Results - 60 Days

I've got the results for the second 30 days of my fitness regime! Now, I've finished 60 days of working out and eating well. I lost:

Day 31-60
4 lbs
Total of 6.25 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

For the whole 60 days:
8 lbs
Total of 12.25 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

Now, I'm gearing up for the last 30 days of training. I'm still following an intense workout rotation which includes daily cardio and strength training at least 4 times a week. I also have to eat well to lower my body fat and be careful now to hit a plateau.

This is the part when my body is most resistant to give up lbs cause I'm now in my 'ideal weight zone'.

Oh yeah!

Random Entry

Isang walang kwentang pangyayari, pero bino-blog pa rin. Bakit kaya? Hahaha!

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Nakakainis may tumatawag dito sa office na 4 times na hinahanap ang Wilkins!
Syempre sa first time, wrong number. Sa second, nakikiusap baka alam daw namin ang number ng Wilkins, sabi ko hindi. E bakit daw yung number namin ang nakalagay sa truck? Ewan ko po, pero hindi po dito yun.

Third time, sabi ko hindi po ito talaga, hindi rin po namin alam.

Fourth time, inaway ako! Pucha!
Sino daw ang manager sa office namin? Sabi ko, kahit sino po ang makausap ninyo, ganon din po ang isasagot. Hindi po talaga namin alam kung anong number ng Wilkins, at kung bakit yun ang nakalagay sa truck. Hindi na po namin pananagutan yon.

Tapos sabi pa, ano bang posisyon mo dyan?! Sabi ko, irrelevant po yon (in a very calm voice). Pero naiinis na ko talaga. Kaya sabi ko, kahit sino pong kausapin nyo e ganon din ang sasabihin. Tatlong beses na po kayong tumawag, na hindi po namin alam so, ganon pa rin po, hindi po magbabago ang sagot namin. Alam nyo po, hindi kayo ang unang tumawag samin na naghahanap ng Wilkins.

Tawag na lang po kayo sa Bayantel. I mean, by this time di ba, nag-eexplore na sya ng ibang means mahanap ang Wilkins kung ganon talaga sya kadesperado mahanap ang Wilkins!

Bwisit! Tapos binabaan ko na sya ng telepono. Sabi ko ok po, babay po, maraming salamat! Babay! Sabay baba. Habang sinasabi ko yun, sabi nya, "Ay bastos ka miss!" Paulit-ulit. Come on! Look whose talking. Kung narinig mo lang, alam mong mas kaya ko pang mambastos kaysa sa ginawa ko. Mabait pa ko nang lagay na yun, kung gusto nya ng bastusan, tumawag sya ulit! Makakatikim sya!

Marami pa kong gagawin no!

Results - 30 Days

I've got the results for the first 30 days of my fitness regime! I lost:

4 lbs
Total of 6 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

Not the amazing results we always see, but I'm not complaining. I'm very happy and inspired! I also feel so strong, and I can complete the workouts with high intensity all throughout.

Now, I'm gearing up for another 30 days of training. I'm following a more intense workout rotation which includes daily cardio and strength training at least 4 times a week.

I need all the support, guys!

Measure Day No. 1

February 24, Sunday, marks the 30th day of my fitness regime.
And it is on that day that I measure myself again after 4 weeks of daily cardio, stretching, a little bit of weight training, and watching my food intake.

I'm doing a minimum of 90 days for my well-researched-but-self-designed system in order to reach my ideal body. Naks naman! How professional kunwari!

Kaya from today until Sunday, I will be doing intense 40-50 minute cardio every morning before I go to work. I will also supplement it with fun-relaxing cardio activities that are 20-minutes or less when I get home.

Good luck to me! Kakaka-kaba naman!
Saka ko na lang ipo-post ng before and after photos, pag nakarating na ko sa 90 days.

Michelle Williams' Statement

FROM The Superficial...

Michelle Williams released the following statement today regarding the death of Heath Ledger. It is the first statement she's made since Heath's body was found last Tuesday in a New York City apartment, according to Reuters:

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him."

