Accountability

The sequence of events in the political landscape this month would rival top rated reality shows with a mix of down the wire suspense. melodramatic scenes and unending twist and turns.  From a former president's attempt to flee the country on account of 'sickness' with the aid of a high court's TRO to a lawyer pledging his balls for his client to a resistant Justice Secretary and finally a trial court issuing an arrest warrant.  It was a battle of legal innuendos on a persons basic right and a persons accountability. My take, I'm always in the belief that a persons right ends when the person starts violating or oppressing other people's right and that is where a person's moral obligation begins.  I used the wold 'moral' as even without the complicated rule of law, at the very least a person should be accountable for his own actions.   The previous administration had so many glaring violations but the biggest one of them was that we were forced to fathom a society without accountability.

A former president, despite her call for sympathy and melodramatic means to sway the concerns of the public, had all the chance and the power to clean her name but 'un'-moderated greed has reared it's ugly head.  Had she not hidden from her allies in congress who made a mockery of the impeachment process or from the veils of executive privilege or through the political warlords in Mindanao, or votes of the high court or skewed Comelec officials, we would have a fair assessment of the truth.  Why would you move Heaven and Earth to deny people having a fair idea on all those allegations?  We've been witnesses over the years of how power and political affiliation fed us on what was just and unjust but justice is not based on debt of gratitude but rule of law.  If those who are suppose to safeguard justice tries to prevent it from happening, can you sue them for obstruction of  justice?

It was compared to a boxing match with the previous administration's camp winning the first few rounds with a TRO but the government was able to hit back with an actual case and the match continues.  I do hope that they are ready for even a thousand rounds because the Filipino people deserves the truth and if by chance, justice or the truth is still denied by men blinded by political loyalty, there will be one final knockout punch that awaits coming from the hands of fate and of a Higher Authority.

Travel Tips Around the World # 2

In tradition of one of my first blogs Travel Trip Around the World, I am now finally able sit down and digest the next few years of travel on the tips and experiences I got during those travels.  I've been lucky enough to have a 6-10 a year out of the Country trips the past few years.
Phnom Penh

40. Cambodia looks like a province in the Philippines 20 years ago but it's fast catching up.
41. Main means of transportation is via motorcycles.  Crossing the streets can be such a burden with all those motorcycles zooming past you.
42. Houses here are built like a fortress as they tend to keep their treasures in their own house instead of banks.
43. It's nice to see the Independence Monument and Royal Palace both during the clear skies of the day or the darkness of the night.
44. Go exotic as they have alternative dishes like black spiders and other insects.
45. There are gazillions of holidays here.
Cambodia Angkor Wat

46. Angkor Wat is ancient Infrastructure (8th to 12th Century) that manage to stand out even at present time.
47. Angkor Wat is one of the most famous temples here along with Bayon and Ta Phrom Temple.  The Bayon Temple features the four faced Buddha and you can take an elephant ride going in while Ta Phrom is an old Temple with Trees and shrubs growing in between the borders.
48. Tomb Raider was shot here.
49. Take a $20 ticket past 4:30 pm and you get a pass the next day and also be able to catch the sunset in the afternoon.
50. Tuktuk drivers are so friendly and they even get to share the history of the places.
51. When you haggle for souvenirs, they tend to start a bargain at a higher price so haggle and haggle hard.
52. The deeper you get in the temple, the more breathtaking the experience become.
53. Wear a comfortable shoes.
54. There's a Cambodia Cultural Village nearby that features the mix of cultures in Cambodia.
Hangzhou, China

55. Hangzhou is a cosmopolitan City just an hour by train from Shanghai.

56.  The famous West lake is here. It has a picturesque landscape and surrounded by numerous temples, gardens and attractions nearby.

