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!

The late AFP Chief of Staff

The death of former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes shocked the nation!  He made headlines in recent weeks when a former budget officer of the military accused him of receiving millions from the military funds during his term as AFP chief of staff.  A probe body is investigating supposed pay-offs received by members of the military upon retirement and he was embroiled in this controversy.

Today, February 8, 2011, he allegedly committed suicide and died of gunshot wound on the chest. Well, now that he is gone… let us pray for the repose of his soul.  He took the easy way out and he left everybody guessing and speculating. Our condolences to the bereaved Reyes family!

Let us continue to pray for our country and our people!

The famous Jollibee mascot

The Filipino version of Mc Donalds opened in Riyadh today!  After long months of anticipation, the famous Filipino fast food chain that is Jollibee finally saw the light of day… momentous day today, Sunday, 06 February 2011.  While in the office, our email in boxes were swarmed with joyous announcements sent by friends that Jollibee already opened!   Well, no doubt,  it is a Filipino thing.  It is our trademark!  So, we don’t want to be left behind and out of excitement, right after office, we headed to the store to be a part of those fellowmen “kababayans” who like us were too proud to see the shiny Jollibee mascot at the facade of the store and sample the  famous meals we loved so much back home.  Oh! It was a delight to see  the kids and their parents posed and inconspicuously took snapshots with the well loved mascot frontliner.  The store is manned by  almost 100% Filipinos and we can all feel the warmth in their service and for sure the store can be a help for those who are homesick even through their meals.

I ordered my favorite chicken joy with gravy and Jolly burger for hubby.  I was not surprised if the taste abroad is a bit different considering the difference in ingredients used here.  Since it is Jollibee afterall, we can tolerate the difference and appreciate the taste.  The chicken joy’s gravy comes close with the Philippine whip.

This weekend, expect that all roads will lead to Jollibee store and parking space will not be available.  So, better for us to stay away from the Batha area if we don’t want to get caught in the festive chaos..  Every Filipino especially the kids are excited over this good news….

Yehey!!!

We hope to be entertained and relaxed while watching TV but horrible and disturbing news made us worried about the safety of our children back home.   Few weeks ago, a bus going to a business district in Manila exploded killing innocent people on board.  Next, 2 car dealers were kidnapped and their bodies were burned beyond recognition.  There are a lot of news about robbery, violence, rape and the worst – terrorism.   Nobody is safe anymore so we should really be vigilant.  A worried mom like me never fails to remind my children to be careful especially in going out and to keep watch of their belongings all the time.   Time and time again, I help them understand to need to keep themselves as simple as possible,  never display their high end cellphones, their valuables like their laptops and ipads should be brought inconspicuously.   We never can tell, these gadgets might even cost them problems.   We also make them aware that we don’t have the means to produce ransom  if they get kidnapped. (lol)..   Better to be safe than sorry.

Actually, these news are not only confined in our country, in fact, there are worst cases that happened and are happening in every parts of the world.  Let us just continue to pray for continuous blessings and protection…

Let us forever keep the faith!

Since Manny Pacquiao is still a hot news item after his fight with Antonio Margarito of Mexico, I might as well talk about the two women who had great influence on him.  The 8th division world boxing champion has a pretty wife Jinkee whom I had written about on my previous post and now let me talk about his mom.  She is Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao (Mommy D for short) who like her famous son has also gained celebrity status in the Philippines.  She used to avoid watching  the many fights of her son Manny, and opted to watch his fights in the comforts of her home or hotel.   For every Manny’s fight she is the “prayer warrior”.  But this time around, last November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas, Mommy D decided to be among those in the audience and  joined the cheering crowd as Manny fought Margarito in a fight for the super-welterweight world title.  Along with millions of Pacquaio fans, she jeered and cheered but the poor mom ended up in the hospital while watching the title fight.  Anxiety attack!   For a mother, it is true that you will somehow feel the pain and sufferings of your children.   And it happened to Mommy D, she said in an interview that when Margarito gave Manny a big blow on his side, she suffered the so-called panic attack and collapsed!  And later on learned that he won!

Mommy D is no doubt  an instant celebrity and with money to spend, she is believed  to have undergone  a bit of make over like her daughter in law Jinkee!    She is even referred to  as Mommy D , way different from what she was called before,  Aling Dionisia.

See what fame and fortune can do to a person!  And as long as she  knows how to share her blessings and she will be blessed even more for sure! 

Mommy D with his son; the boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao

She is none other than Maria Geraldine (Jinkee) Pacquaio, wife of Manny. She is now dubbed as the First Lady of Philippine Boxing.  Many are not surprised at all to see her transformation to a girl of the province (probinsyana) type that has come a long way to her new image.  She now shows refinement and glamor attained and I’ve read just recently, that she is now one of the billboard models of the well known beauty clinic- the  Belo Medical Group.  This might explain it all why Jinkee looks a lot different compared to the first time people saw her.   Hmmm, she can do all her make over to her heart’s content because for all we know, she has the money to do spend for it.   She too can pamper herself with Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Jimmy Choo and Birkin bags that cost half a million pesos.   I believe it was her  way to relieve tension!   A bag lady huh!

Jinkee’s well found glamor and fame met the demands of her being a public figure and her make-over best illustrates the power of money!

Lucky her!  And for Manny… strike while the iron is hot!

We suscribed to Pay per view to watch the live telecast of Pacquiao and Margarito boxing fight and it was aired early Sunday morning.  My husband woke up as early as 4 am hoping the fight will start soon but it was already past 6 am and the main event has not started yet.   Fearing he might miss the start of the fight, he asked me to hurry up because he wanted to take me to my office much earlier than usual.   I was reluctant since it was too early but gave in to his request.

The long wait was well worth it!  Pacquiao gave a good fight against his much taller opponent Margarito.  And the Filipino nation rejoiced with his victory!  Though I missed the live telecast of the fight, I was not worried at all because there will be replays in almost every Filipino channel .

My 2 children were playfully teasing each other after the fight and my daughter out of the blue blurted out that he hoped his brother considers boxing instead.  Well,  the millions he made after every fight somehow made a person thought of how to make “easy but bloody” money out of it.   Anyways, he was trained and disciplined to hone his boxing skills and he deserved his hard earned money. 

Well, he made us Filipinos to be proud of our brown race in the field of boxing.



The image of a stork bearing an infant wrapped in a sling held in its beak signifies childbirth

A baby girl finally came to the life of happy couple Jimmy and Trixia Andaluz.  The baby saw the light of day today, 14 October 2010.   It was a long awaited moment they will both cherish because after 5 long years of union, the couple were finally blessed (for the first time ) with their new bundle of joy.  The baby is a precious gift from the Lord.    We were excited hearing the good news so we trooped to the hospital and there we saw the proud Dad, tired but fulfilled Mom and the cute baby girl just brought in by the nurse for rooming-in.

We can feel the excitement of the first time parent and we are here to guide them and give some parenting tips if needed.

Babies are such adorable creatures!