When in Manila, you’ll definitely love adventures, especially unplanned ones! Personally, I am enamoured with travelling, discovering new and exciting places and appreciating what my eyes could see. It makes me happy and I know it does the same to you. So here is a short list of the little things how to stay happy *cue ‘Happy’ by Pharell Williams*
5 Ways to be Happy – The Little Things
#1 – Run to get your endorphins going.
Fun runs are a thing in today’s generation. Well, it’s called FUN for a reason. People gather together to run for a cause, passion or basically just to have fun. I joined the Neon Invasion Fun Run with my sister and her friends last December 7, 2013 at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
Neon Invasion Fun Run was all about the neon lights, the neon paint, and the glow sticks! There were courses where upbeat music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the recent era were played for the runners to jive to. There was even an afterparty wherein bands performed live.
From L-R: myself, Gio, Mitzi, Martin, Victoria, Marco
It was my first fun run ever, or First Fun Run Since Birth (FFRSB). Participants of the fun run received a singlet, race bib and glow sticks. Even though I was not a runner, I gave this fun run a chance. While it was indeed exhausting and tiring, it was worth the sweat. You will surely love the feeling, too!
Who doesn’t love music? Especially when it just connects and makes you feel like dancing (even if your dance steps are ultra embarrassing). It can instantly make you happy when you hear your favorite music on the radio and you’re just like “THIS IS MY JAM!” What’s even better, though, is when you get to watch them live.
I was able to watch Zedd: Live in Manila last December 12, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center. AND EVERYTHING ZEDD IS MY JAM!!! Zedd has been my favorite DJ ever since, and I was blessed to have witnessed him spin live! Zedd is immensely popular with his hit mixes, ‘Spectrum’, ‘Stay the Night’, and ‘Clarity’.
At first, I didn’t have tickets and I lost hope in seeing him live 🙁 But the moment he tweeted about the “#CharityIsClarity”, wherein a ticket would be given in exchange for a box of canned goods for the Yolanda victims, I immediately looked for a friend who could come with me. (Thankfully, I didn’t have classes that day!) Then, we immediately rushed to the groceries and by the good graces, we finally turned our goods and lined up for the tickets, and voila, ‘now we here’!
Madeon spinned first to hype up the crowd. He was so amazing (and uber cute btw)! When Zedd finally came out, the crowd literally went crazzzzzzzzy! Everybody was just dancing, raving, shouting and dancing some more! It is amazing how people can connect just by sharing the same feels they have for an artist or a song.
It was definitely the best concert I had ever been to, and it was the first party I had legitimately participated in. I really had the best night of my life, even though I was ‘half-worrying’ about the exam I would be having the next day. #YOLO
Dear Zedd, please come back and spin once more for us!
#3 – Gorge on pizza.
I can’t even explain how much pizza makes me happy and I know it must have the same effect on some of you. The cheesier, the happier I get! Ahhhhh, now I’m craving for some pizza! You know what’s better? It’s when you get to make your own pizza (how cool is that?)
My friends and I looked for Project Pie in Alabang and lost our way en route to it. It was fun because we went crazy while searching for the Project Pie. Finally, when we reached our destination, it was simply the perfect time to grab some pizza since we were already dead tired. I was surprised that their pizza +unlimited drinks aren’t too expensive. The pizza costs P285.00 with unlimited toppings (say what?) and additional P65.00 to avail of their unlimited drinks! It will surely make your tummy leave the place with a great big smile for less than P400.00.
As some of you already know, Project Pie lets you become a pizza architect for awhile and decide the blueprint for your pizza and let them create it for you! Now, for those of you who might not yet have tried it, here’s what I’ve experienced:
At first, you get to pick what type of sauce your pizza will have – the white sauce or the red sauce. I picked both, so half of my pizza had white sauce and the half had red sauce. I don’t really remember all of my toppings, but I remember I added some Bacon, Crumbled Meatballs, Grilled Chicken, Mushrooms, Parmesan, and a lot of Mozzarella (ooh lala) to the mix. In addition, I also availed of their unlimited drinks (I got Four Seasons).
Too bad I was so full, I was not able to avail of their seemingly-so-delish Nutella & Banana pizza! I actually couldn’t move afterwards because I was so bloated, so we stayed for a while to chitchat and appreciate the beautiful interiors. It was indeed a fun day!
