VIVE BENE, SPESSO L'AMORE, DI RISATA MOLTO!

AVOIDING A MELTDOWN

2010-05-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone has experienced or witnessed a meltdown at work. Sometimes the pressures of the job or the day can build and build until something snaps. Of course, if you aren't careful, such an event can lead to someone being fired – something this piece over at CNN.com could help you avoid.

Communication is the most important thing. Far too many companies don't communicate and this only builds pressure, creates paranoia and can lead to meltdowns. If you are feeling pressure, let someone know.

Keep an eye on your workload, because if you are trying to do too much, you are headed for a breakdown. Just because you are overwhelmed does not mean you can't do your job, just that you are human.

Don't forget to give yourself a break. Throughout the day, everyone needs to take a moment to step away from the desk and get away from the stress.

Finally, if you offer help to others, others are more likely to offer help back. If you see a co-worker nearing that point where a meltdown seems inevitable, extend a helping hand. The hand may come back your way on the day your meter is in the red.

Most meltdowns result in tears, or tantrums. If you don't learn to control them, it's possible for them to elevate into violence. So, take the time to control your own emotions, but learn the signs of a nearing meltdown in the people around you.

Taking a few early steps to head off a breakdown can save the office a lot of tension and potential violence - Bryan Alaspa

happy day!

2010-04-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

highlights of my 26th birthday :)

....my Bantayan Island getaway
....an Italian dinner at Highstreet with Mike
....my phone call from Papa and Mama
....and of course, my birthday goodies from Pillow! ^_^

Look, Jaeger's got a new home!

To my good friends, thanks for all the greetings!
..and to my Pillow, SUPER thanks for making me feel special always :-*

The FOUR Agreements

2010-04-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best is going to change from moment to moment. It will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

--excerpt from The Four Agreements:
A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz

Congrats Mond and Enelee!

2010-02-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

Click click to view our team's GIFT to the newlyweds!
- By Arland :)

2 YEARS!

2010-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

A year ago, t'was Mike's 1st time (EVER) to experience an anniversary. He's so psyched that it took us an ENTIRE week to celebrate our day :D Today, marks our SECOND :) I'm excited! And amazed at how quick these 2 fun years flew us by...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Pillow!
More happy years together to come! :-*

Today's insight: SHORT and SWEET!

2009-10-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

by Charles R. Swindoll

Average life spans are shorter than most of us realize. For instance, a face-lift lasts only six to ten years; a dollar bill lasts for only eighteen months; a painted line on the road remains only three to four months; and a tornado seldom lasts more than ten minutes.

There are differences of opinion, but most agree that the human life span averages somewhere between seventy-five and eighty years. That may sound encouraging to the young and disturbing to those in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. The simple fact is, however, nobody knows for sure how long he or she may live.

When we read and believe the warnings in Scripture, there is little doubt that life is short. James pulls no punches when he writes, "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (4:14).

The average life span may be seventy-five to eighty years, but who can say you or I have that long? We may have less than two years or, for that matter, less than two weeks. Vanishing vapors aren't known for longevity. Since this is true, let's do our best to make the time we have count. Rather than live with reluctance, let's live with exuberance. Instead of fearing what's ahead, let's face it head-on with enthusiasm. And because life is so terribly short, let's do everything we can to make it sweet.

How? Three thoughts come to mind.
First, act on your impulse. Don't wait for the perfect moment. A woman in my former church took these words to heart and contacted a person she hadn't talked to for a long time. The person was surprised and thrilled. "You have no idea how much your call has meant to me," she said. Later the woman who had received the call admitted she had planned to take her life that very afternoon. The call had changed her mind.

Second, focus on the positive. Merchants of negativism may be strong and sound convincing, but their message is debilitating. Life's too short for that. Spread germs of cheer. Joy is contagious.

Third, traffic in the truth. Refuse to stake your claim on hearsay. Check out the facts. Be discerning. If you are a conduit of communication, speak only the truth. If you're not absolutely sure, keep quiet. Lies can outlive lives, unfortunately.

Short and sweet. That's the only way to go :)

Fro-yo LOVE at Red Mango

2009-09-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite get what the craze is about until I tried Red Mango's frozen yogurt last night :) Frozen yogurts were introduced way back as a HEALTHY alternative for dessert. But aside from being all-natural (gluten free) and low-calorie, Red Mango's yogurts are uber creamy delicious, with just the right balance of sweet and tart.

