Dear Ernest Cu (Globe Telecom, Inc. Director, President and CEO);

Below is a letter that I have sent to your helpdesk, you may not know me but I’d like to think that I am speaking in behalf of every Globe broadband subscriber who has in one way or another gone through what I am currently going through. It would be imperative on your part to address this issue. I know that you’re one of the biggest companies in the Philippines and I am no one, but believe me, I would try to make ripples and ripples will combine with others to make a wave big enough to reach you. A company no matter how big still need people like me to support/buy your products and it’s not good to make people like me think that we’re getting mocked and robbed and who knows what else.

In your website, the phrase “At Globe, We Believe In Doing It Your Way” is prominently displayed – this obviously is a blatant lie. I’ve heard stories of how bad your broadband is and that your support is worse, but did I listen? No! I was desperate, we’ve had no connection for almost a week because the earthquake rendered Bayantel worthless, we’ve had our share of problems with them but I never got the feeling of being cheated, which is why we stayed with them for over three years and never would’ve changed if not for the outage. So against my better judgement, we decided to apply for a globe broadband account, simply because they can get us connected in the next two days.  Come to think of it, when we applied, I was never asked for documents, all that was asked was an ID and that’s it. I came prepared actually, because I know that proof of billing, identity and income are all required. I even asked if they need that to process my application, the agent who attended us told us no and the only thing she needed was my ID. That should have alerted me that something might be wrong… But then again, I did not listen to my intuition. Which brings us exactly to my predicament as outlined below:

I still have no/intermittent internet connection in our globe broadband and this has been a major problem since we started exactly 12 days ago. This connection is almost useless to us which left us no choice but to have our previous ISP (bayandsl) reconnected, we’ve been having problems with this connection since day 1 and this has affected our work. We work at home and my kids are homeschooled and have online classes and having an internet connection is vital to our job and our kids’ education, I almost lost my job because of this problem. In connection to this, I would like to request for an adjustment to our bill. I would not hesitate to pay the full amount if we are able to use this connection and to think that we got the highest plan that you have for residential because we have been informed by your agent in Globe SM City Iloilo that they have no connection problem in our place. You are offering 3Mbps for Php 1995 and I would like to get exactly what I am paying for, I would even settle for half of that. But I’m only getting 0.04Mbps on average and 1.6Mbps on good days (hours).

Your technician also told us that it might be a power fluctuation issue because it mostly occurs during night times, I have to disagree because we’ve never had any problems with Bayandsl and power fluctuations (if there are any) and if they are going to insist that its a power fluctuation problem, then does that mean that your equipment are sub-par when compared to that of bayandsl? As much as I would like to have this connection disconnected, I can’t because of your lock-in period, you should have offered a 1 month guarantee or at least make sure that you can deliver exactly what you have advertised. I don’t want to shell out Php 5000+ to have a virtually useless connection disconnected but neither do I want to keep on paying Php 1995/month to have a sub-par internet connection, so right now, I am at odds whether to have this disconnected or to keep it until the lock-in period. Either way, I’m the losing party.

In order for us to get on with our lives and our work, we are now paying two ISPs for one connection. And believe me, this is more than I bargained for.

JC Mae Palmes

Alice in Underland sucks! The wonderland we’ve grown up with became Underland so it’s just justifiable that the highly anticipated Tim Burton – Walt Disney collaboration go under with it. I’ve waited for it since last year when I first saw the trailer, the fact that Johnny Depp (one of the few actors in my book) is the lead actor is enough to make up my mind to watch it in the big screen. The trailer itself is so good, I’ve watched it more times than I can remember.

So off we go on the first day of screening, with my kids excited to see Alice and the Mad Hatter – only to be disappointed. The movie itself is visually appealing although some parts of it look a bit cluttered – somewhat like donning the wrong pair of socks with the wrong pair of shoes. It lacks cohesion – I can see where Tim Burton ends and Disney begins and in my opinion the combination just doesn’t work. There are parts where things look pretty awesome, I especially love the part where the Cheshire cat pretended to be the Mad Hatter and took his place on the executioner’s stage – “Off with his head!”.

The movie engaged my 4 year old for almost the whole movie, but she’s not the typical 4 year old. My three year old watched the movie for about 5 minutes and nothing. He did watch the fighting scene with the dragon though, mostly because we all love dragons. But that fighting scene sucks bigtime. It kindda looks like a gay Harry Potter going Lord of the Rings and Alice played by Mia Wasikowska is completely forgettable. She just doesn’t have the aura that the Alice character demands. She reminds me of Kirsten Stewart for some reason – not just the acting but the overall effect she has on the character she plays – they both make their characters look drab compared to the colorful world of wonderland and vampires.

