bagay ba sakin ang kuloooottt....?

Well guess not! Finally after months and months thinking it over, I finally decided to have my 3rd LOREAL X-TENSO treatment (Loreal's version of the standard rebond). I was actually choosing between going natural (like using gata, olive oil and other all-natural but eeeky stuff when applied to your hair and scalp) vs. having a treatment and whether i would go straight (x-tenso) or have it permed (oh such lovely curls).

I was almost on the verge of choosing having it permed except that my hair is still a little too short for that; I'd look like Kirara once it's done! There's always a next time for that but for now I'll just enjoy my wash and wear, balik-ayos, super manageable hair! tralalalalala = )

Just remember to book in advance so you'll have a slot reserved for you, better to bring your car and your friends (make it a barkada bonding session..haha) too cause it takes a while to finish..a good book would do too!

Total Damage:
Extenso Treatment - Php 2,875.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Shampoo - Php 532.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Conditioner - Php 840.00
Time Spent - 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon

RECOMMENDED (2 thumbs up!)
Substance Day Spa and Salon
T / 925 - 6743
A / #18 Mystic Rose Drive Sanville Subd., Visayas Ave., QC., Philippines
(near Fernwoods)

Remembering the 1st of November

November 1 had always been memorable for me...Of course aside from the holiday-mode (meaning no classes!!) it was the total experience that made it the annual event that it is. I'd get to spend the entire day in the cemetery with my lolo and lola, cousins together with the sea of people bringing in candles, flowers and even food for their dearly departed, we get to play in "our little playground", imagine scary scenarious of the dead mingling with us, eat-all-you-can pizza/gulaman/hotdog, etc. and the routinary sleep over at my lola's house afterwards = )

Yet over the years and as I grew up, it became more of a monotonous obligation lest 'they' be the ones to visit me! (nyiii!!!) It can get boring to the point that I just wished I was home; and sometimes you just feel like not going since there are too many things to do (school/work)..besides, there's no sleepover at my lola's place afterwards anymore..

Smartbro Prepaid: Plug and PRAY!!

Earlier today my mom had to pay her Sun bills so off we went to Megamall to take care of those cellphone bills. While waiting in line, I saw Sun's flyer on their wireless internet connection package. Of course I was intrigued because I figured I'll be needing this for times when I'll be in Cebu or Davao for product trainings, launches, reseller visits or simply to while the time away waiting in airports or catching up with friends (online) in my hotel room.

BAD NEWS: Sun only covers less than the 13 Metro Manila cities!! Which is really bad I can't use it in Visayas or Mindanao regions..

GOOD NEWS: The Smart Wireless Center is just a few cartwheels away - this has been a company known for its (relative) reliability and extensive breadth of coverage so I took a consumer sales ticket to buy myself a smartbro prepaid kit

This product didn't need much selling to me as I've been aware of their campaigns (with Sam and Toni running like crazy) and of course I understand the concept behind the product offering. It also helps that from the PHP 5,800.00 price from months ago, the kit is now down PHP 2,800.00 with 100 PRE-LOADED VALUE (The kit is actually only 2.5k, PHP 300.00 of that is regular load already). Sweet deal isn't it?

The transaction went fast, I paid through credit card at the cashier, and went on my way to shop shop shop some more before going home.

I didn't foresee any mishaps trying the smartbro but now I'm almost bordering on being a very disgruntled customer!!

First of all it wasn't really Mac friendly, had to search the web to find the download site for smartbro's Mac portal. When I finally installed it, the device could not be found!! Their FAQ cannot be found, the user's guide is not helpful at all, I have to rely on the feedback from fellow bloggers and the web community to make sense out of this.

So I tried installing the modem on my brother's Windows-based laptop, the signal was great (4 bars!) but Dialing always failed.

I called their customer service only to find out that the dialing failed due to zero balance!

WAPAKK!!!

Now how is that possible when I wasn't even able to connect in the first place??? Isn't it supposed to have been pre-loaded with PHP 100.00?? And then I asked what would happen if I'll load the extra PHP 300.00 here? She just told me it's better not to load it so that the "pre-loaded PHP 100" will not be forfeited!

WAAAAAHHHH!!!! It's just crazy!!!

So tomorrow I have to return to Megamall again (together with the laptop this time) so that they can fix whatever needs to be fixed before I go to Cebu!

Very frustrating...really...


--------------------
On the side:

I was proud pa to tell my Mom that smartbro was the brainchild of the owner of the previous company I worked for. It was actually Meridian Telecoms but the lady owner sold it to PLDT which even caused a rift between her (MV) and her dad (MJ). After that sale, it became known as Smartbro!

(My) Consumer Truth: Mario Badescu Drying (Pink) Lotion

I just want to say that it simply does not work, at least for me!

For the longest time I've been meaning to get me this special potion as I've been reading about it in the news, in femalenetwork, even in mags where beauty correspondents all over simply rave and gush about this product.

It promises the disappearance of unsightly pimples OVERNIGHT! Wow isn't it? For someone who've been suffering from pimples post-puberty this seemed heaven-sent. So with a Rustan's Gift Certificate (thank God it was not hard-earned PHP 1,200.00 I spent for it), I got myself a bottle with a promise of magic in it and dabbed the pink stuff on my pimples that night...naively believing (and hoping) that the next day i'll see a clearer skin.

The day after, it didn't happen but I decided to be more forgiving and patient and more naive. That dragged on for almost a year before I bumped my head to realize that maybe it just isn't for me...(sigh)

Now I'm back to my BP lotion (I think it's benzoyl peroxide) as prescribed by my derma, relatively cheap and available in different brand names and the best part is that it just does it job! I guess it helps that it's suited to my oily skin. A no-frills spot treatment (you put it only on your pimples) and literally the next day they flatten out!

