ECQ thoughts

It's a bit over a month since the ECQ started, here are... random thoughts.

✦ I'm getting tired of my own cooking. So I'm trying to discover nearby restaurants that offer pick-up or delivery. We've had Domino's and New Bombay so far

✦ I wish we had a 2-door inverter ref, a 2-bedroom unit, and an oven. Also a new couch.

✦ I'm lagging behind my 2020 Reading Challenge. Still currently reading Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan. For such a short book I wonder what's taking me so long. Oh right, I don't really like reading. But I'd like to pretend I do, so I signed up for free Kindle Unlimited [link]

✦ My husband lacks common sense in the kitchen. One time he was defrosting the ref and used a rag to soak up the dripping moisture. When he was done, he just returned the rag beside the sink. Hindi nya piniga. The rag was fucking dripping. Urgh.

✦ I thought I'd enjoy working from home, but I feel more tired. And I'm always working late. I don't want our home to lose its sense if the lockdown continues for months on end.

✦ I realized that we don't really need a lot of things to survive. Duh.

✦ ECQ allowed me to be able to strictly follow my IF schedule yey. And now most of my old clothes are starting to fit again.

✦ I discovered an issue with our VPN just now. Which as of writing has already been fixed, but gave me the idea on how to unblock certain sites hehehe

✦ Our couch is sagging at the center because of a broken frame and we're looking for items in the house we can use to support it. Right now it's got a pair of books and a tin lunch box underneath. Hopefully it survives until we find someone who can fix it.

✦ I'm starting to appreciate the sky even more lately

✦ There's something wrong with how hashtags are being used in social media. Most of them are confusing. And before you get what their real intention is, you have to go through trial on fire.

You'll never learn about it without getting into an argument. One that will potentially crush your self esteem and have all your embarrassing pre-pubescent photos exposed to the public. That's how petty woke twitter is.

So why do we even bother with catchy hashtags that breeds confusion and misinformation and AAAAALWAYS need to be elaborated? It may be encouraging to see it spread like wildfire. But you'll hardly see anyone using it in the right context, with the correct understanding. Examples: 

• #MenAreTrash - pero hindi daw lahat. Also pag kumontra ka, hindi para sayo yung hashtag so shut up ka na lang. Galeng. 
• #MassTestingNow - pero hindi talaga mass as in everyone. Gotcha.
• #MedikalHindiMilitar - pero kelangan parin ng pulis. So much for putting "hindi" sa hashtag. Ikaw pa tanga. 
• #OustDuterte - ito clear. Ganyan dapat.

✦ There was a tweet that reminded me how much I hated highschool. Sabi nya Highschool > College daw pero ang nag-viral is yung bumira sa kanya with the caption, "Not if you're gay". Hahaha

✦ Anyway. That tweet prompted me to clean up my friends list once again and eliminate people from highschool who were never really nice. I think I unfriended an entire group of friends. Nagbago na siguro sila but I wouldn't be able to prove that for myself, so my last memory of them will always be their bitching around and being bullies. So yun, goodbye.

Ok yun lang naman hehe

Practical Steps to Help You Overcome a Bad Habit

Everyone in the world has faced a bad habit at some point in their life. For some people, it could be something small such as biting their nails, and for others it could be something more threatening such as an alcohol problem. However, even something like nail biting can get out of hand despite seeming like an innocent habit that you can easily break out of. Whatever bad habit you had, it’s important to understand that you can’t just wipe them off and start a clean slate. It’s not as simple as just deleting it from your life, even if you get plenty of assistance and support to help you do it.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some practical steps to help you overcome a bad habit. We’re going to show you how you can focus on your health, how to battle your demons and overcome your bad habits, and also how you can ensure that they don’t come back.

Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash

Step 1: Identify you have a bad habit

First thing’s first; identify your bad habits. If you don’t identify and admit to things that you’re doing on a regular basis that are causing harm to your physical or mental health, then it’s going to be tough to overcome it.

Step 2: Look at when you resort to it

As an extra step, take a look at when you resort to your bad habit. For instance, people that smoke tend to do it as a way to de-stress, while people that bite their nails might do it when they’re bored. When you identify when you resort to a bad habit, it can help you understand a bit more about it and why you do it in the first place.

