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famedexclusivearchive · 6 years

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[ARTICLE] IDOLS PREPARING FOR FIRST ANNUAL BUSAN SUMMER FESTIVAL

In conjunction with BC Entertainment, Dimensions Entertainment, Gold Star Media, and SBS, the city of Busan has announced the first annual Busan Summer Festival, taking place from July 9th to July 13th. A number of local events will occur over the span of the festival, but the main attraction will be the entertainment, bringing top celebrities to the city over the course of the week.

The main events of the festival will be a series of three concerts bringing together top idols and artists for three fun summer Night On The Beach concerts featuring some of the hottest hits of the past decade, but fans can also meet these idols throughout the week, as they’ll be hosting festivities and giving back to the Busan community.

The three companies and SBS have released a joint statement saying that through this festival, they hope to celebrate the lively and bustling community of Busan and all the idols have expressed excitement for the festival.

All three of the festival concerts will be filmed and aired on SBS later in the summer.

ADMIN NOTES:

The time has come for our next drop event! Everyone under the three companies will be required to participate in their respective concert part of the festival barring extenuating circumstances such as major injury or illness. It must be cleared with the admin if you want your muse to have a plot that will keep them from participating in this event.

EVENT DETAILS:

The Busan Summer Festival takes place in-universe from July 9th to July 13th. Please be aware that I’ve moved this event forward from when I initially intended it to go up, so there have been slight changes in the schedules of Knight, Alien, Impulse, and Gold Star Soloist 3, all of whom have just had concerts pushed back a couple of days. This is only an OOC change, and in-universe, this will have always been scheduled that way.

There are two parts to the festival that may be used for interactions: work time and free time. For the festival, idols will travel back and forth from Seoul to Busan with their manager every day they are scheduled. On days only individual members of groups are scheduled, only those members are required travel to Busan, but others may come to explore the festival as a guests. Any promotional activities taking place on the days of the festival will be scheduled before traveling or pre-recorded on another day. All idols may visit the festival as a guest when they’re not working.

Outside of the idol’s scheduled work, the festival will also have food, shopping, local performers, etc., and anything typical of a summer fair or festival.

For the concerts, all idols will perform in summer wear regardless of concept (boys in board shorts and t-shirts, girls in denim shorts and tank tops) to match the beach and summer themes of the concert. The concert set lists can be found HERE.

Idols are highly encouraged by their companies to promote the festival through social media, but should also be on their best behavior at all times, whether working or not. They’re still in public and are bound by their image maintenance agreements at all times as usual.

CHOICE ACTIVITIES:

There are open events on the schedule listed below open to individual muses. This Google Form has been set up for you to submit up to two activities of your choice for each of your muses to have them scheduled in those spots. All spots will be first come-first served. More spots will be added if necessary, or more choice activities will be permitted per muse if necessary to fill the majority of the slots. Keep in mind that canonically, companies would have final say in where their idols are scheduled, so you can request activities that your muse wouldn’t enjoy doing! These are completely optional, but participating in these choice activities will give you more opportunities for points!

OVERALL:

In game, this event takes place Monday, July 9, to Friday, July 13, but threads and other posts for this event may be started from Sunday, July 1, at the time this post goes up, to Saturday, July 21, at 11:59PM EDT. Threads may be continued past the end date, but must be started before then. Non-event related interactions may of course be conducted during this time as well.

NOTE: All posts related to the event should be tagged #fmdbusanfest.

SCHEDULE:

MONDAY - JULY 9TH

10AM-12PM: group masterclasses at local arts high school (two idols from each concentration teach the masterclass as a group)

2 vocal mentors (2/2 spots taken by leo & theo) - requires a vocal position in a group or a soloist known for singing.

2 dance mentors (2/2 spots taken by lola & kwan) - requires a main/lead dancer position in a group or a soloist known for dancing.

2 rap mentors (2/2 spots taken by max & prophet) - requires a main/lead rapper position in a group or a soloist known for rapping.

1PM-3PM: volunteering to meet kids at local hospital

5 volunteers (5/5 volunteer spots taken by max, kwan, jaewon, phoenix, & cheol)

4PM-5PM: rashguard (swimsuit) collection runway sponsored by cosmopolitan magazine korea.

3 male models (3/3 spots taken by yejun, xion, & leo)

3 female models (2/3 spots taken by juliet & thalia)

7PM-11PM: night on the beach concert night one sponsored by sprite. (setlist)

performing acts: bc soloist 4, element, CHARM, alien, gold star soloist 3, 7rophy, impulse, dimensions soloist 2, DIARY, WISH

two song solo or collab slot: taken by vivienne - must have released at least two points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

three song solo or collab slot: taken by nami - must have released at least three points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

TUESDAY - JULY 10TH

10AM-1PM: volunteering at local soup kitchen for the elderly

3 volunteers (3/3 spots taken by taisei & holiday han)

2PM-6PM: special idol makeover event at cosmetics department of busan lotte duty free store sponsored by lotte.

3 idol makeup artists (2/3 spots taken by kasem, rey, & lux) - idols will do the makeup of customers who buy a certain amount of products.

6:30PM-7:30PM: sbs mtv the show live from busan

performing acts: knight, unity, & vice

3 special MCs (3/3 spots taken by taesung, kun, & unee) - can’t be from the three performing groups

9PM-11PM: battle of the bands on the beach

2 MCs (2/2 spots taken by bibi & hee)

2 guest judges (2/2 slots taken by xi & trevor)

WEDNESDAY - JULY 11TH

10AM - 12PM: group masterclasses at local arts high school (a few idols from each concentration teach the masterclass as a group)

3 vocal mentors (3/3 spots taken by sangwoo, jaekyung, & julien shin) - requires a vocal position in a group or a soloist known for singing.

3 dance mentors (3/3 spots taken by hanbit, xion, & jeongin) - requires a main/lead dancer position in a group or a soloist known for dancing.

2 acting mentors (0/2 spots taken) - requires a muse to have an acting points claim of any type.

12PM - 2PM: group masterclasses at local arts high school (a few idols from each concentration teach the masterclass as a group)

3 rap mentors (3/3 spots taken by taesung, nami, & trevor) - requires a main/lead rapper position in a group or a soloist known for rapping.

2 songwriting mentors (2/2 spots taken by taeyong & jynx) - requires canon or points claimed songwriting credits.

4PM-5PM: summer casual wear collection runway by local fashion design students

3 male models (3/3 spots taken by blue, joonsoo, & rey)

3 female models (2/3 spots taken by vivienne & hee)

7PM-11PM: night on the beach concert night two sponsored by sprite (setlist)

performing acts: dimensions soloist 4, dimensions soloist 3, femme fatale, unity, mars, gold star soloist 2, decipher, aria, knight, bc soloist 1

two song solo or collab slot: open - must have released at least two points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

three song solo or collab slot: open - must have released at least three points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

THURSDAY - JULY 12TH

5AM - 7AM: Photoshoot for Cosmopolitan Korea magazine at sunrise on the beach (will not be a cover shoot).

3 models (3/3 spots taken by lola, theo, & unee)

8AM-11AM: animal shelter adoption event (idols will volunteer at shelter and help/encourage visitors to adopt animals)

4 volunteers (4/4 spots taken by kasem, jynx, juliet, & lux)

12PM-2PM: idols vs. local chefs charity cook off

4 members of the idol chef team (4/4 spots taken by hanbit, holiday han, xi, & soo)

3PM-4PM: extreme obstacle course competition

10 competitors (9/10 spots taken by yejun, kei, soo, tristan, junseo, luna, seongin, dana, & jin) - idols compete against each other for the fastest time running an obstacle course, will be filmed and aired as a special feature during the airing of the concerts

4:30PM-5:30PM: visit to soon-to-be-opened cat cafe - promotional pictures will be taken of the idols spending time with the cats to promote the cafe’s opening

4 idols (4/4 spots taken by yenny, seongin, prophet, & cheol)

6PM-9PM: idol beach volleyball tournament

pair one: 2/2 spots taken by kei & allen - eliminated round one against pair three.

pair two: 2/2 spots taken by sun & anna - eliminated round one against pair four.

pair three: 2/2 spots taken by julien shin & luna - second place.

pair four: 2/2 spots taken by sangwoo & blue - winners.

FRIDAY - JULY 13TH

10AM-12PM: group masterclasses at local arts high school (a few idols from each concentration teach the masterclass as a group)

2 vocal mentors (2/2 spots taken by dana & jin) - requires a vocal position in a group or a soloist known for singing.

2 dance mentors (1/2 spots taken by jaewon) - requires a main/lead dancer position in a group or a soloist known for dancing.

2 rap mentors (2/2 spots taken by sun & aeryn) - requires a main/lead rapper position in a group or a soloist known for rapping.

1PM-2PM: summer pastry bake-off

4 judges (4/4 spots taken by junseo, yenny, phoenix, & anna)

3PM-5PM: live auditions for upcoming talent competition show on KBS

2 MCs (2/2 spots taken by bibi & jaekyung)

2 guest judges (2/2 slots taken by taisei & joonsoo)

7PM-11PM: night on the beach concert night three sponsored by sprite (setlist)

performing acts: dimensions soloist 1, vice, bc soloist 2, gal.actic, bc soloist 3, silhouette, lipstick, gold star soloist 1, bee, origin

two song solo or collab slot: open - must have released at least two points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

three song solo or collab slot: taken by taeyong - must have released at least three points claim songs at the time of the concert. only one muse per mun can claim one of the solo/collab slots.

POINTS AVAILABLE:

As with all events, there are special points up for grabs.

INTERACTIONS: Having an event thread with a starter and at least three replies (starter ▻ partner reply ▻ op reply ▻ partner reply) by the end of the event is worth 2 points. This is valid for up to five threads.

INTERACTIONS: Having an event thread with someone your muse has never had a thread with before is worth 1 additional point for each thread.

INTERACTIONS: Having an event thread with someone at the same choice activity/activities as your muse is worth 1 additional point for each thread. Thread must take place in part during or surrounding preparations for the choice activity.

INTERACTIONS: Posting an open starter for the event is worth 2 points. This counts for up to one open thread starter (not a text/sms post) per character and does not count toward the monthly limit. In order to be a truly open starter, this should take place during free time exploring the festival instead of work time.

SOLO: Writing a self-para about your muse doing one (or more) of their choice activities is worth 2 points not counting toward your monthly total.

You can also earn the normal amount of points through submitting tips or articles to the Exclusive blog, writing self-paras, etc. related to the event!

Additionally, if you submit any Exclusive blog articles pertaining to the event, it won’t count toward your monthly limit!

