Emievil @ Hubpages

Winners of the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards

2012-01-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

Last Dec. 3, 2011, the Philippine Blog Awards announced their 2011 winners in different categories. The Philippine Blog Awards is an annual event to recognize the outstanding blogs in the Filipino blogging community. The first awards were given out in 2007, in an event that was attended by more than 200 bloggers and participants.

For 2011, there were 26 major categories. A few of these awards were the best personal blog, the best humor blog, best beauty and fashion blog, best travel blog, the best blog design, best business blog and best entertainment blog.

If you want to find out more, these hubs provide short descriptions of each of the winner - blogs. You have to read all of them to find out who won in each of the 26 categories. Due to the number of winners (which will result to like 3,000 words or more), the writer / hubber opted to write three, instead of one, hubs. So here are their links:

http://emievil.hubpages.com/hub/Philippine-Blog-Awards-2011-Winners

http://emievil.hubpages.com/hub/The-Next-9-Winners-of-the-2011-Philippine-Blog-Awards

http://emievil.hubpages.com/hub/Winners-of-the-2011-Philippine-Blog-Awards

To the winners, congratulations! To the readers, thank you very much for taking the time to read and to support these blogs.

Ciao!

Wolf Rings, Computer Tablets, Tablet PCs, Coffee Makers, Anyone?

2011-11-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

Well, this month has been a busy one for me. I have published 5 hubs so far, 4 of them for Amazon products. I will feature the fifth one in my next blog post.

For the four Amazon - inspired hubs, the first one is the single cup coffee maker. These coffee makers are for those who love to drink a cup of coffee anytime during the day but doesn't want to waste the remaining coffee or re - heat it. These single cup coffee makers are portable, stylish looking and affordable.

The second pertains to my first (and so far only) Christmas gift hub for this year. It features Tablet PCs from Amazon.com. These are portable tablet computers that you can now see everywhere you go. Brands featured in this hub include HP, Acer, Asus, Blackberry, Toshiba and Motorola.

The third is all about computer pen tablets, also from Amazon.com. Computer pen tablets are those external devices one can use to write and to draw on. These are great for graphics designer and those who are artistic. These devices are slim ones so you can take them anywhere you go.

The fourth hub is about wolf rings. This one is the odd hub in all the hubs featured in this blog post. I thought about this hub because I've always been fascinated with wolves and when I looked over Amazon.com, I really liked their selection of wolf rings. Some are tribal, some are sterling silver, some are stainless steel rings, but they all depict this majestic animal in all its glory.

Well, those are my first 4 hubs for this month. Hope you enjoy reading them as I've enjoyed writing them.

How Many Ways Can You Eat Durian?

2011-04-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

Durian is one of those fruits that a person can either hate or love. There's no in - between, either you love it or you hate it. Those who hate durian will not go anywhere near this fruit. But those who love it? Hmmmm, just try to stop them and you certainly won't like the results.

Eating the durian fruit is quite an experience. But then again, eating the fruit is not the only way you can eat durian. There are a lot of ways, and nine of them are featured in this hub, 10 Ways to Eat Durian.

So let me count the ways featured in that hub.

First is of course, the fruit.

The next two are beverages - durian coffee and durian shake, both of which I've tried out in Davao City.

Then the next seven are all desserts (mmmmm!). You have the durian muffin, the durian candy, the durian egg tart, the durian pie, the durian cheesecake, the durian ice cream and the durian pancake.

If you're not a fan of durian, I suggest you start first with the durian candy. Some had hardly any taste of durian (but they still have the smell). Or if you love ice cream, go for the durian ice cream. Then gradually eat those dessert items with more durian taste in them (like the cheesecake and the pie). Then go up to durian coffee, durian shake and finally, durian fruit.

Oh and by the way, the picture above is courtesy of this site - http://www.quinnsupport.com/durian-better-than-the-papaya-and-watermelon-1768.html. Ciao and have fun eating durian!

