Repeat After Me: Life Gets Better 💜

 A few days ago, I was reminded of my old blog. I started in 2003, right after college. Masyado lang akong maraming feelings and no one to talk to about it, so I made a blog where I can let it all out. It became an outlet for stress reduction. So ayun na nga, naalala ko bigla si old blogspot. I tried logging on and the first few tries were unsuccessful, but after a few more guesses nakapasok na rin ako.

KADIRI ANG EMO KO! Hahahaha. Ha. I think I was able to repost a few entries here in my existing blog kaya there are posts dating way back 2005 in here. But most didn’t make it. Most of my ka-emohan circa 2005-2006-2007 didn’t make it. Ang daming mga bagay na hindi na applicable today. Ang daming bagay na hindi ko gusto dati na gusto ko na ngayon, and vice versa. How time flies.

So here are what’s different from before and what’s remained the same…

• -        My love for K-dramas started 16 years ago. Kumbaga, teenager na siya. It started out with Meteor Garden, actually. Taiwanese dramas muna ako then a few Korean dramas hanggang puro K-dramas na lang. And 16 years after, I’m still at it. Not as addicted to it now but still very much into it.
• -        I don’t remember being so into Hyun Bin during his Kim Sam-soon days, but apparently, I was. Watched Crash Landing on You last year and he doesn’t have the same effect on me as he did some 12 years ago. At kung titingnan mo naman eh mas pogi siya now. Weird ko talaga.
• -        I used to not like boy groups who wear eyeliners, makeup, etc. Well, news flash- they all wear makeup. And oh, 16 years after, I am very much into boy groups who wear eyeliners, makeup and ETCETERA. Thank you very much 😊
• -        I was such a negastar back in the day. OMG. I hated my life. I hated Christmas (whuuut, right?). There was this entry where I posted my answer to online Friendster surveys and the question was “Do you think you’d die young?” And my answer was, “I always wanted to die young, but not this young. Around 30 siguro puede na.” WOW. HOW EMO CAN ONE GET?!? I’m so glad things turned around for me. I was 23 when I wrote that. Minsan gusto kong bumalik sa pagkabata kasi nga ang shonda ko na, kaso I think I’m okay with what I am now. I may be much older, but I am also happier. And I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I can’t even imagine my younger self not liking Christmas cos, it's like, the most wonderful time of the year.  But it was nice to know that even before I already loved celebrating my (and counting down) birthdays.
• -        One of my worries ca. 2005 was what if I don’t get rich in 5-10 years. Well, dear 23-year-old me, you are still not rich 16 years later. You can now afford more stuff but, definitely, hindi ka mayaman. These days (pre-pandemic, I mean), I can spare a little bit more. If I used to feel guilty for spending P500 for a whole day out, now I feel guilty for spending P500 on a meal. Of course that doesn’t happen all the time. Kapag nagma-Masil lang kami.
• -        Madami akong posts referring to crushes pero hindi ko na maalala most of them. Or at least to who I was referring. So from now on, I will use code names in my posts. With BTS naman no need to do that. As if they care. Well, even my erstwhile objects of affection wouldn’t care back then.
• -        I’m also surprised to read that I used to dislike reading fiction. But, why? Maybe at that time I just haven’t found my genre which is kilig-kilig Young Adult, by the way. Back then I liked reading about facts and trivia, essays and self-help books. Maybe if I had discovered YA books earlier, mas maaga rin ako naging happy sa buhay ko- live vicariously baga.
• -        23-year-old me didn’t like boys with abs. Pues ngayon, this ahjumma likes men (boys na rin paminsan) with abs. I guess it comes with age. LOLs.
• -        24-year-old me wanted to be a landlady of leisure. Still true.
• -        Also, 24-year-old me was told by a fortune-teller that I’d get married daw. Hmm… although I say that the probability of that happening is slim to none, aba malay natin. Hahaha.
• -        I was introduced to YouTube by Ycel last July 2006. First thing I watched on it was Daria.
• -        I discovered the wonders of kojic acid soap on my skin last 2006. It was the product that turned the state of my skin around. Well, that and Murad. Yung freebie lang na Murad, okay? Wala akong pambili ng full-size Murad product. I can’t even remember which Murad product it was, but that one cleared my nose of blackheads for good. Meron pa ring occasional blackheads, but pre-Murad, it was an infestation y’all.
• -        Not only did I have a blogspot blog. I also had a livejournal blog.
• -        “Kausapin niyo ang ingrown niyo!” This made me LOL, LOL :P Just a year into the nail spa business, I knew that the business wasn’t for me. I had four reasons: 1) I am not a people-person and I don’t like making chika to people I don’t really like; 2) Nababagot ako. I was with my nail techs from 2-9pm and I felt that there wasn’t much we could talk about; 3) I didn’t like that the business was too dependent on its employees and that fact gave your employees the upper hand; and 4) Ayoko sa mga customers na masusungit. I mean, your 70 pesos only paid for the service that you got, hindi yung pagkatao namin. But then again, if it weren’t for this business, I wouldn’t have had serendipitously discovered what I am doing right now. Ayun nga, I guess everything happens for a reason.
• -        I used to hate name-compounding keme of loveteams, like Brangelina. But now, I’ve indulged in the practice. Jadine. Kathniel. Sadyang may mga bagay na hindi na natin kayang labanan. Give in. Charot.

