STRUGGLES IN LIFE - A SHORT STORY

“In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it. Life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive.”

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer”, he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

TIPS FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS: How to find your first real job.

Gather the Necessary Information and Requirements.

Prepare your birth certificate, identification cards, driver’s license, passport and other pertinent documents that may be required.
Information about the company where you are applying is definitely the 1^st thing that you would need to know. You should find out what they need from their applicants. Questions like what qualifications are they looking for in an applicant, what skills are most needed.  How the company pays their worker? Why should I be interested on this job? It is better that you evaluate yourself before entering the life of “being-employed.”

Assemble your Resume.

Job-hunting is all about perceptions and standing out in the crowd. Presenting a nicely formatted resume to prospective employers can give your application an edge. The resume didn’t have to be a “novel” long or a “synopsis” short. Just an honest resume will score you a sure job.

Plan your Wardrobe.

Dress for success as they say. Time to mix-and-match your corporate wear for you to look pleasant and confident. The point here is making a good first impression is essential in landing a job.

Practice your Field.

You are the king of your own empire. For example, in field of medicine, having undergone training in a hospital, your advantage against the others are vast. One of the keys to success for any job-seeker is being able to clearly explain why you are the best candidate for a job. Also you need to be able to say why you are not only the best for the job, but also why you are better than others who may be applying for such position.

Apply and Interview for Jobs

Now that you have you’re ready, it’s time to hit all the places where you would like to work. Start early each day, bringing all your documents and confidence, and apply as many places as you like. Always be polite. Say “thank you” and “please” to the employer.  And focus on good grooming and hygiene. Smile and maintain good eye-contact and most of all be confident.

Be Prepared for Competition

You may face a lot of competition – there are many people in the line wanting to be hired on their desired spot in work. Job openings may not be as plentiful as in the past. Hence, it is assumed you’ll get a high percentage of rejections. There is no job guarantee that is why you should work hard for it.

Complete Follow-Up and Thank You Notes

Once you’ve applied for a job, keep following up on the status of your application. Be professional and ask each employer if they have all the information they need to make a decision about your application. Always send thank-you notes after each job interview; the ‘thank you’ itself won’t get you the job, but it may be just enough to push your application to the top of the stack.

5 Ways to Avoid Friendzone and Earn More Pogi Points

In popular culture, friend zone refers to a platonic relationship wherein one person, most commonly a man, wishes to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship, while the other does not. It is generally considered to be an undesirable or dreaded situation by the lovelorn person. If a desired party does not return or respond affirmatively to the advances or affection of the desiring party, but continues to participate in the friendship in a platonic way, it is sometimes described as friend-zoning. In a related sense of the term, friend zone can describe a "commitment mismatch", such as when two people are sexually involved, but in which one person wants a committed relationship such as being a boyfriend or girlfriend, while the other does not.

So how can you avoid it? Here’s how.

Don’t be a doormat.

Part of being a good partner is being a steady support for your woman. Helping her when you can, doing things for her because you care, taking extra steps to make sure she is happy. But it’s imperative not to sacrifice your dignity in the process.  A woman wants a companion to stand behind her. A man she can respect. A man she can count on when times get rough, not a puppy dog that’s going to follow her around and lose his own identity in the process.

Make your intentions known.

Yep, you are a man who is interested in a woman, and it’s time to start acting like one. In the process of courting a woman, she must really understand your intentions before anything else. If you can’t spit it out, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Display confidence

It takes confidence to approach a woman in the first place, confidence to make your move, confidence to express your feelings for her and secure enough with yourself to be romantic without feeling like you’re sacrificing your masculinity. Confidence to be yourself –  this will be your foundation for success in any relationships, hence in life.

Present yourself properly.

Dress up, clean up, man up and show women that you’re worthy their time and attention. Definitely she will be attracted to you in no time.

Date her!

Without a date, you may not get the chance to even show your life background and interest. A date is your chance to show her who you are. Ask her for a proper date, be creative, make an effort. Show her that you care enough to take the time to plan on something.

10 Famous Pinoy Pulutan

Known for being one of the best party-goers in the planet, Filipinos lived up to their reputation after a recent study of Euromonitor, a research company on market strategies, showed that the Filipinos was third on the world’s heaviest drinkers.

If there booze, there is always the food.

So here is 10 PINOY PULUTAN best partner with any liquor.

