Ria Jose, Hair and Make Up by Envy Me Salon, Photography by Eight Espino

My 29th Year

It's May 6, more than 2 weeks after I turned 29. Yes, I'm that old. And it's time to recap the journey that was my 29th year as a Diyosa. :) As I turned 28, going into the 29th year of my life, my heart was broken but my career was going great. Right after my birthday, the Avatar Media team held the 3rd Davao Food Appreciation Tour. And what an event it was. In 4 days, 19 bloggers ate at 7 restaurants and enjoyed 4 adventures. All in one city, Davao City. Around the same time, I embarked on a creative journey as I joined both an Advanced Make Up Workshop and a Beads Jewelry Design Seminar. The first one with Maybelline Philippines' Chief Color Artist Archie Tolentino, and the second one with renowned jewelry designer Em Mariano. Both seminas have molded me into a better kikay. I went to Cebu for the 1st Cebu Blog Camp, where a lot of Mindanao New Media members also joined. I delivered a talk on "Blogging in the Community, for the Community." I'd like to think it was a well-received talk. Kudos to Winston, Vanjahnn, and the rest of the organizers! I…

Ria Jose

2011 Birthday Wishlist

Dear family, classmates, acquaintances, business contacts, blog readers, and friends, It's April. My birth month. My birthday is April 28, 1982. I'm turning 29. And you guys have about 27 days to think about it and buy me a present. I've had a really great year on earth and I'd like to give back. If you want to make me really, really, really happy, you can help me out with my birthday celebration that I will be having with the kids of the Down Syndrome Foundation. The Down Syndrome Foundation is one of the partners of the JCI Davaoeña Daba Daba. You may contribute your time, food, or money to the kids during my celebration with them sometime early May. I hope that you can join and help out in this thanksgiving celebration. Any form of help or donation for the celebration or for the Down Syndrome Foundation will be very much appreciated. Or you can do one of these things: Donate blood to the Philippine Red Cross. It can save lives as blood donations saved mine. Donate to the Help Japan Project. It's a project led by my high school classmates. Donate books for the JCI Davaoeña Daba Daba…

We

The Making of a Billboard

In September 2007, I jokingly blogged that I want to be in a billboard. If not along EDSA, maybe one along Bangkerohan Bridge, one of the main bridges in Davao City that connects the south to the north. And I reiterated this wish in my Feeling Ko Sikat Ako post. Imagine my excitement when Ms. Victoria Evangelista asked me to be featured in a billboard for Crepelato, a local gelato and dessert shop. I was to be featured with some other Davao personalities and two of my cousins (who shall remain unnamed since they might kill me). Among those to be featured are DOT XI Director Art Boncato, local TV personality and magazine director Ian Garcia, and photgorapher/events host/magazine contributor and consultant Jojie Alcantara. I'm a camwhore and wannabe celeb... I immediately said yes. So one fine day in January 2011, I went to Envy Me Salon to have my hair done, went home to put make up on myself, dress up, and went to Crepelato for the photo shoot. I was a bit bigger than I would have wanted, but I trusted that my hair and my face would distract the public from noticing my ginormous arms. And yeah,…

Me and the Minute Maid Pulpy Natural Goodness

I just drank a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy. They say it’s got ‘no preservatives added’. Aw, c’mon…It’s bottled juice. Is that even possible? So I thought maybe... it is true coz ithere's so much fruity goodness in it . I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it’s got no preservatives added. So I read the ingredients (even the fine print) and everything checked out! It really has NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED! That means it doesn’t have ingredients that may turn out to be allergens, or worse...carcinogens! Whew! Now that’s healthy goodness that tastes so good, I... love it because I am allergic to a lot of things and with my illnesses, i have to be careful about what I drink. So okay, it’s got no preservatives added. That’s really good, right? Not just because it doesn’t have those icky, harmful ingredients, but it also means... it's all natural goodness, all natural flavor, all natural taste. So far anyone who still has a hard time believing that Minute Maid has got no preservatives added - meaning it's THAT natural, it's almost like it's plucked straight from the tree, it's just as Mother Nature wanted your orange juice to be,…

Ria Jose, Hair and Make Up by Envy Me Salon, Photography by Eight Espino

The Last Day by Marilyn Scott

In my old blog, I posted the lyrics to one of the songs I really liked. That was in 2005 and I haven't really updated that blog in four years but the post still gets some comments because apparently a lot of people like the song and have been looking for a copy of it. The song is "The Last Day." Back then I thought it was by Hourglass, a little known band I had watched play the song on Myx. But I have been informed that the song is originally by Marilyn Scott. The song is a bit too sentimental and talks about living one's life to the fullest and shooting for one's dreams. Here is the song: And the lyrics... THE LAST DAY by Hourglass If today were the last of all days Would it change how you feel, who you are? Would you rise for a moment Above all your fears Become one with the moon and the stars? Would you like what you see looking down Did you give everything that you could Have you done everything that you wanted to do Is there still so much more that you hold Follow your dream to the…

January 1, 2011

First Step to Fitness (And to a Sexier Ria)

I'm a vain person, no use denying that. When I diet it's usually for vanity's sake... to wear my clothes better or so I can attract more aholes into my life. LOL! But my recent struggle with my health added 20 pounds to my already overweight body and made me realize that fitness and health should be a major concern. This year I'm aiming for a fit and healthy body. I'll try to have a better and more balanced diet, and I'll attempt to go to the gym to work out. THE HORROR! I abhor going to the gym or doing most forms of physical activity. I don't like getting sweaty or wearing gym clothes. Rawrrr! But for vanity and for fitness, I'll do it this year. I'll start with a once a week walking around the oval and running on the treadmill routine. My first day will be on Monday, January 10, 2011. This will just be the first step. I hope to get back to belly-dancing and maybe do more and longer cardio workouts. I hope this will improve the condition of my cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune systems. I currently weigh around 140 pounds. At only 5"1, I…