A Girl’s Notebook :)

It has been a 3 days now since our beloved cat Chi-Chi passed away. Some may say that it’s only a cat, why do you need to grieve on it. To us, especially to my sister Patty, Chi-Chi was not just a cat. He was a family.

Our family is an animal lover ever since. There were some instances though that we needed to give up our pets and brought them to the province. We just rent an apartment and there is not much space for pets. Added to it are the “non-animal-lover” land lords/ladies. It was about 9 nine years ago when my sister rescued a kitten along Ortigas Avenue Extension in Taytay, Rizal. We used to live in one of the subdivisions there. She brought home this helpless kitten. My mother disapproved her taking home the kitten because the house we’re living then isn’t ours. Well, Patty didn’t give up on the said kitten. She fed it and named him Chichiriko, Chi-Chi for short. Chi-chi was a very playful kitten. He actually grew up in the companion of our dog, Tico, which we gave up because of my not so kind Ninong Jonas (Grrrrr!). When Chi-Chi was about few months old, he was catnapped by one of the caretakers in the subdivisions. Patty cried so hard then. We even post a “missing” notice in the guard house of the subdivision. We eventually found him as we went from one house to another. I remember how Chi-Chi loved eating dog food! Oh, he loved it!

When we moved to a new home in Pasig, we brought Chi-Chi along. We did not allow him to leave the house because he is not familiar with the place yet. There was a time when we had to bring Chi-Chi to the vet for he didn’t want to eat. Fortunately, he was able survive it.

We called Chi-Chi a tough guy because he was really “sungit”. He was not like other cats, which are cuddly and sweet. Well, Chi-Chi has grown older and he preferred to be alone. Of course, Patty didn’t mind being scratched by Chi-Chi. If she wanted to cuddle him, she will do so even though Chichi would resist.

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Our family has loved Chi-Chi over the years. He was the only cat that slept inside the house. Sometimes we would found him beside Patty. Often time he just slept on the sofa. About few moths ago, we noticed that Chi-Chi was drooling. We also noticed that whenever he eats, it’s as if he is choking. Patty had him take anti-biotic. That symptom continues up until last week. We noticed that Chi-Chi doesn’t eat anymore. We knew that he was starving. He tried to eat but he just blew it out.

We started forced feeding him, Monday last week. He got so week and our friends from PAWS advised us to bring him there before it’s too late. We brought Chi-Chi to PAWS last Wednesday and we we’re accompanied by one of the shelter’s directors. Chi-Chi was attended by Doc Marifi. She is the most compassionate vet I have met so far. She immediately put dextrose on Chi-chi because he is badly dehydrated. When we told her his age, she warned us already about the worst case that might happen. The thought made me cry so I decided to step out of the clinic. When I get back to the clinic, blood sample is being extracted from him. Ate Heidi wanted to have Chi-chi’s blood examined for possible kidney and liver problems.

We left PAWS then at around 4:30PM. I never had any sleep yet then. Before we leave, we told Chi-Chi to fight. That night, I received a phone call from Doc Marifi that Chi-Chi’s condition is on guard. The blood test showed that Chi-chi has a high values in the kidney. I didn’t really understand what that means. All I know is that Chi-chi has severe kidney problems. Patty and I decided to visit him the following day. Patty carried Chi-chi on her arms during our stay. She kept on kissing him and telling him to hold on. Before we leave, I carried Chi-Chi and told him to get well soon for his brother, Chaka and sister Tika are waiting for him. Patty placed him gently on the cage, then Chi-chi with all his effort raised his head and stared at my sister for like 15 seconds then he laid his head on the towel again. I was really surprised by that gesture. I told Chi-chi to keep fighting so we can go home. Although, at the back of my mind there was a thought that I do not want to entertain about Chi-Chi’s gesture. ?

Patty went to office last Friday. Since it was our payday as well, I decided to treat myself in one of the restaurants in Eastwood. As I eat with my colleague, I received a phone call from Patty. She was crying on the other end and I knew then that Chi-Chi is gone. ? She said that she called PAWS that morning and Cha (who is the secretary) told her about the bad news. She told her that when they do their rounds that morning, they found Chi-Chi’s lifeless body already. Patty said that she couldn’t afford to see her dead cat’s body. She asked me to go to PAWS and attend to Chi-Chi’s burial.

