Blue Ginger

My Alternate Career

2009-11-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Couple of years I go, I told myself that if I won’t be a successful IT Consultant, I will consider opening a restaurant and just live the rest of my life making a living out of my second passion which is cooking. When I was still a kid, maybe around 10, my grandfather enrolled me to a weekend Japanese cooking school in Manila. I have already been passionate about cooking food since I was small. It always got me into thinking of doing an alternate career in restaurateur or being a chef. Now that I reached more than a quarter of my life, I am sort of considering moving to a different career.

In any battle, you have to be well-armed before you go. Northwest Culinary Institute is a division of the International Air and Hospital Academy. They offer a 9 month culinary diploma program in a fully equipped culinary kitchen. Their corporate headquarters is located in Vancouver, Washington. What’s great about this culinary school is that they offer financial aid, culinary scholarships and housing to those students who cannot afford to send themselves to a culinary school. I know that culinary education does not come cheap so this is a great help for those who are aspiring to become future chefs but never got the opportunity to study. Check out their site to know more about culinary institutes that can truly help in starting a career or moving to a new career.

AZ Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks

2009-11-16T13:21:00.004-07:00

The GG and I went to the Cardinals game yesterday afternoon at the University of Phoenix stadium. Thank God for the free BLUE parking pass, we were able to park not so far from the stadium. The little big boy (my boyfriend) sure did enjoy the game. It was both our first time to watch a live football game. He better enjoy the game because the tickets did not come cheap! Haha. Anyways, here a photo before the game started when the national anthem was sung.

I enjoyed the game too... finally after couple of hours trying to figure out the rules of the game. Hahaha. Lots of drunk people after the game. Took an hour to get out of the parking area because of the mob traffic. Seriously bad traffic! But then again, maybe we would watch another game next time. Or better yet, watch the Suns game! Yehey! Oh btw, Cardinals won!

National Air & Space Musuem, VA

2009-09-25T10:10:00.004-07:00

My boyfriend is a big Transformers fan. When we planned our trip to Maryland, he insisted that we visit the Air and Space Museum in Virginia where the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird was being housed. This aircraft is more popularly known to be Jet Fire in the Transformers movie that was shown early this year. Take note that there is another Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, DC but the one in Virginia is the one that houses this aircraft. Do not make a mistake! Haha. Here are some amazing photos that we took.

Scottsdale Living

2009-09-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first time this year to drive in the morning to work without turning my AC on. Yehey!!! Welcome autumn! Living in Arizona for almost two years now has been a daily battle with the weather. Don't get me wrong, I so love winter time here. But the summers... the summers!!! The summers are like 115's and up that it's like an oven. Well obviously, getting a tan here is never a problem. Sunny, sunny days almost 80% of the year. Now that autumn is starting, I am starting to love Arizona again. Finally I will be able to take my jackets out of my closet.

One of the best places to live in Arizona is the Scottsdale area. It's close to where the "night life" is in Arizona and definitely one of the better places to live in. Do check out real estate in Scottsdale Fine Properties website where reputable Scottsdale Arizona realtors can be found. If you're eyeing to get a brand new home, do check out their listing for New Home Developments by clicking on the link.

Officially Out of Hiatus

2009-09-25T10:01:00.002-07:00

Yes, I'm back! Just wanted to be go back to blogging to keep my sanity. It's been months since I've updated this blog and from today, I am officially out of my hiatus. Yehey!

Quick update, I am still in Phoenix working for the same project. They've extended my contract until end of the year so that means another non-snowy winter for me. Yehey!!! Ummm... nothing exactly is new. Just busy, busy, busy days ahead because of SFC and my going home to the Philippines for a short vacation month. Will be posting photos of my last trip to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia in a couple of days. For now, let me settle back to my old blogging self and try to catch up.

Weebee to me!!!