Caution though, you have to consult with your derma as it might not be the best solution for your pimples/acne. As for me - I'm just so happy = )

Tuesday Marathon

I'm no track athlete but what happened yesterday truly felt like a marathon to me. I was rushing from one place to another to get things done:

7:45 Mandaluyong City Hall to get my cedula/Community Tax Certificate
I was there early to avoid long queues but I guess I was too early because they start serving only at 8am!! I guess I was lucky / or charming enough to get my cedula even before they started office hours = )
8:00 Seattle's Best Coffee (Tektite, Ortigas) meeting
I already informed Di that I might be a few minutes late cause I had to get my cedula. However, with some luck again, I was able to arrive there on time but I didn't see her so I just proceeded to the 18F and waited for her. Meeting went well but I was very challenged with the feedback she gave.
Reports to Cisco in between
1:00 Funnel Meeting, etc etc
Had to meet up with my girls to check on our funnels, forecasts especially since it's month end and almost quarter end for Cisco. We also had to discuss for our disti planning, their incentives and I had to relay the feedback I got
5:00 Reporting to boss
OMG I kinda wished I didn't get some snacks so that I'd get this done earlier. But I needed the nourishment for another marathon ..I set my sched so that I could leave by 5:15 which would give me ample time to get to school but there were last minute PRs which I still had to sign
5:30 Finally left the building
So absent-minded I clocked out!!grrrr..
Got on an FX to megamall nuninuninu...
But I got off somewhere near EDSA Shang and walked through Shangrila Mall to the MRT station
6:00 Boarded the south-bound train/MRT
Thank God for Stored Value Cards!!! And thank God for the kind man who let me have his seat = )
Been keeping a close eye on my watch as every second every minute counts!!
Walked briskly to the LRT station..
6:20 Boarded the north-bound train/LRT
After a few skip trains, I finally got on a spacious train.
6:30 Vito Cruz Station/DLSU
6:35 Arrived at Doc Nards' IMC Class!
Probably all sweaty (eeewww) and a few minutes late...
Anyway, just made bawi on my recitations, and group presentation for my much needed case points! In fairness, he said I can be a good psychometrician (whatever that is..hehe) = )
9:00 Andrew picked me up
Shared my frustrations and how my day went while on the road
10:00 Arrived home
Played with our puppies, got to talk some more, ordered Tapa King for dinner/breakfast - Tapa Queen for me (I like it a bit spicy) and Longganisa for him

It's nice to know that after a day's worth of marathon, you can slow down a bit in the evening and take stock...or simply spend time with someone very special over Tapa King delicacies = )

Did You Know?...Clear Shampoo

Early this year, Unilever began a massive, all-out launch of it's new anti-dandruff shampoo, CLEAR. In the Philippines they even used Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz and even (papa) Piolo Pascual for their Black Valentine's campaign (oooh...so expensive) add to that roster Korean hit sensation Rain. After all those months, I never heard anything from Head and Shoulders (H&S).

As a person interested in marketing (then.....now I really have to be interested in it! hehe) I was intrigued how they would retaliate to this full-on attack by a new entrant in the market. Would they launch a new line? Get a new endorser? Cut prices? Launch a counter campaign too??

NO! The best they can do is to shove up our boob tube Richard Guttierez of Asero letting us know what's on his mind/life because he doesn't have dandruff. Another is an ad of people (including Angel Locsin) unified in saying that Head and Shoulders is number one in the world.

Well okay, I just don't see the point of the H&S commercials..it's like a person asked you a question and the answer you gave is totally off!! Still waiting for them to make a better retort.

So after that long introduction on why this popped out of my mind, I basically shared this thought in class to be discussed..to which a classmate of mine told us that...

CLEAR is the re-packaged, re-branded GARD!!
How's that for clever(?) I mean bringing back to life a product that has long been in decline!

happy saturday!

Today I'll be spending much of my time (READ: 8 am - 3pm) at school for my Research Methods and Marketing Strategy classes. Most people would find it very nerd-ly or nerd-some hahaha but I guess I'm enjoying learning new things and getting to know most people. So much so that I'm willing to forego late Friday night outs or over-sleeping on Saturdays...for real!

It wouldn't hurt too if you have great friends at class! = )

Catch ya later!

my baby gabby and our photo shoot (happy dog and happy human)

It wasn't love at first sight..but now I still can't get over how cute he is!!

So who's this new guy?..my dog, silly! = )

Gabby at 4 months - partida, di pa yan naligo for almost 1week na!

I never thought the day would come that I would be wrapped up in this pup's little paws..so adorable, lovable..he's just super!!! He loves me and I love him sooo much in return..but maybe he loves me a little bit more (hehe) he's just so frantic whenever I approach the door (any door!), probably scared that I will be gone for long (you know, this human has a life to live too!) Guess I just have to teach him puppy manners...

He's smiling coz I'm already home and hugging him tight (at our newly-renovated kitchen)

So much pent-up energy in this little furball! We love to lounge around, walk outside our house in the company of his 'friends', take pictures, buy toys, play with his toys, play with his tennis ball, eat, chase bigger dogs and our ultimate date is his monthly visit to his doctor (okay, his vet!)

A very brave boy, he keeps on following me even upstairs..considering he doesn't know yet how to go down the same flight of stairs he braved to climb! When we're on the sofa, he'd willingly leap even if I leave for just a few seconds..and he's always by my side following me like an angel = )

Best pick-me-upper when tired and stressed...best to share joys with too!

