A Success, A New Hope!

After battling tremendously with several re-installations, several re-configurations, several RAID and disk partitioning, and after many hours of "saying" what to do?", how to do it? .. finally, it's over and we won! It is truly another big achievement for me to become a part of this group of enthusiast of our company's new proprietary product. Virtualization is common nowadays and I really enjoyed the moments of finding thoughts trying to figure out what we were doing wrong. I asked GOD to give us a way to know these configuration stuff without a need for extensive mentoring sessions. GOD said, "I will let you share with the knowledge I gave to your co-employees who are staying four floor levels down the building!" In short, we had a one hour classroom mentoring and brainstorming performed with some of our test engineering folks. :) 

      

Cold temperature every night these days...

What we learned from this brainstorming really helped us a lot and it answered our perplexing over an initially uncooperative setup. I can feel the self-ordained pressure but the victory is on me because of the LORD JESUS CHRIST! I am also thankful to a co-worker who helped me move forward. It is a new venture, a great learning which I would like to share with others next week. Help me LORD to create a new study material for my co-employees as an echo-training is needed to be conducted. I am happy to learn with them and to share what I have achieved in my career. I am so grateful to GOD for all the things He let me experienced, for all the wonderful people I met along this great journey and I am looking forward to making things happen for others as well. :) 

Today is a happy day! Oh! A so happy day!!

                                                                                     

The Mandatory ID :(

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."  -Revelation 13:16-18

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information. Some tags are powered by and read at short ranges (a few meters) via magnetic fields (electromagnetic induction), and then act as a passive transponder to emit microwaves or UHF radio waves (i.e., electromagnetic radiation at high frequencies). Others use a local power source such as a battery, and may operate at hundreds of meters. Unlike a bar code, the tag does not necessarily need to be within line of sight of the reader, and may be embedded in the tracked object.

RFID tags are used in many industries. An RFID tag attached to an automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line. Pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses. Livestock and pets may have tags injected, allowing positive identification of the animal. On off-shore oil and gas platforms, RFID tags are worn by personnel as a safety measure, allowing them to be located 24 hours a day and to be quickly found in emergencies.

Since RFID tags can be attached to clothing, possessions, or even implanted within people, the possibility of reading personally-linked information without consent has raised privacy concerns.

European babies are the first to get the RFID chip from May 2014. I am a little baffled though why this new tiny invention has to go inside a human's body. RFID can control or can be controlled. What lies ahead of this super-invention is unfathomable. One thing is sure though, RFID chip can control the brain faster than the blink of an eye. I don't feel great about this. People must prepare and be aware that something NOT GOOD, that something people have not experienced before is going to happen soon. 

http://topinfopost.com/2014/01/22/all-european-newborn-babies-will-be-microchipped-from-may-2014

                                                                    [not my photo]

                                                                   [not my photo]

Student Mode Activated

I admit I was lacking. I did not strive harder to do this training or simply I forget it purposely. I would say indeed, and definitely not true. I love anything about computers, networking and troubleshooting, thus I won't intentionally leave the books inside the box. I needed to complete my online training until March of this year and I have to do it fast. It is like I am running out of time. My sincerest apologies to my manager in Bradenton that I was so slacking on this one. I should have given more time and yet I just let it pass by. This scenario is a scene in my college days where you will feel that it is always a cramming day. You won't do anything but just face your books, hold hands with your techpen, become friends with your notebook and just simply live your schooling world with them. I think somehow, I need to become a college student again. I would say, "DO NOT DISTURB" in my room or in our room. Anyhow, I must do this because like I said, I do love the topics of this online training. All I can say is OH help me LORD, to finish them on time and that I will be able to learn a lot to apply them in my work. 

