Remembering Bangkok

The Glorietta blast on Friday had us thinking of the past negative incidents that happened in the the same shopping area. The Oakwood mutiny obviously came up. The time it happened in 2003, I was in Bangkok with one of mom's friend who imports wholesale clothing. I seriously thought our flights will be cancelled and we won't be able to go home for a while. That scared the h**l out of me. I was just too glad that it didn't last that long.

While on the subject, the four days that I spent in the Thai country was memorable. Although I would have love to explore the city more, we were limited to what my mom's friend wanted to do (hehehe shopping only). We had some authentic Thai massage sessions at the Wat Pho temple, phot ops at the Baiyouke Building (spell check!), experienced Thai street food, riding the Tuktuk and watching the famous Phat Pong "show".

You bet I'm gonna ask hubby to plan a vacation with Bangkok (and a side trip to Phuket, perhaps) when we're able :)

My blogging story

The other day, I received this comment on one of my posts:

"spunkovision has left a new comment on your post "Remember the days?": I'm not gonna comment about the content of your blogs. Just wanna say I got here coz of M****** from J******* who is a member of our RADIO- group. She mentioned something about you trying to increase traffic coz you need the revenue. This got me curious. I am compiling a list of sites (we already posted a partial list) in which Filipinos online can avail of any revenue or royalty-earning programs that some of them run. Do you know of any? And can you post something about the economic aspect of what you do (blogging) and how you started. It would help if you can give us a tutorial on how to start and how to enrol in such a program. Our thanks in advance. Any contribution to our efforts will be duly attributed to you and your link included in future writings related to this issue. Posted by spunkovision to Piece o' Kaje at 18 October, 2007 09:55"

I was bugging my friends some weeks ago to put my link in their blogs coz they knew I am into blogging-for-money. So when M was sick and stayed home, she decided to tell her e-group about what I do. Hence, the message from Mr. Spunk :)

I started blogging in April 2004 via Xanga. At that time, I wasn't really an internet junkie. I was a fresh Friendster-joinee when my brother said I can sign up in another community building site (Xanga). My hubby (then boyfriend) had a friend who wrote her thoughts and experiences in her website. I never knew that what she did and what I was getting into was actually called "blogging". I was that clueless. But realizing that I have found the right medium to practice my writing (or lack thereof), I was content.

Less than a year later, I transferred to Blogger because I just could not get around Xanga's limitations. Blogger has been my home since then (even putting up a wedding blog in the same platform, and this used to be my photoblog that I converted to my regular blog). But I do have a relatively new Wordpress blog with it's own domain (link found on the side). It is a totally different blog than this one.

During the times that I was also blogging for my wedding, I came across an e-group that helps Filipina Brides to prepare for the big day. This is also where I learned to Scrap digitally and found a Filipino Forum intended to help newbies become better at the craft. Almost all of the ladies from this forum had their own blogs (of course, to display their work!).

I don't remember how it happened but I slowly realized that some of their blog entries had links to websites I've never heard of. Checking out the forum, some shared the joy of making money while enjoying what they do best, blog! One of them shared that she earned about $3,000 in the first three months she was doing paid blogging and even told us that she was earning more from blogging than her regular job.

I was hesitant to try it as I have always been weary of internet stuff, too afraid to get scammed. But as the number of paid-bloggers (at least in my cyber-community) grew, I was assured of the authenticity of these schemes. The next few weeks, I found myself researching the net and following links so I could learn more. The following are the general criteria to have your blog approved (one must read the FAQs because each company is different):

1. Blog must be at least 90 days old.
2. Blog must have at least 30 posts (no posts more than 30 days apart).
3. Content must be in English.
4. Content must not contain adult material (porn, gambling etc. etc)
5. Must have Paypal to receive payments.