If anything in this post is unclear or you have any questions, please feel free to contact the admin. Please like this post to let me know you read it.

#fmdevent #fmdbusanfest #queued post

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strangehoot · 4 years

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New Post has been published on Strange Hoot - How To’s, Reviews, Comparisons, Top 10s, & Tech Guide

New Post has been published on https://strangehoot.com/how-to-set-cron-job-on-linux-server-cron-job-working-scheduling/

How to Set Cron Job on Linux Server - Cron Job Working & Scheduling

Set Cron Job

IT operations or DevOps team usually works on roasters to give users 100% uptime services. They need to do a lot of tasks that need to be done continuously, on certain time intervals and keep the data up-to-date. Manually performing these tasks at regular time intervals or for the specified period is not always possible. These tasks can be automated using jobs or automated processes.

Task Automation

What does it take to automate tasks? Set up a cron job. Cron is a set of commands that are given/written in a crontab file to be executed as per schedule. There are tasks such as sending up the reminders to a set of users daily at 8am, taking data backup at night 2:00am everyday or setting alerts to the user if the server is running out of space at a specified threshold or performing system scans every Sunday of the week.

Writing the cron job makes all the above tasks possible via scheduling. The cron job can be written on the server on which your whole IT environment is set up. The Linux service is the most used server platform where all the services are hosted and can be administered.

Difference between Cron Job and Batch Job

Cron Job is executing one or more tasks at a specified time one or more times. Batch Job is executing multiple tasks at a go.

You can also schedule a batch job that can be executed simultaneously or sequentially. As it comprises multiple tasks, you can define a sequence of the tasks to be processed one after another or all the specified tasks to be processed simultaneously. You can set up a cron job for batch processes.

Difference between Cron Job and At Job

Cron Job can be scheduled with multiple time parameters and executed based on the schedule. The cron job can be edited, deleted and re-scheduled as per requirements.

At Job is scheduled to execute a specific task only once. Once created, it cannot be edited once scheduled. It can be deleted the same as Cron Job.

Crontab file

Crontab is the file in which cron job commands are written. The command line is made up of 2 parts –

Part 1 – specify the time parameter(s) for scheduling the job. Time parameters are:

minute – the value is between 0-59.

If you put an asterisk sign, it will be considered as “every minute”. The job will be executed every minute.

If you put 10, it will be considered as “every 10 minutes”.

hour – the value range is 0-23.

If you put the value as 18, it will be considered as 6pm.

If you put the value as 0, it will be considered as midnight.

day of the month – the value range is 1-12.

If you put the value as 1, it will be considered as the month of January.

If you put the value as 3, it will be considered as the month of March.

day of the week – the value range is 0-7.

If you put the value as 3, Wednesday is considered

If you put the value as 7, Sunday is considered. 0 is also considered as Sunday.

Part 2 – specify the command and the directory of the file or folder on which you are scheduling the job

rm /home/tinas/tmp/* – removes the temporary files from the “tmp” folder

rm is the “remove” command

“tmp” is referred to as temporary folder

/home/tinas/scriptname.sh – run the script available in this folder path specified

Now, let us see some examples of the entire command in the crontab file.

CommandDescription0 23 * * 3 * /bin/shRun a backup job every Wednesday night at 11pm. 0 7 3 */3 * /home/tinas/script.shRun the job quarterly on the 3rd day at 7am. Slash (/) is used to specify intervals.0 11,19 * * * /bin/sh backup.shRun the backup job 2 times a day at 11am and 7pm. Comma (,) is used to execute the job at intervals specified. 0 */3 * * * /scripts/script-monitor.shRun the job every 3 hours. * * * * * /bin/shRun the job every minute* * * 10,11,12 * /script/script.shRun the job in October, November, December months.0 * 1 7 * /bin/sh script.shRun the job every 1st of July.

Setup the Cron job on Linux Server – Step by Step Guide

Open the terminal on the Linux server where all the services are configured.

Type sudo su.

Enter the password for the admin user. You will be able to enter crontab commands.

To edit another user’s crontab file, use the below command.

– u is used for username

– e is used for edit

– l is used to list the crontab files

e is used to create and edit the file

-a <filename> is used to install the <filename> as a crontab file.

To remove the crontab file from the user. Use the below command.

To view contents of the crontab file, use -l after the crontab command.

Enter the command to specify the job schedule. (Refer to the Crontab file section for commands.)

Save the file. The job will be executed at specified time and intervals.

File Permissions

You can set permissions for the users in the DevOps team who can use the cron jobs. There are two types of permissions given – Allow and Deny.

cron.allow – This file contains the list of users who are allowed to use the crontab files created on the server.

cron.deny – This file contains the list of users who are restricted from using the crontab files created on the server.

Conclusion

You as Linux administrator can use the cron jobs for so many events and tasks such as setting up monitoring alerts for broken links, send out email notifications to the users on specific events, deactivate user accounts and so on.

There is another set of tasks on the administration side that can be executed using the cron jobs. System maintenance automation tasks such as database backup, disk space monitoring, alerts when the service goes down, network is down or any one of the servers is down.

Cron jobs help manage the server administrator’s tasks efficiently and help the team to take the appropriate actions on alerts that are being sent by the cron jobs. Automating tasks with the cron jobs prevents the customers or end users from multiple failures. The only thing to take care of setting up the cron job is to use the right command with the correct time specified.

Read: Why Home Automation is needed in 21st Century

#Cron #Cron Job #Linux Cron

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travelguy4444 · 6 years

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20 Things to See and Do in Bogotá

Posted: 03/25/2019 | March 25th, 2019

The capital of Colombia, Bogotá was the home to the region’s indigenous people, the Muisca, when the Spanish came around plundering gold and resources, and it’s been the country’s main city ever since.

Before I went, everyone told me Bogotá wasn’t anything special: dirty, crowded, hard to get around, and lacking the charm of the other big cities in Colombia.

“Spend a few days there and move on,” they all said.

Well, I spent a few days there — and then a few more.

I LOVED Bogotá.

It felt like the most “Colombian” city I visited. It’s not like the gringofied cities in the rest of the country. Its “gritty” nature was what appealed to me.

Bogotá was a vibrant, lively city I couldn’t get enough of.

The museum scene is incredible, there’s a lot of history, a blossoming art community, an exciting food scene, a wild nightlife, and super welcoming people.

It is also a huge city with a ton of tours, day trips, and other things to do. You could easily spend a week here.

To help you make the most out of your visit, here are my top 20 things to see and do in Bogotá.

20 Things to See and Do in Bogotá

1. Take a Free Walking Tour

One of my favorite things to do when I get to a new destination is to take a free walking tour. It’s a great way to get the lay of the land, see the main sights, and have a local expert answer any and all of my questions.

BeyondColombia has a great free walking tour that will give you a solid introduction to the city. It also has a free food tour, which is a terrific way to get a taste of some local Colombian dishes (you’ll spend around 18,000 COP/$6 USD on food for the tour). Just be sure to tip your guides!

For a more specialized tour, check out the Bogotá Graffiti Tour. This one operates by donation, using the money raised to reinvest in future community art projects.

2. Stroll in the Botanical Gardens

Opened in 1955, the Botanical Garden of Bogotá is home to almost 20,000 plants. There is a focus on regional plants, usually those that are endemic to the Andes and other high-alpine regions of the continent. It’s a really peaceful place to walk around, and there are some food stalls nearby, so you can grab a quick bite as you explore the gardens and browse the exotic flowers and trees.

Cl. 63 No. 6895, +57 1-437-7060, jbb.gov.co. Open daily 8am-5pm (9am-5pm on weekends). Admission is 3,500 COP for adults and 1,800 COP for children.

3. Climb Monserrate

Standing tall at over 3,000 meters, you can see Monserrate from pretty much everywhere in town. It’s a popular spot to take in the view, and since there is a church at the summit, it’s also a popular spot for local weddings. You can walk up yourself in under an hour, or you can take a cable car or funicular to the top. Keep in mind that the walk up isn’t that safe at night or alone — thieves scout out the route. Be careful!

The funicular runs Monday-Saturday 6:30am-11:30am and Sundays 5:30am-4:30pm. The cable car is available Monday-Saturday 12pm-11:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Tickets for either vehicle are the same price: round-trip tickets cost 21,000 COP for adults (12,000 COP on Sundays).

4. Visit the Museo del Oro (The Gold Museum)

This is the most interesting museum in the entire country and sees over half a million tourists every year. Opened in 1939, the Gold Museum documents the importance and use of gold in pre-Hispanic civilizations in Colombia and is home to over 55,000 gold items. There’s a lot of information to take in, so be sure to get the audio guide (8,000 COP) or join one of the daily free tours.

Cra. 6 No. 15-88, +57 1-343-2222, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-del-oro. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm and Sundays 10am-4pm. Admission is 4,000 COP for adults and free for children. Admission is also free for adults on Sundays, but it gets busy quickly so be sure to arrive early!

5. See the Salt Cathedral

Located about an hour’s drive from the city in Zipaquirá, the Salt Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church that was built in the tunnels of an old salt mine. It’s 200 meters below ground, making this one of the more unique religious sites in the country, if not the world. Every Sunday, up to 3,000 people attend church services here.

Parque de la Sal, +57 315-760-7376, catedraldesal.gov.co. Open daily 9am-5:40pm. Admission is 58,000 COP for foreigners, with discounts available for seniors.

6. Check out the Museo de Botero

Founded in 2000, this museum is home to one of Latin America’s most important art collections. The museum was created after Fernando Botero donated hundreds of his works to the Banco de la República de Colombia with the promise that they would be displayed in a free museum for everyone to see. In addition to his own pieces, included in the donation were works by Monet, Picasso, and other world-famous artists. Take a free tour or get the audio guide (not free).

Cl. 11 No. 4-41, +57 1-343-1316, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-botero. Open Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 9am-7pm and Sundays 10am-5pm (closed Tuesdays). Admission is free, and free guided tours are available daily; see the website for updated times. Audio guides are available for 10,000 COP.

7. Explore La Candelaria

I really loved this neighborhood. This is the old part of Bogotá. You can wander the narrow cobblestone streets and take in the eclectic architecture, with art deco, colonial, and baroque styles all calling the neighborhood home. Many of the city’s best attractions (also, many hostels) are here too, such as the Botero Museum, the Gold Museum, and several churches and universities. Watch live music while hanging at Plaza Chorro de Quevedo, try the local chicha (a drink made from corn, often fermented to be alcoholic) on the side streets, and take in some of the amazing restaurants in this district.

