My First Investment Account with BPI

I am a loyal Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) client. I started with a Kiddie Savings account when I was still in grade school (I deposited to the bank what was left from my school allowance). Now I already have both savings and time deposit accounts with BPI. Recently, I decided to add an investment account to my financial portfolio since I found out that BPI had lowered their minimum initial investment amount to 10k, which means I can now afford to invest on their UITFs and mutual funds. So last Tuesday, I used BPI Express Online to open a UITF account. I just provided my basic info & settlement account and took the Client Suitability Assessment test to determine what kind of investor I am (e.g. conservative, moderately aggressive & aggressive). FYI, BPI will only allow you to invest on UITFs/mutual funds that match your risk appetite. After that I printed the forms and submitted them to my chosen BPI branch. On the next day, the BPI personnel who assisted my application gave me my UITF account no. that I use to enroll my investment account online. Now, I can subscribe or redeem UITF shares anytime through BPI Express Online, more convenient than actually visiting a branch to do the same transactions. Based on the result of the test I took, I can only invest on BPI Premium Bond Fund and BPI Short-Term Fund. I decided to invest 10k to BPI Premium Bond Fund (low risk, low return). I will just let it grow for 10 years since bond funds are for long term investments.

What will I do with my investment returns in the future? I plan to use it for future travel with my future husband and kids :)

Hair Rebond Experience @ Tony and Jackey

My hair had been relaxed for 6 years already (twice a year) and the process made my hair dull and unmanageable. Since my hair is naturally wavy, I thought why not try digital perming instead? So I did my research and found out that Tony and Jackey is one of the most highly recommended salons in terms of digital perm service. I also found out that they have an ongoing promo - 5k digital perm (any length) with hair treatment, haircut and hair manicure (hair cellophane).

Without thinking twice, I went to Tony and Jackey (SM San Lazaro branch) @ exactly 10AM to have my digital perm. As soon as I entered the salon, I was greeted in unison by their friendly staff. I told the salon manager/interpreter that I wanted the 5k package (Loreal product) digital perm. The first thing they did was to check the condition of my hair and then started my hair treatment. After the treatment, Mr. Isaac (korean hairstylist) and two assistants applied some perming solution on my hair, leaved it for a few minutes and then attached my hair to the curling machine which made me looked like an octopus with more than 8 tentacles. What I like the most about this salon is that the staff are very attentive to the needs of their clients. While waiting for my digital perm to finish, they offered me coffee to drink and some magazines to read (FYI: their mags are updated unlike in other salons). After about 20-25 minutes, they removed my hair from the curling machine and I was amazed because my curls were so gorgeous (like Goldilocks' hair)! But after they applied the neutralizer and washed my hair, to our surprise, the curls were instantly gone :( So they repeated the entire process for the 2nd and 3rd time but my hair was still so stubborn it won't curl. Mr. Isaac finally told me that my hair was extremely strong (plus it was previously relaxed) that's why it didn't curl but he was very amazed because after repeating the digital perming process for 3 times, my hair was still not damaged or turned brittle. I asked him if I can have my hair rebonded instead and after doing a hair strand test, he started rebonding my hair. It was actually my first time to undergo hair rebonding treatment so I was quite excited to see its difference from hair relax. The whole rebonding process just took 3 hrs. to finish for my medium-length hair. After that, they applied some hair manicure solution to my locks to make them shinier. Finally, they washed and blow-dried my hair. TADAH!!! I now have a super straight, shinier and softer hair courtesy of Tony and Jackey salon. My hair never looks this good for a very long time! I'm really satisfied with their service and I will definitely go back to their salon for my next rebonding session (need to save enough money first). I left the salon at exactly 9pm. That was the longest time I'd spent in a parlor and my butts were aching from sitting too long but it didn't matter because the output was really great =)

Valentine's Date @ Manila Ocean Park

Since boyfriend and I wanted to try something new this Valentine's day, we decided to go to Manila Ocean Park for some under the sea experience (not literally of course, I can't swim). We arrived there at around 10:30 AM and we're lucky that the queue to Oceanarium was still short. I only saw a few tourists, kids who were on a field trip and some lovey dovey couples like us.

