Last Christmas, my sweetest girlfriends of 8 years here in Hong Kong, now are dedicated beautiful moms, had come up with the most fabulous idea to have a breakfast themed gathering to take advantage of the cold weather. So we all thought of hot chocolates, aromatic coffee, breakfast casserole and pancakes.
Who wouldn't want breakfast 24/7?
And to give justice to it, we have set the dress code to pyjamas or anything that we're comfortable to lounge with. In the name of comfort, so be it for a onesie for me. Our kids were dressed up in matching snuggly sweat shirts and sweat pants.
TAPSILOG
But what I was excited mostly about was the food!!!
Anything breakfast-ish? NO DOUBT, I love it!
And since I was on vacation, no hassles in between, I was able to try making deviled eggs. I love these sinful s'mores myself so I have decided to match my stir fry beef in attempt to share a Filipino breakfast favourite called TAPSILOG (that stands for tapa, sinangag and itlog) along with it. "Tapa" is what we called dried beef caramelised with garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper. "Sinangag" is fried rice with garlic and salt and "itlog" is our Tagalog term for "eggs". Breakfast always involves eggs so I kind of innovated the two. I have changed something here and there but it was guaranteed that it turned out fine.
With my intent to create cash-flow on the side and to cater to the foodie in me, I sell out some of the dishes I make just to lay out a variety of choices for the people at work. And one of the most in demand were my deviled eggs.
Here's the thing, I am sharing a gluten free recipe that I researched in Pinterest. You have to understand that it is relatively easy. Preparation time is 20-30minutes. And the ingredients are fairly common. This is a new go-to recipe for me if potlucks are on schedule. Well, here it goes:
1. Make sure your ingredients are complete. This allows realisations to come in whether you have enough or not and whether your mayonnaise and mustard are still good and not expired. These make 12 servings. Just make the necessary adjustments as per ratio if you wish to serve more or less:
6 egg yolks
6 eggs
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
4 tbsp good quality Mayonnaise
3 slices of Bacon, cooked and chopped
1 tbsp Spring Onion
1 tsp Salt
Salt and Pepper (to taste according to how salty or spicy you want it to be)
Water Ice Cubes
2. Make sure your sink is clean and tidy. I hate it when the sink has dirty dishes in it when I start to work on something. Also, tie up your hair if you must and make sure your hands are clean and your nails are groomed because you will be handling your food in mixing ingredients together.
3. Hard boil your eggs for 15 minutes above all tasks. Now, the secret in boiling your eggs to perfection is counting from the moment the water boils from 10-15 minutes. Don't time it at the moment you put the stove on. It has to be specifically on the boiling moment. Once you've set your eggs to boil, you can start cooking your bacon.
4. Cook your bacon until crisp and a little toasted. Set aside after on a paper towel to dry it of excess oil.
5. Your eggs are cooked by this time accordingly. Put them in a strainer to drain excess water. Have your bowl of iced water ready for them. After draining them from the boiling water, immediately put them in a the bowl of iced water and let it sit there for a good 5 minutes.
6. Chop your bacons into bits and the spring onion. This is for garnishing later.
Note: It is important for you to use your time wisely as you wait. You can follow any sequence whichever works for you but of course, just don't miss a step.
The egg yolks come out fully and easily when pinching the egg white
somewhat allowing to bounce the egg yolk out like this.
7. Remove the shells of the boiled eggs. You would notice that it's easier after submerging them in cold water. This will save you more time if you're working on a lot of eggs.
8. Prepare your eggs. Now we're ready to start the actual recipe. Cut the eggs in half with a sharp fine toothed knife. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites by slightly squeezing and pushing it out. This should be relatively easy leaving only minute remains like this illustration below. Be careful not to break the egg whites since they will be holding a much rich filling later on. Mash your egg yolks to make the filling more of a puree like consistency. The least that you would want is to have lumpy filling.
It's ok to have little bits remaining like this.
The important thing is to preserve the egg white to be able
to hold the filling.
9. Mix the remaining ingredients. Put the mustard, the mayonnaise and the egg yolks altogether. Personally, I don't like too much salt, Taking into consideration the bacon, since it's already salty, lay low a little bit on adding the salt. Mustard is also rich in sodium. So you don't want to overload on it just by eating the deviled eggs. Some mix the bacon to the filling but I prefer using it for garnishing. Ready your piping materials for ease in filling the egg whites with the mixed ingredients.
10. Fill the egg whites. It is important not to put too little and not to put too much on the egg whites. For presentation's sake, make sure you present it in its bite size so don't overdo your deviled eggs with garnishing. An explosive experience awaits as the taste tester realises the spring onion's power over each half an egg.
This was my first attempt before I learned of the spring onion treat.
But it's much much better with an additional garnish of the greens on top.