Reading my past entries, parang napaka-nega ko. Well, I don’t know if I’m less nega now. I’d like to believe I’m not anymore. It’s actually surprising that around 2006 to 2007 I was still feeling slightly miserable. Maybe because I didn’t like what I was doing- the nail spa. And the years in between 2003 to now, those were like the transition years. I’m in my happy place right now. Despite the pandemic, I am happy. I hope I remain in my happy place forever.

Another realization is one should avoid absolute statements. Words like always and never. People change. Preferences change. So ayun nga, napakadaming bagay about me that changed. Madaming bagay na ayaw ko dati, gusto ko na ngayon. Gusto ko dati, hindi ko na masyadong bet ngayon.

Basta masaya ako na masaya ako. At least, feeling ko masaya ako. I’m not sure what brought about the change, I’m sure it wasn’t overnight. As abovementioned, may transition period. Maybe because I’m more secure with myself right now. Maybe because I enjoy what I am doing. Maybe because I am earning while doing what I love. Maybe because I’ve learned to count my blessings and to be grateful for the smallest of things. I just hope that when I look back to this phase of my life 15 years from now, I’ll be in a much happier state. Dear self, cheers to more happy years! ♥

Almost Laya

Two days more and I'm done with my quarantine. And I haven't finished any of the things I said I want to accomplish while on quarantine. I still have a chance to finish reading one book. Let's see what this master procrastinator can do with the remaining two days. Ha. 

Bilang I'm already very much in this BTS rabbit hole, here are just random stuff:

• I am in love with Jungkook's backing vocals. Every time I hear him do second voice (harmonize) with another member, I fall so deeply in love with that beautiful voice of his. 
• Jimin's eyes sans makeup are beautiful. 
• How I wish the boys have their own Instagram accounts, especially those who like taking pictures. I would love to see things from their perspective. 
• All the members bring something to the table. They are ALL talented. Those who say otherwise are just sore losers who can't accept the success of others. Some say they're just lucky, but let us not forget what Mareng Oprah says about luck- “I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn't been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn't have been lucky.” 
• I am also in love with Taehyung's vocals. Especially in Sweet Night. Beautiful. 
• Blue & Grey is such a sad song, supposedly written by V (Taehyung). I hope this doesn't reflect his emotional well-being. If it does, I volunteer to be the angel he's looking for at the end of the day. LOL. Lech. 
• I am surprised that Suga doesn't have any tattoos. Yet. To our knowledge, at least. Just watched Bon Voyage S2 and him and Taehyung were talking about tattoos. That V wanted to get one and the same time, no. Then Kuya Suga said that tattoos are not a good idea and that he should settle for a henna one instead. Nagulat lang ako kasi mas siya yung parang rough and tough and most likely to get a tattoo. 
• I'm sad that I didn't discover them earlier, but as they say- you find BTS when you needed them the most. I am a new fan, officially (at least that was when I said it out loud, more like announced it on Twitter actually) last May 4, 2020. At that time, it was just the early days of this yearlong (and still ongoing) lockdown and we stopped all operations. Things were so uncertain, as it is now. That's when it all started. They were sort of an escape for me. They still are a means of escape from me until now. This group sort of softens the blows life is throwing at us. Ganun naman diba? You just have to find your bliss.