It was painful. I wasn’t able to finish my meal and I started crying. I decided to go home first before going to PAWS. When I arrived home, I carried my own cat Chaka and whispered that his kuya Chi-Chi is gone. I knew that Chaka can feel it, he answered a meow and there is loneliness in his eyes. Chi-chi’s death made me appreciate and love my own cat (who is 7 years old) more.

I went to PAWS that afternoon and saw Chi-chi’s body. I cried and cried again until the caretakers buried him.

I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to PAWS staff (Heidi, Gwen, Cha, Anna and caretakers) and to the vets(Doc Marifi and Doc Will) who attended to Chi-Chi. His death made Patty and I value our own pets and care for abandoned and helpless pets more. In fact, we signed up as PAWS volunteers already.

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I know that Chi-chi have crossed the Rainbow bridge. I know that he was welcomed by his fur siblings (Ro, Tico, Chinchin, Haiti, Tom and all our beloved pets). ChiChi will always be loved and missed.

Thank you Chi-Chi for the 9 happy years that you have spent with us. Until we meet again..

Ciao!

We experienced an unusual cold weather during the last few weeks of January. I am complaining to my mother that my knees are aching. Oh my! Is it a sign of aging?!? I guess not really though. I used to wash my feet and take a bath when I arrived home from work. I know that it is not a good practice. Aside from that, I hope not to spend the rest of my life living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Although sometimes I still cannot help to go directly to the john when I arrived home. ? What I do is apply alcohol on my legs, feet, arms and hands. I also apply some muscle relaxant cream before I go to bed. But I still advise you guys to rest for about 15-30 minutes before washing your feet after removing your shoes or sandals.

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Ciao!

It was last Tuesday when my TM Oneil asked to go on aux meeting. I have prepared myself on this day. I have arranged my things. I have kept those unnecessary things as well into my locker. I know where I stand as per my stats is concerned but unless, I signed a paper then I would be safe. I have prayed about this matter many times. I know that the Lord will not fail me. He gave me this job and I believe that He would want me to keep it.

As my team manager and I walked through the meeting room, I started joking around and asked him if I would need to log out from the phone. He was just laughing and told me that I can log out after we speak, anyway I would still be paid in full. I told myself that if I will be escorted out that night, then I will be able to accompany my friend who will need to bring her car to rv repair.

When we sat in the meeting room, I started feeling comfortable already. For if I would be escorted out of the office that night, then our area manager would be with us in the meeting. My TM started discussing my stats; the positive traits and the areas for improvements. So far, everything in the meeting went well.

I resigned from my previous job in August last year. I applied into different companies. As per Dell, I just dropped my resume into their data bank. I have not been successful with other companies due to salary reasons. Their offer is much lower than what I was receiving. I need to resign from my previous work because I am not happy anymore.

One day, I received a text message from one of Dell’s HR officer inviting me for an interview. Honey was here then so I replied and asked if I can re-schedule the interview the following day. Gladly, they were able to approve it. To cut the long story short, I get hired and successfully pass the training and was sent to the production area. Oneil happened to be the RS of the team when I become part of the operations. When our team manager then went on maternity leave, eventually Oneil got promoted and took over the team officially. The whole team actually has no clue about his promotions. Prior to his promotion, I prayed then that I would not quit the job if ever he will be our official team manager. When he broke the news, about his promotions, I was very happy because he is very approachable and sensitive manager.

He handed me my regularization paper and I signed on it. I thank and praise the Lord for the blessing I just received. :) I am happy yet I am nervous. I know that they would expect a lot from me starting that day. I don’t want to fail my team manager as well. My prayer now is that, I hope I will be able to meet and exceed all my targets. It is quite challenging especially the sales part.

I pray that the Lord will continue to bless me.

Ciao!

Last week has been a week of a roller coaster ride of emotions. There had been a happy and sad day. I feel so tired emotionally and physically that I wanted to extend my off ‘til today. :) Well, I have to admit that I cannot just be absent because I have a lot of call backs to do. If I do not care much about my owned cases and my customers, I will not go to work tonight.

