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Sunday night thoughts
I could barely keep my eyes open. It was the second day of my weekend and I waa still running on around 6 hours of sleep (collectively). I couldn’t even remember if I got to kiss my boyfriend goodbye as he walked me to the waiting Uber car. My body’s giving out but my brain is still working possibilities, ideas, strategies. What would I do with this opportunity I’ve been presented? Would I be any good? Would i actually use it well, because i’ve wasted these opportunities before. But shouldn’t we always be a little nervous about new things?If if doesn’t make you worry while your inner self is jumping…
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To family: Our most fervent supporters and harshest critics
Family. In Filipino culture, the most important relationship we may ever have. Working with BPO companies for the past 9 years, it’s not unusual to hear the common “I need to take my aunt/grandma/uncle to the ER”, “My mom’s aunt just passed and I need to go to the funeral”, “I have to take care of my mother” as usual reasons for absences, even resignations. I’ve heard surprise, even disbelief from my bosses across the pond at hearing these from us, when mostly these reasons are usually accurate. We Filipinos still have a tribe mentality. We take care of each other. Grandparents live with their grandchildren all the time. We’ve…
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In today’s “Duh!” moment: People are different on the internet
I am an internet lurker. I follow great blogs, people and have actually met these people in person. One thing I’ve noticed  is how markedly differently people can be in person from their internet personas. A person that’s quite eloquent on their blog can be pretty quiet in person. An Instagram personality, almost unrecognizable without their filters. My six readers, I understand I am the same way. I don’t usually wax poetic about life and all its quirks, and analyze positively about most things like this blog and all its entries reflect. To be honest, and readers, since you mostly know me in person (or are related to me, whatever),…
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It’s hard to argue with a view like that
Sometimes when I feel really horrible about the state the country is in, how unsafe it feels to be here, the incredibly wasteful traffic, rampant corruption and all the other ails we’re plagued with, I try to find the good in where we’re living in. I feel like we’re blessed with our natural resources, being a collection of several thousand islands of different beaches. It’s hard to argue with a view like that, and even if I know it’s not entirely natural as it’s part of an island resort, I can’t help but still stare in awe at it. The beach is so white, there’s no trash, the water is…
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Cheapskate diaries: In praise of the ukay ukay (thrift store)
I am not a fashionable person. 90% of my clothes are chosen due to their comfort and ability to come out of the laundry and not need to be ironed. My mother follows fashion a lot more than I do, telling us the trends of the month from her Vogue magazine (which I read for their food editorials). I work from home so 75% of the time I am in shorts, a loose shirt or wifebeater, and flip flops with with bits chewed off them because of my rabbits. That is to say I’m not entirely devoid caring about how I look. I believe in looking professional when conducting business. I…
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On producing food
Lately, I’ve been in the kitchen. The thing about working at night and at home, there are days when you just want to get out of the house, and sometimes it makes it even harder to dress up and face the Metro Manila traffic. In those days, I turn to food. For me, cooking is soothing. It helps that there is an actual end product to enjoy, and not just by you, but the others in your space. It gives back, and even if you’ve cleaned out your wallet paying for the ingredients, it’s not like it’s just going to run away from you, there is an experience to share, and…
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On looking at the bright side
Most people hate the rain, and why wouldn’t they? It makes driving harder, which makes it more traffic to get to work or wherever it is you need to get to, and so on and so forth. It soaks your outfit, makes a mess on the floor, makes your dad yell at you when you come in with wet Chuck Taylors (long story). But it also makes for this view at the Banaue Rice Terraces: We forget how beautiful nature is sometimes when it’s beating down on us and is seemingly endlessly depressing. We forget that it makes the grass green, the trees lush, flowers bloom, fruits exist. The…
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On admitting I’m not ready
A couple of months ago, we babysat a friend’s toddler for a weekend. It was a responsibility I was not ready for at the time, and I was mostly running on panic adrenaline. Since this was someone else’s child, their world, it wasn’t something I wanted to take lightly. And boy, it wasn’t a weekend that was light. A toddler is a test of will and smarts. They absorb everything. They try to test every limit and are strong willed. Once you give in once, they will remember and test how much you’ll give in next time. It was emotionally and physically difficult, and with having lost my baby bunny…
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37.
What made me happy as of week of May 15, 2023
What made me happy, July 3, 2023
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On breaking the negativity cycle
Two Sundays ago, I got told I was beautiful. It was such a shocking thing. I remember shaking my head and saying thank you to the family friend that said it twice to my parents. Not because I think I’m a beast (and not because I think I’m a ravishing beauty either). My theory is because us Filipinos as a culture don’t expect the compliment. We’re so used to “Antaba mo na! (you’ve gotten fat!)†or at my age “O, kelan na? (When are you getting married?)” It just reminded me how negative our usual banter is and that we should change this culture on its head when we can.…
