Skinny vs Fat

Today, I'd like to tackle a topic very close to me: health.

Why is it ok for people to tell skinny girls that they're thin and they need to gain weight, but it's socially unacceptable to tell fat girls that they're fat and they need to lose weight? When you see photos of thin girls on the internet, you get comments like, "You need to eat.", "Maybe she's anorexic.", or "Companies and magazines are setting unhealthy standards for young ladies." Then you see people agree. BUT, when you see fat girls posing, you get supportive comments, like "You go girl.", "Be proud of your curves.", or "This girl represents REAL women." Ansabeh?! So if I'm not real... then what am I?

Photo: pixton

There's also that concept of an "ideal weight", which is based on height, age, and gender. There are many ideal weight calculators out there like this and this. But does it take into account your body fat? Your bone structure? NO and NO. I'm pretty impressed with this concept because even though it leaves out important factors, a lot of doctors and health institutions rely on this computation to determine if a person is over or underweight. But is it really accurate? I don't think so. Excluding their bone structure, Person A and B might have the same weight. Take into account their bone's weight, then they may end up with different total weights because one might be big-boned, while the other may be small-boned. Right? Person C might be "underweight", while Person D might have the "ideal weight". But take into account their fitness level and body fat, Person C might turn out to be healthier.

Honestly ladies, being thin should never be your goal. If you really love yourselves, never mind those ideal weight calculators and make it your goal to be FIT, HEALTHY, CONFIDENT and most of all, HAPPY. :D

Cheers!

Travel diary: Melaka/Malacca

As I've said in my post here, I will share with you our unforgettable 3-day trip in Malaysia.

We arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal before 1am. Their airport was pretty easy to navigate because all the signs had English translations. Passengers were required to purchase taxi coupons from the taxi counters. Be very clear and specific with your words to ensure you get the correct price. Aside from the quantity, your bag's weight also affects the fare price. Our taxi fare to Melaka/Malacca (3 passengers with 3 medium bags) was MYR240 or around P1,082.

We were lucky to have a driver that understood English. Our driver, Satya, was very friendly, which was a good thing because he kept us awake the whole time. It took us around an hour and a half to get to Melaka. Obviously, we were pretty early for the regular check-in time. Good thing our hotel was very accommodating and didn't charge us extra even if we arrived almost 10 hours before our check-in schedule.

We stayed at 1st Inn Hotel, which we booked through Agoda, for only P2,010 per night. There were 2 double beds, CR with hot water, free towels, free water, TV... everything "basic" that you need. No toiletries though. :D

You might think it's not much, but really, this hotel was a Godsend. It's near everything we wanted to see. It was also near money changers, and some small shops that sold pasalubong, toiletries, food and spices. Plus, the receptionists were very nice. Such a steal!

Anyway, here are some more photos from our Melaka/Malacca adventure.

We had our breakfast in Selvam, which served cheap Roti with different fillings! I had the Roti Pisang (Banana) at RM 2.50 (P33.83 at that time). Unfortunately, when my parents went there early this year, Selvam was already closed. :(

The Malaysia Crew :D

Did you know that Melaka/Malacca and George Town were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2008?

Melaka River by day.

Almost all buildings in Melaka had this color.

 We went there on a holiday so most shops were closed.

 Hello Kitty rickshaws/trishaws. Wonder how long it took them to finish designing these...

Photo: Jean Q

Jonker Walk/Street is very popular in Melaka. It has various shops selling food, souvenirs... wigs, even!

And it was there that we found the Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls! The looong line was sooo worth it!!! The chicken rice balls were just perfect! Forgot how much this was but it's definitely easy on the wallet! I would go back to Melaka just for this.

Photo: Jean Q

 Durian Puffs. Not a fan.

Before...

After... Kept this because I love the chaos in the photo.

Melaka River at night. We took the Melaka River Cruise for RM15 (around P203). It was ok. I recommend spending your money on more chicken rice balls instead! :D

We couldn't help iiit! Since Chung Wah was already closed, we went to Baba Fred Nyonya Home Cook instead. Preferred the chicken rice balls and spicy dip of Chung Wah, but I liked Baba Fred's chicken better.

Next up: Kuala Lumpur!