A Tag for you - Just for fun

Thanks to Marky for this tag !

Rule:
Place an X by all the things you've done, or remove the X from the ones you have not.

This is for your entire life!

Gone on a blind date
Skipped school X
Seen someone die
Been to Florida
Been to Mexico
Been on a plane X
Been lost X
Been on the opposite side of the country
Gone to Chicago
Swam in the ocean X
Felt like dying X
Cried yourself to sleep X
Played cops and robbers when I was little X
Recently colored with crayons
Sang karaoke X
Paid for a meal with only coins X
Did something you told yourself you wouldn't X
Made prank phone calls
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose X
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain X
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
Blown bubbles X
Made a bonfire on the beach X
Crashed a party
Gone roller-skating X
Gone Ice-skating
Gone skinny dipping

1. Nick-name? Dan
2. Mother's nickname? Mary
3. What is your favorite drink? Mango Juice
4. Tattoos? None
5. Piercing? None
6. How much do you love your job? Very Much
7. Birthplace: La Union, Philippines
8. Favorite vacation spot? Home in Philippines
9. Ever been to Africa ? No
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? nope...sandwich yes
11. Ever been on TV? No
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No
13. Ever been in a car accident? No
14. Was it your fault? ... no idea
15. 2 Doors or 4 Doors? doesn't matter, as long as there's entry
16. Salad dressing? South Beach Diet's Salad dressings
17. Favorite pie? Any..miss the extra ordinary egg pie that I used to eat in LU when I was a kid
18. Favorite number? 17
19. Favorite movies? Any Harrison Ford movies
20. Favorite holiday? Christmas
21. Favorite dessert? Hagen Daaz ice cream
22. Favorite food? Thai Food
23. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
24. Favorite brand of Body soap? Safeguard, Dove, Neutrogena, Crabtree
25. Favorite TV show! Sci-fi, Adventures, documentary shows.
26. Favorite smell? My smell ha ha ha...with my Giorgio Armani perfume
27. What do you do to relax? Swimming and then eat my favorite food ...ha ha..concious of gaining weight again
28. Do you have a message to your friends reading this? Learn to appreciate your love ones every minute of the day and be contented with what u have
29. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Hope I can retire and enjoy life in Philippines ha ha ha...
30. What do you do when you are bored? Bore somebody else...so I'm not alone..ha ha
31. Furthest place you will send this message.- US
32. Who will respond the fastest? ...no idea
33. Who will LEAST likely respond? ...no idea

I am tagging Wendy, Kate, Joy, Emcee and Pinkesesa.

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Pollution

The worsening pollution problem in Hongkong, Philippines and around the globe has long been a concern among us. Air pollution is really a serious matter that we are facing. We might not even realize it, but every breath we take can really affect our health condition, good or poor. Air pollution exists everywhere now, not only outside but even inside our homes. Think about the smoke fumes emitted through cooking, dust flying everywhere when you are doing your house cleaning chores or the gases emitted by our cars. It's really time to think about it, we need to learn more about pollution control and let us do our share in preserving our planet.


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Emails

How many emails do you receive every day ? I've just count the emails I have receive today from work, total emails I receive was about 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This does not include the emails I receive from personal emails I got. I am sure, some of you may have received more emails than me. I thought technology would somehow lighten up our workload. But to think about the number of emails that we receive everyday, we may become overwhelmed by it as more time are being alloted just to read this bulk emails that we got everyday. We must learn to identify emails that require our urgent attention and prioritize emails that are needed to be replied.

So here's my question I would like to raise :
a. How many emails do you received every day ?
b. How do you deal with your emails so that it becomes manageable ?
c. Do you have some tips in handling your emails ?


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Travel to 7 Continents

I am grateful to Belen for sharing this tag with me :-)!



Rules :1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".

2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)

3. Leave your url post in here and I'll add you to the Master List.

4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.

5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!

6. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.

7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.Master List :

A. Asia : 1. Moms... Check Nyo (Philippines) 2. Aeirin's Collections (Philippines) 3. Jenny and Belle(Philippines) 4. Hailey's Beats and Bits (Philippines) 5. Appleofmyeyes(Saudi Arabia) 6. Deranged Insanity (Philippines) 7. Mother Cares (Philippines) 8.  Reference Notes (Hong Kong) 9.  A Great Pleasure (Malaysia) 10. your turn.


