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Why Get Dual Citizenship in the Philippines?
Will Irwin asked:
Being a consultant and author on topics related to retirement in the Philippines, one of the most common questions I receive from (former) natural-born citizens of the Philippines, who lost their Philippines citizenship by being naturalized as a citizen of a foreign country, is “why should my Filipina wife or my Filipino husband get dual citizenship in the Philippines”?
For those who are planning to obtain a job or start a business after they retire to the Philippines, dual citizenship is a must. Whereas there are various residency options for a non (Philippines) citizen to retire in the Philippines, there are numerous benefits to such a retire to acquire dual citizenship in the Philippines. In 2003, the Philippines government passed a law which enables former citizens to re-acquire Filipino citizenship. It is known as the Dual Citizenship Law.
THE BENEFITS OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP ARE:
o Right to 100% own real property – without citizenship, an investor’s only means to purchase real property is by way of a corporation, of which he/she cannot own more than 40% of the stock.
o Right to operate a business – without citizenship, an foreigner is restricted to what industries he may participate in, and he must invest a minimum of $250,000.
o Right to practice one’s profession – many retirees wish to pursue their profession, but the Philippines licenses to practice professions (doctor, nurse, lawyer, and so forth) are reserved for Filipino citizens
o Right to re-acquire a Philippine passport
o Right to vote in elections
o Immigrant visa can be issued to the citizen’s spouse that entitles him/her to permanently reside in the Philippines – this gives the spouse the benefits of (i) obtaining employment in the Philippines, (ii) leasing real property, (iii) ownership of personal property, (iv) can qualify for Filipino citizenship after five years of residency in the country, and (v) can freely enter and exit the country without all the red tape of a non-immigrant resident.
The Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual citizenship is a “status long recognized in the law” and that “a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both. The US Supreme Court ruled that a naturalized U.S. citizen has the right to return to his native country and to resume his former citizenship, and also to remain a U.S. citizen even if he never returns to the United States.
Caffeinated Content
Being a consultant and author on topics related to retirement in the Philippines, one of the most common questions I receive from (former) natural-born citizens of the Philippines, who lost their Philippines citizenship by being naturalized as a citizen of a foreign country, is “why should my Filipina wife or my Filipino husband get dual citizenship in the Philippines”?
For those who are planning to obtain a job or start a business after they retire to the Philippines, dual citizenship is a must. Whereas there are various residency options for a non (Philippines) citizen to retire in the Philippines, there are numerous benefits to such a retire to acquire dual citizenship in the Philippines. In 2003, the Philippines government passed a law which enables former citizens to re-acquire Filipino citizenship. It is known as the Dual Citizenship Law.
THE BENEFITS OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP ARE:
o Right to 100% own real property – without citizenship, an investor’s only means to purchase real property is by way of a corporation, of which he/she cannot own more than 40% of the stock.
o Right to operate a business – without citizenship, an foreigner is restricted to what industries he may participate in, and he must invest a minimum of $250,000.
o Right to practice one’s profession – many retirees wish to pursue their profession, but the Philippines licenses to practice professions (doctor, nurse, lawyer, and so forth) are reserved for Filipino citizens
o Right to re-acquire a Philippine passport
o Right to vote in elections
o Immigrant visa can be issued to the citizen’s spouse that entitles him/her to permanently reside in the Philippines – this gives the spouse the benefits of (i) obtaining employment in the Philippines, (ii) leasing real property, (iii) ownership of personal property, (iv) can qualify for Filipino citizenship after five years of residency in the country, and (v) can freely enter and exit the country without all the red tape of a non-immigrant resident.
The Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual citizenship is a “status long recognized in the law” and that “a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both. The US Supreme Court ruled that a naturalized U.S. citizen has the right to return to his native country and to resume his former citizenship, and also to remain a U.S. citizen even if he never returns to the United States.
Caffeinated Content
Travel by Ship
February 19, 2011 by Anita
Filed under Travel And Leisure
Eric J. Slarkowski asked:
When it comes to booking a vacation, some people are reluctant to travel by ship out of fear they will be bored while sailing at sea. These people obviously have not checked out today’s cruise ships.
In many heads are the images of old where a person would sit on the deck of a cruise ship and read a book by the pool all day as they waited for the ship to get to the next destination. Sure, you can chose to spend your time that way if you want to, but there are plenty of other, active things to do aboard the ship as well.
Never fear, even if you were planning weeks of cruise travel you would not get board on the ship. Think of your stay onboard as a rental property in a floating city. It has all the great things that a city will have – entertainment, restaurants, and your lodging. But, unlike a rental property, this place to say keeps taking you to new places for adventures and memories that will last a lifetime.
If you have not been on a cruise ship, or floating city, in a while, consider this one. The Carnival Cruise Ship Elation is 885 feet long. In that space are a number of restaurants, three swimming pools, a theater, a gym, and a series of other venues for shows and entertainment offerings. That is a lot of entertainment space to cover in just a few days aboard. Chances are you will not be able to experience all of it.
Even if you manage to see all the major venues during your travel, there are also a number of minor venues that will be dotted across the ship.
If you are the type that likes the bright lights at night in the big city, make sure to check out the nightlife aboard the ship as well. Most evenings will find you a seat at a theatrical or musical performance, Broadway style. Alternatively, you may get a chance to see a stand-up comedian who will keep you chucking well into the night. And don’t forget to check out the ships clubs and other nightspots for the rest of the nightlife offerings.
