Best time for people to...

One of my readers sent me this great piece on productivity. While most of these about general well being and therefore non-personal finance related, understand that without a healthy mind and body, money is unimportant.

1. Best time to Study - When you wake up in the morning, you will probably feel tired and dizzy.  However, once you wash your fast, you will be energized and refreshed.  This is also the time where your mind is the clearest, so studying in early morning will help you remember everything much easier!
2. Best Time to Exercise - It’s great to go out for a walk in the morning because air is the freshest during that time.  It can not only help clear your mind but is great for your body as well!
3. Best Time to Eat Fruits - One hour before a meal is best.  This is because as fruits are mostly eaten cold, eating it first before your hot meal won’t cause your body to increase excessive white blood cell production.  This is good to protect your immune system.
4. Best Time for Training - The best time for training is in late afternoon / early evening.  The reason is because this time is when your body is performing at the best.  In other times of the day, your blood pressure and heart beats are usually higher, so training during those times are harmful to your body.
5. Best Time to Shower - Right before bedtime is usually the best time to shower, as it relaxes your joints and muscles to give you a better night’s sleep.
6. Best Time to Sleep - For afternoon nap, it’s best to do it after 1pm because that’s the time when your body is the most sluggish.  At night, going to bed at 10 to 11pm is best.  This is due to the fact that a human’s deep sleep usually happens around 2-3am, and the fact that it takes a body approximately 1 and a half hours to get into deep sleep.
7. Best Time to Brush Your Teeth - 3 minutes after every meal.  This is because acid will start to be broken down from the food, which start damaging your teeth.
8. Best Time for Skin Care - Skin care is best done at night because that’s when your skin is in recovery mode.  (It is also the time when no one else other than your spouse are looking at you!)
9. Best Time to Drink Tea - Definitely not within one hour after a meal, as drinking tea may block the absorption of non-heme iron.  Therefore, it is wise to wait one hour after your meal to allow the nutrition to be fully absorbed.
10. Finally, Best Time to be Financially Responsible - All the time.  Period

Fitness First

Yesterday, I looked around Fitness First (Metro East) and was quite impressed with the facilities with their TVs and equipment. I also got a brochure which is essentially a raffle promotion. I never went inside the gym my entire life, and my parents have a traditional, anti-equipment view which essentially disallowed me to even think of joining. I used to be thin, until high school. Since then, I've grown one or two points above the body mass index. I think joining a gym regularly should be a priority for me by next year (since this year would be quite hectic).

Earlier, I signed up with FF's one day promotion, not sure when they would contact me, although I don;t have plans to join a membership, at least not yet. I read several blogs and threads exposing FF's alleged financial trickery (charging even after the contract is over). i would probably pay in cash rather than credit card as a precaution.

I've heard of another gym (Eclipse) and I think their philosophy is quite sincere. They call themselves a "renegade" fitness center because they know how the industry works and what does and doen't work. Congrats to the founder in advance for thinking differently. They sure are entrepreneurial. They don't even franchise to ensure their quality and adherance to company philosophy.

Brand Associate

I read somewhere of a guy who described his job which, if accepted can also be mine...

BRAND ASSOCIATE. a hungry for success son of a ***** that does not take no for an answer! someone who hates losing and is always optimistic on everything. a sneaky military man that is a great tactician. an asshole that is every inefficient person's nightmare. a go getter. a dreamer. pressure player. a predator that kills his prey. a lunatic that changes the way people do things. and a lion that wants to be on top of the food chain!

if you don't agree, i do not care! make your own! don't rant about it! i did not ask you to view this! this is who i am! this is what i do! this is what i want!!!

Product Development Academy, Employment Center, Job Interview, Kaisa Anniversary

Saturday (Jan 17) I attended MACA (Management of Applied Chemistry Association) Product Development Academy seminar, where I learned some things about design innovation (Mark Ruiz, Hapinoy), marketing insights (Mr. Liongson of DLSU) and chemical entrepreneurship (Dr. Richard Gross). I was the only DLSU student present, drowned by a crowd of Ateneans, but I didn't let my insecurity and 'independence' hinder my desire to learn. The program was held at SEC-LEC, where luckily my high school classmate Regine So and AYF Japan fellow participant showed me the way. It seems everytime I go to Ateneo, I meet a long-time-no-see-friend. Judging from my several visits to this university, I can say that many of its programs are better than La Salle. Its strategies are entrepreneurial, like the Junior-term-abroad program (DLSU External Relations' student exchange policy exposed: they are not for students, but for faculty, so much for claiming to be a 'world-class university' encouragement of its students to join conferences and competitions (I remember a competition sponsored by an MNC where I was the only DLSU student in a team of Ateneans).  You could criticize me for not being loyal to my alma mater, but the truth is, I believe in constructive criticism.

