At Home

I can't remember the last time I spent my birthday at home. If it wasn't for the pandemic, I'd be most likely spending it somewhere else. But I realized it's not bad at all.

After 7 and a half months of being away from home I decided to go back in time for my birthday. I didn't want to observe such day at the dorm amongst not-really-strangers but people who are not personally close to me. I'd rather spend it alone somewhere with beautiful scenes where my mind can be at ease and peace.

Speaking of peace of mind, I had a 4-day streak of exercise. Besides my need for fresh air, it felt like my whole being has been on haywire and having an outdoor exercise would help. I'm only taking a break today because my thighs hurt a little. They're not sore but they don't feel comfortable. I also need to fix my running shoes. I could buy a new one, but the old one could still be of use.

Now Playing: Silent Sanctuary - Pasensya Ka Na

5 May 2017

It's good to be back sweating outdoors.

14 straight minutes of 1.81 km sunset jog, minus the less than 1 minute climb. My jogging path is quite an altitude so bear with the numbers. Am not competing with anyone so I'm fine. Also thankful that my Saucony pair is up to the task. 🏃🌄 . 

Neighbourhood Dog

15 January 2017. Sunday

Saw this dog on my way back from my morning jog. Glad that I was not attacked because I did not know this dog. Turned out, she just lives in front of us. She must’ve remembered me (from my late night arrivals and before dawn departures) and got curious what I was like up close. Or maybe because I smiled and said hi to her. 🐶

Now Playing: Lea Salonga - Defying Gravity

Korean Dinner at Don Day

23 January 2017, Monday.

Just a week after having a Korean dinner with my college mate Angie, I've had another, which was a buffet, and this time with teh family though just Tita and Perry with the driver. It was the latter's treat.

We went to Don Day in Antipolo proper. The largest photo in the collage was my first set. I've added more. As always, I eat more than typical girls. The experience also made me eat more pork than I did in the last decade, or almost. I'm not fond of pork, and I don't eat it saved for some particular situations, but Perry insisted. Not complaining though. Good thing I jogged the day before and on this day's morning. It was very helpful.

Now Playing: Lea Salonga - Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile

A scenic view

'Tis one of the reasons I always look forward to going home in Antipolo. It's peaceful here, far from most people and away from hustle and bustle.

This was taken about two weeks ago, while it was raining. It looks like the place is covered with fog.

Missing Home

I am seriously missing our Antipolo home.

I've been absent at work for two days because I was feeling under the weather. Well, I didn't know staying that quite long would give me this longing for our abode. How I wish it's already morning and past sunrise so I could head home right away though I'd probably staying a bit longer because we'll be having a meeting.

This feeling is quite unprecedented. I don't remember being in this situation before. But I must admit that I've been wanting to just stay at home lately. But I guess that's nothing new.

Now Playing: Heora - Moonlight is Setting

Misty Rain

I've been wanting so much to write yesterday but the only thing I had in mind was my then physical condition. But looking at my previous posts, I thought it's kind of ominous to write consecutive entries about an impaired health so I delayed writing. I couldn't really think of something else besides something related to Seoul.

It was raining yesterday, which gave me much comfort from my uncomfortable condition. I love the rain though I usually wish it'd stop if it's about to wet me or my things.

Having a hot tea while looking at the rain, or listening to it when it was night time was almost a luxury. I took time to really just take pleasure from the rain because my discomforts have been pretty persistent. It's been days and they vary, which is of course annoying.

I'm naming this blog entry misty rain because of a recent memory. It was a poignant one.

Now Playing: Park Shin Hye - Pangako (Korean version)

Another chill

So I'm having another blog entry about chills.

It's been more than thirty minutes and counting since my latest episode of having chills began. I had one some minutes after I came to work and another yesterday afternoon, which even got be thinking of having CBR instead of going to work. Yeah, who doesn't want to have complete bed rest?

These chills are among the discomforts I'm feeling at work. It's also one of the reasons I get to sleep longer than my allotted break time. Because "alteration in comfort" obviously affects one's CNS, thus followed by affected productivity. However, whenever I exceed my allotted break time, I note that on my DAR. Why not? It's simply what just happened. I slept during my break and slept longer because I wasn't feeling too well. What's to lie and hide about that?

For someone who is a Type A and very workaholic, I've learned to listen to my body and give it time doing things albeit my mental objections. Normally, I would drive myself like a horse but as you grow old, you get to realize and ask yourself, the L'Oreal way. Is it worth it?

If I were to follow what's ideal, I would be having a lot of missed works, all spent at home for some CBR. But then I would be reminded of our boss, my supervisor, and my unit mates especially my shift mate. Reality hits. So I usually go for, *crew discomfort! I'll go to work and kill myself so I can make and send my deliverables.

