My Ex is Marrying My Cousin

• I went to my hometown few days ago to attend my aunt's funeral. 
• Few hours after I arrived, my other aunt pulled me aside and wanted to "talk" to me.
• She asked, "M, do you have a boyfriend?". "Why?" I replied. "Well, J is getting married." I said, "Good for him. To who?". "To S."
  
  Note: J is the ex, S is my cousin.

• I was shocked! I'm very happy for them but I hope my cousin is making the right  decision.
• A lot of drama afterwards. I can't believe how awkward it was.
• You see, this guy made efforts to reach out to me after he heard that I came home for good but since I don't have feelings for him anymore, I just ignored him. 
• When I saw my cousin, I hugged her tightly, congratulating her. I also saw the guy, I said "I heard the good news. Congratulations." And I shook his hands.
• A lot of awkward moments after that.  This wedding was  a total shock to us all. They secretly did everything behind our backs. Even my cousin's mom (my aunt) didn't know a thing about it. They didn't have courtship stage. They got engage a month ago and they are getting married this January 28th. Of course, my aunt is opposed to that and I'm sure that it won't push through. Maybe later next year, but not early next year. 
• Basta, ang daming drama. I can't even believe it. I don't have feelings for the guy anymore but I just hope that my cousin is making the right decision, because all she kept saying is " Maging choosy pa ba ako, my engagement ring na o.". When I left, she hugged me and she said, " M, let me get married. I'm already 35."
  
  
  Now, since you all know that I am not planning to get married, do you think that people might think I'm not over this guy that's why I didn't get married? I don't want to get married for the wrong reason. I'm enjoying my life now. Having a house, being independent, doing things just because I have freedom, buying things because I can afford them now, experiencing things that I haven't experienced before. I told my cousins, "Man, I'm glad nothing sexual happened to us. It would surely be more awkward."
  
  
  To my cousin, I know that you won't be able to read this, but I'm truly happy for you. I just wish that the reason you want to get married is not because you are getting old, but because you have found "the one", your best friend, a person you can spend your lifetime with.
  
  
  Even though I don't have feelings for this guy anymore, why does it feel so awkward? Since he is going to be a part of our family and I'm going to see them together during our family gatherings and all, I think I should better get used to it. My cousins and my family too, they should better get used to it.
  
  
  Just saying.

LTO Cebu City: Student Permit and Renewal of Dormant Non-Pro License

Student Permit:



What you need:


1. Medical- Php 100 ( You can get it outside of LTO-Cebu) Processing time: Less than 5 minutes
2. Photocopy of your NSO
3. Php 315


Processing Time: Less than 30 minutes


According to my friend's cousin, he went there in the morning and it took him 2 hours to get Student Permit. We went there yesterday at  2 PM and the transaction was such a breeze.




Dormant Non-Pro License


1. Medical- Php 100
2. Drug Test- Php 300 ( You can get it outside of LTO) Processing time: Less than 10 minutes.
3. Affidavit of Loss ( If you don't have your previous license)
4. Take the exam ( Sira daw ang scanner nila. According to the LTO guy, it has been 1 month na they aren't conducting exam. I have to go daw sa E-mall or Danao ( wherever that is).



Note: I wanted to apply for Student Permit, but nakita na may records ako seven years ago, so I can't. According to the LTO guy, if it's over 10 years, then I can apply for SP but since hindi, I have to take the exam and all. Ugh!

Let's see how this goes.

PRC ID RENEWAL: It Only Took Less that 20 Minutes! (Step by Step Process)

Top: Old ID
Bottom: New ID

I don't know if I got lucky or what but it only took me less than 20 minutes for me to renew my PRC ID. For 20 minutes, I got the plastic card ID! Yes, that's right, the PLASTIC.CARD.! I was really amazed! To think that I was dreading to go to the PRC office because I know how government processing of documents work, but I was wrong.








