Manila, get ready for UberCHOPPER this Saturday!

Source: http://newsroom.uber.com/manila/2015/11/uberchoppermnl/

Just spreading the news I received in the mail today! Uber Manila has teamed up with Airtrav (a local company operating air charter services) to give us a one of a kind experience of taking off with a chopper and going on an aerial tour of the metro!

This Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 8am to 10am-- fire up your Uber app and request for an UberCHOPPER! Simple right? An UberBLACK will then take you and your friends to the helipad.

Other important information (that I'm quoting from the Uber newsroom):

• When you request, make sure you and your friends are at the same pick-up location and ready to go. Your car will only pick up at one location and will wait a maximum of 5 minutes.
• Strictly limited to 3 passengers per flight (you plus 2 of your friends)
• UberCHOPPER will fly a fixed 10-minute route– you will not be able to request your own destination
• Refreshments will be provided and you’ll get a free UberBLACK ride to take you back home once you’re done
• All fliers must be at least 18 years or older and should be a Filipino citizen
• You must bring a Philippine government-issued ID indicating your date of birth (Please have your Philippine ID with you or you will not be allowed to board the flight)
• Uber is not a direct air carrier
• All air services advertised will be provided free of charge by Airtrav. Uber has no responsibility or liability for any transportation services provided to you by third party providers.
• If the weather doesn’t permit, UberCHOPPER will be rescheduled to a later date

Take note, this isn't a transportation service, it's a TOUR. :D

Thinking of Blade? Let's all hope Uber's heading that way! :D

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Not on Uber yet? Use this promo code, UBERNATICS to get FREE UBER credits when you register! :) Click on the image below to sign up :)

Everything is awesome

Channeling Mary Kate McDevitt haha

//Work related I still feel like I'm being treated with some level of hazard cos I may screw things up (again). I hate the feeling, like I can't do anything right, but the good news is that they're careful not to put too much load on me cos I might just break... the system. Errr. I'm still having a hard time coming to grips that I have so much to redeem while I'm here. Cos I'm dead sure I wasn't credited with anything good while I was working offshore (well that's a conservative hunch). I've been asking myself if I really have the potential in this practice and even though I'd like to think that yeah, I kinda do otherwise I won't be sticking in the team for long, I'm still feeling so anxious about it. Why can't I learn faster? Why do I get stuck a lot? Is it even normal to be such a failure at this? Where did my heart go? Am I really suited for the IT industry? Anuraw. HAHA

To be honest, I really feel challenged to do good but there's only so much I can do in the 9 hours I'm in the office, and as much as I want to pull out some extra hours to do more, it'll be a damn hassle having to ask people to go home ahead and just come back for me after err, 4 hours? Haha. (read: carpool). So anyway, I'm not feeling too good about how I'm performing at work so there. :( Huhu

//Life in general is okay. Three weeks down and I can say I've warmed up enough to the people around me. I thought it was gonna be hard cos I'm such an awkward penguin but thank God every one here is just plain awesome. Naks. I mean they're so easy to get along with, all I did was tag along and next thing we're enjoying steak or home cooked food and laughing together.

//Health wise... I don't even wanna go here but I need to discuss this (with myself). I've gained an ugly 2 kilos and have more to gain if I don't control my food intake in this paradise hahaha. I just freakin love to eat and I didn't want to deprive myself! What I need to do is probably take some pills HAHA or drink some slimming tea HAHA or subscribe to some fitness videos at youtube HAHA or do the Drop 10 daily HAHA or better yet just forget about it cos I'm having fun gaining weight anyway. Argh. Nope. The pants I brought here are all so ill-fitted now. They used to hang loose when they're on me for quite some hours but now they're dead tight the entire day. The button down blouse I brought is now literally all buttoned down for good cos life is harder trying to keep them on. HAHA haaay.

Sorry for adding random pictures in between. They're from the short walks with my lunchmates after lunch. :)

I thank God that the down times I'm feeling at work are mostly short-lived largely because everywhere I look there's something to take inspiration from, to pause looking at, and to get some energy and motivation to do better and work harder. The scenery is perfect, the food is awesome, the people are nice. There's that, and God is so good for allowing me to take this opportunity. Luv yahh <3

Have a happy week ahead! <3

Daylight Savings Time

Can't really think of any title right now so yeah, DST. It's just something random that came to mind in hopes of avoiding another 'what's up' or 'heya' entry (I've tons already, my creativity is dying). Okaaaaay, so that it won't be too random, I'll just have to say something about it right?!

