But for my choice lately, I have fallen in love with loafers. There was a simple elegance in wearing them screaming casual, and yet classy.

My favorite pair (because they feel fantastic and look like it as well) are my new pair from Pedro.

I’ve also recently dug up my pair of Sebago Loafers from the closet. (I thought before they were baduy because of the tri-color but now its just love) I love wearing these pair. Aside from being comfy and chic, they really do bring out the simple classy elegance when paired with some rolled up jeans.

For my everyday wear I usually use my navy blue boat shoes with white laces paired with some acid/stonewashed jeans sans the socks for that just above the ankle reveal. (Good I have white ankles!)

Just because every guy should own a pair of white loafers to compliment that sunday outfit for a sunday drive out to Tagaytay or maybe Batangas or a quick outing for a movie or date, I have my very own pair from Kartel.

From a recent escape trip to one of the malls, I stocked up on shorts from Billabong and some plaid prints of red and blue from Abercrombie and Fitch. Both will serve me well in the summer and weekends I think.

I’ve also taken the opportunity to accessorize with a Fedora. My hair was not really cut nice before  left for Singapore and since it has grown a bit doesn’t fall the way I want it to. So, to top off the look, I usually throw on a fedora for good measure. I like how it balances everything out.

I know my shopping spree has not yet come to an end. Looking to get some nice pants made. Also 3/4′s and really above the knee pants as well. Looking to get some pastel colors. Wait for my updates!

Before I posit my question I think it is best that the discourse begin with a definition of the word truth. According to the dictionary TRUTH is “the conformity to fact or actuality; a statement proven to be or accepted as true” and yet by the very definition we already posit a philosophical conundrum. Is merely the conformity of the truth and or actuality enough to prove that something is true? Neither does the acceptance of a statement prove to be the last and final bastion before a statement is declared the truth. We as human beings have claimed things to be TRUE as proven in history before and yet time and again we have reversed these claims and had to accept a new truth. My philosophical question for you dear readers today would be, is there such a thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH?

Taking the classics route, the very first philosopher to insinuate the concept of absolute truth would be PLATO. In his doctrine on the world of Forms he claims that everything we see on earth or in reality are just merely copies of the PERFECT. The objects and items that exist in reality have some perfect copy in the world of forms. The world of forms contain the “perfect”. Take for example a carpenter constructing a table. He is grabbing the idea or rather, the concept of the table from the world of forms. He KNOWS the idea of the perfect idea and replicates it in reality. But then it posits that then how come the table is not perfect? Plato understood that we were not perfect beings, we are actually incomplete. The virtue and purpose of life was to actually make us complete. Then we arrive at the conclusion that because we are imperfect we are not capable of creating perfect things. Thus the imperfect table.

I will pause my discourse for a moment as I gather my thoughts and will write a follow up blog entry.

But I digress.

I’ve recently spent some time reflecting about some aspects of my life and how it relates to the decisions I make. A reflection more oriented towards the self so maybe I should call it introspection, but again I mumble and digress. Spending all that time travelling to and from work without the need to focus on driving (I’ve been taking cabs) lends to a lot of thinking time usually spent with just me, myself and I. I was browsing some books as I waited for my copy of The Idea Book (yes I bought that!), when I chanced upon a book the title of which escapes me right now. But on the cover or rather on the blurb usually found at the backside of the jackets, I saw a curious statement which I last saw in college: “What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?” I stopped dead in my tracks and took maybe 5 minutes to ponder this paradox and see what kind of reaction I would come up with. The different personalities swimming in my head (yes I think I am an undiagnosed schizophrenic) had different answers. I last saw this in the Philosophy of Religion or maybe it was Modern Philosophy with regard to St. Anselms theory or rather proof on the existence of God? I can’t quite seem to put my finger on it. But being thrust and immersed in the “real world” this paradox has taken on a different form. It no longer belongs only in the realm of intellectual masturbation (if you snicker or find yourself smirking on the last remark then maybe you shouldn’t be reading this entry eh?) but rather a more practical application. The philosophical tone by which this paradox exists relates to God or rather some supreme being’s omnipotence. (Can God create a stone so heavy it cannot be lifted, not even by God Himself?) There exists 2 premises by which one or the other relies on the truth or rather falseness of the other premise. Barring any physical limitation, logic dictates that one cannot be true if the other true. An exercise of logic in itself is a thing of beauty. Relating to real life, I do not presume I am God, but metaphorically speaking I am the irresistible force. I cannot be stopped. This is how you view yourself. How I view myself. But then there comes an immovable object. Maybe a bad practice, an illogical person, or maybe even just society and life in general. What then happens when the two collide? Again, the basic logical premise or rather paradox rises. Either may be true, but both cannot be True the same time. It could be that, you were never irresistible in the first place. Or the object is not entirely immovable. Armed with this realization, you must then proceed with caution in discovering the true answer. Either way, you come up with a paradigm shift. Shall you realize that you are an irresistible force, what then would you do or not do or rather change? Would you temper your decisions? Or plow on, headstrong, in life and in everything else? Or rather the more shattering realization, what if you are not irresistible and the wall or object is indeed immovable? Do you give up? Do you change? Do you stop pushing? Maybe it then boils down to a test of character, mental fortitude, and moral fiber?

