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Have you got $25,000 to spare? Well, you might want to splurge it on this.


It's called the "Frrozen Haute Chocolate," which is a blend of 28 cocoas, including 14 of the most expensive and exotic from around the world.

The dessert, spelled with two Rs, is infused with 5 grams of edible 23-karat gold and served in a goblet lined with edible gold. At the base of the goblet is an 18-karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds.

The sundae is topped with whipped cream covered with more gold and a side of La Madeline au Truffle from Knipschildt Chocolatier, which sells for $2,600 a pound.

It is eaten with a gold spoon decorated with white and chocolate-colored diamonds, which can also be taken home.

Outrageous, eh? Even if I did have to extra cash to blow off on this very "rich" dessert, I don't think I would waste my money on such an extravagance. I'd rather buy my family and myself plane tickets and have a long, well-deserved holiday with more than enough pocket money to spend. But, hey, that's just me. :)

Here's a funny video clip of Anita Renfroe singing to the tune of the William Tell Overture dedicated to all the hardworking mommies in the world. Listen carefully to the lyrics of the song. I'm sure all the mothers out there can relate to this. :)

With the rise in the world's aging population these days, it is no wonder that there is also a resulting high demand for nursing homes specially in western countries. An example of this is our cousin P who has recently decided to convert her own home into a care home. The demand for such must be so high as she saw this need to set up one herself.

Had I proceeded with my plans of working in the US, I, too, would have worked in the same setting as my aunt could help me get a position in the company she worked for. This big demand has encouraged most incoming college students to take up nursing as well to meet the requirements needed in the healthcare industry. It just goes to show that less and less people in the western world are having kids of their own because the seniors now outnumber the youngsters. At some point, it is a good thing because it creates jobs in healthcare. On the other hand, when all the elderly go to finally rest in peace, will the young ones be able to fill that void that the seniors left? Let's have good think about this.

There's been a lot of toy recalls this year. It started with the ones produced by toy giants Mattel and Fisher-Price because of the toxic lead content in the paint that they used for these items. Recently, the Bindeez toy range joined in the ranks. Apparently, the small beads contained a chemical which converts into an illegal fantasy drug when swallowed. So far, three children have already been hospitalised as a result (Source: SMH).

What's happening? When I was a kid, I don't believe there were any similar horror stories concerning children's toys. Maybe it is because kids then tended to go out and play more with their peers. Today, play is such a complex thing, with the gazillions of toys to choose from including computer games. Sometimes, it's best to just stick with the basics.

Congratulations to those who have passed the November 2007 Electronics Engineer Licensure Examination (ECE Board Exam).

To name few:
Ate April, Ate Friend, Ate Marlanne, Kuya Marlo, Kuya Mark, Kuya Ian. Congratulations to you and the rest of the March 2007 ECE Graduates.

Ako na naman next year.







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A few days ago, we featured information for occupational therapists on how to get around working in the UK. Today, we are providing valuable information from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) which may be useful for physical therapists (or physiotherapists) who are interested to practice in the UK.

Registration in the UK

All physiotherapists practising in the United Kingdom, including applicants from countries within the European Economic Area (EEA), are required by law to be registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC).

Applications for registration must be made on the official application forms. Download the forms from the HPC website or get it from their international registration department:

International Registration Team
The Health Professions Council (HPC)
184 Kennington Park Road
London SE11 4BU
tel +44 (0)20 7840 9804 or Lo-Call 0845 3004720 (UK residents only)
fax +44 (0)20 7840 9803
email: international@hpc-uk.org (state ‘physiotherapy’ in the subject email )
website: www.hpc-uk.org

Registration confers the legal right to practice and to use the protected titles ‘physiotherapist’ and ‘physical therapist’. It is a criminal offence to practice using these titles, without HPC registration.

The HPC and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

The HPC and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) are separate organisations with different functions.

The Health Professions Council
The Health Professions Council is an independent legal body with responsibility for registration of physiotherapists and other allied health professions. It deals with standards of education and training; conduct, performance, and ethics; fitness to practise; and protection of the public. Contact the HPC to register as a practising physiotherapist in the UK.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK’s physiotherapists, assistants and students. It ensures that UK physiotherapists are recognised, respected and rewarded, for their essential contribution to health and social care. Contact the CSP for advice about finding a period of adaptation, joining the Society and member benefits.

