I'm giving my Simple Pleasures site a makeover since most of my extra-blogging tools are squeezed into one side bar before. This time I chose a three column format to create more space for links and incoming badges I suppose.
It comes in brown background giving a little mature and classic look. Shades of coffee and earth colors for a change.
What d'ya think?
Sometimes love is like awkward poetry. The words may not be just right, but when love comes freely from the heart, the message sings. –TIF (Together is Forever)
Be warned. This is going to be a mushy entry. I'll try not to be for the sake of my Rated G site. LOL.
The thing is, tomorrow's going to be my/our wedding anniversary. My heart is on cartwheels now. I've known myself to be a woman of few words. But when it comes to love, awkward it may seem, words have become like unsung lyrics waiting to be listened to. Notice how romantic fool I am?
Allow me to reminisce the past as young lovers do. Our first year of marriage was a bit tough. It was our adjustment period where we both discovers and try to cope up with each other's differences. One particular issue was snoring. The first few weeks was an agony on my part being a half-sleeper who is constantly wide-awake in every motion and next to the human tractor. Now, it is finally resolved through proper exercise.
Back then we were living away from each other on weekdays during our first and second year. Funny to tell but it makes me miss his snoozing when he is not around. I realized that even the not-so-good things can breed patience and kindness as we decide to look past each other's flaws and choose love, respect and acceptance. That's why we call each other everyday to simply say I miss you.
I thank God for sending me a husband that loves me faithfully in spite of my imperfections.
Got tagged by Daisy. It's pretty simple. Just X it and in no time you're done.
1. Start at 'start copy here'.
2. Put an X on the things you've done.
3. Tag how-many-[X]s people.
4. Post with title "I've done ___*how-many-[X]* of 35 stupid things".
—
5. Note! the ones that are enclosed in the ( ) parenthesis are my additional answers.
*start copy here*
[ x] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were talking. (or sometimes to the point of swallowing it while talking)
[ ] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were NOT talking.
[x] You have ran into a glass/screen door.
[ x] You have fell out/off of a moving vehicle. (a bicycle in particular)
[x] You have thought of something funny and laughed, then people gave you weird looks. (secret)
[ ] You have ran into a tree.
[ ] You have tried to lick your elbow.
[ ] You just tried to lick your elbow.
[ ] You never knew that the Alphabet and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same rhythm.
[ ] You just tried to sing them.
[ ] You have tripped on your shoelace and fallen.
[x] You have choked on your own spit. (when hyper)
[ ] Your hair is/was blond.
[ ] You've put metal in the microwave.
[ x] You have accidentally caught something on fire. (yeah cooking oil)
[ x] You tried to drink out of a straw, but it went into your nose/eyes. (caused by laughing)
[x] You have caught yourself drooling when you wake up.
[ ] You've fallen asleep in class.
[x] You have tripped over your own feet.
[x] Sometimes you just stop thinking.
[x] You are telling a story and forget what you were talking about. (interrupted)
[ ] You have forgotten to breathe. Is this valid? I bet everyone doesn’t think about breathing.
[ ]You are often told to use your "inside voice".
[x] You use your fingers to do simple math.
[ ] You have eaten a bug (an insect maybe, a silkworm in particular, it is sold here in Thailand, it tasted like shrimp)
[ ] You are taking this test when you should be doing something else. I am taking this test because I want to do something. Heh!
[x] You have put your clothes on backwards or inside out. (sleepy state)
[x] You've looked all over for something and realized it was in your hand.
[ ] You sometimes post bulletins because you are scared that what they say will happen to you if you dont.
[ ] You break a lot of things.
[ ] Your friends know not to use big words around you.
[ ] You sometimes tilt your head when you're confused.
[x] You have fallen out of your chair before. (not looking properly)
[ ] When you're lying in bed, you try to find pictures or words in the texture of the ceiling.
[ ] The word "uh" is used many times a day.
*end copy here*
You decide if you need this tag or not. Feel free to bother yourself with this simple trivia.
