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

My Globe Headshot Pic

I hate the fact that I don't photograph well. But hats off to the guys of Globe Headshot Clinic, Niccolo Cosme in particular, for coming up with this awesome pic of me. Funny that the theme of the pictorial is "One Youth" while I am waaaay past my youth haha. I was desperate to have a Globe headshot thus I braved the storm that day and had my picture taken. My cousins Ria and Gwing and friends Chattee and Migs were on hand to make fun of me when it was my turn. Their headshots turned out quite cool too.



Still haven't seen your headshot? Go to this site and do a search.

Say What, Angkor Wat?

The bangs of death that caused the Ankor Wat's demise. The "45" is the number of times the people pleaded before my feet prior to their fiery destruction.

I was screwing around with my old Compaq laptop today and was pleasantly surprised to find my pics from my Cambodia trip still intact!! I visited Thailand and Cambodia with my Aunt Nora and cousin Clarice in October 2006. It was one of those trips I consider most memorable. Thailand was obviously a more economically advanced country that time and had lots of sights and shopping places to offer. While Cambodia was and still is a struggling nation that's trying to get back on its feet after the genocide that occurred during Pol Pot's rule. Siem Reap is a town located in Northwest Cambodia. It is most famous for one thing -- it houses the Angkor Wat, the magnificent temples that reflect the colorful history of the Khmer civilization.



Its temples, bar none, are the most beautiful in the world. They just blew away all the temples I saw in Bangkok to smithereens. Not to mention that some schmuck stole my Jack Purcell sneakers in Ayuthaya.


The roots of a 200 year old tree clinging to a portion of the Angkor Wat ruins.




A view from on top of a temple on a hill.



Which we got to riding this. Again, don't mind the bangs and overall chunky appearance haha



The fellow driving the elephant was such a wise guy. Notice the tip pocket on his back lol



This is that temple on the hill. Nice isn't it?



While waiting for sunset, this guy was playing music on a leaf! I guess Levi Celerio (RIP) isn't the only one who can do that!



View of the sunset. Somewhat cloudy though. :(



Pot belly for the win!!



And I conclude this post with a kiss. I love you Siem Reap!!

Loaded with Work

Just taking a break to blog again. Things have been hectic that lately my time has been split between my tedious online job, my Dota site, my bakery, a potential startup business and Bejeweled (haha). My knee injuries are better and I was really looking forward to going back to the gym today. But I think it's time to finish the workload that piled up during the days I was away before I can proceed with my usual routine.

That's what I have to say for now. :(

That 80's Show

Guess who these two bloggers are. TAKE A WILD GUESS.

Injured in Singapore

Keeping my composure for photography's sake lolz. Oh, and yes, we're wearing our F1 schwag to boot. :P

It was 30 minutes to boarding and for some reason I thought the plane was going to leave me behind. I was still in the Duty Free area of the Changi Airport and our gate, F38, was 500 miles away. So I decided to make a run for it. In the middle of my dash, I hopped on the walk-on conveyor thinking I'd go faster. To my chagrin, my race for glory ended in a mad, screeching halt. You know what happens when you're running on a treadmill then someone unplugs it? That's what happened to me, only that I was in an airport.

I landed on my knees and hands. They burned. One Chinese janitor dude looked at me with bewilderment. Embarrassed, I stood up and thought, what the heck, if I get left behind, so be it. As I approached gate F38, I noticed a healthy line of people lifting their hand-carried luggage on the x-ray machine. I'm like, what the fuck!? I should have walked instead of making an injured fool of myself and I'd still make it to the flight!! What was I thinking!? So I stood at the end of the queue and gradually, felt the world weighing down on my legs.

I pulled up my shorts and saw the mess I made out of my knees. There was one 3 x 1 inch open wound on my right knee plus one rug burn on the side that's at least 4 inches in length. On my left, there's one small open wound and another rug burn of about the same size. I retreated to the comfort room to wash them, but the sink was too high and I didn't want to make a scene. Instead, I washed my hands. OUCH. Apparently, my hands weren't so lucky either. On my right wrist was one wound that looked as if a chunk of skin was pared off. It's small but it hurts like a bitch. My left middle finger had one too, but tinier.

I decided to suck it up and just ask a flight attendant to help me out once I get on the plane. It's funny that 4 of my friends were the last group of people to board. Two of them were paged three times and were on the brink of being left behind coz they were out shopping! And there I was, beaten to a pulp because of my paranoia. Ughhh! The great thing was a pretty flight attendant named Lisa helped me clean my wounds while curious passengers looked on. She plastered the largest wound to stop the bleeding. The others she left open to dry out. During the course of the flights to Cebu and to Davao three different flight attendants kept tabs on how I was doing. I felt so special lol.

Ok, now the ugly part.



Above is my left knee, already plastered and treated with Betadine. Trust me, you do not want to see what's underneath.



This is my right knee. The one gauzed up is the 3 x 1 inch wound that was bleeding. The bruise that you see is a 4 inch rug burn. This one hurts the most.

When I woke up today the pain has subsided about 80%. I can still feel a bit of a sting here and there. Now the problem is the gauze has attached themselves to my wounds. My cousin/doctor advised me to take a warm shower to soften the gauze so it won't be as painful to peel off. Wish me luck!!

