Update: My friend’s house planning

I made a post here a week ago about my friend’s house planning. He is now in the next phase of his planning and is now sourcing for materials that he can use for the construction of his home.

My friend is working in Qatar as a civil engineer and they have been using Precast Concrete for all of their construction needs. He has seen the many benefits of using this type of concrete and so he would like to use this too for the construction of his house. According to my friend, since Precast Concrete are produced in a controlled environment, they exhibit high quality and uniformity so you can be sure that the material that you will be using for your house is of high quality. The strength of precast concrete gradually increases over time that’s why they say that it can provide a service life for more than 100 years. He also mentioned that precast concrete are fire and chemical resistant and does not degrade from exposure to sunlight which is a big plus specially for those who are living in a tropical country.

My friend is really convinced that this is the type of product that he will be using for his house. He would even use Precast Concrete Septic Tanks too.

My Friend’s House Planning

I’m so happy for my friend. After several years of working abroad, he was able to buy a lot for his family where they can build their dream house. All he has to do now is find the perfect house plans and they are all set for the construction of their first owned house.

He was excited as this is their first real investment. So he is very hands on in every aspect of the house planning. Since we are in the process of planning for our house construction too, my husband is aware at how complicated planning a house can be. So he gave our friend the site where he can purchase pre drawn home plans so he can easily select which house plans he wants for their dream house.

My friend got really excited that he immediately checked out the site and he is torn between the Log home plans and the vacation home plans. But I’m sure, whatever house plans they choose, it would really be something special for him and his wife as this is their first investment as a couple.

Another Wedding

I love attending weddings. The occasion is filled with so much joy and love and that everybody present is really celebrating with the couple. I remember during our wedding, all our friends and relatives took time to celebrate that wonderful occasion with us and so even if our wedding had a lot of glitches; it was the prefect wedding for us.

Next week, we will be attending another wedding of one of our close friends. They have been together for a long time now and we were all happy when they told us that they are finally tying the knot. So I am looking for the perfect gift to give them.

The couple doesn’t have a gift registry so I’m really having a hard time deciding what to give them. I have been checking the Housewares and Home Maintenance Products Buying Guide from Shopwiki to get some gift ideas and suggestions. I want to buy them something that they would be able to use and would not just be put into storage.

I would have wanted to buy them a home sauna but since I have a limited budget, I have to think of something else. My first option is Panasonic cordless flat iron. I know my friend doesn’t enjoy ironing her clothes so I might as well give her something that will make her ironing a little easier. My second option is a washing machine but I have to check first the price range and if it will fit my budget.

I’m so excited already for this wedding. My husband will be arriving next week too so he will just be in time for our friends wedding.

Welcome to Manila

One of my former colleagues paid us a visit last week at the office. He decided to migrate and live a new life in a country. He already received his citizenship status and so as soon as he received his permanent residency card, he booked a ticket so he can visit his family and friends here in Manila.

And as soon as he saw me, he excitedly told me about his new life, his new house and his new job. And being the typical Chris that I know, he describes to me all the details of his house, from the brand of his dish washer, to the type of shower head that he is using and even his Double glazed windows.

Since he knew that double glazed windows are not being used here in Manila, he eagerly described to me what it is. He said that since he own his own condominium unit and he lives in a country where winter is really bad, he made sure that he is ready when winter comes. So he contracted Double glazing company UK to double glaze his windows.

Double glazing is very common for countries where it is really cold since it helps in conserving energy while they stay warm. It does this by trapping air between two panes of glass thus reducing heat loss. He said that with double glazing, he was able to save a big amount from his electricity bill.

Our conversation ended with more stories about him. I know one full day is not enough for him to describe bit by bit about his new life in a new country. But I’m sure we will be able to catch up again soon as we will be treating him out for dinner before he leaves Manila again.

For her self fulfillment

Has anyone of your tried using credit repair services? I really haven’t tried using that service since luckily, despite having to pay for our housing loan and my credit card dues; I was able to manage our finances and debts well that we are able to pay everything on time.

But I have a colleague who is asking for my opinion on whether or not she should have bad credit repair services. You see, during those times when she was still young, she doesn’t mind spending thousands of bucks shopping and since she is young, she doesn’t mind if she pays all her debtors or not. And because of that she now has a bad credit standing.

She has been in the same company that I am working for more than ten years now and she still occupies the same position that she has ten years ago. And so she is a little fed up with her work and would want to start up her own business as her sideline aside from her day job. She said that this is her way of proving that she was able to accomplish something for herself. The problem is she can’t get approve for her loan since she has a bad credit standing.

And so when she heard about credit repair services, she really got interested. Well as for my opinion, I think this is her last resort to get her positive credit back. Like I said I really haven’t tried getting those kinds of services but I read good feedbacks about it. And once she get her positive credit back, she will now be on her way in getting approve for the loan that she needs to startup her own business.

