OMG! December is only a day away and I still didn’t go to the dentist as what my OB required me. I don’t actually need a complicated treatment like those Orange NJ dental implants; what I need is a simple check-up. Hopefully this week I’ll be able to accomplish that so I don’t have to worry about it later. With the Christmas holidays coming up and with some guests arriving for the holidays, the last thing I want is a conflicting schedule. And yes, gotta spare some time for gift shopping again. We have quite a long list for this year coz my sister and her family are celebrating Prague Christmas with us. Shopping for our baby H. will probably be done later when the Christmas’ hullabaloos are over so we don’t have to rush…

Few of my friends have taken second courses to cope up with the demands of times. I know many doctors who took nursing courses coz nursing is more needed abroad and working abroad means bigger financial rewards.

Recently I heard a friend who’s planning to take Information Technology (IT) degree coz it pays well here in CZ. Her work as an English teacher which she’s relying on for her survival doesn’t offer enough to pay for all her needs and expenses.

If ever she decides to go back to school, juggling her studies and work would be difficult. But it can be done. Getting a degree online has become a trend these days for busy people because of the flexibility it offers them.
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After undergoing a series of tests, my OB informed us that I lack iron. It’s not actually a new news coz I was told about it last September. During my previous pregnancy, I was also found to be iron deficient that’s why I was prescribed to take iron supplements. Aside from being pregnant, maybe this problem is also the cause why I always feel tired and sleepy. According to what I read online, iron deficiency can cause fatigue and lack of oxygen in the body. What does a tired body need to do? Rest or sleep!

I was 28 weeks preggy here. “Looking smug” daw ko according to my photographer Michelle.

Unfortunately I have problems sleeping nicely even if I am very tired. Sometimes sleeping after a nice massage doesn’t help at all. I wonder if a night in one of those Toronto hotels will work wonders in making me drift to dreamland immediately.

Earlier today, we went to the Vietnamese market for the sole purpose of buying bitter melon. Including bitter melon in the diet is one of the common remedies folks would advice us, along with camote leaves. Let’s see if I’ll turn into an iron woman after a week of taking my iron tablets and eating as much bitter melon as I can.

CNN has already named the CNN Hero of the year 2009 and the top recognition goes to Efren Peñaflorida, a Filipino educator who brings education to the slum areas armed with his improvised pushcart classroom.

Efren teaching kids…

His inspiring story reminds all of us that it doesn’t take much to help others.  Even with little resources and a low key personality, one can make a change in the society.  What one needs is a BIG heart to do this for others.

Read his story here: The Pushcart educator

And his acceptance speech here: CNN 2009 Hero of the Year

Congratulations Efren!  Continue to inspire the youth and the rest of humanity.  God bless your team!

Photo taken from CNN

Condominiums are getting to be in the demand accommodation tenants are looking especially for short-term stay. It costs less than staying in hotels and the service and amenities are good too. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an investment, owning a condo can be rewarding.

Bro and the kids, checking out the pool.

My brother who has a condo in Manila is already reaping the rewards of his investment. His condo has been mostly occupied since it was open for rental. Usual occupants are newly-weds, businessmen and travelers. It’s prime location makes it the top choice of renters because it is only minutes away from the international airport, malls and business establishments. It also has amenities such as swimming pool, gym, coffee shop and a 24/7 security that makes staying there ideal for vacationers. It’s like the myrtle beach vacation rentals, only it’s not located in the beach.

If you want a less expensive alternative to hotels but still enjoy fine accommodation, condo rental is the way to go these days.

Yay! What a treat!

I got those from the Thai Store in Prague that sells Asian food. It’s sad to see that their stocks are limited and dwindling. My friends are wondering why this is so when they should be stocking up plenty coz their Filipino market is already growing bigger. Huhuhuhu… they always don’t have supply of instant pancit canton, spring roll wrappers, and other favorite chips we Pinoys love to eat. Big sigh! But still I was fortunate that they have the glutinous rice this time coz I’ve been wanting to cook and eat Arroz ala Valenciana. And they also have Jasmine rice.  But they only two packs of 4.5 kilos. All this food binging can be blamed on my pregnancy. hehe Being pregnant is all about taking care of the baby and myself, and food is a major part of it. I’ll get back to worrying about losing weight, fat burners, and dieting once the baby is out. For now, let me enjoy eating!

Do you know that leaving an unlocked phone lying around for a toddler to play with is not advisable? She might press the speed dial button of your phone and waste your load for unnecessary calls (this happened to hubby’s friend) and maybe even anger somebody like your boss (yay!).

When Caity was a year old, she accidentally click “send message” many times. The poor recipient was her ninang, who was surprised to receive a deluge of empty messages. When she called my number, the silence that answered her confirmed her suspicion that it was Caity playing with my phone. I was fortunate it was only my friend whom Caity pestered, what if it was somebody else? It would be double jeopardy on my part! That’s why you should keep your mobile phone locked at all times! Or better yet, keep it out of your child’s reach. She might even destroy it!

Zzzzzzz… two things pregnancy is doing to me: sleepy and hungry!

This usually happens: I just woke up from a night’s sleep feeling sleepy. Uhuh! Did I ever sleep at all? Right now I want to go back in bed and doze off. If only Dora will step out from the screen and keep Caity company, then I can get an interrupted rest!
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I ate two KFC chicken wings and more than a cup of rice for breakfast. 30 minutes after I was eating piaya, a little later, I was eating canned mandarins… then a slice of puto cheese. Guess what? I am hungry na sad! Good thing it’s almost 12 noon, time for lunch and then our afternoon NAP follows! Yehey!

My tummy at 27 weeks, with Caity peeping from my side.  Cute!

Okay, it’s time to turn off our desktop computers and give them a rest while we eat!

My advice: If you’re not going to use your computer for more than 2 hours, better turn it off to save energy.

It’s my Dad’s birthday today! I slept past midnight last night waiting for him to be awake when I call (Philippine time). I forgot that the time difference is already 7 hours. When I called up, he was behind the wheel, driving home after attending Mass with the family and shopping for the dinner party later in the day. Even if Caity and I woke at 10 in the morning, I still felt sleepy.

Dad asked me how old he was. Good thing I was prepared and gave him the correct answer. He’s already 74 years old! But he is still fit and strong and doesn’t look his age. He’s not even worried about his looks like other seniors his age who are scrambling to find the best face creams or dye their white hairs to black to make them look younger.

My Dad during our Vienna trip last year.

Way to go Dad!  I hope you enjoyed your birthday!!!

I am already a three-day old eBay member! We put up an item for bidding the previous week using my hubby’s account which brought me to browsing more of this site. I found out that it has the potential to make lucrative income if you know the right products to sell so that’s why I signed up with them. I guess I was inspired by how others were able to earn money from selling their stuff online. The process is actually very easy and doesn’t cost an arm and leg to set up. Unlike if you open a real store where you need to rent a space, fill it up with lots of merchandise, hire someone to watch it, buy a barcode scanner, cash register, etc. etc. etc. But I have to watch out, with it’s easy access to shopping, I might end up being more of a shopper than a seller! Yikes!

Gotta start collecting stuff to sell online!