About ten to 15 years ago, internet was not such a big thing. Emails were not very popular. Not even YM! I was introduced to the email in 1998 I think. And internet connection was expensive. Really. Internet connection nowadays is so cheap!

Anyways, I remember when I was in high school I had this penpal. How does it work? You really have to exchange mails! Snail mails. It's exciting! To have to wait for weeks, even months just for a letter.

It becomes more exciting when you have a great looking mailboxes. I admit I do not have any of those, but admiring pretty mail box of other people is a great hobby. How I wish we had one of those. But one can! Just check it in this mailbox link for details! And it pays too!

So what does it mean? I was told that smoking and drinking can be one. That’s no good addiction. But I believe that addiction can be more positive than negative.

Recently I was introduced to this cartoon series entitled Avatar The Last Airbender. So what about it? Initially, I was just one of those people who thought, okay those are just the typical cartoon that kids watch… But when this good friend seem really really excited when she talks about the show, I began to wonder. Really? And good thing it is available online (for free!).

So curiosity got the better off me. I was lured into taking a sneak peak at the cartoon show at last. At first, I thought, it’s a typical good vs. bad show in tv, more so, cartoon! Anyway, I began watching the first episode, buffered the second… and then boom… I got hooked! Really, I got hooked. Addicted maybe.

It’s not the typical cartoon for kids. It actually has substance! Maybe when I watch other cartoons I would really compare it back to avatar! I am not kidding you. It will really be that way.

Now, I have exhausted all available Avatar episodes that one can possibly get online. I am eagerly awaiting for the next episode. Go go Aang!

I remember this time of the year last year. I was so very very pregnant with my little girl and I was one of the many expectant mothers in line waiting to be seen by my Ob-Gyn. Today, as I sit in waiting at the lounge of Quirino Doctor's clinic I cannot help but smile to see everyone bustling about the room.

When I got there Dr Darleen was already in and was already seeing patients. I was maybe the 5th person to be seen or was it the 6th? I don't know but really I remember the feeling last year.

Anyway today was a long overdue visit to my Doc. She was pleasant, as always. Asked relevant questions, but this time I had to ask MY own questions. She was prepared to rebut! lol! At least even if I was 700 pesos poorer today I feel more confident that I have asked what needed to be asked.

Again, Wait for all the result in a day or two.

I am a Management Analyst. What do I really do, someone asks. Basically, we do everything management tells us to do. Analyze is a technical term. But what do we really analyze? Anything and just about everything! Processes, systems, decisions that need to be made. Anything, name it. We can get to study it.

One day a new officemate arrived. She's not one of us (understand). She is somewhat at a disadvantage. Even how subtle I want her to come in, there is just one point where you do not have a choice but listen to what we say. The rants, the whines, everything. Foreign language seem to be your language too. Okay, so I am speaking Chinese here, or maybe alien, you go run and get you're your online spanish courses to understand me. Maybe even your own online german courses if it sounds more complicated. What I am saying is that whatever language we speak if you are into that team, you have to learn it. I am saying that even if you have only taken up online english courses you might want to expand your horizon and get into the groove of understanding everything.

So I sound foreign. I am already ranting. I do this too you know. You think it's only you who get the passport to whine? Think again!

I was looking around my office today. Everything seem so quiet. Something is not right. Why has everyone suddenly turn so aloof over each other. Was this because of what happened last night? It was beginning to be eerie. I swear.

I thought about what happened the previous night. Everyone had a great time. Food was great, there was overflowing alcohol. Chitchat with everyone was really enjoyable. No other night out can top this, I thought. Until about three or four hours after when all the booze was consumed, boom! Something happened. It was out of nowhere. Accusations after accusations were bashed out. Everyone seems excited to participate. Excited, in a bad sense excited.

That was just the beginning. I really had to think again how to break the silence. Should I offer things on how they can get over this thing and maybe get into alcohol rehab? But how on earth will I break it to them? Maybe joke around telling people about how great alcohol rehab is in this place just to open up things to my office mates. I’ll be doing them a favor, that was what is running on my mind. But hey if they get the idea that I wanted them to realize into alcohol rehab they might step back and not open/ talk to me. Just as they have in their previous friends. I began thinking…

I recently bought a Sony Ericsson cellular phone, well that was in April, so I guess it still qualifies as new.  I am not the least bit sorry I sold my Nokia Phone in exchange to this one. I have nothing against Nokia Handsets. It was my first unit, the old and trusty Nokia 3210 but when I was recently introduced to a SE unit, I instantly fell in love with it. Honest! First it was SE K750i. It felt really sturdy in my hands. The camera is so okay at 2mp.

Now I am holding an SE K800i. And it maybe one of the best Camera phone around. Nokia phones are great too! Nokia N96 or just simply N96 is also cool. But hey, everyone gets to choose whatever you really want. I am looking at staying with SE or… check out a better Nokia unit.

Retail is an art. Shopping is an event. That I have realized for the past five years that I have been connected in a retail firm. Knowing what is in and not is a plus. Hearing what's gonna come up is sweet.

The hips thing get to be shown and all those things. Designer jeans are so very cool to look at. Shopping for Designer handbags is so sweet... Bringing friends when going out makes it all more fun.

Tips on how to get your money's worth... Even if you have all the bucks to pay for all the things you want be patient. It pays to be patient. You might get the latest Marc Jacobs brand that you are looking for. Second, look and look and look. And once you think you get one great thing and it fits the budget.

Warning. Shopping is addictive.