It becomes exquisite, balanced and a little bit of green always bring out the best in s'mores.
There you have it folks! Try this at home before you bring a plate at a potluck. Don't be afraid to take out something that you know doesn't work for you in the whole recipe. I know I added the spring onion garnish on the recipe that I followed and that actually adds up to a more personal touch. Explore yours. Be creative!
According to a Cosmopolitan Philipines' advertorial back in May 2012, Asian hair is different from Western hair. So, here are pointers to help create your new look, the fun and fearless way.
1. Stand out. Don't stick out.
There's nothing worse than hair colour that makes you look like trying too hard. Asians generally look better in shades of red, brown or black. Dark eyebrows matched with platinum blonde is an unpardonable fashion crime.
2. Complement for compliments.
Reds, browns and blacks can set off Asian skin tone in various ways. Reds are perfect for fairer women. A more bronzed complexion matches well with brown shades. While the simple yet sophisticated blacks with a blue or brown sheen can be pulled off? by anybody.
3. Bring sexy black.
There's a reason why black never goes out of style. So don't be frustrated because you were born with black hair or if your work doesn't allow loud hair colours. Just choose a black-based hair colour with a coloured sheen such as blue or brown. This adds a natural and effortless touch that's always a surprise when light reflects on your hair.
4. Flaunt your style and personality.
Different hair colours can enhance different aspects of your character and even your personal style. Blacks can give a touch of elegance and sophistication. Browns can make you seem a bit more chichi and trendy. While reds are best for those who would like to look more fashion-forward.
5. Look to the stars.
If you're not sure about how a hair colour would look like on you, look for Asian celebrities who sport the same colour. Find a star who is close to your skin tone and see how she flaunts the shade you covet. Be realistic. Don't just be a "second-rate trying hard copycat." If the colour doesn't suit you, try another. The bonus is finding a celebrity with a similar complexion to yours is that you can use her colour choices as guide for your own transformations.
6. Be true to your hair.
Don't just choose any hair dye. Choose a hair colouring product that is made especially for Asian hair. Unlike Western hair, Asian hair is usually darker and thicker - making resistant to dyes. A hair dye made for Asian hair would ensure that the pigments would penetrate each strand deeply for vibrant shades.
7. Color and care.
Choose a hair colour that is gentle to your hair. There are some formulations that may be too harsh for Asian hair causing it to be dry and brittle. This can cause the strands of your coloured hair to look like a wig. That's why it's best to have a hair dye that's also infused with vitamins to condition and nourish your hair.
8. Creamy is easy.
Our home application, a hair colour that comes in a rich non-drip cream format is best. This is easier to apply by yourself so you could ensure that the dye goes on your hair and not everywhere else. Cream formulations also ensure even application for better, more stunning results.
9. Make it a ritual.
The best thing about colouring your hair is the comforts of your own home is doing it with friends or even the man in your life who normally avoids going with you to the salon. This adds a fun touch to the process that you wouldn't normally enjoy if you just had done in the salon. Invite your friends over and make it a hair colouring date. Or better yet, make it you-and-me time with your guy.
10. Be armed and ready.
It only takes a few key tools to create your personal colouring "salon" at home. Just invest in a decent mixing bowl for the hair pigment and developer, a fine-toothed comb for parting your hair, brush for applying the hair dye, and plastic gloves to protect your hands from stain. A premium hair dye would have most of these tools already inside the box.
11. Patch up.
Before applying the hair dye, test it first on the small patch of skin in your inner elbow. Do this to ensure that no irritation or allergic reaction will occur once you apply it on your hair.
12. Rules are made to be followed.
The key to doing your own hair colour is to really follow the instructions on the box of your hair dye. Don't experiment or adjust formulation just because you think you can.
13. Take your time.
Don't rush the process of colouring your own hair. Enjoy it like you would in a salon. Make sure that you part sections of your hair and apply hair colour with a brush properly. Coloring your hair part by part is the best way to ensure even coverage.
14. Make the cut.
Once you've achieved the hair colour that you want, visit a salon to get a hair cut that could bring out the beauty of your hair even more. With everything you've saved from doing your own hair colour, you won't feel guilty indulging in a haircut from a top stylist.
15. Do it with style.
This doesn't just refer to hair styling. It also means creating a complete look from head to toe that goes with the flow of your new locks. With the perfect choice of clothes, shoes and even accessories - your hair can be your ultimate crowning glory.
Be fun and fearless with your hair colour. Kolours Hair Dye had come up with a formulation especially made to penetrate and coast Asian hair for total coverage.
Related posts:
1. DIY LIP BALM - Save more than HK$500/year by making your own organic lip balm at the comfort of your own home by following this tutorial.
