My friend has an engineer husband who has been working in Saudi Arabia for more than 2 decades now.   Jill used to recount the many sacrifices  and problems they had weathered because of her husband’s absence from his family and to make up for everything, he richly provided their needs sometimes to a fault because the children grew up spoiled.   There is always a price to pay!  His husband David, has been working in a big oil exploration company in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia and marcellus drilling has been a part of his life.  Although it is hard for Jill to understand the nature of his job but one thing is clear, the work concerns oil and petroleum which abound the rich soil of the province.

Natural gas undergo processing and it is commercially extracted in oil and natural gas fields which yielded positive benefits by producing abundant supply of energy derived from gases explored.  One exploration company that deals with huge projects that covers numerous countries with vast reserves of oil and gas is  UG Oil and Gas Center.  The company’s deals expertly and extensively in non stop  exploration activity of  digging and exploring vast natural and mineral resources.

Being part of an exploration team means going to hard to reach places in search of oil reserves and it also means a handsome pay for Jill husband.   Their children’s future is the reason behind all those sacrifices and David continuously works hard enough to learn global unconventional resource exploration.  The stock knowledge acquired through the years serves as consolation to his lonely life away from home and his family is his inspiration while his company his source of his wealth.

He will be old and grey and will retire soon but UG Oil and Gas Center will unceasingly span the globe exploring for profitable resource find and millions of people will benefit from it.

During our recent High School reunion, we missed the presence of Jimmy L and Sandy S. both very popular figure in our campus.  A startling news circulated among the group that the duo are in hot water because the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is running after them and a  tax evasion case was already filed against them.   They are business partners of a  big cargo forwarding and export-import company and apparently they are also “partners” in crime.  The BIR is determined to send tax evaders to jail that has been cheating the government, resulting to massive revenue losses.   Unfair to us who religiously pay our taxes which a law abiding citizen of the country ought to be.  And really it disheartened us knowing there are a lot of  people who are tax cheaters and our friends happened to be among them.

Why do we have to pay taxes?  Paying taxes are what lets our country be as healthy as is and it help fund the government.   Simply put, because it is the LAW!   And if you don’t want to pay, then go to other countries where taxes law is  non-existent.  Since we are law abiding citizens, we see to it that we pay our taxes on time and in the event that we failed to do so, we avail of income tax extension form that would help us get extra time to finish filing our taxes minus the hassles and guilt.

Only if we could only get hold of the two,  they have to hear the good news that there are available Tax Preparation Software that will guide them through all the way to a guaranteed maximum refund and companies such as Turbo tax is a sure help for personal and business taxes.

So, what they did was an unacceptable act and we their batchmates are hunting them too!

Good morning everyone although it is not so good morning for me!   A very close friend succumbed to heart attack just last night and it was only early morning today that I’ve learned about it.  I can only offer prayers for the repose of her soul and her untimely demise definitely is a sore loss for the family.  Technology connected me to her only daughter Sarah because it is physically impossible for me to go to her mother’s wake.  I wanted so much to give the little girl a hug and  know she being a strong willed and a brave girl would find comfort with the thought that her mom was safely home to her Creator.  No more pain.. no more sufferings.. There is peace.. goodbye my friend…

Oh well.. life has to go on.   Good morning everyone!

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes!  I always find that plus sized woman are beautiful and my idol in that category is my cousin Libby who is a  full bodied woman and her size  does not deter her for wearing fashionable and stylish clothes.  She is a smart dresser and knowledgeable on how to choose the right type, cut, color, fabric and  length to compliment her body type.   That is why, I believe her when she said that she loves herself more and is enjoying her “curvaceous” figure.  I hope that Libby has not totally given up hope that one day she will lose weight but because I haven’t seen on her any effort to lose a few pounds, I thinks she is already resigned to the fact that she will be heavy all her life.  I’ve seen how she struggled with her weight from a very young age to date and as we grow up together I’ve been her loyal and patient shopping buddy and  I shared in all her shopping woes.  Every time we shop for a dress, her insecurity about her weight discourages us to shop around because of the startling fact that the maternity section will be our final destination.  So you see,   there is no use for us to go for long walks and hop for one shop to the other, because we have realized that we were just wasting time to find big sizes .  Lol… those were the days!

But in this modern time,  full figured women will no longer worry because they rest with the thought that the market is teeming with stores of plus size clothing for women.   My cousin Libby swears that since she order her dresses online, there are no more nightmarish experiences when it comes to shopping for her size and dressing up with chic and fashionable dresses.

Excitedly, she announced that she is going to be a plus sized bride soon to a man who finds her very sexy inside and out.   Indeed, my cousin is fat and proud!

My daughter celebrated her 20th birthday and I was glad that she lived and enjoyed her teenage years in a fun but legal means.   How blessed are we to have a child who did not give us much  problems while she was growing up.  And so today,as she celebrate her 20th birthday, I felt relieved that she has gone past her teenage years..  though I know she is a responsible girl, but sometimes we can’t help worry because peer pressures are one factor that can influence even the most behaved child.

