Si Ezine: Pictures of the new house and Asia

I’m on the plane to Malaysia now and I’m looking forward to see all my friends in Malaysia and also to meet new friends in Philippines. This will be my first trip to Philippines and I’m really excited. I love the travel and visiting new places. I have been reading and learning about Filipino culture and it just fascinates me to learn about different cultures and customs. Growing up as an American, we often think that what we grow up with is all there is; but once you travel, you learn so fast that America is just a small piece and there are so many other different cultures out there. I have really learned a ton since I started to travel a lot 4 years ago.

I’m taking assistant and mentoree, Scott Mcgee (from Houston, TX) along this trip. Scott has really grown so much and I am really proud of him. He’s super excited and almost in disbelief that he is actually going to Asia and going to all these countries. He’s 22 and it’s the first time he has ever left USA and going to foreign soil! Most of his friends are still in college and hoping to land the typical job (paying $30k to $50k USD) while he already has his own business and traveling everywhere. One good thing about Scott is that he is very humble, learns quickly and very grateful to how USANA has helped his life. He is definitely on the fast track! Gosh, when I was his age, I was soooooo clueless.

So… been 3 weeks since I last wrote. The house is slowly starting to come along. We finally got our dryer, washer and brand new French door fridge. Those appliances cost $$$! Kelly and I wanted something nice and more importantly something that will last a long time so we decided to just spend the $$$ and get something good.

So finally we have some pictures of the new house! This is how the house “can” look like… right now, much of is still bare and Kelly and I are slowly filling things up. We really love the house. I love it. After sucking it up and living in a tiny 600 sf apartment for 6 years, 2500 sf is like a mansion! The best part of it is that it is on a super quiet street and I have my own office! I really love the house and I’m so much more productive. We have an orange tree in the backyard too and that fulfilled one of my goals. One of my goals was to live in a house that had an orange tree so that I could make fresh orange juice every morning. It was on my list of goals in my life and I made it happen. I’m sure picking oranges will get old soon but for now, it is tons of fun and I love it!

Asides from the house…

Books that I have read since I last wrote:
– Fit for Life by Harvey Diamond (original version)
– Philippines: Culture Smart

It’s crazy what’s going on in the financial markets and with the banks. I remember when I had graduated that any job at Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Citicorp, was a “hot” job and everyone wanted those. I can’t believe all these financial institutions either went out of business or struggling. Shows that you can’t depend on a company for security. Now that you see these former financial stalwarts such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns go out of business, do you really think a job with beneifts gives you “security?” I feel terrible for those that had worked in those companies for years and lost their jobs. It’s sad. If you ask me, I’d rather work for myself and control my own destiny.

Until next time, God Bless!

Simon