B. Australia : 1. your turn

C. Afrika : 1. your turn

D. North Amerika : 1. Simple Life, Simply Me (USA) 2. Pinaymama's Diary (USA) 3. 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires (United States) 4.Traipsey Turvey (USA) 5. Dabawenyako (USA) 6. Icelog (USA) 7. Journey And Journal [USA]8. Life is A Gift [USA]9. Life is good and beautiful (USA)10. your turn

E. South Amerika : 1. your turn

F. Europe : 1. My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands) 2. Juliana's Site (Netherlands) 3. Picturing of Life (Netherlands) 4. your turn G. Antarctica : 1. your turn~

End Copy


I am passing this tag to Marky, Kate, Wendy, Lazahrt, Badet, Sylvia, laradee, kenjebz, Batanggenyo.

A Simple Healing Prayer

Dear God, we pray for the quick recovery of all the sick and the dying especially those suffering from LUPUS, CANCER and OTHER ILLNESSES. And may find COURAGE in their PAIN. Amen.To those who will be tagged, all you have to do is keep this circulating.Even if it’s to only one person. In memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by a serious illness like Lupus or Cancer or is still living with it. A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.

Blogs who prayed:1.) Eida’s Closet 2.) My Precious 3.) Just Me.. Eds 4.) Milet5.) FunFierceFab 6.) Surviving deployment 7.Katelove's 8.) Dan 9). your blogPlease

Keep This Candle Going!There will be a cure soon.Continue to have Hope and continue to pray!

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Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do

Just receive this email. You may have already known this, but just in case you didn't ........

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.

Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.

Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST
Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find Yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to Establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND
Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

THIRD
Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

FOURTH
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.



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PC keeps on rebooting

My friend's PC keeps on rebooting after a certain period of time (ie. every 5 or 10 minutes). She confirmed to me that this strange restart problem only happen 2 days ago and that her PC was functioning normally before that. After checking that there was no loose wire connections on the PC, I suspected that there might be a virus that had infected her PC, I tried to download antivirus from the internet but then the PC would restart in the middle of the download or even before we could successfully connect to the internet Luckily the windows system restore option was enabled so I then tried to restore the PCs operating system to previous week state. The PC then rebooted after restoration of previous weeks image and the strange restart problem never occured again.

Here's the step that I did to restore the PC to its previous backup image using Windows System Restore.

1. Log on to Windows as Administrator.

2. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.

3. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next.

4. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system checkpoint in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next.
A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.

5. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next.
System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.

6. Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration Complete page appears. Click OK.


So how do you ensure that the System Restore option in Windows was enabled in your PC or laptop ? To ensure that it was turn on do the following steps :
1. Click Start.

2. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

3. Click the System Restore tab.

4. Uncheck "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all drives."

5. Click Apply, and then click OK.


Does your PC has some strange problems after downloading some softwares or music from the internet ? You may want to consider Window's System Restore as one of your option. Its really a great feature of Windows.


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Regional Delicacies in Philippines

Philippine food is relatively unknown in many parts of the world.  Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American influences have greatly influence Philippine cuisine and also have complemented the Filipino's way of traditional cooking style.  Popular dishes adopted from Chinese are "lumpiang shanghai" (spring rolls) and "pancit" (rice noodles). A lot of traditional dishes still retain their Spanish names such as "mechado," "menudo," and "pochero."

Below are some well known food that could be found in certain localities in Phillipines.

Ilocos Region (Northen part of Luzon)   -  well known for its longganisa and pinakbet

Negros, Iloilo and Cebu -   Lechon and Otap

Pampanga -  tocino (sweet meat)

Batangas   -   famous for its "bulalo" and Barako (coffee beans)

Bicol   -   famous for its "laing" and "Bicol Express"  (dishes that used coconut milk and spices)

Iloilo   -   popular for its "pancit molo and "La Paz Batchoy"

Davao   -   famous for its "inihaw na panga ng tuna" and exotic fruits like "durian" , mangosteen, rambutan and pomelo

Zamboanga   -   famous for its delicious prawns, crabs, lobster and "curacha"


I am not sure of the well known foods for other regions.   Can you help me out ?

