tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35525635959129890622024-02-21T23:17:23.327+08:00Guy With A BlogGuy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.comBlogger369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-12721054825862942752016-04-21T20:34:00.001+08:002016-04-21T20:34:36.178+08:0019Dear Beloved,<br />
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It's odd that as we celebrate our 19 years of togetherness this day, all we can think of discussing are the utterances of political candidates, on the ride to work. We are in the midst of the election season, and my thoughts now go into how the political and the personal intertwine.<br />
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Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel despair. Not just for this country, but for how we are seen in this country. I despair because we have no legal standing in this country. We are not recognized by law, not a single piece of legislation acknowledging the life we have built together, the bills that we jointly pay, the troubles we jointly shoulder, weather and solve as best we can. If a couple's life is measured as the sum of all the small details, then we are worth nothing under the eyes of our laws.<br />
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Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel hopelessness. Hopeless that I will be "allowed" to see you if you become hospitalized. Hopeless that even if we desire to be each other's beneficiary when a future but certain event comes to pass, our wishes will be discarded as hogwash, with the full strength of our laws. Hopeless at the possibility that everything we have worked for - together - may go into the hands of those who have actively and publicly declared us as abominable, who have openly announced their disgust for our life together,<br />
<br />
Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel ambivalent. I have come to accept that full equality will never be achieved in our lifetime. This is a country that has no problem thinking women are weaker, that sexual minorities deserve to be stoned to death, that anyone that deviates from the norm, or the expected, deserves to be scrutinized, ridiculed or shamed.<br />
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<i>Wala ka paring asawa???</i><br />
<i>Tagal na ninyong kasal...ba't wala pa kayong anak???</i><br />
<i>Ano nangyari? Ang taba taba mo na!!!</i><br />
<i>Sayang, ang ganda niya dati...losyang na losyang na siya!</i><br />
<i>Ang tanda tanda mo na....call center lang ang na-achieve mo???</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This is our backdrop. This is where we frame our lives against, a culture that prides itself in being conservatively cloistered, unceasingly unchanging, petulantly pious.<br />
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But.<br />
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Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel strange. Strangely hopeful, that despite the best efforts of those that disapprove of us, we have not only thrived, but we celebrate our togetherness, each and every day. With each text message, asking the other "<i>Musta ang bb</i>?" With each greeting, before we close our eyes, of "sweet dreams, my love." With each question, at the end of our work day, of "are we having our mini-date at home or outside?"<br />
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Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel <i>kilig. </i>And odd. Odd for couples we know who seem to not have that feeling, what Carrie Bradshaw once described as the zsa zsa zu. Let me reiterate her very question, isn't that what gets you through the years? We will be the first to admit that a relationship is work. But it's work we love because of who we love. Which - was it Gates or Jobs who said it - makes it non-work.<br />
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Today, on our 19th anniversary, I feel comforted. Knowing that each squabble, each misstep, each roadblock, all of them have formed a patchwork spanning 19 years, with each achievement, each celebration, and each joyous event as the other bookend. Comfort in being comfortable with each other, and comfortably uncomfortable seeing the uncertainty of the horizon, but knowing - comfortably knowing - we will always get through it, together.<br />
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Do we have a perfect life? Far from it. But for each eye roll, sarcastic remark, copious shedding of tears, and hysterical ROTF laughter we constantly and consistently share, we become less enamored with perfection, knowing it really is all about the journey.<br />
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Happy 19th anniversary, my Beloved. The journey continues.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-22577510481870670462016-02-17T18:28:00.000+08:002016-02-17T18:28:40.596+08:00Bills That Senator Manny Can File Once ElectedWe've all heard what senatorial candidate and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao had to say about same sex marriage, his now (in)famous "<i>masahol pa sa hayop</i>" (more disgusting than animals) comment getting the mileage it no doubt was intended to engender. After the online backlash, he's apologized, he's had dinner with some LGBT kids, but he stands equally firm in his beliefs, because as Manny implied, his holy book trumps everything else.<br />
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Here's my reaction: Go for it, Manny. Go all the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOJWuk5Ozyi0EzpdHbAHCBe-4_VYZRkv4rUkd5CZix-vhah5bXoCEsp8Uv1pZMDq2thrlbx7aU_hszsddM8NpSZ8nELsFBxQDipCuoH9GuOZXvEGdaYb4SVdVYNgdneTgsF4ti60MbkW/s1600/pacman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOJWuk5Ozyi0EzpdHbAHCBe-4_VYZRkv4rUkd5CZix-vhah5bXoCEsp8Uv1pZMDq2thrlbx7aU_hszsddM8NpSZ8nELsFBxQDipCuoH9GuOZXvEGdaYb4SVdVYNgdneTgsF4ti60MbkW/s320/pacman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(From youtube.com)</div>
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And given his standing in most surveys, Manny will have no problem calling himself - and forcing everyone else, even those who don't like him - a senator in a few months. He's placed in the middle of the pack consistently, a comfortable almost-guarantee he will add "senator" to his long list of career choices, as if boxer, singer, wannabe evangelist, product endorser, sometime TV host, basketball player, basketball coach, philanthropist, and 4-day legislator aren't enough.<br />
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Future Senator Manny, I propose that you hit the ground running once you earn your Senate seat. And in the hopes of seeing you succeed, and taking into account your personal beliefs, kindly consider the following suggestions for bills to sponsor and push for in the Senate.<br />
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<b><u>An Act To Declare Women's Participation In Politics As Illegal</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
We will, of course, need to have basis for all of these bills, and for this particular bill, you have your holy book firmly on your side. 1st Timothy 2:12 makes it rather clear: "I do not permit a woman to teach, or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet."<br />
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A blanket statement, the best admonition any holy book can give: women <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">must</u> be quiet. There is no <i>if</i> in that. Since women are not to exert authority over any man, she is therefore barred from running for any public office, or being assigned to one, lest she exert some kind of influence on a single male.<br />
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It also prevents her from getting a vote, since that would constitute "making my female voice heard" and since your holy book says (altogether now) "<b>women must be quiet</b>" you have the perfect justification for pushing this bill.<br />
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Moreover, almost all religions already practice this exclusion of women in positions of power, all we need to do is to follow their lead.<br />
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<b><u>An Act Forbidding Tattoos, Haircuts, And All Kinds Of Shellfish</u></b><br />
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Leviticus 19:28 says "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourself; I am The Lord."<br />
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Leviticus 19:27, meanwhile, makes visits to the local barber shop a waste of time and money. "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head, or clip off the edges of your beard." I guess this means no private company can also enforce the "clean shaven" look on their employees.<br />
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And anyone who pushes crabs or lobsters on their menu can be aptly described as "unclean" - hey, don't blame Manny, he isn't being offensive, silly, because Leviticus 11:12 states that very word: "anything living in the water that does not have fins or scales is to be regarded as unclean by you."<br />
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Manny, I have no doubt, will stand by his beliefs, which makes clear stances on these three items. And anyone who wants to begin pointing at Manny's body covered in tattoos should know that that is a matter between him and his God.<br />
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<b><u>An Act Declaring Boxing Illegal</u></b><br />
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"Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways." So says Proverbs 3:31, and because Manny stands by his holy book, he will have no recourse but to make the "sport" of boxing illegal, as it is not a way that his holy book would have chosen. If anything, this verse makes it clear that anyone engaged in violence or violent acts is never considered a good example.<br />
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It would be fair to also include sports like Mixed Martial Arts under this broad definition, as it results in bloodied faces and broken bones, which can be summarily described as the result of violent acts, and done for sport, and not in defense of one's life.<br />
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Broadening the scope of this Act, we may go down its logical conclusion and ban all weapons and materials like guns, knives, and scissors, from public circulation, as these could - unwittingly - be used for violent purposes. But that will be for another day in the Senate.<br />
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You are planning to make at least 2 visits to the Senate Hall, yes, Manny?<br />
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<b><u>An Act Declaring Lechon Illegal</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Now, this truly saddens me, and all bacon lovers, but as a devout follower of your holy book, who will no doubt introduce and try to enact laws based on this unchanging book, you have to declare the porcine creature as abominable - after all, Deuteronomy 14:8 says we are "not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses" - which basically eliminates <i>lechon</i> skin from the national diet and all <i>fiestas</i>.<br />
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<b><u>An Act To Reinstate Slavery</u></b><br />
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Colossians 4:1 is an interesting read because it does not tell us not to have slaves, but rather it specifies <i>how </i>to treat slaves...listen: "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing you also have a Master in heaven."<br />
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In short, Manny, your holy book approves of having slaves, as long as they are treated in a certain way. We should be proud to have slaves, then, and must ensure that legal measures are put in place to continue the practice of owning people - that is the definition of slavery, yes? - since this is sanctioned and approved by your holy book.<br />
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Can you not feel the wave of righteousness that Manny will bring once he is elected to the Senate?<br />
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Can you not hear the cries of people who wish to ban boxing matches and to make owning people fashionable again, on top of being approved by Manny's holy book?<br />
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With just a smattering of verses, Manny can come up with so many bills, it would make Miriam envious.<br />
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Of course, Manny would have to declare Catholicism illegal, since he has changed religions himself. I suppose that would be another bill - what to do with Catholic churches once the practice of this particular faith is banned.<br />
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But given how Manny is being supported online over his "<i>masahol</i>" comment as being "true to his faith" and "standing up for his beliefs, and why he is being persecuted" we should take Manny's lead as this country's greatest religious and moral arbiter - how dare you question Manny, he who has brought honor to our country by punching his bloodied opponents senseless!<br />
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No wonder Manny's fans taunted Mayweather as "Gayweather". Compared to <i>masahol</i>, Gayweather is just a blip in the pantheon of insults, and as the online comments show, there is supposedly nothing more shameful in life than to be called <i>bakla </i>or <i>tomboy</i>.<br />
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I look forward to the momentous bills you will undoubtedly sponsor, Future Senator Manny.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-14096256649014000422016-01-12T21:53:00.000+08:002016-01-13T09:13:19.614+08:00A Bothersome Credit Card AdWell, technically, it was an "advertorial" as stated in the news item itself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RuElNzR2imrasKxlweR0238c95ZTnH5oqfGg6lJ-QR14WcEF3X_i-Vbid0ox-jvBZffzp8_D12ubZep2NtNZ3fIgcIORFE62oE9QA2sZ0QR2sZRLVAaZ5nuz8gA9ft2A6tZMsO5T4RG_/s1600/card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RuElNzR2imrasKxlweR0238c95ZTnH5oqfGg6lJ-QR14WcEF3X_i-Vbid0ox-jvBZffzp8_D12ubZep2NtNZ3fIgcIORFE62oE9QA2sZ0QR2sZRLVAaZ5nuz8gA9ft2A6tZMsO5T4RG_/s1600/card.jpg" /></a></div>
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(From psdgraphics.com)</div>
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The news article that disturbed me to no end is entitled <a href="http://newsmobile.abs-cbn.com/advertorial/lifestyle/12/28/15/why-it-pays-to-have-a-credit-card" target="_blank">Why It Pays To Have A Credit Card</a>, which appeared on the website of ABS-CBN News. The link to the article itself labels it as an advertorial, and it also gives you a link to the BDO Credit Card site.</div>
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It is a short article (only three paragraphs), but from the get go, being a financial adviser, I could not let my frown go, after just the very first paragraph, which reads:</div>
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<b>"Short on cash? No problem! In times like these -- when spending is inevitable -- having a credit card comes in handy."</b></div>
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The article mentioned "times like these," so I checked the date of posting, which was December 28, 2015. Add to that the phrase "when spending is inevitable" and one gets a certain understanding: this credit card ad was being positioned as your "back up cash" because, well, the season <i>compels </i>you to spend. And spend some more, even if you are "short on cash."</div>
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All of which are red flags, from a financial advising perspective.</div>
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First off, let me say that credit cards per se are not bad (or as my friend calls it, evil). The caveat being, if you use it wisely, deliberately, and pay the amount due in full. (Or have zero percent installments, though even that can be troublesome, but that is for a later discussion.) Credit cards also happen to have a lot of perks: most have a point system, some deals in hotels and restaurants can only be taken advantage of with a certain card company, and it definitely saves you the burden of having to carry wads of cash when you're purchasing a big ticket item like a household appliance.</div>
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Wisely, because you understand that a credit card is actually incurring <b>debt</b>. This is not a free-for-all gift certificate that you can swipe until the heavens fall down. This is something <b>you need to pay back</b>. </div>
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Deliberately, because it means you have the means to pay it back on time, when it is due. You do not - or should I say, should not - use a credit card without knowing for certain how you are going to pay the bill once your SOA (Statement of Account) is mailed to you. By using the card, you should be essentially thinking of when you will be able to clean the slate.</div>
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And paying the amount due in full is the only way you can escape paying any late, finance or other charges. I remembered hearing a couple of young female professionals (they certainly looked nice) argue about getting a pair of shoes, and the one with the card rationalized aloud that "anyway, I just have to pay 5% <i>daw </i>(supposedly) of the amount swiped and I can still use the card!" That would mean that the interest levied would have the 95% as the base - there's no other word for that but foolish!</div>
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But that is exactly what the ad is perpetuating.</div>
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You don't have money, you are being pressured into buying things you can't afford, you don't want to look like a cheapskate in front of family and friends - <i>ta-dah! </i>Here's a credit card to "solve" your financial woes.</div>
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Frankly, I can't think of a worse time to avail of a credit card.</div>
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If you're short on cash, that already means you have some budgeting skills to brush up on. Adding debt to the equation can be the start of your downward financial spiral, since all you will be doing now is playing catch up.</div>
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If you still haven't bought them gifts by the 28th of December, I think it's clear to them that they're not on your Christmas list. Why fall for the marketing ploy and advertisements that portray you as inadequate or insensitive if you don't throw cash at your entire Facebook list this materialistic season?</div>
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Let me reiterate: credit cards can be useful. I've had to whip out my card because we had to make an emergency run to the emergency room, and the hospital needed a guarantee that someone would be able to pay. At tense moments like that, the last thing you need to be worrying about is where to find an ATM that will give you the amount of money being asked by the hospital. (And some banks have even lowered the amount you can withdraw daily, so this is a real concern when you need a larger amount ASAP.)</div>
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But completing your Christmas shopping list just to save face and appear generous - even at the expense of your financial wellness, who cares about the fact that you <b>actually </b>have no cash, I have to give them gifts, <i>nakakahiya kaya </i>(that would be embarrassing) - is recklessness that could cost you.</div>
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Literally.</div>
Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-44762505703202677432016-01-05T22:45:00.000+08:002016-01-05T22:45:23.554+08:00One Off The Bucket ListThey say an ending is only the gateway to a new beginning; if there's any truth to that, then how we ended 2015 is a great portent to how 2016 will be, taste wise.<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlFP7D7b1XweRD8ZVPFeDJQuOozdePKnii824pTqfDN2GnSmPNRVon6RWmcFQMVkoYYmE-ghPphQSUlE7OzdC9IFyphe9gf_TSCXeA80AFGmgmpHWNZh2bxD78ulr96rlNJ92ZnNnUOuw/s1600/P_20151230_190934_LL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlFP7D7b1XweRD8ZVPFeDJQuOozdePKnii824pTqfDN2GnSmPNRVon6RWmcFQMVkoYYmE-ghPphQSUlE7OzdC9IFyphe9gf_TSCXeA80AFGmgmpHWNZh2bxD78ulr96rlNJ92ZnNnUOuw/s320/P_20151230_190934_LL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Art and I have been living in Makati for a number of years, but we have not set foot at one of the "hidden gems" of the city, <b>Gulliver's of San Francisco</b>. I've read the reviews, as well as the food porn pictures of my Facebook friends who never fail to rave about it, and I suspect it's because I live nearby, that I have put it off for so long, thinking "we can go there anytime, anyway."</div>
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So when Art and I found ourselves "party-less" on the second to the last day of 2015 (finally, haha), he sprung the idea on me, to end our curiosity about what food bloggers and friends have been <i>ooh</i>-ing over.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiJR2KeQQ9YDcw-q-RHX38Auy8Tjw2y-JsjDu1xVtTGNXyKJo6J_eMQXgLcI_T3znduc_srX8Mn5B1zk0Zi4mhTLY1AzMwOyr-Yc3vk5402cGiJA84yFhyuHZF-bwO8r0zuSBU_EFzf5n/s1600/P_20151230_190309_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiJR2KeQQ9YDcw-q-RHX38Auy8Tjw2y-JsjDu1xVtTGNXyKJo6J_eMQXgLcI_T3znduc_srX8Mn5B1zk0Zi4mhTLY1AzMwOyr-Yc3vk5402cGiJA84yFhyuHZF-bwO8r0zuSBU_EFzf5n/s320/P_20151230_190309_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a fortuitous decision because most of Makati was quiet (most probably because people have already gone home to welcome 2016), and we were able to get a nice spot. As soon as we sat down, Art was about to ask what I was having, and I immediately blurted "the Roast Prime Ribs of Beef, of course, that's what you come here for!" so he decided to have the Rib Eye just for the sake of variety.</div>
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We started off (like in most steakhouses) with complimentary bread with butter.</div>
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I have to admit being ravenous by that point, but because I didn't want to mar my 'virginal' experience, I just had one piece. As opposed to most posts I've seen 'complaining' about the decor of the restaurant being dated, Art and I found it rather charming, that such a place (that gives more than a nod to the past) still exists. Think Old World meets English pub, and you have a sense of what it's like being there. (We went at night so it wasn't that conducive to photographing the place.)</div>
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Before long, we were having our orders carted to our table.</div>
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When the waiter asked me what size I would like, I replied with no hesitation "Full Bone Cut, please!" (I mean, you're already there, why settle for a Petite Cut?!?)</div>
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One word: <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">glorious</u>.</div>
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The meat (done medium rare) was so soft, even Art had to marvel at how they were able to achieve this. The gravy that accompanied it went perfectly with the deep savory taste that was rolling in my mouth, which was busy masticating all this bovine glory. All I could think of was, <i>why the hell did I wait so long to experience this?</i></div>
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Art had the Rib Eye, which, if he had not tried my order, he would have said was perfect. His gravy somehow tasted better, that I ended up getting most of it.</div>
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It was incredibly tasty, but lost to the Prime Rib in terms of softness. (Which sealed for Art what he would be ordering the next time we're back. And we will.) The sides that accompanied our meats deserve mention, because the creamed corn delighted us, and the creamed spinach was so flavorful, I almost asked for rice.</div>
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You can have your trendy places, modern interpretations and oh-so-hip-and-now steakhouses. But if what you're after is a serious hunk of meat that's worth splurging your calorie count for, without breaking the bank, then you've come to the right place.</div>
Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-50162421007697763022015-09-22T18:14:00.000+08:002015-09-22T18:14:37.610+08:00Should I Invest Or Insure? (Part Two)In the previous post, I discussed two factors to help you decide whether to invest or insure. We continue with a discussion of the other three factors mentioned. Do remember that there are other considerations, but the ones I discuss are the ones most frequently raised or talked about when I meet my clients.<br />
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<b><u>Time Horizon</u></b><br />
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Used as a gauge for financial advisers to recommend where clients will invest their money in, time horizon would refer to a time period in which to achieve your financial goals. This is where there is a clear delineation between investment and insurance.<br />
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I often use a single question to give my recommendation to clients as to where they will invest in: "What are you investing for?" This seemingly simple question can open the discussion into bank account balances, lifelong dreams and purpose in life, but in a less romantic but more numerical sense, it gives me a specific number to base my recommendation on.<br />
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A 30 year old who wishes to begin saving for retirement has a good 30 years ahead of her to attain her goal. But a 22 year old who wants to travel to India in a couple of years will not have a lot of time to allow his funds to grow. Couple that with the fact that a 30 year old will (statistically) have a more regular, higher paying job and some money already in her savings account, compared with the 22 year old (who is just starting out, and may realize he is in the wrong company or even field), and probably is still busy "partying it up" at each payday, and their time horizons will affect where they will invest in - or if they should even be investing at all.<br />
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This is why when I meet parents who have very young children, I cannot help but advise them to begin investing for their child's education ASAP. In investing, a longer time horizon tends to be equated with a larger fund value, and given the cost of college education these days - and the fact that schools can legally increase this amount every year - it would be wise to begin investing NOW. (Actually it should have been yesterday, but spilled milk and all.)<br />
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In contrast, insurance proceeds are triggered by an event - usually death, but sometimes, the onset of an illness (depending on the type of insurance product). The time horizon is instantaneous (all one needs is for the event to occur), and which is why those with dependents should consider insurance as being more imperative than investments. You need time to maximize the latter, but no such requirement is needed for insurance.<br />
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(Courtesy of assetquest.com)</div>
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<b><u>Age</u></b><br />
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In both cases, it is in one's best interest to get in while you are young: Invest early, insure early.<br />
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As previously mentioned, in investing, one needs the element of time on one's side, in order to maximize potential gains. When you look at the charts of funds available for the general public to invest in (and I'm excluding those that are considered high-risk, speculative or derivatives), the price per unit goes through a series of ups and downs on a daily basis, but are generally in a line that slopes upward. Over the long term, most funds perform in this fashion.<br />
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Even when the Asian financial crisis hit (which saw a noticeable dip in fund performance), if the investor did not pull out his funds (which was still a paper loss at that point), he would have recovered by last year, and even surpassed it, especially if it was in a mutual fund, where the investment is spread throughout several companies and even industries.<br />
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I've had clients who withdrew their funds after less than a year of investing, and predictably, most of them "lost," especially since they said they wouldn't need the funds until 20 years later, and which is the information I used to recommend them placing a portion of their money in equities (stocks). Whether out of need, or that they wanted to place it elsewhere, given that funds have an entry fee, management fee and the timing of the withdrawal, chances are an investor would be suffering a loss.<br />
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I mention this because it is important for clients to remember that the information they give their financial adviser should be accurate, because it is the basis upon which we give our advice. In the same way that you go to a doctor and he doesn't give you antibiotics without first asking you about your condition, we only give recommendations based on the information we receive.<br />
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Insurance premiums are pretty much age and health based - and this is something that makes sense statistically. When one is younger, chances are great that you are healthier and free from most diseases or illnesses, which result in lower premiums. Rates are computed in part based on the mortality and morbidity experience of age groups, and it's no wonder that if you were to get the same product, a 59 year old would be paying much more than someone who was 21.<br />
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A word of caution, though. The age when people are getting tumors and life threatening conditions is getting younger, based on my experience. I've had a 31 year old client who was denied insurance coverage because of a tumor (even though it was benign). I also remember another client who worked out everyday (he was in his 40's), and did not want to consider getting an insurance plan for himself (he is single but his parents depended on him financially).<br />
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Out of the blue, he calls me one day and asks to meet with me - with the news that he now has cancer, owing to family medical history. (One thing I pointed out a year before when I was encouraging him to get protected with life insurance). It may be our stress levels, our lifestyles, but whatever the case, the age when people contract these diseases has become earlier.<br />
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Insurance is a strange product because you have to get it when you don't need it, and you can't avail of it anymore once you do.<br />
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<b><u>Current Financial Condition</u></b><br />
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If you only had 100 pesos left and it is still three days to payday, would you opt to buy dinner or the pair of shoes on sale?<br />
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Many of our buying decisions are based on "how much do I have in my wallet?" This, I feel, is because most of us are content in living from paycheck to paycheck. As a country, we have one of the lowest savings rate in Asia. We have not inculcated in ourselves, and especially our children, the discipline of setting aside a specific amount from our paycheck, to remain untouched and only to be used in emergencies. This is a topic that deserves a separate post, but I mention it because in giving financial advice, it is important for advisers to know <i>where a client is right now </i>in order to make an informed recommendation.<br />
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If one has limited funds, or especially a pressing need for immediate funds, it would not be wise to either insure or invest. If we are at a level where there is no safety net, then that should be a financial adviser's first priority: to recommend that a client first make sure s/he has enough funds in a savings account to ensure personal needs and emergency needs can be met if the need arises.<br />
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One might argue that an insurance product is a safety net. True, but only if the daily needs are met, and can be reasonably met in the near future. Only then should a client begin to assess the correct insurance product for him or herself. Other than need, cost is also a factor - and if needed, a client could consider getting a term (temporary) insurance first (lower premium), which is most likely convertible to a permanent plan, which costs more.<br />
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As stated previously, money for investing is something you should be prepared to lose. This is why you should gauge - honestly - that the amount you are putting up for investment makes up only a part of your overall financial plan, and one that doesn't impinge or take away from funds for other purposes. Only by assessing your current financial condition truthfully can you make a realistic estimate of how much you can or should be investing.<br />
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Financial advisers can only do so much - the action portion of this equation belongs to each and everyone of us. I've had my fair share of people whom I've encouraged to either invest or insure, but they've delayed for a myriad of reasons. The only thing constant is that those who acted - they invested or insured themselves - are always in a better position financially than those who did not, who dilly-dallied, and wasted time letting their money grow, or already contracted diseases that they have been rendered no longer insurable.<br />
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Financial knowledge is good , but it doesn't benefit you until one acts on it.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-76852505755041438182015-09-04T23:13:00.000+08:002015-09-04T23:13:07.564+08:00Should I Invest Or Insure? (Part One)This is a question I get asked often as a financial adviser. The short answer to that is: it depends. (Or as my friend who likes to joke a lot says, it <i>defense</i>.) The long winded reply has to do with many factors - including, but not limited to: purpose, number of dependents, time horizon, age and current financial condition.<br />
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In my years in the financial industry, I have noticed many clients have been given mismatched products in relation to their needs. This may be because the client was given not too well informed advice, or the vendor did not know (or did not care to know) the financial status of the client, or the client was taken in (in the vernacular, <i>nasilawan</i>) by the returns promised that s/he didn't read the fine print: returns not guaranteed, paying period could be a lifetime, or the risks are all your own, among others.<br />
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Let's tackle the factors listed above.<br />
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<b><u>Purpose</u></b><br />
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It may seem like a basic premise, asking a client why they met with a financial adviser in the first place. But in an effort to make more sales, some bank employees or insurance agents end up being product pushers - even if the client has no need for the particular product being shoved face first.<br />
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This is why financial education is important. Similar to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, in financial circles we also have a guide in order to help a client better assess and understand what financial needs are more imperative to achieve first, before moving on to the next level.<br />
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The lowest level of this guide is ensuring you have enough cash and liquidity for your emergency and daily needs. This safety net is an amount that should equal around 3 to 6 months worth of salaries. Notice the qualifiers "emergency" and "daily", which means it can cover both expected expenses (like your weekly grocery shopping) and the unexpected events (like a car needing massive repair from a car accident).<br />
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The next level would be protection - ensuring that those who are dependent on your income for survival will be taken care of should the breadwinner be taken out of the picture. I come from a Chinese family that had serious (cultural) reservations about ever mentioning death, so I understand clients who find it an unpleasant topic, but the more you put off this discussion, the more it becomes difficult to manage financial affairs if the breadwinner dies.<br />
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There will be burial or cremation related expenses, final medical and hospital bills to deal with, estate taxes on properties left behind, and the specter of "how will we earn for our daily needs" has to be answered at that moment, because life goes on for those left behind despite a horrible loss.<br />
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Investments form the last level, and these are purposely relegated last, because they should be entertained only if you have excess funds to do so. The simplest reason I can give for this is because investments, by definition, are never guaranteed. As part of one's financial portfolio, these should be funds you are <i>prepared to lose and write off</i> should the investment not perform to expectation. Yes, there are ways to manage risks (like diversification), but it will never be absent and an investor will have to take that as part and parcel of the investing world.<br />
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Therefore, if all you have in your bank account is 20,000 pesos, using it all in buying the equivalent amount of shares in a mutual fund would be unwise as it leaves you with nothing for the first two needs. I mention this specifically because I have met clients who eschew saving for emergencies or insurance, but whose eyes light up the moment the word "investment" is bandied around and are ready to "go all-in," to use gambling parlance, rather fittingly.<br />
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<b><u>Number of Dependents</u></b><br />
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If there are people who are depending on your income for their survival or needs, then you have a dependent. This relationship is easiest to understand in a parent-child relationship. Every need the child has - food, shelter, clothing, transportation, tuition fees, school uniforms and supplies, all of these are supposed to be provided by the parent who is the breadwinner of the family.<br />
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It stands to reason that the child will be financially distraught if the parent dies and the source of income is discontinued. If the spouse is a housewife or househusband, then this will mean a drastic change in occupation, from homemaker to a member of the working force. (And which raises new questions, like who will now bring the children to school? Who will take care of the daily chores since no one will be available during the day to do them? How will the surviving parent now fetch the child from school, whose classes end at 2 PM, when work hours end at 5:30 PM?)<br />
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Having insurance will alleviate many of these valid concerns. The surviving spouse will have ready funds for immediate needs like the bills that come like clockwork, and do not stop just because the breadwinner has passed on. S/he may also hire a <i>yaya </i>(nanny) or <i>tagaluto</i> (cook) to help with the chores. Most importantly, having ready funds buys time for the remaining parent to look for a job, which we all know is one thing that is not easy to come by.<br />
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(Image from moneychoice.org)</div>