My dear Johnny acted his head off as the Mad Hatter and it looks like he lost more than his mind when he started futter-wacking but I could not imagine anybody else acting the part, the same goes for Helena as the Red Queen and her bobbing noggins. But as I’ve said before, the Tim Burton – Walt Disney collaboration just doesn’t work. I would have enjoyed it more if the movie actually went Burton-morbid, but Disney wanted to maybe make the movie a little bit child-friendly and it just became curiouser and curiouser in a really, really bad way.

Alice in Wonderland Trailer

We went to SM City to watch Up in their new 3D Cinema. The kiddies were really excited and could not wait to get their 3D glasses and watch the movie. The movie is so-so, not really as well plotted as say shrek or monster incorporated but good enough for me and the kiddies. We enjoyed and Khleomi kept grabbing at the 3d hamsters, I forgot the title of the movie but its going to be shown soon, their preview was shown before the actual movie, and there’s also a preview of Jim Carey as the Scrooge which I am surely going to watch.

About the movie, there’s not really enough 3D action going on as I expected and at Php 200.50 apiece, I wanted to get my money’s worth. Although we did enjoy, the SM 3D cinema experience left much to be desired. One of the things that got me miffed were the 3D glasses, you’d imagine getting a real live 3D glasses but what you do get is a hard plastic frame that is not comfortable with film for lenses which Xanth kept on touching, smudging it. And the glasses are not for free you’d have to return them, imagine using a 3D glasses used by someone with sore eyes…  I would have preferred the disposable ones, the ones made of carton and given as freebies…

We enjoyed or at least the kids did and that’s what matters most…

I just watched Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), a Japanese anime film about a 10-year old girl named Chihiro who wandered into the world of spirits, monsters and gods and found the meaning of love, friendship and sacrifice. Chihiro’s name was changed to Sen by the evil sorceress Yubaba so that she could never go back to her world but Haku helped her, he remembered her name despite forgetting his own. Haku is actually a white dragon, a river spirit, who once helped a younger Chihiro when she drowned in his river and eventually fell in love with her. Chihiro remembered this incident and the name of the river, the Kohaku which is Haku’s real name: Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi.

Its a really great story, in fact I watched it twice today! The fact that the adorable Haku is a dragon and real adorable in both forms makes this anime movie my favorite, Chihiro is really cute, No Face is one of my favorite, and Yubaba would definitely scare a four year old… And yeah, it won the 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Feature and 35 other awards worldwide, so go see it… If you ask nicely, I might let you watch it…

I just wish there’s more to the ending though, they did promise that they’ll see each other again…

This is my desktop wallpaper as of the moment…Click on the image for full size…

Working as a home-based freelancer takes a lot of toll, especially on your back. Sitting in front of a computer screen for over 10 hours a day, 7 days a week does not help at all. So, a good chair is definitely a must, if there’s anything else you have to invest on, other than your hardware of course, its the chair.
And if you have to invest in getting one that you have to sit on for most of the day, getting a great looking chair is never a bad thing. In fact, getting cool Office Furniture for your home office will definitely give you a really good ambiance to work in.

But if a whole set-up is going to be expensive for you as of the moment, you should at least consider getting a great ergonomic chair. Believe me, it will do wonders for you. Just make sure that you separate your kids from your chair because they will definitely try to take it away from you. I know that for a fact.

A few weeks ago, I got a package from the mail. Well, I was actually expecting it since I bought it from a seller at Etsy.com but the shipping was a bit longer than I expected. But it was worth the wait, you see I am a lip balm addict, I always carry one (or two… or three…) around. I rarely use lipstick, I just don’t like them – they don’t smell as nice and have a really sticky feel to it.

I currently have about five lip balms that I use interchangeably, you see I can’t make up my mind which one is better (1 nivea, 1 blistex, 2 chapsticks and 1 Shiseido Water-in Lip). Now came the lip balms I ordered from longwinterfarm, I ordered three (hot cocoa, peppermint and peach). And of course I just had to use the hot cocoa first, so I opened it expecting nothing and was pleasantly surprised when the smell hit me. It was very chocolaty in an unassuming way – not too overwhelming, subtle and yet very tangible. The first time I used it, I was instantly hooked, it was so creamy without the greasy after feel and you can almost feel the chocolate at the tip of your tongue.

So now my quest for the perfect lip balm has finally ended. longwinterfarm’s lip balm is the best one I’ve tried so far, no contest to that. The other flavors (peppermint and peach) are not too bad as well, but hot cocoa is my favorite. I’ll definitely order more… come to think of it, I already did. And yeah, this is not a paid review, just my way of saying thank you to Amanda of longwinterfarm for being accommodating and friendly and for a superb product.