So DST happened yesterday at this part of the globe, and who knows where else (I don't really care), meaning the time was pulled back by an hour. I don't really know why, too lazy to research but hooray for extra sleep yeah? Or extra cleaning time! Yesterday was a major major cleaning day. Much more major than the cleaning I did the first week I arrived here (mostly flatting out boxes haha). We freakin shampooed the carpets at the living room and the hallway. While it wasn't spotless clean, it was definitely brighter than when I arrived here haha! Also, yeyy for learning to use another home appliance! Ze carpet shampooer, whatever you call that.

I'm just starting my third week here in the US and so far I am very very impressed at how they manage homes here. There's just too much appliance! Back at home we only have a refrigerator, a stove, and an oven. Super basic tropical third world necessities HAHA. But here they usually have a two door fridge, a dishwasher, a microwave, an electric stove burner, a washing machine, a dryer, a vacuum cleaner, a sink with garbage disposal, and an automatic garage door. Everything is pretty much plugged and are setup for convenience. And those are just the basics.

And since helpers aren't uso here, I have to do everything on my own. Wash my own laundry, clean my own platessss (antakaw eh), fix my bed, iron my clothes, and generally help maintain the entire house. Mind you, it is fun! I particularly like cleaning the kitchen and arranging stuff. I'm partly OC so I try to arrange everything and keep the symmetry and color balance in check. Nakakainis ang arte diba, and since I don't have money for furniture, I'll just keep putting things in order haha. I want to replace the curtain valance here in my room though argh.

Anywaaaay, I'm really here to brag about my latest snap and my favorite fall photo so far. I was surprised how this photo came out since it was a quick shot while we're driving away from the house. I love how the focus of the picture is on the tree and how everything around it seems to be moving towards it; the clouds, the angle of the roofs, the street on the left, and even the shadows. Like the tree is something magical that sucks the energy around it to keep it from falling (pun intended).The lamp post may be vertical but it breaks the angle just fine, it even stands in the center of the pine tree behind it. Wala lang jinajustify ko lang HAHA.

These are times I want to challenge myself if I really take good photos or everything around me is just picture perfect. HAHA Pero malamang let's stick to the latter cos that's what it most definitely is. haha

This is, by the way, the house in front of us. Look, it's for sale! XD

Also, I kindof gained two kilos already ARGH. I need to exercise. #asa

Minnesota Zoo

Yeyy! My first official gala with my colleagues hihi. It's fall season but it's freakin cold here. I'm gonna warn you there are no animal shots in this particular pic spam cos the weather was too cold when we went there on Saturday, most of the animals in the park were either sleeping, bored, or facing us with their backs. Also, they were too far for my camera's liking haha.

So these are mostly stills, fall colors are definitely upon us. I've taken such a huuuge liking to this palette of fading green, yellow, orange, red, and brown. What a beautiful transition. Hope you enjoy this post! :)

Most of the cafes inside the park were closed. I can't believe it :( On a Saturday of all days.

Aaaaah this one was super scenic in real life. I love how the lake is revealed like a hidden oasis tucked in he woods.

And the clouds hovering with just the right amount of gloom.

Hey, I art directed these leaves! HAHA

Totally digging this bed of leaves! Of course not literally lol

I just loooove how pink the leaves are!

I was freezing the whole time we were wandering at the open trails and was so relieved when it's finally time to go back, only to realize there are a couple more trails to explore! Good thing the Tropics Trail was mostly covered and semi heated. Well, dapat lang haha! And the aquariums and shark reef were all indoors so yeyy! The Minnesota Trail was another freezing tunnel for me, but it's great for when you want to familiarize yourself with the kind of wildlife the place holds.

On my first time on the way to the house where I'm staying, I was surprised to see deer on the sidewalk! Apparently here, askals are to deer and mice and roaches are to squirrels and raccoons. What a relief! XD

Alright, thats kindof it! Good night! :)

Live healthy and get rewarded with Philam Vitality

Insurance companies today aren't simply in the business of ensuring you're protected enough with savings products in case something goes wrong *knocks on wood*. To show you how we really care, we're now rewarding you for being healthy! 

