my first time to go snorkeling

For those who know me, you all know how much I loathe the open seas. I am scared of it and would always just admire it from afar. Almost everyone I know would jump for joy at the mention of a beach outing and I'm like, "blah. Time to take some photos."

Don't get me wrong. I find the beach very beautiful but I could never fully enjoy it since I did not know how to swim. I have also drowned in the past and so I have an inane fear of the ocean or any body of water actually.

Last week, my family and I went on a family outing and it was at a dive resort in Batangas. On the first day, I did not join them as they went snorkeling because I had an upset stomach. On the second day, I did join but it was to take photos of everyone as they jump into the water and look at the fishies in the ocean.

My son is a lot braver than I am. So when he and my Mom jumped, I felt a little courage to jump as well. I figured that my brothers were there, I have a life jacket, and my Mom wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. Besides, how can I teach my son to be brave if I can't be brave myself?

So I prayed and trusted the people around me then jumped into the water. It was the scariest and most exhilarating feeling that I have ever had. Wading in 30 feet of water out in the open sea was my idea of a nightmare and to have done that willingly, without being forced by family or friends was just plain awesome.

Seeing the fishes under the water was just so amazing. It was mesmerizing. I was so amazed because this was the first time that I have ever seen something like this. If I were going to be honest, I wanted to stay there forever, just looking at the fishes swimming peacefully. Now I understand why people like being in the ocean.

My brother even took me to the deeper parts and more open sea. He just told me to not panic, hold my head down the water, and just keep looking. He had my hand the whole time and I realized that I trust my brothers 100% completely because I never even flinched. It was a pretty awesome moment.

my sister and I with our sons

my sisters and I 

my Mom and siblings 

Notice that I am the only one wearing a life jacket. I am so happy that the first time I went snorkeling (oh wow does this mean I might do it again?) it was with my family. It made everything so much better because I was able to share this moment with them.

Quaker Good Start Oat Dairy Drink

I happened to chance upon these bottles when I was browsing through 7-11 the other week. It was my first time to see it and so I bought it to give it a try. I've always been a fan of Quaker Oats and having one in easy to drink form sounded logical to me so I wanted to see if this was everything that I thought it would be.

It came in two different flavors, Banana Creme and Vanilla Malt. I personally liked the Banana Creme more than the other simply because I liked banana. It was easy to swallow and it tasted just like how a liquid oatmeal is supposed to taste like.

VERDICT: I loved it! I'm definitely buying more of these in the future.


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NOVA Jalapeno Spice

One of my go to snack food when I am on a health kick is Nova so I was very happy when I found out that there was a new flavor. Upon learning it was Jalapeno Spice I wasn't too happy anymore because I loathe anything too spicy and jalapeno has always been one of the spiciest thing on Earth. Thankfully, this one isn't like that.

"The fiber-rich multigrain snack now comes with an exciting kick of jalapeño.  Made with the goodness of four wholesome grains – wheat, corn, oats, and rice – Nova Jalapeño is a guilt-free snack that goes well with your active lifestyle." 

It only had a mild kick to it which made munching on it still enjoyable. I can actually finish one entire pack without drinking water. Thank you Nova for coming up with another enjoyable flavor. :)

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Tony Moly Goats Milk

I've always been on the lookout for moisturizer that actually works. You see, I have pretty good skin already so I just need to maintain it or find a product that would enhance it even more. Unfortunately, there's not many products that would fall under this category.

When I was able to get my hands on Tony Moly's Goat Milk Moisture Cream, I was very excited to try this. I figured I needed to test it for at least two weeks before I should write a review.

This is what the inside of the bottle looks like. I love that it does look like goats milk and is very clean in how its presented. No glitters, no added color ... just plain white.

I love that you only need a dab of it and you can easily spread it all over. This small amount covered more than half of my face and was easily absorbed. It leaves a sticky feeling for about 20seconds and then its gone. This was very important to me since we live in a humid place. A sticky face in a tropical country is not acceptable.

I've barely scraped the Tony Moly Goats Milk Moisturizer but I am already planning on buying another bottle soon as its done. Its definitely going to be a part of my regimen now. A bottle costs Php1298 but its definitely worth it.

