She Fits Inside These Words by r.h. Sin, S.K. Holmes and R.M. Drake

She Fits Inside These Words by r.h. Sin, S.K. Holmes and R.M. Drake

Friday, September 30, 2022

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She Fits Inside These Words is a book of poems written by r.h. Sin, Samantha King Holmes and R. M. Drake. They’re well-knows modern poets and I have come across their poetry a lot of times in the past but this was the very first book of theirs that I read.

I came into this with very less expectations because I got excited over a recent hyped poetry book that I read that turned out to be like tap water disguised as poetry.

This book is written for women who have been fighting hard battles and to look at themselves 

I think this would speak volumes to a woman who has been through so much hurt or maybe got her heart broken and is mourning over lost time or opportunities spent on the wrong relationship. Now, imagine there is another person seeing all that pain and knowing how much that woman is worth. That exact person would be saying all these beautiful and genuine things to make that woman smile again.

This is what book is like. It contains poems and verses that every woman I just described would very much need to hear and to feel. These would feel like a warm hug to anyone who is hurting.

This is the perfect pair to that glass of wine or a pint of ice cream on what seems to be a cold and lonely night.

r.h. Sin

I haven’t explored his work other than why I saw on Pinterest and Instagram but I have to say he is absolutely divine  with his words. His poetry is like reading very powerful love letters that would either sweep you off your feet or break your heart into pieces.

I really fell in love with his writing style and I am definitely going to look into more of his works.

R.M. Drake

R. M. Drake’s poetry “format” is one that would be familiar to those who have studied or are passionate about literature. His sections are also really great ones. They’re poetic in all sense and are truly passionate ones. He writes so beautifully that he makes heartbreak sound something beautiful because of how it leads to more positive outlooks. His poetry recognises that yes you broke your heart, but you can stand up and move on to the path that may lead you home.

This is an excerpt from one of his poems entitled “When You Lose What You Love"

Samantha King Holmes

Samantha King Holmes in this book will serve as pieces of advices that you won’t see coming but you will realise that you needed to hear that for the longest time. She comes in hard, but it’s a good hit of reality. Her writing forces you to look at yourself in the mirror and enumerate all the reasons why you keep letting people treat you poorly and allowing them to play with your heart.

Some verses are pills that are not very much easy to swallow but if you let it play its magic on you, these will open your eyes and your heart to the things and people that you truly deserve.

In conclusion...

I really like this book. I would recommend this with much confidence if you're into modern poetry no matter whether your heart is broken or not - this will break and comfort your heart either way. There are quality poems in this book which makes it worth it.

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General VA Tasks Basics: Writing Business Emails

General VA Tasks Basics: Writing Business Emails

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

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In my first blog about VA skills, I mentioned that since this job is virtual (hence the name), it is crucial that you have good communication skills. If you have not read that post yet and you're interested, you can check it out here. 

Communication in virtual jobs involves emails, video and voice calls. At times, you may also be sending text messages. Today, we'll focus on writing business emails. 

Obviously sending emails in business setting have a different tone than personal ones even if your workplace allows casual communication. Here are some guidelines that might be helpful if you're new to all of this:

Know your company's branding

This will be the most important thing to learn and will be the underlying theme of all of your communication. Each company has a different brand. Branding can be largely influenced by the Ps of marketing which are price, product, promotion and position. That subject alone is a lengthy discussion so for today's purposes, I will give a quick and hopefully comprehensive example.

In my case, for example, I work with executives. The products and services the business offers as well as the pricing are on the higher level which positions it to the larger businesses and decision makers. Considering all of that, it is consistent with the brand if my communication to prospects and clients are a little more formal. In contrast to this, another business with a different set of target market may have a more casual approach to their communication. Just observe how different companies "tweet" in different ways.

If the company has a branding bible, then you have the little black book that will guide you in wording your emails. If it does not have any or you're still confused, ask if you can have access to previous emails (if you don't have it yet) and study how people communicate with clients and internally. This can also be taught during training.

The issue with grammar

via GIPHY

The good news is most companies, even the Western ones, don't mind much if you forgot the apostrophe or you used their instead of there. So, when does grammar come to play? Grammar is extremely crucial in making sure that your receiver's understanding is consistent of what you intend to communicate.

It does not have to be perfect, but it has to be accurate.

 

For example, if you are writing an email discussing timing of events then you have to make it a point that you are using the accurate tenses to make sure your receiver has a good understanding of the message. Otherwise, your boss will most likely allow your verb tense mishaps or may not even notice it at all.