Comes 30 this December and we're on the way to our fourth Wedding Anniversary. All these years we've enjoyed each others company with openness and trust in the Lord. I pray that He will constantly guide us with strength and willingness to serve our brethren and become a complete family soon.
In line with anniversaries, people would always associate it with precious wedding anniversary stones such as:
1st Anniversary - Gold Jewelry
2nd Anniversary - Garnet
3rd Anniversary - Pearls
4th Anniversary - Blue Topaz
5th Anniversary - Sapphire
6th Anniversary - Amethyst
7th Anniversary - Onyx
8th Anniversary - Tourmaline
9th Anniversary - Lapis Lazuli
10th Anniversary - Diamond Jewelry
11th Anniversary - Turquoise
12th Anniversary - Jade
13th Anniversary - Citrine
14th Anniversary - Opal
15th Anniversary - Ruby
16th Anniversary - Peridot (evening emerald)
17th Anniversary - Watches
18th Anniversary - Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl
19th Anniversary - Aquamarine
20th Anniversary - Emerald
21st Anniversary - Iolite
22nd Anniversary - Spinel
23rd Anniversary - Imperial Topaz
24th Anniversary - Tanzanite
25th Anniversary - Silver Jubilee
30th Anniversary - Pearl Jubilee
35th Anniversary - Emerald
40th Anniversary - Ruby
45th Anniversary - Sapphire
50th Anniversary - Golden Jubilee
55th Anniversary - Alexandrite
60th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
65th Anniversary - Blue Spinel
70th Anniversary - Sapphire Jubilee
75th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
80th Anniversary - Ruby Jubilee
I think it's still early to ask for a Loose Diamond on our fourth year. But maybe that should be known so hubby could save some extra amount for it until our 10th anniversary comes. This round brilliant loose diamond looks perfect for a simple stud earrings to enhance my awkward hairstyle. I'm not really into rings because my wedding ring is enough for me.
This is just one of the simple perks in a relationship. Though not necessarily important. Let this serve as a reminder that there are two things that lasts longer than time. Love is one of them.
Photo was taken a day before the celebration. Purple symbolizes the color of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Just sharing a few updates of AIT's latest milestone. Below is the weekly letter that AIT employees received coming from the President of this Institution (Mr. Said Irandoust).
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously presided over AIT’s 108th Graduation Ceremony, during which she conferred the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa), to His Excellency Mr. Anand Panyarachun, former Prime Minister of Thailand. The degree was in recognition of His Excellency Mr. Anand’s outstanding contributions as a diplomat, business executive, constitution writer, and twice Prime Minister of Thailand and more importantly for AIT as its former Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The citation was read by Dr. Tej Bunnag, Chairman, AIT Board of Trustees.
Her Royal Highness also conferred doctoral and master’s degrees to 181 AIT graduates from 39 countries and delivered a Royal Address on the occasion. H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, and the most outstanding student, Ms. Laongtip Wanasuwannakul, also addressed the gathering. Our children from the AIT Community School wearing their different nationalities sang a few intermission numbers including a song composed by His Majesty the King of Thailand, which was greatly appreciated by all present.
Over the years, AIT has been honored by the good graces of Thailand’s Royal Family. AIT and fortunate to receive Royal Patronage and support of His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family throughout the Institute’s history. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has long been associated with AIT and is an honorary faculty member and alumna of the Institute.During the luncheon which was hosted in honour of HRH Princess Sirindhorn, Her Royal Highness informed us that she had met with His Majesty the King of Thailand prior to her visit to AIT, who conveyed through Her Royal Highness, His Majesty’s continued interest and support for AIT and its work. Her Royal Highness also made a personal contribution of 1 million Baht towards scholarships for needy students to pursue their studies at AIT. Her Royal Highness had very fond memories and recollections of the time she spent at AIT in 1984, when she attended a two-month course at the Asian Regional Remote Sensing Training Center. Her Royal Highness remarked that she had enjoyed her time at AIT, and also greatly appreciated and benefited from the international and multicultural environment which AIT provided, and which Her Royal Highness viewed as one of the Institute’s unique strengths.
Avoid stress by taking a nap while traveling. Nobody is being compensated with the wasted time spent during traffic.
