Woman Elan Vital | Davao Lifestyle Blog | Celebrating Midlife Milestones

Hi ladies, you know Pamela Satran? That Glamour List columnist? She had this list and I felt I should share as it just knocked me off while on my way to school. Heck, when should I be learning by heart and soul No. 1.

How to walk away from a dirty kitchen.
When it’s business, not personal.
How to look in the mirror and, despite the extra 15 pounds, the egg on your shirt, and the P30 haircut, THINK YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!
When it’s better just not to talk about it.
How to take out your anxiety on a boxing.
Why it’s not your job to make everybody else happy.
How to believe you can drive a stickshift, build shed, climb a mountain, or start a business, even if you’ve never tried it before.
How to believe the horoscope only when it’s good.
Why it’s okay to be friends and competitors at the same time.
How to forget a birthday and trust they’ll love you anyway.
When it’s just about sex, and why that might be okay.

OKAY?

The number of women opting to have a boob job has been on the rise lately, with a whopping 35% increase in the number of operations since 2012. In the USA it’s thought that as many as one in three women have had a boob job. The increase is so large, that all the implants used could fill the whole of an Olympic sized pool. That’s a huge number of implants if you consider that each one is only the size of a burger bun. So why this sudden increase in breast enlargements?

Believe it or not, most women are not looking for a Katie Price, glamour model sized breast. According to mya.co.uk the average enlargement is only two cups, so women are choosing a much more subtle, natural looking breast. As the boob job becomes more and more socially acceptable, the reasons for women turning to surgery are becoming more personal. It’s no longer a vanity mission, with women looking for career worthy breasts, it seems to be more a way of dealing with long standing insecurities.

Many women have reported that their motivations for choosing a boob job started with feeling flat chested and insecure with their bodies. A surprising number of women are turning to the operation following child birth, with the act of breast feeding causing the breasts to sag or shrink. Many women have spoken out about how they used surgery to give themselves a fuller upper breast, to match the shape and size of their boobs when pregnant. The number of post birth boob jobs is on the increase.

As boob jobs are becoming more acceptable in the wider society, it seems that more women who are unhappy with the shape and size of their breasts are feeling confident enough to do something about it. The surgery is no longer seen as an act of vanity, but as a way to rid long standing insecurities and gain more basic body confidence. Perhaps it’s also a greater understanding and more discussions of the topics that have caused the inflation in the boob job market.

A boob job operation involves the patient being put under general anesthetic. The surgeon will cut the breasts in a choice of areas, most women choose across the nipple as it’s less visible. Implants are then inserted that create the desired size.

Increased support is needed if families are to fully recover from the impact of Typhoon Bopha on their livelihoods, Save the Children says.

A year after the category 5 typhoon – the highest category for a storm – the children’s aid agency says tens of thousands are still struggling to find work to feed their families. The Typhoon, which struck on 4 th December 2012, affected over six million people and left nearly 2000 dead or missing.

The storm caused widespread damage to agriculture, which account for the livelihoods of 80 per cent of the residents in the affected area. The Filipino government’s disaster agency estimates a loss of over US$700 million in agricultural damage, including bananas, coconuts, rice and maize.

“The job that aid agencies need to fulfil shouldn’t stop at immediate relief,” said Tom Howells, Team Leader for Save the Children’s Bopha Recovery Program. “But many are forced to end their projects as there is little to no funding available for long-term rehabilitation of livelihoods. Our worry is that these families will no longer be able to send their children to school, provide nutritious foods and a protective home environment once aid stops.

” Save the Children conducted two livelihoods projects in the Bopha-affected areas, unconditional cash grants for vulnerable families and cash-for-work to rehabilitate schools. Roselyn Cabatlao, 34, was one of the program’s beneficiaries in Davao Oriental after her family lost their only source of income – a coconut plantation – in the storm. It will take them at least seven more years to get back on their feet as coconut trees take about eight years to mature.

“I can see there are still many families here that do not have stable income because many of our coconuts have been damaged by the typhoon,” she said. Through income generated from Save the Children’s cash-for-work program, Roselyn is now able to buy food, vitamins and condiments for her children. The mother of three was also given the tools and seeds to plant vegetables in their backyard for consumption and income. The vegetables and direct nutrition interventions helped Roselyn’s son, Jericho, to recover from severe acute malnutrition. “Families like Roselyn will be left to their own devices once aid agencies leave. We have given them the basic tools to sustain themselves, but it will be years before Roselyn harvests coconuts again and builds a sturdy house for her family,” said Tom Howells.

