Losing

Posted on October 30th, 2007 by admin, under Random Thoughts.

Take time to think…

Control your emotions…

When you lose yourself, you lose everything.

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A Healthy Lifestyle

Posted on October 24th, 2007 by admin, under Fitness and Sports.

After Jef, Marvin and I had a buffet in Party Land, we agreed to inquire about the rates of Fitness First. We were hesitant at first because the place looks really nice and of course, expensive. A membership consultant named Edmund welcomed us and gave all the answers that we needed.

The consultant walked us around the place. The gym was complete with the necessary fitness equipment that you need to build your body in shape. There are more than enough treadmills, steppers, fitness equipment and free weights for all. After your workout, you can relax and take a steam bath and sauna, also for free. Before you leave, you can take a hot shower and blow dry your hair. You can also hang out in their lounge and enjoy some free coffee and soda or just surf the internet.

All of these things were shown to us but Edmund haven’t told us the price of membership yet. Like me, I can see that my two friends already like it there. However, I’m afraid that we might not be able to afford their rates. We went back to their reception area to talk about their rates. According to the consultant, they usually charge a one time fee of Php 5,000 for membership fee and Php 1,850 administration fee to become a Fitness First member and get access to all of their fitness equipment and other amenities. The monthly rates would then be Php 2,150 which is to be charged to our credit cards monthly. To be honest, these rates didn’t sound attractive to me at all. But that was not the end of it. Fitness First was currently running a promo which slashed the membership fee to Php 250. Huh? A Php 4,750 discount? WTF??!… And that was it… the final factor that convinced us to join this fitness club - a good and reasonable price.

To summarize, here are all the things we got for the membership:

• Use of Fitness Equipment

• Free Drinks - Coffee, Soda, Water

• Borrow VCD’s for free

• Bag, Sports Bottle, Headset and Towel

• Complimentary 15 minute Aroma Scalp and Shoulder Massage

• 2 PT Power Pack Coupons (Personal Trainer Sessions)

• 2 Guest Passes

• Internet Use

• Use of Steam Bath and Sauna

I just hope we could make good use of this membership and become healthier. BTW, I referred some friends so don’t be surprised if a guy named Edmund calls you up and asks you to be a member of Fitness First. (wink)

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Pacquiao vs. Barrera

Posted on October 6th, 2007 by admin, under Fitness and Sports.

The new Filipino hero, Manny Pacquiao was scheduled to fight against Marco Antonio Barrera on October 26 of the current year. Many people anticipate this bout to be one of the most exciting in boxing history not only because it will feature two world class athletes but because this will also be the last fight of Barrera. I bought my tickets five days in advance to watch the battle of Pacquiao vs. Barrera live in SM cinemas. A few hundred pesos is dirt cheap for the quality entertainment that these boxers can give. Bringing my chips and soda, two of my friends and I went to see to fight. We were all excited as we patiently watch the primer bouts and after a couple of hours, Pacquiao and Barrera were on.

However, the tempo of the bout wasn’t like what most people expected. There were no exciting rounds and no breathe taking exchanges of punches. Pacquiao was as aggressive as usual but Barrera was the opposite. I expected more from him, for him to give out a memorable last fight that no boxing fan can ever forget. Barrera was dancing around the ring and avoiding the punches of Pacquiao. He was doing this most of the time during the bout which made it boring. His game seems to be different on this bout and it seems that he is not playing to win but rather playing not to lose. This was not just an opinion because he personally admitted it on an interview after the fight. “They said Pacquiao is going to beat me in three rounds by a Knock. But no, we finished this fight in twelve rounds.” were the words that came out of Barrera’s mouth. Personally, I felt disappointed. This is not the attitude that I expected from a boxer that belongs to the Hall of Fame to have.

Pacquiao, as most people expected, won the battle. I’m not sure how fulfilled he got from this victory but I’m sure that he also expected more. Nevertheless, a win is still a win and he’ll take it anyway.

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Paypal Philippines - Next Level

Posted on October 2nd, 2007 by admin, under Computers and Internet, Steps to Success.

The internet business isn’t that popular here in the Philippines and one of the primary reasons is the lack of payment options. Getting his earnings or compensation is big problem for a Filipino freelance worker because there are only few people from other countries that are willing to pay through Western Union, Xoom and other remittance companies. There are online payment solutions that allow Philippine accounts to send, receive and withdraw money with their accounts like Epay and Money Bookers but only a few people abroad use them.

Paypal is the most famous payment option in the internet today. With a user friendly interface and a secured system, it just beats the competition by a mile. Paypal became available in the Philippines the second half of 2006. However, a Philippine Paypal account cannot upload funds but instead, directly charge the account holder’s purchases from his credit card. This did not solve the problems of online Filipino entrepreneurs at all. Good thing I convinced my Aunt to open a Canadian account under her name for me. It really helped me a lot and I got to use it for four months.

Recently, Paypal Philippines stepped up to a new level as a Philippine account can now send, receive and withdraw funds. This is what the Filipinos have been waiting for centuries and now it has happened. The only problem that I can see is that you can only withdraw funds through Visa debit and cards or a US bank account. But still, this is one of the greatest news I’ve heard for quite a while. The implementation of the new features of Philippine Paypal accounts is expected to dramatically increase the number of Filipinos that earns through the internet. Could this be the answer to Philippines’ falling economy? In my opinion, it is possible because this can bring billions of dollars in our country. Much like OFW’s I guess. Oh well, time for a grand celebration for the new Paypal Philippines

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