Manila, Ketsana and the Gift of Resilience

Geographically, the Philippines is prone to experience natural calamities such as quakes, volcanic eruptions and typhoons.

The recent onslaught brought by tropical cyclone "Ketsana" (locally tagged as "Ondoy") targeted the City of Manila, the nation's capital. It is very rare for Manila residents to experience first-hand the wrath of nature and most faced the devastation unprepared.

Everything happened in a flash and water was everywhere. Even well-to-do homes were not spared. Suddenly, people were calling for help and what started out as a plain rainy Saturday became one of the gloomiest in history.



The rest of what happened you can find in the news.

The strength of the Filipino spirit is admirable. Humor is probably one of the reasons why Filipinos remain strong amidst difficulties. Their spiritual faith is also beyond question.

Every Filipino seems to have the gift of resilience. The ability to bounce back from even the hardest fall is something innate and it is during these challenging times that this gift shines the brightest.

Online Home Business Ideas for Stay-at-Home Peeps

You're probably bored and think staying at home is doing you no good at all. Well, you may be thinking wrong. If you're reading this then it obviously means that you have access to the internet. A variety of home business opportunities await you here. Right now. Online.

A few suggestions:

1. Hold a garage sale! No. Definitely not in front of your house but on eBay and similar sites. Look around you. Clothes that don't fit anymore, furniture that takes up too much space without much use, thingamabobs that may still have value to other people. Take photos of them (your cellphone camera will do), measure them up if necessary and describe them to the best of your ability then post them away! Wait for potential buyers and close the deal! Isn't that too easy? The main ingredient for a successful customer relationship is honesty - that's all. You will build a strong positive feedback in no time.

2. Unleash the guru in you. If you think you are proficient in say for example, English, then maybe you can start teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) online to interested learners. You can start by offering the service to your family and friends. Instant messaging and voice channels are freely available for you to utilize. Research and don't be afraid to ask questions. Aside from teaching language, you can also be a Math tutor or anything that you think is worth sharing with your global neighbors.

3. Build your home office. Who says you can't manage a "real" office in your own home? If you have experienced working in a corporate environment, you can still definitely make use of that now. With thousands of companies and individuals around the world needing virtual assistants, you have options to fill some of their vacancies. A Virtual Assistant or a VA is like an all-around office superstar - from data entry, email, sales, research to more complicated writing requirements, she can do them all! If you believe you can do all these, go for it. It is a career worth having. For more information, you can visit A Bright Idea! VA Solutions.

4. Express yourself, create and write a blog. Write down things you're most passionate about. Don't think about the money. Just exercise your right to write. Who knows? You could even earn extra from it and this will just be a bonus.

5. Buy and Sell. Showcase your business talents, do buy and sell. If you believe in the quality and saleability of a product, you can order from your favorite supplier, mark the price up fairly, then sell it online. There are a lot of buy and sell websites where you can upload your inventory for free or just a minimal fee. Start small but dream big.

See? Staying at home is not so bad after all. Good luck!

Title: Crying Lens

I took this photo somewhere in Batangas using a 2mp camera phone. I loved how it turned out. Hope you do too. =)

Aspiring VAs: Where to Start?

If you're thinking of starting a career as a Virtual Assistant, one place to begin your journey is oDesk.

What is oDesk?

oDesk is a place where you can highlight your portfolio and find lots of job opportunities that match your qualifications.

With oDesk, you don't have to worry about getting paid because they have an easy yet strong system that provides both buyers (these are "employers") and providers (this is you) the peace of mind of being able to hire and work without the fear of being short-changed.

oDesk has smart tools to get you on the right track. Take the time to read everything you need to know about oDesk. Complete your profile, take tests, apply for jobs and you're on your way to becoming a confident, independent Internet professional.

Good Luck!

My Sister's Keeper

I've started reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult a couple of nights ago and after just a few chapters, I'm starting to feel disturbed. I know nothing about the ending yet, but I am contemplating on Ana's statements at the beginning:

"When I was little, the great mystery to me wasn't how babies were made, but why."

"...if aliens landed on Earth today and take a good hard look at why babies get born, they'd conclude that most people have children by accident, or because they drink too much on a certain night, or because birth control isn't one hundred percent, or for a thousand other reasons that really aren't very flattering."

Ana was born for a specific reason, that is to keep her older sister alive. A result of genetic planning, Ana is a perfect healthy match for her very sick sister. She undergoes the same medical procedures as her sister does every time the latter needs blood, bone marrow and everything else. Now Ana's 13 and she starts questioning the very reason why she was born.

I look forward to finishing the book, I am hoping for a brighter ending for Ana, and I wish for all children not to think they were born for the wrong reasons.