I have always been intrigued by alternative medicines and have tried a few of them, although I am a bit apprehensive I have to say that most of them work as well as, if not as much as, BFAD approved medications. I have heard and read about holistic health, alternative medicines, homeopathy and from what I can see, hear and read these forms of healing are viable and have the potential to help people suffering from incurable diseases. It might not directly cure the disease but it may alleviate the pain and suffering that they face each and everyday of their lives.

I also read about this doctor, his name is Dr. Thom Namaya, he is a renowned homeopathic physician and a nurse practioner. I have heard a lot of good things about him, the only problem is he is half a globe away, he is based in Brattleboro, Vermont. I’ve had the opportunity to have a phone check-up with him and believe me it was entirely different from the normal doctor-patient interview. Different in a really good way. My body was covered in rashes and big patches of swelling skin that looked like it was burned. I’ve been to three doctors, two dermatologists and an allergologist. None of them could really tell me my problem. I was given lots of prescription medicine which I opted not to buy. I then made that hour-long call to Dr. Namaya and he was very thorough, he asked me countless questions and in the process he was able to at least give me an explanation of what I was going through. It was the best check-up that I have experienced.

I would love to do a face-to-face check-up with him but that is almost impossible, I don’t have a passport nor the money to pay for my fare. Dr. Namaya specializes in Crohn’s and IBS. So if you live in Vermont or anywhere for that matter and want to try out Holistic Healing, I suggest you give Dr. Namaya a call or a visit. Below are the links to his websites:
- Crohn’s Holistic
- Dr. Namaya Main

Back when we were working in Manila, I was always fond of PancakeHouse especially their salisbury steak. So when we went out earlier today to buy a headset, we decided to try out the newly opened PancakeHouse in SM Delgado, right beside Ace Hardware.

I was going to order the Salisbury steak like I always do but I decided to be a little adventurous and ordered their latest pasta – Gambero. According to the menu, its a house specialty and I have always believed that one could never go wrong with a house specialty. And boy was I wrong!

The picture on the menu was really enticing and being the pasta and shrimp lover that I am, although I am allergic to shrimp, I could not pass the chance to try it. Honestly, I would rather eat Jollibee’s palabok after just one forkful of it. It has exactly three shrimps on top which are delectable, soft and flavorful, but the thrill of the experience ends there. The pasta are a little soggy, the sauce dry and leaves much to the imagination. According to PancakeHouse’s website:

Lastly, there is “Gambero” tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil, flavored with shrimps, tossed in spaghetti and topped with Parmesan Cheese – a unique new flavor to discover for shrimp lovers and other food adventurers.

I have to ransack my imagination in order to imagine that taste after the first forkful. The only shrimp I tasted were the three, nah, two (my husband ate the first one) little itsy bitsy shrimps on top. After that, nada, all I could taste was the pasta and tomato sauce, nothing special about it. And for Php 289.00 it is way too pricey, but I never would have given too much attention to the price if the gambero tasted the way it was supposed to taste. No wonder the servings are too small, I ate about three forkfuls of it and decided to bring it home. I did finish it at home but my heart was not in it.

My husband ordered the Jumbo House Burger and he was disappointed. He was a burger lover through and through and gave the burger a thumbs down after taking a bite of it. The bacon was tasty and crunchy just the way I like it but the buns and the juicy beef patty is not juicy at all. He downed it all nonetheless, for over 200 bucks who wouldn’t? He had the green mango shake and everything went sour after that. He had three sips and that’s that. I had their vienna coffee for take out and it was not the way I remembered it. I loved their vienna coffee but I fell out of love when I tasted their version of the vienna coffee.

For 800 bucks it was one of the worst lunch I ever had and I had such high hopes! I don’t know if its just the branch.. The manager and waiters were really friendly though…

I know its not the title of the song, but that one line stuck to my head the first time I heard the new Nido commercial. Both Khleomi and Xanth are on Nido 3+ and jr, respectively and they too love the song. I am not a fan of Sharon, but she sings this song beautifully, maybe the fact that she’s singing it to her daughters adds up to the allure of the song.

“You’re My Number One”
Lyrics by: Sandy Sulit
Music by: Caloy Agawa
Performed by: Sharon Cuneta, with daughters Frankie and Miel Pangilinan

Look at me mom
Shining like the sun
Bright as the day
You’re my number one

And there’s no treasure
That i will cherish like you

And when i smile
They all see you glow
And they all know
You’re my number one

My one and only joy
Is to give you my love

(bridge)
My one love for you
I give through and through
I see you and the signs that bring joy
That all the world can see so clearly

Look at me mom
Shining like the sun
Bright as the day
You’re my number one

Just a little note:

For those who would like to have the mp3 file of this wonderful song, just leave a comment with your email address and I’ll send it to you as soon as I can. Enjoy!!!

