What's uuuup, ang dami kong updates!

I feel kinda productive today at work, I updated some of my clients about what's happening to their projects so far (that is -- nothing lol) just to get it out of my system. I mean, not hearing anything about your project can be quite frustrating, and personally not being able to move a project to completion is stressing me out. 

I've been worrying about my work lately 'cos I feel like there's too much on my table right now, and none of them and inching to the finish line. I'm at the point where I don't wanna see my stakeholders around the office because I'm afraid they'd ask, "oh kamusta na yung project namin, tagal na nun ah?" Like OMG how do I tell you I'm not done with yours yet and that it will take a lot of time because I'm so currently swamped. Can we not see each other anymore? Char.

But yeah, being able to update them at least, that there are some delays, that we're not moving yet, it's good enough for me right now. At least I told them what's up. At least I did something and not have them wait in vain?

So yeah, while waiting for some action items, I'm here tackling another project that's been looong forgotten because of how complex it is. Lord help me!

Anyway, despite the stress I feel at work, which is all on me I know I know, I feel generally okay.

Enough about today. Let's backtrack the past weeks!

Started going to the gym regularly (since August 12!)

I've been working out consistently for the past two weeks. I signed up for a one-month access to our condo gym and have been going there to do some bike exercises regularly. I'm proud to say there was a week where I worked out 6 out of 7 days, even though I'm just striving to be active at least 3x a week. On that said week, I went to the gym 3x, played badminton 2x, and did a Drop 10 workout once. It was a freaking exhausting week but no regrets! As iiin. But yeah of course that was an extraordinary week, I'm not about to push myself too hard. My knees will give up lol. 

CR selfie!

But weeeeell, even with regular workout my weight doesn't seem to be changing. In fact I've been gaining weight huhu! Really need to be serious with dieting to complement the workout. Aja!

Took a badminton training class with my colleagues (August 17)

With Coach Martin Choi (leftmost)

Our first session was so physically draining. Warm up pa lang ubos na buhay kooo, but it was sooo fulfilling. Learning the proper way of holding a racket, getting to ready position, swinging a forehand, and doing footwork, it's a lot to take in with just one session so I really have to practice it!

Which is why the next day, I made sure to play badminton! Badminton nights are a regular thing with my in-laws every Sunday, it's just now that Jeckie and I have finally prioritized joining, after agreeing on a parentals schedule that will work for both of our families. We used to skip it because our Sundays are usually planned this way: mornings at church, lunch til afternoon with in-laws, and dinner til late night at my parents'. Most of the time we can't attend to both families in just one day so we decided to just split our weekends to Saturdays = chores and my family, then Sundays = church and my in-laws. So far so good? We're not getting too tired from moving all over QC! Haha

Watched a gig with Sunday Radio (August 18)

After our badminton game we went to watch a friend's gig near our in-laws' place. I'm never a fan of watching gigs but every time I do I always leave amazed with how different it is hearing something live vs on studio. It was awesome, I enjoyed it so much!

Holiday well spent (August 21, 2019)

Oh this holiday was so packed for me. I woke up early to get our car checked for its 30km PMS. Since we're past the three year Toyota warranty, we decided to just have our car serviced at a trusted auto clinic instead of at Toyota Service Center. Upon the recommendation of VCP members on Facebook, I drove the car to Patch Power Auto Clinic and Spa at Pasig.

Diagnosis seems fine and they were able to finish the routine check and maintenance in just around 30 minutes. I was so surprised! I thought it would take hours. The last time I had my PMS done at Toyota, it took me 5 friggin hours just to get my car back. They boast of 1 hour express service and yet didn't warn us of a freakishly long waiting time. Argh.

This PMS only cost me ₱4,450 - parts and labor included. Can you believe it? And Toyota gave me a quote of ₱7,494 for the same service. What a scam.

After having the car checked, I drove to SnR to grab some Swiffer wet floor wipes.

Well, that was the plan. In the end I came out with 1k more worth of other items mostly consisting of food! I got apple pie and rotisserie chicken and couldn't be happier! 

When I got home I did a quick workout (Drop 10!) and headed out for a full body massage hahaha. I thought I needed to reward myself because I've been so stressed and busy lately.

