GRACE NICOLAS

Now I know why most people succeed than the others. They know how to plan. From Sidney Bremen, It say’s from his book that ” Without planning and System, that is a complete opposite of the Law and Order.” If we apply it to business or work, If we just go in one place without knowing what to do is like going to war without weapon.

Knowledge though learned and experienced help to gain that, effort must be exerted. Formal learning helps a lot too. Communication with your classmates specially in masters as Im observing right now gives you enough knowledge…though learning does’nt stop there.

Lets go back to planning. what does it mean to you?

IM NOTHING (JULY 26, 2008)

I REALIZED THIS MORNING THAT ASIDE FROM MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN THAT NO ONE WILL HELP ME FIRST BUT MY PARENTS NO MATTER WHAT. WHENEVER I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO LIKE WHAT KIND AND SPECS OF TRUCK I NEEDED OR ABOUT MY PENDING MASTERAL APPLICATION?  MY PARENTS ARE THERE FOR ME. WELL EVEN SEEMS LIKE NOT THAT SUPPORTIVE BUT STILL AND POINT IS THEY ARE STILL THERE.

MY AUNTS AND UNCLES FROM MY MOM SIDE HELPED ME A LOT AND ALWAYS WHETHER ASKING HER TO GO TO THIS PLACE, 3 HOURS DRIVE FROM CALAUAN TO PROCESS SOME DOCUMENTS, SHE WILL NOT HESITATE TO GO. A SMALL GESTURE MAYBE THATS WHAT YOU COULD SAY BOUT MY UNCLE CUTTING AND TRIMMING OF GRASS AND BUSHES FROM OUR DRIVEWAY BUT FOR ME IT WAS A HUGE ONE, OUR CAR WILL BE SAVE FROM SCRATCHES AND I WILL NOT NOW THINK BOUT SOME SNAKES.

YEAH IT IS REALLY BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER. NO MATTER WHAT. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE, THERE FOR THEM.

MAGNET(JULY 15, 2008)

IM WONDERING, A SMALL BIT CONFUSE, OVERWHELM ON WHY THINGS HAPPENING WHICH IN MY PART THOUGHT THAT YEAH MIRACLE REALLY DO HAPPEN, YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE FAITH AND DO THE BEST WAY YOU CAN TO DO GOOD.

IM IN THE SECOND FLOOR A WEEK OR TWO AGO. I TEXTED MY FRIEND AND ASK HER IF SHE NOTICED SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR SOMETHING THAT I HAVE THAT PEOPLE OR SPECIFICALLY CLIENTS WHY THEY ARE COMING TO ME TO CONSTRUCT THEIR HOUSE, RENOVATE, INSTALL SOMETHING OR EVEN WORSE CONTINUING THE WORK OF SOME CONTRACTOR WHO DID NOT DO THEIR BEST.

I THOUGHT ONCE THAT I AM LIKE A BUSINESS MAGNET..I EVEN RECEIVED PROJECTS WHICH IM GONNA TELL I CANT DO OR ACCEPT, NOT BASICALLY BECAUSE I DONT HAVE THE CAPABILITY BUT BECAUSE I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO ACCOMODATE THESE THINGS.

I LOVE MY WORK, YES I DO. BUT I DO THIS NOT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY BUT BECAUSE THIS IS THE WORK THAT I LEARNED FROM MY FAMILY FOR 21 YEARS.

TODAY WAS ONE HECTIC AND BUSY ONE. PRIMARILY BEC I SENT SOMEBODY TO PROCESS THE BUSINESS PERMIT WHICH WAS I USUALLY DO. THOUGH I KNOW THAT MY LIASON IS GOOD AND CAN HANDLE PROBLEMS THAT ARE VERY COMMON IN ONE UNICIPALITY, STILL IT STRESSED ME OUT FOR LIKE I RECEIVED CALLS FR THE MUNICIPAL ENGINEER AND TEXTED FROM MY DELIVERIES, NEW ORDERS AND FROM MY LIASON.

I PAID 3 TIMES MORE TODAY THAN MY USUAL DAY WHICH GIVES ME MORE HEADACHE AND NOE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS….