Anaheim Auto Body Shops

2009-07-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine rear-ended another car yesterday in California. Good thing that they were both ok after the accident and that the damage to both cars weren't that big. Well, not as big as totally replacing the whole car. Hehe. Anyways, my friend drives an old bimmer and I know that his baby bimmer would definitely cost him a lot of money for repairs. And I am also pretty sure that he would need a good and reputable auto body shop in his area. Collision Repair experts is a good website that contains a huge network of "best in class" collision repair experts. Their huge network is made up of reputable and committed to excellence shop owners therefore you will assured of the good service they do. I am definitely sending the link to this auto body shop anaheim to my friend so he can get his baby bimmer fixed to it's pre-accident condition and bring it back to its tip top shape.

I Guess I'm Back... To Blogging

2009-07-09T15:12:00.002-07:00

Oh-em-gee... I haven't updated this blog for almost a month now. Oh well... work has been crazily busy again because my teamlead went on a 2-week vacation during a production go live. It's good that I survived this go live without her and been struggling to catch up on blogging.

I know, I know. I should blog more. I haven't even been doing paid blogs in a while. Yay! Anyways, I hope everything's well with all of you. Keep visiting my blog for random updates.

Btw, it's so !@*(#$% HOT here in Phoenix. Weather report says it's going to be a high 116 degrees here over the weekend. WAAAAA!!! Winter please take me!

Rustic Furniture

2009-06-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

I am currently in a hunt for a new apartment and I am planning to furnish it on my own. I found a great site where to get my new furnitures! Check out ScenicFurniture.com for unique, artistically made and rustic furniture.

Plurk Question

2009-06-14T23:00:00.001-07:00

A friend in plurk posted a question: What are you going to do if your partner cheats on you?

I know my initial instinct is to get mad. *who doesn't?!?* I guess if I know that I have been neglecting my partner and his needs, then I guess it's also my fault that he cheated. But then again, fidelity and being trustworthy is one of my non-negotiables so yeah, it might be a difficult to just let this thing pass.

Real Property Management

2009-06-12T12:17:00.002-07:00

I am again in search for a new apartment or condo. I just got another contract extension for my client here in Phoenix until the end of the year. This means I will have another six months of certainty in my life and it also means that I will most probably spend Thanksgiving and Christmas here in Phoenix. After a lot of thinking and weighing of options, I have finally decided that I will be moving to an unfurnished place and will start acquiring my own furnitures and appliances.

I am so thankful for professional real estate property managers because they make the life of renters like me very convenient. Real Property Management is one of those real estate professionals who manages single family homes, multi-unit apartment buildings and homeowner's associations. If you have your own property and you want to put it on rental, Real Property Management can take care of tenant placement, credit and multi-state criminal background screening of potential renters, regular property inspections, accounting, project management, monthly financial reporting to owners, maintenance services, collections and a lot more. Real Property Management prides itself for winning the "Franchise of the Year Honorable Mention" award. They are a reputable organization that can definitely professionally manage your real estate property with no hassle. Check out their site to request for more information.

Oldschool Senti Mush

2009-06-12T09:12:00.002-07:00

Everybody needs a someone
Waitin to be there when things are a-lookin down

- 'Never Let Her Go' by Bread

Never let her go-David Gates

I'm in super senti mode once again and been listening to super dooper old senti songs. I know some of you probably wouldn't even recognize the song because of oldness. Yeah... I am aging. LOL.

This post is out of nothingness... just wanted to share the love today to everybody who's still reading my blog. C'mon sing with me... "never let her gooooo... never let her goooo... never let her goooo...."

Affordable Toys for Cats

2009-05-22T10:33:00.003-07:00

The boyfriend is a super cat lover. I am a big dog fan. Sometimes we would talk about getting a pet when I finally move in Las Vegas but then we sometimes don't agree which pet to get. I guess the only reason why I don't like cats is because of their annoyingly smelly cat litter. Besides that, I like cats. There was this one time that I went to a retreat with friends in Arizona which was held in a small private ranch. When I was doing my prayer near one of their grotto's this stray cat which is a grayish black cat kept going near me. While I was praying the cat would climb up my leg and would sort of ask me to pet him. And then when I start petting him, the cat would lie down on my leg somewhat signalling that I continue to pet him. It was so cute that I wanted to take it home with me. Good thing I brought my phone and took pictures of the cat and sent it to the boyfriend. Boyfriend asked if I could take it home with me but too bad I couldn't keep a pet in my apartment because it's not allowed by my landlord. Awwww...

