I am Janujennifer

New Closet Items

2012-01-24T10:34:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, the whole family went to Quezon Memorial Circle to walk and be together. It was a bit sad that the museum and the theme park "Circle of Fun" was closed because it was a holiday (in celebration of the Chinese New Year), but we were still able to do things... like shopping.

At one part of the park were rows of stores selling clothes, shoes, home items, and food. It wasn't my plan to buy some stuff, but there were items that I found really affordable, so I still bought some:

The fabric shoes I bought at only p150. The brown closed shoes I bought a few months ago blistered my feet, so I really wanted to buy another pair of closed shoes I could wear during certain events (as I own mostly pair of flip flops). p150 is way too cheap for a pair of shoes, and I agree, to some degree that people get what they pay for... but I also believe that it's up to me to take care of my things if I want to use it for long. Come to think of it, my brown sandals I bought in 2008 at only p120 pesos, yet I can still wear it 'til now if I wanted to. This green fabric shoes are so comfortable... something I surely wear when I travel to Baguio, La Union and Vigan next month.

Clothes... I initially bought the light brown top and the floral summer dress, and the dark brown one was something mom bought for herself (which is why the label has been taken off - my mom dislike having tags on her clothes - she says it irritates her), but later gave it to me when she saw me fit it. Yes, I still am not over the summer dress - that when I saw a stall selling some, I quickly went over to buy one. I wasn't disappointed with this - it looked way much better than the one I wore on Christmas day!

The light brown top is size XL. That made me happy. I know that is still "big," but for a woman who would often wear 2XL, sometimes 3XL (especially if clothes are Philippine-made), having to buy a top at just XL is already an awesome gift I can give to myself.

I am slowly building my closet. Almost all of my old clothes are now big on me, so I really need to start buying new clothes. However, I still have 50lbs to lose, so I take it easy on buying... I sure don't want to say goodbye to clothes that quick as I lose more weight. Well, the clothes aren't that expensive anyway (just less than p200), so even if I can only use it for a short time, I feel I still got my money's worth.

The Never Ending Meme, Ends

2012-01-22T12:47:00.003+08:00

Sharing the last part of questions from Tense Teacher of Tense for a Reason for Sunday Stealing.

36. Have you watched American Horror Story?
> Nope.

37. Baseball hat or toque?
> I'd go for a toque... I'm more of a foodie than a sportsperson.

38. Do you shampoo or soap up first in the shower?
> I shampoo my hair first.

39. Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste?
> Dry toothbrush with the toothpaste, then I run water on it before putting it in my mouth.

40. Pen or pencil?
> Pen.

41. Have you ever gambled at a casino?
> Not yet... come to think of it, I haven't entered a casino yet.

42. Have you thrown up on a plane?
> Not yet.

43. Have you thrown up in a car?
> Yep.

44. Have you thrown up at work?
> Just one time - I was so sick that time, but I had to report for work.

45. Do you scream on roller coasters?
> Oh yes.

46. How many shoes do you have?
> One pair of running shoes, two pairs of sandals, three pairs of flip flops.

47. Who was your first roommate?
> Technically, it was my nanny. Hahaha.

48. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time?
> Oh... drunk is a word I haven't felt/experienced yet. I can drink a lot, but I don't get drunk.

49. What was your first job?
> I was part of the production team for a comedy/gag show on TV.

50. What was your first car?
> I haven't bought one yet.

51. When did you go to your first funeral?
> My paternal grandmother's funeral - I was only 1 year old that time.

52. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
> 19.

53. Who was your first grade teacher?
> Mrs. Vita. Her first name I can't recall anymore.

54. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
> I went to Bohol with K - November 2008.

55. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
> I didn't do this.

56. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them?
> My best friend is Ahdz, and yes we are still very great friends.

57. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house?
> La Union.

58. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
> Now, it's Mr. Pipoy.

59. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen?
> My parents' 25th wedding anniversary - they renewed their vows, and mom chose me as her bridesmaid.

60. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
> Thank God for a brand new day.

61. What was the first concert you attended?
> Hanson's "Underneath World Tour" circa 2004. I hope to watch their upcoming concert here in Manila this coming March - I still don't have a ticket for it.

62. First tattoo or piercing?
> I only have the typical ear piercing. Tattoo, I have yet to have.

63. First celebrity crush?
> Tom Hanks.

Cheers to us thieves!

Red Chinese Blouse

2012-01-19T15:19:00.003+08:00

A very quick post before I go...

Last week, I received an invitation for a "Mystery Event" and asked attendees to wear "Red Chinese Outfit." I don't own any Chinese-inspired clothing, so I asked mom if she has one I could borrow. She gave me this blouse. Trying it on, my brother was teasing me that it won't fit, but surprise, surprise, I got to fit in it. So awesome!

The blouse was a wee bit small, but I can breathe. As a matter of fact, this image above was taken a few minutes before writing this post, and I am wearing the same outfit while typing this post. I am just happy that I took on the road to lose excess weight, and while I still have to lose nearly 50lbs before I could reach my UGW (Ultimate Goal Weight), I am thankful that I took on the first step to finally do something right for myself. The blouse may be small, but seeing my picture, I could just imagine, "What if I am still 226lbs? For sure I won't be able to fit into this blouse and it might drive me to be sad because I can't attend the event just because I don't have an outfit to wear."

Yesterday, I had a milestone: being in Onederland.

I won't reveal my exact weight as of this writing, but one thing's for sure, I am already in the 100s. Goodbye 200lbs!

*** This post is supposed to be for "Red Hot Thursdays" but Lene's blog is currently inaccessible, so will just edit this when I get home from the event. ***

The Black and White Beach Dress

2012-01-16T16:03:00.002+08:00

Last Christmas, I was able to wear a nice beach dress, which I bought at a tiangge for a little over 2usd. I super loved that dress, so first Sunday of January - the last day of the tiangge, I asked mom and sis if we could visit so I could buy one more dress I can use when I finally do that Ilocos getaway with my friend Ria.

We were able to see the exact stall where I first bought the dress and even if there were very few dresses left, my mom, sis, and I were able to buy one dress for each of use. Of all the available designs, I chose this one, but when I fitted it when we reached home, the fabric wasn't as big as the first dress - the size of the dress was just enough for me to fit in it. Bulges around my lower tummy area was quite visible, and sitting down, I was a bit cautious because the fabric was so thin that if it stretches, it might tear.

Still, I am happy that I could fit into this dress. Our proposed Ilocos getaway will take place either April or May this year - if this doesn't push through within the summer months, we might do it come October. That being said, I have more or less three months to fit good in this dress.

Crossing fingers.

The Never Ending Meme, Part Two

2012-01-15T14:23:00.002+08:00

Here's the second set of questions from Tense Teacher of Tense for a Reason.

21. Did you go to your high school prom?
> Nope, simply because we never had one at school.

22. Perfect time to wake up?
> 5:45am - gives me enough time to get dressed, stretch then go out to do my morning walk.

23. Perfect time to go to bed?
> Around 10pm.

24. Do you use your queen right away in chess?
> Nope.

25. Ever been in a car accident?
> No, but I hope I won't be in one.

26. Closer to mom or dad…or neither?
> When my dad was still alive, I was closer to him. Now that he's gone, I started getting closer to mom, and I am happy that we are now on the same page - before our gap was so wide, we don't even know each other even if we see each other everyday.

27. What age is this exciting life over for you?
> It doesn't end, I think.

28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
> The 60s. I love the outfit, I love the music.

29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned?
> Right now, I am wearing flip flops most of the time, so my favorite shoes ever was this pair. I bought it at a mall on sale - slightly over 2usd, but I got to use it so much! I still have this on my shoe rack, but it has retired already - the soles were made of wood and the very thin layer of foam can't cushion my feet anymore.

30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school?
> Sadly, I have given it all.

31. Were you in track and field?
> Nope. I wasn't the athletic type.

32. Were you ever in a school talent show?
> Yes. A classmate and I joined a song-writing competition... he wrote the song, I sang it, but we didn't win the first place (we were in second) because one of the judges sort of revenged on us after we threw so many questions at her students (questions that made her students look like they didn't know what they were doing) at a different category of the week-long Math and Science Week.

33. Have you ever written in a library book?
> Nope.

34. Allergic to?
> Nothing.

35. Favorite fruit?
> Pineapple and Papaya.

My Bucket List | #55 - Lose 10lbs. in One Month

2012-01-14T09:57:00.004+08:00

I have attempted to lose weight many times already, but in the past, I always just lose about 4lbs. in one month. For the whole month of October 2011, I was able to lose 6lbs. so I sort of hoped and challenged myself if I could lose 10lbs. in one month. It was just a "wish," I know this might come true, but I sure didn't know when - when I listed this on my Bucket List, I just lifted this to God to help me achieve this, whenever it will be.

My weight on the first day of November 2011 was 220lbs. I was happy about that because as I have said - I always get to lose just 4lbs. in a month, but scared that I might hit a plateau, I lessened my food intake and upped my physical activity. Walking early mornings most days of the month was my biggest accomplishment this month - not only was I rewarded with awesome gifts from nature (having to take pictures here and there), I was also able to break the fears of walking alone. Even without any companion, I was able to get up in the morning and walk for an hour or two with gusto.

Weighing myself on the first day of December 2011, I was so surprised to see my weight at 207lbs. That meant, I lost 13lbs. for the entire month of November, and I was so proud of myself. All the food portioning and physical activities paid off!

I take all the glory of losing this much weight - I didn't go to the gym, I didn't enroll in any dance / aerobics classes, and I didn't take any weight loss supplements and drinks. I lost this using my strong will and my own blood, sweat, and tears.

The perks? Being able to wear my mom's and sister's blouses, seeing my old clothes look a bit loose, being able to cross my legs, and hearing people around me say it's already showing that I lost weight.

May I have the willingness to reach my goal weight of 150lbs.

Lose 10lbs in one month? A check on My Bucket List.

Finally, a Starbucks Planner for Me!

2012-01-11T20:19:00.005+08:00

It was in 2004 when I first learned about the Starbucks Planner, and as sucker as I am with planners (all the people in the world can gift me a planner and I'd be so happy to receive it), I have longed to own one. Problem is, I just don't have the financial capability to actually buy even just cups of their drinks. Heck, the last Starbucks drink I had was May 2011!

Anyway, every year, I would try my best to join every contest/giveaway online giving away the Starbucks Planner, because I really wanted to own one. Sadly, I have joined nearly 10 contests this year but I didn't win. Fret not, my coffee-holic friend Ethel was so kind enough to give me one of the planners she was able to collect (yep. plannerS). I was supposed to get this from her last 30 December 2011, but I wasn't able to meet up with her, so it was just last Monday that I was able to meet her and get the planner.

Unboxing the 2012 Starbucks Planner:

Ethel asked me if I wanted the Cherry or the Bamboo. I chose the Cherry (the Bamboo she gave to her fiance), because at first I thought it represented the colors. When I opened it, I realized maybe it was the wood material used as cover. Well, given that, I'd still choose Cherry - maybe because cherry isn't grown in the Philippines.

This is my first Starbucks Planner, so I don't have any to compare it with, but I recalling the 2005 planner, I think this one was smaller and less bulky. I do love the wood covering as it helps protecting the pages. I also love the bag that comes with it - giving more protection (for the wood cover this time). Lastly, I love the curved edges. My past planners and notebooks now looks "awful" as the pages tend to fold especially on the lower right side. Since this one's curved, I think the folding will be minimized.

Most planners (especially the big ones) always have the monthly calendar - and I appreciated this space, as I am back doing the Project 365 (well, Project 366 this year) - and this monthly calendar will surely help me list down the 366 pictures. Yes, I know I can always consult the camera and the folders here in my net book, but believe me, during travel days when I am out of the house for days, and I needed to do multiple posts, having this will be handy. Space is actually big enough - not only can I write the picture titles, I can also use this for planned events for easy checking.

Personally, I am a big fan of big space planners, which is why I always go for the executive diary. I feel I always have so many things to write - like what should I blog about, or my rants and raves... but I think I can adjust to this little space. I will just concentrate on the simple joys that day brought me (hey, I miss doing that here on my blog), and if the space will not be enough - like when I travel and I visited a lot of tourist spots - I can use the Notes page opposite the weekly page.

Also, I plan to use the Notes page to indicate my goals for the coming week. That way, when 2012 is about to end, I can just flip the pages and be reminded of the goals I set for myself.

I love doing a "My Year in Retrospect" thingy, so using this planner, I will also list down the food trips, events, and travels I attended and did, so recalling 2012 will be easier for me. This planner actually has the full space for December 2011, and since I wasn't able to use that space, I will just use the first pages for the lists.

The way the planner is laid out may not be my choice for planners, but I think I am going to like this. My life isn't really that eventful, and there will be days when I had to leave it blank. Since the spaces weren't that big, gaps (if there will be) will not be big as well.

Considering its size and weight, I can certainly take this with me anytime, anywhere.

Now... if there is a big minus point for this planner - it didn't have the personal information page. I actually wrote my name, address, and cell phone number on the very first page; kinda like what I do to my textbooks when I was still studying.

Mich Eats and Shops' Giveaway

2012-01-11T12:24:00.003+08:00

photo taken from Mich's blog

I don't own much of Human ♥ Nature products, but I have always loved their efforts of providing people an alternative to cosmetics and other body products.

I am now planning to visit their head office at Commonwealth to buy myself some beauty products, but before I do that, I will try my luck at joining this awesome giveaway over at Mich Eats and Shops blog. She's giving away two Human ♥ Nature products - mineral eyeshadow and mineral blush as well as a very cute blue bow, and I want to be the winner of this giveaway. Well, am not an eyeshadow user because I wear eyeglasses and my eyelids are so puffy, so I am planning to give it to my sister should I win, but the blush, I will surely keep as I listed as one of the items I plan to buy from Human ♥ Nature.

If you want to try your luck, please do visit Mich Eats and Shops blog to learn more about the giveaway.

May this be my first giveaway win for this year. :)

The Neverending Meme, Part 1

2012-01-08T11:41:00.004+08:00

My first Sunday Stealing post for 2012 as I wasn't able to do the one from last week. Questions are from Tense Teacher of Tense for a Reason, and here's the part one of the series.

1. Song that always makes you sad?
> "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban. It was one of the songs played during my dad's interment and since then whenever I hear the song, I miss my dad and it makes me sad that he is no longer with us.

2. Last thing you bought?
> Pink hat.

3. Last person you argued with?
> My mom, but not in a tense way. We were both trying to make a point, but all was okay - no raising of voice whatever.

4. Do you put butter before putting the peanut butter on?
> Oh no. I rarely use peanut butter anyway.

5. One of your stuffed animals’ names as a kid?
> "Alli-gates." The name of my alligator stuffed toy.

6. Did you ever at one time own a Barenaked Ladies CD?
> I planned to buy their very first CD, but I wasn't able to. :(

7. Favorite day of the week?
> Sunday.

8. Favorite sundae topping?
> Cashew nuts.

9. Did you take piano lessons?
> No.

10. Most frequent song played?
> Checking my iPod, the one with the most number of times played is "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chicks.

11. T.V. show you secretly enjoy?
> "Angelito Batang Ama" on ABS-CBN. I love noontime drama shows!

12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey?
> Basketball, since Hockey's quite difficult to play here in the Philippines (we don't have snow here and we don't have much ice skating rinks)

13. Date someone older or younger?
> Older.

14. One place you could travel right now?
> I would like to travel south - Camiguin!

15. Do you use umbrellas?
> Yes. I don't always have an umbrella in my bag, but if I know it's going to be one hot sunny or one rainy day and I will be outdoors, I will really make an effort to bring an umbrella.

16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem?
> I am a Filipino and I still haven't heard the Canadian National Anthem, so no.

17. Favorite cheese?
> Mozzarella.

18. The Smith’s or The Cure?
> Neither.

19. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?
> Neither.

20. Best job you ever had?
> Being a blogger!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-01T21:40:00.002+08:00

Oh yes, I do love making resolutions every first of the year. Last year, I made two different sets of resolutions - thanks to "Girls Talk" meme, and although I wasn't able to fulfill every thing I listed, I am happy to say I have done most of the things on my list.

Those I wasn't able to do (or plan to work out on), I include for this year.

To lose more weight. Well, I was able to lose 25lbs. in three months, I still have about 51lbs. to lose and if I can't lose all that this year, I hope to lose more than half of it.
Make time for God. Yes, I do say my prayers and I shout out my gratitude to the Lord, but I still lack that "one on one" moment with Him. This year, I will make time to have a moment with God. Also, I will start hearing mass every Sundays.
Love myself more. First on the list was to hone my skills and passions more. I will take pride in what I can do and learn how to speak my mind and be assertive. I will be less dependent on others and I will stand on my feet. Lastly, I have to instill in my mind that I don't need to be in a relationship just to feel loved. I may or may not meet Mr. Right this year, but that's okay. Being single is a blessing and I will be okay even if I am. My time will come, I know.
Be a role model. I am but a small voice, yes... but I know I can still inspire people.
Go for the healthier option. Despite traveling the road to weight loss, I still am a foodie and a food blogger. This year, I will go for restaurants serving healthy dishes, or choose the healthy options even if I am in a fast food. Same goes for products - if I see something that is lesser in fat, sodium and/or sugar, the better.
Enroll myself in a gym. I need to tone my arms and thighs... and I know gym equipments will help me with this dilemma.
Stop being a worrywart. I included this last year and it's still here. I really should learn how to see the world in rose colored spectacles.
Explore my crazy side. I am such a manang, I know. This year, I just want to be crazy - letting down my guard a bit and not worry about how awful I look when I go crazy. Aside from that, I will also not think much about how people perceive me; if they think I am ugly or awful, I won't care anymore. Life's short to worry about how they will think about me.
Live life to the fullest. We only have one life. By the end of the year, I want to reflect more on the goodness about life rather than the "What Ifs."
Love. This my "One Little Word" this year, and I want this to be that one word that would describe my year.

I will make a report first day of July as to how I am going through these resolutions. Life surely is the best gift we have received from God, and since it's uncertain how long or short life will be for me, I really want to start living life the way I should: accepting the wholeness of it.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2011-12-31T20:23:00.004+08:00

Was supposed to post this yesterday, but Internet was way too slow and we were quite busy here in the house, so let me start the year by recapping my 2011...

January

Highlight of the month: celebrating parents' wedding anniversary at the restaurant where they had their wedding reception in 1978 - Little Quiapo. Well, this wasn't the exact location of the restaurant (they relocated some years ago), but revisiting something from the past (even if daddy's no longer around) made us all feel nostalgic.

February

First time to watch the Panagbenga Festival (Baguio City) with my sister. After the festival, we traveled to La Union and stayed there 'til dad's death anniversary.

March

Early week of the month, my sister and I went to Pangasinan one day, then trekked to the Tangadan Falls in La Union the next day, then went back to Baguio the next day. Such a hectic, hectic week for us, but even if we are on the heavy side, we really do have the stamina and strength to roam around and see the world. Before we traveled back to Manila, sister and I went to Vigan City - my favorite place!

April

Not much of happenings, but one event to remember was the food trip my sister, my friend Andrew and I had at Felicity in Don Antonio, Quezon City. I received an invitation from the owners of the food place if I could try out their dishes (and they gave me the permission to tag along friends). So many dishes tried that day (all great), and the three of us were so full!

May

First time to travel to Quezon Province to take part of the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban and Mayohan Festival in Tayabas! Both were such fun events that sister and I now plan to make this part of our annual travel.

June

One of the best moments of my year was trekking to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo! It was such a difficult trek, but very very fulfilling; something that I want to go through again! I don't travel that much, but this moment will always be one of my best travels.

July

This was the month that turned my life around. Realizing how big and heavy I am, I booked a ticket to "Weight Loss Express."

August

I flew solo!
Mom and I - together with her close friends at work traveled to Cebu and Bohol, and I experienced Sky Walking in Cebu and Sea Walking in Bohol! The stay in Cebu was short, but I was able to enter the house of Birhen sa Simala (Lindogon) that made me cry bucket loads! In Bohol, I was also able to sea real dolphins - not as up close, but fact is, I got to see real ones!

September

Quite a depressing month for me - having to gain back the 6lbs I lost from last month, but this month I enjoyed the many blog events I was invited to be part in.

October

Decided to got back to losing weight and I was happy to have people around me support my endeavors.

November

Biggest blessing this month would be Mr. Pipoy. He didn't just help me stay on the road to fitness, he also loved the whole of me - bulges and excess weight included. He's not just my fitness buddy, he's also my best friend, my lover, my confidant, my wind beneath my wings.

