Care for a Chat?

February 2011

The Internet has certainly sped up communications by introducing email and instant messaging. Chatting, whether through online web messengers or programs such as Yahoo! Messenger or Skype promotes easy access to family, friends and colleagues—no matter which part of the world they’re in.

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With such an easy tool right at our fingertips, it is easy to forget that etiquette still rules, regardless of how advanced our technology may be. It helps to keep these simple reminders on hand, whether we’re signed in to catch up on the latest with our friends, or are on a business conference to discuss important professional matters online.

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Manage your Multitasking. Talking to someone online means being able to juggle several tasks all at the same time. You can have your IM (Instant Messenger) on while finishing up that Excel file, typing out a report, or even while you’re on the phone with a client. With so many distractions, it is easy to lose focus. Pay attention to the task at hand and always stay alert, instead of leaving your chat mate on the lurch.

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Mind your Status. Leaving your IM status “Online” means you are open to receiving all sorts of messages—regardless of the topic. If you are busy with work and would not like to be bothered, let your contacts know by changing your status to “Busy” or “Do Not Disturb.” It’s a polite way of telling them that you can’t answer their messages at the moment.

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Do not Spam.

If the person you are chatting with has become unresponsive, do not send repetitive messages or “buzz” him constantly. Remember that every time you message someone, you could be reaching them in the middle of some important business (especially during office hours). Save any gossip or unnecessary catching up for later, when your friend seems more open to talking.

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Stay Alert.

While IMs are private, for the most part, remember that your chat windows are open on your computer and can be seen by coworkers walking behind you, or bosses seated near you. It’s all right to keep the conversation casual, but remember to leave the ultra-private talk for chatting at home.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Be Our Guest

January 2011

Entertaining people brings a lot of focus on being a good host—what food to serve your guests, how to make everyone as comfortable as possible, and how to set the mood right. Responding to an invitation, however, requires guest protocol, too. Being someone’s houseguest calls for etiquette that ensures both you and your host have a pleasant time throughout your visit.

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Pencil It In. Make a definite date with your host for your arrival. Nobody wants an unexpected visitor to show up at his doorstep! Arrange for a date and schedule that is convenient for everyone, and inform your host of the people in your party, including nannies, pets, kids, etc. Also give a clear date and time for your departure—no host wants a guest who overstays his welcome.

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Bring a Token. Whether you bring a homemade pie, a bottle of wine or even a pretty flower arrangement, gifting your host is always a good idea. It’s a delightful way of saying “thank you” for the invitation and a great way to show your appreciation for the warm welcome.

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Let Them Entertain You.

If your host invites you to a weekend at their beach house and has some activities prepared for the family—water sports, island hopping, or a tour around town—it is always polite to join in the fun. You may have your own requests and those are just fine, but participating in your host’s itinerary is but expected of guests.

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Volunteer.

Pitch in with chores, help clear the table, make your bed, and show some initiative. Whether or not your host takes you up on your offer is irrelevant—what’s important is the effort you give.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Making the Write Impression

December 2010

December is a time for greeting cards, handwritten letters, and for those in a rush, quick emails wishing friends, family, and coworkers some holiday cheer. The art of the written word can easily be forgotten these days; and resurrecting the importance of a heartfelt note and a well-meaning letter is a gesture that goes easily with the spirit of Christmas.

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You don’t have to be a literary genius to compose a sincere letter—all you need is to show your personality and write as though you are naturally conversing with your note’s recipient.

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Keep It Casual. Just because you are setting things down on paper, does not mean you need to resort to formal language. Write as if you are speaking—your note will come off as genuine if you write the way you speak. Instead of saying “I cannot wait to see you,” go for the lighter-to-the-ear alternative by saying, “I can’t wait to see you!”.

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Name Drop. Casually pepper your letter with the recipient’s name every now and then. It adds familiarity and even affection. Occasionally mentioning the person’s name will make him feel like you really are thinking about him as you write, and are not using a template.

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Explore Exclamations.

To drive a point, use underlines, exclamation points, and dashes to give your sentiments more oomph and emphasis. Don’t overdo the smiley faces, however—a line must be drawn between emphatic letters and those that are too childish.

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Never Ramble.

Nobody wants to read a long-winded letter that seems to have no end. Keep things short, sweet, and always to the point.

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Holiday Greetings. Hang some cheer in your home by putting your favorite cards on display.

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Write It Down. Putting your thoughts on paper is a heartfelt way of expressing heartfelt wishes.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Help At Home

November 2010

Filipino households are wont to have help on board, whether to take care of the children, help with running errands and chores, or oversee the kitchen. Some employees are hired on a live-in basis while others visit homes once a week for a light clean up—no matter what your arrangement with your help is, it is important to maintain a set of rules to keep your relationship professional and to maintain a sense of order in the home.

Keep things Private.
Make your boundaries clear: when training your help, let them know which areas are off-limits and which may be touched up and cleaned. The same goes for your help’s quarters—it is important to give them their own space. If possible, give them room keys so they can keep their privacy as well.

Make Cleanliness the Standard.
Emphasize that even if your help has their own private areas, you would like them to maintain the same level of orderliness throughout the entire home, whether in your public areas (living room, dining room, kitchen, etc.) or their own quarters.

