New Year New Emz

Day whatever of just winging the new year. Been without kasambahays for two weeks now and it's killing meeeeee! Normally, it wouldn't; however, the parents are sick and aside from making sure we have food to eat (I don't cook so I just buy online in the village marketplace), I have to take care of them. It would also be easier if things weren't happening in the time of COVID. I made myself sleep in the room right above theirs so I can hear them at night. The other night, my Dad had been coughing continuously at 3am in the morning. I woke up right away and went down to their bedroom, asked how he's feeling and made him take mucosulvan- THANK GOD IT WORKED! I tested Mommy pala and she's negative for COVID, tester her twice so it's not COVID. It was Mommy who got the sore throat and started coughing first. Must be the weather or some other kind of flu. Anyway, while undergoing this ordeal, I was able to come up with a short list of reasons why I'm still grateful ☺

• My sisters! They're not here with me physically, but it's such a relief to know I have four more persons to rely on. I have four other persons to ask help from kahit not physically taking care of our parents, but in tending to our needs like meds for Mommy and Daddy, our food for the day, etc. Kahit yung may makakausap ka lang sobrang malaking bagay na 'yun. I am glad I have four ☺
• My new assistant. He's (yes he's a he, but identifies as a she) doesn't know much housework, but he's been a big help pa rin. He helps with a few things in the shop (I don't let him do a lot of things yet since he hasn't been "trained" to do those stuff, so I assign to him very easy and hindi naman kailangan masyado ng skillzzz) and he does the dishes after every meal and he cooks the rice. He's not Manang nor Meme, but malaking bagay na he's here to help me. Ayoko po sana na pumunta siya agad dito kasi feeling ko I can manage the business alone until April or May- galawang kuripot ba. Haha. But yeah, I'm glad he's here now. Kahit he's going back to school on June and I have to find a new assistant before he leaves. I just hope I do find a new one before he leaves and I hope that the new one will be masipag, mabait, may kusa and honest. 
• Manang, Meme and Nonoy may not be perfect but I am so grateful for them for making our lives SO MUCH EASIER. As in. I swear, God didn't give me a family of my own or kahit children man lang, cos he knows I can't handle it. He knows my time management skills is zilch. Ang dami kong reklamo sa kanila, but right now I realize how much convenience they're providing for our family. I sort of realized that before during our first bout with COVID here in the house, but this time I feel it's more difficult cos my sister's not here.
• BTS. Tama yung sinasabi nila na you don't find BTS, BTS finds you just when you need them the most. Well, as for me, I've been a fan since April 2020 (I just made it May para isang celebration na with Mommy's birthday), but it's only now that I feel the comfort of being their fan. Their videos have been keeping me company, making me laugh in this sorta-mej sad period of my life. I love the boys so much and I really wish I can see them perform live in-person when they all finish military service on 2025. I'll be 43 then. Hehehe. 

That's it for now. I wrote down three things I'm grateful for everyday but I can't remember it all now and I'm sure not everything I can write down here. So anyway, it's past my bedtime (yes, I've been sleeping earlier now- bagong bisyo ng tander me) and I have to bid you adieu, my online self. 

It's Been A While

In today's post, I aim to write about:

• general life updates
• my (non) reviews of k-dramas I've finished 
• life's worries

Entonces, vamos a empezar...

My last post was last September 6, my birthday, and just a few days after my dad tested positive for COVID. The next day, it was AC who tested positive. A couple days after, it was Meme. Mommy and Manang tested positive the day after that and I was the last to test positive in the household. Meanwhile, in other households- AD also tested positive and Hen and the boys. In other words, we're all in this together. Haka-haka namin was we got it from an Uncle who had colds at the time of my birthday dinner. We could've gotten it from V pero if it was from her, then Hen and the boys would've gotten it earlier than Daddy did. We're just thankful that we only had mild symptoms. I guess thanks to molnupiravir. I was worried when Daddy tested positive cos then we wouldn't really know how it would affect him- he had fever, coughs and colds. Maybe it helped that he took meds right away. My only symptoms were super super slight body ache, colds and I only coughed at night- no fever, no sore throat. Thank God. 

After our bout with COVID, we're a bit braver with going out and eating in enclosed spaces- take advantage of our natural immunity, LOL. Had I known that I'd contract it early September, I would have tried my luck at the BTS Busan concert. Hindi nga siguro ukol. I'd see the boys on 2025 then. Patience is my virtue. Ha. 

My friends were able to watch the concert. Super happy for them but at the same time I'm sort of inggit for missing out. However, I've been working on this motto- what's meant for you won't pass you by, so it's maybe it's not meant for me. I just got to carry on and hope for my turn to come. For now, I'm happy with my pasalubong- sandamakmak na photo cards!

Love it! 

*DNF* 

Yo shawty, it's mah birthday ♥

Celebrated my special day with my loved ones and with food, food and more food ☺

Breakfast was tuyo, rice and nilagang saging- our usual. With the parental units.

