Curbside Stories

My friends and I have been planning to put up a business since we were in high school. We thought of putting up a restaurant, a boutique, an internet cafe and even a gasoline station. We wanted to have our own business in preparation for our retirement. We have been too busy the past years that we have forgotten about the plan until recently when one of our friends who now works abroad asked me to research about franchising a restaurant. I thought, why not. If there is one thing that unites us, it is food. I did a little research on franchising a restaurant business. Like with any business, we need a capital to start with buying a franchise. My other friend suggested we apply for a business loan because we do not have that big amount of money to buy the franchise. So, we thought of having a business loan.  I have heard of unsecured business loans wherein a lender will not be required of a collateral such as property. One of the advantages of an unsecured loan is that ther...

Every woman has her dream wedding. It is like a young girl dreaming of fairy tales coming true. Just like me, I dream of wearing the most beautiful wedding gown, walking down the aisle with my groom waiting on the altar and reciting our vows in front of our dearest guests. Wedding days are special because it opens a new chapter of a woman's life with the man who will be her life long partner. Having said that, women take time in preparing for the wedding--from the date of their wedding, to the guest list and even the wedding decorations .  If I were to have a garden wedding, I'd choose subtle but romantic decorations that will complement the theme. I don't want the guests to be overwhelmed of the grandeur of the event. I don't even want a big celebration, to begin with. I want them to be relaxed and feel that they are a part of the celebration and not simply as guests. I simply want them to remember that on that day, two individuals were united in love by God.

My cousin is back into blogging. It has been a year since her last post. I am glad she's back because I know she has a lot of nice things to share. And speaking of share... I would like to share her first post this year. It is an excerpt from the Little Black Book about the 5 things teens should never live with. Adults should also apply these to their lives. ******************* The world is full of people who look back with regret on their teenage years. So here are those 5 regrets you don't want to live with the rest of your lives. 1.)   Moral regrets . Don't allow yourself to compromise your purity and be remembered forever with the stains of sexual sin(Rom.12:1) 2.)   Ministry regrets.   If the Lord is speaking to you about sharing your faith w/ a classmate, take the opportunity. It may never come again. 3.)   Mentor regrets . Submit yourself to a good pastor and others you trust to mold you and develop you as a leader. Now is the greate...

In the Philippines, aside from summer being the season to enjoy the beach and the pool, it is also the season for young boys to undergo a ritual... a passage into manhood... circumcision. It is commonly done every summer since there are no more classes. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin that covers the tip of the penis. In other countries, it is done before a newborn leaves the hospital. In the Philippines, it is commonly done to young boys of age 10 to 14. Parents who choose to have their sons circumcised is often based on religious beliefs, hygiene, or social and cultural reasons. My nephew just had the ritual. It was hilarious. But, I am proud of him because he took it like a man. Next school year, he can now boast to his male classmates that he is no longer a baby but an adult... an adult who is ready to take more responsibilities.

That's me! Photo taken at Quezon Island, Hundred Islands, Alaminos City, Pangasinan. My Aunt and sister have been planning to have a vacation since February. The initial plan was to go to Hong Kong with the kids but we could not find airplane seats for the dates that we wanted so we decided it would be better if we just go to some province in the Philippines. And so we decided to go to see the Hundred Islands  in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. Perfect! After too many weeks of planning, it ended up with just me and a friend having a vacation. It was so frustrating that they were not able to join me despite all my efforts. Anyway, at least I was able to have a vacation. It was my friend's first time to drive there so it took us eight long hours of land travel to go to Alaminos City, Pangasinan.  First things first, we need a place to spend the night. We went to Brgy. Lucap, the closest place to the Hundred Islands and the one with the most number of hotels...

Photo taken in Pangasinan, Philippines using Canon PowerShot A3200 IS. I love photography. I do not own a DSLR. What I have is a point and shoot camera that I bring with me wherever I go. A photographer never leaves his camera because he will never know when a perfect photo moment will come. Just a backgrounder... I love photography because I love nature. I like to look at the clouds, the moon and the stars. I am a sentimental person and it is through photos that I remember the significant moments of my life. In my list of the 10 things I will accomplish this year , owning a DSLR is one. And I am getting closer and closer to accomplishing that goal. So excited! So... while the DSLR waits, here are some great tips from Eric Kim , a known street photographer. 1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn’t mean that they’re a good photographer. 2. Always shoot in RAW. Always. 3. Prime lenses help you learn to be a better photographer. 4. Photo editing is a...

Fear is the most paralyzing of all emotions... I can never forget that message from one of my professors in medicine. I also couldn't agree less. I am actually enveloped by fear right now. I have a new relationship and I could not let it out in the open because of the fear of jeopardizing my plans with my life and my son's. I fear rejection. What if his family will not like me because of my past? What if he could no longer wait for me to get married? What if it will not work out?  What if? My life is full of uncertainties... and fear is slowly taking full control of my life.

I have a new manicure that is perfect for summer. I rarely wear nail color but since I am on vacation for 5 days, it wouldn't hurt trying on one. It is 32 degrees outside and all I could think of is having an ice cold drink.  Got my bangs back.