Nomad Manager

Get your tickets!! :D muniph: Join Muni PH for a night of great...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:38:32 +0800

Get your tickets!! :D

Join Muni PH for a night of great music, company and advocacy! Proceeds will go to our #CutTheCrap campaign and Save Philippine Seas’ Pawikan Watchers’ project.

Tickets are available for P200 here or on Artiste Connect, and will also be available at the gate for P250.

A Life Priority Refresh: An Update on Me

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 10:27:00 +0800

A post can not be more self-indulgent with a title other than this. :P

On account of being overwhelmed by things as of late, and the deceptive “busy-ness” of life, I’ve decided to reassess my life priorities (something I also help others with in my Finding Your Spark and Turning Your Ideas into action class at Trade School Manila). And here’s what I found, along with some valuable insights / realizations.

When I took the passion test nearly a year ago, my top 5 life priorities were as follows:

Be in the here and now (present and mindful)
Be location independent
Be super eco-friendly (in my lifestyle and work)
Brainwash / influence
Pursue something artsy

While these were spot on and helped in shaping my decisions for the year to follow, I’ve felt the need to reassess my priorities now that I’ve gone takaw mata and put more things on my plate than I can digest. :P

My new life priorities or missions are as follows:

Spend time with family & friends
Dive regularly (at least once every 2-3 months)
Become an excellent communicator / speaker / trainer (while these may be different, I have a specific idea of what I want to do to get closer to those)
Hold monthly MUNI events (to help build the community and send a message out - whether it be like #CutTheCrap, Biyaheng Burda, Eco Fashion Workshop or what-have-you)
Create beautiful, meaningful, purposeful clothing with local materials and craftsmanship

These are not vastly different from my previous priorities, and are in fact, simply more specific versions of them. The big surprise for me here is how apparently, I’ve come to value spending time with my family, when I was in fact, totally happy on my own last year - when traveling or location independence was a big priority.

I’ve acknowledged, after a relatively brief 2-and-a-half months of travel last year, that the experience of traveling itself was not what I wanted all along, but rather, the unadulterated freedom that came with it, the time to spend in the world within, and the wonder with which I viewed the world without.

And then I realized that what I really wanted from the experience, I could have anywhere, whether I was in Asia, Europe, the Philippines, Manila, or my house.

And that former #1 Be in the here and now life priority, should really just be a life default.

My new #1 though is not to say I want to spend every waking moment with friends and family, but really being able to be more present for them, and that I don’t shun invitations of valued friends on the pretense of “busy-ness”. (Though I am still wary of family vacations as it has become rather stressful at times :P)

So anyway, if you’ve made it to the end of this post, thank you for engaging in my self-chat. I look forward to having a dialogue with you in the future. :P

Cheers,
Jen Horn a.k.a. Nomad Manager
Brainwasher-in-Chief at Muni PH

The Myth of "The Busy Life"

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:11:00 +0800

Are you really as busy as you make yourself out to be?

I feel like ultimately, you decide where you want to put your time, according to what you value more. And that people are really just as busy as they choose to be.

To be honest, I do feel like I’ve bitten off more than I can properly chew and digest in the past couple of months, what with maintaining www.muni.com.ph, Muni events like the recently concluded Biyaheng Burda (watch out for a part 2 in July) and our upcoming #CutTheCrap gig on June 15, setting up and re-setting up the Muni Pop-Up Shop Online, assisting with the Cat@lyst project of Global Shapers Manila (whose deadline has been extended to June 7), and doing consultancy work at a tech incubator / digital marketing agency.

So many things in my life just seemed to happen at the same time, and while there is a lot on my plate, you know what they say, there’s always room for dessert. (I’m not sure if that expression works here but I think it will do.)

Dessert, for me here (at this time and place in my life), means times for friends and family.

And while I hardly go out, I do enjoy quality hangouts with friends whom I have engaging two-way conversations with. And I’ve come to realize, that I do value spending time with my family too. Something I gave almost no value last year.

The Possibly Painful Truth

Having said that, when people say they’re too busy to meet up, it could be true. But if you ask them several times to no avail, then you probably haven’t given them a compelling enough reason to meet up with you, because either:

They can not see what value you can give to them at the moment, or
They can not see what value they can give to you at the moment.
(Sometimes those two mix.)

People are really just as busy as they choose to be.

And this is me kind of realizing for myself that I have to reassess my priorities, as I’ve been spreading myself too thin for my taste, and in effect, not being of maximum value in any one arena.

I’ve tried to help people through my classes “Finding Your Spark & Turning Ideas Into Action” classes, but it’s time to reexamine my own passion test perhaps? :)

Muni-muni,
Jen

—

Follow @nomadmanager and @muni_PH
Visit www.muni.com.ph

Got a stash of film canisters and don’t know what to do...

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:08:52 +0800

Got a stash of film canisters and don’t know what to do with them?
Donate them to Muni’s film canister drive and we’ll make sure to find a good use for them in our #CutTheCrap campaign. :)

Learn more about the campaign here: http://www.muni.com.ph/?p=1887

muniph:

Muni PH: #CutTheCrap canisters by Celina de Guzman

Learn more about the campaign here!
See more #CutTheCrap canisters here!

