Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Work at Home Mom: History Repeating Itself?
Media people being taken into custody illegitimately. Curfew being imposed. Our children are getting a taste of what we have gone through during the dark Marcos years. But wait...this has been happening long before today. How many have already been missing or killed? Events are chilling and I fear for all of us.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Work at Home Mom: My Filipino Romance Novel Bukal Sa Dibdib Now Available Free Online
There was an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Saturday on Bukal Sa Dibdib. No, you won't be able to read the scanned version I have posted here. Sorry. I just couldn't resist putting it on. It's still a thrill after all these years of writing. Of course, I'm extra proud of this material because of its breastfeeding advocacy.I'm even happier that I have been allowed to make Bukal Sa Dibdib available for free online. Please note that this has been commissioned by the Philippine Department of Health, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. They have had the novel printed in pocketbook form and it is currently being distributed for free in Philippine communities. The latest I've heard is that a second printing is being done.
P.S.
Oops, a reader - Princess - just tipped me off about how clicking on the scanned article actually enlarges it enough to be read. Thanks for that info, Princess. I really am so very tech-challenged.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Writing Offline
The bad news is that it's been almost a month since my last post. Those of you who have been reading here already know why. It's still the same recovery process. Those who are new here, please scroll to my previous posts if you care to read my previous whinings. I don't have to impose my blues on old readers again.
The good news is that I've been doing some writing offline. I finally started actually writing that manuscript for the new project we hope to launch very, very soon. It's still fiction but no longer romance in Filipino. This time I'm writing speculative fiction in English.
I can't say much yet and I can't stay long here, either. I have to ration the creative juices and, apparently, blog writing dissipates the energy somehow. So I'll be writing here only after I've done my creative writing for the day, and will hopefully have enough energy left. Well, today is an exception. I just finished a story yesterday and this is my day off to play around with the plot of the next one.
More good news, though. "Bukal Sa Dibdib," the romance novel I wrote advocating breastfeeding for the Philippine Department of Health, World Health Organization and United Nations Fund for Population Activities, has finally been printed. It is now being distributed for free in communities. Yippeee!
The good news is that I've been doing some writing offline. I finally started actually writing that manuscript for the new project we hope to launch very, very soon. It's still fiction but no longer romance in Filipino. This time I'm writing speculative fiction in English.
I can't say much yet and I can't stay long here, either. I have to ration the creative juices and, apparently, blog writing dissipates the energy somehow. So I'll be writing here only after I've done my creative writing for the day, and will hopefully have enough energy left. Well, today is an exception. I just finished a story yesterday and this is my day off to play around with the plot of the next one.
More good news, though. "Bukal Sa Dibdib," the romance novel I wrote advocating breastfeeding for the Philippine Department of Health, World Health Organization and United Nations Fund for Population Activities, has finally been printed. It is now being distributed for free in communities. Yippeee!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Speaking at the 28th Manila International Book Fair
A welcome break from my blues was the invitation I received from Read or Die to be a speaker in their panel on Ang Bagong Panitikan (New and Emergent Literatures) at the Manila International Book Fair Function Room B on September 2 at 2:15 pm. I will be discussing Filipino romance novels. (Oh, the Book Fair is ongoing at the World Trade Center at Roxas Blvd.)
What excites me most are the panelists I will be conversing with: Eugene Evasco on Filipino children's literature, Carla M. Pacis on Filipino young adult fiction, Winton Lou Ynion on Filipino literature in the vernacular, Randy Valiente on komiks, and Glady E. Gimena - a very good friend of mine - also on Filipino romance novels. Check out their profiles. I am really looking forward to a very interesting exchange of ideas.
Everyone is invited to come converse with us. The organizers say it will not be a structured series of talks but an open discussion with the audience. It should be fun.
Also check out Read or Die. According to their emailed invitation, they are "a group of book lovers and readers whose goal is to help invigorate book reading culture in the Philippines through monthly discussions, sponsored talks on reading and literature, establishing social networks with other like-minded organizations, and the advocacy of programs specifically aimed towards promoting literacy and maintaining a high profile for reading for purpose and for pleasure." They "encourage public interest in and and appreciation for different kinds of literature, especially writing produced by Filipino authors." Whether you be an avid reader, a writer, an illustrator/graphics designer or a publisher, this group and their site should be a treasure trove.
Read or Die even put up a special website for Ang Bagong Libro - covering their participation (which is extensive and impressive) in the 28th Manila International Book Fair. My panel is only one of several they are organizing, and I am definitely very much interested in participating in the other discussions, as well, as part of the audience. Check out the topics, panelists and skeds on their site.
What excites me most are the panelists I will be conversing with: Eugene Evasco on Filipino children's literature, Carla M. Pacis on Filipino young adult fiction, Winton Lou Ynion on Filipino literature in the vernacular, Randy Valiente on komiks, and Glady E. Gimena - a very good friend of mine - also on Filipino romance novels. Check out their profiles. I am really looking forward to a very interesting exchange of ideas.
Everyone is invited to come converse with us. The organizers say it will not be a structured series of talks but an open discussion with the audience. It should be fun.
Also check out Read or Die. According to their emailed invitation, they are "a group of book lovers and readers whose goal is to help invigorate book reading culture in the Philippines through monthly discussions, sponsored talks on reading and literature, establishing social networks with other like-minded organizations, and the advocacy of programs specifically aimed towards promoting literacy and maintaining a high profile for reading for purpose and for pleasure." They "encourage public interest in and and appreciation for different kinds of literature, especially writing produced by Filipino authors." Whether you be an avid reader, a writer, an illustrator/graphics designer or a publisher, this group and their site should be a treasure trove.
Read or Die even put up a special website for Ang Bagong Libro - covering their participation (which is extensive and impressive) in the 28th Manila International Book Fair. My panel is only one of several they are organizing, and I am definitely very much interested in participating in the other discussions, as well, as part of the audience. Check out the topics, panelists and skeds on their site.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Checking In
I can't believe it's been 15 days since my last post! Things have been quite draining at home and I'm just tired out with no energy left to write anything. Even my email has been left unattended. So sorry, everyone.
Our landlord had to have our apartment unit treated for termite control. For our family and pets' health, we moved to the empty unit next door for several days. This unit just happens to be the one my Mom used to occupy. It's the same unit I didn't have the heart to empty after she passed away last May. My husband, B, had to do the packing. Until now, I still haven't sorted through her things which we temporarily parked at my parents-in-law's place. And then we had to move into her apartment.
True, the landlord has since had it repainted a different color and that helps a little. Still, I find myself quite numb and disoriented. Perhaps it's my psyche applying some self-anaesthesia against pain? It's not just me, either. Our youngest, C3, also cried her heart out on our first night here, and I'm sure everyone in the family has a heavy heart despite the cheering up they try to do for me.
There was nowhere else to go. The moving was tedious enough even just next door - what with all the must-haves of daily life for a family of five with 3 kids in school and 7 pets! And we just brought the essentials. Everything else was just covered with old curtains and old sheets.
And then our apartment unit's second floor boards were found to be in need of repair. So repairs are being made and we had to extend our refugee status.
The only productive thing I'm doing - and my life-and-sanity-saver - is taking care of Belch. It's like taking care of a toddler. When my kids were babies I smelled of baby barf all the time. Now I smell like a puppy all the time!
Our landlord had to have our apartment unit treated for termite control. For our family and pets' health, we moved to the empty unit next door for several days. This unit just happens to be the one my Mom used to occupy. It's the same unit I didn't have the heart to empty after she passed away last May. My husband, B, had to do the packing. Until now, I still haven't sorted through her things which we temporarily parked at my parents-in-law's place. And then we had to move into her apartment.
True, the landlord has since had it repainted a different color and that helps a little. Still, I find myself quite numb and disoriented. Perhaps it's my psyche applying some self-anaesthesia against pain? It's not just me, either. Our youngest, C3, also cried her heart out on our first night here, and I'm sure everyone in the family has a heavy heart despite the cheering up they try to do for me.
There was nowhere else to go. The moving was tedious enough even just next door - what with all the must-haves of daily life for a family of five with 3 kids in school and 7 pets! And we just brought the essentials. Everything else was just covered with old curtains and old sheets.
And then our apartment unit's second floor boards were found to be in need of repair. So repairs are being made and we had to extend our refugee status.
The only productive thing I'm doing - and my life-and-sanity-saver - is taking care of Belch. It's like taking care of a toddler. When my kids were babies I smelled of baby barf all the time. Now I smell like a puppy all the time!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Thrilled With Our Eldest Daughter's First Professional Byline
Please indulge this Mom as I once more rave about one of my kids. The August issue of Girlfriend magazine (Philippines) carries an article written by our eldest daughter, The CityLifeStylist. The article is on dealing with the situation when the woman earns more than her man.
I was so excited upon seeing C1's very first byline in a professional magazine. You see, she's just 18 and is still in her third year in Communication Arts and Advertising.
Girlfriend mag has also assigned her to write the cover story for the October issue. Aside from that, a new magazine to be published by Manila Bulletin and called Sugar Sugar has also asked her to write for them.
In addition to writing for print, she has also been asked to write for a new TV program for and by students to be launched by Studio 23.
Multitasking to the max seems to be this young lady's preferred lifestyle. She's also in the dean's list and is a student leader. She's co-head of their radio organization in charge of the in-school radio station broadcasting regular programs to students, and is internal vice president of their Communication Arts and Advertising Society.
Communication has always been her passion. She wrote her first poem at age three. It goes:
Cat I see
Here or there
Happy the cat
There or here
At age six, she wrote:
Life is good
Life is bad
Life is everything
Her younger brother, C2, is two-and-a-half years younger. When C1 was in preschool she taught him to read, write and count. We did not have to teach him any of those. C1 did so well as a teacher that when he was enrolled in preschool he was found to be far advanced for his age in reading skills. He was, therefore, given reading materials already meant for graders.
We think C1 is an old soul sent to be our teacher. We think all three of our kids are old souls sent to be our gurus even as we are tasked to take care of them.
I am awed by my children's gifts and the blessings they are receiving. I am thrilled to see them happily blossoming as they are enjoying the continuous development of their potentials. B and I have really been blessed with these wonderful kids.
I was so excited upon seeing C1's very first byline in a professional magazine. You see, she's just 18 and is still in her third year in Communication Arts and Advertising.
Girlfriend mag has also assigned her to write the cover story for the October issue. Aside from that, a new magazine to be published by Manila Bulletin and called Sugar Sugar has also asked her to write for them.
In addition to writing for print, she has also been asked to write for a new TV program for and by students to be launched by Studio 23.
Multitasking to the max seems to be this young lady's preferred lifestyle. She's also in the dean's list and is a student leader. She's co-head of their radio organization in charge of the in-school radio station broadcasting regular programs to students, and is internal vice president of their Communication Arts and Advertising Society.
