Effects of The Hostage Taking Incident

Almost three days after the grim hostage taking incident that shocked the entire Philippines and the world, the country and our citizens are now reaping the effects of this sad event.  What happened that day was really disappointing. I first heard about the hostage taking through my officemate around Monday morning. I paid no attention to it but then just before going home from the office, I saw many tweets that the hostage taking is still not over.

When I saw the news on TV, that’s how I became fully aware of the hostage taking and I felt frustrated knowing that it has been going on since morning. My husband and I ate dinner while watching the full media coverage. The clock is ticking and the police seem to be moving so slow. When the bus driver escaped and I heard him say on TV that everyone in the bus is already dead, I felt cold inside like I wanted to cry. It’s unusual for me to feel teary-eyed for incidents I see on TV but this time I just felt horror and deep pity for all the people inside that bus.

I can just imagine how afraid they are and to think that they only wanted to enjoy and relax. The incident ended tragically and now everyone is pointing fingers- the incompetent and untrained police, the full media coverage, the President for being nowhere while the hostage taking is going on

It is sad because the Philippines is again in a bad light allover the world especially in China. In fact there is already a Facebook fan page that condemns that Philipine government and the Filipino people for what happened. I hope this page gets banned soon and  hope that the Philippine police have learned their lesson this time.

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Jollibee Party Packages

For those who are interested, here’s a copy of the Jollibee party packages. Right now, they have two party themes to choose from: MyScene and Jollitown. The packages are the same for all branches but each stores have different promos. Like Jollibee Shangrila is offering a sofa bed for a food bill amounting to Php15,000 while Jollibee Starmall is giving a free chair for Php9,000 food bill.

One can make a temporary reservation by just talking to Smart officers of a Jollibee store that offers party packages. One needs not to pay at first but one must confirm the reservation within 10 days after making the temporary reservation. Downpayment costs Php2000 for the food bill and full payment for the amenities. Here are the packages:

Food Packages (minimum of 30 persons)

Food Package #1

Spaghetti

Regular Fries

Regular Coke

Crunchy Twirl on Cup

=== Php3300/ 110 per head

Food Package #2

Spaghetti

Jolly Hotdog Classic

Regular Fries

Regular Coke

Crunchy Twirl on Cup

=====Php4560/ 152 per head

Food Package #3

Spaghetti

Regular Yum

Regular Fries

Regular Coke

Crunchy Twirl on Cup

=====Php4140/ 138 per head

Food Package #4

Spaghetti

1 pc. Chickenjoy with rice

Regular Fries

Regular Coke

Crunchy Twirl on Cup

=====Php5280/ 176 per head

Party Favors (mandatory)= Pay party fee for only Php1250 on top of your food package  that includes the following:

Assorted game prizes, crayons, 30 balloons, 1 guestbook, 1 mascot appearance

Theme Favors (Optional)= party hats, invitation cards, name tag, tray liner, thank you card= Php8 per set

Lootbags: Standard= Php25, special= Php 45, Premium= Php75

Cakes by Red Ribbon (optional)

Small: Php500 – Php650

Medium: Php800 to Php1150

Large: Php1250 to Php1950

One can also choose their create your own party packages. They just require that the food bill amounts to a minimum of Php4,000.

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Cute Baby Bitch

Saw this link in Facebook and I just find it so cute. The baby is so cute although I doubt that it is really her voice in the video. Sharing it here now:

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Sophie’s 1st Birthday Is Coming Up!

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After much thinking and weighing of pros and cons (yeah that is one of my weakness and I guess bad habit, the birthday venue of Sophie is set. It is going to happen at Jollibee Starmall Edsa branch next month.

My first choice is Jolllibee Maysilo near the Mandaluyong City Hall but I just don’t like the person that I got to talk to on the phone (laughs). So I transferred my sight to Jollibee Shangri-La. However the only schedule they have for September 4 and 5 is from 9 am to 11 am. I think that is too early for a birthday party so I tried Jollibee Starmall as a last resort. Luckily their schedules for Sept 4 and 5 are still so open. I immediately made a temporary reservation there.

Prior to that, I am choosing between Mcdonalds and Jollibee party package. I want to choose Mcdonalds at first because they have an ongoing promo for birthday packages but I chose Jollibee in the end because most kids love (adore) the cute bee mascot.

Having a birthday party at a fast food  resto saves me so much hassle. It’s a little pricey though as compared to having it at home. It is however a big convenience for busy parents so the Jollibee party package is perfect for us.

I am excited for Sophie’s 1^st birthday. Hope it will be a fun, happy and memorable event. I will post the party packages of Jollibee next time! And by the way, here’s an invitation I made which I will send to my friends via email: 

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Secret Recipe Restaurant Review

My husband and I tried this restaurant at the expansion wing of SM Megamall for the second time last weekend. The place was clean and quiet and good for those who want to enjoy a nice meal in peace. No crowds, no loud yelling of service crews, it is ideal for intimate talks.

We went back because we were satisfied with the food and service the first time we went there which I guess was almost a year ago. They had a combo meal back then for only Php250 which is really worth the price because it comes with a soup, chicken viand with rice and vegetable salad, drinks, and dessert. The serving was big then so we are so full and end up taking home the dessert.

I also like the service then, it felt like a real fine dining experience because the waiters would put the meals in order- soup first, then wait for us to finish then would add the main course, and so on. The spoon, fork and knives are also arranged in order. We did not experience this kind of service on our second try though the staff remains nice and friendly.

On our second visit, we ordered the following grilled mushroom chicken for Php 230, chicken cordon bleu for Php250, ice blended mocha for Php125, frosty lemon tea for Php90 and a slice of blueberry cheesecake for Php140. I really enjoyed the food and the drinks though the serving is not as big as before. Another good thing is that they have no service charge. Over all my rating for this resto is 8/10.

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What Every Credit Card Holder Should Know

I have been a credit card holder for years but I am proud to say that since then I have never paid any annual fee nor any interest and finance charges. A huge part of it is due to the fact that I strive to always pay in time and in full. Since I feel that I am such a good client, I think I can say that I have become a little demanding when I am dealing with them. I mean I treat them right so I think I deserve quality service. Along the way, I have discovered ways on how I can use credit card to my advantage. Let me share some of them now.

You can always find a way to waive your annual fee. That is if you are a good payer. Most credit cards waived the annual fee on your first year of being a member. But who said that it can’t be waived again next year. On my second year, Citibank waived it again as a reward for being a god customer. The third year, it was again waived with the condition that I received my billing statements via email. The fourth year, they waived it again because I was able to reach a certain amount of purchase.

You can waive your finance charges and late charges. Yes, you can request for a reversal of your charges. Again this is applicable the first time that you are unable to pay in full or in time.    

You can request for no interest. The sister of my officemate had a huge credit card bill when she unexpectedly lost her job. Worried that she would not have any money to pay for the bill, she called the card company to explain her situation. She asked if she could pay the amount in installment and if possible remove the charges to make it easier for her. The card company value her honesty and she got what she wanted.

Take advantage of the promos. Being a card older has its privileges and it pays to always be aware of them and how to avail it. I have enjoyed great freebies like 2 cute Mango watches from HSBC, a tall Starbucks treat from HSBC, movie discounts from Citibank, a manicure and foot spa with pedicure from East West Bank etc.

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