CMK TRAVELS : TOP THINGS TO DO IN BANGKOK, THAILAND (PART 1)

Bangkok, Thailand is one hour later than Manila, Philippines! That was the first fun fact I've discovered first hand when we went there last December 2012. I thought the plane was super fast since we're bound to touch down 2 am, and there we were, 1 am! How could that be? Time zone, my friends. Time zone. This post is a bit overdue, however, since travel-bug will be out there biting again this summer, I thought this post might be handy.

We have finally decided to visit Bangkok (BKK) during Christmas season since friends told me it's extremely hot during April to May months (my next date option). Truth be told, I'm not uber giddy over the fact that I'm going to BKK. We're intentionally bound to fly to Seoul, however mom has some travel issues so we postponed. I like cold places. Hongkong-ish weather suits me best. The thought of my make-up not melting due to heat excites me. Time to break out from my comfort zone. So, SAWADEE BANGKOK. HERE WE COME.

TOP THINGS TO DO IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

1. Be Amazed by their Culture

Thailand is a buddhist country. Some say to be a Thai means to be a buddhist. While we hunger to share God's word to people around the world, I believe the first thing that we need to learn is RESPECT our cultural differences. I pray that one day, people will have a chance to at least FEEL God's love, not to insist that one is more correct than the other, but to share a common bond which is LOVE (this transcends religion and other boundaries). Picture below is a snapshot of monks in one of their many temples.
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2. Ride a Tuktuk

A popular form of transportation in Thailand. It's a three-wheeled motorcycle that are faster than taxis. Another fun fact: traffic in BKK is crazy. Our tour guide shared that among the most-traffic-road-list world wide, Thailand is #1 and Manila, #3. This pic was taken on our way home from the famous Shibuya and Platinum mall (click HERE). Have you noticed the way mommy's hair flew? Quite an experience. Whew.

LOOKING BACK : A YEAR AFTER MY LASIK EYE SURGERY (BY SHINAGAWA LASIK)

If eyeglasses AND braces are some of the requirements to qualify as a nerd, then I was one! And no pun intended. At one point in my life, my world revolved around library, school, home. Then came review center (while I was reviewing for the CPA board), dorm, home. Then office, home. A piece of me sorta regret this part to be honest, but most of me just screams thankful. I wouldn't be where I am now without these character-forming experiences. While I am excited that I'm getting towards the better-version of me, I always find time to look back what transpired over the last few years. 

It took me a long while to look for a blog-worthy picture of me with eyeglasses on! Obviously, there's none! :)) On the brighter side, this proves my theory that I removed my glasses on picture-taking moments. 99% of the time. Hurray for this 1% treasure! 

To do a bit justice on this 'treasure', this was taken few years back when we're in Bohol. It was a midnight girl-talk session with my friends, which explains the food-slash-clutter all around. 

I was too lazy to put on my contact lenses so I just flashed a big smile for the camera! Our Bohol trip? Twas fun! Broken bridge walking. Zip lining. Snorkeling. The works! Picture on the right part was just me cam-whoring after my shift :D

Before I get sidetracked some more, allow me to reminisce March of last year. I was contemplating real hard because this would be my first (and hopefully last) LASER EYE SURGERY. Now, who in the world will jump on this bandwagon in a jiffy? Fear is an understatement! Fear of the unknown to be precise. THANK GOD, all went well. After a series of test plus the moment of truth, tadaaaan! I'm back to my 20/20 vision. To get the blow-by-blow account of my LASIK Treatment last year, click HERE.

To give you a list of FAQ's about the before, during and after treatment, fill in your curiosity tank with details below:

1. HOW MUCH? 2 words but very important! Okay, hold your breath. It's Php 90,000. TOOT. Before you say 'forget it', please know that I availed the 50% promo that time so I paid about Php 45,000. Not cheap, true true. But, going back to my 3 fave words about this whole experience. IT'S WORTH IT. If you can save up for this, I'd say GO for it.

2. PAINFUL MUCH? If the answer is between YES and NO, it's NO. My friends will attest how low my pain tolerance is. So when I say it's not painful, trust me :D To expound a bit further, an anesthesia was administered on my eyes in 3 dosages. Don't ask me to enumerate, I'm too numb due to nervousness that time. 

Perk #1: I can do FOTD (Face of the Day) posts without the hassle of contact lenses.

