First of all, Happy New Year everyone! :)
Starting 2016 with a move back to Blogger. Wordpress was great and my own domain was cool and all, but I figured it's more economical for me to move back to Blogger since I don't really post much anymore. Imported all the posts I wrote in the 4 years I was away, and you can see it's not much.
Besides, I have likely lost most of my web skills to customize my own blog, so moving to a more simple platform is even more practical at this point. Granted, I still have dreams of becoming a famous blogger, but that dream can wait. And nothing's stopping me from posting regularly except for me anyway.
So, will 2016 translate to more posts for frustrated blogger me? We'll have to wait and see to find out.
Ending this post with what I wrote on my Facebook profile:
"2015 was a journey for me and brought about a lot of realizations, challenges and new opportunities. It was exciting, frustrating, liberating and even disappointing at times but I know I'm ending it twice as happy as when I started. Happy 2016!"
☺"
Showing posts with label Everyday Ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Everyday Ramblings. Show all posts
Friday, January 01, 2016
Monday, June 01, 2015
The Road to Fitness starts NOW
I've always been overweight. I love to eat and I could never commit to an exercise regimen. Back in 2013, a friend and I went on a diet and I successfully lost upto 25 pounds. Sadly, I've started gaining it back over the past few months, and now, albeit lighter than I was before I started the diet back then, significantly heavier {again}.
I started with a few activities, like going back into yoga, making my own meals, and I've seen "some" improvement. Nothing to celebrate about yet, but hopefully I can motivate myself enough to keep this up and really see progress in the next few months.
I said it, and now it's time to make it happen.
I started with a few activities, like going back into yoga, making my own meals, and I've seen "some" improvement. Nothing to celebrate about yet, but hopefully I can motivate myself enough to keep this up and really see progress in the next few months.
I said it, and now it's time to make it happen.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Five Years, Now What?
I celebrated a milestone last March 16, my 5th anniversary at the Happy Place. And now I find myself contemplating what's next for me?
It's interesting to note that those five years flew by, it was a tumultuous journey of ups and downs, challenges and opportunities that I, for the most part, deeply enjoyed. I was able to achieve my career goals and meet the most amazing people I know I'll stay friends with long after I've moved on from my current role, But don't get me wrong, my passion for the Happy Place, my role, and what I'm doing is burning as bright as ever. But still, 5 years is 5 years, and maybe I just need something new in my life right now.
It's interesting to note that those five years flew by, it was a tumultuous journey of ups and downs, challenges and opportunities that I, for the most part, deeply enjoyed. I was able to achieve my career goals and meet the most amazing people I know I'll stay friends with long after I've moved on from my current role, But don't get me wrong, my passion for the Happy Place, my role, and what I'm doing is burning as bright as ever. But still, 5 years is 5 years, and maybe I just need something new in my life right now.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Taipei Weekend!
I enjoy traveling. Granted, just a casual traveler, but a traveler just the same. A quick, weekend to enjoy a food trip in Taipei was right up my alley, especially since the weather would still be cool.
It was an affordable trip - we booked our tickets last July for P4,253.14 each. Hotel for 3,708 for two nights (twin sharing). Transportation costs were minimal, since trains were quite cheap, but most importantly, the food was very, very affordable, and very, very delicious.
We stayed at Delight Hotel, it's located near the Nanjing Fuxing station with access to both brown and green lines, making it an ideal base to explore Taipei. We were able to get around very easily. There was a 711 just around the corner, and several meal options around the area (KFC, Mcdonald's, Starbucks among them). There was also a nice sports bar called the Brass Monkey nearby, which serves really good cocktails. Rooms were of a good size, modern bathroom, and very clean. My only concern was the heat was centralized and we couldn't adjust the temperature, which was too hot in my opinion. We opened a window to help, but it still felt warm at times. Staff was very accommodating to our questions, and gave us tips on how to get around. We also arranged transfers with them and everything was prompt and hassle free. Will definitely book this hotel again on a return trip to Taipei.
