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My hands are full both at work and at home. However, I still manage to do things that allow me to get rid of boredom. Among my favorite past time are reading and doodling/sketching (aside from sleeping and eating of course). I only knew the basic of sketching but am not an artist at all. I actually do not know how to apply color to make my work attractive thus I better leave it in pencil than damaging the entire drawing. I am not an artist but I love arts! It's one of my favorite subject. I tried once in charcoal rendering but like what I have said, I am only good in sketching because by the time I applied the shades, it was a total mess! But am not closing my doors in possibility of gaining knowledge in the do's and don'ts of color rendering. Nevertheless, I am still very much thankful to God that He gave me eyes that could appreciate arts and a pair of hands that can somehow partake on them. Oh ARTS, I long to learn more about you in the right time.

Miley Cyrus

Hey, do you still remember Hannah Montana? I'm sure your little kiddo does. She's so pretty, responsible, adorable, sweet and wholesome, isn't it? That is why many li'l girls just love watching her every day. Such TV series earned awards not just once but many many times. Indeed, the lead character, Miley Cyrus, never failed to wow her followers. But after its season finale in 2011, what happened to Hannah Montana? Do you miss her? Maybe, if you haven't got the latest update yet about Miley Cyrus, you would probably say YES. But with the latest MTV VMA event, I can only conclude one thing: HANNAH MONTANA IS DEAD!

Indeed, LIFE is WHAT you make it

image courtesy of inquirer.net

Are you still confused about the famous Philippines' Kasambahay Law? This might not be the trending topic right now (can't beat Napoles' surrender)but allow me to share this law for reference purposes.

I am happy for all domestic workers that finally they can now enjoy what other employees have enjoyed (though not all). With the implementation of RA 10361, all 'kasambahay' can already avail the benefits that are due to them such as 13th month pay, SSS contributions as well as PAG-IBIG and PhilHealth. Also stipulated on the law on top of those payments, 'kasambahay's are also entitled  of daily and weekly rest period (a maximum of 10 hours per day) leave benefits and a monthly wage of not less than P1,500.00 depending on the location.

However, despite all those benefits provided for in the said law, there are still 'kasambahay' who are unlucky enough not to receive such benefits. Why? Because some employers can't afford to do so. I mean, there are employers who are just a minimum wage earner but somehow compelled to hire a 'kasambahay' because they have no other choice. On the other hand, 'kasambahay' are compelled to stay with their current "minimum wage earner" employer because they have nowhere to run to or perhaps both employer and the 'kasambahay' have an internal agreement going on prior to the implementation of RA 10361 (I am just guessing, though). 

Ironically, not all employers have an SSS, PAG-IBIG and PhilHealth benefits. Consider those self-employed employer. Most of them failed to contribute to the said social benefits for some reasons and it would be ironic that they will be obliged to contribute for someone when they don't have a contribution on their own. I can relate to that. As part-time Instructor, the University where I am currently teaching consider that "No employer-employee" relationship, thus they are not subsidizing for our social benefits premium payments. I used to contribute for SSS before when I am still working in a private companies but failed to continue. I also have PhilHealth and PAG-IBIG contributions but just like SSS, I failed to continue paying for them. However, after getting pregnant on my first baby, I reactivated my PhilHealth account but failed to reactivate my SSS that is why I never received any maternity benefits at all. Well, it's my fault. Premium payments for these social benefits will cost the employee more or less P600.00 a month (that's too much for a minimum wage earner like me). That is the very reason why my  husband and I agreed that he will stop working for the sake of our two babies because we cannot afford to pay a baby sitter with our minimum income(Well, I guess they are also a part of that Kasambahay Law). ^_^

Anyway, if you have more questions about Kasambahay Law, click here.

It ain't really a guide, it's a game!

I remember how addicted I was with this game two years ago. I just stopped playing when I got pregnant with my first born. I stop playing not because I find it boring already but I stop because people surrounding me during that time told me so. They believed that playing or liking anything that has odd looks during pregnancy period will make the baby look like such LOL! I was not really afraid because I do not believe it, I stop because they kept on nagging me. Now that I am already a Mom of two, no one can stop me from playing this legendary game. I have it installed on my phone (thanks Google Play!)- kind of boredom reliever when I am in the congested traffic or idle moments LOL!

