Hacking, Backup and Restoring Blogs

Oh my, four of my friends’ blogs got hacked this week. I was checking out the blog of Joy this morning and I was a bit surprised when only this was displayed on the screen:

“Will be back shortly.”

I thought at first that she is moving her blog to another host server that is why there is nothing displayed when I tried to access her blog. But when I logged in to Twitter, I read that Joy’s blog got hacked together with the blog of Apols, Jody and Apple.

I panicked as I don’t have a backup of my blog and I remember I made a post before about making a back up of Blogger blogs using the Export Feature of the Blogger Draft.

It is only this morning that I was able to try the export feature. Here is what I did:

1. Logged in to http://draft.blogger.com
2. Go to Settings
3. Click Export blog.
This will export your blog (posts, comments, pictures) into an atom export format (XML).
4. Click Export Blog again.
You will receive a pop up message asking you if you want to save the file.
5. Click Save and select the location where you want to save the XML file.

After saving the XML file, I tried creating a test blog where I will Import the XML file. After creating the new blog, this is what I did to restore the contents of my blog from backup:

1. Logged in to http://draft.blogger.com
2. Go to Settings
3. Click Import blog.
4. Click Browse and select the location where you saved the XML file.
5. Checked automatically publish all imported posts.

Then that’s it. All my posts were restored from the backup file (XML file) that I created including the pictures and the comments. I don’t export the settings like skins and widgets though so you have to redo that after restoring your blogs from backup.

Questions of the Week #37

Opps, looks like I lost track of time. It is almost midnight and I have to check out auto insurance quotes for my brother. But before I do that, here is my answer for Yen’s Question of the Week.

1. What does whispering make you think of? It makes me paranoid when people have to whisper especially if they to do it in front of me. It makes me think that they are talking about me.
2 What kinds of current women’s clothing styles do you dislike the most? The bright and colorful skinny jeans since I am really boring when it comes to clothes and I only prefer the basic colors.
3. What is your greatest extravagance? Shopping for the daughter
4. Do you have a good luck charm? What is it? Yes, my hubby and my daughter.
5. Fill in the blank: “Without ___ I am nothing.” Without God, I am nothing.
6. How do you react when you find out that your closest friend dated your ex? If I am still single, I might get mad. LOL. But I am happily married now so I don’t really care.
7. Do your heart and your mind ever disagree? Yes.
8. In what areas of your life are you uncompromisable? My family
9. Have you ever gossiped about other people in order to add excitement to your
own life only for it to back-fire on you ? No.
10. I am___________________. I am me.

You’re calling me a shopaholic?

I love to shop. In fact my sister and my mom call me a shopaholic. I hate to admit it and sometimes I think that they are really wrong as I know when to stop since I am completely aware of how much my budget is.

But looks like I will need a bpm budget software to plan and budget my finances since I am a bit shocked at how much I have to pay for my credit card bills for this month.

Looking at my bill, it includes expenses for:
1. Our hotel accommodation for our upcoming Hong Kong trip (I booked online and it is a prepay booking so I have to pay in advance to reserve the room)
2. Shoes that I bought for my daughter
3. Grocery for this month
4. My cell phone bill
5. Toys that I bought for my daughter
6. Hubby’s toys that he bought
7. The hotel accommodation from our last Baguio vacation

And I haven’t done my Christmas shopping yet. I guess I will be more shocked come January when I receive my credit card bills after I am finish with my Christmas shopping.

Michael Jackson, glue, walls, popcorn, TP and animals

This week we will answer some unusual questions, brought to you by Berleen, the color black and the number 13.

1. Would you let your children go Trick or Treating at Michael Jackson's house? No. I don’t like Michael Jackson and I don’t trust him either.
2. Did you eat paste and/or glue as a child? Look at the wall to your right, what is on it? No, I am not adventurous even when I was still a child. I see our big mirror when I looked at the wall to my right.
3. Do you put butter and/or salt on your popcorn? Butter and salt.
4. What does your favorite coffee cup look like? I don’t have a preference. I use any cup that is available.
5. What was your favorite Halloween costume? I can’t remember ever wearing a costume for Halloween. But if it is for my daughter, my favorite out of all her costume that she used is her lion costumes which she used for her Halloween program at school.
6. Toilet Paper - hard, soft, extra soft? Extra soft.
7. Have you ever rescued/taken in a stray animal? No.
8. Name 3 things you want your kids to learn before they grow up. (if you don't have kids, feel free to skip this one or add your own twist to the question) One is they have to work hard in order to get what they want. Second is they should learn how to be God fearing. Third, Good education s really important.
9. Pick one of the Thursday Thunk players and say something about them.
Brandy (Creatively Yours): This is the first time for me to join Thursday Thunk and we have the same answer for number 1. I findMJ scary too.

On renovations

It looks like we will start to get busy in the office due to the office renovations. The renovation was supposed to start last February but since there are a lot of things to consider, it has always been delayed. They initially said that all the renovations is supposed to be finished by July 2008 but is already October and nothing really has been started.

But we are starting to see a little light in the dark now as contractors for the project have already been selected and they started to due site visits of the office to prepare for the renovation. We also received CAT5e which we will use for cabling new network connections. The new storage room is now ready so files can start to be move there so it will be easy to move around when the renovation starts.

Hopefully if everything turns out as planned, they will start with the project by December which is a perfect month since people are not that busy during that time of the year and hopefully in just a few months time, we will all have a more conducive work environment.

Accident

My dad received a call from my brother last night. He had an accident and his new car got hit by another car. This is his first real investment so my brother was really disappointed. First, he did not get car insurance for his car so he has to shoulder the expense for the repair. And second, my family needs a car tomorrow since they will attend the birthday party of my cousin so they have no car to use since the car is still in the shop for repair. And third, he highly relies on his car to go to our shop in Greenhills.

Oh well, sometimes no matter how careful you are, you really can’t avoid accidents. So the first thing that my brother did today before bringing his car for repair was to check for online auto insurance quotes so he can get an insurance for his car. He didn’t think that he will need car insurance before, but after the accident, his views about his need for car insurance had a 360 degree turn.

Weekend Snapshot # 21 - Prenuptial Shoot

I mentioned in my previous post that hubby did a photo shoot last Saturday. It was a prenuptial pictorial for the wedding that he will be covering this coming December.

