I just paid the renewal of this website’s subscription yesterday and I intend to be active in blogging again.
The subscription is good for one year and hopefully, I will be motivated and inspired again to write whatever I could think of.
For the past weeks, I have upgraded my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X) accounts that I opted to be Meta Verse verified for whatever reason which I have not yet known! Hahaha! Having upgraded to Meta Verse is a result of my Twitter account being hacked due to the fact that I have not been using for a long time, maybe, for the past two to three years. I was surprised to see that somebody had used my account for almost 3 days. I immediately did the protocol of changing the password and then made sure that upgraded to being a Meta Verse verified account. Since then, I have been posting my thoughts and things that are happening to me on a daily basis. Instead of being active on Facebook, I transformed my X account into my daily event’s repository.
On the other hand, I also made my Facebook account as Meta Verse verified but I have limited making some posts in the said platform. It is already good when I post one per day. I also made my Instagram as Meta Verse verified as I always make some posts on a regular basis showing my attire/outfit most specially related to selvedge denim and heritage boots.
Yes, I pay some part of my savings on upgrading my accounts but I think it is worth to be seen with THAT Blue Check Mark after your name on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I think it sets me above those regular accounts and I feel to be included among the “upper class” of Social Media users! Hahaha!
I hope this will be a start of more productive writing as I will look each day as part of my schedule to write in this blog of anything I could think. One Hour to Two Hours would be a good allocation of time for the day for me to think and write my daily post in this blog.
If you happen to be watching some videos on YouTube Channel or simply browsing on the said platform, please visit my YouTube Channel.
I have started with my running workouts and training videos but eventually shifted to Heritage Wear & Fashion. I have been slowly learning about creating contents on videos and I started to ask a friend for help and guidance who had been in this platform for the past years. I am still learning up to this time after two years of posting some videos.
From my running videos and mixing cocktail drinks, I have concentrated on heritage wear and fashion for the past two years. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown and restrictions, I have discovered a community of Heritage Wear lovers and I really enjoy their company. This Heritage Wear is concentrated on Vintage Style Fashion which revolves around Denim and other related Workwear to include Heritage Boots (Work and Military Boots), Military Outfits, Vintage Athlete Wear, and Ivy Style of Fashion. However, I am not much on the latter as I concentrate more on Denims, Boots, Military Wear, and Athletes’ Wear.
So, if you are interested in these outfits, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Thank you for your support.
Simply search my name (jovenal_narcise) on the YouTube Channel or search my name on Instagram.
For the month of May 2023, I have started running again. Slowly, I am bringing back my running & hiking daily. But before I started going back, I have to purchase a new Running Watch with GPS and other data to be taken from my workout to include my BPM, Distance covered, Average Speed and Pace and others. I had to buy the basic Coros Pace 2 from Amazon as it serves as my basic running watch which can give me the necessary data as feedback to my training.
I have started my running and hiking on May 1 and I had been doing it on a daily basis. If I run on a certain day, the following day is a hike. I followed the principle of “Hard-Easy” training. I have started with time-based training wherein my daily workout should not be less than One Hour, to include my Hiking workout. Initially, I made my daily workouts in my Backyard Loop which has a total distance of 500 meters in one loop. And after 2 weeks, I have to go out of my compound and run a loop along the streets that surround my compound. Each loop of the “street loop” around my compound has a total distance of 620 meters and it is a good option whenever I am bored with my backyard loop.
From One Hour workout, I gradually increased my time-based workout to One Hour and 30 minutes on the second week and on the 3rd week, I was able to increase to Two Hours during my weekend runs. On the average on the 4th week, I would run and hike to an average of One Hour & Thirty Minutes every day.
In total, combining Running and Hiking, I was able to cover a distance of 262+Kilometers (164 miles). It took me a total of 50:30 Hours accumulated time making my effort at an average speed of 5.2 kilometers per hour at a pace of 11:00-12:00 minutes per kilometer. It is a slow pace and speed because of my age (71 years old) and making sure to follow the Zone 2 Training (not exceeding to 120 beats per minute on my Heart Rate). Following the Zone 2 training will surely develop my Aerobic Endurance.
Actually, this Zone 2 training will take a duration of 4 months and I have still 3 months to go.
Follow me on this adventure and it will be exciting. I hope this training will result to more running and hiking adventures in the future.
When I had my military schooling in the US Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, taking up the Infantry Officer Advance Course during the Winter-Spring Course (November 1983 to May 1984), it was my first time to buy and taste this Ice Cream. And every time I would visit and buy grocery at the Post Commissary Store, I would buy one pack which would last me for my next visit to the store every two weeks.
