Here are 100 ways to uncomplicate it… {perfect inspiration for a Sunday!}

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds

2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired

3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly

4. Stick to your budget

5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare

6. Balance your checkbook

7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.

8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them.

9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years

10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish

12. Kiss and make up

13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market

14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month

15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full

16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad

17. Pay your bills on time

18. Get an annual physical examination

19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day. (If I find my significant other.. hihi.. for now, I'll just say "I love you, self")

20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are (ROBAY!! THIS IS THE EARTH SENDING US A MESSAGE)

21. Give away clothes that haven’t worn in two years

22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended

23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.

24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities

25. Tell the truth

26. Don’t cheat

27. Don’t steal

28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go

29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore

30. Do your best at work, or at school

31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry

32. Eat when you are hungry

33. Be yourself

34. Say no unapologetically

35. Cook simple meals

36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

37. Pay off your car before buying a new one (I'll buy a new one muna.)

38. Organise your desk at the office

39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back

40. Organise your important paperwork

41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday

42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers

43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached

44. Spend your time with nice people 

45. Avoid drama

46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers

48. Don’t engage in office politics

49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs

50. Do the dishes right after dinner

51. Never go to sleep angry

52. Ask nicely for what you need and want

53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart

54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger

55. Leave work at work

56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy

57. Don’t envy others

58. Have your oil changed

59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold

60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day (AMEN!)

61. Weed your garden weekly

62. Wash your car weekly (wala akong car, sorreh)

63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time

64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships

65. Don’t drink and drive

66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.

67. Be friendly with your neighbours

68. Return emails and phone messages promptly

69. Schedule in free time

70. Don’t procrastinate

71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it

72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be

73. Forgive and forget. End of story. (Sorry, I can't)

74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity

75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose

76. Take care of any health issues or concerns

77. Have your tires rotated

78. Have your brakes checked

79. Have your eyes checked

80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you

81. Let go of perfection in others

82. Let go of perfection in yourself

83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves

84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work

85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by

86. Drink more water

87. Eat more salmon

88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill

89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style

90. Finish what you start

91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style

92. Create a daily routine

93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals

94. Slow down

95. Eat out less often

96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one

97. Allow your children to grow up

98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year

99. Stretch every day

100. If a relationship is over, let it go

Source: http://www.bellamumma.com/2011/04/100-ways-to-uncomplicate-your-life.html

Thoughts, anyone? 

(I highlighted the things I should do....)

Dear E,

I have never told you that I like you…perhaps you have no idea about the countless hours I have spent thinking about you, imagining what it could have been if I had known you earlier or if we had spent more time together. 

You are my secret crush in UP. 

You’ll never know how much my heart screamed when you asked for my number…how ecstatic I am every time we ride the Ikot together on our way to class…and how disappointed I am that we can never be together because we are universes apart…

I am a coward because I was never able to tell you this. You were the last person I saw before I left UP…the only person I wanted to be with; I have learned to stop yearning for the chance for us to be together because I know that will never happen. 

As such, you’ll remain forever as my deepest regret and my greatest what-if in my entire UP life. You have made me happy and I will forever cherish the memories of your wonderful smile that had once, in my life, made me thankful that I am alive. :)

— H.P. 

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let the aeroplanes circle, moaning overhead,

Scribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’.

Put crepe bows ‘round the white necks of the public doves,

Let traffic policemen wear black, cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East, and West.

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.”

- W. H. Auden

*also known as "Stop the Clocks"

(click image to enlarge)

Day 14. Emotions.

If only feelings can easily be switched on and off..

I am pissed off.

I just heard that Globe Telecoms is planning to cap the internet data volume of its subscribers because according to them, it's a way they need to "promote a more responsible way of using the Internet that will ensure fair and optimum usage of its broadband services across all subscribers." Whatever the hell that means. 

See, I have been a Globe subscriber since October of last year. I was originally a Smart subscriber but due to inefficient services, I decided to switch to Globe, not because it was the best provider but because I had no choice. It was the only internet provider available in my area. My first option was PLDT but it took them 48 years to respond to my application and I really needed to have an internet connection since my job depends on that. 

