Ultimate Flirting Championship Tuesday, July 29, 2008

I just played an online game called Ultimate Flirting Championship where your objective is to achieve Victory Hair by playing this game. I was the judge in the round I played and played with two other guys. I got the advantage of asking them questions and scored who answered the best. It was fun, especially since there was a chat widget at the right side which allowed you to chat with the other players, and eventually chat privately with the winner.

I liked the part wherein you could dress up your avatar and even choose an Extreme Style by VO5 hairstyle for your avatar. The guys I played with started off really cheesy, especially with the pick-up lines they chose when responding to the questions I picked. But lines like "You had me at hello" and "You complete me" from Jerry Maguire or the classic "Will you love me for the rest of my life? No, I'll love you for the rest of mine" from Phenomenon with John Travolta would have swept me off my feet and would have urged me to pick a winner right then and there.

Do try out the game below and see what happens. Who knows, flirting with one of the players might just as well lead into you finding Mr. or Ms. Right? Well, good luck in the game and good luck flirting!

A Tiring Day at SSS Valenzuela Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Henry and I just came home from a very tiring day at the SSS Office in Valenzuela City. We fell in line for hours and hours so that I could file my Maternity Reimbursement when I was pregnant with Nicole. I had called their Customer Service and I was informed of the requirements that I needed to present which were also the requirements that were listed at the back of the form. When we got there, the hours of falling in line turned out to be just a matter of minutes - the lady at the counter asked me for a totally different requirement that needed me to go back to my previous employer and have them sign a card of some sorts. I also had to write a letter explaining why I was not able to file my Maternity Reimbursement at a sooner time.

I just feel so bad that I had to be tired with Henry. He has to review information about Ilocos prior to his trip on the 31st and yet he chooses to go with me and fix my documents. What I hate even more is the fact that nothing happened with our trip. If it weren't for the money we would be getting as reimbursement I would prefer not to fall in such long lines and wait on counters with snappy government employees. It's ironic that they're snappy at the people who pay their salaries - taxpayers like myself.

I wish that the Philippine government would centralize their data in such a way that it would be easier for people to file and retrieve documents regardless of which branch they go to. Like if you were born in the province and is currently in Manila, you can go to any City Hall and request a copy from it there. In my case, I had to go to SSS Valenzuela because this is where I reside. It's a good thing that it's somewhat near where I live, but what about those who have to travel miles just to get a certain document? I wish improvements in the system will be in place soon. But if soon is too much to ask, at least the system would be organized by the time Keisha and Nicole are older.

Cisco Certified Saturday, July 26, 2008

Since I work for a technical account in a contact center, I get a lot of exposure to networking tools, computers, routers, and other stuff I didn't know a lot about before. One of my officemates happens to be a graduate of a computer-related course and the Cisco certification is part of their curriculum. I've always wondered exactly what that was, and upon visiting Cisco's website, these words defined it best - "it is the language that connects the world."

Nowadays, if you know a lot about computers, you can be an IT support for a company, a network engineer, and other positions that require computer knowledge (and usually pay more). You can even go to different countries and expand your experience with different types of networking systems which will ultimately enhance your knowledge and make you better at what you do.

My officemate is currently preparing for his Cisco certification exam, and he is both nervous and excited. If he passes (which I hope he does) he will be able to apply for any job anywhere in the world that is related to the field of Information Technology. He will be able to earn a whole lot more than what he currently does, and even though he might be a Filipino, he is of equal standing with other Cisco certified people as they all passed the same exam regardless of race and ethnicity.

I am hoping that he finishes his exam as he already has a job in mind - a network analyst in a company in UK that would pay a 6 figure income each month when converted to our currency. It would mean a lot to his family - his parents can stop working, he can support his brother's college tuition and he just might have enough money to start a business their family can manage. For him and other people who would want to succeed in this modern world of ours, getting Cisco certified is the way to go.

A Beautifully Painful Place Saturday, July 26, 2008

On the 31st of this month, Henry will be off on a long trip to Ilocos again. It's a very beautiful place (although I've never been there yet) and he'll be back around th 4th or the 5th of August. He'll be away for like a week, which is like an eternity for me.

He hasn't even gone away yet but I'm already beginning to be sad. Just imagining that I won't be able to see his face when I get home from a stressful day at work or wake up with his kiss and his embrace during the night is enough to make me cry. There'll be no one to prepare my meals when I wake up and my packed lunch I bring for work.

The money he'll earn will be enough to pay for Keisha's tuition that's due this August. It'll be a great help for our budget. But must we sacrifice time away from each other for our kids. I'll just have to start counting the days before he comes home.

Tomorrow I'll be preparing his clothes for the trip and ironing his shirts as well. With a heavy heart I'll be packing his clothes and I'll eagerly wait for his arrival home.