Archive for August, 2008

My father just arrived from working abroad. Last time he was here, he was planning to buy a new vehicle. I do not know if that is going to happen, but one thing is for sure, he needs to have a car insurance comparison.
A friend told me that his car insurance now have a website and could be access thru sending a text message.
Well, technology is making life comfortable indeed.

I am having a hard time teaching my daughter and getting her attention to focus on studying. Then I remember the Kung Fu Panda story. The master was having a hard time teaching the Panda on a regular way, while later he realized that the Panda already have the skills, but only when food is involve. So the master taught the Panda what he needs to learn with the help of food.

My daughter loves chocolate, and I thought maybe same strategy would be effective for her. So, I tried it last night. We studied her lessons, and when she gets the right answer, I give her one piece of coated hershey kisses.  IT WORKED! She is excited to answer the questions given to her and wait for her reward. She also detects colors correctly by the color coatings of the hershey kisses, because I told her that she could only eat those kisses whom she could name the correct color coatings. So far she knows red, yellow and blue. That seems to be a good start.

My daughter is just 3 years old and a brat as I always say. She wanted to do things on her own way and does not enjoy studying at all. If she gets a hint that she is being taught, she would make a scene just to get out of that situation.

My daughter is a kid, studying as Kinder 1 in a private school in where I graduated my elementary and high school and I know she needs to be taught academically, but is it necessary that she would be full focus on her academic subjects and left her other activities hanging? She is a KID and I wanted her to enjoy life, because time is gold and she will never be a kid again.

I enroll her on ballet because she loves to dance, and she loves to show off her ballet skills whenever she plays with our neighbors.

My mother doesn’t have enough patience to teach my daughter things she needs to learn about her subject in school. And so do I. That is why I let the family on her father side take care of her during school days and teach her what she needs to learn. I was expecting they would do that, plus the fact that her other activities won’t be affected – her ballet. Her ballet class is only once a week and not even for an hour. But, they choose not to let her attend her ballet class because they wanted to teach her some academic lessons.

As I mentioned, my daughter does not enjoy studying. So it would be useless to force her to study and left the activity she likes most unattended.

With this, I will be reminded that the family is too easy to give up, or too easy to get out of responsibility. May they find peace with that kind of mental capacity.

Anyway, a friend of mine told me that he knows someone that is lazy to study during elementary to high school, but when college came, the person graduated Cum Laude.

I don’t study as well. I was brought up with no tutor, no help from anybody. I remember when I was young I used to ask my mom to help me with my assignment, but all she could tell me is that “Your lessons are too advance, we don’t have like that before and I don’t know what to teach you.” With that, I learn things on my own, and I am proud I was able to. I am just an average student, yet with the ability to learn things on my own. I have been put to a position in where I manage people. Yes, a manager for an average lazy student, now a hardworking professional.

I know a lot of people who studies hard, even memorize a book, but they do not succeed in life. Why so? Not everything is written in the books, but mind could explore so many things without having a book. Where did people get the idea to make a book anyway, to invent something unusual, to have an internet, etc. Did they read it from books? I don’t know, I am not fun of reading.

Anyway I am just expressing something here. Thanks for reading.

It is not really about studying, it is enjoying life as it is and learning while doing so.

On my previous post, I have written Steps in Getting a Passport in the Philippines. Now, I would be adding a few informations about getting it for your kid/s.

I noticed that if you will be travelling with your kid, the only requirement they will be getting from you is the application form (fill up), Authenticated Birth Certificate, your kid/s passport picture and a photocopy of your passport.

You will be signing the papers, so you should indicate “by mother.” It is best to have a mother process this if the child is illegitimate.

That’s it! It is easy to get a passport for your baby or kid.

I don’t know if processing a passport for reasons of work would be different than the tourist one, but it is not indicated on the passport. Also, the destination which is being asked in the application form is not written on the passport. I really don’t know if it is an important field or you should just put there what comes first on your mind.

I am from Iloilo and the procedures of processing here might be different in other areas.

Anyway here are the steps I made to have my passport (Reason: Travel):

• Get your authenticated Birth Certificate at National Statistic Office (NSO) or if you don’t like to fall in line and wait, have it delivered to you by applying for it at eCensus. [NOTE: Better to have your original Birth Certificate ready if ever the SECPA/Authenticated Birth Certificate is not a clear copy. If your original Birth Certificate is also not clear, go to the Registry (a government office that processes Birth Certificate and get a green paper copy of your Birth Certificate. The copy must be clear. Then have it photocopy. This will just serve as a support for an unclear Birth Certificate.] The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will take the authenticated birth certificate, so if you want to have an extra copy, get at least 2 copies of your authenticated birth certificate.