But actually, I just wanted to cheer myself up for breaking up with a client (first time!). I have a logo project that's been eating my design mojo lately because I just couldn't get what she wants. I ended things with her after I've already sent 3 logo studies which all failed her standards. I knew I can't let this take more of my time anymore because it's taking too long and we're not getting closer to what she envisions for her brand. Also, I've come to realize that we're really not a match and that I'm probably not the designer she's looking for. We parted peacefully naman I guess, and I offered to refund the DP. She accepted and just took half na lang to compensate for the effort made. Err, thanks. 

It hurts when your work doesn't get appreciated, and that's how I felt the whooooole time I was working on this project. That's the primary reason I had to let go.

My Saturday was packed too (August 24, 2019)

I had my last UA diode session with SkinStation, sa wakaaass!!! Here's a blog post about it which I can finally close hahaha [Review] SkinStation Underarm Diode Laser Hair Removal

After the session I grabbed something from Healthy Options then ate at Auntie Anne's. When I got home I realized I left my shopping bag at Auntie Anne's and had to drive back to Shang to get it. Sobrang hassle huhu my thoughts were running wild that time. What if someone took my bag? That means I just wasted 300++ and parking fee huhu! But thank God because the staff kept my shopping bag, and my parking fee was waived because of their 15-minute grace period. Yehey!

Cooked chicken rogan josh for the fam! (Still August 24, 2019)

I promised my parents I'll bring chicken masala for dinner but the sauce is out of stock when I went to the grocery so I opted with the next best thing, Indian curry rogan josh! Two packs of the sauce, 1.5 kilo of chicken meat, lots of onions, and 2 packs of greek yogurt and tenen!

They loved it!

Philippine Chili Festival 2019 (August 25, 2019)

My husband was so excited for this you know hahaha. He's coming to judge the hot sauce making competion and also, of course, to hoard spicy stuff. I just came to support him really. Most of the time I was waiting for him to get done with judging, buti na lang I got Netflix to keep me company! Hahaha

At first I was weirded out that there's an event so specific to chili lovers, but I was surprised at how much people came and how they all seemed to enjoy the happenings. There was a fresh Carolina Reaper eating competition, chili growing contest, and even an intiation rite for this uhm Labuyo lovers group? Grabe this niche!

And can I just say, what I enjoyed most about this event, because I'm not really a spicy lover, are the products - specifically the packaging and product presentation. 

Sobrang cool!

Galing!

After the event we went straight to our weekly badminton thing. Had dinner with the family then headed home. 

Sobrang pagod na pagod katawan ko lamoyun?! And I really had to let this all out kasi baka makalimutan ko na sila!

Will end the post here because my PC needs to restart already lol. Ciao!

Life Lately and the long weekend

Last Week

I remember worrying about work in my previous post. Well, things aren't better. It's still the same. I don't even think I'm moving forward in any of my tasks. Urgh.

And then, the logo studies I was trying to finish? I didn't make it to my deadline which is supposed to be last Friday. I got busy with work, and there's also something about the requirement that's super vague to me. I can't find out what she wants. We agreed on the pegs but when it came to the output, turns out she wants something entirely different. And I spent so many hours conceptualizing that first study you know. Urgh. And can I just say, I don't feel it. I don't feel this project at all. I want to get this over with soonest. Urgh.

Anyway. On to the good vibes.

Saturday

Since it's a holiday on Monday (Aug 12), we decided to put off doing the chores during the weekend. We went to my parent's house to celebrate my sister getting a new job, yehey! Helped cooked lasagna and chicken. It was soooo gooood! Wish I could stay longer and bond with my parents more!

Sunday

Our Sundays are usually spent at church and with my in-laws. We met at Fisher Mall for lunch. I also took the chance to shop for some office clothes cos our laundry schedule is becoming so erratic lately that my office wear (I only have 4 I rotate every week) isn't getting washed in time for the coming work week.

Also, I gained weight so I need to update. That's the real reason lol.

I didn't get the first top cos that would be excessive. I just need two new tops, and a new dress. My office wear is mostly boring, I just try to get the same style, in either black or navy blue, because I don't want to think too much about fashion when going to work hehe.

