A Simple Dinner for 50th Birthday...

My 50th Birthday Dinner with Job, Dante, Rosemir and Gloria...

"Happy Birthday on Monday, Faith!! Thank God, you do not look 50 at all :))" Now I wonder what 50 supposed to look like...

Yep, I turned golden girl today. Half a century old... I was considering a birthday party of 50 guests but changed my mind. I have done parties in the past. I think I just want a good dinner for my birthday this year.

I invited 15 friends and was aiming for a table of 8 to 10 people at Hai Shin Lou. The result is that there were only 5 of us. Oh well... What to expect... last minute invitations and Monday evening in Makati.

At first, I planned dinner at Cafe Juanita but last Friday's dinner at Hai Shin Lou was so enjoyable, I wanted to share it to people who I thought might also enjoy the dining experience.

Rosemir, a dear friend who saw me through life...

Job, my youngest brother...

Dante, Job's friend, considered by my late dad as an adopted son...

Gloria, a new client whose personality brightens up a day. :)

5 people... 5 dishes... Approx. USD100 Dinner... Thumbs up!
Rosemir did the selection.

Steamed Shrimps...

Roasted Chicken with hoisin sauce...

Tofu Pork Belly hotpot with mushroom & vegetables...

Geoduck with rice noodles...

Seafood Birthday Noodles!

New Dessert: Tapioca, Mango, Lychee in Coconut Milk

Thank you God for a nice evening, a great meal and positive people around. Happy Birthday to me... I am happy. :)

"RAPISTS CAN BE ANYONE."

In January 2014,  amidst the Vhong Navarro-Deniece Cornejo rape case, DJ actress Kat Alano got into the discussion through Twitter. I did not give her much thought then. I did not know her...

An Interaksyon Video: Kat Alano claims she was raped by 'well-loved' public figure in my FB newsfeed exposed me to who Kat Alano is and what happened to her 9 years ago.

The timing of the story made me clicked and watched the over 2-hour video. Last week, I just posted the testimony of Joy Tanchi-Mendoza, who was raped when she was 15 years old. Recently, rape of a Canadian tourist by two French police appeared in my newsfeed. Suddenly, a conversation with a male friend many years ago came back to me. A woman was raped and battered by an expat during a date. The comment of my friend then was "aarte-arte kasi." I remember him asking me how would a man know if no is really no. He continued that sometimes a woman says no but really meant yes. So I told him. Unless a man wants to take chances on being charged of rape, better understand no means no.

Below is the episode of Good Times with Mo Podcast where people phone in for advice on their sex or would-be sex lives. Kat Alano freely talked about sex. Then the discussion shifted to how she became a victim of rape herself and why it took 9 years before she is talking about it.

She sounds credible. I believe her.  She was raped by someone she knew when she was only 19 years old. She tweeted "RAPISTS CAN BE ANYONE." Mo knew the rapist and said, "I know the guy to be a nice guy." 

OMG! Her rapist is still out there. And people are saying "That really happens. That is not the first time. He has reputation for it." "People know and are too afraid to say the truth because it will mess up their lives."

I write this blog to hopefully help netizens understand that rape culture is in our midst and we have to aim for change. We should commit to not take part in rape culture which punishes rape victims instead of the rapist. I tweeted Kat Alano a message "Speak out to prevent other women from falling prey to a rapist. You did not deserve to be raped. No woman does." and a guy tweeted  a reply "never show flirting if u don't want to get molested the worst raped."

Raped and now being told that a woman asked for it! I am so understanding that idiocy is a big problem in our society. (Indignant!)

A Lesson on Cheating to be Remembered for a Lifetime...

One time in San Francisco, a former classmate remarked. "Yan si Faith... Ayaw mag pa kopya." Those were not the exact words but the message was Faith would not allow me to copy during exams. 