Oh, I just love him to bits! = ) Watch out for our upcoming imovie! hahahaha = )

5 years...and ever after?

Nobody thought we'd last this long..but I'm just so happy that we're keeping up this fight! hahahaha....=)

So much for our much-anticipated 5th Anniversary..thanks to bagyong Marce, we weren't even able to see each other (poor babies..)..we've planned so much pa naman to do either (or ALL) of the following:
1. Dinner - of course!
2. Record our own CD - yeah it's still there at the lower ground floor of Megamall's Bldg. A..di bale, more time to practice
3. Glamour shots - considering I didn't have a very happy prom and he did not have any at all, we wanted to re-live that high school experience with each other..sayang no?
4. Movie! - with each other's fave movie buddy
5. Mass - it's Mama Mary's birthday after all..

BUT!!! and a very big but..

I realized that sometimes, there are ways to make your love and presence felt even without being there physically...and that day I got one of the best surprises ever! = )

A big bouquet of pink stargazers delivered to our office..and people there thought I got these flowers because it was my first day at work =) yay!! (i can be THAT mababaw)



I take that back, it's not mababaw at all....if you get to know Andrew (like our friends and I do) you'll see immediately he's not the type of guy to indulge a girl with nice surprises..but this time he did just fine... = )

I love you baby! more anniversaries for us to come....mwah mwah mwah!! = )

August Decisions..superstitious much?

OMG! I'm so confused right now! Just last week I had the shortest interview ever of my life - 5 minutes with HSBC's Call Center..guess we figured out early enough that there really was no fit between me, my experience and the position. (Sayang pa my effort in dressing up and going there..although their HR could have informed me that it was for that position so that I would have informed her as well of my preference..hmmpph!)

And yesterday I think I had the longest (3 hours) with my previous employer's biggest competitor, and probably the biggest IT distributor in the Philippines - L! I walked out of their office with job offer and package which I said I would have to think about for at least a day..so the next day i got back to the hiring manager and told him that after careful consideration, I'm declining their offer for that PM post. I also emailed him my decision, for formality's sake.

No regrets, I told myself.

Sure it was a great company, great position, great product (Cisco again) but my gut feel just tells me there's something 'wrong' or 'amiss' and I really can't pinpoint what that was!

So here I am still mulling over the events that happened - as they say (and I know this is true), people will 'kill' for that opportunity - and I'm just throwing it out the window. Kinda reminds me of Jo in the movie Little Women where she threw a perfectly good proposal from her childhood friend/sweetheart just because she felt it's not right.

And when I open my Apple Mail - a totally unexpected mail from the hiring manager was there! Asking me if it was really a lost cause or if there's something else we could re-negotiate...

So there, my dad told me never to make big decisions in the month of August because it will be "agaw-gusto" in Tagalog. Problem is, I have to make the decision ASAP (and I hate being rushed with things like this..hehe).

And when I sleep tonight, I hope I'll be able to process everything that happened and make a clear, firm and informed decision..

Older than their years

Didn't we just celebrate Beyonce's 2nd birthday last week? Well it turns out that we should've had celebrated her 24th birthday - in dog years that is.

Been reading around dog or shih tzu forums to learn more about my pups and turns out we've been mistaken. Anyway, so our dogs may be a lot older than we thought (hehe) but we still love them the same!

Here's the Dog Years Chart for your reference:

SOURCE: Philippine Pet Finder

The iPhone is here!!

After the long and arduous wait, Apple fanboys and fangirls can now catch a whiff of (the official) iPhone in the Philippines!

Caveat emptor - this is only available from Globe and watch out for the exorbitantly HIGH(!) subscription rates for this! Arrggghh..

For more information, visit Globe's iPhone 3G site

happy meal at circles

Every meal is a happy meal


especially when shared with you..


[and especially if it's free!! hehehe = ) ]

These are just some of our pictures from our Circles dinner at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Just remember to book a reservation at least 2 days in advance and make sure to get there on time otherwise your reservation will be forfeited!

And to validate your complimentary parking ticket so that it won't cause you the same hassle it caused us! Grrrr!!!

Contact Circles Event Cafe here!

Phone

(63 2) 840 0884

Hours

6am – 12 midnight, Sun-Thurs
6am – 2am, Fri & Sat

Location

Lobby Level

Dress Code

Smart Casual

Smoking Policy

Smoking is not permitted in Circle’s Event Café.

A Lucky Dog and A Really Bad Joker!

Beyonce our shih-tzu was turning 2 years old and well because I was pretty amused with Apple Mail's stationery, I sent out invites for her party to friends and relatives here and abroad. And since it was also my cousin's birthday, we decided that it will be a double celebration and a mini-family reunion all in all. Just so you know I even missed my stat class for this!!

The Apple Mail Stationery invite that started it all!

Ate Diana (the "other" birthday girl!) with Derich, her son = )

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,
but I didn't see that the joke was on me, oh no.

Yep, that was exactly how I felt when after I sent out an invitation for our dog's birthday, some people took it seriously and well, we had to go a-planning!

We had kare-kare (with bagoong of course), spaghetti, bbq, cake, donut, chicken, asado, chocolate fondue (belgian chocolate yummy and the fruits) while the dogs had their share of doggie treats: Pedigree and Cesar (Beyonce's fave)

Ang aming Handa - also with Ate Diana's creations


Doggie Treats for Beyonce and her dog guests

Everyone had fun eating, singing, beer drinking and in the end, it was really worth it! Even the staff at Goldilocks got a kick knowing they were preparing a birthday cake for a dog!

My mom and I with the birthday girl (dog) and her huge cake!

