What's Your Favorite Distance?

So it’s the season of “fun” runs, again and what a lot people said was a fad last year, is still ‘in’ right now.  Hopefully there’s an upsurge of well-organized ones too.  Kudos to RunRio  and Second Wind, among others, for spearheading the most organized ones.

Between you and me (runner to runner, fan to fan, or whichever you are) there were a lot of runs in the recent past which happened, “just so.”  Joined quite a few of those and made me want to scream, “so not worth my waking up at 3:30 am and my hard-earned hundreds!”

I’ve been too training for pretty much a lot the past years that I wrote too little for everybody’s reading consumption.  Now, recovering from  post- ACL reconstructive surgery, I guess I’ve got to keep my sanity by sharing my thoughts. (Weight gain is sooo bearing me down, really! Sometimes I feel like crying when I look at myself.)

I AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY START TRAINING AGAIN! With of course, the resolution to share more thoughts and tips which will hopefully enlighten or kahit entertain na lang, other readers. Your pleasure is mine! :)

Of course I cannot do a crash course at sudden pace. I want to heal completely, of course, so I may run full races sooner or later.

Thank God for Run United 1, who got me into hosting the awarding program with Rovilson Fernandez, my long wait to get back into running shape has been given an exciting start. I was a little jealous though. I wanted to run too! (In a few more days I'm going to see my doctor, Dr. Rene Levosada --he's the best!-- I hope he clears me!)

So far, there's New Balance Run for Hope (I encourage all of you to join this event at Dasma! Support Carewell!), the Hyundai Free Run -- err Hyundai Accent Run, and Nat Geo, among others.

There's a long list going and I certainly look forward to these. Doesn't matter if I start with 3K, 5K or 10K, as long as I start.

Of course, the hardest part should be getting back, bouncing back. But yes, for the love of it, I'll do it. (Plus I hate this heavy feeling.)

So which events are you joining? What distance is your favorite?

I say, it doesn't matter, which running events you join, as long as you do.

And it doesn't matter which distance your favorite it.. basta ako... ang gusto ko lang... eh yang distance pa punta sa puso mo.

WEHEHEHE. Good night friends, will update tomorrow! :)

...Raise Fun, Raise Wellness, Raise Hope.

It's the season of sun and sand, and you can definitely see summer's really here...'cos everybody's starting to (crash) diet! Of course, we would normally couple this with exercise to maintain that healthy glow. We don't want to end up like some cast from the walking dead. Sure we want to shed some baby (damulag ;p) fat. But we all know better. Starvation is NOT the key.

Unless you want to head right on the hospital. C'mon. That's three months of summerific fun you'll miss, just because skinny is sexy.

Proper diet, with the right exercise, and discipline. :) That's the key equation. Trust me, you want a strong, fit body that'll last years and not a mere three months.

Either incidentally or consequently, it's also the season of fun runs and marathons which promote wellness: among the many organized running events, we witnessed the Condura run, Run United 1 2011, and in a few weeks, there's the Nat Geo Run and the Hyundai run (FREE REG! talk about uber 'cool.'-- Check it out!)

A lot to train for. And I must say, so far, the running events have been quite exciting. Run United 1 rocked with so much freebies, activities and awesome "hi-tech" innovations, while helping the HERO foundation and Gawad Kalusugan. We helped save the Dolphins for Condura. We ran for so many homeless, babies, and,  heck last year we ran after Derek Ramsey for Century Tuna! (Alright, so I'm exaggerating... a little. Derek is **woohoo** Derek! )

All that and gained a great bod to boot.

But wait, save the earth, dolphins, homeless... there is just no limit to the ways we can help, and countless lives we can touch.


This April 9,  the New Balance Raising Hope will be held at Dasmarinas Village. This time, if WE join the run, we get to help cancer patients and their loved ones.


C'mon, you know you want to run. You know you want to be fit and all that. You know YOU want to help, without having to scream it out to the world.

It's about time we help the cancer patients too. It's a hard struggle they go through and we can only help so much.

We are blessed, really blessed to be well and able enough to finish a 3, 5, or 10 K. Think about it.

Let's join the New Balance Raising Hope Run and support the Carewell Community.

Plus you get to run at Dasma Village. (How Sosy, no? C'mon really, to most of us, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE "STROLLED" at Dasma? Nice "sights." Haha.)

