CU Cheering Squad

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My Blogs

I have less time to update my blogs now that I am working full time during day time. I used to sleep at four to five in the morning, but now, that is already my waking time. My life right now is far too different from what I used to have. I guess you could say it is a roll-a-bout, or a complete three hundred eighty degrees turn. And although I am quite stressed out from all the stresses that I am facing, still, I am thankful for I can still do what I love to do during my spare time.  Unfortunately, I have less time that I used to, nevertheless, it's still a blessing for me. I am happy that I can still make updates once in a while, and still express my thoughts about things, as they happen, when I am able to blog about them. I miss my blogs--- writing and reading them, and the other favorite blogs that I follow. 

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Worlds Teachers Day

We just had the greatest time at the Atrium of Lim Ket Kai Mall as we celebrated the World's Teachers Day today. 

It was inspiring for me because Secretary Luistro was there as well as Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay.. 

We had our department photo taken after the program.. 

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Tips to Allergy-Proof your Home

Nowadays, it seems more common that many people are suffering from allergies. Allergies can range in severity from hay fever to asthma and even anaphylactic reactions. To allergy-proof your home and create a comfortable living situation for your family, check out these helpful hints for creating the ultimate hypoallergenic living environment.

Choose Tiles or Timber Flooring

If it is possible, remove all of the carpet in your home. While this may seem like a drastic measure, carpets attract dust mites and act as a breeding ground for bacteria. Tiles and timber flooring can be easily sanitised and assist in discouraging the build-up of unnecessary dust around the house. For families with members who suffer from food allergies, tiles and timber flooring also provides a great solution. Severe food allergies can be triggered by something as slight as coming into contact with the food source. While carpets are often difficult to thoroughly clean and can easily maintain a build-up of food particles, tiles and timber flooring can be cleaned quickly and efficiently. For ideas on choosing the right flooring option for your home, check out some of the new display homes the Gold Coast has to offer.

Linens & Manchester

Attempting to create allergy-free bedroom and living spaces, can sometimes seem like an impossible task. There are a number of easy solutions, however, that assist in providing a much more comfortable home environment, for the entire family. Always avoid woollen blankets or underlays, as this material is known for housing dust mites. If you do use a comforter on your bed, purchase an impermeable cover, along with protective covers for your pillows. While it is important to deter the build-up of dust around your house, it also wise to eliminate mould from all living areas. Mould can sometimes be difficult to banish, particularly in humid areas of the house, such as the laundry. To help protect your family in the bedroom, avoid foam-rubber pillows and mattresses, which are known for attracting mould.

Window Shades vs. Bulky Curtains

Heavy curtains can often be aesthetically pleasing and create the feeling of warmth in your home; however, they are also the perfect source for trapping dust mites in your house. In year’s past, consumers have been limited in their choices of window shades, often leaving families to choose looks over comfort. Nowadays, however there are a number of stylish solutions for around the home. Talking to a professional home builder can often help you to better understand your options for shading solutions around the house.

Hypoallergenic Cleaning Products

Don’t let all your hard work go to waste, by using allergy causing cleaning products. A number of products are now available, easily obtainable on your local supermarket shelf, which are specifically designed for allergy sufferers. Whether you’re allergic to chemicals, need to eliminate all dust mites or have to ensure that surfaces are thoroughly cleaned of food residue; the perfect cleaning product is available for you. Your home should be a haven to relax in, somewhere that you can feel at ease and kick off your shoes after a long day at work. Allergy-proof your home today to really start living!

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Tired But Still Breathing.. Hahaha..

I have just arrived home. I am so tired. I wish I could easily quit what I love to do, but sadly, I can not. Not, when it is almost the finals, and I have lots of students counting on me for their grades. I am not really complaining about what I am busy with right now. It's just that I hardly have time for myself anymore. I had a three day invitation, and at the last minute, I was not able to go for the three day tour because something came up in school. My boss already allowed me to, but I personally did not go anymore, knowing that I may be neglecting a few of my duties should I push with the trip. It would have been fun. (Sigh) 

Anyway, I am able to search for some store reviews of the shop my cousin told me about. At least today, I had an hour to do something online. But I so miss having so many tabs opened all at once, including all my social media accounts. Now, I am simply left with two. My email, and one very important site. Oh well, I think the weekend can wait. Or should I put it, they all can wait until I open them over the weekend. Thank God it's gonna be Friday tomorrow. On my way home tonight, we passed by a jewellery shop which is quite similar to Poh Heng Jewellery in Singapore. Oh how I miss Singapore. I wish to be back there this summer. I wish to get my luggage which I left at my uncle's house. It is filled with my precious Victoria Secret collection from the VS shop, when we went there. I wonder if they will still be as good as when I bought them. 