This has been my experience prior to my work here in AIT. I use to travel from here to Bangkok during Mondays and go home on Friday nights. I rented a unit just a few blocks away from my workplace to save myself from the hassle and bustle of rush hour during weekdays. At 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, once you've entered the city of Bangkok whether by bus, private car or taxi (worst) do expect of getting late. I'm sure you'll regret traveling this time of the day specially during rainy season. Last chance of getting on time would be taking a sky train, subway train, boat trip or motorcycle that swerves in between small gaps of buses and cars. This is a bit risky but would be worth a try.
Last Sunday, twas an unusual weekend for me. I took a taxi with hubby and a friend going to church. The vehicles weren't moving on the express way so I expected that a Royal family is going to pass by but it wasn't. The traffic was caused by a car accident ahead.
Normally in times like this, car owners wait for their car insurance to assess the damages and let the tow truck with Load Binders pull out the obstruction. I felt relieved to see nobody got injured on that incident.
I've got some spending issues to tackle this Christmas and that's all about my unexpected expenses. Less was budgeted than the actual expenditures. I came in short with my presents so my first instinct was to charge it to no other than my credit cards, which I dreaded to happen. I swore not to spend more than a specific amount. Only to my surprise. Oh my *gulay! The figures got doubled after getting all the forgotten items. Oh well there goes my penance, perhaps that would be of lesser evil if I try to think of paying mortgages and loans each month.
Lesson learned: shop earlier so as not to accumulate a big expense that may eventually result to bad credit. Although it is now easier to find resources for people with bad credit. I still prefer to manage my finances controllably.
*Gulay means vegetable in Tagalog language.=þ
By Father Joe Maier, C.Ss.R., published Dec. 24, 07, Bangkok Post
It's Christmas and I'm almost positive I saw the Blessed Virgin Mary crying, running through the slum, carrying Jesus with tears running down her face. She slipped and fell down, tore her long dress, taking the full fall and cradling Jesus so he wouldn't be hurt. She quickly picked herself up, grabbed her son, held him so hard he started to cry too, then ran again.
There'd been a commotion and Mary had heard the word ''soldiers''. And that was enough. All she could think of was that Herod's soldiers were coming all over again. Coming again to kill her son. Hurrying through the village, somewhere on the border between Egypt and Judea, she picked up speed, pulling, almost dragging along her almost-three-year-old son Jesus, running away from the crowd into narrow pathways.A few months before, they'd found a modest house. Living there, waiting… waiting really for another dream from another Angel. But of that in a moment.
She ran into Joseph, her husband, rushing out of a house. He said,''Let's go back, melt into the crowd. It's safer there. They won't recognise us and I don't think they are looking for us. They won't hurt us here. We're safe now.'' Mary had skinned her knee, which was bleeding slightly, and Jesus, who had now stopped crying, blew on the cut and kissed it to make the pain go away, as his mother had often done to him. Jesus was getting too heavy for Mary to carry, so Joseph picked him up and they slipped back into the crowd.
They heard voices. Voices of men? Yes. Soldiers? Yes. But Mary hadn't known it was only a drill in the parade grounds. How could she? Soldiers practising: A routine, but uncommon enough to always draw a crowd. And they were Roman soldiers, not Herod's. She had to remind herself that they were no longer in Bethlehem , just a few kilometres from Jerusalem . They were now on the Judean-Egyptian border, and safe.
Months earlier, though it seemed like last night, they had run away in the middle of the night, running out of Bethlehem , minutes ahead of Herod's soldiers, who had orders to kill her son, that is, to kill all one- or two-year-old boys in the area.
Joseph had heard an Angel's voice in a life-saving dream, a nightmare really. ''Run away now, and take the child and his mother to Egypt . Run for your lives. Stay there 'till you are told to return. You will know.'' And ran they did: Walking by night, hiding by day. A long journey on foot, some 50km over the Judean hills and then across the desert to the border of Egypt .They had just escaped from Bethlehem - beautiful Bethlehem - the village where Jesus was born. The shepherds and their families - in those days, society's poorest and least respected people _ were watching their flocks by night when they heard the singing of angels,saw a bright star and came to pay homage to the newborn Christ. And on that special night - Christmas - as they came across the Judean hills, the night sky lit by a special star, angels in heaven appeared. Singing. Praising the new-born child. A child who had been born to bring love to the whole world.
