Samar Trip

My first business trip ever. Yay!

Alam ko mas mukhang bakasyon, but can I help it if the place was utterly beautiful?

Places/Things I saw/visited:

• San Juanico Bridge - So excited about this kasi since bata pa tinuturo na sa School.
• Limestone formations in Marabut - Sa tabi-tabi lang pero ang ganda!
  
• BFAR center in Samar - They culture abalone, king crabs, and lapu-lapu there.
• Surf Camp - The Aboitiz-owned resort was stunning.
• Endless beaches.
• McArthur landing site (ano ba tawag dito?)
• Imelda's house - We didn't stop by to visit though so glimpse lang nito.

Yummy stuff I ate:

• Kilawin na tanigue - Kakaiba kilawin dun may gata...yummm...
• Ormoc pineapples - Really small and didn't look good but they were really sweet and hindi makati sa dila.
• Moron - Hindi yung tao. Yung suman na may tsokolate ang kalahati.
• Sumang gabi - I don't know what it's called but it's the best suman ever. May nuts and butter and ewan ko pa.

Other things I enjoyed:

• The swimming dog
• The fisher folk - Grabe best best bunch of people to travel with. Mabilis mag work and all so friendly, genuine, hardworking and with a good life story to tell.
• Tuba - Sipped just a little. It was surprisingly good...sweet. Fresh from harvest kasi daw.
• Taking pictures - Nakaka-addik pala mag kuha ng pictures pag super ganda ng tanawin!
  

Honeymooning with Work

I have tons of things I should be blogging about but will only really write about work today.

After almost four years of being a stay-at-home and working freelance I have finally have a full-time job. So far I am enjoying the novelty of having to go to work from Monday to Friday, having set hours, and all the things I expect people who have had full-time jobs are pretty irked about. What I really do enjoy about having a job and about my job in particular include:

• getting to see one of my bestest friends (Thea) more often - Though we share the same office hindi pa rin everyday kasi as project officer she travels a lot and I also sometimes go to outside meetings. It's really cool though kasi we get to say hi and chikka a bit in the morning, I get to gripe about stupid things, she gets to do the same thing in return, and we get to go out and indulge on Cello's doughnuts (my latest addiction).
• getting to make new friends - My new officemates are really great. Lahat sila kikay and may utak so I enjoy bantering with them.
  
• dressing up - Parang awa nyo na apat na taon po akong naka pang bahay hayaan nyo na akong magtiis sa super high heels at mag enjoy ng laging naka pormal. I really really really anticipate morning because I keep on thinking about what to wear next. Thank God mura ang damit ng babae sa mga Tiangge. Skirts galore!
• higher energy level - Super mas ok energy levels ko lately mainly because I now eat and sleep better. I can't afford not to sleep early after all kasi ayaw ko naman ma-late ako saka nagugutom talaga ako if I don't eat even a bit of breakfast. Plus the sun in the morning must be doing me wonders.
  
• the stuff I learn - It's just been a month pero I've learned tons of things from the silliest office protocols to more important stuff about the urban poor and of course to handling your boss' ire. Hehe.

Anyway I know na I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my job pero as early as now I am becoming more and more aware of the frustrating stuff (sinasandyang maging vague yan..hehe) that goes on in our government. But as the quote of the week in our office says (at opo ako at ka-cornihan ko ang nagpakulo ng quote of the week na yan na wala naman nagbabasa except ako at si Daisy), "If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress (Barack Obama)."

The path I want to tread is starting to get clearer and I plan on continuing down that path.

Home Staples

My sister tagged me so I need to think about stuff that you will 100% find in our house 24/7. Here's what I came up with...

