Vigan Here I come

Gadh! I'm sooo excited I can't wait to go on leave. My sister and I have been planning our trip to Vigan, Ilocos Sur for weeks thank God everything is just falling into place. My team's rest day is supposed to change by 1st week of may as forecasted during the time I filed my vacation leave but for some un-Godly reason, it changed sooner than expected so from off-off-VL-VL it became off-off-work-VL-VL. Of course I got worried because my VL is so important to me that I couldn't let anything get in the way but with divine intervention my boss was able to file it manually and had it approved after a week yay! What a sigh of relief but it got better when they opened more VL slots last week so to cut it short I requested for one more day and was granted the same day, awesome right?  My sister had the same problem with her VLs when one of her VLs that falls on a Monday was denied so not to spoil our travel plans she decided that she will not to go to work on that day. Oh well, she's never been absent so I know that's not gonna be easy for her but it just somehow worked out because last week she was informed that her denied VL was an Australian holiday so they don't have work on that day which means that she can have a guilt-free vacation. 

Okay, so I got my birthday present two days ago though it wasn't what I originally wanted but it was all worth it still. My sister got herself a Polaroid (that's the brand name) digital camera last week since I'm not much into digi cam's I asked my friend if she know of somebody who sell DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras and she referred me to this multiply site http://kimstore.mutliply.com/ where I came across affordable DSLR cameras and saw one that fits my budget, a Canon D3000 which costs less than 25K.

I hurriedly sent an email to inquire but they're on cash basis only and I don't have cash handy yet so I tried looking somewhere else like on ebuystore.ph it had me sign up for a Paypal account which I did but the completion process will take a month I won't be able to make any online purchase yet but I need the cam badly at least a week before our trip. I guess this trip is really meant to happen because I managed to get myself a DSLR S200 EXR kit instead, the specs is just as good as other camera brandeds. My sister had a really difficult time looking for a battery charger for her digicam but we found one yesterday too. We're so ready.

We went to Partas Bus terminal yesterday to see if we can get a reservation ticket for our Vigan trip this coming Friday unfortunately, we couldn't because they don't have reservations compared to other bus companies like Victory Liner which means that we have to buy tickets on the day of our trip maybe because they don't get sold out anyway. 

Few more days to go so Vigan, here I come.

:D

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I'm up early I was awakened by the sound of "salubong" (traditional Easter welcome), fireworks and drum and lire band that passed our street. I went out to see the event from the terrace I had a slight view of the procession. "Salubong" is an Easter Sunday pre-dawn ritual that reenacts the risen Christ's meeting with his mother. It is performed in the churchyard under a specially prepared arch where the veiled image of the Virgin Mary has been placed. A child dressed as an angel is lowered by ropes from a high platform to lift the mourning veil of the grieving mother. The church bells are rung, and there is a procession of the images of christ and his mother that ends up inside the church. The participants in the procession are segregated by gender. The men and boys follow the image of jesus christ, while women and girls follow the image of mary. The procession ends with the two groups meeting in the church, where mass is said. The last Salubong i've seen was back when I was a kid so I couldn't tell if anything changed through the years. I mean it's a tradition but Filipinos like to modernized eveeything so who knows?

Climate change is getting worse, after Typhoon Ondoy now comes El Nino. Summer is sooo getting into my nerves! I'm not used to sleeping without blankets but the heat is unbearable especially during my time to sleep in the afternoon. It's such a pain having to force myself to sleep everyday so I started taking "Sleepasil" few days ago to aid me to sleep but it's not a sleeping pill so it's not intended to make you sleep for as long as you want I still can't get the deep sleep that I want. My workmate attended a "sleep clinic" at work I got free sleeping pill samples so she tried it and told me that she got a real good sleep she almost got late for work she won't wake up not until her roomate come knocking at her door trying to wake her up. I'm not insomniac but lately I've been having difficulty sleeping. Sure I want a good sleep but I want to be able to wake up in case of emergency. All drugs have good and bad side effects so they have to be taken in moderation especially without a doctor's prescription because these drugs pass through our system we have to be careful of what we take. A slight relief may have long term side effects.

Earth Hour

Earth hour was observed last Saturday, March 27 by switching off lights at 8:30PM. It may be of little or no effort at all but I strongly believe that if people contribute in doing little things together we can make a huge difference. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that the switch-off at 8:30PM on March 27 will be the highlight of Earth Hour which has been observed in the last three years. Moreso, they quoted on their website that “the switch-off signifies the start of a very personal and lasting lifestyle change to minimize our ecological impacts and to do our bit for a more sustainable planet. Personal pledges can take many forms, from upgrading to energy-efficient appliances to planting and stewarding a small grove of native trees." As of 7:30PM last Thursday, some 1,041 Philippine cities and towns have confirmed participation. This is a proof that it's not too late to save our thriving planet because there's nothing like it out there.