The Winter Explorer, part 11

The last leg of our trip is a drive back to London.

It was a long trip but it's a bit interesting cause it was snowing in Calais when we got down to meet with immigration officials.

At this point of the trip, marami nang may sakit, and my Dad had a very bad cold with recurring slight fever. But because we wanted to see London--and because we paid so much for the London visa-- we dragged ourselves and braved the wet, cold London night to see some sights.


This is totally different from the rest of our trip cause we no longer had a tour guide. We took a local bus-yung double deck-- to The London Eye. But London is not as well illuminated as Paris, that's why the only famous building we can see from above is the House of Parliament.

Since we're so tired, wala na kaming pakialam. After the ride, we just got dinner and went back to the hotel to rest and pack.

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The next day... I woke up very early and walked the long halls of our hotel to pick up our breakfast. Nakakatakot nga kasi medyo luma yung hotel at naiimagine ko na bigla na lang may multong haharang sakin! Kumusta naman!

Pero deadma na. Hay... this is the final part. Uuwi na kami! Yehey!

Our flight going home was smooth sailing, no delays or anything. We really enjoyed the nice entertainment console of KLM and the abundant orange juice. I watched Philadelphia (ibang level si Tom Hanks), played Sudoku, Tetris and other games.

Whew... what a trip!

The Winter Explorer, part 10

Paris, at last!

It's the last leg of our tour. The long drives and super cold weather is taking it's toll on everyone. A lot of people are sick; and since we're inside an enclosed bus most of the day, it's easy to pass the virus or get it from anyone. Because of the ongoing drama of fever, coughs and cold, you almost wish for the tour to be done already. But Paris has a lot more to offer, and it's truly worthy of being the finale of this trip.

We arrived in Paris at around 4 pm, after a 500 kilometer drive from Lucerne. We had a very very short glimpse of the Eiffel tower, but it seems to want to hide from us until she is able to put her make-up on for the evening show.

At around 6pm, our group set out to see the City of Lights. Ang masasabi ko lang... wow talaga!

Now I know why so many people say that Paris is "the best city" or that "you can't help but fall in love in/with Paris", all that jazz! E kasi naman, ibang level talaga! The buildings, the streets, the lights, everything--they put on a show for you.

Sabi ni Sharon, there were four engineers who are considered the fathers of Paris. They made sure everything in the city is beautiful. They created ordinances for zoning, planted trees in perfect straight lines, and constructed the streets to form a beautiful intertwined design. The buildings are not just lit, they are lit to show their best assets! Sharon also described the mirror designs of arches of the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, etc. Bawal din daw magconstruct ng high rise buildings. And even the lights in certain streets have to be a uniform color. In short, talagang pinag-isipan at pinaganda.

Military Hospital

Champs Elysees

First stop, the Pantheon. This is where the remains of Leonardo da Vinci, Vitor Hugo, Jean Jacques Rousseau and other French personalities are housed. We had dinner at a small restaurant just a street down the Pantheon. While waiting in line, the bread delivery came in and we could smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked French bread.

For this dinner, the menu was much much more exciting. We were given the chance to choose from 4 appetizers, 4 entries and 6 desserts. Sosyal! I had french onion soup and prawns. My dad had "escargo" (naks!) or in our words, kohol. Super naweirdohan tuloy samin yung mga taga Australia. E di sabi namin, “We eat this all the time!” There were also frog legs ang duck liver pate available.

Escargo

Again, there were entertainers for our dinner. Super funny sila! Compared to the Italian operatic singers, these two were more relaxed. They smiled for the cameras, played funny music and really gave everyone a laugh. The atmosphere of the dinner was great because you finally got to know the people you're touring with. You can easily talk to them, dance with them, after all the small talk and pleasantries you had to endure during the first week of the trip. It was also Sharon's birthday, and of course, it's more reason to celebrate. By the end of the dinner, some people were drunk! Hahaha!