Save the Children responded to the needs of affected families in Typhoon Bopha, delivering an integrated package of child protection, education, health and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, disaster preparedness in schools, food security and livelihoods in Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. Overall, the children’s aid agency has reached about 138,000 people.

Save the Children has spokespeople available for interviews. Please contact Lynette Lim, Communications Manager for Save the Children at lynette.lim@savethechildren.org or +63 9152622601.

Finding the best gifts for everyone on your list can be a challenge. Delivering a present that you know they will love is part of the joy of giving. There are so many gifts to choose from, and selecting the right one means knowing your recipient well.

The Foodie Chef

If your recipient loves to cook, kitchen gadgets are always a great choice. A set of knives, new pastry bags and stand mixers will wow your recipient. For the foodie, go for gift certificates for exotic cuisine, a membership to a wine club or a gift card to their favorite restaurant. There is a full menu of wonderful gifts for foodies.

Colorful ring set for the fashionista

The Fashionista

The best gift for the fashionista is one that complements her extensive wardrobe. Accessories like earrings with synthetic diamonds, bracelets and rings make great gifts. Scarves, stylish gloves and sweaters are always a hit. Men love stylish ties, watches and leather bracelets. Shopping for the person who loves to shop is always a challenge, but you can usually find the right fashion-forward gifts that they will love.

The Sports Fan

It shouldn't be hard to find the right gift for the sports fan. Score gifts emblazoned with the team logo for the must-have gift. Jerseys, hats and mugs are great for the fan who feels like he's part of the team. Tailgating accessories like folding chairs, grills and logo tents are always welcome on game day. Golf lovers love custom tees and bags. Customized sports apparel will surprise and delight your recipient.

The Creative

If your recipient loves to paint, scrapbook or do crafts, you can find the perfect gifts at your local crafts store. Paint brush caddies, scrapbooking kits and specialty papers are lovely gifts for the creative crafter. A leather journal makes an excellent gift for a writer, while musicians will appreciate new music stands and books. Any gift that will help your recipient create new artistic works will be a welcome gift for the holidays.

Animal Lovers

Fun fish tanks, dog paw print necklaces and animal print socks make wonderful gifts for pet pals. You can find whimsical gifts like cat inspired shot glasses, weiner dog vinegar bottles and cat ear headphones that every animal lover will appreciate. Giving the best gift is half the fun. By knowing what your recipient will love, you can give a gift that they will cherish for years to come.

The ever-changing food scene in Davao City has brought in so many food variations that were welcomed with so much eagerness and excitement by discerning Davaoeno palate, the latest addition – Blue Post Boiling Crabs and Shrimps.

Blue Post is not new to Davao, it used to be a famous casual bar with good food and homey billiards where friends can come around to eat and wind down after the day’s work. However, with so many restaurants budding around, Blue Post relaunches itself with an innovative concept patterned after the famous Boiling Crab in the US in which diners would line up, waiting patiently for their seafood order that’s being placed in a boiling bag and scrapheap on top of the dining table. Using their bare hands, diners would relish and dig in the bag for their seafood cooked with special sauce.

BLUE POST BOILING CRABS AND SHRIMPS: DAVAO’S SPICY AND SAUCY SEAFOOD DESTINATION

Anthony and Jen Ang

The owners, Anthony and Jen Ang having seen diners enjoy the ‘messy-finger licking’ meal thought it would be a perfect new dining experience they can offer Davaoenos.

Soon after, we had a chance to experience this ‘messy-finger licking’ seafood meal and was a bit in wonder to see tables lined with glassine papers with no plates, spoons and forks on top of it at all. Evidently, this type of casual dining eliminates the formality of using spoons and forks which apparently; the way crabs and shrimps should be eaten, shouldn’t it?

They offer a variety in their menu but crabs, mussels and shrimps cooked the way your sauce you wanted it to be is their so-called banner meal spread.

And this is how it will go. When you finally selected which seafood to eat, choices of crab, mussels, shrimp or mix, you’ll be asked how you’d prefer it cooked, fried or boiled, either way, you then have to choose how your Cajun sauce would fare – regular, mild or screaming spicy hot. I’m not wired for piquant flavors so our table decided to go for mild spiciness.

After a few minutes our order came in steaming food grade boiling bag and was dumped on top of our table, and since there’s no plate, spoons and fork, you get to have your hands ready at the wash area and be ready for the boodle-fight sort of meal. And oh, please don’t forget to get yourself a crab bib, the wait staff would be happy to have it looped for you, love that food accessory, it come so useful not to mess your top up.