• I love them all! ♥ I do have my ultimate bias (Jungkook!) and my bias wrecker (Taehyung), but I love all the boys. Super. 

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, on to other topics.

My newest fave webtoon is My Secret Playlist. What is it with me and pining in secret? Haha. I just like the story. I may not be liking the wait, but gives me something to look forward to every week. Also enjoying Yumi's Cells- why didn't I discover this when there was no limit of two chapters per day yet. I'm sad that most of my faves are on hiatus. I just finished Nice To Meet You and I can't wait for the next season. Also waiting for the new season of I Love Yoo, Let's Play and The Second Lead Syndrome. Ang dami ko talagang bisyo na na-acquire during this pandemic. 

I also started watching Grey's Anatomy. Just finished season 1. Mas gusto ko pa rin si Emily Owens, MD. I don't know if I can keep watching until the latest season available on Netflix- 15 seasons in total! Ni hindi ko nga matapos ang Dawson's Creek- too much drama! And I don't need to think about other people's (fictional pa, at that) dramas. 

And oh, the box has arrived. May box-opening ceremony sana kami ni AC kaso siya naman ngayon ang naka-quarantine. An officemate she shared a room with last Monday tested positive. So nakakainis diba? I don't get it why these government offices insist their employees to go to work physically when they very well work from home. People are turning in their work from home. On time. Puede pakitigil-tigilan yang kaepalan na 'yan? We just hope that Ate is okay. Hope she didn't catch anything in the office. Will pray for this, too, among other things. Ultimately, praying for the world's healing from COVID19, from bad and corrupt leaders. 

In two days time I can move freely to the other parts of the house- YAY! Sana lang Ate will test negative. Ayun lang naman. We can get through this. Tiwala lang. 

Casi Un Año

 Almost one year since the lockdown/community quarantines began and it seems that things haven't improved still. People were actually more cautious back when there were still a few cases; ngayon na marami na namang cases, bahala na si Batman. 

I am currently on a two-week self-imposed quarantine after babysitting my nephew in Marikina while my sister was in the hospital (non-COVID case, btw).  Day 3. Bored na ako. But still nothing beats being in your own house, sleeping on your own bed. Technically it is not my bed since I'm staying in the guest room, but I guess you know what I mean. While on quarantine, I want to do the ff:

• finally finish reading Maybe in Another Life and finish two more books
• finish Run On, a K-drama I just started watching yesterday
• finish watching all BTS Bon Voyage episodes
• watch the soapmaking on-demand tutorial video I enrolled in
• finish making photobooks for Honkong and Taiwan trips
• make layouts for my bujo, at least until October 2021
• finish Anne's Jimin doll 

Tingnan natin kung may matapos ako jan. LOL. Of course I still have to work while I'm cooped inside my room. I am super duper grateful that orders are starting to pick up. Has something to do with the economy opening up and people are less restricted and can move around more freely. Personally, I feel that things should have been done gradually, lalo na at yung mga tao sobrang atat lumabas- ayan rampa! Sana may guidelines. Slowly but surely, ika nga. It came from them that the country can't afford another total lockdown, but what if things get out of hand and closing down everything must be done? Epal kasi ng gobyerno na 'to eh. Excellent daw ang COVID response nila. E di wow. Hay. Tama na nga ang BV. 

Moving on... today is Suga's birthday ☺ 생일 축하합니다 ! Siempre meron kaming handa- sushi bake, minty brownies and garlic parmesan. Boring lang since I celebrated by my lonesome self, quarantined in this tiny room. It would've been more fun eating with my fellow army-sister. LOL. 

It's only March and I've already finished four K-dramas. Again, I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. O eto na report ko sa mga natapos ko na dramas.

Penthouse

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Didn't really intend to watch this but when my friend said that she's watching this drama, I read the synopsis and watched the first episode- and the rest is history. I got hooked. Hindi ko naman siya like na like pero the storyline kind of hooks you into it? Inis na inis na ako sa lahat sa kanila, yung tipong gusto ko silang batuhin ng something kung puede lang... pero at the same time, gusto ko malaman kung ano'ng mangyayari. At ang malala, may season 2 siya!!! I don't know if I want to watch the second season though. Maybe when I'm done watching all the kdramas I really want to watch. 

Medyo eye-opener etong drama na 'to ha. Eugene playing mother roles to 16 year olds? Medyo ouch. Talagang ahjumma levels na 'to. 

