Top 7 Ways To NOT Get The Girl 1 comments

7. Don't have a sense of humor. Or have a sense of humor of a 5-year-old, unless of course the girl you're courting share the same level of comedy appreciation. Girls generally gravitate towards people who can make them laugh because  who wouldn't want to be with a person who have the capacity to make one laugh-out-loud happy?

Second, the quality of a man's humor is a reflection of how his brain works. And, personally, nothing is sexier than wit and a complex mind. But then, if a girl really likes you from the beginning, she will probably laugh at your most pathetic attempts on trying to be the next stand up comedian. :)

6. Dump all your life problems on the girl 5 minutes after knowing her name. It's basically the same with No.7 Be Fun To Be With rule. If the girl you like is not your best friend / only confidante (I'm talking about real BFFs and not the I-just-met-you-but-I-don't-know-how-to-court-you-so-I'll-just-pretend-to-be-your-"best-friend"-that-way-I-get-to-be-close-to-you-until-I-figure-out-how-to-grow-some-balls-and-officially-ask-you-out) there is no need to tell her every detail of your sad, heart-breaking, MMK-story-of-the-year existence. 

In movies, this technique works infallibly inside gloomy bars  with advice-giving bartenders but I don't think it works that well with normal happy people who just want to live life without having a near stranger's problem weighing them down.

5. Equate every material thing you own as a primary component to your worth as a person. Yes, you have a car and it's very shiny. Your smartphone is the latest model there is and is worth a full year's tuition fee of an elementary student. You can buy branded everything but what you cannot buy with your money is a woman's love. Yes, it's an enormous plus to have the bucks to spend for a woman, but in the end, it's not the number of three-headed bills in your wallet that we look at. Also, in a guy's perspective, you wouldn't want to reel in a hot gold-digger who only cares about your money and the expensive gifts you can give her, would you?

4. Complain about the simplest of things on Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites. Same goes with posting direct attacks or parinig to people who may be rubbing you the wrong way. Not only does it says "I'm a war freak, hear me roar!", it also implies that you will also be announcing to the world every misunderstanding and argument you may will potentially have in the future if you and her get into a relationship. 

3. Have God-Awful Hygiene. Does this really have to be explained?

2. Feign confidence. I don't know about other girls but I can smell fake confidence the moment a guy opens his mouth. Every how-to in dating will say that one should have self-esteem, however, the problem with trying to imitate confidence when one doesn't really have much of it is that the person end up sounding arrogant instead of self-assured. Another quality no girl in the entire archipelago (and the world for that matter) is attracted to. 

1. Text or private message comments such as "Mwah mwah" or "Tabi tayo matulog" when it's NOT being  reciprocated. Same thing with touchy-feely akbays and hand-holding on first dates when the girl is obviously squirming away from you. 

I will tell you the truth. That diskarte exclusively works to the fortunate few men who can carry the brazenly direct, slightly perverted kind of flirting. And honestly speaking, if you don't look or act the part in real life, do NOT attempt this style of courtship. Ever. It's tacky, it's icky, and... just don't do it. 

But of course, if the girl looks interested, then landi away. :)

---

I don't really know why I did this post in the first place because, in the end, if a girl likes you, then every corny, perverted and/or disgusting atom in your body will probably be overlooked and  could be even found attractive. Some guys just have it good, I guess. I know some who just exudes charm and appeal effortlessly, even those who aren't as physically and aesthetically gifted as you would expect them to be. 

For those who are not as lucky... there are always girls who may be attracted to you, ironically however, these are the ones you are not attracted to.

And here, ladies and gents, revolves the cruel cycle of singledom.

Photo Credits: There is a love by fogke (from Devianart.com)

How to Get Robbed by the Marcos Highway Robbery / Hold-Up Gang 9 comments

Everybody gets robbed at least at one point in their lives. At least here in the country this figure is generally true. Whether you just found out that your cellphone is missing from your bag or you were held at gunpoint in some dark alley, I think it's safe to say that everybody has a story to tell by the time they're 80. Apparently, I was not an exception. 

For everybody's information and security (so that if you travel by the same route you'll know the strategy of these vile lowlife criminals), here's a detailed description of what happened to me yesterday as I was commuting from work.

So I was on my way back home, about 10:30PM to 11PM, traversing the Marcos Highway stretch from somewhere near Anonas to Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. It was raining and there were more than a handful of commuters waiting for a ride. My iPod Touch was in my right pocket and Maroon 5 was crooning about being at a Payphone (Mistake #1). It's a fatal flaw, I know. I cannot be in a moving vehicle without music in my ears or else I'll go insane from boredom.

That said, I managed to hail a jeepney close to bursting with passengers and squeezed myself in the only space available, somewhere between the middle of the vehicle and the exit. At my right was some guy I didn't even got a good look at although he was 20-something-years-old by my estimate and at his other side was an unsuspecting couple. Across me were a bunch or random men with generic features I didn't bother to observe because they didn't look at all suspicious nor did they seem to know each other. 

As we passed the LRT2 Santolan station, the robbers declared a hold-up. At least that's what I think they did because I was practically deaf at that time from the pop music blaring in my ears (Mistake #2). All I knew was that pandemonium broke loose inside the jeepney as about 3 men across me began yelling and yanking people's bags and the guy at my right started grabbing for my iPod in my right pocket. I didn't try to stop him. He did this uncontested for about 5 long seconds before he finally got the device out because a) he was obviously an amateur and b) his other hand was holding a knife at my face as I was leaning away from him.