Step 3: Understand the health implications

Next, make sure you look at the health implications of that bad habit. For some people, this might mean realizing that alcohol has some very negative effects on your organs. Other people might have to dig a little deeper to understand the health implications. For instance, someone that plays a lot of video games might realize that they’re becoming sedentary and their physical health is suffering as a result of that.

Step 4: Search for an alternative

One of the best ways to overcome a bad habit by yourself is to actually search for an alternative to it. This might sound strange to a lot of people, but if you’re able to identify why you rely on a bad habit in the first place, it’s actually not so far-fetched. For example, if you play a lot of video games because you’re bored or because they offer you a sense of reward and accomplishment, then it’s easy to get sucked into playing every day. However, once you realize that there are also negative effects in playing too much, you can step back a bit and search for something else that also rewards you with a sense of accomplishment that doesn’t involve sitting down. It could be learning a new skill or even gamifying fitness.

Step 5: Consider outside support and assistance

However, regardless of how you tackle your bad habits, you’ll undoubtedly have a much easier time if you rely on outside support. This could mean alcohol addiction treatment for anyone that thinks they have a drinking problem, or even just support from a friend or family member. Whatever your bad habits might be, having someone else to talk to and offer a second opinion is incredibly valuable.

Step 6: Settle on a replacement

One of the most underrated ways to overcome your bad habits is to actually find a replacement for them. We talked about this above with finding an alternative, but it’s also important to settle on a replacement for good. Sometimes, it can be hard to find a direct replacement for something such as smoking or drinking, but that’s where it becomes important to understand why you resort to a bad habit and find something that can offer a similar result without negatively affecting your health.

We hope that these practical steps have helped you understand that it’s possible to overcome a bad habit with relative ease as long as you approach it in a practical way. Just keep in mind that you can’t just simply erase a bad habit out of existence. You need to slowly overcome it by replacing it with more positive habits and understanding the health implications that you face if you don’t get rid of it soon.

[Review] First cycle with the Sinaya Cup (menstrual cup)

Not gonna do an intro about menstrual cups. I figured those who'd wind up here are at least partially aware and considering switching to menstrual cups already hehe, so I'm just gonna jump right to the experience. Spoiler Alert: I'm making the switch, and I'm encouraging you too!

Here you'll find pros and cons, product price and details, and my day to day experience during my first cycle using the cup.

When I got the package, I wanted to try it already so I read the instructions and went ahead and sterilized it in boiling water. It's not my period yet but I wanted to try how it works so as advised, I used a lubricant to help myself shoot the thing up my coochie.

The cup comes in 2 sizes, small and large. Small is ideal for women below 35 years old who have never given birth. Large is recommended for women who experience heavy flows (3 napkins a day type of flow), those who have given birth, or those aged 35 and above. Here's a size guide from Sinaya Cup.

Even though I think I have a heavy flow, I still got the small one because I'm scared I won't be able to fit a large cup in my vagina lol. Well, good call.

First impressions. Cute packaging! Looks eco-friendly too.

All the info you need is on the box.

I thought the cup is not gonna hold enough blood. But hey, I realized that I don't really have a heavy flow. Wearing a napkin has fooled me into thinking I'm a heavy bleeder. Guess that's what super absorbent cottony fiber does to you. It leaves you feeling like you have an unstoppable flow, and that you're perpetually bleeding.

Pros

• No itch
• Environment friendly
• Saves money
• No leaks
• Less rashes
• Feels comfortable
• You can swim in it (ie. be active)!

Cons

• Learning curve
• Hassle to drain and clean
• Uncomfortable at first

Pricing and availability

I got the product online from Sinaya Cup for ₱1,199. It's the most recommended brand among peers (aka the girls in my Facebook group). The cup is made from medical grade silicon, so it says in the website, so uhm I trust that's it's safe inside hehe.

