Friday, December 27, 2013

#11 Be a member in a gym and ACTUALLY go to the gym


A few months ago, Ter invited me for a free trial in her gym at 360 Timog. It was my first time to actually go to a gym. We did suspension training, body jam and body balance. I remember very clearly how my legs hurt after that day but I still enjoyed it :) So yes, I became a member and until now, I am attending body jam and body balance classes :) 

I'm not really into getting thinner but I just want to get fit (and healthy). A lot of studies also show that exercise can reduce depression and all that shiz. So I really think this is helping me with my life recently :) I have met new friends too at the gym so this is actually good :)



YEHEY to one more item off my 30before30 list :)

Monday, November 18, 2013

Blessed and Humbled

Last September/October was a depressing month. I don't know if this was the time everything was sinking in or there are just too many issues happening at the same time. Whatever it was, I felt like I needed a retreat in my life. Jessie invited me to Life Directions months ago. I actually forgot about the invite and I just remembered it when one of her friends (who eventually became my friend) tagged me in her post. Plus I saw it in the Blue Post (Ateneo alumni email group). I asked Geo (since she was the secretariat) if there were still slots and lucky for me, there were still 10 slots :) I signed up, paid for it then went this weekend.

I went to the retreat alone because I want to reflect by myself without any friends around. Also, I would like to share my story to people I don't know. I just feel like it's easier for me now to tell my story to strangers. But God was really not making this easy when I arrived there and saw a lot of Gawad Kalinga friends (This was God trying to be funny). Anyway, the retreat gave me enlightenment and realizations. I would not go into the details of the retreat because it's better if you attend it. I would just talk about some main realizations and feelings for this weekend.

1. I am in the process of growth. During confession, Father Vic told me that I'm in pain because I am in a process of growth. This struck me so much because this is what I learned from the Better Story Project workshop last October.

2. Trust in the slow ways of God. God will really bless you in ways you wouldn't expect. I have been very impatient for all the my prayers to be answered and for all the hurt go away. I have been eager to feel better and happier again. But this retreat made sure that I remember to trust God in His plan and not be too selfish in thinking about my own feelings.

3. I am not alone in this journey. I came here at the retreat because I feel alone but God answered me that I will never be alone in this journey. I attended the retreat to find answers but He told me that I don't need answers, I just need people to share stories with so that I'll feel understood. Once I shared my story, there are other people who share the same story as I do. I was really blessed to be part of a shared group who can relate to my experience. I am thankful for having new friends who inspired me that life will get better because they all experienced what I'm experiencing now. I am still feeling very thankful now :)

4. Choose your companions well. I have learned that every person in my life has a purpose. Once friendship or love has ended, his/her purpose in my life is done. I should stop forcing myself in other people's lives. I should choose people who will make me a better person. I should choose companions who will not make me feel alone.

LD Batch 94 :)
There are a lot of other realizations but these are the main points I have. Life Directions has really helped me feel better. I've been praying a lot for the healing of my heart, mind and soul and this retreat helped me start from scratch and create a better version of myself. God really made me feel His presence through the new friends I met. It was a very humbling experience to know that God will still be there even though you're broken. :)

* God was really trying to be funny on the way home. Through out the retreat, I was praying for the healing of my heart because of the breakup that happened last June. After the retreat, I realized that I should stop blaming myself for what happened and accept it more. Then on the way home, my ex texted me (first time he texted me after everything that happened). I can't help but laugh because I don't know if God was testing me or just trying to be funny.



Monday, November 11, 2013

[DELAYED POST] Singapore 2013


Last Sept 19, I flew with Rhea and Ter to Singapore to celebrate Jessie's birthday (Backstory: Jessie's assigned there for 6 months and it's her birthday on Sept 29.) Knowing my friends, it's so hard to plan any trips/getaway with them because of all the conflicting schedules; so we're all excited that this pushed through and it's always been our dream to travel abroad together :)

Bringing the jejeness to Singapore
Since Jessie has work and we arrived at around 8am, we have to go around by ourselves. But our itinerary has been planned days before so we kinda know where to go. Top of my list was Ikea (I need home decor ideas) so we went there first. Then roam around Bugis Village because it's just near Jessie's hotel.