Chinese Cantonese Tutorials - Lesson 2

This is the 2nd lesson (out of 20 lessons) of my basic Cantonese tutorials.  Should you wish to read the other lessons, please click this link or go to Chinese Cantonese Tutorials Website.

Appellations

中文	English	Cantonese	Tagalog
稱 呼	Appellation	Ching Fu	Pantawag
我	I	Ngo	Ako
你	You	Lei/Nei	Ikaw
我 們	We / Our	Ngo tei	Tayo
先生	Mister / Sir	Sin sang	Mister / Ginoo
太太	Mrs. / Madam	Dai Dai	Misis / Ginang
小姐	Miss	Siu tsie	Dalaga / Miss
爸爸 / 父親	Father	Pa pa	Tatay/Itay
媽媽/毋親	Mother	Ma ma	Nanay/Inay
公公/	Grandfather	Kung Kung	Lolo
婆婆	Grandmother	Po po	Lola
姐姐	Elder Sister	tsie tsie	Ate
妹妹	Younger Sister	Mui Mui	Bunso Babae
哥哥	Elder Brother	Ko ko	Kuya
弟弟	Younger Brother	Tai Tai	Bunso Lalake
姨姨	Auntie	Yi yi	Tita
叔叔/伯伯	Uncle	Suk suk	Tito
女孩/女兒	Daughter	Nui	Anak na Babae
男孩/男兒	Son	chai	Anak na Lalake
男仔	Boy	Nam chai	Lalake
女仔	Girl	Nui chai	Babae
媳/女婿	Daughter/Son -in-law	San Po / Nui Sai	Manugang
姐夫	Sister-In-Law	che Fu / Mui Fu	Hipag
弟夫	Brother-In-Law	Dai Fu	Bayan
奶奶/老	Mother/Father-in-law	Nai Nai / Loh Ye	Biyenan

I signed up with SocialSpark

I have just signed up with SocialSpark and immediately after I have signed up, someone had immediately given me a prop up and asked me to be added in my friends list. SocialSpark really had added viewership to my blogsite Reference Notes.

The first one who had prop me up was "themidnighwriter". She had immediately added me in her friends list and had welcome me to SocialSpark. Two other SocialSpark members "the mom with brownies" and "Joy Burlinson" had prop up and added me to their friends list after few days of joining SocialSpark and this happens even though my blog was not yet added with SocialSpark site. That's how the community members on that site help one another by giving props, providing help to any members who are new to the site. Members of SocialSpark also provide comments to other members post and encourage each other to make improvements.

Joining SocialSpark is quite easy, just fill in a few questions related to your blog or website and then put the ITK code before the /body tag of your blogs html. Once done, just wait for your site to get approved, and voila, you are in for great opportunities that would come your way.

To view my profile in SocialSpark , click this link Dan Santi profile.

So what are you waiting for, join SocialSpark now and open the door to more opportunities for sponsored posts, meeting new friends and having more visitors to your website are just some benefits that you would reap.


Note : This is a sponsored post.

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Chinese Cantonese Tutorials - Lesson 1

This is the first part of the cantonese tutorials that I have prepared in my other site Cantonese Tutorials. There are 20 Chinese Cantonese lessons on that site. I'll try to add them here, but due to limitations in Blogger editor, its quite difficult to just copy and paste. Anyway, hope that this could help you in learning the Cantonese language.

Numbers

中文	English	Cantonese	Tagalog
	Number	Ho Ma	Numero
0	Zero	Ling	Sero
1	One	Yat	Isa
2	Two	Yi	Dalawa
3	Three	Sam	Tatlo
4	Four	Se	Apat
5	Five	Em	Lima
6	Six	Lok	Anim
7	Seven	Chat	Pito
8	Eight	Pak	Walo
9	Nine	Kau	Siyam
10	Ten	Sap	Sampu
11	Eleven	Sap yat	Labing-Isa
12	Twelve	Sap yi	Labing-Dalawa
20	Twenty	Yi sap	Dalawam pu
21	Twenty-One	Yi sap yat	Dalawampu't isa
30	Thirty	Sam sap	Tatlong pu
100	One Hundred	Yat pak	Isang Daan
1000	One Thousand	Yat chin	Isang Libo
1/2	One-Half	Yat pun	Kalahati

