Splash, Wave eeeerrr FLOOD!

I went home with Uncle Don today and when we got to the taxi queue we lost patience thus decided to hire a bigger van at a higher price of course, almost 4x the regular cab fare. But we deem it necessary to just make a decision and go home all at once. We were near the World Trade Center when the driver saw the heavy and seemingly not moving traffic. The driver decided to take the road less travelled, to our dismay. It was all flooded and traffic was unbearably heavy as well.



After about two hours in heavy traffic (I normally only need 15 minutes to get home), we reached our street. The street was flooded. You see people wading in floodwater. I was silently praying that my place is not in deep dark murky floodwater. It was such a sight...a disappointing sight. This is my first experience with real floodwater. I was at work when it happened last year (lucky me). I guess the lucky streak has already waned.



And look at this picture... According to the bystanders, the water has pretty much subsided already.



When we got near my apartment, I was able to get a shot of this floodwater wave...



And a few steps away from home, I was greeted by the dark dirty floodwater in our gate. Bad news: The living room was flooded! (insert sad and shocked face here)

A Very Special....

A very special: TRAINING

I attended the launch of the new leadership model at Dell today and had an enriching session with the rest of the employees. For me, change is always good and simplifying the scope of the leadership model from complex and generic competencies to just 3 E's (Excel, Engage, Execute) is a breath of fresh air. I was able to lead my subteam into participating in all the activities. And they learned something from me: how to create SMART goals (S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable, R-realistic, T-time bound). I was able to realize that I am so strict in evaluating my techs (competency assessment). I was also able to finally come up with some worthwhile individual development plan.

A very special: MOVIE

After dinner, Jonah and I decided to watch the movie, A Very Special Love. Guess what? we did that instead of going to the gym. It was a bit crowded, after all it was the first day of showing. We didn't realize that until we overheard someone say it. It's amazing how people who works in callcenters gets lost in time. Our body clocks just gets messed up. It was a feel good movie but there were some scenes that made me and Jonah well up.

A very special: DIALOGUE

"I never asked you to love me. Don't make me feel like I have to love you back".

So, why is it special? I can so relate to that line. I don't know but that made me cry a river. The tears just won't stop falling. Why is love so elusive for me? Why can't love be bought in convenience stores? They say love is given freely but what if I want to buy it and give it away? Or just buy it for myself just to save me from being hurt and not feel loved. Well, maybe, just maybe.

So Heartwarming

I was busy finishing up the bonus allotment for my team in line with our midyear performance review and a chat window appeared. It was my former boss asking how am I doing. We had the usual hi and hellos and catch up a little bit. We talked about the technicians I previously handled in the escalations queue and we talked about his career plans. Before we ended our conversation, my former boss told me that he finds solace in looking at my pictures because of my smile. How heartwarming could that be? So heartwarming...To think that he is one of the bosses whom I have high respect and admiration for.

I wish him the best in all of his endeavors and I hope to see him again soon.

Do You?

Maybe this decision was a mistake.
You probably don't care what I have to say.
But it's been heavy on my mind for months now.
Guess I'm trying to clear some mental space.
I would love to talk to you in person.
But I understand why that can't be.
I'll leave you alone for good I promise.
If you answer this one question for me.

I just wonder,
Do you ever,
Think of me,
Anymore, do you?

----------------------------- Sigh! That is all I have for now. I will try to make a worthwhile update when I get home. For now, that's what I feel posting. Ne-Yo's Do You first stanza.

Vegan Night

Last night I had a filling and sumptous dinner:



I also feasted on some:



Totally yum!

Plan B

Looks like I am not pushing through with my work-out today. A friend sent me an SMS and she would like to meet me for a little catch up before she go home to Davao City. She got bored reviewing just one subject for the CPA board exams and she would rather be home in Davao than here in Manila. So, I said yes and instead of doing some resistance training today, I will go and exercise my two little feet and stroll the mall and look for something to buy. I have my eyes on the purple or pink yoga mat from the Nike store. Might go buy it.



-Keep it lean with Nike's closed-cell foam yoga mat.
-5 mm closed-cell foam provides light cushioning.
-Enhanced traction keeps you from slipping. Centerline stitching makes for easier pose alignment.
-Carry strap for easy transport.


And I will be buying another shoe as well. It'll be the "gift-for-myself" this month.




Oh, I love life...