And later, much later, perhaps two years, so our traditions say, the Magi followed that special star that rose in the East, arriving in royal caravan with mystical gifts: Gold for a royal person. Frankincense for a holy, consecrated person. And myrrh to prepare a body. A funeral.
Mary and Joseph, with their infant son Jesus, had moved from the stable where Mary had given birth. They'd found a modest house in Bethlehem, living there something like two years, as our traditions and old documents tell us, until the Magi came and found them. These are ancient stories in ancient languages believed by ancient peoples and by millions of us today.
And now, Mary and Joseph and their child silently slipped back into the anonymity of a crowd to hide from the soldiers once again, this time along the border of Egypt . They'd gone there because that's what the angel said to do in the dream.
As they quietly joined the crowd, they looked around and laughed and cried for joy and relief: Just a soldiers' drill. A parade. No, not searching for them. Not searching for their child Jesus to come and kill him.
There would be soldiers again, years ahead, after Joseph had died, and Mary would stand on a faraway hill at the foot of a cross - but that's another story.
Mary watched her son Jesus playing with the other children, wondering what would become of them: She, Joseph and their child Jesus.
Angels and a star rising from the East … the Magi and mystical gifts… soldiers. Also, remembering back, it was 40 days after Jesus' birth when, according to religious custom, they had traveled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and had presented Jesus in the temple; and there on the temple grounds, an old woman who had lived seemingly forever, known for her holiness, uttered strange prophesies about Mary and her child. Plus there was an old holy man, his face all aglow, coming up out of nowhere really, asking if he could hold her infant son, touch him, just for a moment and then saying now his life was complete. Now, he could pass on: He had held the son of God in his arms. He had seen the face of God.
And these happenings were a long time ago in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and along the border between Judea and Egypt , but here today in Bangkok, I hope it's not too brazen so say to all of us at Christmas: We too must look to see the very face of God in every child we meet.
And for me, maybe … there are the faces of six-year-old Miss Peh and her best friend Miss Fon, who is seven, living at our Mercy Centre, both of them children with no place to go. Miss Peh, her eyes don't work too good. They tell me she was okay when she was born, but The virus got her bad … from her innocent mum, you know, who got it from her dad who came home at dawn one Tequila morning. The virus attacked her optic nerve plus goofed up lot of other things in her nervous system, so her walking ain't the best and her talking - well, she's still working on that, too.
But talk she does - lots - to her best friend Miss Fon, who can walk and talk normal-like, but her vision is going blurry. A few days ago, she walked right smack dab into a wall: Almost knocked herself out. A big bump on her forehead. And she cried and cried, asking over and over to everyone there: ''Why didn't you tell me?'' So Miss Peh came over and held her and blew on her forehead and kissed it to make the hurt go away. Then they started to laugh and giggle and whisper secrets again, like little girls do.
And the other morning, just before dawn, the girls were singing together - no, not like the music you hear in songs with words, but singing just the same. And all I could think of was the angels singing in high heaven with a message to the shepherds and to all of us to journey across the Judean Hills to see the newborn child. And then to look up and see that special star. And we all have to do that, don't we? To listen, especially at Christmas time, so that we can hear the singing of the angels in high heaven, no matter how faint or how loud or how far away, and to look up and see that special star rising from the East.
That's why Christmas happened: So we can look with compassion and love into the faces of Miss Peh and Miss Fon and your children and all children and see the very face of God.
I got deeply touched by the innocence of the characters in Fr. Joe's story. He's our beloved parish priest here in AIT who never gets tired of serving us.
Any support you'd like to extend in this time of merriment and gift giving kindly send them to Father Joe Maier -chairman and co-founder of the Human Development Foundation in Klong Toey,Bangkok. For more information,call +66-2-671-5313 or visit www.mercycentre.org.
