Thirty-One

My Future Marathons

2010-11-30T17:57:00.002+08:00

Listing some of the Marathons I plan to join in the coming years. These are all located in Asia.. for now.

China

Beijing International Marathon
Great Wall Marathon
Shanghai Marathon
Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon
Macau Marathon

Japan

Tokyo Marathon
Osaka Marathon

Malaysia

Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon

Philippines

Camsur Marathon
Cebu Marathon

Singapore

Singapore Sundown Marathon
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore

Taiwan

Taipei Marathon

Thailand

Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon

UAE

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

My 2009 Runs

2009-12-26T22:45:00.002+08:00

2009 is my year! I have accomplished much this year (blogging is not one of them, hehe..) but most importantly, i have run a lot this year.

I joined a total of 18 runs this year.

8miles:
May 31 - IE8 Run - 1:10:11

5K:
Jan 25 - Happy Run - 26:24

10K:
Jan 18 - PSE Bull run
Mar 15 - Run For Their Lives - 49:58
Mar 29 - Pinay In Action
Jul 5 - Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations - 52:29
Jul 12 - Fit & Fun Run - 1:11:06
Jul 26 - Run with M.E. - 49:25
Dec 20 - Philstar Celebrity Run - 49:21

15K:
Feb 22 - RUNew - 1:23:56
Jun 7 - Mizuno Infinity Run - 1:20:48
Aug 15 - Kenny's Open Urbanite Run - 1:28:37

21K:
Mar 22 - Condura Run - 1:56:45
Jul 19 - Run For Home - 1:51:29
Oct 25 - Adidas KOTR - 2:16:26
Nov 15 - Timex Run - 2:10:19
Nov 29 - New Balance Power Run - 2:07:10

42K:
Singapore Marathon - 4:35:39

It goes without saying that the highlight of my run this year is my first full marathon in Singapore. I've finally done it, finally reached my goal of completing 42.195 kilometers. It was so much fun. An experience I want to do over and over again.

Looking forward to more injury-free runs in 2010..

Run For Home Results

2009-07-23T01:05:00.006+08:00

I am Name Unknown!

And I might not be the only one with that name.

Results of last Sunday's "Run for Home" are out. It can be found in this link. You need either your race number or last name in order to check your time. It's not your typical race results as it contains some pretty interesting information about how you did.

What pissed me off was that when I entered my race number, instead of showing my name, it came out as "Name unknown". WTH! You can say that I kinda expected this to happen. Why? Because the day before the run, I received a text message from a guy named Frank from Globe asking for my race number. When I asked him why he needed it, he told me that they forgot to list my name when they gave me my race packet. So I responded and texted him my race number. I guess that didn't help at all because they still failed to identify me.

Anyway, I'm very happy with my run because it's a new PR for me for 21KM. Although I did not meet my goal of 1:45, I'm still happy because I was able to shed off around 5 mins from my last 21KM. And here's proof that I am Name Unknown.

Friday the 13th

2009-02-14T02:16:00.002+08:00

Feb 13

Friday the 13th... Eve of Valentine's day...

This is how my day went...

Accompanied Tet to DFA for a personal appearance for Trisha's passport...

Had a meeting for Run@HP at our TWS office...

Had H.B.L.T. Sandwich from The Sandwich Guy... really good and affordable!

Work... work... work...

Had Sandwich again for Dinner at home...

Played with Trisha...

Watched Dora and Desperate Housewives...

Surf... surf... surf... the internet that is... while watching CNN...

Blog...

And now going to sleep on Valentine's day... it's already Feb 14.

But not after I send a quick work email...

Run Forest Run

2009-01-21T01:31:00.011+08:00

This is also an overdue post.
Last September 28, Tiano and I organized our second charity run. This time we opened it not only for our team but to the entire HP ADSI organization. We had a total of 16 runners (I know that's very few compared to the 400+ population of the organization). But I'd say it was still a success! Why? We were able to raise Php50,250 from 184 pledges for the Haribon Foundation. That's equivalent to 670 new trees!!

So this is to thank all the runners, the people who pledged and the volunteers for helping to make this charitable event successful!

Sharing some pictures during the run.

Before the run

After the run

Finisher

Organizers

RFR BannerNext up: HP run!

1st Finsys Fun Run - The Turnover

2009-01-21T01:30:00.000+08:00

I know this is long overdue. Last July 12, we went to the National Children’s Hospital and had a formal turnover of our donations to the Kythe Foundation amounting to PhP26,000. On behalf of the organizers of the 1st FinSys run and all the runners, we would like to thank everyone who pledged for this cause. We made a difference to the lives of those children!

Again, THANK YOU for your generosity!

Want to know more about Kythe? Visit their website at www.kythe.org

My 2008 runs

2009-01-21T00:41:00.002+08:00

Just wanted to quickly post the runs I participated in last year. Joined a total of 10 races.

January 27 - Bull Run 5K
March 30 - Mizuno Run 10K
April 13 - On Your Mark 10K
May 18 - Run with Pringles 3 miles
June 14 - Finsys Payment Run 8.8K
June 15 - MH All-Terrain Race 12K
June 29 - Rush to Infinity Run 15K
August 17 - MH Miracle Run 10K
September 28 - Run Forest Run 4.4K
October 11 - Adidas KOTR 10K

Looking back at my runs, I was nowhere near my 2008 goal of running my first ever marathon. But instead, this is what I have accomplished.

1. Longest run was 15K.
2. Average run was 10K.
3. Most active month was June (3 runs).

And because I don't run regularly and don't prepare for my runs, I got injured. I have learned my lesson. For 2009, my goal is to put in more miles and to choose my runs wisely. Overall, I'm still targeting to run my first (and hopefully not my last) marathon towards the last quarter of the year. And this time, I hopefully will be able to achieve this because I have prepared.

Best job in the world!!

2009-01-13T22:07:00.004+08:00

I chanced upon this article on Yahoo! news today. "Best job in the world!"

The link can be found here but I also pasted it below if you're too lazy to click on the link.

Australia offers 'best job in world' on paradise island

SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.
The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.

In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.

"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.

"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.

"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."

Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.

"I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said.

"This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone."

Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1.

Job-seekers can apply on Islandreefjob.com.

Wouldn't it be cool to have that job? Unless you hate the sun, the sand and the sea.

A New Year!

2009-01-01T02:01:00.003+08:00

A Blessed New Year to everyone!!

2008 is over! It's the first day of 2009, the year of the Ox (or cow/carabao for some). The Ox is the most appropriate animal for the year 2009. From the looks of it, with the global economic crisis, we'll have to work as hard as the Ox to earn our keep.

Read from Yahoo News! that a lot of billionaires lost their money and are now no longer billionaires. One lost everything while the others were demoted from billionaires to millionaires. Well, the more you have, the more you lose. At least, the poor have no such problem, they have nothing to lose in the first place. =p

The fate of the world, as far as the global economy is concerned, rests in the hands of Obama and his team. I'm sure everyone will be watching his every move and how he'll turn the economy around. I hope he succeeds.. for everyone's sake!

Anyway, I'm excited and really looking forward to what lies ahead for me and my family in 2009. I have faith in GOD and I know He is in control! So why should I worry?

The Dunkin Donut Ad is Bad Influence!

2008-10-06T01:30:00.000+08:00

You know how kids these days try and copy what they see on TV? Well, Trisha is like that. She tries and copies almost all of the advertisements she sees on TV which brings me to this one ad that I think has a bad influence on children.

Surprisingly, it's an ad about donuts. Specifically, the Dunkin Donuts ad. The one where the little girl was yelling non-stop because she was trying to figure out who ate her donut (I think it was a boston creme) only to find out that it was her mom who was eating it.

I believe this sends a wrong message to children. They might find such behavior amusing and may think that it's ok to imitate. And without parental guidance, they may get the idea that shouting is ok and can be a way for them to get attention or to get what they want.

Going back to Trisha, she did copy what she saw on the donut ad. So we had to tell her that it was not right to shout.

Media has to be responsible with what they show on TV especially the impact it has to the children watching.

my fear

2008-10-06T00:35:00.004+08:00

Last night, Trisha and I had a heart to heart talk. With a serious face, I told her that she should promise me that she will not marry early. She's 2 years old. I know, I know! She's too young for the talk and she would probably not remember it. I couldn't recall what her answer was. She was too busy trying to go back to playing. I know I sound silly, maybe even weird. But the thought of her getting married at an early age just scares me! I know any dad with a daughter feels the same way at a certain point in their lives. Mine was just early, a little bit too early. Hehe..

So Trisha, when you're old enough to read this. Be warned! =p

Urbanathlon or Powerrace?

2008-10-06T00:25:00.000+08:00

Bought my October copy of Men's Health Philippines today and found out that the annual MH Urbanathlon coincides with the New Balance Powerrace. The 2 runs are among my favorite road races so I am torn between which event to join. Of the many weekends, why did both events choose to be on the same day? Well, I'm sure they didn't plan this. And I don't think either will change their dates. Oh well, guess I'll just have to flip (a coin that is) for it.

iamninoy

2008-08-29T00:10:00.003+08:00

iamninoy. areyouninoy? doyouknowninoy? Saw this ad on TV today and immediately checked out the website. Following are excerpts from the "iamninoy campaign background" which i got from the site:

"The year 2008 marks the 25th death anniversary of the martyred national hero Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. In tribute, the Benigno S. Aquino Jr., Foundation (BSAF), together with friends and supporters, will hold a year-long celebration of his life and legacy through a campaign entitled: iamninoy

The core message of the Campaign is the selfless giving of the best of ourselves for our countrymen and women and the advancement of the country as a whole. Hence, the campaign is designed to create innovative mechanisms and systems for the participation of corporate brands and their customers in schemes that contribute to causes and projects that enhance the welfare of the poor and marginalized Filipinos."

If you want to know more, you can check out their site, iamninoy. It contains a lot of stuff like information about ninoy for those who don't know him and since this is a year long campaign, they have several events lined up. And one the events is the Ninoy Aquino Photo Exhibit that features the Willy Vicoy Collection organized by the Ayala Foundation in partnership with Hewlett-Packard. :p

There are lots of other events being planned but what got me excited was the word "marathon". I hope this pushes through because I'm sure a lot of runners will be excited to join it.

My Miracle Run

2008-08-21T00:09:00.001+08:00

This is my 100th post and I will write about my recent run, the Men's Health Miracle Run. It's a miracle that I was able to finish the 10K run. I normally wouldn't have a problem finishing a 10K run but not this time. It took me over 15 mins more to cross the finish line than my average finish time. Good thing this run was all about just being able to finish in order for MH to donate P200/runner to the GMA foundation.

But the real question here is "Why did it take me that long to finish the 10K run"? There's only one answer. Blame it on my injured knee. Yes, it's the same left knee that I injured during the rush to infinity run last June 29. After getting that injury, I stopped running to let it heal. Problem is I didn't go to the doctor like I said I would to have it checked. I was hoping it would heal itself and that I would be back to normal by the time I run again which is why I skipped running for more than a month. And a day before the run, I even bought a Phiten UPS Titan Tape roll hoping that it would help prevent any pain.

I was psychologically ready for the run. I woke up early and was at the venue an hour before the run would start. I made sure that I did the proper stretching and was able to do a few laps around the parking lot for my warm up. But even during the warm up run, I started to feel a little pain on that stubborn knee. I would later learn that the pain was only the preview of more pain to come.

I was relaxed and was chatting with Wa when the run started. Since we were positioned at the back of the crowd, we had to walk for a while but eventually started to run when the crowd started to disperse and there was more room to run. I thought that if the pain would reoccur then it would probably be around the 5K mark. But no, my knee has its own mind. I started to feel the pain even before I reached 2K. I had to slow down but that would not stop me from running. I almost reached 5K without walking or stopping. I tried as hard as I can to forget about the pain until I could no longer take it which eventually forced me to walk a few hundred meters before reaching 5K. And it was downhill from there. While the others were running, I had to walk and walk I did for more than half of the remaining 5K. It was frustrating! Nevertheless, I am still thankful that I was able to finish.

A big lesson learned here. An injury cannot heal itself. I have to go see a doctor. I have to run regularly. I have to! I have to!

A big thanks to Wa as well for accompanying me during my walks. Hehe..

Latent TB and Why I Care...

2008-08-20T13:20:00.003+08:00

Even before Trisha turned one, her pediatrician had advised the possibility of doing a test to rule out "Primary Complex" due to the slow increase of her weight. We initially thought that Trisha didn't need the test because aside from the slow weight gain, she had no other symptoms that would suggest she had primary complex. She rarely gets sick and her milk intake was normal. Our only problem was she prefers chips, chocolates and candies to real food. Her doctor even accepted the fact that maybe she was just petite.

And then just 2 weeks ago when we went for her monthly check-up, her pediatrician advised us that it was better to have Trisha undergo the test just to be sure because she was concerned that at her age, she was still at less than 10kgs. And so last week, we had her tested (procedure was to inject a TB-like substance under the surface of the skin). We had to wait for 2 days before we would know the results. We were hoping that it was nothing but her test results came out positive. However, her doctor said that she has no primary complex but what she has instead was referred to as "latent TB". She said that Trisha might have been exposed to someone who has TB. Anyway, she ordered an X-ray to be done just to be sure that it was really not a primary complex. I'm glad it was not.

But since Trisha has latent TB, it still needs to be treated. Her doctor prescribed a medicine that she needs to take for 9 months. Poor Trisha! Looking at the bright side, at least there is a way to prevent her from developing active TB. Cases like these may be normal but it still affects us as parents to think that our daughter has it. =(

But what is Latent TB?

According to Wikipedia... "Latent tuberculosis is where a patient is infected with Myobacterium tuberculosis, but does not have active tuberculosis disease. Patients with latent tuberculosis are not infectious, and it is not possible to get TB from someone with latent tuberculosis. The main risk is that approximately 10% of these patients will go on to develop active tuberculosis at a later stage of their life. The identification and treatment of people with latent TB is an important part of controlling this disease."

I also found an article comparing Latent vs Active TB here. Basically, a latent TB can be compared to a dormant volcano. Once it comes out of hibernation and explodes, it becomes active. This is the same case with latent TB, once it turns active, then it's referred to as active TB. Makes sense huh? =) Anyway, the great news is latent TB can be prevented from becoming active by taking medication which would kill the TB bacteria. Here's a useful link on how to treat latent TB.

Bottomline here is, there's really nothing to worry about but of course as parents, we can't help but worry especially if it's our child who has it. That's human nature!

