Barbie-fied Celebrities!

Remember my previous barbie entries?

I found these on buzzfeed and borrowed photos from the internet to see the similarities. Here are my top favorites because of the details they put into it: 

1. Cher

Check out more dollified celebrities after the jump! 

Super-bowling at S.U. Building

I remember when I first moved back to UPLB. I didn't have any friends in graduate school yet, so my sister and her boyfriend took pity in my boredom and invited me to go bowling at the Student Union Building. I was actually quite impressed that the bowling alley still works because I remember watching UPLB competitions because my aunt/family relatives/family friends used to play and we, as kids, were just watching from the sides.

So last Monday, Aya, Frankie and I went on an impromptu bowling date and had forgotten how much it can make you sweat. I was still wearing my office clothes and totally inappropriate footwear but good thing they don't require you to wear bowling shoes.

I noticed, although I already saw this last 2010, that they no longer use humans to assemble the bowling pins. I used to remember that Kuya (male bowling alley attendant) used to run for their dear lives when someone bowl the pins over. Now its a good thing that it's automated, because when I threw the bowling ball with all my might, hoping for a strike, it ran fast...diagonally, hitting the side walls of the lane making the ball jump 2 feet from the ground. I didn't even know that it can do that.

The following Monday, my "competitive" friend Frankie took off his footwear. 

We have rusty bowling skills so we are officially making Mondays "Bowling Bonanza"day. I love that Mondays have fewer people hanging out. The basement of the S.U. building also has billiards hall but it happened to be closed when we went there.

Rates (per game):

• UPLB student: Php 15.00
• UPLB Employee: Php 20.00
• Non-UPLB student/employee: Php 25.00 

Schedule:

• Open Mondays to Fridays , 10am to 8pm.
• Saturdays - 1pm to 6pm

For reservations,  please call:

• 0949.650.1488
• 0926.296.4244
• 0916.102.3177

"Bangs before Botox" says hairstylist

"Bangs before Botox," says Adrian De Berardinis of De Berardinis Salon. He adds that bangs inadvertently draw attention to your eyes and disguise both crow's-feet and forehead wrinkles—clear signs of older age. (source)

I wrote in 2012 about stuff that you see in the supermarket. I remember seeing instant bangs that my sister found for sale and although we did not buy it, she tried it on.

Last weekend, we were at the same supermarket, and not only we found one, but we found three more in different hair colors and one even matched mine!

For those asking, we found them at Pure Gold San Pablo City Branch and with the price of Php 119.00 ( I think!) 

P.S. It's prohibited to take photos inside the supermarket but we managed to steal a bunch few shots. :) 

The one with the list

There's always Chinese New Year

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Happy Chinese New Year! For breakfast today, we had tikoy. I'm not "Chinese" but we might be 1/32 Chinese (layo!) in our blood. I'm just assuming that because every January my parents insists on going to the house of our relatives on my father's side in San Pablo for the fiesta celebration sa bahay ng mga intsik (house of the Chinese and they are Chinese, I think. Tama ba Ninang? Haha!).

Anyway, I started 2014 with a whole lot of positivity, prepared and created my vision board. I am willing to allow my desires to happen. While as early as January, I can see and feel that I am being routed to the stuff on my vision board, I am embarrassed to say that I broke my top feeling-ko-doable New Year's resolutions:

Sleep early. Latest at 11pm.
I don't know how I can keep up with this alibi for the rest of the year, but what keeps me awake is watching Friends reruns on TV. I am, every night, sleeping on the couch (which irritates my mom because what are beds/bedrooms for?). But honestly, it is the best part of my day. I think I really have to get my own TV and put it in my bedroom. Wait! I think that's a bad idea.

No sodas for 2014.
I was actually doing really well with this one until, on my friend's wedding day, I got so thirsty and no water in sight but an ice cold Coca-Cola. I think you would understand.

Exercise at least 3 times a week.
I've been doing #WashboardAbsWednesdays by playing badminton with Franco and Aya, but we've only been playing every Wednesdays and only twice this month due to our busy schedule. (Plus, okay, after playing badminton we head straight to eat and catch up an all burned calories are back on again.) We have to do better this month!

Finish at least one book per week.
I'm only down to the last 2 chapters of The Power by Rhonda Byrne and it took me 2 weeks to finish it. And I thought I would have all the time in the world after graduating from my Masters.

BUT! I have been doing good on some areas such as:

Gratitude Diary
I started mine on Christmas Eve because I got so excited my boss gifted me with a journal. I've been religiously writing ever since.