Now Playing: Sejeong - Flower Road

Chills

It's been almost a day since I started having chills. When my Tita saw me at dinner she wondered why I was wearing a jacket albeit the hot weather. I told her my situation. Yeah, my body didn't care if it's quite a sauna here in the Philippines. I was feeling terribly cold.

Oh yeah, because of that I wasn't able to go to work. I already texted our office at 17:27.

It's not the first time I had this. Last month, I had consecutive nights of chills. I just had to go to work. Life. Adult life.

I hope this goes away soon. I hope to figure out what really is going on. Obviously, there's a hypothermal dysregulation in my CNS. Thanks, hypothalamus. I wonder what you're going through now.

Now Playing: Utada Hikaru - Flavor of Life

Sunday Thoughts part-1

Things are taking awfully slow before they could set in, before I could set in. It's annoying and definitely unnecessary.

I wonder if it has something to do with the mandatory need to be totally alone after being with a number of people these past couple of days. They were not unwelcome but, as usual, I just feel the need for total solitude. Well, a dog's presence is not unwelcome.

Perhaps losing my supposed baon today also affected my mood. It sure did until I got to ride the shuttle where there was a trader of packed pancit-malabon, pancit bihon, palabok, and kutsinta. All but the latter, which costs P5 per piece, only cost P15 ($0.30) per pack. I bought a pack of pancit-malabon and pancit bihon. I also purchased two pieces of kutsinta. Having done so, I thought I had a bargain today. At the same time, it made me miss the old-school Filipino community where there used to be traders roaming the streets. Perhaps there still are some or few but the things of the past had a different feel. Maybe thinking about it now gives the different feel.

I have already tried the pancit-malabon. It lacks enough 'sahog' or toppings, which were no surprise, but it still has few slices of hard boiled egg. I was also given a piece of calamansi or Philippine lemon so it's still almost complete. By the way, my P15 as I thought quantity-wise has been sulit. It filled three quarters of a big bowl. Had I asked for more calamansi I might've been very satisfied. I'm not so satisfied only because I want more.

Hopefully, things will be fine after this.

Now Playing: Coldplay - Birds

12 hours of sleep

I blame the House probe on illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Slept later than I should and woke up after 12 hours. Of course I didn't make it to work. Not to mention I'm in Antipolo right now.

This is not the first time I missed work because of sleep. There was even a time when I slept for around 17 hours. I was still working at Hinduja at the time.

Now Playing: The American Dollar - Anything You Synthesize (Ambient)

4-3-3

That's the number of minutes per "phase" I spent when I had my Monday post-sunset jog in Antipolo.

Yes, I was in Antipolo after my Sunday/Monday shift because it's been "too much" at work lately. I just needed my dose of endorphin and exposure to nature.

4-3-3. 

• Four minutes of running
• Three minutes of walking
• Another 3 minutes of running

After that was another 3 minutes spent specifically for walking and cooling down, which was quite extended because I just had to hang out longer. 

As I said, I needed my dose of exposure to nature. And I still need more. I still have to see lots of greens and breathe fresh air.

All in all, it was at least 15 minutes of exercise but it was enough for the day. It was better than having none at all as I would usually have to wait for Friday to have a run.

I really had to run. It's that crucial for me to induce endorphin release and have some fresh air. I had to get away from the city and immerse with nature. There may also be trees and a jogging track in Makati but they're nothing compared to what Antipolo and our hamlet have to offer.

Antipolo brings peace and quiet that Makati or even other place in the metropolis could not give. Besides, there's no place like home. Other place doesn't have our library that I sometimes or recently turned into a "gym" with the heavy books doubled as weights.

My improvised weights after my Monday post-sunset jog

Endorphin or Just Introverting?

Recently it feels like I have a strong need and urge to head to Antipolo after my shift and have a jog. Doesn't matter if I could only run for 15 minutes as long as I get some endorphin and fresh air.

Legazpi Active Park is just not enough. It has to be Antipolo, where I could run free and experience nature. Most importantly, it's where I can perfectly go introverting.

Thinking about it, I would still feel the need to return to Antipolo and go jogging albeit having just done so the day prior. Sometimes, which has become often lately, I wish I could just return to Antipolo on a daily basis.

It makes me wonder which is really my state among the following:

1. Getting addicted to endorphin;
2. Too stressed from work;
3. Just being too introvert these past days;
4. All of the above

Now Playing: Marissa Nadler - Leave the Light On

Another Friday Morning Jog

It's that time of the week again when I return to Antipolo to spend my day off because it's where I could refresh, rejuvenate, relax, and recover best. Of course, I just go introverting.

