Sleeping late, waking up late

Past seven in the evening…

It never gets pitch-black dark in Finland at night, at least where we’re staying, in Pori.  Even at midnight, it still seems like dusk.  I woke up one time at 3am and it was already as bright as 8 in the morning.  That’s why we tend to sleep very late, waiting for darkness to set in and as a result, we wake up late too.  Yawn, yawn, yawn… I’m still sleepy.  But I can’t waste my stay here just sleeping all day especially when the sun is out. Can I?

Browsing through PopPages at Pop Bandit

Sharing information, talking about the things we like and making friendships – these are just some of the fun things we get when we go online. Social networking sites such as Pop Bandit is a way to talk about products, events, videos and stuff you like or dislike. It’s also a way to browse on what other members share too. Another thing about Pop Bandit is to get some recommendations on the things you’re interested in. The system has a personal alert technology which matches your likes and dislikes, the stuff you want to know more about to fit your shopping and planning needs. 

All in all, Pop Bandit is a way to share information with others worldwide on stuff like music, art, people, clothing, videos and more. Doing a search on your favorite artist will take you to a PopPage with a corresponding PopBytes section where you can read more about the topic and filter by related products, videos, news, contest & deals and events. A PopPage will also display a list of fans or members who liked it and related PopPages people like. For instance, Tom Petty fans can find a PopPage about him and watch some related videos or check out some tickets for his latest show. Whether you’re into TV shows and looking for a Weeds Season 3 DVD or comedy films such as Get Smart, you can do a search of your favorite topics at Pop Bandit.

What a great day!

This is how it looks outside from our dining room window:

It’s a great day to be out! Those old women beat me to it. They’re already out and bathing under the sun at 11am. Hehehhe and I’m still here inside the house, had just finished my breakfast.
What did I have anyway?

A piece of a moist chocolate cake, a peach and two pieces of toast bread smeared with butter and a cup of hot choco.  Yum!

How about you? Are you having a great day too?

Keeping an organized bathroom

It’s always a challenge how to keep the house neat and clean when you have toddlers and kids who make the whole house their playground.  All around the house, you can see toys lying on the floor, on the sofa, and even in areas where you don’t want them to be; like in a bathroom. 

A good trick to organize things would be to provide plastic baskets where you can stash their toys inside or when in the bathroom, you can install shelves and wirework accessories for placing just about anything; it can be their bath toys or towels.   (more…)

On health insurance

Getting insurance is the way of life, for many people. And medical insurance is getting popular these days. Here in CZ, I had my own health insurance when I got here. I have wondered how the medical insurance of other parts of the globe are. This has sparked my interest that’s why I made a bit of surfing on the net.

I’ve found out that in the State of Georgia, they have the office of Commissioner of Insurance that regulates insurance issues like premiums of insurance companies. There is this company which offers Georgia Health Insurance with a wide variety of plans, affordable and flexible to suit one’s needs, the goal of which is preventive care, not just to help one when he gets sick. (more…)

What to bring for the kids

This week I’ve been preparing the things we’re going to bring for our trip to Finland.  I asked my sister for tips what her kids would like to get as gifts.  Her little girl loves books and we’ve already bought her several pieces which she can share with her younger brother.  How about the big bro?  Well, he loves playing with his playstation and also those computer games online. So maybe a computer or PS2 games would be apt? Huh? We’ll bring computer all the way to Finland? Heh! 

So we decided we’ll just bring the memory and the hard disk coz we have extra here that we’re not using anyway.  The rest of the computer parts will be bought there.  If they want to have new PS2 games, their mom would just have to buy it for them.  Coz they’ll get nothing from auntie, just the computer treasures. Teehee!

It’s great to be free!

Last Sunday, the Filipinos in Czech Republic celebrated the 110th Philippine Independence Day at the grounds of The Infant Jesus of Prague Church. 

It kicked off with a Mass celebration at 12 noon and followed by a short program; welcome speech of the Ambassador, Carmelita Salas, singing of the national anthem of the Philippines and the Czech Republic and a song rendition from the choir.  After which there was a salo-salo (party) and then games for both adults and kids alike.  