Crystal Jade Dimsum Buffet

I rarely go to Greenhills but when I do, you know that its for a good reason. What could be a better reason than an eat all you can dimsum buffet from one of the top Chinese restaurants? So on a Wednesday night, I dropped by Greenhills to indulge in a lot of dimsum.

These are the choices of dimsum that you can avail when you go to Crystal Jade. It may not be as wide a selection as the others but trust me when I say that ordering just one each of this would be too much for your tummy already.

Below are some of my favorites. These are dimsum staples that I almost always order and though some would say its common, to me, these are the familiar dimsum of my childhood and I'm glad that Crystal Jade still offers it. There's a reason why these choices have survived the years and its because they are really good.

siew-mai

man tao 

Xiao Long Bao 

chicken feet 

steamed vegetable dumpling 

And because Crystal Jade is so awesome, I am giving away a dimsum buffet for two to one of my loyal readers. I will just do a random draw from the people who have liked my facebook page.

Thanks Auntie Lucy for taking care of me when I visited your branch. I had so much fun.

Let Me ...

Let me love you in the only way I know how, where your happiness matters more than mine. Let me love you in the way that your happiness is the only thing that I want and if in that happiness it means that I won't be a part of your life, then so be it. Loving you is more than enough for me and even if you do not love me back, I am fine. I will still love you.

Let me kiss you. Let me kiss every part of your face and whisper I love you. Let me say it over and over again until you can no longer hear the words that I speak, until you are no longer beside me to feel my love, until you are no longer here for me to love. Let me kiss you. Let me make you feel my love with every kiss that I give you.

Let me touch you. Let me touch your body and your soul. Let me touch your heart with the passion that I feel for you until you drown in it, knowing that as you start to drown, I will ensure that you are able to get back up and breathe again. Let me touch you with my life. Let me share with you the beauty and wonder that I see and surround you with it.

Let me be there for you. Let me do things that will make you happy. Let me leave a smile on your lips when we part. Let me push you to dream and be more than you can ever imagine yourself to be. Let me support you in every crazy idea that you have and allow you to run wild and free, ready to reel you back in when things go mad. Let me let you be who you are meant to be.

Let me love you.  Let me make the most out of the time that we have. Let me create memories that will last us a lifetime because we do not have a lifetime together. Let me make moments that we can treasure when you are no longer there and I am not in this world anymore. Let me catalog our history in my head and in your heart so that when you remember me, it will always be with a smile on your face.

Let me love you. Let me love you because I no longer know how not to.

Black Sheep

Have you ever gone out on a date and knew right from the very beginning that this was going to be an awesome date? Its been a while since I have had one of those but R from Chicago made sure that when we had our first date, it was going to be one of those nights.

Upon getting to Black Sheep, this is what greeted me. I have to say that the place was pretty impressive. Fine, it was very impressive. I really liked it.

When we got to our table, I was surprised to see that our menu for the night was personalized. It was a very nice touch and I just had an inkling that it was going to be a really good date.

This was the view that was facing us when we got to our table.

At night, this was the view. I had to borrow from Anton Diaz because by night time, I was too busy talking to my date that I had no time to snap a photo.

Some of the dishes we had that stood out for me were the following:

This is the Chicken and Egg which is a deep fried chicken fillet with dark beer glaze orange mandarin foam topped with salmon roe. It was so different. I liked it but up to now, I still don't know why. The soup inside the egg was a little tangy and it was like eating a small chicken fillet that was dipped in some really tasty chicken stew.

I fell in love with this. The Prawn Duo which consisted of prawn dumpling on the spoon with peanut and coconut broth inside partnered with fried prawn roll with prawn head mayo. ACK. THIS WAS SO SO SO AWESOME. If I could have asked for my date's plate, I would have haha. It was just soooooo good.

Next on my list is the Bahay Kubo. This was truly something since I can definitely say that this is the first time that I have eaten something like this. When it was first served on the table, I thought to myself "what's the potted plant for?"