The client is an officemate of my husband. He told hubby that he will be getting him as their photographer even before he proposed to his now fiancée.

They had a pictorial at the church where the wedding ceremony will be held. They also went to the Quezon City Parks and Wildlife for more nice views for the pictures. Below are some shots from the shoot.

Congrats sis!!

Who would have thought that my sister would be part of the Dean’s Lister for this semester? LOL. Peace sis. I know from the start that you are one smart kid. You just need a little pushing and you just have to prioritize your studies over blogging sometimes and I know you can really make it with flying colors.

And I was right. Even if you always complained about your studies, even though you always tell us that you can’t make it or that you might fail, even though you cried several times for fear that you might fail. I remember there was even a time when you wanted to quit and change courses.

But like I said, you are one smart kid girl. So even though I was not able to help you with your programming subject, or I was not able to answer you when you asked me about authorize.net, or I was not able to coach you for your Math Analysis, you still were able to pass and was even part of the Dean’s Lister.

Congrats sis and I am so proud of you.

I am a lazy cat

Yesterday, we were just at home the whole day. We were supposed to hit the mall after hubby’s photo shoot but then hubby decided to take our car at the service center for check up.

So what can I do if I am just at home the whole day? Well, I could have:

* started resizing the pictures from the last two parties that we attended last week and upload it to Flickr.
* finished researching about diet supplements
* started reading the book 4 (Breaking Dawn) of the Twilight Saga
* finished putting the stickers on the invites for my daughter’s party

But instead what I did is:

* lie down lazily the whole day
* did an online window shopping

Oh well, I rarely have days where I can do this so I am still happy. Even though my day was not that productive, at least I was able to rest and relax.

Friday Fill-Ins # 95

1. Right now, I'm feeling happy as it is already weekend.
2. Home is where I want to be.
3. How does one make de with only 24 hours a day and tons of work to do?
4. My Palm Pilot keeps me on track.
5. Please don't stop me from shopping and traveling.
6. Hubby and my daughter fills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading my Breaking Dawn book, tomorrow my plans include going to the mall with hubby and daughter and Sunday, I want to go the mall again!

Friday Fun: The All About Me Edition

Join us here.

1. What is your idea of a perfect relaxing day? Just staying at home watching my favorite TV series while I lazily lie down the whole day.
2. Your first real boyfriend/girlfriend,… do you look back fondly or do you get the shudders? Where are they today? My first real boyfriend? Honestly I don’t know where he is today and it is only know that I get to think about him after reading this question.
3. What was your favorite subject in school? Physics.
4. What is your favorite show on TV? Favorite book? Favorite song? My favorite TV show is Sex and the City. My favorite book is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and my favorite song is Heaven.
5. My husband’s only real competition is Wentworth Miller from Prison Break. Who is your celebrity crush? Oh I have a lot of celebrity crush: Robert Pattinson, Hugh Jackman, Josh Hartnett, just to name a few.
6. Since I got my first gray hair at 16, Miss Clairol and her friends are my close, personal friends! What about you? To dye or not to dye the hair? If so, what color is your natural hair (if you remember!) and what color do you dye it? Dye. I would love to still have my original hair color if I started to get white hair.

Thank God it is Friday but I still have to do one more thing before I enjoy my weekend – I need to look for home owner insurance first. Happy weekend everyone!

Books are fun

Yesterday, my friend gave a talk to children and parents of the children studying at the Day Care Center in our barangay. The talk is about the importance of Children & Education books in helping kids learn specially during their first few years.

I was not able to attend her talk but my mother who is the Chairman in our barangay was present to listen to the talk. She was telling me about it yesterday and she said that my friend did a good job in imparting what she knows about the importance of books to kids. She even used us as a proof of how effective books are in teaching kids.

I remember when I was still pregnant, apart from the things that we need for the baby like crib, stroller, baby clothes, baby feeding bottles and the like, we also shopped for educational books. My favorite site to shop is the online store of Borders. Our favorite is the Oh, the Places You'll Go! book of Dr. Seuss. My husband would read it to our baby even if she is still in utero and even up to now, my daughter still loves it every time her dad read it to her.

Another of our favorite is the Baby Einstein collections. My daughter’s favorite is the book about Neighbourhood Animals where I think she developed her love for animals.

Books are really a valuable resource of knowledge for kids no matter what your kids’ age is so I would really recommend introducing books to your kids since the earlier you introduce books to your baby the better as they will really get a lot from reading books.

The review has been paid by borders.co.uk.

The First Edward Cullen

Did you know that Henry Cavill was Stephanie Meyer’s first choice to play the role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight movie? But by the time the film came to be, Henry Cavill is already 25 years old so he is not fitting for the 17 years character of Edward Cullen. He was then offered the role as Carlisle Cullen but turned it down due to his commitment with The Tudors.

I remember Henry Cavill as the son of the count from the movie Count of Monte Cristo. He was still so young then and if my friends didn’t tell me about this information, I wouldn’t have remembered him playing that role in the movie.

But looking at him, I think that Robert Pattinson would still be the best actor to play the role of Edward Cullen in the movie.

A Break

I have a new nanny. She arrived last Friday. I should feel happy now that we have somebody to take care of our daughter while we’re at the office but these past few days I feel like I will need a blood pressure monitor because I am so stressed out with my new nanny.

But then I realized, she came straight from the province and it is really her first here in Manila so we really have to train her and give specific instructions on what we want her to do. Then my uncle also gave a comment that we should at least be patient with her and be considerate. Imagine she is so young but she chose to be far away from her family to earn some money to help her family in the province.

My uncle’s comment really struck me. It made me realize that we should really give her a break. She has only been with us for a week and I am already judging her. I guess we should be more patient with her and try to give her a break because I know she is trying really hard to please us.

Vegas for Christmas?

Hubby is supposed to have a training at Washington DC this coming December 8-18. My best friend who lives in Los Angeles just gave birth and her mother and her sister will be visiting her this coming December so I got excited when I found out about hubby’s training as this will give me the opportunity to visit my friend in Los Angeles.