57. It gets cold in here towards end of the year and even with a chance of snow beginning of the year.

58.  They have a strip that sells souvenirs and you can even have a stamp of your Chinese name.

Shandong, China

59. Shandong when enveloped by fog looks like those foggy fields of Russia you get to see in the game red alert.

60. It gets real cold in here and it snows here during the winter months.

61. Zibo City Park is nice to look up even under the foggy skies.

62.  There are also a lot of exotic food here.

Shanghai, China

63. The World Expo was held here in 2010 and it featured exhibits and structures from all parts of the world.

64. The Bund and the TV Tower is always spledid to look up at night.

65.  There seems to be a race to the skies here as skyscrapers continue to rise in Shanghai.

Taipei, Taiwan

66. Taipei 101 is splendid to look at at night.

67. There's now a bullet train that can take you from North to South of Taiwan in just 2 hours.

68. Yehliu is located North of Taiwan and features rock formations including one called the queen's head.  There's also a dolphin attraction nearby.

69. Take a walk at Yangmingshan Park which is just a bus ride away.

Macau

70. Macau is just an hour away from Hong Kong via Ferry.

71. Macau Tower is one of the tallest in Asia and you can go extreme via Skywalk, Skydive or even climb its peak.

72, The Ruins of St. Paul and Senado Square is one of the more famous areas here.

73. This is Casino heaven.

Hong Kong

74. Disney is now in Hong Kong.

75. It's now easier to go to the Sitting Buddha via Cable Car and there's even a Ngong Ping Village as additional attraction.

76. Go to the Stanley Market for souvenirs.  It's a lot cheaper.

77. Ocean Park is a lot bigger and better than it used to.

Singapore

78. Universal Studios is now in Singapore.

79. Take the Singapore Flyer or the view deck at Marina Bay Sands for a 360 degrees view of Singapore.

80. There are two casinos in town, Resorts World and Marina Bay Sands

81. Go to the No Sign Board in Geylang and be treated to one of the best seafood meal.

82. It's best to shop for running gears and accessories here.

Saigon, Vietnam

83. Vietnam used to be a french colony and that is why you get to see a version of the Notre Dame in Paris here.

84. Just beside the Notre Dame is another tourist spot which is the central post office developed under the influence of french architecture.

85. Take a night cruise along Saigon River for a sumptuous meal and a view of Saigon at Night.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

86. Kuala Lumpur is a bit congested and it does remind you of Cubao in Manila.
87. The world famous Petronas Twin Towers is located here and it stands out on a bright day or when it is illuminated at night.
88. Just 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur is Putra Jaya where the seat of the government is located.
89. Want to be in two countries at one time. Go to the border of Singapore and Malaysia in Johour Bahru.
Sydney, Australia

90. The thing that sets Sydney Opera House is not only its unique architecture but also it's aided by the splendid view of the Sydney Harbor.

91. You can actually pet those cute koala and baby kangaroos at Featherdale zoo and Taronga zoo.

92. The blue mountains is blue because of the blue haze coming from the eucalyptus tree.  You get to see the famous three sisters and take a train ride and lift to the Katoomba mines.

93. Cave all you can in Jenolan Cave.  The limestone formation is this cave is amazing.

94. Bondi has a very long stretch of fine white sand beach.

95. You'll love fish and chips in the Fish Market or within the Kiama blow hole area.

96. It's best to have a car here especially if you're staying in the suburbs though they do have a very efficient bus, train and ferry transport system.

97. The CDB offers so many attraction like the St. Mary Cathedral,Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building, Harbor Bridge, The Rocks, Opera House, Darling Harbor, Orbit Lounge and the Sydney Harbor.

98. Most of the shopping areas closes up early to give way to the bars.

99. Barbeque with family is fun.

100. You can also make your own chocolate drink out of melted chocolates in the village near blue mountains.

Next up: Travel Tips Around the Philippines.