Money

	Money	chin	Pera
	Dollar	Man	Dolyar
1	One Dollar	Yat man	Isang dolyar
2	Two Dollar	Leong man	Dalawang dolyar
3	Three Dollar	Sam man	Tatlong dolyar
10	Ten Dollar	Sap man	Sampung dolyar
0.1	Ten Cents	Yat ho	Sampung Centavos
0.5	Fifty Cents	Em ho	Limangpung Centavos
0.7	Seventy Cents	Chat ho	Pitong Centavos
0.9	Ninety Cents	Kau ho	Siyamnapung Centavos
20	Twenty Dollars	Yi sap man	Dalawampung dolyar

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The Give And Go Technorati Authority Experiment

Want backlinks, pagerank, prestige, and more...? Brad Blogging had an idea of how to increase your website/blog's Technorati Authority. This experiment has 4 simple steps:
1.        Make a blog post and copy the list below after the line.
2.        Include your link at the end of the list.
3.        In order for Brad Blogging to know that you have joined with his experiment, you have to make a comment from the original post.
4.        Sit back and watch your Technorati Authority Increase…
---

*�Copy Here - Technorati Authority�*

1. Brad Blogging.com - Daily Blog Tips For The Masses

2. Daily Blogging Tips At The Daily Rambler

3. Blog Chews - Blog About Anything

4. Steve v4.6 - Big Made Small

5. GIVEAWAY CITY

6. Indo Contest.com - Find the Latest Contest Here

7. POTPOLITICS-We Smoke the Competition

8. ATA - AskTheAdmin.com

9. Dolly's Daily Diary

10. The Tech Juice - Tech Tips And More

11. Wendy's OBA, Blog Tips & Tricks

12. Wendy's Reel - Fact And Fancy

13. A Grateful Heart

14. 50+Whatever..Just some Ramblings in Life

16. The Blog for DesignCreatology

17. Contest Whiz - The Blog Contest Expert

18. About Blog Contests

19. Esmeraldasblog - Como aumentar la Authority de Technorati

20. Best Widgets for free - Blog Widgets

21. New life by Pitonizza

22. Todo Seiya - Como aumentar la Authority de Technorati

23. Blog for Spanish Readers

24. The Blogger And The Blog

25. Hero Help

26. Makmalcyber

27. Forex Study

28. Techyplus

29. 8

30. Darn Good Reviews

31. Blogger Tips - DotBlogger

32. Lilyruths This and That

33. That Blog 4 Me

34. Pinoytek - Make Money Online and SEO Blog

35. Snigit(blogspot)

36. Snigit(.com)

37. Best Of The Web

38. Swat the Fly

39. Area3000

40. Shut Up And Eat

41. Find Torrent Blog

42. Cebu in the World

43. Web Design

44. Trestin Adventures

45. Ask Trestin

46. Trestin Autobiography

47. Trestin Ideas

48. Trestin Gallery

49. Trestin Games

50.(Impressive Results!) Trestin Hall Of Fame

51. Trestin History

52. Parnell Forever

53. Trestin Political

54. Trestin Spiritual

55. Trestin Sports

56. Trestin Store - Yep, Each One Of These Are Different Blogs.

57. The Ordinary Agung

58. Il blog di Luca Marchi

59. What About Brazil?

60. Shri Rada Blog

61. Hawaiian Travel Blog

62. Hawaii Cruise Superstore

63. Reference Notes

64. Join This!

* End Copy - Paste This List And Join! *

NAIA Airport Check In Guidelines for tourist or OFWs

The last time I took my vacation in our province (La Union), the parents of my best friend who are going to the US for the first time had asked me this question :

What are the required steps that we need to follow when we arrived at the NAIA airport ?