Had late lunch with Mommy and Daddy, AD and Cio at Barcino UPTC. I wasn't able to take photos of the appetizer dish which was my favorite. Food was okay, medyo umay factor kicked in early. Coke could have helped but I was trying to cut down on my soda intake (at yung babayarin!) 

Dessert was milk tea from Coco. Last time I had milk tea from Coco was before the pandemic pa. My preferred milk tea is Macao. Anyway, I was reminded today why I'm not a fan of milk teas. Buti na lang.

Arrived in my sister's house at 4pm just to leave at 4:45 to reach Makati at 7pm in time for dinner. Dinner with my sisters, my parents and the husbands of my sisters who have husbands. Teehee. Sans AB who was in the States. Kids weren't in attendance since it was a school night. Thai food at People's Palace. Yum ♥

Everything was delicious, but my favorites were the pomelo & shrimp salad and the tom yum soup. 

pomelo & shrimp salad

kanin pa lang, ulam no *LOL*

pad thai

tom yum

I also had Thai iced tea which was way better (and way more expensive) than the one we order here at the neighborhood Thai food supplier. I think Coke would complement the food better, but I can drink Coke anytime.

The day was capped with a barista's drink from Starbucks. 

Busog. 

Tapos na birthday ko. 

The good thing is I still have something to look forward to tomorrow. THIS CAKE. 

A gift from my BFF and her sister (who's also a co-Army). Parang ayokong sirain pero ang silbi ng cake ay para kainin, entonces... magtutuos kami bukas ;) 

A birthday well-spent with family and good food ♥ I just wish myself joy, good health and financial freedom for the rest of my life- and also wish the same for my parents and my sisters and their families as well. 

I AM GRATEFUL. 

But also, dapat mag-exercise na ako bukas. 

In 4... 3... 2... 1

 P*****t.

Stepping into a new decade of my life in less than two hours. I used to feel dread turning 40, but my sister pointed out that not all are given the opportunity to reach this age. I realized I should be grateful. And I am. I have SO much to be grateful for. The older I get, the more I realize that I have been blessed with so much- my parents, my family, my friends, that I like and enjoy what I do for a living, that I've had reliable people help me get me to where I am (which is not that much naman, LOL). Masaya ako with where I am now. 

But at the same, I am also fearful of the future. Ayoko na in-enumerate pero madami akong scenarios na naiisip and I hate myself for it. Balik na lang tayo sa happy thoughts-

Thank You, Lord, for everything. Thank You for all the blessings. Thank You for all your provisions. I pray that You won't tire of showering me, my family, with blessings. THANK YOU ♥

Escapism Therapy 2022: Second Quarter

Ang bagal ko na sobra. Super daming distraction. Haha. Baliktad na. Trabaho na ang distraction at kdrama na ang priority. For the second quarter of this year, just finished three kdramas and one US series. 

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

💜💜💜💜💜

Super cute story. Well, it started out as a cute teenybopper romance but later on became more serious as they got older and entered new stages in their lives. These days I live for feel-good romcom dramas but if you knew me way baaaack then, I used to like tragic love stories. Hindi naman ako natutuwa na hindi sila nagkakatuluyan o may namamatay, but there's something beautiful in tragic love stories- yung F na F mo sakit, cathartic baga. 

I loved the relationships among the characters- between Hee-do and Yi-jin, between Yu-rim and Ji-woong, Hee-do and Yu-rim, and their friendship in general. 

I loved how Hee-do and Yu-rim's relationship has evolved from fan and idol turned rivals turned close friends. I liked Yu-rim and Ji-woong's relationship has blossomed over time- in fair kay kuya, matiyaga siya. And last but not the least- Hee-do and Yi-jin's relationship >> spoiler alert << may not have stood the test if time, but theirs was beautiful while it lasted. Although I think sayang yung friendship nila, hence the question whether best/good friends should cross that line. 

Beautiful Gong-shim

💜💜💜

It started out good but towards the end, medyo 'meh' na siya. 

This kdrama has 20 episodes and I feel there were many scenes they could have done without. This drama would be totally fine with just the usual 16 episodes. 

My favorite and most abhorred characters were, surprisingly, not the leads. Gongshim was endearing at first, but started to annoy me towards the end kasi wala lang annoying lang siya. Anyway... my favorite character is Jun-su. Umpisa pa lang he's been this very kind and down-to-earth chaebol, very different from his parents. I felt sorry for him that his halmone has been treating him with disregard just because she feels he's the reason why Jun-pyo vanished- malay ba ng bata! I was actually conflicted, I know I should root for the male lead but I really really want our second lead, Jun-su, to get the girl. And also, been wishing and hoping that he doesn't turn to the dark side- which he almost did, buti na lang natauhan. 

