Hello October. It's Been A While

It's 82 days to go before Christmas, my favorite time of the year. These days you feel auspicious to be alive what more celebrate the holiday season with your loved ones because with the Covid virus, it is as if there's a race for humankind to either survive the virus or manage to stay alive given the current economic crisis where people strive to make both ends meet. My eldest sister lost a couple of her friends from law school to the virus and both were only in their mid 40s. Three months ago, we lost an Uncle due to Liver Cirrhosis, not Covid though but the difficulty to have access to healthcare facilities these days is a big factor in prolonging the lifespan of those who are ailing. Even holding an interment these days I heard is a real struggle due to the threat of contagion. As of this writing, my father who lives faraway tested positive for the virus a month after he had his second dose of Pfizer. 

Life truly is unpredictable. The good thing is, my Dad is an asymptomatic carrier and is automatically on home quarantine upon the advise of his doctor while awaiting instructions from the local government unit. He's had a lot of swab tests in the past, a couple of which were pre-surgery requirements and the rest were pre-requisites for out of town travels and he always tested negative until after a month he had his second dose of Pfizer. My Dad has a worldview of an Ostrich in which he denies or refuses to accept the situation which we all facing at the moment, this pandemic. Like an Ostrich, he refuses to believe this virus will hit him because of his 'blood type' as if this made him invincible because of an article he might've read or a myth he might've heard from someone which might've mentioned that there's a certain blood type not susceptible to the virus. All of us, his kids of course strongly refuted, dispelled thus constantly reminded him despite his being way too stubborn that it may or may not be true as everything requires many years of study. He would rather believe a myth than just follow precise and simple health protocols. 

It's been very difficult to explain to our elderly sometimes how deadly this virus is because they always rebut that, if they stay home very often they tend to become frail as oppose to wandering about outside despite the pandemic. My Dad oftentimes refuses to wear his face mask properly nor eluded people to prevent exposure from this virus because he is a 'people person' and feels like the world will crumble upon him if he doesn't have anyone to talk to which is not really fair given the current situation not to mention he is a co-morbid since he is already a senior citizen with health constraints and is someone who must strictly avoid crowds and socializing for as much as possible even if the vast majority of our population had already taken the jab, oh well,  the virus couldn't care less. 

Personally, I haven't been vaccinated because first off, I no longer go out since I work from home and manages all my businesses online. I source all my business needs from packaging materials, crocheting yarns, buttons, stickers etcetera from online shops as well. I purchase groceries items, food that I'm craving for from food delivery apps such Foodpanda (which offers Pandamart or online grocery), Grab delivery etc., avail the help of errand services to purchase medications on my behalf at a minimal fee and last but not least, I have been online shopping since the advent of e-commerce sites so this pandemic did not really affect/deter me that much because I do not really enjoy socializing nor being in a crowded place. I have endured my fair share of stress anyways during my young adult years working for companies, the commute and all the hustle and bustle just to get to work.

Second, the government nor these pharmaceutical companies where these Covid vaccines came from won't be held liable/accountable in the event people will go ill after getting vaccinated may it be chronic or worse, death, since it is still in its clinical trial stage and we are all considered technically as Guinea pigs. Our government is quick to count the number of deaths related to those who weren't vaccinated and scares the hell out of the unvaccinated ones. Truth of the matter is, a lot of people have been dying after they have been vaccinated because the effect is different for every individual. In reality, these vaccines are meant for 'emergency use' therefore our government shouldn't compel everyone to get vaccinated as it is against the law to enforce. I hate to sound like a 'Karen' who's been a meme for an individual who loves to rant and complain but, who will pay for the medical expenses of those who will require hospitalization after getting vaccinated due to its side effects when the vast majority is out of jobs/having not enough source of income due to the never-ending quarantine restrictions? Just a question. 

