Your Daily Dose of Useful Stuff

I just wish that many foreign banks will enter the Philippine market so that our local banks will provide better services to their depositors.  Consider this scenario: Friend A, who is working in London asked me to deposit $10 in his dollar account in BDO to prevent his account from getting dormant. So to BDO I went and since I have no dollars laying around, I attempted to buy from BDO, but I was refused because they only sell dollars to those who will go on a trip overseas.  I did not make a fuss about that because a policy is a policy and I can see logic here.  Dollars should be used wisely and sparingly so that we would have a steady supply around us.  After that, I went to a money exchange who allowed me to buy $20 for P47.50 each dollar.  It seems that it's the only deal I can get, so I went for it.   With $20 with me, I went to BDO to deposit it to my friend's account only to find out that the said account was already dormant and he has to appear personally to a

Whenever someone would approach me to offer special memberships to this and this establishment, I always question the wisdom of it.  I'd think first that this is just one of their marketing ploys to get people to shop more frequently in their store and it is not even a free promotion oftentimes.  At the Robinson's Grocery, I paid P100, just to give it a try, well, I frequently buy my groceries there anyway.  So might as well avail of the Robinson's Rewards Plus.  How do memberships work and what do customers get from them?   A customer earns points every time he shops in Robinson's Department Store or grocery.  And upon accumulating about 100 pts, (not sure how the payments get converted to points, but i'll try to find out) you can now use those earned points which have corresponding cash equivalents to pay for your groceries or purchases. But the benefits go beyond that, two days ago, I was a lucky recipient of a a letter from Robinson's Rewards tea

Taxi scams are just one of the things that we always hear over the radio, television, social media.  Almost anywhere and in whatever season, taxi scams often happen.  There are horror stories of taxi drivers who spray sleep-inducing chemicals to make the passenger fall asleep, only God knows what could happen to the passenger upon losing consciousness.  Taxis are now becoming unsafe, no wonder app-based transport services like Uber are becoming popular.  They seem to be a better alternative to taxis, especially that reputations of car owners are spread by comments from those who availed of their services. I have always been a cautious rider, locking doors securely upon entering a taxi.  It has been my practice ever since one taxi that I took was victimized by 'hamog boys' along Guadalupe Bridge.  But I got victimized again.  I have to admit that I did not see it coming.  It was subtlely done and up to now, I am still fuming about it.  I vowed I will never be kind to

No pun and disrespect intended.  It just captured my attention that quite a number of local stars have lost their lives by committing suicide, and they are not even matured individuals yet.  Who could forget Marky Cielo; though being his fan, I still doubt it was suicide that caused his death.  Then there was Miko Sotto, who accidentally fell off the terrace of their condo unit; some people still think it was suicide.  Cesar Montano's son also took his own life.  It makes you wonder if there is a suicide bug plaguing the celebrity world.  The latest victim, so to speak, is Julia Buencamino, the daughter of theater power couple, Sharmaine Centenera and Noni Buencamino.   The parents have already accepted that the cause of death is suicide and the entire family requests that they be given privacy as they mourn for the passing of Julia.  

Daniel Cabrera has been living a life of a child from a family who can barely get through the day with his mother earning less than $2 a day by working at a retail store.  It's no wonder that the child has great dreams.  He dreams of becoming rich someday and smart enough to know that education is the key to attaining his dreams.  "I don't want to be poor for the rest of my life," He told his mother.   Because of extreme hardship in life and their home having very little comfort, not even any electricity, he has to study his lessons at night at a nearby sidewalk in order to be lighted upon by the escaping gleams from the nearby establishment.   It was during one of those times he would be using the lights from the establishment that one passer-by was struck by the power of the image of the boy making do with what is around him to survive.  Ms. Torrefranca, a medical student, did not feel pity, but instead felt inspired upon seeing the boy in that spot at that