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Observe Silence

I found this one time while I passed by the school's grounds, upon going home from my college classes..

How many more signs should be placed to simply remind the students not to make so much noise???


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Enjoying Performances

I passed by the community center on my way home this afternoon and I saw some band performing. Two sets of guitarists with Morley Pedals, and a piano,finely played by the pretty pianist who looks quite familiar, plus the usual drummer with the energy of three. I think they are practicing for some performance later as they are already dressed for one. 

I miss performances like concerts and shows. I had plenty of them in my youth. And I savor all experiences and exposures. I wish all people, specially the kids now, will have the same fun as we had back then, without the fear. Parents these days may be too cautious that some kids are not given the opportunity. But then again, there are those who go as stage mothers or fathers where their kids go. 

I should like to think that parents would enjoy watching performances and not just shrug every opportunity for their kids to show their talents and skills. 

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That Scary Road Trip

I have never been so scared while traveling than that evening we went to Butuan for the last vigil and burial of my uncle. Last Wednesday, we almost died twice. And that is not an over-statement. First, a tree fell and almost hit our bus in Medina. 

When we reached Magsaysay, we almost fell off the ravine due to a very slippery road. It was a bumpy, scary ride, and we were all scared. Well, it would have been a tragedy if we did as with us are the two kids who are yet eight and seven. But then, we came out of the scary ordeals alive, and it's really a great feeling in the end. 

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Confused

Our department is the sole sponsor for the noon masses at the Fatima Chapel. My colleagues, Christine and Vince, are the active buddies who help in the choir. When Vince is not around, our department head is the one who accompanies the choir through picking the guitar while the choir sings. The guitar used is an electric guitar that uses guitar pickups musicians friend, so during mass, the songs come alive with the choir and its accompaniment. I sure miss being in the choir. But I do not join them unless we are being asked to participate for some special occasions. I may be a Buddhist but I do not mind helping them out, as I do with my family every time they need me to be with them in church. It is not just a sign of respect for my elders, but also for my family as a whole.

So if people say that I am a confused believer, I say unto them that I know where I stand and I know my faith, as much as my principles. Besides, I do everything for peace. 

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The Courtyard

This is the image of our school's courtyard during strong rains..

 I am afraid this will bring about a Dengue scare..

The muddy waters do not go down as fast as how it has risen..


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So Your Kids Will Hear Better

A student of mine has difficulty hearing. I would have recommended to his mother to search for some hearing aid reviews to find him the right design and type of hearing aid, but I realized that the mother is not at all interested due to the fact that it can strain her budget. Actually there are cheaper brands of hearing aids, but the mother doesn't really want to talk about her son's condition. 

We talked about some factors regarding the problem, and I found out that the child is music minded and is addicted to loud music. Loud music playing is a factor that highly affects everyone in our society today. If we want our kids to have a healthy hearing, we shouldn't subject them to the use of cellular phone using head sets and turn the volume to the loudest dial. We must also talk to them in a gentle manner. Shouting out loud to them makes them susceptible to not hearing whispers. Of course, proper care for the ears should be monitored at all times. 

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For The Community

I just arrived from the groundbreaking ceremony of the Community Project of Alaxan FR in Purok 5, Barangay Puerto, here in Cagayan de Oro City.

The community will be taking care of labor as many have volunteered to help build the basketball court, but the food for the workers, the materials and tools, the engineers and foremen shall be provided by Alaxan FR. 

It was a hot day, but since it's the first day of work for all volunteers, no one seemed to mind. Not even us media who went there to witness the groundbreaking under the heat of the sun.

A pose with the volunteers are Alaxan FR's Brand Manager Justin Tung (middle front), along with Barangay Chairman Christian Rustico M. Achas of Baranagay Puerto (front Right) and Mr. Nilo Pagutayao (front Left), the man who allowed the project be built in their family's land.

