Sweet World of Joan

I have many friends but only have a handful that I consider close. One of them is Mam Flu Garcia, I hold her very special to my heart, she is my mentor and a confidant as well. Mam Flu is one of my former professors in grad school. Our relationship started as any student-teacher relationship, I remember asking permission from her to be excused from her class for a month to visit my husband in Hongkong where he was then based and after that our talks became more personal. During the next few years I would visit her, let her know how I was doing and she would weigh in on what I am planning be it my family life or career decisions. We started going out for lunch or dinner after I graduated maybe twice a year just to catch up. Since leaving PUP two years ago, we lost track of each other and finally reconnected again on the social network Linkedln. We met again this May at Megamall and she recommended that we eat at Amici located at the third level Atrium. I am always in awe how...

A new year for me means a new opportunity to better oneself. To avoid past mistakes and apply what you have learned from them. It can also mean a new life ahead, a promise of a greater future. I am surrounded of young people, some at the crossroads of their career life, some already making a head start for the life they always planned to have. A few of them have me to help and support in any decisions they make, they are my cousins, some just graduated from college and currently deciding to move on to a new job and some deciding on what courses should they take to make their dreams come true. Some are friends who are on the crossroads to work abroad or stay here in the country. Even I just got unsolicited advice from well meaning relatives to just stop working here and go abroad to work. Work or a source of income. They say money make the world go round, some dreams cost money like house and lot, cars, clothes etc. That is why choosing the right career path or the right company to work...