Part of the family’s Holiday vacation is going on a road trip. And this year, the itinerary is to Baguio on the 27th, Sagada on the 28th, Thunderbird on the 29th, then Subic on the 30th. In an ideal world, this could indeed be a holiday. But in reality, we are bound to encounter issues with the time, that will definitely affect or change the schedules, and that can spell disaster instead of a holiday. In order to make this trip fun, should we keep a tight schedule or just go with the flow?
We are also familiar with the term “Filipino Time”. You give a call time of 7:00PM for a dinner party, people come in at 8 or 8:30PM. I have to admit, there were times that I came to a gathering on Filipino Time. (But for the longest time I had some of my watches adjusted 40 minutes in advance.) So do you still stick to the schedule when you know some people adhere to this practice?
Here’s another funny example. Traffic Lights and Traffic Enforcers. You already have the traffic lights on and they follow a time on when to turn green and all that. But then you have the traffic enforcers doing their thing. Cars pile up on one end while the enforcer literally lets all the cars in the opposite lane, cross the intersection on to the other side. Why don’t you just shut off the traffic lights then? Well, I guess they have an intelligent reason why they keep it on.
Just like other aspects in Life, how do we keep things in order and make use of the time we have. I’ve tried a couple of times to punch in a schedule in my hand held device so that I know what time I should be doing things. But then later on I found myself always adjusting the time lines, because I had to prioritize something else or what have you. So then I got tired of switching on the calendar tool because I know for a fact that something will pop up and mess it all up.
A simple “after work” timeline that I plotted is this;
11:00AM – 11:30AM Lunch
11:30AM – 12:30PM Browse the Net / Download stuff for iTouch
12:30PM – 1:30PM Play PS3
1:30PM – 3:00PM Watch a DVD
3:00PM – 5:00PM sleep
5:00PM – 5:30PM Jogging
5:30PM – 6:30PM Play with Kian
6:30PM – 7:00PM Dinner
7:00PM – 7:30PM Listen to Music / Play games on iTouch
7:30PM – 11:30PM sleep
11:30PM – get ready for work
(Yes I play a lot of video games because it takes the stress from work away, so let me be)
But I don’t really get to follow this. Sometimes when I get home, I’m too tired and sleepy I go straight to bed. Or sometimes I’m close to leveling up in a game that I’m playing so I can’t put down the controller. Or for some reason I just couldn’t sleep. One time I came home so sleepy and I wanted to follow the schedule, I literally fell asleep on my computer chair while updating my NBA Fantasy League roster. Even on weekends you try to plan something but sure enough there would always be changes. And it will only frustrate you whenever things don’t go according to the plan. You wanted to go here but ended up going there, etc.
So would it rather be better to just scrap the schedule and just go with the flow?
I believe it’s still good to have a schedule mapped out. Proper time management may be a challenge, but at least the schedule keeps you on track and it teaches you how to prioritize things.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
My Wishlist - Drinks
...And I am still convinced that I am not an alcoholic because i drink only once a week...
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Absolut Vanilia
Stolichnaya Elit
Two Fingers Tequila
Grey Goose LeCitron
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Power of Suggestion
One day a man sees a fortune teller so he could know what his future holds. The fortune teller tells him that, tomorrow will be his lucky day because he will receive blessings in the form of money. True enough, he receives 20,000.00 in his bank account. Of course it was the 15th and it was his pay day. Was he led to believe that this fortune teller had psychic powers and knew that tomorrow was his pay day? Did the man believe that this is the blessing that he will receive?
Have you ever had that moment in life where you did not know what to do and asked the Almighty One for a sign? Whether it is a sign about getting a new job, if the girl you are courting is meant for you or simply asking for a sign if today would be a good day to go out. Then for some apparent reason, you pass by a corner and see the billboard of the company that you want to apply for, you then take it as a sign that it’s calling you. The girl of your dreams suddenly does not want to pick up her phone, you then take it as a sign that she does not want to talk to you anymore. It suddenly rains, and you take it as a sign to just stay indoors.
