How to not lose friends on Social Media

Your social media account is your own space – I agree to that. But just like your life is yours to live how you want, you still need to consider the impact of your own action to the people around you. If I don’t believe in deodorants as a person, I would still think twice about imposing my body odor on my friends and colleagues at work (just an example). Compromise is the secret to harmonious living.

Here are the top 3 things people do that turn me off and make me want to click that “Unfollow” button:

Too much politics. Hey, if you’re so concerned about how the country is run, please run for office, or work for the government. Do something that actually helps – posting your agreement or disagreement on FB every single day, reacting to every single thing the government does – may help you relieve yourself of stress or disappointment, but you’re just passing that on to your followers. It’s a vicious cycle that never ends, especially when you’re posting not to educate, but to prove a point (or to prove that those who disagree with you are wrong). There’s no right or wrong in politics, we will always favor what is convenient to us. Period!
Look at me, I’m living the good life. Before you post anything – ask yourself why you need to post it. If it’s to share your happiness, or document a memory, go ahead. But if it’s just for show – to show people you are living a good life, you don’t really need to do that. What sets the truly rich from those who want to be called rich is that need for attention and validation. If you really, really want to show off – at least make that photo creative, or use a caption that doesn’t talk about you or what you’re doing.
Wittybunny, unwitty you. I’ve talked about this on Facebook before. While it may seem like harmless fun, using services such as Wittybunny collects information about you AND your friends. You may be fine with that, but are your friends OK with having their information taken? Wonder why the results seem so accurate? It’s not really that difficult to analyze based on your previous posts and activities. Read the privacy policy carefully before you allow any third-party application to access your Facebook information. A lot of them do not have security measures as strong as Facebook itself.

Again, these are just my opinion. I can’t say I haven’t done any of these. I’m not trying to be preachy. It’s your account and you’re free to do whatever you want with it. The worst thing that can happen is that someone who doesn’t like what you’re posting will unfollow/unfriend you. It doesn’t mean you will become enemies in real life. Social media is a respite for most of us who are dealing with stress in real life. When social media adds up to that stress, I click unfollow!

What about you?

How to Unblock US Netflix, Crunchyroll

A lot of video streaming services such as Netflix, Crunchyroll (if you’re an anime fan), Dramafever, have geographic restrictions. For those in the US, there’s usually no problems viewing almost 100% of the shows available in these services. However, for those outside the US, and especially in the Philippines, a lot of these content are inaccessible. In fact, according to Rappler, 93% of Netflix US titles are not available in Netflix PH as of January 2016. For Crunchyroll, it’s also the same statistics. If you are paying for these services from the Philippines, you might not be getting your money’s worth!

Fret no more – there is a way to trick these services into thinking that you are streaming from the US. The easiest option is to set-up a DNS Proxy. And I recommend SmartDNSProxy for this!

Over 300 services unblocked, unrestricted! *Photo credit: SmartDNSProxy*

There’s a free trial for 15 days, no need to input any payment information so I suggest you give it a try! I am a satisfied user of SmartDNSProxy – I have been using this for a year already and just renewed my subscription this month.

My one-year subscription costs only 29.90 USD (which is around 1,500 PHP) – or 125 pesos a month! Considering the content you will be unlocking across 300 services, this is not bad at all! Once you’ve activated your account, you simply need to set up the DNS on your device (individually) or directly on your router, so that all devices connected to it will have these services unblocked right away. You can find the detailed instructions on the site so I really encourage you to do the free trial first just to ensure that your devices/router are compatible with the service.

Best KPOP releases for May 2017

May has been a good month for KPOP! There were a lot of comebacks from well known groups/artists so I thought of listing down my top 5 favorite releases of the month (excluding Unnies – Right).

5. iKON – Bling Bling

iKON is finally back, with a new image and even new names for some members. It seems YG is trying to reboot the group! This song is very catchy, very hip hop, but they’ve had better songs in the past. I liked Winner’s comeback last month better. But still – this makes it to the Top 5 for sure!

4. Urban Zakapa – Alone

Oh man, the lyrics to this song just hits me. I have nothing else to say. Let me hide under my sheets while I listen to the song again.

3. Roy Kim – Suddenly

Roy Kim is back with blonde hair – but his voice is still as soothing as ever. I just love the Spring feel to this song.

2. Nam Taehyun (South Club) – Hug Me

I am so happy Taehyun left Winner (and YG) – not because I didn’t want him there – but because I love the music of South Club. And his voice fits this genre better! It’s so good even YG promoted the song on his Instagram.