HPC standards

Your attention is drawn to important information on the HPC Website which plays a central role in how you gain admission to, and remain on the register. Please read carefully the:

• Standards of proficiency - for Physiotherapists
• Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
• The guidance notes for international applicants
• Language competence requirements

Language competence
Physiotherapists must have reached a standard equivalent to average academic level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no element below 6.5, OR a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (equivalent computerised test score 250).

The HPC recognises other standards of English proficiency, for full details please read the guidance notes for International applicants found on the HPC website (www.hpc-uk.org).

Applicants from Member Countries of the European Economic Area

The European Economic Area (EEA) includes all member countries of the European Union, plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland. EEA applicants must have acquired rights to EU nationality (citizenship) and hold a legal licence to practice in their home state. The HPC will determine the status of acquired rights if migrants present with complex nationality issues or have trained in a third country.

Applications from these countries will be treated in the same way according to EEC Directives governing migration. Whilst there is no automatic recognition of professional qualifications or the automatic right to practise physiotherapy in any member state, all applicants have a right to be considered.

The General Directive 89/48/EEC provides for mutual recognition of higher educational diplomas awarded on completion of professional education at university level or equivalent, of at least three years (or part time equivalent). Directive 92/51/EEC allows physiotherapists who have completed a two-year diploma course to be considered.

An applicant’s qualifying education should broadly correspond with the UK BSc Honours degree programme in terms of academic equivalence and scope of study. Applicants are assessed against the HPC’s benchmark standards of proficiency expected of a newly qualified UK-trained physiotherapist. The assessment examines the whole range of skills and knowledge required.

Outcome of the registration process for all applicants

• Acceptance onto the register
• Rejection with a copy of the assessment record showing where HPC identified shortfalls in training/education/experience.
• Period of Adaptation (EEA only). For example a further course of study, or a period of supervised clinical practice which will enable the standards of competence to be met. The HPC may stipulate a time frame for completion.
• Request for further verification or invitation to attend a Test of Competence based on the standards of proficiency

The applicant is responsible for arranging adaptation and meeting the cost. The CSP can only offer general advice. Call the Society and ask for information paper PA10b - Periods of Adaptation.

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1. What food did you crave when you were pregnant?
Actually, I did not crave for anything during the first trimester because I had morning & afternoon sickness. My appetite went back to normal in the second trimester. I was craving for Filipino food. Lucky for me, we were spending Christmas that year in the Philippines.

2. Did you gain a lot of weight when you were pregnant?
All in all I gained 20 kilos. The weight was all in my belly and breasts.

3. Did you drink milk when you were pregnant?
Yes, and I still do. I drink non/low-fat so that I don't put on extra weight.

4. How long did you stay in the labor room before your delivery?
Not too long. We got to the delivery suite at 1 AM. I delivered Erin at 3:23 AM.

5. Did you have epidural during labor?
Nope! Everything went by so fast I did not have time to ask for it. :P

6. How did you give birth?
The normal way. Fortunately, there were no complications. Erin was very cooperative because she was in the optimal fetal position so she came out easily. It was just a matter of knowing for me how to correctly push her out.

7. What was your first reaction when you heard your baby’s cry and saw him/her for the first time?
I didn't cry! It all felt so surreal to me. One thing I knew though was that I wanted to hold her in my arms instantly. :)

8. Prior to that moment when you first held your baby, did you know how to carry a newborn?
Yes. I was able to take care of three of my four younger siblings so it was not something new to me.

9. Did you take a bath after your delivery?
Yes! I was done with all the stitching at around 5:30 and the midwife told me to get up and take a shower because I had to vacate the room at 6. Talk about speed! :P J had to help me out because I could hardly stand up then.

10. How was your first night with your baby like?
It was a sleepless night for J and I! Erin was roomed in with us soon after the delivery. She kept us awake the entire time. She was hungry because I was not yet producing any breastmilk then.

11. Did you breastfeed your baby?
Yes, even though I was not producing milk at first. I am still breastfeeding Erin up to this moment. She will be eight months old on the 18th.

12. If you were to pick just one moment from the time you gave birth until the moment you were discharged from the hospital, which do you think is the most special moment for you?
For me, it was when I saw her come out and cry for the first time. Then I was able to hold her in my arms. It was very memorable!

