Procrastination is like masturbation

Nobody knows who this quote is by (some say it's a Monty Python quote), but whatever. I think it's hilariously accurate.

Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. ~Author unknown

Nearly every post I published in the last several months makes reference to the fact that I hadn't done any proper writing because I was "too busy" or "didn't have enough time." And then a few days ago, I came across this quote (yes, another one) --

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. ~Jean de La Bruyère

Ouch. That smarts.

It's true. I didn't have enough time because I was shit at time management. I've known this all along, of course, but hadn't given it a thought until now.

Why didn't I have enough time to write? Because I was busy flooding my Twitter and Facebook pages with nonsense or stuff that I could've turned into proper posts if I had actually sat down and written them. I procrastinated heavily.

The same goes for doing actual work. I end up working until midnight (sometimes even way past that) because I waste a huge chunk of my time checking my damn Facebook profile. Sure it was fun, but it didn't really do me a lot of good. I get very little sleep and even less time for clearing my book and film debt.

I'm doing well, so far, with abstaining from these distractions. I just hope I can keep it up.

Nalusuan Island Resort, Cebu

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to live in your very own private island? That is just exactly the experience my friends and I got at Nalusuan Island Resort in Cebu.




Nalusuan Island Resort can be found just off the coast of Mactan Island. From Mactan Airport, land travel may take around 45 minutes to the port. It will take a further 45-minute boat ride to get to the resort.


The place is apparently surrounded by scores of sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers look like penises. And according to Soloflighted.com, Nalusuan Island derived its name from the word kalusuan, meaning "a place of penises."




I, therefore, welcome you to PENIS ISLAND! harhar!


Compared to Bantayan or Malapascua Island where you will have to travel at leasat 4 hours to get to the beach, Nalusuan Island will only take you less than 2 hours. It's perfect for us, because we will only be in Cebu for 2 days. No time wasted!




I was a bit nervous coming here because none of us have ever been to Cebu before and I was the one who discovered this resort. Had it turned out badly, I could've been in big trouble with the guys! I nearly kissed the island sands when I saw how beautiful the place was. Whew.




Stunning views all around... and quiet too.











Nalusuan Island has what is apparently called a "wet beach." Meaning, the island only has a sandbar stretching out as far as the eye can see, but when the tide is high, it drowns.




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You can't see it on this photo, but it's at this point where we can almost see the pink Hilton Hotel in Mactan.



What about the rooms, you ask? You would be amazed to see the rest of the photos I took --



I booked an aircon room (yes, all by myself -- don't bother asking why) good for at least 2 people.





It was amazingggggg. I was nearly in tears! T_T (Ok I admit, that was an exaggeration.)




Just imagine staying in a room like this! My P3,050 for one night was well worth it!




The room is a stilt cottage, so water directly below.








Can't resist camwhoring. Self-timer is my best friend.




I'm very particular about bathrooms and I found this one clean and really spacious. Taking a piss at night and seeing the stars out your window is magical! LOLLLL




I really am lucky that day, because even my front door view is stunning. *sigh*




I feel even more lucky when I woke up the next morning to this.





Being a dog-lover, they can be stars of the show for me sometimes --







Now here's what to expect should you want to book a trip to Nalusuan Island --

Reservations come with free breakfast, although it is a very sad affair. It's apparently continental. Four slices of verrrrrry lightly toasted white bread with butter, runny marmalade and a banana is hardly continental to me. However, I'm so pleased with the resort that it didn't matter much to me. At least we got coffee or juice with that.




So I ordered an extra Longsilog. I think this meal costs about P200+ and comes with juice.

The menu can be very limited, so expect not being able to eat what you intend to order. Dishes are mostly to share, so may cost around P200+ each. Just think how far the nearest supermarket is and you'll understand what I mean.

I'd advise you to buy groceries first before boarding the boat to Nalusuan Island. As for the corkage fee, there's none for food but only minimal charge for drinks. I think we brought 7 large bottles of soda and a couple of alcoholic drinks and we only got charged P300 for everything. Not so bad, me thinks.


Since it's a private island, don't go expecting any nightlife here. You will be most likely alone, as most people seem to come here only for day trips, scuba diving or snorkeling.


Oh and by the way, there's no electricity during the day. Find a way to keep yourself occupied then, because the generators are only turned on between 6pm to 8am.

Van pick-up from the airport would cost around P800 one-way. Return boat transfers are P2,000.

The Shift

After undergoing my own version of a paradigm shift, I have realised that I suddenly didn't possess the same inclinations I used to have before the events.

If I used to think this site is a projection of my shallow thoughts and interests, that view had become magnified at least tenfold. I had attempted to write about new stuff, but they all came out forced and I became irritated with the whole process. I've actually considered just giving up many times.

Frustrated Sosyalera is a lifestyle site. A place where you could find out about stuff a lot of people would see as "superficial" such as fashion, makeup, beauty tips, what or where to eat and what to do when you're bored.

I don't do much of those things anymore, though. Most of the time now I just work at home, watch a few movies, hang out with friends and read books.

Yes, read books. I'm such a nerd.

If I'm not reading books, I"m lost in thought a lot. Philosophising my way to enlightenment, who knows? I sometimes drive myself crazy. These aren't the kind of things a "sosyalera" would do! So it would seem that I had tons of things to write about, but I don't exactly think this site was the right avenue for them.

