A Free Mind https://www.afreemind.org/ There is no charge for awesomeness. Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:49:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.3 https://www.afreemind.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/cropped-favicon-32x32.png A Free Mind https://www.afreemind.org/ 32 32 Driving in the UK – The Other Side of the Road https://www.afreemind.org/2016/05/driving-in-the-uk-the-other-side-of-the-road/ https://www.afreemind.org/2016/05/driving-in-the-uk-the-other-side-of-the-road/#respond Mon, 30 May 2016 22:09:03 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3587 I’ve been living in the UK for more than a year now and one of the hardest experience I had is passing my UK practical driving test. Some of my friends and even my family from the Philippines thought I’m exaggerating when I told them how difficult it is to …

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I’ve been living in the UK for more than a year now and one of the hardest experience I had is passing my UK practical driving test. Some of my friends and even my family from the Philippines thought I’m exaggerating when I told them how difficult it is to pass the UK driving test. Some of my friends here took them around 3-5 tests before they finally passed.

Back in the Philippines, getting your driving license is easy. After taking the driving licence exam of 100 items (multiple-choice), you will need to drive for about 5 minutes around the LTO driving test area which is like a small parking lot for the practical (actual) test. That’s it! Licence granted. Or sometimes, you don’t even need to show up! (I’m talking about bribery and fixers! lol)

My PH driving license together with a valid International Driving Permit is valid to use in the UK for 1-year so I managed to have a little bit of practice driving. In preparation for my driving licence test, I need to apply for a Provisional Licence first and pass the Theory Test.

Theory Test UK

I studied really hard for my theory test. Thanks to my wife for buying me a DVD and books to read. The theory test consist of 2 parts – 50 multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test in which you need to watch 14 video clips and click the mouse when you see a developing hazard. It’s not as easy as you think it is and there’s nothing like that in the PH. After so much hard work and review, I passed my Theory Test.

After getting my provisional license back in October 2015, I booked for driving lessons straight away. My amazing instructor Dave Evans from Passport Driving School looked after me really well. I learned so much from him and he made me really confident in driving on the other side of the road (PH drives on the right). Even though I’ve been practice driving before my driving lessons, I struggled for the first few weeks of my lessons particularly on roundabouts. I find it difficult because we don’t have the same roundabouts in the Philippines and driving on the other side of the road is a bit confusing sometimes. Our road back in Manila is more like Americanised if I will compare it to other country. We also don’t have lanes and particular speed limits, not literally but totally different kind of road rules compare to the UK.

UK RoundaboutPhoto Souce: gov.uk

After a couple of months of driving lessons, my instructor thought I’m ready so I booked my first practical driving test for March 2016. The test has 5 parts – an eyesight check; ‘Show me, Tell me’ vehicle safety questions; general driving ability; reversing your vehicle and independent driving. It is a very intense 40 minutes of driving!

When we arrived at the test centre, my instructor sat with me behind the car so he can see my faults if ever I don’t pass my test. Before the start of the test, I was asked to read a number plate a couple of metres away from the car for the eye test. It was all good. The first few minutes after leaving the test centre, my speed got a little bit out of control on my approach on a roundabout and I have to brake hard which made the examiner brake as well. At that point, I know I failed the test. So I said to myself I will just carry on and do my best and whatever happens, I tried really hard. When I got my result, I got 2 minor and 2 major faults – I FAILED! You need to have NO major faults and 15 minors to pass. My examiner said I did really well and it’s a shame I did 2 stupid mistake.

I was really gutted and sad but it is what it is. I booked another driving lesson and focused hard on the things I did wrong during the test.

