Punggolita signs off for a while

My dear readers (if I have any), I would like to inform you all that your Punggolita will be a Dora for three weeks less the back pack and with a Selfie Rod instead. I will roam a new world and experience a different kind of living. If internet is available, I might update you all with the places I have been and the smile I had. 
You'll miss me for sure, but I will not be away for long. Cheers!

Viva La Zumba!

I had my last Zumba class last Saturday before my big trip and it felt weird that I was a bit sad that I won't be doing it for four weeks. Haha, talk about passion! But behold, I am not an addict, it's just that dancing makes me feel good. Swaying to the tune of Salsa and Rumba, damn! that's an hour of good release and stress-relief. Here are two of the songs I am really fond of dancing with. Looking for a youtube video almost made me get up to my feet and shimmy a lot. I hope one day I can upload a video of me dancing - when I have managed to master at least one song.  You can try dancing with these tunes and choreography and let you feel what I feel. Out of Breath! HAHAHA

Let's be healthy and fit with ZUMBA Fitness. 

Viva  La Vida 

Salome

El Amor, El Amor

My Day and The Year Ahead

A little late don't you think? HAHAHA, I think I have the right to be late in writing this post, 'cause I just had one heck of a Birthday Celebration even if I had to do it differently. Being it on Good Friday and as a Catholic, I couldn't really have all of my friends gathered to eat a feast, drink booze and sing our hearts out with the Magic Sing (yeah, that's the Filipino way of celebration). I may have just posted on Facebook about that day being greater than being it my birthday.  So instead of all the lovely noise, I have found peace and joy in the loudest of silence with spending it with God. It was a different way but still a fulfilling way.

During the season of Lent, I had the time to think things through and contemplate. And I have found what I think would make my year ahead a fulfilling journey. It's finding that direction and purpose and while in the process of looking, enjoying the journey with lessons that could make me a stronger person. I think others would say that I think way too much; that I need to let everything flow and enjoy the ride. I am not saying I will not enjoy life, but I think finding that direction (I think I am a bit late on realizing this) is necessary for us to live our lives fully. So this year will be focused on that alone, finding that direction - trying everything new, testing the waters, pushing the limits until I finally found that. It may take days, months or even years, but I owe it to the Lord to actually living the life He gave and serving my purpose He planned.

The journey is long but with all of my friends and the experiences, I think I will enjoy it.

Gotta go and live my life now.. Cheer! 

The Year That Was

In a few hours’ time I will be joining the late twenties club. And that means a lot to me because being 25 had taught me a lot of things about myself and about life. So here goes this entry about what the past twelve months have been. As I enter and start another year on earth, here is the list that will make me remember the year that was.

Independence
That year blessed me with the opportunity to live on my own. From the mundane task of washing the laundry and ironing them after to cooking my own food to the complex tasks of dealing with problems on my own first – definitely that year helped me become better (mostly) domestically and emotionally.
 

Pain
For all the people who know me personally, you would know that the past year is the hardest year yet for me and my family. I have lost a part of me and during those times, it felt like being stabbed in the heart and slowly twisting the knife to deepen it. I  couldn’t really believe that I have survived that painful moment. However, being with my family, we’ve survived but with the longing that would forever be with us.  Pain is temporary, but longing is permanent. Mommy I miss you every single day.

Passion

This year I have found a deep connection with my emotions. It is with passion that I learned to like enthusiastically. I can’t believe I will be this fond of Zumba. I can’t believe I will love baking that much to the point of having it as stress-buster. I can’t believe that feeling passionately would mean happiness. Passion makes things more interesting. It’s the hots that you feel whenever you do something.

Happiness
this is a tricky one. There are a couple of posts of mine about being happy. For the past months, it’s a struggle for me to answer the question ‘ Are you happy?’. It’s a simple yet loaded question.  When I was asked about it, it took me a (long) moment to answer it. And my answer was ‘I am not sure’.  I am happy if I make others happy, but am I happy on my own? Dang, I can’t believe it took me so long to realize that but I guess it’s part of the QLC process and that I am starting to get my sh*t together. And right now, I hold on to a saying about happiness that goes:

Happiness is not a goal. It is a by-product of a life well-lived.

