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My brother and sister-in-law have been persuading me to join them in running marathons and fun runs they’ve been attending since last year. Being the lazy girl and couch potato that I am, it took them quite awhile to convince me to actually sign up. Since my goal this summer is to do some real exercise, I immediately said yes when my brother asked me to join them in the Greenfields City Run last Sunday.

Since I’m not used to running (I actually prefer swimming than running), I need to be in condition by running at least 3x a week to prepare for the run. It was a struggle for me to wake up at 6AM in the morning since I’m a self-confessed night owl. It started to become a routine to me and I feel happy about it.

Wednesday before the weekend run, I went out and run with my newly purchased trainers. I was so excited to run with my new running shoes! After 2 kilometers of running, I felt my right ankle and right knee acting up. I wanted to run more but they were too painful I can’t even walk properly. I had to walk the next 2 kilometers back to our house with an aching knee and ankle. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to run that weekend.

I didn’t run for the next couple of days to rest my right knee and ankle. I kept on wishing for the pain to subside. My prayers were answered, the pain went away a day before the race. I couldn’’t decide if I was still going to run since I didn’t do enough training for me to run a 5K race. I just thought that it doesn’t matter how fast I’m going to be. As long as I get to finish the race, I’ll feel like a winner.

Come Sunday, we left the house at 4:30AM for Greenfields City in Sta. Rosa. I was a bit nervous knowing it’s going to be my first fun run ever. We assembled in front of the starting line, along with the 5K runners. We knew it was the start of the race as soon as we heard a gunshot. I started my run with a slow pace. Seeing my fellow 5k runners was really fun. I then realized it’s more exciting to run with a lot of people with you because it gives you the push to run more. I’m actually surprised I ran more than I expected myself to run. I thought I was going to walk most of the time but surprisingly, I ran almost 2/3 of the race! If only my shins weren’t hurting, I would’ve ran the whole trail. The sweat felt so great and the adrenaline made me run more.

I was able to finish the race with a healthy heart and a big smile. I enjoyed so much I thought of joining the next big race this coming June. I know I won’t be as fast as the other runners but knowing I finished the race and helping a charity at the same time is more than enough for me.

With my brother, sister-in-law, and my sister-in-law’s family after the race.

Had our picture taken with the ultimate runner and women’s rights advocate, Senator Pia Cayetano.

Can’t wait for the next run,
Roch <3

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…Or more specifically, Why You Should Watch 17 Again If You Don’t Consider “ZOMGGG, ZAC EFRON IS SO HOTTT” A Valid Reason.

1. I’ve always been a fan of body swap movies—Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, etc. But I guess it really is different for guys; somehow, the differences between Matthew Perry (37-year-old Mike O’Donnell) and Zac Efron (17-year-old Mike O’Donnell) were more pronounced, and therefore funnier and more entertaining. Plus, there’s a love story involved, and an inter-generational romance (cougars battling it out against the gerbils) is always a good thing to throw into the picture.

2. Another thing I’m a fan of? Daddy movies! More than breakup scenes and deathbed scenes and my-husband-is-off-to-the-war scenes, I always tear up during father-daughter conversation scenes. I won’t spoil the movie for you, but I loved how Zac and Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina from Gossip Girl) were able to turn a tender moment into a wildly hilarious one.

3. You’ll fall in love with the other characters, too. You’ll want to be friends with Sterling Knight, who plays Alex, and wonder what it would be like to have Leslie Mann as your mom. Thomas Lennon totally steals the supporting cast scene as geeky millionaire Ned, who drives a yellow Lamborghini, speaks Elvish, dons cowboy hats and pointy ears, and will do everything in his power to make the school principal go out on a date with him.

4. Zac is quite believable as a 37-year-old stuck in a teenager’s body. I never really thought of him as a comedic actor before (or at least not until I saw his guest stint on SNL, which you have to watch if you’re a fan), but he’s got good timing and the potential to be a cuter version of Paul Rudd. Sure, this movie won’t change your life. But it will definitely make you laugh for two hours straight!

5. It has an awesome soundtrack. I loved the quirky “On My Own” by Vincent Vincent and the Villains, Mimi was moved by “The Greatest” by Cat Power, and Mia liked “LES Artistes” by Santogold. Mimi and I also loved the yearbook scene at end, where they showed younger photos of the cast (a gap-toothed Zac and an adorable pre-Chandler Matthew!) while playing “Naive” by The Kooks.

But for the record, let me just say it again: ZOMGGG, ZAC EFRON IS SO HOTTT!!!

Take me back to the start,
Marla
:penguin:

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Had my long-overdue haircut last night (haven’t had one since September of last year, can you believe?) and the whole time I was in that salon chair, I kept thinking of one thing and one thing only: What slice of cake will I buy and where will I buy it?

I’ve been having really bad sugar cravings since last week (I blame the Selecta Gold Series ice cream ads I’ve been seeing on TV, really want the strawberry one but couldn’t find it at the grocery), and the more I try to suppress them, the more they pop up in weird ways. So I’m thinking it might be better to just ride it out, give in, and hopefully get over it. Let me know your current sugar fixes so I can try ‘em too!

Last night’s haircut

Mickey a.k.a. Mickeyangelo staring up at me, checking out my new ‘do. He likes to hide in my closet when there’s a storm.

Picked this up at Santi’s after my haircut. Been popping the raspberry candy all day… after our morning post-mortem with the Creative Director, before my Report Card meeting with my big boss (our publisher), after my Report Card Meeting, before meeting with our Publishing Assistant, after doing proofs… The raspberry chocolate bar I plan to break into tonight, before dinner. Hehe

The Oreo Cheesecake from UCC I split with Lifestyle Ed Marla today at lunch. It was perfectly creamy and light, with a slight tang and a scrumptious Graham crust. Yum!