Related Post: THE FACE SHOP BAKED SHIMMER BLUSHER REVIEW Click HERE.

3. CAN I TRY OTHER AVAILABLE PROCEDURES? While there are some other procedures that are cheaper, I'm sure you don't want to gamble your chance of being blind right? That said, I'd recommend you stick with INTRALASIK (and other advance procedures). I heard some procedures use blade on the eyes. ACK. NO WAY! I'll pay the higher option anytime! Blade? NEVER. But of course, it's up to you. As for me, the thought of blade touching my peepers make me shiver!

4. WILL THERE BE A CHANCE THAT I'LL BE BLIND? I can sense some cringes! I asked the same question too! I even went to our family eye doctor at Capitol Medical to erase my doubts. Dr. Sison told me 99% of INTRALASIK surgery is successful. We need to pray that we belong to the 99%. You can imagine how I get "puppy-eyed" to GOD. "Lord, I want to belong to the 99% group! Please po. Amen" 

 Perk #2: Target Shooting? Game! (This is a real gun, for the record).

Related Post: STRONGHAND GUN SHOOTING RANGE REVIEW Click HERE.

MONEY MATTERS : NEWBIES. STOCK MARKET. DOWN. NOW WHAT?

Happy Thoughts Please!

I am trying to come up with a nice title that will somehow cover my shock over the recent plop on the Philippine Stock Market, but... I can't think of any. So pardon me for the word by word title. Without further ado, let's get the ball rolling. 

FACT: The Philippine Stock Market has been down consecutively over the past 7 days! For someone who just dip her feet on the stock market early this year, this is a major first! To give you an idea what I look like after seeing my portfolio, this can be a good imitation:

Now, before the negatrons lurking everywhere give their "I-told-you-so-stock-market-ain't-good" speeches, here are some perk-me-ups based on factual information:

♣ Correction is a normal phenomenon in stock market. A stock market correction is a temporary reversal in the major trend before the trend resumes.  A correction most often refers to a downward price movement, but it actually means a normalization of prices in either direction. (Source: HERE). 

Simply put, you bought your shares at Php 10, in the past weeks it became Php 12, then Php 15, then when you checked your COL portfolio today, tadaaan Php 8 is the new market price. That's correction. After correction, it is expected that the market price will resume to its upward trend. Let me emphasize that you should pick good companies with strong fundamentals (BPI, Jollibee, BDO, Meralco - won't close anytime soon, they have strong fundamentals). 

 

♣ Remember: We are investors, not traders. I have made this point clear since January, (related post: Springboard #1: Earn a passive income, click HERE). What's the difference? Traders may have been super stressed by this downward plop while investors are hopeful that this will come to pass. Traders have short-term view on things, while investors have long term take on stock market. Given that upward trend is bound to resume, investors will likely think of this situation as a "waiting for their {money} seeds to grow".

FASHION ALERT : COLORED STRIPES SUMMER DRESS

 

To say it's hot these days would be an understatement.

Fact. It is HOT. Brighter than the Sun song is so definitely in!

So what to wear when it's hot and humid and Mr. Sun is beaming so intensely?

Summer Dress! What else? Others smirk with the idea of sporting a dress thinking it might be uncomfortable. The opposite is what I experienced. 

Breeze come and go. No hassle on my legs. Peeing is also hassle-free. 

Okay scratch the pee-part :D

Honestly, the dress is quite old. About 2 years old, I think.

But this is one of my favorites! It is so lightweight and fool-proof.

Whenever I don't have enough time to think about what to wear,

this is my go-to dress. 

DETAILS:
Dress from Cosmopolitan Clothing (The Ramp, Glorietta)
Watch from Veloci (click HERE)
Flip Flops from Havaianas

Going back to Sunny Manila. So many people are irked by the weather.

Who can blame them? It's hot and humid and icky.

When I had the privilege to visit Prague few years back, one of my team mates 
(a Macedonian) told me that he can endure cold weather, but never a humid one.

To my mind, I say: "It's a case to case basis, really."

While I romanticize how does a winter feel like, given a choice,
I think I can endure summer better. My heart still beats for 
a tropical country like ours. Though once every so often,
I miss wearing a crisp red coat and knee-high boots like so:

Isn't RED such a versatile color? Summer or Winter, 
the color still stands out. Another proof that RED is here to stay?
Let Cameron Diaz guide you on how to rock a Red and Black Stripes Dress!

