Style Up Your Hair!

If there's one word NOT in my vocabulary, I guess it's 'boredom'. Because I can always find something amusing, interesting, unique, new, out of this world, anything that is worth a try. Or perhaps rather than complaining and dying of boredom, I am making a conscious effort to find something that makes me busy, makes life worth living, makes me sane. As simple as that.

Couldn't sleep one night, ended up browsing thru make-up tutorials and finally landed on hair styling tutorials. I don't have enough 'gadgets' to keep me going, borrowed my flatmate's hair iron.. and the rest is history. I need a strong spraynet though.  Here are some of my proud first-timer moments lol. I couldnt find a suitable occasion to sport this up though. 

This is my fave, soft interlocking braids, girly girl isnt it? :) 










This one is for greek goddess look, as quoted by my flatmate.












I don't know what is this, a messy chaotic braid. One thing's for sure, I need a hand. My hands are not long enough to capture it! :)













The last one is another 'its complicated' do, trio bush.












Enjoy!

My First Cookfest!

I will never cook for anyone (unless it's my family or if he's a special someone lol) - that's what I initially thought :p

Nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin when I suddenly felt I needed some audience for taste testing. As they say, we have to start from somewhere. There's gotta be a first time. To bring it to the next level :p

Exclusive coverage photos from my flatmate:




My own verdict: just 70% passing! I was in a hurry, in a mess due to time pressure. Most of the dishes didnt turn out the way I expected them to be, or probably I knew I did cook better on previous attempts. I guess I'm more of a leisure cooker, cooking at my own pace. Iba yun alam mong may kakain, iba yun nageexperiment lng. I suddenly applaud the hawker chefs, how did manong manage to cook that plate of prawn hokkien mee with the same taste, same quality each and everytime, hindi pumapalya.

I suddenly feel there are people with fortunate jobs wherein they can work at their own pace without external pressure. Perhaps like recording a song (recording artist) or an author of a book, or even a photographer. I mean to some extent you have your personal space, and if u didnt like the output, you can always retry and retry until your craft reaches your own perfection.

Cooking is not easy, but I guess I have the passion. :)

Hidden Potential: Hunting Rare Finds

I find it ecstatic when people tell me something about me that I never even noticed.

In almost all of my Manila visits, I am always close to turning insane on how to stuff my pasalubong in a small 15kg limit of a budget airline haha. Obviously I would have some goodies for my family and my mom will also disperse a few to some of her close friends.

If time and budget permit, I usually have the habit to dig good finds in every place I go, these should be uncommon and are price-friendly and of good quality and should NOT be available in Manila. Perhaps it also suits the tastes of the old filchi aunties in Manila, that's why 'bumenta'. Some of the rare finds are:
Milk tea (not lipton but another brand)
Satay bbq in sealed microwaveable packs
Australian Herbs and Spices
Dried orange peels
Bottled fried shallots
..etc..

Anyway, it turned out the goodies reach my kumare’s mom as well. Her mom asked my kumare to buy the same things. She then has to ask me back where to get those as she cant seem to spot them, thus I accompanied her one time to buy. It happened several times, that she finally concluded, ‘Les, may talent ka, you have the potential’. She said I probably can try my luck in the distributor business. Woow winner, love her to bitz hihi :D

Check out my latest find from Vietnam. I brought a pack to share with my officemate. Upon first munch, they also said 'hey Leslie it's good, you should have gotten 10 packs for us'. Seriously, I never knew that is such thing as cappucino peanuts. I am not a die-hard fanatic of either, but it is good combination to coat nuts with coffee indeed.



I wanna be a shopper! :)

For the Love of Singing

I’ve always been fascinated with singing, though no one seems to really know :p

After photography, I’ve also met another guru, this time in the field of music. It’s the first time I know of anyone who actually sings in a pub in Sg (ok used to be one of my crazy dream jobs!). He’s the same Filipino guy (married) who referred me to my current job. I was curious about his singing antics so once and for all, we decided to go to KTV. Yeah he is quite good. He told me this: usually there are only 2 kinds of people who are KTV addicts:
1) Those who have a voice
2) Those who sing very lousily and are just going to KTV to shout with friends

After hearing me sing, his verdict: I belong to the first type! Yey! And he did point out my problem: ‘namimili ng kanta ang boses mo’. True enough, I can only sing comfortably in songs of average ranges, the easier ones to manipulate. I can barely sing a fast song or rock for that matter. Unlike him, he seems to carry any types of song, any genre so well. Well that’s a ‘paid’ voice, so it is expected. I’m just a leisure singer.