I was already making plans with my friend and she is requesting that we stay until Christmas since we plan to arrive there on the 18th and we will spend our Christmas in Las Vegas. I love the idea as I know that it would really be a new experience to spend Christmas in Las Vegas but hubby disapproved the idea.

I can’t take a leave for more than three weeks so we have to leave a week after hubby and then we have to go back to Manila before the 23rd or 24th which gives us only a week in the United States. And I don’t think that it is worth it to spend for our airfare if we will only be there for a week.

So our decision: hubby will not take the training this December as he can’t afford to leave again without us. This means no LA Disneyland and no Las Vegas for Christmas.

I was already looking forward for this vacation and I can’t wait to have an adventure again in Las Vegas. So to help me forget about my disappointment, I tried the online site www.casino.de where I was able to play slots with cash prizes and poker too. What’s best about this site is that I was able to get training on how to play the different games and so I was able to develop a strategy to help me increase my chances of winning. At least even if it is just online, I was able to experience how it is to be in Las Vegas.

Ideal Guy? -- Edward Cullen of course!

A normal guy would say: “I love you Baby!”
Edward Cullen would say: “You are my life now.”

Normal Guy would say: “I think I am falling for you.”
Edward Cullen would say: “The Lion fell in Love with the Lamb”

Normal Guy would say: “You hair looks like a haystack; go brush it!”
Edward Cullen would say: "Your hair looks like a haystack but I like it.”

A normal guy would pick a random song from a random artist and dedicate it to you.
Edward Cullen would sing you a song he wrote for you while playing the piano.

If you die, a normal guy would find another.
If you die, Edward would kill himself cause life without you isn’t worth living.
"Well, I wasn't going to live without you.." He rolled his eyes as if that fact were childishly obvious. "..but I wasn't sure how to do it. I knew Emmet and Jasper would never help so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi."

As you leave the house, a normal guy would say: “Bye, see ya!”
As you leave the house Edward Cullen would say: “Come back to me, love.”
He smiled my favorite smile. "Hurry back to me."
"Always."

As you come back to the house, a normal guy would be watching TV and wouldn’t even notice.
As you come back to the house, Edward Cullen would be welcoming you by playing the piano with a song just for you.
"I heard the music before I was out of the car. Edward hadn't touched his piano since the night Alice left. Now, as I shut the door, I heard the song morph through a bridge and change into my lulluby. Edward was welcoming me home.'

A normal guy would wait for you to make him breakfast.
Edward Cullen would make you breakfast everyday.

While you are both out for dinner, a normal guy wouldn’t keep his eyes off the sexy waitress.
Edward Cullen wouldn’t even notice the waitress was a female.

A normal guy, while driving, would keep one hand on the wheel and one hand on the radio.
Edward Cullen, while driving, would keep one hand on the wheel and the other attached to yours.

While far apart in different places, a normal guy would say: “I miss you.”
While far apart in different places, Edward Cullen would say: “It’s like you've taken half myself with you.”

A normal guy wouldn’t care or notice if you had nightmares.
Edward Cullen would sing until your nightmares went away.
"Do you want me to sing to you? I'll sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away."

A normal guy buys you flowers and chocolates.
Edward Cullen buys you a car.

HK here we come

And speaking of travel, I can’t believe that after waiting for several months, in just a few weeks we are off to Hong Kong again. I am so excited. The last time we were there was when our whole family had a vacation there. We are 19 all in all who traveled together so you can just imagine how chaotic the logistics were since we have to coordinate with 19 individuals for the day’s itinerary. We were only there for three days so it is just enough to have a city tour, a day trip at Disneyland and a day tour at Ocean Park. This leaves us no time for the most important thing in my list, which is shopping.

So for our upcoming trip this coming November, we have allotted one whole day just for shopping. (Now if only I will have enough money for shopping to last the whole day. LOL.).

My daughter is pretty excited too that she even told her teacher about our upcoming trip. And in fact this trip is really for her since it is our birthday gift for her. We would really love to try the Disney cruises with her but maybe when she is old enough and this is the only thing that we can afford for now.

So can you see now how excited and psyched I am for this trip?

Cebu Pacific's On Going Promo

You know what I have been busy with the whole day? Cebu Pacific is having a promo again. They are offering around 500,000 seats for only P500++ for both international and domestic travel. Booking period is from October 22 – 27 and travel period is from January to March 18, 2008.

The entire day, I have been busy checking the dates where the airfare is being offered at discounted rates and now I can’t decide if we will avail of this promo again or not. And then I am torn between Shangri-La hotel in Mactan, Cebu or the Pearl Farm Resort in Davao since the airfare rates are just the same. Some of my friends recommended Shangri-La since it is real ideal for a quiet and relax vacation while some of my friends recommended Pearl Farm so we can have a day tour also at the Crocodile farm and Eagle Farm in Davao.

I guess after this day, I might need eyeglasses since I have been in front of the computer almost the whole day and I kept coming back to the Cebu Pacific site. I really wanted to have a vacation especially we can have that vacation as our birthday and anniversary celebration but at the same time I know that we have a lot of upcoming expenses especially since it is the Christmas season.

I told my husband that I will think about it until tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday # 27 - Dolphin Watching

Weekly Round Up #17

Week of October 13 to 17.

Monday – Hubby and I are both on holiday (Columbus Day in America and Thanksgiving Day in Canada) but instead of enjoying our long weekend, I end up sick and so we stayed at home during the weekend. We also went to American Eye since my eyes is still aching so I decided to have a check up. My doctor just gave me eye drops to help ease the pain.

It was also this day when I received a text message from my new yaya (less than 1 month) that she won’t be coming back after taking a day off and meeting her boyfriend during the weekend.

Tuesday – I am feeling much better now as the pain in my eye is almost gone that I decided to go to work instead of taking a sick leave. Since my nanny is not coming back, my mom was the one who took care of our daughter until Wednesday.

Thursday – my mom is leaving for Palawan to attend a seminar and since I just took a day off from work last week, hubby decided to take a day off to take care of our daughter this time. But before lunch, hubby received a phone call that he is needed in the office and so he dragged our daughter there. But he was so proud as our daughter was so behave the entire time that they are in the office.