So, as a way to prevent the virus from spreading, avoid going out and opt with anything contactless. Go for cashless payments for as much as possible as there are tons of ways to pay cashless these days anyways since this pandemic isn't waning over in the not so distant future and getting vaccinated isn't our immunity neither.  If you're thinking that things will be back to normal after you get vaccinated, think again as this mindset is causing the spread furthermore. It is dangerous to cease from wearing face masks just because you have been vaccinated. The companies who developed these vaccines never guaranteed it will ward off the virus hence will just lessen the symptoms once it hits the person. Remember, Covid-19 is a highly contagious virus which spares no one. You either win or lose from it. As for me, I am content with being a homebody. I feel less anxious because in our household/bubble, we observe strict health measures. We always wear face masks whenever someone comes home and no contact until the family member changed clothes or washed off and discarded any disposable things worn outside specifically face masks. We also opt with online shopping versus a trip to the supermarket or malls because we do not know how many Christmases and New Years will come and go before this pandemic ends so we just better stay safe and strong. 

The holiday season is here, you can pretty much buy all Christmas ornaments online and so as presents for your family. We have been celebrating the holiday season since the start of the pandemic without other people from outside our bubble because it is possible. I have nothing against getting vaccinated because to each his own, it's just that I am personally not ready for its side effects as I am a co-morbid myself. Am I open to get vaccinated? Yes, but I am willing to wait it out first until it is truly safe.

Happy holidays in advance. Stay safe, healthy and be always in the know. Can't wait for better days when all this pandemic is over.

Plant-based Products, Why So Expensive?

When I went vegan, I wasn't aware of the existence of faux meat a.k.a TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein), soy protein (or whatever else us vegans call it) because when I made this choice, I told myself it should be my 'point of no return' or my efforts will go down the drain thus, a meat substitute never crossed my mind. I thought, If I will renounce meat from my diet, then I might as well avoid my pre-vegan nostalgia right? I went vegan in the first place for ethical reasons--I am done with all the animal cruelty and murder towards all the defenseless and voiceless animals who are also sentient beings not to mention  going vegan is the best resort for my heath since I am not getting any younger. But, I also asked this one question at one point, why are plant-based products/food so expensive?

As I wrote before, I never tried soy meat or any plant-based alternative to meat until after a year I went vegan that's why I did not really think about one of the most common perceptions non-vegans towards plant-based food/ products as being way too expensive/overpriced (which honestly they are) not just here in the PH but also in other countries. The reason being is the usual law of supply and demand. 

Producing meatless products cost more because the demand isn't as high compared to animal meat. I am glad though that the meatless and non-dairy industry is booming which obviously has something to do with the pandemic except I still cannot get over the fact sometimes that most vegan products  cost cosmic-high say for example a tub or pint of vegan/dairy-free ice cream costs double vs. its dairy counterpart which really makes me sad. If only more and more people will support the non-dairy industry then more companies will stop producing dairy products (totally eradicate animal agriculture) in order for the cost of non-dairy products be at par with their dairy counterpart. I still feel that the meat and dairy industry is still ahead of the game sadly despite the countless abuse to animals that we've seen on TV and pretty much all social media platforms. Most people would rather ignore these reminders because for them, their happiness while devouring their bloody steak and high on cholesterol lobster matters more than the pain these animals went through to address man's insatiable craving for animal meat. But then, to each his own. 

Going back, commercially produced plant-based products can be really costly not to mention they come in quite small portions. 

Do you know that you can actually make your own meatless meat out of all-purpose flour otherwise known in the vegan world as 'Seitan'? Don't fret though if you're allergic to gluten, you can always make meatless pork belly using wheat flour! I always watch plant-based recipes from this youtube local channel Healthy Foodie PH! Aside from homemade meatless food will save you a lot money, you can also make them double the quantity compared to the store bought ones, all you have to do is shop for ingredients and voila! Make some more before your vegan stash runs out. Or, the best way to go really is to simply eat fresh, green leafy veggies because you can always sauté, stir-fry, steam or do any recipe to your liking to your greens. Just don't forget to season them with mushroom granules which you can always shop for online. At least veggies don't squeal. 