Hush, Hush vs. Twilight

2010-09-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the biggest phenomenon right now, in terms of novels (and movies) for young ones (and the young at heart) is the Twilight series. If you've read the novel or watched the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I'm not going into the details on why I think this series is so popular. I mean who can resist a mysterious immortal falling in love with a damsel in distress (who happens to be a mortal)?

But there's another novel right now that's being talked about, and that is Hush, Hush. It's like Twilight in the sense that the male character is also an immortal (although he is a fallen angel, not a vampire) and the female character is a mortal who happens to be in danger all the time (much like Bella). But then again, there's more to Hush, Hush than being another Twilight copycat.

This hub provides a rundown of the similarities and differences between these two novels. Suffice it to say that it cannot be denied that the two are similar in certain cases. However, they also have their differences and these differences, without a doubt, make each one of them special in their own way. Hope you enjoy reading this hub as I enjoyed reading the two books. Thanks!

Thong Sandals for This Summer

2010-07-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

It's summer time once again (well, at least for some parts of the world). Time to hit the beach, the poolside and generally, have fun.

What better way to have fun this summer than to ensure that you wear the most comfortable footwear there is. Yep, I'm talking about thong sandals. And not just any thong sandals - thong sandals that are in the bestselling list of Amazon.

I wrote the first hub, Amazon's Bestselling Women's Thong Sandals, a few days ago. I couldn't help but feel that I just want to add everything on My Cart and buy all of them. Those are some great choices, great designs, cute colors and they all look comfortable and easy to wear too.

Not content with the hub about women's thong sandals, I published the Amazon's Bestselling Men's Sandals barely 24 hours ago. I know I'm not a man nor do I have big feet to fit on one of those men's sandals. But I do know that they look just as interesting as the women's thong sandals. I'm hard pressed to hide these wonderful products from my husband just in case he gets it into his head to buy one of those sandals.

So, whether it is men's sandals or women's thong sandals, I really hope you will find what's best for you. Have a happy summer!

Franchises: Advantages, Disadvantages and Things to Consider

2010-06-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Franchises are the 'in' thing nowadays in the business world. In fact, in my country, there's never a better year (or decade) than this one to go into franchise. Notwithstanding the financial crisis, franchised business are springing up left and right.

So, are you one of those who are interested in getting a franchise for your business? Are you ready to become a franchisee? In this hub, I wrote about the things that one needs to consider before getting a franchise. They're actually more on questions that you need to ask yourself before even pursuing any franchised business.

Before going for a franchise, you may want to know about the advantages and disadvantages of franchising. Forewarned is forearmed and franchising is no exception. You may have the guts, you may have the money, you may have the brains but still, if franchising is not meant for you and you don't have the passion for it, then nothing can make you successful in it.

So good luck. I hope you find the right franchise for you.

For the 2010 Philippine Elections

2010-03-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Two months from now, we'll be choosing a new set of government officials, from the President, to the Vice - President, the Senators, the Congressmen, mayors down to the city councilors. I tell you it's no easy feat to choose the right candidate. Here are just some of the statistics - 9 presidential candidates, 7 vice presidential candidates, more than 60 candidates for senators. And those are just in the national level, what more in the local levels?

In recognition of these all - important elections, I have written two hubs to introduce and provide some information about the presidential and vice - presidential candidates. My hub on Meet the Philippines 2010 Presidential Candidates lists the nine presidential candidates. Nearly all of the candidates have political background. One is a son of a former president, another one is actually a former president (!), four are incumbent senators, one is a former cabinet secretary, one is a councilor (the youngest at the age of 40) while another one is from the private sector. Two of these candidates are running as independents and have no vice - presidential or senatorial candidates. Only one among these nine candidates is female.

My second hub on Meet the Philippines 2010 Vice - Presidential Candidates lists seven candidates, only one of whom is female. One is a current mayor of the business district of the country, two are senators, two served as heads of several government agencies, one is from the private sector and one comes from the entertainment industry.

This is a crucial time for our country as a lot of people are hankering for real changes that can make an impact in our lives. Choosing the right candidate will go a long way towards ensuring these real changes. So vote wisely and may the best candidate wins!

