I always wanted to write stories. I would like to start with Sandy’s walks of life…..
Walks of Life – Sandy’s New Year! (Part1)
There were those times when Sandy wake up everyday feeling numb and couldn’t hear a thing about what’s happening around. Light from the window partially entering the bedroom, shadows moving in his face as the wind from the air-conditioner move the curtains. He thought to himself “I have to stand up and have breakfast.” Actually it’s already in the afternoon; so much time was wasted in the morning.
In the kitchen, coffee is the king of all smells. The unmistakable aroma of coffee brings life back into the world. Mesmerizing that today is a living day for humans alike. Couldn’t grab a bite of 2-day old bread, Sandy sat down and turned on his laptop. As he switches on the DSL, he thought that a wild current suddenly connects into the world’s information. Browsing through the news and favorite sites, Sandy couldn’t stop but trying to avoid thinking about next week’s work. Today is Saturday and he needs to enjoy that. Some clothes are still hanging in the kitchen chairs. The bathroom door is partially open; he also forgot to turn off the light in the shower last night. What a waste! He thought as he wonders where the utility bills are for this month. “Buzz” a common sound that chat rooms use to say hello. Here they are checking in, family and friends of the internet age. What small world it has become, internet connecting far away friends and love ones. Small as he compares to his studio type condo.
It lasted for several hours…..well it ended after 5pm and Sandy needed to go shopping for a week’s consumption. In the City-shop, a dozen friends also showed up. Amazing he thought, why would they be around that time also? Dinner would take place after buying the goods. The fast food areas would be a fun place to chat with friends. It’s another 2-3 hours before everyone will split. It’s not yet goodbye since they would probably bump into each others in the bars tonight.
“Hey Sandy!” a voice seems familiar yet couldn’t remember a name for her. As he glances to his left, it was Alex. “Hi Alex, how’s last night at the bar? Sorry I have to slip out early, I need to be at another place.” Remembering, he wonders what happened to the wasted young people he left at a friends’ house.
“It was boring, couldn’t get out, some friends set me up on a blind date wit a city engineer. You should have waited a little bit, guess who showed up when you vanished? It’s Lucy!” Sandy felt his heart running into his old feelings, grasping back he said “how is she?” Alex smiles back and said that she looks fine.
It’s been two years now since Sandy and Lucy broke up and eventually did not get married. Alex sat down beside him and asked “what is that you’re eating?” “Pork with some orange extract and honey I think.”
“I sent you an email last night did you see it today? If you’re interested I will arrange a meeting in their office. They are a big advertising company here in Makati and the southern federal states. Loisa is our contact person and she will introduce you to their marketing director Miss Ivy. What do you think?” Drinking up his milk-tea he said thanks and hoping to arrange a presentation of his services. “Do you think I should try this out? “Well of course Sandy, you’re very strong in design and you should not stick only in sub-contracting Cad-Drawings and programming. You’re a great designer and I know your graphic skills, it’s too far better than what their company is producing right now. I am sure you’ll end up well with them!”
“I am really thankful Alex for your support!” Sandy is once the most talkative and energetic guy in the city. Almost anywhere he would surely know someone especially at the bars. Alex stayed as a close friend of him; they were old colleagues in a big planning and architectural firm. Just after the 2014 Government Federalization, Alex moved to the government service while Sandy does home based work. It’s actually an Ideal job, using a laptop at home with a good sat-link, that’s how Sandy earns a lot of money for just 4 hours a day.
Sandy met Lucy in one of his architectural clients. Just after two years they were engaged. Lucy was a project coordinator during that time. When she got promoted as a project architect, life became tough for both of them. After 3 years more, Sandy tried to convince Lucy to quit her work and be a consultant like him. But it was not that easy for Lucy, she was up for promotion and besides she really liked her job. Lucy also became a project architect for international projects which made life harder for both of them. Lucy opened up to Sandy and told him that they may be going nowhere because of the situation. Sandy understood Lucy’s dream and sadly-Sandy said goodbye to each other. Next month is New Year’s Day and it feels like a mystical year to be in 2020.
“What are you having Alex? Just drinks?” Surely, in the back of Sandy’s mind is Alex aura, she was a hot-talented-intelligent-funny girl also, a hot headed one. Well she looks more amazing when she’s mad. “Oh its milk gulaman it’s pretty sweet, you should try it", Alex said. "Thanks, I already ate, I just saw you when I passed by.”
“Where are you going after this Alex? Would you like to go to the underground city tonight? Smiling back at him she said that she’ll be free around 8pm and would love to go with him half pass 8pm. “Ok then, let’s meet in subway #8 at 8:30pm and we’ll go together in UC.” Alex stood up and waived goodbye for now. “See yah there and don’t be late for 1 minute or I will go my self.” Sandy pointed at her liked shooting with a pistol. “See yah there tonight!”
