What Really Happened To CIC Class Of 1980?

It's been thirty  years since we graduated high school. The number of years gave me this overwhelming sense of "where did the time go"? Was it only yesterday that we were wet behind the ears, footloose, fancy-free, raring to go out and experience the world?


When i think of high school  i get flooded with wonderful memories. There were few that stood out most, like when Carol, Cynthia and I went to watch the first day showing of "Saturday Night Fever" at nine in the morning. (This was back in the days when movie houses started business in the morning and you could get to watch the same film over and over again in one day for a measly 7 pesos). How about that one afternoon we spent at the auditorium when the band, Hotdog (country's premiere band at the time) performed before us. That was a real treat.


And who could forget our classmates with memorable personalities like Ramona. Our cheerleader and majorette. A real beauty. The original Miss Congeniality. Pilar, Monina and Antonia were obvious leaders. The sultry Leila Medalla. Chona our wisecracking classmate who up until today never fails to tickle your funny bones. Back in high school i've often wondered how Louise managed to stay pretty like she-just step-out-of-the-shower-pretty...always.


I got poor grades in advance algebra. But thanks to Susanna M. for the private tutorials.  i passed the subject and finished high school. I haven't personally thanked her yet. Let this be my way of saying my heartfelt appreciation.I remember my marathon phone calls with Sirikit. We talked about anything, no holds barred. But somehow the rains of time wash away that closeness. I miss her.


(Batchmates, feel free to comment after this post about what each of you specially remember each of our classmates. Let's start a positive virus here.)


One of the adults rituals we all have to go through is attend high school reunions. Whether it's the 25th or the 50th, these emotionally-charged events can be unsettling. Sure, your acne gave way to a smoother,clearer complexion,thick coke-bottle eyeglasses traded for contact lenses and the extra weight are well-distributed now.


Going to your high school reunion might mean crossing paths again with old rivals, that classmate who used to bully you or getting caught between the old flame who shattered  your romantic dreams and the girl whose heart you broke. Well, it is time to leave the grudges and insecurities behind and make peace with the past.


It is enchanting and surreal to touch-base with the people whom you know, shared the same experiences with. It is like going back to yourself.


 I wrote this post because i am just a sentimental soul who really did have the best days of my life in the wide and quaint hallways of CIC.


Every high school class has its own set of intellectuals, beauties, rebels, sports heroes, class clowns etc. But our class had that tell-it-like-it-is boldness. We had  courage to be leaders and achievers. There will never be a class like ours.

A Friend Needs Medical Help

In Search For The Perfect Planner

If you are into everything digital you may skip reading this post. But if you love the smell and feel of paper....welcome aboard.


It is not a matter of getting on top of things but getting to the bottom of things when it comes to our to do list.


I have finally settled on using a stack of white index cards binded with a clip (as  shown here). I have tried using the run of the mill planners and personal organisers sold at local bookstores but none suited to my tastes. They are expensive and not so convenient to use.


Here's why i like using this simple stack of white index cards and binding clip other than the reason, that most techies in Silicon Valley use them:


1. It's cheap.


2. After using it, you can easily toss them in the trash and simply replace it with a fresh stack.

Ideas On How To Use The Index Card System:

1. On the front page write bold letters that say"Capture Tool". This is where you write everything that comes to mind that you think might have significance or importance later on. This might be a business idea, a quotation, a line in a popular movie, conversations you just heard, title of a song or a book, project list,half-finish compositions etc.


2. On the other side or the back part of the stack write boldly the words "Next Action List".This is where you write priorities or emergency list, items that needs to be done immediately. For example: pay electric bills, replace leaky faucet, finish writing last chapter, submit reports etc.


3. Use colored index card if you want to list a set of activities that you need to do on a regular basis like your weight training schedule and exercises, weekly chores, monthly reports.


It is that simple isn't it? I feel a sense of satisfaction as i cross off items on my to-do-list. I believe the human brain is best reserved for creative activities like writing, planning, solving problems etc. And not overcrowd your mind with remembering mundane and humdrum details of your day to day routine such as laundry or grocery list because this is what a to-do-list is use for.

Ditch Your Inner Dork To Become Good With Women

            Can I Have This Truffle To Complete My Collection Of  Bon- bons?

 Learn this one thing, and you will say goodbye to relationship and dating problems forever. The girl chooses. Yes, it is the woman who starts the relationship and it is the woman one way or another ends it. The female specie holds the rejection card. They have the veto power. It is never been more true today as it was, decades ago and it will always be that way a 100 years from now.


In a relationship that goes the distance, it was the girl who checked you out first. It was the woman who fell in love first-at least in her mind. Women do the choosing. It takes place the split second she laid eyes on you. You don't have to be the hunk from heaven but you have to have a particular look that she likes.


 If she doesn't like you from the get-go, you are never going to float the love boat no matter how hard you paddle. No amount of subtle to outrageous complements and flower giving could start a relationship. By the way, if bouquets of Holland tulips created genuine romantic interests from women, guys would be giving bunches of them outside modeling agencies everyday. When i say creating romantic interests i mean, make the woman feel the i-want-to-jump-your-bones kind of attraction not the lets-be-friends-first variety.


