Sweet World of Joan

I had an opportunity to catch up on a student of mine who recently graduated, we chatted the afternoon away and talked mostly about his career path and how he choose the company he works for at present and his future career moves. He gave me his permission in blogging some parts of our conversation. I left out his name and the companies we are talking about for his privacy. I had the opportunity to help him prepare in applying for his current company that is why I have some knowledge of his expectations. Backgrounder: A recent computer engineering graduate, he is aggressive, above average academically and have the technical knowledge and background in technical support. At present he is being trained in one of the prestigious multination IT company and has a big possibility in being trained abroad after his training here. And our conversation starts….. How are you now? Have you started your training? I really want the work here(his current company) but we have not yet started in my tra...

I bought my son Lorenzo his school uniform yesterday and since then he can’t seem to part with it. This morning immediately after waking he brought it out and asked to put it on with his new black shoes and proudly parade it to everyone, he even wants to go out of the house and really go to Immaculate . I have to explain to him that he have to wait till next week to go to school. I have to take his picture so that he can see himself in his uniform anytime. His school bus is also ready and we are counting the days for his first school day. Tonight we had a very rainy night, heavy downpour, thunder storms and a very long brownout. We had dinner in candlelight and even before we finish eating the flood can inside the house, flood in the bathroom and leaks on the roof. I concluded that this is the start of the rainy season. We receive a very wet welcome from this season. We live in an apartment compound and every door had been flooded, it was suppose to be repaired this summer by the landl...

Joining this The Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007 challenge of Janette Toral is really a good way of knowing your fellow bloggers. It keeps you updated in what is going on in the blogosphere and at the same time it enriches you when you are reading blogs of other people. Here are my Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007 : An Apple a Day I like it being informative on a variety of topics nde nakakauyam Studies in Technoprenuership I like the discussions on everything IT Software and Web Development This site really made me stay put. Its really informative specially on topic of software development and having additional income through your blogs Stay at Home Mom Her blog about family makes me happy and gives me food for thought as I am considering being a stay at home mom too. feistymomma Like everything about her blog most specially the recipes the she shares www.fitsphere.com Its about the journey of losing weight, I am interested for I am also in the same journey. It’s nice to ...

My son Lorenzo is already four years old and we reach an important landmark of his life, “Going to School”, he will be attending Nursery this June 5, 2007. As a mother I am filled with pride, excitement and anxiety. Pride because I know that my child is intelligent and is an avid reader at his age ( he surfs the net almost daily – under supervision of course ). Excitement because I look forward of him learning to read and write, telling me about his day in school and hearing him sing new songs. Anxiety because this is the first time in four years that I will let him go and be supervised by someone else besides me( Oh its tough being an mommy and educator for your standards in teaching is high ). I know at his age many will say he started late in attending school for most schools now a days offer nursery as early as 2 ½ yrs old. I don’t really believe in putting children to school unless they are ready and really want to attend one. There might be a case of school burn-out in the fu...

While having my summer general house cleaning done I came across this little booklet about Getting Money Wise, it was a free supplement from a Good Housekeeping Magazine which I bought a few years ago. I knew I read it all before and reading it again today gave me a new perspective on my family’s immediate and future plans. My son will start his schooling this year and tuition fees and maintenance like the school bus, uniforms etc, need to be included in the family budget. I have plans for buying equipments for my home business and they are not cheap plus I am looking into having a store in the mall. We plan to purchase a house next year. Big Dreams, Big Investments and Big MONEY. The booklet really helped me check if our financial plans are feasible or not. Here are some tips from the booklet I want to share. Get Loan–Savvy If you plan to get a loan here are guide questions you should ask yourselves before getting one. Do I really need to borrow money? How much money should I borrow? ...