December

With the help of people around me and my own inner strength, I lost 24lbs in the last three months. Getting to wear smaller clothes and look good in it has been a wonderful gift any person could give his/herself; I am happy I could give myself that gift for Christmas.

525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure... measure a year?

Summing up 2011 - I have met lots of awesome people, experienced so many wonderful moments, learned a whole lot of lessons. It may not be the best year, but I am so thankful for everything that has happened to me.

Cheers 2011!
Hello, 2012.

Matador?

2011-12-26T16:41:00.005+08:00

When I started to include my kikay side on this blog, I never really thought I'd include fashion as its sub-category. I am very well aware of how big I am, but as I start to lose weight, I think I am gaining confidence, and I know it will still take a lot of exercising and dieting before I can pose like most models do... but for now, allow me to savor this moment.

Whenever my mom and I shop for clothes, we often check the Surplus Shop (SM) because it carries clothes from the USA - allowing me to check something that would fit me. When I saw this red piece of clothing, I instantly liked it and bought it even if it would make look like a big, plump, juicy tomato.

I truly don't know if this one's a very big top or a small dress, but I never really dared wearing it outside the house - in the rare moments that I wore this, I only did because most of my house clothes were in the laundry basket and I simply had no choice but to wear it. I did love it, but I wasn't confident to wear it, because even if it was big, my tummy bulges would still show.

Between then and now, I lost 20+lbs already. I was cleaning my closet one time last week and saw it, so I thought of wearing it. I don't know what's up with losing the weight, but now it looked a little too big for me - especially on my shoulders.

I am not sure if I will include this on my "to toss" box, but I decided to step in front of the camera wearing it.

The shoes I was wearing are my sister's, something she bought at Figliarina during a sale. It was way too high for my liking, but I was glad the shoes were able to take my weight. I just had to walk real careful because I do get a little clumsy at times, I didn't want to injure myself and label it "killer shoes." I don't know how my sister can take such high-heeled shoes, but believe it or not she did attend a blog event at SM Megamall wearing these shoes - and she had to either stand up or walk around wearing these. I salute her.

The earrings were too small to see, but it was a pair of earrings sister and I bought sometime in 2008. It was a cheap pair of earrings at p35, but we really try to take care of it as it was made of threads and quite fragile. I will take a picture of it next time so you can see it up close. :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:45:00.003+08:00

It is our family's annual tradition to have a photo shoot every Christmas after eating our Noche Buena, so here's one of the many pictures we took just a while ago. For us, it's not about the material presents, but the gift of having each other - despite the trials coming our way, we are still thankful to have each other to hold on to. They say you can't choose your family, but even if God made the choice for me, I am so thankful He gifted me with a wonderful family.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

My Best New Person

2011-12-22T13:06:00.002+08:00

This year, I have been blessed with a lot. I have met people who made difference in my life, and while I could name 5 people whom I met this year that made impact in my life, the very best among them would be this person:

Mr. Pipoy, my fitness buddy.

I never really realized he and I would be great friends. We just chanced upon each other at a forum, and because he's also interested in photography, he said the initial "Hi, hello" thingy. We started exchanging PMs (still talking about photography) and when he gave me his number telling me, "Will wait for your call," I somehow raised an eyebrow, for I just "met" him and it's not really my thing to make calls - especially to guys. Add to that, I am always using the UnliTXT service, so I don't have credits to make calls.

He called me instead.

That first call, it already felt as if we've known each other for many, many years. From photography, he started talking to me about my blogs, and I was blown away to know he has read most of my blogs - even the old posts. When he told me he had a stroke about four/five years ago, he proposed if he could be my fitness buddy, because he wanted me help me be fit and be healthy. It was a proposal I didn't refuse.

Since then, we've talked to each other everyday, even sending text messages here and there. Aside from sharing inspirational stories of how he overcame the struggles of having a stroke and living a healthy life, he also gave me the motivation and the push I needed to help me carry on with this journey.

We will be friends for two months by the end of the year. We have met three times already, the last being last weekend - a day when we celebrated the great friendship he and I are sharing.

Like most friendships, ours wasn't rosy at all. I am a stubborn, hard-headed, insecure, sensitive woman, and I admit that it would take a lot of tape and glue to put my shattered pieces back together. He told me he accepted me who and what I am - every good and bad side - and he said he will be with me for as long as he lives. Despite the many times I doubted his purpose, despite the many times I elevated his blood pressure, despite the many times he would have a hard time catching his breath because I said something so bad to him, he still has never left me, even if I pushed his buttons a lot. It's very easy for one person to just hang up the phone and never call again, but even if none of us were talking, he never hanged up the phone on me. Should the unlicall end at 7 minutes, he would still call me again until we resolve the issue.

In nearly two months that I have known him, I could say that I still am learning. I have grown a lot, I could say... and I have to thank him for being with me all the time. I don't expect any gift this Christmas... I have him and I got what I needed.

The Community Meme

2011-12-18T13:27:00.002+08:00

I am not really a social butterfly, so even if this weekend (and this coming week) is the time when people use "busy," "hectic," and "chaos" into one sentence, I am not really that much affected. Sure, it's busy here in the house, but as of this writing, I am enjoying the house all for myself.

This weekend, questions are from Tom Baker of "Morning Erection." Quite a catchy blog title, if you ask me. Here are the questions ... and my answers:

1. As a blogger, what do you draw inspirations from for your posts?
> Life.

2. If you could swap blogs with another blogger for a post, who would you switch with and why?
> Don Dee of "The Mungo Conspiracy." I admire how he can be vocal about his opinions about certain matters, I would like to write my own through his blog... as I don't think I can air out some of my commentaries here on my own blog.

3. If your blog had a theme song, what would it be? Why?
> "I Am What I Am"

4. What is your writing process for a post?
> I usually tell the story behind the day / image(s). I am not gifted with a very wide perspective of how to present a blog post, so I just stick to the story telling part of things.

5. Your blog requires a cute, new, mascot - what would it be?
> I'll just put my picture there. Hahaha. Or, I can use pictures of my cat Oreo.

6. Do you feel you express your "true self" on your blog?
> To the most of my capabilities, yes. Of course, there are some matters I can't share on my blogs (like family matters - especially if the topic's quite sensitive like family quarrels and problems), but other than that, I am my true self on all my blogs.

7. What is your biggest online pet-peeve?
> People using their blogs to bash other people.

8. If you could live in a fictional universe, where would you live? Why?
> Wonka's Chocolate Factory. I am not into sweets... but the whole place seems magical - and yes, I wanna be friends with the Oompa Loompas.

9. You're having a bad day, you're upset, you're angry, or you're sad - what is your go-to comfort?
> Facebook Games. Currently, I am very much into Tetris Battle.

10. What is your favorite inspirational quote?
> "There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

11. If they were to make a movie based on your life, who would play you, your leading lady/man, your best friend, and your rival?
> This is a difficult question. I don't think I have the time to actually think about my answer.

12. Do you think the world is going to end in 2012?
> Well, the world will end when it ends... for some people their world will about to end today, to some tomorrow. I guess we will just have to celebrate life while we still have it, rather than worry about when it will actually end.

13. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
> The way I look. This is something I am working on... I want to be out of my obese self.

14. What is your favorite season and why?
> Here in the Philippines, we only have two seasons (well three... if you will count Christmas), but my favorite is summer.

15. You've been bitten by a vampire. Would you fight it with all your undead being or would you embrace it for all it is worth?
> Embrace it for all it's worth.

16. Have you personally met any of your blogger friends?
> Yes! Well, most of the bloggers I met, I met through events - most of them I become friends with after I met them personally (as we love to exchange blog details to say hi after the event), but there were few bloggers who are already my blog friends before I even meet them - like the bloggers behind the Thursday photography meme - "Litratong Pinoy."

17. What does your favorite pair of underwear look like?
> My turquoise thong.

18. Have you ever drank something right from the container in the refrigerator knowing other people will have to drink out of the same container later?
> Hahaha. Yes.

19. What is your favorite word and explain why?
> Equilibrium. It is something I am striving for - kinda like Yin and Yang.

20. 2011 is soon coming to a close, is there anything you'd like to do different on your blog in the year 2012?
> I plan to delete one of my photography-themed blog and open a new one, or maybe delete this one and devote my personal time over my weight loss-themed blog....but all are still hazy; will know when 2012 starts.

Week 50: 10 - 16 December 2011

2011-12-18T07:41:00.002+08:00

This is going to be a short post; I am super busy this weekend... Christmas season, that's why. Here are pictures from the previous week.

10 - Mom, sis and I went to shops to check for clothes, shoes, and things might want to buy as gifts, and after a few minutes of roaming around, we entered the nearby mall. My mom was contemplating on buying some curtains on sale so while she was busy, I took a picture of this Santa Claus ornament on sale as well. We didn't buy anything. Hahaha.
11 - Seeing some snow peas at the market reminded me of a recipe I wanted to try, so I bought it and cooked the dish.
12 - Quite late, yes... but at we finally set up our little Christmas tree!
13 - A very cute Hibiscus flower taken from our neighbor's garden.
14 - A cocoon I saw while tending our garden that morning.
15 - While walking to the market, I told my brother the woman in front of us wore her shirt at the correct day of the week. Took this using my cell phone so it was a bit blurry (we were walking), but the shirt read, "Thursday Sucks."
16 - I ambushed mom and sister's closet to check some clothes I can fit into... and when I tried on my sister's sleeveless blouse, she wasn't at all pleased. Not because I lost weight, but because pretty soon, I can fit into all of her clothes. Hahahaha.

I still have a lot of excess weight to lose (about 50 more pounds), but I am not in a rush... I am savoring each moment and each milestones... as well as the disappointments and the heartaches in between.

I Can Now Smell Christmas!

2011-12-13T14:48:00.003+08:00

Despite feeling sick last week, there were still things I was happy and thankful about.

Setting up our little Christmas Tree. We used to have this big, 5ft. tall tree, but we could only set it up in our terrace, and since we wanted a tree inside the living room, we decided to go for the small tree (which we purchased last year). We always have a color motif every year, and this year our color is gold. Our house is now 75% Christmas-ready... last night we changed curtains, still keeping up with the motif.

New set of measuring cups. When I started this journey to weight loss, the measuring cups bought by brother help me kick-start my food portioning. From 1 cup of rice per meal to 3/4, to 2/3... now 1/2. Our cups were dome-shaped, and using it for many months, I sort of get tired seeing the same shape, so I hoped to see a new shape (as long as it's not dome). I got to see these measuring cups at the Japan Home Center and seeing that it's cylindrical in shape (correct me if I am wrong), I decided to buy it - even if it didn't have 2/3 and 3/4 cups.

Learning the art of saying "no." Last Saturday, we went to the shops to check things we may want to purchase. Before going home, mom asked if we could eat snacks first, and because they chose to eat at Pizza Hut, I decided not to eat snacks. I just told my mom and sis that it wasn't my time to eat yet, so I just sat there - chit-chatting with them while enjoying my two glasses of water.

Seeing a shop I want to visit. A Facebook friend shared this picture on his wall and it instantly caught my attention. Bilbil means "tummy fat" and this shop is obviously for the Plus Size ladies (like me). None of the clothes on display caught my fancy, but I still want to visit it because I sure will find a dress or a blouse that I can fit into.

Two more weeks before Christmas. Things to do aren't complete yet, but I only have to find that dress and a pair of shoes to go with it and then make the list of dishes to cook and we'll be ready.

Of course, I didn't forget what the season is all about.

The Black Bag

2011-12-12T13:16:00.003+08:00

Last Friday, mom showed me two bags and asked which among the two looked better. I chose the black bag (the other was brown) and mom told me, "It's yours then." Well, I am not a bag person - you will always see me using my blue fabric sling bag - but I was really thankful to receive this bag, because it's so girly.

My mom won't tell me how much the bag was, but she did tell me she bought it at a surplus shop. Well, my mom's not that knowledgeable about certain brands, and at first glance I was quite surprised to see the bag's logo, and I sure can't tell if this one's authentic or not, but I am leaning towards the "not" side of it - but I don't know. Well, I do know the brand, but I still haven't seen and touched the real one, so I don't know how to check it's authenticity. Well, aside from that logo, the bag didn't have elaborate, showy prints around the bag, so I can see myself using this...but I am thinking of taking out that metal logo and replace it with something else, just so I won't use the brand and promote something fake. I will share to you what I did next time.

By the way, I decided to blur the metal logo - just to protect the brand because I am so not sure if this one's authentic or not.

The bag has its tag, the metal logo still had it's protective film and the inside was in pristine condition, but I found out a reason why this bag was on sale: the main zipper had a defect, but I can easily just put in a key ring so opening and closing the bag will be easier.

I love how spacious the bag is inside. It's big enough to hold my net book and it still has space for my other things, so I can definitely see myself using this. Certain events I attend require me to dress "smart casual," so having this bag allows me to have my own bag, so I won't borrow my sister's or my mom's bags anymore.

The Blue Memory Meme, Part Two

2011-12-11T16:33:00.003+08:00

Continuing with the list of questions from last week...

26) Are you happy with the person you've become?
> Of course!

27) What's a sound you hate; sound you love?
> Hate - that beep at the hospital indicating a person just died; Love - a baby laughing his/her heart out.

28) What's your biggest "what if"?
> I will go back to October 2008, but I won't divulge the details.

29) Do you believe in ghosts?
> Nope... but I do respect it.

30) How about aliens?
> Nope as well.

31) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
> Losing weight.

32) What's the worst place you have ever been to?
> Hospital, the day my dad died.

33) Can insanity bring on more creativity?
> I guess so.

34) Most attractive actor of your opposite gender?
> Eric Dane (of Grey's Anatomy). He's my DILF. Hmmm... McSteamy! :)

35) To you, what is the meaning of life?
> It is something we make.

36) Define “Art”.
> Hmmmm... I am not really an artsy person, so I don't know.

37) Do you believe in luck?
> Yes

38) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
> Achieving balance between communication, love, trust, compromise and yes, sex (and the cuddles and hugs and cheesy notes).

39) What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
> "What a Wonderful World / Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version.

40) Where were you yesterday?
> At the tiangge, with mom and sis.

41) What's the worst injury you've ever had?
> The one where I fell hard because my cat Teddy tried to catch up to me; I used my right hand/arm to protect myself and it sort of dislocated my elbow. I couldn't lift my right arm for a week, but I never really went to the doctor, I just let it heal by itself.

42) Do you have any obsessions right now?
> None that I can think of... but I am bookmarking a lot of digital scrapbook sites/blogs lately.

43) What's up?
> Nothing much... same old awesome me. Hahahahaha!

44) Ever had a rumor spread about you?
> I don't know... if there's one, I'd just let the people behind it twist their tongues; not worth my time to go into it.

45) Do you believe in real magic?
> A little.

46) Do you ever hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
> For a while. In its own time, I'd let go and forgive and all's well.

47) What's your favorite (non-pet) animal?
> Penguin.

48) What is your secret weapon to get people to like you?
> It wouldn't be a secret if I'd tell it.

49) Where is your best friend?
> At work.

50) What do you think is Satan's last name?
> *laughs out loud* I don't think I'd say it here.

Week 49: 03 - 09 December

2011-12-11T15:59:00.003+08:00

I was late today... well, I was out all afternoon with mom and sis and we had some visitors last night; add to that the very slow Internet connection, which makes me a very lazy blogger this weekend.

This week, I got a little sick. Not really life threatening, but I was annoyed because I couldn't do anything - besides having a "Grey's Anatomy" marathon. It was a good compromise, but I seriously miss doing my routines.

Anyhoo... stories behind the pictures:

03 December - I was able to jog today, but while catching my breath, I saw this little flower with a little bug on it. Happy to have my cell phone cooperating with me to capture it wonderfully.
04 December - A heart-shaped leaf I saw while walking to the market; it was a rainy afternoon, making the leaf sort of washed away, but the left kept still. Tough heart!
05 December - Tried a new nail art, this one didn't come out good, but I tried it with pink nail polish as my base and it came out good the second time I tried it.
06 December - I am training myself not to eat pork, so I was thankful I found a great veggie dish that used egg as the protein. It was a simple dish, something any newbie cooks can cook at home.
07 December - Mom took home a cake roll - Dulce de Leche (sweet milk) by Goldilocks. It was a very tasty cake, and my siblings loved it so much. I only had a thin slice, just to be able to taste it was already okay for me.
08 December - A picture of the road near the market place at dusk; something I took while brother and I were walking around the market place to buy ingredients for our dinner that day.
09 December - It rained almost every day that week; seeing this plant of ours with lots of water drops just made me take a picture of it before I went to the market.

I am very fine now, which means I can go back to my fitness routines starting tomorrow and I couldn't be happier. Time to get sweaty and jiggle the fats away!

Reconnecting Bridges

2011-12-08T20:01:00.003+08:00

This week on Girls Talk, we talk about "Something Old." Well, I've set foot in Bohol after three years and I've visited Cebu after two years this year, but as much as my life is full of events this year, I seriously can't remember if I got to see old friends this year. Well, I might not get to see friends or people from the past this year, but this year, I learned to forgive.

Late 2010 when a friend of mine confessed that another friend name dropped me, which resulted in a not-so-good consequence. I was totally unaware of it, but of course I was hurt and I was angry. One time, I even posted a message saying something like, "Being nice doesn't mean being nice, I just know how to be civil." At that point I hoped to end the friendship, and I was okay about it...

...until I celebrated my birthday this year. My feelings have been hurt by so many people, but I was reminded of something - "Hate the sin, not the sinner." When she sent out birthday greetings through Facebook, I knew it was time to let the wound heal. I sent her a message explaining my side (I never really gave her the chance to speak her side, I just cut the friendship right there and then), and although we weren't as close as we used to be, it felt nice to finally forgive and move on. I may not forget what she did, but life sure is more fun and light without any grudges.

The picture above was taken in 2010 when we had a photo shoot at Eurotel Cubao with another friend of ours. We still haven't met personally again since that day, but I do hope to see her and catch up on stories... we do have so many things to talk about.

Kumareng Frelyn

2011-12-07T14:35:00.003+08:00

If you're here in the Philippines and you watch television... you probably have seen this TVC:

This TVC for Pampers Comfort is actually a mini-series; this one above is just the teaser. When I first saw this, it sure looked like any other TVCs I have seen. I got to see the first part of the series and it was still like that... until I got to see the second part (videos are not available in YouTube yet, so the one above is all I can share for now).

I am not a mother and diapers aren't my thing, but the reason why I am sharing the video and I am posting this here on my blog is because one of the actresses (the one on the left side - in purple) is actually a good friend of mine.

Frelyn and I were classmates in college, and yes, we belonged in the same clique. First two years of college, we were super duper close, until our group had a big problem which caused us to be closer to other people. Even so, we all remained great friends.

These pictures were taken in 2002, when she hosted a little send off party because she will be traveling to Japan for work. She's actually a great performer - and she has been in different countries to work as a singer. Currently, she's in the Philippines but we still haven't met yet.

These may be taken nearly ten years ago, but this wasn't the last time I saw her. I got to visit her in 2008, but we weren't able to see each other since then because she has been in and out of the country.

We may not be really close, but she will always be a dear friend to me. She has been through a lot in her life and I admire her strength and courage.

The little girl in the pictures is her daughter (my very first goddaughter). That little girl is now a very fine, pretty young lady, and I hope to see her again.

Little details about the pictures:

These were taken in Frelyn's house in Manila.
That time, I was living with my friend Lhyne (the one on my right), and the man beside her in the last picture was her boyfriend that time. They're no longer together.
The guy with the cap and the lady in gray are now married.

It's been so long, but some things never changed - she's still pretty and looking so young, while I am still fat, but of course in time that will change, too. :)

Newspaper Nail Art

2011-12-05T13:36:00.003+08:00

The moment I learned how to do my own manicure, I never looked back. I may not paint my nails that often, but aside from doing one shade of nail color, I also attempt to do some nail art. Some designs I have yet to learn (and yes, I still have to buy a special brush to do some designs), but for now let me share this very easy nail art.

The inspiration for this came from this video, which I got to see last month:

A very easy nail art to do... all you need is your manicure set and some strips of newspaper.

