload some of Migmig's pictures as well as check some of my facebook games too XD. I left home at almost 12:30pm after having lunch to save some money. I took a quick stop at Chatime for my milktea before getting the office just in time. Work was pretty much hefty as I am the only one on-shift. I got some calls and emails that I got to fix all of them. Good thing my boss keeps me company. While having dinner, I noticed something hard while chewing. It happens that my pasta (on my left molar) chipped off. That makes my dental problem up to two that I may go to San Pedro to visit my dentist and take care of my dentures. Work is pretty much fine as I got a call and some emails to take care of. I left the office at almost 11:30pm and got home an hour later. My wife was still awake and online before both of us slept.

Saturday: Got up at almost 8:30am though I've been awake as early as 7:30am. I took Migmig out for some fun in the sun and went back home an hour later. She was able to get some more sleep before I tried to sort some stuff that I'll be taking when I get home to San Pedro (mostly magazines and soiled clothes). I left home at past 12:30pm as my wife needs a helping hand in taking care of our baby. I just took my sweet time going to the office with a quick stop at Chatime in Gateway and at Henlin in Landmark for my lunch. I had congee for lunch as I don't want to jeopardize one of my tooth that has a open hole. Work was quite ok as I got a call that needs to be escalated. Then after escalating that call, I went out for lunch but I couldn't make-up my mind where to have dinner. I went to ATG first but it was quite crowded. Then I went to Jollibee to have my first dinner. Though I'm having problems eating, I was able to enjoy my dinner but it wasn't enough. Then I went to Mom and Tina's at the back of our building to continue my dinner there. It was almost closing time so I had to enjoy while the restaurant was still open. When I got back, my boss was on a call (good thing I went out XD) and he had it fixed. I was about to shutdown my PC when one of the on-call techs from the US messaged me. He was asking me to call one of the network engineers in the US as he wasn't able to have it fixed. Thank God, I was able to reach one of them and relayed the message. I made sure to shutdown my PC before going home at midnight. I took a cab so I could be home early. My wife was still awake and I went to bed first as she needs to finish something.

Blame Someone Else Day

I find it funny that there is such event as Blame Someone Else Day. Who would you blame for inventing this?

Taken from Google

Well blame it on Anne Moeller of Clio, Michigan for creating this day. On the first Friday the 13th of 1982, Anne's alarm clock did not go off, and she over slept. As a result, she was late for appointments all day long. According to the story, she spent the day spreading the blame, and making excuses for being late.

Since then, Blame Someone Else Day occurs on every first Friday the 13th of any given year. I think we could celebrate this event more often as politicians to blame their opposition left and right who to blame on what. 

Blame Someone Else Day could just be your day. But, watch out..... any blame you place today, can come back to bite you tomorrow. After all...what comes around goes around.

Now who would I blame on what happened to my dentures then as well as other unfortunate things happened to me today? XD

Planning to get Insured

"It only takes a small bite on your budget to bid your worries goodbye". As one of the blogger I usually visit say.

Taken from Google

I have been thinking on getting myself insured for the longest time as I already have a family to raise and I wanted to make sure that they're financially secured even after I'm gone (They say bad people live longer. XD). There are a lot of Insurance Companies who could provide you with the things you need. But you also have to understand the ins and outs of every detail so you would really have a peace of mind.

This year, I'll do my best to make sure me and my family are insured for everyone's peace of mind. All I need to do now is to save some for a plan and convince my wife that we should get one, especially today is Friday the 13th. XD

12 Excuses for Shooting Photos for Free — and Why They’re Bogus

I'm just sharing this from John Harrington of rising.blackstar.com as I find this read quite interesting. I'm sure you'd find it interesting too XD.

Ninety percent of small businesses fail within the first two years. With few exceptions, working for free is the fastest way for freelance photographers to become part of this 90 percent.

Here are a few excuses I’ve heard for working for free, along with his responses:

1. I’m trying to get into concert photography, so when bands have called to ask about pricing, I’ve told them, “It’s on me.” It’s a great way for me to break into that market.
--> It’s a great way to break into that market known as “free.” How many times do you think musicians have screwed themselves over and given away the farm to music labels? Too many to count. Don’t make the same mistake.

2. I just did a free shoot for a young actress trying to make ends meet, like many starving artists. It helped her and was an opportunity for me to practice my lighting techniques.
--> Romanticizing being a “starving artist” isn’t really a good thing. It’s nice when you’re sipping a chai tea latte with your beret in the local java house listening to beatniks recite their slam poetry, but other than that, it’s mostly a good way to remain starving. Doing a trade-for-prints/trade-for-CD deal is for C-grade models and photographers who almost never become pros. And while you may think that it helps you with your lighting techniques, it doesn’t help you grow in the area that matters most — the confidence to know that your work has value.