For daytime activities, you will not get bored either. If swimming some laps or playing a pool game is not enough for you, never fear. There are often volleyball games, racquetball courts, even putting or driving ranges on many cruise ships.
If you are worried about bringing the kids on a cruise because you think they’ll get bored, think again. On today’s ships are arcades, computer rooms, rock-climbing walls, and kids-only facilities that will keep them occupied throughout the travel time.
By the time you just start to be able to take in all the entertainment opportunities available aboard the ship, you’ll likely be arriving at your first destination and preparing to go ashore. The good news is that once you get back on the ship and head to your next travel spot, you’ll have plenty more onboard exploring to do. There are a number of different type of people that you will find aboard a cruise ship. So maybe you can even have someone to discuss real estate in Torrevieja and Guardamar during your cruise vacation!
Caffeinated Content
When it comes to booking a vacation, some people are reluctant to travel by ship out of fear they will be bored while sailing at sea. These people obviously have not checked out today’s cruise ships.
In many heads are the images of old where a person would sit on the deck of a cruise ship and read a book by the pool all day as they waited for the ship to get to the next destination. Sure, you can chose to spend your time that way if you want to, but there are plenty of other, active things to do aboard the ship as well.
Never fear, even if you were planning weeks of cruise travel you would not get board on the ship. Think of your stay onboard as a rental property in a floating city. It has all the great things that a city will have – entertainment, restaurants, and your lodging. But, unlike a rental property, this place to say keeps taking you to new places for adventures and memories that will last a lifetime.
If you have not been on a cruise ship, or floating city, in a while, consider this one. The Carnival Cruise Ship Elation is 885 feet long. In that space are a number of restaurants, three swimming pools, a theater, a gym, and a series of other venues for shows and entertainment offerings. That is a lot of entertainment space to cover in just a few days aboard. Chances are you will not be able to experience all of it.
Even if you manage to see all the major venues during your travel, there are also a number of minor venues that will be dotted across the ship.
If you are the type that likes the bright lights at night in the big city, make sure to check out the nightlife aboard the ship as well. Most evenings will find you a seat at a theatrical or musical performance, Broadway style. Alternatively, you may get a chance to see a stand-up comedian who will keep you chucking well into the night. And don’t forget to check out the ships clubs and other nightspots for the rest of the nightlife offerings.
For daytime activities, you will not get bored either. If swimming some laps or playing a pool game is not enough for you, never fear. There are often volleyball games, racquetball courts, even putting or driving ranges on many cruise ships.
If you are worried about bringing the kids on a cruise because you think they’ll get bored, think again. On today’s ships are arcades, computer rooms, rock-climbing walls, and kids-only facilities that will keep them occupied throughout the travel time.
By the time you just start to be able to take in all the entertainment opportunities available aboard the ship, you’ll likely be arriving at your first destination and preparing to go ashore. The good news is that once you get back on the ship and head to your next travel spot, you’ll have plenty more onboard exploring to do. There are a number of different type of people that you will find aboard a cruise ship. So maybe you can even have someone to discuss real estate in Torrevieja and Guardamar during your cruise vacation!
Caffeinated Content
Internet Dating – It is All About Options
Tim Zelmer asked:
There was a time, fairly early in its history, when the Internet was an almost purely social place for most of us. Shortly after it became popular, the average person connected through America Online (AOL) or CompuServe and paid by the minute to enter chat rooms and meet new people. Most of us were wary of the people we met online at first – the anonymity offered online brought out the worst in many of people during the early days when the idea of communicating with people via the Internet was new. However, the bad experiences that were had by some were vastly outweighed by the convenience, the uniqueness and the sheer fun offered by those simple chat rooms of the past.
No one – not even the Internet pioneers – could have predicted how fast the Internet would grow, and how much a part of virtually everyone’s daily life it would become. From the humble beginnings of those early chat rooms, the Internet has become a tool that most of us use to do business, stay in touch with family and friends, get news, sports and weather reports, directions and maps, buy and sell things – you name it, the odds are very good that the Internet offers you a way to do it. The amount of information available on the “information hi-way” is staggering – a simple search on Google or Yahoo can net literally millions of matching sites – and if you can buy something in a brick and mortar store, you can more than likely buy it from your PC or laptop.
Interestingly, in some ways the Internet has come full circle in that along with the other things we do online on a day-to-day basis, many people are now finding that dating online – meeting new people to form relationships with – offers them options that the bar scene, blind dates, fix-ups and other traditional ways of forming romantic relationships simply don’t. The recent explosion of online dating and online dating sites has created a situation in which proximity is no longer the deciding factor in who a person can meet. Rather than being confined to a single town or city, Internet dating offers people the option of looking for that perfect someone across the state, the country and even all across the world.
Not only has the online dating industry exploded in recent years but it has become both more user friendly and relationship specific. No matter who you are or what sort of relationship you are looking for, the odds are that there is a site out there that will fit your needs. There are sites that cater to straight dating, the gay/lesbian community, ethnically based dating (white, black, Asian, etc), bi-sexual and *********** relationships, dating based on religion, political views, ages (under 30 or over 50, etc) and pretty much any and all combinations of the previously mentioned groups. There are sites that will try and find the perfect match for you, and sites that will simply offer thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of user profiles and pictures for you to search through. Some sites offer only simple email introductions while other sites will offer instant messaging, private chat rooms, streaming audio, and live video capabilities all administered through the site. It only takes the investment of an hour or two of your time to find an online dating service which caters to your specific needs and desires.