Note: My mother renewed my PRC ID last 2012, but I only got it yesterday.




Things You Need:

Be sure to bring all of these so you can have a smooth-flowing experience:

• pen
• paste
• 2 pcs. passport size photo with white background and name tag ( Note: There is a photo booth inside PRC but in order to have a fast-paced processing, I suggest you get the picture beforehand.)
• Photocopy of the previous PRC ID, back to back  (Note: There is also a photocopier inside the PRC. Since I just got my previous PRC ID yesterday, I went ahead and photocopied it there. Cost: Php 4)
• Php 600 (Note: Since my PRC ID got expired last year, I added Php 60 as a penalty. If I'm not mistaken, I think it's Php 60 per year for expired licences.) 

STEPS:

• Go to PRC Mandaue City Near Innodata
• Make sure you wear the right outfit ( I wore sleeveless but I put on a cardigan, leggings and Chucks)
• In the entrance, you have to log in your name, purpose of your visit, date and time

Note: SKIP THIS PART IF YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR PREVIOUS LICENSE. Since I didn't claim my previous license, I went to the "Releasing" (COUNTER 2) section first. I showed my  Confirmation Slip. The woman, who was entertaining me, asked me why it took a while for me to get the license ( Yah, it took me four years to get it.)

STEP 1:

Go to PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND COMPLAINT DESK ( PACD) (red arrow below, located near the stairs) and ask for application form. In the application form, you will be asked to paste your passport size photo in the left side of the form.

Time Spent: Less than 3 minutes

STEP 2:

Go to COUNTER 3. Submit the Application Form. You will be asked to submit another passport size photo and the photocopy of your previous license and they'll ask you to wait.

Time Spent: 5-6 minutes





STEP 3:

CASHIER: Sorry, walang picture. It's located beside the stairs, near PACD (near Step 1 picture)

Pay.

Time Spent: Less than 5 minutes.


STEP 4:


Go to COUNTER 2. Submit the Application Form and the Receipt. You will be asked to wait for you name to be called for you PRC ID.

Time Spent: Less than 8 minutes.


After you get your ID, you will be asked to sign your name on a paper as a form of confirmation that you received your ID.

Voila! Done!

Random Life Update: I Feel Like A Traitor!

This blog started as a finance blog, I would say. I posted a lot of tips and tricks on how to save money, weird cheapskate ways that I have been doing to save money while working away from home so I can finally come back to "pinas for good". I feel like I'm not leading a cheapskate life anymore that's why I don't feel like updating my blog because I FEEL LIKE A DAMN TRAITOR! ( I know, ang daming "like". American teenager ang drama!)

It's all because I started working and I started earning money. Let me explain.

• First few months after my "pinas for good" moment, I was very conscious with my spending. If you followed my posts, I had a weekly budget of Php 500 for grocery, Php 600 for electricity (monthly), Php 150 MCWD, etc. My monthly expenses was about Php 5,000 maximum. Now that I'm working, BAM! I have been turning on the AC 8 hours everyday ( Php 1,800 per month), I have been eating out and trying restaurants, watching movies left and right, getting a massage every month ( Php 350 per massage), getting Stark and Pepper groom every two months ( Php 1,200 for both), etc. etcetera, ETCETERA! I feel like I'm not leading a cheapskate life anymore that's why I feel embarrassed updating this blog. :(

• I earn average of Php 15,000 per month (6 1/2 days per week-5 hours per day except Wednesday( 2 hours lang) and Monday (OFF)...I can open more hours if I want to, but I'm lazy.) My current rate is 60 per student, not including incentives (like, if I reach certain number of students per month, substitutions and the like). The highest that I got in a month was Php 18,000, while the lowest is Php 10,000. My current expenses is about Php 8,000-9,000. I would say that my current lifestyle is not as "pigil" as before. If I feel like I want to drink some Black Pearl, I go ahead and drink Black Pearl. If I feel like eating Zark's Burger, I go ahead and eat some Zark's Burger. Kaya nga I feel like I'm not the right fit for this blog na coz I'm not a cheapskate anymore. :(

• Palusot: Now that I'm working and I only take my monthly expenses in my salary and I'm not taking anything from my investments and savings, I feel like I can spend on what I want. What do you think?

