Monday, August 31, 2009

Lockers

I didn't know how to react to what this girl said to me at work the other day. I didn't know whether to be angry for her sarcasm or if she was only trying to be funny. She and her friends were at work and she asked if we needed any lockers, "You can put stuff inside and lock it," as she said. If I wasn't in a good mood or if their group weren't nice I would show her real sarcasm.

Anyway, yes they started telling us that they could give us a great deal because they had just helped fix up a school nearby and they had old school lockers. I wasn't really interested in the whole locker idea but when I started thinking about it our staff room could use a locker for us "to put our stuff and lock it".

I guess those guys are trying to sell those old wood lockers for them to raise enough funds to buy new gym lockers. I have to admit that those kids are really doing something great for the community and I applaud them for it.


Sunday, August 30, 2009

Blame it on the Philippine Economy & Government

Honestly, I hate my life. I feel that I am the most unsuccessful loser on the face of the planet. I feel so unaccomplished and I feel like killing myself. That's right, I am sick of being someone who has nothing to be proud of except my mom and her accomplishments.

If I only knew... If I had the power to predict that I would waste one year of my life working at a store where my entire human dignity will be chewed and spat out I would have never left the beautiful life that I had. Sure I didn't afford stuff that I wanted and we didn't have a car in the Philippines but I had something that I can be proud of. I was a student at one of the best university in the Philippines. I was praised as being one of the smartest and considered as a student leader... but all of that is meaningless now... I'm just a loser...

My whole life is being challenged. My beliefs and my self worth is being shaken... The strong foundation that I have built through the years of studying well and trying to make academic and even social accomplishments are now easily uprooted and thrown into the abyss. I have nothing... I was an educated person, but once I set foot on Canada my education and my everything is deemed uncompetitive and inferior as compared to Canadian standards.

I hate being gloomy about the entire thing... I especially hate being gloomy about my life in front of my mom. I feel bad because I feel like I'm blaming her for what's happening to me... or rather, what's not happening to me. But I don't blame my mom. She meant well and she never expected this either to happen to me. If there was anyone to blame, it would be the Philippine economy and the government.

That's right! It's the Philippine economy and the Philippine government that should be blamed for my current situation. If the Philippines was like Canada, no one would ever leave the country and everyone would live a good life because everything can be afforded. I hate the stupid politicians and the idiot people who elected them and then complain about it. Seriously, after Ferdinand Marcos everything went downhill. Schools depicts Marcos as an evil corrupt man but for me he was the one that has built a great foundation for a better future but all these foundations where discontinued by Cory Aquino and even the projects of Marcos that could have benefited a lot where stopped because it was the project of the man she hates, how selfish and thoughtless.

I have so many dreams and goals... I wanted to be a great person who could contribute something to man kind... but being born in the Philippines has greatly injured my chances... I don't hate my mother land but I'm just very frustrated right now...

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Climb


Lyrics | Miley Cyrus lyrics - The Climb lyrics

I just love this song from Miley Cyrus! I'm not really a big fan of her (or a fan in fact) but when I heard this song I started to think that this girl does have the ability to inspire people. I can really relate to this song because right now I am dealing with so many stress, frustrations, and self-pity because I'm having great difficulty getting into college.

There are so many times that I've thinking of ending my suffering but I just had to remind myself that everyone has encountered life-altering problems in their lives and that they are able to get through it. My problem isn't that big if you look at it from another angle. I just have to wait it out and be patient because it just happened that there was no space in the program right now but I am eligible for admission.

Back to The Climb. If you read along the lyrics it tells us that there will be mountains after the mountain we are facing now. Life will be difficult but we can do it. I am especially captivated by the line "Ain't about how fast we get there". We all have desires that we want to achieve but we have to accept the fact that there are times that we are slowed down or redirected away from our goal but surely we can still reach it.

There were these 2 nice old Filipino couple, who are now retired and just enjoying the fruits of the many years that they have worked hard, who told me that I am still young and I still have so many things that I can accomplish. I was very happy when they called me "baby" when I told them that I was 21. I was glad to hear that they still think that I am still able to be who I want to be.