Every investments should have its corresponding profit. No man on his right sense of mind will invest his money for nothing unless he meant it for charity purposes. As a blogger, it is my primary aim to earn, yes that's true. I did not invest for monthly internet fee just for facebook, yahoo etc. it is my primary concern to find online racket LOL! I signed up to every opportunity that is available though it cannot be denied that I got more turn downs than approval from most paying companies for article writing/product review. However, I never lost hope. In fact,I got help from a co-blogger of mine who understood my needs (Thanks Ms Raye ^_^). She gave me one month to update my blogs and re-submit to those company who declined my blogs. Hopefully it will really work. While waiting for their approval, I am also thankful that LinkVehicle once again gave me the opportunities that I need. 

 

I've been a publisher for LinkVehicle for more than a year now and there's really a real earning with them. They offer more than just an earning, you'll get to have a quality article with them that could drive traffic to your blog. I want to share this opportunity by inviting you all to be a part of this success by joining LinkVehicle. You can do it right here, right now by clicking the badge below.

More and more business owners are figuring out something important about doing work on the Internet. They're beginning to realize that a website is only helpful if it's able to bring in revenue. For people selling products or even those offering services, it pays to have a site that can provide information. It also helps if that site can is functional enough to let people buy things, check their status on orders, and keep up with the business's happenings. Network Solutions offers e commerce web design services that are top shelf, and many business owners are finding this to be a solid investment.

Design matters in a competitive industry

Just as business owners should spend some money and time on the upkeep of their physical space, they have to do the same with their online face. Your website is how you'll be introduced to the world, and if the design is ratty, then many customers will assume that you're not a serious or legitimate option. More business owners have seen this, and they've made the smart decision to invest front-end resources in a good design.

E-commerce elements add to your options

There's no excuse for allowing a website to sit there without working for you. With the right e-commerce capability, a good website can rake in its own revenue and open the doors to markets that a physical store could never touch. Business owners selling a hot product can meet the needs of customers in many states and countries when they've got a sharp site. More have picked up on this trend, and it's helped those savvy owners claim market share.

I was really wondering what's wrong with my blog that it didn't get approval from Postjoin.com and Payu2Blog as well as ReviewMe and a whole lot more (I chose not to remember them all to minimize my frustration). I am thankful that finally I got internet connection but the irony there was that I no longer receive paid opportunities. My oh my! wazz up wazz up?! Life really sucks sometimes. The moment I badly need an additional racket, the more elusive they become. My odesk contract was another failure in the making. Grrr... should I quit or persevere? My investment (internet connection) doesn't pays off. If September comes and same thing happened, I'd rather quit.

August 21, 1983

After 30 years, many Filipinos are still puzzled as to who was the mastermind behind the assassination of Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. There are lots of speculations, different opinions but one thing is certain... the case was not really solve yet, or I believed so. I don't think Marcos got to do with it, do you? I've got here a YouTube video of an interview of Ninoy on the plane with Jim Laurie, an international journalist, who was with Ninoy (obviously) on that fateful day of August. Listen carefully how Ninoy seems to know what would gonna happen to him by the time the plane will land at the airport...

Did you notice that men in uniform who accompanied him on the way down? Aren't they look so suspicious? If you have enough time, try to read the comments of this video from different people who have different perceptions about the incident.

I have a conclusion in my mind after watching the video but I rather keep it to myself. Still, I don't really believe much that it was the late President Ferdinand Marcos who got him assassinated. I think it was... hmm never mind.

Hearing the news and all, I felt so sad for all those flood victims in Metro Manila. It brought my memories back to December 2011 when Cagayan de Oro was flooded because of Typhoon Sendong. I can still remember the fear and the anxieties. I was still pregnant with my first baby during that time. I was really crying and so very afraid because the water was already knee-deep high. The flood aftermath was even worse. There's scarcity of food, water and other basic needs like clothing and shelter. There were so many victims left homeless and worst, some have even lost their love ones. There were so many casualties that there's no more space left to bury them all. There were shortage of casket and those dead bodies who were not identified yet was buried in mas grave. Kagay-anons during that time are however became united in helping each other. Good thing there were relief goods coming from other places from both government and private sector. But again, no material goods and even cash can ease the pain of those who survived yet lost some members of their families.

Picking up the pieces and starting all over again was not that easy. Some victims during that time has still have that trauma that whenever it rains harder, worries came in.  I was one of them. We keep on moving from one place to another because we were once a victim and upon hearing the news about an upcoming typhoon, all those worst scenario flashes back. To date, there are still some who are missing. I am just hoping and praying that they were able to survive the flood. 

