STORIES FROM HOME

Suffered loss in my forex trading account

2011-03-21T20:01:00.003+08:00

I really hoped I could have read their e-book "10 mistakes to avoid and learn from forex trading," from Forex club Asia I could have averted the losses I incurred during my live trading.

I am very much guilty of vengeance trading. I get so mad and emotional when losing trades and try to double my bet on the other direction. I try so hard to get back what I lost that I am no longer in control of my trades. It's just pure vengeance and foolishness trying to catch the price action going against my first trade only to realize a few minutes that price action is going back in favor of my earlier trade, frustrating indeed. The more consecutive trades I lose the more I want to trade hoping to win back my former losses. I never knew that it would be more helpful to stop for a while to be able to get back to my senses and control my emotions realizing that not any day is a good day for trading.

I am also guilty of moving my stop loss. The very few times that my trade was stopped a few pips away from going back strong in my favor sometimes made me hope that it would always turn out that way, hence, I moved my stops. This proved damaging as the amount of loss got bigger and bigger until it's just becoming too painful not to close the position. It always pays for your account to live to trade another day.

Go ahead and become a member of Forex club Asia for free. The E-book is only one of the good forex resources you could find in the site.

Forex Trading

2011-03-20T20:11:00.004+08:00

I have been out for a very long time, so excited to be back writing. So many stories I want to tell and write about. So many things have been keeping me busy recently and one of them is Forex trading.

I was in a financial management seminar and was learning so many investment instruments to grow my savings when the speaker talked about his favorite investment instrument, forex trading. If I remembered correctly his words were, "you can make one to ten million in a few minutes, or you could also lose one to ten million in a few minutes." It suddenly struck me, I could work a few minutes once a week, using my laptop and the internet, probably sitting near a pool in a nice hotel or better yet in a wonderful tropical island resort. I already invested in mutual funds, stocks, it's time to check out forex trading. Google lead me to this wonderful site that helped me start my forex education.

forex club asia

A few weeks into my forex education and I learned the hard truth about forex trading. The truth that it would take so much patience, discipline and a lot of knowledge to achieve my dream. People without proper education, discipline and patience are sure to fail and lose their capital in this type of trading. I will write my successes and failures in the succeeding days to come. I want other newbie traders to learn from them and I hope that those who are ahead of me could share their learnings as well.

Worms - Live fish food

2008-04-09T22:46:00.003+08:00

I thought of feeding my Tilapia fish live feed once in a while. It does them good to have it occasionally. It likes worms specifically. I remembered I had a seminar once about vermiculture or taking care of earth worms so I decided to try it.

I went to a place in Quezon City where the worms could be bought. It is a specific breed particularly for composting. It is known as the African nightcrawler. It could be bought per piece or per kilograms. I got 100 pieces for a start, the guys there led me to the cemented sort of bunded area with mud. They took the worms out together with some earth bedding put it in a plastic and gave me specific instructions not to close the plastic bag to let air in.

I prepared their initial home of a plastic bin with holes in the bottom to drain the water out. First one in is a layer of wet strips of newspaper, then a layer of earth and dried leaves and other garden cuttings. The worms would eat the beddings once it runs out of food. The important thing about the bedding is that it should be kept moist and the plastic bin kept in a dark shady area. I transferred the worms into their new home. The next day I placed a handful of raw kitchen waste for them to feed on. These african nightcrawlers are valued for their composting ability. It would feed on kitchen waste like fruit peelings, just not the citric ones, vegetable trimmings provided these are cut to small bits for faster composting.

After a few days, I noticed small castings from the worms. These are fertilizers rich in nutrients that the plants need to grow. A screen could be used to separate the castings from the worms and beddings. These castings could be sold as organic fertilizer and the worms, a fisherman's tool for catching fish! In my case, an infinite source of Tilapia feed. The quantity of worms doubles every month given the right conditions.

Technorati and page rank

2008-03-11T10:50:00.004+08:00

As a blogger, I am also interested in promoting my site for more visitors and more traffic. One of the things I learned in promoting blog sites is to submit it to blog directories. You must have noticed my badges from different directories:

We'll I would like to claim my blog from Technorati, using this Technorati Profile.

I have noticed a spur of visitors from directory referrals so I would expect another increase from this one. I hope to increase my page rank soon.

