If Only I am Richer

If only I am richer, I would make everything okay for everyone.. It's a bold thought. But that is my ultimate goal. Right now I don't know how to help people as I myself are struggling with credit card debts due to some mistakes made in the past. I know better now. I have also had time to think about everything that I wanted when I was young. I was very idealistic and now I have forgotten about my ambitions and ideas before. I have had some time to think things over and I now have a full plan in my head. I just hope I could execute soon.

I work for a prestigious bank right now. I know I am not suppose to say this, but I feel like I don't belong here. I mean I love it here. I love my colleagues. I just feel like, I belong somewhere else. I feel like my calling is somewhere else. Don't get me wrong. The bank pays well. But this is gonna be enough for me only. I will not be enough to carry out my plans. Just so you could understand, I will lay out my plans here.

First of all, my priority is my family especially my parents. My dad is sick and has a lot of medicines to buy. We cannot afford it with our current situation. My dad has no more salary because he has retired. My mum is just a plain housewife and I got nine nephews and nieces at home. We are not earning that much so it is not enough.

Second, I actually want to help. I want to have my own foundation someday. I want to earn big and also raise money for my hometown and to anyone who needs help. My plan is to help the environment and prevent future catastrophes like flood from damaging properties and killing people. I also would like to take care of stray cats, dogs and other animals. I would also love to help other people find nice jobs. There are a lot of things that I would want to do. I would need a big money to execute all of them.

So with all that plan in my head, I can't just stay here and do nothing. I would have to go aboard and look for a higher paying job. I could provide for my family. I could put a portion of my salary for my dream of establishing a foundation. I could become a mediator for every Filipino who works outside the country, ask for donations, earn funds and start making a difference in the lives of those who are left in our country.

I know it is a very big dream. But I intend to make my dreams into reality because I believe I can!

One day I would change the world..

7 deadly financial sins

This is a re-post from Yahoo News. I post them in my blog because I don't want to lose them They are really important and useful.

This is By Suze Orman, CNBC.com

Suze Orman's 7 Deadly Financial Sins

People are always asking me for advice on what to do with their money. But if you really want to get ahead financially, the smarter question is what you shouldn't do with your money.

1. Borrowing From Your 401(k)
For starters, the money you take out of a traditional 401(k) is pre-tax, but when you pay it back it will be with money you already have paid tax on. Then, years down the line, when you withdraw the money in retirement you'll owe tax again. I think paying tax once is plenty.
You also lose out on the compounding of that money. Just think about folks who pulled money out of their 401(k) in late 2008 and early 2009: That's money that wasn't invested when the stock market staged its epic rally beginning in March 2009. Lastly, there's the risk that if you are laid off, or just choose to switch jobs, you typically must repay the loan within a few months. Fail to do that and the loan is treated like an early withdrawal; tax is due and if you're under age 55 you will owe a 10 percent penalty as well.

2. Investing in Long-Term Bond Funds
I have never been a fan of bond funds. Unlike a direct investment in an individual bond that you can hold to maturity and be assured you will get your principal back (assuming no default), a fund has no finite maturity date and most funds are actively traded.
Right now is an especially risky time to invest in bond funds that hold long-term bonds. With interest rates so low, we all know that sometime in the future - even if it's not in 2012 - rates must rise. When rates rise, the longer the maturity of a bond, the bigger the decline in its price. Remember, bond prices move in the opposite direction of yields. When yields rise, prices drop.

If you own an individual bond you can at least make the decision to hold on until it matures and receive all your principal back. But a bond fund may sell bonds at those lower prices, locking in a principal loss.

3. Co-Signing a Loan
When you co-sign, you are agreeing to be the payer of second resort. If the borrower flakes on payments, the lender has every legal right to come to you for the money.

Even if you are 100 percent certain you could cover the payments, I want you to step back and ask why you are being asked to co-sign. Is it because the borrower has a sketchy credit score and financial history? Is it because the borrower is looking to borrow too much? Those are both signals that you need to say no out of love rather than yes out of fear.

I don't care who the borrower is, you can't afford to be an accomplice to someone else's poor decisions.

