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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Exhausted

... is maybe the word that describes my state for the past few days. I've been working my ass off since a teammate has been absent for two weeks now. It's all shitty because his workload has been added to mine.

I'm just sooo tired. Really.

I'll have a better post soon. Promise!

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

All About You: 10 Ways To Love Yourself

I found a great article from Femalenetwork and I just thought I'd share this since everyone deserves this.

1. REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR GOOD POINTS EVERY TIME YOU START TO FEEL DOWN.
Praising yourself doesn’t automatically mean you’re being arrogant. When you’ve done something brilliant, acknowledge your contribution and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. It’s all right to admit your strong points and celebrate them, especially during those times when you’re having a bout of self-doubt.

Besides being an instant mood booster, this also helps you strengthen your belief in yourself long term. Eventually, you will get to that point when you’ll be able to brush off unfounded criticism because you know you’re better than what people may make you out to be.


2. KEEP YOUR PROMISES TO YOURSELF.
Find the lines you won’t cross, and don’t allow yourself to compromise on these. That is, once you set boundaries for yourself, adhere to them, because doing otherwise would be unfair to you, and perhaps others as well.

For example, if you've decided that, in your heart, you could never forgive a guy who cheats on you and subsequently decided that if ever your man did, you'd leave him, follow through if he does. By allowing yourself to forgive and forget when you specifically promised yourself that was your limit, you’re only cheating yourself and dragging out a relationship that may be tainted by your resentment. Recognize when something isn’t right, and make decisions that are good for you. In the end, you're the only one who can take charge of your own emotional welfare.

3. ALWAYS TAKE SOME TIME OUT FOR YOURSELF TO DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE.
No matter how busy you are, make sure to schedule a time to indulge in the things you love doing. During these periods, don’t think about your problems at work or how difficult it is to balance your monthly household budget.

Instead, focus on yourself, on your wants and needs, and on enjoying what you're doing. Now’s the time to pay attention to your passions and express yourself. If you’ve always wanted to be a dancer, take a class. If your hobby is painting, bring out a canvas and watercolors. By giving yourself the freedom to just be, you’re acknowledging that you’re proud of who you are and also giving yourself space to relax and enjoy.

4. LEARN TO ACCEPT COMPLIMENTS.
When someone praises you, acknowledge the compliment. Avoid downplaying your role in a project or saying, “It was nothing,” especially when you know what your colleague or friend is saying is true. While humility is a great trait to have, you can be modest without looking down on yourself.

If you’re uncomfortable with praise or feel like you’re being egotistical by recognizing the compliment, just practice saying a simple thank you. You can also make it a point to pay it forward and acknowledge anyone else who might have done a good job as well or who helped you achieve whatever you're being praised for.

5. FORGIVE YOURSELF.
It’s already hard enough dealing with other people’s criticism, but if you also berate yourself for every mistake you commit, then you’re going to have a hard time picking yourself up afterward.

Sometimes, you might even find yourself turning a small mistake into something major in your head. When that happens, you become your own worst critic, and you’ll keep looking back, regretting your mistake, and thinking of what you should have done instead. At times like these, remind yourself that nobody's perfect and that just because you've had poor judgment once or twice (or even a few times), it doesn’t mean you’ll be wrong for the rest of your life--or that you should continue to punish yourself for it. Learn from the experience, and move on.

6. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU.
Stay away from naysayers because they’ll only make you feel bad about yourself. After prolonged exposure to them, you might even start believing them too. Instead, surround yourself with positive thinkers, people who can encourage you and make you see how wonderful you already are. This doesn’t mean you should just be friends with people who only talk about your good points. Your real friends will know how to give good criticism too, so listen only to the people you trust.

7. LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
If you worry too much about the future and what other people think, you’ll find yourself missing out on opportunities to make yourself happy. While thinking about the consequences of your actions is all well and good, being too cautious also hinders your self-growth.

Take risks, and embrace the present. You could be wallowing in self-pity because you hate your job, but you’re afraid to quit out of fear that you won’t find another. You might want to study abroad, but you aren't really proactive about finding a scholarship or about saving up for it. You can only make things happen for you if you take the steps yourself. Don’t compromise your happiness because you’re afraid to try.

8. HAVE A POSITIVE MINDSET.
No matter how many times you try to convince yourself that you’re worthy of being loved, it won’t work if you don’t believe in yourself first. Practice confidence-boosting exercises regularly.

Not sure where to start? Here are some things you can do: List one thing you love about yourself on a note every day and stick it somewhere you can see it, like on a corner of your computer screen or in your wallet. In fact, why not buy a glass-writing pen and scrawl your "happy me" thought onto your mirror as part of your morning ritual? Stand in front of the mirror in your favorite outfit, and tell yourself your jeans make your thighs look amazing. Little things like these will eventually contribute to a better self-image as time passes by.

9. SEEK YOUR OWN APPROVAL.
You don’t need to actively seek acknowledgment from other people to make you feel good about yourself. What matters is that you believe that what you’re doing is good for you.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t recognize it when someone you love supports your decisions. It just means that you should let approval come to you naturally and not worry yourself over whether or not you should do something based on someone else’s opinions. For example, if you’re set on changing careers, but you feel like your parents won’t approve, look at the bigger picture and weigh the feelings behind your desire and anything that opposes it. Do you want to make the change because the new career is something you're passionate about? Are your parents disapproving just because they're worried it'll make it harder for you to secure your lifestyle?