This mother’s day celebration was indeed memorable for my family(my parents, a younger brother and my own family) , we went to church in the morning and spent the day strolling around Araneta Center in Cubao. Window shopped for my son’s school shoes and bought him a new toy and a new blender for myself. Went to Shopwise for some items needed for the afternoon’s special snacks. We had a prepared it already before we left the house in the morning. The Tiramisu: My husband decided to surprise me with Red Ribbon’s Tiramisu Meltdown as a Mother’s Day Gift, that was the plan. He went to the Red Ribbon store early in the morning and said that he will meet us at the church. After an hour he went back home frustrated and told me that my gift is not yet available and said that he will go back again after the mass. That was when he told me about the tiramisu gift. Many of my friends know that I so loved chocolates and cakes and a few weeks before I have this late night cravings for chocolate m...

I attended Every Nation Campus Ministry’s 3rd Annual Educator’s Assembly last Tuesday, May 8, 2007 held at the Assembly Hall of Every Nation Building at Bonifacio Global City. I was invited to the event by my students and went there with my good friend Pedrito. The assembly aims to recognize and honor educators, encourage them in preparation for the upcoming school year, and reaffirm their commitment to partner with educators in preparing students for L.I.F.E.(Leadeship, Integrity, Faith and Excellence). The assembly was attended by educators(Elementary, High School and College levels) and school officials from different schools in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The speakers talked about how important the role of a teacher in a child’s life, there were group exercises encouraging everyone to share stories about the teacher in your life that left a big impression or had a big influence in you. It was fun and it showed everybody how a caring teacher can influence the future of a chi...

As many of you know I have turned my chocolates and baking hobby into an online business. I started small, selling my existing products and just limiting serving customers the traditional way, like transacting thru COD (cash on delivery). My business is a seasonal business but since going online I discovered that I can develop products that can sell the whole year round. I am currently developing them. As for the business side of mylittlebaker.com, I am currently researching elements that I think my business needs especially now that I plan to have a wide range of products this coming Christmas plus considering offering it nationwide. I have identified those key elements to make my online business succeed. They are: a great website, a marketing strategy, an electronic payment facility and logistics or delivery facility Making great website starts with what do you want your customers to know about you, your company and your products. It must answer the questions on how your customer can...

My husband and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary last Sunday. What’s different with this one is that it was my husband who planned how we celebrate our anniversary. It made a great impact in me because this is the only time since we had our son that we were really alone together for 24hours. Since having a child we often include him on our dates and it really kills the romantic mood sometimes. My husband prepared a real treat for me, showing how he really knows me. He found this hotel suite that has a 60-inch television with cable, a DVD player and a Jacuzzi. As you might have guessed I am a TV addict and I had the time of my life. We spent the day going around Quiapo, eating at our favorite chinese restaurant and rediscovering each other. It made me realize that events like this must be held of great importance. It gave us a time to recharge the batteries of our marriage, to reflect and review on our plans for the family’s future and re-affirm our love for each other. We were...

Hail to the graduate! Looking great and feeling fit! Oh, so proud and full of it! This day belongs to you. I remember your plans and hopes and fears, as you were starting your challenging years. Your hardwork have now paid off and off you go to the great beyond. So go along and have some fun, Learn some new things on the run, And should you meet some special one, Always remember that If you need my help I would come. You've been a great student and a good friend. In fact, I would not have it any other way. Times we shared in my heart I keep and I hope I am kept in your hearts too. always joan c. piñon Today is the graduation of our Computer Engineering students in PUP , some regrets I feel that I am not there on their special day, so through this poem I honor them. I got this special poem from Nicholas Gordon modified it a little to reflect what I feel.

It's 3 AM in the morning, the first of May, a holiday, and the country is celebrating Labor Day. I am currently in a vigil, my son is sick and I am keeping a close watch on his fever ... well I check his temperature every few minutes( he is prone to convulsions ) and while waiting I get to write this article as well as playing fish tycoon. It's Labor day today where we get to celebrate and honor the country's workforce but as this day starts I get to reflect on a different kind of labor, where in a woman is transformed into a mother. Becoming a mother is one of my cherished dreams and I had to wait for almost three years before I became one, and going into labor is just the start of it. Being a mother is really a labor of love, its 24/7, like right now who knows when I can get some sleep. The truth is I really can’t sleep when my son is sick I worry too much, I can only rest if I know he is ok. I do these things because I love my son, he is the joy in my life. Being a mothe...