Dangerous Minds Art Exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl

Last Wednesday, we attended the opening of the Dangerous Minds Exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl at The Collective. Some of our college friends from Bulacan arepart of this exhibit.

(c) Artworks of Jukus Sepada,
The Dangerous Minds Exhibit

It’s really nice catching up with these guys again and
seeing them breaking into the art industry here in Manila little by little.

A cool installation art made of paper mache  and colorful yarn strings at The Dangerous Minds Exhibit

The place is really cool plus all the artworks are awesome.
So, if by any chance, you’ll hangout at B-Side or anywhere near The Collective within the week, please do visit this exhibit at Vinyl on Vinyl, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., Makati City. 

Perfect Bed-Weather Food: Wabi-Sabi's Ramen Padilla

While waiting for the opening of our college friends’ exhibit at The Collective, we decided to grab a quick bite at Wabi-Sabi Noodle House and Vegetarian Grocery. 

My boyfriend’s been raving about this place non-stop after trying it with some of his officemates. So, last night, since we're in the area,  it’s raining, and I am craving for something hot, I decided to give it a shot.

My handsome hubby getting our food. :)

Wabi-Sabi's Wall of Fame filled with polaroid photos of all celebrities who have tried

either their Ramen Padilla or Fernando Pho Jr.

Wabi-Sabi Noodle House, The Collective

The place exudes a cozy, feel-good Asian vibe. 
George Harrison's song was playing when we got there: instant plus points. 
The staff seemed nice and the service was quite fast as well.

Wabi-Sabi's Fried Vegan Haru Maki Spring Rolls

We ordered Vegan Haru Maki spring rolls for starters.
 I’m not sure what’s in it but I tasted nori and some banana blossoms.
 It’s paired with a soy sauce and mustard dip. It was so good, 

I bet even a five-year-old kid wouldn't mind eating the flavorful veggies inside. 

Their Thai milk tea... Well, I’m a fan of milk teas. Needless to say, I enjoyed it to the last drop.

Shoyu Ramen 

 A steamy bowl of shoyu ramen on a rainy night while The Beatles is playing on the background: perfect!:)
I am no ramen expert, but in my opinion, Wabi-Sabi's Ramen Padilla is delicious. Plus, the price is also reasonable.  A bowl of shoyu ramen or pho only costs 95 pesos. 

All in all, I enjoyed my first Wabi-Sabi Experience. My boyfriend and I will probably come back to try  their Fernando Pho Jr., vegan chocolate, or ice cream real soon. 

If you like good food, especially flavorful Asian dishes, but also want to explore healthier options, then Wabi-Sabi is the place to be.  

 Wabi-Sabi Noodle House and Vegetarian Grocery

The Collective, 774 Malugay St San Antonio, Makati

Contact Number: (02) 519-3950

My Booksale Love Affair

FACT: I love books. I love the feel of paper. I love the smell of books. I love places filled with books. 

(c) http://www.theparisienexpat.com

That being said, I love Booksale and one of them is the nearest outlet from my office, the one in Cityland Condominum Tower 2 in front of RCBC Plaza.

(c) http://www.booksale.com.ph

I go there whenever I’m stressed or down.  My boyfriend knows very well how my eyes literally light up like a Christmas tree whenever I go inside that place. I don’t usually like waiting but if my boyfriend tells me to wait for him there and  he’ll buy me one in return, no questions asked, I’ll wait for him like a good girlfriend would. Hehehe!

        (c) ArdentArrianne.Blogspot.com

I love my brand-new books no less, but hoarding second-hand ones is way easier, as they’re twice cheaper. The picture above: a copy of Anne of Green Gables at 120 Php and a cool pumpkin orange jotter pad for only 39 Php. 

   (c) ArdentArrianne.Blogspot.com
 I found this in a copy of The Kite Runner. It says on the back that the baby’s name is Courtney. Using your baby’s picture as a bookmark? So adorkable. :)

Also, there are surprising finds in pre-loved books: library cards, doodles, petals, dried flowers, vintage bookmarks, to cute baby pictures.  

(c) The Guardian

(c) The Guardian

Read more about it in Wayne Gooderham’s The Secret Contents of Second Hand Books article.