The basics of grammar is important but if you are not very confident or you just don't have the time to learn all the basics in time, there are tons of grammar checkers online. I recommend Grammarly.

Use the default font in your email software. Avoid using multiple fonts and unneccessarily colorful texts. You should also be mindful not to add in to many images as this can flag servers and may drop your email to junk/spam folders.

Also make sure your email has attachments if you wanted to before sending them!

Revising templates

via GIPHY

If you find yourself in the writer's block or you're just really too hungover to think, then templates are your friend. You can always search for how others write the messages you intended to send and revise accordingly. It is important that you make the conscious effort to revise because that's really the bare minimum and your receiver does not receive an email that is already found in Google. It's going to look bad if you get caught.

The main purpose of templates and other sample emails is to do the thinking so you'll know what to say, you just have to say it differently.

The most basic structure would be: greeting (good morning, I hope you're well), response to the previous email or your message, goodbye greeting (thank you for your time, looking forward, etc).

This is a cheat code, but be sure to play it right.

When in doubt, ask

If you still feel doubtful about the email you wrote, you can always have your supervisor or a colleague check before you send it. I used to do this all the time when I was new. Don't send it to people outside your organisation though because you don't want to overstep any non-disclosure agreements (NDA) and even without those NDAs, it's not the ethical thing to do.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are not confident with your writing style just yet. With time, you'll be clearing emails before lunch break.

View all VA tasks guides and related content here.

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All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Friday, September 16, 2022

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The story starts on the day of the attack. It was dark, confusing and intense - which illustrates the atmosphere during wartime just right. 

Though the book started with some intensity, by the time the chapters formally begin, it does start to get a little slow but it does not drag out. I found that Doerr did take the time to beautifully described the places and unfolded the events. His descriptions are so beautiful and poetic. His writing style is like the perfect light dessert after a savoury meal - you don't expect it to hit but it unknowingly does and surprisingly leaves you in awe.

The story switches between the lives of two main characters Marie-Laure and Werner and three time periods in their lives which is before the war, during the attack of allied forces in an attempt to liberate France and after all the chaos. I got confused quite often with these switches because I didn’t pay attention to the year before each chapter. If you’re going to read this, I suggest you pay attention to the those years just to set your mind on what the chapter is going to be about.

There are far too many interesting characters in the book but we'll leave that to mystery for now.

Marie-Laure

Marie-Laure lost her eyesight around three years before the Nazi occupation in France. She lived with her father in Paris and her father worked for the museum. When Paris got word of the impending Nazi occupation, Marie-Laure’s father got tasked with safekeeping a precious gem. They seeked refuge in her great-uncle who was heavily traumatised by the war and who was said to be “seeing things”. 

At first, Marie-Laure found her uncle quite odd as he really was but she was patient with him and tried to understand him when he gets episodes. She even took the courage to be a part of this other world that her uncle seems to create on his mind. Marie developed a close and loving relationship with her uncle and he sort of took the place of her father when he left. 

"When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"

Marie-Laure

Werner

Werner is an interesting character with a pretty strong character development in the book in the beginning but this fizzle out after a few chapters. He is a young German  orphan boy who didn’t want to work in the mines since he lost his father there. It was almost inevitable but due to his skill in fixing electronics, he impressed a general or an officer that he got into training as a soldier. His sister Jutta, didn’t want him to be one of them because she heard about and believe that it wasn’t for a good cause as they have been made to believe. Before he left their orphanage, she told him…

"Is it right to do something just because everyone else is doing it?"

As Werner went on and become a soldier who was valuable to the Nazis, he constantly looked back into his childhood memories and his little sister. This became sort of his conscience but having a good conscience does not really mean anything if you’re actually a part of and/or doing something wicked.

How they meet

Marie-Laure and Werner obviously lived two very different lives and they didn’t meet for a very long time. Theirs is not a romantic relationship, but a friendship that sprung on the darkest of times. 

Werner did help Marie-Laure. It was very kind of him to do so. If you're going to read the book, I would highly suggest you read until the end to see how fate played out and ask yourself whether it was well-deserved or not.

In conclusion…

The book took me good 16 days to finish. I didn’t expect it to be that slow of a burn but it was worth every second of it. This is a great piece of literature. It wasn’t intensely emotionally gripping but it was dark, amusing and felt so real.

Also, the book has a very brief scene of r@pe towards the end so that would be something to keep in mind as a trigger warning or in case you want to gift this to someone younger than high school.

