10 Things You Should Know About Women

source: mensxp.com

Women are complex, confounding, difficult to fathom, impossible to predict and so on.

While you need a lifetime and more to decipher a woman, you can read this article and get a heads up. We are about to let you in on the 10 things you absolutely need to know about a woman.

1. Women hate being compared

They may ‘jokingly’ ask you how you think they compare to their female friends. They will coax you to answer but you have to hold your ground. No matter what, DO NOT COMPARE. Because no matter what your answer is, you will end up upsetting her.

2. PMS is for real

If your weenie bled for 5 days every month, you would be cranky too. Be grateful that you don’t have to endure this biological discomfort and be considerate towards the after-effects she experiences (every month) because of it.

3. Women know when you ‘look’

You may make a surreptitious attempt to look at her cleavage or/and at her breasts, and you may think you have succeeded in ogling at them without her knowing. You are wrong. A woman will know when you look (stare). So if she questions you about it, don’t be a fool and deny it. Either way, you will get an evil look for looking at what is not yours to look at.

4. Women have a sex drive

Shocked? Don’t be. Contrary to popular Indian belief, Indian women do have a sex drive. They are not coy creatures who will flutter their eyes and sigh deeply when you touch their shoulders. They are in fact nubile beings who will grab your butt and wink at you if they are interested. If they are not interested, you will get an evil look. Or a slap. Depending on your sickness meter.

5. Women love being taken care of

Not being ordered around and being dominated, but women love being taken care of. They especially love it if you hug them after a long day, or if you tell them that they should take it easy or when you volunteer to hold their bag. So sweet!

6. Women love romance

This shouldn’t surprise you. If it does, WOW!

7. Women are protective of their girl-friends

Okay, there will be days she will crib about her friends and get upset and tell you how ‘that one’ behaves bitchy and how ‘this one’ thinks she is one bit too smart. She is ALLOWED to say whatever she wants about her girl-friends. If you EVER as much as utter one negative thing about any of them, she will eat you up alive.

8. Nothing beats Gossip!

Gossip, girl-friends, gin – the 3 Gs that rock a woman’s world. Bring them all together and you have an absolute winner.

9. Women ALWAYS want to eat dessert

Women want a waist like Katrina and legs like Deepika, but they want dessert more. If you ask her whether she would like to eat desserts, images of Katrina’s waist and Deepika’s thighs will flash in front of her eyes and she’ll say no. If you simply call for a dessert of her choice, she’ll devour it first and then you! ;)

10. Women grab their crotches too

But as Padmalakshmi rightly said, they are decent and sensible enough to do it in the privacy of their bedrooms or bathrooms. A habit that men need to develop too? Yes, we definitely think so.

Singer, footballer, reporter among TOYM 2012 awardees

Apl.de.ap

Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap, Azkals Vice Captain Chieffy Caligdong and GMA News senior reporter Jiggy Manicad are among the awardees of the annual The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of 2012.

The other awardees will be Congresswoman Emmeline Aglipay, heritage conservationist Ivan Henares, occupational therapist Abelardo David and veterinarian Waren Baticados.

The list was announced by Supreme Court Justice Arturo Brion, head judge of this year’s TOYM awards.

Every year, a panel of judges chooses among Filipinos who have showed exceptional dedication to their field to be given the TOYM award.

Chieffy Caligdong

“We look for people to be role models for the Filipino youth,” said TOYM executive director Larry Cruz.

For this year however, only seven were given the award due to the tight criteria set by the judges.

“This is the most prestigious Filipino youth award,” Cruz said, adding that the TOYM has been an award-giving body since 1959.

In an interview, Manicad offered the award to the Lord, his family and the victims of typhoon Pablo which devastated the Philippines recently, leaving 700 dead and more missing.

Jiggy Manicad

“It’s truly an honor and an inspiration to do better and do more at the same time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Henares said that he hoped that this recognition will mark the beginning of Filipino youth learning to embrace their cultural heritage.

“It’s the first time that Heritage Conservation is recognized by TOYM. I’m honored and thankful that TOYM recognized our work and advocacy to preserve our country’s built heritage,” he said.

Philippines among 10 ‘happiest’ countries in the World

The Philippines is among the 10 happiest countries in the world, according to a recent survey by a US-based polling firm.

