GlutaMAX – The New Me

 

Friends, even newfound ones, often remark that I’m noticeably such a happy person.  I wasn’t always like this before.

 

 

 A Vibrant and Visibly Happy Change!

(35 lbs and a couple of shades lighter and happier)

 

Switch to a Lighter You!

 

What’s my beauty secret?

 

Growing up, my dreams were countless.  There were so many things I wanted to do with my life.  At 21, I was already going through a mid-life crisis –castigating myself for not finishing law school.  Feelings of being unappreciated and identity loss in a previous relationship also gave a jarful of insecurity, inadequacy and anxiety.  I was stricken with fear of trying new things at the risk of failure again.

 

  

It didn’t help that I gained almost 30 lbs during a month-long study program in Osaka and Tokyo Japan that brought me to slip to this unhealthy and unhappy persona.  Since I am not supermodel tall (fine, I’m not even average tall ), being 132 lbs was not the comfortable weight for my height. 

 

 

I had a hard time buttoning my pants, my shirts/tops/dresses became too tight and much emphasis was put on my mid-section that people usually mistake me for being preggers.  My skin also started deteriorating.  Uneven skin tone and dark spots loom on my face.

 

 

I used to dress up in pricey cloaks that I thought covered the untidy chaos within me.  They say shopping is retail therapy –but no amount of shopping can silence the noise inside.

 

One day, I stripped myself naked of the things that were weighing me down.  No more excessiveness, no more self-doubt and fears, or discontentment.  No more measuring myself up to others.  I wrote every word that was negative in me on different rocks and pitched them out the distant sea. 

 

 

It was like taking it out of my system and hurling it away from me.  It was symbolic and therapeutic.  Try it, it is quite a release.  A creative one in fact.  Very ceremonial.  The healing began.

 

 

I even let go of the relationship that I felt impeded my growth.  I welcomed the independence and newfound strength.  I didn’t find the need for striking clothes or late night drinks either. 

 

 

Setting a goal

I started working out diligently at the gym, boxing, cardio-running and toning.  It was very therapeutic to sweat out at the gym and sauna.  I was slowly returning to my comfortable weight. 

 

 

Detoxify

I scheduled a fruit diet day at least once a week to cleanse my digestive system.  Living a healthy lifestyle is the way to go.  Fast foods are excessive in oil.  Junk food only supplied unnecessary calories. 

 

Craft

No matter how difficult life can be.  Happiness is a choice.  The happiest people in life don’t necessarily have the best of everything.  They just try to make the best of everything.  Shaping your body is achieved by working out.  Happiness is achieved by shaping our mind to be positive and see the best in life and in people.  It is very lifting to observe all the wonderful things around us.  An honest smile.  Tender hug.  A family to come home to.  A peso in your pocket.  An old photograph.  Another couple in love.  I even greet my problems with a smile –it is an opportunity for me to learn and grow and test the mettle of my strength.  Yes, I feel low from time to time, but it’s no big deal.  I know that in due time, I will be happy again just as surely as the sun rises in the morning.

 

 

Knowing yourself

Self-realization sets in and instead of distinguishing who or what I am not, I began appreciating who I actually am.  Loving yourself is the wisdom to loving other people.  Self-esteem frees us from self-consciousness and self-doubt.  A sound self-esteem allows us to experiment, innovate and try and try again to achieve our goals.  Failures won’t be the gauge anymore of accomplishments, but self-worth is by now my claim of victory.

 

 

The less I care about seeking approval, the more approval I seem to get.  People are drawn to those with a quiet, inner confidence, people who don’t need to make themselves look good, or be “right” all the time, or steal the glory.  Most people love a person who doesn’t need to brag, a person who shares from his or her heart and not from his or her ego or image. 

 

 

It was quite the breakout year for me.  Sheer confidence got me trying out adventure races and a new career path. 

 

 

I took up new hobbies like photography.  I found my wanderlust spirit and traveled to different local and international destinations. 

 

 

And the most wonderful of it all, Love also found me. 

 

                     

We became each other’s source of friendship, inspiration and companionship.  We always enjoy the time when we are together –even to something as ordinary as standing in line or listening to music in the car.  He makes me feel like a natural woman –loving me for every flaw and appreciates me for every inch of my being. 