If you're a mommy too, you can tag yourself as well. :)

I am still wishing that I could hop on a plane and attend our college reunion in Florida next year. The States would be an interesting place to visit, as I have never been there yet. More so Florida because of all the wonderful beaches they got there. I am sure we are going to book ourselves a room at one of those orlando hotels, where most of the attractions are nearby.

At Orlando.com, you'll find a comprehensive list of the hotels, car rentals and flights that will come in handy especially if you are planning to go on a holiday in Florida. You can find everything you need on their site with just a click on your mouse. All you need to do really is show up and have an awesome time, which I sure will if I had the luxury of attending the reunion.

J and I got overly excited about coming up with a new blog for us to put up. In our eagerness, we went to our host to reserve the URL and pay for one year hosting without batting an eyelash. After a few minutes, we realized we could just do this on a subdomain of our main website. Ha! Talk about being impulsive! So that's what we eventually did - create a subdomain for no extra charge at. And now J has to write the hosting company to ask for a refund. He says it won't be problem. We'll see about that. :P

Each day, I check out what my level is in the TTLB ecosystem. It is a good indicator of the amount of traffic that is driven to your site daily. On days when I am inactive in posting, you'll find that I can just be a multicellular organism. On good days, I have been a crunchy crustacean. But the best living thing I have been so far was to be a crawly amphibian. And that was yesterday.

Yes, I am slowly evolving to a higher form of organism. Today though, I sunk back to being a flippery fish. I wonder what tomorrow holds for me. How about you? What's your level on the TTLB Ecosystem?

Don't you just hate it when you run out of cash in the midst of all your holiday shopping? That would be just the pits! At this time of year, you cannot afford to go broke. The perfect solution for you to this dilemma would be to apply for Payday Loans. It is only a short-term loan so you can pay it off easily at a time when you've got more money to spare. With this in mind, you can go mad on those great holiday shopping deals.

In my search to provide some pieces of evidence for my permanent residency application, we uncovered a couple of pictures of Erin which were taken by our niece C. We haven't seen these photos before so they were a pleasant surprise when we got hold of them recently.

She is so chubby in those pictures! Since then, she has grown so much. :)

If you are a busy stay-at-home parent (like me) or a full-time employee at the office (like J), but would still want to earn a degree then worry no more. The online courses at capella university are worth looking into. They have a wide variety of course areas to choose from and these are offered in fifty states and fifty-six countries.

Heck, I would because I haven't really worked for two years now and I feel I need to catch up on a lot of things, especially since I belong to the healthcare industry. With the scientific and technological advances now, brushing up on new methods and treatments for our patients is needed. But with Erin around and still too dependent on me, it would have to take a backseat for the moment.

Nov 2, 2007. The date to remember for the year 2007. It's our 12th year wedding anniversary. 12 long years of being united. 12 years of sharing. 12 years of loving each other, thru thick or thin...I always pray to Father God that He bless my family more... that He be always with us and be always there to protect this bonding of ours... (more photos to follow...)

That’s it. All my creative juices have run out. I have nothing more to give as far as paid posting is concerned. Besides, the little girl is starting to get cranky, which gets me cranky too by the way . I need to entertain her until her father gets home. At least now, I am assured of the fact that I will have work to do tomorrow. I was just able to grab a few opps only a few minutes ago. What luck! Alright, I’m signing out!

Owning a flat screen television these days is such a common thing that every household seems to have one. That is excluding us. We have not joined the LCD TV bandwagon yet as all our sets are in good working condition. But, don't get us wrong. It definitely is on our wishlist as it is such a fine appliance if you ask me! :)

There are lots of brands to choose from like the sharp HDTV that our relative has. I imagine we will have a very difficult time deciding which one to purchase if we ever come to that point. But there is Krillion.com to help us out with that dilemma. I am sure it will make the decision-making easier than expected because their site can recommend products that will suit our needs.

Here's a little passage that was forwarded to me via email. It is written in Filipino and it talks about life in the States (or anywhere overseas for that matter). I'm pretty sure it will pull on your heartstrings. If you beg to differ, then please leave a comment for this post. We'd love to hear your take on this. :)

BUHAY AMERIKA

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka...

Akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano. Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America.

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America. Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disney, Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo namnamin ang 10 hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa tiket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America. Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa pres ong dolyar mo din gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America, ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas P40.00, sa America $5.00, ang upa mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa pilipinas, sa America $1,000.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America. Lalo na mga nurses, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America. Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para magsurvive ka sa ibang bansa. Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag-alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay. Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.

~Anonymous