A day in the life of an Online Freelancer

2008-03-09T09:04:00.002+08:00

8:00 – Wake up, usual morning rituals. Send kids to school.
8:30 – Start work on computer. Check e-mail and feeds.
8:45 – Begin with latest projects. Turn on television, watch and work.
10:00 – Got bored, went for break time.
10:15 – Head back to work.
11:00 – Work while chatting with wife and kids that just arrived from school.
01:00 PM – Eat lunch with the whole family.
02:00 PM – Head back to work.
02:50 PM – lights burned out at the kitchen. Went out to buy and replace the light.
03:20 PM – Went back to work after fixing the light.
04:40 PM – My little child showed me his beautiful artwork. “Looks great son,” I said.
06:30 PM – Turn on the TV to watch the news.
07:00 PM – Eat supper with the whole family. My youngest son leads the grace before meals.
08:00 PM – Continue chatting with family. Do some household chores.
09:00 PM – Do some more freelance projects.
10:00 PM – Turn on the music player. Listen to music while working.
11:00 PM – Shutdown the computer and get to sleep.

I like online freelance work; it is flexible and you can work around your family’s schedule. Build a home office that you could close if you need a productive day or just need some concentration.

Looking for a job? Prepare That Letter of Application

2008-02-27T17:32:00.003+08:00

Your first tool when applying for that elusive dream job, aside from the resume, is the cover or application letter. Job hunting is a lot of fun only if companies notice you and you get short listed. They try to contact you and schedule you for interview. Otherwise, it is very disappointing and frustrating. What gets you noticed and short listed? The resume is important but you have to ensure that the letter of application is written well. The following are some pointers I learned about writing application letters.

On your first paragraph, if you are responding to an advertisement, mention when and where you saw the job posting. Express your interest and your willingness to apply for the job position.

On the body of the letter, write your full name and your educational background. The important stuff should be here also: a brief narrative of your work experience and educational experience. Emphasis should be given on aspects that are relevant to the job position you are applying for. For instance, if it is a supervisory position handling people, highlight a similar position you have. If you have no work experience, look into your school experience. You may have had leadership experience similar to the supervisory position in the job post. School group projects where you lead the group; a class officer or school organization/club leader will also do. Write down qualifications you may have that match their requirements. If they want a hard working person and you are, then write it down. Employers will be looking for similarity and recency, so write the latest experiences first. Brief accounts only, refer them to your resume for more details.

On the last paragraph, mention your availability for an interview. Your contact number or email address, when is the time you are available to talk to. Express your eagerness to meet them for an interview so you could elaborate more on your qualifications.

That’s the way I did it and achieved some success. To all job hunters, good luck.

Make Money through Writing Jobs

2008-02-21T15:15:00.004+08:00

My free time has never been spent more productively. I have a full time job in the manufacturing industry half of the month, the rest of the month I am totally free. I use to spend it with my hobbies. One hobby I recently started and like very much is writing. I am not that good at it yet but the process of composition, research and checking the grammar has been a fun learning experience altogether (Please bear with me I might make grammatical errors in this one too).

It was just a few months ago that I discovered I could earn from this fun hobby of mine. I found this site Getafreelancer.com, which has plenty of copywriting jobs available. Pay ranges varies depending on the quality of your writing and the number of words your article has. There are many forms of writing jobs available. You may be tasked to write about the movies you have seen, high-tech gears and other products you may have already used or known about. Articles for website content are also the focus of writing work. Writing may also be utilized for promotion and advertisements. You can also be a niche writer if you are an expert or have a rich experience in a certain field.

Writing for me is a fun way to make money at my spare time and in the comforts of my own home. It is a good venue to express my creativity. It challenges your intellect in a good way, just like doing puzzles or having debates. Writing causes me to read more and become well informed about diverse topics. It makes me share my knowledge to other people. The best thing I like about it is that it does not matter what education you have, what interests you have, what age you are, diversity is what even makes writing interesting.

Lastly, you know what makes a blog writer excited? Comments do so please take time to share your thoughts. If you have experience writing or have links to helpful sites, you are highly appreciated.

Make Money through Blogging

2008-02-19T00:08:00.005+08:00

I have seen this television show which presented a professional blogger making good income from his Blog site. I got curious and imagined myself working at home. Wake up at any time, no schedules required. No need to rush and travel to your workplace, it is conveniently a few steps away. Contribute to a greener and cleaner environment, no exhaust fumes from my car. I can take care of family matters while I do my work. I am the boss, no need to be controlled by one. The Idea just won’t go away.

A few weeks after, I decided to have an internet connection at home. My first search was geared towards making money at home. The idea of blogging appealed to me, so I searched for stuff regarding blogging. I learned that you could make money from blogging through advertisements placed on your Blog. Sponsors usually pay each time someone clicks on their Ad or if the advertiser made sales from their ads placed on your Blog. I started my own Blog and joined communities. I learned about www.blogsvertise.com, the community members I joined had great feedback for this site. This site is a meeting place for bloggers and advertisers. Bloggers write about the advertiser’s products, website or services and the advertiser pays the blogger. For people who enjoy blogging it is a fun way to earn.

My Blog is almost two months old and though I did not earn as much as I wanted I enjoyed keeping it. I would check on it daily, browse the analytics, and learn about the visitors that paid a visit. Get excited over comments, learn about promotion, and search engine optimization. So want to learn more about blogging I can help you.

The Underground Fish Pond

2008-01-21T13:57:00.000+08:00

I saw a unique fish pond design. The fish pond construction is underground. This is how he built his fish pond. The owner shoveled a 1.5 meter deep by 3 meter long and 2 meter wide fish pond at his garden. The size was meant to maximize the space between his house and the gate on his garden. He then covered about ¾ of the top with concrete and topped it with garden soil and grass. From the top, one can only see a 2 meter long by 0.75 meter wide fish pond, most of it was underground. For the fish pond filters, it is perched on a ledge the owner made. Colored rocks adorned the bottom complementing the colored fishes. Colored Tilapia was his choice of fish. It is a hardy fish that tolerates a variety of water conditions. It grows and breeds fast. The fry were immediately separated by a net to prevent it from being eaten by the larger fishes. The owner later decided to discard the net because it doesn’t look good on the pond. What he did was rearrange the rocks in such a way that it will provide shelter for the fry until it grows big enough to survive with the larger fishes.

The fish pond design is a space saver. People can walk along the roof of the pond and even put potted plants there. Treat it like it is part of the garden soil around it. The fishes on the other hand would have a lot of space to swim about. The roof provides shading that helps prevent blooming of algae.

Due to the size of the pond, it can contain bigger fishes like the arapaima, or koi that grow up to a meter long. In the meantime, he just enjoys looking at his colored Tilapia in the underground fish pond.

"I knew the fish was here somewhere."

Cleaning Large Fish Tanks

2008-01-18T09:48:00.000+08:00

Fish ponds beautify the garden it provides delight and pride to the owner. Ornamental fishes and plants should be visible under the water to serve this purpose. Large fish tanks take much time and effort to clean. Netting the fish and putting them in another container causes stress which may kill it, not to mention fishes jumping out of the net or the new container. Filters and pumps clean the fish pond but there will still be occasions when you need to change all the water in the pond. Complete water change and cleaning involves handling the fish which frequently causes undue stress and mortality. I stumbled upon a large cement fish tank which is uniquely designed to eliminate the need for physically removing the fish before complete water changes and thorough cleaning of the cement tank walls and floor.

The fish tank is long and has a cement partition in the middle. The partition is lower than the tank wall to allow fishes to swim over it when the pond is completely filled with water; this is the normal setup of the tank. When the time comes that a complete water change is needed, the fishes are led to one side of the fish tank. Water will then be drained using a hose to serve as siphon. Continue to drain water on the side of the tank without fish until it is completely empty. Use plastic bristle brushes to remove some of the algae clinging on the walls and the floor. Scoop out sludge and other solid waste on the floor. Fill it up with water and you’re done. Repeat the procedure on the other side of the fish pond.

As an aquarist or even just someone who loves keeping ornamental fishes, it is a joy to see your pond clean and clear without putting too much stress on the fishes.