My cousin is staying with me this week for a Christmas holiday. She arrived yesterday afternoon while Tony was having a haircut at the barber shop. Both of us waited for hubby to finish and we headed home to do our preparation.
On the way home, my cousin's niece was sending her updates through SMS informing her about their family's celebration back home in the Philippines, reminded me to call my mother as well. But my telephone is acting again, making it difficult to hear the other line due to the disturbing interference. So I settled by using my mobile phone and bought two international calling cards so I won't run out of time with all my stories to tell.
My mom and both my brothers were there when I called. It feels good to know they're safe and blessed to attend the mass in the evening, had their share for the Noche Buena and watched the fireworks display in the plaza.
Yipeee!! My site is qualified for General Audience based from Lets1101 ratings. I wonder why Ate Carey's ideasnpink got NC17 for it. Tony's techxplore.net, my dviewfinder and biznbuzz.net and Daisy's rainydazee is also rated G during my latest inquiry.
Click here if you want to know your rating too. Any odd reaction, fancy comment, out of this world suggestions are most likely welcome. =D
Blogging has brought me several good things that I never expected to happen. I have found friends who never fails to amaze me by their thoughtfulness and creativity which inspires me to honor them. To my Multiply buddies (specially Therese and Ayen), you're all in my thoughts and prayers this Christmas.
On their travels they set aside their precious time to send me a postcard. And during this Christmas my mailboxes (both snail mail and email) are full of their warm greetings and best wishes for the coming year. This I may say, that the best things in life are free. =)
Speaking of mailboxes, I noticed that residential mailboxes here in Thailand are almost uniform. There printed a name either Bangkok Post or The Nation newspaper where the resident is subscribed. Here in AIT there are two huge commercial mailboxes located near the cafeteria and Dorm J assigned for each student. Each new student is given a specific mailbox number where they could get their notices, letters and cards. But for us staffs it goes straight to our offices and not in the residential mailbox.
My mailbox is full of surprises this month. I wish everyday is always a Christmas day.
My line's busy this past few days. Greeting friends and family 'Merry Christmas' has kept me preoccupied aside from my other activities and guests at home. It's now or never. Later comes New Year. Time really flies so fast.
Have you ever tried downloading free ringtones on the net? Me I haven't. But I'm too tired of my usual ringing tone now. I'm trying to search for Dance Ringtones or similar to T.I.'s "What You Know" Hip Hop Ringtones.
My mobile service provider promotes the same services to its customers. Hence, I'm expecting an extra monthly expense. Money wise, I think this won't be necessary. The free Polyphonic Ringtones is just right for me.
It's now the end of our caroling and most of the people from AIT had gone for a holiday spree in their homeland. Me and Tony will spend the holidays together in our home sweet home.
A part of our plan is to do the general cleaning and replace the light fixtures in our room. Adding some tiny chandeliers on the wall would also be perfect to create a romantic mood inside our house. Enhancing the home lighting is a little costly but maybe not this time of the year. I saw shops with super big discounts yesterday in the nearest mall.
People are busy with Christmas eve preparation now. I myself have been assigned to bake some dessert for our community's celebration right after our mass at 10 PM.
Today we have Fr. Gerry, Bro. Ben and Bro. Dondon spending some time here in AIT. We manage to keep them busy like playing tennis and getting them oriented around the campus. Me and my husband also introduced them to Indian foods such as Chicken Tanduri, Cheese Naan and authentic Indian Chicken Curry. I was surprised they like it. The sight of the food was a bit scary they said but when they tasted they finished the servings right away.
Right now, aside from blogging I'm also preparing the breakfast and hubby is baking some pandesal for them. Soon our guests will be leaving before lunch to attend a house blessing.
In the afternoon I will be buying some presents for the exchange gift tonight and prepare the venue for the mass as well. Good thing it's holiday here in Thailand. Today is there last day of electronic election.
Money is one of the most thought of things in life. People are always thinking of how and where to get more money. Many are pre-occupied in life trying to manage their finances. Even simple and common daily spending is difficult to track that sometimes it goes out of proportion. When finances are already out of control then the problem of debt comes in. To help resolve this, a debt management service would be useful.
