Posts made in 2009

Hello Nokia E72

Posted by Alma on 27 Dec 2009 in Technology | 0 comments

After I lost my trusty Nokia E63, I thought what the heck, this could be the time to get an iPhone! But alas, the darn thing cost an arm and a leg, and after my horrendous experience with Globe Telecoms, there is no way I am getting an iPhone with a postpaid subscription.

For one, postpaid subscriptions are great for heavy mobile users.  Not me.  Right now, I can go as much as P500 only per month on prepaid loads.  When I ran out of load, I use my Skype credit since its quite cheap with Skype.  Secondly, I hate thinking of the exclusive tie up that goes with postpaid subscriptions.  2 year tie up is way too much, too long, and in the long run– expensive.

Since Globe is the exclusive distributor of iPhone, well, I needed to let go of my crazy I love everything about Apple mentality.  Another choice is hitting Smart.  They have the Blackberry.  Not as hot as the iPhone, but I have heard alot of raves about it.

Anywhooo, I needed to consider cost as well.   Sad to say, mobile phones is not in the budget.  So I needed to check out other mobile phones, and making a shortlist was not hard at all.  Nokia or Sony Ericsson.  Had both mobile in the past, both lasted years!  So it all came down to budget.  Heck I refuse to spend more than 20k for a mobile phone…

So, I ended up buying another Nokia– this time, a Nokia E72.  Looks like my E63, but better… its faster, and it look snazzier than the 63.  Not bad at all.  Let’s hope this thing will last for at least 2 years!

Globe- WTF?

Posted by Alma on 23 Dec 2009 in Cagayan de Oro, Technology | 0 comments

Globooooooo

Since I lost my mobile, I was pretty lost.  When the internet connection is bad at home, I log into Smart GPRS or Smart 3G connection in the city to check my email.  As you all know, I earn my living as a Webworker and I have alot of emails to monitor and sometimes, impatient clients wanted response pronto.  Not only that, living in a rural area where landline application takes a year for approval, I thought what the heck, lets go start checking out Globe and Smart for a postpaid plan since I did not want to spend a dime for another mobile and postpaid plans offer mobile phone discounts.

I started looking through the website of Smart and Globe, checking out the postpaid plans more closely.  Honestly, I have been a Globe subscriber for almost 10 years and only stopped being one when we moved aboard.  Anyway, so I started preparing the documents needed to go with the application.  2- IDs (so I took photocopies of my passport and US issued credit debit card; 1- Utility bill (so I prepared by Internet statement which is paid in advance); Proof of Income (photocopies of my payslips including certificate of employment signed by my clients);

Armed with all the requirements and confidence that since I am already a Globe Broadband subscriber and a former Globe Postpaid Subscriber, my application will be approved immediately. Boy was I so wrong…

Goodbye Trusty Nokia E63

Posted by Alma on 17 Dec 2009 in Internet | 3 comments

Nokia E63

I lost my mobile phone the other day. It was a Nokia E63 which started to grow on me. It was a pretty nifty phone and I have wifi connection at home which made me online on Yahoo, Facebook and Skype via an application Nimbuzz. Login to Twitter 24/7 via Gravity. Darn I paid $9 for that application…. It also made checking of Gmail convenient– all these under wifi connection at home.

The kids and I were doing our Christmas shopping and we took the usual route home on a cab. Like clockwork, we went off and when I got to the door, I rummaged through my bag and to check my mobile so I can turn the wifi connection on to check my email. Since I was unable to find it, I went to the PC to check my mail while continuing to look for it. Step two, when I cannot find my phone, I use Skype to ring my mobile so I can locate it. This has worked wonders as my mobile usually end up under the bed, on the pantry in the kitchen, etc.

This time I did hear the usual ring tone, but was happy to hear the dial tone via Skype, when I realize I left the phone in the cab. Blast. I prayed that the cab driver will return my phone. Long shot really with the Christmas season just around the corner. Anyone can make use and sell that phone for 10K easily. I am really toast.

I rang my mobile again and this time, no dial tone. Just the “out of coverage area” message. With my heart sinking, I knew I have really lost my mobile.

Cebu Pacific– Why do you suck so much?

Posted by Alma on 2 Dec 2009 in Family, Family Travel | 7 comments

Anyway, on the way back to CDO from Boracay, our flight from Kalibo to Cebu was delayed for over 2 hours. Because it was delayed, we totally missed our connecting flight from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro. The weather was bad apparently in Cagayan de Oro, and after a long wait in Kalibo, we finally left for Cebu only to find out that since our travel tickets were a promotional one, I needed to buy our tickets to CDO since we missed our flight earlier. I argued that we missed our flight because Cebu Pacific‘s flight was late. Was it our fault that the weather went bad to worse?

To cut the chase, the damn Cebu Pacific personnel, informed me that our flight to CDO was not the actual connecting flight to CDO. Wahaaat??? I almost scalped him… Then he explained that if we had purchased the connecting flight Cebu to Cagayan de Oro, we would have been scheduled to leave Cebu later in the afternoon and not aboard the earlier flight which we missed. Anyway, to make it even worse, Cebu Pacific insisted that I cannot rebook our tickets because rebooking is only allowed a day before the day of flight. He showed me the terms and conditions on our tickets, and I quietly asked after a long sigh…”Ok, how much?” He rattled and punched in several numbers on his calculator and after 15 seconds, he gave me the figure, “P14,090., Maám…”

How about a pizza from Yellow Cab Boracay?

Posted by Alma on 1 Dec 2009 in Children, Family Travel, Food | 4 comments

One of the places we liked while in Boracay was the Yellow Cab Pizza place at Station 2, Station 3.  The children simply had a blast sitting there and watching people walk by.  The Yellow Cab Pizza Branch in Boracay only has a few tables, and the place was a little cramp, but hey, the food just like any Yellow Cab was fab.

We had our all time favorite Hawaiian Pizza, Hot Wings and my favorite mouthwatering, Twice Baked Potato Halves.  For dessert, the kids had 1/2 pint of vanilla icecream each!  It was a well spent lunch, what else could I ask more, the kids as always loved it.