It is really difficult to defy the wrath of nature. And who's to blame? Some says flood is a man-made calamity. Maybe yes. Because of our greediness, we tend to do anything even if it means destroying our nature. We compromise our natural habitat in favor of infrastructure development. Yes, it is true that people are becoming aware of our environmental situation that a Plant-a-Tree campaign was widely disseminated and practiced even in school. Students were tasked to plant a tree for their Community Service Project. But it will take long before it grows. Oh well, at least, a tree has been planted. I am just hoping that the local government here in Cagayan de Oro will come up with a city development plan wherein it will not compromise our environment. It would be a waste of time for those who will invest in big structures when it has been known that the city was once overtaken by what we call flash floods.

Let us not wait for another great flood to happen, we should do something before Noah will poke us and say,"I told you so..." 

Dear Visitors,

Notice my long absence? Well, honestly, I am quite preoccupied right now. My hands are full with school activities. It's Midterm week and I am busy checking my student's exam and projects! Tomorrow I still have one more exam with my students in Basic CADD. I'm still halfway to the finishing line. Last Wednesday too, I went to the health center for the scheduled immunization of my baby doll. She was given a Pentavalent that gave her so much pain and discomfort until now. She got a fever (which is an after-effect), and I got injected with depo too (I can't just wait and do nothing about FP). I've actually got varied feedback about the effect of depo but I am praying that it will work perfectly fine for me with no complications.

Anyway, thanks for visiting here. I will try to update this blog as frequently as possible so that by your next visit, you'll get a fresher info about me and anything else. Oh by the way, I am currently having a contract with odesk too and hoping to get all the given tasks done before Monday. There's still grade computation waiting in line!

Whew, what a week! ;)

Home court Advantage.

This is how I assess the present FIBA Asia 2013 games status in favor of Gilas Pilipinas. Their performances against other countries like Qatar, Kazakhstan has been such a good indication that Gilas Pilipinas will make it to the Final Round...

However, tonight's game against Korea was... heart thumping ... 

Oh, not my heart actually, it's my husband's. His eyes and ears were all focus on the screen... took a little break to wash Kuya Gregory's feeding bottles...

Pilipinas Gilas' import, according to him, wasn't able to play due to some injury.

Pingris? Alapag? Tenorio? David? who else! Go for the hoop guys!

Hmm, you can do it guys!

Let's cross our fingers then.

Let's cheer for Gilas Pilipinas!

and that means?

browse browse browse...
sleep sleep sleep... 
check check check... 
read read read...



I have more time...
                     
♥ liking my friends' blogs;
♥ updating my blogs;
♥ sleeping with my baby; 
♥ applying at odesk (got few tasks for few bucks though :);AND
♥ reading my RD Select Edition! Can't help leaping through pages. 
It's my third edition and I am now on the last of four stories.... 
Thunder Bay! (its title ^-^) 

AND

☺ a little time checking exams (FB took most of my time!)

How about you? How are you gonna spend your weekend, I mean, this long weekend?

Lately, a colleague of mine suffered an intolerable pain on her back that when she visits the doctor for a checkup it was found out that one of the discs on her spinal column was misaligned. She really does not have an idea what cause it to happen but she was advised to undergo herniated disc surgery if the pain persisted. People suffering with herniated disc should seek an immediate treatment to avoid further damage. There are modern treatment options available today and one of those is the artificial disc replacement that should be performed only by leading spine surgeon.

Whom do we consider as "unbelievers"?

Those are the people who do not or perhaps have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They often referred to as the "lost". In my profession as a teacher, I met a lot of them, mostly are my students, and some of my colleagues. But sometimes I am wondering or better yet surprise to observe that these "lost" ones are the one who behaves well. I mean, their actions are more convincing than those who presume and assume themselves as one ("Christ believer"). I am not judging them but it just saddened me that those who supposedly influenced others are the ones being influenced. Those whom I thought could share the great love of Christ are somehow being brainwashed by the people surrounding them. 

In my class, I always ask somebody to pray before we start. I can tell who are  those supposedly "have known the truth" through the way they pray but I am caught alarmed when I heard them cursing in the middle of the class just because somebody disturbed them while working on their drawing project.

Why it saddened me? It saddened me because I can sometimes see myself in them. I claimed to have been saved by grace and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, yet judging the way I behave sometimes, I might be put into question when I will be facing God during the Judgment Day.

Indeed, in the book of Corinthians, Paul was right, "we should not be yoked together with unbelievers". There's a big possibility that we will really fall especially if our spiritual health is undernourished. And if we insist, we might get overwhelmed in the darkness that we will be like chasing in the dark because we cannot contain their presence around us.

A little over two weeks ago I tried to change my blog name from God Brought Me Here to Simply Jackie. You know that feeling when you want to make a drastic change hoping you got it right but turns out nothing. I thought by changing my blog name I'll get to draw more advertisers on my site. They might thought my blog is focus on religious post and the like so I changed it. However, nothing really change. In fact, I've got no more opportunities from my "loyal" advertisers then it occur to me that maybe they thought my blog is gone!