I would like to believe that it’s my own little way of being eco-friendly? If no one’s going to buy it, where is it going to go? It’s sort of like giving a home to homeless books. Hahaha. :)

You can visit Booksale's website to find the nearest shop near your area. There's also a little second-hand bookstore at the second level of RCBC Plaza near Krispy Kreme and 7 Eleven called Books for Less. 

Free Heart Bypass c/oPhilHealth's Z Benefit Program

After less than a year of waiting, finally, my dad had his bypass surgery last month. 

What Is A Heart Bypass?

Now, coronary artery bypass surgery, which is also called coronary artery bypass graft or CABG (pronounced as “cabbage”) by most doctors, is a major operation that saves thousands of patients suffering from severe heart disease.

PhilHealth Z Benefits 

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford this procedure. The Philippine Heart Center, a heart specialty hospital run by the government, offers heart operation packages for as much as 500,000 pesos to 700,000 pesos, depending on how many arteries are affected – a fortune for an average Juan like us. 

But thanks to PhilHealth’s Z Benefits, their newest health benefit package, my dad had his all expenses paid. For a moment, I felt happy I paid my taxes. :D

All thumbs up after the operation

"We need to aggressively reduce household out-of-pocket health care costs, especially in times of catastrophic illnesses that may or even further push Filipinos into poverty,"

– PhilHeath President and CEO, Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon.

Getting his strength back. Dad at  Philippine Heart Center's Intensive Care Unit

Medical cases that can be covered by PhilHealth’s Z Benefit:

• Childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Heart disease

Who are qualified to avail this benefit?

• PhilHealth members under the Employed sector
• PhilHealth members under the Employed Sector
• PhilHealth members under the Individually Paying
• PhilHealth members under the Lifetime Member Program
• Sponsored Program and Overseas Workers Program members including their qualified dependents.

For more information on Z Benefits, visit http://www.PhilHealth.gov.ph

The Power of Prayer: This piece of paper was given by Luigi, my dad's first attending nurse.

Philippine Heart Center

My family’s experience with dad’s bypass at the Philippine Heart Center was really good. For starters, they were the one who suggested that we make an application to PhilHealth’s new program. 

My family. :)

Compared to other hospitals, I believe it’s the only competent specialty facility with an army of experts here in the country that offers the most affordable rates and additional social assistance to qualified patients. From doctors (at least majority of the ones I saw while we were there), nurses, maintenance people, to security guards, everyone there’s just full of heart – always smiling, polite, very concerned, and all that.

After eight crucial days in the hospital, my dad is now on his road to recovery. Of course, all of this wouldn’t have been possible, if it weren’t for our biggest backer ever, the Lord Almighty. From the smallest details to biggest road blocks, He helped us all the way.

To God alone be the glory! =)

How to Transfer Content from One Blog to Your WordPress Blog

I’ve been having a lot of bloopers with my blogging life lately.  Creating too many blogs and then ending up wanting to transfer all contents of one blog to a different blog (just because I think the other sounds cooler) to name a few. If you're like me (yes, if you're fickle-minded, too), then this post will absolutely be helpful for you.

How to Export Content:

1. Open the source blog (the one with the content you want to transfer).
2. Go to Dashboard.
3. Look for Tools.
4. Choose Export.
5. Select All Content option.
6. Click Download Export File button.
7. Save the file to your computer.

How to Import Content:

1. Open the destination blog (the one where you want your content to be).
2. Go to Dashboard.
3. Look for Tools.
4. Choose Import.
5. You will then be asked to choose a system to import. If you’re transferring content from a WordPress blog, like me, select WordPress.
6. Upload the export file.

And there you have it. You now have all your content where you want them to be.  :)

The Next Best Day of My Life

Someday there will come a time when you'll be able muster all the guts you can muster and throw your worries away off to a place where you can never hear of it again. No bills, deadlines, or people to worry about. For once, life will just be about you.

Imagine getting up in the morning looking ten years younger than you really are without all the wrinkles caused by too much anxiety. The sun gently touches your face that would have perhaps launched a thousand ships. Only happy thoughts swirling inside your head. 

