Kalesa ni Maria

I’ve never been anywhere where fast food and convenience stores banded together toward a common cause - the ability to give its customer the Supersize option.

Before I came to the US, french fries comes in small and medium packages, soda at McDonald’s can be ordered in small, medium or large, and by large I mean you have to ask for “Go Big Time”. Boy were we missing out on something!

So I came to the US and like most Americans, went on the road travelling. Gassing up at the station, I would go in to grab something to drink and I am floored by the sheer variety of beverage cup sizes available. coffee cups come in standard, 8oz, 12 oz & 24 oz cups. Soda cups come in 24oz, 32oz, 48oz, half liter, 1 liter, and the mega jumbo 2 liter bucket that comes equipped with a footlong straw. People sure like to drink and drive around here =)

Time to eat, we stopped by at the famous American icon, McDonald’s. That’s where I first heard the term, would you like to supersize that? Supersize what? I thought I already ordered a big mac, a large french fries and a large coke. Aparrently for 59 cents more I can order an even bigger version of the things I already ordered. I declined, but my friend sure won’t miss out on the 59cent deal. Next to his, my large coke cup looked like a kiddie sippy cup.

So okay, the documentary came out years ago, there is research [several really] out there chronicling the “fattening” of the US of A. Why am I writing this just now? Makes you wonder, with rising cost of food and fuel, how can fastfood chains still offer supersize versions at a fraction of a cost?

Granted, a newer concept is coming up, which may or may not become a trend - the snack size chomp. You know, for 99 cents you get a burger or a KFC meal which disappears when you inhale, er, in two bites. But wait, I just saw a commercial for “Pizzone” a calzone the size of half a large round pizza .. I guess supersize is here to stay …

As I was chatting with one of my friends a few of weeks ago I’ve learned that one of the fast becoming popular forms of freelance work in the Philippines right now is freelance writing. Whereas before, freelance writers apply for telecommuting jobs at traditional institutions (magazines, newspapers,research institutions), now, I’ve been seeing a lot of organized online writing companies offering students - both undergraduate, masteral and phd students - help with their assignments and research projects through paid, outsourced papers.

On of the companies I’m talking about is Custom-Writing.Org where academic students and other interested clients buy essays online.Wow, hey, they do this now? Remember those days when you are in a bind and you go to Escolta/Recto and stealthily contract a discreet vendor to whip out your essay paper for a small fee? I guess if there is demand for it, might as well normalize and make it main stream huh.

Anyway, custom-writing.org does not only offer academic papers but also  other writing services like Annotated Bibiliographies.

Freelance writing is yet another way to earn money online in the comfort of your home. And companies like the one mentioned above make it more accessible and organized which is good because freelance writing can be hard work specially if you meet a buyer who just  disappears in thin air after you’ve completed your end of the bargain.

Ahhh the sun .. the sand .. the clear blue skies … on to the next romance .. oh summer loving …

Seriously, as you shed those pounds and cellulite around your thighs, have you been thinking that maybe, this summer season, your life should be happier, brighter and oh-so-alive. Relationship still stuck in dreary winterland? Heading for splitsville … contemplating on how to [finally!] dump the soon-to-be-future-ex.

Hey it may be hard, not to mention embarrassing to be dumped but don you think dump-ees have it better? Everyone commiserates with them and the dump-er gets the flak. Bad guy. Bad girl. I’m the girl all the bad guys want … err, wrong song.

Anyway, if you think you’re ready to move on from your not-so-perfect relationship, here are pointers to convince yourself [to do the dirty or hang on]:

1. The “it’s not you, it’s me” - so you open up with “It’s not you, it’s me“. Guess what, maybe it is. Specifically, maybe it’s not even you but major changes happening in your life that turns your life upside down, inside out, going through the wringer events that collectively thrashing everything in your life will make things better. Are you pretty sure you’re throwing out the right baggage?
2. The Story Of Us -Have you watched that movie [of the same title] starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer? It tells the story of a typical relationship –> you start out with so much passion that slowly fizzles out as more and more “reality” sets in [kids, mortgages, car loans, credit cards, grocery shopping …] and before you know it, your partner is a stranger. So ask yourself, is this stranger worth getting to know all over? Am I happy with my family life more than half of the time? Be realistic, a charmed life belongs to fairy land and TV. If you can’t stand your partner’s habit of skipping bath for days but falls over every time they bring you home a piece of candy [because they could only find a quarter and the store only takes cash] then weigh which one matters more.
3. Abusive Relationship - It comes in many forms. Verbal, physical, emotional, psychological. If you are in an abusive relationship. RUN LOLA RUN!! Nothing justifies an abusive relationship. He or she won’t get better. Your relationship won’t either.

A lot of us undergo seemingly more hardships than other couples we know or see. It maybe financial or emotional. You might be a cheerleeder-slash-party girl back in the days and you’re now relegated to washing dirty baby butts and watching Wheel of Fortune and Oprah, fret not. The easier part is changing yourself [others say it’s the hardest] because you have absolute control over you.

So, girlfriend, are you ready to rewrite your story?