1. Hair - I sometimes wonder why I still haven't gone bald with the rate of hair loss I've been experiencing. At least it isn't as bad now as a year ago.
2. Soiled diapers - Everyone with babies and toddlers have had to content with this one.
3. Condiments - We've run our of rice, drinking water, Sam's milk, and all other ingredients but have never run out of all of the condiments all at the same time. No wonder Mark has kidney problems. :p
4. Medicine - I stock up on medicine and try to keep track of what we have and don't. Still you can't always be sure we'll have what you need when you need it. Most likely Murphy's Law will reign.
5. Notebooks and index cards - Mark is a notebook addict. We have lots of unused and partly used notebooks and a stock of index cards lying around.
6. Toys - You'll find toys all over the house. From the bedroom to the bathroom. You won't be able to escape it.
7. Receipts - I have a habit of holding on to receipts, especially atm receipts, till I get pissed off with the amount of receipts littered on my desk and in my fat wallet (fat lang gawa ng receipts!) and do a preiodical receipt purge. Btw I got really paranoid about ATM receipts after a technical glitch that made me lose 1ok. If I hadn't kept the receipt I wouldn't have gotten it back. Oha! Kaya keep your ATM receipts for at least a couple of weeks.

Am sure there's more but as usual I tire of thinking things up. Mark feel free to add to this on the comment section. ^_^

Not tagging anyone but do tell me what your home staples are.

I am an Inspirer (ENFP)

Took this personality test and the score is so right. Here's the profile of an ENFP (Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving).

ENFP - "Journalist". Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population.

Take Free Jung Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Some interesting facts about ENFPs (Emphasis added by me kasi I find that they are very descriptive of me. Italicized comments mine.):

1. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything.
2. ENFPs have an unusually broad range of skills and talents. They are good at most things which interest them. Project-oriented, they may go through several different careers during their lifetime. To onlookers, the ENFP may seem directionless and without purpose, but ENFPs are actually quite consistent, in that they have a strong sense of values which they live with throughout their lives. Everything that they do must be in line with their values.- Oh the agony of this realization right when I'm trying to find my place in the career world!
   
3. An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals...Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving.- Shudder! Oh the failure that is me. I need to learn to beat this weakness. I absolutely HATE it.
   
4. Most ENFPs have great people skills. They are genuinely warm and interested in people, and place great importance on their inter-personal relationships...They have an exceptional ability to intuitively understand a person after a very short period of time, and use their intuition and flexibility to relate to others on their own level.
5. Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery...This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP's family members. - No wonder I suck at being a stay-home anything and Mark gets so sick of me all the time. Hehe.
   
6. An ENFP who has "gone wrong" may be quite manipulative - and very good it. - Horns starting to grow....
   
7. Always seeing the possibilities of what could be, they may become bored with what actually is.
8. ENFPs like a little excitement in their lives, and are best matched with individuals who are comfortable with change and new experiences.- Mein Gott. Talk about mismatched. Thankfully the hubby's personality type sticks through thick and thin.
   
9. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas.
10. Because they are so alert and sensitive, constantly scanning their environments, ENFPs often suffer from muscle tension. - This is so interesting to learn kasi I suffer from muscle pain behind the shoulder blades so much. My muscles just knot up for no apparent reason. I also have been feeling concerned about the fact that I always find my jaw hurting because I clench them most of the time without realizing it!

Guys take the test and tell me your personality type. Am interested in knowing more about you!!!

WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha brings out the geek in me! Woot!

Multiply

I checked my Multiply account today and realiszed that my posts on Blogger hasn't been cross-posting since October last year. I've been wondering why Sam's devoted Ninang Pearl hasn't been commenting on his pics and realized that she hasn't been seeing. Cross-posting on Multiply is important for me to keep my Multiply-user friends updated. Anyway I figure out the problem. I changed my Google password and didn't change the password setting that allows Multiply access to my Blogger account. If you also use cross-posting hope this helps you avoid problems in case you ever do change your Blogger password.

Yun lang! ^_^

Btw I used Multiply for this post. Want to see if it'll reflect on my Blogger blog.

Manila Zoo

May 1 was family day for us. We went to Manila Zoo and had a really good time. We were surprised at all the improvements, especially since I haven't been there since I was in grade school. Manila Zoo needs even more improvements since the state of the elephant, monkeys, and some horses are abysmal but at least it is improving. There is hope yet. ^_^

I'm thinking we should go out on such family trips more often. Great for quality time. Great for Sam. Great for our local economy. ^_^

Arrival

Tiger

Llama and kittens. The funny cats were all over the place.

A happy Papa Mark and Sam.

Horseback riding. Php 60 only for one round. Sulit!