You just wake up on the right side of the bed every single day. And right there and then you decide that you are going to go to some exotic never-heard country no matter what it takes.  You dust off your trunk and start grabbing random clothes from without even considering if you're to face bitter wintry nights or scorching summer days. A few steps more and your loading your camera and all the wires that should come with it. Of course, you won't forget your colorful chunks of pastels and the watercolors that all dried up over the years. I bet you barely remember the day you bought them.

Next thing you know, you’re standing on your front door fixing the crease of your Boho peasant skirt, all smiles with nothing in mind but that boldest plan to just wander, paint, and write. A Eureka moment to set foot anywhere possible, get inspiration in things you see from the usual grind to the never before seen. You dilly dally and kill time people watching in parks and streets, saying, “Hi,” to random tourist blondes or sun-kissed natives.

All day, you’ll write. No minimum words. No limits. No boundaries. No matter how silly. No matter how senseless.

Most days, you’ll paint. Do your thing in every medium you want – oils, watercolors, pastels, gouache, et al. Use boards, paper, canvas – primed, gessoed, ungessoed, or whatever. No rules. No standards. No expectations. For all you care, whatever they call it, your work is ART.

You grin, you look around and in your head without second thoughts, you define that day as the next best day of your life.

Last Wednesday I saw my younger sister's performance during her final demo teaching. This is a requirement for college graduating students under the College of Education in any university and this is almost equivalent to a final thesis defense that other college courses mandates. During this

The Evil Things Stress Can Do To You

For months, I’ve been suffering from a terrible back pain that I didn't really want to fuss about.

My mom said I got it from sleeping like a fetus, a sleeping position where your arms are almost hugging your legs and you’re so hunched. Plus, of course, the obvious fact that I really have a bad posture, maybe as bad as Quasimodo's on the Hunchback of Notre Dame. But I kept ignoring it because I was so sure it’s going to subside and eventually go away just like before.

However, as days passed, I felt the pain growing more intense and getting a bit disturbing that I can no longer bear a day without a "Salonpas" on my back and pain liniment each night. I had trouble sleeping at night and concentrating on tasks at work. It then got to a point where in while ins a bus on my way home, it got too painful, I could hardly move. I was already crying like a baby when I got home.



The next day, after weeks of enduring the unbearable agony (which, at the time, was giving me the anxieties of scoliosis, osteoporosis, or worse, a broken backbone), I sought the help of an expert. I made an appointment with a resident physician from a credible nearby hospital. The doctor's door and desk reads "Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Specialist" under his name.

Funny thing, the doctor was in great disbelief when I told him about my back pains and my fears about it. He shrugged the idea of an X-ray. He said I was too young and that he is more than sure we can disregard problems concerning my bones. He just asked three key questions:

• What’s your job?


• Does it involve sitting in front of a computer most of the time?


• Are you getting too much stress from work lately?

Of course, I answered him with a big "YES."

Then he gave his diagnosis without even asking me to undergo any lab test or whatsoever. He said that I was suffering from chronic acute back pain. According to him, my excessive stress is triggering muscle spasms or cramps in my back. "Wow, stress. Seriously? Yeah, like blame everything on stress, huh?" This was what I was thinking back then. Well, for all I know this guy can just be a good ‘ol Dr. Quack, Quack in white.

But after I have done some research through the Internet on the top causes of severe back pain, where stress actually did land a major spot, I knew Doc was right. Most of the sites that I have visited confirmed the major connection between stress and back pain.

Based on studies, stress causes a release of stress hormones, which then increase the perception of pain and causes muscles to tighten up. The muscles tense up so much they go into painful spasms. Back and neck muscles are particularly sensitive to the effects of stress.

Aside from painful bouts of back pains, some minor negative effects of stress also include:

• involuntary chattering, stammering


• gritting and grinding of teeth


• Insomnia, nightmares and disturbing dreams


• aggravation in skin allergies and disease (e.g. rashes, itching, hives, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis)


• Unexplained or frequent "allergy"
  attacks


• chest pain


• frozen shoulder


• anxiety


• depression


• constipation


• dandruff


• zits and pimples


• Abdominal discomfort.

