london chic speaks out...

Finding a RELIABLE and DECENT Domestic Helper in Manila

2011-12-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

It hasbeen such an endless struggle for anyone in Manila, Philippines who needs tohire or employ a decent, honest and well-trained domestic helper, nanny,driver, or any type of household helper. Sadly, many, if not, most of them willrob you, steal your stuff, lie to their teeth, or even kidnap your kids. Yes,this may sound unbelievable but it is true. We have so many cases of this inthis country.

I have myown share of sob story which I will be writing about in my next blog - it wentto the police, and all the way to the Department of Labour (DOLE), and as ofthis writing, I am waiting for what the next step of DOLE as the said agency (WNCK) has been operating illegally.

So,sitting down, helpless, and been sick (allergic rhinitis and flu), I realisedwhy don't I just open my own with a mate? Since my parents owned amanpower agency that deploys various kind of workers (office, cleaners,professionals) to local companies here (government, private andmulti-national), why not expand the service?

I justfeel I understand both sides of the coin: the needs and frustrations of theclient, and the mind-set of a temporary staff (cleaners, helpers, drivers,etc.). Hopefully, with the kind of European and American training we will giveto these staff (domestic workers), we can make them better employees! First,they have a problem with work attitude. Second, they lack discipline (as mostFilipinos are-truth only).

So, readon.

It definitely will be a more efficient service. Pass the word around,please.

Allimages from www.dreamstime.com

DL ADMARK SERVICES,INC.

Right People. Right Mind.

Our network is increasing fast and we continue to provide domestichelpers of high quality to various households. We also deployworkers such as housemaids, houseboys, nannies, housekeepers,caregivers, midwives, nurses, drivers, gardeners, building attendants(janitors), merchandisers, and so on.

We’ve set up a user-friendly platform which is called DIY. It works by enabling potential local employers to quickly findthe type of domestic helper by browsing the online profile andphoto of applicants. We strive to provide the easiest, fastest anduser-friendly environment for foreign domestic helpers andemployers to have direct communication via telephone allowing employers to havethe INITIAL contact with prospective candidates as well as undergo one-on-onenegotiation and hire ideal helpers to meet its household needs.

Aside from direct hire processing, we also provide full agencyservice where we arrange interview between the employer and the applicant. Onceyou’ve already decided who among them you’d like to hire, what we will do nextis take care of all the necessary processing that will bring the domestichelper of your choice to you.

We makesure that everything is done smoothly and proficiently for every one'ssatisfaction. We are a REGISTERED COMPANY.

We aremanaged and owned by an expat from the UK who has 20 years of experience in HR,recruitment, outsourcing, supervision of staff, and the process of hiringand firing, including WESTERN-trained staff who made sure you will be servicedSMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY and FAST. The service that we provideis not only exceedingly satisfactory it is designed as well for yourconvenience.

Theowner, a single mum, had experienced the hassles of finding the right andLEGITIMATE domestic worker here in the Philippines, and now has found thesolution to help others in the same boat as hers.

Weprovide you not just EFFICIENCY in the WESTERN way, but also, our helpers are:

1.PROPERLY TRAINED - baby care, household cleaning, building cleaning andmaintenance, car maintenance and care, and care for the sick and the aged.

2. Theyare required to submit their ORIGINAL AND LEGAL documents such as the NBI, Police and Barangay Clearances,valid IDs, pictures.

3. Wehave exhausted all possible means for background check of their families,relatives and past employers.

4. Theyhave been rigorously interviewed by our panel.

5. Wehave given them all CLIENT BRIEFING - including good manners and right conduct.

6. Weselect ONLY those that have passed our RIGID and STRICT requirements evenbefore they are deployed to you.

IF YOUARE READY, PLEASE MOVE TO OUT NEXT STEP:

Pleasefollow the following steps:

1. Sendus an email of what domestic worker you need, including details of age,background and experience.

2. Wewill get back to you asap.

3. Thenwe will telephone you once we have the candidates that you can interview on thephone.

4. Onceyou have made your choice based on this telephone interview, we will deliverthe domestic worker at your convenient location for a minimal fee.

5.Contracts are then signed.