Love

Ah! Love. It is during this year that I learned that I can love deeply but still in the progress of letting people in. My mom has taught me how to love from how she loved us unconditionally. With that, it was etched in our system to be honest on loving. It was during this year that I learned that even though I know how to love deeply, deciding to give it away is hard for me. Let’s not go into detail about it, but, knowing that made me think of the things that I need to do.  

Life

This year made me realize that life is short. Most of the points here are the outcome of missing Mom but with it comes a lesson I needed to learn. That life is short and that I need to live it. I may be happy when others are happy, but, I owe it to myself to live my life. And that starts with loving myself – taking good care of my health; being involved with what brings me joy; feeding my mind with new things and learnings; and  feeding my spirit with a personal connection with God. After all, happiness can be attained with a life well-lived.

So there goes the list of the main points for my being.  My journey continues with the lessons my past year have instilled in me. Happy twenty something to me! Another year means another year to be happy and to continue living. 

Let's end this entry with a photo.HAHA

Cheers! 

The Philippines: Beaches

I love going to places. If there is one luxury that I always indulge myself into, it’s visiting new places and old favorites and get lost in their beauty and extravagance.  It may be as simple as a newly opened restaurant somewhere in the suburb, another city to stroll, a new mountain to explore or a new shore to wander around. Definitely, these types of adventure give me the tingles and the smiles. Though I love the beach, its tranquility, its life, and its serenity, being a typical Asian who doesn’t know how to swim made it not a priority for me to visit and explore.  And I am a Filipino. What is the connection of that? Well, let’s just say that my country has quite a number of beautiful beaches and I missed visiting most of them. Damn! Well, I am learning that basic survivor skill of swimming and I hope to learn soon enough for me to enjoy some water sports, snorkeling, or plain swimming in the beautiful waters of my homeland and my home region.  Please teach me how to swim?  I wear damn good bikinis.  HAHAHAHA

Anyway, I have decided to skip roaming Singapura and do an entry based on an article about the beautiful beaches of the Philippines. Let’s just say, I have been to few of these listed paradise; did reminisce on their beauty and tranquility and now aiming to visit them one by one – of course with me being able to really enjoy it and swim in it. I have already contemplated on a possibility of owning a property  infront of the beach and get lost in her beauty. I hope to still see an unspoiled beach shore with that calm water and white sand and have the luxury to sit on the veranda with someone special (I hope), watching the sunset, and enjoying the loudest of the silence. That’s paradise! And I deserve it. Anyway, here’s the article that I would like to share and the awesome pictures taken.

I am so proud of my country and its beauty. 

philippines: the top 12 beaches

I have always loved rankings of world beaches but when no Philippine beach appears on the lists, I would surely get disheartened. How could someone produce the list of the top 10 beaches in the world when in fact they have not seen all! They could have just came up with the title, “The best beaches we have seen so far!” Sometimes, you cannot fathom why a beach in filthy Kho Phangan in Thailand is ranked higher than the immaculate beach in Playa del Carmen in Mexico. CNN produced a list of the world’s 50 best beaches and it created overwhelming disapproval when beaches in the Greek Islands, in Bermuda and in the Philippines’ Palawan were missed out. Also, Yahoo Travel featured an article ranking the Philippines’ best beaches and I thought it was not so properly done, placing El Nido at the top without even singling out any of El Nido’s famed beaches.

That’s why I came up with my own ranking of the Philippines’ best beaches.  This is supposed to be a counter post to the Yahoo Travel article and a counter punch to the CNN article that only had one Philippine beach. In this post I would focus on the Philippine beaches that are so underrated when it comes to world rankings. Those included in the list are beaches that I have visited so far. At the end of this post, I have also mentioned beaches that could have been included in the list if I have visited them.  You can click on the hyperlinks that I have provided for more information and photos on the area or beach included in the list. Here goes the list of the top 12 beaches that mesmerized me.

12.  BULOG ISLAND, CORON, PALAWAN

Getting off the boat for a short stop at the tiny, inhabited island of Bulog in Coron, I immediately blurted out that it would be a perfect site for a beach wedding upon seeing an abandoned, huge hut.  Definitely, there will be no gate crashers!  I had a hard time choosing this over its neighboring Banana Island but I chose Bulog Island to be in the list because of its small size, double beach of fine white sand and a sand bar that connects it to a neighboring island.