"It's cleaning time, move over fishy"

Crystal Clear Ponds

2008-01-16T15:20:00.002+08:00

Fish ponds are intended to display the colorful fishes, so the water has to be clear. Fish waste, excess feed and algae are the main causes of turbidity. Here are a couple of ways to deal with them:

1. Fish like Koi feed on algae, underfeeding them will ensure they do.
2. Build ponds under partial shade, algae don't grow well without sunlight.
3. Scoop floating solids with a fine mesh net, use a hose to siphon solids sinking below.
4. Don't overfeed, excess feed will only pollute the water. Excess feed will also rot and promote algae growth.
5. Give live feed as much as possible, commercial feeds pollute the water.
6. Install a fountain or waterfall in your pond, moving water hinders the growth of algae.
7. Put plants in your pond. The plants will provide shading and will absorb most of the nutrients needed by algae to grow.
8. If you want you could put snails and tadpoles to eat up the algae.

Enjoy viewing the beautiful ornamental fishes and plants in your crystal clear pond.

Pet Shark

2008-01-14T10:34:00.000+08:00

Visiting a pet shop one day, I saw this 75-gallon aquarium with a single 3-foot fish that looks familiar. I took a closer look and saw that it was a shark. Yes, like killer sharks we see in the movie Jaws, except that it is a smaller version. It swims restlessly around the aquarium, as if looking for a prey. I found out that this is the black tipped shark and it grows up to 6 feet. It feeds on small fish and squid. It needs a lot of space if to be kept in captivity, like a swimming pool.

I thought it could be kept for home aquariums, it seemed cool to have one.

"Let's take our pets for a stroll"

Anyone wants a 7-foot Aquarium fish

2008-01-13T00:55:00.000+08:00

I saw this shop by the road with a signboard that speaks about colored Tilapia, I got curious and went inside. To my surprise I saw the biggest aquarium fish in my entire life. Three 7-foot long arapaimas swimming in a 4 x 3 meter cement tank. There were iron bars to prevent people from getting near, the stewards say that the fish might think that it is feeding time and jump on the person leaning over.

"Hey where is your aquarium, I heard you have the biggest aquarium fish around,"
"Your swimming on it"

I Built my Own Biological Filter

2008-01-12T00:33:00.000+08:00

Things you would need:

1. Basin
2. Pebbles
3. Activated Carbon
4. Cloth
5. Plastic Basin
6. Small mesh screen

First, put a hole at the bottom of the basin farthest from the source of water. Cover the hole with mesh screen to prevent the pebbles from coming out the basin hole. Put a layer of pebbles up to half the basin. Add a layer of activated carbon half of the remaining space, then cover with a cloth. The cloth will serve as the mechanical filter removing solids. The carbon will eliminate the odor and the pebbles will serve as the biological filter media. Nitrifying bacteria will thrive on the pebbles surface. Harmful ammonia will accumulate in the pond. Bacteria on the pebbles will break it down to nitrates and nitrites. This water is good for use on plants.

"This water is nice enough to drink"

How I sold my Fish Fingerlings

2008-01-11T23:32:00.000+08:00

Ever since my breeders spawned hundreds of fry, I was busy thinking of a way to sell it. So I’d promote it.

The fountain was the real eye catcher; add to that floating water plants gathered in one end of the pond. My fence is about two feet high concrete and the rest metal square bars, people passing the street could easily see the pond and become curious.

Neighbors often saw me taking care of the fish pond. They were amused looking at the fish, especially during feeding time. It often starts a conversation among us, how fast the fish grows, what do I feed them, how often I replace the water, how much it costs, where did I bought it, how does it breed and many other things about the fish. They got interested and by word of mouth many people bought the first batch of fingerlings.

At first, I was a bit hesitant to sell it to pet shops. What I did was to ask them if they could fill a plastic bag with oxygen and I would pay them, because I have to transport the fish to a far area. When the owner saw the fish I was holding, they asked me if he can buy some and thus, I started to supply him.

"What happened to sales? we're now overflowing with inventory, some of the fish are already in the house"

Starting my Colored Tilapia Fish Pond

2008-01-10T11:40:00.000+08:00

I got interested with keeping colored Tilapia fishes in a pond at my garden. Here is how I did it.

Colored Tilapia

These fishes are easily kept in ponds because they are very tolerant in many different water conditions. They are fast growers up to seven inches in 8 months if provided with proper care and spacious aquarium or pond. It has different color patterns in shades of red. They are easy to breed also. After about 4-5 months, the fishes are already mature and ready to lay eggs. It produces up to 300 eggs in one batch.

