Ending

He saw her eyes

She dried her tears

She smiled at him

She is in misery

She knew he saw

She smiled at him

He saw her eyes

He was unconcerned 

(She smiled at him)

She knows

He knows

She’s holding on,

He’s letting go.

Copyright : No part of this blog may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying form without written permission of the author, Mary May D. Ramos.

My BFF (Breast Feeding Friend)

Hi, there Rice Cookers! I have something interesting to share with you again. I had some little chitchat with my best friend, Ayeen, who is a mom to her cutey Ikay (my Goddaughter). We talked about breastfeeding because she is one of the closest people I know who, not only promotes it, but does it without stress at all.

I see a lot of celebrity moms (Marian Rivera-Dantes, Juris Fernandez)  nursing their babies despite their busy schedules. Breastfeeding never became a hindrance to them. And the fact that my best friend left her job to be a hands-on mom to Ikay, wow! Just, wow! It was a very huge decision to make. And I salute my best friend for that.

Well, she also encouraged me to breastfeed as soon as I have my own. (I am praying for that baby bump soon). She also shared good points on this topic! I enjoyed having this conversation with my best friend, especially now that we have our own families. This talk turned out to be matured and timely.

How long have you been breastfeeding?

Since birth ni ikay, 1 year and 5 months.

Why breastfeeding?

“Because breast is best! I know that it’s the best gift that I can give to my child.”

A beautiful view while breastfeeding.
cto : Ayeen U. Barit

Sometimes, people feel awkward (especially men) when they see a mother breastfeeding. How do you feel about this?

Nalulungkot dahil na-sexualize na ang breasts. The purpose of breasts, kaya tayo binigyan nito, is to nurture our children. “People who feel awkward, worse offended when they see a mother breastfeeding in public are ignorant. The mother is only doing the most natural job which is to feed her baby.”

What do you feel when you see someone breastfeeding in a public place?

I feel proud! Hehe. We should normalize breastfeeding!

ChitChat. This is true! Naglessen lang naman ang breastfeeding noong 1950′s.

By the 1950s, the predominant attitude to breastfeeding was that it was something practiced by the uneducated and those of lower classes. The practice was considered old-fashioned and “a little disgusting” for those who could not afford infant formula and discouraged by medical practitioners and media of the time. 

A breastfeeding mother in public with her baby will often need to breastfeed her child. A baby’s need to feed cannot be determined by a set schedule, so legal and social rules about indecent exposure and dress code are often adapted to meet this need.^[26] Many laws around the world make public breastfeeding legal and disallow companies from prohibiting it in the workplace, but the reaction of some people to the sight of breastfeeding can make things uncomfortable for those involved.^[27] Some breastfeeding mothers feel reluctant to breastfeed in public. 

- excerpt from 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_and_culture_of_breastfeeding\

Indeed, a happy baby! (and mommy too!)
cto: Ayeen U. Barit

Nakikita mo na ba ‘yung mga benefits ng breastfeeding? Anu-ano ‘yon?

Yes! Never pang nagkasakit si Ikay. Nagkasipon lang siya ng mild (mga 2-3 days, ung sipon na di nya naman pinapansin) siguro twice pa lang sa buong buhay nya. Never pa siya nagdiarrhea. Matibay sikmura nya, lahat pwede nya kainin. Mga gulay at prutas ang kinakain nya. No allergies. At dahil nga matibay ang sikmura, nahahayaan ko siyang maglaro at magexplore ng kahit ano sa labas. Humahawak ng lupa, bato, dahon, kahit ano. Madalas sinusubo ang maduming kamay, ok lang naman siya.  She is a happy baby! 

Paano mo ma-eengganyo ang isang nanay na magbreastfeed?

Mahirap yung “maengganyo” eh. Dapat kasi open talaga ung nanay sa breastfeeding.  Ang ginagawa ko na lang, sinasabi ko na mag-attend sila ng breastfeeding class. Mahirap kc magconvince lalo kung di ka naman talaga lactation counselor. “Sa pagbreastfeed kailangan decided ang nanay”. Super important din yung support ng mga tao sa paligid nya lalo na si husband. Kahit wag na ung ibang tao, basta si husband kelangan supportive. May point kasi talaga na gugustuhin mo ng mag-give up. Kelangan may magpush sayo na tuloy lang. Siguro eto na lang, you’re giving the BEST and PERFECT food to your child when you breastfeed. Ang milk ng tao ay para sa tao. Ang milk ng cow ay para sa cow. Apat ang tyan ng cow, so imagine the content of cow’s milk that you give to a baby when you give him formula milk.

The interview/chismisan ended with this advice:

“Hay napakadami ko pang pwedeng i-share.  Kaya pag ikaw nabuntis, magbreastfeed ka!” - Ayeen U. Barit

Copyright © 2016 by Mary May de Villa - Ramos

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, send an email to emsdevilla@gmail.com

Ragojos on Weight Loss

Hi there, Rice Cookers! It’s me again, Chitmosa! Allow me to introduce my next ka-chitmisan!

Rovie Ragojos, was one of my batch mates in college. She is a happy person, a good singer/musician, but I never knew that she has a sporty side.

Rovie is one of my inspirations when it comes to weight loss. She jogs a lot, which was not my lifestyle before. She really did shed off a lot of pounds when she started jogging. I was encouraged by her (posts on Facebook), so tried it as well. And damn! It was not easy! This girl can jog more than 7 km! How could she possibly do that? Standing ovation for you, girl!

 A little something, as of this writing, she is now 28 y/o and a registered nurse in Bataan.

Well, since I am a certified chitmosa, I asked her questions about weight loss. And I really loved the way she answered my questions. She’s really honest and straight to the point. She was reluctant to be interviewed at first, but who can say NO to my charms. (may charms, teh!)

