Meet Miami.

[00:00:00] Miami: Hi, today we're here with the vibrant and energetic Miami.

[00:00:04] Miami: She's a legal assistant for a big shot lawyer in Canada.

[00:00:08] Victor: Very handsome too, I might add.

[00:00:10] Miami: So today we're just going to talk about her life here as a virtual legal assistant, virtual assistant slash bookkeeper, and how she balances that with living quite an adventurous life here in the Philippines.

[00:00:24] Miami: So welcome to the show, Miami.

[00:00:26] Victor: How are you?

[00:00:27] Victor: I'm good.

[00:00:27] Miami: Thank you so much for having me here.

[00:00:29] Victor: Okay, all good.

[00:00:30] Miami: So let's start right away with I saw your Instagram and you go on a lot of hikes.

[00:00:37] Miami: And we're here sitting in Metro Manila and I don't really see any mountains near me.

[00:00:43] Victor: So where do you go?

[00:00:45] Miami: Yeah, because I've been living here in Manila for more than five years now.

[00:00:50] Victor: And then I think that's what I missed.

[00:00:53] Miami: Because I grew up in a province where there's a lot of mountains.

[00:00:57] Miami: So I tried to explore one mountain per month when I was starting this hobby.

[00:01:05] Miami: And then I ended up going to different mountains weekly.

[00:01:10] Miami: So yeah, so far, I think the...

[00:01:14] Miami: Most beautiful mountain I've been to is in Benguet.

[00:01:17] Miami: It's called Mount Purgatory.

[00:01:20] Victor: Mount Purgatory?

[00:01:21] Victor: Yeah.

[00:01:21] Miami: Okay, that's an interesting name.

[00:01:23] Victor: It's such a... Yeah.

[00:01:26] Miami: It's actually six mountains, but it's the most famous one.

[00:01:31] Miami: And the other thing there, the name is kind of very, I don't know.

[00:01:38] Victor: But the place is so magical.

[00:01:42] Miami: It's like when I went there, I feel like I'm going to paradise because the trail is mossy and you don't actually see that kind of place here in the Philippines.

[00:01:53] Miami: It's mossy.

[00:01:54] Victor: Yeah.

[00:01:55] Victor: So it kind of looks magical, fairy tale kind of feeling, right?

[00:01:58] Victor: Okay.

[00:01:59] Miami: And it's a rainforest, and then there's just a lot of mosses.

[00:02:03] Victor: Because this is a tropical country, right?

[00:02:05] Victor: So it's very hot.

[00:02:07] Miami: And there, the weather is just so balanced.

[00:02:12] Victor: What's the temperature, Rosalie, when you did the hike?

[00:02:15] Miami: That's the first time I experienced seven degrees.

[00:02:18] Victor: Seven?

[00:02:18] Victor: In the Philippines?

[00:02:19] Miami: Yes, here in the Philippines.

[00:02:22] Miami: It's so cold, but it's also so magical.

[00:02:27] Miami: We did a two-day hike.

[00:02:29] Miami: We had an overnight camp there.

[00:02:31] Miami: Okay, so I want to know all about this.

[00:02:34] Miami: I'm from West Coast Canada, so I've hiked the Rockies.

[00:02:38] Victor: I've also done the Alps.

[00:02:39] Miami: I was telling you before we recorded in Austria.

[00:02:41] Miami: I was never so tired in my life.

[00:02:43] Victor: That was like a 14-hour day.

[00:02:46] Miami: But anyway, so I'm picturing a lot of bugs and very wet.

[00:02:51] Victor: Are you getting that over there or no?

[00:02:53] Victor: No.

[00:02:56] Victor: Is it because it's seven degrees?

[00:02:57] Victor: I guess it's okay.

[00:02:59] Victor: And how, I guess, from base to peak, do you know the ascent?

[00:03:04] Miami: I think, I'm not sure, but I think it's 1,800 MASL.

[00:03:12] Victor: I'm not sure anymore.

[00:03:13] Miami: But from there, we can see the highest peak in Luzon, which is Mount Pulad.

[00:03:19] Victor: Okay, Luzon is the top third of the Philippines, right?

[00:03:22] Miami: Yeah, the largest island here.

[00:03:24] Victor: Okay, I see.

[00:03:25] Miami: And you said you did a molt one night.

[00:03:28] Victor: So did you bring your own sleeping bag and food and stuff like that?

[00:03:31] Miami: Yeah, we brushed our own tent and sleeping bags and everything.

[00:03:36] Victor: Is there a big hiking community here?

[00:03:39] Victor: I asked this because I was in, what's that store called?

[00:03:41] Victor: Decathlon?

[00:03:42] Victor: Decathlon?

[00:03:44] Miami: And I saw them with all the hiking gear, the tents and stuff.

[00:03:47] Miami: I remember thinking, I saw this in Alabama in the Phil and Bess Festival Mall.

[00:03:51] Victor: And I thought like, who hikes in this place?

[00:03:53] Miami: Like it's so hot.

[00:03:54] Miami: There are mosquitoes everywhere.

[00:03:56] Miami: Bugs like the size of this.

[00:03:57] Victor: Is there like a, is the hiking community here very big?

[00:04:00] Victor: Or is it like a small?

[00:04:01] Miami: things yeah i think it's very big now because uh since after the pandemic i think everyone just wants to like go outside yeah and uh

[00:04:17] Victor: When I started hiking, it's not that big.

[00:04:20] Miami: But now, it's hard to find a mountain that you can hike with a small amount of people.

[00:04:31] Miami: Especially the beginner-friendly ones.

[00:04:35] Victor: There's just a lot of people.

[00:04:37] Miami: I actually haven't hiked the highest peak yet, Mount Pulag.

[00:04:43] Miami: Because since hiking started to become so hype, there's just a lot of people going there.

[00:04:49] Miami: Okay.

[00:04:51] Victor: Where is Mount Pulag?

[00:04:52] Miami: Yeah, Mount Pulag.

[00:04:53] Victor: Where is that?

[00:04:54] Miami: In Benguet.

[00:04:56] Miami: Oh, still in the same area.

[00:04:57] Miami: Yeah, it's still in Benguet.

[00:04:58] Miami: So the tallest mountains are all there.

[00:05:00] Miami: Yeah.

[00:05:02] Victor: Is it a volcano?

[00:05:03] Victor: No, it's just a mountain.

[00:05:05] Miami: And I think the thing that most people want to see there is the sea of clouds.

[00:05:11] Miami: But now it's the sea of people.

[00:05:14] Miami: Interesting.

[00:05:15] Victor: Yeah.

[00:05:15] Miami: You know, I'm sure you've seen like just photos or reels of Everest, like summit.

[00:05:20] Victor: Yeah.

[00:05:20] Miami: It's just like a, it's like a dumpster at the top, just garbage everywhere.

[00:05:25] Miami: It's kind of a shame.

[00:05:25] Miami: It's a sad, yeah.

[00:05:27] Victor: And Canada is the same.

[00:05:28] Miami: Partly is because they really opened immigration in the last few years.

[00:05:32] Victor: But when I was growing up, so have you heard of a trail called the West Coast Trail?

[00:05:37] Miami: So it's a world-class trail on Vancouver Island in the West Coast.

[00:05:40] Miami: So it takes about seven days to finish.

[00:05:43] Miami: And you're right at the ocean.

[00:05:45] Victor: Have you tried?

[00:05:46] Victor: Yes, I did it.

[00:05:47] Victor: I did it in 2014.

[00:05:48] Miami: And, you know, everyone I met, they only let 30 people on a day.

[00:05:54] Miami: 30 people on from the North, 30 people on from the South, and it's 75 kilometers.

[00:05:58] Victor: And you're like, well, how can 75 kilometers take seven days?

[00:06:01] Miami: It's really intense.

[00:06:03] Miami: It's like a lot of up and down.

[00:06:05] Miami: You do so many up and down before you cover, yeah.

[00:06:07] Miami: If I remember, everybody that I met was from out of the country.

[00:06:11] Miami: Like couples from Switzerland, Germany, they come all the way to hike that trail.

[00:06:16] Victor: But my point is, yeah, it's totally changed now.

[00:06:19] Miami: So if you go to very famous, you know, let's say hiking, recreational outdoor places, Lake Louise, Banff, it is packed.

[00:06:28] Victor: Yeah.

[00:06:28] Victor: So it, you have to just go further.

[00:06:31] Miami: Like in Canada, there's still a lot of, you just have to be willing to walk one day further than the day hikers.

[00:06:39] Victor: So what about the hikes here?

[00:06:41] Victor: Like, are there many multi-day hikes or is it mostly just like single day?

[00:06:45] Victor: I think it depends on what you want.

[00:06:48] Miami: Because me personally right now, I prefer overnight camps, like overnight hikes.

[00:06:56] Miami: Because that's when you get to really enjoy the nature and everything.

[00:07:02] Miami: And like when it's just a day hike, I feel like it's not so fulfilling like when it is overnight camps.

[00:07:12] Miami: it depends on the purpose i guess of why you are hiking you know what we should do this for team building activity oh that's yeah right yeah multiple days you know i like i've always had this uh idea in my head that

[00:07:29] Victor: Because, you know, we're in the business of recruiting people, right?

[00:07:31] Victor: And sometimes you have to find people with a lot of bread.

[00:07:34] Miami: So I always had this romantic idea in my head that the interview would be, meet me at the peak of this place.

[00:07:40] Miami: Oh, that's so...

[00:07:42] Miami: Yes.

[00:07:42] Victor: Right?

[00:07:42] Victor: Cool, right?

[00:07:43] Miami: And then so when they get on there, it's like you pass.

[00:07:45] Victor: Yeah.

[00:07:45] Miami: And also, what I've learned in hiking, you really get to know the people during the hike.

[00:07:53] Victor: Because that's...

[00:07:54] Miami: Especially when it's difficult.

[00:07:55] Miami: You get to see who complains.

[00:07:57] Miami: You get to see their real...

[00:07:59] Miami: Yeah, their character.

[00:08:00] Victor: Yeah, yeah.

[00:08:02] Victor: It's not just the complaining, but you also get to see from people who are fitter and stronger if they'll slow down for others or if they become impatient and things like that, right?

[00:08:13] Miami: Oh, and also I think the mental strength of the person because sometimes it's already a mental battle finishing the whole hike.

[00:08:23] Miami: because i have a lot of friends like they can still physically finish the mountain but mentally they're already tired and they don't want to push her anywhere but i just say they have no chance it's not they'll bring them down well that's a great thing about hiking and just out back you know back country because you can't you can't leave like yeah yeah yeah

[00:08:47] Victor: There's, have you, you know, with the client you work for, we'll keep him nameless, but has he ever talked about this famous hike in Vancouver called Grouse Grind?

[00:08:55] Miami: Not yet.

[00:08:56] Victor: Okay.

[00:08:56] Miami: So Grouse Grind in Vancouver is a hike.

[00:08:59] Miami: I think it's either one or two kilometers by straight up.

[00:09:02] Victor: It's all stairs.

[00:09:04] Miami: And it's interesting because once you get to the top, that's where a lot of people ski.

[00:09:09] Miami: And it's known, it's called the grind because it's really, really difficult.

[00:09:13] Victor: And so people, I think you will love it.

[00:09:15] Miami: So I'm going to whisper in his ear if he can get you over there.

[00:09:19] Miami: It's a true test of like grit.

[00:09:24] Miami: And you see a lot of tourists, they go on because they think, you know, like tourists from China or Korea, and they're just wearing jeans.

[00:09:30] Miami: So they go on to this hike thinking they would get a view.

[00:09:33] Miami: And then you just see them like almost give up on the side of the hill.

[00:09:36] Miami: But helicopters can't get you.

[00:09:39] Miami: You're not allowed to walk down either.

[00:09:40] Miami: So you have to finish.

[00:09:41] Victor: You have to finish.

[00:09:42] Miami: And so average, I think, I don't know about average, but it takes a lot of people, you know, two to three hours.

[00:09:48] Victor: to finish.

[00:09:49] Miami: But if you do a competitively as like a athletic endeavor, under an hour is like a really good time.

[00:09:56] Miami: But the record is like, I think 27 minutes.

[00:09:58] Miami: And then the record for how many times in a day, someone I think ran 13 times.

[00:10:02] Victor: 13 times?

[00:10:03] Miami: Yeah, sunrise to sundown.

[00:10:04] Victor: You know that hike I told you about, the West Coast Trail?

[00:10:06] Miami: Someone did that in one day.

[00:10:08] Victor: The seven-day hike in one day?

