hazy

Just checking in since I have *gasp* some bit of free time in between work tasks. This pandemic has certainly given a lot of strain to everyone. And reality has its way of making you acknowledge it more when it happens to someone in your circle. I hope everyone will stay strong and always call out to God. I have to admit that it has been a struggle to remain optimistic when it seems like the path to recovery is unclear (government nowadays giving me a spike in my BP). I wish we all get through this as better people and all of us remain safe and healthy. 

thirty....SIX!

I should have figured, with my amount of workload and with this annoying weather screwing my temperament, that I wouldn’t be able to make a blog post in time for my birthday. 

Yow, I’m officially on the other side (cannot get away with “early 30s” anymore). The current “36 years old” feeling is still strange, maybe because I can’t hold a proper celebration i.e. drinking for a couple of nights in succession. Also, with the amount of work that I have right now, I don’t even have time to dwell and maybe reflect(?) on the possible significance of being 36 especially during this time of corona.

Nonetheless, I’m blessed to receive so much love and well wishes sans the actual social interaction. Glad that my mom was able to finally fly in after being stranded for three months in the province and managed to make it just in time so I don’t have to celebrate alone.

I’m stumped as to what my birthday wish is/will be. I just remembered that during the virtual mass on my birthday, I wasn’t able to come up with a prayer intention (wonder why, haha). Maybe because there’s just a lot of things to deal with, not just on a personal level, that I’m forced to take stock of people’s circumstances aside from my own and made me view my life (and what I want to do with it) on a different lens.

That’s it. I posted a picture of one of the times that I went out of my house during the early days of enhanced community quarantine for posterity.

I’m thinking of making a separate post once my life has a semblance of (new) normalcy. That would mean being required to go to the office everyday (we’re on an alternative work schedule now), and wholly relying on public transportation. Until then, stay healthy!

quarantine (!!!)

So I figured that I should make a blog post on my adjusted lifestyle due to the enhanced community quarantine lest I forget that this happened by the end of the year.

Recent work-related developments:
1. Since I came back from my younger brother's wedding (middle of February), I've been extremely busy at work due to COVID19. Given the nature of my work, I have to be always updated whenever the Philippine government acts on something and decide if it is relevant enough to be reported to the foreign government I work for -- for possible actions on their end.

2. Then we have the community quarantine. During the first stage, I still have to go to work (no such thing as work from home; if you can report for work, then do so). When the enhanced community quarantine got rolled out and I don't have any means of public transportation at my disposal, bosses have no recourse but to let me work from home. There are now guidelines (since I work for an exempted industry) that technically allow movement via an authorized vehicle for transport of essential workers. So far, I haven't been informed if they're willing to send over a vehicle to pick me up (no way I'm going to walk all the way to the office).

3. For some reason, I'm more busy doing wfh than being in the office. Hmmm, must be because I really need to prove that I AM working from home (and also to prove that *ahem* my function can seriously be performed at home as long as I have an internet connection).

Take-aways and updates (so far):
1. I'm generally lazy to go out of my house anyway so being in isolation should've been an easy transition (good thing my senior parents are not living at my unit during this period). But I found myself feeling trapped at times for some reason LOL. To think that I'm technically allowed to go outside to do essential tasks. Maybe I feel trapped because I want to go out to do non-essential tasks haha.

2. Apparently I'm willing to spend more on goods (ie buying at the convenience store at my condo) to save myself from the hassle of waiting for a minimum of an hour at the supermarket and get cheaper goods. But I think at some point this might change.

3. This is a GREAT period to do overdue house tasks. So far I threw out idle boxes in my unit (I'm having a roach problem) and did my laundry. Technically I can do more with the time I have outside of my wfh hours but I would also like to keep my sanity by watching videos and making progress in my coloring book haha. I want to do a general cleaning before my mom flies back to Manila (whenever that will be under the current lockdown).

4. I get hungrier than usual (or having more cravings than usual) during this period despite still subscribing to my usual eating schedule (diet food delivery is still operational!) Maybe because of the fact that I'm at home and I can easily go or order (extra) food somewhere. Also, my "doomsday scenario" food supply is within plain sight (must.not.give.in.)

Hopefully we'll get over this crisis as soon as possible. I'm sad that my travel plans are getting cancelled and I don't get to do my usual errands (need a haircut forreals). But we all have to make sacrifices for everyone's well-being. So far I got to edit some podcast episodes, hoping I can make headway in my overdue vlog edits and maybe write. Anyway, taking it day by day.

Be safe everyone and stay healthy!

yow 2019!

It's kind of ironic that just when I had a TON of free time during the holiday break (solo for two weeks since family is at the province), I didn't muster enough will to write a year-end post ahead of time. So here I am, turbo typing in the morning of January 1, 2020, to squeeze in my year-end post for 2019.