I knew I should be terrified but all I could think about was how loud Katy Perry was wailing about rumbling thunder and crumbling castles in my left ear as one earphone fell off and I heard him frantically threatening me "Gusto mong masaksak?" and I remember thinking 1) Oh God, I'll be one of those Direct OR Stab Wound patients and wouldn't it be ironic if I get rushed in the very same hospital I work in, in the very same operating room I just scrubbed in earlier, 2) This  Katy Perry song definitely doesn't suit the situation and 3) Why is that knife not glinting from the (albeit, dim) jeepney lights?

Before I made up my mind that the knife being waved at my face was indeed fake and we were surrounded by a bunch of cowards who didn't even bother procuring real sharps, they started jumping off the (slowly) moving vehicle somewhere in the Ligaya area. I thought that was the end of it when the robber in front of me suddenly grabbed my bag which was still hooked on my shoulder. I managed to get a hold of the strap but not the actual bag itself (Mistake #3) and pulled as hard as I could as the robber did the same. Apparently, my bag decided it wanted to run away with the criminals and the strap that I was clutching heartbreakingly ripped off from its body. 

I watched helpless and kind of dumbfounded as the robbers sprinted away with everything that I had that night pursued only by a brave and terribly pissed off male passenger who was sitting beside me and managed to get out the window and run after his bag. The jeepney kept on moving the opposite direction without stopping and I remember feeling helpless, not knowing what to do, whether to: 

a) get off the vehicle and run after my bag, but then I knew I stood no chance of catching up and I'll look pretty stupid running in all white uniform in the pouring rain,

b) get off the vehicle and report it to the police, but then since the jeepney didn't stop nor even slowed down, we were then in a dead area between Ligaya and Robinson's Metro East and I didn't even know where to find an officer in that downpour, much less know what to report since, out of shock and my brain's inability to memorize faces, I didn't remember what the robbers looked like, and

c) stay inside, get home as fast as I can even though I have no money left and immediately call my banks' hotlines so that I could get my ATMs and credit card blocked as soon as possible.

Needless to say, I chose letter C. All in all, only my bag, the pissed off guy at my left who took pursuit and the couple-beside-the-exit's bags were stolen. All the passengers near the driver cowered together and formed this sort of Passenger Bond that prevented the robbers from attacking them. And since I was one of the chosen ones to have been surrounded by criminals both on the side and front, I was not as lucky.

There was a slight commotion after the robbing incident inside the jeepney where we, those who have been robbed insisted that the driver should have stopped the vehicle while those who escaped with all their things intact argued that if the driver stopped, the criminals might have come back, a reasoning which I thought was a very large pile of horse manure.

I arrived home with only my umbrella (which I was unknowingly holding the whole incident), my earphones (which managed to loyally stay stuck in my ear minus the iPod) and just the strap of my bag. It was a depressing sight, that strap. I would have gladly handed over my cellphone and other gadgets if I can keep the bag and all the non-resaleable but important stuff in there. 

So kids, what have we learned today? Right now, in my still catatonic state of mind, all I can think of are these things:

• Keep cellphone inside pockets.
• Sit close to the driver.
• Do not use iPod when commuting at night. (Although I doubt not using the device would have made any difference since my whole bag was taken.)
• Robbers operate after pay days and before important money-requiring events (i.e. first day of school).
• Contact number and iPod backups are lifesavers. Don't forget to backup!
• BPI customer support for lost / stolen cards B L O W S.
• Changing of passwords is a must if cellphone/s and/or iPod/s linked to social networking sites and emails are stolen.
• Wide Awake by Katy Perry is a crappy robbery background music.

UPDATE (06/02/12)

I've talked to somebody earlier when I was getting my Affidavit of Loss typed and notarized that there was a similar incident that happened not too long ago. Same strategy, four or five men declaring hold-up inside a jeepney on the Marcos Highway stretch, grabbing bags and taking off in the Ligaya area. I'm convinced they are the same persons and/or part of the same syndicate. None of the passengers in our jeepney went to the police because of the mentioned factors but hopefully, with this post, people will be more aware of these kinds of strategies and be more careful the next time they unsuspectingly board a public utility vehicle. I sure will.



UPDATE (06/06/12)

I remember now the PLATE NUMBER of the jeepney I rode at the night of the incident.

Red Jeepney with Plate Number DVL 183

Route: Cubao - Angono Hi-Way / Tikling
With Yellow Light at left side and Red Light at the right side of the exit doors.
With loose Pull The String To Stop cables on the ceiling.

Upon hindsight and talking with a co-passenger that night, I'm convinced that the driver and  conductor was a part of the whole robbery plan.


First, because he didn't stop the vehicle during or after the incident nor did anything to attract passing cars' attention. One of the reasons why we, victims, didn't have the chance to go to the police was that the driver didn't even stop when the criminals took off and before we even got the chance to gather our thoughts and decide on what to do, we were already in near Sta.Lucia and definitely farther from the robbers than ever.


Second, he was traversing the dead and dark area between LRT Santolan Station and Ligaya on the side of the street (where darkest and least likely to attract attention) in a consistently slow manner even as the criminals declared a holdup.

Third, the driver and the conductor didn't even seemed surprised by the incident nor at least shaken by having knife wielding robbers aboard their vehicle. It as like nothing happened and they continued their route like nothing at all happened.

