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Passport Renewal

Today I finally decided to renew my passport. It actually expired December of last year. My first time to go to the so called DFA here in Bacolod City. You see for the longest time, there is no DFA here in Negros Occidental but only mobile passporting which happens only during Masskara Festival, town or city fiesta, and other big events but aside from that if you want to apply or renew your pasport you need to go to the other island, Iloilo.

And so I have been waiting for a chance to have a mobile passporting here only to know very recently that there is a DFA right here in Bacolod. :_) I asked my friend to check it out and asked for the form as well.

So with a bit of drizzling and armed with my umbrella off I go. It's located in East Block very near Lopue's East, the same street that will lead you to the new Bacolod City Hall (best jeepney to ride is Homesite because it goes all the way to City Hall). Had to take my passport picture first and they do it inside LBC office (just on the ground); it's a tie up project for passport delivery and at the same time a cooperative. For 4 pieces of picture on which I didn't even have a single copy I paid P150. OMG! I'm just amazed though with the technology now that for 3 minutes it was done and ready. :_)

DFA office is located on the 2nd floor and I've to say I'm impressed with the employees. A 'good afternoon, ma'am/sir' for each client they serve is not only proper but nice. :_) Process on how to go about your application and/or renewal is all clearly written and visible for everyone to see and since I think it's not yet known for everyone that they now exist, only a few of us were there and it hasten things. Regular processing which takes 20 working days costs P500 and an extra P250 for express processing (14 working days). So in only about 15 minutes I was out of DFA and also my P900 disappeared. (lol)

One More Time of Bohol

2008 was my first time to be in Bohol. it was during the annual cataract mission of rotary club of canterbury in the philippines. for a weeklong screening, i was able to visit different towns of the bohol republic and get to see their tourist attractions.

last july 1, i had a chance to visit Bohol again. had a nice time going around almost half of the island looking for a place to stay come this October. we stayed in MetroCentre Hotel in the heart of Tagbilaran. July 1 is a holiday in the island; charter day so most hotel rooms were a bit expensive. I got to book their suite room which was not at all impressive. it comes with a free continental breakfast. i thought when you get a higher room you get to have a better breakfast. ;-) i was wrong. :_( so i ordered extra egg omelette with mushroom and it was yummy and a bit too much for a serving; quite heavy for my stomach :_))

and yes! i was able to have a photo taken with 'Manny Pacquiao' ;_) and the late 'FPJ'. They were in Dao Diamond Hotel when we came for a meeting. Here are the proofs. :_)

doesn't he really looks like the late FPJ? :_)
with the pambansang kamao (lol)

education

woke up very early. suppose to go to Iloilo for a meeting but typhoon Feria is here all boat trips cancelled until further notice. rushed to jollibee for breakfast as it's olive's birthday today. ;-)

while riding the jeep on our way to office, across me was a boy with eye glasses sleeping, a big black bag on his lap and a fatty woman beside him i assumed his mother. when they got off the corner, the boy was up and probably irritated that his sleep was cut short. his school bag is i guess heavier than him. sigh. i pity these kids going to school with bags like that most especially if they are only in kinder or prep! and waking up so early. in fact, they wake up earlier than me. ;-) deep sigh again.

i was reminded of my own elementary years. i only had 1 or 2 books and that was borrowed. i never owned a book until i graduated from college and capable to buy myself one. i only had notebooks and pens to carry in my bag and yet i'm proud to say my education has brought me this far. come to think of it...even at work, a notebook and a pen is all i really need. other things are just for show. hahaha ;-)

one day, when i get to have my own kids, i will never let them wake up so early to get to school and carry bags so heavy it will break their back. i will let them play more, make friends more, enjoy child life more, travel more, experience worthy activites more. education is not at all dependent on books alone and definitely not only confined to the 4 corner classroom. most probably i will homeschool them. besides, according to the latest survey: "1 in 2 school children in the Philippines are bullied or suffer from other forms of

abuse inflicted by peers or teachers. At least five out of 10 children in Grades 1-3, seven out

of 10 in Grades 4-6 and six out of 10 in high school have experienced some kind of violence in school."

so......i believe my decision to homeschool my future children is best for them. ;-)

How to stand out in ANY JOB

Came across this very inspiring blog of Chris Guillebeau.  Talk about service above self (like Rotary ;-))  I wish every worker in the world can adapt this kind of work attitude especially those who work under the category of service delivery.  In the end, going beyond our duty and/or work description pays a lot and it's priceless to be of service to our sisters and brothers.  Read on......and be inspired the next day you report for 'work'.

Regardless of what kind of work you do, it’s usually not difficult to set yourself apart by going beyond the status quo of being average.