Trisha's Apology

2008-08-07T02:57:00.003+08:00

Trisha is just turning 2 in a few months and we (Tet and I, and some of our friends as well) are amazed how well she is able to converse with people.

Anyway, I want to share an incident today when I was scolding her for not being careful when she spilled water on the couch from her water bottle.

This is how she responded.

Trisha: Galit na Daddy.
Me: Oo, galit na talaga daddy kasi hindi ka careful.
Trisha: Sorry. Sorry na Daddy. Sorry na.

This was the first time that she voluntarily apologized because usually when she does something wrong, we would tell her to say sorry and she would say it but doesn't seem to mean it. But today, she actually meant it.

How could I continue to be mad after hearing that? My heart just melted with those words. Yun lang!

23.. 32.. Who cares?

2008-08-07T02:14:00.006+08:00

I just turned 23 yesterday. At least that's what I want to believe my age is. Hahaha.. Anyway, at my age, I don't really expect to receive gifts from anyone except from myself, my wife and my co-workers. Haha.. Lo and behold, I received gifts from each one. I am truly blessed! =)

Let's start with what I got myself for my birthday.. I am somewhat on a budget so as a gift for my birthday, I got myself and Tet tickets to the Cinderella musical. I picked the Aug 8 show because it's the one closest to my birthday. Another gift I got for myself is the Amphipod RunLite Hydration Belt which Deedee was gracious enough to buy for me in the US.

Tet, on the other hand, got me an Oakley. It's a half jacket model (jet black frame and fire iridium lens). She got me this so that I have eye protection when I run. How thoughtful!

And lastly, my Finsys teammates got me a New Balance singlet. See me model the singlet below (while holding a chocolate cake and a bottle of caramel sauce).

Thanks to me (Haha..), Tet and my Finsys teammates for the gift/s and for all those who remembered to greet me on my special day. God bless you guys!

That's it. If I had free-flowing cash, a perfect gift to myself would probably be a trip to Beijing with Tet and Trisha to watch the Olympics. I could only wish...

Another Busy Weekend..

2008-08-05T15:46:00.003+08:00

Last weekend was a busy weekend for us. We had activities lined up from Friday to Sunday.

August 1 - Friday

We had dinner at the Kabisera restaurant in Bonifacio High Street. By "we" I meant the FinSys oldies.. hehe.. namely Wa, Jon, Joaqs, Roy, Lancer, Suraj, Barbs, Thea, Vicky + me, Tet, Trisha and Kat. The dinner was a get together for Vicky who had already resigned from HP and had recently come back from Canada.

picture to follow..

August 2 - Saturday

Joaqs' birthday party @ Linden Suites, room 1114. Tet, Trish and I were the first to arrive at around 7:30pm. Peter then arrived shortly after which was followed by Kabby, Cris and Roy. And then the others started to arrive. The food (by Verleo except for the Pancit which was bought from Orchid motel) and drinks were overflowing. Trisha had a fun time but we had to leave early (around 10pm) because it was already past her bedtime.

picture to follow..

August 3 - Sunday

Attended Smile's Christian wedding at "The Greenery" in Bulacan on a rainy day. The place was quite far and there were very few signs along the way. Wa and Kat carpooled with us and we got lost several times trying to find the venue. The wedding had already started when we got there but we were still able to witness most parts of the wedding ceremony. The place was nice especially where the actual wedding ceremony took place and the train. The food was also good. On our way back, we convoyed with Ralph's vehicle to make sure we don't get lost again.

picture to follow..

So that was our weekend. Didn't really have much time to rest but it was a fun weekend.

北京欢迎你

2008-07-31T23:22:00.006+08:00

August is just around the corner and it's going to be an exciting month! Aside from it being my birth month, it's the Beijing Olympics month!!

8 days from now on 08.08.08 at exactly 08:08:08 pm, the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony will begin. I'm 100% sure it's going to be one spectacular event!! On that day and at that time, I will be here in Manila watching Cinderella at the CCP. I'll just ask one of my friends to record the opening ceremonies so I could watch it after.

I've stopped hoping for a miracle that I will be in Beijing for the Olympics and besides, I wouldn't want my Cinderella tickets to go to waste. =P

Anyway, my sister called me today and told me to listen to the Beijing Olympics theme song in youtube. She said that it was a beautiful song and that I would like it. I did like it! It's a Chinese song (obviously!) entitled "Beijing Welcomes You" (北京欢迎你) featuring various Chinese artists, most of which I don't recognize. The song is quite long (over 6 mins) but it carries a beautiful melody and a nice message. The song was also performed during the 100 days countdown event in China.

These are exciting times for Beijing. Wouldn't you want to be there during the Olympics?

Alternative Fuels, anyone?

2008-07-30T22:02:00.008+08:00

With the price of fuel consistently rising, more and more people are looking for ways to either cut fuel consumption or go for alternative fuels.

To cut fuel consumption, we would have to stop using our vehicles or at least minimize using them which for some of us is not really acceptable. Carpooling is also one option in cutting fuel consumption but how many of us have colleagues that live in the same place as us? Another way of cutting fuel consumption is to live close to where we work so that instead of driving to work, we'll just walk. However, this would only work if we're renting because it's not easy to just sell our house and find a new one close to our workplace. And what if we find a new job in a different location? There's also the option of changing your gas or diesel powered vehicle to a hybrid one but we all know that hybrid vehicles are expensive and I don't know if they are already available here in the Philippines (probably not).

So, finding alternative fuels that are cheaper is probably the most sensible way to combat the rising fuel prices. But what are the available alternative fuels in the Philippines?
One available option is to convert our vehicles to run on LPG since it is cheaper than gasoline or diesel and according to reports is environmentally friendly. The conversion cost is around P70,000 for gas-powered vehicles. I'm not sure if diesel-powered vehicles can be converted. One UK site says it can but that it is more costly. Of course, there are pros and cons in using LPG. But from what I've been reading, there are more advantages than disadvantages. Developed countries like the UK, US and Japan are adapting LPG-powered vehicles. I remember when I was in Japan in 2000, the cabs there were already running on LPG. Anyway, one major concern here in the Philippines about using LPG is the supposedly adverse effect on health. If that is untrue, then converting to LPG is a good option (after shelling out the P70,000 conversion cost and giving up your trunk space).

But if you don't have P70,000 or do not want to have an LPG tank in your vehicle or is convinced that installing LPG in your vehicle will have a bad effect on your health, the option is to use ethanol-blended gasoline on your vehicle. Currently, some oil companies already offer what they call E10 gasolines (90% gas & 10% bioethanol). They are normally P2/liter cheaper than the regular gasolines. According to reports, there should be no need for any conversion and should have no difference from regular gasolines in terms of vehicle performance and is also good for the environment. But I've heard different opinions about E10. Some say that it's only for newer vehicles and some say that as long as a vehicle has an EFI engine then it's safe to use E10. I personally am not sure what to believe but I found an AU site that can help determine which vehicles can use E10. I think this is the easiest option for most car owners since there's no tweaking needed and can be done at once. Unfortunately, this is not for all and gas stations offering E10 are not widely available yet. Most importantly, the P2/liter price difference may not be enough as compared to the huge difference one can save when using LPG or other cheaper alternative fuels.

And then there's taking Bioethanol to the next level. It's the same fuel used in E10 but instead of only 10% bioethanol & 90% gas, this time it's 85% bioethanol & 15% gas.They call it E85. Saw this in the news today. This is already available in Manila. However, there's a device that needs to be put in the engine first before E85 can be used by a vehicle as a fuel. And the device costs around P25,000. It's relatively cheaper than converting to an LPG and the fuel price is almost the same. You don't have to sacrifice trunk space and it's also environmentally friendly.

At the end of the day, it's up to us to decide which of the options available will work for us. As for me, I think I'm leaning more into the E85 for now.

The Dark Knight @ IMAX Incident!!

2008-07-29T00:39:00.004+08:00

Tet and I watched "The Dark Knight" last Sunday at the IMAX theater in SM MOA. I know it's already late to be talking about this movie as a lot of people have already watched this and all of them are raving about this movie. Read somewhere that this movie might be the one to break the Titanic record of being the highest grossing movie of all time!

Anyway, what I want to share is what we witnessed inside the IMAX theater that really pissed us off. No, there was no technical problem. Everything was perfect! It's just that there was one couple who didn't even bother to stand up while the Philippine National Anthem was being played. How disrespectful!! They remain seated during the entire duration of the song while everyone (including some foreigners) was on their feet. I wanted to take pictures of them so that I could post it here but it was dark inside.

So to the two of you (whoever you are), SHAME ON YOU!

Pain, pain, go away!

2008-07-23T02:21:00.003+08:00

I hurt my left knee from the last Mizuno run and I haven't had the time to go see a doctor yet. My work has been keeping me from going to the doctor but I hope to go to one before I run again. It's been over 3 weeks since the Mizuno run and I sometimes still feel pain on my knee.

I'm disappointed that I'll be passing up the TNF 100 (10K) and Robinson's Supermarket 5K buddy run. I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to participate in the Milo Marathon (10K) on Aug 3 but I'm more likely to sit this one out as well. =( But what I'm really excited about is the MH Miracle run (10K) on Aug 17. That one I will not miss! I'll make sure that I will be ready for that run.

By the way, does anyone know of a good Ortho/Rehab doctor? Please recommend!

Government Projects.. Did you know?

2008-07-23T00:26:00.004+08:00

All government projects are plagued with controversies. But that doesn't mean they have to stop those projects. I hope they don't. But I also hope that they don't waste too much money because of corruption. Corruption is a fact of life, especially here in the Philippines. I don't think they'll change overnight but I hope they do in the near future. I've mentioned the word "hope" several times because in reality, the only thing we can do is to HOPE.. and PRAY! (hope and pray that they don't get too greedy and that they'll eventually change)

Anyway, this blog is about some of our government's infrastructure projects and others. I've been curious about them ever since I heard them on the news and read them on the internet.

Did you know? (you probably do)

..that the NAIA Terminal 3 is finally open after 6 years of being put on hold..
..that the Clark-Tarlac part of SCTEx is going to open on July 25, 2008..
..that the LRTA has a lot of projects going on..
..that the Northrail project might still push through despite the controversies..
..that there are other projects that I do not know of.. hehe..

Well, I hope all of these projects finish and hopefully be beneficial for the Filipino people in the long run.

Rush to Infinity run - the Aftermath

2008-07-01T00:27:00.003+08:00

This is Mizuno run Part 2! Like the first Mizuno run, this was another memorable run. Let me tell you why..

This was my first 15K run and the weather that day was perfect for running.
I woke up late (because I couldn't sleep the night before) but managed to arrive several minutes before the 15K was to start. Good thing they did not start on time, otherwise I would've been late... again!
I was flagged down by the Bonifacio Security for beating the red light. In my defense, I was in a hurry because I thought I was already late for the 15K. I apologized to the Security and told him that I was late for the run. He then asked for my license and gave me a lecture about how dangerous it was to do what I did. I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying because I was busy hoping that the run hasn't started. =) Good for me, He let me go with a warning.
Water and Rush Fitness water were overflowing this time. There was no shortage at all! Good job! I heard some say that there were few water stations but I think it was just right.
I started with a good pace but upon reaching the first 5KM, I started to feel pain on my left knee and left foot. It was the same pain I felt during the MH ATR. I still tried to run but eventually slowed down to a jog. And when the pain became unbearable, I was forced to walk. But even when walking, each step was still painful. I would psyche myself that it was all in the mind and there was really no pain. I kept repeating "no pain, no pain" in my mind. I tried to run again several times and was able to do so for a few minutes but only to end up walking even more. I was so frustrated! I was not tired and I wanted to run but my feet/legs won't let me. =( Add to that the frustration of seeing other runners running passed me.
When I crossed the finish line, I tried to look for my finish time and from what I can remember, it was around 1:42:36. But when the official results came out, my time was 2:11:08. Quite a number of runners had that same official time which was odd. If you haven't heard, there's this "technical error" encountered by the race organizers so the finish times were not accurate. Anyway, I'm just happy and thankful that I was able to finish.

Overall, I would say that it was a good run. There are lots of things that could still be improved by the organizers but they still did a good job. It could only get better. The next Mizuno run will be better. =)

I'm still disappointed with myself for taking more walks than running. My feet/legs still hurt but I hope it's nothing serious. A colleague who also ran had a bad knee injury. If I'm not mistaken, I think the doctor told him that he tore his ligament and that he could no longer run until he has surgery. Ouch! I will have my knee checked as well before I participate in another race. I really really hope it's nothing serious. I do not want to give up running.

Men's Health ATR Results are out!

2008-06-28T23:14:00.005+08:00

The 2008 Men's Health ATR results are out!

My official time is 1:20:15 for the approximately 12K trail run. I placed 38 in my age group (31-40) and 94 in the Men's ranking. I was the 108th to finish in the overall rankings. Not bad at all considering that I was in pain more than half of the race! Haha..

I am happy with my time. It can only get better next time.. hehe.. Looking forward to the next Men's Health event.. Urbanathlon!!

Rush to Infinity - My 1st 15K Run

2008-06-28T22:16:00.005+08:00

I am ready for my first 15-kilometer run. No, I did not prepare for it (typical of me). I'm not being arrogant. I know I need to prepare but I have no excuse. So I hope I can finish the run tomorrow on my target of less than 90 minutes and will not have any injuries or aching muscles afterwards (unlike the back to back runs I had just a few weeks ago wherein my whole body ached and I had to go on a 2-day SL). Bad.. bad..

I just saw the 15K race route and it's the same route as the last Mizuno run. I was hoping it would be a different route since Bayani road is a mess. There are piles of sand & gravel and since it rained today, I'm pretty sure there'll be mud tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm still excited for the run tomorrow. Good news, there's no threat of rain tomorrow even if it rained today according to the GMA flash report. The report said that the rain was caused by the hot weather.

I'm all good.. I have all my stuff ready for tomorrow; singlet, shorts, socks, shoes, ipod, race number. I'm ready to rush to Mizuno infinity run!

The 1st Finsys Payment Run

2008-06-17T14:59:00.007+08:00

The run is over, it's now time to collect!

I would say that the Finsys Payment Run was a success! Even if there were only 9 of us who ran, I think we were able to raise a good amount to give to Kythe.

The unofficial sum that we were able to raise is over 20K++!! I will post an update once we get the final amount. Everyone who ran was really surprised and happy with the amount.

