Another Land Trip Across Several States

I just came from another looooonggggg trip. Yes we did a landtrip from the west coast to the east coast. We were on the road for a month. It is quite a challenge trying to plan what clothes to wear and what food to eat, and sometimes where to stay for the night, as we would just play it by ear, depending on which place we would have to stop for the night.

Our first destination was Yellowstone National Park. This is my second time to visit the place. Still it has not failed to amuse me for the various scenic spots and wildlife you encounter while you are in the park. Then we proceeded to the Devil's Tower National Monument where I got bitten by a nasty bee!!! Then we went to Kevin Costner's Tatanka the Story of the Bison, then proceeded to Circe B Chuckwagon for a buffet dinner in a chuckwagon.

South Dakota was our next destination, and we visited the Badlands, Minuteman Missile, Wall Drug and Mt. Rushmore. Then we stopped by Iowa and went on a veryyyyyy long trip to Boston. We then stayed in Cape May New Jersey for a few days, then went to Washinton DC, St. Louis Missouri, Galena Kansas and Oklahoma. Yes we are taking Historic Route 66.

Then we went to Amarillo Texas, Albuquerque New Mexico, Mesa Verde Colorado, Hoolbrook Arizona. Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and Grand Canyon in Arizona. Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches National Park, Canyonlands and Dinosaur National Monumet in Utah. Then we headed for a long trip back home.

Yes it was a long trip and very expensive one too! I just wish the other people involved in the trip would realize how some of my hard earned money were spent on this trip. Read full post...

How to Pass the Drivers Exam and Driving Test in Washington State

I have been a driver in my own country and I have my own drivers license there. Moving to another country, particularly in Washington State in the United States, required me to get a new license. During my first year of moving here, I used my old license. Yes, you are allowed to use your Non-US drivers license for a year here. Unfortunately for me though, before the one year was over, I celebrated my birthday and I had to get myself a license here to continue driving.

I was pretty much aware my license from the Philippines would be useless on my birthday. However, I kept holding off the exam because I was merely too lazy to read thru the 116 page pdf guide that my husband downloaded and sent me so I could study it. Every time I start reading thru the pages, I feel sleepy and eventually drift away. As circumstances would have it though, I was obliged to get it done. My husband had to leave for a week, to attend to his mom who underwent a shoulder operation. So I was left with no choice. I have to read thru the manual, take and pass the written exam, and pass the actual driving test.

Sad to say, I did not pass my first attempt of taking the written exam. I was on the very last question and the very last chance not to make a mistake. Unfortunately, I was not able to answer correctly. So I had to come again the following day and take the exam. The question that I made a mistake on was about an incident where the police was not present and there is damage to property of more than $700 and injury or death involved. The question was: In how many days are you required to report the said incident to the department of motor vehicle. I was thinking 4 days... but... I was also thinking, since there is death involved.. wouldn't it be very important to report it immediately? So in the end, I chose the wrong answer of 2 days and the correct answer was 4 days.

I went back the following day, took the exam again and passed it with only one mistake. I realized I could have passed it the first time around and saved $20 if I did the right thing the first time. So for those of you who are planning to take a written drivers exam here in Washington state, here are some tips that I would like to share:

1.   While reading the PDF for the drivers guide, make sure you take down notes of things that you are not familiar with. What I mean by this is, there are certain rules listed in the guide which we are already aware of, like how to yield on a 4 way stop, and there are some rules like say for example how many feet away should you stay away from an emergency vehicle when it is responding to an emergency and you are driving behind that vehicle. What I did was read through the manual and listed all the stuff that I feel I need to memorize and familiarize myself with. After reading the entire manual, I reviewed the stuff that I have listed down and read it over and over.

2.    Make sure you take some sample tests online to evaluate if you are already ready for the exam. There is a practice test on the dol website that you can take. There are also several websites around the internet that can provide you with FREE test. Yes, you do not have to pay for these practice test. I was glad I found a website that has an endless supply of practice test. Unfortunately though, I discovered it only after I failed my first attempt. I believe that if I had found this ahead of time, it would have helped me and make me pass my written test the first time. Just go to:  http://driversprep.com/index.php then click on start. Select which state you are, then take the free practice tests.

3.   A very important factor to pass the drivers license written test is to relax and go through the questions slowly. Remember that there is no time limit when you are taking the exam. Rushing to finish the exam will increase the chances of making mistakes.

4.  Make sure you do not commit mistakes on the first half of the questions. This will not only boost your confidence, but it will also give you more chances of passing. If you only start committing mistakes towards the end, you will be more relaxed in answering the rest of the questions and will most likely pass it.

