Wednesday, October 15, 2008

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 09:02:00 05/27/2008
(This is part of Take Charge of Your Money , a partnership between INQUIRER.net and Citibank to help readers handle their personal finances well.)

Question: There is much talk about global warming and how it can affect our children’s future. Closer to home, we have seen rivers die and landfills becoming mountains of trash over the years. We’d like to set a good example to our own kids and do our share in helping save the environment. What can we do in that end without having to shell out a lot of cash? — Jun

Answer: All over the world, more and more people are becoming aware of the need to do something about our environment. Our own parents bear witness to the fact that the rivers they have swum in when they were young have “died” or are on the road to death. Forest areas have been decreasing over the years as people pursue mining, urban development and housing, leading to erosion and flooding. Mountains have become bald and polar caps have been melting.

There is a lot we can do to help preserve and save our environment. Below are our environment-friendly tips that won’t create a dent in your budget; you may save on costs too.

At home
1. After doing the laundry, air-dry clothes instead of putting them in the dryer.
2. When not using appliances, unplug them. Appliances on standby mode (such as TV or computers) also use up electricity.
3. When reading, sit by the window to avail of natural light.
4. Do your ironing in one batch.
5. Recycle what you can: softdrink cans, PET bottles, paper, cartons, newspapers, empty printer ink cartridges and even cellphone batteries. Bring these to the junk shop or recycle markets and you may even get cash in return.
6. Pay your bills online or through the phone. Not only will you not have to go to the bank to do this transaction; you will save on time, energy, and gas as well. And if you go paperless and request that your bills be sent by e-mail, you’ll help save a lot of trees to be cut up for paper use. 7. Use more energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances. There is an energy efficiency ratio on appliances in the market: The higher it is, the better. In computers, the newer processors use up less power but perform better.
8. Use gray water (example: water used in cooking) for gardening.
9. Have your toilet fitted with a dual-flush mechanism to save on water.

When shopping
1. Use a bayong or reusable cloth bag when doing your shopping. Plastic bags will cost the stores more and will just end up in landfills. Nowadays, supermarkets encourage the use of reusable bags and some even offer incentives (such as free items) for their use.
2. Plan your shopping trips so you won’t have to go back and forth and waste gas and fare money.
3. Buy products with biodegradable packaging if you can.
4. Consider buying secondhand for items such as furniture and books.

When traveling
1. Use public transport or carpool with other people to save on gas and energy.
2. Have your car tuned up regularly and the tires inflated to the right amount of pressure. This will help your car perform at its best, enabling you to get more mileage out of your gas.
3. For short distances, walk instead of ride. Save on gas and don’t add to the pollution.
4. Consider switching to a more environment-friendly fuel. A lot of taxis now fill up using LPG gas which cost less. There is also a form of unleaded gas that is kinder to the environment.
5. Book your plane tickets online. E-ticketing will help save on paper.
6. Use a digital camera instead of a disposable camera. It will be cheaper in the long run and you won’t contribute to the items to be dumped in landfills.

In the office
1. Print or photocopy on both sides of the paper.
2. Use recycled paper for scratch pads.
3. Instead of buying new printer ink cartridges each time they are empty, have them refilled.
4. Use mugs instead of disposable cups for coffee.
5. Turn off computers, printers, paper shredders, and photo copying machines when not in use.
6. Instead of buying mineral water by the bottle at your office canteen, purchase a 5-gallon bottle from a water refilling station, then just bring water to the office using a jug.
7. During your next summer getaway, suggest a tree-planting activity or beach clean-up time for all employees.
8. Suggest a telecommuting option for employees. A lot of office work can be done at home. Working at home will help you save gas and money and may even inspire you with the change in routine.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. If we all do our share in saving the environment, our children and our children’s children will benefit the rewards of a greener planet.

Learning to Type Effectively.

EVERYTHING has its proper place in the world, and everybody – regardless of his or her station – has something to contribute for the betterment of society. More to the point, a secretary’s job is equally crucial to that of her boss because office management is indispensable in any corporate entity.