We weren't able to explore all the sights of Taipei, just the main ones like the Chinag Kai Shek memorial, Taipei 101, Maokong Gondola, Shilin Night Market and Raohe night market. We tried to go to Shifen for the sky lanterns, but only got as far as Ruifang because of the limited time we had left in Taipei.
For the Maokong Gondola, I suggest getting the crystal cabins for a different experience. These are glass bottomed cable cars which give you a very clear view of what lay below. This attraction (and also mode of transportation) is worth checking out when in Taipei, Just 100 Taiwan dollars for a round trip ride across 3(or was it 4) cable car stations. There's a short food street at the end, so you can spend a few minutes checking it out while you wait for the car getting back.
And now for the food, we loved eating at the night markets. You should definitely come hungry! There's so much to try! Favorites include the pork bun at the Raohe nighr market, grilled scallops, the blowtorched beef and the egg wrapped shrimps as well as the fried mushrooms from Shilin night market. Also enjoyed the pink guavas, very sweet and refreshing. I even tried the stinky tofu, it wasn't as bad as I thought, but still wouldn't be asking for seconds any time soon. Of course, you also need to eat at Din Tai Fung for the xiao long bao and drink all the milk tea you can which you can buy almost anywhere in Taipei.
For pasalubong, you can't go wrong with nougat from Sugar and Spice (at Taipei 101) or Milk House (at Taipei Railyway station). They're also known for pineapple cakes from Chia Te, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to try those.
Anyway, I can't wait to come back to Taipei, but it has to be during the cooler months, because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did if the weather was warmer. And since I'm too lazy to upload and layout pics, enjoy the flipagram I made below. :)
Taipei Weekend!
It was an affordable trip - we booked our tickets last July for P4,253.14 each. Hotel for 3,708 for two nights (twin sharing). Transportation costs were minimal, since trains were quite cheap, but most importantly, the food was very, very affordable, and very, very delicious.
We stayed at Delight Hotel, it's located near the Nanjing Fuxing station with access to both brown and green lines, making it an ideal base to explore Taipei. We were able to get around very easily. There was a 711 just around the corner, and several meal options around the area (KFC, Mcdonald's, Starbucks among them). There was also a nice sports bar called the Brass Monkey nearby, which serves really good cocktails. Rooms were of a good size, modern bathroom, and very clean. My only concern was the heat was centralized and we couldn't adjust the temperature, which was too hot in my opinion. We opened a window to help, but it still felt warm at times. Staff was very accommodating to our questions, and gave us tips on how to get around. We also arranged transfers with them and everything was prompt and hassle free. Will definitely book this hotel again on a return trip to Taipei.
We weren't able to explore all the sights of Taipei, just the main ones like the Chinag Kai Shek memorial, Taipei 101, Maokong Gondola, Shilin Night Market and Raohe night market. We tried to go to Shifen for the sky lanterns, but only got as far as Ruifang because of the limited time we had left in Taipei.
For the Maokong Gondola, I suggest getting the crystal cabins for a different experience. These are glass bottomed cable cars which give you a very clear view of what lay below. This attraction (and also mode of transportation) is worth checking out when in Taipei, Just 100 Taiwan dollars for a round trip ride across 3(or was it 4) cable car stations. There's a short food street at the end, so you can spend a few minutes checking it out while you wait for the car getting back.
And now for the food, we loved eating at the night markets. You should definitely come hungry! There's so much to try! Favorites include the pork bun at the Raohe nighr market, grilled scallops, the blowtorched beef and the egg wrapped shrimps as well as the fried mushrooms from Shilin night market. Also enjoyed the pink guavas, very sweet and refreshing. I even tried the stinky tofu, it wasn't as bad as I thought, but still wouldn't be asking for seconds any time soon. Of course, you also need to eat at Din Tai Fung for the xiao long bao and drink all the milk tea you can which you can buy almost anywhere in Taipei.
For pasalubong, you can't go wrong with nougat from Sugar and Spice (at Taipei 101) or Milk House (at Taipei Railyway station). They're also known for pineapple cakes from Chia Te, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to try those.
