When Push Comes to a Shove

The general prices of commodities in the Philippines have increased by leaps and bounds. Before our family does not really feel incremental price hikes because they are monetary trivial relative to my father’s income. But that’s history. These days my mom really needs to re-budget, reallocate, re-prioritize her allotment. My father now needs to send us extra money from abroad as my mom’s salary alone would not suffice to sustain our liability-filled house. What is happening in our family is not a trouble (if you adhere to the sociological definition of the word), but is a problem. Scarcity of resource is typical of families in the Philippines. Sometimes we just don’t have any other choice but to borrow money from creditors. However abhorring borrowing is for us, we just cannot afford not to pay my two sisters’ tuition fees. I found this payday cash loan when I was looking for a credible firm to borrow cash from. Though we fail to satisfy one of the requirements, which is being a US citizen, I think for those who are, giving urgentcashloan.com a shot could give you a good perspective of loaning. This site especially caters to people who are in immediate need of cash. And one can borrow up to 1,500U$D in a snap. Payment terms are also very congenial. ^^;

Achilles' Plastic Heels

Handling money needs utmost discipline. It is like a dried bacon stick on a dog’s snout that at anytime—and in the wrong time—could be gobbled up. Some people are better at handling cash; they are more tamed seeing that their stash is slowly getting thinner hence they stop their uber compulsion to splurge. There are also some people who prefer using credit cards. And believe me, 5 out of 10 fail in good credit management. It is a just good thing that there are various internet sources that offer valuable advices on how to handle the plastic money. Plastic as it is, it should not be haphazardly swiped through just any visible slot. Online Credit Cards by Your Credit Network is one of the best sites I have visited that provides credit card information: credit card issues (American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, etc.), credit card features (low interest cards, reward credit cards, cash back cards, student credit cards, business credit cards, etc.) Online Credit Cards, with its wealth of professional and up-to-date credit card information, could just only help you become one of the five people who successfully escapes the credit card trap. OCC’s three easy steps: Research, Compare, and Apply will help you choose what credit card you need. You can visit OCC’s blog as well for more information.

Home and Mortgage Loans

We lived for 10 years transferring from one apartment to another. I was still young then so I really cannot remember the tribulations of all the comings and goings from one abode to another. But if there is one thing I remember, it’s that I and my mother go to a certain bank’s main office to deposit money for our future lot. Yes, my parents have been allotting money for buying a lot. However, thinking back, I think we could have saved more and life could have been easier if my parents only know something concrete about home mortgage. 10 years could have been lived in a house we own, cutting off monthly rental fees, and instead channeling the rent money to further household investments. If you are planning to buy a property, I think you should act fast. Mortage Network Finders is here to help you out in choosing what kind of mortgage to avail of that suits your needs and capacity as a debtor. Mortgage Network Finders has been around since 1995 so its competence as one-stop best stop site for mortgage loans could not be dented with questions on credibility. You can easily browse their mortgage offers by visiting their site and interactively finding the best mortgage for you: from the drop down menu, you can select the type of service (home purchase, home refinance, equity line), property type (condo, townhome, etc.), and credit rating.

The Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea

You know a lot of Wars, the mock and the great. But there is one War that could have been relegated to the oblivious hemisphere of your brain. It was that War where 7,000 Filipinos fought in to reclaim Freedom that could not be their own. It was a battle that showered a foreign land with blood of rare valiance; the blood of those who fell in the Korean War.

If you want to hear firsthand accounts from a Korea War veteran, give this a click. I think your time will be better spent reading that than poring over the hottest male and female Korean stars.

By the way, have you ever wondered why a Filipino would wear this kind of clothing?

(image taken from a 500-peso bill)

Unsung Filipino Heroes of Korean War

MANILA, Philippines--On June 25, 1950, war broke out between the northern and southern parts of the Korean peninsula.

While the battle did not affect any part of the Philippines, the country sent 7,000 Filipino soldiers to fight on the side of the South Koreans.

They were the first foreign troops from Asia to come to Seoul's aid, next to the United States and United Kingdom.

The Filipino soldiers--though not individually named in local history books--were considered among the best fighters who stood by the South Koreans during the war.

One of them, Maximo Young, an 86-year-old retired major, was a member of the 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) and among the first batch of 1,400 Filipino troopers sent to Korea. They were also the first to see overseas combat since World War I.

Young said that while the North Koreans were known as "hard fighters," the Filipinos were just as well-trained, disciplined and experienced, having been exposed to guerrilla fighting from facing the Japanese and the Hukbalahap.

Between October to November 1950, the members of the 10th BCT crossed the 38th parallel which separated the North from South Korea. They were there to secure the town of Syngue.

Along the way, the Filipinos were ambushed by a North Korean battalion at the town of Miudong. "We were attacked from higher ground. Our infantry was pinned to the ground," said Young.

During the critical situation, Young, who was commanding one of the tanks, immediately launched a counterattack.

He said he remembered opening the turret hatch, swinging the .50 caliber turret machine gun toward the enemies and firing away, sending many North Koreans scampering out of their foxholes to seek more secure positions.

His action inspired the other members of the battalion to mount a rally. The victory at Miudong was the first battle won by Filipino troops in a foreign land.

Koreans, in gratitude to the soldiers who fought alongside them, encourage them to visit the country, shouldering most of their expenses.

"The Koreans have never forgotten us," said Young.

He added, however, that the most touching gesture of gratitude he experienced was made by a young Korean who sat beside him during an event.

Young said that when he introduced himself as a Korean war veteran, the youngster respectfully took his hand and placed it on his forehead--much like the Filipino tradition of "mano po."

"Had it not been for these soldiers, we would have been enslaved," the youngster said his father had told him.

To read the unabridged article, please visit:
newsinfo.inquirer.net

Farewell to My Fave: Sung Si Kyung's Here in My Heart Album

Sung Si Kyung joins the list of stars releasing a new album before enlisting for mandatory military service. Hailed as the "King of Ballad" since his debut in 2000, Sung has maintained solid popularity with a string of hits like Miso chonsa ("Smiling Angel"), Neon Kamdongi eosseo ("You Touched My Heart"), GeoriESeo ("On The Street"), and Han bun deo yi byeol ("Another Goodbye"). While touring across the country over the past year, Sung immersed himself in deep introspection, searching for the identity of a true musician. Now, carrying a new sense of maturity and appreciation for his music and his fans, the singer releases his much-awaited sixth album Here In My Heart.

Written in collaboration with Yoo Hee Yeol (a.k.a. Toy), the principal track An nyeong na euh sarang ("Goodbye, My Love" - Track 4) bears sadness beneath the upbeat melody. As if making his personal farewell, the song rolls out heartfelt lyrics like "this could be my last gift to you" and "it'll be okay, goodbye my love". In addition, the titular song Here In My Heart (Track 1) is a modern folk ballad written by Yoo. Besides Sung's own creative contribution, many noteworthy talents also participated in the making, namely, Kim Hyun Cheol, Kim Kwang Jin, Noh Young Shim, Hwang Sae Joon, and Lee Seong Hwan. Other highlights include pop ballad Noon bu shin go baek ("Luminous Confession" - Track 8) and pop oldie Geu dae wah choom eul ("Dance With You" - Track 6).

Track List:
01 여기 내 맘속에 (Yogi Ne Mamsoge)
02 어디에도 (Odi-ye do)
03 더 아름다워져 (Doh Areumdawochyo)
04 안녕 나의 사랑 (Annyeong Na-e Sarang)
05 잃어버린 것들 (Iroborin)
06 그대와 춤을 (Gu-dewa Chumeul)
07 Baby You Are Beautiful
08 눈부신 고백 (Nunbushin Gobek)
09 사랑하는 일 (Saranghaneun Il)
10 소풍 (Sopung)
11 당신은 참.. (Dangshineun Cham)

Thanks to ambershinbi.

Spring Roadtrip

Kevin was our wheels in Korea. But more than that, he was our friend, and a very caring and thoughtful one. Though the gas price in Korea is 4x the price here, he never hesitated to bring us around nice places in Daejeon.

Today, Kevin brought us to Daecheong Dam Park. It is a dam, surprise.
But damn! The cherry blossoms--in full bloom, lining the pedestrian, gracing the lifeless gray roads, falling like pink snow on our heads--were such creations to behold!

Here is our party: The guy with a pink inner wear is Jinhyeong, my 1st semester Korean buddy;

Tanya, my most beautiful co-scholar from the Philippines;

and Freda (Singapore) and Kenneth (Malaysia), my barkada in those times.


What I like about parks in Korea is that they are never boring, even if you go there without a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Daecheong Dam is just one of the few educational parks where visitors can get to know how hydroelectric power is generated by strong water currents and a turbine. This park also has a museum that showcases miniature setup of a hydroelectric plant, live aquatic organisms that thrive well within the operating perimeters of the dam, and information boards on how there should be very minimal footprints of development on ecology.



This day was really a walk to remember for the six of us. Driving back, I bid farewell to the cherry blossoms whose life is transitory, as it was beautiful, as my 10-month stay in Korea.