I attended the Ipanema ramp show during Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 Day 3 and was photographed by Stylebible.ph. My look (cape by Heir, shoes by Rusty Lopez, bag by Aranaz) was featured in their PFW S/S 2011 Day 3 gallery.
photo by Stylebible Digital
Dyan Castillejo interviewed me and other BODYJAM participants for her Sports Unlimited feature on BODYJAM. Check out 4:37 onwards!
I just flew back from a very relaxing All Saints Weekend in Boracay (yes, it’s my third time this year… I’m planning a mega-post next week about all my trips). I’ve always thought I could be a savvy traveler and even passed an application for the Amazing Race Asia Season 3. But meeting TARA4 Philippine teams last Thursday at the viewing party sponsored by Misibis Bay and the City of Legazpi confirmed that there’s something special about these teams. More on that later.
Bloggers and TARA Racers Unite!
Ever since I switched away from SkyCable, I haven’t been able to catch an episode of TARA, so watching back-to-back Episodes 5 and 6 from the current season was a real pleasure. Episode 5 was the Philippines episode featuring activities around Legazpi City and Misibis Bay, which was the pit stop for that leg of the race. It was a great way to stimulate my interest in traveling to Bicol (with a little less stress and more time for sightseeing, of course). Episode 6 had the teams flying out to New Zealand from Misibis Bay.
What really struck me about “the Riches” Richard Hardin and Richard Herrera and “Party Girls” Lani Pillinger and Jess James (who couldn’t be at the viewing party) was their way of finding ways out of predicaments without freaking out. Basically, they were able to take the challenges on and have fun doing them. One incident that really stood out for me was when the Riches needed to get on an earlier flight in New Zealand, so they asked some people nicely if they could switch tickets. That shaved a precious three hours off their time and contributed to their first place finish for the New Zealand leg of the race.
Lani and Jess also worked really well together, being supportive instead of criticizing each other as some other teams would do. One of the bloggers present at the event commented that there was a lot of positive energy surrounding these teams. Rich & Rich and Lani were really nice as well, socializing with the bloggers by going around each table asking if we were okay, and saying the food would be coming out soon. (Hahaha!) Richard “Rampage” Herrera was even offering beer to bloggers. When I said I didn’t drink beer, he offered rum. I thought it wasn’t on the menu, so I said sure. To my surprise, he came back 5 minutes later with a rum coke.
photo by Azrael Coladilla
Overall our Philippine teams have great personalities and star power; it’s hard not to watch when they’re the ones on-screen. And, needless to say, they are all so pretty to look at!
The reason I shouldn’t be on the show is that during my flight back from Boracay, our plane was supposed to be diverted to Kalibo. I threw a fit, which may be good TV drama but isn’t really something I would like to see from someone representing the Philippines. Eventually we were able to check into an earlier flight which would leave from Caticlan — and on that same flight was Rich Hardin! I was so ashamed. I guess I need to keep watching more TARA4 to see great examples (like our teams) for how to deal properly with travel pressure.
Now if only Destiny Cable carried AXN so I could keep watching TARA4.
Two weeks ago my friend Liz Lanuzo from ProjectVanity.com invited me and a host of other bloggers to “Vanity, Vanity: A Vanity Fair” at SM North EDSA Sky Dome. It was the third day of the event, which was supported by several major beauty and health brands.
Face Shop and Body Shop offering makeovers
I’m not really a beauty and fashion blogger although I do appreciate good grooming. (It’s why I’m the Kikay Runner.) It was a bit intimidating to be among these stylish bloggers; coming over on the MRT I noticed one girl who was wearing something very LookBook-ish, and true enough she was also at the event!
