Foot and Mouth

After 10 grueling rounds of jogging and walking around the University of the Philippines academic oval, my good friend, who I shall now nickname Goddess, and I decided to go vegan for the night as we didn't want to undo all that hardwork.

So, we drove to Likha Diwa along C.P. Garcia, Diliman, an eclectic vegetarian restaurant.  However, it seemed close that day, if not totally forever, so I was afraid that we'd end up with some fast food.  Fortunately, she knows a vegan place.  Unfortunately, she couldn't remember exactly where.


After leaving no stone unturned all over Teachers Village, while stalking some hot caucasian guy to be offered sacrifice to the Goddess, we finally found what we're looking for, PIPINO - Vegetarian Food by Pino along Malingap Street beside Bayantel Building.

 

I first thought that we were going to the dining area at the first floor but Goddess ushered me to the second floor which could only be accessed through the back door.  I love the idea as it gave the feel of exclusivity.


True enough, the place seemed undiscovered, at least for me, because there were only two customers that time, one pinay and one caucasian woman.


I so love the interior, squeaky clean and cozy.  I would say fresh.

And I give the food a thumbs up.  I love vegetables but I never really like a vegetable dish that doesn't have a hint of meat in it, but the Vegan Lasagna was great and did not hurt that the serving was huge, around 4" x 3" x 3" if I'm not mistaken.  The only minus is that it wasn't as scorching hot as I preferred it.

@ Php 120.00, not bad!

The Cucumber+Lemongrass+Ginger Cooler was also good although towards the last few sips, the ginger taste was becoming too strong.  The Pipino shake was equally refreshing.

@ Php 80.00 each!

All in all, it is a great place with great food and I would be glad to bring some friends there soon.

The Cure

I am not a health buff nor a gym rat, but I make sure that I get to do regular physical activities.  As much as possible, I also encourage family and friends to do the same.  After all, what's the use of living longer and healthier (sans fatal accidents and diseases) if you are going to outlive everyone you hold dear.  I don't really "watch" what I eat, but I moderate things.  I still pig out once in a while.  Ang buhay ay pasarapan, hindi pahabaan!


At the moment, I jog regularly.  It can be done almost anywhere, does not require any equipment, just a pair of good running shoes.  You can also do it anytime you please.

It is great that I live near the Marikina Sports Park with an olympic size track.  Entrance fee is a very minimal Php 10.00, and another 10 if you prefer to get a locker.

And thanks to the shooting of the Hollywood  movie Bourne Legacy in Marikina, which closed down the sports park, we were finally able to try a good alternative that is the academic oval of the University of the Philippines.  It is free and it is more strenuous, which I like.

Very cheap for a whole lot of benefits.  Jogging is great for weight loss, particularly effective in losing fat around the middle section, aside from reducing risk of heart illnesses, diabetes and more.  It also helps to cleanse pores because of the excessive sweating.  Personally, I noticed it also "cured" my sinusitis as I haven't had to take medicines for almost a month now.


So, I and a couple of friends started this fitness "regimen" which includes jogging and going to the gym basically for, honestly, aesthetic reasons.  Hey, we also owe it to our Creator to take care of the vessel of our soul.  He wouldn't have molded man the way he did if He didn't have an ideal design in mind, He could have easily taken a rock and stuck twigs on it for our limbs and that would have been enough.

Vessel

Perhaps the most morally acceptable of all masochistic human activities is working out in the gym.  It is hard and agonizingly painful.  There even comes a time that you cuss everything that’s good and true just to get that barbell back up.

But why do we do it, why do we need to do it?

We wrap our gifts the best possible way, we repaint our cars or houses once in a while, and we take care of even the most mundane things we own.  So the answer to why we should take care of our bodies, the one thing that we absolutely own for sure, is a no-brainer.

Don’t give me the “you-are-very-superficial-inner-beauty-is-more-important” crap.  If we weren’t all superficial, if we didn’t consider at all what other people think, if we didn't care about what we see in the mirror, we wouldn’t need to iron our clothes, nor girls would need to wear make up, nor  carefully choose what to wear before we get out of the house.  Inner beauty is MOST important, I so totally agree, because it is, partly, what would afford us a slot in heaven where everyone is going to look like Angelina or Brad.  But it is the last thing that everyone would know.  You are not going to tell every single person in the street that you are all nice and cuddly.  If you are a good person, you will effortlessly wake up in the morning with a good heart for sure, but never picture-perfect.  It takes a lot of work.  And if we could all be both, why the hell not?

I am person that is resigned to the fact that there is nothing more I can do with my face, I got the worst facial features of my parents, and I even have a disfigured head.  Unfortunately, not all of us are given the naturally dashing good looks.  Fortunately, we have our able bodies which we can do something about.

To look good is not the only reason why we should look after our bodies.  Health is also a paramount consideration.  Especially if one already has a family, which usually ironically is the reason exercise is foregone, we would love to have more years to spend with them.  But some would argue that even the most health conscious people die, so why bother.   Well at least they looked great while alive, right?

I am not at all saying that we should all be bikini-ready and exhaust all our time, energy and money to be so.  I am simply advocating that we should try to look, feel and be our best because we have only one life to live.  No second chance, no turning back.  It is our only shot at living the life we choose for ourselves.

We owe it to ourselves and to our Maker to take care of the vessel of our spirit and soul.  We are the only custodian of our bodies and absolutely no one else.