Then I just realized, this curiousity or excitement feeling also happens to me on my first foreign country travel. So I'm listing out this guidelines for tourists or OFWs that would go through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) airport for the first time.

a. when you arrived at the airport, the guard at the door entrance would check your air ticket and passport. So ensure that you could easily reach for these documents.

b. After the door entrance, your baggage would need to go through the x-ray machine and you pass through the metal detector door.

c. Afterwards, get your baggage and go to DFA counter (if you are a tourist) or POEA counter (for OFW). For tourist, you need to present your passport and need to pay the Travel Tax (currently Php 1620). If you are not sure where the DFA counter is, you could always ask the guard or any airport employee for help. For OFW, you need to present your OEC for verification by POEA staff.

d. After paying the travel tax or verification of your OEC, go to your particular airline counter. Look for the signage above the counter(s) and check which particular airline or destination does the counter currently serves.

e. Check in your baggage, present your passport, air ticket together with your travel tax certificate (or OEC). The counter staff would weigh in your baggage and choose your seat no. You could request the counter staff to have you seated by the window or aisle depending on your preference and availability of seats. The staff will then give you back your air ticket, passport, travel tax certificate plus the boarding pass wherein your boarding pass contain the information of Gate No, your Seat No, etc.

f. After check in, you would need to pass through the Terminal Fee counter. Present your passport and pay about Php 750 for terminal fee. OFWs are exempted, just present your OEC and passport.

g. After paying the terminal fee, then you go through the Immigration area. Note that you need to fill up the Immigration Form first before queuing up. The forms should be available at check-in counters or at the side counters near the immigration area. Ask the airport personnel if you are not sure where to get the immigration form.

h. The immigration officer will then put the exit stamp on your passport. Next will be, queuing up near the immigration area for the final body search and metal detection on your handcarry bags (if any). You maybe required to take off your shoes, belts, or beltbags and have it pass through the x-ray machine.

i. Congrats, you have finally completed all the security procedures at our airport, you just have to go to the specific Gate No, relax and wait for your flight. You could also buy snacks from the counters near your waiting area. Von voyage.

Note: The info listed here was based on the author's knowledge only.

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How To Choose Your Orthodontist

Do you have a bite problem (malocclusion) that interferes when your eating or speaking ? Then you may want to consider orthodontic treatments. Nowadays, orthodontic treatments are not only for pre-teens and teens but for adults too. But then how do you go about choosing your orthodontist ? Here's the list that you may want to consider when choosing your orthodontist :

a. Determine the orthodontist’s level of experience and how long he/she has he been practicing ?

b. How extensive is the orthodontist’s practice?

c. If possible, ask for Before/After photos of previous patients. Do you like the results that you have seen ?

d. What is the orthodontist’s diagnosis and plan of treatment action for your teeth ? Did he/she explain it clearly to you? Did the orthodontist provide alternative treatments and explain this alternatives to you ? Would the treatment greatly affect your personal life or work ?

e. Remember that orthodontic treatments takes an average of two years with appointments typically every 6 to 8 weeks , so its really important that you establish a good rapport to the Orthodontist or the clinics staff. An orthodontist and staff who establish good rapport are better able to encourage and motivate patients to stick to a home regimen of scrupulous brushing and flossing, headband- and retainer-wearing, etc.

f. Is the orthodontist clinic conveniently located close to your home or office ?

g. In case of emergencies, what provisions does the orthodontist offer?

h. What are the payment options? Would you be able to pay through equal installment basis ? Alternatively, you can also go to dental schools to save treatment fees. If you are in Manila (Phillipines), UP Dental school in Manila accepts patients from outside and charge only a small portion of standard orthodontic fees. Your treatment will be overseen by a seasoned practitioner, typically a full professor who has specialized in orthodontics for many years.

i. Lastly, you must feel comfortable and convinced that you have chosen the best orthodontist for your case. No matter how expensive the treatment will be as long as you will get satisfied with the end result.


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Pinakbet

This is one of my favorite Filipino dish (Ilocano) and its quite easy to prepare. You just need to put all the ingredients inside the casserole with the fish sauce cook in a slow fire and that's it.