The latest installment from Muni’s awesome #CutTheCrap...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:14:23 +0800

The latest installment from Muni’s awesome #CutTheCrap campaign! :D

muniph:

Muni PH: #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts
by JP Cuison

Learn more about the impact of cigarette butt litter here!
See the rest of the #CutTheCrap posters here!

colabph: A co.lab of talents for a greater cause! Here at...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:55:46 +0800

colabph:

A co.lab of talents for a greater cause!

Here at co.lab, we love supporting budding communities. One of our newest guests in our home is Muni, a community that aims to create a culture of environmental awareness through creativity. Their latest endeavour is the the #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts campaign to raise awareness on the shocking impact of cigarette butts on the environment.

Now exhibited here at our space are these fantastic posters by illustrators Rob Cham, Manix Abrera, Celina de Guzman, Reg Silva, OJ Desuasido and JP Cuison.

co.lab was abuzz with art and chatter last week as the Muni supporters got together for a video shoot to promote a gig they’re putting together on June 15 at Route 196 (where co.lab is a co-presenter!). This gig features bands Pedicab, Ciudad, Your Imaginary Friends, Slow Hello, RomCom and No Rome.

To all other creative individuals and little communities who are looking for a place to work on their amazing projects, feel free to connect at co.lab. Aside from being a coworking space, we can provide you an awesome venue for your events. Please e-mail us at info@colab.ph for rates and more details.

We can’t wait to collaborate with you all soon! Cheers!

Hooraaaaay! :D

muniph: Let’s celebrate the art of Lumban embroidery!Back our...

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:49:06 +0800

muniph:

Let’s celebrate the art of Lumban embroidery!

Back our project on The Spark Project and join us on a trip for crafts, a little history and a quite a lot of food. :P

Project runs until May 15, 2013 only!
Please support and spread the word! :)

Come and join us! :D

Haven’t updated in a while due to busy-ness or something...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0800

Haven’t updated in a while due to busy-ness or something like it but felt compelled to “tumble” this thing about Muni’s #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts campaign right away. :P

As expected, the latest installment by artist OJ Desuasido for Muni PH’s #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts campaign was received with mixed reviews, and yes, this poster / campaign received its share of haters.

But I think you know that your efforts in generating awareness and conversation are working when you ruffle feathers and get people agitated. And when they care enough to react, it means you really struck a chord somewhere. Hehe. I even liked one of the hatements. :P *shrugs*

See the amusing main thread here.

There Are No StrangersThe Circle HostelLa Union,...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0800

There Are No Strangers
The Circle Hostel
La Union, Philippines

* The above photo features me with three of my trip companions and a whole bunch of new friends we made at The Circle Hostel. (Most photos here are c/o Kookai’s GF1 and Rai’s GoPro)

A few weeks ago, when my friend Marcos mentioned that he and his friends Rai and Kookai were heading over to La Union for a few days and that they were going to stay at The Circle Hostel, I (almost) jumped at the chance to join them.

On NOT surfing in La Union

Our 3-day stay, while scored with offers for surf lessons, and further aided by visuals like below:

…involved no surfing at all. :P

However, it did involve bonding and goofing around with old friends…

Solo R&R (with friends :P) at the beach… (galit galit lang)

with my beach essentials: Banana Peel flip flops, Lagu beach-friendly beach blanket (available in my store :P), and oversized Rume eco bag

and then even more R&R at The Circle Hostel…

some hula hooping…

lots of flow wanding (this is awesome, as everyone with us can attest, though the picture doesn’t do it justice :P)…

and pondering the meaning of life…

I’d been wanting to check out The Circle Hostel in either Zambales or La Union (both owned by my friend Raf Dionisio) since I’d been hearing people mention it here and there. And my somewhat spur-of-the-moment trip to La Union with Marcos, Rai and Kookai let me experience it for myself.

True to the nature of hostels and backpacking, The Circle Hostel was very rustic and no frills, and yet that was also its charm. The easy atmosphere and good-natured guests also further validated The Circle Hostel’s motto of “there are no strangers”, and we were easily able to get to know and hangout with the other guests staying at the hostel at the time, and even headed into town to feast on some cheap street eats. :)

The Realities of Hostel Life

Hostels aren’t necessarily for everyone because some people want to have a certain level of comfort and security. Some people want air conditioning and their own room and bathroom complete with little travel sized toiletries.

But as a budget traveler (or a budget human being LOL), I generally don’t have problems sacrificing luxury to save money, but it’d be best to be prepared with:

Bug spray (I’m usually a magnet for mosquitoes wherever I go)
A flashlight (For those brief walks from the street / beach back to your hostel)
Your own lock (To secure your own belongings - I don’t usually witness / experience incidents of theft, but there seemed to be a problem with certain guests’ locks / lockers)

These are some regular travel companions of mine that I take along wherever I go, so it’s also best to be prepared with these things when staying at less frilly accommodations.

Traveling Mindfully

One of my peeves is litter, and I’ve been trying to do my part to make people more aware of the impact of litter and how they can “cut the crap”.

And one of the sad things about the trip was all the litter I’d see on the beach, exacerbated by an event setup there.

You might not see it so clearly in these photos but there was a whole bunch of litter in the form of cigarette butts, food containers and plastic bags scattered by the beach.

As more informed travelers, it would be best to be conscious of not adding to the mess, and encouraging friends to do the same. Doing a 5 to 10-minute cleanup with friends to minimize your environmental impact on a place you visit would do the community good too.