But the billboard has been there for weeks, the girl you’re courting left her phone at home, and even if it rains, it may not even matter since I will be going somewhere that has a roof on top of it. So do I consider it to be fate? Or is my mind merely suggesting to me that these things happen for a reason.
I have to admit though, I am a superstitious person. If a black cat suddenly crosses my path, I would immediately think that, damn, this is bad luck, then all through out the day, I will associate anything bad that happens to me to that black cat. Because that’s what stuck to my mind, that darn black cat. Or it’s Friday the 13th, more often than not we don’t want to go out to avoid anything bad happening. Then I decide to watch a movie, on the way to the theaters, traffic is a mess. So what comes to mind…oh yeah, because it’s Friday the 13th. (Honestly, blame it on the malls that announce a 3-day super ultimate mega sale and because pay day falls on a weekend, everyone goes out buying stuff at 70% off, it’s not because it’s Friday the 13th) But since I am a superstitious person, I am made to believe that this is all happening because of bad luck.
On the flip side of this, another example is like when I am playing basketball. I had this injury because it was my third game of the day. Then somebody told me that the injury was a sign for me to cut down on my games. Seriously? There is no possibility that the injury was caused because I forgot to properly stretch prior to the 3rd game? Or maybe somebody intentionally pushed me over the sidelines? So the Heavens just decided, “Ah, so this is your third game, let’s give this guy a sprained ankle so he will learn his lesson.” But if I let my mind suggest that to me, I would have believed that.
You see, that’s the Power of Suggestion. It’s our mind playing tricks on us. We are made to believe things and associate real life events to what our mind suggests is triggered by fate, destiny or what have you. We can actually use this to our advantage. Controlling your mind and suggesting to yourself the positive aspects of the things to come. Just like my example of the man looking for a new job. Either he looks for the positive signs of staying in his current company, or he will watch out for the negative signs to jump ship and sign up with the new one. Whichever has that prevailing factor, the mind will say that, this is your sign. But going back, you can control it. Take note, it is only a suggestion; you can either go with it or disregard it.
So use that power wisely, and don’t let that crazy black cat ruin your day.
Have you ever had that moment in life where you did not know what to do and asked the Almighty One for a sign? Whether it is a sign about getting a new job, if the girl you are courting is meant for you or simply asking for a sign if today would be a good day to go out. Then for some apparent reason, you pass by a corner and see the billboard of the company that you want to apply for, you then take it as a sign that it’s calling you. The girl of your dreams suddenly does not want to pick up her phone, you then take it as a sign that she does not want to talk to you anymore. It suddenly rains, and you take it as a sign to just stay indoors.
But the billboard has been there for weeks, the girl you’re courting left her phone at home, and even if it rains, it may not even matter since I will be going somewhere that has a roof on top of it. So do I consider it to be fate? Or is my mind merely suggesting to me that these things happen for a reason.
I have to admit though, I am a superstitious person. If a black cat suddenly crosses my path, I would immediately think that, damn, this is bad luck, then all through out the day, I will associate anything bad that happens to me to that black cat. Because that’s what stuck to my mind, that darn black cat. Or it’s Friday the 13th, more often than not we don’t want to go out to avoid anything bad happening. Then I decide to watch a movie, on the way to the theaters, traffic is a mess. So what comes to mind…oh yeah, because it’s Friday the 13th. (Honestly, blame it on the malls that announce a 3-day super ultimate mega sale and because pay day falls on a weekend, everyone goes out buying stuff at 70% off, it’s not because it’s Friday the 13th) But since I am a superstitious person, I am made to believe that this is all happening because of bad luck.
On the flip side of this, another example is like when I am playing basketball. I had this injury because it was my third game of the day. Then somebody told me that the injury was a sign for me to cut down on my games. Seriously? There is no possibility that the injury was caused because I forgot to properly stretch prior to the 3rd game? Or maybe somebody intentionally pushed me over the sidelines? So the Heavens just decided, “Ah, so this is your third game, let’s give this guy a sprained ankle so he will learn his lesson.” But if I let my mind suggest that to me, I would have believed that.