True Beauty

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OMG I was excited over this drama because, 1) I am reading the webtoon and, 2) Cha Eun-woo. The webtoon is still ongoing and I thought it would be nice to know how they would end the drama. 

Out of 10 stars, I'd give it a 7. I didn't like Moon Ga-young as Jugyeong- ang pabebe ng bwiset haha. Maybe the role calls for it but it's super annoying when she talks like that. If it weren't for the eye candies, Cha Eun-woo and Hwang In-yeop, I would've dropped this series midway. 

I'm also starting to get tired of the webtoon. Masyado nang feeling si Lim Jugyeong. **SPOILER ALERT** In one of the chapters, she was meeting her blind date in a cafe. The guy looked different from his profile picture which irked your Ate Jugyeong. Well, the date was mej feelingero pero sana wala na yung comment na 'he looks oddly different'. Ikaw pa talaga ang nag-judge sa kanya for doing that, Ate Jugyeong? 

I enjoyed the drama naman but there are times when I get irritated at Moon Ga-young's manner of speaking. Sabi ni Ate, nerd daw kasi. I know a lot of nerds who don't talk like that. Now I want to try watching one of her dramas to know if she really talks like that. 

Mr. Queen

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Another drama that I didn't really plan on watching but ended up watching because read about it in dramabeans and usually those dramabeans peeps and I are one the same kdrama wavelength. 

I enjoyed this Kdrama so much, so funny. I just feel that when the real queen is back in her body, then that is not the queen that our king has fallen in love with. Maybe Jang Bong-hwan's character sort of rubbed off on the queen eventually pero still that is not her. Sabi nga nila 'wag masyado mag-isip, suspension of disbelief eme. And I'm happy to do so. Ayoko na mag-critical thinking, no? 

If it weren't for the dramabeans blog reviews, I wouldn't have watched this because I didn't really like the lead actress and I sort of have an aversion to sageuk dramas. Binasag na yan actually ni Hwarang and 100 Days My Prince, pero there's still this tiny part of me that doesn't want to watch the genre. 

Loved Shin Hye-sun in this drama. Bati na kami, haha. 

More Than Friends

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I started watching this drama early this year. Because of Ong Seung-woo. Oo, lalaki ulit ang dahilan. LOLs. But man, this drama was painfully sloooow- kung gaano si Kuya kabagal sa pag-realize ng feelings niya kay Ate Girl- so I just finished watching this drama yesterday. 

At dahil fresh pa sa aking isip ang mga pangyayari, mas marami akong feelings regarding this drama. 'Di naman marami, actually. 

First- at the beginning of the drama, Woo-yeon has this one-sided thing for Lee Soo. Well, if I were Woo-yeon I would also, sort of, would develop feelings for the guy. It is wrong to assume kasi nga diba sabi nila, if you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME. Ganern. Pero besh, he's giving her special treatment!! O baka sadyang pa-fall lang si Lee Soo. Soooo... towards the middle of the drama when Lee Soo realizes he likes Woo-yeon in that way and Woo-yeon has, supposedly, moved on from him with Joon-soo eh ang sarap sigawan ng BEH, BUTI NGA. 

Although I sort of get din where Lee Soo was coming from. His parents' relationship was sorta malabo and maybe, unconsciously, he's been avoiding having relationships for fear of being in one that mimics his parents'. At saka, they're BFFs- hindi pa ba tayo natuto sa Friendzone that some would rather keep the friendship than risk going into a relationship and in the event that things don't go well, you lose the friendship as well. 

Second- gone are the days of asshole second-leads, no? Writers are making it harder for us viewers by giving us a cute, mabait and kind lead AND an equally cute (minsan cuter pa!), mabait and kind second lead as well. Case in point, Joon-soo. Wala ka namang maipintas kay Kuya except that our female lead is just not that into him. Ika nga ni Joshua kay Julia, sinubukan naman natin diba? Lels. And when Lee Soo and Woo-yeon were broken up, Joon-soo didn't take the opportunity to swoop in and get the girl. May sinabi siya pero nakalimutan ko na. Haha. Basta ayun, dilemma para sa ating viewers bilang nahihirapan tayong pumili sa kanilang dalawa. At mas malaking dilemma dahil sa totong buhay ay wala naman tayong pagpipilian. Hahaha. Lech.