Friday – I fetched hubby in his office and we dropped by at Robinsons Place to continue shopping for the two parties that we will be attending during the weekends. After doing my shopping, we dropped by at my friend’s house to fetch the yaya that she is giving us. I was a bit disappointed since the yaya is really young but since we are desperate, hubby and I decided to give her a try.

I can see clearly now

I used to have 800/900 vision. I started wearing eyeglasses when I was still in my elementary days and my mom would always buy the $ 8 Zenni Optical Rx Eyeglasses as their styles are so fashionable specially for a teenager like me, they are very affordable and they have a wide range of selection for eyeglasses.

I remember up to the time I was in high school I used to wear thick eye glasses and my vision is literally blurred if I am not wearing them. When I reached college, I started wearing contact lens as I got tired of being tagged as a nerd because of how I look.

But I took a major leap a year ago when I decided to face my fear and decided to have a lasik surgery. Although I was really scared to undergo the surgery at first and it really took me months to decide to finally do it. But in the end, I was really happy that I made the right decision. I feel free now and I don’t have to depend on contact lenses or eyeglasses (although my old eye glasses are still with me for souvenir) in order for me to see clearly. I get to enjoy a lot of things now that I don’t get to do before. Clearly, having a lasik operation was one of the best decisions that I have made.

His option

When my husband went to the US for his training he got interested when he saw on TV a program being offered to consumer that can help them Make Money Online. He quickly remembered my dad and he thought that this will be a great program for him to earn online while at home.

My father is a retired seaman and a former businessman. After he retired from being a seaman, he started his own business but sad to say, the business did not prosper. My brother and I are both working when my father decided to close down the business and so we told him not to worry since we can take care of him and my mother. But being the head of the family we know that he is not comfortable with that set up and that he still feels that he needs to work for us. So I think this Home Business program would be perfect for him.

I am reading a lot about this Plug-In Profit Site and they can give training to new members who don’t have any experience so they will be trained on how to be a good network marketer and start earning money. I hope my dad will give this a try as we noticed that he is depressed most of the time these past few days. He is a little intimidated with the technology but I am sure he will get a good training and he will learn the ropes soon and will start to earn money.

Weekend Snapshot # 20 - Twilight Again

When I heard about how good the Twilight Saga book of Stephenie Meyer is, I immediately bought a copy when I had a chance to visit a bookstore. Hubby has been telling me to buy the hard bound copy but since it is more expensive than the paperback, I settled for paperback instead. But after reading the book, I really fell in love with it and wished that I bought the hard cover instead.

So when I was asked to make a wish list for our advance Christmas Party, the hard bound cover of the Twilight Saga book was on top of my wish list. And I went home very happy as I got my wish. Thanks again Litzie for my book. I love it. And hubby promised to buy me a hard bound copy of Book 2 – 4 too.

Wordless Wednesday # 26 - Airplane

Weekly Roundup # 16

Weekly Roundup: For the Week of October 6 to October 11.

Monday, we all go to work and our daughter went back to school after being absent for one day last week. It was a usual busy Monday morning at work but the boss is away so I was able to find time to upgrade my PC since I have been delaying it since I can’t find the time to squeeze it to my busy schedule.

Tuesday, I did the same usual stuff at work.

Wednesday, our daughter missed school again as her colds worsen. When I reached home, I am not feeling well too and looks like I caught the virus too.

Thursday, our daughter’s condition is still the same so we decided to give her the antibiotic that her pedia prescribed. Her milk consumption dropped since she is having hard time breathing while drinking her milk.

When I woke up, I feel much better after going to bed early the other night and drinking my medicine. I wanted to take a leave from work but I will be on leave the following day so I decided to still go to work even if I am still not feeling well.

Friday, I took a day off from work since it is the field trip of our daughter but my dad didn’t want to be our driver as he opposed the idea of joining the field trip as my daughter’s condition is still not getting any better.

Saturday, our daughter looks better compared to the last three days. We were able to go out and visit Museong Pambata and had her pictorial for her birthday invitation also.

Our Day

Every month, my nanny is entitled for a day off from work and today is her day to be off from work for this month. We could just stayed at home the whole day and just have our much needed rest but we have a lot of errands to finish so we decided to go out even without our nanny.

Aside from going to the mall for our grocery, we also planned to go to the park and have a pictorial of our daughter which we will use for her birthday party invitation. It was almost lunch time when we reached Luneta and so we figured that it will be too hot for a pictorial, so we decided to have our lunch first. After lunch, we decided to try and visit the nearby Museum for the kids while passing time since the heat is still unbearable for a pictorial. My daughter had a great time inside the museum and she explored all the things that she can find there (I will make a separate post about that). And we found a great spot too inside the museum for our daughter’s pictorial so we don’t have to go to the park.

After going to the museum, we would have wanted to go to the nearby mall for some shopping but our daughter fell asleep on our way there and so we decided to just go home.

At the end of the day, I feel like I used the treadmill for a couple of hours after running after our daughter the whole day, but it was indeed a fun filled day for us. It was just me, my husband and my daughter and it is really our definition of a perfect family bonding time.

Weekend Schedule

For tomorrow
Looks like our schedule for tomorrow is as busy as today:

1. Hit the mall as I have to buy gifts for our exchange gifts for the Twitter and MBAP party this coming weekend.
2. Check out some steam cleaners since we badly need one for the carpet that we used at our daughter’s play room
3. Do our grocery
4. Go to church

For Monday
Hubby and I are both off from work (Columbus Day and Thanksgiving Day).

1. Take our daughter to school
2. Attend the Parent-Teachers Conference at our daughter’s school
3. Eat at Amici restaurant after the PTC as I am really craving for their spinach pasta for days now.
3. Hit the mall again

Her Options

Do you sometimes feel burnt out from work and you feel like running away? I guess that is how my friend feels towards her job right now. She just feels that she is no longer happy with her job and the more she forced herself to be happy and to stay, the more she gets frustrated.

Her options:

A. She waits for a few more months until she reached her 10th year in service so she can get at least 75% of her monthly salary as her separation pay.
B. Resigned as soon as she gets a new job
C. Move to Illinois where here relatives are staying and look for a job there. She is very interested in entering the fashion and beauty industry and she learned that there are a lot of beauty schools in illinois where she can enroll to enhance her craft. They can even help her get a job after she graduates.