3. I offered to shoot free family photos for all my neighbors for their holiday cards. It’s a good way to promote my business.
--> It’s nice to be a good neighbor. Then again, you might soon be getting lots of invitations to weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, with the suggestion: “Hey, why don’t you bring your camera? We’d love to have some photos, and you would really be saving us some money.” So now, you’re an even better neighbor than you intended to be — and you’ve knocked some local wedding photographer out of a paying gig. Or, if you respond with, “Oh, those holiday photos were a one-time thing; I charge to shoot events,” you’ll probably get something like this: “Come on, neighbor, you’re going to be there anyway!”

4. I got some valuable event-photography experience shooting one of my company’s employee celebrations for free. I got to shoot an event for a Fortune 500 corporation, and my pictures received excellent exposure on the company Web site, with over 25,000 hits. I was even given a free photo printer for my effort.
--> A free photo printer? You mean one of the dozen printers your company got for free when they ordered the last batch of CPU’s from Dell or HP? As someone who has shot for over half of the Fortune 500, I can tell you that I’ve earned $1,000 or more per assignment shooting company picnics, holiday parties, and so forth. It’s not glamourous, but it helps pay the bills. That is, unless you have someone willing to do it for a free printer. By the way, who insured your personal gear against spilled sodas or any other accidents? Let me guess: no one.

5. Every photography job I’ve ever gotten has been through word of mouth — often because I did something for free first.
--> Right, word of mouth. As in, “Hey, I know this photographer who will shoot for free…” Congratulations! You’ve just become known all over town as the guy who doesn’t expect to be paid for his work. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll even get a client who offers to buy you lunch.

6. I’ve been doing some free portraits of friends for fun, to use as their Facebook profile photos. When people see my pictures on Facebook, I’ll expand my network and it can lead to jobs.
--> No, it will lead to more requests to take pictures “for fun” — from friends, then friends of friends, then people who just don’t want to pay to have their portraits taken. And you’ll be making lots of new friends among the professional portrait photographers whose livelihoods you are damaging. Happy networking!

7. I like my day job in IT, but at night I am passionate about photography. I don’t mind self-funding my work because it gives me more creative freedom.
--> Guess what, IT guy? When India’s night work takes over your day job, don’t call me crying about it. Also, don’t bother trying to make a living from your “passion,” because you’re already doing all you can to undermine your chances — as well as everyone else’s.

8. I’m a young amateur photographer, close to graduating from college, so I’m focusing on building a portfolio I can be proud of. Money? Later.
--> Excellent. One more student photographer who doesn’t care about money. I predict that when Sallie Mae comes a callin’ for payback on those loans that funded your education, money will become much more important to you. And I assume you’ll have things like rent, food and clothing to worry about, too. Unless Mommy and Daddy are still paying for everything — which is really nothing for you to be bragging about.

9. I did some high-profile assignments for free, and now I’m published in major magazines with a photo credit.
--> “Will work for photo credit” is one of the more asinine mentalities among photographers today. You’re helping no one, including yourself. All you’re doing is killing editorial opportunities for others.

10. I recently graduated from photography school and have been shooting like crazy, mostly for free. I’ve been getting very good experience. I’m also making contacts, and once the economy improves, I’ll be in a much better place than had I sat around waiting for paid assignments.
--> That’s some photography school — where you didn’t get experience! Your problem is that you just want to shoot pictures rather than earn assignments. You don’t “sit around waiting” for work; you market yourself to people who are willing to pay for your services. Those contacts you’re making are worth about as much as your photography is worth to them.

11. It’s different now because of digital photography. Ten years ago, shooting for free meant eating the cost of film, processing and Polaroids unless the client paid your costs. Today, all a free shoot costs you is your time. Pixels are free!
--> No, actually, pixels are not free — but thanks for playing. Cameras and camera shutters have a lifespan of a few hundred thousand frames. Divide the number of frames you shot for free by the cost of the camera, and you’ll begin to get a sense of how much that shoot cost you. That doesn’t count the cost of Photoshop for post-production, storage of the raw files, burning them to CD for your clients, and on and on.

