Monday, August 31, 2009
National Heroes Day
Hello, bad dysmenorrhea. so... this explains my work rants! anyway, I'm so glad it's a holiday -not that I have an entire day to do meaningful non-work stuff, but at least I could sleep anytime I want to, so my tummy gets a lot better, faster. and yes, after just 4 hours of whining and sleeping and hot compressing and all, I'm almost back to normal again. yay! (this normally takes the entire day!) I hope tomorrow's a better day at work...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
long weekend. thanks ninoy!
I still haven't planned the things I must do this weekend. I'd probably just sleep the entire morning, kickbox and clean my room -as what long weekends are for.
sourgrape sourgrape -in the first place, I can't spend much. I'm technically still in debt coz of Japan, where I used my credit card a lot!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Japanese food: more please, more!
it's been 2 days since I got back from Japan, but I still crave for their food. which is really unusual for me. by now I should be craving for mango shake and bland italian pasta but really, now I STILL WANT JAP FOOD! lots and lots of sushi! and takoyaki! and nama beer! and tempura! and ramen! and okonomiyaki! (and, ok this list will be endless I swear) and I feel like I can have them everyday for the rest of my life!
there's something in Jap food that makes me crave for it over and over, but I don't know what exactly. Perhaps it's my love for veggies and raw seafood (though hmmm I had lots of cooked food in Japan. some were even fried. I had chicken and pork too! and I loved them all as well!). Or perhaps it's the healthy feeling that comes with the unfussiness of the cuisine...
...OR it's the combination of the two
PLUS the art and culture in every bite!
thanks mazel and ate mel for giving me an overwhelming experience: to eat japanese food IN JAPAN! for jap food buffs like me, WHAT COULD BE MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THAT!? =)
this is it for now, wait for my my travel blog update! I hope I can write this coming weekend.. hehe.
there's something in Jap food that makes me crave for it over and over, but I don't know what exactly. Perhaps it's my love for veggies and raw seafood (though hmmm I had lots of cooked food in Japan. some were even fried. I had chicken and pork too! and I loved them all as well!). Or perhaps it's the healthy feeling that comes with the unfussiness of the cuisine...
...OR it's the combination of the two
PLUS the art and culture in every bite!
thanks mazel and ate mel for giving me an overwhelming experience: to eat japanese food IN JAPAN! for jap food buffs like me, WHAT COULD BE MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THAT!? =)
this is it for now, wait for my my travel blog update! I hope I can write this coming weekend.. hehe.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
My Japan Visa...
...has arrived! Thank you Lord! :) I'm leaving on thursday! any suggestions on what to bring home? Hehe.
HSBC/Reader's Digest promo
when I got home just a while ago, I noticed an HSBC envelope waiting for me, with the Reader's Digest logo this time. Apparently, it wasn't my monthly bill, but a promotion "for the very few selected loyal HSBC cardholders" where you can reply with the YES envelope (enclosed inside) to have the following advantages in return:
It sounded really good. Mainly because the people here at home love Reader's Digest, we even used to subscribe to it years ago. And take note, there's the free watch (I've been planning to buy a wrist watch lately), the chance to win an HP laptop and millions of bucks! Though... when I was about to put everything required in the YES envelope, I realized that:
we lived for N years now without a Reader's Digest subscription, so we don't really need that
The watch didn't really look appealing. I mean, it's nice but it's not something I would buy once I decide to shop for a new wrist watch
I was never (AS IN NEVER) lucky in raffles. I can't even get those free umbrellas in christmas parties!
I don't really want an HP laptop. I've been rooting for Acer or MSI. I know someone who ranted in the past about his HP laptop -overheats plus he experienced REEEEAALLLY BAD SERVICE several times, it was enough to convince me that it is not a good brand at all
In the first place, I may not be "one of very few selected loyal HSBC cardholders". they could always send such letters to any cardholder right?