During the afternoon we went to church and stayed for dinner at my in-laws place.

Monday

It's a holidaaaaay, hooray! We had so many things lined up this day. But first,

Gym! It's our first time to try the gym in our condo. I've been wanting to get regular exercise but I'm just too lazy most of the time and my ever excuse would be that I get home too late, so the gym is already closed, and our house is too small to workout at. But yeah, this week I tried waking up early so that I could do a daily devotional, then go to the gym. Let see how far this pans out!

I just used the stationary bike and followed a cycling workout video on Youtube. The ending? I threw up after working out! Alam mo yung pagod na pagod ka tapos inom ka ng inom so sinuka mo lahat after?! Ganon hahaha. But no regrets, I'll get better! Hahaha

After that wqe headed to Capitol Commons. Did the laundry at Unimart because our community laundry is closed. As usual, there's a line. Had to wait for around an hour to get our turn so while waiting Jeckie had his hair cut, and I got a facial.

I don't really get facials often but I got curious with this new clinic. I availed of their regular facial for ₱500. A 45-minute process that includes a facial massage, masking and cleansing, exfoliating, facial hair shaving, vacuuming, and high-frequency treatment. It was okay. I didn't see much difference (huwaw haha). My pimple scars got more prominent too because they cleaned my face thoroughly. We'll see if I'll try again. But it's good to know there's a derma nearby!

After doing the laundry and the grocery, we had dinner at Tipsy Pig. New discoveryyy!

We now have a new favorite restaurant! That sisig wrap is sooo good we had two servings!

Tuesday

Probably the highlight of my week. My Lazada order got delivered!

I've been dreaming of getting a Dyson but I can't afford it, so I searched for good alternatives. Here comes Dibea, a Chinese knock off that looks great, performs well, and costs 5x less than the usual Dyson. After getting home, I tried it out immediately and it's so cool! Review soon! :)

Wednesday

I feel so bad for snarking up on someone who's ahead of me on the microwave, earlier at the pantry. I was so hungry and she punched in two minutes and I'm like my gaaawd hurry up. I was making faces behind her, and I knew people noticed but I couldn't care less that time. Uuuurgh. Have to be nicer next time.

Uhm, that's it for now! Got to go home!

Tangadan Falls Adventure!

Super duper late post but who cares haha. I just don't want to forget this event 'cos it was so fun!

We went to La Union during one long weekend in December last year and our itinerary included a trip to Tangadan falls. I was actually surprised that we were going somewhere else aside from Urbiztondo beach area so I was internally freaking about it because I wasn't prepared! I didn't bring my pang-malakasang tsinelas (ie my Sandugo) and I didn't bring enough clothes. I was so dreading the thought of river trekking and wading in the waters while I'm not equipped with the right, uhm, slippers. I could die you know?!

But what have you, our biglaang Tangadan proved to be my favorite part of our LU trip. Aside from our friend's proposal hehe! It was thrilling, exhausting, and rewarding. And even if I woke up super sore from the short trek to the waterfalls, I could do it over and over again because the experience is truly worth it! Littered in this post are a couple of snaps from that super memorable trip. We were driving all the way in that we didn't notice a bunch of locals had gestured for us to stop. They chased us for a bit until they were able to catch us to inform us that they do not allow private vehicles to drive up the mountain because it's not safe.

So quick note to those using Waze or Maps to drive to the place: DON'T IGNORE THE SIGNS. We missed the checkpoint so they had to chase us hehe.

You either have to trek, or rent a vehicle (motorbike, tryke, or jeepney) to get you up there. Since we're a big group we opted for a jeepney and paid over 1k for it. We thought we were being scammed but eventually got convinced of why we had to transfer vehicles.

The trip to the falls was soooooo exhilirating. Nerve-wracking climbs and steep descends filled our short journey. And on a road just wide enough to accommodate our bigass sarao?! We were juggling between trying to enjoy the moment and praying for dear life. Kaya naman pala pagsabayin.

After the jeepney ride, we still had to trek a bit to reach the falls. And when we got there, man was it so beautiful. You can swim, dive, or just chill by the big rocks. Water is cold, the river is deep but they rent out life-jackets naman for 30 pesos each.