"And I, I gotta be strong. Just keep pushing on.... It's the climb!"

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

New Way to Blog

I just bought an iPhone app called BlogPress which you may have already guessed is a blogging app.

I just thought that I might be able to use this while I'm on the road and I suddenly think of something to blog. I think that this a great idea because I sometimes am too lazy to make a post so my great idea for a blog entry becomes a thing of the past and is forgotten just like that. Anyway I have to keep this short because I have to get to work. I have to make a separate post for my rant. LOL!


-- Post From My iPhone

Monday, August 17, 2009

Sometimes Prevention Is Better than the Cure

This is exactly what I said to my friend who had to reformat his entire hard drive because his computer was badly infested with those nasty Trojan, Worms, and even Spyware and Adwares. I didn't stop myself from telling him endless "I-told-you-so's" when he refused to install an antivirus. I only stopped laughing at his great misfortune once I realized that he had this defeated look upon his face. Well I am human after all and I understand how heart-wrenching it is for all your precious files, both for work and for fun, disappear just like that.

Well it could all have been prevented if he took my advice and installed an antivirus and antispyware just like I said. But no, he insisted that these programs where just scams and he didn't want to waste his money on stuff that he won't need anyway. He insisted that he is always careful not to plug-in USB Storage devices from other people and that he chooses which sites to go to very carefully. He didn't grasp the concept that even if he chooses which sites to open carefully, even the sites that he thought were safe could have links to sites that are potentially dangerous as they are virus and malware infested. Once you enter that site, your computer is directly infected if no reliable anti-spyware and antivirus is installed.

I for one believe that having an antivirus and anti-spyware software installed in your computer is a great investment as you protect yourself from the frustration and grief of losing important documents and files. But if you think that losing files is the worst part, we have to understand that we should have internet security because vital information is on the internet like our bank accounts. Imagine if a keylogging spyware is installed without your permission, your banking information may be stolen and this could lead to the very huge and common problem of identity theft.

So again, prevention is better than cure! Get yourself protected and learn from my friend's stupid mistake.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Being a Responsible Blogger

As the saying goes, the right of one person is not absolute. All rights are relative because YOUR rights extend only to the point where MY rights begin. This holds true to the Right to Freedom of Speech. Although one is allowed to say, write, or express anything he/she wants, these rights end when you speak ill of other people and when you lie or mislead other people.

So why am I talking about rights? Well let's just say that I realized that as a Blogger, I should uphold certain rules of right conduct. Being a blogger is just like being a journalist. Although the scope and limitations of both differ in certain aspects, it can be held true that one can become a target of harsh criticism when one speaks ill of certain parties or when one publishes false information. This especially holds true to me because I don't hide under a false alias and I blog using my real name. Sure this can be a huge risk as this opens me to several dangers such as identity theft, stalkers, and etc yet this is countered by a positive aspect such as credibility.

On the internet, anyone hides under a false nickname and they can be who ever they want to be. This is why we have so many trolls or internet haters out there. Everyone who logs on to the internet should have their IP's registered so that anyone who is guilty of internet crimes such as hacking, fraud, and plain blatant disregard of morals and ethics on forums can be penalized.

So from now on, I will think of my audience. I will refrain from using foul language and I will handle sensitive topics with care. I will always try to remember that I should be a responsible blogger.



Thursday, August 13, 2009

Vanessa Hudgens Humiliated at Teen Choice Awards



I have heard of this story from my friends on Facebook and I've got to say that this was just plainly inappropriate. So if you haven't watched the video above, watch it now. If you don't want to watch it then this is how the story goes:

At the Teen Choice Awards, Dane Cook was on stage and he called out to Vanessa Hudgens to stand up. She did and she was waving her hands to him thinking that he would say something funny. Instead he told her in front of hundreds of people on national television to "Keep her clothes on" and that "phones were meant for calling". I think we all know about her nude pictures that were scattered on the internet. She was sorry for it and we all make stupid mistakes in our lives.