Who knows, people who see you cleaning up might become more wary of the mess that they’ve been creating and be more conscious not to add to the unsightly litter ruining the beach. ;)

‘Til my next post! :P

Cheers,
Jen

The Circle Hostel
www.thecirclehostel.com
E-mail: lu@thecirclehostel.com
Mobile: +639178326253

Been a bit busy lately, but hey!Check out Muni’s 7 Picks...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:29:00 +0800

Been a bit busy lately, but hey!
Check out Muni’s 7 Picks From Manila FAME here!

I loved A LOT of the things I saw but opted only to pick my favorites in 5 categories. So yeah, I cheated a little and went beyond that by picking 7! But I’m proud of ALL the Filipinos who showcased their creativity and artisanry at Manila FAME. :)

Especially Rags2Riches, Lumago Designs and Jacinto & Lirio who were also our featured brands at our recent Eco Fashion Workshop. :D

Hooray for innovative Filipino design! :)

Nomad Manager Progress Report #6: The Worst / Best Time To Take A Break

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:36:00 +0800

Disclaimer: The original title of this post was supposed to be “Labo Labo Sabaw Lang” (inspired by the language I find myself using a lot with Chely lately) because this was supposed to just be like a mind-clearing post because I can feel neurons short-circuiting (well, not really, but you know what I mean) because of all the things I’m supposed to be thinking about right now – pending articles (too many), an upcoming speaking engagement at Manila FAME this Friday (yikes!), post-Muni Eco Fashion Workshop feedback collection + blog post (again) & video (!), and “job description” for volunteers & interns I’ll be shouting out for on Muni.

My head is a mess, I am quite overwhelmed (to say the least) and I can’t concentrate on any of the above pressing tasks.
And this is the time that I choose to step back and write a reflective blog post.
Nice.

But I’m justifying this break by saying that the busiest moments in life really are among the best times to take a break and remind myself about why I’m doing what I’m doing and what it is that I’m getting myself so caught up in.

It feels like so much is happening with and around me and I’m barely (actually not even barely) keeping up with my posts for both www.muni.com.ph and here. But there’s really been so many kind of epic little victories and lessons for Muni.

Cold Calls / Emails & Warm People

I’ve met up with SO MANY AWESOME PEOPLE, a lot of whom I’m really surprised gave me the time of day, and not just 5 minutes out of their busy schedules, mind you, but like hour-long meetings and a genuine desire to help me figure things out with Muni…which they didn’t necessarily give me the answers to, and in fact, some of the things they shared were contradictory.

But it helps that I know their views, and it’s up to me where I should take Muni given the insights I’ve gathered. Having said that, I’ve also realized that some things I said about incorporating Muni in Progress Report #5 here just over a month ago have also changed. I’m still at that point where I find myself constantly trying to figure out the “voice” I want for Muni. And its direction and focus. And its scale.

But the concept of scaling up, for me, is largely more challenging because of my hesitation to have people on a regular payroll and depending on me for monthly sustenance. For those who have not experienced that type of pressure (even if it’s just 1 person you’re paying), I don’t think you can easily understand how much that pressure feels. I built it so I could live with myself. So I could sleep a little better at night knowing that I was trying to make my world a little better. But I feel like given the events / sponsorships and Muni Pop-Up Shop (offline and online), I’ll have to formalize things and have people to sort of man the ship with me. Okay, this doesn’t have anything to do with the warm people anymore but more of me being afraid of commitment and people depending on me. ANYWAY.

Pop-Up Shops, HOHOLs & More

The first ever Muni Pop-Up Shop event was a mini success that catapulted a lot of things for Muni afterwards, like ADB No Impact Week. Now, we’ve also set up a humble Multiply store – Muni Pop-Up Shop Online – to continue promoting conscious consumption even without an event. We’ve also done the Iloilo HOHOL, which also makes it look like we’re a bigger deal than we are, and continuing the “road show” up to Liquid Dumaguete. And just yesterday, the Muni PH Eco Fashion Workshop was my first exploration into a workshop-type setup complete with event pre-payment (to guarantee attendance), a schedule, and food preparations. But these have all been so fulfilling and I really feel so happy in the connections I’ve made and seeds that I’ve planted in opportunities like this.

Rambling. I think I’m kind of just gloating now by counting the little victories.

I guess the question now is why am I doing all this, really?
What do I hope to achieve?
And where do I want to take this?

Again, Muni is really so I can live with myself and sleep better at night, knowing that I’m shedding the light on some otherwise, well, unlit areas of our daily decisions. I guess once you feel so bad / guilty about something, you are kind of willing to spend your life doing everything you can to not feel that guilt, and to do all that you can to not see that “bad” thing in the world around you. So while lifestyle sections are usually interested in the business of “pleasure”, I guess one might say I’m in the business of pain - addressing that gnawing feeling in one’s stomach that I’m just not doing enough but don’t want to spend my entire life in the service of others either. I’m selfish like that.

I just want to plant seeds in people’s minds, and keep planting those seeds, and watering them through continuous articles and events. And hopefully the people I talk to become seed planters (brainwashers) themselves. That’s it.