-student mode activated starting today :)

     Ayala, Makati City, Metro Manila

                February 4, 2014

한국어시 (Hanguk-o-ssi) - Korean Poem

사랑도 매양

Sarangdo maeyang

섭리의 자갈밭의

Seob-liui jagalpat-ui

어디쯤이다

Odiejjeumida

이적진 말로써 풀던 마음 말로써 삭이고

얼마 더 너그러워져서 이 생명을 살자

이적진 말로써 풀던 마음 말로써 삭이고

얼마 더 너그러워져서 이 생명을 살자

황송한 축연이라 알고

한 세상을 누리자

새해의 눈시울이

순수의 얼음꽃, 승천한 눈물들이 다시 땅 위에 떨구이는 백설을 담고 온다.”

Love always stands somewhere

on the gravel road

of Providence.

Soothing the complaints with words,

I will live, becoming more generous.

Knowing life is a grateful festival,

I will enjoy this life.

The tears that have ascended,

pure icy flowers around my 

eyes this new year,

descend again, carrying white snow.

Thoughts

Dear Jesus,

    

       It is such a relief to know that You accept my persistence and do not reject me for my many failures. I'm amazed that my mind can wander so far from You very quickly. When I realize this that happened (again!), my natural tendency is to feel discouraged and disappointed with myself. Thank You for accepting me in all my imperfection. 

–—–•—–—

BELOVED, I not only accept you as you are, I love you as you are. I died a criminal's death so I could adorn you with My own perfection. That's why bringing your thoughts to Me is so important. It is My perfect righteousness that saves you, and it will never be taken away from you!

      

       You can easily fall prey to self-rejection if you have unrealistic expectations for yourself. I want you to bring your focus back to Me gently: without judging yourself. If you express disappointment about your wandering mind, that response will only distract you further. Instead of engaging in such hurtful activity—putting yourself down—persist in returning your attention to Me. I always welcome you back with unfailing love. 

Bible Reading: How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. (Psalms 36:7 KJV)

A one-day-page write-up from Sarah Young's book "Dear Jesus". 

Bread Roll

A few hours from now (as of this writing),  I will accompany my precious one on her 2014 Educational Tour. We will see a lot about the weather system and faciities, some about our solar system and the Philippine toy museum. Indeed it is another great experience and interesting event for the students. Thank you to the school administrators because they allowed the parents to accommpany our young one. One of the foods that I will prepare for her is the "Bread Roll". 

I needed to prepare it a few hours before cooking so that the egg mixture and the japanese bread crumbs will combine well. I only needed to fry ham, hotdogs, thinly sliced some cheddar cheese and beat two eggs. Roll-wrap the sliced ham, hotdog, and cheese and roll them over a beaten egg mixture. And after that, roll the bread over a japanese bread crumbs. Regular bread crumbs will work well too. I hope they will enjoy this finger food today and savor it with a glass of pure pineapple juice or water. 

  (hehe.. aspiring cook for my family only)

Financial Resolutions 2014

It is 2014 now and it will be tight in terms of budgeting since I won't be out for onsite work. I found one blogpage which caught my attention as talks about budgeting is truly worth hearing. 

[repost]

"It would be apt that I share my financial resolutions like others. These are a few inspirations that can help my finances better. And I hope yours too. Plus, these are relatively easy that anyone can keep and realize all year round.

Setting up a financial goal. I already have a financial goal to reach this 2014. I want to have this particular amount before 2014 ends. Having a goal in mind will motivate you to work hard and save harder to reach it. This will also dictate how you will handle your finances for the year. Plus you can also serve this as a motivation to pursue other cash flow avenues. Check the cash flow quadrant I shared here. Setting up this goal does not only limit to how much you would want to save for the year. This also includes saving up for retirement or more. When making this one, make sure it is attainable and realistic.

Keep track of my finances. This year I want to keep track of my finances. Knowing such items would let you identify just how much you are spending in a day or in a month. With this, I already have a mini notebook with me that I shall be taking wherever I go. I also downloaded an Android app in my phone that also does the same thing. I shall be sharing this app in my future posts. Noting my expenses will also help me identify where my money goes.