*dom daydereaming*

My friend has been abroad for more than a year. She went there to search for greener pastures. Well, we all are. I mean looking for greener pastures, aren't we? While there, she stumbled upon different things. Some interesting, others, well. forgettable.

One thing I cannot forget that she showed me was this pretty store which offers different lamps . It practically opened a lot of different things for me. From the floor, table, desk, centerpiece. Anything and everything.

I was pretty fascinated with it actually and what has struck me is how different it was some really awesome floor lamps which are actually pretty artistic and very very cool to place in your living room, or maybe anywhere if you're just designing a house.

There is also this lamps and lamp shades which are pretty useful and affordable. I was actually thinking of playing around with the idea of incorporating it when I indeed decide to make my home.

Ok... So I got an invite courtesy of lastikman. Thanks so much!

I even emailed umobile to get an invite. Honest! It said that they just might contact me. yeah, right!

Anyway... I entered my code in their site, and... I wished I got in... BUT, i still have to wait. grrr!!!!

So what's next? Wait. wait. I'm good at it though... I'm excited to get that nod from umobile.

I finally found the culprit! I made the version 3 work for me. It was the theme. It was my freakin’ theme! But I liked that theme! :( haaay! bad!

Anyway, I can live without the theme (for now!). But I am expecting that theme!!!

Ok.. so what makes Firefox 3 better than the previous release? hmmm… so far as I am just a “mere” user, I really haven’t felt anything… well, maybe better looking drop down when you type your url… you can also bookmark (it’s a star momma!) the site right away. Then there’s the Most visited site on the upper left where you can browse what you sites have just frequented to…

All in all, as a user, we’re still looking at that stellar thing that makes this 3rd release such an exciting thing. ;)

I still go for firefox! I am a die-hard you know! Go firefox!

The Philippine Congress and Senate has successfully agreed to pass one law that is relevant to the Filipino People!

And the President has acted on it. She signed into law Republic Act 9504 or an act amending Sections 22, 24, 34, 35, 51, and 79 of RA 8424 or the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.

What does it mean?

Well… In technical terms:

Tax Excemptions will be increased!(yey!) It will be as follows:

From the current P20,000 personal exemption for single taxpayers, P25,000 for head of family, and P32,000 for married individual, the tax exemption will be fixed at P50,000, Roxas said.

The additional exemption for dependents will increase from P8,000 to P25,000

In other words, take home pay of the minimum wage earners will be slightly increased, thank goodness! At the same time relief from the ongoing price increases will somehow be countered with the higher take home.

It is not solely for the minimum wage earners, but those taking home more than the minimum gets to take home a bit higher too.

Congratulations to the Philippine government for making something useful for everyone else. And not making all citizens think that you are only doing everything for their own benefit.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Since I discovered Firefox as a browser I did not like using IE ever. Even after it has revamped its self into something like Firefox (or Firefox-y, let them call it whatever they like) my mind has not changed.

I have tried using Opera, actually I liked it too... but nothing has really beaten my like to Firefox. Call it my love story with Firefox. I really like it. Even if at times some webpages would fail because it was not made for Firefox, yeah right... go and rant about it being made (or best viewed in IE 5 or better)... well, Firefox is better! hahaha!

Anyway, I was excited when I opened my browser (and pointed to yahoo) and said that Firefox has released (albeit in beta) it's 3rd version! Of course, me being the snoop on whatever is new, I downloaded and tried to install the 3rd offering.. and was willing to review it... But alas, my excitement went kaffuuut... After I installed it, and run it. Oh well, it just wouldn't show. :(

SO much for the excitement. I'll give it some time to settle then... then try it again.
Kudos to Firefox!

I watch Grey’s Anatomy (from season one upto its latest episode). I like it when the characters begin narrating different blah blahs on life now and then.

One of the most unforgettable (mind you, there are so many!) is Meredith’s (played by Ellen Pompeo) narration about Denial.

“De Nile, its not just a river in Egypt… It’s a freakin’ ocean. … “

I talked, well chat with my daughter’s father today. For almost six months now I am convincing myself that I should forget him, get on with life. Forget about the hurt– karma will get him one of these days, get on with living life alone. For some time, I do go on. I even forget him most of the time but there really is once in a while when boom! One small incident, one scene, one thing, it all comes back. Memories comes back so strong you want to cry. And yet you couldn’t. (Don’t ask why).

And then one tries to stare blankly (literally blankly) into space, hoping that the feeling, the sensation wears off. Slowly getting ready to be back on the “old” self where the feelings are again neutral.

Denial is a hard hard hard thing to carry. But at one point in everyone’s life you have to go through its ugly head.

I have been busy with something. ;)

Not too much blog has been written in my blogger site.. i promise I will update. ;)

Yahoo.. May nagbabasa pala. ;)

Here's a great one. Umobile.

Heard it? Okay... this one is from my other blog. ;) i have been blog hopping so you'd know.

Anyway. What is Umobile?
It's one of the newest cellphone companies to hit town... yeah! another one.. so expect this to be fun.. I mean after Sun cellular's all day text and calls... what can top that? Here's just a funny catch on this, Umbile is supposed to be a new player... voila, SMART bought it! yeeeeeee! (Nainis daw ako!)

Well... I was hoping to get a "fresh" in the truest sense of the word, player in the industry. You know, bring down the cost... blah blah blah!

Another quick info on umobile... It's not entirely the common(est) cellphone company around. It's by invitation! yey! and I got invited!!! Thanks lastikman! Owe you one.