While online dating certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, there can be no doubt that the industry’s rapid growth and expansion indicates that more and more men and women are finding it to be not only a viable but a preferable alternative to traditional forms of dating. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of men and women are finding that there are many advantages to looking for romantic companionship online. Some of these advantages include:
* Safety – There is no doubt about it, the world in general and the dating world in particular can be a dangerous place for both men and women. While a person may look or seem to be okay, it takes a considerable amount of time to really get to know anyone. Many people find that getting to know another person online – where they have control over both how much personal information they give about themselves and how much information they ask of another person – alleviates most of their safety concerns. No reputable online dating site will give out your personal information (last name, address, phone number or even email address) without your permission. It is up to the user(s) how fast or how slow a relationship progresses and, should one person have suspicions or fears about their online dating partner, ending the relationship is as simple as clicking out of the chat box or instant message.
* Convenience – For most of us, traditional dating is WORK. Whether male or female, it takes a considerable amount of time to get that look you want perfect, pick out the right wardrobe, find the right place to go, etc. The truth is, in today’s hectic world, a lot of people simply don’t have the time to do everything that they need to do to get ready for a date on a regular basis. Online dating, however, is as simple as switching on a computer and logging into your dating site. Even if you use a site that offers webcam functions, you control whether you turn the cam on, and even if it shows anything other than your smile. The impression you make on the people you are interested in can be made in ripped jeans and an old tee shirt – you don’t even need to comb your hair.
* Variety – One of the most common complaints that people in the dating scene have is that they always seem to meet the same kind of people. A lot of this is, of course, due to the fact that in many cases people from the same towns or cities tend to share many of the same personality traits. This is not the case in the online dating world. You can just as easily strike up a conversation with a girl in Kiev or a guy in Manila as you can with your next door neighbor, and this offers a wide variety of people that simply isn’t available with any other form of dating.
* Cost – Love may be blind, but finding it by traditional dating methods certainly isn’t cheap. A first date with someone you may not even know or actually be compatible with can easily run $200 or more, and there is never a guarantee that you will even enjoy yourself or want to see that person again. While virtually all online dating sites charge fees for their services, in many cases the cost of that first traditional, three hour date will buy you weeks – and even months – of online dating with a variety of people who catch your attention. And again, if you find that someone simply isn’t what you are looking for, you can simply say goodbye and try someone else … without having to pay for a cab to take them home!
As I said before, online dating isn’t for everyone – and not every approach to online dating offered by specific sites will be right for everyone. But with the almost unlimited options available and the wide variety of choices that can be explored from the comfort of one’s own home, online dating is something that should at least be looked into by anyone who is in search of that perfect someone. The one you’ve been looking for could be as near as the next chat room!
There was a time, fairly early in its history, when the Internet was an almost purely social place for most of us. Shortly after it became popular, the average person connected through America Online (AOL) or CompuServe and paid by the minute to enter chat rooms and meet new people. Most of us were wary of the people we met online at first – the anonymity offered online brought out the worst in many of people during the early days when the idea of communicating with people via the Internet was new. However, the bad experiences that were had by some were vastly outweighed by the convenience, the uniqueness and the sheer fun offered by those simple chat rooms of the past.
No one – not even the Internet pioneers – could have predicted how fast the Internet would grow, and how much a part of virtually everyone’s daily life it would become. From the humble beginnings of those early chat rooms, the Internet has become a tool that most of us use to do business, stay in touch with family and friends, get news, sports and weather reports, directions and maps, buy and sell things – you name it, the odds are very good that the Internet offers you a way to do it. The amount of information available on the “information hi-way” is staggering – a simple search on Google or Yahoo can net literally millions of matching sites – and if you can buy something in a brick and mortar store, you can more than likely buy it from your PC or laptop.
Interestingly, in some ways the Internet has come full circle in that along with the other things we do online on a day-to-day basis, many people are now finding that dating online – meeting new people to form relationships with – offers them options that the bar scene, blind dates, fix-ups and other traditional ways of forming romantic relationships simply don’t. The recent explosion of online dating and online dating sites has created a situation in which proximity is no longer the deciding factor in who a person can meet. Rather than being confined to a single town or city, Internet dating offers people the option of looking for that perfect someone across the state, the country and even all across the world.
Not only has the online dating industry exploded in recent years but it has become both more user friendly and relationship specific. No matter who you are or what sort of relationship you are looking for, the odds are that there is a site out there that will fit your needs. There are sites that cater to straight dating, the gay/lesbian community, ethnically based dating (white, black, Asian, etc), bi-sexual and *********** relationships, dating based on religion, political views, ages (under 30 or over 50, etc) and pretty much any and all combinations of the previously mentioned groups. There are sites that will try and find the perfect match for you, and sites that will simply offer thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of user profiles and pictures for you to search through. Some sites offer only simple email introductions while other sites will offer instant messaging, private chat rooms, streaming audio, and live video capabilities all administered through the site. It only takes the investment of an hour or two of your time to find an online dating service which caters to your specific needs and desires.