4. Designating a Minor as a Life Insurance Beneficiary
Benefits cannot be paid to minors. Make this mistake and your heirs will end up in court and have a judge ultimately oversee how the funds are disbursed. It's easy to make sure this doesn't happen: Set up a revocable living trust and make the trust the beneficiary of your life insurance. In the same trust you will spell out that the proceeds are to be used for the benefit of your minor (as overseen by your appointed guardian for the child.)

5. Defaulting on Student Debt
Even if you were to fall into extreme financial hardship and file for bankruptcy, you need to understand that your student loan debt will not be discharged in bankruptcy. It is the Velcro of all debts. Even if you aren't thinking bankruptcy, falling into default can lead to having your wages garnished (that is, the lender gets to take money out of your paycheck to make good on your debt.)

No matter how financially stressed you are, contact the lender and see what options you may have. If your student loans are from the federal government, you have a variety of repayment plans that can reduce your monthly payments, as well as student loan deferment and forbearance during periods of economic difficulty.

6. Buying Variable Annuities
You shouldn't buy these, especially in a retirement account. They're too expensive, plain and simple. Variable annuities tend to be a better deal for the agent than the consumer. I'd much rather you build your own investment accounts through low-cost ETFs or no-load mutual funds. And you should be circumspect of anyone who suggests you buy a variable annuity for a retirement account. You already have the tax-deferral given that it is a retirement account, so why stick a variable annuity - with its own tax deferral - inside a retirement account?

7. Not Having Four Essential Documents
It is the height of irresponsibility to those you love to not have four basic estate planning documents in place:

-A Will

-A Revocable Living Trust

-An Advance Directive spelling out your wishes for medical intervention if you are ever unable to express those wishes yourself, along with a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care in which you designate who will advocate on your behalf according to what you lay out in the Advance Directive.

-A Durable Power of Attorney for financial matters, that includes an incapacity clause. This will allow the person you choose to step in and make financial decisions on your behalf in the event you become incapacitated.

Lesson Learned (I Hope)

Death tolls from the typhoon Sendong tragedy in the Philippines totals to 927 as of last night and still 800 plus people are missing. It pains me a lot to look at the news and pictures of the incident. Bodies are just lying everywhere. People gathering around to identify their relatives are wearing masks due to the smell of decomposition. Some people have not eaten for days due to scarcity of food, water and clothes.

I know that partly, we are to blame on this. We have destroyed our mountains and trees. We have been abusive of nature. Now nature is getting back at us. Despite everything, we are just humans. We make mistakes and it's too late to point fingers. All we have to do now is to just help our brothers in need and hopefully we all can learn from this experience.

I would like to give thanks to everyone who volunteered, donated and prayed. I hope we will continue to extend our help to those in need, not only from the tragedies but hopefully every day of our lives. I thank God for people like Angel Locsin, Anne Curtis Smith, Kris Aquino and Vice Ganda.

Let's All Help and Be One For Our Brothers In Need

A recent tragedy has struck the Philippines again. A very strong typhoon passed and it has created heavy rains that resulted to flash floods. The flash floods happened to suddenly and it occurred at dawn which in turn resulted to a high death rate. People were asleep. A lot of people died and more are missing as well. Pictures around the internet are so tragic that I could not bear to look at them. With all these, some people are giving bad comments like: "They deserve it" and other stuff. I don't know how they could say such a thing. People are already dead. No one is to blame. It's just another tragedy that will test our sense of brotherhood and how well we can cope with it.

We could all help. Anyone who could read this, please do help our brothers in Cagayan and Iligan.

 

 

 

Anyone who wishes to help. Please read on.

VOLUNTEER

DSWD. Volunteers needed at DSWD Cagayan de Oro (Masterson rd, Upper Carmen) to repack and deliver relief goods. Call +63906-615-0095 or tweet @DSWDserve.