• I'm still on the fence if I should buy a car or not. I know, I know... I said in my other posts that once I'll get a job, I'll go ahead and buy a car, but man, I don't really need one! I have been hitching rides with my cousin and to tell you honestly, the traffic in Cebu is no fun. I feel like it's not fun to drive because you will get stuck in traffic for hours and hours on end. One time, we got stuck in traffic for three freakin' hours! UC's fault!

• But I live a little bit farther from the city and I kept thinking of My Ganni Bear, on how I wasn't able to bring him to the hospital asap because I was waiting for the taxi. I think I need a car just for emergency purposes. Idk yet!

• My cousin bought a Mitsubishi Mirage recently and I was in love! If ever I'll buy a car, Mirage would have to be on top of my list.  Buh bye, Wigo!

• I still go to the Wet Market and La Nueva, but one thing I don't like about La Nueva is that they don't carry the biggest stuff. Example: I bought "Domex" for Php 80+ (500 ml). They don't sell 1 liter of Domex for some reason, but when I checked SM Supermarket, The price of Domex 1 liter is just Php 95!  Ang liit ng difference, diba? When I learned about this, I started observing La Nueva's stocks. Yes, I concluded that they don't carry full sizes of most of the products and for me, if I buy something, I make sure that I'm buying the full sizes kasi makakatipid ka talaga in the long run.

• Ahhhh, the feeling of going to La Nueva and not having to pull out your calculator because you might go over budget: Priceless!

• In my previous post, I told you that I'm seriously thinking of installing water tank because the water supply system in my area was driving me nuts and I already have a tank! Wohoooo! I paid Php 17,000 all in all, including labor. I got the money from my salary so bongga! :)

• Installing water tank would have to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. I can "clean as I go" because I don't need to wait for the water supply to come back on and I don't need to store water because it store water automatically when the pressure is high (usually around 2 AM). The only downside is if walang kuryente, wala ka ding tubig but power outages are very rare in my area ( maybe once every two months or so- 3 to 4 hours max). 

• I also bought a window security alarm and it works! Cost: Php 280+ at True Value.

• And oh, diba I told you that I will be supporting local products? I couldn't seem to keep it! :( One time, while Stark and Pep were in the pet salon in ParkMall. I was wandering around the mall and I went inside Japan Home Center and BAM! I was hooked. Bite me! :(

That's all folks! I'll keep you posted. 

Tired

I've been feeling so tired lately: 


Humidity + keeping the house clean with two big dogs + online work + no water supply = GOING CRAY!

• The stress of not having regular water supply is getting into my nerves.

My brother gets up at 1 AM to store water because we don't have water supply in the morning. Even though he gets up around that time, he still can't store enough water for the day.

• From April 1 to April 15, I taught a total of 127 students. 

I am very glad that I have a lot of regular students lately, but man... I AM BURNING OUT! Today, I cancelled my hours ( I do have 4 students today, but I cancelled my open slots since I am very, very, V.E.R.Y. tired.)

The main reason for the tiredness? NO WATER SUPPLY! I am seriously thinking of installing water tank. I will talk to a plumber tomorrow. I'll blog about it.


Until next time.

Online Teaching: I Aced the Interview (kind of) but Failed the Surprise Demo

I started applying last January and started working last February 15. I would have started sooner (the whole process took less than a week for me to get accepted, but I kept on delaying my starting date because I was scared beyond belief. They even sent me an e-mail stating that If I don't want to start sooner, then let them know coz they will let me go. haha! For reals! So, nag start na talaga ako. Bahala na! But then, when I got started, I realized it wasn't too bad and I kept on wondering why was I scared in the first place. Getting started, they said, is the hardest part and it's true!)