Yesterday was Palm Sunday which marks the beginning of holy week. Unfortunately its been years since I've attended Palm Sunday so I haven't been able to witness the blessing of "Palaspas," these are decorative palm fronds that are part of the catholic celebration of Palm Sunday in the Philippines. They are brought to the church to be blessed as part of the Palm Sunday mass and waved as the priest enters the church, in commemoration of Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Several beliefs have been associated with the Palaspas but the most popular being the use of the sacred Palaspas as a talisman (amulet) to ward off evil. Philippines is the only predominantly Christian country in Asia, appproximately 85% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), 10% Muslim and 5% 'other' religions including the Taoist-Buddhist so that clearly explains why Filipinos among other countries strictly observe holy week in fact Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are part of our legal holidays. For some people, holy week is a good time for weekend getaways but not for me. I think it's a good time to spend quiet time at home and pray plus I'm on a tight budget. I'm on leave today but I didn't box as originally planned I just feel like I'm in dire need of rest I have shift. Stressed out.

Earth Shake

Hell yeah I survived another week. Just am update because it seems that a lot of things happened this week. First off I think I'm going nuts over my schedule change. From 6-5AM it jumped to 12-1AM, whew. My skin is breaking out I've never had so many zits all over my face in just a week, omg! I'm just a little thankful I don't have to ride a taxi anymore since there are buses available before midnight. 

Change topic, the earthquake last Thursday scared the hell out of me. The computer table shook while I was browsing the Internet and watching TV at while I'm home alone in the apartment. I thought i was just becoming paranoid because an earthquake struck Haiti and Chile but I was convinced that it was for real when I saw our stand up mirror shaking too. Good thing I was home already when that happened it was intensity just 4 in Mandaluyong according to my sister whom I texted immediately to check if they were ok but I got worried for my twin sister who's at work since she's on the 30th floor of RCBC Plaza in Makati. I'm really scared with earthquake I still have a vivid memory of the July 16 earthquake that devastated Luzon in 1990. I was in grade four back then I wouldn't forget hurrying down the staircase while it was shaking it was like the end of the world. I'm thankful for each and every day that I'm alive. I believe that miracles happen everyday.

Let me just share that I bought myself a flip top leather case for my phone it's quite expensive but I'm absolutely happy with it.

Pacman Holiday

Pacman did it again. Manny Pacquiao landed 246 of 1,231 punches beating Clottey with just 108 of 399... whoa. I don't think Manny is ready to retire or give up this game yet, I mean not right now or even after Mayweather, I doubt it. But seriously, I still don't understand the technicalities of boxing since I'm no boxing fanatic. All I care about is that boxing is a good cardio workout. 

I can't stand watching it because I hate to see people getting hurt although I know that it's all part of the game so everytime Manny has a fight I'd rather just wait for it in the news. It was like a Pacman holiday yesterday, everybody's at home or on the street busy watching his fight. Believe it or not but according to the local news that it's a zero crime rate yesterday. I've always known that Filipinos are so into boxing but Pacman is undeniably one of the reasons why we are loving boxing more because of the pride and glory that he brings to our country. 

Speaking of boxing, my sister and I boxed yesterday but I feel that I have to work double time. I haven't done it for two weeks so I catched up today and again tomorrow since I'm still on leave. 

Food is so darn good but I need to lose weight. 

Sodexho Pass

I have so much going on lately. The first week of March just ended, my sister and I are happy to have spent our GCs (gift certificates) wisely. We bought ourselves a water dispenser (our old one broke last year) and a slim desk fan. I got my 1 year old niece a cute Heartstring backpack as birthday present whilst my sister got herself a Nike jogging pants. Thanks to referral incentives and hard earned GCs.

We've seen the movie "Alice in Wonderland," I thought it was good but not so great maybe I'm just expecting too much from Tim Burton.

I can't box this week for girly reasons but I will next week for sure since I'll be on leave after my rest days. I'm stuck at 120 lbs. I'm not quite happy about it. I know that losing a lot of weight will not happen very fast I just hope that at least I get to lose 2-3 more lbs. 

Blessed

It's a payday weekend yay! I'm happy I got my remaining sick leave credits converted into cash all I can say is that it pays to be healthy these days to make the most of employee benefits like this. 

My sister had a open surgery to have her gall stones removed last week I helped my parents pay up the hospital bills. I'm thinking God must've repay me for being there for my family that's why I am so blessed lately. 

I worked out again earlier and every sparring session is getting tougher. My work out lasted for a good three hours so I was really exhausted after but all of it all disappeared when this goodlooking guy came. If I'm not mistaken, I think he's an actor but no longer active in showbusiness I just can't remember his name I thought our eyes met when I get out of the ladies room, I was like "omg!" I don't think I'll see him again though.

Get Well Soon

I was busy all day yesterday at the hospital because I have to attend to my sister who's recovering from surgery. I'm so tired when I home but that didn't stop me from boxing earlier. I worked out for 2 and half hours I sweat a river which is good for me, I feel a lot lighter again after shaking off some of my fats but I need to lose some more. 