TRUE FRIEND (JUNE 23, 2008)

MY SISTER MEG HAVE TWO, ODESSA HAVE MANY, TROY HAS ONE AND SO ARE THOSE PEOPLE I KNOW. IM BEGINNING TO THINK THAT IM ALONE IN TERMS OF MY TOPIC TODAY. AND STILL MY QUESTION IS, IS IT ME OR THEM?

I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, FROM THIS BUSINESS, FROM MY DADS BUSINESS, FROM MY SISTERS CIRCLE AND LOTS FROM THE PEOPLE I KNOW. I COULD SAY THAT THEY ARE MY FRIENDS, BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS..ARE THEY TRUE?

WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP? MAYBE FIRST I NEED TO ANSWER THAT. WHEN IM STILL YOUNG LIKE IN COLLEGE, IM AWARE THAT SOME TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME, FOR INSTANCE IN TERMS OF PAYING BILLS IN THE RESTAURANT OR EVEN PAYING TRANSPO. WERE THEY EXPECTING ME TO DO THAT OR TO HAVE A CAPABILITY TO PAY? IM A STUDENT, NO WORK AND CANT PLAY.

I HEARD TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TELLING OTHERS THAT I AM THEIR FRIEND WHERE I CANT EVEN SPELL THEIR NAME, DONT SEE THEM OFTEN OR EVEN CANT FIGURE OUT WHERE REALLY I LIVE.

IS IT HARD TO GET REAL FRIEND? FOR SURE I CAN BE ONE. I AM LOYAL, HONEST AND WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. ARE YOU TO ME TOO?

A SEA OF LIES (JUNE 21, 2008)

LOVE NEVER DIES, ONLY WE FORGET THE FEELINGS WE HAD BEFORE. AS MUCH AS I WANT TO BE NEAR WITH YOU, NEEDS MAKES IT HARD TO DO. FOR SO MANY YEARS, DOUBTS AND CONFUSION WILL STILL REMAIN BUT THAT DOES’NT MEAN LOVE IS NO LONGER HERE.

YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO LOVE, OBSESSION WILL NOT LASTS. AS PURE I AM, NAIVE THEY SAY, YOU CHANGED EVERYTHING TILL I FORGET YOU. COLORS DIM AND LIGHT CAME, DIFFERENCE BIG SO TRUE, THAT IS WHY I AM WITH HIM AND WILL FOREVER BE TRUE.

I GAVE YOU MY LOVE AND LOVE AND MORE I RECEIVED. THREE GIFTS, MY PRECIOUS, MY LOVE AND MY BABY. HOLD MY HEART FOR IT IS YOURS FOREVER AND WILL BE AS LONG AS I LIVE. NO ONE COULD TAKE THAT AWAY, FOR ITS ONLY BEATING BECAUSE OF YOU.

PLEASE BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE. IF I MAY NOT BE THE ONE, JUST CHERISH WHAT WE HAD AND MOVE FORWARD FOR SOMEONE NEEDS YOU AND LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. MEETING IM SURE IS NOT NECESSARY, INTENTIONS MIGHT MAKE YOU SORRY.

WHEN I M TOUCHING YOU AND YOU’RE HOLDING ME. THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS WORLD THAT MAKES ME FEEL SO SECURE AND NOTHING COULD DISTURB US. TIME MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH, MORNING AND EVENING AND NOTHING IN BETWEEN, YOUR GIFTS, OUR LOVE IM SURE WILL HELP AND PRODUCE US MIRACLES, CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOU. ONE THING IS ALWAYS DEFINITE AND SURE, IM ALWAYS GONNA COME BACK WITH YOU.

MULTICAB(JUNE 20,2008)

IM WONDERING WHY THERE ARE LOTS OF THIS TINY, SECOND HAND, NOT SAFE VEHICLE CALLED MULTICAP IN THE ROAD. ON MY WAY TO SPC TODAY TO MEET UP WITH A SUPPLIER, MY P.A WAS WITH ME AND IM EXPLAINING TO HER THAT BECAUSE FILIPINOS CANT AFFORD TO HAVE A NEW VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORT, WE JUST SETTLE FOR THIS HAND ME DOWN VEHICLE FROM OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTRY.