If your girlfriend's romantic level in you has sunk lower than the Titanic, that means you are getting everything less than what you deserve from her. Please don't grovel on your knees and beg.And act like a dork. It's time to move on greener pastures.


If we Homo sapiens already discovered how to crack the DNA code, don't you think it is time for us to have the smarts to make a dent in our increasing annulment and divorce rates, by having the wisdom that it's really the girl after all who chooses?

Is It Time To Start Following Your Dreams And Find Your True Calling?

"Jovy, you have to learn the ropes of running the business, because someday it will be yours." My mother once said to me. "But mom, it is not my field of interest". I replied. "If you won't run it, who will? Do it to survive" was her quick repartee. That conversation took place a long time ago and became the basis of my career choice.


I formally took over my mother's business when she passed on. I learned all the skills and worked on it as what an obedient daughter to her mother should. It was more of an obligation for me to continue a family legacy, than supposedly pursue it out of fiery passion or at least a subtle hint of enthusiasm.


Throughout the years, there was this nagging emptiness that was going on inside of me. Thinking, how sad it would be if i'm never going to follow what i was meant to do.


 Finally, I decided, i don't want to be stuck in a job i really don't care about. I don't want to be the person who drums his fingers on the table waiting for the clock to tick five in the afternoon and goes out of the office as if his hair was on fire. How many do you know who is just merely spinning wheels  just to get by?


What i do want is to get involve in a vocation where in, i don't have to look forward to the weekend because going to work feels like it is a weekend everyday. The work itself is the reward. Doing something you love makes you go the extra mile and put the hours in. You want to study and learn all about it. Even dream about it at night. It makes you want to say "Thank God it's monday!"


It took years of deep soul searching, praying, skills assessing (via reading the book What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles) and trying a series of forgettable jobs, to discover my one true passion. This time, i'm being true to myself and followed what my heart says. I am telling you it is deeply fulfilling and finally i can feel a sense of belonging.


At the risk of sounding like a cheesy self help douchebag i am compelled to personally convince anyone to go follow your dreams and find your true calling. That's my personal credo and my lifetime mission statement. There is no greater shame in life than never giving your dreams a real shot.


Do something you half-love and you only work on it with half-effort. It is a waste of time working on anything other than what you love most.

The One Book Every Career Changer Must Read

College freshmen flunk more subjects and change more courses compared to college sophomores, juniors and seniors. It is a statistical fact. More often than not college freshmen are clueless about  what courses to take to prepare them for jobs they suitably and happily fit in.

Do you ever  wonder why in high school there  was only one Career Week to probe a myriad of career choices?   Such a short period to prepare for a lifetime endeavor.

Lucky are those people, who as a child played with toy stethoscope and became a successful doctor later on in life. Or those kids who hum in perfect pitch  nursery rhymes and became international singers when they grew up. For some finding the career they love just naturally fell into their laps and considered it a no-brainer. Kudos to them!

But what about those individuals who had to wade through different college courses and jobs to find that one calling that is meant for them? That is where this book  What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles (now on its 2011 edition) comes in. Reading this book changed the way i perceived life's avocation. It really helped me with my career choices and i recommend it for you, your child or those who need career guidance.

What Color Is Your Parachute is a simple guideline to help you find your most favorite skill, favorite environment to work in and favorite subjects that will eventually lead you to a job you would never realized, want. It is a perfect graduation gift.Seo Tricks.

About Me

Starting this blog makes me feel like i'm a mosquito in a nudist's camp. I don't know where to begin.

But I'll try.

My name is Jovy and i live in Cebu City,Philippines. I was born in the flower power generation when puka beads,tie-dye shirts,macrame,Grateful Dead albums and Jimi Hendrix guitar picks were vogue. I spent my teenage years dancing to Michael Jackson's music as i watched seven  songs from his Thriller album simultaneously hit the top ten Billboard charts, an amazing feat.But i digress.

Today, as much as social networking sites,Apple versus Microsoft, Iphones over Blackberrys are the zeitgeist of our times, i have come to accept the absorption of junk mail as part of my daily life.

I took over my mother's cake shop business when she passed on. It was like a baton that was handed to me to continue a family legacy. Dwarfed and humbled  by a more talented mother and cousins,  i felt like i was a square peg in a round hole. I didn't fit in. I did not belong. I felt the need to find my true calling. For years i did not take the leap, after all i was comfortable.I was  the boss and made enough money to pay the bills. When my business tanked, here was the opportunity for me to actively begin my long-standing quest for a vocation that i'm truly passionate about. Thus,this blog was born. Hence, the title.

Do what you love. Follow your dreams. This is going to be my lifetime mission statement. Even if you are just starting out in life, in your prime or just a few years away from assisted living, find the job that showcases your favorite skill. Something that enhances your self-esteem. There is nothing like living the life you have always wanted.

My aim is to make Second Act a platform where i can inform,inspire and hopefully entertain the readers. I don't claim to be an expert at subjects I am going to be writing here. Just sharing experiences and ideas that worked for me.

Thanks For Visiting!