You see, that’s the Power of Suggestion. It’s our mind playing tricks on us. We are made to believe things and associate real life events to what our mind suggests is triggered by fate, destiny or what have you. We can actually use this to our advantage. Controlling your mind and suggesting to yourself the positive aspects of the things to come. Just like my example of the man looking for a new job. Either he looks for the positive signs of staying in his current company, or he will watch out for the negative signs to jump ship and sign up with the new one. Whichever has that prevailing factor, the mind will say that, this is your sign. But going back, you can control it. Take note, it is only a suggestion; you can either go with it or disregard it.
So use that power wisely, and don’t let that crazy black cat ruin your day.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Footprints in the Sand - Mary Stevenson
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Satisfy your Cravings
I am an addict.
I’m addicted to desserts. I can’t remember a day where I did not have one bar of chocolate or a slice of cake or a scoop of ice cream. If that’s not available, I’d make myself a strawberry jelly sandwich or peanut butter sandwich, or both! Just to get that sugar fix. Whenever I eat out, that’s the first thing I look at in the menu, what the restaurant has for desserts. In some occasions, I even order the desserts first as an appetizer.
You may say that I might become diabetic…for the past 2 years I took annual blood sugar tests, and guess what, NORMAL.
So bring it on!
I’m addicted to desserts. I can’t remember a day where I did not have one bar of chocolate or a slice of cake or a scoop of ice cream. If that’s not available, I’d make myself a strawberry jelly sandwich or peanut butter sandwich, or both! Just to get that sugar fix. Whenever I eat out, that’s the first thing I look at in the menu, what the restaurant has for desserts. In some occasions, I even order the desserts first as an appetizer.
You may say that I might become diabetic…for the past 2 years I took annual blood sugar tests, and guess what, NORMAL.
So bring it on!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
How Lucky are You
Just recently I heard the news that someone already won the 700+ million pesos lotto jackpot. Wow. What will you do if you had 700 million???
The Lotto is played by choosing a series of numbers from 1 to 55. There are actually different variations. You have the 6/55, 6/49, 6/42, where in you choose 6 numbers out of a possible 55 numbers, for example. I have to admit, I got sucked in as well and tried betting for a number of days, that’s about 80 pesos each day, thinking that I don’t mind spending 80 bucks if it will win me 700 million! Compared to buying a cup of Starbucks coffee which costs around 150.00 pesos and I won’t even win a damn thing. (Unless you take into account the Holiday Planner, where you have to buy about 2 dozen cups of coffee just to get a free Yearly Planner.) At least you know you’re getting something in return and Luck has nothing to do with it.
Going back to the Lotto, whoever won this must be luckier than that leprechaun with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (No matter how hard I work, no matter how much I save, it will take years before I even see one million in my savings account.) We are talking of 700 million pesos. That’s equal to the budget allotted for the alleged fertilizer scam of the previous government, that’s how much Manny Pacquiao won in his fight against Oscar De La Hoya. Winning this pot of gold means you’re made for life. And so will your children, grand children, great grand children. Just deposit half of the winnings and wait for the interest to blow up. I mean, you still have 350 million! What the heck are you gonna do with it??
We tried applying math to this, by computing the number of combinations. We got this outrageous idea that what if someone would bet all combinations, how much would it cost. There are about at least 15 million combinations, and if you bet each one, that’s about 300 million pesos for each 20 peso bet. But you will just win half since the other half would cover your expenses in buying the tickets. And there is that remote possibility that someone also made a bet with the same combination, so now your just break even since you have to split the pot. And I don’t think one Lotto outlet can process 15 million bets in one day.
Now, what if the thing is rigged? They declare a supposed winner, obviously they do not need to give out the details of the winner for security reasons. The winner is bogus. So where does the money go? Who keeps the 700 million? If you had connections you could just probably reprogram the ticketing machine to input the winning numbers and make it seem that the bet was place a day prior, and tell your insider that we can split the cash! Possible?
But for now, it really boils down to luck. There is no science to it. It’s even mathematically improbable considering the risk, the amount and time needed. It’s just pure damn luck.