Whatever she chooses, I always tell her that she should choose the option which she thinks will really make her happy.

Questions of the Week #34

QOTW

1. If someone expects you to do something you aren’t obligated to do, does that make you want to do it less? Yes, I hate it every time it happens.
2. Are there any activities, commitments, obligations in your life that instantly put you in a bad mood? None
3. What do other people do that irritate you that you recognize as a weakness in yourself? Sometimes people can be stubborn and selfish that they don’t see the positive side of the situation and they will just dwell on the negative side and their drama in life.
4. Do you surround yourself with the friends who like you best? Yes.
5. When you are angry or nervous, how do you calm yourself down? My first instinct is to cry but after I made a realization if things, I will just pray and leave everything up to HIM.
6. Do you take compliments well? Not really.
7. Do you think you would have been a different person if you had different parents? I guess so since what I am now is a product of how they raised me as their child.
8. Do you change your mind frequently or do you make up your mind about something and stay firm with that position? I change my mind frequently. I guess that is one of my weaknesses, I always find it hard to make a decision and if ever I made a decision I really find it hard to stay firm with that decision.
9. Describe the person that would be the exact opposite of you. Shy
10. Are you generally capable of seeing both sides of an argument at the same time? Sometimes I tend to make sides.

Pampered

I was supposed to do some research about St. Barts villa rentals since my friend is asking for my help but I have been offline this past few days since I am really not feeling well. And last night, hubby treated me for one pampering since he called in a masseuse that does home service massage.

So I had a full body massage for an hour I think and I nearly fall asleep while I was being massaged. My joints are all aching and the massage really eased up my muscles and released all the stress in my body. After the massage, I went to bed early and hubby managed to take care of our daughter and put her to sleep.

When I woke up this morning, I feel totally refreshed and I really feel a lot better I can do this everyday dad! Thanks again for your pampering treat for me.

All set for HK

I can’t wait. In just a few weeks, I will be traveling with my husband, daughter, siblings and cousins to Hong Kong. Almost everything is ready, we have finalized our itinerary already, we already made reservations for our accommodations and our airfare ticket has been booked several months in advance.

Although there are some little things that we have to take care of before we leave:

1. I have to get a Tax Exemption Certificate again at the Philippine Tourism Authority for my daughter so I can save 50% from the tax. I can do this any Friday afternoon as the enrollment is almost hassle free as I can wait for the release of the tax exemption certificate the same day that I applied.
2. Look for travel medical insurance. This is the first time that we will be traveling with our daughter without my parents and I am not that confident with our parenting skills without them so I just want to be on the safe side and get an insurance just to be sure that we can rely on something no matter what happens to us on our stay there.
3. I have to research more about the Airport Express. The last time we went to Hong Kong, I rented a big van for all 19 of us. But since we are just a small group this time, I think this is the most cheapest and convenient mode of transportation for us.

I guess that’s it. All that is left for us to do is pack our bags and get ready to leave for our much awaited Hong Kong vacation.

Importance of backup

Did you ever experience losing all your data when your hard disk failed and you have no data protection solutions in place?

I remember that situation happened to me couple of months ago. We keep all our pictures in our PC as well as all PSD file for my scrapbook layouts. We never had a habit of backing it up to a DVD or external hard drive and we really never realized the importance of a back up system when our hard disk failed and we can’t do anything but cry over all our lost pictures and files.

We have to accept the fact the computers fail. They break down either due to a virus, power failure and hard disk problem and so a backup system is really necessary.

The first thing that we need is backup software that will allow us to back up and restore data. There are a lot of software available in the market like the backup software of syncsort that will allow you to back up an entire serve in just a couple of minutes. Once you have the software, you then need to decide which files to back up and how often they need to be backed up.

Having a backup system will of course cost you money but the benefits that you will get in having a system that you can rely on incase your system fails is really a good tradeoff in the end.

Friday Fill-Ins # 93

1. One of the best concerts/plays/movies I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was For the Love of the Game. It is a love story but the male character is a baseball player and since I a not into any sports, I thought that it would just be one boring movie for me but I was wrong.
2. Pasta with Spinach from Amici is a recipe I recently ordered that was delicious!
3. It's time for Book 3 of the Twilight Saga.
4. A full body massage is quite refreshing.
5. If I never hear the word work again, it'll be too soon.
6. To one side of the curving road was a tall skyscraper, and on the other was a big open park (kind of like the setting in NY).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to continue reading the last few chapters of Eclipse (Book 3 of the Twilight Saga), tomorrow my plans include doing some shopping for the Twitter party on Saturday and Sunday, I want to just stay at home and rest.

Finances Rant

Do you know how much an a/c compressor would cost? My dad sent our car for repair because the a/c is malfunctioning and I can’t believe that it will really leave an empty hole in our pocket after paying for the parts and the labor fee.

Oh well, I guess we really have no choice but to have it repaired since it is the only car that we can use and it is really very uncomfortable to travel using it without the aircon. Just like what my husband said, that is really the trade off for buying a second hand car. We really have to expect lot or expenses for the repairs and maintenance. At least they were able to fix it and we won’t be force to consider buying a new car.

M/V Princess of the Stars

Last June 2008, we received a sad news on TV that M/V Princess of the Stars of Sulpicio Lines, a passenger ferry with over seven hundred people on board has capsized off the coast of Romblon during a typhoon. Of the hundreds of passengers and crew, only three survivors were discovered on shore. And the rescue team is a having a difficult time performing the rescue operations because of the bad weather.

Almost three months had passed since the tragedy but only 10% of the bodies have been recovered by the rescue team. And I think even if they will still be able to recover more bodies, it would be difficult to identify each one of them without a DNA or dental records.

This tragedy is considered to be one of the major sea mishaps since 1980. And the sad part is shipping companies don’t really give financial support to families of victims. But the families of victims of course can always file a maritime lawsuit so lawyers can help them get financial claims to shipping companies. Specially to crew members of the ship who died because of the accident.

I love Edward

It is the time of the year again for JS Prom. My aunt asked for my help in looking for prom dresses for her daughter as she knows I know where to find anything on the net.