Secretaries are responsible for all the paperwork. This means achieving an organized and efficient workflow – a memorandum is circulated, a closed deal is filed, all pertinent details are made available as needed, and all other works of such nature.

It is impossible to run an office without typing, whether in computers or typewriters – which, believe it or not, are still used in certain places. The most effective way to type is to do it correctly. All fingers except the left thumb are used for particular keys in the QWERTY board.

Let us study which finger goes to which key point by point. For the sake of clarity, the keys are separated by a comma (,) but the comma itself is hit by the right middle finger.

The left hand. The little finger, the one on your extreme left when facing the keyboard, hits four keys while the left forefinger hits ten.

Little finger: 1, Q, A and Z.

Ring finger: @, 2, W, S and X.

Middle finger: #, 3, E, D, and C.

Forefinger: $, 4, R, F, V, %, 5, T, G and B.

The right hand. Compared to the left, the fingers of the right hand covers a smaller area have they have more corresponding keys, mostly punctuation marks.

Little finger: , \, +, =, _, -, ), 0, ", ‘, ? and /.

Ring finger: (, 9, O, L,>, and .(period)

Middle finger: *, 8, I, K and , (comma).

Forefinger: ^, 6, Y, H, N, &, 7, U, J and M.

The right thumb is used for the space bar. When making capitals, use the little finger of the opposite of the corresponding key. For example: capital P is typed with right little finger while the SHIFT key is being pressed by the left little finger.

The best way to get used to this set-up is to form the habit of placing your fingers in the guide position, or what professional typists call "home." The home position is where you place the fingers of the right hand on the j, k, l and ; keys while the fingers of the left hand are placed on the f, d, s and a keys. Everything will naturally fall into place.

The continuous typing from the home position will eventually condition you to the point of being able to type without looking at the keyboard.

The aim is to achieve rhythm – the ability to strike keys at a steady rate.

Here are more tips:

Curve your fingers; type with quick strokes; minimize movement of arms and wrists; and concentrate on the work at hand.

Here’s the sentence that contains all the letters of the English alphabet. Most secretaries – and now, call-center agents – find it extremely helpful in learning how to type correctly:

"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

It is a simple sentence but it contains deeper meanings — and it helped launch the careers of so many professionals.

Chow...

Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate

A group of alumni, all highly established in
their respective careers, got together for a visit with their
old university professor. The conversation soon turned
to complaints about the endless stress of work and
life in general. Offering his guests some refreshments,
the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned
with a large pot of hot chocolate and an
eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic,
glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some
quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help
themselves to some chocolate.

When each of his former students had a cup in hand,
The old professor quietly cleared his throat and began
to patiently address the small gathering. "You may
have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were
taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper
ones. While it is only natural for you to want only
the best for yourselves, that is actually the source
of much of your stress-related problems." He continued,
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the
chocolate. In fact, the cup merely disguises or
dresses up what we drink. What each of you really
wanted was hot chocolate, not a cup, but you
instinctively went for the best cups. Then you began
eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is hot chocolate. Jobs, money,
and position in society are merely cups. They are just
tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup
we have does not truly define nor change the quality of
the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the
cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate that God has
provided us. God makes the chocolate, but he
does not supply the cups. Enjoy your chocolate!"

The happiest people don't have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything they have.
So please remember:
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak
kindly. Leave the rest to God. And remember - the
richest person is not the one who has the most, but
the one who needs the least.

Mga Pilipino nga ba Tayo?