[00:10:10] Miami: Yeah, sunrise to sundown.

[00:10:12] Victor: Exactly.

[00:10:13] Victor: So I just love that, right?

[00:10:14] Miami: Because it's this idea that you can really push the human body.

[00:10:19] Victor: So are your hikes more leisure or are they more like intense?

[00:10:24] Miami: It depends on who I am.

[00:10:26] Miami: Okay, if you're by yourself.

[00:10:27] Victor: If I'm by myself.

[00:10:28] Miami: In your dreams, if you're by yourself.

[00:10:30] Miami: I'm by myself.

[00:10:32] Miami: I guess it's a competition within myself.

[00:10:35] Victor: Do you carry a pack?

[00:10:37] Miami: Yeah.

[00:10:37] Victor: Okay.

[00:10:38] Victor: How big is your pack for, say, the one night?

[00:10:41] Victor: Do you know what liter is your bag?

[00:10:42] Victor: How many liters?

[00:10:43] Victor: Yeah.

[00:10:43] Miami: The last overnight camp we did, I think I carried 10 kilos.

[00:10:48] Miami: 10 kilos.

[00:10:49] Victor: Okay.

[00:10:49] Miami: That's a pretty heavy bag for one night.

[00:10:52] Victor: What did you bring?

[00:10:52] Victor: Like a bottle of wine?

[00:10:53] Miami: No, because we brought tents.

[00:10:56] Miami: And the tent itself is already 2 kilos.

[00:10:59] Miami: Oh, okay.

[00:11:01] Miami: Because I did the 7-day.

[00:11:02] Miami: Well, we actually finished in 5 and a half.

[00:11:04] Miami: Because we ran out of food halfway.

[00:11:06] Miami: Funny story, because I went with my friend.

[00:11:08] Miami: And, you know, in Canada, marijuana is legal.

[00:11:12] Miami: Actually, it wasn't legal back then.

[00:11:13] Miami: But he's basically a pothead.

[00:11:16] Miami: So all he does is smoke weed.

[00:11:18] Victor: Okay.

[00:11:19] Miami: And I was doing CrossFit.

[00:11:20] Miami: So I was fairly fit.

[00:11:22] Miami: And so we went on this hike together and he's just...

[00:11:25] Victor: This hike?

[00:11:26] Victor: No.

[00:11:27] Miami: So I remember like kind of a third of the way in, I said, hey, I won't say his name and just not embarrass him.

[00:11:34] Miami: But I said, hey, like, because he looks like he's struggling.

[00:11:37] Victor: He's developing some knee pain and whatever.

[00:11:39] Miami: You know, I said, let me carry this food item, this food item, this food item in a bag, like the extra granola bag, you know, the beef jerky or something.

[00:11:47] Victor: He says, what are you talking about?

[00:11:51] Miami: I said, yeah, you know, the extra pack of granola and oatmeal, and let me carry it.

[00:11:57] Victor: He goes, I don't have that.

[00:12:00] Victor: Yeah, so we realized halfway through that we just basically don't have enough.

[00:12:05] Miami: yeah so we had to speed up but i was gonna say sorry our bag then was about 20 kilo each right so yeah but you know but that was also 20 2014 so you know the gear the equipment back then was not as advanced as now right you know people just wore like leather boots

[00:12:27] Miami: Yeah, but I think it's more adventurous.

[00:12:30] Miami: I want to try like a survival camp.

[00:12:34] Miami: Because when we go hiking, we camp in a community.

[00:12:38] Miami: Oh, you meet at a spot and there's other people.

[00:12:42] Victor: Oh yeah, I always go away.

[00:12:43] Miami: Yeah, I want to try that kind of adventure, like the survival where you just camp somewhere.

[00:12:51] Victor: Do you guys start a fire here?

[00:12:53] Victor: Are you allowed to do that?

[00:12:55] Victor: Like generally or me personally?

[00:12:58] Victor: Oh, no.

[00:12:58] Victor: Like if you go hiking, when you camp, do you start a fire?

[00:13:02] Victor: No.

[00:13:02] Miami: Someone cooks for us.

[00:13:04] Victor: Yeah.

[00:13:06] Miami: I guess the hiking community is not.

[00:13:09] Miami: Yeah.

[00:13:10] Victor: I want to try that.

[00:13:11] Miami: But I can't find like a community that has that kind of.

[00:13:16] Miami: Oh, interesting.

[00:13:17] Victor: Okay.

[00:13:17] Victor: So what's the biggest animal here if you're hiking out in the wild?

[00:13:22] Victor: Like little chipmunk, little snake or something like that?

[00:13:25] Miami: In my experience, I only encountered wild monkeys.

[00:13:28] Miami: That's it.

[00:13:29] Victor: Okay.

[00:13:29] Victor: Do you have coyotes here?

[00:13:31] Victor: Or like wolves, foxes?

[00:13:33] Miami: No, no, no.

[00:13:34] Victor: Okay.

[00:13:35] Miami: Because where we are, there are bears.

[00:13:39] Victor: Black bears.

[00:13:40] Miami: They're usually okay unless, you know, the mom has her cubs.

[00:13:43] Victor: And it is very lethal.

[00:13:45] Miami: So we always have to, you have to cook your own food.

[00:13:47] Victor: There's no chef.

[00:13:48] Miami: Oh, that's so fun.

[00:13:51] Miami: Yeah, no, so it's like, so the West Coast Trail, that's one example.

[00:13:54] Victor: You have to cross rivers.

[00:13:56] Miami: so they sometimes have the cable carts you get in you put your bag and pull yourself over but if those are not working then you have to like take off your pants because you can't get your stuff wet and you hold your stuff and the water is freezing and then you walk over and then you filter your own water you filter water here right

[00:14:14] Victor: No.

[00:14:15] Victor: Okay, so when you go for, you just carry the water?

[00:14:18] Miami: Yeah, that's why I have 10 kilos of sweet.

[00:14:20] Victor: It's mostly water?

[00:14:21] Miami: Yeah.

[00:14:22] Victor: Oh, interesting.

[00:14:22] Miami: So we take water from the river, and then we put it in a pill.

[00:14:27] Miami: And then we let it dissolve for 30 minutes.

[00:14:29] Miami: And there's other things you can use, like a filter thing, but it's generally good enough.

[00:14:33] Miami: But we don't want to carry that much water.