Ingredients :
1/4 k. pork, cut into big cubes
3 small size eggplant, slit crosswise
3 small bitter gourds (ampalaya), cut into 4
1 bundle long string beans (sitaw), cut into 2" length
1 bundle okra
2 tomato (cut into 4)
1 spring onion, chopped
1 garlic, pressed
1 small size ginger
1/2 cup fish sauce (bagoong)

Cooking procedure:

In a casserole pour, put all the ingredients ie. arrange the ingredients so that you put the pork first then tomato, garlic, bitter gourd, string beans, eggplant, okra, then add the fish sauce. Cover it and cook in a medium fire. After 20 minutes or when you could smell the cooked fish sauce, sprinkle the spring onion. Mix the ingredients then cook for few more minutes. Serve hot.

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LINK EXCHANGE

1. Add a link to "Reference Notes" in your site with URL address (http://my-reference-notes.blogspot.com)


2. Post a comment with your Site NAME and URL to be added to the link exchange!

Favorite Blog Links :

• Cantonese Tutorials


• Like A City On A Hill


• Entertainment News


• Health And Sciences


• My Thoughts
  


• Republic Of Latzrkht
  


• My Blog Inspiration
  


• Computer TNT
  

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Take A Look At this Picture

I've just received this from my email, take a look at the picture, what can you see ?



Look at the lines the artist used to draw this picture of Christ..

The lines forms the scenes from Christ's life.



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Superfruits

Superfruits

One is scientifically proven to have 70 times more lycopene than tomatoes and 10 times more beta-carotene than carrots. Another has 40 times more zeaxanthin than corn and 60 times more Vitamin C than oranges.

Gac, though less known worldwide, is prized by the Vietnamese for being able to promote longevity, vitality and health. Available only three months of the year, it is called the "fruit from heaven."

The seeds of the large, bright-red fruit are traditionally used for liver and spleen disorders, wounds, hemorrhoids, bruises, swelling, dry eyes and night blindness.

Gac is especially high in beta-carotene and lycopene, a substance that has been found to lower the risk of prostate cancer and protect the eyes from age-related muscular degeneration and cataracts.

Zeaxanthin in wolfberry has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2,000 years for longevity, vision, wellness and headaches. Believed to protect the eye's retina from sun damage, zeaxanthin is one of two carotenoids that the retina accumulates selectively.

Oxidation stress, known to increase with aging, is also addressed by zeaxanthin. Consumption of wolfberry dramatically decreased dizziness, fatigue, chest pains, sleep disorders and anorexia among the elderly.

Chestnut rose, a wild plant found in southwest China, has many components with antioxidant activity. It is rich in Vitamin C and E, biotin, polyphenols, zinc, polysaccharides and strontium.

Studies showed the fruit had restorative antioxidants, cardiovascular and mental benefits. It strengthened cells and aided in the conversion of sunlight into Vitamin D.

The Siberian pineapple, native to China, Mongolia, Russia and Northern Europe, is found to increase energy levels, protect the skin against nerve damage, help prevent heart disease and strokes, aid in stabilizing blood pressure and strengthen overall vascular health.

It contains powerful antioxidants that reduce oxidation stress in everyday situations such as exhaustive exercise, driving in heavy traffic, smoking, and weight-loss.

Overall, studies have concluded that gac, wolfberry, chestnut rose and Siberian pineapple were highly nutritious fruits that, individually or in combination, can greatly enhance a healthy diet. According to studies, regular consumption of g3 improves the antioxidant defense of the body.

An Aging Parent's Plea To His Child

"Sa Aking Pagtanda" by Fr. Ariel F. Robles really touches one's heart. So here's the English translation of it.

An Aging Parent's Plea To His Child
English translation by Edecat Manila

As I grow old,
I seek your Patience and Understanding.
Despite Hard-of-Hearing - notwithstanding,
"Love me". You're told.

If I spill Soup or break Plate,
My Eyesight could be dimming.
Look upon me with no hate.
Lest, I get a bad feeling.

If I am slow to stand,
My Knees could be weakening.
Quickly give me your Hand,
For I did teach you - Walking.

If I'm slow to understand,
My Hearing could be failing.
Write down or Motion-by-Hand,
So I could get the meaning.

If I sound like a "Broken Record",
My Memory could be lapsing.
Please do not laugh at me - nor be bored.
Bear with me - just by listening.

If I feel so alone,
My Spirit yearns for your presence.
Although busy at work,
Find time to be with me at home.

