As I have endlessly repeated in this blog, I am actually quite ecstatic to be enrolling in law school this June. For the most part of my life, especially when I was younger, I have always wanted to pursue law — and now that this dream looms ever more real with the agreement of my parents to finance my schooling, I am getting excited day by day.

The only down side to pursuing this childhood dream would be the fact that I need to transfer islands, because the best law school is 4 hours away from where I live. Naturally, this would require major life changes, and looking for a comfortable place to stay. If it were up to me, and if I had at least a small fraction of Oprah’s moolah, I would look for designer furniture that would greatly accentuate my new home. I have always been a sucker for architecture, but with my limited funds, I can only afford to daydream and wish.

Perhaps I would purchase this beautiful Asian chair that fuses both aesthetic beauty and functionality:

Or this octopus-inspired sleek table:

Or better yet, this furniture piece that masterfully plays with light and shadows.

Sigh.

I can dream, can’t I?

Earlier today, my sister-in-law invited me to brunch because, according to her, she needs to let out a few things about her work. You see, she works as the HR manager for my dad and our family business, and sometimes, given the nature of our corporation, there are several stressors that she needs to deal with.

I understood right away that she needed company, so I agreed to the brunch date. At 11am, we were settled in our favorite fastfood chain, and just looking at her, I sensed something bad was in the offing.

I ordered our food, and I just waited for her to let it all out. True enough, right after downing her first serving of french fries, she ranted about the recent problem that’s been giving her headaches at work.

Apparently, there are several workers right now who are asking for cash advance loans. However, given the volatility of the construction industry, granting them these loans would be a huge gamble as of the present.

For one, she said, business has not been very rosy for this quarter of the year, because apparently, construction jobs are seasonal for the most part. For another, most of the reasons that they cited for their proposed loans are too impractical.

I personally understand that these cash loans are of tremendous help, especially during days when money seems scarce and yet financial need is imminent. However, I think people have to be extra cautious when they want to consider this loan option, because it is never easy to pay this off later on.

I just let my sister rant in front of me while I constantly made sure that her supply of fries, cheeseburgers, and soft drinks would not run short.

Clint Gamboa, another American Idol contender with Filipino roots, is also a top 24 finalist in AI’s 10th season. Gamboa is 26 years old, and prior to joining the popular reality TV show, he’s been working as a karaoke bar host. For two consecutive years, moreover, he has been the grand winner of a prestigious karaoke contest in California.

Even when Gamboa seems to have the pipes for the cut-throat singing competition, a lot of viewers were ticked off when he decided to kick out a 15-year old group member during Hollywood week.  Naturally, 15-year old Jaecee cried, and because of this, a lot of viewers started to think of Gamboa as a bully.

On a more personal level though, I think he is a good singer, but being on AI also means being charismatic. If he does not get his act together soon, or if he does not successfully debunk the impression of him being arrogant and obnoxious, then he might not make it so far in the competition.

But just the same, good luck kabayan!

Corollary to the earlier post I made about Randy Jackson’s phenomenal transformation through the years, I actually stumbled across an interesting article about the difference of weight loss regimens among men and women.

According to most health experts, nutritionists and dietitians, men and women differ in their weight loss expectations because apparently, women prefer to lose body fats, regardless of whatever they may be or wherever they are located. They just want the weighing scale to tell them that they are thinner.

Men, on the other hand, do not subscribe to this pseudo-absolutist recourse because as much as possible, they want to ensure that in the course of their weight reduction exercises, their muscular mass would not be affected.

Because of this considerable difference in what men and women want from their diet plans and other weight loss methods, most weight loss professionals recommend mens fat burners to men as the best way to lose weight.

These fat burners ensure that you lose your weight, by getting rid of unwanted fat. But your muscles, or the features that give you that Rambo-ish look to your body, are still there.

Who hates Rambo-ish features? Apparently no one, I hear.

One thing that I’ve observed from watching American Idol through the years is that Randy Jackson has lost a significant amount of weight. I was actually an avid follower of AI from season 1 up until the 9th season, and I must say that he sure lost a lot of weight.

In season 1, he looked stuffed to the brim. He was obese apparently, and he admitted in various interviews afterwards that he did not feel good about himself. Season 2 came, and he was still looking overweight in the show. But as the years progressed and newer talents were being discovered in the subsequent seasons, a lot of people noticed his weight loss.

Apparently with this considerable dwindling down of his weight, he appeared to be more in the groove, and he was looking happier as he made his comments and goofed around with the other judges. In a subsequent interview, Jackson admitted to have entered into rigorous exercise regimens, effective diet plans, and of course proven fat burner supplements.