So, how did I know / suddenly remembered the plate number of the jeep from 3 days ago? Because I boarded the same jeepney just yesterday, same time same place, and everything came back. The lights, the interior, the seats. I stared at the driver for about half of the whole trip and he seemed to recognize me, and I him. I was seated near the driver this time and he seemed fidgety the whole time staring left and right like he was uncomfortable as I was trying to stare into his soul. 


I know none of these information will hold in court that's why I'm posting it here in order to at least share awareness to commuters near the area. Be safe, everyone.

Top 10 Ways to Spend Valentine's Day if you're SINGLE 0 comments

10. Lose yourself in your work. Keep yourself busy and before you know it, the 24 hours of glittery hearts and pictures of a fat toddler posing with an arrow is over.

9. Watch horror/massacre/gore movies (but stay away from movie theaters!). Preferably films with scenes of lovers making out in a parked car while being stalked by a serial killer.

8. For the day, change your Twitter / Facebook profile picture to that of a scantily clad vixen from Google Images and watch as Friend Requests and Mentions come in.

7. Hug the one creature that has loved you for who you are and enjoyed every single minute he's with you. Your dog.

6. Mentally raise an eyebrow every doe-eyed girl parading in front of you while cradling a bouquet of roses and think: Feeling ko binigay lang niya yan sa sarili niya!

5. Beautify. Exude appeal and poise that can make all committed men wonder why they are in a relationship in the first place. 

4. Find a good-looking gay friend and HHWW with him at the mall while you both search for cute single guys.

3. Be constantly surrounded with people, at least just for this day. There is nothing that can make you feel like a Forever Alone meme than being... well, alone.

2. Stay away from re-watching films with these words in the title: One, Chance, More, Notebook, The

1. Spend Valentine's Day with your True Love. May it be shoes, badminton, books, or Tetris Battle. In my case, it's:

**Photos taken from Google Images and Tumblr

How To Pay NMC Application Fee For Overseas Nurses 0 comments

Information on methods and procedure of payment of application fee of the Nursing & Midwifery Council specifically for those living outside Europe.

Payment Information 

By Cheque

If you have a UK bank account, make your cheque payable to the NMC, mark "Account payee only" (if not already printed on the cheque) and write your name, address and NMC application number on the reverse. Do not post-date cheques as we are unable to accept them. 

By Bankers Draft

Make the draft payable to the NMC, and write your name, address and NMC application number on the reverse 

BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD (easiest)

IF you have a credit or debit card you may pay by contacting our advice centre on 020 7333 9333 and paying the required fee over the phone.

Source: NMC Application Pack 1 

Using a IDD capable landline or a cellphone (if prepaid, make sure it has sufficient load) dial 00 44 20 7333 9333. A recorded voice will answer stating that payment of fees can now be made online via NMC's website. If you still want to pay via phone, then stay on the line. 

Payment by credit or debit card via phone:

Make sure to have your PRN number and credit card details ready. If using borrowed card, the owner of the card will be the one asked to supply the card information.

Payment by credit or debit card online: (easier)

Go to their online payments page: https://www.onlinepayments.nmc-uk.org/ , enter requested information and you're done. A confirmation email / receipt will be sent to the email address that you have provided. 

Sources:

http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Staying-on-the-register/Paying-your-fees/#Online

NMC Pack 1

Nursing & Midwifery Council

23 Portland Place, London W1B 1PZ

NMC Call Center: 0207 333 6600

www.nmc-uk.org

I Got Into Pottermore! (Day 6) 0 comments

I cannot believe that a Facebook chat message from a Harry Potter fan friend that I have is what led the way to this awesome night of magic and Internet hysteria. See, I've been busy the whole week and have accepted my fate as a mere Muggle who would enter the pearly gates of Pottermore.com in October along with everyone else. 

But fate has a different plan for this night, thankfully.

Anyway, I was too psyched at first that I forgot to print screen the question but I do remember it being:

Number of chapters in Half-Blood Prince multiplied by 14.

It's easy enough to answer so I won't give it away here.

For the record, I now love this country's time zone. I've been hearing news about teens and children lacking sleep, and basically a life, in America because the clues get released in the godforsaken hours of the day. Here, (at least today) it's mundanely not-so-late at night and people just happen to be naturally online after a long day's work/school.

I feel torn between loving and severely disliking the not-being-able-to-create-own-username system they have in Pottermore. I mean, I do understand the reason for such (so that people won't go 'round creating sexually explicit names like HotLeatherPantsDraco321 especially since kids will be around), but sometimes, there really aren't enough good choices in the list that you end up settling for less.

But really, MidnightStar? Sounds more like Twilight to me. (Other choices were worse.)

So after waiting for roughly an hour for the email with the confirmation link to arrive, I finally got to this page:

So there's really nothing there yet for us newly registered fans to gawk at. We will still be waiting for another welcome email to arrive which will more or less hand us the coveted keys for the magical online Wizarding World.

As much as I had my doubts in the idea at first (I would rather JKR write another book than dabble with more Internet hype) I'm slowly leaning towards it. I mean, I do love the fandom and have immersed myself in it for roughly the better part of my early teens and some sites like Fictionalley.org and Mugglenet.com have had their own wonderful culture that would probably be wrecked by this online giant, I do love what's happening now.

That fans all over the world are being united by this one goal of getting into a virtual magical world, sharing ideas and answers, talking about and anticipating dates just like before. I think it's a wonderful idea to keep the excitement alive, a sensation that many feared was gone forever after the release of the final movie. It makes me happy to see print screens of acceptance letters on Facebook and Tumblr. I rejoice in the jubilation of others.

