Mid-Year Summer at Boracay

So allow me to start my blogging spree with a super super late video upload of our trip to Boracay last year August. :D I just looove how good vibes was all over the video, not to mention that I really love the song! Passion Pit's Carried Away!  :) :)

Its more Adventurous in Boracay | Travel with great buddies | Natures Best from Pheltheray Segismar Mayol on Vimeo.

We took advantage of the long weekend towards the end of August to hit a happy vacation to Antique to visit my lola from my fathers side and went straight to Bora with cousins from Cebu (Will post a separate one for the Antique trip :P).

Hi pogi! This was taken at the airport

Now this is the year where I didn't have a job and I was merely living off my DOST stipend. So I had to save up by taking freelance writing jobs a couple of months prior the trip. Needless to say we definitely were on a budget! I listed down how much we spent during the Boracay trip just so some of you guys would get an idea if you haven't been there and you're planning to visit. 

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The Blogapalooza 2014 Experience

IN A NUTSHELL, Blogapalooza 2014 just showed everyone why it's SO MUCH FUN TO BE A BLOGGER.

Nuff said. :)

From being postponed last September 20, WhenInManila and organizers pulled all stops to push through with the event yesterday, October 11, at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura. Over 700 bloggers signed up for the whole day event, it was open to everyone, entrance was free, and so many awesome brands were there!

We didn't get to finish the whole event because  I promised to be present for the 7th birthday of my inaanak aaaand of course promises are promises! So we had to run back to Laguna by around 3:30 PM. We really just had four hours to explore everything. I would have wanted to attend the talks and performances but we didn't have the time.

HOWEVER, one of my main goals was to check out what kind of businesses were there, as this is essentially a Blogger-to-Business networking event, and I think we were able to achieve it in that sense. I'm creating a separate blog for that so I could keep this one focused on the experience and the random things I learned while navigating the whole fair.

What excites me is the fact that Blogapalooza is poised to be an annual event for the whole blogging community, and more and more bloggers will be joining it in the next few years, so might as well share the experiences I had as a first timer, yes? :D

• It helps to come early. We came there an hour after opening but the lines were already long!

• As of the moment, majority of the brands are from the Technology, Food, Fashion, and Entertainment industries, so if you blog those fields then this is for you!
   
  
  

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Aamin na Ako: Gayuma ni Maria

Me and Ray celebrated our 3rd year anniversary last September 24. It was a celebration of three years of love, and a countdown to the awesome things to come. Once again, Ray has managed to surprise me  in spite of his busy schedule, and headed over to UP to meet me up right after our lab meeting. It was special in a lot of ways but I'd rather not elaborate that here because I got too cheesy on Facebook already hahah!

When we were discussing where we wanted to have our anniversary dinner, I knew right away that we had to try Gayuma Ni Maria because it's one of the more famous dining places near Maginhawa, and is said to be perfect for celebrations such as ours. Well, Ray has long since accused me of using 'gayuma' on him so might as well live up to that! Hahah! So off we went and boy we sure enjoyed ourselves!

Right from the porch, Gayuma ni Maria already made an impression as a spotlight suddenly lit up right after we hit the steps. We checked out with other guests and it looks like they've got a sensor installed over there. Nuks paandar!

Haha mai-push lang ang pangalan ko! :p

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(Updated) Officially Excited: Blogapalooza 2014

I'm buuuursting with things to blog about!! But I'm a bit too busy right now, with thesis almost reaching its peak and then some. I'm super excited to blog about our recent epic trip but *breathe* patience! Will do that soon. BUT what I cannot put off is joining the biggest blogging event of the year - Blogapalooza 2014!

My friend and fellow blogger Mai mentioned this to me last year however I wasn't able to join, this year, my forever sis Unai reminded me so yes we can't miss this one!

What is Blogapalooza?

Well I've just been reading about it today and in a nutshell, Blogapalooza is one big community that seeks to create ties between businesses and bloggers. One can't deny the fact that blogging has become one of the most influential forms of media in the internet age, and is also one of the most affordable and accessible. Established businesses and start-ups can take advantage of this opportunity to present their products and services straight to bloggers and gain online exposure / advertising.


The event also features various talks and activities to keep inspiring bloggers and help them to improve their craft. This year's speakers/entertainers  include Michelle Gumabao, Karen Bordador, Rene Cruz, and Comedy Cartel.