At the end of the day, whether you are irresistible or there really exists immovable objects are irrelevant. How so? I say they are irrelevant because it all boils down to choice. You choose how to react or rather act upon this realization. Yes a paradox may exist and does exist, but then how exactly do you get past it? Logic always wins.

So go become an irresistible force.

Recently, I’ve come to a realization that being too engrossed into my work is somewhat hazardous to one’s mental health. There would be days that I would eat up the tasks needed to be done as well as the tasks that should not be done are done by me. I would relish in the fact that I have accomplished a lot. But then at the end of that week I drown in misery for the thought of how tired I am and the thought of starting over the week with yet the same fervor as the previous one is daunting.

So I run. I run and I exercise. I go to the boxing gym and workout. 6 rounds of mits, 6 rounds of speedball, a few rounds of heavy bag and weaving. 160 crunches including floor workout and 3 hours later I feel wasted. Hands, arms, shoulders, back, everything feels heavy. I try to relax after but soon sleep overcomes me and I dream nothing. Sweet serenity. The peaceful quiet and stillness of slumber that comes after exhaustion.

And it is another day again.

What does my usual day consist of?

• Wake up at 7am and hop on the stationary bike for 45 mins. In order to multitask I put on a TV series, usually House, and watch. I stop once the show is over.
• By 8am I’ll be off to the kitchen whipping up some quick breakfast or might skip all together.
• By 9am I am dressed and off to work.
• After an entire day of trying to sell some intangible concept called the interwob, I relax in the notion that today may or may not have been a good day.
• By 8pm I’m usually back at the boxing gym to workout. I would do 1 hour and 30 mins of mits, weaving, speedball, heavy bags after which I lift weights and do the ab workout.
• By 11pm I am exhausted and depending if I have someone with me I would usually go either straight home or go have dinner at one of the quaint little restos peppering the San Juan/Greenhills area lately.

Some people admire my discipline and commitment to my fitness regimen. I usually just shrug it off as just another day. To date I’ve lost 20 pounds, and yet somehow I don’t see it yet. All my clothes are all sagging and I really do need to buy new pairs of jeans for everyday work since belts don’t hold them up anymore. But if it weren’t for these clothes I wouldn’t notice.

Anyhooo, I enjoy working out not because I lose weight, but rather the feeling of accomplishment I get after. I got through another day , another goal for that day and that is to workout. Period.

Hmm… I wonder what my next challenge would be?

Piolo Pascual

Piolo Pascual

Piolo

Piolo Pascual

The event was ok. It was a pretty straight forward event where they launched their new TVC as well as new main endorser. They served a buffet of different dishes utilizing Bangus or Milkfish in the recipe.

And apparently this is Piolo’s favorite dish daw. Aglia Olio w/ Century Bangus Fish Fillet

Aglia Olio w/ Milkfish

OHHHH AND I GOT A FANBOY PIC WITH COACH RIO

Coach Rio and I

Last weekend was an interesting one. Not only did the topics and conversation surprise me but a lot of events also did. My barkada, the amazing fab-5 (sans Leo) had an amazing talk. We talked about the past, the current, and the future. In high school, all we would talk about would be gmiks and girls. During college all we would talk about would be our current gfs. But now, we talk about marriage, settling down, investing, making a pact that everybody must be rich. No one gets left behind. Back in hs, weekend trips or out of town trips consisted of tagaytay or baguio at the furthest. In college boracay, palawan and camarines sur, were on the agenda. But now that we are at the start of a new chapter once more, we are talking about cruises and singapore, bali, malaysia and other countries. Wow we have grown up! Even Ken who I never thought would, somehow grew up!

