i love LG!

I'm a little bit sad. I'll be buying a new phone tomorrow. It's a part of my simple-living plan. Currently, I'm maintaining two cellular phones for Smart and Sun carriers. It's a bit exhausting to carry two phones. Aside from the weight, it "weighs me down" to look for the two cellphones in my bag. (I'm not that organized, sometimes, hehehe!).

My cellphone history. Now, my new phone will be Samsung Punch. This will be the first time that I'll be buying Samsung. I have always loved LG phones because they're practical, stylish, and easy on the pocket. I love LG! I love my LG Cookie, unfortunately, I'm tired of the touchscreen craze. I loved my KU 250, my first LG phone before I switched to Cookie. Before LG, there was Nokia. Nokia is user-friendly and ok but I did not really "bond" with my Nokia phones. As part of my simple-living plan, I sold my Nokia E63 to my sister, hehehe! The proceeds will be used to buy the Samsung Punch. My LG Cookie will have a new owner, my other sister (who happened to be previously the same beneficiary of my KU250).

Why Samsung Punch? There are a lot of cheaper dual-sim phones available in the market today: My Phone, Cherry Mobile, Torque. LG has it's dual-sim phone too, but I don't think it's available in Davao. I chose Samsung because it's a trusted brand that's been in the market since the sms came into being. It still has new and competitive models and phone reviews say that Samsung is durable. I think it's also time to try a new brand. =)

Features. It's funny how I bought KU250 before because of it's tagline "3G for all". I used its videocall feature only twice in the entire two year duration that I had it. My Nokia E63? I haven't used videocall at all. So I just figured that I wouldn't be NEEDING 3G. As for wifi, I currently have internet connection in the office and at home. I specifically required WIFI when I bought my Nokia E63 because I was in Manila that time and I did not have a laptop. Now that I'm back in Davao, I don't need it that much. Besides, I have an IPAD (for sale, lol!). Samsung Punch is QWERTY, and I like that, it makes me look corporate. 

I'm sorry I have to cut my blogging short because my sister DANI, who happens to be the forced buyer of my Nokia E63 is bugging me to let her use the PC. Grrrrrr!

2/01/2011 Update: Ok, so I have to finish writing this blog...

What makes me sad about buying a new phone is that I would be giving up my LG Cookie, my precious LG Cookie which I bought two years ago. It was then my dream phone. I worked hard for it! And I've had it for two years. I love it. I might sound materialistic but I really love my LG Cookie. It was more than a phone. It was my directory, dictionary, music player, camera, my STORAGE system (I've been keeping school and work files), my voice recorder (I recorded my review lectures), etcetera, etcetera... I don't know how the Samsung Punch would keep up. I wish I would also find, in my new phone, great features to love.

I just hope my sister will take good care of my LG cookie....

Saturday morning

I woke up quite unsure of what day is it. I thought it's a Sunday and then I automatically made a mental note of what I am going to sing for our videoke session. Sunday is karaoke day.

As I went downstairs, I saw my sister getting ready for office. And so I was totally wrong of thinking that today is a Sunday. It's still SATURDAY. So I should tend my herbs..... I picked two peppermint leaves, made hot calamansi juice and mixed my peppermint leaves with it. My calamansi juice tasted better. Yum!

The case of a rude insurance agent

I received a call from a certain IAN. He said he was from Philam Life. He was talking about this complementary accident insurance coverage that their company is giving out.

When I got IAN's call, I was in the middle of studying and researching cases. I had to pause my busyness and entertain this fast-talking person who did not even ask if I was interested. And so, I was listening to him while taking down notes of what he's talking. I scribbled:

• Ian? (or sounds like it...)
• PhilAm Life
• Certificate complimentary accident insurance
• fully paid coverage
• 3 valid IDs
• SSS
• FTC Tower @ Mt. Apo St.
• 3rd floor
• Jane B*******

He was asking questions and I just answered his queries. He said that their office is in Rizal St., Davao City, but it is undergoing renovation so I should instead go to their office in FTC Tower, Mt. Apo St., Davao City, and I should look for a certain JANE so that I can claim my certificate of the said complementary accident insurance coverage. He told me that tomorrow will be the last day of claiming the certificate because the certain Jane was going out of town on Friday. Then I informed Ian that I wouldn't be able to go to their office today or tomorrow. He asked me if I was still interested to get the certificate. I said NO. He got mad. He said that I should've told him right away so as not to waste his time. He hung up.

OKAY!!! I was furious. I googled up PhilAm Life and looked for their telephone number. I was specifically looking for the contact details of their office in FTC Tower but I found nothing. There was, instead, a number of their office in Rizal Street.

I dialled the number, unsure if anybody would answer it because I was earlier informed that the office was allegedly under renovation. There was a recording, then I chose to talk to the Head of Operations. After a couple of rings, a lady answered me. I no longer inquired about her name but I informed her who I was and that I received a call from a certain Ian and I related to him the incident that happened. Surprisingly, the lady (who I presumed to be the head of operations) informed me that PhilAm Life is not giving any promotions of accident insurance coverage. Their office is NOT undergoing renovation. They do not have an office in FTC Tower. They don't have an employee in the name of Jane B*******. She informed me further that it could have been PhilPlans who called me. That PhilPlans is different from PhilAm Life, and that the office of PhilPlans is actually in FTC Tower.

So now, PhilPlans, why do you have to hire rude agents and why do you have to lie?