I work as an online tutor for Japanese students every night using Skype. It's a good and convenient way to earn money because I don't need to wake up early in the morning to battle the nightmarish traffic congestion in Metro Manila and the schedule is really flexible (plus malaki talaga ang sahod kahit 4 hours a day lang ang trabaho or less). This job heavily depends on a stable internet connection. A bad connection equals bad rating and bad ratings equal lesson slot limitation which will also mean that I will earn less. 

Globe has been giving me a less-than-satisfactory service, what with all the week-long network outage and the really suck-y customer service. I've been itching to change my provider but unfortunately I have a one-year-lock-period and I have no choice kundi tiisin ang pangit nilang serbisyo.

Now, this. They have decided to cap the internet usage because of moral and ethical reasons. I won't elaborate this fuckery but read the article for yourself and see what I am talking about. (Click the title to be redirected to the original site.)

Globe moves to cap Internet data volume

Without any law to prevent its adoption, Ayala-led telco Globe Telecom has decided to invoke the “fair use" doctrine in imposing a data limit on the Internet subscription of its customer as a supposed way to curb unrestrained use of just a few broadband users.

Globe’s move, first reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was contained in a press statement issued by the company over the weekend.

The data volume limit, according to the Inquirer, “would affect only users who download data in excess of 1 gigabyte a day."

By adopting a “fair use" policy, Globe said it can “promote a more responsible way of using the Internet that will ensure fair and optimum usage of its broadband services across all subscribers."

In a recent analysis, Globe said only 5 percent use 80 percent of the available broadband network bandwidth, leaving only 20 percent of the capacity to be shared by 95 percent of the remaining users.

The issue on data volume capping remains a contentious topic in the industry, with local telcos pushing the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose it as a formal regulatory rule.

The agency, however, has already announced that it will not include any provision on data capping on a circular it is currently drafting on the minimum broadband speed in the country.

This is not the first time, however, that a broadband provider has adopted a data usage ceiling. San Miguel-owned Liberty Telecoms, which operates wi-tribe, has been offering WiMax services that have data limits. Lopez-owned firm SkyCable, through its broadband service unit, also recently rolled out a 5-Mbps Internet offering with 15-GB threshold.

Saying network bandwidth is a finite resource, Globe said “it is necessary to adopt a policy that promotes responsible and fair use of the Internet to prevent abuse and misuse of services from a relatively smaller group of consumers."

“Moreover, the policy aims to preserve the quality of resources in order to provide subscribers with seamless, uninterrupted, and reliable internet connections," it added. “This also ensures consistency and reliability of connection for use of the greater majority of broadband subscribers."

Globe cited study done by Envisional which showed that close to 36 percent of torrent downloads was pornography and another 48 percent was movies and television shows.

The study further claimed that 23.8 percent of global Internet traffic is piracy-related and nearly one-quarter of the traffic on the Internet involves the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials such as movies, TV shows, music, and video games.

“These activities, apart from being unsecured, also utilize a significant amount of broadband network data which prohibits other subscribers to enjoy the same quality of Internet connection," the company said.

In the statement, Globe said it has partnered with a parenting group MLAC Institute for Children and Families to educate parents on how to guide their children on the proper use of Internet and computers.

“Because it is our responsibility to provide our subscribers with quality Internet services, we are doing all we can to teach our broadband users how to properly use the internet," stated Jurist Gamban, head of globe fixed broadband business.

Gamban added, “Through this forum, we are actively involving the parents in guiding their children when they access the World Wide Web. We are concerned about how children are exposed to various Internet activities, from downloads, playing games, to watching videos and doing social networking and chatting.

Without restrictions, the Internet can be a source of information not suited for children, or worse, might pose risks that will threaten their minds and own security, Gamban said.— Newsbytes.ph

Using moral reasons to justify your inefficiencies is unforgivable.  First and foremost, your advertisement says "UNLIMITED BROADBAND" and that is what we, the subscribers, believed in when we decided to avail your service. IT IS NOT OUR FREAKING PROBLEM IF THE QUALITY OF YOUR INTERNET SERVICES SUCKS BECAUSE IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE US WITH BETTER SERVICES THAT DO NOT DETRIMENT OUR USAGE. . We are not paying for a limited connection you assholes. 

