Femme Power

I’ve always wanted to learn any form of Martial Arts for self defense but I’ve never mustered enough confidence to enroll in one.   This frustration crawls back at me whenever I walk home late at night after work (especially when I get to a dimly-lit area).   If and when some sicko tries to mess with me, how I wish I could defend myself easily with a few flying kicks, puches, armlocks, and headbutts.  But without training, I don’t have other options now but to run with all my might. Or scream for help as loud as a fireman’s siren.

Fragile as I may be during unwanted situations like these, I know I can choose not to be helpless.  But hmm, what are my options?  Maybe I can choose to learn a few tricks by watching Manny Paquiao’s ring fights, or watch my husband’s favorite ufc fighters on TV like B.J. Penn and Randy Couture.  Hehe.

But while I’m afraid to put my TV-generated-combat-skills to test, let me just buy myself a pepper spray and keep it handy, just in case.

The world has become smaller with the help of modern telecommunications technology that we’re luckily enjoying today.  There’s high-speed Internet that connects you to the rest of the world in a flash, plus the ever-popular and evolving telephone service, among others.   Since Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone (which he then called “electrical speech machine”) in 1876, innovations have sprung, even paving way for the Information Superhighway.

Now, more and more ways are found to reinvent the traditional telephone service so we could reach farther places and cover a much larger geographical area minus the huge costs.   VoIP does just that.   That is why VoIP is preferred by businesses that have clients worldwide.  You can make PC-to-PC calls anywhere in the world without charge.  PC-to-phone calls are also possible for a minimal cost compared to the traditional long distance service.  As long as you have broadband connection, you can make and receive calls using VoIP.   Check out Avaya business VOIP phones if you’re thinking of getting a unit for your home or business.

I’ve been worrying about hair fall lately, fearing that I’m gonna get bald in a few years if I don’t remedy it right away.   But while I was scouring the internet for some useful resources to combat this concern, I found out that most men have more reason to worry.

Hair loss and baldness affect men earlier, faster, and more extensively compared to women.   Furthermore, studies say that baldness is caused by a combination of hormones and genetics, hence it’s a medical condition.   And to some who are affected by this so-called male-pattern baldness, it can be upsetting.   Though some people would probably just accept baldness with open arms especially if they’ve accepted the fact that it’s a condition that runs in their family, some may still prefer treatments for male pattern baldness.

Whether we admit it or not, our hair can affect our mood and psyche in general.   Even men have bad hair days too, right?  What more if we lose a lot of them and leave our scalp peeking shiny?  I’m trying to imagine my hubby being bald in a few years time.  Maybe he’d look funny but I say it’s not gonna change the way I look at him - with all my respect and love.  Cheesy!  =)

Five days to go and it’s Valentine’s Day.  Have you thought of anything special to surprise your partner?  Flowers are among the the best sellers during this time of the year, as most women love to receive flowers.  If you have loved ones here in the Philippines and you wanna send flowers to them or a cute teddy bear or anything else special, there’s a website that can help you with that.

Send Gifts to the Philippines through Island Rose, the company that pioneered the cut flower industry in the Philippines back in 1983.   Their flowers are of great quality, they’re always fresh no matter where they are delivered in the Philippines.   And anybody will be awed by the impressive presentation of their flowers and other products — at amazingly affordable prices.   Plus, you can take advantage of a 10% discount by using this valentine code: VDAY022010 valid until February 20.

Flower Delivery to the Philippines has never been this cost-effective and hassle-free.   Check out Island Rose’s website on the links provided so you’ll know why I’m impressed.   You could find gift items for as low as P250 and up.  The website is very easy to navigate, with elaborate details of their various gift packages.

So if you wanna send Flowers to the Philippines, let Island Rose do the walking for you.

I’m a sleepyhead.   I’ve always been.   I sleep at any perfect opportunity I could find (except at work!) and honestly, I find it hard getting up early in the morning.   However since I got married, I’ve been curbing my sleeping fancy a little bit.   It even came to a point when I had to sleep as little as four hours a night when I had my home-based call center job last year.   I was a walking zombie!

And though I hate waking up early, I now have to get up by 5 am or earlier so I could fix breakfast for my gradeschooler and pack her lunch as well.  Hence, for me to get at least 7 or more hours of sleep, I need to be in bed early too.

I’m sure it’ll help big time if I sleep in one of those cozy metal beds!  (photos courtesy of http://www.time4sleep.co.uk)

Is having a good night’s sleep important?   Yes!  Let me count the ways:

1.  Sleep reduces stress-  In one of my readings, I learned that sleep deprivation causes our body to produce stress hormones.  Getting a good seven to eight hours of sleep gives us the opposite effect.

2.  Sleep improves your mood - Here in the Philippines, we have a popular saying that goes “Magbiro ka na sa lasing, wag lang sa bagong gising.”  It simply implies that people who had a bad, inadequate sleep are more cranky than those who are drunk.  So don’t mess with sleep-deprived people.

3.  Sleep makes you more energetic and alert - Having a good night’s sleep energizes you when you wake up in the morning.  It makes you feel refreshed and ready to face the world. Hence, it also makes you more productive.

4.  Sleep improves your memory - Whenever I get quality sleep, I notice that my brain works sharper.  I remember things more vividly and I learn new things better, unlike when I’m sleepy and feel like I’m floating in a limbo.

5.  Sleep prolongs lifespan -  Sleep is needed to regenerate certain body parts, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. Missed or reduced sleep will affect the brain cells or neurons and may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person’s behavior. One time there was an episode in the TV Series “House” where a patient couldn’t sleep for a couple of days.  The doctors were racing against time because according to them, if a person can’t sleep for seven days, he or she won’t be able to regenerate his or her neurons and that will cause death.

6. Lack of sleep makes you ugly - It gives you dry and scaly skin especially on the face where our skin is thin and sensitive.  Plus it gives you dark circles around the eyes.

You may add more to the list of these sleep benefits and the ill-effects of sleep deprivation.   For now, I need to catch some good sleep.   Zzzz…

Yay!  I barely noticed that it took me quite a few days to update this blog.   I’ve been too preoccupied with work and home responsibilities that I hardly had any spare time for my blogging pleasures.  Speaking of pleasure, let me share with you this pleasurable yet inexpensive activity we had as a family just recently.

This is my entry for this week’s Fun Friday in our Blogging For Fun Group.  If you want to join, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll introduce you to our group of supportive bloggers.

Have you ever seen a kalesa? A kalesa is a horse-driven carriage popular in the Philippines.  It was introduced by the Spaniards back in the 18th century as one of the modes of transportation here in the Philippines but only nobles and high ranked officials could afford it back then.  Rich Filipinos known as the ilustrados used the kalesa for business and personal travel.   Fortunately today, the kalesa still exists in some tourist spots and rural areas plus riding it is not that pricey anymore for ordinary people.  So last week, our family had the pleasure of touring the river park using the kalesa!

My hubby took us to Marikina Riverbanks where there were two kalesas waiting for patrons.   I didn’t expect to see any of them in our city so I was pleasantly surprised.   And since it was our first time to ride it, we had a blast.   And we only paid P50 each ($1.11).   It was awesome!  I hope more people will patronize the kalesa so that they’ll continue to exist for our children to see and experience.

As usual, I’m not in the picture because I was the frustrated photographer, lol!  But that’s my pleasure. *hugs*

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