Like Becky of Confessions of a Shopaholic

I am one of those people who see to it that I use my credit card wisely, that I pay my debt on time so it will not incur any interest and I always see to it that I manage my payment dues well.

But I have a friend who is having a big problem now because she has incurred a big amount of debts, from her numerous credit cards, to her auto loan. Remember the character of Rebecca Bloomwood in the Shopaholic series? My friend is like that. Instead of taking care of her debt, she did not stop in incurring more debts.

She wanted to get out of debt but at first, she initially thought that running away from it is the solution. She ignored all the warnings that she got from her debtors and she thought that she can go on with this strategy and her debt will just magically disappear. (Yes, she is really like Becky in the Shopaholic series where Becky throws all her credit card bills without even reading it).

But you know, like Becky, my friend has gotten to her senses and she finally realized that she can never really run away from all her debt. Her first move to solve her problem is to inquire about debt consolidation loans so she can get help in consolidating her multiple debts.

I hope like Becky, she would be able to rise too and she will be able to settle all her financial problems.

Congrats Rafter

I am so proud of my best friend. In just two years of his stay in his current employer, he has been promoted three times already. I was telling him, his decision to move to this company was by far the best decision he has ever done in his life.

And to add an icing to his cake, after getting a promotion again this month, he will be going to Baltimore for three month training. Talk about being lucky. But I think it is not just about luck since my best friend is really one smart guy and I know given the right timing and perfect opportunity, he will really rise to the top of the corporate ladder.

Since he will be staying at Baltimore for three months, he really has a lot of time to visit any of the east coast states during weekends. I told him to visit the site EasytoBook as early as now (since he is already leaving on the 23rd of June) to check the hotel rates and make a reservation.

I told him that he better find a New York hotel since he should not miss going to New York City. We really had fun there and for sure he will really go crazy shopping for his favorite DVDs at Radio City.

I told him also to check Holiday Inn New York City for his hotel accommodation since this is where we stayed when we went there and we are satisfied with their service.

I’m really proud of you dude. Congratulations again and you truly deserve that promotion.

Good luck Vic!

While my husband and I were dining in one of the restaurants in Mall of Asia last week, I heard a familiar voice from the other side of the table. And I was not mistaken because it is my former colleague, Vic from DLSU-CSB.

He approached our table and he told us that it is his send off party since he will be following his wife in Boston who is working there as a nurse. Vic is also in the medical field but decided to switch careers when he was hired as an IT purchasing officer at DLSU-CSB. But since the demand for nursing professionals abroad are increasing, he and his wife decided to try their luck there.

His wife was the first one to leave since his wife already passed the Nursing certification required to get a job in the US. Then his wife just filed a sponsorship for him and their kids. He will be leaving next week with his kids and he said that he is excited but at the same time he is a little anxious because this is a big change for his family.

But I know my good friend Vic will not have a hard time looking for jobs in Boston since he has vast experience as a nurse or he can pursue his career in IT. So to Vic and his family, good luck to your new life in Boston!

Their dreams are finally coming true

Finally, after years and years of waiting, my friend and her husband in San Diego have finally received their residency status. This means they can now look for a much better job with a much higher salary which they can’t do before since the job being offered to them is limited since they don’t have a residency status.

My friend was really excited when she gave me the good news. She said that their plan to finally go home and have a vacation here in the Philippines will finally push through since they are only waiting for their green card to be released and she and her husband will be flying home here.

Another project that they will be able to push through is the repair of their house which really needs some plumbing repair and a lot of major repair and renovations.

They have been putting this project on hold since they don’t have a stable job yet and they don’t want to proceed with it unless they have a stable source on where to get the money that they will be spending for the landscape design, and for all the other repair and renovation expenses for their house. Right now my friend is busy looking for a good San Diego General Contractor that will be able to execute all their requirements.

I’m really happy for my friend. They have really sacrificed a lot when they moved to San Diego and I know what they have gone through was really hard. Finally, everything is turning up well for them.

He finally found his niche

One morning, my colleague was so happy as he received a good news from his son. You see, this is his son whom he was really worried about since he is the happy go luck guy when he was still in college. He even switched courses a couple of times as he really can’t decided what course he wants to take in college.

But after graduating, he got a retail job and since then, he has been doing really well. My colleague was so happy for his son, because finally he was able to find his niche. My colleague said that retail jobs are very competitive as it offers good salary with great benefits. His son was even asking him for suggestions on how he can invest the commission that he earned from his first year in the job.

My colleague was really one proud father. He was beaming with pride the whole day because of this great news and I was so happy for him.

For her new home

Next to shopping for bags or shoes or for my daughter’s clothes and toys, furniture shopping is my next favourite type of shopping.