It turned out to be a salad with 18 kinds of veggies in it. All the 18 vegetables in this salad are part of the song Bahay Kubo which makes it even more interesting. As for me, this was good enough for me to finish the entire thing. The black stuff on top is actually grounded eggplant. It seems I like eggplants when they are beaten to a fine tiny pulp.

The main course that I had was the Grilled Eel. It was okay but I realized that I am really not a fan of eel. I was still able to finish this though so it had to be pretty good and for those who love eel, I'm sure that this would be a hit for them.

The grilled eel was served with radish and kabayana zest which is a local lime from Mindanao. It also came with a bowl of poached egg and asparagus, seaweed tapioca and fish broth. I liked the soup more than the eel.

After, they served my dessert and the presentation for my dessert was just awesome. My date was actually envious haha.

This is the banana cashew cream with caramelized banana, popcorn, and brown sugar ice cream topped with  beer butter mousse and they used liquid nitrogen for it. This was more of a novelty than anything else for me. I took delight in how it was presented but for the taste, I really don't care much for anything that has liquid nitrogen. Still, props to the presentation.

Thank you R for a wonderful first date. I had so much fun talking and discussing things with you. It really was a memorable night and I look forward to possibly hanging out again once you get back from Chicago. Till then ...

on dating a busy person ...

One day I was lamenting about having no one to date or no one that gives me special attention and my friend who was calmly listening to me whine for 3 hours at that time turns to me and says, "but you're so busy, where would you find the time to actually sit down and have coffee with a guy?"

I realized that at this moment in my life, I cannot afford to date someone who has a lot of free time on their hands or someone who will constantly want to be with me. I am too busy growing my network, business, and clientele that to have someone demand so much of my time will be a disaster. I cannot devote too much of my time and frankly, I don't really need much of his time as well.

I realized that in some ways, I have already matured and I am no longer the clingy girl that I used to be. I now know and accept that even if I am dating someone, I do not need to have them with me 24/7. I do not need their presence all the time to validate my worth and my existence. I do not need someone calling me to remind me constantly of their existence.

Right now, I need someone who will support me in the things that I would like to do and in return, I will give him the same amount of support. I will make time for him but I cannot devote all my time to him and I do not want him to devote all his time to me. If this is not something that works for any guy I will date then we need to stop seeing each other because right now, this is the case with me and I do not see any reason for me to change my ways.

After all ...

Globe myBusiness gives SMEs more opportunities to earn with new myBusiness WiFi Hub

For someone like me who has a tiny budding business, having WiFi access is something that matters a lot. When I go to a cafe or restaurant, the expectation that there will be WiFi available is high. In the Philippines though, this is not the case which is why I actually have a data plan so that I can have access to the internet anywhere I go. After all, being a social media manager requires me to always be connected wherever I may be.

Thankfully, Globe recognizes this challenge that people and businesses have and came up with the perfect solution. Yesterday, Globe launched the WiFi hub.

"The myBusiness WiFi Hub, a new package that allows businesses to earn more by offering customers access to a WiFi connection. Establishments will be able to offer WiFi for free or for a fee, opening up opportunities to attract more customers and at the same time, earn from this additional revenue stream.

Customers can opt for the Plan 1899 with speeds of up to 5 Mbps for a DSL or LTE connection. It comes with the WiFi Hub, alongside a Globe DUO number that allows unlimited calls to landline and Globe/TM numbers, and a dedicated after-sales support.

The WiFi Hub has a built-in printer to generate and print individual log-ins and passwords for customers for better security and management. It comes with unlimited PINs to service more customers at no extra cost and without the inconvenience of purchasing a new set of pins each time. The WiFi Hub can serve up to 20 simultaneous users and business owners can modify access to either time- or volume-based internet connectivity. The WiFi Hub is a secure connection and is not prone to abuse by non-paying customers.

The WiFi Hub is also an affordable add-on to existing Globe myBusiness broadband customers at only P299 per month for 24 months & can be availed on broadband plans starting at Plan 1599 for up to 3 Mbps to Plan 4299 for up to 15 Mbps.

