January Gemorie

Last Saturday, October 11, 2014, me, my friends/business partners as well as our fellow bloggers gather at SMX Taguig, SM Aura for the Blogapalooza 2014.

First you need to confirm your name and blog name, then you will be given a Blogapalooza printed eco bag, an ID, and a sticker with a certain number which pair you will need to look inside the venue to win a price from EatOutManila, and your good to go inside the event area. Inside we are welcomed by a live band singing some Maroon 5 Song.

Blogapalooza is the “biggest business to blogger networking and marketing event” where businesses shares their services and products to different bloggers who will eventually write an online review – on our end we have an online review plus lots of pictures posted on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

It was the first time I attend the Blogapalooza event, and although it wasn’t what I expected it to be –looking at the previous Blogapalooza years – I enjoyed it nonetheless.

There were lots of booths, Acer for one, which I enjoyed the most, with their latest mobile phone that can match to Samsungs Note II. Canon and their underwater video camera, to the usual names like Globe, Sky Cable, etc.

There is also a Bioessence booth where they offered a free back massage or a facial, too bad the line is way too long, I didn’t get the chance to go back to their booth to check if it’s my turn, but I receive a Premium Pass.

Flawless is also full with bloggers trying their games to win some souvenirs, Jergens which I honestly didn’t notice –sorry, maybe Im too preoccupied by other booths or there are way too many people on their booth I didn’t bother to take a peak.

Bangs by Tony and Jackey gave out a Free Hair Keratin Treatment worth P1500 which you can use if you avail any hair service.

Travel related booths and hotel and restaurant booths gave out gift certificates. I got a coupon and a gift certificate from Ace Water Spa a Free one (1) glass of Ace Punch at Sky High Bar.

What I love the most in this event is that food is free and flowing. There is Yellow Cab giving away free slices of pizza, Chips Ahoy, with cookies, House of Lasagna which I didn’t get the chance to have a bite –every time we go back to their booth, their lasagna is out – but I did receive a P100 worth of gift certificate.

Chooks to Go gave out a bucket of roasted chicken, the aroma filled the air around 2:30? Not really sure, I just remembered that it was around the time after I took some bathroom break. Krispy Kreme’s booth has a long line since they’re giving away their yummy treat and some balloons. Max’s booth probably opened a little too late, I saw them preparing their booth around 1pm.

Hmm what else, Oh NIU by Vikings gave out a free food tasting around 3:30 at the sixth floor of SM Aura. You can check out our NIU experience Here

All in all, it’s an event one must see. I went home tired but very, very satisfied. I meet bloggers, learn a few things and closed a few deals, yay! Too bad I didn’t get even a single umbrella.

Outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, and inline skating allow you to reap up to six times more fat-blasting, body-shaping benefits than cruising around the neighborhood on foot. And you don't have to be a hard-core athlete or fitness freak to get the most out of the five we're suggesting.

Top off your normal weekday exercise routine with one of these exhilarating weekend activities to get fit and firm fast and enjoy the company of your family and friends at the same time.

KAYAKING

It burns at least 340 per hour and will give you a sculpted upper body. "Pulling the paddle against the water is great resistance," says 29-year-old Michelle Christensen of Baltimore, who spends summer weekends kayaking around the Chesapeake Bay. "You target your shoulders, triceps, biceps, back, and core." She added. Kayaking is like meditating on water, says Rhett Pruitt, a 34-year-old raft guide and recreational kayaker in Long Creek, SC. She opts for tranquil sea kayaking over exhilarating white water when she's craving peace and quiet. "Sea kayaking is not intimidating," she says. "You're just inches above the water—the perfect vantage point for taking in the abundant wildlife and sea life that you would never see otherwise." Beginners should use an open kayak or take a lesson to learn how to escape the kayak first.

HIKING

Hiking can improve cardiovascular fitness and will burn up to 400 per hour. "There's a lot of lung cancer in my family," says 49-year-old hiker Lynn Anderson, from Helena, MT. "It's always been a priority to keep my lungs in tip-top shape." Hiking will also give you stronger, leaner thighs and firm your rear to boot. You get to unplug from society. Hiker Lori Pfankuch, 47, who traverses Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana, says: "Hiking takes you out of your world so you can reflect. I've seen mountain goats, I eat huckleberries on the trail, and last summer I saw my first grizzly bear." Invest in a good pair of boots or trail and be sure to break them in by wearing them on errands before you hike.

SPEEDMINTON

This new game is a cross between racquetball, badminton, and tennis but with no nets or walls involved. Players bat a speeder which looks like the birdie used in badminton back and forth using lightweight racquets. It can also burn about 400 calories per hour. "If you can swing a racquet, you can learn to play, and it's great cardio," says 30-year-old Christina Higgins of San Diego, mother to a newborn and a toddler. "The results are similar to those in tennis--sculpted arms and back, toned legs, and better hand-eye coordination.” "Our neighbors introduced my husband and me to the game, so now we all play in our cul-de-sac," Higgins says. "The speeder glows, so we can even play well into the night." Pack chalk to draw a court, and remember: It's just a game.