Most of us initially targeted to finish only 1-2 laps but I guess the level of energy that day was really high. Everyone ended up going beyond their initial targets with Wa walking (or should I say running) away with the most number of laps (7 laps). Jon was the fastest to finish 1 lap while Roy was the earliest to arrive (although this is being contested by Jon). Haha.. Both Roy and Donn got the most number of pledges (in terms of amount and people that pledged).

That day was really fun, we got to exercise and help those in need at the same time. A big thanks to Tiano for coming up with this idea of having a Finsys fun run. And to Kim, Evadne and Ria SP for helping out.

On behalf of the organizers (naks!), we'd like to thank the Finsys runners (Wa, Jon, Roy, Jack, Alvin T., Nilo, Donn) who woke up early to run. I know it's difficult to get up in the morning so we really appreciate your effort. Thanks to Kabby for assisting during the run and to Ommar for taking those great pictures. You can view the pictures here.

Lastly, we'd like to thank all those who pledged. Your generous contribution will surely help those kids at Kythe.

Till the next Finsys run...

Avenue Q (The Farewell Run) - Don't Miss It!

2008-06-16T22:03:00.007+08:00

Tet and I watched the farewell run of Avenue Q at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium at the RCBC Plaza last Friday and it was a fantastic show! I've always loved watching musicals and I still do. It has been quite some time since the last musical that I watched and I'm glad we watched Avenue Q.

I learned about Avenue Q way before when Anton of Our Awesome Planet blogged about their first run which had Rachel Alejandro as Kate Monster. During that time, I shrugged it off and wasn't really interested to watch a musical that featured puppets. Boy, was i wrong! If I could go back in time, I wished I was able to watch the first run and then watch the farewell run so that I could compare the performances of Rachel Alejandro and Carla Guevara (as Kate Monster on the farewell run). But since I can't, I'd have to say that Carla did a great job and the rest of the cast as well! They were all so good!! There was never a dull moment and all the songs were really good and funny especially the "internet is for porn" number. Haha.. I hope they would sell soundtracks of the Manila show. I would love to hear the songs again.

Thanks to Anton for blogging about this and for selling the tickets. It was really worth it. If you haven't watched this, I would suggest you buy your tickets now. It's really that good! They're only till June 22 before they go to Singapore.

Back to Back Runs this Weekend

2008-06-13T18:54:00.003+08:00

I have not posted anything for weeks now. Been really really busy with work lately. =( I'm going to blog about my back to back runs this weekend.

We're organizing our 1st ever (hopefully the start of many more to come) team fun run. It's called the Finsys Payment Run. Finsys is our team in HP and Payment Run is something the Treasury folks do in SAP. Haha..

Anyway, it's a pledged run and all proceeds will be going to kythe. The run will be tomorrow (June 14). The runner turnout is not that many but I hope we would be able to generate a good amount of money to give to kythe.

I'm really happy about this run because it is for a good cause. Thanks to Tiano for coming up with this idea.

Then there's the Men's Health All-terrain race on Sunday. This is one of the runs I really look forward to every year because it is a different challenge on the usual road races. It's still going to be held at Timberland Heights and in time for Father's day.

I already have my race kit and I hope I won't be too tired to run.

Funny youtube clips

2008-05-24T22:36:00.002+08:00

A colleague showed me the below clips from youtube:

Charlie bit my finger - again!

and

He's gonna kick my ASS?

Watch it! It's really funny! Hahaha!

Pringles Run Results

2008-05-24T21:45:00.005+08:00

When I participate in road races, I usually don't know my finish time since I don't have a gadget like Garmin (hint: tet) to track it . So I really depend on the results published by the race organizer which I find on the net.

I have so far participated in four races this year and I only know my finish time for the PSE Bull run and Mizuno Run. So far, no results yet for the On your Mark run. Good thing, the Pringles run already have their unofficial results published.

My time for the Pringles run was 26:38 for 4.83K. Not bad at all. I'm hoping my time improves on the next races I join.

I'm really looking forward to the 3 runs I am participating in June. Our very own Finsys Payment Run (a fun run we're trying to organize within our team), the Men's Health All-terrain race and the Mizuno Infinity run part 2. Happy running and see you all on the road.

Pringles run - rain or shine

2008-05-18T08:23:00.006+08:00

I just finished the Pringles run. All 3 miles or 4.83 km of it.

I set my alarm at 5am and when it went off, I was so sleepy (I only had less than 3 hours of sleep because of that stupid ipod) that I was telling myself to skip the run and just go back to sleep. And I did for the next 15 minutes. I eventually forced myself to get up. I really didn't want to miss the run.

It was a gloomy day because of the typhoon. The roads were wet and it was drizzling. I reached the venue 15 minutes before it started. I was looking for the other HP runners but didn't see any of them. There were a couple of us who registered but I think I was the only one who actually showed up.

took these shots on my way to the venue

The run started on time at 6am. It was still drizzling when we started and the wind was strong. I started slow and eventually picked up my pace. I would run slower on the uphills and faster on the downhills. I don't know my time but I think I did pretty ok.

On my way home, I saw other runners from another run. By the time I reached home which was just 5 minutes away from the venue, the rain was already pouring. I'm sure those runners got wet. I hope none of them gets sick.

Today was a good run for me. The distance was just ok especially since it was raining. The rainy season seems to start early this year. I guess there will be fewer runs in the coming months becaus of the rainy season. But most runners would run in any condition, rain or shine.

Pancakes & more @ Flapjacks

2008-05-18T08:22:00.001+08:00

If you listen to magic 89.9 FM radio station then you'd know about Flapjacks. It's the new restaurant in Greenbelt 2 which I would say their concept is similar to Heaven & eggs. They serve different pancakes all day and a lot more.

The DJs at magic have been actively promoting Flapjacks for some time now and we were able to try it out last Thursday. We went there around dinner time and I was expecting that the place will be packed but surprisingly it was not.

We had the 3 layer of classic fluffy pancakes and Beef Salpicao. Their serving was similar to Heaven & eggs so our order was just enough for Tet and I. My verdict on the food - it was just ok. Not really something to rave about. I was hoping that the Beef Salpicao would be as good as the Salpicao of El Cuento resto but it didn't even come close to the Salpicao of Dulcinea. The El Cuento Salpicao is the best Salpicao ever! Too bad the resto had long been closed. If any of you knows of an existing El Cuento resto (sister resto of Pazzo), please please let me know. =)

Back to Flapjacks, I would still want to go back and try their baby back ribs. I hope it would be good. mmm... bikinis.. hahaha.. (go to youtube.com and search for Nestea beach VJ hunt to know what I'm talking about). Funny funny!

Speedracer, iPod and Pringles run

2008-05-18T02:21:00.000+08:00

There's this new movie that I am not familiar with, Speedracer. I only learned that before this became a movie, it was an anime cartoon TV show. Anyway, I didn't watch the movie but I heard it was good. I'm still not convinced though. I only made a post of this because I saw the speedracer car on display at the Powerplant mall. My initial intention was to post this blog using my mobile phone but it didn't work.

It's already past 2am and I need to go to bed. I still need to wake up at 5am tomorrow for the Pringles run. I hope it doesn't rain.

But before I end this post, I just want to vent out my frustration over my ipod shuffle. For some reason, I'm having problems syncing it with my laptop and desktop. argh!! It's actually the reason why I am still awake! But I have given up hope of syncing my ipod. I'll just have to bear running tomorrow without it.

If you guys know of any MP3 players that's more reliable than an ipod, please let me know.

Busy Busy

2008-05-01T00:33:00.002+08:00

Happy Labor Day to everyone, especially to laborers like me. Hehe.. Enjoy it because it's back to work again tomorrow.

I haven't had the chance to blog for sometime since I have been busy with both my work and non-work stuff. Everyday has been hectic for the past few weeks. My weekdays are jam packed and so are my weekends. But I am not going to talk about work here. No Way!

Last Sunday was my shobe's wedding. All of our families' closest friends came to celebrate with them. It was a joyous occasion. Trisha was one of the flower girls. I have no pictures to show yet so that would have to be in a different post once I get hold of pictures from the wedding.

And this coming weekend will also be a busy (but fun) weekend since Tet's mom and her siblings are here for a vacation. We're going to Enchanted Kingdom on Saturday and Ocean Park on Sunday. Looking forward to that.

We haven't been to the beach yet this summer but hopefully we'll be able to go to Batangas in one of the May weekends just before the rainy season starts. I am so looking forward to all of the weekends from now till July.

Oil Prices: Then and Now..

2008-04-15T17:57:00.003+08:00

The continuous rise in oil prices in the Philippines is alarming. If I'm not mistaken, this is the 7th time this year that oil prices have increased and we're just starting the 2nd quarter. Fuel prices have now almost reached P50/liter or $1.20/liter with the current dollar-peso exchange rate. Comparing that to U.S. fuel prices which is now almost $4/gallon, with 1 gallon = 3.79 liters, our fuel price is at $4.55/gallon. Wow! That means fuel prices in the Philippines (a third world country) is more expensive than in the U.S. (world's largest economy).

That made me want to find out what the oil prices were 5 to 10 years ago. And this is what I found:

U.S. oil prices:

10 years ago - approx. $1/gallon
5 years ago - approx. $1.6/gallon

Philippine oil prices:

Before deregulation (1972-1995) - approx. P5.99/liter (gas) and P3.98/liter (diesel)
Start of deregulation (April 1996) - approx. P9.50/liter (gas) and P7.03/liter (diesel)
Start of GMA's term (January 2001) - approx. P16.56/liter (gas) and P13.82/liter (diesel)
Start of last year (January 2007) - approx. P37.33/liter (gas) and P32.62/liter (diesel)

Imagine that, 13 years ago the average fuel prices were just P6/liter. Now it's almost P50/liter. That's an 833% increase. Wow! Eversince the oil was deregulated, oil prices have gone up dramatically. No wonder the poor gets poorer and the rich probably get richer while the middle class is struggling!

Now, don't you wish that the weather in Manila is colder so that we could just ride bicycles instead of drive cars and waste more precious gasolines? Anyway, If you want to know, I got those figures from here and here.

My New Gadget!

2008-04-15T14:11:00.004+08:00

Tet and I were at Market Market last night supposedly to buy blank DVDs at CD-R King but we ended up or I ended up buying a Philips portable DVD player. Yey!

It was not planned really. We just happened to pass by the activity center and there were different household appliances on display. I was left to roam around while Tet went to Plains & Prints to shop.

While looking around, I happened to pass by the Philips display area and that was when the 10.2" portable DVD player caught my attention. I came closer to it to simply check it out but the attendant approached me and started to demonstrate it.

I always wanted to buy a portable DVD player but haven't really found the need for it. But lately, since Trisha started to learn how to watch Barney on Video, I wanted to buy her a portable one that we could bring when we travel.

I liked the Philips portable DVD player as soon as I saw it but even moreso when the attendant told me that it comes with a car mount. That means I don't need to buy a multimedia system for the car anymore. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone. Hehe..

But of course, before I could decide to buy anything, I needed to consult my wife first. So I hurriedly went to Plains & Prints where Tet was and excitedly informed her of what I saw. After she bought her dress, we went back to the Philips area so that I could show her what I wanted to buy. Being the supportive wife that she is, she gave me the nod of approval. And so, I am now the proud owner of a Philips portable DVD player (PET1031/98).

You can click on the link above to check out the Specs. As for me, I'm picking up my DVD player tomorrow. Yahoo!

Dude, where's my car?

2008-04-15T13:54:00.003+08:00

I took this photo of the parking lot behind Robinson's Summit last Friday morning. I was at the 20th floor.

Don't they look like little matchboxes? It would have probably looked better if the carpark was full. Anyway, can you spot my car in the picture? I'll give you a clue.. it's white!

Summer Olympics is just around the corner

2008-04-15T13:09:00.004+08:00

I saw this billboard along EDSA yesterday while on my way to work. It was a gloomy Monday morning and seeing this cheered me up a bit.

I know what you guys are thinking. No, it's not the girl with the bikini on that cheered me up but the 08.08.08 sign above. That's the start of the much awaited and controversial Beijing Olympics. It's only a few months from now and I hope it will be a peaceful Olympics.

Too bad we don't have Solar Sports on SkyCable. =(

April 13: On Your Mark

2008-04-14T16:45:00.005+08:00

Tet woke me up at 5AM and I immediately got up. I didn't want to be late again like what happened during the Mizuno run. I took a quick shower, changed and left by 5:35AM. I called Wa and Alvin to inform them that I was on my way to the Fort. I was at the venue by 5:40AM. I went to the registration booth to have our race numbers modified to reflect that we were running the 10K (we initially registered for 5K since the race organizers informed us that the 10K registration was already closed).

The race started on time and we were off by 6AM. I started slow and picked up speed only after the 3K mark. This is probably the first time that I jog/ran the entire 10K, not even stopping or slowing down at the water stations. I brought my own water. After the Mizuno run thing, I wanted to make sure I have my own water. I probably need to buy a hydration belt next time instead of carrying a bottle.

The race course was also different from the normal fort route but it's almost similar to the course during the MH Urbanathlon last year. Anyway, running towards the 4K mark, I saw the baldrunner who was already on his way back. Shortly after, I saw the bullrunner but without her race bib.

When I crossed the finish line, the race clock time was 32:36. It was definitely a wrong time. I couldn't have ran that fast. I'm waiting for the results to come out so that I could check if I improved from my last run. But I am still happy that I didn't need to walk at any point during the run. That's already an improvement for me.

Here are my running buddies Alvin and Wa. This is our second consecutive run. They are participating in the Global run next week but I'll be in Baguio during that time. Too bad! Have a fun run guys!

April 12: Trisha leaves for Baguio

2008-04-14T15:39:00.002+08:00

This is a sequel or continuation to my earlier post. We woke up early today because Tet's mom came to fetch her sister Len and Trisha. Len was going to spend a part of her vacation in Baguio and Trisha will be going with them for a week without us.

But before they left for Baguio, we went duty free shopping first (we almost won a brand new Toyota Vios) and ate at Dampa Paranaque (yummy lemon butter shrimp at Alban's). It was Trisha's first time to go anywhere without us. Surprisingly, according to Tet's mom and sister, Trisha did not cry. They said that there were times when she would call/find us but that was it. It's probably because she's already familiar with her Lola, Tito and Titas.

Anyway, when they left, we went for a fitting at Eric Pineda's shop in QC for my sister's wedding. Then bought some fruits at the Suki Market. After that, Tet had a haircut at Fix Salon in Serendra. We then had dinner at Mezzaluna (their US prime rib eye steak is delicious!) before we met up with our friends Tony and Hazel.

