Tara Sa Pungko-Pungko!

Who wouldn't have known pungko-pungko? What is it anyway? Pungko is a Visayan word which means to sit or squat. Pungko-pungko then is a street word used to describe on the manner of eating, that is to sit or squat without any chair or bench, this is so true in the 80's. I can still remember it vividly, outside the elementary school I went to, the pungko-pungko vendor only had a basket with puso (hanging rice), lumpia in bean sprouts, gabi (taro) balls,  hotdog, longganisa and chorizo and of course the spicy vinegar with onions. You will just sit with the vendor and get from the basket what you want to eat. With my 5 peso at that time, I can already eat full to my tummy's satisfaction. Aahh, those were the days!

At present, vendors have upgraded and now have tables for the variety of foods to choose from and low benches for the customers. You can see pungko-pungko stalls almost anywhere in the city, but it is most likely near schools, universities and offices. Students and young professionals who are on a tight budget go to pungko-pungko because it is "pocket friendly".  It is also fun to eat there. If my memory serves me right, the last time I had eaten in a pungko-pungko was 3 long years ago at JY Square wth my officemates.

A few weeks back, I received an invitation from a friend that we will eat out in a pungko-pungko and is still finalizing it.

I will keep you posted then!

Love,

Malyn

Dreamer by: Oozy Osbourne

This is one of my favorite song of all time by none other than Oozy Osbourne.
I hope you will enjoy this song, too.

Disclaimer: I do not own this video.

The Fury of Super Typhoon Yolanda

Another tragedy hit The Philippines on November 8, 2013 just almost a month after a destructive 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the islands of Cebu and Bohol on October 15, 2013. This time, it is super typhoon Yolanda which is considered to be the strongest in 30 years in the whole world to have ever been recorded. Yolanda made its 1st landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar and its 2nd in Tolosa, Leyte. The wrath of Yolanda severely devastated the City of Tacloban and leaves hundreds of fatalities as of this writing because of storm surge brought by the said super typhoon. Storm surge as described by ABS-CBN's broadcast journalist Ted Failon "is the overflowing of sea-water that is of a three-storey building in height" engulfed the entire City of Tacloban leaving it a total wreck, not to mention other affected parts of Leyte.

The Province of Cebu also have not escaped the fury of Yolanda. The super typhoon ravaged the town of Daanbantayan on its 3rd landfall and Bantayan Island on its 4th before heading to Concepcion, Iloilo on its 5th and passed through Boracay, Aklan; Semirara, Antique and San Jose, Mindoro on  its way to its 6th and final landfall in Busuanga, Palawan. Metro Cebu, on the other hand, was spared from its wrath as it only leaves very minimal damage and casualties. That is how intense Yolanda was! This super typhoon was really having fun in destroying the beautiful Philippines.

Despite all of these calamities, let us still keep our faith going. WE can all survive from this. Let us not forget that there is always a rainbow after the storm. That God is always listening to our prayers and answers it in HIS perfect time. The very least we can do is to pray for all the victims who have  lost their properties and loved ones that they may endure the pain and will recover so fast in this most difficult time of their lives. We can also send some used clothing, food and medicines which are vastly needed and financial help to designated government and private organizations.

GO, GO, GO Pinoys!!!

7.2 Magnitude Earthquake: What Does It Imply?

It's been a sad week for Cebuanos and Boholanos in particular. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 devastated Cebu and Bohol and other parts of Visayas on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at past 8:00 o'clock in the morning. Buildings, houses, bridges and centuries old churches were shattered. With the churches being shattered, some netizens are so unreasonable and judgmental as to the beliefs of Cebuanos and Boholanos. It seems like they are happy with the tragedy that strucked the islands of Bohol and Cebu with the way they cursed us. They even questioned our faith. I don't think it has something to do with our faith, earthquake is the work of mother nature and is a natural geographical rearrangement and it is unpredictable unlike typhoons. The one that happened on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 was reported as 32 times stronger as the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima on World War II, so how can a centuries old edifice sustained it?

The Ruins: These are just some of the heartbreaking views after the earthquake. These churches were considered as a Historical Heritage as they were built many centuries ago.