12. Once I stopped worrying about charging for shoots, I have had offers and requests coming at me from all directions. I want my photographs to benefit the world and to help other people. It’s not about the money.
--> Of course you have “offers and requests” coming at you from all directions. So does the drunk girl at the club who hops on the slippery oak bar-top with a short skirt and no underwear and says, “If you see anything you like, I’ll be in the back offering it for free.” You’re surprised that a line forms immediately? So, you want to “help other people.” How about helping those who earn a living producing photographs by not undercutting them? That’s the best way to ensure that great photography continues to benefit the world.

International Thank You Day Today

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed.  If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude (Robert Brault).

Whenever we Thank someone or someone Thanks us, it gives us a sense of fulfillment that we made someone happy whether its someone we know or could be a total stranger. 

Taken from Google

I couldn't find its origin on the internet as most search results were also blog entries from people from other parts of the globe (I hope someone would give me a link tom where it all began). Also, I'm not sure if some of the blogger's page on facebook knows about this event. Knowing our culture and our race, its customary for us to say Thank You whenever a good deed is done to us or vice versa.

Anyways, I say Thank You for reading and Thank You! :D

Twenty-Twelve: Be better

It’s time to start the year right and to be better than last year. As I leave twenty eleven behind, I will leave bad memories but I’ll be taking experiences that made me a better person for twenty twelve.

1. Be a better husband to my wife and a better dad to Migmig: Well, I'd probably spend more time with them as much as I can but I will leave some time for myself and my hobby (photography that is XD). I'll make sure I would attend to their needs even if its late at night or very early in the morning.

2. Be a better photographer: How? By taking more interesting photos of places, events and people (particularly my child). I may still miss out some events as I don't have a DSLR with me to use as well as I need to do some daddy duties if the need arises. 

3. Be better in doing post-process editing: I'll make sure to edit old pictures little by little now that we have a helping hand in taking care of our baby. Probably 2-3 hours per day will do for now. Also, I'd try to do other techniques to enhance my skills and to complement it with my updating photography skills XD. I hope I would be able to use my LR3 and try to get CS5 as well.

4. Be better in managing our financial resources: This one, I have to do much improvement. My wife really hated me for being too extravagant on food (don't blame me. I love good food XD) and she hopes I would do better this time. This would be one of the hardest part to achieve but I'll try and try harder. 

5. Be a better blogger: To start with, I have to finish all my pending entries (mostly food trips) and I have to include photos as well to make reading more fun and appealing. As much as I wanted to attend all blogger events, I have to be selective since I don't have the luxury of time. Also I'll do my best to be more sociable to my fellow bloggers for me to overcome my shyness in meeting other people (I doubt people would believe that I'm really shy XD). 

6. Be a better IT Professional: Having unlimited access to Facebook and other non-work related websites are really tempting XD. But I'll try to go to websites that has to do something with my work and make myself update with the latest trends. 

7. Be better in taking care of my health: Well at the start of this year, I've been having some slight health  issues as it prevents me from being at my peak. Though I got a remedy from most of them, it is still better to prevent them than look for its cure.

8. Be better in discovering new places within the Metro: Honestly, I feel that there is still a lot in Metro Manila that I need to discover by foot. I've been into the heart of Quiapo, Binondo, Intramuros, Malate among others but I feel that I need to go out and discover more. Maybe when I get a decent (Brand New) camera, I may do take a trip again.    




Do you have plans to be better this year?

How To Deal With Negative People

Its not surprising that some people starts the new year with embracing negativity in their body and in their lives. It is really unavoidable that we encounter these kind of people everyday. 

Thanks to my friend who shared this on facebook, there is a way to handle negative people or sometimes we call them "nega"

How To Deal With Negative People

Negative people. They're like human black holes which suddenly come out of nowhere and just suck the life out of you. You try to stay positive and remain strong but their negativity ends up just completely draining you, you feel exhausted, and you may also start to feel depressed too.

So what can you do? One of the first things to do is to be aware of who the negative people are in your life. This may not be as easy as you first think.

Some very nice people are as Judy Orloff says in her book, "Positive Energy" are really energy vampires. Here's some of the signs she says to look for:

"- you experience a sense of being demeaned, constricted or attacked.
- you intuitively feel unsafe, tense or on guard.
- you sense prickly, off-putting vibes. You can't wait to get away from them.
- your energy starts to fizzle. You may feel beleaguered or ill."

She also refers to them by the following names which you might recognize: the sob sister, the blamer, the drama queen, the constant talker or joke teller, and the fixer-upper (requires endless help).

Also, pay attention to what the person talks about. Is it always about how bad things are? Do they just complain and never actually do anything about what's upsetting them?

