Most Very Important Person

Issa and her attempt at keeping a personal blog, again.

[youtherealmvip]

I never really got why my Dad chose to stay with Corregidor Foundation Inc. for over 24 years. Nothing much has changed from the last time I was here, which was for our high school graduating batch field trip-- but that's when it hit me-- my dad has preserved the place very well for the past 24 years of his life. Many people have wanted to commercialize the island, but my dad has successfully diverted all of their self-interests to preserve the solemnity of Corregidor. This island speaks for the oppression we have been through. It has seen the history of the Filipino throughout its toughest times. When Corregidor fell, the Philippines fell. The memory of thousands of Filipinos and American troops who have shed blood for the freedom we enjoy today is preserved in this island. Our generation is naïve to wartime, and a lot of us have forgotten the struggle our people has gone through. May we not live to experience another time of turmoil, but it can only be done if we continue to remember our past as a people. And to my Dad, thank you, because our generation is able to get a glimpse of our history because you have dedicated your life to sustain Corregidor. I mean, who else can say that they've taken care of a piece of history of this country? That's definitely worth more than any job out there, and I'm very proud of you, Dad. :)

[youtherealmvip]

hi ate issa, what littman stethoscope should a med student get?

The classic ones are best for those learning and for clinical use :) I personally don't like the sound of a lightweight one (plus aesthetics), and a cardio steth seems too advanced.

[youtherealmvip]

It was was 6 years ago, back in 2010, when I first wanted to try out this place. The owner of the place was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and the Psychology major in me was ecstatic to see what was in store for me in the restaurant. Alas, I have found an occasion-- I wanted to celebrate passing my Biology 12 exam, but as soon as my-then-date and I got there, it was closed. The owner was out of town and the restaurant was closed indefinitely.

Multiple attempts were made the next few years, but to no avail. It was now 2012 and I have graduated from the University of the Philippines; and I eventually moved out of the area. Experiencing this place was a lost cause.

There would be times when I would see a new announcement in Facebook that they were open, but it would slip my mind as I were too preoccupied with whatever was happening in medschool. Another four years would pass by with failed attempts to dine here.

It is now 2016 and I am with you. Without hesitation, you agreed to dine with me here. They have announced a few months ago that they would be opening the restaurant for good, serving customers without the need for reservations. This is it. This was the time to go. I have graduated from medschool and was the perfect time to celebrate.

And then, it happened, we walked into that wooden cabinet door, and finally experienced the magic that is Van Gogh is Bipolar.

It took me six long years to try out this place. It took me six long years as well to find someone worthy to bring here again as well. It seems that, maybe, I had to wait for you to try this out with me, but all that waiting was worth it. To you, Gil, thank you for being the perfect companion to experience Van Gogh is Bipolar with me.

That said, Van Gogh is Bipolar went beyond my expectations. It's a must try for everyone who is seeking self-healing, is open to trying out new food, and is looking for a whole different experience of dining. The experience was definitely nothing short of amazing. I'll keep mum about the details because this is something you should experience for yourself. There's nothing else like it, and I am humbled by how a psychiatric disorder is able to create something beautiful that is Van Gogh is Bipolar. Truly, it was worth waiting for six years. :)

PS: Accidental The Little Prince reference with our headgear!!! How awesome is that?!

[youtherealmvip]

Have you seen this infographic around Facebook from last August 2014?

Yup, that’s mine; just putting this here now :) 

[youtherealmvip]

I decided to model for a friend. That’s the extent of it haha. 

Hmm, not bad.

[youtherealmvip]

I'm making Kigurumi onesies a thing here in the hospital 😂

[youtherealmvip]

How to say "I Love You" to someone you don't love

You say it. Three words, eight letters. You look into their eyes, and you find no meaning. You don’t feel your heart swell with emotion as compared to when you said it to someone you loved. There’s no electricity that runs through your spine as you think of saying it. It simply rolls off your tongue, devoid of feeling.