US based polling firm Gallup Inc. said that the nation with “highest positive emotions worldwide” were Panama and Paraguay with 85 percent answering YES to the questions: Did you feel well-respected yesterday? Were you treated with respect all day yesterday? Did you laugh or smile a lot yesterday? Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday? Did you experience the following feelings during a lot of the day yesterday? How about enjoyment?

Next to Panama and Paraguay were El Salvador and Venezuela with 84 percent and on third place were Trinidad and Tobago and Thailand with 83 percent.

The Philippines shared the fourth place with Guatemala, where 82 percent of the surveyed persons answered YES to the six questions.

The last pair on fifth place was Ecuador and Costa Rica, which both got 81 percent.

An Associated Press news article quoted one of the surveyed Filipinos: a 35-year-old security guard named Felicio Sayat.

Sayat commented in the survey: “Just being with my family makes me happy … We have fun together as a family. … We have bonding time and we say prayers together. … They are my inspiration. As long as we are all healthy, I am happy. There is nothing better than that.”

Sayat works as a security guard at a parking lot in Manila.

Gallup Inc. said that the surveys were conducted in 148 countries in 2011.

“Results are based on telephone and face-to-face interviews with 1,000 adults, aged 15 and older, conducted in 2011 in 148 countries and areas,” it said.

Meanwhile, the polling firm reported that the country with the “lowest positive emotions worldwide” was Singapore, where only 46 percent answered YES to the six questions.

Following Singapore was Armenia with 49 percent; Iraq with 50 percent; Georgia, Yemen and Serbia, with 52 percent; Belarus with 53 percent; Lithuania and Madagascar, both with 54 percent; Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Haiti, Togo and Macedonia with 55 percent.

(Story courtesy of the Philippine Star)

World Bank raises Philippines 2012 growth forecast anew

The World Bank has raised its growth forecasts for the Philippines for this year and the next, saying prudent economic policies coupled with political stability will aid in its faster expansion.

Also, the multilateral agency said developing East Asia, excluding China, would grow at a moderate pace this year with some help from strong economic expansion in the Philippines.

For this year, the multilateral agency now sees the Philippines expanding by 6 percent, becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the Pacific.

It was the third time the World Bank raised its forecast for the year.

For next year, the World Bank said, the Philippines could grow by 6.2 percent. The agency last October projected growth at 5 percent.

The adjustments in the World Bank’s forecasts came after the government reported a surprising growth rate in the quarter. The country’s economy grew by 7.1 percent during the period, one of the fastest rates in the region.

As a result, the Philippines’ gross domestic product growth averaged 6.5 percent in the first three quarters of the year.

Growth in the first three quarters was credited to higher government spending, increased household consumption, and higher investments by local firms. Increased foreign direct investments in the business process outsourcing sector also partly aided in the robust growth, officials said.

In the World Bank’s “East Asia and Pacific Economic Update,” the multilateral agency claimed that the so-called Developing East Asia region would grow 5.6 percent in 2012, from 4.4 percent in 2011.

“The rebound in Thailand following the floods in 2011, strong growth in the Philippines, and relatively mild slowdowns in Indonesia and Vietnam contributed to this recovery,” the World Bank said in a statement concerning the update.

Looking ahead, the strong performances of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines will boost Developing East Asia to 5.7 percent in 2013 and 5.8 percent in 2014, the World Bank said.

Another bright spot in the region is Myanmar, which continued to accelerate in 2012, posting GDP growth of 5.5 percent despite concerns in infrastructure and other sectors.

As for growth risks, the World Bank noted that problems in the eurozone, the “fiscal cliff” now troubling the United States, and a possible sharp decline in the growth of investments in China could slow the region’s momentum.

“If a shock in growth were to occur, most countries could counter the impact by easing their fiscal policies. For economies in the region that face difficulties in budget execution … fiscal interventions aimed at increasing private domestic demand such as targeted social assistance or investment tax credits, are very important,” said World Bank senior economist Keiko Kubota, the main author of the report.

The larger East Asia and Pacific region, meanwhile, is projected to grow at 7.5 percent in 2012—lower than the 8.3 percent registered in 2011. In 2013, it is expected to recover to 7.9 percent.

(Story courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer)

NASA flooded with end of the world Call.

