a new way to find friends besides friendster

Are you a fan of friendster? Although I only open my account from time to time, this site has made me reconnect with long-time friends and classmates. The internet has truly made catching up way easier than ever before. Aside from reconnecting with old friends, it has also made making new ones easier. Though it can be a bit tiring with all the other things that people put in their profile pages.

If you're looking for easier ways to find old friends and make ones, there's FriendFinder, a network especially for dating and fun. Don't raise your eyebrows just yet. I too used to be a cynic when it comes to relationships built online but having heard one too many stories of people who found real friendships and also real love on the internet, I started to become more accepting of it. Also, with the amount of information you could get about a person on the internet, it's pretty easy to get to know somebody well in a short amount of time. One of our ex-co-teachers even found the man of her dreams through the internet. She was in an online relationship with her Slovak boyfriend, whom she found through some chat channels. Last year, they saw each other in person for the first time. The guy visited her and came back after two weeks to marry her! Pretty amazing, huh? They're now happily married and living in Slovenia. Coolness. Now who says online relationships are not real?

baker me

Ever since I was small I've always been more inclined to do baking than cooking. My love for sweets might have been the reason behind this. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with an oven so my baking experience is limited to small baking attempts I would do using our turbo broiler. This is also the reason why I told Ramil that I want a gas range. I can imagine myself baking goodies for our young 'uns, with the smell of baked goods permeating our small home. We would often look at several possible purchases whenever we go to an appliance store. I particularly liked several Whirlpool ranges and have expressed my desire to have one. Ramil gave a promise that if it means a continuous supply of yummy brownies and cookies, he's definitely going to save up for one ;)

preggy ledi

Our golden retriever, Ledi, is pregnant! Or at least we think so. We paid for stud service with another but much bigger golden retriever. Stud fee does not come cheap so my mama is taking really good care of her, as if she's not a spoiled dog in the first place. She even sleeps in my parents' bedroom and is treated like a real member of the family, going on vacations with us and all. She loves the beach so we bring her whenever we go to Batangas, Cavite or Subic.
My mama's first step in Ledi's pregnancy care is to look for a good flea removal remedy. With the golden's thick coat, fleas can be such a problem. I told her to try out some plants that supposedly repels fleas since she loves to put plants all over the house anyway. We've tried going to the vet for a flea medicine and the medicine she gave Ledi was adminitered through a syringe. The medicine was very effective, the fleas literally just fell off Ledi after a week. Unfortunately, Ledi is not very fond of syringes and gets really crazy now whenever she sees her vet. Not wanting to stress our pregnant dog, my mama is not so keen on getting this right now.

Everyone is so excited to see Ledi's babies! We're going to have so much fun with them in the next few months :)

next stop: Sydney

My aunt who used to own a hair salon here is now one of Sydney's top hairdressers. Now, if you know the price of a haircut in Australia, it wouldn't be hard to figure out that she is now very rich considering that she has been hairdressing in Sydney for ten years now and that she is actually a co-owner of their hair salon in Sydney.

She visited us last February and we had a blast catching up. Ramil and I talked about visiting her in Sydney one of these days. Accomodation in Sydney wouldn't be a hassle for us then. If for some reason, we wouldn't be able to stay with her, there are a lot of Cheap Hotels in Sydney anyway. I'm pretty sure we would have a blast trying out different Sydney hotels. I'm pretty excited with it, I'm really praying it pushes through. My aunt would also like us to try applying for jobs while we're there. I just hope we get to bring Mateo along too otherwise, I might not have fun because of worrying.

game time

Ramil is or used to be a gaming addict. And one of the pc games he introduced me to was Warcraft III. I remembered making a mess of my base every time I played against him or the computer. I couldn't seem to get the hang of it until he showed me a particular chapter or scenario in the game that he thought I might just get interested in - the tower defense. And you know what, he was right. I didn't only get interested. I got hooked.