I really liked this so much and if you are looking for a great historical fiction. It is very well-written and without a doubt rightfully deserves its bestselling status.

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My Studio Apartment Cleaning Routine

My Studio Apartment Cleaning Routine

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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Cleaning is a chore that I just took very seriously a few months ago and since then, it has just become a high priority.

I am fortunate enough to be working from home because traffic and getting myself ready don't take too much time. I also live alone and I really couldn't be bothered to be going out anymore for now so I have quite some time at hand. 

It's also fairly easy to clean up my space because it's only a little under 30 sqm and it's a studio apartment.

Daily

• After having my coffee in the morning, I take whatever I used for my breakfast to the sink. I let it soak while I do other things.
• If I have been drying out dishes the night before, I put them away in the drawers.
• I then proceed to cleaning the floors using the good ol' broom and a floor wiper I got from Daiso. I use a diluted version of the Lysol  Disinfectant solution in a refillable spray bottle to disinfect the floor and other surfaces. It is very important for me that I regularly disinfect the floor area in my space.
• I also wash my dishes after every meal to avoid flies. But there are times when I get too lazy and only do the dishes after dinner.
• After taking out the trash, I disinfect my bins before placing new bags on them. 

Weekly

• On Saturdays, I do all my daily routine plus a few more deep cleaning on other areas.
• Since there's not much dust in my space, I only have to clean my windows once a week and just to avoid it getting all smudgy and ugly, I use a glass cleaner. I also use this on my mirrors and my fridge.
• Shower and toilet cleaning is a far more intricate work of art that deserves its own post but just to quickly go through it - I first take all my toiletries out including the towels. This is why I don't like cluttering this room. I then soak the toilet bowl in a disinfecting toilet cleaner. After at least half an hour, I wash that off with powdered laundry detergent also using a regular toilet bowl brush. I then use my regular cream cleanser for the other parts of the toilet and the entire shower and toilet area. Yes, I clean every tiled part of the room.
• I usually polish the sink once a week or whenever it is needed.
• As I have mentioned, this place does not really get dusty so I only have to clean the surfaces like tables, lamps, cabinet tops once a week and I do disinfect them.

Having a clean space because I literally spend 24 hours of my day here and I also hate having to clean filth so I try to keep my place as much as possible.

I understand we all have different lifestyles and priorities so I may only be able to do all this because the lifestyle I chose has given me the time and energy for it. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how this will change as my life also will.

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What You Should Not Miss Out on These When Visiting Sydney, Australia

What You Should Not Miss Out on These When Visiting Sydney, Australia

Monday, September 12, 2022

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Australia is surely one of the most beautiful countries in the world. They have the best of both urban and natural worlds and the people are always warm and welcoming. It's also worth mentioning how clean and safe their cities are. It does not come cheap, but it's worth every penny.

Sydney is near and dear to my heart and I have truly enjoyed the couple of times that I have been there.  Here are some of the things you should never miss out on when visiting Sydney, Australia:

Sydney Opera House

This is a no-brainer. There is no visit in Sydney that is complete without dropping by the famous Sydney Opera House.  Jørn Utzon won an international design competition with his design of the opera house and that's where this magnificent work of architecture started. Together with the Australian architectural team, the building was brought to life. I don't know much about architecture to describe the intricate details, but I do know enough that this building is so beautiful that it could pass off a gigantic sculpture.

Tourist tip. I suggest you come to the opera house before 8:00 am if possible if you want to get the best shots of it. When you're there, I also highly suggest you catch a show inside the opera house for the full experience.

Taking the ferry in Darling Harbour

You can take the ferry to two popular spots which are Taronga Zoo (also a good start off for a hike in Sydney National Park - more about that later) and Manly Beach. I took this particular photo on the way to Manly Beach. 

Darling Harbour is hands-down the most beautiful harbour in the world, in my opinion and taking the ferry to any available destination that you prefer is an experience that never fails to overwhelm in a good way.

Tourist tip. If you're taking the ferry, you will be competing with both tourists and locals for the ideal spot up front. Be very careful not to hurt anyone but also don't be too slow.

Bush walk in Sydney National Park

I was not fit nor have I done any good exercise before my bosses took me to a 20km bushwalk on the Sydney National Park but I still enjoyed every minute of it - granted, there were minutes when my legs felt so tired. If you're wanting to experience the natural beauty of Sydney but you're not a pro at bush walking or hiking in general, this would still be great trail to start. I really wished I have fallen in love with photography back then because I could have taken so many off-the-beaten road shots in the park.

