Finally my tomorrow arrives! I'm finally steering myself towards self-control and honesty! ^^ Actually, it's not that bad that I grew bigger 'cuz it's still me, I'm not at all obsessed with my weight and i love ice cream. It's just the matter of me eating more than I should! (uh-oh.) yeah, SIN....sorry. I'm really sorry and now I'm paying for it, because I feel heavy and my my conscience of not taking care of myself very well bugs me every morning when NOTHING in my closet fits me well anymore! All those pretty shirt dresses that I used to wear for work...all not mine! They are two-sizes smaller, they can't be mine!!! (eyes rolling...) you're kidding me closet!
Eventually, I bought myself new outfits for my new size and discarding closet loads of what my shape used to be. darn those skimpy shirts, darn those skimpy jeans, darn those skimpy knits!!! They aren't so skimpy when I was what? 12?! ... this could be a closet of a 12-year old girl and not mine! denial. denial. That's who I WAS. Was is good. I'm loving WAS because it represents the version of me that I don't like too much. I mean, I like myself, I like that I'm fun, that I'm happy and I have plenty friends ... it's ME not being able to fit clothes easily that I hate and had to be envious of a size-4 someone walking past me, with those long legs and high cheek bones! ... well, I'm not really sure if I'd get those long legs by slimming down, but I'm sure I wanna see those cheek bones! Maybe if I suck my cheeks in like a fish I'd get it quick!

whew. Anyway, researching on how to lose all these weight I gained from a happy marriage made me pry on other women's diet, especially Asian. Because I'm Asian but during my travels to Thailand and my frequent encounters with Korean women everywhere in the Philippines (as they seem to invade our country quietly.) I realized that we definitely have grown more curves among other Asians. We've embraced "curves" in our society that being too thin is regarded as sickly, malnourished and butiki (lizard!) So I don't wanna be really thin! I just wanna be the right size! =P

Anyway, here are some quotes about Asian diets that I wanna share and will try:

1. Thailand and their Spicy food.

Quote:

"The idea is that spicy foods increase your body's metabolic rate which makes you digest your food faster. Basically, spices improve digestion by increasing the hydrochloric secretion in the stomach. This is what increases your metabolic rate. With increased metabolism comes increased absorption rate. When there is increased absorption, then the body is able to utilize the stuff that you ate for your daily activities so almost nothing really stays put. So it does help you lose weight." -Yahoo! Answers.

2. Korea and China's Tea Trend.

"Drinking tea is quite common in East Asian cultures. The most well known tea in Asia is green tea which contains a lot of antioxidants and has properties that promote weight loss. In fact, green tea extract is often found in weight loss supplements. Oolong tea also has the ability to stimulate metabolic functions. Ginseng tea which enhances mental and physical performance and increases immune function is commonly taken in Korea and China." - Suite101.com

3. Japan and their Banana Breakfast.

"Banana is also another fruit that is commonly eaten. In fact, a new diet trend in Japan is the banana diet wherein people eat only bananas for breakfast and eat moderate amounts of their normal fare for lunch and dinner." -Suite101.com

4. Philippines and Taho (sweet and warm soy beverage)

"Soy foods provide a main source of protein in the Asian diet. Soy foods such as tofu, miso and tempeh can be found more often in supermarkets rather than health food stores. Soy contains isoflavones, which are compounds that can stop the mutation of regular cells into cancer cells. Soy foods also lower cholesterol and are a good source of iron. New to the food market are soy milks, which contain no lactose, and tofu pizza and hot dogs, for those who wish to introduce smaller amounts of soy to their diets". -eSSORTMENT.

5. Me and Chopsticks!

-My own understanding of chopsticks and how it may help lessen food intake while still eating what I can! Not being very good with chopsticks will make me eat slower while I analyze whether I can actually pick food up with sticks!... ^^

-So there. I'm proud that I'm taking steps (baby-steps if you will.) to eat healthy and be healthy. Let's all be.

from an outfit to a bright turn ...