We had;

Fried Garlic Crab [you can also have this boiled in Cajun sauce, regular, mild or extra spicy.]

Boiled shrimp in Cajun sauce [you can opt for an add-on of corn in a cob, potatoes or sausages]

Hot and Spicy Mussels with succulent and plump meat.

Garlic Fried Garlic Tuna is one on the list you shouldn’t miss for the world. It’s fried spot-on giving the tuna meat a perfect texture of crispiness on the outside yet juicy and flavorful on the inside. It’s served with generous fried garlic on top making it the best fried tuna I’ve ever had.

They also have garlic chicken wings. If you’re bringing kids with you, they won’t normally eat the crabs in spicy sauce, a good option then.

Halo-halo for dessert. I was looking for the crashed ice, they say it’s there I can’t see it, but I can savor it. The impeccable combination of the conventional halo-halo fixings and the right amount of cream they put in it, make it melt in your mouth to perfection. So good!

Should we be proud of our messy table? Yes, because we surely had enjoyed our hot, spicy and saucy meal, it was so good. I will be back.

Blue Post Boiling Crabs and Shrimps will open on December 8, 2013; it will be a perfect venue for your family, friends and office Christmas blow-out. If you love crabs and shrimps, having it cooked with extra zest and twists, would definitely let you love it more.

I highly recommended it!

BLUE POST BOILING CRABS & SHRIMPS
J.P. Laurel Ave. Bajada, Davao City
Tel. Nos. (082) 221.83.60
Email Add: blueposts@aagroup.com.ph

The collared golf shirt seems to have become the standard uniform for anyone making an appearance on teeing ground. For most observers, golf is the one sport that seems to allow participants to wear an individualized uniform that allows for personal style. Players can wear any color shirt they choose paired with a variety of bottoms like shorts, slacks or knickers and not violate any kind of dress code.

Peter Millar Women's Golf Shirts

Most do not realize that golf shirts are specifically a sport designated garment because of their cooling qualities. Players need to be perspire without the worry of sweat-soaked clothing becoming too heavy and affecting their game. Golf shirts are made from moisture wicking fabrics and take sweat quickly to the outer surface of the shirt where it evaporates. When a golfer is not disturbed by drenched clothing or clammy skin, he is able to better focus on playing.

Peter Millar golf shirts offer enough varieties to cater to personal favorites. These shirts are made from mercerized cotton or comfy stretch jersey material. There is also a couple of varieties on the Polo classic with knit collars. The satin washed polo has a shorter length for those who do not like to tuck and a trimmer waist for better body contouring. This best seller also features shorter Raglan sleeves for a more contemporary look.

The chance to choose a golf shirt seems to also be a chance to make a style statement. Knowing that the standard shirt is engineered to control moisture leaves the buyer free to focus on other features for purchasing. The range of colors and style elements available gives golfers a lot of room to just be themselves.

Lazada.com.ph, the leading and biggest online shopping mall in the Philippines, is extending 15% off on all items to Visa (credit or debit) cardholders of all banks. This event is on December 12, 2013 from 2 to 4 p.m. It is part of Lazada’s Online Revolution, known to be the biggest online sale’s event in the Philippines.

To enjoy this exclusive discount, customers need to checkout using their Visa card and the markdown will be applied automatically. How much easier and more festive can your shopping experience get?

12/12/13: LAZADA’S BIGGEST ONLINE SALE OF THE YEAR

Imagine buying a brand new iPhone 5C less 15% discount! Apart from the Visa deal, almost 5,000 items in the site are discounted up to 80% off! Brands such as Sony, Apple, Acer, Samsung, Casio, Tomato, TRESemmé, Pond’s, Wimpex, and more are up for grabs! With such incredible deals and massive discounts, shoppers can purchase all of their holiday treats in the comfort of their homes. No need to rush and brave the holiday traffic!

During the two-hour Visa sale, cardholders can choose from a huge selection of more than 36,000 items, plus a whole lot more other sensational promotions—irresistible bundles and gifts, great gadgets on sale, and as much as PhP3,000 in savings through Lazada’s fireworks of vouchers!

Online shoppers better be ready for this amazing shopping frenzy and these tremendous holiday bargains! With fantastic deals on consumer electronics, household items, toys and knick-knacks, fashionable pieces, and health and beauty finds, you’re sure to find the best gifts for this season.