For the past few years in SG, I’ve been to KTV several times, but most of them were with 1 or 2 friends only. I enjoyed every moment of it. Before it is just a sort of a stress outlet, but later on I realized it’s something I love to do and wouldn’t mind wasting time on.

Recently I went to KTV with a group of new friends. Because I have a member card promo which I feel is a waste if I don’t get to use frequently, I asked them to tag along. I have long forgotten the feeling of a lot of people in a KTV room, last one being in Redbox 3 years ago during some teambuilding I guess.

More people attending actually means less chance of singing actually.

Other people singing uberly bad is ok, sometimes people can still carry it through with a cute attitude. Cute is subjective though :p

There are people who can sing very well and who seem to confidently overflaunting it by raising the key to 2 or 3 notes higher. It doesnt seem necessary too? Or maybe it's just me, I'm just a leisure singer after all. :)

The more unpleasant:
*If people who don’t hold a mic prefers to shout along and sing his/her own, I guess everyone’s eardrums are nearing hemorrhagic bleeding. I don’t find it funny or enjoyable.

*Coming across ‘buakaw’ people continuously queuing 10+ consecutive songs, shows lack of consideration!

*Personally I don’t finish the whole song (perhaps I will stop the song at the end of the first chorus, to give others a chance, besides, repeating the whole song is quite boring. I only finish the whole song for a few favorite songs) – Anyway, I didn’t know some people could consider this ‘bastos’ not to let them finish the whole song.

*And one person asks me how many people have confirmed attendance, I said ‘I think 3 or 4’ – she answered ‘maybe we want to postpone it some other time, because the more the merrier dba’. Is 3 or 4 considered too small a crowd for KTV?? Seems like nowadays, majority of people equate KTV to group singing and shouting sporadically.

Perhaps that is also the reason why some guys don’t like going to KTV to accompany their girlfriends. I suddenly pity those who are forced to participate in such mini-chaos.

And I was laughed at when few people knew I had gone to KTV alone for a few times before. Well all I can say is we all have different satisfaction levels, especially for people like me and kumare. Buti na lng, two of a kind. And I did stop doing so, nagpa-apekto naman. :p

I would still consider my best KTV moments as those with my kumare friend. It makes KTV more enjoyable when both of you know the songs each one is singing (I guess we have the same preference and follow the same artists). Strangely our chemistry is extremely good, unspoken agreement and yet we seem to jive well. Rules don’t have to be explicit at all, else it lacks the fun and excitement! If everything is told to you, then it's a waste. The key is just to be responsive and sensitive and spontaneous.

As mentioned a couple of times already, I always prefer quality over quantity in terms of crowd! But of course, on certain occasions, I don’t mind going to KTV in large groups of close friends, I wouldn’t mind the chaos if the company is worth the few bonding hours.

Ok enough of the talking, here’s a few sample clips from yours truly (kapalan na ng mukha!). Disclaimer: I’m not good, just tolerably average. Have a nice weekend everyone as I sing to the world. Let's toast to that. :) No, I am not drunk.

A chinese song:


An English song:

Of Pilates and Yoga

Last year I joined Pilates. Currently I'm taking Yoga. For me, both are almost similar. Pilates has more stretching to do, sometimes you have some pulling to do with a partner which is quite relaxing. Yoga, on the other hand, has soo many positions to assume and sometimes some of the movements are really extremes, funny-looking, with the instructor shouting 'HOLD IT RIGHT THERE... 10.. 9... 8... and by the time you reach 1, your body is shaking like hell hehe. Balance, focus, sounds easy but not that easy to execute. And oh yoga's positions are fun to recall, mostly related to objects and animals: bow, locust, butterfly (flap), downward dog, cobra, warrior, etc.