Today is a brand new day, a brand new week. I pray to God that I will be able to overcome life’s challenges that I may face this week. I am confident that He will always be there for me and walk by me always. Amen.

Ciao!

Sunday is said to be Family Day. Well, it’s true for us, and I believe for most of the families. It is the day when everybody is present in the family. In our family, Sunday is the day when we get bond with each other through videoke. Oh, everybody in my family sings! I sing, my sisters sing, my mother does sing and even my little girl sing! We have one those midi players that you will find in Quiapo and in Greenhills. Last Sunday was another videoke day! I woke up at around 6AM. Well, that’s too early to have “videoke session”, so I let my mother listened to 60’s music which is being aired over Love Radio. I cooked and ate breakfast. At around 8:30AM, when my mother stepped out of the house to do an errand, I turned off the radio and setup videoke. My sisters and my daughter were having their breakfast then already.

While setting up the videoke, Patty mentioned that she is already planning to resign from her current work and look for any jobs in administration. She said that she wanted something different and she knows that she’ll succeed in it. I told her to apply and be sure to get hired first before resigning. It’s so hard to lose a job these days.

When I finished setting up the videoke, they are all done with their breakfast as well. Our youngest sister Pauline is already browsing through the song book and reserving the songs she will be singing. I selected couple of songs as well, then Patty had her own choices as well. Our family’s favorite singers are the Carpenters and Abba. Oh, who would not love those great performers!

One of Patty’s favorite song is Super Trouper by Abba. Since we have 2 microphones available, I joined her singing Super Trouper. It was really a lot of fun! We also started singing couple of songs together. :)  Like other siblings, we often have misunderstandings and “tampuhan“, but at the end of the day, we are still sisters who will be there for each other. We just need to end our videoke sessions due to church calls. Sunday does is a family day!

I looked around the web and found this video. I know that you guys will enjoy this. I know that Abba’s legacy will be passed on from generations to generations. Their songs will continue to linger and bind many families. Enjoy!

Ciao!

I just finished video hopping. I hope it’s the right term to use. I went to my friends (Manoline and Julius) youtube account and viewed some of our videos. Most of the videos I watched this morning were our team building videos. Mostly spent at KTV bars. Well, as far as I can remember we went to the same Family KTV bar when I was still in Concentrix.  It is the Corinthian’s Family KTV bar along E. Rodriguez Ave. going to Cubao. I remember we spent our team building and our team Christmas party there. How I miss those days when we are rockin’ out!

I really hope that “the get together plan” before Julius leaves for Singapore will push through.

Ciao!

Some Lessons are learned through pain…

Sometimes, our visions clear only after our eyes are washed with tears…

Sometimes we have to be broken so we can be whole again…

If God meant the day to be perfect, He would not have invented tomorrow…

So, don’t worry if today wasn’t perfect because you still have tomorrow…

And, if there is anything in your heart that feels right, go after it no matter what it takes…

God bless you…

Ciao!

I am browsing You Tube for I am looking for a song that I heard in the grocery this morning. Instead of finding the said song, I ended up finding this video by Timon and Pumbaa. I first heard this song when we watch The Lion King in 1994. I just loved the song! If you would listen attentively to its lyrics it is a very encouraging song.

Wikipedia said that; “Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as “There are no worries”. It is sometimes translated as “no worries”, although is more commonly used similarly to the English phrase “no problem”.

I know that most of us worried about a lot of things. Even acne and pimples give us worries! Well, my friend told me to read about proactiv and hopefully that would help my pimple concern. In any case I would want you to enjoy this video. I believe that we should not worry that much, we have God who is bigger that all of our problems. Enjoy!

Ciao!

My family heard mass last Sunday at 11AM. We decided to hear mass early for we will go to Pasig City Rainforest in the afternoon to play badminton and to tour the kids on its mini zoo. It was Communion time and the choir sang a song that really strike my heart.

I was watching the news the other night,  and was saddened about the terrible earthquake that hit the country Haiti. Up until today, there are still deceased bodies which have not been recovered yet. I’ve seen in the news how the people fight over the food and water. I heard that they are experiencing food and water shortage in there. While the choir continues to sing One More Gift, I told God, that there is nothing I can do but to pray for those people. I am not rich and I will not be able to be there personally. Yet, I believe that my sincere prayers for their healing and recovery will be heard and answered. A prayer not only for that country but for the world.