Alright, enough of my ranting. Here are the details:

We will officially have the New Balance Raising Hope run this April 9, 2011 at Dasmariñas Village, Makati City. The event will include a 3Km Fun Run (Php 400), 5Km and 10Km (Php600) categories. All 5Km and 10Km participants will receive a free size unisex singlet.  Assembly is 5:30am and the runs start at 6am. 

Here are some reminders to take note of for the registration:
1.       Registration period is February 25 – March 31, 2011.
2.       IMPORTANT: In order to benefit Carewell you must register to join the run at our office:  We are on the 6th floor of the S and L building, dela Rosa corner Esteban Street Legaspi Village Makati.  We are about 3 blocks away from Makati Med and directly across from the Solaris call center.
3.       Singlets will be available for pick up on March 25, 2011.

We hope you will be able to join us for the fun event! By joining the run, you will help Carewell continue providing its resources, services, and programs FREE OF CHARGE to persons with cancer and their loved ones. 
Please feel free to contact Jane Beate at Carewell 751-0242 or 815-1294 if you have any questions or if you would like to register.

(from Mr. Bobby Suntay, Carewell Community foundation Managing Director)

To learn more about the event and Carewell's advocacy, you may log onto http://www.carewellcommunity.org/. See you there, let's promote wellness through running, and break some sweat! :)

P.S.
I'll attach the map and reg form in a while. :) So...see you there!

So Global Warming Didn't Hit Heat...

...Strange how Heat seems to be on the Ice Age. Made me want to scream, "Dayum, what was that... a bad case of overheat?"

To illustrate my point to the ehem- less patient readers---
___________________________________________________________________________

I was (barely) watching the Chi - Mia on my BB earlier, when a friend asks, "who's playing?"
 (**My lines in italics. Italics in parentheses, are my tactless silent thoughts.)
"Bulls vs. Heat."

"Bulls? Where Jordan played for?"

"Yes- those Bulls."

"Ah. Meron pa pala nyan?"

"Yup! Ito nga o."

"San ka?" (Nandito.)

"Heat. Pero mukhang alangan. Kakatuwa lang manood."

"Ahh. May magaling ba sa Bulls? Bukod kay Jordan?" (Kalurky ka na. Puro ka Jordan. Space Jam lang ata alam :)  )

Then this part we see.


http://bit.ly/gNQvdX (click on this link if you can't see the video!)

What a slap on dear Lebron James's and Dwayne Wade's faces. (I think I heard a, "Lebron and Wade, WHO?!"), Way to go ROSE!

(The voice inside my head just said... SIBLEHHHH!)

And to "clap" it all off.... the Bulls win by a single point. (I hear you, "who wuddathought?"-- ok, they had were ahead the first half after all.)

So again, I have yet to see more of Lebron, and here's to hoping I see him battle it out with Kobe in the finals. (ASA!!!! LOL! -- ok , fine, but I've got the admit, the future for them-- kind of looks.. cold. For now.) 

And to my friend, the Bulls, are not just about Jordan. Or Pippen, if you remember him. Just as Philippine sports, is not just about Pacman.Or the Younghusbands.

Clubbing 101 For the Guys and Girls I love the Most

(This is dedicated to you, you, and you.)

I was never the 'certified' clubber. Neither am I the party animal. In fact, I will probably never stand out in a crowd, be the drop dead gorgeous head turner, nor THAT girl you met at the club.

In fact, I am the most ordinary girl you see there, and probably not in the best (skimpiest or sexiest, whichever way you define it) party dress anyway. But yes, when I’m there, I’m there dancing. Dancing, singing, drinking (something which I’ve been holding the whole night) and just plain having a good time.

I’m no Georgina Wilson, but my blurry eyes are quite sure I’m no wicked witch of the netherworld either. I would normally wish a Derek Ramsey-ish guy would dance with me and get my number, but that may just be too good to be true.  I’d settle for an Enchong Dee, or a Jericho Rosales, really. And I guess among the guys I’ve “met” in these bars/ clubs, none of them have a faint resemblance. Haha. (Sorry po.)

So, if you’re not these guys, or have only 10% resemblance, chances are, girls didn’t turn their heads on you either. J (Remember, 10% accounts ONLY for the fact that Derek Ramsey, and you, are both human.) Yes, whether or not they look like Anne Curtis or Sam Pinto.