Interview Process:

I submitted my application online and I got a call few hours after. Of course I was nervous, but I think I did well with the interview. Modesty aside, I can speak English quiet well. Maybe because of my five years stay in the US. I do have a slight American accent (as what the interviewer said. lol. blushing!) but when you let me speak tagalog... man, I suck at it! Really! My tagalog is super bad and you can really tell that I am bisaya when I speak Tagalog. Like really!


Questions:

- Self introduction
- Hobbies
- Why do you want to teach online?
- Teaching experiences?
- Degree you took up in college
- Any kids?
- Do you have quiet space to conduct your classes if ever you'll get accepted?
- Why would we hire you?
- Are you familiar with Skype?
- Are you willing to undergo training?
- Are you pregnant or planning to get pregnant soon?
- Moving soon? 
- Plans on going abroad?




The whole phone interview took about 15 minutes then they scheduled me for a Skype interview. I had Skype interview the day after.

During Skype Interview:

- Make sure you are in a quiet place. Dapat walang tao na nag pa-pass by sa likuran mo.
- They'll ask the same question in the interview
- They'll ask if the current place you are having your interview is the place you will conduct your classes.


The Skype interview took less than 5 minutes then they scheduled me for training.


Training:

- They sent me a pdf that contains information about the company, salary and all that. It also contains the training material.
- They sent me the training material few days before the actual training and I had a lot of time to study the material. I did just that but I focused on the company information, salary and stuff and I didn't focus on the training part. IT WAS A BAD MISTAKE.
- Note to self: Review the Training module because they might ask you for a surprise demo.
-  Surprised demo: I sucked at it! Man, I couldn't even tell you how embarrassed I was! Grabeh, nag stutter talaga ako and all. Basta, I SUCKED AT IT! Luckily, it didn't affect the application process.

• They scheduled me for an initial demo. The "student" was a staff of the company.
• After, they scheduled me for a final demo with an actual Japanese student.

Okay, will explain more about the initial demo as well as the final demo in my next post.

Bye for now! 

Online Teaching: Pros and Cons

PROS:

• You can earn Php 350  in about  3.5 hours of teaching online (  about 7 students)

The minimum wage here in Cebu is Php 350 per day ( correct me if I am wrong) and currently, the rate that the company pays per student is Php 55  per 25 minutes ( it'll increase in 4 months and there are also incentives when I reach 80 students and 100 students per month).

• You can choose your hours

The busiest time and busiest days would have to be evenings and weekends. 

• Working at home? BIG ADVANTAGE!

I have been juggling construction, teaching online and a lot of other things in between, plus I CAN SPEND TIME WITH STARK AND PEPPER! Sweeeeeet! :)

CONS:

• Getting use to teaching online is kind of jarring. You have to know how to multitask. You need to be familiar with Skype, Dropbox, Excel, typing the correction while talking with the student, typing the correction and explaining to the student why you need to correct them at the same time, etc.. BUT you will get used to it, swear!

• You have to make and post Lesson Memo after each student and if sunod sunod ang students mo, matatambakan ka ng Lesson Memo. You need to know how to manage your time.

• Lozenges should be one of your friends when you want to teach online full time. Grabeh, ma papaos ka talaga. I once held  18 classes in a day and my voice wanted to give up. Buti meron akong PEI PA KOA! hahaha! Not joking though.

I'd post more about my online teaching experience when I can if you guys are interested. It's Monday and it's my day off. I need to go to the wet market to replenish my supply. I had a total of 25 students over the weekend. It's more than my quota and I am happy about it.


'Til next time!

It's Been a Month: Teaching Online, etc..

MARCH 15, 2016


Wow! I couldn't believe that it has been a month since I started teaching online. Time flies so fast when you're busy and when you're enjoying it at the same time!


