stray meow in the metro

book swap anyone?

2008-07-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

i'm a big fan of spring cleaning. not that we have spring here in the Philippines, but that's beside the point.

i periodically assess my stuff to see which ones i really want to keep, and which ones could probably find a better home. this is partly due to OCD, and all those makeover shows in cable tv. marie and i have been doing this for the longest time, and the only reason why we get to trade is because we're a size or two apart. she stays the same size, and i fluctuate. WALANG HIHIRIT. >:(

anyhow, i've accumulated several books along the years since i'm a bookworm like most of my friends. i've tried to sell them off in bulk, but the price apiece was utterly pathetic and it won't do justice to the books. i read this article about some Filipina who started a book swap group overseas to promote a coffee shop as well as create an avenue for social networking.

so i figured, why not start a book swap group of my own? or maybe, if there are exisiting book swap groups in the metro, maybe i could join too? the group could meet once a week, or maybe every other week. venue could be static or it could change from time to time.

this isn't just for those people i personally know. whoever's interested could also be a part of this group (if it actually pushes through). i think a group of 5 at a time would do, and maybe each person could bring 2 to 3 books which they'd want to swap.

please reply if interested :) then we could schedule a date, time and venue.

gripes

2008-07-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

nearly 2.5 months in my new firm, and i still experience those moments wherein i'd ask myself -- is this where i'm supposed to be? is this really what i want to do?

i bumped into an old college buddy the other day, and we were just catching up on what's new with work, friends, and the like. i found out that he's still with the same outfit which was equivalent to 2 previous jobs already for me. he's quite happy with what he does, and won't even entertain other companies even if there were offers already.

it just got me thinking some more about what i really want to do, and where i eventually want to be. my current stint isn't bad, don't get me wrong. though it's not in the same industry or line that i wanted to be in when i started out in the corporate world. i really hate numbers -- promise. i almost flunked my MS back in 3rd year college, and i even had to take removals to get a pathetic 3.

so, what have i done since then? i used to be in events, then sales, then business development, and now i'm a portfolio analyst. the latter one sounds fancy, i know. it surely does wonders for my CV. well, i basically make sense of numbers, and hopefully find a segment to tap into, or discover what program could be implemented for a particular consumer group. i've yet to have a eureka moment with all the projects i'm juggling now, but hopefully i'll get to claim a successful project as my own.

just the other day, i was being gripe-y over meebo (my damn office computer is so old school, i can't even download any client messenger) and was chatting up with steve about work and random stuff. so after ranting bit, he tells me that i'm experiencing existential angst. hahaha, he still remembered it from his philo class in college.

i tried to look it up, and it seems quite depressing. something than stems from anxiety. so, no steve, i'm not experiencing existential angst. but thanks for the thought :D

maybe i should just take up a hobby, or start a small business on the side to take my mind off these questions. my hubby sometimes tells me that i think too much. hehe, well, that's my character flaw. i just have to deal with it and move on.

when i read up on my friends' blogs, i sometimes wish that i had some story to tell, or some new experience to share. i feel that my life is so boring compared to theirs.

oh well. just deal with it.

Stock Market, and then some

2008-01-30T00:37:00.000-08:00

There's this article in Inquirer today which discussed the difference between saving and being miserly. I really hate it when people say refer to others as kuripot (being miserly) since each person has his own way of saving up or cutting down on costs. Who are we to say which route would the best way to go about it?

Another thing that annoys me is when people refer to me as Intsik (Chinese) when I discuss the options on how to earn more, be it from side businesses or investment options. So what's so wrong with wanting to get the most of what you have, and more if possible? I'm actually looking at this plan from Manulife wherein I pay a fixed amount for 10 years, and upon the plan's maturity (20 years), my investment would have earned 162% already. Well of course, the annual interest would vary depending on the market conditions, but the range of 4 to 8% is not so bad anymore. At least this kind of investment has an assured return, instead of investing it in a bond fund (mutual fund or UITF) wherein the principal is not assured though the returns is in roughly the same range. And compared to a time deposit or savings account (which is 2.25% and 1% respectively) that is still subject to 20% withholding tax, 4% per annum is not bad at all.

I discussed this with two other officemates since 1 of them was also considering the same plan I was looking at. We were trying to convince our other officemate about the benefits of the plan, only to be called "Intsik ka talaga, and that's derogatory".