2. SPA IN YOUR OWN HOME - Click and read on if you're interested to mix your own facial scrub or cleansing oil.
3. CROWNING GLORY - Here are the nutrients you have to eat to have that glorious mane.
As a blogger, I have been writing so many things to do for the New Year's. But last night, while we were waiting for the countdown, during a casual sharing with my family and friends of what's the best thing that happened to us in 2015 and what we would want to achieve in 2016, I realized one thing.
The importance of financial awareness is actually the best thing that happened to me.
Because of it, I had a paradigm shift and the light at the end of the tunnel was brighter than ever. I see now my purpose (my daughter) and I am blessed this year with ways on how to bring security to me and my family.
So many people say money is the source of all evil or money is not as important as happiness. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and it's interesting what makes them say so. But my opinion goes as far as: it is an essential tool to bring forth happiness. Your intentions will shape its efficiency. And your integrity can take you a long way. So this year, with my plan to carry out what I wanted to achieve, which is to add a fundamental amount in addition to my usual savings, I am planning to follow the 52 week challenge. Simple as it may seem, I'll borrow the image so that you'll have an understanding of how to earn an additional HK$5,000 in 52 weeks. For whatever reason you may have for this money, I'm sure it'll give you a sense of possibility. That if you will something, there's a way to make it happen!
This guy maybe targeting US$5,000.
But let me tell you, HK$5,000 may not buy you a house,
but it's still a big amount of money.
It is challenging because the sustainability of the act will be tested in time. But the good part in here is that it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the year. This will develop a good habit in you. This goal is a S.M.A.R.T. one too.
How?
S. SMART
It is money after all. Picture Christmas happening each year. And picture how much money you are able to produce a month before just to buy presents for your loved ones. It does give your wallet a huge hole by New Year's! Of course, you would deny that. There's just a couple of things why. It's because you used your credit card. Anyway you went for an instalment plan for most of your Christmas gifts. Or, you are too proud to admit so.
So why not reverse the idea, this HK$5,000 may be used for your Christmas shopping without getting much from your November salary. Get the picture?
M. MEASURABLE
The image is a clear table that suggests measured amount for a specific week with the total amount to expect at each week plus the total amount at the 52nd week, highlighted.
A. ATTAINABLE
Unless death comes upon inevitably (knock on wood), all of these are made attainable because the amounts each week are not too much. For a medium class worker, this is very possible. Now of course, the *poor, technically are more of expected to even make it than the middle class because they don't have as much expenses as the medium class. So don't underestimate their capacity to save as well. These are all but a challenge to anyone but the truth of the matter is, it is attainable, if you will it.
R. REALISTIC
On top of it being attainable, it becomes realistic when you see your piggy bank getting filled up and the monetary price is tangible enough for your palms and fingers to get to touch.
T. TIME BOUNDED
The chart specifically designates each amount with the corresponding week. So, knowing that 5,000 can be attained before the year ends, it can actually be adjusted. You can add more to it by extending your time frame. Or shorten it by increasing the amount as you lessen the number of weeks. Knowing that there are 4 weeks in a month gives you a perfect sense of how much to expect at a certain specific time.
So, support the idea by achieving the goal with me or by sharing it to someone who needs a template sample just like the one above. Happy New Year's and may you be financially free as soon as you will.
*POOR - The terms was aimed to be used to specify classes of people depending on their financial resources. Nothing else.
Related posts:
1. HOW FINANCIALLY FIT ARE YOU? - You want to know if you are financially stable right now? Take this simple test to find out.
Though there maybe some things that we cannot control, we have the capacity to make things happen and I have learned that God qualifies us to do so. What we don't know is how to actually make the first step.
As the holidays are coming upon us,
chew on this video's message as well as
you chew that melts-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hands turkey roast.
Related posts:
1. PARADIGM SHIFT - How a huge change had given me a different way of looking at 3 concepts: TIME, SAVINGS & COMPOUNDING.
3. 15 THINGS TO GIVE UP - Letting go sometimes is the answer in reducing weight on our shoulders. The question is: what are the things you should let go of?
I hope this simple test (care of the book, "Making Your Money")
that I had modified to be handy online
would encourage you to take action
whichever level you land in with your financial status.
Related posts:
1. CASHFLOW - a game that would open up your mind into balancing your income with expenses.
2. 15 CELEBRITIES WHO ARE SMART WITH THEIR MONEY, THIS IS WHAT THEY DID - they may be rich and famous but they are not stupid to just waste their hard earned money just like that!
3. RICH DAD POOR DAD - one of the many books that you may read as you get yourself educated financially.
I used to pay a fortune for my lip balm. But now, I can choose the most natural ingredients possible for some pucker protection at a minimal cost!
I am so excited to share with you about the lip blaming workshop I've attended but before we go straight to this instructional post, it's better to have a brief understanding of what is a LIP BALM and what is its importance.