Here are a glimpse of my online teaching experience ( so far):

• The first day was kind of crazy! I was nervous as hell. Note to self: don't start online teaching when there is a construction going on coz nakakasira ng concentration! Promise! 
• I taught five classes on my first day. Not bad for a newbie!
• My first student became my regular student! Beginner's luck, they said!
• In a month of teaching, I experienced:

1.  No internet connection for a week. No classes held for a week and panira kasi I was under 2- week evaluation pa naman at that time!
2. My laptop got broken and was fixed twice! Buti it was under warranty pa. First, the power button wasn't working so Dell came over to fix it. Second, the mother board went kapoot... so yah, you know how that goes!

• Two-week evaluation wrapped up: They praised my voice coz buo daw and I can get the student's attention and my teaching style was praised too because I was able to not only correct student's grammar and intonation, I was also able to give praises to the students. CHOS! ( yes, may Skype recorder. They, meaning admin or whoever, can listen to your classes coz you need to submit the recorded file after the lesson.)However, they said that I need to get my internet connection straighten up. I told them that PLDT already fixed and rewired it, so everything is a-okay as of the mo.
•  For a week of teaching, I earned Php 800! Oh, may pang bayad na ako sa MCWD! haha!
• I've gotten a lot of good reviews from my students and one bad review, and why does one bad review hurts? Natatabunan ang mga good reviews because of that one bad review. That's how that goes, right? In my defense, I was new and I wasn't familiar with the book we were studying. The bad review wasn't posted by the admins in my page.
• I only got few students in my first two weeks of teaching ( about two students a day more or less) and I think that was a good thing coz one, I was a newbie and I was still trying to familiarize with rules and such, teaching styles and all.
• Now, I'm teaching between 5 to 10 classes everyday, except  Monday and Wednesday ( my days off.) I once thought 18 classes in a day!  Paos mode, promise! Now, I can manage my time better and I'm good at cancelling my hours na.
• My quota, except off days, is 5 classes per day. Nowadays, I have been teaching more than 5 classes. 

So far I am enjoying this experience and I am planning to stick to this kind of work until my feelings changes... I don't know! We will see.

Townhouse Living: A Problem You May Encounter

Life has  been so busy lately. I started working online, plus I'm managing the house construction.

Okay, I promised I'll post about what kind of online work I do, but since I didn't have the chance yet, I'll just give you a hint.


Here it is:

 Skype+ Sensei


I know you guys already got it! :)


Back to the topic...
Please watch the video, but excuse and ignore the bisaya dialect.


Note: I decided to take this video as a form of evidence. I took a total of 5 videos.

Okay, after watching the video above, you would know that my room got flooded with rainwater. I didn't have this kind of problem until my next door neighbor started renovating her house.


What I did:


1. I assess the situation. 

I inspected my wall and my ceiling and there were no hint of water whatsoever. I realized it was coming from my next door neighbor's floor. Again, I didn't have problem with it not until she started doing something with her house.


2. I knocked on the neighbor's door.

I was so nervous because this neighbor has some kind of a reputation in the subdivision (Hint: BAD) She had shouting match with the other neighbor few months back over trash. She was also the same neighbor who parks in front of my property ( yep, the same neighbor I mentioned in one of my posts, that "neighbor who complains about everything pero hindi naman pala nag babayad ng Homeowner's Association Fee!")

Well fortunately, I didn't get to see her because she was still sleeping according to her helper. It was around 7:00 AM on a Saturday.


3. I went to see the Homeowner's Association Officer who is in-charge with this kind of situation

The officer came over and access the situation. She too said that the water was coming from my neighbor's side. She advised me to take videos, and so I did.