My Business Hubs

2010-02-16T02:35:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, we had a HubMob topic in Hubpages about small businesses. Boy, was I excited. I mean, I'm no businessman (or woman), I certainly don't have my own. But if there's one profession that is so inter related with business, it's mine - accounting. We do the books, know the accounting, the taxes, etc. We're the go - to guy whenever the business owner needs an advice about the business and the balances. So yes, you might say we're the hired help, but we're the hired help who knows a business.

So, getting back to this HubMob topic, I was really kind of busy during that week but as the topic was right in my alley, I really have to put my two cents in. It turned out I managed to write two hubs and here's a brief rundown of them:

The first tells about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Franchising. Franchising is a hot (and I mean HOT!) topic right now in my country. In fact, even with the current financial crisis, franchising is still a thriving business. A lot of companies managed to expand (despite the odds) through franchising. But, let's face it, franchising is not for everybody, much like starting a business is not really for everybody. In this hub, I wrote the various advantages and disadvantages of franchising. But don't take my word for it, bottomline is, if you have the stomach (and the guts) to take the risk and go into business (whether it is a franchise or not), go for it! And if you've decided to go into a franchise business (or any business for that matter), why not read my next hub?

My next hub is all about managing cash flows and why is it so important to do this. I've seen a lot of good business ideas take off only to slow down or even to go out of sight because of one thing - the business owner did not know, and was not able to, manage the cash flows well. You might get tired of hearing (or reading) this but I have to say it again - cash is the king in a business. Not profit (although I think this is the queen), not your assets, but cash. Having enough supply of cash spells the difference between a successful and failed business and a liquid and bankrupt company. And if you can't handle the cash of your business well, then you're better of closing it down and becoming an employee, where you'll receive a sure amount of money every month. And that's all I have to say.

'Tis the Season for Love, Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-01-16T05:50:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's just after Christmas and New Year and we're still feeling the after-effects of that season. But we're nearing the month of February and we all know what that means - Valentine's Day a.k.a. the 'love' season is here.

So, to celebrate this season of love, I have written several 'love' hubs.

There's my hub about how we, Filipinos, celebrate Valentine's Day. It features, among others, our famous Dangwa Market, where one can buy various kinds of flowers at cheaper prices during Valentine's Day. It also includes our favorite Valentine's gift, the famous 'Harana' (serenade) and the candlelight dinner for two in, of all places, a fast food restaurant.

Another hub tell about how to spend Valentine's Day when you're single and unattached. A lot of single people complain that they don't have anybody to spend Valentine's Day with. Well, worry no more. Who says you can't have fun on Valentine's Day even if you don't have a special someone? You can definitely have fun and more. Just some of the ways you can have fun (as featured in this hub) - go to a party, go to a spa, buy something for yourself or for other people, go home and rest and, best of all, relax and love yourself this Valentine's Day.

Of course, being a day filled with gifts, one can't avoid writing hubs that are geared buying or receiving gifts on Valentine's Day. There's my hub on my wish list this Valentine's Day. Some of the things I would love to receive this Valentine's Day? Perfume, chocolates (of course), roses and jewelries. If you can't find anything you like here, then head on over to my next hub - the bestselling romantic gifts from Amazon. I'm pretty sure you'll find something in there.

Have a happy Valentine's Day!

A Tribute to Filipino Bloggers and eCommerce Sites

2009-12-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

eCommerce sites and the Internet, in general, have been around for like almost two decades (?) now and there are a lot of such sites in the online world. However, for us Filipinos, we are still playing catch up on the virtual world. I would think in terms of the number of blogs and eCommerce sites, we are still behind those of our Western counterparts.

But that doesn't mean that we aren't catching up fast. In fact, Filipino sites are sprouting up everywhere, from blogs about travel, food, life (in general), motherhood and fatherhood to eCommerce sites on Filipino products, delicacies, clothes, etc., we already have these and more. In fact, the Filipinos are starting to have a major presence in a certain networking site (where we can also find a lot of Filipino entrepreneurs), multiply.com. Filipino users of this site are so many and so active that when we had a holiday, multiply.com's management reported a major drop in the number of its users for the day! Talk about major!