I wished for a positively crazy 2019 and I guess I got one? I can barely remember what happened this year to be honest -- and this is where being more active in social media might pay off, but I was resolved to post less about what's happening in my life especially in Facebook. So, scrolling through my spattering of Instagram posts this year...I managed to go on a hike in Batulao, swam and jumped (!!!) my ass off in Moalboal, went on the annual summer trip with my ex colleagues, had a nice solo birthday getaway, attended an emotional concert in Osaka, got into tita mode with my niece and mom in Hong Kong, and had a chill trip with my usual Korea gang.  Thank you IG for reminding me that I was apparently busy this year hehe. I also had two major family reunions -- from both sides of my family -- which were great events to catch up on relatives (and I was spared from the dreaded single mid-30s woman hirits! Win!).

2019 was a dynamic year for my personal and professional life, but whatever expectations I had for those two aspects haven't fully manifested. Nonetheless, I'm grateful that there is some movement -- whether towards the good or the meh -- at the very least. (I already KNOW, x years from now, that I'll read back to this post and I'll be like -- what the hell am I talking about?)

2019 is also the year I turned 35. I still feel loopy about it, I feel like I should be doing something for my 36th birthday hahaha. Anyway, we'll see how it goes!

Weirdly enough, I'm excited with 2020 (although I'm dreading going back to the office tomorrow). My brother is getting married, and my sister will give birth this year. Ano naman kaya para sa kin di ba? 2020 is the Year of the Rat. It's MY year. C'mon universe! LOL (I might regret typing this btw).

And so I thank everyone for the fun memories of 2019. I've always mentioned that I've been neglecting this blog and now I'm comfortable with this level of neglect LOL. I'll just devote this site for my birthday and year-end posts (and maybe some video postings) to chronicle at least the highlights of my life for the sake of my future self. Happy New Year to everyone and cheers to 2020!

eventful 2018

I decided to do this entry ahead of time – it’s Christmas Eve – since my family will be flying in tomorrow for the holidays. My condo would be a war zone for two weeks and I don’t think I can scour the mindset to do an end-of-year post. Besides, I checked in a nice hostel nearby just to free my mind for the next 24 hours. Agenda is to do my laptop stuff with no distractions (hence white stuff all around). This is my last treat for myself since I need to recalibrate (been using that term A LOT this year) before going back to work.

So, how has 2018 fared for you? I scrolled through 2017’s year-end post and I apparently wished that I was less restless this year. I think I fairly accomplished that since there were a lot of STUFF that happened that I barely had time for idle thoughts and be restless (maybe that’s why I did this brief staycation haha).

Main reason for un-restlessness: MY UK TRIP HAPPENED THIS YEAR! It was a tiring and awesome two weeks with my bestfriend. Thoughts of the Scottish Highlands (it was beautiful, I have no words) would be there every time I space out. I made a daily vlog during the trip but my sd card got corrupted (I swear, when will I ever learn! Argh) so as of now I have no England clips (Scotland clips are still alive…for now). Hopefully I get through my vlog backlog and finish all of them by next year.

For other trips that happened this year and contributed to my state of poverty: Went to Korea in April (which contributed to my friends’ itchiness for Korea in the fourth quarter), and as part of my connecting flight to London in October (good idea, since I didn’t miss Korea as much as my friends did haha). Finally went on a waterfall hike trip in Laguna – hit three waterfalls with Ris in a span of three hours (productive to the max). Then went to Caramoan and Albay with my Metrobank girlfriends, which was tiring and fun at the same time. The adventures during that trip were endless, buti na lang taas ng tolerance ng friends ko for trip mishaps haha. Managed to squeeze in a Dive n Trek snorkel trip last August (should’ve added another one to end the year huhu), which includes a solo province bus (strangely relaxing and liberating?) ride to Laguna for Ris (si Ris na naman – dami pala nating trips together…?). And FINALLY had a trip abroad with my complete college barkada (in Hong Kong). We just drank alcohol more than 50% of the time. Which is how all vacations should be to be honest.

Funnily though, I didn’t realize that I went to THAT many trips this year. All of them (maybe except the UK trip) were obscured by the other life stuff this year. I was hospitalized and underwent an operation last March, and already cleared last August as of my last ultrasound. Thankfully that turned out well for me. Glad that my mom happened to be in my condo during that time and it was not that serious (in the grand scheme of things). I also went to an epic concert last month probably the best kpop concert I’ve been to as of now. Money well spent haha.

Also went to (and passed) the Korean Elementary 1 course (ang hirap ha) in KCC, and unfortunately (fortunately?) was not able take the TOPIK exam because the date is during my UK trip. Not sure if I'll take the test in 1Q2019 (why do I have to make my life complicated?). Also got to finish a certificate course in Economic Diplomacy! Haha what is productive.

There are lots of adulting moments during this year as well for me and my friends. Suffice to say, these are the times that I’m happy I have a condo to myself at a strategic location so that my friends can swing by anytime (preferably with a beer bottle or two) and be sounding boards for a night.