11.  SIQUIJOR ISLAND

Just an hour away from Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental is the island province of Siquijor. Known for its witchcraft, magic and sorcery tales the island surprises every first time visitor. Coco Grove Resort owns approximately 800 meters of the finest stretch of white sand beach in the island. Be careful though as eager sea urchins wait to prick your feet as the beach guards do not clean them away to preserve the abundant aquatic life surrounding the island.  Diving is also excellent. To top everything else, the unbelievable sunset is the best and most fiery I have experienced ever!

10. DUMALUAN BEACH, PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

Panglao Island boasts of unique attractions like the world-famous Chocolate Hills and the smallest primate in the world, the Philippine tarsier. Dumaluan Beach is located south of Panglao Island.  A great stretch of the beach is fronting one of the exclusive resorts in the island, Bohol Beach Club.  A better alternative than the crowded Alona Beach 2.5 kilometers away, Dumaluan Beach is also a great spot for romantic sunsets.

9. LAHOS ISLAND, CARAMOAN, CAMARINES SUR

Caramoan Peninsula is composed of gorgeous islands scattered around its bay.  Lahos Island is one of them and it is one of the islands used for the Survivor series shoots. In fact, Survivor has inked a contract with the local government to use the islands for 10 years calling Caramoan the Home of the Survivor.  Lahos Island’s short beach area is actually double sided and is accented by limestone formations at its ends. It is quite a trip to Caramoan. From Naga City in Camarines Sur, you can take a 1.5 hour ride to the port of Sabang.  From the port of Sabang, you need to take a 2-hour boat ride to the port of Guijalo.  From Guijalo you need to take a 20-min land trip  to get to the other side of the peninsula that is a short boat ride to the different islands of Caramoan.

8. PUKA BEACH, BORACAY, AKLAN

Not as spectacular as White Beach in Boracay, Puka Beach has fans of its own though. This is a very good alternative when you want to get away from the crowd in White Beach. I have enjoyed solitude on this beach many times.  Just a 15-min ride from White Beach, it has no resorts fronting its shores but only tiny souvenir stores and a long-standing restaurant that easily became my favorite base in the area.

7.  BANTAYAN ISLAND, CEBU

The northern part of Cebu island, the most visited island in the Philippines, has a number of great beach holiday choices.  One of them is Paradise Beach in Bantayan Island.  Take a 4-hour drive from Cebu City to Hagnaya Port and then from the port, Bantayan Island is a short boat ride away.  Compared to its neighboring island, Malapascua, a diving haven, Bantayan is larger and has more mainstream beaches.

6. HELICOPTER ISLAND, EL NIDO, PALAWAN

With scenic views of neighboring Cadlao Island and the rest of  the islands around El Nido’s Bacuit Bay, the beach at Helicopter Island is for me the golden beach of El Nido.  A regular stopover for one of the 4 El Nido island tour packages, Helicopter Island does not have the usual white sand beach but the clear jade waters are so irresistibly inviting.

5. SECRET BEACH, EL NIDO, PALAWAN

Not a secret anymore to those who have visited it, the beach’s secret remains on where it is hidden. The only way to access the beach is by swimming through a very small opening beneath limestone cliffs that could be dangerous during monsoon season when the sea current is strong as the waves could bump you into sharp rocks when going through the small opening.  However, when you get inside, you could probably utter that you have never seen and experienced anything like it before! The short stretch of  white sandy cove at one end of the area enclosed by towering karst formations is said to be the inspiration of Alex Garland’s The Beach. Secret Beach in El Nido deserves to be in the top 5 for its uniqueness.

4. CALAGUAS, CAMARINES NORTE

Calaguas Island‘s Long Beach is mostly drawing local tourists who want an absolute beach getaway especially during the summer months.  The tough two hours trip on mostly choppy seas can easily be shrugged off once you get off the boat and set foot on the amazing beach. There is no electricity, no resorts and no potable or running water. You need to bring your own food and drinks, your own tent and your own sane self.  During Holy Week, the beach becomes alive with organizers bringing generators, lights and speakers for that once a year Reggae Night.