I stayed home today after my work out and make the most of my schedule swap. I'm still on leave tomorrow to take care of my sister but mom texted me earlier that she'll be discharged today she said my elder sister doesn't wanna stay there any longer and thinks that she'll be more comfortable recovering from her gall bladder operation at home. My sister's gall bladder wasn't spared because the only way to have the gall stone removed is by removing the gall bladder. I pity her when she was brought inside the room after 3 hours in recovery. I've never seen her cry in pain before that was heartbreaking. I hope she gets well soon and nobody in the family will be hospitalized soon because I'm getting used to the smell of hospitals and it's a pretty boring place to be honest. 

Prevention as always, is better than cure but it's a little too late for my sister to save her gall bladder and we can't turn back time I told her she has to watch her diet from now on if she wants to live longer and to stay away from fastfood, that won't do her any good. 

I took pictures of my sister's room and the view outside as souvenir.

Sissy Bonding

My sister and I had our third boxing session together at Elorde earlier. We head home to change clothes then dropped by at Heel Sew Quik in SM Megamall to have my jogging pants worked up, it's too long I'm not comfortable working out wearing it. We shopped for boxing handwraps later at Robinsons Galleria because it's out of stock in all sporting good stores in Megamall we need it badly. We don't want to keep borrowing handwraps at the gym for sanitary reasons. 

We stumbled upon this newly opened Japanese store "Saizen" in Galleria where everything costs Php85. We got excited with pretty much everything inside that store. They have a wide variety of real cool items to choose from compared to Japan home, I think. We just want to check out what's there initially but we end up buying since they're quite cheap and and you can't find them from other stores.


We found a pair of hadwraps in Toby's but they have one left my sister needs another one for herself so we tried our luck in another store fronting Toby's thank God they have it although it's more expensive than what I got but she bought it anyway so mission accomplished. 

We had lunch at Kenny Rogers and ordered their "low calorie meal" made of garlic rice, grilled fish, steamed veggies (young corn, brocolli and carrots) and ligth iced tea. Sissy sister tried their "classic healthy plate" made of it 1/4 roast chicken, vegetable salad, fresh fruit salad, corn muffin and light iced tea as well. We had a good one, we're stuffed but not bloated. 

We head back to SM Megamall and paid for our goodies with my Sodexho. Gift cert is love.

Getting Back in Shape

It's a new year, no more excuses.

I started my grueling boxing workout in my quest to lose weight at the newly opened Elorde Boxing Gym here in Shaw. The original plan is for my twin sissy to keep me company but was able to convince her to work out eventually since she needed to lose weight as well. 

Our first few minutes started with warm up exercises to condition our muscles then sparring sessions followed. I thought I threw strong punches because my trainer whose name I can't remember anymore wants me to try harder. We took it inside the boxing ring to experience how it feels being like a real boxer. My trainer had to leave after a few minutes so my sister's trainer assisted the two of us instead. I nearly passed out while in the middle our sparring session I guess because I'm not used to working out yet. My biggest mistake is forgetting to bring water to keep me hydrated so I had to rest for a few minutes. For the last part of the routine we lay down on matresses to do some crunches. 

I had a great workout. I never pushed my body's limit this far before and I'm coming back tomorrow. I bought myself a pair of boxing gloves earlier but didn't find a handwrap yet it's out of stock everywere. 

This is just the beginning of my commitment to get back in shape again and nothing's gonna stop me now. 

New Year's Reso

Home-cooked Christmas food 

Happy New Year! 

My 2010 starts today thank God it's my rest day. My twin sister and I welcomed the new year by ourselves it's kinda sad that we've been celebrating New Year's Eve for two years now away from our family. We ordered KFC's holiday bucket feast and white sauce pasta for our Media Noche. My sister and I enjoyed the fireworks display from our terrace.

I spent Christmas last year in the boonies so I was able to relax and eat real food even just for a couple of days. Mom prepares home-cooked meals every time we spend our vacation with them so I had to forget about my diet during the holidays. I wasn't present during our vacation home's blessing because it's held in the afternoon, unfortunately, I have shift that day. 

My only consolation this year is that Christmas and New Year's Eve falls on my rest day. My sister has shift yesterday but she has a fixed morning schedule so she's home before Noche Buena and Media Noche. Lucky enough for her that she has to come to work on Christmas and New Year's Day only but the days after, she's on leave. Their account is generous enough to grant them lots of leave passes. 

NYE feast

I went to the mall earlier I'm glad it's not crowded at all I was able to sit comfortably and download applications from Ovi Store to my Nokia phone over wifi. Ovi Store is where you could download mobile games, applications, etc. I didn't really pay attention to Ovi before but I got curious so I signed up and sent some cool links from their website to my phone. Now I can maximize my phone's potential because of Ovi. 

New year, new life. For my New Year's resolution, I'd like to lose weight this year I promise to work out religiously. No more slacking and food indulgence I've had enough of all that it's about time to get fit so watch out for a whole new me.