Because contrary to what non-fans have been expecting, Harry Potter and JK Rowling's world is still alive and kicking. And if Voldemort had 7 Horcruxes to keep him alive, significant and tethered to this world, Harry Potter has millions inside each and every one of us fans.

And yes, that is an evil analogy, but I rest my case.

How to Avoid Being Bitten by a Dog 0 comments

Dogs may be man's best friend but sometimes, these normally placid and friendly creatures gets threatened to the extent that they are forced to bite. These wounds, like any other, may be a cause for infections and even rabies, if not properly treated or prevented. Here are some of the ways to help prevent being bitten by an unkown dog or even your own pet.

• Don't go near dogs you don't know. Some dogs may be just to cute  and fluffy that you can't imagine them hurting someone, but some dogs  are wary with strangers and can bite from the slightest provocation.
• Let a dog sniff and... 

From: How to Avoid Being Bitten by a Dog

First Aid Tips on How to Treat Jellyfish Stings 6 comments

Jellyfish may be pretty to look at but being stung by one may be one of the most painful scenario one can encounter. It can even be life threatening due to occasional severe allergic reactions from their poisonous tentacles. So the next time you find yourself frolicking in the beach, best to have these simple tips in the back of your mind just to be safe.

In the event of a Jellyfish sting, do the following:
 

Step 1: Get out of the water.
 

Jellyfish stings cause extreme pain and discomfort. It is best to help the victim out of the water to prevent further accidents like drowning and/or getting...

From: First Aid Tips on How to Treat Jellyfish Stings

 

How to Transfer Your Entire iTunes Library From One Computer to Another 0 comments

Your computer is years old, laggy and has a machine-health of a sickly senior citizen so you decide to end its suffering (and yours) by buying a new one. The new machine arrives at your home, all shiny and robust and you excitedly transfer all your files by DVD backups or by the traditional copy and paste method. But wait, one problem: Your entire iTunes library is left behind. All your music, settings and apps, all dear to you, is stuck on your other computer.

Common knowledge dictates that if you sync a loaded iPod into an empty iTunes, your iPod will also lose all its data. You can copy al...

From: How to Transfer Your Entire ITunes Library From One Computer to Another: The Easiest Way

 Click to read more!

How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver 0 comments

The Heimlich Manuever is an emergency technique designed to dislodge food or other objects that may be blocking a person's airway. Having the knowledge and skills to do the tecnique properly and effectively may actually save another's life. This article includes a step-by-step instruction on what to do if faced with such a scenario.

Step 1: Determine if the person is actually choking.

An actual choking person with a completely obstructed airway will not be able to speak and respond to questions of concerns. They will be unable to cough out the food or object blocking their airway. In prolong...

From: How To Perform The Heimlich Maneuver

Click to read more!

Stanza App - Hundreds of Books at the Palm of Your Hand 4 comments

Since having the iPod touch, aside from the music, videos, games and the internet (which I can only use when I'm in wifi hotspots since we don't have a wireless router at home), one function that now proves indispensable to me is being able to read novels (in ebook format) straight from my iPod.

I've been hearing tons of raves about the Touch being a great ebook reader, and even from my own experience reading the free Pride and Prejudice I've downloaded from the App store, I was determined to find a way to put my pdf files in my iPod since it is impossible to do so with iTunes.

First, I thought Files Lite was my answer but then it needs my computer and the Touch to be on the same online network which is not possible in my case. The Eureka moment came with the widely popular ebook reader app to the name of Stanza. After downloading the application, I read numerous pages on how to get my ebooks into my iPod without requiring the same network connection, although after successfully doing so, I couldn't believe it was that easy.

Here's how I did it:

(For those people relying only on free wifi connections from wifi hotspots across the Metro. Requires a Gmail email account.)

1. Download the Stanza app from iTunes. Open the application on your iPod.

2. Select Get Books -> Shared -> Add Webpage. Under the name type: Gmail, under the url: gmail.com. Tap Save.

3. On your desktop computer, gather all your pdf files. You need to convert all of them first to .epub format before being able to put them to and be read properly by Stanza. I used epub2go.com for this task. Just upload the pdf file into it and it will finish converting after a minute or so. Afterwards, you can either send it to your email address directly or download the file into your computer then attach it to an email and send the mail to yourself. I actually prefer downloading the file first because your converted file may be erased from epub2go's database after two days and would be a potential problem if you haven't downloaded it yet to your iPod. Also, from experience, I noticed that downloading from their database tend to be slower than downloading from a direct attachment I sent to myself.

4. Now, get out of the house and find yourself a nice free wifi spot and a comfy chair. Although you won't really need a chair because downloading a file takes only about 5 seconds to finish. About 20 if you're downloading from epub2go's server because you still have to be redirected to the file. I went to Sta.Lucia East Grand Mall for this one and found their connection to be surprisingly great.

5. Open Stanza -> Get Books -> Shared -> Gmail. Stanza will then open its embedded browser. Log in to Gmail.

Important There is a bug in how gmail.com interacts with the iPhone's embedded browser, which means that clicking on an attachment in a message from the mobile window won't do anything. You first need to scroll to the very bottom of the page where it says "View Gmail in:" and tap the "Desktop" link to display the non-mobile version of the site.

6. Open the mail you sent to yourself with the attachment of the .epub files or the emails your requested epub2go.com to send to your address.  Tap on the attachment or link and the Stanza browser will ask you if you want to download the file. Tap Download and you're all set.