Don’t keep your hopes up. Have fun anyway. Meet people. Have fun. Party! Party hard but keep responsibly sane, so you have something fun to talk about the day after.

So from a girl- friend’s point-of-view, in simple numbered form, here’s what I have to say. J

1.       We may have glanced at you, once or twice, but that doesn’t mean we like you already. Take it easy. We’re here to have relax, let loose and have fun.

2.       If you do catch us glancing at you more than thrice, of course we are checking you out.  BUT we know you’re checking us out too, if you catch us looking that much already.  

3.       If we check you out, pretty please swing by, and let’s talk awhile? We don’t want to be overly aggressive at this point, really.

4.       If we stare at you, don’t IMMEDIATELY think you’re hot. Chances are you’re not.  You’re probably weirding out. Get a grip of yourself, check if you have something on your face. (If that, at all on your head is a face.)

5.        Some of us may dress a little to skimpily, but that doesn’t give you the permission to throw yourselves at us. We just wanted to feel and look great about ourselves, with or without you.

6.       We don’t really like talking to drunk guys. So keep it a “responsibly-tipsy” level.

7.       Stop staring at our front-sides and rear ends. We have eyes. On our faces.

8.       Please, make it a conscious effort to smell good. And look good.  Please stop wearing your granpa’s shirt. And your granpa’s perfume.  Do so, and we’ll set you up with one of our lolas.

9.       Small talk is great! Please layoff talking about the Dewey Decimal System though. One short word to describe why we’re here:  (to have )FUN.

10.   We, are not looking for a serious relationship in a club. Get real. We are smart enough to know you aren’t either. This isn’t just the place.

11.   We know we aren’t the only ones you checked out. It’s OK. Really.

12.   If you ask for our number and we don’t want to give it, don’t be annoying, just drop it. Means we’re not interested. If we do give you our number, and we don’t answer, please stop calling and texting within two days tops. GET A CLUE.

13.   If we walk away when you dance, we’re not interested. In you, in dancing with you,  or just plain getting seen near you. Period.  Ok the last one’s too mean but go somewhere else but near us.

14.   If we do get a little bit too comfy with you, don’t take advantage of the situation. We may have sipped a little too much a-a-a-a-alcohol.  A girl will still love guys with respect, after all.

AND FOR MY GIRLS…

(mga ganda, hindi ako mahilig gaano sa ganito, pero once in a while, go na. nakakaburyong din magbasa nang magbasa, diba? Personal growth. Widening of horizons, ika nga.)

1.       Guys will be guys. They will have their p__________ thoughts, so be a step ahead.

2.       Sexy is not synonymous to skimpy, or almost naked.

3.       Don’t settle for a troll when you know a Brad Pitt is checking you out. OK, so that’s exag. Piolo Pascual na lang, para realistic. LOL

4.       You look gorgeous. Go ahead and dance.  …as Katy said, “You just gotta igniiite the liiight and leeet it shiiine…just own the night like the fourth of July…”

5.       All guys are bolero. They just come in levels—like grade one bolero, grade two, three, and so on. And us girls, kahit may masteral na, still love ‘em. The “bola,” I mean. Some though, get too irritating. See? I know, you know better.

6.       Clubs may be calorie-laden. a) Drinks may be sugar or carb-packed and b) these places may be full of eye candy! (Emphasis on EYE). Anything too much, is bad for the health.

7.       You can have fun without getting stoned. Or drugged. Look after yourself too – you’re smarter than they think.

8.       A lot of guys were born presko and you know that. It takes a great girl to level his air down.

9.       Whoever said, “dance like nobody’s watching,” is right. Nobody said, “strip like nobody’s watching,” right?

10.   If you and your boyfriend get things unbelievably heated up, prove to be the smart girl. Save it. Or go get a room at least. It’s a club, a public party! Unless you both have dreams of becoming porn stars. (Ok, count me out!)

11.   What’s FUN without “U”? If you drink too much, you lose yourself.  Trust me, guys don’t like the smell of puke either. Having fun, is not synonymous to getting drunk.

12.   Listen to Beyonce and Lady Gaga. “Hello, hello, baby you called, I can’t hear a thing… not that I don’t like you, I’m just tryin to party...” Stop tweeting everything you do, every song that plays, every move you make, every guy who approaches you.  Let go, have fun.