1. SEVENTEEN – Don’t Wanna Cry

OK, call me basic for putting this on top but I just love the way this song was put together – even if it sounds a bit like The Chainsmokers’ Closer (which I hate). I give props to KPOP acts who bring something new to the table! The choreography also fits the song very well. This song has been on repeat the past two days and I’m not yet tired of it. These guys could give EXO and BTS a run for their money!

What’s your favorite KPOP song for the month? Let me know in the comments!

Boracay Beach Wedding – #DeeNewlyWeds

I’m sorry for the long break – it has exactly been a week since my last post. I attended a wedding of a friend in Boracay last week, so that disrupted my blogging schedule. It was a lovely wedding by the beach – and I got to meet up with old friends. We had a good time, swimming during the day, and drinking in the evening!

We stayed at the White House Boracay, which was right beside the venue of the wedding. I was able to get some good rates from Agoda (over 50% off normal rates) so it was a snatch! There are also some good bars beside this hotel that offer great happy hour deals such as Sur and Two Seasons’ Bar Lo.

The best four-cheese pizza in the PH at Bar Lo Two Seasons!

The wedding was held at Sea Wind in Station 1. Look at how the place was set-up for the ceremony!

The wedding reception was definitely the highlight of that weekend – with overflowing alcohol and 90s to early 2000s music. It was the best wedding party I’ve ever attended! These are some of my most alcoholic friends and there was a time when we came to Boracay yearly to celebrate Labor Day weekend, so this was really quite a reunion.

Group photo with the groom before the night got crazy!

To be honest, I normally don’t like weddings, but this one was just so simple, casual, and very intimate. It was very personal and focused really on the couples versus the formalities of a traditional wedding. It’s fair to say that everyone went home either drunk or contented. Surprisingly enough, I woke up the next day without any hangover!

Cheers to #DeeNewlyWeds!

The Other Boracay / The Lazy Dog Bed & Breakfast

I have been to Boracay several times, and it’s always been the White Beach area from Station 2 to Station 1. This time, I ended up on the other side of Boracay because I was looking for a cheap place to stay in for a night.

And I think I just found a treasure.

In the other side of Boracay lies a beach that’s a lot quieter, more relaxed, and is a different picture from its more famous counterpart. I stayed at The Lazy Dog Bed & Breakfast, which was equally charming.

All I needed was a bed for a night while waiting for my friends to arrive the next day. Their dorm bed costs only 575 pesos (all-in) for one night including breakfast. Considering how lovely the place is, it’s totally worth it. You could literally just chill and be lazy in there.

Since this place is on the other side of Boracay, you have to take a tricycle if you want to go to White Beach…or walk the mile if you don’t mind the heat. This area of Boracay reminds me of Vietnam’s small alleys – there’s a lot of hip places popping up in the area such as coffee shops, bars, and more unique hostels. I would have loved to stay longer, with friends this time! I’ll definitely come back and stay here again.

Have you ever been to Boracay? If you haven’t you should! It’s not perfect but it’s one of the best places to escape to! And happy hour is a must!

Buendia Extension

The old office’s back alley, where me and my friends used to get our afternoon snacks. Squid balls, hotdog, and kwek-kwek. There are also two jolly-jeep stalls that sell cheap meals and bananacue.
Also known as “creek side”, this small street is super busy on the weekdays, and super quiet (haunting, even) on the weekends.
One way from 7am to 7pm.
That one building used to be the home of an old friend I’ve lost touch with
Where I first learned parallel parking
There’s a ledge (not in the photo), where I had one of the scariest talks of my life
Drank booze in paper bags with old teammates during a stressful night at work
Hunting place for Magikarps, Psyducks, Dratinis and other water-type Pokemons in Pokemon Go during the first few months of the game

Sweaty Hands & Feet

I’m sitting on my desk, typing at my computer, the air conditioning blowing cold air straight at me – but my hands and feet are still sweating like crazy.

As a student, I hated writing because my paper or notebook always ends up soaking wet. I had to insert another sheet of paper, or a handkerchief, in between my hand and the paper.
Until now, I can’t wear slippers/slip-ons because my feet sweat so fast, and combining that with the city’s dust – I almost always end up with “muddy” feet. It doesn’t look good, and I can’t walk because it’s too slippery.
My laptop keyboards are always oily. Its letters and numbers, faded. When they stopped working, the IT guy asked me if I spilled any form of liquid on them. Yeah, my sweat.
Ever tried using a smartphone with sweaty hands?
Our carpet smells by the day because of its daily treatment of sweat.
Ever tried holding hands with sweaty hands?
The floor where my feet are resting right now, looks like a dog peed in there
My eyeglasses are full of smudges from my fingers
I visit the restroom every 30 minutes to wash off the sweat on my feet
I can’t open a bottle or jar because my hands would just slide off the cap

Apparently, there are ways to treat this condition (called Hyperhidrosis). I’ve never really thought of this as something that needed to be cured. It was just there and I learned to live with it. Maybe it’s time to try out some of these treatments. I will let you know if they work!