I don't know why but seeing a bunch of goblins and orcs getting wiped out by weapon-armed towers gives me a certain satisfaction. I admit. The game may not be as detail or command-intensive as the scrimmage version but it definitely demands a great deal of strategic skills. In fact, once you get to the point where you already start thinking about the combination of towers, you're already hooked. Ramil and I were so addicted to the game, he was forced to uninstall it just so he could concentrate on his work again.

Recently, however, I've found another game that I've enjoyed playing, RPG Tower Defense. It's not as impressive as the Warcraft III Tower Defense Game in terms of the graphics, but when it comes to play time, versatility, and strategies, it's not the least bit inferior. In fact, I think it offers more in those areas than any other tower defense game I've seen. Just wish I could find more time to play it though.

saving marriages

Ramil and I have been married for only a year and 6 months. So far and thankfully, we haven't had any serious troubles in our marriage. Of course, I don't foresee anything for us but we are both open to seeking outside help when or if we indeed encounter problems in our marriage. There are some couples who find it easy to just let go of the marriage, sometimes, without even going to marriage counselor. In our case, we don't mind even if we have to go to a San Diego sex therapist if our problem turns out to be about sex. I believe that sometimes, the only problem couples have is about sex but they are afraid to talk to somebody who can help them about it. There are times also when a couple's sex problem is just the tip of the iceberg. There might be underlying issues and their sex problems are just symptoms of some of them. In cases like these, it is even more important to seek out a therapist especially if the couple is having communication problems on top of it. Whatever kind of marriage it may be, it is always worth saving.

going abroad

Are you one of the many who have plans of migrating? Ramil and I originally planned to pursue teaching in the US. Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, this plan might not push through because we don't want Mateo to be left behind. My mama's friends there are so supportive of the idea, they are even willing to scout jobs for us, have us stay with them in the meantime, or check out Baltimore Real Estate properties for us. There are a lot of apartment homes in Baltimore, a lot of them even comes with superb amenities and features. I learned of Briarcliff Apartments and it would be quite a treat to live there. These amenities and features include full sized washers and dryers in every apartment, valet trash service, an Olympic size pool with two diving boards, a fitness facility, a tennis court, and a basketball court. Talk about great living arrangements!

the perfect vacation home

Ramil and I have alwasy dreamed of getting some kind of vacation home for our family. I have often talked about Orlando and it's many attractions. Considering the many things we can do there while on vacation, it would be a great idea to get an Orlando vacation home to save up on hotel accomodations. Having our own vacation house there would allow us to stay for as long as we'd like. Or better yet, stay for good :)

a techie conference

There's an upcoming techie conference that I'm pretty sure Ramil would love to go to. It's the annual Microsoft MGX meeting. Only problem is, it's in Orlando so a lot of attendees would surely come from different places. It's a good thing that International Plaza Resort and Spa is offering a Microsoft MGX Special Rate. For only $119 a night, you get to stay in a luxury hotel which is within walking distance to the convention center. Convenience and comfort! Of course, being a techie conference you can be sure that the free wireless access throughout the property would be such a treat for those attending the conference. They could even visit a lot of tourist attractions in Orlando because they offer complimentary transportation to all major theme parks. Eating out won't be a problem either since the hotel is just a walk away from restaurants and other major tourist attractions. They also have three swimming pools plus a lagoon pool with waterfall. People might be going to the conference just for the chance to stay at this hotel!

thinking over options

Ramil and I plan to do some serious investing once we save up enough money for it. One thing we've decided on is to carefully learn everything there is to know about different investment vehicles. We plan to ask people we know who've tried different investments. We've been planning to talk to my mama's stock broker friend so he can give us some lessons and tips on stocks. We also plan to read up on options. It's important to get an options screener if this is an investment vehicle we plan to pursue. This kind of software would help us find, compare, and analyze different stocks and options online. It would help us manage our investments easier. I just pray that we earn more money from investments.

wanted: PC

Ramil and I are in desperate need of another computer. We used to have a desktop and a laptop. However, we got tired of the desktop last year since we both go to school anyway and nobody really uses it during the day. Hence, we decided to sell it then and placed the money in our baby fund because we were pregnant at that time. So we were left using only our laptop. Ever since I've stayed home though, the laptop is left home with me most of the time. Ramil is now forced to use PCs in school which can be very difficult since he has to transfer files most of the time.

