Tony & Jackey

The rolling brownouts in Davao are an annoyance! Electricity conks out at exactly 1PM everyday. At the rate it's going, my desktop computer will end up a corrupted piece of junk. I might as well turn it off 10 minutes prior to the scheduled brownout or risk losing my data. It's funny coz it's become like an involuntary routine for me to stand up from my computer chair once the pc blacks out and go straight to the shower. I was supposed to work out today but I felt like skipping and get some work done. Obviously that is not possible without electricity, so I decided to get a haircut first to kill time. In a previous rant I said that my haircutter Pacita migrated to Dubai which pretty much put my hair's future in limbo. Prior to Pacita, it was Alma who cut my hair but she moved to Bacolod. I was severely depressed both times, but today is the day for me to move on. I checked out a newly-opened salon in SM, Tony & Jackey. It's run by a bunch of Koreans. The salon was white and super clean. The Korean stylists also looked clean lol. Their haircut costs P300, more than twice as much as David's (where Pacita and Alma come from). The stylist assigned to me was Daniel. I was afraid that he might give me one of those weird Korean hairstyles so I told him straight off that I wanted a normal haircut. He said "Ok" and begun work. After 15 minutes of snipping it was done. He didn't say anything else except for a "Thank you" in the end.

The result:


Props to Daniel

I'm saving up for my next haircut already :P

Halo-halo

After badminton, we had greaseless chicken at Sunburst. Have to mention that their crispy chicken skin is the best! While eating we had a discussion about the best halo-halo in the Philippines. Well, these friends of mine came from General Santos City and couldn't stop talking about some off-the-beaten-track place somewhere in Cotabato that serves their halo-halo in fresh coconut shells and picks out their ingredients literally off trees. Simpleton that I am, how am I supposed to compete with that? They lash out at my most favorite halo-halo in Davao -- Aling Foping's -- and to add more insult, says that Razon's halo-halo sucks too. And yet after doing so, decide that we should have halo-halo at Chow King, which I now officially don't like (though I love their other dishes).

Speaking of Razon's, their halo-halo is so darn simple and that's why it's good. It doesn't have the nasty beans or monggo or the colorful whatnot that we usually see. All it has are macapuno (sweetened coconut), leche flan, and saging na saba (sweetened bananas). The result is an icy, sweet and creamy dessert that's nothing short of heavenly. In fact, I love Razon's so much that when I go to Aling Foping's, I try to recreate Razon's recipe! When you're in Davao, try the halo-halo of Aling Foping's (Matina Town Square) or Harana (F. Torres Street).

As a postscript, I learned from my cousin that I could buy puto similar to Razon's from St. Paul church, which is right in our neighborhood. I'm excited! I love their puto!**

What I ate today:

Breakfast: Lipton Milk Tea
Lunch: Pork Stew and 1/2 cup brown rice
Dinner: Quarter Chicken, 3 pcs Chicken Skin and 1/2 cup white rice
Late Snack: 1/2 Pomelo

** Puto is steamed rice cakes

Back to Badminton

I'm glad my friends are back from General Santos City! It means we could go back to playing badminton. We're scheduled to play tomorrow from 4-6pm. My cousin Gwing (who's a varsity player) will be around to teach my friends the proper way to play. Also, from now on I'll try to log the food I eat each day. It is supposed to help me stick to my diet.

Lunch: Grilled Maya-maya fish with 1/4 cup brown rice
Afternoon Snack: Ham and Cheese sandwich and half a bottle of Sola Iced Tea (Apple flavor)
Dinner: Beef Caldereta (beef stew) with 1/2 white rice
Late Evening Snack: Chicken Panini and Hot Chocolate

I ate so much!! Ackkkk

Golden Chestnut

I was saddened upon hearing news about my haircutter/hairdresser/hairstylist.. I like to use "haircutter" coz all she really does is cut my hair. Anyway, I was gonna get a haircut yesterday but was told that my beloved haircutter migrated to Dubai. PERFECT. What am I supposed to do now, Pacita?! There you are frolicking in dunes and riding camels yet here I am wallowing in my awful hair!! It's extremely hard to find the right person to cut my hair. Pacita knows my hair like no one else. Today I mourn. :(

As an act of rebellion, I went to my health store and grabbed a box of hair dye and picked out the Golden Chestnut shade. It's the lightest brown I've tried. I was sort of hoping to get a very obvious brown but kinda hesitating at the same time. What the heck.. if I screw this up I could always get Pacita to shave my head.. Wait, she's in Dubai!!! **facepalm**

I fumbled through the instructions like an amateur. I have dyed my hair before using one of those instant all-in-one dyes that came in tubes scribbled with Japanese inscriptions. If memory serves me right, I had to squeeze the dye on a brush and comb it through my hair. This time I had to mix two solutions into a bowl till it becomes thick. Then, with plastic gloves, plop the mixture on my fingers and apply it to my hair. I waited 30 minutes for the dye to set in. Hmmmm...

The result was disappointing. My hair is the same color, cept that my white hair disappeared. Pffft.

This morning I gave myself a trim since I'm too lazy to scout for a new haircutter. Looks pretty good I might say. :D

Two Became Four

I've mentioned to a few folks that I have what I call "two-pack" abs. Even joked about it a couple times. I'm talking about a pair of abs below my chest that have been there for as long as I can remember. They kinda just stood there in a shroud of nothingness... lol.... In my New Year's Resolutions post I said:

(My goal is to) Have a complete set of abs. It's a frustration of mine that will no longer be a frustration! Going to the gym and being healthy never fail to cheer me up.

No, I have no intention of going into modeling or acting or anything porn-related (lol -- at least not yet). Attaining abs is just a consequence of my goal to keep myself fit and active. Unless you're anatomically blessed with a nice figure, getting abs is extremely difficult. It is harder than developing biceps or triceps or pecs and it requires a higher degree of patience. Why? Because, like I said, they are the consequence of how well you take care of your body. There is no magic exercise to achieve abs. No matter how many situps or crunches you do, your abs will never show up unless you push your whole body to work up a sweat. And how do you do that? Cardio! Yes, during cardio, almost every muscle of your body is a participant. Good examples I cited before are running and spinning. I recommend swimming and boxing too. All of them are intense exercises that burn more calories at a shorter period of time.

Ab exercises (situps, crunches etc) do almost zilch if you don't tandem it with a cardio routine. Every person, boy or girl, young or old, thin or fat, have abdominal muscles. It's a matter of burning the layer of fat that keeps them hidden. Cardio and a watchful diet can get rid of that layer of fat, not ab exercises. At best, ab exercises tighten and strengthen your abdominals. Stronger abs do help burn fat faster, but that has value only during cardio and other muscle conditioning activities. Although abs are nice to look at, they are not the barometer of one's fitness level. You can still be fit without ripped abs.

Since I made it one of my resolutions, I am working twice harder than before to get those abs. I'm now down to a size 28 and my weight has gone down to 131 lbs. The great thing is the "two-pack" is actually a "four-pack". It was the fat on top of it that made it look like two. So yeah, two more abs to go! Should I aim for an 8-pack? lol.. we'll see.

HongKong Here I Come

The last time I was in HongKong was in 2008 while on a sidetrip from Macau. It was but a fleeting moment -- I was there merely to take my niece to Disneyland. We spent a few hours in the park, enjoyed the fireworks, then hopped on a boat back to Macau. What attracts me to HongKong is its vibrancy and abundance of food and shopping options. There's not a dull moment in HongKong and that is why I'm coming back! On a whim I purchased a ticket the moment I heard that Cebu Pacific had a seat sale. I timed it to be around my birthday in June. The catch is I bought the ticket without consulting my family or friends, or even asked any of them to come along. I don't care!! So yeah.. HongKong, watch out... The Dork Knight is coming! hehe

28

So yesterday I was in my mom's bathroom to look for some cotton buds to clean out the 1-week old wax buildup from my ears lol.. I know disgusting right. As I cleaned my ears I eyed the measuring tape hanging on one of her wall hooks and thought of measuring my.. well.. waist. I took off my shirt and placed the tape around my belly button area. Carefully, I pinched the metallic tip on to the 28 inch mark. Whoa, I wasn't even cheating! Last time I had a 28-inch waist was when I was in high school!! I'm happy because this is my target waistline. The downside of this triumph is all my pants have become loose. Oh well, but my work is paying off! Don't bet on me slowing down though coz I'm still working on those abs. This may take a while... :(

How to Save Money on the Paris Subway

Getting around Paris takes patience and skill. It took me a few days before I got the hang of it. My cousins had to put up with my constant backtracking and fuzzy navigation, but they had no other choice but to go where I went.