While online dating certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, there can be no doubt that the industry’s rapid growth and expansion indicates that more and more men and women are finding it to be not only a viable but a preferable alternative to traditional forms of dating. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of men and women are finding that there are many advantages to looking for romantic companionship online. Some of these advantages include:
* Safety – There is no doubt about it, the world in general and the dating world in particular can be a dangerous place for both men and women. While a person may look or seem to be okay, it takes a considerable amount of time to really get to know anyone. Many people find that getting to know another person online – where they have control over both how much personal information they give about themselves and how much information they ask of another person – alleviates most of their safety concerns. No reputable online dating site will give out your personal information (last name, address, phone number or even email address) without your permission. It is up to the user(s) how fast or how slow a relationship progresses and, should one person have suspicions or fears about their online dating partner, ending the relationship is as simple as clicking out of the chat box or instant message.
* Convenience – For most of us, traditional dating is WORK. Whether male or female, it takes a considerable amount of time to get that look you want perfect, pick out the right wardrobe, find the right place to go, etc. The truth is, in today’s hectic world, a lot of people simply don’t have the time to do everything that they need to do to get ready for a date on a regular basis. Online dating, however, is as simple as switching on a computer and logging into your dating site. Even if you use a site that offers webcam functions, you control whether you turn the cam on, and even if it shows anything other than your smile. The impression you make on the people you are interested in can be made in ripped jeans and an old tee shirt – you don’t even need to comb your hair.
* Variety – One of the most common complaints that people in the dating scene have is that they always seem to meet the same kind of people. A lot of this is, of course, due to the fact that in many cases people from the same towns or cities tend to share many of the same personality traits. This is not the case in the online dating world. You can just as easily strike up a conversation with a girl in Kiev or a guy in Manila as you can with your next door neighbor, and this offers a wide variety of people that simply isn’t available with any other form of dating.
* Cost – Love may be blind, but finding it by traditional dating methods certainly isn’t cheap. A first date with someone you may not even know or actually be compatible with can easily run $200 or more, and there is never a guarantee that you will even enjoy yourself or want to see that person again. While virtually all online dating sites charge fees for their services, in many cases the cost of that first traditional, three hour date will buy you weeks – and even months – of online dating with a variety of people who catch your attention. And again, if you find that someone simply isn’t what you are looking for, you can simply say goodbye and try someone else … without having to pay for a cab to take them home!
As I said before, online dating isn’t for everyone – and not every approach to online dating offered by specific sites will be right for everyone. But with the almost unlimited options available and the wide variety of choices that can be explored from the comfort of one’s own home, online dating is something that should at least be looked into by anyone who is in search of that perfect someone. The one you’ve been looking for could be as near as the next chat room!
Testing Filipino Psychic Surgeons
Patrick Hamouy asked:
A Psychic Surgeon enters a person’s body using his / her bare hands and manually removes diseased tissues, tumours, calcium deposits, pus etc… Painlessly from a patient’s body, coming out without leaving any visible marks or scars.
But how can you be sure that a Psychic Surgeon is genuine?
Biased TV reports continuously portray these Psychic Surgeons as cheats. Magicians are hired to (badly) attempt to mimic what genuine Psychic Surgeons do. This is a pitiful imitation of these amazing healers by ignorant people who have never witnessed a genuine Psychic Surgeon at work and have never bothered to research the truth for themselves. These magicians could easily be caught cheating if you used the following testing method on them.
I have worked with over 40 different Psychic Surgeons since 1997 and I have only retained 4. These 4 I believe to be genuine. The others I let go as they were either cheating, not powerful enough or unethical. Be very careful if you go to Philippines on your own. Most people who have tried this came back very disappointed.
How I test the Psychic Surgeons I work with
1- I must be allowed to walk around the couch when he/she is working
2- I must be allowed to check under and around the couch for hidden props
2- He must show me his empty hands before he touches his client and without touching anything, he must start his treatment
3- If a group is present with me, we must all be allowed to film the surgery from front, back, above and sides
If a surgeon can pass these tests, this is a good start but there is more…
It may be possible to feel a tumour in a person’s body with your hand before surgery is performed. If after the surgery you can only feel a hole where the tumour was, then it is certain that the tumour has been removed.
One of the surgeons I take groups to proceeds to energise our hands and then moves the tip of our index finger over our body. Blood appears under our own finger as it is moved. Not when the surgeon’s finger moves, but when our own finger moves. How can this be faked?
Some of the tumours removed by the most gifted surgeon are the size of a fist. How could this be hidden from us as the surgeon has not touched anything but his patient’s body since showing us his hands?
How do Filipino fake Psychic Surgeons work?
First, they will not allow you to check them the way I described above.
They will usually keep you at a safe distance and you may not be allowed to film.
They often have a sheet hanging over the sides of the couch and you will not be allowed to check what is under it.
The great shame about all this cheating by fake surgeons or by the wrong portraying by ignorant magicians is that desperate people in search of life saving healing get coned or mislaid.
It is sad that often people go to Philippines when they are desperate because modern medicine has not helped them. It would be much easier for a genuine Psychic Surgeon to help them at the beginning of their illness as opposed to try to help them at the end of it when their body may be saturated with tumours.
I am often asked by potential visitors to the Philippines if a Psychic Surgeon can heal such or such disease or health condition.
My answer always is that there is no implicit or explicit guarantee that a surgeon can heal any specific condition. But I have seen people coming back from the Philippines cured from all types of disease. But once again, I must reiterate that nobody can guarantee healing by a Psychic Surgeon. If they do, stay away from them.
A Psychic Surgeon enters a person’s body using his / her bare hands and manually removes diseased tissues, tumours, calcium deposits, pus etc… Painlessly from a patient’s body, coming out without leaving any visible marks or scars.
But how can you be sure that a Psychic Surgeon is genuine?