After dinner, we admired the lights of the Louvre Museum, the Military Hospital, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and of course the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower

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The next day, we woke up early to go visit the Eiffel Tower. While waiting in line, the wind started blowing and our whole bodies and faces were frozen in no time. We were huddled so close to keep each other warm, tapos meron ba naman isang group na naniningit sa group namin--mga matatangkad na Russians na hindi nagi-English! Kaya di mo makausap na wag silang maningit.

Grabe itong moment na 'to! Nabwisit si Sharon sa local guide namin kasi hindi nya mi-nakesure na walang sisingit. Tapos medyo inaaway din ni Sharon ang mga naniningit. Pero sumingit pa rin sila. Some of us had to hold hands just to get in as one group.

So, heated na ang eksena... Ayan! After squeezing into the small door to get on the lifts, we were reunited with our group. Ang ginawa nung mga matatangkad na Australian and American guys (Boris, Stephen, Bud, Alex, etc), gumawa sila ng wall to separate our group from the Russian group. Tapos pinapasok muna nila lahat bago nila kinalas ang wall! E di natural nag-cheer kaming lahat, as in inasar namin ang Russian group, yeah! Tapos nung nakapasok na kaming lahat, meron ba naman sa kanila nagtry pumasok kahit masikip na nga! Tinulak sila palabas ng mga tall guys namin! Nagkasigawan pa, muntik magsapakan! Moment talaga kung moment! Pero kami nanalo kaya super cheer na naman kami habang paakyat. Feeling isang team kami for the first time!

So, ayan nasa taas na pala kami! Super onting time lang kami dun, and ang lamig to the max! Hindi na kami masyadong naka-explore kasi ang hirap gumalaw. Kailangan din bumaba agad kasi medyo matagal ang lifts at pag naiwan kami, magaantayan kami sa bus.

2nd level of Eiffel Tower

After Eiffel, tuloy kami sa Louvre Museum.

Sa sobrang laki din ng museum, syempre hindi mo makikita lahat, expected naman yun. Pero thankful pa rin ako kasi we were able to see almost all the really famous pieces. My favorite is the "Winged Victory of Samothrace". It was huge, and so beautiful and graceful.

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Meron kaming local guide na ang hirap intindihin ng English nya. After a while, ayaw mo nang makinig kasi effort talaga maintindihan. AT ANG DAMING TAO!!! Nakaka-claustro, nakaka-stress! Sayang yung experience kasi di mo manamnam yung mga art works, kasi may tao sa likod na nag-aantay sayo matapos. Si Mona Lisa pinipilahan at wala pang 30 seconds kailangan umalis ka na. Super daming bantay, papalayasin ka talaga. Bili na lang kami ng book para mas maintindihan namin.

Rush din kami sa pagkain. Junk food na lang nakain namin--burger, fries, at dun na kami sa inverted pyramid area kumain na nakatayo. Stressful talaga. Can you just imagine? After reading about this sa Da Vinci Code, kakain ka lang pala ng burger dun sa gilid. Hahaha!

Nasanay rin kasi sa mga ibang parts ng tour namin na kami lang ang nandon sa area, like nung Christmas days sa Neuschwanstein at Burano.

Anyway, next stop is Notre Dame Cathedral.
Again... beautiful, majestic, exquisite, breathtaking! Naalala ko tuloy si Quasimodo. Sa labas, hindi mo pa makikita ang kulay ng stained glass, pero pag pasok mo sa loob, wow! Nakakapgod na magdescribe, ayoko na magconstruct ng mga mabulaklak na sentences! There's really nothing compared to seeing it for yourself.

Notre Dame

After the day tour, uwi muna kami. Rest muna, nap, etc. Naglakad lakad lang kami around our hotel, bumili ng fruits, nagrelax. Syempre, nanigas na naman kami agad, kaya di na kami masyadong nagtagal sa labas.