Our initial plan was to have coffee but we ended up eating Halo-Halo at Razon's and Pares at Goodah! It's ironic that with the number of coffee shops in Manila, it's so difficult to decide which coffee shop to go to. Hehe.. We went home past 12MN and I slept past 1AM. I still needed to wake up early the next morning for my run.

April 11: Len's Arrival

2008-04-14T13:43:00.004+08:00

Len (Tet's sister) is here for a month-long vacation. We were excited to see her because she was gone for quite a long time. She left for Dubai when Tet was just 2 months pregnant. And Trisha is now 17 months old. So it has been 24 months or 2 years since we last saw her.

We left early to fetch her from the NAIA Terminal 1 airport (her ETA was 9:55PM) but her flight was delayed so we had to wait for a few hours. We waited at an area near the airport and since there was nothing else to do, we decided to have a late night snacks at Shakey's. When we finally got her text message that she had arrived, we proceeded to the Arrivals section but got stuck in traffic. It was already past 11PM but there were still so many cars. Arrgh!

When we finally reached the Arrivals, we quickly loaded all her luggages and left the airport. I think we arrived home around 12MN already. We got our 'pasalubongs' (Thanks Len!) and then we slept. The following day was still going to be a busy day...

Chon and Lucy

2008-04-10T17:07:00.004+08:00

I was surprised (in a good way) to receive an email today from my closest friends who are now residing in the US. I haven't heard from them for a long time and it was nice to get an email from them.

Thanks Chon and Lucy for the mail! I hope to see you guys soon! God bless!

April Summer!

2008-04-09T00:24:00.005+08:00

There are a lot of non-work stuff lined up for us this April namely:

11 - Len's coming home for a month-long vacation after 2 years in Dubai.
12 - Going to duty free and a fitting appointment with Eric Pineda for my sister's wedding.
12 to 17 - Trisha will be staying in Baguio for a week away from us. This is a first. I'll surely miss her.
13 - On your mark run at the FORT. Hopefully I'll be able to register.
18 to 20 - We will be in Baguio for Cai's graduation and to fetch Trisha.
20 - Tet is flying to Singapore for a training. (ok.. so this is work stuff)
21 to 24 - Tet will be in Singapore which leaves Trisha and I alone.
25 - Martin's Birthday blowout.
27 - My sister's wedding.

This is one of the busiest summers for us. All our weekends are almost already booked. I hope we still have time to go to the beach before summer ends.

About SCTEX and other Government Infrastructure Projects

2008-04-08T22:06:00.005+08:00

Ever since I learned about the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway or SCTEX, I've been curious about it. Last Holy Week, I discovered that they soft opened it to ease the traffic since a lot of people were going north for the long holiday.

At that time, on our way to Baguio, I didn't know that SCT stood for Subic-Clark-Tarlac so I didn't dare use the highway fearing that we might end up going in the wrong direction. After I came back from Baguio, I googled it and found several information about SCTEX.

Now this is what I know about SCTEX:

It's a 93.77 kilometer highway which is divided into two sections.
The Subic-Clark section stretches 50.5 kilometers.
The Clark-Tarlac section stretches 43.27 kilometers.
It costs over Php27 billion to construct.
It's to officially open by mid-April this year.

More information can be found here. But I wasn't able to find the information that I wanted. Since we travel mostly to Baguio, I was trying to find out if I could take the SCTEX so that I could skip the traffic in the Tarlac area. I basically wanted to know where in Tarlac the SCTEX ends.

Anyway, I also heard that SCTEX will be extended up to La Union. I'm not aware of the timing though but if that happens, travel time to Baguio will definitely be faster. 3 hours maybe? Now that's something to look forward to. I hope it pushes through and that no controversies will come out of it.

While searching the net regarding SCTEX, I discovered that there are actually a lot of similar types of projects that the government is undertaking. The ones I found were:

I hope all of these government projects finishes because all these infrastructures would really benefit our economy. I'm not a fan of President GMA but kudos to her for these projects. I just hope there won't be corruption involved. I wish!

MH All-Terrain Race 2008

2008-04-08T01:44:00.005+08:00

I just got my April copy of Men's Health Philippines and they already have an ad for the 3rd MH All-Terrain Race. It will be on June 15, same venue as last year at Timberland Heights, San Mateo Rizal.

This is one of the races I look forward to every year simply because it's different from other runs which is normally done on road pavements. This one is more challenging because it's on different terrains.

I hope this year men's health gives out singlets instead of T-shirts. Or if they decide to give T-shirts, I hope it's dri-fit type of material similar to the ones given by Mizuno during the Mizuno Run.

Men's Health folks.. I hope you get to read this. hehe..

Meanwhile, there are runs to look forward to in April and May.

PSE Bull Run results

2008-04-08T01:30:00.004+08:00

I know this is late but I just came upon the results of the Jan 27 PSE Bull Run from pinoyrunner.com and my official time is 28:22 for 5K. Not bad at all.

I had tried searching the internet for the results days after the run but was not able to find it so I'm really glad to have known my time, not that it matters now. This was my first run for the year so I'm really happy that my time was under 30 minutes. =)

My Never Going Away Back Pain Part 2..

2008-04-07T21:54:00.005+08:00

I wrote about my never going away back pain a few weeks ago and after I wrote it I went to see a doctor because I couldn't tolerate the pain anymore. The doctor diagnosed the pain I was feeling as a "Myofascial Pain Syndrome or MPS". WebMD.com described MPS as below:

"Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a fancy way to describe muscle pain. It refers to pain and inflammation in the body's soft tissues.
Myofascial pain is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles). Myofascial pain syndrome may involve either a single muscle or a muscle group. In some cases, the area where a person experiences the pain may not be where the myofascial pain generator is located. Experts believe that the actual site of the injury or the strain prompts the development of a trigger point that, in turn, causes pain in other areas. This situation is known as referred pain." More of this here.

So it's basically a muscle pain that can be triggered by anything from an improper sleep position to improper posture while in front of a computer. Several days after my visit to the doctor, my wife discovered that the culprit for my pain was the latter. My wife experienced the same pain when she worked from home one time which I also later experienced when I worked from home. I've been working from home once a week for months now and I didn't realize that it was what was causing my back pain. The table and chair we're using to put our laptops is not ergonomic at all.

Anyway, the doctor prescribed medications to help ease the pain which I'd say was very effective. She also advised that I undergo several PT (physical therapy) sessions. I'm down to my last PT session before I go see my doctor again. The pain is almost gone now but it'll come back again, as my doctor says, if I don't do something about correcting the incorrect posture.

It's really difficult to do that especially if it has already become a habit. As the saying goes, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." hehe.... I'm admitting that I'm old but hey, I can still change.

Trisha's Sick!

2008-04-04T00:08:00.003+08:00

Trisha has flu and I'm to blame. She got it from me. I feel bad and guilty that I infected her with my cough and colds. It's so difficult seeing her having a hard time because of her cough and colds. And she doesn't like the taste of her medicine so it's difficult for us to make her take her medications because she vomits everytime she takes them. =(

Her immune system is normally strong so this must be one hell of a virus. I hope and pray that she gets well soon because we can't bear to see her crying because she can't tell us if she feels any pain.

She's been sick since late Tuesday afternoon so we'll bring her to see her doctor tomorrow just to make sure that it's just a flu and nothing more serious.

Mizuno Run - Most Memorable Run!

2008-04-03T23:51:00.003+08:00

This was one of the races I was looking forward to this year and I'm glad that I could say that "I survived the Mizuno Run!". This was not my first 10K run but this was definitely the most memorable. And for a number of reasons:

I almost didn't make it to the race. I was down with cough and colds days before the race and was not really feeling well. Worse was, a day before race day, LBM struck! But God was on my side, my tummy was better by nightfall.

We were late for the 10K run. Everyone was already gone by the time we arrived. When we left the starting line, it was already being announced that some of the 10K runners were on their way back. According to Alvin and Wa, we left the starting line 32 minutes after.

My ipod shuffle died on me. I had just passed the 3K mark when my ipod lost its power. Drained! I panicked for awhile because I use the ipod to keep my mind from counting how many kilometers more I have left before reaching the finish line. So I had to improvise, instead of listening to music, I just had to admire the view and focus on my running.

No water in the water stations! I've read alot of complaints about this in other blogs and I would have to agree with them. Running without water is really difficult especially with the summer heat. Good thing, I decided to bring a bottle of Gatorade with me. I don't normally bring any liquids but this time I had to because I knew I was still kinda sick. I don't think I'd finished the race without my Gatorade.

The unusual number of cars on the road. I don't mind having cars on the road as long as they (organizers) ensure that the runners are still safe.

Saw some famous runners namely the BullRunner, BaldRunner and Sen. Pia Cayetano. Wa and I was able to have our pictures taken with Sen. Pia Cayetano. Thanks Senator Pia!
Cheating! I personally witnessed this. I saw one of the guys handing out ropes give a guy and a girl their ropes even before they reach the 10K turnaround point. Honesty please.

When I crossed the finish line, I made sure to check my time. My unofficial time was 1:40:25. This is not my normal time. Please see #2.

The BullRunner had a link of the results in her blog. My official time was 1:28:57. I have no idea how they came up with this time. But.. good for me. hehe..
The Mizuno shirt was really good but it was a little big for me. They only had one size and it was large.

Got even more sick after the run and had to take a 2-day sick leave from work. Bad.. bad.. bad..

I'm still happy that I was able to participate in the first Mizuno run. I hope they do better next time. Run 100%

Our 100th month Anniversary

2008-04-01T20:46:00.003+08:00

It's 100 for us!

Tet and I are celebrating our 100th month anniversary today, from the time she said 'yes' and we became a couple. We were supposed to celebrate with dinner and spa but because I am sick for days now, we had to cancel. Too bad! =(

Hon, here's a short message for you:

Happy 100th month anniversary to us! We've really come a long way. I'm so happy we're still together and that our love is stronger than ever. Looking forward to hundreds of months more with you. Let's go out and celebrate when I'm better.

I Love You! *mwah*

Photo Answers

2008-03-25T20:44:00.005+08:00

Got this from EJ's blog who got it from Deng!

- answer the questions below

- do a google image search with your answer

- take a picture from the first page of results

- don't copy the answers of the person who posted this before you

1. the age you'll be on your next birthday

2. a place you'd like to travel

3. your favorite place

4. your favorite food

5. your favorite animal

6. your favorite color

7. first name of your crush

8. the town in which you live in

9. your screen name/nickname

10. your first job
11. a bad habit you have

12. your worst fear

60:Earth Hour

2008-03-25T18:24:00.004+08:00

Have you signed up for Earth Hour? I have. Don't know what I'm talking about? Visit the Earth Hour site and find out. And while you're there, sign up. It's not too late. It's happening on March 29, 2008 at 8PM.

Let's be involved and make a difference because we can.

In Baguio for the Holy Week

2008-03-24T14:19:00.005+08:00

We were in Baguio for the holy week and just came back yesterday. The traffic was terrible! It took us 8 hours to drive from Manila-Baguio and 7 hours from Baguio-Manila. The normal trip time is 5-6 hours. This long journey was caused by several road accidents and the huge volume of vehicles going North. Good thing Trisha was behaved during the trip (that was because she was sleeping most of the time, hehe).

Baguio, being the summer capital, was also packed with people who were also there because of the long vacation. I wouldn't recommend going to Baguio during long holidays as the traffic around the city gets really bad and if you don't know the shortcuts/alternate routes, you'll end up spending so much time stuck in traffic. All the tourist spots are also crowded and that includes SM Baguio.

The next time we go to Baguio for a long holiday, we'll make sure to leave Manila at least a day earlier and come back a day after. No more joining the throngs of cars on the road. Waste of time and precious gasoline.

Oh! On your way to Baguio and vice versa, try to take the alternate routes if you can, I think the route is longer but there will be no traffic and really few cars. And some good restaurants to dine along the way that we have tried are:

Fortune Restaurant - serves chinese food located in Tarlac, Tarlac (in front of a medical center I think). Very near Metrotown mall. It's on the right if you're coming from Baguio and before the mall.
Matutina's Restaurant - serves filipino food located in Urdaneta, Pangasinan. It's along the highway. On the left if you're coming from Baguio.

My Never Going Away Back Pain..

2008-03-24T12:52:00.005+08:00

My back has been in pain for weeks now and I thought it would go away if I get a massage. I've had 3 massages in the last 5 weeks but it still hurts until now as I am writing this. I don't remember how this back pain started. This might be due to stress, incorrect sleeping position, bed/pillow not soft enough, lack of exercise and a lot of other unknown reasons.

I don't want to take a pain reliever because I do not think it will solve the problem and I don't want to be dependent on pain relievers. I think I need to see a doctor but I don't know which particular doctor. Rehab doctor maybe?

I hope this pain will be gone before the week ends as I want to join the Mizuno Run this coming Sunday.

What is it about Barney?

2008-03-24T10:23:00.004+08:00

What is it about Barney that kids love? Is it his color? His songs? His voice?
Before we had Trisha, we swore that if we had a child, we won't introduce Barney to him/her. And now that we have Trisha, we tried not to have any Barney stuff at home. But eversince she got a big Barney stuffed toy for her 1st birthday, she instantly liked it. And now at 16 months, she likes watching Barney shows on T.V. So I guess there's really no escaping Barney!

Am I destined to be fat?

2008-03-11T22:43:00.003+08:00

I'm destined to be fat! As I am writing this, I am eating a Hizon's mocha cake. I'm not yet overweight but I probably will soon be if I don't start doing something about it. I was never like this before. Well, nearly never. I never went on a diet in my entire life because I didn't need it. I was skinny during my teens and I ate whatever I wanted and at any time of the day and I wouldn't get fat. I was also very active, exercised regularly and was into sports, so I guess my metabolism was fast which kept me from getting fat. But as I grew older, and eversince Trisha came about, I noticed that I exercised less and less, became less active and almost quit sports entirely. Bad thing is, I still ate the same way, probably even more now which explains my growing belly. I'm not saying that having Trisha is the cause of my bulging belly because it's really not. She's the best thing that ever happened to us and I wouldn't mind being fat as long as we have her.

Anyway, I know I can still do something about this. I just need the right motivation. So far, I haven't found it. Remember the 5 steps? I already have step 1 in place, which is to be fit, but can't seem to go past step 2, that is to start today, because I don't have step 4, something to motivate me.

One of these days...

Trisha and Silver

2008-03-11T00:24:00.003+08:00

We bought Trisha a new toy dog last Saturday at Animal Land at the BHS. It's her fourth toy dog and this particular one is named Silver, we got the name from Tita Tek's real dog (a Labrador) which has the same name.