Her celebration is a simple get together with family minus us her parents because we are working overseas.  However, we see to it that they are not only well provided for (allowances, cellphone loads), we lavish them the love and care they need despite the long distance.   The wonder of technology keep us always in touch with each other.

I was touched with a crying picture of her before the fondant cake. Is that an act or she was really sad? Perhaps she is sad because we are far or maybe because it is already goodbye to teenage life.  Well, it will take a while before the reality sink in and for her to realize that she is no longer a teenager and she is now going to face  the complicated world of adult.   But once she found her place in the world of mature ones, she may not wish to go back to teenage years full of challenges.

emotional b-day celebrant?

I stayed late the other night anxiously waiting for the announcement of winners during the Miss Universe 2011 coronation night held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.   I had to hang on till the end because our very own Shamcey Supsup, Miss Philippines made it to the Top 10.   She was our best bet in the pageant because she has the beauty and a good head on her shoulder having graduated Cum Laude in the University of the Philippines, Diliman with a degree in Architecture.  She embodied the true spirit of the Filipino people and she represented our country well.    Although, she only won as Miss Universe 3rd runner-up, still in our eyes and heart she is a WINNER!   It was Leila Lopes, Miss Angola who bagged the coveted Miss Universe 2011 title and she deserves it.   Indeed, “black is beautiful”!

our country’s bet-Ms. Shamcey Supsup

Not long after the pageant, a  friend tagged me an amusing pic and it blew away my sleepiness!  I wonder who cleverly did the editing of the pic which can easily deceive those who don’t know how to spot the difference.   I hope it was only done for kicks and not created by one sore loser who can’t accept that his/her bet to the pageant did not win the prestigious title.   Check the picture below and you will have a good laugh as well.

Mommy D- Ms. Ultra Universe 2011 ?

the newly crowned Miss Universe 2011

Yes, it was a clever handiwork of someone whom I believe knew Photoshop well.   Mommy D is the mother of  our world boxing champion , Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and she is also a “beauty”  in her own right.    Inside or outside?  Whatever… all I knew is that I was very much amused!

My 78 years old mom chief complaints were acute abdominal pain and vomiting which persisted for successive days and it was alarming at her age so she was admitted to the hospital to have an IV fluid administered to arrest dehydration.  It was suspected that she has gastritis and was given initial medications.   My other sister is available to assist her all throughout and we  can only receive updates about her condition by constant overseas calls.

The latest that I’ve heard is that she has been discharged 3 days ago but she still needs to undergo ultrasound of hepatobiliary tree, whatever that means I don’t know!   We are worried because at 78 mom is already complaining of too many lab works and she could no longer tolerate too many pills to swallow every meal.   Well, maybe some maintenance drugs for her hypertension and high cholesterol might somehow caused reactions to the lining of her stomach, thus she has gastritis.

We are anticipating still with the outcome of the test scheduled today and hopefully it will come out well.

Oh dear, the rest of the  ”ber” months are coming because September just came 2 days ago.  I don’t know why I suddenly experienced this panic attack and thoughts came into my mind to stock up early with gifts because when December comes, people will be rushing again for things to buy and long queues will be a nightmare.

But late last night, deep in my thought, I realized that it is more practical to give personalized Christmas gifts.   Well, I believe I can come up with exciting gifts by using my creativity and imagination.  Actually, I’ve started to create personalized photobooks and some had already been given away as birthday gifts and it was heartwarming to see how their faces lit up when they opened up my gifts.

Christmas is a Filipino tradition of gift giving and sharing of love and blessings with family and friends.  So as not to be overwhelmed with photobooks to finish, I will start asap.  I will make it a point that time, love and patience will be put into every book I’ve worked on which will definitely give a lasting impression on the recipients that they are very special.   For indeed they are!

I am getting excited already.. September is the beginning to countdown to Christmas!  And I am counting now….

yes, I made these photobooks…

I was awakened by an early morning SMS announcing that baby girl who will be named Maxeene was finally out!  I’ve posted a week ago about my officemate who is due for delivery and well, it did not take long after her last working day in the office because barely 3 days after her off from work, the baby was born.  Oh! I can feel how relieved she must be!   Further to the text message, the cervix would not dilate further to accommodate the engaging head presentation so her  OB gyne, already  prepared her and she went under the knife (Ceasarian section) after 20 hours of hard labor.  Although, the procedure will no longer prolong her labor but I bet  how she wished that Maxeene will come out by normal birth since operation will somehow make a a slight dent on their savings…. But that’s how it is.. The most important things is both mom and baby are fine.

This morning I received another SMS that they will be discharged soon… I was not able to visit them in the hospital because I was also having my own battle with flu and it is not advisable to go out unnecessarily so as not to spread out the virus.   I just text back welcoming them to the 24/7 world of babies….

Ah.. sleepless nights…