The Oceanarium is actually divided into 7 stations. The first station is called Agos (Flow) where you can see a simulated waterfall that flows into water tanks containing various kinds of fish. Its jungle-inspired atmosphere made us feel like we were trekking in a real forest. We even saw two medium-sized crocodiles below the wooden bridge. The highlight of this station is the collection of starfish of different hues and sizes. The Oceanarium guide allowed us to touch the starfish but we were not allowed to remove them from the water (too bad I can't take home one of them as a souvenir).

Is that you, Patrick the starfish?

Next is the Bahura (Coral Reef) station where you can see several smaller tanks decorated with colorful coral reefs and sea creatures. Among the creatures that caught my attention are the garden eel (they look like worms), the King Crab (it's the largest crab I've ever seen) and the clownfish a.k.a Nemo.

Worm-like sea creatures called garden eel

I am the largest crab of them all (King Crab)

The third station is the Laot (Fishing Ground). There are four large aquariums in this station that displays bigger fishes. I saw some treasure chest on each aquarium, probably to depict a sunken ship theme. I was not amazed with this station because there are only few fishes which made the large tanks seem empty.

Buhay na Karagatan (The Living Ocean) is my most favorite station. My boyfriend and I simply loved the mini underwater tunnel with lots of marine animals that's why we took some time to record a video of this relaxing scene. It really made us feel like we were under the sea.

Cutest fish I've ever seen (look at those antenna and pouty lips)

I didn't like the station called Ang Kalaliman (The Deep) because it is just a single tank with a single type of fish swimming in unison. The next two stations, Pagi (Stingrays) and Pating (Sharks), are worth mentioning because they are the main attraction of the entire Oceanarium. The large stingrays are so beautiful to look at when they glide gracefully in the water. On the other hand, most of the sharks were sleeping by the time we arrived at the sharks station yet they were still very scary (I can't remove the image of a shark attacking a human from my mind).

Sleeping sharks (yes, they sleep with their eyes open)

That was the end of our Oceanarium journey and for the price of P400 per adult I don't think it worths our money because the tour was just very short. Also, if you want to try their other attractions like the Dancing Jellies, Fish Spa and the Glass Bottom Boat Ride, you still need to pay P150 each (I thought they're already included in the P400 entrance fee). Overall, my boyfriend and I gave Manila Ocean Park a rating of 7 out of 10 because we believe that they still have a lot of things to improve (e.g. more diverse and bigger fishes). We are also looking forward for the opening of MOP (Manila Ocean Park) Mall, probably by the end of this year.

Belle de Jour Power Planner 2010

My lovely Belle de Jour Power Planner 2010

Aside from the brand new Sony Cybershot digicam, my beloved boyfriend also gave me a planner as a Christmas present. No, it's not just an ordinary planner that I usually get as giveaways from stores. It's also not a Starbucks planner that is rather popular among the young professionals nowadays. It is the Belle de Jour Power Planner 2010 - the most stylish planner in town for women. It's an all-in-one planner especially designed for women that's why it also has a supplementary page where you can track your menstrual cycle. There are also pages where you can list down your goals for this year and your monthly expenses. Plus, you can read beauty and self-help articles every month to bring out the best in every woman like me. Belle de Jour Power Planner costs around P600, a bit pricey for a planner but it really worths the price. I think what made it expensive is because there are lots of discount coupons inside it that you can use in different clothing stores, food establishments, spas and salons. Honestly, I'm not the type of person who uses a planner daily but now that I have a Belle de Jour Power Planner I'll definitely be more motivated to organize my schedules. I'm even using it as a mini diary ^_^

I won in Project Runway Philippines Promo!

I received a call yesterday from a Solar Entertainment representative that I won in their Project Runway Philippines promo. The said promo is sponsored by Pond's Philippines. This morning I went to the 11th floor of the Solar Entertainment Tower to claim my prizes. I gave my company ID to their guard for validation and after a few minutes he came back with a stylish paper bag bearing the logo of Project Runway Philippines. I immediately took a peek inside it and saw the following items: Pond's Age Miracle gift pack, a notebook and an item X (I don't know what it is, it looks like a hook).

