Be Gentle

This morning, I saw that familiar sign again. It is my everyday reminder to be gentle.

I see this everyday at the office when I'm sitting at the throne.

Yeah I need it. And I need it bad.

If you know me personally, you'll attest that I really have a bad mouth. My mind and my mouth works very good together. My mouth says what my mind thinks. Most of the times it's helpful. But sometimes I hurt people with my words. I'm not very proud of it. That I tell you. But there are some tactfulness acts that I do NOT regret doing. I always live up to my mantra that I do not want to regret things, so if I feel the need to do or say something, expect that I will. But there are some instances that I say things without even thinking about it. It might be - spur of the moment, I'm in a really angry mood, loud thinking, or just my pathetic desire to crack a joke. I don't know. I'm not even trying to explain myself here. But one thing's for sure, I only do this to the people I'm comfortable with. Is that a compliment? Nah! But believe me, I'm always quiet around people I don't know well or those I don't like.

Just recently, I had my biggest blow. I hurt someone super important to me. I posted this instantly -

Sorry for the F word. I was just totally disappointed with myself. I should have used something nicer like this cartoon from one cute person I follow on IG - 

Sometimes, in my desire to defend myself, I think that this is the real me eversince. I am like this since time immemorial. I am not getting any harsh-er. Sometimes I think it's the people I know who's getting sensitive. I surely can get away easier before. I was again reminded of my favorite line - PEOPLE CHANGE.

But then again, just thinking that I've lost a friend and that now I am staying away from a few, I have to accept that no one is at fault but ME. I'm not even sure why am I avoiding these people. At the back of my mind, I thought of it as my defense mechanism so I won't hurt them again. Or I'm just too shy to face them again.

If you have an advise for me, can you write it down? I really need it.


Praying for good vibes,
Yosh

Jayna Sophia @ 7

It's my first niece's 7th birthday yesterday, August 12. Yup, she has the same birthday as Marian Rivera which makes her very giddy everytime. Oohh the typical kiddo who idolizes Dyesebel and Marimar. :)

But since her actual birthday was a Monday, her mother, my cousin, Jonna, decided to do the party last Sunday, August 11. It was a simple McDonalds party. It was made funnier by the gay host and by Grimace! Very cute.

Anyhoo, be ready for the picture flood guys :)

Ang atis 

Ang gown sa gubat

Di halatang mura

Juan's Guide to applying for a Chinese Tourist Visa

First of all, let's make it clear that I'm no expert on applying visas whatsoever. It just so happened that we recently got approved of a Chinese Visa. So as a way of helping others, I'm posting the procedures we've done.

Scenario:
1. Two Philippine passport holder who are Filipino Nationals by birth.
2. Aiming for a renewal of Chinese Tourist Visa (meaning we've been to China before).

You might ask why won't I just post the procedures we took when we applied for the first time. That I cannot tell you because I don't know. Hehe. Seriously, the process was handled by our previous company's HR. They just asked for our passports, then a few days later they returned it with a sticker visa. Nice eh? It was all work-related though. Aww. But I'll try to put all I learned from my research here. If you find my guide with incomplete information, you can always check the  blog posts of Paul and Fran. Both are very helpful. Anyway, Let's start with mine!

STEP 1: PREPARE YOUR DOCUMENTS

Tourist or Family Visit Visa (Category L) Requirements (and tips!) 
1. Passport
- Original passport that is valid for at least another 6 months with at least one blank visa page
- Photocopy of the passport's information/photo (first) page 
- Photocopy of the passport's Emergency Contact Page.

2. Visa Application Form
- Download the form HERE.
- As indicated in the form, use a black ballpen and write in block all caps letter. The PDF can be filled up, you can do so before printing.
- Do not leave any field blank. Write N/A if the question does not apply to you.
- For the Local ID Card Number, use this format - Card type/Card No. Example: SSS/34********

3. Photo 
– Affix one color photo on the Application Form. The photo should be recent, front view, white background, in 48mm x 33mm size (passport size) without head covering. Glue the photo to the appropriate field. Stapled/taped/clipped/detached/scanned photos will not be accepted.