 

 

The Secret – Clarity

Beautiful skin starts from within.  With a peaceful mind and a happy heart, natural beauty will radiate easily off you.  While staying content, we always strive for excellence.  In the pursuit of perfection, I was introduced to a product that knows skin best.  The new Glutamax Lightening Soap scrubs away my unwanted spots and blemishes while it gently whitens the skin, leaving me feeling fresh and smooth (and smelling great too!).  Taking OUT the dark in me, the transformation turned complete when my skin became lighter as well.  It is so in sync when I feel lighter both inside and outside.  Glutamax effortlessly matches my fresh and vibrant outlook in life. 

 

In mind, body and skin, be completely transformed to the NEW YOU! 

 

Feed the world good energy and good things will gravitate toward you.  Shine with a positive attitude and attract the cheerful vibe.   Glow in love and in beautiful skin too… with Glutamax, lovely and vibrant white skin is at our fingertips. 

 

I fill my heart with love and my mind positive things, and I see the face of success every time I look in the mirror.

 

 (The secret to clarity: Glutamax -Reduced Glutathione Dietary Supplement 500mg. 

Pop it and Radiate )

 

Glutamax, see the results!

 

———————————————————————————————–

 

*This is my official entry to the Nuffnang/Glutamax The New Me contest.

 

 

 

 

 

Change begins with me.

 

This should be a battle cry of each and every one of us.

 

What change do you want to see you in your personal life –right now?

What change do you want to see in your community and country by 2015?

What sort of programmes or ideas of campaigns would you support?

 

Answer all three questions and join SEAChange!  SEAChange is a movement that connects Southeast Asian Youths to projects, organization, businesses and leaders who can help them with the change they want to see!

 

 

This November, SEAChange is holding the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The Youth Engagement Summit (YES2009) is a platform to create a cadre of engaged, active youth leaders dedicated to making positive changes happen in their communities and in the world.  Change is key for any improvement.  I want to learn more how to make positive changes in me and within the community.  I’m also very excited to meet global icons like Twitter co founder- Biz Stone, Facebook director of market and development – Randi Zuckerberg, Live8 Founder Sir Bob Geldof and chess wizard- Garry Kasparov.

 

They are sponsoring 500 seats to YES2009 and 163 seats are already taken.  Sign up NOW and get a chance to be a Philippines representative to the Summit.

 

YES, we can!

 

Thanks to Kate for the heads up!

 

 

Kate’s Link

SEAChange Link

 

 

–

 

 

I missed the opening night of the Philippine reality hit TV show, PBB.  This newest season dubbed as PBB Double Up launched last Sunday with 10 housemates and 2 pairs of male twins.  The housemates were chosen from 57,824 applicants who personally went to the 18 audition sites located worldwide. 

 

Princess, the Sassy Vamp ng Cebu

Tom, the Romantic Stud ng Samar

Delio, the Simpatikong Kusinero ng Batangas

Paul Jake, the Negosyante Prince ng Cebu

Jason, the Boy Astig ng Mindoro

Melissa, the Inday Kengkay ng Gen San

Yuri, the Multilingual Hottie ng Japan

Carol, the Conservative Pharmacist ng Tondo

Mariel, the Struggling Mom ng Davao –is she the one who looks a bit like Wendy Valdez from PBB Season 2?

Yhel, the Young Widow ng Pampanga

Toffi, the Basket Bolero ng Rizal, and his twin brother Kenny, the Joker Jock ng Rizal

JP, the Jetsetter Dad ng Quezon City,and his twin brother JM, the Delightful Dad ng Quezon City.

 

Paul Jake, Kenny, Yuri, Princess and Tom are the ones emerging to have interesting personalities.

 

The housemates are billeted separately in two houses and right after the opening night, the twin pair were put to a challenge.  Inside the confession room that adjoins the two houses, Big Brother instructed the two sets of twins—JP and JM as well as Toffi and Kenny not to inform the other housemates about the other twin. 

 

 

The twins went to separate houses and spent some time there when Big Brother called them again to instruct them to exchange places.  If they failed in this task, they will incur the penalty of forced eviction.  Last night’s first official EP showed that the house where most of the girls are staying suspect that something is up, particularly Carol, the conservative pharmacist and instructor from Tondo.  Melissa, the supposedly funny one from the group noticed the difference in weight and facial features when the other pair substituted.

 

Tune in to know if the big double secret will be busted before the actual reveal.  This ABS-CBN show airs every weeknight, right after Dahil May Isang Ikaw.

 

The Big Winner of PBB Double Up will get P1 million cash, a house and lot worth P2.5 million, a water business franchise, and an Asian tour. Aside from that, the Final Four will get to choose charitable institutions that will receive cash amounts equivalent to what they would be taking home.