I was entertained though by the flowchart showing how I was luckily selected (and oh, it came with a sticker with label "TOP RANKING 2%" -sticker for my YES envelope so that handling will be given priority DAW) and by the nice sticker, on the main envelope & beside my address, with label "IMPORTANT. IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED. TO BE SHOWN ON FRONT SIDE OF PACKAGE" which I tried to remove by my sharp nails out of my curiosity. and I was right, it's just a part of the envelope printing. on front side of the package. err so, props ba yun? what the hell was that for?
Hey I'm not saying this whole thing is evil... the deal is still good, but only when you really want the subscription and the free watch. It's not a good deal if you were just enticed by the packaging. OR it's 100% good, but they sent it at my most skeptic state. muhaha.
so there. I'm glad I salvaged my P1596. hehe.
a subscription of the Reader's Digest magazine at the special price of P1596 for one year "which represents a significant saving of 17% on the current newsstand price"
a stylish Piercarlo D'alessio watch for FREE
an entry in the HP Mini PC Giveaway draw, with a chance to win an HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition worth P33,900
an entry in the Customer Appreciation Prize draw, with a chance to win a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
a chance to win maximum allocation of P6,750,000
It sounded really good. Mainly because the people here at home love Reader's Digest, we even used to subscribe to it years ago. And take note, there's the free watch (I've been planning to buy a wrist watch lately), the chance to win an HP laptop and millions of bucks! Though... when I was about to put everything required in the YES envelope, I realized that:
In the first place, I may not be "one of very few selected loyal HSBC cardholders". they could always send such letters to any cardholder right?
I was entertained though by the flowchart showing how I was luckily selected (and oh, it came with a sticker with label "TOP RANKING 2%" -sticker for my YES envelope so that handling will be given priority DAW) and by the nice sticker, on the main envelope & beside my address, with label "IMPORTANT. IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED. TO BE SHOWN ON FRONT SIDE OF PACKAGE" which I tried to remove by my sharp nails out of my curiosity. and I was right, it's just a part of the envelope printing. on front side of the package. err so, props ba yun? what the hell was that for?
Hey I'm not saying this whole thing is evil... the deal is still good, but only when you really want the subscription and the free watch. It's not a good deal if you were just enticed by the packaging. OR it's 100% good, but they sent it at my most skeptic state. muhaha.
so there. I'm glad I salvaged my P1596. hehe.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Arroyo's dead
According to Manila Bulletin.
(photo from www.pinoymoneytalk.com)
May trabaho pa kaya editor nila? ehehehe.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Saving for retirement must start NOW
This post will be long, prepare for boredom. hehe!
1 out of 10 filipinos save up for retirement, according to this -an article which I found while googling for investment types currently being offered in banks (hehe, idle time now, and I'm trying to be productive okay!) Simply, this article says that saving for retirement should start as early as 20s. so that you don't have to cram on saving on your 40s and 50s, so that later on, you don't have to worry your kids about your financial needs when they've got families of their own. true diba?
I got bothered with the idea. for one, I'm in the mid 20s and my savings don't sound reasonable enough for someone of my age, job and position. two, I'm still not disciplined enough when it comes to "paying myself first" -the saving scheme which says that on your payday, set aside your savings immediately before you splurge. Well at least I've been conscious about it since last month, though I still do not deposit religiously every payday. because simply, I haven't outgrown traveling.
In fact, if I lose my job now, and assuming that I'd maintain my simple lifestyle which means eating 3x a day, going to my fave gym with unlimited entry, providing 10 kilos of alpo for my labrador monthly, going on night outs at most once a week, and paying for the PLDT bill and minor grocery stuff (yun kase assigned sakin sa bahay), then I'd be able to sustain myself until 12 months only. That might be just 6 months or lower for someone not living with his/her parents!