IM PLANNING TO GET ONE, JUST LIKE MY PLAN LAST TWO YEARS AGO TO ACQUIRE ONE. WHY IT DIDNT HAPPEN? ITS NOT BECAUSE OF THE PRICE BUT BECAUSE OF ITS USES. A MEANS OF TRANSPO IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. WE HAVE MATERIALS TO DELIVER AND MEN TO TRANSPORT TO THE PROJECT SITE TO BE THERE ON TIME. MY HUSBAND TOLD ME THAT ITS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE THAT, I DISAGREE. ON OUR WAY TO SPC AND AS MY P.A AND ME ARE TALKING BOUT IT, WE SAW MRE THAN 10 MULTICABS ON THE ROAD, PEOPLE ARE USING IT FOR THE DELIVERY OF SUPPLIES, TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE, AS AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE THAT IS SO COMMON IN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY OR IN OTHER WORDS, WE USUALLY USING IT MOSTLY FOR BUSINESS.

OF COURSE I PREFER A BIGGER, NEWER AND EASY TO MANEUVER VEHICLE, THOUGH THIS IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE RIGHT NOW, I STILL CANT FIGURE IT OUT WHY I AM HESITATING TO BUY. THOUGH MY DAD OWNS A MULTIPLE TRANSPORTATION FOR DELIVERY, STILL I NEED SOMETHING ON MY OWN. MAYBE NOT NOW BUT IM WISHING IT WILL BE SOON.

HONESTY(JUNE 18,2008)

WE ARE ALL NORMAL PEOPLE. WE DONT HAVE POWERS LIKE SUPERMAN. THEY TOLD US THAT WERE ALL THE SAME.MAYBE DIFFERENT IN HEIGHT, COLOR OF EYES, COLOR OF SKIN. SOME MIGHT GET MARRIED SOMEDAY, SOME ARE MARRIED NOW AND SOME PREFER TO BE SINGLE. IT IS ONE THING THAT SOMEBODY HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE, WHAT MORE HAVING A MASTERAL AND DOCTORATE DEGREE. THOUGH ITS AN EDGE TO HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION, FOR 33 YEARS NOW, ONE THING FOR SURE MADE SOMEONE DIFFER FOR EVERYONE….WHEN THAT SOMEBODY IS HONEST.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. IM SURE MOST ENTREPRENEUR WITH A LABOR FORCE OR AN OWNER OF A COMPANY, BIG OR SMALL UTTER THIS VERY POPULAR WORD TO EVERYONE SPECIALLY TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE QUESTION IS NOT HARD TO THINK TOO WHY? IM SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT ITS HARD TO GET SOMEBODY WHO IS HONEST RIGHT NOW.

POVERTY, GOVERNMENT, NEEDS…WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BLAME WHY FEWER PEOPLE ARE HONEST. IS IT HARD TO BE FAITHFUL TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE? IS IT HARD TO DECLARE ALL THINGS THAT BEING SOLD TODAY IN THE STORE? IS IT MUCH EASIER TO LIE?

IF YOU ARE A CATHOLIC, ARE YOU NOT AFRAID TO BE IN HELL BY GETTING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT YOURS? WHEN YOUR SUPERIOR ASKED YOU FOR SALES, ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE HER ALL THE MONEY? IS IT YOU OR IS IT ME? ONE THING IS FOR SURE, IN TODAYS WORLD, I WILL TREASURE SOMEONE WHO IS HONEST. AND ONE THING IS FOR SURE…IT IS STILL THE BEST POLICY.

THE NOTEBOOK (GRACE NICOLAS 6/16/08)

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE IN THE STATES SOMETIME FALL 5 YEARS AGO. I CANT HELP BUT CRY AT THE END. LAST SUNDAY, MY SWEETHEART AND I WENT TO ATC TO WATCH THE HAPPENING, AS WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PARK OUR CAR INFRONT OF RUSTANS, I SAW THE MOST WONDERFUL PAIR IN MY WHOLE LIFE, THEY ARE IN THEIR EARLY 70′S BASED FROM THEIR LINES AND COLOR OF THEIR HAIR. THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS AND FOR THAT AGE, I WONDER AND ASKED MYSELF, ARE WE STILL GONNA BE LIKE THAT WHEN OUR TIME WILL BE JUST LIKE THEM? HOW THEY CAN STILL BE SO SWEET FOR ALL THOSE TIMES..FOR ALL THOSE YEARS.