All too many working environments are filled with all kinds of people who are just ambling through their jobs. Many don’t want to be there at all, and never miss a chance to let everyone know how much they’d rather be somewhere else.

Others are embarrassingly opportunistic, focused entirely on themselves and “what’s in it for them.” Their every move is built on pleasing the people they think will determine their future. Still others in most workplaces base their time and energy on the goal of just getting by. They do what they need to do, for the most part, but they rarely take risks and rarely excel.

Sadly, these characterizations are true even in a lot of “helping” professions– in academia, in non-profit organizations, in the clergy, and so on. Setting a goal of doing the least amount expected of you may have started in the corporate cubicle world, but the norms of mediocrity have since spread throughout most professions.

Fortunately, there is a clear alternative to ambling through your workday. The alternative is to be excellent, to make a huge difference in your working environment, help others do better, and increase your own workplace stock along the way.

Focus on these eight principles to become a superhero in pretty much any job:

Never turn down a project by saying, “That’s not in my job description.”

We’re often taught that high achievers carefully select the tasks and projects that they work on. This is true in the long run, but when you’re getting established somewhere, you shouldn’t be so selective. Instead, do the things that need to be done but that no one wants to do.

You can always point out later that you’ve done everything you’re supposed to do and a lot more, but don’t whine about your projects while they’re underway. If someone asks you to do something, it’s usually because they think you’ll do it well. Impress them and do it even better.

Focus externally and continually ask for feedback.

Ask your boss, your colleagues, and your subordinates the same question every couple of weeks: “What can I do better?” If they don’t give you a straight answer, they’re usually just being polite. Ask again.

Also ask all of these people, “How can I help you?” Spend time every day focusing on the people around you. Think about their needs and preemptively help them. Make it clear you’re not helping them so they can help you later; just make their lives easier and help them look good to others.

Build a strong team even if you’re not the boss, and be a leader no matter what your title is.

You don’t need to be in charge to be a team-builder. Just start doing it. Take notes at meetings and email them out to the participants. Begin asking follow-up questions: “Who will take responsibility for this? When will it be done?”

Leadership rarely involves telling people what to do. Instead, it’s usually about helping people and teams create synergy and accomplish great things by working together. You can do that without any title at all. When the time comes where you do need to tell someone what to do, they’ll listen to you if you have taken the time to build the team well.

You know you’ve been successful when people start looking to you for the answers even when more experienced or more senior people are around. If you’re not at a meeting and people notice your absence, that’s a good start. If they wait to begin the meeting until you can be located, that’s even better.

Propose and Support Amazing Ideas…

Think about how you can make your organization or your workgroup great. Think really big, but also think small—sometimes the most effective changes require relatively small shifts in behavior or perception. Ask others for ideas. Most people have them, but they often don’t know how to present them, or they feel shut down from a previous negative experience. Get the best ideas out of the best people, and start pitching for them.

…but don’t pitch your biggest ideas in a group meeting.

Your ideas will “travel” further if they have the support of others, and it’s much easier to get buy-in through individual meetings. This is why the “meeting before the meeting” is usually more important than the meeting. Test out your best ideas. Give them time to settle with others. Go to each key decision maker to share your idea before the real meeting starts.

Then at the meeting, introduce the idea by saying, “I mentioned this to a couple of people earlier…” Everyone you talked with earlier will feel validated that they were involved before the big meeting, so talk to as many people as possible.

After you’ve established some credibility, start a small but meaningful rebellion.

Make sure you pick something that is easy to win but still makes a positive difference for most of your colleagues. Good ideas are dress codes, mandatory but useless meetings, and any long-standing practices that don’t make sense. Start violating these norms, slowly but boldly. Because you’ve taken the time to establish credibility, your rebellion will be closely watched. And because you’ve picked something that’s easy to win but meaningful to others, you’ll have good support for it. After you achieve the change you were seeking, share the credit and plan your next rebellion.

Don’t get tangled up in long email threads.

Never be a slave to your Outlook folder. Check it twice a day, turn off the “ding” sound that alerts you to new mail, and set up an Action folder to process important items instead of continually looking through your Inbox. As an inexperienced leader who derived too much self-worth from my Outlook addiction, someone said to me once, “Chris, don’t try to be the fastest person to reply to these long email threads. Just take your time, listen to other people, and then contribute something meaningful.”

Work smarter and harder.

Yes, you should find ways to work smarter and avoid repetitive, monotonous tasks. But you should also work really hard. Show up early and leave late. After you’ve established some authority, you can get back to pacing yourself. It’s a lot better to have a reputation as a hard worker from the beginning. When you relax a little later, no one will notice.

If you feel threatened by someone, don’t show it.

