This post is a bit overdue because we went to Manila Peninsula’s Chocolate Buffet last Oct 24 and I’m only writing about it now. So forgive me if I don’t give the details of our chocolate encounter. I’m hoping that the pictures would suffice to show you what a wonderful evening we had! (more…)

To indulge my friend’s request for me to blog less about my blog and more about me, I’m giving you all a peek at last weekend’s misadventure:

It all started with my boyfriend and I going to the Petron branch at Katipunan Ave. (more…)

My Kongregate check arrived last week and I was already able to deposit it to my Landbank Dollar Savings Account. It nearly got rejected by Landbank because they said they don’t accept personal foreign checks. I said that before opening my account, I specifically asked if I can deposit foreign checks and they said that I could so they have to honor that. So they accepted the check and said that there would be a 45-day clearing period after the originating bank of the check (Wells Fargo) responds to them. If the originating bank does not cash the check (bogus account, no funds, etc), I will be charged $10; otherwise, I will just be charged $1 processing fee. So assuming I am able to cash the check, I would have $174 in my account by next month. Minimum amount to earn interest is $500 so unless I add to my savings, my money will just be sitting there. I don’t want to close my account just yet so I decided I will just keep adding to my account whenever I have the money. Then I thought of a brilliant idea. Why not use this account to save up for that European tour I’ve been dreaming of? (more…)

I bet you’ve been wondering what I’ve been up to these past two weeks. You won’t believe it but I got my self coded as a Manulife agent. What does this mean? This means that after training for two weeks and passing my licensure exams from the Insurance Commission, I can now offer financial planning services to anyone who might be interested in planning a secure financial future for themselves and their loved ones on the areas of family protection, savings, education and retirement. I’m really excited about this new development in my life because I’ve always been interested in personal finance and investing and by being a Financial Security Adviser, I can now share this passion to every one who is willing to meet with me for a financial planning interview. In fact, I met with my former classmate from elementary last night and I was able to enlighten her on the benefits of having insurance protection. Imagine, she already has an insurance policy but she didn’t realize its importance until last night (her agent must not have been good, I dare say)! Tonight, I’m meeting again with a former colleague and tomorrow, with a former classmate from high school. Right now, I have a lot of prospects but once my contact list runs out, I’ll be doomed. That’s why I must not forget to ask for referrals from the people I meet. And also, a little self-promotion does not hurt. (more…)

Today I am going to count my blessings just because finally, I feel that my prayers are being heard. The first quarter of the year has passed by so quickly and as I reflect back, I realize that I have so much to be thankful for already in the past three months.

1. Career. Take a look at the update I’ve made at this post (striked through items 1 & 2) and you’ll know what I’m thankful about with regards to my career. Yes, I’ve been promoted, and although I don’t have my own parking space, it’s as good as having one already coz I can now reimburse my parking fees. After 8 years in the IT industry, I am finally at the senior level. I could have reached this level sooner but by jumping companies almost every year for several years, I missed out on my promotions. Well no regrets; I have learned from all the companies I have been to and I’m happy where I am now. It’s just too bad that my promotion didn’t translate to a substantial increase (last year’s merit increase was even higher in terms of percentage, compared to what I got now) because upper management changed (thus budget policies also changed). But I did get an additional benefit of insurance coverage so that’s still something to be thankful about. Also, our bonuses will be given out next payday so that gives me peace of mind about my upcoming condo annual payment. It’s still short of what I need but I’m sure I’ll be able to find ways to procure the remaining amount. (more…)