Anyway. Here's how my day to day went on my first cycle using a menstrual cup:

6 day diary

Day 1

• Inserted the cup using tulip fold.
• Spent a couple of minutes in the shower trying to make it pop
• My Day 1 flow feels unusually weak
• I was afraid the cup might be stopping the flow instead of catching it lol
• Thank God one of my friends told me it's normal, that there's really not much blood, it just looks a lot when absorbed by a napkin. I was relieved.
• It's very uncomfortable moving around with the cup, I can feel the stem poking my vagina
• I wore a napkin to bed just to be sure

Day 2

• Woke up to no leaks!
• Removed the cup in the shower and found there's almost no discharge, just brown drops
• I was scared, again, that the cup might be breaking my cycle and stopping the flow lol
• Nonetheless, still went ahead and used it
• Inserted using the C fold this time
• Can't decide what fold is best, as long as it pops and seals I'm good
• After 3 hours it leaked, damn
• Drained it and found the cup is halfway full
• Trimmed the stem 1 notch
• Re-inserted and forgot about it
• After 4 hours I drained it again, this time no leaks, but the cup is halfway full again
• Trimmed the stem 2 notches this time
• Feels better but I still feel a slight poking
• Having drained it twice, all my doubts that it's ruining my cycle is now out of the window
• Drained it again before going to bed

Day 3

• Woke up to a tiny bit of leak on my panty liner
• Thank God the leaks are usually at the front of the liner and not at the back so our sheets are still safe
• I thought the cup was super full because it leaked
• But when I drained it at the shower it's only 1/5 full
• Contemplating on snipping another notch off the stem because it's still poking on my coochie
• I'm starting to think I have a low hanging cervix, whatever that means
• I wonder if I should've bought a cup that has a small ring at the end instead of a stem
• Drained 3x throughout this day
• Aaand, I trimmed it again. For the last time. Cos there's nothing left to cut off anymore lol
• Huge difference, I can't feel a thing now, wow

Day 4

• Woke up to zero leaks! I love it!
• Took if off in the shower, it's only around 1/5 full
• Inserting it is becoming easier now
• Drained twice today, first when I took a bath, then before going to bed

Day 5 and 6

• I'm getting a steady state with this one
• Again, no leaks
• Drained twice today, after shower, then before going to bed
• Since my period is ending, flow is lighter
• Discharge has gone from bloody red to light brown
• It's easier move around with it now that the stem's been cut off

Alright.

Overall I feel very pleased with this cup's performance. I'll definitely continue using it again. It feels liberating not having to feel a bulky pad on your crotch area for a week. And it's amazing how's there little no leakage when using it. Now I can stop worrying about staining out sheets. I was worried still about getting rashes but they never came, I wasn't itchy anywhere. I frkn love it.

My entire first cycle with the cup is a learning curve. I have to learn how to put it in, explore which insertion fold works best, and struggle to make the thing pop and seal. In my case, I use the punch-down fold (aka lotus fold) more often because the tip is smaller compared to the C-fold so it doesn't stress my opening too much.

I still have a long way to go to say I've totally gotten used to it. I've been thinking how to manage with the cup when we finally go back to working at the office. I don't want to end up hogging the only cubicle with a faucet and tabo for more than 10 minutes, so I need to practice working faster with it hahaha.

It feels totally different, switching from pads to cups, but it's definitely a more comfortable experience. ♥

Life Lately and Friday's 10 Happy Things

Wow, we're exiting the third week of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine). I hope and pray all this is not for naught. I have a lot of things in my prayer list, and I'm sure we've been praying for the same things. Healing, provision, strength, protection, mercy, cure, wisdom, leadership, compassion, cooperation. Haayyyy! I've never prayed this much for others. Most of the time I only care about the things in my own little circle. Guess it's expanded to the whole world. Hmm.

Life's pretty boring. And I know it's a very privileged thing to say. There's not much happening outside but there's so much noise online. Of people's grievances towards the government's lack of action, our president's lack of leadership, our frontliners' lack of support. So many thinks lacking it's turned social media, specially twitter, into protest platforms. Can't really blame the people huh. But well, even before the lockdown, Twitter has always been noisy lol. It just seems noisier 'cos I'm spending much more time in there lately haha. But hey, it works. Clamoring online works. We've seen changes I know we wouldn't witness if nobody complained.