I guess when I move here in Vegas, I would need to find an apartment that allows pets so we can get our baby cat. I found this site that sells really, really cute mouse cat toys. These zanies cat toys are so adorable. They're made of fancy fur that I am sure my future pet cat would really love. These zanies cat toys are made of top quality and durable materials that would be give hours of fun for my future pet cat.

CLP's Over

2009-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned in this blog about how busy our weekends have been due to the Christian Life Programs that we have been doing every weekend. Each weekend there are a new set of mission teams coming from California and Las Vegas who have been helping us for our CLP. I would just like to personally thank them for answering to this call for mission and sharing their time and resources with us here in SFC. It's been a great honor to serve with them.

To our newly dedicated brothers and sisters, may welcome to the family! Check out some photos of our CLP here.

USB Extenders

2009-05-15T09:04:00.003-07:00

Even with the most powerful laptops, sometimes USB slots are still not enough. I am one of those people who always have something plugged in her laptop's USB. One USB slot is for my mouse. Another USB slot is for charging my IPOD while I am listening to iTunes. Another USB slot is for my mobile harddrive which contains a lot of my backup files. My Dell laptop only has 3 USB slots and I have always wished it had more. It was such a hassle to juggle which gadgets can be plugged to my laptop at a time. When I need to move photos from my camera, print something on my printer, and do a lot more other stuff with the USB gadgets that I own, I had to decide which ones I can remove from my limited 3 USB slots.

Good news is, there's such as thing as a USB extender. With the USB Extender, you are able to extend 1 USB slot into 4 USB slots. This device does not require any device driver which is so awesome. Plus, the device can extend until 150 feet using Cat5 or Cat5e or Cat6 UTP cable. Some devices are even USB 2.0 compatible. With up to 480Mb/s speed even at at distance of 50m, this USB extender is really something! I am so getting a Cat5 USB extender for myself.

Performance Social Media

2009-05-04T08:21:00.002-07:00

Are you looking for the best outsourced social media marketing campaign providers? Jelly Barn is a company that provides performance applications, widgets, games, and contests that can help you in marketing your products. Nowadays, it's not enough that you put marketing banners on websites to market your products. Nowadays, it is essential to have interactive marketing strategies such as building social applications that could market your product like games, mini applications and widgets which users can play with. The impact of having interactive marketing applications is that users can remember your product more and sometimes it does create a following. The advantage of having a hosted performance applications provider is that you don't have to worry about development costs and maintenance plus you only pay for the results. Jelly Barn does all these and builds a keen relationship with your customers to drive more revenue for your brand. Jelly Barn uses powerful analytics tools to monitor and track campaign performances. Whether you measure the effectivity of a campaign based on the number of clicks or hits, or the number of registrations, or application installations, Jelly Barn is able to do all those. Their ability to catch the attention of you product niche is impeccable through their deep understanding of what can capture the attention of their online audience, plus creative execution of campain plans and strategies. Check out Jelly Barn's website now and find out more about performance social media.

I am Too Busy

2009-05-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes no matter how busy you are with work, you have to find time to stop, divert your attention at something else to relax for a bit then go back to the monotony of your mundane and busy life. That's what just happened to me couple of days ago. Work's been killing me... literally! Work's been physically, emotionally and intellectually draining for me lately that I can't even get 8 hours sleep per day. This intense lifestyle has taken its toll on my personal and social life but then again when a lot of people depend on you, you just afford to slack and stop. Hayyy...

Besides work, I've been busy with serving in our CLP. I just hope our participants come back next week for the next session. Praying intensely about it!

