Before I Go To Cebu

Gosh, this week has been so hectic! The only thing that kept me alive and kicking during my busy working schedule was watching Jack Bauer’s heroic acts in both Seasons 5 and 6 of 24, while working. Awesomeness! But before that, Peter and I went out with our friends, Carelle Mangaliag (yes, that kid from Kulit Bulilit and the one who sang the 1995 World Youth Day theme song) and RR Herrera (yes, the former childstar and current endoser of GSM Blue). We all met at Keiseki at The Fort for dinner last Saturday night. It’s been so long since we last saw each  other. But I didn’t forget how great their company always is.

Then we transfered to Mint Bar where we danced  the night away over a pitcher of Mojito *hick!*. We wanted a change of scene so off we went to Suite (formerly Embassy Cuisine) where we inched our way to the bar and I ordered a glass of  Long Island  iced tea. It was the first time after a loooong while that I got really tipsy while partying in a public place. It was soooo much fun! I should do this more often Hehehehe. 

Even when we went to The Cafeteria to chill out, we still ordered some wheatgcrass alcoholic concoction. Teehee. Haylaveeet!!! We all had a great time and I even got to meet two of Carelle’s equally fantastic friends, MC and Maia. ^_^ I hope to see them again, hopefully next week, when we party with Brownman Revival. It was supposed to be tonight. But when RR called and told me that our flight tomorrow is at 9:30 am, we all decided to reschedule our party night next week. Plus, I still have to finish packing and get some work done.

Anyway, I can’t believe that January is almost over and I managed to keep my schedule so far.  Time surely flies so fast when one is having fun with his/her life. I know I am and I am always grateful. The only time I was able to rest was when I cooked meals for myself. Other than that, I was busy working in front of the computer just so I can finish everything before I go to Cebu tomorrow. Yup, you read that right. I know I haven’t even finished posting about my Malapascua trip last November 2009  and  still got to sort out photos and videos of my Asian trip, and now I’m  flying again. But this time, it’s for work. No, I didn’t take a different job. Our friends Carelle and RR will be having a three-day life coaching workshop and they need an assistant to tag along with them. Ever since that time in Les Caraibes, when Peter and I met them and considered them two of the most amazing people we know, I have always been interested in joining their company, eMotivating Minds. I just don’t know how or where to start since I have been working as a virtual assistant full time and I’m loving my current job too. So when we all met up at The Fort last weekend and Carelle mentioned about the the assistant thing, I immediately grabbed the opportunity. This way, I get to somehow apprentice with them. Anyway, it’s a weekend and I’d really love to see them work. ^_^ At last, I’ll be able to use my new KECCi backpack. So anyway, I gotta go and finish packing. See yah when I see yah and enjoy the rest of the week! Carpe Diem, folks!

 For more photos, please click the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37656&id=1619903650

Get Paid Taking Surveys

Hi there! Some of you might be looking for ways to add a bit more income to your bank account (or paypal account for that matter). I know there are a lot of venues to do this online. As a virtual assistant, I have come across many but because of my hectic schedule, plus most of them don’t really pay that well, I tend to brush them aside.

Then this morning, I was doing my job when I came across this opportunity  from getafreelancer.com. It’s not like the usual CPC or pay per click stuff that I keep seeing on SEO sites. Furthermore, I didn’t have to shell out any money or give any credit card information for me to register. So I tried it out. I was pleasantly surprised when I got credited $6 in my account just for signing up! Then I started taking surveys and I was paid a minimum of $4 per survey. I did each one in less than 5 minutes. So far, I have already earned $40 in my account in just a few hours. 

If you want to do the same, just click this link (or copy paste the link on your browser) and register. It’s free and very easy.

http://www.AWSurveys.com/HomeMain.cfm?RefID=jenjuan

To top it all of, when you refer a friend, you will get an additional amount of $1.25 for each referral in your account. I really do hope this helps out those people like me who can spare a few minutes of their time answering surveys online. The money is not a lot but it’s good money, something that we can’t just pick up off the streets. So  try it out and see how much you can earn today. ^_^

P.S. Please carefully read their T.O.S. and don’t try to create fraudulent accounts. Otherwise, your account will be banned and you may not be able to cash in your money. Happy answering!

A Word from the Sexy Nomad

Hello dear readers!

Just want to share with you that whenever you don’t see a new post on this blog, I may have new posts on my other blogs. I try as much as possible to separate the contents and put them on their proper niches. Hope you can visit my other blogs too. The links are on my side bar at the lower portion of this blog.

