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Author: prexybasco
MARCH 2018 Articles
I totally messed up my February 2018 Articles I know you can’t even qualify that as a collection. A number of things happened in February — changing careers, attending and speaking in seminars, requirements etc. — but rest assured that I am as enthusiastic about my monthly dishing of articles as I was when I started it.
To make up for last month’s collection, I have decided to read more (I’ve got a lot of time on my hands, dude!) and write more (what’s new?).
This is How to Handle Stress, According to Nutritionist and Author Dr. Doni Wilson
A WheninManila.com project that gave an opportunity to meet Dr. Doni, a best-selling author of “The Stress Remedy.” It was such a shame though that I wasn’t able to get a copy of her book.
A Guest Speaker’s 24 hours in Albay
…is the product of my short experience in Albay for the seminar sponsored by Vibal Publishing House.
Chasing Mr. Sunrise: A Ride to Pililla, Rizal
And just like that, I decided to document our trips together.
I am certainly acting like an a$$ recapping all of my articles in March- GUILTY!
But hey, at least I’ve done something.
Moving on!
Here are the fantastic articles you guys ought to read:
Stephen Hawking on the Meaning of the Universe (BrainPickings.Org)
A homage to one of the greatest minds on the planet. You simply can’t take him for granted particularly now. Kudos to the man who made a name for himself and made sure anybody wanting to know about the universe will remember his name.
Why Don’t Superhero Movies Win Awards? (BBC)
For this, I give you Cap himself.
PROFESSIONAL BLOGGER? (WordPress)
Having the power to choose things that can make you happy has always been an admirable trait.
By the way, just in case you’re wondering why I had to indicate where I got the articles from as opposed to what I had done in the past, I was thinking I needed to consider those who read from their trusted sources. Yep, it’s only for transparency.
Chasing Mr. Sunrise: A Ride to Pililla, Rizal
We met with the HOTMAMA! riders at five in the morning for a ‘breakfast ride.’
My own Mr. Dorito
It was a loooooong ride from Malabon to Rizal but such was the feeling of those people who went to a different place for the first time.
You can imagine how difficult it is for a nocturnal to sleep at one in the morning and wake up at four but the view was worth it.
One would think that going to Rizal might be dangerous given how steep the roads and sharp the curves were but we saw a number of cyclists on the road, obviously in awe of the inspiring Mr. Sunrise.
His hair and his big bike got the attention of many.
The first part of our itinerary being finished, we rode on to the place where the windmills were: Pililla.
I didn’t miss the chance to ask them for a photo-op!
HOTMAMA! Riders
The HOTMAMA! Boyband. Yep, they’ve just started a band.
Apart from the quail-egg vending children, you can find places where you can get sustenance nearby. Look at Gerard here who was able to purchase some wafer sticks for an affordable price.
I may not be a windmill expert but I thought the ones in Ilocos looked taller than these guys but who knows? Perhaps the location was also a big factor to their sizes? What I do know though is apart from the serenity the place brings, the alternative source of energy is also big help to us. Then again, who cares about green energy when one look at the place can energize you?
Sir Chester and Ma’am Van took a pose for the nth honeymoon?
The Guitarist and the Lead Vocalist of the HOTMAMA! band.
Congratulations on your first long ride, JM!
Affordable souvenirs from the Pililla!
We also found an adorable place not so near the windmills: The Daily Beans.
Situated in L. Sumulong Memorial Circle, Antipolo, The Daily Beans red and brown facade beckoned us to enter and have a light snack– well, it’s either that or we were so hungry.
I certainly had fun taking pictures of the whole place just as much as I had trouble deciding between uploading the pictures in my own blog and doing a write up or submitting the whole thing to another online magazine!
The whole experience required a more personal approach as I immensely enjoyed it. I suppose you already know what choice I made.
February 2018 Articles
Welcome back to another round of articles for the love month! Be warned, though: this list contains articles far from the lovey-dovey posts you normally expect in February.
Before sharing other people’s work, let me shamelessly promote my One Ok Rock article featured in WheninManila: ONE OK ROCK Rocked Manila During Their AMBITIONS Concert
Tokyo Ghoul: re Vol. 2-3 // A Review
I feel like an absolute fangirl after reading Dani’s review of Tokyo Ghoul! My blog isn’t anime/manga loaded but I’m pretty sure you guys know that Kaneki is listed in my Top Ten Favorite Characters.
15 Surprisingly Frugal Habits of the British Royal Family
How accurate the intel of Readers’ Digest is I don’t have any idea but the list makes me feel like I’m actually a part of the Royal Family.