I booked my second practical driving test for 13th May 2016. This time, my driving instructor is not with me in the car. I was laughing because it is Friday the 13th that time and I said I have an excuse if I don’t pass again. I’m a little bit less nervous this time and really focused. A few minutes before I noticed the sign back to the test centre, I kept my calm and focus and wished nothing will go wrong. When I pulled into the car park, my examiner didn’t looked for my instructor and after 2 minutes of filling up forms, he told me “Congratulations”. I PASSED!!! Then I said to him, “I got lucky on a Friday the 13th”, then he said “It’s not luck, it’s skill”. Before he got out of the car, I shaked his hand to say thank you and I said, “You still need a little bit of luck sometimes”. As soon as I had a chance, I sent my wife a photo of me holding the practical test certificate. We’re so happy! No more driving lessons and test fees! More importantly, I don’t need L plates any more! Woohoo!

Now that I passed my test, I totally have great respect for British drivers.

And one more thing, I don’t need a driving licence to drive in the Philippines. My UK driving licence is valid there for up to 90 days! Good times! ?

PS: I totally recommend my driving instructor Dave Evans, he is amazing! If you need help in passing your driving test, visit his website at http://passportdrivingschool.co.uk/

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Thank You Kobe! https://www.afreemind.org/2016/04/thank-you-kobe/ https://www.afreemind.org/2016/04/thank-you-kobe/#respond Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:58:14 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3558 I grew up watching NBA games and I’ve been a massive Lakers fan since the day I even started playing the game. After Michael Jordan won 6-championships, Kobe Bryant became my new favourite player. Since then, I watched most Lakers games and witnessed how Kobe Bryant became a legend and …

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I grew up watching NBA games and I’ve been a massive Lakers fan since the day I even started playing the game. After Michael Jordan won 6-championships, Kobe Bryant became my new favourite player. Since then, I watched most Lakers games and witnessed how Kobe Bryant became a legend and made history.

Thank You Kobe

What more can we ask? 20 years of amazing basketball will forever be remembered.

It’s so sad that I wasn’t able to see him play live… Oh well, too late now.

Again, Thank you Kobe!

Image (Source)

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My Amazing Few Years https://www.afreemind.org/2016/04/my-amazing-few-years/ https://www.afreemind.org/2016/04/my-amazing-few-years/#respond Wed, 13 Apr 2016 09:54:04 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3425 It’s been a long time since I last posted on this blog. Its awful how I make excuses to be lazy so I don’t need to make the effort of updating it. To be honest, I’ve been very busy for the past two years – marriage, moved to the UK...

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It’s been a long time since I last posted on this blog. Its awful how I make excuses to be lazy so I don’t need to make the effort of updating it. To be honest, I’ve been very busy for the past two years – marriage, moved to the UK, got married again (wedding part 2!) , family and friends, job hunting, driving tests, etc. It would be really cool if I could post every thing that happened to me for the past few years but it will be a very long and boring post.

To summarise it all, I’ve come up with some photos below.

Back in late 2013-2014, I’ve been around the UK for a long holiday. I visited places I never thought I could see such as London, Edinburgh, York, Cambridge, Newcastle and Northumberland.

UK Trip
Been around the UK in 2013-2014. What an amazing year.
L-R: Big Ben, Edinburgh, London Eye, Hareshaw Linn, Cambridge, York Minster, Millenium Bridge & Sage, Cambridge, Warner Bros Studios

And then she said “Yes”. 🙂

Wedding
Got married. Best day of my life. 🙂 – Fernwood Gardens, PH

After a couple of months of being married and the stressful visa application, I moved to the UK to be with my wife.

More adventure, fun and memories with families and friends.

UK Tour 2015
From L-R: Buckingham Palace, Abbey Road, London Eye, Wedding Part 2, Stonehenge, Geevor Tin Mine, St Ives Cornwall

We had an amazing time with our awesome friends and families for the past 2 years and I can’t wait for the next one!

I hope to keep this blog updated from now on and post more of my incredible journey in the UK and Philippines.

See you later!