We had a little game of Blogger Scrabble, where we were separated into two groups, all wearing two letters from the words “BLOGGER” and “I AM VAIN”. After a slow start, my group won and we took home bottles of acai berry juice! I’ve heard good things about the vitamin and nutrient content from this juice, so we shall see if it really works. I’ve been feeling a bit run down lately…
Liz also gave a talk about the Top Ten Tips to Level Up Your Beauty and Fashion Blog. Much of it was common sense, realy, but she presented them in such a way that it would be easy to remember and apply to each blog post made. They’re also actually good tips to apply to any kind of niche blog. Ü
At the end of the afternoon, the winner of the door prize was announced. Each of us bloggers had been asked to write down answers to two questions: “How vain are you?” and “When are you at your most beautiful?” So guess which question I won the prize for. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but it went something like this:
“I am so vain that everything I do comes from concern about my appearance. I started working out because I was concerned about gaining weight; now I’m a group exercise instructor. I started running because I wanted to tone my legs; now I’m a host for a television show about running. I started putting on make-up because I didn’t want to look shabby; now I’m invited to events such as this. Yes, I am that vain.”
For that honest answer about my vanity, I won a pot of Mosbeau underarm and inner thigh whitening cream.
My mom was happy to receive this from me.
That was on top of all the other loot bloggers received. I had to bring all these bags onto a crowded MRT, and there was just so much stuff that I could bless my friends with (sometimes I don’t get around to using stuff I’m given). Definitely a well-supported event.
SeriAsia Ganoderma Moisturizer
Clockwise L-R: NaRaYa bag and pouch, SkinFood whitening gift pack, Acai Berry, NuDerm Supreme White Soap, Dermclinic pen
Thanks so much for inviting me, Liz! I feel a yearning for a make-up post coming up soon… (Or maybe, on my friend’s blog Bless My Bag. *wink*)
Over the last four years I’ve written again and again about BODYJAM, a pre-choreographed dance party workout I teach at a local gym. In the years since I’ve become an instructor of the program, I’ve written about it less and less, simply because as an employee of the gym I don’t want to let too much of the mystique out of the bag (and because any occasional whining about work conditions might get me called to “the principal’s office”).
Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, which is teaching BODYJAM. Last week, I had one more reason to love my job more, and that reason’s name is Gandalf Archer.
otherwise known as “G”
No, this is not Gandalf from Lord of the Rings (although I think he’s just as cool =p). G is the program director, choreographer, and worldwide face of BODYJAM. He’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, and travels every quarter to take the experience of BODYJAM to instructors around the world.
This month, on his way home from those travels, he dropped by Manila. He’d been hearing a lot about how passionate we are about the program, and how Filipinos love to dance. So, last Monday night we BODYJAM instructors had a little meet-and-greet with him.
We usually get choreography for BODYJAM through DVD, and many of us had only seen him on our TV screens. So meeting him in the flesh was a completely different experience. My mind is still in denial, actually. It all feels like I was watching it on TV.
OMG. OMG! *hyperventilates*
I had my copy of BODYJAM 43 (my training release) signed by him. It was strange because I was starstruck up until I walked up to him and started talking to him. And then something switched on in my brain and I was just chatty all of a sudden. I was with a fellow instructor, Ryan, who had been having posters autographed for the past few minutes.
The conversation went something like this:
Me: Hi. Sorry to bother you…
G: Oh, it’s not a bother.
Me: (holding my hand out) I’m Noelle, and I think you know Ryan. He’s back with another poster, I think he’s gone into business selling them…
Ryan: (laughs)
G: Well, it’s going to be a short-lived business, like, it’ll be over in five minutes.
Me: Would you mind signing my training release?
G: Sure. (scribbles)
Me: It was ten releases ago.
G: That’s a lot of releases.
We had a question-and-answer period; my trainer Arnold Warren told us to make it interactive, so we had to think up of some questions to ask G.
And then he wanted to dance with us a little. Once the music started playing, we just went wild, and we just lost ourselves in the experience.