These are my windows... because I give my heart to it.

"Surprise! A meeting with the client and contractors in 2 minutes" ... my boss called out on me at the pantry while I was preparing to have my morning coffee ... I panicked. I was sooo dressed-down for a "not-expecting-any-meeting-with-the-client" Wednesday and practically had to make do with skinny jeans, pink RL Polo Shirt and choco-brown flats because I have NO time to change and didn't have my suit/jacket with me on this very day, while I usually have it, I could've easily put it on and it would make the difference!!! But what I have instead is: a Hollister hoodie, which will only make me lesser of a professional if I did wear that! aarrgghh... how can he do this to me?!

And so we went. Regardless of what I have on and what I know about these people I'm meeting for the first time ... what an impression I'm gonna make...hah! This is sooo brilliant of me! This is gonna go down in history!!! I mutter to myself as we drove to the client's office, walked our way to the lobby and in to the conference room ...

Making it to the meeting ahead of time made me feel so much better that I'm seated first while the others kept coming in and I wont have to parade around in my polo shirt and jeans to ease my way onto a seat. ^^ ... We waited a few minutes more, while I stayed self-conscious about whether I still have anything "more" unprofessional on ... like: are my earrings too big? is my lipstick too red? or did I put too much mascara? or I should have put on that expensive perfume ... those kind of thoughts ... and then, ack! my cellphone has dangling trinkets of pink plastic bears, 3 of them all lined up in a chain that dangles at the bottom of my flip phone! I immediately removed it ... 3 pink, plastic bears (jeez!)... biggest to the smallest ... they are sooo cute but at that moment they were like the most horrendous things I could get associated with ... this job sucks if it doesn't like cute! (I know.) But now ... the conference table is filled in by "grown, matured men" of 40 to 50-ish old, I knew I made the right decision of putting away those pink bears out of sight! Only me and my boss is nearing 30, I'm 28 and he's 29, but he was wearing one of his finest dress-shirts, khaki slacks, leather belt with a shiny silver buckle on ... and those, THOSE tan leather Lacoste gator shoes that he bought in Boston! ( ...sigh...) He makes me look even worse than I thought!

(breathing heavily.) ... The meeting rolled about site excavations, trucks, viewing decks, architects, building orientation... glass and aluminum frames ... we were dismissed ahead since we've already discussed our concerns and that ... we have NO problem with our schedule.

We then proceeded to the SITE.

Site...(aaahhhh... the ground location EQUALS heat, dust, mud, dirt, construction site, etc.) We walked a few blocks and the enclosed site was there, were trucks and excavation was on going, hah! who's laughing now?! Actually, there isn't anyone who's laughing but I just thought to myself that I have on the most site-visit-appropriate outfit between me and my boss!

It was business as usual, locations were discussed, steel tubes, frames ... dimensions, the works... I marveled at the ground and visualized how the building will look on it... It's a very unique love, between man and the "ground", when something as massive as to house businesses and people into one area is going to firmly stand on it, changing the landscape forever. It's iconic. It's one of those things that when I grow older, I'd be able to tell stories about...at that, I knew that I once again fell inlove with what I do as a job.

It takes hundreds of heads to work on just one building! ^^

our last salute...

MJs, First visit in Manila, Philippines 1976

Last Sunday at 10:30 P.M. was a night of tribute to Michael Jackson and his music here in Manila. As his 30th Anniversary concert was aired on TV for all Filipinos to see. I am not a huge fan of Michael Jackson but when I saw the concert, I knew I had to be. (too late?) Well... Music lasts forever... his voice will always be heard, even when he's gone. It's just too overwhelming to see him perform, he really gives it all and I'm just so sorry I wasn't there to watch him live when I was 16 and he came here for a concert. tsk. Yeah, I blame myself ... I blame myself for not being a fan and now I'm one of those people who wishes to hoard all of his albums out the music store! I was young and naive. What can I say?!