Log on to Lazada.com.ph and have a merry, jolly good ho-ho-ho-holiday!

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is the Philippines’ largest online shopping mall, pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient, and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion, and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping solutions with its multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments, and free returns.

If you want to find a gift for a woman fast and you aren't too worried about making her jaw drop or ensuring that she will love the gift, you can walk into any jewelry store at the shopping mall. They will sell you a standard pearl necklace or perhaps a bracelet with what look like perfect pearls. Your recipient will smile, thank you and walk away with something new.

If you are more concerned about finding a gift that your recipient will truly appreciate and love, then you have to give more thought to the jewelry you select. The white pearls you pick up at random jewelry stores are nice, but they are no longer enough to impress most women. This is especially true of women who know the other options currently available.

9-10mm Tahitian South Sea Pearl Bracelet

In order to give a gift of pearls that does impress the special woman in your life, look for something more exotic or out of the norm. Look for pearls that do not match all the others in her jewelry box. When she opens that gift box and sees something that she could not have thought to ask you for, she will spend more time admiring your gift, wearing your gift, and thanking you for your gift.

How do you make pearls something extraordinary or unexpected? You look for Tahitian pearls. These pearls are about the same size as the standard white pearls you are used to purchasing, but that is where the similarities end. These pearls have darker, metallic colors and are among the most unusual looking pearls available on today's market.

Color Selections

If you thought pearls only had one possible color, it is time to visit a jewelry store or click here for more information on these unique pearls. You can select from bracelets and necklaces that have multi-colored pearls or those that have one color of pearl. These colors are shiny and intriguing like white pearls, but they are much darker and the shades are unexpected.

Some of the colors you will see in this type of pearl include the following: Purple Blue Silver Gold Black There are different shades for each of these colors, and they look stunning when combined in a single piece of jewelry.

Explore the Market

Before you rush into your local mall to pick up another strand of white pearls, look at what is now available on the market. You will find many pieces that your special lady will love online, and these options are quite different from what you may see shopping at the local mall.

On the opening of the ad.

First of all, wearing high-heeled shoe has impending health hazard on women’s vertebral. It’s a proven medical theory that wearing high-heeled shoes can cause hip and spine misalignment. Secondly, women know exactly the truth about this as there’s no woman in this capitalist world, whether how pricey the shoe her foot has on had not complained of pain at all, but all for the sake of the so-called femininity and butt-sway, women endured, thinking - to be beautiful is painful. And to mitigate this discomfort, Science has been exploited by various shoe designers to lessen the pain. The odd news is that, the more comfortable you stand on your toes, the more expensive the shoe would be. Lastly, it is also a rich domain of never ending debate of sexual politics.

Anyway, so, this ad has been circling around and as I write its views is now close to 3.5M and now goes viral in social media and has raked various commentaries from different gender categories. I must say congratulations to the ad team, you deserve a raise.

This is quiet my subject matter and I just love to share what I have in mind about labels and stereotypes.

In the beginning, I was really in full gears to pushing gender equality, a concept commonly understood as all human categories should be given equal treatment and opportunities. But as I accumulated age and had seen the world, somehow my worldview has shifted from ideological to something more practical, that gender equality should not just be the determining agenda to giving everyone equal chances but rather gender uniqueness should be given more emphasis as it speaks of the strengths and weaknesses of every individual, hence, should be nurtured, valued and respected.

I have always been so prejudice about corporations’ advertisements insinuating double standards, subtle and blatant divides in gender. In fact, it is the corporations, the capitalist world that intensify all of these labels and stereotypicals. We may not be aware of it and women may feel it to be just so natural, but beauty culture in this time and space is constructed in such a way that once a woman get to begin a shampoo/conditioner routine there’s no way she can reverse the process, she can only change brand and scent.

In the end, this is still a brand awareness campaign of Pantene and moreso, its sales.

Have you bought their shampoo and conditioner set lately? Or have you gotten yours free at a subscription site? I bet you did hope winning a diamond jewelry set in that promo lately, didn’t you? Or maybe I'll come up with a review of their product with ingredients I cannot even pronounce very soon. You see, even someone as empowered still gets to dance with the music.

Here watch it!

When you are looking for the perfect gift for a special friend or a loved one, a gemstone is often the perfect choice. Whether the occasion involves an engagement, anniversary, birthday or anything else you want to celebrate, you want to find the right gift. If you want to give someone jewelry and prefer visiting stores in person, you might need a little help finding the right store.