It’s not the end of the world, and they know it.

Bombarded by anxious calls about whether the world will end Dec. 21, NASA administrators have set up a website to bring America back to its senses.

Whereas the space agency typically receives around 90 calls per day on a variety of topics, NASA has been fielding 200 to 300 inquiries of late dealing with this rumor.

In part, the uptick of concern comes from the belief that Friday is the last day on the Mayan calendar, a rumor that has left many people looking for answers.

"Who's the first agency you would call?" NASA spokesman Dwayne Brown told the Los Angeles Times. "You're going to call NASA."

With call volumes tapping resources, NASA has dedicated a portion of its website to “frequently asked questions” regarding the end of the world, and the first one gets right to the point.

“Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.”

“The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” NASA states.

Though they were noted astronomers of their day, however, NASA says that far too much has been made of what appears to be the end of the Mayan calendar.

“Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012,” the webpage, which has drawn 4.6 million views, states. “This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.”

The site goes on to bust a number of other myths about the end of the world, such as the fear of a total blackout caused by the alignment of the universe, anxiety over the possibility of a sudden reversal of the north and south poles, and the belief of an imminent collision between Earth and a wayward planet called Nibiru.

Not to worry, says NASA, none of those scenarios has any scientific merit.

"We're doing all that we can do to let the world know that as far as NASA and science goes, Dec. 21 will be another day," Brown told the Times.

As yet, however, there’s nothing on the agency’s website about Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/nasa-flooded-end-of-world-calls-article-1.1223984#ixzz2FZncm4oj

'Kailan ka ikakasal?' and other awkward moments in holiday reunions

Why is Christmas in the Philippines a very long season? Despite the coming of the holiday season, why do a number of people feel the need for a psychological or psychiatric consultation? Holiday season reunions appear to have something to do with these two.

It is an essential part of holidays in the Philippines to have family reunions.  Our reunions involve the entire extended family, from the grandparents to the entire families of each married son or daughter to grandchildren of all ages to single family members and their special guests. 

Reunions are a time when the individual identities of family members become secondary to the identity of the entire clan.  Depending on the level of individuality that the clan allows its members, the reunion can be comfortable and joyous to most but confusing and disturbing to a few.

An extended family’s psychological health can be gauged by how happy its reunions are.  In reunions, here are some signs of a family’s health:

There is an acceptance of differing stages of development and less comparison among peers.  The question “Kailan ka ikakasal?” (When are you getting married?) can be very disconcerting to some single family members. So too are simple comparative comments to a teenager regarding his height, weight, skin color, and athleticism as compared to his contemporaries. 
    
Diversity in careers is encouraged.  Because many Filipino parents want their children to have good, traditional, shirt-and-tie jobs in Makati or Ortigas, some family members are bound to feel pressured during reunions when their jobs are found to be less socially acceptable to the elders in the clan. This may happen to young people who are working in a creative job, in the arts, in an NGO, or are otherwise treading paths less traveled.
    
In-laws’ thoughts and opinions are valued.  Clans differ in their acceptance of outsiders and external influences.  There are more open family systems where children are encouraged early to accept visitors to their home and are allowed to sleep over and, later, to go on out-of-town trips and vacations with mixed-gender peers.  And there are closed family systems who stick together exclusively for almost all of their socialization and emotional support needs. 

It is in more open family systems that in-laws’ thoughts and opinions are valued.  They are included in family fun, discussions and even decision-making.  In less open family systems, the presence of in-laws in reunions is expected out of duty and is in fact, valued and enjoyed most often. Sometimes, however, they are not invited directly nor are asked if they are at all available.
    
Less pressure on the younger generation.  Subtle forms of pressure may come in the form of comments like, “Kamukhang-kamukha mo ang lolo mo,” “Manang-mana ka sa tiya mo,” or “Kailan ka magtotop ng bar tulad ng daddy mo?”  Pressure and disruption come when the youngster does not particularly like the elder that he or she is being compared to. 
    