7. You can now see all your books in Library. You can edit the name, author etc. afterwards. Though I am now researching on how to add cover arts for my downloaded novels.

I now have a significant number of novels in my Library including Dan Brown's The Last Symbol (which I am reading right now), the Twilight Series (which I dislike but compelled to read to have a legitimate opinon), The Mortal Instruments Trilogy by Cassandra Claire (a fanfiction idol) and 5 books from Nicholas Sparks. I cannot wait to read them all. And to think I got them all for free. The amount I paid for my iPod Touch will most likely be reimbursed by the amount of novels I get to read for free.

Bookworm Heaven.

Typical Globe: How to Activate Globe Roaming 0 comments

HK + Macau Week: 2 Days To Go

Well, technically, since this day is almost over, it's 1 1/4 days to go. I've been trying to pick out clothes to wear for the trip and now I'm seeing the impossibility of packing it all in 2 medium sized bags together with my Mom's and sister's things. Mom wants everything hand carried because it's easier and cheaper that way I guess. I'm seeing a Battle of the Bag Space tomorrow when the actual packing ensues.

Aside from that, I've now googled how it is to set my Globe Prepaid Sim to the roaming service. I found out that though it's as easy as texting to check your balance, you won't have any load balance to check anymore from the staggering rates. In case anybody needs the information, here are the steps to the kingdom of Check Operator Services.

HOW TO ACTIVATE GLOBE ROAMING SERVICE

Step 1: ACTIVATE your roaming while still in the Philippines

• Postpaid subscribers can call 211 (toll-free) via mobile.
• Prepaid clients can text GROAM ON and send to 2884. Free of Charge.

Example: GROAM ON 06/01/2008


Step 2: For HELP while roaming, you can call our 24/7 Customer Service Hotline

• Postpaid subscribers can call +632.7301212 from your mobile (toll-free)
• Prepaid clients can call *131*6327301212# from your mobile (toll-free)

How to MAKE CALLS while roaming:

• Postpaid subscribers

  Simply dial “+” + country code + area code (or operator code) + phone number.
  Example: +6327301000 if landline or +639178000000 if mobile and press SEND.

• Prepaid clients

  Dial *131* + country code + area code (or operator code) + phone number + # sign.
  e.g. *131*6327301000# if landline or *131*639178000000# if mobile and press SEND.

How to SEND MESSAGES while roaming:

Use the International Number format when sending a message to someone: "+" + country code + mobile access number + mobile number.

Example: +639xxxxxxxxxx, and press SEND.

• These services have the following rates: P2.50 if sent while in the Philippines, P25 + P2.50 if sent outside the Philippines.
• A minimum balance of P80 is required to make and receive a call while roaming. A minimum balance of P25 is required to send a text message.
• As soon as you arrive in the Philippines, please be reminded to text GROAM OFF and send to 2884 so that the minimum balance as stated above for calling and texting will not apply.

PREPAID ROAMING ZONES & RATES

Zone 1	Voice	Text	VAS
Outgoing	Php 60.00 per minute	Php 25.00 per message sent	Php 25.00 + my Globe Services Charge
Incoming	Php 60.00 per minute	FREE	FREE

Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Belgium Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Cambodia Chile Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Egypt

Equatorial Guinea Estonia Finland France Gibraltar Greece Guernsey Hong Kong Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Isle of Man Ivory Coast Japan Jordan Kuwait Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg

Macau Malaysia Maldives Mauritius Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Norway Oman Pakistan Poland Portugal Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone

Singapore Slovak Rep Slovenia South Africa Sri Lanka Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine Vietnam Yemen Serbia & Montenegro (Yugolasvia)

Countries are divided into different zones with varying rates. I didn't include the others because it's no use to me. I'm kind of posting this entry for bookmarking purposes that if in case I need to, I'll be able to search about this information by just visiting my blog. The previous data are taken from the following sites which you may find useful.

Globe - International Roaming
Globe Prepaid Roaming Zones and Rates

So that's it. Almost one day to go and I still have to buy an extra pair of contact lenses and prepaid load for this insane roaming service. Plus I really need a haircut because my hair's starting to weigh me down and eat up all the protein in my body even though I have way too much already. Hopefully, grandma's in a good mood today to give me a free haircut. *crosses fingers*

Top 5 Guessing Techniques for the NLE 9 comments

You may have noticed that from my post Top 10 Ways to Pass the Board Exams, my #6 tip is "Learn how to guess correctly". Because if there's one thing I've learned from the chaotic and stressful experience of reviewing and taking the nursing board exam, it's that it doesn't matter if you've memorized the every type of protein in the body or the pathophysiology of every disease known to man (thank Obama I didn't), in the end, you are still confined to the four choices the Powers That Be has provided for you to goggle upon. And if these 4 choices fails you, these guessing strategies could be your next best friend.

Welcome, to the Holy Grail of Test Taking Strategies. These secrets have been passed from generation to generation of board exam takers. The following information is FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. Read with caution, be alert and guard the knowledge of this data with your life.

Top 5 Guessing Techniques for the NLE
(A.K.A. The Madam Auring Techniques)

5. Always be in the middle.

When it comes to figures (Laboratory Data, Normal Values) you have no idea how to even start answering, just cancel out the upper and lower extremes and settle on focusing your inner mojo vibe on the two choices in the middle. That way you have a 50% chance of getting the right answer rather than only 25%. Believe me.

4. Look for the Ugly Duckling.
The Ugly Duckling has always been different compared to her brothers and sisters. Her siblings all look the same and she feels so out of place. If you cannot decide which choice to select, look for the different one, the one pointing in the opposite direction. It, most often than not, point to the direction of your PRC License. :)

3. Mirror, Mirror
"Mirror, mirror hanging on the wall, you don't have to tell me, who's the biggest fool of all..." You need not feel like the biggest fool when answering particularly tricky questions in the board exams. Trick #3 makes use of a simple strategy even preschoolers can understand. Look and select the choice with the same word (or a word with the same meaning) as the keyword in the question. Back in Pentagon, we had the greatest time playing match up with Psyche questions Sir Jimenez has prepared for us. And believe me, this technique works like a charm.

2. Be the most irritatingly perfect Mary Sue Nurse you could be. Even if it can only be possible in your imagination.
The BON loves perfect nurses because they only exist on test papers and questionnaires. Ideal clinical settings and scenarios are the ones often written in the questions, with adequate workforce, complete and sterilized equipments without the overpopulation in hospitals, burn out of staff nurses and nonexistent supplies. Hence, the interventions and reactions of a perfect nurse is what should always be considered when answering. And they say nobody's perfect. Ha.


and if all else fails...


1. Go for the letter D) All of the Above
Not exactly rocket science but it works really well in those questions who have sentences and paragraphs as their choices. You get all mumbly jumbly with all those words and get too preoccupied in finding out the "wrong" with the sentence when in fact they're all correct. So spare yourself the hassle and the headache and just shade letter Dog. This technique works really well in CHN for some reason. One of my biggest regret is not believing in its power and ending up getting a 79 in Test II because of my skepticism.


So that's that. I'm not sure if what I wrote is actually understandable. I'll try to write a follow up post to this with examples next time. I'm too lazy to search through my mini library of xeroxed reviewers to copy 5 measly questions at the moment. Sorry 'bout that.


This message will self destruct in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

Top 10 Ways to Pass the Nursing Board Exam 23 comments

I'm not saying that I'm an expert on the said scenario but since a) this is my blog and I can do whatever I want and b) I did pass the June 2009 Nursing Licensure Exam on the first take (and managed to get an 80++ board rating), I think there's nothing to lose with me sharing board exam techniques that worked and you reading (or even *gasp* following) it.

So without further ado, here are my...

TOP 10 WAYS TO PASS THE NURSING BOARD EXAM
(WARNING: Follow at your own risk.)

10. Pay attention to your AUDIT/REVIEW subject.

This is one of the mistakes that I did back in college. I didn't cut classes (Okay, maybe once, but only for the afternoon lecture), I listened, I took notes, I aced the tests but I feel as if I didn't get everything that I could with the review because half the time, I was thinking that I'll enroll in a review center this summer anyways so all of this will be repeated. I'll get this topic later on. But our summer was hectic with case completion duties, Graduation and Pinning Ceremonies and with the bunch load of information pushing each other out of the way into my brain, things were pretty much chaotic and I found myself thinking far too many times while studying that I should have studied listened more and texted on my phone less.


9. Pick a Review Center that suits you. (non-compulsory)

It's true that enrolling in a review center is not needed to pass the boards. However, doing so really gives you direction in what, when and how you should review a certain topic, where to focus on, test taking strategies and green hilarious sex jokes you can only get from their discussions. Ha!


8. Throw away those books.

90% of reviewing population: Are you serious??
Me: Very. Okay, you don't have to throw them, just keep them in a dark desolate place where they belong. During the rigorous review sessions of two months before the board exam, I never cracked a book open, because I find them complicated, long and utterly boring. Instead, I concentrated on bullet type reviewers, outlines and summaries of those Valium induced texts. On the day of the exam, I knew I did the right thing. It was a waste of time reading the longer version with too many words than reading the gist of the entire thing. Less time and effort.


7. Give up the internet or whatever addictions you may have for 2 months.

It's only for two months people. I figured I'd rather sacrifice for 2 months than to live in regret and depression for the rest of my life. I can surf the net and play all the FB games I could until I get so sick of it after the boards. For me failing is not an option and if my life becomes ruined because, of all things, Facebook, then I'll never be able to live with myself. So, even though I just signed up for the world's most addicting site, I promptly clicked on that logout link and didn't visit it again until after the exam. And I was right, I grew so sick of the games after playing them everyday for two months that I made this site just to escape the sickening farm and pet madness.


6. Learn how to guess correctly.

Even if you have a nursing encyclopedia for a brain, there will be items (lots of it) where you will have to scratch your head in exasperation and guess. It's either you guess basing on related existing knowledge or you guess with nothing. Both you will experience during the exam. Learn to feel the page, use your intuition, channel Madam Auring and see invisible glowing letters of faith in taking the exam. And don't forget the ini-mini-mini-moe rule.


5. Take notes. Forget that you and that big guy called Xerox/Photocopier ever met.

It's a fact. Your brain will retain more if you listen, read, write and speak while reviewing. Without the physical act of writing, you'll end up getting all hazy visioned and end up falling asleep. In high school it may be cool to sneak a nap while the teacher's droning away, but in reviews it falls into the "WTH are you thinking??" box.