6. Wecharged a minimal service fee for all costs incurred.

TO THEPROSPECTIVE CLIENT/EMPLOYER:

Pleasefill up below. Or send us an email at dladmarkservicesinc@yahoo.com with your contact details.

SEE US ALSO AT:
www.avwpolotan.com
119 Scout Fernandez, Quezon Cty

CALL US AT: 63-2-394-8605 OR AT 09224293004 (SUN)

WE ARE PLEASED TO BE OF HAPPY SERVICE TO YOU!

DOMESTIC HELP SERVICES

veronicaapc.sulit.com.ph - Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2011 © Sulit.com.ph

Check out Welcome to ASTD STADA Asia Pacific Conference 2011

2011-11-06T20:30:00.001-08:00

Check out Welcome to ASTD STADA Asia Pacific Conference 2011

October 31...Food delivered Right Into your Doorstep!

2011-10-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

I guess a lot of people goout during Halloween...costume parties here and there. However, when I cameback to Manila, I hardly ever go out. One big reason: I just didn't see why Ineeded to party and party. I had my days, and, I guess, I feel I am not missingout on anything anyway. I went out a lot - too much, when I was in London.

So, today, I stayed home, didsome writing, and, ordered food delivery. I found this sitewww.quickdelivery.ph, telephone 2121212, which delivers food right intoyour home. You have choices of restaurants within your vicinity, and can even have fine dining right into your home. And, what is great is that it is open 24/7, 365 days! you can pay either in cash or in card for a minimum of Php500.00 pesos, and pay just Php50.00 delivery fee. Food is delivered within 60-90 minutes.

Great! Definitely not the junk food kind of meals! I am reallytrying to veer away from that (after all the MSG experience of most localrestaurants here; see previous blogs). Anyway, it is still a risk for me tohave food delivered. However, I chose the restaurant that I felt would suit myneeds: no meat, a bit of red rice, and not Chinese, or Filipino food that mayhave the MSG seasoning.

I found Agave MexicanCantina. I got myself this Burrito - soft flour tortillastuffed with refried beans, with Mexican red rice, sourcream, Mexican cheese blend, fresh lettuce, pico de gallo, and servedwith salsa and cheese (mild and not spicy), and ), and Quesadilla filledwith Mexican cheese, ranchero sauce, shredded lettuce and served with sourcream.

Price is reasonable. Didn't get the taste of MSG. Quite feeling though.

Tasted good! Love it!

Food As We Know It...Dining Experiences in Manila - The MSG Experience PART 2

2011-10-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

Why? Because MSG enhances the flavor of food. As it says in thissite, www.truthinlabel.org, “Monosodium glutamate added to foods produces a flavouring function similar to the glutamate that occurs naturally infoods. It acts as a flavour enhancer and adds a fifth taste, called “umami”, which is best described as a savoury, broth-like or meaty taste”And Filipinos just seemed to have usedto this kind of taste that so many of our local products are advertised ashaving that “certain delicious taste!”

People who are very allergicor hypersensitive to MSG immediately feel the effect after ingesting it inmatter of seconds even, like for me. I get this massive headache, dizziness, myjaw gets tight, my heart beats faster, my palms sweat profusely, and often, Iend up in hospitals for the last two years since I came back!

The risks foringesting MSG, or even having contact with it when added to food are braindamage, endocrine disorders(obesity and reproductive disorders), behavior disorders, neurodegenerative disease, severe migraine (like mine),seizures, even cancer.

It is very difficult really to know as I havesaid MSG is disguised very nicely in pretty labels, and all that. I realized solate that they are contained in those we buy everyday – “most things low fat or no fat anything Enriched, anything Vitamin enriched,” and they can be nameslike Yeast extract, Textured protein Soy protein, soy protein, concentrate Soy protein isolate, Whey protein,whey protein concentrate…” I really advised you to read up on MSG, or my source,http://www.truthinlabeling.org,because knowledge can save our lives!

TO BE CONTINUED ON PART 3....

NOTE: ALL CONTENT ARE PERSONAL OPINION OF WRITER BASED ON HER EXPERIENCE and NOT TO DISCREDIT PRODUCTS/SERVICES/BRANDS MENTIONED.