Anatomy of the Human Lips
The surface of our lips is made up of a very thin layer of skin. Underneath this thin layer of skin is a network of tiny blood vessels, hence its red plump nature. This "Red Margin" separates the keratinized area from the oral mucosa. The skin of the lips doesn't have sebaceous glands nor does it sweat because of the absence of sweat glands. It lacks the ability to lock-in moisture unlike the rest of the skin of our body and it constantly needs getting wet. Hence, it becomes prone to dryness and getting chapped. Wetting it with saliva is the most natural way. But due to the food that we eat and vices that we adapt (smoking), sometimes, it adds up to harming our lips more than keeping it safe. As part of the integumentary system which is basically the first line of defense of the body against harmful microorganisms, it's just right to take care of it.
Now, a lip balm is another way of helping the lips stay moist. It is a coat applied to the lips to help it lock in moisture with the use of the fingers upon application. With certain essential oils, topical vitamin E and flavor added to it, it helps in keeping it from getting dry and chapped. The worst part that could happen is that you neglect your lips then it dries up. If you yawn or even smile, the dried part would crack open and will bleed. This opening can be a channel for harmful microorganisms to lodge and make a mess with your asset. The least that you want is to flash a smile with a canker sore. So here, my friends, is how you make your own lip balm at home. Remember: PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!
Notes:
1. Allot 1.5 to 2 hours in making this.
2. 8 sticks will be made if you follow the measurements as per ingredient.
3. Have these tools at hand before proceeding:
- Beaker
- Stirring Rod
- 8 pcs. lip balm tube
- pot with the right amount of water (on a burner) enough to submerge 3/4's of the beaker
- weighing scale or precision scales (scales used in baking at chemistry labs)
4. If you're making this for a friend or for your business, use gloves to avoid contaminating your product.
5. Prepare these too on the side:
- tape
- pentel pen/marker
- potholder
- medicine dropper
- paper towel Ingredients that you're going to need: (you may get them in local organic shops or online)
1. Sweet Almond Oil = 15g
2. Cocoa Butter = 8g
3. Bee's Wax = 12g
4. Essential Oil for the scent/feel that you like = 10 drops (Depending on how strong you want the flavor, you may add more. Or you may omit this if you want no flavor to your lip balm just like how vaseline is.)
*Our group had used Rose essential oil but some used Orange and Lavender. Depending on the holistic effect that you want, you can base the essential oil to be used on this. Rose always is a feminine flavor but I love Lavender because of its rejuvenating feel. It always reminds me of how relaxing my honeymoon was in Angsana Laguna, Phuket. Orange may be preferred by the active-by-day people because this flavor pops the senses.
Procedure:
1. Make sure your working place is clean, your tools in place and your ingredients, well set on the surface. If you may, label them properly. There were 10 of us in our group for the workshop so we had to label our beakers with our names so as not to get mixed up with whose beaker is which. It is best if everything is within arm's reach.
2. Tape the 4 corners of a ply of the paper towel on one side of the table. This area should be different from your working area. Put your lip balm tubes on top. For now that they're not filled up, they are light in weight so little movement will wreck how they are set up. That is the purpose of the taped paper towel You don't want lip balm to spill on the table and you don't want to make a mess of the tubes.
3. While allowing the pot with water to boil, mix your ingredients (sweet almond oil, beeswax, and the cocoa butter) into the beaker. Make sure you add up your ingredients (sweet almondeswax and the cocoa butter) in total grams as you weigh them. Precision is the key.
4. The water in the pot is boiling, you've gathered your ingredients, it's time to see some action. Submerge your beaker into the boiling water like in the picture below. The bee's wax will blend together with the rest of the ingredients once it melts. It will take 2-5 minutes for it to melt and it's up to you when to stop stirring. If you think everything is evenly stirred thru, use your potholder in taking the beaker out of the boiling pot. (Turn off the burner when not used.)
Use your stirring rod to help melt the bee's wax and for the ingredients to be evenly mixed.
Be careful not to burn yourself. Be careful as you immerse the beaker into the water,
make sure you have a space to hold onto and that it's not completely for water to get into your beaker.
5. Let the mixture cool off a little bit. Cool enough for the beaker to be held with your own hands but not too cool for the wax to harden. When that happens, it will be hard for you to put the mixture into the lip balm tube. (Just put the beaker back into the boiling water then give it time to melt again.) But if you're all set, put 10 drops of the essential oil into your beaker and stir it once again for a final mix.
6. Easy as it is, the next procedure is for you to pour the mixture into your lip balm tubes as smoothly as you can. Accidental spills are to be expected but that's what the paper towel is for. For you to possibly come up with more than 8 tubes, you may use your medicine dropper as you transport the mixture into it but this may take you a little longer.