One Pack Of Klondike Ice Cream
Since then, every time I visit the United States for a vacation or run a marathon race or any running event, I always make the effort to buy one or two packs of this Ice Cream. It brings good memories during those 6-7 months stay in Fort Benning, Georgia.
I have yet to see this Ice Cream in our grocery stores in the Philippines. I hope I am wrong. If anybody knows where to buy this Ice Cream outside the United States, it would be a good news or information to share.
I was not asked by ANA if I am vaccinated or have tested negative on the Covid-19 Test before the flight while I was processed at the Departure Counter. This scenario is totally different from the time I travelled to the US in July 2021. I had to present my vaccination card, should be negative on the Covid-19 Test at least 72 hours before departure, bought a Covid-19 Insurance Policy to cover my medication expenses while abroad, and to register Online with the Immigration Office of California/USA about my trip. All of these were all gone and I guess, everything is coming back to normal just like those days before the Pandemic.
On my trip last July 2021, the first thing that I did was to have my Covid-19 vaccine a day after my arrival in Los Angeles, California. Even if I was vaccinated with Sinovac months earlier in the Philippines, my daughter advised me to have my Covid-19 shots in the US. So, I had my complete dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. My Vaccine Card was updated and the staff removed my Sinovac Vaccine as my first Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer is considered as my first Covid-19 vaccine after all.
I had my booster shots with Pfizer in the Philippines last May 2022 but my 2nd booster shot did not materialize until the time I scheduled my latest trip to the US. I have it planned last November or December but I simply forgot all about it.
Now that I am here again in the US, my daughter brought me to the same Medical Center for my Bivalent Booster Covid-19 Vaccine.
Bivalent Booster Shots Boxes
I gave my Covid-19 Vaccine Card to the Medical Staff and she updated my record/file for a few minutes. She asked me to choose the Vaccine Brands available and I asked her the Moderna Bivalent Booster Vaccine which happens to be the latest Covid-19 Vaccine to be produced so far.
I can say the injection is more painful on the Moderna as compared to Pfizer. It has been a week after the vaccine but I can still feel a bit of pain from my left shoulder. Actually, the plaster or medical tape that covers the injection part is still on my shoulder. However, I did not feel any after effects of anything on my body from the Moderna vaccine.
The medical staff who attended me was kind enough to update and issue me an updated vaccine card with all the vaccines I got starting with the Pfizer I got last July 2021 up to the present. All in all, it took me less than 20 minutes stay in the said Vaccination Room as I was the only one being attended to during that time.
My first day in Los Angeles was very fruitful and rewarding.
While browsing on the Facebook Page of Mayor Michael Keon after watching his Live Interview with Pinoy Athletics in the past few weeks, I found this particular post or story on the Mayor’s FB Page. This story answers the question why he resigned from the Project Gintong Alay.
My snappy salute to Mayor Michael Keon for his conviction for the good of the Philippine Sports during those days when the Project Gintong Alay was at its peak and success.
My last trip to the United States was in July 2021 and stayed there for almost two months. The Covid-19 Pandemic was still on its highest peak in terms of casualties but it was a fulfilling trip.
My last trip abroad before the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown was my participation in the Kota Kinabalu 105K Ultramarathon Race and our plane back to the Philippines was the last plane out of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and one of the few flights that I arrived when the Lockdown was implemented last March 2020.
My trip in the US in July 2021 has a lot of travel requirements but after almost two years, traveling abroad is back to normal. Of course, I am fully vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines and boosted with Pfizer in the US and in the Philippines and had never been infected with the said disease.
Took the ANA via Japan
With my trip in 2021, I took the Philippine Air Lines as my carrier as it was not allowed yet for transit passengers in other countries, thus, every passenger going abroad should take a direct flight and there was no other choice than to take the PAL flight. The fare was very expensive and there was no other way or choice. And on my arrival back to the Philippines, I have to take a 10-day Quarantine stay in an Authorized Hotel which added more expenses in my trip.
At present, the fare is a bit lower in ANA and the travel requirements like Covid-19 test before Departure; Covid-19 Travel Insurance; Vaccine Card; and restriction on Transit Flights are all gone! There is a semblance that the pre-Covid-19 days are back and the economy is slowly peaking up.