Third- while Woo-yeon and Lee Soo were in long-distance relationship, the time difference was a big challenge for them. At first, they were handling it pretty well but eventually both their schedules got more hectic, their thrice-a-day phone calls turned into twice-a-day turned into once-a-day turned into missed/unreturned calls. Puede namang mag-text diba? Ng "sorry I missed your call. We were shooting my calligraphy eme for the movie." So na-frustrate si Woo-yeon because she feels that she's not that important to him anymore, that he's not her priority. So she broke up with him over the phone. Si Kuya naman madaling kausap, so sabi niya, Okay. Noted. So fast forward... Lee Soo returns to Korea, surprises Woo-yeon in her workshop studio. Hindi natuwa si Ate. Lee Soo wants to pick up where they left off, but Woo-yeon thinks she's had it. And here's my favorite scene- when Woo-yeon was pouring out her heart to their friend who owns the resto-bar, he told her this,

"If you are so quick to judge things from the beginning, 

no matter whom you meet and what kind of love they offer,

you won't receive it."

Boom. Galing ni friend.  Ayan, words or wisdom from kdramas. 

Out of 10, I'd give it a 6. Keri naman. Boring lang siya. And here I realized that I only liked Ong Seung-woo in A Moment at Eighteen. Of course I now know better than to judge a drama based on the actors playing the characters or based on genres. Dapat lang marunong ako mag-let go.

So there, kdramas I've finished so far. Right now I am watching three- She Would Never Know, Run On and a Japanese drama, Oh My Boss! Love is a Bonus Book. So far, so good. Maybe I'll do another not-really-a-review review post when I'm done with all three. 

Okay. Yun lang. 

That Year That Was: 2020 in Retrospect (and My Resolutions for 2021)

2020 was one helluva year, wasn't it? 

We all thought 2020 was going to be an auspicious year kasi nga 2020. 20/20- perfect vision. Hahaha. Ha. Akala natin yung pagputok na ng Taal ang pinakamalaking dagok natin noon (puede ring ang hiwalayang James at Nadine kung ikaw ay hardcore fan). Pero ika nga ni 2020- but wait, there's more. Maybe we all thought COVID19 would skip the Philippines on its tour around the world, like SARS did. Eh this time wala daw special treatment. 

Remember when we thought that the lockdown/quarantine would only take a month? It's almost a year since the announcement was made and here we are still in quarantine- less stricter but still on lockdown. And maybe living with Super Seniors (both our parents are 75++) made us more praning, so going out was and is still is definitely a no-no. AC and I ate at a restaurant once during the lockdown and we realized that the risk wasn't worth it. We only go out to do grocery, pay bills and errands. Also our househelps are not allowed to go out unless it's important. Maybe it was unfair for us to not allow our househelps and also our parents to go out unless essential, but the cons outweigh the pros. 

So how was 2020 for me?

(-) Business-wise, not so good. We had to stop operations after all when the ECQ was announced. Siguro swerte ko lang na I still live with my parents, but when this all started I had two stay-in employees and I still had to give them their salary despite non-operations. Maybe it also helped that I was able to save for the rainy days- nagbunga din ang pagka-kuripot ko. It also helped that one of my sisters got Employee #1 for the time being, she stayed and helped them for four months and came back na lang September, just right before Christmas season. Employee #2 went back to her province when travel restrictions were eased a bit. When MECQ was announced, we started getting orders again albeit for personal use lang since events and gatherings weren't allowed yet. Better than none. At least there's money coming in. Operations normalized maybe around November when people started ordering for Christmas, but still it wasn't like how it used to be and I did expect it naman. 

(-) Although I feel I adjusted quicker than most to this whole quarantine thing because I'm an introvert and even before this work-from-home shizz, I prefer staying home and I was already working from home- in other words, it wasn't very different from what I was used to. However, what I definitely miss is seeing my friends, my sisters and most especially, my nephews and niece. Even if my sister and her children live in the next street, we didn't allow the kids to come over and vice versa. We are strictly following the restrictions in order to protect our parents, most especially that V and H report to work on a daily basis. I miss my persons. The kids have gotten so big already and it's so sad that we don't get to see them as often as we'd like. J1 is already taller than me (at 11 years old!) and maybe the next time that we see each other, he'd be a lot taller pa. 