While on vacation, I started prepping my blog and fixed my Paypal. I signed up with Payu2blog, Smorty, Payperpost, Blogitive, Bloggerwave and Sponsoredreviews (add dot com and you will be led to the websites). These didn't happen all at the same time as I had to wait about a week or two before one application is approved before I moved on to the next. I started writing paid posts in June. The instruction is simple. The company will provide the blogger with the anchor links from the advertiser, they will say how many links and how many words are required. A little research would be helpful too. It doesn't matter how the entry is written as long as the tone is positive (or if it cannot be helped, not too negative). It could be a direct advertisement or the anchor text will just be mentioned. The advertisers pay the company and the company collects the payment in behalf of the blogger. Payouts are usually two weeks to a month from the time of the post.

The tricky part is this: the assignments and the amount of payout do come based on how popular your blog is (read: Page rank, etc). That one who earned $3000 in three months had a pretty popular blog having been known in the wedding blog circles as well as the digiscrapping world. People do visit her and a lot do put her link in their blogs. As for me, I only have a handful who check me out and very few friends who actually blog themselves. Assigments are scarce (oh I love Payu2blog, they never run out of assignments for me! And they also give the chance to send out $100 weekly to bloggers who put a Payu2blog logo in their sites). I haven't earned as much as my cyberfriend (only a tenth!) but I am happy to say that what I get, I can spend on myself. And besides, I do not plan to do this and turn this into my main source of income.

So there. I hope I satisfied Mr. Spunkovision's query :) I actually had fun writing this entry :)

Extra

The owner of the vacant lot beside our garden (where the coffee and pizza shop is located) is building a three-story house. Not only we are worried about the foundation of such construction (might collapse anytime because we are not too sure whether the foundation is strong enough for such a building), we are also thinking that the house is blocking the wind that keeps our area breezy. See, it is something our guests enjoy – an open area to laze around while enjoying good food and good company. If budget permits, we might go on with our plan of installing high fiber glass roofs and ceiling fans or misting fans just to keep the ambience. Sigh. That would be an unexpected cost on us since the plan of putting up the roofs should have come up in five years (we needed to save for that first!).

Happy Birthday!

It's my brother R's birthday today! I wish him happiness and everything his heart desires. God bless you! Kuya M and I love you, bro!

It is 140am and gotta go to bed now. Am quite sure we'll have a long day later (just like yesterday, at least for me. deserves another post). So,

TTFN!

I love coffee.

I am actually addicted to caffeine, I think. I do not go for the instant ones (well, I give in during those times that we need to save or if it is too late to grab some from Starbucks). I'd rather have coffee freshly dripped from freshly ground beans. And it is best if I get to have a dose from espresso machines. I simply love the aroma. And I get headaches everytime I miss my daily dose (or maybe it's just in the mind?!?) My mom and I share this love for coffee. Proof is the coffee shop we opened in our garden. Our place is situated in a sub-urban community, the residents of which are not really exposed to some things. We served a coffee latte to an elder and commented why his coffee had froth. Hehe. My point is, the machine is kinda expensive (we had to pay for it in installments) and the people don't really buy our coffee but I am loving every minute that I get to smell freshly ground beans. Heavenness! :)

Last 10 days in bullets

Only because I cannot compose a better entry and I don't wanna forget...

• Books read -- Stardust by Neil Gaiman; and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (review to follow)
• Movie watched -- Stardust (very timely when I finished the book)...review to follow, but let me just say that I loved both the movie and the book because there are details found in book that are not in the movie and there are things in the movie that made it, well, cinematic (for lack of better term)...and is Clare Dane's nose really that big (just that I only noticed this in the movie heheh)?
• Restaurants we ate in -- Max's because I was too lazy to prepare lunch; Haf Chang (spell check) along West Ave with MIL after we checked out the pick-up truck; Ysidro's in Guiguinto (yummy and cheap!) for dinner on Wednesday coz we wanted to listen to the new performers; Dampa Libis with the E's on Thursday night coz I was craving some chili crab and they were just to glad to meet-up; and then Lunch at Burgoo Promenade on Saturday.
• Purchases -- I am now a proud owner of Havaianas Alert, the model that almost never had my size (next target if the Silver Top Crystal!); some dibedi's from Metrowalk; computer ergonomic chair (a wheel of which is still unattached as of this time hehe).
• Disappointments -- Digital Scrapbooking Oct-Nov ish running out of stock even if I am subscribed.
• Health concerns -- terrible cramps during badminton games on Saturday (I was crying in pain when both of my butt muscles started to cramp after a bad fall) and Ane wasn't there to hug me. Early signs of colds that is now full-blown.