It is truly inspiring that Mr. Pagutayao and his family made clear that the land can be used with no political or financial obligations and no strings attached. 

Purely, it is an act to unify the community through this effort dubbed as the "Court of Inspiration".

Shown above is the person carrying the food for the workers' lunch. He has to pass by the creek through a narrow pathway, as he carries his heavy load for the community. In twenty one days, the said project shall be unveiled, and hopefully, we'll be there  to witness it along with the PBA legends who shall play basketball with the locals. 

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Learn To Drive

We just arrived from the burial of my uncle in Butuan City. We almost died twice when we traveled there last night. This afternoon, another incident has led me to think that something is going to happen in the future or that I should look for truck driving schools and learn the art of defensive driving. That way, I won't need to look for Dallas movers or any movers in Dallas TX the next time I move, or when travelling long distances.




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21 Gun Salute

My Tito Ben was a reserve officer of the Philippine Army (AFP Reservist). He and my Uncle Eric were both part of the army as reserve officers, unlike my grandfather who was a retired soldier.

 Hence, when they both were buried, they also received the same military honors that my grandpa received.

This is the third burial where we witnessed the 21 gun salute.

My Tita Gin received the Philippine Flag, and shall have the flag unfurled on Independence Day as well as my Tito's birthday. That was what the soldier said after the military honors were done.

What makes this even more special is that, Brig. General Charito Plaza, AFP Reservist, the first woman Brigadier General in the Philippines, a cousin of theirs, was present during the said militray honors. She is the one in blue in the background.

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Goodbye & Thank You BEN.

My friend's grandfather died yesterday. His name is Ben. My uncle died Saturday night, and his name is also Ben. Unlike my friend's grandfather who fell when the saddle pads slipped, my uncle had been paralyzed for many years already. He had been joking about dying as a young looking man, that, which we don't really condone. Two weeks ago he had been in and out of the hospital for complications, and unfortunately, passed on last Saturday. I sure will miss my Tito, just as my friend will miss her grandpa. 

Well, cheers to the lives of the two Bens. They have left their mark in the very people who loved them. 

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7.9 Magnitude Earthquake and The Blue Moon

Where were you when the earthquake happened? Were you busy looking at the blue moon? It rained here in our city so we didn't quite see the magnanimous beauty of the blue moon. But we did felt the intensity 3 earthquake that shook our apartment unit. I was scared, I couldn't move. I thought it's going to be another Sendong like tragedy. Thank heavens it simply passed after two minutes of shaking. No casualties here in our city, but I heard there had been black outs in some areas. Other say that they experienced things in their houses being broken and falling during the shake. Like the seat covers for trucks that fell from the swaying vehicles that had been parked, and many others.  

Then Tsunami Alerts came from everywhere. Social media indeed played a big role in information dissemination. And just a few minutes ago, Tsunami alert had been lifted in all areas. 

Until now, I wonder if there is a connection between the two occurrences.. the 7.9 Magnitude Earthquake and The Blue Moon.. 

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Join The Pink Run

It's time for another fun run here in our city. So ladies and gentlemen, prepare your running shoes and julbo sunglasses for the much awaited Pink Run... This fun run is for the benefit of women whose breasts shall be saved through mammograms checks  and information dissemination about preventing and dealing with breast cancer. .

My friend and fellow blogger is actually one of the organizers. This is for a good cause  therefore, worthy of our attention and support.. I know many men and women in the city would like to help too, and to run for fun and help save lives is better. 

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A Long Way for Lolong.

As a person living in Mindanao, I can not help but feel proud of the attention given to one Mindanao symbol, Lolong. Lolong is the 20 feet 3 inches (6.17 meters) crocodile, which makes Lolong the largest crocodile in captivity. He is an Indo-Pacific crocodile, also known as a Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) measured making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured from snout-to-tail. It was in November of 2011 that Australian crocodile expert, Dr. Adam Britton of National Geographic sedated and measured Lolong in his enclosure and confirmed Lolong as the world's longest crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity in the town of Bunawan where the crocodile was captured. Since the visit, and after six months, Lolong was officially certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "world's biggest crocodile in captivity." The said certification was read in public during the celebration of Araw ng Bunawan. Lolong breaks the record of the previous record-holder: a 17 feet and 11.75 inches (5.48 meters) male saltwater crocodile named "Cassius" kept in the crocodile park of MarineLand Melanesia in Queensland, Australia.