Who are you to tell us how we should use our internet? Last I heard,  I live in a democratic country. I am free to do whatever I want as long as it is in accordance with the law. I am intelligent enough to distinguish right from wrong so please do us a favor and stop your bullshit...using the internet properly, my ass. Don't kid yourself Ms. Gamban, stop hiding your statements in shitty euphemism because it's you and the rest of the capitalists in your company who should be adhering the moral standards of this society. 

I hope you all freaking burn in hell. 

I am switching to another provider. 

I haven't read any good book lately. Blame it on Tumblr and the internet, I haven't had the time to open a new book for the past months. That's a crime, I know. I keep on buying books and yet I never opened them since.

Now that I have time at my leisure, I think I should start reading again.

I just can't find something as good as the Harry Potter series or Percy Jackson's.

I'm considering The Hunger Games, though. I tried to listen to an audiobook sample but it just does not work out for me. I'm not into science-fiction. I HATE science-fiction... Hmm.

I'm just wondering if it's worth considering.

Any suggestions?

I am a big fan of the Amazing Race. I forgot to count how many seasons I've watched and followed ever since the show began. I love Phil Keoghan. I love the tasks that the contestants are made to do. I love the drama. I love the adrenaline rush and I sometimes dream of joining that reality show myself.

Now, thanks to the great Manny Pangilinan, my dream of trying out for the Amazing Race is almost at my reach. I recently heard from a friend that the newbie local channel TV5 has acquired the franchise of the popular reality show as a part of its expansion plan.

Ang gwapo lang ni Phil, yes?

Now, I can't contain myself. Grabe lang. Nag-uumapaw ako sa excitement. 


If that shit gets real, I will camp out outside TV5's premises until they allow me to become part of that show. Of course it will not be as great as the original-- hello, who can top Phil Keoghan, right?--- but I think it's a nice opportunity for me to travel the whole Philippines for free. Papayat pa ako sa kakatakbo at sa stress. 




I'll be on tenterhooks waiting for the official announcement. Gah, that would be a dream come true if ever I get accepted. Who cares about the task, I'll eat a worm if I had to. I don't care if I win the prize or not, the chance of travelling a paradise like the Philippines  and for free is more than enough, right?

Super excited. :)







My plan to go places is now starting.

I love songs with those old jazz/classical/pop vibes. I came across this song in Tumblr last night and now I just can't get enough of it. I posted the lyrics here. Please note however that I don't own the rights to this video. I posted this merely for entertainment value. Enjoy.  Click click! :)

Lyrics and music (c) 2011 Charlene Kaye http://www.myspace.com/charlenekayemusic
Produced by Tomek Miernowski
String arr. by Rob Moose
Video by: Liann Kaye
Shot by Brian Olson and Tom Bunning

Artists: Charlene Kaye and Darren Criss 

CHARLENE:
every night i walked the streets
never dreaming what could happen
sad and so lonely
i saw in the mirror my reflection
staring back at me
i thought, will i ever find what i need?

but i'll wear that dress if you wear the tie
and baby we'll dance through the night
cuz no one's got what we've got going
happiness never held on to me
until you had me see
that together we're just better off

DARREN:
oh my heart's been tried
time and again
always thought that it was me but
i see now just how wrong i was
no, i haven't known you for a lifetime
but somehow i've never been more sure that you're for me
baby please
don't leave, just come and dance with me tonight

but i'll wear that dress if you wear the tie
and baby we'll dance through the night
cuz no one's got what we've got going
happiness never held on to me
until you had me see
that together we're just better off

don't be cruel to me
oh, i've wanted more
and i've been wrong before

so much learning to lose
but you're not a day too soon
so say you feel the same and
we'll never be lonely anymore

but i'll wear that dress if you wear the tie
and baby we'll dance through the night
cuz no one's got what we've got going
happiness never held on to me
until you had me see
that together we're just better off

• 
  

 When you were a child, all you ever dreamed of is fulfilling your ambition of becoming a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher or  whichever God-knows-what career your parents have brainwashed you to aspire.


 You go through sixteen years of education (which is practically a combination of boredom, procrastination, loss of self esteem, excitement and sleepless nights) and finally, you climb that stage while your college dean hands you that dip-freaking-ploma which signifies the end of the nightmare you have endured for so long; your parents are beaming at you from below the stage, that awful Pomps and Circumstance song by Sir Edward Elgar is playing in the background and you feel like you are the most important person in the whole wide universe for getting past through more than a decade of stuDYING. 