But it doesn't stop there, as stress can also lead to more serious and debilitating health conditions such as:

• Heart attack  (caused by increased blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol)


• Stroke (caused by increased blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol)


• Ischemic Bowel disease like Crohn’s disease


• Mental and Psychological disorders


• Bell's Palsy (yet to be proven)


• Chronic pain


• Gastrointestinal disorders

So, after lecturing me on life, posture, stress, and thinking too much, Doc wrote me a medical certificate, gave me a list of pain killers (which I did not use), and a paper with helpful illustrations of proper postures when doing different activities.

There are countless medical diseases – including mental disorders – that point stress as the culprit.  So, the next time you feel stressed about something, ask yourself first, "Is it worth it?"

Related Sources:

http://www.bigbackpain.com/stressandbackpain.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Stress-Could-Be-Causing-Your-Upper-Back-Pain&id=3589912

http://www.stressfocus.com/stress_focus_article/stress-effects-on-body.htm

http://www.relaxation-at-home.com/stresssideeffects.html

http://www.stress.org/topic-effects.htm

Daydream and see the Difference

Don't you sometimes get the idea that the world made you forget how it is to just breathe in order to live? To just get off your bed and wake up to start and sleep to end each day? Even worse, don't you get the picture of a world that turned you into someone  not any different to zombies from thriller movies,  just moving but not aware  of what is right or wrong, good or bad, and of wants  over needs.

A world filled with monthly bills, work deadlines, relationship issues in the family and other concerns that root from all the negative scenarios.  A world that dictates people to choose practicality more than anything else. Unfortunately, you and me, we live in "that world", and it left us without any reason so as not to daydream

Way back in grade school, my Math teacher once told my seat mate that day dreaming is only for lazy and brainless people. Perhaps, she was just making a point since my classmate was doing it inside the classroom, submerged with the swirl of random thoughts inside my head instead of the Pythagorean theorem, or the Associative Property of Multiplication. However, I think of it otherwise.

Daydreaming can be a therapy, a way of organizing your thoughts and  an innocent try of  getting over all that is bitter. It is  a manner of visualizing what you really want to do and want to become in life minus all the pressures and restrictions from the real world. It offers you freedom from your own inhibitions more than getting drunk does. It enables you to be who you want to be, at the same time gives you the license to do what you ought to  do.

It gives you the sweetest escape that your empty pockets and hectic job schedules  hinders you from doing. It even allows you to be with the people whom you cannot really be with, whether because they've tied the knot or have called life quits. More importantly, it allows you to dream, something that this world tagged as forbidden.

I myself  take my day dreaming hat and call myself as the "Daydream Goddess" when I need to. I think the name suits me, shrug the stupid idea that my looks equal that of a goddess because I sure don't. Kidding aside, it's just that perhaps I have more idea of day dreaming than any normal thinking human has of it. I have done it for over a million  times in my entire lifetime.  I do it inside the bus, inside the train and inside the cab (but of course, I still pay attention on the fare meter!), which I do twice since I do it back and forth on my way to work and on my same commute when I am headed home. Believe me, it has been very therapeutic for me all the time. If I were a psychologist, I would honestly recommend this activity to most of my patients inflicted with the worst case of paranoia, stress, manic depression or even to those with the gravest suicidal tendencies. This may be counted as admission that I myself may be or have been ill from all or even one of those disorders. Well, aren't most of us if not all of us?

If you are a person who is currently misplaced in this  world, we fondly call ours. A world of creativity versus practicality, which has trapped people with eight to five jobs that most despise but so badly need to survive. A world full of people whose lives they cannot really live anymore but must live out to merely exist...

Then, day dreaming can be the first step to resurrect those childhood dream of yours. That dream you have buried in a pile of long overdue paper works. The dream  of becoming a writer, a painter, a musician. The dream of who you actually want to be, of doing what you in fact want to do.

It is time to allow yourself to dream as it is your right and not a privilege. Overcome your fears of being called absurd and being rejected. Eventually to forget and prove wrong all the  people who were sure you cannot when you know in your heart that you actually can. Pursue your dreams which can be the key to your own most sought after happiness, even so your own fulfillment; not just in a matter of  profession but as a person holistically.

P.S.
Daydream and watch it  make all the difference...

Hats down,

The Daydream Goddess