It was a simple celebration but what matters most is that the freedom which our ancestors and heroes have fought for years ago still remains.  It’s truly great to be free!  

On GPS tracking

These modern times has seen so many improvements made possible by high technology. It has been the beneficiary of devices unheard of before, which  give life more ease and comfort.

One of these is the  GPS Tracking key of the LandAirSea Systems, Inc. which is a pocket-sized device used by many now for dfferent purposes like vehilcle tracking, fleet tracking, even personal tracking for teens – or spouses? (GPS stands for Global Positioning System).  It was even used to solve a murder case investigation. This shows how varied the use of this device can be. It’s just like you are hiring a law enforcement agent, and much more affordable. It’s also easily conceable as it is small. The device is easy to use, and another advantage is it’s compatibilty with the Google Earth software.

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Let’s move to New Zealand

Moving to New Zealand? Immigrating to another country is not a joke. You have to get all facts and information so you can do it the right way from the start. Whether you want to get New Zealand residency or just apply for jobs New Zealand, you need to know what the requirements are, how much it costs to live in New Zealand, how is the place like, and so on.

Lets Move 2 NZ is your all-in-one guide to moving to NZ! By registering in their website for free, you’d be able to access all the information you’ll need about New Zealand, get immigration application documents, and you can even upload your CV which many accredited New Zealand employers are viewing. So that you won’t waste any more time searching in many different sites for NZ information, Lets Move 2 NZ will guide you all the way on your move to New Zealand.

Toys for my little girl

My baby’s newest toy is a stuff dog.  As usual, she lost interest on it after she has fully studied and explored it.  That’s why I’m quite apprehensive in buying her more toys. Why would I spend so much money on these toys when she prefers to pull the cables and grab my mouse instead?  For her, maybe these are more interesting than her toys.

She’s too young yet for creative toys.  I can’t give her crayons and paper coz she would nibble on it, that’s for sure! Maybe after I read the toys buying guide online, I’ll be able to decide what toys are apt for her (aside from baby books).   I’m looking at the Educational Learning Systems now.

All about London

When you’re planning to go to London for the first time, you’ll need all the useful information you can get about the city.  A London webzine is the right place to look up for any news, events and information regarding the capital of UK.  That’s why Hotel Assist is there to provide travelers with the latest information they need in their trip, be it business or pleasure.

They can read what the latest London news is and even get to read the featured London attractions so they know which exciting places to check out on their visit.  They might be able to find some discounted hotel rates from the website.  Get all your facts straight from Hotel Assist!

Travel again!

A week from now, my parents, sister and baby will be traveling to another part of Europe for a 1 month vacation.  We’ve just paid for our tickets today so that means the trip is final!

Have we packed up yet? Nope!  But I decided since the little girl is still small to carry her own kids luggage, I’ll just carry one big luggage and include her clothes with mine.  But when she becomes a toddler, I want to get her the pull and ride along suitcase from Trunki which I saw at Innovation Luggage.  It’s great for travel especially in airport; when transferring from one flight to another coz the kids can ride on it when they get tired from walking. Or should I just buy it now since its on sale? And when she’s bigger, a disney luggage would be appropriate for her. 

The trunki looks like this: 

Very innovative, right?

Philippine Independence Day

Happy Independence day to all Filipinos!

I pray for the release of the kidnapped news crew in Sulu.

I pray for more work opportunities for my kababayans.

I pray for honest and hardworking politicians.

I pray for better wages for labor groups.

I pray for affordable rice prices.

I pray for peace.

Mabuhay!

Your kind of souvenir

We went out the other day to a famous home store here in CZ.  I only wanted to let my dad see this home shop coz he has been hearing a lot about it.  We don’t have this shop in our country so we decided to set aside a time to go there. 

While we were there, we couldn’t help put buy few items that appealed to us; if not for their useful purposes, some were good remembrance of their trip. The disadvantage with home ware products though is that they’re fragile and heavy, not really a good material to bring in traveling especially when you’re from thousands of miles.  But they have plenty of space in their luggage anyway.