(-) Umm, so Tannie the new dog lightly scratched my forehead with his teeth. It was a super light scratch, it didn't even bleed. BUT for my peace of mind, I decided to get anti-rabies vaccine. Nagpunta kami ng center (because kuripot si ako), but since the bite/scratch was on my forehead, I had to get not only the regular anti-rabies shots but also the ERIG shot. They didn't have stocks of the ERIG and the anti-tetanus so I had to get that from the hospital. We went to Mission Hospital along Ortigas Ave Extension and buti na lang meron dun kaso I had to spend 10K. Ang bigat ko rin kasi leche. So there, goodbye 10K. Moral of the story: 'Wag makipagharutan sa aso. LOL. 

(-)  Typhoon Ulysses. Thankfully, the rains stopped just in time. Floodwaters didn't enter our home, but unfortunately for my sister- the floodwaters did get inside theirs. So they had to vacate their house and transfer here, which was super risky since our parents are also here. Santong dasalan na lang na walang may sakit and this was just a few weeks after my brother-in-law recovered from COVID. Buti na lang we're all okay. Other people weren't as lucky when Ondoy proportions rains flooded nearby cities and also other provinces. Sana eye-opener na ito sa mga tao na we have to take care of the environment, plant more trees, conserve our resources. I'm really for waste segregation and composting. If everyone does his part, malaki rin ang mababawas sa mga dumpsites. That and I pray someone discovers plastic made of plant-based material.

(-/+) AB had COVID. This was during the early days of  the pandemic. She and her boyfriend went to Germany for a vacation and came back to the States around March and after a few weeks she developed flu-like symptoms. Since she's all the way there in the States, we can't do anything but pray for her healing and quick recovery. It was scary, I tell you. Pero wala ka na ngang magagawa kundi magdasal. Buti na lang she and Mike were able to recover from the virus. At gala ng gala na sila ulit ngayon. Hay.

(+) Developing the ff healthy habits- exercising every morning at the balcony with Daddy and sleeping early (well, earlier than what I was used to) at night. At the start of the pandemic, I also stopped drinking Coke or very minimal lang, but balik-bisyo na kami ngayon ni AC. 

(+) Lost weight! I didn't know how much I weighed before because, honestly, I stopped caring. Baboy kung baboy. Plus, both persons who borrowed our weighing scales didn't return it. But I noticed I did lose some weight because FINALLY I CAN CROSS MY ARMS ACROSS MY CHEST AGAIN AND I CAN CROSS MY LEGS AGAIN! I'm so happy ☺ I'm now at 67 kilos or 147 lbs. Still overweight for my height the last time I checked which must've been a few years ago, I was at around 160 lbs. Not bad. I want to lose some more weight. My BMI says I'm obese so I'm working to get my weight at a normal level. Also, I should keep in mind to not let go of myself again. 

(+) Discovering BTS. Hahaha. Siempre, isa sa silver lining ito ng taon. Early last year (pre-pandemic) I wrote a post about needing a crush, someone to fawn over. Sabi nga nila be careful what you wish for, kaya ayan- pito sila. 

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BTS is my little ray of sunshine these days. And being a new fan means there's so much material I can binge on in the internet ♥ And I have the time! We celebrated the boys' birthdays with cake and food cos, you know, you got to make your own ganap these days. I swear, watching BTS live in concert is definitely in my bucket list. Next birthdays to celebrate are J-Hope's and Suga's ☺ Then on May 4 I'll be celebrating my first anniversary as an ARMY. LOLOL. 

(+) Hindi ko alam kung + ang fact na I was able to finish 25 series last year. But I guess that's a + na rin cos it means I had time. Precious time I could have used doing something more productive pero I don't want to push myself into doing productive stuff. Darating din ako diyan. Haha. 

(-) I lost my Uncle, my bestfriend lost her mom, lots of friends and acquaintances lost someone close to them. COVID sucks talaga. 

(-) This government. 