If your Internet connection isn't fast and you don't want to watch the video, here are the steps I made:

Clean the nails. Just do however you want it - some people prefer cutting their cuticles, I don't.
Apply base coat to protect your nails.
Apply white nail polish. For this, I used Caronia's White Rose (frosted) nail polish. Depending on your nail polish brand, you may need to apply two or three coats. Sometimes, one coat is enough. It's really up to you, go with your own preference. Allow your nails to dry completely.
Dip your finger in some rubbing alcohol and while the nail is still wet, place a strip of newspaper on your nails. Press hard (for about 10 seconds) so that the ink from the paper will be transferred on your nails. Peel off the paper. Do the same until you finished decorating all of your nails.
Apply a top coat so that the prints will be protected.

A very simple nail art, but you can surely create a whole lot of variations for it, like...

Instead of using white nail polish as your base color, you can also use different pastel shades of nail polish.
If you have very long nails, you can go for the French-style manicure - just paint the top part of the nails with color and decorate it with the newspaper print.
To make it a little artsy, you can also use newspaper with different alphabets (like Chinese, Russian, Japanese or Korean), if it's available, of course.

To save some rubbing alcohol, you can also cut strips of newspaper and dip it in alcohol before pressing it on your nail. The key for this to work is to make sure the newspaper is really wet, because if it isn't, parts of the paper will be left on your nails.

For my nails, I started by cutting the paper strips. I really tried to look for prints with words that I want to show on my nails. As you can see, I chose the word "love" for one of my nails; other words I used include: pretty, intense, rose, truth, help, grace, magical, and flow. Only eight words... because my pinkie is so small to actually spell out a whole word.

As easy as this can be, I still want to share some tips: Press the paper real good and don't allow that strip to slip even just a bit because it might leave a bad print. Also, be careful on applying the top coat - the brush can smudge the prints (like what happened on my pinkie) and it didn't look good at all.

My nails didn't look good, but at least now I know a different way to present my nails. :)

The Blue Memory Meme, Part 1

2011-12-04T11:00:00.005+08:00

It's a rainy Sunday... a great day to be inside the house and blog. :)

1) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
> Always believe in miracles. You happened to be one.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
> Mr. Right.

3) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
> India!

4) What do you think about most?
> Positive vibes.

5) You have the opportunity to spend a romantic night with the music celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?
> Romantic? Hmmm... I don't know, most of my celebrity crushes are either married or in a relationship with someone.

6) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
> October 2008.

7) What's your strangest talent?
> Be okay even if I am not.

8) What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?
> Hahahaha. I don't think I can even say the question... because that would give a clue on one of my most hidden secrets.

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?
> Nah. I am not an interesting person.

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?
> Never tried it yet.

11) Do you have any strange phobias?
> Well, I am afraid of dolls that look like babies / children (as well as those dummies used by ventriloquists) and I am afraid of chicken mascots, but I am just afraid - not really

12) What's your religion?
> I am a Catholic.

13) What is your current desktop picture?
> A picture of Chocolate Hills I took using my cell phone.

14) When you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
> Walking and jogging.

15) What's the last song you listened to?
> "Drops of Jupiter" by Train

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
> Hanson! I am so excited to watch their concert here in the Philippines next year!

17) What was the last lie you told?
> "I'm fine."

18) Do you believe in karma?
> Yes.

19) What is a saying you say a lot?
> "There's always a light at the end of the tunnel."

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
> Weakness - negative vibes. Strength? Knowing I can do things if I put my mind and focus into it.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?
> Raimund Marasigan, former drummer of the Eraserheads and current front man of the band Sandwich.

22) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.
> Love.

23) How do you vent your anger?
> By pounding my fist into something - like my palm when I try to make a statement to someone and I don't want to hit them physically, or if I am alone and I feel so bad, sometimes I hit my legs with my fist real hard.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?
> Quarter moon stuff.

25) What is your favorite word?
> Equilibrium

Week 48: 26 Nov - 02 Dec

2011-12-03T15:13:00.004+08:00

I wasn't able to make a post last weekend because I wasn't able to take one good picture for one of the days - all I had was this not-so-good salmon head picture I ate for dinner. Well, entering Week 48, I really told myself I will take at least one good picture this week so I can test out the template I created for my late Project 365 this year.

This template was patterned after a magazine feature - I was flipping the magazine and saw 2 page spread of some pictures and thought it would be a good way of presenting my pictures. The main template is divided into 12 squares, but since I only needed 8 spaces (7 for pictures, 1 for the title), the 12 spaces were flexible enough. The next few weeks will not always like this, though... since the template's flexible, I can mix and match the spaces to show as much of each pictures as possible.

Story behind each picture -

26 Nov. I met up with super supportive fitness buddy so he could give me my rewards, then we went to eat lunch at Pizza Hut. We shared the pasta, I had one slice of the pizza, and a glass of lemonade. The other breads on the table we didn't eat, and the leftover pizza I took home for brother.
27 Nov. It's brother's birthday, after eating lunch at Chic-Boy, mom, sis and I went to the mall to watch "Happy Feet Two." It was such an awesome movie (best seen in 3D), way much better than the first one (in my opinion). Favorite part of the movie was the part where they danced to Queen's "Under Pressure." Favorite line? "If you want it you must will it. If you will it, it will be yours." Hmmm... kinda like losing weight, eh? Hahaha.
28 Nov. A scene near the gate of Colinas Verdes where I go to do my morning walks.
29 Nov. Instead of taking my camera, I decided to just use my cell phone to capture scenes while walking. So glad its macro function was kind to me when I took a picture of this furry grass.
30 Nov. Picture's out of focus, yes, but I loved it. Like the previous day, I took my cell phone while walking and when I saw this white flower, I wanted to take a picture of it with my cell phone under the flower, but since the flower was a few inches off the ground, I had a real hard time focusing on the flower.
01 Dec. First day of the month... time to weigh in. So ecstatic to see I lost 13lbs. for the whole month of November, making my total weight loss in two months at 19lbs.
02 Dec. A yellow moth I saw on our street while walking back home.

Though it's already late already, it's nice that I am able to participate in Project 365 meme. Doing this really prepares me for the coming year, and making a template on a weekly basis is really a nice way to document the week.

Although... I still hope to own a Project Life album; it's just much better to have a tangible album I can show to everyone.

Girls Talk | Something New

2011-12-02T13:15:00.006+08:00

Welcome me back here at Girls Talk. I sure love this meme, but for some reason, I'm always late (like this week). However, the topics for this month are all wonderful, I sure will join this month and complete all weeks of December.

This week, it's about something new that I've tried this year. Well, trying to lose weight has been something I always attempt to do, but this year has been my strongest. Before, I would only go as far as one month then get lazy until I forget about it and gain more weight. This year, not only was I able to go for more than one month, I still am as motivated and enthusiastic as ever. In a span of two months, I lost 19lbs already, and just 8 more pounds, I'd hit my partial goal weight. It sure feels great to wear some pieces of clothing that used to be something small before.

Other new things I did this year:

Trek to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo.
Try the Edge Coaster and Sky Walk at the Crown Regency Hotel in Cebu City.
Walked under the sea.
Fly solo.
Be on the same flight with mom.
Visit ten churches in one day.
Cut down my rice intake from 1 cup to 3/4 cup to 2/3 cup and now to 1/2 cup.
Attend more than 20 blog events this year, as well as receiving invitations direct from companies / PR team to try their products and services.
Cross a hanging bridge.
See a magnificent falls in San Gabriel, La Union. It was also my first time to set foot in that town even if I am always traveling in La Union.
See dolphins in the "wild."

I am sure there were still so many new things I tried / did this year, but these were the ones I can think of at this moment.

2011 is still not over, but I am thankful for this year. Sure, there were moments that slipped of my fingers, there were opportunities I wasn't able to grab, but overall, this has been a great year.

ps - I don't know why I always put my hands on my sides whenever my picture is taken. I sure need to find a pose I could try. Hahaha.

My Window to the World

2011-11-30T19:53:00.004+08:00

I may not be a bookworm, but I do remember how I used to read my school books in a not so well lighted area (like my room, during dawn). I also loved watching television very close to the screen and at age 9, I already had problems with my eyesight. Me being one of the tall girls in the class, I was always asked to sit at the back row and I really had a difficult time coping up with the lessons, simply because I couldn't see the words on the board.

I was only 10 years old when I first had my eyeglasses, and even if I had to adjust with the situation, having my eyeglasses really made things brighter and better.

It was 2008 when I had that pair of eyeglasses (the one I was wearing on the picture above). Believe it or not, I still am wearing the same pair as of this writing. Well, I really do take good care of my things because I know eyeglasses can be really expensive. I do, however, look forward to having a new pair because one of my eyeglasses' stems is now showing signs of age and might break anytime soon.

I am a big girl with a big face, so whenever I go to the optical shop, I don't really go for the stylish frames - I go for those frames which I think is sturdy enough to be used for a long time. I also go for frames with plastic stems because the metal ones tend to injure my face because my perspiration tend to ruin the material. When I first heard of Cubik Eyewear, I was instantly impressed with their selection, and I was much more impressed to know that they follow standards such as allowing only licensed ophthalmologists and opticians to order prescription eyewear.

I was browsing through their sie and checking through it, I found one that fit all my criteria: the Cubik T107 C2. The lenses are rectangular in shape, the nose pad can be adjusted, and the stems (or temples) look sturdy to handle my everyday use. Best of all, it's also in lavender - one of my favorite colors.

Like what I wrote on the scrapbook layout, my eyeglasses aren't just a tool to help me see things clearly in the literal sense of it. I view having eyeglasses as a way of seeing things at a different perspective. Now that I am turning my life around by eating well and exercising, I am also having a new outlook on life.

Twenty five more days 'til Christmas and I just might win Cubik eyewear simply by joining the Cubik Eyewear Blogging Contest. Do you think I will win? I hope so, too, because I sure think my current eyeglasses deserve to retire now.

Wish me luck!

Red and Pink French Manicure

2011-11-28T15:52:00.002+08:00

I have been a lax when it comes to blogging, but I promise, I will write a blog post most days of the week if not everyday.

Monday is my Kikay day here on my blog, and here's how my nails look like when I met up with my fitness buddy last Saturday. Coming with this style of manicure was a spur of a moment thing - it was already Friday night and I still haven't had a manicure, so I took some time to give my hand and nails some pampering.

At first I just wanted to go for the red one - using the 24K nail polish my sister bought recently. However, seeing the My Posh "Princess Pink" polish made me think of doing a French style manicure, and I was glad everything came out good.

The 24K nail polish was so easy to use; it's not really that thick and not too thin, just enough to make a good coat. One pass was okay, but for this one, I gave it two coats. The pink one was quite thick already because the bottle was nearly empty. I still haven't bought a bottle of solvent to thin the polish, but for doing the French style manicure, it was already okay.

It was around 9pm when I did this, and since I will sleep about one and a half hours after, I used the hair blower to dry my nails easily because I don't own a bottle of quick-dry nail polish.

I really love red / pink nail polish colors!

The Madness Meme, Part 2

2011-11-20T15:36:00.003+08:00

Sunday Stealing is on a break right now because of Bud's surgery, but since I wasn't able to answer this set of questions last week, I will just answer it today.

23. Do you ever walk around the house naked?
> Only when I am completely alone in the house.

24. If you were an animal what would you be? Why?
> I want to be a cute chubby gray cat. Cats are cute, sweet... yet quite demanding and bossy - kinda like me, actually. Hahaha.

25. Hair color you like on someone you’re dating?
> Hair color isn't important at all.

26. If suffering an injury, would you rather be left blind or deaf?
> I'd rather be left deaf. I sure might not hear the wonderful words from my dear family and friends, but I can still see and read the words. I'd rather see the beauty and chaos of the world.

27. Do you have any special talents?
> Hmmm... I don't know.

28. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?
> Take off my footwear and feel the cold floor. :) If I see any of my cats first, I'd carry them - hug and kiss them first.

29. Do you like horror or comedy?
> Comedy. I am such a scaredy-cat when it comes to horror movies.

30. Are you missing anyone?
> Yes. I miss K a lot (we don't talk that much lately, darn YM - it keeps kicking me out).

31. Where do you want to live when you are old?
> In the countryside.

32. Who is the person you can count on the most?
> My sister.

33. If you could date any celebrity past or present, who would it be?
> I would date Robbie Williams!

34. What did you dream last night?
> Oh gosh, I already forgot.

35. What is your favorite sport to watch?
> Figure Skates.

36. Are you named after anyone?
> Not anyone... I am named after the song "Jennifer" by Bobby Sherman

37. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?
> Tequila! I can even drink it as is - no chasers, no limes, no salt!

38. Non alcoholic drink?
> Water.

39. Have you ever been in love?
> Of course! I'd be abnormal if I haven't been in love at age 31!

40. Do you sing in the shower?
> At times.

41. Have you ever been arrested?
> Nope.

42. What is your favorite Holiday?
> Christmas!

43. Would you ever get plastic surgery?
> I don't know. I mean, I am 200+ lbs.... I will surely try my best to lose weight without getting flabby all over, but if I do get flabby and I have the money, I might consider having a surgery just to make the skin firmer.

44. Have you ever caught a fish?
> Not yet. I hope someday I will try fishing.

Get well soon, Bud!

Week 46 (2011)

2011-11-19T21:21:00.005+08:00

Ever since I documented my everyday journey through life and weight loss on my other blog Slenderella Jenn, I noticed that I am not blogging much here. I will really do something about that, but for now, let me just make a recap of my week by presenting a collage.

12 November - Sister was preparing a sandwich and as always, our cat Oreo would hop on the chair and act as if he's one of us... eating at the dinner table.

13 November - I met up with my fitness buddy Pipoy at the Quezon Memorial Circle today. There were moments I couldn't keep up with his pace, so this picture represented our shadows as he held my hand just so I could keep up with him. Well, he surely couldn't left me behind as my earphones were plugged in his iPod. :)

14 November - Walked to and around Colinas Verdes with sister today.

15 November - Dinner for today was something brother cooked. It felt nice to take a break from cooking dinner.

16 November - Aunt Mary delivered some seafood from Pangasinan today, and part of the package included some spicy seaweeds, which was part of dinner. I didn't eat it, though.

17 November - Survived my first solitary walk at Colinas Verdes. Sweet!

18 November - With emotions (negative at that) seemed to cover my perspective, I was supposed to give in to cravings of cooking fried chicken wings, but decided to choose the healthier option - cooking fish for dinner.

I didn't title this "Project 365" because even if I still am taking food pictures everyday, I decided to stop it and just get back at it next year. I titled this "My Life in Pixels" because I am thinking of joining my friend Nathalie's upcoming meme (will open next Saturday). I thought of rekindling my love affair with scrapbooking because of that meme, but while the meme is still not open, I decided to give it a test run.

I really want to pattern this from Becky Higgins' "Project Life," but I don't have a template that looks like the page fillers. I will try to create my own template come next week, but if I can't, I think this template above would be okay already. Let's see next Saturday.

My Christmas Wishlist

2011-11-19T10:56:00.005+08:00

How many days more before Christmas? I honestly don't know, but even if Christmas is about receiving the best gift from God (Jesus Christ), part of celebrating Christmas is also to receive tangible items. I like to think that I am quite a simple lady and anyone can give me whatever gift one wishes to, but it's some sort of a "tradition" for people to make a list of wishes - just so people don't have to think more about what to give for Christmas.

Since this is my personal blog and I do have different sides, let me just list down my wishlist separated by the my different facets.

For the traveler in me, I want...

Backpack. I do love my cloth sling bag I bought while on a trip to Banaue (Ifugao), but at times I can't use it especially during rainy days.
Round trip tickets to Batanes with pocket money. Traveling there is just so expensive!
Wawa Dam. I have always wanted to go there; have planned it numerous times, but I still can't travel there.

For the Photographer and Life Artist in me, I want...

DSLR Camera with Macro Lens. Usually, DSLR cameras are purchased with the kit lens on, so the kit lens is already part of the package, but I do wish to own a macro lens because I do love photographing small objects - be it flowers and insects. Also, macro lens can also be used in photographing food, something I am leaning towards to. I can go with any DSLR Camera - be it the most basic or the most lavish one... I just want to graduate from being a point and shoot camera user and take photography a notch higher.
Food Photography Workshop. Food is something I take pictures of every single day, and since my food blog, Tara, Let's Eat! is the one with the most visitors, I just think I owe it to my readers to provide them with good food photographs, so they will be encouraged to try eating or cooking it, too. There are so many food photography tips available online, yes... but I know you'd agree with me that reading books and attending classes are two different things.
Light Box. Our house has poor lighting, making food photography difficult for me especially during nighttime. I just want to own a light box (be it store purchased or DIY) just so I would have a good source of light when photographing my food.
Project Life (Amber Collection). I so miss doing scrapbooks, but I still can't find a way to get back at it because I still lack some items and I feel scrapbooking can be a bit overwhelming. Project Life is a good way of telling life stories with a scrapbook vibe without having to use much embellishments and scrapbook materials.
Printer. Simply because I do want to print out images taken from my daily life and compile them together to tell the story without asking one to check my galleries online.
2012 Planner. Hopefully those ones with big spaces, so I have a lot of space to write on. If I can get an executive diary, the better.

For the Kikay in me, I want...

Nail Polish. Lots and lots of nail polish! I do love the pinkish/reddish hues, but I can go with any color. :) Brand isn't so important, I just put on a picture of Orly nail polish because I find them expensive at p300 each bottle. :)
Lingerie! I am losing weight and I can feel my undies becoming a bit loose now, time to update the lingerie drawer.
Make Up. Well, am not so much of a make up person, but I do want to have new blush on and lipstick.
Shoes. Simply because I don't have much to wear. :D
My Christmas Dress. I still don't have anything to wear for this year's annual family photoshoot.

For the Slenderella in me, I want...

Arm Band for iPod Nano. It's much more fun to walk outside while listening to some tunes (as it helps you with your pacing), but at times I couldn't take my iPod with me because my leggings or my jogging pants didn't have a pocket to hold my iPod. Having this one makes me just walk and jog without having to think of my gadget and just focus on my walk.
Running Shoes. I am such a heavy weight that my current shoes are showing signs of wear and tear. While I can still walk and jog with it, I just think having a new pair will be sweet. :)
Gloves with Weights. Simply because it can get a little tiring holding on to the dumbbells for quite a long time.
Heart Rate Monitor. One that looks like a wristwatch, which can help me track my heart rate while walking, jogging or doing my video workouts.
Gym Membership. Just so I can use the expensive equipments, which can help me tighten loose skin - especially on my upper arm and tummy areas.

For the Foodie in me, I want...

Immersion Blender. Just so I can whip up soups from vegetables with ease.
Plates, Bowls, Cups, Linens. Of different designs and sizes, just to help me with presenting different dishes from my kitchen.
Measuring Cups. Those that aren't dome-shaped. If there are rectangular, or square ones, I'd be happy with it.
Turbo Broiler. I just want to cook roasted chicken this holidays, and we can't use our old Turbo Broiler because our neighbor neglectfully washed the motor and it's dysfunctional now.
1 Year Magazine Subscription to any or all of these culinary magazines: Yummy, FOOD, and Appetite.

These are just my wish list. It sure would make me happy to receive any of these items, but of course, if I don't, it wouldn't really make me depressed and all. If you're thinking of what to give me, then you can choose from any items above. :)

The video and images posted here aren't mine, I got them online following an image search, the video and images belong to their respective owners.

Fancy Flats | She Is Dainty Giveaway

2011-11-14T13:21:00.002+08:00

I am supposed to talk about my newly painted nails, but just before I took apicture of my pretty nails, my hand accidentally hit something that caused a little chip on my nail. I will just re-apply the nail polish next time and share it next week.

For today, I want to talk about a sparkly giveaway.

Young fashion blogger Ericka of She is Dainty is giving away a pair of Fancy Flats' Ciara Glitter Oxfords. I want to join because I still don't have my pair of shoes for Christmas, and me winning this would somehow ease the pain of losing this pair of wonderful flats I saw at the nearby shoe store ( a different label, of course) - It was a very pretty pair and very cheap that it made me feel giddy because I initially saw a size 10 half of the pair. Trying it on, it looked so pretty, but when I asked for the other half, the salesman gave me a size 6 half of the pair. What the... was that why it was so cheap? Arrrgh!

I somehow can't get over that, but not buying the shoes gave me the chance to still go and search for my Christmas footwear. Would these Fancy Flats' Ciara Glitter Oxfords be that pair? I sure hope so. I find the Sparkle (reddish tint) one prettier, but regardless of what the prize will be, I sure will be happy if I can get to win it. :)

It's quite difficult for me to find shoes because depending on the label, I am either a size 9 or 10. I am glad that Fancy Flats have shoes from size 4 to 10, so if I win, I can definitely get to wear it.

