Pong Thoughts: The Sunshine Blogger Award 🌞

Hello everyone! 😚

It's been a while and it has been so busy; finding all the time I need to squeeze in everything has been a challenge. The last couple of weeks or say January has been a roller coaster ride. But all is well. So far, 2018 has been so so great!

So what is this post all about? I have been nominated by the multi-talented, chill and by the person I really have not met yet but it's as if I know her from my past life, haha - Erika Ramona. Go check her beautiful online journal here - http://www.ekachamporadodiaries.com/. There, you'll see how this lady loves life so much, makes you want to grab your bags and go! ✈

As a nominee, I will be answering some questions from Erika. Here we go:

1. When and why did you start blogging?
[pong] I started writing when I was in 4th grade. Blogging - Multiply Days, maybe 2008? Really can't recall but I decided to publish blogs again last December, 2016. Writing has always been my outlet. Once my "writing soul" arrives, I just had to.

2. Which movie or book do you think is ridiculously overrated?
[pong] Uhm, maybe Fifty Shades of Grey? This is the first thing that I thought of.

3.You have $100 to burn, all your friends are busy and you have the whole day to yourself, what do you do?
[pong] Pack my bag and go to the nearest beach.

4. Food for soul or music for soul? 
[pong] Music for the soul.

5. What is your favorite hobby?
[pong] Right now, am into badminton, traveling and blogging. Taking pictures and stuff.

6. What is your idea of fun?
[pong] Beach/mountains + music + beer.

7. What makes you say “What was I thinking?” when you look back on your life?
[pong] Well, I was about to be promoted when I was caught drinking Tanduay Ice with some of my office mates while on shift. Fun times! Haha!

8. What is the best meal you have ever had on vacation?
[pong] The grilled fish I had in El Nido. Super fresh from the sea!

9. Are you a morning person or a night person? Why?
[pong] I guess I am a morning person. I function well and am just asleep at night, so there. Haha!

10. Who was your childhood hero?
[pong] Can't think of any but NikNok and Kombatron from Funny Komiks were the first ones I thought of! Haha.  Maybe, Captain Planet.

11. Can you share one quote or saying you love, that keeps you going in life?

[pong]  Life is the best gift ever, might as well live it to the fullest and happiness is a choice. 😉

Now, it's time to nominate some thrill seekers and individual explorers I know:

Marie Patinio - http://www.marieblog.com/
Claire Madarang - https://iamtravelinglight.com/
Milet Miranda - http://www.projectgora.com/
Allandale Antenero - http://www.utopianwanderer.net/
Celine Reyes-Murillo - http://www.celineism.com/
Dennis Murillo - https://www.facebook.com/thedennismurillo/
Mujee Gonzales - https://eatsinthephilippines.wordpress.com/
Jinkee Umali - http://livelifefullest.com/
Ruel Umali - http://ruelumali.com/
Gina Alward - http://thehereandwow.com/
Kayla Burk - http://buytheplaneticket.com/


Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you for your blog post and links back to her blog.
2. Answer 11 questions that the Blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new bloggers to receive the awards and write them 11 questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post on your blog.

Questions for my nominees:
1.Where is your dream vacay destination?
2. If you can change one thing in this world, what is it going to be?
3. You are to write an article for someone, who is it going to be for and what will the article be about?
4. Describe yourself in three words.
5. What are the things you can't live without when traveling?
6. The beach or the mountains?
7. What makes the sunset beautiful?
8. What is that one thing you learned from traveling?
9. If you are to take a picture of your life, what is it going to look like?
10. It's the end of the world tomorrow, what will you do?
11. Message to aspiring writers/photographers/bloggers. 


Thanks, guys! 💕

speak from the heart,
pong 🐢💙

Pong Thoughts: Diving Specials - Whale Shark Encounter 🐳🐋🌊

👀 Hello!!!! 👀

Last October 10, Diving Specials chanced upon a photo I posted in my Instagram account. It was a photo of a baby whale shark that I had a chance to swim with last September 17 while am in Oslob, Cebu. It was indeed a surreal experience knowing that these fellas are so big - it's crazy to think that something can eat you whole but chooses not to. Makes me love the marine life more and more. 🐳🐋

Here's the photo that am talking about - used my GoPro Hero 5 Black and did some editing using Snapseed. 

baby whale shark

As requested, added the #whalesharkmoment in the caption and sent Diving Specials an email about doing so. Once chosen, you're entitled to have this super cute Scuba Tank keychain.  

how cute is this scuba tank keychain?