In many Filipino families, there is a patriarch or a matriarch who embodies the clan’s values and looks after each member’s welfare and progress.  It is not uncommon for a smart and sensitive younger family member to eventually figure out that his or her entire clan is striving to please this patriarch.  When this happens, there can be a major clash of views, much similar to dramatic confrontations among families in Filipino movies.  More typically of Filipinos, though, there will be pakikibagay or getting along, accompanied by a quiet pag-iwas or withdrawal, leaving the youngster rather isolated from and misunderstood by the larger clan.  He can become what is called by psychiatrists and psychologists, the identified patient.  Properly nurtured, however, he becomes the wiser and better individuated member of the clan who can lead the rest—or at least his own family—into improved well-being and higher modes of family functioning.
    
Holiday season reunions are a many splendored thing. There is always good food and the warmth of the family hearth shared with one and all. Sometimes being disturbed means that one is growing up to be an individual, quite different and unique from the clan’s identity. 

Seeing the same people year in, year out gives us the opportunity not only to enjoy the blessing of belonging, but also to master our wounds and to move on.

Dr. Ruben Encarnacion is a clinical psychologist while Dr. Alice Encarnacion is a pediatrician. This article was first published in "FR: The Family Reader," and is being re-published here with permission of the authors.

10 stories of OFWs' pains, gains in new book

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Migrants’ Rights Watch (PMRW) recently launched its fourth volume of the book called “Migrants’ Stories, Migrants’ Voices”.

“We always make sure na itong book namin comes out on this day (International Migrants’ Day). It’s like our contribution, our tribute din to the OFWs,” said PMRW President Carmelita Nuqui.

The book features 10 stories of personal success and hardships experienced by the by OFW-contributor and their families.

“By sharing their stories, the 10 contributors hope that others would learn from their stories,” said Nuqui.

The 10 stories are:

In “The Usherette”, Fr. Edwin Corros shares his encounters with OFWs in Taiwan while serving there as a parish priest. This time, he shares the story of an OFW who, during her days off, served as an usherette in a Catholic Church in Taiwan.

“The Wonders of Migration”, is a story of a family whose father was forced to work abroad to be able to send all his children to good schools. One of the children tells how he came to accept his father’s decision to leave the family and change his religion.

“Not a Bed of Roses” is a story of Filipina who had to work in Japan as an entertainer and who eventually married a Japanese. But things did not work out as expected.

“Migration Made Me a Strong Woman” is a story of a Pinay who left the country to give her two children a better life after her husband left her for another woman.

“The Duality in Migration” is a story of what it is like to grow up in a family with many OFWs. Shalom shares that although her experience as a child of an OFW was good, other relatives did not fare well and were actually negatively affected by the separation.

“No Plan to Work Abroad” tells the story of how a man ended up working in Spain. The experience, although difficult, taught him how to value hard work.

“Amidst a Multi-cultural Environment” shares the story of a woman who left the county as a bride of an Australia. But while there, the Pinay recounts her experiences of how difficult it is to land a job in Australia.

“My Life in Korea: Learning and Understanding” is a story of a Pinay who married a Korean. She explains the difficulties she went through during the early years of her marriage because of language barrier and culture differences.

“A glimpse from My Past” is a story of an OFW caught in the crossfires in Libya. He narrates the traumatic experiences he had to endure just to get home to the Philippines safely.

“The Best Thing” tells the story of Andre, a ship steward. Before being a ship steward, he had to take on several jobs aboard that almost killed his desire to work in a ship.

Nuqui said PMRW hopes to be able to publish more stories of OFWs to inspire others and make people understand and the appreciate the plight of Filipino workers overseas.

Eddie Garcia wins Asia Pac Film Fest Best Actor in Macau

Eddie Garcia was named best actor at the 55th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Macau on Saturday. He won the award for his portrayal of a grumpy old gay man in “Bwakaw”, besting five other nominees from the region.

The news was relayed by the film’s director Jun Lana on his Facebook account minutes after midnight.

The 83-year-old actor-director attended the festival at the Venetian Hotel in China’s gambling capital and accepted the award himself. Lana said Garcia received a standing ovation.

Garcia’s victory coincided with another happy development related to “Bwakaw”, the Philippine entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category of next year’s Academy Awards.

“Just received back-to-back good news: Eddie Garcia won best actor at the Asia Pacific Film Awards in Macau and got a standing ovation! Also, Bwakaw is fifth in Top 10 Best Unreleased Films of 2012 according to Film Comment’s survey of international film critics & journalists!” Lana said on Facebook early Sunday morning.