Blood Workup Time

It's a family tradition to have our blood workups towards the end of each year. This year, we did it a bit earlier. My mom's been bugging me to do it since she and my brother had theirs done two weeks ago. Their results reflect the same old habits they can't seem to shake off. Poor dieting, little or no exercise and smoking are tantamount to above-normal levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid. My results, which I'm just seeing right now, aren't the best either, although all are within normal range. I *try* to watch my diet. There are hiccups along the way but I want to believe that my constant visits to the gym could make up for them. If you're curious about how I did, here's a screenie:



My cholesterol and uric acid are kinda on the high side. Could it be because of the eclairs I had last night?



Note to self a year from now: Don't go to a buffet the night before a blood workup!!

Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste, for giving me my pearly white teeth and obscenely fresh breath LOL. No really, this toothpaste packs some serious punch. It addresses numerous dental concerns we may encounter from time to time, such as cavities, tooth stains, gingivitis (ouch), tartar and bad breath. I discovered this gem of a toothpaste at my cousin Marty's house in Chicago. I wanted to steal her tube but my conscience got the better of me hahaha. So, when I got to California I purchased a couple from Walmart. I wonder where I can buy this here in the Philippines when I run out. I can attest to the efficacy of Crest Pro-Health. It really whitened my teeth. The proof is in the pudding:


My teeth are so white, they sparkle in photographs. (pic was NOT edited I swear!!)

Zoomed in version:

Kicked (Cigarette) Butt for 5 Years

Today, September 21, 2009, marks the 5th year that I quit smoking. I remember that day distinctly. My niece Mavis was just 2 weeks old, and I was over at their house in Commonwealth Avenue to visit. I hadn't smoked yet that time. I finished my pack the night before and wasn't able to buy a fresh one coz my dad was such in a hurry to see his first grandchild. For a baby, Mavis was a cryer. She cried and cried when people came near her. She was also the result of a very difficult pregnancy. Her mom Veronica had to be taken to the hospital several times due to excessive bleeding. There was one particular night when we thought we'd lost her. My dad, my brothers and I took her to Cardinal Santos. Ve was crying a lot and I was worried sick. Thankfully, after several tests, the doctor cleared her to go home, but gave her some meds to alleviate the bleeding. After a few months, Mavis was born. At 6 or so pounds, she was a beautiful, healthy baby. As I looked at her in the viewing gallery, I promised to myself, "I'm going to quit smoking for this kid." And what better day to impose martial law on myself than September 21st?

I spent the rest of the day with my niece. Though I have to admit that I was close to having a convulsion lol. That continued for another 2 weeks, until finally I can say that I successfully quit smoking. And it was all worth it.

It is With Great Regret

... that I will be forced to torture myself on the G-MAX reverse bungy ride in Clarke Quay, Singapore!

My friends and I decided that whoever backs out will pay for dinner... at Pepper Lunch!

See the mortified looks on these three people:



They chat almost nonchalantly and then BOOM!! Ok, since they end up laughing in the end, perhaps it is a little fun to try.

Hmm. I heard I have to pay extra for a video recording. Which I will certainly NOT do!

Travel Update: Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia

I'm traveling again! On September 27 to be exact.

Before I left for Europe, I had already planned this trip with my college friends. My itinerary includes my favorite city, Singapore, plus Phuket, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our starting point is Singapore, to which we're flying straight from Davao City. After one night, we're off to Phuket, spend a couple of days there, then finally, Kuala Lumpur. It's quite a hectic schedule that we have to follow. Basically we're squeezing three countries into 6 days. We wish we had more time, but we don't want to lose our jobs. :P

Thanks to my friend Nina Fuentes for helping us out in deciding what to do in Malaysia. We are taking a chartered van to Malacca (or Melaka) and spend a whole day enjoying the historical sites and probably a little bit of shopping too. I'm so psyched about this tour! And of course, who wouldn't be excited about Phuket?

On a side note, I still have a lot to write about my European trip. For now, you'll have to contend with my filler posts. Have I become boring? Please tell me. I'll try to be funnier lol. Anyway, I promise to have my Versailles post up really soon.

Also, this morning I totally screwed up my blog template. I had to rebuild it from scratch. Ughh. Oh and check out my profile pic on the sidebar. Cool huh? :P

Happy Birthday Jehzeel Theodore Laurente!!

Me and Jehz (someone was unjustly cut out from this pic LOL)

September 12 is the birthday of one of my best friends (forever lol)... He's no other than Jehz Laurente!!! Wooooot!

Errr.. Sorry, I don't have a present for you, but I hope this blog post will suffice. You still owe me that steak in Manila, remember? (wink, wink)

Have a good one, my friend!

Nestea with Calamansi is Gross

I woke up at 830AM today, with Taylor Swift's song "You Belong With Me" playing in my head. It played and played, like a broken record. I gave up and stood from my bed, not really knowing what to do. Ha. How about a morning picker upper to jumpstart the day? I came downstairs to the pantry and attempted a new iced tea concoction: Nestea mixed with fresh Calamansi juice. Here's my "secret" recipe:

Iced Tea of Death

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Nestea Iced Tea powder
2 pcs. Calamansi
1 glass Water

Directions: Squeeze calamansi into glass using a strainer. Pour iced tea powder and water. Mix well with ice.

Ok, did I say it was gross?

The result was a cross between chlorinated water, Bisolvon and a rotten citrus fruit (e.g. calamansi duh). I don't recommend the recipe above. If you insist, replace the Calamansi with 1/4 cup of Minute Maid Citrus Pulp. Adjust the amount water to accommodate the juice. Tastes a million times better.

Ahhhhh.

Alright, that's it. I'm boring.