Christmas is always associated with sparkles and glitters. Why not make your shoes sparkly? If you want to join the giveaway, you can read the whole mechanics HERE.

Crossing my fingers that I get to win this!

Undas 2007

2011-11-09T12:44:00.002+08:00

I wasn't able to share these pictures last week, so let me just catch up. :)

It was the year daddy died, so come Undas (All Saints / Souls Day), the whole family traveled to La Union to visit daddy's grave. Brother and Sister traveled a day earlier than mom and I because we still had to cast our votes, but the day after mom and I arrived, the whole family went to the cemetery to visit daddy's grave.

Happy Halloween. The cemetery then was fairly new, but every year, they do decorate the place to go with the Halloween theme.

Siblings. Brother just bought his digital camera and of course we were all shutter happy back then, taking pictures every now and then! Hahaha.

Ohana. This day being October 28, there weren't much people visiting the cemetery yet, so there was no one around we could ask for a group picture. This we took by turning on the timer and using an empty Coke 8oz bottle as our camera stand. Well, it didn't give us a very good framing, but at least we have a family picture.

We stayed in La Union until November 02 of that year, then we traveled to Pangasinan - to mom's hometown to visit her ailing father (he died two weeks later).

This year, I wasn't able to visit the cemetery to light a candle on dad's grave, but I did light some candles here at home and offered his favorite chocolate (Meiji Dark Chocolate). Brother did travel to La Union, but since he wasn't able to find some Meiji Dark Chocolate, he just offered some Kit Kat and flowers.

What Made Me Happy This Week

2011-11-08T19:59:00.003+08:00

Taking More Fiber. We all know what whole wheat can give us, so I went to buy some. At first, I was taken aback when I realized whole wheat bread had more calories and sodium compared to the regular bread, but when I read that "only whole wheat can help you burn fat"(compared to other wheat food products), I decided to continue with it. This way, I also get to take in fiber goodness from the cucumber and omega goodness from tuna. To make my breakfast healthier, I don't put in mayonnaise anymore, and to lessen the calorie intake, I just eat one slice of bread. :)

Sister Covering an Event for Me. I received an invitation to attend the SM Hypermarket "Super Sized Cook Off" held in Batangas City, but I received an invitation from my close high school friends at the same date, too. I asked if sister could cover for me, but I was told sister was part of the invitees, too, so practically, she didn't have to cover the event for me, but of course, I still would write about the event on my blog. I was a bit sad, too, because this could have been the time I get to meet Mary Ann (the woman in orange - front of the picture) in person. She has been a friend of mine in Facebook for lots of years now (I met her at the scrapbooking circle). Anyway, I am just thankful that sister had a great time at the event.

Eating Out. Since I took the path to wellness, the only time I eat out was whenever I receive invitation for events. Here at home, I would always say no to invitations from my family to eat out, but this day, I simply had no choice. Hahaha. Well, it sure is fun to eat out with family, but of course, I tried to make sure my choices were good.

Attending an Event. I was so touched to receive a "bloggers pass" for the Latte Love - a latte art workshop. Not only was I able to see bloggy friends (and meet a new bloggy friend), I also got to see how baristas create wonderful works of art using coffee as their canvass and milk froth and choco syrup as their ink. Best of all, I was able to take my mom at the event - and she got to see what I do during events.

At the event, too, I got to win 2 boxes of Pasabache drinking glasses (4 glasses each box), which I asked mom to wrap it for Christmas if she doesn't want it here in our home (well, I could say we do have a lot of drinking glasses here). Also, this event paved way for my mom to meet my second cousin (and a bloggy friend, too) Marjorie. When sister and I told mom that we met a cousin through blog events, telling her how she became our cousin was a very confusing exchange of statements. Turns out, my mom knows Marge's grandmother more, even if her grandfather is actually our family. Marge's grandfather is my paternal grandfather's brother.

- * - * - * -

Entering Month 2 of my wellness journey has been happy. True, getting up early and doing as much exercises can be tough, but I am already seeing myself happy in doing these things.

Sapphire by My Posh

2011-11-07T15:35:00.002+08:00

It's been a while since I last posted about my nails, so I thought of sharing this... my current nail color:

I put this on last Saturday morning, before going to the Latte Love event. Blue isn't really a favorite color of mine, but I do love the My Posh nail polish, so I went to buy this. The first coat didn't look good, the colors were uneven and it look blah, but after applying the second coat, it started to get some "shape." I applied three coats of polish because I wanted to have a deeper shade of blue, and I just like how it all turned out.

I still go for the reddish / pinkish tone nail polish, but once in a while, it's fun to step out of the comfort zone.

The Madness Meme, Part 1

2011-11-06T14:29:00.002+08:00

This week's questions were stolen from Tense Teacher of "Tense for a Reason."

1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?
> Never. I do wipe it with a soft cloth, yes.

2. What’s the largest age difference between yourself and someone you’ve dated?
> 33 years. K is now 64, I am 31. :)

3. Ever been in a car wreck?
> Not yet, thank heavens.

4. Were you popular in high school?
> Not as popular as some of my classmates, but popular enough to win a position at the central student council. :)

5. Have you ever been on a blind date?
> Yes.

6. Are looks important?
> It is, but not so.

7. Do you have any friends that you’ve known for 10 years or more?
> Yes.

8. By what age would you like to be married?
> Before, I hoped to get married by 27... I am 31 now and still single, so now I hope by the time I reach 35 I will meet the man who would become my husband.

9. Does the number of people a person’s slept with affect your view of them?
> In a way, yes.

10. Have you ever made a mistake?
> Of course! Everyday is a day to learn.

11. Are you a good tipper?
> I think so.

12. What’s the most you have spent for a haircut?
> I am a very thrift person, I think I paid about 50 pesos for the haircut, then tipped the hairdresser 30 pesos.

13. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?
> Yes.

14. Have you ever peed in public?
> Not for the public to see, but I did pee outside of our house. Hahaha.

15. What song do you want played at your funeral?
> "With You in Your Dreams" by Hanson.

16. Would you tell your parents if you were gay?
> Of course!

17. What would your last meal be before getting executed?
> Crispy pata, Chicharon, Spaghetti Alfredo with Meatballs.

18. Beatles or Stones?
> Beatles forever!

19. If you had to pick one person on earth to die, who would it be?
> No one. I am not in the position to answer this.

20. Beer, wine or hard liquor?
> I always go for hard liquor, but I don't drink that much and that often.

21. Do you have any phobias?
> I have a strong fear of dolls (especially those that move), but I don't consider it as a phobia... just a strong fear.

22. What are your plans for the future?
> Get myself to wear a two-piece bikini.

Inspirations Everywhere

2011-11-04T20:53:00.006+08:00

So many inspirations came to me, that I just want to highlight them...

I love following blogs (especially those that follow my blogs, too) because it inspires me to learn new things - no matter how shallow or deep these might be. When I hopped into one blog (after learning the blogger behind the blog followed my Food Blog), I just can't help but be inspired with the current post. Of course, I left a comment to say how thankful I was to hop into his blog, and his response surely made me feel good. It just feels so good whenever comments are reciprocated, and this little gesture made me learn another thing: respond to comments I receive. :)

First day of this month, sister and I were able to walk to Colinas Verdes. We decided to walk until we reach the clubhouse, and while taking a rest (and taking pictures, too)... I saw this frog swimming in the water. It obviously wanted to get out of the pool, but there wasn't any way of getting out of it, that sister and I felt a little pity. After a few minutes, I was just surprised to see the frog on top of a plank of wood, and in no time, the frog was able to jump out of the pool.

A frog may be just a frog, but this frog taught me a wonderful lesson. Reason why I walked there was to get fit, and in this journey I have seen myself fail lots of times. Just like the frog, I have had moments when I felt I am just running in circles, without any clear vision of where the road will take me. I still haven't had the feeling of giving up, but I am glad I got to meet this frog soon enough, because these pictures will always be a reminder when the day comes that I feel like throwing in the towel. This frog just swam and swam, and it was able to reach his goal. Same thing with me... if I want to reach my dream weight, I just have to keep on moving.

Another inspiration came from a new friend - Pipoy. I met him at the right time, really... because in my many attempts to lose weight, I always tend to slide off the track after one month. I met him just before October ended, and since I met him he has showered me with many motivations to continue doing what I am doing. We are now planning to set a walk/jog somewhere, so he could teach me techniques he used when he successfully lost weight after a mild stroke.

Biggest inspiration for me this week was the result of one month of cutting back on food and exercises. I lost 6lbs. and I really felt good. All the past disappointments from September is now erased, and I am more than ready to face this month. I do pray to lose another 6lbs. this month, but any amount of weight loss will be greatly appreciated.

Things I am thankful for this week:

Eating vegetables every day.
Still no drop of softdrinks / soda / cola in my body since the first day of October.
Sleeping in my brother's room (While he's away).
Letting go of two clutters in my life.
Sister covering an event for me. I was suppose to attend an event, but my high school buddies invited me for a get together. It's quite unfortunate that our get together was cancelled, but looking at the bright side, at least I was able to cook for my mom and stay with her in this rainy night.
Receiving an invitation to attend the Krups Latte Art Workshop. Yey!

This surely has been a fine week, even if I feel sad that I wasn't able to travel to dad's hometown to light a candle on his grave for the All Saints/Souls Day.

What I Want to Wear for Christmas

2011-11-03T14:57:00.008+08:00

After Undas, Filipinos are now preparing for Christmas. We still haven't put up our Christmas Tree, but we do have gold as our color motif for this year. :) It still is early, but yes, we do plan what to wear for Christmas, as the whole family pose for pictures during Noche Buena. That being said, us three girls really do shop for clothes so that our pictures would look great. Afterall, Christmas comes but once in a year, and we have to really celebrate it.

I may be down 6lbs and still striving to lose more weight, but the realist in me do know that even if I exercise all day or starve myself, I won't have a supermodel-like figure come Christmas, so I won't go for the ultra sexy dresses. I am realistic about my plus size figure, so this year, I hope to wear something like this:

Taken From: Moda Plus - Plus Size Fashion
Well, my arms are quite big, so I do feel the need to cover it up, so I want to go for something with sleeves. There aren't that much stores selling plus size clothing, but this cut of dress I do like. This is quite expensive for me (I am very kuripot), but I will go to tiangge near Christmastime to find a dress like this that would fit me. :)

taken from OhMy Glam Shop
I know it's just about the dress, but the whole outfit isn't complete without the footwear, and this year, I sure want to go back wearing elevated footwear. Since I entered college, I rarely wear elevated shoes, and I think that's the reason why I don't know how to carry a footwear like this (picture) anymore. Despite my weight, I sure know I can teach myself how to walk wearing these wedge sandals, although I do think these were a little too high for me. I actually just like the design, but I sure hope to find something a little less higher than these.

This is just a wish. Of course, if I can't find a much cheaper dress and shoes than this, I will just settle for what my budget can handle. Christmas is special, yes, but I do want to be practical. As long as I am wearing something decent for the Christmas family photo shoot, I am happy about it.

The WTF Meme

2011-10-30T16:56:00.003+08:00

This week's questions were stolen from W.T.F. Here are my answers:

1. One of my favorite TV shows recently changed the actors who played two characters. Have you ever been bothered by a TV show or movie series changing actors who play a character you love?
> I would feel sad, yes, but that would not stop me from watching the series, because I watched it mainly because of its story and not because of its characters. An example... I loved "Grey's Anatomy" the moment a local TV network aired it, and for the first two seasons of the show, I really loved Isaiah Washington's character (Dr. Preston Burke), and I was so sad to learn that he (the actor) got dismissed because of his actions against fellow show actor, and his character has to be taken off the show. Still, the show is now on its 8th season, and I am still a big fan of it! I understand that actors' contracts end - some get renewed others aren't, and as long as the whole story of the show serves its purpose, I will still continue watching it.

2. A coworker recently shared a link to a blog listing the "five things you should know before dating a journalist." As a journalist, I can honestly say the writer was spot-on. What are some things people should know before spending time with you?
> That I can be a little quiet at first, but as time goes by, I can actually be a wacky person.

3. What is something you often do without realizing that you're doing it?
> Biting the hard skin on the sides of my nails. I don't like seeing people biting their nails (at times I would stop them if I see them - if I know them personally, of course), but at times I just see myself biting the skin on the sides of my nails, especially when I am thinking of what to write.

4. Who has the capacity to make you angrier than anyone else in your life, and what in particular does he or she do to make you so angry?
> There is no one in particular, and I do have a long patience (I do get disappointed and annoyed easily, but I don't get angry that quick), but if someone would do things to insult me (or my family) or test my patience by bullying me and keep doing it, time will come that I will really get angry.

5. If a fairy waved a magic wand and gave you the house of your dreams, where would it be and what features would it have?
> Ahhh.... a small bungalow (two bedrooms) with a spacious kitchen, a place where I can use the computer and hopefully do scrapbook layouts - with a good lighting and ventilation at the countryside near a body of water (particularly a picturesque river or pond or maybe a beach) where I can plant vegetables and flowering plants. While it is located at the countryside, I sure want it to also be near (at least a ride away) from the school, hospital, marketplace / shopping center), and the house should have an Internet connection. :)

6. What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?
> Hmmmm... I can't think of any.

7. I used to talk in my sleep. In fact, I could carry on a conversation with someone when I was fully asleep, and my mom used this fact when I was a teenager to find out if I did anything wrong and was hiding it from my parents. If you were talking your sleep tonight, what do you think you would say?
> Since the All Saints / Souls Day is approaching... probably, I'd speak something about my dad - how sorry I was, how thankful I was that I became his daughter.

8. The fourth installment of the "Twilight" movie series ("Breaking Dawn Part I") will be released in theaters soon. Movie theaters started selling advance tickets for midnight showings months ago. Have you ever attended a midnight premiere showing of a movie?
> I still haven't attended a movie premiere, actually.

9. On Tuesday, tigers, lions and bears were let loose in Zanesville, Ohio, by their owner before he committed suicide, leading to a hunt in which 49 of the animals, including 18 endangered Bengal tigers, were killed. How would you react if you saw "Caution exotic animals. Stay in your vehicle" being displayed on a road sign?
> Do as what the sign says, but will drive around and stop when I see an exotic animal to shoot it.... using my camera. :)

10. If a company opened a theme park aimed at adults, what would you name one of the rides?
> Accckkk... am not good at this!

11. Imagine you just moved onto Sesame Street. Which puppet would you want as your new roommate?
> Ernie and Bert! Or... maybe Cookie Monster, so he can have all my cookies - he will definitely make a good fitness buddy. Harharhar!

12. Have you ever had a weird crush on a famous person that didn't make sense to you?
> Oh no.

13. If you get ten minutes to interview any celebrity of your choice, who would you like it to be?
> Hanson!

14. You've just won the complete DVD collection of all the movies starring one actor or actress. Which actor/actress would you pick?
> Actor - Robert Downey, Jr. Actress - Kate Winslet.

15. Actor George Clooney recently told People Magazine that he doesn't use Twitter "because I will drink in the evening and I don't want anything that I could possibly write at midnight to actually end my career." What is something you've said through social media and then regretted it?
> None. I stand by everything I say.

16. VH1 has re-introduced its hit show "Pop-Up Video," which gives behind-the-scenes facts for popular music videos. What musician would you be most interested in learning behind-the-scenes facts about?
> Hanson... still. Gosh, I love them!

17. If you stumbled across someone's personal written journal that was accidentally left in a public place, would you read any of the content?
> I guess no. I am already having a difficult time managing my time, I'd rather blog and edit pictures and do my assignments rather than read a journal.

18. What is the title of a self-help book that you'd never want to see on a store bookshelf?
> "How to Turn Yourself into a Doormat"

19. Many media outlets have been asking this question a lot this week... Which Halloween costume do you think will be overdone this year?
> Not sure.

20. Should a marriage license have a renewal date or expiration date, like a driver’s license?
> Of course not! There are so many things that are renewable, let marriage be something that is for keeps.

Joyful, Joyful...

2011-10-28T21:17:00.003+08:00

Miracles and happiness are just around us, we would just have to take a look at things at a different perspective. Here are just some of the things that brought me joy...

Seeing a Two-Toned Euphorbia. Sister and I still hasn't walked to and around Colinas Verdes, but I still was able to walk, thanks to the trips to the market. I am now trying to eat at least one kind of vegetable everyday, and I am just thankful that the marketplace is walking distance from our house; I can buy fresh ingredients everyday.

While walking home from the market, I saw this Euphorbia plant. The plant is something not new to me, but I often see single colored flowers, and this one just caught my attention right away because it was two-toned. Good thing I had my cell phone with me that time! :)

My Asthmatic Sister. Weather here is quite bizarre...it's so hot and humid every afternoon, then come night time, the wind is cool. My sister's asthma doesn't attack that often, but this week, the sudden change of temperatures surely affected her. The day I took this picture, I just finished a workout routine. She just woke up, and because she needed some comfort, she immediately went to me to ask for a hug. I gave her a quick hug and after she sat on my lap. I took out my cell phone and took this picture, and we were both laughing when we saw how "awful" she looked. It became a good start to her day, and we were both thankful her condition got better come lunch time.

She is now very okay, though she sleeps wearing a bonnet because the cold wind during the wee hours is what causes her asthma attacks.

Cooking a New Recipe. Being a food blogger, I don't just blog about my food trips and the events I attend to, I also share recipes I cooked in our kitchen. Thanks to the booklet of recipes given to me at an event, I was able to cook this chicken dish (recipe HERE).

Meeting Our Own Ms. Universe. The other night, I attended the Bloggers' Meet and Greet with Ms. Shamcey Supsup (2011 Miss Universe 3rd Runner Up) at Pizza Hut Glorietta 4. Not only were we able to meet her, she was also the one who served our pizza. Aside from the great food and the great event, I was so thankful to the prize they gave sister and I for being the earliest birds that day.

A New CD. If you recall my post last Tuesday about me winning an Andrea Corr CD+DVD, I just would like to share that I just received the package this afternoon. I was already expecting the package, but I was still surprised that it arrived today, because when I gave my address, the sponsor of this prize told me she'd send me another message if the package is already in transit. Not receiving a message from her made me think she was either waiting for the other winners to send their address or she was was anticipating the long weekend, so I surely was surprised to receive this. I still haven't listened to it, but am already excited to turn on my CD Radio. :)

I am now looking forward to the long weekend... I was supposed to be in La Union today to watch the Surfing Break (an annual surfing festival) and visit my dad's grave in time for the All Saints Day, and possibly a trip to Ilocos Norte before traveling home, but I cancelled the trip due to financial constraints. Well, my dad is not forgotten; my brother is traveling to La Union tomorrow night, and as long as there is one member of the family to light a candle for him, all is alright.

Food Talks for Girls Talk

2011-10-27T15:22:00.002+08:00

I wasn't able to join Girls Talk this month, so before I go to this week's prompt, let me just make a quick answer to the first two prompts.

> Funny food names for me include the Ilocano food - Poque Poque, Kabatiti, Warek Warek, and Utong... maybe because it sounds the same as some of Tagalog words. One other food that I find amusing (not totally funny though) is Budbud Kabog, a Visayan suman made of millet seeds.

> Kitchen dreams? Well, our kitchen isn't that elegant... in fact we set up a dirty kitchen (adjacent to the kitchen inside - where we store the plates and cooked food in pots), because cooking inside the house would cause the whole house to smell. Our original house wasn't that big, so when we had sister and that brother and I were growing up, parents decided to have a house renovation to make way for brother's room as well as widening the living room. It resulted in poor air circulation, so we cook outside where air is free flowing.

I do wish that in the future, we could have a kitchen makeover - maybe have a gas range with hood so we can cook inside the house (it sucks cooking outside during windy days). I also wish to have an oven because it is a dream to bake my own pastries, for special occasions. I don't really wish more as to how the kitchen will look like - as the whole house has its own color motif, just to have a spacious, easy to clean kitchen is enough for me, after all, it's not about how lavish the kitchen is, but the food that matters most.

It's still October, but pretty soon, it's Christmas once again. When I was a kid, mom would just prepare pansit bihon, macaroni salad and gelatin for Christmas... and when I was in high school, we would just wait for what the neighbors will give us for Noche Buena, since we will just sleep right after - no need to prepare that much. What we normally do is to prepare lots for Christmas Lunch, and as the years passed, parents have given us siblings total control in the kitchen.