To be continued……
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Looking Back 01
Sometime last year, my daughter took a photo of me in a now closed restaurant in Shanghai...he he he.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Vindicated
Have you had that situation where you feel all the blames are set on you? Even though people around you are saying that it is not you’re fault, still there’s that feeling of anxiety. Yet, in the back of your mind, maybe they are saying that just to comfort you.
Guilt over runs your mind and bothers you a lot everyday. You want to talk to the right person but it would feel that you’ll be accepting that you had done something wrong on the matter. Several days would pass and the horror of loosing your confidence as a good employee would fade in the shadows.
I have done nothing in a situation that I cannot control. I try to convince my self as my friends told me so. I waited until the day we’ll have a meeting to discuss the situation. And yesterday, I woke up in the morning with less intense feeling of the matter. Then we had a meeting and I said this is it. In the opening of the meeting they mentioned what happened. The second thing they said was to comfort me that it was not my fault and that absolutely I have not done anything wrong. They said, as old timers, they have been there many times and that it happens.
I guess sometimes that not to say anything is best when you’re trusted friends and love ones told you not to worry. Great is the feeling that you passed something and regained more confidence in thy self.
Guilt over runs your mind and bothers you a lot everyday. You want to talk to the right person but it would feel that you’ll be accepting that you had done something wrong on the matter. Several days would pass and the horror of loosing your confidence as a good employee would fade in the shadows.
I have done nothing in a situation that I cannot control. I try to convince my self as my friends told me so. I waited until the day we’ll have a meeting to discuss the situation. And yesterday, I woke up in the morning with less intense feeling of the matter. Then we had a meeting and I said this is it. In the opening of the meeting they mentioned what happened. The second thing they said was to comfort me that it was not my fault and that absolutely I have not done anything wrong. They said, as old timers, they have been there many times and that it happens.
I guess sometimes that not to say anything is best when you’re trusted friends and love ones told you not to worry. Great is the feeling that you passed something and regained more confidence in thy self.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
A financial Depression…
Imagine what the U.S. financial crisis did to world market? It affected everyone who had investments in banks. The un-controlled panic in the stock markets made everything worse. In times of financial meltdown, the stock market cannot save it self. It basically needs each government to help its own financially. What kind of market that we are engaging therefore if just one nation can ultimately alter the global market. Most of the stocks are not insured, therefore there is no guarantee in the beginning. Still, how can these fundamentals of the market be acceptable? Now, all rich nations had to act for the sake of saving the global market and even there own. By the way, whose money are they using? Oh yah, it’s the peoples money saving the peoples market
It is clear now, that to be globally active is to be globally risk aware. The domino effects of global market fallout are human in nature. For those who have seen this type of crisis may have well survived it. I don’t know how they cope with the financial crisis in their own means. For me, I realized there should be a personal “crisis shelter” to fall back. The Crisis Shelter is a place where you:
a. A place to fall back to forget the global chaos and relax for sometime. Of course you’ll need little money to pay for utility bills. Probably a back-garden to get vegetables to save on food cost and a hobby to let time past while being productive. Or better yet, invent a sustainable house and share with others.
b. Do not only depend on bank products to earn on risky stocks or funds. If you already have stocks just don’t panic. Study your options carefully before deciding on what to do with the investments. It’s investment anyway, so forget about it so you’ll have no further headache. Just kidding!
c. Create your own insurance. Where you will save your money is your secret now. Well, if you have good ideas let me know! If there is only a tree that produces a lot of fruits all year round non-stop, I will plant one right now.
d. Do not only rely on fund managers or the market experts, trust you’re self since it’s your money and no one will insure you money anyway. Look at what happened to this crisis, how much hard end money is now lost because of stocks value went down crazily.
e. Scatter you’re money as if like a child who knows where to get back his stocks of cookies under the pillow when the time he wants to eat it.
f. Develop a habit of saving money, a stock of rice, a stock of flour, or even a stock of resiliency of the heart. Just don’t become an illegal hoarder.
g. Don’t worry much of the future since you cannot literally use your money when all you need is love.
It is clear now, that to be globally active is to be globally risk aware. The domino effects of global market fallout are human in nature. For those who have seen this type of crisis may have well survived it. I don’t know how they cope with the financial crisis in their own means. For me, I realized there should be a personal “crisis shelter” to fall back. The Crisis Shelter is a place where you:
a. A place to fall back to forget the global chaos and relax for sometime. Of course you’ll need little money to pay for utility bills. Probably a back-garden to get vegetables to save on food cost and a hobby to let time past while being productive. Or better yet, invent a sustainable house and share with others.
b. Do not only depend on bank products to earn on risky stocks or funds. If you already have stocks just don’t panic. Study your options carefully before deciding on what to do with the investments. It’s investment anyway, so forget about it so you’ll have no further headache. Just kidding!