Overall I'm not too worried about myself, my husband included. We're healthy, we're both working from home, and both of our companies have been very generous. For how long, we don't know. I'm afraid if the lockdown pursues and we start cost cutting by retrenching, I'll be one of the first guys to pack up. So just to be safe, I have to be job hunt ready when the time comes *updates CV*.

I'm more worried about my parents. Not only because they're older and more prone to sickness, but also because this lockdown means zero income for them. As financial advisers, they can't go out and meet new clients, and it's gonna be hard to collect payments from existing ones too. They've recently decided to sell our house (again) because they feel like it's the only way to save up for retirement. I feel bad that there's not much I can do financially, but I do support them in their decision. With our current living state, the house is too big for any of us. If we can liquidate it and downsize, they would have enough left for savings and investment. Well, that's the dream.

My mom celebrated her 66th birthday last week. Since we're not allowed to go out I just called through Zoom. We were supposed to be at Baguio, but things happened and I had to refund my bus and Airbnb bookings. So far I've gotten around 75%, looking forward to get the rest.

On a more positive note, here are Friday's 10 Happy Things, just like the old times...

1. Before the lockdown commenced, I was able to setup my workstation properly. That is, I bought a chair and a trolley and successfully turned my vanity into an office desk. While people are emptying the shelves at the supermarket, I was busy measuring carts and pedestals at SM Home.
2. Happy that my sister could continue her work at home. At least she'd still be earning during the lockdown.
3. Finally tried using a menstrual cup. I feel uneasy right now but I'm trying to get used to it lol.
4. Cancelled trips = refund = money back to my savings pool!
5. Cinnabon's mini bons and S&R's petite cinnamon rolls!
6. My Airbnb and iWantSeats bookings were fully refunded (still waiting for Victory liner)
7. It's swelday today! They credited a week earlier than expected then also included our VL conversion. Downside is we now have to wait 3 weeks til the next sweldo but it's fine hehe.
8. My parents are both healthy and my sister is enjoying working from home lol
9. My parents got fiber connected last month which is super sakto because my sister depends on it right now
10. Ever since the lockdown started, I've been able to follow my IF schedule strictly! I'm on Day 25 right now of 16:8! As for my weight, I don't think it's changed significantly yet. I'm usually 66 to 68kgs, but right now I'm at 65.5kg.

Guess that's it for now! Hope you have a great weekend! As always, praying for healing and for this crisis to be over soon. ♥

God bless everyone!

Oh dear

It's been crazy. We're on enhanced community quarantine (which is close to a lock-down except our government can't take responsibility for everyone), people are panicking, and I can only pray for things to get better. For COVID-19 to eventually be eradicated. For the sick to be healed. For everyone to be protected and provided for. For kindness, cooperation, and empathy to reign. For God to have mercy on us all.

I've published two Weekly Monotonies since the last update and imma plug em right here.

Vlog #19 - The seeming calm before the storm

I discovered Highlands Iced Mocha which tastes 99% like Costa's Iced Cafe Mocha. And they're on the same spot too at RSC Lobby. Makes me wonder if Robinson's acquired Highlands after it let Costa go, it's been popping on several Robinsons properties in the Metro.

My officemate and I attended a Personality Development workshop in the office thinking it would actually be helpful for our personalities lol. Turns out it's 90% Mary Kay demo and 10% harassing us into buying their products. Errrr.

Our car is due for registration this month and while I had intended to do it myself, even filing a vacation leave for it, I unfortunately overslept at my parents' house so my dad decided to just do it himself while I was asleep. Long story short they called someone to assist them from the emission center. I was mentally torn about its illegality but then I realized that a personal appearance isn't really required for MVR (unlike DL renewal) so I figured it's fine to just pay someone for convenience.

Oh yeah, we also got our plate number. FINALLY. After four bajillion years.

Ate dinner with my parents that Friday night because swelday! Also because I didn't want to leave the house early on a Friday night. I waited for my sister to get home from work, and while waiting tried to study playing a song from CLOY. You can watch my futile attempt around 5mins into the vlog.

Hmm, what else.