He's just SUUUUPER!!! We were glued to the television when it was his time to perform. He didn't slack a bit, he just went on and on as if he'd dance and sing with all his might even if it would kill him. That's how much passion he showed the crowd who endlessly cheered.

To me, that was too much for somebody to endure if he had already been sick with lupus. I felt for him. As if he showed the whole world his life. All about performing, all about music, all about people. His life was so public, that even in death he isn't given peace. Has he been buried yet? ... with finality? I thought that after the memorial service at the Staple Center, he'd already be laid to rest. But news surfaces that his body will be moved from a crypt in Hollywood to ... elsewhere (they won't say where) But I surely agree with his mum, saying that he should NOT be buried in Neverland, because Michael, when he was alive doesn't want to return EVER to his Neverland Ranch after the raid in 2003, where a videotape of the Neverland interiors was exposed to the public for the first time, revealing his penchant for all things childish and ... a room of life-sized figures of "people"... hmmnn ... it's as if your Diary has been revealed for the world to see and I guess that's the reason why he never wants to go back. Well, to others it was bizaare for him to be collecting all those things BUT now to me, it's sad. Just SAD. As I watched the video featured on E! News ... it wasn't as bizaare and as weird as it used to be when he was still alive. Now it's just a sad thing that his Neverland Ranch is screaming with frustration. All things he never had as a child and all things he never had as a person, he tried to get. Could it be that the life-sized figures that were in his office represents companions??? It's an eerie room but to him it probably is a room of "people" who aren't judgemental, who aren't accusing, if he had done bad, those "people" wont cast the first stone at him. He really could have used some real friends when he was down from all those controversies and lawsuits. And well now, they are all there mourning the lost times and doing interviews. I'm not saying all, I mean some. We all have those kind of people anyway, they show up when the tide is clear or when there's opportunity. I think now it's enough, by this time it should be enough. I think it's about time that we all let go and do our final salute to the King of Pop and let him have the peace that he could have really wanted while living.

He is the finest in his craft and I salute him in sharing it with the world.



MJ, reunion with the Jacksons on his 30th Anniversary as a performer.

on traveling by foot.

After exchanging goodbyes and some more pleasantries, I got off a conversation from a former colleague who is now based in India through chat on facebook. 'Saw her pictures and India, as she describes it, is indeed an exotic country, with fascinating culture and lots of jewelry! yeah! I've also heard that they got the finest woven tapestry with bold designs and colors. She's been in India for 3 mos. now and already made some friends. One of them has invited her to lunch in their home for an authentic-home cooked Indian meal where she also got a red bindi on her forehead after the mother of the household has said a Hindu prayer for her as a blessing.

While to her, India is a land of wonder and mystique, some would find India's culture and ways a bit overwhelming. As far as 3 of my other colleagues find it. That the smell of the streets and food are too strong for their nostrils, and that their worship of animals particularly of cows has definitely killed their appetite for anything beef.

Well, that's traveling. You'll never know a place enough unless you pack your bags and experience it first hand while having room for the unexpected. Unless you travel with a 5-Star package with less immersion to the "realities" of a place, then you should EXPECT that your travel will be easy and convenient and as wonderfully precise as possible being showcased only the best of what the country has to offer. (Spas included!) BUT if you're more of a "foot" traveler and likes to experience the world as it is, people as they are and food as it's locally served. Then you should keep your expectations real.

Culture and People are unique to their country, as much as your experience is unique to the places you've been. Like I have been to Europe once, Italy to be exact and at first I was in awe of the mountains, the rivers, the castles and the weather that has worked with great conivance with these sceneries that made my Italian "postcard" a reality but then, as I reached my 3rd month of stay, I was READY to go home ... so eager to go home! Imagine? that's Italy I'm talking about, not some town with just a tall haystack to boast! That's Italy. I'm supposed to love it!!! Well, I loved it ... but it's just a huge infatuation it's nothing like being at home....(aaawww)
The point is... we all have preferences, we could be in one place but have different perceptions. It's always different for someone, that's why "bend as the wind blows" as much as possible as they say, or you'll never get to have fun!

scrapbookers playground

Here's something new/else for those who love scrapbooking (i do!). Going digital. I know, it wont replace scrapbooking as we know it, but having tried the digital version of scrapbooking gave me the same excitement and exerted similar thoughtfulness of putting together photos and interpreting good memories to a page.