7. It doesn't take long for the mixture to harden. But one thing I have to remind you is you have to fill up the tube until the very rim for a smooth finish. If you'd take a good look at the tube on the far left, that's what happens when you don't fill it up completely. Behind maybe not that clear but just to show what happens as it overflows. It's not hard to clean up but it makes the very surface of the top kind of messed up. Not good for business or for a gift.
You have to know that once you put it inside the tube, you can't repeat the whole process of reheating to reform it once again. The best thing to do is to keep it for personal use when it overflows, as compared to the not-completely-filled-up one is easy to be remedied.
As you wait for it to completely harden (even from the inside), it's good to start cleaning up at this point. Keep the ingredients sealed off from unnecessary exposure. Keep them compartmentalized and out of extreme temperature.
The cooled off mixture would look like the one below. It will be completely good to use as soon as it reaches this state. This DIY lip balm post didn't include chemicals to preserve it longer than it's supposed to for the purpose of keeping it as organic as possible. Otherwise, there's no reason why we have to do make our own lip balm. In addition, preservatives are what make the commercial lip balm expensive.
Shell life: 6 months
Upon application: 3-4 months
8. Label your tube accordingly to guide you in knowing which essential oil you have used in each. What I did was the simplest one. Find some printables that you may paste around the tube to decorate it aesthetically.
As you can see, it's very easy to make your own lip balm. Say goodbye to cracked lips, stress because of expensive tubes and say hello to business opportunities and DIY giveaways for events like bridal showers and slumber parties. Suggestions are welcome in terms of which essential oils are best to use. If you also happen to know nice organic stores to get the cocoa butter and bee's wax from, please let me know thru the comment boxes below.
I hope you'd enjoy making your own lip balm as much as I did.
Reminiscing being a chemical engineering student!
Workshop by Kath Tang. Click here if you would want to book a workshop with her.
Related posts:
1. SPA IN YOUR OWN HOME - Here are some of the things you buy so expensively but you can do it with ingredients from your own kitchen.
2. PRODUCTS I LOVE - Here I have shared some of the products I consider worth investing in.
3. CROWNING GLORY - A post on which foods would help you keep your hair pretty and glowing.
Since we are made from the image and likeness of God:
"The desire to create is one of the
deepest yearnings of the human soul."
- DIETER UCHTDORF
Being influenced into widening my horizons in pursuit of financial freedom, I've come to a realisation that the road to being rich is not easy. Time is of the essence, that's consideration number one. It's easy to say that everything follows after that. Taking advantage of the power of habit, compounding and your biggest emotional WHY are key factors. But I encounter bumps in the road every now and then such as slacking, procrastinating and doubting. According to the books I hold very substantial with my aims and goals, they always remind their readers to find a way to sustain such drive. This is due to the reason that at one point, it will be hard to keep up with your goals because of certain reasons, dilemmas and personal challenges. In short, we may find ourselves going back to our own bad habits when we don't feel some sort of gratification or reward with our chosen investment tools. And this is not just 1% of the people who tried to keep a budget (for example) to give justice to their goals. Most of the time, 99% fail because they didn't establish ways to continuously inspire themselves to keep the fire burning.
The books mentioned about choosing the people you hang out with and having mentors. Better yet, finding people that you may look up to who are experts in the field that you'd like to achieve. The most important thing is, establish your deepest WHY then find the people who'd respect and support it.
With that being said, I continuously observe myself as to how I'm usually moved, how do I get driven... Blessed be, the presence of an old colleague who now directs shows in the Philippines, taking a photo of me while performing had made me figure out that people, who become successful with their pursuit inspire me (like her) more than ever. That night, I thought of how far some of the people I knew from before had gone and I decided to feature them in terms of the small businesses they now own.
At first, I just wanted these people to be in my vision board to serve as an inspiration to me but I thought of sharing their story to all of you as well. Besides the recognition they deserve, it maybe one of the small business ideas that you were eyeing from the beginning but never had the courage to go for because of huge amounts of doubts in your head.
1. METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS
Townhouses built by Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo
a sample of what an accordion gate
looks like
OK people, I've got to start with the very familiar to me. I basically grew up seeing my mom and her siblings reign in Sampaloc, Manila (Philippines) with their real estate businesses. My parents had owned a Realty Corporation and a second-hand lumber before. They resell antique furnitures, sturdy accordion gates, high quality G.I. sheets (to name a few) in line with demolishing, building and selling town houses all over the district. Eventually, none of us had continued the business since, I ended up being a licensed nurse turned performing artist, our eldest became a dentist and our youngest graduated Information Technology turned nurse. (That almost sounded like a cycle I know!)
Any legacy ready to be built starts with a calling. And my cousin, ALVIN GLODA DEL MUNDO was called upon to design and build the modern town houses of today when he became a full-pledged architect.
"Never be afraid of CHANGE.
It will always be constant in our lives."
- Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo
I grew up with my cousins and Alvin was the youngest of us all. Because of that, he gets bullied most of the time and the way he reacts was actually funny. He would always mumble, "You will see, I will be somebody someday." And from then on, I know that he was a man of his word and failing was never in his vocabulary.
He graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology and had earned his license after several projects involving his mom.
My auntie, as I remember (and I hope she won't hate me saying this), was very strict on my cousin, Alvin. Being the only son, he was the only heir to manage the business that his mom had put up in great efforts. Eventually, it had paid off. No bias, but before Alvin reached 30, he had established a good reputation as a reliable manager of the family business involving her wife who's an architect as well and had been helping out in each of his project's design and utilisation.
Name of Company: METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS Nature of Business: Design, build and sell, demolition of houses Ownership: Family owned Location: Manila, Philippines Number of years before it was established: since he was college, 12-15 years Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): They proudly design it from ground up. Their passion and profession are their edge over the other realtors.
Invested money on the business: Php 0.00 - since family owned Price range of the product: Php 5-7 million/unit
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? "Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!"
Training: MAPUA Institute of Technology for the engineering degree. Own enterprise for practice.
Is this your first business? Yes.
Further plans (expansion)? Bigger design office to cater more clients.
Little trivia about the business? I treat this business as my playground. It's the type of business that has no redundancy... every project/design is like a new toy to be played in the mind.
When Alvin was young, I would always see a lot of model vinyl collector's item sort of toys for his collection. The ones that you have tinker with to build its form. He was a fan of lego too and we loved playing in the second hand lumber back then. I am more than proud of how he had become that I look up to his achievements. You can contact him at his email if you're interested to avail of his services: hellspawn_alvin@yahoo.co.uk
2. EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE
As a performing artist, I hail dance schools. Moreover, I know how hard it is to get kids into liking dance most especially when their parents are not even fond of this form of art to begin with.
Since I have handled a class for two whole summers in Jill Ngo's Peak Dance Studio 8 years ago, I can totally relate to short attention spans, bratty attitude and clueless faces as to why they have to dance. I feel that it is such an achievement every time I am able to make a kid move somehow back then. That's why I look up to a dance teacher's dedication.
Personally, dancing had been a way for me to balance myself. Besides writing, it is an utmost way to express myself. I love it very much that I don't mind doing it everyday. Now, that I get to do it, it gets a little harder to accept each day that there will come a time that I would get old and would not be as flexible or active as I am today. To that, I always see to it that I dance like my last each time.
"Put your passion as a front liner.
Nothing will work if you're not passionate
and if you don't love what you're doing."
- Verna Fajila-Brazil
As I get to work in the happiest place on earth, I was able to come across a pool of the most talented people.
Verna, one of the prima ballerinas of her time is both a blessing and an angel for me. Trained in Ballet Philippines, I had known Verna to be part of the chorus dancers (as a gazelle) of Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show.
At a volleyball match, she was one of the people who had saw a spark between my husband (now) and I upon our first meet-up 8 years ago. Little did I know then that he kept on asking her who I was.
Verna's aspiration was to become a professional ballerina since she was little. In fulfilling this dream, she worked hard and looked up to all the people that helped her reach her dreams. She realised that she was being called to teach as her passion for dance had grown enormously thru the years. She believed that she could inspire younger generations thru performing arts.
One thing I know about Verna is that, she is a very selfless person, very thoughtful and kind. This shines thru her wide range of scholarships thru the dance workshops she offers at Edge 'N Pointe. She offers a long list amounting from HK$0 to HK$500/month. She got encouraged to put up Edge 'N Pointe in Hong Kong since she had seen the difference she believes she could make. And that is to cultivate it more to those who are interested. Name of Company: EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE
Nature of Business: Dance and performing arts school.
Edge 'n Pointe Dance Centre caters to kids from 2 to adults that and is teaching a wide array of dance classes including:
BALLET, ZUMBA, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, LATIN DANCE, TAP, KINDERMUSIC. Ownership: Verna Fajilan-Brazil Location: Hong Kong Number of years before it was established: She had dedicated all her life for this to be established. Business wise, it was never her intention to come up with a business but it was her ultimate dream to have a school.
Verna as part of Ballet Philippines takes a flight
in its production of Cinderella, 2002
Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The main edge is the quality of learning they provide. As a lover of arts, Verna's aim is to cultivate the art of dancing in our society much further. For that objective to be given justice, it is important for her that the team she's working with are not half-baked. This way, the passion and the art of dance would be instilled to the students at its finest.
Invested money on the business: Money or earning is just a plus for Verna. TIME is of the essential investment since she had dedicated all her life to making this happen. She had invested in herself and the learning she got from her teachers are priceless. With that being said, she is willing to share what she had learned for the sake of learning and exploration on her students' behalf. Price range of the product: HK$0 (for scholars) up to HK$500/class
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream?"Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!", says Verna.