[00:14:35] Miami: So we juice up two water bottles, and then you cycle.

[00:14:38] Miami: Because otherwise you have to carry a lot of weight.

[00:14:40] Miami: But there's always water because it's Canada's mountain.

[00:14:44] Miami: You can hear it.

[00:14:45] Miami: Okay, interesting.

[00:14:46] Victor: So you don't have to cook here.

[00:14:47] Victor: So what do they cook for you at these stations?

[00:14:50] Victor: Like pancit?

[00:14:51] Miami: So here, the culture in hiking here in the Philippines, you cannot really go up the mountain without a guide unless you're going backdoor.

[00:15:02] Miami: So backdoor is like an illegal exploring of trails.

[00:15:06] Victor: But yeah, it's legal.

[00:15:08] Miami: But the legal way is you have to have a guide and then the food, an organization will like organize it and then...

[00:15:18] Miami: Someone will carry it for you and then they will cook it at the summit.

[00:15:22] Victor: What do they usually serve?

[00:15:23] Miami: I'm just curious.

[00:15:24] Victor: Like beef tapa?

[00:15:25] Victor: Depends.

[00:15:26] Miami: So the last big hiking overnight camp I experienced, there's like a lot of coordinators and then there's like some sort of competition among them who serves the best food.

[00:15:41] Miami: Okay, so you have like Korean barbecue and the fancy stuff.

[00:15:44] Miami: I think we have the most delicious one is cordon bleu.

[00:15:49] Victor: Wow.

[00:15:49] Miami: And they serve that oven for a pinch.

[00:15:52] Victor: Yeah.

[00:15:53] Victor: We call this like glamping now, right?

[00:15:56] Victor: Do they set up your tents for you or you set it up yourself?

[00:15:58] Miami: No, we set it up ourselves.

[00:15:59] Miami: It's just the food.

[00:16:00] Miami: You have to do something.

[00:16:01] Victor: Yeah, yeah.

[00:16:02] Miami: But actually, some of the hikers that we went, we hired...

[00:16:10] Miami: Someone carries their bag and they just pee.

[00:16:13] Victor: Yeah, yeah, quarter.

[00:16:15] Miami: That's what those rich people do in Kilimanjaro or Everest.

[00:16:20] Victor: My friend hiked Kilimanjaro.

[00:16:21] Miami: That's, I think, the tallest peak in Africa.

[00:16:24] Miami: So it's at Tanzania and Kenya.

[00:16:27] Miami: It covers two countries.

[00:16:28] Victor: I think it's the tallest.

[00:16:31] Miami: But you can't carry your own bag because the elevation change, your body can't handle it.

[00:16:38] Victor: So you pay someone to carry it, and that person is just wearing Crocs.

[00:16:43] Miami: And they just walk up the mountain, and you're like... And then the part is just so chill.

[00:16:50] Miami: Yeah, so chill.

[00:16:51] Victor: Okay, I see.

[00:16:51] Miami: Well, we'll definitely have to get you in the West.

[00:16:54] Miami: It's just, you know, don't get me wrong.

[00:16:56] Victor: Like, I couldn't do that now.

[00:16:58] Miami: So I'm in my 30s now, and my life, I'm used to a certain comfort now.

[00:17:04] Victor: Right?

[00:17:05] Miami: So if I go camping, we have what's called car camping.

[00:17:09] Victor: Yeah, you guys have that here as well?

[00:17:11] Victor: Yeah, I think we have that.

[00:17:12] Miami: Yeah, you just park your car, you pull out a cooler, and you can set up a little fire, barbecue.

[00:17:17] Miami: You know, you just kind of have a good time.

[00:17:19] Miami: The kids can play in the playground.

[00:17:21] Victor: There are bathrooms, right?

[00:17:23] Miami: But when I was younger, you know, that backcountry stuff, that was incredibly free.

[00:17:28] Victor: It's more challenging.

[00:17:29] Miami: Yeah, and you can go out there and, you know, you just beat all your demons.

[00:17:35] Miami: I always go with a buddy for safety.

[00:17:37] Miami: But you know, there's not that much talking because you're just tired.

[00:17:40] Miami: And I always go with like very fit people except for that one guy.

[00:17:43] Miami: So we just, we push ourselves.

[00:17:46] Miami: So you mentioned this is illegal if you go off trail.

[00:17:49] Victor: What would the punishment be?

[00:17:51] Victor: I think there's a fine of, I'm not sure if it's 20,000, but... Like what's your legal system here?

[00:17:58] Victor: Like who owns the land?

[00:18:01] Victor: Is it a government?

[00:18:02] Miami: Yeah, so for most of the mountains that's open for hiking, we pay a certain amount of entrance fee for the environmental fee that goes to the ANR, Department of...

[00:18:19] Miami: Okay, and then they maintain some of the... Yeah, they assign group of government employees there to make sure the mountain is clean and organized and safe.

[00:18:32] Miami: Yeah.

[00:18:33] Victor: Okay.

[00:18:34] Miami: Let's shift gears and talk about running because you also like to run here.

[00:18:38] Victor: You like running more or hiking more?

[00:18:40] Victor: I like hiking more.

[00:18:41] Miami: So running was just influenced by my boyfriend.

[00:18:47] Miami: Poison.

[00:18:47] Victor: Okay.

[00:18:48] Miami: Oh, you see, you just started running fairly recently then.

[00:18:52] Miami: Last year, June as well.

[00:18:55] Miami: I started last year of June.

[00:18:57] Miami: So this is my question again.

[00:18:58] Miami: It's like, we're here sitting in Metro Manila.

[00:19:00] Victor: Where do you run?

[00:19:02] Miami: The running community here is bigger than the hiking community.

[00:19:06] Miami: So every week you can just register for a fun run.

[00:19:10] Miami: You just have to look up on Facebook on what's the upcoming runs.

[00:19:15] Miami: So there's a big organization that runs fun run, the Run Rio.

[00:19:21] Miami: So I think every week they have a fun run event that you can just... You mentioned you did a 10K recently.

[00:19:27] Miami: You did a half marathon.

[00:19:28] Victor: It's 21.

[00:19:30] Miami: Yeah, I am a proud marathoner.

[00:19:34] Victor: Oh, you did a full marathon?

[00:19:35] Miami: Yeah, last year.

[00:19:35] Victor: Oh, really?