Mga Kababayan

> Meron akong gustong ibahagi para sa ating lahat na mga
> PILIPINO.
> Simple pero parang mahirap gawin ng karamihan sa atin.
>
> Hindi ito makukuha sa puro daldalan lang or walang
> kabuluhang pagtatalo, kumilos tayo ngayon na.
>
> Sa ibang bansa: Pag nagkasala ang Pinoy, pinarusahan siya
> ayon sa batas.
>
> Sa PINAS: Pag nagkasala ang ang Pinoy, ayaw niyang
> maparusahan kasi sabi niya mali raw ang batas.
>
> Sa ibang bansa: Pinag-aaralan muna ng Pinoy ang mga batas
> bago siya pumunta roon, kasi takot siyang magkamali.
>
> Sa PINAS: Pag nagkamali ang Pinoy, sorry kasi hindi raw
> niya alam na labag sa batas iyon.
>
> Sa ibang bansa: Kahit gaano kataas ang bilihin at tax sa
> USA okey lang, katuwiran natin doble kayod na lang.
>
> Sa PINAS: mahilig ka sa last day para magbayad ng tax
> minsan dinadaya mo pa o kaya hindi ka nagbabayad.
>
> Rally ka kaagad kapag tumaas ang pasahe at bilihin imbes na
> magsipag mas gusto natin ang nagkukwentuhan lang sa
> munisipyo o kahit sa alinmang tanggapan.
>
> Sa Singapore: Kapag nahuli kang nagkalat or nagtapon ng
> basura sa hindi tamang lugar, magbabayad ka na 500 Singapore dollars.
>
>
> Sabi ng Pinoy, Okey lang kasi lumabag ako sa batas.
>
> Sa Pinas: Kapag nagkamali ang Pinoy katulad nang ganito,
> Sabi ng Pinoy, ang lupit naman ni Bayani Fernando, mali naman ang pinaiiral
> niyang batas eh akala mo kung sino. Ayun nag-rally na ang Pinoy gustong
> patalsikin si Bayani Fernando kahit na alam niyang mali siya.
>
> Mga igan, ilan pa lang iyan baka may iba pa kayong alam.
>
> Bakit ang PINOY, pwedeng maging "law abiding citizen
> sa ibang bansa ng walang angal" pero sa sarili nating bayang PILIPINAS
> na sinasabi ninyong mahal natin, eh hindi natin magawa, BAKIIITTTTT? ????????
>
> ETO PA, "Ang Pilipino NOON at NGAYON":
>
> NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kamote (kahit nakaka-utot)
> NGAYON: Ayaw ko ng kamote gusto ko French Fries (imported eh)
>
> NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kapeng barako
> NGAYON: Ayaw ko niyan gusto kong kape sa STARBUCKS
> (imported coffee 100 pesos per cup)
>
> NOON: Bili ka ng tela para magpatahi ng pantalon like maong
> NGAYON: Gusto ko LEVI'S, WRANGLER, LEE (Tapos rally
> tayo "GMA tuta ng KANO") Di ba tuta ka rin naman.
>
> NOON: Sabon na Perla OK ng pampaligo
> NGAYON: Gusto mo DOVE, HENO DE PRAVIA, IVORY, etc. may
> matching shampoo pa
>
> NOON: Pag naglaba ka batya at palopalo ok na, minsan banlaw
> lang sa batis pwede na
> NGAYON: Naka-washing machine ka na plus ARIEL powder soap
> with matching DOWNY pa para mabango
>
> Alam ko mas marami pa ang alam ninyo tungkol dito, pero
> ilan ilan lang iyan para bigyan ng pansin.
>
> Mga Pilipino nga ba tayo? O baka sa salita lang at E-Mail
> pero wala naman sa gawa.

An Emperor and A Beggar.

Homily of Fr. Johnny Go, a Jesuit priest. ( Pins of light July 27, 08)
Homily for this Sunday's gospel Mt. 13:44-52

Reading today's parable made me recall a story I read somewhere about an emperor and a beggar. It goes this way:

Once there was an emperor who met a beggar as he was coming out of his palace for his morning walk. He asked the beggar, "What do you want?"

To the emperor’s surprise, the beggar laughed and said, "You are asking me as though you can fulfill my desire!"

Of course the emperor was offended. He said, "Of course I can fulfill your desire. What is it? Just tell me, and I will give it to you."

The beggar said, "Think twice before you promise anything."

Actually, the beggar was no ordinary beggar. He was a powerful wizard who wanted to teach the emperor an important lesson.

The emperor insisted, "I will fulfill anything you ask. I am a very powerful emperor. What can you possibly desire that I can not give to you?"

The beggar said, "It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Can you fill it with something?"

The emperor said, "Of course!" He called one of his officials and told him, "Fill this man’s begging bowl with gold coins!"