Weekend Wars

Runners and triathletes always look forward to weekends as it is the time they increase the mileage in their bike and run training or brick training to build their endurance base or it's the time they take all the preparations they had and enter the race arena.  November 5 and 6 is a big weekend for Team Total Fitness as the team took part in back to back runs at Bonifacio Global City and it was also the debut of Team Total Fitness Tri  at Anvaya Cove.



Energizer Run - November 5, 2011


Bonifacio Global City - Team Total Fitness braved the rainy skies as it joined thousands of runner powered by energizer head lights running in the 3K and 10K Category. Team Total Fitness Members Rojan Pajarin, Mario Tani and Franc Ramon ranked 12th (12:43), 27th (15:58) and 54th(17:54), respectively in the 3K race category out of more 1,000 runners and James Orlanda ranked 34th (51:02) in the 10K race category out of more than 700 runners.

New Balance Power Run - November 6, 2011

Bonifacio Global City - It was another rainy day run for the team but of course, it won't stop the team from taking part in the New Balance Power Run.  The team did well with Rojan Pajarin placing 49th out of more than a 1,000 runners in the tough 25K category with a time of 2:04:07 and Charles Dominic Diño placing 38th place out of more 1,000 runners in the 10K category with a time of 50:11.

4th Anvaya Cove Invitational Triathlon - November 6, 2011

Anvaya Cove, Morong, Bataan - Team Total Fitness made its triathlon debut covering 1.2 kilometer open waterswim, 32 kilometer bike ride and 6 kilometer run in Anvaya Cove's waters and challenging terrain with steep uphill climbs and slippery downhill paths caused by the rain but the team braved the tougher circumstances and had a great and strong finish.  Team Total Fitness member Jose Arcega topped the 25-29 age group and placed 4th overall with a time of 2:23:54. Team Total Fitness Percival Joseph Cendana held on to third place of the 25-29 age group with a time of 2:47:21.

Special thanks for the support of our sponsor:

Total Fitness and Airo Media for your unwavering support and featuring the team in the November issues of Total Fitness Magazine.

Andy Leuterio and Alpha Training System for all those tough workouts and training programs that builds us up to conquer our running and multisport goals with a no quit and no excuse attitude.

ON Running Shoes and Chris Sports for providing the official shoes of Team Total Fitness and inviting us in your bloggers' night.  The ON Cloud Surfer 3D cushioning system and lightweight feel has set us forward to a faster run.

Brooks Apparel for providing high performance apparels for our training and racing needs.

Oakley for providing those cool eyewear that not only protects us from the sun but also make the team look better.

Cep for providing the compression technology that gives additional protection in our training runs and our official races.

Polar for running and multisport watches that help us monitor our runs and heart rate.

Dermplus Moisturizing Sunblock for protecting our skin from the heat of the sun on our trainings and races.

Epic Sportswear for coming out with our high quality and eye-catching tri-suit and race singlet.

Honey Stinger for providing gels and bars that give us extra energy on our training runs and official races.

i-pure for running accessories that provides more balance, strength and additional energy in our training runs and official races.

Moving comfort for fitness tops and accessories for the female members of the team.

If the Shoe Fits

Finding the right running shoes has been like rocket science to me.  While most running shoe store would be able to suggest shoes to match your foot type and pronation, nothing beats trying your shoes for a run to know if it fits you perfectly.

When I started running, I didn’t even care what shoes I had on as long as it matches the color scheme of my outfit but of course, you suffer all the discomfort of a mismatch in shoes during a run or it might take you a longer time to recover.  

I shifted to cushioned shoes and it felt fine but I did feel the strain of lifting the weight of the shoes as I started piling the miles on a long run.  Any additional ounce of cushion on your shoes, you take that every step of your run.

I then shifted to lightweight shoes and it felt real easy to run and I was able to run faster and smoother but the problem is you feel more impact with every stride you make.  You get more beat up with a lighter shoes so balancing weight and cushioning has always been a dilemma when it comes to buying shoes.