4. The officer called the neighbor telling her about the situation

5. Confrontation part


Of course, she insisted that it wasn't her fault. I told her that I didn't have problems with water going in before, not until she did some renovating. She still insisted that it wasn't her fault. Nakakaloka talaga! I told her to go up and take a look at my room, but she won't! It took me a few tries to convinced her to go up and freakin' see my room. She agreed and when she saw my room, she really can't deny the fact that the water is coming from her side. She also saw how pristine my wall and my ceiling looked.

6. The Compromise

She told me that she will go ahead and put roof within a month, that I should be patient. I told her that I am being patient, that I was doing this so she will know the current situation. After she left, I made a video log about the result of our talk, that she promised she will put roof in her property within a month.
Ayon, na sira yong cabinet ko because of the water, pero it can be fix naman. I didn't insist nalang to ask for it to be repaired because I think it is unintentional. I am happy that she knew and that she said she will take an action within a month. For the mean time, I put tons of rugs and blankets on the floor and I'm crossing my fingers that it won't rain.

(Online) Job Hunting: New Graduates VS. The Not So New Ones

Well, I'm talking about job hunting in general.

You all know that I am in the process of looking for a job online coz I'm bored beyond belief and I need something to do. I don't even see myself going out and braving the traffic jam everyday so I think online work soothes me better.


Yep, bought myself a new laptop ( I mentioned it few months ago) coz my first ever laptop died on me, plus I was really set on finding an online job. But it took me at least 4 months convincing myself that I can do it, that I need to pass CVs... that despite my age, I still got it.


Gosh, I can't help but compare it to my younger years, back when I just graduated college. Why was I so brave to pass my CV to any companies back then? I didn't even had a lot of experience back then, but kapalmuks talagang nag pass ng CV kahit kanino but now, I kind of lost it na. I really didn't have the guts na. I kept on doubting myself and my abilities. Few years back, it's like the world is on my hands and I'd like to see it dance but now, the world looks like it's too heavy on my hands . Ai, I can't explain.



Ugh, if you only knew how many times I talked myself to pass the damn CV, how my friends told me na "nakaya mo nga yung America, 'yan pa kaya?" I even went home despite the uncertainty, pag pass ng CV, hindi kaya?! 
Kaya pala most people get stuck in one job for life because man, finding a new job is kind of daunting, at least for me.

The whole job hunting thing was overwhelming but I got used to it and kind of like the rush that I was getting out of it. Eventually, I passed my CV, got interviewed, trained, and hey, I GOT A JOB!!!


What job is it? Find out in my next post!!!


Toyota Wigo, come to mama! hahaha! (Well, if you are a long time reader of my blog, you know how finding an online job is equals to buying a car)

Wet Market Sunday: The Broken Rice

OMG, may chika ako with my online job hunting goal, but that would be in my next post. I'll get this Wet Market Sunday post over with first.

• BANANA and VEGGIES: Php 120

- Banana : Php 50 (Php 45 per kilo)

- Sayote: Php 15 each

- Cucumber

- Onion: Php 11 (100g)

- Tomato: Php 6 (100g)

- Eggplant

- Squash: Php 10

- Sili: Php 5 per pack

• BANGUS: Php 50 (Php 100 per kilo)

• EGGS: Php 15 (Php 5 each)

• Rice: Php 99 (Php 33 per kilo)

I found the exact kilos of rice we, meaning Stark, Pepper and I, consume in a week. And that's 3 kilos. I don't eat rice that much, I make it to a point to only eat 1 1/2 cups of rice a day ( that's lunch and for me, that's a heavy meal already.) If you noticed, I have been buying corn grits for Stark and Pepper a while back but switched to rice instead para I can buy it in one go. (I usually mix half a cup of cooked rice, a cup of dog food, sawdust and veggies for Stark and Pepper's meal.)
Ganador is one of the premium rice in the market right now. It's about Php 50 to Php 55 per kilo and I don't buy that , I go for Broken Rice of Ganador (Php 33 per kilo.) According to Google,  Broken rice is a grade of rice consisting of grains broken in the milling process. Well, mine is still Ganador but it's broken into pieces because of the milling process AND it's cheap... way cheaper, right? I kind of like the broken rice more than NFA (they are kind of the same price, but I saw Php 27 per kilo NFA rice.) By the way, I am aware of the rice controversy, you know, that plastic rice. I know how to spot those. I only buy rice from my trusted "suki".