Iligan Bloggers Society. Meet at Rizal Park at 8AM on December 18, 2011. Look for Erika Cruz0905-280-2002 

DONATE

Rock Ed Iligan. Running a soup kitchen in Iligan now. Donate any amount so they can continue to serve hot meals for homeless families in the neighborhood to BPI Loyola 3080.0073.44. Tweet @rockedradio or @RockEdIligan for help

Red Cross via credit card & bank deposit.Visit http://www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow

Red Cross via Globe. Text RED < amount > to 2899. You may transfer P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500

Red Cross via Smart. Text RED < amount > to 4143. Valid donation amounts 10, 25, 50, 100

Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro needs donations in CASH, FOOD (noodles, canned goods, etc.), BOTTLED WATER, and CLEAN CLOTHES. Details here: http://www.xu.edu.ph/index.php/other-news/642-bagyong-sendong-relief-operations-in-xavier-university/

Iligan Bloggers Society is asking for cash donations, canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soaps, toothpaste, rice, used clothings, slippers. Details here: http://iliganbloggers.com/food/one-for-iligan-help-the-typhoon-sendong-victims/

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya. Donations accepted in cash and in kind. Details: http://www.facebook.com/notes/anc-247/heres-how-you-can-help-victims-of-sendong-via-sagip-kapamilya/10150529342939122

Globe G-Cash. Text DONATE(space)AMOUNT(space)MPIN(space)SLB and send to 2882

La Salle Greenhills. Donations will be accepted starting December 19, 2011 (Monday) -- Donations in cash and kind can be received at Gate 2 of La Salle Green Hills at 343 Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550. You may also call any of the following telephone numbers for further inquiries:

Aluimni Office — 721-2729, 722-7750, 725-4720

GS Principal — 721-2482

HS Principal — 721-8914

Buildings and Grounds Office — 721-8904(Telefax)

La Sallian Mission Office — 726-5851 (Telefax)

LBC also is appealing to our kind hearts.

Please please please my brothers and sisters. Let us help others in need. IT'S CHRISTMAS AND WHAT WILL THE PEOPLE THERE DO ON THAT DAY?

Facebook Timeline goes live--out with old, in with new

(from YahooNews!)

Facebook's more than 800 million members will now be able to convert their profiles to the new Timeline design.

The world's largest social network announced Timeline in September, and now it's available worldwide. The feature replaces current user profiles and dramatically overhauls how information is shared on the service.

"It's a way to tell all the important stories from your life on a single page," Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said when he announced the new feature at his company's F8 Conference.

Timeline shows all the updates a person has added to Facebook since they joined the site. It also follows the social network's desire to provide users with a single place to showcase what has happened in their lives over the years.

Aside from a prominent picture at the top and basic information below it, Timeline has a right sidebar listing years in chronological order that you can click on to see what a user shared on the site, who they made friends with, and other information for any given period. Timeline even includes a map where people can input where they've been around the world.

Facebook said this morning that people can head over to its Timeline information page and turn the feature on. Upon doing so, they will have seven days to review their timelines and decide whether certain photos or wall posts shared on the site over the years should be shared or kept hidden from view.

I loaded up Timeline this morning and was immediately hit with a sense of nostalgia. I went back to updates and posts friends put on my wall years prior. In many cases, they were things (and events) that I had long forgotten. But Facebook hadn't. And now, my friends and I can relive some of those moments.

Aside from that, I was pleased with Facebook's decision to let me customize just about everything in Timeline. If there was something I didn't think should be shared any longer, I simply made it private. And if certain information was worth sharing again, I made it publicly viewable.

Inevitably, some folks will complain about Timeline's design and Facebook heaping major changes on its user base. But from what I've seen so far, it's a solid update. It offers privacy features, it comes with a nice design, and it makes getting to know people (in the virtual world, at least) a bit easier.

Facebook said it will automatically push the timeline live seven days after someone signs up for the new feature. However, if folks are content with what's shared after reviewing it, they can push it live themselves at any point within that period.

for the video clip regarding this news, please visit: http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-timeline-goes-live.html

10 Buzzwords to Avoid on Your Resume

by Lindsay Olson

(repost from http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/power-your-future/10-buzzwords-avoid-resume-182951302.html) 

Creative. Effective. Motivated. While you may think that you're using words on your resume that will appeal to hiring managers, some words can actually turn them off. On Tuesday, LinkedIn released the top 10 words that job seekers overuse in resumes and job applications. Here's the list:

-- Creative

-- Organizational

-- Effective

-- Extensive experience

-- Track record

-- Motivated

-- Innovative

-- Problem solving

-- Communication skills

-- Dynamic

If you're wondering how LinkedIn came up with this list, its data scientists examined millions of profiles to find out which words professionals used the most in 2011. Surprisingly, some of the words are different from what LinkedIn found to be the bad buzzwords in 2010, thanks to the skyrocketing growth of the professional networking site. A year ago, there were 85 million users. Now, there are 135 million users from around the world, so naturally that list of buzzwords has changed.