My friend will soon be moving to her newly purchased condominium unit and so she is starting to buy furniture for it. And so when she invited me to go with her, I didn’t think twice and immediately join her in checking out the furniture shops.

She said that she wants a modern theme for her new home so she wants to look for bedroom furniture with a modern touch. She said that the bedroom is her top priority and she wants to allot a big budget for it because this is where she will spend her time relaxing or just chilling around. So she wants it really to have a great, relaxing and inviting ambiance.

And since she is single, she would love to host parties at her new pad so she is also looking for bar furniture. She found some great bar stools from Trica Furniture that will accentuate her Martini Bar and she is already keen in getting it.

Her condominium is still a work on progress but I can see that she is already picking up the phase in setting and dressing it up. She promised that once her new pad is already setup, she will invite us in for a house warming. I’m sure she is excited for this as this is the first time that she will be living on her own, in her very own dream pad.

A woman that exudes confidence

My husband we’re doing our groceries last night when I chanced upon a former classmate from High School. I was not able to recognize her at first because she really changed a lot. She used to be the aloof and quiet type of student when we’re in high school. But now she exudes confidence and grace.

I was able to chat with her and while we were chatting she revealed to me how she transformed from the shy girl to the confident and successful career woman that she is now.

She said that she develop inferiority complex when we’re in high school because she has an acne problem and that made her loose her confidence because she can’t see herself as beautiful. So that is the first area that she worked on. She looked for the best acne treatment that she can find to cure her acne problem. And then she started working on how she dressed up. According to her, it really affects how she feels about herself. Then she finds time each day to list everything that she has to be grateful for. This gave her a happy and good disposition in life.

I’m glad that my friend was able to find ways on how she can transform herself and I’m so happy for what she has accomplished. I know ever since, that once she gets out of her shell, she can really make it big and be successful.

Party Planning: Baby Shower

I love parties and most of all I love preparing for one. It might be quite obvious from the number of parties that I planned and prepared for my family. And now that my best friend is pregnant, I thought of throwing a baby shower for her.

I remember when I was pregnant a couple of years ago, she organized a baby shower for me too. It was a surprise and they were really good in hiding it from me since I really have no idea that they were up to something up to the party day itself. So for the baby shower that I thought of planning for my best friend, I want it to be as fun and special as the baby shower that they threw for me.

First off, I have to find a venue for the party. I would just be inviting her close friends here in the office so I don’t need a big venue for the party. Maybe, we can do it in the club house of my friend’s condo. Then I have to order baby shower invitations to give out to the guests. I already found cute designs online and I just have to ask my other friends opinions before I finally order it. What do you think of my selections?

Then, we have to plan for the food too plus the party games.

Planning a party really keeps my adrenalin going. I still have a few months before the party and as early as now, you can really tell that I’m all excited for it.

My birthday treat

It has been a tradition in our group that birthday celebrants will treat the group out for lunch or dinner as their birthday treat. But nope, it’s not my birthday. My birthday was last January but up to now I haven’t treated my office friends out. Every time we schedule to go out, either one of us is not available because they have previous plans already. And they don’t what to push thru with the plan unless we’re all present. So we always end up rescheduling it.

A few months have passed already and one of our friends celebrated her birthday last March 5. We planned to have a double celebration for our birthday treat but just as the last time, our schedules won’t meet and we have to postpone it again. Yeah, we are that busy.

This month, two of our friends will be celebrating their birthday also so does this mean that we will have a quadruple celebration? Hmm, that sounds good. At least four of us will split the bill. One of the May celebrants is out of the country and won’t be back until the last week of May.

So we will see. Who knows, we might wait for the October celebrants as well before we proceed with this birthday treat. LOL.

Welcome back to Manila, Chris!

A former colleague who now resides in Ottawa, Canada is now here in Manila for a short vacation. He visited us last Tuesday at the office and he promise to be back after the Holy Week so we can go out and catch up on old times.

I remember when I was at Canada last October 2004; it was his first month there after migrating so he is still adjusting with his new environment. And so he was really glad that he saw a familiar face when I went there for my training. Every evening he will come visit me at my hotel and we will have dinner together at the nearby mall. We even shared our food as they have big servings and both of us are not really a big eater. He even went with us to Montreal when Rio and Madette took Howell and me there.

How time flies. I can’t believe that’s it’s been four years since he migrated there and now he is already a Canadian Citizen. He just got his citizenship recently and according to him, the first thing that he did after acquiring his citizenship is to apply for a Canadian passport. After he got his passport, he quickly bought a plane ticket to Manila and that’s why he is here right now.

Welcome back to Manila, Chris and hope to see you more often here.

.: Chris & I are not dancing here. It’s just freaking cold :.

.: In front of Notre Dame – where Celine Dion got married :.

.: With Chris & Josh @ the Olympic Stadium :.

.: With Chris & Buentempio family inside St. Joseph’s Cathedral Museum :.