To pay tribute to the Filipinos' ever growing presence in the online world, I have written two hubs. The first one is about the Top 10 Emerging Influential Filipino Blogs for 2009, which is based on a survey conducted last August 2009. The topics written by these bloggers are quite varied - from Filipino food to Filipino travel, to motherhood, fatherhood, to pictures and blogs about these pictures and to life in general.

The second hub features some Filipino eCommerce sites that are making waves in the online world. You have here a site about the Barong Tagalog (the formal attire for Filipino men), a site selling Filipino delicacies (the FilVeggie Online Store), a site modeled after the most famous shopping area in the country (Divisoria.com) and a site selling music, movies, books, personal care and beauty products that are proudly Pinoy (Kabayan Central.com).

So, if you are a Filipino reading this blog, why not go ahead and visit these hubs? If you're not a Filipino, you are also more than welcome to visit and read my hubs. Thank you very much and a Happy New Year to you.

Accounting in My HubPages

2009-12-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

Being an Accountant is not an easy job, but after having this career for the last 12 years, I can honestly say that I like what I'm doing. So how else will I show this appreciation but by writing hubs about Accounting.

Let's start with the basics. Why do we need to learn basic accounting? I've seen a lot of people, even businessmen, who prefer to leave the accounting work to their Accountants and do not even bother understanding what is written in their financial statements. But, personally (and not because I am in the profession), I think this is a big mistake. Those who are in business, even if they are not accountants, should take time to learn and understand their numbers. And I mean learn and understand. It's not only merely reading the numbers but actual comprehension of what these numbers mean. If you're a businessman, is not an Accounting graduate, but can read your financial statements, then congratulations! You're definitely reaping the advantages of knowing the basics of accounting.

Or how about a hub of the most busy time of the year for us Accountants? The busy a.k.a. tax season. This is the time when we Accountants work overtime, work during the week-ends and even, sometimes, work overnight.
Sleepless nights, pressure from work, restless energy, quick tempers - these are just some of the things you might see when an Accountant is neck deep in doing the taxes of his or her clients. You will find the descriptions of these things and more when you read the above hub.

As an Accountant, there are really some things that I can't do without. This may be my trusted 5-year old calculator, or my computer or my Excel spreadsheet, or my pencil and ball pen. These are the things that I often use in my profession and the things I can't do without.

Lastly, let's get a little bit serious here. Accounting is a good career, don't get me wrong about this. But then again, there are really things that tend to bring down my profession. I'm talking about scandals, those that rocked the accounting world. In my hub, I outline 10 such scandals (major ones at that) and what the issues really were. These scandals are more than enough to put one on alert and definitely will make one think twice on whether or not this is a good career to be. I'd still say, it is, we (the Accountants) just have to be careful
to ensure that we use our profession in the proper manner. Thanks for reading!

My Christmas Wish List and New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Christmas time again. This is my favorite holiday of all. For one, Christmas here in my country lasts not only for one month but for more than 3 months. The festive mood actually starts as early as September, which we call the 'ber' months. This makes us one of the few countries (if not the only country) in the world with the longest ever celebration of Christmas. First, we start out with the Christmas songs being played on the radio stations. Then by October, Christmas decors start popping up in a few places. By November, Christmas decorations are all over the place plus people are already starting to do their Christmas shopping. December, well, of course, this is the busiest month of them all with all the parties, food, gifts, etc.

For my Christmas hubs, I wanted these to be something personal (other than those I wrote for 'commercial' purposes). So I made my Personal Christmas Wish List. And when I say personal, they are really personal like getting to attend my family's reunion in another place, setting up my own blog, a new office with new clients, new laptop, new printer, new wheels and a new business. Then there's the 12 things that I love about Christmas which basically lists those things that I really cherish during this season - from my wedding anniversary, to one of my niece's birthday, to the parties, the food, the gifts, and just about everything else.