And I guess that’s the biggest hurdle in the whole process of creating a business model or determining Key Result Areas for the people I’m meeting with. I’m not naturally a “goal-oriented” person or driven by money. I’m just the person who goes and does stuff. I turn ideas into action, but I still struggle with the sustaining part. And the need for money is well, a very real need.

So I spent the afternoon kind of whiling away with this, and eating too much in between, and I don’t know if I really answered my questions or got myself some clarity, but at least I got some stuff out of my system. And hopefully when I report back (to myself) in a month or two, I’ll have something more concrete, goal-wise.

High fives,
Jen

Putting together this Eco Fashion Workshop for Muni PH on March...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:44:00 +0800

Putting together this Eco Fashion Workshop for Muni PH on March 11.
Super limited slots available (FIFTEEN ONLY!).

Click on this link for more details on this awesome workshop!
Find out how to reserve your slot here. :)

Not sold on eco fashion? Click here to read why it rocks, and why you should rock it too.

Peace out,
Jen

Liquid Dumaguete v 2.0: My Advanced Open Water Diver Course

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:17:00 +0800

Having completed my Open Water Diver (OWD) Course at Liquid Dumaguete in Dauin just last October, I was more than eager to come back this month to take my Advanced Open Water Diver Course, revisit my diving “home base”, and most importantly, be part of Liquid Dumaguete’s Sunday Funday, a great initiative that the team began last December and will continue to do every first Sunday of the month.

Getting to Dauin

I’d been traveling through Iloilo and Bacolod the days before, and preferring land vs. air travel, I took a 6-hour bus ride from Bacolod to Dumaguete (I’d been on a 31-hour road trip before, so 6 hours is not a big deal), but given that I had only left Bacolod a little past 4pm, on account of my visit to Rapha Valley, this meant that I’d arrive at roughly 10:30. Upon my arrival at Dumaguete, it turned out that I’d have to wait for the 11:30 bus leaving Dumaguete for Dauin (since I arrived at a less than ideal time — it’s usually a worry-free 20-minute trip from Dumaguete to Dauin).

I cram myself into the bus departing for Dauin at 11:30pm, and get dropped off at the Petron station near Liquid, take a flashlight-guided 10-minute walk to the resort, and at around 12:00 midnight, feel grateful for arriving unscathed.

Again, by no means do I advise solo female travelers to do what I did at the time that I did it. Traveling solo at night isn’t exactly the smartest thing to do. But anyway.

Touchdown: Liquid Dumaguete

The following morning, I was warmly welcomed by the always smiling Nez and the rare Filipino guest, Sheila, and groggily greeted by my OWD instructor and to-be AOD instructor Adam. Later, I was also happy to find that I’d be able to catch Jasper - who helped Adam teach me diving and served as my Dumaguete tour guide back in October - before he left the Philippines to go back to the Netherlands.

In photo: Adam, me, Jasper - Following tradition, we took a picture by this board to celebrate Jasper’s upgrade to Dive Instructor.

On my first day back, I felt right at home at Liquid again, and since it was Sunday Funday, there was a lot of activities in store. Read about my Sunday Funday experience here. :)

Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) Lesson Proper

With all of the excitement of Sunday Funday behind us, Monday marked the beginning of my AOWD course. Zoe and Adam told me that the course would be a lot simpler than my OWD Certification, in that there wouldn’t be any major classroom sessions or written exams, and I guess also in that the tougher skills to face were already somehow conquered during OWD.

In getting your advanced certification, you get to go on 5 dives - 2 required by PADI, and 3 for you to select yourself, depending on the dive skill or experience you want to get, including:

Deep Dive (required by PADI)
Underwater Navigation (required by PADI)
Fish Identification
Underwater Naturalist
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Drift Dive
Night Dive
Wreck Dive
Search & Recovery
Boat Adventure
Enriched Air
Underwater Photography

All sounded awesome, so I didn’t have the easiest time choosing, but I wound up going with Fish ID (because I usually just hit the water and think: “Wooow fiiiiish!! Oooooh colooor!!” and wanted to be a little bit more intelligible than that), Peak Performance Buoyancy (because I think this is something any diver should really master to make dives more efficient and ruin no underwater life), and Drift Dive (because I wanted to compare the drift dive I’d have here with the pretty much insane drift dive I had in Puerto Galera).

The whole course just seemed like a series of fun dives (specially the checkout dives in Apo Island - so many corals and huge sea turtles!) with some random “obstacle courses” or “challenges” here and there. But overall, it was a breeze, except when I got “narc-ed” (Nitrogen Narcosis-ed: the state of feeling a little tipsy when diving greater depths) during my deep dive and took forever to multiply 11 by 10, wrote the right answer down, crossed it out, and put a wrong answer in its place. What. I shake my head about that to this day.

The formerly elusive Apo Island

Adam was always very helpful and ready to answer questions, and I did learn a fair share of new things, but I feel like the PADI course should require more dives and go a little more in depth on certain topics because I still don’t feel like the Advanced Course advances you very much.

Then again, now that I’ve received my certification, it’ll allow me to go on certain dives where some operators might be strict about having more than just an OWD Certification. And I feel that the way to really earn and maintain a level of diving ability is to really log in more unique dives regularly. Soon, hopefully.

Thresher sharks in Malapascua, anyone? :)

See more pictures from Liquid Dumaguete v 2.0 here.