Since she loves dogs, we have been trying to find a stuffed toy dog made from either a soft cloth or a smooth silk/satin like material that would not be irritating for Trisha. We wanted the toy dog to be something that she can keep and continue to use even till she grows up (thanks Kat for this idea). At last, we found it and it was not that expensive.

We even bought the toy dog a T-shirt which says "Best Friends Fur-ever" so it wouldn't look dull as the dog was all white with hints of gray.

History of my mobile phones

2008-03-10T23:32:00.004+08:00

No, not all of these are my phones. It's our combined phones, Tet and I. Most of it we still use and some are kept. I'm blogging about these phones because it's the first time that we have owned five different brands of mobile phones. I'm saying first time because eversince we started using mobile phones, we've mainly been Nokia users. But times have changed and we have learned to appreciate other phone brands as well.

1. Motorola RAZR V3 - This was my first non-Nokia mobile phone. I loved this phone when I first got it and I still love it now although I don't use it anymore. I don't think I'll sell this phone. It has a sentimental value.
2. O2 XDA II Mini - I got this mobile phone for FREE from Globe. This phone was very useful for me when I was in China because I could install alot of different applications on it. Downside is, you can't use it to send SMS while driving.
3. Nokia 6500 - Which is why I shifted back to these types of mobile phones. This phone was originally used by Tet but she let me use it because I wanted a phone that I can use while driving. A lot of people liked this phone because it was really slim and looked really nice.
4. SonyEricsson K610i - But when I got this phone FREE from Globe (because of a new number), I decided to give the Nokia back to Tet. I'm starting to really like SonyEriccson phones and if ever I upgrade my phone again, I would most probably get another SonyEriccson phone.
5. Blackberry Pearl - This is Tet's business phone. It was the phone that I wanted to own for a long time because of the push-email capability but when I got to test the phone, I find it difficult to use.

So what's your brand of mobile phone?

Five Steps to Being Happy

2008-03-10T22:06:00.007+08:00

Tet and I watched a movie last Sunday which stars Sam Milby as Macky, a fat pastry chef and Toni Gonzaga as Aira, a fitness instructor. You guessed it right, the movie is entitled "My Big Love". It is a fun movie.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing about this movie is because I wanted to share the five steps that Aira, name of Toni in the movie, kept on emphasizing all throughout the movie which I think we can apply in our everyday lives.

1st Step: Goal Setting - It is important to first establish what you want to achieve.
2nd Step: Start Today - When you know what you want, start it right away.
3rd Step: No Shortcuts - Once you do something, you have to do it right.
4th Step: Motivate Yourself - In the course of doing the thing you want, there will be times when you'd want to give up. So there should be something to get you back on track.
5th Step: Be Happy - In the end, once you've achieved the thing that you want, hopefully you'll be happy.

Good tips right? Try it out today!

Trisha @ the BHS Parking Lot

2008-03-10T16:37:00.008+08:00

We were in Bonifacio High Street yesterday and I took this photo of Trisha with my SEK610i camera phone while she was playing in one of the empty parking lots. I asked her to look up several times but this was the only one I was able to capture.

She was busy picking up the stones so it was really difficult for me to get her to look up again.

I tried to trick her by telling her that there was an airplane but she was too fast for me. hehe..

2008 Toyota Corolla Altis!!

2008-03-10T12:50:00.003+08:00

The loooooong wait is over! The 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis is out! Toyota has finally launched the new Altis here in the Philippines. You can now visit Toyota Philippines site or go to their showrooms to see the new Altis.

For those who have also been anticipating the launch of the new Altis, I'm sure you've seen how the new Altis looks like even before it was available here in the Philippines. There were already alot of images floating around the internet, especially since Toyota Thailand had launched it earlier.

Anyway, here's the news from Toyota Philippines about the launch of the new Corolla Altis.

V-Power!

2008-03-10T10:58:00.004+08:00

Some of my friends have tried Shell's V-power gasoline on their cars eversince I told them how it has provided my car more fuel economy, BUT their experience with the gasoline was different from mine. In fact, they told me that it had either no effect on their fuel consumption or it increased their fuel consumption even more.

I have no idea why that is. I guess the V-power gasoline does not have the same effect on every automobile. But I'm still pretty convinced that the V-power still gives my car better fuel economy than other gasolines out there in the market and here's to prove it.

The image is not that clear but it reads 370KM. At that time, the fuel tank was almost empty and when I refueled, the tank filled up to 50 liters. So to do the math for the KM/L ratio, it's about 7.4KM/L. Not bad at all comparing it to the previous average of around 6KM/L.

One of these days, I'll try to shift to other gasolines just to check if the V-power is still giving my car the best fuel economy.

Car problems...

2008-03-07T22:27:00.003+08:00

It's been days, even weeks since my last blog. I don't really blog while at work and by the time I get home, I just want to spend my time with my family. I have so many things I want to blog about but I want to write about my recent car problems. I'm now broke because of it!

It's actually not that recent. I had my car checked at Honda last year and they found so many problems. Problems with the engine, transmission and suspension to name some. The final quote amounted to over Php80K for them to fix all the problems. The car is 8 years old so I guess those problems are due to the eventual wear and tear. Still Php80K is a lot of money and I know I couldn't afford to have it fixed there. And even if I could afford it, I would still think twice.

So I scouted several car shops and eventually had my car fixed at Speedyfix (address: 312 shaw blvd., Mandaluyong City; tel#7174202). I've been going to this place before for tune ups and they have done a pretty good job. I didn't have all the problems fixed at once since it would still cost a lot and would take 2-3 days to finish. So I started with the important ones first, which was the engine problems. This was two weeks ago. I spent over Php16K.

And today, I discovered that there was a leak on the transmission. I knew about the leak already but didn't have it fixed yet because it was not yet dripping. But now it is so I have no choice but to have it fixed. I will again spend around Php10K. And that's not the end of it yet, because I still have problems with the suspension and etc. I will probably spend tens of thousands more before I get the car back into shape.

Eversince we got the car, we've spent thousands on gasoline, maintenance, registration, insurance, etc. and counting. But I'm not complaining though, I'm very glad that we have our car. It's been a great help for us, especially me. The convenience it provides is irreplaceable. I cannot imagine not having a car anymore. It has really been a part of our everyday life.

Why I love IKEA!

2008-02-16T01:52:00.005+08:00

I knew about IKEA when I studied in Beijing but I never really got to visit an IKEA store while I was there. The first and only IKEA store that I have been to was the one in Guangzhou. I love the IKEA store there because the place was huge. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was an entire building and it was designed in such a way that once you enter, you would have to go through the entire store to reach the exit. There were so many items to browse through that by the time I reached the exit, I had spent over 2 hours inside the store. I loved going to the IKEA store so much that I went there every weekend while I was there.

These are just some of the IKEA items that I was able to buy from the IKEA store in Guangzhou:

clock with magnet that has multiple functions (day, date & time; countdown timer; temperature; another timer).

3 shower curtains.

2 storage totes.

plastic bag holder.

I had so many more items that I wanted to buy but I had to think about my luggage. I only bought stuff that I can easily pack in my suitcase. =)

After learning about the IKEA products, I knew that their products would sell well here (IKEA products are both stylish and functional) and it would only be a matter of time before someone franchises it and opens an IKEA store here in the Philippines. It's good to hear that there are people starting to buy stuff from IKEA stores abroad and reselling them here.

I believe there are more than one IKEA resellers here. I know one in Makati (I saw it in one of those bazaars) and one in QC (IKEAPH). Hopefully this year, an IKEA store similar to that of Guangzhou will open here in Manila. I'm pretty sure it will be an instant hit!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Shakey's NEW Tropical Bacon Pizza!

2008-02-14T16:45:00.003+08:00

I've been craving for the new Shakey's Tropical Bacon pizza for the past few days and I was finally able to get a taste of it. I ended my craving last night when Tet, Trisha and I went out at around 10PM to try the new pizza. We went to Shakey's Makati Ave branch which was open for 24 hours. The crew was very friendly and accomodating. They even gave Trisha an ice cream and a toy.

Anyway, my verdict on the pizza - it was ok. It was visually more enticing than the actual taste. The reason I wanted to try this new pizza in the first place was because of the way it was advertised. It looked so delicious. However, the pizza lacked flavor, the bacon was not crispy enough, and it was too oily. BUT... I wouldn't mind trying it again (especially if it's free). =)

Thanks to Acee and Jay for the toy and ice cream.

Maclaren and Cogy

2008-02-06T13:38:00.000+08:00

Trisha with her favorite toy dog named Cogy. She has a total of 3 dogs now all named Cogy. But one is actually named Ashley. =) This toy dog that she's holding in the picture was given by her Ninong Wa and Tita Kat last Christmas. It's a rescue pet (breed: chocolate Lab) that barks and whimpers.

She's also sitting in her favorite stroller which we bought recently. It's a Maclaren Volo. It's lightweight, compact and really easy to handle. We highly recommend it!

She loves staying in the Maclaren stroller as compared to the Graco stroller which we no longer use. We don't understand though why she prefers the Maclaren to the Graco.

Are you..

2008-02-06T12:57:00.000+08:00

Are

you

feeling..

Sad?

Happy?

Serious?

Playful?

First Run in 2008

2008-02-06T11:00:00.000+08:00

The PSE Bull Run: Takbo Para sa Ekonomiya which happened last January 27 was my first run for the year 2008. As always, I wasn't prepared. I haven't really been running regularly which I've vowed to do but haven't really been able to. Anyway, I initially wanted to run the 10K but Jon and I agreed that it was best for us to run the 5K instead. Come race day, Jon did not show up. His excuse? He did not hear the alarm that he had set to wake him up. And so I went there alone..

It was still dark when I got to the FORT but there were already alot of runners present. The run did not start on time and it was a bit disorganized. The race course started from NBC tent going towards Lawton Ave. For 5K runners, the U-turn was before the Bonifacio Heights entrance. I started off with a good pace but quickly got tired. I was already gasping for air even before I reached the U-turn. My body was telling me to walk it out but my mind won't allow that. I eventually had to slow down because I would rather finish the race than pass out on the road. I'm not sure of my time but I'm hoping it was under 30 minutes.

I thought running the 5K would be a breeze even if I don't run regularly. I was mistaken! Without enough preparation and exercise, running the 5K was a struggle. And worse is, I got sick 2 days after that run. I now vow not to run unless I am prepared for it. I want to enjoy running and not feel the pain afterwards simply because of lack of training.

I am hoping this experience will provide me the discipline to prepare me for my future runs.

Work-Life Balance?

2008-02-01T23:39:00.000+08:00

I was browsing through CNN.com about the China weather situation when I chanced upon an article about work-life balance. It has an interesting perspective about the topic and you have to read it and let me know what you think.

Here's the link - Busting the work-life myth.

Work-life balance, is there really such a thing?

=((

2008-01-31T16:38:00.000+08:00

I'm Sad! Worse, I'm Depressed!

The one thing that I am so looking forward to this year did not happen or materialize!

It's just sad.... and please don't ask me about it. I mean it!

On Running...

2008-01-24T15:03:00.000+08:00

Tet and I agreed last year that we'll go on daily runs around our condo starting January. This was supposed to be our exercise to keep fit and lose the excess weight. It is also supposed to be my practice runs for the 10K races that I would participate in throughout the year and also for my planned 42K before the year ends. I am also encouraging Tet to participate in official races once she gets used to running. But January is almost over and we haven't gone on a single run, let alone try on our rubber shoes. =(

We have come up with several reasons or excuses for not being able to start running:

1. We can't run early in the morning because there has to be someone to watch over Trisha while she's still sleeping and our maid is not available to do that because she does the laundry in the morning.
2. We can't run in the afternoon either because we usually arrive home past 6pm already and the maid still needs to cook which means we'll need to look after Trisha and it is also our quality time with Trisha since she sleeps early.
3. During weekends, it's our family bonding time so we go out and we're usualy tired to do anything after.

I know these reasons/excuses may be lame but they are valid. I also know that if we really wanted to run, we'd find a way to make it happen. Believe me, I want to! we want to! It'll happen one of these days. hehe..

Tips on Gasoline Usage

2008-01-21T16:24:00.000+08:00

Since I am on a roll in posting forwarded email messages, I might as well blog about useful stuff. With the rising fuel prices, here are some tips that I have received and read from the Internet on how to save precious gas. It doesn't hurt to follow them and some if not all of it makes sense if you think about it.

Do not race your engine once started. Wait until the engine has warned up. Warming up the engine by driving gives you better gasoline economy.
Avoid jack-rabbit starts, take-off and sudden stops. Gradual acceleration saves gas and car wear and tear.
Keep proper air pressure in tires. Incorrect tire pressure reduces gasoline mileage, wears out tires faster and makes vehicle handling difficult.
Shift to high gear as soon as you can and stay there as long as you can. Low-gear speed consumes much more fuel than high gear speed.
Preferably use smaller cars. Smaller engines usually give better economy.
Plan your trips. Avoid congested routes and cover as many errands as possible in a single trip.
Avoid parking in the sun. Gas evaporates rapidly when exposed to hot weather.
Use car pools and other public transport vehicles.
Eliminate unneeded cargoes and fuel consuming loads.
Do not fill your gas tank to the brim. Allow for expansion to avoid wastage.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold . Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY . The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder. If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

I am currently trying several gasolines to see which ones give better fuel economy. So far I have tried Petron XCS and Blaze. I am now trying Shell V-power. A colleague informed me that among all the gasolines in the market, Shell V-power gives the best fuel economy. He mentioned that it actually adds around 2 extra kilometers for every liter of gas. I am trying to find out if it's true. Will tell you about it soon.

Another good read..

2008-01-21T15:51:00.000+08:00

I have been receiving a lot of good reads today. I just posted one and now here's another. It was sent by tet. It's from an Ad Congress Speech by John Gokongwei Jr. last November 21, 2007.

I'm sharing this because I know reading this is not going to be a waste of time. So go ahead, read on..

"Before I begin, I want to say please bear with me, an 81-year-old man who just flew in from San Francisco 36 hours ago and is still suffering from jet lag. However, I hope I will be able to say what you want to hear.

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Thank you very much for having me here tonight to open the Ad Congress. I know how important this event is for our marketing and advertising colleagues. My people get very excited and go into a panic, every other year, at this time.

I would like to talk about my life, entrepreneurship, and globalization. I would like to talk about how we can become a great nation.

You may wonder how one is connected to the other, but I promise that, as there is truth in advertising, the connection will come.