Biased TV reports continuously portray these Psychic Surgeons as cheats. Magicians are hired to (badly) attempt to mimic what genuine Psychic Surgeons do. This is a pitiful imitation of these amazing healers by ignorant people who have never witnessed a genuine Psychic Surgeon at work and have never bothered to research the truth for themselves. These magicians could easily be caught cheating if you used the following testing method on them.
I have worked with over 40 different Psychic Surgeons since 1997 and I have only retained 4. These 4 I believe to be genuine. The others I let go as they were either cheating, not powerful enough or unethical. Be very careful if you go to Philippines on your own. Most people who have tried this came back very disappointed.
How I test the Psychic Surgeons I work with
1- I must be allowed to walk around the couch when he/she is working
2- I must be allowed to check under and around the couch for hidden props
2- He must show me his empty hands before he touches his client and without touching anything, he must start his treatment
3- If a group is present with me, we must all be allowed to film the surgery from front, back, above and sides
If a surgeon can pass these tests, this is a good start but there is more…
It may be possible to feel a tumour in a person’s body with your hand before surgery is performed. If after the surgery you can only feel a hole where the tumour was, then it is certain that the tumour has been removed.
One of the surgeons I take groups to proceeds to energise our hands and then moves the tip of our index finger over our body. Blood appears under our own finger as it is moved. Not when the surgeon’s finger moves, but when our own finger moves. How can this be faked?
Some of the tumours removed by the most gifted surgeon are the size of a fist. How could this be hidden from us as the surgeon has not touched anything but his patient’s body since showing us his hands?
How do Filipino fake Psychic Surgeons work?
First, they will not allow you to check them the way I described above.
They will usually keep you at a safe distance and you may not be allowed to film.
They often have a sheet hanging over the sides of the couch and you will not be allowed to check what is under it.
The great shame about all this cheating by fake surgeons or by the wrong portraying by ignorant magicians is that desperate people in search of life saving healing get coned or mislaid.
It is sad that often people go to Philippines when they are desperate because modern medicine has not helped them. It would be much easier for a genuine Psychic Surgeon to help them at the beginning of their illness as opposed to try to help them at the end of it when their body may be saturated with tumours.
I am often asked by potential visitors to the Philippines if a Psychic Surgeon can heal such or such disease or health condition.
My answer always is that there is no implicit or explicit guarantee that a surgeon can heal any specific condition. But I have seen people coming back from the Philippines cured from all types of disease. But once again, I must reiterate that nobody can guarantee healing by a Psychic Surgeon. If they do, stay away from them.
Practical Gift-giving
Timothy Spencer asked:
So someone gave you a gift wrapped in sassy purple-and-gold paper with a fancy ribbon to top it all off. Just looking at it makes you feel all itchy and excited to find out what’s inside! Of course, you don’t want to act like a greedy kid on Christmas morning while everyone is watching you, so you just smile and say thanks as gracefully as possible while holding all the anticipation in. You wait while everyone is away—you hold the package in your hands—your lower lip might even tremble a bit while thinking about the goody inside—you tear the fancy wrap off…and a cheap picture frame you can buy at any department store for P80 pesos greets your eyes. Talk about a major letdown huh?
We’ve all had an experience like this at least once in our lives. We love getting gifts since they make us feel special, but sometimes gift-receiving tends to get pretty ugly. How? Well, the gift may be generic and useless. We know that the person is well-meaning but admit it, we want to scratch the person’s eye out for wasting money on something we can’t help but resent as decent human beings. Good intentions are cool, but there are such things as misled good intentions.
They say it’s the thought that counts in giving gifts, but if there is no thought in the first place, if there is just a mindless, automatic reaction to the occasion, then the gift would count for zilch. We **** receiving useless, generic gifts. Naturally, we shouldn’t give such gifts to other people. The idea behind giving gifts is to make the recipient feel special, not annoyed or resentful. That is why we should give practical gifts that the person can appreciate. The gift should be appropriate not only to the occasion but to the personality of the recipient as well. It need not be expensive, so long as it’s thoughtful and practical with the person’s needs in mind.
For example, if your friend loves to watch movies, giving a copy of his favorite film or something that he or she would like to watch is a good idea. If your friend tends to get stressed at work too much, a gift certificate to a spa is just perfect (plus it’s not that expensive! ). If your friend is particular, a pretty scarf or a flattering shade of lipstick may get you a lot of hugs.
For occasions such as wedding anniversaries or Valentine’s, a bunch of flowers never fail to do the trick. The keyword for such occasions is “romance” and nothing spells it better than a bouquet of fresh, high-quality flowers specially handpicked for the occasion. There are several shops that sell flowers both online and on the streets, wherein they offer delivery to your loved ones. Delivery is usually efficient and hassle-free, so you might want to try the delivery service of your chosen flower shop.
Remember, pour effort into giving gifts to the people you love. Make sure that the gift is thoughtful and practical, and who knows, the people around you may stop giving you picture frames on your birthday.
So someone gave you a gift wrapped in sassy purple-and-gold paper with a fancy ribbon to top it all off. Just looking at it makes you feel all itchy and excited to find out what’s inside! Of course, you don’t want to act like a greedy kid on Christmas morning while everyone is watching you, so you just smile and say thanks as gracefully as possible while holding all the anticipation in. You wait while everyone is away—you hold the package in your hands—your lower lip might even tremble a bit while thinking about the goody inside—you tear the fancy wrap off…and a cheap picture frame you can buy at any department store for P80 pesos greets your eyes. Talk about a major letdown huh?