The 58-year-old Asia Pacific Film Festival, which concludes on Sunday, should not be mistaken for the Australia-based Asia Pacific Screen Awards where Nora Aunor and Brillante Mendoza won best actress and director honors for “Thy Womb” last month.

Aunor was also nominated for her work in “Thy Womb” at the Asia Pacific Film Festival, but the award went to Taiwanese actress Gwai Lun-mei for her role in the film ”Gf*Bf.”

“Bwakaw” premiered in July at the 2012 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival where it won three awards, including best actor.

92% of Pinoys welcoming 2013 with hope – Pulse Asia

Almost all Filipinos face the coming year with hope rather than fear, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.

The nationwide poll, conducted from Nov. 23 to 29, found 92 percent of Filipinos saying they will welcome the year 2013 with hope, a view articulated by nearly all respondents across geographic areas (90 to 96 percent) and socio-economic classes (89 to 96 percent).

Only three percent say they will face the year ahead with apprehension, while four percent will face the coming year without hope.

“These figures are essentially consistent with those recorded in November 2011,” according to Pulse Asia’s November 2012 Ulat ng Bayan Survey.

Meanwhile, the same survey showed a little over half of Filipino adults or 56 percent say their families’ celebration of the coming Christmas season will be the same as last year.

This is the majority sentiment in every socio-economic class (51 to 58 percent) and virtually all geographic areas (52 to 62 percent).

Almost the same percentage of respondents in the Visayas say that this Christmas season will be either more prosperous than or the same as last year’s (41 versus 47 percent).
On the other hand, 34 percent of Filipinos expect a most prosperous Christmas season, while 10 percent say this coming Christmas will see them poorer than last year.

There are no significant differences between the November 2011 and 2012 figures, the survey showed.

The nationwide survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 representative adults 18 years and older.

It used sampling error margin of plus or minus three percentage points at 95 percent confidence level.

(Story courtesy of Helen Flores of the Philippine Star)

Office spaces, hotel room demand sustains real estate boom

The growing economy and government’s push to boost tourism has led real estate developers to increase inventories for more office space as well as rapidly expand the number of hotel rooms they are building.

In a press briefing, global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu’s project leasing director Sheila Lobien said the growth in office space is no longer limited to demand from Business Process Outsourcing firms (BPOs).

She noted that multinationals and other local companies are now also driving demand for office space in the Philippines and setting new records, indicating unprecedented business confidence.

Lobien said that, from January to November 2012 demand for office space rose to 425,000 sqm., and may rise even further by year-end. This is at least 18 percent more than the annual average demand of 360,000 sqm. recorded in 2011.

Non-BPOs consisting of multinational and local companies accounted for 100,000 sqm. or 25 percent of current demand.

“Even before preferred office buildings are completed, companies are committing to take up space, indicating strong optimism and heightened business activity projected by the leading real estate consultancy for 2013,” Lobien said.

Pre-commitments are backed up by signed lease agreements between parties, and advanced rent and security deposits are paid. Lobien pointed out pre-commitments more than doubled in January to November 2012 as compared to the same period in the year before.

“In 11 months of 2011, we recorded pre-commitments of 68,358 sqm.,” said Lobien adding that, “in 2012, the figure over the same period shot up to 175,922 sqm.” JLLL studies also noted that a number of companies pre-committed to office space that would be completed as far forward as 2014.

Meanwhile, JLLL associate director for markets Phillip Anonuevo said the massive entertainment district development in the Bay Area has provided impetus to tourism development.

He noted that last May, JLLL tracked 10,536 hotel rooms in the pipeline from 2011 to 2016. An additional 5,000 hotel rooms has since been added to the figure in just six months. “Investment in the hotels and hospitality real estate asset class is experiencing record growth,” he said. “In addition, commercial properties such as Aseana One in the same district have become an attractive destination for firms seeking to do business in the proximity of the entertainment district.”

In the office sector, companies like Coca Cola and Aboitiz Group are bracing for expansion and moving to new corporate space in Bonifacio Global City. Anonuevo notes that buildings in this highly preferred business district like Net Lima and NAC were fully leased out even before building completion.

(Story courtesy of James A. Loyola of the Manila Bulletin)

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