And your entry will then be qualified to join the #whalesharkmoment photo contest wherein the top 2 voted images will win. With the help of my family and super friends, the photo won (yay!!!!) and I got the Buddy Watcher! Buddy Watcher is a device used for communicating under water via vibrations, all you have to do is tap to signal your diving buddy. How sweet, yes? Thank you very much Diving Specials and to everyone who voted, I will forever be grateful. The voting process was not that easy, so I thank you for your time. I wish I had all the names, but I was not able to capture all. You know who you are! Much love from me! ♥♥♥

Thank you, everyone. This is not the complete list though! Much love!

Here's the contents of the Buddy Watcher Box from the mail: 

Buddy Watcher Set (Straps, Charging Clips, Charging Cable and 2 Buddy Watcher Devices.

If you want to avail of The Best Diving Deals, make sure to visit Diving Specials website. They definitely have a lot of good deals to offer and Sarah, CEO and Founder, is very hands-on, accommodating and she always makes sure to respond as necessary and as soon as possible. Danke, Sarah! 😍

Below are the some screen caps of their website. 

And this is me ready to communicate under water. Diving buddy, anyone? lol

let's go!!!!  (haven't remove the plastic protector, lol)

my gear: 

My action cam, GoPro Hero 5 Black: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHXTXP
My phone, iPhone 5: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHXTdi



speak from the heart,
pong 🐢💙

Pong Thoughts: Counting the Days! 🎄

Hello! 👩🏻

So, my writing soul visited me yesterday. I feel the need to publish something but was too sleepy to do so. I have been very busy lately with all the things that's been going on. But this busy is a "good busy", I must say.


Month-ends are always busy at work. Timesheets, coachings, etc. Not to mention the endless timesheet challenges and stuff. And me going on an unpaid leave while all these are happening is really a brave move. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

My blog site is also keeping me occupied. It's been overwhelming (but my layout still sucks! Haha). Anyone, sponsor? Help, pretty please? Haha! Maayos ko din yan. 😉 Some drafts are left unpublished. Hopefully, I can publish one on Monday.

I have an event to attend to this weekend - Pawikan Festival in Bataan. Am excited, nervous. Mixed emotions. I really don't what to expect pero kaya yan! Lavern!

I hope I can squeeze everything in a day. I mean all the things that I need and I want to do. Sana ako si Super Pong! Haha. Lahat nakaplot sa calendar e. But am not complaining. Forever grateful.

But sometimes, there are things and people that we, unconsciously, due to the demands of our everyday lives, we almost forget that they exist and they are once part of our daily routine. Sad reality. 😞 But then again, it takes two brave souls for a relationship to work. Even friendship is a relationship too. Siguro it's true that no one is really that busy, we can always make time if we want to. Always make time for folks who matters the most! Love lang, bawal hate.

How Pretty, right? Taken at The Posh Podium

Merry Christmas, guys! Thanks for reading my hanash for today! Happy Thanksgiving to my friends from the US of A!



Lazada Crazy Cyber Pinoy Sale Happening tomorrow until the 27th! Click LAZADA CRAZY SALE


speak from the heart,
pong 🐢💙

Pong Thoughts: First Invite Everrrr!!!!!! 🐢

Ola!!! ☺

I've been blogging or should I say started blogging again for almost a year now. Last year, I decided to write again and so far, so good. I can finally say that this is something that I really love to do. Passion it is. ♥

Guess what?! I've been invited to the Pawikan Festival! Woohoo! Won't include the content of the whole letter, just the heading and the introduction. Kilig di ba?

Next week, November 25, Pawikan Festival is happening in Morong, Bataan wherein attendees are privileged to witness the laying, hatching and the releasing of the baby turtles to the wild. Amazing, yes? 🐢🐢🐢 

Good thing is that accommodation is free when you get invited and I feel so lucky to be one of the few. Aside from the fact that I am fond of turtles, just the opportunity is indeed a blessing already. First time 'toooooooooo!!!!!!!! Jusko!!! Hahahaha!

Sea turtles' rate of survival when released is so minimal but when they're able to survive, their lives could last up to 100 years. Lots of factors - weather, human intervention, ecosystem and the marine life itself too. But I would say, as humans, let's do our part. Ironically speaking, humans are the greatest threat to our pawikans, but we are the ones who can definitely save and protect them too. Let's love our oceans more - they are beautiful and definitely, we'd love to see the future generation see how beautiful the oceans are.

If you're free, c'mon join us on the 25th and celebrate the annual Pawikan Festival in Bataan! See you there! 🐢☺

PS Feeling ko blogger na talaga ko! Haha!

My action cam, GoPro Hero 5 Black: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHXTXP
My phone, iPhone 5: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHXTdi



speak from the heart,
pong 🐢♥