10. EMBRACE YOUR FLAWS.
Accepting yourself for who you are is the first step to loving yourself. Your quirks make you who you are, and once you acknowledge them, you’ll see that they make you beautiful too.

Perhaps you have problems accepting yourself because you didn’t like the person you were in the past. Take a trip down memory lane—even if it hurts—and look at your mistakes from a different angle. Ask yourself: if they didn’t happen, would you be the better person that you are now? Have you learned from your mistakes? Are you already taking steps to make yourself a better person with a bigger heart? Remember to embrace the things that make you who you are (even the negative ones)--but don't wallow in them! Make your weaknesses reasons to be and do better, not reasons to give up on things.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Bacolod Empacho

It was 6am on February 4 and we were waiting to board Zestair for our trip to Bellarocca when Cebu Pacific announced their Piso Fare. Hurray! And as impulsive as I am, I NEED to book a flight to anywhere. And since Aldrin is doing his Starbucks Project, we decided to go to Bacolod. But of course, we are limited to our "piso fare", we got our round trip tickets for only Php360 but for an overnight trip only. Not bad for a challenge though.

Before I start my adventure, I'd like to make a special shoutout to sis aMz of GT for being our virtual guide during our stay in Bacolod. She even gave me inputs even before our trip to keep me more excited! Thank you, sis aMz, for everything! You were such a great help. And we still keep in touch even after our trip. I truly appreciate it. Mwah!

July 19

Our flight is supposedly at 2:45pm but as usual, it was delayed. We took off at 3:20pm. We arrived in Bacolod at about 4:20pm. We went outside and was surprised their airport was neat and not too crowded. You can even see the vans going to Bacolod just right in front of the Arrival gate! We asked around for other ways to reach Bacolod. There's a van service that would cost each person Php120 and there's one for Php100 pesos. But there's the cheapest way, the Nyala Tours. For only Php35, you'd be in Bacolod! Downside though, it's not a Hi-Ace van. It's an L300 sorta van. But no need to worry; If you're a light packer, the trip is comfortable.

We asked the driver to drop us off at Pepsi to have our trip to The Ruins. The trip took us 30 mins. Once in Pepsi, we hailed a tricycle. The driver quoted us Php100 for a round trip plus the wait. I haggled to Php80. Deal Sealed!

Nyala tours - Php35 fare going to Robinsons
The Ruins


After manong driver dropped us off from our Ruins trip, we rode the Bata-Libertad jeepney. The jeepney goes straight to Lacson St. We just asked the driver to drop us off at L' Fisher. We actually stayed in Saltimboca which is just near L'Fisher. Saltimboca is just beside the new Calea which is just right across L'Fisher.

Calea at night

Calea's signature door

Saltimboca was ok. If you're on a budget trip like us, this would be a perfect accomodation. Location-wise, this one's perfect! we paid Php900 for an overnight stay in an airconditioned room with ensuite bathroom and with matrimonial bed. Too bad, our camera was on lowbatt when we arrived at Saltimboca so we got no pictures.

Dinner was at the Manukan. Sis aMz suggested that we eat in Aida's. We ordered pecho, paa, baticolon, isol and oysters. Uhm, the oyster is at Php40 only per plate. So I had two. Aldrin just had one.

Inasal and others
 
talaba at Php40/plate

We capped the night off at Calea. Yeah, the one beside Saltimboca. Calea was HEAVEN! I could just stare at the cakes for hours. We ordered varities of cheesecakes. Aldrin had brewed coffee too!






A good friend of mine, way back in grade school dropped by. Errol a.k.a Love Radio Bacolod's Diego Lo dropped by before heading to his work. So happy to see him after 13  years!!!!

my long time friend, Errol aka Diego Lo of Love Radio

Aldrin was too tired to even have a bottle of beer at Pepe's so we decided to sleep the night away. At 11pm, we are both asleep.

July 20

We woke up and took a shower then went to Saltimboca's restaurant to have our complimentary breakfast. Aldrin and I just had toasted bread and sausage. Too light from our usual breakfast but we were preparing for a loaded day ahead of us. After breakfast, we took a rest for a while. I actually fell asleep while Aldrin was doing a bit of work on his laptop. Then off we go to Aldrin's project. Starbucks pictorial time!


picture taken almost exactly the same as from the planner

My friend Errol invited us to drop by his station as he was on air until 1pm. We went to Love Radio's station at 12nn. We took off past 1pm and we went to Connie's Cansihan. The lunch was SUPERB!!!! Cansi is like a bulalo with a twist. It's a sour but not too much like sinigang. I since I love sabaw, this one's a winner.

Love Radio's booth

Cansi
Of course, time was precious. Our flight is at 6:55pm and we haven't been to some of the places in our list so off we go for an Amazing Race. After our lunch at Connie's, we had our dessert at Bascon.



After Bascon, we went to Pendy's for pasalubongs!

outside Pendy's before crossing to Cafe Bob's
After Pendy's we chilled at Cafe Bob's. And that's where Errol left us so he could still sleep for his work that night. Aldrin and I relaxed at Cafe Bob's and I was amazed with their paintings for sale and they all come cheap! I wish I had extra money.



creampuff and flavored soda
By 4:30pm, we rode a jeep to Robinson's and beside KFC is the terminal for Nyala Tours. And yes, we reached airport after 30minutes with Php70 fare.

So why the Title? Yes, I had EMPACHO (I think) after this trip. My next stop-over was at Medical City. But of course, that's another story. I would still love to go back to Bacolod... for another food trip.