Anyway, I can't wait to come back to Taipei, but it has to be during the cooler months, because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did if the weather was warmer. And since I'm too lazy to upload and layout pics, enjoy the flipagram I made below. :)
Taipei Weekend!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Getting Back Into the Flow
I've always loved yoga, started practicing when I first started working over a decade ago, but always ended up following this cycle: Attend a class -> get familiar with the poses -> stop paying for classes -> practice at home -> get lazy -> stop practicing.
Anyway, it's been years since I last did a full yoga sequence, and I always wanted to come back, but either felt too lazy, or unwilling to commit (yeah, I have commitment issues). Good thing Deal Grocer came out with a 15 day unlimited pass for P500. It was too good to pass up, given that most yoga studios have a P500 walk in rate per class. :)
So I went on my first class today, a Vinyasa Open Level class. The Urban Ashram yoga studio at BGC was gorgeous and spotless, and quiet, and practically empty, so in short, it seemed perfect. I was also lucky that there were only 3 of us in the class, so our instructor, Mel, was able to really focus on our form over the course of the class.
Let me tell you, it was challenging, tough but not frustrating. My focus, balance, and strength was pushed to the limit, but man did I enjoy it. And the shavasana at the end? I was ready to go back to sleep and just skip work altogether, LOL.
Schedule permitting, I'm taking a few more classes to make the most of my voucher.
Sharing some of my favorites from today's class. :)
Warrior Poses:
Planks, cobra and downward facing dog transitions:
In our class, the flow was different, moving from cobra to upward dog, plank to downward facing dog. Will try the sequence above tomorrow.
I really hope I don't get lazy with this, I completely enjoyed my last class, I just hope I can be consistent this time around. :)
Anyway, it's been years since I last did a full yoga sequence, and I always wanted to come back, but either felt too lazy, or unwilling to commit (yeah, I have commitment issues). Good thing Deal Grocer came out with a 15 day unlimited pass for P500. It was too good to pass up, given that most yoga studios have a P500 walk in rate per class. :)
So I went on my first class today, a Vinyasa Open Level class. The Urban Ashram yoga studio at BGC was gorgeous and spotless, and quiet, and practically empty, so in short, it seemed perfect. I was also lucky that there were only 3 of us in the class, so our instructor, Mel, was able to really focus on our form over the course of the class.
Let me tell you, it was challenging, tough but not frustrating. My focus, balance, and strength was pushed to the limit, but man did I enjoy it. And the shavasana at the end? I was ready to go back to sleep and just skip work altogether, LOL.
Schedule permitting, I'm taking a few more classes to make the most of my voucher.
Sharing some of my favorites from today's class. :)
Warrior Poses:
Planks, cobra and downward facing dog transitions:
In our class, the flow was different, moving from cobra to upward dog, plank to downward facing dog. Will try the sequence above tomorrow.
I really hope I don't get lazy with this, I completely enjoyed my last class, I just hope I can be consistent this time around. :)
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Geekyobserver goes on a diet!
You read right, I'm finally serious about dieting.
I was never thin, but I do know that I was in better shape in the past. I mean that literally as well as figuratively. This isn't going to be a long post about me feeling the pressure to be thin or to lose weight, or that I felt insecure about myself or that I got a health scare that is forcing me to rethink my lifestyle. I just simply want to make it public that I am on a diet - I read that this would increase my accountability to the goal.
It's simple, I gained weight in the past because I love to eat and I'm too lazy to exercise and now I want to do something about it.
Two years ago, my older sister lost over 75 pounds in 6 months following the Cohen Lifestyle diet. I was definitely inspired, but wasn't inspired enough to actually follow it. That, plus there was a significant financial investment involved, but I think it was really because I wasn't prepared to go though with it. So, I waited, until I finally decided to start last July 1, 2013.
I still didn't go on Cohen, but I did reapply some of their "rules", nothing that you really can't find out on your own, so I might not have the "prescribed" amount of food that Cohen has, but generally I follow the basic rules of no sugar, no dairy, lean meat and veggies, drinking lots of water, no preserved foods and eating 5 hours apart (to digest the previous meal effectively).
I even break the rules on the no dairy rule but this time I choose non fat or low fat milk. :) This is really because in the Bon Appetit diet, and even in the nutrition seminar I attended, milk is considered as part of a healthy diet.
So, I guess I'm really just following a lower calorie diet, and I'm finding it quite manageable so far.
To date, I've lost 20 pounds since July 1, 2013. I'm targeting to lose another 10 by end of September, but I'm a bit off track on that goal - especially since I do tend to cheat a bit (weekends and holidays). :P
But hey, 20 pounds in 1 1/2 months? I deserve to reward myself a bit for that. :)
Oh, and I found this really good article on lifehack -> 10 Unconventional Diet Tips: How to lose 50 pounds in three months and I do agree with the tips he shared. Granted, I doubt I'll be losing 50 pounds in 3 months, but it's effective nonetheless.
I was never thin, but I do know that I was in better shape in the past. I mean that literally as well as figuratively. This isn't going to be a long post about me feeling the pressure to be thin or to lose weight, or that I felt insecure about myself or that I got a health scare that is forcing me to rethink my lifestyle. I just simply want to make it public that I am on a diet - I read that this would increase my accountability to the goal.
It's simple, I gained weight in the past because I love to eat and I'm too lazy to exercise and now I want to do something about it.
Two years ago, my older sister lost over 75 pounds in 6 months following the Cohen Lifestyle diet. I was definitely inspired, but wasn't inspired enough to actually follow it. That, plus there was a significant financial investment involved, but I think it was really because I wasn't prepared to go though with it. So, I waited, until I finally decided to start last July 1, 2013.
I still didn't go on Cohen, but I did reapply some of their "rules", nothing that you really can't find out on your own, so I might not have the "prescribed" amount of food that Cohen has, but generally I follow the basic rules of no sugar, no dairy, lean meat and veggies, drinking lots of water, no preserved foods and eating 5 hours apart (to digest the previous meal effectively).
I even break the rules on the no dairy rule but this time I choose non fat or low fat milk. :) This is really because in the Bon Appetit diet, and even in the nutrition seminar I attended, milk is considered as part of a healthy diet.
So, I guess I'm really just following a lower calorie diet, and I'm finding it quite manageable so far.
To date, I've lost 20 pounds since July 1, 2013. I'm targeting to lose another 10 by end of September, but I'm a bit off track on that goal - especially since I do tend to cheat a bit (weekends and holidays). :P
But hey, 20 pounds in 1 1/2 months? I deserve to reward myself a bit for that. :)
Oh, and I found this really good article on lifehack -> 10 Unconventional Diet Tips: How to lose 50 pounds in three months and I do agree with the tips he shared. Granted, I doubt I'll be losing 50 pounds in 3 months, but it's effective nonetheless.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
7 days...
It's been a week since I started at Sungard System Access. So I'm at the point where I can't help but compare between my old and new jobs, list down the pros and cons of my new job and generally reminisce about things I used to do.
Let's start with the good. I left Sun Life to learn new things, get new challenges and I already learned something new. Four days into my stay, I attended an orientation on API development. And now, I'm working on some programming exercises to practice what I've learned. So far, I'm getting the hang of it, and that's good.
People here are generally friendly, especially my cube-mates. Others, I'm pretty sure I'll meet in the weeks/months to come. Of course, it's still the people of Sun Life whom I miss most. Most especially, VILLMA... guys, when are we going to all get together?!?!
I miss Red Box, I miss the proximity to Glorietta/Greenbelt. I miss the long lunches, the pay-day lunch outs, the afternoon meriendas, the morning coffees, the after work chikahan. I miss Starbucks, Quickly, Mini-Stop, Watsons...I miss the work. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to answer data center's call. I miss using Merant VM, Tracker and even RFS! I miss the online HR forms. I miss ProdSupp - hard to imagine because it was one of the reasons why I transferred in the first place, but I think the bottom line there is I miss talking to people, to different users and immediately getting a sense of achievement when you've successfully answered their query. I know, mababaw talaga ang kaligayahan ko. Here, you get your specs, work on it, and that's that. Hardly a life for an extrovert in an introvert's body (or is it the other way around) if you ask me.
But being far from all the conveniences of the Enterprise Center has it's advantages. I get to save more (yay!). And anything that brings temptation farther away is a good thing. I also miss TEC's facilities, but even if we use a common washroom here, it doesn't have long queues and faulty plumbing so, I guess it's a tie for that point. :) For water, there's a water dispenser (not a drinking fountain), so I don't need to buy 10L of water every week from Watson's anymore. For food, if Sun Life has Laling, we have Ate Febe. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with her menu for the week. :) I order in almost every other day, and she wins hands-down on presentation over Laling, with rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Today I had a beef pot roast with mashed potato. It includes rice and a banana. Yum. :) All for P62.
Also noticeable here is the quiet... only occassionally broken by a telephone ring, or a work discussion. But since speakers are not allowed, it's really quite peaceful...sometimes in an unsettling way. My Ipod is definitely maximized in this place. I'm leaning on this as an advantage because you can really focus on what you're doing.
Lastly, unrestricted Internet! I can finally use YM during the day and I've reconnected with some old friends who I haven't had the chance to chat with in years. :) Oh, and if you'll notice, this entry was posted during lunch break.
Bottom line, accepting change is all about knowing what you're willing to give up in exchange for something new - be it good or not so good. I've accepted this change and I think everything is still pretty much going well. Anyway, C'est La Vie! ;-)
Let's start with the good. I left Sun Life to learn new things, get new challenges and I already learned something new. Four days into my stay, I attended an orientation on API development. And now, I'm working on some programming exercises to practice what I've learned. So far, I'm getting the hang of it, and that's good.
People here are generally friendly, especially my cube-mates. Others, I'm pretty sure I'll meet in the weeks/months to come. Of course, it's still the people of Sun Life whom I miss most. Most especially, VILLMA... guys, when are we going to all get together?!?!
I miss Red Box, I miss the proximity to Glorietta/Greenbelt. I miss the long lunches, the pay-day lunch outs, the afternoon meriendas, the morning coffees, the after work chikahan. I miss Starbucks, Quickly, Mini-Stop, Watsons...I miss the work. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to answer data center's call. I miss using Merant VM, Tracker and even RFS! I miss the online HR forms. I miss ProdSupp - hard to imagine because it was one of the reasons why I transferred in the first place, but I think the bottom line there is I miss talking to people, to different users and immediately getting a sense of achievement when you've successfully answered their query. I know, mababaw talaga ang kaligayahan ko. Here, you get your specs, work on it, and that's that. Hardly a life for an extrovert in an introvert's body (or is it the other way around) if you ask me.
But being far from all the conveniences of the Enterprise Center has it's advantages. I get to save more (yay!). And anything that brings temptation farther away is a good thing. I also miss TEC's facilities, but even if we use a common washroom here, it doesn't have long queues and faulty plumbing so, I guess it's a tie for that point. :) For water, there's a water dispenser (not a drinking fountain), so I don't need to buy 10L of water every week from Watson's anymore. For food, if Sun Life has Laling, we have Ate Febe. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with her menu for the week. :) I order in almost every other day, and she wins hands-down on presentation over Laling, with rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Today I had a beef pot roast with mashed potato. It includes rice and a banana. Yum. :) All for P62.
Also noticeable here is the quiet... only occassionally broken by a telephone ring, or a work discussion. But since speakers are not allowed, it's really quite peaceful...sometimes in an unsettling way. My Ipod is definitely maximized in this place. I'm leaning on this as an advantage because you can really focus on what you're doing.
Lastly, unrestricted Internet! I can finally use YM during the day and I've reconnected with some old friends who I haven't had the chance to chat with in years. :) Oh, and if you'll notice, this entry was posted during lunch break.
Bottom line, accepting change is all about knowing what you're willing to give up in exchange for something new - be it good or not so good. I've accepted this change and I think everything is still pretty much going well. Anyway, C'est La Vie! ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)