Kinda ironic that I’m talking about adulting moments now that I’m already 34 (overdue adulting) but this year has sorely tested how much adulting I can take. While this year has been emotionally taxing, I am grateful for the shallow and deep (‘cause both have equal standing) conversations with my friends on whatever is the topic of the moment. I have no idea if I have become wiser or more clueless from all the blessings and shitstorms this year, but I know in the future I’ll look back at 2018 and think to myself, what was a beautiful yet crappy year, next!

And so, I enter 2019 surprisingly with more optimism compared to previous years because 2018 was such a weird year and I don’t know how 2019 can top it LOL. And dammit, I’ll be 35 next year and I have no time (and money) to go on a midlife crisis *nervous laugh* so here’s to optimism!

So yeah, cheers for a crazy 2018 and hopefully a positively crazy 2019 ahead. Thank you to the people in life for still keeping me sane. I hope I can make it up to you next year.

revisiting the bucket list

Before I embarked on this 10+ years of international trips, I already knew that at some point I have to go to Scotland because it is THE bucketlist destination I have set for myself…in grade 7 haha. So when that epic trip happened last month, I scoured through this blog because I knew I posted a list of some sort regarding going to Scotland before I die. Well I finally found the list! I posted it in 2005, so two years before I finished college, i.e. I’m still ignorant enough to DREAM BIG!

Apparently it’s more of a “wish list” than a bucket list (hence, a lot of crazy items). At first I was just planning to post about crossing off that item and leave it at that. But this list is too amusing for me so might as well take this opportunity to comment on each one:

Wish List / Things I Want to Do Before I Die: (with comments 13 years later) 

1. Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef --> let’s change this to snorkel because I don’t want to invest anymore in diving
2. Go cherry blossom viewing (o-hanami) during the cherry blossom season in Japan. --> DONE!
3. Meet Oprah --> what are the chances?
4. Meet Nelson Mandella --> RIP Nelson Mandella

5. Have dinner with Johnny Depp --> again, what are the chances?
6. Own a Scottish castle (preferrably wid no ghosts) --> I don’t think I’ll be rich enough to do this. Which means I should marry an heir LOL. BUT I was able to stay in one! I think that counts!
7. A boat ride in the Amazon river --> hmmm need to save for South America trip
8. Swim under Angel Falls --> mukhang malabo na to (is it even allowed?)
9. Ride a motorcycle by myself --> have no idea why I would write this (must be watching an asian drama with motorcycles lol). counted ba super small scooter? may balance factor naman din sya. in which case, DONE
10. Dub an anime or an imported telenovela --> hmmm also unlikely?
11. Watch Les Miserables and Cats in Broadway. -->hmm, watched Les Miz and Cats here in Manila. Hamilton in West End. So pwede na.
12. Jog in Central Park --> hmmm soon…doable pero low priority haha
13. Join the Amazing Race --> let go haha
14. Get all the tulips i can get in Holland. --> I’ve been to Holland but I forgot that this is in my list haha
15. Stroll anywhere in New Zealand. --> maybe this year!
16. Wear the crown jewels (even for 5 seconds) --> so I doubt this is allowed, but I got to see the crown jewels in the Tower of London!
17. See the setting of Anne of Green Gables (Prince Edward Island) --> whoa, Anne of Green Gables nostalgia. Hmm I don’t know if I can still manage this 
18. Perform in a rock concert, preferrably wid L'arc en ciel or Ricard Samborra (Bon Jovi guitarist, tapos kakanta kami ng Livin on a prayer hehe) --> well…saw L’arc en ciel twice! I think that’s good enough.
19. Tour Ireland and Scotland --> Scotland DONE! Ireland in a few years!
20. Sing with Clay Aiken --> wow this list is so dated, kamusta na kaya si Clay Aiken
21. Meet Won Bin and Vic Zhou --> eto kahit na dated gusto ko pa din mangyari hihi
22. Ride a horse ala Marlboro commercial --> hmmm pano kaya to
23. Own a deserted beach cove --> still not rich enough!
24. Use different colored contact lenses (although I don't need them) every week. --> I wonder why this is in my list, but I guess this is doable haha
25. Own a Siberian husky --> awww my favorite dog. Malabo din to haha

emergency run

Little did I know that a weekend of intense physical activity and half a year of not listening to my body (kasalanan ko talaga LOL) will lead to this...

Welcome to my first legit medical emergency...ever LOL. Emergency room levels (had a bad episode in my CR, good thing my mom's at my condo) to various tests (para na kong nag-APE) to handling this "growth" until I get a schedule for the surgery in a span of a few days.

Anyway, had an endometrial polyp which was taken out yesterday. Outpatient surgery but still cost a lot. Kinda annoyed that this didn't happen when I had better (and less headache-y) healthcare. For a person that almost never goes to a hospital, you can just imagine my tourist face at the delivery room (before they knocked me out with the general anesthesia hehe).

So now I'm at home, trying not to move too much (doctor's orders) and killing time with pending laptop stuff (such as this blog). The recommended bed rest is two weeks but I seriously can't afford to do that (I already cancelled one business trip because of this) and to be honest I generally feel fine (which makes me more antsy).

Good luck to me being productive. And I installed Netflix so...

phew 2017!

