Last Weigh-In 2018

I always take my weight before going to Bacolod. It’s sort of a checkpoint everytime I go home for the holidays.

Through my weigh-ins, I have noticed in that I usually gain one kilo a week in Bacolod. Thus, my goal is to make sure that I keep my weight when I get back from Bacolod in January. Or even lower it.

My last weigh-in is 71.8 kilograms.

Last year, I only gained 1.2 kilograms. I watched my food intake and ate more salad. Rice was kept at minimum whenever possible.

This year, I will sign up or a gym in Bacolod and continue with my training for the 21K race that I signed up for February 2019. These activities should keep my weight down.

Watch for my weigh-in update next year.

Can you afford Luxury?

Collins defines luxury goods as “things which are not necessary, but which give you pleasure or make your life more comfortable.”

I have my eyes on buying some luxury items like watches, shoes and bags.

I can probably save for it but how will it affect my finances in the long run? At what point can I say that I can already afford it?

Quennie attended a financial seminar and the speaker had a criteria when it comes to buying luxury goods.

If you can afford 10 times of that luxury item, then it means you can afford to buy that item.

That’s a difficult criteria yet a very sound advice.

Buy that 20,000 limited edition shoes if you have 200,000.

Buy that 100,000 smartphone if you have 1,000,000.

Buy that 400,000 designer bag if you have 4,000,000.

Buy that 800,000 luxury watch if you have 8,000,000.

It is only when you have 10 times the money can you truly say that you can afford luxury.

This criteria can discourage others from buying luxury goods and consider buying a cheaper and more practical alternative. There is nothing wrong with that.

Or the criteria can encourage others to work harder and find ways to reach their financial goals.

Today, as I list the luxury items I would love to buy someday, I’m starting to think that maybe Quennie didn’t really heard this criteria from a seminar. She probably just made it up herself. Hehehe…

But it is a very good financial advice that we follow.

Coming Home for Stress

I always look forward to going back to Negros for December.

It’s a place where I can rest.
A place where I can plan.
A place where I can relax.
A place where I can reflect.

But it is not really a stress-free environment. There is one thing about Negros that gets me stressed out.
It’s the FOOD.

If I am not careful, I can gain 1 kilo per week whenever I am in Negros. It’s a big setback after all the runs and workouts I have done in Manila. I have lost about 5 kilos so far but I can easily gain it back in one month.

I am already getting stressed just thinking how I can avoid the food in the coming weeks.

See you tomorrow, Negros.

A reason not to smile

They say that it takes 43 muscles to frown while it takes just 17 muscles to smile.

This means that it takes more energy and more effort to frown. To smile, then, is better.

But what’s worst and more tiring than a frown is forcing yourself to smile because people expects you to be happy.

A waste.
A tragedy.

Don’t English Me

I still get mistaken as a foreigner. Despite being dark skinned, some think I am a Japanese, or a Chinese, or a Korean.

I have Chinese in my blood. My grandfather is Chinese. But I never met him.

Taxi drivers, security guards, cashiers, sales people and others would talk to me in English. There were times I play along and talk to them in English as well. But it gives them a sense of relief when I answer back in a local dialect.

It’s fun.

What isn’t fun is when they charge me extra than the usual because they think I’m a foreigner.

I smile back at them and talk in Filipino to end their scheme.

My Christmas Gift 2018

A friend let me try her Bose Quietcomfort 35 Series II and I instantly loved the Noise Cancelling feature. I thought that I need to get one for myself this Christmas. The leather on my Sennheiser Momentum is starting to peel off already after over 3 years of service.

I started to do some research on good quality headphones with Active Noise Cancelling features.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9i has a very premium feel. But it’s the most expensive and the volume seems weak.

Bose Quietcomfort 35 Series II was a good candidate. Most reviews say that it has the best noise cancelling technology. But I find the sound a bit subdued on the low frequencies when I tried it on. Bose is really nice and comfortable but I was looking for something more that suits my taste in sound.

Finally, I tried on the Sony WH-1000XM3. It has decent features. The noise cancelling is adequate. It has touch controls like the B&O H9i. Good sound quality with the right amount of bass. It is not as comfortable as the Bose QC35 II though but the price tag was the determining factor. It was the least expensive among the three, and even comes with a 15% discount.

Merry Christmas to me!

Sony WH-1000XM3

Hanoi, Vietnam: In Photos

Walking around Hanoi has a similar vibe as walking around Divisoria. It’s a maze of narrow and crowded streets but each turn has a pleasant surprise to those seeking for an adventure. It can be a nice cozy coffee shop in the corner or great local food at the sidewalk.

Here are the photos I took while walking around Hanoi, Vietnam. This was mostly taken around Old Quarter and near the Hoan Kiem Lake.

Rocks of Halong Bay

While in Halong Bay, our tour guide told us that some islets would resemble a bird. Another a butterfly. The others will resemble a cat, a mansion, or a bell. The islets can look like an animal, a jewelry, or a structure.

I stared at each rock that seem to have risen from the sea. The rocks doesn’t resemble anything at all.

What I see instead are the irregular cracks painfully etched on its surface. I see the random arrangement of small trees that the rocks carry with a burden. I see the eroded base where the water have hammered for years.

I can’t see any resemblance of a colorful bird, a graceful butterfly or a precious jewel.

It’s just like how we see ourselves in the mirror.
We only see the cracks in our faces, our burdened shoulders or our eroded spirits.

But for others, they are be able to see that we are beautiful.
Like a bird.
Like a butterfly.
Like a jewel.

Daddy Diary – November 2018

Here’s my November Update.

1. I visited Vietnam for the first time. I stayed at Hanoi and in Halong. The Halong Bay Cruise was the highlight of the trip. You can read my other posts about Vietnam here.

2. I joined the Halong Bay Marathon for the 21K distance. I trained for a sub-2 hour finish but I missed it by 3 minutes. It was still a great run

3. I can play the classic hymn “What A Friend We Have in Jesus” in guitar!

4. I love my weight this month. I averaged 71.7 kgs. That’s the lowest for the year.

5. I read or bought the following books:

Kafka on the Shore (finished) by Haruki Murakami
Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Principles by Ray Dalio
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
100 Great Marketing Ideas by Jim Blythe

6. I am happy to have revived this blog again after more than three years. That’s truly a personal highlight.

Halong Bay, Vietnam: In Photos

The Halong Bay cruise is the perfect race-cation. After running the 21K at the Halong Bay International Heritage Marathon, the tour package included an overnight stay in a cruise ship in Halong Bay.

I was just mesmerized by Halong Bay. The different islets are beautiful. And there is something calm and peaceful to be in the middle of the sea, aboard a quiet and slow moving vessel.

I stayed at the top deck most of the time to witness the beautiful scenery. Every angle is just Instagram-worthy.

Enough for words. Let these photos speak for themselves.