[00:19:36] Victor: So you did all this in the span of a year?

[00:19:39] Victor: From zero?

[00:19:40] Miami: Must be nice to be young.

[00:19:42] Victor: Yeah.

[00:19:44] Miami: Actually, I guess it's just...

[00:19:47] Victor: I like challenging myself.

[00:19:49] Miami: So my first run was 10 kilometers and then my second run was the marathon already.

[00:19:55] Victor: How was your time?

[00:19:57] Miami: If you don't mind.

[00:19:58] Miami: Almost eight hours.

[00:20:00] Miami: But I guess not bad for a...

[00:20:02] Miami: Okay, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:20:03] Victor: You did it.

[00:20:04] Miami: My goal every run is to just finish it because I just like the pushing my limits more and more.

[00:20:16] Victor: So did you push really hard on that full marathon?

[00:20:19] Miami: Yeah, I almost cried.

[00:20:21] Miami: At 40 kilometers, I almost cried.

[00:20:23] Victor: Okay, you had to walk a portion of that, I guess, for eight hours, right?

[00:20:26] Miami: Yeah, I walked, I think, the half of it.

[00:20:31] Miami: I guess because you didn't really train for property where you did some training.

[00:20:35] Miami: Yeah, I... You just showed up.

[00:20:37] Miami: Yeah, I just showed up.

[00:20:38] Miami: In jeans, you know, like, let's do it.

[00:20:39] Miami: Yes.

[00:20:40] Victor: Right?

[00:20:41] Victor: Yes.

[00:20:41] Victor: I guess it's just also... How do you say it in English?

[00:20:47] Miami: You say it in Tagalog.

[00:20:50] Victor: Okay.

[00:20:51] Victor: How do you say that?

[00:20:53] Miami: Just have to braid myself.

[00:20:54] Victor: Yeah.

[00:20:55] Miami: I just have to, like...

[00:20:57] Miami: Say that I can do it.

[00:20:59] Miami: It's just easy.

[00:21:00] Victor: In my head, it's just easy.

[00:21:01] Miami: But then when I was already doing it, that's when I start to just one more kilometer.

[00:21:07] Miami: I have to just finish this one.

[00:21:10] Miami: I love that spirit.

[00:21:11] Miami: We did a run.

[00:21:12] Victor: That was last year, right, Nia?

[00:21:13] Miami: We did a run in Phil and Best.

[00:21:16] Victor: That was the Garmin run.

[00:21:18] Miami: And I'm not saying this, you know, because I'm a very competitive person.

[00:21:21] Miami: So to me, on a run, it means a run.

[00:21:24] Miami: It doesn't mean a walk.

[00:21:26] Victor: Right.

[00:21:26] Miami: So I was surprised at how many people were walking.

[00:21:29] Miami: I mean, it was like maybe a 10K or something.

[00:21:33] Victor: It just, to me, it was like, you got to just do the training, right?

[00:21:36] Victor: Yeah.

[00:21:36] Miami: I think once you understand how to train for a run, you can do a lot.

[00:21:41] Miami: My daughter's old daycare teacher in Canada, she gets in about 100 or 120 kilometers a week.

[00:21:49] Miami: Yeah, she runs more than I drive.

[00:21:51] Miami: I can't even drive that far.

[00:21:52] Victor: That's high.

[00:21:53] Victor: Yeah, but you know, like I think her resting heart rate is probably like 40 or something like that.

[00:21:57] Victor: So she's about your age and she just, but yeah, I don't know if she's got demons to beat or something like that because you work it a while on the road, right?

[00:22:07] Miami: So what do you, so you just find a community and then, but those are races.

[00:22:11] Miami: But if you're, if people are training.

[00:22:14] Miami: Oh, I usually run at Greenfield because I live in Mandaluyong.

[00:22:19] Victor: So that's the nearest.

[00:22:21] Miami: And sometimes I go to Ultra Sports Complex in Pasig.

[00:22:25] Victor: Okay.

[00:22:25] Miami: Like a track.

[00:22:27] Miami: Yeah, a track.

[00:22:28] Victor: 400-meter track?

[00:22:29] Victor: Yeah, 400-meter track.

[00:22:30] Miami: But if not track, like I want a slope or something.

[00:22:34] Victor: Hill.

[00:22:35] Miami: Yeah, I run in Greenfield.

[00:22:39] Miami: I would love to run here.

[00:22:40] Miami: I found the hardest thing.

[00:22:41] Miami: So I trained really hard.

[00:22:42] Victor: My wife did the half.

[00:22:43] Miami: I did a 10K and I trained really hard for a 10K, but the humidity here, it killed me because I trained in Canada.

[00:22:51] Victor: Right.

[00:22:51] Miami: And then when I came here, I find that when I was sweating, I wasn't even cooling down.

[00:22:56] Victor: And then also the energy of the run, what time was the run?

[00:22:59] Miami: It was like 3 AM in the morning.

[00:23:02] Miami: I was like, just got over a jet lag.

[00:23:05] Victor: Wake up, go to the run.

[00:23:06] Miami: And then there was no energy in the run too because it's 3 a.m. and people were sleeping.

[00:23:10] Miami: Yeah.

[00:23:11] Victor: So I was like, shh.

[00:23:13] Miami: But if you do a run, you know, the runs that we're used to, people are like, yeah, come on, you can do it.

[00:23:18] Victor: There's a lot of hype.

[00:23:19] Victor: There's a lot of hype and it kind of keeps you going.

[00:23:20] Miami: Here it's like, all you hear is... Yeah.

[00:23:25] Victor: Okay, so to the work part now, I guess...

[00:23:29] Miami: I just spoke with someone and, you know, she's saying that working graveyard is quite tough.

[00:23:35] Miami: And so, because she's working graveyard, she's getting more pay as a virtual assistant.

[00:23:41] Miami: And that's kind of elevated her life in different ways.

[00:23:45] Victor: But it's tough to be awake.

[00:23:46] Miami: So how are you, other than youth, I know that.

[00:23:49] Miami: But tell me about your schedule.

[00:23:51] Victor: Like, how do you manage this?

[00:23:54] Miami: At first, I was very expressive about it.

[00:24:00] Miami: And then I think I was lucky enough to have a very supportive boss because he gave me like a subscription.