We are now planning to buy another one but still thinking about whether to get a desktop or another laptop. Getting a desktop is of course, cheaper but as I've told Ramil, I don't mind not having portability but I do mind the bulkiness of a desktop PC. His solution is to get the smallest possible CPU casing and a viewsonic monitor, an LCD monitor to be more precise. Good enough for me. I can almost imagine having a desktop at home that saves space and looks stylish too.

london bridge is falling down...

Ever since hearing that song, I have always been fascinated with London. Just the british accent makes me want to go visit the United Kingdom. Moreso when I learned of the British royal family and their handsome princes, William and Harry. I almost want to go to England just to be able to get the chance to walk by the Windsor Castle.

Because of these, UK is a must-see in our future European tour. It would be easy to get Cheap Hotels in London so that we can save money as much as possible. Or maybe get ourselves into a Cheap Manchester Hotel and watch Europe's most-loved sport, football! I'm pretty sure Ramil would be thrilled to get to watch a Manchester United game. There are just so many things to visit in the United Kingdom! Aside from London and Manchester, there's also places like Birmingham and Glasgow.

I guess our European tour would be better appreciated if we can do a more detailed tour for each European country. Hehe!

closer to moving

We are getting closer to the date that we will be moving to a bigger and much better place! I am so excited I almost want to start packing our things. We still have to come up with enough money for the two months deposit and one month advance that the owner is asking for. I have started to not fix things in our house now, thinking that we would be putting them in boxes in a few weeks time anyway. We still have to look for a Moving Relocation Services. Having had only one experience moving things as a couple, we are very particular about looking for a reliable moving company. It would be great if we can get a referral for a good one. We wouldn't want any of our things damaged, which is a usual problem with moving. Good thing we don't have that much things yet to be damaged. Hehe!

inn hopping

Ramil and I have planned for a lot of travels together. One thing that is on my list is a very simple inn hopping in Tagaytay. Though I am usually wake up late, I love mornings and the feeling it gives me. I love imagining waking up to a beautiful, cool Tagaytay morning after sleeping on a big, comfortable bed and snuggling with my husband. The appeal of inns is not lost on me. I sometimes prefer it over big, fancy hotels. A friend once told me of a cool Maine bed and breakfast that she and her family got to try. Their family also prefers staying in homey places like these rather than spending more on high-end places. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind running our own small bed and breakfast someday. What a relaxing way to retire!

here comes the seventh

It's been quite some time since I last read a decent book, one that is not filled with math concepts. The next one will surely be worth the wait because the last book of the Harry Potter series will finally be available! I am so excited to get myself a copy once the book comes out, I can barely contain myself. I plan to read the sixth book while waiting for it to remind myself of what happened. I'm in suspense over what the last book would contain. I wonder how the series would end?

I'm sure Ron and Hermione will finally be a couple for real but I also wonder whether Harry and Ginny will also be able to hook up. Of course, I couldn't wait to find out what will happen to Voldemort, er, He-who-must-not-be-named. I hope that Professor Dumbledore will make some kind of a comeback, I don't care how. I'm sure there will be a lot of unexpected twists and surprises in the last book. I just hope the ending gives the whole series justice. I guess Ramil and I will be fighting over who gets to read the book first. Well, I plan to read it in the shortest time possible so I better tell him I should have it first! Hehe!

get that career edge

It's a very competitive working world out there. Nowadays, it's not enough that you graduated from college. If you want an edge above everyone once you've entered the working world, you better arm yourself well by finishing further studies. The usual problem is studying while working. It's pretty difficult to find time to go to school once you've started working. It's great that there are now a lot of online schools that are as good as the real ones. It's very easy now to get yourself an online degree or a professional certificate program. The good schools are usually even accredited with the real ones. So if you're one of those in the rat race, get that career edge now.

sports for oldies?

