People always wonder and ask why I spend a big chunk of my salary on voice lessons. I know I’m not going to have a recording contract or perform on a cruise ship in my lifetime so why do I spend so much just to sing and vocalize for an hour in a tiny little room with a piano and a voice teacher?
Many don’t understand the joys of taking voice lessons not to mention the life lessons attached to it, so I’m gonna help you out.
Here are my top reasons why I take voice lessons.
“Paras! Pokémon ka pala.“
These words confused me as hell when I arrived one morning at school. This was the first time I heard about Pokémon. Initially, I had a hard time pronouncing it. I forgot what grade I was in, maybe fourth or fifth, but regardless, a grade-schooler would not dare say a word that’s sounds like the word pertaining to the pechay.
Though I can’t remember which came first, the card or the Game Boy video game (Wikipedia confirms it’s the latter), fads were all the craze in the 90’s. For some unknown and bizarre reason, even in the absence of the internet, fads easily spread like wildfire. Elephant pants, spray-painted shirts, teks and many, many more were all the rage. Just like any other “cool” fad of the time, I caught (pun intended 😉) the Pokémon bug a little too late. My mom only bought me and my brother our first and only big yellow Game Boys when everyone already had the colored version and those awful magnifying lens.
My last name is “Paras” and I soon learned that there’s a Pokémon with the same name: the crab-like Paras. It amused me to find out something was named after me (even though it wasn’t really). My amusement was short-lived though when I realized it’s short for parasite. I made sure then that I had my own pad paper and crayons so I won’t be a Paras(ite). 😂😭
I know, that’s sad, but Paras’ Pokédex entry was unexpectedly even sadder. Paras is a bug host that has mushrooms on his back called tochukaso, which could grow larger as they gain energy from the bug host. When a Paras evolves into Parasect, it means that the mushroom had already taken over the bug host. 😢
The only Pokémon game I got to play was Pokémon Red. And I didn’t even finish it. My brother, who was 4 years old then, played with my Game Boy and overwrote my data. I knew I had a save file before I arrived at the 8th and last gym in Viridian City (led by Giovanni). But I turned my Game Boy on, and found myself back in Pallet Town. My profile name even became “AAAAAA.” I did not reach Mewtwo! Wahhh 😭 I tried to play the game all over again, but I never got to finish. The Pokémon fad faded and I had to deal with puberty. 😝
But now Pokémon fever is back via Pokémon Go. It makes me so glad that now I get to start my journey as a real-life (almost) Pokémon trainer all over again. I even bought a new 20,000mAh power bank to support my journey to being the very best.
Here’s hoping I can go all the way to the top this time around without any more overwrites. Bye for now. I have to fire up my Pokémon Go and catch ’em all. Paras included. 😃
How about you? Did you finish any of the old Pokémon games? What’s your Pokémon story? How’s your Pokémon Go journey so far?
Summer is already ending as we are experiencing occasional rain showers in the past weeks. Luckily, I have prepared for the coming of the rainy season. #RainySeasonIsComing. Okay, I’m not a weather expert but I just assume that if summer’s this hot, then maybe (hopefully not!), the rainy season will be the total opposite. So like the eager vigilant boy scout that I am not, I decided to prepare.
Here are my rainy season POTWs:
I’ve heard of Easy Soft a year ago from my office mate and admittedly, I was a non-believer… until I tried one on (in Tagaytay while burning time for a wedding). Available in black and brown (there’s also a collection for women too!), Easy Soft offers a stylish and comfortable way to brave the floods of Manila. It’s light-weight and very durable. Do I have to mention that it is very affordable too? Yes, you can get your own pair for as low as P350! I’ve already ruined perfectly good leather shoes because I had to make lusong in the baha in Amorsolo, Makati. UGH. The memories. I bought one for the rainy season and for my daily commute. Di’ ba practical?
You just have to be very meticulous in choosing the stock. Mine has a couple of scratches. This may be because the Easy Soft shoes do not come in boxes but in shoe hangers like Sanuk’s and Crocs’.
I initially bought this for summer but I realized it can be as useful in the rain. Rain is manageable but when the wind decides to join the party, it’s a terrible thing for a commuter. Protect your gadgets and important documents in a waterproof bag. I just hate that it’s a knapsack, not the ones with plastic buckles like in dry bags.
I bought my first teal Fibrella in 2012 and I still use it until now. This quarter, I wanted to look mature and serious so naturally, I decided to buy a black umbrella. And considering climate change, black is the best color to protect me from the sun’s harmful rays. Why automatic? ‘Cause why not? Try an automatic umbrella and you will never go back!
I almost forgot, I also bought Berocca. Prevention is better than cure, isn’t it? I take Berocca everyday and it’s particularly effective when I feel that I’m catching a cold. Or when I get extra paranoid when an officemate is sick. HAHA. Ang hirap kaya ‘pag may ubo’t sipon! I forgot how much it was because I used my SM Advantage in Watson’s. HAHA! That’s a shopping tip from me!
What do you think of my purchase of the week? Have I wasted my hard-earned money? Or was I being a smart shopper in preparing for the rain?
While waiting for my Calligraphy Class (I’ll share that in another post), I did some shopping at Fully Booked. I was glad I didn’t stay elsewhere or else I could have bought unnecessary stuff and regretted them! Whew! The last book that I read was All the Bright Places by Rainbow Rowell and currently, I’m still reading Never Let Me Go (That’s thanks to Andrew Garfield!) by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I bought in 2014. So it was about time for me to shop for my bookcase and that was enough reason for me to not feel guilty about my purchase. Confession: I’m a recovering shopaholic. And my list includes Lang Leav! <3
Drum roll please! Here are the items of my purchase of the week after the jump.
Choosing a smart phone is not as easy as you may think (even with all the money!). It’s not as convenient as it was in the 90s when you’d just buy the latest cell and go on your way home. These days, choosing a smart phone is as complicated as choosing a presidential candidate and even dating! It’s like choosing your soulmate in a sea of equally appealing candidates from Tinder, where hitting like or dislike is a matter of life and death! Whether you’re voting, finding “the one” or looking for a new smartphone, you need to choose wisely.
Luckily, the Huawei Nexus 6P has it all from the unique and elegant design to its low-light loving, powerful camera not to mention its fast speed and premium performance. With its features fit for royalty (yes, it’s available in gold!), our search for the King of smartphones is over. Huawei Nexus 6P is the one true king.
Learn more about the features of Huawei Nexus 6P in my vlog below. It’s my first time to vlog, so be nice. HAHA. Enjoy!
What are your favorite Huawei Nexus 6P features? What do you think it’s like to Live with the King?
