I’ve been taking the stairs at the office intermittently since Aby brought to my attention this practical and inexpensive way to keep fit. I’ve been pushing myself harder partly to beat my own best time and partly to at least reach my officemate’s own best time which was way better than mine. Yesterday, I had all but given up on that second goal. But this morning, I was rewarded by a time of 1 minute and 36 seconds! To think I wasn’t even planning to take the stairs.
Rating: 5/5
by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of Chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
*Whenever life’s adversities come my way I always keep this poem in mind. But what inspires me more is that writer, William Ernest Henley, was able to survive great adversity– the poem was written from a hospital bed– and even succeeded in life. So whatever it is facing you, something worse is facing someone somewhere, and they are taking it. You can do the same.
I smile not
For grim and dark
Lies the day before me.
The sun shall shine
Only once the battle ends.
If it shines down
Upon me as i stand on the field,
I shall be glad
For i shall have prevailed.
But if it shines down
Upon my battered corpse,
I shall still be glad
For i shall have fought
To my last breath.
But till then
I smile not.
La Mesa Ecopark is a project of ABS-CBN‘s Bantay Kalikasan, an environment advocacy group who essentially created the park from jungle. The resulting park is an oasis of vegetation in the midst of the sprawling city. It has a saltwater pool, a flower terrace, an amphitheater, a butterfly trail, an orchidarium, a fishing area, a big picnic area, a biking area, and a boating area among others.
The park is well organized and managed. There was just a bit of a hassle getting our DSLRs inside (but not point-and-shoots wth?!?). It was also a bit crowded when we went but otherwise it was nice. We strolled through the various areas taking pictures. We were done by late afternoon. The place is not that big and a day is about sufficient.