Since Bunawan is too far away from Luzon, Lolong's official replica will be launched on August 25, 2012 for the people of Luzon to see how great Lolong is.. 

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A Wish...

Everyone's wishing for the Fairy Hobmother to visit his or her blog. At least those who I know of.. Well, I am wishing for the Fairy Hobmother to visit any of my blogs too. I have followed his trail and have stalked him in twitter for him to grant me my wish of installing some inexpensive kitchen cabinets in my small kitchen here in the apartment. The unit may just be rented but I have a feeling we shall be staying here for quite a while. Having the cabinets installed will make the kitchen have a better space, especially because there are unused spaces above. The owner of the apartment is not so keen as to what is installed in every unit. In fact, we are so unfortunate to not have cabinets for clothes that we had to provide some for ourselves, unlike the other units that have what we don't, who also do not have what we do have here in our unit. 

Anyway, I would want kitchen cabinets that I can take with me when we leave. After all, it is something that I shall be installing for our own use, and not as a donation to the apartment owner. So please, Fairy Hobmother, come my way.. 

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At Philippine Air Force in Lumbia #MindanaoHelpsManila

In response to the call to help Manila and all other parts of Luzon that had been recently flooded, CDO Bloggers Inc, together with Mindanaoan, have banded together in support for the campaign to give back help to Manila and Luzon. Image below, made by Fleire Castro, summarizes it all.. 

We were glad to have been able to deliver the collected/donated relief goods to the Philippine Air Force at Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City.. 

We are also thankful for the help of the PAF. Not only did they carry the heavy load for us, but it's the C130 that shall take the relief goods to Luzon.. 

We had to repack the entire load so that they wouldn't get scattered on the plane.. and labeled so that the contact person in Manila will be able to get them without any problems..

We had a crazy night finishing everything.. and we had fun in the process.  Although there were minor challenges on our way home, still, it was a success.. Thanks Jacq and Mike for the company.. we had fun didn't we? hahahaha.. 

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Women and Diamonds

Diamonds are said to be a woman’s best friend. Do you ever wonder why they say that? My take on that is this: diamonds are precious and a woman loves to be considered precious by those she shares a relationship with. So when one gives her a gift of diamonds then she takes it that she is as precious, as valuable as the diamond she receives. Would she prefer a diamond set in jewelry or a loose one? You may then begin to wonder: what do you mean by a loose diamond?

                    

Loose diamonds are quite simply diamonds which are not yet set in jewelry.  You may then ask: why would women want that? Well, when you think about it, when a woman receives a loose diamond, you also grant her freedom. Yes, you are giving her freedom to choose as to how she wants that diamond to be set as jewelry. You are giving her the choice with what kind of metal she wants to use it with. Moreover, you are granting her the choice of design she wants with her diamond and choice of metal. Isn’t that neat? Giving a woman a loose diamond is like telling her that she is valuable and that you also believe in her capacity to choose, in letting her enjoy freedom. She can then proceed with her loose diamond to her favorite jewelry maker to design it for her.

Now you may wonder what size of diamonds would please a woman best. Will she appreciate a gift of loose diamonds rather big in size? Does it mean that the bigger it is the better you value her? Women may disagree at this point. Some women would prefer a small size; these women are not the flashy types. They love their diamonds but they would not care what others think. If others notice their diamond, fine but if not, that’s also well and good. Some women, however, would love to show to the world that yes, they have diamonds. They enjoy having it and they love sharing, showing their joy to others.

What should you consider in buying loose diamonds? Jewelry makers would tell you to take note of the 4 Cs. The 4 Cs to consider in buying loose diamonds are” cut, color, clarity and carat. These are the four aspects of grading a diamond and this will let you determine the quality of the diamond and yes, its price.

Now to zero in on the cut of a diamond, have you considered getting trillion cut diamonds? Trillion cut diamonds are often used along with a larger piece of diamond in a ring but that is simply well, kind of conventional. I bet women who are artistic and non-traditional would choose trillion cut diamonds as a center stone for her ring or jewelry. Even women you may think as traditional may surprise you with how differently they would treat their jewelry or more specifically their diamonds.  

So what’s it going to be? For the brave, artistic woman of today, grant her a gift of loose diamonds. When you do, you will reap much gratitude and I would say, much love in return.

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