So it’s time to scroll through my Instagram posts to remind myself what I did for the past year LOL

This is the first full year in my current job and I’d like to believe that I’ve finally settled in. There are going to be a couple of shifts next year though (a LOT of diplomats are ending their term in the Philippines) so good luck with acclimating again and preserving my sanity.

Just realized that I had way too many swimming trips this year (not complaining). Boracay in January, two Dive and Trek trips (thank you jacks for always being there!), El Nido (WAY TOO MUCH FUN I WANNA LIVE THERE FOREVER), La Union (with an unfortunate jellyfish encounter, with scars still visible til today), Lakawon in Bacolod during my birthday trip, and swimming with the whalesharks once again in Oslob. No wonder this is the darkest I’ve been in recent memory.

Also went on a few hikes – Tinipak in Rizal (got to swim inside a cave!), Masungi Georeserve (met new friends and had way more fun than expected), and Mt. Seorak in Sokcho, Korea (pending travel video soon hihi). I’m itching to explore waterfalls in 2018, so here’s to hoping I can muster enough energy to do so.

Got to finally see Taiwan and check out their food – which was awesome but I’m still biased towards Korean and Japanese fare – the truffle xiao long bao in Din Tai Fung though, I’m willing to sell my soul for. And of course, had my annual Korea trip with my friends in November. I think this is the longest gap in between Korea trips ever since I caught the bug around 5 years ago. Kung kailan nasa Korean embassy na ko saka pa ko bihirang magKorea haha.

If my jampacked December calendar is any indication, I got to see more of my friends this year LOL and we have two new babies in the fold!

I wasn’t able to do most of my personal projects (because I’m just lazy?), though I finally caved in and bought a new laptop so that I can tackle my video editing backlog.

For the first few months in 2017 I was very restless for some reason (i.e. naghahanap ng roadtrip, gusto lang umeskapo). But all in all it was a fun and steady year – with only minor hiccups because I like to induce drama (in my head) once in a while. I hope I will be less restless in 2018. I’m scared for my birthday – 34 – because, you know, it’s closer to 35 lmao. I plan to do my last bucketlist trip in 2018 as well – UK – after that, I can now be an adult and seriously save for retirement haha.

So my favorite color is also Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2018! I hope that’s a sign of good things to come. Thank you (why are you still reading my blog though?) for being a part of it and cheers again to another year!

out of the woodwork

A little more than a month and it’s the end of the year…(unsurprisingly) I barely updated this blog nor have I made enough traction with the personal projects I’ve listed. Oh well, good luck to me T__T

On the upside, I was just regularized last week in my current company. Wasn’t much of a big deal (didn’t get a notification or anything), but it was important to me personally given what I heard from coworkers.

Anyway, yay to being officially employed, lol. Off to Seoul next week ^^

why, hello

There were way too many crazy things that happened in the past few months. And I can’t elaborate here but I’m placing a cybermark in this blog so that n years from now and I feel like reminiscing, this will be THE post to trigger that lol.

As usual I have been remiss in updating this blog, even forgot to make a birthday post. Year 32 is shaping up to be eventful though. I officially resigned from my workplace of five years (longest evahhh, how did I manage to do that?) and I start my new job tomorrow. Nervous and excited at the same time since this post means a lot to me and I hope I can live up to their (and my own) expectations.

So yeah, I bungled up my farewell session to my friends of five years last Friday ‘cause I’ve been crying so much. I’ll miss not seeing these guys every day *sigh*

personal projects

I don’t believe in horoscopes, but they’re always a fun read (especially the crazy fortunes in Libre – do they still have those?) and it’s almost protocol to look yours up when you live in a non-Chinese country but you get a holiday during Chinese New Year. Anyway, I was browsing through mine (I’m Year of the Rat) and there’s one constant result among my search finds:

In 2016, the Chinese rat zodiac sign should focus on completion of the projects 

which are pending for the last couple of years.

Oh man, this is like the latest sign for me to stop procrastinating and finish all the projects that are gathering dust in the “work in progress” box. So in my effort to commit to them this year, I’ll be somewhat immortalizing my to-do personal project list in my blog.

PROJECTS TO FINISH IN 2016

now I ask myself why I’m committing to this at the end of the first quarter *facepalm*

1. Editing of all pending videos (that would be two travel mvs, two event vids, and three mini “for fun” videos), whoopeedoo~~~

2. Closing all the fictional stories that I started pre-2016 (that’s two long multi-chap fics with demanding readers). Finish a thorough outline for prospective novel.

3. Condo makeover: haven’t even made a budget for this but it will be mostly aesthetic. My walls are starting to bore me.

4. Peeling project: new project! *crosses fingers*

5. Travel financial plan: projections for UK2018

6. Finish reading East of Eden: I’m calling this. The book has been with me for more than a decade.

Now I need some cheese to power myself through these.

fun 2015!