Image from www.philamvitality.com

Today’s fast-paced urban lifestyle has exposed many of us—from young adults to professionals alike—to many stressors that have a huge negative impact on our health. Heavy traffic on the daily commute, long work hours, a sedentary lifestyle, the proliferation of processed and fast food choices, stress-induced drinking and smoking—all these contribute to higher health risks that can affect our family’s quality of life.

According to the UK-based Oxford Health Alliance, around 60% of deaths worldwide are caused by four “epidemic chronic diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, and some cancers.” In order to prevent premature death and incapacity due to these diseases, we must be able to address three major risk factors: tobacco consumption, poor diet, and physical inactivity.

With these realities in mind, Philam Life, the Philippines’ premier life insurance company, has introduced Philam Vitality, the first in the market, science-backed wellness programme that rewards its members for getting healthy. As a global brand, Vitality is present in several countries with millions of members and makes use of incentives to encourage members to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors. By bringing Vitality to the Philippines through the Philam Vitality program, Philam Life pioneers giving real focus on healthy living.

Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley and CMO Jimmy Javier welcome media guests to the Philam Life Vitality launch

“People normally associate life insurance with protection and savings products to prepare them for life's uncertainties. At Philam Life, we are committed to take it further by helping people live longer and healthier lives so that they could spend more time with the people who matter to them most,” shares Axel Bromley, CEO of Philam Life.  “Philam Vitality will empower more and more Filipinos with the information and the tools to know and improve their health, and to enjoy longer and fuller lives.”

Philam Vitality comes with three simple components to help people live healthier lives:

1. Know your health. With Philam Vitality Health Review, users will be able to take an online assessment through their desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones, and see if their Philam Vitality Age matches their actual age.
   
   Members can also assess their current state of health through partners such as Makati Medical Center (for check-ups and vaccinations), Hi-Precision Diagnostics (for laboratory procedures such as blood tests and X-rays), and GAOC (Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center) for dental care.
   
   “These assessments help you find out which parts of your over-all health are on track and which areas you can improve. It’s very empowering to know your health status so that you can take control of all the facets of your life,” says Jaime Jose D. Javier, Jr., Philam Life Chief Marketing Officer.
   
2. Improve your health. With Philam Vitality, members can achieve better health for less, at partners such as Gold’s Gym for gym memberships; Toby’s Sports, Garmin, and Polar for fitness gear and other devices; and Makati Medical Center for smoking cessation program.
   
   Members start with Vitality status of Bronze and move their way up to Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels as they earn points for every assessment test and activity done within the program.
   
   “The more points you earn, the higher Vitality status you achieve, and the greater your rewards,” explains Mr. Javier. “We’ll take care of tracking your points through our integrated systems so that all you’ll need to think of is to get better and fitter each day.”
3. Enjoy the rewards. While better health is already a reward in itself, Philam Vitality offers members more opportunities to enjoy precious time with their family and loved ones, through discounts on tickets to SM Cinemas and Enchanted Kingdom, and on bookings at Marriott and Seda Hotels.
   
   Vitality members also earn discounts on premiums of selected insurance plans. By purchasing a Philam Vitality Series insurance plan from Philam Life or BPI-Philam, members can get upfront discounts on first year premiums and continue to enjoy discounts in succeeding years by improving their health.

“Philam Vitality is unprecedented in the Philippines. We are grateful to have our esteemed partners on board as we encourage members to take charge of their health. Ultimately, a full life should be healthy, fun, and rewarding, and we want to be part of that process.” says Mr. Bromley.

To know more on how you can live a healthier lifestyle, visit philamvitality.com, email ask@philamvitality.com, or call 528-2000... OR you can also talk to me about this! I'm a registered financial advisor with Philam Life and our team of financial wellness experts (well, me and my parents) are always ready to for inquiries. Ping me using the Contact Form, don't forget to leave your number! :)

Today's agenda: fix my body clock

Unless I want to suffer the coming week half-asleep in the office, I have to friggin correct my stupid body clock now. This isn't even jet lag. This is just me sticking to my nocturnal habits. I thought I wouldn't have a problem with the time difference here since I was working the graveyard back in the Phils. and here everybody's working during the day. It can't be too hard right? Not a lot to adjust right?

NO.

Apparently I've been spending the entire day asleep, God knows why. When I wake up in the afternoon, I eat, try to get a shower (btw, the heater was down for 2 days so my aversion to baths is valid ok), then work on some docs. Nobody told me what shift I should be working anyway... uhm. So. Whatever. Still need to work on a couple of docs. I like it. I'm writing. haha

The past few days were pretty lax. I'm on a mission to eliminate all the extra food in this house, foods I think no one has touched for the past weeks, foods I was offered to freely munch on if I feel hungry, and also leftovers from last week's party. There is a lot of food in here. Chips, cookies, chocolates, cakes, cereals. I didn't want to be blamed for when we're suddenly short of food HAHA but so far the owner of the house is already thanking me for freeing up the fridge. Well, my pleasure actually! Hope my housemates don't mind tho.

Only places I've been to are banks, stores and groceries from daily errands like I mentioned in my previous post: Home Depot, Ikea, Wells Fargo, and just the other day: Cub Foods!

Allow me to spazz about this place. It's a 24-hour grocery, a 5 minute drive from the house, and a 30 minute walk according to google maps. It sits beside a Target store (which I'm excited to pay visit to one day haha) and is home to an entire lane of unmanned cashier counters! Talk about hi-tech!

This is one of their self service counters

You scan your stuff on the barcode top, place it in a plastic bag, confirm payment on the screen, and pay by inserting your cash or droping your coins at the designated slots (like a vendo machine). You can even swipe your credit card there. Then it will compute and roll out your change on the "Cash Out" tray.

Super cool. It knows when the item you're buying is on Buy 1 Take 1 promo. And the barcode top also serves as a weighing scale for when you're purchasing items like fruits, vegetables or meat. You just have to select what item you're buying and it will automatically compute for the price based on the weight! Grabe.

I can't believe this kind of technology hasn't reached our shores yet. I doubt it though cos there is very low honesty rate in the Philippines, even with the flawless programming of this one I'm afraid it can't prevent thieves from pushing out their carts without paying. I can only marvel at them while I'm here. :)

It's Friday noon in the Philippines, so... happy weekend goys! :D

Today's snaps: IKEA Home Furnishings

I'm getting better at this!

This day was pretty uneventful as far as work is concerned. I came for the drug test earlier this morning and was a bit sad it only took some 15 minutes HAHA. Eh kasi naman, I was hoping to just make pasundo after a supposedly lengthy drug test so that I could spend a few minutes at Mall of America which is just walking distance from the clinic. Too bad my fetch decided to wait lol. Pero okay lang naman, hassle naman magpasundo if ever haha. Yun lang, no MoA for me... for now haha. Ang kapal ng mukha ko diba dapat nagttrabaho ako haha.

Anyway, I was eating lunch and was about to prep myself to do some general admin tasks for the time being I'm not allowed at the office yet, when a dog suddenly barged in the house and ran to me! Thought it was gonna bite me but the cute little thing just wants to play!

Meet Louie! Apparently, the owner of the staff house (who is also our asset manager) came to check the basement bathroom for repairs and also initiate some mega cleanup aka throwing out stuff that belonged to previous tenants.

Heyaaaaa!

Suddenly, my entire day was focused towards cleaning and running errands with her and the cutiepie that is Louie. SUPER. WORTH. IT. I was waiting for the chance to get shown around the place and it's so cool I got to hop in on a benz too while doing that haha! Yeyy for errands!

We went to Home Depot, IKEA, Wells Fargo, another bank, and our US office... not in that order but the point of this post is (you should know) WE WENT TO IKEA. And ate there. Aaaaargh my Buzzfeed envy finally gets validated!

I couldn't care less that I'm on turista mode, snapping here and there like IKEA was some tourist attraction. What can I do? I love all things IKEA furniture and IKEA just happened to be a haven of such and such good food so well, here we go!

The Caf (I dunno what it's called lol)

I ordered this bowl of greens with balsamic vinaigrette cos I need greens in my life LOL. I love salads okay?

And their famed Swedish Meatballs.

To be honest there wasn't anything too special with their meatballs. It tasted good though, like a comfort food of sorts. :)

Other snaps:

I'll register here when I come back!

They have a planning table where you can access an online catalog and really plan for your purchase. They have rulers and pencils too to help you out :D

Love their meatballs? Buy a pack!

The place is super big.

Christmas decors are out! :D

On the way out, didn't mind the leaves blocking the letters haha. I think it adds a dramatic effect to it JOKE LANG! HAHA Arti arti

View from the sunroof :D

Aaaaand, that's it! Have a great day ahead! :D