Now that I think about it, do you mean the term Intsik is derogatory, or are you dissing me now? I didn't bother clarifying that anymore. Bottomline is, so what if I want to earn more? I'm not doing it illegally so what's up with that?

Anyhow, I attended this seminar last week, and another one last night (Tecnical Analysis in Stock Trading, and Market Outlook 2008). According to them, should the PSEi breach 2850 points after the double test of support, then the Phil market would officially be in the bear market already. As of today (30 Jan 2008), the PSEi closed at 3,256.53, so it's still far off from the 2850 range. I just hope that the market doesnt reach the 2900 level since I'd be forced to sell all my position, or hold until the next bull run. during the seminar last night, the speaker mentioned that the 75-B Stimulus Fund has been approved by President Arroyo already, so here's to hoping that I feel the benefit of the supposed income tax reduction as well as the reduction in electricity rates.

Wrong Timing

2008-01-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

The PSEi plummetted to a low 0f 2,978.41 when markets closed last Jan 22, 2008, the lowest since August 2007 when the US Subprime Crisis first made a huge impact in markets worldwide. I never imagined that it would come to this again in less than a year, which makes me just shake my head since I shifted my fund too soon into Equity when I should have left it in Bonds, and moved it just now. Oh well, lesson learned.

I'm really tempted to buy in more right now since the NAV is quite low, and when the market recovers hopefully by mid-2008, I could just ride the wave and earn then. But since my Tubby and I are looking to closing in on a condominium this year, he's not too keen on increasing our investments just yet.

Stocks at the start of 2008

2008-01-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

It's quite unfortunate for me that I bought stocks when the PSEi was still in the 3500 to 3600 marker since the stock prices were still near its peak. So now that the market is doing some side stepping, if not a nosedive, my stocks are all in the red.

Yesterday marked the lowest PSEi close at 3388.81 after several weeks (shedding 90points), which was quite expected since the DJIA shed nearly 200points prior to the Philippine market open. I tried calling my Sunlife agent to shift my funds from Bonds to Equity since I'm supposed to decide before the market closes so the buy NAV would be the closing NAV for the day. Just my luck that she was in a meeting during those critical moments when I've finally decided to make the move. The Sunlife VUL Equity NAV closed at 1.9504, the lowest for the past few weeks based on my spot checking. It would've been great for my VUL if the market would still slide today, but based on the market performance as of 11AM (Manila Time), most of the stocks have recovered some of what they've lost yesterday. Oh well -- good for my stocks, bad time for my VUL. At this rate, I'll just sit back and wait for another major slide.

I'm really tempted to buy into TEL when it drops again since I've seen it hit Php3100, so if I buy at Php2990 at the minumum boardlot amount of 10, I'd easily make Php1100 gross since I'd still have to deduct the transaction charges. Well, it would be paper gain if ever, unless I sell it to convert it to real cash balance so I could buy into other stocks. Bah-humbug.

Well, on a side note, the Sunlife VUL Equity is invested primarily in the following stocks: TEL, GLO, AC, ALI, BPI, SM, BDO, ICT, SMPH and MEG. Telecom, Property, and Banks. Not a bad portfolio if I say so myself. But as I read in a previous article, don't bother investing in stocks where your Mutual Fund is invested in already. It's like mimicking the fund manager already, and in my books, it's such a waste of time. If you're going to do that, might as well just invest all your cash in the Mutual Fund and save yourself the trouble of having to monitor the market and make calls on when to buy or sell. Funny thing is, I'm into ALI and BDO already, and I'm even thinking of buying into TEL. Maybe I'll look at other stocks then, just so I spread my portfolio. Maybe MER since they're having a price hike this 2008. Have to rethink my strategy then.

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Updates: I've decided to finally shift my fund today. Spoke to my Sunlife agent, and their Investment Manager has foreseen that the PSEi will go as low at 3250 this month, but projection is still at 4000 for end-2008. For the shifting, it won't use the closing NAV for the day that you've decided to shift it, and you have until 4PM of the current day to fax the shift request. Since I shifted today, my fund will use tomorrow's closing VUL Equity NAV. Here's to hoping that it's still below Php2.00/share.

