Filipina nurse wins leadership award in New York City

By Josephine Darang
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DateFirst Posted 22:05:00 06/27/2010

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IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT Filipina nurses working abroad are well-liked by patients because of their efficient performance. Most of all, they have gentle touch and innate kindness.

One of these nurses is Belina Diaz-Perez, nurse manager of the Coronary Care Unit of Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. She recently received the prestigious Nurse Leadership Award 2010 during Nurses Week Celebration on May 9-13.

She was cited for her significant contributions to nursing practice at Mt. Sinai Hospital. A graduate of St. Paul School of Nursing of Iloilo and St. Paul College of Manila, Perez has worked with Mt. Sinai for over 30 years. She is an active officer of the Capiceno Circle US. She lives in Teaneck, New Jersey with her husband Ricardo Perez where they’ve raised two daughters, lawyer Anabelle Perez-Gray and Dr. Rosalyn Perez.

Perez is the sister of Fr. Erno Diaz, who has been assigned to the Church of the Epiphany on East 22nd and Second Avenue in the Archdiocese of New York starting July 1. She supports the propagation of the devotion to San Lorenzo Ruiz among Filipinos living in the United States.

Standing up for migrant nurses' rights at work: since arriving in New Zealand three years ago, Filipina nurse Glenda Panotes has become an inspiring advocate ... article from: Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand

Ulirang Guro Awards

Chito Atienza, chosen by New York Times as Teacher of the Year in 2008, recently received the Ulirang Guro Award 2010.

Chito teaches English to Hispanics in New York. The other awardees were Lynn Ciocon and Romelita Panga (elementary level) from Maryland public schools; Rosemarie Parreno (secondary level), Department of Education in New York City, also a New York Times ESOL awardee; Arwin Alitagtag, Utah private school; Rubilyn Gitgano, Department of Education of NYC; and Rowena Adalla.

Lumen Castañeda

I met Lumen Castañeda in September 2008 at the Philippine Center in New York. She started the Ulirang Guro awards in 2008 with three awardees. This year, Lulu has expanded the search for 10 more teachers because there are more Filipino teachers in America. Chito belongs to the business category.

According to her, she found inspiration in founding the awards when she witnessed The Ten Outstanding Teachers of Metrobank two years ago when she was on vacation in the Philippines. This project aims to build a classroom for children in the Philippines; the area still to be determined.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Good humor is the best treatment for depression

By Cory Quirino
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Dat

WHO IS TO SAY ONE HAS A better health profile than another? Is there a formula that can guarantee perfect skin?

Here is a collection of trivia that can help you live and look better.

Good humor is one of the most effective treatments against depression. So, read on and laugh.

1. Thou shalt not be perfect.

2. Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people.

3. Thou shalt not leave things undone that ought to be done.

4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin.

5. Thou shalt learn to say no.

6. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and supportive network.

7. Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly.

8. Thou shalt be boring, untidy and unattractive at times.

9. Thou shalt not even feel guilty.

10. Especially, thou shalt not be thine own worst enemy but be thy best friend.

If you laughed, then it’s a guarantee that your immuno globulin A level is up. You’ve just given your immune system a boost.

Healing energy

We live in a planet resplendently filled with flora and fauna. All the roots of trees are anchored deep in the center of the earth where the life force is strongest. Thus, all plant life is alive and imbued with living energy. But did you know plants have emotions?

Cleve Backster, an American polygraph expert, proved through his experiments that plants have feelings that they can connect with each other and other living beings. Through a polygraph test connected to the plants, stress levels were observed when a person killed a plant in the same room where other plants were monitored. Because plants have the capacity to give and receive energy, they can be used to help cleanse a room and increase its good energy. If you have never recognized the healing abilities of plants, it’s time to do so. You may do the following:

1. Hug a tree.

2. Talk to your plants.

3. Walk into a forest.

4. Visit a green park.

5. Plant a tree.

Skin saver

Nothing beats the power of Vitamin C-rich foods to heal skin. Stock up on fruits like orange, lemon, calamansi and guava. The higher the C content, the greater the healing benefits to your body. Concentrate on rough spots like elbows, feet, knees. Follow with a cool shower and spray of VCO mist. Available only at World of Wellness, V-Mall/SM Fairview; tel. 7233878, 3323864.
Skin Saver Remedies - The Best Cosmetics Come From Nature's Pantry
Enlarging breasts

Hypnosis is used medically to unlock and resolve hidden fears, anesthesize a patient, etc. Here’s the case of a doctor ACMason published in the British Medical journal, telling about the amazing recovery of a boy with severe skin problems. Using the power of suggestion, the boy’s skin condition improved dramatically. Theodore Barber, a psychologist, using the same principle, reported that a total of 70 women using hypnotic suggestion increased their breast sizes from 1 - ¼ inches in 12 weeks. The visualization? Imagine warm water flowing over your breasts or warm towels covering them, or the sun or heat lamp shining. Feel that your breasts are getting warmer.

Affirm today: “The healer is inside me. ”

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Love and light!

Ricoh redefines the digital camera

By Raquel P. Gomez

JAPANESE firm Ricoh created a new digital camera category when it came out with the GXR, featuring an interchangeable camera unit system.

The new digital camera allows a user to change lenses by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body.

The unit contains not only the lens, but also the image sensor and image processing engine—parts that are usually found in a typical digital SLR camera.

The camera body contains the operation controls, LCD monitor, recording media and power source.

According to Martin Shock, sales and marketing manager of Ricoh Asia Pacific Operations Ltd, the GXR is a “revolutionary” camera system.

“It gives the photographer the power of expression since he can select the camera unit that best fits his objectives,” Shock said.

The GXR positions itself in the middle of the compact point-and-shoot digital camera and the bigger SLR camera categories.

Shock mentions the evolution of digital SLR cameras. Units now come in super compact forms. The units possess what is called the micro-four thirds technology—a new camera technology and category that has discarded the mirror lens (found in big digital SLR) to make a camera’s body slim and small. Also, the lens mount has been made smaller to fit in “micro-four thirds” interchangeable lenses.

Ricoh’s new camera technology, which has totally veered away from the micro-four thirds trend, features lens, processing engine, and processor inside a camera unit that are perfectly “tuned in” to provide the best possible image quality, Shoick said.

The GXR features a highly rigid magnesium body and multiple camera units that can be changed to best fit the scene to be photographed.

Ricoh also announced the availability of a third interchangeable unit for the GXR—the LENS P10. It has a 10.7x optical zoom lens, a back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a newly developed noise reduction function. It features a 28-300 mm wide angle shooting and continuous shooting speeds of up to five frames per second when shooting in RAW.

Therapeutic bliss from foot scrub, massage, reflexology

By Emmarose Policarpio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Date

AFTER POUNDING THE PAVEMENT for countless hours during the Lenten holiday, whether from doing the traditional Visita Iglesia or simply looking for a cool spot to ease the summer heat, your feet must have withstood a grueling test of endurance and strength. The strain that goes with every stride puts pressure on the feet and entire body.

Now, it’s time to cool your heels and pamper your feet. There are spas that cater specifically to foot care. Their services range from a soothing scrub and relaxing massage to an invigorating reflexology. Whichever treatment suits your fancy, it will not only abate the soreness of tired feet but will also give a relaxing feel to the entire body, especially when it’s done by a skilled practitioner.

Score with a scrub

Too much walking can cause dry patches on feet, resulting to calluses. A foot scrub gently exfoliates and softens rough portions while increasing blood circulation. The treatment usually begins with the feet soaked in gentle and often fragrant solutions that prep rough and thickened skin for sloughing. Peppermint and lavender are some of the more popular foot soaks available today. For a more soothing effect, try an aloe-based foot soak.

After a few minutes of soaking in warm water, the treatment zooms on softening the rough spots with a pumice stone or foot file. This procedure pays special attention to the heels, balls of the feet and toes. Finally, the feet are coated with moisturizing lotion. Top off the treatment with new pedicure.