What's interesting is that the buzzwords vary, depending on the country. The word "creative" was overused in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "Effective" was used by too many job hunters in India. And Italians, it seems, are fantastic at "problem solving."

If I'm Not Creative ... What Am I?

I hope seeing this list doesn't kill your holiday buzz. If you're using these words as a selling point to potential employers, spend some time this month finding better, more descriptive words that pinpoint your talents.

"Competition for opportunities can be fierce, so craft your LinkedIn profile and resume to stand out from the professional pack," says Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's connection director and best-selling author of the book, "Girl on Top." "Even though this year's list of overused terms differs from last year's, your objectives remain the same: Banish buzzwords from your profile. Use language that illustrates your unique professional accomplishments and experiences. Give concrete examples of results you've achieved whenever possible and reference attributes that are specific to you."

LinkedIn recommends adding skills to your profile, which can serve to show hiring managers firsthand where your strengths lie. Recommendations, too, can help beef up your online profile.

LinkedIn also suggests filling out your LinkedIn profile fully. They say your profile is 12 times more likely to be viewed if you have more than one position listed in your work history. Adding a nice photo of yourself increases viewability as well.

What About My Resume?

Now that you know the words that employers are sick of seeing in resumes and cover letters, you can avoid them. If you're stuck for ideas, here is a list of action verbs, and an online thesaurus can always give you alternatives to the words you don't want to use.

It's your job as a talented job candidate to stand out with your resume and cover letter. Take time to rewrite it, and have a friend review it to give feedback on how appealing and engaging it is. Always customize both your resume and your cover letter for the job you're applying for.

Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs, a niche job board for public relations, communications and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

The Thought of Becoming an Orphan

If there is one thing I fear most in life, it is on dying. No, not my own. But my parents'. I have always thought that things lasts forever. But when I grew a hold of reality, I realized that all things will perish. That includes the living. That would not have been a very disturbing thought if only that does not include my mama and papa. If only we don't grow old. If only they could stay young. Unfortunately there is no stopping change. My parents are no exception.

Last month, we took my dad to a doctor. They did some laboratory testings and we found out he is not as healthy as we thought he is. He did have a mild stroke which explains why his mouth got lopsided and his speech blurred. His heart enlarged due to hypertension. His sugar and uric acid are both high. He has to go on diet and he has to maintain taking about more than ten types of medicine.

What in the world am I gonna do? I got eight nephews and nieces living with my parents ranging from age 1 to 8. All of them are very active and always giving my papa a hard time. I got three brothers at home and two sister-in-laws, all does not have a stable and high paying job. My parents are the ones providing for their kids. My papa's pension is not enough to buy food for the family, what more if he needed to buy his medicine? My mama has to do most of the chores at home and also take care of the kids and my papa. Eventually she will get sick too. She will get sick for fatigue and stress on the problems placed on her shoulders. I hope my brother realizes this. I hope they too are afraid of losing our parents. I hope they get a job, feed and take care of their own kids. I hope my mama and papa will be free of their burden.

So this goes down to me and my ate. My ate helps out in the house through giving money for the kids and food for the house in the province. Even she is sacrificing her own so she could help out there. Me on the other hand is also giving part of my salary to my parents so they could buy the medicines that papa need. Still that is not enough. I need to give more. I need to work more. I am running out of ideas on what to do. I am going out of my mind. I feel like my world is about to end. I feel like I am not doing enough. I feel like I am worthless. I feel so hopeless. 

I don't want my papa and mama to die. I still have plans for them. I want to be rich and build them a house. I want them to travel the world. I want them to enjoy their life. I want them to experience what they would have experienced had they not sacrifice their lives to take care of us their kids. I still want someone to talk when I am sad and needed someone to run to.

I am not ready to become an orphan yet...