Inside the Kinder (petting) Zoo. Additional Php 40 entrance fee. Mas sulit!

The ugly ostrich. A chance for me to face my fears. It didn't work.

The other ostrich chased me! Buti di pinalabas ng cage yun!

Cute boa.

Aww.

Parrots. The ones out front pecked Sam's fingers. He loved it!

Time to go home.

More about Manila Zoo:
Address - Manila Zoo Compound M Adriatico St. Malate, Manila, Philippines
Hours - 8am to 5pm daily
Rates - Adults Php 40; Kids Php 20
Website: www.manilazoo.org (Their website looks a lot better than the actual zoo but am glad they have a good site)

iPhoto for Smoother Skin

Tweaking with my Friendster account tonight. After adding lots of friends (ewan lang kung kelan mag online mga tao to approve my invites!) I decided to upload some photos but got sidetracked. Am glad I did because I discovered the "retouch" feature in iPhoto. Got to love anything that would take away the blemishes with just one click. Stil have to find something that works that way in real life. In the meantime I'll content myself with smoother skin in photos I decide to print and upload. At least when my memories grow dim I'll look at my old photos and end up thinking I had smooth skin back in the good old days. Hehe. How's that for lying to oneself?

Spot the Difference
(wag pilosopo di kasali the fact na cropped yung image!)

Btw I know it's not an old concept but it is so much easier than having to learn Photoshop, which I never had the patience to really learn anyway. As for Picasa, my other photo viewer of choice (choice pala ng husband) I just use the "I'm feeling lucky" button everytime. Wala atang retouch dun?

Random Sam Pics

On his munster horse (used to help him practice
standing and stepping).

With baby Aoi (ah - wee). Sam get's mad whenever anyone
takes Aoi away. He adores babies. Gusto na ng kapatid! Hehe.

His favorite little game these days - peeking out of anything.
He does this with anything that has holes like his drum (below).

Playing with Sam while looking for a clothes cabinet
(we didn't end up getting this one).

On the way to SM. We make him sit on the "charity" seat
(toolbox in truth) but we do hold on to him.

Unlearning

Learning is about more than simply acquiring new knowledge and insights; it is also crucial to unlearn old knowledge that has outlived its relevance. Thus, forgetting is probably at least as important as learning. - Gary Ryan Blair

While looking for quotes on relevance (to add to my SEO post...still haven't found any relevant relevance quote :p) I stumbled on this really wise quote. Whoever this Gary Ryan Blair is pretty wise. Anyway it started me thinking about stuff I need to unlearn.

1. Typing habits.
2. Whacked out body clock.
3. Automatic response to any criticism help from my mom and Mark.

Am sure there's a whole lot more but the point is he's right I do need to unlearn stuff to learn new things. What's the stuff you need to unlearn?

Jumpin' juniper it's a jolly January!

So far this year has been a good one for me. Considering that it's just the first month optimists would say that it bodes well for a good year while pessimists would say something like "wait till you see what the rest of the year of holds for you (with accompanying smirk of course)". Today the optimist in me has won and I am looking forward to more blessings, surprises, and little triumphs this year.

Short list (with long detailed explanations/descriptions) of things to be thankful for this January.

Sam's reaction to fireworks. Although we spent New Year's eve in Bay where there weren't that much fireworks Sam enjoyed himself extremely. His reaction to the pops are much faster and he can now spot the fireworks faster when we point them out to him. Yun nga lagn super nabitin cya kasi medyo konti lang fireworks. He ended up turning and twisting everytime he heard a bang eh paputok lang naman or it was too far away to see!

Long Wendy's chikkahan with Angel complete with laughs, a few tears, and lots of fast talking. Got to see Frank Miller's Spirit that night too. Angel and I decided to go for it after Mark read that the director was 300's director. Real reason: the ABS! The first few minutes didn't disappoint us in this regard and since we went in with absolutely no idea what it was about (I thought it was a horror flick...hehe) we were pleasantly surprised with the whole movie. It was a real laugh, though I'm not sure if it was really supposed to be a comedy either.

