Hello again.  Everything in life seems to be complicated.  As an Engineer, I was trained in different problem solving methodologies specially in a manufacturing company.  Sometimes one big problem can be solved by simple solution but most often we let simple problems to be complicated.  During one of my trainings, one story told was about one big Soap Manufacturing company.  They have continously receiving customer complaints regarding soap box without soap inside being delivered to customer.  They gather their best engineers to look for a solution to prevent recurence of the problem.  Together they formulate a system, tried using sensors, xrays and other expensive methods.  All week long, the janitor was observing what the engineers were doing.  Then one day, the janitor brought one industrial fan and set across the conveyor belt where soap box are running.  All empty boxes were blown awayy from the conveyor before it went to packaging area .  Their problem was solved.

  Oftentimes, we makes things complicated but most of the times, problems can be solve with simple solution.  We must think out of the box, explore possiblities and be creative.  Make it simple.

  Last christmas, I just prepared a dinner for a small salo-salo in our Villa here in UAE.  It is my wife’s favorite, Kare-kare.  Usually cow’s “tuwalya” is commonly used in Karekare, but for me, I prefer Pork legs or “pata”.  I bought 1 1/2 kilo of “pata”, eggplant, pechay, peanut butter, Mama Sita’s karekare mix and of course Kamayan Spicy bagoong.

    First, I let the pata boiled in medium heat until meat was tender.  Water is just enough to cover the meat.  Then I pour in the eggplat, karekare mix, tbspn of peanut butter and salt. 

  Once soup thickens and eggplant is cooked, add pechay and cooked for 2 minutes. Served with bagoong and enjoyed our Christmas Dinner.

  Merry Christmas to everybody.  This is my second Christmas here in UAE and like last year, we will be having a small gathering and prepare something to eat to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ. 

  We miss the Simbang Gabi as well as the puto bumbong and bibingka after the Dawn mass.  No Christmas trees, decorations and christmas carols and most of all  NO CHRISTMAS BONUS!!!

 But the spirit of christmas is within us.  We will attend mass on christmas day, celebrate with our housemates and videoke singing.  I hope it will be happier this year because we all don’t have to go to work because it is friday.   

  Wherever we are, we should keep christmas in our hearts.  We miss our family back home, but we know they are happy.  Merry Christmas to all of you and may the spirit of christmas be with you!!  Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Have you watched the movie 2012?  Is the end of the world fast approaching?  Look around the world, wars, global warming, inflation rates, and very worst calamities.  Just last September in the Philippines, central luzon including National Capital region was hardly battered by the worst flooding I ever seen.Earthquakes in indonesia and Hurricanes in the United states,  Are these signs of approaching END of the World?  This week again in the Phillipines, the famous Perfect Cone ” Mt. Mayon in Albay Legazpi is threatening to explode.  Level 3 was alarmed and thousands were evacuated for fear of worst scenario.  Lava and heavy smokes and constant heavy vulcanic activities were recorded to date and explosion is expected within days.

Back to 2012, just like Noah’s Ark, there are big ships built in Nepal, Mt everest.  The only problem is only the rich and able to Pay 1 billion Euro will be allowed to  accomodate the ship, what about the poor like many of us.  We will all vanish and all the rich will live. 

I just hope that this movie is just a creative imagination of the author and will never happen in the future.  Anyway, it is a good movie and worth the time watching.

   What is the secret to be successful in life?  For me, I still don’t  know.  I’ve read a lot of books, videos,and heard success stories.  But what really is the key to be successful? To sum up everything I’ve read and watched, the top on the list is Positive thinking.  Law of attraction – positive thinking attracts positive vibes. Next is attitude, but is it the same with positive thinking, positive attidute.  What is your attitude in any situation dictates the outcome. Hardwork is also a big part to be successful based on everything I’ve read.  But hardwork without procastination is much better.  Often times I’m thinking what I’m missing, why until now, Im still far away from my dreams.  Perhaps, I am not consistent from being positive, not consistent on working so hard.  I still oftentimes procastinate.  if I want to be successful, I should MAKE IT HAPPEN.  Positive attitude, hardwork and stop procastination.  Just MAKE IT HAPPEN and GOD will do the rest.

     After 8 months of  sweating, here comes the rain at last.  Its getting colder now here in UAE.  No need to turn-on the A/C unit and prepare your sweatshirts and jackets.  Temperature now is 19degrees daytime and 17 degrees nighttime and it will reach the lowest 9degress by the month of February. 