From L-R: Tine, Charmaine, Gecca, myself
#4 – Find your happy place.
There are a lot of cafes, fast-food joints, restaurants and general places with beautiful interiors nowadays. Upon seeing unique interiors, people usually grab their phones or cameras to capture them right away. This adds on to our happiness meter – admit it! When the food is great, as well, that adds another plus on the happiness meter!!
One of the coolest cafes I have ever been to was at Maja’s Home Cafe in BF, Paranaque. My friends and I went there because of their awesome unique interiors. Star Wars fans always used to check this place out and melt upon seeing their adorable stormtroopers-filled wall. Unfortunately they closed down already (boo hoo)! 🙁
My friends and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of ourselves! The place was too cute and amazing. I was not able to ask how many stormtrooper figures there were, but one thing’s for sure: there were too many to count!
I was not able to try out their food there, but my companions did. They ordered the Bacon and Banana Rolls for only P85.00 – deep-fried bananas wrapped in bacon and dipped in honey-maple syrup. They also ordered the Chocolate Lazy Cake where the biscuits were rolled in chocolatey cake. My friends gave the food 4 out of 5 stars.
#5 – Do what you love.
I think this is the most important thing to remember: just keep doing what you love and you will never go wrong at being happy! As long as you’re not stepping on others and you know it’s right, what could possibly go wrong? Take chances. Like a lot of you, I’m also the kind of person that constantly craves for adventures and achievements because it is there where we learn and grow, right? It satisfies our inner thirst for accomplishment. With the people we are surrounded with and with the friends who never left, they are the ones who influenced me to go out of my comfort zone and live more (no tagline-mentioning intended)!
Photo from Tumblr
We are too young to stress out on things. Life shouldn’t breathe in studying or working alone, we should learn how to spice it up, have fun every once in a while, and, as they say, carpe diem. So, let us all be prepared for what life has to offer and definitely equip ourselves with the best armor that will keep us strong and grounded When In Manila. Life’s too short to be boring, so stay happy! 🙂
5 Ways to be Happy – The Little Things in Life
5 Ways to be Happy – The Little Things in Life
When in Manila, you’ll definitely love adventures, especially unplanned ones! Personally, I am enamoured with travelling, discovering new and exciting places and appreciating what my eyes could see. It makes me happy and I know it does the same to you. So here is a short list of the little things how to stay happy *cue ‘Happy’ by Pharell Williams*
5 Ways to be Happy – The Little Things
#1 – Run to get your endorphins going.
Fun runs are a thing in today’s generation. Well, it’s called FUN for a reason. People gather together to run for a cause, passion or basically just to have fun. I joined the Neon Invasion Fun Run with my sister and her friends last December 7, 2013 at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
Neon Invasion Fun Run was all about the neon lights, the neon paint, and the glow sticks! There were courses where upbeat music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the recent era were played for the runners to jive to. There was even an afterparty wherein bands performed live.
From L-R: myself, Gio, Mitzi, Martin, Victoria, Marco
It was my first fun run ever, or First Fun Run Since Birth (FFRSB). Participants of the fun run received a singlet, race bib and glow sticks. Even though I was not a runner, I gave this fun run a chance. While it was indeed exhausting and tiring, it was worth the sweat. You will surely love the feeling, too!
Here are some more and tips for running in Manila: Running in Manila: Tips and Info for Filipino Runners
#2 – Listen to great music.
Who doesn’t love music? Especially when it just connects and makes you feel like dancing (even if your dance steps are ultra embarrassing). It can instantly make you happy when you hear your favorite music on the radio and you’re just like “THIS IS MY JAM!” What’s even better, though, is when you get to watch them live.
I was able to watch Zedd: Live in Manila last December 12, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center. AND EVERYTHING ZEDD IS MY JAM!!! Zedd has been my favorite DJ ever since, and I was blessed to have witnessed him spin live! Zedd is immensely popular with his hit mixes, ‘Spectrum’, ‘Stay the Night’, and ‘Clarity’.
At first, I didn’t have tickets and I lost hope in seeing him live 🙁 But the moment he tweeted about the “#CharityIsClarity”, wherein a ticket would be given in exchange for a box of canned goods for the Yolanda victims, I immediately looked for a friend who could come with me. (Thankfully, I didn’t have classes that day!) Then, we immediately rushed to the groceries and by the good graces, we finally turned our goods and lined up for the tickets, and voila, ‘now we here’!