What Dane Cook did wasn't funny at all. It was a direct attack on Vanessa Hudgen's dignity as a human person and it was blatantly disrespectful to her. Dane Cook, there is a reason why people don't always say out loud what's on their minds. They don't want to be an inconsiderate jerk that places people in a difficult situation. I could really empathize with Vanessa Hudgens and if I were in her place I would really be hurt and I would either cry, run out, or kill that Dane Cook right there and then. But I have to give Vanessa props for keeping her cool and for being strong despite that great insult that was slapped on her face unexpectedly.

Vanessa Hudgens didn't come to the Teen Choice Awards to be humiliated or persecuted. If she did she would come to a comedy bar where comedians like Dane Cook would find faults in his audience and say inconsiderate things like that.

There is always the right time and place for everything. In the field of nursing or other professions, you do not blatantly point out a colleague's errors or mistakes in front of the patient/client because this would destroy one's credibility. If you really need to point out a mistake, you should do so in a way that doesn't humiliate your colleauge.

Also in real life you do not just point out things that would embarass a person. For example, I had this customer who was asking for an extra large coffee with 3 creams and 8 sugars. I didn't go berserk and say,"8 sugars?! Are you insane? Do you really want to acquire diabetes?". I didn't give her funny looks and just left her alone.

I have never heard of Dane Cook before but I sure would nominate him for the Biggest Inconsiderate Self-Worshipping Prick Award!

I Get the Last Laugh

Remember my post about me being a victim of psychological harassment? Well turns out I get to have a fairy tale ending after all because those group of Filipinos who have nothing better to do with the remainder of their time but talk and stick their noses to other people's lives and act like they own the whole store laughing their heads of are finally going to be kicked out once they become noisy.

It so happens that the other regular customers in our store are so sick and tired of them being obnoxious and unruly that one of them sent a complaint to the store's head office and we were then told to remove them the premises whenever they become to loud or if anyone complains about them again.

But I'm actually not very happy that I have to wait for them to be noisy just so that we can throw them outside and ban them. I want them to be banned right now because I don't want to take anymore of their harassment. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to give my manager a harassment complaint. That way they get all the more reason to ban them.

I get the last laugh you [***censored***]!!!

I try to be the bigger person and just ignore them but what can I do? They just piss me off!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Kmart Bluelight Specials

Although this post was indeed sponsored by Kmart, my opinions here are my own because I have personally shopped at Kmart before and I enjoyed the fact that they had a wide selection of items at very reasonable prices! But what's really exciting is that this coming Saturday they are having a sale and they are giving special offers on everything throughout the day! All at Bluelight Special Prices!

If you don't know what Kmart Bluelight specials are then you really are missing out a lot. Just to let you know when Kmart throws a sale, it's not just the measly 5% or 10% discount. When they mean special, they mean 70% off on patio furnitures and an additional 10% discounts on jewelry that already had 70% discount! That's really crazy! You can imagine how extremely happy the customers are when Kmart hosts these Bluelight Specials, it's really awesome!

I'm really setting my eyes on those diamonds because I want to buy them for my mom and those patio furnitures would look fantastic on our new deck! So it's really important to know when Kmart holds these Bluelight Specials because they don't happen everyday plus when there are huge discounts supplies won't last long so it's best if you follow Kmart on Twitter. You'll be well informed so you'd know when to schedule your shopping spree and get your credit card ready.

Click Here
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Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Empty Lot

When you look at this picture you can only see an empty lot. It is barren and lifeless. But I see it in a different light, I see it's potential and what it's going to be. This empty lot will soon give way for our new home.

I am glad that finally, some progress has finally happened in the building of our home. The blueprints were finally approved and signed and in two weeks time, construction will begin. I really am excited for the transformations that will happen and I really hope that everything will go as planned so that our house will finally be finished this November.

Home... It's what I call my personal sanctuary. A place where I can forget about everything and just relax.