Most people who lead by intimidation are quite insecure. Don’t reinforce their insecurity by pandering to it. Even when it’s working for them and you feel intimidated, never let them know. Instead, do your job, keep excelling, keep looking out for others, and eventually the tide will turn. You may even end up as their boss one day—it happens all the time.

***

These general tips below will also help:

Share Credit, Accept Blame. Many people try to pass the blame to others. It’s very different to say, it’s my fault. I’m sorry. Try sending an email with the subject “Hey everyone, I’m sorry” sometime and see what happens.

Compliment others every day. Do it by email, phone, notes, any way you can. Find out how people like to be complimented and do it the same way. Don’t make it trite. Most people know when you’re being genuine.

Go above and beyond. Deliver more than what’s expected. Don’t do it to be rewarded; do it because it really adds value.

***

Be excellent, and a remarkable thing will happen: by helping others look good and improving your overall environment, you’ll look good as well. You’ll do it without backstabbing and without doing stuff that has no real value. Instead, you’ll inspire others.

And then you’ll be a leader, just like John Quincy Adams said:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

This is real leadership for any generation and any workplace. If you don’t yet know how you’ll change the world, this is a great way to start.

the pencil story

Came across this story today.  timing as classes reopen.  i've always been a fan of coelho's works and this story in its simplicity teaches a lot of life's characteristics and reminds me to be very careful in my daily dealings with people at home or at work ;-)   

The story of the pencil by Paulo Coelho  

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:

‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:

‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

 Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.

 ‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

 ‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’

Source: Like the Flowing River by Paulo Coelho

reasons why i must go back to Luna, La Union 2

2nd day of our stay in Luna. �Training for Vision Screeners with the teachers, BHWs, and other community workers. �Doc Lea made the training educational, informative, and fun. � 

We had katuray soup for dinner and yes my first time (again) to see the real katuray. �i have always wondered how it looks like because i once lived in Quezon City where the street is named after that plant. ;-) �

And for our merienda they served us puto seko. �the puto seko that i know of is the white/dirty white small round powdery type which i used to like decades ago so when i saw their version i was like "ha, pa'no naging puto seko ito?" but nonetheless i can't stop myself eating ;-). �another reason for me to long for Luna aside from tupig is.........puto seko ;-)

 

i thought that was the end of it. but for dinner, they served us sea urchins! �omg! never in my wildest imagination that they are edible. �apparently, it abounds in Luna. i did try it but i just don't like the taste. �i'll go for oysters instead ;-)�

on our last night, we stayed in a beach resort. �Miss Lumen accompanied us packing all the food for dinner. �Among all the dishes they prepared, pork adobo stood out. �i'm not really a fan of pork adobo until i tasted it.�

�Miss Lumen did it all. �It was really work with pleasure trip. �the night would have been perfect if it didn't rain but....so one more reason for me to come back: swim in South China Sea. ;-)�

thank you Luna and its people for the hospitality and for taking care of us. �i had such a great time.��i shall return....one day ;-)�

Miss Lumen with Miss Carla              me with Malou

reasons why i must go back to Luna, La Union

it is almost 2 months that i went to Luna, La Union. �my first time in that side of North Luzon. �i was told to come with our partner, Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines (OFPHIL) headed by Ms. Carla Lopez and i don't have the exact picture of what am i suppose to do. hahaha;-) �

couple of days before my flight to Manila, i received one of the saddest news in my life; my beloved lola crossed over ahead of me. it was so sudden no one in the family aw it coming as she was completely healthy. oh well, sometimes life makes its own reason to call us. so i was torn to go or to stay but since flights have been booked and everything settled, i must go. �

march 13, i met up with doc lea alzola, a volunteer optometrist of OFPHIL and at the same time teaching in languages internationale in makati, michael nuesca or simply 'mike', the mover of this travel, and malou - mike's assistant. �all new faces to me except Ms. Carla. �after a little introduction we squeezed ourselves in a van full of books to be donated to Oaqui Elementary School in Luna. �it turned out Mike, a US citizen, has his roots from Luna and helping the town by donating books. it was a gruelling 9hour trip until we reached Luna.

but i enjoyed the sights along the way. �my first time to see the tobacco plantation ;-)�

the energy and hospitality of Miss Lumen, principal of Oaqui Elementary School, (in tangerine shirt) was unequalled. �We all loved her company and bright and funny disposition. She made sure that we didn't eat the same menu in our 2day stay and that we should all taste their famous 'kakanin'. �true to her words, before the day ends she brought us to their beautiful beach - one the town's source of livelihood where they gather stones, pebbles, and sands and export them. �

On our way to the beach, we passed by for my favorite 'tupig'. �I so love tupig ;-) �i remember my ama housemate, Queenie and her friend Jiggy. �Jiggy is from Nueva Vizcaya (as far as i can remember ;-) and every time he goes gome he would bring lots of tupig for Queenie and of course the bulk of that goes to my stomach. hahaha ;-) �Anyway, we met the oldest tupig maker in town and with this business life has been good for them. �Lola said her tupig is even ordered and sent to other countries (Luna folks who work in other countries and they're to many). �

And not only tupig, Miss Lumen said they also have the best cassava cake and we must try it or else... ;-) �And it was indeed sooooooo good. �Was not on my 2 piece (haha) then so wasn't able to enjoy the beach but how can i complain when my two hands are full with the best tupig and cassava cake and can't decide what to eat first? ;-)

3 kinds of GRATITUDE

Read this from Bo's site. Just simply inspiring ;-)

3 Kinds Of Gratitude

There are three degrees of gratitude:

· Superficial Gratitude

· Simple Gratitude

· Sacred Gratitude

1. Superficial Gratitude

This is when you’re thankful for Big-Ticket items only.

You win the Lotto.

You get a new car.

You finally pass the board exam after 9 tries.

Your daughter finally gets married at 45.

Your visa is approved after 16 years of waiting.

Your adulterous, jobless, alcoholic husband finally changes.

Or your adulterous, jobless, alcoholic husband finally dies.

Whichever comes first.

I mean, how can’t you not say thanks?

Everyone starts with Superficial Gratitude. But I call it superficial because this feeling of gratitude will disappear rather quickly.

Superficial Gratitude is great. But if you want to be really happy, you need to graduate to a deeper form of gratitude…

2. Simple Gratitude

In Simple Gratitude, you’re thankful even for the small things in life. For the roof over your head, for the leftover food on your table, for the semi-neurotic family around you. Stuff you take for granted.

Remember this famous line?

I once was sad for I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.

–Unknown

One day, my friend complained about his decreasing hair. I told him to think positive: his hair wasn’t decreasing, it was his forehead that was increasing. He didn’t believe me and became more depressed.

So I texted him this slightly-edited version of the line above:

I once was sad for I had no hair until I met a man who had no head.

I think that sobered him up. If you were to choose between baldness and beheading, what would you choose?

Today, he shines his head and calls himself Bruce Willis.

I read this mother’s prayer somewhere and decided to print it here for all the wonderful mothers reading my blog.

Thank you Lord for this sink of dirty dishes; that means we have plenty of food to eat. Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear. Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; It has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals. Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years. Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play. Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

But do you know that there’s something even more powerful than Simple Gratitude?

3. Sacred Gratitude

In Sacred Gratitude, you’re thankful for life itself.

You’re thankful that you’re alive.

You’re thankful that you exist.

You’re thankful that you breathe!

You’re thankful for the adventure of daily life, with all its ups and downs, highs and lows, and twists and turns.

This kind of gratitude doesn’t depend on situations anymore.

And there’s a big difference between knowing you need to be grateful, and actually having every cell of your body singing, “Thank You!”

This is Sacred Gratitude.

It’s one of the sweetest things in the world.

Nothing can touch you. You’re at peace.

When you have Simple Gratitude—and especially Sacred Gratitude—you receive so many blessings.

Why?

Because when you become grateful, you also become an…

…Inverse Paranoid!

I read this from Jack Canfield in his book, Success Principles, and quoted by many other authors—and I think it’s fantastic.

What is an Inverse Paranoid?

You know what a Paranoid is: A fearful person. He thinks that the world is out there to get him. To steal from him. To hurt him. To put him down.

Well, an Inverse Paranoid is a happy person who believes the universe is conspiring to bless him. To serve him. To love him!

An Inverse Paranoid expects the best out of life.

An Inverse Paranoid expects great things will happen.

An Inverse Paranoid expects that he’ll walk into fields of blessing each day.

An Inverse Paranoid believes that the world is plotting to fulfill his dreams!

An Inverse Paranoid looks at bad things as merely disguised blessings.

An Inverse Paranoid wakes up each morning and say, “I expect to be blessed today! Yeepee!”

Are You A Blessing-Expert Or A Problem-Expert?

Why do grateful people become Inverse Paranoids?

First reason: Gratitude is one of the most powerful forms of love. And you know that love casts out all fear. Paranoia is fear. So gratitude casts out fear from your life.

Here’s the second reason: Because grateful people focus on blessings in their life, they become Blessing-Experts. What does that mean? They know how a blessing looks like, sounds like, smells like, tastes like, and feels like. Because of this, when they open their eyes and look around their life, they’ll smell a blessing a mile away! They’ll zero on it and grab it.

Ungrateful people are Problem-Experts.

When they look around their lives, they can’t see the blessings right in front of their eyes because they don’t know how they look like.

I hope you become an Inverse Paranoid, a Blessing-Expert very soon.

Believe me, it’s outrageously fun!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez