@HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 6 May 2022

Hello, my dear read.cash family. Hope everyone's doing well today. I wish I could stay here longer and read your stories but I got a bad headache. We were out to buy some groceries and it was so hot and I didn't have my breakfast before going so my body is now troubling me. Catch up when I am better! Have a great weekend!

@HermaniGinger 5 May 2022

Tara na sa Pilipinas- Foods that remind me of the places I've been "*Wag maging dayuhan sa sariling bansa*", that's what my grandma told me because, despite her residency in the USA, she kept on coming back home and encouraged me to travel within the Philippines. The result? I never went abroad, even once, char. I love my country but I do dream of going outside the Philippines. And, whenever I travel to a particular city or municipality, there is always food associated with it. Food is life, right? And because of that, I'm gonna share with you the kind of food that reminds me of a place I've been. Let's get this rolling so you'll start drooling: Hanging rice, Barbecue, Lechon baboy, and Lechon manok (BBQ, roasted pig, and chicken) *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Of course, that would be my hometown, Iligan City. It offers the cheapest, most delicious barbecues, roasted pig and chicken, ever, plus the hanging rice. Who doesn't know what hanging rice is? It is rice cooked in coconut leaves and once it is cooked, it will be hung for people to just get it when they eat. Yum yum, now I am hungry. My friends and I would always treat ourselves by going to the BBQ house and ordering our favorite BBQ, may it be chicken or pork. Then we'll have hanging rice and soft drinks- solb (solve). I have been here in Metro Manila for so long but nothing has beaten the BBQ of Iligan City. Sinugba Tula or Tinola Kinilaw (SUTUKIL) and Buko halo *License-free image from Unsplash.com* "Sutukil" is derived from the term "Shoot to kill" and I guess it got trending in Cebu first and then spread throughout Visayas and Mindanao. *Sugba* means grilled, *tula or tinola* means soup, *kinilaw or kilaw* is ceviche. I could only imagine one place that offers these great foods- CDO or Cagayan de Oro City. There are a lot of BBQ houses in CDO compared to Iligan but I had the best SUTUKIL when a leader from my then church cooked them. It was the best, ever and no one could cook it like that except that brother. You'd definitely say it's the best day of your life. I also had the first buko or coconut halo-halo of my life in CDO. Here in Metro Manila, we have Buko ni Fruitas but in CDO, you'll taste the wonders of the "City of Golden Friendship" through the buko-halo. Fresh and delicious young coconut mixed with ice cream and some sweet treats. Should I forget the Bibingka or Rice Cake? *Bibingka* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibingka#/media/File:1048Bibingka_Puto_bumbong_making_Philippines_04.jpg Of course not, if there's a place known for rice cakes that would be Misamis Oriental, the province of Cagayan de Oro City. You will see an array of stores offering rice cakes. You could be full by the free taste each store offers. You just go to choose which one you'd like and you'll have a hard time because they are all yummy! Otap, Masareal, and "All you can eat affordable food" especially seafood *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Masarael, made from powdered peanuts is one of my favorite delicacies from Cebu. I beg you to give me one if you have one, please!!! And Otap, my goodness, Otap from Shamrock!! I haven't tasted an original Cebu Lechon, perhaps I did, but it wasn't fresh so I couldn't conclude that Cebu Lechon is better than Iligan Lechon. Sorry folks. But one thing that I couldn't forget about Cebu is the affordability of "All You Can Eat" restaurants. I think the price I saw for an all-you-can-eat lunch was 130 that time when we had our field trip, isn't that affordable? And I remember eating all the clams and other seafood because I had to grab the chance lol. I miss you, Cebu! And soon I'm gonna be there with my family. Suman, Binaki, and Tablea from Cacao seeds *License-free image from Unsplash.com* How could I forget my mother's hometown, Calamba, Misamis Occidental? They had that chocolate "*suman*", "binaki" and "*tablea*" from Cacao seeds made by my grandma herself. That province actually makes delicacies differently. If you don't know what "*binaki*" is, it is like a cake made from ground corn and the shape is like "baki" or frog. Suman is either cassava or sticky rice but the chocolate "*suman*" is made of ground sticky rice mixed with local chocolate. And the "tablea" is flavorless chocolate from Cacao seeds that can be turned into a chocolate drink. Closing Thoughts I had great memories of the places because of the food that I tasted. And I wanted to taste them again when I get back. Each food really represents the culture and the uniqueness of the locality and I could proudly say that the Philippines has one of the most delicious cuisines and delicacies. Perhaps I will change my mind when I go overseas and taste a real Italian brick-oven pizza or Carbonara. **So to my foreign friends, I hope you will visit my country one day so you will be able to experience how "fun it is in the Philippines".** **Tara na sa Pilipinas- let's go to the Philippines!** **Author's Note: All content is original unless stated otherwise. The Bibingka image source was from Wikipedia.com, and the rest of the images were from Unsplash.com** THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAYING WITH ME. May 5, 2022 ©HermaniGinger

+2 more

@HermaniGinger 4 May 2022

Fast talk challenge with the witch! Hello friends, it is Hump Day again! How time flies so fast and I am happy that my eldest, Bam has 2 weeks break. *Para namang may nagbago lols,* she will still do her modules so she won't be late and cram just like before. I am trying to study my Salesforce program but I want to publish my article here first before I get busy. I am kind of OC when it comes to following my routine. So without further ado, let's do the fast talk challenge! Thanks to Eurydice, I was able to copy the questions of the prompt. You can check her article here. https://read.cash/@Eurydice/fast-talk-challenge-adc8c6e2 **1. What is the first thing you would ask God?** You'd ask, the witch prays? Of course, I do. Whenever I pray, I always ask God to protect the people I love, especially my daughters. My family and friends' safety matters to me aside from their health. I always request God to send her angels to guard Bam, Saoirse, and Pixie, now, since I am a new grandma to a little boy, Alexis will be included in my prayer. Believe me, angels exist. **2. What was the nicest thing someone told you?** Hmm, the nicest thing someone told me is that I am *mabait or* a good person. Char. I am trying to be. **3. What is your greatest achievement?** In my academic life, graduating with a Dean's List award. In my personal life, being a good provider to my kids. **4. If you could be someone for a day, who would you be? Why?** If I could be someone for a day, I would be...What a difficult question. Maybe, Putin? I want to understand him and perhaps I could help put an end to the war and establish a peace treaty. **5 What is life's greatest surprise to you so far?** My scholarship. I never thought that my life could still change, it is overwhelming and at the same time, humbling. **6 What makes you happy?** My kid's happiness makes me happy. When I am on a beach or somewhere nice with my little family and I see them having fun, then I am happy. **7. One thing you've always wanted to do?** The one thing that I've always wanted to do is to go to the beach and stay there for a week until my stress is totally gone and I'd go home rejuvenated. **8. The most expensive thing you bought for yourself?** The most expensive thing that I bought for myself was my Fila sneakers for 1800 PHP. I am not sure if the basis is the mode of payment, if cash, then Fila it is but if this includes installment, my Xiaomi phone which was for I think, more than 5k. **9. If you were a fictional character who would you be?** If I were a fictional character, I would be Jean Grey. I love to become Phoenix. I want to read minds as well as fly. **10. If you can plan your death, how would it be?** I dream of a painless and happy death. It would be a day of celebration with my family where I could see and thank all of them for being a part of my life. Then I'd go to my bed, sleep and never wake up in the morning. **11. The best books you’ve read?** The Mortal Instruments. **12. If you were to confess only one sin to God, what would it be?** It would be being too ignorant or naive when it comes to my love life because it affected most of my decisions in my life. **3. If you have to eliminate one emotion in your life, what would it be?** Fear of being true to myself because I grew up pleasing others. I wanna be accepted for who I am and I don't wanna be apologetic about it. **14. What is the food that is always found in your fridge?** The food that would always be found in the fridge would be cheese. They like cheese and it is always on the grocery list. **15. What is your idea of perfect relaxation?** The perfect idea of relaxation for me is being on the beach, sitting on a chair with my pineapple or coconut drink. I am just staring at the horizon, admiring the sea's beauty. Then when it's not too hot, I'd go for a swim and in the afternoon, I'd walk on the shoreline. Then I'll be served the best and freshest plates of seafood. And I'll sleep on the softest and whitest bed ever. *That's it pancit, Tito Boy. Thank you for having me here and I would like to thank my personal beautician for the hair and make-up and H&N for my outfit. Char.* If you wanna join the prompt because you've run out of ideas, please do so. Let's have fun by answering these random questions. I have to go study now, I will catch up with your comments and articles later. Have a great day and prepare your umbrellas if you're out and about. To my sponsors and subscribers- MARAMING SALAMAT PO! The article is original and mine. Source of prompt has been cited. The lead image was from Unsplash.com `May 4, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 3 May 2022

6 life lessons that I've learned from the streets Aloha from the Philippines! Just so glad that one of my prayers came true when the cloud started to pour its precious rain. I've been waiting for this to happen because it's really so freaking hot. How is everyone going? I hope that you're all pumped up for this month and the mothers are all excited for Mothers' Day. Do you have any plans to celebrate it? What are you going to do? Anyways, I have already stated before that I grew up in a broken family- I ate and slept in my neighbors' houses. I didn't want to live with my relatives because I didn't have the freedom to do what I want. I felt like my neck was being strangled whenever I stay too long in a relative's house. I enjoyed being outside with my friends and I was even told that I am not behaving as a girl should. Yes, I lived on the streets and learned about the walks of life of different people I've met. Some were pleasant, some were not and I've learned that: Your bed will be as good as your social status *License-free image from Unsplash.com* What do I mean by this? If I am the daughter of someone rich or famous, my bed will be comfortable, clean, and cozy but since I am a daughter of a poor couple, I have to be content sleeping on a flat, hot bed. Am I being ungrateful? No. It happened when I watched TV in one of my relatives' houses and my uncle learned that no one was in the house. My mama was in Manila and papa was nowhere to be found so my uncle decided to let me stay for the night. I really didn't want to because I wasn't comfortable but since they are the elders I had to give in to their wishes. I couldn't properly sleep because it was too hot and there were mosquitoes biting me. I kept on checking if it was morning already so I could go home. If I was another relative's wealthy child, my situation would have been different. You don't have to prove how strong you are by going into your enemy's territory *License-free image from Unsplash.com* I have seen fights on the streets where people try to kill each other by either kicking each other or using a knife. I learned that you don't have to prove you are strong by going into your enemy's territory- it is an ambush! Especially if you're gonna do it alone. If you don't have a lot of back-ups or if you don't know the place- you will be defeated no matter how invincible you think you are. Be wise, be smart. You don't have to die to prove your strength. Some things are more worth your time, your strength, and your attention. Choose your battles wisely. You don't have to win all the time. Rich people talk about millions while the poor people talk about what food to eat and how to get it *License-free image from Unsplash.com* When I was with my grandpa's relatives in Bulacan, they kept on talking about businesses and millions, debts, etc. My grandma would smirk from time to time because it was supposed to be a vacation, not a business trip. And I remember my childhood friends when I was still in Iligan. They would talk about their food and where to get it and then we would go to the sea, especially when it was low tide to catch crabs, fish, get seaweeds, anything eatable so we won't famish. There's pride and conceit when it comes to talking about the grandeur of some things and there's humility and desperation when it comes to the needs of our bodies. Some wealthy people couldn't sleep at night despite living in a mansion while the poor people peacefully sleep in their shanty dwelling Because when wealthy people meet, they usually talk about their careers, their wealth, what's in and what's not and how they can beat their competition by being vainer, more beautiful so they stay late at night thinking about a lot of stuff. While the poor people could only think about what to eat or where to borrow money for tomorrow's needs. And since their resources are limited, they ran out of ideas their only option was to sleep. I am not against being rich nor I am okay with remaining poor. We all need to strive in life to aim for that comfortable life we so deserve. Most truly wealthy people are humble, kind, and generous while those who are not truly rich are not *License-free image from Unsplash.com* They call it "matapobre" or someone who looks down- I've met several people who are "matapobre". I am not judging them. Perhaps they've been through a lot in life and worked so hard to get that status they are in and they are being threatened by someone so they are acting that way. But those who are really wealthy people are humble, kind, and generous. They know that their parents did everything to give them a great life and they were taught to give back so they could change others' lives as well. In short, they are paying it forward. I learned to treat people equally- rich and poor and I have a huge admiration for those who are working to serve the majority- aside from the health workers, the utility workers- from the restaurant staff to the garbage collectors. There's no peace in the glitz and glamour of the city but there is peace in the sound of the waves living by the sea *License-free image from Unsplash.com* When you are in the city, everything is noisy and chaotic. There's fun, lots of fun but there's no inner peace most of the time. You'd drink and go club-hopping to find that "happiness" and you'd go home drunk until you forget about all your problems and worries. But there's a different kind of peace living by the sea, waking up to the sound of the waves. There's a deeper kind of happiness and contentment in living a simple life by the beach and by watching the sunset and sunrise. You can get lost while being in the deep waters, in peace and serenity while the waters touch your body. It's just pure bliss. Wrapping Up For me, the best teacher is the experiences I get from meeting different people from different walks of life. There's so much to them that books alone, cannot teach. I do not discourage reading books, in fact, I encourage them. So friends: If you have a visitor, whether she or he is rich or poor- make them sleep comfortably. Imagine how you'd like to be treated if you are a visitor. Ask them what their needs are so they could be at ease. You don't have to prove yourself to everyone, they don't deserve your explanation especially when you are doing the right thing. Be humble no matter what your social status is and make it a mission to help other people. Be kind and generous. And no matter where you live if your heart is full of hatred, jealousy, conceit, you will never be able to sleep peacefully. Once your eyes are opened to the realities of life, you will realize that you have a choice in what kind of life you'd want to live. You have to be smart with dealing with people. You have to respect and treat them all equally because you'll never know who you will meet at the top or the bottom. The world is round, things could change drastically, you'll be surprised about how mystical life is. _________________________________________________ By the way, I wanna thank my newest sponsor, a dear friend @LeticiaFelize I appreciate your support and I will do my best to pay it forward, dear. And to all my sponsors and subscribers- THANK YOU VERY MUCH. _________________________________________________ This is all for today, my friends. I hope I was able to share something positive with you. Please be careful and never forget the health protocols. `Authors' note: What I stated below were just my takeaways in real-life and I never intend to demean or hurt anyone.` `The content is original and mine. All images from Unsplash.com` `May 3, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

+2 more

@HermaniGinger 2 May 2022

April's earnings and blessings -thank you, thank you, thank you! **Hello everyone!** I wanted to publish this yesterday but I took a medicine for allergy so I went to sleep with Saoirse. It was so hot yesterday that my body began releasing histamines thus I had some rashes. They were too itchy that I decided to drink Citirizine so *hayun, borlogs ang lola mo.* Since it is the first week of the month, I just want to share my earnings and my achievements for April- a recap of all the happenings last month. Let's start with my earnings: I have earned a total of $24.73 $19 has been withdrawn for my personal expenses and $5 for the tips. I am glad that my earnings increased compared to last month which was $20. The highest-earning article was "Who am I, Am I What?" for $2.86 https://read.cash/@HermaniGinger/who-am-i-am-i-what-b760d46d The most viewed was "I want to cancel Netflix" with 37 views. This also was one of the most commented articles. https://read.cash/@HermaniGinger/i-want-to-cancel-netflix-1c7c4fae I didn't count how many articles I published and I don't want to push myself too hard because I don't want to be disappointed and frustrated with myself. All I know is that I got to write when the diapers are running out, that is my motivation. Subscribers To date, I have 66 subscribers. Thank you very much! I do plan on growing or increasing my following. I was just super busy the past few days so I don't have more time to stay online but I will try to do so soon. Sponsors and sponsees: I have 5 sponsors and I want to thank them for their support and generosity. They boost my confidence. I also have 4 sponsees but I am sad that 3 of them aren't that active anymore. I am concerned about why they aren't writing for the past weeks. I hope they are okay. I will add more people to my list, hopefully soon. *From my read.cash account* My goals here on read.cash and noise: I will try to write as frequently as I can as long as I am not that tired. I will read as many articles as long as my schedule allows. I will add more people to sponsor as long as my earnings permit. I will also try to be more active in noise.cash again **The breakthrough for April is that I was accepted as a Salesforce Cloud Developer Program scholar- a life-changing opportunity. I am so thankful to God and for all the people who believed and supported me.** I am thankful and grateful for all my read.cash friends who have been my source of strength and inspiration not only here in the virtual world but in the real world as well. Thank you, dear cousin @Lucifer01 for always being there. I know we haven't chatted a lot lately but do know that I am here for you as well. This is all for today, my friends. I apologize I have to feed my toddler. I will catch up with you later. Cheers! The article is originally mine. The lead image was taken from my read.cash account. The "Thank you" image was from Unsplash.com `May 2, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 1 May 2022

Finally, an answered prayer! I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend! It is hot in this part of the country, we are in the northern part of Manila and summer is really here but I do pray that the sun will change its mind and allow the rain to pour later. It is a WEEKEND, if you're already stressed out, you are supposed to CHILL. Let me spell that for you C H I L L chill chill chilllllllllllllllllll 🏖️ Moms can't usually chill most of the time 🤣 so I'm just gonna pretend that I can chill as you do. Oh, I forgot about my topic, sorry. I have always been dreaming to apply what I've learned from college by working in an IT company but I ended up in the BPO industry instead. Despite that, I am still thankful because those world0-class training developed my customer service skills and I also gained knowledge about different things in the BPO companies I've worked for. Then I became jobless and I thought that my career life would be stagnant for too long. Everything changed when I took that leap of faith when I applied for that scholarship with Future for the Women Foundation. I discovered that impulsiveness has its own advantage. My friends, **I am so happy to announce to you that I am now a Salesforce Cloud Developer Program Scholar!** 🎉🎉🎉🎉Lots of thanks to the NGO Future for the Women in partnership with Accenture. Most of all, I thank God for answering my prayers. No matter how competitive I might be, if He didn't allow me to pass then there's really nothing I could do. My faith has been tested before I got that scholarship though. After our workshop last April 20, we were told that the result will be announced on the 23rd. That day, on the 23rd, I kept on checking my email. It was already 4:oo PM and I didn't get anything so I assumed I failed. I was a bit sad but I didn't have any regrets because I know I did my best. Then 2 emails came and they were all letters of regret. Oh well, I had a great experience with the workshop. I told my partner that I didn't make it. I said to myself, "Goodbye 80k". Yeah, there is a sign-on bonus for those who will be offered a job in September. The facilitator confirmed it to us and even advised us that if we get a job offer in either July or August, we should delay it a bit so we will get that bonus come September. I wanted to forget my sadness so we went outside for a walk with the baby. When we were settled after walking, I checked my inbox again and I got so confused because there was an email from Accenture congratulating me for being a scholar so I reached out to FTW and advised them of the mistake. They apologized and confirmed to me that I got the spot! I was speechless and dumbfounded. Then I told my partner about it. He was happy for me. When I realized that I just had the biggest breakthrough of my life, I cried so hard because I couldn't believe that God finally said "Yes" to my dreams. Maybe He saw that I really wanted it for my kids. Before this happened, I was really struggling, overthinking about my life, my dreams, and my kids. I was desperate. I cried my heart out because I thought that my life would be like this forever. I cried because this is one of the most humbling and life-changing moments ever. Because God lifted me up when some people think lowly of me. God fought for me. And I didn't forget those people who have been there since the beginning of my journey in college. The right time has come for me to say those words of gratitude so I posted my "Thank You" letter on Facebook because most of them are my friends there. I did feel the positive change in my life so I looked back and reminisce on my life's journey. It was never easy and will never be easy. There were so many hindrances, challenges, and sacrifices. I may have made the wrong decisions before but it didn't mean they were for nothing. When Ms. Alarcon, one of the founders of FTW, asked me, "What do you do when it comes to setbacks?". I told her that setbacks and failures serve as lessons. I will definitely remember where I did wrong and move on. I will do better next time and if something is meant for me, if it's meant to happen, I will definitely have it at the right moment. While waiting for that right moment, I will keep on dreaming and thinking positively. **My friends, we shouldn't lose hope. Let's keep on dreaming for ourselves and our loved ones. I believe that we all have our moments to shine. Shine brightly when that spotlight is given to you. Let us prove our worth in every chance we get so we won't have "What If's" and regrets with those lost opportunities.** **Setbacks, failures, rejections- they will always be there following us like shadows. Remember, shadows exist because of the light. Let your aspirations, goals, and dreams, be the light. Focus on them, not on the shadows behind you so when God gives the go signal, you can then say, "Finally, an answered prayer!".** ________________________________________________ Thank you very much for coming this far. I was supposed to publish this last night but my Saoirse was like a guard- she cries whenever she finds out I am on the computer lol so I turned my computer off and went to bed. Anyways, what are your life-changing experiences? Share them below because I can't wait to know your story. To my sponsors and my subscribers- MARAMING SALAMAT PO! `All original content and mine unless stated otherwise. The lead image was mine.` `May 1, 2022` **Give love. Share love.** ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 30 April 2022

Hello folks, sorry for my absence. I just started with my scholarship training. Had to focus. Hook up later. Cheers!

@HermaniGinger 28 April 2022

"Copy" but never paste what's not yours! Competition cannot be avoided in this life, no matter what we do. I admit I tend to compete because I am insecure not for myself, but for my kids. I grew up poor and I promised myself that I will do my best to provide my kids with a comfortable life so I work smart and hard. I sometimes envy my friends who are now successful and enjoying the fruits of their labor. And I prayed that I'd be the same, one day. If I will grind hinder maybe I will. I have known some people who do not want to choose the hard option as what a dear friend says but wanted the easier way. For example, here on read, I have seen writers who are struggling to get Rusty's favor despite their good content but a few did it as easy as pie without sweating at all despite copyright violations. My friend, success is bittersweet if you "copy" the effective methods of others but not "paste" what is not originally yours. Sooner or later the truth will come out. You still have time to turn into a new leaf. "Copy" others' inspirations- their friends, families, partners, but never "paste" the fruit of greed, envy, and hatred into your life. They are all sources of destruction. Do not live negatively, aspire to think positively and your life will change for the better. "Copy" your father's hard work and your mother's love but never "paste" the blame on anyone because you grew up poor and you wanted to experience all the luxury and material things in the world. You can work for it. Dream and don't stop until you can finally grasp it. "Copy" your friend's good work ethic. Do not "paste" lies and dishonesty into your timesheet, your work report, or your projects. Always remember, you provide food for your family through your work. How could you peacefully sleep at night knowing that you are cheating? "Copy" a stranger's friendliness, do not "paste" coldness and disrespect towards others. Treat everyone fairly. Just because someone is lower in your rank doesn't mean their worth as humans are lesser than yours. We are all the same in the eyes of God. I do have a plan to **"copy" dear Talecharm's charm** so I could bewitch more readers and increase my followers. I want to **"copy" dear Luci's assertiveness** not his devilish ways though, well, I guess I could do so! Sorry cousin. I want to be famous too. Who doesn't want to **"copy" sir Unity's intelligent writing?** I want to try technical writing too. Maybe I could reach a wider audience. I would love to **"copy" sis Bloghound's brutal honesty yet generosity** to wow most of you guys. But I would never "paste" their content as my own because that is against my values and I would violate read. cash's rules. I may get Rusty's sweet love but for how long? If he figures out I have "pasted" non-original publication, he might leave me for good. He might be artificial but he does have intelligence. Be comfortable in your manner of writing- you are unique, original, and special. Copy what successful authors here are doing, and learn from their best practices. Slowly but surely, you will create good content and earn more BCH. But never paste their works as if they are yours. Do not "paste" jealousy into your heart and take the shortcut as a desperate move. It might lead you to your doom. And I pray that you will reach your dreams one day- to be successful here on read.cash! `This content is original and mine unless stated otherwise.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` April 28, 2022 ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 27 April 2022