Let me begin with a story I have told many times. My own.

I was born to a rich Chinese-Filipino family. I spent my childhood in Cebu where my father owned a chain of movie houses, including the first air-conditioned one outside Manila . I was the eldest of six children and lived in a big house in Cebu 's Forbes Park .

A chauffeur drove me to school everyday as I went to San Carlos University , then and still one of the country's top schools. I topped my classes and had many friends. I would bring them to watch movies for free at my father's movie houses.

When I was 13, my father died suddenly of complications due to typhoid. Everything I enjoyed vanished instantly. My father's empire was built on credit. When he died, we lost everything-our big house, our cars, our business-to the banks.

I felt angry at the world for taking away my father, and for taking away all that I enjoyed before. When the free movies disappeared, I also lost half my friends. On the day I had to walk two miles to school for the very first time, I cried to my mother, a widow at 32. But she said: "You should feel lucky. Some people have no shoes to walk to school. What can you do? Your father died with 10 centavos in his pocket."

So, what can I do? I worked.

My mother sent my siblings to China where living standards were lower. She and I stayed in Cebu to work, and we sent them money regularly. My mother sold her jewelry. When that ran out, we sold roasted peanuts in the backyard of our much-smaller home. When that wasn't enough, I opened a small stall in a palengke. I chose one among several palengkes a few miles outside the city because there were fewer goods available for the people there. I woke up at five o'clock every morning for the long bicycle ride to the palengke with my basket of goods.

There, I set up a table about three feet by two feet in size. I laid out my goods-soap, candles, and thread-and kept selling until everything was bought. Why these goods? Because these were hard times and this was a poor village, so people wanted and needed the basics-soap to keep them clean, candles to light the night, and thread to sew their clothes.

I was surrounded by other vendors, all of them much older. Many of them could be my grandparents. And they knew the ways of the palengke far more than a boy of 15, especially one who had never worked before.

But being young had its advantages. I did not tire as easily, and I moved more quickly. I was also more aggressive. After each day, I would make about 20 pesos in profit! There was enough to feed my siblings and still enough to pour back into the business. The pesos I made in the palengke were the pesos that went into building the business I have today.

After this experience, I told myself, "If I can compete with people so much older than me, if I can support my whole family at 15, I can do anything!"

Looking back, I wonder, what would have happened if my father had not left my family with nothing? Would I have become the man I am? Who knows?

The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards. But we have to play those cards the best we can. And WE can play to win!

This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. It has been my guiding principle ever since. And I have had 66 years to practice self-determination. When I wanted something, the best person to depend on was myself.

And so I continued to work. In 1943, I expanded and began trading goods between Cebu and Manila . From Cebu , I would transport tires on a small boat called a batel. After traveling for five days to Lucena, I would load them into a truck for the six- hour trip to Manila . I would end up sitting on top of my goods so they would not be stolen! In Manila , I would then purchase other goods from the earnings I made from the tires, to sell in Cebu.

Then, when WWII ended, I saw the opportunity for trading goods in post-war Philippines . I was 20 years old. With my brother Henry, I put up Amasia Trading which imported onions, flour, used clothing, old newspapers and magazines, and fruits from the United States . In 1948, my mother and I got my siblings back from China . I also converted a two-story building in Cebu to serve as our home, office, and warehouse all at the same time. The whole family began helping out with the business.

In 1957, at age 31, I spotted an opportunity in corn-starch manufacturing. But I was going to compete with Ludo and Luym, the richest group in Cebu and the biggest cornstarch manufacturers. I borrowed money to finance the project. The first bank I approached made me wait for two hours, only to refuse my loan. The second one, China Bank, approved a P500,000-peso clean loan for me. Years later, the banker who extended that loan, Dr. Albino Sycip said that he saw something special in me. Today, I still wonder what that was, but I still thank Dr. Sycip to this day.

Upon launching our first product, Panda corn starch, a price war ensued. After the smoke cleared, Universal Corn Products was still left standing. It is the foundation upon which JG Summit Holdings now stands.

Interestingly, the price war also forced the closure of a third cornstarch company, and one of their chemists was Lucio Tan, who always kids me that I caused him to lose his job. I always reply that if it were not for me, he will not be one of the richest men in the Philippines today.

When my business grew, and it was time for me to bring in more people- my family, the professionals, the consultants, more employees- I knew that I had to be there to teach them what I knew. When dad died at age 34, he did not leave a succession plan. From that, I learned that one must teach people to take over a business at any time. The values of hard work that I learned from my father, I taught to my children. They started doing jobs here and there even when they were still in high school. Six years ago, I announced my retirement and handed the reins to my youngest brother James and only son Lance. But my children tease me because I still go to the office every day and make myself useful. I just hired my first Executive Assistant and moved into a bigger and nicer office.

Building a business to the size of JG Summit was not easy. Many challenges were thrown my way. I could have walked away from them, keeping the business small, but safe. Instead, I chose to fight. But this did not mean I won each time.

By 1976, at age 50, we had built significant businesses in food products anchored by a branded coffee called Blend 45, and agro- industrial products under the Robina Farms brand. That year, I faced one of my biggest challenges, and lost. And my loss was highly publicized, too. But I still believe that this was one of my defining moments.

In that decade, not many business opportunities were available due to the political and economic environment. Many Filipinos were already sending their money out of the country. As a Filipino, I felt that our money must be invested here. I decided to purchase shares in San Miguel, then one of the Philippines ' biggest corporations. By 1976, I had acquired enough shares to sit on its board.

The media called me an upstart. "Who is Gokongwei and why is he doing all those terrible things to San Miguel?" ran one headline of the day. In another article, I was described as a pygmy going up against the powers-that- be. The San Miguel board of directors itself even aid for an ad in all the country's top newspapers telling the public why I should not be on the board. On the day of reckoning, shareholders quickly filled up the auditorium to witness the battle. My brother James and I had prepared for many hours for this debate. We were nervous and excited at the same time.

In the end, I did not get the board seat because of the Supreme Court Ruling. But I was able to prove to others-and to myself-that I was willing to put up a fight. I succeeded because I overcame my fear, and tried. I believe this battle helped define who I am today. In a twist to this story, I was invited to sit on the board of Anscor and San Miguel Hong Kong 5 years later. Lose some, win some.

Since then, I've become known as a serious player in the business world, but the challenges haven't stopped coming.

Let me tell you about the three most recent challenges. In all three, conventional wisdom bet against us. See, we set up businesses against market Goliaths in very high-capital industries: airline, telecoms, and beverage.

Challenge No. 1: In 1996, we decided to start an airline. At the time, the dominant airline in the country was PAL, and if you wanted to travel cheaply, you did not fly. You went by sea or by land.

However, my son Lance and I had a vision for Cebu Pacific: We wanted every Filipino to fly.

Inspired by the low-cost carrier models in the United States , we believed that an airline based on the no-frills concept would work here. No hot meals. No newspaper. Mono-class seating. Operating with a single aircraft type. Faster turn around time. It all worked, thus enabling Cebu Pacific to pass on savings to the consumer.

How did we do this? By sticking to our philosophy of "low cost, great value."

And we stick to that philosophy to this day. Cebu Pacific offers incentives. Customers can avail themselves of a tiered pricing scheme, with promotional seats for as low a P1. The earlier you book, the cheaper your ticket.

Cebu Pacific also made it convenient for passengers by making online booking available. This year, 1.25 million flights will be booked through our website. This reduced our distribution costs dramatically.

Low cost. Great value.

When we started 11 years ago, Cebu Pacific flew only 360,000 passengers, with 24 daily flights to 3 destinations. This year, we expect to fly more than five million passengers, with over 120 daily flights to 20 local destinations and 12 Asian cities. Today, we are the largest in terms of domestic flights, routes and destinations.

We also have the youngest fleet in the region after acquiring new Airbus 319s and 320s. In January, new ATR planes will arrive. These are smaller planes that can land on smaller air strips like those in Palawan and Caticlan. Now you don't have to take a two-hour ride by mini-bus to get to the beach.

Largely because of Cebu Pacific, the average Filipino can now afford to fly. In 2005, 1 out of 12 Filipinos flew within a year. In 2012, by continuing to offer low fares, we hope to reduce that ratio to 1 out of 6. We want to see more and more Filipinos see their country and the world!

Challenge No. 2: In 2003, we established Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. and developed a brand for the mobile phone business called Sun Cellular. Prior to the launch of the brand, we were actually involved in a transaction to purchase PLDT shares of the majority shareholder.

The question in everyone's mind was how we could measure up to the two telecom giants. They were entrenched and we were late by eight years! PLDT held the landline monopoly for quite a while, and was first in the mobile phone industry. Globe was a younger company, but it launched digital mobile technology here.

But being a late player had its advantages. We could now build our platform from a broader perspective. We worked with more advanced technologies and intelligent systems not available ten years ago. We chose our suppliers based on the most cost-efficient hardware and software. Being a Johnny-come- lately allowed us to create and launch more innovative products, more quickly.

All these provided us with the opportunity to give the consumers a choice that would rock their world. The concept was simple. We would offer Filipinos to call and text as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee. For P250 a month, they could get in touch with anyone within the Sun network at any time. This means great savings of as much as 2/3 of their regular phone bill! Suddenly, we gained traction. Within one year of its introduction, Sun hit one million customers.

Once again, the paradigm shifts - this time in the telecom industry. Sun's 24/7 Call and Text unlimited changed the landscape of mobile- phone usage.

Today, we have over 4 million subscribers and 2000 cell sites around the archipelago. In a country where 97% of the market is pre-paid, we believe we have hit on the right strategy.

Sun Cellular is a Johnny-come- lately, but it's doing all right. It is a third player, but a significant one, in an industry where Cassandras believed a third player would perish. And as we have done in the realm of air travel, so have we done in the telecom world: We have changed the marketplace.

In the end, it is all about making life better for the consumer by giving them choices.

Challenge No. 3: In 2004, we launched C2, the green tea drink that would change the face of the local beverage industry -- then, a playground of cola companies. Iced tea was just a sugary brown drink se rv ed bottomless in restaurants. For many years, hardly was there any significant product innovation in the beverage business.

Admittedly, we had little experience in this area. Universal Robina Corporation is the leader in snack foods but our only background in beverage was instant coffee. Moreover, we would be entering the playground of huge multinationals. We decided to play anyway.

It all began when I was in China in 2003 and noticed the immense popularity of bottled iced tea. I thought that this product would have huge potential here. We knew that the Philippines was not a traditional tea-drinking country since more familiar to consumers were colas in returnable glass bottles. But precisely, this made the market ready for a different kind of beverage. One that refreshes yet gives the health benefits of green tea. We positioned it as a "spa" in a bottle. A drink that cools and cleans.thus, C2 was born.

C2 immediately caught on with consumers. When we launched C2 in 2004, we sold 100,000 bottles in the first month. Three years later, Filipinos drink around 30 million bottles of C2 per month. Indeed, C2 is in a good place.

With Cebu Pacific, Sun Cellular, and C2, the JG Summit team took control of its destiny. And we did so in industries where old giants had set the rules of the game. It's not that we did not fear the giants. We knew we could have been crushed at the word go. So we just made sure we came prepared with great products and great strategies. We ended up changing the rules of the game instead.

There goes the principle of self-determination, again. I tell you, it works for individuals as it does for companies. And as I firmly believe, it works for nations.

I have always wondered, like many of us, why we Filipinos have not lived up to our potential. We have proven we can. Manny Pacquiao and Efren Bata Reyes in sports. Lea Salonga and the UP Madrigal Singers in performing arts. Monique Lhuillier and Rafe Totenco in fashion. And these are just the names made famous by the media. There are many more who may not be celebrities but who have gained respect on the world stage.

But to be a truly great nation, we must also excel as entrepreneurs before the world. We must create Filipino brands for the global market place.

If we want to be philosophical, we can say that, with a world-class brand, we create pride for our nation. If we want to be practical, we can say that, with brands that succeed in the world, we create more jobs for our people, right here.

Then, we are able to take part in what's really important-giving our people a big opportunity to raise their standards of living, giving them a real chance to improve their lives.

We can do it. Our neighbors have done it. So can we. In the last 54 years, Korea worked hard to rebuild itself after a world war and a civil war destroyed it. From an agricultural economy in 1945, it shifted to light industry, consumer products, and heavy industry in the '80s. At the turn of the 21st century, the Korean government focused on making Korea the world's leading IT nation. It did this by grabbing market share in key sectors like semiconductors, robotics, and biotechnology.

Today, one remarkable Korean brand has made it to the list of Top 100 Global Brands: Samsung. Less then a decade ago, Samsung meant nothing to consumers. By focusing on quality, design, and innovation, Samsung improved its products and its image. Today, it has surpassed the Japanese brand Sony. Now another Korean brand, LG Collins, is following in the footsteps of Samsung. It has also broken into the Top 100 Global Brands list.

What about China? Who would have thought that only 30 years after opening itself up to a market economy, China would become the world's fourth largest economy? Goods made in China are still thought of as cheap. Yet many brands around the world outsource their manufacturing to this country. China 's own brands-like Lenovo, Haier, Chery QQ, and Huawei-are fast gaining ground as well. I have no doubt they will be the next big electronics, technology and car brands in the world.

Lee Kwan Yu's book "From Third World to First" captures Singapore 's aspiration to join the First World . According to the book, Singapore was a trading post that the British developed as a nodal point in its maritime empire. The racial riots there made its officials determined to build a "multiracial society that would give equality to all citizens, regardless of race, language or religion."

When Singapore was asked to leave the Malaysian Federation of States in 1965, Lee Kwan Yew developed strategies that he executed with single-mindedness despite their being unpopular. He and his cabinet started to build a nation by establishing the basics: building infrastructure, establishing an army, WEEDING OUT CORRUPTION,providin g mass housing, building a financial center. Forty short years after, Singapore has been transformed into the richest South East Asian country today, with a per capita income of US$32,000.

These days, Singapore is transforming itself once more. This time it wants to be the creative hub in Asia , maybe even the world. More and more, it is attracting the best minds from all over the world in filmmaking, biotechnology, media, and finance. Meantime, Singaporeans have also created world-class brands: Banyan Tree in the hospitality industry, Singapore Airlines in the Airline industry and Singapore Telecoms in the telco industry.

I often wonder: Why can't the Philippines , or a Filipino, do this?

Fifty years after independence, we have yet to create a truly global brand. We cannot say the Philippines is too small because it has 86 million people. Switzerland , with 9 million people, created Nestle. Sweden , also with 9 million people, created Ericsson. Finland , even smaller with five million people, created Nokia. All three are major global brands, among others.

