It was my first time last year to do Christmas gifts shopping for my loved ones using my own hard-earned money. Since I'm already earning, I decided to give something symbolic to my relatives unlike before when I depend on my Mama in thinking of perfect Christmas gifts for everyone.. However, I didn't know that shopping for gifts can be really hard (but fun at the same time!). Not to mention that I crammed my gift shopping, 4 days before Christmas day! Good thing there was a bazaar going on that week! But I think I got too excited that I ended up overspending. HAHAHA lelz.


This was the end result of my panic buying HAHA I also got too excited to wrap them all! Look at the beaut <3

So anyway, I've learned my lesson! This year, I plan to shop for Christmas gifts way ahead of time to avoid spending too much all at once. Howeveeeer, it's already July and I haven't started buying gifts yet!!! Besides the fact that I'm saving up for my HK trip on September, I'm the queen of worse timing when it comes to clearance sales on different malls! HAHA HUHU But thanks to some websites like Manila on Sale and Manila Shopper, I'm quickly reminded of the upcoming sales and promo offers of different malls, outlet stores and establishments! That's where I discovered that Yosi Samra is finally on sale!!!!


This was just a sneak photo so I apologize if I cannot feature the designs on promo.. But hey, look at all the shoe boxes displayed!! However, majority of the latest designs on sale were sizes 9 and 10 which were too big for meee. Huhu!


I see YS whenever I do my weekly visits at SM Aura. But since I'm really not a fan of doll shoes, I opt buying sneakers or slip ons instead. However, work may really demand office-appropriate footwear especially during conventions and seminars. I've tried buying more affordable flats, loafers, and sandals that promise comfy soles; but after series of trials and errors, I've already spent a fortune not getting satisfied with its fit! That's when I've finally convinced myself that it's alright to buy a pricey shoe, given that it should really provide the comfort I need! So when I tried YS, I instantly fell in love with its comfy-ness! Not to mention its elegant designs and convenience (it's foldable, btw)!! And thanks to the gods and goddesses of sales, they heard my plea! I was able to buy myself a pair!!!!


I almost bought all the available designs left on size 8. But I thought of the need to save up for my upcoming trip so I was able to resist the shoe temptation ("SHOEmptation" CHOS HAHAHA). And in relation to my previous story (on buying gifts for my relatives in advance), I bought 3 more pairs for my Tita's for Christmas day!! :)) I think this is a relatively good deal since I was able to buy 4 pairs, all on 50% off! So, yay!! :)) However my Mama thinks that this was again a panic buying situation.. Haha. Oh well, I better musn't miss this sale or else I'll still be on zero progress on my Christmas gift shopping.

And as the saying goes, "Good shoes take you to good places." I'm hoping my YS pair (and also the pairs for my Tita's) would lead us somewhere nice and grand! :)

I'm not a fan of Grab Taxi before. Besides its wifi requirement upon access, it has an additional booking fee of P70. But I cannot deny the fact that it's very accessible since there's free wifi almost everywhere, and the booking fee may guarantee a safer and less hassle trip! So whenever necessary, and ofc if there's available grab taxi nearby, I allow myself to spend more of what's allotted for my transportation allowance. lelz

But just recently, my friend introduced me to Grab Car. Since I'm pretty close-minded in using the Grab Taxi app, I also am not able to explore all of its features. I knew from the news that Grab Car's finally registered to LTO, but what I didn't know was that there are promo codes I can use whenever booking to avail a discount! So thanks to my friend, Trina, I became a Grab Car convert. HAHAHAHA

So, when you use Grab Car, any private vehicle will pick you up. Its booking procedures are also the same with Grab Taxi, so there's pretty much no adjustment needed for the non-techies out there. Haha. One time I experienced that a Fortuner picked me up at SM Aura! I was so shocked that I even asked the driver if I can enter HAHAHA

Anyway, yesterday (28 July 2015) I booked a car going home from Market! Market! It wasn't very late (9PM, to be exact) and I decided to book a car since lines on the FX were definitely very long by that time. The driver, Jimmy Pajaron, was very friendly and talkative. He said it's his 4th day in business and I should bear with him if ever he asks for directions going to my destination. Personally, it doesn't matter to me when taxi drivers ask for directions whenever I'm going somewhere, as long as I know the place I'm going to. (Fact: Grab drivers use Waze app as their guide). So I asked him if he had previous experiences with rude passengers. He seemed delighted with my question and shared his story: *non-verbatim*