The Lotto is played by choosing a series of numbers from 1 to 55. There are actually different variations. You have the 6/55, 6/49, 6/42, where in you choose 6 numbers out of a possible 55 numbers, for example. I have to admit, I got sucked in as well and tried betting for a number of days, that’s about 80 pesos each day, thinking that I don’t mind spending 80 bucks if it will win me 700 million! Compared to buying a cup of Starbucks coffee which costs around 150.00 pesos and I won’t even win a damn thing. (Unless you take into account the Holiday Planner, where you have to buy about 2 dozen cups of coffee just to get a free Yearly Planner.) At least you know you’re getting something in return and Luck has nothing to do with it.
Going back to the Lotto, whoever won this must be luckier than that leprechaun with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (No matter how hard I work, no matter how much I save, it will take years before I even see one million in my savings account.) We are talking of 700 million pesos. That’s equal to the budget allotted for the alleged fertilizer scam of the previous government, that’s how much Manny Pacquiao won in his fight against Oscar De La Hoya. Winning this pot of gold means you’re made for life. And so will your children, grand children, great grand children. Just deposit half of the winnings and wait for the interest to blow up. I mean, you still have 350 million! What the heck are you gonna do with it??
We tried applying math to this, by computing the number of combinations. We got this outrageous idea that what if someone would bet all combinations, how much would it cost. There are about at least 15 million combinations, and if you bet each one, that’s about 300 million pesos for each 20 peso bet. But you will just win half since the other half would cover your expenses in buying the tickets. And there is that remote possibility that someone also made a bet with the same combination, so now your just break even since you have to split the pot. And I don’t think one Lotto outlet can process 15 million bets in one day.
Now, what if the thing is rigged? They declare a supposed winner, obviously they do not need to give out the details of the winner for security reasons. The winner is bogus. So where does the money go? Who keeps the 700 million? If you had connections you could just probably reprogram the ticketing machine to input the winning numbers and make it seem that the bet was place a day prior, and tell your insider that we can split the cash! Possible?
But for now, it really boils down to luck. There is no science to it. It’s even mathematically improbable considering the risk, the amount and time needed. It’s just pure damn luck.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Best Places You've Never Heard Of - provided by Budget Travel
Though never heard of, it's sure would be nice to spend some soul searching in these places...
Durnstein, Austria
Shangri-La, China
Binn, Switzerland
Playa Koralia, Columbia
Lago Todos Los Santos, Chile
To check out more, click on this link: The Best Places You've Never Heard Of
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Life we Live
I work in Human Resources.
I work in the graveyard shift.
I help people with their issues and concerns.
I spend most of my weekends going to the mall.
I love playing basketball
I love playing video games
I love watching movies
I love reading books
I love spending time in nice restaurants
I love out-of-town trips
I enjoy occasional drinking
I collect a lot of magazines and comics, trading cards, miniature figurines
… There is so much that we want to do and with so little time.
I want to play airsoft regularly again
I want to create my own website
I want to put up a coffee lounge
Etc, Etc, Etc.
A few days ago I was wondering if being in the industry that I am currently in, and the position I hold is really what I desire. The demands are often high, your are constantly seeking for resolution for issues and concerns thrown at you, and at the end of the day you still have to put on a smile to all those whom you encounter. So I ask myself, is this the job that I want in my life.
Due to the schedules that we have during the work week, the only time you get to spend with your family or loved ones is during weekends. There is hardly even time to relax since you will most likely be out at the malls, movies, bars and out of town road trips. (Unless those activities are your form of relaxation) By Sunday night, all your energy may have been drained already. Then you start your work week in less than 12 hours. So I then asked myself, is this the only time I can spare for my family and/or friends.
Next year I will be joining at least 3 basketball teams for the Alumni League in Ateneo. Basketball has been a big part of my life, and up to this day I would give my all whenever I would play in these tournaments. The challenge here is that the games are only played during weekends, and if I’m unlucky, there would be days when I would have 3 games in one day. So now, the decision has to be made whether to play or spend the time doing something else.