As the next logical step, therefore, I tried creating new blogs for my new world, but I couldn't make them work. They strangely seem too detached for me.

And then it hit me -- this is happening to me simply because I had undergone some drastic changes in myself, but that I'm essentially still the same person I had always been. To really move forward, you will have to accept that things from your past, no matter how awful they may have been or how difficult to relate with they have become, are a part of you and they will always be a part of you.

So I've made a decision.

This blog is changing with me. The title may not fit anymore, but it's still me.





I looked out through this window and I saw possibilities.

New Baby!

I've always been amazed with good photography and have always wanted to be able to take better photos myself. I used to take photography classes back in university, but not having my own equipment, I had to borrow them from my classmates (being that they were very expensive back in the day -- don't ask when exactly), it put me off the art. The same thing happened with my piano lessons as a child. If I didn't have my own instrument to tinker with, I lose interest.

However, the urge to get myself a DSLR had taken over my head recently and so I told myself "To hell with it, I'm buying one!"


So here's my new baby Nikon D5000 --




The stork brought in it last week and I'd been able to test it during a trip to Cebu over the weekend. I'm in photography heaven, even if it's just a kit lens. Happy!

Gin Blossoms Live in Manila, 18 November 2010

I've been doing just about anything except write. Have been all over the place lately and most of the time I had been lost in a quagmire called "my thoughts". My Facebook and Twitter friends know a lot more, of course, because that's where I've been throwing all of my brain farts into. It's a lot easier for me to post links and forming 140-character words of wisdom.



However, the Gin Blossoms concert in Manila, which I have attended, was just too fun to keep in my Facebook. So share it with the blogosphere, I will.





I usually get a lot of work on Thursdays, so I had to pack it in early to get to the Araneta in time for gates to open. My friends and I didn't want to spend too much on tickets (I was going off to Cebu the next day), so we just got seats for the free-seating area in Upper Box A.




Of course, the trouble with the seats we got was you see next to nothing. In a concert, though, I believe you come to feel the vibe.




It wasn't a sold-out concert, but the place was still packed with 90's babies and the songs reminded everyone of their fleeting time of youth (including myself, of course).




It was all good fun -- even if they played too many songs from their new album, which most people haven't heard of.


Here are the video highlights! The camera's all shakey-shakey because the videographer (ehem) was too hyped up. Sorry!


Til I Hear It From You





As Long As It Matters






Hey Jealousy

Suit up! Wait... I don't have a suit!

This happened quite a while ago. Yes, yes, I know I'm a delinquent poster. You don't have to tell me.

In honor of Mr Barney Stinson of the television programme How I Met Your Mother, some lovely ladies have organised an event called the International Suit Up Day, held at Murphy's Pub in Makati City last 13 October.


Everyone should come to the event in a suit.





The lovely organisers.





My friends wanted to go and I wanted to nose around, so I went with them.




But I didn't have a suit, so I wore a blazer. *sigh* I can almost hear Barney say it now...









Still, it beats being stuck at home with nothing to do. At least it's something different.




I've never looked this business-like even when I was still working in an office!!!




Group photo with Murphy's manager.




Thanks to Jeeves de Veyra for the photos!

The creative holiday present conundrum

Have you ever tried painstakingly making little trinkets, cards and artwork and used them as presents? I am pretty sure they have been well-received, as they must represent your personal touch and showcase your creativity. Sites like CafePress.com can help you channel your creativity by helping you print your designs into shirts, ornaments, mugs, stationary and other fun stuff you can think of. If you believe you have no flair for designing your own presents, you can browse on the sites’ art posters section and choose from one of those.


Custom t-shirts are one of the more popular choices for Christmas giveaways. These are what my parents used to give away every year when my family still owned a grocery store. However, those shirts only displayed the company name and were boring as heck. I think the people that got them only wore those shirts around the neighborhood.

If we had a little bit more foresight, we could have t-shirts designed much more commercially. Then if those designs became popular, we could have also sold them eventually. What a pity! I guess I could still do that now – I could design Frustrated Sosyalera shirts and give those away for the holidays. I wonder how those would fare?

Due Date, You Again & Takers

Movies showing this week! I'm a Robert Downey Jr fan, so guess which film do you think would be on top of my list?




Due Date
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis
Synopsis: An expectant father needs to rush home in order to be there for the birth of his child. But it turns out that he's on the no-fly list, and he's forced to drive cross-country with an eccentric aspiring actor, leading to one disaster after another.


So what if it's another roadtrip movie??? I love roadtrip movies! Hehe!




You Again
Starring: Betty White, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Bell, Odette Yustman, Sigourney Weaver
Synopsis: A successful young woman returns home for her brother's wedding, only to discover that the bride is a girl who bullied her in high school. She decides to settle the score by revealing the bride's true colors.


Ooh, Halloween & Alien lead actresses in one film? This should be interesting...





Takers
Starring: Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Matt Dillon, Michael Ealy, Paul Walker
Synopsis: A gang of professional thieves are called in by a recently paroled colleague to perform one last spectacular heist. The thieves are set to get away with twenty million dollars, but a tough detective stands in their way.


I have serious doubts about this one, but it looks good on paper.