To my friends, please refrain from referring me to subscriptions and the like. I will ask if I want to. This is not some kind of facebook tagging that I can just remove. I do respect insurance agents and I know they are just doing their job, and I'm sure I know how to politely refuse their offers if I am not interested. To that rude Ian who called me earlier, I'm sorry I wasted 4 minutes and 8 seconds of your life but if you won't succeed if you have that kind of attitude that you have.

Cleaning up my inbox

Whew! I thought that I did a regular inbox cleaning but here I am finding mushy stuff way back 2003. Hahaha! Goosebumps! There was a pic from James' cellphone way back 2005 when I was at my fattest, hahaha!Thousands of broken links, some websites going offline (like metrodavao.com). I wonder if I could use that address now? Hehehe! Some links still work, like this drunken game: http://www.wagenschenke.ch/ ...There are hundreds of sign ups that I did and never used. What was I thinking?

Some emails were good, some were bad, some forwarded messages were really really good, some were worth the bin. A line from a forwarded email:

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.


It' such a revelation of how I was doing a few years back. Maybe I'll start a blog and post the nice emails i've received, whatchathink?

Diamonds, anyone?

Last weekend, I saw this documentary by Maki Pulido about her Caribbean Tour on QTV. I am not much of a tv person but talking about travel got a lot of attention to me. I later on learned that such show was first aired on 2008 and it was just a replay.

It was such an interesting show. It showed the culture of the different islands forming the Caribbean. There was this particular island where dozens of diamond shops line in their streets. Maki went to a particular diamond shop and was showed by the storekeeper with a 3-carat diamond ring. The ring was actually composed of a bigger 1.5 carat diamond stone and several other small diamonds which sum up the total 3-carat value.

When the storekeeper was asked about the price of the diamond ring, it costs $9,000. Wonder how it costs now? Maki said, "Since I cannot afford it, can i just wear it?" It was funny and the storekeeper was laughing but she let Maki wear the diamond ring and it was beautiful. Diamonds are good investment, as with other jewelry. You can start investing with smaller diamonds, the .50 carat diamond price right now is about P30,000.00 the 1.5 carat diamond ring, platinum, price is about P40,000 but the price could go up and if you want bigger investment, a 1.5 carat black diamond ring cost about P50,000.

Aside from the interesting diamonds shown in Maki's Caribbean Tour, there were also lots of beaches. Of course, who wouldn't want beaches? Their beaches are really really beautiful, I wish I could go there someday. But Maki's opinion about it was rather surprising, she said that Filipinos are hard to please when it comes to beaches because we have beaches in our country. Truly, we have several beautiful beaches here and the ones which are most beautiful are those which have not yet been developed, like Dahican in Mati, Davao Oriental. There was also this scene about Maki buying coconut, a familiar scene in Philippine streets. Another interesting, yet heart-pounding, thing you can do in the Caribbean is feeding sting rays. Now, I don't think I could do that. 

A belated anniversary post

I have made two drafts for this post but none seemed to make the cut. Now I'm typing once again and I have decided that this will be the roughest and final(est) draft about our anniversary post.

December 23, 2010. Our 2nd anniversary, but our first anniversary celebration. I knew it from the start that since my beau's job is based abroad, anniversaries and other important dates wouldn't be celebrated together, or  at least celebrated apart, thanks to the advancement of technology and ever-dependable yahoo messenger. (Yes, there's skype but we like ym....). 

It was a weekday and I had work on that day so the anniversary celebration has to be reserved on the later part of the day... Beau fetched me and handed me a bouquet of pink roses. And I just said WOW! I am hesitant to say that pink is my favorite color although most things I buy and appreciate are pink.  (--,) There was another gift stowed at the back seat and beau said to brace myself and not to get a little too excited 'cause it's reserved for later.

Beau just drove along McArthur Highway and I was thinking if we're already going home but I did not inquire. Until he stopped just before Davao Memorial Park. He asked me then a very important and life-changing question: "Ikaw drive padulong sa Shrine, baby." (Oh, it wasn't really a question. 'Cause if it were, I would've said NO!) It was said just like a plain statement, with a bit of demand and I was just appalled and I didn't know how to respond that maybe all I said that time was, "Sure ka?"  As a background, I am afraid to drive uphill. I've been driving for just three years and I have never ever steered my car near Shrine Hills because I'm afraid that I might not be able to maneuver the car properly. Hmmm, I had bad memories about uphill driving. Hahaha! But then, going back to the present situation, and knowing that Super (my bf's car) has already navigated the same route we're about to take, I just summoned all the courage in me and said, OK! I was very very nervous that time but with my beau's encouragement, we were able to reach the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague with complete limbs and Super's engine was still running. Hehehe!

We spent some time in Shrine and then we proceeded to Jack's Ridge. There, we had dinner and beau gave me the pink-wrapped gift. And was really really really surprised. Who wouldn't be? I later on learned that he prepared this since September before he joined the vessel, who wouldn't feel extra special? And he had to hand-carry this in his flight from Manila to Davao... It was such a beautiful gift (not to mention it's my portrait, hahaha!). But really, ang haba ng hair ko! Super! I had a little something for my beau, too, but I wasn't able to take a photo of it, sayang, nice pa naman ang packaging. Hehehe!

So, after almost one month of delay, there goes my anniversary post. Finally. (--,)

Waka Waka New Year

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the new year with a dance number to the tune of Shakira's Waka Waka. Shakira is actually one of my favorite artists since I've heard Objection Tango. I think she's really exceptional as a singer and dancer. Excellent moves! Though she was criticized for her accent specially when she was just starting out, I really didn't mind, she has the best belly dancing moves ever which inspired me to enrol in belly dancing workout sessions back then. Hahaha!