4. Know how to shade.

At the day of the board exam when we were asked by the examiners to fill the personal information page, the examinee in front of me turned around and asked me how to shade the little rectangular boxes filling the sacred oslo papers that holds our future a.k.a the PRC scantron board paper things. I was shocked. I couldn't formulate a verbal answer so, with a dumbstruck face, I just did an up and down motion with my hand while holding my pencil. I mean what on earth was she thinking taking the Mother of All Tests without even practicing how to shade at least a single tricky box. She could have perfected the test but if shaded all wrong then those correct answers won't be translated to points and those points won't be translated to a name in the passer's list.


3. Look, write and listen everyday. Read every night.

Now, I've never been the kind of A Type Personality person who would study everyday, prepare for every quiz and recites until my arm go all cyanotic. But for the board exam, I turned my back on every studying principle I believed in. (Ex. Listen to class but studying at home is for nerds. Homework is best done the night before. Studying for an exam is best done...never. Etc. etc.) It's hard studying again after going home after you've been studying for a day already, but it did pay off in the end. All your sacrifices will pay off in the end... Hopefully.


2. Answer bunch loads of practice test questions.

Review center will attest to this one. Answering tons of practice questions not only makes you remember things better but improve your guessing skills, which is very very important as I've mentioned. It's like hitting all the birds with one stone. Ain't that grand?


1. Relax and believe in a Higher Being.

No matter how much you don't believe in God, Allah or the Virgin Mary manifesting in a taco, the sudden burst of spirituality and religious fervor among board exam takers are a common, if not inevitable, occurrence. You will visit the every church that you can as if they're the 7 wonders of the world, light numerous candles (1 candle for each test point) and will go and kneel with bowed heads in front of St. Jude Thaddeus's altar. You'll do everything that you can to bathe in holy water together with all your test paraphernalia especially the week/day before the exam because you feel unholy and idiotic without it and your pencil, eraser and sharpener is infested with Satan, Lucifer and various bad spirits and will eventually fail you. Don't worry, all of this is normal, and amusing to reminisce after passing the exam. :)



So that's my take on being an influential and helpful role model blogger for upcoming registered nurses out there. I wish you all the best and will be waiting for you with open arms, a big smile in my face and a banner saying in big bold letters:

Welcome to the Unemployment World. Hoooorah!

Which Nursing Review Center Should You Go To? 39 comments

REVIEW CENTER WARS:

MERGE vs. CBRC (Carl Balita) vs. GAPUZ vs. SRG vs. PENTAGON

If you're a nursing student, nursing graduate, have a sibling/cousin/friend/neighbor who is one, have been to UBelt Morayta, Espana and the streets of Pureza or to just simplify things, a resident of the Philippines, I'm sure you've heard of them.

They are the top nursing review centers in the Philippines reviewing and producing thousands of registered nurses yearly. They may all look enticing and innocent enough, all having figures and pictures to boast to the world, but if you don't know what you're getting into, don't spend thousands of pesos on them yet. Do your research. More so, listen to reviewees who have actually experienced what it's like reviewing in the said centers. Look at the passing rate and the subscript commonly associated with them.

I don't know everything about these review centers. I've only attended one (Pentagon) and I will share my thoughts on them later. FEU-IN also has an In-House Review Program mostly made up of SRG reviewers so I can also share my experiences from that. Other comments are from my personal view of the center and what my friends have said about them.

MERGE REVIEW (Multi-Educational Review Group Experts Inc.)

I'll confess, I know little about this review center. Not a lot of people from my batch mates went here to review for the board exam. But I've scouted via the net almost all of the review centers available in Manila before and I've read pretty disappointing comments from their past reviewees. From what I've read, Trinity University of Asia is the only good thing with MERGE because non-Trinity reviewees achieve a much less passing rate. A batch mate also commented that the reviews are deathly boring and she happily transferred to Pentagon for the critical and final coaching phase.


CBRC (Carl Balita Review Center)

I cannot stress out how much I hate his face plastered all over the Ubelt. Come on, narcissistic much? And it's not like he's cover boy material, face brimming with charisma and bus loads of sex appeal. Argh. Okay, so enough about his looks. Is it worth reviewing there? Again, I don't know much about this review center besides the fact that they have tons of "freebies" (bags, lanyard etc.) which, I hate to burst your bubble, isn't free at all. You paid for it, believe me.

With regards to the actual review, I've heard testimonials which said that the discussions are okay and Carl Balita, himself, is actually pretty good. Oh, but since his center is obviously not a one man show, the other reviewers' sessions I've heard are not as good, a bit boring, which my batch mate sometimes walked out on without finishing the class.


R.A. GAPUZ REVIEW CENTER

I have no prejudices against Gapuz even though they were the main review center at the middle of the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Exam Leakage. I think he looks kind and quite fatherly to his students and he doesn't stick his face on his tarpaulins. One thing I can't understand though is what the heck does Boy Abunda have to do with nursing?

Even up to our review days, I've received tons of texts about the supposedly "5 points sure na" bullets which on the day of the board exam were nothing but useless saved messages occupying my cellphone memory. On a negative note, 2 of my 3 friends/acquaintances who reviewed there failed the board exam. I don't know what happened because those two were the kind of people who I thought would make it and at the day of the exam, they seem not at all frazzled , almost bordering on confident (based on their text messages since we all have different test taking centers). Don't ask me what happened, I have no idea.

Moral Lesson: Never rely on leakage promises. They always end bad and if you somehow managed to pass, I fear for the lives you are going to handle with your own incompetent hands.


SRG (Sultan Review Group)

I have a lot of experiences with SRG. Those reviewers they front line in their advertisements and websites were our reviewers for the In-House Review. They are fantastic, I must say. They will keep you engaged and active through out the 8-hour sessions. So why didn't I enroll here and instead went to Pentagon? Well, there are lots of reasons.