3. KALANGGAMAN ISLAND, PALOMPON, LEYTE

One of the islands creating great impressions lately to first time visitors, Kalanggaman has gorgeous waters surrounding it, the clearest I have seen anywhere else. Its stunning main beach and two sand bars are worthy of the one hour journey from the port of Palompon town in Leyte. Palompon is around three hours drive away from Leyte’s capital, Tacloban City and one hour drive away from Ormoc City. An overnight stay here is needed to experience the island spreads its wings like a bird when it reveals its two sand bars located at its eastern and western tips. Kalanggaman got its name from “langgam” which means bird in Cebuano dialect.  Like Calaguas Island, there is no running potable water, no electricity and no resorts so the tiny island can give you a perfect natural beach experience. A full moon experience in the island will surely be unforgettable too!

2. WHITE BEACH, BORACAY, AKLAN

Boracay’s White Beach has been consistently making the world’s best beaches list and it has been the standard of a beach in the Philippines. I only gave the number 2 spot because of the massive crowd especially during peak season.  It is one thing to enjoy people watching but it is another thing to be annoyed by the noise and commotion of eager tourists. I either escape to Friday’s or Boracay Terraces Resort located at the end of White Beach or hie off to nearby Puka Beach to escape the crowd. I still love White Beach after all these years. What made it almost to the top position in my list are its incredible qualities that also made it to the world’s top beaches list: the gentle slope, the amazingly clear turquoise waters and its signature sugar-fine white sand that is probably the finest and whitest I have ever seen.

1. MALCAPUYA ISLAND, CORON, PALAWAN

Topping the list is a beach on an island located one and a half hours away by boat from Coronmainland in Palawan. Malcapuya Island has the best beach in the Philippines for me, for now. Pristine, lovely, unadulterated, tranquil.  The underwater scenery is also spectacular. One of the reasons why it maintains its natural beauty is that no boats are allowed to dock on its shores. The docking area is located at a rocky area at the back of the island a few minutes walk to the main beach.

So that’s how I have ranked the Philippine beaches I have visited.  What do you think?

The following 6 beaches are surely to be included in the list if I have visited them.

PINAGBUYUTAN ISLAND, EL NIDO, PALAWAN

Damn Survivor!  This island should have been one of the stops of our out of this world island hopping around Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Palawan.  However, we were not allowed to dock in the island as it was closed for a Survivor shooting. Anyway this island took my breath away even as we were passing by it. The white sand beach shimmers at the base of the limestone island towering high above everything else in Bacuit Bay.  Who needs to go to Bora-Bora?

SABITANG LAYA, CARAMOAN, CAMARINES SUR

 

Sabitang Laya has probably the best beach in the Caramoan Peninsula.  The island is triangular in shape with two sides forming a V-shaped beach meeting at a unique formation of black limestone.Wemissed this island during a recent visit to Caramoan. You just have to get the right timing that the island is open to public and not used by Survivor shooting (yes Survivor’s the culprit again!).  Survivor has rented the Caramoan islands for 10 years but during shooting breaks the islands are opened to the public.

LONG BEACH, SAN VICENTE, PALAWAN

Hailed as the next major beach destination in the Philippines, Long Beach in San Vicente, Palawan has an incredible 14 kilometers of unadulterated beach.  Lately, land prices have risen five times in value as the area gears up for development. An air strip is being planned as San Vicente is a grueling 4 hours drive away from Palawan’s capital city of Puerto Princesa and 2 hours away from the world famous El Nido.

PULO BEACH, PAMALICAN ISLAND, PALAWAN

A stunning island among Cuyo Islands in Palawan’s north east coast, Pamalican Island has been chosen by Aman Resorts as the site for its only property in the Philippines, Amanpulo Resort.  The island boasts of powdery, white sand beach lining its entire coast!  It is quite a challenge to reach this island as only chartered 19-seater planes can land on the private air strip and only guests of the exclusive resort can set foot in the island with room prices starting from US$1,000 per night.  This island resort is often visited by famous Hollywood and local stars. Naomi Campbell, Mariah Carey, Claudia Schiffer, Tom Cruise, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert de Niro, and Diana Ross were among the past guests.