MY FAVORITE THINGS : WEEK #11

Quirky Summer Things

This post should be more of my favorite activities (rather than things) for the week ☺
Let's start first with the things. Pineapple Cookies! Thank you Ry!
KFC and Jamba Juice plus talks and giggles with Mommy.
Fossil Gold Watch plus food trip in The Enterprise Center.
Clinique Happy in Bloom variant. Currently using this one.
And loving it!

Month-long Happy Birthday! Thank you kindly!

And so, after our Sunday church plus meetings,
I've been invited by my friends to dine at Chef's Quarter (SM Megamall Atrium). 
I've been chatting and doing my monologues as usual when someone 
clapped and clanged and sang:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU!

Like a little kid, my eyes popped and smiled so widely and blew my candle!
Time flew by so quickly and alas it's time to go. 
I was in Mega and I'll still head to far South.
I thank God for friends, weekends and food!

L'OREAL PARIS DERMO-EXPERTISE HYDRAFRESH TONER REVIEW

A healthy skin care formula that beauty enthusiasts know ... Cleanse + Tone + Moisturize. Sounds like hardwork but it only takes 5 to 10 mins of your time, really. The cleanse and moisturize part, I do that by default. The toning part... what is it for anyway?

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CMK HAPPY THOUGHTS:

☺Refreshing! It has that minty sensation that my face loves. 

I'm now looking forward to tone due to its cooling effect.

☺Value for Money. Bottle above costs Php 295.

This is good for 3-4 months use. Fair enough, money savvies.

☺Product Variation. L'oreal has wide product choices for each skin type.

Normal, oily, combination. You can also ask the trusty 

L'oreal lady if you're not sure about your skin type.

CMK WISHFUL THOUGHTS:

☻Size Variation. They don't come in different sizes 

other than a 200 ml bottle. I'm forward-thinking about my travel over 

the next couple of months. Would be nicer if they have, say, 100 ml variant.

☻Its promise of pore-less visibility is not {yet} delivered. To be fair, 

I'm not sure if any toners can do that. Being pore-free is in the 

job description of moisturizers and serum, at the very least.

CMK THINKS:

Highly recommended. Mind the long details:

L'Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise Hydra Fresh.

Purifying & Mattifying for Shiny Skin

Icy Toner. 

#PerfectForSummah

MONEY MATTERS : HOW TO OPEN A CITISEC ONLINE (COL) ACCOUNT?

It's about time.

More often than not, investing in something is 100% your preference. You can save / invest in banks, mutual funds (think Paluwagan), insurances or the stock market. Each product has its pros and cons and there's no best slash 100% sure way among them all. There's always an element of risk in money matters. Should you want to familiarize yourself on basic things like why you should save, you can click HERE. Or what's the difference between Saving vs. Investing, click HERE.

I've thought about this long and hard. If you've been my blog-friend since January, you'll notice that this very thing is my Springboard #1: Earn a passive income, click HERE.

After reading one too many reviews plus face to face conversations with my close friends who's into investing, I've decided to finally invest. My online brokerage of choice? COL Financial.

 You can google about COL Financial, of course. However, on this post, expect more tips from someone who personally went to COL Financial office and talked to one of their representatives. Hello Ms. Jackie! ☺

Before we start, please know that I am not paid to write this post. I am not an employee or connected with COL other than me being their client. As with my previous blog reviews, I'm sharing this to you because of 2 things: I like to impart my experiences with a product / company and I am one happy client. I can't contain the joy so here am I sharing this info. In so many words - I won't be getting anything (commission, perks, etc.) by writing this post. All I want is for us to be aware that WE HAVE A CHOICE TO BE RICH-ER. Maybe not tomorrow, but one step at a time. Bow. ☺

Here are 5-easy steps on how to open a COL account:

Step #1. Choose your account type. 
Think of this as a choice between Happy Meal #1, Happy Meal #2 (with an Upsized Drink) and Happy Meal #3 (with Large Fries). Oversimplifying? Not really. It's just a choice between what you can afford to invest.

♣ Tip: It's highly recommended that you start off as COL Starter. Since we want to invest (as opposed to trade), we can familiarize ourselves first and upgrade once we know the ins and outs.