Project Runway Philippines stylish paper bag

Pond's Age Miracle Gift Pack

Project Runway Philippines notebook with item X

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Solar Entertainment for having this contest for Project Runway Philippines fans like me. I also would like to thank Boy Kuripot because it was through his blog that I saw this promo.

David's Salon Tutuban Branch

The last time I had a haircut was in a cheap salon and the result was really terrible! So for my next haircut I decided to go to David's Salon which is located on the 2nd floor of Tutuban Mall. David's Salon is one of the most popular salon in the Philippines that's why I didn't think twice to give it a try. The moment I entered the salon I was immediately greeted with a smile by the receptionist who asked for my first name, the service that I wanted to have and my preferred hairstylist whom I selected from the list posted on the front desk. After that the receptionist told me to sit first on their comfortable leather sofa while waiting for my chosen hairstylist to finish with her current client. After about 3 minutes, one of their staffs called my name to shampoo my locks. The staff carefully washed my hair to prevent water from entering my ears and he even asked whether I preferred warm or cold water. Then he led me to one of the salon chairs and gave me a very relaxing head and neck massage for about 15 minutes. The massage was so soothing that I felt like I was inside a spa house. Then my hairstylist finally came and asked what type of haircut I would like to have. I told her that I wanted to trim only an inch of my long layered hair to remove the split-ends but she suggested to cut my hair shoulder-length because 50% of my hair was already damaged by the chemical process I took 6 months ago. Since I saw sincerity in her suggestion, I completely entrusted my tresses to her hands. Voila! In a matter of 5 minutes, my mane was completely transformed into a sexy short-layered hairdo which perfectly framed my round face. I also noticed that every hairstylist in the salon has his own assistant who is responsible for sweeping the hair that was left on the client's clothes and for blowdrying the client's hair after the cut. Overall, I am so impressed with David's Salon's quality of service, friendly staffs and comfortable salon ambience. Their price is a bit expensive compared to other salons but I won't mind paying a lot if they can fix my super stubborn hair.

Mineral Makeup Craze

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics

Two Saturdays ago, I watched Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and it was the first time I heard about the so-called Mineral Makeup. Honestly, I'm really not a makeup junkie but the said topic intrigued me very much so I decided to watch and listen. I found out that mineral makeup only uses natural ingredients so it is highly recommended for women who have sensitive skin and who are proned to skin breakouts when using makeup. Morever, mineral makeup has no expiration date. Most mineral makeups come in loose-powder form which are better than the compact one because they contain wax which can clog our pores. The only downside is that mineral makeups are very expensive and only a few makeup brand offer it such as The Body Shop, Bare Escentuals Minerals and Youngblood Cosmetics. But with all the wonders mineral makeup can do to my super sensitive and pale skin, I might give it a try. I need to save money first though because mineral makeups are really not budget-friendly :)

Pic Credit:
Youngblood Cosmetics

My First Massage Experience @ Massage King

I noticed for the past few days that I was experiencing frequent backache due to long hours of sitting in front of a computer using a very not-so-ergonomic-friendly-chair. So when my very loving boyfriend asked me what I wanted as a Valentine's gift, I simply said that I wanted to have a body massage due to my backache. That's why last Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to SM San Lazaro for his promised Vday treat. He asked me where I wanted to have my massage and I pointed him to Massage King. They have various affordable packages. I'd chosen their 30-minute half-body massage using aromatherapy oil for only 220. Since it was my first time to have a massage, I was a bit shy when the masseuse told me to remove my shirt and bra. But as soon as I lied down on the massage bed and the masseuse began massaging my back, I already forgot that I was half-naked with two other female clients in the same room. My designated masseuse was really good, with every stroke of her hands I can feel that my muscles were relaxing. The hand pressure she used on me was not too hard which I really preferred because I didn't want to end up having broken bones after the massage session. The entire 30-minute session was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep. My backache was also instantly gone, thanks to the magic touches of my masseuse! My overall massage experience at Massage King was really great for such an affordable price. I will definitely go back there in the future with my boyfriend and try their other massage packages :-)