As an end note, meatless products can be really expensive, but, let's bear in mind that if you can afford to pay for slaughter houses to kill more animals, surely you can afford to buy fresh veggies or shell out money for a kilo of Meat Magic may it be cutlets or flakes just saying. 😉

Let's Talk About Mental Health

Happy Easter! I know it's been a while since my last blog post (which was last February). The pandemic just reached its one year mark last month and after a few months of breather for our healthcare workers, we're back to square one while other countries are living as normal and I mean normal without the need to wear face mask whenever they go out let alone a face shield. It's sad that our country's mortality rate has gone up and the number of Covid cases even doubled compared last year so how are we supposed to recover from this? 

My appeal to everyone, since looking at the situation right now, this pandemic is far from over (even if we already have covid vaccines available in our country) let's continue being vigilant in fighting the virus by observing proper health protocols at all times and please stay at home for as much as possible especially if you're job does not require you to go to the office. If you have means, use delivery apps and online banking/wire money transfers to your convenience. In this way, you are helping food delivery/errand riders provide for their families. They are risking their safety as well to make both ends meet and connect people to practically everything that they need. 

And, if you are one of those who have been vaccinated, I think, to be on the safe side, to go on quarantine because I heard and read from the news that there have been quite a number of people who never had covid-19 suddenly becomes positive after being vaccinated. I know it's not scientifically proven but it's a fact. I also learned that these vaccines have covid bacteria in them because how is a vaccine supposed to fight something if it does not have a single component of the virus. It's like opposite poles attract and same poles repel to simply put right? Which means how can the covid vaccine fight covid if it doesn't have a part of it to repel the virus. According to experts, they are not live bacteria, still, covid bacteria is covid bacteria or something like that in my understanding. And, to have immunity against the virus, it's either you have contracted the virus once or you already have covid vaccine in your system. Alright, 'nuff said. 

Anyhow, I don't want to delve too much on pessimism on an Easter Sunday such as today because there are so many things that are way beyond our control except strictly adhering to safety health protocols. Economically, we rely on the government since the movement of all sectors relies in them. I know a lot have already suffered from 'cabin fever syndrome' since last year, but, let's bear in mind that some have already gone to the beach and traveled out of town during the past months therefore, with the again resurgence of covid cases, things have gotten somewhat normal somehow except nothing was ever normal again from the get go. Moving on, so, how do we take care of our mental health then? (In random order). 

Happy Shopee-ing. Is It Really?

Having worked for major e-commerce companies in the past taught me a lot about how these companies run things from the back end. So, when I established my online business years ago, I already have a clear notion in terms of dealing with e-commerce companies from an insider's perspective. My knowledge became an edge for me because I am aware of my rights, limitations, the DOs and DON'Ts and all the BS.

When I started selling my handmade crafts on Shopee, a third party, e-commerce platform, they do not charge for anything back then. All you have to do is take photos of the item/s you're looking to sell, come up with descriptions and voila, you're good to go. I also created an account with Shopee for the sole purpose of shopping online (because eBay costs more now due to the fees the local post office charges) and not sell through their platform to begin with until I quit from my regular job and thought of venturing into business instead because I wanted flexible working hours and God knows how stressful working in the confides of an office at times.   

Anyways, going back, I have been an online shopper as well since way back 2009 (when Multiply was a haven for online shoppers and sellers) and, never was I  got scammed nor come across a bogus seller because I was careful in transacting online. When I started marketing my products online myself,  I made it a point to sell only through stable and secured e-commerce sites and that's when Shopee came into play not to mention it was easy peasy to set up an account through them. Remember, before you become an expert in selling stuff online, it'll be a great advantage if you're an expert online shopper first because you will have a mindset coming from both worlds, the Buyer and the Seller. 

So, how does online-selling via Shopee really works?

Shopee serves as a mediator between the seller and the buyer. The buyer pays directly through Shopee (yes, the buyer will make a payment directly to Shopee's bank, money remittance accounts etc.) and they will be the one to handle everything from shipping your product down to buyer payments etcetera and your job as a seller is just to pack your goods and prepare it for courier pick up at no cost because the buyer will be the one to shoulder it. Shopee will hold the buyer's payment until the item gets delivered that's the only time the seller gets paid which is not as easy as you think due to their 'guarantee program' which I will expound further as we go along.

