When I cannot imagine how to finish (or even start) a big project,  I take it one step at a time.

When I am faced with problems that push me to just quit everything, I stop thinking and ask God for help.

I have accepted the fact that as much as I would want to be as positive as possible, there are people or things that will make me (almost) fall apart. And there’s only one thing that will help me go through them and go on with life… FAITH IN GOD.

I thank God because however difficult my day has been, I survive it with my loved ones.

It never fails.

1. I don’t like small and girlie type watches.

2.It has Dual time zone. When I travel, one concern that I have to face each time is the time difference. I am too lazy to adjust the time (and date) so I just count forward or backwards to know the time. With this watch, I have the luxury of seeing both time zones.

3. I’ve been looking for a watch that I can wear everyday, not too expensive but not cheap as well.

4. I can change straps. I have red and black. I love my red strap while I wear the black one for that ‘classic’ look. I plan to get more.

5. Embedded to it is a Natural Frequency Technology which is proven to provide benefits such as better sleep, less stress, increased focus, and improved overall well-being. I’m not really sure if it’s working on me but I hope it does.

So, why don’t you get one for yourself? (Philip Stein should pay me for this LOL)

Trying it today made me realize that it’s not as easy as I thought it was. Hitting the golf ball is challenging, tiring and requires the right grip, swing and posture. I think I’m going to eat my words. Playing golf is interesting and I want to learn more. I just need gloves and uhm new golf shoes, just kidding. 

Marcus in action

Gary in action

and me still wondering what was I doing there. LOL

The app will provide the embassy’s contact number, website, email add, office hours and will allow users to see location and direction through maps.

It will also feature a visa requirement list which is designed like a checklist where you can tick those you have done already. You can even add more based on your experience. Best of all, you can email it to your travel buddies or anybody who plans to apply in the future. The app will be FREE but I will provide space for advertisers. What do you think?

We were asked to design the UI. Below are some of the screen shots. They are just draft and will be greatly improved especially if I submit it to App Store (forgive me for my lack of creativity) but basically it will function as shown. Resolution, alignment and text also changed when I saved it from keynote to powerpoint.

I was so scared that the panelists who I’ll be presenting to would think that my idea is junk. Thank God they did not and even congratulated me for a good job. Whew!

The coffee shop will be located at the penthouse of Cypress condominium in Taguig. It will be just beside our company’s new head office. Target market will be condominium residents, though guests and outsiders can also be accommodated. We plan to operate Tues to Sunday 10am to 10pm.

We will offer high quality coffee, tea, hot choco, cakes and pastries at a very reasonable price. We will also sell canned softdrinks, beer, bottled mineral water and chips. Additional products that we find in demand will also be included. Free wi-fi, reading materials and a cozy environment is provided to customers. There will be smoking and non-smoking areas.

I am not expecting so much but I am hoping for the best. It will be additional work but I am excited to learn another craft. Thank you Lord!

I have learned so many things and proved once again that I can do more than I can imagine. I am a businesswoman, tutor, driver and a student while being a full time mom and wife. Best thing about all these, Gary and I are ‘growing-up’ with our kids.

God has blessed us tremendously, not just with material things and travel opportunities but more importantly the difficulties and challenges that came our way. For one, having a business does not guarantee a regular income. Clients come and go. If I would think about the future, it would be too scary. But I did not allow those future worries affect my present, on the contrary, it made me more thankful of what I have now and just live each day at a time. It’s not easy but it can be done. Looking back, I haven’t faced yet those things that were causing all my worries and I don’t think I ever will because of God’s perfect timing.

Now 2012 looks even brighter. May the Lord continue to bless, teach and use all of us to fulfill His will.

Let’s do good and live a good life.

Gary is the dreamer and I am the realist. We used to treat this as an obstacle. I think of him as a risk taker because he grabs any opportunity, even those not knocking at his door. He looks at me, on the other hand, as control freak who always sees risks and ensures that it could be managed properly else we should not invest at all. So imagine our conversations which usually end up in an argument.

Needing to “grow up” for the business’ sake, we did a few changes that we think worked for us:

1. Acceptance is the first step. We come to realize and accept that we have differences, to the extreme that is, and we can’t force each other to change.

2. We talked as matured business partners. We agreed to talk about things first. I tell him how I feel about a “prospective” client or investment but I gave him the authority to decide whether to pursue or not. I realized that at the end of the day it’s still his responsibility to provide for the family.

3. We read informative books on business and money.

I learned that net income (gross income – expenses) should be divided into the following; savings, investment account, educational acct, entertainment/leisure acct and charity. Where the investment account should only be used when there are “opportunities” for investment. In this way, you’ll have money to “play” without sacrificing your savings. Education on the other hand is for trainings, seminars or even books that will help you grow as a professional or businessman. (In our case I just have one account for Investment and Education). Entertainment/Leisure account is for anything that will make you feel “rich”. I highly suggest that once in a while you treat your family in an expensive restaurant, travel, shop for expensive jewelry or anything that will make you realize how good it is to have money. This will make you strategize on how to make more money. Those who say that money is not important doesn’t have money. The charity account is obvious, just have an account where you can pull out funds when there’s someone in need.

While Gary learned that one way of increasing net worth is through Simplification. Simply put, we should not allow ourselves to have an expensive lifestyle.

Among others…

4. Finally, we realized that being different is actually an advantage to us as business partners because each of us has a role to play. He sets the vision while I prepare the road, something to that effect.

I’ve wanted to have a job that would require me to travel. I was blessed to be an auditor at Phil. National Oil Company – Energy Dev’t Corp. They’ve sent me to different parts of the Philippines. But again, no international trips.

I transferred to International Container Terminal Services Inc. They have subsidiaries outside the country. I’ll be auditing one of them if I’ve waited long enough. But a year after, I decided to resign and help my husband with our business.

To cut the story short, it was only in 2009 that my family and I had the chance to go out of the country, Hong Kong to be specific.

It takes a lot of patience to wait for the perfect time, especially when all the members of my family have secured their US visas and were able to leave the country as tourists. We don’t have enough money at that time, I don’t like pushing things to the point of loaning our travel expenses.

Now, after seeing a couple of countries in Europe, including my childhood dream Venice, I still want to go out of the country soon. Well, we could pack our bags anytime and leave, especially with budget fares and accommodation, but again I don’t like pushing things. It is wiser to use our money for investment than spending it again this soon. Don’t get me wrong, I feel blessed already, I just want to share my passion for travel and it takes a lot of discipline to stop myself from giving in. I am not sure if anyone feels the same way, I feel weird.

I pray that God would finance our ‘yearly’ travel. Then again, I am blessed already, I couldn’t ask for more.

To be fair, walking through Avenue des Champs-Élysées is an experience one should never miss especially if you have bucks (lots of it) to spend. There you will see Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon Bonaparte to honour his victories. A bit far from champs but still walking distance are  Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Louvre Museum. When I saw The Louvre from afar all I was able to say was, WOW! Other famous tourist attractions we’ve seen are the Pantheon, Notre Dame, River Seine, Opera house, Statue of Liberty replica, Galeries Lafayette and of course Eiffel Tower.

Situated several kilometres Southwest of Paris, Chateau de Versailles is one I would REALLY recommend. The location is MUCH better than the heart of Paris… clean, cold, wider streets. The Palace (both in and out) should not be missed so don’t stop from Versailles gate, pay your way inside and see for yourself.

All in all, Paris is a must see but maybe you don’t have to set your expectation too high.

Here are the pictures of; Champs-Élysées with Arc de Triomphe at the center, me having dinner at one of the restaurants along Champs, one of the train stations and Chateau de Versailles.