Of course, when you think about Christmas, you can't avoid but think about New Year celebrations too. So in keeping with the traditions, I also wrote about My New Year's Resolutions. But these are not just resolutions, they're my resolutions related to my online writing. So you will find there all my resolutions about HubPages, academic writing, blogging and online earnings.

Hope you enjoy reading the above hubs as much as I loved writing them. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

A 2-Part Hub on 10 Things I Hate While Driving

2009-12-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you drive anywhere and you get to encounter drivers with bad attitudes or pedestrians that do not really know how to cross the streets or people who are just uncaring that they are on the side of a busy street and still carry on like they own the whole sidewalk? Well I do. In fact, whenever my husband and I go out for a drive (short or long-distances), we end up ranting against bad drivers, bad traffic situations and bad pedestrians. In fact, some of those situations that we rant about can actually cause serious injuries (or even death) to us and the other people.

To get matters off my chest, I wrote a hub on the 10 Things I Hate while Driving. The top thing in the list? Text - or call - addicts who drive while texting or calling using their cellular phones! When I see a driver texting or calling while driving at the same time, I immediately tell my husband (who's driving by the way, not me) to avoid that vehicle as the driver is not 100% focused on his / her driving. When I published this hub, the comments just kept pouring in. Turned out that a lot of people actually have a lot of peeves when they are driving. Other things that I hate include - pedestrians who cross the streets and act like they're walking on the moon, people who treat the sidewalks as extensions of their living rooms, drivers who overtake even when they are turning a blind curve (we have a really scary experience on this one), slowpokes, intersection maniacs, those who do not want to be overtaken (at all cost) and not-so-early warning devices.

Needless to say, after receiving all those comments, I decided to compile a few more in the list then published the second part of the hub (entitled 10 Things I Hate While Driving...Part II). This hub basically adds to the top 10 things I wrote in my first hub plus inputs from the various commenters from my first hub. The next 10 top things I hate while driving include the following: drivers who stop in the middle of the road, drivers who shop for open lanes, 'race car' drivers, cutting through drivers, butt and side stickers and a personal account of a 'moonwalker'.

If you want to read more, just click on the links to my hubs. Happy reading and hope you leave your comment on what p@sses you off when you are out driving. Cheers!

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

2009-11-22T04:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T01:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

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.

Gifts for this Christmas Season

2009-10-31T03:47:00.000-07:00

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. From the songs, to the food, to the decors, to the festive atmosphere all around, this is surely one holiday season I will not miss.

One of my favorite activity during the Christmas season is gift-giving. I don't think I've seen any other time when gifts are so in abundance, whether these are in kind or in cash. I love this activity so much that I've already written a blog for toys for Christmas.

Other hubs I have written about gifts and gift giving are giving Christmas gift baskets (bought from Amazon.com). Or if you are stumped with what to give to your boss during this Christmas (just your luck that you got your boss to be your gift-partner in the exchanging gifts activity in your office), why not consider my hub in the top 10 Christmas gifts for your boss? It will give you an easier time in choosing the right gift for your boss.

Another alternative is to give the gift of music during this wonderful season. Amazon.com listed a great list of music CDs that were in their top ten (as of the writing of my hub). From Michael Jackson's latest CD, to famous Christmas carols revived by Bob Dylan and Andrea Boccelli, to new albums from Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert, you can find the music that you are looking for here. Check out this list here.

But if you are really, really, really stumped for what to give, why not just give the gift of your time and love this Christmas? Make it a point to be there for your family or to volunteer for work. Or you can always cook for your family. Whatever you decide to give, if it's from the heart, your intended recipient will surely appreciate it. Merry Christmas to you!

Note: Just to give you a heads-up on the contents of my hubs, here are some of the gifts I recommended in my hubs.