Just remind me not to joke again like this when Gabby's birthday comes around! Hehe.. = )

Mommy carrying Beyonce, I'm with Gabby our 3-month little rascal!

888

Today is the 'mythical' 888 from August 8, 2008 supposedly a very lucky day and the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing = )

Well, I BELIEVE that it will really be a lucky day (positive thinking!) moreso a happy day for me and my baby as very soon we'll be celebrating our 5th Anniversary (September 8)! I keep telling him and myself, "Who knew?"

Feng shui and I go way back as I can be very superstitious hehe..that's probably one of the reasons our anniversary date is September 8, 2003. Of course, aside from the fact that we were both in college then in Catholic schools and I anticipated that it will be a feast day on Sept-8 and there will be NO CLASSES! Yipee!! An instant free day for an anniv date!

1 month to go till our special day!

my stratmark experience

2 out of 5 stars = ( for the total experience

First, kudos to me for being able to wake up VERY early (5 am, man!) despite having to sleep very late (2 am..or is it very early? hehe). See, I can be a morning person with the right impetus! As I said, I had to manage my time very well so that I can arrive at the venue early as I knew that there'd be a lot of students..

My bro and I arrived 30 minutes before the start of the program; sadly, I couldn't go in just yet because my ticket was with Lysa - who was forever in EDSA! hehe = ) Anyway, Lysa and her friend arrived at around 9am and we still had to wait for another friend of theirs. Remember, I'm only "singit" here and I have to adjust to their scheds. We were able to get inside Araneta at around 9.30 through the backdoor after a few rounds of waiting, sitting at Starbucks, a few wrong turns at the coliseum, finally ordering at Starbucks and whew we found our seats (thanks so much to her classmates Giselle and Marvin who reserved the seats!)

We all were able to get in beyond an hour late but guess who was more surprised? Yes folks, the program was just about to begin! Although disappointed that the PMA-led event followed "Filipino time", I was partly happy that after all that happened that morning (with the waiting and all) I was still given the chance to listen to all the presentations.

THE BAD.
- too much echo from audio their voices just seem garbled
- crowd/guest control was just not right (e.g. if people would say they're going to the lower box seats to watch they wouldn't be let in vs if you tell the ushers that you'll just buy from taco bell in the lower box area
- super cute (i mean super small) fonts used in presentations...even with 20/25 vision, hey, I'm not superwoman!
- the food was just..oh no don't want to comment anymore about it

THE SUPERBAD.
I guess superbad has something to do with my expectations. I came to the conference because I thought that I'd be able to learn new things from the presentors. But all that learning was made very difficult by people who went there only for the sake of required attendance or just for a field day. Some thought it was a way to sashay down an imaginary catwalk and strut their stuff.

It's just so sad that I guess majority of the students there did not share the same intentions as mine. boohoo! I'm not trying to be self-righteous here or anything to that effect..what I mean is that if you will be shelling out Php 400.00 and a whole day for this event, might as well make the most of it!

- students passing around copies of FHM to pass the time
- boisterous laughter for I don't know what reason!
- students generally not paying attention to the presentations
- very very short attention span! (ADHD rampant!)

THE GOOD.
Despite all the bads and the superbads (and then some - which i don't want to mention here anymore), I would like to commend the PMA and the member schools for being able to put up an event like this and manage the logistics and everything else. Wish they could make it more economical especially for those students who don't have much.

A presentor commented that PMA changed how conferences should be and thereby made it available to more students..yes I agree that it was really jampacked BUT, is this method effective?

Hopefully in the following years, PMA could change or tweak some more the way they want conferences to be:

* Effective at driving their point and conducive to the learning process
* High student attendance and not just by "hoarding" students to the venue..isn't there an 'optimal' level for things?
* Profitable without milking students dry - more partners perhaps?
* More professional-looking presentations ... keynote, anyone?

I hope this can be remedied sooner than later so that students will not be traumatized and get the value for their money when the time comes that they'll be able to say, "It's so worth it and more!"

StratMark (July 29, 2008 | 8-5 | Araneta)

Serendipity is what I call this!

For the past two weeks, my brother has been waving a ticket he says is for StratMark which I totally gave no attention to because I thought it was purely college stuff and well - I'm not in college anymore.

I'm so glad that I caught Lysa (dyosa) online JUST NOW! and we talked about it and turns out it's big stuff, organized by the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) no less!! They're so lucky the famous "Doc Nards" invited them personally to attend this event while Sir Benny..hmm, may have forgotten to inform us about this altogether..

So, curiosity and spontaneity got the better of me. I decided to scrap all my plans for tomorrow (not that I had any important matters to attend to save for an interview which I wanted to esacpe from...bad!) and just be there in Araneta to attend this conference and yeah, skip the interview *lol*

At my age, I'm lucky I can still camouflage myself into a sea of college students = ) but still be able to bring it with my masters classmates.

Excited excited!! I have to wake up extra early tomorrow so that my bro will not leave me in the house harhar..but then again, his ticket is with me so I guess he has no other choice! = 0

Details of the event:

StratMark (Strategic Marketing Conference and Competition)
29 July 2008 | 8am - 5pm | Araneta Coliseum

credits to PMA for this

TOSHIBA Warehouse Sale! (Jul 31 - Aug 1 '08)

Looking for a new Laptop??

Visit the Toshiba Warehouse Sale from the 31st of July til the 1st of August and get

HUGE DISCOUNTS on various models of TOSHIBA Laptops/Notebooks!


click on the image to view the map


**Major Credit Cards Accepted**

where have all the children gone?

is this the little girl i carried,

is this the little boy at play?
i don't remember growing older,
when did they?