SSS ID Issues

I can still remember the exact date when I applied for my SSS ID - it was on May 22, 2008. It all began when I went to Binondo and Makati branches of SSS to apply for an SSS ID only to find out that their photo-capturing device was out-of-order. After I inquired on several branches, I finally found an SSS branch with functioning photo-capturing device and that was the Lawton branch. So on my next vacation leave, I went there as early as 6:30 AM with my mom and to my horror the queue was already long! My line number was already 60+ and Lawton branch only allows 120 ID applicants in a day. It took me 5 hours for the entire process to finish and I was thankful that my mom was with me that time to have a proxy when I wanted to pee. After that the personnel who recorded my personal info said that I'll get my ID in 3 months. Unfortunately, 8 months have already passed and my SSS ID has not yet arrived. I keep on calling the Lawton branch and the SSS hotline (917-7777) but their answer is always "Sorry ma'am, the device for printing the ID is defective as of this moment. Just keep on waiting." One of the customer service who answered me even told me that I should wait for a year before my ID can be processed. I hope it will not take them forever to process my precious SSS ID. I wish early this year I can already receive it.

Do you also have the same experience as mine?

DFA Passport Renewal

I just received my new machine-readable passport today. It was delivered in our office by the messenger of the travel agency that processed my passport renewal.

Actually, there are 3 ways in which you could apply for passport renewal.
1. Apply directly to DFA. (cheapest but has the most hassle)
2. Apply through DFA online. (www.passport.com.ph)
3. Apply through your favorite travel agency. (most expensive but has the least hassle)

I'd chosen the third option because I don't want my precious time to be wasted on falling in long lines. As suggested by one of my officemates, I went to Asia International Travel Agency in Makati City with the required documents for passport renewal (old passport and its photocopies, 4 pcs. passport-size pictures). Make sure that your passport pictures are taken with a royal blue background. I paid a total of 1350 to my travel agent and they scheduled my DFA appearance last January 29 at 9 AM. On the day of my appearance, I went to DFA with my mom and went straight to Gate 3 as instructed by a representative from my travel agency who is a very courteous person. It took me only 45 minutes to finish the process because we arrived there earlier and I salute DFA for having an organized system. After 1 and a half week, I already received my passport :)

Here are the contact details of the travel agency that assisted me.

Asia International Travel Agency
2nd flr. Sagittarius Bldg. III, 312 H.V. dela Costa St.
Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines
8182032 / 8129504 / 8124464 / 8170227

Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe 2008

In the recent Miss Universe 2008 that was held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Dayana Mendoza (Miss Venezuela) emerged as the winner among the 80 contestants who competed in the event. Dayana Mendoza is already a crowd favorite during the early part of the competition and many already assumed that she will bring home the prestigious crown. Her winning answer to the question "What is the difference between men and women?" is this:

"Men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight. Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves."

Actually, I find her answer a bit absurd but maybe it was the way that she answered the question that gained the approval of the judges.

Miss Universe Crowning Moment

The event was hosted by Jerry Springer, host of NBC's America's Got Talent, and Melanie Brown, member of the UK pop group Spice Girls. Of course the event will not be complete without a performer, for this year it was Lady Gaga who spiced up the stage with her single "Just Dance".

Miss Universe 2008 Opening - Delegates in National Costume

Another noticeable part of Miss Universe 2008 was when Crystle Stewart (Miss USA) slipped and fell down during the evening gown competition. If you'll recall, Miss USA Rachel Smith also fell butt-first during the Miss Universe 2007's evening gown competition. It was evidently a deja vu! But compared to Crystle Stewart, Rachel Smith was able to gain back her poise and just smile as if nothing happened.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart's stage slip (Miss Universe 2008)



Miss USA Rachel Smith's infamous stage slip (Miss Universe 2007)

Here is the final result of the competition.