Training: Ballet Philippines
The Nutcracker, 2003
Is this your first business? Yes.
Further plans (expansion)? A number of centres have asked their help with their programmes and they're more than glad to do so. They have one with Baumhaus (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Admiralty.
They've also won the Group Of the Year in participating in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland.
Now they are in Portland, sharing further their talents and widening their horizons more and more in the name of arts.
Little trivia about the business? "We just came back from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. It is one of the best and biggest youth arts festivals in the world. Without government or corporate sponsorship, we depended on individual donors. Although we were only able to raise 1/3 of the costs, and I personally loaned the rest, I decided to take this risk just to foster the arts in the youth. The dancers did very well there and although the festival is not a competition but a gathering of young artists worldwide, we were surprised when we were presented the Group of the Year Award at the end of the festival. Truly heartwarming."
- Verna
Here's a glimpse of how their rehearsal went. This is truly inspiring. What more you would watch the real performance!
"If you are passionate about your dreams,
and you are willing to work hard for it,
GO FOR IT!
Don't let anyone or anything stop you.
Go straight to the path,
don't even contemplate on having a fall back!
Because once you do,
you're just allowing failure to seep in!
Jordan Punsalang, Art Director,
Parallax Dance Company
There is yet another colleague of mine that had put up his own dance company in Australia.
I have been under Jordan Punsalang for a scholarship grant from FEDEX Philippines. Cheerleaders were to perform every halftime for every game FEDEX team would play in the annual Philippine Basketball Association League. He was our choreographer. During the course of the season, there were dance classes in between for us cheerleaders to be aided in adapting to jazz style. Specifically, Jordan's style.
This had sharpened my skills, pushed me to my limit and had helped me love dancing even more because its orgasmic high that takes place every after show keeps me energetic enough to keep up with my studies. I had benefited on the endorphin release that takes place because I took dancing as my form of exercise back then.
Jordan was strict on all of us in general back then but it moulded me into getting more aware of my physique. What it can do and how it can perform better. Jordan emphasised the cliche, "Dancers are the athletes of God." and he continuously aims to serve his purpose by using his talents at its maximum. He teaches, conducts recitals, makes projects happen all to hail the craft of dancing, a talent that is a gift from God. I remember him saying, "I would never have a shy attitude because God had blessed me with enough armour to make me confident enough. I would never choose to take this gift for granted because I know that everyday is an opportunity to make myself better at it." as a form of encouraging shy girls that I was team mates with back then.
Of course, every now and then he has gigs so I also danced under his group, Dancecap. With that being said, windows of opportunities had opened up (choreographing for commercials, corporate events and shows).
Jordan is one of the few teachers I had that truly inspired me into digging deeper as far as passion is concerned. He influenced me greatly not only in terms of dance but also in life. Being talented is just one of his great qualities but on top of that, he's smart, confident and fearless. These are the major attributes he exemplified on me. And yet again, I am in awe when I learned that upon his migration to Australia, he had established a dance company of his own in approximately 6 months.
Parallax Dance Company is one of Geelong's finest dance companies,
composed of highly skilled dancers all over the region.
Name of Company: PARALLAX DANCE COMPANY
Nature of Business: Dance Company and Dance School Ownership: Own Company Location: MAAD Studios, Geelong, Victoria, Australia Number of years before it was established: 6 months upon moving to Australia Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): Before Parallax Dance Company had been established, Jordan Punsalang had taught in countless studios in the Philippines. With that much knowledge from his collegiate years to teaching commercially, now he's in Australia to share this extensive amount of knowledge and infusing it with what Australia had grown used to. Price range of the product: Php AUS$12-15/class/person
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? Primarily, Jordan did it in the name of passion. As planned, it is both an investment and a dream.
Training: He admits that he's not trained in business. But he has experience in handling dance companies and had facilitated dance schools.
What encouraged you to take the first step? Knowing how confident Jordan is, he follows his gut most of the time in making decisions. What he feels right inside is usually his decision maker.
Contact Details:
Get in touch or be abreast with the latest shows, workshops and events by liking their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parallaxdancecompany.
Contact Number: +61 434 036 933
Is this your first business? It is his first in Australia.
Further plans (expansion): "Hopefully, in the next couple of years, I can put up another studio.", wishes Jordan
Little trivia about the business: Jordan had emphasised the number of dance schools in their cities which is around 40. And his dance company is the only one run by a male.
4. MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)
"A positive attitude is very important.
So you need to be a people person."