 

PBB Steaming is available on SKY Cable.  Call 631-0000 for more information.

 

 –

 

 

Traveling is the break I give myself when my body shouts for a pause from the daily grind.  Being wanderlust, I have traveled to various parts of Asia like Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan. 

 

The Sparkle of Macau shimmered my travel wagon.  Discovering Ho Chi Minh’s Hidden Charm led me to a journey to the lost city where I saw the beauty of Angkor Wat, rustic and majestic in the same breath.

 

Interestingly, I have yet to visit Singapore.  And I think it’s about time.

 

Landscapes frequently occupy the space in my camera.  Take a modern turn and allow me to unveil a breathtaking cityscape this time around.  Singapore is an island city-state but this highly cosmopolitan country has 2009 reasons why a Singapore voyage should be next on everyone’s list.  Singapore is the melting pot of the best cuisines in Asia along with mélange of flavors from around the globe.  Gastronomic boredom can now just be part of the past.  Urban configuration, sanitary atmosphere, adventure, romance and the finest culinary variety to spice up my life –highly charged and spirited, Singapore gets me singing, “I’m leaving on a jet plane.”

 

At the touch down of the airplane, see me saunter off to the first stop of the day.

 

 

Jurong Bird Park

 

Jurong Bird Park is the world’s largest aviary.  Interact with colorful birds from all over the world like finches, pheasants, herons, mallards, owls, cockatoos and falcons.  Egg-cellent saver package SGD 25 gets me an admission into the Bird Park, Panorail rides, Afrrican waterfall aviary bird feeding, lorry loft bird feeding on top of seeing the different centers like Parrot Paradise, Penguin Expedition, World of Darkness, Dinosaur Descendants, Heliconia Walk, Royal Ramble, Swan Lake among others.

 

Wander around, smell the flowers and let the morning sun kiss your face while you play with the friendliest lories.  While feeding the lories you can shift the cup with grains from one hand to another and the lorry will walk on one arm, behind your neck and to the other arm.  What a bubble of cuteness. 

 

 

Hainanese Chicken placed Singapore in the “food” map so I will probably start my morning with that.  Nothing beats hankering to slurp a Hainanese chicken soup to warm me up.  Boon Tong Kee supposedly has the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore and bar none anywhere else in the world. 
http://www.boontongkee.com.sg/

 

 

Underwater World

 

Underwater World is the home of 2,500 marine animals.  Water is my sign and nothing can be more calming than being near water or watching underwater friends swimming swiftly in their territory.  Capture some ocean excitement viewing the world’s largest display of sand tiger sharks! 

 

That second stop categorically got me thinking of seafood.  I love seafood.  Since Bubba is not a big seafood fan, seafood restaurants have taken a back seat.  However, I cannot miss the chance to try Jumbo Seafood Restaurant http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/, which is the biggest name in seafood and consistent quality!  It wouldn’t be hard to locate with its many branches.  Must-have list should include chili crabs, black pepper crabs and broccoli with scallops.  This is my jumbo chance to convert Bubba into a seafood fan. 

 

 

Reverse Bungee Jump at Clarke Quay 

 

Clarke Quay is one of the historical sites, delightfully bridging the modern and traditional in Singapore.  It is located in the riverside that play host to a colorful kaleidoscope of restaurants, wine bars, entertainment spots and retail shops.

 

 

At this point, I’d be hungry for some adrenaline high.  The answer: Reverse Bungy Jump.  I can’t wait to brace myself as I go rotating in air at great speeds, clockwise, counterclockwise.  I’ve experienced parasailing and sky jumping elsewhere but the reverse bungee jump is absolutely uniquely Singapore. 

 

 

 

Orchard Road 

 

Want to experience the 5^th Avenue of New York without traveling that far?  Orchard Road is the place to be.  Hundreds of high-end shops populate the area.  Other than the love to shop, street photography abounds with the architectural sites and skyscrapers, not to mention the interesting crowds.  Orchard Central. Ngee Ann City. Wisma Atria. Ion Orchard. Plaza Singapura. Lucky Plaza. Far East Plaza. Wheelock Place. Paragon. The Heeren Shops. Tang Plaza. The Centrepoint. Forum. The Shopping Mall. Shaw House and Centre. Mandarin Gallery. Orchard Point. Hilton Singapore. Palais Renaissance. Liat Towers. Scotts Shopping Centre.