(+) Webtoons! Had so much fun and kilig feelings while reading my webtoons. Ang dami kong nadiscover na pansayang ng oras because of the pandemic, but as they say- Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. Huzzah ;) 

So there, the highs and lows of my 2020. Hope this year will be much better for me, for all of us. Let's pray for a better year. For better days to come. My takeaway from this whole COVID shizz is life is short- make the most out of it while staying home. Hahaha. Iniisip ko na nga kung mamatay ako dapat may access mga kapatid ko sa bank accounts ko at sa stocks ko. Sayang kung hindi nila makuha. But anyway, I'm still optimistic about the future that's why here are my resolutions for this year:

1. Lose weight. Little by little does the trick. The hardest part, always, is starting. Naumpisahan ko na and now I know it's possible so I'm inspired to lose more weight. I have to be mindful of what I eat, exercise and sleep on time. 
2. Read books. With all the free time I have last year, I only got to finish one book at re-read pa siya. So this 2021, my goal is at least one book per month. Which reminds me I only have until tomorrow to finish reading Maybe in Another Life.
3. Learn how to do castile soap. I already enrolled myself in a castile soap-making online course and just waiting for the supplies and the tutorial videos. Sana I will enjoy making liquid soaps more than bar soaps. 
4. Full force with the personalized flat note cards. I was supposed to start it last year but COVID19 happened kaya nawalan ako ng gana. I have to maximize the membership fee I'm paying for my image-sourcing site. 
5. Be more proactive with the businesses. I was pakipot before. Well, we were much busier naman talaga before and can't answer all queries and messages right away, but starting this year I want to be quicker to reply to my clients. 

Wala naman ako masyadong plano for 2021. I just want to get out of it alive, me and my family and friends. I wish for COVID to magically disappear. I pray for safe and effective vaccines. I pray for safe and effective cure against the virus. I guess, good luck na lang sa ating lahat and may the odds be ever in our favor ☺ 

You Know... Stuff

General update on my consumer-driven life...

Aside from the usual kdramas (currently watching Record of Youth and Go Go Squid- which isn't a kdrama, btw), ako'y nahuhumaling sa webtoons. And since I've just recently discovered its wonder, there's so much for me! Here are the titles I'm currently reading:

1. True Beauty
2. I Love Yoo
3. Odd Girl Out
4. Age Matters
5. Back to You
6. Let's Play
7. I Hate U, I Love U
8. One of a Kind Romance
9. Unlovable Replacement
10. She's My Type

OMG ang dami na pala! I'm enjoying the aforementioned titles tremendously- SUPER! The only downside is that after I've devoured all the available chapters, I'd have to wait for a week for a new one. And what's more excruciating is that most of my webtoons are currently in season break. But as they say, patience is a virtue and so I'm going to wait for them, albeit not very patiently. 

And since we're still in quarantine... I've been looking up, literally, most of the time. AB gave me moolah for my birthday and I used a portion of that to buy telephoto lens- super worth it ♥

Different nights, at different phases- que belleza, no? My sister doesn't get it- why the moon appeals to me so much. I guess it started during one of our school activities back in seventh grade, when we went stargazing in UP. Our balcony is definitely something we never knew we needed, LOL. 

Another "news" is we have a new dog. Meet Tannie

We adopted this shihpoo last September when he was just five months. Not really a dog person (or kahit ano mang hayop, actually) but we can't really resist Tannie's charm. We feel a bit guilty that we allow Tannie inside the house, but Tutti stays outside. Anyway... having a pet is expensive which is one of the reasons why I don't really like it. Haha. Tannie is more attached to Manang than us which is understandable since he sleeps on her bed- one thing I can't imagine myself doing. I mej know na what kind of a parent I'll be in case I'll be one and I know I won't be one so safe na ang mga future non-existent junakis ko. 

So that's it, what's keeping me busy and sane during this nakakabaliw na 2020. Almost Christmas. Sana may orders pa rin. 

Let Go

 Almost November at nandito pa rin tayo, lockdown pa rin. 

My bestfriend lost her mom and we lost our dear Uncle Nory. Losing a loved one is hard enough, but losing a loved one amid a pandemic is harder. I feel that one can't grieve properly for the loss of a loved one and friends & family can't even console you in person. Eto yung pagkakataon na kailangan mo ng yakap galing sa mga tao, pero bawal eh. Social distancing keme. I know my Daddy would want to go home and pay his respects but since he's already 77 years old AND immunocompromised, but we wouldn't want to take the risk of him catching anything in transit. Ang hassle nitong COVID na 'to. At mas hassle na parang walang linaw kung kailan talaga ito matatapos. 

Nakakainis. 