I attended our cell group meeting for the first time in a very long time. I'm surprised myself. Saturday night CGs have been a struggle for me lately because it's usually errands and visit-my-parents day, but since I was able visit the day before, I figured it's about time I water my wilting spirituality by appearing in a fellowship. It was nice seeing them again. :) 

Vlog #20 - Panic is the real pandemic, but you're not gonna see that in the vlog

It's the week the number of COVID-19 patients in the Philippines have grown to an alarming rate. People are more worried. Looking at how our neighboring countries fare, everyone's expecting the worst. We can be sent home any time. So our company is rushing to roll out its BCPs, setting up hundreds of laptops to be issued to its soon to be remote workforce, drafting out all the necessary policies to keep the GOC functioning despite a deserted office. I, on the other hand, was tasked to develop a WFH functionality on our timekeeping system (TS). One that will allow us to log in and out of our TS as we work remotely. If you're wondering, our time logs are being purely captured by onsite biometrics.

The enhancement is needed as soon as possible, but no rush - they say. It didn't help that my manager was away on self-quarantine (bc of a recent travel) as he laid down the requirements. In between choppy calls and lack of validation, I was able to deliver what I consider a bare minimum. A quick win. This would do for now as we have not enough time to test. We can refine as we go along. Thank God I'm not alone in the team.

So I got the code base ready on Friday night but I had to be on standby as they prepare the comms. The go signal didn't flare until Sunday afternoon, just as I was backing up on a parking slot at SM Megamall. We were supposed to look at furniture and buy groceries, but my mind was distracted the whole time. 

I had backups so one of my teammates did the go-live, but my manager reminded me about a functionality that I didn't think was supposed to be part of the initial release. I thought it could wait. I also didn't think I was supposed to work on it during the weekend, so in the end he updated the code himself lol. It went fine hahaha.

HR also sought help with the guidelines, so I did my best. I sought help from others too, and we were able to refine the wordy points, make it more easy to read and understand. I cut the bullet points in half, and reworded almost everything. But when the comms went out, it's as if she hadn't asked for help at all haha.

Anyway. This is my current WFH setup. My husband works on the couch outside haha.

Now that the remote time in/out feature has been rolled out, I see myself obsessively checking the database. Querying the numbers, investigating bugs, consolidating missed entries, supporting issues, thinking if the copy on the website is clear enough, wondering why people kept forgetting to log out.

Argh. I've never been this tired working from home. But seeing that more than 75% of our office population has logged in remotely, I'm kindof happy how it's being utilized.

Vlog #16 and what I've been reading...

Can't believe I'm on Vlog #16 lol (by the time I publish this I probably already have Vlog #17 but anyways). Here you go!

And to expound a bit haha...

I dared myself 10 books this year and three weeks ago I just finished my first! A colleague lent me a copy of Educated by Tara Westover that I finished reading in two weeks. That's slow, but considering I didn't finish any book at all last year, that's a big deal! I'm suddenly out of my reading rut haha (hope so)! Educated is not the type of book I'd pick for myself, but because my officemate raved so much about it, I decided to download a sampler from Amazon before deciding to take on the whole text. The book is a memoir written by Tara Westover. In it she recalls her childhood with her family, survivalist Mormons tucked in the mountains of Idaho, up until she decides to enroll in university, leaving her family in pursuit of education.

Her journey is laced with incredulous accounts of violence and mental abuse, of freakish accidents, and unsettling family dynamics. It's also filled with a gripping unraveling of truths she didn't think existed, and of revelations that shattered her to self-invention. Definitely a unique coming of age story.

I didn't expect to love this book. I was so drawn by the writing that despite nothing much happening in the first few chapters, I found myself vividly immersed. A hundred percent will recommend!

So what's next?

Urgh, I hate to go back to reading Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella but I really need to finish it 'cos I want to see how it's gonna redeem itself for having characters so poorly made. I'm almost done and in my head it's still a 2 over 5. The story is cute but the characters are just so blah I'm having a hard time connecting their relationships and their behavior with each other.