Pay off debts. I still have major debts to pay and I carefully planned it to finish within the year. Thank God for salary deduction that I would be force to pay it. It is better to have a plan to pay the debts that you have. If you don’t have an automated salary deduction, it is your responsibility to do the paying. However, the house mortgage is still the major concern for me now so I must prioritized it. 

Five Envelope Salary. "My Maid Invests in the Stock Market" book by Bo Sanchez suggested following the five envelope salary. This means dividing your salary to five envelopes. These are Tithe Fund, Expenses Fund, Support Fund, Emergency Fund and Retirement Fund. When I have my salary before, I normally divide it into two, savings and expenses fund. Now, the book let me realize that you also need to give to the church, beef up your emergency fund and also your retirement fund. The retirement fund may be in a form of investment like stocks or mutual funds. For my Tithe Fund, I plan to set a portion of my salary for charity. For support fund it would be dedicated to education of my kid and budget for my mother and an unemployed sister. GOD will provide! 

These might be pretty hard to keep but with discipline, dedication plus GOD's help, I know I can make it. 

The most popular these days is the "52-Week Money Challenge". This became viral in the Philippines which started this week. In this money saving challenge, you have to save up on something really nice at the end of the year. This could be buying a new gadget or having a vacation somewhere. You can also build up your emergency fund or retirement fund from here.

The 52 week money saving challenge is certainly a great way to save this year. After all, you are compounding the money in different intervals making it simple and cost effective. To get you started with this challenge here are a few items that you need.

• A goal. This will keep you motivated to save and save. Simply imagine getting your most coveted gadget by the end of the year. Or perhaps buying gifts for your family and friends. Simply pick an item that you normally don’t splurge. From there, break it down in terms of your weekly amount to save. Thinking of the item I would want to buy made me giggle and happy. I simply can’t wait to get started.

• A piggy bank. The original poster has a clear bottle where he puts the money. I prefer a covered one though so I won’t see the money stack in there and count how much I already saved. You can use a plastic container, a bottle, a jar or just about anything. This will be called a grownup piggy bank. 

• Template. The challenge has an existing template that we can print out and tape in our piggy bank. However, since the amount is in dollars, it can be translated nto Philippine Peso and altered the dollar equivalent to Php50. "

Moon Tonight - 2014-01-13

If you live in the Philippines, go outside tonight and check the orbit around the moon which is so bright.

Just came home from the office and I missed this one. 

It is indeed an amazing view up there.

                    (not my photo)

Egg Roll Omelette (similar to 계란말이) Gyeranmari

There are different ways of cooking chicken's eggs. Omelette type is a winner mostly for Asians. 

Gyeran mari is typically made with one or two types of chopped vegetables, most commonly with scallions and carrots. The filling options are endless - onion, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, ham, bacon, cheese, etc. Gyeran mari, literally translated to rolled eggs, is Korean-style rolled omelettes. Basically, the beaten eggs are cooked until almost set, then tightly rolled/folded in layers, and finally cut into slices. It's usually eaten as a side dish for any meal, not just breakfast, and hugely popular as a lunch box item. To me, this is another delicious side dish that I can whip up last minute. 

Another popular ingredient for this dish is gim (aka nori). Gim can be used along with the other ingredients or by itself. I'll show you how to makegyeran mari with gim in my next post. Making this dish is simple once you have the basics down. The key is to be patient and cook the eggs over gentle heat. If the heat is too high, you'll end up with tough eggs that will break when folded. If you don't cook the eggs enough, the rolled egg will be runny in the middle. So, let me show you how you can successfully make gyeran mari that's tender and delicious! Don't worry, if it's not perfect the first time, it will definitely come with practice. 

1 - 2 servings as side dish

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1/2 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• vegetable oil for frying
• medium size non-stick pan (9 to 10-inch)

Finely chop the scallion and carrot.

