Birds on a Lake

Early morning at Lake Olivia

Personalized Holiday Greetings

Christmas (and New Year) is the time of the year when we keep in touch with family members and friends, for gift-giving, and sending and exchanging greeting cards. These practices have long been a part of our holiday tradition.

Do you know that the first commercialized holiday greeting card came out in 1843? It was a colored illustration of a family with a child, in a celebration, drinking wine.

Through the years, the simple Christmas card has evolved into different styles, theme and make. With digital photography, people can now send holiday photo cards, a unique innovation which makes makes holiday greetings more personalized and unique.

Wordless Wednesday: Sesame Street Christmas

Sea World

Orlando, FL

Job-Hunting

When searching for job opportunities, I go online and look in employment websites. With the advent of the internet, searching for jobs online is a popular and more convenient approach. You can even submit your applications online, too.

Each state has its local employment websites also. When I was in Hawaii, I utilized Honolulu County's website to look for government employment opportunities. In Florida, they also have websites for state, county or private job opportunities. For those in Philadelphia and the neighboring states, one can also find philadelphia job listings online.

Wordless Wednesday: Halo-Halo

Halo-Halo: A Filipino dessert

Photo taken at Max's of Manila

Waipahu, Hawaii

Wordless Wednesday

Mele Kalikimaka

In Hawaii, Merry Christmas is "Mele Kalikimaka"

The photos are part of the yearly Christmas display at the Honolulu Hale (City Hall). As a Christmas tradition, the grounds of Honolulu Hale is decked with Christmas lights and decor. I took this picture last year on my visit to Honolulu Hale to view the Christmas decoration.

For more Sepia Scenes

Christmas Greetings from MsRay

Must-Watch Pinoy Movie

It's a chilly and dreary Monday and I am here at home spending most of my time in front of the computer. It's been a long time since I've seen a quality Pinoy movie and I am glad I found one this afternoon. For those of you who do not have access to Filipino movies on dvd, search online because you can watch one for free. I did.

"In My Life" is the come-back movie of Philippine movie queen and Star for all Seasons, Vilma Santos. The movie is a love story of two men (John Lloyd Cruz and Luis Manzano) teaching a woman to move on with life. The movie, which was shot both in the Philippines and New York City, is is a must-watch for Filipinos who love good quality Pinoy movies.

MO'z Cosmopolitan Martini

I have very low tolerance for alcoholic drinks but Mo'z Cosmopolitan Martini was just right for me. Mo can mix a mean martini drink but she made a very mild one especially for moi: cranberry-strawberry juice and a little bit of vodka.

Take note of the psychedelic ice. That belongs to Sylvia. She got it from Martini Mo'z (yup, the martini bar owned by Mo).

Cheers!

On Outsourced Customer Service

Whenever I need to purchase a battery for my laptop and I have to call customer service to place my order, I sometimes end up speaking to somebody with an Indian accent. This is a result of outsourced customer service by the computer company. A lot of companies in the U.S. are outsourcing manufacturing jobs and those related to services outside of the U.S., in countries like India and the Philippines. Labor is cheaper in these countries and the work input is just as good. The downside of it is the communication problem. Sometimes, it is a pain communicating to a person who cannot speak English correctly or clearly.

The Avatar Experience

Last night, for the very first time, I went to the movies by myself.

I watched the 3-D version of Avatar, a science-fiction epic written and directed by acclaimed director, James Cameron. It was a long movie (2 hours and 45 minutes) but I enjoyed every minute of it. The movie, which opened on Friday, was well-received by the audience. Both the young viewers and the young at heart loved it. Everyone in the audience said it was awesome. If you haven't watched it yet, you better do!

Medical Coding

Even in these times of economic crisis when jobs are getting scarce, the medical field still looks promising.

One does not have to spend years in medical or nursing school to be in this field as there are other jobs which require only a couple of months of training. Medical coding training courses, which can be taken online for as less as nine months, prepare one for a job in the finance departments of hospitals, clinics, health maintenance organizations, health care facilities, insurance companies, and other medical facilities. Medical coding specialists assign codes to identify medical diagnoses and procedures on the patient's records. The coding allows insurance companies to process claims accurately and make payments to providers, as well as reimburse individuals. This is one of the fastest growing jobs in the medical and healthcare industry.