LAST MONTH I BOUGHT DVDS FOM THE MALL AND I ENCOUNTERED "THE NOTEBOOK" AGAIN. I BOUGHT IT. I WATCHED IT LASTNITE. THOUGH STILL CAN REMEMBER SOME FEW SCENES, MOST ARE ALREADY FORGOTTEN. I FINISHED THE MOVIE ALONE IN OUR FAMILY AREA..CRYING. THEY ARE SO IN LOVE, YOUNG AND EVEN IN DEATH, THEY ARE TOGETHER. LOVE CONQUERS ALL. LOVE GIVES MIRACLE.

FROM THE MOVIE, THEY ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING, CURSING AND DISPISING EACH OTHER, BUT THEY ARE STILL SO MADLY IN LOVE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

ITS NICE TO BE IN LOVE. I AM IN LOVE. AND I WILL LOVE THIS MAN, FOREVER AND EVER. REALLY LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

MONEY(grace nicolas, june 10,2008)

I started a project this February 4, 2008. its not much. as a matter of fact the cost is only a quarter of the right labor cost based on the scope of work and material list. I wanted to get the project.I askd somebody to quote and estimate what will be my nightmare for almost 5 months now. I trusted people. I know them maybe for ten years but we dont really interact or do business the way we did 4 months ago. I thought that because of the years, people will even acknowledge the fact that we knew each other for that long. This one person is even got my parents to be their  wedding godparents.

The nightmare came in which I didnt know will happened to me. maybe the possibilities are there but not by him. When he got all the money from the project which was our full contract price, he didnt show up after that, the work was half finish. I was duped. by this person who told me he will not do anyrhing to ruin his name.

I am helpless. Is it me or him? who did wrong.I for being so lousy in giving money or him for not coming back to work?

I thought it will not happen to me..again. I hired another one to continue his work. This new person, who I only saw for the first time that day, told me he will finish the work in two weeks and the contract is per day basis. i gave in. even he asked more than the salary of my project engineer er day..I gave in.

I trusted this person together with my friend, the project engineer. well thats what I thought and prove wrong again. Two weeks had passed and both of them told me everythings finish. I shout for joy, didnt know that its the start of another misery.

I went to the project site on monday, two days after they told me that everythings finish. to my surprise….If FINISH means almost all accessories are not installed, all  materials havent been touch..I think FINISH is the word for me.

The project Engineer didnt show up the next working day. I told him that I need a replacement for him too. i dont need people who will do everything just for money.

So this MONEY. Why people tend to do something wrong. Are they gonna be somebody if they do that?Are they gonna be rich? while they know that I am doing the project without profit.

The area is more or less 400 square meters and I got the project compare to all houses I did with 120 square meters area.

Is it the poverty? Who are we going to blame?

IS IT ME?

OR YOU?

LOVE.(grace nicolas june 8, 2008)

I just watched SEX AND THE CITY THE MOVIE today. So far it is the best and my favorite right now. I may not like the four of them living in the city that never sleeps, i might not gonna be a lawyer, a rich man wife, a hollywood manager or a bestseller writer…but one thing I am…Im looking for LOVE…mayne not in the city but anywhere it is available.

I enjoyed the movie with my sister who is about to get married this year. I can relate. I love bags specially LV, I love shoes though I cannot afford the Blahniks(is my spelling right?) but really I love shoes. I love dresses and branded too, got one burberry pants on sale in Woodbury, New York last time on sale for 125 dollars. I love Dior but I settled for the make up category(cant afford the gowns), the wedding gown from Vera wang is everyones dream to wear in the isle.

I love Mr. Big. He is 40 something, with good looks and killer job..that makes him someones dream of a PRINCE CHARMING. Just like Carrie, I enjoyed the time when I was not married, though went tru to some problems still she get hitched by Mr. Big. I wonder what they are talking about COLORS????? and why his surname is BIG? Is there really a name like that, or something is just BIG?

Anyway, what I like most is something about JUST BEING THE TWO OF THEM. LOVE really starts between the two of them so why bother make it special to everyone?

What matters most at the end of the day is that both of you are in love and together…..

…For ever

…For thine

…for ours.