Miss Universe 2008 - Dayana Mendoza (Miss Venezuela)
1st Runner-up - Taliana Vargas (Miss Colombia)
2nd Runner-up - Marianne Cruz (Miss Dominical Republic)
3rd Runner-up - Vera Krasova (Miss Russia)
4th Runner-up - Elisa Najera (Miss Mexico)

Miss Congeniality - Rebeca Moreno (Miss El Salvador)
Best in National Costume - Gavintra Photijak (Miss Thailand)

Unfortunately, none of my favorites had made it to the top 5 but I'm glad that at least Miss Japan Hiroko Mima managed to made it to the top 15 :-) Congratulations Miss Japan!

Wu Chun and Calvin Chen in the Philippines

Wu Chun and Calvin Chen finally arrived in the Philippines last July 12. Upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, their Filipino fans were already lining up in front of the airport holding up their corresponding banners. They had such a hectic schedule promoting their TV Series Romantic Princess in various shows in ABS-CBN. In particular, they had TV guestings in Pinoy Dream Academy 2, ASAP 08 and The Buzz wherein they were interviewed by Mr. Boy Abunda and Ms. Ruffa Gutierrez. Wu Chun and Calvin Chen were both so adorable whenever they said "Mahal ko kayo" to their screaming lady fans from different parts of Asia :-)

Wu Chun and Calvin Chen guested @ Pinoy Dream Academy 2



Wu Chun and Calvin Chen guested @ ASAP 08



Wu Chun and Calvin Chen guested @ The Buzz

"My Monster Mom" Movie Review

Last Saturday, my younger sister and I watched the much-awaited film of Ms. Annabelle Rama entitled My Monster Mom. The said movie was produced by Regal Films and GMA Films and it also starred Ms. Ruffa Gutierrez (Annabelle's real life daughter), JC de Vera, Mart Escudero, Michelle Madrigal, Iwa Moto, Eugene Domingo, Rhian Ramos, among others. Annabelle's husband and son (Eddie and Richard Gutierrez) also had a cameo appearance in the movie.

Actually, I seldom watch Filipino movies but after watching the trailer of My Monster Mom in GMA 7, I found it so amusing that I decided to give it a try. And guess what? I have no regret watching the movie because it's really GREAT! The story is simple yet very humorous and family-oriented. I find Ms. Annabelle Rama's Visayan accent really entertaining and her acting is really so natural especially in the way that she delivered her dialogues. Her dialogue "Batuhin kita ng brilyante ko!" (I'll throw you my diamond!) is my favorite line in the movie. Ms. Ruffa Gutierrez's acting is also superb! After watching her in Desperadas early this year, I realized that Ruffa can also do comedy and she didn't fail me in My Monster Mom. Her Americanized way of speaking Tagalog is so contagious that sometimes I wanted to sound like her :-) Their mother-daughter chemistry is indeed well-shown in this movie. I also give two thumbs-up for Rhian Ramos for playing the younger Annabelle Rama. She said in one of her interviews that she studied how to speak Tagalog with a Visayan accent as preparation for her role in the movie. She played her role really well you'll never notice that she never speak Visaya in her entire life. The movie is trying to tell us that no matter how much we sometimes hate our mom for interfering with every aspect of our lives, they are still our mother and they know what is best for us. I'm going to rate My Monster Mom 4/5 and I hope that there will be a sequel to this movie next year. How about My Monster Mom Goes to New York? :-)

Here is the trailer of My Monster Mom.

Miss Universe 2008 National Costume Show

Aside from the swimsuit and evening gown competition, another must-see part of Miss Universe is the national costume presentation. For this year, 80 beautiful delegates will compete for the title of "Best National Costume" and an online voting will determine the winner for the said title. I notice that most of the delegates wore flamboyant costume (including Miss Philippines). I bet it's really not easy to walk on the stage with BIG ornaments on top of your head but still they manage to do it with poise.