When in Metro Manila- a survival guide Imperial Metro Manila is the dream of every child in the province. Why? Because they see it on national television every day. They watch their favorite series and dramas featuring their dream artists. Manila has a lot of wonderful architecture- from the malls, museums, recreational parks, resorts, hotels, restaurants, etc. It is the city of light and fancy life. But Manila is not all that splendor and glamor. It is brutal. How so? Because you won't make it here until you have the guts. Only the strong survive in Manila so if you or anyone of your family or relatives plan on going to Manila, let them be prepared so they'd survive and "*di uuwing luhaan".* To be honest, living here in the Metro molded me to become a fighter and a survivor. I was once a sweet, naive "*probinsyana"* who only wanted to work and provide for her family. I didn't want to live and work here at first because I wanted to be in Cebu where the beaches are nearer and I could still have that "provincial life feels". But the circumstances changed when my grandma decided to let me live with my aunts and cousins so I could be looked after. And I became a Manila girl. I first hated the traffic, the long lines and long wait times, the pollution, the danger but I got used to it as years have gone by. And whenever I go home to the province, I get sick because my body is longing for Manila's environment. (*Naging toxic eh joke).* **Let me ask you once again, do you wanna live in Manila? If yes, here is how you'd survive:** Make sure your legs are strong enough *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Why is this my number one requirement? Because the jeepneys and buses won't stop or turn back for you unlike your experience in the province. You have to make sure that your legs are strong enough for chasing transportation like bus, jeep or FX otherwise, you will be left behind. Here in Manila, things move on easily, you can be easily replaced by more eager passengers so beware. Look like a tiger *License-free image from Unsplash.com* *"Are you freaking kidding me, Hermani?"--->* Me, looking back at you with my poker face on. Don't I look serious? Because if you look sweet, innocent, vulnerable people will take advantage of you. They will know that you are a stranger in the place just like what happened to me. The tricycle driver knew that I came from the province because of my accent and I looked desperate so he offered me a ride and brought me everywhere far from where I wanted to be. Good thing he didn't plan on taking me somewhere else to do something really bad but he asked me for a higher fare. I was afraid that he might force me to give all my money so I gave what he wanted. And I walked a lot just to get home. When you are new in Manila, you have to appear confident. Know where you are going, bring a map with you or memorize the routes and landmarks of the places so the drivers won't fool you. Have a lot of coins *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Especially when you are on a bus, prepare a lot of coins because those conductors will "totally forget" your change. So if they do that to a number of passengers every day, how much are they earning? When you talk to the conductor, talk confidently because if they sense fear or hesitation, they will accuse you of not paying the ticket yet, and sometimes, they won't give you your change. You got to be confidently assertive when saying, *"Mama, sukli ko po."* Always remember how much you paid or the type of bills that you gave so you can rebut them. If they say, "We don't have a change of this denomination yet", then prepare your coins in exchange for the bill and ask them to give your money back to you. Be familiar with the places you're going *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Before you go out, make sure you have a map of the place or your destination, know the transportation routes, what to take, how much the fare is, etc., or just prepare a lot of coins for your fare. If you don't know where you're going, always ask the security guard. Beware of asking people on the street, I know we should not judge but better safe than sorry. Make sure you are full before you go out or have extra money for food *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Manila is a place like no other, you will be awed with everything you will see on the streets until you realized you are already famished. So make sure you either eat first before you go on an adventure or have extra money. Jollibee or McDo will be your best friend because of their value meals. If you're not familiar with Jolli Jeep, it is a food stall that you can see mostly on the streets of Makati where most people eat. Just make sure you check the food some of them aren't that clean- I don't want you to be sick. Do not overdress or wear too much jewelry *License-free image from Unsplash.com* If you look rich then you will probably be followed by either pickpocket or hold uppers. Just dress simply. Do not show your gadgets, text, or call, while on the streets or inside a jeepney. If you can afford to have an extra regular phone, do so. Do not display your iPhone or whatever latest gadget that is. People need food and your phone is the easiest to sell. If you wear jewelry, keep it at a minimum. Just sharing. My aunt always looked "regal" whenever she goes it. It means she'd always look rich and with full-on makeup even if it's a simple outing. One day, she met a hold upper and told her to remove all her jewelry. She told him they're all fancy. To the holdupper's dismay, he told her to swallow them. I am pretty sure she didn't but that could have been avoided if she wasn't overdressed in the first place. "Dress to kill" on special occasions- not all the time. Wear your bag to your front This habit saved me a lot of times. But there was really nothing to get inside the bag unless it is my payday. I don't put a lot of important stuff in my bag to avoid inconvenience if in case it is stolen or snatched. Avoid using a clutch bag, purses, and handbags in crowded areas. Either use a sling bag or backpack and put them in front, not on the back because it will be sliced especially if you are in a crowded place like Quiapo, Pasay, or Guadalupe. Also, don't open your bag or wallet on the street, do it when you're somewhere safe. Prepare your fare and put it in your pocket. Make sure to place an extra bill, an amount that is enough for you to go home, in a secret place like another pocket or in your shoes in case of emergency. Wrapping up Those tips I have mentioned above will surely help you survive Metro Manila even if you're a noob "probinsyana". It will also be helpful if you have contacts to some of your good friends so you have company especially if you're applying for a job or looking for a place to live. Believe me, those are the things that I learned while being here for quite a long time. In case you're looking for either a place to live or work, I suggest you work around either Makati or BGC. The environment is much "calmer" than Manila. You'd only hear few people cursing and cussing. Of course, you can't avoid them but I felt the big difference living in Makati after being in Manila for 2 years. "Iba Kami sa Makati" lol. (I don't intend to promote Makati or its politicians, okay?) It is advisable that you live near your work location in case of typhoon or any calamities because when that happens, you will either be required to render an overtime or not going to be able to work which will affect your pay. Be smart. **I think I've said enough already so thank you very much for reading this.** **I am very thankful for my sponsor's support and I am grateful for the increased number of subscribers. You guys always push me to do my best.** `All content is mine unless stated otherwise. All images from lead to the rest of the images were from Unsplash.com` `April 27, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

+3 more

@HermaniGinger 26 April 2022

Bring me back to my teenagehood with these pop songs! No potions or spell allowed. "*Hit me baby one more time!*", I always loved Britney Spears because of how she dances gracefully despite her Tweety bird-like voice. And I'd imagine myself dancing with her. Anyways, I haven't discovered that time that I was a witch, if I did, god knows what I'd do only just to look like Britney. The 90's music brings back a lot of nostalgic memories for me. I could only daydream and wish to relive every moment. I remember those days I'd run home and go to my neighbor's house and watch MTV because I'd see Britney, A1, NSync, and the rest of the popular groups' music videos. Do you know that some of these songs have relevance to my teenagehood? My life has been chaotic but has been also colorful. Despite growing up in a broken family, I had an adventure-filled teenage life. So today, I am gonna share with you the pop music songs and how they related to my experiences. "Keep on Moving" by Five I remember between the summer of 98 and 99. I already went back to Iligan City and studied in a different public school, away from my childhood friends. I went for a summer vacation with my cousins where we used to be neighbors in Kiwalan. Our "purok", the Solid Dos, as they call it always had this Summer Olympics where different sports activities were organized. I tried joining volleyball but I wasn't that competitive. We practiced a dance called, "Keep on Moving", which my childhood friends, including my cousins, were going to present during the closing ceremony. The instructor was my former best friend. I was just sad realizing that we used to be so closed and we weren't able to maintain our friendship. She treated me like a stranger and she didn't know that I could dance as well. She was surprised when she saw me dancing. We didn't really talk even until the presentation day. So Diza, my former best friend, I will "keep on moving" and I am thankful that you were a part of my colorful childhood. Here is the music video of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmT7jx4kP1s *"Keep on Moving".* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmT7jx4kP1s "Sometimes" by Britney Spears I was in my third year of high school when I had my first relationship. Despite our theme song "Love Me For What I am" by the Carpenters, I always remember Rene and the times that we've shared through the song, "Sometimes" by Britney Spears. If you are familiar with the lyrics, the girl has doubts about her boyfriend's feelings because he didn't know everything about her yet. And I can totally relate to the song. Rene came from a middle-class family while I was from a poor one and he didn't really know everything about me. I was afraid that he won't accept it and that I will fall short of his expectations. He saw me selling bananas on the street but he didn't know how poor we were. Yeah, we used to sell bananas before we finally ventured into selling vegetables. Rene only knew that I was smart and popular at school and I didn't want to break his admiration. Sigh, I guess it was an immature kind of love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0bPrt69rag *Sing "**Sometimes**" with me.* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0bPrt69rag "My Love" by Westlife This song reminded me of my adventures with my classmates. From the moment I transferred when I was in my second year in high school, most of my classmates were retained so formed that strong bond. Whenever there were no classes and we were on the campus, we'd have a lot of fun together. Climbing a coconut tree to get a coconut wasn't an exemption. There was a time when "My Love" was played. It hit me. My emotion fit with the song. It gave me a sudden rush of happiness being with my friends and classmates. And it always gives me nostalgia whenever I hear it until now. It brings back a smile to my face. My classmates were "My Love". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5oC5DsFk5c *"My Love".* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5oC5DsFk5c "It's Gonna Be Me" by NSync Before my parents broke up in 1996, I was having a great time in my childhood because of my friends and cousins. And despite coming back to my father's place in 1998, I felt like a stranger. My cousins weren't used to being close with our other friends and relatives but when I returned, everything has changed. I felt like I missed a lot of happenings. I was lost. I remember "It's Gonna Be Me" when my cousin danced to it. I have never seen her so happy with her group and I was so proud of her at that moment. My other close cousin, April, was a beauty pageant contestant at that time. It was their school's event which was open to everyone. I witnessed the event, went there right after our classes, and was still in uniform. My aunt was happy to see me and I slept in their house and woke up early to go home. I know I am no longer in the picture of my cousins' adventures and friendship but it was okay if there was someone who can deal with that kind of experience, "It's Gonna Be Me". "Candyman" by Ken This song reminds me of my great friends and school in Calamba, Misamis Occidental. It is where I transferred school when my parents were separated. "Candyman" was the dance song we used to enter a competition. I became a part of an elite group in the class- the top-performing students' group. And we had a lot of adventures together. We went to a studio and had our photos taken and each one of us has a copy of it as a remembrance of our friendship. Then, my classmates would go to my grandma's house to pick me up and we'd go to school or dance practices. We would play street games like "shatong" . We also watched the movie, "Titanic" on VHS. I'd go to my classmates' houses for snacks. I did have fun while I was in Calamba and I will forever cherish those sweet as a "Candyman" memories. Wrapping Up There are songs that are deeply associated with our emotions because of our experiences- good and bad. And whenever we hear them, we can't avoid reminiscing those memories, they might open old wounds again or make us happy. One thing I know for sure is that those happy memories give us something to look back to and those bad ones served as lessons that we should remember. I chose the happy part of my teenagehood because I don't wanna wallow in my gloomy past. I wanna relive those moments that made me feel alive, loved, and wanted. I prefer to feel human emotions despite knowing the spells on how to vanquish them. **What songs can you remember that give you happy memories?** **Can't wait to read your comments!** 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 All content is mine unless stated otherwise. The lead image was from Unsplash.com The video sources have been properly credited. Thank you everyone for your support. April 26, 2022 ©️HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 24 April 2022

I don't wanna write ✍🏻✍🏻 blame it on my coins 😭 😭 Sigh, what will you do if you see an amount that could help you buy something but it's just stuck? It's not thousands, just a few hundred *barya barya lang* but it is there, sitting, looking back at you with its tongue sticking out, telling you, "Bleeh!!". So I don't wanna write, blame it on my tokens! I just got excited when sis BCH_Lover talked about withdrawing her earnings and I was like, "Why can't I do that too?". So I checked the ecoin-official website, logged in, and saw that I have $10 worth of coins. I just noticed though that my interests were stopped until I have 5 referrals and I had to connect a Telos ID from a Safex wallet. So I downloaded Safex using my emulator because I don't have a smart "smart" phone anymore and I tried connecting my Telos ID to ecoin but it didn't work. What a frustration. I think getting that money and adding it to my budget will remain a dream forever. I also logged in to my Coinbase account and saw that I have more than 200 pesos worth of XRP. I can't trade, nor send it to my Coins.ph account because it is only worth 5 XRP. Coinbase requires a minimum of 22 XRP before I could send it to my Coins.ph account. And that amount has been there for 2 years now! Coinbase doesn't even support XRP. What am I gonna do? My ecoin and my XRP are already worth 700 pesoses..That is like 80 pieces of diapers already. *Tabang mga langit!* You might laugh at me because of that amount, but everything counts no matter how small an amount is, *tama ba ako?* 😭😭😭😭 I am not sure if I can move on from this situation. Perhaps I should forget about it, otherwise, I will just keep on being frustrated and disappointed. *Siguro, balikan ko na lang sila sa future but for now nganga na lang muna.* Anyways, let's change the topic. My aunt from the USA called me today because she wanted to request something from me. She even apologized for not being in contact and fulfilling her promise in sending me some money because of her health and financial conditions, which I understood. We talked about a lot of things including our family issues, the Marites in the province, or Mariteses. I am glad that we are able to talk about a lot of stuff that we never did before when we were both in Manila. She is a person who always rants but she is generous and kind -maybe she doesn't want to appear vulnerable to us that's why she acts as *"masungit"* and *"bungangera"* machine gun mouth lols. But whenever she is able and I am not in a good financial condition, she would always help. Especially when I was hospitalized and I needed money for the follow-up check-up. And I told her that if I pass the scholarship, I will need help buying new shoes because all of my shoes gave up on me, *"Sapatos nga bumibigay, pagibig ba kaya?"*. *Hugot pa more!* If I do pass the scholarship, it will open a lot of opportunities for me and my family. I will be able to deliver my valedictory speech on Facebook for my school and I will be able to redeem myself to my grandma who never talked to me for 9 years. I am so excited. But just like what I said, whether I will get it or not, I will always be honored with the experience. You see, I don't really wanna write tonight blame it on my coins but I still published this story. Ironic. Crazy. **I'm gonna sign off now because I had to change my baby's diaper. But before I do that, please stay safe and enjoy the rest of your day.** Thank you for all your support! `The lead image was from Unsplash.com. All content is original.` April 25, 2022 ©️HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 23 April 2022

Let's do it light for today on kisses, dreams and apologies. *"Do not take life seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it"- Colleen Hoover* So we're gonna just make it light today, drink SanMig light. Oi, if you are a drinker you deserve one after a week's work- chill. How was your week? Mine was pretty hectic. I mentioned in my previous article, "Fighting for my dreams- brain freeze" about how my week went and that today is a special day because I was part of the top 20 applicants. We had our workshop and our final interview and I will know if I will make it on or not on Tuesday or Wednesday. Wish me luck! https://read.cash/@HermaniGinger/fighting-for-my-dreams-brain-freeze-6089d75d And just to prove that I am human I am gonna share my selfie taken after my final interview confirmation: The photo was taken from my phone. I am sorry to disappoint you, my friend @Talecharm because I don't like a beautiful chic anymore, and forgive me if I look pale, my one and only lip gloss was nowhere to be found. Anyways, let's get ready to rumble! **My prompt for today is all about the first kiss. I already shared my experience with** it but not all of them so here are the extra details: My first hand and cheek kisses My first kiss was a kiss on the hand. When Benjan, my first puppy love, saw me and held my hand for the first time when I was 10. He then took it again and kissed it. And after that, he tried chasing me but he was a really fast runner, so when he got me, he kissed my left cheek. He got a punch back from me. I wasn't really into him because I already had a crush on that boy named Bam-bam. My first "torrid" kiss After that puppy love kiss, I never got myself involved in intimacies when I was studying in high school and college because I was afraid that I might not be able to control myself and make a bad decision. So, my first "mature" kiss was with a foreigner, lol, go afam! When I was 24 with an ex named Jose or Joey- "Joe, Joe Romano!". I didn't know how to do it so he taught me. My first "forehead"/lola kiss And for me, this is the most romantic kind of kiss ever- a kiss on the forehead from my partner. He did it when he took me home after I went to our site when I came back from Iligan. I had a month's leave of absence and I returned to Manila to give our relationship a try. It happened at dawn when he sent me to my boarding house. Such a gentleman. **I know I have been absent for the past 4 days and I apologize if I am not able to upvote your articles, I can only comment. I will try my best to make it up to you next month. Is that okay? Thank you.** Wrapping up Those are the happenings and my thoughts for today. I wanted to write about another prompt but I already started this one and I wanted to finish it. I wanna thank sir @meitanteikudo for initiating the prompt in his article, "First Kiss and Championship". https://read.cash/@meitanteikudo/first-kiss-and-championship-2653f56f Remember, it is not yet too late to dream. Just keep on dreaming and grinding hard. And the kisses are always memorable, especially if they are from the person we love. Support comes in different ways, aside from monetary, and let us be thankful whenever we receive one. However, let us give back when it is our time to do so. Receive love, share the love. I appreciate your effort if you have come this far in reading my article. `Author's note: All content is original unless stated otherwise.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com and the second image was taken from my phone.` To my sponsors, subscribers, upvoters, and commenters- STAY AWESOME AND THANK YOU! `April 23, 2022` **©HermaniGinger** _________________________________________________ You can DM me on: Telegram https://web.telegram.org/k/

@HermaniGinger 22 April 2022

Fighting for my dreams- brain freeze **Hello, my awesome friends! I am glad to be back, being able to tell you my story about fighting for my dreams and having a brain freeze.** Just an update: **I MADE IT TO THE WORKSHOP!** But I know it's not gonna be easy, I will just do my best and let God do the rest. Whatever the result is, tomorrow, I will forever be thankful for the experience. So yeah, I was so ecstatic with my victory but when I saw the link and the task. My brain froze. Here is a screenshot of the challenges that needed to be done on or before the 20th of April: And then I looked at the ER Diagram. ER means Entity-Relationship. It shows how the elements in the system are connected, or what their relationships are. In the diagram, you will see rectangles as an entity or an object and a diamond or the attribute or properties that define the entity type. For example, the student is an entity or an object and it has properties like a name, date of birth, gender, age, address, and a student ID number. The ER diagram will show the process of the system and the behavior of each object and how they are related to each other. I wasn't really understanding what was going on, I kept on looking at them, and at the same time, I try to remember what I learned in college. I just looked at the tasks for half a day. Just a correction in my previous article, I received the good news about getting into the Pre-workshop round 10:12 AM of April 15 and had a brain freeze for a day, lol. And on the afternoon of April 16, my brain started to work, finally! And I started to overthink. I looked at the ER diagram, examined how the system worked, and asked myself, "What is missing, wrong, what needs to be changed?". Then, I looked at the website and I got excited. I love designing websites! And I looked at the 3rd task, what do they mean about validations? What triggers? I was researching so I could learn about validations and stuff. I also reviewed ER diagram concepts. I asked my partner how things should work if this and that happens, etc. Finally, it's like oil has been placed in the wheelwork of my brain, lol. I started thinking critically. My brain also started ticking the timer- it is telling me what needs to be done and I should meet the deadline, no matter what. I stayed late most of the time so I could study over and over again. I even asked my partner to put the whiteboard in the bedroom so I could start drawing the new design of the system. I then start to see things differently and all the ideas start to appear and I had to put them all in paper so I opened the MS Word so I could document my work. The FTW ER Diagram showed some hints about what should be done, the website looked too simple, and I had to think about the new fields that the business requires. I started with the simplest ones- the fields or data that are missing and not relevant in each object or entity and I had to identify what type of data they are. For example, in the Customer entity, I added a new customer behavior: A customer has to register so he could be a user of the website but not a customer yet. He can browse what services are available. But he can't do anything like book a service or create a contract, if he has not created an account as a customer. I also modified the ER diagram reflecting this kind of behavior of the customer. **Let's not make things complicated!** In short, I was able to change the ER diagram, provided a solution according to the business requirements of the clients. Fill in the missing details of the customer on their account like their ID, ID type, and their contact information. I also added a new process to enhance the flow of the registration. I also used Canva- thank you so much, Canva for making it easier for me to design a webpage- to create a user interface. I didn't want to modify FTW's webpage because it will only confuse me. I had to start from scratch in less than a week! Whew! My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and my butt was smoking! To make it short, I met the deadline and I was so proud of myself! I sent the PDF copy of my workflow proposal on 5:00 PM of the 20th. I am thankful that my partner helped me out by taking care of Saoirse. He got so tired after, poor honey. And then today, I was ready to accept my fate that I failed, just to be surprised with another good news: *Screenshot from my inbox* I never expected that I made it, this is one of my most humbling experience to date. I wanna shout with joy but the battle is not over yet. As you can see, we will have a workshop and then after that, some interviews. There are hundreds or thousands of applicants but they will only get the top 20. So the kids are going out with my in-laws to do some grocery and I will be left alone so I could focus on the workshop. That is, the kids are able to wake up early tomorrow otherwise, I'll deal with what will happen next. I am going to sleep after publishing this and I will be absent whole day tomorrow because I have to keep on fighting for my dreams. I promise to catch up with you when my schedule isn't that hectic anymore, char... Thank you very much for all your support and for taking the time to read my stories. It makes me happy thinking that you wondered where I have been all this time..This is JASGLAYBAM! To my sponsors and subscribers- stay awesome! `The content is originally mine. The lead image was from Unsplash.com, the second and third images were taken from my inbox.` `April 22, 2022` Happy Earth Day! Please Please let us do our part in taking care of Mother Earth. **©HermaniGinger**

@HermaniGinger 21 April 2022

Fighting for my dreams- how did it happen? This is my 4th draft of writing. I wanted to postpone writing about this but I am too excited. Anyways, I have been absent for the past few days- I wasn't able to publish a story because I was too busy fighting for my dreams! I did check in from time to time and thank you for renewing your sponsorships sisters @BCH_LOVER and @yhanne and to my newest sponsors, one of my bunso sisters @Rhoma ...She used to be my sponsee, now it is the other way around. Magandang umaga, tanghali, hapon, gabi sa inyong lahat no matter where in the world you are! Keep on fighting, especially for your dreams and climate change. The Earth deserves to breathe so please let us help in whatever way we can. The beginning of a crazy adventure I was scrolling my Facebook newsfeed when I came across an advert from FTW or Future for The Women Foundation, a non-profit organization in partnership with Accenture about a Salesforce Cloud Developer Program. I got so excited that I clicked on the "Apply" button. I think I was online and reading some articles here on read when I received an email from them. *Here is a screenshot taken from my inbox* I wasn't sure whether to take it or not but I was swayed by their statement, "We believe you have the potential". I clicked on the button that contains the assessment but didn't do anything so they reminded me to do it. *Screenshot from my inbox* And that 60 minutes was definitely one of the most difficult in my examinations life lol. There were 30 items in Math and it was only for 15 minutes. Because it was time-pressured, I had to guess the remaining numbers I couldn't answer anymore. And after it, the Math exam was followed by Database exams. Some were easy questions because I remembered my subjects but I did some fast research as well. But the rest of the Database exam was True or False and there was also a Venne diagram exam. I just followed my instinct in choosing the best answer lol. It was time-pressured too. And then there was a programming exam. You have to determine the output of the program, good thing I had a self-study with Javascript. I think I was able to answer some of them correctly. And then HTML, my love. Though there were questions that I didn't know, most of them were basic questions so I guess, I was safe?? The funny thing was, that the email address that I used in the exam was different from the application. When I realized it, I got disheartened. I tried taking the exam again using the correct email this time but I didn't finish the assessment. I decided to forget about it. How would I be chosen among those thousands of applicants all over the country? *Screenshot from my inbox* **Just when I decided to move on, a piece of good news came into my inbox! Whattt??? Are you sure?** But it wasn't a dream! I passed that horrifying exam, woohooo!!! And I was so happy and proud of myself. And I told my cousin @Lucifer01 about it. I remember those moments when my dream of applying my knowledge in Computer Science almost came true: My application in Metrobank was way back in 2008 when it kept on raining whenever I go for my interview and I applied as an IT support. I stopped when it rained for the 3rd time lol. I would always go home dirty because of the muddy streets of Blumentritt. I applied to Stefanini, an IT company based in Makati. Their offer wasn't that big for an entry-level IT Helpdesk role but I was after the experience. I passed all the exams, which also made me proud of myself. But I decided to stop the application because I was already computing the expenses- I had to avoid overdraft because I have a child to support because I was a single mom. When I was the only one offered a Study Now Pay Later Scholarship by Zuitt last 2018. I tried to apply because the offer was great and I want to relearn. But I didn't have 8K pesos as an initial downpayment and I had to travel from Caloocan to GMA Kamuning. I can't handle the expenses. So, goodbye Zuitt. I did love studying Computer Science, especially when my favorite instructors handle the subjects. You will really see the difference in my grades lol. Anyways, back to the topic. And now, here is this good opportunity. So when I received this email, I felt like my dreams are coming into reality. And I do pray that God will give it to me this time. So I opened the email and saw another challenge: a pre-work that needs to be done on or before the 20th of this month. Hmmm..And when I opened the link, my brain froze. *Brain freeze- image source from* *Thoughtco.com* https://www.thoughtco.com/what-causes-brain-freeze-607895 I was just looking at the screen, my mind was blank for hours. What do you think happened to me after that? Did I survive? See you in my next article! P.S I remember you sis @Khing14 because you are good at computers or programming or whatever. Miss you! TO MY BEAUTIFUL AND HANDSOME SPONSORS AND MY 56 SUBSCRIBERS- MARAMING SALAMAT PO! `All content is mine unless stated otherwise. The lead image was from Unsplash.com, the Brain Freeze image from Thoughtco.com and the rest of the pictures were from my inbox.` `April 21, 2022` **I miss you read and noise.cash universes!** **©HermaniGinger**

+1 more

@HermaniGinger 19 April 2022

Just checking in. Thank you sis @yhanne for renewing your sponsorship, I appreciate it a lot! I am still fighting for my dreams :)

@HermaniGinger 18 April 2022

Hello everyone! I hope you are all safe, alive, kicking, or sleeping soundly. I just want to thank my newest sponsor @Rhoma salamat bunso. I would love to publish an article today but I am fighting for my dreams, so wish me luck! I will write about it when I am back. Cheers and be safe!

@HermaniGinger 17 April 2022

Never Have I Ever: Parents' Edition **Today is a nice day for everyone, it is Easter Sunday and I think most of us are having fun. Wow, rhyme.** Did you go to the beach or cook something special? My family just stayed in the house but my mom-in-law cooked *kare-kare.* I asked her if Robinson's came up with something for Easter Sunday so the kids could join but she wasn't aware so it's okay. The last Easter egg hunting Bam joined was way back in 2018 at Welcome Rotonda in Lagro before the pandemic. As a parent, I want my kids to experience fun activities like Easter egg hunting because it will help develop their social skills. I also like it if they'll receive goodies which make them happy. I wanna see them happy and safe always. Anyways, I'll be sharing my parenting experiences with you today in this prompt. I have read about it from sis @BCH_LOVER post and I decided to join the fun. *I got the pic from* *this site*. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d6/72/d3/d672d354eeb635de660ba7c5b98f791a.png&imgrefurl=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80713018306678744/&tbnid=paK3eyr3JLQdmM&vet=1&docid=-6klCHp5jCcp_M&w=792&h=794&itg=1&source=sh/x/im Never Have I Ever: **Dozed off on the toilet** I didn't sleep in the toilet but I took Saoirse with me to my partner's anger because he didn't want me to bring her in the CR as much as possible. He was asleep and no one was available to help me. Of course, I don't want to develop UTI so I did it. **Ran an errand to getaway** I think I never did that but I did ask my partner to get Saoirse so I could sleep. We had a fight when Saoirse was small because I was awake during the night time and he wanted me to be awake during the daytime as well. I am not a robot, I also get tired and sleepy. **Been so proud you teared up** Yes, when Bam was awarded in their Jollibee Mini-Manager ceremony. I didn't expect that she will receive two awards because she was one of the youngest. I was so proud of her that I was teary-eyed when they recited the "Jollibee Loyalty Pledge". **Been bitten by your kids** Multiple times already. She does it whenever she's teething and it's so painful. Sometimes, I would shout in the middle of the night when she bites me and she would cry. I mostly cry silently though. **Caught puke in your hands** When Bam puked, I tried catching it because there was no basin near us. I don't want her to control her vomit because it might cause serious injury to her. It wasn't a lot and I washed my hands after. **Googled your kid's symptoms** Yeah, Google is my best friend especially when my kids are sick. I want to use herbs or natural home remedies whenever they are sick and avoid synthetic medicines, especially antibiotics. And it does annoy me when my mom-in-law would say, "You have to call the doctor, she might need antibiotics". I know she is only concerned with the kids but I want natural ingredients in their bodies. It doesn't mean that I don't like hospitals and doctors, I know when to consult the doctor. I also use my resources at first- get in touch with relatives and friends in the medical field and follow their advice before I go to a clinic or hospital. Plus, we are tight on a budget. We just can't go to a doctor whenever we wanted to. **Lost sleep from those results** When you become a parent, your child's wellness and well-being always come first. If one of them is sick, I won't sleep or I won't have enough sleep because I think of them all of the time. I had to make sure their temperatures won't go so high to avoid convulsions. I also pray to all the saints and angels and God to heal my kids. **Bribed your child** I can no longer remember if I bribed my child. She is so smart, sometimes it is the other way around lol. **Screwed up your kid's name** My partner thinks I screwed up Saoirse's name because I call her Shingan or Shing. Her dada calls her Surshingan or Tuturching so to make it sound cute and nice, I invented Shingan or Shing. Jas said Saoirse is a nice name why do I call her like Shingan or Shing, then Cassie, Saoirse's cousin called her, "Torta". Haha. **Lied to your kid about time** Of course, when Bam used to ask me, "Mommy, what time is it?", I would say, "It's bedtime already" so she'd go to bed and sleep. Now when a kid in the house asks about time, we would answer, "It's time for lunch!", because of Bubble Guppies lol. **Said "Okay" with 100 percent no clue** Yeah, I did just to let her calm down or stop annoying me. I had a dose of my own medicine when I said "Okay" without really understanding what her request was just to find out I had to pay for it or we have to go elsewhere. I already committed so I had to keep my promise otherwise, she'll say "But you said "Okay"!" over and over again. **Fought off laughing at your kid** There are a lot of moments that I couldn't recall the previous ones. I couldn't fight to laugh nowadays, Saoirse is giving me so much joy. Oh, with Bam when she was 6 I think. I asked her, "Bam, what do you call a queen's daughter?", she answered, "Anak?". I wanted to laugh so hard but I had to look serious to tell her the right answer. **Randomly sang a kid song** A parent needs to be a singer, a dancer, an entertainer, etc. so the kid won't burst out crying. I do sing random songs to my Saoirse or random hums. But I composed a song for her to sleep and whenever she hears it, she yawns and feels sleepy. Thanks to my lovely, boring voice lol. Here is the lyric of the song: *Good night neighbors, good night. Good night, good night, good night.* *Good night neighbors, good night friends, good night, good night, good night.* *Good night birdie good night, good night, good night, good night.* *Good night birdie- tweet, tweet, tweet. Good night, good night, good night.* After the birdie will be the kitties, the puppies, the duckies, the fishies, the cows, etc. all the animals and animal sounds. Closing thoughts Parenting is the most difficult job in the world but it is the most fulfilling and most rewarding when you see your kids healthy, secure, and responsible. I know I have a lot to learn and to go through before I could finally say I did a good job as a parent. Most of the time, it is guilt that haunts me whenever I am not able to give them their needs or I feel like I fell short in teaching them the right things. And I do include my children in my prayers. I ask the angels to always guide, save, and protect them. I do believe in angels. Just the other night when I was busy on my computer, I saw Saoirse going towards me and there was a commotion after a few minutes downstairs because Saoirse was gone. She climbed up the stairs alone! She could have hurt herself, worst, died if she fall off from it. I trust that God kept her safe through her angel. And so with Bam when she did something silly the other day- her angel protected her. **I wish you could join the prompt too, share your parenting experiences and let's laugh together!** Happy Easter Sunday everyone. `The content is mine unless stated otherwise. Credits have been properly cited.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` `Thank you very much to my sponsors and 54 subscribers!` `April 17, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 16 April 2022

For the first time in forever- a prompt of my firsts I read this prompt from one of @itravelRox posts and I decided to join because I like talking about crushes, relationships, and love, especially the first experiences. Not gonna make this introduction longer, here they are: My first crush My first crush was named Bam-bam. He was Moreno, handsome, and he was like a ninja, he runs so fast and he jumps so high. I loved watching martial arts movies hence he got my interest and my admiration. The sad truth is, he already liked someone else and their feelings were mutual. I could see them flirting in front of everyone. I was 9 when I had my first crush. They transferred residency and I was sad about it. He visited us from time to time but the fun faded when we already started high school because we had to give more time to our studies. And ironically, my first child's nickname is Bambam. Maybe I unconsciously named her after him. My first admirer Hmm, my first admirer was my best friend's cousin, Benjan. He was 11 and I was 10. He was a mestizo Chinese with a fair complexion, good vocals, and a good guitarist. Their family originated in Hong Kong. We met on a hot, summer day so he was only there for a vacation. I was playing marbles when it suddenly went towards him, he picked it up, gave it to me, and he had a "love at first touch" with my soft hands. He then started following me like a puppy after that, to my annoyance. I had several crushes Since Bam-bam, my first crush was already in an "MU" with a friend, I put my attention to one of our friends but something bad happened which I don't wanna divulge here I avoided him after that incident. I also had a crush in school, our cute salutatorian named Charles. He has these dimples that captured the heart of every girl in school. Yeah, I joined the club. My first boyfriend My first boyfriend was Benjan, my first puppy love. Despite his annoying traits, I felt that he was a good boy after being with him for a year. He always keep his promises like stopping school so we could have the same grade level and transferring to my school so we could be together. I remember one time when he went to our house to get his notebook, he was on the stairs when my father woke up and saw us. He then shouted and said, "*Ano, ipapakasal ko kayo*?", it meant, "What, do you want to marry?", to our horror. How can a 12 and 13-year-old marry at such a young age? Sometimes I wonder if he still got our pics. His older brother was supportive of his love life, he would take pictures of Benjan and me from time to time. We got separated when I went to another province to study, we were not able to say our goodbyes. He stayed for a bit in Iligan but eventually went to Marawi City to study and work at the same time. We have never seen each other since. I stalked him on FB and saw that he already has 5 kids, a smart, and a beautiful wife. He works overseas as an electrician. I am happy for him because his dream of having his own family came true. And I bet he is a good dad. My first virtual boyfriend Yes, let's include this. My first virtual boyfriend was a guy from California. I was in my second year in college at that time when I met him on Yahoo messenger. He had 13 years age gap. I already mentioned in my previous article that one of my boyfriends was a grandson of a king from Scotland. We lasted for more than a year, he supported me financially by sending me allowances. They weren't that much but they helped me a lot in buying our basic needs. Our relationship turned sour and the communication became so bad that there was no official break-up. He just left me and vanished into thin air. I wish I could thank him for all the help. My first breakup My first official break up was with my boyfriend when I was in third year high school. Our relationship only lasted for a month, I broke up with him because he couldn't handle our relationship very well and we are no longer regularly seeing each other. We were in the campus and I just shouted at him, "Break na ta", or "I am breaking up with you". And he said, "Yes", I was surprised and hurt and I tried moving on by focusing on my studies. My first "adventure" in the world of romance When I met my ex from Minnesota, I was really "innocent" in the world of romance. I didn't get involved in intimacies until I already graduated from college. I was already here in Manila when he came to the Philippines to see his son. I didn't know how to kiss teehee so he introduced me to "that world". It wasn't a nice experience lol. Our relationship ended because it was complicated but it was the most devastating heartbreak ever. I gave everything to him but he didn't give me the treatment that I deserved. It was an experience of a lifetime-painful but I learned a lot. Closing thoughts They always say that the first cut is the deepest. Yes, the firsts are most of the time, memorable and unforgettable. And because of that, we should always be careful with our decisions in life. The head was placed above our heart so we could logically think if our actions are reasonable and righteous, if not, then let's stop and not do anything. Our decisions can be clouded by our emotions- let us not be hasty because we want to do it. Regrets always come in the end. **I would like to see who wants to join the prompt, tag me and I would be glad to read your story.** You can use the prompts above or you can add more, and do whatever you like. **Let us talk about life and love!** And I would like to thank my 51 subscribers- after a month, my following has increased! And to my sponsors- I greatly appreciate your support. `The content is original unless stated otherwise.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` `April 16, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 15 April 2022

Movies that I loved watching when I was a kid on a #flashbackfriday Hello, awesome read.cash universe. This is your witch again on a solemn Friday. You have favorite or unforgettable movies when you were a kid, am I right? It brings back good, old memories and fun watching it with either your loved ones or friends. My family didn't have TV and VHS so I always go to my cousins' house for a free movie and free snacks during my younger days. My aunt would always give my cousins cheat days every Friday and Saturday night so we would stay late just to binge-watch. And my aunt was smart, she would discipline us in every scene that we can relate to. She would point out our bad attitudes and tells us the consequences of such actions which were effective. Whenever I think of those movies, I feel nostalgic. They make me want to be little again. But I know it's not gonna happen so I am just gonna share with you the movies that I loved watching when I was a kid: Free Willy This story was about a boy who found friendship with an Orca. The kid named Jesse who worked in a park to make up for his bad behavior met Willy, the whale. They developed a strong bond, Jesse learned new tricks and taught Willy. The owner of the park wanted to take advantage of the kid and the whale by making them a source of profit. Jesse and his family had to save Willy by freeing him to be with his family. **Lesson of the story**: Friendship doesn't have a criteria and can be formed between a man and animal, man and nature, etc. We should befriend not only human beings but other creations around us because we are connected in this bond called life. And if you value someone, you will sacrifice your happiness for the freedom of that person just like what Jesse did to Willy. He knows that they might not see each other again but Willy's well-being was important to him so he let him go. Here is a vide of the movie from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk0XY83eEuM *This is the official trailer of* *Free Willy**.* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk0XY83eEuM Richie Rich I like Maculay Culkin when was younger and Richie Rich was one of his coolest movie ever. As the title suggests, it is about a boy named Richie who was so rich. His parents went on a trip but had an accident when their plane crashed. One of his dad's trusted guys did this and in order to solve the mystery of his missing parents and forget his loneliness, he met a group of kids. The rest was history. I love it when they had McDonald's inside their house. **Lesson of the story**: We don't have to be rich to appreciate our parents. Let us love them while we can, whether we are abundant or not. And friendship doesn't choose any status in life, also, jealousy isn't a healthy behavior so let us not pity ourselves and ask why some people are richer than us. Let us make them our inspiration to aim for better lives. If you wanna take a sneak peak of the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yddr5thpDTE *Richie Rich* *from YouTube.* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yddr5thpDTE Casper Who would forget Devon Sawa and Cristina Ricci in this movie? I couldn't accept the fact that Casper was dead on the first place. The movie portrayed a good relationship between a father named James and a daughter, Kat, and Kat and the ghost, Casper. Casper gave up his chance of becoming human or alive once again because he has to save Kat's dad. It was a great movie full of laughter and tears. **Lesson of the story**: Let us love our parents before they're gone. Love is indeed, the powerful force of all. A sacrifice for love is the most noble act one can do for his fellow man like what Casper did to James. And I really wanna watch the movie again. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVET4AN0Dcs *Casper**.* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVET4AN0Dcs Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog It is a story about a friendship between a boy and a dog. One day, the Angus sailed on a boat with his dad John and the dog, Yellow. There was a thunderstorm the boat capsized and only John was saved. Angus and Yellow , the golden retriever, were stranded on an island. They tried going home so they went into a jungle-Yellow helped the Angus survive by guarding him and guiding him what kind of worms were safe to eat. The boy, Angus, was rescued but the dog fell from the helicopter while they were trying to get him. Yellow was missing for several weeks, they were about to give up when the dog miraculously found them. The story ended with the reunion of Angus and Yellow. **Lesson of the story**: The dog is the most loyal friend of all- it will lay his life for his friend without any hesitations. We should not give up in life, no matter what the odds are because miracles do happen. We just need to trust and have faith. I recommend you watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xomFz0FPeCQ Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xomFz0FPeCQ Hercules and the Amazon Women I was talking mostly about movies for kids and now, about Hercules, what? This is actually one of the movies that I couldn't move on from. I was heartbroken and I want happy endings! You know, when it is about Hercules, Hera would always go in between his adventures, send spies and stuff just so Hercules could fail. This movie was about Hercules who was in a quest to save babies from the beasts just to find out those beasts were the Amazon women. A lot of things happen, to make it short, he had feelings for Hippolyta but Hera knew about it. Hera possessed Hippolyta and eventually killed her. Hercules asked Hera to turn back time so Hippolyta would live. And he was contented not meeting her as long as she's safe. **Lesson of the story**: Loving a person pushes someone to make the ultimate sacrifice, one is willing to do even the impossible. Love can make us strong, as well as weak and vulnerable so let us be wise in using our hearts. And do not make a deal with Hera because she is cunning and dangerous. Just kidding. If you're curious about it, here is a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVs4gkm--oI *Hercules and the Amazon Women* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVs4gkm--oI I wish I could add more but my right eye is hurting. Since it's summer, I think sore eyes is waving. I am just worried because it's contagious and I have a toddler. Anyways, I wish you could share your favorite or unforgettable movies when you were kids so we can talk about them and share what we've learned whether sad, happy, or funny about the movie. `All content is mine. Credits to the videos from YouTube- all have been cited.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MY SPONSORS AND MY 50 SUBSCRIBERS! MUCH LOVE! Have a great weekend and please take care. April 15, 2022 ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 14 April 2022

I want to cancel Netflix! You have read it right, I want to cancel Netflix! Why? Because it always breaks my heart with its series that have no happy endings. Grrr.. Oh, before I forget to tell you, read.cash had a lot of traffic last night that it overloaded! I never encountered it crashing but it did. Here it is: *My own screenshot.* Did a celebrity-endorsed the website that it dragged massive users in one instance? Just curious. I was able to log in after a minute or two- great job read.cash! Moving on. How can I reach Netflix and ask them to cancel themselves? I do not belong to the Gen Z group but I think I want to become a part of the cancel culture because of my disappointments. First, I didn't like the ending of "The 100". Well, I recommend you not to finish watching its season 6 as it became weirder and weirder. I was only curious as to how it would end because of my favorite character, Octavia. Spoiler alert- it ended with Octavia going to another dimension or portal. That was it- I don't know if there's gonna be another season or was it just canceled and left me hanging, no closure. Come on guys, how can I move on? Tell me? Second, I am heartbroken with how "The Adventures of Merlin" would end. I haven't watched the last season yet but I did sneak in the last episode. I know the series wasn't really about Arthur and Gwen but we like love stories and happy endings! Can they at least, give it a happy ending? Why did Arthur have to die? I have already started adoring him. I am not sure if I am going to be sane in the next couple of days. Kidding. I "crush" him, I mean I have a crush on him. Sigh. I think these are the reasons why I can't eat properly, not sleep well, don't want to smile or laugh, and am demotivated to do my chores. Char. *License-free image from Unsplash.com* Okay, okay. If you don't want me to email the CEO of Netflix or whoever to cancel them, can you at least recommend a good series to watch? The criteria of the series would be: Fantasy or adventure (It should be about angels, demons, witches, gods, etc.) Good or happy ending Do Let me know and I will be glad to check its trailer so I can be happy again. And I haven't continued watching the rest of Merlin because Bam is having her modules and I don't want her deadly stares. Just wanna share the taboos my relatives taught me during Holy Week: No taking a bath on a Friday after 3:00 PM, no cleaning, or anything to commemorate Christ's death No eating of meat or grilling of meat We should take care of ourselves and avoid being wounded because it will take time to heal We should fast like what the Apostles did Can you remember more restrictions during Holy Week? Sorry for the segway. I am just going to put my child to sleep after this. Thank you for all your support and your friendship. `All content is mine unless stated otherwise.` `The lead and third images were from Unsplash.com, the second pic was mine` `April 14, 2022 Holy Thursday` ©HermaniGinger `There is magic in writing`

@HermaniGinger 13 April 2022

I need a vacation and a ginataang halo-halo! It is obviously Holy Week this week and for those who have the means, they are scampering to get away from the city to forget the hustle and bustle and just go somewhere peaceful to reflect on life and enjoy. Where am I going? I am going to the beach! Of course, it is not gonna be outside the house, so it's gonna be the Yoban Beach for now. Yoban or Banyo, is the bathroom beach. Where would I love to be right now? Hmm, perhaps Boracay or Tingloy. I miss Tingloy's waters and its skies. But before I pack my bags, let me just cook some ginataang halo-halo for my bunso sister @Expelliarmus30 so she could enjoy it with her family. We actually call the ginataang halo-halo "Tabirak or Binignit" in Bisaya. It is one of the most common foods shared during Holy Week. I remember our neighbors giving us a bowl of it and since we received a lot, we would judge the bowl based on what was in it and how sweet it is. The recipe that I'm gonna share with you will be just purely based on my stock knowledge- from a book when I was in Grade 5 where we cooked ginataang halo-halo and were hailed the best in class. But don't expect too much this time. I also don't want to add glutinous rice or malagkit, bilo-bilo or that balls of sticky rice, and other fancy stuff to make it thicker. I just want to enjoy eating the root crops. Here are the ingredients for the ginataang halo-halo: Coconut -1 piece Root crops such as sweet potato, taro, purple yum, yautia or what we call "Lutya", and all other root crops you could think of. - 1 or 2 pieces of each root crop Saba- a banana commonly used for cooking- 4 or 5 pieces Sago- or saksak/sagu (I want the colorful ones like purple, green, red)- the more the merrier Brown sugar- .50 kilo or if you want it sweeter depends on you Jackfruit- just a little part of it to make the halo-halo fragrant Steps in cooking the ginataang halo-halo Clean all the ingredients except the sugar Open the coconut. Make the coconut milk by taking the coconut grating mixing it with the water and filtering it with a strainer or clean cloth. The first thick coconut milk extract should be separated. Add water to the grated coconut and strain it again, it should be your second coconut milk. Pour the second extracted coconut milk into your cauldron (You should prepare a big cauldron) Cut all the root crops and banana Pour all the root crops and sago with the second extracted coconut milk and mix it with brown sugar Bring them to boil for at least 30 minutes Add the first coconut milk extract and the banana Let them boil again and lastly, add the jackfruit Serve hot If you have questions or clarifications, just comment below. Also, I don't want to cause too much agony on your part, so here is a video from YouTube. Thanks to Queen Cocinera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TKPOCILpAA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TKPOCILpAA **Disclaimer:** We might have different ingredients and steps in making the ginataang halo-halo, I suggest you follow her because she is more knowledgeable. Since I am done sharing with you one of my favorite foods to eat during Holy Week. I am going to prepare my swimsuit, my snorkel, and my towel so I could finally to Yoban Beach. There is no need for sunblock lotions and food. A cup of ginataang halo-halo will make my day though. What about my kids? Nah, their dad will take care of them. I will spend a day or two on the beach and then they can come over. I just have to reenergize my batteries first so I will have a lot of stamina for our adventures. *To those who have been affected by the storm and lost friends and relatives- our prayers are with you. Please keep yourselves safe and follow government protocols. If there is a need to evacuate in advance, kindly do so. Lost properties can be replaced but never a lost life.* *May we all have a solemn, peaceful, and safe Holy Week.* `All contents are mine unless stated otherwise. Proper credits have been given to the content creator Queen Cocinera on YouTube. The lead image was from Unsplash.com` And I would like to thank all my kind **sponsors for all their support and encouragement** and my **48 awesome subscribers**! Subscribe.Like.Comment.Upvote `April 13, 2022` ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 11 April 2022

6 simple ways to create a resume in Canva even if you're not good at editing! Hello, hello, mic test. Oh, not mic test, WAND test. This witch of yours is trying to make the best of her time before she gets super tired. How are you all doing today? If you'll ask me, I am fine, thanks. My Saoirse made me laugh so hard tonight. She was watching a Cocomelon song on YouTube called, "Are you sleeping?", it was just funny when the line was sung, "Ding ding dong", she poked her navel. The babies' navels were called "Ding dong" because when my niece Cassie was born prematurely, she developed a hernia in her navel. The doctor said they just have to slowly massage it so my sister-in-law called the navel "Ding dong" so the baby won't panic whenever she massages it until we commonly use it to refer to the navel. My story is just far from the title. Sorry for the intermission number. Anyways, do you know how to edit? I do but I am not a pro and I often see it as a challenge to do so. I didn't like Adobe because it is so complicated for me. But I am good at editing pics using MS Word. Do you use Canva for editing and do you like it? I didn't like it at first because I thought it was only for professionals but I was wrong. Now, Canva is my go-to editing app whenever I need to add customized pics here. I mentioned in my previous article that I edited my partner's resume so I am gonna share with you how to do it in Canva. Just a recap, a resume is your document used to market yourself to find that dream job of yours or that perfect boss. So it has to be professional and presentable. The topmost part of your resume should contain a summary of your qualifications-why are you best for the job? Without further ado, here are 6 simple ways to create that perfect resume even if you're not good at editing: Step 1. **Create a Canva account** by signing up and after that, click the "**Create a design**" button. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Step 2. **After clicking the "Create a design" button, search for the template that you want.** There are actually a lot of designs to choose from: from a Facebook cover to an Instagram post, etc. But this time, choose "Resume" and you will be given a number of options about different types of resumes. As an example. I chose "Professional resume". *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Step 3. **After clicking, "Professional Resume", you will be given the list or the templates of professional resumes. Select whatever suits you best.** Just click it, and it will be automatically placed on the page. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Step 4. **After selecting the resume that you wanted, it will be now on the page. You can then start editing the details**. If you want to alter the picture by using your own picture, just click on the image and you will be redirected to upload your image. Please don't also forget to put a title to your design to avoid confusion and for future reference. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Step 5. **I trust I have mentioned that the best resume is 2 pages long. To save your time in adding another page and editing it, just click on the "Duplicate page"** its icon is just on the left side of the "Trash" icon. You have to make sure that the pages of the resume look the same, otherwise, it won't look professional. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Step 6. **When you are done editing, you will now have the option to either download it, share it with someone via a link, share it on social media, etc.** If you choose to download it, just select "Download" and you will see the options on how you'd like to download it. I chose PDF Standard. The download only takes a few seconds. Should you wish to use Canva's professional version, there will be a payment. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* **Sample**. Here is a sample of my partner's resume. I know right, he is a photogenic one. Thank you. And if you are looking for a Business VA or VA, consider hiring him...Please. *The image was taken from my Canva.com account* Wrapping up I had a change of heart about Canva and now I find editing fun. Learning should always be fun, not boring or too difficult. And I look forward to discovering more of its features in the next few days. My partner's resume looked a lot better, he even said that it looks prettier compared to the boring Word document that he has. I don't mean to offend MS Word, I love it. In fact, it has a resume Wizard that helps users save time, perhaps it was not introduced to a wider audience. But Canva is like a breath of fresh air, you know. I feel like I was just playing most of the time rather than editing. Try using Canva.com if you want to create the perfect resume. If you are looking for a job. And let me know if you encountered some difficulties in doing so and what you did to survive. I hope you learned something today. Thanks for keeping in touch. *All content is mine unless stated otherwise. The lead image was from Unsplash.com and the rest of the images were from my Canva.com account.* To my wonderful sponsors: THANK YOU VERY MUCH! `April 12, 2022` "There is magic in writing" ©HermaniGinger

+4 more

@HermaniGinger 10 April 2022

I think I know why RR stopped visiting my 1st account Hello friends! I am here again, writing at 1:00 AM after putting my baby to sleep. I was looking at the red bell but then focused on the dollar sign beside it. Sigh, it has been more than 10 days and I haven't earned more than $5. I am kind of discouraged, to be honest. For the past few days, my mind and heart have been battling against each other. I wanted to stay here but I feel like it is so hard to get things back the way they used to be. Char. I think it's a line from one of the love songs. Sorry. But my situation has been difficult, I am usually tired and I asked myself whether I could survive working even part-time when I am like this. The best option really is to just keep on grinding here. But I am impatient. I am not in a stable mental condition. What should I do? I didn't ask for signs but the Universe has been kind enough to show me the way. I have read dear Talecharm's inspiration article titled "Mark as low score? Be the top 1 supporter yourself". The first sign. And she's actually right, whatever my friends tell me if I won't push to support myself, all the support that I am getting from you guys will go in vain. I will try my best to spend more time engaging with the community, reading more articles, and commenting on some of them. I will also support newbies here- be their wingman. I have already started all over again, why not push myself more? Everything will pay off, sooner or later. https://read.cash/@Talecharm/marked-as-low-score-be-the-top-1-supporter-of-yourself-92a7b5f0 Oh, and yeah, I now know why RR stopped visiting my account. I have found it out after visiting Ling01's article "How you motivate yourself in writing". She said something about another writer who is able to shed light on some of the users' frustrations about not being showered with BCH. She was kind enough to put her Telegram account so we can reach out to her if we have questions or if we need assistance with our read.cash account. This is the second sign that I have to stay here and fight. Char. https://read.cash/@Ling01/how-you-motivate-yourself-in-writing-8edf9e52 I am happy and thankful that people here are supportive and helpful. I could remember sis Jean being sad about my original account when RR stopped showing his love. How could I leave this wonderful and amazing platform? We are just not friends here, but a family. Regarding my account jsg, here are the possible reasons why I was no longer favored. As per sir Amjad Ali's write up "Strengthen the relationship with RR". https://read.cash/@Amjad_Ali_Waince/strengthen-the-relationship-with-rr-5cf970cc I commented on a low score user. I should have just read it and didn't comment on it. I do think it triggered the AI and put me in the red flag zone. I frequently support the same users over and over again. I actually have a routine, I guess it became predictable- blessing my sponsees and sponsors every day. It may have seemed like an automated activity. Though we don't have that capacity here, RR thinks that I am not dynamic but a static user. I should have skipped giving BCH and did it to the newbies instead. I upvoted articles first before reading them. I should have done it the other way around. It was an honest mistake on my part and I will not do it again. I may support people that may have cheated the system and since I was generous and engaged with them frequently, I was flagged as a cheater as well. I promise that I will be more vigilant and protect my account. I will comment relevantly and avoid short and robotic responses. I will also remember to give proper credit to the pictures and links that I use in my content. And most of all, I will publish original stories. A lesson is always unforgettable if it is learned the hard way. I remember my Bam, her thumb was infected and I figured it out the other day when we went to the grocery store. The puss was already greenish, excuse me for those who are eating right now, and we got to let it out to stop the infection. Her dad forced the puss to go out and she was crying in pain. And she promised that she won't bite her fingers again. Clarity always comes after ignorance or confusion. Anyways, my original account was unknowingly "infected" and I am not sure if it is too late to save it. I am happy with this account as RR seems to like me being a witch so I will stick with this. And I know, in time, I will be able to grow my following again. I just need to be positive, patient, persistent, and careful. I will appreciate it if you can give me advice about my account and life in general. I am feeling blah at the moment. Thank you for listening and for staying with me. All content is mine unless stated otherwise. The lead image was from Unsplash.com Thank you very much to my generous sponsors. I owe you a lot. ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 9 April 2022