The ending? I'll change it back to the original! 

:)

1. Stubborn- I always insist on what I want even if it seems wrong for any one.
2. Short-tempered- So, don't you ever try me!
3. Impatient- I don't want you to keep me waiting.
4. Annoying- if you'll annoy me first
5. Inquisitive- I ask too many questions
6. Sensitive- So be careful what you uttered to me.
7. Dependent- I just can't live alone
8. Perfectionist- though I'm imperfect.
9. Moody- seasonal indeed but manageable!
10. Harsh- with the way I speak sometimes or with the comments I gave

To sum it up, you will tend to hate me because I am who I am, what you see is what you get...

So, if you're among those whom I got offended with because of my harsh words or comments, I am so sorry. But, I will never be that bad unless being provoked. Should I add there less self-control?

Is there really disadvantages of being good? Believe me, the answer is YES. In my eight years of teaching, I met different kind of students with unique attitudes. And as a teacher, you need to adjust yourself in order to get harmonized with them. Hmm, what I mean with "in order to get harmonized with them" is to have a peaceful relationship with them. 

I do not want to be labeled as TERROR TEACHER. I want my students to see the real me. I want them to know me as me. That is why I made myself available for them always. I am so approachable, so to speak. I am willing to go an extra mile just to teach them, even if it means a one-on-one tutorial because they just don't get the lesson despite of your lengthy explanation, elaboration and demonstration. I befriended them, give them a piece of advice when they need to and being so cool to them. I joke with them, laugh with them and even cry with them! That is me! I just want to be the coolest teacher as long as I could.

But that was before.

My leniency ended when I felt that my reputation as a "cool teacher" was being abused by some of them. They don't bother to get serious anymore on my subject because I am such a considerate teacher and that I can give them another chance to cope up with their misses. Oh, it hurts so much when such thing happened not only once, twice but so many times. Well, IF TRUTH BE TOLD, I didn't actually reconsider them because I am such a considerate teacher, or I pity them, it's actually their parents that I pitied the most who could be unaware of what they are doing.

Right now, things has changed. After I gave my discussion (lesson proper), I do not have a heart to repeat it anymore for those who were late in coming to class and for those who were absent, of course, not unless they have valid reasons. I also do not hesitate in giving failing remarks for those who deserves it judging from their performances and attitude. I also hate those students who don't bother to listen simply because they have somebody to rely on to in case they need "help". Too bad for them because I hate copycat! Just this afternoon, I confiscated one flash drive to teach them a lesson.

It's so sad to think that instead of reciprocating your goodness with another goodness, the opposite things happened and that's reality.

 

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Hello there! I so miss this Thankful Thursday meme. Considering that it's the first of August, I would like to thank God for the past seven months of sustaining us and giving us more reasons to be hopeful for; to have a brighter tomorrow with my family. Actually. I've got countless of challenges but amazing indeed our God is because He never leave me at all despite the fact that I am so stubborn minding MY own way. 

I've been trying to fool myself by being so hypocrite with the realities in life. Well, actually, I was just in the state of denial that life is quite rough for the past days. But like what I have said, God sustained me all the way. If I will be likened to children in  a family, I am the black sheep. I decided on things abruptly. My hubby was even complaining about it. I am always impatient with the things that I want. Good thing I am still aware that what I did was wrong, an indication that I am not yet completely lost on Him.

God the Father is not like some of those biological fathers who can afford to abandon their children. But sometimes, this kind of truth spoiled me in one way or another. Since God loves me that much and without condition, I can be myself, my stubbornness and my impatience are the living proof that I am such a spoiled brat. However, God, just like any father, also disciplines His children so no wonder why I went through such ordeals: to teach me a lesson. I am a teacher but yet I've got a lot of lessons to be learned.

So if I have to enumerate the things that I should be thankful for, first on the list would be God's unconditional love for me. There are times that my Mom made me feel that she doesn't care about me anymore, God didn't. I oftentimes put the blame on Him when I am so down with my life accusing Him of being so unfair and yet He never fails to remind me that what I was thinking was wrong. God is love. Yes I know that, maybe I just have to tame myself from being so self-centered sometimes. Spoiled as I am, I want to have the things that I want in the time that I badly need it. And God has His way of disciplining me. He allowed me to cry, to feel bad and when I am through with all these "emotional tantrums", God uses someone to remind me that He loves me, the whole ME, unconditionally.

How about you? Share the things that you are grateful about and link it on Thankful Thursday hosted by Grace Alone.