The Power of FREE
Many times I blogged about coffees. For a couple of years, 3in1 coffee has been a part of my morning habit. Besides blogging and social networking, sipping coffee starts my day. There was a time that I spilled coffee on my keyboard. It was a disaster, I had to deactivate the built-in keyboard and connect an external one. In my first year of blogging I posted about 3in1 coffee’s advantages over separate coffee, creamer, and sugar. No matter how I love 3in1 coffee, I was tempted to be desirous of something else. And the power of free caught me in the bull’s eye.
It’s not because of the advertisement lately. The appeal to emotion “para kanino ka bumabangon?” or “timpla mo masusunod” doesn’t appeal that much to me. Yet, one day when I was buying grocery items, a reddish mug, a limited edition Nescafe mug for free, captivated me. I had to buy separate coffee and creamer. Goodbye 3in1 coffee for a while. The word free overshadowed my habit, and changed my mind drastically. Though, the decision was not that complex, it’s a proof of irrationality. The “limited edition” reinforced my desire for free. In my mind I said to myself: I have to buy now or else I wouldn’t get that mug!
The word FREE is powerful. Marketers, however, should use it ethically.
A Time to Grow
Yesterday I had a very very short part in the 1st day of circuit assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses (the second time since a long long furlough so to speak). With my age, I have been assigned many tasks, faced different people, put into various situations that every now and then challenge my abilities and my whole personality. Yet, every one task after another that I did, I sigh with relief. I become more learned than before. This perhaps has also opened my mind wide. I am more open to suggestions from others, take their objective comments given in a blatant or tactful way. I could have been sensitive if it’s on the basis of education or other secular things. But I am grateful that I am still learning. Now, I come to realize that “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”
The demonstration that I did was all about social networking. I acted as a father which I really am. My 13 year old daughter in the demo is a an unbaptized publisher in the congregation I am connected. We don’t really look father and daughter. I am more a big brother to her, yet we delivered our demo successfully. The challenge on my part was I really couldn’t be good in a scripted presentation. I do a lot of spontaneous talks in the classroom (my friend yas can attest to that). When I give a brief talk in the theocratic ministry school, I prepare a small piece of paper written on it my outline. I am forgetful with scripts even during college years. Yet, that weakness is improved over time.
I thank those people who make me wiser than before. I thank for the opportunities to grow up in all human dimensions. They make my life meaningful!
My First Ever Ferrero Rocher
I love chocolates! Though my taste buds are used to cheaper kinds of chocolates, I still wish I could receive gift from friends or family members more expensive chocolates. The natural notion that the higher the prices, the higher the quality aptly apply to almost all products including, of course, chocolates.
Besides being mouth watering, chocolates have been my favorite example when I explain irrationalities which I adopted from Dan Ariely, the author of the book, Predictably Irrational. Let me relate the example of the book with a little modifications: if you’re given a choice between two brands of chocolates with different prices, a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball at 15 pesos and a Cloud 9 chocolate bar at 5 pesos, which will you choose? Since the price of the Ferrero Rocher was reduced significantly, most would probably choose it over Cloud 9. But consider this: if Ferrero Rocher was priced at 15 pesos and Cloud 9 for free, most would maybe this time choose Cloud 9. This is one of our human irrationalities. The word FREE is very powerful that could more or less affect our rationality.
Now, I mark this day because (I’m not ashamed) the first ever Ferrero Rocher chocolate dampened my mouth and tongue. By the way, before you think where did I get it, I want you to know that I bought it for my wife as a gift on our 6th anniversary.
A Treat to Myself
Two Thousand twelve is here. Since I missed several things last December during holiday season, I gave a treat to myself as the year 2012 began this month. I waited for several years before my Nokia phone (I don’t know the model, I didn’t give a hoot knowing it) would be replaced by something new. Aside from no enough means to acquire one (that’s the primary reason), most of my funds were diverted to more important things (diapers, milk, etc.). Finally, the wait is over. My Samsung Galaxy R has arrived all the way from Singapore.
Why Galaxy R? First, its price range matched my budget. Second, R stands for Ragos and my wife first name Richie. It could have been Galaxy S for Sherwin but the reason is obvious for not acquiring it. It may not be that special but giving away something for yourself is as sweet as having a relaxation.
Okay. See you around. I need to explore my new android phone. Don’t you worry in a while or so I’ll get used to it!
I Missed My Eyeglasses
me (wearing eyeglasses) with my wife and little daughter
I started wearing eyeglasses in college when I felt that my eyesight became poorer than it used to be when I was in high school. I used to have 20-20 vision but when computers came into my life (that was when I took up Computer programming course at STI College in mid-90s), my eyesight suffered. Yet, eyeglasses are not always around me. There were years that I stopped using eyeglasses. Then came 2010 when the pain and fatigue of my eyes were unbearable. I bought a new pair of eyeglasses using my credit card in an installment basis for 6 months.