8. See the Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Carmen is a Gothic church located in La Candelaria. The church has a red-and-white striped pattern — both on the outside and inside — making it look like a giant candy cane. Built from 1926 to 1938, the church stands almost 60 meters tall has some incredible Byzantine and Moorish art.

Cra. 5 No. 8-36, +57 1-342-0972. Open Monday-Friday 7am-7:30am and 10am-4pm, Saturdays 7am-7:30am, and Sundays 7am-12:30pm.

9. Visit Simon Bolívar Metropolitan Park

This is one of the most popular parks in Bogotá. Created in 1979, it spans almost 1,000 acres. You can find people exercising, relaxing, or attending concerts here. The park is named after the famous Simón Bolívar, who led the liberation of the region from its Spanish overlords.

Open daily 6am-6pm. Admission is free unless there is a concert or event in progress.

10. Wander Plaza Bolívar

This is the main square of Bogotá, home to Colombia’s Palace of Justice, the Cathedral of Bogotá, the mayor’s office, and the Capitol Building. It’s the historical heart of the city, with buildings from as early as the 16th century. Under the Spanish, the plaza was home to bullfights, circus acts, and public markets. Watch out for the plethora of pigeons!

11. Head to the Laguna de Guatavita (Lake Guatavita)

If you want to take a break from the city and get some fresh air, head out on a day trip to Lake Guatavita. Located around 60 kilometers north of Bogotá, this small lake is a sacred site to the region’s indigenous people and is apparently where the rumors of El Dorado originated. There are also hot springs in the nearby town of Sesquilé if you’re in need of some relaxation.

Day trips to the area last around 6 hours and will vary in price. Expect to pay at least 180,000 COP per person.

12. Explore Parque 93

This is the area of town with some of the best restaurants, nightclubs, and bars in the entire city. The park itself is home to an ongoing rotation of temporary art exhibitions. Located in one of the nicer areas of town, you’ll find a lot of good restaurants and cafés lining the park.

13. Attend Gringo Tuesdays

This is a weekly language exchange that evolves into an international party. Every Tuesday, you can meet with other locals and travelers for a few hours of conversation. Once that’s over, the real party begins and goes late into the night. It’s a fun, social night out if you’re looking meet fellow travelers. A lot of hostels organize party buses to the event, so if you’re coming from La Candelaria, this is a good transportation option.

Street 85 No. 11-53, Promenade del Faro, +57 311-492-0249, gringotuesdays.com/en. Every Tuesday, the language exchange occurs 4pm-8pm, followed by the party, which runs 8pm-3am.

14. Discover the National Museum of Colombia

Situated in the heart of Bogotá, this is the oldest and biggest museum in the entire country (and one of the oldest on the continent). Built in 1823, it’s home to over 20,000 pieces of art and historical artifacts, some dating as far back as 10,000 BCE. The building was actually used as a prison initially (it definitely looks imposing) until it transitioned into a museum in 1946. If you’re a history buff or just want to learn more about the country, this museum is a must.

Carrera 7 No 28-66, +57 1-381-6470, museonacional.gov.co. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 4,000 COp for adults, 3,000 COP for students, and 2,000 COP for children aged 5-12.

15. Wander the Usaquén Market

Every Sunday, artisans line the cobblestoned streets to sell all sorts of local crafts and goods. While it’s usually referred to as a flea market, things here are a bit nicer and more upscale than some of the other markets. It’s still quite affordable, though, and makes for a fun way to spend the day.

The market runs 11am-4pm every Sunday in Usaquén.

16. Explore the Museo Santa Clara

This church was built in the 17th century and is actually one of the oldest in the entire country. It was deconsecrated in the 1960s and converted into a museum by the government. There are over 148 baroque paintings that almost entirely cover its walls, making this one of the most beautifully decorated churches you’ll see in Colombia.

Cra. 8 No. 8-91, +57 1-337-6762, museocolonial.gov.co. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-4:30pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am-3:30pm. Admission is 4,000 COP for adults and 2,000 COP for children.

17. Grab a snack from La Puerta Falsa

This little shop has been serving locals for over 200 years! La Puerta Falsa (The False Door) is a small restaurant with room for fewer than 20 people, yet the tamales and ajiaco soup have been community staples for generations. If you’re looking to try traditional Colombian food, this is the place to go!

Calle 11 No. 6-50, +57 1-286-5091, restaurantelapuertafalsa.inf.travel. Open daily 7am-10pm though its schedule isn’t set in stone.

18. Visit the Iglesia de San Francisco

Built in the 16th century, this Catholic church is the oldest surviving church in Bogotá. The interior is incredibly ornate, with a beautiful altar that dates back to the 17th century. It’s still in use, and you’ll likely see some locals praying during your visit, so make sure to dress appropriately and be respectful.

Av. Jimenez De Quesada No. 7-10, +57 1-341-2357. Open Monday-Friday 6:30am-10:30pm; 6:30am-12:30pm and 4pm-6:30pm on Saturdays; and 7:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-7:30pm on Sundays. Admission is free.

19. Sample the local brews

Bogotá (and the country has a whole) has a growing craft beer scene. Bogotá Craft Beer offers a four-hour tour that takes you to some of the best bars and breweries in town. The tour includes a knowledgable guide as well as secure transportation from place to place. I highly recommend it.

Tours are available daily 4pm-9pm and need to be booked in advance via their website. Tickets are around 95,000 COP per person.

20. Take a food tour

Bogotá is a great city for foodies, and the best way to get a sense of the culinary offerings is to take a food tour. Bogotá Food Tour will take you around La Macarena, Bogotá’s bohemian and artistic neighborhood. The tour lasts three hours and will take you to three different restaurants where you can sample a local dish and drink. Tours also include pickup and drop-off at your accommodation.

Tours are available Monday-Saturday and begin around 7pm. Booking in advance is required so you can secure your transportation. Tickets are 188,500 COP per person.

***

It’s true that Bogotá is an “edgy city” with a lot of petty crime. Yet I loved the atmosphere and vibe of the city. It had grit (kind of like Naples, Italy). I loved the art, the museums, the food. The city has so much to offer travelers. You can really fill a lot of time between all the sights, tours, parks, and activities. I would have liked to stay longer in Bogotá if I could.

I’d budget three to five days for your visit. It will definitely be worth it.

Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. My favorite places to stay are:

Masaya Hostel – This is a cool hostel located in La Candaleria. It has lots of common space where you can meet people and some comfy hammocks you can relax in; it also hosts all sorts of activities and excursions, from live music to salsa lessons.

Botánico Hostel – This cool hostel is relvatively new. The beds are comfy, it’s in a good location, and it offers free breakfast too!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel — and I think they will help you too!

Want More Information on Colombia? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Colombia for even more planning tips!

Photo credits: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 20, 21

The post 20 Things to See and Do in Bogotá appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/things-to-see-and-do-in-bogota/

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yvonnezoe · 6 years

Text

Woohoo! New post! Sorry for the wait again!

So this is the day you had a good night sleep after one whole afternoon of indulging in Penang’s great food and lots of walking under the hot sun. Not forgetting the partying after the Broadway show.

Here’s a recap of what happened in Day 2: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 3/5: Day 2

Day 1 is here: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 2/5: Day 1

If you are unsure what to pack or expect at all, check this out: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 1/5: Getting Ready

Then, when you sense a shimmer shining through the curtain and you open your eyes, you feel the world (the ship) is swaying. But just wake up la. Enjoy the sunrise from your window if your room window is facing the East. Otherwise, go to the viewing deck. You may check the sunrise time on the first page of the Cruise Compass.

Ahoy! We are leaving Malacca Straits. The waves are rougher now…

That’s where we were.

7:00 am Breakfast at Windjammer

The day should start early as we were scheduled to arrive at Phuket, Thailand at 9am. We were all excited about going ashore. However, the breakfast area at Windjammer was so crowded when we arrived around 7am. There wasn’t a lot of seats available. My mom didn’t feel very well as she got sea sick so we didn’t take a lot of food.

We found the utensils were not very clean as you could see many obvious stains of oil and food residues on them. The napkins had a greasy smell too. So, it is advisable to bring your own wet tissue to clean the utensils if you mind!

Upon sighting such uncleanliness plus the waves of the sea, we all started to feel nauseous. My mom couldn’t contain it anymore and we had to rush to find the nearest washroom. To our surprise, the washroom was full of people throwing up! Luckily there was an empty cubicle for mom to relieve just in time.

I guess the seasick got worse after food. So if you have symptoms of seasick, know your way to the nearest washroom before starting your meal and eat light. You may pack some bread for later.

8:30 am Get Ready and Adjust your Clock

As Thailand is one hour later than Singapore, make sure you adjust your watches and clocks accordingly, i.e. 8am SGT is 7am Thailand time. (You get to sleep one hour more!)

Time to get changed and prepare to go ashore using tender boats. You will need to get a complimentary tender ticket for each person on that day at Royal Promenade, Deck 5. Your ticket will state the meeting time and location. If you have booked a Royal Caribbean Shore Excursion, there is no need to get the tender ticket and you will board the boat first. The meeting time and location are stated in your tour ticket.

What to pack in your bag:

Sunblock, even if you are not going to the beach

Thai Baht – it is advisable to change it before even going up the cruise. The rate on board is usually not very good. When you first landed in Phuket, you have to already spend $$ and they may charge you more if you are holding foreign currency.

Water – No need to bring a lot as you can easily get mineral water (or even coconut) as long as you are going to the rural area.

Some food – just in case you are hungry when you are on the road.

Towel (if you are going to the beach) – just get from your hotel room or it can be borrowed with your SeaPass card, just note that there is a $25 replacement fee for all unreturned towels.

Masking tape if you are going shopping… I will tell you why later.

SeaPass card – this act as your passport.

Umbrella – be it rain or shine, this comes in handy.

9:00 am Arrival at Phuket

Although the ship arrived at 9:00am at the port, the ship’s clearance was done only at about 9:30am. There were announcements made in the Public Areas to call out the tendering sequence and stating the tender loading area.

Collection of the complimentary tender tickets can be done at the Royal Promenade starting at 9am. You may collect for others. Bring along the SeaPass cards of your group. You need not to queue or rush to get the ticket. It will be distributed throughout the day. Get it only when you need it. Watch out for the announcement and refer to your Cruise Compass.

After collecting the tickets, we headed back to the room for a little rest after the seasick this morning. As people were crowding at the public areas to wait for their turn to get on tender boats, it was really not necessary to rush if you are not on the Shore Excursion tour. However, based on the experience at Phuket which I will share in details later, I strongly recommend you to book a shore excursion for Phuket. You may do so online before going on the cruise. Otherwise, you may go to the Shore Excursions Desk at Deck 5 to inquire.