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In the insurance industry, it is quite often more difficult to introduce the concept of insurance to single people, seeing as they do not have immediate dependents. The reason "no need" is true - at first glance. However, with people living longer these days, a new demographic has come up: parents who depend on a single child's income. Since one or both parents are now retired, if they haven't saved for their retirement, a child is often culturally obligated to foot the bill, so to speak, lest a melodramatic scene with the line "<i>pinag-aral ka namin sa mabuting eskwelahan!</i>" (we sent you to good schools) should come to pass.<br />
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Adding to that cultural pressure, single people are often "tapped" into being benefactors of their siblings who are married but unable to provide adequately for their own families, having 5 or 6 kids to boot. I have clients who come to me, complaining that their sister would "guilt" them by saying "<i>napaka-</i>selfish <i>mo naman, tulungan mo naman kami sa gastusin, wala ka namang pamilya, eh!</i>" (you are so selfish, come on, you have to help us with our expenses, it's not like you have a family of your own) and having a financial burden they didn't even sign up for.<br />
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A newer concern for single people is who will take care of them when they get a major disease, like a heart attack or stroke. Being without the traditional support of a family, they will have to rely on fending for themselves - and true enough, I have clients who come to me specifically for this purpose: health insurance, which ensures they will have a ready fund should a catastrophic illness strike. We have made advances in treating illnesses like cancer, that they are already seen as surmountable nowadays, but at the end of the day, you need funds to avail of them.<br />
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Whether you are married with kids, married without kids, single with kids, or single by choice, it seems inevitable that you will have dependents. It would be prudent to prepare for it while you still can.<br />
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I will discuss the last three factors mentioned above in my next post. Having been in this field for a number of years, I can say that even when armed with sound financial information, people tend to procrastinate on acting on it. Reading materials can only do so much - the will to act will come from you.<br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-42444324805008484732015-06-29T15:52:00.000+08:002015-06-29T15:52:44.273+08:00The Problem With ToleranceThis past week saw two news items that, as the lingo goes, broke the internet. One was the SCOTUS' (Supreme Court of the United States) decision to uphold marriage equality, and the other was the UP (University of the Philippines) graduate and <i>summa cum laude</i> Tiffany Uy getting a near perfect GWA (Graded Weighted Average) at the country's premier learning institution.<br />
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(From dailykos.com)</div>
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(From pinoythaiyo.com)</div>
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Both of which highlighted a concept that may not be as obvious as it first seems: tolerance.<br />
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An interesting word, to be sure. The closest translation I can come up with using the vernacular would be <i>tinitiis </i>or <i>sinisikmura </i>when one says "I'm just tolerating you." Curiously, the first term alludes to suffering to the point of wanting to let go, and the second term refers to the stomach, also a reference to wondering how much one can stomach the person/situation being faced.<br />
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None of which are ideal situations, or at least not the kind of remark anyone can describe as being a positive note. What it conjures up is a threshold: one that will make me go over to the other side of the field. It comes across as a threat, a warning, or a dark foreboding. I can't imagine anyone feeling good about themselves or their self confidence should they hear the phrase, "<i>tinitiis lang kita, malapit ka na.</i>" (I'm just tolerating you, you're nearing my breaking point.)<br />
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But it seems that many Filipinos have had enough, judging from the Facebook posts I've been seeing. Enough of those gays, <i>abusado na sila sa </i>gay rights <i>nila</i>. (abusive with their so-called gay rights) Enough of these Chinese Filipinos <i>pero Instik na Intsik ang pangalan naman </i>(but the name is so obviously Chinese) getting slots at UP which are for Filipinos ONLY and for the poor. If that is not homophobia or racism in full display, I don't know what is.<br />
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See, the problem with the word tolerance is that people who espouse this stance, whether with the LGBT community or immigrants, are more interested in finding reasons to drop their tolerance. Because, heaven knows, it is such a weight to appear less homophobic or racist in public. Any time one engages in pretense, there is sure to be an emotional cost (which often manifests itself physically). How can there not be? You are not being your true self, you have to keep up a facade, you cannot express how you really feel. So when a trigger like "two men can get married legally in the USA now" or "the best student in UP is a <i>Tsinoy </i>(Chinese Filipino)" it is a signal to loosen their grip on feigned acceptance.<br />
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That, to me, is what tolerance really is: feigned acceptance. Trying to appear accommodating when you are seething inside. Waiting for the right moment to bubble over.<br />
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In the book <i>And Say Hi To Joyce, </i>journalists Deb Price and Joyce Murdoch go over the hate letters they have received over the years as a lesbian couple and find striking similarities between those who exhibit misogynistic, racist and homophobic attitudes. In Jessica Joseph's piece on Huffington Post, its' title also draws the same observation: <i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-joseph/homophobia-and-racism-similar-methodologies-of-dehumanization_b_3459204.html" target="_blank">Homophobia And Racism: Similar Methodologies Of Dehumanization.</a></i><br />
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When the LGBT community gains the civil right to marriage - not in church or forcing any religion to officiate these unions - why is it treated as a threat, in particular to the Roman Catholic Church in this country? Will our local counterparts go the way of the American conservatives, some of whom have threatened to set themselves on fire, get divorced (now there's a concept: imposing religious values on others while threatening to break self-imposed rules) or moving to Canada, should marriage equality be upheld by their Supreme Court? (Many of those "threatening" are unaware Canada has had marriage equality for a decade now.) Will heterosexual couples suddenly turn into cockroaches because of this ruling, a civil, secular ruling that has <i>absolutely </i>no bearing on how any church is to conduct its' own wedding ceremonies?<br />
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When Tiffany puts in the hard work in order to achieve her near perfect final grade, does it stop other "<i>mukhang Pinoy na Pinoy" </i>(looks ethnically Filipino) Filipino students from achieving the same GWA? How does mere acceptance into UP ensure that she will get the GWA she graduated with? Is it fair to say (as some online comments have posited) that she had wealth to help her achieve her academic goal, disregarding the fact that several news items over the past years have highlighted those who have come from humble backgrounds (read: not rich) or even battling physical disabilities to become top of their class?<br />
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What will it take for our society to fully and wholeheartedly accept gay people or <i>Tsinoys</i>? When can we turn tolerance into acceptance?<br />
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It won't happen if we happen to keep invoking ancient texts to say "my holy book tells me they are an abomination." Or spreading ideas like "<i>ang mga mukhang Instik dapat ipadeport sa Tsina! Alis!</i>" (Those who look like ethnic Chinese should be deported immediately back to China! Away!)<br />
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It won't be a reality when we fallaciously equate same sex relationships with pedophilia or bestiality, as if children or animals could sign contracts and have legal standing.<br />
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Nor will it come to pass as long as we keep calling them <i>Instik beho</i>, or thinking that all people who look <i>singkit</i> only perform well in school because they are rich/had connections/"only" did the grunt work. As if hard work was something to scoff at. (Seriously, who would be a better role model: Tiffany with the 1.004 GWA or one of those gyrating dancers in barely nothing on our noontime shows?)<br />
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The best way to combat tolerance - and changing it to acceptance - is to actually know the person you thought you knew so much of, but have barely spoken to. (And in this, it takes both sides to make it work.) I have seen so much hatred and spitefulness hurled at both Tiffany and the LGBT community these last few days. One used the cloak of nationalism, the other one, of supposed moral uprightness.<br />
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News flash: bigotry wrapped in either of those things is still bigotry.<br />
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Your marriage is not devalued because Susan and Trixie tied the knot. You can still beat Tiffany's GWA - albeit it will be much harder, after she set the bar so high - even if you look <i>Pinoy na Pinoy</i>. Until we focus on how to better ourselves - individually - and to stop judging others for what they achieve in their own lives in order to feel superior, that is the best we can come up with.<br />
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Tolerance.<br />
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<br />Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-71037776196601531312015-05-18T20:29:00.001+08:002015-05-18T20:29:22.449+08:00Dear Parents, Is A Bag More Important Than Your Child's Education?That is the question I am led to ask upon seeing <a href="http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/193491/thai-parents-pawn-hermes-gucci-lv-bags-and-blythe-dolls-to-pay-school-fees" target="_blank">this news article.</a><br />
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While the item is discussing a situation happening in Bangkok, I have no doubt that it is also happening on our shores. The article opens with the following paragraph:</div>
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Luxury items such as Hermes, Gucci and Louis Vuitton handbags and Blythe dolls have been sold at pawnshops nationwide as parents struggle to find money for their children's tuition fees and related expenses for the new school year this month.</blockquote>
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The rest of the article seemed to focus more on how much money the items could fetch, and the security measures employed by different pawnshops to secure these pricey items. As a financial adviser, one of the skills I have to use repeatedly is to draw out information even from what little data is offered by the person in front of me.<br />
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Given the paragraph above, one can conclude the following.<br />
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1. Luxury items induce desire and are coveted. As a friend once pointed out, they are designed to elicit envy in those who do not have them, and pride in those who do. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it sets the next point up.<br />
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2. Not having enough money to maintain a luxury lifestyle does not stop people from buying these items. Clearly, the people who resorted to pawning or selling their LV bags or notebooks/tablets (also mentioned later in the article) had enough resources to purchase them - but at the expense of other expenses or needs that have to be addressed.<br />
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3. Being a parent does not automatically endow you with the "children come first" instinct. This is something that I thought would be natural, or even primal. I've heard of new parents who have declared that their world has changed - forever - the moment they see their newborn.<br />
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But what happens after that heart wrenching moment? I've seen some parents of my schoolmates who are absent - either physically because they would rather be at work or attend parties than spend time with their kids, or emotionally, unable to connect with their children and not having any desire to do so.<br />
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And given the paragraph above, I cannot help but wonder: how is it that any parent can afford to buy a luxury bag but forget to realize the obligation of funding a child's education? It is an entirely different situation when a parent is working already to the bone and still can't make ends meet - at least s/he is trying, given his/her circumstances. But a luxury bag - or any luxury item - automatically means you have a substantial amount of money, which leads nicely to the next point.<br />
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4. What we do with what we have is always a choice. Since we have established that these are people who are in possession of a not insignificant amount of money - being able to buy a luxury bag - it becomes apparent that they have deemed "having an Hermes bag" more imperative then "I have to save for my son's tuition next year."<br />
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If that means I'm being judgmental, I'd like to say that my "judgment" is based on the actions exhibited. It is easy to shriek and say "I love my child! How dare you judge me? You don't even have your own offspring!" but I have always believed something I have been taught: actions will always speak louder.<br />
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The moment you have a bubbly baby in your arms, parents should immediately begin mapping out a financial plan that will prepare them for the coming financial obligations. That includes constant saving, investing in vehicles that overtake the inflation rate, budgeting and cutting costs whenever possible. It must be impressed that another human being is now fully dependent on you - that to me is the simplest definition of being a parent. And that brings up my final point.<br />
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5. Make your financial priorities clear. Parents are <i>supposed </i>to put their children's needs before their own. I italicized the word because not every parent does that - obviously, otherwise that article about bags and pawnshops wouldn't have been written.<br />
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The best way to do that is to know where you are - how much you have, are earning - and what your goals are for the near and far(ther) future; this will lead you into actions to bridge the gap between the two. As an example: you are earning 40,000 a month currently. You have to compute what your child's tuition fees would be by the time s/he enters college, taking into account inflation and the amount of increase that laws allow schools to impose, and the actual school where you want your child to study. (Many parents are fanatical about keeping the Alma Mater tradition.)<br />
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That will help you decide how much to save every month from this point on, where to invest your money so it can earn more than what a deposit account can give you, and if needed, to take a job/s that will provide another stream of income (especially if you want your child studying in a 'prestigious' school). Having a goal can help immensely in deciding your actions as far as finances are concerned.<br />
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By all means, splurge once in a while. Get a Frappuccino as a treat. No one is advocating being a miser - and it's no surprise that the word leads nicely to being <i>miser</i>able. But if you find yourself rationalizing all kinds of reasons to down that frothy concoction everyday, or getting a new wardrobe every payday - all the while you don't have any savings at all or aren't building up your retirement fund - you might not be looking for a treat so much as trying to blow your paycheck at every chance you can get.<br />
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In an ideal (unrealistic) world, we would have unlimited funds to buy everything our hearts desire. But unless you belong to the top 1%, allocating our funds is a reality we face everyday. What we choose to spend on reveals what we prioritize.<br />
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One thing I know, though: I haven't heard of anyone being called a bad parent just because she didn't have a designer bag. Unless there's a new memo about parenting that I haven't received.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-20244034562734957352015-05-17T20:20:00.000+08:002015-05-17T20:20:48.593+08:00A Night Of Feasting At Lugang Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks to my Facebook feed, I chanced upon this excellent promotion by Lugang Cafe.</div>
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And what a delicious chance it turned out to be.</div>
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I have read on some food blogs that have raved about Lugang's version of the dimsum staple, <i>xiao long bao</i>. So reading this promotion made me smile because I could have <b>unlimited </b>amounts of it. I was invited to have lunch at Lugang a few months back, and the memory I have of the hot broth encased in that slightly elastic covering hiding delicious pork is still with me.</div>
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We started off with some appetizers (which were also unlimited), and having sampled almost all of them, I can say these are the ones that tickled our taste buds the most.</div>
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<b>Garlic Pork Roll. </b>Get this. Get copious amounts of this. The slight blandness of the pork melds well with whatever herbs were encased within the pork and delighted us with the sweet and garlicky sauce around it. It was such a hit at our table, we are embarrassed to reveal how many servings we had.<br />
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<b>Taiwanese Omelette With Preserved Turnip Bits. </b>If you're a fan of any dish with egg in it, then you should take a bite of this - while it's served hot. There was a certain scent (one of the herbs, probably) that permeated through that was both savory and fresh. The turnip bits might be an acquired taste, though I liked it.<br />
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<b>Spicy Sliced Offals. </b>Wikipedia defines offals as "internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal," so if you're not a fan on innards (like me), this may not be up your alley. But I was drawn to the spicy smell and I have to admit that it was not unpleasant at all - which is a high compliment coming from someone who detests liver, gizzards and the like. It helped that it was cooked in a spicy sauce. The rest of my party found it delicious, just a tad too spicy.<br />
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<b>Steamed Xiao Long Bao. </b>The star dimsum, needing no introduction. There's no time, anyway - everyone was busy gobbling up the tasty morsels.<br />
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<b>Soup of the Day. </b>It was spinach that day. If you watch Restaurant Redemption, you'd know that courses like these (in a buffet or order all you can setup) are fillers and presented to offset economic costs. I think my taste buds were spoiled by the Garlic Pork Roll that this seemed unremarkable by the time I tasted it.<br />