Companies such as Shane Co. offer many services, one-of-a-kind and exquisite products, including a jewelry store locator to help you feel more comfortable with your purchase. Seeing things in the store might be more beneficial to you, so you can see what the item really looks like.

If you live in or around Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah or Washington, you will find a hands-on retail experience that will exceed your hopes and expectations.

Once you visit the company's website and find your closest location, click on the "store hours" and "contact store" buttons for more information about visiting the store and what to expect. Once you arrive at the store, you will meet with friendly jewelry professionals who hold invaluable information and are there to help you find the perfect piece of jewelry or engagement ring. Enjoy the ideal setting and experience of viewings the rings in the showrooms, under the perfect lighting conditions. The customer-appreciative sales staff will help you translate how the ring looks in the show room to how it will look under daily conditions.

Got myself two gadgets this Christmas, a midrange Alcatel idol mini cellphone that I hope can withstand drops and throws, hahaha #alamna. It’s also not too pricey (P5,999) for the up-to-the-minute specs most useful for bloggers like me and most of all I won’t be hurting like a baby robbed of its toy when I happen forget or leave it somewhere else and worst someone would pocket it in a swift.

I’m not good at reviewing gadgets but so far it’s been working just perfectly fine. It runs on Android 4.2, the camera has 5megapixel resolution, 1.3 GHz Dual Core, wifi/3g, (my husband said why not LTE? Well, these telecoms are still enjoying its novelty so definitely it is expensive, besides this current set-up serves my basic requirements so why speed up life) it loads two sims, I’m on Globe prepaid and Sun prepaid. (No postpaid, these Telco’s billing system sometimes, if not most of the time sucks and I just don’t want to exhaust my energy staging unrest with the people at the telco counter.)

I’m pretty certain months from now this will be handed to other good hands and there will be new coming up. I love my life!

And then, there’s my Smart Pocket Wifi. My iPad does not have a 3g feature so I can’t use it while I’m on the road, though I don’t often connect to internet while on mobile, I figured there might be times when this will come useful so I thought I should get one of these.

So ladies what have you got yourself this year end? Love to hear it with your comments below. Thank you.

With so much honor and humility, I am thanking the beautiful people behind Davao Blog Awards 2013 for judging Woman-ElanVital.com as Best Lifestyle Blog for the year 2013. I had this blog in 2010, my second after my first blogger blog and I never have expected that my then pastime outlet of my Masters’ coursework in Gender Studies would lead me into something greater and wider.

Also in November my article WHY THIS WOMAN IS PRO RH BILL has landed me a nomination as Blogger of the Year to the 2nd Globe Davao Media Excellence Awards. I wasn’t able to bag the award though, TheTravelTeller.com did, but being among the row of nominees as exemplary bloggers of Davao is more than an honor enough.

I would also share this award with you my beautiful readers for constantly inspiring me to become the noblest blogger that I am.

To the women of the world, let us inspire one another to become the first-rate versions of ourselves. Let our elan vital, our inner force flow and keep our channels open for greater and grander prospects that will come knocking our way.

Thank you so much for believing in me, MERRY CHRISTMAS and have a GLORIOUS NEW YEAR!

Globe Telecom in Davao has recently inaugurated their modern, minimal, stylish and elegant corporate office at the 7th Floor of Abreeza Corporate Center along JP Laurel Ave. This transformative initiative is in line with the telecom’s evolving commitment to provide a sound and good working environment for their employees.

DOT Asst. Secretary, Art Boncato and Davao City Tourism Office OIC, Lisette Marquez who was representing the mayor, did the inaugural cutting of the ribbon.

GLOBE DAVAO MOVES TO A NEW CORPORATE OFFICE

This regional office draws inspiration from the Globe Tower, the main headquarters in Bonifacio Global City. It’s designed to help turn the Globe circle of happiness – a Globe’s corporate philosophy and culture that believes in the idea that happy and engaged employees will always find ways to keep customers delighted. “We would like to empower our people by providing them the work tools, environment and culture that enhance collaboration and innovation,” Globe President & CEO, Ernest Cu said.

The whole office has minimal colors with low partitions in it, designed so for easy passage of communication and cooperation. Not a bulk of traditional computers you can see around, just a small laptop, a small mirror for some and very minimal employees effects on the desk. It is so, because this office utilizes a centralized Google application system where everything is stored and retrieved in a cloud schema, a kind of online productivity that is not only efficient and convenient, it is also an environment-friendly corporate practice. Moreso, information is readily available 24/7, flexible and adaptable; hence, customer support can be delivered in no time at all.