The lip balm all suga-holics will love! I grabbed some for my sis, myself and of course, for Candy’s resident lip balm freak, Art Director Steph.

Today am wearing Victoria’s Secret Pink Warm and Cozy. It’s got this great vanilla scent with a fruity spike—kind of like a vanilla cake with a dash of lime or orange (Think The Chocolate Kiss’s Dayap Cake). So now am craving vanilla cake with a dash of lime or orange. The other bottle is of course, the Harajuku scent in Baby. It’s really fresh, perfect for summer. The G (the blonde bottle) smells yummy too—gourmand Marla will like its coconut scent.

And because I love my fur kids so much, I got them their own sweets—Bark Bars from Tiende! They’re just carob treats since chocolate’s toxic for dogs, but I’m hoping they taste okay. (My mom used to be allergic to chocolate so we used to eat carob and it tastes okay enough.)

Here are Mick and Bugsy, playing with their squeak toys and wondering if I’m about to give them a treat!

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Road trips are always fun, especially when you don’t need to worry about a thing. As luck would have it, my aunt was able to pull a few strings just days ago and grant us entry to a beautiful private beach cove in Batangas. The sun was blazing hot, but you couldn’t keep my cousins and I away from the water. We swam in search of cool spots, shared bread with striped fishes, and attempted to do jump shots—which was way harder to do in the water!

Taking in the amazing view that greeted us.

Trying to get a tan in the water. It actually worked!

My cousins wrestling with the waves.

After a heavy buffet lunch, I decided to relax on one of the loungers and enjoy the sounds of the crashing waves. A cousin kept me entertained by taking experimental shots with her new DSLR while another forced me to answer the trivia questions on my iPod. The whole time we were joking around and taking in the view, my thoughts kept drifting back to my sister and brothers—wondering what they were doing at that exact moment and what the experience would have been like with them around. I guess it’s obvious I was (and still am) missing them badly.

Just the three of us: Bonding with my parents minus my huggable, lovable sibs.

Nonetheless, I had great memories from that short day trip. After another swim early afternoon (hello, sunburn!), my family engaged in a game of Frisbee courtesy of my youngest brother, A. He introduced the game to us during Holy Week, and I find myself wanting to play more of it. If only I could learn how to throw the disc properly with my long nails!

My uncle and aunt were the best throwers. The others needed more practice… including me!

When the sun was about to set, my uncle persuaded us to visit a spot where we could watch the sunset. As the sun sank into the horizon, we noticed that the place had a big formation of rocks connected to a big cross that formed into one ginormous rosary. (No wonder the place was called Meditation Point!)

Absolutely loved this shot because the sunset cast a beautiful glow on our faces.

Jump if you’re happy. (Obviously, we all were. Haha!)

Wishing for more picture-perfect moments before the summer officially ends,
Mimi :star:

Posted in Candy, Love, Reality Bytes | 4 Comments »

Dear Candy girls and boys,

Last Holy Week, I finally got to visit one of my must-see places in the Philippines—Ilocos! I hopped in a car with three of my best friends and we drove all the way to Vigan, Laoag, and Pagudpud (including all the towns in between!). Armed with good music (I bought these cool portable speakers and loaded my iPod with songs for the 10-hour drive), a cooler filled with food and drinks, a list of places to visit, and some maps to guide us, we were off on our big adventure!

Since I have so many photos and memories to share, I’m dividing this post into 3 parts. This week, let’s talk churches. Ilocos has some of the most beautiful, well-preserved historic churches I’ve ever seen. I regret that I wasn’t able to attend the Holy Week masses, but I made it a point to go inside each church we visited (no less than 9!) to say a little prayer.

1. Simbahan ng Sta. Maria

This is one of the Philippines’ Baroque churches and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Each church we visited has a bell tower. My friend said it’s usually located a few meters away from the main church so it doesn’t damage the church in case of earthquake or fire. Do you have any other explanations?
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2. Church of Laoag

It has an Italian Renaissance design built in the 1600s.

This is the Sinking Bell Tower. They say a man on a horse could once pass through its doors, but now a person has to stoop to get inside!
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3. Church of Sarrat

It was destroyed by fire twice in the 1800s but has since been restored to its former glory.

Standing by the bell tower
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4. Church of Paoay

Mia went here too a few months ago!

The church in sepia… it reminds me of the temples in Angkor Wat.
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5. Batac Church

Built in 1587. (It’s near the place where Marcos’ body is laid.)

A moving depiction of the crowning with thorns inside the church.
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6. Bacarra Church

It was built by Spanish Augustinian Friars in 1593. It was destroyed by an earthquake just 26 years ago, but was beautifully rebuilt.

Behind the church are the ruins of the bell tower. Look at how huge that slab of rock is!
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7. Simbahan ng Badoc

I love the arc at the entrance and how the white church contrasts with the stone arc and bell tower.

Painter Juan Luna was baptized here.
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8. Vigan Cathedral

The church on a busy Easter Sunday

Calesas by the side of the cathedral
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9. St. Augustine Parish Church of Bantay

The church is also the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, which is said to be miraculous.

It had a beautiful bell tower at the back, but the gates were locked so we couldn’t go nearer.
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And that’s it for my church visits. Hope you enjoyed the tour!
Next week, on the road to Pagudpud!

Angel

P.S. Tell us about your Holy Week and summer vacation adventures too! Would love to hear about them.

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