CAMIGUIN ISLAND

The island province of Camiguin is one of Mindanao’s paradise island destinations.  The volcanic island boasts of pristine white sand beach, cool waters and untouched jungles.  The island can be reached via Cagayan de Oro City with a short drive to Balingoan where you can take a boat to the island.

CALAYAN ISLAND, CAGAYAN VALLEY

Recently featured in Cebu Pacific Air’s SMILE magazine, Calayan Island is a stunning revelation.  Although it is a long journey to the island, the island is worthy of a visit with its clear waters, secluded coves and spectacular cliffs.

Philippine beaches rock, don’t you think so?

CNN Article regarding our beaches:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/13/travel/philippines-best-beaches-and-islands/

It's More Fun in The Philippines: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/02/its-more-fun-in-philippines.html

Panic Monday

It’s Monday and I am panicking. I am not exaggerating, I am back to my old habit (or how I always call it, defense mechanism – nail biting). I know it’s not good but hell, I need extra support right now to maintain my cool. I am a bit stressed out and I am freaking out. Yeah, corporate world can be stressful sometimes (at least mine is just “sometimes”).  The stressor for this week is the fact that I don’t have everything finalized for the event I am organizing and it will be next week. Let’s just say that I can breathe freely if I have everything finalized this week.

As the panic continues to rise, concentration to work fades away. And that’s the last thing I want to do – not work cause that’s all I need to do. Hahah I am a bit dramatic, I know. It’s just work and I can do it.
Anyway, music has helped me to regain my cool and to work properly. So here are the songs that I sing quietly on my mind to help me relax and stay focused. Well, I need the powerhouse,upbeat pop songs right now. I apologize for the old songs, they are too dance-y and I need 'em now. You can listen to them if you like. 

Just Like a Prayer
Glee Version

Hey Mama
B.E.P

Bad Romance
Lady Gaga

Related Post: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/04/i-feel-good.html

Repost: Time Anxiety (and it's true meaning)

Of all the things there are to be anxious about—of all the things I’ve ever beenanxious about—time, in one way or another, has probably been the most pervasive. To start with, I hate being late. Whether to a party (who comes on time to a party?), a movie, or even something I’ve planned to do by myself, to arrive at the appointed time without arriving at the appointed place isn’t just distasteful to me—it’s anxiety-producing. Even when being late brings about no adverse consequences whatsoever.

Why is this? Until recently, I’d never bothered to ask. But then my wife pointed out to me one day how agitated I’d become when it became clear we’d be late taking our son to a play date with one of his friends, and I realized not only how anxious being late made me, but also how out of proportion that anxiety had become.

It made me think of how I used to feel during Winter and Spring breaks during college. I’d always looked forward to them eagerly but then found myself feeling a mild degree of dread as I lived through them. The source of this feeling? I’d always wanted to be a writer but had no time to write while in school, so I’d always plan to write while on vacation. But I never did, either because other activities got in the way or because I wasn’t ever able to figure out what exactly I wanted to write. Which, sadly, often made my vacations feel to me like wasted time.

More recently, I’ve noticed myself sometimes feeling mildly anxious as activities wind down because of some mild apprehension that I won’t be able to get the next activity started on time. Which, of course, interferes with my ability to enjoy the end of my activities.

A few moments of reflection after my wife pointed out how extreme my time anxiety had become quickly made clear to me that it stemmed not just from my fear of death (that is, of running out of time), but also from my fear of wasting my life. My anxiety about time, it turns out, is really anxiety about meaning. That is, I worry constantly that I’m spending my time on things that are meaningless. Or, perhaps I should say, not meaningful enough.

It would be fair to say I’m obsessed with meaning. It’s not that I believe some outside force exists that has assigned a purpose to my life that I’ve yet to discover. It’s that I recognize my well-being is largely determined by the importance of the value I feel I’m creating with my life. I want—I need—what I do with my life to matter. To whom? To anyone. In fact, to as many anyones as possible.

This is what my time anxiety is really about. At some level, being late always triggers this question: am I creating the greatest amount of value with my life that I can? Will I feel, when it comes my time to die, that I spent too much of my time frivolously? Certainly I can’t be concerned with creating value for others all the time. But if at the end of my life I don’t feel that I spent the better part of it making some kind of contribution, I worry my life will feel like a wasted opportunity. So much suffering exists in the world. To me nothing seems a more important goal—more weighty a goal—than trying to reduce it.