- Shane K Dudoit
One thing I quite remember so well as I feed my brain with the do's and don't's of acquiring riches is that, you should always be open to opportunities. Everything starts with an idea. And if we are going to truly listen and focus, ideas are everywhere. We may even attract them. Even with the simplest things we do and the most usual events occurring every time, every day, what you usually are obsessed with, could be a good idea. Most often than not, to turn into a business. What you love doing is what you do best. A fun fact to consider is that, when you see yourself procrastinating to give way to this thing that you do best, or time stops when you actually do it, that's what usually gives you loads and loads of money. You deny to yourself that you're working nor you feel the load because you LOVE what you're doing. Hence, there's no labor to consider. It's amazing if you'll be aware of this power that you have early on. But for some people, it's never too late.
That's why the last, but not the least, person that I would be including is the one that made a business out of what he loves to do. SURFING.
Now, to be honest, I don't really know much about it but it's something worth trying. I have never surfed before. But I am more than willing to learn provided, affordable surf lessons are available.
To cater to that need of many a number of tourists like me who don't know how to surf, yet are interested, Shane K Dudoit had put up MAUI O.M.W. in Maui, Hawaii but he had made it available to Asians by making the booking doable here in Hong Kong as well. Marketing wise, he is a Hong Kong resident so, he makes MAUI O.M.W. accessible to both the east and west. But before I go further, let me tell you something about Shane.
I've known Shane to be one of my husband's co-workers at the happiest place on earth. A true performing artist as he loves and enjoys dancing. I remember a cha cha number we did altogether and he opened it with a breathtaking choreography that was sizzling hot to put an intro to it. But going back to where he had been born and where he grew up in (Makawao, Hawaii), he was a traditional dance performer owning the authentic Polynesian grace and style entertaining hundreds of tourists that visit.
Fire Knife Dancer, Festival of the Lion King,
Hong Kong Disneyland, 2005-2014
His calling to perform to different kinds of people didn't stop there as he came to Asia to be part of the Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show. He had performed in stilts, danced in chorus and was a fire knife dancer. There's not many of them here in Asia so he shares that when he sees one, they instantly know they are connected somehow.
Hoku, as he is known to us, is fond of sports (he's a rower, shoots some ball and is very good in any water sports, most especially surfing) and he loves going to the gym. He loves doing Capoeira. Furthermore, he is attached to the ocean and he owns a shark tattoo that signifies his love for it hidden in the traditional Polynesian tattoo.
Since he was 7, he had sworn love to the ocean. He was actually a certified life guard before coming over to Hong Kong. As he becomes inspired by an acquaintance in Hong Kong to think about his life, what he wants to do and how that person believed in him lit a fire in his heart to go for it.
Name of Company: MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)
Nature of Business: Surfing Schools, Private Surfing Lessons and Sales
Description of Product: My products are 9-11 ft. Soft Top Long Boards, and Stand Up Paddle Boards, and a couple of Epoxy Stand Up Boards Ownership: Own Company Location: Maui, Hawaii Number of years before it was established: 7 years Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The approach I'm taking is not just to teach them how to surf but to educate the guests regarding the culture of Hawaii as well as this is very important to me. That way, tourists and guests wouldn't miss out on what they should see and experience in visiting the beautiful island.
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? It had been an ultimate dream for over 7 years.
Training: Not everybody can surf. I have studied in a good surfing school in Hawaii and joined several Surfing Competitions after that. Overall, I did 30 years of training and competing.
What encouraged you to take the first step? "First step was to put God in the lead of my business. And I gotta keep telling myself to JUST DO IT. Thank God for a video in youtube. I don't know his name but it was the lead star of the first transformers and he just kept on shouting in this video, 'JUST DO IT!' Now I try to put off negative vibes that the DEVIL tries to put before me.", says Hoku
Contact Details:
For booking a session, Email:
Maui.OneMoreWave@gmail.com
hokugosurf2003@yahoo.com
or call him at,
Maui Tel: 808-205-4286
Hong Kong Tel: 852-9840-3069
Is this your first business? Yes
Further plans (expansion): Right now, the business is yet to be officially up. Contact Hoku to book surfing lessons in 2 or 3 months. "I am waiting for my boards to be made which usually takes 15-30 days to make and 20-30 days on the boat for shipping.", he adds.
He is also interested in putting up a school here in Hong Kong because he loves this city.
Little trivia about the business: As the business is situated in Maui, here are some of the fun facts that Hoku may share about the place for you to further be in love:
1. HAWAII became the 50th US state declared on August 21, 1959.
2. The highest peak on Maui is Haleakala Volcano 10,023 feet, 21 miles across and 4,000 feet deep. Large enough to hold the island of Manhattan.
3. Maui has 81 accessible beaches, 16 golf courses, 10 state parks and 1 national park.
These are who I have gathered so far. It's interesting how they have turned their obsession, passion, hobby and talent into a commodity available for others to learn from, adapt and share. As a reminder, selling is not wrong. Moreover, selling personal service defy nothing. FEAR is the only thing that can defy everything that you have worked for. And SELF-DOUBT feeds it.
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