Outdoorsy

Anyway, last Thursday is probably one of the most beautiful birthday celebrations I ever had. We did not have a grand birthday party; only a small gathering that was attended by my parents, my only brother Czy and my Desie, who has been my boyfriend for the past six years. We did not serve the best tasting meals; we only had takeout orders of my most favorite dishes. What made my day very, very special was nothing grandiose. I was just so happy to be with the most special persons in my life. I am so glad to be sharing that dinner and to be having a light yet warm conversation with them.



I guess, when people become vulnerable to a lot of harsh realities in this life (like having to lose a loved one), the things that matter most are not those that are superficial; what becomes so important is being around with people who loves you and whom you love back with all your heart in return. It is an opportunity that I am honestly so thankful for.

A few years back, I had the chance to visit Outland Adventure along Diversion Road here in Davao City. I was in the company of my classmates from the Masters Degree program I was enrolled in. The visit was actually a requirement in one of our Management class.

Outland Adventure is a few minutes ride from downtown Davao, which takes pride with the green nature as their background. It is undoubtedly on top of the list of a lot of Davao-based offices or groups that hold team building as they have a team challenge course program. This program includes activities that imbibe trust, communication skills, problem solving ideas and varied leadership styles that can be used by the participants in their respective organizations.

Our course started with the trust fall where each team members had to climb up to what looked like a mini stage. From there, the team member had to let himself freely fall to the ground with their hands placed across their chest and their back facing the ground. The concept of the activity was to instill trust among the team…trust that the other team mates would not let them fall helpless on the ground …trust that the person about to fall has placed his or her confidence in the team.

The activity was probably one of the hardest for me. I admit having trust issues since I almost always trust in myself to do everything that needs to be done. I had to redo my fall around three times before the facilitator finally told me that the fall I did was a success. The criterion that the facilitator relied on was the body language of person falling as it really says whether or not there was trust.

Next up was what I and my friends called the Great Wall of Outland. In the activity, all team members have to climb up to a wall measuring around eight to nine feet tall without using a ladder. What the team has to do was to help each other climb to the top. The catch? How would the team help the last man on the ground reach the top? This is where teamwork, planning and strategy come into play. Well, hurray to group for finishing the activity! Everyone was able to come up. I think our success can be greatly attributed to the fact that most of my classmates are big, muscular men who are used to carrying heavy load.

We were then given an hour to eat and rest from the strenuous activities. After the break, we were heading toward the rope challenges.

The facilitators from Outland told us that the adventure-based programs were made similar to an obstacle course however the ones that they have is suspended through the use of ropes. Again, this activity still aims to enhance teamwork, trust and communication. The experience was probably one of the most physically taxing I have ever had. Apart from the use of force, those who undergo the rope challenges need to use their intellect to come up with the best strategy.

I was actually thinking about giving up on the obstacle course as I was sweating profusely and my mind and strength seem to fail me. However, after hearing the cheers from my peers and pondering on my next move, I was able to make it through one tough dare.

The finale for our Outland Adventure was grand! We were able to experience the Zip Line. This exciting activity was made even more exhilarating as we were made to zip from one hill to another. We had to cross a river through a makeshift banca to reach the starting line. It was the best!

If you are up for dare, Outland Adventure is the way to go.

It has been a week yet I still have cough and colds plus occasional fever. I already tried drinking medicines but still nothing seems to work for me. My boss, who happens to be a doctor, discouraged me from me from taking antibiotics. Instead, he told me to let my antibodies do the working and allow my body to naturally heal itself. Anyway, for those of you who could be in the same predicament as I am, here are some of the things that you could do to speed up you recovery.

1. Drink lots of water – Water is said to contain disease curing properties. It is a natural remedy for common sickness. This benefit can be attributed to the fact that water acts as a body purifier, by removing toxins and waste from the body.

2. Take Vit C – Scientific studies show that intake of vitamin C actually reduces the severity of cold symptoms. It acts as natural antihistamine thus it controls allergy. By taking a dose of this vitamin, the duration of colds may shorten.

3. Get plenty of sleep – Sleep is shown to have a critical function in the immune system. It actually provides an opportunity for the body to cleanse, repair, and rejuvenate on a deep cellular level. Thus, a need for plenty of healing sleep.

As a final reminder, do take care of yourself. Our bodies are the only ones we have. We better take care of it in the best possible way. Do not forget to bring your handy umbrellas as it is best for us to be prepared in this ever changing weather. Drink your multivitamins. It actually helps your body.

And just in case you have been travelling abroad with known cases of Swine Flu, do self quarantine. After all, the symptoms you manifest may be more than just a common flu. If symptoms persist, do consult your doctor.

