Step Up Event

I was fortunate enough to cover the Step Up Event of Fitness First Ortigas last 29 May 2008. Dancing is one my passion but it seems like my body wasn’t cooperating well then and I’m a bit pissed off with the “mommies” who disregard the place where I am staying for the dance marathon and so I have decided to leave. Nonetheless, I graced to cover the event as I brought with me my camera then.

I brought with me my Canon 400D, 24-105 f4 lens, and my trusty flash (which seemed to cooperate well with me during that time). I was a bit wary if I can get good pictures as f4 lens isn’t that good enough for indoor shots, especially at night time plus the fact that it is on disco lights. It would be difficult for me to use my flash as I might distract some of the dancers on the floor. Inasmuch as I want to lessen my flash usage, I can’t stop myself but on certain situations only.

The photos are located in my Multiply site and comments and critique are welcome. This is my second time to cover an event (as in not family related), the first one being the baptism of the son of my colleague in the office. I am not much of a sports shooter though I think when shooting dancers, it is like sports photography where shutter speed matters most. The only limiting factor is that I am wide open only at f4. Now I am contemplating should I get a faster lens. 😦

Saving For Something

Just some tips on how to save money for something – emergency, impulse buying etc.

Whenever I have loose 10 peso coins, I always see to it that that would be saved somewhere. I am in a way “inspired” by my officemate who first started collecting 10 peso coins as well and I have decided to follow suit.

What I usually do for every payday, after paying the bills that I am obligated by my parents to pay, I keep a certain amount to be used for my daily expenses. 200 pesos would be enough for a day that would include fare, food, and other miscellaneous expenses that may come in the day. Should I exceed 200 pesos, the excess amount would be deducted from my 200 pesos allowance for the next day. If I spent less than 200 pesos a day, the remaining amount or any 10 peso coin for my personal consumption would go to my ped (as seen above). Since the 200 pesos is the daily “allowance”, anything I can save is considered as “expenses” even if I save something.

The coins in return are grouped into pieces of 10 (except for the 1 peso coins which I group in 20s) for proper handling and accounting. Once my ped is filled-up with coins, I put them in a coin bank or deposit it and that in turn appears to be an “additional” income for myself. I remember during my planning for payment of my last lens purchase, I told myself that I want to keep my monthly dues below 3,000 pesos. On the day that I was suppose to buy the lens, I remembered that I have 10 peso coins in my ped that I can use for my purchase. If you’re going to fill up the right most part of coins with groups of 10 peso coins, it can fill-up up to 27 pieces thus giving me an extra of 2,700. That instantly reduced the monthly amortization that I have to pay for the lens.

Living in a complex behind a flagship branch of a popular mall here in the Philippines makes me vulnerable to impulse buying. Sometimes the budget allotted for something goes to the item I want to buy for the sake of just buying it. With this practice, it would be easier for me to acquire something for less as I don’t totally spend the whole amount of the item I want from my main sources.

Hope this one gave you an idea as well on how to save for something.

5 or 4 Days?

I’m fixing certain items on my itinerary going to Hong Kong. While I am assured of the ticket, accommodation means a lot especially for an alien like me stepping into a foreign land. In contrast with my trip then to Singapore, this would be my first time going for a hostel – or simply a budget accommodation for backpackers. I should have gone to a hostel then but my “sponsor” offered his place to me since I won’t be able to concentrate much on my training on a loud place. I was able to make my reservations but eventually cancelling it voiding the 10% downpayment that I made.

Going back on the trip, I will be out of the country for 5 days. My trip going out would be 5 in the morning and I assume a 2-hour flight going to HK and our return trip would be at 11 am in the morning. I am wondering in booking for accommodations, given that scenario, would you book for 5 days or 4 days?  I am thinking that if the “cut-off” would be 12 noon, it would be 4 days only.

Confusing Banking with BPI

I first encountered the ease of using Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) with my friend when I accompanied him buying gifts for Christmas. I was surprised to know that BPI’s Express Payment System (EPS) has no finance charges when used for cashless shopping as opposed to Bancnet’s (which is in my case is China Bank) that has finance charges for every transaction.

When I transferred company last year, I am glad to know that our payroll is with BPI and as a “depositor”, I can enjoy the ease of cashless shopping as well as other perks of online payments for credit cards (for BPI of course) and other merchants affiliated with them at no extra cost. Imagine the time saved from falling in line in various payment centers when all of these can be done in front of the computer’s monitor.

However, I am quite confused with the services that BPI is providing in their different type of branches. “Discrimination” would be the best term as I would put on several occassions I had a bad experience with them particularly the branch along Emerald Avenue (near Jollibee). During Christmas 2007 period, I requested for 4,000 pesos worth of 20 peso bills and they have gracefully accepted my reservation. However when I was about to claim it, they told me that they don’t exchange with non-depositors of the branch since they don’t have “allocation” for them. Quite ironic, during the time they were signing-up for exchange, they accepted my reservation, thus my request allocation is included in their reserves and when I was about to claim it, they rejected me outright. I only had an exchange in the nearby Metrobank branch where I was a then credit card holder.

Second was about the online bills payment wherein I think the personnel from that branch threw my application form. Almost three weeks ago, I submitted my enrollment form for our telephone bill (Bayantel) to the same branch where I submitted my credit card enrollment form. Instead of accepting it, they were quite hesitant from receiving due to reasons that “they can’t accept it”, “this is not your branch” or whatsoever. However, if you would notice on the content on their merchant enrollment website (the printed copy), it states that the application can be submitted to any BPI branch – with no declaration of being the “normal” bank and the family savings one. Even when confronted with the said clause, they are still hesitant on receiving it and I am wondering why they are doing it that way.

I do hope BPI would improve their services especially on inter-branch transactions. I hope it is as easy as the way doing banking online.

I’m Nominated

If you would notice the first comment entry in my previous post, it indicated there that my blog is nominated for the “Filipino Blog of The Week”. The said “ranking” (or whatever more appropriate term as you would put) was created by the Composed Gentleman and I saw that the list has been running on its third year now.

This “nomination” came as a surprise as I don’t have that much new entries for the previous week as I am too busy with my training as well as I am too pre-occupied with my work, non-work, choir, moonlight, training obligations and I find it difficult to balance my time given them. Add to it the unusual internet connection I have in our house and sometimes, because of the frustration I am experiencing with dial-up connection (yes, I am still a proud dial-up connection customer) where pages seem to take forever to load, I’d rather sleep my way to the bed or do something else that might earn me some moolah. 😛

Nonetheless, if you feel like that I am “worthy” to be placed as the “Filipino Blog of The Week”, you can vote for me. Ahehehe. However, if you would browse on the link I placed above, I can’t seem to find the link to the voting area. At any rate, win or lose, rain or shine, you’ll still hear more from me. 🙂

Adios!