They're also known to shower bloggers with loads and loads of freebies and whatnots, making this event extremely fun and beneficial for businesses and bloggers alike. And we're talking about huge discounts and coupons on the coolest brands.

While the freebies alone can already convince bloggers to attend, I'm personally more excited on what cool products and services we'll find that can awaken the inner geek in us. Will definitely blog about it!

Blogapalooza 2014 will be held in SM Aura this Saturday, Sept 20, from 10am - 9pm. You can learn more about them at http://blogapalooza.wheninmanila.com/what-is-blogapalooza/ . See you there! :) :)

Update Sept20: Blogapalooza had to be postponed due to extreme weather conditions brought about by Typhoon Mario and his friend Habagat. Huhu. Here's the official statement from the organizers

"Blogapalooza TO BE RESCHEDULED

Newest update as of 5pm.

It is with a heavy heart that we have to unfortunately reschedule our Blogapalooza event as we feel that the safety of the bloggers and exhibitors may be at risk with the heavy weather.

We are not able to formally announce the new date as many of our venue partners are also stranded from the rains and we may not be able to confirm the new date until Monday.

We ask for your patience and understanding in this matter.

Thank you so much and please stay tuned for the new announcements on the new date for Blogapalooza 2014.

If your URL's does not appear on the bloggers list here- More that 500 Bloggers registered Kindly re-register so we can include you on final list"

***

At first it was just a reschedule to a later time, but they still ended up postponing it, which is understandable of course knowing how much preparation time it requires to set up the whole thing. I just hope that all speakers/ invited companies still get to participate in spite of the mess up that it has probably done to their schedules.

Well I guess the only good thing about this is that you can still register and attend, yes?  Visit http://blogapalooza.wheninmanila.com/ now!

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Update Sept 23 : Blogapalooza will be held on October 11! Same venue and schedule! Are you excited??  See you theeeere!!

Inspiration Over At The Ayala Museum Part 2

(Continued from: Inspiration Over At The Ayala Museum Part 1)


The Paintings

The third floor was an exhibit by the painter Fernando Zobel (1924-1984) entitled Journey into Space: The Visual Odyssey of Fernando Zobel. He's a Spanish - Filipino painter and businessman, and the uncle of the famous Jaime Zóbel de Ayala. His father was a patron of Fernando Amorsolo, and this exposed him to Amorsolo's tutelage and art at a young age.

I have always loved visiting art galleries but I'm really not one to pretend that I actually understand what they're trying to say hahah! This was more of an abstract/ impressionist kind of set, and when you do these things, you do not try to communicate concrete thoughts but you try to invoke a certain kind of emotion. Sometimes it's hard to understand what the painting is trying to say because you're like 'uh okay what's that straight red line doing in a sea of muddled blue and green?' LOL.

And in this aspect, I appreciate the Ayala Museum's attempt to bring paintings closer to the common audience (e.g. non-art intellectuals and shiz) by adorning the walls with some of Zobel's famous quotes and perspectives. This way, the audience is able to connect the man with the painting and somehow is able to understand the medium better.

I particularly liked the Black Series because Zobel was able to come up with dynamic images by simply using the color black as the 'muse'. It really appealed to me how the concept of 'nothingness' can come up with something beautiful (emo not intended :p). It draws you and it pulls you away.

Photo from the Ayala Museum website

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Behold the Loomband Craze!

Don't you find it fascinating that in the era of smartphones and Facebook, tiny little rubberbands in different colors have suddenly become a huge hit?

Loombands are pieces of colorful rubber bands that one can 'weave' and turn into happy bracelets. Rainbow Loom, the company that popularized loombands as we know it, was started in 2011 by a Malaysian named Cheon Choon Ng, based in Michigan. With only a $10,000-investment, Rainbow Looms have taken numerous playgrounds, classrooms, and homes all over the world by storm.

I personally don't do loom bands but I'm really fascinated by all these Facebook posts I see from friends who have become addicted with these. One of them is ate Flec, almost every weekend she posts one or two "themed" loom bands and people rush to buy them hahah. I love how she's able to mix and match colors to come up with really cool representations of various themes. Here are some samples (all photos taken from their Facebook with permission):

Belgium Origami

Red Velvet

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Lovely Dancing With Lovely BellyDances

Don't you just love dancers? Such grace and energy I only wish I could dance half as good. I can probably carry out a step or two but I'm a little too stiff for it hahah!