Yes, our country is well-known for its labor, as we continue to export people around the world. And after India , we are grabbing a bigger chunk of the pie in the call-center and business-process- outsourcing industries. But by and large, the Philippines has no big industrial base, and Filipinos do not create world-class products.

We should not be afraid to try-even if we are laughed at. Japan , laughed at for its cars, produced Toyota . Korea , for its electronics, produced Samsung. Meanwhile, the Philippines ' biggest companies 50 years ago-majority of which are multinational corporations such as Coca- Cola, Procter and Gamble, and Unilever Philippines , for example-are still the biggest companies today. There are very few big, local challengers.

But already, hats off to Filipino entrepreneurs making strides to globalize their brands.

Goldilocks has had much success in the Unites States and Canada , where half of its customers are non-Filipinos. Coffee-chain Figaro may be a small player in the coffee world today, but it is making the leap to the big time. Two Filipinas, Bea Valdez and Tina Ocampo, are now selling their Philippine-made jewelry and bags all over the world. Their labels are now at Barney's and Bergdorf's in the U.S. and in many other high-end shops in Asia , Europe , and the Middle East .

When we started our own foray outside the Philippines 30 years ago, it wasn't a walk in the park. We set up a small factory in Hong Kong to manufacture Jack and Jill potato chips there. Today, we are all over Asia . We have the number-one-potato- chips brand in Malaysia and Singapore . We are the leading biscuit manufacturer in Thailand , and a significant player in the candy market in Indonesia . Our Aces cereal brand is a market leader in many parts of China . C2 is now doing very well in Vietnam , selling over 3 million bottles a month there, after only 6 months in the market. Soon, we will launch C2 in other South East Asian markets.

I am 81 today. But I do not forget the little boy that I was in the palengke in Cebu . I still believe in family. I still want to make good. I still don't mind going up against those older and better than me. I still believe hard work will not fail me. And I still believe in people willing to think the same way.

Through the years, the market place has expanded: between cities, between countries, between continents. I want to urge you all here to think bigger. Why serve 86 million when you can sell to four billion Asians? And that's just to start you off. Because there is still the world beyond Asia . When you go back to your offices, think of ways to sell and market your products and se rv ices to the world. Create world-class brands.

You can if you really tried. I did. As a boy, I sold peanuts from my backyard. Today, I sell snacks to the world.

I want to see other Filipinos do the same.

Thank you and good evening once again."

After reading that, are you not inspired to create your own brand and sell it to four billion Asians and probably the rest of the world?

Get A Life!

2008-01-21T14:45:00.000+08:00

I haven't blogged in 20 days and I want to share with you this great speech I read today. It was forwarded by a colleague.

This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.

"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul. People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good. Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast? Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".

That was a good read right? Now, go and get a life! I will!

010108

2008-01-01T22:24:00.000+08:00

I just wanted to make a quick blog entry for the first day of the year 2008, the Beijing Olympic year! I'm still wishing and hoping that we could go to China during the Summer Olympics in August. Still ok to dream right?

Anyway, we're back in Manila. Tet has to go to work tomorrow. It's her first day. As for me, I still have one more vacation day left before going back to the rat race. Speaking of rat, Chinese new year is just around the corner and it's the year of the rat! The animal I hate the most. Absolutely no connection. hehe..

I have so many things I'm looking forward to this year. I am really excited of what God has in store for us. But my prayer is simple, good health for my family and for us to be far from harm or danger. All other blessings after that I consider a bonus from God.

Let's celebrate the new year with a smile and a grateful heart!

Highly Recommended! The Manor Health Spa @ CJH!

2007-12-30T20:19:00.000+08:00

I was looking for a spa the moment we arrived in Baguio 7 days ago. I suffered a back ache after driving the almost 6-hour trip with only 2 quick stops. It ached everyday especially in the morning. So I finally had a massage today and it was what I needed. I feel so refreshed!

Tet and I initially went to SM Baguio, me to get a massage and her to do some errands and buy diapers for Trisha. But when we reached SM at around 2PM, the parking was already full and there were loads of people in the Supermarket so we decided to go to Manor at Camp John Hay to get my massage.

When I saw what they were offering at the spa and the prices, I knew I wanted to try their spa packages. But I had to convince Tet to join me because she didn't want to wait for 2 hours. She eventually agreed to have a foot spa and a revitalizing facial while I got the recharge package. The foot spa was for 30 mins and the facial for an hour while my package was for 2 hours.

The recharge package costs P2,050 and it's definitely worth it. The package included the following:

A body scrub (choice of Salt glow, Ginger scrub or Whitening Scrub)
A milk bath
A DECLEOR Aroma Massage

I started off with a shower, then a 10-minute stay at the Sauna, a quick shower after which I had a 30-minute ginger scrub, then proceeded immediately to the milk bath and stayed there for around 10 minutes. After the milk bath, I took a quick shower and then off to the DECLEOR aroma massage for an hour. After the massage, they offered hot tea or orange juice. And that ends my spa experience. Relaxing huh? You bet!

I would also like to commend the staff at the spa for their hospitality. Everyone was friendly especially the attendants. The therapists though could still improve because they didn't even introduce themselves. I guess they were shy? hehe..

Tet loved their foot spa and facial as well and we've decided that we'll go back everytime we're here in Baguio. One of the attendants also informed me that they have a branch in Manila as well called the Palm Garden Spa located at Strata 100 in Ortigas.

Now, that's another reason to look forward to when in Baguio. Be sure to try it out in case you're in Baguio.

Christmas in Baguio!

2007-12-30T19:39:00.000+08:00

Before anything else, I would like to wish everyone a (belated) Merry Christmas and an (advanced) Prosperous New Year ahead!

I'm here in Baguio as I am writing this. We (Tet, myself and Trisha) are spending the long Christmas break here as was last year. This is Trisha's 2nd Christmas but this year is more special because she is more aware of the things happening around her as compared to last Christmas when she was only 2 months old. She's able to appreciate the Christmas decors, especially the Christmas lights.

The long Christmas break is something we look forward to every year because it's a chance for us to spend time with our families and also a time for us to rest or relax. This is the longest vacation for us so we make sure we spend it with family. But this year, Tet and I had to squeeze in a little time for work. That's ok though because we still had plenty of time for our family.

Similar to what we have done last year, we had dinner with my family on Christmas Eve and then spent Noche Buena with Tet's family. Then on Christmas day, we had lunch with Tet's family and dinner with my family. And we do the same for New Year's celebration.

It's only a few more days before 2008 and I am excited in the coming year! This has been a wonderful year for us and by God's grace next year will be even better!

God bless to everyone!!

Not an Ordinary Day!

2007-12-17T23:39:00.000+08:00

Today was supposed to be just one of those ordinary days.. and then the accident happened. Tet and I were on our way to work this morning when it happened. We haven't even left the compound yet when we accidentally hit a car, a parked car at that. A 1984 Mercedes Benz.

Stupid? Oh yes! Why? I'd rather not discuss. But what the heck! I was busy fixing the trash bin while making a right turn towards the driveway out of the compound and I didn't notice that there were parked cars in front. It happened so fast and in a split second, it was all too late.

It was my fault! I should've paid attention to driving and left the fixing to Tet instead. But that's all done now. Everything happens for a purpose. Because of that, Tet and I had to take an emergency leave to fix all the paperworks and have our car fixed as well.

So now, We don't have a car for the rest of the week and have to commute to work. =( That's not so bad right? At least nothing bad happened to us. I'm still grateful!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Now Open! The McKinley Hill Arcade!

2007-12-17T21:09:00.003+08:00

I love the location of our house! No, we don't live at McKinley Hill but how I wish that we were. Someday..

Anyway, we live within the vicinity of Bonifacio Global City and I have to say that this is the best location to live in. Everything is so close by and so convenient. We're 5-10 minutes away from BGC, Makati CBD, C5, SLEX. And recently, some shops/restaurants have started to open at McKinley Hill.

McKinley Hill is the newest addition to the places we go to mainly because it is only a 2-minute drive away from where we live. McKinley Hill is composed of residential and commercial areas, schools and etc. Most of the commercial areas are still under construction but some have already started to operate.

Here are some of the establishments that are now open and soon to open at the McKinley Hill Arcade:

1. McDonald's
2. Pancake House
3. Razon's
4. Hap Chan Tea House
5. Starbucks Coffee
6. 7-11 Convenience Store
7. Bacolod Chicken Inasal
8. Kitaro
9. Subway (soon to open)
10. B.P.I.
11. The Sandwich Guy
12. The Sicilian Express

I am already scoping this place because it will be our future home and my future work environment. hehe.. It's free to dream right?

The Things I Want to Blog About

2007-12-11T17:16:00.000+08:00

I have been busy with work lately and I have not had the time to blog. Here are some of the things I want to blog about for which I haven't found the time to do so. I'm blogging about it to serve as a reminder for me. =p

1. Time Capsule Party for Trisha last Dec 1.
2. The hobby that I want to start and the equipment that I want to buy for me to start this hobby.
3. The road challenge that I participated last Dec 9.

I can only think of 3 topics for now but I'm sure I'll come up with a lot more. I'll just add it here just in case I haven't blogged about it yet.

What I Want!

2007-12-11T15:19:00.000+08:00

I can think of so many things I want to do in life but I don't know how, when or where to start. My top ten list of some of the things I want to do, try or even pursue now and in the near future.

1. Participate in a full marathon.
2. Be a triathlete.
3. Take photography lessons.
4. Be a chef.
5. Climb a mountain.
6. Travel around the world (including within the Philippines) with my family.
7. Bungee!
8. Sky diving!
9. Manage my own business.
10. Be actively involved in a charitable institution involved in helping children.

Hopefully I can do all of this and more before I die.

SM Science Discovery Center

2007-12-04T18:51:00.000+08:00

Tet and I brought Trisha to the SM science and discovery center during the holiday last week. But I have to admit that it was more of me wanting to see what is inside it than Trisha because I'm pretty sure she was not aware of it yet.

For the entrance fee of P330/person, I think it was a bit pricey for what you can actually see and do once you're inside. Don't mistake me, I actually enjoyed it (my wife didn't) but if you're to ask me if I will go back anytime soon.. probably not. The things you can see and do inside are interesting but it can be done in one visit. So SM SDC has to think of a way to entice people to return. They have to come up with ways to introduce new things that people who have already been there would find interesting again. I also think that the place is not big enough.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. I would still encourage people to at least go for one visit. For me, the best part of it was the planetarium show and the Robots.

As for Trisha, I guess she enjoyed walking around especially since this was the day she decided to walk on her own.

SM MOA & Bonifacio High Street

2007-11-30T23:34:00.000+08:00

SM Mall of Asia & Bonifacio High Street - 2 of the places we like to go to these days, especially on weekends.

We like Bonifacio High Street because...
1. It's child friendly
2. It has a big area where Trisha can practice walking.
3. Lots of dogs. (Trisha is really fond of dogs)
4. Good restaurants and coffee shops.
5. And this Christmas season, they have light symphony show every night from 7PM to 12MN.

We like MOA because...
1. Cheaper parking compared to Ayala Malls. P40 flat rate everyday.
2. Gas at Petron station (Blue Wave/Macapagal Ave) is the cheapest (I think) in Metro Manila. They're always around P1-2 cheaper.
3. A lot of restaurants to choose from.
4. IMAX theater!
5. Science and Discovery Center.
6. SM Hypermarket.
7. It's not as crowded even if there are a lot of people.
8. And last but not the least, as SM puts it "We've got it all for you!" and they have indeed.

1 year 1 month and 4 days!

2007-11-30T22:46:00.000+08:00

November 30, 2007 - Bonifacio Day! I'm blogging because we're celebrating. Celebrating not Bonifacio day but the day Trisha finally decided that she can walk on her own, without the need for us to hold her hand. We are so proud of her!

For the longest time now (actually eversince she turned 10 months old), we have been pressuring her to start walking on her own but she won't. She was afraid to let go. We could see in her face that she was scared to fall and her knees would tremble if we try to let go of our hand. We wondered why she was afraid of falling if she hasn't experienced falling at all. How could she have known the fear of falling? It came to a point where her mommy got concerned as to why she was so afraid of letting go. But we eventually agreed not to pressure her anymore and just let her walk on her own when she's ready.

And today was that day! She and her mommy was outside when she decided to let go of her mommy's hand and walk on her own. Mommy Tet was not prepared for it and as you can see in the pictures, she's still very cautious that her precious baby might fall. On the other hand, Trisha didn't care, she just wanted to walk. Look how happy she was!

Tet was so excited to see Trisha walk on her own that she called me immediately. And when I saw her walking on her own, I got all excited as well and ran to grab the camera so I could take her picture. Pictures that we could share with you and someday Trisha can see, the day she decides to walk on her own!

Urbanathlon Results are Out!

2007-11-27T23:53:00.000+08:00

The result of the recent Men's Health Urbanathlon is out! (results can be found in this site - http://www.menshealth.com.ph/events/urbanathlon/index.html) My time was not bad considering that I do not run on a regular basis. But I know I can do better if only I have the dedication to go on regular runs.

Part of me wants to take running seriously but it's my laziness that overpowers me and the fact that I do not want to run alone. I'm doing something about this though. I've recently discovered from the bullrunner (visit her site - http://www.thebullrunner.com/) that there is a Mizuno run club. I want to join this running club so that I won't have to wait for my friends to run with me and it's a great way to meet new people while staying fit and having fun.

Anyway, I think the Urbanathlon was a hit! There were a lot of participants and the obstacle course was good. It was a chance for most participants and for me as well to rest especially on the parking lot part. It was a good run and I'll surely join again next year!

For the love of the game!

2007-11-22T23:50:00.000+08:00

Today is the first time I played Badminton again after re-injuring my shoulder while practicing for ITAP a few weeks or months ago. Eversince I dislocated my shoulder, which was Feb of 2006, I never really regained back my game. Worst is, I repeatedly injured my shoulder several times more. I went to see a rehab doctor but he didn't want to operate. He just told me to go to the gym and strengthen the muscles around my shoulder. I did that for some time but work kinda got in the way and I got lazy.

Anyway, going back to my story, I stopped playing when I got injured again. But when Tina asked me how my shoulder was and if I wanted to participate in the HP-BPI dual meet, I said yes. I had no time to practice and I really did not want to practice since I was afraid I might get injured again and wouldn't be able to play on the actual game.