I took the chance of answering one of the many online tests though I was apprehensive whether the result is really the fact of the matter. Anyway, I took my chances and got quite surprised about the outcome of the quiz. This is what came out:

I took the Is he The One? quiz and got the result: 99% chance that he's the one..

The result said : You've found someone truly special! Beside an amazing chemistry, you two share so much in common. All you need to do is to trust your feelings and things should work out on its own.

I am not really sure if this thing is for real yet its nice to think that this could be true. Why don't you try one for yourself? You might as well know the chances if he is the one for you.

After a gruesome week where I had to cope up with so many stresses, I decided to pamper myself. I visited my favorite spa, Body Bliss, which offers several services. It was much needed as I could feel a heavy weight on my shoulder, pain on my hands and a recurring headache that Ibuprofen cannot seem to ease.

As I entered the spa, the dim lights and the smell of essential oils seem to provide a serene feeling. It was the first time in so many weeks that I felt that calm.

The therapist immediately attended to my needs. The session started with warm water cleansing of my feet which was followed by muscle stretching, the relaxing Bentosa cupping and a combination of Shiatsu, Sweddish and Thai massage. Slowly, the soothing effect of the therapy began to loosen the stiffness of my muscles. Bit by bit, there was a sense of ease that has brought me tranquility.

The session I had was indeed therapeutic. The Bentosa cupping is an ancient Chinese-Filipino practice wherein small glass or bamboo cups are attached to the skin. These hot suction cups are placed on acupressure points of the body, particularly at one’s back, to activate blood flow, clear toxins and energy channels and prevent colds and fever. The “cold wind” which is locally known as panuhot is sucked out from the body leading to a better feeling. The massage, on the other hand, gives a lot of physical and mental benefits. The physical benefits of massage include relieves muscle tension and stiffness, reduces muscle spasms, promotes deeper and easier breathing, improves blood circulation, reduces blood pressure, helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain, enhances the health and nourishment of skin and strengthens the immune system. As for its mental benefits, the massage is said to foster peace of mind, promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness, helps relieve stress, fosters a feeling of well-being and reduces level of anxiety.

No wonder that after a much needed treatment, I feel so relaxed. I felt I was reborn to face yet another challenging week ahead.

On line shopping is definitely the “in” thing nowadays. It has transformed the lives of shoppers by selling the things consumers need right inside their homes. Truly, it has brought comfort and convenience.

For most shoppers though, they spend hours looking for the best deals on a particular item they wish to buy. They practically open every page they could get their hands so as to get the maximum satisfaction in finding a great buy. Well, the strenuous task of searching comes to an end with ShopWiki.com. This shopping site gives its clients a different level of online shopping as it offers everything and anything that is for sale on the web. This only means better deals and savings for their patrons as there are more products coming from a wide range of stores to choose from.

The hottest items that are up for grab from the site include frills to pimp your rides. One could choose from varied selections of car audio and video accessories. They have dvd players, speakers, receivers and even GPS devices. The offer is unbelievable and surely, you can look for the finest items to refurbish your cars with. So go get those hands working. Start searching for top of the line materials with ShopWiki and get your money’s worth.

It was one lazy Sunday afternoon. The heat was so intense making me sweat profusely. The warm temperature was getting into my nerves that I found myself heading towards the nearest mall to feel the coolness of its centralized air conditioner.

As soon as I stepped into the mall, the cold air started to give me a sense of relief and freshness. Whew! I just loved the feeling. To complete my chillax (a word I have heard my niece utter a few weeks back which meant to chill and relax) moment, I bought a large Peach-Mango fruit shake and opted to watch a movie.

Since it was my unwind time, I chose to see a very light and entertaining film. Thus, I preferred to see the second installment of Night at the Museum.

Ben Stiller reprises his role as Larry in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.

The plot happens years after Larry left his post as the night guard of the museum to pursue another career. In the film, he visits his former workplace where he was told that some of its attractions will be temporarily stored at the Smithsonian Institution while the Museum of Natural History is closed for renovations. As most of us already know, the museum’s attractions are used to being alive during night time because of this certain tablet that gives them life. Thus, the dilemma sets in as the temporary storing of the attractions would mean they would not be brought to life for a certain period. However, the monkey steals the tablet as they were being transported to Institution, which begins the entire mess that Larry has to fix.

I could not tell the rest of the story because the movie is better watched than told. As expected, the cinematography and effects are great. It lives up to the good image it earned in the first episode of the film.

More than the aesthetics, the values that the movie wishes to impart is its best asset. This is also the very reason why kids should watch the film. It depicts how friendship can be manifested in a deeper level. It shows that people should not be afraid to conquer greater feats thereby leading to the ultimate happiness. It illustrates that satisfaction and fulfillment need not be achieved through having a high paying job but that it could be found in doing what one loves to do.

There so much that kids and adult alike could learn from the film. It is a guarantee that this one is something you should not miss.