-Sunrise, Sunset from The Fiddler on the Roof

Time seems to be moving at an UNconstant rate. It does not feel like it's ticking with a fixed interval..sometimes it's oh so slow and sometimes you never know just what hit you. Wasn't it only a few years back when I had to don a high school uniform everyday, making new friends and sharing my life (and of course my food) with them? Those were the days when I only had to worry about my homeworks and exams - no heavy stuff! Fast forward 10 years, nothing really is the same!

I wasn't able to keep all the friendships I made from those years of my life but luckily I've managed to maintain a network of very close friends. Some I have lost track of...some of them I only see through Friendster. When I see their pictures and the updates on what is happening now in their lives - where they're working, who's the current boyfriend/boytoy/fling...I feel transported back to our days of innocence and bliss - the happy feelings that high school just keeps on giving and giving. Of course I feel happy but when all the memories flood my mind, sometimes I can't help but feel melancholic and long for that kind of life again..it makes me smile but it makes me pine for those days and my friends as well.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that 1 of them has gotten married already (and didn't invite me! hmmph...kidding!) and 2 of them are already moms or soon to be moms!! There seems to be a disconnect in my mind probably because I never saw the events unfolding with my eyes or probably because to me we still are the happy high schoolers, unmindful of the things that are happening outside our walled school...

I'm happy for them both as I'm sure they are also happy with their lives now. It's just that it has never been more certain than now that we cannot anymore go round and round our batibot (aside from the fact that it's not THE batibot anymore), or talk for hours with our nightly telebabad (gushing forever about our crushes and the latest nakakainis girl), attend marian campings (i believe the sisters of st. paul abolished this one...) or just do whatever underneath the sky that's above SPCP (labo no?!)

To the new moms, Rain and Joanne, I salute you and wish you all the best..the oft-spoken phrase, "Ninang ako ah!" will now see fruition.

Baby Mama Joanne, Baby Daddy Rhecster and Baby Sophia Ysabelle

Baby Mama Rain and the baby boy growing inside her tummy

it pays to ask

omigosh i have literally spent an entire day worrying (again) whether i was doing the right thing or not. you see i have to report on developing marketing strategies tomorrow for my masters (marketing management) class.

i pretty much got everything in the bag except for one sub-topic: types of strategies for primary and selective demand. i kept searching and searching my memory if i have encountered this topic during my college days...hmmm..NOPE! i asked around to check if my friends have tackled this too well it turns out that this is a phantom subject! kidding! hehe..imagine it's written clearly in the syllabus but i can't find it anywhere - not in our book, not in the other books (i borrowed 4 from the library), not in the internet!!

the only thing that stuck to my mind were porter's basic strategies and for a good 4 hours i had decided to bet on that path. yet and still a feeling that something's wrong kept lingering..so i thought that something definitely was wrong.

i was getting frustrated that i can't find the answers in these books little did i realize that maybe i was searching for the wrong things or maybe i was searching the wrong way..guess what, i was doing both!

i researched again on the topic and found a new set of answers..somewhat related to the first but they're still world's apart ---> product life cycle strategies. now it felt wrong-er..which should i choose?

this just made me realize that even in the advent of the internet or of subject indexes at the end of each book, you still have to use that thing between your ears to process the information available to you and make something intelligent out of it. life should not be mechanical or automatic at least in this sense. just because we're having things easy, we should not let go of our human functions of curiosity, analytical thinking and resourcefulness.

just because the topic is written that way doesn't mean that it would also appear that way in the book and in the internet.

of course, if you really can't find the answer within...what are teachers for? so to stop this nagging feeling (you know of doubt, of worry, helplessness) i called up my prof to verify if it was indeed the PLC strategies..bingo! got it!!

felt more like a challenger on survivor or other reality tv shows..you're only given the problem, the riddle and the clues..it's up to you to solve it = )

=======================

Update!! Update!! ---download my presentation below--

The report went okay! Or more than okay I should say = ) I'm glad and proud I was able to do it by myself successfully (while some groups were in 2's or 3's..i did this by myself because my groupmate quit masters this early!!)

For those who would need a reference material, here's the copy of my Keynote presentation (in pdf version). Please click on the link to go to the download page:

>>Developing Marketing Strategies

the psychology (pathology) seminar

Today I had a blast to be with 70 or so delightful kids for the psychology seminar that my friend and classmate Don, had arranged. It was held at the Pope Pius XXII hall (U.N. Ave., Manila) and although it was raining, I'm really glad that attendance was 99%!!

Me, a resource speaker? Yeah it was my first time to do it I guess..even more shocking I suppose were the topics assigned to me: cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and mental retardation. It took me a week to research and read up on the topics (no matter how draining they were) and a couple of days to put together my presentation.

I'm really thankful to have been given that chance to share a part of myself to those kids. I also love that although these were "nosebleed-inducing" topics, they were able to listen intently and participate in the discussion. Most of all, their very welcoming attitude and their playfulness. = )
I just hope that all the things I have shared to them, they will be able to apply in their lives.

Just too bad I don't have a picture huh?! Well, as they say, there's always next time!

To the kids if you're reading this, download the file after this jump>>

the powers of friendster

Remember the survey I was ranting about?

Well, I need to finish that soon...as in soon! For now the areas of concern are Quezon City, Muntinlupa and Las Pinas. I'm glad that someone gave me a bright idea (i think...i suppose it is and it should work!) to use Friendster to accomplish this endeavor.