Happy Birthday, Nanay!

Zenaida Tongson was born in Himamaylan, a small city in the southern part of Negros Occidental on December 21, 1932 to the late Raymundo T. Tongson and Irene Vallejera.

She's my Nanay. She turns 77 today (Philippine time). Yesterday, at around 8 P.M. (EST), my son informed me that Nanay was rushed to the hospital due to severe chest pains. As I am writing this post, Nanay is still in ICU. She is diabetic and her health is failing. The last time we spoke which was a week ago, she had been sick and very weak.

It is so hard to be away from home especially at her condition. I could've done more if I were there.

Please remember Nanay in your prayers.

Photo taken a few days before I left for the U.S.

My despedida program in church

Nanay with my niece, Rozene on her h.s. graduation

Mother- that was the bank

where we deposited all our hurts and worries.

- T. DeWitt Talmage

Scenic Sunday: Birds

Deerfield Beach

Lighthouse Point

A Weekend Full of Blessings

Yes, my dear friends, I have so much to be thankful for this weekend.

I received a bagful of Christmas goodies from my friend, Marlene.

She's a close friend of mine way back in the Philippines but she's now in CA.

Inside the Christmas box were blouses, a skirt, two pairs of blue jeans,

a pair of slacks, trinket in a red pouch, and a bag.

Underneath the clothing, there were six small gift-wrapped items

which she instructed me not to open 'til Christmas day.

I am excited to open my gifts on Christmas day.

Another blessing came this afternoon....

Our grades for the Fall Term 2009 just came out.

I got straight A's.

Yes, GOD is GOOD all the time!

Just a "Thank You" is a mighty powerful prayer.

It says it all.

-Rosie Cash

I Wonder as I Wander

A beautiful song to listen to as we reflect the meaning of Christmas.

A blessed Sabbath to everyone!

Another Stormy Day in Sunny Florida

Yesterday, Noelle and I were supposed to go to Deerfield Beach for a picnic but we had to postpone it for today because of the inclement weather. When I woke up this morning, the sun is still nowhere to be found. It is still dark and gloomy outside but I love the feeling of the cold breeze drifting through my window. Last night, I opened the window to let the fresh, cold air in. I like listening to the sound of the rain.

It is now 10:30 in the morning but it is still a bit dark outside because of the cloudy skies. Noelle will call me later after she's done with her parenting class. We'll probably make other plans instead of going to the beach.

In our lives there is bound to come some pain

surely as there are storms and falling rain;

just believe that the one who holds the storms

will bring the sun.

The Reliable Flash Drive

I always carry one or two USB flash drives inside my computer bag and keep another one at home as a spare. Avid computer users know the importance of having a flash drive. You can store data and transport them anywhere you go. They're very handy, lightweight, durable, reliable and have the capacity to store data to as much as 32 GB and, probably, even more. Compared to the floppy disks (remember those days?) and compact disks, flash drives are durable and resistant to scratches. It is also easier to transfer files into the flash drive. Oh, yes, and they now come in varied shapes, colors and unique designs, too.

Dining, Hibachi-style

Hibachi is a traditional Japanese heating device consisting of a round or box-shaped open-topped container. In the U.S., it usually refers to a small cooking stove or an iron hot plate used in Teppanyaki restaurants. Here in the U.S., when you say Hibachi-style, it refers to Japanese teppanyaki cooking, in which gas-heated hotplates are integrated into tables around which the diners can sit and eat at once. The chef cooks right in front of the diners, usually with theatrical flair, such as lighting a volcano-shaped stack of raw onion hoops on fire or doing all sorts of actions using his knife.

Last Tuesday, I had lunch with my two Filipino friends, Sylvia and Mo, in a Japanese restaurant at the Coconut Creek Promenade.

3 pinays and a Haponesa

Deerfield Beach

About 25 minutes from where I live is Deerfield Beach, known for its "Blue Wave" beach and Fishing Pier. The other day, I explored the beach together with my friend, Mo, who was visiting Florida from Wisconsin.

The Beach

The City of Deerfield Beach earned the "Blue Wave" beach award because of excellence in water quality, beach conditions, safety services, public information and habitat conservation.

Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier

Located on the beach is the 976 foot long pier fronting the Atlantic Ocean which attracts thousands of visitors and fishing afficionados.