This premier building where the office is located was designed aligned with the leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) standards, utilized natural lighting outline which according to GLOBE, one of the fulfillments of the company’s commitment to corporate sustainability.

I must say that Globe employees are really kind of lucky. Each got an ergonomically-designed Herman Miller Chair. I figured it’s the most comfortable office chair in the world as it’s designed to adapt naturally to virtually every shape of the body. From what I know, this chair allows you to maintain your healthy sitting alignment, therefore, it decreases stress and strain in the body from long periods of sitting. Awesome!

Friends from the media chilling at the office pantry, love it here even if the coffee is not free, lol, they actually have a life-size coffee vendo machine here, your choice of blend.

For your GLOBE TELECOM concerns visit their new office at the
7th Floor, Abreeza Corporate Center,
JP Laurel Ave., Davao City.
www.globe.com.ph

My 2013 can be summed up to be awesome and humbling. I have met great people that exhibited the qualities that I know would make them my good friends – they’re crazy and fun. Some of my laid plans in 2013 weren’t materialized though, but those were the things that I know won’t work out at the moment as they’re beyond the bounds of my powers and resources, like working on world peace, lol.

But generally, 2013 went beautifully nutty. I call it so as life isn’t always a bed of roses, especially when you’re feeding three mouths and running around to make ends meet paying utilities. Sometimes it’s also a row of multi-colored ‘baho-baho’ and patches of ‘makahiya’. But seriously, right now I’m up with my five major life design project. Well, life experts suggest that you have to make your devices clear so you can work your way to accomplishing it.

So here, I hope I can pull this all together.

Goal #1

Get to walk and feel the Charles Bridge. Read am.bi.tious /amˈbiSHəs/. Hahahaha. I’m a crazy devotee of anything Praha. There’s something about the red roofs of this European city that draw me like a bee to a flower. Moreso, the Charles Bridge. I have read practically all Literature that has mentioned this bridge; watch countless of movies even Korean Dramas that made this viaduct a backdrop.

I want to be here not just a sightseer that take selfies of all sorts and angles but a traveller that can feel beyond the bricks and bones of this somewhat ominous structure that haunt me since the moment I swore to be a disciple of Kundera and Kafta.

Goal #2

Get to experience the wonders of Cherry Blossom. I know this ‘hana’ represent a thick cultural milieu of the Japanese people, it’s written all over. But to get into the place of the actual cultivar and to experience why it metaphored the ephemerality and the beauty of life - can definitely get me to the last of my goals in 2014.

Goal #3

Reliving my creatives. Precisely why our civilization has advanced to where we are today. Our forefathers had used their imagination, they solve problems, they look at things in new ways, they make stuff from nothing, they dream, they explore, they fantasize and most of all they make it happen.

I don’t want to be just a consumer in my lifetime; somehow, in whatever way possible I can manage to get my fifth goal done and that at the end of my life at the gates of heaven when I stand before God, I can proudly say, ... 'Lord, I've exhausted every single bit of talent and I've used everything you gave me and have lived my humanity you've expected of me' ... [and hopefully I get a chance to choose what kind of life to live in my second life, if there's such a thing]

Goal #4

Get on to a top of a lighthouse in Batanes. There’s something about this idea that’s borne so beautifully mysterious to me. I can’t get settled with my fifth goal not until I get to feel that kind of cagy, wonderfully eerie force that I thought I would be feeling when I get there, or would I really be feeling that? I’m beginning to sound odd, Am I? I plan to get there in times where others dread to go - storm season. And I should be travelling – alone! Gaaahhh, I can now feel my gut churning. But I think I just have to trust Stephen King saying that, the scariest moment is always before you start.

I’m doing a self pep talk right now … ‘do it now or you’ll be too old and regret it for the rest of your life’.

Goal #5

Write my manuscript. I have been writing since I can remember. But I write to get paid and to get my client’s messages across in compositions following their terms and jargons. I hope I can put all my stances together and get my pages in press.

I also take this opp to thank my mentor-priest for believing in me that even before I can get started assumed I had my manuscript done. Thank you for being the unforgiving editor that you are. Your green pen ink that crushes all that I wrote that signals me to start all over again is just awfully painful – seriously, it hurts the bird brain in me … arrgghh! But you always say, ‘you can write better than this.’

