The DJ who's not a DeeJay

The last time I've been asked to be a brand ambassador or endorser for a product was many years ago. I totally understand because I haven't been actively blogging. I did receive some a couple of paid Instagram assignments in the last few years but turned them down. Most of them were about fashion and lifestyle, and after looking at the product, it's something I felt that I couldn't endorse or represent because it just didn't fit my personality.

So I was surprised when I received an e-mail inviting me to become an Instagram brand ambassador for a watch. I was flattered of course, but after I set that quick fuzzy feeling in, it was time to investigate.

<Decided not to respond to this e-mail>

I didn't respond immediately. I spent the day working on my hobbies since I had the day off. In the evening, I returned to the e-mail and was going to respond saying thanks for them visiting my Instagram account and considering me but would politely decline their offer.

I remember blogging about a scam involving free hotel accommodations way back in 2007 which gained over 200 comments from others who received the same offer.

I did find the e-mail suspicious, especially the part asking me to pay for shipping for something I didn't ask for in the beginning.

So I searched the net for similar invitations and found a bunch of results from other victims receiving a similar e-mail. The e-mail structure is pretty much the same with the sender's name varying in certain e-mails. Some people continued their investigation checking if the person works for that company. Not only were those names not associated with the company, but even their title seems nonexistent.

It's not worth mentioning the company as I prefer not to give them more publicity even if it's a negative one. You can just refer to the image.

If there's anything good I got out of this is that it was flattering to think of the offer to become a brand ambassador for anything, but this "time," it's time to decline and move on.

That's it. Time's up!

Do follow me on Instagram at jaydjnet.

A few weeks before the virtual Pokemon Go Fest, I noticed that on August 4, 2020, I would have been playing Pokemon Go for exactly four years. I've played games for a year or two before losing interest but then the way the game has evolved has made it interesting for me and thousands of others to continue playing.

So on my 4th year anniversary playing Pokémon Go, after catching over 30,000 Pokémon, visiting more than 30,000 pokestops, walking over 3,000kms, and gaining 100+ friends from all over the world, I finally reached Level 40!

It's been 50 days since I started intermittent fasting. How was it? It was stepping into unchartered territory and eventually conquering a fear.

I basically spent the first two weeks getting used to my "new normal" of skipping breakfast and having lunch exactly 16 hours after fasting from the previous night. So that translated to starting my fast around 8:30pm and taking my next meal the next day around 12:30pm. My main concern at first was breaking away from the typical mindset instilled in me all my life that breakfast is an important meal of the day and will give you the energy to last the day. I do enjoy having breakfast but I'd rather skip breakfast than lunch or dinner.

What eased me into the 16 hour fast was having green tea in the evening and 500ml lemon water replacing breakfast. I must admit that the most difficult hours are the last few hours ending the fast especially around 11:00am when I could hear my tummy growl every few minutes. I really didn't feel any starvation or craving during fasting. Being busy with work also helped me forget I was fasting.  

What was effective for me was thinking that the last few hours of my fast were the crucial hours where my reserved energy stored in fats was being burned. And just before fasting, I think of it as starting a timer. Make a mistake by snacking or eating afterwards and you'll have to reset the clock and start over again. The later you fast, the later you'll get to eat after the 16 hour fast. Most of it is just a mindset and putting things in a certain perspective that makes sense to you. That's what worked for me.

In addition to the 16 hour fast, I also became conscious in selecting foods to eat. I dropped any fried foods from my intake and cut down on sugar where I could. I also increased my water intake to 3 - 4 liters of water a day. 

After a month into intermittent fasting, I lost 5 pounds. I know it's not a lot but it's a bonus for me as I decided to undergo intermittent fasting mainly for the health benefits. Losing weight is just a bonus. It's the lifestyle change I"ve accepted that would serve as a long term investment on my overall health. 

I didn't do much exercise during this period as I wanted to see first what intermittent fasting alone could achieve. Now that I'm comfortable with this regimen, I'm gonna add more exercise and continue intermittent fasting. In 2015, I challenged myself to remove rice from my diet completely for a year and I actually extended it to 400 days. I'm determined to take on this more difficult challenge and hope to transform myself into a healthier me.

50 days done. On to the next 50.  

1. It's a 16/8 diet plan. I would fast for 16 hours and can eat only within an eight hour time span. This would mean changing some habits such as avoiding snacks after dinner. It was comforting to realize that you're not awake the entire 16 hours you're not eating. Six to eight hours of that period is spent sleeping at night. So the remaining hours didn't seem that long.
2. During the eight hours that you can east doesn't mean you'll be eating the entire time and you'll be making up for the hours you haven't been eating by eating more. It's just a frame of mind that this is the window you're allowed to eat. What was comforting was that you can still maintain your regular food intake as long as you take them in moderation. Since you're also on a diet, you'll be consciously thinking about your food intake. So eating something sugary would make you think twice.
3. Skipping breakfast. This may have been the hardest rewiring to adapt to. If you think of it, all of our lives, we have been taught by our parents to eat our meals to stay healthy and that included breakfast. And because of that idea hard-wired into our brain, skipping breakfast feels like you're depriving yourself of being healthy. I also had the impression that it's the most important meal of the day since it will provide you with nutrients to start your day. What made this easier for me to ignore is that notion may have been true for growing kids who need regular nutrition to grow. I'm way past that phase and it's not growing that I need to focus on (which I've pretty much done a good job in terms of weight), but making sure that my body doesn't overstock on nutrition.

1. Use my Akai Professional MPK Mini MIDI controller to enter the notes and data for the song.
2. Use my Korg nanoKontrol 2 to control the record, play and stop buttons and control the track volume.
3. Use FL Studio to connect the 2 MIDI controllers, and sequence the live looping.
4. Use my Xiaomi mobile phone as a second webcam to record video of my hands while playing live.
5. OBS Studio for recording the audio and video live.