You say it. And as the words leave your lips, you smile to mask your empty bullets. You’ve done it again, you’ve lied to yourself. You’ve lied to them again. You think that maybe they won’t notice your hollow heart. Maybe they won’t notice the invisible question marks you put after the end of that 3-word sentence. Maybe they won’t notice how your eyes shift away as you tell them, but maybe they will. You say it anyway.

You say it. You say it with hesitation, you say it with maybes. You say it to appease them, you say it to make yourself feel better. You say it, hoping that the words will come to life, hoping that maybe, you do feel the same way. You wait for your heart to feel.

You don’t, and you say it anyway.

[youtherealmvip]

hi! I would like to ask how long is the charging time of 8ten action camera

Hello! I usually charge it for 2 hours :)

[youtherealmvip]

How's your perm now? :)

I cut my hair a month ago, but the perm lasted til then! :)

[youtherealmvip]

About the action camera silver edition sdv-5271. How do you charge it? Does it have a charger?

It has a USB charger with it. Sorry for the late reply!

[youtherealmvip]

hiii that article you made "[ONLINE SHOPPING SERIES] 8Ten 1080p Action Camera Silver Edition SDV-5271 (GoPro Alternative)" just want to ask, is that for real? i mean where did you buy it at lazada? and how do take a picture using it? hehehe thank you

Oops, I didn't know I had messages here! Sorry for the late reply, but yes, it's for real :)) It has a shutter just like a normal camera :)

[youtherealmvip]

Goodbye, 2014!

So it looks like I have failed to revive this blog since I have failed to finish any blog post that I have started... but let me finish this one before the year ends.

Twenty-fourteen took a lot of unexpected turns throughout the year, but one thing's for sure, I have been thoroughly blessed to have experienced so much. I can say that am ending 2014 with a clean, thankful heart. One without regrets, one with genuine happiness. I can only say so much about how everything just fell into place this year despite everything that has happened.

While I have lost my car to the flood, or ended another relationship, and lost a cellphone to the hands of thieves, I have gained so much more than what I bargained for. New adventures with family and friends in and out of the country, several achievements both academically and in extra-curriculars, and letting go of all of the drama and negativity that has been looming around in my life. In Taylor Swift's words: "I think I am finally clean". (HAHAHAHAHA) I'm more than ready to move forward with my life. :)

I am ending 2014 feeling like a new person, and it feels amazing. 2015 will definitely bring new challenges and experiences as I start clerkship, and I am looking forward to conquering each step towards my dream. My life's finally beginning, and I can't thank everyone enough for all the love and support you have been giving me throughout everything. You are all wonderful people-- my groupmates, Delgadogs/Casa Bucoy/Austriches, blockmates, Filiae, Excellence kids, and family (and everyone else, really)-- a big thank you for always having my back, and I can only hope that we are able to make even more memories this coming 2015. Anyway, let me keep this short and sweet. I love you all!

[youtherealmvip]

[BEAUTY] Status Salon Katipunan Digiperm Experience

(HAHA I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING A ~*BEAUTY*~ post but I'm trying to expand my horizons and practicing writing reviews and basically practicing my writing skillzzz soooo here goes!)

I actually had my hair permed last year (HAHAHA NOBODY NOTICED BECAUSE IT WAS FAIL) in The List Salon in BGC, but it didn't even last 2 days! I didn't go back to have it re-permed because it might just cause more damage to my already-damaged-hair. And as much as I don't recommend it, maybe it may work with your hair. Maybe. It had a good price among deal sites anyway.

I got a an online deal from Ensogo.com.ph for Php1500.00 for a digiperm treatment because 1) my hair's floompy 2) it's still confused as to whether it's straight or wavy so i'll decide for it. I'm writing this for those girls out there who wants to know what exactly happens during the treatment. The regular service will cost you Php5500-7000, so I suggest you wait for deals online if ever you plan to do this (but it comes rarely, so be patient!)

I arrived at 10:30am in Status. I was alone, so hooray, I get everyone at my service! Haha okay no but it's nice having the place to myself. 

I really like the place: all white with purple accents. The place also has big windows to let natural light in, so people who love taking selfies will enjoy how the place will brighten up their faces.