Once you have a good idea on how to recognize them then you can actually work on protecting yourself from them. Here's 10 strategies on how to deal with negative people:

1. Where’s it coming from?
Do you understand why this person is so negative? Is it because they hate their job, feel frustrated, feel trapped in their life or do they lack in self esteem so the only way they can feel powerful is by hurting others? If you can understand where it’s coming from, it’s much easier to deal with. Some people seem to think that the only way they can get what they want is to be manipulative. Remember the saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil." They believe this and think that if they don't whine and complain that they won't be heard and that this is the only way to get what they want.

Remember that the negative behaviour is a reflection of them. It tells you what kind of person they are and what issues they may be dealing with. It's not a reflection of who you are.

2. Just smile and remain completely detached
Whenever the negative tirade starts just smile and don’t say anything. Remain completely detached from it and don’t get involved in it. Leave the room if you can. The negative person is simply seeking to get a reaction from you. That’s what they feed on. Don't let them catch you in their web of negativity because as soon as you do, that’s when they start draining your energy.

It's the emotions that these negative people stir up in you that you need to learn to distance yourself from. Try just observing the whole scene. Say to yourself, "what a shame this person is so unhappy. Maybe some of my positive energy will rub off on her. If not, her unhappiness has nothing to do with me." This isn't always an easy thing to do but definitely a powerful technique. In order to get the full benefit from it, you need to make sure that you're aware of what's going on around you. It's easy to slip into auto-pilot and not realize until later how drained you feel. You need to detach yourself from the event while it's happening and just observe it.

This works well for family members who you don’t really have a choice as to whether they’re in your life or not.

3. Say, “Now tell me something positive.”
Right after they've finished telling you some tragic story, say to them, "now tell me a positive story". Some people have no idea how negative they’ve become. That's what they're surrounded by day in and day out so it’s just become a way of life for them. By being given the reminder, they may actually realize that being negative isn't the kind of person they want to be and may start to work on becoming more positive. Or, they may decide it's not worth telling you their horror stories because you'll ask them to think of something positive. Sob sisters (always whining, feel the world is against them, feel they're victims) will probably not find you very attractive anymore.

4. Imagine a bright white light surrounding you
Yes, this sounds silly but if you can do it, it’s amazing how much of a difference it can make. You'll feel that their negativity can’t touch you because you now have a force field protecting you.

I used to have a really nasty manager who would constantly try to make me feel like an idiot. When I had a shower in the morning, I would imagine that I was being covered with a protective oil so that any of her comments would just slide right off me. I also put up a post it note on my computer that said, “Oiyli” which stood for “Only if you let it”. It reminded me that her comments could only hurt me if I let them. If was my choice as to how to react to her.

5. Is it a sign?
I find that the “universe” uses negative people as the way to get me to move on whenever I’m getting comfortable in a situation that isn’t challenging me anymore. It’s like a prod that I should be focusing more on following my dream rather than just getting caught up in a nice, comfortable routine that isn’t getting me anywhere. If I didn’t have these people, then I would probably just stay. So, sometimes I'm really grateful to these people because they're giving me the "kick" that I need.

6. What does it say about you?
Negative people want to get a reaction out of you. And the only way they can is if they hit on one your "buttons" or something that causes intense feelings for you. For example they may bring out past feelings of guilt or anger or make you feel like you're being rejected or that you're not good enough.

So, if there's one particular person who drains you the most, ask yourself why is it affecting you so much? Sometimes, you can learn a lot about yourself by analysing what feelings it's bringing up within you. Once you figure it out and deal with it then you'll find that the energy draining person simply has no power over you anymore.

7. Trying to feel needed
Is listening to the complaints of the negative person your way of feeling valued? Does it make you feel needed? If it does, then you need to start valuing yourself more and you’ll find that this just won't happen anymore. Be selective about who and how you help others. Just listening to negative tales over and over helps neither of you.

A good test to see if this is happening is to notice how you feel after "helping" someone. If you feel drained or tired or annoyed or frustrated then all you've done is given over your own energy to them. This isn't beneficial to you at all, and rarely does it help them in the long run.

8. Try saying, “I love you, thank you, I’m sorry” over and over
This is kind of an "off the wall" kind of theory but it’s worth a try. If you want to read an article about how a doctor healed an entire mental institution simply by saying these words then read this story: Dr. Len. You can also listen to a couple of radio interviews with him on News for the Soul.

9. It’s not your fault
You may be feeling that you have to solve the problems of the energy drainer. You’re not responsible for the person’s life nor their negativity. You don’t have to feel guilty for them being unhappy. Let go of trying to fix or help them. That's not what they want anyway. They want your energy and so you have to be strong and not give in to them.