* If you’d like to sign up for a fun and novel experience like I did, get in touch with über warm and friendly Zoe or Nez of Liquid Dumaguete at info@liquiddumaguete.com or +63917-3141778.

Liquid’s PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course is Php13,950/diver, inclusive of the PADI manual, Liquid Dumaguete log book & sticker, use of all required diving equipment, sanctuary fees, instruction and certification. The course can be completed in 1.5 days, with 5 open water dives including a required deep dive to 30m and underwater navigation. Upon completion of the course you will receive a PADI certification card (I recommend getting a Project Aware one) that is lifelong and accepted worldwide. :) This might be pricey for the budget traveler (believe me, that’s what I am), but diving is definitely one of the few things that motivates me to work so I’ll have money to dive.

Jen

Iloilo - Bacolod - Dumaguete [Jan. 27 - Feb. 7]An all-too-brief...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:15:00 +0800

Iloilo - Bacolod - Dumaguete [Jan. 27 - Feb. 7]
An all-too-brief trip of Muni PH events, travel, culture, agriculture, and diving

Earlier in January, my friend Noreen Bautista of Jacinto & Lirio told me she was going home to Iloilo for the Dinagyang Festival, and I forget if it was she or I who brought up the idea of doing a Muni event in Iloilo.

So anyway, although the tickets I could book at this point were more expensive than I was accustomed to spending on local flights (I’m really cheap), I booked the flight anyway, thinking that I may or may not have this chance again, rationalizing that the difference of several hundred to a thousand pesos on the flights might not necessarily be saved by opting to do the event at a later date anyway. And off I went.

Check out my whirlwind trip through Western Visayas and Negros :)

ILOILO: Dinagyang, 1st Muni PH HOHOL, Philippine Science High School talk & Hablon Weaving (with side trip to Aetas in Guimaras) [Jan. 27 - 31]

Okay, so technically NOT Dinagyang because I flew in on the last day and barely caught a good view of anything, but justifying that this was not the intention for my visit and that I’m really not one for crowds, I shrugged off missing the festival and resolved to catch it from a better viewing point next year. :P

Nonetheless, the 1st Muni PH HOHOL was a huge success. And I was elated all the more by getting a somewhat surprise invitation to deliver a talk to the juniors at Philippine Science High School in Western Visayas.

When the official “Muni business” (read: events) were over and done with, the only other real agenda I had was visit the renowned Hablon weavers of Miagao, Iloilo (posting soon on Muni PH). :)

BACOLOD: Meetups & Surprise Visit To Rapha Valley [Jan. 31 - Feb. 2]

I had hoped to organize a Muni PH Bacolod HOHOL, but unfortunately, it didn’t push through, but I still managed to meet up with Ms. Tanya Lopez, museum director of the Negros Museum, along with some students of La Salle Bacolod.

Having been to Bacolod several times before, I had really just intended it as a quick stop for possible networking on my way down to Dumaguete from Iloilo. However, when I found out that my friend’s mom was headed Dr. Alberto Jo’s organic farm, Rapha Valley on Feb. 2, I decided to stay another night.

I couldn’t have been happier about the decision to put Dumaguete off and kind of just put my game face on to stay another night even if my friend was flying out on Feb. 1 (meaning I stayed one more night with just his parents hehe). Also blogging about Rapha Valley on Muni PH soon. ;)

DUMAGUETE: Clean-Up Dive / Sunday Funday, Advanced Open Water Diver Course & Lumago Designs [Feb. 2/3 (I arrived at practically midnight) - Feb. 7]

I’d long been looking forward to coming back to Liquid Dumaguete after taking my Open Water Diver course with them last October. I was doubly thrilled when I found out about their Sunday Funday initiative where they basically make taking care about one’s environment fun. :) So I made sure to time my visit such that I’d be around on a Sunday Funday, and therefore be able to participate in a cleanup dive. :D

On Sunday Funday, I also got to talk about Muni, and the importance of cutting the crap we produce so that less of it goes out to sea. Thanks for letting me share, Zoe!

When all the excitement from Sunday Funday was over, it was time for my Advanced Open Water Diver course! Read about the full experience here!

Apart from all the diving, I was also so happy to meet Whitney Fleming of Lumago Designs, a Dumaguete-based upcycled jewelry brand. Read up on them on Muni PH to find out about their great story. :)

Whew. So much had happened and I am extremely grateful to everyone who made each experience possible.

A lot of other exciting things were awaiting me in Manila too, and I’ll fill you in on that soon enough! :)

xoxo

Jen

Diving in Puerto Galera with Dive Instructor John Mateos...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:00:50 +0800

Diving in Puerto Galera with Dive Instructor John Mateos Ong

Last Jan. 12-13, I managed to pull out just enough from what I have left in my savings (while ensuring I’d still have enough for my upcoming Iloilo-Bacolod-Dumaguete trip - I’m a super shoestring traveler, mind you) to join dive instructor John Mateos Ong’s students for a weekend of diving at Puerto Galera.

With Louie, Dive Instructor John, yours truly, and my age old friend Jane on the boat en route to Puerto Galera (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)

We arrived around 11, checked into El Galleon, had our lunch and looked forward to our dives at the renowned reefs of Puerto Galera.

After squirming into our wetsuits, prepping our weight belts, masks, booties, fins, BCDs (Buoyancy Control Device), regulators and tanks (with the help of the Asia Divers staff) we’d be off to our first two dives of the trip.