First, I hated the fact that they treat each lecture as Shameless Promotion Day. Especially at the last day of their assigned topics. One would wear a SRG shirt, one would say their catch phrase "Come and Follow Me..." over and over and over again and the other would bash, insult and blurt out unprofessional things defaming other review centers. I mean, if people really want to go and enroll at the center they will, if they don't they won't. These reviewers don't have to treat each person who doesn't enroll at SRG as an idiotic moron who will never pass the board exam because they've made the fatal mistake of not joining with them.

Second, as exemplary as the main reviewers may seem, its useless if they're not the ones who will be teaching your class. SRG has 25+ Reviewers in its system and there is no guarantee that those front liners you see in the ads are actually the ones reviewing you. Majority of my classmates confessed on going home and cutting classes because the lecturer that was assigned to their block was a comatose inducing machine.

There is the 2 week Final Coaching however, which I've heard is fun for everybody. Their statistics are also great which is a huge plus.


THE ROYAL PENTAGON REVIEW SPECIALISTS INC.

Now, I'm a proud Pentagonian so forgive me if this part becomes a bit biased but I'll try not to be. I just felt the need to alleviate everybody's fears and misconceptions about the Review Giant a.k.a. Pentagon.

Most review centers target Pentagon (obscurely of course) in their "Why-You-Should-Enroll-With-Us" Speech by stating highly misguided comments on how there are review centers with way to many students in one area, how it's hot and noisy, how you can't hear the reviewer because of all the chaos and pandemonium if you might.

Now, here's my rebuttal. In the social context, it's common knowledge that those who are at the bottom of the steps target the ones on top. The trick is, do not believe them because these are the insecure ones trying to benefit from associating their names with the most popular. With that out, let me tell you first hand, that Pentagon's style is an auditorium type review. It is expected that there are hundreds of reviewers in a single venue. But, the air conditioner works fine, the sound system's fantastic. You can hear everything even though people around you happens to talk (which rarely happens because reviewees become more serious as the countdown to the big day lessens in number).

Better yet, the 5 main brilliant reviewers that you enrolled for will definitely be the ones teaching you how to pass the board exam. Add 3 more guest reviewers for minor subjects like CD, Funda and Burns etc. and it's not a bad deal because you know you're going to get what you signed up for.

I really believe that Pentagon has the BEST reviewers in all the centers, hands down. They can keep hundreds and thousands (Final Coaching Week) of short attention spanned youngsters interested in even the most hated and boring topics of Nursing. Problem is, if you're easily distracted with crowds and is the kind of person who wants the reviewer right in his/her face, this review center is not for you.


In the end, it all boils down to WHAT YOU DO with the knowledge and strategies your chosen review center imparted on you. Notes and textbooks won't do you any good if they're not read and tucked in safely in that squishy stuff on your head.

Guess what that is and put it to work.

10 Tips on How to Ride LRT 2 (Santolan to Recto) without looking like a Transit Virgin 11 comments

10 TIPS ON HOW TO RIDE LRT2 (SANTOLAN TO RECTO)
WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE A TRANSIT VIRGIN

10. Make sure you know to operate the ticketing machines before using it. When in doubt or when all goes wrong, blame the machine.

9. Know which way the ticket goes in the slot. Nothing says "This is my first time riding the LRT" more than committing the embarrassing mistake of getting stuck behind the revolving metal thing of doom. This time, you CANNOT blame the machine.

8. Wear earphones. It makes you look cooler.

7. Do NOT run like there's no tomorrow to save yourself a seat, especially when you're from Santolan or Recto station where there's no one on the train yet. Instead, learn how to walk fast, keep your eyes on the prize and sit like a princess.

6. Bring in food and beverages, then sneak a bite or two while looking out for the roaming security guard. Smile sheepishly when you get caught.

5. Sleep. Or feign sleeping. It makes you look like you're not constantly watching whether it's time to get off the train. Even if you are.

4. Do not hold on to the train's safety hand rails at all times. Regular commuters know how to balance.

3. Regular LRT commuters also know how to stagger and fall gracefully whenever the train does its trademark sudden stop between stations. Do NOT panic when this happens. There is no bomb threat. You are not going to die. Normally, a slow train in front of the one you're riding is just making everybody late.

2. Time will come you will have actually memorized the list of stations in proper order and the "Next station, Araneta-Center Cubao. Ang susunod na istasyon ay Araneta-Center Cubao..." monologue of that disembodied woman on the train. Do not recite them with a friend to show off this amazing talent you've acquired. It's tacky. It's annoying. And it only means that you're an excited college freshman commuting by yourself for probably the first time in your life.


and the No.1 Tip on how to ride LRT2 without looking like a transit virgin is...


1. For the love of Obama and all things sacred, NEVER ever, and I mean EVHUR block the escalators when you're riding on it, especially during morning rush hours and when you can clearly hear the presence of a train waiting on the above platform. Seasoned LRT commuters know by heart that people are almost always in a hurry to board the train and have experienced themselves how irritating those people who stand side by side and block the path completely making you miss the train altogether. Don't say I didn't warn you when all of a sudden somebody squeezes in between you and your friend banging you on the chest or something.

Hell hath no fury to commuters in a hurry. Remember that.




For those who didn't get it. This thing is actually a joke.

But an effective list jokes nonetheless. :)