These two pictures were taken in 2006. This (I think) was the time when sister and I hailed "kitchen queens" because we prepared the main dishes: she cooked Pork Pina Rolls, while I cooked Chicken Inasal (my first time to cook and taste the dish) and Penne with Mangoes. All the dishes tasted great, so the following years, we would be the ones cooking. Sister and I would take charge during Christmas, brother would take care of New Year's Day.

This year, I am planning to go a little healthier than the usual ultra-caloric food served during the holidays. This early, choices in my list include:

Spinach Ravioli
Penne with Pumpkin (Squash) Sauce
Cabbage Rolls
Haianese Chicken
Grilled Spice Coconut Chicken

Obviously, that's not the complete list of choices, but whatever I decide to cook, I would go for 1 pasta dish, 1 main dish, and 1 dessert. It's a staple for us to have Buco-Pandan salad as well as hamon de bola, so I might not think of a dessert dish anymore, but if I find something that is healthy, then I might go for it.

I can't pig out anymore - even if it's Christmas and all have the "license" to be merry, so I have to make my choices good this year.

Winner!

2011-10-25T20:32:00.004+08:00

Life was a bit slow in the sense that I am not going out that much, just because I prefer not to eat out and I don't want to spend much. Even so, there something that made me uber happy this week:

Winning the Andrea Corr "Lifelines" CD+DVD care of MommyWrites. This was a very unexpected win (as the winner was based on Random.Org), but of course I am very happy about it.

I have heard of this giveaway back then, but I forgot to bookmark it and I wasn't able to join. Since the author behind MommyWrites became a friend of mine in Facebook, I got to read her status saying she extended the deadline as she was giving away four sets of CD+DVD, and there were only three who followed the directions correctly. I quickly checked her blog and did all the steps to join the giveaway. I forgot when the draw will be, so I was so surprised to see this message on my Facebook wall.

I always think I don't have luck during contests (especially if the winner is randomly picked) and raffles, but I keep joining because of this principle - "The Law of the Seed." Reposting an inspirational article I first posted on my Multiply account in 2006:

Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples on the tree, but each apple has just ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds!

We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more apple trees?"

Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Not all seeds grow. In life, most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you had better try more than once."

This might mean:
You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job. You'll interview forty people to find one good employee. You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, one car, one vacuum cleaner, one insurance policy, or a business idea. And you might meet a hundred acquaintances just to find one special friend.

When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. We learn how to deal with things that happen to us.

Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them - and work with them.

IN A NUTSHELL
Successful people fail more often. But they plant more seeds.

When Things Are Beyond your control, here's something that you must NOT DO so as to be happy: You must not decide how you think the world SHOULD be. You must not make rules for how everyone SHOULD behave. Many times, such thoughts can bring you spiraling down into more unhappiness.

On the other hand, let's say you expect that:
Friends SHOULD return favors.
People SHOULD appreciate you.
Planes SHOULD arrive on time.
Everyone SHOULD be honest.
Your husband or best friend SHOULD remember your birthday.

These expectations may sound reasonable. But often, these things won't happen! So you end up frustrated and disappointed.

There's a better strategy. Demand less, and instead, have preferences! For things that are beyond your control, tell yourself:
"I WOULD PREFER "A", BUT IF "B" HAPPENS, IT'S OK TOO!"

You prefer that people are polite...but when they are rude, it doesn't ruin your day.
You prefer sunshine...but if it rains, it is ok too!

To become happier, we either need to:
a) Change the world, or
b) Change our thinking.
It is easier to change our thinking!

IN A NUTSHELL
It is not the problem that is the issue, but rather it is your attitude attending to the problem that is the problem. It's not what happens to you that determine your happiness but rather how you think about what happens to you!
{Source}

Although I don't join every giveaways / contests I see around the blogosphere, I don't really hinder myself to join because winning sure feels so good.

I am now anticipating my CD+DVD. Big thanks to MommyWrites for this great giveaway. Now... I sure hope I win the Anlene Milk giveaway I recently joined. :)

Stay happy, everybody!

The Questions Galore Meme, Part 3

2011-10-23T13:14:00.002+08:00

I wasn't able to answer the second round of questions, but here are the questions for the third round.

41. What is a quote that you love?
> The quote "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." by Mark Twain will always be my favorite.

42. Do you think of pure hate as something humanity created?
> I think so. We are the ones controlling our emotions, it's up to us if we want to hate or not.

43. When was the last time you wanted to scream?
> I actually forgot.

44. Do you ever at times see the world in black and white?
> Nope. I don't think I am that narrow or shallow, however you want to call it.

45. Have you ever thought that cell phones are too obtrusive?
> At times, but I tend to look at the bright side, so I pay attention more to its benefits.

46. In your life, where do you thank the rainbow will end?
> I guess the question means "think," well... I haven't given it much thought, actually.

47. What is something that you never want to do again?
> What I did 13 years ago.

48.When was the first time you realized the world was small?
> When I found out a college friend of mine is high school classmates with an online friend.

49. How you spend your time contemplating life’s mysteries?
> Before I sleep.

50. Ever discuss your political beliefs with people?
> Not that much.

51. Do you care about the environment?
> Of course.

52. What’s your motto for life?
> "There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

53. Is progress destroying the beauty of the world?
> I think so.

54. Do you believe there is life somewhere else in the universe?
> No.

55. Would you like to rule a country?
> Never.

56. Do you believe everything has a purpose?
> Of course. Even a mold or a dog's tick has a purpose why they exist.

57. Is war ever for the best?
> I don't think so.

58. Could you kill anyone in defense of self or loved ones?
> I don't know. I'll cross the bridge when I get there.

59. How do you react to people (Such as Governor Rick Perry) who don't believe global warming is really our fault?
> We are all entitled to our beliefs, opinions, and reactions. It makes the world a little less boring - but that doesn't mean I'd believe in any opinions or beliefs. I am also entitled to my own choice and my own beliefs. :)

60. Does love conquer all?
> Hmmmm.... sometimes it does, at times it doesn't, especially if you're in love with someone who's already taken and would not really leave his/her significant other for you, even if he/she loves you more than their own wives/husbands or gf/bf.

61. Is euthanasia morally acceptable?
> I don't think so.

62. Is world peace impossible?
> Well, I'll go with the cliche, "Nothing's impossible," but then again world peace is something too difficult to reach.

63. Is pride a good or a bad thing?
> It is good; but like all things, too much of it is bad.

64.What do you think is the purpose of your life?
> To be a good person. I guess that's all our general purpose in life, all else (like to be a role model, to inspire) are little extras.

65. Do you believe in karma?
> Oh yes!

Cheers to us thieves!

Keeping it Balanced

2011-10-21T11:16:00.002+08:00

Between Tuesday and now, there weren't much happenings around me other than I was so busy editing pictures and exercising in between. I do have a lot of back logs as far as blogging and uploading pictures are concerned, but like what a co-member at the Pinoy Travel Bloggers said, "be thankful for back logs, it means you have more posts to write."

Come to think of it, problems in general do wear us down, but digging deep, we have to be thankful for the problems because it make us get in touch with ourselves, it make us feel, it make us human, it make us come up with solutions, and it make us stronger. Problems? Bring it on!

Last Tuesday, I talked about me winning an ODM Watch at the Canon Pixma Event. The day after, I checked it out and set it up, it was a cute watch really, but it's necklace-like, so I don't think I can use this. I do have my cell phone as my way of checking time, so for sure this watch will be given to any of my friends for Christmas.

I wasn't able to win any of the Canon Pixma printers at the event, but I am thankful that my attendance being a blogger still gives me a chance to win a printer, as they have an on-going contest for bloggers present at the event. I still have one shot to win a printer, and I sure won't let it pass.

It's been raining here everyday and the other day, it rained so hard in the afternoon. I got scared for a while because there were thunder and lightning, but come dusk, I got to see a tint of orange from our terrace's window, and as the night was eating the day, the sky just got more beautiful! I am a morning person, but since our house is facing west, seeing sunset colors sure is a reason to be thankful everyday.

It was in 2007 when I got to finally admit that I have weight problems, and since then, I have always loved doing Shaun T's "Hip Hop Abs." Four years after, am still obese, but that's because of my own laziness and because I was half-hearted. This year seemed to be the best year for me as I am very much eager to start the day with prayers and exercise. I still am doing Hip Hop Abs, as I love this dance workout! Yesterday afternoon, I was surprised to see an e-mail notification from Twitter saying Shaun T is now following me. I am not sure if this is his official Twitter account, but nevertheless I was starstruck seeing it. Of course, I followed him back.

He now has a new workout video called "Insanity," but this is still not available here in the Philippines, so I still can't do this, but am looking forward to it. :)

Still with the talks of health and wellness... I am thankful that even if I am drinking a cup of high-calcium milk every night, my tummy wasn't reacting bad to it yet. Being over 200lbs, it was really difficult for my bones to carry all my weight as I do my exercises, so I owe it to my body to give it the nourishment it deserves. Losing weight may mean cutting down on food, trying to keep the calorie-intake as minimum as possible, but of course, I still have to make sure I keep my diet balanced. My body needs vitamins, minerals, and all the good stuff, and I can find it in different food groups. Sure, I won't eat much, but that doesn't mean I won't eat what I need. I want to lose weight by changing my lifestyle, without depriving myself of anything. Like I say, all should be in balance.

More Events, More Reasons to be Happy!

2011-10-18T21:29:00.003+08:00

I haven't updated this blog for a week now... reasons are reasons, but even if I don't get to update this much, I still do follow my bliss all the time, and for this post, let me just share pictures from events I have attended during the past week.

I received an invitation to attend the awarding of the 2011 Magnolia Ice Cream tub wrap contest winners. I was able to spend time with my cousin Marge and other bloggers, and after the event, we were given a thermo-bag with a tub of ice cream and some cups of their pop-a-cup ice cream. I am not a big ice cream eater, but I did get to eat 50 grams a day. My sister and my brother were the ones who truly enjoyed the ice cream; mom couldn't eat chocolate-flavored ice cream, so she just enjoyed the pop-a-cup ice cream, which was raspberry flavored.

Thursday night, my siblings and I attended the Appetite Magazine Restaurant Festival 2011. At first, I was the only one who got the invite, but sister and I attended the Lee Kum Kee event, we were given two tickets, so I gave my extra ticket to my brother, which made him happy. We didn't have a picture together, but here's two pictures of me at the event - both grabbed from Az. The one on the right was a picture of me with cousin Marge and another blogger pal Jenny. Hmmm... what's with the stripes? Hehehe.

Awesome food selections, awesome event, awesome companions!

Just this afternoon, brother and I attended the Canon Pixma Printer event at the Cyberzone of SM City North Edsa. Prior to the event, I received an e-mail asking me to submit the "best" image I have printed, and I submitted the soft copy of that butterfly I took in Vigan. It didn't win me a Canon Pixma Printer, but at the event, my name was drawn and I got to win an ODM watch.

Also, when I registered at the booth, someone called my name and I was surprised to see Ms. Marissa - cousin of my high school buddy Liza. Also, I got to see in person Canon brand ambassadors - top photographers Per-Andre Hoffman, Jo Avila, and Jun Miranda. I wasn't able to shake their hands, but I did get to say hello to Mr. Hoffman before the event started.

I am happy receiving so many event invitations this year, as much as I am thankful to attend these events, I am more thankful to the trust given to me by these companies to cover their events. I pray for more events, because these events allow me to learn new knowledge, meet new people, and yes, try products as well.

The Look of Happiness

2011-10-11T22:07:00.002+08:00

I may not update this blog with life stories everyday, but I don't stop living life to the fullest and at times, I was able to take pictures to make that moment immortal. Here are some of the images that brought happiness last week.

The night I went back to sleep in my bedroom, my cat Orange-y (the cat at the bottommost part of the image above) slept next to me. The next day, the mother cat went to sleep on my bed, too, and the day after that, all four cats are now sleeping on my bed! During day time, they would sleep on my bed, and we always laugh at them because they looked as if they're staying at a hotel - we would wake them up when they're about to eat. Hahaha. This was one of the funniest image I took of them - I was surprised seeing them look like this (sleeping with a pattern), so I hurried to take the camera to snap a picture. Cuteness!

Last Tuesday, I was a bit sad that a cold hindered me to not attend a foodie event. I was happy, though, that I was still able to meet with my cousin and a friend the next day to sample drinks at Cha Dao Tea Place, using the GCs given by one of its owners. This picture was taken by Daryll and the woman on the right is my cousin Marjorie, whom I met at the blogging scene. Actually, meeting her was one of the sweetest blessings blogging has given me. She saw my name at a Facebook group, and since my surname and her middle name (her mom's surname before she got married) was the same, she sent me a message and from there we found out that our grandfathers were actually brothers. Anyway, this was a common practice being a food blogger - setting up the food for pictures before eating it. If you ask me out for a food trip, you really have to wait a wee bit longer before you can eat, because I take pictures of all the foods first.:)

We have a lot of culinary magazines and cookbooks here at home, giving us a lot of recipes to try. Every week, the family orders a kilo of pork belly, but when I started taking off the fat from my pork, mom thought buying pork belly would be a waste of money (since we buy it per kilo, regardless if it's lean or full of fat), so when she told us that this batch would be the last order, sister used the remaining uncooked strips of pork belly to cook a recipe she so wanted to try since then.

Although this picture didn't look good (as we weren't able to buy some veggies to color the plating), this tasted really good, actually. There were some lessons learned because of this recipe, and we were a bit certain we would want this at our Christmas lunch table, so all those lessons will be applied when we cook this again. Unfortunately though, sister cooked this one so this won't appear on our food blog (unless I cook the recipe using my own style).

Oh, if you're wondering, the dish is called Honey-Soy Glazed Pork.

Last Sunday, I attended the Lee Kum Kee 123rd Anniversary grand cooking demo with my sister. It was a very fun day for me because I got to be with food blogger friends, and at one point during the event, I got to sit with Chef Him Uy de Baron, the very first celebrity chef I had a picture with back in 2008. Back to the event, I was happy, too, that I got to answer one question at their Q&A game, and I received a goodie bag containing Lee Kum Kee sauces, apart from the goodie bag they gave to the food bloggers present at the event. The biggest highlight of the day was having a picture with chef Sandy Daza (picture above). Being the son of the renowned culinary icon Nora Daza, I grew up watching their cooking shows, and he is my favorite, favorite celebrity chef since then. Seeing him in person actually warmed my heart as I got to get in touch with my childhood, and after the event, I really asked my cousin to help me have a picture with him. After the photo op, he told me he will be having a cooking show in the future, something I am looking forward to watch.

Oh... one more happy moment during that event, when sister and I registered at booth, the PR company rep told me about their upcoming event (happening this Thursday). I told them I already received an invite for that event via e-mail, but since sister wasn't invited by e-mail, they gave her a ticket for the event (for free). One other person at the booth gave me another ticket, which I happily accepted because my brother really wanted to attend the event - even going through asking friends to like his post so he could attend it. Well, when I handed the ticket to brother, he was over the top happy, and I am happy because us three are going to the foodie event - a first time for us.

Happiness is truly everywhere, it's just up to you how you view things and events in your life. Stay happy!

Beauty in Bran

2011-10-10T20:20:00.005+08:00

Oh my gosh... it felt like ages since I last posted anything kikay on this blog. :) Well, not that I have lost interest in all things girly, I just haven't tried anything new, until Blogapalooza.

My food blog is the one part of the Blogapalooza community, but since the companies that presented that day weren't about food, I decided to just write an in-depth post about the other companies, but of course I will make a post on my food blog, too, as my way of saying thank you for the items they gave us.

I concentrated on the food post first, so it was just last week that I went through my "biggest" loot bag again to check the other items. The first thing I opened was the Oryspa gift pack, so I guess I would start with that.

Oryspa (read: O-rayi-spa) is a Filipino brand that specializes in beauty / baby products made from rice bran (their name is taken by rice's scientific name: oryza sativa). All of their products are made from natural ingredients and have no carcinogenic effect. This was the first time I heard about beauty products made from rice bran, but the first time I heard about it, I mumbled, "why not?" the Philippines is a big rice producing country, it was a good way to use our own crop for our beauty products.

The calming baby powder is a bit rough in consistency, but true to what was written on its label, it absorbs skin wetness and moisturizes the skin. It may be a bit rough on the skin, but even after how many hours of applying it on my face, I could still feel my face smooth because of it. My face tends to get oily, and thankful to this baby powder, I don't have to worry about my face shining after a few hours of applying baby powder. It smells like Angel's Breath cologne, by the way.

The meditation balm on the other hand smells a bit like Vick's. It says it soothes aches and pains, and once I tried applying it on my shoulder. It was a good massage balm - not so greasy and it smelled wonderful. It wouldn't warm the skin at once, but after a few minutes you'd feel its effect (yes, the skin will get warm after a few minutes). Since it has a minty scent and that its container is a bit small, it's something I think I will carry around to help ease motion sickness whenever I go out.

I love both this products, and I am thankful that Blogapalooza became the medium for me to know their products. They actually have a lot of products aside from these two, so if you want to check what they can offer, you can check their website or their Facebook page. Currently, their products are available at SM City Calamba, SM City Sta. Rosa, and Robinsons Town Mall Los Baños - all in the province of Laguna.

Sunday Stealing | The Questions Galore Meme, Part 1

2011-10-09T10:02:00.005+08:00

Internet is unstable because of heavy clouds, but I will try my best to update all of my blogs as often as I could. For now, the questions for Sunday Stealing.

1. Is there someone in your life you know you’d be better off without?
> Hmmm... I don't know. Sure, I can say I am better off without the people who would want to look down on me, but then again, without these people my life would sure be boring and uninspiring.

2. Do you get criticized because of your body?
> Yes. Not only do I weigh a lot, I also have flat nose (which people makes fun of, too), and my legs are covered with scars.

3. Did you kiss the last person you called?
> Nope.

4. When was the last time you danced?
> Last Friday. I did "Hip Hop Abs," which I think is aero-dance.

5. Do you keep in mind other people’s feelings?
> Of course. As much as I want to become honest and true, I don't usually air out rants (unless I was already really angry) because I do keep in mind what other people will feel about my rant, and feel about me, too. One big lesson I learned about airing out rants and violent / rude comments: "What you say about other people doesn't say much about other people, but says so much about you and who you are." Now, I let my feelings pass before I write or speak about rants, because when my mind is clouded, it's really clouded, so it's best to shut up for a while and contemplate about it.

6. If you have a hang nail, do you pull it or clip it?
> Pull it.

7. Who do you want to forget?
> There's no "who," as every people I met in my life make up who I am now, but I will answer this question with "what." The hurting memories on the day my father died. I was the first in the family to get out of the room after hearing something heavy fell, and it was I who first got to see my father on the floor trying to catch his breath and fight for his life. That short moment of struggle was something that haunts my mind often, and I want to forget that - the look and the feelings of pain and struggle. Although, I don't want to forget that very few seconds that even if my dad was trying to keep himself alive - he was able to flash a smile seeing that the whole family was there on his very last moments.

8. Who was the last person to send you a letter?
> My ex-bf Doc. Funny, he sent the mail August 2010, but I received it August 2011. Well, he did put a pedometer inside the envelope, but instead of delivering the mail to me, I received a notice from the post man saying I needed to pick up the mail. I didn't want to because picking it up meant I have to pay for taxes and all (which I think was ridiculous), so I didn't mind the notice. I received two more notices after that, but I didn't come to pick it up, until finally - a year after, they decided to send the letter personally. Sad thing though, the pedometer was already broken.

9. Who did you last tell to shut up?
> A friend who thinks he is above everyone else.

10. What’s the last thing that you smelt that smelt bad?
> The dried salted fish brother cooked for his breakfast.

11. What’s your favorite cereal?
> Favorite would have to be Koko Krunch, but right now I am loving my Fitness whole grain low calorie cereals.

12. How do you feel when people lead you on, but they don’t even like you?
> Highly annoyed.

13. Could you live without sunlight?
> Oh no!!! I love sunshine!

14. What’s something you know is bad, but you want to do it anyway?
> Exercise. Hahaha. Well, brother often times tell me exercising is bad because I could get injured, I could get hungry, I could get sweaty... blah blah blah blah... but I still do it because I want to get healthy.

15. What was the last thing you lied about?
> Hmmmm.... I don't know.

16. Do you regret anything you’ve done in the past week?
> I regret not creating a food journal last week (a notebook specifically for my food log), but I sure will create one tomorrow. I can't do it today because I am attending an event later.

17. What was the last movie you bought?
> "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

18. What is a sport you would like to do?
> Swimming is at the top of my list.

19. When was the last time you felt like crying?
> Last Saturday, when I found out I gained back all the 6lbs. I lost in August.