A suggestion by Judy Orloff for dealing with draining co-workers is to keep mentioning to the person that you have work to do and you can only listen to them for a minute. If after a few minutes, the person is still going on about the same thing then either change the conversation or politely but firmly end the conversation.

It's important to be able to let go of the idea that you owe everyone a solution. With some people you just have to let them go. They have to take responsibility for their own lives and they won't if someone is always there to fix everything for them. So, Let Go! It sounds mean but it definitely doesn't help them if they end up taking you down with them. In that case, then neither one of you is benefitting.

10. Be enthusiastic and focus on your own energy
If you can be higher energy than they are then your energy will most likely start to rub off on those around you instead of the other way around. Also, the less you pay attention to them, the less they'll affect you.

In Summary
"Energy Vampires" are going to appear in and out of your life. The trick is to learn how to deal with them before they appear. If you don't then they truly will suck all your energy right out of you without you even realizing it. They will also be having a huge effect on your life and whether you're able to achieve your dreams and goals. Learn how to deal with negative people so that as Judy Orloff says you can, "be confident that no one can drain you if you don't cooperate". Your life will just instantly improve.


At the end of the day, we should all live within the "Good Vibes". ^_^

The week that was (January 1 - 7)

This would be the first this 2012. Though I'm thinking of creating a separate blog domain for my weekly journey, I'd rather stick to the one I have right now as having another domain may take so much time out of me. XD

Sunday: Got up early for the first day of 2012. Migmig was up as well so I took her out for a walk. Me and my wife got ready to go home to San Pedro to visit my folks there. It would be Migmig’s first and my wife’s first since her last visit a year ago. With a lot of stuff were carrying, we took a cab going to the bus station. We got home at 10:30am or so as I got really hungry. Food was quite abundant as my sisters prepared some for the New Year. We spent some time in my mom’s room as she played and got a bit confused since it was her first time to visit. I unpacked some magazines that I brought and sorted them out By night time, Migmig had a hard time sleeping due to colds which also includes stuffy nose. We forgot to take her nasal aspirator with us so I had to go out and look for one (we were suppose to get some sleep early but we weren’t able to do that). First I head to Alabang but to no avail. I head down south to Biñan and luckily, I found one as the drugstore was about to close. It pains me to see my daughter suffering so much from the sudden change in temperature because of travelling. When she fell asleep, we thought that we were good to go but we were wrong. She cried out loud like never before. He mom tried to expel the mucus from our baby’s nose but I felt that she got traumatized from that incident. My mom took over and put our baby to sleep on her shoulders. I felt sad and helpless that we weren’t able to comfort our baby. My mom tried to put her down between us but she cried all of a sudden. Leaving no other choice, my mom was up all night (I think) and put our baby to sleep.

Monday: I got up at almost 8:00am after that sleepless night. Migmig was still on my mom’s shoulder. She was about to put her to my shoulders when she got awake and cried again. She was hungry so I had to feed her and changer her diapers at the same time. My wife got up a few minutes later and kissed our daughter. That was the first time Migmig didn’t slept between us and we will make sure that would be the last as a baby. I tried putting her to sleep but she played instead. Before 12:00pm, we have already left home bound for our Manila home. By 2:30pm or so, were back. We put Migmig to sleep while my wife went online. I wanted to get some sleep but I couldn't due to persistent colds. I went to the bank to settle some payments (I got to purchase 3 vouchers of The Frazzled Cook from Cashcash Pinoy) before passing by at Ministop to get something to eat. I came back and tried to sleep but I wasn't able to get some sleep. I went online while my wife took care of our daughter. I slept probably past 1:00am or so.

Tuesday: Got up at almost 9:00am as my body yearned for more. I wasn’t able to take Migmig out as the sun was quite high already. I left home early so I won’t get late for my first day of work for 2012. I got in the office an hour ahead and I went out to have lunch. I went to SBC first to have some drinks and have my card stamped for my final planner. I still have 9 more stickers to fill-out and I only have until January 22 to get my final planner. At Landmark’s foodcourt, I had lunch at Savory Chicken and really got my stomach full. Work was quite bountiful as I got several calls from EMEA and another one regarding user’s outlook. Though I wasn’t able to resolve it, I know I would be able to find a way to fix it somehow.I had dinner with me to save some money for the year as I only have 9 more months to enjoy my work here at Greif. After my shift, I went straight home to be with my wife and baby.