Gone are the days when golf is for oldies. The likes of Tiger Woods have made golf a sport for everyone. A former co-worker of mine got hooked on the sport. Their usual weekend relaxation would involve going to driving ranges or actual golf courses. He even spent a lot of money buying clubs and such. He particularly liked Ping Golf. According to him, it is a very expensive sport and a lot of his money is spent on different golf accessories. He has thought of shifting sports several times already. Well, good luck to him!

prosper learning

Being teachers, Ramil and I have always been in support of studying. Even though we've both finished college, we still plan on pursuing higher studies. For us, education is also wealth. It is something that we will always have to our name even if we're not rich.

A lot of people share this view of ours. There are a lot of graduates of prosper learning who are very thankful for the education they got from it. According to them, their lives improved a lot because of prosper's programs and coaches. It has helped them achieve better financial stability and has allowed to them to live a more comfortable life. This is one thing we want Mateo to grow up with, believing that knowledge and education can get him places.

travel safe

My family loves to travel. Whether we get to do much of it, is another matter. Haha! Whenever we get the chance to travel though, my papa, being a seaman, would make us observe a lot of safety travel precautions. Simple things like wearing your seatbelt, dressing appropriately for the place we're going to visit, and loading things in the car properly, are the norm whenever we travel. One of the things that he keeps badgering my mama is travel insurance. He wants it to be a routine for us whenever we travel. He wants me to check-out different travel insurance packages to know which would be best for our family. With Mateo soon joining us in our travels, I guess I better look for a good one.

who's Ethan Willis?

Do you dream of starting your own business? Do you find yourself at a loss with how to start your business and how to run it? Well, Ethan Willis and Randy Garn just might be able to help you. They started a customized business education distance learning school together, Prosper Inc. They initially started their own pest control company while attending Ricks College. They realized that a lot of entrepreneurs don't know anything much about starting their own business and would greatly benefit from some personalized guidance.

Among the courses that Prosper offers are courses in real estate investment, business growth, internet marketing, managing company assets, and e-business investment. There are also plans to have Prosper accredited with one of the big online universities.

Starting your own business is no joke. It would be to your best interest to start one with enough knowledge to help make it successful.

filling up a house

In a few weeks, we would finally move to a bigger place. Ramil and I are very excited to finally have more space for all our things. We just might have too much space though, we're thinking of other furnitures we would now have space for. Right after getting settled in and earning a little more, we plan to go furniture shopping. It would be great if we can get a newer and bigger dining table and maybe one or two bedside tables. I just hope we find a way to set aside some amount in our budget for them.

getting through school

Mateo's yaya, Cat, is only 17 year old and just finished high school last March. She has decided to work for now and postpone college because of their family's financial difficulties. Stories like hers makes me more appreciative of the education that we got. I told her that if she is serious about going to college, we could help her enroll by June next year. Although she was worried about money, I informed her of the many student loans that she could avail while studying. She could even make use of a school loan consolidation when it becomes difficult for her to pay off the loans. Some of these student loan consolidation products can help those with student loans save more on their monthly payments, making it easier for them to pay off the loans. For working students, this could be very beneficial.

coloring the garage

My mama has been thinking of renovating our garage. Since rainy season is fast approaching, she'd like to get some epoxy paint chips for the garage floors. She wanted to have floors in the garage that would provide protection during these times when the garage would be wet because of rain. I told her to get a nice good color for it and suggested a warm color of mauve to match our garage walls. Another one of my mama's renovation ideas, I wonder what's next?

after melbourne

My aunt is one of the top hairdressers in Sydney, Australia. She and a bunch of other business partners started their own salon a few years ago. Recently, they've been visiting other places in Australia with plans of expanding their business. One of their targets is Melbourne. According to her, being Australia's largest city, putting up a branch of their salon in Melbourne is a good business decision.

During their visit, she didn't have any difficulty looking for accomodations in Melbourne. There are a lot of cheap Melbourne hotels, which made her very happy. It would make her future business trips very affordable, she could visit more often if needed. Also a meticulous traveler, she looks forward to her stays in different hotels in Melbourne.