20. Have you ever wanted to kill someone (not that you actually do it)?
> Nope.

Little Gifts That Meant a Lot

2011-10-06T13:17:00.006+08:00

Even with a little blow my ego took last weekend (re: gaining weight), I still am blessed with so many blessings that I am really thankful for. Some personal things I am thankful for this week include:

Going back in my bedroom.
Our family not greatly affected by the two typhoons that visited the country.
Trying out a new recipe.
A new exercising machine (read previous post).
Blogger friend Jill giving me a ride from Enderun Colleges to EDSA-Estrella last Saturday.

Shiatsu Massage GC. When my sister and I attended the first Bloggers' Buffet at Carol's Texan 5, they had a post-event contest, sister being one of the winners. It took a while before sister got to claim her prize, and when she got home, she gave me this gift certificate, which Tristan (the man behind the Bloggers' Buffet) specifically asked sister to give me. I am not into massages and spa treatments, as I still haven't tried it, but I might use this as I know I deserve some pampering. :) Thanks a lot, Tristan!

Tea Party at Cha Dao. I was given 4 gift cerTEAficates for Cha Dao Tea Place, and yesterday, I went with my sister and two blogger friends - Daryll and Marge (who is also my cousin - our grandfathers are brothers). I am very thankful that my relationship with them are getting closer and closer, and I am thankful they accepted my invitation to try out Cha Dao's milk tea. Likewise, am thankful to Ms. Andrea, who gave me the GCs.

Movie Passes. Daryll left earlier yesterday, but us three stayed at Cha Dao a little longer as even if Marge and I get to see each other at blog events, we didn't really have that much longer time to catch up with our lives. As we sip our milk tea, we get to share a lot of life events, and when she shared her movie time with Grace (a close friend of hers, who sis and I already got to meet as well), she decided to gave us two movie passes, in case we pass by Greenhills. Big thanks, cousin!

This week, too, I got to receive invitation for two food events, one for the Lee Kum Kee event this Sunday, the other for the Appetite Magazine's event. Thank you so much for the invitation... do know that I am so excited to attend these events.

Talking more about blogging, last night, I was exchanging text messages with a friend of mine, who is now thinking of opening a blog. I am thankful because I guess I am such a contagious person to the point of me talking about my blogging life has made him want to open one, too. Everything is still in its planning stage, but he already has a vision and a path he wants to take, and what made me blush was when he said to me, "Of course you'll be a part of it, I need a professional photographer!" Awww... Well, am not a professional photographer, but him seeing me that way really warmed my heart.

The other day, I finally opened my new blog, Slenderella Jenn. Like what I wrote on my very first post, it will be a hush-hush blog, but as you can see, I linked up the blog here, because of course, I still want people to know it exists. Though it's a hush-hush blog, I am very surprised (and thankful) that my friend Nathalie hopped into the blog and even took her time to comment. It's such a joy when a blogger receive a comment, and as much as I am thankful that she read my post, am also thankful that even if we don't see each other personally, she's still supporting me with this journey.

Today, the whole world mourns with the passing of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. I may not know many things about the man, but being a person who owns and iPod Nano, I guess I am part of his visions and innovations. Thank you, Steve Jobs for sharing your knowledge, time, effort, and talent to the world.

"Stay hungry, stay foolish."

The Elliptical Machine

2011-10-04T20:58:00.004+08:00

I haven't posted about my fitness journey for quite sometime simply because I got a little lazy. My food journal has been empty, and I haven't tracked my water intake because I got a little side swept. I was exercising, yes, but not as vigorous as what I used to do in August, and because of that, I gained back everything I lost. I am back to my old weight, but the funny thing was, the clothes that fitted me when I lost the weight still fits me up to this date. Anyway, sad I was, I am already brushing off the negative vibes and just face the present and the future.

This is the Happiness Project, and of course, I have something happy to share. Ever since, I hoped of owning a fitness machine - may it be a treadmill or an elliptical machine. I realized, owning a treadmill was too far fetched as it was so expensive, and I personally didn't want the manual one because it runs at my own pace. The choice then was the elliptical machine, which not only helps the lower body, there are benefits for the arms as well. I was very vocal to my family about it, but I never really asked for anything - I just shared to them that it was my dream machine.

I was so surprised last Saturday when I got home from an event seeing my siblings setting up something. Asking about it, I learned that it was an elliptical machine! I was really surprised because I never realized mom would buy something like that, when I only told her once (a long time ago) that I hoped to own something like that. Well, my siblings and I are all overweight, so the machine serves a lot of purpose.

The picture was blurred, yes. The time I took this, all my batteries (for the camera) were drained, and the only image-capturing device I had was my cellphone. Since I also used my cell phone to take pictures of the desserts at the event I attended, my camera was set to "macro." When my siblings finished setting up the machine, sister tried if it works, and seeing her testing it just made me reach for my cell phone to take a quick picture. Since it was set to macro, the image ended up blurred. I took another image, but this one turned out to be a favorite.

The machine is now inside my room - another something to be thankful about. For the longest time, I have been sleeping on the living room floor, my own bedroom then became a storage room. I am now sleeping in my room - simply because last Saturday, we left the machine in the living room, giving me no choice but to go back in my room. Since the room is now clean and I changed the bed sheets and all (including the curtains), I felt it was the right time to go back to my room. The first night wasn't that good (I tend to awake at the slightest sound), but it wasn't bad either, as I woke up Sunday morning without a backache, something I have been complaining when I was still sleeping on the floor.

By the way, I am no longer going to post about my fitness stories here... I just opened another blog for it; if you have time, do visit me there (click here). It's still new, but in case you want to track how am I doing, the blog will be there to update you. :)

Sunday Stealing | Lucky 33 Meme

2011-10-02T09:42:00.004+08:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope your weekend is fine. Today on Sunday Stealing, we ripped off Cheryl of Mad Baggage.

1. Can you cook?
> Of course I can! :)

2. What was your dream growing up?
> First, to become a nurse, as I look up to my aunts who looked good in white, but in fourth grade, I wanted to become a businesswoman... then in high school I wanted to become either a physical therapist or a veterinarian. Funny thing was, I took up Broadcast Communications in college. Ha! :)

3. What talent do you wish you had?
> Anything that has to do with athletics. One of the things I hated about myself was that I don't know how to play any sport, which can be a reason why I am obese. I do hope to learn how to swim.

4. Favorite place?
> Other than home (of course my own home will always be at the top of my list as I always look forward to going home whenever I travel), my favorite place would be Vigan City in Ilocos Sur.

5. Favorite vegetable?
> Green beans!

6. What was the last book you read.
> "The Best Life Diet" by Bob Greene

7. What zodiac sign are you?
> Taurus

8. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?
> Just ear piercings.

9. Worst Habit?
> Procrastination.

10. Do you personally know anybody on Blog?
> On Blog? Well, if you mean do I personally know anyone who follows my blog, then yes.

11. What is your favorite sport?
> I don't play any sport, but I love watching the Olympics (both summer and winter), and my favorite sports include - swimming (I have a huge crush on the Russian swimmer Aleksandr Popov), synchronized swimming, gymnastics, and figure skates.

12. Negative or Optimistic attitude?
> I guess I am at the point that I am in the middle of it. I used to be very negative, and lately I have been training myself to be optimistic, so I am leaning towards optimism, but I admit I still get a little negative at times.

13. What would you do if you were stuck in an lift with someone of the opposite sex?
> Well, regardless of the person's gender, what I would do is talk to the person... if you're stuck in a lift with someone, the best thing to do is to hold on to each other (supporting each other emotionally).

14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
> Gaining the weight I lost in one month.

15. Tell me one weird fact about you:
> I sleep on the living room floor, just because I feel afraid of sleeping on my own bedroom.

16. Do you have any pets?
> Yes, I have 7 cats.

17. Do you know how to do the macarena?
> Of course!

18. Is the sun shining where you are now?
> Yes, thankfully!

19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
> I find them a bit scary... blame Stephen King's "It." Hahaha.

20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
> I'd make my tummy flat... which is why I am now doing things to lose weight. :)

21. Would you be my good angel or bad angel?
> Good. I do have my share of naughtiness, but I as much as possible, I try my best for people around me to be optimistic.

22. What color eyes do you have?
> Brown.

23. Ever been married?
> Not yet.

24. Bottle or Draft?
> I'd go for the bottle, simply because I haven't tasted draft beer yet.

25. If you won £10,000 today, what would you do with it?
> That would mean 67 or 68 thousand pesos, so what I'd do with it is buy myself a DSLR Camera and enroll myself to a Food Photography workshop.

26. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?
> Anything minty.

27. What's your favorite bar to hang at?
> I don't go to bars, sorry.

28. Do you believe in ghosts?
> No, simply because I still haven't seen one, but I do respect other people's view about it.

29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
> Scribble on my notebook.

30. Do you swear a lot?
> No.. I rarely swear.

31. Biggest pet peeve?
> KIA! The little miss / mister Know-it-All.

32. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
> Changing.

33. In two words, how would you describe yourself?
> Happily Blessed.

It Begins with Your First Step

2011-09-28T19:56:00.003+08:00

You now know how weight has been my biggest problem since I could remember, and even if I have acknowledge that reality even at a young age, it was actually only in 2007 when I started facing it. In case you didn't know what happened why, let me share it again.

My dad, whom I consider a very fit man suddenly died because of a heart attack (he was diagnosed with blocked artery a month before, but he was showing signs of recovery). The family accepted it, but one time in July (four months after dad's death), my mom hosted a prayer meeting here in our house, and when the guests left nearly midnight, my siblings and I still devoured on the pancit bihon mom served that night. It was so delicious, but I admit there was a "hidden heart attack" in that pancit - mainly because we bought some pork bones (with marrow) at the market, made some stock out of it, and we also pounded shrimp heads to add more flavor to the stock. It was a very delicious dish, and I got to eat a lot that time.

Bad move though, I hit the bed just 15 minutes after eating. I couldn't sleep that night, I started perspiring cold, and I felt my chest contracting. I thought I'd have a heart attack that instant. I managed to get myself to sleep and I did wake up okay, but my paranoia started. I was so paranoid that I would take the stethoscope and listen to my own heart beat and my own breathing. I never consulted anyone in the family, though they were surprised that I was eating little (I was afraid to eat then).

A busted computer monitor prompted me to talk to our next door neighbor to ask if I could use their computer for a while. Charmy told me they had a spare monitor, which they were willing to give me, and while waiting for his boyfriend to get it from the storage room, I told her my concern. Back then, her mom was still working as a teacher and Charmy had this idea of walking from our place to the school, just to help me jumpstart my fitness routine.

We were doing the morning walks for a few days already, when Charmy decided to bring their camera because she told me there was an abandoned resort somewhere. These pictures were taken by her then boyfriend Jay (they are now married). As you can see, Charmy is one petite and very slim woman, but she was very enthusiastic to help me. Our morning walks was our way to bond and talk about many things about our life - something we weren't able to do despite being neighbors since we moved here in 1985.

Unfortunately, the morning walks only lasted a month. When she got sick, we stopped walking until we weren't able to get back at it anymore.

I created this scrapbook page in 2007 using materials sent to me by an ex-bf. True, it all begins with the first step, and while I am scolding myself for being a weakling - giving up way too easily, this year I am hoping I'd be victorious.

Well, I know I will be...
...and I am now claiming my victory.

PS - My weight loss journey blog will open this Sunday. :)

Sunday Stealing | That Meme That's Going Around

2011-09-25T23:01:00.002+08:00

I am supposed to sleep now (as I am going to jog early tomorrow), but I still have some battery juice left, so let me answer this before I call it a night.

A. Age:
> 31.

B. Bed size:
> Single.

C. Chore that you hate:
> Taking the clothes from the clothesline... folding the newly washed clothes.

D. Dogs:

> We have none... but if you can consider Snoopy a dog dog... then we have countless.

E. Essential start to your day:

> Two cups of water.

F. Favorite color:
> A tie between pink and lavender.

G. Gold or Silver:
> As jewelry, I go for silver

H. Height:
> 5'4".

I. Instruments you play:
> I can play the guitar.

J. Job title:
> Princess. (major lols)

K. Kids:
> None.

L. Live:
> I am from the Philippines.

M. Mother's name:
> Mina

N. Nicknames:
> Jenn, Jayne, Nene

O. Overnight hospital stays:
> In 1992, I spent countless overnights at the hospital because my cousins and I would take turns watching over our sick grandfather, and in 2007, I spent one night at the hospital watching over my sick father. I still haven't experienced being hospitalized.

P. Pet peeve:
> One random pet peeve: People going to the beach, but would scramble to find a shade because they don't want to get dark.

Q. Quote from a movie:
> Another random one... "Maybe my life hasn't been so chaotic. It's just the world that is and the only real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation." That's from the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love."

R. Right or left handed:
> Right.

S. Siblings:
> Two - one older brother, and one younger sister.

T. Time you wake up:
> My cell phone's alarm goes off at 5:30am.

U. Underwear:
> Currently, am wearing a very simple bra - no underwire, no foamy padding ... and a pair of demi-panties.

V. Vegetable you hate:
> Okra.

W. What makes you run late:
> Traffic jam.

X. X-Rays you've had:
> Just chest X-Rays.

Y. Yummy food that you make:
> Far too many to mention, please go check my blog, Tara, Let's Eat! for the dishes I whipped up in my kitchen.

Z. Zoo animal:
> My favorite is the peacock.

The Happy Food Blogger

2011-09-23T20:02:00.005+08:00

I already talked about mom's birthday celebration, but there was an event in my life happened days before that, and since this week has been a great week for me, I decided to compile all related stories into one post.

I opened my food blog Tara, Let's Eat! in 2008. I decided to open a separate food blog because back then, I found myself eating out as my way of traveling. At first I blogged using the Friendster Blogs, until I switched to Blogger in October that same year (using the blog title, "I Live to Eat!"). However, in 2010 I suddenly stopped updating the blog, until one person followed it. When he told me about it, I was given renewed energy to update it again, and I could say now that I owe that person a lot, because his belief in me was the missing link. If not for his gesture, I am not the food blogger I am now.

Since I re-opened the blog, I started receiving a lot of foodie blessings - be it a family food trip, new recipes tried, or food events attended. The blessings kept pouring the following year, and I could only thank God for every blessing that came my way.

06 September 2011

I received an invitation if I would still be willing to cover another round of cooking marathon for the SM Hypermarket Master Chefs at the mall near our place. The mall is just 4 or 5 kilometers away from our place, so I accepted the invitation right away, as I also saw it as a way of learning something new. Aside from that, I also got to meet a new blogger.

17 September 2011

This day I attended the very first Blogapalooza. I honestly never heard of this event, and thankful for that one great soul (who I think I will leave nameless) who e-mailed me and told me to sign up for it, I quickly signed up as I didn't want this event to slip through my fingers. :) Indeed, it was one heck of an event, it was like attending Oprah's Favorite Things... receiving a gift from each of the companies part of the event. I recently just read a blog post about "What's inside the loot bag," itemizing every single gift the attendees received. All the gifts summed up to 12 thousand pesos, if converted to cash. Actually, my bag didn't have everything (some items were not in it), but I am still thankful for the items in my bag. Apart from that, seeing so many bloggers - some of which I only get to see through their blogs - sharing one great afternoon of freebies and stuff was just overwhelming!

With me in the picture is DJ Vince (he's a radio jock), the man behind this big event.

Last Monday, I received this invitation. This wowed me because of that word "top," as I honestly don't consider myself one (well, my blog is at #34 in the Top Blogs rankings) and that there are way more popular food blog than mine, but they chose me to send this invitation. It took me a day to finally send them my answer, and I am now excited of what's about to come. More excited I am when I received a message from a food blogger friend hoping I'd attend. Yipee, we will be classmates!

The following day, I received another invitation. This was the second time I received an invitation from this company, and because I sooo loved the first event I attended through them, I said accepted this invitation because this will make me learn more for sure.

Just this afternoon, I received this. Actually, I first received an invitation from them for a "big" meet up and tea party, but for some reasons, they decided to not push through with the party and just ask the bloggers for their mailing address so they could just send the gift certificate, so we (the bloggers) can just try their product on our own time. I am thankful for this because I nearly declined the invitation for the party (as the venue was way too far from our place), but because they opted to send the GCs and they have a branch slightly near our place, I could just visit the other branch next time.

I blurred out some details about it as the events are still about to happen. With some "gossips" about some bloggers gate-crashing events (though I don't personally know about these gossips, all I know is that there is something like that), I'd rather keep some important details a secret for now.

I am really blessed. I am really thankful that one person decided to follow my blog, because if not for his belief in me, I wouldn't know if I'd still update the blog. I guess it's true that things happen for a reason. I will be forever grateful for that person who gave me renewed enthusiasm to re-open the food blog. Of all the blogs I maintain, it's actually the one that had the most visitors.

My promise to my readers and followers - more food adventures! :)

Tuesday Couch Potatoes | Groovy

2011-09-21T20:52:00.005+08:00

Oh my gosh, I so miss joining Tuesday Couch Potatoes! It's been weeks since I last posted for this meme, but I do hope I am still welcome to the club. :)

This week is about dancing, and my choice is....

Center Stage (2000). Center Stage is a 2000 American drama film, directed by Nicholas Hytner, about a group of young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the fictitious American Ballet Academy in New York City. The film explores the issues and difficulties in the world of professional dance, and how each individual copes with the stresses. (Source: Wikipedia)

- * - * - * -

I never heard of this movie, until my sister brought home a borrowed VCD copy for her college project. Back then, I still wasn't fond of musicals, but this movie quickly captured my heart because I somehow could relate to it - well not the ballet part (as I didn't study dance), but the personal side of the movie - trying to fit in, trying to reach your dreams, trying to please family so they won't be disappointed. While my situation wasn't as deep as theirs, I guess parts of what the characters are going through was something all of us can relate to.

By the way, I do love this final performance. I am not that knowledgeable about the technical aspect of ballet (some critics called it a bit flat and two-dimensional), but for a viewer who "normally" sees classical music being used in a routine, hearing pop music was something new.

Mom's 26th Birthday

2011-09-20T19:58:00.003+08:00

13 September 2011

Sister hoped for the family to celebrate mom's birthday at a restaurant not located in SM City Fairview (the mall closest to our place), but because mom already used up all her work leave credits (normally, employees have their "birthday leave," but mom already took it in advance when we went on an out of town trip), we just decided to meet her after work in SM, so we could have a simple celebration.

Thankfully, Papa John's (a pizza chain from the US) just opened at this very same mall. Since the family hoped to try "all" of the restaurants at this mall, we figured this would be a great time to taste what Papa John's had to offer.

Long noodles/pasta has to be present whenever one is celebrating his/her birthday, but because we were hoping to taste two different pasta flavors, we just went for one serving of Seafood Marinara Spaghetti that all four of us shared. As for the pizza, we went for the 9-inch size pizza in Grilled Chicken (pictured above) and Super Papa flavors. We also went for two small bowls of their soup (Cream of Mushroom and Chicken & Corn), and I also ordered a bowl of their Garden Fresh salad.

We asked them to cut the pizza into 4 slices (9-inch pizza is typically divided into six slices) so we can have 1 slice each. Because I ate my salad alone (nobody wanted to share with me), I only got to eat one pizza slice, my share of the Grilled Chicken pizza I took home, which I ate for snacks the following day.

It was just a very simple celebration, yes, but we surely enjoyed it.

Happy birthday, momskie. We love you so much.

...oh, you read it right when I titled this "Mom's 26th Birthday." I was teasing mom about it; she's actually 62 years now.

A Little Update

2011-09-16T19:14:00.007+08:00

I have always been overweight (I became obese in college), but because my family and my friends have accepted me for who I am, everything seemed okay. Though I am okay on the surface, deep inside I am wounded. When my dad died March 2007 because of a heart attack (how ironic... he was one of the fittest person I ever met - he exercised and he ate healthy foods, but still...), I accepted it wholeheartedly, but reality sunk in on me July that year, when I couldn't sleep one night and I was catching my breath. That night I felt I was about to die, but I didn't tell anyone. August, I talked to our neighbor Charmy about it, who helped me with morning walks but it ended too soon. It started my annual practice... every August, I would start working on my fitness routine, but after a month I would slowly fade away until I'd gain back every weight I lost.

This picture was taken June this year when I trekked to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo with my sister and some bloggers. It was one of the hardest things I had to endure in my life. It was the time I felt I hated myself for being obese because it took me lots of time to finish the trek when my sister finished it half of my time.