What a year! This has got to be the fastest couple of months that I can remember. As usual, I barely tended to this blog. This time last year, I was typing my year-end post at Café Comma in Hongdae – which again made me miss that damn city (even if I just came from there three weeks ago *sigh* can’t get enough of Seoul). Now, I’m typing it in the comfort of my unit (on my bed) which has truly been the epitome of solace and sanctuary for me. Currently scrambling to get the most of my “me time” before social duty calls and celebrate with family.

2015 was crazy fun, mostly in due part to all my travels – the EPIC Europe trip finally happened. Even better that I got to celebrate my 31st birthday in Chianti no less. Just thinking about the trip is making me mushy and sentimental, so I’m reserving that for another blog post (along with the travel video! Just doing some last minute clean-up). Not to mention I had an intense food trip Singapore weekend early in the year. And went to Korea not once but FOUR freaking times (including the spill over at the beginning of 2015). Squeezed in a quick snorkeling trip in Batangas, and vacation in Cebu and Negros as well. Obviously I’m back to poverty mode, especially since the Europe trip depleted my funds (it was worth it). In 2016, I plan to decrease my trips (I have a bad feeling I’m going to eat my words) – hopefully the ones I have planned push through.

We have another addition to the family – Leroy – who is way more behaved than Geen (I just hope he stays that way haha). Looking forward to exercising my cool auntie side. So far I’m just showing my losyang auntie side, to my dismay :S

Hmmm accomplishments…well I did get promoted this year (totoo pala yung zodiac prediction ko for career lol), passed level 1 of TOPIK (the journey was painful), got to attend storywriting lessons (which hopefully can help me in my fics). Suffice to say it was a busy, crazy year in terms of work and “hobbies”.

I’m so blessed this year, and being grateful is what I need to constantly remind myself especially in my weak moments. I’m so excited for 2016, lots of BIG things will happen especially for my friends. I hope that big and positive things happen in my life too. Need to be more active in my plans, handle my money wisely, treasure my family and friends more, further explore what this city has to offer, and set up awesome goals for myself.

Thank you so much for being a part of this year, and may every day be a celebration!

bills bills bills

Nothing reminds me that I had to deal with shit alone more than the regular bills that I have to pay. So let me commemorate this momentous occasion – completely using up my first checkbook – with this blog post.

awesome 2014

I just want to clock in at the last day of 2014 here in freezing Seoul, South Korea to greet all of you a Happy New Year!

I doubt this is a comprehensive year-end blog post because, as you can very well see, I haven’t been updating my blog lately (last post was my birthday? *facepalm*). I was looking through my social media accounts for a timeline reference but oh well, that seems to be sorely lacking as well. It seems randomly conversing with my friends via LINE and other messaging apps can already satisfy my need to be “connected”.

As was expected, 2014 definitely brought in a lot of changes – decided to enroll in Korean classes (which I only got to the most basic level *sniff* super hard to go to UP given my schedule), turned the big 3-0, and moved in to my new place! Still adjusting to single living life, especially with the fact that I’m always treading near poverty line every time the monthly bills arrive T__T But generally it’s all good! I’m back in Makati, where everything I need is so accessible and I get to dictate my own pace.

window treatment ^^

And this year’s trips were so much fun…costly…but still fun! Finally, after n years, I was able to go to Japan with my family and see the sakura that I’ve been dreaming of since my anime days in high school. Then made a quick trip to HK for another insane bout of fangirling and watch the EXO concert (which thankfully pushed through since the Manila stop did not happen, pfft). Then went to Korea on a sudden solo trip (my best friend wasn’t able to make it), which was fun and eventful. And then a few weeks after that, I went back to Siem Reap to tour my best friend (who I finally dragged out of the country).

 

sakura at Ueno park *hearts*

 

 ...these pictures will haunt me in a decade, i can feel it

she wasn't able to go with me to Korea, but i'm glad we still managed to go abroad

So now I end the year back again in my favorite city (to date). First time to spend the new year away from home and I’m having a great time so far (but seriously, how can anyone NOT have a great time in Seoul?) Memorable way to end what has been an interesting year.

 worth braving the subzero temperature

I end the new year grateful for all the blessings that I’ve received, especially to my family and friends who have helped me through it all (I seriously cannot count how many “house blessings” I had lol). 2015 will be another big year I think – I have a major trip planned that hopefully will push through. So have a blessed New Year and may 2015 be good to all of us! Always be happy! 사랑하자!!!

2013—so daebak I want to cry!

I lost my six-year streak of publishing a year-end post every December 31, but oh well. Better late than never, right? I still need to post one because holy hell, I love 2013!