There are locals who can guide you during the trek too. You can even borrow a walking stick to help your knees lol. Our kuya was kind enough to lend me his and GRAABEEE sobrang hayahay magtrek pag may walking stick lamoyon?!?! Hahahaha

Can't express how much I loved this trip! I wanna go baaaack!

Looking around EaTogether Food Hall by Vikings at Capitol Commons

Chanced upon this newly opened food court one weekend while doing the laundry hehe

Disclaimer, I just looked around and didn't buy anything cos Jeckie and I already decided we'd eat at Coco Ichibanya that day. Here's what to see at the newly opened EaTogether Food Hall at Capitol Commons.

Super nice and well designed interiors, lots of dining space, and also an outdoor area for smoking.

Based from what I read from other bloggers (who were lucky to be invited to a press opening lol), transactions here are CASHLESS. You either pay through debit or credit card, or use the reloadable Vikings Rewards Card. Hmm... for now I can't say if that's a good feature or not.

There's a variety for you to choose from. There's Shabu-shabu, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian...

There's chicken and steak...

And a drinks station with cocktails, beer, juices, and bottled products.

There's even a small nook for live performances. Cool!

Will definitely try this place out next time! What do you think about this place and how do feel about the cashless transaction?

ETA after a week: We did come back to this place to eat but upon circling the place twice nothing seems to catch our attention. Not to be nega about the food hall but there's seems to be not a lot of food offerings. There's only around 10 stalls inside. Food is generic and price tag is a bit hefty. You'd have to spend 250/head for a single meal in here. The stalls have a Mercato feel to them, alam mo yun, unfamiliar but interesting. But the price tag would shoo you away talaga haha.

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EaTogether Food Hall is located at the 2nd floor of Unimart Capitol Commons

Operating hours: 11am-3pm and 5pm-11pm (is Unimart even open until 11pm?)

Swamped

I have so many things I'm putting off doing at work that I'm starting to feel like it's gonna bite me anytime now, specially in the coming weeks. Whew!

First, I've been delaying on this RPA project for so long because it scaaares meee. How do you handle this? I keep on pushing it in favor of the easier ones, but now I feel like I need to get it rolling somehow. The thing is, I'm already quite sure it's gonna be very hard to automate, if not impossible. Part of me wants to get back to the client and say it's not possible to do this since it's too complex, there are too many exceptions, and yet a part of me wants to keep on digging for solutions. So what happened? It's been benched for two months JUST BECAUSE I can't afford to say it can't be done. I have yet to understand why it's so hard for me to break this kind of updates to our clients. I know perfectly well how some scenarios don't fit into the robotic scheme of things, that there's only so much I can program without the use of ~real~ AI algorithms. And we're not even there yet, so there's really not much I can do.

Second, I have like two other RPA projects in-progress that I can't seem to drag to the finish line because, uhm. Yeah that's on me. They're supposed to be my quick wins but procrastination got the better of me. Huhu.

Third, I have another RPA project that super duper hard and complicated I don't even know where to start.

Fourth, I have a wedding invite and two logo studies to finish this week. Invite's almost done actually, so it's just the logo that I need to really sit on. I have a couple of ideas running in my head but recently, work has been eating more than four hours of my life each day that I'm left with no time to focus on my other ~endeavors~ haha. My boss is gonna kill me for this.

Anyway. UPDATE! My first problem just got officially solved so that's now old news.

Thanks to my senior, I was able to get through that trap. I really just needed validation that it can't be done, and if my senior agrees, then I have to be confident about it.

Yey. So now I'm working another project with them lol, cos you know, just in case one of the proposed ones doesn't work out they've listed a ton of other things we can try haha.

Smart Tips to Start Socialising Again

Photo from Pixabay

It's a lot easier to start isolating yourself from others than you might think, especially if you're a naturally introverted person. Maybe you work from home or spend a lot of your time doing something that doesn't require you to leave the house, like playing video games. You might go through a period when you don't feel like socialising, but then find it difficult to reconnect with your social circle once you do feel like being social again. If you want to get back out there, you need to have a plan to start socialising more.