It made me remember the scene from the Twilight Saga book that I was reading. Edward surprised Bella by making her dress up to attend their Prom Night. Bella had no idea that Edward was doing this to make her attend the prom (which she really, really hates to do as she does not know how to dance. So she would rather skip the prom than to be humiliated if she trips when dancing.) Edward asked her sister Alice to help Bella dress up. Bella thought all along that both she and Edward are dressing up because Edward wants to change her into a vampire. So Bella was so surprised and pissed when she learned that they are going to the prom.

But Edward’s reason for making Bella attend the prom is because she does not want Bella to miss special events like this just because she is dating a vampire. Edward wants Bella to experience every ordinary human teenager should experience. Isn’t it sweet? That is really the reason why I am so in love with Edward. He is so sweet and sensitive and selfish. If I were Bella I would no doubt fall head over heels with Edward.

What’s Happening in Manila: Sept - Oct

Carlos Celdran tours.

For those of you who have not yet taken one of Carlos’s tours, they are highly recommended. Especially recommended for starters is his tour of Intramuros. He does a long and a short version. See his latest schedule at the end of this listing. Also See Carlos’s Blog at http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/ for details and more!

Asia Minor singers Fri Oct 3rd Onwards
The Asia Minors Singing group is being revived for the Christmas season and is looking for singers. Weekly practices will begin on Friday October 3 in Makati, during the daytime. We are looking for recruits who enjoy singing in parts, are able to regularly attend practices and who will be in Manila during December in order to take part in performances.
If you would like more details or are interested in joining us please call Heather (8079164) or Yvonne (8109188 ) .

Great American Hoedown Sat October 4th, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Pasay City. 5.00-7.00pm, Chili Cook-off, 7.00pm, Hoedown. For tickets call 850 0901 or email specialevents@awcphilippines.org Proceeds to Concordia Children’s Services. See attached flier.

La Boheme, October 3-5

Giacomo Puccini’s much-performed love story opera “La Boheme” is being staged in Manila in October, with three nights at the Cultural center of the Philippines Main Theater during October 3-5 (8pm)."La Boheme” is the story of the doomed love affair between Mimi, stricken with tuberculosis, and the Bohemian artist Rodolfo, encompassing romance, drama and memorable music. It has been described by the New York Times as “the world’s most popular opera.” Tickets: 515 to 4,120 pesos through the Ticketworld website.

American Women’s bazaar, October 6

The American Women's Club of the Philippines has its next monthly bazaar on October 6 (8.30am-3pm), with about 300 stalls selling mainly Philippine-made handicrafts, art, clothing and accessories, textiles, furniture, homeware and food, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City.

Tapestry weaving 6th October onwards

Mondays 10.30am or Thursdays 10.30am39 Ponce St San Lorenzo Village. Makati city

Presentation Mon 6th Oct 10.30am (free)

Intro to tapestry: Learn a little about the history of tapestry and increase your appreciation of this historic art form. Contact victoria.gill@endangeredheritage.com to book your place.

Victoria is offering weaving classes for beginners interested in learning the art of tapestry.10 sessions would get you ready for your own independent project from developing a design to completion. Cost 600P per session, warp and weft provided for first project included. (1000P deposit for tapestry frame and bobbin) Victoria Gill has a degree in both Fine Arts and a Science degree in Art Conservation. Victoria has maintained her studio practice including weaving, while working as a conservation consultant for some of the most significant tapestries and art kept in public and private collections. Victoria has taught design and weaving at tertiary level in Australia and is now in Manila. Experienced weavers, spinners or dyers are also encouraged to make contact.

Maria Callas Master Class, October 9-15

The Philippine Opera Company includes a performance by actress Cherie Gil in its upcoming production of the Tony award-winning play “Master Class.” This semi-biographical cameo of the private and public lives of opera legend Maria Callas is told through a fictional “master class” conducted for three students by Callas at the end of her career – in which she recounts her tumultuous life as opera’s grand dame and her private life as paramour to the billionaire Aristotle Onassis.“Master Class” is on stage at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in RCBC Plaza, Makati City, on October 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24 & 25 8pm.Tickets: 350 to 1,000 pesos through Philippine Opera Company, phone +632 892 8786, the website http://www.philippineoperacompany.com/; or through the Ticketworld website.

West Side Story, until October 12

On stage at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, with remaining showdates on September 21, October 4, 10 & 12, with the organizers promising more play-dates to be scheduled.Tickets and schedule: 500 to 1,200 pesos through the Ticketworld website.

OktoberFest 2008, October 16th -19th, at the NBC Tent, Fort Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City organized by the The German Club, Manila with Mandarin Oriental Hotel. See http://www.germanclub.ph/ for further information. Family events on Oct 19th from 11am to 2pm

Oriental Carpet Auction October 23rd.

A chance to purchase exotic carpets from all over the world. This is an evening fundraiser to help support the community services f In Touch Community Services. Viewing fro 6.00pm. Auction at 7.00pm at Ballroom 3, Mandarin Oriental, Makati Avenue, Makati City. Tel 810 6233 for more information.

Soiree Beaujolais, November 20

The French community in the Philippines and their guests celebrate the annual new bottling of Beaujolais Nouveau wine with a gala party scheduled for November 20. The happening is organized by Le Club French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and this year coincides with the chamber’s 20th anniversary so the party will be even bigger than usual.Soiree Beaujolais includes bottomless Beaujolais Nouveau, fine food, music and dancing, plus a raffle for a wide range of major prizes donated by sponsors. It’s being held in the Harbor Garden Tent at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila hotel.Information: Stéphane Khaled, Le Club, email stephane.khaled@leclub-fcc.org, phone +632 813 9005.

Hairspray, December 5 & 6

The multiple Tony award-winning musical “Hairspray” is being brought to Manila for pre-Christmas season shows by Atlantis Productions. With the cast still being finalized, it’s booked at the Star Theater in Pasay City on December 5 & 6.“Hairspray,” with a 1960s teen pop story-line, is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O`Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It was also turned into a popular movie musical starring John Travolta, Zach Efron and Michelle Pfeiffer.Tickets: 600 to 1,200 pesos through the Ticketworld website.

Carlos Celdran Tours:

TOUR DATES! TOUR RATES!


SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2008
(NO TOURS OCTOBER 6 TILL 26)
I'm out of town - Sorry!
Please note all starting times. They differ.
Scroll down for all other tours...