But on to more important things, I had a revelation last weekend. I was tested, weighed and I came out unscathed. I walked out of it smiling. I once asked a good friend Jester how does one begin to move on, and she told me one very important thing. She told me it starts with forgiveness. I didn’t believe her. I was so angry back then. I was just mad and I would take none of it. It was a very bad start.

But over time, the pain started to go away. I could think better, more clearly, a I was a little bit more sane each day. Thanks to good friends like Jane, Chris, Danes, Patty, Rendhl, Trixie, Jester, Judd, Embs, Wil, Ginie, Eudora, Michelle, Leo, Luigi, Ken, and Ben. ( Yes even Ben!) I’d also like to give a special shout out to the club who not knowing anything made my weekends happy and bright again.

For those of you who are going through a breakup or through any pain caused by a relationship here are my steps on how it is to move on:

Get Mad.

Yup, you read right. Get angry. Let your anger out. Vent. Rant. Cry. Hurt. But do not let you anger consume you. Always remain in control and allow yourself to feel this very natural and primal emotion. It helps trust me. Do not let it linger and brood. Do not bury it in some deep dark place. The fruit of that plant will NEVER be good.

Mourn.

Allow yourself to grieve for what was. Say goodbye. Feel lonely. Feel sad. Allow yourself to feel uncannily vulnerable even for just a few days. If you have true friends, (yes this is a must) they will be there to protect you and to comfort you. Allow yourself to be comforted.

Forgive.

This is the hardest. You cannot force this. At this point you will have moved on. This is the last and necessary step in the process. Forgiveness is such a powerful act. The closure it brings is so refreshing, like a quick midday summer shower on a particularly HOT and HUMID day.

Forgiveness

Ok before this post becomes any gay-er or before people start asking why I am talking the way I am now, I just thought I would provide a guy’s point of view. Rarely do we speak up and really share our thought and emotions because society dictates that we suppress the said emotions due to looking weak.

So the next time you see me, whether we be good friends or acquaintances only please do come up to me and give me a big old hug. I’d really appreciate it.

And to you, if you still do read my blog, I already have forgiven you.

Cheers,

Carlos

*edit: Ok so I don’t really like using pictures by other people on my blog but for this one I really didn’t have stock pictures.

I set out my quest to learn this during first year college. I would walk around campus holding a pack of cards and just feeling comfy in the mechanics grip. (yes that is indeed a term) I would do endless routines just to be able to build up the confidence in doing the routine in front of someone someday. It specifically said that unless you are comfortable with a routine, don’t do it infront of someone. So I held off for awhile, riding the LRT repeatedly mastering the hand movements till I could do them in my sleep.

I picked my target. A good friend of mine who was also fascinated with the world of illusions. The hardest part for me is the banter. I was a shy kid before. Not one really to start talking about nonsense so much so as to distract someone from what was really going on with my hands. But I learned it.

It was a success. People actually liked what I was doing. I did it for parties. I got invited to some gatherings who I didn’t know anyone except the host, and would walk away a few friends wealthier. I never did get to the next level with my card tricks because like I said I was in it for the joy it brought people. I wasn’t in it for the fame or the attention. I made new friends. I rekindled old friendships as well. I guess that’s the real magic.

I found an old deck of cards in my drawer recently and started fiddling around with it. I guess once you learn it you never forget. I was twisting and twirling the cards sooner than you could say magic. So hey dear blag, here’s another goal for this year. Learn more tricks to compliment what I already know. Maybe join MagFi finally. I love the art and I love how it brings so much conversation in a new relationship.

So before I end this weird post of mine, here’s a little sample I recorded just now of what I know how to do already!

Just to update everyone about my life, I’ve finally bought a new tv for my room. It sits precariously on a stand and I had to move a lot of things to make space for it. I’m also planning to have heavy curtains made to compliment the viewing experience.

40" Samsung LCD TV

So I had to re arrange my room to fit the tv and will take a better picture of it as well. I’ve also taken the leap to buy a WDTV Live box and 1TB HDD to watch Hi-Def movies c/o Richard.

WDTV Live

WD 1 TB Hdd

These babies make the tv soooo much more worth it. I’ve seen some awesome backlog movies already and so far I am happy. Next on the list is an awesome sound system. (argh… how much would that cost again!)

I’ve also decided to invest on boxing gloves already. I really enjoy the workout and am taking it seriously this time. I bought red fairtex hand wraps. (I wanted to buy a more flamboyant color but they didn’t have any and PINK was pushing it!)