Friday, August 7, 2009

How to Earn Money through Blogging

I am not a problogger earning hundreds to thousands of dollars per month but I do earn money every month, like $50/month. It all depends upon three factors: the amount of visitors I get, the number of clicks on my Adsense Ads, and the opportunities I get to write a sponsored post.

So if you want to earn money during your spare time and you enjoy expressing yourself through blogging then this is a perfect combination. I will show you some simple steps that I have taken myself to earn bucks. You should follow these simple steps:

1. Of course you actually would need a blog to place your posts and ads. So if you're new to blogging and have absolutely no idea about internet and website jargons, Blogger is the best way to go! With blogger, they offer an easy to use blogging interface, they host your pictures for free, they give you a free blog domain (with the yourname.blogspot.com), and just for $10/year you can easily transfer your yourname.blogspot.com blog to a yourname.com blog which is REALLY RECOMMENDED if you want to earn more money and have better opportunities. Other blogging interfaces that I have heard of were good but I didn't try them myself would be WordPress.

2. So in the process of creating your very own blog you are stuck with the dilema of choosing your Blog Title. Well first of all, your blog title should be interesting, short but catchy, and plainly point blank gives the readers an idea of what you are writing about. I will give you a shameless plug, take for example my very own My Nurses Notes. Sure the name is not that catchy but it's short and it summarizes my entire content which is my clinical experiences and thoughts as a student nurse.

3. So your blog is ready but you have to customize it first. I'm no techy but you could do what I did for my Angel in the Sickroom, another shameless plug. Although I got my blog template from searching the web, I personalized it by changing the banner using Photoshop. It's better to use a three column blog as it allows you more space for chatboxes, links to other bloggers, ads, and other stuff so that your blog won't look ordinary, plain, and boring.

4. So everything is set in your blog layout. So if you're using Blogger, lucky you! You can just simply add Adsense ads into your blog template and also in between your posts if you'd like (Layout->Blog Posts->Edit->Configure In-line ads). It's best if you have a Google Account so that you can link your blog and Google Adsense easier.

5. Once all your ads are set, you would actually want to attract readers too so that they could click on your ads and so that you can earn money faster. The best way to get your blog known and discovered on the internet is to join the blogging community. You can add your blog to blog directories (like the ones at my 1st column under blog directories), joining and installing EntreCard on your blog for instant traffic, submitting your blog to search engines like:
Or if you don't have the time, you can use these free services to submit your website to the other hundreds of search engines:
Of course, you could also do the traditional way and even the most effective way of getting readers: visit other blogs and interact with the blog owner. Make friends and exchange links.

6. So you have introduced your blog to the blogosphere and now have daily visits from other people. Just keep your posts interesting and unique and maybe in a matter of weeks or months you will get a PageRank. PageRank ranges from 0 to 10 with 10 as the highest. Mind you, if you want to earn money your blog's worth is measured by the PR. If you have a higher PR like my Angel in the Sickroom (which has a PR 4) you can be eligible to make paid posts. Right now I can get sponsored posts for $20 per 200 word post. You may want to join these:


Blog Advertising - Advertise on blogs with SponsoredReviews.com
Blog Advertising - Get Paid to Blog
Advertise On This Blog

So there you go! Hope these tips and referrals will help you in your path to earning money through blogging!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Eating My Bibingka

Call me a little piggy but I really love food. I sometimes forget the world once my palates are kept happy with bursting flavors of goodness.

One of the things that I am proud of and love as a Filipino is our food. I may sound biased but I really enjoy our food. Sure there a lot of Filipino dishes that are influenced by other cultures but still I love them anyway.

Anyway, I have to stop blogging now so that I can fully enjoy my bibingka (it's just like rice pudding) that Ate Elen (my supervisor from work) had generously given me. She loves cooking and I love eating! What a perfect match made in heaven LOL!

7-Year Old Driving A Car


Most people would find this story funny but having a 7-year old driving a car at speeds of 70 km/hour is like having an unmanned aircraft crash land into your neighborhood.

Quebec Police sure didn't find anything hilarious with this incident. The parents and other family members in the Honda CR-V that the 7-year old was driving weren't wearing seatbelts so they could have been seriously injured or worst killed. Although they were driving in an old country road with no other motorists or people, a deer could have just darted out of no where and they could have all been badly hurt if the collision occurred.

Since the child is a minor and can't be legally charged, his parents face criminal charges and they could risk losing their son to child protective services.

There have been many videos of young children driving cars on busy roads on YouTube and one question runs through my head, "What are their parents thinking?!". That is if their parents were actually thinking.

There are already a lot of bad drivers on the road so I don't want to worry about drivers who can't even reach the pedals.



*****
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/08/03/que-boy-driver.html

How Long Have You Been Here?

I don't want to sound elitist but I really dislike being asked "How long have you been here for?" or "Matagal ka na ba dito?" in Tagalog.

I really find no sense in this question. Why do you need to ask a complete stranger this question? I'm sorry but I have absolutely no intentions of informing a complete stranger my entire life story because my life is my own personal business and there is absolutely no need for you to know who I am, what I am, or what my worth is.

Seriously, the only reason that someone would ask this question is to gauge one's seniority or superiority over someone. So when a Filipino asks another Filipino the question, "How long have you been here?", he/she is actually asking, "Do you already have a house, a car, and lots of money?".

My mom once told me about her experience while she was on a bus on her way to work. She was just minding her own business when a group of Filipino women comes to her and starts a conversation with her. They then ask the same old questions like "How long have you been here?" and "What's your job and how much do you make?".

Why can't Filipinos just live their own effing lives and stop with their comparing and being nosey. I once heard someone comment how come we already bought our own house and car when we've only been here for less than a year. This really burst my bubble. So this person means that just because we're new here in Canada we have no right to buy things that we can afford? Then we're labeled "mayabang" or "cocky" just because we go on buying things that were only "reserved" or expected only for Filipinos who have been here in Canada longer. Well sorry, we didn't come here to Canada to follow certain unwritten Filipino laws and culture because we have our own life so stop barging in.

Tsk tsk... my blog is slowly becoming a place to vent my frustrations towards other Filipinos. Honestly, I love the Filipinos back in the Philippines more than the Filipinos living here in Canada. Well just some of them at least, not the entire Filipino-Canadians.

Sweet Dreams Mattress

A friend of mine recently shared her experience with Sweet Dreams Mattress because she was extremely happy with the mattress that she had purchased with them. My friend, Sally, is just like me when it comes to beds. We both love comfortable beds because after a hard day`s work you deserve to have a cozy mattress to sleep on.

She talked about Sweet Dreams Mattress because I recently told her that I wanted to buy a new mattress because my current mattress is just so bad that I sometimes can`t sleep because I have to constantly change my sleeping position so that I wont feel the springs. I have to admit that my mattress isn`t that good because it`s cheap but again, who said you can`t get a very good mattress for a very reasonable price.

This is why Sally recommended Sweet Dreams mattress. They don`t care if you walk out the door and don`t buy anything from them. All they want to do is provide their customers the proper ``beducation`` . You heard me right! Beducation! Because we buyers should be able to make informed decisions when buying the right mattress for us in terms of firmness, padding, quality, and of course all at the right price.

Anyway, wish me luck with my new mattress so that I could have sweet dreams for a change.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Long Drive to British Columbia

Guess I really can't survive a day without my beloved computer and the internet so even when I'm on the road, my computer comes with me. So here I am at Fairmont Hot Springs at one of the villas that my parents own (timeshare that is) and doing this blog entry.

I'm actually disappointed that my parents bought a timeshare at Fairmont because this means that instead of having money for my "future car" (crossed fingers) the money goes to paying the monthly and yearly maintenance fees.

Anyway, I'm really so tired right now. I'm proud that I was able to beat my laziness and actually went to the gym and worked out. I'm really really out of shape so I really need the exercise. I think I'll continue this routine when I go back to Edmonton.

Gosh I really love long drives. The scenery is breathtaking and I get to forget all my problems and just live for the moment. Oh well I'll just enjoy the rest of my vacation.