"Buti nga mam di ka maarte eh." He mentioned this because I was the one who went to his destination (near Market lang din naman, btw) since he was stuck in traffic. "Yung ibang pasahero, 'kala mo kung sino. Nung isang beses, nag-sundo ako sa Megamall. Eh di ko alam kung alin yung Building B, medyo natagalan tuloy ako. 'Pag sakay nung babae (pasahero), sinigawan ba naman ako. Kung ano masasakit na salitang sinabi. Muntik na nga ako maiyak eh. Inisip ko na lang baka matandang dalaga sya." 

That's when I realized how rude someone can really get when upset. But of course, that cannot be a valid reason to be disrespectful to others. Upon listening to Kuya Jimmy, even though he delivered his sentiments with some side-jokes, I knew that he was hurt with that experience.

I also asked him if they still have profit when a passenger books with promo, since P100 discount will be given upon entering the promo code. I was surprised that he shared how Grab Car works.

"Ahh yung bayad nyo naman samin Mam eh saktong pang-gas lang. Ang habol lang namin ay yung points. 'Pag inenter nyo promo, may points kami. 'Pag naka-ipon na, may corresponding incentive 'yun samin. Tsaka mas gusto ko nga pag customer ng Grab eh. May feeling ako na maayos yung pasahero, na hindi ako mapapahamak sa kanila kasi may mga cellphone na sila. Kaso minsan 'pag madaling araw, mga mayayamang lasing naman sumasakay. Ineexpect ko na [na] sisigawan nila ako o mumurahin. Pero pinagpapasensyahan ko na kasi 'yun nga, lasing."

I was relieved that they gain incentives from their "promo passengers." All the while I thought Grab was just generous to give discounts to regular taxi passengers. Hahaha.

After I have spoken with the Kuya Jimmy, I felt bad that we always thought of taxi drivers (or public vehicle drivers) as bad people or even criminals. Blame the news for always featuring accidents involving infamous taxi drivers. I know most of us are just taking precaution since in reality, not all drivers are like Kuya Jimmy who's so transparent. But we should always consider other people's welfare, and for this instance, the drivers who we put upon the responsibility of dropping us off safe and unharmed. We should not act rudely or as if we own the streets! Also, we should consider that not all of them memorize every street or corner of the metro. Better yet, let's save some patience whenever we go!

So, I salute all the virtuous drivers who not only see their business as a source of profit, but also a means to enable passengers to reach their homes safely. Kudos to you guys!! :))

On other news, the new promo code for Grab Car is "umbrella" ! ! ! Make sure you enter this when choosing Grab Car to avail P100 discount! I even experienced a free ride when my fixed bill was just P94! Haha! Now I have proved the convenience of this app! Hoping that there will always be promo codes! Hahahaha!

July came by pretty quick! Didn't even notice that it's also gonna end soon.. I don't even have an idea if I've maximized this month really; everything I did seem like a routine.. I hope I can come up with a productive-looking life update! Hahaha.

 1. July is Nutrition Month!!! Since I'm in a nutrition-related organization, we welcomed the month by launching the NM theme, "Timbang Iwasto, sa Tamang Nutrisyon at Ehersisyo." At the end of the event, we had a pledge board where the participants written their commitments engaging on a healthy lifestyle. My pledge was pretty simple so that I can make sure of its accomplishment. I vowed to eat healthy (come to think of it, it's not really simple after all!).

Placed my pledge on the heart of this boy <3 HAHAHA

2. I had an interview with Rappler!! :) Still in connection with the NM, I was interviewed regarding the common myths on obesity. You can read the article HERE.

 3. I was tasked to do a lecture on the Right Foods to Eat on a company in BGC. This will be my first time, and I'm so nervous!!! It was initially scheduled on 21 July, but (fortunately) it was moved til mid-August! More time to prepare and study for that lecture!!! I'm scared I'll get bombarded with difficult questions. But I always try to say to myself that I know nutrition concepts better than my 'students' HAHA So much for confidence!!!