Communication has always been her passion. She wrote her first poem at age three. It goes:
Cat I see
Here or there
Happy the cat
There or here
At age six, she wrote:
Life is good
Life is bad
Life is everything
Her younger brother, C2, is two-and-a-half years younger. When C1 was in preschool she taught him to read, write and count. We did not have to teach him any of those. C1 did so well as a teacher that when he was enrolled in preschool he was found to be far advanced for his age in reading skills. He was, therefore, given reading materials already meant for graders.
We think C1 is an old soul sent to be our teacher. We think all three of our kids are old souls sent to be our gurus even as we are tasked to take care of them.
I am awed by my children's gifts and the blessings they are receiving. I am thrilled to see them happily blossoming as they are enjoying the continuous development of their potentials. B and I have really been blessed with these wonderful kids.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Wacky Mom and Rainqueen21 Tag Me
.
Wacky Mom Ev has tagged me for the 10 Question Interview.
The Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, and then add yourself to the bottom.
Homespun Honolulu
Who’s Yo Mama
Life in the Fast Lane
Life is Murphy’s Law
Manila Mom
Coincidentally, Rainqueen21 also tagged me for "If You Have $1,000,000.00..." with the following instructions:
Proposition: If you Have $1,000,000.00…………………………
Requirements: continue above sentence
Tag Mode: 5 bloggers
I decided to combine the two memes in this post. Here are the questions:
1. What were you doing ten years ago?
In 1997 I was going full blast writing romance novels more than anything else.
2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
Among the saddest times in my life: I was mourning my Dad's passing and taking care of my Mom who was already very sick, too.
3. What are five snacks you enjoy?
Nuts, dark chocolate, fresh fruit, vanilla ice cream with corn flakes, chilled soya milk
4. What are five songs you know the lyrics to?
This is weird because I can't seem to retain or even get the lyrics to songs except for oldies that my Mom used to listen to and sing to me when I was very young.
- Stranger In Paradise (She said it was my Dad's favorite. She'd sing it to me almost every night.)
- Love Me Tender
- Wooden Heart (These two by Elvis were back-to-back in a 45 rpm record that my Mom played again and again every day when I was a little girl. No wonder I still can't get the lyrics out of my head.)
- Hawaiian Wedding Song (Obviously, my Mom loved Elvis.)
- Never On A Sunday (Mom considered this a naughty song and was always laughing whenever she sang it to me. I think she said it was sung by Connie Francis.)
5. Five Things You Would Do If You Were A Millionaire/ If You Had $1,000,000.00:
I'm listing the things other than what we would be working for anyway even without those millions:
- Build our dream home with the luxury of space, space, space along with enough storage for all our can't-live-without clutter, an indexed library to keep track of all our books, enough room for more pets, a lawn surrounded by trees, plus adjoining lots where the kids can build their homes later if they want to (I'm dangling free babysitting as bait!)
- Hire a driver so that B won't have to be the one driving all of us around, and so I won't feel so guilty not learning how to drive :)
- Travel with the family every chance we get to see as much of the world as possible
- Set up various sources of passive income to spend as much time as possible just enjoying the family
- Support the education of as many young people as we can
Well, I can dream, can't I?
6. Five Bad Habits:
Hmmm...it's hard to trim the list down to just five :D
- Staying up till almost dawn then sleeping till noon or even past
- Not having breakfast and, sometimes, lunch then eating a lot at night
- Procrastinating when I don't enjoy doing something...like exercise!
- Being oblivious to the world when immersed in a book, and not stopping till I finish it
- Getting lost surfing and enjoying it so much that I forget what I was supposed to be looking for in the first place
7. Five Things You Like To Do:
- Just hanging out with the family
- Pigging out with the family
- Reading (print and online)
- Writing
- Watching movies (theater, dvd/vcd)
8. Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
- a hula skirt with a bare midriff (Last time I wore this was on stage in high school.)
- hot pants (Again...high school, when I had never even heard of the word "cellulite".)
- skintight clothes (Not worth the extreme dieting and obsessing over every millimeter)
- a girdle (I can't believe I endured this for years.)
- sky-high stilletos (Oooh, i'd still love to wear them but my feet disagree with me)
9. Five Favorite Toys:
- laptop
- Nokia 9500, because it has Word for when I don't have the laptop
- digital camera, for family memories
- TV and dvd player
- our pets!
10. Five Things You Hate To Do:
- Getting all sweaty outdoors (Don't take me camping!)
- Exercise (Even when it's indoors; I only enjoy Fitness First for the sauna and steam room after the workout.)
- Waking up early (I only do it if I really have to, like for an appointment.)
- Routine housework
- Being away from the family, or having any member of the family away - like out of town
Now you know. I'm a lazy family-clinging couch potato!
So let's hear the deep dark secrets of the following bloggers I tag: (You may do just one or both of the memes above.)
Trinity of Female-Gamer
Sandy of PinoyNetwork Blog
Dondi of 99% Wife & Mom...1% Everything Else
Claire of The Sunny Side of Things
Rachel of Heart of Rachel
Wacky Mom Ev has tagged me for the 10 Question Interview.
The Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, and then add yourself to the bottom.
Homespun Honolulu
Who’s Yo Mama
Life in the Fast Lane
Life is Murphy’s Law
Manila Mom
Coincidentally, Rainqueen21 also tagged me for "If You Have $1,000,000.00..." with the following instructions:
Proposition: If you Have $1,000,000.00…………………………
Requirements: continue above sentence
Tag Mode: 5 bloggers
I decided to combine the two memes in this post. Here are the questions:
1. What were you doing ten years ago?
In 1997 I was going full blast writing romance novels more than anything else.
2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
Among the saddest times in my life: I was mourning my Dad's passing and taking care of my Mom who was already very sick, too.
3. What are five snacks you enjoy?
Nuts, dark chocolate, fresh fruit, vanilla ice cream with corn flakes, chilled soya milk
4. What are five songs you know the lyrics to?
This is weird because I can't seem to retain or even get the lyrics to songs except for oldies that my Mom used to listen to and sing to me when I was very young.
- Stranger In Paradise (She said it was my Dad's favorite. She'd sing it to me almost every night.)
- Love Me Tender
- Wooden Heart (These two by Elvis were back-to-back in a 45 rpm record that my Mom played again and again every day when I was a little girl. No wonder I still can't get the lyrics out of my head.)
- Hawaiian Wedding Song (Obviously, my Mom loved Elvis.)
- Never On A Sunday (Mom considered this a naughty song and was always laughing whenever she sang it to me. I think she said it was sung by Connie Francis.)
5. Five Things You Would Do If You Were A Millionaire/ If You Had $1,000,000.00:
I'm listing the things other than what we would be working for anyway even without those millions:
- Build our dream home with the luxury of space, space, space along with enough storage for all our can't-live-without clutter, an indexed library to keep track of all our books, enough room for more pets, a lawn surrounded by trees, plus adjoining lots where the kids can build their homes later if they want to (I'm dangling free babysitting as bait!)
- Hire a driver so that B won't have to be the one driving all of us around, and so I won't feel so guilty not learning how to drive :)
- Travel with the family every chance we get to see as much of the world as possible
- Set up various sources of passive income to spend as much time as possible just enjoying the family
- Support the education of as many young people as we can
Well, I can dream, can't I?
6. Five Bad Habits:
Hmmm...it's hard to trim the list down to just five :D
- Staying up till almost dawn then sleeping till noon or even past
- Not having breakfast and, sometimes, lunch then eating a lot at night
- Procrastinating when I don't enjoy doing something...like exercise!
- Being oblivious to the world when immersed in a book, and not stopping till I finish it
- Getting lost surfing and enjoying it so much that I forget what I was supposed to be looking for in the first place
7. Five Things You Like To Do:
- Just hanging out with the family
- Pigging out with the family
- Reading (print and online)
- Writing
- Watching movies (theater, dvd/vcd)
8. Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
- a hula skirt with a bare midriff (Last time I wore this was on stage in high school.)
- hot pants (Again...high school, when I had never even heard of the word "cellulite".)
- skintight clothes (Not worth the extreme dieting and obsessing over every millimeter)
- a girdle (I can't believe I endured this for years.)
- sky-high stilletos (Oooh, i'd still love to wear them but my feet disagree with me)
9. Five Favorite Toys:
- laptop
- Nokia 9500, because it has Word for when I don't have the laptop
- digital camera, for family memories
- TV and dvd player
- our pets!
10. Five Things You Hate To Do:
- Getting all sweaty outdoors (Don't take me camping!)
- Exercise (Even when it's indoors; I only enjoy Fitness First for the sauna and steam room after the workout.)
- Waking up early (I only do it if I really have to, like for an appointment.)
- Routine housework
- Being away from the family, or having any member of the family away - like out of town
Now you know. I'm a lazy family-clinging couch potato!
So let's hear the deep dark secrets of the following bloggers I tag: (You may do just one or both of the memes above.)
Trinity of Female-Gamer
Sandy of PinoyNetwork Blog
Dondi of 99% Wife & Mom...1% Everything Else
Claire of The Sunny Side of Things
Rachel of Heart of Rachel
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Being Mom
I've been offline being a mom. When some sort of crisis hits, blogging just has to take a backseat for a while.
Our youngest daughter, C3, had her 11th birthday last July 28. She was out of sorts during the days leading to her birthday and, at first, we thought it was all because of the rollercoaster of emotions over Li'l Fart. We were hoping that having Belch would help her through.
It turned out that she was getting emotional over something else. It was her first birthday without both maternal grandparents. It was like all her hurt over their passing (May 19, 2006 and May 11, 2007) spilled out.
It wasn't just one dramatic episode. It was more like days of deep sadness and listlessness, very low energy and not knowing what could provide solace.
Perhaps Belch picked up on the general emotions prevailing and he also fell sick, having loose then bloody stools. We were thrown into a panic but, thankfully, another round of deworming and antibiotics worked immediately.
Caring for Belch somehow distracted C3 but I was even more worried because if anything bad had happened to the puppy, she would have been more devastated.
Belch is fine now. C3 is better but we're still spending a lot of time together just hanging out as a family to smoothen any remaining emotional rough patches. It takes a lot of heart to heart talks interspersed with light moments and wacky moments. We go malling, watch movies, eat out, buy dvds to watch at home, stay up late watching them, and spoil the new baby Belch.
She has been absent from school but, thankfully, the home study program is geared toward adjusting to exactly this kind of personal situation. It's not like she has missed anything because she does her modules at home and just takes tests at school.
It's difficult to see your kids hurting. If only we could protect them from feeling these heartaches, but we can't and we shouldn't because it's God's way of guiding them through life's lessons. We can only be with them to softland the pain and share our own lessons learned. In fact, we're also learning together.