How to read Manga on your Kindle!

I grew up at a time when manga (Japanese comics) was considered scarce, at least in the Philippines. Outside of Japan, there’s barely any access to manga, or if there were, it was quite costly! When I bought my Kindle, originally for e-books, I wondered if there was a way to put an entire manga series in it!

And there is!

For starters, you can buy manga from the Kindle store as well, but to be honest, I haven’t tried it. Also, the selection might not be as complete versus manga sites. This maybe bordering on “piracy” but as these manga are easily accessible from different sites already, using a different device to view them shouldn’t be any more wrong. Here are the steps:

Download and install a Manga Downloader software such as HakuNeko. This will allow you to download manga off from different manga sites and save a copy on your PC. If, for some reason this doesn’t work for your PC, you can try other applications – just search “Manga Downloader” on Google!
Using your manga downloader, download your favorite manga from any of the available sites on your application. You can do this per chapter, or just download everything all at once!
Download and install Kindle Comic Converter. It’s a free application you can use on your Windows/Linux/OSx laptop that allows you to “transform your PNG, JPG, GIF, CBZ, CBR and CB7 files into EPUB or MOBI format e-books.” That said, if you have a different e-Ink device (such as Kobo, Nook, etc), you should also be able to convert manga files that will be compatible with your device as well.
The installation process will prompt you to download KindleGen and install it in the same folder where your Kindle Comic Converter is installed. This would normally be in this path: C:\Program Files\Kindle Comic Converter
Convert your downloaded manga files (usually in JPG/GIF format) to the right ebook format using Kindle Comic Converter. Select the right device so that the app will convert it to the correct format.
Use your e-book manager (if you don’t have one, try Calibre) to transfer the “ebook” files from your PC to your Kindle (or any other ebook device).
Enjoy reading your manga!

I know some of you might say – why go through all of this trouble when you can just read it off an internet browser? Well, I have two main reasons for you:

Reading on an e-book reader (Kindle) means you don’t need to be connected to the internet. So, even if you are in the middle of a mountain, with no signal – camping or whatever, you can read your manga once you’re done appreciating nature.
Devices with LCD/LED screens are bad for your eyes, especially when you’re about to sleep. Blue light emitted by these devices make your eyes strained and stressed. Reading on an e-book reader which does not emit any blue light is more relaxing to the eyes, just as if you’re reading from paper!

If you’re still not convinced, then you’re probably better off not doing this. I mean, this is really just for folks who want to be different – it takes a little effort (downloading and converting and transferring), but I’m sure your friends will be amazed seeing you read manga on an e-book reader like a pro!

Of course, if you really want to support the mangaka, don’t hesitate to pay for a manga you really love!

Unnies – Right

I have been watching a Korean reality show called Sister’s Slam Dunk (S2) and last week, the Unnies were finally able to release their debut single entitled “Right”. After seeing them struggle through practice and recording, I am really proud that they made it this far. The show is about to end soon since they have already achieved their dream – but this song will serve as their legacy! I will definitely miss seeing them on TV together, but I know that they will remain good friends after this. I can only hope they come up with another song in the future!

Official Music Video – Unnies – Right?

Debut Stage (Music Bank) – Unnies – Right?

Debut Stage (Music Bank) – Unnies – Lalala Song

In case you want to watch the entire series from Episode 1 – here’s the link! You won’t regret it! You can also support the Unnies by getting their song on iTunes.

Weekly Recap (May 8-14)

I’m sorry for being a day late, but as promised, here are my highlights of the week (May 8-14):

I have been going to work earlier than usual, so that I could also go home earlier. My friend (Ralph) and I were able to consistently get to the office by 7AM, and leave for home at 4PM. I want to continue doing this so that I can really maximize my day, especially with studying and blogging.
Last Tuesday, I bought myself a new gadget (a tablet) for my Japanese studies. I will post about it separately so watch out for that!
We have been getting free meals from Ralph’s dad, almost every day this week!
I drank with my brother last Friday at Crying Tiger, after a stressful afternoon at work.
I spent Saturday afternoon studying Japanese at Crepe Amelie. In the evening, we went to Solaire and managed to break even at Roulette.
We played mahjong the entire Sunday afternoon, and had a samgyeopsal (Korean pork barbecue) party afterwards!

All in all, it was a good week!