4. I started to realize the value of true friendship. I did not literally lose close friends, only constant communication with them. And I'm happy that whenever we get to communicate again, it feels like nothing has changed. Well, sort of! Lels. Of course there are changes.. Especially with those friends that I did not have any news for years, and even thought had already forgotten me. I'm just really glad that despite the gaps and lack of communication, we can easily catch up and start over.

Reunited with some of my college BFFs! <3
Visited my alma matter to support the Batch '11 graduates! <3 #nostalgia
Chika over coffee with the Pukesa's (and also celebrated Trina's first month of employment and sweldo. HEHEHE)
Chilling at Cafe Curieux with the Halaman Congregation

5. I'm currently on the 4th day of our after-office Zumba sessions! I'm happy that we've finally pushed through with this activity. This not only encouraged us to get fit and healthy, but also urged us to get more productive and finish all the work we need to do before exercise time! I hope we can maintain this habit!


6. I'm starting to panic with all the preparations I need to do for our HK trip on September! It may not seem to be taxing for others, but for me, it's really (slightly) stressful! I'm still supposed to do our itinerary; and Mama's bugging me to consult a travel agency our relatives contacted when they had their own trip. Of course, booking with an agency will be a lot easier, but also more expensive! And we'll probably be limited with the destinations pre-selected in our package. I really want this trip to be more personalized. But if booking with an agency would make Mama happier/ less problematic, I think I'll get the offer. After all, mama knows best! Lol. hahaha.

Only 9 days til August and I don't know what to feel! Time flies soooo fast I'm not sure if I'm able to go with its pace! But I'm still feeling positive that I have all the time in the world to accomplish my dreams. Hoping for more productive days! <3

This may be a long-overdue post from my Ilocos trip last month, but I'll be posting it anyway. Hehe. I've only selected the highlights of my Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpud trip and obviously, one of which is when we dropped by Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. I'm still in awe whenever I remember its beauty.

Located in the municipality of Burgos in Ilocos Norte, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation is known for its "creamy white and streamlined limestone formations" naturally sculpted by the forces of nature. Before actually seeing this rock, I wasn't at all excited or curious with what it would actually look like. Initially, I just felt like we're going to a common tourist spot, take a couple of photos, and then proceed to our next destination. But I was wrong. 


To have a perfect view of the Kapurpurawan, you need to traverse a rocky and damp road; but I can guarantee that everything's totally worth the view. I saw that it's not a hiking site since there were signage indicating such, but there were red flags which I think were left by some professional (hardheaded, LOL) climbers. Haha. Anyway, the moment I got near the rock formation, I felt that I was in a totally different world.


Sorry, my facial expression cannot justify how much I loved Kapurpurawan. Haha! But it was evident that I really got relaxed (and 'kilig') upon seeing such magnificent view. Since I was a child, I have this habit that whenever I go to a new place, I always assess whether it is an ideal venue for studying or reading books. (I'm not a nerd, btw. I just always convince myself that I don't study hard because I haven't been to the best and most conducive and study-able environment. HAHAHA) Realistically speaking, I cannot study with this kind of environment because I'll just be stunned with its beauty. Not to overreact, I almost cried when I felt how calming this place was. The gush of the wind felt like warm hugs (no joke), and every bit detail your eyes can see is just priceless. HUHU <3


The photo above looked like I was just a 3D object with a magnificent background. Hayst! Trying to remember what it felt like that day makes me wanna come back to Ilocos. This is when I have proven that traveling can really ease all your stress. For me, all the long hours of bus rides and switching of vehicles just to reach a destination can just add to the stress we hate and avoid (I know, lolahin peg). But upon seeing such amazing view, all the restlessness and haggardness encountered during the whole trip will surely be wiped away.



I'm really proud that the Philippines have these kinds of amazing treasures. This place is not new to us Filipinos, especially to those who loves to travel, but it seems like we're not appreciative enough of our rich land. My Ilocos trip served as an eye opener that we need not to develop buildings or amusement parks for a place to be called beautiful and worth-traveling-to. Mother Nature sure knows how to perfectly mold her own 'children'. As the saying goes, 
"In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous" - Aristotle.