Spend only on necessary things
So far I am doing good, but after tweeting that I had such financial discipline the past credit card cut off, I had another major purchase that my bank's happy again and as for me, I cannot have unnecessary spending until summer.

Stared a savings plan
I know you must have heard about the 52 weeks savings challenge right? We'll, on top of that, my friend Kat and I bought a glass jar on sale at SM Department store and we swore to only put 5 and 10 peso coins only. So far I've been religiously putting coins in my grown up "piggy bank".

Anyway, there's always Chinese New year to get it right.

Kung Hei Fat Choi, Friends! It's the first day of February which means tis the season of Love, Valentine's day -panic and the yearly anticipated UPLB February Fair!

Best Elevator Reminder (for freaks like moi)

In 2004, as I stepped inside a shoulder to shoulder, jam packed elevator with friends only to experience that the minute it closed, it stopped and we got trapped.  The guard outside swore that we were only down by 2 inches and yet he can hear us screaming for help inside. I remember my team mate Clarisse saying, in the middle of panic:

"Guys, it's airtight!"

After 5 minutes, help came and the guard was right. We were only down by two inches from the floor we left but it felt that we're hanging on to dear life inside the elevator the whole time.

I also remember, some of my colleagues who got in the lift after after taking their 15 minute cigarette break, got trapped, this time, in the middle of the floor opening. They had to literally climb up using the handle bars inside and the security team had to pull them up.

It didn't help that years later, I was riding the same elevator alone at the 19th floor going down the ground floor. I must really be sleepy that I forgot to press any buttons that it the elevator climbed up to 30+ floor and I heard my ears actually popped! When it opened, there was strong wind and I ended up at the entrance of the helipad. I sort of panicked, then grabbed the controls and pressed the button to the ground floor.

So I think I have a little fear of heights but I have strong fears of suspension that even flying scares me.

Yesterday, while I was on a business trip, we had the chance to visit one of the biggest mall chain's head office. We were already on our way down when I saw this reminder that I just had to whip my camera out and take a photo:

In the event of an elevator emergency:
* Be calm and help others stay calm.
> The elevator car will not fall.
> You will not run out of oxygen. Even if the air feels warm, there is plenty of air circulation in the elevator and its shaft way.
 > Emergency lighting will activate for you safety.
* Do not try to extract yourself from the elevator.
> In most cases, the elevator will return to pre-destined floor and the door will open automatically.
> If the door does not open, you are still safe.
> Use the "Emergency call" button located above the floor buttons or any available communication system. Wait for the trained emergency personnel to respond.
     1. Press the "Emergency call" button. This will place a call to a party that is trained to take action.
     2. Wait for someone to answer your call.
     3. Give the operator the following information:
         - Full Name of Passenger/s
         - Approximate floor where the elevator car stalled
         - Whether someone needs medical attention
     4. Wait until the operator advises you to disconnect.

It's like, it was written for me! :)

Career and Financial Lessons I learned in my 20s

When you're young and in your twenties, having financial freedom and purchasing power is really tempting! I was able to declare total independence by the time I was 24. But then, nobody warned me about quarter-life crisis so my world turned around (save that for another story). I'm proud of myself for my year 2013 for I have watched my life and finances diligently. But somehow, it made me reflect on my money mistakes and financial lessons that I learned in my twenties.

In random order, here are the top Career and Financial lessons that I remember and learned in my 20s and what I did about it:


Getting lured into Promos and Sale

I admit that I am such a huge fan of sale and buy-one-take-one promos that I ended up hoarding. Be it make up, books, etc. But no matter how cheap, if you don't get to use it, it is still considered a waste.

What I did:
I stayed away from Sales and Promos. I was actually tempted once, when I found myself at the make up counter with all these fabulous make up at 50% off. But then, I knew deep within me that I will not be using this everyday so I let it go. Also I shied myself  from my biggest indulgence, Booksales, and sometimes when you want something bad and desperate enough, the universe helps you. I cannot find my favorite authors anymore. Haha!

Read the rest of my career and financial shoulda-woulda-coulda after the jump!

Remembering the first leap

I remember the story of my mother that when I was young, I was singing using the microphone and I stumbled and got knocked down. I got up crying and my mom asked:

"Sinong maganda? (Who's pretty) she asked, trying to distract me from the pain of an earned bump on my head.

"Kitin" (My childhood nickname) I answered in between sobs.

When I was in third grade, I auditioned for the school choir. I think I was the 10th person to sing Disney's A whole new world, because of the then recent Alladin movie ( Imagine, recent?! ).The choir teacher said she's now sleepy because I am the 10th among the many others who sang the same exact song.

I still continued to sing: "... A whole new world, a new fantastic point of viewww....."

I got in.