And then came ON Running Shoes which came in as the Official Shoe Sponsor for Team Total Fitness.  It was the perfect compromise a lightweight shoes weighing just about 9 ounces and a cushioned shoes with the Cloud Tec cushioning system which effective cushions the impact of each stride but as I said earlier, the effectiveness of the shoes is well tested during actual runs.

The first time I put it ON, I literally couldn’t take it off as it had the soft cushiony feel that provides comfort to your feet. First test was a 10 x 800 meter speed session and it was a breeze as the bouncy feel gave more power to my stride and was able to finish my speed sets faster than my usual pace.  I also tried it ON for a long run and since the 3D cushioning reduces wear and tear in the legs, you feel less fatigued in the latter part of the run allowing you to finish stronger on a run.  I also took it on a hill run and it did help me conquer the hills.  It’s also durable with my ON running shoes about two months already and I barely scratched the outsole.

I have now found the shoe that fits me perfectly and it makes perfect synergy that the newest kid on the running and multisport block, Team Total Fitness is enjoying the newest shoes on the block, ON.  I’m a proud member of Team Total Fitness and I am a proud ONbassador and that to me is a perfect fit.

November Resolutions

"Why wait for January when you can keep a monthly resolution?"
November starts with 11.1.11 and would have 11.11.11 in a few days and somehow, you get the feel that this month's special.  I just came up with an idea that while we wait for January in gleeful anticipation for a new beginning.  We can actually have a monthly or even a weekly resolution.  Maybe that's the reason we miss so many resolutions is that we promise something we would do for the rest of the year.  A monthly and weekly resolution is probably a more realistic task as you can reset or maybe even upgrade it regularly.  It's as simple as laying out what you want to achieve in a month and going for it.
November Resolutions

• Be fit

Since I'm into running, being fit should be out of the question but no, I still want to do more to build core muscle strength and reduce excess flabs (that's a lot of work).  I used to do 200 push ups and 200 sit ups at least 3 times a week but wasn't consistent in doing it so that's a target for this month. It'll do me good once I resume my 21K training and races.

• Be thrifty

I'm always a big spender every month and I now want to keep excess spending at a minimum.  After all, it's not how much you earn that matters, it's how much you save and with the holiday season approaching fast, it'll be good to have the excess cash for maybe a not so thrifty month of December.  Now, Let me think who's been naughty or nice for December???

• Be Slim

For some reason after doing my first 21K and several low intensity runs, I somehow feel bloated again so back to reduced meals for me.  I really want to reduce maybe about 5 pounds or more to add more speed to my runs.  Running light is a lot better than running heavy and to finally settle at a leaner shape.   Of course, it should do me well to be slim and with a faster metabolism once those holiday pounds do come in.

• Be Patient

With another board meeting fast approaching, I'd want to try lengthening my patience and just get the work done.  Whine less, do more.  Even if some people don't deserve the patience given to them, it maybe  better just ignoring their annoying ways.  You'll need all the effort to eke out a good day.  If things are not in the right place, learn to improvise.  If things get difficult, learn to survive.  If things get to be impossible, learn to move forward.

• Be Thankful

November has started on the right foot and I am ever so thankful. Finally have my first published article, Lovin La Bellarocca in the November Issue of Yapak Travel and Leisure magazine. Time to start thinking of my next article.  I'm also thankful for being a part of Team Total Fitness and being featured as part of the team in the November Issue of Total Fitness Magazine.  It's also been great writing several write ups on Team Total Fitness Facebook page and having increased readership in this pages.  I'm loving the fact that my byline is back and I'm back to my writing roots.
These would be the five resolutions for the month.  It's not gonna be easy but it's gonna be fun.  It's gonna be exciting yet it's gonna be challenging.  It does take great deal of focus to get things done.  I'm sure this month's gonna be great and I hope to sneak in a travel or two in my schedule.  It's a wait and see how far I'd go on my November Resolutions but it does give a goal to see and a framework to follow.