ANA, a Japanese carrier, was recommended to me from a friend who had his experience flying in it few months ago. The story is very inspiring and I grabbed the opportunity to experience flying with the said carrier. I am glad I did it. My experience with my flight with ANA to Los Angeles, California was great! The inflight movies are A-okey and I was able to watch 2 movies for the whole flight. The meals and snacks are very nice and filling to my stomach. Their wine and fruit juices were soothing. And I did not know that there was a Free WiFi onboard! Hahaha! My best experience is having a Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream served after a Meal!
What I hate most in my International Flights is to see the Inflight Toilets to be scattered with used tissue papers or toilet papers on the floor. Whether it is a Korea Air or PAL flight, there are always passengers who just throw their used toilet papers on the floor or stuck on the lid/cover of the trash bin near the faucet/sink area. I really don’t understand why passengers could not dispose their trash or waste into the bins properly. However, in all the ANA toilets that I have used during the duration of my flight to Japan and then to the USA, the toilets are very, very clean! This is my first time to see a clean toilet every time I use them during a flight. Great! What a big change from the other international flights that I have experienced.
When I asked for a cup of hot coffee at the back of the plane while I was stretching from the stewardess, she immediately offered me one by grabbing the coffee pot from the array and rows of cabinets and put some in a paper cup and asked if I need sugar and cream with it. I said, I want my coffee black and she was smiling as she handed me the hot coffee! Wow! In most of my past flights, if I ask for coffee when I am standing near their serving starvation, stewardess would simply instruct me to get my coffee and cup from the rack and serve by myself. ANA and the Japanese stewardess are simply amazing and very helpful.
After passing through the Immigration (another post will be written about this), I was surprised again that two of their Flight Stewardess are in the Baggage Pick-up Carousel attending to all the passengers getting their Baggage, making sure 100% that are are getting your right baggage! Wow!
By the way, in the Check-In Counter at the Manila International Airport, the processing was very quick and fast! And the counter staff did not even ask for my carry-on luggage to be weighted on the weighing scale! I asked and requested for an aisle seat and I was given which was almost very near to the Business Class area. Sweet!
And here is the thing that some Filipino passengers with connecting flights to the US would complain about. ANA would strictly enforce and advise that passengers going or disembarking in Tokyo, Japan would leave the plane first before everybody else. I really don’t complain about this. If this is their policy, so be it. They give first priority to passengers going to Japan!
As for the boarding process and protocol on ANA flight, I have observed that boarding passengers are grouped from Group 1 to Group 5 and ones designation is printed and shown on the Passenger’s Boarding Pass. I am from Group 5 and our group was seated at the back most portion of the Boarding Area. I think Group 1 are for the First Class Passengers and Group 2 are for the Business Class Passengers. I came to realize why I was at Group 5 when I was seated already in my assigned seat. I think Group 3 passengers are for those who are seated at the Window Seats; Group 4 are for those who are seated at the Middle Seats; and Group 5 are for those seated at the Aisle Seats. Group 3,4,5 are in the Economy Class! See? It makes sense! The Japanese people are really organized and disciplined people. Their is no stress and chaos in boarding and settling yourself inside the plane. This is my first time to experience such kind of boarding in a plane since the time I started traveling by air.
Traveling In Style
I always travel in style and properly well dressed. As a Senior Citizen, I don’t want to be “profiled” as a “working class”. I want the other passengers to know that I am a constant traveler and from the TSA and Immigration personnel that I am a professional and decent traveler.
Traveling with an ANA Flight for the first time was a very memorable experience. I highly recommend this Japanese Carrier to everybody. You will not regret it! Thanks for reading! Bye for now!
First, I would like to post the photo grab that I made from the NEWSLETTER from ITRA dated December 2020 which I received through e-mail on December 24, 2020. I received this letter because of the fact that I am a member of the ITRA.
I would like to make it a point or stress that this newsletter did not come from the International Association of Ultrarunner (IAU) which the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU) is a member representing the country.
Early this year, I planted some vegetables in my backyard and I was able to harvest for our home consumption. However, when the rainy season started in the month of June, I stopped maintaining the plants and they were overtaken with the growth of weeds and other grasses.
Starting on the middle of last month, I acquired a grass/bush cutter to clean my backyard and start again raising some backyard vegetables. It took me some time to clean the whole lot as the weeds, plants, and tall grasses became so thick that some of my fruit-bearing trees and plants were covered by them. However, I was able to clean the whole backyard.
In the next days, I will start to till and cultivate the land again. We will see how the backyard looks like in the next weeks and months to come.
Bald Runner 
You must be logged in to post a comment.