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<b>Pork Wontons in Spicy Chili Oil. </b>Separately, they work. So it makes sense to join them, right? This elicited a rather divided opinion on the table. Some said it was too spicy, others not enough spice. Maybe we should have ordered a second and third serving to have a control group?<br />
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Now, on to the <b>House Specialties. </b>(Note: You can only one House Specialty per person, I would advise you to take part of this promo in at least a group of three to four people, so you can have different House Specialties to sample.)<br />
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<b>Chicken Topped With Scallion And Ginger Oil. </b>If you love scallions as much as I do, then you're in for a treat. The white, boiled chicken underneath was a perfect canvass for the toppings, and could cause your anti-carb result to crumble. (You cannot eat this without rice. It wouldn't make sense. They just go together, period.)<br />
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<b>Hainan Boneless Chicken. </b>My friend Cristie ordered this, and is a perfect alternative to the dish I ordered, from a traditional standpoint. You can see the bird in all of its (pale) glory, with dipping sauces provided at the side to suit everyone's taste. (Of course I still went for the ginger sauce.) And I noticed that this was a larger serving than the one covered in scallions (this was half a chicken).<br />
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<b>Crispy Chicken. </b>Can you hear the crunch? Yes, yes and yes. (Yes, I realize that this is the third poultry dish. What can I say? We're chicken fans.) This was dubbed by Art as "Peking Chicken" or what chicken would taste like if they were done the Peking Duck way/style. I have to say this was a crowd pleaser, with happy tummies (and burps) to prove it.<br />
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<b>Wasabi Mayo Prawns. </b>Shrimps in a fried coating covered in wasabi mayonnaise. Enough said. (The broccoli? Decorative. Haha. But seriously, a good counterbalance to the richness of the dish.)<br />
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You can view the entire menu list below, and it's a special menu specifically made for the duration of the Feast All You Can promotion. (PhP 588+ on weekdays and PhP 688+ on weekends). Hurry, you only have until <u>the end of May</u> to avail of this promotion.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoZfF9Okt6MNUdAmdm-1adhzOBdy_i4syTw5sIQrRBRvsddO3UxN7txpv4W432oVXkBS4QDghDJB1GGdIT7dPO_340Jk7_B_GSErJqfy4D_5HqKEQfYusCJs5WQdbpD-YqpcTviY8Ymmx/s1600/lugangpromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoZfF9Okt6MNUdAmdm-1adhzOBdy_i4syTw5sIQrRBRvsddO3UxN7txpv4W432oVXkBS4QDghDJB1GGdIT7dPO_340Jk7_B_GSErJqfy4D_5HqKEQfYusCJs5WQdbpD-YqpcTviY8Ymmx/s320/lugangpromo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy, happy eating!<br />
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For more information, please check out the sites below.<br />
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http://www.lugangcafe.com.ph/<br />
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lugang-Cafe/195092840524714Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-39666905245134383642015-05-04T21:19:00.000+08:002015-05-04T21:19:21.121+08:00The Emperor Is Fully ClothedWhile watching the (very delayed but free) telecast of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, I could hear my eight-year old niece getting riled up and going, "Go, Manny, <i>bugbugin mo siya</i>! (beat him up)"<br />
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As expected, another long commercial break followed (I already knew from online reports that Mayweather won by that time) and I talked to her. "I know you're rooting for Manny, but just to be clear...you know that <i>pambubugbog </i>(beating someone up) is bad, right?"<br />
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"<i>Oo naman</i> (Of course), <i>tito </i>(uncle) Joey, I wouldn't do that. <i>Mali naman talaga gawin yun</i> (it's wrong to do that)."<br />
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"That's right."<br />
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She skips a beat, and then does a follow up. "But <i>tito</i>...this is boxing. This is different <i>naman</i> (anyway) from <i>pambubugbog</i> (beating someone up), right?"<br />
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What makes this substantially different from a professional boxing match?</div>
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(Photo from news.com.au)</div>
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Not sure as to how her parents would answer that, I just asked her to talk to her dad about the differences between professional boxing and beating someone out of the ring, where there isn't PPV (pay per view) recording the brawl.<br />
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The truth was, I knew exactly how to answer her question. No, I don't see a difference between the two. They both inflict pain, one can actually die from the blows received, and as far as I know, violence in any form is against every moral code I have ever read up on, studied, tried to learn, or live my life by.<br />
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That is not to say that I deny bloodthirsty lust as a human urge. The few times I have ever been involved in activities that involve violence, there is a release that I inherently understand as both appealing and cathartic. A time for words, yes, but sometimes, you just want to beat the crap out of someone for being abusive, or hurtful, or (insert your reason here).<br />
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So, no, I am not in a position <i>para magmalinis</i>. (To appear blameless or 'pure' as far as violence is concerned) But in those times, I felt "justified" in some way: an unkind word was said, or someone inflicted violence on me first. I certainly didn't do it to get paid, but to address some wrong - perceived or real - that I felt needed correcting or just to get back at someone.<br />
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Which is why boxing is especially abhorrent in my book. To necessarily and purposefully harm another human being - for sport? And to attain wealth and some unfathomable (to me, anyway) version of glory and honor?<br />
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What can be less honorable than beating up another human being who has conceivably done nothing to you, just because you belong in the same weight class?<br />
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What adds moral weight to glorifying this blood soaked activity is the fact that fighters and fans alike invoke God into these bouts. You may call me a heretic for my next sentence, but any God that actually approves of this activity is not someone I would call the path to enlightenment. This country claims to be the bastion of Christianity in Asia - I fail to see anything Christ-like in cheering two men beat each other into a pulp for money and fame.<br />
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It was quite interesting to see my niece compartmentalize what I would describe to be an action that would cause cognitive dissonance. I know of no school in this country that endorses violence; in fact, students engaged in violent activities are quite often expelled or suspended. But we have extolled boxing as "the sweet science" - the absolute definition of a misnomer, but so romantically poetic to hear - and raised Manny Pacquiao to saint-like status that, in her mind, <i>pambubugbog </i>is undoubtedly wrong but boxing is "different".<br />
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Should I envy my niece for seeing the emperor as fully clothed?Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-79136325257709901082015-01-27T18:38:00.000+08:002015-01-27T18:38:00.498+08:00Trivial National PursuitsAs expected, all Monday long my social news feed was cluttered with posts, news items and blow-by-blow accounts of how our candidate to the annual contest known as Miss Universe was faring. Even the "serious" news organizations of this country were giving up-to-the-minute updates.<br />
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It is now Tuesday, and apparently, the buzz has shifted to - strangely, of all places - Miss Jamaica. I knew (from my feed) that while our contestant entered the top 10 of the pageant, she did not fare any higher, and news stories were sprouting up saying Filipinos were now behind Miss Jamaica because she "supposedly" has Filipino blood. (Which <a href="http://entertainment.inquirer.net/161689/miss-jamaica-kaci-fennell-does-not-have-filipina-blood" target="_blank">she has denied</a>.)<br />
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No, she doesn't have Filipino blood. Stop asking her.</div>
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(Courtesy of twitter.com)</div>
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Several of our men in uniform died (it seems needlessly), a city mayor is possibly going to be arrested by the Senate, but what makes us pulse online is if a beauty pageant contestant has Filipino blood? Talk about priorities - or the lack thereof. (I read a report that "Jamaica" suddenly trended online for the Philippines during the Miss Universe pageant.)<br />
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As a country, we are "supposed" to be obsessed with two things in the international arena: how congressman Manny Pacquiao fares in his next boxing bout, and how our candidate will do in this year's slew of beauty pageants. If this is what it means to be Filipino, then I most definitely will be on the other side of the fence, what some have labeled as anti-Filipino/un-Filipino.<br />
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I don't care much for boxing matches - I find them as having no difference with the gladiator fights of yore (one can die in either scenario from the strikes sustained). I actually wonder if Manny has some cognitive dissonance with what he does in the ring and what he preaches whenever he is asked his religious views - one that pretty clearly states violence as a no-no.<br />
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I don't care much for beauty pageants, also. It is an insult to women to be judged on how they look in a bikini and to be assigned some kind of numerical worth on that basis. The very notion of pageants is no doubt related to what is already an epic obsession of young girls to look a certain way, along with the powerful messages transmitted in mass media about whitening lotions, laser therapies and underarm treatments.<br />
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What is it about our national DNA that takes pride in the arenas of violence (boxing) and sex (beauty contests)? How do we reconcile that with the fact that we are supposed to be a "deeply Catholic" nation - one that eschews divorce but where illegitimate children are rampant?<br />
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And, in Miss Jamaica's case, we seem to ride on the coattails of anyone who is remotely suspected of having a single drop of Filipino blood. <i>Kahit nga wala, basta masuspetsahan lang. </i>(Even if there is no evidence, just suspicion.)<br />
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Last year, a bunch of kids from Philippine schools placed well in an international mathematics competition. I didn't hear anyone clamoring for these kids to be paraded on floats when they arrived back home, the way we do when Manny or a beauty contestant comes home. You may think little of this, but it is the bits and pieces that make up our cultural landscape - and we have arrived at a (sad) point where one can be called a "traitor" for not being supportive of either of them.<br />
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One argument says "they bring honor to the country!"<br />
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We certainly are famous - even our cab driver in Vietnam knows who Manny Pacquiao is - but I'm having a hard time equating it with honor. Unless we are now putting fame and honor on the same footing, the only ones I see gaining from these competitions are Manny or the beauty titlists themselves. (And the companies that sponsor their respective contests, of course.)<br />
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Maybe I have un-Filipino views. But that doesn't make me less of a Filipino, the same way one isn't required to be Catholic in order to be considered a Filipino citizen. It just makes me part of the minority - and that suits me just fine, in a major, major way.<br />
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<br />Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-6210014974250946182015-01-25T20:47:00.000+08:002015-01-25T20:47:18.411+08:00One Sunday At InagikuOften touted as one of the top-of-mind Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila, Inagiku (located at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel) has earned itself a loyal following as well as favorable reviews in local foodie blogs. I was once feted here by a friend who insisted that she could cajole the chef into cooking bits of bovine fat into such marvelous crispness that it could send one into food orgasm. (The chef did oblige, and after tasting it furtively, my friend's "request" certainly made a compelling case for the former in the food vs. sex debate.)<br />
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In line with this, let's move on to delights more suited to the palate.</div>
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Art and I knew Inagiku as a place of calm and quiet, having been to this restaurant separately on weekdays. Sundays, however, are a different matter. As soon as the doors opened (at 11:30 AM), the hostess lead the first party in - and everyone else didn't bother waiting for her to return, and proceeded inside on their own to find "their" tables. </div>
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I proceeded to do a quick run through of the different stations, this being my first time to eat here on a Sunday. I passed by the salad station and thought to myself, <i>you're not going to get much play today</i>.</div>
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At the farthest end of the spread was a chef cooking up a huge serving of <i>sukiyaki</i>. I knew right away what my first dish would be.<br />
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I had a sip of the sweet, savory broth and felt what everyone feels when having their soup of choice: a warm, fuzzy buzz all over. Though Art insists the broth was too sweet for his taste, I found it to be perching a Goldilocks-like balance with the savory portion: just right. (Proof positive that taste is highly subjective.) I've had three different versions of this dish from other local Japanese restaurants, and they were either too sweet or a little watery. This one hit the spot, and set the tone for the upcoming fare.<br />
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Knowing they do their beef justice (see first paragraph), I asked the chef to cook us 2 servings of the 2 beef varieties they had for grilling: a thick cut, and the other one was thinly sliced. We prefer our meat medium to medium rare, and in what seems to me to be an internal magic clock in chefs (or, more likely, having the weight of experience), he knew the exact moment to pull it out of the heat and served it just the way we like it. I knew my arteries were hardening just by smelling the delectable morsels, but as Mr. Wilde advised, I beat temptation by hurling the fat-laden pieces down my throat.<br />
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I also opted to have some scallops - in my mind this was considered "lighter fare" - but I think the resulting dish was not as stellar as the beef because the freshness of the seafood was almost drowned in butter/oil.<br />
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No trip to a Japanese restaurant can be considered complete (in my book, anyway) without tasting their <i>sashimi </i>- and the sight of the ruby and orange squares (tuna and salmon) all laid out made sure I would not miss out on testing Inagiku's definition of freshness. They did not disappoint: I know it's odd, but I like it when my raw fish doesn't have a fishy smell. The <i>sashimi </i>tasted bright, if that even makes any sense.<br />
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There were several other dishes which I failed to take in - mostly because I was already satiated from what I did try. (Does this mean a return trip is in order?) Side note: While we do not have a picture of them, we thoroughly enjoyed the <i>ebi tempura</i>, which had a light but flavorful batter, and shrimps that were noticeably more plump than most.<br />
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I found many of the desserts charming to the eye. While I did see many varieties, I only tried a few of them - ah, the vagaries of reaching age 40, but one has to temper the consumption of sweets. But who says we cannot make take them in visually?<br />
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<br />
For some reason, this green ball struck me as the prettiest of them all.<br />
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And inside it was a pleasant surprise.<br />
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A swathe of <i>matcha </i>cream topped with red beans, both of which are ingredients that have always tickled my taste buds. But don't fret if you prefer sweets from nature, you will not be disappointed.<br />
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I remember reading somewhere - the name of the blog escapes me just now - that you had to request for ice cream because it was not readily "available," and I found that to be just the case. It was quite delightful to be having this cold dessert in unconventional flavors - black bean and <i>wasabi.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<i><br /></i>
The <i>wasabi </i>variety was especially masterful, having the flavor of its namesake without the sting.<br />
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We found ourselves in a virtual food coma, but thank goodness for the tea provided, which helped to soothe our feelings of immobility. At more than PhP (Philippine Pesos) 2,300.00 per person, this is not something I would partake of everyday. But if you're looking for Japanese fare that will put a smile on your (now bloated) face, a trip to Inagiku might be just what you need.<br />
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<b><i>Inagiku</i></b><br />
2nd Floor, Makati Shangri-la Hotel<br />
Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue,<br />
Makati City 1200<br />
(632)8142580<br />
http://www.shangri-la.com/manila/makatishangrila/dining/restaurants/inagiku/<br />
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Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-24083422705455010762015-01-01T21:19:00.000+08:002015-01-01T22:05:26.617+08:00Resolutions, SchmesolutionsWith 2015 now in its infancy, I don't doubt that a plethora of resolutions are being made, or have been made. After almost four decades of existence, however, I would classify some (if not most) resolutions as mere "schmesolutions".<br />
<br />
Which I would define as the art of making resolutions without any intention of achieving them.<br />
<br />
All I needed to do was to look back on what transpired last January 2014 to know that this is, tragically, a sad fact.<br />
<br />
In between posts of "Happy New Year 2014!" and status updates about <i>feng shui</i> predictions, there was a viral post last year about saving money every week - and I saw a lot of my Facebook friends claiming that "this is the year <i>na mag-iipon ako!</i>" (that I will start saving money) while sharing that post.<br />
<br />
The article made saving look achievable - set aside 50 pesos on the first week, then double it to 100 the following week, raise it to 200 on the third, then 400 on the fourth, and so on until you've gone the full 52 weeks of 2014.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEortf-o8WFT5FQ8hsR3dl1DLVIMjlfvMz-3b6DP9rNMoH21T8Gho1E8819fpcEu9ysyA81M6crpnYC1fnIBwuOHEP96CTSBFsVX3lYPyoFWyess2_KQEMxn0hhllNJlNzNK96BDFrqO9w/s1600/piggybank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEortf-o8WFT5FQ8hsR3dl1DLVIMjlfvMz-3b6DP9rNMoH21T8Gho1E8819fpcEu9ysyA81M6crpnYC1fnIBwuOHEP96CTSBFsVX3lYPyoFWyess2_KQEMxn0hhllNJlNzNK96BDFrqO9w/s1600/piggybank.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(From monsterpiggybank.com)</div>
