Gubatnon ConnectionConceive. Believe. Achieve.

This You Tube version of the “Lupang Hinirang” national anthem of the Philippines touched my heart. Once in a while, we need to learn how our country evolved from one generation to another. Even short movie clips like this is enough to open our minds and hearts, how heroes of past and present cost their lives to build a nation named Philippines.

I’ve never thought I could find a Gabi (Gaway) plant at Times Square, here in New York City. Of all the places, it was planted at the center island of the most popular square in the world – with 45 million visiting tourists from around the world every year. I found this plant while I was video recording the Times Square, which is a a favorite place for me. Here, you could be alone, but you’ll never feel alone with thousands of people enjoying the place. Everytime I come to this place, I always ask myself why thousands of people come to this place everyday. The answer, ‘though, need not come from other people, but from my own thoughts: Times Square is the symbol of the “American Dream” every person from other places have always dreamt about. The glittering neon lights, the giant digital billboards, the tall skyscrapers, the Broadway shows, the beeping and honking cars, and the sea of humanity at this small triangle, called “Times Square” is like a world in itself. Only that sadness and negative elements are hidden, tried to be forgotten for a moment. Only fun, happiness, and memories are enjoyed in this place.

You’ll enjoy more of my works at my “blog farm,” links of which are listed below:

1. Around New York City 2. Blackberry Phones & More 3. Success Secrets for Filipinos 4. Filmmaking Hobby With Flip Video 5. What’s on Your Mind? 6. The Geek Senior Next Door 7. The City Never Sleeps 8. Gubatnon Connection 9. Do You Need My Help? 10. Just Call Me, Ian Ryne 11. Experts Write About 12. Mark’s Nokia Blog

“Why are we poor?”  runs a line of an Internet post I’ve read in one of my groups in Yahoo? There’s so many reasons to it, but you could only answer this question based on your own perception.

When I was working as a Fiber Technician, and assigned at Gubat, I’ve met an abaca stripper (parahag-ot abaka) at Barangay Tugawe. This stripper was living in a small hut just the size of his height when he lies inside it. It was from this man how I learned that happiness is not all about money and luxurious things in life. He told me happiness is about contentment. When you’re contented with what you enjoy now, then, you’re happy. So, I asked him what makes him happy actually. He told me, once he’s in the poblacion watching the cockfight at Balag’s cockpit arena on Sundays, then, he’s happy and contented already.

The farmer was single and all alone in his life. That’s what I’ve learned further from him. As I went back home, driving my 100 cc Yamaha motorcycle, I told myself, “Maybe if I’m alone, too, in my life I could just be like him – as happy and as contented as him.” But I’m the eldest in our family, with 10 more brothers and sisters looking upon what I could do to help them. My father was just a lowly-paid government employee, while my mother was just a plain housewife. We’re as poor as self-supporting chickens we locally called “isang-kahig-isang-tuka.” With this situation, I could not be as happy and contented as the abaca stripper.

Going back to the question “Why are we poor?” my answer is actually on how we could afford to say how happy and contented we are in our lives. “Contentment” is the magic work.

Postscript:

Jim Carrie, a comedian actor, wrote on a dummy check $10 Millions issued to his name and placed it on his wallet all the time, to inspire him to get a real check with that amount in the future. When he became a successful comedian actor, he cashed out a real check more than the amount he wrote when he was poor and penniless.

Read more of my blogs at “Negosyong Pangkabuhayan, ATBP.”

Fellow Gubatnon:

I’ve been very busy rewriting my movie script, “Root of Vengeance” lately. But thanks, God, I’ve made it good enough for submission. Actually, resubmission to literary agents, because I tried submitting this script to few agents already. Below is just a logline and synopsis of it. But if you have time, and really curious on how a movie script for Hollywood is written, you could follow this link.

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Title: Root of Vengeance
Author: Jess Guim
Genre: Sci-fi Thriller
Spec Script, 90 pages
WGAE# I47496

Logline:
Father and son venture on designing a super-hacking program which endangers their family and the world going into nuclear war. Now, they’re racing against time to save them and the world.

Synopsis:
Calvin Bailor, big-time programmer, is selling his hacking program to the FBI to save his $10-million worth problem on his consulting business and residential mansion. But Division Chief for Cyber Crimes, Hanz Graven, is interested in getting the program for his personal ambitions. So, he steals the program with the help of his Saudi Arabian secret partner, Sheik Ahmad, arms dealer and terrorist.

The program’s authentication process uses biometrics of Calvin’s eyes. To make Medusa work, he abducts Calvin, his wife (Adelle), and his son (Mark). While boarded in a private jet from New York to Paris, the group tests the program to hack a missile testing center in Japan. The test creates a pandemonium in Japan, and incites North Korean government to launch their own missile, targeting Japan.