[00:24:10] Miami: to uh like a netflix but in canada i'm not sure what it's called anymore but before i was open to him that uh it's i'm having a hard time being awake

[00:24:25] Miami: all the time, especially during weekends, I have my work and then the sleeping schedule resets because I sleep at night.

[00:24:34] Miami: So he gave me access to that.

[00:24:35] Victor: Netflix?

[00:24:36] Miami: Yeah, streaming platform, just so I can binge watch at night during weekends so that my body doesn't, like my sleeping schedule doesn't reset.

[00:24:49] Victor: So interesting solution.

[00:24:51] Miami: I think it's the support from them as well that's what makes me more eager to really support them as a law firm.

[00:25:03] Miami: Now, what I do, I guess I was just so used to it now.

[00:25:08] Victor: So do you sleep at the end of your shift?

[00:25:11] Victor: Or at the end of your shift, do you go do morning, daytime stuff and then you sleep?

[00:25:16] Miami: No, I sleep right after.

[00:25:18] Miami: Right away.

[00:25:19] Victor: What time do you wake up?

[00:25:20] Miami: At around 4 or 5 p.m.

[00:25:24] Miami: So all your hiking and running, mostly it's on the weekend.

[00:25:27] Victor: Yeah, always weekend, Sundays.

[00:25:29] Miami: And on the weekend, you just adjust your schedule to normal daytime here where you try to have some overlap.

[00:25:36] Miami: When you go hiking here, the hike also starts at dawn.

[00:25:41] Victor: What time is dawn here?

[00:25:43] Miami: Around 3, 4 a.m. Oh, wow.

[00:25:47] Miami: So you're used to being up at that time.

[00:25:49] Victor: Yeah.

[00:25:50] Victor: So I have a lot of energy at that time.

[00:25:52] Miami: And then when I do day hikes, we usually go back at around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.

[00:26:00] Victor: Depends on how far the mountain is.

[00:26:03] Miami: so the schedule doesn't really reset but yeah right now i just realized i also don't know what what gives me a week but you're okay you don't you have any do you feel any like health effects or anything like that lately you're pretty used to it now yeah i'm pretty because it's been more than two years now okay so okay i see do you have siblings

[00:26:31] Miami: Yeah, I do.

[00:26:32] Victor: How many siblings do you have?

[00:26:33] Miami: I have a brother, one.

[00:26:34] Miami: Just one, okay.

[00:26:35] Victor: Is he younger?

[00:26:36] Miami: Yeah, younger brother.

[00:26:37] Victor: I'm the eldest.

[00:26:38] Victor: Okay, and is your younger brother working or still in school?

[00:26:41] Miami: Still at school.

[00:26:43] Miami: Just entered college.

[00:26:44] Victor: Okay, what's he studying for?

[00:26:46] Miami: Hotel management, HRM.

[00:26:49] Miami: Hotel restaurant management.

[00:26:50] Victor: Okay, okay, I see.

[00:26:51] Victor: So it will be his turn to work soon, right?

[00:26:55] Miami: Hopefully.

[00:26:56] Miami: Yeah.

[00:26:57] Miami: Yeah.

[00:26:58] Victor: Okay.

[00:26:58] Victor: What did you graduate first?

[00:27:00] Victor: You didn't study anything doing law, right?

[00:27:03] Miami: I graduated accounting at University of Santo Tomas.

[00:27:08] Victor: I started as a working student here.

[00:27:10] Miami: I guess that was the most difficult one when I was just starting because I didn't know anything back then.

[00:27:17] Miami: I was just motivated to work and really help.

[00:27:20] Victor: What were you working?

[00:27:21] Victor: Online.

[00:27:22] Victor: Oh, so you started online, by the way.

[00:27:23] Miami: Yeah, I have experience working in a Philippine company.

[00:27:27] Victor: Oh, interesting.

[00:27:27] Victor: So what kind of pushed you to do that?

[00:27:30] Victor: That seems kind of unorthodox, right?

[00:27:32] Victor: Yeah, I know.

[00:27:32] Miami: I want to help my parents pay for my tuition because University of Santo Tomas is not cheap.

[00:27:38] Miami: So it's one of the biggest schools here.

[00:27:42] Miami: And then I just studied there because...

[00:27:46] Miami: Entering this kind of school is not easy.

[00:27:50] Miami: And I guess it's... What she's trying to say, she's really smart.

[00:27:55] Victor: Miguel?

[00:27:58] Miami: But yeah, so I don't want to give up that just because we don't have money to pay for my tuition fee.

[00:28:05] Victor: Right.

[00:28:05] Miami: So you just found the highest paying job source.

[00:28:09] Victor: Actually, it's just an accident.

[00:28:11] Miami: So pandemic started and then online education is not for me.

[00:28:17] Victor: So there's just a lot of distraction.

[00:28:20] Miami: And then I want to find ways to be more productive.

[00:28:25] Miami: And then that's when I started going to YouTube and then asking YouTube University how to make money online.

[00:28:32] Miami: And then that's where I found freelancing.

[00:28:36] Victor: Let's see.

[00:28:37] Victor: What would you use to apply for jobs?

[00:28:39] Miami: I used onlinejobs.ph.

[00:28:41] Victor: Okay.

[00:28:42] Miami: The first client I had, it's actually a multimedia marketing company.

[00:28:49] Victor: Okay.

[00:28:50] Miami: So it's kind of...

[00:28:53] Miami: It's very salesy.

[00:28:56] Victor: What was your job within a sales?

[00:28:58] Victor: Admin.

[00:28:59] Miami: But since I do admin tasks, I learned a lot of the ins and outs of multimedia marketing.

[00:29:06] Miami: So yeah, I guess that's a very complex business and that helped me learn a lot.

[00:29:12] Victor: And then after that, what did you do?

[00:29:14] Victor: After that...

[00:29:16] Miami: I did an internship for an insurance agency.

[00:29:20] Miami: But it's already Philippine-based.

[00:29:23] Miami: I worked with them for almost two years.

[00:29:28] Miami: But during that time, I was also working as a personal assistant of an Australian cyber specialist.

[00:29:35] Victor: And were you still in school at this time too?

[00:29:37] Victor: Yeah.

[00:29:38] Miami: I just graduated in 2024.

[00:29:41] Miami: So young.

[00:29:42] Victor: So nice.

[00:29:43] Miami: Yes.

[00:29:45] Victor: So do you miss school at all now?

[00:29:47] Victor: Or are you enjoying?