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The convenience a car provides for a family

Having your own vehicle is convenient especially if you have a growing family and your place is far from the business center.  Though the place we live in is located just few meters to establishments essential for daily living, every weekend we’d travel a bit farther for church activities. Now that we have a little baby, having our own car has really helped.  We experienced few times riding the public transportation with our little girl and it wasn’t convenient at all especially that she’s getting heavier each day!

Depending on the family’s budget, they can choose whether they can afford used or new cars.  I know someone who prefers buying slightly used cars than new coz it’s a bit cheaper.  Of course he also checks the car thoroughly for any defects before buying.  He is skilled in that area.
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Clothing for little girls

Little girls are more fun to dress up than boys.  Boys are limited only to shirts and pants while girls have plenty to wear from head to toe.  For their hair alone, the accessories are numerous!  You can tie their hair with cute ribbons or clip it with colorful barrettes, or place a glittering headband or a scarf.  For clothes, the choices are countless too!  There are the frilly dresses, skirts, blouses and pants. The same thing goes with shoe wear. 

Now that summer is fast approaching here in Europe, I looked up for information on what fabrics would be good in choosing dress clothing for girls. The recommended fabrics are seersucker, line and cotton sundresses. These materials are light providing comfort during the hot days.

Want to know more about girls’ clothing? Visit Shopwiki!

To track or not to track?

The possibilities of the GPS tracking system are really incredible verging on the ridiculous. Imagine tracking a spouse, would that not be subject to quarrels and more misunderstandings in case the wifey would really be able to track some  foolishness done by an unfaithful husband?

And what if the result would not be positive of any mischief? Would she be able to contain her guilt for doubting her loyal partner in life? Another debatable point here is the morality of the act of spying on your own spouse. I really don’t know. For me, thank God, for things like that, I don’t have a problem with my hubby. And as long as we trust each other and keep on praying for our good marriage, then I’m assured of not being troubled by a problem that needs GPS tracking.  

How about you? What’s your view on GPS tracking? Is it invasion of privacy?  

Victory for Czech Republic in the opening match at Euro 2008

It was the opening of the Euro 2008 last Saturday in Switzerland, one of the host countries for the game.  The opening match was between Czech Republic and Switzerland.  The Czechs nailed the Swiss with a 1-0 victory.  It was all because of Vaclac Sverkos, who scored successfully  at the 71st minute of the game.  Sverkos  substituted Jan Koller 10 minutes after the break, a good decision by the team’s coach Karel Bruchner.

This coming Wednesday, the Czech team will have their second match; they’ll be playing  against Portugal at Geneva – Stade de Geneve. We’ll see if they will win again.

Web callback technology

Companies around the world are looking for ways on how to reduce their overhead expenses to maximize their profits.  One big expense of a company especially those dealing with international market is the telecommunications.  Good thing the internet has provided many ways for companies to slash their telecoms expenses big time.

For phone expenses, there’s the VOIP and now here comes another new technology that harnesses the power of web, the web callback system. The web callback operates this way: a person enters his phone number in the website.  A company owning the site receives the web callback request and will call the requesting person back on the number he entered.

Using this technology, ProCallback by Mercia Networks has proven to enhance sales and improve the company’s standing.   It is also effective and entails little cost; great news for businesses indeed!

Celebration of the Philippine Independence Day in Prague

June 12 is the Philippine Independence Day.  Even in far away countries, Filipinos still find time to celebrate this day.  Here in Prague the Philippine Embassy has cooked up something to commemorate the day of our freedom. If you happen to be in the Prague on June 15, do join the gathering which will be held at the back of the Infant Jesus of Prague Church. For detailed info, read the letter below which was forwarded to me by a friend:

Dear All,

The Philippine Embassy in Prague would
like to invite the filipino community
to participate in the Independence day
celebration to be held on Sunday, 15
June 2008 at Sto. Nino Church . It will
start with a mass followed by a
barbeque party/salo salo with Filcom,
Embassy personnel and guests at the
back of the chapel. There will be a
short program, contest for the
children and adults as well. The theme
is to know thy Philippine Heritage.
Everyone is invited to participate.
prizes are to be announced during the
event.

Also, any volunteer for an
intermission/special number to that
program would be highly appreciated.

Please disseminate the information to
your Filipino friends.

Thank you.
 
Merlines