Out of shape, can’t remember what I used to look like, and who I was.
-J
This is how I feel right now
Tag: life
What I’m grateful for, week 12 of 52
- Older sister had a birthday, we all got a ton of food. Surprise drive bys to drop off food are amazing even with no contact. A wave and remembering this person still exists and made the effort to drive through, great.
- Reconnecting with a teammate that’s been quiet and busy. It really reminded me that people mean different things to different people, and for me, people that can choose to be just them and still be good are great people.
- Our favorite donut place letting us custom order a dozen of their donuts off menu. Try Needtletail Coffee for amazing sourdough donuts, keep transacting with the amazing people that make them.
- The smallest e-numan with the smallest circle, and getting my favorite callos delivered as pulutan. I didn’t drink much, and really didn’t talk much, but I ate a lot. It almost feels like the before times, when I can just eat through a session and listen to people I love shoot the ship.
- Being able to tell the wife about something that really wigged me out this week because she was a big part of the wigging of the time. Keeping things in is bad you guys. If you don’t have a person to do this with, find one. Or pay one. Or make a pet listen. Or write into this 6 person audience blog like I do.
What are you grateful for this past week?
Hello, summer
It’s been a rocky few days for Metro Manila. A water shortage has crippled thousands and has made the heat that has come in even more difficult. It’s hard to be thankful for beautiful things when you feel grimy and thirsty and don’t know when your next bath is.
So far my solutions are cold drinks and ice cream (still dreaming of the Cremia ice creams from Osaka) and water tumblers full of icy water.
We’ve put out all our water containers and now alarming amount of reusable bottles we didn’t know we had and filled them with water for drinking and the rest of our pails and drums with washing water.
We’ve been fortunate and the schedules have been accurate so we’ve been able to plan our day around when water will be available. I am hoping that all of this winds down soon though for everyone’s sake. Water is so essential to everything. It makes everyone uneasy for the most basic thing to be limited.
Are you affected by the shortage? How are you coping?
Life in G-cleft
I’ve always loved music. Yes. Music. I am a fan of melodies. Of notes that go on and on. Of tunes that defined my life.
I can almost put my life into song and lyrics. To me there is nothing better than relating a feeling, an event, a moment in words put together with notes that I wish I thought of first.
Unfortunately I lost the ability to discern notes just from hearing them a long time ago. I’ve forgotten how to read sheet music, and i never had the patience to come up with melodies, I just sang along.
I live a karaoke life. And the playlist is long and eclectic.
I relate songs to people, especially significant others, people I’ve loved and lost. If you’re close to me, chances are I have a song that I immediately relate to you, you just have to ask. (Though sometimes, the songs reveal too much haha)
Sometimes I wish life was a musical so I wouldn’t be the only one I know who suddenly bursts into song at any given moment. (which can get old, and at times, embarassing)
So yeah, I rely on people much better at me at expressing themselves to express MYself.
And today, my song is Erase and Rewind, The Cardigans
Harder, better, faster, stronger
I am learning, that we all have to have thick hides to survive in this world. Too often, we the sheltered believe that people will treat us fairly, and will pat us on the back if things go badly.
That may be true of 10% of the population, but for the rest, well…
People are harsh, bitter and cynical. Too often when they see a vulnerability, they’ll take advantage of it. Hurt, make it worse.
Yes, I am looking at the real world. Coddling is not going to do anyone any good. It’s just gonna leave them sensitive, unprepared and perpetually pissed at the way things work.
And yes, I am accounting for your loved ones. I believe in the concept of cruel to be kind. No one should be constantly lulled into a sense of security and well-being, coz well, in the real world, there’s always something awry and missing. To have the people around you have you in a constant state of delusion of “the-world-is-nice-rainbow-and-butterflies-on-every-corner” will just leave you more hurt when the truth hits you.
The bullshit, the criticism, the insults hurled at you by well-meaning individuals will only help you for they will give you a tougher hide.
They’ve certainly helping me develop a thicker skin (Haha I’m a fattie i knooow) and i’m slowly learning to not be so sensitive to the things that usually bother me coz hey, annoyance at every little thing and holding on to hurt, is only give me headaches and wrinkles. And if i do get bothered, will that help fix the annoyance/minor problem?
No.
Ok, I’m losing my original point.
Here it is.
Toughen up kid. Coz no one is gonna walk on eggshells for you forever.
The age of excess
The past few months have been quiet. I was in a self-imposed seclusion. I just didn’t feel like going out. I cancelled plans. A few of which I wish I didn’t (I really didn’t think you’d leave you jerk [ok I get defensive when it’s my fault]). I went directly home when I knew my friends were out waiting on me, and some of them even gave up on asking me to go with them to places. It got that bad. I don’t know why. I just wanted to stay home, watch dvds, retreat into a quiet place.
And yeah, it was bliss. Just spending time thinking, listening, staying still while everyone else was going warp speed. I hardly noticed time pass. Before I knew it, it was a new year, and I virtually disappeared off the face of the earth. (Well probably just a few of my friends’ radars, but still)
 The past couple of weeks, well, things have been different. Under the heading of “Life’s too short”, I have entered the age of excess. Not really thinking of the future (in terms of savings), not even tomorrow (in terms of SLEEP). I’ve resolved to try new things, go and expand my horizons. Not tuck my life away like I’ve been doing.
I may lack sleep, but life? Life i’m getting back.
So what’s new?
I’m turning over a new leaf.
I have a new job. From a yearlong stint as an Internet Marketing Specialist I find myself facing a whole different terrain. I am now a User Experience Specialist (in training). This is definitely something that’s making me way excited but also ants in my pants nervous at the same time. I still work in the same office, but in a different team, a different workstation.
New lifestyle too. Or at least trying to. In tune with my doctor’s orders, I’m going to start working out. I was told to get back to my usual weight just so she can rule out a few things. I definitely won’t be dieting or anything like that, but I’m gonna move more.
This way I can justify all the food trips I’m gonna go on the near future. I already have a script going on, “I’m not trying to lose weight, I’m doing this for my health. ” Or “Do i look like I can go on a diet?” Or “If you were my friend you’d go get ice cream with me.” (Wait that’s a different script entirely)
Basically it’s still the same old me with a few different upgrades.
I have Ms. Pink SEO to thank for this domain. Even if I did abandon her when I changed jobs, (Haha I kid I kid) she took me under her wing and hosted this blog. I am extremely grateful and hope to live up to the hype.
After 5 years of blogging you’d think I’d know what to do by now, but this is the domain that’s mine all mine and I’m going nuts (happy nuts but still) with all the options. Bear with me on all the changes that gonna come in later when I figure all this out.
Why jodyalarva.com? I figure my food blog became more of a smattering of topics under the sun, I don’t think i can keep up a food blog for long. So this is gonna be a blog about anything and everything I come in contact with. It’ll be your choice of whether I really think or not. Coz in my case, it’s usually the latter. Especially when it comes to certain four letter words… Life. Love. Food. It’s do first, bang your head into the wall for doing that in the heat of the moment later.
So welcome!