Maximizing massage

Although machines that massage the feet are fast becoming popular, there is no replacement to human touch. There are several foot massage techniques. A good way to start is to bring back circulation by rubbing the foot. This will also make the foot less prone to injury should you choose to apply deeper manipulation.

After the foot has been warmed up, it can be followed with the thumb walking technique, wherein the thumbs alternately apply firm pressure along the sides of each foot from top to bottom. This area has tendons that are often tense, and easing these knotted tendons can be truly relaxing.

The toes are then gently rotated one by one in opposite directions or they may be pulled upward, followed by kneading the sole of the foot with the knuckles of the fist using rotating movements.

Reflections on reflexology

The theory behind reflexology is there are “reflex points” on the feet that relate to specific organs and glands in the body. Practitioners believe that stimulating these reflex points promotes health in that organ in addition to bringing back circulation to tired and sore feet. If done by a skilled practitioner, reflexology is a deeply relaxing treatment with benefits that can be felt throughout the body.

Reflexology has been practiced for thousands of years in such places as China, Egypt and India. It was around the early 1900s when reflexology techniques were developed and enhanced as we know it today. It is increasingly becoming a popular form of natural therapy as it provides numerous benefits. It can aid in the relief of aches, pains and tension; can aid in digestion and elimination difficulties; can help improve sleep patterns; can increase mental and physical wellbeing; and can induce profound relaxation.

Reflexology is different from massage. Whereas massage is applied to the muscles and soft tissues of the body, reflexology works through nerve-endings. A treatment should not be painful, though there may be uncomfortable or tender areas that are highly stressed. In recent years, reflexologists have begun to incorporate the acupressure techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into the treatment. The Xiamen-style foot massage is gaining popularity among reflexology aficionados, some even claiming they have gone to “therapeutic bliss” after the treatment.

The next time you embark on a walking spree, be sure to put your best foot forward and be forearmed with the best ways to soothe your sore feet and uplift your tired body.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Me and Mooplace

By Veronica Uy

I am a 48-year-old certified Internet junkie, and I click almost anything after a short scrutiny if the site is safe or suspiciously viral. I am attracted by colorful graphics and flowery worded texts. And that is how I got to know about Mooplace.

I was browsing over the INQUIRER.net and I happened to catch the words "New Zealand," "networking site," and "100% Filipino." Clicking on the link, I got caught even further when it mentioned a carabao as its logo. And I asked myself, "How Filipino can a site get?"

Signing up, I was welcomed by very friendly members, foremost of which was its creator, Bob Carpenter. It was from him that I learned about the interesting name of Mooplaceand his reasons for putting it up. More interesting is how he became a Kiwinoy, courtesy of his marriage to a smart and hardworking Filipina--Edith from Pampanga.

Browsing through the members, I found familiar names that went with friendly faces. Everyone looked and sounded Filipino. I liked the things I could do with my page and the quiet it exuded and I immediately warmed to it. It simply felt HOME.

The most exciting that happened to me at Mooplace was the photo contest. At the time I was a member, it was already the second photo contest. I am not much of a joiner in competitions like this. For one, I don't consider myself a professional and I just do photography as a hobby when there's nothing else to do when the Net goes off. So, it didn't really matter if my entry won or not. At the back of my mind was also a question as to whether the contest was for real. Well, there were the past contest winners posted on the site. For whatever it was worth, and because I didn't want an empty space on my page, I searched for one of my favorite shots and entered it in the contest.

You can imagine my delight when my entry won third prize. Even more delightful when my prize was mailed to me so soon, I had to read my e-mail thrice before it finally dawned on me that the Mooplace sponsors are really down to earth. And what better use did my prize go, but a Sony Cybershot with which I am now using to shoot more photos to share at Mooplace.

The photo contest was an opportunity for everyone to have more friends as more friends meant having more to vote for your entry. For the site, it meant more members as the photo contestants invited more friends to join the site. Yes, the photo contest fulfilled its purpose for the site and its members. As far as I am concerned, it gained me Filipino friends from all over the world.