After passing the written test, the next thing that you have to prepare for is the driving test. Since I am already a driver, I only need to review a few things for this test. However, for those who are not, here are some tips:

1.  Watch the videos in youtube. The Washington state department of licensing has uploaded videos that will help. You can find the videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2F646107C3D95D87&feature=plcp

2.  They will not take you to freeways. You will only be driving in an area with not so much traffic. Do not be afraid to ask questions before the test starts. One thing that I forgot was when I was told to pull over and pretend that I was leaving the vehicle. I did not turn off my engine, nor did I put the gear on park. I was still on drive and just stepped on the brake. I did not also notice if it was an uphill or downhill, but I did remember to put my parking brake on. After I was done with it and was back on the road, that was when it occurred to me that I might have done a very big mistake there.

3.  Never forget to signal when changing lanes and making turns. Stop behind the WHITE LINE of a pedestrian lane. Do not forget to do this too when you are instructed to do the backing maneuver. Even if there is no pedestrian lane, you should stop before continuing and making a turn. I totally forgot about it.

4.  Parallel parking has always been a pain for me. The car I drove in the Philippines is a sedan and the car that we have here is a minivan. I always had problems trying to parallel park. Fortunately, there is a place outside the department of motor vehicles where they will let you do your parallel parking. If you have a chance, go there and practice before your driving test. I only found out about this when I was already taking my test. BUMMER! If I had know, I would have taken the opportunity of practicing.

5. Never make critical and risky mistakes. Even if you pass the other areas in the driving test, if you committed a critical mistake, then you will definitely have to retake.

I did pass my driving test with a score of 82, although I did not pass my parallel parking. I was also delighted that the lady who gave me the exam was very friendly. That made it easy for me because that did not make me feel nervous while taking the exam. So if you are planning to take the drivers written test and driving exam soon, I wish this blogpost will help you pass it. If  this post helped you pass the Washington drivers exam and driving test, please come back and leave a comment. Good luck! Read full post...

American Idol Season 11 Winner

Today is the day. Either Jessica Sanchez or Phillip Phillips will become victorious and be named as the new American Idol. I was never a fan of American Idol. What I mean is, I have not watched the previous seasons and I am also not familiar with who the previous contestants and winners were. I did not start watching this season when it started airing either. So what made me watch American Idol lately?

I have to admit that I am a facebook person. So my day starts by browsing thru facebook and reading some interesting news that some of my network of friends have shared on their walls. To make the long story short, I came upon a post saying that a contestant in American Idol who has Filipino blood is one of the contestants and is apparently doing well. I saw a video of her singing a Whitney Houston song (I love Whitney!). So that caught my attention and I decided to watch the show one night. I started watching during the time when Colton was eliminated. From then on, I have not missed an episode.

I was just glad Jessica was saved by the judges when she was supposed to be voted out already, and I do believe they made the right move. She has great talent. I am just disappointed though, that Joshua did not make it to the finals. I would have preferred to see him compete against Jessica in the finale.

Only a few hours left and I can't wait to see the results on TV later. Although I want Jessica to win, the decision still lies on how the people voted. Read full post...

Las Vegas the Second Time Around

I got excited when my aunt and uncle invited me to go on a land trip with them to Las Vegas. They are meeting up with my uncle's brother and his wife who are from California. It is quite a long trip so we had to stop for sometime in a gasoline station for my uncle to get some power nap. FYI, he would not allow me or my aunt to drive the car (even if we both have a drivers license).

What is more exciting is that I will be meeting with some of my batch mates from college who are now based in Vegas. We stayed there for a week. There was no problem with the place to stay as my aunt and uncle own time share accounts. We went inside several hotels and casinos. My favorite place was Circus Circus where we played several games and won several HUGE! stuffed animals, courtesy of kuya Enchong - the expert.

We also went to see a live show by our favorite magician Mr. David Copperfield. It was a shame my phone was running low on battery as he held a contest via twitter. Mr. Copperfield got several volunteers from the audience and it was fun, especially the finale, where he called several people from the audience and made them to up the stage. He covered them and they disappeared and appeared on a specific area near the audience. We were so intrigue that we waited outside to interview the people who were taken as volunteers and asked them where they were taken. All we could understand was that everything happened to quickly and all of them were asked to run as quick as they could.

I went out with my batch mates twice. The first one, we had a buffet dinner at the Aria hotel. Food was fantastic! Then the other time, we went to Ate Delsa's place. Such a lovely place and she has very adorable dogs.

Vegas was fun! You do not have to gamble to enjoy the place. There are a lot of free shows that you can watch, if you know what time and where they are happening. We saw a lot of them inside those big hotels and outside too. Read full post...

My First Heavy Snowfall

There have been several snowfalls last year, but it was never that heavy to really layer. This is quite a heavy one because in a few minutes I can no longer see the road! Oh wow! It is all covered with snow. I got excited that I immediately got out and played in the snow.