***

Monday morning (Jan 19) I went to ERC where I was supposed to have a self-employment workshop. The secretary got the skeds mixed up, so I will have to resked. What I did was to read magazines, journals and other trade publications in the office and had a brief talk with the employment specialist. He is a teacher by profession who started his business in Idaho Springs, cabinets and real estate. He says his business is now being managed by his sons (one of his sons is serving a mission in Texas) and his business has been affected by the US economic slowdown (from 30 employees to 0.) He's got a lovely wife who allowed me to photocopy my CV and a coffee table book and even offered me internet access.

***

When his wife first talked to me, she asked me if I WAS MARRIED already. I don't know if it is because I wore smart attire, but I do think I look like a fresh grad. It may be because of their family culture where early marriage is encouraged, if not expected. Anyhows, I am faced with a dilemna. I want to get married and start a family as as young as possible although I think it is important for me to become settled first. I am thinking that I might marry a Japanese girl...haha better learn some Japanese...Anyway, enough of this.(",)

***

The same day I took my first serious job interview in the Philippines. Originally scheduled at 3pm but moved to 4pm so I killed time eating, waiting and reading somewhere near the area. The place did not have outdoor signs, but it's a huge place and looks like there's a mansion inside. Inside the vicinity, there occupied a lot of company names. I was told to wait at the lobby so I waited for the boss to come. He personally called me to the meeting area along with his HR and I was confident although probably a bit aggressive. I thought this is going to be a final interview, but another one will be held...on Monday 10am.

***

Today (Jan 23) I renewed my passport the whole morning, and slept for an hour until an annoying UNIONBANK credit card offer called me. I wonder how they got my info and sent it to a call center. In the afternoon, I went to Kaisa Heritage Center, where I assisted TV crew from Umagang Kay Ganda (ABS-CBN) and diplomats from some 20 embassies. I talked to some of them, including a Japanese diplomat who is a naturally curious guy and diploamtic corps from DFA.  I was afraid to ask for some of their business cards since I longer have one and that I am the youngest guy in the place. I managed to get two though. I want to become a diplomat, although I am not sure if I could represent the Philippines. They say, you don't have to be a citizenof your country. All you need is to be a citizen of the world.

***

I am reflecting on the atmosphere of my family. Very traditional. Very strict. High level of control to the point of being totalitarian. I am disappointed in them even though I understand them. They don't seem to be doing anything to improve our standard of living and social mobility. It seems that I am one of the few who thinks very hard about his. Everyday, I am hungry for growth. I am hungry for knowledge. I am hungry for opportunities. No choice. I don't want to live this way, 'I want to get out of here', as Arnold Shwarzenegger recalled. I think one of the reasons why my family's background is different from other people can be explained by Max Weber. We do not have Protestant Work ethic and Confucian work ethic. On the contrary, my motherside is Roman Catholic and my dad's generation is Communist. I am challenged to associate with Mid-western Americans and Confucian organizations to make sure I take part in a modern economic miracle.

***

Some dreams:

1. Enroll in a gourmet cusine course 

2. Learn Japanese and French

3. Work-out exercise everyday.

4. Travel around Japan.

5. Eat Japanese food regularly

6. Meditate daily.

7. Wear clothes of great design.

8. Make sure my living space are designer homes.

9. Japanese hairstyle

10.Convert to this church.

These things may seem easy for some, but it involves a measurable level of struggle on my part.

Lecture by East Timor President

Today I had the opportunity to attend a talk sponsored by BRIDGES International Peace Foundation by Pres. Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste (East Timor). Articulate and having a sense of humor, he did not bore the audience. The only boring part was when Catholic religious (one Radio Veritas reporter, one brother, one sister who didn't ask but bragged about her school's outreach to East Timor) dominated the Q&A part, denying my ( and my friend's) opportunity to ask something important. I know the Philippines is an important partner of this country, given similarities in religion and colonial legacy. However, it seems that a lot of Filipinos blindly offer all kinds of assistance to this country and history would repeat itself when the Philippines was too proud to help its neighbors through the International Rice Research Institute, which made our neighbors a net exporter while the country becoming the WORLD'S LARGEST IMPORTER OF RICE!