The official went and got a sack of gold coins and poured them into the bowl. But to his great surprise, the coins immediately disappeared. He poured more and more coins, but in an instant, every single coin he poured into the bowl disappeared, and the begging bowl remained empty.

The story quickly spread throughout the land, and a huge crowd gathered. The emperor felt that his prestige was at stake. He said to his officials, "Even if the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it, but I refuse to be defeated by this beggar."

And so they filled the beggar’s bowl with diamonds and pearls and emeralds, but the begging bowl seemed bottomless. Just like the gold coins, every diamond and every pearl and every precious tone disappeared as soon as it fell into the bowl.

Finally it was evening, and the palace treasury was now totally empty. The people stood there in utter silence as the emperor dropped to his knees before the beggar, admitting his defeat. He told the beggar, "You win, but just tell me one thing before you leave: What is your mysterious bowl made of? Why does it consume everything and remain empty?"

The beggar laughed and tossed his bowl, "It is no secret. The bowl is none other than the human heart--a heart filled with worldly desires. "

The emperor didn't understand the beggar's words, but the lesson that the beggar was teaching him is quite valuable and universal. We all of us have that same begging bowl in us because all of us have worldly desires. One minute we want one thing, and the next we want another. Even if we make sure we get every single thing we fancy, unfortuntately we will still feel empty. Just like that mysterious begging bowl, our desire can consume everything and yet leave us empty.

Think about it: What have you been craving for lately? Isn’t it the case that if we give in to our desires either we get frustrated because for some reason we don’t get it, or if we do manage to acquire it, our excitement eventually fades away anyway. Either way our desires leave our hearts empty like the beggar's bowl.

If we keep on yielding to our desires, we only end up feeling empty, and we will remain a beggar all our lives, always wanting something more and something else, never satisfied with what we have.

In today’s parable the Lord compares our heart not to a beggar's bowl, but to a field with a priceless treasure hidden within, a pearl of great price buried deep inside us. In the parable, a man discovers the buried treasure and decides immediately to sell all that he has to buy the field so that he can own the treasure. He is never the same again because his discovery has changed him and shaped his life!

I think the point of the parable is that our heart is like this field with the hidden treasure. In the other story, the beggar's bowl stands for worldly desires that make us crave for everything, but always leave us empty. And if the field stands for the human heart, then we already have that most precious and most priceless of treasures inside us! But what is this treasure?

Our faith tells us that we possess in our hearts a desire that is deeper than any other desire, a desire that will outlast all others. Philosophers and theologians have called it an "existential desire." This desire is none other than our desire for God.

We don’t always feel this desire for God; that’s why it is hidden in our heart. It is buried beneath layers upon layers of other desires. We think we want so many other things aside from God, but actually it is God that we want the most. Actually, it is our Creator whom we long for with the greatest, most aching need. The only problem is, too often we don’t know it. You could almost say that most of us are in denial about this. So we allow our other more superficial worldly desires to run and shape our lives. Some people's lives end up becoming nothing more than an endless series pursuits of these worldly desires: things—or people—we want to possess, honor and accomplishments, or power over others.

Let's face it: Our hearts are always looking for something. That's part of the human condition. U2's 1987 hit song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" captures this unceasing searching and existential restlessness of the human heart for God. The song enumerates all the things that the singer has done to find his heart's desire--but despite and after all that, he's still looking. If we look in the wrong places, our searching can be nothing more than a tragic vicious cycle.

St. Augustine puts it so well: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” We run around like headless chickens, pulled--and running--in every possible direction. But we need only one thing really--except unlike Augustine, we often aren't quite sure what it is we're looking for.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order whose feast we will celebrate in a few days, puts it another way: “We have been created to praise, reverence, and serve God.” In other words, God is "the first without a second." Only when we discover and claim the treasure hidden inside us—our deepest desire, which is our desire for God—and allow this desire to shape our lives, influence our decisions and actions, will we receive lasting joy and fulfillment.