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For our final night, we watched the Moulin Rouge.
It's a show of dance, song, acrobatics, topless divine statuesque ladies with perfect bodies, high kicks, tiny bikinis, and men with perfect abs. Para silang hinulma, mukha silang mga mannequin! Lahat sila pare-parehas ng katawan, super gorgeous dancer's body.

The dances and songs were superb! Even if I didn't understand what they were saying, I easily got caught in the melody. I can still hear the song in my head. The singing, though, it was not for concerts we have here.

Moulin Rouge

Even if the show had topless ladies dancing all night, it was not awkward. Everything was done in good taste. We also noticed that if the lady dancer had bigger boobs, which may be too distracting, she did not go topless.

The intermissions between different sketches were also superb. There were acrobats, a ventriloquist, and a comedian. Oh, I didn’t want it to end! I could have watched them all night! But as always, all good things must come to an end. The Moulin Rouge concert was a perfect way to cap off our tour of Europe.

The Winter Explorer, part 9

After historic Italy, we traveled to Switzerland. The whole day of December 30 was for travel. It's interesting pa rin cause we're going back to seeing snow-capped mountains, and frozen waterfall. We also passed an 18km tunnel. Imagine, parang dalawang Philcoa-Sandigan Bayan na tunnel. Ang tagal namin sa ilalim, kakatakot nga e.

Lake Lucerne

Our next stop is Lucerne, Switzerland. We there by boat, cruising Lake Lucerne. We got to see beautiful views of the lake and of Mt. Pilatus where we'll be going up the next day. Ang ganda ng lake, malamig sa taas! May mga mountains, and may mga magagandang bahay near the lake na may mga sarili pang winery. We were also able to see Richard Wagner's old house which is now a museum.

Lion's Monument

Just before going to the hotel, we visited the Lion's Monument. It's a very moving sculpture of a lion close to dying. It reperesents the soliers who fought to dead during a certain war, sorry nakalimutan ko na.

Because of the very long ride, we just took a rest and ate McDonald’s for dinner.


The next day, December 31, we're set to visit Mt. Pilatus. We dressed in so many layers to be able to handle the cold. First, sumakay kami ng gondola, cable car na 4 lang ang kasya. We got so so so great views going up the mountain. Meron nga mga bahay natatanw na parang di mo na alam kung pano sila nakaka-uwi kasi parang walang road.


After the small gondola ride, we rode another cable car na 40 pax ang kasya. Ang saya kasi pagsakay namin as in wala, zero visibility na! Tapos sabi ni Sharon, meron daw dip. E since di namin makita ang nasa labas, there’s no way of telling kung kailan yung dip. Tapos surprise na, nagdip na! Ang astig pag nagkaka-break sa fog, nakikita namin na super steep pala yung terrain.


When we got to the top, everything was white. As in ang lamig! So, sandali lang kami sa labas, pumasok na kami agad after pictures. Medyo nagkaron ako ng stressful moment dito kasi akala ko nawala ko yung phone ko. Akala ko nahulog ko dun sa gondola. Sabi ko pa sa sarili ko, “Wow, sa Swiss Alps ko pa nawala ng phone ko!”

Our ride going down was more pleasant because the sun was up and the fog cleared a bit. So, the view was much nicer. And I found my phone in the bus!

After Mt. Pilatus, we had lunch at a traditional Swiss restaurant that showcases traditional Swiss music. We had cheese fondue, and bavarian sausage with potatoes. And our dessert is ice cream with the swiss flag pa.


Na-try pa namin yung Alp horn and yodelling. Maganda yung music kasi super folk music tala. Tapos ang dami nilang instruments, merong saw, merong coin sa bowl, ek ek. Siguro walang magawa sa mountains ang mga swiss noon.

After lunch, we walked around Lucerne, did some shopping. Not much cause since it’s New Year’s Eve, the shops closed at 4pm, and not to mention napakamahal! We also passed the historcial Chapel Bridge, na 300 years old na yata. Ang saya kasi there were swans and nice birds swimming, ang sarap mag-picture. We even saw some crazy groups who jumped in the icy river.