YOU [written 1-08-2008]

Who was the one who suddenly came to my life and changed everything? I was a lonely, a scared  good for nothing individual who did nothing in life but play badminton, doing what was tasked to do and keeping to myself all the time. I was always aloof from most people. I go out alone, play alone, and talk even if I am alone.

I was enjoying that life and in fact I thought it was the best life and what I would always want. I thought it was all enough for me and I can ask nothing more. But then you came and turned everything around. What I was then, I don't know how and where it all disappeared. Was it something you did or was it something you said that made everything new? Whatever it may be, I swear I was glad that you came and transformed me.

Things have never been the same then. I mean everything! I became brilliantly, amazingly, unbelievably happy and blooming. I really don't know what you did or what's in you that made what I have become. I am really thankful for you, for being so good to me and doing everything for me. I know I can never repay you with what you have done for me.

I am my best because of you...

I Wish I Can Get Hold of a Jelly

I don't know why I wrote this poem. Hopefully you all will like it. I wrote this in my scribble notebook last November 27, 2007 and I labeled it trash number two. haha here it goes:


Words are the most difficult things 
my mind could conjure.
Words are by the strangest things
my mouth could utter.


Words...
I know I am a thinker, yet I fail
to put my thoughts to form words.
I am also very sensitive with my feelings
still I fail to express my feelings with words.


Somehow they are evading me as I think
of the things my mind wants to say.
I am writing here having no idea
of what to tell you to show what I feel.


Words...
Give me something to make these
crazy feelings inside come to life.
Give me the right words that would best
describe the contents of this full heart.


Words...
Will you ever be of help to me?
You keep slipping away like a jelly
that I am trying to get hold of
Please enlighten me.


Words...
I can only seem to think of one
from the very start of this little composition.
The reason for composing such started
when I thought of you.
And as this is about to end,
the only thing I am certain of is
You are all I think about.

A Poem I Have Not Named

Well this is what I have found so far. I have not found the others. This is one side of me I will probably not admit (only in writing i think). I am a poet (trying hard) and a hopeless romantic (walay uyab). Lol!


Love hurt, hurt love
Torn between two emotions
That I wish I could control
Like the rain and the sun
These two arrive every now and then.
Warming me with happiness, the sun
And then the rain washes them away.
Love like the sun makes me happy
Then like the rain, hurt gets in the way.
What can I do with these two?
One can't seem to exist without the other.
It's like when you fall in love,
Hurt is part of the package.
Love, and you will get hurt for free.
Funny, it seems to be.
But that's just how it is in love.
You have to be ready to get hurt.
Now I know I can't control them
So I just have to live with them
As I love more, I will get hurt even more.


There you have it! Still looking for that notebook full of those day dreaming stuff. Come back tomorrow!

I Got Soaked in the Rain

Rain.. Rain go away. Come again another day.. I always thought this song is effective. I keep singing this when it rains when I was young. Then you grow up and realize all was just child stuff and singing the song does not stop the rain. Well at least I tried it today and I still got soaked in the rain on my way to work. Now I am in the office with my pants and shoes all wet. I am shaking to my bones because the air conditioner as usual is in full blast. What a way to start my day. 

I hope this day will turn out not as lame as it started. Hoping for a lunch date with a friend. That would cheer me up. I also wish Rob Kardashian will become a champion in DWTS today. lol! That would also make my day.

P.S. Sorry I did not find that funny stuff that I promised to post. I remembered I threw it away because my best friend laughed so hard about it. I was embarrassed that time. 


Update:

It turns out my day is fine. I had lunch with the most amazing friend in the world. Lunch was superb. I ordered bento. You know what bento means right? It's a Japanese word that mean a complete meal. Yeah I ate a complete meal. I ordered eat from a Japanese store on the fourth floor of Ayala center Cebu. Then my best friend took me to Gelatissimo. We ordered ice cream. You how it is. Most of us love ice cream. Plus the sweet taste cheered me up some more. I just hope I don't get colds as a result of all these. I also saw a great friend of mine. Brigitte. She is the one who encouraged me to go blogging. I did not know I would love it. As usual, she is right. One other thing, my SSS loan got approved. I am 12k pesos richer. Just joking. I will actually use that money to pay for my father's check up this Monday. I am taking him to the doctor finally. 