Here's the treatment process:

1) The first thing they'll do is to assess your hair if it can undergo the treatment. My hair's perenially dry so I was afraid they might reject me, but they didn't, and proceeded with the treatment. 

2) After shampooing my hair, the first treatment was placed in my hair. It took around 20 minutes for this, and then it was washed off.

yeheees slightly parted lips smile wushooooo

3) My hair was then brushed out and partitioned, and then placed into rollers. They used small curlers under, and placed the bigger curlers on top. My neck kind of strained after a while since I was resisting as they stretched out my hair when they put in into rollers. Tiis-ganda moment! This took around 30-45 minutes to do. Whew!

4) Putting on styro thingies on top of the rollers to protect my scalp from the heat.

5) They finally hooked me up to the digiperm machine! This took around 45 minutes-1 hour. They served me free coffee to help me keep awake during the whole thing :)

6) Is it finally done??????? Nope. They unrolled my hair... 

7) ...Rolled them up again with pins, and put some medicine on it. It was set for another 10-15 mins, and then finally shampoo'd and washed for the last time!

8) I finished at 2:15pm. That was almost 4 hours in that chair (hahaha what's new)! I had to rush out since I needed to get home ASAP, but here's the hair drying up in the car! #withfilter #VSCOCam HAHAHAHA

Here's my hair once it dried up! I'm happy with how this turned out :) They suggested that a cream-based styling product should be used (since mousse will make it look dry), and that only shampoo (no conditioners!) should be used when washing the hair for the next day.

TOTAL TREATMENT TIME: 4 hours

So there you go! I'm hoping that this perm will last and even get better in the coming days! If you have any tips on how to maintain the perm, let me know. :) Thank you to my stylists Yani and Arvin for the great service! I'm definitely going back for other services in Status Salon!

[youtherealmvip]

[ONLINE SHOPPING SERIES] 8Ten 1080p Action Camera Silver Edition SDV-5271 (GoPro Alternative)

Here's the deal:

Truth: I want a GoPro.

Reality: I have no money for a GoPro.

I've decided on getting a Polaroid Cube (and I'm actually selling some units), but it's not arriving until November, so I looked for an alternative first since I wanted to bring one for my upcoming trips. I saw an ad in LINE that lead me to Lazada about an action cam (8Ten 1080p Action Camera Silver Edition SDV-5271) that only costs ₱1,550.00 (discounted price from ₱6,795.00). Users gave it a rating of 5 stars, and after comparing it with other generic cameras on the site, I ordered it, and it arrived the next day. Talk about fast service!

Unboxing the 8Ten 1080p Action Camera Silver Edition SDV-5271

This edition of the camera has the following specs:

5MP

1.77" LCD Display

Built-in Li-ion Battery

Storage media: TF/microSD card up to 32GB (sold separately)

30fps VGA

Microsoft Windows XP,VISTA,WIN7

Wide angle lens

Can be used for up to 10m underwater

...which isn't that bad for ₱1,550.00, right? But generic cameras still have this weird quality despite the specs, so I had to try it out for myself. It doesn't come with a microSD card, so

  It also comes with a helmet mount and a bicycle mount!

Waterproof casing

Front and top view of the camera

Touchscreen LCD at the back, check out the wide angle! 

You basically control the camera using the touchscreen at the back, which means, unlike a GoPro, you can't change shooting modes once you put the camera inside the case. The default shooting mode when you turn the camera on is the 1080p video mode, so if you want to take pictures underwater, you have to change the shooting mode first and then keep the camera on as you put it inside the waterproof case. What I really like about this camera though is that the touchscreen works smoothly! The interface does look a bit cheap, but it works well anyway.

Here are some sample photos that I took with the camera, and you know what: so far, so good!

A high rise building outside my condo window, look at how the wide angle is able to capture the whole thing

Here's my side of the table during exam week! Shot in room light (low light conditions), which is actually not too bad, right?

Finally got to try the camera outside! Looks okay, right?

This shot got me! Got to try it underwater, and IT WAS GREAT. Pictures look good! 

Underwater. Look at how clear the shot is! 