After more than a year of wearing that eyeglasses I lost it. You may want to know how I lost it. Here is the story: one afternoon I was heading home driving my tricycle. On my halfway home, rain poured hard. I was wearing my eyeglasses that time. I pulled over and put off my eyeglasses, unconsciously, I hung it on my shirt then I proceeded back on my way.
When I was almost home, I heard a ting-a-ling but ignored it deliberately. The worse came when I was home. I searched for my eyeglasses and no avail. I remembered I hung it on my shirt. That ting-a-ling came back to my mind. I informed my wife about what happened. I traced back where I dropped my eyeglasses but no success.
Now, it’s been 5 months already and I really missed my eyeglasses. My eyesight doesn’t suffer much these days but my astigmatism still taking a toll on me. I know time will come for a new pair of eyeglasses.
Staycation with my Family
Your family is still the best thing in the world that you can ever have. It gives you reasons for everything that you do. I built a family 3 years ago and still building it, it’s very young yet thank God the year 2011 was full of excitement, trials, and blessings. My second child was born this year, his arrival brought so much happiness and challenges.
My wife does all the household chores except of course cooking for dinner, that’s my job, my fair share (aside of course my role as the breadwinner, literally I bring home some bread every day). To compensate for all the times she does taking care of our children by herself, I planned for a staycation. The term was coined from stay + vacation. It came into use in 2008 during the global recession. With little or no money to spend, people had their staycation, that is vacationing at home. This is cost-effective (I’m sure my advertising class remembers that well).
Staycation is good for several reasons. It saves resources–time, money, energy. It is enjoyable as well and creates a chance for me to get along with the kids, spend more time with them, getting to know them, and they’ll know me also. It also saves us from traffic brought by many shoppers, vendors, and motorists on the go. It’s pollution (noise and other forms) free.
Yes, there was one or two times that we went out and spent a few hours in the mall. We couldn’t, however, stay long. After a while or so we went home quickly. I might not had a chance to shop for gadgets and other things this vacation(I’ll do that early January, hehehe.), my staycation is worthwhile. I look forward for my next vacation at home!
Family Life is a Challenge
Having two children poses more challenge than having one child. To me before it was a myth, now it’s factual. Life’s activities have measures of difficulty when your family increases in number. Economic hardship is given. Even if you have the money to buy, shopping with two kids has become taxing. During vacation like this before, I can read a few pages of my newly acquired books in a day. But now, I hardly can read a page in a week. I can blog more. Do some outdoor recreations, travel or the like. Well, I am trying to decipher my situation. And perfectly, I do understand that life is not static. Life changes much as those people–acquaintances and friends– that I came to see them again online. I sigh and find relief with the things that happened in the past. Those were contributors of who I am today. They were part of me.
I know that life in itself is a challenge. I just don’t know what others are going through but I’m sure they have ordeals too. Pain and pleasure are two opposite yet complementary forces. We avoid pain and we look for pleasure. Yet, at the end of the day, what matters is we become better persons, learned, and stronger. Happiness like craving for food, comes and goes. However, there are happiness that are meant to stay longer even forever.
Hope Amid Tragedy
Amid unspeakable tragedy, we can always find hope that there’s a new tomorrow, a new day. I was browsing some news early dawn today and I found the disaster in southern Philippines still flooding the online news. Pictures of the aftermath captured my attention. I couldn’t help but cry when I saw a picture of a man carrying his dead son/daughter. The child was about same age of my firstborn. I could feel what the father feels. The pain is excruciating when a father feels the lifeless body of his child against his skin.
After a few minutes of scanning some pictures, I moved outside to embrace the cold wind that signals the month is December. Year 2011 is about to close yet hardships and pains strike every one of us. I remember the tsunami that devastated Japan last March 2011. It’s morbidity to think that we’ll always be safe from harm. No matter what happens we are still hopeful. That’s one thing I admire with the Filipino culture. There’s always bayanihan in times of needs.
The horizon I gazed had a streak of hope. I know there’ll be a new tomorrow full of hope.
Faculty, the Most Important Factor in Education
I know not everyone will agree to this claim that the most important factor in education is faculty. I didn’t even think about that when Sutherland invited us for a seminar-workshop. Participants were put into teams and presented their responses to the questions asked at the beginning of the workshop. Based on all the answers presented, no team mentioned about the faculty factor. They had all common factor– the school infrastructure. For them the most neglected aspects in education system are the facilities, technology, and other infrastructure. They might have a point but the workshop facilitator named Vjay brought out that FACULTY is the most important. He said that he learned accounting even without having a ledger because his teacher taught him so.
CdD Intramural 2011-2012 Opens Today
No doubt, everyone of us has a game to play in life! We all have sports side. I am a blogger, researcher, and an educator. Unbeknownst to many, I was a volleyball player in high school and a runner too. I don’t remember, however, that I won a game. Never mind, I don’t mind either. What matters is I am sporty too.
This year’s CdD Intramural opening is indeed spectacular. I am fascinated with the opening salvo, simple yet striking. I caught some pictures using my ordinary camera. Here are some of them.