And then the dilemma starts. You now face the most difficult university of them all, the UNIVERSITY OF LIFE and there are no curricula than you can follow, no syllabi to tell you which book to read or when the examinations will be and the worst, you will be pit against a never-ending series of final examinations that can really make or break you as a person. There are no marks or grades to measure your capacity, no report cards after the end of every year, your professor is practically non-existent, if not invisible and you can't just skip classes when you want to. It definitely sucks but there is nothing you can really do about it but push through. 

So what is the battleplan? 

Nothing really. It depends on how you would want your life to be in the next couple of years. You can either grab the bull by its horns or just stand on the sidelines and watch the beast take its course. 

Now the first step that you have to do is to find a way to survive. You cannot really depend on your parents now to give you the weekly allowance like they used to when you were still a student. You are basically on your own in this jungle and you have to catch your own food, you young cub. 

   Finding a job is probably one of the most important thing a person should accomplish in her/his life. Unless you are an offspring of a multimillionaire who owns probably half of the country where you are staying or a celebrity even before you were born, you will, at one point in your life, be subjected to that equally stressful job hunting  which I may tell you, can literally dishearten you and wipe away that happy bubbly feeling you had when you graduated. 

It's like freshman year all over again, the only difference is that you haven't found yet which clique you will belong to or which organizations you will take part of. You try to test each and every single option available, you try to prove yourself and tell them that you deserve to be picked and be part of the prestigious group that they belong to. Some will take notice and some won't. Sometimes you will be entertained while others will not give you as much as a flicker of hope that you can be part of the group. And it will hurt. It will hurt badly but the sad thing is, you will always end up with the number one rule of life : It's life, there is nothing you can do about it so learn to deal with it. 

I have had my own share of disappointments being a fresh graduate this year. Being a UP graduate (and not just a graduate but a cum laude), one would conclude that I can find a job so easily. But that statement is always proven to be wrong. UP grad or not, you get no special treatment in the world of unemployment. I, personally, have been turned down by several companies that I have applied to, either because of lack of experience or because the "position has already been filled". It just simply tells you that one lucky bitch out there is a bazillion times much better than you are so "Sorry honey, thanks for trying."

The most recent rejection letter that I got is from the company I am working for right now as an English tutor (which name I will not mention in case it might ruin my future chances of being part of the company). I got the email probably two hours ago and a part of it went something like this:

Dear Ms. Partosa, 

 This is to acknowledge our receipt of your resume.Thank you for expressing interest in applying for the position .However, please be informed that at of this moment, we have put the application on-hold, as we have been able to acquire interns during our screening period last week. We are keeping your resume for future reference.

We will be contacting you for the status of your application once the position is opened once again. Should you have other concerns / inquiries, please feel free to contact us. Thank you very much. 

And so it went yada yada yada. It actually hurt because I really wanted the position and I was really waiting for the response for like two weeks now.But unfortunately, I am not good enough or so they think. So what am I to do now? Actually deep in my heart, I am praying that the position will be reopened again and I get the chance to just even be interviewed because right then I would know that I tried my best to get the job. Unfortunately, I got turned down. It sucks. It really does. And it is just one of the hundreds of emails that I have received saying that i am "not good enough" for them. 


Then what am I to do? I have been spending almost three months now at home, doing nothing, spending my days unproductively, just watching reruns of my favorite TV shows, sleeping and eating when I want to. I wonder how my father feels about me now. I know he is not saying anything just because I am still earning from the part time job that I have at night.


To tell you frankly, I am happy being a tutor. If I were given a choice I would want to continue this for the next couple of years. The thing is, I feel that this isn't enough to justify the four years worth of sleepless nights that I spent in UP. I need something more to make me feel that I am worth something. I honestly don't know what to do now that my recent "dream job" has turned me down. But as I always say, I have to move on. There is no use crying over spilled milk right? I just have to find another job and hope to God that I finally find that clique where I belong. 


So there, hello world of unemployment. Probably I am here to stay for a couple of months. I hope you get tired of me. 




P.S. Sorry for the incoherence of the blog. That is just the way I write. XD