10:30 am Going Ashore

As the announcement of the ticket number was made at the public area and we were in our room, the sound can be quite soft. We would open the door to listen more clearly and at last just left the door open slightly.

It wasn’t too long till our turn. We proceeded to the gangway and went past the security check counter where we were to display our SeaPass card. The sky was quite gloomy when we board the tender boat. As the ship had docked, it didn’t sway much so boarding the tender boat was not very scary. The boat could probably take around 50 pax.

The boat ride was only about 20 mins. From the boat, you can have a nice view and shots of the Voyager of the Seas.

The Tender Boat

The gangway

Arriving at the port (Phuket Marine Customs Pier) was a huge disappointment… This was never pre-empted by the tour agency. They didn’t even mention the name of the port. Telling you it’s Phuket would only make you imagine the beautiful beach there which you could immediately get into your swimwear right after going ashore right?

It is so different from what I have researched. All my planned “walking” itinerary from the Patong beach to shopping mall was useless because we were at the different part of Phuket altogether! 😦 I even use Google Street view to research what to expect at Phuket and how to walk around… I happily told my mom and sis about the excitement of Phuket. Urgh.

11:00 am Welcome to … Phuket?

Yes, welcome to the eastern part of Phuket where the sea is calmer and suitable for the cruise ship to dock. But going to the western part where all the nice beach and fun is, it’s taking at least 1 hour by car ride… or more by tuk-tuk. 😦

We had a shock when we arrived. It was our first time to Phuket. Groups of locals are touting at us, selling their local day tours at 3000-10,000 Baht per pax. Seriously? That’s probably all Baht I had! Their local tours include visiting temples, Elephant or Tiger “sanctuary” (please, don’t go there! You must have seen how the elephants and tigers were mistreated and drugged in order to look calm for tourists to pet), Cabaret show, massage, some shopping… The price does not include tips and your own food.

Some tourists already know where they wanted to go and were comfortable in negotiating the taxi and tuk-tuk fare.

Some tips here:

Research where you want to go and how much is the standard taxi fare.

If you would like to go for a massage, either you can research which massage place or shopping centre you want to drop by. Alternatively, you have to feel comfortable by their recommendations (which is always bias towards those that pay them a commission).

Pick your tour, get other tourists to go together. Negotiate for a group price instead of per pax.

Share a taxi or tuk-tuk with another group if going to the same locations.

Pretend to go away and engage another driver if the previous one is reluctant to decrease their price. The further inland you go, the cheaper the price would be.

Be reasonable. This is their living hood. Once you negotiate to a price which you are comfortable, just go with it and don’t squeeze them dry.

We almost wanted to go back to the ship after strolling around the little street market for 10 mins. Most of the stall owners were Muslims.

Some drivers were still touting at us. So we thought since we were already here, may as well just give it a try. We didn’t want to go too far as the travelling time is easily 1 hour. So I told the driver we just want to go to a shopping mall, preferably Big C (because I want to buy the Big C seaweed!!). I don’t remember how much we paid exactly but it was less than $50 for a back-seat tuk-tuk.

It started to rain heavily half-way and the driver had to stop by the road to help us “wind down” the window screen made of plastic sheets. Hahaha. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience! Just make sure you hold on to the window rail when the vehicle is moving as there is no door to keep you safe.

The driver had to do a detour to a tourist attraction as part of his “company policy”. So he brought us to Siam Multi Gems and Pearl. We walked one round and came out. Sorry, we didn’t bring enough cash to buy anything there. The driver was kind and say it’s ok to not buy anything as he just needed to show them he did try to bring tourists there.

We proceeded to Big C. We set a meeting time and location with the driver and off we go exploring the 3 levels shopping mall.

We had our lunch first at a food court in the mall. Nothing fantastic. We shopped for some snacks and souvenirs. But if you shop a lot, do consider picking up an empty box near the cashier counter or ask the cashier for one. It’s usually free. Then you can pack your stuff in the box and yes, now you get to use the masking tape! Otherwise, they have the tape sold at 100Baht also la. :p

You can also find tour recommendation in The Cruise Compass. The one recommended is Phang Nga Bay – where the James Bond island is. I’m not so sure how long it takes for the motorboat to reach there though. Probably it’s one of the shore excursions offered by Royal Caribbean.

3:00 pm Back to the ship

The tender boats run approximately every 20 minutes throughout the day and the last tender back to the ship leaves the dock at 8:30 pm.

We were back just in time for tea time. We feel so relieved to come back early. The ship is rather empty so we could have more peace and fun for ourselves. We helped ourselves with the food at Windjammer and it was good – much better than our lunch for sure. There was also free flow soft-serve!

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After the afternoon snacks, we proceeded to explore the ship and try out things we had not done before such as the FlowRider!

Walking around the ship – finding treasures…

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2. Go to the library. You may also do books exchange here – where you leave a used book and take another one to read in your room or bring home.

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3. FlowRider!! The FlowRider simulates a real surfing and body boarding experience. Riders must be at least 1.47 meter tall to surf and 1.32 meter to Boogie Board. Check the operating times for the FlowRider on Deck 13 in Open Hours.

Here’s a video of someone with body boarding experience. Looks fun eh?

youtube

4. Play golf!

6:00 pm Fine Dining at Sapphire Dining Room

The food was good as usual. Here’s a sneak peek to the menu and what I had.

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7:30 pm Rest or Movie

After dinner, we went back to our room to find another cute animal (elephant?) made of a towel. There was an outdoor movie at 7:30pm so we went up to Deck 11 for a quick peek. It was The Legend of Tarzan.

9:30 pm Headliner Showtime Starring “Aussie Boys”

We headed to La Scala Theatre at around 9:15pm to secure the front seats. Trust me, it’s really worth to go a bit earlier to get good seats! By Day 3, others would have figured that out and everyone tried to be earlier.

This was a very nice and charming show by three handsome young singers from Australia. They could also sing some Chinese and Cantonese song such as 朋友 by the 周華健！The crowd went so high and they started to strip off their shirts, leaving just black singlets. Hahaha! Enjoy some photos!

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The ship started to move again during the show as you could hear the engine startup sound for a while.

At the end of the show, there was a distribution of lottery tickets at Royal Promenade which I didn’t know what we could win. We just went there for supper and go to sleep.

Time to sail back to Singapore!

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 4/5: Day 3 Woohoo! New post! Sorry for the wait again! So this is the day you had a good night sleep after one whole afternoon of indulging in Penang's great food and lots of walking under the hot sun.

#Cruise #review #royal caribbean #travel tips #voyager of the seas

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adamhhutchins · 6 years

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Celebrate Pride Month with Twitch!

Twitch is a place where everyone can be themselves, and this June, we’re standing with all of our LGBTQ+ viewers and streamers around the world to celebrate love during Pride Month. We’re highlighting LGBTQ+ creators, unveiling a bunch of new Pride shirts, taking part in the SF Pride Parade, and we’re partnering with the Human Rights Campaign® (HRC®) to raise money for equality. There’s a LOT going on, so let’s get to it.

Watch LGBTQ+ Creators

There are so many great LGBTQ+ streamers on Twitch who use their channels to raise awareness while making great content. To celebrate them, we’re promoting an LGBTQ+ creator on the front page of Twitch every day in June. You can check out the full schedule at the end of this post.

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F272823027%3Fapp_id%3D122963&dntp=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F272823027&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F704472536_1280.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=vimeo

vimeo

Shirts for Everyone

Our new “Cheer for Equality” shirts are designed not just around the rainbow flag, but the bisexual, transgender, and lesbian flags as well. 100% of profit of each sale ($7 per tee) will be donated to the HRC®, so pick up a great shirt and support a great cause.

Twitch Gets Involved

Every year, San Francisco hosts one of the oldest and largest Pride parades in the US. As SF is the home of Twitch, you can bet we’ll be there in full force. We’ll share highlights from SF Pride on Twitch’s social media, so stay tuned on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Once Pride Month wraps up, we’ll put together a video with info about how much money you raised for HRC®, footage from the parade, and more.

We also teamed up with “It Gets Better” to empower LGBTQ+ Twitch staff to share their support and encourage LGBTQ+ youth all around the world. You can watch the video below, and if you think it could help someone who feels isolated, please share.

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.vimeo.com%2Fvideo%2F272821234%3Fapp_id%3D122963&dntp=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F272821234&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F704468708_1280.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=vimeo

vimeo

Emotes and Cheermotes

We’re adding four brand new global emotes to Twitch chat based on the t-shirt designs above, and Bits are getting in on the party too with a new rainbow flag Cheermote. You can use these in any chat, any time, to celebrate Pride Month. They’re both permanent additions, so don’t worry about them disappearing once June is over.

TransgenderPride, BixsexualPride, LesbianPride and GayPride Global Emotes

Pride Cheermote

Fundraising on Twitch

If you’d like to show your support for Pride Month by fundraising for HRC® on Twitch, click this link to get set up. Any creator who raises over $500 will receive a free shirt from the HRC® store, plus one additional shirt from Twitch as a thank you.

In addition to all this, you’re invited to share your TwitchUnity story with us by using #TwitchUnity on social media. Pride Month starts on June 1. Help us make it the best one yet!

8BitDylan — Friday, June 1 at 3pm-5pm PT

Delphron — Saturday, June 2 at 3pm-5pm PT

KrinxShow — Sunday, June 3 at 2pm-4pm PT

Lil_Lexi — Monday, June 4 at 3pm-5pm PT

BrunaBalbino — Tuesday, June 5 at 12pm-2pm PT

FerociouslySteph — Tuesday, June 5 at 1pm-3pm PT

Smajor1995 — Wednesday, June 6 at 11am-1pm PT

cypheroftyr — Thursday, June 7 at 11am-1pm PT

skyhook — Friday, June 8 at 9pm-11pm PT

Moon_Shiners — Saturday, June 9 at 3pm-5pm PT

antphrodite — Sunday, June 10 at 4pm-6pm PT

DistractedElf — Monday, June 11 at 8am-10am PT

agayguyplays — Tuesday, June 12 at 2pm-4pm PT

Nikatine — Wednesday, June 13 at 11am-1pm PT

MrKravin — Thursday, June 14 at 3pm-5pm PT

KiwiFails — Friday, June 15 at 9am-11am PT

ActiiveVisiion — Saturday, June 16 at 7am-9am PT

ChipWhitehouse — Sunday, June 17 at 8pm-10pm PT

FoxQueen — Monday, June 18 at 12:30pm-2:30pm PT

AshleyNova — Tuesday, June 19 1pm-3pm PT

Taudriel — Wednesday, June 20 12pm-2pm PT

TexCubSF — Thursday, June 21 8pm-10pm PT

AdamKoebel — Friday, June 22 5pm-7pm PT

Shamanom — Saturday, June 23 at 10am-12pm PT

SlyTQ — Sunday, June 24 at 3pm-5pm PT

gitsie — Monday, June 25 at 12pm-2pm PT

Devonbumpkin — Tuesday, June 26 at 11am-1pm PT

KatFTWynn — Wednesday, June 27 at 9am-11am PT

iamBrandon — Thursday, June 28 at 8pm-10pm PT

HealMeHarry — Friday, June 29 at 3am-5am PT

frankthepegasus — Saturday, June 30 at 12pm-2pm PT

A very special thanks to ActiiveVisiion, AdamKoebel, agayguyplays, antphrodite, AshleyNova, ChipWhitehouse, Delphron, DistractedElf, FerociouslySteph, iamBrandon, KiwiFails, Moon_Shiners, Nikatine, Shamanom, Smajor1995, and skyhook for their help in creating our Pride Month TwitchUnity promotional video.