That particular goal may not be what seems most important to you. And that’s fine. But if you also suffer from time anxiety, I’d encourage you to stop and ask yourself if you aren’t really more anxious about what your life means. About what you’re doing with it. And if it turns out you’re worried that what you’re doing isn’t meaningful enough, then figure out what is meaningful enough and start doing that. Or if the contribution you’ve decided to spend your life making already does feel like the most meaningful contribution you could make and like me you’re anxious because you’re not always spending your time making it, remind yourself, as I did, that you don’t need to focus every minute of your life on value creation for value creation to have been what your life was all about.

Source:http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2013/08/18/time-anxiety/#.U0er1fmSx1U

Throwback: My first IndoChina City, the Great Phnom Penh

As the title suggests, it’s the first city of the IndoChina region that I have visited and it was a good city. Definitely different compared to Manila, KL and Singapore (back then, I have just travelled these 3 unique cities). With that being said, it was my first time to see lots and I mean looooots of Buddhas and the very blingy and shiny pagodas.  If you visit the place, you really would feel how their religion constantly influences their lives. You will see Buddhas everywhere you go, from the small ones to humongous ones and you would see people praying at any time of the day.

Touring around the city, one would need to wear decent fashion (out of respect to their culture and religion of course). Imagine direct sunlight during the day and I was wearing my favorite faded jeans. I felt like it weighed a ton. But the sacrifice was worth it – the city’s beautiful. Not very busy compared to Bangkok, and not as closed compared to Yangon. Overall, I can say I enjoyed this city. The places we have visited; the food we have eaten; our purchases with US Dollars; and their history, all part of the extravagant Phnom Penh. And one important thing, I think it’s safe and inexpensive city. Our tuktuk driver was very friendly and was really helpful. He was our tourist guide – a great one.

I want to visit Cambodia again. Of course, this time, I want to see the very famous Angkor Wat – our real world Temple Run. I trust myself that it would be soon. And after that experience in Angkor Wat, I am sure that I will like this country more. 

Wat Phnom

National Museum

PAGODA PAGODA PAGODA

BUDDHA

and the Selfie (no selfierod yet)

Come on! Who wants to join me in my next expedition to the beautiful Cambodia? 

When in Singapore: Singapore Zoo

Let's get wild in Singapore. Well, I am not talking about the foam parties, the booze and the likes - though that sounds awesome too, I am talking about visiting the World's Best Rainforest Zoo, the country's namesake, the Singapore Zoo. I guess, it's one of the first places I visited when I was still a tourist and never had a chance to come back ever since. It's not because it's not good, it's because I live at the other end of Singapore. For me, I am not used to visiting zoos with animals that are not caged. At least in Manila, the animals are confined in one area, most are in cages for safety purposes of the visitors. So when I first set foot of this beautiful zoo, I was in awe when I saw the animals walking around their area without those huge cages and barricades. I was once again a kid with all the "awws" "ahs" and "ohs" - very stoked.

Since 1973, Singapore Zoo has been known for having among the most beautiful wildlife park settings in the world, where animals roam freely in open and naturalistic habitats.

Nine-time winner of the coveted Best Leisure Attraction Experience award by the Singapore Tourism Board, our 26-hectare wildlife park is nestled within the lush Mandai rainforest that stretches into the magnificent Upper Seletar Reservoir. More than 2,800 animals representing over 300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles call Singapore Zoo home.

Step into this massive biodome and marvel at the richness and diversity of the rainforest - recreated in the form of a 20,000 cubic metre flight area - one of the largest in the world.

Opening Time: 8.30am

Closing Time:   6.00pm

For more information: http://www.zoo.com.sg/
Related Post: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/04/when-in-singapore-kaya-toast.html

When in Singapore is a series of entries featuring the beautiful Singapore - it’s people, it’s culture, it’s food and it’s places). Join me in my journey to get to know this country deeper

I Feel Good

I am probably reaching the late 20’s age since I am contented with the songs on my iPod. It’s not like I despise all the songs of today – there are really good ones (and once in a while I play ‘em on Spotify), but I can’t forego the songs I used to sing when I was in my teenage years – and I can say that the songs of my generation have beautiful lyrics that can last forever. I will probably be listening and singing these songs even if I am already at the age of fifty and hopefully my iPod will still be there with me.