Tourist tip. Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo. Wear comfortable clothing and very good shoes. Don't forget to bring your own water bottle for hydration! You don't have to do an entire 20km, but go as far as you can because it will only get better.

Manly Beach

I know everyone and their mama seems to only talk about Bondi Beach but I have been told that Manly Beach is a lot less touristy and a more beautiful beach and I can only agree to that. There's a lot of things to do in Manly. You will not only get to enjoy the beach, but there's also so many options for amazing Fish & Chips. They also have regular flea markets where you can purchase tons of locally sourced and produced products.

Tourist tips. After you've had a good meal in one of the beach side restaurants (please try the Fish & Chips), I recommend having ice cream by Manly Beach - Royal Copenhagen is the best one in there. 

There's really too much good in Sydney but these four experiences are what I suggest that should be up in your priority list.

Happy travels!

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"Mild" Thriller Movie Recommendations for the Faint of Heart

"Mild" Thriller Movie Recommendations for the Faint of Heart

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

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We all know thriller movies are an inch closer to horror movies but are very less likely to give nightmares for nights after watching them. I personally do not watch any horror movie because I honestly do not see the point of scaring myself just for the thrill of it - I'd rather go online shopping if I want the same scare.

However, I am a fan of mild thriller movies - those that have moments that scare me just the tiniest bit but not really to the point where it traumatises me. That's only as far as my courage takes me so without further ado, here are some of my movie recommendations for those (like me) who want a little thrill without the nightmares:

Panic Room

This is one of the thrillers that you should watch at least once in your lifetime. Jodie Foster and Kirsten Stewart are true gems in this movie. In my opinion, their acting here is just phenomenal.

Panic Room is a story of a newly divorced mother and her daughter who recently moved in to a new house that had a panic room - a sort of sealed safe haven of a room that they can run to in case of danger. They were captivated by the idea but didn't expect they'd actually put it to use when three intruders looking for a huge amount of money broke into their house one night.

This gives you a bit of scare in a lot of scenes but only enough to make you want to keep going.

Available on Netflix or you can also buy it on Youtube for Php 540.

The Purge

If you haven't seen this yet because you are freaked out by the masks in the poster, I would say take a pause and give this a chance.

The Purge is a movie about this one night in America where residents have the absolute freedom to do anything they want without any legal risks. This includes all crimes. The first movie revolves around this rich family who, beyond all their security system, are breached after a series of foolish mistakes. 

It amazes me how this story is centered on the most basic unit of society which is a family but it still reflects so much societal issues. The Purge may not be a thing of the present, but the issues it represents are much to relatable. Issues like the disparity between the rich and poor, the privilege of being in power and being a regular citizen and if violence is innate in humans.

Available on Netflix or you can also buy it in Youtube for Php 390 or rent for Php 210.

Secret Obsession

Before anything else, this may not be the best movie in the list and there's more plot loopholes than one would like, but I think this is still worth watching if you just want a movie to kick back and chill. This is basically the epitome of a non-scary thriller - whether that is a good or a bad thing is entirely up to you.

In Secret Obsession, a wife suffering from short term amnesia after an accident comes home to a husband who is a stranger to her. Little did she know, the man she came home with is really a stranger obsessed with her and wanted her all for himself. 

This movie is exclusively available on Netflix.

Fractured

If you can tolerate a truly disturbing thriller, one that will leave you saying "What the heck just happened" after watching it, this is a really great one to watch.

Fractured follows a man who claims that the hospital has taken his wife and child after he took him in because of a child's injury in stop during their road trip. The hospital claims that he never took them in and they cannot find any evidence that he did. He reached out to the police but the events just kept getting twisted and confusing.

This movie has an ending that you'll never see coming and you'll never be prepared for no matter how much you try to guess it out.

This movie is exclusively available on Netflix.

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How to Actually Grab a Deal on Piso Fares

How to Actually Grab a Deal on Piso Fares

Monday, September 5, 2022

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"Oh, the places you'll go!" as Dr Seuss writes it but also realistically speaking, oh, the money you need to actually go to those places.

Plane tickets often are the most expensive part of your travel budget especially if you are aiming for trips abroad. Sometimes, even the budget fare is just too heavy for the wallet. This is what makes Piso Fare sales really famous especially among budget travellers. 

Is it a scam?