<br />
As a financial planner, I knew the folly of such an exponential plan - you would need to "save" over a million pesos in one of those weeks, not even halfway through the 52 weeks! (By week 16, the plan required you to "set aside" 1,638,400 pesos!)<br />
<br />
I've always believed that people should save what they can, with what they have or earn. Only when they are earning more or have more should they also relatively save more. So if you've already set your mind or goal at 15%, even if your salary increases, you can still set your savings rate at 15% or increase it gradually to 20%.<br />
<br />
Armed with the knowledge that some of my friends wanted to be financial "savers" (instead of spenders), I approached a couple of them and told them about the nature of my job - to sit down with clients, discuss their goals and reasons for them, know their financial status, then draw a financial map as well as concrete plans/steps on how to do those goals, based on what they have now and how much they can set aside to make those goals a reality.<br />
<br />
I showed them why the plan they saw in the Facebook post was actually difficult to achieve - for anyone - and that they should instead have a plan to set aside a set amount of money every month, just to cultivate the habit. In our separate meetings, they both agreed that setting aside a specific amount, and not one that increases every week, was a more manageable way of arriving at their goals - one wanted to set a retirement fund (already aged 50), the other one was a 30 year old who wanted to travel.<br />
<br />
Age50 knew he was already running against time, seeing as he wanted to retire by age 60. So he offered to set aside 20,000 a month. I looked at his salary and while he could afford to do so, it would mean a drastic change in his lifestyle - I cautioned him and advised him to just set aside half. He confidently answered, "I can do that! I can give you 10,000 a month!"<br />
<br />
Age30 wanted to travel to Europe in 2 years, so I asked him how much he was willing to set aside every month. "Less than a thousand pesos."<br />
<br />
I was stunned, to say the least. Surely, I answered, you know that a trip to Europe costs hundreds of thousands? I know people who've spent close to a million pesos in two weeks time traveling there - and they didn't even stay in fancy hotels.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to the middle of the year: Age 30 didn't bother meeting me again - and it's safe to say he won't be going to Europe in a couple of years. Or decades, given his unrealistic expectations from setting aside only 12,000 a year. (Actually, I suppose he could still go - on credit. That is a separate subject altogether, because used improperly, it is a financial quicksand that could ruin your life.)<br />
<br />
Age50 started saving 10,000 a month in January...then February...but by March, I got a notification from the bank that I should contact the client because they couldn't withdraw the needed monthly amount in the debit arrangement. "I have repairs at home! I will just pay double next month!" he answered back through text messaging, when I asked him about it.<br />
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April came, and Age50 was already screening my calls. He didn't make good on his "I'll pay double next month" statement.<br />
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May arrived, and I saw (on Facebook) he had spent a pretty penny buying designer clothes - but he couldn't spare enough for his monthly contribution for his retirement fund.<br />
<br />
Until November 2014 arrived, and he contacted me, saying "Joey, I mean it this time! Please start deducting from my account so I can set up my retirement fund!" But when I once again asked for his contribution, his response was, "Wait, I have to start saving...now?"<br />
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It made me wonder: how were you planning to do what the viral post suggested, to set aside an increasing amount every week, if you couldn't even manage setting aside a set amount monthly?<br />
<br />
I've come to the conclusion that, like the proverbial road to hell, financial resolutions are lofty and full of good intentions - with no intention of making them concrete or a reality.<br />
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We all say we want to be millionaires. We are envious when we see others succeed in their small business - <i>swinerte lang yan </i>(that's just luck) - disregarding the hard work that business person put in to be "lucky". We keep wondering when will our (literal) fortunes change. Why we don't see our bank accounts increase. Why we are still living hand to mouth at 50.<br />
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It's easy to make resolutions. Get a piece of paper, think up something "important sounding so that my Facebook friends will be impressed," and you're done.<br />
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But without an achievable, time-bound plan that you have the will to execute, your resolutions will just pile up, year after year. Pretty soon, you'll end up at 60, forced into retirement, without a retirement fund in sight.<br />
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Believe me, that does not a pretty picture make.<br />
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Don't let 2015 be just another year you spend wishing without any action. It's not a coincidence that the act of dreaming happens when you are asleep - consciously not doing anything. And I promise you that your resolutions will remain in a dream like state - unless you wake up and do something concrete about them.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-90784170137583327222014-12-20T22:33:00.000+08:002014-12-20T22:33:02.548+08:00The P.I.G. Is Now FatI woke up this morning and found a status update on Facebook that made me smile, a wide and satisfying one. It gave me such a buzz, I went out with my partner and had steak for lunch.<br />
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Perhaps I should explain.<br />
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Years ago, a dear friend's dad passed away. Deaths in one's family are never easy, but it was especially hard on my friend, who, after ten months, still seemed to be in a trance like state. (I would cajole him to get out more, and he would be in the counter of a restaurant staring blankly while the server was waiting for him to say his order, for what seemed to be an eternity, and with a line of irate customers behind him, which he couldn't care less for.)<br />
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On one such occasion, as we were having our lattes, a mutual acquaintance chanced upon us. This person was from the "I have a fabulous body and I'm showing it off" school of imperiousness, and even joined fitness contests one after another - he was good enough to join but not to win a single event. Ever.<br />
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He uttered a barely audible greeting in my direction because he was too busy acting horrified upon seeing my friend. The Proudly Insensitive Guy (or P.I.G.) did a double take, and exclaimed loudly for everyone in the cafe to hear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PkqMvFpcZo1a7MU3rR3SKbTenaz09EmWx7bj5TRI6Zm-wFquXZOmYd4sEke-9Za9b1Vl6GQfBaJ4v08YgW8-LTw1M903Rh6xOYdhMRogXAyB-wiBN0td-KVW9FIIIKISA9UwjT8bbKyU/s1600/images+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PkqMvFpcZo1a7MU3rR3SKbTenaz09EmWx7bj5TRI6Zm-wFquXZOmYd4sEke-9Za9b1Vl6GQfBaJ4v08YgW8-LTw1M903Rh6xOYdhMRogXAyB-wiBN0td-KVW9FIIIKISA9UwjT8bbKyU/s1600/images+(7).jpg" /></a></div>
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(Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org)</div>
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"OHMYGAAAAAD!!! What the hell happened to you?!?"<br />
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My friend, who really wasn't in the mood for further "socialization" took a short pause, then said, "What do you mean?"<br />
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P.I.G. then gestured with both hands towards my friend's body, emphasizing the girth he was witnessing. "You're HUGE! As in, really, really huge!!! Did you gain like, what, between 50 to a hundred pounds?!? I mean, you're humongous!"<br />
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My friend and I exchanged furtive glances, and he turned to the P.I.G. and said (calmly), "yes, I did...And?"<br />
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P.I.G. then forehead-palmed himself and blurted, "What the hell happened? You were one of those success stories from the gym, you lost a lot of pounds...why are you now as big as a refrigerator???"<br />
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At this point, P.I.G. grabbed a chair to join us - even though no one invited him, and with what he just said, no one was rushing to do it - and looked at my friend from head to foot, then sizing him up like a salesperson estimating waist size. I turned away, wishing that the floor beneath me would just swallow me whole, because I could see the car crash happening but I was powerless to stop it.<br />
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My friend maintained his demeanor, and replied, "Look, my dad just died. I haven't been to the gym, I've been arranging his affairs, the taxes we've had to pay, and we haven't even settled his medical bills fully..."<br />
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The P.I.G. couldn't wait to preach his brand of body-conscious logic: "But that's not an excuse! Are you saying that you can't make time for yourself? I mean...come on...you just let yourself go...all the way to the buffet table!"<br />
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I sensed an imperceptible shift in my friend's face - imperceptible except to those who knew him well - that signaled he has had enough of the buffoon he was faced with. "My dad died. I'm still grieving. I'm sorry I don't look my best. I have nothing else to say."<br />
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Maybe the P.I.G. thought he saved his best argument for last, because he beamed with pride when he retorted, "Excuse me, my dad also died! But you don't see me letting myself and my body go, do you?" At this point, the P.I.G. actually stood up from his seat and did a full turn, the way he would at those fitness competitions that he never won in, trying to showcase his body to the entire cafe. (He was wearing a fitted tee.)<br />
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My friend gave him a slight wave, and made a gesture as if he was shooing a fly away. It was as if the P.I.G. suddenly regained his social cue thermometer and sensed that he was unwanted by everyone at that table. He proceeded to leave in a huff, walking away as if cameras were on him.<br />
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Fast forward to this morning: the P.I.G. announced something that made it seem like I swallowed a Cheshire cat. I will attempt to paraphrase what he announced publicly.<br />
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"I don't want to be hearing any comments about how fat I've gotten. I'm fat, I know I'm fat, and I don't need to field any questions about how fat I've gotten. I'm also older. But guess what? Everyone's going to get fat and old. Get over yourselves! And don't bother coming near me if you're going to mention anything about my weight or age. Merry Christmas!"<br />
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Surely you can forgive me for feeling this much glee, so much <i>schadenfreude?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The P.I.G. is now on the other side of the fence.<br />
<br />
And while he may never admit it, I think he has learned a lesson in empathy. And to never judge a person just because they seemed to have "let themselves go." And how words can be hurtful, even when they are couched as expressions of concern. Or that one's "body beautiful" will not last forever, and that instead of rubbing it in other people's faces, to just be happy that you are considered "attractive" for this particular time and space.<br />
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We are in the middle of the holiday festivities, and while meeting relatives or having reunions with high school/college classmates, you are bound to hear questions or expressions surrounding our looks or weight: "<i>ang taba-taba mo na" </i>(you've gotten so fat) will undoubtedly be a "standard" greeting. I'm willing to bet the P.I.G. won't be one of them, though, knowing firsthand how things can quickly turn.<br />
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At least I hope those are the lessons he has learned, falling from the tree of bodily perfection. But in case he hasn't, his story still serves as an instructive tale for those who bank solely on their looks or body to get by in life, which can be a handicap: some of them never develop their social skills nor the art of conversation simply because of the advantages that beauty is afforded these days: movie and recording deals even when the (beautiful) person can't act/sing, everyone's instant admiration even if she is a neophyte in a company and hasn't shown any skill/achievement worthy of awe, or - horror of horrors - a legislative seat because "<i>ang ganda niya kasi.</i>" (She's just so beautiful.)<br />
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We've all been told never to judge a book by its cover. Looking at today's advertisements of underwear models, proliferation of beauty clinics and barrage of whitening soaps, it may be difficult to remember that. We're now bombarded with messages that tell us that what's outside is what's paramount, what's important, what matters.<br />
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I know of at least one P.I.G. who begs to disagree.<br />
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<br />Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-668986179844468002014-12-04T20:36:00.000+08:002014-12-04T20:36:01.129+08:00The Hardest English Word To SpellIt's 'onion'. Apparently.<br />
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At least that's the impression I got going around the produce section of the nearby supermarket, seeing as they misspelled it twice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8Ph-x2n3nfAFlAgyApatWKA43gzRdSr_hiCZVE18GmUrPy_mXHGaGehxtS6tcZKbwhVvRhucnoJ-eVklUtOLtBrk-j4-CnPoCgBFd-FEpHEM7fylzeJBtFWe8WkM19sMWBuKeIDnRY8h/s1600/IMG_20141204_185201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8Ph-x2n3nfAFlAgyApatWKA43gzRdSr_hiCZVE18GmUrPy_mXHGaGehxtS6tcZKbwhVvRhucnoJ-eVklUtOLtBrk-j4-CnPoCgBFd-FEpHEM7fylzeJBtFWe8WkM19sMWBuKeIDnRY8h/s1600/IMG_20141204_185201.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Care for some "onoins"?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim830_RYVLWODWnCxBrGei-s9YMVKfoW-PKUu___uwUr7Sk6E6w57eGAsVm32UhbyiaD0eWSXvOF4UDuoeoCrO5tcGS929f_4JjY5vSC21atow3-2X8s6vgJfO2tW2KU6w1jLpboH2Ue_N/s1600/IMG_20141204_185223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim830_RYVLWODWnCxBrGei-s9YMVKfoW-PKUu___uwUr7Sk6E6w57eGAsVm32UhbyiaD0eWSXvOF4UDuoeoCrO5tcGS929f_4JjY5vSC21atow3-2X8s6vgJfO2tW2KU6w1jLpboH2Ue_N/s1600/IMG_20141204_185223.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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'Onins' for Odin, perhaps?</div>
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Am I being a spelling Nazi? Perhaps. But for this behemoth, this Super Monolith, which earns billions of pesos, I find it inexcusable: surely, they could spare some part - some minute, insignificant part of those billions - to hire someone to make sure they can at least spell correctly?</div>
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After all, if you've got it all for us, that would include a decent proofreader.</div>
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Just sayin'.</div>
Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-62120654084196418452014-10-31T01:01:00.000+08:002014-10-31T01:01:27.223+08:00A Fine Apple This DayAs I was about to close my Facebook News Feed, my eye caught an article shared by a friend who lives in Mindanao: Apple CEO Tim Cook has come out of the closet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX1sBlkxW6tzgzzVk2isATs96LRF4RfhYyRqLrhpHflxpIcivltstZOxmw7QoRNIAq24XcsvrbtzWODNqJyuThByIuMFzwLVU0KoQ9UcKLVpW_9s2vXie5WolQe3VhcV-ApxZyC_Ry1PP/s1600/timcook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX1sBlkxW6tzgzzVk2isATs96LRF4RfhYyRqLrhpHflxpIcivltstZOxmw7QoRNIAq24XcsvrbtzWODNqJyuThByIuMFzwLVU0KoQ9UcKLVpW_9s2vXie5WolQe3VhcV-ApxZyC_Ry1PP/s1600/timcook.jpg" /></a></div>
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Apple CEO Tim Cook</div>
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(Courtesy of twitter.com)</div>
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I needed to hear it from him directly, so I searched out for the <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-30/tim-cook-im-proud-to-be-gay" target="_blank">article he wrote</a> for Bloomberg Businessweek entitled <u style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Cook Speaks Up</u>. He talks about how inherently private he is as a person but he now realizes that it is imperative that he be public about his sexual orientation. </div>
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It was this particular passage that resonated the most. "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy."</div>
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I first heard the phrase "the personal is the political" at a time when Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were battling it out to be The teen pop sensation. At the time, I never made much of it. But as I grew more interested and involved with how politics is played out in our country, that phrase has come back to remind me of its veracity, over and over, and what it signifies to me is that the causes I champion and will continue to fight for have values that are dear to who I am and what I deem important.</div>
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When I support laws that will empower and encourage women to report rapes, it is because I firmly believe in equality, and any act that seeks to highlight femaleness as a weakness to be exploited must be arrested. </div>
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I strongly championed for the Reproductive Health Bill to be passed, because I believe that what you do and what happens to your body is your decision, not the government's, nor any religion's to make. </div>
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And when I speak out against politicians who have been in power for decades, fielding their spouses, children, uncles and even assistants to "take their place" because they've reached the amount of terms they can stay in a particular elective position, it's because (1) our Constitution prohibits political dynasties and (2) public office is a trust, not a birthright to be passed down like royalty.</div>
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So when Tim Cook announced he has come out, I couldn't help but wonder: what kind of backlash would he be getting for being open about who he is? </div>
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Make no mistake: coming out is a political act. It is a decision that no gay person takes lightly, because of the horrible repercussions that may ensue once it is done.</div>
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You can be denied a job, or fired from your current one, just for stating this.</div>
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You automatically define yourself as "abnormal" in a statistical sense, although some sectors would gleefully remind us that, in their unscientific view, this abnormality extends to our mental faculties, or worse, that we have been "possessed" by an evil spirit and that an exorcism must be performed posthaste.</div>
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There's the (ridiculous) notion that gay men shouldn't work in banks because they'll be stealing nonstop for their <i>papas. </i>(Boyfriends) If that's true, then our banking system should have collapsed a long time ago, because I personally know many bankers who are gay. And in high ranking positions, too.</div>