I found 3 different types of how you can do digital scrapbooking (with FREE kits to try! ), using of course, your photos saved in the computer (convenience #1). Saving on print. ^^

1. ShabbyPrincess. FREE download of scrapbooking kits (for personal use ONLY!), very good resolution, easy to use with Photoshop. Printable or save on CD. "very cute website!"

Featured kit: (available for FREE on the site, check it out!), it is zipped when downloaded and inside are several designs to work with.

HAPPY GO LUCKY

Here's what a friend of mine did with this kit:

The idea of using Shabby Princess kits are the same as in using a "real" kit with a "real" scrapbook, you use your imagination and creativity to put things together But this one because it's digital, looks very clean and polished, more like a magazine layout. (convenience #2) NO mess. ^^

2. Smilebox.com ~ Now this is the easiest scrapbooking you'll do in your life and more! It comes with hundreds of pre-designed scrapbook pages, all you have to do is find the photos you want in them. But of course, your scrapbook may look like somebody else's... only IF that somebody chooses the same designs as you among the hundreds to choose from! But then again, they look sooo pretty you wouldn't mind! It's an easy to download software, user friendly, and the results will excite you! ... FREE to use, you only pay when you want them printed or saved on CD. But the file you created is saved and can be viewed once you open the program.

Here's some of my creations using Smilebox:

3. PictureBooks. This one is a Live digital scrapbook project. Live means it'll be printed out into a "book". You choose your photos and layouts with designs to choose from and take it to the nearest PictureBook outlet and have it processed.

Sample works on Flickr.

So now we can all try this out. Though OF COURSE it'll never take away my love for the "real" thing, it's the fun and creativity that matters. So enjoy!

Music and Magic in Manila

It's July 9, Thursday and Today's Top 5 Songs in Manila brought to you by the "Angels of the Airwaves" of Magic 89.9 FM are:

5. Zero Gravity - David Archuleta/ Dirty Funk - Steve Appleton

4. Mad World - Adam Lambert

3. Man in the Mirror - James Morrison

2. Best I Ever Had - Drake

~and the number 1 for t0day is ~

1. Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson

Wedding Website, anyone?

I was aimlessly browsing the net last night when I happen to open the website we used for our wedding... aahhh, beautiful, nostalgic moments...How we're just super relieved it's all done and none of the $10,000 worth of a funniest video happened! whew. I wouldn't trade that day for $10,000 if I had to trip on my dress or spill a drink or for whatever embarassing reason I would be entering our video on a show like that! ... But anyhow, if it did became embarassing we'd still continue the fun! As it was a day of love and celebration, we didn't really bother wether the bouquets came late, or it has rained ... whether he saw me before the ceremony (as elders say it's bad omen) All of those things won't count anymore when the day is there and all they expect you to be is to come pretty.

Anyway, we used a website to keep our families, friends/entourage and guests updated on the events and progress of our planning. It's FREE and very easy to use, with customizable tabs and music. Though the page layout is pre-designed, you can choose from a variety of layout themes. The forum too, has plenty of nice people, eager to share useful suggestions.

Here's the site: http://www.weddingannouncer.com/

and here's our website as an example:

http://ramil-and-mj.weddingannouncer.com

Since our wedding was held in my hometown, we had guests who flew in and made use of the airline schedules and map that I have placed on the website. We have also suggested hotels, activities and included some historical facts and trivia about the province. It also has RSVP and guestbook.

So if you know someone who's getting married, I suggest this site. very cool.