CYCLING

500 to 700 calories per hour can be burned, depending on speed and terrain. It improves cardiovascular fitness give you solid legs and buns. "It helped me lose 20 pounds!" says Jan Reeves, 49, a recreational cyclist and mother of four in Lexington, KY. “And I eat whatever I want." Cycling will give you more zip, both on and off the bike. "My kids told me I needed to get a life," says Reeves, who started cycling as a way to meet people after her divorce. When she completed a 4-day, 300-mile cycling trip last fall, she felt "totally empowered and energized; my kids are really proud that I ride." Spandex can be unflattering, but it makes a huge difference when cycling. Cycle shorts provide padding and wick away moisture, preventing your rear end, legs and crotch from getting chafed.

INLINE SKATING

Inline Skating sculpts your buns and thighs without pounding your knees. Skating is much less jarring than other high-intensity sports like jogging. "I was a runner for years but switched to skating when running started to hurt," says Joanne Geveshausen, 48, of Winchester, KY.

It also provides a high-adrenaline release from mental baggage. "I needed an activity that demanded total concentration and the gym wasn't cutting it," says Phyllis Wolf, 62, of Chicago, who started skating 4 years ago as a way to deal with the stress of caring for elderly relatives. "I skate for hours then go to the senior center and nothing bothers me."

Don't be intimidated. "Few people my age are skating, which is too bad," says the self-proclaimed speedster. Wolf's advice is to ease into it by taking lessons. Inline Skating also burns up to 816 calories per hour.

It was early of this month when I decided to finalized things, be-over-with-and-done, I resigned, packed my things and become the bum that I currently am. I kinda feel a little burn-out though that's not the main reason why I decided quitting, there are things that are hard to explain and things that have no explanation at all. Sometimes you just feel like there's something missing, something wrong, or maybe you just need a little time for yourself.

So there, I quit, one week of rest feels really good, sleep really late and wake up whatever time you like, eat, sleep, watch some movies at home, re-runs of America's Next Top Model, clean a little, wash some laundry, that's basically what my first week is. 

The second week hit's and man, I feel so bored with the sleep and eat routine, there are no good shows to watch, laundry to wash, I started cramming with my books that was bought months and months ago sitting lonely on my book shelves.

I picked-up Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James which I borred from a friend, heard this one is good, It didn't last long, by the time I flip the pages to Chapter 5 Im over, guess I will take a few more months to pick it up again so I browse again and notice I have a copy of Crescendo, the second installment from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush series, I've read Hush Hush and it's okay, on the other hand, Crescendo is something I dont have the interest of reading as of Chapter 2. With that being said, I lost interest with books, opened my laptop and hit Mangable where a collection of manga or Japanese comicks is found translated in English, my dashboard indicate that the series I am following are updated so I started reading them one by one.

It's been raining all day and all night these past weeks, I hate going out with this kind of weather, but things should start rolling again, I don't want to be a bum and as I saw my bank book I kinda feel lonely because for a whole month, nothing has been added.

As of earlier, I started sending my CV's and resume's and hopefully, by the end of this month, since Im feed-up of being "on vacation mode", I can be a part of a new team and start my journey to the stressful life if being in the Information Technology related Industry.

That moment when an A-list celebrity’s “stupid actions”, “wham bham photos” and other “private moments” leaks out online and becomes the hottest trending topic.

Honestly, what’s this celebrity’s taking almost naked if not naked pictures, videotaping their crazy invitation only parties, their steamy private moments using their gadgets, GADGETS where the contents can be copied, gadgets that are easily misplaced and stolen.

And that’s not all, remember the latest MTV Music Video Awards, when Miley Cyrus, a former Disney star, the Hanna Montana we all grow up watching started twerking, bumping and grinding, and mind you, her transition to adult stage started after getting an Oh so short haircut, takes pictures of herself, tongue-sticking-out, wearing her panties, post it on instagram and voila, a hot trending topic.

Then there is Justin Bieber (though I don’t see him on celebrity red carpet as often as before) peeing on a mop bucket! Oh my gee! Really, what’s with this celebrity’s doing crazy things in public where the paparazzi’s are in every nook and cranny ready to pounce at every stupid thing they do at every crazy word they say.

So okay, they got the attention of the public, but man, do you want to be regarded forever as “The guy who pee’s on a mop bucket” or “The girl caught making out” maybe “The prince who’s partying naked”.

If you really want a remembrance of your private moments make sure your gadgets are password protected, transfer it on a zip file and encrypt a password, in case you misplace your things you can be assured that it would take time before someone can open your gadgets, and if ever they got the chance to guess your password, your private moments are protected by an encryption.

If you are a public figure, be always cautious, with your actions and your every word, remember, the paparazzi’s camera is always ready to take a shot.