Cris Tanseco's wedding and reunion with the girls. I absolutely loved everything about Cris' wedding. So far it's the best one I've attended (that includes mine ha...hehe). There really is something to say for intimate weddings. The number of guests were very limited - close friends and family only. The chapel was nice (Jas loved it but am not to huge a fan of white and gold), the priest was a hunk, his message was short, refreshing and insightful, the wedding vows so heartfelt, the food delicious from the soup to the dessert to the martini, and the couple so in love and perfect for each other it will literally make you go awww. The wedding was all about the vows, sharing the happy moment with loved ones, and simply enjoying the moment. It really was the most relaxing wedding I've ever been to. Am going to post pics next time. Ay thank you Gel for letting Jas and I raid your closet. Hehe.

A "new" nephew. A cousin has met his son for the first time and we absolutely love the little boy. He looks so much like Silas and acts like him too! Am glad for my cousin that he's finally met his little boy. Always better late than never. ^_^

Productivity with Sunlife. I am still far from being the most productive Sunlife agent but at least this year started with a couple of settled apps. Here's to being more productive this year and to becoming a better agent ( disipline + courage + persistence = better ). I have the product knowledge and genuinely care about my clients' interest so all I really need to work on is becoming a sales person. Hehe. Big challenge. Doable. Help!

Lost pounds. Am extremely happy that despite not sticking to my diet due to the Christmas vacation I still managed not to go back to heaviest weight and kept the five pounds I lost prior to Christmas. Hurraz!!!!

Relationship with Mark. We're being nicer to each other. That may seem like a funny statement to be thankful for but it is really significant because to me it means that we...

• want to please each other more
• are more concerned about each other's feelings
• have grown a bit more matured
• are learning how to express our love (and frustrations) in a way the other person will understand
• are journeying towards a better marriage each day.

It truly is living more for the other person than yourself. In the end no one loses out because you both end up giving and loving more and more. Sheesh. Seems elementary but those of you who aren't married should just wait to see why it takes more work than batting your eyes at each other and saying sweet nothings (though that is extremely important too!)

2008 --> 2009

Time for the obligatory start of the year post.

2008 Summary

I'm pretty sure a lot of things happened this past year but the funny thing is that as I sit here trying to think of the highlights of the last year my mind just went blank. I can't really pinpoint a highlight nor a lowlight. Most of last year just passed by as a huge blur. That happens to me a lot. My long term memory is not too good. So I'll just get on with some of the things I do remember.

1. We got a washing machine. Yay!
2. Sam's 3rd bday was a success.
3. Sam's previous yaya made our phone bill soar and left us.
4. We got a new yaya for Sam.
5. Sam started standing alone.
6. My dad expreienced his first plane ride.
7. I lost 2.5 kilos November (but must have gained them again during the holidays...not sure yet).

It's so silly that I can't remember more important or at least interesting stuff. And because I can't I'll just proceed writing down my...

2009 Plans /Goals

1. Sleep less. (Please don't hold this over my head Mark!)
2. Concentrate on following the advice of the (uuterly gwapo) priest who married Carlo and Cris. He said,"Live for others". In short my selfish year of last year should stop now. I've had enough time for myself. God help me with this one!!!
3. Try to be a bit more moderate about my approach to things. A bit cryptic here but I don't feel like writing down all the details.
4. Give more attention to the way I look. That means dyeing my hair regularly and simple stuff like taking better care of my skin. I know they say it's what's inside that matters and though I may seem shallow I do know my outside both reflects and affects what's inside of me. So though I may want to be little bit less selfish this year I do want to do this thing. It's not only for me after all you and everyone else I pass will be the ones seeing me and it's my contribution to this earth to make it look just little bit less of a train wreck. :p Seriously though I'm doing this for Mark as much as for myself. I want him to not only like me but also keep on wanting me and also to be proud of his wife. So there.
5. As for all the other plans I guess they all fall under plan #2.

I'm getting a little woozy here and starting to doubt myself so I should stop. Stop caring about whether I fail or not and just diving in. Have a little gumption Hannah! This year is starting out great and you can bet yourself it'll be a non-fuzzy year great year for you. Yes that what just me talking psyching myself up. :p

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you all the best in psyching yourselves up about your own plans for 2009!!!