learn, learn, and learn some more!

at the start of 2010, i told myself that one of the things i'll do this year is to attend at least one writing workshop. and after waiting patiently for an opportunity in the Filipinas Heritage Library website (one that will fit my schedule, specifically), i think the time has come.

--------------

Professional Travel Writing

July 29, August 3 and 10, 2010

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Share your love of travel with others and even get the chance to see your name in print! Join Kristine Fonacier, a writer and travel enthusiast, in this Travel Writing Workshop with a tour to the south of Luzon known as the Viaje del Sol.

The workshop is designed for professional and those with some experience in travel writing. If you want to be published or write a book or magazine about your trip, the Travel Writing workshop is for you.

----------

AND i felt more excited to see other workshops and seminars that the public can avail of. there's SO many out there, if only someone will compile it properly for all training/skills-seekers out there!

for example:

Fully Booked hosts various events through its venues (The Forum, TopShelf), from painting to language to storytelling to meditation, etc! Just visit their website and check out the "Upcoming Events" bar on the right. One cool one coming up is a FREE workshop by the Center for East Asian Languages which will feature basics in origami, furushiki, and other crafts for an introduction to Japanese culture!!!!

I'm a suki of the Filipinas Heritage Library for writing and photography workshop referrals. So aside from the cool Travel Writing one i mentioned above, they also regularly have sessions on Feature Writing, Basic Creative Writing, Digital Photography, among many others! Just visit their website too, it's regularly updated.

And did you know that even corporate giants offer cool, free seminars? Check out Nokia Pep Talks, which feature talks from premiere learning company Salt & Light Ventures (who organizes their own seminars and can charge at least P2,000 per session). Just some of the super relevant topics they offer are Reawakening Creativity for Effective Leadership, Personal Effectiveness and Stress Management, and Guerilla Brand Planning. And yes, it is really for free! You just have to sign up with Nokia :-)

i'm like a paid advertiser. (but i'm NOT, ok??) just sharing the love for learning! go, sali din kayo!

a new mission

i wrote a whole entry but my browser crashed and erased everything i wrote before i even got the chance to save it as draft. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

so to get straight to the point of this blog.....

i have a new mission: LEARN HOW TO COOK! 

cooking adventure #1 - beautiful courgette carbonara

cooking adventure #2 - puttanesca with tuna and mushrooms

these two turned out pretty okay, so i'm bracing myself for some full-force failures... ;-) watch out for next weekend.

cheers to more cooking adventures!!! :-D

and so it begins

today, after fighting all my lazy-bratty-mood to stay in bed, miel and i headed to TS to get a dose of exercise. i spent the entire drive to the gym contemplating on my state of mind, doing all possible mind tricks to psyche myself up for a productive climbing session. i was telling myself, "this is just your typical laziness, just a barrier to crawl over. once you get to the gym, once your blood circulates a little faster, once some sweat breaks out of your pores, you'll start feeling better, lighter, and get into the workout mode." what a session of self-talk that was.

so we get to the gym. i robotically put on my shoes ("i. want. to. sleep."), feel extra bad that my shorts and chalk bag strap are too tight around my waist ("i'm fat!"), and drudgingly lifted my arms and legs to the wall to traverse ("nakaka-pump!") 

after our (very very precisely counted) ten-minute traverse, miel asked, "what do you want to do?" i really couldn't care less because i still felt as unmotivated as when the workout started, so when he suggested we give the campus board a try, i simply followed.

first set was like carrying a 200-pound version of myself. despite the positive voice in my head saying i could do it, deep inside i also knew that i haven't completely drowned out the devil. and so i pulled on at the rungs with two hands at a time, not even laddering, and just went as far as four rungs upward. booooooooo.

as i sat down on the bench, i watched as miel did his set of ladders. then out of the corner of my eye, i saw some of stan's friends watching miel as well. and as narcissistic as it may be, that image pretty much gave me the mental punch i needed to get going. i got envious of the look they gave to miel, and thought to myself, "i can do that too!!!" 

ahhhh. a benefit of being competitive. :-P

and so on my second set, the real positive state arrived. i approached the campus board with confidence, remembered to pay attention to my breathing, to strengthen my core, and to deliberately pull with my back rather than with my arms. i campused up to six rungs up, and went down again, in a real ladder sequence. i did it!!! 

when i sat back down on the bench, checking the clock for the next interval, deeply breathing, fingers smeared with chalk-white and throbbing in tightness, and psyching myself again for the next set, a promising thought crossed my mind: "I missed this."

***

now it's evening and i'm doing my research: self-assessments, aerobic vs anaerobic conditioning, finger exercises, training cycles. it's all so familiar and exciting.

actually, the training plan was all i i really wanted to blog about, but i ended up writing about the climbing day. i guess the misadventures and lessons will become naturally integrated in this "project", and today, is actually a fitting prelude to this new beginning. 

[gleek, i am]

slow downnnnnnn please!!!!

I'm not really as agitated as the title sounds, but the line is a real sentiment. While i do enjoy the new adventures, the impromptu activities, sudden turn of events, and quick developments, sometimes, i also wish things would just go slowerrrrrr so i can at least pause and remember to take a photo, write an entry about it...BASTA, document SOMETHING!

Like right now, we were suddenly cAlled to pampanga this am for a meetimg with PMS, and im findinf myself blogging thru my itouch in sm the block.

Surprise!

Someone teach me how to keep track of my life. :-p

SEA Games, here we come!!!!

It's official: Sport climbing will be included in the 2011 South East Asian Games to be held in Indonesia. After the combined efforts and hard work of various countries' climbing associations, our sport is finally recognized by the SEA Games Federation. What a huge, huge step for the sport we love so dear.

And what an amazing opportunity for all climbers, myself -- very fortunately, humbly -- included. Already I'm motivated to work harder than ever before to climb stronger, smarter, better. I'm sure all of the climbers from other South East Asian countries feel the same way. I only hope that as each of us begins to train for the SEA Games, that we will somehow get to inspire others -- competitor or not -- to climb harder. To push ourselves harder. To intensely pursue excellence.

I'm SO excited to get back in shape, and get stronger. I hope my fellow teammates are, too. :-D I have to say it again: SEA GAMES, HERE WE COME!!!!!!

And what better way to start off the training than by these wonderful books that welcomed me home from my weekend out of town. My Amazon treats are FINALLYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyy here!!!