Pilates

From the net: Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

Yoga

Some of the positions that I can recall:

Bow

Cobra

Downward Dog (or is it Sun Salutation)

My Wow Ph - Additional

Davao, Jul08


Matina Hills



Jack's Ridge



Show@Crododile Park



Pearl Farm



Pearl Farm 2



Philippine Eagle Center - Mulawin



Eden Nature Park - Skyrider



Eden Nature Park - Secret Garden

Davao, Jul08


Eden Nature Park - Matinlo Falls



Eden Nature Park - Flowers on a Well

Dance With Me

So after enrolling for a language course, let's go for a form of art. Dancing is something I think I'd like to try again.

Back in Gold's Gym (Manila), I had tried only one kind of dance. I engaged in several sessions of bellydancing, a kind of dance that usually culminates a controversial kind of impression. All I can say is decency comes from within, it's not as bad or profane or funny as what low-EQ people think of it. It's actually a good exercise to get rid of excess fats in belly area. And come on, it's an all-women class!

So this time I still prefer to choose something light, I wish I can do street dance or hiphop but I'm not gifted to do swift movements. Last week, I ended up enrolling for social dance. Geesh I will finally get to learn social graces hehe.

The first session was quite fun. The instructor taught us 'disco rock', though it looks like swing to me. There's switching of partners every now and then, a rotation thing. Funny thing is that my classmates are mostly middle-aged 30+ people, matronas, tatays and some foreigners. I'm ok with that setup, at least I feel 'safe' with such kind of age crowd.

One problem though, most of the men are of just of my same height or just 1-2in higher or some even shorter. There's always some uneasiness and awkwardness whenever they have to turn me around during the dance. And oh, I just realize that men who can dance, they are cool. :p

The picture attached is my dance studio. It's fun. Let's dance. :)

My Fifth Language

Initially, I was confused between choosing Korean and French.

Korean - after watching all the koreanovelas and oppas, I would say it's a language that fancies me, something that's close to my heart probably :)

French - french having a more 'elite' image, I think it seems to be a more sophisticated, romantic language. And probably if we talk about practicality, french might have an upperhand. I was told it's an add-on if you plan to migrate to Canada. (Quebec is the name of the place using french as their language, once a France colony) I don't have any plans though of migrating anywhere.

So guess which one did I choose?

I chose Korean. hehe I follow my heart (well most of the time I do) :) It's just a matter of time, I'll take the latter next time, if I still have the time why not.

Annnyeonghaseyo! :)

Stars and Videos

Another new hobby - starhunting :).. and video-ing



What I mean by stars are celebrities, big names in the Taiwanese singers/actors industry. Haha they do have mall tours sometimes here in SG. Dont ask me about US stars, they do come here for concerts occasionally but I dont think they do 'free' mall appearances.

My first episode is actually an 'errand'. Last Dec 7, my sister asked me to check her 'idol's appearances' in Bugis Junction mall. They are a group of 4 guys who won some singing competition search in Taiwan (ala American Idol) early this year. My goodness, I was there shooting and recording and I dont even know their names or how they look like, totally unfamiliar faces hehe. This first attempt was a disaster, ang labo ng mga kuha ko, shaky.

My 2nd episode is my own will :) I heard a new song from Michael Kuang Liang and learned from the radio that he's coming to promote his new album and upcoming concert. This time I was able to have better video captures of his appearance in Square 2 mall. (a never-heard mall, luckily I found my way). Shucks napagastos na naman ako, his live performances were great that I feel I couldnt miss his concert, wah but I just book the cheapest one haha. :p

Because of this, I opened my own youtube account to upload the videos that I shoot. my Chinese mediabox. Mahirap talaga magrecord. It's so hard to have steady hands as you have to raise your hands so high amidst the crowd, kakangawit. This site is exclusive! What you see here are not for broad sharing.