Forex

2007-12-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

It really sucks to have dollars kept in a safe instrument but the yield does not even cover half of the loss due to the appreciation of the peso in the last few months. I was initially unfazed by the strengthening of the peso against the dollar since what were the chances of the dollar going down? Slim to none -- or so I thought.

The current forex is now at PHP 41.142 : USD 1.00, and a number of financial institutions, such as Citigroup, have given a PHP 37.50 : USD 1.00 forecast by year 2008.

I also attended this Investment Seminar hosted by Citiseconline, and the speaker showed to us the Philippine Government's Budget Deficit from 2004 to 2007. The trend showed that the deficit amount has been lower for each passing year, and for 2007, the deficit was only USD 41B. Someone from the government even said that they aim for a 0 deficit by 2008. And if that happens, kiss your dollars goodbye.

So now, what to do? Hang on to the dollars I guess, and use it for travelling instead. No use converting it to peso right now since it would make me really feel the loss (not that paper loss is any better, really).

Forex and IPOs

2007-11-28T02:01:00.000-08:00

The PSEi is up again today, taking the cue from Wall Street's positive trade today (NOV 28). Both BDO and JFC are up by a couple of pesos, but still way below my initial buy price. SPH and T's trading volume used to be in the 1Million range, but now it's just in the several hundreds.

I have to say, that with all my excitement with that SPH IPO, I was a bit burned by the fact that it listed below the offer price, just when I was expecting it to be at least at par value on the listing date. Oh well. you win some, you lose some. I intend to hold on to it for six months to a year anyway, so hopefully next year would be better for the entire market, and that the US sub prime woes would blow over already.

I was browsing through Inquirer.net just now, and I saw this write-up about upcoming IPOs by early 2008. First Metro Investment Corp announced that Cebu Pacific, and three other companies which refused to be disclosed at the moment, are looking at offering shares to the public to raise funds for some expansion projects.

Well, I'm not too hot about Cebu Pacific, but let's see. Maybe the prospectus would look promising once the IPO application has been approved and endorsed by the PSE.

I also saw this article about Shell's possible IPO by early 2008 as well, but according to the article, the IPO is still subject to the results of the study regarding the expansion. I do hope that they push through with it though, since I've had a short stint there before, and I saw that Shell has a good solid background. Plus, I doubt if they're closing down anytime soon.

On another note, I saw this article in the Inquirer.net which gives a forecast of a forex of Php38 to a dollar by year 2008. For someone who unfortunately hoarded dollars when it was still in the 51 to 56 range, this is really depressing news. Last time I spoke to my Sunlife Agent, she said that their Fund Managers even gave a forecast of 39 to 43 to a dollar by end of 2007, and the next two years would still see a weak USD. I'm honestly at a loss as to what I'm supposed to do with my dollars. Sell it now while the forex is still in the 40s range? Or hold on to it with the hopes that it'll hit the 50s range again? SIGH.

Moving Forward

2007-11-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

I recently read this mail from someone which had an article about how your salary should be quadruple your age.

I have to say that I had mixed feelings after reading the article. Part of me feels that I could do more with my life and be like that person, and share the same success story. The other part of me just feels depressed since looking at my current position and salary, I doubt if I'll quadruple anything anytime soon.

I've dabbled in several money-generating projects before, but I had to let go of it since my new post would require that I travel overseas, and it would be a real challenge to step out of the office to work on the projects.

Since then, the most I've done is invest in Mutual Funds and the Stock Market just to earn a bit more on top of the regular paycheck. Both investment tools involve certain risks since the principal will never be assured, unlike Time Deposits or Savings Accounts. But then again, they say that the greater the risk, the greater the returns. So I'm roadtesting these two for now to see if the returns are really worth it ;)

With the market correction right now, as well as the problems in the US, I don't even know what the outlook is for 2008. I read this article in Inquirer.net that PSEi might surpass the 4000points index by year end, perhaps as high as 4200points. My Sunlife agent also told me that there is a possibility that this might happen since most fund managers would be gearing up their portfolio for next year. Also, people might start with the bargain hunting already since it's always the best time to buy stocks when the market's low, with the hopes of selling them at a profit later on ;)

For now, I'm just waiting for the Sunlife VUL Equity NAV to hit 1.8 or 1.9, then I'll shift my investments. Yesterday it hit 1.99 already, but since the PSEi gained 5points today, I'm not sure how it will impact the Equity NAV. I guess I'd have to wait and see at this point. But if the index will hit 4000points by yearend, I gotta be ready to move and all that.