P.S. I will prolly go to the gym if we finish early. I wish! I hope! I think! (Darn excuses!)

Performance Review 101

It's performance review season once again. This will be the 5th time that I will be evaluating my team. This is my 5th team as well. I am done with the performance reviews and just about ready to rate each one and determine how much would each of them get as performance bonus. Of course, only the best ones deserve the best and hefty bonuses.

I am just wondering if I myself would be rated fairly this time around. I hope, I sure do hope. I have been only happy once since my past 3 reviews were really mediocre. I am just wondering how they rated me the last time since I do not have the 90% of my scorecard since I have not seen any of my numbers. Oh well, past is past. I have moved on already and I am pretty sure I have turned the tables around this time. I am just wishful thinking.

I will keep you posted of what my review be. It'll be out for release in about a month's time.

Moving On

Last year I wrote this in a blog I wrote for a special person:

"His passing left me wounded, it maimed me. I thought I would never recover. I was in denial for a very long time. I was a broken soul. I tried so hard to breathe life to my existence. There were times when smiling became a chore and the most effortless thing to do was to cry until I feel numb and fall asleep and wish that Brandon would talk to me in my dreams and explain why he had to leave me. Crying was my tranquilizer. And sleep was my escape to reality. There were times when I would stare into nothingness and try so hard to just stay in oblivion. It was difficult, it was never easy. It was something I didn't learn in school. But that experience had taught me so much. It made me unbelievably strong. It crippled me but it became my crutch to continue to trod and face tomorrow no matter how uncertain it could be. The experience gave me hope that I can only be happy if I chose to."

-----I never thought that up until now, I would still cry for him. Still feel sad when I see something that reminds me of him. But if you ask me if I am already over him, I would say yes. It's just that he has been so much a part of my life that losing him is still a big blow.

I did some cleaning today since I could not go out because of the raging typhoon outside and I happen to see the cards from the flowers he had sent me. I reread each one. My tears were muffled by the heavy rains and the humming wind. It's been almost two years nd he still moves me.

I was also able to chat with his two other girlfriends, Rudelyn and Allison. They were both very nice to me and I believe that this is one of the good things that Brandon's passing has left me. I was able to get to know a few people I share the same feelings with. Rudelyn is already married and is a mom to her daughter. Allison is going to be engaged pretty soon. I, on the other hand, still am single, still hoping that in a sea of strangers and acquaintances, I would find that one person I am destined to be forever with, I would find someone that would sweep me off my feet again.

How to Deal with Employee Resignation

What do you do when it's your employees who are looking for a new start, and not within your business?

Consulting Tools Business Psychologist, Nigel Evans and Sital Ruparelia, the Resourcing Specialist at Authentic Resourcing, suggest ten ways in which you can limit the damage of New Year's resignations.

10 Tips To Profit From A Resignation – for employers big or small

If you employ people, like it or not, the start of the new year does mean some of your team may be searching for jobs, and you may be having some resignation letters coming your way. The way you handle a resignation can have a direct impact on how your staff turnover thereafter.

Handled the right way, we believe a resignation is in fact a golden opportunity for you to reduce staff turnover. In the same way you that can profit from a customer complaint by handling it well, you can profit from a staff resignation by following the 10 tips below:

1. Treat the individual in the same way you would want to be treated throughout.

2. Don't take it personally. They are just changing jobs, they are not rejecting you.

3. Ask them "what could we do to change your mind?" (if you do want them to stay).

4. Take a genuine interest in their new job, be pleased for them and wish them well.

5. Ensure you conduct an exit interview and find out all the reasons why they are leaving.

6. During their notice period, treat them as you would any existing member of your staff.

7. Ensure they are still contributing and learning for the remainder of the time they are with you.

8. Look at what you can learn from their resignation. What can you change to prevent others from leaving?

9. If someone does want to have a moan as their 'parting shot' (as they often do), do not stoop to their level, keep your nerve and remain professional throughout.

10. Sign their leaving card. Thank them for their hard work. Go to their leaving drinks and say nice things about them (even if you don't feel like it).

Many leaders take the resignation personally and they don’t handle it the right way which often poisons the leaver against their business. The chances are that the individual will keep in touch with the rest of your team and so poison them against your business too – which then only results in more problems for you down the line. Not to mention what damage they can do if they were to talk to your clients or customers as well.