I tried the original fro-yo and it tastes good enough to eat as is, but Red Mango offers an array of topping choices from fresh fruits and nuts to Cap'n Crunch to dark chocolate. I wanted mine simple to better enjoy the yogurt taste, so I only added crushed Grahams for texture and sliced peaches to accentuate the Citrusy sweetness of the fro-yo. I LOVED it! :)

I really enjoyed my first fro-yo experience and I'm psyched to have found a healthier alternative to my ice-cream addiction :D Cant wait to try ALL the other toppings!

Bigby's Cafe - Thanks for the treat PILLOW!

2009-09-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

Haircut! :D

2009-09-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

me with the new cut and some 5lbs added..

watchatink? :)

Happy Birthday MONETTE!

2009-08-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Monette's Nth birthday (she wouldn't tell how old she is), we all took a break from work last thursday morning and headed all the way down to Connecticut for a HEAVY and leisurely brunch at Cara Mia-Amici :)

Paul, Netmu, Cielo, Melvin, Christine, Tina, Jullius and Jayson

Amici started as a canteen in Don Bosco Makati, founded by the Italian missionary Fr. Gianluigi Colombo. And although it now operates under new management, it is very pleasant to know that they have retained the top quality of their home-cooked Italian dishes and desserts at rock-bottom prices :)

Penne Al Salmone Affumicato - loved this pasta!

I actually planned on having some Gelato after brunch, (Cara-Mia has 18 delectable flavors of gelati), but after our orders arrived, I, unfortunately, forgot to save room for dessert. Pfft :D Nocciola and Mango Sans Rival, I shall be back!

Happy Birthday again Monette and

Christine, have a safe trip! :-)

Cara Mia - Amici
Missouri cor. Connecticut Ave, Greenhills, San Juan City

PHONE NUMBER: 724-4206

08092009 DLSU vs ADMU

2009-08-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Corazon C. Aquino

January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009

MANILA, Philippines – At least for once, it’s not going to be a choice between blue or green. Yellow, the famous Cory Yellow, will be the color of the day when Ateneo and La Salle clash in the UAAP seniors basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Fans of varsity hoops’ bitter rivals will be wearing yellow instead as tribute to the late President Cory Aquino.“A suggestion was made, text messages were passed on and it just had a life of its own,” said Bro. Bernie Oca, La Salle’s representative to the league board, yesterday told The STAR.

This marks the first time in the 72-year history of the league that UAAP fans would be wearing the same color of shirts regardless of what school they would root for.

Even in death, the former President can still weave her Cory magic in spreading peace and unity. – Joey Villar

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/08/05/09/blue-green-give-way-cory-yellow

My CRAZY Toronto team

2009-08-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

..want nobody, nobody but you! *clap clap* :))

Andrew Tsang [5:36 PM]: i'm prettier than you!
Anne Mabilangan [5:36 PM]: LOL
Anne Mabilangan [5:36 PM]: darn Donny
Andrew Tsang [5:37 PM]: see my facebook post?
Anne Mabilangan [5:39 PM]: yeah, you and tony are SO weird
Andrew Tsang [5:42 PM]: YOU LOVE US
Andrew Tsang [5:42 PM]: don't lie

Fridays spell T-R-E-A-T-S at Telus :)

2009-06-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

And here are my top 5 fave goodies.. so far :D

i just love this hand-sanitizer's light scent!

a cute cardholder..

my beanie cushion pillow..

a steel thermos flask - perfect for my night shifts :)
and my first ever GREEN lunch box! :p

Write on the Bigas! Only 50 Dollahs!

2009-06-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

As me and my sisters were walking along the nightmarket at Kowloon, this Aussie guy approached us and asked if we'd like to see our names written on a single grain of rice, "foh only fifty dollahs!" :-) I've seen this on tv before and thought it interesting to see it done in person, and the craftsman said we can have anything written on the grain of rice, no matter how long the text is! So we couldn't really say no :D

The craftsman started by showing us his tools for rice writing - a grain of rice, a fine-tipped drawing pen with waterproof ink, some modeling clay to hold the rice, and a pair of steady hands for writing :) He's actually pretty good and was unbelievably chatting non-stop as he performs his art before our eyes :D According to him, it is believed that a single grain of rice with an inscribed message brings goodluck to anyone who owns it.