Well... I was caught cheating once in high school. It was very embarrassing but... it was a lesson that made me understand the detriment of dishonesty. PDAF would not have happened if the people involved learned what I learnt early about dishonesty. It is terribly shameful and it has consequences.

Screenshot of HCHS  website.

I went to Hope Christian High School in Sta. Cruz, Manila. We had English subjects in the morning and Chinese in the afternoon. It is a Christian school and we had a subject called Character Education. 

English was great! Without studying, I could get a perfect score just listening to the lecture. For Chinese class, it was an entirely different story. I could understand the lecture but answering in Chinese characters was a struggle.

I had this POPULAR TEACHER who was loved by most students. In class, she shared to us a technique of cheating where she used her foot to turn the pages of the notebook. At a young age, my pick up of things was fast. I did not study for a Chinese exam and I did just that. Turned the pages of my notes using my foot during an exam. And I got caught. My BEST TEACHER asked me to stay after class. I call her my BEST TEACHER because besides academics, she taught me character. 

I was not too worried about  it. If I got a failing mark for that exam, I would study for the next exam to get a perfect score and average a passing mark. Besides... It was Chinese class.  I was not running for honor roll.

BEST TEACHER started by telling me that she knew I was running for honors in English. She then explained that if I get a demerit for cheating in Chinese, there was no way I would be an honor student for English. I was not prepared to  hear what I just heard. I was mortified... That was the first time academic excellence was explained to me. I felt like crying. It was my last year in high school. I already got first place in English and Math competition.  Closing the year being first honor in my section was the final goal. She knew it affected me. But she wanted me to learn the lesson on honesty. If I give my word that I will not do it again, she was to just give me a warning. A demerit would not appear on record. And I gave my word.

That word was to apply for the next 34 years of my life. In matters of ethics, my friends know where I stand. They know if I would agree or not agree to a situation on the basis of whether it is based on integrity or not. In business, I would choose to lose a customer who would insist on unauthorized discounts than violate corporate rules/policies.

"The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army or in an office."
                                                                                ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

I am not proud that I cheated. What I want to impart is that I learned the lesson well. As mentors, whether as parents, educators, church or corporate leaders, the lesson on honesty and integrity should be taught well.  I googled my alma mater's website to get a screenshot for this post. Reading the vision and mission, I have to smile and say Amen. May the glory be unto God. ;)

VISION

Hope Christian High School seeks to inspire her reflective learning community, to acknowledge God's love, obey God's law, and develop the self, and contribute to society.

MISSION

Hope Christian High School is committed to continually provide quality Christian education relevant to the changes and challenges of the times for the glory of God.

UP Batch 85: In the Company of Leaders...

In 2010, I went to UP for an alumni homecoming meeting. I connected with people to become the core group representing UP Batch 85. On 14 April 2014, we met again at the Office of the Chief of Staff in Camp Aguinaldo.

From L-R: Armin Sarthou, Nelia Cruz-Sarcol, Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Atty. Dot Balasbas-Gancayco, me

Armin Sarthou, a UP academician, served as VP-Administration for UP at one point.

A glimpse of boyish charm... :)

Nelia Cruz-Sarcol calls herself a teacher. I must say a teacher of leaders. She is CEO of CIE British School with a clear objective of instilling character to make a difference in society.  She is author of "The Pearl Principle" and walks the talk. "Personal success is only a means to an end: Making the world a better place."

Nelia Sarcol with Gen. Manny Bautista

"Manny Sundalo" is General Emmanuel Bautista, current AFP Chief of Staff. He got the moniker from a certain Gang Badoy-Capati when a Florida bus fell into a ravine in Bontoc, Mountain Province last February 2014. Gang Badoy's blog on "Manny Sundalo". Leadership that serves is what the Filipinos deserve. 

Atty. Dot Gancayco

Atty. Dot Gancayco with hubby, Atty. Paul (Ambo) Gancayco are active Rotarians. "Service above Self." Recently, Dot has been recognized as 2014 Most Outstanding Deltan of UP Delta Lambda Sigma Sorority. 

And this is me... Now what horn can I toot about myself... Uhmmm... But this piece is not about bragging rights. It is about an epiphany. I am in the company of leaders who share the understanding that success is tied with the number of people whose lives has been better because of one's existence. :) #Blessedtobless

Me (Faith Lim)

Giving as a Strategy on Net Worth Building...

In 2010, I wrote on my Millionaire Mind Intensive notebook to give to church/ministry as one of the purpose of money for me. I share this not to brag about my giving but to help understand giving as a strategy on net worth building. 

With Jeffrey Danola, 5-year Honoree for Campus Crusade for Christ

In 2002, I got retrenched from corporate work and got  a retrenchment package. As a Christian, I set aside 10% to give away. Amount was equivalent to my rent for one year at that time. I broke the amount into 3 parts and gave to 3 institutions so as not to feel the pinch. That year, my Reliv business income made 10x of what I gave away. No kidding... This income enable me to fully pay my 3-BR condo in 2 years time instead of 9 years. I believe in giving back!

Campus Crusade for Christ is a ministry of sharing the gospel on campus. I did not commit to any amount nor to the consistency of giving to the ministry. Through time, my giving has grown because my income has grown. 

Today, I feel privileged to be invited as a guest of Jeffrey Danola, a 5-year Honoree of Campus Crusade for Christ. Can you sense my happiness in the picture? 

"Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord All-Powerful. I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need." ~Malachi 3:10

May God bless you with understanding so that your life will be blessed to bless.

#iBlog10 and Marketing...

4 April 2014. It was almost 2 am when I read about #iblog10, the 10th Philippine Blogging Summit, which will start 8 am that day. I registered online. Called my brother to ask if he can join me then sent him the link to register himself for the event. I could not sleep. 

Wait a minute... Why should I go to a blogging summit? I do not blog for a living. Or did I?

In 2010, a Millionaire Mind Intensive camp by T. Harv Eker in Singapore made me get on a learning curve to do my own websites. I created two: 6figureetal for my network marketing business and IPhilippineProperty for my real estate broker practice. For two years, nothing much came out of my online presence. I just used the websites for purpose of sharing information about products and projects I was marketing.

I joined a real estate group where I learned tips on tweaking an online ad. But the ads were with another website called Sulit.com.ph (now olx.ph). My websites were not ranking. 

I cannot remember how but I chanced upon online training by Janette Toral of  Digital Filipino. A course was offered in UP Diliman and I thought to myself that if the course will give me the answers I have been looking for, it was well worth the course fee and waking up early to attend a full day talk.

Content Marketing. It was the only thing I remember about the training. Janette Toral discussed about SEO but I did not understand much of it. In the event, I met Ben Francia who is a consultant in Internet/Digital Marketing. I enrolled for his course too. Again... Content Marketing. So how do I have content marketing? I did not have a clue.

There is a blog section in both my websites. But I only write when I have something to share. I blog but I cannot seriously call myself a blogger!

In August 2013, my older  brother went into a coma and I handled the medical emergency. With prayers and use of Reliv, my brother got out of the coma state he was in after a brain surgery. I decided to blog about the experience as a testimony of my Christian faith. Until it was moved last March 2014, the blog was viewed by over 30,000 unique visitors. This moved 6figureetal to the first page of Google Search for certain keywords. That was when I understood Content Marketing.

My blog was posted September 2013 and my personal volume hit the highest in my almost 12 years of Reliv business. 20,000 PGPV to qualify for a Kalogris award. 

For more than 10 years, my average frontline sign up in Reliv was 5 a year. In 2013 after getting on the first page of Google Search for certain key words, I sponsored 32 frontlines!

In the blogging summit, Brad Geiser, a leading social marketer, helped me define myself. I am a digital/network marketer who blogs! The latest frontline I signed up is from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. :) I do blog for a living.