Valentines day gifts

Oh dear… I can’t contain my excitement because this Christmas,  I received  lot of gifts much to my liking!    I can say that my family and friends put so much thought and effort in choosing what gifts to give this year.   Not that I am complaining but I was already tired of receiving the same “boring” gifts and I was glad that they veered  from the customary gifts they’ve been giving almost every year.  I know that they’ve learned to search the web for ideal gift ideas because what I received was out of the ordinary.  Our  mom taught us to be appreciative at all times so we developed and strengthened the following character:

• Happiness
• Kindness
• Manners

I hope I can return the favor by giving my friends special valentines day gifts and I am too excited to see how their eyes will lit when they see what I had planned to purchase from personalcreations.com noted for it’s wide array of unique, cute and lovable gifts.

sample of Valentine gifts I found online

I know it is still early to think about Valentines day but I already set my heart and my mind on irresistible gifts I’ve found online.

Universal life insurance

Today we are offering prayers for the repose of soul of my Uncle who passed away in the States due to diabetes complications.   It was a lingering illness that took a toll on his health and his frail body could no longer withstand the pain until last night when he succumbed to his early demise.

Understandably devastated is my Aunt Let who stayed at his bedside until his last breath.  There are a lot of things that she has been contemplating but we believe that during their trying times, she still rest with the thought that everything will be taken care of because it was wise of them to get universal life insurance endorsed by a good friend.

My Aunt is in good hands with Universal life insurance while my Uncle was safely “home” now….

True handicapped

I really admire a family friend because his handicap never becomes an obstacle.   I’ve seen how during their Family Sportsfest, he gamely joined various sports activities and he served as an inspiration to us who sometimes are not contented and complains a lot.

He played good game of darts and surprisingly he played bowling too!   He rolls the ball with his right hand while the left is on his wooden clutch for balance.  There were strikes and spares and few times  when balls hit the gutter.   What matters most is that he enjoys the game…

He received the Most Promising Athlete award given during the Awarding Ceremony.  Boy!  We were touched and inspired.

CozyWinters.com heated motorcycle clothing

Uncle Ted and his motorcycle gang are planning for a long distance bike ride.   They are looking forward to the experience of braving the cold winter days  on long trips.   They raved about not feeling get tired easily unlike during summer days when heat and exhaustion are the number one deterrent to their plans.

I was convinced to go with the group, confident that I can also brave the cold weather because Uncle Ted promised to buy me CozyWinters.com heated motorcycle clothing if I will go along.   I was super excited when I checked online how  the new gear and suit I will soon have.  Well Uncle Ted really got good taste and I can’t help but rave with his collection of fashionable, durable heated jacket and pants with matching gloves.

Excited me!

something sweet… something long and hard

At this time of the year…Kris Kringle.. I think is the most used word.   It is a secret gift giving tradition and has been an integral part of our Christmas celebration.  Let alone in our school, just last week when December ushered in, we had started to draw lots of names and whoever we had picked will be our “baby” and we became the ‘Mommies or Daddies’.   We are then to take care of the ‘baby” by giving him/her the gift of the week.   There will be a list of something to give every week which will be secretly dropped in the box, and that will last until the revelation day usually, on the day of the party itself. 

On the first week we had ‘something sweet” to give and I gave my ’baby’ a little box of chocolates.  But whoa… I received a box of sugar cubes.  Yes, I know it is really something sweet, no doubt about it but I wish the giver did not take it literally.   On our second week, it was ‘something long and hard’.  I was excited on what could be my gift for the week?  But hear this, what I received was a bunch of long barbecue sticks!  Sure it is long and hard… Well, what could it be this week .. ‘something weird and funny”. 

Oh well, who am i to complain?  There are people who really don’t put much thought in giving gifts.  Now, my excitement already died down with the thought during the revelation of what special gifts will I receive on that day.  Revelation day requires us to bring a bigger and a bit expensive gifts  and I thought of surfing the web of ideal gifts to buy online.

How I wish my daddyor mommy in school will do just the same.   Just wishful thinking.  Alright, I will still believe that  it is better to give than to receive!