Once he finished writing, the craftsman asked us to pick the color and shape of the oil vial that he'd use to preserve the grain with. He let us pick the chain too since one can have it as a necklace, a cp charm, or a keychain.. and voalaa! My charm vial is done in less than 30 minutes! It's SO small although the vial slightly magnifies the content, and the glass itself is smaller than a 25-dent coin. I actually wrote "I *heart* Mike", but I guess the artist thinks it's too simple or maybe not sweet enough... So here, he wrote his own version instead :D Haha.

Pillow, for your goodluck! :-)

COMPASS' Day at the SPA!

2009-05-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last saturday was some sort of team building, slash awarding of top performers, slash official merging of Compass and TOGW TTV day. And since both teams have been working extra hard these past few weeks, the management decided to take us for a treat at Wensha Spa in their branch at the CCP area. So despite heavy rain, Mond picked us up from the office as soon as our shifts ended and we headed straight to Roxas for our well-deserved day at the spa! :)

It was my first visit at Wensha and the place looks really nice. Service is good too. As soon as we entered the lobby, one of their staff asked for our shoes and bracelet numbers, and gave us some comfy flip-flops before leading us inside. The bracelets are not your typical key-holders, instead they have this digitized metal thingy that locker sensors scan before releasing the lock. That's a plus for security. And did I mention that the flipflops they gave were PINK?! :D Another plus point!

Wensha has a BIG dining area, and a massage area that is separate into male and female (no couple's rooms here). Most of the private rooms can accomodate two people, and I shared mine with Tina :-) The massage was so-so but I LOVED the stretching afterwards! I'm not crazy about the food they served and the wet area though, and I'm definitely not keen on seeing LOTS of women walking around naked again :D Yeesh. Well, it was a saturday afternoon so the place being a bit too crowded is expected. BUT, I like my spa private, comfy, and with superb hygiene - and the sight of a giant jacuzzi with plenty of ladies stewing on it is definitely not it! Haha, forgive miss queasy me :D But everything's FREE, and the team got plenty of time bonding with each other over free merienda/dinner, so pffft, what's there to complain about?! :D

photos grabbed from OAP.

I heart ANNE

2009-05-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Borokoy! :) NOPE, i know you didn't write it...

But the message plus the nice view in this image made my day! :)

Santo Nino de Cebu

2009-05-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Santo Nino de Cebu visited San Pascual Baylon Parish for a weekend stay last May9-10. My family usually hear mass every Sunday at the Batangas Basilica, but for this special weekend, we heard it at our parish church instead.

Now Im not quite sure if this is the original, but Santo Nino de Cebu is the oldest replica of the child Jesus, brought to Cebu by Ferdinand Magellan as a present to Juana after she and the natives got baptized more than 480 years ago. According to http://cebuheritage.com:

"Another Spanish expedition, under the leadership of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, returned to Cebu in 1565. After pillaging and razing a village, Legazpi’s soldiers found in a house spared in the fire an image of the child Jesus, similar in looks to the made-in-Flanders statue that Legazpi believed was given by Magellan more than 40 years earlier to the wife of the chieftain of Cebu. A church was then ordered built on the spot where the image was found. This church was elevated to the rank of a basilica during the 1965 celebration of the 4th centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines"

Santo Nino de Cebu was then commisioned after the 4th Centennial celebration, as a Pilgrim Image to visit all parish churches not only in Cebu, but around the Philippines as well. It's home now is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Museum but it continues to visit different churches across the country. The San Pascual Baylon parish is lucky enough to have been visited by the Santo Nino in its pilgrimage, so as a tribute and acclamation to this visit in our very own parish, we ended the mass celebration with some dancing, followed by a procession around town afterwards :-)

JAEGER

2009-05-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Jaeger \ja(e)-ger\ - a word of German origin which means "HUNTER".
And Jaeger, is my new baby's name! ^_^

SECRET SANTA!

2008-11-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Claim some free treats from Deli France by filling out this form..=)

Here's the link, http://www.mysecretsanta08.com/claim_treat.html

Look, we've already claimed our treats! :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! ^_^

UAAP Basketball Season 71

2008-06-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Quoting my good friend Albert ^_^

FINALLY! They have earned the right to call themselves our Archrival.
Whew! That was a long wait! :D

Haha :D Congrats ATENEO BLUE EAGLES! It was one big fight indeed! :)
And to our DLSU players - you really fought hard and played all-heart, and gave us an awesome season! We're all super proud! ANIMO LASALLE! :-)