Celebrate Pride Month with Twitch! was originally published in Twitch Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

#Twitch Blog - Medium

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isabelledanao · 7 years

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Where to study or review in Quezon City?

Let’s face it! The best place to study is at our own homes which includes the coziest amenities like your bed, unlimited free wifi, the oh so comfortable couch, the television, the refrigerator, shower and all that jazz. But in reality, we don’t exactly get much studying or work done. I am not saying that this applies to all but for me, this often happens and so I tried different methods like the Pomodoro technique, voice recording of lectures, note cards, and goal study plan. These methods actually work for some, and it does for me especially the Pomodoro and the voice recording of lectures that I play on repeat, but I will be talking about this in another blog. So back to the main topic, aside from these techniques I also found out that changing the setting or the environment where I study is particularly important as it enhance my chances of focusing on my studies or work, and so I present to you the places that I found conducive for studying here in Quezon City in no particular order.

1. Starbucks (#24 Matalino St., Quezon City - Behind Quezon City Hall)

Everyone knows Starbucks, but for me I really do appreciate this place. The coffee place itself is spacious with enough parking space and security. And in addition to this, I like the fact that the area’s environment is that of a professional kind or ambiance. Let me expound that–the people who go to this particular Starbucks are lawyers, doctors, government employees, nurses, “studious” college students (usually from UP), law students, medical students, businessmen and clients. Basically, when you enter the place, you don’t see a lot of people who are just chatting away their time. The place is honestly a “library” or “study hall” for students and professionals, that the people who come to this place to just chill is seriously out of their minds (just my opinion). In addition to all this, the best time to go there is around 6:30am till around 11am, but if it gets later than that you’ll probably have a difficult time looking for a perfect spot to do your work.

Along with this, the place has free wifi which is good for two hours, a clean restroom, a smoking area at the back, accommodating staff, the additional condiment area which always have shakers filled with vanilla, nutmeg, chocolate powder and cinnamon (I always add some to my drink - don’t judge!).

TIPS:

My tips in going to this place; bring a hoodie or jacket since the air-conditioning in this area is pretty intense (seriously!), and for the best spot to study is the couch near the door or the one at the far end. Those spots have outlets, and the one near the door is not too cold and not to warm (hahaha!), and also the security guard can always watch closely of my things when I need to pee or something (oops!).

I almost forgot, this place is open from 6:30am - 2:00am.

See photos here: https://www.zomato.com/photos/pv-res-6307735-u_ODkzMzkwMzU2ND

2. Quezon City Library (Quezon City Hall Compund - Just ask around)

The second place I want to recommend but rarely go to is the public library due to some cons that I experienced along the way, but is still a great place after being renovated. Let’s first start with the location and the time it opens; the place opens at 8am and is free which is a great thing but for me, I prefer to study at an earlier time rather than at a later period. Going back to the topic–as you enter, the guards will ask you to sign-in and leave your belongings at the baggage counter, give you your baggage number, sign-in and give you a sheet of paper to list all the books and gadgets that you will be taking inside, and then they will give you small clear plastic envelope to place your things which is not exactly useful.

Finally, after the hassle since you can’t bring your bag inside, you will carry your things and look for a place to study. The library itself is not the National Library but you can easily find a spot. The amenities inside are the usual ones you can find in your school library but if you are there for research, I highly doubt that you can find a proper book inside for additional materials. Moving on, since I brought my laptop with me I was not able to use their computers that is for free and know if there is a limited amount of time to use them.

After all that enchilada and some time, I encountered a problem--I forgot to charge my laptop at home, so I plugged in my laptop to an outlet. That’s when I found out a crucial thing which they failed to inform me. I actually have to pay 20pesos for every hour that I plug in my laptop, and they asked me to pay at the information or concierge thing. Another problem I encountered is that they were actually only operating until 12nn that day for inventory which they did not post on their website, and so I ended up leaving early and going to Starbucks.

TIPS:

First, I can say that this place can be good if you are only going to study with your notes and books, and plan to save money for food. You can pack your own lunch and put it inside you bag or eat at their cafeteria. Second, I highly recommend not bringing too much valuables that you can’t carry along with your books since you can’t bring your bag inside. Third, the internet connection is really slow so don’t expect a fast connection for any wifi service. Fourth, better contact the library a day before or around 8am and ask if they will be open the entire day since I experienced an unannounced inventory that day. And lastly, if you really need to plug in your laptop be prepared to pay for 20pesos every hour or just charge it earlier at home.

The library is open from 8am - 5pm (Weekdays) and 8am - 4pm (Saturday).

Tel:(632) 927-98-34 Fax:(632) 922-40-60 Email [email protected]

Website (not updated): http://www.qcpubliclibrary.org/contactus.php

See photos and information: http://news.abs-cbn.com/trending/02/09/17/look-this-isnt-your-ordinary-public-library

3. Diligence Cafe (Elizabeth Hall, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City)

This is one of the places to go if you are to go all out for studying and thesis. It actually offers the “Filipino College Student Essentials”. So first I will start with the services they offer; the place is particularly conducive for serious students who are in it for studying and not just a place to chill. They have free Fiber wifi, unlimited coffee & juice, tons of power outlets, napping services. It is also the best choice for overnight thesis work or exam review, but of course you have to pay for it. The rates start at 70pesos per hour and 350pesos per day. They open at 12nn - 7am, which is one of the cons I found since I prefer to study early in the morning but all in all, I like the place. The cafe is a unique concept which is highly recommended for college students and so I hope they open more branches soon.

In addition to the inclusive services, they also offer shower services with shower kit (100pesos), locker services (40/day, 200/week & 700/month), meeting room (400/hr for 8pax), printing services (b/w starts at 3pesos & colored starts at 8pesos), and most importantly, FOOD which starts at 130pesos for a filling meal.

TIPS:

If you liked the place for the first visit and ultimately fell inlove with the place, you can just opt to apply for a monthly membership worth 2,500pesos per month (subject to change - check their Facebook page). Also, the best thing in this place is that if ever you tend to doze off too much, you can ask the staff for a wake-up call.

By the way if you are going to bring any food there is a corkage fee and for any questions you can contact them easily through Facebook messenger (they reply immediately). Lastly, the best time to go there is not during your finals week of exam week since there will be a splurge of people. But do come at 12nn when they open.

Contact:

Cellphone (Globe): 0927-944-9980

Facebook: Search for Diligence Cafe

Instagram : @diligencecafe

4. Figaro (Scout Lozano Corner Tomas Morato, Sacred Heart, Quezon City)

This is one of my favorite places since I get to eat breakfast menus any time of the day. The place is particularly small and not many people often come. I also love the homey purple couch they have, and if ever you need to meet up with my friends or anything, the place is already in one of the food places to be–Tomas Morato.

This cafe is small but you can make the most out of it. They have very accommodating staff and a clean restroom (the most important thing). Aside from that the place gets particularly cold in the evening so I suggest bringing a hoodie or shawl. For internet service or the wifi; the internet connection is pretty good and I have not experienced any problem so far. As for the coffee, it is not the best but it works in waking you up. The pasta selection that they have is actually really great and they also have some desserts though at times they only have one or two kinds.

TIPS:

Try the Chicken BBQ Skewers. The one they served me is not fatty and the rice is cooked really well. I think it costs around 200pesos. For pasta, try the Arrabiata, Pasta a la Carlo (a bit spicy and I think this is the expensive one), or the seafood one that they have (I forgot the name since they recommended it to me but it was not on the menu).

Lastly, if ever you crave for some Korean BBQ there’s one behind Figaro.

The place opens at 7am - 12midnight (Weekdays) and 7am - 10pm (Weekends).

5. Burger King (Matalino St, Quezon City - Near Mercury Drug Store)

Sometimes, I really try to stay away from coffee and tend to crave burgers especially from this one and so I sometimes go to this place. This Burger King location is pretty conducive for me in studying since the place is brightly lit and good for the days when I just can’t handle dim lights and when I am tired to the bone. But let me just remind you that the place is a fastfood chain and there will definitely be loud noise or chatting so bring your earphones or headphones. They open early in the morning (not sure of the time) and close at around 10pm (I think).

Not to worry, they won’t call your attention for staying the entire day but you still have to order every now end then like, breakfast, lunch, snack/dinner or atleast two meals. They have rice meals like chicken, so burger is not always the choice.

TIPS:

They do not have the usual outlets but the USB type ones so I guess the place is a whole lot better when you need to review using your notes, books or tablet. I am not sure about the wifi but I think they do have. Aside from that, guard your belongings with your life, and the crew is not as courteous as cafe staffs or library employees so just ignore or complain to the manager about some catcalling incidents and frighten them with the Catcalling fine (hahahaha).

So there you have it, the five places I recommend to go to when you need to get some work or studying done. I still have some places to recommend but I need to go back and try the place twice or three times before I give my verdict. As of now I am currently in the process of reviewing and going to some places in Tomas Morato and the newly built Starbucks at Vertis North. Up next in my blog are the best study techniques that I have tried and tested and those that I am still currently using till now.

Thank you for reading! Study well and continue to stay focused. Remember that success follows as hardwork perseveres. This is Isabelle, signing out!

#tomasmorato studyplaces quezoncity diligencecafe burgerking starbucks figaro quezoncitylibrary thesisplaces katipunan college

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peteypan232 · 7 years

Text

As noted from my previous posts, I’m a planner. A very shitty planner, as it were, since not a single one of my plans has ever really worked. Except for one: I got Frank to fall madly in love with me. But that story is for another day. So, it’s safe to say I’m a slow learner – I planned and prepared by body, mind and soul during those 9 months for an all natural birth, following the Bradley method. And then the day came when I received my very own human… Francis. Here is his birth story.

May 23rd 2017

4am: I woke up with contractions. I had a cup of raspberry leaf tea, sat in the living room, read a couple pages of one of my many pregnancy books and noticed these particular contractions were a bit different from my normal pregnancy ones. I decided to time them and noticed they had a pattern! DUDEeeee this is it. I started pacing around the flat and cleaning up like a mad woman – just waiting around for Frank to wake up.

6:30am: The minute I hear his alarm go off, I burst into the room and in the calmest voice I possess, said “Hey, what’s up? There’s a slight chance I’m going into labor.” Frank had his typical ‘Rosie, you cray” look on his face. Probably because 1. I was leaning over his face real creepy. 2. I don’t think anyone would ever imagine me saying “I might be in labor” in a calm voice.

8am: I told Frank to go into work for a big meeting he was hosting that day and I would message him if anything changed. I felt good, I was excited, and I didn’t want to jinx it in case it was a false alarm. It was, after all, a week and a half before my American due date (40 weeks) and 2 weeks before my french due date (41 weeks).

10am: I cleaned the entire apartment, drank 4 cups of red raspberry tea, peed about 20 times and just couldn’t find the patience to pace about any longer. I put on a Harry Potter movie in the background while I napped.

12:30pm: I woke up from my Harry Potter induced nap (my favorite kind of napping) and received about 50 messages from Frank and discovered my contractions were completely gone. (insert sad emoji) Frank came home and we decided to go for a walk around the park, and after only a few minutes in, the contractions were back.

3pm: We went back home, I was bouncing around on the birthing ball, listening to my bad ass birthing playlist, practicing breathing techniques, having nervous poops every 30 minutes and just loving it.

5:30pm: We watched Adventures in Babysitting while I worked on the birthing ball and by the time the movie was over my contractions weren’t any closer together.

7:30pm: We went for another walk and things started to really pick up. We quickly tried making it through the park as it was closing soon, but my contractions were getting more intense so there was LOTS of stopping and moaning. Yes, people were staring – and the women with children were smiling. Although things were picking up speed and intensity, I still felt good – like I was still in charge. I kept telling Frank “yo, i got this”.

8:15pm: We went home, I lit all the candles in the apartment and put on my birthing playlist all while I was pacing, dancing, bouncing, stretching, breathing, singing.

10:30pm: We put on Star Trek and didn’t make it 10 minutes into it when shit got cray. Everything thus far was gradual – and in a matter of minutes, seconds, shit got real.

11pm: My thought – ‘Alright, lets go”, but our birth plan included staying at home as long as possible before going to the hospital. Frank, being my birth partner told me he didn’t think it was time to go yet….. ok, I agreed with him. It couldn’t have been more than 5 contractions later, and I’m screaming some weird shit. I believe my exact words were “We gotta go! I’m fucking crowning!”.

May 24th 2017

this is the moment when time and space and sanity just completely escape me.

12am(ish): We get to the hospital and it was hot as balls. Hot, muggy, sweaty, balls. A goddamn incubator. The midwife examines me and said, and I quote “You’re about 1 cm, and I’m being gracious”.

Frank and I reflected and laughed our asses off about this later. Here is the 40 something year old midwife, with broken/limited english – and somewhere along his training or life experience, someone taught him the english word gracious. The guy didn’t know the word for clothing! But gracious fell into his vocabulary.

Fuck. I was barely 1 cm. It was well past midnight at this point so the midwife staff was shorthanded and they had an emergency on their hands. He said we could leave and come back, but fuck that. I’m crowning! Can you check again bro?! We waited there for what seemed like an eternity. I looked Frank directly in the eyes and told him, I can’t do this. I’m going to die. This is the end. I’m not going to survive this.

1:30am(ish): When the midwife came back in he was covered in blood and super sweaty. Christ. What the hell is going on out there?! I told him I was going to die and that I needed the epidural. He moved me to the pre travail (literal translation, before work) room with a lay down bed and less harsh lights that took away the sterile hospital vibe. He put an IV in my arm.

Ok lets do this – bring on the epidural.

I’m sorry to say Ma’am, you have to be 3 cm.

ERMMMMM I was 1 cm HOURS ago – I’ve got to be 3 at this point.

Believe me, you’re not.

Check again bro.

I wasn’t.

3am(ish): My birthing playlist was playing repeat on the Jambox and it was pretty fucking intense. The pain was so real and I was exhausted – for the final hours in that room, I was passing out in between contractions. I had hit the 24 hour mark and could feel the crushing fatigue on my body.

5:30am(ish): The midwife comes back into the room to check me – just at 3 cm. He calls the anesthesiologist, sets me up in the birthing room and gets ready for a shift change.

6am(ish): I’m being set up for the epidural. That sweet, sweet epidural. Once they set it up, I had a few more painful contractions and then just like that, I could catch my breath and breathe again. The best way I can describe the feeling of an epidural: when your foot falls asleep, but before the pins and needles. I could still feel, but the pain was softer, like it was earlier in the day when this whole thing began. The new midwives said some words, but I instantly passed out.

7am(ish): I woke up an hour later, they were checking my dilation. 9 cm. 3cm to 9cm? oh sweet beautiful epidural. The new midwife said to me, “Your baby was waiting for you to relax”. They broke my water, emptied by bladder and I drifted back to sleep.

8:30am(ish): 10cm, I was fully dilated – but the baby was in the ‘sunny side up’ position, so they turned my legs and waited. My super hot doctor came in to say Hi, examine me, pep talk and explain that he had to deliver a c section baby, think you can hold on. oh yea. Per our birth plan, Frank was to help the doctor pull the baby out, so he had Frank take a look at my vagina. Frank looked up at me with his eyes full of tears. “I started crying back. Oh jesus christ… WHAT?! Is it a fucking mess down there?!”, “No” he said, “I can see our child’s head”.

9:40am(ish): The midwives start prepping me and my super hot doctor comes back in. We’re ready. I was fucking ready.

9:57am: 5 pushes later, my birthing playlist still in the background, I delivered my child. The most powerful surge of energy was vibrating through my entire body, through the entire room. Frank helped pull our child out and brought him to my chest. He was so warm and so small. It was the most amazing moment in my life – the greatest high I have ever felt. I felt the entire universe vibrating through every part of my body. Have you ever had a panic attack? The way your body doesn’t feel like your own and you completely lose all sense of control. But rather than being fueled by overwhelming fear, or stress – it’s love and warmth, and happiness. I thought I was going to explode, implode. I had no idea what was happening next – I only had eyes for my baby. Baby was silent, laying on my chest, with eyes slightly open, looking at me.

It was me, and Frank and … wait, what’s the gender?! We didn’t even check. The midwife said “c’est un garcon”, it’s a boy. It’s Francis.

Me. Frank. Francis.

Just the 3 of us.

The day I birthed my human. As noted from my previous posts, I'm a planner. A very shitty planner, as it were, since not a single one of my plans has ever really worked.

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timothyakoonce · 8 years

Text

Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure

[NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of posts exploring the topic of entrepreneurship. While my focus has and will continue to be on Facebook ads, I have plenty to share about what I’ve learned while building my business.]

As I brainstormed ideas for topics to cover on the subject of entrepreneurship, many focused on the technical requirements of setting up a business. Software. CRM. Websites. Payment gateways.

But these subjects skip over an important topic for entrepreneurs: Self-care.

It’s no surprise, really. As entrepreneurs, we regularly skip over care for ourselves. But I’ve learned during the past five-plus years that my own health — physical and mental — needs to be a priority now, more than ever.

This can be a very lonely life. It’s ripe for self-doubt and depression.

I, by no means, have this thing figured out. It’s a constant battle. What I’m sharing today isn’t a detailed fix.

My intention is to highlight the pitfalls you’re likely to fall into as an entrepreneur, and some of the things that I do to overcome them.

This is a Different World Now

My life now is nothing like it once was. There was a time when my alarm went off at a specific time every weekday. I knew I had to shower, eat, and dress by a certain time to fight traffic and get to work by another specific time.

I answered to a “boss.”

While we complain about working for “the man,” there’s something comforting about that structure. There are set expectations provided by someone else. Now, your business obligations are self-driven.

As an entrepreneur, you don’t necessarily need to do anything. You can skip work today. You can skip showering. You can wear what you slept in. You can go weeks without shaving. (I’ve done all of these things.)

You create your own deadlines. Missed it? You decide whether that matters.

This new world is both liberating and paralyzing at the same time. It’s the ultimate responsibility. You determine every next step, not your boss.

First, we need to acknowledge this new world. Accept its benefits and challenges. See how our own strengths and weaknesses impact how we adapt.

While I will tell you that I don’t like having a boss, I’m also not the best at planning and organization. So it’s a constant struggle that I need to fight.

This new world of freedom has made several things much more important than the days of structure, roles, teams, and bosses. Here are a few things I’ve learned — even if I haven’t perfected them.

1. Create a Routine

It’s been a struggle for me from Day 1, but a routine is absolutely critical. Create a habit — one that is difficult to break.

There are two categories of routine items that go here: 1) Independent and 2) Dependent.

The independent items of my routine are the most difficult to keep. Things like “Run for two miles” could not happen, and no one else around me would notice or care.

It’s important to create dependent routine items or things that others will depend on. I have a weekly team meeting on Mondays. I host scheduled training sessions, free webinars, and weekly webinars for my private community. I allow people to book one-on-one sessions with me.

These are all obligations that are etched in stone on my calendar. I wouldn’t ever neglect them.

I like to bucket my days accordingly:

1) Monday: Weekly team meeting and free webinars once per month 2) Tuesday: Training program webinars 3) Wednesday: Power Hitters Club – Elite weekly webinar 4) Thursday: One-on-one sessions and write a blog post 5) Friday: Interviews, lunch with my wife, and publish a blog post

Notice how there’s very little overlap between days? I could do one-on-ones on multiple days (I once did). I could do my monthly webinars on days other than Mondays. I could do interviews on any day of the week.

Instead, each day has its own purpose. For me, that provides important clarity.

There was a time when I tried to create a very detailed routine. My calendar would be filled with blocks of time for the smallest of tasks. I’d block off time for answering emails, closing tickets in ZenDesk, replying to blog comments, reading and researching, and a whole lot more.

