3 over 5, 1 over 5, and 5 over 8

This is how I earn a living nowadays. Paid by the day and paid by the hour.
3 days over 5 days a week - means a contract for 5 months but actually only 3 months will be paid.
1 day charged to another contract - means need to swiftly shift my brain cells to the other side any given day a week.
5 hours over 8 working hours - every Saturday til my brains cannot take it anymore. Remuneration equivalent to 10 over 100 of the other contracts but keep me sane and braincells alive.
If it is true that time is gold, does it mean that I am richer these days because I have more time?

n_i_n_e_t_t_e has updated her Friendster Blog

Need magsipag. Need rumaket.

• Mahal na ng gasolina - ikain na lang sa Jollibee ng burger steak or ng spaghetti kaysa i-glug, glug, glug lang ng makina ng kotse. Ang MRT, fx, bus and jeep ang mga bago ko ka-tropa nagyon. Jologs na jologs nga lang ang dating ko and wala talaga ka-glamour glamour ang makipagsiksikan sa madlang people pero need and i-psyche na lang ang self that it's going to be worth every centavo saved.

• Mahal ng school service ha - my golly, eh syempre parang system loss ng Meralco yan. Pass to the consumer ang cost ng gasoline. Sige, ayaw mag-school service? Baka naman mas malaki pa ang gastusin sa hospital pag nasagasaan sa pagtawid ang mga precious.

• Dysfunctional digestive system - laging gutom ang dalawang sundalo. Kulang pa daw na baon sa maghapon ang: 2 tinapay, 2 C2 500 mL, 1 bote mineral water, 1.5 tasa ng kanin at sangdamakmak na ulam. Kahit na kalde-kalderong kanin ang kinakain sa umaga at bandehadong meryenda ang kinakana pagdating sa hapon. Buti na lang andyan ang canteen ni nanay.

• Bahay-ng-kalapati-in-the-making - malapit na!!!!

• Ford Everest - yung kulay blue din. Pero makikisakay na lang ako kay Cynthia, mahal na din ang diesel hahahaha.

• Unang milyones sa edad y trienta'y singko - in english first million at the age of 35. CASH. In tagalog, kash. In USDollars (pero realistic ako kaya in pesos na lang). Yup, O*N*E M*I*L*L*I*O*N C*A*S*H. Not in term of properties or assets. Basta cash sa bank. At sympre dapat wala din utang o liabilities.

Eksena sa Umagang Kayganda this morning: meron silang segment sa show kung san they get poor people and kung ano ano makabagbag damdaming kwento at makalubag loob na background music. Ang siste, a celeb or an ABS-CBN talent will donate something to swap for money/goods na kailangan ng (exploited) poor people. Kanina, mag-asawa na may 6 na anak. Ang tatay nakiki-extra sa tricycle. Ang nanay ewan. Ang kwento ng buhay nila nakikihiram ng kaldero sa kapitbahay para makapag-luto sila. So kung hindi ipahiram, eh wah sila tsibog. To make it mas nakakaawa natangay pa ni Frank ang bahay nila. Ang hiling ng nanay, kaldero daw.
Ang iPod ni Korina Sanchez, kapalit ay kaldero. Syempre ang mga dupang na sponsors, kanya kanyang donations na "livelihood showcase" (eh hindi nga kaya pakainin ang mga dyunakis, mag-tinda pa kaya ng produktong wala naman nakakakilala?). Si Donita, donate ang tsinelas nya.
Ano ba?!?!
Ako lang ba ang hindi natutuwa?
Oo sige, may natutulungan ang show. Hindi "nagbibigay ng pera" kundi kabuhayan ang bigay nila. Pero naman, stop, look and listen. Ang laki-laki ng katawan ng tatay at haler, ang buhok ng nanay de-kulay. Atsaka wala sila makita trabaho? Ang laki ng katawan nila noh. Nakakaya nga nila gumawa ng sangkaterbang bata!
Eh bakit may nagtya-tyaga mag-walis sa EDSA, may traffic enforcers, at madami pang iba? Punta sila sa ilalim ng overpass sa QAve and EDSA, araw-araw may pa-training dun sa mga walang makitang trabaho.
Wala naman yumaman na instant. Kahit ang mga nanalo sa lotto at suwipistik, nagtyaga ang mga yan pumila (meron nga ba nanalo dito?). Si Manny Pacquiao, bago magkaroon ng milyon milyon yan katakot takot na bugbog ang inabot ng katawan at ulo nyan. Even Bill Gates, nagpuyat at nalipasan ng gutom yan bago naging milyonaryo. Madami na akong nasaksihan sa mga tauhan ng nanay ko. Hindi nakatapos ng pag-aaral ang karamihan pero pag nagpakita ng kasipagan, tyaga, maging honest and appreciative sa kahit na anong blessing, dadating ang panahon na makakaalwan din.
Mahirap ang buhay. Kahit sino (dollars man o peso ang sweldo) ang hirap ng buhay ngayon. Lahat ng pagtitipid gagawin para makaraos. Pero kung iaasa na lang sa swerte o sa ibang tao talagang wala mangyayari. Hindi masama mangarap. Yun na nga lang daw ang libre eh. Kaya lang dapat kumilos.
So bottomline... back to work. Neet to act for my first millon in cash.
Cross-posted at: http://takeitallaway.blogs.friendster.com/blue/2008/07/ninette_has_upd.html