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Exciting and Amazing 2014 https://www.afreemind.org/2014/01/exciting-and-amazing-2014/ https://www.afreemind.org/2014/01/exciting-and-amazing-2014/#respond Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:24:34 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3405 It’s been a while since I last posted on this blog because of an extreme holiday I’ve been through. I won’t post it all down here but it’s been the most amazing Christmas and New Year! Anyway, 2013 has been a wonderful year for me. Lots of blessings and experiences …

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It’s been a while since I last posted on this blog because of an extreme holiday I’ve been through. I won’t post it all down here but it’s been the most amazing Christmas and New Year! Anyway, 2013 has been a wonderful year for me. Lots of blessings and experiences to treasure and be thankful for. Oh well…

Amazing 2014

I’m super excited for 2014! It will definitely be a very busy year for me! I can’t wait!

PS. I hope to post more here again.

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Selfie Shootout: Kobe vs Messi https://www.afreemind.org/2013/12/selfie-shootout-kobe-vs-messi-2/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/12/selfie-shootout-kobe-vs-messi-2/#respond Thu, 05 Dec 2013 13:15:03 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3401 I stumbled upon this video yesterday and even tweeted it cause I find it really funny and awesome. So I decided to post it here to share. With the newest trending word worldwide ‘Selfie’ who is the winner for you on this selfie showdown? 🙂 Kobe FTW!

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I stumbled upon this video yesterday and even tweeted it cause I find it really funny and awesome. So I decided to post it here to share. With the newest trending word worldwide ‘Selfie’ who is the winner for you on this selfie showdown? 🙂 Kobe FTW!

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The Wrath of Typhoon Haiyan – Yolanda https://www.afreemind.org/2013/11/the-wrath-of-typhoon-haiyan-yolanda/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/11/the-wrath-of-typhoon-haiyan-yolanda/#respond Wed, 13 Nov 2013 23:56:20 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3354 Typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoon ever recorded in world history has left a massive destruction to my beloved country. Internationally known as Typhoon Haiyan, has left the Philippines a trail of destruction and death. Similar to the previous typhoons that we had, this one has left the Filipino …

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Typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoon ever recorded in world history has left a massive destruction to my beloved country. Internationally known as Typhoon Haiyan, has left the Philippines a trail of destruction and death. Similar to the previous typhoons that we had, this one has left the Filipino people another piece of bad history. It made landfall Friday, November 8, 2013.

According to the reports I read online and from Wikipedia itself, Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda) is unofficially the strongest recorded tropical cyclone to make landfall, with wind speeds up to 315 km/h (195 mph). But locally, they recorded the winds at 230 km/h (145 mph).

Although the data that we get here in the Philippines is a little bit different compare to what the US satellites get, you can tell from the videos how strong this typhoon is (I bet you already watched in the news or in YouTube). I can’t believe we will get hit by such strong typhoon this year when we just had a massive magnitude 7.1 earthquake a month ago in Cebu and Bohol.

Storm tracks of Typhoon Yolanda - Photo credit as watermarked.
Storm tracks of Typhoon Yolanda – Photo credit as watermarked.
Haiyan Satellite View
Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda Satellite View

Thanks to technology, some Netizens uploaded videos of the storm over the internet before they lost the power and communication in Tacloban City, the biggest city affected by Yolanda. Here’s one of the first videos of the storm uploaded in Youtube.

Looking at how Yolanda destroys the Philippines from the videos, it is already heartbreaking. I know the feeling of getting through this kind of storm, specially if we are talking about one of the strongest typhoon ever recorded in world history.

What’s worst is looking at the photos of the Typhoon Haiyan after math… 🙁

Haiyan Aftermath

Haiyan Aftermath

Haiyan Aftermath

Haiyan Aftermath

[Photo source]

I don’t like to upload photos with dead bodies on it because I can’t bare to see them like that. I can’t believe how such typhoon can leave a devastating site like this. It was like the city has been hit by a tsunami and a tornado at the same time without a tornado or tsunami warning. I think people are not well prepared or didn’t get warned on how big and strong the typhoon that will hit them. Storm surges and strong winds destroyed the entire region of Leyte, Samar and other nearby cities.

HELP FROM PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD

I am so amazed on how the world cared a lot for all the Filipino people specially to those people who got affected by this deadly typhoon. I get a lot of messages from friends, families and clients across the world asking how I am or if I am safe.