Imagine, for those 4 years I worked, I saved money good for 1 year. If I work for 35 more years, does that mean my savings will be good for roughly JUST 9 YEARS??? (kung ganon sana 69 patay na ako hehe. and we're talking abt 9 years of basic living ha, no luho no travel!) and hello there's the inflation rate which will surely eat up my savings. plus of course the possibility of having children which I must feed and send to really good schools. Of course there's the SSS monthly pension but that would be just enough for my basic needs and monthly utils, or perhaps pati caregiver? haha shux. that monthly pension might not provide that "retirement" definition I have in mind. I really should be more conscious of saving. or investing. I'm still not a risk-taker though. BUT I WILL BE, once I double my savings, hopefully next year! (now I've got a goal and definitely a bigger motivation!) BDO UITF or something. promise! hehehe.
On a related article, the step 3 in retirement planning is to estimate other sources of retirement income -to help you calculate your retirement capital needs (in step 4). Of course I first thought of SSS pension, as that's the most feasible for now. so I messaged a friend who's working in the accounting department in my previous job, then asked her if she has an SSS matrix for that so I'd know how much an average IT guy could get once he reaches 60 (pension depends kase on the average salary and number of contributions). She first asked what it was for. I said it was for me -which sounded really funny of course! As expected she said "ano ba ang bata mo pa!"
That reminded me of the first article's author. She went to the bank to ask for its investment options for her retirement, then the teller just laughed, thinking that she's just 24 and THAT IT'S TOO EARLY TO THINK OF RETIREMENT.
We filipinos tend to think of today, and TODAY ONLY when in fact, saving for retirement must start NOW!
1 out of 10 filipinos save up for retirement, according to this -an article which I found while googling for investment types currently being offered in banks (hehe, idle time now, and I'm trying to be productive okay!) Simply, this article says that saving for retirement should start as early as 20s. so that you don't have to cram on saving on your 40s and 50s, so that later on, you don't have to worry your kids about your financial needs when they've got families of their own. true diba?
I got bothered with the idea. for one, I'm in the mid 20s and my savings don't sound reasonable enough for someone of my age, job and position. two, I'm still not disciplined enough when it comes to "paying myself first" -the saving scheme which says that on your payday, set aside your savings immediately before you splurge. Well at least I've been conscious about it since last month, though I still do not deposit religiously every payday. because simply, I haven't outgrown traveling.
In fact, if I lose my job now, and assuming that I'd maintain my simple lifestyle which means eating 3x a day, going to my fave gym with unlimited entry, providing 10 kilos of alpo for my labrador monthly, going on night outs at most once a week, and paying for the PLDT bill and minor grocery stuff (yun kase assigned sakin sa bahay), then I'd be able to sustain myself until 12 months only. That might be just 6 months or lower for someone not living with his/her parents!
Imagine, for those 4 years I worked, I saved money good for 1 year. If I work for 35 more years, does that mean my savings will be good for roughly JUST 9 YEARS??? (kung ganon sana 69 patay na ako hehe. and we're talking abt 9 years of basic living ha, no luho no travel!) and hello there's the inflation rate which will surely eat up my savings. plus of course the possibility of having children which I must feed and send to really good schools. Of course there's the SSS monthly pension but that would be just enough for my basic needs and monthly utils, or perhaps pati caregiver? haha shux. that monthly pension might not provide that "retirement" definition I have in mind. I really should be more conscious of saving. or investing. I'm still not a risk-taker though. BUT I WILL BE, once I double my savings, hopefully next year! (now I've got a goal and definitely a bigger motivation!) BDO UITF or something. promise! hehehe.
On a related article, the step 3 in retirement planning is to estimate other sources of retirement income -to help you calculate your retirement capital needs (in step 4). Of course I first thought of SSS pension, as that's the most feasible for now. so I messaged a friend who's working in the accounting department in my previous job, then asked her if she has an SSS matrix for that so I'd know how much an average IT guy could get once he reaches 60 (pension depends kase on the average salary and number of contributions). She first asked what it was for. I said it was for me -which sounded really funny of course! As expected she said "ano ba ang bata mo pa!"
That reminded me of the first article's author. She went to the bank to ask for its investment options for her retirement, then the teller just laughed, thinking that she's just 24 and THAT IT'S TOO EARLY TO THINK OF RETIREMENT.
We filipinos tend to think of today, and TODAY ONLY when in fact, saving for retirement must start NOW!
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