I know the list isn’t much but… nothing we can’t improve, right?
A Guest Speaker’s 24 hours in Albay
Feb 23rd
Out of my excitement, I got to the airport about four hours before my flight. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited? I decided to make the most out of my time and stayed at the nearest charging station where I squeezed my brain out for an article.
While working on my pending article for WIM, I decided to go over my presentation again, wondering if I somehow missed something. Surely, I could modify some parts, add more information and delete the ones that weren’t exactly necessary for the presentation.
I had been invited by St. Raphael Academy, Legazpi, Albay, through the help of VIBAL Publishing, to deliver a speech for the school’s 69th Foundation Anniversary.
Containing my excitement had been very difficult because it would be a number of firsts for me: first time to travel to Albay, first time to handle a seminar with 2000+ participants, first time to speak in a foundation anniversary, etc. Seeing Mt. Mayon intensified that feeling. Who wouldn’t be so humbled seeing something so majestic?
Vibal booked me a room at Lotus Blu Hotel, a new hotel–as I was informed–somewhere in Terminal Rd 1. The place was marvelous. I had the room all to myself not unlike when I had been seen to Taiwan two years back.
The only difference was the view. If in Taipei, my room had had a great view of Taipei 101, in Legazpi, I had a great view of the sunset and Mt. Mayon engulfed in her blanket of clouds– I had assumed the volcano was a he but it was a she all along. Nonetheless, it was love at first sight.
After sifting and refining my article, inspired by the looming mountain of fire at a distance, I decided to head out to Four Seasons, a restaurant nearby. I’ve got to admit that I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find a place where I could get authentic Bicolano food but man! Their fried chicken was amazing and you’ll love their beef noodles!
Just about five steps from the restau was a coffee shop after my own heart:
Artisan’s modern, chic, black and white environment called upon my Minimalist soul and I enjoyed it along with my iced Americano and double chip cookie cheesecake.
Feb 24th
Good morning, Mayon!
By now, I think it is obvious how much I loved Mt. Mayon.
One mirror-selfie chance that I couldn’t let pass ^_^
Miss Cindy and I almost got lost but we arrived at Legazpi City Convention Center just in time for my talk and lo and behold! Look at that crowd! The place was brimming with people: St. Raphael Academy’s administrators, faculty, students and parents. Sister Marilyn Gustilo confided that there were approximately 2300 participants in the venue.
What an honor!
The theme of St. Raphael Academy’s 69th founding anniversary was ‘Strengthening the Bond of Solidarity as One Raphaelite Community’ clearly embodied through the participation of 2300 people in the event.
Yours truly with Ms Cindy Go from Vibal and Sister Marilyn Gustilo of St. Raphael Academy
I was honestly amazed by how participative and enthusiastic the students and their parents were! It came as no surprise though since my topic was “The Impact of Social Media on Millennials” and I was pretty sure about 80% of them had access to social networks. Then again, Grade 3 students amazed me by reading a number of my slides and answering my questions in complete sentences. How cute!
After a one and a half hours of talk, I had to give myself a pat on the shoulder for preparing slides that the Raphaelites found interesting. It was amazing being asked questions about the presentation and responding appropriately in return. The commendation from the parents and Sister Marilyn with the certificate I got from the school was enough a reward for my efforts. I was blessed to be part of the celebration, and even more blessed to be recognized as a speaker.
Feb 24th, afternoon
After the event, Ms. Cindy accompanied me to places where I could buy souvenirs and try the famous SILI Ice Cream — which I definitely love!
We also visited Cagsawa where I had the chance to get a closer look at Mt. Mayon.
The girl in the black scarf!
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was so proud of what I had been able to accomplish but like what I mentioned before, seeing Mt. Mayon humbled me and reminded me once again that I was a representation of something bigger.
PLUS: Reading this tweet on my flight back to Manila capped it all off.
Youuuu were so great back there Ms Ybascoooooo 😍😍😍😍😊🙌🏻 Thank you for your wonderful discussion 👋🏼
— supposed to be RAM ELIJA ✨ (@rammyylove) February 24, 2018
January 2018 Articles
Welcome back to another list of articles!
This time around, I scoured WordPress itself for praise-worthy articles. I used to just hit ‘reblog’ or ‘PRESS THIS’ whenever I saw those that follow my specific theme for the day. Writing my reaction to some of them won’t hurt and since I love to compile great articles in one list, I think this method will work.