Luckily/Unluckily, it was Formula 1 weekend when we were there. So yes, there were a lot of people and LOADS OF PRETTY CARS!! We also saw Bianca Gonzales and Raymond Gutierrez there. Anyway, we met with Jessie after her work then went to Singapore flyer because it will be closed due to F1 for the weekend. 

At the race track! :)
Singapore flyer
We had dinner at Orchard then had free desserts c/o Jessie (All the ice cream at their office is 50% or 70% off!!!) WOHOOOO.

When we were there, it was also the first day of the launch of the iPhone 5S and this is what welcomed us at one store: CRAZZYY. Yeah, Singapore was event filled when we were there.

Ogie followed the next day and we just went shopping and met with our relatives. That night, we also went drinking at Haji Lane. It was a pretty cool bar because they offer customized drinks. You're going to tell the waiter what you're feeling right now / what you want your drink to make you feel. So basically, you're just gonna tell him a few adjectives (i.e, something refreshing and sweet) and they will come up with the ingredients for your drink. It's pretty amazing :)

Then Marianne followed Saturday. Since we're now complete, this is the perfect time to tour the city so that was what we did the whole day. We walked and walked and walked and walked the whoooole day! (Plus some roads are closed because of the F1 so we were really required to walk) Singapore is a walk-able city so it was okay. Plus the transportation system was freakin' organized. This is what I want for my country! 

Anyway, we went to Merlion, National Museum, Orchard, Haji Lane, Bugis Village, Clark Quay etc. Then we also went shopping at H&M, looked for the Abercrombie models at Orchard, photo ops and more. It was a good trip although I wish we got to see more of Singapore. I will definitely go back to tour more and eat more of Singaporean food. 

SO YEAH #5 OF MY 30BEFORE30 FINISHED :)

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Beauty matters


I attended the Better Story Project workshop last Saturday :) I have been itching to attend one workshop ever since I found out about it months ago. Good thing they held the workshop here at Quezon City so it’s nearer. Anyway, the workshop was all about beauty. We may not give too much attention about this topic but it really is important for all the girls out there. I bet there are a lot of girls who don’t see themselves as beautiful creatures just because nobody is telling them they are beautiful. So right now, I’m gonna tell everybody that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU MAY NOT HAVE LONG LASHES OR A POINTED NOSE. YOU MAY NOT FIT IN A SIZE ZERO DRESS. YOU MAY BE JUST NEARLY 5 FEET TALL AND ALL THE IMPERFECTIONS YOU CAN THINK OF… BUT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
This is the post card giveaway I got from the talk :) This was made by Aia. Just a reminder to all the girls out there.
I have learned so much from the workshop and the whole afternoon was just full of encouragement and empowerment. Some people may have made me feel less about myself this year but I’m not gonna let them think I’m not beautiful. I’m not going to let people made me feel I’m not worthy of the love. I’m worth loving and so are you :) I always loved the quote, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” So stop listening to other people’s negative view about you. Feel beautiful, be beautiful, share your beauty to other people, whether it be your talent or your kind heart :)
There was one point that Ms. Aileen Ponce mentioned during her talk. It was that growth is painful. But growth means change. And change means you’re getting better. This really struck me because I have been going through a lot of pain these past few months. I have been facing huge changes and I’m on the “moving on to be a better person” phase right now. Life has been really shitty but I’m still very psyched about my future because I know I’m stronger and now, I know that I’m still beautiful even if I have been hurt :)
A picture before leaving :)
I would definitely attend more workshops and I encourage other people to attend too :) Plus I won gift certificates from Manos Nail Lounge. YEY! Thanks Fel! :)

Friday, October 11, 2013

Moving on and starting anew

2013 has been a jerk to me. It has been a very rocky roller coaster ride where most of the time I was down (and wasn't fun). This year started with a bang but went rolling down as the months passed by. I wouldn't say though that everything that happened this year was tragic. I would just like to say that this year wasn't very good to me. It's not new to people that my boyfriend of 1 year broke up with me. This taught me some valuable lessons about life, love and myself. I also figured out the real people that I could count on. So a simple reminder to all the girls who experienced the same shit as I did:
"Just because your boyfriend split up with you does NOT mean that you aren't an absolutely wonderful, loveable person. It also doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you at all. All it means is that you weren't compatible. And what does he know anyway? Whatever his reasoning, focus on you and your strengths. Sometimes emotions are too strong for our reasoning and it's okay to have a good cry."