Wednesday: Got up at around 9:00am as the weather was really cold which wanted me to sleep some more plus the fact that I had to get more sleep to regain my strength. I got to leave home early again and took the bus to work. I got in the office at around 1:00pm which was an hour ahead of my shift. I went to Greenbelt 3 to have lunch at Café Havana as they have this lunch buffet for 500 pesos. Lunch was really good as I plan to go there every month or probably every week to enjoy their food and its cozy atmosphere. Then I went back to office and set-up my PC for work. Again I wasn’t able to resolve the issue I’m working on since Tuesday. But I got to do some tickets to make it up for that poor performance on the other issue. For dinner, I had the same food as yesterday XD. Since we didn't still have internet in the office, I had to be contented with watching the same movie and update some of my entries via the draft. After my shift, I got to go straight home as I feel sleepy already XD.

Thursday: Got up at around 7:30am as my mom paid us a visit. She wanted to see her grandchild and at the same time, she bought some milk for her. After she have left, we slept for an hour and got up at 9:30am. I was suppose to go online but since Migmig got up, we just went down and spent some quality time together.By 11:30am, I left early but I went online at an internet cafe near home for 40 minutes before taking my LRT2-MRT ride. Still I got in the office just in time for work. I got to do some tickets and Thank God, we have our internet connection back, which means, back to normal now XD. Back to doing a lot of non-work stuff again and that includes blogging XD.For dinner, I went to Greenbelt to look for a good place to eat, but after an hour of searching, I ended up at Elar-Z near our office. After my shift, I took a cab so I could be home early.

Friday: Got up at past 8:00am and I took Migmig out for some fun in the sun. Then I had a quick bite at 7-11 to jump start my day before taking Migmig back to her mom. Then we went back upstairs to get a nap that took us an hour probably as our baby wanted to play with us first. I got up again at 11:15am and got myself ready for work. I passed by Chatime for some milktea and at SBC for my coffee fix but it took me almost 15 minutes to have my drink (Bad Service). Again, I got in the office just in the nick of time. Work was quite ok as I got to fix several tickets and answered a call. as well. For dinner, I bought 2 full bowl soups from The Soup Kitchen to complement it with my meal. It was really a fulfilling meal as my tummy got stuffed XD. Played 8-ball online as I got into a roller coaster ride. By 11:30pm, I went to SBC to chill-out and claim my 5th and final planner (I'll write a blog about it soon). It was rather a short stay as I took a cab home by midnight. I wanted to edit some pictures until 2:00am but my wife was still using the laptop so I just went to bed and get some sleep.

Saturday: Got up at around 9:00am as the weather prevented me from going up. Then I went out and had a quick snack at Ministop before buying some groceries at Llanas. Migmig was a bit cranky as she feels sleepy already. After feeding her and putting her to sleep, it was my turn to get ready for work. I left my 2012 planners behind and took with me my old 2011 planner to write down my expenses last year as well as my newly purchased photography book for me to read when I got bored. I took the LRT2-MRT route with a pit stop at Chatime to have some milk tea. I got in the office with a few minutes to spare. Since its a Saturday, I expected that there would be no calls. But I was wrong. I got two calls from the EMEA region which I was able to resolve both of them. Though most of the time, I am online doing a lot of things that is not IT-related XD. After my dinner, I felt I was craving for real food so I went to KFC first but the one that I'm craving for is not available. So the next thing for me was to go to ATG (Ayala Triangle Garden) and grab a burger at CBD Cheesesteak. Their burger was really good and I'm looking forward to go back there (provided there would be a groupon for this). I stayed a little longer in the office as I logged-off at 11:30pm and took a bus going home. It didn't took me an hour to get home and there was a concert within our neighborhood but I decided to skip and head straight home. I wanted to edit some photos but again, my wife was using our laptop.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

This year, its time to be productive and stop doing things that prevents you from moving forward. A friend of mine shared it as he got it from international bloggers Marc and Angel.

Here are 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself. I hope our year would become more productive than before. 

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.

11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.

12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.

14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.

19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.

21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  Read Getting Things Done.

24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.

25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.

26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.

28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Now stop doing senseless things and be more productive XD.

No Internet for almost three weeks

A few weeks back, we had some problems with our internet connection. The only thing I remember was when I was about to start my shift, we were having problems connecting to the internet. I thought it was just a glitch but eventually, we cannot connect to the internet. We had to escalate this to PLDT (our internet provider) since it is crucial that we should always have our internet access.