And in yellow lit spaces, quality's still good :)

The size of the pictures range from 2MB-4MB for the 5MP shooting mode. The videos I took were of really good quality, btw! Although they're too big to be uploaded for now, but I can assure you that I'm happy with how they appeared once played in the laptop. 

VERDICT

PRICE - ★★★★★ 

IMAGE QUALITY - ★★★★★

VIDEO QUALITY - ★★★★★

FUNCTIONALITY - ★★★★

OVERALL - ★★★★★

Five stars for the quality in relation to the price! It's a really good buy if you want the GoPro effect and want to save up. I'm super looking forward to using this in my upcoming trips! :)

[youtherealmvip]

[ONLINE SHOPPING SERIES] Instax Wide 200 + Troubleshooting if it doesn't turn on

I will be blogging about my adventures with online shopping because I've been getting good deals lately with the quirky (sometimes) useless cute things I get online. Like my whole R2D2 haul-- which I will blog about sometime, and well, other things. Also because it's become a hobby of mine for the past year. Sorry Mom and Dad, looks like the packages will keep on arriving every now and then... :)

So anyway, here's the full story behind my Instax Wide post from instagram:

I randomly searched for "Instax Wide" in OLX.com.ph since I saw an ad that a new Instax Wide was going to be released soon. This ad was on the top of the list, an Instax Wide being sold for Php500.00 only:

  Only Php500?!?!?! With the description: "No physical damage, even the battery compartment is clean"

My gut feeling was telling me that maybe, just maybe, she missed out on something. I texted the seller, and saw that her meet-up location was at my condo building! What a coincidence, right? She then asked if I was going to pay for it already since there was someone else who was supposedly going to buy it already, but they didn't get to meet up yet since it rained hard the day before. With that said, I raced to the nearest BDO to deposit the money so that she can already drop the unit off in the condo lobby in the afternoon.

I received the package that afternoon in the lobby. I was excited to prove her wrong about the camera, whilst telling myself that if it didn't work, it would just be a nice toy to display in my room along with the other toy cameras I have. It was a gamble, but at least it only costed me Php500.00. 

I unboxed the camera (yes, it even came with the original box!) and checked that everything was intact. The unit had a few scratches, but presentable. I got new batteries and put them on the unit, said a little prayer, and turned on the ON button... with no luck. Dammit, she was right! I didn't give up that easily though, I looked through troubleshooting articles on Flickr, but to no avail. I even tried to pry inside the camera, but Instax cameras are hard to disassemble so I didn't go that far. Dismayed, I packed the unit up and just took a nap.

huhu it doesn't work. :(

...BUT I COULDN'T SLEEP. SOMETHING WAS UP WITH THAT CAMERA AND I KNEW I COULD FIX IT. I reread the articles in Flickr... and realized something.

BIG LIGHTBULB MOMENT

"THE POSITIVE END WILL GO TO THE CURLY COIL PART"-- I grabbed on to the camera and realized that there were markings on the battery compartment! Flashback to 2010 when I first got my Instax Mini 7, and made a similar mistake (but got to fix it ASAP)! I fixed the batteries the right way, pressed the ON button... AND THE LENS STARTED REELING AND I STARTED SCREAMING JAKLSJALKSJLAKJSKLAJSK

THE MARKINGS IN THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT

The right way to put the batteries!!!!!

...I even got to print out the last 2 pcs of film that it came with.

It was really a lucky buy. I guess it was really meant to be as well. I'm really hoping I can get more good deals later on! This post is also dedicated to those kids out there who thinks their Instax is busted! The batteries should ALWAYS be the first thing you should check! :)

Okay, I think I enjoyed writing this, and I'll definitely write more about my online shopping finds in the coming days. Hooray! :)

[youtherealmvip]

MVIP is now YOUTHEREALMVIP!

Let's have a huge life makeover and start by changing the blog name to a catchy one! :D

Also, now using #youdarealmvip tag for all my posts for archiving.

YAY I'M EXCITED FOR THIS NEW BLOG CHAPTER :D

"You the real MVP" - Kevin Durant

[youtherealmvip]

Irony

Have a good man when you're too immature to handle the relationship

Get a douchebag the next time when you're more ready and give him everything yet he screws you up