Malaysia 2013 Photodiary

I don’t normally post travel or lifestyle-related entries on this blog, but I think it’s about time to finally post a travel-related entry. This year, I went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with my family for our vacation. During my five-day stay there, we went to various places around Kuala Lumpur, as well as Resorts World in Genting. 

During our first day, we went to Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang right away. My brother and I wanted to see some of the shopping malls that Kuala Lumpur has to offer, and Bukit Bintang is known as a popular shopping area, with various shopping malls and centers within the area. 

Before going back to our hotel, we passed by H&M, and look who “greeted” us!

 

On our second day, we went to KLCC, which is just in front of the Petronas towers. KLCC has everything—even a mall and a park! We spent some time at Suria KLCC, which is the mall inside it.

Oh, you know, just hanging out with the Harrods bear. Just kidding. 

For our third day, we went to Resorts World Genting. The trip to Genting was a one-hour trip from Kuala Lumpur, and the route going there reminded me of Tagaytay because of the uphill route. The one-hour trip was worth it, since Resorts World Genting is actually pretty awesome. 

We were inspired by We Bought A Zoo (we watched it for four times in our hotel during our stay), that’s why we took a day trip to the local zoo. 

More pictures from Zoo Negara under the cut! 

Summer 2013 (According To Instagram)

I finally gave in into making an Instagram-related post on this blog. As you may know, the only thing that I’ve been really updating is my Twitter, where I basically share almost everything. However, my Instagram is also a place where I share some of my random moments online. Here are some photos that I posted on my Instagram recently:

1. I got my computer back! As of this writing, I am slowly trying to go back into “work” mode—meaning, I’m doing org work and other stuff, such as building my writing portfolio.

2. 

2. I finally fixed my magazine box! It’s actually pretty refreshing to see that all my magazines are finally organized. And oh, I just realized that my Vogue pile is just as big as the rest of my magazines. Maybe I should get another box to make room for my future magazine haul, or throw out some of them.

3. The neutral-colored top + fancy bottoms combo is a foolproof outfit combination. I’m going to try it soon, by pairing my plain, neutral-colored tops with various bottoms, like my floral skirt and my khaki pants. I’m gonna save up also for a bunch of printed pants and shorts to add in my closet.

4. An old picture of me! I think I was two years old when this photo was taken, and it has been one of my favorite photos ever.

5. I got my first issue of i-D last Saturday. It’s a fairly old issue, but it’s all good nonetheless, because it has Lena Dunham on the cover!

6. I haven’t started on Mad Men, but I got this issue of Newsweek last year with the cast on the cover. Newsweek has done a spectacular job in creating this issue.

7. This is my “I LOVE YOU BEYONCE” Instagram photo.

8. I went to Malaysia two weeks ago, and before leaving Kuala Lumpur, I made sure to take photos of some of the interesting architectural structures there (Spot my favorite, the Petronas Towers).

9. I edited a picture of Max (one of my puppies) using Hubba Hubba, and I turned him into a hipster puppy.

Anyway, this is my summer according to Instagram. If someone were to summarize my summer vacation using my Instagram photos, he/she would say that I spent my summer vacation doing random things, such as rediscovering interesting finds at home, traveling, and “working.” And it’s pretty much accurate.

Pseudo-Idleness

As much as I want my summer vacation to be productive this year, it’s inevitable that I experience periods of idleness during my summer break. These periods of idleness are actually good, because I get to think things through and plan things. Right now, I am planning and doing a number of things. I started writing on my journal again, I’m doing CoSA work, I’ve been more proactive in taking care of my dogs, and I’m starting to work out again. I’m doing these things not to prove myself, or to please a certain group of people, but I’m doing this for self-improvement. I realized that I should re-evaluate my reasons to do things. I realized that I shouldn’t be constantly trying to prove myself, to compete with my peers just to get affirmation to make myself feel better. Instead, I realized that I should see the things that I’m doing as opportunities for self-improvement. In line with these realizations, I could say that these periods of idleness will help me think about the things that I want to do, and learn some lessons in the process. 

Petronas

I went to Malaysia a couple of days ago, and I made sure to see the Petronas Twin Towers during my stay there. I was fortunate enough to see it twice, and I must say, it’s really beautiful. I’m looking forward to see it again in the future.

A How-To Guide To The National Elections

Youth involvement has been one of my advocacies, and I think that the youth has a lot of power to create a change in our society. Right now, it’s election season, and I’m happy to know that the youth is stepping up to get involved in the national elections in different ways. Anyway, here’s my guide on how  to get involved the national elections!

1. If you are at least eighteen years old, and a Filipino citizen, you have the option to be a registered voter. Just go to your nearest city hall or COMELEC office in your city/town/province, and apply as a registered voter. The process is a bit long and tedious, but it’s going to be worth it. However, I still wish that the registration process was a lot more systematic and organized. 
2. If you are not a registered voter, you can also involve yourself in the election fever—there are just so many ways! You can volunteer for various election-related programs (such as helping out with voter’s education or campaigning for a certain candidate), or be informed about the elections.
3. Speaking of being informed—- there are a lot of avenues to be informed about the upcoming national elections! The internet has been a vital part of the elections—candidates have utilized it to promote themselves, and social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter have joined the bandwagon by starting online discussions about the elections!  Also, websites such as Rappler, Yahoo, GMA News Online and ABS-CBN have also provided comprehensive coverage about the elections. This just proves that the Internet has done so much to get things moving. Other methods, such as campaign sorties, advertisements and electoral debates and forum are also helpful. I highly recommend watching electoral debates and forums, though, since it’s a test to see if the candidate is worthy of the people’s votes, and it’s also a great way to be informed about the candidates’ platforms and opinions on certain issues (such as the Reproductive Health Law, and the Freedom of Information Bill). Also, don’t forget to check out COMELEC’s website for more information!
4. After getting the necessary information, make a list of the candidates that you want to vote.  Edit that list if necessary (Can be applicable for both registered voters and non-voters).
5. After you’ve gone through steps 1-4, mark your calendars on May 13, and go to your nearest poll center and vote! (applies to registered voters only)
   
6. If you are not a registered voter, you can check the various news channels and the Internet to be updated about the election results!

Honestly, I think the national election is something that a lot of people should care about. The youth has been making a lot of efforts to make other people aware of this event. The election is a way to exercise one’s choice— the choice to choose leaders fit to address a community (or even a nation)’s needs and create positive changes in our society.

blogging break

Going on a blogging break from Friday until Sunday! I’ll be participating in my org’s planning seminar in Tagaytay. I know it’s going to be fun, yet there’s going to be a lot of work involved. I’m so excited! Will post an entry about it soon! 

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Puppies Predict the 2013 Final Four

I stumbled upon this video from Jimmy Fallon’s Youtube page. As a dog lover, this video is too cute not to pass up! Four golden retriever puppies predicting the outcome of the NCAA basketball championship in Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show? Awesome!