Mishelley Gee

Lawrence at Legaspi St., Downtown Cebu Taking the ever so handy Sony Xperia XA (phone) for a test shoot.  ♕

On November 8, 2013, typhoon Haiyan slammed across the Visayas region of the Philippines. Having a storm strength of Category 5 and a wind speed of 195 miles per hour, this storm, known as Yolanda to us, left 1.9 of the total 12.9 million people homeless.      Three years after this incident, many still experience trauma as they recall that fateful day when the unexpected storm surge happened. It was extremely catastrophic and I guess people were not really alarmed of a storm surge warning. What was a storm surge anyway? I thought it was better to tell them that a tsunami was coming. That way, they would have evacuated the areas much more quicker. Yes, the frightened residents stayed indoors... but that wasn't enough.      My family and I were in our house in Cebu when that occurred and we could hear the howling of the mighty strong winds. It was almost a subtle scream. Roofs were pulled out from the houses and were sent flying as people tried ...

So happy to see this first thing in the morning! Niume: Mother Earth: The Downfall

     One of the perks of having Cardio Unit staff friends is that they get to use you as a test patient for their machines. I don't really mind being a hamster for a day! Way back when I was working in a hospital, I had a test echo which found that I had mild mitral regurgitation. Nah, not much of a big deal. It doesn't cause me any problems at all. Still, it's there!      In high school I also found that my dislocating hip joint wasn't at all normal...I had to go to a doctor because I sometimes would feel like a nerve was sort of caught between my bones ( or something like tha t) and my range of movement was limited. I can't raise my legs so high, laterally. Then after running further tests and going to the doctor, it was shown that the ball of my right hip was a little bit longer than the one on the left. Nahhh, not much of a big deal either...and I stopped visiting the doctor because surgery was the only way to correct it. I had no money for that and ...

      image courtesy of Inhabitat.com I hope that image got your attention.  Allow me to openly express my honest feelings and opinions and I leave it to you if you want to finish reading this post. ~      The number of creatures living in the brink of extinction has led me to realize that sometimes, other people are too selfish not to think of others' crucial situation. I am honestly ashamed of the human race.        I have always had this deep sense of caring for the Earth since I was a child. I recall picking up an injured bird and taking care of it until it was ready to fly, I happily planted seedlings in our lot and witnessed it grow to my heart's content. It is and  never was  like me to throw trash in any place and yes, I am never guilty of dumping garbage anywhere. The cartoons that I have watched were The Wild Thornberry's and Captain Planet. I have brought this love until the present time. I...

     Flores is a part of Eastern Indonesia and one of the areas in Flores which is famous for producing a distinct kind of coffee is Bajawa. Have you ever wondered what Bajawa means? This word is actually derived from two different words. Bha for plate and Java which means peace.      The coffee plantations in Bajawa are situated 1300 meters above sea level and the coffee here is grown organically. That probably is the reason behind the fragrant aroma and the extra kick it gives! Generally speaking though, the higher the coffee plantation, the better.      And so, months ago Lawrence went to Indonesia and got me bags and bags of coffee that made me tear up with incomprehensible joy! Like you, I'm also a coffee addict. I can't say lover because it's more of an addiction! One of the many was this, Flores Bajawa and I only found the strength to rip the package open because it pains me to do so. The packaging is just too pretty! ...

     Greetings from this side of the super toned gastrocnemius! Guess what everyone? I have reached 1,000 kilometers on Nike! I've never been so happy because it almost felt like forever. Before I knew it, I was at 900+ kilometers last week.      On other news, Cebu Marathon's early bird registration has been extended until November 15. This'll be my second time to join and I'm so dang psyched for it! To the people who feel like giving up on running just because you are not seeing the results yet...I say, go and run. Because good and beautiful things take time. If you've been running for miles and miles and are up for the challenge (of beating your time, that is) I strongly and wholeheartedly encourage you to join.      I started running in 2011 and I can't even remember the brand of the first pair of shoes I wore! I thought Sketchers was best thing ever. I had no gear, no belt bags whatsoever. I simply ran and joined my first ...

     Ghouls and ghosts, spirits and witches, white ladies and doppelgangers. Happy Halloween everyone!      Every year QQ English celebrates Halloween by hosting a contest with participating teachers and students showcasing their scariest costume evaaa! This year's event was so much better than the last because even the staff are getting into the spirit ! (JOKE!) They fabulously dressed up as harlequin. They were more of cute than scary! Some Japanese do not celebrate Halloween and this is quite a fun experience for them. Not the usual classroom scenario...imagine yourselves having class with the nun from conjuring.  One teacher dressed up as a doll and nailed it. More of a fashionable doll because of the shoes! Would you be scared or distracted?      Each year it just keeps getting better. No  tricks here, just pure treats!       How was your Halloween experience? xx, Michelle ...