Food A We Know It...Dining Experiences in Manila - Part 3

2011-10-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

You see, when Ireturned to Manila, I am suddenly allergic to almost everything (up to thistime and now have to take meds for that – this is another blog). I got intothis junk food (and I hated myself for this!) because I had no time to cook (Icould not find a maid – and this is another blog too) to help me out in cookingas a single working mum. Then we used to eat out a lot, and mind you, eventhose pricey restaurants in posh locations such as Greenbelt, use MSG in theircooking. I remember once that I worked as a consultant for a well-known chainof restaurants in Makati, Trinoma, and BF Homes, and discovered to my horrormuch later on that the reason their restaurants get so busy was because ofdelicious menu loaded with this Knorr Seasoning (I didn’t know then suchcontains MSG). Ajinomoto says their MSG is “natural” and has the “purest tasteof Umami.” I really do not know because I do not want to know.

All I know is that Iquit my job eventually because I was ill – I would get massive headaches, painin my jaw, and at times, felt like losing my balance. I was so scared andalways thought I was having a bloody stroke! It took several visits to doctors(one neurologist even told me to take Prozac thinking I was depressed, or maybecrazy?), money spent for medicines which I didn’t know what they were for, timeand energy suffering. It took me so long to know and find the truth.

Question is: Why isthis allowed to be used in the Philippines? Why is the use not regulated? Whois supposed to be responsible for its manufacture, sell and use to theconsumers? Is it the Bureau of Food and Drugs? This I still have to find out.

For the meantime, Iam sharing his experience to anyone and especially those who travel to Asiancountries, like the Philippines, which is fond of using MSG as their seasoning.

Hey, what happenedto natural seasoning? In the UK, we use a lot of herbs and spices, and I haveused them for ages even when I was based in Manila. Do we really need MSG toenhance the flavor of our food or “enliven the taste of bland food?” Thins isMSG is not natural; it is CHEMICAL.

They say for Orientalcooking, it makes big difference if MSG is added. Uhmmm, on http://chinesefood.about.com/od/healthconcerns/p/MSG.htm,Rhonda Parkinson says, “"While"taste-essence" is of Chinese heritage, it was never accepted by theelite society of gastronomy where cooking skill and lavish use of naturalingredients are the essence. Today's version is a chemical compound known asmonosodium glutamate or MSG and to me it does nothing to enhance flavor. Ratherit gives food a peculiar sweetened taste that I find absolutely distasteful,and for some people it has unpleasant side effects.”

There you go.

Why don’t we flavourour food with natural herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, and spices, oliveoil, garlic, onions, chilies, and the like? Apart from having medicinal values beneficialto our body we know we are not ingesting chemicals.

I actually brought some spices with me I purchased (and love), like Jamie Oliver's organic salt and spices, and those from Sainsbury's (one supermarket I adore apart from Waitrose and Mark and Spencer's in London) - organic and natural. I have yet to fins something of these kind here locally in Manila.

I will keep you posted!

For me, I WOULD BIN MSG!

Photos from: www.inmagine.com

This is purely the opinion of this blogger based on personal experience.

Food A We Know It...Dining Experiences in Manila - Part 1

2011-10-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Upon my return to Manila, Philippines, not only was I scared of so many stories of unresolved crimes everywhere, the danger we all know about - theft, kidnapping, car napping, being mugged even at broad daylight, taking cabs especially at night, and more. And what I feared too was the weather being too hot; too humid, especially during summer as it becomes really unbearable-at least for me. Moreover, I was away for years, did not keep in touch with old mates, my family relocated to the US, and, found myself all alone. Then on my first day, I got ill with this unimaginable painful headache. I checked into the ER.

I thought it was the extreme heat and pollution. Or the stress of it all. Little did I know that the culprit was...the food I ate!

Apparently, a former helper added something to her cooking. Something that is commonly used still in this country despite the danger it poses especially to people who are allergic to it, or hypersensitive to it. I never had this for years in the UK because I do not think this food additive is even allowed to be used over there for cooking. Nor ever had it again after my trip in Singapore sometime in early 2000 when I got so dizzy that I fainted right then and there after meal! And I discovered, I am allergic to MSG.

MSG, or also known as Monosodium Glutamate .

What is MSG really? What are side effects to your body when you take in MSG in your food? How do you know when you have ingested MSG?

I have found a very good website, http://www.truthinlabeling.org, that discusses about this food additive – what is it, what is it made of, and everything you need to know about it. Let me quote them:

“Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid.”

“It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavour enhancer. It has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621^[1]. Trade names of monosodium glutamate include Ajinomoto, Vetsin, Accent and Tasting Powder. It was once made predominantly from wheat gluten, but is now made mostly from bacterial fermentation; it is acceptable for coeliacs following a gluten-free diet.^{[2][3][4][5]”}

One thing I have realized here in Manila is that most of the restaurants use MSGin their cooking. I have thought that my food was free of MSG because I do not use this Knorr Seasoning, or Vetsin (which the helper then used to add to our meals that caused me extreme headache!). I thought I was safe. But I was not aware that our food seasoning has added MSG but not labeled as such and disguised in various ways and added to frozen foods, spice mixes, canned and dry soups, salad dressings and meat or fish-based products. In some countries, like the Philippines, it is used as a table-top seasoning.

TO BE CONTINUED: WANT IT OR BIN IT...?

Food in Manila...Part 1

2011-10-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

Upon my return to Manila, Philiipines, not only was I scared of so many stories of unresolved crimes everywhere, the danger we all know about - theft, kidnapping, carnapping, being mugged even at broad daylight, taking cabs especially at night, and more. And what I feared too was the weather being too hot; too humid, especially during summer as it becomes really unbearable-at least for me. Moreover, I was away for years, did not keep in touch with old mates, my family relocated to the US, and, found myself all alone.Then on my first day, I got ill with this unimaginable painful headache. I checked into the ER.

I thought it was the extreme heat and pollution. Or the stress of it all. Little did I know that the culprit was...the food I ate!

Apparently, a former helper added something to her cooking. Something that is commonly used still in this country despite the danger it poses especially to people who are allergic to it, or hypersensitive to it. I nevr had this for years in the UK because I do not think this food additive is even allowed to be used over there for cooking. Nor ever had it again after my trip in Singapore sometime in early 2000 when I got so dizzy that I fainted right then and there after meal! And I discovered, I am allergic to MSG.

MSG, or also known as Monosodium Glutamate .

My thoughts on this....: "Online Dating...in Manila, Anyone...?" Part Two

2011-10-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

My thoughts on this....: "Online Dating...in Manila, Anyone...?" Part Two

six262

2011-04-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

I would like to tell everyone that I have a lot of stuff for SALE - from really cool, fashionable to classic leather boots, coats, tops, denims, even kid's clothes, my son's brand new original PSP 3000 in Piano Black, Blue, and Darth Vader white, including his PS2 and 100 games (sigh...), accessories, toiletries - all I shipped from London. I guess after the typhoon "Ondoy" where I lost really expensive furniture, gadgets and electronics, even some designer bags and shoes, I realised that there is no point in storing because we cannot hold on to them forever!

Yes,in one day, everything goes! Gone!

I used to have a collection of pretty, expensive clothes, shoes and bags, but when I relocated to London, I left most of them here, and when I returned, many of them were gone, or put up for a garage sale by my family...uhmmm...and, then, I moved around a lot when I returned - from one house to another (but that is another story)...and, maybe thought I should have just the basic. After I never really used most of them because my lifestyle, and my life changed when I returned to Manila - again that is another blog post.

Suffice it to say, I am selling! I am selling! Please check my Facebook site six262 for pictures (there are a lot but cannot post all of them).

Feel free to contact me, and I can show some of them to you.

and this is Manila 2009

2010-03-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

ലിണ്ട Goodman

2010-01-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

STAR SIGNS BY LINDA GOODMAN

LINDA GOODMAN- STAR SIGNS

I bought this book at a charity shop in London. At a glimpse, I thought this is just one of those astrology books of Linda Goodman. It was kept and shipped to the Philippines along with my other stuff. After the phenomenal typhoon Ondoy that hit Manila, I have lost not just a house but everything inside of it. A few were salvaged, and this is one of them.

I am amazed with this book because it does not just deal with your signs per se, your personality, character, and all that, but it also discusses spirituality in an enlightening way that opened me. It discussed about healing of the soul and the controversial topic of physical immortality.

For someone who went through very tough times - separation, loss, grief and the accompanying extreme stress, and loneliness, I recommend this to call your spirit back!