The Pond

It is a cement tank that measures 2500 mm x 900 mm x 400 mm. I tried to maximize the space in the front yard. The height was actually three hollow blocks high, the first hollow block was partially buried in the ground. I used waterproofing that was mixed with the cement to prevent water from leaking out the pond. I divided the pond using a mesh small enough to let the fry in and keep the bigger fishes in one side. The big ones prey on the smaller ones; hence, I have to separate them.

Feeding

I generally give commercial feed. The rule of thumb is to give enough feed that it can consume in five minutes. Excess feed not consumed should be taken away as it may affect water quality. Of course, there is no need to give them water to drink. Feed the fishes twice a day. An occasional serving of live feed is good for them. Make sure to wash the live feed thoroughly. Worms are the fish’s favorite. Meat scrap can also serve as feed. Ground commercial feed to give to the fry.

Maintenance

Aside from proper feeding, maintaining water quality is the key to the fish’s long life. The fish needs dissolved oxygen to live. Proper aeration will provide this. I used a fountain to aerate the pond the pump also supplies a filter to keep the pond clean. If the fishes appear lethargic and is frequently on the surface as if gasping for air, then aeration is insufficient. Install a larger capacity pump or there are excessively many fishes in the pond. Replace about 5 – 10% of the water every day. Use a hose to siphon the dirt on the pond floor. Make complete water changes whenever it gets too dirty and the water turbid. Clean the filter everyday; replace the filter media if necessary.

The pond is a great addition to my home passers by stop to look and appreciate it. A few neighbors even started their own pond and bought fish from me. A good hobby could provide you with skills for future business in the field of fish farming or aquarium shop.

"let me in," "my mom told me not to talk to strangers"

Attacked by a Ghost

2008-01-08T18:53:00.000+08:00

I wanted to rest awhile after a long day at the computer working online. It was about 1 in the morning. I tried to sleep in the couch few steps from the computer. After about 30 minutes I tried to stand up but I felt something heavy pressing on my thighs and on my chest and neck, as if something is pushing me down! I couldn't see anyone. I was filled with fear, goosebumps were all over my body. The struggle went on for a few minutes until I was finally able to stand. I really can't explain what happened. I immediately turned off the computer and went straight to our room to sleep.

"Booh!," "Honey, give the kid a treat"

House for Sale in Sta Rosa, Laguna Phil.

2008-01-07T23:30:00.001+08:00

Situated at the borders of Sta. Rosa and Cabuyao Laguna, Philippines, this house is in close proximity to churches, hospitals, market, schools, convenience stores and a lot more shops. It is a few kilometers from SM and Robinson’s mall. Transportation is available 24 hours.

The house consists of two bedrooms, one toilet, bath, and a covered garage with gate. The floors are tiled. Lot area is 80 square meters, floor area is 42 square meters.

The price is 1.3 Million pesos.

I live in this neighborhood; it is generally peaceful and friendly. Flooding is not a problem in the area even after the passing of several storms.

Plans for the year of the Rat

2008-01-06T20:05:00.000+08:00

I want to write about my plans this year so I would remember it. I plan to be debt free during the end of the year. I figured if I could work smarter, earn and save enough to use in a new business, I would probably succeed. The specific business I do not know yet, but it's certain to be home based. The benefits are appealing to me.

It is the year of the rat, famous people were born during this year, Churchill, George Bush, George Washington, Shakespeare and a lot more others. My school batch mates were born under the year of the rat. I couldn't wait for them to become famous also.

"It's my year, I'm gonna try my luck"

Savings

2008-01-06T10:00:00.000+08:00

My former idea on saving money is spend now and save whatever is left before the next payday. Years of experience have taught me that it does not work that way. It's best to save a portion of your money right now, on payday and live on what is left of your income.

Works the same way with debts. Pay your debts first rather than wait on what is left. Make a realistic budget and target a certain portion for savings or debt payment. Make a list of your monthly spendings, prioritize on needs. If it won't fit your budget seek cheaper alternatives. Rent for example, you can always find lower rent than what you are paying now.

Work Online

2008-01-05T23:09:00.000+08:00

It has been a month now since I have started to work online at the comfort and convenience of my own home. Feels good to earn money this way, no commutes, struggling with traffic, no need to dress well, work with pajamas on! It is not a problem. I can work while supervising my kids. I get paid by how much work I put in, no need to have assessments for salary adjustments. I currently work part time, I have a full time work in a different field. I would probably go full time in this work if I find a suitable full time online work for me.