Our family is praying for a Melbourne success for her also. After conquering Sydney, she's out to get another one.

youtubing iPhone

Have you been to YouTube lately? There are a bunch of cool videos about the iPhone out there now. The videos are like commercials or teasers for the iPhone thing on June 29. I found them very entertaining and funny. I particularly liked the video titled Homeless Phones. Check out other iPhone Review and Video. They're pretty hilarious :)

constructive criticisms

Constructive criticisms should always be welcome to anyone. Even though any kind of criticism may be difficult to hear, a great deal of improvement could be the result of criticisms if given in a constructive manner. Appraisal360 helps to solve this problem with 360 degree feedback. This software helps people get reliable feedback from other people around them anonymously. Since feedback is given anonymously, the person giving the feedback gives it more honestly. At the same time, the person receiving the feedback tends to be more accepting of it because they feel that it is given objectively. This software would definitely be useful in any community of people.

online registration

When Ramil and I were planning our wedding, we did a lot of researching online. We found suppliers who are able to conduct business online. A lot of bridal fairs even had online registrations. These kinds of things need a reliable event registration management. One very informative tool is RegOnline's new Reg-analytics report. It gives a lot of helpful information on its online registration forms like the number of people who came to the online registration form, from where they came from, how many finished the form and how long it took them to finish it, and maybe one of the most important feature, where in the registration process they stopped.

From our experience as users of such online registration forms, some of them could be very tiring and exhausting to answer. There were times when we really wanted to finish the registration and yet we'd stop filling up the form because of too much info being asked. It would help if the event planner would have information to be able to make the forms more user-friendly. Registering online need not be tedious!

read and watch

Mateo has been such an usisero lately. LOL. He loves looking at pictures in storybooks. Sometimes he'd even reach out for them, as if saying let me.

So after discovering the magic of books, Mateo decided to go high-tech and got mesmerized with Windows MediaPlayer's visualizations.

open to the public

In any country, a lot of documents are a matter of public record. I guess it is very important to be able to have access to several documents. USPublicRecords.com brings this right closer to everyone by allowing people to access such public records right in their own homes.

There might be a lot of questions on privacy regarding this matter but the site strictly adheres to what is public and what is not. They even have a section addressing the matter of keeping personal information private. According to the site, a lot of government records are public records, like real estate records, court records, professional licenses, business records, and a lot more. Some are not, like juvenile court records.

You may ask, what's the use of this site? Well, for one it makes accessing public records easier. Now, why would you want to access a information about someone? It can be for a totally innocent reason like trying to search for a specific person. Sometimes friendster just won't do. For employers, they may use it to do a background check on an applicant. It's better to know if the person applying for a position has a criminal record or not.

For whatever reason it is, public records are public. And hopefully, we can still get to keep certain aspects of our lives private.

proud to be a work-at-home mom

Ever since I got pregnant and planned to be a hands-on mama, I've been searching the web for ways to earn online. I've found more than a few opportunities, some of which sounds suspicious while others seem legitimate enough. Now that I have Mateo, I am more set than ever to work at home. I've recently signed up with a site that lists various work at home employers to help one get hired. I am eager to start earning more even while staying at home and taking care of Mateo. For me, this is the best scenario. I get to help out with the finances and take care of Mateo at the same time. I hope I find something to work on at home with this site. Nowadays, it's pretty easy to be a work-at-home mama. I guess I better start visiting those employers' sites.

organized house hunt

Our neighbor has just recently decided to go into real estate. After tagging along with some of her realtor friends and passing the licensure exams, she seemed set on selling more than a few properties. She was telling me the other day that it would be a good idea for Ramil and me to start looking a place we can call our own already while we're still young. How we would love to do that! Unfortunately, we don't have enough money in our pockets yet, much less in our bank account.