Hanz considers the family as tough and dangerous. He chains them like hardcore criminals and terrorists in the jet. Hans orders father and son to remove the biometrics authentication on the program, or they’ll all die.

Mark finds a heavy-duty paper clip taped underneath his notebook. He always has this clip with him, to manually eject his broken DVD player, by inserting the clip’s wire on a pinhole at its front. Calvin unlocks his handcuff and other chains on his belly and feet using the paper clip. He fails to free his wife and son, when the paper clip cuts-off on Adellene’s handcuff.

The jet goes into trouble when a gangster accidentally fires and breaks its window, while he’s trying to stop the escaping family. Sheik Ahmad tries to escape with a parachute on his back, but Calvin shoots him while exchanging fire with him. Hanz gets the bullet-ridden parachute from dead Sheik Ahmad, and escapes the troubled jet. But the torn parachute opens like a blanket, and chokes him.

Calvin thought the tragedy created by Medusa program ended already after the jet crashed at the Atlantic Ocean. But five months later, the twin children of Sheik Ahmad, Abdul and Aisha come to avenge for their father’s death. Abdul explodes Calvin’s mansion using shoulder-type missile, and escapes on expensive limousine car with a backup rescue helicopter following them.

Calvin runs after the escaping car, using the EMS ambulance that’s going to rescue and bring him to hospital. The second fire truck that’s about to go to Calvin’s burning mansion accidentally hits the escaping car in an intersection. Calvin reaches the accident site and identifies the twin as children of Sheik Ahmad through an old French newspaper, “Le Figaro,” in the limousine car. The rescue helicopter picks-up the injured twins at the accident site.

Calvin finds the shoulder-type missile launcher of Abdul inside the car. He loads it with a projectile and fires it to the escaping helicopter – exploding it into pieces. Calvin vows to stop using his hacking program, and never to trust it to anybody else. Calvin receives $10 million reward from the FBI for killing Sheik Ahmad, a wanted terrorist.

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The script is 90 pages in all. So, you really need time to read this spec script. Once you’re done reading it, please send me your own personal criticism on it. You could post your comments here, or you could send them personally to jessguim(@)yahoo(.)com – parenthesis not included.

Again, the main movie script is at http://gubatnon.com/movie_script_the_analyst.html

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Fellow Gubatnon:

This blog’s subscribers had increased a lot since I redesigned this “Gubatnon Connection.” So, from here, I would like to thank you personally for your trust on my writing capabilities. Gubatnon Connection, as you may know, is different from other Gubatnon web sites or Gubatnon social networking in the Internet now. It’s been my objective when I created this blog, that you’ll come here not only for fun but mostly to learn something about doing business in the Internet, secrets of success by the rich and famous, and any postive ideas that could change our lives as Gubatnon.

Writing for blog is a hard work, specially that I have other blog sites to maintain. Aside from “Gubatnon Connection,” I’m managing also a blog site for digital photography in New York City, a web site for overseas Filipino workers, and a new blog about writers. Sometimes, I would even contemplate of closing this blog in favor of my other blog sites with larger subscribers like the bigapplecity.com blog and the overseasfilipinos.com blog with thousands of viewers every month. But I’m a Gubatnon, and I love Gubat. I feel different when I write something for this site. I feel I’m connected to my Kababayans even if I’m here in New York City – the reason why I finally changed it’s head title from “Gubatnon Blogger” to “Gubatnon Connection.”

Fellow, Gubatnon, I urge you to invite other Kababayans to come, subscribe to this blog, and participate in discussions by leaving comments on the posts and pages. Thank you very much.

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In the late 80′s Donald Trump was at the peak of success in real estate business. But suddenly, his success was distracted when he diverted his attention to clothing and fashion business in Europe. The US economy went bad, affecting the real estate business of Trump, and it was too late for him to realize that he was losing $9.2 billions in this business. All the banks from whom he owed billions of dollars were all running after him, and he could not even pay the interests for his loans. He worked hard to recover back his loses, that by the late 90′s he’s back and thriving again. In his book, “How to Get Rich,” he tells the readers about this incident in his life. So, he advised the readers, “Don’t make the mistake I made. Stay focused.”

Full attention to one direction is very important even in driving a car. Losing your focus on the direction where you are running will surely place in you and others in danger, even to death. Students in colleges, who found freedom from being away from their parents, lose their focus on their studies when they start joining their bad friends in drugs and other funs. Some overseas Filipinos lose their focus towards the family and loved ones they left in the Philippines, due to bad influence by other co-workers in their place of work.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” have 10 tips in order to get out of the “rat race” or working for others on a nine-to-five job. The number 9 advise in his book was about FOCUS as an acronym for Follow One Course Until Successful. The “course” he was referring to in his book was about attention or direction. As an extra bonus for reading this article, let me give you the full list of these ten secrets to get out of the rat race.