I have a few issues with my family and work too. Well, it actually fits in the same category because I started working at our family business last March. My family faced a few struggles too this year and I did not like it very much. Two of my brothers moved out the house already and I'm still not used to the emptiness in our house. Maybe this is the reason I always go out and hang with friends. As for work, there will just be days that I'm not happy and I feel incompetent because of some issues I won't elaborate anymore.

So far, 2013 has not been a good year but I won't deny that I had great memories from different people this year. I just realized lately that I need to stop thinking so much about the past and the bad things that happened to me. It's time to move on and start fresh. So I am saying goodbye to all those bad memories 2013 gave me and hello to the wonderful memories that will be created for the rest of 2013.




Related to my moving on and starting anew realization, I would like to share with you this quote I found on tumblr that made me realize all these shiz:

Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Each day is a new beginning. Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Cebu-Bohol trip 2013

[Delayed post] 

I've been really busy with a lot of work and random issues so I haven't updated this for a long long time. Anyway, I'll be talking about my Cebu-Bohol trip last August with the fam bam :) It was a celebration for Jam's 3rd birthday. 

This was my 3rd time going to Bohol and I still enjoyed it :) I guess it really depends on the people you are with. We visited the tarsier sanctuary first and met Mr. Tarsier man himself :)

Then we had lunch at Loboc River, our favorite part of the trip. Although the food wasn't really great, the view was perfect. I will always love this part of Bohol, very peaceful and scenic. I will always recommend Loboc River cruise to anyone going here :)



Of course, we wouldn't leave Bohol without visiting the famous Chocolate Hills. The kids were all tired though and they were sleeping all the way up. Good thing they woke up to see the chocolate hills. 



We stayed at Linaw Beach Resort and we all loved it. The kids hit the pool after checking in, always their favorite hobby. I highly recommend this resort to those who would want to have good room, great food and awesome view :) 



We visited churches the next day :) Our favorite would be Dauis church, we even stayed there for some hot chocolates (and it was yummy!)


My model niece, Sining
Then we dropped by the Bohol bee farm next :)

They have this restaurant with an amazing view. I would love to try to check in here next time I go to Bohol :)


 My favorite part of the trip would be mornings at the beach :) I've been wanting to just be at the beach and read books while enjoying the sun. Waves calm me down and my mornings were all spent like this :)


After 3 days at Bohol, we left and went to Cebu. Just had dinner the first night with Ate Trina's family then drinks with GK Cebu people. 



City tour happened the next day where we visited Magellan's cross, Sto. Nino Church and St. Pedro Calungsod Church. I've been to the first two but the Pedro Calungsod church was a first and I loved it. The architecture was very minimal and this was the reason I liked it :)




But the best part of our Cebu visit was eating lechon. This was something we all have been waiting for. Since the first day we arrived at the airport, we have been craving for lechon so for the last days of our vacation, we just attacked the poor little piggy's meat.




Plus the kids enjoyed it too :) Definitely the best part of our trip!!


Friday, August 30, 2013

Losing people

I'm afraid of losing people in my life, especially if they have been a part of my life for years. Maybe that's the reason why death of loved ones top my list of fears. Well, thankfully, all my loved ones are still alive but I won't say I haven't lost some really close people in my life this year. This was really not my year and all the bad things just kept happening. Although I'm not really focusing on that because there have been great things that happened to me :) I just can't avoid the thought that people always leave, especially those whom you care most about.

There are people whom you look up to and you love so much, then one unfortunate event happens then everything that you learned from her just shatters into pieces. The bridge has been burned and I don't even know how to mend my feelings for you. But don't ever think that I don't love you because I still do and I will take care of you when you get old, even if you don't want to. It just hurts that every time I see you, I can clearly remember what you said and how you acted, it hurts so much.

There are also people whom you will care about so much that you're willing to do anything to work things out but it won't be enough for that person. These people would try to boost your confidence up then take them away in one snap and this will hurt so much. It would really take you down, especially your self-esteem. But all you got to do is pick the pieces up and mend it one day at a time.