[00:29:48] Victor: No.

[00:29:49] Victor: You're glad you're done.

[00:29:50] Victor: But do you feel like school helped you in any way here?

[00:29:53] Miami: Yeah.

[00:29:54] Victor: In what way?

[00:29:54] Miami: Because, for example, you named the university, and I have no idea where it is.

[00:29:59] Miami: It helped me in my time management skills a lot because I have to juggle school and work.

[00:30:07] Miami: And also I was part of this organization at school before.

[00:30:12] Miami: So I was trying to juggle multiple commitments at once.

[00:30:16] Miami: So it made you more capable.

[00:30:18] Victor: Yeah.

[00:30:18] Victor: But do you think you'll ever, I'm curious, like, do you think you'll ever need to use that piece of paper, you know, the certificate?

[00:30:28] Miami: Because, you know, a lot of times you go to school, like I, when I chose a school, I have a very traditional kind of Asian family.

[00:30:33] Miami: So just pick a good one with a good name because then you can get a job.

[00:30:37] Victor: But now that you're in this space, I may be doing something else in the future, right?

[00:30:42] Victor: But do you feel like the name of the school matters as much for you?

[00:30:46] Victor: No, I don't think so.

[00:30:48] Victor: Even the license, because I am an accounting graduate, and here, the traditional family... CPA?

[00:30:57] Victor: Yeah, it's very important.

[00:30:58] Victor: Even now, people are asking me, when are you going to take the exam?

[00:31:03] Victor: The board exam?

[00:31:04] Miami: Yeah, I just gladly say no.

[00:31:06] Victor: Yeah, I don't feel like...

[00:31:10] Miami: It's important now, especially I have a lot of batchmates where sometimes you catch up and then we share our work experiences.

[00:31:18] Miami: And I just feel like I'm more fulfilled now in what I do, even though I don't have the license unlike them.

[00:31:28] Victor: No, I totally understand.

[00:31:30] Miami: I think there is a tendency anywhere, not just here, for people to want to follow the herd.

[00:31:35] Miami: Because if I get my CPA, then other people will respect me.

[00:31:40] Miami: But actually what people don't realize is the people that respect them are just other CPAs.

[00:31:45] Miami: And those CPAs, rightfully or wrongfully, they just need to validate their own life as well.

[00:31:51] Victor: We all want confirmation that the way that we live is good, right?

[00:31:57] Miami: So if some of my followers say, hey, I'm also moving to the Philippines from Canada.

[00:32:03] Miami: I can't help it.

[00:32:03] Miami: I go, yeah, it's a great idea.

[00:32:05] Victor: You know, why?

[00:32:06] Miami: I don't know because I'm here.

[00:32:08] Victor: So no, so that's good.

[00:32:09] Miami: I think I'm getting the sense that you're just overall very independent and you're like very adventurous.

[00:32:18] Victor: Yeah.

[00:32:18] Victor: Would you consider yourself like a high risk person?

[00:32:22] Victor: I think it depends on what aspects.

[00:32:24] Miami: I have some aspects in my life where I cannot risk at all, especially with my family.

[00:32:31] Miami: You're right.

[00:32:32] Miami: Fair enough.

[00:32:33] Miami: You want a safety net.

[00:32:34] Victor: You want a baseline.

[00:32:35] Miami: So before we started recording, you asked, we were talking about risk.

[00:32:39] Victor: See, I remembered it, right?

[00:32:40] Victor: You're asking me, is this move that, you know, us coming to the Philippines is the biggest risk that we take?

[00:32:46] Victor: And I said, I don't really see it that way.

[00:32:49] Miami: I think you and I are similar in the sense that we're not professional athletes, but we have like an athletic mind.

[00:32:56] Miami: So if I'm hiking a mountain or if I'm running a, I never run a marathon, but if I'm running a half marathon,

[00:33:04] Miami: or if I'm lifting a lot of weights, I kind of, it's like mind over matter first.

[00:33:09] Victor: It sounds like a cliche.

[00:33:10] Miami: So once you have enough reps doing something, you realize like what the world perceives to be hard or risky isn't actually that risky.

[00:33:21] Miami: So for example, everyone has been telling me the Philippines is an incredibly dangerous place.

[00:33:26] Miami: If I leave BGC,

[00:33:29] Miami: I'll get stabbed.

[00:33:30] Miami: I'll get kidnapped.

[00:33:31] Miami: You know, knock on wood.

[00:33:33] Miami: This isn't even wood.

[00:33:35] Miami: This is plastic.

[00:33:36] Victor: Yeah.

[00:33:37] Miami: You know, but everyone says it's very dangerous.

[00:33:39] Miami: And I feel like, you know, people also say it's hiking is dangerous.

[00:33:42] Victor: Yeah.

[00:33:43] Victor: Going to the woods is dangerous.

[00:33:44] Miami: And there's not a lot of like lived experience for that.

[00:33:48] Victor: And so I feel like when you push your physical limit, I have this theory, right?

[00:33:53] Miami: It's like your physical body is how you experience the world.

[00:33:57] Victor: It's true.

[00:33:59] Victor: It's how you actually interact with like the air and space around you.

[00:34:04] Miami: So if you can jump higher, run further, walk further, climb a taller mountain, you can see things that people who can't do that, they can't see.

[00:34:16] Miami: So it gives you a different perspective.

[00:34:18] Victor: You know, we were talking about traveling, right?

[00:34:19] Victor: Yeah.

[00:34:20] Miami: It gives you a different access.

[00:34:22] Victor: different lessons.

[00:34:24] Miami: And so I don't feel, I feel like the riskiest move that I, to answer your question, is not this move.

[00:34:30] Miami: It was like probably the first time I put my job, actually not even the first time, like I was in school and then there was a internship opportunity miles and miles away in a different province.

[00:34:42] Miami: But to take that opportunity means I would be delayed in my graduation.

[00:34:47] Miami: There's a part of me that want to stay close to all my batchmates because you want to compete.

[00:34:52] Victor: Yeah.

[00:34:53] Victor: But I don't know why I decided to say yes.

[00:34:55] Miami: And as soon as I went away, I fell out of the main.

[00:35:00] Miami: And I did finish my school one year later.

[00:35:03] Miami: But when you zoom out, it doesn't matter.

[00:35:05] Miami: It does reset.

[00:35:19] Victor: Yeah.

