Pardon the awful formatting, I’m blogging through Flickr. My dad have just turned off our circuit breaker, I’m just using PLDT WeRoam on my netbook. It’s very slow, especially at this awful weather, but it’s allowing me to connect and upload some photos at least.

I don’t normally blog immediately about calamities like this, but this flood is the worst I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. I’ve lived along Katipunan Avenue in Blue Ridge since the day I was born, so I never really experienced flooding (Blue Ridge is pretty high up, it’s on top of a hill). First time ever for my family — flood reached inside our home.

You can see more photos I took on my Flickr Photostream. Watermarks are pretty crudely done, sorry for that. It’s not easy to work with diminishing power on a small netbook. I’ll probably edit this post and fix the formatting when everything settles.

Stay safe guys!

Anyway, here’s the presentation in PDF. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the “magical” effects I used during the actual presentation but the info you’ll need are all there :)

WP magic with Custom Fields & Conditional Tags

My mom preferred giving the silent treatment, while Dad could go on for hours lecturing me about something I did wrong—or about to do wrong. So it’s really no wonder I got a lot of anecdotes from him. He liked making metaphors to explain things, and I have to admit sometimes I couldn’t help but do the same :P

But among the many metaphors and anecdotes my dad gave, one sticks out as my favorite.

It’s best never to assume that you’re already the best. Remember that there is always someone better than you out there, so don’t stop striving and learning to be better.

The first time I heard my dad say this was during the time I was a Graphic Design Editor for my college paper. That was the first time I actually held a position wherein I would have people reporting to me. My dad, being a dad, cautioned me not to let it get to my head. He reminded me that though I seemed to be “the best” there is, there will always be somebody out there who will be better.

One can interpret this in two ways. You can think of it as a challenge to better yourself further since you know there is always competition, or, you can think of it as a humbling idea that would keep your head on the ground. But I always believed that my dad wanted to instill both into me. Challenge yourself, and remain humble.

I’ve met quite a few people who have allowed their accomplishments get to their heads. Some liked to brag, some liked to treat people like they’re below them, and some take advantage because they think they’re better. I think you’ll agree with me when I say that conceited and self-centered people are quite annoying (and sometimes even damaging to others). But when you really think about it, people who excessively believe too much of themselves most often than not end up not listening to others who can help them do better.

Unfortunately, once you believe you’re already on top, there isn’t any other place for you to go but down. And that’s such a sad thing. Who knows what else you could have accomplished if you didn’t make yourself believe you’re already the best there is and there is nothing more for you to learn?

Well, I must say I’m glad I listened to my father.

I’m 27 years old, and I can humbly say that I’ve accomplished quite a bit of the goals I set for myself when I was younger. But still, I continue make myself better; I continue to study and learn new things that could further improve me and my work. I know that God gave me talent to do some things better than other people, but because of what my dad taught me, I continue to believe that there are also a lot more people better than me. That thought doesn’t put my confidence down—far from it—but it does give me a reason to better myself and continue bettering myself.

Thank you, Dad. I’m glad you took the time to teach me these things.

A Happy Fathers’ Day to all you dads out there!

Ever since my husband and I started to work out regularly, we also bought a few new gym wear. Nike and Adidas are our favorite brands. We both prefer Nike for our shoes, however, and Adidas for the clothes. The designs of Nike shoes have always stood out for me, until Adidas recently released this cool new pair of women’s running shoes.

The price tag for this baby is Php3,900++. Almost Php4,000. But I only got mine for Php2,900++. That’s Php1,000 off the regular price, just for donating an old pair of usable rubber shoes.

If you’ve passed by Adidas stores, you’d probably see this huge sign outside:

Donate an old pair of still-usable (in good condition) rubber shoes, and you get Php1,000 discount if you buy new Adidas shoes amounting to Php3,000 and above, and a Php500 discount for Php2,999 and below. One old pair = discount for one (1) new one.