Email celdrantours@hotmail.com or text 0920 9092021 to confirm reservations.

SHOULD YOU NOT FIND TOUR DATES THAT FIT YOUR SCHEDULE, PLEASE NOTIFY ME THREE (3) WEEKS IN ADVANCE, AND I CAN OPEN UP A PUBLIC TOUR ON YOUR PREFERRED DATE AT THE REGULAR TOUR RATE.

NOTE: NO TOURS ON MONDAYS.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK! Deluxe Tour
Includes San Agustin Museum, Fort Santiago, and Casa Manila (3 hours)
Note: Tour has slightly mature content.
Recommended for ages eight (8) years above
Php700.00
Php350.00 students
*Additional fees:
Php50.00 - Fort Santiago fee
Php25.00 for students
Php100.00 - San Agustin Museum fee
Php50.00 for students
Php50.00 - Casa Manila fee (optional after tour)
Php25.00 for students (optional after tour)
PRIVATE TOUR: Available upon request.

Dates:
September 28 - Sunday - 9:00am
October 3 - Friday - 9:00am
October 5 - Sunday - 9:00am

All tours begin at Fort Santiago and end at Casa Manila

(Scroll down for the regular Intramuros Tour and all other tours)

Fort Santiago
Santa Clara Street
Intramuros
632) 5271572

Casa Manila
Calle Real del Palacio (Gen. Luna Street)
Intramuros
632) 5274084

And Have Lunch or Dinner at La Cocina De Tita Moning after the tour.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK!
Intramuros Regular Walking Tour
San Agustin, Casa Manila (2 hours)
Note: Tour has slightly mature content.
Recommended for ages eight (8) above
Php600.00 adults
Php300.00 students
*Additional fees:Php50.00 - Casa Manila fee (optional after tour)
Php25.00 for students (optional after tour)
Php100.00 - San Agustin museum fee
Php50.00 for students
Philippine schools only
*PRIVATE TOUR: Available upon request.

Dates:
September 27 - Saturday - 9:30am
October 1 - Wednesday - 9:30am
October 4 - Saturday - 9:30am

All Tours Begin at Manila Cathedral and end at San Agustin Church.

Manila Cathedral
Plaza Roma
Intramuros, Manila

San Agustin Church
Calles Gen Luna and Real
Manila 1002 Philippines
(632) 5274060

And Have Lunch or Dinner at La Cocina De Tita Moningafter the tour.

LIVING LA VIDA IMELDA!
Walking Tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines as seen through the life and aspirations of Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos
Note: Tour has slightly adult content.
Recommended for ages 15 above.
Php700.00 adults
Php350.00 students
PRIVATE TOUR: Available upon request.

Dates:
September 27 - Saturday - 2:30pm
October 4 - Saturday - 2:30pm

All tours begin at the CCP Little Theatre Lobby.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines
Roxas Boulevard corner P. Ocampo Malate
632) 832 1125 (Minimum group of 25 pax)*

Showbiz talk

Have you seen Judy Ann Santos lately? She is really getting prettier and sexier everyday. I was able to watch a local talk show while my daughter was sleeping and they’ve shown footage while they were interviewing her during the premiere of her latest movie. I am no fan of Judy Ann but boy she really did a good job in loosing weight and maintaining her figure. It makes me really think that she might be using Leptitrex diet pill. I can still remember her when she started in showbiz. She was the cheeky and chubby princess of drama series. And just look at her now. She is getting a lot of endorsement offer probably because of her sexy figure. And she is engage to one of the handsome bachelors in showbiz.

The next time I get pregnant, I will definitely think of Judy Ann. She will be my source of inspiration to help me go back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

For Next Week

My Schedule for next week:

Monday – Our weekly section meeting and part of the agenda is to make a list of our contacts that we will be giving promotional items this coming Christmas. Our section head is asking for this list so they can have an idea on how many giveaways they will be ordering
Tuesday – Drop by at Smart Communications to inquire about their current plan for Blackberry Services as we need to renew our current subscription.
Wednesday – Monthly ITP Conference Call
Thursday – No plans yet but it looks like I will be busy since I will be on leave the next day so I have to finish all my pending by Thursday.
Friday – I will be on leave to accompany my daughter on her field trip.

I love online shopping

Online shopping rocks. Ever since I discovered the world of online shopping, I have been addicted to it that I always end my busy day browsing to online shops and thinking of anything that I can purchase online.

My recent purchase was a baby bouncer and a crib bedding set. But nope I am not pregnant. These items are not for me but I bought this as my present for my good friend Jacq who just gave birth last month. I ordered them online from Amazon and have them shipped at my friends US address. That is the beauty of online shopping. Imagine we are miles apart but I was able to manage to send her a little something even if I am here in Manila. Good thing that Amazon accepts credit cards not issued in the US so I was still able to use it to pay for my purchases.

The items were delivered right at my friend’s doorstep just a few days before she gave birth and now her baby is already using our gifts for her. My friend really loves the crib bedding because of its design which sets the mood for their daughter’s nursery. And since it’s is made from all natural material she is confident that it will be healthy for her baby.

I am sure I will buy the same crib bedding if I get pregnant again for our second baby.

USB Handbag Flash Drive

USB Flash Drives are very cheap nowadays that almost everybody has one. Mine is only 2 GB and I bought it when USB Flash Drives is juts new in the market. I think now you can buy an 8 GB USB flash drive at a very low price.

But if you want something unique, stylish and funky that will set your flash drive apart from the other flash drive in the market, then you should buy one of this:

A USB Handbag Flash Drive. This flash drive looks like a hand bag (thus, the name) and it snaps apart to reveal a USB connector to plug in to your computer. An 8 GB capacity flash drive will cost around $36 and it comes in pink, red, green, and yellow. For bag hags who love to carry their data with them everywhere they go, this cute USB Handbag flash drive will be a cute addition to your bag collection. :-)

Big & Small Greenbelt 5 is now open!

Thank God it’s Friday!! This week was a very busy week for me (as always) and so I feel so relieved that I just have to survive one more day at work and it is already weekend.