Healing is a process and it doesn't happen fast. Patience is the key and just let things be. There would be darker days but remember

Friday, August 23, 2013

STRANDED


The weather for the past few days have been crazy. I, together with my brothers, sisters-in-law and nieces were victims of this typhoon but we were very lucky to have found a home. We got home from our Cebu-Bohol trip last August 20 (Tuesday) and we were welcomed by the crazy rain. We were very eager to go home because we were all tired from our early morning flight. Unfortunately we were trap because all the roads going to C5 was flooded and EDSA was not passable to all vehicles. 

Fortunately though, my brother called our client in DSWD NROC to ask if they are open and they can accommodate us until the flood subsides. We stayed there and ate cup noodles and Sky flakes for breakfast. For lunch, I went to NAIA Terminal 2 again to buy Jollibee and the line was supppeer long. There were a lot of people stranded at the airport. I lined up for more than an hour and waited for my food for another 20 minutes. When I got back to DSWD, my brother told me that we need to get going because Dinky Soliman is going there. 

At airport road (?)


When we left DSWD, we were all updating through twitter (THANKS MMDA TWITTER PERSON!!) for all the flooded areas. Unfortunately again for us, it's still flooded everywhere. We tried going to EDSA and Buendia but everywhere we go was not passable. We were planning on taking the LRT and MRT already just so we could go home and leave the car somewhere but it was very difficult for us to commute because we have 3 kids with us. But again we were very fortunate because someone adopted us for the night. We stayed at a friend's house in Paranaque and they even fed us good food (THANK YOU SO MUCH). We are very fortunate for having a place to stay and the whole night I was praying for the people who weren't very fortunate like us. 

We got home at around 9am the next day, Aug. 21. I finally had the time to take a bath (Thank God) and rested for a while. At around 4pm, we are going back to Paranaque but this time for Gawad Kalinga's relief operations. It was time to help those who weren't as fortunate as we are and even if we are all super tired from our misadventure, we still managed to help out and give our best for the least. 

Gawad Kalinga's relief ops
The relief ops finished at around 11:30pm and we got home at 12. I was so tired from the trip and relief ops but it was a good kind of fatigue :) I would really like to join the distribution of relief at Laguna the next day but unfortunately, I have work.

I am proud to be part of Gawad Kalinga that cares for the least :) I won't hesitate to give back, especially to those who needs it most.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Uninspired

I have been battling a lot of issues these past few days and I don't even know where I can get inspiration from. This is not even about my ex anymore, it's all about the family, my work and myself.

This thing about the family is emotionally draining. I just really feel so emotional about the whole issue because everyone is really trying their best to fix everything but you're the only one who's not cooperating. I just feel so depressed that you're burning a few bridges and I'm not even sure if we can build it back. This is just too much to take in especially if I'm so stressed and busy with other aspects in my life.

When I entered our family business, I was assigned in HR and there are a lot of things that need to be fixed. Then since Christmas is coming up, we need to double our sales so the board decided that I should handle sales too (together with Marketing). It's just too much to handle with my state right now. I know that I can do it, it's just that I can't do it well. I really want to do my best and excel but I'm just really uninspired right now. But with a little help from my friends, I know I can do this.

Okay, the issue with myself is so confusing that even I can't understand so let's just not talk about it.


Monday, August 5, 2013

July 2013: A month of new beginnings

July has been nothing but good to me. It reminded me of friends I haven't seen in a while (Starbucks officemates, UST blockmates), activities I haven't done in a while (dancing) and it continued to bring me closer to people I love (family, high school friends) :) I also discovered new places and activities for my life. I am very grateful for everything despite all the losses and failures. I may be knocked out a lot of times but I will continue to fight (I think people should be more like this. It's hard, I know, but you'll get the hang of it. Just believe in yourself)

What's up in July?