SOURCE: COL Financial

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Step #2. Fill out our application forms.
Think of this like opening your own bank savings account. You fill out a form and input your signature specimen. You can download the complete personal form by clicking HERE.♣ Tip: As early as now, I'd like to share that you have the following options on how to send your forms: 

* Go to COL office personally, or

* Scan the docs and e-mail them, or

* Ask for COL's assistance and request one of their messengers to pick your documents from your office, or

* Send via courier

For more details on the last 3 options, you can email helpdesk@citiseconline.com, for your convenience.

Step #3: Prepare additional requirements. 

Here's the screen shot from COL. ♣ Tip: If you'll go to COL personally, you can hand over your ID's to COL representative. They'll be happy to photocopy your ID without any cost.

MY FAVORITE THINGS : WEEK #9

Coffee and Nuts Flavored Ice Cream from Cafe Ti Amo

I've been one of their regulars since they opened their Greenbelt Branch. I could describe them in so many words. Good place. Date-friendly ambiance. Reasonable price. I love their coffee-based ice cream then and now. Even their brewed cafe mocha has a different kick. The ice cream above was mine. After a few minutes, bottoms up! Thank goodness, fought the urge to buy again.

Summer Dress from Bayo

A girl cannot have "just enough" dress on their closet. True! True! Consider it as yet another reward for accomplishing some few tasks the past week. It's on sale! Bought it at 50% off from SM Mall of Asia. I'm torn between fuchsia/red and blue/green combo. Latter won JUST BECAUSE I had my crisp blue Havaianas to match. HA! Look at my outfit post HERE.

 

Floral Summer Dress from Betty

Do not raise your eyebrows pretty please. ☺It's my birthday week last week so I got a good pass of sorta splurging a wee bit. That's what's nice about spending your Saturday afternoon with your girls, you got a good pep squad that cheer "Go, buy it!" Kidding ☺ They know it's my day (or my weekend) hence, they're a bit kinder. I love the Zig Zag details. Clap clap! 

TOP 4 OUT-OF-THE-BOX SUMMER ACTIVITIES TO TRY (2013)

Summer! Oh happy days for students. It's their MAIN EVENT. Their goal. Their finish line. For the working class and entrepreneurs we say: "What Summer?" Kidding! :) Toot! Of course we can always take some time off even for a day or two, so there's no excuse for us not to have fun under the sun! Don't you love this poetic intro?! 

Mr. Sun will always mean basking through the beaches, going to colder places (Hello Tagaytay and Baguio!) or even traversing other lands like Seoul or what-have-yous. These are common activities we do year after year. This 2013, why don't you add some twists on your already FUN summer? With this, I'm recommending 4 unique summer activities according to your interests.

NOW is the time.

Do you love: Walking along the beach doing something of eternal value? 

Little Introduction: "Philippines Beach Mission (PBM) exists to bring honor and praise to the Lord by preaching God’s glorious global Gospel of great grace abounding; not only at the beach, but as a lifestyle for all genuine Christians."

What to expect? If you're wondering how you'll spend this year's Holy Week, this is a perfect fit. Walking and interacting with people is healthy for the heart. The team is mostly within 20-30's age bracket, so don't worry because it's not your traditional evangelistic activity. See the "coolness" of the poster yourself ;)

More details please! Visit PBM Facebook Page (click HERE).

Do you love: Do-it-Yourself (DIY) activities? As in watercolors, rubber stamps, crafts etc. Are you within the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area?

Little Introduction: "Crafternoons" happen every Sunday. All Crafternoons will be held at the Forum of FullyBooked (Bonifacio High Street branch). This genius activity was thought by Alessa and her husband. She's the blogger behind "Life After Breakfast" and the owner of Pipino (a vegetarian restaurant). If I'm not mistaken, Ms. Patty Laurel co-owns the restaurant.

What to expect? An afternoon full of colors, ideas, fun and NEW FRIENDS! Activity is generally from 2 pm to 5 pm. All materials will be provided by them. All you have to bring is your creative juices... lots of it! ;)

More details please! Visit Alessa's blog, Life After Breakfast (click HERE). Look for the Crafternoons at Fully Booked logo.

Do you love: Make ups and self-empowerment sessions?

