DATE ARCHIVES : March 2018

Free WiFi and Other Things I Loved about Flying with Jetblue

Free WiFi and Other Things I Loved about Flying with Jetblue

Most of my travels are usually with Delta. I have accumulated quite a lot of miles on their Sky Club program, which makes my travel more convenient. I am usually one of the first passengers to board and I enjoy an occasional upgrade.

This time, though, the Portugal Embassy in Washington, D.C. did not send my passport back in time to book a flight with Delta. By the time I received it, the airfare shot through the roof at over $2,500. We explored other options and settled on Jetblue and TAP Air Portugal for my trip to Porto. (I was going to attend a meeting of our partner organization there.) By doing this, we saved $1,000 on my airfare! Not bad for a reservation done, 2 days before the flight.

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Review of Dough Knights and Dragons

Review of Dough Knights and Dragons

Every week I write about the books that we read for my son. He is currently 4 years old and loves a good book! I am not a professional book and illustration reviewer or critic, but I can write about the book, what I think about it, and how our son reacted to it.

What the Book is About

“Dough Knights and Dragons” tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a dragon and a knight. The knight stumbles into the lair of the dragon and starts cooking. Instead of being eaten by the dragon, they developed a friendship through their mutual love of cooking and baking.

But there is a problem. In their world, dragons and knights do not become friends with each other. They are supposed to fight and kill each other. As they cooked and baked, they devised a way to save each other. They baked dough knights and dragons and ate cookies in the shape of knights and dragons. They ended up keeping their friendship, ending the tradition of killing each other, and forged peace and friendship in the land.

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How to buy a car: Guide for Filipinos Who just Arrived in the USA

How to buy a car: Guide for Filipinos Who just Arrived in the USA

Public transportation is not very good in the United States. Only the big cities have excellent train and bus systems. In most cities, like Nashville where we live, you need a car to move around.

Here’s a quick guide to buy a car if you have just arrived in the USA.

Borrow or Rent a Car before you arrive.

If you have friends or relatives, borrow a car from them for 5-10 days right after your arrival. If you don’t have any friends or relatives, you can rent a car through RentalCars.com, Expedia.com, or Priceline.com

When we first arrived in August 2015, I rented a car for 5 days. That time frame was enough for me. It meant that I had to visit several dealerships and test drive some cars over this period. But it worked out and before I returned the car, I bought a 2012 Kia Forte.

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Review of Brave by Stacy McAnulty

Review of Brave by Stacy McAnulty

Every week I write about the books that we read for my son. He is currently 4 years old and loves a good book! I am not a professional book and illustration reviewer or critic, but I can write about the book, what I think about it, and how our son reacted to it.

What the Book is About

“Brave” by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff is a celebration of the many ways that kids can be brave. Kids can be brave simply by seeking adventure, by staying calm, by fighting for justice, standing up for truth, and through many other courageous acts.

The book also celebrates kids’ bravery in the presence of other kids and adults. It also shows kids with disabilities being brave and doing things that many kids do. In the age of superhero movies, it is great for kids to be reminded that simple acts of kindness can help other people, too.

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My DIY Productivity Journal

My DIY Productivity Journal

My last paper-based planner-journal was the one I got from Starbucks after drinking too many cups of expensive, oftentimes sweet, coffee in 2011. After that, I saw the power of Google Calendar on my browser and on my Android phone. So I went full digital and ditched my paper-based planner. It wasn’t too difficult to train myself to adjust to a full digital planner and calendar.

Enter appointments on the app and it syncs everywhere!

If I had an upcoming meeting, deadlines, or any appointment, I just swipe my smartphone open, pick the date and time with a description of the appointment and it syncs with all the devices where I installed the calendar app. For the record, I have only ever used Google Calendar since then. I use Outlook’s calendar every now and then for work, but that’s the only setting where I use another calendar app.

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Review of All My Friends are Fast Asleep

Review of All My Friends are Fast Asleep

Every week I write about the books that we read for my son. He is currently 4 years old and loves a good book! I am not a professional book and illustration reviewer or critic, but I can write about the book, what I think about it, and how our son reacted to it.

What the Book is About

“All My Friends Are Fast Asleep” tells the story of a boy who couldn’t sleep at night. To help him sleep, he decides to get some help from his friends. The boy uses his imagination to try different positions to sleep based on how animals sleep. His friend the bat sleeps hanging by his feet, a horse sleeps while standing up, the whale sleeps on the waves, the lark up a tree, the mole in a hole, and so on. In the end, he goes back to his room where he started from and decides to sleep like a boy.

The book can be read as one long poem with a chorus and needing help to “help me fall asleep.” In fact, the author has provided a song for this book, which I found on Soundcloud and embedded below. While the song is not exactly a lullaby, it is fun to read, thanks to its rhyme and rhythm.

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How to Pay for PAGIBIG Fund Contribution Online: Guide for Overseas Filipinos

How to Pay for PAGIBIG Fund Contribution Online: Guide for Overseas Filipinos

Although I live and work in the USA, I still want to pay for my PAGIBIG Fund contributions. SSS? Nevermind. I am no longer a believer of the SSS. That’s a long discussion so let’s save it for a different post.

If you are an OFW, maintaining your PAGIBIG Fund membership has many benefits. As a PAGIBIG Fund member, you are entitled to apply for a housing loan or a short term loan. The housing loan is very helpful when you decide to buy a lot, a house, or a condo unit. In addition, you can contribute more than the minimum required by law and this could serve as a savings account.

If you registered as an OFW and secured your OEC, you would have been asked to pay for your PAGIBIG Fund contribution at the POEA office. Before you can use the online payment facility, you will need the following;

  • PAGIBIG Fund Membership ID (MID) No.
  • Credit Card (Visa or Mastercard)

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Review of Claudia and Moth

Review of Claudia and Moth

Every week I write about the books that we read for my son. He is currently 4 years old and loves a good book! I am not a professional book and illustration reviewer or critic, but I can write about the book, what I think about it, and how our son reacted to it.

What the Book is About

“Claudia and Moth” tells the story of Claudia and her love for butterflies. She loves them so much that she wanted to bring them home, but she can’t. She learns to paint them instead. This gives her inspiration and joy until winter comes and she could not see the butterflies anymore. As she gets a sweater on a cold day, she discovers moth and starts painting again.

Claudia chases Moth all over her room as the latter becomes fascinated with light. Moth manages to go outside when Claudia opens the window and it shimmered. So Claudia did what she does best–paint! She paints a really good depiction of moth.

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