Prayer

I found this very comforting blog today while surfing on things about my hometown. I am sharing it with you so you too will remember what to do when you need Him most...

"Prayer is the door to those great graces which our Lord bestowed upon me.

"If this door be shut, I do not see how He can bestow them; for even if He entered into a soul to take His delight therein, and to make that soul also delight in Him, there is no way by which He can do so; for His will is, that such a soul should be lonely and pure, with a great desire to receive His graces.

"If we put many hindrances in the way, and take no pains whatever to remove them, how can He come to us, and how can we have any desire that He should show us His great mercies?

"Above all I implore all for the love of our Lord, and for the great love with which He goeth about seeking our conversion to Himself, to beware of the occasions of sin: for once placed therein, we have no ground to rest on."

- St. Teresa of Avila, Life, 8:13, 14

sensibilities

i often wonder why do some people stay on the streets? why can't they clean themselves? why can't they get a job, so they don't have to beg or ask for alms? how do these people feel? where do they sleep? what do they eat? do they get sick? if something happens to them, what do they do? where do they go?
i feel so sad whenever i see them. 'coz i can't do more. more than giving some coins or small bills and sometimes food.
i know it's crazy, but i'm a dreamer. and one of my dreams is of me helping those people get some work, take a bath, wear clean clothes, get a permanent shelter, go to school, eat newly cooked meals, live on their own...
i sometimes see pregnant women, kids cuddling babies, disabled or people with deformities asking or begging on the streets. when the traffic lights stop vehicles, they go from one jeepney to a car to a truck begging, asking.
how can they survive?
to land a decent job in the city, you have to secure your birth certificate (sometimes an NSO certified birth certificate is required) clearances from the barangay, police, NBI, numbers from SSS, and your high school diploma or your transcript of records. you can avail of these things easily if you can validate your existence (birth certificate, clearances...). not to mention that college graduates diminish your hopes of landing a job even for customer service related jobs such as sales clerks, cashiers, even for security personnel positions.
no wonder crime statistics fluctuate more often than your electric bills...
i heard that some of them like the Badjao's (yes, the sea faring people) do beg because of necessity. but some does because they are forced to do so.
and yet here's the real ISSUE of all! -- the DSWD project of giving up to Php 1, 500.00 monthly stipend (thru the beneficiaries' Landbank atm cards) to "poor" families.
i have very strong emotions against that DSWD project!
it's not that i don't want these people to receive help, but my socks! the DSWD is encouraging those people to get lazy...to just wait until the next stipend can be withdrawn thru their atm cards!

Win one (of 13) iPod Shuffles!

Spread the word about your chance to win one of 13 iPod Shuffles!

MAXXED Energy Pops…the first of its kind, combines a convenient go anywhere product with the nutrients to maintain alertness and reduce fatigue.
MAXXED Energy Pops Are No Ordinary LOLLIPops!

Keep going while listening to your iTunes on the go!

For more details go to http://socialspark.com/

puzzling Rubik cube

my son always asks me for pasalubong everytime i come home from work. so i thought of buying him a Rubik cube

the cube kept him from playing outside (even at noon, hmmph!) with his neighborhood friends

i also got a bit hooked with it that i sometimes carry it with me to work just so i can rid off the ick i got from trying to solve the puzzle...

swimming again!

a kumare invited us to her son's birthday/swimming party last Sunday at the Jardin de Dasmariñas at Brgy. Salawag in Dasma. my kids shrieked upon hearing that were going. well i had no choice but to go, no weekend rest for me...

here's joy with friend angie

jb trying the adult's pool (at the shallow part)

the place is a bit small for a resort but it is nice if you're after kiddie fun only. even hubby promised us a day there, maybe next month (? ugh! rainy season month!)

the kids had a lot of fun. their sunburns can prove it!

here' some of our photos, yup that's my daughter, the kid who loves to have her photos taken!

my baby

joy and angie(one of her playmates. ate Ana's apo)

joy and jb loves the shower (having a shower outdoors is new to them, hehee)

this was taken at the empty hut next to the hut that our group rented, the huts are ok

joy and angie by the adult's pool, this was taken before we left

these two loves to pose, yup there's a tree house at the middle of the resort. you can see the whole resort at the top even beyond the resort's fence (another subdivision)

a bit tired(joy was scratching her eyes, a sure sign of a much needed nap) while angie can hardly smile

jolly jeeps

The photos here are of the “jolly jeeps” here in Makati (business district in the Philippines). Office employees buy their lunch and snacks from these small stores. One can even buy cigarettes, tissue, sanitary napkins, and cellular phone load from these rolling stores.

They are constantly monitored by City Health employees (and sometimes there are surprise visits just so proper food sanitation is observed). Companies can get paralyzed by food poisoned employees! May God forbid such a horrible thing…

The food offered by the jolly jeeps certainly are ok and clean. If you’re lucky you may even spot some showbiz celebs who lives in some of the condos around the area (Rada/Legazpi/Palanca Sts.) buying whateve’s.

blue crystals

I made another bracelet. I used Swarovski stones (blue lasered Swarovski crystals), 14Kgold wire, some 14K gold balls, a 14K gold “tube,”and a 14K gold lock. Here are some photos of the finished prod. that I took.

Yeah the photos aren’t that clear, heheee...

I want to make one, using the really clear Swarovski crystals. I like the clear crystals more.

But my officemates’s and friends order the colored Swarovski crystals. Sometimes they order bracelets with crystals in different colors.

water

water is the most important element. most of you, us, all of us, are composed mostly of water. without it, life is nothing...
chinese astrology says i'm of the water sign.
i love water,

http://www.ourbc.com/discover_bc/rivers/swimmingholes/sproat_river/sproat_river.htm

swimming...
...
...
...
...

and

swimming...

i don't know but i so like to swim but not in really deep areas with strong currents...

My daughter (3 years old) likes to tinker with my digicam. I always encourage her (whenever she tries to do some new things) and try to teach her how to use the camera whenever she’s in the mood to be taught. Here are two of her experiments

Joy trying to take her own photo

Most of her shots are out of focus and blurry, but these two are my favorites. The two pictures turned really nice.

korean gizmos

i like my USBs because of their convenience, then today i chanced upon this website

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/search/korea

the verrry cool USB!

a very techie USB will soon be on sale in Korean stores! i am craving for that USB! the post on the USB says

Cellink of Korea has launched a new USB microSD memory card reader that is built into a mobile charger, targeting the Korean market specifically. The Cellink T doubles up as a portable data storage when you slide it open, and if you need to charge your handset, change it to swing mode instead. In addition, it makes for the perfect intermediary tool to transfer data like photos, videos and music from a phone to PC and vice versa. No idea if this will be exported outside of Korea or not.

i find that gizmo very very cool indeed!!! hope its manufacturers will consider distributing it in the Philippines, SOON!