1. SISIG

A kapampangan term which means “to snack on something sour.”  There are many varieties of this dish including pork, chicken, bangus, tuna and squid. Best serve on a hot sizzling plate. Can be topped with egg or even mayo. But in inuman speaking, definitely this one got a spot in Pinoy’s favourite pulutan of all time.

2. CRISPY PATA

          
     This dish uses pork leg pressure-cooked until it becomes tender. Then the leg is rubbed with spices and deep fried to perfection. Great with spiced soy sauce and prickled papaya (atsara) on the side.

3. ADOBONG MANI

    
     Table pica-pica that is a must-have in every drinking session in the Philippines. A greaseless and boiled or fried peanut  sautéed with garlic, salt and pepper. A chili is perfect combo to it. 

     4. BANGUS BELLY

Deep fried pork innards sprinkled with salt. A common partner of it is  an ice cold beer. Thank the heavens for a wonderful food. But then, eat moderately, your heart will be pleased.

6. LECHONG KAWALI

  .     
          Crispy pork belly deep-fried in a wok. It is seasoned beforehand, cooked then served chopped into pieces. Usually accompanied with suka, toyo-mansi or liver sauce (mang tomas). 

7. TOKWAT BABOY

This dish is made out of diced tofu and tender pork ears.  Dip in to a spiced soy sauce, vinegar and sugar mix. Perfect with lugaw for a meal and definitely perfect with a beer.

8. KILAWIN\KINILAW

This no-cook dish employs curing meat in vinegar, which turns into opaque and gives it a “cooked” texture. Aside from vinegar, the meat is spiced with salt and pepper, tomatoes, chili and other spices. Fish is a common used in this dish. A good old classic pinoy pulutan.


9. STREET FOODS 

Fishballs, kikiam, squidballs, chickenballs and all other of them belongs to a street food easy pulutan family. This would always be a hit for pinoys. Serve with thick sweet or chili sauce and vinegar on the side.

10. PAPAITAN

Derived from the word “pait” (bitter). This famous Ilocano soup dish made out of cow or goat innards is a great complement to a cold weather inuman.

5 Things That True Love Will Let You Recognize

Most of the common telltale signs that you are in love are the following: heart that palpitates even if you do not have a heart problem, loss of sleep even if you are not insomniac, loss of appetite even if you are not dieting etc. And yet, let me show you some of my personal and therefore undeniable basis of true love. 

            We’re willing to do something that really we don’t usually do.

Eating something that will turn our guts upside down or even induce puking is a big sacrifice for the one you love. You believe that even with all the differences between you and your partner, there is a room for adapting to each other’s likes and dislikes.

The desire to do such thing is incomparable. Because at first, adjusting your daily way of life for her is already a pain in the ass. But showing that you can will tell her that  you are patient enough to change your ways and even your taste to anything that your partner wanted. And to her it really means a lot. At this point, you and your partner are in synced with each other.

    We’re willing to explain why we badly wanted each enough not to date others.

There are many fishes in the sea. Do we even think that by this time we already lured an incredibly unique kind of creature?

The one that we choose to love right now might be the one that will stand the test of time. So cherish  them, show them your love and touch theirs hearts.

Why we don’t want to date others? In a circumstance like this, would you still think of a reason of leaving the loving arms of your chosen one? ZERO, NONE, NOTHING. No reason at all!

    We’re willing to spend even if we’re thrifty and save money although we’re a spender.

    They say money makes the world go round. Definitely it is. But in the real-world of love, we learn to handle money well and smart. Why? We spend not only for ourselves but also for our partner.

We can buy anything for them knowing that it’s not in your budget. We also learn how to curb our expenditures just to show that we have the patience and purpose to do so. All for the ones we love.  With them and for them, everything becomes priceless. 

       We’re willing to only look forward. (future)

We always say the phrase “past is past” when someone is bringing up the past memories.

In a strong relationship, it is best that past relationships be set aside, just forget and simply move on. True love doesn’t step backward and stay in the past.  We must always look forward. I believe when you found a great love, there is no reason to look back anymore. Because I believe that the past  is now just a memory and the future, a journey.

A relationship has a long and winding road.  We don’t know what’s ahead. The thought is not how hard and tiring the journey is but how well can you both travel together. Being in love doesn’t stop not even until death. The point that you are willing to be with your partner towards tomorrow I must say is the most amazing thing in determining true love.