Paano ka nagcome up sa idea na gusto mo na maglose ng weight?

Well, primarily for a change lang. Bigla na lang din talaga ako nagising isang araw na naisip ko what if mag umpisa ako magpapayat? I mean literally talaga.

Paano mo idedescribe yung pakiramdam mo noon sa pakiramdam mo ngayon?

Kahit paano mas confident ako ngayon. Physically and emotionally.

The difference after a year of hard work and perseverance.
cto : Rovie Ragojos 

Ano ang routine mo everyday at paano mo naisisingit ang pag-eexercise?

Being a registered nurse, madalas 8 hrs duty ko at araw araw yan. 7am to 3pm minsan din my pagkakataon na kelangan mag 12hrs. Pero pag gising ko palang naka set na sa isip ko na “after work I have to do my exercise no matter what.” Nakakatulong iyon kasi para kang my extra energy to do your exercise.

When asked about what food she avoids, she answered this:

Wala naman ako iniiwasan na food pero I managed na din na pag hindi gutom wala ako kinakain. Saka tinitikman ko naman almost everything hindi nga lang yung sobra sobra. 

Sino or Ano ang naging inspirasyon mo para ipagpatuloy ang healthy lifestyle mo ngayon?

“Naging inspirasyon ko ung mga taong nagsasabing hindi ko kaya. Iyong mga taong pinagtatawanan ako habang nakikita nila akong nag ja jogging at yung mga taong mapanghusga, yung tingin nila ‘pag pumapasok ako sa gym.”

Sweet success! Rovie showing off her pair of baggy pants
cto : Rovie Ragojos

Chitchat: This is true. Instead of feeling humiliated, turn the music up, look straight ahead and ignore the world! Wala silang pake, mas maganda naman na iyong nagjajog ka kaysa nakatambay ka lang at tinatawanan ang nagjajog. Mastroke ka sana. Peace!

Ano ano ang mga bagay na natutunan mo sa journey mo na to?

“Natutunan ko na lahat possible.. Na hindi pa huli para magbago.”

Paano mo i-e-encourage ang isang tao na magkaroon ng healthy lifestyle?

“Well basically, ok lang kumain. Kailangan yan para mabuhay. Pero sana wag kalimutan mag-exercise. And stay focused lang. Madami naman form of exercise as long as ginagawa ‘yon.”

APENatureTrips

The mountains are calling... I must go!
cto : APEN Andres

We call her APEN, which is short for Angella PEN (which I will not write here because it’s too long and I think she will be pissed with me.

She was my Team Manager when I was working in the BPO industry. She is a very serious looking person on the floor, but she is not really serious at all. Well, she’s pretty serious when it comes to her career, but is always available to give encouragement to the people who need it most. I won’t be promoted if not for her. #TrueStory

I never expected to see her like this, being sporty and all. I always admire her cooking skills (especially her Carbonara full of mushrooms) and leadership skills, but seeing her so in love with nature is so surprising! It just reflects her soft side. I always want to ask how did she convince herself do nature trips. So, I used  my super Chitmosa powers just to get the answer!

Let’s get to know her, shall we?

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Strong, Honest, responsible

What is your current job?

BPO Team Manager

Do you call yourself a traveller or a backpacker?

Backpacker

Do you prefer solo travel or with someone else? Why?

Currently I travel with a group. It’s fun and cheaper, in terms of expenses. But I still need to do solo, since it is part of my bucket list.

What would you do if you didn't have to work?

Travel! As long as I have the finances to push forward with all the places I want to visit.

How are you documenting your trip?

I do document my trips thru’ social media (Facebook and Instagram). I tend to follow through with EOM reviews of places I've been to.

Plus, I keep a diary, wherein I keep tabs of what mine and places I've been to and specifics of the trips. What I expected and what I experienced.

Strict schedule or go with the flow?

Both. Strict with the date of departure. But once we arrive at the destination, just go with what is fun to do. We tend to deviate some things on the itinerary, as long as it does not inconvenience the goal, that is reaching the summit or chilling after on the beach.

What is your dream travelling experience?

Go solo, with enough cash, and spend at least 5 days of unfamiliar culture and bask in the traditions of the places I go to - somewhere south like Mindanao (If we go local) or in Europe!!!

What was the most challenging thing you've done?

So far,  the most challenging thing I have done is conquering my fear of falling. With the mountains we've been to, the path towards the summit are really scary!!! You really need to have prayers and enormous courage to reach the top!

What place is top of your bucket list?

Europe! The whole of Europe!!! But here in the Philippines., It will be Batanes.

What's your favourite place so far? Why did you want to come to this place?

Batulao is one of the mountains I really fell in love with. It was one of the  hikes that was in our group's list. And I was so lucky to have joined them. It is one of the most scenic places I was blessed to go to.

What has surprised you about yourself?

I was surprised that I am able to really enjoy the company of strangers since I started my travels. It made me respect people more and reserve all judgement of who and what they are.

3 in 1 question: What can't you travel without? What has been the most useful item you've brought?  What have you brought that you haven't used?

I cannot travel without wet ones! They are a must for any hiker, traveler, or backpacker!

Water bottler. Another must have for any one going beyond 120 km from their house.

The one constant thing that I have in my bag,and thank God I have not used is my first aid kit.

What's the best piece of travel advice you've received?

LEAVE NO TRACE.

What's the most interesting thing you've learnt during your travel?

One of the most interesting thing that you keep with you, if you have been travelling in Nature, is you become more aware that we need Her more than She needs us. We need to really take care of her like we take care of ourselves.

What's your top travel tip?

CLEAN AS YOU GO.

Copyright © 2016 by Mary May de Villa - Ramos

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, send an email to emsdevilla@gmail.com