Little Introduction: Virginia Olsen is the home of eco-friendly makeup brushes and mineral makeups. They're also the distributor of Sophia Eyelash Enhancer (for my detailed review, click HERE). It's nice to get sidetracked with ideas on how to beautify yourself, agree? I'm hearing YES!

What to expect? 2 Saturdays filled with girl talks, makeups and tips. How lovely can your Saturday get? To spice things up, they're offering the early bird rate. It's noteworthy to share that the workshop handles maximum of 10 students per session. Talk about quality tutorial.

More details please! Visit Virginia Olsen's FB Page (click HERE). 

Do you love: growing your hard-earned money, here's the twist, while keeping your values and quality life intact?

Little Introduction: Conference have 5 speakers. You've seen most of them on national television. Whether on ANC Money Talk Shows, GMA morning shows or UNTV. We've heard so many times that the first step to be rich is not to earn money but to get financial literacy (know-how). So true. Good to know that there's a 40% off special rate for March registrants!

What to expect? I've heard Dennis Sy one time in Victory Christian Fellowship. He's a natural comedian. I'm following the financial blogs of Randell and Marvin, very hands-on and generous on stock tips and ideas. I am yet to meet Chinkee and Efren on this conference. God's willing.

More details please! Visit Randell Tiongson's blog (click HERE). 

This summer, I have 3 words for you. -CMK

CMK READS : 8 SECRETS OF THE TRULY RICH BOOK REVIEW

I got my first Bo Sanchez book 3 years ago, I think. Never did I expect that the financial literacy I've been searching for so many years are to be found on this book. I recall someone close to me asked: "Why are you reading the book? Isn't he supposed to be a spiritual preacher?"

And I answered asked back in 2 words: WHY NOT? 

It's the age where preachers and spiritual leaders are earning much like any white-collar workers do, so WHY NOT? It does not follow that if someone is godly, he should be poor. So WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE BOOK?

For me, financial literacy, way back, is you get a good paying job, give your tithes, help others and save a portion in the bank. Simple! After reading this book, I've been awakened by the fact that the money I have in the bank has so much POTENTIAL. That small amounts of money plus the passage of time can be a powerful tool for anyone (including Bo's maids) to be rich.

DETAILS:

TITLE: 8 SECRETS OF THE TRULY RICH

AUTHOR: Bo Sanchez

PUBLISHER: Shepherds Voice

PRICE: Php 350.00

THE 8 SECRETS:

Secret 1: Be Totally Responsible for Your Success

Secret 2: Enlarge Your Psychological Wallet

Secret 3: Get rid of Crazy Religious Belief

Secret 4: Be Completely Committed to Your Dreams

Secret 5: Raise Your Financial IQ

Secret 6: Ride Something to Wealth

Secret 7: Have a Bias for Action

Secret 8: Win in all areas

I've realized so many things after reading the book. One thing I like about Bo is his writing style. It's simple and very understandable. While I adore writers with profound techniques, seeing easy to digest vocabulary in an otherwise complex topic (Finance) is like a breath of fresh air. Each so called 'secret' was elaborated using everyday words. His ideas were put across in a clear (and sometimes funny) manner.

They say one way to become great is to look at the life of the 'greats'. Similarly, Bo shared the life of some once-poor-who-persevered-and-now-is-wealthy success stories that we can very well relate. Among others are the owners of National Bookstore (Nanay Socorro) and Julie's Bakeshop. Book also emphasized that while there are uncertain factors in business, the failure of NOT TRYING is the worst of them all.

If you think that this book is more of spiritual rather than financial, you're wrong. Bo Sanchez have acquired a huge chunk of information from his mentors, and they're big business tycoons mind you! It's also one of the reasons why I think this book is valid and relevant in terms of financial literacy.

Overall, this is a book for those whose still contemplating to try dip their feet on {Philippines} stock market (or other entrepreneurial grounds, for that matter). Each page made me smile and think hard. While it provides a disclaimer that there's nothing sure in every business, I've discovered this formula: TIME + Little Investments = Richer You. I have surrendered to the fact that there will always be negatrons (people oozing with negative vibes) along the way, but I have decided to not LET them bother me. As long as you conduct your due diligence (sosyal na term but it's more of masigasig na research) before plunging in any unfamiliar ground, you'll be F-I-N-E. See you at the top! -CMK