Affordable But Realible Healthcare

2009-04-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

One thing that I have learned to value is my health. Couple of years back, I was diagnosed with a polycystic ovary. Little did I know that I will get an operation to remove the cyst just a few months after I was diagnosed. Take note, the surgery wasn't done in the Manila, my home but when I was on a project deployment in Helsinki. Health problems occur at the least expected time and sometimes it requires immediate medical attention. Healthcare definitely does not come cheap. I guess that is true for any country. Healthcare here in the US is definitely a must and this is usually offered by employers. So in this tough economy, how can the unemployed and recently layed-off persons acquire healthcare? The solution... Solo Benefits healthcare programs! Solo Benefits offer different packages for individuals at almost the same low prices as with large groups or large employment organizations. Packages include TelaDoc, prescription drug discount, financial helpline, telephonic counseling, Aetna dental access, Coast to Coast vision and a lot more. Basic package start at a rock bottom price of $14.95 per month! Check out http://transitionalbenefits.com/ to select the best healthcare program package that suits your needs. This is an awesome deal especially for those unemployed people who still want to be assured of getting proper healthcare and being able to afford a realible healthcare provider.

After hearing the news regarding the possible swine flu pandemic, I guess we can never really be extremely cautious about our health. Diseases and epidemics like this can just break out even with the best caution that we can do. Our health is our treasure. We must take care of it and what better way to make sure we can get the health services that we need than getting a sure and reliable health plan through Solo Benefits. Do check out http://transitionalbenefits.com/ for more information.

Rolex Watches

2009-04-28T08:59:00.003-07:00

I've always believed that hardwork should always be rewarded. One of my motivations whenever I have a big project or any big deliverable for a client is planning a vacation after the project goes live. It somehow motivates me to work harder and push myself to my limit so that I can enjoy my vacation more knowing that my hard work will always be appreciated.

I guess the time has really changed and I guess that I have redefined what I want as my rewards after my hard work. Saw these gorgeous looking ladies roles white MOP diamond lugs oyster watch. It has a mother of pearl diamond dial with 1 carat diamond bezel. The band comes in stainless steel oyster. I so love it! I want this dress watch for my reward! Find more authentic and certified rolex watches on www.bestoftime.com at discounted prices. This online store provides 3 year warranty on their rolex watches and free FedEx shipping!

I must...

2009-04-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

...stop buying scented candles, air fresheners, scented oil plugins, oil diffusers, and everything else that keeps my apartment smelling good. For the past months, my apartment is soooo overly scented because of these. Haha. I know that the bf loves a great smelling apartment but I think I overdid it this time. $50 to $70 a month worth of these deodorizing paraphernalia is probably too much.

My favorite scented candles are from Gold Canyon in Cool Silk and Clean Sheets scent. I so love the "bagong-laba" *newly laundried" scent. The car freshener from gold canyon also smells awesomely great. Love it smell it whenever I get inside my car. And then at home I use Renuzit Tri Scents in Morning Meadow scent. I also use that Glade oil plugin in clean linen scent for the bathroom. It relaxes me whenever I stay long in the tub. Just sharing!

This Summer's Hottest Trend

2009-04-23T13:01:00.005-07:00

Batik is a dyeing technique used for textiles. Back home in the Philippines, I would commonly associate Batik with summer wear because a lot of beach clothing use this fabric design. Nowadays, batik design and patterns can not only be seen in clothing but this familiar pattern can be seen in bags, stationaries, accessories such as scarves and ties, household items such as picture frames, table set and bed covers. There's no limit in the usage of batik textile these days and I have found a great store online that sells handmade batik products that are extraordinarily unique, fashionable and very affordable. Kraf Online is a Batik store that sells these awesomely nice Batik men's shirts that I am sure the bf will love. I would love to get this ZANA Batik Men's Shirt for the bf in his favorite shade of blue. I also want to get this Batik slip-ons paired with a ZANA Exclusive Silk Chiffon Scarf for a nightout at the beach.

Summer weather and batik clothing is great combination! It's an absolute must to look fashionable at the beach. Do checkout Kraf Online for other handmade batik pieces. I am sure that you will also love the designs as much as I did. Oh did I mention that they offer free upgrades for priority shipping for purchases above 100USD? Take advantage of this special offer. And they do accept paypal as a payment method for a more secure online transaction. Also, do check out batik blog for more product updates and KrafOnline announcements.

