You think you don't need PhilHealth?

Think again!

If you're wise and you think about protecting your family, you shouldn't neglect your health care insurance. PhilHealth is a Philippine Government health care program. It only costs Php300.00 every quarter and you get both outpatient and inpatient coverage. It may not be as comprehensive as American health care but it's not bad, eh?

For the past years, I had very little knowledge about my insurance and benefits. My recent resignation pushed me to take a closer look of our coverage. Soon enough, Gilbert and I headed to the Angeles City branch. I was honestly expecting an exhausting and difficult experience like all the horror stories I hear about local government offices. To my surprise, it took us only less than an hour to accomplish what we intend to do.

We were informed politely by the security guard/information assistant on what form to fill-up and which area to proceed. The next lady from the Membership Section was very friendly and concerned about our queries. I deactivated my membership so that Gilbert can add me as his dependent. After about ten minutes, they handed our new Member Data Record so our last step was to proceed to the Cashier and pay for our coverage. It was that easy!

There were enough chairs for everyone and best of all, the entire room was cool enough so waiting for a few minutes doesn't make people frown. Kudos to the management of PhilHealth Angeles City! The office is located at Nepo Mart II, Nepo Commercial Complex, Angeles City.

one month after...

Have you ever been repelled by the dust, bits of food and muck that fly out when shaking your keyboard upside down? For the longest time, I felt like an overused keyboard with all the gunk inside. I know I had to rearrange my life.

Seeing me unhappy and burned out with my job several months ago, Gilbert urged me to quit, remove all worries and just allow him to love me.

And I did.

How can I refuse his sincere eyes, gentle voice and unselfish request?

So one month ago, with a great amount of boldness and energy, I resigned.

Today, one month after, how I wish I made the decision sooner.

I got what I needed - more time with my family, stress-free life, luxury of time, spiritual nourishment, cleaner home, home cooked meals, a sound mind and a sound body. I let go of all my apprehensions about work benefits, regular pay checks and financial matters. Those are not my responsibilities anyway. Those are Gilbert's responsibilities. I'm allowing him to be in-charge. I'm letting him love me.

Chance by Chanel

I received this perfume as I gift and I'm totally in love with it! The clean, long lasting scent is wonderful and it makes me feel sexy too! It has a heavy scent so I suggest you use it at night. Thanks to my good friend for this lovely gift! It's definitely essential in my perfume collection.

Giving Yoga Another Chance

I've always been fascinated with the art of dancing and science of yoga. The discipline and artfully orchestrated movements of the yogis are remarkable if not inconceivable. Way back in college, I bought a beginner yoga book. I read it only for a few weeks and I realized it has been collecting dust in my book shelf since then. My brother gave me a yoga mat few years ago as a Christmas present. Squeezed between a wall and closet, it has never been used nor unrolled. Thanks to my dependable Cosmo planner, I was once again urged to fulfill my deferred desire for Yoga.

I surfed the net to confirm some of its proven benefits. Surprisingly, this unique practice pays off not only my physical agility (which I badly need), mindfulness, or spiritual openness but more so it could rev up my "love bed batteries". No wonder yoga enthusiasts always seem so euphoric. They are more in harmony with their own mind and body, making them a better partner.

Following basic moves a few times this week might work for my new, thrilling adventure.

Oberoi Bangalore - A Review

I fled to Bangalore, India to attend a business training in November 2004. It was my very first time to travel internationally and I was so thankful to have such wonderful experience in Oberoi.


What I like about it: The hotel's location is great for tourists since it is near the market, church and shopping districts. My room was very spacious and I had a balcony with a nice view of the lush gardens.

Because the hotel is in the heart of shopping district and the doors to each room are external, it can be a little noisy. It's not that bad in my opinion though because each room has a hall door between the main door & the bedroom space that could block the street noise.

The best part is the hotel's top class dining. I always look forward to the sumptuous continental breakfast at Le Jardin. My colleagues and I usually eat lunch at the trainng center so when we reach the hotel at night, we feast on authentic Chinese Szechwan style in Szechwan Court. We also tried the fabulous alfresco dining at the hotel's Thai restaurant.