She's really serious about her new thing now, she's even looking for a Realtor Software. According to her, she's slowly but steadily accumulating contacts, listings and such. It's becoming difficult for her to track the important details that needs to be organized. She was wondering if such a software exists. It seems that there is and AgentOrganizer is just one of them. The software can help her organize her contacts, buyers, listings, finances, appointments, and tasks. It can also make flyers for her. Mailing will be easier because of its ability to create letters and perform mailmerges. Since she is just starting, she doesn't really want to spend for it. Good thing that they have a 15 day free trial.

reminiscing

Got this from Jeng. It was a long post and I wasn't really tagged. It got me really reminiscent of our UP days so I wanted to do it anyway :)

UP QUIZ.
[ ] worried about getting bullied by fratmen or getting killed in a riot
[ ] got bullied by fratmen or was killed in a riot
[/] witnessed a riot
[/] watched the Oblation Run
[/] made friends with a teacher
[ ] was tricked as a freshman into attending a rally/prayer meeting
[ ] wore red or black on one of those wear red or wear black days
[ ] wore red on Valentine’s Day
[ ] wore black on Valentine's Day
[ ] celebrated a birthday at Mang Jimmy's
[/] learned UP Naming Mahal (and forgot it immediately after)
[/] got on the dean's list as CS or US
[/] slept on a bench
[ ] was an RA or SA
[/] lied or begged to an RA for a slot in class
[/] participated in a there's-only-one-more-slot-are you-feeling-lucky?
[/] jogged around the campus
[/] visited the Vargas Museum
[/] knew at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name
[ ] attended university level graduation
[/] got an activist for a teacher
[/] watched a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game
[/] watched a UP vs. any school basketball game
[/] studied in CASAA
[/] studied in McDonald's or Jollibee Philcoa for one full night and bought just one regular-sized drink
[/] studied along Katipunan cramming in Mcdo/Starbucks
[ ] studied along Katipunan and affected the mannerisms of a stereotypical Atenean
[/] watch a play that's not required for Comm III
[/] went stargazing
[/] ate in Chocolate Kiss, Tea Room or Chateau Verde
[/] slept in the lib
[ ] struck up a conversation with a taong grasa
[ ] wrote to/for the collegian.
[/] seriously pondered about the identity/ies of the people described in Eksenang Peyups
[/] went to the chapel
[/] got a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers while walking in Sunken Garden
[/] cut class with your block to watch a movie
[ ] had a voltes V for a teacher
[ ] took a class under Joseph Palis
[/] lied to the transcript lady to get a transcript earlier than the standard 3 months
[/] went to a Freshman-only concert where you had to show your form 5 to prove freshmanhood
[/] subsisted on just streetfood (ex. fishballs, half footlongs, kwekwek, squidballs/rolls, mais, dirty ice cream) for a day
[ ] learned how to smoke
[/] went on an out-of-town trip with blockmates or orgmates
[/] fell in love
[/] actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib
[/] played cards during your free time
[/] dress in business attire
[ ] sumabit sa jeep
[ ] got sung to or sung to someone in class during Valentine's day
[/] watched the lantern parade
[/] helped out a total stranger
[ ] helped out a total stranger because he/she was hot
[/] learned to stay awake for more than 24 or 48 hours straight
[ ] got bullied by fratmen and feeling cool wannabe people who were actually losers
[/] took Wednesday and/or Sat classes WILLINGLY
[ ] volunteered for the pahinungod
[/] ate "tasteless white sauce" pasta from cock-a-noodle-doo
[/] got a boyfriend/girlfriend
[/] took time to read the vandalism in the CR
[/] watched a sexy art film for any GE class
[ ] got held up or pickpocketed
[ ] felt depressed because you were not as good academically as you were in high school
[/] did a last minute paper
[/] had spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures
[/] got exempted from final exams
[ ] got exempted from a final exam but still took it
[/] attended a varsity pep rally
[/] watched LIVE AIDS, Androgyny, Maskipaps or any well-known variety show
[ ] promised to quit smoking
[/] got into at least one (org- or council-sponsored) adventure race
[/] knew where the best restrooms are on campus
[/] joined an org
[/] allowed yourself to make mistakes
[ ] went to the gym in spite of having no PE class just to ogle varsity players
[/] took summer classes
[/] admired the oblation
[/] made a video for a project
[/] had a crush on a teacher
[ ] had a teacher who had a crush on/tried to court you
[ ] attended your ROTC Bivouac
[/] faked sickness to get an absence excused
[ ] got your car scratched by one of those "kuya bantayan ko kotse niyo" kids
[/] took a PE class where you had to pay for tuition (i.e. sportsclimbing, ten pin bowling, etc)
[/] went to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes
[/] learned how to use the Bayantel pay phones
[/] participated in school activities
[ ] caught the UP Pep Tryouts
[/] dated someone from UP
[/] rode an IKOT and TOKI
[/] found a tambayan
[ ] went drinking at Sarah's
[/] learned how to beg for a higher grade
[/] used your 6 allowable absences wisely
[ ] lived in a dorm
[ ] volunteered to be beadle or go-to guy for your group/class
[/] had the worst schedule
[/] realized that there really is just one coconut tree on the sunken garden
[ ] not used up all 6 allowable absences
[/] ate in ISSI, Treehouse, Mama Thai's and other more obscure cafeterias
[/] ate food Aristocart-style
[/] was active in your org
[/] attended an ACLE
[/] got as many app forms as you can during the job fair
[/] learned how to cram
[/] sold tickets for (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere
[ ] saved money to Xerox all of your seatmate's notes
[ ] had accidentally seen a make-out session
[/] slept in class
[/] finished a homework/assignment/paper in the shopping center or philcoa
[/] had mountains of unused sample exams and/or old testaments
[/] resolved to be "better this semester"
[/] slept during a test
[/] had groupmates from hell (ie no-shows, babblers, dependents, airheads, dreamers, idea stealers, plagiarists)
[/] learned how to work with groupmates from hell
[ ] perfected the art of parking on campus
[ ] had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus
[/] developed a love for sisig
[/] practiced those UP cheers in the first meeting for PE class
[/] looked at microfilms in the library or poked through archives
[/] reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function
[/] attended UP Fair
[/] went to a library other than your own college's to research
[/] lost a perfectly functioning umbrella
[/] used consultation hours properly
[ ] went to the Guidance Office for real, heart-to-heart guidance
[/] went to the infirmary
[/] attend class with a hangover or tipsy
[ ] drink beer or alcohol while inside UP grounds
[/] walked all the way to Philcoa or Katipunan
[ ] bought frogs from NSRI or a Bio department
[/] maxed out on the 6 allowed unexcused absences but DID NOT drop
[ ] got invited or pursued by a sorority or fraternity
[/] wore slippers to school
[ ] had a professor who smoked in class
[ ] got diagnosed by the Infirmary as pregnant or infected with STD