c. Create your own insurance. Where you will save your money is your secret now. Well, if you have good ideas let me know! If there is only a tree that produces a lot of fruits all year round non-stop, I will plant one right now.
d. Do not only rely on fund managers or the market experts, trust you’re self since it’s your money and no one will insure you money anyway. Look at what happened to this crisis, how much hard end money is now lost because of stocks value went down crazily.
e. Scatter you’re money as if like a child who knows where to get back his stocks of cookies under the pillow when the time he wants to eat it.
f. Develop a habit of saving money, a stock of rice, a stock of flour, or even a stock of resiliency of the heart. Just don’t become an illegal hoarder.
g. Don’t worry much of the future since you cannot literally use your money when all you need is love.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Health Checkups & Medicines
The best way to monitor health and the idea of saving lots of money is to have a family type doctor. The doctor can be a family friend, an old classmate, a relative, or your trusted town doctor. An annual general physical and laboratory test is highly recommended. I learned this when I became an OFW in 2003. I regularly have an annual medical checkup abroad. I also do a general blood test every time I have a chance when I am back at home.
Knowing the levels of your cholesterol or glucose and the likes, gives us the power to balance our diet. We can be more convinced what food we should avoid and what are alternatives to craves. Achieving knowledge and control avoid the risk of getting sick and eventually reduce the cost of medical expense. In other matters, having a family doctor gives us a cost-effective medicine.
There are over the counter medicines for headaches, colds, and fever. What if your headaches are caused by clustered headaches and not by sinusitis? When we start overdosing the use of these meds, our liver and maybe other parts of the body suffers. Just make sure you eat something before taking the drugs.
Well, all of these are not enough of course, we need exercise etc. It can be a simple city walk, a run in the park, and sport activities with friends. In my hometown, a doctor’s checkup fee would be 7USD/300PHP, a general blood laboratory test is 14USD/600PHP, and chest x-ray is at 8USD/350-500PHP.
A clean environment is also a big factor; this is one reason that good urbanization has to come in. Redevelopment and or rejuvenations of old towns and cities are large steps in securing a cleaner and functional environment. If we start by analyzing just a household, what happens when pest like mice or cockroach start touching your plates, glass or spoons? Imagine the bacteria that will be transferred to your body system. How about mice that just eaten poisoned food from neighbors and had crawled to your cooking utensils? The cost of getting sick is increasing as one infects the other family members. The mood in the home changes as it tends for everyone to be quiet because someone is sick. Someone has to get up every 4 hours or 5 hours because medicines have to be given to the sick. There are physical sacrifices aside from emotional stress.
Of course and I agree that a family’s love will overcome everything but prevention is better than surprises.
Knowing the levels of your cholesterol or glucose and the likes, gives us the power to balance our diet. We can be more convinced what food we should avoid and what are alternatives to craves. Achieving knowledge and control avoid the risk of getting sick and eventually reduce the cost of medical expense. In other matters, having a family doctor gives us a cost-effective medicine.
There are over the counter medicines for headaches, colds, and fever. What if your headaches are caused by clustered headaches and not by sinusitis? When we start overdosing the use of these meds, our liver and maybe other parts of the body suffers. Just make sure you eat something before taking the drugs.
Well, all of these are not enough of course, we need exercise etc. It can be a simple city walk, a run in the park, and sport activities with friends. In my hometown, a doctor’s checkup fee would be 7USD/300PHP, a general blood laboratory test is 14USD/600PHP, and chest x-ray is at 8USD/350-500PHP.
A clean environment is also a big factor; this is one reason that good urbanization has to come in. Redevelopment and or rejuvenations of old towns and cities are large steps in securing a cleaner and functional environment. If we start by analyzing just a household, what happens when pest like mice or cockroach start touching your plates, glass or spoons? Imagine the bacteria that will be transferred to your body system. How about mice that just eaten poisoned food from neighbors and had crawled to your cooking utensils? The cost of getting sick is increasing as one infects the other family members. The mood in the home changes as it tends for everyone to be quiet because someone is sick. Someone has to get up every 4 hours or 5 hours because medicines have to be given to the sick. There are physical sacrifices aside from emotional stress.
Of course and I agree that a family’s love will overcome everything but prevention is better than surprises.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Financial Planning 101
1. Love your Job, don’t get fired and be smart when there’s a global recession.
2. Find extra income if possible, setup a small business, or create passive income investment. Probably borrow money from your parents because there’s no interest.
3. Save 20-30% of your income automatically, then you can budget the rest for the monthly expenses. Check with your wife because she does the shopping.
4. Prioritize payment hierarchy from credit cards to phone bills to mortgages. By the way how many cards do you have?
5. If you have kids, it’s better to have insurance or educational plans. Make sure also that your policies are insured. How many kids are you planning? You should check with your wife because she may want more than 5 kids!