By handling resignations the right way, you show your existing team what a great business they work for and minimise any disruption from the leaver. If you take the time to understand why they are leaving, it then allows you to make some changes to prevent further people leaving.

Where's My Name From?

My name is from the book "The Best Little Girl In The World" written by Steven Levenkron which my mom read while she's still carrying me in her tummy. My mom just thinks it is a nice name. She did not really consider who and what the 15-year old character in the story is experiencing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The book The Best Little Girl in the World is a timeless story of a girl going through life, looking for attention, and finding it unlikely, and dangerous ways. Francesca was a young girl going through life's changes, unable to handle the stress of growing up, she decided to take action. Afraid of rejection, she tries to become a poster girl for her dance instructor. Unfortunately, things go terribly awry. Now she is trapped in a swirl of events that could ultimately lead to her death. In the end Francesca is a troubled girl looking for attention.


Francesca Dietrich is a 15 year old girl living in New York during the nine-teen seventies. To her parents she is the perfect child; to herself she is an abomination. In an attempt to gain the affections of her dance instructor she goes on a diet hoping to make herself a better dancer. In the process she picks up strange eating habits, she even goes so far as to change her name. Now she insists on being referred to as "Kessa" insisting that it will make her a stronger person (pg. 11). For example, as Kessa tries to lose weight she does not feel the hunger pains that plagued Francesca, and soon she has lost the weight she was trying to lose. In fact, she has lost too much weight, her pediatrician, Dr. Gordon, diagnoses her with Anorexia Nervosa. Now her family must decide how to help her, and they must do it quickly. With the help of Francesca's pediatrician they begin to find hope.


Before things get better for Francesca, they get worse. Francesca now has even more to deal with, and she doesn't know how to handle it. She has been admitted into the hospital, and is progressively getting worse. That is, until Dr. Sherman, her psychiatrist is called in to take action. He is Kessa's only hope for survival, and he knows this. In his own way he is able to gain the trust of the girl, and slowly she starts to understand her problem. Dr. Sherman is soon able to convince her that her choice of how to deal with her problems was not a good one, and starts her on the road to recovery. Though Francesca's illness will never truly go away, there is now, at least a little hope for her survival.


Francesca was just a lonely girl looking for acceptance, and attention from her parents and teachers. Though she may have been looking for it in all the wrong ways, she still was able to find it. Though her journey to this point may have been a long arduous, she was still able to come out of it on top.

I Condemn MMDA

I was watching TV Patrol while talking to my Dad on the phone when I saw the news clip about MMDA officials and their drive against sidewalk vendors. I say their motive might be for everyone's benefit but their actions were totally inhuman. They tossed the cart of the "taho" vendor. They trampled on the fruit vendors merchandise. They removed the shanties in the sidewalk. All these...without respect for human dignity, without care if these people who still albeit the hardships in life strive to earn a decent living. Did they ever realize that maybe these people are yet to feed mouths when they get home? Did they realize that these people deserves to be treated as their equals and not substandard kind of human beings just because they aren' wearing designer clothes or they aren't holding prestigious government positions?



I am just so emotional. I am deeply touched. I wish I can do something. While I am powerless to do something drastically to educate Bayani Fernando and his minions, all I can do is tell them to exercise discretion, a much more calculated and responsible discretion. Learn to respect people who are just trying to live decently on meager income. Just let them be. If you think they are sight for sore eyes then provide them a place where they can peddle their goods. Provide them a place where they can earn to support their families. And while you do that,go ahead and hound the real crooks, the real cancers of our society.

At this point, I can only cry. I am humbled by this incident and the MMDA should wake up and evaluate if what they are doing is truly for the good of everyone. Maybe it's just for their own good, just for their own benefit. I am just not convinced. "You all do not deserve the tax money I am paying you. I'd rather that you don't tax me and I'll give the amount to the needy than feed you with my hard-earned money while you treat other people like trash".

Thinking Out Loud

I had a few minutes to myself today contemplating on how blessed I am. I have a well-paying job that gives me not only fulfillment but finances my needs and wants as well. Come to think of it, I really do not have any complaints. I have grown so much as a person and as a leader ever since I was hired and started last 2005. This job I have now is the longest that I have stayed in a company (this after all is just my 3rd job).