We just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and got ready for our New Year's Eve dinner.

Next entry: Paris

The Winter Explorer, part 8

Florence

The last stop for our tour of Italy is Florence. Its local name is Firenze kaya naaalala ko tuloy yung centaur sa Harry Potter.

Before going to the city proper, we stopped at a viewing area to get a group photo of all the participants of the tour. We also got to take panaramic shots of Florence. Belissima!

I find Florence so homey. It's really really nice. It's the birthplace of the Rennaisance and home to three of the best artists of that period--Michaelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. Pero ang pinakabida sa kanilang paningin ay si Michaelangelo. Di nila type si Leonardo kasi mas nagstay si Leonardo sa France at medyo war sila ni Michaelangelo. According to Michaelangelo, sculpture is the highest form of art. Sabi naman ni Leonardo, it's painting. So, ayan... rivals sila!

The highlight of our visit to Florence is a tour of The Accademia Gallery. Bawal na naman magphoto--but it really worked out well cause we had a very good local guide--so feel na feel mo na naman ang history.

We saw works like The Rape of a Sabine Woman by Gambologna. This piece is specifically made by the sculptor not for his interest with the topic but simply to compete with Michaelangelo.

Next we saw the works of Michaelangelo. He only sculpts Carara marble. The first set we saw are called "slaves" because they look like they're trapped with their limbs still unsculpted. Ang nangyari daw dito, ki-nomission ng isang Pope si Michaelangelo to do a really big piece. So ito naman si Michaelangelo nagplan mag sculpt ng mga around 20+ pieces na mga higanteng tao, mga apostles yata plus other characters. E nagbago ang isip ng Pope, nafrustrate ngayon si Michaelangelo! Syempre, di na nya tinapos!

Nandon din ang 2nd Pieta na ginagawa nya at di natapos. Isa pa 'to sa mga frustrations ni Michaelangelo kaya one night e nagalit sya sinira nya! Nabiyak biyak ang leg ni Jesus Christ. Critics also say na may gumalaw ng sculpture na to kasi may mga imperfections.

All the while na dini-discuss ng guide namin ang mga unfinished works ni Michaelangelo, we can see from the far distance the magnificent David. We had to concentrate really hard from turning our heads to see David.

Grabe, the sculpture is so magnificent. As in magkaka-crush ka talaga kay David. He's so handsome and his body is in perfect symmetry and form. Michaelangelo chose to sculpt David right before he throws the stone to Goliat--a contrast to convention of sculptures showing David already defeating Goliat.

The details of the sculpture are really superb. Pati yung mga veins sa kamay nya kitang-kita, the abs, mga curls sa buhok, yung kuko, and the intense stare of pure concentration. Dahil sobrang tangkad at ganda, nakanganga lang kami talaga lahat.

Sa sobrang bigat ni David, nagsa-struggle na ang ankles nya.

Dapat daw sa church sya ilalagay pero when Michaelangelo unveiled the sculpture, nashock ang simbahan because Michaelangelo chose to focus on the human part, the anatomy and the heroic side of David. He did not portray David as a follower of Christ. Kaya ayun sa labas na lang sya.

St. Mary of the Flower

After the Accademia, we went to see St. Mary of the Flower Cathedral. It's really a beautiful church. Its primary colors are pink, green and white. Just like a the rest of the churches we've seen throughout this trip, it's also full of details and sculptures.

Lakad lakad lang kami around, at super dami talagang arts stuff--sculptures, fountains, etc. We proceeded to Piazza de Sta. Croce and that's where we met our tour director. Malapit na nila kaming pakawalan to shop! Hahaha! Ang mga primary goods kasi sa Florence ay leather and something else na di ko na matandaan! Our whole group went to Peruzzi--the premiere leather good store the whole of Italy. We saw a demonstration of gold casting on leather. From Peruzzi, I bought a leather jacket, my mom bought one too; my dad, shoes and my sister a briefcase. Investment ko na yun kasi panghabambuhay naman ang leather. Ooooh! It's so soft!