Well, till next time. See yah!

Today I Swear Tomorrow Is Gonna Be A Brighter Day

The problem of having a blog title of "Project 365: A blog a day" is that you will (not run out of topic) but have to post something each day and sometimes you just don't have that much time. There is not much time to think or not much has happen on that day and you did not get inspired to write about something. This day is not an exception. I know that but I am dead tired and I had to edit yesterday's post because my phone did something to delete the finished post. It's just an hour before the day ends and I have nothing. A thought came to mind. I was a fan of pen and paper. I scribble in notebooks before because I was too chicken to try out blogging and my make my works public. So back to that thought that came to my mind.. I looked up my old stuff and found some of my scribbles. It's a poem I wrote last June 10, 2008. It's very old. I wrote it for someone I think. Don't ask who it is. Comment on it but do not dare mention names. You know what I mean. lol! So here goes the poem. Tell me what you think.

Today I write this little poem

As evidence of a promise I have sworn.

From this day 'till the time we're ready

I will prepare for a very special day.

When that time arrives

I am gonna make sure our love will be revived

Everything will be perfect

A surprise you will never expect.

This little paper though torn from a page of a notebook

Will serve as  the sole witness of the what I spoke

I will ask you to be mine again someday

I promise and wish that our love 'till that day will stay

I love you so much

And everyday I long for your touch

I wish you'll still be in love with me

'Cos I promise if you come back to me,

I'm gonna make you fall for me everyday.

It's cheesy I know. Don't laugh at me. I was young and a hopeless romantic. Tomorrow I will post something really funny (if I can find that scroll). Watch out for it.

What's for lunch?

I did not have any cooking lesson and my mum never allows me in the kitchen when I was young because I am very clumsy and I might end up with wounds or burns. So I grew having someone to prepare food for me. I guess we never anticipated I would be living away from them. So it has been a struggle living in the city. I don't know how to cook and I have to stop depending on fast foods.

With the growth of technology and the internet, I realized it's not too late to learn how to cook and I can do it without having to go to culinary schools. I have the means. So I search the net for recipes of dishes that I can cook in the house. Today I will be showing you how to cook a dish I've learned from the internet as well. In Cebu, we call it Pancit Bihon. Here's a picture of it below.

How do we cook Bihon? Follow the steps below. The ingredients, brand or anything that I have used here are all my personal preference. The measurements here are also based on my adjustments from the previous times I have tried cooking this. This is sort of my perfected version. So here goes..

What you will need:

Pork (If you want more meat in your bihon, put as much as you want)

Half Clove of Garlic

One bulb onion

Carrots (I only put one piece because I am not a fan)

Bell Pepper (I also use only a peace, still not a fan)

Cabbage (I put half of the whole piece)

Onion Leaves

One Pack Bihon (I prefer the brand Super Q)

Maggi Magic Sarap (or whatever seasoning available)

Soy Sauce

Vinegar

A little oil for the pork

Black pepper (you know what this does to your food)

Instructions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients. Season the pork and let it sit there for more than 5 mins to let the port absorb the seasoning. 
2. Heat oil in a pan. Put the garlic and just half of the bulb onions you sliced. Add the pork. Cook the pork well. I like my pork cooked like it's ready to be served as viand. Remove the excess oil (leave a little of it).
3. Once oil has been decreased, add water in to the pan. They amount of water would depend on the type of bihon you are using. With super Q, it says one and a half cup of water per piece of bihon. The pack has four pieces so I add six cups top.
4. After the water, all all the ingredients except for the onions (both leaves and bulb).
5. Add eight tablespoons of soy sauce and ten tablespoons of vinegar.
6. Add some seasoning and a little black pepper.
7. Once you have achieved your desired taste and it has started to boil, add the bihon (I assume by this time you have already rinsed it). Stir from time to time until there is no liquid left.
8. Serve the bihon. Add the onions on top. You may stir to mix them with the bihon or you can get creative. Put a little presentation of your food. Then mix it when you are ready to eat it. 

The reason why the onions were added last is because it gives out a good smell on your dish and you get this crunchy feeling while you chew your food. You will love it.