Aside from the labyrinth that we had to put up with, using the subway is not cheap. It costs 1.50 euro per ticket (about P90). That's more expensive than the New York subway ($1.50 or P70). What most people don't know is there is such a thing as a carnet (car-nay) which is basically a 'book' of 10 tickets. You can purchase this at any Paris subway station. During my last trip, a carnet costs 11 euro, or 1.10 euro per ticket. We saved 40 cents per ticket. Not bad right? To buy a carnet, say 'Un carnet sil vous plait' (un car-nay see voo play) to the nice French person inside the ticket booth. Hope you find this helpful!

Burning Calories

Here's a quick way to find out how much calories you burn during certain physical activities. Click here to check.

It asks you to enter your weight because the number of calories burned depends on your weight and fitness level. Heavier people burn more calories because it takes more effort to perform exercises. That goes down as the person becomes fitter and attains more muscle. With more muscle, more calories are burned even at a sedentary state. Anyway, right now the stuff that I'm active in are spinning, running and badminton (social & pro). I calculated how much calories I burn for each activity (at 137 lbs. / 60 minutes) :

Spinning - 437 calories
Running - 582 calories
Badminton - 370 calories

For me, the best types of cardio exercise are the ones that keep you moving with little or no rest. Why? Because we tend to equate the time we spend inside the gym to the time we supposedly spent exercising. Sitting around and people watching don't count as exercise! In my spinning class, we are hardly given time to rest, thus we push ourselves to the limit and burn more calories. That is why I recommend spinning to anyone who's serious about losing weight. It is difficult at first -- I know a couple of people who've had tragic aftermaths following one session. But like all activities, you get better and better as long as you try and do it right. The added benefit of spinning is it isn't boring. The loud music and the natural adrenaline rush keep you alert and time ticks away virtually unnoticed.

I also run from time to time, often to warm myself up for a moderate weight lifting session. The calculation above is for 60 minutes, which I have never done on a track. I have run continuously for an hour on a treadmill. They are two different things though. I find running on a track a lot more difficult because 1) I'm exposed to environmental factors such as heat from the sun, dust and pollution 2) the terrain is more unpredictable 3) my pace is dependent on the strength of my legs, not on a conveyor belt. Despite those inconveniences I prefer running outside just because I feel like the extra effort that put into it helps me burn more calories. Treadmills are still good. In fact I recommend them to those who are starting a cardio routine. But in the long run I suggest that you wean yourself away from the treadmill to other activities such as aerobics, spinning, kickboxing, running or yoga. Why? Because treadmills eventually become tiresome and boring. Once you get sick of it, you tend to never come back to the gym.

Badminton is another great way to get active. It is the staple sport of yuppies, office workers and barkadas. In order to get its full effect (e.g. burn 370 calories), you'll need to play 60 minutes straight. The trick is to play in smaller groups that you are familiar with. With fewer people, there is less turnover, thus more play time for yourself. You may book one court for two hours or two courts for larger groups or opt for a trainer. The trainer can teach you the proper way of playing and at the same time force you to travel more across the court. The problem with playing with large parties of strangers of varying skill levels are 1) you play less 2) those who are good play more (good for you if you're one of them) 3) no one is willing to teach you the right way to play 4) you will not get the workout that you need 5) you play for fun, but others are ready to eat you alive. Definitely go for a group of friends and/or a trainer if you want to pursue badminton. It is big fun if done right.

Before and After

Four years ago, Four years after

I couldn't say I was unhappy about myself when I was overweight. Eating is FUN but it came to a point where I realized that I needed to do something about my health (and my hair LOL). I enrolled at the nearest gym but I didn't know what I was doing. I kept eating and gaining more weight until I stopped going to the gym again. Then I started again last year and really put effort into my workout. I began a jogging regimen and attended spinning classes 3x a week. On other days I lifted weights and did ab exercises. This was the only time that I saw good results. I'm not quite there yet but yeah people say I look fit. I'll give you tips on how I did it in succeeding blog posts.... on a new blog? We'll see.