Red Fairtex Hand Wraps

To match it with, I bought TWINS White Boxing gloves. I may have a problem though I think the one’s I bought were too big. I fingers hurt while I box. But when using 12oz one’s they didn’t really hurt but I felt to constrained. I might just be doing it wrong though. I have to monitor the pain level for the next few sessions. I have 2 trainers now. Junbert and Salvador. I enjoy Junbert though more since he smiles and makes jokes while we box and do mitts. I am now doing 150 crunches every session. (Yes I even amazed myself!)

Twins White Boxing Gloves

I am actually looking for ward to the next session!

Last and final update is, I just finished my stint as OIC for Nuffnang Philippines. Yes I am officially free. I will be back to selling for the time being. I enjoyed it while it lasted and am looking forward to being back to a regular employee again and selling! I learned so much and am thankful for the opportunity. I learned so much about running a business but more importantly, I learned so much about myself. I learned what it means to excel. I learned what it means to do well. That I could be way more than what I think of.

I’ve also started to pick myself back up together again. Huge thanks to the “club” for helping me find myself again.

The Club

I have been delinquent in my exercise routine of running but I promise to be back. No more stress. I survived the last 5 months. I am definitely looking forward to the next 7. I am now saving up for a trip to Malaysia in July or August. I hope I make it. After I pay Jehz, I will definitely be on a flight there!

If there is anything I learned over the past 5 months is that in life, never rest on your laurels. I took something for granted and believed in her saying forever, and life throws me a curve ball. I never wanted to excel. I just wanted to get by, and yet here I am standing at the zenith of something that could be great. I lost a bestfriend, and found a new one. I lost a good friend and gained new ones. Life is cycle and I love to live it.

This  weekend I decided to add to my running routine to help spice up my exercise. I decided to try boxing at the nearest elorde gym. I was a bit anxious as I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy since I didn’t exactly know what I was supposed to do. Thanks again Chris for lending me the wraps and Between Bites for the gloves. (Yes it is official, my hands are indeed girly!)

Chris was at my place at 530am for our morning run. He was a bit anxious too, since the furthest he’s gone was 3.5k on the treadmill. I said he wouldn’t even notice it. Aside from the chit-chat in between runs, I could hear myself huffing and puffing without even reaching the 3k mark. I lost all strength I thought. I should get back to running shape.

After we’ve made our way through the route, we then quickly hopped in his car and made our way to Elorde. I thought, great now for Chris’ comfort zone; and it was! He knew the people, and we got the trainer larry. There was an entire process before the actual workout began. This involved how to unravel the wraps, the actual wrapping of the hands, and finally stretching and limbering up. I got some black wraps and when I buy my own, I want either a white one, or orange or blue one.

We then started with the basic combos. I have a new respect for boxers. This shit was hard. The timing and movements involved were no laughing matter. I would consider myself an average or above-average coordinated kind-of-guy but that shit was downright confusing. Imagine, moving back and forth on the tips of your toes, while at the same time swaying your shoulders and hips at the same time. All this while thinking about which kind of punch to throw or whether you should turn and move. I enjoyed the mental aspect of it I tell you. I wasn’t even thinking about how tired I was. All I wanted to do what hit those mits!

They have a timer in the gym which goes off like a ring bell of 3 mins each to simulate a boxing round. After 2 rounds of mits, I decided to give my poor brain and knuckles a rest. I removed the gloves, drank an entire bottle of water, and made my way over to the speedball.

THE SPEEDBALL.

By far my favorite aspect of boxing. It seemed like a game. A game of wit, timing, coordination, stamina, strength, discipline, and so much more. I think among all the bags, I enjoyed this. Although I may not enjoy the heavy bag yet since I realized I don’t know how to punch. We spent an hour and 30 mins doing the regular exercises when Chris asked me if I wanted to abs. Always game for anything, I said yes. BIG MISTAKE.

Larry taught us the proper ab workout and it was painful. And when I say painful, I mean EPIC PAIN. I could only do 1 and I promised myself to do the rest when I come back.

Yes. I will be back next week. I will arm myself with a digicam and take pictures. This is a pictureless post I am sorry to inform you. I will definitely add this to my routine.

I deliberately did not include the best part which came at the end of the workout since I want you guys to try it. If you want to try the workout with me, just let me know! Its always fun bringing people along.

Again huge shoutout to Chris! Thanks dude. Honestly, I super enjoyed. I really love the mental aspect. Like I said, “kakaibang pagod!” (It was tiring in a different way!) I love how I didn’t notice how tired I was until I got home. And no it wasn’t the adrenaline. I felt my legs and arms turn into led.

Till next time, let’s get it on!