The overall ambiance of the hotel is amazing - lots of greens, streams and ponds. At the end of each day, I soak in the tub for thirty minutes or so and enjoy the relaxing moment.


What needs to be improved: Just a very minor incident upon check-in - The front desk officer is persistent in having my personal credit card. I had to convince her it was a business trip before she finally gave me my room number. She was very polite but she could have just checked our company's reservation details beforehand. When I told my boss about the incident, he was totally surprised because he called the front desk a few minutes before I arrived to confirm my airport arrival.

My ratings for this hotel are:
4 of 5 = Check in / front desk
5 of 5 = Quality of Service
5 of 5 = Value for Price
5 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
5 of 5 = Cleanliness

homemade body scrub

Scrubbing your skin at least once or every other month will help remove dead skin cells and promote healthy skin. There are numerous spa centers within Angeles City and body scrub service ranges from Php420-Php850. If you want to cut down your personal expenses, just head towards your kitchen cabinet and make your own body scrub.


Begin by hunting for ingredients that will exfoliate and moisturize your skin. I'm sure you have brown sugar, salt or coffee in your kitchen cabinet. Your next step is to look for a moisturizer such as coconut oil, olive oil, honey or avocado. These will keep your skin looking younger and smooth. Then adding a little fragrance or aroma such as vanilla or lemon will make a nice complement.

NOTE: If you're allergic to any of these ingredients, please do not use them as a scrub.

Here's my favorite homemade scrub recipe:

Mix together one cup brown sugar, one cup organic oatmeal, one half cup honey and about three tablespoon of lemon or calamansi juice. Apply the mixture all over your neck, arms, body and legs with gentle, circular motions. Let it dry for a minute then rinse off with lukewarm water.

You don't need to spend a fortune to look and feel great. All you need to do is put together the right ingredients that appeals to you and enjoy your healthy smooth skin!

A Minnie Mouse Party

My adorable little niece turned one this month and her Minnie Mouse party was colorful, fun and exciting. Everyone had a blast!

Minnie Mouse Decorations

Minnie Mouse cake

Minnie Mouse favors

Minnie Mouse mugMinnie Mouse puppet showMinnie Mouse game host

Minnie Mouse pinata

and of course, the birthday girl wearing her Minnie Mouse costume

Recipe: Stir Fried Scallops

Cooking home meals rather than dining out is one of the surest way to save money. And not only that, you can make sure what you're eating is clean, delicious, and healthy too.

I have all the time now to experiment new dishes so my first attempt is called Stir Fried Scallops. This quick recipe is good with white rice or crispy noodles.

What You Need to Prepare:
-wok or large skillet
-two small pans

Ingredients:
First set:
-3/4 cups scallops, washed and drained
-small garlic, crushed and finely chopped
-small onion, finely chopped
-small fresh ginger, crushed and finely chopped
-white wine
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup chicken broth
-olive oil
-sesame oil


Second set:
-olive oil or canola oil
-medium onion, sliced
-1 small can of mushrooms
-broccoli, blanched
-cauliflower, blanched
-1/4 cup oyster sauce
-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in water

Let's start cooking:

1. Blanch the broccoli and cauliflower in a small pan for three to four minutes.

2. In another small pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Add the scallops. Cook for one minute. (This part is very fragrant!) Drizzle with white wine and sesame oil. Add salt and chicken broth. Cover and let stand for another two minutes. Then remove from heat.

3. Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet. Add sliced onions and mushrooms. Push mushrooms to the side of the wok. Place precooked scallops and blanched vegetables at the center of the wok. Toss to mix. Add oyster sauce and dissolved cornstarch. Season and stir fry for about two to three minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve with love!

NOTES:

1. You can buy frozen scallops in SM Hypermarket. 500 grams is around Php250.

2. Feel free to add more vegetables like carrots, asparagus, or baguio beans. Adding prawns to this recipe will also be a good idea.

3. While blanching the veggies, you can precook the scallops to have a better blend of flavors and save time as well. You can cook this meal in less than ten minutes!