Enjoy!

Some additional pictures:

Sorry guys, I don't know what happened. I have complete this blog yesterday but somehow the blogger app on my phone took over. I have a draft there. I published the draft and deleted my finished blog.

Lunch at Casa Verde

I am not rich. I can't afford a lot of things but when it comes to good food, money is usually not a question. I am very fond of eating. So when there is something I feel like eating, I will try my best to come up with the amount to spend for some good food. Today is one of them days. I met up with my bestfriend Laika, went to Ayala and ate lunch at Casa Verde. This is the home of the best steak and ribs in town.

Soup.. When someone mentions soup, the first thing that comes to my mind is Casa Verde's baked potato soup. It's the best I have tasted! There are bacon, cheese and onions in it. I can't describe exactly how it tastes. All I can say is that I will be okay if it's the only thing I eat all day, everyday!

The main dish.. There are load of dishes you can order in here. But my favorites are Surf and turf and Brian's ribs. They are really good. I have tasted other ribs and steaks all over town but I gotta tell you this is the best there is. There is this other steak and mashed potato dish they have, I forgot the name. I have a picture of it below. It has mashed potatoes, cheese on top of the steak, tasteful garlic on top and some almonds on the side.  When you eat a pinch of all the ingredients in one, it is heaven! There is this crunchy feeling that you get while you are chewing your food. Just imagine me eating the food that I took a picture of today. :)

Drinks.. Like any other restaurant, there are a variety of choices for the drinks as well. But if you prefer the water, I don't suggest it. They sell the St. James water which is a service water in Don Henrico's. I can suggest you order the four seasons juice or shake. That taste great. There are other shakes that they have but unfortunately, I have not paid attention to their names. I love their four seasons too much. Lol! They also have alcoholic drinks available. I still prefer the four seasons though. *wink*

Dessert.. I am not so sure what other dessert they have. I actually only wanna order their Death by Chocolate. Its this big cake-like ice cream that can be shared with two other people. It is really good. I know it's just ice cream but coming from Casa Verde, it makes all the difference. It's just different. 

I am claiming a lot in here, am I not? Well you will never know until you try it for yourself. And oh, I found their website in case you are interested: Casa Verde, click here.

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My Hometown

In order to know me, you need to go way back. I mean, way back where I came from. Where I came from has played a great role in molding what I am today. I has given me a lot of reasons to continue holding on to dear life.

A Little History.. The name of my hometown is Sogod. It came from the Visayan word "Sinugdanan" which means start. According to some of my elder relatives, there are lots of stories about the origin of Sogod. One of them is about Sogod being the start of the spread of Christianity in the northern parts of Cebu. The second part is Sogod being the boundary of the start of the black sand extending to the south of Cebu and the white sand extending to the north. It is said that during low tides, there is a certain place on the shore where you could clearly see the mark where the white and black sand meet. There is this other story about the town, but I could not clearly recall it at this time. I will find out once I get a chance to talk to some elders.

Geography.. Sogod as considered a fourth class municipality. What that means, I have no idea. All I know is I intend to post some great info about our town. It is located 60 kilometers north of Cebu City. It is home to almost 29, 000 people as of the 2007 census. It has 18 barangays. They are the following:

• Ampongol
• Bagakay
• Bagatayam
• Bawo
• Cabalawan
• Cabangahan
• Calumboyan
• Dakit
• Damolog
• Ibabao
• Liki
• Lubo
• Mohon
• Nahus-an
• Poblacion
• Tabunok
• Takay
• Pansoy

Attractions.. Sogod is not only a place of beautiful people. It is also home to very nice works of nature. Alegre Beach is considered a five star resort and has welcomed thousands of foreign visitors for a long as I could remember. There's the Bagatayam falls and Binaliw cold spring. There is the Borrusia food park which I have not explored yet but is planning to. There are other attractions I will be posting here soon.

Getting there.. In order to get there, you will have to stay tuned. I am going to Sogod in a couple of days and I will be posting more about this beautiful town. In the meantime, I will leave you with a picture of you faithful author. Please also visit some links from my sponsors on my profile. It'll help me a lot in providing great pictures in my blogs.