January 2013 – Katrina Karen

Quick updates

Thank you to all those who read my previous post, wrote comments and wished us well. My cousin’s interview went well. She thinks so. I believe in her. She has done her best so we will just have to wait. I got back two days ago but I am still overwhelmed by the backlog I have (mostly laundry!) and the workload I have for this week. I am slowly completing one task at a time.

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It was a long trip and I was fine. I did not vomit at all! It is quite an achievement for me. It was all for work so I did not take photos. The only evidence I have that I was in that part of the country was this photo.

It only means one thing. I need to go back to explore the place like any regular tourist. Because I already know how to get there, travel will be easier. I am so excited.

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When the time comes, I hope to take lots of photos. I have compiled photos and videos of my different trips. While I have posted most of my photos in this blog and on Facebook, I have also posted a few of the videos as a videoblog to my friend in Canada. We started exchanging videoblogs when she went on a trip to Saipan and Japan. I wanted to be part of the experience so she made some videos for me. I did a few on my own whenever I roam around my beloved city.

With the advent of mobile phones with high definition video recording, creating home videos has leveled up. It is no wonder that there is an increasing number of talents who gained celebrity status by create catchy home videos. Video editing is no longer limited to professionals. With http://www.movietoolbox.com/joiner.html, putting together video presentations will be easier. What it does is to stitch together multiple video files to create one seamless movie experience.

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Hopeful

I just finished packing. I am traveling tomorrow. This time it is for work. I have wrapped up some online deadlines I have. I still have a few deadlines for next week while I am away. I just hope that there is internet access in our destination so I can get things done, too. I made a major purchase this year so I hope I get to put it to good use. I also made some business arrangements legitimatizing my freelance work. Everything is in order so I am hopeful for this year.

I hope to be able to do this.

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I received some good news last night. My cousin will have her final interview for the job she applied for last year. She really wanted (and needed) this job. She is a nurse. She was out of job last year because nursing schools have been downsizing. Nursing enrollment has gone down while enrollment to hospitality courses like culinary arts and hotel and restaurant management has gone up. I am proud of my cousin for coveting the final interview. I guess she must have an impressive cover letter for resume. I really hope she gets the job because she has great qualifications. In every company she was a part of, she had shown to be an asset to the company. I am sending positive vibes her way. May she be able to answer questions in a straightforward manner.

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I can see a bright future ahead. Thank you, God.

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10 Interesting Things About Sagada

This post is long overdue. I went to Sagada with friends last November and because of the frenzy of the holidays, I was not able find the time to share stories of my Sagada trip. Until now. Can I just say this? My trip to Sagada was unbelievably fun! I have done things I have not dreamed of doing but I did them anyway. To keep my post in an organized manner as I have almost forgotten some of the things I wanted to share, let me list the 10 interesting things I remember about my trip to Sagada.

1. The side trip to Banaue. The rice terraces are breathtaking. I had the chance to take a few snapshots before the fog hid them from view.

Of course, we cannot resist capturing some jump shots.

photo credit: Ayet J.

2. The Cold Breeze. Sagada is in the Mountain Province. It is one of the highest towns in the country. I am used to hot and wet climate but the I seldom experience this type of cold temperature. I love how it feels like being inside an air-conditioned room. There are times I cannot stand the cold but most of them time, I love it.

3. Spelunking. Spelunking is the sport where people explore caves. (Merriam Webster) This is the most difficult part of the trip. The entire activity lasted for 6 hours. We climbed, crawled, hanged on a rope, piggybacked on the guide, slid on the rocks and prayed for dear life all in the name of adventure. I never expected I could do all those things but I did. Buwis buhay just to see these amazing cave formations.

And below is just one of the things we have to do just to get through. Once you are inside the cave, there is no turning back. You have to move forward.

4. There is abundance of nature in Sagada and all I had to do is click away. As I always say, nature photography is foolproof.

5. You need to walk everywhere. There are no tricycles in the town. To explore interesting spots, you must learn how to hike.

We climbed rocks.

We maneuver terrain like this.