exploring new music

Although the internet made the music industry lose a lot of money due to the proliferation of mp3s and file-sharing program, it has also made making music so much easier. Anyone can easily make their own music and find more than one way to distribute it to the online world. Just check out this unsigned chart with free music downloads. It is currently Britain's fastest growing music website. It gives a lot of promotion for new, unsigned bands. Sites such as these would definitey be good exposure for all those bands out there who make good music but lack the means to share it.

Get to know more about the site below:

tourdates.Co.UK, Britains fastest growing new music website, has launched a chart for unsigned bands.

The site allows new bands to upload promotional tracks, announce gig dates and create profiles to promote themselves alongside major artists such as the Artic Monkeys and The Twang.

Tourdates Jarrod Robinson says, there are some fantastic unsigned bands in the UK and we wanted them to know how much our community likes their music, an unsigned chart seemed the perfect answer.

Chart results are announced on the site at 19:00 every sunday, the sametime as the No1 single of the week is announced on BBC's radio 1.

hawaiian adventure

I love to travel. Though I don't get to do it much, I know that the day will come when I will be able to travel to most of the places I want to go to. As early as now, I even try to check out travel promos, in the hopes that we might be able to come up with enough money to fund it. It's exciting to look at Hawaiian vacation packages and imagine myself wearing a grass skirt.