Here are the quick links for now:

fashionko.i.ph
kickingpinay.blogspot.com
dietmotivator.blogspot.com
thejenadamsproject.blogspot.com
bookworm.i.ph
witchcraft.i.ph

Thank you from the bottom of my heart! *kisses*

Weekend at Malapascua Island, Cebu: Day 1

On Nov. 28-30, 2009, Peter and I decided to spend the long weekend somewhere we’ve never been to before and Malapascua Island popped in my head. Though we’ve been to other parts of Cebu  like Marigondon, Moalboal (this one’s in the Southern part, near Badian), Mactan, Sogod & Bantayan (this one’s going up north), and Cebu City itself, there are still many places in that region that we have yet to discover and Malapascua is one of them. To get to this place, please review my other post on Malapascua:

Off to Malapascua Island

~~~oOo~~~

The first thing I wished for that day was for Cebu to have a good weather. It’s been drizzling on and off in Manila last November  2009 and I wanted this vacation to be perfect. It might be our only time alone together before that year’s Christmas holiday begins to kick in and Peter will start sleeping again in the office (which actually happened last month). Anyway, my wish was granted because the moment we hit the road, all I saw  and felt were blue skies and cold breeze. Whoopee!!!

Click to read more about Malapscua Island.

Philippine Holidays for 2010

I’ve had this information posted on my sidebar since  early last year, 2009. I thought of putting it here so every nomad out there can plan their vacations ahead. Happy traveling!!!

 Here is the schedule of Philippine holidays and long-weekends for 2010 based on RA 9492 and Proclamation 1841:

P36-Billion Tourism Investments in ‘09

Between January - November 2009, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has listed P36-billion worth of endorsed investments composed of tourism-related facilities and establishments, generating 15,000 jobs and 4,000 additional rooms.

              “These projects mean strong investor confidence, more jobs and a gainful economy.  Tourism is bound to have a positive year,” said Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism. 

              Endorsed to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and the Bureau of Investments (BOI), the list is composed of projects which include the Eagle Entertainment City and Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City in Paranaque; M Hotel in Binondo; Remington Hotel in Pasay; Big Cedar Hotel in Malate; Microtel Inns and Suites in Pasig; The Bayleaf Hotel Manila in Intramuros; Go Hotels-Cybergate in Mandaluyong; Newport Entertainment and Commercial Center in Makati, Highlander Hotel and Resort in Nueva Vizcaya, Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital and Dasoland: A Family Adventure Park in Pangasinan, Green Canyon Eco-tourism Park in Tarlac, Clark Wakeboard Camp in Angeles; Sheridan Beach Resort and Convention Center, A & A Hotel Special Tourism Zone, Cagdanao Resort, West Villa Resort, Cuyo Land Villa and El Nido Adventure Sports in Palawan; Embarcadero de Legazpi Special Tourism Zone in Legazpi, Akean Resorts in Aklan, Ilawod Estate Tourism Zone in Iloilo, Costa de Leticia Resort and Spa, Museum and Art Gallery, Marine Sports and Leisure Center, and Caracalla Spa in Cebu; and expansion of Garden Orchid Hotel Annex in Zamboanga.  A few of the listed facilities had a groundbreaking in mid 2009, while others are set to open beginning 2010 – 2014.

              Durano likewise noted the strong diversity of these investments, which have been classified into Accommodations, Resorts, Medical Tourism facilities, Sports and Recreational facilities and Agri-tourism facilities.

            “Upon registration with the BOI, these tourism endorsed projects are eligible to avail of an income tax holiday for 4-6 years, and duty-free importation of selected capital equipment for operation of accommodations and facilities,” stated Attorney Victoria Jasmin, DOT Director of Office of Tourism Standards.              

            The DOT urges the business community to invest in tourism estates, accommodation facilities, retirement villages, healthcare and wellness products and services, ecotourism and agri-tourism projects as a response to the global demand for an integrated development in the industry. 

###

 
 

–
Office of the Undersecretary for Planning & Promotions
Department of Tourism - Manila
Tel. No.  524-1694

Enjoy Backpacking with Hostelio

Backpacking is an art. It requires passion and commitment to finish your trip all the way from your first destination until you go back home. It would greatly help of course if you have already planned your itinerary and booked Cheap Hostels in advance. Hostel Booking can be easily done online without much fuss. This will help you make the most of your time going to exotic spots you want to explore rather than using your precious minutes looking for one of the Budget Hostels in the area, in the middle of the night, or dawn, or whenever you arrive at your intended destination. I found this site online which will greatly helped me and my friends and will continue to help us the next time we go backpacking around Asia again and hopefully around Europe as well. We just recently came from a backpacking trip in Vietnam and found one of the Ho Chi Minh City Hostels on their site. For those who would like to experience the same adventure, check out Hostel Reviews in advance to make your trip a more enjoyable one. Happy backpacking!