So where are we heading this weekend? We will go to Shangri-La mall to accompany my grandmother for her eye check up and then we will go mall hoping afterwards. I heard the Big&Small's newest 3-in-1 store with Big&Small, Orange Juice and SPIN is now open on the 3rd Level of Greenbelt 5 (across Adora). And as their opening promo they have a sale and are giving 15% off on regular items until October 31, 2008 just by giving the sales staff this code: BNSG5 upon purchase. And sales and discounts is really my weakness so I might ask my husband to drop us off at Greenbelt 5 to check out the store.

Here are some pictures of the new Big & Small store at Greenbelt 5.




Advance happy weekend everyone!

Trick or Treat!!

October is here and it is time again for kids to go trick or treating. I remember last year, I drag my cousins at the mall and have them wear their costumes so they can experience Trick or Treating during Halloween. They really have fun going around the stores asking them for treats or candies. They still have a clear memory of their experience last year and so as early as now they are already asking me on where we will celebrate Halloween this year.

I promised them that I will try to find events this Halloween that we can attend and so they are really looking forward to it. We already started to look for costumes that they can wear when they go trick or treating. One of my cousins wants t dress up like a fair complete with the wings, wands and a cute fairy costume. My other cousin is so much into baseball now that is why he wanted to come as a baseball player for Halloween. I already found a cute baseball uniform for him and I also found an online store where I can buy batting gloves.

I am sure that my two cousins are very much excited for their Halloween celebration this year. I too am excited for them as I know that they will really have fun again just like last year.

Window Shopping

My mind is not working again. No matter how hard I try to concentrate, nothing is coming out of it and so I just stared blankly at my monitor. Maybe I have been working hard these past few days and I have drained my body so much that no mater how much I wanted to work, it is still not cooperating. So to pass time, I did some window shopping again and after browsing, I wanted to buy these:



My sister said that if there is a rehab similar to drug rehab for shopping addicts like me, then I will be the perfect candidate to become a patient. But I have been a good girl. I was able to control my urge to shop (but the effort in trying to stop myself from shopping is similar to the urge of an alcohol dependent that have just entered an alcohol rehab. LOL). I just did some window shopping and just added everything that I want in my shopping cart but I never did the checkout process. I keep reminding myself that in just a few weeks, we will be going to Hong Kong and I have to save some money since we allotted one whole day just for shopping so we will literally shop till we drop.

So for now these items will just remain in my shopping cart…Yes, for now. We’ll see how I can control myself in the coming days. LOL.

Artistic Laptops

Do you want Boticelli’s Birth of Venus painting to be the skin of your laptop? How about Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? You can easily do this by just changing the skins of your laptop.


These stylish laptop skins can be bought from Shopdaymanila.com. They are made from quality vinyl that is easy to apply and remove so you can change your skins depending on your mood without leaving a sticky residue behind. They are tear proof (printed in the US and are made from high quality vinyl), so you can easily remove and reuse them.

These skins are priced at Php 1,399 plus shipping. You can visit their multiply site at http://shopday.multiply.com/ to view more designs for your laptop skins.

To HK

Time really flies and I can’t believe that it is already October. I remember, a couple of months ago, I availed of the Zero Fare promo of Cebu Pacific and booked our tickets for Hong Kong. When I booked the tickets, I know that it is still too early to feel excited about it as I have to count for a couple of months first before our departure. But like I said, time moves really fast and in just a few days we will be boarding our plane for our much awaited Hong Kong vacation.

Everything is all ready for the trip. I already booked our hotel accommodations at Disneyland Hollywood hotel and our hotel accommodations at BP International. We also have finalized our itinerary. Our only question now is if we need to book an airport shuttle or we can just take the MTR in going to and from the airport. I remember when my husband and I went to New York, we got the service of Laguardia Airport Shuttle. It is a share ride airport shuttle so it is affordable plus it is really very convenient. Since we have a toddler in tow for this travel, we are thinking that we should get the same service instead of taking the MTR so it will be convenient both for us and for my daughter.

I will have to research about this further but I think everything is set and we are all excited to go for our much needed vacation.

Good luck & we will miss you

She is leaving me. Yes, my best friend since Kindergarten will be leaving next week for Singapore to work there. I feel happy for her since I know that it will open more doors of opportunity for her and her husband plus the fact that the pay that she will be getting is much better than what she is getting here. But at the same time I feel sad too. She is my best friend since Kindergarten. We literally grew up together as we go to the same school and we are classmates since pre-school to college. And even after graduation, we still get to see each other regularly since we live close to each other. And we both don’t like the idea of working abroad and we both agreed before that we will never leave our beloved country. But I guess, things change and I guess it is really for the good of her family.

So I have to stop being melodramatic and I just have to channel my energy in helping her prepare for their departure. They will be leaving in a week so she really needs all the help that she can get to make their move a hassle free one. I gave her the number of the Moving Company that my colleagues often use and I know it will help them pack, move and unpack their things. (At least this will be one less thing that she has to think about.)

To my dear friend, as what they always say, there will be no goodbyes. Only see you soon. I know we won’t stand not seeing each other so expect that we either visit you there or go take a vacation leave right away. Good luck on your new life in Singapore and we will miss you.

The life of a Nomad

Nomads, they are people who have no fixed residence and the move from one place to another as their home. This is how my friend describes their life as a Foreign Service employee. They get assigned to different countries and so they have to adapt to the culture of the country where they will be assigned.

She is not complaining though. He said that this is the life that they have chosen when they decided to go into Foreign Service. Of course, there is some perks too as they get to experience the culture of a lot of countries and they get to travel a lot too. This gives them a broader knowledge of the different nationalities which is very exciting and informative on their part.

But with the pros always comes the cons too. Since they are considered as the visitors when they get posted to a new country, this means that they should be the one to adjust and adapt to the traditions and customs of the country where they get posted. This can be a real challenge since it is never always easy to adapt to new cultures and customs and she admits that they sometimes get culture shock too. Being in Foreign Service also means that they have to move a lot. Imagine, they just get settled in their new home and before they know it, after two years, they have to pack and unpack again and move to a new country. She even said that there came a point when she is already too tired from packing and unpacking their things. Good thing she got help from professional moving company like Boston Moving Company who help them pack, store, move and unpack their things.

But all in all, she enjoys the life of a Nomad. She loves to travel, to move and to explore things since she is a real adventurer at heart.