Playing in the snow feels good. It makes you feel like a child again. Be careful though as you can really get wet. Another thing, when playing with snowballs, make sure you are careful where you throw it. I got hit really bad in the chest and it was just so painful.

A lot of people hate snow. Well it is difficult to drive on very slippery roads, and walk on them too. I walked the entire block and it was very difficult with my boots really getting stuck on the snow. Classes were also suspended for a week because it took a week for the thick snow to melt away.

So am I looking forward to another snowfall? Hmmm... not really. A little snow is fine.. but heavy snow.. NO THANKS! Read full post...

Christmas Away From Home

Merry Christmas! This is my first Christmas away from home and I miss a lot of things. Christmas here is not as warm as the ones I have spent with my loved ones in the Philippines. I wish I was back home where I can feel the love of family and friends. Where we would usually spend Christmas with a big feast and I get to buy gifts for my family and my godchildren. I miss going to Christmas mass with them too.

Christmas here in America is more about commercial value where kids are made to believe that Santa Claus is real, instead of reminding them that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. That really makes me sad.

Christmas is also winter time here. However, I have not seen any snow, only frost and it has really been very cold. I miss having lechon during Christmas! Just glad my aunt and uncle are nearby (45 minutes away). They are my only family here. Before I forget, I also went ice skating for the first time. It was really difficult trying to make sure I don't fall on my butt. All I did was go around the rink while holding on the rails most of the time. That ice is very hard and it would surely hurt if I fell on it!

I am looking forward to spending Christmas next year with the whole family. My brother Mark and I have already agreed that we will both spend Christmas in the Philippines in 2012. It will be exciting to finally meet my niece Ysabelle for the first time. I am so looking forward to that day. Read full post...

iPhone and Android Application Developers Face the Challenge of Retaining Users

There is no question about it, Apple and Google are fighting it out in the mobile world. Apple has their own loyal followers and so does Google for their Droid OS. Apple users have their iPads and iPhones, while Android fans have a wide variety of choices with the several Droid ready phones from Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Sony, etc.

What makes Apple and Google appealing to phone users are the tons of applications, both for free and for a fee, that are available in the market. A phone user can download games, maps, music, books, product presentation software, etc. Name it and you would be surprised to know they have it in the market. These applications are developed by entrepreneurial minds hoping to capture their own audience in the market. Looking at the growing number of applications available in the Apple and Android markets from the time the first Apple and Android phones were introduced to the market, and the fact that more and more people are buying Apple and Android phones, it is not surprising that the numbers will continue to grow higher.

This indicates that there is a high demand for these applications. Although Apple is in the lead with the number of applications available in its market, the Android market is not far behind. It is without question that free applications are the ones that get the most downloads. Aside from cost, most users would look into user reviews before they decide whether to download an application or not. Paid applications also appeal to users, especially if it is highly recommended by a friend.

Then again, what happens to paid applications which are not often highly recommended? Do users ever get a chance to discover and use them? Fortunately they do. However, these developers need to employ a marketing strategy, and it would usually be costly. Aside from being costly, chances are they do not really reach their target audience for the particular application.

A problem these applications face is user retention. It is so easy to download and install these applications on one’s phone. The question is whether the user would continue to use the said application after first use, or would the user decide to uninstall the application after a few months , weeks, or days. It totally depends on the user. Some simply uninstall it because it was not the type of application they were looking for, it may be too difficult to use, or they simply want to free up space on their phone after a few months and the application they want to uninstall is one that they do not use often.

Since there are several application developers out there hoping to catch their own market, it is unavoidable that certain applications may have similarities. As to which amongst the application a user would choose to download, it totally depends on what the application has to offer. Although there may be similarities, each application has its own unique features which would make it stand out from the rest.

This is why the job of a mobile application developers never end. They continuously find ways to upgrade their stuff with the hope of offering a better experience for the users of the application. Constant software upgrade can actually help application developers with their problem of retaining users. Some upgrades fix bugs that users often encounter, especially when the OS is upgraded from time to time. Software problems or bugs can also be pinpointed as major reasons why some application users stop using a certain application that they have downloaded. There are just too many applications in the market today, and sticking to a problematic application is just a big waste of time.

For those of you who may think that the most challenging task for an application developer is coming up with a brilliant idea for an application, think again. Bringing traffic to their application after users have downloaded it is actually the most difficult part. They need to know how to market their product for retention purposes. When you think of it, it is actually more difficult to do retention marketing than marketing your application to first time users.

The best way for these developers to somehow succeed with retaining their users is to get data about their existing application users. Demographic data which will help them solve the problem by employing the right marketing strategy based on the data gathered and get their users to continue using their application and most likely recommend it to their friends. Read full post...