• First off, I don't understand how Emma and Lissie call themselves bestfriends when they're so awkward and dishonest with each other.
• Jenina's character is a straight up template
• I don't find Jack Harper romantic. He's a jerk who flirted with his target market for product expansion.
• It was so clear that Emma is a nobody in their company, and yet her officemates suddenly recognized her when Jack Harper starts describing her live on TV, while also spilling her deepest darkest secrets? Apparently, they know her that well?

Let's see how the book ends, I'm so anxious to get over it lol.

How to love healthy eating and exercise even if you detest salads and the gym

For many people, the idea of going on a diet and committing to running five miles every day feels like a massive chore. You have to cut out many of the things that you love in life - like tasty food - in return for what you hope will be better health in the long-run. The problem is that sticking to significant lifestyle changes is hard. Virtually nobody loses weight on a diet and keeps it off long term. It’s just not what we’re biologically programmed to do. If there’s food available, we’ll eat it. It’s as simple as that.

Photo by Anupam Mahapatra

Modern habits, though, are creating a whole host of problems for our health. Sitting down all day and eating junk food is a one-two punch that wrecks our metabolism.

Your ideal biomarkers should be:

• Cholesterol 150 mg/dL
• Blood pressure 120/80
• Blood glucose 75 to 100 mg/DL

Unfortunately, a lot of people are way out of this ideal range, putting them at risk of a host of chronic diseases, like heart disease.

The solution, though, is quite simple - make healthy eating and exercise something that people can enjoy. Some people manage it, and you can too. Here’s what to do.

How To Enjoy Exercise

Enjoying exercise can be a challenge, but it can happen. It’s all about mindset.

Start With Achievable Goals

Don’t start your exercise regime by running marathons or doing two hours of cross-fit every day. You’ll knacker yourself and do whatever you can to avoid more grueling training sessions in the future.

Instead, begin with small, manageable goals. Make sure that your brain gets used to the idea that exercise is a pleasant experience first - something you enjoy - before ramping up the difficulty. Remember, there’s no time limit on this. If it takes you a year to work up to a high level, then so be it. As long as you’re active, you’re on the right track.

Notice How The Rest Of Your Life Gets Easier

As humans, we have an uncanny ability to adapt to the world around us. It doesn’t take five minutes before we’re used to something, whether it’s smartphones or ordering takeaways online.

The same goes for our fitness. When you start exercising, you induce profound changes in your body. All of a sudden, you have more energy to do the things that you want to do. It’s miraculous.

You can, however, adapt to these changes rapidly and, after a while, take them for granted.

Where possible, try to think back to situations before you began exercising that highlighted just how difficult life used to be. Maybe it was walking up stairs or carrying heavy bags of shopping. Whatever it is, try to link real-world experiences to your exercise habits.

How To Enjoy Healthy Eating

Most people can cope with exercise. But eating bland food day after day is intolerable. The good news is that eating things that are good need not be torture. Take a look at the following advice:

Use Fresh Herbs And Spices To Add Flavour

If you look at the types of food that most personal trainers recommend, you’ll see that it is dull and boring. Chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli - not exactly appealing.

It turns out, though, that you can transform even the blandest of meals into something delicious with the right combination of herbs and species. What’s more, these foods may also contain compounds that help you move towards your weight loss and fitness goals faster. Unique chemicals plants produce supercharges your metabolism and foster whole-body health.

Eat Your Favourite Foods - Just Make Them Healthy

If you think that your days of munching on delicious burgers are over, think again. Even on the most Spartan diets, you can still eat your favorite foods.

Photo from Pixabay

Take pizza, for instance. You can easily make a whole spelt flour pizza base, add a homemade tomato sauce made with fresh or canned tomatoes, and then add veggies on top. You still get a delicious meal, even though it doesn’t contain any of the nasties you’d usually have to consume with pizza.

The same goes for burgers. You can make burgers from black beans, oats, and parsley, which actually tastes better than the real thing.

What you want to avoid is the feeling that you’re “going without.” You don’t want to feel like you lack anything in your life, or you might go back to your old ways.

The bottom line is this: eating healthily and exercising doesn’t have to be an ordeal. You can enjoy it, so long as you approach it with the right frame of mind.