I just want my vitamin D!

I often get funny looks from other people whenever I go out walking to lunch under the hot summer sun--sometimes it's 35C out there nowadays--without an umbrella over my head. Other staff I meet along the way sometimes even ask, "Nagpapaitim ka ba?" (Are you trying to get a tan?) On the contrary, I'm not crazy about getting a tan. My reason is actually quite simple: My job entails working indoors at my desk or at my computer practically all day. So why shouldn't I want to get exposed to good healthy sunlight even if it's for just ten minutes everyday?

No plastic bags, please

As my small contribution toward saving the environment, I've been bringing along a small cloth bag for my take-out lunches and requesting people taking my order at the fast food restaurants not to put my food in plastic bags. Despite doing this for the past three months, I continued to get puzzled reactions, with many even insisting on using plastic bags saying that the food or drink might spill and spoil my cute little bag. But today, the girl behind the counter at McDonald's finally recognized the little bag I had just pulled out from my knapsack and asked, "Hindi na po ilalagay sa plastic bag?" (Not to be placed in plastic bags?) When I replied, "Yes," she handed me my cheeseburger, fries and pineapple juice without another word.