There are companies and even non-profit organizations like Consumer Credit Management Services, Inc. (CCMS) which offer consumers services on credit management. Organizations like this help people through credit counseling and education about money matters like budgeting to debt restructuring. The final end is to guide people on the right path of handling common finance to make them debt free.
Doing carols every night helps one in developing a keen ear on the music. Caroling also hones the ability to spot the perfect acoustic effects of various house ceiling structures. We seldom visit houses that have a perfect acoustic set up. There are many factors that dampens the sound as we sing and sometimes also echoes the sound like an overlapping of sounds.
Tonight, we're lucky and blessed that even if we are few in numbers we sung in a perfect acoustic house interior. Even with just around a dozen of carolers I could distinctly hear like different voices of alto, soprano, tenor, and base. The quality of the music is comparable to 20 or more members singing when we're in complete attendance. We are so happy and could not believe to sing the difficult a Capella songs. This is one of those caroling miracles.
In the province of Negros, my husband's family has an auto repair and machine shop business before. This is a growing and expanding business in the 70's. I could remember of stories that they go to machine shop equipment trade fairs in other countries to search for latest models of lathe machines, milling machines, boring machines and more. They also check the tool holders and different milling tips available like carbide tip tools to specialized Diamond End Mills.
The auto repair and machine shop's technical business was run by his dad while the management was done by his mom. This has a big influence on my husband that it prompted him to follow the footsteps of his parents to take up Mechanical Engineering and hone his business management skills.
A new memorandum has been approved and disseminated to the faculty, staff, students and residents of AIT. The environment committee are taking a bolder step to forewarn everybody in the campus on the use of non-biodegradable materials. This calls for a little sacrifice on our part. In return we are not only doing a big favor for ourselves but for the example we set for others.
Effective from January 1 2008, AIT will ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and styrofoam food and drink containers by vendors on the AIT campus.
We do not expect to see plastic bags disappear completely since we do not have control over the plastic bags given by retailers outside AIT. However, I strongly encourage members the AIT community to try and avoid bringing into the campus non-biodegradable plastic bags and Styrofoam.Banning the use of plastic bags and styrofoam food boxes on campus is not only symbolic, but it is also a significant step towards reducing AIT’s generation of solid waste. Doing so means that we are serious about implementing our new environmental policy, and adopting a leading role in environmental good governance. Since June, members of the AIT community have been urged to say no to plastic bags, and a significant proportion of the community is doing so already.
The measure will primarily affect shops and food vendors, and will therefore need to be implemented in close collaboration with them. The Infrastructure Office and the AIT Environment Task Force will assist the vendors during the two-week transitionary period. This will involve publicizing the measure, making alternatives more easily available and known to vendors, and advising on pricing and packaging.
In the medium to long term, other measures will be implemented that will contribute towards compliance with the environment policy.
With appreciation for your cooperation.
I and the other carolers attended a simple gathering last night with a Filipino couple and their expat friends. They invited us for a caroling and supper in their lovely house located in the outskirts of Bangkok. It was a little surprising to find a house akin to that of a library with only two persons living inside.
We were a rowdy group last night, displaying a sense of comfy with the host who has been our patron for many years now. Only then our attention got divided when we watched Al Gore's "The Inconvenient Truth" in their new Sony TV. There's not much of the movie, since we've watched it many times, but with the awesome reception displayed on the Sony Flat Screen. Our eyes were stuck at the sight of the Sony Flat Panel.
Everything went well during the night. The crowd was ecstatic and the host was very generous enough to give each of us a loaf of Christmas pudding.
For Filipinos no matter how difficult life is, education is still the first priority of every parent to their children. Last year our government had launched the Ladderized Education System ( LES) which combines technical and vocational courses that are creditable for collegiate degree. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco noted that LES for our countrymen will eventually open "opportunities to take control of their lives, equip themselves with the skills and competencies they need to get a job, earn an income, and liberate themselves from the shackles of poverty, helplessness and hopelessness."