But I quickly failed with that approach. Something more important would come up, and I’d need to skip a 30-minute block. And once skipping blocks became more common, the notifications became noise and I ignored them altogether.

These days, I’m a little looser with my routine. I wake up at “about” 7am every weekday. I have a 15-minute check-in call with John Robinson at 8am. I walk our son JJ to school at 8:20am. I eat lunch at about noon.

After that, I work around the dependent items with the other things I want to do. I don’t HAVE to go for a run at 10am. My schedule is too fluid to force that. If something comes up, the next thing you know is that I skip running altogether.

So now, I keep it much simpler. I might have a long list of things I’d like to do. But in reality, there are two (independent) things I really need to do during a given day. I fit what I can in around everything else.

As a result, I don’t have a routine in the way that you may expect. I don’t wake up with my entire day laid out for me. I have realized over the years that this simply isn’t realistic.

By building my day around a small set of dependent and fixed items, there is more room to adjust and less possibility that I’ll feel I “failed” by being unable to stick to my schedule.

2. Set Aside Times for Calls and Interviews

This is part of a routine, but it’s so important that I’m creating a separate item for it.

If you aren’t careful and respectful of your own time, you won’t accomplish anything you plan to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. You will feel rushed and frustrated.

As my business became more and more successful — and as I’ve become more well known — people have demanded more of my time. Developers wanting to tell me about their products. People wanting to partner. Podcasters wanting to interview me.

While these things could rule my schedule, I don’t do them more now than I did four years ago. In fact, I may do them less.

If you want to set up a call with me, I have three slots open on Monday and two on Friday. If I’m not free or those times don’t work for you, too bad.

Oh, sure, I do make exceptions. But this basic structure is really important for keeping me sane. And it is also connected to number 3…

3. Say “No” — A LOT

There is no more liberating word than “No.”

There was a time when I said “yes” to just about everything. You want me to write a blog post for you? You want my quote for a round-up? You want to set up a call to tell me about your product or “pick my brain”? You want me to make an exception and schedule a one-on-one outside of times I normally would?

I said yes time and time again. And it created more stress.

Not every new opportunity is a good one. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating by estimating that I say “no” to 99% of opportunities.

And some of these opportunities have lots of upside. But they always add more work, more time, and more stress. So remember this, and prioritize accordingly.

I rarely agree to public speaking gigs. I almost never engage in partnerships. I try hard to make product and brand changes rare while staying fresh.

These are conscious decisions, and you should not feel guilty for saying “no.” Embrace the opportunity to choose your path, even if it means continuing down the one you’re on.

4. Stay Active

Get your ass out of your chair. DO SOMETHING!

This is probably the one thing that routinely falls off of the priority list. Something more important always comes up. Don’t let it happen!

Last year, I set a goal for myself to run 366 miles (or a mile per day). I eventually ran 400 miles. This was possible thanks to a colorful chart that I filled in every time I ran.

This is no small achievement for me. I’ve never been a runner before. In fact, there was a time when I created a Facebook group for people who would never run a marathon. This year, I’ll run 500 miles.

You don’t have to turn yourself into a runner. But freaking do something. I also use an app called Sworkit that allows me to do quick 10 and 15 minute workouts for strength and cardio. There are many apps like it to choose from.

At the bare minimum, find a way to get your butt out of your chair. I have an adjustable desk that can be for sitting or standing. I sit sometimes, and I stand sometimes.

Above is my office, with a standing desk and treadmill to the side. On the far wall behind my microphone is this year’s running chart. Good reminders to stay active!

Remember that your health is an investment in your business. Your business will not succeed if you are sick or lethargic.

5. Get Outside

The day can get away from you fast. The next thing you know, it’s 10pm and you’re still wearing what you woke up in.

When you’re on your own clock, there’s always an excuse. It’s too cold. It’s raining. There’s a 10 MPH breeze.

I’d like to say that people in San Diego have no excuse. However, that’s not fair. I guarantee I’d make up an excuse not to get outside if I lived there.

Staying locked up inside is a path to depression. There’s something therapeutic about the outdoors. The birds, the fresh air, the activity around you.

By sitting inside all day, you dull your senses. There are no surprises. What you see and feel is a boring, never-changing constant.

Go outside, and your senses come alive. New sounds, smells, and sights. It activates your mind.

As I mentioned earlier, I walk my son to school every morning. When it’s nice out (an excuse, I know!), I’ll run or go for another walk during the day. I’ve found that these are the times when my brain is most active with ideas.

It’s good for your health, but getting outside is also good for brainstorming business ideas.

6. Have an Outlet

Find a passion, preferably one that gets you out of the house.

My passion is coaching baseball. A year and a half ago, I started a travel team called the Spiders for my middle son.

Coaching a travel team is no small task. It’s not just two months of the year, showing up to a practice and game once per week. This thing is a year-long commitment.

We practice all year long, usually multiple days per week (depending on the time of year). We play in 13 or so tournaments in addition to league games. I’m constantly planning or participating in a practice or game.

But it’s way more than that. I started the team, so I am in charge of managing the roster, fees, uniforms and everything in between. I get some help (especially my wife for the financial stuff), but this is essentially an unpaid job.

I love every minute of it. Most importantly, it allows me to dedicate significant physical and mental energy towards something that isn’t related to my business. It’s a great way to get away from the rigors of entrepreneurial stresses.

Find something. It could be helping out at your kid’s school or volunteering for your favorite cause. But it’s healthy to get your mind on something else.

7. Find a Mentor

This was so important for me in the early going.

It’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts. We obsess over the smallest things. We lack direction and feedback. It’s overwhelming, lonely, and depressing.

Starting very early on in my journey, I had weekly calls with John Robinson, who is family and a successful entrepreneur. He was the guide I needed to walk me through not only business decisions but the emotional roller coaster. We now talk almost every day.

John wasn’t the only one. There were many others in the early days who were generous with their time and helped guide me through each step. Eventually, I felt as though I was pushed out of the nest and figured out that I could fly.

Finding a mentor isn’t an easy task. You can’t force someone to be your mentor. And mentoring needs to be something that someone is passionate about doing.

Not everyone wants to be a mentor. Not everyone would be a good mentor. But it’s good to have some sort of sounding board to guide you through.

8. Stay (Physical World) Social

I suck at this. I know it sounds ridiculous as someone who works in social media, but I am not a social guy.

When I walk into a room full of strangers, I find a secluded chair in the corner. I don’t like it. Meeting new people is not fun for me. It’s even a little scary.

So I won’t tell you that I’ve succeeded at this one. But I know how important it is.

Don’t underestimate what working for yourself can do to your social life. You no longer have cubicle friends. The community is gone.

I’m not looking for sympathy, but I lack physical friends. I have online friends and acquaintances, but I almost never do anything social in the physical world.

This is partly attributed to my focus on family. In my free time, I’m spending time with them or coaching baseball. But I absolutely should create room for friendships. I simply haven’t made it a priority.

9. Value Sleep, Rest, and Reflection

I’ve found that entrepreneurs like to publicly boast about how little sleep they get. I’ve never understood that. If you want to produce efficiently for your business, you need to be well-rested. You aren’t Superman.

I do everything I can to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Sometimes more. I’m not always successful, but it is a priority.

Remember that as an entrepreneur, you have more freedom than other people. You create your own hours. If you aren’t well-rested, set aside time for it. Take a 30-minute nap. You will be a better producer as a result.

I’ve experimented with meditation, but it’s not something that has become part of my routine. But the main thing is making sure to set aside time to simply breathe and relax, no matter how you do it.

10. Punch Guilt in the Neck

As entrepreneurs, we are our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up at every opportunity. Our output wasn’t good enough. Revenue isn’t good enough. The product you launched isn’t good enough.

We make ourselves feel guilty for sleeping. For getting away from the computer. For taking a break from work. For enjoying our lives.

Just stop. Punch guilt in the neck.

Forgive yourself for making mistakes. Forgive yourself for not reaching a goal. Forgive yourself for skipping a task today.

There’s a balance, of course. You still need to hold yourself accountable (you have no boss, after all). But stop making yourself feel bad for the smallest things.

Somedays, I do very little work. It’s important that I allow myself to enjoy that time. Otherwise, I spend the entire time feeling guilty and miserable. That free time then becomes counterproductive in every way.

11. Celebrate Small Wins

You’re doing something amazing. While everyone else is working for someone, you are creating a business. There will be plenty of ups and downs and stuff in between. But don’t forget to enjoy those little wins.

If you are never satisfied, you’ll always be miserable.

This doesn’t mean that you reach that goal and then say, “Screw it, I’m done here!” It means that you reflect on and appreciate the little things you accomplish on a daily basis.

You finished a blog post you feel good about? Great job! Today was a great revenue day? Congratulate yourself! Someone thanked you for helping them? Cheers to you!

You dictate how you feel about yourself and your business. Don’t overlook the little things. What you’re doing is incredible — very few people would ever dare take the risks you’re taking. Celebrate each and every success and appreciate what you’re accomplishing!

12. Don’t Dwell on Small Losses

You have bad months. A product doesn’t sell well. Software isn’t dependable. Staff leave. Customers complain.

These things happen. Don’t dwell on the small losses. When you dwell on failure, you create an environment where you fear making mistakes. And mistakes are how we learn.

It’s time for a baseball analogy (I am a baseball coach, after all!). The best baseball players aren’t that way because they’ve always gotten hits and won games. They’ve experienced loss. They’ve experienced adversity. These things made them better prepared, and they learned from it.

When you experience failure, look at it as a chance to learn something. Don’t ignore it like nothing happened, or it will happen again. But don’t put your head down, kick dirt, throw your helmet, and sulk back to the dugout.

Those who sulk don’t learn. You need thoughtful reflection. Those who reflect think about what happened and think about whether the result was avoidable. If it was, they find a way to prevent it from happening again.

Sometimes, the negative result was difficult or impossible to avoid. Sometimes, our process was right and we strike out.

13. Find an Emotional Release

We entrepreneurs are a ticking time bomb if we don’t take care of ourselves. We can be overcome with our own thoughts and obsessions.

Find a release. This could mean keeping a journal. Or having a friend or spouse whom you talk to regularly about what you have going on. Or it could be reading a book or watching a movie.

We all get that emotional release in different ways. Find your way.

14. Be Present for Loved Ones

Don’t let your business overcome you. Especially if you work from home, it’s very difficult to separate work from non-work hours. Don’t fall into this trap.

Turn off phone notifications. Put your device away. Spend time with your spouse, significant other, or kids — but be present. Avoid being distracted by your device or what’s going on with your business.

This is a conscious decision. Mentally put aside your business and enjoy time with the people who matter. Otherwise, while you may be physically present, that time is wasted.