It is way too different from my first job. I can remember how nervous I am when I started taking calls and how this one supervisor made me cry on fateful night by blaming my long call as the culprit for the team not having pizza. I've grown from an irate tech to a much more matured leader. Someone who does not just think of herself but thinks of her team always, all the time. This job that I have now is much more different than the one I had in a bank where I used to work. For now, I can exercise my full potential. I like how I can decide and implement action plans. I like how I can brainstorm with equally-competent members of my team. I like how they can openly give me constructive feedback. I like how dynamic the environment is.

I have never expected that I am employed by Dell for almost 3 years already, 3 long eventful years. I have shed tears and I have had sleepless nights trying to figure out how I can function better, how I can be rated exceptional. The only regret I have had maybe is applying for the much-talked about position back in 2006. It was I guess a wrong career move and a right career move at the same time. Wrong because the expectations that were promised to me never came into reality and that I did not have solid numbers to back my claim that I was working, developing my team, advocating the process. It was right because I was able to learn efficient and effective deescalation process. It was right because I was able to work with wonderful people who taught me patience and perseverance.

I believe having this job I love is such a blessing. I never had any complaints. What I have is chestful of memories and learnings and realizations. All I have is a chance to be able to work on my competencies. All I have is a chance to be a better leader, a better manager. What I need to do is to just take advantage of what I have and work on areas for improvement and maintain my strengths and for sure I will be on my way to getting back that exceptional rating all over again.

What's In Your Fridge?

I watched Rachael Ray today on Lifestyle Network and they have this feature about what's inside people's fridge. This is an attempt to see if what's inside your fridge determines the person that you are and your lifestyle to be exact. They show the fridge and the owner tells the audience what's inside the fridge.

Fridge 1: nonfat milk, yoghurt, veggies, all the healthy stuff, La Mer face cream, eye cover for when she sleeps and other beauty products as she claims the cold lengthes the shelf life of such - MODEL (No wonder she's lithe and skinny)

Fridge 2: foie gras, cheese, caviar, champagne - SINGLE GUY (He's such a typical single guy. Only the essentials - almost bare and uncluttered)

Fridge 3: marshmallow, chocolates, all the sweet stuff - PREGNANT WOMAN (what with all her cravings)

What's in my fridge?

Mine: veggies, yoghurt, fruite juices, milk chocolate, soy milk, honey mustard dressing, nonfat cheese, kiwi, grapes, carrots, potato, eggs, pesto, chicken breast fillet, lemons - yeah yeah yeah, I try to be healthy. Hmmm, well at least trying to be. With all this inside the fridge, I don't think I'd be able to fit into my old daisy dukes in no time unless maybe I go to the gym everyday and sweat all the fat out.

What's in your fridge?

Stay At Home/Sleep All Day

I woke up with a heavy head and sore body today. What with all the sleepless nights, stress at work and all that stuff.

And so I am home now. Absent yet practically still working. I sent out a few emails for work and some coaching logs.

Will keep you posted about my day. Ta ta...


6:09PM

I did a good deed today! (Applause! Applause!) I fed a hungry stomach after I did my grocery shopping. Will not elaborate about it anymore but that person was thankful enough and I got a thank you.

So, the fridge is now brimming full with fruits (grapes, apples, oranges and kiwi). I also bought some fruit-flavored yoghurt and some yoghurt milk. Just an observation, my grocery bill is much more expensive when I eat healthy. But it's alright, I guess. What do you all think?

I am contemplating on what to prepare for my dinner. I think I'll have some soup. Since I am a little sick I think good ole chicken macaroni soup would be filling and soothing enough.

Satisfied Consumer - NOT!

I have been subsisting on an internet connection via Globe, my mobile service provider. It has been really slow especially if you compare it to my T1 connection at work. But nonetheless, I could still update my new blog and chat with some friends. The only problem is that I need to try to reopen browsers again and again before it finally loads up. Can be such a pain really.

Thus, I loathe Globelines and PLDT MyDSL. I applied for Globelines connection last month (June 23) and they said processing would take 3-5 business days including installation. The installers came to our house on June 29 only to inform us that we have exceeded the allowable cable length. The excess would mean I need to pay Php2860 on top of the first monthly bill. The information was relayed to our househelp as I am not home that Sunday afternoon. I called the customer service hotline and told them I am willing to pay the excess cable wire charge, unfortunately they could not promise as to when they would finally install my connection. And so I waited for another week. I was able to talk to at least three customer service reps within that timeframe. I was told the same thing and excuse over and over again. If I ask a manager, they would tell me they are all in a meeting or engaged in a call. I couldn't take that crap excuse, I do after all work in the customer service industry, only I am trained to acknowlege requests for a customer to talk to my manager and to always set correct expectations. After three weeks of waiting I finally told the rep I talked to that I will wait for a manager to finish his meeting or finish his call so that I'd be able to talk to a manager. Alas! I was able to talk to one after being an irate customer. That "stupid" manager told me that it is not possible to connect my cable connection because our house is 4 spans away from the allowable length of cable wire. The nerve! How come the people in the installation department told me that it is okay? I was ultimately frustrated and told him to cancel my application and for them to fix their crappy customer service.