As usual, jogging is a mandatory itinerary of my off-duty. You can't just not be tempted to run in our hamlet. 

Took a different starting point for my morning jog, for a change. So I ran for more than a kilometre. Aahh.. Endorphin!

There's a particular drive where running through it even for just one 'lap' is challenge enough. One can start either ascending or descending. 

By default, I went descending first. I think the 'stress' helped me warm up enough that I didn't have an abdominal oblique strained throughout my jog, which was the case the last time I had a jog.

I wonder if the image on the right looks like a flat surface. It’s nowhere close to that. It’s so steep I actually wanted to compute its slope. I still remember the formula (y=mx+b)! Too bad I don’t know the variables so I just jogged through it, for which you really have to #FindYourStrong. I specifically bought a pair of Saucony for roads like this.

I think I'm getting addicted to endorphin, which is not unusual. Had I gotten out of bed earlier I would've stayed longer outdoors, ran an extra half mile. My feet also had  to take things slowly. It seems to be in particular need to adjust with my change of routine.

My Friday morning jog was sort of liberating. As I was changing my usual route, I discovered that there's a drive where you could really feel and hear the whoosh of the wind. It's lovely.

The other thing I discovered, not scientifically discovered or I don't know, was a bug (left). It's the first time I saw such bug. The top image, a caterpillar, is a usual sight though. I usually see lots of it in our hamlet.

Now Playing: Backstreet Boys - Masquerade

Wide Awake

I haven't slept yet since today's sunrise. Not really that I can't sleep or having those usual insomnia episodes. I'm simply having a hyperactive brain today. It's on non-stop thinking and musings that sleep suddenly became non-existent.

Well, I haven't really tried hitting the sack because I know I'll just go tossing and turning in my bed (cue: JLo's Waiting for Tonight). I tried to sleep while riding the UV Express from Makati to Antipolo but my obsessive brain just wouldn't stop thinking.

So what was I thinking? A lot.

If I would index the subject of my thoughts, each letter of the alphabet would have sub-topics and each sub-topic would lead to at least two options. I just learned to avoid going beyond three options because it would just go infinitely.

Basically, being an INTx explains everything. I can switch to -Perceiving and -Judging. C'est la vie. C'est moi.

The sun is about to set so I have to wrap my random research. That means from being INTP, I have to turn into INTJ now just so I'd feel less guilty. This reminds me that I have to exert more effort to highlight my strengths and work on my weaknesses.

But my brain... my thoughts... Gotta force myself into being INTJ.


Now Playing: Paramore - CrushCrushCrush

Recovery Drive

For the past weeks, I've been frequently writing here even more than once a day. But as noticed, my last entry was on the first hours of September 1. Perhaps because I've been not feeling well during those days, especially over the weekend when I've been absent.

Once again, things have taken their toll on me. I've been absent for three days this past week and during those days, I was just in Antipolo. I had to use milieu therapy, though this is typically used for mentally unhealthy patients. I thought I could make use of the principle.

Being around nature is invigorating, but I must admit that despite those days spent outdoors though just in our hamlet I still need more exposure with nature. I need a dose of Vitamin-D from the morning sun and tons of oxygen from the trees up and down the hills of our hamlet.

Whenever I am in Antipolo, I would make sure that I get to have a morning jog. However, I had a sunset jog last Friday before going back to work. But I had an indoor exercise on Friday morning. Still, I have to admit, despite the doses of endorphins from my Friday exercise I know I still need more.

Had I made it out of work early this morning I could've gone to Antipolo so I could have another jog. But I left at almost lunch time because I had to finish a monthly report, thanks to my weekend absences.

Sometimes I wonder ♫ if this is a spell that I am under keeping me from seeing the real thing ♫ which I really need, the endorphins from outdoor exercise or simply an exposure to nature. Sometimes I just want to take a stroll but it usually turns into a jog as I am taking advantage of the opportunity.

Our hamlet is a pretty nice place. Well, it is a very nice place. Unfortunately I don't know our neighbours, not even one. Perhaps some have taken notice of me jogging every morning recently but I can't remember which ones have seen me jogging more than once. Well, I'm quite familiar with the old guards. They're nice people.

Perhaps I'll try mingling with a neighbour or two though I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing so with their dogs.

One of the advantages of jogging in our hamlet is having a beautiful view of the valleys and sky and trees. As last Friday's jog was a sunset one I also got to see a different yet still beautiful view of the sky.

This was taken just above our adjacent neighbour's roof, without filter.