For Stock Trading, I plan to buy and hold for 6months to a year, since I don't have the appetite for day trading just yet. Some of the people here in the office dabble in day trading, but I find it too tedious so I'll stick to the long-term route instead. For now at least, since I'm still reading up on Fundamental and Technical Analysis of the stock market. I've also joined this forum which has several threads dedicated to stock trading, from IPOs and Top Picks to the Online Broker which they belong to.

Close Encounter with the Four Legged Kind

2007-11-08T01:19:00.000-08:00

We finally caught the not-so-little-furry-friend who lurks in our kitchen.

Today started out as a pretty normal morning. I went to the kitchen to check up on something, and I got so shocked with this HUGE rodent that's stuck on the sticky board which we left near the drainage hole. I screamed my head off, and the rodent also screamed back in its own way (READ: squeal/ shriek).

I immediately rushed back up to our room and woke up my tubby since it was the first time that I ever encountered a rodent that huge, and so ALIVE for that matter. I was rather used to the ones that are dead or smaller ones that fall in the trashcan, but nothing that's the size of a kitten. What a damn sight.

I sprayed some Raid on its face to make it dizzy, and to make it stop squealing also since it's so unnerving to listen to its tiny shrieks. Then I folded up the sticky board on top on it, and placed it inside a shoe box. My tubby said that we should leave it outside the apartment by the road, but I told him that we had to make sure that it's DEAD already since it would be such a risk if it gets out and returns to the apartment to destroy our stuff.

My tubby was looking for a rock to smash its head with, but Vic suggested that Seth's sheer weight would do the trick, so I asked my tubby to step on it right away. The first attempt made a slight crunching sound, but when I checked it out, it was still squirming a bit, so I asked Seth to step on it again -- with his heel.

I think that did the trick since nothing would survive that kind of pressure on the head, unless it was Supermouse or something like that.

But I have to say, that was such a UNIQUE way to start a day.

RIGHT. ;)

Design-A-Bangle

2007-11-02T00:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got to attend this Design-A-Bangle Workshop last Oct 27 in Coffee Experience along Emerald Avenue (Ortigas). I've been wanting to attend the other workshops before, but I always get the mail announcement a few days after the schedule itself. So when i finally got a mail mid-week, I immediately signed up for it to book a slot for myself.

The workshop was done by Em Mariano, and we learned the basics of how to dress up a bare bangle with beads, as well as touch up on what's going to be the popular colors or themes for 2008. He also gave us tips on how to personalize our creations, and where to buy the raw materials for the accessories. And what I really find nice about the workshop was the fact that he kept on encouraging the participants to find their own niche, and to become entrepreneurs with something as simple as beads.

We started with wrapping the bangle in shiny and colorful 1 inch ribbons, after which, we started wiring in the beads onto the bangle with our own pliers. It was really fun since I've always wanted to learn how to manipulate the wires to make intricate designs out of them, and I finally gave it a shot during the workshop. I would've wanted to use nicer looking beads, or to go for symmetry for a more popular or commercialized look, but Em kept on reminding us to work towards something unique and edgy.

I'll drop by Quiapo soon so I could pick up some materials to work with. And I really do hope that I could score a deal which would earn me a few bucks. ;)

A Not So Little Furry Friend

2007-10-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

We have a rodent problem.

Well, we haven't seen the actual culprit yet, but from the scratch marks left on the garbage bag and the 0.5inch pawprints, i think it's safe to assume that it's a rodent and not just the household lizard.

The first attack was mid last week wherein we saw the mangled garbage bag and the hose of the washing machine was also removed from it's place in the drainage. We think that the furry friend crawled up the drain and gnawed at the machine hose up to the point that it could push it out of the way and up to our kitchen.

My tubby's rather boggled by the fact that he saw the pawprints on the kitchen sink. I mean, how did it get up there? The kitchen wall's pretty vertical so it couldn't have crawled up. Did it fly? Weird....