Sick of Being Sick

Okayyy. Let me rant a little bit about my situation. My doctor diagnosed me as having pharyngitis and respiratory tract infection. I thought I had a much simpler case of tonsillitis and common cold. But when she held the stethoscope against my back, she suspected something more sinister. She prescribed an antibiotic to fight the infection and another to lessen the coughing. This totally sucks. Just when my #1 goal for the year is soooo close, I have to take a recess and wait longer. When I'm not going to the gym I tend to eat. Like today.

For lunch I had humba or caramelized pork knuckles. Those three words put together spell disaster. But it was soooo goood. Our cook put a lot of love into making it. She knew I loved mushrooms and chorizo and there were a LOT of it in the stew. I might as well have called it a mushroom and chorizo stew with caramelized pork knuckles. When I got to my office I ordered chicken noodles. An hour later I went out with my secretary to Jaltan to eat puto and ginataan / binignit. Wow, the ginataan was fantastic. And it was cheap (P15)! The puto was nice too. Lani had a slice of biko.. Yeah I know. She says she's on a diet. IKR.

Moving forward, I will get back to writing about my European trip. I believe Italy is next. Watch out for that and please don't take this post as part of my promise to write about fitness LOL Ciao!

Fitness Blog?

Last night, over dinner, my friends suggested that I write a fitness blog. I guess I can be a little pushy when it comes to exercise and eating right. It *kinda* worked on them, but will that "pushiness" rub off on my readers? Problem is I feel that I have reached my limit of number of blogs. I've lost count and for some I even forgot my passwords. To make my friends happy, I'll just write some fitness stuff here too.

Oh right, before dinner we played badminton. My friends have improved a lot and beginning to become more aggressive and competitive, which is good coz if not there would be no drive to hone their skills. Though I prefer to play badminton for fun, a little bit of challenge is always good.

Wakeboarding and Then Some

WAPAKKKK!


My arms are hurting from wakeboarding yesterday. Major pains on my left and right forearms, while the right one feels worse. This morning, I washed my hair and body with my left hand. What a struggle considering that I'm right handed. I also washed my face with my left hand. Brushing my teeth was a chore. In a few minutes I'm going to this badminton place, "Smash and Drop" to play badminton with fellow bloggers. I'm not sure how they'll react to see me limping like an old man coz usually I'm the energetic one in the group.

I have yet to get the hang of wakeboarding. It was my second time to try it yesterday. I tried the jumpstart technique, which Bianca (who I just met) suggested to me. She said it was the way she learned it, albeit after a month of trial and error. Basically jumpstart is to stand on a ledge and jump into the water when the rope starts pulling you in. It's more graceful but not necessarily easier. I'd call my attempts a modest success. I was able to glide farther before I fell compared to last week's failure. I spoke to all the "bros" who worked there and they told me that I just needed to find my balance. I hope to be able to do that next week. :)

New Year's Resolutions

The year 2010, early as it is, has not been good to me. Fortunately I am the type of person that doesn't let his problems become a preoccupation to the point of ruining his life. There are more things to be thankful for than to cry about, I realize. I have a great family, great friends and a great job. My life could not be better. Ok, maybe just a little. To do that, here are my resolutions for the New Year, Chattee style:

1. Have a complete set of abs. It's a frustration of mine that will no longer be a frustration! Going to the gym and being healthy never fail to cheer me up.

2. Shop less, give more. I looked at my closet and saw just how much clothes and shoes I have. Last month I cleared out 20% of it and gave them away to my cousins Jofer and Marc. I want to reduce it by another 20% by February. I will also shop less frequently. In other words, buy only what I need with occasional splurges.

3. Reduce my bills. Cellphone bills, credit card bills, hosting expenses, yes you! I wanna change my cellphone plan and spend only P500 a month for calls and text messages. I need to rethink my hosting arrangements as well.

4. Travel less. I guess it's the year of the less. Last year I visited 6 countries! This year I'll visit two at most.

5. Learn a new skill. I'm thinking wakeboarding or ... I dunno yet.

6. Make more friends. Sungit ko no? LOL

7. Run a marathon. I love running and what better way to add a feather on my cap by completing a marathon. Or... win it? (ASA!!)