A lot of people complain and claim that is indeed a scam. They say that they are never able to book any piso fare flights or the flights do not just cost Php 1 but quite a lot more. For example, a one-way ticket to Japan in Cebu Pacific usually costs around Php 4,000 - Php 7,000 when I last checked.

From what I know, piso fares and other ultra cheap deals are not scams, obviously. Large companies like airlines wouldn't risk it like that. We just need to understand how it usually works. The promise of one Philippine peso or any other low amount almost always just covers the base fare. You need to factor in all the taxes, other fees, terminal charges, etc. So, technically, it will not all add up to just one peso at the end.

Here's how you can possibly snag a deal or two on the next cheap airline seat sales:

Pick the right travel dates

If you want your trip to rely on the cheapest fare you can possibly get for it plan so much in advance. Cheap seat sales usually cover flights that are a few months to a year after the sale dates. Make sure your ideal travel date is way ahead in the future and make sure you have at least three date options for your trip. I found that the cheapest rates are Tuesday to Thursday. Public and national holidays are usually excluded in seat sale pricing.

Subscribe to airlines' newsletters and social media

If you want to know firsthand when these sales drop, you have to subscribe to their newsletters and social media feed. Other airlines give priority to those who are registered to their mileage program (usually free) and those that are subscribed to their newsletters.

The perfect timing

The sale usually starts either on midnight of the day that is promised or at the time that they release the announcement on social media or via email. There are times when the airline is gracious enough to let the people know exactly when the sale is going up.

From experience, the seats that are on sale are very limited so they usually are out by morning if the sale started on midnight. You have to book within approximately the first one or two hours when the sale starts.

Write down all information you need in advance

If you're slow or you had to spend a few minutes looking for your passport or asking your travel buddies, your fare might be sold out by the time you get to check out. Write down all of the information such as:

• Name of traveller
• Birthdate
• Ideal travel dates
• Passport number
• Emergency contact information

You have to have these written down before you dive into the sale so you won't get delayed.

Fast internet, fast devices

This can make or break your entire piso fare ordeal. I highly suggest you keep more than one device on the lookout because there will be times that the site will crash or it will slow down. Imagine seeing all the great deals just for your device or your internet to drag you down. You wouldn't want that, would you?

Remember, these seat sales are for the faster and more prepared folks out there. Don't get too disappointed if you don't snag one. There's always another seat sale on the way.

Hope this helps!

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Love Her Wild by Atticus

Love Her Wild by Atticus

Friday, September 2, 2022

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Atticus is a poet who has been popular in Pinterest for some time now. He's also quite popular in Instagram and perhaps other socials as well. I don't know much of him as a poet except that he wears a mask or covers his face which is really not that strange for poets. I always see snippets of his poetry but I never had the reason to take the time to read a whole book of it. 

Until now.

This is a book attempts to express passion and love in poetry. There are parts of falling in love and there’s also a good share of the love that ends.

I was really excited for this because poets, when they’re good, have the power to make love feel like a strong gust of wind just simply blowing the reader to ways he can never imagine and just leaves him almost dumbfounded.

I was speechless...but not in a good way.

I thought I was in for a ride and I feel bad for saying this because a lot of people love Atticus but these just fell short for me. They didn’t speak to me the way poems usually do. As a matter of fact, they didn't speak to me at all even if the language was very straightforward and there's very little mystery to the poems.  I am very tolerant and I do enjoy this style of modern poetry. However, a lot of verses just seem like sentences. There’s no give, no emotion…nothing. 

Take this, for example:

This sounded like a quote from a cheesy romantic novel or film. 

There are some modern poems that are more like prose but I still would give them the pass for poetry because they are very well articulated and there’s a sense of strong emotion running through the “verses”. This is just not one of them. Almost all of the poems feel like those good Facebook status or photo captions.

The good one

On the positive note, there’s one poem that I really did love. It was unique, it was raw and just a reality of what love is like. 

The entire book took me half an hour to read. It was very smooth, very easy but the experience was unfulfilling. I didn’t even have to stop and reread verses out of astonishment.

There are also photos in between poems. I have nothing to say about these because I don’t have the physical copy. I did try to connect them with the preceding or succeeding poems in my Kindle but a lot of them are simply disconnected.

In conclusion...

I am very sorry if you’re a fan of Atticus and I would totally understand if you hate me for this. I really did try to love this but even with constant hoping that the next page will be something great for me, that never happened.

It makes me sad to be disappointed in a book because I have been on a good streak of reading really great ones lately.

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