The best thing about it, you can donate rubber shoes of any brand. This is very true, since the shoes I donated were an old pair of New Balance rubber shoes.

The shoes will be donated to the Pamulaan Center for Indigenous People’s Education. I think this is only until May 17, so do make sure you donate before that.

UPDATE: Saw a poster at Toby’s in SM Marikina, deadline has been extended to May 30! If you missed the deadline, here’s your chance! :)

Marc brought me to the Marikina Sports Center two weeks ago so we’d be able to try the place out, but going there brought back so much memories—I used to run for the track team in elementary and tournaments were usually held at the very same place, and my Dad took me there frequently for practice runs as well—that I couldn’t help but take a step back and look at how I’ve let myself get so unhealthy. 50-meter runs used to be a piece of cake, but that night I couldn’t even get past half that without getting so tired and be at the brink of an asthma attack.

When my asthma first resurfaced last November, I wasn’t bothered much—considering that I spent a few hours at a nearby hospital’s emergency room with an oxygen tube shoved up my nostrils. I accepted the fact that I might have to be on maintenance medicine for the rest of my life, thinking that the doctor’s suggestion of work out as a way to eventually get well was just too much work.

I know for a fact that asthma can eventually be controlled through regular exercise. Basketball, running, and martial arts in both elementary and high school controlled my asthma so much so that I didn’t have any attacks until last November, when it was apparent I hadn’t been getting any work-out except for occasionally walking my dog.

I just had so many excuses why I couldn’t get myself to work out: I was too busy, working out will tire me and I wouldn’t be able to work, I can’t afford to sprain my wrist, I was too tired, etc. etc. It was only after I was actually on the very same place where I ran races that I suddenly realized I could no longer deny I was getting tired of being a “has been” athlete. I could no longer accept the idea that everything I do would be controlled by my asthma acting up. I was tired of being weak. I wanted to be strong again.

So there. Marc bought me a pair of sparring gloves, hand wraps, and enrolled me for boxing lessons at the Marikina Sports Center. I go there three times a week. Every Tuesday night, I sometimes join Marc and a few bloggers for badminton in Pasig (if you’d like to join us, drop me a line). I’m not very fond of badminton, but it’s still a way to exercise, so what the heck. I don’t strain myself for badminton though, I’d totally suck, but at least I would have more than enough energy for boxing the next day.

My mom, my worst critic whilst having a stroke, said I seemed to be losing weight. Compliments like that are always flattering, specially from my mom, but what makes me happier is the fact that I wasn’t only losing weight, I’m also getting stronger. I haven’t had an asthma attack for two weeks now—ever since I started working out.

I’m planning to pay my pulmonary doctor a visit after this month. Who knows? She might say I’m well enough to start lessening my dosage!

And yes, the girl in the basketball outfit was me, circa 1995 :)

Hello Boris!

How are you? I’m very fine, thanks for asking.

Guess what? I haven’t forgotten :)

Till we meet again!

Bibliography: Boris the Pig. Juned Sonido. Baratillo.Net. March 24, 2009.

Unfortunately, with my kind of work, it’s really important to have a level of relaxation—else, inspiration would be a pain. My husband and I have recently been to a spa village in Tagaytay (just last Sunday, to be more precise). I can honestly say that the relaxation and pampering did wonders for me—less stress, more work. Ideally, it would be best to take a break at least once a month, but driving all the way to Tagaytay from Antipolo on a regular basis is insane—not to mention an unnecessary waste of gasoline.

Good thing I recently found out about a new branch of Blue Water Day Spa opening in Capitol Hills, Quezon City.

This Blue Water Day Spa branch is nestled within the sprawling fields of Captiol Hills Golf and Country Club, giving customers an excellent scenic view of the metro. A definite plus, in my opinion. Because for me, scenic views like the sprawling fields of the golf course, add to the feeling of rest and relaxation, which is one of the reasons why my husband and I make an effort to take the long journey to Tagaytay for spas.