One thing I love about broken rice is that it's kind of wet-ish when it is already cooked. For some reason, I prefer wet-ish rice more than the firm one.

• SAWDUST for Stark and Pepper: Php 60 (Php 30 per kilo)
• GROUND MEAT: Php 37.49 (Php 133 per kilo)
• BONES for Stark and Pepper: Php 54 (Php 51 per kilo- On sale) I still have bones from last week but decided to buy more coz it was still on sale. They rarely go on sale so might as well stock up.

Sorry if you have to tilt your head:



LA NUEVA GROCERY: Php 233.4

• Cooking oil (1/4): Php 21.50
• Camel Sukang Puti: Php 4.30 I'll buy big one if I happen to be in SNR
• 3x16 Plastic for Ice (for carpenters): Php 18.50
• Happy Sanitary Pads: Php 13.15 Again, I can't be hanging my diy reusable sanitary pads out in the open because of the house construction. It resumed a week ago,as I have mentioned in my previous post.

• Yakult Light Culture: Php 50 They ran out of the regular ones. I love that more than this one.
• Baker's Best Bread: Php 22.25
• Energen Cereal: Php 29
• Kopiko Cafe Blanca: Php 56
• Pechay: Php 6.30 Bought this at La Nueva because it was on sale ( Php 20 per kilo.) Regular price in my suki: Php 45 per kilo
• Swan Sardines: Php 12.40 When I saw the misua noodles, I was like, "Damn, I need to cook this before it goes bad." I usually put sayote and sili with sardines in my misua soup. I find that combo yummy.

TOTAL: Php 668.89

Electric and Water Bill Report: Nov-Dec 2015

Mactan Electric Company (MECO)

Period From: November 22, 2015
Period To: December 22, 2015


Total: Php 725


My actual bill is Php 432 and it almost doubled because of the charges. Crazy right? It is what it is, they said.


I am expecting higher electric bill next month because the house construction is now back on track and they will be wielding angle bars, c-purlins, etc. for the roof. I decided to put roof on the rooftop, just 3/4 of the total space and 1/4 is open para hindi mainitan sina Stark and Pepper if ever I'm out and I have to put them there so they can walk around. I hate kasi na I put them in the cage when I go out coz it's cramp inside the cage and there is no space for them to move around. I decided to have kahit 1/4 of open space para when we have bbq get together with friends, the smoke coming from the grill wont get trap inside. And a rooftop isn't a rooftop if there is no open space, imo.

Metropolitan Cebu Water District ( MCWD)

Period From: November 28, 2015
Period To: December 31, 2015


Total: Php 167.56



I am expecting higher water bill for next month as well coz of the construction. They are adding hollow blocks on each side of the rooftop. If you saw my blog showing you the glimpse of the rooftop, you would have seen that the sides are open and it's scary for Stark and Pepper coz we often play up there. Pepper also has this weird thing where she stands on the edge to look down if she sees one of her doggie friends. Nakaka heart attack ako every time she does that. 

Wet Market Sunday: Soy Bean Powder? Corn Coffee?

I haven't been having some wet market run lately because of the holidays. I've been finishing the "bring house" food I got from all the parties that I attended + the chicken necks too, which I made into dry adobo. ( If you are a Filipino + bisaya, then you would know what "bring house" is and why we call it that.)


I forgot to buy bananas.

The La Nueva receipt was eaten by Stark or Pepper, who knows, that's why I can't give you the exact prices of my La Nueva haul.