I'm really preventing myself from having to waste a whole day in Mcdonald's or Jollibee or in some mall ambushing people for this survey so I'm giving this game plan a shot. As you know, Friendster has millions of Filipino users - and counting. What's good about this plan is that I don't have to disturb everybody by sending mass e-mails/personal messages which might only make me look like a spammer; prospected survey respondent's profile can be actually streamlined to target just who we need. And even better - I can do it in the confines of my home while the respondents can also accomplish the survey with the same comfort.

Bright idea isn't it? I *heart* Friendster!

As for the success or hit rate...I'll let you know next time!

Thanks in advance to everyone nice enough to accommodate my request!

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By the way, if ever there are helpful visitors in this area, kindly help me with the surveys by clicking on these links:

Please click this link to download the Survey Form

thanks super!!!

change of blog design/template

Hi everyone, although I had much fun with the blog template I was previously using (Thank you very much to Isnaini [Music]) you know the one where it was all white/gray, with a girl in the corner listening to music through very big earphones and over-all zen-ish feel..unfortunately I had to retire it already.

Reasons:

• It's not that easy to customize / manipulate
• If I was highly knowledgeable in HTML it might have worked for me but I simply don't have the time to learn all that stuff
• Well...there are lots of options which are much easier to use (such as the ones already here in blogger)
• If one would want to earn through blogging, I realized that that template was not the most effective one to use. = p

Actually, the single most important (underlying) reason is simply everything I learned from the Internet Marketing Workshop of Jomar Hilario that I attended today. I would love to blog about it now but DAY 2 is not for tomorrow...so just hang on and I'll probably post the things I learned here..(why not?)

adidas is IN, universidad is OUT!

DLSU Marketing Communication Office
Have replies sent to the DLSU MCO

TO: THE DLSU ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

Part of our recent partnership with adidas Philippines is the license to exclusively use the University's registered and applied trademarks to co-brand official DLSU merchandise such as t-shirts, jackets, caps, and jerseys, among others. All other entities are prohibited from the production and the commercial selling of merchandise bearing DLSU trademarks.

As such, please be advised that Jardy Marketing, as a manufacturer of the brand Universidad, is no longer authorized to produce and sell merchandise bearing DLSU trademarks. Please do not patronize their DLSU products, for they continue to deprive the University the opportunity to raise funds that will support efforts to provide more scholarships to the less privileged. Their refusal to abide by the rules of trademark ownership and intellectual property are considered illegal, and therefore, must not be condoned.

Thank you for your support.

------------

There you go..so from now on forward, please patronize only DLSU sporting products made by Adidas Philippines..not just for trademark issue...it's for a good cause (education advocacy or scholarships for the less privileged!)

i can cook pala!

I spent most of my morning worrying on things I should do and things I should have done concerning my masters and my other extra-curricular activities. I know it's a bad thing to do to keep on worrying but sometimes it's the first thing one does upon realizing that your pending tasks are indeed worrisome. = )

For starters I was supposed to go the whole nine yards to survey (the S word!) moms from all over the Metro. It's good that I have 2 other very efficient and reliable groupmates (Hi Crissy and Don!!) but this task (survery close to 300 people) we had to divide among us three. I know I should have started the past weekend but physically, I just couldn't. But I'm all better now and am really raring to tick this off my to-do list - only to realize that I might have started too late. Looking at my assigned areas is enough to make one's head go loco loco!! Add to that the sheer number of respondents I have to accomplish!

1. Mandaluyong - got this covered since I'm from here
   
2. Manila - bf got this covered (thanks so much baby!! super life-saver..more on that later)
   
3. San Juan
4. Las Pinas
5. Muntinlupa
6. Pasig
7. Pateros
8. Quezon City

It was just so overwhelming for me, I guess that my mind went to panic mode!! In times like this, who ya gonna call?? I'm so glad that there are very generous and gracious friends who were more than willing to help a crazed and dazed girl!

Really it felt more like a test on how well you'll be able to manage logistics, time and your network. So instead of me having to go around like a headless chicken, thinking how to juggle all these activities, I stopped my panicked self, sat myself down and just really fixed my gameplan. So since photocopying is much cheaper in the UST area, bf got on to it. He'll take 20 and distribute to his classmates. My brother (also studying in UST) will bring home the rest for me and will also distribute some to his friends. Internet power was also maximized as I sent copies to my former officemates and classmates. As Bo Sanchez said, if you just bite-size things and plan ahead, everything seems more manageable - indeed I agree!

But before I calmed down to that level, I paced the house like crazy thinking and worrying of all those to-do list that I simply had to go out and do something! And then I remembered the episode on Quickfire (a QTV-11 production) where they made a simple (read: easy to cook like I can make this on my own) and seemingly delectable dish (EVOO fried chicken breast fillet, with taco salsa, cheddar cheese, buttered corn) which I intended to make this weekend. But it can't wait anymore so off I went to Pure Gold (just a Php 8.00 jeepney ride away) and bought the stuff needed. Despite the possibility of rain, I went anyway.

Not a pro in the kitchen department but I think I did a pretty good job cooking it. The second version tasted better - and everyone in the household gave a thumbs up! I'm so happy! = ) This is the first time I realized that cooking has its calming, soothing effect too! And the happiness grows once you see everyone enjoy the food!

THE VERDICT:
1. Mom: Do this again on saturday and I'll give some to Tita Rica for her to try
2. Dad: Uno!

With a fuller tummy, and a less-tense me..now I can concentrate on my next immediate task:

preparing for my pathology presentation for sunday!!
will write more about this by sunday! gosh i'm excited! (wheee!!)

and my second immediate task:

my (masters) presentation on developing marketing strat!

======================
so no to panic-stricken, downtrodden, tense spirits and YES to cooking, eating and enjoying!