Our BCDs, regulators and tanks all lined up and ready to go (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)

War of Nerves

This would be my first time to go diving after my Open Water Diver Course at Liquid Dumaguete, and I was really nervous to be diving with someone other than my instructor Adam who made me feel so safe and secure in spite of my initial reservations. (I have very little confidence in my swimming skills and my ability to hold my breath and my ability to stay calm when something scares or startles me several meters below sea level)

And after some tentativeness when water leaked into my mask on the surface (and delaying the second batch of divers), I finally got my shit together and began my descent.

We had our first dives at Monkey Beach and Sabang Wreck, descending 21m and 19m respectively. They were relaxing and pleasant dives that helped get me comfortable in the water again after some time away.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don’t have pictures or a video of the dive, because as tempting as a GoPro Hero 3 is, I don’t have the money to set aside for that right now. But that just means you’ll have to go down for a dive yourself. :) (I’ll share pictures here when John uploads his :P)

The next morning, I woke up to a serene and quiet picture of this. (taken from my Instagram)

Drift Dive at The Canyons

The day before John had asked the other girls if any of us was interested in diving with the more experienced boys in the Canyons. It was a drift dive (meaning the current would sort of take you on a ride), and was recommended only for advanced or experienced divers. I think all of us girls wanted to do it but were highly doubtful of our ability.

John was confident he could guide a newbie through it provided that he only had to focus on one person. Since no one else wanted to, I decided to go for it and try to challenge myself a little before taking my Advanced Open Water Diver Course in Dumaguete this February.

Flipping No Fins, You Won’t Get Too Far

We first dropped off at West Escarceo, where there was an abundance of corals as well, and a current. I thought the current was just making it harder for me to swim, when John pointed at my feet, and I lost a fin!!

This setback cost my dive mates some time (sorry again, guys!) and we had to resurface because the Asia Divers dive master would not allow us to go on with me having only one fin (which at that point I felt I actually still could go on swimming with only one fin - like a Nemo).

Good thing we replaced my lost fin though because our brief dive at West Escarceo did not prepare me for the current at The Canyons. Not to exaggerate, but there’s absolutely no way I could have made that dive without one fin, let alone without holding on to someone. You could literally see the fish swimming as if they were on an aquatic treadmill. There was a point wherein I was in a sort of whirlpool going round because the current was so strong. It was my most stressful dive to date, but I was so glad to be in John’s hands (quite literally). I was proud to have experienced it, in spite of losing my fin (and of course, having to pay for it :-S).

We took a break before our last dive of the trip, and after the mild trauma of losing my fin and getting stuck in such a strong current (I was hardly able to notice the corals at that point, to be honest), I told John I’d sit out the next dive to The Canyons and go with the girls instead, so the boys could swim uninhibited.

But with John’s encouragement, I dove with them to The Canyons again. And I’m so glad he convinced me because it was not nearly as strong in current. and there was one point where we reached a little enclave with a lot of violet, purple, and fuschia-colored colors some 30 meters deep, and I really felt like Ariel in the Under The Sea scene right before Sebastian sings…sans the singing aquatic life. That has been my favorite dive in my few 10 dives so far. Thank you, John, for your faith in me. Hehe.

With John’s other students, Sophie, Candy, Aimee, me, our dive masters, Diana, May, Louie, Jane, and Aze :) Thanks for adopting me! :P (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)

Diving with John / Jong

Any fears I had initially were unfounded, and it was nice to experience diving with another instructor, and if I had not planned to take my Advance Course in Dumaguete (since I’ll be headed in the area), I would have utmost faith in John to get me through it, with his 8 years experience in diving, 6 years in teaching, his patience, and his passion in making diving possible for Filipinos.

If you’re looking to explore diving (and I think you really should! Our country is the perfect place for that and it’s inexcusable not to experience it if you have the means to book trips abroad), check out Jong’s Dive Course Schedule (you can also just join in for fun dives if you’re looking for a group):

Feb 9/10 : Open Water Diver Course
Feb 16/17 : Open Water Diver Course
Feb 23/24 : Advanced Open Water Diver Course
Mar 16-18 : Coron Dive (fun dive)
Mar 23-24 : Open Water Diver Course
Mar 30-31 : Puerto Gallera Dive (fun dive)
Apr 20-21 : Open Water Diver Course
Apr 27-28 : Open Water Diver Course
May 11-12 : Open Water Diver Course
Aug 3-6 : Malapascua Dive (fun dive)

For more details on rates, packages, and possible discounts, get in touch with John via e-mail at artist_ph[at]yahoo[dot]com or via mobile at +63917-8111471.

Eat well, be merry, for tomorrow, you shall dive. ;)

Jen

Nomad Manager Progress Report #5: When Procrastinating is Productive

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:55:00 +0800

Okay, so I’ve got a backlog of planned posts for Muni PH, as per usual, which only seems to increase with every post successfully publish (more ideas come than I can write them!). I’m also working to build the upcoming Muni Pop-Up Shop Online. And finally, I got myself involved with 2 rackets - 1 on design and 1 on writing (and both require a lot of work).

But upon the recommendation of Dindin Reyes, I opted to watch a nearly 40-minute video of Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of The Start. And prior to that, I spent a good amount of my day talking to Chesa Zimmer-Santos of co.lab PH and Denise Celdran of Edgy Veggy about design thinking for climate change, veg food, and plans for Muni PH.