Odd Signboard

It's summer time in Manila and while looking for the perfect picnic spot down south, I came across this absurd yet interesting signboard.

The message speaks for itself and it's up to us to assume why the owner of the place wanted to emphasize such a thing.

Click the pic for the bigger version.

I just thought it's worth sharing. =)

The Credit Card Grinch Speaks Up

Your first ever credit card just arrived in the mail! You feel an overwhelming sense of pride and the only thing in your mind right now is to purchase the latest smartphone with that shiny new plastic.

Wait a moment! Before heading to the nearest mall, let the credit card grinch steal a little of your time as he tries to stop you from going shopaholic and ultimately... broke.

The CC grinch lists down the Top Five Things Why You Shouldn't Indulge in Impulse Credit Card Spending:

1. The skyrocketing interest rates. Credit card purchases come with high interest fees. Do you really need a new phone? Think before you decide. Weigh Mr. Need. Weigh Mrs. Want. If Mrs. Want is heavier, you know what to do. Self-control is a virtue.

2. The irrevocable decision. Once you succumbed to temptation, it is final. The only thing you can do is regret.

3. The dreaded stress. As soon as the bill arrives, stress starts creeping in. This is the moment when you'll realize that you spent more than what you can afford paying. The interest fees will haunt you and will give you long sleepless nights.

4. The annoying collection agency. Sometimes even one missed payment will lead you to meet your annoying (never friendly) neighborhood bill collector! He will make your life miserable and you'll wish you haven't applied for that credit card in the first place.

5. Your empty wallet. The worst result of your unnecessary indulgence is bankruptcy. You've heard stories from people who have fallen into big black holes of debts. Protect yourself from being the next victim.

The CC grinch believes you can always keep your credit card for emergency reasons, but if you still insist on buying that full-featured smartphone, be prepared to face the consequences.

Remember: A debt-free life is a happy life! =)

On Being Self-Employed

I was barely 22 when I realized that the corporate world is not for me.

Even before I finished my final thesis, I was already employed by a pharmaceutical company as a Public Relations person. After graduation, I worked in Customer Relations for a car dealership.

Though I enjoyed meeting new people every day, my cons outnumbered my pros in being an office employee. First off, I just did not get used to dressing up (make-up, stockings and all) every single morning. I was not born fashionable. I prefer my old jeans and sneakers even up to this day.

Secondly, I easily get bored with everyday routine, like having lunch on the same boring hour. I seek variety.

The third and most important reason of all, I tend to spend more and earn less. When I'm out there, all I notice are the tempting cappuccinos from Starbucks, the sweet iced tea from my fave donut shop and all the other yummy drinks I can handle, and these had cost me more than what I was supposed to spend. My daily budget was a mess!

So I decided to try self-employment. I read magazines on entrepreneurship and from there "A Bright Idea" came to me. Indeed, I called my first venture, "A Bright Idea!." It was a home-based tutorial center for kids. I taught after-school classes to children from K to 12. It was quite a success and from that point forward, I decided to be self-employed all the way.

But being self-employed is not always easy, no one is there to discipline you but yourself. You still have to set realistic goals and your daily schedule still has to be planned, though it won't have to be a boring routine since you can always be flexible. Another thing is social security. Since you don't expect company benefits, it is always wise to set aside a portion of your earnings to your pension plan or insurance. This way you can expect to retire with enough means for the future.

The internet has been consistent in opening doors of opportunities for the self-employed. I've been working online as an Independent Internet Professional/Freelance Provider since 2008 and I'm loving every moment of it. It seems that my world has just become bigger, wider, broader. My clients come from four different continents and the distance and time differences make the work even more challenging and exciting.

Whatever you choose to work on, whatever career you decide to undertake, the most important thing is to actually know what you really want to do and love it with passion, and the rest will come easy.

Maintaining Friendships in the Virtual World

My mom would always tell me, "you're lucky because you're still in touch with most of your friends, even those from your primary school." She's absolutely right. What my mother would give to find her best friends from way way back again.

Here in the Philippines, long before we've learned of MySpace and Facebook, there was Friendster. I believe it's still the more popular social networking site in this side of the planet.

On Friendster we found our long lost friends and even distant relatives. We reconnected with them, their present lives unfolding before our eyes. Glued to the monitor, we viewed their photographs and wondered why some gradually changed and others drastically transformed (physically I meant). We were all excited. Exchanging long (or little) messages, writing testimonials for each other, just basically keeping in touch after all those years of not hearing from one another.

With all these social networking sites proliferating all over the internet, maintaining friendships is much easier. Though we may not hang out as much as we used to, social networking sites allow us to peek in each others lives every once in a while.

I guess this is one of the perks of our generation. Enjoy it to the fullest!