Madeon spinned first to hype up the crowd. He was so amazing (and uber cute btw)! When Zedd finally came out, the crowd literally went crazzzzzzzzy! Everybody was just dancing, raving, shouting and dancing some more! It is amazing how people can connect just by sharing the same feels they have for an artist or a song.
It was definitely the best concert I had ever been to, and it was the first party I had legitimately participated in. I really had the best night of my life, even though I was ‘half-worrying’ about the exam I would be having the next day. #YOLO
Dear Zedd, please come back and spin once more for us!
#3 – Gorge on pizza.
I can’t even explain how much pizza makes me happy and I know it must have the same effect on some of you. The cheesier, the happier I get! Ahhhhh, now I’m craving for some pizza! You know what’s better? It’s when you get to make your own pizza (how cool is that?)
My friends and I looked for Project Pie in Alabang and lost our way en route to it. It was fun because we went crazy while searching for the Project Pie. Finally, when we reached our destination, it was simply the perfect time to grab some pizza since we were already dead tired. I was surprised that their pizza +unlimited drinks aren’t too expensive. The pizza costs P285.00 with unlimited toppings (say what?) and additional P65.00 to avail of their unlimited drinks! It will surely make your tummy leave the place with a great big smile for less than P400.00.
As some of you already know, Project Pie lets you become a pizza architect for awhile and decide the blueprint for your pizza and let them create it for you! Now, for those of you who might not yet have tried it, here’s what I’ve experienced:
At first, you get to pick what type of sauce your pizza will have – the white sauce or the red sauce. I picked both, so half of my pizza had white sauce and the half had red sauce. I don’t really remember all of my toppings, but I remember I added some Bacon, Crumbled Meatballs, Grilled Chicken, Mushrooms, Parmesan, and a lot of Mozzarella (ooh lala) to the mix. In addition, I also availed of their unlimited drinks (I got Four Seasons).
Too bad I was so full, I was not able to avail of their seemingly-so-delish Nutella & Banana pizza! I actually couldn’t move afterwards because I was so bloated, so we stayed for a while to chitchat and appreciate the beautiful interiors. It was indeed a fun day!
From L-R: Tine, Charmaine, Gecca, myself
#4 – Find your happy place.
There are a lot of cafes, fast-food joints, restaurants and general places with beautiful interiors nowadays. Upon seeing unique interiors, people usually grab their phones or cameras to capture them right away. This adds on to our happiness meter – admit it! When the food is great, as well, that adds another plus on the happiness meter!!
One of the coolest cafes I have ever been to was at Maja’s Home Cafe in BF, Paranaque. My friends and I went there because of their awesome unique interiors. Star Wars fans always used to check this place out and melt upon seeing their adorable stormtroopers-filled wall. Unfortunately they closed down already (boo hoo)! 🙁
My friends and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of ourselves! The place was too cute and amazing. I was not able to ask how many stormtrooper figures there were, but one thing’s for sure: there were too many to count!
I was not able to try out their food there, but my companions did. They ordered the Bacon and Banana Rolls for only P85.00 – deep-fried bananas wrapped in bacon and dipped in honey-maple syrup. They also ordered the Chocolate Lazy Cake where the biscuits were rolled in chocolatey cake. My friends gave the food 4 out of 5 stars.
#5 – Do what you love.
I think this is the most important thing to remember: just keep doing what you love and you will never go wrong at being happy! As long as you’re not stepping on others and you know it’s right, what could possibly go wrong? Take chances. Like a lot of you, I’m also the kind of person that constantly craves for adventures and achievements because it is there where we learn and grow, right? It satisfies our inner thirst for accomplishment. With the people we are surrounded with and with the friends who never left, they are the ones who influenced me to go out of my comfort zone and live more (no tagline-mentioning intended)!
Photo from Tumblr
We are too young to stress out on things. Life shouldn’t breathe in studying or working alone, we should learn how to spice it up, have fun every once in a while, and, as they say, carpe diem. So, let us all be prepared for what life has to offer and definitely equip ourselves with the best armor that will keep us strong and grounded When In Manila. Life’s too short to be boring, so stay happy! 🙂
5 Ways to be Happy – The Little Things in Life
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Kulot but not salot - follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @rubymaeandor