Starting the Year Right

How To Receive An Avalanche Of Blessing This 2008 from Bo Sanchez


When God’s Blessings Come, Will You Be Ready? - Let me tell you a story.

One day, two middle-aged gentlemen were walking home.
All of a sudden, it started to rain. Really hard.
Because both of them didn’t have an umbrella, the two guys got soaking wet.
After a few minutes of torrential rain, the first man cursed.

“Damn you! What have I done? Why are you so angry at me?” he growled, hurling his fist to the sky. “Why are you punishing me? I’m minding my own business here, walking to my home, when You had to make it rain!”

But the second man’s response was totally different. He began to skip, dance, and sing like Gary V in a concert. “Yeepee! Life is wonderful!” he hollered.

With venom in his voice, the first man asked, “What are you so happy about? Can’t you see we’re wet as frogs in a swamp!”

The second man said, “My dear friend, I’m a farmer. The rain is nourishing my crops. I will have a bountiful harvest this year!”

It was the same rain, the same amount of water pelting their bodies, but the two men had two very different reactions.

Why? --- Because one person prepared for the rain and another didn’t.

Dear friend, in 2008, mark my word: There will be an avalanche of blessing that will flow into your life. Spiritual blessings. Financial blessings. Family blessings. They will pour like a rampaging river over you.

Will you be ready for their coming? --- If you won’t be ready, you’ll just curse.
But who will praise? --- The person who has planted great seeds in his life.
How will you do that? --- Here are the three kinds of seeds that you need to plant:

1) Plant seeds of Desire (which I call Soul Dreams)
2) Plant seeds of Belief (which I call Soul Declarations)
3) Plant seeds of Action (which I call Soul Deeds)

I’ll talk about these three powerful seeds in three separate E-books which I’ll be giving to you this year—for FREE. You read that right: “which I’ll be giving to you.” Yes, I really will give you three E-books for free in 2008.

In my next emails, I’ll be talking more about my first E-book, entitled, How To Make Your Dreams Come True (Part 1: Soul Dreams).

Watch for it.

It will change your life.

I remain your friend,
Bo Sanchez

The beauty of Math for everybody to appreciate!

Beauty of Math!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111=123456789 87654321


Now, take a look at this... 101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?
What equals 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:
H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close,
and Attitude will get you there,
It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

A reason, a season or a lifetime?

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered
and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant .

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

The Greatest Advice

- by Rick Warren, the Purpose Driven LIFE

Don't date because you are desperate.
Don't marry because you are miserable.
Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.
Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don't associate with people you can't trust.
Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.
Don't dictate because you are smarter.
Don't demand because you are stronger.

Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough & know better.
Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.
Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.
Don't stagnate!

Don't regress.
Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.
Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr. Right.
Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr. Wrong because your biological clock is ticking.

Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.
Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family.
Don't commit when you are not ready.
Don't keep others waiting needlessly.

Take care of yourself.
Don't wait for someone to take care of you.
You light up your life.
You drive yourself to your destination.
No one completes you - except YOU.

Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.
To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.
To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions & be the best of what you can be.
Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.
Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous liaisons.

Be true to yourself.
Learn a new skill.
Find a new friend.
Start a new career.
Sometimes, there is no race to be won, only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions.

It isn't true that life does not get easier with age.
It only gets more challenging.
Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.
Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.
Do what you have to, even at society's scorn.

Don't be afraid.
Don't lose your capacity to love.
Pursue your passions.
Live your dreams.
Don't lose faith in God.
Don't grow old. Just grow YOU!

When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time. Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves.

I must have done something good

I lost my cellphone in NAIA last Saturday. Until now, it's still baffling because I was so sure it was inside my *pink* bag (I was wearing pink shoes, by the way).

I don't use my phone in public places unless I need to meet someone or I am waiting for an important message. I usually place it inside the most secured pocket in my bag. I just keep it on almost-max volume so I know if somebody is calling or has sent a text message.

It was early in the morning and there were only a handful people in the airport counters. I just stood behind the queue and let my companions do the check-in tasks. My companions and I then went through the usual security protocols and decided to have our breakfast near the designated waiting area. I only noticed that my cellphone was missing when I reached for it to send a text to Nanay.

The zipper was open and my cell phone was gone.

I informed my companions about my missing phone. Dr. Cuano, the team leader, immediately dialed my number from his phone thinking that it might just be tucked inside the nooks of my bag. While calling, he barraged me with questions to extract possible explanations why we were not hearing any sound from my bag although it was ringing. My other companions came up with a reason that I might have put it inside my checked-in luggage although they were sure I did not.

After so much searching and ringing, Dr. Cuano and I went back to the check-in counters, terminal fee counters and x-ray areas to check if anybody has found and turned over a phone. Without much luck, we reported the incident to the airport security. I had to be x-rayed several times (I might have swallowed it whole?). My bag, with and without contents, had to be x-rayed several times. All the while, I kept my cool and held my ground. I just followed whatever they asked me to do. I answered whatever questions they had. Anyway, much searching just told me it was definitely gone. Accepting the fact, I just hoped that it would still bring luck and goodwill to whomsoever got it.

Good thing I regularly back up my contacts and there were no incriminating messages there. I feel lucky for the finder. The phone was a SE K750i. It was given to me in September 2005 by a friend in exchange of my SE K700. Beside the minor scratches, almost new pa din. I rarely used it because I have another phone with 3G that I use more often to access the internet. The only regret I have was that I lost the saved messages from my kids, parents, sisters and friends. I also lost but without much regret, recent messages I got from a seemingly deranged person --- those, would surely fire up the interest of anybody who would read the messages.

Ten minutes before boarding I once again called my number. Maybe by hearing that it has been turned off would set my mind that it was indeed goodbye time for my phone. But alas, a woman answered on the fourth ring! My mind froze and my heart skipped a beat that moment. I immediately proceeded to the area she instructed me to go. I thanked her profusely and asked how it ended up with her. She said that she found the phone on top of the Cagayan de Oro check-in counter 30 minutes prior to our meet. She thought it was her friend's phone so she picked it up and found out it wasn't when she was giving it to her in the waiting area.

We could not yet resolve how it ended in a place 10-12 counters away from where we were. How did it happen when I was so sure it was inside my bag? Hey, this was the airport. Who would steal a cell phone in a supposedly secured area? Why was it with her only in the last 30 minutes when we were in the same area 2 hours earlier? Why was it not answered when we were constantly ringing it and surely could be heard few meters away? The security people theorized that somebody might have taken hold of it but when they publicly announced that it was missing the person might have put it on top of the counter. It could be checked with the security camera but we refused to do so.

I don't know really. To quote Dr Cuano, it was indeed good-over-evil. Swerte daw talaga ako. I might have done something good to be able to get it back.

The Farm

Pictures of the farm in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija (taken April 2007)

The pool, the house and the vehicles

View facing East - the Church

View facing South - the bedroom windows

View facing West - the pool (being filled up with water by the local BFP)


The bedrooms

The house during night

Pictures of mango trees in Cynthia's farm (taken April 2007)

The House

Pictures of the house in Quezon City (taken March 2007)

The gate

View facing North

View facing West


View facing Southwest

Inside the house