As for the efforts of different countries around the world and to my fellow Filipinos locally, I believe the donations are still pouring in. If you want to help in any way you can, here’s some of the ways:

HOW THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN HELP:

  • Philippine Red Cross (including PayPal)Donate Here
  • UNICEFDonate Here or Text RELIEF to 864233 to donate $10 to UNICEF USA to help support UNICEF’s efforts in the region.
  • Habitat for HumanityDonate Here
  • CARE AustraliaDonate Here
  • World Vision InternationalDonate Here
  • Save The Children of the StormDonate Here
  • Canadian Red Cross (or you can text REDCROSS or ROUGE to 30333 to donate $5) – Donate Here

HOW THE LOCAL COMMUNITY CAN HELP:

 HOW TO FILE FOR MISSING PERSONS:

Anyway, Thanks Kobe Bryant and NBA Cares for the donations! 🙂

 

Five days after the typhoon, a lot of people in Tacloban City are still homeless and seeking food, water, clothes and shelter. Let us all hope and pray that the relief operations and medical assistance will reach them as soon as possible.

#YolandaPH #RescuePH #ReliefPH #PrayForThePhilippines

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Rexona Run 2013 – Run To Your Beat https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/rexona-run-2013-run-to-your-beat/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/rexona-run-2013-run-to-your-beat/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:47:34 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3331 Marked as the loudest run of the year! 🙂 Here’s my Rexona Run To Your Beat 2013 review. Race: Rexona Run To Your Beat 2013 Distance: 21K Date: October 20, 2013 Venue: Mall of Asia The Rexona Run leg this year is quite different from the previous legs that they …

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Marked as the loudest run of the year! 🙂 Here’s my Rexona Run To Your Beat 2013 review.

Race: Rexona Run To Your Beat 2013
Distance: 21K
Date: October 20, 2013
Venue: Mall of Asia

The Rexona Run leg this year is quite different from the previous legs that they did for the past few years. This year’s Rexona Run 2013: Run To Your Beat was held last October 20, 2013 at the Mall of Asia grounds with a 5K, 10K and 21K category.

Rexona Run 2013
Beautiful Finisher Medal! 🙂

My youngest brother joined me this time for his first half marathon. With lack of training again and proper diet because of my busy schedule (I know it’s not an excuse), I wasn’t able to set a new PR. I am very excited though because my little bro will join me this time, because my 2nd brother did the 10K instead.

We got at the venue a few minutes before the gun start. Too bad we wasn’t able to warm up really well because the race is about to start in a few minutes when we settled our bags at the baggage counter. Before gun start, fireworks lit up the sky before the first wave was released. We managed to fit ourselves in the middle of the 2nd wave.

The start of the race was fun. The route is more closely similar to the Run United Philippine Marathon 2013 run. Now I know why they did it at 3:00AM, after around 1 KM, you will run through one of the highlights of the race, the Rexona Neon Tunnel which were full of lights and music. Deuce Manila are mixing when I passed by the tunnel. It was really fun and exciting! This is the first time I ever had this kind of running event where there is music everywhere.

Neon Tunnel @ Rexona Run 2013 / Photo credit: kamoterunner.wordpress.com
Neon Tunnel @ Rexona Run 2013 / Photo credit: kamoterunner.wordpress.com

I like this new route because it feels a little different compare to the old one. Overall, the race was fun and exciting. I am very surprised how they integrated the “Run To Your Beat” tagline to the actual race. After every few blocks, you will pass by speakers and a sound system setup. Along the route, you will hear the music of some of the popular DJs in the metro such as DJ Nina, Deuce Manila, DJ Mars Miranda, etc. Hydration are overflowing but it could have been better if they have some bananas and sponge along the route.

DJ Nina Saputil
DJ Nina at the Rexona Run To Your Beat 2013

My brother was able to finish his first half marathon with a 3:14 chip time. The finisher kits are not that good compare to the previous races/run that I joined. I hope they will it improve it next time.