Today has been a good day. And I need to write some of my thoughts because it’s an important day to chronicle in the life of this Nomad Manager.

Muni PH: The StartUp

Before today, I couldn’t quite figure out how I was going to approach making Muni PH a legal entity. And that’s something I’m certain I want to do. Never before in my life have I found work that I was “meant to do”, or work that made me feel so good - and it was work that I looked for, and not so much found. It took me a while to get to this point, and now that I have, I am certain that I’ve found that which I wish to do for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short it may be.

In The Art of The Start, Guy Kawasaki mentioned some tips in creating one’s own startup and here are my favorite bits:

Start up to make meaning, not to make money (and this is exactly Muni PH - at least I know I’m not driven by money haha)
Make a mantra (Muni PH in 3-4 words: Guide/Community for Mindful Living)
Find a few soul mates (and I think I’ve found more than a few :D)
Weave a MAT - Milestones, Assumptions, Tasks (I’m kind of bad at organizing things on paper sometimes so yeah, boom.)
Create something unique and of high value to the customer (check)
When presenting, follow 10/20/30 - 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30pt. font size. (amen to concise presentations and clean slides)
Hire infected people / embrace the evangelists
Fight against bozozity!! (There will people who will get you down through their doubt and cynicism, and the worst part is when you let that creep into your own confidence in your startup)

Prior to today, I thought I’d make Muni PH a sole proprietorship on account of some difficulties I encountered in my other corporation. However, I received a new lens today, with my meeting with Ariel of Full Suite for research on an article for Homegrown PH, Chesa & Denise, and virtually, Guy Kawasaki. But more on Muni PH plans another time.

Nomad Manager: The “StartUp” to The StartUp

3 weeks ago, I also got a long and lovely email from one of my Nomad Manager blog readers, Lia. And I thought I would procrastinate that night by blogging about our email exchange. But lo and behold it was meant for procrastination on this night. Anyway, she emailed me about my post on Living Uncomfortably On Purpose, and risk-taking and courage, and here’s some of what I said in reply:

I’m a plan z(-ro) kind of girl (though I’ve been finding lately that I should have some sort of plan). And I wouldn’t say just go out and take an uncalculated risk. It’s wise to have even just a semblance of a game plan.

But I would say don’t be obsessed with creating a fool-proof plan, because there is none. Just be aware of the “risks” and assess if you can more or less stomach those mistakes if you make them. But in attempting future projects, I just ask myself, “Are the benefits of potential “success” greater than the the uncertain embarrassment of falling flat on my face?” And when the answer is yes, I go for it.

It’s also a good rule to know how much money you have and how long you can live off it, in case you’re planning something that hinders you from generating regular income (my case right now).

I’m not saying you should dive in if you don’t want to, but you know what, I don’t think anyone who has taken a risk ever felt completely ready. That’s why it was a risk. You just have to decide to want to do something, even if you’re afraid. The confidence will come when you’re doing it. :) That’s how it was for me when I decided to go on a 2.5-month solo backpacking trip around Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Sri Lanka. I’m not going to lie. I was afraid. Prior to that, my only experience in solo traveling was 2 days in Malaysia 6 years ago. And you know what I found out? It really wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. And that’s probably the way I’d love to travel for the rest of my life.

Muni PH was an offshoot of the things I randomly found myself sharing here on Nomad Manager first. And I’ve essentially given up “everything” to pursue Muni. And it’s been the best decision in my life so far.

No Authority

I am no authority, and I will never claim to be. Because once I, or basically anyone does, that person ceases to learn.

But I have learned a few things recently:

You can’t expect your life to go towards a different direction if you continue on in the same path. (All the drastic changes that have happened in my life have happened as a result my own decision and action to take a different course, as difficult as it was to veer away from the path I was on)
If you’re convinced that what you’re doing has meaning and value to you and others, then the resources will flow (maybe not abundantly, but somehow help has come in many forms, and money has trickled in to keep my minimal expenses at bay).

I’m not religious on any account, but I do believe their is a higher being or some sort of world order that helps orchestrate our lives (though we are ultimately the masters of our own soul), so let me leave you with this quote that Dr. Lei Camiling-Alfonso of Caleb’s Closet shared with me:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner

And with that, I can return to regular programming (read: work) knowing that if I died tomorrow, at least I got to write this, as scatterbrain as it may be. :) (I didn’t check for cohesiveness! Sorry to my past editors-in-chief and executive creative director.)

And now, I also grant unto thee the permission to procrastinate and do something you might do in case you die tomorrow - finish a painting, write your mom a letter, make love to your partner, or share your thoughts on Muni PH, and leave a simple legacy in the world. :D

xoxo

Jen

GASP! “Don’t let your perceived weakness or lack of...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:30:41 +0800

GASP!

“Don’t let your perceived weakness or lack of influence interfere with the actual strength of your personal decisions. You don’t have to move mountains to create change (in fact, we highly discourage tampering with mother nature), but just in your own way, live your life as best as you can to serve as an example to friends and family.”

A recent post for Muni PH.
Read the full article here.