These are bittersweet times because through the heartache we feel even closer as a family.
Our youngest daughter, C3, had her 11th birthday last July 28. She was out of sorts during the days leading to her birthday and, at first, we thought it was all because of the rollercoaster of emotions over Li'l Fart. We were hoping that having Belch would help her through.
It turned out that she was getting emotional over something else. It was her first birthday without both maternal grandparents. It was like all her hurt over their passing (May 19, 2006 and May 11, 2007) spilled out.
It wasn't just one dramatic episode. It was more like days of deep sadness and listlessness, very low energy and not knowing what could provide solace.
Perhaps Belch picked up on the general emotions prevailing and he also fell sick, having loose then bloody stools. We were thrown into a panic but, thankfully, another round of deworming and antibiotics worked immediately.
Caring for Belch somehow distracted C3 but I was even more worried because if anything bad had happened to the puppy, she would have been more devastated.
Belch is fine now. C3 is better but we're still spending a lot of time together just hanging out as a family to smoothen any remaining emotional rough patches. It takes a lot of heart to heart talks interspersed with light moments and wacky moments. We go malling, watch movies, eat out, buy dvds to watch at home, stay up late watching them, and spoil the new baby Belch.
She has been absent from school but, thankfully, the home study program is geared toward adjusting to exactly this kind of personal situation. It's not like she has missed anything because she does her modules at home and just takes tests at school.
It's difficult to see your kids hurting. If only we could protect them from feeling these heartaches, but we can't and we shouldn't because it's God's way of guiding them through life's lessons. We can only be with them to softland the pain and share our own lessons learned. In fact, we're also learning together.
These are bittersweet times because through the heartache we feel even closer as a family.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Li'l Fart Is Back With Mom; We Have Belch
Li'l Fart's mom came back for him and he ran off with her. We followed and saw them turn into an empty lot where a caretaker was also taking care of some free range chickens and roosters. The dogs actually have an informal home there.
Li'l Fart had been having very loose stools since yesterday and we think he will be better off being with his mother and breastfeeding. He didn't like the replacement puppy milk we gave him. He ate the mashed dog food but it didn't seem to agree with his stomach. He also cried every morning.
Since their hangout is just around the corner, we will be monitoring mother dog and pup. When we saw them this morning, they were running around playing after Li'l Fart had fed. They looked so happy at the reunion.
When Li'l Fart is a bit older and weaned and independent of his mom, perhaps we can coax him into the car again to take to PAWS. They can then find him a home.
We had prepared our youngest daughter, C3, for the separation by getting her a dog that she could keep indoors. This was not an option for Li'l Fart because he would be growing to the size of our three other mixed breeds.
Booger (black), Barf (tan) and Poop (white) were housed in a grilled area about 5 ft. x 15 ft. This was just beside our outside kitchen. Technically, though, it was part of the back area of my Mom's apartment unit. When we let go of the unit, we also had to transfer our dogs to a new enclosure that's only some 3 ft. x 12 ft. The three dogs are quite frisky and the largest one, Booger, has the body and heft of a large full-grown bassett hound. The new enclosure will definitely not be able to accommodate another dog.
C3 misses being able to cuddle her puppies indoors. Now she could only pet them in their enclosure. They are too rowdy to be allowed inside.
She has always wanted an indoor dog. One that would always stay small. Since it was her birthday last Saturday, we got her Belch - a purebred three-month-old tricolor Shih Tzu.
Belch is the perfect puppy. So sweet and well-mannered. He barely barks. He loves being cuddled but doesn't complain when put back into his pen which is right in the hub of the household. He just entertains himself with his toy or sleeps. He didn't even cry on his first night with us. And when he sleeps on his back, he looks just like a teddy bear!
C3 still misses Li'lFart so much but Belch is a big comfort to her.
Li'l Fart had been having very loose stools since yesterday and we think he will be better off being with his mother and breastfeeding. He didn't like the replacement puppy milk we gave him. He ate the mashed dog food but it didn't seem to agree with his stomach. He also cried every morning.
Since their hangout is just around the corner, we will be monitoring mother dog and pup. When we saw them this morning, they were running around playing after Li'l Fart had fed. They looked so happy at the reunion.
When Li'l Fart is a bit older and weaned and independent of his mom, perhaps we can coax him into the car again to take to PAWS. They can then find him a home.
We had prepared our youngest daughter, C3, for the separation by getting her a dog that she could keep indoors. This was not an option for Li'l Fart because he would be growing to the size of our three other mixed breeds.
Booger (black), Barf (tan) and Poop (white) were housed in a grilled area about 5 ft. x 15 ft. This was just beside our outside kitchen. Technically, though, it was part of the back area of my Mom's apartment unit. When we let go of the unit, we also had to transfer our dogs to a new enclosure that's only some 3 ft. x 12 ft. The three dogs are quite frisky and the largest one, Booger, has the body and heft of a large full-grown bassett hound. The new enclosure will definitely not be able to accommodate another dog.
C3 misses being able to cuddle her puppies indoors. Now she could only pet them in their enclosure. They are too rowdy to be allowed inside.
She has always wanted an indoor dog. One that would always stay small. Since it was her birthday last Saturday, we got her Belch - a purebred three-month-old tricolor Shih Tzu.
Belch is the perfect puppy. So sweet and well-mannered. He barely barks. He loves being cuddled but doesn't complain when put back into his pen which is right in the hub of the household. He just entertains himself with his toy or sleeps. He didn't even cry on his first night with us. And when he sleeps on his back, he looks just like a teddy bear!
C3 still misses Li'lFart so much but Belch is a big comfort to her.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Puppy Love Episode 2: The Soap Opera Continues
We had a surprise visit this morning. A dirty white street dog came whining at our gate. I was carrying Li'l Fart in my arms and he struggled to get down while answering her cries. I put him down and he scooted out from under the gate and immediately began suckling even as the white dog was still standing. She's his mother!
Oh, she looks very photogenic but she's obviously a stray - dirt-streaked and with some sores. She would clean up very well, though, and she has a gentle look. If Li'l Fart grows up looking like a black version of his mother, he'll be a handsome dog.
The mother dog seems very much at home on the street, even settling down right in the middle of the road to nurse. B and I had to stand guard to redirect any oncoming traffic. She seemed bothered by our presence and moved to the side of the car. We continued to stand guard, though, because they could still be sideswiped.
After the pup had his fill, the mother dog only stayed a few more minutes then casually loitered off. We waited for her to come back but she seemed oblivious of the young one she had left behind. He was left to fend for himself on the street.
Of course, we took him into the house again. Another round of cleaning up with a moist washcloth plus checking for fleas that could have transferred from his mom. He then fell blissfully asleep.
We decided that it would be safer to keep him in the house and just give the mom visiting rights for breastfeeding. After all, we are breastfeeding advocates :D.
Here's another complication: my cousin texted us saying they couldn't take him after all because someone else will be giving them a labrador pup by next month.
Now we need to find another home for Li'l Fart. But we couldn't do it immediately because we'd like to maximize the possibility of extending his breasfeeding sessions with his mother. This will mean more emotional investment on our part and a more difficult separation later.
Now I understand why some people would rather harden their hearts for self defense. Being so open to loving can be quite painful.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Puppy Love
A telenovela is unfolding in our household. It all began this morning when we found a puppy hiding under the sampaguita bushes outside our gate. We left it alone, hoping that the mother dog would come back for it since the puppy seemed to be a month old at most. By afternoon, no mother dog came.
We couldn't leave the pup out there hungry and thirsty. We were also afraid that it might leave the bushes and be caught by vehicles on the road. So we brought it in. We also let the neighbors know that if anyone came looking for a lost pup, we were temporarily caring for it.
The pup lapped up the milk and softened dog food we gave it. Since he was crawling with fleas, we sprayed him with Frontline - it's safe even for very young pups. Soon he was licking my hands. I then began to pick out his fleas. He loved it. After a while, he was all clean. I rubbed him all over with a moist washcloth followed by a dry one. He snuggled against me.
When a pup snuggles against you and looks at you trustingly with those puppydog eyes, how can you resist falling in love?
The problem is that we already have three dogs and there is no room for another one.
If no owner claims him, we will have to offer him to our relatives and friends. If there are no takers, we will bring him to PAWS for adoption.
My youngest daughter's heart is breaking. She has fallen hard for him already.
We have even given him a temporary name - one that fits in with our three dogs named Poop, Booger and Barf. We call the little one Li'l Fart!
As soon as my husband declared that there was no way we could adopt him, the kids said we should detach ourselves from the puppy. C3 didn't even want to call him by any name anymore.
I could understand her trying to protect her emotions and I feel for her. If only there was a way to keep Li'l Fart. After all, it's her birthday on the 28th and this little girl really, really loves animals. In fact, all our pets (3 dogs and 3 guinea pigs) were her requests. This time, though, it looks like there's no solution to our dilemma. We can only be a foster family for this pup.
I suppose the best thing we can do is find him a really good home where he will be just as loved and cared for. Hopefully, somewhere we can visit, too. I hope one of our close relatives living nearby will take him.
I'm not very hopeful that he has a legitimate owner who will come claiming him. The state he was in doesn't show that he was a house pet. I even have a suspicion that he might have been abandoned by someone whose native dog gave birth to a litter.
I will be asking many questions when someone comes to claim him. I want to make sure that we will not be handing him over to dog traders posing as owners.
In the meantime, I just can't keep my distance. I know I'll be hurting the moment we have to hand him over to someone else but while he's here I can't resist him. He's still looking for his mom and I'm only too willing to stand in for her. Look at him. How can you guard your heart against such a lovable furball?
P.S. Yes! It's just past 1 a.m. and we have already found a home for Li'l Fart if no owner comes to claim him. My cousin who's a real dog lover, and whose dog recently passed away of old age, will take him. They have another dog that he can play with. Of course, I think they'll give him a more respectable new name :D
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Schmooze Is Not A Sleazy Word
I always thought that "schmooze" was a sleazy word. Well, blogger Mike, creator of the Power of Schmooze Award, says the dictionary defines schmooze as "the ability to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” He adds: "When it comes to blogging, schmoozing is your ticket to making new friends, getting yourself noticed and building a reputation. "
I think I'd rather skip that "in order to gain an advantage" part, thank you. Otherwise, yes, schmoozing does seem to be the way to go to gain blog friends and create a blog network to interact with.
Mike and friend, Danielle, created the "Power of Schmooze Award" to "recognize those people that were exceptionally adept at creating relationships with other bloggers by making an effort to be part of a conversation, as opposed to a monologue...These bloggers have all worked hard to build a reputation for themselves by commenting on other blogs, participating in blogging communities, replying to comments left on their blog and overall just doing their part to interact with other bloggers."
