COSTA RICA

Thanks for the post from Barney Crosby

I was watching the “Today Show” this morning on direct.tv. Sometimes they have a travel expert from either “Budget Travel” or “Travel and Leisure”. They had some great suggestions about some up and coming places to visit. They highlighted Costa Rica. I have been once, but only to the gulf. They showed some really great places to visit. Particularly, the coffee region of Costa Rica. It looks like it is beautiful and lush. There are lots of outdoor things to do like hiking and zip lining. There are some really great places to eat and it is also well known as a culinary region. Also, travel to Costa Rica is relatively in expensive and a pretty short trip. Delta takes direct flights from Atlanta to San Jose. They are only a short four hour flight. From San Jose, you can be anywhere in the country with about a three hour drive. There are beautiful beaches on both the Pacific and the Gulf. There are lush jungles and also great animal watching. Last time we were there we saw twenty macaws!

My Wish For 2012

Every new year for almost half of my life, I would make resolution on what I want to change or do better in the coming year. And there is one sure thing that would always happen--I wouldn't realized or accomplished most of those goals that I have set. Then I would make another resolution the next year.  Over the years, the same thing happened again and again and again. In short it has been a vicious cycle that was not taking me anywhere but to being frustrated.  And this is the reason why I am not making any New Year's resolution anymore. 

Just last year, I started on something different. Instead of a New Year resolution, I have made my wishes every new year.  At the end of the year, I will assess which of these I’ve made to happen and which of them I didn't. Then I’ll try to figure out the underlying reasons that contributed to my success or failure. And at the end of the year, if I did well in making those wishes come true, I will reward myself for a job well done. 

This doesn’t mean that I have set the bar low when it comes to my expectations. This is being easy on myself. As I aged, I mellowed down and value my happiness more.  When I was younger and when I don’t measure up to my expectations of myself I get frustrated. It affects my view of my capabilities to make things happen. And it was like a chain reaction. It affects other aspects of my personality.  

As we get older, we become wiser and come to terms with ourselves. Speaking from my experience, I am more understanding of myself now and have more patience with shortcomings--wether it’s mine, my love ones or other people around me. The result? I am happier, more content, more confident and more loving person than I have ever been. After all, on our deathbeds none of us wishes we have more achievements than we could ever have, more money in the bank, or most expensive car sitting in our garage. Instead as we take our last few breaths we wish that we have live a life that was happy, authentic and remarkably loving. Nobody and nothing in this life is perfect, but the happiest people in the world are those who have learned to live with things that are less than perfect.

May all our wishes come true this year 2012!

Protecting The Future

A few months ago I wrote about building credit. I talked about how important it is here in the US to have a credit history in buying big items or applying for a job. Well it's been an exciting and fulfilling experience for me. It used to be a challenge for me because when I first got here in the US I didn't have any credit history. I had to start from the bottom. Sometimes it would hurt my ego. Other times it would make me feel embarrassed. People would stare at me when I instantly pay $1,000 or $500 worth of purchase which I could have paid $30.00 a month for a year or two with a very minimal or zero interest if I get it on credit. I felt like they were thinking I was some kind of illegal alien. 


All these are in the past now. After few years of properly managing my credit, I am starting to reap my rewards now. I can get the latest model of sony TV that I've been wanting to put in my living room,  or new set of bedroom furnitures through financing payable in one year with zero interest.  It doesn't get better than this. On the other side, it can be frustrating sometimes to be inundated with offers from banks, credit companies who kept sending application forms allowing me to get credit in 30 seconds. There was one bank that sent me a pre-approved credit line of $2,000 and all I needed to do was call them and confirmed that I got the card. I ignored that offer but after a month they sent me an account statement billing me $150 for membership fee. Still I ignored that letter because I never used the card. The next month, guess what? They again sent me a bill for $150 plus interest for not paying it the previous month. I was so agitated so I called that bank and told them I was not interested in their offer and they should stop from sending me that bill because I never use their card. 

I am trying to point that I don't take up on every offer. I only use my credit line when it truly benefits me.  And I am constantly aware and continually monitoring my credit score.  I do this through credit bureaus that provide credit report.  The US government requires these credit bureaus to provide us a free credit report every year. I take advantage of this and I get my free credit score from them to see my progress. 


I know that the way I manage my finances have a big impact on my life. I believe that it is also very important that I know how to keep my credit in good shape. Monitoring it regularly is one way of tracking my progress. Having a good record will make my life easier. They help me get better deals and better loan rates as long as I can show a history of responsible credit. This I believe is my way of protecting my future.

Christmas In My Heart

Christmas is right around the corner again. During this time being away from most of my love ones could be a lonely time. Christmas has always been a very special celebration for our family. We always looked forward to this season with so much anticipation because this is the time of the year when our big family really enjoys spending time together and exchanging presents. The highlight of the celebration would start from all of us going to Mass on Christmas Eve and the good times would continue until Christmas morning. After the celebration, we'd all be sleepy, tired and exhausted but happy. As for me and my daughter Rhea, we could only wish we were coming home this Christmas. This is one of those times when we feel really homesick and wanted to be with family.

Having said that, doesn’t mean that I won’t be enjoying the holidays. To me Christmas is special in so many ways. I live in the suburb of Washington DC Northern Virginia. At this time of the year everywhere I go, I hear Christmas songs. At night when I'm home I really enjoy watching Holiday movies on Hallmark channel. Everything just feels so cozy. Every year since I got here I am looking forward to this once a year change in the landscape right where I live. As you drive down the streets of our neighborhood after dark, you are constantly entertained by the panoramic vista of decorated homes all sparkling with myriads of colored lights with thousand tiny bulbs. Some houses have Christmas lights on their trees and shrubs or along the eves of their houses. A few of them have lighted figures of Santa, reindeer, snowmen or other Christmas characters on their front lawns. To me the most spectacular view and the best part is when the ground is covered with a blanket of pure white snow. The surrounding becomes a fantastic wonderland of lights and colors. It is an awesome view to behold. I will always love spending Christmas in the US this way. 

Even though I won't be celebrating this Christmas with my family, I will celebrate it with them in spirit. After all the real essence of this season is what's inside our Heart and what it means to us. And to me the message of this holiday is happiness and the joy of giving and not just receiving. Most of all, being grateful for all that we have. Sometimes because of the things that happened to us we tend to focus on the negative part of life. All we need is step forward a little bit far from our door steps so we could see how bad the sufferings of others are compared to ours. Then we will realized how blessed we are in so many ways. I have always feel so blessed in my life. I have the love of my family, I have real friendships that span half of my life; aside from occasional  common colds, and muscle/back pains that comes with age, my health has always been in good shape, I have a stable job that gives me the feeling of accomplishment every day. In the world’s perspective of wealth, I may not be rich in material things but I have everything I ever need. What more can I ask for? 

May the spirit of Christmas which is peace, joy and love be felt by each and every one of us no matter where we are in this world. May we always find reasons to be happy and enjoy the birthday of our Lord. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best to come in 2012!