What is  this  thing called Shopee Guarantee Program then? 

Well, let me explain from a seller's perspective then. Once the item is delivered to the buyer, the seller will not receive payment for the goods until the buyer taps the 'order received' button and sadly, roughly 85% of Shopee buyers aren't aware of this (benefit of the doubt) or some buyers purposely elude the 'order received' button as if it doesn't exist thinking their money will be reimbursed back to them and that they can get away not paying for the item which is not the case with Shopee as it's their anti-bogus buyer/anti-scammer measure wherein even if the buyer still extends the 'guarantee program' further, the seller will definitely get paid for as long as the courier confirmed the item was indeed delivered. Now, if the buyer denies having received the item, then that's another story as that'll be a long and tedious investigation /process.

Shopee, not dependable source of income?

Now, let me talk about how Shopee isn't really a reliable source of income (in my opinion) for small business owners. First of, getting paid on Shopee as a seller takes a long while especially when you come across inconsiderate and 'barely online' buyers because, even if the buyer has received the item yet failed to tap 'order received,' the seller will have to wait 6 days before they actually get paid for the goods they packed with TLC. So, just imagine the plight of online sellers, some of them are single parents who rely on their online shops' income to fend for their nursing babies or kids, people who got laid off from their jobs because of the pandemic who opted to sell online to make a living, students who wanted to earn extra income to sustain their online learning/classes etc. Therefore, if you shop online via Shopee, be a responsible buyer and make it a habit to tap 'order received' and make the world a better place for sellers provided you have received your goods in excellent condition and you have no remorse.

Fees, fees and more charges!

However, as time went on, Shopee started imposing fees towards sellers as their e-commerce site got bigger and bigger, a hefty 2% Transaction fee + VAT which eventually left some of the small business sellers no choice but increase their product cost and as a form of damage control, to prevent insolvency. It's sad, but, what can I say despite this pandemic but, business as usual. Seriously, why not Shopee just cut the chase and reduce the 6 day guarantee to 3 days instead and make the delivery date the sole basis as to when the buyer's payment is released to the seller and just override the whole extended guarantee program then especially if the item is been confirmed/tagged as 'delivered'? Buyer protection or prolonging the agony? I guess it's the later.

From a buyer's perspective...

As a Shopee buyer (Platinum status, and no I'm not boasting about it it's just that I want to stress out that I don't just shop, I shop more than the usual for pretty much everything because it's convenient since the advent of online shopping), I make it a point to always release the payment to sellers not because I sell online myself but, even before the advent of third party e-commerce sites, I always make prompt payments for every online purchases I make. Remember the old school bank to bank transfers with matching payment slips and Gcash screencaps? Going back, as soon as I receive my Shopee purchases, found no flaws nor drama involved with the item I ordered, I release the payment to sellers because it's the modest thing to do not to mention I totally understand the seller's plight, they sell to also make both ends meet as it is with people who holds a full time office job. 

Let me also just say that selling online is a noble way to earn a living these days and don't treat online sellers as people with no degree because trust me even Doctors these days sell online and so as other professionals who chose a convenient route to manage their household and family efficiently/conveniently so don't talk to them as if they're dumb because you might be talking to someone with a double major or even a master's degree etcetera. 

And oh, let me also use this opportunity to raise the flag of logistics company workers which includes courier company riders, food hailing app riders and those guys who risk their own safety to deliver your goods to their intended recipients and or deliver food right at your doorsteps. When I started my online business I realized their vital role in helping even small businesses grow. Again, do not undermine workers who belong to this sector because they are predominantly educated individuals so treat them with utmost respect that they deserve, their job isn't easy. As a small business owner there are times I complain how physically taxing managing a business is but when I think about those men (and women as well, yes I have already come across women working for this sector) who manages to deliver heaps of parcels or food deliveries on a daily basis, I then realize my exhaustion nor stress isn't even a quarter compared to them.

Product listing issues after issues and so on and so forth...