 

 

 

Singapore Flyer

 

Hop on aboard the giant observation wheel, Singapore Flyer, besting out the London Eye in height, claiming a 30m difference.  The best time to get a spectacular view of the island city is just before the sun kisses the horizon.  Catch the crossover of the yin and yang of day and night.  Glimpse at the beauty of Singapore’s urban landscape with daylight and the breathtaking view of the sparkling waterfront, towering skyscrapers and tropical greenery.  Next image transitions to an orange glow cast over the city.  Remain in that interstitial space and breathe in the moment where you are standing at a stunning 165 meters height –with a scenic painting changing its palette from white to black in front of your eyes.

 

The night falls.  Get a 360-degree panoramic view of Singapore dancing in lights.  Music or no music, feel the beat and hop, bop and boogie to colorful glimmer.  With a special someone, feel the symphony and dance softly to the illumination of lights.

 

 

 

Night Life

 

Burn the midnight oil would be more fantastic with company –and not just the usual company.  Nocturnal animals.  Uniquely Singapore’s Night Safari offers an outrageous adventure at night, see a bearcat crossing a large rope across the audience or a wild cat jumping approximately 10 feet to get meat.  I’ll be jumping in joy to see creatures of the night show.

 

Club Hopping

 

Where else in the world can one get some culture with nightlife?  Chijmes has mounds of history entrapped beautifully behind its cloister mosaic walls.  Chijmes was once the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (1854) that now transformed to a zone of restaurants, bars and shops –one of the premiere lifestyle joints in Singapore.  Gourmands and foodies will never have it this good. 

 

Singapore is famous in Asia for its party vibe and vibrant nonstop nightlife from dusk ‘til dawn.  I don’t have to worry if my Singapore vacation in on a weekend or weekday as the party frenzy bubbles every night of the week.   My shindig jumps from Attica to O Bar to to Café Iguana to Zouk to The Butter Factory and to Phuture –stoke the heat and dance to the sound waves.  Leave it to Singapore to give you the grandest after-hours of drinking and dancing of all sizes and genres.  My dancing shoes might wear out but my dancing spirit will continue to jiggle.  Mental note to self, alcohol is good in preserving anything except secrets.

 

Capping the night off, I will go to somewhere quiet to settle down and revel in the night of music.  Bar None in Mariott Hotel supposedly has the best crowd mixed with a great atmosphere, where people listen to live band and also has impromptu comedy on certain nights.  I would love to tone down the night at this place and grab a few laughs before heading back to the hotel.

 

 

Deeply intrigued by Singapore, one day isn’t enough for all the sights I want to see and all the things I want to do, plus all the friends I want to meet.  Break out of yourself and make most of each corner of Singapore –there is something enriching, enjoyable, adventurous, rewarding, and romantic there for every individual I want to be.

 

Uniquely Singapore –what champagne dreams and caviar wishes are made of. 

 

 

Singapore, hold on to your seat!  I’m arriving!!!

 

Indulge in the Uniquely Singapore experience!

 

 

 

–

 

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and LAPD detectives searched the residence and office of Conrad Murray, each location a week apart.  Murray is Michael Jackson’s doctor who is believed to have given Jackson a lethal dose of anesthetic Propofol.

 

Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery.  In hospitals, only a trained anesthesiologist is allowed to administer the drug under strict monitoring conditions.

 

TMZ.com reported that Murray had told police in an interview he gave Jackson Propofol via an intravenous drip.  The website reported police believe Murray may have fallen asleep while the drug was being administered, and awoke to find the singer already dead.

 

If Murray did inject Jackson with Propofol negligently, he can be charged with homicide.

 

The federal agents and police came to his office a week earlier with a search warrant seeking evidence for the “offense of manslaughter”

 

The LA Coroner’s office reported that the toxicology result is due by the end of this week.

 

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A Michael Jackson movie could hit theaters by the end of 2009.  Rumor is Sony Pictures is willing to pay the 50-million dollar deal for worldwide rights.  AEG Entertainment, the company who owns the 80-hour material showing Michael Jackson rehearsing for his planned series of comeback concerts, had previewed the footage to different Hollywood studios.   The television rights are up for bidding at $10 million.

 

Kenny Ortega, the choreographer for the King of Pop’s “This Is It” concerts might direct the movie.  He is also famed for the hit film, “High School Musical.”

 

We’ve seen a few clips of the rehearsal footages but that’s only a morsel compared to what AEG has in their possession.  The footage released last July 2 showed the international pop superstar practicing a song-and-dance routine at Los Angeles’s Staples Center two days before his death.  The footage shows that Jackson had been in good health prior to the day he died.