In times calamities and challenges, we should always look at the positive side. God is always loving and forgiving. He is always caring. I believe that His reason why the world experienced so many troubles and challenges is for all of us to be united. That in spite of all world’s problems, He still would want to peace to prevail.

In situations like this, I always remember the lesson given in the movie Evan Almighty. When you pray before God to be strong, what He gives is the opportunity to  be strong. So, when we pray to God for peace, He gives us the opportunity to have peace and we should always grab that opportunity.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Your people have grown weary
From living in confusions
When will we realized
That neither heaven is at peace,
When we live not in peace.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Grant me serenity,within
For the confusions around
Are mere reflections of
What’s within,what’s within me.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Ciao!

I have always love watching and reading out of this world mysteries. Oh yes that really interest me! I believe I have mentioned in one of my posts that there was a time in my life when I have wanted to be a private investigator. Well, I done sleuthing before but that concerns, ney. I guess it is normal for any women who feel that their behalf is doing something strange to sleuth.

In any case, just recently channel 2 launched another interesting Sunday afternoon series; My Last Romance. It stars Toni Gonzaga and Luis Manzano. When we first saw it in the commercial, we thought that Toni is kinda a vampire. It happens that Toni has a rare genetics condition, wherein her cells are too mighty to resist even aging. Last Sunday, she revealed to Luis that she does not grow old. She said that she lived during the Spanish regime and she’s about 150 years old already.

She currently works in the genetics field trying to find a cure to her illness. When I was taking a shower, I am actually thinking about it. If a person like her did exist or existing, I believe that it is God’s blessing to those have terminal diseases. I believe that from her blood, she can create an antigen (I hope I used the right term) or a medicine that will help fight cancer cells.

God has blessed a lot of people in the medical field to produce medicines for mankind. I have read about hgh supplement, a supplement that promotes growth and cell reproduction. Well, that is only one of the millions supplements that have been produced for human’s health.

If Toni’s condition in My Last Romance is real, it may be strange though but on the positive side, it would help a lot specially people who is suffering from Cancer. Forgive me if my medical terms are so shallow, I am not really a “medical person”.

Ciao!

I resigned in my previous company because of Sales. I never thought that I would end up another job that requires good selling skills as well. I received this email from my friend and hopefully you’ll be able to get some tips like I did. Read on..

Becoming excellent in closing sales is an inside job. It begins within you. In sales, your personality is more important than your product knowledge. It is more important than your sales skills. It is more important than the product or service that you are selling. In fact, your personality determines fully 80 percent of your sales success.

Take Charge of Your Life
The biggest mistake you can make is to ever think that you work for anyone but yourself. From the time you take your first job until the day you retire, you are self employed. You are the president of your own entrepreneurial corporation, selling your services into the marketplace at the highest price possible. You have only one employee—yourself. Your job is to sell the highest quality and quantity of your services throughout your working life.

View Yourself as Self-Employed
In a study done in New York some years ago, researchers found that the top 3 percent of people in every field looked upon themselves as self-employed. They treated the company as if it belonged to them personally. They saw themselves as being in charge of every aspect of their lives. They took everything that happened to their company personally, exactly as if they owned 100 percent of the stock.

Winners Versus Losers
The difference between winners and losers is quite clear. Winners always accept responsibility for their actions. Losers never do but instead always have some kind of explanation for why they are doing poorly.

Don’t Waste Time
The average salesperson today wastes a fully 50 percent of his or her working time. According to research, he comes in a little later, works a little slower, and leaves a little earlier. He spends most of his working time in idle chitchat with coworkers, personal business, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and surfing the internet. Winners arrive a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later.

Develop Empathy and Understanding
Top salespeople have high levels of empathy, i.e., they really care about their customers. Ambition, the desires to achieve, combined with empathy, the genuine caring for the well-being of your customers, are the twin keys to top sales performance. A person with empathy makes every effort to get inside the mind and heart of the customer and to understand his situation and needs.