[00:35:20] Miami: Yeah, we just need to live our own lives.

[00:35:24] Victor: Yeah, live your own life.

[00:35:25] Miami: And then, of course, so when people look at me, they go, well, you're a very risky, risk-loving person.

[00:35:31] Miami: But I'm just like you.

[00:35:33] Miami: I have a family.

[00:35:34] Victor: I have young kids.

[00:35:35] Miami: And I have my safety net.

[00:35:38] Miami: And I heard your wife is... Yeah, she's pregnant.

[00:35:40] Miami: So we're in second three.

[00:35:41] Miami: So people are like, wow, this guy is really crazy.

[00:35:43] Victor: Why would you move to a third world casual?

[00:35:45] Miami: It's like, I have my own view and lens of the world now.

[00:35:51] Miami: Just like you have your own lens when you're at...

[00:35:54] Miami: Mount Purgatory or something like that.

[00:35:56] Miami: And people won't understand.

[00:35:58] Victor: No, I mean, it's okay.

[00:35:59] Miami: They don't have, they don't, I think, and I think as I matured, one of the things I realized is it's okay for people to understand.

[00:36:05] Victor: Yeah.

[00:36:06] Victor: I don't have to get them to understand.

[00:36:08] Miami: The greatest debate on social media right now, at least in my algorithm, other than cockroaches, is I have a lot of cockroach reels in my Instagram.

[00:36:18] Miami: Yeah.

[00:36:20] Victor: That's my one.

[00:36:22] Miami: But you know, by the way, Miami, you know, I'm working on that.

[00:36:25] Miami: Because I talked to some of my followers.

[00:36:27] Miami: They're scared of cockroaches.

[00:36:28] Miami: They live here.

[00:36:29] Victor: You guys scared of cockroaches?

[00:36:32] Miami: It's not.

[00:36:33] Victor: It's a little thing.

[00:36:34] Miami: I know, but some people are really scared of cockroaches, even though they live here for two decades.

[00:36:39] Miami: And they tell me this.

[00:36:41] Victor: And I just said, well...

[00:36:43] Miami: If they're telling me this after 20 years, that means I'm going to be scared after 20 years, unless I beat the fear.

[00:36:52] Miami: So I have a plan.

[00:36:55] Miami: I have a plan to beat that fear.

[00:36:58] Victor: Okay.

[00:36:58] Victor: But it's the same theme, right?

[00:37:00] Victor: It's like you just understand.

[00:37:03] Miami: So my plan basically is you start by looking at cartoon pictures of cockroaches.

[00:37:10] Miami: Then maybe you get a cockroach stuffed animal.

[00:37:12] Miami: And you hug it at night.

[00:37:14] Victor: And then...

[00:37:15] Victor: He's like the love it?

[00:37:16] Miami: No, and then you find a dead small one.

[00:37:19] Miami: And you put it on the table in front of you.

[00:37:21] Miami: You just like see if you can touch it.

[00:37:23] Miami: And then you find a medium one, a large one.

[00:37:25] Victor: And you desensitize yourself.

[00:37:28] Miami: And I think same thing, like when you do a lot of new things, when you climb many new mountains, when you run many races, you start to desensitize yourself against this idea that like, I can't do this.

[00:37:39] Miami: Yeah.

[00:37:40] Victor: I mean, you can just do it.

[00:37:41] Miami: Oh, now it makes sense to me what you said.

[00:37:45] Miami: Like, it's risky, but when you've been doing it a lot, it doesn't seem so risky.

[00:37:52] Victor: Yeah.

[00:37:53] Victor: It's the same.

[00:37:54] Victor: You know, most of the time I've always wondered, like people who ride motorcycles, right?

[00:38:00] Victor: And then people say, well, are you wearing the right helmet, the right jacket?

[00:38:03] Miami: But the thing is, if you're going 100 kilometers an hour, it doesn't matter what you're wearing.

[00:38:07] Victor: Yes.

[00:38:08] Victor: The only thing that you can count on is your skills.

[00:38:10] Victor: And then if some freak accident happens and kind of so be it, right?

[00:38:14] Miami: Like what are you gonna, even most of these buildings were here on the 26th floor.

[00:38:19] Miami: And when I first moved here, I said, there are a lot of earthquakes in the Philippines.

[00:38:22] Victor: So are these buildings okay?

[00:38:24] Miami: And then one broker said, yes, this building is rated up to like 7.9 or something.

[00:38:31] Victor: And I said, okay, what if there was an 8.1?

[00:38:34] Miami: And the guy's like, well, sir, we'll have to find out.

[00:38:39] Victor: But does that mean that you should never take an elevator and go upstairs again?

[00:38:44] Victor: No.

[00:38:44] Victor: It's hard to say, right?

[00:38:45] Victor: Yeah.

[00:38:46] Miami: So that's interesting.

[00:38:48] Victor: But back to one final thing.

[00:38:50] Victor: Do you have any suggestions or tips for, I guess, young people?

[00:38:55] Miami: Yeah.

[00:38:56] Victor: In general.

[00:38:57] Miami: Well, I guess they just have to risk.

[00:39:03] Miami: we've been talking about risk and yeah but recently what i've been realizing is uh

[00:39:13] Victor: Sometimes it's all about the intention.

[00:39:16] Miami: For me, I think what really helped me become successful in this career, because I didn't plan to become a virtual assistant at all.

[00:39:26] Victor: I was just lucky, I guess.

[00:39:28] Miami: But it was because I was very intentional with helping the people I work with.

[00:39:33] Miami: Because I believe that when I help them grow their business, it will also come back to me or it will also benefit me.

[00:39:41] Miami: And right now, that's what I'm experiencing.

[00:39:44] Miami: So I've been working for more than two years now.

[00:39:51] Miami: Since I started, I started, there's just four lawyers and now they have six lawyers.

[00:39:59] Miami: And then, so that means more income for them.

[00:40:04] Victor: And that also means more income for me.

[00:40:06] Miami: So at first, I was just very intentional that I want to help this business and learn alongside with them.

[00:40:15] Victor: And yeah, that's what something that helped me.

[00:40:21] Miami: last long in this industry so i guess that's the it's all about sometimes intention and taking risk well thank you miami for that lesson i think especially in this industry there's a lot of mistrust there's a lot of bad things you know va is not trusting clients clients not trusting vas so i think let's end that note but thank you so much for your time thank you so much okay good