On Ranting and Moving

2009-04-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

My schedule's been too toxic lately. Juggling between two projects in two different timezone is killing the remaining sleeping time I can spend. Working full-time on a US project and supposedly working part-time on a European project is a very, very bad combination. With the extreme timezone difference, it is very, very difficult to do overlaps with the client. Now, I am regretting ever accepting this project. Yay!

Anyways, I heard that my office in manila is planning to move to another building. A building with a cheaper rent. OMG!!! I can't believe that everything is affected by the recession going on globally. For my friends who are reading this blog, I would prefer that you guys don't share this info to current employees of the company. I am not sure if the management has announced this move. But one thing's for sure... I will SOOOO miss that office building right in front of the Ayala triangle and having the awesomest view of Makati.

Great Buys

2009-04-16T09:17:00.003-07:00

I never thought that Halloween was such a big thing here in the US. Last year was my first time to attend a Halloween party and we were required to dress-up for the occasion. All of had to research on which costume we would wear and where to buy them. I certainly prefer not wearing a very common costume because I was afraid someone from the party wears the same costume I got. At Fancy-dress.com, you can find a lot affordable costumes from dresses to accessories. They do have an easy to use website where you can choose from sexy fancy dress, 60's fancy dress, kids fancy dress, doctors and nurses costumes, among many others. Check out their site now and start thinking about the next costume party you will attend.

Check Traffic Receiver Error

2009-04-16T09:03:00.002-07:00

I have a Garmin Nuvi 660 and recently, my traffic update subscription expired. Couple of months ago I also updated my nuvi's firmware... can't remember what the exact version of the firmware was but it was the most recent firmware available that time.

Photo credit: gpsreview.com

Few weeks ago, I started getting an error message in my nuvi that says "Check traffic receiver". This message shows up every time I turn my garmin on while it is attached to the dock. I later noticed that my 12V power/traffic receiver cable is slightly damaged maybe because of the pulling tension everytime my dock's suction cup gets detached from my windshield. Anyways, I also noticed that everytime I attempt to turn my nuvi off while it is still on the dock, it wouldn't turn off. Although the nuvi still gets charged while it is on the dock, it takes a longer time to recharge the battery. And so I have decided to get a replacement 12V power cable from Amazon. I bought a GARMIN 010-10747-03 12-Volt Adapter Cable which was the compatible cable for my Nuvi 660.

Photo credit: amazon.com

And yes, this one solved all the earlier problems I have encountered. Seems like I had a busted power cable!!! I will miss the traffic updates from my old cable but I think I only used it less than 10 times while I am here in Arizona. There's not much traffic going on here so it should be ok not to have the traffic update subscription. I'm just glad my Nuvi is back to its old functioning self. =)

Feng Shui

2009-04-13T17:45:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is an old Chinese tradition that is believed to utilize the laws of Heaven and Earth to improve a person's life by receiving positive energy or the Qi. Although we are not Chinese, my mom sort of believes this old Chinese tradition. Feng Shui teaching says that you should create your individual feng shui map. This means you need to know your lucky numbers, your lucky colors, etc. Next is to create a feng shui harmonizing interior by arranging your home in such a way that it attracts positive energy and bounces off negative energies. There are self-help book about this that can serve as your guide to fix your home. Next step is to enhance energy through a healthy nutrition and meditation. More information on the Feng Shui doctrines can be found at feng shui ebooks. Just click the link and start attracting the positive Qi for a better life.

I Miss Europe

2009-04-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Someone is missing her old lifestyle. =(

Yeah, it is me! I miss going out of the country for work and doing sidetrips to other countries for a quick vacation. I miss earning mileage from all those travels and getting special treatment because of my mileage status. I'm back to being Silver btw from Platinum. Huhuhu. I want to go back to Europe! I want to go to Barcelona and Paris to see the Louvre. =(