Today was game day. I arrived late because of a call that I need to finish but I was still able to play the 2 games scheduled for me. 1-1 was the score on both games. I was telling myself that if I got injured again today, it was a sign for me to stop playing Badminton and just focus on running. =) Good thing I did not injure my shoulder because I realized that I miss playing the game and I really enjoy playing Badminton. I simply love the sport!

My Time Was 1:01:32!

2007-11-14T15:11:00.000+08:00

I'm disappointed! I went over the 60 minutes mark of my run last Sunday for the NB Powerrace. I can only blame myself for taking that long to finish the 10K run. I did not prepare at all which also led to aches all over my body. But thank God I was able to finish.

I still feel a little pain on my legs until now. =( I really should've prepared for it. I always say that I will do practice runs but I end up not doing it. I have to be more disciplined if I want to run my full marathon next year.

I want to share my time in the last three 10K runs that I participated in this year:
1. MH All-terrain race - 1:19:02:69
2. Adidas KOTR - 1:08:43 (I think this was a mistake. My time got mixed up with someone else. I know I finished earlier than what was on the list. hehe..)
3. Milo Marathon (Manila Leg) - 58:00

Come to think of it, my time for the NB race was not that bad but it's still 3:32 behind my best time. =) I hope I do better this Sunday for the MH Urbanathlon.

My Favorite Photos of Trisha

2007-11-09T14:35:00.000+08:00

I just want to share some of my favorite photographs of my darling Trisha. I am really very proud of my daugther and I'm out of words to describe how much I love her.

She is...

my angel

my chef

my fairy

my cupcake

So I have to...

handle with care

Otherwise, mommy angel will kill me.. =)

And this is my favorite photo of Mommy Tet and Trisha so far. Don't they look so pretty?

An Ocean Park in Manila?

2007-11-09T11:52:00.000+08:00

Did you know that they are building an Oceanarium here in Manila? And that it is targeted to open next month? I didn't but now I do!

It's called the Manila Ocean Park and according to the official site, it's the Philippines' first state-of-the-art Oceanarium, open water marine habitat, boutique mall, restaurant row and function facilities all located in one complex at the back of the Quirino Grandstand.

photo taken from http://manilaoceanpark.com

Here are some facts about the Manila Ocean Park:
1. It's a P1 billion project of Singaporean and Malaysian investors.
2. It will be the first and largest aquarium facility in the Philippines.
3. It's among the most advanced ocean parks in Asia and will be larger than the famous Sentosa oceanarium in Singapore.
4. The oceanarium and open water marine habitat will contain 12,000 cubic meters of seawater featuring 300 marine species.
5. There are 3 phases. Phase 1 is the oceanarium (opens in Dec 07); Phase 2 is the marine-themed mall and hotel; Phase 3 is the open water marine habitat. Phase 2 & 3 is set to open July 08.
6. Entrance fee will be around P350 to P400.

Visit this article from Inquirer for more information - http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=95071

I am excited to see this place and go visit once it opens. I enjoy going to places like these because they're fun and educational. I am glad that we have more of this kinds of recreational facilities here in Manila (like the Science and Discovery Center in MOA) and not only shopping malls.

Trick or Treat?

2007-11-08T23:11:00.000+08:00

Trisha participated in her first trick or treat today at the HP office. It's a bit late for trick or treating since it has been eight days after Halloween but it's better late than never.

HP has this annual trick or treat for the kids of HP employees. I'm not sure how long they have done this but this was our first time as well. There were a lot of kids that participated and they were all in their pretty costumes. Trisha was dressed as a Disney Fairy.

I'm pretty sure Trisha enjoyed trick or treating. She was all smiles, dancing ang playing with the other kids. But she fell asleep when we started going around the different floors to get the candies. She eventually woke up while we were doing the rounds so she was able to experience trick or treating. By the time we finished, we had two bags full of goodies.

We had fun doing that with Trisha and we'll definitely participate in more trick or treating next year. By then Trisha will be able to walk on her own and say "Trick or Treat?".

Not prepared to run

2007-11-08T01:43:00.000+08:00

Remember my post recently about my need to train for the two running events I will be joining? Well, I haven't started training myself yet and it's only a few more days before the run. I'm not ready and I'm not prepared. What else is new? hehe... This is not the first time that I ran without training for it. So I hope I still finish my 10K and not get injured or something.

I hope I will have the discipline next year to train for my 42K marathon.

Pray for me. =)

C.R.I.B.S.

2007-11-08T01:06:00.001+08:00

As I have mentioned in my previous blog entry about Trisha's 1st birthday, we asked our guests to bring as much teddy bears as they can, whether old or new, because we wanted to donate all those toys to CRIBS as part of Trisha's birthday.

We went to CRIBS the day after the party to bring all those teddy bears. And there we learned that they accept not only toys but other items as well (milk, diapers, clothes, strollers and a whole lot more).
The caretaker toured us around the place but informed us that we couldn't take any pictures of the children there.

Here are some facts about the place:
1. There are 23 children currently living at CRIBS. If I recall correctly, there are 6 babies, 8 crawlers and 9 toddlers.
2. Only 3 people are with the 23 children at night. One each for the babies, crawlers and toddlers.
3. Anyone can volunteer to visit and care for the children. There are visiting hours and you should coordinate with the administrator if you're interested to volunteer for a day. This is so that they can arrange a date and time and provide you a shirt and socks.
4. These children come from hospitals or from parents who can't take care of their own children. It can be temporary and parents could come back for them if they're ready to own the responsibility. These children are also up for adoption especially those that have been totally abandoned.

Upon seeing these children, we couldn't help but feel thankful that we are so blessed. And all we wanted to do was to give back and help in any way we can. We were telling Trisha how blessed she is that she has parents who loves her very much. Although we don't think she understands any of what we told her yet but it is something we want to instill in her. That's why we're planning of doing this every year so that she'll learn to share her blessings to the less fortunate ones.

And of course, we took pictures while we were there. Trisha was all smiles when she saw those children and she wanted to play with them but we were advised that those children just had sore eyes at that time so they advised us not to go in. Maybe next time.

We're planning to go back some time soon but this time we want to volunteer to take care of them even for just a short while. Will you join us?

I Won an NBx Shoes!!

2007-11-08T00:08:00.000+08:00

I really did! I was one of the five winners of a pair of New Balance's NBx shoes. Below is a proof of that. I got that from the new balance website and also an email from New Balance congratulating me for winning. =)

I'm really happy to win the running shoes and it was not because of luck, well maybe partly, but it was not a simple raffle type contest where you just join and wait for your name to be chosen as the winner. I chanced upon this contest when I was searching the internet about the New Balance Powerrace.

To qualify for the contest, a player must be registered, visit the knowledge pavilions and play the runner's challenge.You then get points for visiting the knowledge pavilions and playing the challenge. The top 5 players with the highest points each gets a pair of shoes and if you bought a pair of NBx shoes and input the code in the website, you stand a chance to be the Philippine representative to the Shonan Marathon next year. I didn't buy an NBx shoes since I wasn't interested to go to Japan. My goal was to win a pair of NBx shoes only which I did. =)

The runner's challenge was the tough part. You have a virtual runner and you must choose the right shoes, provide the right stretching and the right amount of liquids and food for your runner to finish the marathon. The good thing here is you are allowed to try it for an unlimited number of times which I obviously did. It was really a fun game.

Anyway, I was able to get my gift voucher for the NBx shoes from the brand manager of New Balance and I went to get my pair at the New Balance Shangrila branch today. So I'm now the proud owner of an MR1223ST NBx shoes and I'm going to use it this coming Sunday when I participate in the New Balance Powerrace at Clark.

Thanks New Balance!

Trisha's 1st Birthday!

2007-11-07T22:21:00.000+08:00

It's been weeks since I last wrote something on my blog. I've been busy with alot of stuff the past few weeks (preparing for Trisha's birthday and work) which left me too tired to do some bloggin'. And for the long vacation, I was too lazy to do anything. =)

If you'll notice, my blogs usually don't have pictures in them. I wanted to change that. I want to add more pictures in my blog to make it more interesting and a blog about Trisha's birthday is a good way to start.

So I want to share a few of the hundreds of photos taken during that super happy day!

A picture of our happy family. We're all smiles!

Trisha's birthday cake. Nice huh?

Everyone was singing the birthday song while we were blowing Trisha's cake.

The happy and proud grandparents. The 2 lolas outfits are color coordinated. hehe..

This smash cake was made especially for photo op but as you can see in Trisha's face, she is not enjoying this and she ended up crying.

Look at how pretty my 2 favorite girls in the world are. Picture perfect!

Trisha is really fond of bubbles so for her birthday, we had a bubble show for her and part of this was us being inside a big bubble!

We're really happy that our family and friends were there to celebrate with us Trisha's 1st birthday.

Thank you for coming! And we'd also like to thank all those who brought teddy bears for CRIBS. We already donated all those teddy bears and I'll make a separate post on our visit there.

We had so much fun. All the planning and preparation was well worth it!

Still on Glorietta 2 Bombing..

2007-10-23T21:56:00.000+08:00

One of my batchmates in my previous company sent this letter written by my friend Carlo whose wife was one of the casualties of the Glorietta 2 bombing. My wife and I read it and we were already in tears by the time we finished reading it. I want to share the letter but I would need to ask for permission first.

I'm still following the Glorietta incident in the news and they're saying that base on their findings that this is more likely to be an accident than a terror attack. According to the news, they're seeing this as an industrial failure. But whatever caused the explosion last Friday, I hope that they get to the bottom of this and penalize the people responsible, whether it be the terrorists or the negligence of the management of Glorietta.

Those people that died were innocent and were robbed of their life. They went to the mall to shop, to eat or merely to pass by without knowing that it would lead to their death. So if ever that this incident was caused by the negligence of the management of Glorietta, then SHAME ON THEM!! These people were bringing business to them and this is what they get.

I'm still angry and in case this is the fault of Glorietta, I don't think I would want to go there ever again!!

A Sad Day

2007-10-20T01:18:00.000+08:00

I'm not sure I want to write about this but what happened at Glorietta 2 today was just shocking. So many innocent lives lost. I found out about the bomb incident when my sister who was here for a seminar in Dusit Hotel texted me that there was an explosion in Glorietta. I was in the office at Ortigas and was busy with work that I didn't really know the extent of the damage. My wife who was also at work also texted me about it. I only saw how bad it was when I saw it in the news on TV.

Normally, this kind of incident would not really have that big of an impact on me especially that this is not the first tragic incident that had happened here in Manila, but this particular one left me in disbelief. The wife of one of my close friends was one of the casualties in the incident. Until now I'm still in shock and I still can't believe that one of the victims was somebody I personally knew. I only learned of it when my friend texted me. I immediately called him but I really didn't know what to say. He was already crying and I was still in disbelief and was shaking. I can't imagine what he is going through right now. I would be devastated if I was in his place.

I am so angry at the person/people that did this. Those innocent people that died didn't deserve this. I wouldn't hope that whoever was responsible would die as well but I hope and pray that they realized what they have done and somehow feel remorse.

I don't know what else to say except that today is a sad, sad day.

The Need to Train

2007-10-15T16:20:00.000+08:00

It's less than a month before the New Balance run and Men's Health Urbanathlon and I have yet to train for it. I want to be fit to run by then but my laziness overpowers me. =)

I found a training program from the Men's Health PH website which I hope I can follow religiously. It's a 4-week training program and I should start today if I want to finish the program before the run.

I'm so out of shape so I really need to do this. Wish me luck!

Food Trip with my HS Friends

2007-10-14T23:56:00.000+08:00

I just came back from an overnight trip to Baguio for a get together with my high school buddies. It has been a while since we had a chance to go out. They are my oldest friends and we make it a point to keep in touch (via yahoogroups) and if our schedule permits, go out once in a while.

It was a tiring trip but it was also a chance for us to catch up on each others lives. We spent most of our time eating and chatting. This particular get together ended up more as a food trip among friends coupled with conversations about anything under the sun or rain. =)

These are our pit stops (places where we ate) in Baguio and Dagupan:
1. Starbucks, CJH - Ever reliable coffee shop. This was where we met up and had breakfast.
2. O Mai Khan, near Rizal Park - We had lunch at this eat-all-you-can Mongolian BBQ restaurant. This is a famous restaurant in Baguio and they serve good food. (Thanks NSK)
3. Brothers Burger, CJH - This was more of a pre-dinner meal for us, otherwise known as "meryenda".
4. Wood Nymph, SM City Baguio - We ate at this Korean Restaurant because we wanted to try Korean food and this was highly recommended by one of my friends. (Thanks NSK)
5. The restaurant at Golf Estates, CJH - This is strictly for members only and one of my friends was a member so we were able to eat here. We had breakfast here before going to Dagupan. (Thanks Alan)
6. Enso, OPC in Dagupan - This is a Japanese Restaurant owned by one of my friends and this is where we had lunch before going back to Manila. (Thanks Howie)

I am thanking my friends because most of my meals and the overnight stay at The Manor in CJH was free. Thanks guys! Let's do this again. hehe..

Thumbs down for Globe Visibility and Bayan Span

2007-10-09T18:38:00.002+08:00

This is a public service announcement from a Globe Visibility and Bayan Span subscriber:

If you are planning to get Globe Visibility as your internet connection or Bayan Span as your landline, DON'T!

Based on my experience, being a Globe Visibility and Bayan Span subscriber for almost 3 months now, I probably have more complaints than praises for the service they offer.

In the 3 months of using Globe Visibility, my No. 1 complaint is the REALLY SLOW connection. They have been consistent with that. I don't know how else I can emphasize that the connection is really really slow!! If you'll check with Globe, they can tell you that the maximum connection speed can reach up to 3.6mbps. Well, far from it and I don't think that will ever happen. To give them credit, I have experienced speeds of up to 2mbps but only for 2 seconds. The average connection speed is probably less than 100kbps.

In addition, sometimes I need to try and connect several times before I can connect successfully. Although that is not really a problem compared to the really slow connection.

As for my Bayan Span landline, the problems I have encountered ranges from having No signal to difficulty in making and receiving calls. Just today, I had to dial countless times before I could get through in placing a call. I kept on getting a busy tone.

When I tried calling the customer service to inform them of my problem, I couldn't get through either. And when I finally got through, the voice prompt led me to the customer service rep but no one was there.

This actually prompted me to write this blog and rant about my complaints. I want to give my unsolicited advice to others who might be thinking of getting their service. Their charges are not cheap so I believe we should get our money's worth for the service that they are providing.

So please think twice before subscribing to these services. I have no choice but to continue because there is a contract. I plan to discontinue after my contract expires unless they improve their service.