            As Senior Vice President for Globe myBusiness Martha Sazon says, “Our thrust in inspiring success among entrepreneurs continues with the launch of the myBusiness WiFi Hub that will allow our SME customers to offer internet connectivity to their customers, definitely a sound opportunity for them to grow their businesses and increase profits.”

Globe myBusiness continues to provide SMEs more opportunities to put their business on the map and ultimately serve more customers by making business solutions more accessible. Solutions include business websites, marketing tools, inventory and asset management systems and Google Apps for Work. Other solutions are also available designed to maximize profits through services like Globe Charge credit card terminals, vehicle trackers that boost efficiency, CCTVs for full visibility on assets such as store front and employees, and large format displays (LFD) that aid in additional business advertisements.

To know more about Globe myBusiness products, visit www.mybusiness.globe.com.ph or email mybusinesscare@globe.com.ph. You can also follow the official Globe myBusiness Facebook page and on Twitter: @GlobemyBusiness or call its dedicated hotlines at (02) 730-1010 in Metro Manila and Luzon, (032) 401-1010 in Visayas and (082) 321-1010 in Mindanao."

you weren't and so I wasn't

You weren't the guy I wanted in my life .
You weren't the guy I could sing my songs to because you never had time to listen.
You weren't the guy I could hug with abandon because you always had your arms in front of you.
You weren't the guy I could shower with kisses because you were too busy criticizing me.
You weren't the guy I could surprise because I could never seem to catch you.

You weren't the guy I needed in my life.
You weren't the guy who made time for me because you were too busy with others.
You weren't the guy who made me feel loved because you were too in love with yourself.
You weren't the guy who defended me from others because you weren't even there to see how much they hurt me.
You weren't the guy I could rely on because you were always relying on me.

You weren't the guy I could be with all my life.
You weren't the guy I could hold hands with coz you were always holding someone else.
You weren't the guy I could dream with because with you I always ended up with nightmares.
You weren't the guy I could plan out anything because you always left me out in your plans.
You weren't the guy I could fall in love with because I wasn't the girl you fell for.

You weren't the guy for me and so I wasn't the girl for you.

KCxMN

KC Concepcion has truly made a name for herself. She is no longe the daughter of Sharon Cuneta. She is simply KC. She is an award winning actress, a humanitarian, a TV host, an awesome dancer, and now, she does more by putting up a photo exhibit with THE Mark Nicdao.

This is not just a photo exhibit as proceeds will be going to help rebuild Nepal. In 2012, KC and Mark went on a trip to Nepal and were able to take a lot of awesome photos. This year ,after the earthquake happened in Nepal, KC realized that she can give back by showing people what Nepal is about through photos they took during their visit back then.

The black and white ones are taken by Mark Nicdao and the colored ones are by KC Concepcion. These are the ones that I liked from the exhibit. I am so happy that we have celebrities who uses their status to help others. I wish others would do the same. I know I definitely would if I have clout.

with Mark Nicdao 

with KC Concepcion 

Nigel Barker's Model of Influence Book Signing

Yesterday, one of my photographer dreams came true. I was lucky enough to have been invited to attend the press conference and book signing of the one and only Nigel Barker. I used to watch him on America's Next Top Model and I have always admired his calm, confident demeanor in handling difficult models. He was never rude and he was always a gentleman; direct but always with respect.

photo not mine 

I asked him a question yesterday and I was blown away with his answer. My question was what does he do when he runs out of inspiration or pegs for his photoshoot? I wondered about it because he's done so many photoshoots that he's bound to run out of ideas.

Nigel told me that he has never run out of ideas or inspiration. I was like "what?!?!?!" He then gave me the best advice I have ever heard in my life and it was to "FIND INSPIRATION IN EVERYTHING."

Find inspiration in everything. 

He then told me how he sees everything as an opportunity to do somehing wonderful. If he had a swimsuit photo and then it rained, he'd turn it into something wet and wild. I was so in awe of him. I felt so inspired with his passion that I know now that before the year ends, I am getting a DSLR and pursuing my dream of becoming a photographer.

Thank you for being such an inspiration Mr. Nigel Barker. I am still in awe up to now.