..dream and aim big

July 10, 2008 at 11:25 pm (2008, job opportunities)
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I think I have a fever. I am really not feeling well. I had a full sleep today and it did not make me feel any better. I spent my whole day surfing the net and look for other opportunities abroad outside Dubai. Well, I wanted to try my luck in the beautiful paradise of Australia. With the vast experience that I have gained here in Dubai, I am hoping and aiming big that I will be able to make it and expand my career experience.

Dreaming is for free. Nobody is asking for any payment in return. It depends on how you will start moulding yourself to a better and wider perspective.

Australia…here I come.

Luck happens when you least expect it.

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horrific

July 10, 2008 at 8:02 pm (2008, Beauty Pageants)
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Miss Egypt is a real pain in the neck; she slapped Riyo backstage when by mistake she stepped on her dress. Then she was horrified when she realized she just had slapped Miss Universe! LOL She was saying –“I am sorry I did not know that it was you!!”… Riyo told her: “it is okay, but you should not do that anyway to anyone, this is not really nice”. She was mortified.

Also she shares the room with is Canada and she smokes cigarettes after cigarettes and Miss Canadaasked her kindly to pls go outside when she wishes to smoke. She turned around and said: “why? This is MY room?!” Nice girl indeed! Sometimes I wonder why this kind of girl bothers to come here…. Hiroko and Sun adore their respective roommates, they were lucky with Miss Ireland and El Salvador because they are the sweetest girls.

Above is commentary blog from Ines Ligron, Miss Universe Japan’s pageant organizer. She is in Vietnam right now covering the prestigious pageant which is going to conclude on July 13. I was shocked….stammered. This is something. I mean, I am not against the Egyptians..but after reading this, 3 words: WHAT AN ATTITUDE?

I love Riyo, so much! And with what she did! I’m sure the pyramids will become more sharper.

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WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

July 10, 2008 at 11:56 am (2008, comical)
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I belong to the SMOKE BREAKERS!

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IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT FILIPINOS

July 10, 2008 at 11:04 am (2008, heads up)
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Written and published by:
Abdullah Al-Maghlooth | Al-Watan

 

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

“It’s very impressing to hear these words from somebody who sees it from the heart….keep aiming…filipinos! AIM HIGH! A salute to all Overseas Filipino Workers abroad”

queen b

 

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MONEY and FRIENDSHIP, ALWAYS NOT A GREAT MIX

July 10, 2008 at 10:47 am (2008, money and friendship)
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While Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” recounts the downfalls of lending money to a friend, a loan to a friend does not always have to result in the loss of both the friend and the money.

 

Nowadays, a layoff, health crisis, divorce, death of a spouse or new business venture might result in a friend asking for money, so the question becomes, how do you respond?

WHAT SHOULD YOU CONSIDER WHEN A FRIEND ASKS FOR A LOAN?

Obviously, lending money to a friend can complicate a relationship, so there are a few things to consider before saying yes. First and foremost, figure out if you can comfortably afford to lend the money. You may also want to think of alternatives to lending the money outright. For example, you could offer to co-sign a loan if your friend has trouble qualifying for one on his or her own. By doing this, the transaction becomes more businesslike, and the bank is the middle man. However, remember that if your friend is not able to repay the bank, you are ultimately responsible for the loan.

Another issue you need to clarify is whether this is truly a loan or more of an investment. So, if your friend is launching a new business and asks you for DHS 10,000 to help with start up costs, are you investing in the business to experience both the ups and downs with the knowledge that you might lose your investment? Or is this simply only a loan and you expect to get all of your money back?

You should also consider what would happen if the loan were to go unpaid. Would it put you in a financial bind? Would you be able to think of the loan as more of a donation to a worthy cause? Keep in mind, you can give up to DHS 12,000 anytime if your really feel like giving it. 

HOW CAN YOU AVOID PROBLEMS WHEN LENDING MONEY TO A FRIEND?

