A Really Interesting Day!

Here's a list of some interesting days that is being recognized whether on a national level, or even around the globe. While some of these were created to raise awareness of something that matters to humanity, others, I think, are just a marketing ploy.

1. World Water Day – March 22. This was started in 1993 by the  United Nations to create awareness for water conservation for future generations.

What the Letters in the Names of Famous People Stand For

These famous people have rather long names, so for easy recollection, they've shortened it to the first letters of those names, plus their last name which is spelled out. Notice that most of these people are British and authors.

1. JRR ( John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien -  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and The Hobbit are among his     famous     works.

2. CS (Clive Staples) Lewis – author of the famous children's book The Chronicles of Narnia.

3. JK ( Joanne Kathleen) Rowling – another author of children's books, The Harry Potter series.

4. HG  ( Herbert George ) Wells - another British author known for his science fiction works like The War       of the Worlds and The Time Machine, which were later adapted to films.

5. TS (Thomas Stearns)  Eliot - a playwright known for Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, which was the basis of Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical, Cats. He was American by birth, but later became a naturalized British citizen.

On Giving Your All

" Do or do not. There is no try."

- Yoda

Philippine Commemorative Coins in My Collection

I used to work at a small scale lending business, where one of my duties was to manually count the money collected. Every now and then, there are coins that may look legitimate, but on closer inspection, were actually demonetized or of currencies of a different country. That started my interest to collect Philippine coins that are not in circulation anymore, or coins from other countries. They may not be in mint condition, but the idea of  having something being used in the past fascinates me. Not everyone will be able to hold such coins anymore, and I'm glad to have something tangible from history. The coins featured in this post are the Philippine those that were minted to commemorate a significant event as a nation. 

1. 100th Year Birth Anniversary of Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Republic of the Philippines

    * Obverse shows the bust of the former president and the years 1890 ( his birth year) - 1990

    * Reverse shows the Seal of The of the President of the Philippines

    * Currency: Two Pesos ( Php 2.00)

    * Year Minted: 1992

    * Status: Demonetized

Stay Positive, Chase the Blues and Feel Good

Everyone of us experiences a bad day. That is a fact of life. If there are days that everything 's so right, there is also that certain day when everything just goes wrong.

My Top 10 Favorite Books

The following is a list of my top 10 favorite fiction books. This list  is based only on the books that I have read. This may change if in the future I'd read something really remarkable.

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I love this book because it is very refreshing. I can easily  relate to Santiago because I too had a dream once.

... And the Trek Continues

There were three reasons why all five of us were already in snooze mode by six- thirty pm. First, we were so tired from the trek; second, it was so dark in there since the place does not have electricity. We had flashlights, yes, but we rather saved energy. And the third reason is that it was so cold in there ( around 20 degrees Celsius), that we wanted nothing but curl up in the sheets with our knees on our chins.

Since we slept early, we also woke up very early - around three o'clock in the morning. So we just cooked our breakfast, but since we were not hungry at that time, we kind of just bonded with small talk around a small bonfire we made. Most of the other campers were already awake by then, but we were like 10 meters apart, so we really did not get to know our fellow campers. When there was enough daylight, we climbed the hill that gave us 360 degrees view of the place. It was truly magnificent. After the picture taking, we ate our breakfast and folded up our tent.

It was time to start our long trek to a place called Kawasan ( which is vernacular for exit) Falls. We started the trek on a high note, the terrain was flat, and since  its still early morning, the temperature was not that hot.

And who wouldn't be in awe with this picturesque walk?

Words That Are Actually Just Acronyms

The list only  includes words that are in lower case when in the written form.

1. Scuba - Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Camping At Osmeña Peak

My Friend Barbie traveled to Thailand last April. As our way of last minute bonding, we decided to trek Osmeña Peak, last March. It is known to be one of Cebu's highest mountains. It has an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters above sea level.

Getting There

We took a bus from the Carbon Public Market and spent 3 and a half hours of travel from Cebu City to Mantalongon, where the peak is located. We arrived at the public market - the last stop of the bus - at around two in the afternoon. Afterwards, we rode a motorcycle until we reached the trail where the trek starts. 

It was a mere 30 minute walk, but the terrain is so erratic it will test your legs and lungs. The following are the images of that amazing experience.

On Staying Positive II

" To a brave man, good and bad luck are like his left and right hand. He uses both.”

-St Catherine of Siena

Cross Stitching

I first came across cross stitching when I was in high school in arts and crafts class. I don't know what happened to that particular  project, but when I graduated and started working, I tried my hand on this again as a hobby. 

Swan Lake was my first project. It took me about five years to be completed. Ok, so I did not work on it religiously. I  work on it during my free time, and there was about a year of not being able to do one single stitch. Eventually, I was able to finish it. After having it framed, I immediately looked for another project. And the cycle continues...

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An Insider's View on the Lives of A Call Center Agent in the Philippines

       

 I recently heard program on a national radio about what it’s like being a call center agent. The show’s guest was a veteran journalist who’s doing an investigative project about the lives of the employees in the BPO industry. And to get an insider’s view, the guest himself worked as a call center agent. He noted a number of things about the industry based on his experience. Being in this industry myself for sometime now, I agreed on most of his observations.

On Making A Difference

On Learning Something New

Expand Your Vocabulary

11. Kablooie or kablooey  /kəˈblo͞oē/  adj  ruined; destroyed; blown apart; meltdown

12. Smorgasbord  /ˈsmôrgəsˌbôrd/  originally of Scandinavian  lunch buffet consisting of hot and cold  hors d'oeuvres, cheese, etc ; a wide range of choices; variety

13. Esoteric /ˌesəˈterik/ adj hard to understand; only taught to and understood by a limited group or number of people; obscure

14. Wack /wak/ adj. inferior or bad.
                          n. crazy or eccentric person, worthless ideas

15. Jorts n. jean shorts. Shorts  made of denim