I have had my share of bad teachers and instructors in the past (not in driving but in my academic experience), so I either just shrugged them off or I just thought about how pretty badly they were treated when they were learning also.  Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.  What is worse than a relative who can teach you , but refuses to teach you, is a driver who is either obssessive-compulsive, a perfectionist, or just plain fault-finder.  So it is just my luck that I got this kind of instructor today.  My last practice was about seven days ago, which is really not a practice as I was really able to form a mere letter "L" in a subdivision.  Because my 'mentor' was so impatient, he could not wait for me to finish the entire length of one side of the tree-lined park, for no reason, but just mere impatience.  If I was not really strong in spirit, I'd given up earlier, but no, I'm just not the type to give up, not easily.  My theme song now i

Is Ben Affleck out of his eff-ing mind? Men are just unbelievably obtuse and unappreciative at times.  What is it with them? I thought my favorite Hollywood couple is for keeps, so imagine my shock and disappointment when Jennifer and Ben called it quits.  It seems that having three kids together just could not stop their disunity.   I remember being wildly thrilled when I heard these two were going to be tying the knot.  They are perfect for each other as far as I am concerned.  They are both young, single and have a Hollywood career that is working steadily.  Their movies are making money, and they have a fan-base that could help their social media presence felt and active.   Their union couldn't have happen at the right time. Ben was never great for Jennifer Lo, knowing Jennifer Lopez is almost a MILF.  She was married twice already.  For me, Ben was made for Jennifer Garner, young, smart, sexy, and pretty.  They were Hollywood's sweethearts, if you ask me, the p

The trick in driving firstly, is to be calm and relaxed at all times. This is what I learned after the first two hours with my instructor. Don't let nerves get through you.  Breathe in and relax when you get behind the wheel.  Also, it pays for you to master footwork. Even when you are not driving always practice your left foot by imagining it pressing  clutch, and your right foot pressing break, and gas. You can also make an improvised gear stick so that you can coordinate your footwork with your arm movements.  This will help you gain confidence when you get behind the wheel.  I practiced my footwork first for an hour. Imagining me behind the wheel and driving.  Later, I imagined moving the gear stick according to my footwork.  It did help a lot in terms of making me feel more relaxed and feel more confident.  I also watched some youtube videos that made me feel  more relaxed and gave me more confidence.

It was a contest that she did not set her mind into, she the unassuming one, always just works quietly and steadily.  Not one who really works hard to be in the news, Jennylyn was so surprised to learn she bagged the crown of the Philippines' sexiest for 2015.  And who would not?  The way she takes care of her body is epic Jennylyn engages in sports and joins triathlon competitions.  This tells us she can bike, swim and run.  She does these with a passion and dedication almost like a religion.    Aside from triathlon, Jen does other physical exercises that develop many aspects of her well-being.  Who would have thought that she with the frail and tiny physique would even think of trying the traditional Filipino martial arts, arnis.   I saw a video of her with a trainer and it seems that Jen has become a competent arnis fighter.  I wouldn't dare cross her or she could beat me till I lose consciousness.   

Driving is a very important skill and learning how to drive is very tricky, requiring concentration and focus.  Many professions require driving as a qualification.  It is useful not only for your personal needs but also for your professional needs.  Ever since childhood, I have always wanted to drive a vehicle.  For me, I can do a lot of things if I know how to drive.  It can come handy especially during emergency occasions and can enhance my image.  And if I am a really a good driver, I would earn  the respect of men, especially if I drive a huge vehicle.  So after many decades of planning, I was able to enrol in driving lessons, and now,  finally i'm able to start my lifelong dream of learning how to drive a vehicle. It was not an easy decision to do and start. Since I live in the boondocks of Rizal, I had to find if there is a good driving school near my area, fortunately there is one, so I inquired at the SMART driving school.  I heard they are good and have been