 

 

Jackson was found barely breathing on June 25 at his rented Los Angeles mansion.  A final cause of death has not been revealed as coroners await the results of toxicology tests.

 

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Millions of people all over the world stayed tune to the live coverage of Michael Jackson’s public memorial.  20,000 people flock to Staples Center, Los Angeles to celebrate the King of Pop’s life.  Family and friends of Michael Jackson remembered his contribution to the music and to the world.

 

 

Brooke Shields expressed her breaking heart as she remembered her younger moments with Michael Jackson, as well as Berry Gordon, founder of MoTown Records, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, Stevie Wonder.

 

The most touching moment for me during the memorial is when the whole family of MJ was onstage and Paris Jackson, one of Michael Jackson’s three young children, and spoke about her late father.  With Janet Jackson on her side, she broke down saying that her father is the best father imaginable… her voice cracked as well as her heart when she expressed her love for her father. 

 

 

Growing up under shades, blanket, masks, Michael Jackson made efforts to protect his children’s faces from the paparazzi for more than a decade.  But on Tuesday, in front of an audience of thousands at the Staples Center and millions more around the globe, 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael; 11-year-old Paris-Katherine; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket clutching a Michael Jackson doll, sat in the front row, taking in their father’s memorial service at Staples Center.

  

The ceremony’s significant spotlight was on Paris addressing the crowd while fighting back sobs.  She breaks down in public in remembrance of her dad as millions of fans’ heart mourned with her.

  

“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she said, her tiny voice cracking. “And I just wanted to say I love him — so much.”

 

 

Another tearful moment was Jermaine Jackson singing a song for his brother.  Viewers all over the world were stricken with emotion when the elder Jackson who was in tears performed his brother’s favorite song, “Smile.”

 

The group performed “We are the World” on the stage to honor Jackson’s role in bridging races.

 

Jackson sold an estimated 750 million copies of his album.  Only Elvis Presley and the Beatles are within this record.

 

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Jackson’s public memorial is scheduled on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California.  Ticket winners started retrieving their passes to the Staples Center ceremony.  More than 1.6 million people registered for the free entrance tickets.  From the registered million, only about 9,000 names were picked.  The ticket allocation is two per person.  Email notifications were sent to the lucky fans that scored the hottest ticket in town.  Sadly, some were selling their much-coveted tickets on Ebay starting at USD 3,000.

 

 

The list of participants at the memorial includes Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Brooke Shields, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Martin Luther King III.

 

 

While the memorial organizers, Los Angeles police and Michael Jackson fans are busy in the upcoming public memorial at Staples Center, the battle for the King of Pop’s estate continues.  Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled against the request of Jackson’s mother to be put in charge of Jackson’s estate.  The judge granted Michael Jackson’s longtime attorney, John Branca and music executive and family friend, John McClain to oversee the pop singer’s estate for now.  Based on the 2002 will that surfaced recently, Jackson wanted the two to administer his estate.

 

 

 

 

 

Jackson died June 25, deeply in debt.  But a court filing estimates that his estate will be worth more than $500 million.  His assets are supposed to be for a private trust.  Michael Jackson owned a 50 percent stake in the massive Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

 

The family also asked if Jackson’s mother, Katherine can co-administer the estate with Branca and McClain to ensure that there is no conflict of interest since the two also has involvement in Jackson’s other shares.  They also wanted more time to see if another would emerge and to accommodate Jackson’s memorial service.  The judge however denied the request.

 

 

The judge further grants Branca and McClain several powers over the estate, including the rights to negotiate a settlement with concert promoter AEG Live over refunds for Jackson’s canceled London shows. 

 

 

Michael Jackson’s life and legacy will be memorialized publicly at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.  People all over the world are organizing memorial services as well at their own locals to pay tribute to the King of Pop not only as a performer but bearer of a good heart.

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CNN will be featuring Michael Jackson’s public memorial LIVE at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

LIVE Coverage:                July 8, Wed, 12mn

Anchors:                               Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Don Lemon and Soledad O’Brien will be anchoring live from Los Angeles

                                                Campbell Brown and Roland Martin will be anchoring live from New York.

Extras:                                   CNN will also have live coverage of memorial events happening around the world. 

CNN Channel is available on SKY Cable.

Call SKY CABLE at 631-0000 for more inquiries.

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Michael Jackson’s body will return to Neverland for public viewing on Friday.  A private memorial will follow on Sunday.

 

Fans gathered for a public tribute to Jackson at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, where the singer performed as a child.

 

Jackson died at age 50 June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest.

 

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