My tubby bought a sticky board from the mall so we could catch the furry bugger. No luck yet when I left the house this morning. Maybe my tubby would get lucky today ;)

Spa Hopping

2007-10-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Body Wellness
Aromatherapy & Relfexology
Location: #84 Jem Bldg., Sct. Fernandez cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City

This is the spa that my tubby and I really frequent since not only are the prices reasonable, but their service is also very consistent regardless of the masseuse assigned to you.

It's situated along Scout Fernandez St. along Tomas Morato in Quezon City, and some landmarks are Fabricare and Chillis. It's a two-storey affair with separate facilities for men and women, with individual lockers for clients as well as a dry sauna and shower area. The lockers, sauna and shower area are at the 1st floor while the massage area is at the 2nd floor.

Since it's a small place, they don't have individual rooms for the massage proper but they can accomodate 5 clients at a time in the common area. They also have provisions for curtains that serve as partitions in between clients.

For a facility that has a shower and sauna, their Swedish or Shiatsu massage which costs Php400 an hour is not bad at all. And the best thing about it is that you could ask for an extension of 30minutes which would just cost you Php50! In other spas, an extension of any kind would make huge dent on your wallet since it would mean double the cost. But not in Body Wellness ;) And as a promo to increase their traffic during off-peak hours, they also offer 25% off for the Swedish and Shiatsu massages from 10AM to 5PM daily. This is such a good deal already, I'd go there every week if it wasn't a bit far from where I stay.

They also offer other services such as Foot Reflex, Body Scrub and Facial Massage, but I always go for the full body massage as a special treat for myself ;)

For reservations or inquiries, you can contact them at this number: +632.372.3403

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Ton Ton Thai Massage
Branches: Cebu, Makati (in front of the Makati Sports Clubs), Subic Proper (near the Petron Station), Shaw Blvd. (across 10Q Convenience Store), Tomas Morato (near Wonton Restaurant), and Nichols Pasay among others

The original branch was in Cebu City, but my former employer decided to expand it here in Manila. This is a no frills place since they only offer dry massage to clients, and they don't have the usual sauna and shower area anymore.

I personally love the Thai Foot Massage since it really focuses on your tired feet and legs, with a short hand and back massage to boot. It would start off with a warm foot soak while they massage your hands, then they'd also give you this warm shoulder bean bag which helps you relax even more. After the soak, they'll do some short stretching for your feet and start with the massage proper. In the traditional Thai method, they have this wooden tool which they use to provide just the right amount of pressure on your feet, and I tell you, it just feels FANTASTIC. It also helps that they use a minty kind of lotion (not peppermint) to soothe your tired muscles, and they spread a special kind of powder on your feet and legs after the foot massage so there's no lingering sticky sensation afterwards. And to finish it off, they work on your back for 10 to 15minutes so you basically had a full body massage but with special attention on your feet.

A must-try for people who complain about tired feet (like me!), but you can also try their other services such as the Back Massage and Full Body Massage. The nice thing about this place is that they offer services for as short as 30minutes for people who work in the area but would want to have a quick stress-reliever in between breaks. Prices vary based on the type of massage as well as the duration, but it's usually between Php250 to 350 for the Foot, Back and Full Body Massage.

Lookee Who I Foundee!!!

2007-10-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

i had to stay late in the office due to some mobile tests and i couldn't even go to the canteen to grab some grub, so suffice it to say that i was STARVING by the time i got to Galleria. i was just looking for any food chain or shop that was still open at that hour so i wasn't paying much attention to anything else but FOOD. as i was making my way to Chowking (thank God they're still open even after mall hours), i suddenly saw Pumsee just standing there smiling at me :D

this was actually the second time we accidentally bumped into each other in the same mall, at roughly the same time, and for the same reason -- coz i was STARVING and was looking for FOOD :D hahahaha

i ordered some rice topping meal, and as i was devouring my grub, Pumsee just kept on playing with my N70 cam phone, and took this funky pic. haha, so now Pam, you should avoid taking pics of yourself coz i shall have no remorse whatsoever before i upload it for everyone to see!!!! bwahahahaha!!!! :D

after eating my meal, i was still hungry so i decided to order halo-halo also. Pam and i split an order, and really made the most out of it since we finished even the melted ice + milk.

we finally left an empty Chowking (save for the employess who probably wanted to kick us out already since it was already past 10pm) and made semi-plans about watching Chuck and Larry on Wed.