Zodiac Signs as Bibliophiles // i try to be an “astrologist”
Bailey, as always, has posted another incredible article. I don’t know how she does it but her creative works always make me want to post better content in my blog (please refer to the anime tag in this blog). I checked my zodiac in her article and I was impressed that most of them were spot on.
14 Weird Brain Exercises That Help You Get Smarter
Some of these exercises are really weird (e.g. using your non-dominant hand) but I am not sure I can attribute my intelligence to an open car window.
Eating This One Surprising Food Could Finally Cure Your Cough
After reading this article, I had a hunch that people only want to come up with excuses to eat chocolates.
‘He wasn’t happy until he had me all to himself’
I love it when I learn something new from an article. Believe it or not, after 29 years of existence in a developing country, having English as our second language, and an educator to boot, I have just learned the meaning of the word ‘gaslighted.’ Yep.
41 Little Grammar Rules to Follow to Sound Smarter
The title of the article needs no introduction.
The Surgeon Who Operates 400kms Away
I shared this article to my doctor (a big shout out to Dr. Joanne), who is a resident surgeon in one of the leading hospitals in Taiwan. Since she applies Robotics in her surgeries, I was thinking she would find this article note-worthy. A part of me was hoping, that given I could afford it, I would only entrust my life to her .
I would like to include my article in the list because I went bonkers learning that it got published on the second day of 2018! How lucky was I?! Here’s 5 Benefits of Bodycombat
Now that’s a wrap. Thank you and see you next month!
Be that self which one truly is.
Soren Kierkegaard
Student of the Week
Teacher: Age is just a number. Always think that you are young.
Ryan: Ok. I am a baby. Is that ok?
How did 2017 go for me?
I am not here to bore you to death with how it went –you’ve got enough on your plate without me ruining your digestion anyway. Let me just break it down to three categories:
a) Reading Updates
b) Writing Updates
c) Personal Goals
So without further ado, here’ s the list:
Reading Updates
I managed to read 150 books in 2017.
Don’t let the number fool you though. More than half of the number are volumes and volumes of Manga- Japanese comic books. Before you say I cheated, and admittedly I know it looks cheating to anybody, Goodreads counts it just like that. Besides, finishing one entire series of manga is a difficult feat in itself.
Writing Updates
Articles and more Articles. I poured my heart, soul, and time into these babies and seeing them published gives me great joy. Who would have thought that a childish dream of seeing one’s name in Google with great merit was actually achievable?
Bloggingwise, I think I did better last year and my somehow I’m pretty much consistent with my content. The unplanned series was Monthly Articles where I kept a list of the notable articles I had read in a month and a short review. This was introduced in March of 2017 and I didn’t miss posting a list until December! I intend to keep at it not because it gets readership but also I sincerely learn tons from the articles that I read.
My manuscript, on the other hand, is there somewhere. I can’t spill the deets yet as there isn’t anything substantial to spill.
Personal Goals
My only personal goal for this year was to chill. After going through a successful operation in 2016, I promised that I would detach myself from things that were irrelevant to me as a person and as a writer. I managed to focus more on things that actually mattered like saving money and keeping my body healthy. Connecting to my family members and establishing a closer relationship with them became my strength.
2017 was a great year for me and it opened a lot of doors. 2018 is the time for me to go through each one of them and grow. Yes, I suck at endings. Happy New Year.
DECEMBER Articles
Happy Christmas and New Year to all of you! Oh boy, time surely flies so fast. Who would have thought I’d be consistent in givin
Pop-up penguins shock China zoo visitors
I would have understood it if the entrance fee was cheap. It would have looked like a funny joke: you get what you pay for.
The Pale Blue Dot: A Timeless Valentine to the Cosmos
When you recognize how small you are, you go out of your way to be significant. That is always how it works.
Why Lion is Art’s Most Powerful Symbol
My best friend has a fascination with lions but who wouldn’t? Aslan will give you his two-cents.
Paul Goodman on the Nine Kinds of Silence
As there are different kinds of smiles, there are kinds of silence.
Ursula K. Le Guin on Anger
According to Le Guin, anger can be a powerful tool but it can also lead to one’s destruction.
The Compelling Case for Working a Lot Less
Isn’t this one of the articles you wish your boss read before asking you to work overtime? Henry Miller even said, “drink if you feel like it” so, how can I say no to that? Working for 8 hours a day, six days a week has finally taken a toll on me and now, my patience has worn so thin, bordering indifference at work. But why let me bore you to death when you are enjoying your vacation!
Maya Angelou on How a Library Saved Her Life
On point. This article fired up my desire to put up my own library.