Brazil to Cyprus

Panama to Serbia

Spain to Thailand

My Top 3 Favorites in National Costume

1. Miss Puerto Rico
2. Miss Korea - I love her sword dance!
   
3. Miss Thailand
   

Unfortunately, none of my picks had made it to the top 10 finalists in National Costume. They are the following:

1. Miss Albania
2. Miss Colombia
3. Miss Dominican Republic
4. Miss India
5. Miss Kosovo
6. Miss Mexico
7. Miss Peru
8. Miss South Africa
9. Miss Venezuela
10. Miss Vietnam
    

Wu Chun will visit the Philippines on July 12

My sister and I were watching TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) last Friday when Phoemela Barranda suddenly announced that Wu Chun is going to visit the Philippines on July 12 together with his fellow Romantic Princess star and Fahrenheit member Calvin Chen. My sister can't help herself from screaming to the top of her lungs when she heard about this good news because she is really a fan of Wu Chun even before Hana Kimi was shown on ABS-CBN. For those of you who don't know, Wu Chun is one of the hottest heartthrobs nowadays not only in Taiwan but also in other parts of Asia (including Philippines).

Wu Chun was born on October 10, 1979 in Brunei Darussalam from a wealthy family who owns Goh Hock Kee which is the distributor company of Mitsubishi in Brunei. He graduated from the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Aside from being an actor and a singer (he is a member of the Taiwanese boyband Fahrenheit), he was also a former model and gym instructor (that explains his super sexy body). Wu Chun can speak English fluently which is also a plus factor!

Oh boy, Filipino fans are already looking forward to see Wu Chun :-)

Pic Credit:
Asianpopcorn

My Top 3 Delegates @ Miss Universe 2008

Miss Universe 2008 will be held at the Crown Convention Center (Diamond Bay Resort) in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008. There are 80 contestants who will compete for the very prestigious title. My top 3 favorite delegates for this year's Miss Universe are (in no particular order):

Miss Philippines - Jennifer Barrientos

Jennifer Barrientos is a Tourism graduate at the University of Sto. Tomas. She is 22 years old and stands at 5'8". I bet that she will take home the Miss Photogenic award this year, don't you think so? Just take a look at her smile, it's so charming. Unfortunately, her butterfly-accentuated-national-costume for the pageant is a disaster! Even her hairpiece for the costume made her look like having a flower pot on top of her head. In spite of that, I still believe that Ms. Barrientos can make it to the top 5 :-)

Miss Korea - Lee Ji-seon or Sun Lee

Sun Lee is 25 years old and stands at 5'7". She is a student of Parsons School for Design but currently on-leave to concentrate for her pageant training under the tutelage of the renowned French beauty pageant trainer Ines Ligron. FYI, Ines Ligron is the same woman behind the success of Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori. Sun Lee is often being compared to the very beautiful Miss Korea 2006 Honey Lee who ended up third runner up in Miss Universe 2007. But in my opinion, Sun Lee has a great chance to surpass Honey Lee because of her confidence, charm, wit and sexiness (I envy her super toned legs).

Miss Japan - Hiroko Mima

Hiroko Mima is a student of Nihon University with physical education as her major. She is 21 years old and stands at a towering height of 5'10". She is a self-confessed sport addict who especially loves to play basketball and high jump. Just like Sun Lee, she is also being trained by Ines Ligron. If you're going to visit Ines Ligron's blog, you will see Hiroko's great transformation. She has poise and knows how to carry her dress well. Is she going to be the next Miss Universe after Riyo Mori? Who knows :-)

Pics Credits:
Miss Korea 2008 - OPMB Worldwide
Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2008 - Angat ang Pinoy
Miss Japan 2008 - Japan Probe

Featured Website: Rent A Coder (RAC)

Are you a skillful programmer who wants to earn extra money online? If that's the case, then sign up now to Rent A Coder (RAC), post your resume and start earning money by accepting bid requests or by bidding on the projects that interest you. Rent A Coder was founded by Ian Ippolito who is also the CEO of Exhedra Solutions, Inc. (the parent company of Rent A Coder). It is one of the most popular and reputable freelancing sites on the Internet. This site is an advantage to both the buyers and the coders. The buyers can post their project requirements on RAC and can select from a pool of talented programmers from different countries to work on their project which proves to be more cost-efficient. On the other hand, the coders are given access to thousands of available projects and can work on their desired project at the comfort of their home. Rent A Coder is also not limited to programming projects, they also have projects for content writers, virtual assistants and even language translators.