So here's a Quick Question for you: "Is your heart more like a beggar’s bowl, always wanting something more and something else, never satisfied with what you have, and therefore somehow always empty? Or is your heart more like the field with the hidden treasure, a treasure that makes you constantly seek ways to grow closer to the one most valuable thing in our lives--God?"

Panahon ng Pagkakaisa

Sa panahong ito ng malawak na krisis, sana makalimutan muna natin ang pulitika at pagbatikos kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Una, hindi siya ang may kagagawan ng malaking financial scandal sa America. Ganu’n pa man, patuloy tayong nahahawaan. Wala tayong magagawa kundi tiisin ang hirap na dulot nito.

Dumating ang krisis sa panahong bumababa na ang presyo ng langis sa pandaigdigang pamilihan. Malaki sanang tulong kung mababawasan ang gastos ng ekonomiya sa gasolina at iba pang produkto ng petrolyo.

Pero, kahi hindi tayo inabot ng krisis na mula sa America, mukhang ganu’n pa rin ang mangyayari sa ekonomiya ng bayan. Noong nakaraang unang anim na buwan ng taon lumago ang ating GNP -- ang buong halaga ng produkto at services na natipon sa nasabing panahon -- ay umabot lamang sa kulang pa sa 5 percent. Maliit kung sa maliit. Pero wala na tayong magagawa.

Ang ibig sabihin niyan, liliit din ang buwis na makokolekta para magastos sa kapakanan ng bayan.

Dahil parang wala naman tayo talagang mahihintay na tulong mula sa rehimeng Arroyo, huwag na tayong umasa na darating ang ginhawa dahil sa kanya.

Kalimutan na muna natin ang malawak na kurakutan, smuggling, pagsisinungaling at gulo sa pork barrel na ngayon ay pinag-aawayan sa Senado.

Ang dapat nating gawin ay umisip ng maliliit na paraan para makatawid sa gutom.

Maraming pagkakataon lalo na sa probinsya.

Mahirap umasa na makakakita tayo ng trabaho. Ang mabilis na pagdami ng tao, ang kasalukuyang krisis, at malawak na kurakutan ay hindi magpapalago sa ekonomiya na siya namang dapat lumikha ng maraming bagong trabaho.

Ang anim hanggang sampung milyong bagong trabaho na ipinangako ni Pangulong Arroyo ay hindi na darating sa loob ng kanyang panunungkulan hanggang 2010. Huwag na na­ting asahan.

Ang kailangan ngayon ay mga maliliit na hanapbuhay na hindi dulot ng malalaking pabrika o kumpanya.

Halimbawa, marami pa rin ang nangangailangan ng karpintero. Mag-aral tayo na tumulong sa paggawa ng bahay ng mayayaman.

Malimit masira ang ating cellphone. Puwede ring mag-aral ng repair. Sa bahay na lang ang shop. Walang renta.

Maraming gulay at prutas ang iniluluwas mula sa probinsya sa araw-araw.
Marami pa rin naman ang lugar dito sa Metro Manila na kulang ng mga pagkaing iyan. Alamin kung saan may kulang.

Doon magtinda. Kahit paano, may pambili tayo ng bigas.

Marami pang ibang bagay ang puwedeng pagkakitaan. Ibukas lamang natin ang ating mga mata sa ating paligid at alamin kung ano ang kailangan ng ating kapwa.

Isa pa sa gusto kong ipaabot sa ating mga kababayan na naghahanapbuhay bilang OFW ay ang pag-aaral sa paggastos. Huwag na munang isipin ang pagpapagawa ng bahay.

Kalimutan ang mamahaling sasakyan.

Ilaan ang pera para sa pag-aaral ng mga anak at paghahanapbuhay. Baka dumating ang panahon na retired na ang OFW, uuwi sa Pilipinas sa magarang tahanan na hindi pa pala bayad.

Darating ang panahon na mareremata ang bahay na iyan ng bangko. Ubos na ang pera para mag-aral ang mga anak. Balik tayo sa pinanggalingan pero wala na tayong panahon na maulit pa ang maluwag na kabuhayan na natamo bilang OFW.

