Don't visit Max's SM Valenzuela branch!

Last Saturday we visited our Godfather/friend priest, Monsignor Bart at his parish in Fatima Valenzuela. We had our lunch at SM Valenzuela so Makoy can take out his favorite chicken at KFC, while I was buying his favorite food, hubby, Nikko and Mons Bart took their order at Max's: fried chicken, fresh lumpia, pancit canton and sago gulaman. I ordered for the bottomless sago gulaman, when I finished the first glass I asked for a refil. Ewww! My second glass has a floating COCKROACH! I don't want to spoil their appetite so I never let them see it, I returned my refilled glass and approached the store manager. To cut the story short, the store manager served me a fresh mango shake instead, I bet she's the one who prepared it to make sure that my beverage is clean. I guess, canned softdrinks and botlled waters are the safest beverages to drink. When you eat at MAX's SM VALENZUELA, make sure to check what you eat and drink or better yet, DON'T visit their store!

here's our smiles without seeing yet the unfriendly cockroach

The Language of Online Games

Additions to the English Language Courtesy of Online Games

"Own" and "ownage." These are two words that developed entirely through the community involved with online games. It's hard to say where "own" came from, but it is constantly used to describe a humiliating defeat in an online game, whether it's a first-person shooter (FPS) or massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Own in the online sense is still a verb, and used in the context of master and subject; for example, the victor of a fight can say of the loser, "I owned him." Ownage is the noun form, describing massive amounts of power, as in: "There was a lot of ownage going on there."

Massive Win, Epic Fail

Theories suggest that many additions to English that come from online games actually come from the use of incorrect English by foreign players. The weird usages become catchy, and then influence English speakers. "Win" simply means "to win," but instead of using subjects or pronouns, upon victory the winner just says, "Win." Fail definitely comes from around 2000, and was popularized by the poor translation of a Japanese game called "Zero Wing," in which the game says, "You failed it!" upon the loss of a mission.

Today, fail is an insult, and describes all things horrid, wrong, and anything or anyone that loses. It's transmogrified into a noun, as in, "This is fail." The word epic is used to signify anything grand or awesome, and comes directly from the endless use of the word by advertisers to play up every single MMORPG ever marketed, as in, "An epic experience." Epic was originally a sarcastic descriptor, but is now common vernacular for anything massive or impressive, as in, "That was an epic fight" or "An epic fail." These are just a few of the words generated by the players of online games.

Chess

Chess is one of the most popular games today. My kids are already enjoying the game, they asked their daddy to play with them and asked if their moves and tactics were right. Sometimes, when they get bored in playing chess they switched to dama using the same chess set. Maybe next week we will play badminton with them.

Home Mortgage for a First Time Buyer

Buying a home can be an ordeal for a first-time buyer. Finding an affordable home at a reasonable mortgage rate can be easier said than done if you don't do your homework. However, if you know what to do to get yourself the best rate, buying a home for the first time can be the happy experience it is meant to be. Here are some practical tips to consider when getting a home mortgage.

• Shore up your credit.

Getting a good rate is a simple matter if you have good credit. A few months before you start hunting for a house, get copies of your credit report and make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. If you have potential problems, fix them right away.

• Look for what you can afford.

Everybody wants an opulent mansion. Nevertheless, buying the biggest and best house is not always the best option. A rule of thumb for taking out a mortgage is to buy a house that runs a maximum of two and a half times your annual salary. Any higher than this and the rate may be too steep for you.

• Choose carefully between points and the mortgage rate.

When you choose your mortgage, you will typically have an option of paying additional points at closing in exchange for earning a lower interest rate on your mortgage. If you plan to stay in your house for more than 3 to 5 years, taking extra points could result in long-term savings. If it is a starter house, though, a lower interest rate may not matter as much in the short term.

• Get pre-approved.

Pre-approval from a lender will put you in a better position to make a serious bid when the right house comes along. Your chances for pre-approval are influenced by your actual annual income, current debts and credit history.