I decided to apply for a DSL connection through PLDT on July 7, 2008. Of course since its DSL, I will have my own phone line and 1MBPS internet connection. Guess what? Up until now nobody has cared to keep me posted as to the status yet. And so I called again. The rep told me that they are already creating an account and that installation will be in a week or two. Why would it take that long?

I will wait. I will resolve to be patient. And for the moment, convince myself that my GPRS connection is better than nothing.

Sigh!

I'm IN!

I am overwhelmed. My application has been accepted and I have a proof online. So, I guess another item in my bucket list can now be crashed out. I am excited to be able to go back to school again. I am so excited to be able to crunch out numbers and methodically stack all the words in my brain again. I am so excited to be back in the academe. Classes for the second term will start on November.

My Bucket List Part 3

So, I am on my third installment of my bucket list.

151. Donate blood to Red Cross.

152. Have my blood sugar constantly tracked.

153. Bungee jump in New Zealand.

154. Wall climb.

155. Rapel.

156. Kiss in the rain.

157. Go green. Conserve energy. Use renewable energy resources.

158. Learn a new word everyday.

159. Write love letters.

160. Become more physically active.

161. Reconnect with college friends.

162. Visit an old friend's final resting place in Arkansas.

163. Live my life to the fullest everyday.

164. Kiss the most handsome man in the world.

165. Wish on a falling star.

166. Witness the aurora borealis.

167. Watch the Sex and The City television series all over again.

168. Grow a flower garden.

169. Be a soccer mom.

170. Be a responsible adult. If I can't be good, I should be protected.

171. Name a star. My own star.

172. Be in two places at once.

173. Compose a song.

174. Swim with a dolphin.

175. Have my portrait painted.

176. Tell someone the story of my life, without sparing any detail.

177. Own a room with a view.

178. Learn not to say YES when I really mean NO.

179. Learn to ballroom dance properly.

180. Fall deeply in love - helplessly and unconditionally.

181. Drink a bottle of beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

182. Be someone's mentor.

183. Be someone's life coach.

184. Shower in a waterfall.

185. Ask for a raise.

186. Teach some illiterate to read and write his/her name.

187. Write down my own personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.

188. See a lunar eclipse.

189. See a solar eclipse.

190. Watch Miss Universe live.

191. Experience weightlessness. Defy gravity.

192. Ask someone I've only just met to go on a date.

193. Write my will.

194. Sleep underneath the stars.

195. Learn how to complain effectively - and do it!

196. Learn to juggle with at least three balls.

197. Solve a Rubix cube.

198. Overcome my fear of failure.

199. Donate money and put my name on something - a bench in the park, a wall in a school.

200. Buy my own house and make it exactly what I want.

201. Spend three months getting my body into optimum shape.

202. Accept myself for who I am.

203. Give to a charity - anonymously.

204. Make love on the kitchen table.

205. Make love on the forest floor.

206. Make love on a forest canopy.

207. Create my family tree.

208. Make a hole-in-one.

209. Visit a concentration camp and say a prayer for all those who died there.

210. Learn to bartend.

211. Reflect on my greatest weakness, and realize how it is my greatest strength.

212. See elephants in the wild.

213. Ride an elephant.

214. Fly over a volcano.

215. Create a snowman.

216. Visit Las Vegas, Nevada.

217. Ride a camel to the Pyramids of Egypt.

218. Trek through a rainforest.

219. Go polar bear watching.

220. Memorize a poem and pass it on.

221. Stand up to a bully.

222. Fight off a rival for a prize.

223. Make an enemy for life. -An enemy helps you define yourself.

224. Forgive and forget.

225. Be in a gondola and kiss under the arches in Venice.

226. Eat a chocolate cake and never feel guilty.

227. Link my home computer to the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

228. Help nail a murderer.

229. Have the prime of my life before the party is over.

230. Write a children's book.

231. Learn how to salsa dance.

232. Take up a martial art.

233. Learn archery.

234. Become a triathlete.

235. Learn sign language.

236. Go on a helicopter ride.

237. Ride a mechanical bull.

238. Get a tattoo on my lower back.

239. Go white water rafting.

240. Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

241. Experience Carnival in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

242. See the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Japan.

243. See the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

244. Go on a cruise.

245. Create a collage.

246. Create a mind movie. Like an inspiration that I will go to Paris. Collect pictures of France. Add a backgroud music, maybe La Vie en Rose, add affirmations and sit down each morning and watch the movie.

247. Learn to sculpt.

248. Learn to make pottery.

249. Make mobiles for my kids.

250. Learn to brew beer or make wine.

This one I'll do after I die (I'll put this in my will)-- Become a diamond. (LifeGem of Chicago, Illinois, will take a few grains of my cremated remains, subject it to high pressure and temperature and I will emerge from the process, 18 weeks later, as a sparkling one-carat diamond).

My Bucket List Part 2

So, here's the second part of my bucket list.

101. Plant my own herb garden (sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc).
102. Grow a tree/vine from the seed of the fruit I ate.
103. Join a reality TV show.
104. Send a message in a bottle.
105. Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
106. Never miss my weekly yoga classes. No matter what.
107. Change my room curtains every two weeks.
108. Finish a BPI Project (DMAICR).
109. Fill my piggy bank with P5 and P10 coins.
110. Buy one shoe every month.
111. Pay my bills on time all the time.
112. Resort to paying with cash. Say goodbye to credit cards.
113. Visit a wax museum.
114. Ride a rollercoaster. I'm scared shit of this monster of a ride.
115. Travel with only one bag in tow.
116. Go skinny dipping in a beach (at night).
117. Meet someone with the same first name as mine - KESSA THEA.
118. Give up soda. (Can I punish my self like that?)
119. Learn how to ice skate.
120. Learn ho to ski.
121. Finish my first marathon.
122. Visit my gyno regularly.
123. Buy the pink or red Nike yoga mat.
124. Learn how to make my own version of fruit cake.
125. Make the best baked potato in town.
126. Learn how to troubleshoot a spyware/malware infection.
127. Learn how to troubleshoot a virus infection.
128. Back-up my files regularly.
129. Have my picture taken sans any piece of clothing.
130. Take a picture of the Niagara Falls using my own camera.
131. Learn how to drive.
132. Get my driver's license.
133. Visit a heroes tomb.
134. I want my honeymoon to be in Santorini, Greece or in Tuscany, Italy.
135. Prepare a full board meal for my mom and dad on one of their anniversaries.
136. Whisk my mom and dad to a second honeymoon outside the country.
137. Get an MCP certification.
138. Get a CCNA certification.
139. Travel to Batanes (the northern tip of the country).
140. Learn how to surf.
141. Get a fitting brace.
142. Never miss a waxing appointment.
143. Get married when the sun is about to rise.
144. Watch a live explicit act.
145. Climb a coconut tree without using a ladder.
146. Go natural. Eat fresh produce.
147. Advocate for the rights of the animal. Maybe join PETA.
148. Read all the books in my bookshelves.
149. Repaint my room purple and pink.
150. Wish on a four-leaf clover.

More to be posted later...I hope I could finish this list before the week ends. Ta ta...

My Bucket List

This post is inspired by the movie which stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. This will be a perpetual list. My goal is to have at least 240 in my list given that I live until 50 and that I need to accomplish at least 10 every year. Quite a conservative estimate but hopefully I'd live to see each one accomplished.

(This is in no particular order, I have unpublished bucket list which I made after my 26th birthday and I am including them and will be crashing them out-items in red are accomplished to date)