 

Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño

CTO: Holy Trinity Parish

San Pedro y San Pablo Parish

CTO

CTO: A Church Belfry in Bohol

Unsolicited Comments

There have been negative comments circulating on the net about the earthquake that hits Cebu and Bohol. I don't know if these people know what they are talking about or they only want to get some attention. What kind of mentality are they having to utter such words? Isn't this a time of unity and to lend our helping hand for those who are needing it instead of questioning our beliefs, cursing and bashing each other? Aren't we all sinners? What if the same tragedy will happen to them? Most of them are poseurs, stealing one person's identity on social networking sites and then post nasty comments to the disbelief of the true owner. These poseurs need to be educated. Although, there are some who admitted that they have uttered such words because of a "personal problem".

Poor Mhaine Herrera, her identity has been stolen by a poseur to post comments like this.

And here's another one: Aryanee Chavez

 

Aryanee, on the other hand asked forgiveness for what she said: (update)

 "Dear Sr.Sto.Nino I sincerely regret my actions on 16/2013 They were inappropriate and resulted from a momentary lapse of judgment on my part.Please accept my apologies for what i wrote.About your devoted sto,nino.and for creating an awkward and embarrassing situation.You can expect better from me in the future for I will practice better restraint and exhibit behavior that befits the environment and situation. I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Cebuanos people."

These are just some of the bashers I've seen earlier when I scrolled down on my news feed. True enough, we are all entitled to our own opinion but let us be responsible and sensitive especially at times like this. We also all need RESPECT regardless of our beliefs and any Christian denominations we belong. The best thing to do is to pray for all the victims in our own way that they may be healed physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Let us also be thankful that it happened on a holiday, GOD is good all the time.

Let us keep our FAITH going Cebuanos and Boholanos. We can all survive from this tragedy.

I Am Lovin' My Job!

Yes! I am definitely loving my job now. It is totally different from the previous jobs I had - paperless, no errands, very straightforward, no quirky, arrogant and sarcastic superiors and most of all I own my time - this absolutely means no more memo's for tardiness. Hoorraayyy to that! I am my own BOSS. Thanks to virtual assisting jobs.

CTO

These are just some of the wonders of freelancing (i.e., online job, virtual assisting). You only need to have a computer and an internet connection to start with. However, one downside to it is that, you have no office mates to talk to, no more gossiping (which I think is pretty normal), no more after office dine-outs and malling. No more videoke nights on weekends, beach outings and company Christmas parties, too, so to speak. It is somehow lonely, but I still managed to have a LIFE. I missed the fun working in a conventional set-up though, but I have just realized that it is not my cup of tea.

 

Before I Knew It

Long before I knew the existence of virtual jobs, I have been to a number of companies in which one of them was a BPO company. I was a production associate and as such, I need to familiarize the project rules, specifications and every updates of the assigned projects set by our clients. I also need to meet the required quota to qualify for the incentive schemes and should render an overtime when needed. It is also where I learned the very basic of HTML. I had fun with my stay there. The occasional reshuffling of teams was an avenue for me to meet new friends, but constant forced leaves opted me to quit the job permanently. I have stayed there for 6 years, my longest tenure to say the least. 

CTO

After my stint with the BPO company, I was hired in a FMCG company where at some point in time made me developed my people and office skills. One time, while in the middle of our work an office mate was talking about her sister doing a virtual assisting job. To make the story short, I became curious with it especially when she mentioned about the pay her sister was receiving at that time. I was wowed!! So that was it, it all started there.  

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Since then, I started to research about virtual assisting jobs, how it goes, different platforms used, how to start it off, how to sell your skill set and how to bargain. During that time, I was already thinking of quitting my job because I was not happy with the way things were going anymore. Came the time I quit, I can still remember this one word I had in my resignation letter - freelance. And I stand true to it. I took the risk without even knowing if I will be hired or not. I did also try to apply for an office job but most of my applications after a final interview were rejected. While still learning the ropes of virtual assisting jobs, I also made it a point to earn while facing my computer in less than a year that made me almost forgot my purpose in quitting my job. I re-invented my profile and after a month I was finally hired! 

CTO

I was so happy and excited with my first virtual engagement. I started off with $? an hour and have raised it 4x so that makes $? an hour. I have also recently accepted fixed-rate projects. I am now in my 1.25 years and still counting. I am happy and contented with the way things are going especially when it comes to flexibility and my earnings. I am so thankful to all my clients who put their trusts in me. And in return, I always give them my best to meet and fulfill their goals. Now, I can say that this is my cup of tea and I am loving it. It is indeed worth the risk.

"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back."

What about you? What is your cup of tea?

Love,

Malyn