Here’s his transformation. Wow:

I have always been an American Idol junkie, and for this season, I have found another reason to be hooked to this worldly-popular reality TV show.

Thia Megia, a 15-year old high school student from Mountain House, California, made it to the top 24 cut. She may be the youngest AI contender for this season, but her voice quality is distinct and distinguishable. Of course, it does not hurt that both her parents are Filipinos who have since relocated to the US, and she had been previously been a semifinalist in America’s Got Talent.

All the best to you Thia Megia, and I hope you’d make it till the end!

When I was in college, my favorite guilty pleasure was eating Lucky Me Pancit Canton. Yes, the Chilimansi flavor — where all you have to do is to buy one or two packs of it, tear away the condiments, soak the noodle for 10 to 15 minutes in hot water, mix it up once it’s tender, and wolf it down without restraint.

Back then, this made perfect sense, because it was easy on the pocket, it was delicious, and it was a great way to pacify a growling stomach. In a month, I probably devoured close to 20 packs — because obviously, satiating the hunger and making sure I had cash were the only considerations back then.

Right now however, it’s an entirely different case.

A close friend of mine who works as a staff nurse in one of the health centers here recently told me that too much consumption of these prepackaged goods can be bad for one’s health. For one, a lot of MSGs can bring about a lot of complications, and when taken in numerous amounts, your body may need to expel a lot of these food toxins.

My poison of choice, specifically, brings in more food salts than what is acceptable to the human body, and because of this, the colon usually needs to do more than what it is biologically tasked to do (which is to act as a filter to what the body takes in).

Because of this, the most viable method that I can use to rid myself of these toxins would be a colon cleanse, since doing so can aid me in getting rid of all these unwanted toxins.

The colon is a vital part of our system, but if we disregard the importance of having healthier foods, or if we choose to downplay the significance of our colon, we might end up regretting afterwards.

Again, being safe is definitely better than being sorry.

These days, I have been coughing like a madman. My parents, who sleep in the next room, often complain that even during the early hours of the morning, my incessant coughing would penetrate right through the walls, and they would hear me bark endlessly like a dog.

I tell them it’s because of the weather, and that even when I regularly take vitamins, my body still succumbs to the unpredictable weather conditions, the occasional night outs (emphasizing occasional), and other personal conditions (such as the waning down of the immune system as one gets older).

I remember that when I was growing up, I was the only child who constantly needed to be admitted to the hospital for all sorts of things. Because of this, almost all of my siblings think that I am the weakest in the brood (but of course, I beg to violently digress from this perception).

Naturally, it was an entirely different matter when I was growing up, because when I needed hospital treatment, my parents usually shouldered the costs. Right now however, I need to come up with my own moolah if ever I need to be hospitalized for whatever reason.

Given that my source of income right now is not regular, and I still need to brace up for law school this June, perhaps the most practical thing to do would be to avail of an NC short term health insurance. Unlike other insurance options that usually require a certain period for paying the premium, these packages are more budget-friendly and expedient for individuals who can’t afford full health insurance packages.

At this time and age where it would be very costly to be sick, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry.

Ever since I’ve seen my grandfather deal with the complications that come with aging, I have come to question several things about life. I know that nothing is ever permanent and that sooner than later, we need to grapple with our very humanity — because it’s inevitable and unavoidable really.

In retrospect, I recall how indefatigable I used to feel when I was younger. When I was in college specifically, I felt like the world was at my beck and call, and there was nothing that could dampen my spirits. Now, at 26, I feel like I am vulnerable to all sorts of things. I feel like my fragility is slowly unfolding before me, and that unlike my erstwhile impression of myself, I too am damageable.

I am 26 right now, and right before I know it, I will be turning 30 soon. I used to not fuss about turning 30, but lately, I have been feeling disconcerted with the prospect of turning three decades old in the immediate future. Apart from the usual personal concerns, such as what I will be doing from 30 onwards, there are also health considerations, especially since after 30, the human growth hormones slowly wane down.

Perhaps I can do simple things like choosing my food well from now on, or taking hgh pills so I can lessen the impact of hgh reduction.

These are some things that I seldom think about, but I guess being confronted with the hard reality of inevitably dealing with aging compels me to think about these things. The soonest possible time.

Wish me luck.

Photography is actually something that fascinates me.

Starting today, I will start posting pictures that I have taken in this blog because, cliche as it may sound, a picture says a thousand words. (Eeew, lol)

My first featured picture: