My “Epic Adventure”: Turtle Travel
Everyone’s been wishing me well on this “epic adventure” I’m embarking on, and I’m sure it will be, but we all have subjective definitions of what an “epic adventure” is, but believe it or not, prior to my arrival here at Siem Reap, I only really had in my head that I would spend my first day here watching Season 4 of Breaking Bad. And followers of the series will know just what an epic adventure THAT is. Haha.
I actually wound up doing a DIY Nomad Manager Cambodian Arts & Crafts Walking Tour though, but that’s not my point here.
This is just me wanting to manage the expectations of people following this blog and people saying I should do this or that. I plan to discover things about Cambodia (and Thailand, Myanmar/Laos, and Sri Lanka later in this trip), meet new people, but all at my own pace (which is akin to turtle-paced travel), and not in some frenzy as if my life depended on stepping foot on each and every tourist attraction.
![DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
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Moving On To Better Things
Tricia shared that as Made For Movement, “We aim to provide high-end products at mid-range prices for travelers and the yoga community”, given that most available products are much more expensive.
Back in March 2010, when Tricia had just come back from traveling and attending yoga teacher training in India, ideas of a business began percolating in her head. At the same time, Erin was feeling increased stress from work and cubicle confinement. Having been friends for the longest time, and partners on other “mini-business ventures” back in college, it was a natural decision for them to partner up again.
So they just dove in.
Erin left her full-time job at a bank to focus on the business, while Tricia started to put some of her yoga teacher training to practice, which would later prove beneficial to their business.
They started the business with their bestselling line of microfiber travel towels. And given their mutual fondness for yoga, eventually moved on to yoga mats and accessories and accessories as well.
The Perks of Travel & Yoga
Tricia and Erin’s eyes sparkled when talking about their travels and yoga beginnings. Traveling allowed them time to unwind, be inspired and come up with new ideas. And while they had their own motivations for beginning their yoga practice (for Erin, it was a physical activity that effectively relieved her of stress without requiring hand and foot coordination; for Tricia, it was initially to lose weight), their love for yoga is among the things that bind them as they are gaining popularity as the only local brand that provides more affordable products for the yoga community in the Philippines.
Moving Forward
Having graduated from Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and as the natural course of their brand, Tricia would like to introduce a line of yoga and travel wear for the brand. With what they’ve accomplished so far, and with their still growing success and recognition, I am confident that Tricia and Erin will go even further with their brand.
And because I think it is no accident that I got in touch with them, and gotten to know them better as individuals (and even conducted a passion test on them), I’ll definitely be backing them and rooting for their success.
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, the nice ladies of Made For Movement are giving three (3) lucky winners a Made For Movement travel hand towel each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes!
Back to prepping for my trip,Jen
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DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
![Finding My Favorite Flip-Flops: Havaianas o Pilipinas? Life in 10KGs with slippers from Banana Peel
6 years ago, I was in my 3rd year in college (so you can do the math and guess my age now), and that was when I really got into supporting Pinoy products, and found out about the Yabang Pinoy campaign, which was just starting back then.
I remember that that was the term I took up some speech class, and my topics usually revolved around buying Pinoy. I was so impassioned by this idea, as in you have no idea. Read the bit about Dylan Wilk here and then the rest of this entry and you might understand me a little better.
I would boycott Starbucks in favor of Figaro. Though 2-3 years down the line, I would find out that the omnipresence of Starbucks and lack of local homegrown coffee shops would make it quite challenging to forever avoid holding meetings at Starbucks. :( Sad because we produce great coffee beans in the Philippines! I did have several field days of coffee shop-hopping when I went to Davao though. :)
I also had a very vocal abhorrence for Havaianas and what it stood for. I even wrote a very impassioned Tagalog blog entry (with the title Havaianas o Pilipinas?) in my old personal blog, which in spite of not really having “readers”, did receive its share of haters (I must confess, my blog entry was really biting). In a nutshell, I wrote about the ridiculous craze over Havaianas and why people were suddenly going ga-ga over a product that has been existence in the Philippines for years prior to its arrival (and can be bought at ≤20% the price of Havaianas).
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So I supported local brands you’d find in department stores, but then I realized the cheaper local options also came with a price. They didn’t last very long. But I figured that it would still be better to buy several pairs of local slippers than a pair of Havaianas.
A year or so into this personal advocacy, I was given not 1, not 2 but 5 pairs of Havaianas by my mother. I was furious. She said there was a huge sale on them at their office, so she bought them. I refused to wear them. I sold a few of pairs to a friend and left the remaining Havaianas in their packaging. After several months of waiting to be used, when my own slippers had given up and I was too stingy to buy another pair, the Havaianas were finally tested.
I hated them. They were heavier than other slippers and would sometimes scratch the skin (where the thong strap hits the inside of your feet-ish) when you walk in them for longer than 30 minutes or so. I wanted another option, but I didn’t want to buy slippers that literally just sink under your weight.
About a year ago, I finally discovered Banana Peel’s Status Quo collection. It is a line of plain-colored rubber slippers (versus either foam or soft rubber options in the department store). At P290/pair, it’s more expensive than their more popular printed slippers, but it’s also “classier”-looking and longer lasting. I lost my pair in a cab or on a trip somewhere or something and I was finally able to get my hands on my replacement pair last month. Thanks to Nica for buying them for me! Size 9’s and black were hard to find.
So anyway, because I love my black Status Quo slippers so much, which I will now be interchanging with my new and equally lovable Metallichic pairs in brown and gray/silver, I’d like to spread the word about the Banana Peel’s more “mature” line (I think most people just know them for their printed slippers). So, it’s classier and more durable than the cheaper slippers (less wastage for landfills?), but much comfier and more affordable than Havaianas, and it’s Filipino too!
I feel they could improve on their branding though. Oh, and I’m not actually sure if their manufacturing is done in the Philippines, but either way, at least I’m supporting a Filipino brand versus a completely imported one. Not to say we should completely avoid imported products, but that we should make wiser choices as consumers, and that whole conversation really warrants a blog entry of its own.
Anyway, out of love, I got in touch with the Banana Peel team and they’ve sponsored 2 P150 GCs for me to give to 2 winners in my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, because a pair of Banana Peel slippers is definitely going on my packing list. But since I decided I would have 3 winners, I’m throwing in a (cheaper) pair of Banana Peel slippers for the 3rd winner. :D
Click here to find out how to win loot worth P2000! :)Good luck!
Jen
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Finding My Favorite Flip-Flops: Havaianas o Pilipinas?
Life in 10KGs with slippers from Banana Peel
6 years ago, I was in my 3rd year in college (so you can do the math and guess my age now), and that was when I really got into supporting Pinoy products, and found out about the Yabang Pinoy campaign, which was just starting back then.
I remember that that was the term I took up some speech class, and my topics usually revolved around buying Pinoy. I was so impassioned by this idea, as in you have no idea. Read the bit about Dylan Wilk here and then the rest of this entry and you might understand me a little better.
I would boycott Starbucks in favor of Figaro. Though 2-3 years down the line, I would find out that the omnipresence of Starbucks and lack of local homegrown coffee shops would make it quite challenging to forever avoid holding meetings at Starbucks. :( Sad because we produce great coffee beans in the Philippines! I did have several field days of coffee shop-hopping when I went to Davao though. :)
I also had a very vocal abhorrence for Havaianas and what it stood for. I even wrote a very impassioned Tagalog blog entry (with the title Havaianas o Pilipinas?) in my old personal blog, which in spite of not really having “readers”, did receive its share of haters (I must confess, my blog entry was really biting). In a nutshell, I wrote about the ridiculous craze over Havaianas and why people were suddenly going ga-ga over a product that has been existence in the Philippines for years prior to its arrival (and can be bought at ≤20% the price of Havaianas).
![Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Being in the Now (Part 2 of 2)Life in 10KGs Giveaway with practice from White Space
Having found out about my top passions, I realized that what I really need most in my life is to be fully present in each moment. I’ve known this since college, and told myself I would make a more conscious effort not to stress over things I can’t change (the past) or worry about things I don’t even know will happen (the future). I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle back then, and I was okay for a while, but every now and then, I find myself slipping back into my old ways.
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This year, I’ve found myself with firmer intrinsic motivation and extrinsic synchronicities, which is why with the help of the yoga asana classes I’ve been attending, I also hope to cultivate my meditation practice.
During my 2 weeks at Urban Ashram, I was able to attend a few Ashtanga classes under Eileen Tupaz (first column, second row). I got to know her a little bit better during post-class chats and found out that she was about to open her own studio in Katipunan back then. Her studio, White Space, is now open, and I had the privilege of attending some of their classes during their open house.
[I don’t think any of the pictures I took really did the place justice, but maybe these pictures can help. But there’s nothing like walking into White Space and experiencing the hold-your-breath-it’s-so-beautifully-designed studio for yourself.]
What sets White Space apart from other yoga studios is the variety of their class offerings (they offer yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and reiki - a meditative healing technique) and their focus on overall wellness versus developing fitness / flexibility / strength through yoga alone.
I attended Meditation with Sarah Salcedo-Rubin, and it was the first time I joined a class that was solely devoted to meditation. It was a great first meditation class for me as Sarah was really able to help center her students and walk us through the process. I still had struggles quieting my mind, as usual, but I was proud to note that there were moments when I was able focus on the void. :D
I’m still working on it, and I intend to learn more about meditation through White Space and various local workshops / classes (I recently found out classes are also offered at Ananda Marga) and wherever in the world during my travels. With my goal to pack my life in 10KGs for my upcoming trip, and to generally live with less (less material and mental clutter), I feel adopting a solid meditation practice would really be beneficial. The challenge is to committing a regular meditation practice everyday. :P
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, Eileen Tupaz, excellent yoga teacher and co-director of White Space, is giving three (3) lucky winners a White Space spectrum pass each (that’s a 1-week pass to all their classes!), which you can win along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes.
Click here to find out how to win! :)
Tuning out,Jen
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Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Being in the Now (Part 2 of 2)
Life in 10KGs Giveaway with practice from White Space
Having found out about my top passions, I realized that what I really need most in my life is to be fully present in each moment. I’ve known this since college, and told myself I would make a more conscious effort not to stress over things I can’t change (the past) or worry about things I don’t even know will happen (the future). I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle back then, and I was okay for a while, but every now and then, I find myself slipping back into my old ways.
![Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Living Light (Part 1 of 2)Life in 10KG Giveaway with Made For Movement yoga travel mat & travel towels
I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga for 3 months now, and I’m determined to make it something to commit to. No excuses. I’ve pursued too many interests and let too many fade away, and I want to finally see this through after determining it as one of my top passions. Besides, it’s something I’ve long known to be something I aspire to adopt in my life not just for fitness, but for holistic well-being.
So anyway, given my upcoming travel plans, I won’t be able to attend yoga in local studios very much, so that means I’ll have to maintain a self-practice or really seek out places to practice wherever I go (which something I really intend to discover and share with readers of this blog). Either way, I’d be needing a yoga mat (as not all places of practice have yoga mats available for borrowing). And I found the perfect solution.
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I was thrilled when I found out about Made For Movement’s yoga travel mat (a brand by Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu). It seemed like the perfect solution to my quandary about lugging around a bulky yoga mat in my travels. The mat weighs only .77 lbs., and I weighed it for myself and it weighs short of 300 grams! And I love that you can easily fold it. Bath towels are bulkier than this! Anyway, I’m getting too excited endorsing this product but I love it. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and I love the rubber backing which keeps the mat in place, and the microfiber top layer which absorbs sweat (no need to bring an extra towel), and provides really good traction for your hands during otherwise slippery downward dogs.
I think the only downside is if you’re boney and in need of extra cushioning or support, this may not be the best option for you, but for those of you who like me, really prioritize portability and general function, this is a really great product. (Somewhat like a Macbook Air vs. Macbook Pro dilemma)
I also got myself some of their microfiber travel hand and bath towels. They take up practically no space and dry really quickly, which is ideal for travelers (and gym goers too, if you’re the type, which I’m not).
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, the nice ladies of Made For Movement are giving three (3) lucky winners a Made For Movement travel hand towel each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes. You’ll have to purchase the yoga travel mat on your own. :P
Live light,Jen
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Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Living Light (Part 1 of 2)
Life in 10KG Giveaway with Made For Movement yoga travel mat & travel towels
I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga for 3 months now, and I’m determined to make it something to commit to. No excuses. I’ve pursued too many interests and let too many fade away, and I want to finally see this through after determining it as one of my top passions. Besides, it’s something I’ve long known to be something I aspire to adopt in my life not just for fitness, but for holistic well-being.
So anyway, given my upcoming travel plans, I won’t be able to attend yoga in local studios very much, so that means I’ll have to maintain a self-practice or really seek out places to practice wherever I go (which something I really intend to discover and share with readers of this blog). Either way, I’d be needing a yoga mat (as not all places of practice have yoga mats available for borrowing). And I found the perfect solution.
![Protecting My Loved OneLife in 10KGs with my Punchdrunk Panda laptop sleeve
[Note: The above photo is not a recent photo so I don’t really look like that anymore, but it’s a nicely shot one with PdP laptop sleeves beautifully showcased and just a sliver of my Kaiju laptop sleeve in sight. :D]
Naturally, I would seem biased for saying this, but seriously, any traveler needs to keep his/her laptop protected. And I bring my portable desktop everywhere, pretty much, along with all my other paraphernalia, which is why my everyday bag weighs a ton. :P
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My Punchdrunk Panda laptop sleeves have done their job for me all these years, and my Macbook is never without one (maybe except when I remove my laptop’s battery, which is non-existent now). Apart from the protection it provides, the Kaiju laptop sleeve I’m using also showcases a kick-ass design by talented Filipino graphic artist OJ Desuasido, which just makes it so much more awesome.
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, my Punchdrunk Panda team will be giving three (3) lucky winners a Punchdrunk Panda sleeve each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes. Click here to find out how to win! :)
Pack na pack (na),Jen
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Protecting My Loved One
Life in 10KGs with my Punchdrunk Panda laptop sleeve
[Note: The above photo is not a recent photo so I don’t really look like that anymore, but it’s a nicely shot one with PdP laptop sleeves beautifully showcased and just a sliver of my Kaiju laptop sleeve in sight. :D]
Naturally, I would seem biased for saying this, but seriously, any traveler needs to keep his/her laptop protected. And I bring my portable desktop everywhere, pretty much, along with all my other paraphernalia, which is why my everyday bag weighs a ton. :P
As you may have read from repeatedly through my blog, I will be embarking on a 2-and-a-half-month journey around Asia for the sheer pleasure of traveling, talking to strangers, learning new cultures and discovering myself and what is truly important to me. And I’ve committed myself to packing a bag weighing no more than 10 kilos.
In the process, I will have to trim down the non-essentials of my life, tangible & intangible. Though the tangible aspect is much easier, and that is where I will begin. :)
From June 18-29, I will be posting the things that will go into my bag, and sharing some of these with not one, not two, but three (yes, 3!) winners.
Each winner will receive:
- A laptop sleeve from Punchdrunk Panda (no less!) - Worth P660
- A microfiber travel hand towel from Made For Movement - Worth P250
- A spectrum pass from White Space Wellness - Worth P1000
- A P150 GC or a pair of slippers from Banana Peel - Worth P150
That’s P2,060.00 worth of prizes per winner! :D
Get up to 16 raffle entries through Rafflecopter below! (And one more per day if you tweet about the giveaway)
View the terms and conditions below for more details. :)
Good luck!
Chairs,
Jen
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Packing My Life in 10kgs (plus giveaway teaser)
I’m down to 2 weeks, and I had hoped to have my bags pretty much packed and ready to go at this point. Just so I avoid the last-minute scatterbrainedness of things.
Alas, that is not how my world works, because that is not how my mind works. And I am pretty sure that I’ll be tweaking my packing list up until a day before my trip.
Life in 10kgs
No matter what happens, I intend to pack for my upcoming 2.5-month trip in 10kgs or less. I have even filled out a very geeky Excel sheet detailing the corresponding weight of the things I’m bringing, which I will share with you once I’ve finalized the list.