Just download the mp3 file here, just right click and save as… saves time…

I have always been fascinated by cufflinks. Honestly, I do not personally know anyone who uses it. I have seen men wearing gold cufflinks on TV and most of the time they are of the so-called genteel race. They are dashing men, ready to sweep any female off their feet with their smile, words and those ever present cufflinks.

So, I researched the price of cufflinks, those little gems, and was properly aghast (aghast may be too strong a word, but I am feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.). The price tag on those little devils is enough to feed my family for a month and more! Who would, in their right minds, buy those things when a simple pin would do? MEN!

They do look good though and add a bit of decency to a man’s personality and looks. Women and their jewelry – Men and their cufflinks.

I am allergic to metal and use plastic jewelry, so no jewelry for me and no expensive cufflinks for my husband. Fair Enough.

I sit in front of my computer for 12-16 hours daily and desperately need something to help me cope with everything, something that would make me feel better. I have read about subliminal messages, I see tapes and cds with subliminal messages all the time. I don’t really want to try them out because I am afraid that there might be other subliminal messages embedded other than the ones I want and need.

So a software that can be integrated into my life – life in front of a computer – would really work wonders for me. And one that I could program according to my needs would be a necessity. Subliminal Power can do all these and more. I would love to try this software, as I need something to clear up my mind each day and help me cope up with day to day tasks of being a full time mom at night and a full time employee during the day. When do I sleep? I don’t know. That is why I desperately need Subliminal Power to help me sort out my priorities and help me handle my responsibilities. You might want to take a look at how Subliminal Power can help you in your everyday lives, take a look at their website and read about how this great product can help you:

http://www.subliminal-power.com/

Asset Tracking is something that I do not need for now but will definitely try for free. But for big corporations, keeping track of their inventories while making sure that productivity and quality is not compromised is a need. Knowing what is yours, how much it is worth and where it is located are a must for all business owners that is why NetSimplicity’s Visual Asset Manager software holds a lot of promise. Boasting of a visual asset map, a hand-held scanner for your inventory, automatic detection of Windows workstations throughout your organization and so much more, I would definitely give it a try. They even offer free trials for people like me who wants to make sure that it will work.

A year has just ended and another one is beginning and with it comes a roll of expenses. Money although universally known as the root of all evil is an essential necessity. You need money to live because things don’t come for free nor do they come cheap. As a wife and mother of two babies, believe me, they don’t and there are times when you have to really tighten your belts and hope for the best. For those times, a cash advance definitely comes in handy. Personally, I really do not want to borrow money from someone else if I can help it. Maybe, I just don’t want to become indebted to another person, I’d rather be the one on the other side of the fence. But, sometimes you just can’t help it. If you are like me, payday loans would work for you. Although, you are borrowing money, it is money from your own pocket, because a payday loan is essentially borrowing from your own income. To avail of a cash advance loan is relatively easy, it does not require a credit check and the approval criteria is based on factors that most employed people meet such as employment status, minimum income and an active checking or savings account, one other good thing about it is that you can apply for a payday loan online! You pay the loan on your payday, just look at it as an advance salary for the month. A great site to get you started is Cash Advance Payday Loans, they offer a list of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web

Living in the Philippines where car accidents are as regular as sunrise, you could not blame me if I think that car accident attorneys are as rare as gems. In the Philippines, suing a person for a car accident crime is just for the popular or the rich, a peddler or a no-name person involved in a car accident would be better off tending to his own wounds than finding a lawyer and suing the driver. Its a no-win situation unless you’re popular and rich. I do love the Philippines, but I hate the judicial system that is why after browsing through the website of an austin car accident lawyer I came to realize just how bad our rights as private citizens are taken for granted. I would love to have a lawyer as good as the Texas Injury Lawyers if ever I am involved in a car accident, God forbid, unfortunately, Texas is very far from the Philippines. I would love to be a Car Accident Lawyer, but I just do not have the time and the resources to go back to school…

Honestly, I have never been inside a casino before. I’m not much of a bettor, I do enjoy a good bet every now and then but I don’t get to do it as often as I would like. Too busy doing other things… Anyway, for those of you who are like me, you might want to check out an online casino, and the best place to find a good online casino is through , an online gambling reviews guide. The site has a clean design and navigating it is as easy as 1-2-3. They offer downloads, ratings and an in depth review of each online casino included in their database. The bad side is, their site only caters to online casinos who accepts US players, it would be great if they can cater worldwide. Overall, I would give the site a 7 for clean design, easy navigation, although it needs more information about what the site is really about and a contact form instead of the “mailto” email address.