Network Engineer Jobs

I’ve been studying relentlessly to be able to fulfill the dream of becoming a successful Computer Engineer.   An elusive diploma?   Well not anymore because in the next few months, I will reap the fruit of my hard labor.   I can take my sweet time after graduation, in fact, I am planning to take advance or masteral courses to further develop my skills because I don’t want to be just a mediocre engineer.   I wanted to prove that I have what it takes and can deliver what is expected of me.   The market is teeming with opportunities to those who seek Network Engineer Jobs and I wanted to penetrate the world of networking through jobs offered online.   I was trained and schooled in one of the best engineering school here in Manila and I am confident that I am already armed to go the real battlefield.   Job hunting will no longer be a nightmare because Tech Careers- an online job placement company helping computer professionals is readily available to help job seekers and hopefuls.

ipod touch 8g

I salute my sister who lost her Samsung Galaxy S to a robbery hold up last month because she did not demand our Mom and Dad to replace it at once.  Instead she stretched her patience in using her old, worn  out cellphone and she is apparently happy because nobody would dare took interest in snatching it.

The saying that “Patience is a virtue”  holds true because it is proven that  when you wait you will receive.  I knew it! Knowing the generosity of my mom’s heart, I am not surprised at all when last night, she secretly told me over the phone that she is going to send over a Christmas gift for my sister which is an ipod touch 8g for her to start with.  And I am sure she will be doubly excited!

We know that most overseas parents fill the gap of the distance by richly providing their children with the latest gadgets and fat allowances which sometimes to a fault.   Gladly, me and my siblings know how to treasure all their hard work overseas.

Smart dresser

Weddings are happy occasions that my mom would not miss when invited.  But I wonder why she is always emotional witnessing two people professing their love for each other.  Funny, I remember years ago, when I stood best man during a cousin’s wedding, my mom was photographed crying unabashedly with her smudged mascara.  The morale is  for her to wear waterproof mascaras at weddings because I really can’t fathom the fact why she cries at weddings!

I wonder how mom would be when I find the girl to marry, will she cry a bucket or a river?  But one thing I will focus on, I will make sure she would be an astonishingly radiant mother of the groom. I know her fashion sense, she would make me a proud son on my special day.  Besides, all her clothes everytime she attends special occasions either as a Principal Sponsor or as a guest all looked fabulous.

I heard her told my aunt whose son is in the thick of things with wedding preparation that she needs to dress to impress and make his son proud on his wedding day with stylish mother of the groom outfits from Gray & Osbourn where she usually purchase her good fashion find.

Mom dresses smartly so no worries!  Besides marriage is still the farthest thing from my mind yet.

Heroin detox rehab treatment centers

The LGU (Local Government Unit) in our place has a noble advocacy by reaching out and helping people who truly have the desire to get their system clean of drugs and the deadly heroin.  It is truly a painful experience seeing loved ones so sick and doing nothing about their drug dependency to the point that they have to steal to be able to sustain the need to have a shot.  Seeking professional help is the best thing to do and removing an addict from his or her home will help them break this bad pattern like what the Clarke’s couple has done with their son Jason.   He was sent to a heroin detox rehab treatment centers because he has became a perennial headache and they wanted to deal with the issue earlier.  Jason’s willingness to rehabilitate made it easier for them to convince him to start the process of detoxification.

Hopefully, once he comes out clean, he will never go back to heroin again and he will continue to avail of the out patient program where counselling is offered.

Balikbayan box (homecoming gifts)

“Balikbayan boxes ” is nothing new to me because I am used to receiving boxes full of stuffs shipped either by air or sea cargo by my mom.   I had this fascination with the boxes when I was small and well until now, I still have to figure out from what source the strong whiff of fragrance comes out as we opened them.    The “imported” air is trapped in clear plastic bags where  assorted soaps like Jergens, Ivory, Lux and lotions enclosed and wrapped on the t-shirts, towels and everything in it.   There was a time when boxes of chocolates and my favorite jam and peanut butter  strangely tasted odd suspecting that the strong scent had seemingly had seeped into it.   Opening boxes excites us no end!

Mom (along with my dad) would patiently combed out malls for items like chocolates, clothes, toiletries, canned goods and shoes on sale and would cheerfully wrap and label each item with names of  almost all of my immediate and extended families, and then arranged them neatly in a big box called “balikbayan box” and ready to ship once full.  She has this Filipino trait of indiscriminate gift giving.

my aunts are excitedly opening these “balikbayan boxes”

no worries.. everything are labelled…my share is safely tucked inside

Mom unselfishly give and share that is why blessings comes back to her a hundredfold.