That wasn’t the end of it. The next night, we had arranged for a big event, called “G Live: The BODYJAM Main Event”. People could buy tickets to enter what we had billed as a two-and-a-half hour dance workout, led by G. He taught the upcoming release, BODYJAM 54, plus something he billed as “55” but was actually a freestyle routine. Fan-freaking-tastic.
kicking it
dancing up a storm
hit it!
There was a part of me that had gone to sleep and had just been going through the motions. It took an encounter with G, someone who lives a really creative life bringing BODYJAM to life, to wake me up again. The time he spent with us told us that we do matter, we do make a difference, we have something to be proud of. It was something I badly needed, and since then I’ve been supercharged.
The Philippines loves you, G. Come back soon!
Last Wednesday, I found myself at one of Makati’s night spots, lit up with flashing lights, drinking cocktails, and listening to awesome house music.
TOOGS TOOGS TOOGS
There’s nothing too odd about that, except it was 2 in the afternoon, there was no alcohol in the cocktail, and we weren’t there to party, but to learn about Clinique’s latest anti-aging serum.
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus
I have dermatologist friends who use lasers in procedures to lighten birthmarks and spots on the skin, even out acne pockmarks, and reduce the depth of wrinkles. This happens because the lasers lightly “wound” the skin at the cellular level, jumpstarting the healing process and thus producing more youthful-looking skin. Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus seeks to produce similar effects without the commitment and cost of laser procedures.
The serum’s threefold action of jumpstarting repair with antioxidants, boosting collagen with peptides, and strengthening skin with enzymes enhances the skin’s natural repair ability. Clinique promises visible results in 12 weeks: softening of lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.
Tita Jane, Tita Noemi, and Liz were also present at the event, and even as I joked that I needed the serum soon (being in my late 20’s and frequently engaging in outdoor sports isn’t doing my skin any favors), I was glad that there was such a product already on the market. Who knows, maybe in 5 years I’ll snap this up off the counter. It certainly beats being on the lighted end of a laser wand.
Dear Ayala Property Management Corporation,
I am a regular patron of Bonifacio High Street, one of your properties within Bonifacio Global City. Aside from its accessibility and availability as a training ground for runners, I also just love spending time shopping at its establishments and enjoying its park-like atmosphere.
When you raised parking fees last June from P25 for 3 hours and P5 for succeeding hours to the current rate of P30 for 3 hours, P10 succeeding, I continued to patronize the open parking area despite no improvements made to the parking facilities. (In fact, you decreased the total number of paved parking slots and charged the same increased rate for the unpaved parking areas around BHS.)
However, recent events have given me cause to write this open letter, because I have been overcharged for parking not once, but twice already. Tonight, as I exited the elevated parking area behind R.O.X., the cashier charged me 50 pesos for 5 hours of parking. I do not normally distrust cashiers, but after I paid and left, I checked my parking stub and realized I had only been parked for 4 hours.
my parking stub
I had entered the parking area at 1744 hours (5:44pm), and exited at 2135 hours (9:35pm). At 6:44, that was one hour of parking. At 7:44, two hours. 8:44, three hours. I had exited before 9:44, but that fraction of an hour counts as one hour. That’s a grand total of FOUR hours. Why did the cashier charge me for FIVE hours?
Your cashier does not know how to count. I should have argued with her, since this is not the first time one of your cashiers has assessed me an extra hour of parking.
The first time this happened (some time in July), I was on my toes and feeling combative, so I argued with that cashier and paid the proper amount. Tonight, however, I was off-guard. When I realized the mistake, I wanted to go back to the cashier and ask for my 10 pesos back.
Instead I chose to sit down and write this open letter because I am sure other people have fallen for the same thing. I believe it’s my civic duty to expose this practice and make people aware that they may be getting overcharged and scammed at your parking facility.
There is one reason this problem occurs time and again. Manual, non-computerized ticketing and charging.
One would think that with the parking fee increase, Ayala Property Management Corp. could afford to use a computerized ticketing system. If not, you could at least educate and/or screen the people you hire to be your cashiers to make sure they know how to compute parking correctly.