Communication and documentation are essential. Although a smaller loan of a few hundred dollars may require only a handshake, loans of larger amounts should be documented in writing.

A larger amount of money is any amount that you deem substantial given your situation, whether it is DHS. 1,000 or DHS. 15,000. When documenting a loan, you should capture everything involved in the agreement: the names of the lender and the borrower; the date of the loan; the amount of the loan; the interest rate, if applicable; the period over which the loan will be repaid; the amount of each payment and the frequency of payments. And both the lender and the borrower should sign this document to reflect your agreement. Although this written agreement helps to lay out the terms of the loan, it does not necessarily need to involve lawyers. However, if the loan is for a substantial amount, you may want to consider both legal and tax advice.

Once you agree to the loan, do not hang it over your friend’s head and avoid meddling in your friend’s financial affairs. If the friend is holding up his or her end of the bargain and has not asked for your ongoing advice, do not offer it, as it can put a strain on the relationship. Additionally, discretion is key. Odds are that it was very difficult for your friend to come to you for money, so the last thing the friend wants is to publicize the fact that you are lending the money.

HOW CAN YOU TELL YOUR FRIEND “NO”?

If you are financially unable or just too uncomfortable to lend money to a friend, it is important to be honest. If you lend money to someone who does not have the ability to pay you back, it would be far worse to hound your friend for the money than it would be to say no from the start. Although you may say no to the loan, you could offer to help your friend explore other options for getting the money. In addition, you might want to help your friend figure out his or her current expenses to determine ways to cut back to find the money within his or her own income.

HOW TO YOU HANDLE JEALOUSY ISSUES ABOUT MONEY BETWEEN FRIENDS?

Some of your oldest friends may date back to college and earlier — a time when salaries were nonexistent or minimal. As you move into the work force though, one friend’s salary may soon exceed another’s by a small or significant amount, inevitably leading to envy. Whether you are envied or green with envy, it is important to make peace with your own situation.  

If you are falling behind your friends in your finances, you may end up questioning your life decisions or resenting them for having the means to do more in life. However, if you let these feelings get the better of you, they will eat away at your friendships. You need to avoid comparisons and instead focus on what you have in common. Similarly, if you find yourself as the object of envy, appreciate your good fortune. But at the same time, do not throw it in your friend’s face. Emphasize that you do not want money to come between you, and be cognizant of your friend’s financial constraints when planning get-togethers. 

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the week ends

July 10, 2008 at 10:31 am (2008, daily dose)
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I just woke up. My alarm wasn’t working but Valerie (barking for food) never failed to do her rituals.

Have to send my sister to work. While I was driving, I tried to remember what was my dream last night. It was Joyce Alesna, my professor back in my junior days. It was still clear. Trying to grab my brain’s built in film.

Here is the scenario. Me entering the classroom. Late as usual. She uttered something….I don’t remember it exactly. “I have read your article last night, it was good”. Something close to that. Rephased it a bit.

I started browsing the pages of my “Dreamers Book”. Negative…of course, I doubt if the book tells you in detail if the dream was about “Lee being a young writer”. I got tired searching for it. I threw the book back to its place and sat in front of the tube.

I had an early “laugh trip”, when I saw the news in the morning about one of the PBA imports throwing ball to his Filipino opponent…and….wait…..James Yap????…drawing it from the back..took its full force to give that “blackie” a lesson. I wonder what was Krissey’s reaction on that. I’m not referring on the “kicking” part of it…but the scene when James was running in the court’s outskirt…screaming for help…while “blackie” was seeking for revenge.

:) hahaha..that was furious. Funny and immature. Can’t wait for the you-tube post.

Fact: Going back to my Sophomore years when I was in High School. I was the class president. A consistent politician since I was a freshman. I got impeached! Yaiiikksss.. Me and our adviser, didn’t get along that much. Issues, insecurities..of course back stabbing is there. COMPLICATED. Tsk..tsk…tsk. First time in the history of College! I doubt if even UP can outstand that.

 

cheers from queen b

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