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I have been together with my partner for 18 years (which <a href="http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/57035-someone-roll-eyes-with" target="_blank">I wrote about</a> a few months back, and it was published by Rappler) - and from what my straight friends tell me, that is an achievement whether one identifies as straight or gay, in these times - but we are not offered any legal protection nor benefits, hospitals can bar either one of us should we need to be confined in a medical facility, and we can't declare each other as beneficiaries in our insurance policies because, despite sharing bank accounts, mortgage payments and silverware, we are not legally recognized as having "insurable interest".</div>
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The rejection by our own family - the people who we were taught would stand by us, no matter what - would probably rank as the highest cost that one incurs as a result of coming out. And in a society as family-centric such as ours (not to mention our predilection to ignore privacy boundaries), this is cause for great stress and strain for the individual, who is facing the rejection and at the same time is being blamed for "tearing this family apart!"</div>
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As I looked at the local comments on social media about Cook's announcement, it dawned on me just how far we have to go, to the destination being A Time When Sexual Orientation Doesn't Matter One Bit.</div>
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There are comments about why the iPhone 6 bends - "no wonder, the CEO is gay!"</div>
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A little hand wringing about "<i>bakit ba ang daming baklaaaaa?!?</i>" (Why are there so many gay men?)</div>
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But most of the negative feedback stemmed from a statement that Cook himself wrote: "I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts that God has given me." It didn't matter that Cook never specified which God he was referring to. Each comment simply assumed that they shared the same faith and that Cook was an evil man.</div>
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"God punished Sodom and Gomorrah! Apple is next!"</div>
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"How dare you take the Lord's name in vain! You're going to hell!"</div>
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"<i>Nakakasuka ka! Ipinagmalaki mo pa kabadingan mo!</i>" (You disgust me! You dared flaunt your homosexuality!)</div>
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It didn't matter that Cook must have worked his butt off - bad pun, I know - to get to where he is now, commanding a company that is admired worldwide. (Even Android users have to agree - albeit begrudgingly - that Apple has the loyalty card played to a tee.) Cook even frames his declaration as just a mere facet of who he is, "an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things," but that doesn't mean anything to these people who fancy themselves as definitive moral guardians who must bend this world to their world view.</div>
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Personally, I'm happy that a successful man who didn't need to come out decided to do so. Every act of coming out represents a chipping of the "quaint" world view, the one that likes to paint gay people as loud, obnoxious, flamboyant, good for laughs and not much else, sex-starved and driven only by lust, child molesters and irresponsible good-for-nothing members of this world. </div>
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We aren't there yet, but one day, sexual orientation won't matter. I doubt I will see it in my lifetime; but then again, I never thought I'd see an African American be President on the USA. Twice. </div>
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Anytime I feel optimistic, what grounds me is that we are one of only 2 countries in the world that still doesn't have divorce and some of us still giggle when we say the word "condom". We are supposed to be a secular democracy but Senate meetings begin with a prayer. So, the road may be longer for this country.</div>
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But I'm much more interested in the road that Cook is trying to build. At the end of his piece, he reveals that he has pictures of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy in his office. "All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know I'm doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick."</div>
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As Aesop's Tortoise showed us, slow but sure wins the race. Brick by brick, towards equality.</div>
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Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-20393294040819143202014-10-17T18:26:00.000+08:002014-10-17T18:26:45.525+08:00Extreme (Sears) CouponingIf you're a fan of the show <i>Extreme Couponing</i>, then you'll know how frustrating it is to be living in the Philippines, where couponing is practically nonexistent.<br />
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So when I was contacted to write a sponsored post for the <a href="http://www.sears.com/" target="_blank">online store</a> of Sears, I readily said yes, just to see if I could make like those people featured in <i>Extreme Couponing. </i>Imagine, having to shop and not paying a cent! (Sometimes the store even has to give you back a rebate, all because of coupons.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmge0c-S2Vutq4OMNJm_t4mJeyMkTkt1rWFYT6BNBy8f9W27x4nI4o209xVx2TyZpkj0II1dLjNC9VIbrqEuarSN4gq46J64AAKE8oDAXpfo2CSHHX31hRw7nNlK-KjUU8ygTOhr_tga6b/s1600/sears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmge0c-S2Vutq4OMNJm_t4mJeyMkTkt1rWFYT6BNBy8f9W27x4nI4o209xVx2TyZpkj0II1dLjNC9VIbrqEuarSN4gq46J64AAKE8oDAXpfo2CSHHX31hRw7nNlK-KjUU8ygTOhr_tga6b/s1600/sears.jpg" /></a></div>
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(From salon.com)</div>
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I decided to check out the <a href="http://www.everydaypromocode.com/" target="_blank">Sears deals</a> - after all, I'll need my coupons if I'm going coupon shopping. (And without having to drag around a big binder, like those that I see on the show.) Just access the link, and it's your gateway to the best Sears coupons.<br />
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Reading through the store's description, Sears has been immortalized in American culture because it was mentioned in the hit show <i>The Brady Bunch</i>, and since then, Americans have come to recognize Sears as their preferred one-stop shop, whether it's for home, work, do-it-yourself or even fitness equipment.<br />
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I decided to check the discount site's claims by combing through the various Sears deals and Sears coupons I could find. (After all, if I'm going to give a fair review, I need to "go through the process" so to speak.)<br />
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A Sears coupon for appliances? Check.<br />
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A Sears coupon for kids' clothing and accessories? Check.<br />
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One for sports and fitness items? Check.<br />
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On jewelry? Check.<br />
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Patio furniture? Check.<br />
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One of the newest - and I dare say, innovative - features that Sears gives its customers is the In-Vehicle Pickup, advertised with these words: "Stay in your car. We'll come to you." Imagine, you don't have to sweat it out with the rest of the shopping public; just drive to the store, they'll probably have some kind of identifier for you and your car, and your orders will be brought to your car. (I'm not sure if that will work here in the Philippines, though: there might be robbers waiting to pounce on store employees while they are walking or taking your orders to your car.)<br />
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But strangely, it begs the question: why bother?<br />
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And I ask that because on several Sears coupons, they include free shipping for orders and purchases made with the coupons online! Why spend for gas, precious time and effort going all the way to the store, when it can be delivered to your doorstep, free of charge, with the right Sears coupon?<br />
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In fact, the best draw of shopping online is that you don't have to leave home to shop!<br />
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And the Sears website is a smorgasbord of items for every thing you expect to find in a well-stocked department store: from appliances, baby stuff and beauty products, to home improvement items and toys and games, they've got it.<br />
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Sears started out as a mail-order catalog, and their business grew so much, at one point their catalogs were known as the "Consumers' Bible". Until recently, they were the number one retail company in America, and given this rich heritage, it makes perfect sense for them to offer online shopping - after all, isn't that really just catalog shopping in electronic form?<br />
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Couple this with the fact that this generation is a wired one - even our country, supposedly a Third World one, is also well on-point with this trend, so imagine how indispensable it is to be online in the US, as well as a desire to look for the best deals possible, and it is to your advantage to look for the best Sears deals that you can find. Even our ways to pay have evolved - now everything is done electronically and without even bringing out any cash (which would make the physical wallet superfluous, haha) because of the new ways consumers are buying.<br />
<br />
Sears has maintained top position in the retail industry because of its willingness to incorporate changes as they come. And by combining online shopping with their Sears deals, it's no wonder they are now an institution, even for a mobile, current generation.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-68065758798274496232014-10-17T17:25:00.000+08:002014-10-17T17:25:41.869+08:00Couponing The Nordstrom WayHaving gotten an email to write a sponsored post, I decided to answer in the affirmative, simply because I've never done anything remotely close to it since I started my blog. I did feel a bit of panic when I learned I would have to write about Nordstrom, as I am not exactly a habitue of fashion houses.<br />
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But when I learned it was about <a href="http://www.photius.com/nordstrom-promo-code/" target="_blank">Nordstrom coupons</a>, I thought 'well, that's new'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnky2mMGbxJ2fr6WwGIIZ4ghyphenhyphen4L81K6XUqlggsWPJHEPSk6HCvjAexpsoatYUlEnQESrYrUhVcpJ6dBMjMBgfzpOUUszl0M4Hf2fcr3M2FMko5ohh5-3mHorWjGn6-A6xQFuZc5xRFwAe/s1600/nordstrom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnky2mMGbxJ2fr6WwGIIZ4ghyphenhyphen4L81K6XUqlggsWPJHEPSk6HCvjAexpsoatYUlEnQESrYrUhVcpJ6dBMjMBgfzpOUUszl0M4Hf2fcr3M2FMko5ohh5-3mHorWjGn6-A6xQFuZc5xRFwAe/s1600/nordstrom.jpg" height="142" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(From switchpay.com)</div>
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I've been to Nordstrom when I was in the US years ago, and what struck me was that they seemed to be a luxury store, carrying goods known for quality and price (as in you have to pay for good quality). So the thought of Nordstrom coupons did puzzle me a bit, but when I opened the site (in the link above, as well as the <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/" target="_blank">online store</a> of Nordstrom), I began to understand why the words "Nordstrom coupons" can coexist quite peacefully.<br />
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The products featured were mark-downs from a previous fashion season. And I was able to witness how America does sales and discounts: they <b>mean </b>it. Prices could be discounted by as much as 90% (yes, that's ninety, your eyes are fine), so I decided to check out the Men's section, and while they didn't go as high as 90%, I was able to spot several items being sold at 75% off - needless to say, the shopper in me was awakened simply because this would be a smart way to save money, shop online and still be fashionable.<br />
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You could argue that "you bought last season's jacket?" but let me present you with an equally compelling argument: fashion comes in, goes out of style, then springs back to life again. You might as well stock up, if you want to be smart - and trendy in a future time.<br />
<br />
One nifty feature I enjoyed while researching on Nordstrom coupons was that as soon as I opened the store site, I recognized that the prices were in Philippine pesos. What a relief - no need to bring out the calculator, having to convert the prices from dollars to our currency, and having to factor in the Nordstrom coupon discount, because if you're on a shopping spree, the last thing you want to be doing is solving fractions and percentages - and while the original prices were, indeed, quite high, having the Nordstrom promo codes really helped in bringing the price down from the rafters.<br />
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Truth be told, some of the items were cheaper than what I see in our local department stores - there was a polo shirt that was going for 480 pesos, and last I checked our department stores, they were averaging close to a thousand pesos, so maybe all you need to do is to shop wisely: look for deals without scrimping on quality.<br />
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The good part about shopping in the online Nordstrom store is that they carry brands that are well known for their quality, so even if the prices are marked down, the quality remains: there's Diesel, Levi's, and until I visited the site, I wasn't even aware that Jimmy Choo - known for footwear that the ladies in Sex and the City gushed over several seasons - had a men's fragrance out! (Confession: I linger at the fragrance section of department stores, trying to get free spritzes.)<br />
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So if you're a shopper that likes to spend wisely - and hate looking for parking or jostling with the crowds - then online shopping with Nordstrom coupons is the way to go. It's certainly the wave of the future, and while Carrie Bradshaw may insist that (physical) shopping is her cardio, seeing the slashed prices at Nordstrom's online store just might make your heart beat much, much faster.<br />
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<br />Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-60202327590977681602014-10-08T18:14:00.000+08:002014-10-08T18:14:19.851+08:00Your Kids Are Not Retirement PlansMy job as financial adviser gives me a rare opportunity to witness how people think in terms of money, savings, investments and how they integrate these thoughts in their lives. Personal finance has always been a touchy, "private" subject in this country, which should be of no surprise given that the word <i>personal </i>is in the term. So it is a skill to be able to extract financial information from clients without appearing to be intrusive, and I find that the best way to do this is to let clients tell their story.<br />
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After all, I don't know anyone who doesn't like to talk about themselves.<br />
<br />
But after meeting with a number of clients, I find it disturbing - to say the least - that a percentage of parents find themselves feeling good about their financial future because of their offspring. I was once again reminded of this mindset with a recent client call I made.<br />
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Mr. X was referred to me through another referral who became my client. I was apprised early on that Mr. X took to heart the biblical order of "go forth and multiply," and true enough, as soon as I met him, I learned that he and his wife had 6 kids.<br />
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"6 kids! Wow! Mr. X, I have to say that this is quite a departure from what I have observed with many people I see these days, the most number of kids in a family I usually encounter is 3."<br />
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He beams with pride. "They make me happy. Especially _________ (the youngest), she can be stubborn but also very <i>malambing. </i>(affectionate)"<br />
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"I have no doubt. And daughters <i>na bunso </i>(youngest) seem to have a special bond with their fathers, always."<br />
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We get to talking about his business and I ask him how it is doing, and while it sustains him and his family, he sees the endpoint of the business' lifespan as the time when his youngest will have graduated from college. I then ask him if he looks forward to retirement with his wife.<br />
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"Yes, and especially since I have six kids."<br />
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I nodded. "A large family feels warmer, somehow. I remember when my grandfather would gather all of us at his house, with so many uncles, aunts and cousins, happy times."<br />
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Mr. X then takes the pin out. "And, of course, I can relax knowing I will be taken cared of by then."<br />
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For a moment, I thought he was referring to a well-oiled financial plan that he has already begun. "That's good, Mr. X...after all, preparation is key if we want a comfortable retirement. How long have you started preparing for it?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFVqFiLquoruyd8O3oq1bhMqe8f161q90G7jOB-Q-nZT1diYJYEnVaD957GnQSAr9PEnrQgHUA51MNpJY3hyphenhyphenVhxkNY054P_pgiqLU5rH5ED9RFhUcxAi-7XlwaKOINo36Jb27qezIw_YB/s1600/retirement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFVqFiLquoruyd8O3oq1bhMqe8f161q90G7jOB-Q-nZT1diYJYEnVaD957GnQSAr9PEnrQgHUA51MNpJY3hyphenhyphenVhxkNY054P_pgiqLU5rH5ED9RFhUcxAi-7XlwaKOINo36Jb27qezIw_YB/s1600/retirement.jpg" /></a></div>
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(Courtesy of retirerichandhappy.com)</div>
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He then decides to drop the grenade. "My kids will take care of me and my wife."<br />
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I could see my jaw drop in my mind. "But, Mr. X, won't that be something they have to decide for themselves, especially if they plan to have their own families as well?"<br />
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"Not really. I always remind them of the hard work I put in just to get them their education, so it's only fair that they pay me back later."<br />
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Since I could see where his train of thought was going, I decided to inject a little humor in the conversation. "So which of your six kids will you live with? Will you decide by drawing lots or a dice throw?"<br />
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He seems to have given this matter some thought since he answers straight away. "We can live right here, where we're at. But they'll need to give us an allowance, every month. <i>Binibiro ko nga yung panganay ko </i>(I've been joshing with my eldest) that I should have them spread their allowance contributions over different dates, haha!"<br />
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"It's a plan, alright, Mr. X." I smiled back. "However, would you be willing to make your own retirement plan up? I can help give you a summary of how much you'll probably be needing then on a monthly basis."<br />
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As with most clients, they usually forget to include the effects of inflation by the time they retire, and focus on what they're spending right now. After accounting for inflation, he is taken aback by how large the amount translates to in 20 to 30 years.<br />