All in all, the race is really fun, exciting and loud! Till next year!

Keep on running to your beat! 🙂

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Recreate the iOS7 Home Screen in Microsoft Word https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/recreate-the-ios7-home-screen-in-microsoft-word/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/recreate-the-ios7-home-screen-in-microsoft-word/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2013 12:12:46 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3322 I stumbled upon this video a couple of days ago but I wasn’t able to post it right away because of my busy schedule. Can you believe how this madman recreated iOS7 home screen in Microsoft Word? Yes! In Microsoft Word! Who would imagine you can recreate and design such …

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I stumbled upon this video a couple of days ago but I wasn’t able to post it right away because of my busy schedule. Can you believe how this madman recreated iOS7 home screen in Microsoft Word? Yes! In Microsoft Word! Who would imagine you can recreate and design such home screen on MS Word?

iOS 7 in Microsoft Word

Designer Vaclav Krejci is one hell of a designer! And I can say this is some serious skills! 🙂

Check out the video below:

(Source)

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Run United Philippine Marathon 2013 https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/run-united-philippine-marathon-2013/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/10/run-united-philippine-marathon-2013/#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2013 16:01:06 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3302 Here’s another run-related update! I’ve been off my blog for a couple of months because of some personal issues with my schedule. Anyway, here we go! Race: Run United Philippine Marathon 2013 Distance: 21K Date: October 6, 2013 Venue: Mall of Asia The 3rd installment of the Runrio Trilogy took …

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Here’s another run-related update! I’ve been off my blog for a couple of months because of some personal issues with my schedule. Anyway, here we go!

Race: Run United Philippine Marathon 2013
Distance: 21K
Date: October 6, 2013
Venue: Mall of Asia

The 3rd installment of the Runrio Trilogy took place last week, 6th of October 2013 at the Mall of Asia. Records set a 12,000 strong runners ran the Run United Philippine Marathon 2013. As always, I joined the 21k category. 🙂

RUPM 2014

With lack of training and proper diet, I am not very much excited about this race. I just thought I will just enjoy the run and just listen to my body to prevent injuries. I woke up early to prepare for the race. My brother left earlier than me because he will run his first ever full marathon! And yes! He did ran his first ever marathon! Way to go bro! 🙂

I arrived a little late in the venue than what I expected. So I rushed to get my bags to the baggage counter and ran directly to the 21k starting line to work on some stretching before the race. I managed to fit myself on the 3rd wave and started a little late than the gun start. The same with the previous Runrio races that I joined, I expected the race to be fun, exciting and very well organized. So I just ran and enjoyed myself running. I think this is the first time that ran alone. It is a challenge for me because I always find myself stronger with a running buddy than just running alone.

The race route is almost the same with the previous races that I joined but they change it a little bit. I admit I like this race route better than the previous routes. One of the highlights of RUPM 2013 is the free Active Health Energy Gel that they gave away around the 16km mark. I didn’t try it cause I thought it will be an easy few kilometers left. I know I won’t finish normally than what I used to but its all good. I still had fun and enjoyed the run. When I saw the finish line, I increased my pace so I can finish strong, and I did! I finished with a chip time of 02:55:38, slowly but surely and with no injury! 🙂

On the other hand, my bro finished his first Full Marathon with 06:13:15 chip time. 🙂

Another beautiful medal added to my collection! Bad thing I didn’t get to run the 2nd leg of the trilogy. Till next Trilogy! 🙂

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Embedded Posts on Facebook Available Now https://www.afreemind.org/2013/08/embedded-posts-on-facebook-available-now/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/08/embedded-posts-on-facebook-available-now/#respond Thu, 22 Aug 2013 09:31:46 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3289 So this is probably a good news for everyone who blogs about different stuff particularly on social or controversial issues (cause they can share posts without manually taking screenshots). Facebook now allows embedded posts for everyone to make it easier for publishers, bloggers or anyone to embed posts on their …

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So this is probably a good news for everyone who blogs about different stuff particularly on social or controversial issues (cause they can share posts without manually taking screenshots). Facebook now allows embedded posts for everyone to make it easier for publishers, bloggers or anyone to embed posts on their website or blogs.