We’ve all had an experience like this at least once in our lives. We love getting gifts since they make us feel special, but sometimes gift-receiving tends to get pretty ugly. How? Well, the gift may be generic and useless. We know that the person is well-meaning but admit it, we want to scratch the person’s eye out for wasting money on something we can’t help but resent as decent human beings. Good intentions are cool, but there are such things as misled good intentions.
They say it’s the thought that counts in giving gifts, but if there is no thought in the first place, if there is just a mindless, automatic reaction to the occasion, then the gift would count for zilch. We **** receiving useless, generic gifts. Naturally, we shouldn’t give such gifts to other people. The idea behind giving gifts is to make the recipient feel special, not annoyed or resentful. That is why we should give practical gifts that the person can appreciate. The gift should be appropriate not only to the occasion but to the personality of the recipient as well. It need not be expensive, so long as it’s thoughtful and practical with the person’s needs in mind.
For example, if your friend loves to watch movies, giving a copy of his favorite film or something that he or she would like to watch is a good idea. If your friend tends to get stressed at work too much, a gift certificate to a spa is just perfect (plus it’s not that expensive! ). If your friend is particular, a pretty scarf or a flattering shade of lipstick may get you a lot of hugs.
For occasions such as wedding anniversaries or Valentine’s, a bunch of flowers never fail to do the trick. The keyword for such occasions is “romance” and nothing spells it better than a bouquet of fresh, high-quality flowers specially handpicked for the occasion. There are several shops that sell flowers both online and on the streets, wherein they offer delivery to your loved ones. Delivery is usually efficient and hassle-free, so you might want to try the delivery service of your chosen flower shop.
Remember, pour effort into giving gifts to the people you love. Make sure that the gift is thoughtful and practical, and who knows, the people around you may stop giving you picture frames on your birthday.
Best Beach Vacations in the Philippines
Christel Lumabas asked:
One unique fact about the Philippines is that we have more than 7,000 islands altogether– and this fact can excite most travelers from around the world. Since the Philippines is situated near the equator, the country is considered as the tropics, with temperatures perfect for a day at the beach. Philippine travel usually consists of island hopping, checking out some virgin sceneries, and visits to great local cities.
For serious travelers, they may opt for luxury vacations in the Philippines through exposure to the beauty of the country’s natural resources.
In every foreign place, one would not help but think of communicating with the locals. But when you are in the Philippines, any travelers with English speaking skills need not to worry, because around 85 percent of the locals can understand English. In any case, for any vacation or travel spot in the country, there is a Filipino in the area that can speak and understand English.
Language barriers aside, the exchange rate may also be quite favorable for travelers. With cheap accommodations, food, and services, any traveler may easily have a luxurious vacation without them feeling the pain in their wallets. In other words, everything is on sale.
The tropical islands of the Philippines showcase some of the best beaches in Southeast Asia, and also the most colorful coral reefs in the world. The far fetched island of Palawan features one of the country’s best hotel accommodations, with popular guests such as Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight. The island boasts of clear blue waters, pristine white sand, and rich sea life– all with a relaxed environment. Palawan may be considered as a spot for luxury vacations, simply because of the exquisite accommodations and hotels, such as the infamous Amanpulo. The resort features world class amenities that can rejuvenate and change your perspective of the country altogether. Amanpulo can be reached through charter plane from Manila, and usually costs around $300 per person. Once there, any guest can enjoy all amenities for $850 per person, for a whole week! So if you want to see and experience the Amanpulo in Palawan, try to book ahead of time so as to have proper reservations.
Another popular destination when it comes to luxury vacations would be the in the island of Boracay. This long stretch of pure white sand beach offers not only relaxation, but a boost on social gatherings with beach front parties and good restaurants, offering both local and foreign delicacies. Boracay provides luxury vacations for locals and foreigners visiting the country, with full hotel accommodations to huts by the beach front. Other key destinations include Cebu and Davao, and also key historic landmarks such as Bataan and Corregidor, not to mention the fascinating sights in Manila and Iloilo.
One unique fact about the Philippines is that we have more than 7,000 islands altogether– and this fact can excite most travelers from around the world. Since the Philippines is situated near the equator, the country is considered as the tropics, with temperatures perfect for a day at the beach. Philippine travel usually consists of island hopping, checking out some virgin sceneries, and visits to great local cities.
For serious travelers, they may opt for luxury vacations in the Philippines through exposure to the beauty of the country’s natural resources.
In every foreign place, one would not help but think of communicating with the locals. But when you are in the Philippines, any travelers with English speaking skills need not to worry, because around 85 percent of the locals can understand English. In any case, for any vacation or travel spot in the country, there is a Filipino in the area that can speak and understand English.
Language barriers aside, the exchange rate may also be quite favorable for travelers. With cheap accommodations, food, and services, any traveler may easily have a luxurious vacation without them feeling the pain in their wallets. In other words, everything is on sale.
The tropical islands of the Philippines showcase some of the best beaches in Southeast Asia, and also the most colorful coral reefs in the world. The far fetched island of Palawan features one of the country’s best hotel accommodations, with popular guests such as Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight. The island boasts of clear blue waters, pristine white sand, and rich sea life– all with a relaxed environment. Palawan may be considered as a spot for luxury vacations, simply because of the exquisite accommodations and hotels, such as the infamous Amanpulo. The resort features world class amenities that can rejuvenate and change your perspective of the country altogether. Amanpulo can be reached through charter plane from Manila, and usually costs around $300 per person. Once there, any guest can enjoy all amenities for $850 per person, for a whole week! So if you want to see and experience the Amanpulo in Palawan, try to book ahead of time so as to have proper reservations.