13.   If you can’t dance in heels, dance in pretty flats. The party’s all about having fun. Unless you call blistering feet and possible ankle sprains, enjoyable.

14.   You don’t have to give your number out if you don’t want to. You don’t have to respond to a call/ text if you ever do. Your choice, babe. J

15.   Relax, enjoy the night. Trust me, that guy, isn’t serious. If he is, you’ll find out eventually. But, “you don’t get down, not on the first night!”

(OK, I still wish I can go to an LMFAO gig. Or something.)

So come on, let’s party! J

 (...WHY, WHY DID I EVER WRITE THIS ON A MONDAY?)

10 Reasons Why Pinays Dig (Pro) Basketball Players

For the sole intention of laughter only. Not based on experience or whatsoever. Players do not kill me. :)  

10. Who can resist the cuts that seem to have come naturally? Talk about h-o-t. (But yeah, so are football players. More exposure for the hoop players though.)

9. They are easier to spot than football players, in and off court. PBA airs live at least thrice a week, may close up and slow mo’s pa. If we’re lucky, some cameramen shoot in their dugouts without their jerseys on. Football players have their games shot mostly at aerial/ wide views. Too fast paced action: it’s hard to stare. (Besides the Younghusbands, sige ladies, give me 7 more Filipino pro-football players without googling. AND DAVID BECKHAM does not count. He’s not an AZKAL for crying out loud ;p)

8. Basketball players are toned- down celebrities. Ladies get starstruck when seeing them, and it’s harder to find out more about them than showbiz hunks. “Mysterious” types.

7. Root word, ball. Filipino, bola. Mambobola. They’re well-trained! Haha. LOL . Peace, ballers. J (Masarap mabola,minsan. Kahit alam nyo na. Haha.)

6. YEA Pro-ballers earn a lot in their career. A lot. Talk about being “gifted.” (This one’s from the guys and the girls’ POV.)

5. These guys’ girls get all the courtside seats. And then, other people check them out too! Instant “celebrity” status. Liga level, or Pro-ball level.

4. Pro-basketball players, are likely to have career shifts sooner or later. Paras went on to be a comedian. Jason Webb, is still reporting courtside. Look at Artadi. Ngayon pa lang, guest dancer na sa ASAP. Who says walang future sa sports?! Think again. And oh, don’t forget SENATOR Jaworski.

3. These guys got some swag. Irresistible. Head-turning, brain-tickling swag.

2. Pro-basketball players, CAN be really sweet and malambing and all that to their partners/ gfs/ wives. (As long as it lasts anyway. Or as long as they’re not busted! As Mo Twister said in one of his show, “Pero basketball player yan eh!”) So here are a few examples… (of the good stories anyway.)  

 Example: Gabe Norwood and his beautiful wife. This guy’s really sweet. In twitter as I see it, at the very least. Example number 2: Vince Hizon and Patricia Bermudez. Who can forget his live proposal to her?  Example 3. Rich Alvarez and Kyla: Did anyone else see his proposal on SOP a few weeks back?

AND finally on number 1...

  Basketball is the Philippines’ favorite sport. Basketball players are everywhere. So it’s a matter of choosing between the tambays and the ‘serious’ hoops players.

 I’d go for the one who’s got game too, again, liga or pro-ball level. AT LEAST hindi kalakihan ang tiyan :)

Disclaimer:  Ang lahat ng ito ay pawang kathang isip lamang, na may halong katotohanan. Hehe. Not based on any study or any statistically sound research I conducted. Just for the fun of it.

Footnote: If you think I should make a study out of this, let me know. Maybe I'd consider. Hehehe.

Look at What I found from the old blog site...eww :)

 

So, why am I sharing this? Got me laughing at myself. Wonder how long it will take me to realize this "blog" relocation / reconstruction will have the same effect.