     Before I went here in UAE, I was not aware that temperature here drops to 9degrees.  My friend told me to bring with me jackets and sweaters cause I’ll be needing it during winter time.  Are you joking? All I know is that, deserts don’t have winter, always burning temperature.  But I was wrong, during my first christmas in UAE, its freezing till the month of February. I experienced also heavy rains and floodings in our area and I was not expecting it also.

  There’s still a lot to discover, things that are unexpected.  Things that will change your perception.  And things to clear doubts.

Here abroad, laptop or computer is a necessity.  It is the best way of keeping in touch with my kids at home in the Phiippines by the power of the internet.  We can communicate easily and even help our kids in making assignments even we are continents apart.  We are able to play games with them online through facebook which is so addictive.  During my vacation last September, I brought my laptop with me.  I have five stopovers on my trip Back and forth Dubai Airport ( Dubai – Brunei – NAIA-Clark-Singapore-Qatar-Dubai ).  Stopover on different airports were not so boring because wi-fi connection is available for free on all except in Brunei Airport.  Just last week, I started blogging.  After work, aside from playing Farmtown, I started to blog regarding my personal life , past and present experiences, my personal cooking recipes and everything that is worth sharing with you.  Laptop is now part of my everyday life…

We set a new World Record for number of journalist murdered in the single attack.  I t was so embarassing to the whole world that we broke the record of Iraq, where 11 journalists were killed compared to maguindanao massacre wherein at least 18 journalists were among the 57 fatalities.  Aside from that, women and children were not spared by this inhumane act of Political Warlords.  It may be a monster created by the Government when last year they allowed Politicians in ithis area to have their own Private armies and civilian volunteers not to protect the people but to protect the warlords.

Still 6 months to go before the May 2010 election, how much more bloodshed will be there because of these Politicians where they promised to serve and protect the people.  I hate politics eversince.  I’ve seen families torn aparts, brothers become enemies and people divided due to different beliefs.  Economy worsens, the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer.

My deepest sympathy to the families of  the victims of this brutal massacre.

Do I plan my life to be here in UAE, definitely NO.  I loved my work in the Philippines, living a simple life with my family.  Everything was alright until I joined in a business that brought me into debts.  I had to make a move, I prayed to God to give me a job overseas, with good salary and everything is free.  And God said, your wish is my command. One sunday morning I received an email from UAE for an interview in an agency in Malate and on that same day, I got hired, no placement fee, all expenses free and a salary 4times what I am getting as a Process Engineer.  I resigned from my previous employer and started my Journey here in UAE.   I was hired as a Production Executive/Engineer and assigned inWarehouse and Shipping department. It was a big change for me with regards to job responsibilities.  Before I am a team leader of Process Engineering group, where we were responsible for defect analysis, process improvement and Management report, but now I will be responsible for Supervision of Shipment or delivery of our products.  Aside from that, I am handling 3 different nationalities, Indian, Sri Lankan and Filipinos.  All went well for me for my first 6 months until I was shifted to another Crew that my life becomes miserable.  After 1 year of hardwork and under pressure, I got terminated for Low Performance by the management.  What???? Another setback, and I felt I was in the lowest point of my life. Lowest Point of my life???? No worries, there’s no other choice but to go up.  We have to keep on moving, keep in believing and keep our faith to the Lord our God.  Now I’m still here in UAE  working in a Printing company, continuing my journey.

Have you heard the theme song of Hanna Montana the movie ” The Climb“?  For me, I really like the song lyrics, I’m not actually a Miley Cyrus fan for my age, but I like the song.  The lyrics of the song is like an energizer to me.  It makes me motivated once I hear the song because sometimes we are being demotivated on all the setbacks that we are facing along the way, financial problems, family problems and other circumstances that makes us weak. But base from the song lyrics  ”There always gonna be another mountain, always gonna be an uphill battle”, meaning setbacks, failures and difficulties are just normal. Sometimes we are losing hope, sometimes we let our dreams fall apart, then we give up.  If we give up, are we going to be able to reach our dreams, NO!  We gonna keep on trying, keep on pushing, keep on climbing one step at a time.  Along the way we may face difficulties, but we should not stop trying.  Its not how fast we get there, its not about whats waiting on the other side of the mountain.  Its the Climb! Keep on Pushing.  Keep the faith alive!