I have fewer trips than usual in 2013 but they were freaking highlights by themselves I get giddy everytime I reminisce. The plan to go to Sri Lanka didn’t push through but it was replaced by this epic trip to Myanmar in April I’ll just let the travel video show you how offbeat and cool the trip was. This was shortly followed by the highly-anticipated trip to El Nido in June which was so beautiful that it brought tears to my (and my friends’) eyes. Honestly, all of us were so stressed weeks prior that this was a welcome break. And frankly, it’s been a long time since I went on a trip just to play in the water. Then lo and behold, there was a fanmeet with Lee Seung Gi in Bangkok scheduled for August so hello Thailand again for another bout of fangirling! I can’t believe that I got to speak to him and hold his hand (fine, I just woke up this morning to the news of him dating Yoona *sigh*). It's also my first solo trip abroad ever and  it was amazing! And to cap the year right, I can’t resist going to Korea again! We had a way too short trip to Busan and Seoul (I swear, I can spend a month in Korea and not run out of things to do) in October. I’m still not finished doing the travel video yet (so sorry Rissee I’ll get right to it!) but hopefully I’ll have it up within two months, heh.

And then I’m devoting an entirely separate paragraph for this crazy new bout of fangirling over EXO. Ugh, I know, I feel like a cougar ogling at these boys. Believe me, I resisted for more than a year (my fangirl heart can’t memorize another dozen of boys. But well yeah, this music video happened and I was hooked. August 21, 2013. The day I got sucked into the abyss of EXO fangirling. I’ll make a separate post about this one (I can’t believe it’s only barely five months since then. I’m scared TT) but yeah…talk about downloading pictures and videos, talking about them with your fellow friends who care, talking about them with your fellow friends who DON’T care, and writing fanfics about them. Yep, the deep end. It’s a sweet dream AND a beautiful nightmare, lmao.

the music video that started it all

Of course, I can’t close the year without watching some concerts! I got to watch CN Blue! Hell yeah, they were great! And only a few days before my birthday at that. Also got to see Taylor Lautner in the flesh for the Bench promotions. THAT was crazy and tiring hahahaha. It’s a shame that the Matchbox Twenty concert didn’t push through because of the Yolanda tragedy. Hoping that I still can catch them on their next tour in Asia. AND let’s not forget KPOP Republic! The day when I discovered that I can bargain with a poker face just to see EXO! I swear, I turn in to Mr. Hyde in concerts but I really went crazy. I can’t help it. It’s EXO. Well, it’s just EXO-K in that one but still. It’s EXO. Enough said. 

Okay enough of the fangirling, this year is also the year that my niece was born! First baby in the third generation line of our family so we were all crazy excited. She’s so cute, and I’m an aunt! HAHAHAHA. Wishing more children for my sister and brother-in-law so that my relatives would get more distracted and not look at me hehehe. A lot of friends also got married this year (‘tis the season), so it’s definitely a year full of celebration. We also moved out of our home of 17 years TT. It was time to move on though, with my siblings already settling in respectively and my mom entering retirement. I’m now boarding at my relatives’ until I get to move in—get this—my own condo unit! Hopefully I get to move in this first quarter (and survive).

Apart from the highlights, I’m really happy at how the year panned out in general. Everyone in my family is healthy, I get to see my friends regularly (sometimes way too many times than I can count. Not complaining, just saying.), and work is still tolerable! Who would’ve thought! Hahahaha. But seriously, I love that this year gave me new friendships and opportunities to build on current ones. Not to mention taking random beach trips, trying out new food haunts, and just plain hanging around. I love you, guys *tears*

So there! 2014 is a HUGE year for me, since I get to turn into the big 3-0! It’s a bit daunting, I’m scared. But I’m using the “mabenta sa trenta” mantra to tide me over. Got to be fabulous this year, there’s no turning back. And I hope YOU guys continue to be fabulous! Here’s to a new year! Yehet!

...and it's vday!

I haven't posted anything regarding valentine's for the past few years, so might as well make one! This year's vday was eventful, first time in quite a while that I got gifts from officemates, had a (rare) girls night out with them, and also spend the weekend chillaxin' with my default girls.

So in cyber-celebration, here's a fanvid I saw online using one of my favorite MBLAQ songs, "You and I" (it's one of those cute, serenade songs). The fanvid features the JoonSeo (Lee Joon x Oh Yeon Seo) aka Obsessed Couple from the Korean variety show, We Got Married. Too bad that couple didn't end their stint as expected *sigh* I was banking a lot on them and made me forget (for a while) the cuteness that is the Joongbo Couple.

Credit: Anon3002

2012, you’re a blast!

I re-read my year-end post in 2011 for some take-off points and apparently I wrote in the end that I can't remember when I was THAT much excited for 2012. And boy did 2012 deliver – I can’t focus on ONE specific moment that can capture the year since there are just too many awesome experiences this year.

First, thank you Lord and I’m still employed lol. This year marks my first year in my current workplace. Which is a milestone in itself since the last time I had an anniversary at work is, uh, four years ago? Still grateful that my work is mentally stimulating and my workmates are great to be with. Hahahha, well let’s not jinx it. Here’s to more “happy times” in the office, and may the stress be worth it!

And because of my still-employed status, thank you Lord that I have money to spend (and save)! Despite my initial plans to rein it in (as if I could), I kind of overindulged a bit on my travels this year. So happy that I have enough funds this year and a LOT of friends who are travel-happy like I am. I love that my domestic trips are bordering on the more active type (Sagada, Oslob, and Pinatubo) although I still have my chill trips (Boracay, Vigan, Laoag, Iloilo). My out-of-the-country trips were at the peak of craziness – from going to Thailand with my cousin as a pseudo excuse to catch L’arc-en-Ciel to capping the year with a five-day trip to Seoul, South Korea (this music video just about captures how much fun we had).