Ah, that's more like it. All above board and wholesome. That's an award I would be proud to receive.
And I did! Thanks to AnitoKid. (Belated happy birthday to his talented daughter, Agi!) He's a master of the art, I tell you.
Our blogs thrive on blog friendships and being part of a blog community. It definitely pays to learn how to schmooze.
And so I give the Power of Schmooze Award to:
Manilenya: Is there a Pinoy/Pinay blogger who doesn't know her?
Culture Shiok: Being in the upper rungs of the Top10 Emerging Influential Blogs speaks for itself, plus try counting the number of rice bowls he has received in his blog
The Talking Fingers on the Web: Des has just moved to Kuwait and still doesn't have an internet connection at home, so her schmoozing is currently lying low. Before this, however, she has had a thriving and growing community of visitors and visits blog friends, too, regularly. Just wait till she gets her connection and she'll be back with a vengeance!
AnnaManila: Yes, I have just awarded her the Thoughtful Blogger Award, but I just have to give this to her, too. This lady blogger is irresistible. I just keep going back to her blog not only to read her posts but her replies to comments, as well.
Silkenhut: He's learning the art of schmoozing pretty fast and this blogger will soon be zooming up the blogosphere.
On another note, I would like to thank Claire of A Timeless Life for nominating me to the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs. I am far from the magic 10 but the mere fact of being nominated really warms my heart. Thank you again, Claire, and also to Gibo and AnitoKid for the nominations.
Work at Home Mom: Inspired
Sasha says I am an inspirational blogger and has given me the "Inspirational Blogger Award."
Thank you very much, Sasha. But as you have cited me for inspiring you to write romance novels through my own Maia Jose romance novels, please allow me to post the award at Maia Jose's Cafe Romanza. I'm always excited at seeing how my novels have affected the lives of my readers, and I chronicle these at Cafe Romanza.
Thank you very much, Sasha. But as you have cited me for inspiring you to write romance novels through my own Maia Jose romance novels, please allow me to post the award at Maia Jose's Cafe Romanza. I'm always excited at seeing how my novels have affected the lives of my readers, and I chronicle these at Cafe Romanza.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Our Youngest Daughter
As I promised in my post on My 5 Goals, I intend to spend more quality time with the family. I've been doing that lately.
Allow me my bragging rights as a Mom as I write about my youngest daughter, C3. She's the one who has watercolor, oil pastel, acrylic and mixed media paintings up at Paintings of a 10-Year-Old.
She began painting by herself, using ordinary crayons and watercolor. When we noticed that it was something that really engrossed her for several hours each day, we gave her access to my collection of art books and bought her a variety of media - acrylic paint, professional watercolors, oil pastel, watercolor paper, paper for acrylic paint, some small mounted canvasses - to do with as she pleased. The results amazed us.
Two summers ago, we enrolled her at painter Fernando Sena's summer art workshop. She has been going regularly since then and has finished all levels. He has invited her to keep going to his classes to continue her development.
We have not been able to upload all of her paintings at her blog, though. We need to scan those that are on paper and photograph those that are on canvas.
Lately, she has been focused on her academics. She transferred to the home study program last year after severe muscle pain and weakness caused her to be absent from the second week of school in June to the last week of September. We had a complete medical workup but the doctors couldn't find anything. Based on what I myself have been going through, we believe she has inherited my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. We have since then been trying some natural therapies. Despite this, she finished her 5th grade in the remaining six months of last school year.
This school year, after only going to school for 5 days (they go to take tests after doing modules at home) she has already cleared sixth grade Science and is just awaiting the results of Filipino for which she has also taken her finals already.
Her Kuya (elder brother) teases her for being OC (obsessive-compulsive) with her studies just like her Ate (elder sister). C3 also takes after him, though. Our only son wants to become a chef and - like all of us - loves food. Yesterday, as the three of us were left at home and they were doing their modules (Kuya is in home study, too, but is in his last year in high school), we took a break with the Lifestyle Network on TV . The Barefoot Contessa! We love mediterranean food and it was like torture seeing all that in gorgeous color. We could almost smell and taste it. After a while, C3 stood up. When she returned, she already had a bowl of fresh tomatoes sliced and marinated in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, salt and pepper! She was pouting a little because there were no olives left in the fridge. She then promptly texted her Dad: "Emergency! Please buy olives!" Of course he arrived home later with a big jar for the little princess.
Allow me my bragging rights as a Mom as I write about my youngest daughter, C3. She's the one who has watercolor, oil pastel, acrylic and mixed media paintings up at Paintings of a 10-Year-Old.
She began painting by herself, using ordinary crayons and watercolor. When we noticed that it was something that really engrossed her for several hours each day, we gave her access to my collection of art books and bought her a variety of media - acrylic paint, professional watercolors, oil pastel, watercolor paper, paper for acrylic paint, some small mounted canvasses - to do with as she pleased. The results amazed us.
Two summers ago, we enrolled her at painter Fernando Sena's summer art workshop. She has been going regularly since then and has finished all levels. He has invited her to keep going to his classes to continue her development.
We have not been able to upload all of her paintings at her blog, though. We need to scan those that are on paper and photograph those that are on canvas.
Lately, she has been focused on her academics. She transferred to the home study program last year after severe muscle pain and weakness caused her to be absent from the second week of school in June to the last week of September. We had a complete medical workup but the doctors couldn't find anything. Based on what I myself have been going through, we believe she has inherited my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. We have since then been trying some natural therapies. Despite this, she finished her 5th grade in the remaining six months of last school year.
This school year, after only going to school for 5 days (they go to take tests after doing modules at home) she has already cleared sixth grade Science and is just awaiting the results of Filipino for which she has also taken her finals already.
Her Kuya (elder brother) teases her for being OC (obsessive-compulsive) with her studies just like her Ate (elder sister). C3 also takes after him, though. Our only son wants to become a chef and - like all of us - loves food. Yesterday, as the three of us were left at home and they were doing their modules (Kuya is in home study, too, but is in his last year in high school), we took a break with the Lifestyle Network on TV . The Barefoot Contessa! We love mediterranean food and it was like torture seeing all that in gorgeous color. We could almost smell and taste it. After a while, C3 stood up. When she returned, she already had a bowl of fresh tomatoes sliced and marinated in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, salt and pepper! She was pouting a little because there were no olives left in the fridge. She then promptly texted her Dad: "Emergency! Please buy olives!" Of course he arrived home later with a big jar for the little princess.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Work at Home Mom: How Thoughtful of You!
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The Brown Baron of Brown Thoughts has made me all misty-eyed by giving me the Thoughtful Blogger Award.
Who wouldn't be touched when the award has the following criteria?
"For those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others."
Brown Baron had this to say:
"MJ of Manila Mom - She brings the qualities that make her a great mom to her blog. All her visitors feel cared for. "
Wow! This means so much to me. I have always felt that as bloggers we consider our blogs our virtual homes and we should, therefore, extend the same courtesy to our visitors as we do at home. Conversely, when we visit blogs, we should be just as courteous as if we were visiting another's home.
But then again, we do lose our temper or patience sometimes. The key is not to write in the middle of a burst of anger or annoyance. Reread your post several times before hitting the publish button.
As I said to the Brown Baron - this means I can't suddenly turn catty on my blog then :D
It is not surprising that the Brown Baron was himself given the award. He is very hospitable to his visitors, replying to every comment. His posts also show him to be a thoughtful husband and dad to his own young family. I have always felt that visiting his blog was like visiting the home of a happy young family.
The Thoughtful Blogger Award is actually one of five Blogger Awards created by Christy of Writer's Reviews. When you receive an award, you pass the honor on to five other people. It can be five of the same award or a combination of the five different awards.
I am hereby awarding the Thoughtful Blogger Award to:
Jenny of Gus' Gang - After losing her baby to illness, this inspiring and courageous mom turned around and set up a ministry to reach out to families of chronically ill children, as well as families who have lost a child.
Sasha of Sasha Says - A very warm person whose comments section is always full of people who obviously feel welcome and very much at home in her blog. She has gone through a lot of life challenges but always has encouraging words for blog friends when she bloghops.
AnnaManila of Ode2Old - Her comments section is always a good read in itself because she truly takes time to reply to each visitor and is always gracious and full of wit.
Marhgil of Macuha.com - He always lends his knowhow especially to techie-challenged bloggers like me. I continue to learn a lot from him.
AnitoKid of The AnitoKid Chronikos - My blog bro may be quite overexposed here but there's just no denying the fact that he's one of the most generous bloggers I've met online, going out of his way to help fellow bloggers.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Work at Home Mom: More Musings on Stigma and Being Filipina
Recent discussions among Filipina bloggers have led me to ponder more on the various stigmas cast on Filipinas.
At Cafe Romanza, I wrote on "The Filipina Bride Overseas - Not Necessarily A Mail Order Bride."
I expanded the subject matter to cover other types of stigma at Maia Jose.com with Stigma and the Filipina.
As I said in that post, "Stigma thrives on the unspoken. Like taboo, it is a child of darkness. It envelops the stigmatized and draws her to cower in hidden corners. To fight stigma, we need to throw light on it. Bright light. Glaring light. We need to expose it and subject it to scrutiny. Dispel the mistaken notions and innuendoes. Strip it down to bare truth."
So let's fight stigma this way: love and light!
At Cafe Romanza, I wrote on "The Filipina Bride Overseas - Not Necessarily A Mail Order Bride."
I expanded the subject matter to cover other types of stigma at Maia Jose.com with Stigma and the Filipina.
As I said in that post, "Stigma thrives on the unspoken. Like taboo, it is a child of darkness. It envelops the stigmatized and draws her to cower in hidden corners. To fight stigma, we need to throw light on it. Bright light. Glaring light. We need to expose it and subject it to scrutiny. Dispel the mistaken notions and innuendoes. Strip it down to bare truth."
So let's fight stigma this way: love and light!
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Work at Home Mom: MyBlogLog Members, Please Be Aware!
I do love MyBlogLog. I have discovered lots of wonderful blogs through this social network, and many other bloggers have found my blogs through it.
Recently, though, there has been widespread concern over the abuse of a new feature in the network: the community message. MyBlogLog has always had a message feature where you can leave a public or private message for a member in his/her page. With the new feature, however, a member can send one message to all members of his/her community at one go. Yes, it's a spammer's fantasy come true, indeed!
Not that I'm saying all those who have been using the feature are spammers. Nope! Not me! I've been burned that way before - called a spammer without any such intentions on my part.