My Political Hubs

2009-10-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

Another reason why I like Hubpages is the fact that I can write about what I feel and what I think without fear of getting edited or sniped. One of the things I write are related to the politics here in my country. There's this hub that I wrote as a tribute to the first ever lady president of my country, Ms. Cory Aquino, who died in August 2009. She was mourned by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos as we all remembered her contribution to the restoration of democracy in our country.

Then there's the hub on the effects of the financial recession in the Philippines. The effects may not be as bad as those in the U. S. and in the other countries, but we also felt (and are still feeling) its negative effects. As of the time of the writing of this blog, little by little we are seeing some improvements in terms of the slow increase in the stock market, the appreciation of our peso versus the dollar and the continuous generation of new jobs within the country.

Or how about the upcoming Philippine elections, which will happen on May 10, 2010. This is a very hot topic right now with various politicians declaring their intent to run for various positions in the government. The most interesting thing is that we're seeing a presidential candidate who is the son of our former lady president and who's vice-presidential candidate is a grandson of another former president of the country. I sincerely hope that next year's election will be peaceful and whoever will win really deserve to win.

My Travel Hubs

2009-10-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I'm really interested in is traveling, to other places both here and abroad. I would love to travel to other cities here in the Philippines such as Zamboanga, Davao, Tagaytay, Baguio, etc. In fact, I wrote about the my top 10 preferred cities in the Philippines.

Of course, if I hub about other cities in my country, I also hub about my own city, Butuan. This is definitely home for me.

And let's not forget my favorite resort in my country. Personally, I don't think any other resort in the whole world will be able to compare with it. I'm talking about Amanpulo. I consider myself lucky because I was able to go to this island resort not once, not twice, but three times! And all for free (uhm, not because I'm rich but because they used to be my client). Every time I go there, I have to catch my breath because of the sheer beauty of this island. For me, nothing really beats this paradise on earth.

But my most favorite city of them all - Davao City! A very progressive city with lots to offer in terms of sights, sounds and people. It is a fast rising city here in my country. I love this city so much that I often visit it. In fact, the second hub I wrote about this city is all about my latest visit to Davao City. In fact, the picture on this blog was taken during our visit in the Philippine Eagle Park found in this city.

So those are my hubs about my country. What about other countries? Well, I wrote just one hub but I included my top ten cities that I want to visit before I die. Located in various countries in the world, these are the cities that I dream of visiting someday (if I ever get enough money, that is). I don't know if this is a dream that I will not be able to achieve, but at least, researching and writing this hub made me see beautiful sights here on the Internet.

Well those are my travel hubs. Hope you click on these links to view these hubs and leave me a comment. Bye.

Telling It Straight in Hubpages

2009-10-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like about Hubpages is that it lets me write anything I want (within reason of course). I write in Hubpages things about my country (mostly about places, sights to see and the food), the latest news here (the recent typhoons or the upcoming 2010 elections), my favorite cities in the world (Athens, Greece and Sydney, Australia are just some of them) and other stuff.

But what I really love the most is that I can write what we call 'ranting' hubs. These are basically hubs that show our pet peeves, our complaints, etc. How about this - a hub which lists the 10 things that I hate while driving. I thought what I wrote was already very bad. Turned out that they are pretty mild for some people as evidenced by the comments I received.

Or how about my rant on being a boss? You can find here just what it is I hate in being my own boss and handling my own people. Believe me, when I wrote this hub, steam was literally rising from my ears. Good thing I have hubpages. If not, I would very well blow my top.

Lastly, I wrote a 'ranting' hub about making up my mind. I'm almost in my mid-30s and yet, I find it hard to make up my mind on what I really want. I'm not bragging when I say I have a few pretty good choices and these are what makes me crazy in deciding for my future.

So there you have it. My 'ranting' hubs (with a little mention on the side about my other hubs). Believe me, it really feels good when I just write what I want and just let everything flow. Thank you for reading my 'rants' errrr hubs. Till next time, ciao!