Tired aketch! This has been a looong day for me...I want to stretch and yawn...Laters when I am done doing this blog. How are you, my awesome friends? What did you do on Saturday night? Me? I was busy taking care of the kids and being a secretary to my partner. This day has been challenging- my Bam was kind of being lazy answering her Math modules so she saw the dragon in me. I didn't want to make her cry but she has to overcome that bad trait. I even told her (my gosh I feel so old already), "You are so lucky to have all that you need, Internet, books, computers, electricity, and two parents to teach you about your subjects. When I was a kid, we only had a gas lamp. My eyes would cross when the wind blows because the letters sway! But I managed to finish my studies and sometimes I even get an award!"...Hail to us moms, yeah! *Grabe na talaga ang mga linyahan nating mga mommies pag matigas ang ulo ng mga anak, whew!* Bam and I even had a fight this afternoon- she gave me a deadly stare because she found out I was watching Merlin alone. She made me promise never to watch it without her. I pretended to say "yeah" but I did watch. I will just tell her that I didn't really understand what she said. Can we keep this a secret? I needed a breather and I had to watch it. And so this Saoirse of mine kept on playing until midnight. She was proud of the swimsuit she was wearing and flaunted it to her Mamala and Dada. I tried putting her to sleep but she always got something to do. I surrendered and gave her to her dad. And while my partner was trying to put her to sleep, I was busy creating his resume in Canva. Canva is so cool. I am not good at editing but I am enjoying exploring and creating my templates. Thanks, Canva. I wasn't really done yet when my partner gave Saoirse to me so I sang and she dozed off after a few minutes. My legs and back started complaining already. I am done with the resume after two hours, downloaded and saved it to my partner's hard drive. I want him to check it later and give me his feedback so I could make some improvements. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank sir Unity for recommending his **Learningtimes** channel in Odysee. Thank you, sir, I did get a lot of tips from that interview. I shall check more of your videos when I have a lot of free time. **Here are my takeaways from the interview:** The resume is a marketing document about you as you are searching for an employer to work with Put a summary of qualifications at the top of your resume. It is your value proposition Curate your work experience and your achievements Do not put all your work history though, especially those that are more than 15 years ago The best resume has 2 pages. Avoid eating too much space by putting unnecessary details like marital status, hobbies, and interests I wanna add more about LinkedIn but I am too tired, I apologize. It is almost 3:00 AM and I am still awake. I will catch up with you once everything is calmer in the house and when the Internet is back to normal. It has been dropping for 2 days now. Thank you for staying with me and for all your support. All content is mine unless stated otherwise. The Lead image was from Unsplash.com April 10, 2022 *P.S. Happy birthday to my dear Papa in heaven. You are the leader of the band and I missed you and I love you. I hope you are happy that Mama is with you. Please don't fight.* @HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 8 April 2022

Who am I? Am I what? Hello po, good afternoon to everyone. How are you doing this Friday afternoon? To my Christian friends, are you ready for the Holy Week? Where are you going? Anyways, today was a wonderful, grocery day. It all started when Saoirse knew that her Mamala was going to the grocery because Mamala changed her clothes and had her mask on so Saoirse took her shoes and requested Mamala to put them on. I already told my mother-in-law that we will go with them next Friday but I changed my mind. I hurriedly went upstairs to get fresh clothes for Saoirse when my partner said that he wanted to go too. So my family went to Robinson's Supermarket with my in-laws. It's Saoirse's first mall and grocery experience and my partner wouldn't miss it for the world! Bam was also excited, she was very noisy in the car lol. Before I continue please let me have this opportunity to thank @foryoubtc09 as my newest sponsor. Thank you for placing your trust in me, dear. Moving on, this article is a prompt that I've read from @Ling01 (Sorry for tagging you dear) entitled, "Another chapter of my life unlocked". Belated **Happy Birthday** po uli. In her story, you will find **50 questions to help you find your best self** and I thought, it's a good prompt to share something about myself. The numbers were carefully chosen and this will help me think about what I would love to do, reexamine myself, and perhaps I will have new discoveries. https://read.cash/@Ling01/another-chapter-of-my-life-unlocked-90c2088f So here they are: 1. What do I love about my life? What I love about my life is that I have been through a lot of difficult challenges that most of my friends didn't go through. The experiences and lessons that I've learned made me stronger and wiser. I can adapt and survive any situation. I love that I have my beautiful daughters and my partner. I also have great friends that support me whenever I needed them. 3. Where do I want to be in 5 years? In 5 years I hope I would be in Finland or Canada, or any great country in Europe. I am after Finland's good educational system but if we'll end up in another country, that's fine with me as long as we have stable careers and the kids are being taught well. 7. What am I afraid to do? I am afraid of fighting or confrontations with anyone aside from my partner of course. I am not comfortable and I feel so vulnerable whenever that happens. 9. What steps am I taking to reach my goals? Currently, I am reviewing what it takes to have a good resume and create great cover letters. I am jotting down the kind of job I would love to do as a guide in job seeking. 14. What are 5 things I love about myself? Self-love, ohh. The 5 things that I love about myself are: Being a mom is the hardest job ever. Believe me, I have tried to give up a lot of times. But what will happen to these kids who love me and depend on me? How could I miss their laughter, their smiles, their silly gestures, and most of all, their love for me? Being an empath is a gift and a curse. I usually react to what a person says based on the emotions I feel rather than their words and that gets me into trouble. I am still learning how to handle it. But I like it, I can use it to my positive advantage. 3. Skills that I have discovered and developed through the years. I am good with computers and electricity- most of my female friends do not know about them. 4. Talents that help me express myself like dancing and drawing, though I am not a professional in these areas I am happy that I possess them. My hair- am I weird? I do love my hair. It is not at its best right now but I am happy that I don't have grey hairs yet unlike people of my age. I am going to color it red one day when I am able. 20. What can I do to practice more self-care throughout the week? I have to rest or sleep early because I always sleep at dawn. I think it's the reason why I have acne problems Eat consciously- avoid too many sweets like iced tea and soft drinks Exercise by walking every afternoon Laughing more Drinking more water 21. Whare are 5 things that make me smile? The 5 things that make me smile are: My daughters- Are my ultimate source of happiness and pride. Watching shows and movies on Netflix or the cinema- I do love watching movies whether at home or in the movie house. Popcorn and iced tea are a perfect combination. Good food- Good food can make a soul happy. Good conversation- I could spend a night with someone who knows how to converse well, in either on a beach or dining table. Simple pleasures in life like going to the beach or eating a bar of chocolate. Since this article is talking about myself, I am going to add sir Unity's topic about who I am and what I love doing. I based it on his article I Am What. https://read.cash/@Unity/i-am-what-6055d537 I am a: Dancer- I love to express myself through dancing. I dreamt of traveling the world dancing in different stages. Scientist- I am not a professional "Scientist" but I have been exposed to Science since I was a kid. I graduated with an award "Best in Science" in elementary, "Young Scientist of the Year" in high school, and finished my course in Computer Science in college. Writer- Like Science, writing has been a part of my academic life since elementary. I have joined several writing seminars and competitions. But I do feel like I need to do more to develop this craft. Analyst- I like to make improvements and enhancements to existing systems. I love analysis because it is challenging and the fulfillment that I feel in every successful endeavor is like no other. Designer and programmer- I love designing websites despite not being that creative. I also love coding because it makes me feel like I can do anything once my program runs successfully. Swimmer- I tried joining the swimming competition but I failed. I love swimming, aside from dancing, it is where I am free from everything. It's like my soul can dive deeply into the water and I can dance with the waves. Closing thoughts I thought it will be easy to tell something about myself, it wasn't because I haven't really checked myself about what I really would love to do. I do get lost from time to time and their prompts reminded me about where I wanted to be. It served as a guide about my lost self, so, thank you very much. One thing I realized, the external factors like family, friends, loved ones are like constellations- they light up my dark life. But the compass, the guide that I got to use so I could go where I would like to be is myself. No matter what these "constellations" do, if I won't be my own compass, then I'll be stuck or lost forever. So dear friends, know-thyself, love thyself. The more you know what you want in life, what you would love to do, the more empowered you are and you will be unstoppable in getting what you want. This ends my story for today. I highly recommend that you check the articles I have mentioned and write about yourself as well. I would love to get to know you more. And I assure you that I won't judge you, we won't judge, no one will judge you here on read.cash. And if you liked what you've read, you may click that "Subscribed" button, like, upvote, or comment on my article. Thank you very much for your support everyone. Author's note: Original content unless stated otherwise. The lead image was mine. April 8, 2021 ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 6 April 2022

Fate has favored me, the Universe got my back! 🙏🙏 **Today was a very busy day for me, I just had a bonding time with daughter Elora, we watched 4 episodes of "The Adventures of Merlin".** This day wasn't just an ordinary day, because it is a day of revelation and realizations. Before continuing this story though, I just wanna check if everything's great on your end. Not everyone's able to see how you are doing. Are you alright? I hope you are. If you'll ask me, I am doing great because two of my sponsors renewed their contracts. Thank you very much my dear sisters @Talecharm and @Bloghound You made my week! I already mentioned it here that my arm has been painful for the past month so I decided to gamble and go to Fairview Terraces to look for a blind masseuse. Before I went out, I made a pact with myself and the Universe- I will start to look for a job this week if my quest is successful. The first thing that I did was go to SM Fairview Terraces to withdraw some money from Elora's savings. I've been trying to set aside an amount since I started earning here because I wanted to save as much as I can so we can go to Japan. There was a long queue and since it's still pandemic, we had to wait outside the bank. I almost thought I won't be able to get the money because of strict measures. I wanted to cry when I saw the balance remaining on her passbook. I felt like my heart was torn apart because I promised my child that I would save for her. Now, I am using the money to buy her sister's diaper because I am running out of funds. I felt like I failed her and that I am a bad mom. It is a humbling experience because I've been hard on her but she saved me without her knowing. I realized all my shortcomings to my eldest. For how many times did I tell myself that I will do my best to be never broke again? Yet, here I am. I am getting tired and sick of being in the same situation over and over again. My heart and soul are screaming for change. I was so full of determination to make things different this time as I put the passbook inside my bag. There's no going back. Those were the last of her savings. I had to replace the money and add more. I remember the effort I gave just to open that account when I was with Amrita. That was for my child's dreams. And then I went to Ayala Fairview Terraces to look for the blind masseuse. I thought they were on the ground floor near the department store but to no avail. Good thing I asked for the guard's help and told me they were on the second floor. Believe me, you'll get tired of walking around the mall because of its design. I was about to give up but I literally pray because I needed help badly- then a miracle happened! I could feel something telling me to continue walking and checking on each shop that I see. I finally saw "Balikatan Massage". I went near it and read the services that they offer, I am so happy because I have finally found the answer to my agony. I went in and asked if someone could massage my arm because I had a sprain. I had a kind, blind woman to massage me and I was glad that we came from the same island of Mindanao. It was a 15-minute massage for 120- not so bad. Now I know why I wasn't able to go to the masseuse an acquaintance referred to me- because it wasn't meant to be. I could feel that despite my loneliness and desperation over the past few weeks, I am still loved and supported by the Higher Power. All I have to do is ask. Fate favored me and it is a positive sign. These are life's lessons to me: 📌Conceit and pride won't do any good and life has its ways of humiliating us. Just like what happened to me, I do think I became too proud but my recent experiences brought me to my knees. When I am earning here I didn't have enough time with my daughter Elora, I showered her with presents instead. Then I lost that privilege because of what happened to my first account. 📌Life is teaching me to spend time more with my eldest because she needs my attention and she is growing up so fast. We might be in the same house but we almost do not talk to each other because I am too engrossed taking care of my 1-year-old. I do think it is the reason why she is being hardheaded and doing some naughty stuff. It might not be easy to balance my time with them at first but I have to try hard, if not, harder. My motto should be, "Presence over presents". 📌Help will always be there, all I have to do is humbly ask. I do feel lost, and helpless, I forgot that help is just around me, waiting for me to call. Because of negative thoughts and emotions, I frequently forget that the Universe is abundant and is never lacking. I should ask with gratitude to strive for my dreams, not because of fear and nothingness. 📌In my hands lie the fulfillment or failure of my dreams. I can either choose to end up where I want to be or regret it for the rest of my life. I should pursue my dreams, if I got good employment, everything will adjust. The Universe will make it happen. The time to act is now, not next month or my partner finds a job. I got to reach my own goals. Thank you for reading my story for today. I hope I was able to impart something of value to you. What are the lessons you learned today? Was it so impactful that you decided to make some changes in your life? Let me know by leaving a comment below. I am not sure if I sound like a robot because of my statement above, but, really, I appreciate whatever it is that you can advise me about life because I need it. `Author's note: This content is original unless stated otherwise. Everything written here was based on my personal experience.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` `P.S. If you want to sponsor me, I will greatly appreciate it.` **©**HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 6 April 2022

Thank you, my dear @Talecharm for the renewal of your support. I am so happy. More BCH for us and everybody.