I can imagine many enthusiastic MyBlogLog members seeing the new feature on their pages. Surely, since it was installed by MyBlogLog itself, then it must be there to be used. And it must be safe to use. So use it they did. Only to be met with declarations from other bloggers that they will leave the community of anyone who uses the new feature. It must have been a shock, especially to those who merely wanted to thank their community members for joining.
No, I never used the new feature. But I wouldn't leave the community of a blogger that used it - not unless he/she sends a totally rude and blatantly spammy community message.
I'm a member of a LOT of communities and I have it set so that I receive email notices of messages. This is so that I don't miss anything I may need to reply to immediately. Since the new feature has been installed, I have been flooded with community messages. I must admit it has become quite annoying and I have been deleting many messages. So far, I haven't received a message so irritating as to make me leave the community, though.
But fellow MyBlogLog members, please be aware of the annoyance factor of this new feature. I am giving everyone the benefit of the doubt - I'm assuming that all community messages are sent without any intention of spamming. After all, the communities I have joined are owned by bloggers whose blogs I read and, therefore, like on various levels. Please know that using the community message feature may backfire on your sincere intentions to get in touch with your community members.
There may be some situations that merit the use of the community message - like maybe if you're closing down your blog and would want to inform your members? Or if you're transferring domain. Be very careful in deciding whether your message really needs to be sent this way. Otherwise, just write what you have to say in your blog posts and trust that your community members will come by it sooner or later. After all, they did join your community, didn't they?
Related Post: The MyBlogLog Community Exchange Will Bring In More Traffic
Recently, though, there has been widespread concern over the abuse of a new feature in the network: the community message. MyBlogLog has always had a message feature where you can leave a public or private message for a member in his/her page. With the new feature, however, a member can send one message to all members of his/her community at one go. Yes, it's a spammer's fantasy come true, indeed!
Not that I'm saying all those who have been using the feature are spammers. Nope! Not me! I've been burned that way before - called a spammer without any such intentions on my part.
I can imagine many enthusiastic MyBlogLog members seeing the new feature on their pages. Surely, since it was installed by MyBlogLog itself, then it must be there to be used. And it must be safe to use. So use it they did. Only to be met with declarations from other bloggers that they will leave the community of anyone who uses the new feature. It must have been a shock, especially to those who merely wanted to thank their community members for joining.
No, I never used the new feature. But I wouldn't leave the community of a blogger that used it - not unless he/she sends a totally rude and blatantly spammy community message.
I'm a member of a LOT of communities and I have it set so that I receive email notices of messages. This is so that I don't miss anything I may need to reply to immediately. Since the new feature has been installed, I have been flooded with community messages. I must admit it has become quite annoying and I have been deleting many messages. So far, I haven't received a message so irritating as to make me leave the community, though.
But fellow MyBlogLog members, please be aware of the annoyance factor of this new feature. I am giving everyone the benefit of the doubt - I'm assuming that all community messages are sent without any intention of spamming. After all, the communities I have joined are owned by bloggers whose blogs I read and, therefore, like on various levels. Please know that using the community message feature may backfire on your sincere intentions to get in touch with your community members.
There may be some situations that merit the use of the community message - like maybe if you're closing down your blog and would want to inform your members? Or if you're transferring domain. Be very careful in deciding whether your message really needs to be sent this way. Otherwise, just write what you have to say in your blog posts and trust that your community members will come by it sooner or later. After all, they did join your community, didn't they?
Related Post: The MyBlogLog Community Exchange Will Bring In More Traffic
Work at Home Mom: Manila Mom, an A-List Blogger According to Kineda.com
I'm still in the midst of my fibromyalgia-CFS episode and I'm feeling so bad and down in the dumps, plus I have brain fog. Having said that, I now plead a case of temporary insanity in claiming this A-List Blogger badge from Kineda.com.
Aha! I know, a lot of bloggers out there will be sneering. Who am I to claim to be an A-List blogger? I've only been here a few months, I don't have that much traffic to show for it and - horrors! - I join those shady link trains!
I actually got to know of Kineda's widget from AnitoKid and, boy, did he get insulted for it. Well, bro, I think the widget's too cute to pass up so I'm joining the risk wagon, too :D
If anyone cares to know before passing judgment, Kineda.com's "Bloglebrity" categorization is based on Technorati stats. You key in your url and they get your stats from Technorati. If you have at least 500 blogs linking to you within the past six months, you're an A-List blogger!
I used my manila-mom.blogspot.com url to get the A-List badge, though. I have only very recently acquired www.manilamom.com and, unfortunately, Technorati does not recognize the redirect even if it's exactly the same blog also hosted by Blogger. Technorati still tracks manila-mom.blogspot.com and has a different tracking for www.manilamom.com which, of course, has lower stats.
For total transparency, I have indicated this detail beside my Technorati and Kineda widgets in the sidebar. I can already imagine someone typing in my www.manilamom.com url in both sites and then gleefully saying, "She's lying! She doesn't qualify!" Oh please.
These stats and badges and lists are just picker-uppers that help brighten a blogger's days. Please let's not take them too seriously and not stress on them. Let's keep blogging fun and friendly.
Aha! I know, a lot of bloggers out there will be sneering. Who am I to claim to be an A-List blogger? I've only been here a few months, I don't have that much traffic to show for it and - horrors! - I join those shady link trains!
I actually got to know of Kineda's widget from AnitoKid and, boy, did he get insulted for it. Well, bro, I think the widget's too cute to pass up so I'm joining the risk wagon, too :D
If anyone cares to know before passing judgment, Kineda.com's "Bloglebrity" categorization is based on Technorati stats. You key in your url and they get your stats from Technorati. If you have at least 500 blogs linking to you within the past six months, you're an A-List blogger!
I used my manila-mom.blogspot.com url to get the A-List badge, though. I have only very recently acquired www.manilamom.com and, unfortunately, Technorati does not recognize the redirect even if it's exactly the same blog also hosted by Blogger. Technorati still tracks manila-mom.blogspot.com and has a different tracking for www.manilamom.com which, of course, has lower stats.
For total transparency, I have indicated this detail beside my Technorati and Kineda widgets in the sidebar. I can already imagine someone typing in my www.manilamom.com url in both sites and then gleefully saying, "She's lying! She doesn't qualify!" Oh please.
These stats and badges and lists are just picker-uppers that help brighten a blogger's days. Please let's not take them too seriously and not stress on them. Let's keep blogging fun and friendly.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Work at Home Mom: This Manila Mom Isn't Just a Sexy Filipina, But Also Apparently a Rockin' Girl Blogger
I have been offline since the weekend with another bad episode of my chronic headaches, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It's not over yet, I'm still woozy, but something I read perked me up enough to get my fingers moving again.
I'm very late in seeing this, but Angie of Suncoast Scribe has named me a Rockin' Girl Blogger, complete with a badge of honor. Thank you very much, Angie!
The Rockin' Girl Blogger idea originated from Roberta Ferguson - Blogging Made Devilishly Simple. She has since made a list of those who have been named Rockin' Girl Bloggers.
If you're one of them and your name's not on the list, let me know so I can add you in. It would be nice if you could host the list in a post in your blog, too ;D This will help other bloggers discover these wonderful rockin' girl blogs.
Once tagged, you're supposed to add your five nominees to the list.
This is difficult because there are so many women bloggers out there whose blogs rock! Here are my votes to be added to The List of Rockin' Girl Bloggers:
Female Gamer
The D Spot
Touched By An Angel
Feisty Momma
Homeschooling In The Ozarks
The List:
SunCoastScribe
PfunkPocklock
Liz Strauss
MsDanielle
The Buzz Queen
Manila Mom
Vegan Momma
Jenny Up The Hill
Karen at The Pond
The Sassy Southerner
Crazy Working Mom
One Full House
Are We There Yet?
Desert Songbird
Scrappin’ with life
Coffee 2 Go
Rocky Mountain Retreat
Just Me Shann
Comedy Plus
Muffin53
Mags
Irish Blogs
Robin Lee Hatcher
Writing From The Inside Out
Absolutely Bananas
Fracas
Oh, The Joys
Layla’s Classic Rock FavesSzavanna Blog
Writer Mama
NowOut Of Focus
Wacky Mom
Organising Queen
ShortyBears Place
Dayngrous Discourse
Skittles’ Place
Devilish Southern Belle
Skeet’s Stuff
My Mommy’s Place
Maya’s Mom
Mom Is Nutz
Home School BloggerLittle WoolgatheringsThis Eclectic Life
Cindy SwansonPetroville
West Of Mars
Wonderland Or Not
Polliwog
MimiWrites
Suzanne Harris
Carma’s Window
FrenchKys
Malin at Infektia
Terra Andersen
Corrie Haffly
What are you waiting for? Come visit these rockin' girl blogs!
Let's all rock the blogosphere!
Related Posts:
Yes, Filipinas Are Sexy
Sexy Filipinas -Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted
Who's Afraid of the Sexy Filipina?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Work at Home Mom: Yes, Filipinas Are Sexy!
I owe the fun post below to an unfortunate incident that befell my blog friend, Sexy Mom. Imagine a fanatic accusing her of being a disgrace to Filipina women because of her moniker? Of course, Sexy Mom's readers wouldn't have any of it and have said so in no uncertain terms.
Dine, two positive things came out of that nasty comment sent to you. I guess "decent" mother's intentions backfired on her!
On a purely personal angle, I was able to discover MrsPartyGirl's site from her comment on your post. I liked her comment:
"i am a filipina, i am decent (ask my husband), but i want to be sexy, too! why should 'decentmother' want to take that away from me just because she has some moral/semantic dilemma?"
I teased her:
"Be careful MrsPartyGirl! Some “decent” people may think that its disgraceful for moms to call themselves party girls, and even more scandalous to want to be sexy! ;D
"Hey, I want to be sexy, too! Let’s call ourselves Dine’s Gang of Sexy Mommas!"
She gamely replied:
"hey manila mom, i hear ya! :) actually, when i google my nick, i’m directed to sites of either promiscuous married women with their equally promiscuous gardeners or college girls who have more than just their studies on their mind. :P so sexymom, you are not alone hehe."
I visited MrsPartyGirl's site and got myself tagged (volunteered, actually) for the meme below.
Dine, two positive things came out of that nasty comment sent to you. I guess "decent" mother's intentions backfired on her!
On a purely personal angle, I was able to discover MrsPartyGirl's site from her comment on your post. I liked her comment:
"i am a filipina, i am decent (ask my husband), but i want to be sexy, too! why should 'decentmother' want to take that away from me just because she has some moral/semantic dilemma?"
I teased her:
"Be careful MrsPartyGirl! Some “decent” people may think that its disgraceful for moms to call themselves party girls, and even more scandalous to want to be sexy! ;D
"Hey, I want to be sexy, too! Let’s call ourselves Dine’s Gang of Sexy Mommas!"