Setting Up Ads with OLX

One of the things that I want to accomplish this year is to be able to spread the good news about things that I am passionate about, like First Vita Plus and my mobile digital nail art machine for instance, as well as things that I want to sell like  the original and brand new Levi’s jeans we have been keeping in our closet for some time now, to as many people as possible.  A perfect way to do that is to post Classified Ads offline and online. I did just the latter with OLX.com.ph and here’s what my first online ad  with them looks like:

I plan to make some more. This one is so simple and with a little more editing and tweaking, I can make my ad look much better. What I like about OLX is that aside from being able to post classified ads for free, whether you’re registered or not (better if registered so I can manage my ads better in the future), is that they also have an Online Community of users for various niches inlcuding Art.  This means that not only can I post ads and find stuff here, but I can also look for people of specific talents and skills as well as find collectible materials too. Now, isn’t that awesome? Better start making some more to get ahead of the game. For those who are interested, try it!

New Year, New Blessings, New Do

I love this New Year!!! I strongly feel and believe that 2010 is going to be a much greater and better year for me and my loved ones. It helped that I started it with a blast by touring Southeast Asia with one of my bestfriends, Jem. I have yet to blog about it (I will, after I do my Malapascua travel blog post soon…) but let me just share with you now that more than anything else, the Asian backpacking  trip we did has been such a spiritual and enlightening journey for me. Jem said that with hardship, pain and sacrifice, I  will be able to appreciate more life’s blessings and let go of my  past angsts.  And because the month of December has been a trying one for me (emotionally, that is), both Jem and my hubby, Peter, believed that the trip will do my psyche some good. Indeed, going out of my comfort zone has enriched me well. I was able to overcome most of the fears that I’ve been nurturing all these years. To wit:

• 1. I was able to overcome my fear of flying. Yes, every time I travel, I’ve always had this foreboding feeling that something tragic will happen which brought me lots of anxiety and panic attacks in the past. But with this trip, in a matter of only 8 days, we did 6 flights. There was even one day when I was in three countries, flying in and out. I am proud to say that on my second flight, I already started feeling at ease and for the rest of the flights, I was already able to sleep and went through the whole process of  boarding as if I was just taking a cab. It was wonderful to be liberated from all those unnecessary anxiety and paranoia. Flying, after all, is still the safest way to travel.  With this realization, I expect to travel more from now on, discovering new places here in the Philippines and abroad. Who knows, I might just be approved for a Visa and start touring Europe and U.S. as well (*crossing my fingers*).
• 2. I was able to really backpack. I thought I was already an expert backpacker especially with having done several local provincial trips  with Peter in the past (e.g. Vis-Min trip in 2005: (Part I, Part II, Part III, from DUMAGUETE to BOHOL to SURIGAO to CAMIGUIN   to BUKIDNON to Cagayan de Oro). Well, this belief dissolved when I saw and experienced for myself what  a hardcore backpacker Jem is. I experienced sleeping and taking half baths in airports, I experienced traveling to three countries wearing the same clothes (no more time for vanity and fashion), Peter wasn’t there to carry my stuff nor to spoil me nor cuddle me. I experienced no luxury. I was on my own. We got lost. We talked to several strangers. We walked hundreds of kilometers. We scrimped. We blended with the locals. I got extremely exhausted, etc…etc.. I felt like I was in an Amazing Race and Jem said it wasn’t even extreme backpacking that we did. I am so proud of myself for going through all of that. Now, I feel like there is nothing that I can’t do. I am now more appreciative of all the simple pleasures and blessings that I experience everyday, I am now more in touch with the God and the divine in me and in other people. I am happier and grateful more than ever. Thank you Jem and Peter for encouraging me to do this. I am forever grateful to the both of you.
• 3. After ten long years, I had my hair cut short. No more pig tails, no more dry, sun-damaged hair, no more blow drying and ironing… for the next several months at least. My heart did skip a beat when they finally cut my hair in this posh salon in Kuala Lumpur but it was all worth it. I feel lighter and freer, as if all those baggage I’ve been carrying on and off the past years have been stripped down too. Yay!

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