A lot are excited for 2020 to end, as if they know for a fact that 2021 will be much better. Sana nga pero I think it's better to expect the worst but be prepared for the best. We can only hope and pray for better things to come. 

I'm just putting everything in His hands. My takeaway from yesterday's homily- Be still and know that I am God. 

KDramas Pa More

It's my birth month, yay! ♥ In fact, it is only two days a day away. I'm excited but at the same time, also frustrated. Everyone is frustrated naman, I think. And I have not been productive AT ALL. When this lockdown started, I've been meaning to make another loaf of cold-processed soap but five months after and I haven't done it yet. I already broke the hand mixer I bought solely for this purpose, so yeah good luck na lang if I'll ever get to make that batch of soap. 

Anywaaaay... this post is about two K-dramas I recently finished watching- Hotel del Luna and Was It Love?

Hotel de Luna

I didn't watch this drama at first because it has ghosts in it. I stopped watching horror movies when my horror/supernatural-movie/documentary-partner got married and moved out. Plus, I do think it is true that you attract these energies the more you think talk about them or watch those kinds of shows. At bilang I sleep alone in the room I share with my sister most of the time (she stays in an apartment near her workplace on weekends), ayoko nang takutin ang sarili ko. However, since she's home during this five-month-long lockdown, I finally mustered the courage to watch Hotel del Luna. Maganda daw eh.

And, boy, I'm glad I did because I LOVED IT. It's a beautiful drama. Such a beautiful story. Consciously, I choose to watch feel-good romcoms because this world is so effed up and full of drama as it is, why would I want to watch about other people's misery? Well, Hotel del Luna is not straight-up drama, may bits and pieces of comedy and action. 

Ang galing how they were able to build up the main story (the present) and how, little by little, they're also giving us the back story (the past). I'm more of a Man Wol + Chung Myung 'shipper, y'know the age-old tale of star-crossed lovers. That scene when Chung Myung and Man Wol were sitting together in front of the lake, right before things went haywire... 

super duper love this song ♥

Ang sakit sa heart, besh. As in, I felt that. At face value, it may look like Chung Myung betrayed Man Wol or that he pretended to have fallen in love with Man Wol or that he befriended the band of rebels so he could have access to them and eventually be able to arrest them or suppress their plans. But I KNOW there's much more to what happened, I KNOW Chung Myung didn't befriend them just to betray them. I can see it in his eyes... (talaga lang, ha!) And that, my friends, is what made me press Next Episode... 

I thought Chan Seong was Chun Myung's reincarnation. He's not and towards the end, I found what his role was in Man Wol's past life. Besh, eto yung perfect embodiment ng linyang pinagtagpo pero 'di tinadhana (they crossed paths but were never meant to be together). And that open-ended ending... just my cup of tea. 

So this drama made me think if we do really die or we just get transformed into other life beings (bilang tayo ay energy and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only be converted into another form). Seryoso. 

Basta, this drama definitely makes it into my list of favorite dramas. I really should give all dramas equal chances cos just like this one, it might surprise & delight me. 

Was It Love?

I waited until the drama ended before I watched episodes 15 and 16 para isang go na lang. 

The ending was okay. After watching the last two episodes, I was slightly disappointed that Dae Oh chose to leave Ae Jong and Hanee. Maybe he was being selfless when he put Ae Jong and Hanee's welfare first before his happiness. I just don't get it why they chose not to keep in touch in those two years. Sabi nga ni Nadine, c'mon guys it's 2018 2020 na pala! Anon'ng ginagawa ng Facebook, Viber, Messenger, Line at Kakao? Maybe to give them both time to focus on their careers... ano ba ang two years? Kung si Man-wol at Chan-seong nga isang lifetime (rough estimate, LOL) ang hihintayin, ano ba naman ang dalawang taon? So yeah, maybe time and space are needed so they can work things out. 

However, I just don't get it why they say that it was Dae Oh who abandoned Ae jong. I mean, it was Ae jong who left. Baka meron akong na-miss na detail. I believe Dae Oh didn't even know he fathered a child, so why is he being painted as the bad guy? Di ko naman gets yung mga tao, why would they be angry with an author whose novel was supposedly based on his life- sabi nga ni Kim Taehyung tawag jan ay artistic license. 

What I learned about watching Kdramas is that the Kdrama world is like a box of chocolated, you never know what you're going to get.