After escalating this issue to PLDT, we waited for the next 24 hours for a resolution. It turns out that our company had an outstanding balance that needs to be settled. We thought that it would be fixed within a day or two but NO. We had to wait until Christmas but we didn't have internet access. My colleagues told me that come New Year, we still don't have internet access. Even when I came back from a 6-day vacation, still no internet. We got our connection back around the first Thursday of 2012.

Bottom line here is: when you have an IT company, you should always make sure to settle your accounts early or on time as missing the deadline would mean consequences like these. I was quite disappointed but I'll make sure the next company I'll be moving to don't experience the same inconvenience like we did.

5 Leadership Tips for 2012

Okay, part of my career move this year is to move forward. I know I won't be able to do it where I am at right now but some how, I would be able to do it somewhere else. 

After reading this somehow I felt I got some of them and all I have to do is polish it to make it better. Here is the article that I got from forbes.com.

From Mike Myatt: "There are lots of things I could have included on my list, so many will probably wonder how I chose the following 5 items. The following list contains the 5 items (6 including my bonus selection), which I’ve personally chosen to focus on (pursue) in the upcoming year:"

1. Family: I’m going to approach this topic a bit differently than many – If you’re struggling with the family balance thing my advice is simple: don’t attempt to balance your family – make them your priority. I’ve simply lived too long to buy into the myth that success in the workplace will create happiness at home. While it makes for a nice sound bite to console those with a guilty conscience, IT IS A LIE. If your business is growing, but your spouse is crying and your children are neglected, it’s time to do a reality check on your priorities. If your assistant respects you, but your spouse doesn’t you have serious issues that need your immediate attention. If you would rather spend time with your online “friends” than with your children, it’s time to pull the ripcord on your internet connection. Here’s the cold hard truth…if you cheat your family to invest into your career, you and your loved ones will pay a very heavy price. It is simply wrong to value your workplace commitments over your family commitments – moreover it’s not necessary. If your focus is on your family, your career won’t suffer, it will flourish. Get this wrong and not only will your family suffer, but so will you as you someday mourn the loss of what could have been, but cannot be recovered.
 

White Space: While the mind of a leader may be most comfortable being oriented toward the future, he/she can only act in the here and now. The knowledge and skills required to master any endeavor only happens when we focus on what we’re currently doing. This is the definition of presence, and it is only when we operate in the present that real creativity, growth and innovation occur. The problem with being present is that many leaders confuse this with having to do everything themselves. Have you ever interacted with somone who deals with silence by jumping in and filling the conversational void? This same thing occurs with executives who attempt to fill every open slot on the calendar with activity – this is a huge mistake. Smart leaders don’t fill their calenders with useless activities, they strategically plan for white space allowing them to focus on highest and best use endeavors. Leading doesn’t always mean doing. In fact, most often times it means pulling back and creating white space so that others can do. This is true leadership that scales.
 

Listening: Want to become a better leader? Stop talking and start listening. Being a leader should not be viewed as a license to increase the volume of rhetoric. Rather astute leaders know there is far more to be gained by surrendering the floor than by dominating it. In this age of instant communication everyone seems to be in such a rush to communicate what’s on their mind, they fail to realize the value of everything that can be gleaned from the minds of others. Show me a leader who doesn’t recognize the value of listening to others and I’ll show you a train-wreck in the making.
 

Unlearning: I’ve believed for quite sometime the most profound and commonly overlooked aspect of learning is recognizing the necessity of unlearning. We’ve all acquired knowledge, beliefs or positions that but for the protection of our ego, would easily admit are outdated. I can think of no better definition for a closed mind than someone unwilling to change their opinions. Smart leaders recognize it’s much more valuable to step across mental lines in the sand than to draw them. Here’s the thing: No one has all the answers, so why even attempt to pretend that you do? Show me a person that never changes their mind, and I’ll show you a static thinker who has sentenced his mind to a prison of mediocrity and wasted potential. If the world is constantly changing, if the marketplace is always evolving, if the minds of others are continuously developing, how can you attempt to be unchanging and still be relevant? The smartest people I know are the most willing to change their minds. They don’t want to be right, they want the right outcome — they want to learn, grow, develop, and mature. Subjecting yourself to dissenting opinion allows you to refine your good ideas, weed out the bad ideas and acquire new ideas. Moreover, it’s the ability to evolve and to nuance thinking that leads to the change and innovation your organization needs to survive. Leaders and their ability to change their mind demonstrates humility, confidence and maturity. It makes them approachable, and it makes them human. People are looking for authentic, transparent leaders willing to sacrifice their ego in favor of right thinking.
 