1. Know the difference between an asset and a liability.
2. Make mistakes, learn from them.
3. Never say, “I can’t afford it.” Instead ask, “How can I afford it.”
4. Surround yourself with like-minded people.
5. Teach others.
6. Play the CASHFLOW board game to learn how the cash flows.
7. Mind your own business, your ASSET column.
8. Learn the vocabulary of investing and finance.
9. FOCUS – follow one course until successful.
10. Never stop learning.

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While I was cleaning my bookshelf today, I found a small book from among my other collections. The book’s title was “The Richest Man of Babylon” by George S. Clason. It pertains to Babylonian parables, 6000 years before the birth of Christ, hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth.

The back cover further described the book as acclaimed modern-day classic, which offers to readers the understanding of – and solution to – financial problems. It holds the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money to earn more money.

Out of 144 pages, I’ve finished reading 44 pages only, because I have to watch the first “State of the Nation Address” of US President Obama. But while watching President Obama’s speech on TV, I did not waste time writing this blog at the same time. (That’s because the TV was at my right side.) It’s hard thing to do really – watching TV and writing a blog at the same time.

Anyway, here are the seven secrets I’ve learned from the richest man of Babylon – “The Seven Cures for Lean or Empty Wallets:”

1. Always keep 1/10 or ten percent of your earnings.

2. Limit your expenses to necessary things you only need.

3. Invest on a business that will earn even if you’re away from it.

4. Select the right person whom you’re going trust your money for business or investment.

5. Own your own home.

6. Save money for your old age, and your family.

7. Cultivate your own expertise, learn more knowledge to become more wiser.

Please come back later for more moneymaking secrets from this amazing book.

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We can’t be successful businessmen if we don’t know how to delegate our responsibilities to other people. This is the main reason why so many intelligent, highly educated Filipinos prefer to work for dollars abroad and remain servants for the rest of their lives. It’s either they don’t trust other people, or they don’t know how to manage other people to make money for them.

Working for the government for a meager salary had been my life for ten years after graduation in college in the Philippines. I had a master’s degree in public administration, and few units for my Doctorate in Philosophy which I did not continue, to use the money for my education in raising my family. I was one among those Filipinos who believed that having higher education while working in the government will elevate me to the upper level of my position, and have a better salary. I’ve waited for that aspiration to happen, but did not come even after three years I’ve graduated from my master’s degree in public administration. So, out of desperation, I started driving a tricycle instead every after office job to earn extra income for my family.

Even now, so many teachers, are leaving their families on Saturdays and Sundays to go to schools for higher learning, so, they would become Senior Teachers or Supervisors in their districts when they finish their masteral degrees in education. Millions of us do this, because we believed that becoming Senior levels in our jobs (by having masteral degrees) is the only way to raise our salaries. Out of desperation, these teachers leave their teaching jobs in favor of working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong.

When I tried tricycle driving as a way of earning extra money for my family, nobody from among my passengers knew that I was a master’s degree holder. Even now, I know, educated people would not do this, because that’s what we believed for centuries – “Nakakahiya ang ganitong klasing trabaho.” Most of us are afraid of what our friends and relatives will talk about us if they see us doing this dirty job, in spite of the fact that we were highly educated. That’s because for centuries we were made to believe that descent jobs are jobs by people wearing clean clothes, specially those wearing coat and ties. I found that idea wrong, when I earned millions of money instead after two years of starting as a tricycle driver. When, I delegated to other tricycle drivers later what I could not do (driving 14 more tricycles) to earn more money.

The difference between Filipinos and Americans in terms of professional advancements could be seen at the dining tables when they are eating together. Filipino parents tell their children to study hard, finish college and have a good job after graduation. American parents, while eating with their children discuss the day’s trends in the trading market. In short, the American families were talking about business to make money. While the Filipino families were talking about working for other people or how to become servants to earn money. That’s why undergrad Americans like Bill Gates and Michael Dell are billionaires, while intellegent college graduate Filipinos are merely working for their daily subsistence in America.

Nowadays, in America, you could no longer earn big money by working too much, or having double jobs. For a single job in America, six people are aspiring for it. So, even Filipino Nurses now are having hardships doing overtimes and double jobs at other hospitals, because there are more Nurses who offer their services at lower rates.