If you frequent this blog, you'd know I started with my fitness routine yet again - yep... because it was August again - but this time, I just wanted to lose weight because I will be traveling with my mom and I wanted to fit into this shirt that I bought. (Do some back reading if you want to read my fitness journey this time around)

I only got to diet and exercise most days of the week for three weeks. While on vacation, I wasn't able to do the things I needed to do, but I got to feel I did lose weight.

When I got back, I weighed myself. I lost 6lbs! I know that might seem too small for a woman my size (some get to lose as much as 12 lbs in one month), but I was ecstatic about it, because in the many attempts I had, I always only get to lose 4lbs in one month.

I still am over 200lbs, and the 6lbs I lost doesn't create that much change physically, but I know... as long I don't stop, I'd achieve my goal in the near future. Actually, I am now starting to feel guilty because the last two weeks I wasn't exercising much and there were binge moments... so I put up this post to remind myself of my achievements as long as I don't stop. I am giving myself until tomorrow (I can't exercise tomorrow because I have to attend an event), and come Sunday, I will push myself to go back on track. I still have 21 more lbs to lose for this year. :)

This is how I look now wearing the same top as the one I wore on the first image. I may have lost only 6lbs, but I think there were slight changes.

ps - I am thinking of opening a new blog solely devoted to my fitness journey. It's still a plan, but I might open it the next week should I go with it.

Day Seven - Going Home

2011-09-15T20:28:00.004+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap
Day Seven: TAG-MNL Flight
31 August 2011

A month before this trip, mom and I were really hoping time would run faster, but now that it was about to end, we were wishing we could turn back time.

Our flight was scheduled at 10:45am, so we still have until 9am at the resort. Mom and I decided to wake up early so we could take our morning shower earlier - giving us more time to roam around and savor our last few moments in Bohol. Right after eating breakfast, we walked by the beach, enjoying the low tide. That's my shadow and my mom wearing white/green clothes.

We were already at the airport around 10am, and because this would be the first time my mom would walk at the tarmac and take the stairs to the entrance of the plane, I told her to be quick and alert as I would take pictures of her. It was so funny seeing my mom (now 62 years old) looking like a child taking delight in every moment.

The plane left on time, and because my ticket was purchased on a much later date than my mom and her friends' tickets, I processed my own boarding pass and asked the ticketing officer to give me a window seat. Imagine my happiness upon knowing I was given the seat just behind my mom's seat. :) We can chit-chat while traveling. Hahaha.

It was an hour-long flight, but we were given free snacks - a cup (make that 3/4 cup) of coffee, and a pack each of peanuts and Graham Crackers.

Somewhere in Batangas, the pilot said that because of heavy air traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, we were put on hold until further notice. It took nearly 20 minutes before we were given the go signal, and although the waiting time delayed our arrival, I think it was still pretty cool to see the plane maintaining its position and would turn around after 5minutes and be back at the same spot. :)

It was around 1pm when mom and I arrived home. Sister was already waiting for us outside the neighborhood to help us carry our things, and seeing her made me feel just how much I missed her. I loved to be home, see my cats... and use my net book again. :)

It was a very memorable trip - all six days of it. I am thankful for all the blessings that came our way, and I am thankful that even if the family weren't together for that long (sister was left home, brother was in Cagayan de Oro), all of us were safe and sound.

Day Six - Around Panglao and Dauis

2011-09-12T20:37:00.004+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap

Day Six: Around Panglao and Dauis

30 August 2011

Morning of this day, Ms. Claire's son and his girlfriend flew back to Manila, so basically we don't have anything planned. We were almost convinced that we would be staying at the resort the whole day, so I hoped to explore more of the resort just to maximize the day.

Mom hoped for the two of us to take a dip in the pool, and I actually packed my swimsuit, but for some reason, I became ashamed of wearing just the swimsuit, so I told mom I'd just stay in the room, but of course, I did take some pictures of her.

Around 9am, Ms. Claire's daughter Yeye and Ms. Nerie thought of us doing the Sea Walker adventure. Knowing it cost 750 pesos (approx 17.50USD) per person, I was pretty sure not to do it anymore. However, my dearest mother convinced me of doing it because it would be the kind of adventure that I might love and cherish... and she also reminded me of the very reason why I travel, "You'll regret the things you did NOT do that the things you did do." True enough, it was an adventure I'd forever cherish.

Going back to the shore, we were told Ms. Fe and her sister will pick us up after lunch for an afternoon of strolling around Panglao and Dauis. We quickly ate our lunch at the cheap food place near the resort and prepared for our afternoon trip.

Bohol Bee Farm. Our first stop is the Bohol Bee Farm, which isn't really a bee farm "farm," but they do have two houses for the bees and that they provide a tour around the farm for 30 pesos per person. After reading a magazine feature sometime ago, I already "hoped"of seeing the place. One item on my wish list: checked!

Bayoyoy. He was once considered the smallest man in the Philippines. At 64 years old, he looked like a young boy, and being featured in several TV shows, tourists come to visit him to say hello and have pictures taken. In return, tourists leave some donation, which the family uses to buy for his personal needs.

Dauis Church. I already entered this church before, but the van passing by it, one of us requested if we could enter just so we could give thanks and pay our respect. Of course, I am happy about it because I was able to see the church with a new pair of eyes, and because of our visit, we were able to get some miraculous water.

update: I did find the water miraculous... I took home the water and while jogging, I was already panting and was way too tired, but when I drank a few gulps of the water, I felt very strong - panting gone.

Bingag Ostrich and More. It was a very small place showing some animals - leopard, ostrich, and yes, snakes. When the caretaker asked us if we wanted to touch the yellow python, I quickly showed interest. My first pictures with the snake didn't come out good, so I asked the caretaker if I can pose for pictures again. He asked me to carry the snake, which I happily did, but I got a little scared, too, when its tail started to curl around my legs.

Hinagdanan Cave. Another place on my wishlist. The cave was small, yes, but we did love the visit because our tour guide was so funny.

Panglao Church. This wasn't really part of the itinerary, but Ms. Fe showed us the church's belfry, and because we were already there and that I hoped to see the church after I saw it from afar the day we arrived in Panglao, I told them I'd go inside the church to say my prayers.

Muro-Ami Sea Side Inn. In 1999, a film about reef hunters entitled "Muro Ami" was released, and this beach gained popularity because this was were the film was shot. It was low tide when we visited, so we just took time to take pictures. I asked mom to do a jump shot, which prompted some of our companions to do a jump shot, too. That's my mom on the right most side... believe it or not, she will be 62 years old tomorrow. :)

Alona Tropical Beach Resort. If we didn't stay at the Dumaluan Beach Resort, we would have stayed here. True to what they say, the place was indeed tranquil, and if I return to Bohol, I sure hope to stay here.

The Fire Dancer. The Alona Tropical Beach Resort was indeed a quiet place, which can be a bit boring if I may say so, but the good side to it is that walking along the shore, it will take you to a strip of food places where you can hang out and enjoy the night life. It was in this area where we ate our dinner, so we won't have to eat at the resort anymore.

It was our last night in Bohol, and I was really happy that we were able to see these places.

Day Five - Bohol Sea Tour

2011-09-09T20:53:00.003+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap

Day Four: Bohol Sea Tour

29 August 2011

When I first traveled to Bohol in 2008, K and I wanted to arrange a sea tour, but because there was a typhoon that visited the province, we weren't able to do it anymore. For this trip, it was my wish to do the sea tour, and thankful that they arranged one for us.

We all ate our breakfast at 5:30am, so we would be ready by 6am, the time the boat departs. Normally, each set of group would have their own boat, but for this tour, we shared a much bigger boat with another family (a couple and their three sons). We actually didn't have any problems with it as the wife can speak the native dialect (Cebuano), which would make some talks with the boat driver much easier.

It took us more than an hour to reach our first destination, but just like yesterday, there were just so many tourists (too many boats in the sea), which made dolphin watching much difficult. For some reasons, I felt the dolphins were too stressed having to swim here and there because some boats would come near them upon spotting.

I was happy to finally see real dolphins (yes it was our first time), but because none of the dolphins swam near our boat, I had to be contented with the very few blurry pictures I took. :)

We then went to Balicasag Island where we stayed until noon time. Upon arriving, we were quickly asked if we wanted to buy fresh seafood, which the residents of the island would cook according to our request. Our group of 8 went for a kilo of shrimps and two kinds of big fish.

While waiting for the seafood to be cooked, we were asked if we wanted to check the marine sanctuary. It might be a good experience, but mom and I chose not to go anymore because going meant paying extra 300 pesos per person - 150 for the small boat ride and 150 for the diver shoes (rental). We just stayed at the island and watched over our things.

After having a sumptuous lunch, we headed towards Virgin Island, but near the island, we saw this very shallow beach in the middle of the sea and asked the boat driver if we could make a very quick stopover there. Since I wasn't able to take a dip at the Balicasag Island, it was here that I finally decided to keep my camera and just enjoy the moment. This picture above was taken by Ms. Nerie using her camera.

The dip at that "beach in the middle of the sea" was only around 10 minutes, as we really need to go to the Virgin Island, which was also the last stop before traveling back to the resort. Given the name "Virgin Island," I was hoping this would be very serene, very pretty, very clean... but I was a little (just a little) disappointed at what I saw. Some tourists were partying, some made their own fire to cook food, and a lot were trying to take shade in the trees. Still, we enjoyed the visit - especially when the coconut and sea urchin vendors allowed us to use their goods as props for pictures. :)

When we got back at the resort, I took a nap to recharge. Before the sun set, us three sharing the room (Ms. Nerie, mom, and I) went to take a walk around and took some pictures as well.

Dinnertime, we saw a food place at the public area (still part of the resort) which offered much cheaper food than the resort's main restaurant. We still had some left over chicken from last night (good thing the room had a refrigerator), so the three of us just bought steamed rice and iced tea.

My Top 10 Influential Blogs for 2011

2011-09-06T19:42:00.004+08:00

I have been blogging for many years now, and being a citizen in the blogosphere, I was able to read quite a lot of blogs that not only influenced me, some of those blogs' authors also became online pals. This was my first time to cast a vote for the influential bloggers and I was supposed to cast my votes a long time ago, but for many reasons, it was just now that I am going to list down my 10 influential blogs for 2011.

A little background about this project... the Influential Blogger started 5 years ago by Ms. Janette Toral and aims to recognize the new blogs which has gained a following despite its age. This project was made possible with the help of: Cyber Monday Deals, TRIbeca Private Residences, How To Videos, Palawan Beaches for Sale,Green and Natural Lubes Philippines, Philippine data center, Philippine online shopping, Singapore Jobs, Pinoy Party Food, Manila rentals, and Great product deals.

My Top 10 Influential Blogs for 2011 are:

{in random order}

1) Sleek in the City. The blog's author - Mark Delgado (whom I know as "Madey") was actually one of my first blog-friends. We get to read each others blogs using Multiply as our platform (circa 2005/2006), and even then I have always admired his way of writing. We lost contacts in Multiply, and surprisingly, he was able to find my blog and it opened the gates for friendship once more. I started reading this blog of his a few months ago, and I remembered reading a lot of his posts in one day - that's how influential he is, in my opinion.

2) Foodamn! Philippines. Owned by Darryll Dial-Villena, I like reading this blog because it just have so many food topics to discuss - food events, food trips, regional food products, and so much more. I am a follower of this blog, because I always look forward to Dei's food updates. :)

3) Certified Foodies. The very first time I hopped into this blog via a blog meme, I already fell in love with it. I love how siblings Mhel and Ken presented the blog - from the theme, to the widgets... and of course to their posts. Like Foodamn! Philippines, I also look forward to this blog's new updates, because not only do I love the way they write, I also love the pictures they post. Living up to their blog's name, Mhel and Ken are really "Certified Foodies."

4) RizalPark.Org. Want to know more about the Philippines' national hero? Read this blog. Why do I love this blog? Simply because reading it makes me proud to be a Filipino.

5) My Green Living Ideas. I have been a follower of this blog since I joined its weekly blog meme, "Green Mondays," but aside from that, I love what this blog is aiming for. With so many destructive things happening to our world, it's just so nice to see a blog like this that cares so much for the environment.

6) Notepad Corner. I love reading blogs that celebrates life, and this is just how Joy does it. Not only does she share things about her family life, she also shares things about the many essences of life.

7) Make More Money Online. Well, I really want to know many things how to earn some moolah to help with the little expenses, and this blog has been a great source of reading.

8) Lafanggero. Just reading this blog makes me wish I can do that much food trips, too! :)

9) Blogger Manila. Even if I am blogging for many years now, there are still so many things I need to learn, and by reading this blog, not only do I get to know about events, I also get to learn many things bloggers should know - like how to brand your blogs as well as the current events about the blogosphere.

10) The Lost Boy Lloyd. There are so many good travel blogs around, but I think the only travel blog fit to be part of this year's influential blogs is this one. Although this blog features certain international travel stories, the Lost Boy also features a lot of local travels, which I love to read because I am a frustrated traveler in my own right. I do travel sometimes, yes...but because there are so many local places I hope to visit, I just take pleasure in reading about it for now, hoping I can visit it in the future, too.

Do you have your own top 10 influential blogs for 2011? You only have until tomorrow, 07 September 2011 to cast your vote! For more details about this project, please check out the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs page.

Day Four - Bohol City Tour

2011-09-05T21:10:00.003+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap
Day Four: Bohol City Tour
28 August 2011

I knew the sunrise can be seen by the beach side of Dumaluan Beach Resort, so I set the alarm of my cell phone at 5:30am so I could see it. Satisfied with my sunrise pictures, I also walked to the beach side of Bohol Beach Club, to take some pictures. Mom and her colleagues were also out early today to have an early walk / jog.

We knew we were scheduled to do our City Tour today, so by 7am we already went to the dining hall to eat our breakfast. One big change at the resort - they now serve breakfast buffet, which was something I was thankful for. They offered three dishes: meat, egg, and vegetables, two rice varieties (steamed and garlic fried rice), as well as fruits for desserts, and two kinds of drinks: juice and coffee. For light breakfast eaters and foreigners who aren't used to eating rice for breakfast, they also offer sliced loaf bread, fruit jam/marmalade, and butter.

By 9am, we were all ready to embark on a tour around Bohol. The resort had a set list of places to see, so I will just share a picture from each places, in chronological order.

Blood Compact Site. Way too many tourists today, and it was way too difficult to take pictures! It was one hot, sunny, day, but good thing I was able to take a picture of the site without any people. A Korean couple was actually about to come near the site, but I managed to ask them to stay away for a while. I only took two pictures, but I was happy with it.

Baclayon Church. In 2008, I wasn't able to take a good picture of this church's facade, so knowing my companions were going to see the museum (I knew pictures weren't allowed there), I just told mom I'd go out and take a picture of the church's facade, and I would just meet them at the van.

The Huge Python. I got to see magazine show that featured this animal, and because of its size, it has then became a tourist attraction. This wasn't the first time I touched a python so I wasn't afraid of it.

Loboc River Cruise. Too many tourists today made us wait more than an hour before we could ride the floating restaurant. Each ride has its own stopover, and for this time we stopped over a hut to watch the people of Loboc sing and dance. Of course, mom and I didn't pass the opportunity to dance with them. :)

Tarsier Sanctuary. Very few tarsiers awake that time (well, they are nocturnal animals), but I was able to take enough pictures for my other blogs.

Man-Made Forest. It was a very short stopover, but at least I had good pictures now - in 2008, my pictures were all crappy - because it was way too dark and it started raining. :)

Simply Butterflies Sanctuary. Typhoons visited the country a few weeks before may be the reason why there weren't that much butterflies, but the whole visit was very worthwhile, thanks to our witty tour guide.

Chocolate Hills. Well of course, you've never been to Bohol if you didn't check out the Chocolate Hills! :) One major mistake I did was to go on a trip with camera's battery at 25% and taking just one pair of spare battery, which I didn't know yet how much its juice can last. By the time we reached Chocolate Hills, my spare battery was already showing the "low batt" sign, so some pictures from here were taken using my cell phone, including this picture.

Hanging Bamboo Bridge. This was one of my dream places to visit in Bohol, and I was thankful this was part of the tour's itinerary. My companions crossed the bridge before I did - not because I was scared, but because mom wanted me to take a picture of her crossing the other bridge. :) Crossing this bridge was so fun, but because it wobbled a lot, by the time I crossed the second bridge, each step I took was a bit wobbly, too. Hahaha.

On our way back to the resort, we realized that we will be eating dinner at the resort, so to save up on food cost (food at the resort was quite pricey), we bought roadside roasted chicken - one for mom, Ms. Nerie, and I... Ms. Claire also bought one for their family. However, when we reached the resort, Ms. Fe's nephew was already waiting for us because they wanted us to eat dinner at their place, as this was Panglao's fiesta. Since I was already tired and that we already bought chicken, I told mom I won't be coming with them anymore - and that I'd just buy rice at the resort's dining area. I had a great dinner at our room, watching Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen) on Star World. :)

We all called it a night early... we have to be ready at 5:30am tomorrow because we will be having our Sea Tour.

From Cebu to Bohol

2011-09-04T06:25:00.003+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap
Day Three: From Cebu to Bohol
27 August 2011

We all woke up real early today because we needed to catch the 9am fast craft ride to Bohol. There were so many people at the port today, and it sure was a good thing that we purchased the tickets a week before, because when we got there, we were told that tickets were sold out and the afternoon trip was cancelled because of strong tides.

It was a very bumpy ride. The boat was really fast, the tides were too strong that made some of the passengers seasick just seconds after the boat left. Part of me was worried - it would take us 2 hours before we reached Bohol and with the way the boat went, I was afraid it will crash - but I knew I just have to lift all my worries to Lord and trust that we will arrive in Bohol safe. So as to not feel any negativities, I forced myself to sleep, and thankful I was able to sleep for a good 45 minutes.

Reaching Bohol was like winning a race. With all the worries gone, it was time for us to embark on our Bohol adventure. Ms. Fe's family will be staying at her sister's house, while the rest of us were booked at the Dumaluan Beach Resort. A van from the resort was waiting for us, but when we reached the resort, we just placed our luggage at an empty room because the van will take us to the house of Ms. Fe's sister to eat lunch.

Panglao was to celebrate their fiesta tomorrow, so houses were busy preparing for it. For lunch, we had so many pork dishes - lechon (from Cebu), dinuguan, nilaga, hamonado, and caldereta. Dieting for three weeks before this trip, I felt guilty having to eat a lot of pork dishes, but at this moment I just set aside the thoughts and just enjoyed the moment. That didn't mean overeating, of course... I still watched my food intake.

After eating lunch, parents relaxed (mom and Ms. Claire took a nap) while us kids went around to find things to take pictures of. Not too far from the house, we saw some men busy roasting pig (lechon), and the men were so nice to let us come near for a photo op. :)

We also visited two more houses, eating something at each of the houses. While at another sister's house, we had snacks... and when we reached the house of Ms. Fe's parents, we had some coconuts (fresh from the tree).

We all wanted to go back to the resort as we were all tired from the bumpy boat ride and we were all tired from walking around Panglao, but Ms. Fe and her sister Ms. Babes didn't want to let us go back to the resort without eating dinner first. I decided to eat a little for tonight as I was still full from the foods I ate for the day.

I was surprised when the resort staff led us to our rooms. It was the same row as the one K and I had in 2008, but sadly, we weren't assigned the exact same room. There were problems with the toilet's flush, but the staff just let us stay here for the night and assured us that we will be transferred the next day.

We all slept early as come tomorrow morning, we will embark on a city tour.

Cebu Trip, Day 2

2011-09-02T19:38:00.003+08:00

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap
Day Two: Tour Around Cebu
26 August 2011

Before calling it a day last night, I was able to talk to my mom about our schedule. She told me we will have the whole day of Day 2 in Cebu, and morning of Day 3 we will crossover Bohol province. I felt one whole day in Cebu wouldn't be enough (in 2009, I was in Cebu for about 4 days and I still haven't seen all of the attractions in the city), but of course, we would just have to maximize the time given to us. The same van driver who picked us up from the airport told us to be ready by 8:30am this day so we could check out places.

Boarding the van, the driver told us our first destination was 2 hours away from the city. At first I thought we would go to Lapu-Lapu City to see the Lapu-Lapu Shrine, but we were traveling on a different road, so all I could do was to wait and see. Three or four towns after, I started wondering where were we heading, so I asked Mae (one of mom's colleagues) if she knew our destination. She said we would visit a church known for its miracles. I then knew we would visit the church of the Birhen sa Simala - Lindogon. For some reason, I started feeling excited and touched knowing I would finally see this church, and setting foot in the church grounds, I just started crying... the same way I cried when I first saw the image at the Cebu Cathedral in 2009.