Upcoming Spa Review

2007-10-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

on my way to work this morning, it suddenly dawned on me that i could actually make a spa review since i've been to several haunts in the past few years. it also helps that my tubby shares the same passion for soothing massages, so we sort of try out new places from time to time.

the places we frequent are actually just in the metro since we don't have our own ride, so we go to spas which are accessible via cab, for the most part at least ;)

i just have to make an initial draft about the spas which i'll include in the review, but they would most probably be composed of the following: TonTon Thai Massage, Body Wellness, Excelsior, Sonya's Garden and Sanctuario. there was this another place that i go to, but i honestly do not recall the name right now :D i just KNOW where it is ;)

Thinking of Getting Babies - 05 January 2007

2007-10-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

yep, babies. but not human. seth and i were walking around in megamall last night and we saw this pet stall on our way out. they had hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds. i was seriously thinking about getting a pair of rabbits coz they looked so furry and cuddly. shucks.

the guinea pigs would’ve been okay but they were just too skittish. and they look like they might bite me if ever i’d want to take them out of the cage and play with them. so, rabbits are the way to go.

i also promised seth that i won’t drown the cuddly things since i kinda have this track record of mangling my pets. but that was years ago. i think i’ll be a better mommy this time around. after having a roster of pets from white mice to chicks, rabbits and quails, i think it’s about time to give it a try again.

Cable Thieves - 14 February 2007

2007-10-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

yup, i had to contend with cable thieves last weekend. the thing is, our cable connection at home was perfect when we signed up for the service sometime Q1 2006. i don’t recall the very first call we made to ask the provider to check the connection, but i distinctly remember trying to schedule a repair during the christmas season.

but it was only last weekend that the cable guy came over to check the connection and reception. i told him that i suspect some people have illegally leeched onto our connection, so the guy had to check the cable path to verify.

guess what? there were unlicensed cables latched onto our connection! not one, not two, but THREE neighbors were connected!!! all of them within the compound itself!!

i was FUMING when i found out. the cable guy started cutting off the other cables and we checked the reception inside the house.

it was PERFECTLY CLEAR.

i traced the 1st cable to Unit A which is right at the gate. the nerve. those people just moved in a couple of months ago and they had the gall to do that?!?!

the 2nd cable was hidden behind the chicken wire on top of the wall, and it was fixed in a way that the cable was secured by twisties every 1 or 2 feet. and i traced it to the unit right in front of our pad, where it was divided again by a splitter!! i swear, i wanted to cut it off and chop up the cable into tiny pieces and dump them in front of the leeches’ units. but i couldn’t reach the darn splitter.

i confronted the guy in one of the units, and i asked him why there was a cable going to their pad which was latched on my line. he goes, “but that was there before we even moved in”.

yeah right.

i knew the people who lived in that unit before, and they would NEVER do that.

*sigh*

i called up the cable provider and asked if people like my neighbors could be jailed or fined given the situation. i was told by the customer service representative that there is no existing law yet in the san juan area governing such situations. only manila and makati are covered.

damn, damn, damn!

seth told me not to pick a fight, but i honestly wanted to confront them and call them THIEVES!!!! can’t they just pay for their measly cable connection???? if they want foreign shows, then they better be ready to pay for it! i’m not working my ass off everyday just to go home to an unclear tv reception because of their stinginess.

so every night when i head home, the first thing i do after switching on the lights is to open the tv to check if the reception is still clear.

Of Patience and the Government - 03 April 2007

2007-10-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

i’m a chinese citizen.

nope, i’m not proud of it but it’s a fact. it’s not something that bothered me before, but it started making my life a living hell when i finally accepted an offer to travel abroad for work.

i was born here in the country, i pay may taxes to the government, and i will get sanctioned by country rules should i even attempt to violate any. so what makes me any different?

the thing is, despite the fact that i was born and raised in this country, i still have to endure all the bureacratic red tape that this country is so known for. most people just tend to accept it as it is, but it really is frustrating when you want to get things done.

i had to get a medical clearance from a government hospital, secure clearances from the police, NBI, fiscal court, metropolitan trial court and regional trial court. afterwhich, i had to fill out all these papers to affirm that i REALLY wanted to denounce my chinese citzenship and submitted these to immigration.

it would be great if after all the hard work (running around in various buildings, and all the fees that i had to pay) that i would actually get my application approved in a month or two months’ time.