After 17 years of working in America as salaried consultant for other companies, I’ve found it for the second time that you could not advance yourself financially if you will just be working for others. You should learn to start your own business instead, and let other people make money for you. To be successful in this venture, you should know how to manage people, and delegate your authorities to them. Let other people earn money for you.

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Ka-tribung Gubatnon:

I’m currently writing a book, and I’m posting here the drafts of whatever chapter I’ll finish.  Please read them, and write your comments after reading the article.  This is an ambitious plan.  But be watchful on reading these very informative chapters.  They may be drafts, but once I’ve completed the whole book from the series of postings here, I’ll be selling these information online.  You’re lucky, you’ve read them here in my blog for free.  To start with, here’s my first draft, “Secrets of Success:”

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Different people have unique ways of achieving success.  Great men achieved the laurels of victories using their own tactics and strategies.  But no matter how unique these strategies were, victories can not be attained without  nurturing these basic three D’s of success. Remember this, one of them can not help you succeed in life without the other. So, nurture them all to reap the fruit of success.

First, you need the DESIRE, the motivation to achieve your objective. The starting point of all achievements is desire, the dream. Some people might say your dream is impossible to achieve. But with your own desire to reach that dream, there’s nothing you can’t attain without the power of desire within you. A poor man becomes a millionaire because of his desire to have more money. An NBA star believes he could fly to shoot a ball in the ring, because of his desire for fame. A writer never sleeps at night, as long as ideas come out of his mind, because of his desire to become a blockbuster novelist and movie screenwriter.

The desire (motivation or passion), on the other hand, should be strengthened by DISCIPLINE. There are people, who in the midst of their near-success, meet temptations that lead them to the wrong direction. A student who’s almost graduating in college failed to finish his course, because he joined a fraternity that buried him into the ravine of drug addiction. An entrepreneur who’s almost becoming a millionaire with his innovative marketing ideas, went bankrupt when he associated with gamblers who turned him into compulsive gambler. These are simple examples of temptations, that lead people to failure when someone’s discipline is not strong enough to achieve one’s objective to succeed. So, strengthen the discipline in you by surrounding yourself with like-minded people.

DETERMINATION is the father of desire and discipline. You can never achieve and win what you desire if you have no definiteness in acquiring such victory. But simply having determination doesn’t mean you’re already on the road to success. Determination should be powered by knowledge of the skills needed to achieve an objective. You need to learn about the skills and place them into practice. Then, when you have enough training to strategize your steps, you need to develop your experiences into expertise. It is these expertise that strengthens your determination to achieve success.

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Jess Guim

Mga ka-Tribu:

This is just a short announcement to inform you that “Gubatnon Tambayan” is back.  The problem was fixed by PowWeb technical support. As I’ve previously noted, the “Tambayan” section accepts contributions from fellow Gubatnons who wanted to share news, jokes, kumustahan, ezine articles, or anything about Gubat. Simply look for the “Register” link under the section META at the right column.  (Not the one at right column, but the one at “Tambayan.” Click here to go to the “Tambayan” page.) Once your authentication is confirmed, you could login now which will bring you to a window of your own profile.  You need to change your password that’s easy for you to remember.

Let’s make this section a place for fun and camaraderie for our readers and visitors.

By the way, you’ll probably ask what are it’s differences with the main blog “Gubatnon Connection” (previously “Gubatnon Blogger”)? I’ll place it back to more serious topics about jobs, business, personal improvement, and about Gubat’s history, culture and government.  As you will see now, it’s mixed-up with some funny and entertaining blogs, when the “Gubatnon Tambayan” became inaccessible.

If you have articles about the history of Gubat, statistics of Gubat, or anything that are of serious attention about Gubat, please send it here. We will be posting it in this main site, “Gubatnon Connection.” At this point, I would like to clarify, that you also need to register separately to contribute at this “Gubatnon Connection.” That’s because “Gubatnon Tambayan (Gubatnon Worldwide Center)” and “Gubatnon Connection” are two separate blogs.  They have separate folders, records, and database. You could see it from their different graphical interfaces, or themes.

Starting from this blog now and my future blogs here in “Gubatnon Connection,” I’ll be writing straight English  to make the content of this site understandable by other viewers from around the world.  This is specially important, when someone from other part of the world is looking for statistics of Gubat, history of Gubat, or the politics and government of Gubat.  Meanwhile, we could use the Gubatnon dialect, Tagalog, Taglish, or straight English in “Gubatnon Worldwide Center.”

If you need help, please email me at jessie(.)guim(@)gmail(.)com or jessguim(@)yahoo(.)com. Please remove the parenthesis. It’s my way of protecting my email address from being captured by email extractors in web pages, which will then be used to send me “spams” of email marketing promotions.

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