I haven't exercised for the entire week, and I knew climbing up was one of my weaknesses, but for some reason, I never felt tired when I climbed the stairs to the main altar. Very amazing! Now I knew there was a connection between the Birhen and I, the same way that my aunt Julie felt with the Our Lady of Manaoag, and the same way that my sister felt with the Black Nazarene of Quiapo.

Saying our prayers and touring the museum took some time, and we left the church grounds around noon time. When the driver saw a food place just a few meters away, he suggested we eat there first because the next food place might be far. Mom and I went for two viands - this vegetable dish and a fish dish plus a small saucer of noodles. We shared the table with Mae, her husband, and Ms. Neri, so I was able to take pictures of their foods, too.

It took us another two hours back to the city, and even if the Fort San Pedro wasn't part of our itinerary for the day, me telling mom the name of the place made our companions wish to see it, too. Knowing there was an entrance fee, we didn't enter anymore, and just contented ourselves by having our pictures taken outside.

Of course, a trip to Cebu City will never be complete without seeing Magellan's Cross, because this is part of the Philippines' identity. Because of Ferdinand Magellan, the country embraced Catholicism, and for that I am forever grateful. :)

A few steps from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica of Sto. Nino, probably the most well known church in Cebu City. There was no mass that time, so we were able to pray and take pictures inside, although I didn't take a lot as there were so many people inside.

I so wished to walk to the Cebu Cathedral and see the changes (In 2009, the Cathedral was under renovation), but my companions didn't want to go there anymore.

By the start of the day, most of us were already talking about riding the Edge Coaster at the Crown Regency Hotel, and at first I was a bit hesitant to do it. Well, I knew three of my cousins were working there, and while waiting for mom at the airport yesterday, my cousin Dennis called me to say that if mom and I were visiting the hotel, he could give us free tickets for the ride (just mom and I, of course he can't give free tickets to our companions). On this day, I knew cousin Dennis won't report for work, and his brothers Henry and Perrie were in Boracay, so that would mean no free tickets for us. I told mom we shouldn't take the ride anymore because it was quite pricey (450 pesos each ride). Still, mom insisted we try it because it would be a good adventure for us, and while lining up for the tickets, mom asked a staff if she knew cousin Henry (I further told her he is mom's nephew), and a few minutes later, the whole ticketing staff just asked us to enter and not pay for our tickets anymore. Mom asked why (she was actually ready to pay for the tickets), and the staff told us cousin already left a note to give us free tickets should we come. Oh wow! :) Needless to say, mom and I were all smiles.

Aside from the Edge Coaster ride, we also took their Sky Walking adventure. It was so awesome!

After the adventure, we went to eat dinner at a different hotel, then we all went back "home." Our trip to Cebu is about to end, and although we only toured for one full day and that we weren't able to see other tourist spots, I was happy for this trip as I was able to see new places and experience new adventures.

My Bucket List | #27 - Fly Solo

2011-09-01T10:18:00.005+08:00

I got home from my six days vacation visiting Cebu and Bohol yesterday, and now that I got the rest that I needed, I can now start updating! :)

Cebu - Bohol Trip Recap

Day One: Off to Cebu

25 August 2011

One day two months ago, I received a call from my mom asking me if I wanted to travel with her to Cebu and Bohol provinces. I was surprised with the question because she didn't tell us any travel plans. Actually, the reason for the question was because they (she and her close friends at work) already booked flights and one of them backed out so mom was asking if I wanted to get the spare tickets so she can buy it from her friend. I told her yes.

Unfortunately, plane tickets aren't like bus tickets. Plane tickets have the name of the passengers printed on it, and passengers have to present at least an ID. Since the tickets they purchased the tickets at a promo rate, passengers weren't allowed to transfer the tickets - they could just re-schedule their flight. Right then, I told mom I'd won't come with there anymore, but mom insisted I'd come with them. With the help of my Uncle Pete, I was able to book my flights... but I chose my Manila-Cebu flight to be earlier than my mom and her friends' flight, because the 12:45pm flight was much cheaper than the 7:20pm flight - which mom and her friends booked.

25 August 2011, I left the house around 6:30am so I would have ample time. I arrived at the airport around 10:45am - still a lot of time to wait, but I always believe it was much better to be early at the airport and wait a long time than to worry about having limited time. When I checked-in for the flight, I asked the staff to give me a window seat behind the plane's wing. I specifically told him I want a seat on any of the 26, 27, 28 rows, but he told me the plane was big and the only seat available that fits my preference was 66A.

We boarded the plane around 12:30pm, and it was my first time to board such a big plane. Majority of the flights I took had six seats per row (3 seats | aisle | 3 seats), but this plane had 7 seats per row (2 seats | aisle | 3 seats | aisle | 2 seats). I was a bit surprised when a woman was already sitting on my seat, and when I told her I was given the 66A seat, she told me she she already fastened her seat belt and it would be a hassle to take it off and stand up so I could take my seat. She just asked me to take the aisle seat instead. The woman is the same age bracket as my mom, so I didn't push anymore - I took the aisle seat.

Well, parts of the flight made me happy I took the aisle seat - it was raining that time and for the first 20 minutes of the flight (the entire flight lasted 1 hour) it was just pure white outside the window. This was my second time to fly via Philippine Airlines, and on my first flight, I wasn't given snacks (because I bought the promo tickets that time), so I was happy to receive some snacks for this flight. The last food I ate was for breakfast (which I ate before leaving the house), and since it was already 1pm, I was already hungry.

Near Cebu, the skies started to clear up. This was a blurred picture - the only window picture I took because my seat mate was always blocking the view. I just zoomed my camera to take this picture and thankful it came out okay - but yes, I agree the scratches on the window was an eyesore. :)

The plane reached the Mactan - Cebu International Airport after an hour. For a first time solo flyer, it was quite interesting how calm I was - no worries whatsoever about some things. I was so happy setting foot in Cebu again... but I had to wait around 7 hours for mom's flight to arrive.

I am not complaining... I chose the 12:45pm flight and I was happy to be where I was.

Flying solo? A check on My Bucket List.

Anyway... upon arrival, I noticed there were comfy seats, so instead of going out and look for ways to spend my first day in Cebu, I just stayed there and waited for mom's flight to arrive. I should be waiting for six hours as their departure time in Manila was initially at 6:20pm, but a day before the flight, they received a notice from Philippine Airlines that their flight will be moved to 7:20pm. Seven hours was a long time, but I entertained myself by reading a book (I brought "The Secret" with me), and watch people getting their luggage every time there was an arrival.

I didn't see any food places nearby, but thankful my sister packed 2 chicken sandwiches for me, which served as my late lunch/snacks that day. I was thankful that there was a coffee vendo, too, which dispenses a cup of coffee for 10 pesos (three coffee varieties to choose from - black, black with sugar, and sweet & creamy). This saved my wallet a few precious bucks - at least I didn't have to look for a coffee shop. :)

I was exchanging messages with mom the entire afternoon, and even if their flight left on time, their arrival was 45 minutes delayed. Instead of arriving 7:55pm, they arrived nearly 9pm. For our stay in Cebu, we all (mom was on the same flight with her friends at work and some of their family members) will stay at the house of tita Fe's sister, so upon their arrival, we quickly boarded the van so we could reach the house asap.

After some light dinner (it was late anyway), we all fixed ourselves to sleep. We have the full day tomorrow to tour around, and I am so excited to roam around Cebu again.

A Whole Lotta Recaps

2011-08-23T22:22:00.005+08:00

I wasn't able to blog much this weekend, so I will make a two-in-one recap post, first the recap for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday... then I will make a recap for my Week 3.

SATURDAY, 20 August 2011

Brother and I attended the Blogger Fiesta Manila (see previous post about the topics discussed) and apart from the gained knowledge, was so happy to see our cousin as well as our bloggers at the event. I also gave Marjorie the other April 2011 issue of Yummy Magazine so she could try the recipes, too. I didn't win any of the prizes raffled off, but it was okay, the knowledge I gained was enough for me.

While walking around SM City North Edsa going to the jeepney terminal, I got to see the Slers Store and I got to buy a pack of chicharon. Well, brother told me to just buy one, because he is about to fly to Cagayan de Oro and he will just buy me some directly from CDO. :)

No exercise for me today because of the event, but I would also say that I got to walk a lot for this day. The jeepney driver dropped us off at the main building (near Trinoma), and the event was located at the Annex building. After the event, it was another round of walking for us. :)

Food wise, I'd say I binged today. Brother and I ate at Chicken Deli, and I had two cups of rice to go with my grilled chicken leg quarter. We didn't eat the entire afternoon, and we put off eating dinner until we got home, so I ate a lot for dinner as I was really, really hungry. I had another roasted chicken leg quarter, lots of rice, pancit, and I had a glass of Coca-Cola because I was really dizzy. They now think my blood sugar levels dropped because of exercising and dieting, so they offered me the Coke. Well, I did feel better after. :)
SUNDAY, 21 August 2011

Nothing much happened this Sunday, but I was happy to finally receive the email from Nescafe about the notebook I chose to redeem using my Nescafe points. Nescafe has this ongoing promo on Facebook where fans of their page can use the "One question, Three Answers" app, and each day, fans can collect 30 points (15 from answering the question + 15 if they shared their answer on their Facebook wall). By the end of August, they will raffle off a Samsung Galaxy Tab, a Blackberry phone, and a trip to Boracay, but one must collect at least 1000 points to be eligible for the raffle. I was able to collect my 1000th point two weeks ago, and since fans with at least 600 points up can redeem Nescafe items (shirts, umbrellas, notebook, bag, and USB flash drive), I opted to use my 1000 points to get the notebook (made of paper, not the gadget one). Upon using my points, I received an email asking me to wait for another email indicating the details where I could redeem my item, and today I finally received the e-mail. Hooray!

By the way, I cleaned my closet today. I am now ready to let go of some of the fat clothes, as well as some old underwear. It's time for me to give space in my closet for "thin" clothes.

My sister and my mom asked me to forget my diet a bit and just eat. They are noticing that I am complaining about being dizzy too many times, and they just want me to at least finish the weekend get myself well first and go back to exercising and dieting the next week. For my lunch and dinner, I ate salmon head paksiw, which I think was very okay since it's fish - it's healthy, and... I didn't use any oil to cook it. However, for both lunch and dinner, I had two cups rice and I realize, I still can't get myself disciplined when it comes to fish paksiw.

Obviously, I didn't do exercise today because of the weekend agreement with mom and sis.
MONDAY, 22 August 2011

While brother was busy washing his clothes because will fly to Cagayan de Oro the next day, I got myself busy folding the clothes I am ready to let go. I saw this one denim top, which I only got to wear once (see picture HERE) in 2009 because I didn't look good in it. The top was a bit loose then (sister just placed safety pins near the armpit side), so I didn't wear it again. While folding it, I noticed the holes (kinda like rubber shoes) on each side, so I decided to take out the string, fold the sides to make two columns of holes meet (the original "stitch" was just there for embellishment). After doing it on both sides, I tried the top on, and hallelujah it still fits! :) No need to throw away the top, am keeping it! :)

Food wise, I still am eating quite a lot - I had two small chicken drumsticks which brother cooked ala Chicken Style... I told him the secret to it was "Five Spice Powder," and true enough, it tasted a bit like the one served at a Chinese fast food, but I went to eat just a cup of rice for lunch and dinner. For dinner, I cooked Tilapia Fillets wrapped in bok choy, and it was delish! :)

I went back to do my exercises today, and I was able to do all three Hip Hop Abs routines, as well as the dumbbells exercises. Total cups of water for today: 13 + 2 tall glasses of water, one of which I used to mix the C-Lium Fibre. I still experienced bad reactions to it (no more "butterflies in the stomach" feeling, but I am irritated because it was way too difficult to poop), so I think I'd take a break from it and just get back next month after I get home from my trip.
WEEK 3 RECAP

Week 3 wasn't good for me. I had my monthly period and I started feeling dizzy. I didn't exercise on some days and this week I had my first binge since I started the journey. I feel truly guilty about that, but part of me was telling myself it was all okay because I did feel better after eating a lot. I still haven't weighed myself, but I sure will weigh myself tomorrow because I need to borrow neighbor's weighing scale to help determine my luggage's weight. Anyway, I sure hope this week won't pull me down, especially that my trip is so near and I won't have the chance to do much exercises while away.

As for Lyn's Habit-a-Week Challenge, I totally failed week 3 - Eating a Veggie. I did get to eat vegetables, but my main food for the week was chicken, so I guess I'd continue with this challenge until I get back from my trip.

Blogger Fiesta Manila 2011

2011-08-23T14:54:00.005+08:00

SATURDAY, 19 August 2011

In one of the prayer meetings I had with my SFC household, our leader Rhona shared to us something she learned from another co-SFC member. She said, as individuals, we shouldn't just use our earnings to save and buy things for our personal consumption, but also, we should use a part of our money to learn more. This means either buying a new book, attend workshops, and buy items that would increase our knowledge.

When I started to blog full time (meaning I blog almost everyday), I only blog to blog... but lately, as I get to know more bloggers and explore different blogs, I started to feel the willingness to learn more about blogging, and applying the same principle as I shared in my intro, I am now starting to read about ways to make blogging better.

When I received an invitation to attend the 2nd Blogger Fiesta Manila, I didn't hesitate and immediately sent my RSVP. Reading articles online sure helps, but I know it's much better to be in the same roof with fellow Filipino bloggers so information exchange has more substance, if I may say so. Together with my brother, we attended the Blogger Fiesta Manila at the Cyberzone of SM City North Edsa.

Hosts. Flow and Omar were the event's hosts... they really knew how to liven the event with their funny antics. :)

There were a lot of talks lined up for the day, and there were so many information gathered, so I'd just make this one concise, as I don't want to make a very lengthy post. :)

Az Coladilla. Az is the blogger behind this event, and he presented the first topic of the day, "Blog Layout and How to Use the Blogger Designer Template." At first, it was a topic I know a bit about as three of my blogs' templates were designed using the Blogger Template Designer. However, I got to learn some more like:

Your blog's header should be something that is related to your blog niche. You can't put flowery header when you write about emo stuff.
When putting your blog header, you can do away without the blog description, but never ever take away your blog's title. Also, when uploading your header, always choose "Instead of Title and Description." Your header should be clickable (even if you have your "Home" button under the header), because it also helps with the SEO.
Never, ever, ever put background music on your blogs. No matter how good the music/song may be, people will be highly annoyed with it - especially if they are also listening to their own choice of music or watching videos while blog hopping.
If you're blogging using a net book, do consider the font size of your blog - don't make it too big because even if the font looks okay on your end, it may appear too big for people using laptops or big monitors.

Juned Sonido. Juned talked about the recent issue regarding DTI and giveaways put up by bloggers. It's a very sensitive and "heated" topic, and this issue is still not over, although, bloggers can have a sigh of relief because DTI has already set some rules and blog giveaways with prizes below 1M is exempted, and if certain companies will ask bloggers to host giveaways on their behalf, the companies should be the ones securing a DTI permit and not the bloggers.

Jhong Medina. His talk was about "Optimizing Wordpress for Search Engine for Beginners," and since I am no longer blogging using Wordpress, I still get to learn a lot from his talk. Because of his talk, I am now very much aware how to title and tag my posts, as well as use several programs to help with the SEO of my blogs. I have this blog and two photo blogs, which don't really need too much SEO application, but my travel blog and food blog are two of my blogs that I want to have lots of traffic, and thanks to his talk, I understood more and more about how to do it. One major thing I learned: you also have to give the pictures you're uploading the appropriate titles because it can also help generate traffic for your blog.

Jonel Uy. Jonel is one of the successful bloggers I know of and today he talked about "BBB for B" or "Brand Building Basics for Bloggers." The title of his blog maybe about Bs, but it centered in four Cs - Character, Content, Context, and Creator.

Character - "Who are you?"
Content - "What do you write about?"
Context - "What is your perspective?"
Creator - "Who is the blogger?"

Character and Creator may be similar, but there is this thread that separates one from the other, while "Character" talks about you as a blogger, "Creator" speaks about you as a person making the blog. Confused? Well, he gave another explanation - If "Content" is about the flesh and meat of your blog, "Creator" is the soul of the blog.

Bob Reyes. Being the owner of Turfsite that provides blog hosting services, Bob talked about "Hosting Your Own Blog or Website." He cited several reasons why having your own domain is much better:

Free blogs is like renting a house - it is yours, yes, but not really yours.
Owning a domain means buying a "peace of mind." - you can call your host anytime of the day when you have blog problems, whereas if you blog for free, you just have to adjust and put up with the server's quirks.

Personally, I still have some issues regarding owning a domain, and right now I still think blogging for free is much "stable" because my very old blog is still up and running even if I haven't updated it for years. I know owning a domain has its own limits - like losing it when you can't pay up for the domain and hosting anymore, and since I blog to "immortalize" myself, I sometimes think owning a domain isn't really for keeps.

David D'Angelo. Introduction about him said, "He is a cosplayer and a blogger who talks about social topics - politics, economics, etc." His talked centered on "Blog Personalities: Knowing and Writing for Target Audience." His talk is somewhat a continuation of Jonel's talk, and some points he tackled:

You cannot be the same person in all of your blogs (if you have multiple blogs).
Ask yourself, "How do people see my blog?" and "Will my personality fit my blog?" To that last question is a follow up question, "Does my personality need to fit my blog?"
Don't blog out of necessities. Don't put up a blog (i.e - travel blog) just because you see your friend's travel blog gaining a lot of traffic.

Major point of the talk: You can create a blog that has its own personality. There is no such thing as a "general" blog because the fact that you blog about something, it already has its own personality.

Carlo Ople. The topic of Carlo's talk was about "Blogging Powered by Social Media Steroids." He made a short introduction about how many Filipinos are using Facebook and Twitter (among the many social networking sites), which meant bloggers can really use these sites to power their blogging. He also gave six blogging tips using social media:

Understand Facebook's edge rank.
Place buttons on prominent locations.
Integrate Facebook comments on your blogs.
Get exposure on other Facebook pages.
Integrate Google +1.
Do your own media kit.

The last point was something appropriate for bloggers who want to get samples from companies (if you blog about products), but the first five points are something all bloggers can relate about. Some people may not like Facebook, but... if you're a blogger, you don't really need to like it, instead you can use it to your blog's advantage. These tips Carlo gave I am now starting to do and if you visit my food blog, I Live to Eat!, you can see that I already put up buttons on the upper right part of each posts... I am now starting to learn how to integrate the Facebook powered comments page.

Jenny Manongdo. Of all the topics, hers was the lightest as she talks about "The Joys and Rewards of Blogging." Though the topic was light, it was also the one nearest to the heart. Jenny stressed the fact that we all should be proud of us being bloggers because it is an extension of ourselves. She also shared a very wonderful quote, "The future belongs to the communicators." (that's from the book "You, Inc." by Henry Beckwith and Christine Clifford Beckwith)

Marlon Guzman. Aside from Google Page Rank (hehehe), one of the things bloggers fear are the hackers. In his talk, Marlon shares several tips on how to make our blogs secure, but he also stressed that even if we do all the tips we can gather, our blog is still not 100% safe as hackers will do everything to ruin sites, therefore, we should periodically back up our blogs and change our passwords.

Marnell Delos Reyes. Last talk of the day was about "Resolving Blog Issues 101." His topic was too technical for a blogger like me, but once I gather all the screen shots taken by my brother, I will definitely learn more about it.

So many bloggers present that day, and although I got to see my second cousin Marjorie (the one in green/red stripes) as well as blogger pals Den and Shekinah (right most) whom I first met during the Mt. Pinatubo trek, I also got to meet blogger Dei (of Foodamn!) personally. She has been a friend in Facebook for a few months now and I do visit her food blog from time to time, and it was so great to finally meet the blogger behind the blog.

As always, no bloggers event is complete without the "class picture." Taken by Az, he took three pictures and stitched them together to make this image - that meant holding our pose for a few seconds, but it sure came out good.

Whether you're a hobby blogger or someone who does it for a living, you should really not stop gaining new knowledge and you shouldn't stop interacting with fellow bloggers. If you hear of an event, which may help you gain more knowledge (may it be through photography or art classes or anything), don't hesitate to attend. Life is an endless learning experience.

I hope, too, that you learned something about this recap. :)