I haven’t tried this branch of Blue Water Day Spa yet, but I think Marc and I will during one of our “relaxation” days. It’s not very often that you get to have a day of pampering at a spa and at the same time, have an excellent view to enjoy. I’d probably try the Traditional Filipino Massage a try — two hours of relaxation bliss — and bring my tripod to boot. No, I’m not going to use the tripod during therapy, but I have a feeling it’s going to come in handy when the sun sets — perfect for a photo shoot.

This blog post is my official entry to BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills: 20 Bloggers Event Competition.

I’m a sucker for crime and detective shows. I enjoy all three CSI TV series: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: New York and CSI: Miami. Heck, I even like watching Numbers even if I totally loath solving math problems. There’s just something “satisfying” about watching shows where detectives almost always solve the crime.

This made me wonder. Does it happen when somebody not only gets away with murder, but no one is actually aware it even happened? Is there such a thing as a perfect crime?

It says on Wikipedia that there is:

“A murder committed by somebody who had never before met the victim, has no criminal record, steals nothing and tells no one might be a perfect crime. According to criminalists and scientists, perfect crimes do exist. Similarly, criminals are able to keep their identity concealed by performing their crimes where the population is great, such as a public places, where there is a great range of DNA available, therefore creating the impression of ‘finding a needle in a haystack’”

(Source: Wikipedia)

Scary thought, isn’t it? Especially if you’re living here in the Philippines, where crime investigators’ technology isn’t so high-tech and it’s highly possible to pay off somebody to get away unscathed.

But when you’re dealing with “crimes” that don’t really merit criminal charges—you know, petty misdeeds—it’s more than possible to slip up once in a while. People usually make the mistake of telling others about it (sometimes even a group of people), banking on the hope that they won’t say anything about the misdeed. I don’t really know why… Probably to appease themselves, or maybe even brag about it? Either way, the truth seems to always find a way out.

I’ve already met a lot of people who think they can get away with these “little crimes”—getting your signature forged in a legal document or having a business partner screw you. You’d get really pissed when those things are done to you, but I’ve always believed that life has a way of turning things around. And it does. Poetic justice, as it’s called.

It might be possible to commit the perfect crime. And sometimes, you even get lucky when somebody seemingly forgets about your misdeed altogether. Or so you think.

But justice, in some form or another, does have a way of putting you on the spot for what you’ve done. Time will come when you’ll be begging for help from somebody you’ve stabbed in the back, a person more cunning than you can possibly render you broke and never pay you back, or all the friends you’ve screwed over can be enjoying their times together without you, having fun as though you never existed, while you’re all alone with no one else but people who think they can make good use of you.

Some might call that karma. Maybe it is. Either way, justice was “served.”

There might be perfect crimes. Lucky for us, there’s also poetic justice.

You see, I have quite a number of responsibilities that hinder me from simply putting down my thoughts. And I’m not talking about time being my enemy, nor am I talking about stress. There are just some certain things in what I do (both my business and volunteer work) that I require me to practice restraint in blogging.

Yes, it’s a self-imposed censorship. But it’s necessary. I really can’t just shoot my mouth off about every topic that come my way, or any thought for that matter. Credibility relies on it, not just my own but the business or organization I’m working for as well. Word spreads fast nowadays (a lot of things have been blown out of proportion), and little misunderstanding could greatly affect the things I worked so hard for. I don’t want to risk something like that, especially when I know it’s not only me who could get affected by my actions.

I have a lot of drafts in blog’s dashboard that remain unpublished. Even up to now, they sit there, just drafts. There are already about 20 of them, I think. I write things down when I’m upset, but I let myself calm down before hitting on PUBLISH. That button is a powerful thing, don’t you think? One push of it, and you could lose more than your credibility. One simple push, and you can start an uproar in the blogging community.