Ang pamahalaan ay gabay sa kabuhayan at siyang umuugit sa pag-unlad.
Kung ganito ang papel na ginagawa ng pamahalaan, dapat tayong matuto at magkaroon ng inspirasyon.

Pero kung katulad ngayon na wala tayong nakikita kundi kurakutan, pang-aabuso at pagwawaldas ng salapi ng bayan, mag-isip tayo para sa sarili.

Hindi na puwedeng umasa sa gobyerno o makakita ng ins­pirasyon para tayo ay magsipag.

Isipin ninyo na ang gobyerno ang nagpapahirap sa atin. Bakit tayo dapat madamay?

Puwedeng umiwas sa pamamagitan ng sipag at pagsasarili sa buhay.

CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1. Pray.

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards just for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the 'Kid' in you everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus.'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most)...this is the hard !!

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31)


Hi!

It has been three months since we launched the book and the world
around us has changed quite a bit in such a short period of time.
Warm milk, taken by our kids at night, instead of relaxing them and
us, keeps us wondering whether it had any melamine at all. More
than a hundred year old global firms demonstrate to us that
everything is fleeting as they declare bankruptcy or are bought or
are taken over by another firm. Age or length of operations is no
longer a guarantee that a company will survive and thrive.

One day, I walked from my office to the chapel to hear mass. It was
a bright, sunny day that the heat was quite unbearable. After the
mass though, upon coming out of the chapel, it was raining so hard
and no one seemed to have expected the heavy downpour. A lot of
people were just waiting in the covered area, stuck there at the
entrance for they didn't bring an umbrella.

Then I saw a lady, walk confidently down the steps, into the rain,
as she had an umbrella with her. Well, I had an umbrella too so I
followed suit. What is the moral lesson of the story? Always carry
an umbrella even when it seems sunny. Well, that's an acceptable
lesson but as I walked in the rain (with my trusty umbrella), I
began to reflect about life and rain.

Can anybody predict the weather perfectly? All you need to do is
listen to all those irate parents when their kids are sent home in
the middle of the day given unexpected rains to know that even
Pag-asa here in the Philippines can't do that. Life is filled with
unpredictable weather and unexpected turns. Life can get crazy at
times. It can make you crazy even but for as long as you have the
Lord as your umbrella, you know things will be fine. Having the
Lord in your life, and trusting Him with all your might (even when
you know it's hard or next to impossible), can be like having an
umbrella in the midst of a sudden downpour.

Does having an umbrella with you, stop the rain from pouring? No,
it doesn't. Same thing with staying close to the Lord. It is not a
guarantee for a trouble-free life. Into each life, some rain must
fall but I guarantee you that if rain falls on you when you have an
umbrella, you may get splattered here and there, your feet may get
a bit muddy even, but there's no way that you will get drenched to
the bone. And If you still do get drenched to the bone -- well,
there's a good reason for it.

I am reminded now of a song in the musical Le Miserable. It goes
like this: "...I don't feel any pain. A little drop of rain can
hardly hurt me now. You're here. That's all I need to know. And you
will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. And rain, will make
the flowers grow."

So, if it is raining unexpectedly in your life now, please bloom. =)


How to Identify Product Made In....


The whole world is scared of China made "black hearted goods". Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China? Let me tell u...the first 3 digits of barcode 690.691.692 are MADE IN CHINA

471 is Made in Taiwan .



This is our human right to know, but the government and related department never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products "made in china", so they don't show from which country it is made.
However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits is:

690-692 then it is made in China.

00 ~ 09 USA & CANADA

30 ~ 37 FRANCE

40 ~ 44 GERMANY

49 - JAPAN

50 - UK

Family pictures...

Enjoy lang natin ang mga litrato...
















Si mother Celia, Nanay Biana at Auntie Soly.
















My wife Fely, JP at si Flor.
















Si father Eddie at tatay Nanding yung me sumbrero
at isang kaibigan.
















Trampoline ni JP 7'th B-day.


















Me and my beautiful wife Fely.






















Old picture my wife Fely (bata pa siya),
Tatay Nanding, Nanay Biana and h
er brother Boy.
















Ang mag-ama. Si Karen Faye, John Philip at ako.