Keep an Open Kitchen.
House help should also benefit from at least three meals a day (for live-in employees) or snacks (for those who come in on a per-day basis). Relegate some storage in your pantry or refrigerator for the help’s food, or dedicate a shelf stacked with their own supply.

Give them Time Off.
Make specific arrangements for days off. If the help is expecting a visitor, ask them to inform you beforehand. Allowing them some time away from work assures a good relationship between you and your employee and will help her turn in better work in the long run.

Clean House. Keeping your house help happy equals a cleaner, more efficiently kept home.

Big Benefits. Going beyond the paycheck and keeping a good relationship with the household help can greatly improve your situation at home.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph
100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Everyday Don'ts

October 2010

It’s easy to take everyday actions for granted. What becomes habitual to most of us can slip our minds, leading us to forget how certain patterns or actions that have become routine to us can actually be offensive to others. It’s important to continually keep ourselves in check to make sure that social graces are respected 24/7.

Chuck the Chewing. While there is nothing technically wrong with popping some gum, it is considered something that should be done in privacy or with familiar friends. Resist the urge to chew while in conversation with someone, or during formal settings such as a classroom, church or at the office. Regardless of the company you keep, it is important to be discreet, quiet, and to always dispose of your gum properly.

Rid yourself of Rudeness. Being discourteous covers a lot of ground—from playing loud music that prevents others from continuing with their days peacefully to whispering or giggling behind someone’s back. Being a mature, respectful individual means rising above these childish tendencies and always keeping others’ feelings in mind.

Stay Sanitary. Crude behavior such as spitting is not just crass—it’s also highly unsanitary. Though some cultures may accept this type of behavior and while it might be commonplace even in the streets you live, the act of spitting is usually regarded as uncouth and incredibly ill mannered.

Smoke Out. Cigarette smoking is a highly personal decision. If you do decide to smoke, however, it is important to confine your smoking outdoors, avoiding the act inside someone’s house or even in a car. Secondhand smoke is only one issue—another is keeping clean since cigarette butts and ashes can clutter anyone’s space.

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Take your cigarette break to the outdoors and keep everyone out of secondhand smoke’s way.

Snapping and popping are definite don’ts when it comes to chewing gum.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

At The Table

October 2010

Tiny accidents sometimes can’t be helped, whether you’re dining at home, at a restaurant or even at a formal function. These unexpected circumstances, however, don’t mean table manners should be forgotten. Etiquette rules even in the trickiest situations—all you need is to stay calm, be alert and always remember that a sense of humor can make even the most embarrassing wrongs a little bit better.

Sorry for the Spill.
Don’t make a big deal of toppling over a glass—simply put it up quickly and apologize to everyone else at the table, while using an available piece of cloth to pick up the liquid. With food spills, pick up the morsels with your knife’s blade or a clean spoon, and dab at the stained tablecloth with the edge of your napkin, dipped in water (water from your glass should work just fine).

Too Hot to Handle.
If you bite into your order and find it too hot to deal with, immediately take a swig of water to help bring down the heat. If that still does not work, subtly spit your food onto your fork and resist the urge to hide it in your napkin. Instead, just lay it onto the edge of your plate. The same goes for any food that’s spoiled.

Table manners should never fall by the wayside even during the most delicate dining dilemmas.

Something Stuck.
To prevent any food from getting stuck between your teeth, remember to run your tongue over your teeth every so often. Never attempt to remove food at the table itself—just discreetly excuse yourself from the table and head to the restroom. If someone at your table has the misfortune of having food stuck between their teeth, just let them know about it by giving a hand signal.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph
100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Simple Changes

August 2010

Even the quickest, most straightforward changes can help transform your life and make it better—no matter what facet you want to improve on. Taking just 10 minutes out of your day and to make that extra effort can create a huge difference. It’s just a little reminder that the biggest changes start from the smallest intentions set into action.

Start your Mornings Right. Mornings typically involve a mad scramble to head out to work, bring the kids to school, and get things done right away. A few extra minutes at the breakfast table, however, can help everyone settle into their routines minus the stress. Instead of eating a quick bite standing up, spend some time enjoying a healthy meal over some conversation with the family, or get some much-needed Me Time with a hot cup of coffee. It’ll keep you on track, relaxed and energized for the rest of the day.

Reconnect. There are so many ways to stay connected with people these days—mobile phones, email and social networking all play a big part in keeping us linked to the world. These avenues are also perfect ways to rekindle friendships and reconnect with friends from far away. Taking just a little more time to shoot a short email, find an old friend on Facebook or reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while can vastly improve your relationships and enrich your life.

Make Plans. Many times, we become overrun by what we have to do from day to day that we forget how important it is to look forward to the future, dream big and dare to take bigger leaps. Giving yourself time at the end of each day to go over what you would like to accomplish, no matter how farfetched is a great way to get in touch with yourself and reflect on your goals. Setting your long term aims on paper can help you visualize your dreams and break them down into smaller parts you can achieve, step by step, over time.

Take the time to dream big, create your very own bucket list and expand your horizons.

Spending a few extra minutes to thoroughly enjoy the start of each morning can keep you in a good mood for the rest of the day.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph 100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.