8. Design more. DFAT, Wordcamp Philippines... you'll see more of my work this year.

9. Play Dota again. Not so sure about this one but I really really want to play again.

10. Play badminton again. Made a "pact" with some blogger pals. We'll "try" to play badminton once or twice a week. Hehehehe.

21 Kilometers

Today I hit the gym with an unwavering resolve to finish the 21 kilometer challenge. My gym, Holiday Gym 'n' Spa (lol), organized the 21km challenge to get our asses moving instead of sitting around lifting weights (which for me is boring as hell). The gym has a 200 meter track around its facilities. The challenge involves running around the track 105 times, which is roughly equivalent to, that's right, 21 kilometers. Running 21 kilometers is no easy task. We were given 6 days to complete it. If we do, we're rewarded with a 1-week extension to our monthly memberships!!! Woooot!

I was able to finish it in 5 days. For the most part, I ran 20 rounds straight without walking for 4 days. That's 16 kilometers! Apparently, they also count the rounds wherein I walked. Yes we can walk if we wanted to, and we'll still get the prize so long as we complete 105 laps. But I pushed myself to run instead coz it wouldn't be much of a challenge if I just walked. So.. that's 16 kilometers plus another 3 today = 19 kilometers of pure running! To think before I ran those last 3 kilometers I went spinning for an hour with my cousin. Intense!! *faints*

Anyway I'm helping my cousin lose weight. She asserts that she's overweight but seriously she looks fine to me. Yet she is at that age where she needs to have a regular exercise regimen. I'm glad she decided to take the plunge and I hope she sticks with it. We ended the day with a light dinner and some yoghurt at Coffee Cat. Yum!

A Dork's Guide to Versailles

Sorry for the long delay. I've been meaning to write about Versailles since my post on the Louvre, but stuff got in the way and I was forced to hold it back many, many times.

As my European adventure was coming to a close, I was asked by my cousins which place in France impressed me the most. And I remember answering "Versailles". Each of them had their favorites too, but they agreed that Versailles, in one way or another, rocked.

Getting to Versailles can be a bit tricky. First, let's try to get your tickets.

Option 1. You can buy your tickets right at Versailles. But check out the line:


A long a winding road...

So let's scrap Option 1. Moving forward...

Option 2. If you are planning your visit to Versailles way ahead of time, you can purchase your tickets from their website. Go to this page. If you want access to all parts of the estate, pick The Passport (Les Passeport). This includes tours of the Palace, the garden, Marie-Antoinette's estate and a portable audio guide. Cost: 16-18 euro (about $25). While purchasing you will be asked what date you are visiting. Pick any day except Monday or any holiday because most if not all parts of the museum will be closed. Be sure to go to Versailles on the specified date!!

Option 3. If you are already in France or simply forgot that Versailles existed before your trip, you may opt to buy your ticket from an FNAC outlet. FNAC is sort of like their Barnes and Noble and CompUSA combined. I found it daunting just figuring out what FNAC was until I got lucky and asked someone who understood what I was saying. I kept asking "What is F-NAC?" or "What is F-N-A-C?". All I got were looks of bewilderment. So I had an epiphany: They say their letters differently! To say FNAC in French you say it like: EF EN AH SAY.. just think of it as if you're mouthing "Effin' I say" with disgust. LOL ... There are many FNAC stores scattered in the city. The one nearest my hotel was the one in Saint Lazare. Google FNAC Versailles to find out what's nearest you. Once you're in the store, approach an FNAC person and ask "Tickets to Versailles?" and pray he'll understand the "Versailles" part and point you to the right direction. You must say "Versailles" correctly or you will fail. It's pronounced ver-'sigh.

Ok, so you think buying tickets is a chore, try taking a train to Versailles.

Versailles is about 45 minutes from Paris. The station you want to get off at is Versailles Rive-Gauche. The only train that goes there is the RER C line. It is the yellow line in the subway map. Do not confuse it with the 9 line, which has a mustard color. The C train has many stops, but depending on where you're billeted, it may or may not be available in your nearest train station. Because the Opera station was the closest to me, I first had to take the 8 train to Balard. Then I got off on Invalides, then caught the C train to Versailles Rive-Gauche (see illustration).