6. Some Sagada folks still follow tradition. They hang their coffins. The guide said, “Where do want to be? Under the ground where you carry the weight of the world or above ground where you can seethe world?”

I wonder if they believe in psychic readings and astrology. I have not asked the guide. Some readings are meant to answer questions that is bothering the mind. It is quite fascinating.

7. Souvenir shopping. The place is know for their weaving. I regretted not buying a bag from them. I bought a shirt, fridge magnets and strawberry jam. Well, there is always next time for the bag!

8. Food. The vegetables are always fresh. There’s always that crunch when I bite into them. Plus, we tried their yogurt and lemon pie.

9. Sunrise at Kiltepan. We woke up early to experience seeing the rising sun with a blanket of clouds underneath.

When the clouds rolled by, we realized we were above the Sagada rice terraces.

10. Sagada is a like a movie set and the movie is….”Breaking Dawn!” ha! We watched the movie before we went to Sagada and it was like being in Forks, Washington. Naks!

Look at us preparing for our jump shot. We look like a coven ready to support the Cullen family. Haha!

Sagada is 14 hours away from Manila. It is worth the trip. I never regretted making a trip there. The great thing is I did not vomit or felt dizzy even with the total 28 hours of travel.

It was a truly wonderful experience.

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Aruba ACMP Certification Exam

The Aruba ACMP, which actually stands for Aruba Certified Mobility Professional, is a certification exam that allows you to demonstrate your expertise as an engineer capable of building and troubleshooting more complicated WLAN networks, including those that are in multiple controller environments with complex settings and functionalities. Mobile accessibility in complex systems is exactly what the ACMP certification exam allows you to document, and ensuring you have the skills, knowledge and abilities to not only implement WLANs in these more complex networking situations, but that you can maintain and troubleshoot the networks you establish for customers and clients as well.

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The Aruba Certified Mobility Professional exam features questions on all topics pertinent to the building and implementation of complex WLAN networks for large-scale mobile accessibility projects. Questions include topics like design and networking topology, GUI and CLI interpretation, configuration and troubleshooting, and firewall topics. Additionally, you’ll need to understand the overall details of Aruba products, operations, and apps and solutions in order to successfully pass the ACMP exam.

Aruba recommended focused training through a formal, instructor led exam prep course called “Scalable WLAN Design and Implementation” class. You should also review the exam guide available on the Aruba website, and consider using self study programs, tutorials and practice tests made available through sites like TestsLive.com, which can help you master the materials sooner and boost your performance on the ACMP exam.

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Practice tests are a major part of a successful exam preparation plan. They allow you to measure your testing readiness before sitting for the formal exam from Aruba. Additionally, practice exams can help you understand which areas of the covered materials you may need to dedicate further study time to and which portions of the testing materials you’ve already mastered.

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Share Your Light

It is Sunday and the city is quite. My aunt heard on the news that there might be a storm coming our way. Although my alternative weather report source did not think that the low pressure area is going to develop into a typhoon, heavy rains are expected. It never hurts to be prepared.

When thinking about being prepared, candles are often on my list. I realized that I have used different types of candles for different occasions.

There is the do-it-yourself type we use during bad weather and occasions when we need to light candles for long periods of time like brownouts.

During the New Year of 2012, we had prosperity candles. We have to wait which colored candle burns faster. There is a particular blessing assigned to each color. I got yellow last year and it signified brightness. I must agree that my 2012 was quite bright.

I forgot to buy this set of candles this year and I would like to believe that the reason I forgot to buy a set is sign from the universe that I do not need candles to what my year would be like. This year will be prosperous for everyone including me! I declare it.

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I have also used tea candles to remember my loved ones. This type of candle comes in a 200-pack set which my aunt uses when she prays. I think the pack lasted for almost a year.

We also use even just one tiny candle to celebrate a significant day. A candle differentiates a birthday cake from any other cakes. I wonder who started the trend of lighting a candle on birthday cakes.

There is something about the candle’s glow that signifies hope and reassurance. We would quickly close our eyes and say a prayer (or a wish) before blowing off the light.