With the goodwill created by this experience, I knew that I will always be a Mooer. On the net, there is no home like Mooplace.

Nokia’s next best things

By Vanessa Hidalgo

SINGAPORE—Nokia gave users new reasons why they should stay connected when the company launched the next best things in the mobile phone industry.

Meet Nokia N8.

It has eight fantastic features that will prompt consumers to ask: “Are we still talking about a phone here?”

This gadget offers users the widest range of entertainment while enabling them to stay connected with others.

The N8 offers High Definition quality imaging and cinematic sound.

One can shoot images using the 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. You can leave your digital cameras at home, because the device already has a large camera sensor.

You can also edit videos using the intuitive built-in editing suite. The speakers are equipped with Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound.

You can also plug the device in your own home theatre screen and watch HD films using the N8’s HDMI connection.

The device also offers seamless and fully integrated social network experience. It enables users to get live updates from Facebook and Twitter, with feeds visible at a glance.

And you can enrich your social network with content from your phone by updating pictures, locations and more.

In addition, you can also view your favorite TV shows here and abroad by initializing the free global Web TV services, which delivers TV programs, news and entertainment channels such as CNN, National Geographic and Paramount Pictures.

The new Nokia N8 also comes with free global Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation so that you will never find yourself lost and clueless ever again.

It also allows you glimpses of what there is to see in over 70 countries worldwide.

And for a truly enriching individual experience, Nokia N8 allows you to fully personalize your home screen by providing three customizable screens. You can easily click on widgets in your screen. Also, it offers instant access to Ovi Store’s apps, games and other cool content.

This gadget features a 3.5-inch widescreen and weighs around 135 grams. It also has a smooth and quick response touchscreen and is now equipped with a “pinch-to-zoom” function on the user interface.

This smart phone also marks the debut of the Symbian^3 software, which features several advancements. This includes three personalized home screens which you can easily maneuver through with a simple flick.

N8 has a faster and more responsive user interface with new 2D and 3D graphics architecture. It has more efficient memory management for you to enjoy an efficient multitasking experience.

The Nokia N8 has 16 GB of built-in storage space, expandable to 48 GB using a Micro SD card. Large files can be easily transferred to a memory stick with the USB on-the-go.

And for application developers out there, Nokia is offering a new platform to operate on. The Nokia N8 comes integrated with Qt, a software development environment that makes it possible to build applications and deploy it across Symbian and other software platforms.

Nokia N8’s talk time can run up to 12 hours. It can shoot a video for three hours and 20 minutes. Music playback can last up to 50 hours, while video playback with HDMI can last up to six hours. Web TV can provide entertainment for up to three hours and 20 minutes.

The Nokia N8 comes in different vibrant colors such as dark grey, silver white, green, blue and orange.

The Nokia N8 will be available in the market in September. It will retail at roughly P21, 000 before taxes and subsidies.

Another hot item that Nokia will soon be releasing is the X5. It takes the shape of a compact mirror and can tickle the imagination of every music aficionado and social networking addicts out there. It is perfect for youngsters and teens who want to keep in touch with family and friends.

Taking a different twist from the usual candy bar shaped cell phones, the Nokia X5 has a square shape for better grip. It has optimized social networking and messaging features. Once you slide it out, you will see a full qwerty keyboard for easy typing.

Through Nokia X5, you can easily access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also easily log on to all of your accounts by enabling the single home screen sign. You can check your e-mail or chat with friends using Windows Messenger and Yahoo. You can also receive updates from Facebook and Twitter simultaneously and seamlessly.

Favorite contacts can be found in the home screen and you can shake the phone to find out the number of unread messages.

For music playback, the Nokia N5 has an excellent sound quality and loud speakers. It also has quick access to music via a dedicated music key. Music player can support MP3, AAC, EAAC+ and WMA. It also has built-in FM stereo radio. As an added feature, you can spin the gadget when playing music to jump from one track to another.