Crack and beat the eggs, in a bowl with a poon or a fork, until the yolks and whites are blended well with no visible strings of whites. Stir in a pinch of salt. (The vegetables can be stirred in at this point or sprinkled over the egg in the pan.)

Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to a medium size non-stick pan and distribute the oil evenly using a napkin or paper towel. Preheat over medium low heat, until it feels hot when you place your hand 2 to 3 inches above the bottom of the pan.

Add 1/2 of the egg mixture to the pan. Swirl it around to cover the pan. 

(Skip this step if you added the vegetables in the egg mixture.) While the egg surface is still runny, sprinkle the chopped vegetables evenly over the egg. Let it cook until the top begins to set but is still wet.

Using a spatula, lift one end of the egg (about 1-1/2 inches) and fold it over to the other side. (Reduce the heat or raise the pan away from the heat for a little while if the bottom is browning.)

Lift the folded part and fold it again. Pull the egg to the rolled side, making room on the round end for an additional egg.

Add 1/2 of the remaining egg and spread to cover the open space.

When the egg addition is set, lift the folded part and fold it again. Pull the egg to the rolled side and repeat the process with the remaining egg to make an about 2-inch egg log.

Remove from the pan and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice the egg into thick, even pieces (3/4 to 1-inch thick). 

Beautiful Man (Korean) Bel Ami (Yeppeun Namja in Korean)

During my vacation for the 2013 Christmas and New Year season, I made some researching trying to de-stress and found myself into watching Korean dramas. I am not really into it since I am more focused on my work and my family when I am at home.

I would like to give my opinion, comment and rating in general for this Korean drama. This Korean drama currently aired in South Korea, which starred JKS has some real good flavor in it. I've started peeking what the real story is about while trying to understand the deepest motive of the story. Hearing the simple title "Beautiful Man" would not attract listeners right away unless you watch the entire story. When I saw this title, I thought it is all about just a show off of his beauty but I was wrong. It is more of a kind of an inspirational Korean drama teaching those who will watch more about struggling, failures and successes in life. It is a twist between putting your fate in a hands of fotune telling or bringing your ownself up the ladder of life. The role of Hong Yoo-ra is awesome because she gave Ma Tae a chance to strive by going to 10 successful woman who are going to be his good business mentors and he will learn from their abilities. It's a little awkward for men though because in this Korean Drama, it emphasizes more on female's dominance over the business world. 

However, there is a saddening story that the TV rating of this Korean drama series is not good. That only means that Koreans are not more into watching inspirational-love-story type. I can sense that they are more dragged into sulking on their sofa or laptop watching a romance-comedy type. 

Done watching Episode 5 as of this writing. 

...... one word : DAEBAK!!!

quoting a comment from another forum:

[Luna

Jan 12 2014 4:16 amA good drama yet underrated in its home country, it is. But yeah, viewership rating is indeed a matter of personal preference of some selected individuals. We can't really blame those who like light romance or cinderella story or alien and time travelling story more than a self-development story like this. Anyway, overall, I am satisfied with this drama although if they made it more than 16 episodes (18 or 20, for example), the storyline might have been developed even better. The casts have done a decent job with their acting skills. I never doubt nor get dissapointed by Jang Keun Suk's acting skills, Lee Jang Woo and Han Chae Young are pleasant to watch, too... senior actress like Kim Bo Yun deserves thumbs up from me while IU the rookie actress gets an extra credit from me. Kudos to the production team. Daebak!]

This drama is indeed a good one although I will agree to a comment that it's a little too short but overall the production and casts did a good job. Let us set-aside the position of being a fan of a celebrity of some sort, this TV drama series has indeed taught the viewers a lot. I know that it should receive a lot of applause, thumb-ups, and give them a high rating. However, it ended with an NR (no rating, which means it did not belong to the Top 20 best TV shows) in all categories. It is saddening.

One thing for sure, it is a language learning experience for a student like me. 축하 해요!