One time whilst scouring Shopee, I decided to type in a keyword to see if my products are still searchable but lo and behold, I found multiple listings from suspicious sellers using my business' watermarked product photos and publishing materials. I decided to raise the issue with Shopee to have it investigated and compel the 'concerned parties' to take down their listings because they looked really 'fishy.' Most listings I found do not have a legitimate shop name nor ratings which screams fraud. And again, my damage control measure was to tediously check each and every suspicious account that I found which uses my publishing material unauthorizedly just to found my own listings placed 'under review' as well by Shopee which caused me loss of revenue for a few days since they are my best seller handmade products thus made me scratch my head in disbelief. I mean seriously? It's like this, the person who reported a crime is now also considered as part of the ploy as it is with crime stuff series I often watch on Netflix LOL. Things went back to normal after 3days, Shopee explained it's an anti-fraud measure yadda yadda. Again, such a total inconvenience. 

As an end note, I hope Shopee will also listen to the sentiments of small business owners/sellers (myself included) because what's the whole point of participating in surveys they send from time to time if the same issues such as payments/escrow won't be addressed in the first place? My point is I hope e-commerce sites get out of the stigma being overly pro-buyers setting aside the plight of business owners/online sellers who chose to use their platforms and felt be taken advantaged upon. When I was still working for this international e-commerce companies, they always let the buyers win in most post sales dispute even if the evidence screams otherwise setting aside that a portion of the seller's income also goes to them. Still 'All is fair in love and war'? Nah, I don't think so. 

Good Riddance 2020.

Hello 2021. I know 2020 was nothing but a series of unfortunate events for everyone which started out with the death of Basketball legend Coby Bryant and his daughter from a helicopter crash, the catasthropic eruption of Taal volcano here in the country, the bushfire in Australia and the worst of all, the Covid-19 pandemic which almost wiped out the vast elderly population of Europe especially Italy and so as America with New York being the epicenter of the virus. And, before the year came to a close, flash floods and typhoons marred the Philippines. I can't help but say, are we done yet 2020? Bring it on isn't even a very fitting and compassionate phrase to say because last year is the best definition of 'all hell broke loose.' 

Never in mind have I thought a pandemic is even going to happen in my lifetime because why? Until a news broke out late of 2019 that a flu virus has spread in China which made me think, a virus, really? But, when the virus entered the Philippine soil March of last year, things finally made sense. There is no vaccine for it because it takes a year to develop a vaccine for new viruses which means the worst is yet to come and so it did. 

The worst case scenario I had in mind was famine when the virus spread like wildfires all over the world, what more in third world countries? The whole world implemented a lock down which pretty much shut down all domestic and international economies. The best part was, the environment sort of had a reset. Everyone was a witness to a  clear and pollution-free blue skies and horizons. But, the world needs to move on. 

Towards the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2020, local economies began to open up again except the world was never the same. The new normal was a face-mask-on and face-shield-on situation not to mention the never ending social distancing. But wait, there's more, before the end of 2020, another news broke out that a new (and faster to spread) Covid-19 variant is beginning to spread again which led London to a state of health of emergency days ago. So, hello 2021 even if 2020's tail end is still here. 

On the brighter side of life, plant-based food options became much more popular because many people are now gearing towards a healthier alternative to meat due to Covid-19. This news made my heart skip a beat because there is no solution to the current state which all of us are in, we need to renounce meat from our diet as soon  as possible not just for 'ethical' but health and environmental reasons as well. My only regret was, I need to set up a vegetable pocket garden as well A.S.A.P. which, as of this writing, still hasn't happened (whimper) due to time and resource constraints as I'm still caught up managing my small business online. And to those who still wouldn't budge and still choose to consume animal products and by-products despite the pandemic which claimed millions of lives, well, to each his own. Change starts from within, baby steps, inch by inch as every effort counts no matter how little that may be. If Burger King's plant-based burger and delicious vegan meat substitutes will not change you then think of this, spare the animals and the disease will also spare you. A strong immune system is a cholesterol and clogged-free artery. 

Looking for a humorous approach to the year that has been? Go watch "Death to 2020" on Netflix. A very good way to wrap up the year 2020, a slapstick one.  

Again, Happy New Year!  Dear 2021, please be good, Year Of The Metal Ox.