There are schedules posted in the station for trains leaving for Versailles. If all else fails, approach other tourists and ask which train they are waiting for.

Once you're in Versailles territory, again, follow the flock of tourists until you reach the palace grounds.


Finally!! Can we go back now? LOL

Have your tickets ready and flash them at the unfortunate folks lining up on the left side of the palace. Haha. Go straight to the right side where you'll find the entrance. Pick up your audio guide. From what I recall, this is the very first thing you'll see:



I *think* this is a chapel where Louis married Marie Antoinette. The chapel reflects the expensive taste of the royal couple. It is **just** a chapel but it looks more like a cathedral to me!


This is me standing in the famous Hall of Mirrors. The hall was used by Louis XV to walk from his room to the chapel. Whaaaat? It was later used by his grandson for private functions and weddings.


I felt like a dwarf standing next to this gigantic fireplace. >.<


A view of the back of the palace from outside.


One of the many vast ponds found in the estate gardens.


Me being a dufus and pretending to be lost in the garden maze hehe

I have lots more pictures here that I can show you if we ever meet :P Versailles is a must-see if you're in France. If you're wondering whatever happened to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, well, due to Louis' lameness as a King and Marie's numerous scandals, the masses plotted against them and resulted in the French Revolution. The royal family was arrested, tried and convicted of treason. Louis and Marie were executed by guillotine. Only one of their 4 children survived -- their eldest daughter, Marie Therese, who I believe married some rich guy in Russia :P

Working on that Versailles Post

This is a friendly reminder that I am alive and well and I have not abandoned my blog! I am halfway through finishing my post about Versailles. Stay tuned!

Things I Learned Growing Up in the States

Whenever Christmas is right in the corner I never fail to remember the way we sang Jingle Bells when I was just a kid. It went like this:

Jingle Bells
Batman Smells
Robin Laid an Egg
The Batmobile Lost its Wheel
And the Joker got away, hey!

Repeat 20x

LOL

We also sang the Popeye song a little differently.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
I live in a garbage can
I stood near the heater and fried off my weiner
I'm Popeye the Sailor man!

hehehe

One more, this time the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is a -toot-
Pepsi Cola burned his butt
Now he's drinkin' 7-UP

I'm bored, you can say that. :P

I Dream of Donsol

One of my ultimate travel destinations is Donsol, Sorsogon. Why? Because of the amazing 'butandings' or whale sharks as they are better known. I plan on going next year, possibly in March which I heard was the best month to go. Who's coming with me?!

A Twilight Halloween

First, a disclaimer. I'm not a big rabid Twilight fan, but I thought it'd be fun to throw a Halloween party and have us all dress up as emo vampires. Chattee and Brendel made us up with pale Halloween makeup bought from the mall.


This shot took quite a bit of effort coz we were trying to imitate this photo:



Not what we wanted but I still think it turned out very cool.



A nice shot of the girls set against the moonlit sky.



And now, the guys.



Ria, Chattee, Brendel showing off their fiercest looks. lol



This was a sample shot, but I really like this one coz of its randomness.

Prior to the photoshoot Ria served us a hefty dinner of Roast Chicken. Lyle and Brendel brought two big pizzas while Migs had two bottles of sparkling White Grape juice in tow. Chattee, fresh from Cebu, gave out Chicharon and dried mangoes as pasalubong.



After the photoshoot we played a game of Big Taboo. It's similar to Pictionary but has four types of clues: the typical Taboo where you try to describe one word while trying to avoid uttering specified words on a list; "15" where you describe as many words possible but you're only allowed 15 words in total; "Bendy Bob" where you act out words by controlling a purple stuffed toy; "Drawing" which is basically drawing out clues like in Pictionary; And lastly, a free-for-all round where previously solved answers are described with one word. Whoever answers first gets to move on the board. My teammates were Ria, Gwing, Luan and Brendel. The other team was composed of Jim, Anne, Lyle and Chattee. My team won but it was pretty close. Overall it was nice enjoyable evening.. something that I don't get to do in Halloween. I think this is the first serious Halloween party I've been to where everyone's dressed up on purpose.

The girls tried to get us guys to take off our shirts. I was going to do it if Jim and Lyle were willing. But they weren't, thank god. hahaha

Next year's theme: New Moon. LOL