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"Wow! <i>Ang laki pala kakailanganin namin! </i>(We need a huge amount) Good thing there are six of them, huh? <i>Di masyadong mabigat </i>(it's not too demanding) if divided by 6."<br />
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"Mr. X, how sure are you that all 6 of them will be able to support you then? While it's good to wish them success in their future endeavors, the current job market is such that I know people with master's degrees who are working in call centers simply because they can't find work...wouldn't it be more prudent to prepare for your retirement yourselves?"<br />
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He turns to me with a knowing smile. "Maybe. But that's exactly why I have six kids...they can't all be failures, right? Surely, at least half of them will be successful."<br />
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I can see that he was using the <i>matalino ako </i>(I'm sly) route, so I thank him for his time and leave him with these parting words. "Thank you, Mr. X. While you seem to have a plan for retirement, the biggest loophole I observe is that it is dependent on others: on what others will earn, on what others are willing to give to you. My job as financial adviser is to help people take control of their own financial well being, with variables under their control. If you are ready to start a plan that is of your own making, please let me know."<br />
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And while he seems to be pleased with himself, I cannot help but be bothered: Bothered by the fact that he views his children as hens laying the proverbial golden eggs. Bothered that he couldn't be bothered to save up for his own retirement. Bothered that he would knowingly be dependent on other people - their income, decisions, moods, situations - in order to survive.<br />
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It was a plan, indeed: a plan that would fail because he failed to plan on his own, for his own.<br />
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None of us can see the future: who knows, Mr, X may be right. One of his kids may turn out to be the Bill Gates of the Philippines, or maybe one of them can surpass Manny Pacquiao as this country's highest earning professional boxer. But there's a reason their names and reputations precede them: they're one-of-a-kind, the kind that comes along only in the bluest of moons.<br />
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We need to impress on ourselves, and especially on our children, that we control our financial future. We need to stop being fatalistic, or depend on somebody else - whether it's the government or our offspring - to feed us. Until we make this conscious decision to prepare for our own finances and futures, we will always be reduced to begging.<br />
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Is that how you want to spend your golden years?Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-44141647676527873482014-09-23T22:48:00.002+08:002014-09-23T22:48:47.012+08:00On Booboos And Butthurt More to the point, a Malaysian company's booboo, and (some) Filipinos who feel the (requisite?) "butthurt" at the perceived attack on our country, yet again.<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/qzTLnGKV_6k/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qzTLnGKV_6k&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qzTLnGKV_6k&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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(Courtesy of YouTube/News Graph)</div>
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I'm not sure which ad agency was it that produced this "not for public consumption yet" advertisement, that - there's no two ways about it - clearly targeted the Philippines as a less than desirable place to invest one's business in, raising four key points: unfriendly climate, safety concerns, less government support and poor infrastructure. (In case you doubt this, take a look at the video, that clearly states this, and also highlights why Malaysia is a better alternative.)</div>
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Someone put it this way in an online comment (I'm paraphrasing): it would be akin to Philippine Airlines making an ad that, given recent events, would portray Malaysian Airlines as your gateway to the afterlife, or the one airline not needing a return flight ticket. </div>
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Even though this is a "war" between businesses, it hit a nerve that some Filipinos would probably say reeks of <i>personalan </i>- but I have to say, every issue that paints an unflattering picture of the country is always deemed as below-the-belt, anyway: basketball, beauty contests, treatment of our Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW), say anything not-positive, and be prepared to be accused of the R word, racism. (Even when none was intended or implied. It's immaterial to some citizens.)</div>
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However bad a taste the ad left in one's mouth, I cannot help but ask: why do we get so riled up when someone from another country makes mention of the ills we have, when we make no bones about how unhappy we are with the same points, and we criticize our own government for those exact same things, every frigging hour?</div>
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Take the ad's point about (our) poor infrastructure, and juxtapose this with countless (local) videos and news reports about the horrendous lines for our trains. We roundly hurl invective after insult against the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), for our never ending <i>pasakit </i>(suffering) just to get in the station, which could take hours, all because many train cars have broken down, are poorly maintained, and if you're horribly unfortunate, you could get a ride off-track. I'm sure Secretary Abaya feels our collective loathing, but a Malaysian company says this, suddenly it's supposed to be all out war?</div>
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Just a week ago, we all expressed disgust and fear when a roadside "incident" revealed that cops were trying to extort money from supposed drug dealers, making us unsure if we can even approach our law enforcement agents. But all hell breaks lose when Aegis Malaysia (or at least the company doing their ads) says just about the same thing? (And in a more general sense, even)</div>
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Our independent film makers always lament how the government does not given any support, to the point that they have to showcase their films in other countries (some even reaping awards). How is this different from an ad - albeit done in another country - that essentially repeats this?</div>
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(I won't even touch the weather angle, for the obvious absurd reason.)</div>
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So let me see if I got this right: we can complain about how our government and public services suck rain boots, but as long as it's just us. Outside/foreign observers should never dare say the same things, things we gnash our teeth over.</div>
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Okaaaaaaay.</div>
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Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-73367462777276421902014-09-10T07:06:00.000+08:002014-09-10T07:06:28.009+08:00The iPhone6 Reminds Me Of My MomThis morning will certainly be abuzz about the launch of the new iPhone variant, iPhone6. I can see it now: scores of online posts debating on the new features (if any) or mere upgrades and refinements of existing ones, how exorbitant the prices will be, who will be getting it as soon as it hits the shelves, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWDFfPOVtkUyJzu3-456PnS8_CJGYGEkcjV7myJSmiX_kV63Om9ZL4sETYL7zVj87BdSGu8IctF3t-0D73yMOKxVDF13TJlcpO87Eo2XmyrRvJKdBcfKl473rpx1OiR18R7dmiqqollFw/s1600/apple-iphone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWDFfPOVtkUyJzu3-456PnS8_CJGYGEkcjV7myJSmiX_kV63Om9ZL4sETYL7zVj87BdSGu8IctF3t-0D73yMOKxVDF13TJlcpO87Eo2XmyrRvJKdBcfKl473rpx1OiR18R7dmiqqollFw/s1600/apple-iphone.png" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
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(From business insider.com/ the Apple website)</div>
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All I could think of was my mom.<br />
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In particular, a life lesson she would inculcate in me many, many years before anyone even heard of the word iPhone, as this occurred in my elementary school years.<br />
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I must have been at the 4th or 5th grade, or about to enter that level. As is customary, my mom would take me and my sister out to buy the school supplies needed. (I have to confess a certain, er, predisposition to wrapping my new textbooks in plastic. As Jessica Zafra once wrote, there seems to be a secret society of book wrappers. Count me in.)<br />
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I noticed that we skipped one "ritual" that year: that of buying a new pair of shoes. The scene that I remember most from the shoe department is the sight of a saleslady in blue, carrying a mike, barking out shoe sizes to a stockroom person, and the needed shoe would just fall out of a hole in the ceiling. I would giggle because it seemed like a scene straight out of a cartoon series: an irate lady, incessant shouting, shoes falling from the sky.<br />
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My pout must have been too obvious since my mom called me out on it even before we walked out of the department store.<br />
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"<i>Ba't ganyan mukha mo?" </i>She asked. (Why is your face contorted that way?)<br />
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I muttered, and she asked me to speak up. "Why didn't we buy new shoes?"<br />
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She stopped walking and turned to me, sensing this was going to take a little explaining: "Because you still don't need a new pair."<br />
<br />
"But we always buy a new pair every school year."<br />
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"That's true. We did. But remember last year, when we bought a new pair that was a half size larger than you were used to? That was in anticipation of this year, when it would still fit you, even if your foot size grew."<br />
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"So...is that why I was using extra thick socks last year?"<br />
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She smiled. "Yes. That way, you won't be too bothered with a shoe that was slightly larger than what you'd usually get. Besides, your shoe is still in good condition, right?"<br />
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I looked down while I said my next statement: "But everyone will be in new shoes...and they'll know I didn't buy new ones."<br />
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"If they're the kind of friends who think you are worth less just because you don't have new shoes, then you need new friends. Why, when I was in school, <i>Angkong </i>(Grandpa) would ask me to have the same shoe from my older sister repaired. And by then, I was getting it from two older sisters. You're lucky because at least it's still your own shoe."<br />
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I remember thinking what a cheapskate my mom was at that time, but over the years, she would instill this lesson in us again and again: in the bags we used, our trusty Isuzu Gemini which we had for 15 years (my mom sold it to a car collector who was floored by how well maintained it was after all that time), or the clothes we had.<br />
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You could say that my active dislike of anything trendy or labeled Right Now has its roots in what my mom taught me early on: differentiating between a need and a want. And that if something can still be used, there's no sense throwing it away, just because a newer version has come along.<br />
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Fast forward to today, and I know for certain that there will be people discarding their iPhone 5's for no other reason than "there's a new version out." I actually got to talk to one of them, and the justification he gave me (at that time, he was moving from iPhone 4 to 5) was that "I'm selling my old one, anyway, so it's not like I'm paying full price for the new model. In a way, I'm being smart about it, having someone subsidize my new phone."<br />
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"I suppose you can think of it that way," I said. "But, you can't sell it at the same price you bought it, it will be way lower since the new model is out, and since the new model has supposedly better features, it will be more expensive than the last iteration. So, you'd be shelling out more and more money out as each new variant comes."<br />
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"<i>Ano bang paki no? Eh, pera ko naman to!</i>" (What do you care? It's my money!)<br />
<br />
"Don't get me wrong, I know it's your money to burn. But I can't help but see the discrepancy in your financial goals, when you have indicated to me that you don't have too much money in your savings for emergencies and rainy days, but you seem to have ready cash to spend once a new iPhone is out."<br />
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"You're only young once, so live it like it's your last, right?"<br />
<br />
He will undoubtedly be one of those lining up for the iPhone6. And I also have no doubt that his savings account has not increased by much. How can it take off, when every year, like clockwork, a tech company is getting his funds, an amount that could ensure a comfortable emergency fund and even an excellent start to a good retirement account, if only he began saving these amounts since the iPhone first came out?<br />
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At an average of at least 40k per model, that's a total of 200k for 5 models. Even if you were able to sell these older models at half the price, that would still mean a missed opportunity of saving at least 100k.<br />
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And for something you don't really need. Which is in contrast to an emergency fund. Or a fund for health concerns. Or protecting your family, with kids aged 7, 5 and 3. Any parent who would deem getting a new phone more imperative than ensuring their family's financial well being should have their parental privileges - yes, parenthood is a privilege - revoked.<br />
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As Tim Cook entices the Philippine market to give out 40k once again for their company's newest darling, I would like to give a shout out to my mom, who gave me a lesson that can only be described as priceless.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-34231903468968484352014-08-13T17:36:00.000+08:002014-08-13T17:36:09.570+08:00The Day I Saw A Parenting Fail Before My Eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Z2hu05OaoQWVrD4E0cvk0VwEGrrSzjVv7-8chvtVDR9JUUttob7tJR0vu6GTlW6DGxLuk_cgu1WL7flKmOzl5CaZX3M586_hvYwNz_3gXZy2ClWzTo26zik7rqTf1UaDAU62nOVs88r/s1600/the_very_best_of_parenting_fails_part_2_640_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Z2hu05OaoQWVrD4E0cvk0VwEGrrSzjVv7-8chvtVDR9JUUttob7tJR0vu6GTlW6DGxLuk_cgu1WL7flKmOzl5CaZX3M586_hvYwNz_3gXZy2ClWzTo26zik7rqTf1UaDAU62nOVs88r/s1600/the_very_best_of_parenting_fails_part_2_640_33.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Courtesy of izismile.com)</div>
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As part of my birthday celebration, we gathered - yet again - for more food, and this time, over a buffet that claims to span the entire world. (They tried. A for Effort.) So there I was, happily munching on my <i>sashimi </i>- the one item I almost always am sure will be on my plate - when I heard giggling from the next table.</div>
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I looked over and my jaw literally dropped at what was about to transpire.</div>
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Some siblings (wearing almost identical clothing), probably aged 8 to about 15, were laughing because they picked up the sticky label of a bottled water from the floor. They were passing it on to each other so they were squealing so as not to be "stuck" by it. Then one of the siblings saw a potential victim.</div>
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An elderly woman, heavy-set and limping because she seemed to have a foot ailment, who was walking very slowly while eyeing the buffet spread and gingerly placing items on her plate. (It seemed like even her arm mobility was similarly compromised.)</div>
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He started following the woman, mimicking her actions from behind, which elicited even more laughter from the other siblings. Then he ran back to their table, grabbed the bottled water sticker/label, then placed it on the back of the elderly woman - who probably had slower reflexes and did not realize what had just transpired. The three siblings then started pointing at the woman and laughed out hysterically, even dancing behind her back, with so much glee.</div>
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Just as I was beginning to frown, the parents went over to see why they were making so much noise. Finally, I thought, someone will straighten them out.</div>
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The father saw the sticker behind the woman's back, then asked one of the children, "Who did this? Did you do this?"</div>
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The guilty child looked woeful and muttered, "Yeah, I did."</div>
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Then the father erupted in laughter.</div>
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He then explained what happened to his wife, who then joined in on the laughter.</div>
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Just when I thought this unreal scene couldn't get any lower, the father then rushed back to the table (where they had a maid waiting): "<i>Yung </i>camera, <i>bilis! Kunan natin tapos ipost natin mamaya! </i>Hahaha!" (Get the camera, quick! Let's post this online later!)</div>
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I guess my death stare hasn't been functioning well, because I bored my gaze right through the parents, who seemed oblivious. (Operative word seemed, because I know that they knew I was giving them the evil eye, but they pretended not to notice.)</div>
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I turned around and got up my seat to remove the sticker from the old woman's dress, but she was lost in a sea of people fighting it out for <i>tempura, </i>Indian curry and mushroom <i>lasagna</i>.</div>
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When I took my seat again, the parents were high-fiving their kids, beaming with pride.</div>
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Just because you can procreate doesn't mean you should.</div>
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Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-84874892801936783552014-08-05T22:55:00.001+08:002014-08-05T22:55:42.949+08:00It's Official: I'm Retro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4sKqqxyKcpxuFMrwVvvDO0RIcLVwDsnS4coYJbqN4JmDJ65Z5vB4ScQF64mIslO3YyGDy2E5xAnkPlN1wERJLCPtgzW55F4oV2H40ltskqXNiQeu8ZpC0Osy9qVEpnvaX6MvxZyBie3P/s1600/seventiesmenfashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4sKqqxyKcpxuFMrwVvvDO0RIcLVwDsnS4coYJbqN4JmDJ65Z5vB4ScQF64mIslO3YyGDy2E5xAnkPlN1wERJLCPtgzW55F4oV2H40ltskqXNiQeu8ZpC0Osy9qVEpnvaX6MvxZyBie3P/s1600/seventiesmenfashion.jpg" /></a></div>
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(Courtesy of pinterest.com)</div>
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For my friends who I've already told this snippet to, bear with me.</div>
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I was driving along C-5 one hectic afternoon, and when I turned on the radio, Waterfalls by TLC was playing. I got out my rusty pipes and started singing my heart out - I was in the privacy of my own car, anyway, and not mutilating a song over a videoke machine, inducing homicidal rage in the neighborhood cats - and when the song ended, the DJ then said, "That was Waterfalls, from the girl group TLC...part of our Retro Day!"</div>