So we didn't know what to expect when we were invited by my former boss to visit the dance studio of her sister over at Imus, Cavite. My former boss is quite a good dancer too (I guess it runs in the blood) and she just kept raving at us how fun it was to have dance classes every weekends, so we eventually gave it a try. I didn't realize that we'd actually have alot of fun! 

Lovely Belly Dances conducts Bellydance, Zumba (with licensed instructors),and Yoga classes. It's a cozy studio, the size of a classroom, with a huge dance mirror and it's own restroom. There's a very comfortable feel to it. We got to attend one of the Belly dance classes and it was cool to see women from ages 25-50 fixing each others costumes and make up. They were about to perform some of their pieces that day. These are housewives, career women, and single ladies who have seemed to have formed a bond of sisterhood as they prepared for their performance, and I guess this is one of the first few things you really enjoy when you attend regular sessions like this. Beyond dancing, you get to share experiences as a mother, a wife, or simply as a woman, to fellow sisters like you.

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Cebu Day 4

It's our 4th day of vacation and we just came from the awesome, awesome Bantayan Islands. I'm about to save the photoshoots for later, but what I can't wait to blog about is how much I loved bonding with my cousins, super fun! I'm happy that I get to do this at least once a year. I may not always be there but the few times we are is super worth it. :D :D

More to come!! \m/ Tomorrow I'll be going to Minglanilla to meet with Papa Ray's relatives. Heheh. 

Yey! :D

Cebu Here We Come!! \m/

So that's SUPPOSEDLY the title of this post. BUT by the time i post this we'd already be in Cebu. Becaaaause we almost got left by the plane. And our names were already called for last boarding by Cebu Pacific. Wahaha! Nagenjoy kami masyado sa aming Jollibee dinner. It appears that the flight was pulled in a couple of minutes ahead of time. Yes you read it right, AHEAD OF TIME, which is totally new for Cebu Pacific. Hehe. There was alot of waiting time at the runway though, because of the number of flights.

Anyway, yiiiihaa! Hello summer vacation! First off i'd like to rave at the fact that this is the first time that I was able to really prepare for a flight. For the past few years most of my packing has been done in a mad rush with me sticking to my bahala-na-si-batman ways. Mostly because our trips also coincide with hectic seasons at the office. However, being with an OC boyfriend does have its perks, and this time we already had a full checklist and we've also scheduled our pasalubong-shopping ahead of time.

I'm also blessed to have had a day off prior the flight, since i've been working overtime during the past couple of days (including Sunday) so i got worried that i may not have enough time to pack. There's a hell lot of difference when you pack with a relaxed mind, i got to remember most of the important things to bring plus some add-ons, i also got to plan how i'd stuff them all inside the suitcase. I was so proud of myself when my mama kept asking if i've brought this and that and this and that and all my answers were "yes nanay!". If you knew me and how forgetful i am, you'd know that it's a really big deal. Heheh!





What we're most excited about? BANTAYAN ISLANDS. Yeahmen! I'm looking forward to bonding with my cousins again and also with papa ray's relatives. Most of all, a break from all the stress and toxicity of the workplace. We're not forgetting the essence of Holy week though, as Cebuanos are some of the most devout Catholics in the country.

I'm just really thankful for breaks like this. No matter your plans, spend it wisely! Before we know it we'd be back in the real world. :p So how do you plan to spend yours?


Happy Vacation everyone!
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Line Play - Social Networking in 3D :)

Not too long ago, we blogged about Line, a mobile app that doesn't just do free calls and messaging, but also adds more fun to the experience by throwing in fun stickers, a timeline, games, camera, and more. Me and my roomies have been getting a kick out of playing with Line Camera, the filtering and sharingoptions are quite like Instagram but this allows you to play more with your photos by adding fun icons, effects, characters, blings and all that jazz :P At first i thought it was "baduy" but when I started playing with it I couldn't stop cutie-fying my photos anymore :P :P Heehee!

Just recently they added another cool feature to their services: Line Play. Hmmm it a nutshell, it's like interacting with your only friends in a 3D space instead of just via text/ photo feeds from Facebook/ Twitter. :D It allows you to create your avatar, furnish your own space, then visit the place of your friends and you could do things together like drink tea, have some snacks, water plants, or just chat away. It's really super cute.

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