Engagement: Leadership isn’t about you – it’s about those whom you lead and serve. There are few things as limiting and frustrating as disconnected leaders. Smart leaders spend their time starting or advancing conversations, not avoiding or ending them. The more you engage others, the better leader you’ll become. It’s nearly impossible to engender the type of confidence, trust, and loyalty a leader must possess without being fully engaged. In person, over the phone, via email, through the social web, or even by sending a good old fashion thank you note – ENGAGE.
 

* Bonus item – Read: There are few things which impact your thought life more than what you read. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I plan to continue this pursuit in 2012. I read more than 70 books in 2011, and plan to read more than 100 books in 2012. To the person, the best leaders I know are prolific readers. My message today is a simple one – if you want to improve your station in life, as well as the lives around you – read more. The greatest leaders throughout history have been nothing short of relentless in their pursuit of knowledge. I believe Michelangelo said it best when he uttered the words “Ancora Imparo” which when translated from the Italian means “I am still learning.” By the way, his first public use of this phrase was noted to have been on his 87th Birthday. I don’t know about you, but I’m still learning (and unlearning). Moreover, the day I stop reading, the day I stop learning – that’s the day I stop leading, and likely the day I stop breathing.

Agree? XD

20 Ways to Get Good Karma

I just saw this Instructions for Life by The Dalai Lama. And I believe this would lead to a better self once we follow these by heart.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R’s:
-  Respect for self,
-  Respect for others and
-  Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

The 10 biggest perks of working in IT

To be honest, working in the IT industry has more perks than its downs. Though there are times that IT jobs are quite stressful, as long as luck is on your side, you know you'll have a long long way to go XD. Here is the article that I have read from Tech Republic as I have been subscribed to their blog for quite some time now. Anyway, I tweaked some and added my own insights as well.

Regardless of what you do for a living, it’s easy to focus on the negatives of the job and let those things bring you down. However, most jobs have certain perks, and IT is no exception. This article discusses some of the benefits I’ve experienced over the years as a result of working in IT.


1: You get to meet lots of people: As an IT guy, a lot of people would come to you for help which is good in a lot of ways. Some of them would be your friends for the rest of your stay in the company. Some may be your contact outside the office for networking reasons. Or probably, you may meet someone special at work that you could spend the rest of your life with XD. Bottom line is you get to meet all types of people from different ranks.

2: The money can be good: Depending on the company you'll be connected with, the pay is quite higher than the average pay. Position can also play a factor here on how important you are to the IT infrastructure.

3: It’s easy to move around: They usually refer this as lateral movement. Compared with different departments, switching from one IT position to another won't be that difficult as it requires minimal effort. For example, database administrators can transfer to network administrators and vice versa.   

4: You have personal freedom: IT pros tend to have a lot of personal freedom. Compared to call center agents which have a break schedule to adhere, most IT people can set their own break as long as there is no pending work around left. 

5: You get to help people: Well basically some people hate IT because they’re usually calling with a problem they want you to solve. Even so, I have always found it gratifying to be able to end the day knowing that I was able to spend it helping people. I could compare it with Math because most people hate it XD.

6: You get paid to spend time away from the office: Usually this works with IT guys with higher positions which includes traveling locally or overseas. You could even include your vacation as well in your travels after attending trainings and conferences here and there.

7: You sometimes face unusual challenges: This is one thing that most IT guys look forward to aside from doing their usual monitoring and same problems over and over. Encountering new errors, new bugs and new problems stimulate our brains as we need to acquire a new solution as quickly and as creatively as possible. This is what separates those who love IT from those who do not. Me, I love working in the field of IT XD.

8: You have access to cool toys: Depending on what toys would you refer, most would mean trying a new software or a new application first hand before it rolls-out to the company. We would be usually the ones to test them first for bugs and possible problems. This would be also the same for new gadgets. If only I work for either Apple, HP or Dell, Work could have been so much fun XD.

9: IT knowledge can be helpful in everyday life: Just like math, IT knowledge is very useful in everyday life. From working with computers to dealing with other things that we usually deal with while working in the office. At home, I am the IT guy that usually checks my wife's laptop to make sure its working at its optimum.

10: The job sometimes comes with special rewards: In relation to #1, people would be really grateful to you especially if you keep their systems up and running. Sometimes, these people would give you gifts of any kind as a way of saying thank you for supporting them over the years. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t help people because I expect to get something in return. However, it is always a nice feeling when someone surprises you with a thank-you gift. I hope soon, someone would reward me a complete Canon DSLR set (5D Mark III + 2-3 Lens + Accessories). XD.
If I were you, shift to IT now. Its really fun you know. XD