I miss the good old days. But this is bound to happen. We just need to exercise a bit of caution.

Happy Easter, everyone.

Below are four events I’ve attended the past few months. Don’t worry, this post isn’t an advertorial. I can honestly say that these products (or food) are things that I will actually use—or in the case of the food, eat—regardless of an event. I’ll compile all four in this one post; I know it can get pretty annoying reading blogs that talk nothing but events regardless of their blog’s niche.

SM Marikina Wi-Fi Stress Testing

A few months ago, SM Marikina had a group of bloggers test their mall-wide wi-fi. Apparently, they’re planning to offer free wi-fi in the mall, just like their nearby competitors, Sta. Lucia and Robinson’s East malls. I have to admit I was excited to hear this, as my husband Marc and I frequently go there to hang out. I even do my grocery shopping there. It’s the nearest to us that is not overcrowded unlike the two older malls (our subdivision is along Marcos Highway).

The wi-fi for testing wasn’t too fast… Though that would be quite unfair to say as about a hundred or so bloggers have signed up to be stress-testers (I don’t really know how many showed up). There are some areas in the mall where the wi-fi isn’t too strong (I still use it frequently even after the testing whenever Marc and I went there), and I usually use my Smart WAP instead when doing shopping (yes, I log on the internet sometimes when doing the grocery whenever I forget what ingredients to buy for a recipe).

Anyway, the organizers also had a raffle with the grand prize being a brand-new Asus laptop. I didn’t win the laptop (Sha did, and it was her birthday too!), but I did win a nice jacket.

Ipanema Launch and Walk the Green Mile

I love wearing flip-flops, so it’s no surprise I insisted to Marc that we attend this one. Ipanema’s flip-flops are so light it seems like you’re not wearing anything on your feet, but the designs are also classy you can wear it even when going out. It’s just a tad bit more expensive than Havaianas, but I like them better because of the design—it doesn’t look like rubber slippers that I usually wear at home.

However, the best thing I like about this brand is the fact that they donate to the Haribon foundation a certain amount for every pair of flip-flops they sell. I don’t know the other organizations they donate to, but I do know whatever it was, it had something to do with trees. They even had a walk-a-ton called “Walk the Green Mile” last March 21 for the benefit of the trees. Unfortunately, my asthma acted up so we weren’t able to attend this walk-for-the-trees cause.

Tapas Filipinas Hermanos Deli and Bar

Through Ivan, Marc and I attended a food tasting for a new restaurant in Ortigas (beside Ortigas Home Depot) called, Tapas Filipinas Hermanos Deli and Bar. I made a separate review for this on my new food blog, you can read about it here if you want to. But bottom line, the food is good though a bit pricey considering the servings.

Adidas store opening and Stella McCartney product line launch

Adidas recently opened a new store at Rockwell, and I’m proud to say Marc and I are one of the first ones to purchase from it. There was a 10% discount on all products since it’s the store opening, so we grabbed the opportunity and bought me a new pair of shorts. Frankly, I like Adidas’ fashion line better than Nike’s, though I like Nike shoes and bags better.

At the same time as the store’s opening, Adidas also launched a new fashion line: the Stella McCartney fashion line. The designs are geared towards women—women who like to look good when sweating it out. The organizers held a little fashion show of the new product line, and had a surprise for all—a guest appearance by their celebrity endorser. I nearly dropped my camera from shock, because as it turned out, their celebrity endorser was none other than Iza Calzado, an old friend of mine and my seatmate for two years in high school. It was spooky, the way she popped into my camera lens like that :P

If you’d like to see photos of the events, visit my photo sets on Flickr:
- SM Marikina Wi-Fi Stress Test
- Ipanema Launch
- Adidas store opening and Stella McCartney launch

You might also want to read my restaurant review: Tapas Filipinas Hermanos Deli and Bar

Whew. That was a mouthful. Next time, I won’t put off blogging that I’d have so much backlog like I just did on these :P