If I become hard-to-please,
My Consciousness favors the familiar.
Be careful and not amiss,
I'm exacting on particulars.

If I emit an unpleasant smell,
I could have the Odor-of-Old.
A daily Bath could make me unwell.
My weak Body could get a Cold.

If I urinate and move my bowel in bed,
Persevere still in loving me.
My Life is ending and farewells would soon be said.
Memories last eternally.

And if my Moment-of-Death is near,
Hold my hand and embrace me dearly.
Your love for me brings "God's Blessings" here.
You and I are truly family!

source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Edecat_Manila

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Things I Love About Hong Kong

a. Almost zero crime rate
Yes, Hong Kong is very safe and the feeling of personal safety is a huge plus on why I consider it to be no. one on my top list of things I love about HK.Hong Kong is safe enough for anyone to move around in, at all times of the day and night, with no need to worry about personal safety.

b. Dim Sum
Cuisines of every nation I think are well represented here in Hongkong. Likewise, one could easily go to a Chinese restaurant for a delicious Dim Sum. Try it and enjoy the thrill of ordering and eating at one of the Chinese restaurant. Some of my favorite are Cha Siu pao, prawn dumplings, spring rolls, turnip and taro cake – the range of dim sum menu available is vast. One of the drawbacks of having dim sum is that the restaurants are often huge, crowded and incredibly noisy places – it's all part of the experience though.

c. Hong Kong Views at Night
Hong Kong is truly a city that never sleeps and a cityscape of twinkling lights at night. The city’s lights at night are very spectacular especially when you are in Tsim Sha Tsui and looking at the HK island's picturesque view. Many buildings seem to have been designed with the purpose of entertaining the residents and tourists alike. Hong Kong at night is breathtaking and amazing.

d. Tram
The cheapest form of mode of transport here in HK, costing only HKD $2 for your ride. Its quite an amazing experience when I first take my tram ride as I could feel the tram jolts as it moves along the metal railing. Taking the tram is not a fast ride, but its cheap, atmospheric and one could leisurely see the main thoroughfare of HK. The tram traverses from the Western part (Kennedy Town) to the Northern part (Shaukeiwan) of HK.

e. MTR
The most efficient means of transport in HK. You will never miss your appointment again as the MTR runs efficiently. Likewise, the subways are wide, clean and well lit.

f. Hong Kong airport
Considered one of the busiest airport in the world. Hong Kong airport is about as close as it comes. In-town check in service, a fast, clean and convenient airport express train with mini TV screens, onboard uniformed baggage carriers, seasonal cool architecture, thumb print scanning immigration counters, almost unlimited places to eat and shop. Hong Kong airport is great. It is efficient, clean and very travel friendly.


g. Late Night Shopping
Shops in Hong Kong open late but stay open until 10 or 11 p.m. Do not go shopping at nine in the morning as most shops are still close. So there's no problem shopping even after work or past 10 at night. Shops staying open late at night maybe one of the reasons why Hong Kong is considered a shoppers’ paradise.

h. Weather
Hongkong got 4 seasons, though you may complain during hot, humid summers in Hong Kong, you will get really chilly weather during Winter season. Luckily, no snow during winter which makes this city really great place to live in.

i. Noodle and Congee Shops
Congee is always recommend whenever one has a stomach problem. Congee reminds me of the rice porridge that we have in Phillippines (Arroz caldo). Congee here in HK is actually consists of rice, salt and various garnishes such as shredded pork, chicken, preserved eggs, etc. ! One could easily find a noodle or congee house here in HK and its one of the cheapest way of having your lunch or dinner besides going to a fast food chain like Mcdonalds. I love the Beef Brisket noodle as well, its really superb and highly recommended.

j. 7-11 convenience stores
These convenience stores are everywhere in Hongkong. I think there are at least one in every corner or two. If you happen not to visit an area for quite a while, do not be suprised if, when you return, a new 7-11 has opened up. In Hong Kong these stores also sell cheap alcohol. You are never more than a block away from a cold beer or ice cream. In fact, in Lan Kwai Fong, the 7-11 store in Aguilar street was considered to be where the cheapest beer could be bought.


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