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Whatthehell.</div>
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The first thing that shot through my mind was, this is NOT retro. Hello. Retro would be bell bottoms, Saturday Night Fever, ABBA...until the DJ continued her spiel: "This song is 20 years old...all the way back from 1994."</div>
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What the hell, indeed. And for this DJ - who might have been barely a toddler when this song debuted, this really was a blast from the past. I've mulled about this for some time, and I think the reason I reacted so strongly is because of what it means in terms of how many years have gone by in my own life.</div>
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When talk of retro and revisits are front and center, another R word comes to the forefront: relevance. Am I no longer relevant? Will I be replaced by someone more relevant? Are my contributions less relevant now that I'm older? As my birthday tomorrow signals the inevitability of time marching on, and this being the last year I can cling on to the statement "I'm in my thirties," I find myself wondering what the hell it is I've learned about life so far.</div>
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With no embellishments, or lengthy explanations, this is what I've come up so far.</div>
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1. Life isn't fair, and it doesn't give a flying fig. Suck it up.</div>
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2. Happiness/being positive about any SNAFU is sometimes a choice. Sometimes it's hypocrisy/a lie.</div>
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3. Feelings are more important than the pop treatment we see portrayed in TV and movies. Always listen to them.</div>
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4. Families come in so much, much, much more shapes and forms than the traditional mode. In fact, the "normal, regular" family - one pop, one mum, 2 and a half kids - might soon be like Caucasians in America, a minority. Not one is better than the other. Period.</div>
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5. We all have sh*t and baggage to deal with. Knowing this helps in imbibing empathy. But sometimes, people use it as their get-out-of-everything-free-card.</div>
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6. 1000 Friends in Facebook doesn't mean you have that number of friends. The real ones are extremely rare. Seriously.</div>
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7. I've knocked fashion and material things - but let me quote a friend: "When you're sad and crying, it's better to be and do so inside a Mercedes Benz than on a tricycle with 5 other people crammed into a space meant for 2."</div>
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8. It's not wrong to want more, earn more, have more. It's just politically incorrect to declare the same.</div>
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9. Never work with friends, if you value your friendship more.</div>
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10. If you've found the one, hang on until your fingernails fall off. Besides, <i>kung talaga siya nga, </i>you won't have to. </div>
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Older, not necessarily wiser, but learning that even the most effed up experiences have their value. I can live with being labeled retro - while listening to some really great music.</div>
Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-23905913390603656922014-07-08T22:33:00.000+08:002014-07-08T22:33:26.582+08:00A Financial (Mis)Understanding One of the perks of my job as a financial advisor is never facing the same set of faces everyday. While some people may find that daunting, I relish it because it means no two workdays will ever be the same. It keeps me on my toes, and makes "an interesting day" part of the job description.<br />
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I have been feeling distressed as of late, though. And it stems mainly from the observation that some would-be clients do not comprehend financial terms as they were meant to be conveyed. (Hint: compound interest has nothing to do with parking lots) I realize a lot of jargon in the financial world seems to be made to be deliberately obfuscated, as if they were code words of a secret fraternity that no outsider should ever know.<br />
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But I'm not talking about derivatives or corporate mergers. I'm referring to terms that I expect high school graduates to have no problem comprehending, but are somehow (intentionally?) "misunderstood". I've compiled a list of terms that seem to generally confound people when I try to explain how to utilize them.<br />
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<b>1. Emergency Fund</b><br />
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On my drive yesterday, I heard Randell Tiongson, one of the country's famous financial advisors, over the radio talk about emergency funds and how much one should set aside for this (three to six months worth of salary).<br />
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Reading the terms, this means a fund purposely set aside for unexpected expenses (or not factored in as a daily/expected expense). This list would include a sudden onset of major illness, which requires hospitalization; the smashing of your car in a four-car collision, rendering you at the mercy of public transport until your car insurance company deems the accident to be, well, accidental; or the loss of your job (goodbye, useless superior!) which will most likely ensure you will be knocked off your feet financially, even if only for a couple of months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo-ne_um2K3nsoIO9U-vwdjEZJZFugmRDh8Uxs7KMTKHpcOee3CAqq_nnMxMXCyVdwBJTUGMiFRcV0dA7thKz0_vNsX6DRiv7aJLKkNl6H5FAhIMIV5xSI4O4W1DONt-QJwasoxXoENeM/s1600/saving-account2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo-ne_um2K3nsoIO9U-vwdjEZJZFugmRDh8Uxs7KMTKHpcOee3CAqq_nnMxMXCyVdwBJTUGMiFRcV0dA7thKz0_vNsX6DRiv7aJLKkNl6H5FAhIMIV5xSI4O4W1DONt-QJwasoxXoENeM/s1600/saving-account2.jpg" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
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(From mecob.co.tz)</div>
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In short, these are occurrences that are unwanted but you have to prepare for, because they impact your financial state.<br />
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Therefore, a trip to an Asian country, just because there was a <i>piso </i>sale with your favorite airline, does not constitute an emergency.<br />
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Neither does your need to complete #100daysofhappiness by eating at another fancy restaurant.<br />
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And if you just bought a new smartphone, when the phone company announces a new model coming out, trying to scour for funds just to have the "latest" incarnation is not a correct use of the term "emergency".<br />
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Don't wait until you have a real emergency to find out how to properly utilize it.<br />
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<b>2. Insurance</b><br />
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By definition, any insurance product is designed for protection and uncertainty. Whether it's life, car, fire or mortgage insurance, the aim of insurance is to make sure that someone benefits from the insurance proceeds: with life insurance, it's so your beneficiaries - oftentimes your family/loved ones - can hopefully retain their standard of living should you pass away unexpectedly, seeing as they all depend on your income for survival. When a coconut falls on your car, breaking your windshield, you can't very well haul the tree to court to collect damages, it is the car insurance company that covers the cost of repair.<br />
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Again, these are instances no one wants, but everyone has to prepare for because paying full cost for a windshield or asking a spouse who just stayed at home to suddenly find a job while grieving for your loss can be devastating.<br />
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So it surprises me no end when people say, "<i>walang pakinabang/gastos lang ang </i>insurance" - thank your lucky stars if none of these events happen to you, but you and I know better. We have people in their thirties dropping dead from a heart attack, or an innocent bystander waiting for the bus (at the proper bus stop!) getting rammed down. These are not fictional stories, they are in our current headlines.<br />
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Getting insurance is a way to cushion life's unpleasant eventualities/occurrences from being a sinkhole to your finances. (Seriously, I cannot comprehend breadwinners who think of insurance as a waste - I daresay it is foolhardy to have a family, especially raising children, without protecting yourself: do you have any idea how much tuition fees are these days?)<br />
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And today, life insurance policies have evolved to have an investment component in them (a way to address the notion that insurance is a waste), but that is for another post. Suffice to say that I have clients who are happy that they are actually "earning" with their insurance policies, just to lay the "" notion to rest.<br />
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<b>3. Investment</b><br />
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Arguably the most contentious term here, spurred on by the fact that Filipinos are generally averse to anything related to risk. (And it also surprises me when they are averse to the previous term - insurance - which is designed as a risk management tool. <i>Ayaw sa</i> risk, <i>ayaw sa</i> risk management - truly, financial advisors in this country have our work cut out for us.)<br />
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Ask the average citizen here what financial product they know, and overwhelmingly, they'll say "<i>bangko.</i>" Those who fancy themselves as financially savvy will say "<i>ay, nagta-time deposit ako!</i>" These are products that have minimal to virtually no risk, which explains why your money in the bank isn't growing. (The current bank deposit has an interest rate of less than 1% annually, and given our inflation rate,you're actually losing money by letting them sleep there. Again, this deserves another post.)<br />
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The general rule with investments is: (blank) risk = (blank) rewards. So if you invest in a fund that has more risk, you will probably earn a lot more than if you placed your funds in a relatively risk-free vehicle (my bank deposit example illustrates this clearly). More equals more, less equals less.<br />
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Nowadays, there are more investment options to choose from, from the POV of an ordinary citizen. You do not need millions of pesos in order to take part of stock market gains - you can gain access to those levels of profits by investing in a mutual fund. (Pooled funds from numerous investors which can be chosen based on risk appetite and desired returns.) Banks have offered their counterparts called UITFs (unit investment trust funds), and companies like Citisec Online also offer their services for those who wish to get their feet wet in the stock market, but by investing in a number and variety of listed companies.<br />
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So when someone approaches you and tells you "invest <i>ka sakin, kikita ka ng</i> 30% in two weeks!", realize that you are taking a huge risk, seeing as the stock market (on average) hasn't even breached this number, on an annual basis. Legitimate investment companies will have returns that approximate or slightly surpass the stock market indices, since they invest in the same place.<br />
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Study the companies that want you to invest in, because as with all investments, you have to bear the brunt of the risks yourself - but you also reap the rewards fully.<br />
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<b>4. Retirement Fund</b><br />
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Another two-word term that seems to be confusing, I find it easier to state one acronym to instantly illuminate the client in front of me: "SSS".<br />
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The Social Security System was designed to "force" workers to save a part of their earnings for when they retire, and to have them use this once the mandatory "retirement age" kicks in. Ideally,this is a fund that is - all together now - for retirement, so it would be logical that one doesn't withdraw or use this fund prematurely, e.g. while you are still working, in your thirties, etc.<br />
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And because of the length of time before it is needed, the way to build this fund into a sizable amount is to start early and save consistently.<br />
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You often hear seniors who are now collecting their SSS pensions complain: "<i>Eto na yun?</i>" Some have even been interviewed on TV because either the agency miscalculated the benefits due, or the companies they worked for did not properly remit the correct payments.<br />
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Against this backdrop, I often encourage my clients to set up their own (voluntary and personal) retirement fund. That way, they can monitor it closely, increase/decrease contributions as the circumstances warrant, and without going through bureaucratic processes. Private companies that offer this often make it easier for clients to do so by installing auto debit arrangements.<br />
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But guess what? Even in these auto-debit setups, some people fail to have money in their accounts to be actually debited from. They completely forget what they signed up and agreed to do - set aside a certain amount of their salary to be saved for retirement - and then wonder - surprisingly - why their fund isn't growing!<br />
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I've also encountered people who say "<i>tsaka ko na pagipunan yan, matagal pa naman</i>" but fast forward to almost a decade, and when I see them again, they sheepishly mutter, "<i>di ko pa nga naumpisahan yung pang retirement ko, hehe</i>", punctuated by an awkward laugh.<br />
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Do people expect a retirement fund to just magically appear? Are they expecting dole outs from relatives or the government? How can they even proclaim - loudly - "<i>ang hirap ng buhay!</i>" but are not doing anything constructive to prepare for a certain question we all face once age 60 hits - who/what will fund my retirement, so romantically called The Golden Years?<br />
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Anyone who has heard of the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare should heed its' lesson: slow but sure wins the race. Nowhere is this more evident than when preparing for your retirement fund.<br />
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Most of us will never be multimillionaires, let alone billionaires, in this lifetime. But one statement from a foreign speaker at an event I recently attended still rings in my ears: it's not your fault if you were born poor, but it's definitely your fault if you die poor.<br />
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In a country that relishes and champions the underdog, it may sound harsh, where "<i>maawa ka</i>" is a common expression. But until we face the reality that we are solely responsible for our financial state and future, this culture of dependency or fatalism where money is concerned will not die out anytime soon.<br />
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Your finances are your responsibility. Start now.Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3552563595912989062.post-33499007613253122492014-06-17T20:00:00.000+08:002014-06-17T20:00:10.142+08:00Where's My Thank You Card, Makati?On a particularly stressful day, I got out of the office to find that my car has been towed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEqVGF2ttGydrlycs3WwtKd2ImrbTpMpYullrClzXNhHPrMYrbRzgqN1uqQwFP_iI4Nvu8Qw7d26oh1sOFEFpfq6OO1Kr2NtYGZiS5qKxw82OHhz9vNXdEy9s57H7yKRC2r0aVEF-EjM2/s1600/IMG_20140617_192939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEqVGF2ttGydrlycs3WwtKd2ImrbTpMpYullrClzXNhHPrMYrbRzgqN1uqQwFP_iI4Nvu8Qw7d26oh1sOFEFpfq6OO1Kr2NtYGZiS5qKxw82OHhz9vNXdEy9s57H7yKRC2r0aVEF-EjM2/s1600/IMG_20140617_192939.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was able to park right in front of our building entrance - luckily, or unfortunately, given the towing incident. I remember lining up the car quite gingerly into the designated parking slot, but because the car behind me was a 4WD, and took up some of my parking space, I had no choice but to to have the front part of the car gut out (<i>nakausli </i>in the vernacular) beyond the slot.<br />
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I was waiting for the Makati parking attendant to issue me my parking ticket (and s/he would have been able to tell me that a little portion of my car was over the drop-off/loading zone). When the attendant didn't show up (I parked just before 230pm), I decided I would pay my fee after two hours. (Every 2 hours of street parking in Makati is 40 pesos, a third hour and you have to add 50, or the lovely total of 90 pesos for 3 hours.)<br />
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I was appalled to find my car missing as soon as I got out of the office. There was a chalk inscription on the sidewalk (I was too annoyed to take a picture) saying "the owner of this vehicle, claim car at impounding, Amorsolo-De la Rosa".<br />
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I got to the impounding area and explained why I shouldn't have been towed - it wasn't my fault that the car behind me was taking up my "proper" space. "I want to contest this."<br />
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"Ok," said the traffic enforcer at the impounding hut. (Literally, they were holding office in a makeshift hut.) "But you still have to pay the fee even if you plan to contest it."<br />
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"Then what would be the point of contesting it, if I have to pay, anyway?" I asked - rhetorically, of course.<br />
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He let my dig slide right over....way over there. He scribbled furiously on some papers and said, "that's one thousand pesos. Take it or leave it, contest it or not."<br />
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"Don't I get a thank you card from Binay?" I responded.<br />
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"Huh?"<br />
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"I am one of, if not the most anti-Binay people in Makati, yet here I am, being forced to give him money...so again, where's my thank you card?"<br />
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The traffic enforcer pretends not to hear anything, and looks down, gazing his pants.<br />
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"Not even a calendar? Or keychain...nothing?"<br />
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He mumbles a thank you upon getting my cash, and I imagine him feeling victorious because he still has my money, whatever I say, against my will.<br />
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I've always liked living here. This is not one of those days.<br />
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*My ticket (from the picture) was issued by P/A Baylon (parking attendant), at 2:39 PM. It can't be a coincidence that I waited a good 3 minutes when I just parked - with no parking attendant around, at 2:30pm - and 9 minutes later, when I had already gotten in the building, my car was towed ASAP...can it?Guy With A Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075473650878693348noreply@blogger.com0