Frustrated HR Practitioner

The number one path that I planned to follow after I earned my two bachelor's degrees is the one that leads to the Human Resources. Sadly, I was not able to attain that goal. I was already depressed not finding a job after 11months of graduating (who said it's easy for us who came from that Uni in Taft?! Especially that I wasn't an A-list student) that I grabbed the opportunity to work in that Telecoms company. I was hoping to get transferred laterally to the HR after some time spent in CMG, the idea was openly discussed with my bosses. There was no opening during my entire stay, until I quit. I should have accepted another opportunity but time had other plans for me, and considering that HR positions during that time were only open to those with experience. And looking back, I should have continued reading stuff about HR and not find myself clueless when asked what succession planning is.

But am not complaining anymore. Because recently, I realized what I really wanted to do with my life...that is to learn as much as I can about digital stuff. I'm working on it. :)

Bomb?

If not for the delivery of my new mobile unit (for the retention program) I would have been in Glorietta at this time looking for a new pair of Havaianas and a gift for HP.

Just before 2pm today, there was an explosion at Glorietta 2 leaving four dead and about forty-five people injured.

Shivers down my spine.

We are currently watching the breaking news and the damage is so big I cannot say that the explosion was caused by an LPG leak. But investigations are still ongoing. An escalator actually collapsed and a ceiling gave way as well.

Scary. Devastating.

To change or not to change.

My Ivy is almost two years old and I have no plans of letting her go, at least not yet. With it's memory upgraded (and I plan to upgrade further) and a new spankin' monitor (changed while under warranty), I am quite happy and proud to be it's owner. It is small yet functional, perfect for my needs. Over the weekend, we were looking around for a notebook computer for my brother. There are zero-interest schemes available nowadays, specially that Christmas is just around the corner. And I saw this pink one that caught my attention...girly stuff huh? I had to stop myself from drooling and realized that what I have now is so much better in terms of specifications (not to mention that the brand is relatively new in the market). And besides, a DLSR is what I really want at this point. Hehe.

Here now and sick

Wasn't able to blog for more than week. I'm kinda under the weather today. The past week was busy, busy, busy...been staying up late cramming things and just letting myself get lost in the many blog entries and freebies I stumbled upon (It doesn't help that the internet connection in the office was gone for a week only to find out this afternoon, when the repairman came by, that it's just a cable that wasn't working. So when I got home on the nights we didn't have net at the office, I stayed longer infront of Ivy than I should). And then waking up early to do errands. So the other night just before 2am, I decided to take a shower (bad move!) before hitting the sack. The heater wasn't working because the water pressure was too low. Since I was all too sleepy but couldn't possibly lie on the bed without cleaning up, I braved the cold water and dried myself right away.

Yesterday, I was able to stay in bed until lunch time. I got up and felt this heaviness in my head. I knew I was getting the colds. I was sneezing the other day which I thought was caused by some allergies. I was getting ready for work when I decided to lie beside Ane, who was taking a nap. I fell asleep. I would have loved to stay in bed but I had to go to the work. At 630pm, I was already at the garden, with my ngongo voice. I went home later at 10pm with a runny nose.

I woke up this morning with full-blown colds. I forgot to take some VitC before leaving the house but I did take Neozep once I got here. I had to commute and I bet I inhaled some allergens along the way. And here I am blogging nonsense. I will come back with a better entry later once am done with the Rotary's weekly bulletin. Sigh, I hate being sick.