Vanity Fair ushered the arrival of Caitlyn Jenner and people have mixed emotions about it.  Some people still could not believe that someone so popular and world-famous was willing to give up fame to give way to his, now, her, happiness.  Caitlyn Jenner is the dream-come-true of Bruce Jenner, a facially-transformed male, therefore he is Bruce Jenner no more.   Although Caitlyn often makes slips like using he, instead of she, in her mind, she was always a woman/girl.   So she wasted no time, after getting a facial transformation, and started hosting 'girls night' with her girl friends so that they can all discuss about girl stuff (whatever those are , considering she is over 60 already). How does she look now after that operation? She seemed to get the best features of Jessica Lange and Kate Winslet rolled in one, a neat package that is cover-girl worthy.  Kate Winslet's lower facial  features and Jessica Lange's sharp upper features make a great combination

Among all the ISP in the Philippines, Globe just gives the worst service.  Since May 14, 2014, I did not have internet connection despite reporting the matter to Globe 5 times.  After the 5th report, which was on May 24, 2014, which was after 10 days already, and by international standards, is way...way...below passable service, I requested that a technician come and see my home Internet cable connection to see why this is happening, but the tech did not come to see what was happening to it at all but instead called at the last hour which is almost 7 pm.  Who does work at that time?  I thought they have found a solution to the problem, but surprise, the tech told me that they could not fix the problem.  Can you believe it? What kind of a tech team is that?  If Globe can't fix the problem, why not come clean and tell their costumers that they should find another ISP, rather than making their customers suffer and be stressed out? 

Kate Middleton's name is synonymous to the British royal family, without even trying, she is overshadowing the pure, blue-blooded royals.  She is probably the world's most photographed personality lately.   Search Google images and you will know what I'm talking about.  Who can forget the day she and Prince William tied the knot while the entire world was watching?   The entire world was probably asking who is this brave young lady who accepted the challenge of marrying Britain's second heir to the throne? Who is she who is brave to give up her private and personal life and be constantly followed by cameras and papparazzis at every sight of her?   Who is this who wants to continue the British royal line by mothering the third in line to the royal throne?  There were different reactions and stories about Kate Middleton at that point and I'm sure it did not escape her that she was under the world's scrutiny and she has rose up to the challenge and so far is d

Tea is considered a healthy beverage.  According to studies there are many benefits that tea gives our body.  Among the benefits we get are:  better dental health, healthier circulatory system, lower cholesterol, anti-cancer qualities, it's an antioxidant and an antiviral agent, and a host of other disease preventing characteristics.   Studies have shown that it is best to drink tea before dinner in order for the stomach to get filled up partially and also before going to bed to feel relaxed and mentally destressed.   I am a tea-lover and I like to put lemon and honey in my tea for two reasons:  to add zest to my drink and also to reduce the bitterness.   Lately, the market has been infused with this new beverage called 'milk tea.'  All of a sudden, there is a milk tea branch in every corner of the city.   Milk tea is a beverage that is part of the culture of people from Hong Kong.   It is black tea mixed with milk, usually evaporated milk.  Other flavors has

I am not really a big fan of Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, but I can't help feeling excited for the royal couple of GMA.  Lolit Solis, veteran showbiz writer and host of Startalk, a longtime showbiz program of GMA,  hinted over the weekend that GMA's primetime queen is infanticipating already, four months after their altar date.  This prompted the couple to finally reveal their secret, much to their chagrin.  I'm sure they would have wanted to keep the joy of knowing that their love for each other brought this wonderful gift for both of them, but somebody let the cat out the bag already so might as well share the big news with the fans.   Both Marian and Dingdong are reeling with happiness and are overjoyed over this future addition to their union.  In an interview with Ms. Jessica Soho, GMA's former vice-president for news program, Marian revealed that she is suffering from morning sickness and has an aversion to strong smell.    In the interview, it is o

Are you the type of person who feels guilty whenever you see food rotting in the ref and fruits becoming over-riped because you have lost interest in eating them?   You are not alone.  Yours truly feels very guilty whenever I see bread, rice and fruit rotting away.  One of the most common fruit that easily ripens is the banana.  People often refuse eating over-riped bananas in the Philippines because there is an oversupply of bananas.  In some places in the country, bananas are very cheap.  They are almost given away.  But there are also expensive banana varieties.   The lacatan variety is an expensive kind of banana.  This is often the exported quality.  They are exported to countries like Japan and Korea.  Koreans take their fill of these delicious bananas whenever they visit the Philippines because bananas are expensive in Korea.  They always say, it's so unfair that there are so many delicious and cheap fruits in the Philippines, but Filipinos don't seem to e