If you’re addicted to taking pictures, you’ll be glad to know that Nokia X5 has a 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and LED flash at the back. You can also share photos and videos through Ovi Share.

It operates using the S60 platform 3rd edition. It has an internal memory capacity of 200 MB and can support up to 32 GB using a micro SD memory card. It comes with a 2GB memory card.

The Nokia X5 offers up to four hours of talk time, 16 days for standby time and 24 hours for music playback.

This gadget comes in hip and vibrant colors like Pink, Azure, Graphite Black, Yellow, Green and Purple.

Nokia X5 will be available in September. It may retail for about P9,240 before taxes and subsidies.

Drink 12 to 15 glasses of water daily to flush out toxins

By Cory Quirino
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Date

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WE ALL HAVE A GREAT CAPACITY to exceed our own physical, mental and emotional limitations. God in His wisdom built into our system a perfect working order of cells that formed every masterpiece of an organ—each one performing a task that works in unison. It’s the perfect teamwork. But the key here is to try to maintain this synchronized movement and flow.

Out of synch

Our prehistoric ancestors lived in a 100-percent organic world. They survived on wild fish and fowl, berries and plants. Rainwater was so clean one could drink the raindrops straight from the sky. But in today’s world, we are literally held hostage by pollution of land, sea and air. Even the food we eat is already contaminated. Chances are, our own blood is slowly poisoned by lead, mercury, etc.—all absorbed by our bodies. It’s a slow death and a silent one at that.

Tips for quick detox

1. Flush out toxins by hydrating with 12-15 glasses of water daily.

2. Eat vegetables and fruits—raw and uncooked.

3. Sweat it out daily. The skin needs to breathe. If the pores are clogged, it will not be able to do its job of expelling toxins.

4. Drink up on activated charcoal tablets. Any health food store should carry this or call Biosafe for your supply. Charcoal has the capacity to absorb heavy metals. (Call 411-9168.)

5. Have a charcoal bath. If it’s too messy, rub the activated charcoal on wet skin. You may look strange but your inner poisons will be sucked out.

Lightness of being

The immediate effect of a detox is lightness of being and feeling. For those who wish to take their detox program more seriously, 4-5 days at the farm in San Benito, Batangas, ought to be your choice. In just four days, immediate health benefits include weight loss of 5-6 lb, glowing complexion, energy levels raised.

Heart power

One of the best ways to feel an instant lift as though you were plugged into a live electrical socket is to include the amino acid L-Arginine in your daily regimen. Amino acids are the building blocks of cells. And if just one is deficient in our body, it affects the totality of what we are made of. There are 23 commonly known amino acids. And eight are called essential which cannot be manufactured by the human body and must be only obtained from food or special supplements. It is important to know that in order for the body to effectively use and properly synthesize protein, all the eight essential amino acids must be present. The next question is: How much protein do I need?

On the average, you need 45 g a day. That’s not very much—it’s like one chicken breast plus a serving of yoghurt. If you’re one of those protein addicts simply because you think carbohydrates are more fattening, take a look at this:

1 g protein > 4 calories

1 g carbohydrate > 4 calories

1 g fat > 9 calories

In other words, carbohydrates and protein give the same caloric count. If you truly want a boost the natural way:

1. Balance your carbohydrates and protein.

2. Supplement with a combination of Vitamins B6, B12, C, D, folic acid and L-Arginine, a powerful combination called Pro-Arginine by Synergy worldwide from Utah, USA.

Can a 13-year-old boy conquer Mt. Everest?

You may say no because his heart may not be as developed to withstand the pressures of climbing 29,000 feet in the Himalayas. But climb it he did. Jordon Romero became one of the youngest to scale this formidable mountain that claims one in 10 climbers. While climbers around them got sick and fell along the wayside, he remained strong. To prepare for the challenge, he took his regular dosage of Pro-Arginine drink daily and not once did he falter. (For info, call Synergy-KATA at 0918-9335404.)

Affirm now: “There is so much more good inside me!”

Love and light!