     The idea of doing nothing together ending up to be the most terrific one!

At a period in dating, there is this urge to find out who this person is. Moreover, we also feel scared because they may not be what you want or for worse, we may not be what they are looking for.

Even though the stakes are very high, we still find ourselves pushing on with the relationship. And when we are already committed, we tend to do something all the time either in public and private. But when the idea of doing nothing together becomes awesome, we’ve gone through those stages even in good and bad times. We are now in the state of being contented.

The relationship is now fully cemented with the partners proud to have reached this stage. In fact the “normal” life has expanded to include your partner in it. And the idea of simply just being together is a delightful thing that is happening to both of your lives.  

    

MY EIGHT LIST OF “DAGDAG POGI POINTS”: Men’s style, wear, gadgets and accessories.

MY EIGHT LIST OF “DAGDAG POGI POINTS”:  Men’s style, wear, gadgets and accessories.

1. NIKE Roshe Run “Blue Lagoon”

 Don’t worry, Nike Roshe Run fans, there will be no shortage of new looks for your favorite cool and casual sneaker in 2015. The Roshe train keeps right on rolling, and the next stop is this refreshing “Blue Lagoon” colorway of the original mesh construction. The formula is simple on this version: a monotone Blue Lagoon upper on top of a crisp white sole.

2. G-SHOCK  

Casio G-SHOCK unveils a collection of entirely modern watches with an all-over coating of a classic tiger and woodland camouflage prints that match the rough-and-ready nature of the watches.

The large size camo watch (53.9mm case size) comes with G-SHOCK ’s legendary 200M water and shock resistant structure and utilizes alpha-Gel® to further absorb shocks and protect key internal parts, The GDX6900 G-SHOCK achieved a shock resistance passing military standard, MIL-STD-810G. This total package of amenities and camouflage styling makes this watch a bold fashion statement and purposeful timepiece all at once. 

3. ADIDAS Y-3 FLORAL

Yohji Yamamoto’s premium Y-3 adidas imprint adds some appropriate looks to the spring 2015 line with the “Floral” pack. Featuring two of Y-3’s most popular modern silhouettes, the Y-3 Qasa High and Y-3 Retro Boost, the stylish sneakers receive floral-printed uppers ready to get you in the mood for warm weather amidst all this winter’s cold. Along with the floral prints, both models feature coinciding color palettes of black, white, and light blue, along with a touch of stingray material on the Retro Boost.

4. SAMSUNG GALAXY S5

The Galaxy S5 has its share of exciting new features, including a built-in fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor that works with an improved S Health app. But that's not why it's our top pick. The S5 boasts a faster camera with real-time HDR for better pictures, a bigger and even more beautiful display and considerably longer battery life. All of this is wrapped in a design that can shrug off a splash or dunk in water. Although we're not fans of the charging port flap, overall the S5 is the best smartphone suitable for the boys.

 

      5 . CHINOS SHORTS

Chino is a Spanish word translating as "China" or "Chinese." The term, which is synonymous with "khakis" when used to describe pants, migrated to the English language, when pants made of strong cotton fabric were used as part of military uniforms in both the UK and the US. In its simplest definition, they are merely pants for men made of cotton fabric imported from China.

       6. POLKA DOT LONG SLEEVES

In 2014, the long sleeves sets its time it the fashion world. No doubt that last year trend is still in but this time the sleeves are now mostly hot when it is the Polka dot one.

7.  SIDE PART HAIR CUT

We’ve talked about the side part before but it will continue to dominate in 2015. Add a side part is to get the effect of an undercut without shaving. This hipster, vintage, or preppy hairstyle can be styled matte, shiny, messy, wavy, or up high.

For something different, try parting hair on the opposite side. One may be noticeably better, depending on if you have a “good side.” Hair can be stubborn when it comes to change so use a little extra product while hair is trained to lie flat in a different direction than usual.

 

8.  AVIATOR™ CLASSIC - RB3025

Currently one of the most iconic sunglass models in the world, Ray-Ban Aviator Classic sunglasses were originally designed for U.S. aviators in 1937. Aviator Classic sunglasses are a timeless model that combines great aviator styling with exceptional quality, performance and comfort.

 With a classic gold frame, you can see the world through a variety of lens colors including crystal brown, crystal green, G-15 polarized and more that provide optimum visual clarity and 100% UV protection.