Another popular destination when it comes to luxury vacations would be the in the island of Boracay. This long stretch of pure white sand beach offers not only relaxation, but a boost on social gatherings with beach front parties and good restaurants, offering both local and foreign delicacies. Boracay provides luxury vacations for locals and foreigners visiting the country, with full hotel accommodations to huts by the beach front. Other key destinations include Cebu and Davao, and also key historic landmarks such as Bataan and Corregidor, not to mention the fascinating sights in Manila and Iloilo.
Internet Dating – it is All About Options
Tim Zelmer asked:
There was a time, fairly early in its history, when the Internet was an almost purely social place for most of us. Shortly after it became popular, the average person connected through America Online (AOL) or CompuServe and paid by the minute to enter chat rooms and meet new people. Most of us were wary of the people we met online at first – the anonymity offered online brought out the worst in many of people during the early days when the idea of communicating with people via the Internet was new. However, the bad experiences that were had by some were vastly outweighed by the convenience, the uniqueness and the sheer fun offered by those simple chat rooms of the past.
No one – not even the Internet pioneers – could have predicted how fast the Internet would grow, and how much a part of virtually everyone’s daily life it would become. From the humble beginnings of those early chat rooms, the Internet has become a tool that most of us use to do business, stay in touch with family and friends, get news, sports and weather reports, directions and maps, buy and sell things – you name it, the odds are very good that the Internet offers you a way to do it. The amount of information available on the “information highway” is staggering – a simple search on Google or Yahoo can net literally millions of matching sites – and if you can buy something in a brick and mortar store, you can more than likely buy it from your PC or laptop.
Interestingly, in some ways the Internet has come full circle in that along with the other things we do online on a day-to-day basis, many people are now finding that dating online – meeting new people to form relationships with – offers them options that the bar scene, blind dates, fix-ups and other traditional ways of forming romantic relationships simply don’t. The recent explosion of online dating and online dating sites has created a situation in which proximity is no longer the deciding factor in who a person can meet. Rather than being confined to a single town or city, Internet dating offers people the option of looking for that perfect someone across the state, the country and even all across the world.
Not only has the online dating industry exploded in recent years but it has become both more user friendly and relationship specific. No matter who you are or what sort of relationship you are looking for, the odds are that there is a site out there that will fit your needs. There are sites that cater to straight dating, the gay/lesbian community, ethnically based dating (white, black, Asian, etc), bi-sexual and *********** relationships, dating based on religion, political views, ages (under 30 or over 50, etc) and pretty much any and all combinations of the previously mentioned groups. There are sites that will try and find the perfect match for you, and sites that will simply offer thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of user profiles and pictures for you to search through. Some sites offer only simple email introductions while other sites will offer instant messaging, private chat rooms, streaming audio, and live video capabilities all administered through the site. It only takes the investment of an hour or two of your time to find an online dating service which caters to your specific needs and desires.
While online dating certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, there can be no doubt that the industry’s rapid growth and expansion indicates that more and more men and women are finding it to be not only a viable but a preferable alternative to traditional forms of dating. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of men and women are finding that there are many advantages to looking for romantic companionship online. Some of these advantages include:
* Safety – There is no doubt about it, the world in general and the dating world in particular can be a dangerous place for both men and women. While a person may look or seem to be okay, it takes a considerable amount of time to really get to know anyone. Many people find that getting to know another person online – where they have control over both how much personal information they give about themselves and how much information they ask of another person – alleviates most of their safety concerns. No reputable online dating site will give out your personal information (last name, address, phone number or even email address) without your permission. It is up to the user(s) how fast or how slow a relationship progresses and, should one person have suspicions or fears about their online dating partner, ending the relationship is as simple as clicking out of the chat box or instant message.
* Convenience – For most of us, traditional dating is WORK. Whether male or female, it takes a considerable amount of time to get that look you want perfect, pick out the right wardrobe, find the right place to go, etc. The truth is, in today’s hectic world, a lot of people simply don’t have the time to do everything that they need to do to get ready for a date on a regular basis. Online dating, however, is as simple as switching on a computer and logging into your dating site. Even if you use a site that offers webcam functions, you control whether you turn the cam on, and even if it shows anything other than your smile. The impression you make on the people you are interested in can be made in ripped jeans and an old tee shirt – you don’t even need to comb your hair.
* Variety – One of the most common complaints that people in the dating scene have is that they always seem to meet the same kind of people. A lot of this is, of course, due to the fact that in many cases people from the same towns or cities tend to share many of the same personality traits. This is not the case in the online dating world. You can just as easily strike up a conversation with a girl in Kiev or a guy in Manila as you can with your next door neighbor, and this offers a wide variety of people that simply isn’t available with any other form of dating.
* Cost – Love may be blind, but finding it by traditional dating methods certainly isn’t cheap. A first date with someone you may not even know or actually be compatible with can easily run $200 or more, and there is never a guarantee that you will even enjoy yourself or want to see that person again. While virtually all online dating sites charge fees for their services, in many cases the cost of that first traditional, three hour date will buy you weeks – and even months – of online dating with a variety of people who catch your attention. And again, if you find that someone simply isn’t what you are looking for, you can simply say goodbye and try someone else … without having to pay for a cab to take them home!