There are two implications should you allow this practice of overcharging to continue.
I think your company can afford to use a register that prints receipts recording the amount being charged, at the very least. I hold Ayala commercial areas in high regard and know you will do the right thing, which is to put into place safeguards against overcharging. We are willing to pay, but let it be the correct amount.
Sincerely,
Noelle De Guzman
I don’t think you’d remember, but I auditioned for RX 93.1’s “Radio Idol”, back in 2007 — you know, it’s a yearly competition where the winner gets to be a DJ for the radio station. Anyway, I crashed out in the second round because I got asked to talk about OPM, which I know nothing about. I opened my mouth, and no words came out. Oh, well. There went my chance for DJ stardom.
Hello? Is this thing on?
In the past three weeks though, I’ve had the chance to live out my radio dreams anyway. I was asked to guest in “Fit Radio” on 99.5 RT two Wednesdays ago to promote my TV show, RunnerSpeak and talk a little bit about the running scene in the Philippines. It was a very short but sweet segment, but I have to say the radio mics do wonders for people’s voices.
Anyway a friend of mine, Vince Golangco, asked if I were free to come on his show on Mellow 94.7 called “The G-Spot” to do a segment called “Edumacate Me”. Since I liked being on radio so much the last time, I accepted the invitation gladly, and showed up at the station today.
All we hear is radio gaga
We talked about my website, KikayRunner.com, and about the things you need to do when you start running. In between all of that I was able to insert some plugs for the magazines I have articles in this month: Runner’s World and Total Fitness. It was really so much fun, especially since I knew what I was talking about in general.
I guess that’s the trick to being successful on radio: you’ve got to be a little bit knowledgeable about a lot of things so you can talk your way through. You’ve got to be a wide reader and brush up on pop culture. I’m just lucky that running is a part of pop culture these days. Ü
Check out the September issue of Runner’s World (with Iza Calzado on the cover) for the two articles I wrote in it: “Dynamic Duo” on page 5, and “Growing Up with Milo” on page 37. Runner’s World is exclusively available with every Women’s Health and Men’s Health magazine.
For the past two years I’ve had the opportunity to go out clubbing on an average of once every month. While initially it was a heady rush, at some point the party life just starts feeling like the same night over and over again, like “Groundhog Day” except I don’t look like Bill Murray and the music playing on the sound system isn’t “I Got You, Babe” by Sonny and Cher.
What drew me to it in the first place? Well, it was an opportunity to get dolled up and wear my most outrageous heels. Most days of the month I live in flipflops and sneakers and don’t feel remotely glamorous. And sure, I got to hang out among beautiful people and bump elbows with celebrities and feel, just a little bit, like some of the glitz rubbed off on me. But in hindsight, I’m not sure how glamorous it is to come home smelling like smoke, with dark circles under my eyes from staying out so late, and have awful drunken-looking photos uploaded onto Facebook the next day.
Initially I also went out clubbing to dance. I teach BODYJAM in the gym and always like taking some of the moves out to the clubs and see if they actually can be used without people laughing. Unfortunately, club culture (at least in the clubs I go to) have people just bouncing around or bobbing their heads to the beat, occasionally singing along to familiar tunes. Nobody actually dances any choreography. Additionally the floors are usually over-packed with people, like sardines in a tin can. Good luck trying to find space to execute a flashy arm combo without smacking someone in the mouth.
These days I like being home before midnight, and I get to dance as often as I want when I teach BODYJAM anyway. I don’t know if this is me getting older, or just getting wiser. I’d rather make a night of meaningful memories breaking bread and getting deep into discussions about life’s meaning with friends than wake up the morning after clubbing to stories of embarrassing exploits that I can’t even remember because I was too drunk.
Not that I won’t go out anymore; of course I still will to hang out with people whom I won’t have opportunity to be with otherwise. But I’ll get my kicks from their company, rather than the nightlife culture itself. I’m over it.
In My Pocket 