After shopping, we just rested at the piazza. It's nice to watch the people just walking around. There were fellow tourists who were taking photos of the church while the sun was setting. There were also a group of young boys playing soccer/football.

At dahil sa nadistract na kami sa pagsho-shop nakalimutan namin pumasok dun sa small museum sa tabi ng Sta. Croce. Nandun pa naman ang tombs ni Michaelangelo and Dante. Oh well.

Our dinner that night did not include any singers--thank you very much! It was still your traditional Italian dinner na super tagal at super dami, but we were glad to use this time to bond with our fellow tour participants. It's really nice to talk with them, learning about their countries and sharing things about the Philippines too.

Ciao ciao ciao Italia! We're off to Switzerland!

The Winter Explorer, part 7

After the visit to St. Peter's Basilica, we went to a gift shop where we bought lots of rosaries, books on Rome and The Vatican, etc. I bought a rosary for myself and Momon. They had it blessed inside, then they delivered it to the hotel.

It's already around 1130 and we rushed off to see the Trevi Fountain. It's the famous fountain where you throw coins and make a wish. Ganito raw: you hold the coin in your right hand, then throw it over your left shoulder. Pag gusto mong mag-asawa, 2 coins. Pag naman gusto mong makipaghiwalay, 1 coin. Nagjo-joke yung mga kasama namin na mga single na limang coins daw ang ihahagis nila! Hahaha.

Trevi Fountain

After some pictures, we had a good lunch of pizza and gelati. Sarap!

We walked a good distance again to see The Pantheon. It's a huge temple with really tall columns, and ancient writings. It's lucky to have survived any disaster, war destruction, etc. It's a dome with only one whole on top--the only light source for the whole structure. The light from the hole, cast into the dome walls, moves around everyday. It is precisely in the same spot as the hole every August 15. Dito yata binase and Julian Calendar. Also, Rafael's tomb is inside the Pantheon. O di ba! Sosyal!

The Pantheon

The Pantheon

After The Pantheon, we went to see Piazza Navonna. Sayang kasi nire-reconstruct and main fountain kaya may harang na tarps and scaffoldings. Mabilis lang kami dito kasi wala naman masyadong nangyayari.

We rode the bus again for our final destination--The Colosseum!
O wow! It's really a dominating structure! Imagine, to build something like that in those days! With all the videos about the Colosseum--Gladiator, Rome of HBO--it's like living in a movie! Feel na feel mo ang history!

The Colosseum

Yun palang word na arena is derived from the word "rena" meaning sand. Kasi once nagpatayan na yung mga tao and animals doon, they needed something to cover and absorb the blood immediately. They didn't have time to wash it, at super baho. So, they used sand! And yun na ang naging pangalan--arena!

Yung arena mismo, wala na yung flat surface. Nakikita na yung mga compartments sa ilalim where they house the animals and the gladiators. Our guide said that it took so much money holding games--with all the exotic animals they had to import from different countries, etc!

Hay.. Roma! I guess that's really the feeling you get in Rome--everything is ancient. You can't help imagining the people of those times roaming around, walking the same streets, building the structures--standing in the exact places where you're currently standing. I kept on touching the stones, the walls, para I get a feeling of history that I can take with me.

For dinner, we went out again to a restaurant where there's a soprano and a tenor to serenade us. Maypagka-Tito-Vic-and-Joey lang ang pair na ito. Mas focused sila sa pagpapatawa kaysa sa pangkanta. Meron pa silang style na kunwari aakitin nung girl yung mga lalaki tapos papagalitan sya ng guy, tapos hahabulin sya ng kawali--all while singing in their operatic voices! Meron ding mga musical instruments na pinapa-play sa mga visitors, nakakatawa pero chaos talaga. Hahaha! AND! At the last moment---nagbenta sila ng CD! Arruy!

Arrivederci Roma!