Here it is:

• VEGGIES: Php 50 

- Squash: Php 10

- Cucumber

- Onion

- Garlic

- Eggplant: Php 8

- Sayote: Php 13 each

• Ground Pork: Php 32.90 (Php 153 per kilo)
• Bones for Stark and Pepper: Php 86.19 (Was on sale for Php 51 per kilo)
• Sawdust for Stark and Pepper: Php 60.45 (Php 30 per kilo)

• Bangus: Php 50 (Php 110 per kilo)

• La Nueva Grocery:

- Yakult: Php 40

- Baker's Best Bread: Php 22

- Dazz Dishwashing Bar: Php 6+

- Tomato: Php 6

- Pancit Canton: Ph 8+

- Quick Chow Noodles: Php 6 +

- Energen : Php 29 ( 6 pcs)

- Kopiko Cafe Blanca: Php 56

- Biscuits: Php 8

• Eggs: Php 11 (Php 5.50 each)
• Corn Coffee: Php 5 ( I haven't had corn coffee for a long time. I remember liking the taste of it.)
• Soy Bean Powder: Php 5 (I don't know how to make this thing. I should Google first. Hopefully this will taste like Soy Milk I usually buy. We'll see.)

• Rice: Php 99 (Php 33 per kilo)

On Managers and Their Duties: Is This How Things Are Done Here?

I am really an observant kind of person and one thing I can't help but compare is the managers from the US and the managers from here ( be it banks, store, etc.)



Here are some nonsense observations/comparisons:

• I went to BPI- GMC Lapu Lapu yesterday to get my captured ATM. I've waited for almost an hour to get entertained. (There were two customer service representative, I observed.) The manager at that time I arrived was talking to one of the customer service representative with regards to letter and stuff. After she was done talking and I was,like, right across her, she just sat down at her chair, text here and there, laugh when she heard a certain dance song and quipped how she reminded her of the party she attended, texted some more, chitchatting ( in fairness to her, she was also doing some paper works in between) but she never did ask me how can she help me and, as I said, I was just sitting right across her. I kept staring at her but it seemed like she was ignoring me. UGH! ( There were 2 of us waiting and two were being entertained by the two customer representatives.) Na irita talaga ako kasi she didn't even bother to ask us! After almost an hour of waiting, it was my turn and guess what? The customer service representative directed me to her- THE MANAGER! It took me less than five minutes and I waited for almost an hour! KILL ME NOW! UGH! Maybe because I looked too yagit to get entertained with THE manager, with my Star Wars Force Awaken t-shirt, Chucks and all?

• In the US, the manager will take over whenever the cashier is nowhere in sight ( I saw pa nga managers- with his neck tie and all- sweeping the floor once)Here, I noticed that managers don't take over as much. One time I was waiting in line and the cashier was nowhere, well.. the manager was just chitchatting with one of the cashiers. I also noticed that in the US, when the line gets super long ( as in 3 people) they'd call for back up and use one of the vacant cash register. Here, wala.. they'd leave it vacant no matter how long the line in the other cash register gets.

I don't know what managers' duties and responsibilities are here in pinas, but it seems like they don't want to take over duties that are kind of like not their level, kind of like duties lower than their supposed responsibilities? Sure, managers are higher than tellers and cashiers, but it won't hurt to take over other's duty once the situation calls for it, right? I don't know. Help me understand.

STARK AND PEPPER'S FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!

My babies turn 1!!!


Stark: January 2
Pepper: January 6


To celebrate their birth month, I decided to take them to the beach.


Sorry I can't really tell you guys the exact location coz we are probably going back to this resort over and over again. This is way better than Hadsan if you are taking dogs with you, plus they open 24 hours unlike Hadsan which closes at 5 PM. This would have to be my favorite animal friendly beach resort in Mactan area!


Here are some pictures:

My Babies!

Dipping With My Babies

Golden Retrievers= Waterdogs

Feeding them their favorite junk food

With a friend

Enjoying the beach

Hugging the  birthday girl