Here's a sample:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=71ygRyeQQDw

Realization: A New Passion

"I've been in denial for too long, one day I just realized I've been loving it and that I was wrong" :)

Whenever people ask me if I have plans to study, I always answer firmly with a 'No'. True. :p I always have this feeling like 'nalugi' or 'naka-quota na' for studying an extra year in college. And this extra year seems gruelling, that time my friends and my sisters got to enjoy all they want to do, while I might be somewhere else finishing theses. And studying this extra year didnt earn me anything nor did it give me a higher starting pay (and quite ironic - seems like whatever degree you take, 80% seems to end up in IT for practical reasons because IT provides a more decent pay in Manila)

Before I came to SG, people have been asking me if I plan to pursue MBA in SG. SG probably is the best country in Asia with well-known post-graduate schools. I still answered a firm 'No', I dont see myself studying. I know of several people who have flown to US or UK for MBA but still plans for long term settlement in Manila. My, i was thinking, how many local corporations can afford to shell out KK pesos to hire MBA holders back in Philippines? I remembered answering humorously, 'no i dont have plans to study, because practically speaking, if an MBA degree wont be able to add trailing zeroes (to the right of course) of my current salary, I won't bother anymore. I might as well use my time and money on other essential stuff'. :p

Few months ago, I attended a bible study session. We were asked to map our life's goals in the next 5 years. I dont know I just scribbled something spontaneuosly like 'acquiring new skills'. I was asked to explain afterwards, I said it's because I believe 'life is a continuous learning process, whether it's a business course, a sport or a music course, I still consider it as a skill that that is worth learning'. Then somebody commented 'hey I like what your wrote about life, it's encouraging'. Then I noticed the others were also smiling back at me. I suddenly had a nice feeling about myself, 'wow was it something great I just said'? hehehe

Right then I had some sort of flashbacks. I remembered in a Theology subject back in college, we were asked to create a blueprint of our whole life - it's like starting from childhood to education stage to career stage to marriage stage even up to death stage like what do you want to be written in your orbituary. I remembered I scribbled the same thing in marriage stage. I put there I want to be a housewife (which earned a few good laughs from my friends, haha who doesnt want to be a bum if given the chance dba :p) BUT I also added 'but not STAGNANT..' because I want to have this process of improving myself in different ways.

Funny that with those things in mind, I dont remember exerting any deliberate effort to learn something new after college. Apart from work and IT certification, I really havent acquired any extra skill. Well yeah I managed to enroll in a piano course and driving course, but I havent mastered or even learned on a decent level :p. To be honest, everyone seems to be always too busy in my previous company, and it's not exaggerated that you wont have time to pee in the busiest of days when project deadlines are piling up. My weekends were just devoted to REST, a rare (quarter or bi-annual frequency) out-of-town trip, perhaps some time to bond with family and close friends, and worst, sometimes on-call for work, loser me. :(

So what has strucked me in this long unawakend 'sleep'. After all the bungisngis encouragement from a few close friends, I finally started to have this passion for learning again. Most of it, I would have to give 'special credit' to a close friend who sent several 'disturbing' messages. Sinabihan ako ng 'sayang ang talino mo'. Goodness, I was like 'am I really wasting any talents, I dont remember being smart anymore, I feel that all my brain cells are not functioning already'. Seems like I was partly braindrained, I lost the enthusiasm. I was also inspired by a hausmate, a hot mama of 2 kids (hot mama because she taught me my first make-up skills hehe), a pharmacist by profession. She's so passionate about taking advanced studies related to micro-biotechnology abroad. I was like 'gosh this person is 14years older than me and yet she's more motivated to learn new stuff than anyone I know'.

Probably I really should make good use of my time in SG on worthwhile things, especially that I dont intend to stay long. Okay enough of the road trips and gimiks, let's learn something new. :)

But I STILL dont want to take up MBA hehe. I dont plan to kill myself studying and working at the same time. One of the reasons I went here is for work-life balance, and I dont plan to spoil that. :p I just want to take a few short courses that are purely of my INTEREST, regardless whether it does or does NOT add any value to my resume. Paradigm shift. Slight improvement. :)

This time I just want to learn, to follow where my heart tells me to. Striken by the learning bug. Gotta keep the fire burning while it still is. :)





Not everyone has the capacity to change a hardheaded person like me. In case you do, please dont exercise this brainwash thing on me, because I am vulnerable at times and will give in if you entice me to do so. :)