Bill Gates was in the Philippines lately although it was a trip that was not announced, which is typical of Bill Gates, it still got leaked by some media men.  One television station got a photo of Mr. Gates' heli in the premises of IRRI, that prestigious research center inside UP Los Banos.  We all know that UP Los Banos is a premiere university dedicated to the study of agriculture and other allied courses so it is fitting that researches on rice should be conducted here.  Besides that, great scholars and educators in the field of agriculture from all over the world have worked in UPLB.  Going inside IRRI is very challenging.  A confirmation of a booking or scheduled visit is needed before anyone is allowed to enter the compound.  So what brought Mr. Gates in IRRI?  He just happens to be the biggest private donor of IRRI and maybe it is time for him to sign that check again that's why he came over to see the goings-on in the center.   But that's purely speculative, s

People think having the ability to speak another language is cool.  Well, it is cool, but they just don't realize the amount of work that is spent in order to be fluent at a different language.  Admittedly, there are many advantages in being able to speak other languages.  Nowadays, people who are bilingual, have more job opportunities.  When a friend of mine went to work in Korea, I told her while you are there, you should learn another skill.  I encouraged her to study Korean language, which she did.  She studied earnestly, until she became almost like a native speaker,  By the way, she stayed for almost six years in Korea, working different odd jobs.  Until one day, she saw in the Internet, one BPO hiring a CSR who can communicate in Korean or Hanguk.  She saw it as an opportunity.   So she searched some more openings and she found out that it is not just one BPO, there are more BPOs looking for Korean speakers.    That was the final factor that finally made her retu

One Direction is by far the hottest boy band of this decade and it is a phenomenon that I neither have the energy or time to spend on being that their music is not my genre of preference and the young handsome guys are not suitable to my generation.  I am more of the Motown craze, not that I have not taken a slight liking to their music.  Pop is as pop goes and truth is, I am not a pop music lover, but then, one can't help but overhear their music playing from the radio.  Well, One Direction is hot again lately because one member is emotionally unprepared to handle fame. It turned out that success and fame is not what Zayn Malik is after for he just announced his retirement from the boy band. What his real reason is, we can only speculate.  He cited he wants to live normally.  He wants to experience what a normal 22-year old experiences and does.  In truth, he can't stand being mobbed by rabid fans it seems.  Well, he seems to be in the wrong business then or he is not

This year's first casualty from local showbiz is Liezl Sumilang Martinez, who comes from local showbiz royalty.  She succumbed to lung cancer on Saturday, March 14, 2015.  Prior to lung cancer, Liezl was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2008, after two years of treatment, among them stem cell treatment, she recovered and was able to serve in the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review Classification Board).  Unfortunately, in 2012, cancer cells were discovered in her left lungs which ultimately caused her demise.  

                    The fight that has made everyone, except me probably, excited about will finally happen on May 2 and for sure it will be the first of firsts, especially if Manny Pacquiao will knock Floyd "big-mouth" Mayweather out.  As we all probably know, both boxers have stunning records and have fought against the greatest fighters in the boxing arena.   Manny Pacquiao is  called "the Pambansang Kamao" or "the National Fist" (We Filipinos have a knack for catchy labels) for being the only boxer that fought in 7 different divisions and emerging victorious.  Although Manny suffered some defeats, which for me are quiet negligible, these do not erase the fact that he crossed different divisions and holds the championship belts in these divisions.  It's a clear sign of courage and determination.    Manny Pacquiao just needs somebody challenging enough plus, he is also an entertainer who wants people and fans to enjoy a good fight.    If my o

Very few people can pull off the trick that he does which is make up transformation.  The guy is a genius in make up application that he can transform almost identically his face into any personality that he so likes.   Paulo Ballesteros started making his face his canvass and showcasing this talent while performing in Eat Bulaga, during its weekend shows, when the 'dabarkads' would present production numbers.    Eat Bulaga is currently the longest running variety show in the Philippines where Paulo Ballesteros is a mainstay and one of the reasons why the show has maintained its high-ratings.   Paulo does not only put on make up to resemble popular celebrities, he also copies their fashion and style.  He really immerses himself into the personality of the celebrity.  