She gamely replied:
"hey manila mom, i hear ya! :) actually, when i google my nick, i’m directed to sites of either promiscuous married women with their equally promiscuous gardeners or college girls who have more than just their studies on their mind. :P so sexymom, you are not alone hehe."
I visited MrsPartyGirl's site and got myself tagged (volunteered, actually) for the meme below.
On a more serious note, I also followed Angelic Mom home from her comment to your post. I have been a regular reader of her blog since I started blogging. I agreed with her call to reshape the Filipina woman's image online. And so, my post at Cafe Romanza: Sexy Filipinas - Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted!
Yes, Filipinas are sexy! As I said in my post: Let the world know that Filipinas are, indeed, sexy and that being sexy does not necessarily have anything to do with sordid commercial sex.
Filipinas are sexy because we are strong, intelligent, capable, forward-thinking, courageous, confident, dignified, sincere, caring and loving. We know ourselves and are comfortable with ourselves.
So, are you a sexy Filipina, too?
These blog posts are about the sexy Filipina:
Sexy Filipinas - Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted!
A Closure, A New Beginning–Reshaping the Online and Sexy Filipina ...
Posting a comment is not enough…Blog about it!
Let's bring sexy and Filipina back
The attack on Sexy Mom: False feminism, if there is such a thing (as feminism)
What Filipina Should Mean Online
Who's Afraid of the Sexy Filipina?
Campaign Redefines the Sexy Filipina
The Online Journal of a Sexy Filipina
The Filipina Bride Overseas - Not Necessarily A Mail Order Bride
Work at Home Mom: Life in the Philippines: Let's Eat and Be Merry!
On a more upbeat note...
I got this Masayang Survey (Fun Survey) from a blog I just discovered, Confessions of a Domesticated Party Girl by fellow Filipina blogger Mom, MrsPartyGirl.
I will be translating the Qs & As since visitors come from all over.
Ano ang iyong almusal kanina? (What did you have for breakfast today?)
A mug of Milo with CMD Mineral Drops, my health supplement. I very rarely take a full breakfast as it makes me feel sluggish. I don't get hungry until several hours after waking. Nope, this isn't a diet. I actually eat A LOT at lunch and EVEN MORE at dinner, which is not a very good thing. It's supposed to be the other way around - more in the morning and very little at night. Oh well...
Ikaw ay may itlog — nilagang itlog. Paano mo ito kakainin? (You have a hardboiled egg. How will you eat it?)
Like MsPartyGirl, I like eating hardboiled eggs with patis and rice. Patis is salty fermented fish sauce, Filipino style. Other Asian neighbors also have this, most notably Thailand. Practically anything with patis becomes so good with rice. Yum! Yes, I know...watch the sodium! And watch the rice! Too much starchy carbo!
Ano ang paborito mong local na junkfood? (What's your favorite local - meaning Filipino- junkfood?)
Argh! There are so many! Cheese-flavored Clover chips, Spicy Granny Goose Tortilla chips, Lala Fish crackers, Boy Bawang, Spicy Shing-a-ling, Cloud Nine, Piattos Sour Cream and Onion...okay I should stop now. I'm starting to crave them again and I just made a pinky swear with my kids to not have softdrinks and junkfood. I need a crunchy, salty, spicy fix! Is popcorn junkfood? Homemade? Airpopped? Pleeeeeese?
Ikaw ay kinuhang TOP CHEF sa isang engrandeng pagtitipon. Ano ang iyong ihahain sa mga bisita? (Note: Ang mga pagkain na ihahain mo ay ang mga alam mong lutuin. Bawal magsinungaling) (You have been made Top Chef for a grand affair. What will you serve? Note: You can only serve what you know how to make yourself. No lying.)
I must confess, I don't cook at home. Well, sometimes for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Noche Buena since our helpers are off to their families then. We more often opt to just order food, though, which is so un-Filipino. Nothing fancy - usually grilled bangus (milkfish) from Pixie's, lechon manok (roasted chicken) from Baliwag, skewered pork barbecue and grilled squid from Grill Queen, lumpiang ubod (spring rolls stuffed with - i don't know how this is called but it's the core of the coconut tree's trunk) from Aling Lita.
Traditionally, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinner and midnight treats are supposed to showcase specialties of the mother of the house. My poor family...
Having said that, I can whip up something when there is no other recourse. I am allowed to have lots of assistants to do the chopping and cleaning up, right? Then it would be:
-Mediterranean fresh and grilled vegetable salad (fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and grilled eggplant, bellpeppers and portobello mushrooms) with green and black olives and a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper;
- Oriental Sashimi a la Gerry's Grill, our version. Fresh tuna drizzled just before serving with a dressing of Kikoman soy sauce and sesame oil, on a bed of lettuce and topped with finely chopped green onions.
- Corn Soup Visayan Style (similar to MsPartyGirl's Suam Mais but without the chicken and with lots of malunggay leaves instead of sili tops;
- Halabos na Sugpo (Stir fried Prawns) in Star Margarine and lots of garlic;
- Pork chops or pork ribs "Pinatuyo" (simmered till all the liquid evaporates and the pork renders fat in which it is allowed to fry to brown a little) in water, salt and lots of garlic. Don't ask me the measurements. I just do it by "tantya" (estimate). A spicy vinegar dip on the side.
- Plain rice
- Mango refrigerator cake - the one in the TV commercial with layers of crushed graham crackers and lots of sweet ripe mango slices mixed with cream and condensed milk. I would add crushed cashew nuts to the crushed graham crackers.
A hodgepodge with no theme nor unifying element, I know. That's why I'm not a cook.
But now I think I'm in trouble next Christmas Eve!
Kung ikaw ay makakain sa restaurant ngayon din, saang restaurant ka pupunta at bakit? (If you can go to a restaurant right now, which would you choose and why?)
Tough one. There are so many we like and too few really special occasions when we can rationalize the expense. If we have some extra to splurge on an expensive family dinner we often choose Dad's Ultimate Buffet, though. Sulit! (Worth the price!) Oh, the Japanese buffet with unlimited sashimi, sushi and prawn tempura plus the Filipino buffet with crispy-skinned lechon de leche/roasted suckling pig plus the Continental buffet's dessert bar. You see how we love to pig out? It's tough to find something to wear that's all dressy and yet has enough room in the tummy area to really enjoy the night. :D
Tip: Don't drink too much iced tea or any beverage for that matter so as not to use upall your tummy space. Okay, I'm exposing my katakawan too much already. No,I'm not going to translate katakawan. You already get the picture.
Saang restaurant mo gustong makapunta, pero di ka lang nakakarating pa? (What restaurant would you want to visit, which you haven't been to yet?)
We've been hearing about the buffet at Spiral, at the Hotel Philippine Plaza. Recognize that word again? Buffet! So Pinoy!
May pizza sa harap mo. Ano ang ayaw mong makitang topping sa pizza mo? (There's a pizza in front of you. What don't you want to see on your pizza?)
Pineapple! But I love anchovies, olives and garlic on my pizza. Definitely not for a romantic night :D
Ano ang madalas mong orderin sa Jollibee? (What do you often order at Jollibee?)
Two-piece Chickenjoy with rice, Coke Light (okay, no more softdrinks from now on), Chocolate sundae.
Paano magluto ng Sinigang? Marunong ka ba? (How does one cook Sinigang? Do you know how?)
Again, I'm not the one making this at home. But from the style handed down by my Mom and Dad (my Dad loves cooking), the pork cubes and gabi cubes (taro) are first sauteed in a little oil and garlic with patis. Unfortunately, my eldest daughter is allergic to patis so we use rock salt instead. After the pork has absorbed the flavors, add water or, preferably, hugas-bigas (water in which the rice has been washed). Let boil till meat and gabi are tender. Add vegetables. We like a mix of kangkong (swamp cabbage), lots of okra -my favorite, sitaw (stringbeans) or sigarillas (wingbeans), eggplant, whole or halved red onions and long green chili peppers.
OH! I forgot the most important part. The sourness! We like using calamansi juice. Lots of it. As in a kilo or more of freshly squeezed calamansi juice added just after the fire has been turned off. This isn't even enough sourness for my youngest daughter. She adds about a half cup more of calamansi juice to her big bowl of sinigang!
When I eat this with rice I crush the green chili peppers in my patis dip. Then I crush the taro cubes to make my soup thick.
We also love Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso at Mustasa (Milkfish Sinigang With Miso and Mustard Greens) but I am totally clueless at preparing that. Our helper is the expert.
Ikaw ay may fried chicken sa harap mo. Ano ang dapat niyang kapartner para masarap ang kain? (You have fried chicken before you. What would be its perfect pair?)
That depends on what kind of fried chicken it is. If from Max's, it needs the original banana ketchup. If from KFC, the KFC gravy. If from Jollibee or McDonalds, I don't use gravy. At home, tomato ketchup mixed with Worcestershire sauce.
Kumakain ka ba ng dinuguan? Alam mo ba kung saan ito gawa? (Do you eat Dinuguan? Do you know what it's made of?)
I love dinuguan! Preferably sour and spicy and thick with lots of rice!
Yes, I know what it's made of. It's blood stew (am not sure if pork or beef, though) with meat and innards. For non-Filipinos: it's black, not red.
I'm starting to get hungry already.
So if you're Pinoy/Pinay by blood or affinity or appetite, you're tagged!
Now where can I get Dinuguan? Or maybe call for Jollibee Chickenjoy delivery? Hmmm...
I got this Masayang Survey (Fun Survey) from a blog I just discovered, Confessions of a Domesticated Party Girl by fellow Filipina blogger Mom, MrsPartyGirl.
I will be translating the Qs & As since visitors come from all over.
Ano ang iyong almusal kanina? (What did you have for breakfast today?)
A mug of Milo with CMD Mineral Drops, my health supplement. I very rarely take a full breakfast as it makes me feel sluggish. I don't get hungry until several hours after waking. Nope, this isn't a diet. I actually eat A LOT at lunch and EVEN MORE at dinner, which is not a very good thing. It's supposed to be the other way around - more in the morning and very little at night. Oh well...
Ikaw ay may itlog — nilagang itlog. Paano mo ito kakainin? (You have a hardboiled egg. How will you eat it?)
Like MsPartyGirl, I like eating hardboiled eggs with patis and rice. Patis is salty fermented fish sauce, Filipino style. Other Asian neighbors also have this, most notably Thailand. Practically anything with patis becomes so good with rice. Yum! Yes, I know...watch the sodium! And watch the rice! Too much starchy carbo!
Ano ang paborito mong local na junkfood? (What's your favorite local - meaning Filipino- junkfood?)