I also considered this year as one of the highlights of my fangirling life – rocking to Laruku alone (hence, you can go crazy with no judgment) last March was amazing. Also going through crazy traffic in November just to attend Lee Min Ho’s fanmeeting at Araneta. I also watched A LOT of kdramas this year, and of course spread the hallyu lovin’ to more friends. This year also marks the end of the Twilight series (holler to my TCP friends!) and of course that epic Rurouni Kenshin movie. And how can I forget that epic Big Bang concert where in two fairy godmothers helped me to even catch the rehearsal, THAT was so surreal I can’t even think of anything that can TOP (pun intended) that…yet.

Lastly, I think this year was a blast due to my enjoyable family and friends. My sister got married this year (yay!) so I’m happy that I now have a new extended family. We also had a grand reunion from the mother’s side of the family so I was ecstatic to see everyone, including the new faces and be back in Negros again. I’m also so glad I got to hang out with my forever-reliable friends more this year. And in the midst of all the happy times, I will always remember Ice even if I can’t see her.

So this rounds up 2012. I can confidently say that this is definitely one of the exciting years I had so far. Can’t wait for what 2013 (my last year in the 20-zone!) will bring! So here’s to all of you and may you have a blessed and crazy year ahead! Cheers!

Thank you, 2011!

They say good things come to those who wait, and while I feel that I'm getting ahead of myself this time, I'm extremely optimistic given the blessings that 2011 has brought. While 2010 forced me to come to grips on what I want to do in my life, 2011 more or less got the ball rolling. And like I said before, I'm a natural planner, and this year hopefully marked the foundation of those plans. Though the future is still uncertain, I'm intensely optimistic and happy about the year that was and what 2012 will bring.

Wealth is...wealth
This is the year when I had some decent financial planning laid out. More or less I was compelled to do so because of the new "projects" I have that require some serious financing. Suffice to say, 2012 and 2013 will be the time when I'll go back to poverty since I'll be spending 90% of what I'm saving so far. Though the latter part of the year was not good from an economic standpoint (my stocks are definitely hurting! should stop second-guessing next time), hopefully the returns are better this year.

Two jobs in one year, yeah you read it right
My career, though not aimless, appears to be on a winding path. I ended last year with a job and though things didn't go as I've thought, I still learned a lot and made great friends along the way. My new job, at last, fits what I'm envisioning for myself ever since I finished grad school. My new co-workers are also a blast and I'm lucky that I get to work with such talented people. Hopefully the next years point to more stability in terms of work.

Tripping
While I didn't have a lot of trips this year (because of the "saving" mode), they are still memorable nonetheless. Our Korea trip in February didn't push through, but that extra money helped me to buy more stuff for myself, hehe. Ended the year with an awesome Vietnam-Cambodia trip, which is a feast for the eyes (both the sights AND the people, hehe) that I feel that I have to come back for more.

Relationships
This year brought me a lot of old and new friendships that I'll always treasure. I had a blast going out almost every weekend with my friends, doing whatever activity that catches our fancy, sharing our various obsessions and introducing new ones. There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emotional milestones this year (not just on my end) and I'm glad that I have these wonderful set of people to share them with. I'm also thankful for all the new friends that I got to meet, from work to those I randomly meet during my adventures. Thank you for bringing that additional spice in my life.


And so I end my 2011 post with a whole ton of gratitude for all the blessings the Lord has given me, my family, and friends. I can't remember the last time when I am THIS excited about the coming year. Here's to an even more awesome 2012! Cheers!

2010 is done!

2010 is the extension of my year of limbo that was 2009, but thankfully I got stabilized and just "let things flow and pray a lot" early in the year. Note to self: Do not resign in a job unless you have another one on the way, even if you are already itching to get out. Nevertheless, the past 12 months of relative freedom from corporate bondage allowed me more time to explore my various interests and got to know more about myself (and others!) and have a clearer perspective of my future.

HALLYU-much?
I'm a big Korean culture fan since high school but it definitely kicked into high gear (at least in the kpop sense) due to SOMEONE's obsession taking new heights. After much prodding, I went with my friends to the Super Junior concert (seriously, I only have two eyes, how can I devote them equally among 12 guys?). Also enrolled in Kpop dance classes which is the only physical outlet I have despite the amount of free time that I have.
AND we finally booked a trip to Korea in 2011 which I can't wait to plan for. Got heavily involved with MELONA, and converted everyone regarding this heaven-on-a-stick. I also managed to build up my kdrama inventory, which is relatively more interesting compared to previous years. Became thoroughly obsessed with KBS World, particularly 1N2D.

