My Hub on What “The New Way to Work” Means to Me

I have just recently joined a competition sponsored by Elance.Inc. (where I am one of the providers). The contest is called "The New Way to Work" and it basically challenges us to write what the new way to work is for us. In order to join this contest, I have written a hub on what "The New Way to Work" means to me.

Writing this hub put into words what basically I could not really verbalize. Up until now, few people know that I am writing online and for those who do, they can't quite believe what I'm doing. I can hear words like "but you're busy, how can you still do it?" Or "does it really work? will you earn any money from it?". Well, news flash. It does work. I've been writing online for almost one year now and I can honestly say I've enjoyed every minute of it (deadlines, cramming, procrastinating, writing proposals, managing time and all).

The money? Oh let's see. Right now, it's secondary. I mean, don't get me wrong. I do earn money here, not enough to make this a full-time job but enough to say that it is significant, in the sense that I have more financial freedom plus I also have the means to give to other people.

So what does the new way to work means to me? Visit my hub and find out. Oh and don't forget to leave a message while you're at it. Cheers!

Various Traditions in the Philippines

Other than its beautiful islands and friendly people, my country (the Philippines) also has a rich tradition. Some (if not most) of these traditions stem from our more than 300 years of Spanish rule. Others we obtained from our predominantly Catholic traditions. Still others came from our adoption of Western cultures, that we, of course, customized to fit our local culture.

To start with, we have our Halloween traditions. These traditions are based on our Catholic / Christian beliefs. It is during the Halloween (Nov. 1 and 2 actually) where we get to visit our dead loved ones in the cemetery, meet with our living relatives and friends and generally, have a great time remembering and reminiscing those times when our loved ones were still alive. Candles, flowers, food, drinks, shelters - all these are just some of the staples found during this time.

Then we have our Christmas celebrations. We, Filipinos, are said to have one of the longest Christmas celebrations in the world. I mean, as early as September, we are already hearing Christmas songs on TV and radio programs. By October, the Christmas decors are already up (yes, even before the Halloween). During this time, Filipinos are already starting to buy Christmas gifts in anticipation of the rising prices of these gifts. By November, almost everything is in full swing. When it comes to Christmas traditions, there's no beating our 9-day dawn mass (called Simbang Gabi) and our Christmas foods. The Christmas atmosphere is so festive that a lot of our countrymen who are working in other countries make it a point to go home during Christmas, braving the airport crowd and the traffic in our metropolis.

Lastly, let's not forget our New Year traditions. On the heels of our Christmas celebrations, our New Year is characterized by noise-making (through fireworks and firecrackers), lots of food (including our tradition of having 12 round fruits for good luck) and New Year beliefs (i.e., polka-dot dress, money in the pockets / wallets, open doors, windows and lights). This is truly a most exciting time for us and something that we really look forward to during the year.

A Hub About Freelance Writing and Working at Home

I've been writing various articles and papers for one year now and I can honestly say I haven't regretted any single moment I spent writing. With over 70 papers behind me and a couple of thousand dollars in revenue, I can also say that this has been a really worthwhile experience for me monetarily / financially.

What do I write? Well, mostly about accounting (including financial statements, IFRS, US GAAP, and disclosures) and auditing stuff. Since this is my profession, this is where my knowledge lies. Other than this, I also write about business and marketing, teaching and fraud. I've even started blogging about my experiences in an auditing firm.

What else? I've also done some research assignments - one for trivia facts and the other for wedding ideas! All in all, I'd say I've researched about 1,000 items for these two assignments. Not bad considering I'm doing this all on my own.

So if you want to read more, why not visit my hub here? I'm sure you can find something that will relate to you. The hub also discusses my plans for the future. Of course I'll continue with my freelance jobs. Plus a new blog entirely on my own. So go ahead and read it. Just don't forget to leave me a comment after reading the hub! Cheers!

Domestic Violence...Not Against Women but against MEN!

When we think about domestic violence or abuse, we often picture a battered woman or a battered child, with black eyes or bruises in various parts of their body (and even the face). But there's another victim not commonly talked about - the men.

This week, Hubpages featured hubs about domestic violence. Looking through the new hubs nearly broke my heart. They told of sufferings, of personal experiences, of crying out for help and of recovery. Some hubs talked about what to do when faced with domestic violence. It seemed everything were being written about, everything, that is, except for domestic violence against men.

And that gave me an idea. I decided to go against mainstream and write about domestic violence against men. I know a lot of people may not agree to what I wrote. Some of them may have a violent reaction. Still others might deny that men are really victims of domestic violence. But the statistics that I researched and the articles I've read prove otherwise.

So if you have time, why not visit my hub, read it and tell me what you think? I'll definitely appreciate it.