Argh! There are so many! Cheese-flavored Clover chips, Spicy Granny Goose Tortilla chips, Lala Fish crackers, Boy Bawang, Spicy Shing-a-ling, Cloud Nine, Piattos Sour Cream and Onion...okay I should stop now. I'm starting to crave them again and I just made a pinky swear with my kids to not have softdrinks and junkfood. I need a crunchy, salty, spicy fix! Is popcorn junkfood? Homemade? Airpopped? Pleeeeeese?
Ikaw ay kinuhang TOP CHEF sa isang engrandeng pagtitipon. Ano ang iyong ihahain sa mga bisita? (Note: Ang mga pagkain na ihahain mo ay ang mga alam mong lutuin. Bawal magsinungaling) (You have been made Top Chef for a grand affair. What will you serve? Note: You can only serve what you know how to make yourself. No lying.)
I must confess, I don't cook at home. Well, sometimes for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Noche Buena since our helpers are off to their families then. We more often opt to just order food, though, which is so un-Filipino. Nothing fancy - usually grilled bangus (milkfish) from Pixie's, lechon manok (roasted chicken) from Baliwag, skewered pork barbecue and grilled squid from Grill Queen, lumpiang ubod (spring rolls stuffed with - i don't know how this is called but it's the core of the coconut tree's trunk) from Aling Lita.
Traditionally, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinner and midnight treats are supposed to showcase specialties of the mother of the house. My poor family...
Having said that, I can whip up something when there is no other recourse. I am allowed to have lots of assistants to do the chopping and cleaning up, right? Then it would be:
-Mediterranean fresh and grilled vegetable salad (fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and grilled eggplant, bellpeppers and portobello mushrooms) with green and black olives and a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper;
- Oriental Sashimi a la Gerry's Grill, our version. Fresh tuna drizzled just before serving with a dressing of Kikoman soy sauce and sesame oil, on a bed of lettuce and topped with finely chopped green onions.
- Corn Soup Visayan Style (similar to MsPartyGirl's Suam Mais but without the chicken and with lots of malunggay leaves instead of sili tops;
- Halabos na Sugpo (Stir fried Prawns) in Star Margarine and lots of garlic;
- Pork chops or pork ribs "Pinatuyo" (simmered till all the liquid evaporates and the pork renders fat in which it is allowed to fry to brown a little) in water, salt and lots of garlic. Don't ask me the measurements. I just do it by "tantya" (estimate). A spicy vinegar dip on the side.
- Plain rice
- Mango refrigerator cake - the one in the TV commercial with layers of crushed graham crackers and lots of sweet ripe mango slices mixed with cream and condensed milk. I would add crushed cashew nuts to the crushed graham crackers.
A hodgepodge with no theme nor unifying element, I know. That's why I'm not a cook.
But now I think I'm in trouble next Christmas Eve!
Kung ikaw ay makakain sa restaurant ngayon din, saang restaurant ka pupunta at bakit? (If you can go to a restaurant right now, which would you choose and why?)
Tough one. There are so many we like and too few really special occasions when we can rationalize the expense. If we have some extra to splurge on an expensive family dinner we often choose Dad's Ultimate Buffet, though. Sulit! (Worth the price!) Oh, the Japanese buffet with unlimited sashimi, sushi and prawn tempura plus the Filipino buffet with crispy-skinned lechon de leche/roasted suckling pig plus the Continental buffet's dessert bar. You see how we love to pig out? It's tough to find something to wear that's all dressy and yet has enough room in the tummy area to really enjoy the night. :D
Tip: Don't drink too much iced tea or any beverage for that matter so as not to use upall your tummy space. Okay, I'm exposing my katakawan too much already. No,I'm not going to translate katakawan. You already get the picture.
Saang restaurant mo gustong makapunta, pero di ka lang nakakarating pa? (What restaurant would you want to visit, which you haven't been to yet?)
We've been hearing about the buffet at Spiral, at the Hotel Philippine Plaza. Recognize that word again? Buffet! So Pinoy!
May pizza sa harap mo. Ano ang ayaw mong makitang topping sa pizza mo? (There's a pizza in front of you. What don't you want to see on your pizza?)
Pineapple! But I love anchovies, olives and garlic on my pizza. Definitely not for a romantic night :D
Ano ang madalas mong orderin sa Jollibee? (What do you often order at Jollibee?)
Two-piece Chickenjoy with rice, Coke Light (okay, no more softdrinks from now on), Chocolate sundae.
Paano magluto ng Sinigang? Marunong ka ba? (How does one cook Sinigang? Do you know how?)
Again, I'm not the one making this at home. But from the style handed down by my Mom and Dad (my Dad loves cooking), the pork cubes and gabi cubes (taro) are first sauteed in a little oil and garlic with patis. Unfortunately, my eldest daughter is allergic to patis so we use rock salt instead. After the pork has absorbed the flavors, add water or, preferably, hugas-bigas (water in which the rice has been washed). Let boil till meat and gabi are tender. Add vegetables. We like a mix of kangkong (swamp cabbage), lots of okra -my favorite, sitaw (stringbeans) or sigarillas (wingbeans), eggplant, whole or halved red onions and long green chili peppers.
OH! I forgot the most important part. The sourness! We like using calamansi juice. Lots of it. As in a kilo or more of freshly squeezed calamansi juice added just after the fire has been turned off. This isn't even enough sourness for my youngest daughter. She adds about a half cup more of calamansi juice to her big bowl of sinigang!
When I eat this with rice I crush the green chili peppers in my patis dip. Then I crush the taro cubes to make my soup thick.
We also love Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso at Mustasa (Milkfish Sinigang With Miso and Mustard Greens) but I am totally clueless at preparing that. Our helper is the expert.
Ikaw ay may fried chicken sa harap mo. Ano ang dapat niyang kapartner para masarap ang kain? (You have fried chicken before you. What would be its perfect pair?)
That depends on what kind of fried chicken it is. If from Max's, it needs the original banana ketchup. If from KFC, the KFC gravy. If from Jollibee or McDonalds, I don't use gravy. At home, tomato ketchup mixed with Worcestershire sauce.
Kumakain ka ba ng dinuguan? Alam mo ba kung saan ito gawa? (Do you eat Dinuguan? Do you know what it's made of?)
I love dinuguan! Preferably sour and spicy and thick with lots of rice!
Yes, I know what it's made of. It's blood stew (am not sure if pork or beef, though) with meat and innards. For non-Filipinos: it's black, not red.
I'm starting to get hungry already.
So if you're Pinoy/Pinay by blood or affinity or appetite, you're tagged!
Now where can I get Dinuguan? Or maybe call for Jollibee Chickenjoy delivery? Hmmm...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Work at Home Mom: I Am Bowing Out Of the Top 100 Philippine Blogs
I have been very openly enthusiastic about having climbed the ranks at Ratified.org's Top 100 Philippine Blogs. I am, however, bowing out of it today out of delicadeza. I believe it is not proper for me to consider myself part of the ranking when the owner of the list himself deems me "not legit."
In one ofmy other blogs, I received a comment from Andrew dela Serna of Alleba.com, saying "It would have been more legit if you didn't join those link trains."
This led me to his post where he calls participation in link trains such as the Alexa Train, Technorati Train and Viral Tags as "spamming." Here is his post en toto:
"From my experience of running a web directory and blog directory, I’ve come across dozens of blogs that join these so-called link “trains” to increase their Alexa and Technorati rankings. Some are also in the illusion that it will increase their Google PageRank. At Ratified.org, I know for a fact that a bulk of those in the top 20 participate in such schemes. Had I excluded them, Bryan Boy would easily be #1. What happened to that plan anyway? Well, I decided to shelve it for now.
"Anyway, let me say that I find these things extremely self-serving and useless. The only person who directly benefits from this is the originator of the scheme. Imagine this: if I were to start something similar, all I need is to make it sound like a valiant effort and coax a few believers to join in. Then it becomes viral because, who doesn’t want links? Every struggling blogger would jump at any chance to get links, right? That’s why it’s so easy to ask them to join. In the end, the originator gets all the link love while the rest are placed in a link farm.
"Speaking of link farms, I cannot support the theory that “riding a train” increases PageRank. Link farms or free-for-all links (FFA’s) are an artificial way of linking. These “trains” aren’t any different. As we all know, for every link on a page, a little bit of its PageRank is passed on. Just imagine a low-PR page with hundreds of links on it. Basically the amount of PageRank granted is next to nil. Even if we consider the multiplier effect knowing that many other blogs will display the same links, they still won’t add up enough to make a real dent on PageRank. Also, the question of relevance comes to mind. I have a blog on cooking and I link to another blog about Hydraulics and to another on Yoyoing. Certainly those links will be considered spam by Google. But probably not in the case of linking only to those two sites. But if you link to a hundred more irrelevant blogs and those blogs contain the same exact links, that’s a totally different story. It’s called spamming.
"I hope all the new blood in the blogosphere would concentrate more on developing good, original content, rather than spending hours and hours on shady link exchanges. It’s definitely a virus, the kind that should be cured ASAP."
He has a right to his opinion but I disagree with him.
I don't believe it is spamming since these trains are not imposed on anyone. Participation is purely voluntary.
I also do not believe that participation in link trains automatically means one does not write original and relevant content in one's blog, not unless all your posts consist only of such trains.
Although I do not know enough about the technicalities of page rank computation, it's okay by me if my participation in these trains do not result in a higher page rank. Having become part of networks that I intend to explore further is good enough for me.
Any person or organization that puts up lists has the right to determine what qualifies one to be in that list. I therefore bow out of Ratified.org's list.
I only hope that bloggers who in good faith join link trains to jumpstart networking not be stigmatized as illegitimate, shady and irrelevant.
In one ofmy other blogs, I received a comment from Andrew dela Serna of Alleba.com, saying "It would have been more legit if you didn't join those link trains."
This led me to his post where he calls participation in link trains such as the Alexa Train, Technorati Train and Viral Tags as "spamming." Here is his post en toto:
"From my experience of running a web directory and blog directory, I’ve come across dozens of blogs that join these so-called link “trains” to increase their Alexa and Technorati rankings. Some are also in the illusion that it will increase their Google PageRank. At Ratified.org, I know for a fact that a bulk of those in the top 20 participate in such schemes. Had I excluded them, Bryan Boy would easily be #1. What happened to that plan anyway? Well, I decided to shelve it for now.
"Anyway, let me say that I find these things extremely self-serving and useless. The only person who directly benefits from this is the originator of the scheme. Imagine this: if I were to start something similar, all I need is to make it sound like a valiant effort and coax a few believers to join in. Then it becomes viral because, who doesn’t want links? Every struggling blogger would jump at any chance to get links, right? That’s why it’s so easy to ask them to join. In the end, the originator gets all the link love while the rest are placed in a link farm.