Embedded FB Post

They officially announced it on this Facebook blog post.

They even made the embedded posts fit better on smaller screens as well as mobile devices. 🙂 I think this feature only works for Facebook pages for now because I tried testing it out on personal FB profiles and the embed option doesn’t appear.

I remember having the Embedded Tweets feature on Twitter makes it easier and better to share tweets with anyone specially on websites and blogs.

More better updates to come!

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The 37th Milo Marathon 2013 https://www.afreemind.org/2013/08/the-37th-milo-marathon-2013/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/08/the-37th-milo-marathon-2013/#respond Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:57:19 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3258 Race: The 37th Milo Marathon 2013 Distance: 21K Date: July 28, 2013 Venue: Mall of Asia Concert Grounds The Milo Marathon is considered as one of the most prestigious and oldest race event in the Philippines which started in the 70’s. I am really grateful that I finally got the …

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Race: The 37th Milo Marathon 2013
Distance: 21K
Date: July 28, 2013
Venue: Mall of Asia Concert Grounds

The Milo Marathon is considered as one of the most prestigious and oldest race event in the Philippines which started in the 70’s. I am really grateful that I finally got the chance to run on The 37th Milo Marathon 2013 (Manila Leg Elimination).

I am very excited for the race because it is my first time to experience a race event where there is a cut-off time of 2 hours and 30 minutes for the 21K category. I never hit or achieved that below 2 hours and 30 mins mark ever so this is really a big challenge for me.

5K Runners for Milo Marathon 2013
Image from Milo Philippines FB Page.

We arrived at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds a few minutes before the gun start. Me and my bro did some stretching before finally hit the line for the 21K runners. Thousands of runners are already in line before we start the usual program and introduction done by the hosts. I am excited and nervous at the same time! I see lots of old aged runners lining up on the 21K line, I was amazed on how many senior citizens joined the race.

The race just started in time. This is it! I am going to run to give some new shoes for deserving kids.

Me and my brother paced with each other very well. We went a bit faster than the usual pace that we are doing. The first few kilometers are okay and exciting. I didn’t get tired too fast compared to my previous run. Maybe because I feel energized and excited and at the same time nervous that I won’t be able to beat the cut-off and get a finisher’s medal.

After a few kilometers of running, around the 12 or 14km mark, my side stitch hurt. I told my brother to leave me behind so he could beat the time. I walked for a minute to catch my breath then kept running again. To gain more strength, I kept my pace with the senior citizens that I see along the route. It inspires me seeing these old runners not giving up. When my side stitch felt okay, I didn’t stop along the water stations as much as I can so I could finish in time.

So I think less than 200km before the finish line, I felt the cramps kicked in my left leg but it didn’t stopped from finishing strong. When I saw the ‘Finish’ line sign, I pushed myself harder. I didn’t expect that I’m going to get a medal because I was 9 minute short, but God is good that I still managed to get a medal. I was so happy when I saw that they’re still giving away medals after the 2 hour 30 minutes cut-off.

IMG_2334

All in all, it was a fun and challenging experience to run the Milo Marathon. See you all on the 38th Milo Marathon next year!

Keep on running!

Kaya mo yan! 🙂

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Google’s Breathtaking Tour of the Eiffel Tower https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/googles-breathtaking-tour-of-the-eiffel-tower/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/googles-breathtaking-tour-of-the-eiffel-tower/#respond Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:20:08 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3241 Any person that you can ask right now would definitely love to visit Paris and climb up this iconic and one of the most popular places on the entire planet. I’m one of them. Unfortunately, some of us aren’t lucky enough to visit such places due to many reasons including …

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Any person that you can ask right now would definitely love to visit Paris and climb up this iconic and one of the most popular places on the entire planet. I’m one of them. Unfortunately, some of us aren’t lucky enough to visit such places due to many reasons including budget, visa and other stuff. And it kinda looks more similar situation with my last entry regarding the Harry Potter Tour. So for the less fortunate like me, Google created a breathtaking tour inside the most popular tower in the entire universe. 🙂

Eiffel Tower

Google Street View created a 360-degree view of the tower 1,000 feet in the air allowing users to see the stunning view of the City of Lights and have a closer look inside the tower.