In this Blog entry, I will share some of my favourite songs of all-time. Don't worry, I am not sharing the rocker side yet, just those feel-good songs that can make me smile in an instant.  These are some of the songs I usually play whenever I am happy or I want to be happy. So enjoy and……….be happy. 

Bliss

Alice Peacock & John Mayer

Bad Day

Daniel Powter

Barenaked

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Your Body is a WonderlandJohn Mayer

Jet Lag

Simple Plan & Natasha Bedingfield

Related Post: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/03/i-feel-with-fray.html

Repost: ARE YOU PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE?

How To Banish Busyness, Stop Stressing, And Start Living

Your kids have piano, soccer, football, tutoring. You’re working 45 hours (and then some) a week. Your friends want you at their dinner party. You’re chairing a charity function.  You’re now caring for your parents, managing doctors’ appointments and finances. The car needs repair. And, by the way, taxes are due.

Everywhere we turn, we hear that it’s time to unplug, take a breather, and chill out. We may even take that advice. But vacations seem to fly by, “me time” falls by the wayside, and our attempts to meditate, pray or practice stillness go right out the window. We’re always “putting out fires,” or ”totally swamped,” We think we can make success, love, even happiness happen. But are you willing to consider that it may be our busyness that’s keeping us from real joy and peace?

Are you caught in the frenetic spin cycle of doing? Constantly anxious, physically exhausted, emotionally depleted? Is your hectic schedule hindering your job performance, your children, your love life, your friendships or most importantly your own personal health and well-being?

If so, you need to ask yourself, “Do I feel present in my own life?

Chronic busyness can take a serious toll on us. When we’re over scheduled we think it’s our job to control or force events instead of letting things unfold with grace. We treat other people as if they’re simply check marks on a to do list. And most importantly, we become detached from our divine selves.

Our addiction to busyness actually stems from fear. We’re afraid we’ll miss out on something, be thought of as unproductive, selfish, lazy, a bad parent, not good enough or, in a world that’s more connected than ever, ironically disconnected and left behind. We’re afraid of how others will perceive us or, in our stillness, be forced to confront our regret, guilt, and shame.

Here’s the truth… we may remain perpetually on the go to avoid our feelings of unworthiness. If we keep ourselves incredibly busy with the little stuff, we can put off thinking about our marital troubles, our child’s failing grades, or the high stakes work project looming on the horizon. Our busyness gives us an excuse to avoid showing up fully in any situation and escape the responsibility of being our authentic selves living our soul signature.

The Divine dwells in every single part of your experience (Tweet-worthy!) – even your busyness. You have access to everything you need in each moment. Stop the running, the scrambling, and the worry.  Just breathe.  Take time to be in the present moment each and every day.  Even mundane tasks can be performed with mindfulness. Cook dinner with presence. Change the litter box with presence. Fill your gas tank with presence. As little as 3 minutes of silence a day can consciously anchor you and restore your state of connection with yourself. When you allow space for soulfulness, you are present in every moment and make your life a living meditation.

Let go, be present, and let your beautiful life flow. There’s no rush. You’ve got all time in the world.

Source: http://thedailylove.com/are-you-present-in-your-life/

Throwback: Back to the Club

I guess everyone would agree with me that university life is not complete without clubbing like there's no tomorrow. Needless to say, I was once a regular of the clubs in Eastwood and The Fort. Everyone still remember Embassy? Basement? These are the legends of parties before the rise of Prive and Republiq. I can still remember the songs I used to dance to x number of years back. Closer by Neyo, Low by Florida, Disturbia by Rihanna. Hahaha. These songs are considered classic these days, but at least I am not dancing to the tune of Gentleman and Gangnam Style. Anyway, this throwback is dedicated to the girls I was with dancing to these classic tunes and dressing up like women.

I miss partying with my girls. Or I just miss being around you girls dancing the night away. Who needs a dance partner if you have your girlfriends who can dance low perfectly? I guess, I won't. 

Blurry I know. 

 Other Throwback: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/03/throwback-retreat-with-im.html