‎Wishing for an apple storm in 2012



A new day, a new year and a new list. Or are you still pondering on what your new year’s resolutions should be? Check it twice. You might have rewritten one or two for the past years and still haven’t gotten around to doing it.

If not now, when?

We’ve heard and said this line too often but the “do” part is harder to tackle. We mark our plans’ commencement dates on our personal calendars, usually on the first day of the coming week or month, the day after the birthday or the popular date- “tomorrow”, and when the appointed time comes we have some lame reason to postpone it. We really have to will ourselves to sticking to the plan. By experience, “now” always works best.

LOVE more, LIVE more, GIVE more, APPRECIATE more!

I have my own list. It’s something I pray for every waking morning- love more, live more, give more, appreciate more, travel more, work better, complain less, exercise again. It is an affirmation and keeping a positive vibe helps especially when bumps and snags are met along the way. Never lose hope. I know I haven’t, I am still hoping to go back to my exercise regimen.

Stepping back on the mat!


Then I stare at my vision board and run through the images and say out loud my aspirations- the places I see myself in, the projects I will be running, the things I want to acquire and the people I want to meet. I see myself in the pictures, I ask for them, and I will receive. Such was the case in the past. For those gifts, I am grateful.

Wishing apples for Davao.....

How many lemons have I given away in the past? I never liked doing it but I had to. My goal is to make those people aware of their misdeeds. There is always hope to aspire for a better you. If not, quit your job. It is pointless to stay in a job you’re not happy in. You are passing the bad vibe to the customer.

"You are serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work.”-- Laurie McIntosh.

If you choose to work in the service industry, be ready to serve and make your customers happy, no matter who they are. Smile! Nothing can be more annoying than an unsmiling, impersonal employee. 

The service industry needs more Mahals & Pauls.
Good service will earn high costumer count.


Always keep in mind that the word of mouth is very powerful. You just don’t lose one client but the client’s clique and clan as well. Competition is stiff, there are other providers who are willing to welcome and please the fickle minded market.

"Now is the most exciting time in fashion. Women are controlling their destiny..." - Oscar de la Renta

With the surge of clothing brands and rise of talented local designers in Davao, the fashion scene is getting exciting. The choices are wider and varied and players are pricing competitively. During the sale season, the pieces you wish for will be more affordable. So there’s really no reason why your closet don’t have the chic and stylish must-have pieces. Dressing up is fun!

Davao fashion is getting exciting.
Seen in Hijos de Dabaw- Marris Lat in Erwin Tan for Kasuotan

"My mom made two dishes: Take it or Leave it." -- Stephen Wright, comedian.

Such is the manner practiced by the discerning diners these days. News travel fast and it is our nature to believe a review before we even try. Recommendations are what we all seek when we seek good food. The pleased palate will win the restaurant war in the growing population of specialty restaurants in Davao today. 

Pleased palates will make the restuarant win.
The Cellar, a new resto, has good salpicao & Lotus Court, a go to for good Chinese food, has fresh homemade tofu with mushrooms & brocolli

I do wish Davao breeds more kitchen scientists worthy of the chef hat. After all, it does take years of working in the kitchen, even after graduating from a full-course culinary school, to earn such a prestigious title. We are willing to wait.

“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” --Albert Einstein.

After Sendong and other acts of nature Davao and Mindanao have experienced, I pray none of these events happen again. Mother Nature’s won’t ask us to stand in the stand in the corner, it’s more like drive us to it. She’s quite unpredictable, swift and fierce in her retribution. Our cause, her effect. We know the root, we know what to address. Let’s act together.

“HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it.”-- Princess Diana.

Another dire problem that needs to be addressed is the fast-rising incidence of HIV+ infection in our city. What’s more frightening that the disease is the ignorance of the population about the illness. Education is the key. We need more extensive awareness programs to open everyone’s minds. Arm yourself with the best weapon- knowledge. Compassion will automatically follow. 

Knowledge is your best weapon

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” -- Maya Angelou.

Finally, I have lived in this city for years and don’t have plans of relocating. I wish for a safer and more peaceful Davao this year and the coming years.

Happy new year everyone!
May the positive vibe of the Universe envelop us all.