"Speaking of link farms, I cannot support the theory that “riding a train” increases PageRank. Link farms or free-for-all links (FFA’s) are an artificial way of linking. These “trains” aren’t any different. As we all know, for every link on a page, a little bit of its PageRank is passed on. Just imagine a low-PR page with hundreds of links on it. Basically the amount of PageRank granted is next to nil. Even if we consider the multiplier effect knowing that many other blogs will display the same links, they still won’t add up enough to make a real dent on PageRank. Also, the question of relevance comes to mind. I have a blog on cooking and I link to another blog about Hydraulics and to another on Yoyoing. Certainly those links will be considered spam by Google. But probably not in the case of linking only to those two sites. But if you link to a hundred more irrelevant blogs and those blogs contain the same exact links, that’s a totally different story. It’s called spamming.
"I hope all the new blood in the blogosphere would concentrate more on developing good, original content, rather than spending hours and hours on shady link exchanges. It’s definitely a virus, the kind that should be cured ASAP."
He has a right to his opinion but I disagree with him.
I don't believe it is spamming since these trains are not imposed on anyone. Participation is purely voluntary.
I also do not believe that participation in link trains automatically means one does not write original and relevant content in one's blog, not unless all your posts consist only of such trains.
Although I do not know enough about the technicalities of page rank computation, it's okay by me if my participation in these trains do not result in a higher page rank. Having become part of networks that I intend to explore further is good enough for me.
Any person or organization that puts up lists has the right to determine what qualifies one to be in that list. I therefore bow out of Ratified.org's list.
I only hope that bloggers who in good faith join link trains to jumpstart networking not be stigmatized as illegitimate, shady and irrelevant.
Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: The MyBlogLog Community Exchange Will Bring In More Traffic
I got this meme from Garry Conn who always gives excellent blogging tips. He created the MyBlogLog Community Exchange himself.
I have been a member of MyBlogLog almost from the start of my blogging days. I know for a fact that it's a very powerful network. In fact, my Manila Mom MBL member page has a PR5 with 151 family, friends and contacts as of this writing. The Manila Mom community has 105 members as of this writing.
Still, there is always room to grow. I know that there are more blogs to network with at MyBlogLog, and this Exchange is one way to do that.
Host this MyBlogLog Community Exchange and bring in more readers and backlinks. Most important, visit the blogs of the communities you have joined and participate in the discussions through comments.
These are the rules:
1. Join all of the MyBlogLog communities on the list below.
2. Copy the list and paste in on a new post on your blog.
3. Write a brief paragraph above the list to explain the game.
4. Add 2 or 3 more MyBlogLog communities to the list and publish the post.
5. To be added to this list, leave a comment below, including the url of your post.
The MyBlogLog Community Exchange List:
Successful Blogging Tips Join MyBlogLog
Make Money Online Join MyBlogLog
Kyle’s Cove dot Com Join MyBlogLog
GoldCoaster Join MyBlogLog
Affiliate Programs Join MyBlogLog
The Junky’s Wife Join MyBlogLog
GoldyWorld Join MyBlogLog
BetShopBoy Join MyBlogLog
IndiaPRBlog Join MyBlogLog
ShanKri-la Join MyBlogLog
HomeMom3 Join MyBlogLog
Ryan Shamus Join MyBlogLog
Kassper Join MyBlogLog
Punto Fape Join MyBlogLog
Earn Money on the Web Join MyBlogLog
Making Money Through Internet Join MyBlogLog
Chronic Headache, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Join MyBlogLog
Free Stuff Join MyBlogLog
House Hunting Join MyBlogLog
Hot Buzz Join MyBlogLog
Earn Online Join MyBlogLog
Ageless Beauty Join MyBlogLog
Philippine Trip Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Author Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Family Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Community Join MyBlogLog
Manila Mom Join MyBlogLog
Pinoy Network Join MyBloglog
Blog Corner JoinMybloglog
SFtopics Join MyBlogLog
AnitoKid JoinMyBlogLog
Up the Hill Gang Join MyBlogLog
Who Let the Dog Out Join MyBlogLog
Come on! Join the fun!
I have been a member of MyBlogLog almost from the start of my blogging days. I know for a fact that it's a very powerful network. In fact, my Manila Mom MBL member page has a PR5 with 151 family, friends and contacts as of this writing. The Manila Mom community has 105 members as of this writing.
Still, there is always room to grow. I know that there are more blogs to network with at MyBlogLog, and this Exchange is one way to do that.
Host this MyBlogLog Community Exchange and bring in more readers and backlinks. Most important, visit the blogs of the communities you have joined and participate in the discussions through comments.
These are the rules:
1. Join all of the MyBlogLog communities on the list below.
2. Copy the list and paste in on a new post on your blog.
3. Write a brief paragraph above the list to explain the game.
4. Add 2 or 3 more MyBlogLog communities to the list and publish the post.
5. To be added to this list, leave a comment below, including the url of your post.
The MyBlogLog Community Exchange List:
Successful Blogging Tips Join MyBlogLog
Make Money Online Join MyBlogLog
Kyle’s Cove dot Com Join MyBlogLog
GoldCoaster Join MyBlogLog
Affiliate Programs Join MyBlogLog
The Junky’s Wife Join MyBlogLog
GoldyWorld Join MyBlogLog
BetShopBoy Join MyBlogLog
IndiaPRBlog Join MyBlogLog
ShanKri-la Join MyBlogLog
HomeMom3 Join MyBlogLog
Ryan Shamus Join MyBlogLog
Kassper Join MyBlogLog
Punto Fape Join MyBlogLog
Earn Money on the Web Join MyBlogLog
Making Money Through Internet Join MyBlogLog
Chronic Headache, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Join MyBlogLog
Free Stuff Join MyBlogLog
House Hunting Join MyBlogLog
Hot Buzz Join MyBlogLog
Earn Online Join MyBlogLog
Ageless Beauty Join MyBlogLog
Philippine Trip Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Author Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Family Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Community Join MyBlogLog
Manila Mom Join MyBlogLog
Pinoy Network Join MyBloglog
Blog Corner JoinMybloglog
SFtopics Join MyBlogLog
AnitoKid JoinMyBlogLog
Up the Hill Gang Join MyBlogLog
Who Let the Dog Out Join MyBlogLog
Come on! Join the fun!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: I Have Just Downloaded My AGLOCO Viewbar
Several months after I joined, I have finally downloaded my AGLOCO bar.
I actually received the notice that I was eligible to download it a few weeks back. When I tried to do so then, however, I encountered a lot of glitches. The AGLOCO blog showed me that I was not alone. The sheer number of people trying to download the bar seems to have overwhelmed the system. I decided not to push my luck.
I received another email last week telling me they have done something about the problem. Alternate sites are now available to absorb the traffic. You can choose what country you want to download from.
True enough, downloading from the Philippine site was smooth and quick. No problems encountered.
I'm sure most of you already know about AGLOCO. If you do, you might want to stop reading here :D
For those who haven't, AGLOCO stands for A Global Community. You join for free and will be able to download the AGLOCO Viewbar. You only have to do your usual web surfing with the viewbar on your desktop for 5 hours a month. In return, you will receive your share of the entire income AGLOCO receives from advertising and sales referrals. In effect, AGLOCO's income will be divided among all its member-users.
The viewbar download may not be immediate as it's on a first-come-first-served basis, but you are immediately qualified to refer people to the program.
You can increase your earnings through the referral program because you will be getting a percentage of their earnings for as long as they use the viewbar, too. And this does not affect what they themselves will earn. In fact, they can also refer people under their name and you still gain from their first level of referrals.
John Chow is an active proponent of AGLOCO and has had thousands signing up under his name. If such a successful blogger is on to this, then I think it's worth our attention.
So why not give it a try?
I actually received the notice that I was eligible to download it a few weeks back. When I tried to do so then, however, I encountered a lot of glitches. The AGLOCO blog showed me that I was not alone. The sheer number of people trying to download the bar seems to have overwhelmed the system. I decided not to push my luck.
I received another email last week telling me they have done something about the problem. Alternate sites are now available to absorb the traffic. You can choose what country you want to download from.
True enough, downloading from the Philippine site was smooth and quick. No problems encountered.
I'm sure most of you already know about AGLOCO. If you do, you might want to stop reading here :D
For those who haven't, AGLOCO stands for A Global Community. You join for free and will be able to download the AGLOCO Viewbar. You only have to do your usual web surfing with the viewbar on your desktop for 5 hours a month. In return, you will receive your share of the entire income AGLOCO receives from advertising and sales referrals. In effect, AGLOCO's income will be divided among all its member-users.
The viewbar download may not be immediate as it's on a first-come-first-served basis, but you are immediately qualified to refer people to the program.
You can increase your earnings through the referral program because you will be getting a percentage of their earnings for as long as they use the viewbar, too. And this does not affect what they themselves will earn. In fact, they can also refer people under their name and you still gain from their first level of referrals.
John Chow is an active proponent of AGLOCO and has had thousands signing up under his name. If such a successful blogger is on to this, then I think it's worth our attention.
So why not give it a try?
Friday, June 22, 2007
Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: Gain Even More Links With Viral-Icons
Host Icon: 
Now this is something I could never have done by myself. My friend, AnitoKid, already alerted me to Viral-Icons a week ago but I just couldn't make it work even as I tried to copy and paste the matrix to my post.
To my surprise, AnitoKid went as far as making me an icon, putting it in the matrix, and then sending me an email with the entire html of the post. The result: glitch-free posting of the Viral-Icons! Wow!
Now you know why I'm raving about the AnitoKid Chronikos - Billiards and Philippine Sports blog in my review below (please scroll down after this post). The blogger behind the blog is one very kind and helpful man, indeed! (Yes, he was also the one who alerted me to ViralTags.)
Rules:
- No Porn Sites
- Only 1 icon per person (i.e. don’t hog the ViralIcons!)
- Please don’t tamper with other people’s ALT tags, URLs or favicons.
Important:
Once I get a ping back from you (I promise to do the best I can), I will add your favicon and the associated code you designate as “Host Icon” here, replacing one of the “Viral Icons” from the matrix above. As more and more bloggers copy and paste this matrix, the more backlinks you will have with your ALT text. If everybody who copy and paste from your blog does the same, pretty soon this will spread and go viral. So, the sooner you participate, the more links with anchor keywords you will receive.———Copy and paste the VIRAL-ICONS and instructions above this line———
Isn't this neat? So come on and host the Viral-Icons. Let's see how far this one takes us this time.
IMPORTANT: As I said before, I'm quite at a loss with the technicals here, so please send me the actual and complete html for your icon to be pasted into the matrix.
Before you go, though, please scroll down and read my review of AnitoKid Chronikos - Billiards and Philippine Sports. Even if you're not particularly into billiards I guarantee you'll find something of interest there.
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