• • eCensus should be opened by Internet Explorer because it does not work well with FireFox.
  • Apply for a Certificate [Birth, Death, Marriage and Certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR)]
  • Fill up the form correctly
  • List down your Batch or Request Number
  • Pay it by credit card (it is going to be expensive, read more on its FAQs page), PORT or thru bank (BDO and Union Bank) by following these instructions.
  • After the payment has been done, just wait for your certificate to be delivered. You should personally receive the delivery or have an authorization letter for your close relative to receive it.
• If you are married, get your authenticated marriage certificate. The DFA also gets the authenticated copy of this, so if you might need another copy, get at least 2 of it.
• Have at least two valid ID’s. The more, the better. Have it photocopy.
  • SSS
  • Drivers License
  • Company ID
  • GSIS
  • Voters ID
  • Tax ID
• It would be better if you have supporting documents on hand, if ever the ID’s are not enough. Though I was not asked for this because I have submitted enough identification (SSS and Drivers License).
  • NBI clearance
  • Cedula (Tax Community Certificate)
  • Voters Registration (photocopy)
  • Transcript or report card from school (photocopy)
  • Baptismal Certificate
• Have your passport picture. I suggest you have this taken on the DFA approved studio, which is just beside the office. It is because they are the PROs when it comes to the right angle, right size of picture and facial features that needed on the picture (example: two ears should be visible in the picture).
• Fill up the application form given at DFA or you could download it online and print. In Iloilo, it is given by the guard on the entrance of DFA office.

— These are the steps to be done in the DFA office —

• Submit the completed application form with picture to the guard. In Iloilo, it is the guard who submits the application form to the one who will process it on the later hand.
• Wait for your name to be called for Processing.
  • Once your name is called, you should present the documents you have on hand. The processor will just take what is needed and give you back those extras you have.
  • If you have insufficient documents, the processor would inform you what you need. Don’t be shy to ask questions if things are unclear to you. Do as you have told then the next time you come, just go directly to the processor; no need to submit the application back to the guard.
• Wait for your name to be called on the cashier.
  • You have an option to pay Php 500 for regular processing or Php 750 for a faster processing.
  • Your receipt won’t be release after the next step.
• Wait for your name to be called on the encoding.
  • You will be instructed to review the informations from 1 – 6 which involves your name and your birth date.
  • Be sure your name is spelled correctly.
• Go to person assigned to help you on thumb printing.
  • This person will help you sign things needed to be signed and have your thumb print correctly placed on the document.
  • This person will give you the receipt you have paid on the cashier indicating the date when you will claim your passport.
• Wait for your name to be called for finalization.
  • At this point it is either you will be informed to go home or there is a question on your documents.
  • If there is a question on your picture, you will be asked to have it taken again. After the picture has been taken, go directly to this office where your picture was questioned. Submit the new picture and then wait for their approval. Once it is okay, you could now go home.
• If you don’t want to go back at DFA office again, have it delivered to you thru LBC. They have a station inside the DFA office.
  • It costs Php 100.
  • Fill up the form they have.
    • Input an address in where you stayed most of the time. If you go to an office, it is better you input your office address so that you could receive it personally or have an authorization letter to have your relative receive it on your home address whenever you are not around.
    • Input your mobile number so that they could contact you if ever they need some instructions on getting on the address given.
  • Give the DFA receipt to them.
  • Get the LBC receipt as proof of your transaction.
• You are now finish. Just wait until the day you claim your passport on DFA or wait for the delivery.

I love watching movies and now I am back to being addicted. I use torrent to download movies and it is funny how people would react on how bad they wanted to watch the movie, here’s a line sample I got on torrent comments:

“For the love of God please seed.”

Downloading a movie could sometimes take a day and a half, but it is I guess worth the time since you haven’t paid for it anyway.

Last night, I watch movie online because my download has not finished yet.

I have watched Mama Mia and Spiderman 3.

Mama Mia is a good movie. Specially if you are into musicals. I really see the beauty of a mother on this one. So if you are a mom, it is worth watching.

Spiderman 3 is just something I want to watch because I have watched the previous episodes. A good movie as well.

I still have lots of movies I need to watch Downloading still and seeding

A few days ago, I installed Bit Torrent to download movies for my daughter to watch. It turned out she got bored easily when she is the only one watching, so I joined her in doing so.

While we were watching the first movie I downloaded, which is Kung Fu Panda, I liked it that it made me want to download more. So, I did.

I was able to watch 2 movies that was on my GOT TO WATCH list, but it somehow disappointed me.

• Wanted – Angelina died … I don’t like it.
• Hancock – Two people in-love are fragile when together, so they have to be apart from each other for the good of the majority. What a sacrifice!

A lot of people are on realty business now a days, but to what happened here in Iloilo a month ago, about the storm Frank, it would be hard to convince people to buy some property on an area damaged by the flood.
I was thinking, if example, someone would sell a realty and have insurance to it. Like North Carolins realty and partner it with NC health insurance. It would be a great combination.

My children and I went to a photo studio yesterday to have their pictures taken. I am already excited of having their passports.
Perhaps now, I would need to look for a travel bag that would be fashionable enough to carry and would fit all our things. I think Rimowa have some good ones that would secure our things and with a fashionable look that I was looking for.
For now, I will be preparing what we would bring so that we won’t forget to bring something important.

I noticed that I have been gaining weight again. Is this a good sign or not? Am I eating a lot recently or was I just eating limitedly before?
As I was taking a shower awhile ago, I looked at my tummy and it seems to look as if I was pregnant. I just smiled because I find it cute.
If I were a body conscious person, I would be looking for a diet pill reviews now.
I love my body, and if I am getting fat, it’s just me.