Hawaii has always been on my list of places to visit. Aside from the great beaches, Hawaii is a nature-lover's paradise. It's one of the places that really use utilize ecotourism to their advantage. Ramil and I have always loved nature and I'm sure Hawaii will be such a treat for us. Hopefully, these Hawaiian vacation packages will make our hawaiian adventure a reality.

recoverable data

We've experienced massive loss of data before due to a harddisk crash. Until now, we still grieve over the files we have lost and are still hoping that someday we will still be able to recover them. After that incident, Ramil and I have been conscientious in backing up our files. The paranoid in me can't help but wonder about all the what ifs - what if we lose the backup disk? what if the backup cd gets broken? what if the backup cd gets stolen? what if our usb drive suddenly can't be read? I guess the only solution to this dilemma would be an Invaluable off-site backup of your documents, spreadsheets, photos, music and more with theVegasFiles.com. The Vegas Files is the safe way to make sure that there will be no lost files. They offer a highly secure, user-friendly, extensive backup solution, which to everyone's peace of mind, is monitored 24/7. Want to know more? Visit their site or call 1-866-461-9002.

crazy life of a celebrity

Gone are the days when celebrities try to protect their image in the name of being rolemodels.With the gang of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan, celeb scandal is turning out to be a common thing. It seems that the crazy life of a celebrity makes them do a lot of crazier things. There might have been a time when being a celebrity was all glitz and glamour but nowadays, they are also equated with rumor and gossip. Visit this site and you get a compilation of almost all gossip there is in the celebrity world. If you are one of those who wish to speak your mind about these issues, then visit the site because they even let you vote on it and leave comments.

a belated papa's day post

After Mateo's baptism last Saturday and with the opening of classes last Monday, we were too tired to do anything much for father's day. Instead, we spent the day lounging around the house and playing with Mateo. Ramil and I can never seem to get enough of our little guy, his little smiles, laughs, giggles, and squeaks just melt our hearts.

Nevertheless, the new papa in the house deserves this belated papa's day post. Although I knew even when we were still just friends that Ramil would make a good father, I was still pleasantly surprised with how amazing he is with Mateo, boo-boos and all.

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going on a cruise

It has always been a dream of mine to go on a cruise some day. It's like staying in a hotel and yet going places at the same time. Since we love staying even in local hotels only, a cruise seems like having the best out of traveling. Imagine my excitement when I learned about a musical cruise!Imagine having a blues festival at sea. This cruiseliner has been selling out in the Caribbean for over 5 years and they're now expanding to the west coast, with a cruise from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. Sounds like heaven! Great beaches, lodging, and music all in one perfect vacation. It's like going to the beach and a concert at the same time! Their Mexican Riviera cruise will happen on October 13-20, 2007. I'm putting it on my birthday wish list now. There's no harm in wishing...

Burn Notice - the new Macgyver?

I used to love watching Macgyver. I love how he finds ways to get out of certain situations using more than common sense. My sister and I would sometimes even try to imagine what he would do in a particular situation. Whenever we'd get stuck in a situation, we'd jokingly say that we need a Macgyver move.

After Macgyver, I also got hooked on Alias. Again, it's very interesting to watch how Sidney manages to get herself stuck in a situation and still be able to come out of it using ways that are more than conventional. I've always wondered how I would fare in similar situations, like getting lost in a foreign country with no money. This happened to my Dad in Romania and it can be pretty scary. He was actually mugged and had to be brought to a hospital. He ended up being left by his ship (he's a seaman) and stuck in a foreign hospital with no money. Good thing he was able to contact their local agent and he was given assistance.

Aside from my penchance for watching such tv series, I also love watching spy movies. I guess it wouldn't come as a surprise that I'll make sure to catch USA Network's Burn Notice. The tv series' main character, Michael Weston, is a CIA operative and I'm pretty sure he would manage to get himself stuck in situations that I would love to watch for him to get out of.