I am a member of RAC since 2004 and it was only March of this year that I won my first project bid. Well, it's really worth the waiting because I worked on two more projects after that. I worked for a maximum of three days on each project. I received my first paycheck on the second week of April worth $19, unfortunately I was not able to encash it because the bank requirement here in the Philippines is to open first a dollar account with a minimum deposit of $200 before you can encash your dollar check! Luckily, Rent A Coder has a Western Union payment option, so for my two other projects I selected this option and I finally received my earnings in cold cash. I hope to get more projects in RAC. However, the competition is really tough but I believe my effort will pay off someday :-)

Sun Tech Days 2008

To all Java developers out there, ATTENTION:

The annual Sun Tech Days will be happening in the Philippines from 17-19 June 2008 at Makati Shangri-La Hotel. This is now your chance to update your skills and to know the latest trends in Java as well as in other Sun Microsystems products. Since this event will be attended by developers from all over the Philippines, you are also given a chance to share programming knowledge with fellow Java developers and gurus.

Among the topics to be covered in this event are Java FX, Java SE, GlassFish, MySQL, Netbeans, OpenSolaris and many more. What's more? I believe there are many freebies awaiting participants plus if you refer a friend to this event, you'll have a chance to win PSP2!

The last time I attended Sun Tech Days in Manila was in 2004 and I was still a college student at that time. Unfortunately, I got sick the next day (the foods served were so delicious, I'd eaten so much to the point of having EXTREME stomach ache) that's why I missed the chance of getting more freebies and demo CDs :-( This time I'll make sure that I'll get all the freebies I deserved hehehe, just joking :P

For more information about the event agenda and the registration, click here.

Featured Website: Pinoy Money Talk

Pinoy Money Talk (PMT) is a blog and discussion forum that provide information about different ways of making money online and offline through banking, stock trading, mutual funds, Google Adsense, etc. The site was established on March 1, 2005 by James Ryan Jonas who is also known as FutureGizmo among the forumers. Because of the popularity of the site, it received the People's Choice Awardee for Blogs in the 10th Philippine Web Awards and even ranked 8 in the Philippine Top 100 Blogs by BlogJuice (March 2008).

Homepage of Pinoy Money Talk

I stumbled upon Pinoy Money Talk when I was doing a research about top mutual funds in the Philippines. I joined its forum last week and in just one day of reading its posts I already gained a good insight about mutual funds and other forms of investment. So if you're looking for the best personal finance blog/discussion forum for the Filipinos, I highly recommend this site.

"Aking Mundo" - Dyesebel OST

I really fell in love with the theme song of the newest GMA Telefantasya - Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel starring Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes. The song was entitled "Aking Mundo" and was sung by Sugarpop's Julie Ann San Jose.

Here are the music video and the lyrics of "Aking Mundo"



Dagat man ay naiiba
Sa lupa n'yang mahiwaga
Ang nais ko, sana'y minsan pa
Makita sya't makasama pa
Tahakin ang kanyang mundo
Na hawak sya habang tumatakbo
Sa puso ko ay nadarama
Na sa piling n'ya bawat sandali'y malaya.

Paano kaya'ng mabuhay?
Mundo n'ya kaya'y makulay?
Puso'y taglay ang tinding saya
Sa t'wing makikita sya.

Dagat man ay naiiba
Sa lupa n'yang mahiwaga
Ang nais ko, sana'y minsan pa
Makita sya't makasama pa
Tahakin ang kanyang mundo
Na hawak sya habang tumatakbo
Sa puso ko ay nadarama
Na sa piling n'ya bawat sandali'y malaya.

Paano kaya'ng mabuhay?
Kung sa iyo'y mawalay?
Ikaw ang daigdig ng aking puso
Ikaw ang aking mundo.

Dagat man ay naiiba
Sa lupa mong mahiwaga
Ang nais ko, sana'y minsan pa
Makita ka't makasama pa
Tahakin ang iyong mundo
Na hawak ka habang tumatakbo
Sa puso ko ay nadarama
Na sa piling mo bawat sandali'y malaya.