The case of the chori burger fix

I don't know why I've grown hungry tonight, probably because I had been sick for the last 4 days (and i need all the nourishment i can get..yeah!!) but I feel that my stomach has hit this state of emptiness - like vacuum empty!! Could be the coffee or the medicines I took..I really don't know.

What I know is that out of this hunger grew a deep craving for....CHORI BURGER!!! But I know it's only available in Boracay so I began my search for the chori burger recipe. Spent an hour looking for it in the internet but to no avail. What I found were only pictures of it and how other people longed for it too - both of which only intensified my craving..big time!

That's me enjoying every bit of my chori burger and jonah's shake in Bora (Mar 2008)

But not to despair...I found out that although I may not get the real thing as of now, there are worthy alternatives. From other people's blog I discovered that I need not board a plane to bora just to eat chori chori burger..all it takes is a drive to Metrowalk or an MRT ride to Trinoma and I can eat (read: hoard) all the choris I want from Bun on the Run (BoTR)!! Well, that plus a great deal of other burgers to try next time - Brother's Burger, Bite Club, Cafe Breton's Mozzarella burger...oh the list goes on and on and on...

I just hope the chori burger tastes as Boracay-ly (not the sand okay?) as the one I had in Bora. Otherwise I'd be forced to concoct my own recipe. Now I just need to go get a fix of Jonah's mango milk shakes!

Jonah's pricelist (Mar 2008). What's your favorite shake?

how tech savvy are you?

Two years into my corporate life (oh what a jungle it was!), I decided to go back to school and take up Masters in Marketing..primarily to develop myself and my potential and partly to get a much needed respite from all the hulabaloos of work.

As a part-time student, I only took 2 classes this term, and one of them is Statistics. Though not really my favorite subject in the world, it's something that I have a background on as a Management student, something I can be average or excellent in..depending on which side of the boat I wish to sit.

Classes and lessons started slow because as expected, there would be some sort of introductions among the 21 or so students in that class; which by the way my professor is disappointed in as she had wished that it would be a smaller class size so she can manage to teach us one by one. One by one?? Are we not masters students?? Or does she think of us as some grade schoolers?

I was actually shocked that she may be thinking lowly of us. Not that I'm a computer genius or a statistics whiz but I guess her expectations were really that low.

Imagine my surprise when at the end of the introductions, I found out that there were some classmates who did not even own a computer - even a desktop computer at that! Luckily, the school is able to provide students with fully-functioning computer labs. But how would they get by knowing they do not even know the basics of using a computer or its applications?

My hunch proved true that come laboratory time, there'd be disturbing buzzes among those who did not even know the following:

• Log in to the computer
• Save the downloaded file as an Excel file
• Copy and Paste an entire column
• Create new worksheets

My professor's perception of her students are REAL now! The need for a smaller and more manageable class size is real too!

On my part, I do not fault my classmates because they do not own a computer nor because they do not know how to use the applications. I just wish that there would be a desire on an effort on their part to learn. As it is, most of the oldies are just complainers at this point. Well, they have to start somewhere before they gain that proficiency. In the long run, it would really be annoying if all they ask the professor is how to save or how to copy this and that...I would appreciate it more if there would be more insightful questions and analytical discussions on STATISTICS!

Maybe DLSU should look into this too when screening their potential students. Not really to reject those who are not tech savvy but to help those deserving students use technology better as a tool, as an aid to their learning and development process.

our comic life..

Secrets to Dominate Your Niche

I agreed to help my friend and former classmate, Nikko Lim, promote the new book that he has worked so much on to bring to the Philippine shores..not so much as "malakas siya sa akin" (as he had originally thought) but because I believe that this book will beneficial to our country and the society in general.

Article clipping was sent as is, sorry I can't link back to the publisher or the author

I believe that much business heartache will be eliminated just by reading, understanding and applying what the book wishes to share on taking your business to the next level, making your competitors irrelevant, choosing your niche and being different. You know, don't be in business just for the sake of having a business or just because you can despite eroding market share, revenues and margins...It will be much easier and much rewarding if you know what you are doing and what you have to do to be successful.

N.B. Will be available soon in our local bookstores!!

girl on tv

Today i received surprising messages from my friends that i was on TV. No way I say...

But Madz it's really you! Lining up in a cafeteria!!

Thoughts and memories rushed through my brain...

"Eeeeeaaaahh.....it must really be me!!"

Funny how incidents that happened less than a month ago have been completely forgotten..turns out it was that Mel and Joey (GMA-7's) coverage of our favorite nearby carinderia-eatery-cafeteria. I was more concerned whether I looked PG (patay gutom or very very hungry) on TV than my telegenic appeal...hah! yes i have that! = )

It's a quaint place, the "low end" counterpart of Cafe Juanita, both owned by Dr. Vasquez (an ob-gyne). That's low end with quotation marks because the Mechado and Caldereta viands sell for almost a hundred pesos each! Nevertheless, it was very Filipino the way they use the antique stuff they sell as the resto's furniture and how they play Bayanihan songs (think, Ang Pipit) each and every day.

Yeah, how could I really forget..the place whose walls have heard almost every juicy office gossip or latest lovelife chikas..the place I shared with my old colleagues..and a place that I now miss..