In other parts of the world like US, students may have different perspective in going into college. The reasons may not be as deeply rooted like in our culture but for the fact that they too need further education to live a good life.
I remember before I finally enrolled myself in University of St. La Salle (USLS) I had several options in mind where to study. My father had to persuade me many times to enroll in one of the popular college during his time so I politely turn down the offer. I told him that things have changed. I made my own requirements and that I found out that USLS has everything to offer me.
If only we were above average family, I could have chosen to study in Westwood and graduate either in California College, or LA College. Their location and facilities are very attractive to would be college students. They know what's best for you.
Carey tagged me this time. Here's my sassy wish list for 2008.
Work- renewal of contract
Travel- visit the neighboring countries of Laos and Vietnam.
Gadget- upgrade to Nikon D200 (i'll see if it's not heavy, Chelo makes me dream of this all the time).
Accessories- new battery for my mobile phone.
Appliance- an air cooler for summer months.
Shopping- I'd better be back to SAHA next November.
Investment- perhaps a new unit in Parañaque.
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Due to the busy schedule that I have both at work and other extra curricular activities I skipped going to gym for 3 months. I was hoping that after this year I could once again start gym session in January. I have a lean built and I don't look over weight, but I found out that I still have to shed off some 2 kg extra fat. Maybe I need to firm up some muscles, so that I'll gain weight.
Gym sessions like Body Balance, Body Jam and some weight lifting exercises are my favorite. I also supplement my exercise with some healthy drinks like fresh fruit, vegetable juice, fruits and milk. Milk is a good source of protein and important for the muscles.
Lately, I have read of muscle milk which is a perfect bedtime drink. Its protein blend of whey and casein is apt for a healthy diet. The milk is patterned after a mother's milk which contains natural elements for anabolic growth potential. This kind of milk is superb as it has immune boosters combined with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and other growth factors.
Hopefully, I'll be back to the gym starting next year.
Saturday, 15 December, five of us (Jens, Jun, Joy, hubby and me) planned to attend the "Night with OMI Seminarians" in Samphran, Nakhon Pathom province. We set the meeting place in Adidas store in Muangthong Thani (Impact Arena) where Jens lives nearby.
This Christmas my food intake during dinner is either too much or too less depending on the host who invited us for caroling. Others are really generous enough to feed us lavishly while there are also times when more drinks are being served than solid foods.
On January, I'll be back to my regular gym exercise in Fitness First. It is time to be more cautious of my diet. I noticed that my belly is back to its balloon shape again. Entering into weight loss programs like joining group exercises in body jam and body balance has been a big help for me.
I'm done reading the electronic copy of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" and it's time to move on with "The Magnetic Diet." The reviews of this book are quite interesting. I'd better grab a copy of this instructional material soon. It is really important to find the right regimen that suits my appetite. I believe this book will help me improve my understanding on proper diet and proper exercise.
Dear all,
In the occassion of celebrating EID festival, I would like to invite you all on 20th December (Thursday) for the lunch (from 11:30 onwards) or dinner (from 5:00 pm onwards) at my place (ST8 No.32). Please let me
know your acceptance and convenient time (lunch or dinner) asap. So that I could make some special dishes for you.I would appreciate your soonest response in this regard.
Warmly,
Jhuma
This coming Thursday, the Muslim community of AIT is celebrating the Eid-ul-Fitr Festival. This marks the end of Ramadan or the month of fasting. Several friends of my Bangladeshi officemate come together in their house each year in celebration of this event. There culture is similar to that of fiestas in the Philippines were the host welcomes everybody to dine in their house. I never get tired of eating Jhuma's beef curry wrapped inside chapati. Now I'm looking forward to eat the Egg Haloa dessert once again.
In Business Dictionary - Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker and adapting the work environment to the needs of humans. An overall goal of ergonomics is to promote health and safety and to optimize productivity.
Computer and desk stretch exercises are vital to office employees like me who works eight straight hours and even more in front of the computer. After learning the concept of ergonomics at work and in relation to people-machine chemistry, I realized it's time to make a little adjustment in the way I position my chair. I loosen the knots and bolts of my chair and pulled it up, repositioning it comfortably facing my PC.