I told myself before, someday I will write a book and I’m taking my mentor’s word – today, is my someday.

What’s your goal? It would be my honor if you could share your aspirations with me this 2014.

Let’s get our elan vital flowing!

You probably already know it, but punk rock never goes out of style, so you never need to worry about finding the right clothes to buy to suit your lifestyle. When you browse the catalog of shops like Angry, Young and Poor, you will find what you are looking for and more.

Find mint condition leather jackets, exquisitely charming spike collars bracelets and more, as well as studs, punk shirts, Doc Martens and so much more. You will fit seamlessly into the punk rock crowd at the local clubs, as well as at the mom and pops record stores that you love visiting.

Soul Stealer Peep Toe Platform by Iron Fist

If you are a music aficionado and a vinyl purist, never fear; you will find plenty of 7" records to add to your collection, as well as vinyl albums.

In addition to classic punk fashions and music, find all types of items to support the world of punk and keep it living on for many generations into the future. Take a minute to check out the hot and cold tumblers, Rum-scented after shave, iPhone cases and so many other clever items you might not have expected to stumble upon in a punk rock shop.

Browse the collection of posters and other art work that you can add to your collection. With pieces like a fabric posters, music and band posters, political posters and posters from punk rock, or punk rock-inspirational, films, you will find something to decorate your home or office space to remind yourself of your punk rock roots at any time.

Hi there fellas, I’m hoping you’ve started your 2014 with a really big bang! We don’t have those rockets and fireworks bursting above our heads on New Year here in Davao City, but we have other ways of celebrating loudly – we just blow our lungs out loud to make noise to drive those bad lucks away.

And to make that even merrier the City Government sponsored the first ever ‘Torotot Festival’. It’s not official yet though, but we hope we’ve break the world record for most number of people blowing party horns altogether. And by the stats of it, seems like 7 thousand and more people gathered along Roxas Blvd. on Tuesday blowing their horns up to usher 2014 – made it to Guinness. Congrats!

But wait, the fun did not end there. I really hope you’ve saved something for another big event happening in the city in March. If you love shopping, this event is perfectly tailored for you. Davao is coming up with a BIG DAVAO FUN SALE set on March 14 to April 16, 2014.

You guys still have plenty of time to save up resource and grab your marked items on the shelves.

Bring it on 2014!

Many parents with small children like to be able to visit a fitness center to workout. However, they don't want to go to the trouble of hiring an expensive babysitter that may or may not be trustworthy. This is why many parents are choosing fitness centers with childcare right there on the premises. They want to know that their kids are nearby while they spend some time exercising and relieving stress. Discover some other reasons why many parents choose a fitness center with childcare.

There are some parents who like to set a good example for their children by showing them the importance of exercise and staying healthy. The child goes to the childcare area in the fitness center and participates in some fun activities while his or her parent uses the time to work out. Both child and parent are benefiting by going to the fitness center together.

While parents are working out, a child gets to interact with other children. It's likely that if a parent goes to workout on a regular basis, his or her child will get to know a lot of the kids in the childcare facility. The child may even meet a best friend there! It's healthy for a child to learn how to get along with other children and experience new things. In this way, the childcare facility in a fitness center offers a child some necessary social time. Spectrum Kids Club is one example of this type of childcare facility inside a fitness center.

Setting another unprecedented milestone in Philippine telecommunications, Globe Telecom is giving the telco’s over 36 million subscribers free access to Facebook on mobile phones for an initial period of three (3) months. Globe worked closely with Facebook to enable customer experience innovations for the best free Facebook offer yet.

Available to all Globe Prepaid, Postpaid, and TM subscribers using feature phones and smartphones* and accessing either through the mobile site of Facebook or the Facebook app, users can post, like, comment, chat, add friends, upload photos, share posts, and more on Facebook without the need for Wi-Fi.

Aside from offering Facebook at zero data charges, the collaboration between the two global companies has also paved the way for subscribers to enjoy first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations.

Collaboration with Facebook to bring together first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations such as availability in all Facebook mobile platforms, advice of charge notifications, one-click to purchase data plans & data access lending to access links outside Facebook

Working with Silicon Valley-based Facebook engineers, Globe has put together innovations that cover key milestones in the customer experience journey such as availability of access on feature phones and smartphones across all Facebook mobile platforms whether via the Facebook app or Facebook’s mobile site m.facebook.com; no billshock or “nakaw load” as customers will be notified if they will incur data charges once a link that leads out of Facebook is clicked; and one-click registration to the data plan of choice to continue browsing without having to leave the site. Recommended data plans consider a subscriber’s available prepaid balance and/or megabytes (MB) balance of existing data plan.