Plane-hopping
More free time means more trips! Went to Bacolod three times this year to visit my brother and relatives. My Bali trip also pushed through, after agonizing periods of number crunching to check if I can pay my travel debts within the year. I'm so glad I didn't miss this trip (had to yet make a formal entry about it *sheepish*). We went to three countries in nine days, with me sporting just one North Face backpack. Bonded a lot with my friends...good times.

Letters
What I did 60% of the time is to just be a freelance writer. I'm blessed that I still have gained an income source while I trudge through the murky waters of job hunting. I managed to meet new people and at the same time, bring me back to my "love" *cough* of research writing. Finally I was able to close the year with another job that I can potentially love.

The rest of the time was devoted to catching up on my reading my stack of books, hehe. I even managed to surprise my friend with a gift while treasure hunting in NBS' old stockpile. Finally got to read Mockingjay and also started on the Libba Bray series (please, i hope I get to finish the third one).

Plans
 Despite my profession, I've never really got to seriously planning about the future (read: the stuff that I can control). This year allowed me to do so, to be more conscious of my money and the investments that I make. Though things may change from what I plan, I'm at a much directed place now compared to before.
And so I conclude my 2010 year-end post by thanking all the important people in my life, and for supporting me during in what seemed to be my lull months. I'm forever grateful for the support, the tolerance(!), the patience, and for being my sounding boards whenever I need one.

it's the end of another year...2009 year-end post

No one's more surprised than I that I am now writing an end-of-the-year post. The laziness bug is out there again, and I just woke up from a short nap that I feel I must have if I were to stay awake this midnight (and not get all cranky come the first day of the new year). But here I am, waiting for the annual street party dinner to start, and typing away.

2009 is kind of a weird year for me. If you asked me right now how I fared for the year, I would answer instinctively that it has been a so-so, bordering on the bad, year, compared to what I was hoping or how I was feeling the year before that. But now as I try to look back on what I've experienced, I can now characterize it to a case of The Good, The Bad, and The Weird.

The Good
If there's one thing I'm vastly happy about the year, it's that I had the most diverse travel experiences yet. The flight bookings came in early in the year, and the plans were actualized starting mid-year till the end of the 3rd quarter. It started with a trip to Coron, was an overdue trip for me and Daene. The travel group was mixed, with friends in HS and College in the mix and I must say it turned out pretty well given the varied swimming skills of the five girls. I want to go back there again just to go to Barracuda Lake and of course swim in the Twin Lagoon once again. The year ended with an impromptu (but well executed!) trip to Anawagin Cove in Zambales. Though I know that I'm relatively more outdoorsy traveler than most, I just realized in this trip that without modern day comforts (i.e. tv and cellphone at the very least), I get easily bored. Nonetheless, here's to going back there and attempting to do the 5-hour hike instead of the boat ride!

When I finally resigned from the latest job, another three trips further capped the this-is-me-trying-to-reconnect-with-myself phase I experienced. Starting from my trip to Bacolod, where I visited my brother for his birthday and also got to catch up with my relatives whom I haven't seen for nine years. This is then followed only a week later by a trip to Macau and Hong Kong. I'm looking for my pictures of the trip online (still haven't gone around to blogging about it) but I can't seem to find them. Oh well, this trip was also special, going to Macau to watch my friend go bungee, watch Cirque du Soleil, and recreate all the scenes from Boys Before Flowers, and then going on to Hong Kong trying to do all the stuff that I wasn't able to do last year. My favorite trip I think of the year is when we went to Boracay, which is just pure relaxation at its finest. Won't expound on that. Also was able to go on little road trips courtesy of my friends who can't seem to sit still and always want to go somewhere.

It was another fun year of fangirling for me, highlight of which is getting to see Kim Bum in the flesh. Now, there are only a few Korean stars that I'm willing to go the extra mile to see and he was one of them. I'm superbly happy that I have another friend equally as crazy as I am and we saw him up close. Series highlights of the year for me is watching Boys Before Flowers, You're Beautiful, and the anime version of Nodame Cantabile. Though I would want to fangirl more, I think this deserves a separate post entirely.

The Bad
Well not exactly bad, but this is the year that I turned 25 and I experienced probably a very bad case of quarter-life crisis. I've never done a lot of self-evaluation as I did this year. Work life was an intense challenge for me this year and though I managed to handle it as best as I could, it made me think about certain decisions that I've made for the past few years. Okay that's it, this is kind of the cloud that has been hovering over me for the entire year (and hopefully not spillover for the next year).

The Weird
What's weird about this year, especially since I've spent the last quarter of it unemployed, is that I realize to a certain extent what my limits are and how I process things as they come. I and my friends are also having a lot of weird realizations lately, but maybe it's because we're at that stage that we're supposed to be mature young adults and we're now contrasting our present selves with who we were before.

Also went to two weddings this year, both of which are to the weddings to really close friends. I guess we can also categorize my love life into the weird, eh? Sa akin na lang yun, haha.

So that's it, my haphazardly-typed end-of-the-year post. Didn't even make a draft for such an important post, hehe. Happy New Year everyone, and may 2010 be an awesome year for all of us.