Another option in achieving a pleasant workspace is through the use of Delux Workbench. It is very flexible and space saving compared to my present office table. All of my office tools are squeezed in together in one layer. I might try requesting this office equipment when our new project arrives.
Exercise can always make me feel hungry. I try not to starve myself too much by drinking lots of water. Or I might gain weight on the process instead of losing it.
Me and Tony had a short volley last Saturday in the tennis court near the AIT library. Other friends were also there playing beside us. As expected it was a lively evening for all of us who speaks/knows bisaya. After which we decided to end the night with a dinner at Jakarat.
It was my first time to try there Gaeng Som Mai Phet (non-spicy Fish in tamarind soup). The taste was superb and good enough for my picky taste buds. We ordered only non-spicy because for Thais this literally means containing only 1 tablespoon of chilly paste. Whereas spicy ones contains almost tear jerking amount of chilly. Probably 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Web hosting is probably considered part of the blogging dictionary since it's not new to serious bloggers to establish new domains and look for hosting services to run their site on the web. For me it has been tedious to think of the perfect domain name but webhosting should be less worried for. On the net there are thousands of such services to choose from like in http://www.webhostingchoice.com. This site gives you a chance to look for a perfect host considering your demands for cost, disk space and bandwidth. It automatically displays a number of recommended plans according to the specifications inputted then it will show different categories for viewers to compare and select from.
This gives me a good idea that I must register a similar service there too. It would be a big help for our Webzyhost to be part of their database.
We at our department had a simple Christmas celebration last week. We had a potluck lunch and an exchange gift. I gorged on the palabok that Agnes prepared and with some mango float for dessert.
Only few staffs attended, since others were on travel, but at least all the faculties were complete. It may not have been as festive like last year. Still all had a share of laugh and happiness for the season.
For my exchange gift, Philippe got mine and I received a beautiful scented candle holder from Agnes. At first I was hesitant to admit my gift for Philippe because it was too feminine. But when he appreciated it, I blurted that it came from me.
Why do we really have to be obsessed with SEO (search engine optimization)? Who says I must do so?
Well for few reasons, a conscious site owner would opt to optimize a domain for the following:
1. To better position your site on Google, Yahoo or MSN search engines or we call search engine placement.
2. Topics to be easily accessed by viewers.
3. To be included on the top 10 list of search results or called search engine ranking.
Among my blog sites, simplepleasures.i.ph has the highest page rank. The rest are still on the process. I'm grooming my other personal domains and even want to try the organic SEO to add value or maybe double the chances of increasing my page rank.
a life like ours is comparably black & white. That had turned colorful by the richness of experiences and dreams that we uniquely share in our day to day life here in Thailand. Simple living is what we deeply desire and the pleasures we get out of this lifestyle is everything that we fondly reveal. Get to know what interests us...variety of foods, travel, technology, health and lifestyle, photography and a lot more.
for cakes and catering in Cebu 
for flowers and interior design needs 
Stumbled on your site.. and really found it super nice!
BOX
Hello to all! May tanong po ako, saan po ba pwede mag send ng balik bayan from Ching mai (Thailand) to the Philippines???
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or here:
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FUCK to all Online Marketer MAbuhay
masamang huwag bisitahin ang blog ni moy moy may abnoy he he
your blog is pleasure to read
hello! just visiting ur blog. hope u visit mine too.. 
hi there
Happy birthday, Leen! =) *hugs*
Survivor Philippines: Pautakan! Pagalingan! Patatagan! Napadaan lang, Subukan mo ako! Lets exchange link para matatag! Salamat!
hi ark… keep coming =)
Hi, just dropping by. 
thanks for the visits!
Nice blog, according to Alexa.com your blog is the most popular one in i.ph
Have you been to the i.PH forum? It’s at www.i.ph/forum . See you!
care to exchange link just drop by me http://winz.i.ph thanks
hi there..Very nice blog. Take care and see ya around
wow got very delicious posts here, really got me very hungry 