CRAFT COFFEE WORKSHOP (with The Manila Review) A Homey,...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:57:00 +0800

CRAFT COFFEE WORKSHOP (with The Manila Review)
A Homey, Creativity-inspiring Hangout for Coffee Connoisseurs, Nomad Managers & Friends :)

I first visited Craft Coffee Workshop last December 15, for the launch of The Manila Review, an independent publication that aims to promote critical thinking on today’s culture and issues, catapulted by Leloy Claudio and Mara Coson. Check it out here. Yes, December 15. Backlog, I know.

As a sucker for aesthetic (and gender neutral) rustic design and great ambiance, I instantly fell in love with the place without having sampled the coffee yet.

With Koji and Nikko during the launch

Display cases made with discarded wooden crates, my kind of thang :P

The coffee bar - it’d be a lot more intellectual and gustatorily pleasurable (in my opinion) to sip away (or swig away) your miseries at this bar - it’s just that I can imagine this being a scene of some somber, drunken, middle-aged guy in a sad movie. But you can just as easily engage in geeky coffee conversation with one of the baristas. :)

I got myself an iced coffee during the launch. And not being a coffee aficionado myself, I could only tell that it was very robust in flavor without the unpleasant bitterness. I could only surmise that it was crafted with love by people who are really nutty about coffee. (They have their own roaster, Elizabeth, in the shop, and yes, they roast their own beans - but more on this geekery in another post on muni.com.ph)

Back So Soon

I enjoyed the place so much that after Christmas dinner with my barkada on December 16 (the very next day) at Corner Tree Cafe in Jupiter, Makati, I asked them if they’d be game to enjoy our post-dinner coffee all the way in Broadway Ave., Quezon City for some artisanal coffee at a charming, creative, and quirky new cafe.

Apparently, I made it sound good enough to travel to, and so we did, and somehow, we managed to lose our way in the black hole that is San Juan at night (we should have taken EDSA, really). Even before we left Jupiter, my friends asked me if it was worth changing locations, and I felt the pressure even more when we were getting lost and my friend Jamie kept saying that this place better be damn worth it. Hehe.

As soon as we arrived, tensions eased (since we were finally un-lost), and Craft quickly enamored them upon entrance as it did me. :) Owners Peter and Ray made us feel right at home, even sharing some of their Christmas food (we crashed in on their company party) with us unassuming customers.

When our orders came (mostly cappuccinos), I breathed another sigh of relief when my friends agreed that their coffee was excellent. Hurrah!

Most of their coffee is priced at P120-P160, which isn’t exactly what one might spend on coffee on a regular basis, but it’s definitely worth the experience, and as my friends proved, definitely worth the trip (getting lost included).

With the girls and post-coffee happiness :D

I loved the experience so much that I went back in the first week of January to chat with owners Peter and Ray again. They hang around and are a pleasure to talk to. Their passion for coffee and its proper preparation is impressive!

So whether you’re in the area or not, drop by Craft! It’s definitely a great place for coffee heads, freelancers with no permanent address (I’ve found another “office” in Manila here!), meetings with other creative people, or for laid-back hanging out with friends. :)

It’s an easy commute from the Cubao MRT station. Just take a jeep headed towards St. Luke’s. :D

XOXO
Jen

(Photos from my Instagram account: @nomadmanager)

Craft Coffee Workshop
66 Broadway Ave. (corner E. Rodriguez Sr.),
1112 New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines
coco@craftcoffeeworkshop.com
Store Hours: 8am-10pm M-TH | 8am-11pm F-S | 9am-5pm Sun

Check out my new Muni x Nomad Manager calling card! :) It’s a...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:47:27 +0800

Check out my new Muni x Nomad Manager calling card! :)

It’s a lot less fancy than my old card, but it gets the job done, and allows me to add color and a handmade touch (through stamping of “MUNI” in red/orange and writing “JEN HORN” in aqua green by hand, while using up less paper. The card is printed back-to-back and rips in two to emphasize that yes, we can set a new standard of smaller calling cards and leaving less “white space” that most calling cards these days have.

The new card is also a lot more economical because it only needs 1/4 of the surface area my old card needed. PLUS I get to have this printed in black and white and use my own hands to add color and a personal touch. ;)

Check out more details about my calling card design “inspiration” and why my design cuts the crap here. :)

Feeling Like A Princess at Sonya’s Bed &...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:30:00 +0800

Feeling Like A Princess at Sonya’s Bed & Breakfast
(above photo features my bed at the Fennel cottage)

I spent the weekend before Christmas with my family at Sonya’s Bed & Breakfast, a tucked away section at Sonya’s Garden. :)

My brother and sister-in-law decided to gift us full body massages for my parents, and foot spa for all of us “kids”, including the brothers. My mom said that her massage was one of the best she’s had, and that says a lot because she’s quite particular about her massages. But the more notable part of this story is how obviously extremely uncomfortable (fearful, even) my dad was with the idea of getting a massage, so much so that he was offering that my brother take it instead. He refused, of course, forcing my dad to go through his ordeal. When we saw our dad again after our foot spa, he looked so relaxed and only had good things to say about the massage and was already planning our next stay at Sonya’s. :D

Honestly, I sometimes dread family vacations because well, it can be quite stressful traveling with one’s family, with one member wanting to do this, the other wanting to do that, and people just rubbing each other the wrong way - the way that families usually do. But for some reason, there was none of that on this trip, and it was one of the most pleasant family vacations I’ve been on. :)