Well it's just too bad that our cable connection had a problem due to typhoon Frank...phhuuey...

the heat is on!!

whew, it really is soooo hot here in manila...mercury rising (gulp!)

i know i'm living in a tropical country plus it's summer but this is something else, not funny anymore..imagine:

- having to wipe off sweat right after you've toweled yourself dry from the shower
- feeling a single sweat dripping on your back only to realize that it's not a single sweat after all and your sweat has formed diff shapes and sizes on your shirt
- feeling tired and lethargic all day long

..if i lived on the beachfront or if we had a pool it might be more bearable..otherwise, it's just humid and sticky all day and unfortunately, even at night.

what to do what to do..i guess this is nature's way of telling us that we are really going overboard in environmental abuses; thus, greenhouse gases and global warming.

i pity the daily commuters and PUV drivers who have to go through all these plus smoke emmissions too! ditto for those living in slum areas who don't have proper insulation, nay electric fans! think of their galvanized iron roofs absorbing all that heat and the danger that can ensue...

as for me, i guess i'm lucky that i stay in an air-conditioned office most of the time and that there is proper insulation, ventilation and air conditioning at home..although it really doesn't solve the problem here are just some of the things that are must-do's to prevent yourself from getting scorched:

1. Take a bath daily or even twice or thrice a day if you can.
2. Stay light on make-up, lotions. It just adds to that heavy, sticky feeling.
3. Drink lots of water, really! Don't disregard possible dehydration because of the heat...Make sure you have a safe and clean drinking water by your side at all times even at night.
4. Avoid going out when the sun is at its brightest (?). If possible, use an umbrella or hat, and apply sunblock to your face and body.
5. Wear light clothes.
6. People that are high-risk for strokes, beware!
7. Know the first aid treatment for dehydration, heat stroke, rashes, etc.
8. Lastly (because I can't think of any..hehe) - Always stay cool!

huraaay for imovie! congratulations to the cfad team but archi is still the best (for me)..hehe..

i'm so lovin' my macbook now!! and i wish i had one ages ago!! imagine, i used to pay a few thousand pesos for movies of the same length for a school project...sheeesh...people could make a fortune with imovie alone...or even just have that sense of fulfillment with making something nice out of it..

yes folks, today is the day that i have made my contribution to the digital world with my first ever mini movie and i'm so excited about it!

SUBJECT: UST Archi - CFAD Men's Football Championship Game

of course I was rooting for Archi (my bf's team) to win especially since the scores were 3-0 already when i arrived. but i guess their best wasn't good enough as the CFAD team was able to turn the tide to bring a 5-4 win! archi placed first runner-up for the championship game, which isn't as bad, i guess...

i'm really excited about this that it's already in youtube, multiply, and now blogspot..hehe..bf is both happy and embarassed with this - happy because of his personal papparazzo...embarassed because well, he's the star of this clip and people might think he's a show-off..well, i wouldn't be his girlfriend for nothing..more than being proud of this video, i'm foremostly proud of him (contributing 2 goals out of 4! good job, eh?)

here's the alternative link to my movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tuNMOZBDIQ

enjoy!! : )

losing my temper

Today was the first time I threw a fit at a supplier.

Dreaming of beautifying my living area, I began buying things for my room and water closet (a.k.a. banyo). So last week, as I accompanied my Mom at Ortigas Home Depot, I also shopped for things/accessories/fixtures for this great dream. I placed an order for CR shelves to be picked up the following week.

Today was the supposed pick up day. Lo and Behold it wasn't there. They said that it would be ready after 2 days more.

How come? I thought it was a 1 week lead time?

"Mam, hindi po kasali ang weekends (please don't count in the weekends)"

That really got my blood boiling as they didn't inform me that for (2) 3" x12" glass slab it would take 7 working days - not in their sales order, not even verbally. All I remember after that is me mumbling some things about them not informing me and then I asked for a refund. No cuss words or shouting, thank God.

However, despite the adage that "the customer is always right" it really felt wrong. Though they had their misgivings, I felt really bad that I let that get to me, that I got angry, that up to now I feel bad about having done that. See, I'm so affected that I'm even blogging about it now.

There's nothing left to do but to not do that anymore (or at least contain my anger and release it safely and diplomatically) and to say

I'm really sorry...

That goes out to the staff of MIRAGE @ Ortigas Home Depot.

restless hearts

I've always been a fan of pure unadulterated true love...that is, until I went on OJT (on the job training) and started to discover for myself the flip side of the world I believe I live in.

It saddens me to know that there are people who,

:: despite having a legal wive and 3 kids already, still finds spare time to maintain 3-5 girlfriends on the side. Alongside with that he's damn proud that he doesn't use any sort of protection ergo, nobody gets knocked up.

:: still phones/texts/dates (?) the girl his wife caught him in bed with (through pictures)

:: profess that he really loves his girlfriend of 10 years (!!) while still flirting/sexing up other women. He reasons that it's better to do it now than when they get married. He wants to "make the most of" his bachelorhood.

:: beds prostitutes in each town he visits - for the simple reason that he can and nobody would know.

:: plans with gf A to have a baby so that he can have a reason to break up with gf B. So when it finally happened, he just doesn't have the heart (or balls?) to break up with gf B. This depresses gf A but lo and behold, there's gf C too!! This is just too much trauma that's why she had a miscarriage.

:: claims it's not infidelity if it's just a blowjob

While there may be more restless hearts scenarios, I don't wish to elaborate further. It just makes me sick to my stomach the way they justify their action - that it's a man's life, it's just a diversion, a pastime of sorts. And the men I have interviewed gamely answered that not even STDs, AIDS, or having their wife catch them in the act will make them stop this promiscuity. The only thing that will "probably" deter them from this lifestyle is if their children knew about it; apparently they don't want to be hated as the cheating Dad. But will they really stop?

I really hope that this would soon change. Even with the glaring evidence and confessions, please don't cheat like dogs who lick their balls - just because they can..