@HermaniGinger 5 April 2022

How to unblock your chi or chakra in 3 simple steps! Hello, my dear friends in read.cash universe! I am surprised that it rained today, well, it is still raining while I am writing this article. I woke up late and I haven't even watched the news whether there's a storm or typhoon. I am loving it because my Saoirse can wear a T-shirt, something new rather than plain boring house clothes. As a witch, I have the ability to stop the rain if I want to. Do I sound mad or crazy to you? Perhaps I do. But I am going to share this secret with you. I don't use potions or spell though I am a witch. I don't have a book of enchantments and all that stuff. I think my dear friend @Jelena will be happy to know about this secret for today. And yeah, I can do those weird things because I have a higher energy frequency. Not that I don't sin, get mad, jealous, and all that negative stuff. But I have unlocked something in my body- my chi or chakra. It wasn't easy to do it, I had a help of a friend but I do think that you can unlock yours and I will share the steps on how to do it. Anyways, chi can also be called chakra or Prana or simply, energy. We have 7 energy points in the body, either some of them are blocked or all of them. You can easily search about this on Google or any search engine. If you want to correct me, please do so. If you want a debate because it might not be according to the will of God, please I am not here to do that but to share the gift that I have. You can ignore this and read something else. Let's start: How do we unblock our chi or chakra? **The first step is to ground yourself. Before you remove any unwanted energies in your body, you have to acknowledge all the energy there is. Recite this with your eyes closed.** *I give honor to the North, I give honor to the South, I give honor to the East, I give honor to the West, I give honor below, I give honor above and I give honor to myself.* (The phrase was an excerpt from Jeffrey Allen) Imagine the energy connecting in each direction, yourself as the last, and that point of energy is towards your heart. This is grounding, my friends. **The second step is to cleanse your aura** How will the "water" flow if the waterway is clogged? How do you cleanse your aura? There are a lot of steps that you can find on the Internet but one of the simplest ways is to imagine the water from the shower as a ray of light pouring into your body melting all the bad energies away or anything that is no longer serving your highest purpose. Or remove the unwanted energies or your doubts and fears using the phrase excerpted from Christie Marie Sheldon: *Anything that's not serving my highest good, I clear and transmute them against space, time, reality, and dimension. I clear and transmute them against space, time, reality, and dimension, I clear and transmute them against space, time, reality, and dimension. Thank you, thank you, thank you.* **The third step is to raise your vibration, but how?** Meditate- the simplest form of meditation is the sleeping position or dead man's position. All you got to do is lie down, ground, and cleanse your aura. Aside from raising your vibration, you can also send blessings and healing to yourself and other people during meditation. Just think of the person you want to bless and say, "I bless you with pure love and light, I bless you with pure energy". Say it more than thrice and say, "Thank you 3x" after. Eat consciously- if you wanna take this seriously, refrain from eating meat. Exercise regularly- walking will do. Drink more water- no need to expound You will feel different a few days after doing these. You will feel lighter, and happier, and you will realize that the world, nature, and you are connected in this circle called life. You will become less judgemental and you will see your situation from a bird's eye view- no emotions involved most of the time. Don't be guilty or be hard on yourself if you can't do steps 2-4 most of the time. Just do your best. And now, the moment of truth, how can you test that your chi is finally unblocked? Find a flower or a tree that has not been bearing for quite some time or if it's wilting. Touch it and bless it by saying, " I bless you with pure love and light, I bless you with pure source energy", more than three times. Do it every day for seven days. If you notice some changes, that means your energy is now freely flowing, if not, you have to meditate more. You can try looking at a cloudy sky, check for Mammatus or lumpy cloud- imagine it melting away by saying those words of blessings. Observe it after a few minutes. When it is raining, close your eyes, and imagine the sun shining again by saying the words of blessings. The rain should stop in a few minutes. Be patient if you fail during your first trials. Do not give up because everything is worth it. That's it, my friends, the secret of unblocking your chi or chakra. It's no secret to the "awakened" people. Some steps will work for other people, some won't. You have to find those that will work for you. **Are you aware of energy and vibrations? And how they can help us with our everyday lives? If you do, I would like to know how you did. If you have any more questions about it, just comment and I will try to answer them.** `Disclaimer: Everything I have written in this article, including the results of my practices was based on my personal experience. I am not a professional in the study of energy.` `All content is original unless stated otherwise. The lead image was from Unsplash.com` `Credits to Christie Marie Sheldon and Jeffrey Allen for the excerpts cited in the article.` Since it's my first month in my new account, I just want to thank all my sponsors and subscribers. I appreciate your kind gestures. `April 5, 2022` **©HermaniGinger**

@HermaniGinger 4 April 2022

Are you a booger or a dandruff type of a friend? **Hello, world!** I hope everyone is enjoying the perfect weather- it's not too hot today! I pray that it's gonna be like this so my baby won't be irritable due to prickly heat. Before I go on with my topic today, I bought my daughter an Oilatum soap from Lazada. I posted an article about this and I am not sure if it was authentic or not because the soap was okay on the first day of use, however, Saoirse developed rashes on the second day of use. I also tried washing my hands with it and I, too, had rashes a few seconds after rinsing. The store has good reviews and they said that the soap was authentic. Could I be wrong? Anyways, I bought my baby another soap, Baby Dove and I think her skin likes it. **We're gonna talk about friends and friendship today.** I just feel sad that there are people here that I treat as friends but I think they no longer feel the same toward me. I am just sad, but I respect their decisions if they see me as unfit for their friendship, even virtually. Perhaps I fell short of their standards or I said something offensive. I am truly sorry. Do you know why my title is like that? Because my booger kept on falling from my nose and when I was wiping it, my daughter asked, "Mommy, are you crying?", I said, "No, my "nanot" or booger just keeps on falling off". Booger is sticky but it hardens when it's in the nose for too long and then just voila, falls off. Are you a booger type of friend? Do you value the friendship that you have started and shared with someone or do you just grow "hard" and leave? I am sorry if you are eating, please excuse me. Boogers are sticky at first and are very annoying. Do you have that kind of friend that sticks to you no matter what? I do. She was very persistent and I got annoyed at first. I even asked her, "Why me? Why are you sticking with me?". She said, "Because I know that I can count on you, aside from the fact that you are a good person"... Char..."Bukad akoa atay"- it means I am flattered. We became good friends. Aside from the fact that we are mothers, we are also Virgos- both born in September. Our friendship lasted for years and we are still communicating now. My friend had cancer and had been through a lot of therapies. I really wanna stick with her until the end, if there's something that I can do, aside from praying for her, I would. When I was working as a CS Lead in Amrita/ Virtual Assistant- I supported her cause by buying her a T-shirt and promoting her business. I want to fight with her as much as I can. There were times that I wanna give up on her, but why? We had a good friendship and I want my kids to see her soon because she is a woman of faith. She would be a good aunt or Tita to them. It breaks my heart seeing her struggle and I am not there, physically, by her side. Though I know, she didn't want me to see her in that kind of condition because I never had the chance to visit her in a hospital. The last time we saw each other was in Piazza, in BGC. How about you? Do you leave your friend when the going gets tough and when the friendship is no longer convenient? Are you a "dandruff?"... Why do I compare that kind of friend to dandruff? Because it easily falls off...Whoosh, gone with the wind when the situation becomes "itchy". Few scratches and it will fly away. I know you got to choose your inner circle for your health- physically and mentally. I mean, when your close friends are in a bad situation, can you bear to see them suffer? Or are you going to extend your hand and do whatever you can? We are just human beings, I know, our assistance is limited. I mean, do you pray for your friends? If you cannot give them aid, do you even ask God to keep them safe or give them good health? When you're a true friend, you will give your friend a benefit of the doubt as to why she's not around all the time. Perhaps you needed her but she's nowhere to be found. Aren't you going to think that she might be suffering from something that you don't know about? Maybe she is busy taking care of her kids and you're mad that she wasn't able to answer your private message? Or she might be sick that's why she didn't reply to your SMS on time or missed your call. Or when she's online, she can only stay for a couple of minutes because she has lots of errands? Are you going to stick to your friend like a booger or are you going to fly away like dandruff? You decide. Closing thoughts Don't be like me, clean your noise regularly so the booger won't just go off like that. It's going to be embarrassing when it happens and you're in front of other people. Kidding aside, please value your friends, even virtually. If they have offended you just tell them honestly with respect. Don't just go on the silent treatment. Try to be like a booger, stick around but if you are not happy anymore and you want to leave, then be like dandruff. `Author's note: All content is mine unless stated otherwise.` `The lead image was from Unsplash.com` Thank you to my sponsors who are not only supportive and kind but good friends as well April 4, 2022 ©HermaniGinger

@HermaniGinger 3 April 2022

I need an energizer, help! Being a mom is fun and tiring at the same time, especially if you have a "tween" and toddler. Yeah, I have an 8 and 1.8-year-old. They are both energetic and smart kids. They are the reasons why I am not here most of the time anymore. I always feel so tired even before the end of the day lol. I want to stay late at night when they are both asleep but sometimes I just wanna hit the sack with them when I see them in deep slumber. I think it's more fun to be in dreamland after a day's mommy duties. I posted an article on the 1st of this month about my earnings and I wanna say "thank you" again. I saw my subscribers increase. I now have almost 50 of them and I am happy. Oh, by the way, I achieved another milestone again! It's a wonderful gift and beginning this month. Here it is: *Congratulations self for the 500 views! You can reach more audiences, just keep on doing what you love doing!* Back to my life... We have been having issues with my daughter's behavior. She has been punished every day since she committed that "sin". And I told my partner, it might be because she needs more attention and she has to understand the concept of "God". You know, when you are doing something bad when no one is around, you gotta think twice because someone is watching and that is "God". It actually became my anchor from childhood until now. My mother taught me the "holy fear" and it was effective. It has been the compass of my values, my morality. And I should do the same to my child. I already taught her to pray before eating and at bedtime. I guess we just need consistency. And that she should take it by heart that whatever she does, either good or bad, will definitely get back to her. *Elora and Saoirse playing together. Pic is taken from my phone.* I do think that the siblings need to bond. Well, it's my job to play with them but I am tired already, sorry. Saoirse easily gets jealous when her sister gets near me. It is time to teach her that I have her sister to love and take care of as well. I took the Jollibee toys from the luggage which I kept for so long so they have new toys to play with. I did try to play with them but they didn't want me to, it was like they have their own world so I just took the pic. They played for a few minutes after lunch and then we went inside our room so we can have a nap. *Snack time before sleeping time. Pic is taken from my phone as well.* Our room is occupied by the bed :) They love eating together, I pray that they will love food trips when they get older so we can go out and do it more often. Yeah, they are eating Honeystars while playing. I am tired of carrying Saoirse trying to put her to sleep so I just let her watch Cocomelon until she feels sleepy. Well, I am happy to tell you folks that Saoirse is now asleep. Thank goodness! And while she is in dreamland, I'm gonna do a lot of stuff like update my Payoneer account so I could finally get my $7 pending payment from Appen. Gosh, it has been pending for a year or two now, seriously. I cannot receive payment from my old Paypal account because it was compromised and it's still connected to Payoneer so I gotta fix it. And I have to download the CCtip wallet on the emulator because it cannot be done through my old "dumb" phone. And I have yet to finish the scholarship exam from For The Women by Accenture, the FlexiQuiz thingy. I need an energizer, help! If you are a parent, you gotta do a lot of stuff when your kids are asleep because you got to pause or stop when they are already awake. Try to prioritize them, especially the little ones. I am just glad that my kids have 6 years gap because Bam is not that hard to take care of anymore. Good afternoon, my dear read.cash friends! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I am happy because it is not that hot today, it is kind of gloomy and I am not super drained. How are you going? Are you out of town or in the mall spending time with your loved ones? Do comment below on what activities are keeping you busy today or this weekend. I wanna know if you tried a new dish or went to a new place. I am going out for now. I need some time to rest. Thank you for being there all the time. I shall catch up with you later ;) The lead image was from Unsplash.com and the rest of the pictures were taken from my phone. Apologies for the quality of the shots. April 3, 2022 ©HermaniGinger