  1. Joined Ter in her group classes in 360. I got to (sort of) dance again after 23128395293 years. 
  2. Two of my brothers finally moved out of the house. Even if I don't approve of this abrupt move, I am happy for both of them. More houses to visit and hangout ;)
  3. Hangouts with old office mates I haven't seen in a while at Whistlestop. It's good to be back and see my old office. I also enjoyed seeing familiar faces :)
  4. Night out with UST blockmates  I haven't seen for a year at Prive. I was happy to get to talk to them as if we just saw each other yesterday. It's time to catch up with them and make future plans :) I also haven't partied after 39418724820 years so it was a very fun night.
  5. New beginning for me because Gladys finally moved out of my room. We now have our own room. I am enjoying my new CLEAN room but I feel sad sometimes to be alone so I sleepover at her room (or she sleeps over at my room)
  6. A trip back to our hometown at San Pablo, Laguna. This was a weekend of just hanging out with brothers and cousins. We also discovered new restaurants at San Pablo. The short tour was full of new discoveries at an old place we all sort of grew up in.
  7. New activity: SHOOTING. Since I have time and I dug up my 30before30 list, I am starting to finish it. Firing a gun was part of my list and I finally did it last July. OMG, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM. All my hate and irritation in my life was released there. It was therapeutic haha! 
  8. We surprised Rhea during her birthday at Vikings. Another hangout with old friends that I will forever love :) 
  9. Gawad Kalinga will forever be in my heart and blood so I attended the Bayanijam last month to support my brother and watch different musicians from Gawad Kalinga communities. GK will always inspire me. Rivermaya played that night together with the kids from GK communities. Thank you so much Rivermaya for giving them that opportunity to jam with you. There will be another Bayanijam this August so message me if you wanna go. I swear, your 150 is worth it :)

So that's it for July. There are more hangouts in between but these are just some of the highlights. Thank you July for giving me a new beginning in life. Hoping I could be a better person and leave all the negative vibes in the past :)

Sunday, July 28, 2013

A trip to our hometown, San Pablo, Laguna

(Delayed post)

Two weeks ago, we went to San Pablo, Laguna for my godson's birthday/dedication. It was a very intimate family affair. It was actually a kid's affair since it was Kaden's birthday. There were games and magic show that the kids enjoyed. Before the event, my little nieces and nephew had a few photo ops
Diwa posing with the backdrop


Zach, Kaden, Sining and Diwa


Sining and Diwa with their costume. Zach, naked :| HAHA
 Then the program started at around 4. After the dedication, Sining went berserk and was looking for her mommy and daddy. So I was the one who distracted her and played with her. We missed all the games and shows because we stayed inside the room because she doesn't want to interact with other kids haha!
The celebrant with their parents
 It was a fun event. After the party, my cousins and brothers just drank beer and I joined their conversation. It was a very "grrrr" kind of conversation. Yes, I decide that this should all stop. Now is the time that I should get mad and be ruthless (NOT). I don't want to expound on this because it's a family thing so yes. Leaving it this way.

The next day, we toured around San Pablo. I have stayed a few summer here when I was a child. I even had my first swimming lessons in this city. We decided to bring the kids to Sampaloc Lake and eat mami (my favorite) for breakfast.
Tatay Mark and Diwa

We drove around the circumference of Sampaloc Lake and we discovered a new place to dine. We found a place named Cafe Lago. The outside was very different from it's interior. It was a very cozy place for breakfast. We just tried their Suman Latik because we ate breakfast already. Although Ate Trina ate tapsilog and she said, it was normal. Nothing extraordinary but we still loved it because of the interior. The price was also reasonable so I recommend this for a date with family or even your special someone.



 They even have a rattan made hammock which we all enjoyed (except Diwa haha).




Ate Trina, Blu, Kuya Justine and me


We stayed there for a good 2 hours then we moved to Kusina Salud, a restaurant owned by the Tesoro's. The restaurant is located beside a small garden where there are different kind of birds and plants.

The kids enjoyed looking at birds (Shocks, that sounds so wrong.). Anyway, since we were full from the mami breakfast and dessert from Cafe Lago, we just had ensaladang pako, their best seller turon and pandan juice. 



I wouldn't say that the food was cheap because it wasn't. Just a little tip for those who will eat here in the future, the prices in their menu is tax exclusive so yes, that's not really the final price. We really got surprised to see our bill haha! Good thing we enjoyed each other's company. Next time we'll go back here, we'll order wisely.


Hi baby girl, I love you :)

We went back to my Tita's resort with a full stomach and empty pockets haha! But we enjoyed our little tour around our hometown, San Pablo City.

Next up, 7 lakes tour :) Someday. We have been visiting this city and we never visited all the 7 lakes. Boo.