The Google Cultural Institute and the Eiffel Tower Operating Company have also teamed up to bring three exhibitions online, featuring 50 archival images, plans, engravings and photos of the tower’s construction and history.

You can explore the Street View by clicking on the ‘Museum View’ located on the left side of the link below the short description.

Image: Google

(Source)

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Adidas King of the Road 2013 https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/adidas-king-of-the-road-2013/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/adidas-king-of-the-road-2013/#respond Thu, 11 Jul 2013 22:43:56 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3198 Here’s another run-related entry. 🙂 Race: Adidas King of the Road 2013 Distance: 16.8K Date: July 07, 2013 Venue: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig This is my first time to the join the Adidas King of the Road 2013 run since I just started joining races last year. It is also …

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Here’s another run-related entry. 🙂

Race: Adidas King of the Road 2013
Distance: 16.8K
Date: July 07, 2013
Venue: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

This is my first time to the join the Adidas King of the Road 2013 run since I just started joining races last year. It is also my first time to run around the Bonifacio Global City area because the previous races that I joined in are all held around Mall of Asia area. I am very excited to explore the BGC race route as much as I’m excited for my first Adidas run and my first 16.8km race.

Adidas King of the Road 2013

So we got there at the event 45 mins. before the 5:00 am gun start. We immediately deposited our bags to the baggage area designated for the 16.8K runners. Then I went to the Adidas Body Care booth located at the events ground to register and take the Adidas Body Care Challenge. The challenge is to spray the Adidas Deo Body Spray all over your body before the race. You will then asked with some survey questions regarding deodorant products that you use which is part of the challenge.

The race started just in time. It’s been a while since I last did a long distance run and I thought my lack of training due to the weather (or may be just my excuse not to work my ass off) can be a problem. The first few kilometers is okay, I’m trying to work on my breathing as well as my pace with my brother. I avoided that sudden rush and excitement at the start that you get to forget your own pace and how your body would react for such sudden change of pace that you are not used to.

My problem with my cramping feet fingers happened around the 8-10km mark. I couldn’t increase my speed because of my aching feet fingers. I don’t normally experience this and I wonder why it hit me during the race. But it didn’t stop me to keep moving. I managed to at least lessen my stops and keep up with the pace that I am working on.

Adidas King of the Road 2013
Let’s go bro! We can do this! lol

When we reached the U-turn in Makati, my feet started to feel the cramps. Good thing I had some bananas on the U-turn and managed to eat them before I totally stop because of cramps. After eating the bananas, the GU gel kicked in and I am starting to feel energized again. When we reached the Kalayaan bridge heading back to BGC, I felt the energy that I want to finish the race as soon as I can. I am way below my expected time but I thought that its okay anyway considering that its my first time to run the KOTR as well as the BGC-Buendia route.

I finished strong but I didn’t meet my expected time. I did it with a 02:17:11 on the clock. I am not sure if its just me or my GPS is not working well. It says I ran 19.03 km instead of the said 16.8K. When I checked with my friend, his Nike+ Running App and his GPS watch says the same with mine. So maybe the route itself is a little more extended than what it is supposed to. It’s all good! What matters is that I got a shiny new medal to celebrate and include on my collection. 🙂

Adidas King of the Road 2013

The Race Route
Since this is my first time here, I think I like the BGC-Buendia Route. I find the flyover very challenging. The BGC area is a very good place to run and the Buendia route is also one of my favorite. The intersections are bearable and I am just lucky that I don’t get too much stops to let the cars go on stop lights. The traffic police and marshals did a great job managing the entire route and to keep the safety of every runner. The color coded direction markers are big enough to see so you won’t get lost along the race.