Moreover, customers with not enough prepaid load can “loan” a 10MB data plan for only P10 which will be deducted on their succeeding top-up so they can fully explore content outside Facebook, making the experience seamless and worry-free.

“Once again, Globe has proven that it is the mobile data service provider of choice by industry and technology leaders around the world with this breakthrough partnership with Facebook to give our 36 million subscribers uninterrupted, seamless, and worry-free Free Facebook experience. This is collaboration at its peak, which has resulted in the best and most innovative Free Facebook experience yet,” said Peter Bithos, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business at Globe Telecom.

“Globe is progressively rolling-out availability of the Free Facebook service to cover all its subscribers by October 31, 2013. Bithos added, “Over the past months, the engineering, business development and marketing teams at both Globe and Facebook have worked together to plan and design the customer experience from scratch – which includes making the service available across all Facebook mobile platforms, rolling out a system that alerts users once they are about to click a link that will incur them data charges, paving the way for subscribers to easily subscribe to a data plan without having to leave Facebook, and allowing data access lending for subscribers who don’t have enough prepaid load to continue browsing links outside Facebook. This service testifies how Globe is transforming itself beyond just an access carrier. Globe is striving to be a leading digital brand catering to the needs of digital Filipinos who need to be connected to their social circles around the world.”

"Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected," said Chris Daniels, vice president of partnerships at Facebook. “Globe understands the opportunities giving people access to the Internet brings and we’re thrilled to be working with them to give Globe subscribers access to Facebook without data charges across our apps and mobile website.”

Starting October 31, 2013, subscribers can dial *143# and select FREE FB to know more about Globe Free Facebook.

LASIK or Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis is one of today’s most effective, efficient and the most convenient type of refractive surgery for the correction of nearsighted, farsighted and astigmatism.

This is mostly performed by trained ophthalmologists, in which they use microkeratome or laser to reshape the eye’s cornea in order to correct and improve visual acuity and sharpness. Many visually challenged patients today prefer this kind of laser vision correction as it provides a permanent substitute to contact lenses and eyeglasses. In fact, over the last two years, more than 28 million procedures have been made worldwide and these figures show no signs of slowing.

The advantages of LASIK weigh more than the drawbacks it offer; Vision is corrected nearly instantaneously after or a day after the procedure. It uses no bandages or sutures after the process and around 97% of the patients who went through this procedure went home satisfied with their remedied vision.

The procedure may cost a little more than your usual contact lenses or corrective eyeglasses, but think about how much you can keep in the long run. In the end, LASIK definitely is worth the cost.

Here’s an infographic that will explain why LASIK is worth your outlay.

King LASIK The Price of Sight Infographic 600px

Presented By King Lasik

This is my New Year’s beauty purchase, a MAX FACTOR COLOUR ELIXIR Scarlet Ghost (720). This line comes with a variety of colors but I thought I’ll go bold with this one. I have been using this for a little more than a week now and I suppose the best time to share my verdict. First of all, I love how elegant the package look – a golden lipstick, lol. But seriously, gold trims blend in so well with anything a lady has – be it a purse, dress or shoe though it doesn’t really matter actually as this accessory is often carried discreetly.

The color swatch at the bottom comes in very practical. If you have all colors in this line, you don’t need to go over at everything pulling the cover and see what’s inside, finding the shade you like with this indicator won’t be any hassle at all.

I also like how this tube is formulated. Surprisingly, it blends in so well with my skin’s pH level. 10 ten days of everyday use didn’t give me chapped or dry lips at all. It’s creamy so it glides well and gives me a good control on how light and deep will I go with the shade. It’s highly pigmented so a little dab will let you get its true color.

Though moisturizing, you might want a little twist - say with a plump or pronounced effect, you can always undercoat it with lipbalm or overcoat it with your favorite gloss, whichever suits you.

This sells P595.00 at SM Department Stores.

Verdict? This will be your next beauty buy, highly recommended for those who want to wear bold colors, like striking scarlet lips.

Good luck on your red, hot leps!

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CHILD CARE FACILITY IN A FITNESS CENTER

Globe Telecom to offer Free Facebook access for its 36 million subscribers

IS LASIK PROCEDURE WORTH THE COST?

MAX FACTOR COLOUR ELIXIR Scarlet Ghost (720)