So ok, enjoy. While I try to lift out some more of my personal favorite self- posts. :)

____________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, January 27, 2005

jabines: drama ko lang, patula tula

DILIM

Sa pagmulat ko,
nasaksihan ko ang langit
Nadama ko ang saya ng araw at mga ibon,
Narinig ang kanilang matamis na sambit

Sa pagmulat ko,
Wari ko'y naroon ka na
Na lalo pang nagpaliwanag
Sa isang maaliwalas na umaga

Sa pagmulat ko,
Nakita ko ang isang simula
Batid ko'y walang pangamba
Ang anumang haharapin,
Pasakit man o dusa

Nakita ko ang aking sarili, masaya, nakangiti
Umaawit, pinapanalangin, umaasa--
Sa mga pangarap at kinabukasang naroon ka

Nakita ko ang giliw sa iyong mga mata
Nakita kita, masaya.

Nakita kong minahal mo rin ako,
Tulad ng akala mo..
Nakita ko na minsan,
Ika'y naging totoo...

Nakita kita...
Ngunit ni minsan ay hindi nadama..

Sa pagmulat ko,
Naintindihan ko na...
Ako'y bulag pala.
____________________________________________

Oo na, baduy na.

My Thoughts as a Post EDSA Revolution Baby

Coming from what I call “alone time” or singlehood appreciation experience, I decide to make my last stop for the day. To EDSA Shrine! 

I took a jeep from Greenhills lugging Chione around. Not the safest thing to do, but cabs seemed to make a temporary disappearing act that night.

I just had to do what I had to do.

For (what was only!) the 2^nd time in my life, I decide to visit the EDSA shrine. Galle, yes, I’ve been to countless times but the EDSA Shrine? The first time I actually stepped foot on the historical Church was three years ago, when I was so bent on seeing was this place was like since no one really took me there.  

There was just too much hullaballoo over the 25^th anniversary of the People Power Revolution; as we all know, the EDSA Shrine was where the Filipinos congregated in February 25, 1986 to peacefully oust a once-loved dictator.

I stare at the large statue of Mama Mary as soon as I step off the jeepney. I say a little prayer, and proceeded to the staircase going up –somewhere. Out of curiosity, I walked  around ‘til I found a security personnel  and asked him if I could go up.

“Anong gagawin mo sa taas?”

“Gusto ko lang po malaman anong nasa taas. First time ko po.”

“Sige lang,” he said. I hurried up. Siguro maraming umaakyat na rugby boys dito, di kaya?

Looking around, I’m pretty sure there were stations of the cross there. There was what seemed to be a conference/ meeting hall.  I got pretty scared to walk around because it was too dark. I’ll go around the back area some other time. The ghost of the living mumu might just appear. Haha. And I was NOT about to compromise Chione to some thug. Else I might get my boxing skills on. Really.

So there were the bells. I could see Mama Mary’s backside, and the sprawling jungle of cars along EDSA, the buses and pedestrians around Galleria. Cool. I was mesmerized. I sat down on the floor and just looked around. I loved how Robinsons Galleria has improved its façade and its area so that maybe, more people can stare at the EDSA Shrine too, from Starbucks, perhaps? Maybe give some thought and justice to the legacy it stands for. (I am so tempted to place a hashtag, #wishkolang; if only this was a tweet!)

View from the EDSA Shrine Deck

So zooming in on to my point of writing this: what does the EDSA Shrine stand for now? Is this the freedom that the Filipinos always wanted?

I will look forward to the coverage of today’s festivities on replay, probably tonight on TV.  What took place? What are we Filipinos are even talking about? Why is twitter flooded with #EDSA pictures, posts and political hecklers? Was it was worth a day off for the students?

                                 

Sure, I would have wanted a day off too. I would have wanted to drop by the  Shrine today, if only we had free time to witness it. Some people are actually on leave to witness it; well, since my colleagues were present during the “silent” revolution in 1986. (I was probably a 7-week old fetus by that time.)

I wonder who goes to EDSA Shrine to fervently pray for a confused nation like ours.

I wonder, “is this how we define freedom? That we can zoom through EDSA without getting noticed by the MMDA? That we can party til we drop at Republiq, Kyss or Encore without curfews?”

So much for that. But how have your lives improved since then? What would our lives have been if f Ninoy wasn’t assassinated? If Marcos wasn’t ousted? If this Shrine, stood for a memory of something else?

I may live ‘til the People Power’s Golden Anniversary, but I have yet to see how free and improved the Philippines should have been 50 years later. I hope the People Power’s essence shines through. I hope the Shrine will stand out more than being, “the Church fronting Galle.”

So lead us, dearest Lord.