WRONG

it’s been four months already, and right now, i’m just waiting for a pathetic initial (read: signature that would probably just be a squiggle) on my petition so it go back to immigration and finally end this farce. but with the nearly week long holiday and the elections coming up, my chances of leaving in a week or two is really becoming slim. bordering on non-existent really.
so, what to do?

1) wait. for how long? well it really escapes me right now.
2) pay someone. yes, bribe someone to actually get my petition and dump it on the signatory’s desk and tell him, “sign here please”

it’s really frustrating. i don’t know what else to do, and how else to go about it. if someone knows someone in the justice system, preferably someone really HIGH UP THERE, i’d really appreciate it if i could be endorsed to that person.

in the meantime, i guess i’ll just wait.

*sigh*

Annoyed - 11 July 2007

2007-10-02T03:35:00.000-07:00

there’s this person who i’m supposed to work with and get along with but i really don’t. i’ve been trying to be nice but somehow it’s just starting to become really annoying. for the purposes of this blog, let’s just refer to that entity as “IT”.

okay, it just so happens that IT and i have to work together for several projects. plus the fact that we also have to co-exist. it would be bearable if there were other people around, but that’s gonna end in two weeks’ time. i don’t even know what’s gonna happen by then. IT considers me as a friend. i hope that didn’t happen coz now i have to be nice since IT thinks that i’m on IT’s side. ouch. i don’t know if i’m supposed to be happy about that or not. wait, let me take that back. NO — i’m NOT happy about it.

IT even admitted to some of ITs errors, like purposely having typos in business communication and the way that IT does not stand up for ITself when faced with an argument. IT cites that it is a strategy which IT decided to do when IT joined the company. i told IT that it’s no surprise that most people look down on IT because that was the path that IT decided to take.
when i heard it i’m like, HELLO. don’t even be surprised that people don’t like you, or if they look down on you. YOU MADE THEM THINK THAT. please. if it’s a strategy that you think would work, wake up fool — it didn’t and it won’t.

how tiring. plus the fact that IT is always defensive and cites that so and so people has got ITs back. now that i think about it, IT could probably just throw ITs supposed weight around the company. then we can just see who’s got who’s back and all that.

and to think that i get cornered almost every night with this inanity. it’s not funny anymore. IT brags that IT got an offer from another company for double ITs current pay. deep down inside, i hope IT would just take the offer and leave. good for IT, good for the rest of the people in the company.

i wish IT would just grow up. period.

Comparisons

2007-09-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

i've recently moved to Blogspot after several attempts to make sense of how i'm supposed to put the Google AdSense code onto my other blogsite. it's too bad that my application for the other site got approved already and all that. oh well.

this all started when i spoke to n2knee about Google Analytics for another page, and we went on to discuss how one is supposed to include the AdSense code onto a blogsite. he mentioned that with the Blogger-Blogspot merger, Blogspot now allows bloggers to apply for their own AdSense so they could be credited for the revenue generated from the hits. so i figured, why not? might as well make a new site and the make the most out of it ;)

so, after using Word Press, Multiply and Blogspot (just recently) to post my blogs, i'd have to say that Multiply has the best interface to date. not only is it easier to post pics, vids and blogs, but it's also easy to organize previous uploads and the like. and it really helps that they have these short labels at the top of the page, as well as icons to represent the functions that the blogger might want to use at the moment. but then again, maybe it's just me ;)

here's to hoping that my AdSense application for this site gets approved *crossing my fingers*

Pad Hunting

2007-09-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

my hubby and i have finally decided that we want to actively look for a pad in the Ortigas area, as well as make inquiries regarding the amortization rates for the properties that we're interested in. seth's mom has this pad in Parc Royale, and it's so near Tektite that i'd really love to get that pad already. thing is, when i made my initial inqury with East West Bank, the monthly amortization is just so HUGE that i don't know how we'd be able to cough up that much cash to pay it off!!

oh man, this really sucks. it's either we search for a pad that's a bit far from the CBD, or cough up like Php1M for the downpayment so the pricipal which we'll loan from the bank would be smaller. talk about being frustrated.

*sigh*

any ideas?