I've been recently looking forward to returning to our hamlet in Antipolo, like always. One of the things I plan to do next is being able to jog again along Twiter Drive, which is a very steep and isolated drive in our hamlet. At the topmost of the road also live at least three dogs, which I think are dobermann. I still remember  in one of my jogs before when I reached the top of Twiter Drive with them awaiting almost blocking my path. I don't know what they're capable of but if it's dangerous, I'm glad to have made it past them safe and sound and whole. I wonder how it looks now.

Reviewing my Tumblr posts make me impatient on my next return to Antipolo. I would love to return tomorrow after my shift although we have a P-Team meeting at perhaps 6:30PM. Well, I'll just have to leave at 4PM.

I must make it happen, returning to Antipolo tomorrow. I really need some outdoor exposure. Just can't wait till my off-duty on Thursday. It feels like I'm going nuts if I can't see those lush greens again. Well, all I have to do is go BDO. Find ways.

Now Playing: Foy Vance - Guiding Light

Refreshing Antipolo

After my recent return to and departure from Antipolo, I've come to remember how much I love the countryside. I already miss our hamlet. I guess it's pretty obvious given my blog entry before this, When in Antipolo.

One of the things I look forward to whenever I return to Antipolo is the fact that I am pushing myself to really take time to jog. That's why I get more excited looking forward to my next off-duty.

So Friday morning was a jogging moment. What I loved about my jog this time was finding myself having two laps although there were quite a number of walks on my second lap.

The other nice thing about it was getting caught in the rain. I was actually already cooling down when the rain poured. I just took a quick shelter under a tree then decided that I would love to get soaked, just like I used to be when I was still a kid.

I am planning to return to Antipolo even before my next off-duty. Actually, I'm planning to do it tomorrow. I have other reasons too besides the refreshing effect of being in Antipolo. I guess work has been that stressful that I need something to clear my senses. And I would need to see a lot of green living things.

When in Antipolo

A lot of thoughts are going here and there inside my head that I wish I could go back to Antipolo for a jog, which I usually do whenever my head feels "heavy" with thoughts and what else, or go to Lala-Land so I don't get to hear these buzzes.

Going to Antipolo albeit just an overnight stay during my off-duty refreshes me so I get more convinced that once we move out of the condo, I'll definitely opt to stay in Antipolo. Never mind the travel.

I need our hamlet's peace and quiet, the green scenery, and the distance from the metro. Besides, I get to see my books on a daily basis. There's free food too.

One more thing, staying in our hamlet really motivates me to take a jog albeit the threats of rain.

A Friday Jog

It's good to be back home, in Antipolo. Truth is I can't remember the last time I was here. It's been that long.

The calm Antipolo brings makes me rejuvenated and the opportunity to run through some drives in our hamlet is energizing. Jogging at the Legazpi Active Park is nice. The last time I did was even productive, like I've gone the extra mile. Not literally though. Going for a lap and a half straight of jog is an accomplishment for me. But jogging in Antipolo is different.

For an introvert, having the tracks all to myself is exciting. I get to jog without other people around, though I don't mind seeing a few but that rarely happens. Jogging in Antipolo, in our hamlet to be exact, allows me to unload my thoughts. Not to mention that exercise is a great way of getting rid of toxins in the body.

Exercise does not only do good to our physical health. It does the same to our mental health. And they go hand in hand. Both need to be kept at their best.

Although it usually takes me just 15 minutes to jog in our hamlet, I dare say I've covered enough. I just can't push further because my usual situation doesn't allow me to. But it's better than not doing anything.

I decided this morning to stay a bit longer outdoors just to appreciate nature, do a lot of breathing exercise, and have some of indoor exercises out there. I also took a photo of a white santan. I was planning to stay longer although the rain already started pouring then I realized that my shoes would also get wet. :(

The monster web trap

Something's been bothering me for weeks now and I still couldn't figure my way out. It feels like I'm in a monster web. Bottom line, I like a lot of things but I have to choose just one. How do I do that? It's like I can't just neglect one and the rest over one thing.

I've tried to deliberate these past weeks, weighing options, narrowing down preferences, but to no avail. Something came that almost helped me narrowed things better. I said 'almost helped' because it didn't push through. Perhaps I jinxed it. Perhaps it was just not meant to be.

Now I am back to square one.

Lately, I've come to wonder how it would've been nice if I didn't like a lot of things, if I couldn't do a bit of this and that. Made me wonder what it feels like to know just one thing, to like just one thing. 

And now I kind of got reminded how people overestimated me. I'm just melancholic-choleric, and an INTP, that's why when presented with a situation I managed to get by because I would find my way out. More than that, it was hard work. Nothing was easy for me.

Oh, life. Oui. C'est la vie!

Now Playing: Do As Infinity - Desire