Hydration
The hydration is well organized. Water stations and energy drinks are overflowing. The tables are long and distant so you don’t have to jump in the crowd of runners getting some water. I like the fact that they serve cold water on water stations because on some races, they sometimes run out of cold water to serve. I didn’t drink any energy drink during the entire course as I chose to drink water alone.

Post-Race Event
We didn’t stay long at the venue after the race. Right after we got the medal and the race kit, we just rested a bit and went back to the Adidas Body Care booth where I needed to answer a few more survey questions and get my Adidas Body Care gift pack. 🙂 This is what my brother hate on this venue, the post-race event where it is too hot and sunny that you can’t even find a tree or a tent to stay so you can cover yourself up from the sun. I am not sure if there’s a guest band or any singer/performer there because we went home immediately after changing our clothes.

So that’s my little race review of my Adidas King of the Road 2013 experience. I had fun! Till next year! 🙂

Keep on running! 🙂

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Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley Now on Google Street View https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/harry-potters-diagon-alley-now-on-google-street-view/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/07/harry-potters-diagon-alley-now-on-google-street-view/#comments Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:38:43 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3168 I’ve been a Harry Potter fan ever since I started reading the book during my college years. And seeing or visiting the Warner Bros. Studio where you can have the opportunity to explore the amazing Harry Potter stuff and props could be a dream come true. When I stumble upon …

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I’ve been a Harry Potter fan ever since I started reading the book during my college years. And seeing or visiting the Warner Bros. Studio where you can have the opportunity to explore the amazing Harry Potter stuff and props could be a dream come true. When I stumble upon this today, I can’t resist but to post it here. I do not know when will I be able to visit there so I think this will do it for now.

Diagon Alley

In Street View mode, you can see 360-degree images of Ollivanders Wand Shop, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop, Eeylops Owl Emporium, Quality Quidditch Supplies and Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary.

The Diagon Alley set brings to life the shop setting from J.K. Rowling’s legendary Harry Potter series of seven best-selling books, which grew into a successful eight-movie franchise. Warner Bros. Studio Tour says the Diagon Alley set took more than three months to build, and it took six months to create over 20,000 products to put on the shops’ shelves.

I wish I could visit there one day. I want to get myself a wand. 🙂 lol

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
(via Mashable)

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Back For Good https://www.afreemind.org/2013/06/back-for-good/ https://www.afreemind.org/2013/06/back-for-good/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2013 15:49:02 +0000 http://www.afreemind.org/?p=3018 It has been weeks since I last posted an update for this blog. And now that I finally finished updating the theme, I guess I should go back to posting updates or whatever I can throw in here for everyone to read. I’ve been planning to update my blog theme …

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It has been weeks since I last posted an update for this blog. And now that I finally finished updating the theme, I guess I should go back to posting updates or whatever I can throw in here for everyone to read. I’ve been planning to update my blog theme and I got no choice but to update it when my previous theme didn’t work for no valid reason and so I needed to take it down and find a replacement theme.

At first, I didn’t like this minimalist template that I am using now because when you try to use a minimalist design for blogs or websites, your content should make up for the minimal design such as graphics, colors, etc. So that means your content should stand-out, in which I think I lack on most of my posts. I just thought I should give it a try and maybe I could come up with some informative and useful posts in the future that could make up for my current blog theme.

And now I think I should be back for good since I got an updated blog theme and a challenge of posting informative, useful and packed content to share with everyone on the internet. Before I forget, you will definitely notice my love for Pandas with the new blog theme. I apologize for the poorly drawn Panda logo on my header and favicon. 🙂 I am not good in drawing freehand specially with Photoshop pencil tool. I’ll try to come up with a better one next time or maybe ask a friend to draw a Panda head logo for me. I hope anyone who reads or stumbles upon this blog will like the minimal colors that I put in here. Black and white for a change.

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