I have been working for a few years and am finally being promoted to a management position. Aside from a more formal wardrobe, I think I need to invest in some jewelry. Unfortunately, I only have a limited budget. What pieces should I buy?
Grace
Dear Grace,
Congratulations on your promotion.
If I were you, the first thing I would invest in would be a watch. Not only is it practical because everyone needs to be able to tell the time, but it can also serve as a status symbol that you have indeed arrived.
In terms of jewelry, I would invest in a set of diamond earrings and, if your budget allows, a matching ring. Buy something practical you can wear every day. Diamonds, in a classic design like simple studs or a solitaire ring, will last you a lifetime and never go out of style. These are the basic pieces of jewelry you will need on a day-to-day basis.
Another question I am occasionally asked is how do I clean jewelry. Actually, it is very easy and is something you should do regularly para kahit maliit yung bato, lagi naman siyang makintab (so that even if the stone is small, it will always be shiny).
Dissolve some soap in a cup of water and simply immerse the jewelry into the soapy water. Leave it to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, just slowly brush the jewelry with a soft brush to remove any dirt or grime and rinse it out. You can rinse it twice if you like to get rid of the soap residue. If you are working near a sink, make sure you close the drain, so that there is no danger of your jewelry falling into the drain. Better yet, do not clean your jewelry in the bathroom.
Wrap the jewelry in some tissue to dry, and your jewelry will be ready for use after. Treat your jewelry well and it will last you a lifetime and will always look like you just bought it from the store.
Sincerely,
Nanay
I am in my second year of college and I still haven’t decided what my major will be because I don’t know what to take up. Do you have any suggestions?
Menchie
Dear Menchie,
It is always hard to make decisions that can potentially affect the rest of your life.
In terms of what course you should take up, I think it is always good to be practical. Take a course or subjects that will prove to be useful to you in the career you think you want to pursue. If you want to go into business, take up business management or any of the many classes offered today on entrepreneurship. To help you find out where your interests lie, take up courses in different departments. You might find you like some subjects more than others. However, don’t take up a course just because it is easy. You have to challenge yourself and kailangan ’yung mapapakinabangan mo pag nagtatrabaho ka na (it should be something that will be useful for you when you are already working).
But, if you want a course that’s almost guaranteed to get you a job with a lot of opportunities to go abroad as a Filipino expat, sa tingin ko, mahirap talunin ang nursing ngayon (I believe it is now hard to beat nursing).
The nursing shortage in America, England, the Middle East and even Australia is growing every year. In America alone, reports say there is a shortage of about 100,000 nurses today, and that number will only continue to grow in the years to come. So all these developed countries are now recruiting in places like the Philippines to help alleviate their nursing shortage. And people may not realize it, but if you have been in any hospital, you will notice that the staff of nurses is really the oil that makes the hospital go. They are practically the primary healthcare givers who the patients come in contact with the most. Without nurses, the entire hospital would shut down. This is why developed countries are in a panic with respect to their shortage of nurses because their entire healthcare system is in jeopardy.
Kaya ako, kung hindi mo talaga alam ang gagawin mo at gusto mo lang kumita, lalaki man o babae, mag nursing ka. Kahit na ayaw mo, tiisin mo na! (If you ask me, if you really don’t know what you should take up and you just want to earn a living, whether you are male or female, take up nursing. Even if you don’t like this profession, try to endure it!) At the very least, you will almost certainly have a job after you graduate from school.
Sincerely,
Nanay