As I said before, online dating isn’t for everyone – and not every approach to online dating offered by specific sites will be right for everyone. But with the almost unlimited options available and the wide variety of choices that can be explored from the comfort of one’s own home, online dating is something that should at least be looked into by anyone who is in search of that perfect someone. The one you’ve been looking for could be as near as the next chat room!
There was a time, fairly early in its history, when the Internet was an almost purely social place for most of us. Shortly after it became popular, the average person connected through America Online (AOL) or CompuServe and paid by the minute to enter chat rooms and meet new people. Most of us were wary of the people we met online at first – the anonymity offered online brought out the worst in many of people during the early days when the idea of communicating with people via the Internet was new. However, the bad experiences that were had by some were vastly outweighed by the convenience, the uniqueness and the sheer fun offered by those simple chat rooms of the past.
No one – not even the Internet pioneers – could have predicted how fast the Internet would grow, and how much a part of virtually everyone’s daily life it would become. From the humble beginnings of those early chat rooms, the Internet has become a tool that most of us use to do business, stay in touch with family and friends, get news, sports and weather reports, directions and maps, buy and sell things – you name it, the odds are very good that the Internet offers you a way to do it. The amount of information available on the “information highway” is staggering – a simple search on Google or Yahoo can net literally millions of matching sites – and if you can buy something in a brick and mortar store, you can more than likely buy it from your PC or laptop.
Interestingly, in some ways the Internet has come full circle in that along with the other things we do online on a day-to-day basis, many people are now finding that dating online – meeting new people to form relationships with – offers them options that the bar scene, blind dates, fix-ups and other traditional ways of forming romantic relationships simply don’t. The recent explosion of online dating and online dating sites has created a situation in which proximity is no longer the deciding factor in who a person can meet. Rather than being confined to a single town or city, Internet dating offers people the option of looking for that perfect someone across the state, the country and even all across the world.
Not only has the online dating industry exploded in recent years but it has become both more user friendly and relationship specific. No matter who you are or what sort of relationship you are looking for, the odds are that there is a site out there that will fit your needs. There are sites that cater to straight dating, the gay/lesbian community, ethnically based dating (white, black, Asian, etc), bi-sexual and *********** relationships, dating based on religion, political views, ages (under 30 or over 50, etc) and pretty much any and all combinations of the previously mentioned groups. There are sites that will try and find the perfect match for you, and sites that will simply offer thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of user profiles and pictures for you to search through. Some sites offer only simple email introductions while other sites will offer instant messaging, private chat rooms, streaming audio, and live video capabilities all administered through the site. It only takes the investment of an hour or two of your time to find an online dating service which caters to your specific needs and desires.
While online dating certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, there can be no doubt that the industry’s rapid growth and expansion indicates that more and more men and women are finding it to be not only a viable but a preferable alternative to traditional forms of dating. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of men and women are finding that there are many advantages to looking for romantic companionship online. Some of these advantages include:
* Safety – There is no doubt about it, the world in general and the dating world in particular can be a dangerous place for both men and women. While a person may look or seem to be okay, it takes a considerable amount of time to really get to know anyone. Many people find that getting to know another person online – where they have control over both how much personal information they give about themselves and how much information they ask of another person – alleviates most of their safety concerns. No reputable online dating site will give out your personal information (last name, address, phone number or even email address) without your permission. It is up to the user(s) how fast or how slow a relationship progresses and, should one person have suspicions or fears about their online dating partner, ending the relationship is as simple as clicking out of the chat box or instant message.
* Convenience – For most of us, traditional dating is WORK. Whether male or female, it takes a considerable amount of time to get that look you want perfect, pick out the right wardrobe, find the right place to go, etc. The truth is, in today’s hectic world, a lot of people simply don’t have the time to do everything that they need to do to get ready for a date on a regular basis. Online dating, however, is as simple as switching on a computer and logging into your dating site. Even if you use a site that offers webcam functions, you control whether you turn the cam on, and even if it shows anything other than your smile. The impression you make on the people you are interested in can be made in ripped jeans and an old tee shirt – you don’t even need to comb your hair.
* Variety – One of the most common complaints that people in the dating scene have is that they always seem to meet the same kind of people. A lot of this is, of course, due to the fact that in many cases people from the same towns or cities tend to share many of the same personality traits. This is not the case in the online dating world. You can just as easily strike up a conversation with a girl in Kiev or a guy in Manila as you can with your next door neighbor, and this offers a wide variety of people that simply isn’t available with any other form of dating.
* Cost – Love may be blind, but finding it by traditional dating methods certainly isn’t cheap. A first date with someone you may not even know or actually be compatible with can easily run $200 or more, and there is never a guarantee that you will even enjoy yourself or want to see that person again. While virtually all online dating sites charge fees for their services, in many cases the cost of that first traditional, three hour date will buy you weeks – and even months – of online dating with a variety of people who catch your attention. And again, if you find that someone simply isn’t what you are looking for, you can simply say goodbye and try someone else … without having to pay for a cab to take them home!
As I said before, online dating isn’t for everyone – and not every approach to online dating offered by specific sites will be right for everyone. But with the almost unlimited options available and the wide variety of choices that can be explored from the comfort of one’s own home, online dating is something that should at least be looked into by anyone who is in search of that perfect someone. The one you’ve been looking for could be as near as the next chat room!