1. Start an online business.

2. Visit a tulip field.

3. Stay in a spa for at least 12 hours.

4. Parasail once and for all.

5. Reefwalk.

6. Jetski on my own.

7. Ride in a hot air balloon.

8. Cook something for the homeless near my apartment.

9. Learn a second language (French or Spanish).

10. Plan a surprise trip back home.

11. Organize my room. Keep it neat and tidy all year long.

12. Send mom all bags/purses I rarely use.

13. Send mom all my books so she can update our mini-library.

14. Go to Palawan and visit the underground river.

15. Go to Bohol and check out the tarsiers.

16. Go to Bohol and check out the Chocolate Hills.

17. Strawberry-pick in Baguio City.

18. Be a vegan for a week.

19. Be a vegan for a month.

20. Be a vegan for a quarter.

21. Learn to swim.

22. Learn how to bowl competitively.

23. Go to the gym at least thrice a week.

24. Be a size 6 before my next birthday.

25. Do something good daily. Will be tracked in A Day In The Life of This Miss.

26. Enroll Ateneo-Regis MBA and finish it.

27. Save and earn my first million before I am 30.

28. Learn how to play the piano.

29. Win in a raffle promo. I have never won even once in my life.

30. Stop thumbsucking.

31. Donate some of my magazines.

32. Do some regular cardio exercises in and out of the gym.

33. Plant a tree every year.

34. Learn to commute. This will help me save my first million.
35. Smile to at least one person daily.

36. Be a better manager/leader.

37. Help send a kid to school.

38. Be a faithful thither.

39. Watch at least one good movie every month.

40. Visit Paris before I turn 30.

41. Publish my book before I turn 50.

42. Get married.
43. Have kids.

44. Be the best wife for my husband.

45. Learn how to cook chicken pot pie.

46. Perfect my brownie recipe.

47. Perfect my pesto pasta.

48. Cook a sumptous meal for my team at work.

49. Write my team a thank you letter before Q3 ends.

50. Visit the Botanical Garden in Singapore.

51. Tour the Louvre museum.

52. Watch Cirque Du Soleil in person.

53. Write an article that will be featured in a national newspaper.
54. Learn photography.

55. Learn perfume making.

56. No fastfood for one month.

57. Buy my dad the watch he wanted.

58. Visit an orphanage.

59. Visit the Great Wall of China.

60. Create a blog that will stay anonymous and that people won't know that I created it.

61. Stay in a hotel alone over the weekend.

62. Travel to a place alone.

63. Read a book from cover to cover in one day.

64. Volunteer for a charitable cause.

65. Get a United Nations job.

66. Eat something exotic.- adobong frog which I cooked myself

67. Try to eat century egg.

68. Visit the Marikina Shoe Museum.

69. Have a good sleeping habit even just for one week.

70. Go to at least 3 Disneylands before I turn 30. (Hongkong, Tokyo, Euro)

71. Visit the Statue of Liberty.

72. Go to Pagudpud.

73. Go to Camiguin and check out the Sunken Cemetery.

74. Host a slumber party.

75. Cut my phone bill to 2K per month.

76. Visit Anawangin with friends.

77. Watch a Maroon 5 concert.

78. Watch Ne-Yo in concert again.

79. Watch Mariah Carey in concert again.

80. Have my picture taken in costume.

81. Learn to play guitar.

82. Skydive!

83. Enrol in an acting workshop.

84. Buy my mom an Italian recipe book.

85. Design my own evening gown.

86. Eat only fish in one week.

87. Visit an indigenous community and meet the locals.

88. Teach Uncle Don how to cook perfect sunny side-up eggs.

89. Have my picture taken with a local celeb.

90. Have my picture taken with a foreign celeb.

91. Reach the top of the Petronas Towers.

92. Reach the top of Taipei 101.

93. Have my picture taken inside Burj Al Arab.

94. Buy me some real jewelry set and pass on to my daughters.

95. Touch an ostrich.

96. Touch a giraffe.

97. Touch a tiger.

98. Touch a lion.

99. Travel to Africa and admire its wildlife.

100. Go back to Bantayan Island.

Part 2 will be published tomorrow. :-) Let me know if you have any suggestions. I might just be willing to accept the dare. Who knows?

July 19 Saturday

I was awakened by my phone's message alert and it's from Jonah. She asked if I want to go to the gym and I readily replied yes. I miss going to the gym anyway. She had breakfast at our apartment. I prepared some greens with honey mustard sauce and the evercommon OJ. We head straight to Fitness First-RCBC and did a few laps and relaxed in the jacuzzi. After that, we stayed in the sauna, showered and grab something to eat again...but this time for dinner. See how long we spent at the gym.

Here's a little secret. We violated one traffic rule today. We jaywalked. Lucky us, there was no police in sight. Haha! Silly little misses.

We had dinner at Max's and then had coffee at the Coffee Bean and Teal Leaf near Convergys.