I have collected over 800 DVDs. I even had a large shelf built to hold my collection. And the thing is I still haven’t watched about 200 of them, there are all still sealed. (Not counting the TV series’ which recently I bought the box set of The Pacific. I have issues and issues of Maxim, FHM, UNO, Rogue magazines, and most of them I haven’t opened or read yet. That goes for the dozens of books I bought but are still sealed. Dungeons and Dragons, James Rollins, Lord of the Rings, Narnia Chronicles, Zacharia Sitchin. I have invested in Magic the Gathering trading cards, Mage Knight miniatures, Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, MechWarrior. I bought Airsoft guns that I used like twice only! (And the other time was just because I dressed up as Ghost in Call of Duty for Halloween) And I keep asking myself, do I really need all of these??
I won’t go into detail anymore on the other things that I do. But one can only imagine the things we did, are doing and wish to do in our lives. And it seems that there is not enough time for all of these.
Necessities vs. Luxuries. This is how we may be able to decide. Prioritizing the things we do that are considered necessities rather than luxuries of life...I guess this is the Life that I want to live.
I work in the graveyard shift.
I help people with their issues and concerns.
I spend most of my weekends going to the mall.
I love playing basketball
I love playing video games
I love watching movies
I love reading books
I love spending time in nice restaurants
I love out-of-town trips
I enjoy occasional drinking
I collect a lot of magazines and comics, trading cards, miniature figurines
… There is so much that we want to do and with so little time.
I want to play airsoft regularly again
I want to create my own website
I want to put up a coffee lounge
Etc, Etc, Etc.
A few days ago I was wondering if being in the industry that I am currently in, and the position I hold is really what I desire. The demands are often high, your are constantly seeking for resolution for issues and concerns thrown at you, and at the end of the day you still have to put on a smile to all those whom you encounter. So I ask myself, is this the job that I want in my life.
Due to the schedules that we have during the work week, the only time you get to spend with your family or loved ones is during weekends. There is hardly even time to relax since you will most likely be out at the malls, movies, bars and out of town road trips. (Unless those activities are your form of relaxation) By Sunday night, all your energy may have been drained already. Then you start your work week in less than 12 hours. So I then asked myself, is this the only time I can spare for my family and/or friends.
Next year I will be joining at least 3 basketball teams for the Alumni League in Ateneo. Basketball has been a big part of my life, and up to this day I would give my all whenever I would play in these tournaments. The challenge here is that the games are only played during weekends, and if I’m unlucky, there would be days when I would have 3 games in one day. So now, the decision has to be made whether to play or spend the time doing something else.
I have collected over 800 DVDs. I even had a large shelf built to hold my collection. And the thing is I still haven’t watched about 200 of them, there are all still sealed. (Not counting the TV series’ which recently I bought the box set of The Pacific. I have issues and issues of Maxim, FHM, UNO, Rogue magazines, and most of them I haven’t opened or read yet. That goes for the dozens of books I bought but are still sealed. Dungeons and Dragons, James Rollins, Lord of the Rings, Narnia Chronicles, Zacharia Sitchin. I have invested in Magic the Gathering trading cards, Mage Knight miniatures, Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, MechWarrior. I bought Airsoft guns that I used like twice only! (And the other time was just because I dressed up as Ghost in Call of Duty for Halloween) And I keep asking myself, do I really need all of these??
I won’t go into detail anymore on the other things that I do. But one can only imagine the things we did, are doing and wish to do in our lives. And it seems that there is not enough time for all of these.
Necessities vs. Luxuries. This is how we may be able to decide. Prioritizing the things we do that are considered necessities rather than luxuries of life...I guess this is the Life that I want to live.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Out of This World Spas - by Conde Nast Traveler
These locations surely beats having those regular home spas...
Amanfayun Spa, Hangzhou, China
Anantara Spa, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Evason Ma'ln Hot Springs and Six Senses Spa, Jordan
Four Seasons Resort Spa, Mahe, Seychelles
Timeless Spa, Wolgan Valley, Australia
For more information, check out this link: Out-of-this-World Spas
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