Keep Your Word
Top-selling salespeople are impeccably honest with themselves and with others. There is no substitute for honesty in selling. Earl Nightingale once said, “If honesty did not exist, it would have to be invented as the surest way of getting rich.”

Do What you Love to Do
One of the secrets of success in selling is for you to do what you love to do. Top salespeople love what they are selling. They believe in it passionately. They will defend it and argue over it. They will talk about it day and night. When they go to bed, they think about their product. When they wake up in the morning, they can hardly wait to talk to prospects about it. Look at the top salespeople in the very best companies, and you’ll find that these people are fanatical, about their products and services.

Action Exercise
Resolve today, that you are going to become one of the hardest-working professional salespeople in your team; start earlier; work harder; stay later.

I hope that these “tips” will help up develop the sales person within us. On a personal note, I believe that empathy would make us a good seller. We should always put ourselves into our customer’s shoes and feel what they feel. Thanks Ime for this email.

Ciao!

While I am arranging my “anik-anik”, I found this piece of paper that really caught my attention. It says: 8 Easy Ways to Lose Weight! I have been struggling with my appetite for years. I have been longing to have my old size back. Well, I really gained a lot after giving birth! I know that it is not only me who is wanting to have my old waistline back. I know that there are many people out there wanting to lose weight as easy as possible. So, aside from taking in a diet pill for fast weight loss, let me share these easy ways to lose weight. Hopefully it will work for all of us.

1. Learn to Read Labels

To lose weight is essential to pay attention to food labels. Counting calories is impossible without this skill. You should know how to find a food’s caloric content and it’s serving size. Comparing labels among different foods and beverages is crucial for making the healthier choices required to lose weight.

2. Snack Smart

You can help prevent overeating and maintain blood sugar levels by eating something about every three hours. Getting too hungry will backfire on your efforts to eat healthy and practice portion control. Aim for a healthful, satisfying snack, such as an apple and some reduced-fat cheddar cheese.  Eating more may seem counterintuitive, but smart snacking will help you lose weight.

3. Eat More Grains and Produce

Whole grains and fruits and veggies do more than provide nutrients that improve your health and reduce disease-risk; they can also help you lose weight. They’re naturally low in calories, so you can eat more of them and have less room in your diet for less-than-healthful foods. Plus, the fiber in whole-grain foods and produce will help you feel fuller and longer (which helps you control portions and avoid overeating) and a result, lose weight.

4. Eat enough, Often Enough

One of the worst ways to lose weight is meal skipping.  Many people think that skipping meals is a great way to cut calories, but in the end, they fail to lose weight. You’ll be more likely to over eat or even binge (when you finally do eat) if you do not eat regular meals. Plus your body may go into starvation mode if you don’t eat enough, causing you to maintain (or even gain) rather than lose weight!

5. Drink Plenty of Water

Water helps you lose weight in several ways. If you tend to have a problem with water weight, drinking more water can help alleviate bloating. Replacing high-cal drinks such as soda with water cuts hundreds of calories. You shouldn’t wait until you’re feeling thirsty to drink water; thirst can be mistaken for hunger,  causing you to over eat. Proper hydration improves your sense of well-being, which will keep up your motivation to lose weight.

6. Get Moving

It is virtually impossible to lose weight and keep it off without exercising regularly. Start out today by taking a brisk walk or riding a bike. Work your way up from 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes a day, most days a week, and you could reap healthy benefits and weight loss results in a matter of weeks. Plus exercise boosts your metabolism, making it even easier to lose weight.

7. Practice Portion Control

Measuring food may seem like a drudgery, but it will prove invaluable in your efforts to lose weight. Start out by comparing a measured standard serving of food to your typical helping. You may find you usually consume two or even three times the recommended serving. In time you will reprogram your brain to eyeball portion sizes, a key skill for losing weight.

8. Write It Down

What’s the first thing I think anyone who wants to lose weight should do? Keep a food diary. All you have to do is jot down what, when and how much you eat in a notebook. A food diary will give you a clear picture of your current eating habits so you can identify the changes you need to make to lose weight.

Source: Internet

Hope this tips will help us. I must say that discipline should still be top on the list!

Ciao!