6. Check your pot; make sure you have more assets than expenses and liabilities. Know what “needs” from “wants” are.
7. Continue your SSS, it is still a good source for retirement fund and insurance.
8. Have your wife continue her Phil-health; the contribution is small but big hospitalization reimbursements.
9. You can invest in hard assets like; real estate, gold, collector stuffs that has appreciating value for future cash convert ion needs.
10. Don’t get sick; take 1000mg of vitamin C a day.
11. If you get extra money and or bonuses, you can be prudent and invest it or saved it. I suggest spend the money in your own country with your love ones and be happy. You deserved it! If the bonus is small then something is wrong.
12. Create a fund, an amount accumulated from your monthly budget that can be used in helping needy relatives, the desire to donate disaster victims, etc. It’s like the “tithes”. Once you’ve done it for several years you’ll know who’s deserved to help more; others or you’re self.
2. Find extra income if possible, setup a small business, or create passive income investment. Probably borrow money from your parents because there’s no interest.
3. Save 20-30% of your income automatically, then you can budget the rest for the monthly expenses. Check with your wife because she does the shopping.
4. Prioritize payment hierarchy from credit cards to phone bills to mortgages. By the way how many cards do you have?
5. If you have kids, it’s better to have insurance or educational plans. Make sure also that your policies are insured. How many kids are you planning? You should check with your wife because she may want more than 5 kids!
6. Check your pot; make sure you have more assets than expenses and liabilities. Know what “needs” from “wants” are.
7. Continue your SSS, it is still a good source for retirement fund and insurance.
8. Have your wife continue her Phil-health; the contribution is small but big hospitalization reimbursements.
9. You can invest in hard assets like; real estate, gold, collector stuffs that has appreciating value for future cash convert ion needs.
10. Don’t get sick; take 1000mg of vitamin C a day.
11. If you get extra money and or bonuses, you can be prudent and invest it or saved it. I suggest spend the money in your own country with your love ones and be happy. You deserved it! If the bonus is small then something is wrong.
12. Create a fund, an amount accumulated from your monthly budget that can be used in helping needy relatives, the desire to donate disaster victims, etc. It’s like the “tithes”. Once you’ve done it for several years you’ll know who’s deserved to help more; others or you’re self.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Pavement…
Cultural identity and remembrance from the Forbidden City to Ming Tomb to the Olympic Park grand pavement detail………
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sunday in Shanghai……
It is a little gloomy outside because of smog and rain showers. Fall is on its way and the cold temperature is early again. Five years ago the temperature will come almost as expected. Now, and for the last two years it’s seem so early for fall and winter to come. One would wonder, in everything that is happening in the warming up of the world, is the north pole ice melting is one big reason. The last two winters is not that cold. I don’t need to wear any gloves. I don’t even need to use thick winter jackets anymore. However, I may be wrong this winter year. If this time it snow again, then winter will be a tough wet and icy streets again in Shanghai. Well, I like the winter but not really the hail-like-snow.
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Thursday, October 2, 2008
Home School
This morning as I start the morning with my routine internet searches, beside me is my eldest daughter working her Math Skills.
I am really surprised on her curriculum, its advanced compare to what I learned during elementary days. When friends ask me about it, I would typically say that it’s great and successful as of now. It is very challenging and you would really need a full time mommy or daddy teacher for this kind of teaching programs.
Home schooling offers a multitude of benefits and other opportunities like: it is a distant learning, mobile for an OFW family, one-on-one teaching or small group, fast-pace learning opportunity, actual learning experience, advance learning experience, child is not afraid to ask questions because of teacher-parents, you can adjust teaching methods according to child pace or way of learning, they are safe at home, balanced sleep & play, cost-management, and a lot more. For common issues like social interactions, parents have to find the child some group activities, join clubs or outdoor programs.
So far it’s great as long as the child listens. It is really challenging and you learn more about your child as she/he grows up. She learns how to open up her emotions or way of thinking to parent and even to other people.
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I am really surprised on her curriculum, its advanced compare to what I learned during elementary days. When friends ask me about it, I would typically say that it’s great and successful as of now. It is very challenging and you would really need a full time mommy or daddy teacher for this kind of teaching programs.
Home schooling offers a multitude of benefits and other opportunities like: it is a distant learning, mobile for an OFW family, one-on-one teaching or small group, fast-pace learning opportunity, actual learning experience, advance learning experience, child is not afraid to ask questions because of teacher-parents, you can adjust teaching methods according to child pace or way of learning, they are safe at home, balanced sleep & play, cost-management, and a lot more. For common issues like social interactions, parents have to find the child some group activities, join clubs or outdoor programs.
So far it’s great as long as the child listens. It is really challenging and you learn more about your child as she/he grows up. She learns how to open up her emotions or way of thinking to parent and even to other people.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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