She probably is not the typical beauty pageant contestant with her short-cropped hair, but boy she can carry herself regally.  Tall and shapely, Kaci hails from that nation where the music "reggae" originated.    A real dark horse, Ms. Jamaica was not even in most of the predicted top finalists, but her classy appearance, in the tradition of Hollywood beauties Audrey Hepburn and  Halle Berry,  wowed and impressed the judges.  Her modeling background did play a big role in her disposition.  Camera lenses just love her, they can't get enough of her.  

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Philippines' bet for this year's Ms. Universe pageant, MJ Lastimosa, was, holy cow,  this girl is a dead ringer of Shamcey Supsup and like Shamcey Supsup, she has more than fifty percent chances of bagging that crown, which for the past three decades had numerously slipped from the fingers of  each Philippine candidate.   I guess, we've all sympathized with our contestants who came back home without the  major "bacon" for the past three decades, and we all felt sorry and sometimes "bitter" when Philippine contestants didn't get the crown even if majority of them did win runner-up awards. Winning runner-up is not the same as getting the major crown.  But then it's better than coming home empty-handed.  So what's MJ Lastimosa's edge over former candidates we sent to this most prestigious beauty pageant?  Frankly, while others think and believe our former contestants, the likes of

The entire Catholic community in the Philippines is again in a state of euphoria because Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines today for a five-day pastoral visit.  Pope Francis will be in the Philippines until January 19.  Pope Francis is the third Pope to visit the Philippine Islands.  The first was Pope Paul VI in 1970, Pope John Paul II, who came to the Philippines twice in 1981 and 1995, during the World Youth Day and Pope Francis, the current Pope. Pope Francis is known as the Pope of 'firsts' because Pope Francis's leadership is non-traditional, going beyond and against the normally practiced traditions/dogmas.  He is also the first non-European Pope, being that he is from Argentina, but he is of Italian ancestry.  He also is the first Pope to use the name Francis, from St. Francis of Assisi.    Because of security concerns, there are many guidelines that the police and other government leaders have imposed in order to prevent any untoward incidences fr

She will forever be Serena Van Der Woodsen to Gossip Girl fans like me, epitomizing the glamorous, girl-next-door that every teenage boy wanted to date or hang out with: a heart breaker.  Loyal fans oohed at her style and fashion, both on screen and off screen.  Her sense of style is impeccable, never wearing anything not suitable to her image, which is something between a "classy and smart fashionista."   Many adored her when she and co-star Penn Badgley became a real-life couple; her followers even prayed they will eventually end up together, like a fairy-tale ending.  Alas, fate would not hear of it.  Being young, talented and  attractive, her destiny would not be her equally attractive baby-faced co-star.  Blake would find the man of her dreams when she was casted opposite Ryan Reynolds in the movie version of Green Lantern, a DC comics character.  Their onscreen romance became for real, and they eventually tied the knot in 2012.  

T he most exciting day of their lives had arrived.  After they announced their engagement last August, which was rather a short one (although the groom had announced that he already asked the bride's hand  unofficially in one of their trips abroad) their date to the altar did happen last December 30, 2014, and it was an event that had no hitches at all.  Therefore, it was bound to happen. It seemed that destiny made the day perfect for the couple because there were no mishaps that would mar the beauty of the ceremony. Everything was just dreamy and dramatic in an entertaining way, not the dramatic sentimental way, because the couple are both very cool, not the uptight type.  Dingdong and Marian gave their best to satisfy the people who love them by putting together a wedding ceremony that will be unrivaled yet in the Philippines.   From the venue, which is the Immaculate Concepcion Church in QC, a church close to the groom's heart, loyal fans could already see the coup