Toys for Christmas

2009-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again when my nephews, nieces, godchildren line up in front of me to receive their gifts (locally called "aginaldo"). In the past few years, I've been kind of lazy (and kind of busy), I just end up giving them money (around $5 to $6 each child). But now I'm kind of thinking, why not just give them toys? They're still too young to appreciate the value of money. But toys, they will appreciate. On the other hand, they so appreciate toys that the toys end up being scattered or damaged a few hours after receiving them! Oh well, those are kids!

So, this year, I'm trying to come up with a Christmas list of toys I will give to the children in December. The list is found in my hub on The Top 10 Children's Toys in My Christmas List. The number one in the list? Dolls, or more precisely, the world-famous Barbie Dolls. So why not click on these links to read my hubs? Whatever your age is, you will surely enjoy looking at these toys. Thanks and advance Merry Christmas!

Here are some of the toys featured in my two hubs:

I Love Food!

2009-10-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

I can't help it, I really love to eat. I love food - local ones, chocolates, desserts, Chinese food, Italian food (especially pasta), seafoods, chicken, and my favorite of them all, sashimi! In fact, my weight, not to mention my waistline, are all proof of my love for food.

In honor of the foods that I love =), I wrote some hubs for them.

The first hub is about Filipino desserts. It gives a brief description of 8 desserts prepared and served in my country. You can see the related pictures for these desserts plus several videos on how to prepare some of them.

The second hub is about sashimi. Obviously, I'm a big fan of this food (sushi as well) and can eat a whole plateful of sashimi in one sitting. No kidding. If my siblings and I go to a buffet restaurant serving sashimi and sushi, we tend to consume lots of these (hope management did not mind). Buffet restaurants can charge a high rate but believe me, the price is well worth it to eat all these food.

The third hub is all about unique foods from the Philippines. It describes 10 kinds of food unique to my country, plus delicious pictures to get your mouth watering. Don't forget to click on the pictures!

Lastly, I wrote about the ways to cook goat meat. Okay, don't give me that 'eeeewwww' look. Goat meat is actually delicious and more tender than beef. Just make sure you cook it slow and at low temperaturs and you're good to go.

By the way, the picture above is not from any of these hub. This is a picture of cooked crocodile meat with Dragonfruit shake :). But the picture below is seen in one of my hubs.

Okay that's it. More hubs about food to come out in the future. Hope you like these food hubs. Cheers!

Why I Love Hubpages

2009-10-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've started in Hubpages about four months ago and I can honestly I've enjoyed every minute of my time there. This site has a great platform and system for writers, both new and old. You get to read (and comment) on hubs written by Hubpages' resident 'experts'. It has a forum where writers can (1) unwind and talk about anything under the sun, (2) ask for help / comments on their hubs (Hubpages' term for articles) or (3) get tips, advices, etc. Plus (and this is a big draw for a lot of people) you get to earn on the site through Google Adsense, eBay or Amazon affiliates. However, please note that this site will not make you instant millionaires or will not give you instant earnings. As most things in life, you have to sweat it and stick it out to see the earnings. Some get their first adsense payout after six months, some shorter than that and some receive theirs after a year. The key, according to some long-time hubbers, is to write more hubs (quality ones at that), promote the hubs and research, research, research on how to monetize their hubs.

If you want to know more, visit my profile below:

http://hubpages.com/profile/emievil

You can also view my hubs that I wrote in celebration of my first, second and third months (respectively) in Hubpages:

A hub on my first month in Hubpages

Why I love Hubpages

My Hubpages Resolution

Or you can visit my latest hub on the 8 things I have learned from and learned to appreciate in HubPages. This one features a lot of my hubs (though I can't include all of them because this is actually my 90th hub) plus a lot of the hubbers who I am 'following'.
Hope you enjoy the above and leave a comment or two either here in my blog or in the hub itself. Thanks and enjoy!

What This Blog is About

2009-10-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This new blog of mine is solely dedicated to my hubpages hubs. Please note that these are my own hubs and thus, they are copyrighted to my name. You are free to promote these hubs in your own sites (provided you email me in advance about your intentions) but do not copy them nor paste them without my prior knowledge. Thank you and happy reading!