Reconnect with Friends

If you haven't been socialising much lately, it doesn't mean you don't have any friends. It's easy to convince yourself that your friends might have forgotten about you or no longer want to hang out with you, but most of the time, that's not the case. In fact, they might be wondering where you've been and when you're going to get back in touch. You have nothing to lose by reaching out and asking some friends if they want to get together. Start with just one person who you're more confident will be happy to hang out with you or maybe plan a get-together with a few of you.

Deal With What's Keeping You In

Sometimes you don't spend much time socialising because something is stopping you from going out. It might be that you're always online, whether you can't stop streaming Netflix or your whole life is video games. Even sex addiction can keep you from going outside or can limit your socialising. If you're dealing with sex or pornography addiction, professional sex therapists can help you to address your habit. The same is true for other addictions that might be stopping you from having a normal social life. Even if you're shy or dealing with social anxiety, getting professional help can allow you to confront the issue.

Photo from Pixabay

Find New Social Circles

Not everyone feels that they have friends who they can reconnect with. Maybe you've moved to a new town, or you've found it hard to make friends since leaving school. Looking for new people to socialise with can help you expand your social circle. It's a good idea to look for activities and groups to join, whether you join a hiking group, become a member of a choir, or start volunteering. Making new friends as an adult can take a while, but when you find your tribe, it can encourage you to be a lot more social.

Set Goals

If you want to achieve anything in life, it's always a good idea to set some goals. As well as having big goals, you can break them down into small objectives and actions. Your main aim might be to make some new friends but to do that you might first challenge yourself to start participating in a new activity, talk to three different people or ask someone to hang out with you.

It can be tough to start socialising again if you've been isolated. But once you decide to make a move, you can get out there and step out of your comfort zone.

Retrain Your Mind To Slash Your Anxiety Levels

Anxiety is a modern epidemic. It’s something that seems to permeate every level of our society and imposes enormous costs. Stress literally ruins people’s lives.

It’s only relatively recently though that anxiety has become a publicly-recognized issue. Not only have we become better at talking about it, but it’s also become a bigger problem. We live in a society where no matter how much success you have, it’s never enough. We’ve become slaves to the constant need for “more” in all aspects of our lives. The pressures of the modern world create a situation where anxiety is the inevitable result. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can retrain our minds to overcome the pitfalls of our economic and romantic lives and live more healthfully (and joyfully).

Shrink Your Amygdala

Scientists think that the amygdala has a significant role to play in the modern anxiety epidemic. The pea-sized region at the center of our brains is responsible for a vast amount of the anxiety that we experience. It’s an ancient part of the brain which gives us our essential “fight or flight” response.

Photo from Pixabay

The problem is that the modern world can corrupt the amygdala. It played an essential role in helping us avoid danger in our evolutionary past, but the contemporary world confuses it. The daily stressors of industrial production switch on the amygdala continually, enlarging it and putting it into a state of permanent activity.

Shrinking the amygdala is vital for long-term mental wellness, but how do you do it. The leading approach right now is to spend 30 minutes per day meditating. The incredible thing about meditation is that it appears to shrink the amygdala back down to a regular size while cutting out the unwanted activity.

Supplement To Reduce The Activity Of The Amygdala

Incredibly, as CBDOlja.nu points out, some foods and supplements reduce the amount of brain activity in the amygdala. Ashwagandha, for instance, is a natural herb which cuts the level of activity in the brain and helps people to feel more relaxed about their day.

Something as simple as taking a powdered berry supplement can help too. Inflammation in the brain can change our thought processes, making us more susceptible to negative and unhealthy emotions. Using berries to flush out some of the inflammation cuts the odds of our thought patterns from getting out of whack with reality.

Try Unlearning Your Fear Responses

What’s so upsetting about the whole anxiety epidemic is that it is almost wholly unnecessary. Our lives are not in danger the majority of the time, but our biology causes us to react as if it were. Ancient biology hasn’t yet adapted to the realities of life in modern offices. It’s all so new.

As bodyandsoul.com.au points out, researchers are now experimenting with ways to help people unlearn their fear responses. They do this by asking people to create a list of their fears from least bad to worst. Practitioners then get people to face their fears head-on, instead of avoiding them, helping them to see that they’re usually not in danger after all.