While I prioritize time with my family, I am guilty of wasting it as well. I still look at my phone too often. I still nod my head and act like I’m listening when I’m thinking about something else.

Acknowledge it. Apologize for it. Do your best to correct it. They deserve better.

I do my best to separate work and non-work time. I’m not always successful — it’s a battle — but I realize how important it is.

15. Get Help (If Needed)

The independence you have as an entrepreneur is exhausting. It is. It’s also so rewarding when you allow it to be.

However, we can’t overlook the different stresses and struggles that are unique to entrepreneurs. The isolation is an easy path to depression and destruction.

Do your best to maintain your physical and mental health. Be self-aware so that you know when it’s time to get help.

That could mean speaking with your spouse or significant other about these challenges. It’s very easy to bottle up and keep these things from my wife. I actively force myself to be more open.

It could be talking with a mentor. Or joining masterminds. Clubs, communities, or support groups of entrepreneurs who are going through something similar.

Professional counseling should always be an option. Because of the unique lives we live, there are times when we need a little extra help. Seek it without shame.

Your Turn

I don’t have this thing figured out yet, but I am grateful for all of the support and lessons learned along the way.

Anything else you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Free Webinar for Entrepreneurs

I will be hosting a free webinar for entrepreneurs on MONDAYm, February 6, 2017. It will focus on lessons I learned while starting my business. You can learn more about the details of the webinar here, or simply register below…

DATE: Monday, February 6, 2017 TIME: 3pm EST (New York)

The post Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

from Jon Loomer Digital http://www.jonloomer.com/2017/02/02/entrepreneurs-self-care/

#IFTTT #Jon Loomer Digital

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marketingplaybook · 8 years

Text

Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure

As I brainstormed ideas for topics to cover on the subject of entrepreneurship, many focused on the technical requirements of setting up a business. Software. CRM. Websites. Payment gateways.

But these subjects skip over an important topic for entrepreneurs: Self-care.

This can be a very lonely life. It’s ripe for self-doubt and depression.

I, by no means, have this thing figured out. It’s a constant battle. What I’m sharing today isn’t a detailed fix.

My intention is to highlight the pitfalls you’re likely to fall into as an entrepreneur, and some of the things that I do to overcome them.

This is a Different World Now

I answered to a “boss.”

You create your own deadlines. Missed it? You decide whether that matters.

This new world is both liberating and paralyzing at the same time. It’s the ultimate responsibility. You determine every next step, not your boss.

First, we need to acknowledge this new world. Accept its benefits and challenges. See how our own strengths and weaknesses impact how we adapt.

While I will tell you that I don’t like having a boss, I’m also not the best at planning and organization. So it’s a constant struggle that I need to fight.

1. Create a Routine

It’s been a struggle for me from Day 1, but a routine is absolutely critical. Create a habit — one that is difficult to break.

There are two categories of routine items that go here: 1) Independent and 2) Dependent.

The independent items of my routine are the most difficult to keep. Things like “Run for two miles” could not happen, and no one else around me would notice or care.

These are all obligations that are etched in stone on my calendar. I wouldn’t ever neglect them.

I like to bucket my days accordingly:

Instead, each day has its own purpose. For me, that provides important clarity.

As a result, I don’t have a routine in the way that you may expect. I don’t wake up with my entire day laid out for me. I have realized over the years that this simply isn’t realistic.

By building my day around a small set of dependent and fixed items, there is more room to adjust and less possibility that I’ll feel I “failed” by being unable to stick to my schedule.

2. Set Aside Times for Calls and Interviews

This is part of a routine, but it’s so important that I’m creating a separate item for it.

If you aren’t careful and respectful of your own time, you won’t accomplish anything you plan to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. You will feel rushed and frustrated.

While these things could rule my schedule, I don’t do them more now than I did four years ago. In fact, I may do them less.

If you want to set up a call with me, I have three slots open on Monday and two on Friday. If I’m not free or those times don’t work for you, too bad.

Oh, sure, I do make exceptions. But this basic structure is really important for keeping me sane. And it is also connected to number 3…

3. Say “No” — A LOT

There is no more liberating word than “No.”

I said yes time and time again. And it created more stress.

Not every new opportunity is a good one. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating by estimating that I say “no” to 99% of opportunities.

And some of these opportunities have lots of upside. But they always add more work, more time, and more stress. So remember this, and prioritize accordingly.

I rarely agree to public speaking gigs. I almost never engage in partnerships. I try hard to make product and brand changes rare while staying fresh.

These are conscious decisions, and you should not feel guilty for saying “no.” Embrace the opportunity to choose your path, even if it means continuing down the one you’re on.

4. Stay Active

Get your ass out of your chair. DO SOMETHING!

This is probably the one thing that routinely falls off of the priority list. Something more important always comes up. Don’t let it happen!

Last year, I set a goal for myself to run 366 miles (or a mile per day). I eventually ran 400 miles. This was possible thanks to a colorful chart that I filled in every time I ran.

At the bare minimum, find a way to get your butt out of your chair. I have an adjustable desk that can be for sitting or standing. I sit sometimes, and I stand sometimes.

Above is my office, with a standing desk and treadmill to the side. On the far wall behind my microphone is this year’s running chart. Good reminders to stay active!

Remember that your health is an investment in your business. Your business will not succeed if you are sick or lethargic.

5. Get Outside

The day can get away from you fast. The next thing you know, it’s 10pm and you’re still wearing what you woke up in.

When you’re on your own clock, there’s always an excuse. It’s too cold. It’s raining. There’s a 10 MPH breeze.

I’d like to say that people in San Diego have no excuse. However, that’s not fair. I guarantee I’d make up an excuse not to get outside if I lived there.

Staying locked up inside is a path to depression. There’s something therapeutic about the outdoors. The birds, the fresh air, the activity around you.

By sitting inside all day, you dull your senses. There are no surprises. What you see and feel is a boring, never-changing constant.

Go outside, and your senses come alive. New sounds, smells, and sights. It activates your mind.

It’s good for your health, but getting outside is also good for brainstorming business ideas.

6. Have an Outlet

Find a passion, preferably one that gets you out of the house.

My passion is coaching baseball. A year and a half ago, I started a travel team called the Spiders for my middle son.

Coaching a travel team is no small task. It’s not just two months of the year, showing up to a practice and game once per week. This thing is a year-long commitment.

Find something. It could be helping out at your kid’s school or volunteering for your favorite cause. But it’s healthy to get your mind on something else.

7. Find a Mentor

This was so important for me in the early going.

It’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts. We obsess over the smallest things. We lack direction and feedback. It’s overwhelming, lonely, and depressing.

Finding a mentor isn’t an easy task. You can’t force someone to be your mentor. And mentoring needs to be something that someone is passionate about doing.

Not everyone wants to be a mentor. Not everyone would be a good mentor. But it’s good to have some sort of sounding board to guide you through.

8. Stay (Physical World) Social

I suck at this. I know it sounds ridiculous as someone who works in social media, but I am not a social guy.

When I walk into a room full of strangers, I find a secluded chair in the corner. I don’t like it. Meeting new people is not fun for me. It’s even a little scary.

So I won’t tell you that I’ve succeeded at this one. But I know how important it is.

Don’t underestimate what working for yourself can do to your social life. You no longer have cubicle friends. The community is gone.

I’m not looking for sympathy, but I lack physical friends. I have online friends and acquaintances, but I almost never do anything social in the physical world.

9. Value Sleep, Rest, and Reflection

I do everything I can to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Sometimes more. I’m not always successful, but it is a priority.

10. Punch Guilt in the Neck

As entrepreneurs, we are our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up at every opportunity. Our output wasn’t good enough. Revenue isn’t good enough. The product you launched isn’t good enough.

We make ourselves feel guilty for sleeping. For getting away from the computer. For taking a break from work. For enjoying our lives.

Just stop. Punch guilt in the neck.

Forgive yourself for making mistakes. Forgive yourself for not reaching a goal. Forgive yourself for skipping a task today.

There’s a balance, of course. You still need to hold yourself accountable (you have no boss, after all). But stop making yourself feel bad for the smallest things.

11. Celebrate Small Wins

If you are never satisfied, you’ll always be miserable.

This doesn’t mean that you reach that goal and then say, “Screw it, I’m done here!” It means that you reflect on and appreciate the little things you accomplish on a daily basis.

You finished a blog post you feel good about? Great job! Today was a great revenue day? Congratulate yourself! Someone thanked you for helping them? Cheers to you!

12. Don’t Dwell on Small Losses

You have bad months. A product doesn’t sell well. Software isn’t dependable. Staff leave. Customers complain.

These things happen. Don’t dwell on the small losses. When you dwell on failure, you create an environment where you fear making mistakes. And mistakes are how we learn.

Sometimes, the negative result was difficult or impossible to avoid. Sometimes, our process was right and we strike out.

13. Find an Emotional Release

We entrepreneurs are a ticking time bomb if we don’t take care of ourselves. We can be overcome with our own thoughts and obsessions.

Find a release. This could mean keeping a journal. Or having a friend or spouse whom you talk to regularly about what you have going on. Or it could be reading a book or watching a movie.

We all get that emotional release in different ways. Find your way.

14. Be Present for Loved Ones

Don’t let your business overcome you. Especially if you work from home, it’s very difficult to separate work from non-work hours. Don’t fall into this trap.

This is a conscious decision. Mentally put aside your business and enjoy time with the people who matter. Otherwise, while you may be physically present, that time is wasted.

Acknowledge it. Apologize for it. Do your best to correct it. They deserve better.

I do my best to separate work and non-work time. I’m not always successful — it’s a battle — but I realize how important it is.

15. Get Help (If Needed)

The independence you have as an entrepreneur is exhausting. It is. It’s also so rewarding when you allow it to be.

However, we can’t overlook the different stresses and struggles that are unique to entrepreneurs. The isolation is an easy path to depression and destruction.

Do your best to maintain your physical and mental health. Be self-aware so that you know when it’s time to get help.

That could mean speaking with your spouse or significant other about these challenges. It’s very easy to bottle up and keep these things from my wife. I actively force myself to be more open.

It could be talking with a mentor. Or joining masterminds. Clubs, communities, or support groups of entrepreneurs who are going through something similar.

Professional counseling should always be an option. Because of the unique lives we live, there are times when we need a little extra help. Seek it without shame.

Your Turn

I don’t have this thing figured out yet, but I am grateful for all of the support and lessons learned along the way.

Anything else you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

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DATE: Monday, February 6, 2017 TIME: 3pm EST (New York)

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