Monthly Archives: May 2012

Living in the Present: A Mindfulness Walk

I did something healthy today. It absolutely didn’t have anything to do with whole wheat grains, yogurt or working out at the gym. I took a walk.

It was one of those long, dig-in-your-heels kind of walks. I was alone, relishing in the moment, feeling the breeze kiss my cheeks as I listened to the sweet humming of birds at a distance.

Walks like that can be really healthy. It rejuvenates the spirit. It has wiped away all my previous thoughts to buy modafinil to help ease my persistent sleep problems.

It’s all about being mindful of the moment. It’s about throwing all your cares to the wind, and just immersing yourself in the present.

In the midst of all the turmoil of everyday life- deadlines, household chores, mundane reality singing show performances- it helps to take a breather once in a while. What you can do is simply to walk. Take each step as you feel the ground beneath your shoes. Listen to the white noise enveloping you. Just be.

I’m no meditation guru, so this is what I do to lift my spirits, to recharge. I need no mantra here…just my feet and a positive outlook on life.

Holidays and long weekends

When I was working, the only time that I get to enjoy the holidays or long weekends was when my birthday falls on a Saturday because that means I’ve got two days off (Saturday and Sunday). I also enjoy the Holy Week because the company is off for a couple of days to observe the Catholic tradition. Some businesses are not really fond of holidays and long weekends because they have to pay their workers (who would report for work) 200 percent of their basic salary. Workers are also entitled to receive their regular salary even if they are on long holidays. Paying workers properly and on time are part of the labor standards observed in the Philippines.

For their part, businesses are accorded equal protection under the law. I’m not sure if this applicable in the local setting, but fidelity bond protects businesses against embezzlement or theft by employees.

Government Declared Philippine Holidays

January 1 (Sunday) – New Year’s Day
January 23 (Monday) – Chinese New Year
February 25 (Saturday) – EDSA Revolution Anniversary
April 5 (Thursday) – Maundy Thursday
April 6 (Friday) – Good Friday
April 9 (Monday) – Araw ng Kagitingan
May 1 (Tuesday) – Labor Day
June 12 (Tuesday) – Independence Day
August 19 (Sunday) – Eid’l Fitr
August 21 (Tuesday) – Ninoy Aquino Day
August 27 (Monday) – National Heroes Day
October 26 (Friday) – Eid’l Adha
November 1 (Thursday) – All Saints Day
November 2 (Friday) – Special (non-working) Day
November 30 (Friday) – Bonifacio Day
December 25 (Tuesday) – Christmas Day
December 30 (Sunday) – Rizal Day
December 31 (Monday) – Last Day of the Year

Long Weekends for 2012

January 21-23 — Chinese New Year
April 5-9 — Holy Week and Araw ng Kagitingan
April 28 – May 1 — Labor Day
August 18-21 — Eid-al-Fitr and Ninoy Aquino Day
August 25-27 — National Heroes Day
October 26-28 — Eid-al-Adha
November 1-4 — All Saints’ Day
November 30-Dec 2 — Bonifacio Day
December 22-25 — Christmas
December 29-Jan 1 — New Year

Energy-saving tips

Weather experts have yet to declare that summer is officially over despite the rain showers that we experienced every afternoon. And while it’s still summer in this part of the world, here are some budget-wise tips for the housewives to make the most of  summer.

1. Instead of using dryer, hang the clothes outside to save on electricity. I observe that clothes that are sun or air dry smell good.

2. Cook outside the main house. The heat generated from cooking will induce a warmer or humid atmosphere inside the house.

3. Use washing machine at night when lesser appliance is being used. Computers with touch monitors (like elo touch screen), may or may not consume large amounts of electricity, but just the same, turn off appliance when not in use.

4. Visit parks instead of going to the mall to avoid unwanted spending.

You can add more budget-wise tips to the list. Comment section is open.