I can see East Timor's potential. Even if it has been ravaged by war and violence, its people and leaders are determined. It now has petroleum reserves. I can hint mining and tourism potential. Scholarships are offered by foreign countries (particularly the Philippines, which has yet to solve its own problems and has given $20M to Myanmar in a pledge)  or supported by its government. Past rifts are being healed internally and externally. Mindanao has not. 

I'm not saying the Philippines should not be generous or concerned with the international community. But it should help itself before lending aid to others.

We actually followed him to the reception to his departure, even though "security was tight," we managed to sneeked in. I was fortunate to shake his hands and exchange a five min. conversation, probably the highest official I cam in close contact. So unfortuante I wasn't able to meet Hu Jintao before in his visit to Manila. Next time...In less than a year, I can see myself as a tour guide to world leaders.

Graduation

I have become a bum for a month. I originally intended to make my transition from college to graduate life as smoothly as possible. Things didn't go well as planned. All day and night, what I did was to eat, drink and surf the internet. I am not used to this kind of life, given my compulsive personality and passion for productivity. I am supposed to be in an internship abroad now. But I decided it would be a waste of time and talent to settle for something less. Working just for travel's sake is superficial. 

Actually, there were a lot of internship opportunities. Two of them caught my attention. Both in Shanghai. One is a marketing job. however, my Shanghai friend advised against applying to this company. He said the company has a bad reputation in China (as a direct selling company) and that they "sell trash." The other is a teaching job. Pay is not bad, although I won't learn anything about business except for "Social Entrepreneurship." Parties are included, although I do not prioritize them given my frugal lifestyle and eye for value. There is another in HK which I applied seriously. Unfortunately, the job description was subtle and exaggerated. It is nothing more than "technical" and "powerpoint" assistance. Never mind the company is a conglomerate MNC.

Last month, I was also invited to apply for "Business Development Officer" position. However, upon closer inspection, it is a call center agent job, just dignified. The atmosphere was pretentious, the workload stressful.  On the other hand, I also received "business offers" or "business proposals." Sadly, it is an MLM scheme. There was also a time when a bank called. I didn't answer the call since I cannot recall applying for a bank. Probably from our school's career service.

I sure had a lot of adventure with job recruiters. However, most were a waste of time. But I have two friends who still don't have a job even though they graduated one or two terms earlier than me. Not that I am worried about my career prospects, now am I unreasonably picky. I just want to make sure I enter a good start. I just want to set myself apart from the crowd, without compromising my values, ambitions, and personality.

last week, I actually came up with a start-up company. This is probably not what I had envisioned as a first move.  Of course, I have to be cautious of every offer and opportunity. I have grown to be discriminating of them. But this one is different. Based on my research: It is a perfect blend of corporate identity and entrepreneurial agency. It is an entrepreneurial start-up which has an aggresive international expansion strategy. Its people youthful, adventurous and unassuming. Its culture creative and entrepreneurial. Its boss charismatic and believes in his team. I read his blog and took notice on his thoughts: "age and pedigree is insignificant" and "what matters os the fire inside the person...the bigness of dreams and the firmness of vision." He goes on to say that he has (associates) living alone in foreign countries with the future of the brand on their hands. 

Now some people would question this approach (letting young people take in charge), but then, people would comment the same when a Chinoy tycoon was a janitor and another tycoon now a senator selling in the palengke. From what I heard, it seems that this guy believes in the entrepreneurial energy and potential of young people. It's like how Mao Zedong described young people: "The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the final analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigour and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Our hope is placed on you..." (Little Red Book, page 288) I'm sure this guy wouldn't risk his business to just anyone, and wouldn't risk the talents and expectations, not to mention the career and life of applicants. The applicants he is looking for are described as "those whose energy belongs to the 99th percentile, not afraid to fail, and an intense itch to make a difference in the region. " I think this is the perfect description of me and what I'm looking for. 

My job interview will be on Monday, and I hope this is truly the one I'm looking for. Btw, I've rejected KFC. Their actual and stated job descriptions are different!

By the way, I decided not to go to graduation rites in February. I had thought before that this was supposed to be a memroable experience looking forward to. But when I attended last term, I was disappointed. It was boring. Maybe homecoming when you are truly successful would be so much better. 

Now in Blogspot

Hello. This is my first blog under blogspot. I decided to move from Multiply (kennethduncan.multiply.com) since I feel blogging here would increase privacy (from Multiply contacts) and express my thoughts clearer due to a better interface design and allow for public viewing.