My most abhorred character is not the evil uncle, actually. Eto ay si Gongmi, Gongshim's older sister. Ang inggitera, kaloka! I mean, why would you be okay with turning your sister's room into a walk-in closet and have her sleep in it? Kadiri. Also, she tried to "steal" Jun-su away from Gongshim. Buti na lang si kuya hindi mabilis masilaw ng patpat, hahaha 😂 She apologized to Jun-su, but not to her sister. Walang character development- selfish pa rin hanggang sa huli. Kung ako lang, she doesn't deserve a happy ending although masyado naman atang harsh 'yun so she doesn't deserve Jun-su na lang. 

Shooting Stars

💜💜💜💜

Nakakilig. And you know me, I live for kilig. Always. I can always suspend disbelief when it comes to kilig. 

When I started watching this kdrama, I didn't even know who are the actors in it. Lo and behold, it's this guapo boy 💗

and one of my fave female leads- Lee Sungkyung💗

I found out from google that cutie male lead was also the cutie sungit boy from Penthouse. His cuteness wasn't enough to make me watch the second and third seasons of Penthouse- too nega and, actually, too Probinsyano-ish. LOL. So anyway, eto nagtagpo na kami ulit and in better circumstances- in a romcom! 

Soooo, ayun I liked this drama most especially the first half of it. Mas kinikilig talaga ako when it's a love-hate relationship between the leads 😁 Giddiness galore! 

Just wondering if big stars really get into relationships with employees or staff in their agency, or at least find them interesting. Feeling ko hindi. 

My takeaway from this drama is the same as my takeaway from Record of Youth- mahirap mag-date ng artista, a top star at that. Actually in their case, it's easier. Oh Han-byeol has been going to Tae-sung's house even before, but now kasi there's guilt factor. But still, it's easier. They can always say it's PR-related. Dramas like this one is for us delulus, LOL.We should know lang when to snap out of it ;) 

Only three dramas- THREE! I promise to make bawi this third quarter before the Christmas season kicks in this September. As of press time (naks!), I'm almost done with Kiss Sixth Sense and am currently watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo which is still ongoing. What is productivity? 😅

Escapism Therapy 2022: First Quarter

 At the rate that I'm going, I will be able to finish just 12 kdramas this 2022. It's actually weird that I don't get to watch and finish a lot of kdramas cos I actually have a lot of time on my hands. Anyway, here's the run-down on my kdramas for the first quarter of 2022 ☺

Our Beloved Summer

💜💜💜💜

What made me watch this drama was the fact that the OST includes Kim Taehyung's song Christmas Tree, and only for that reason at the start. Well, I did enjoy it albeit it's a bit slow. I find Choi Ung's character endearing although I bet in the real world, nakakainis siya kasi ang tamad niya. Lels. And we sort of share the same dream, and- 

Galawang tamad. Haha. I understand where Choi Ung's character is coming from. I mean, he knows what he wants to do with his life and where he is right now in his life is already enough for him. It was actually easy for him because things kind of came to him easily (or so we thought). To him, everything he needs and wants in life he already has and he can't ask for anything more... until ze girl broke up with him. 

Yeon-soo, on the other hand, didn't have it easy. She was raised by her grandma alone after both her parents died. From then on, she had to strive for everything she wanted to have/achieve. Her bitchesa attitude was a front and also some kind of a defense mechanism. When she broke up with Choi Ung, I feel it wasn't only because she didn't want to be the hadlang to Choi Ung's dreams or career, but I guess she also took it against him that he had it easy. 

So this is a story of enemies turned lovers turned enemies turned lovers again, and I guess I live for this kdrama trope which explains why I liked it. And also that I get to hear V's voice every now and then. 

So what's my key takeaway from this drama? Perspective is everything. 

The King's Affection

💜💜

Eto naman sa dramang 'to, main consideration for watching was the male lead. I first watched Rowoon in She Would Never Know and I instantly took a liking to this adorable boy. I actually started watching this drama last last year and only got to finish it this March. Ang bagal ng story and there's not much chemistry going on between them. Mas may chemistry kami. Chareng 😆

I blame this drama for my slow start this year. Not sure if it's entirely due to the story or because I really am not fond of sageuks. And omg these sageuks- so masalimuot! I can't fathom why people would want to be queen or king when it would cost one his or her peace of mind. I'd rather be a commoner living in the mountains, planting camote for my own consumption. 

Key takeaway from this drama- wala. Hahaha! 

Hospital Playlist

💜💜💜💜

Another drama I started watching August of last year, but someone in our household contracted COVID and the hospital scenes gave me anxiety so I had to stop watching. Only picked up where I left of last month and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed the drama ☺ 

My favorite character is Ik-jun but my favorite storyline is Jeong-won and Gyeo-ul's. Kasi nga I live for kilig! 

Etong mga doktor na 'to ambabait! I've been in hospital quite often these days and medyo isang doctor pa lang ang medyo ganyan sa kanila haha. Cute din siya ;) Haha. So anyway, what's enjoyable about this drama is the camaraderie among the main characters, akin to Reply 1988 (same writer!). Siguro what I didn't like lang was how this drama reminded me of my own health, LOL. Will be watching Hospital Playlist 2 soon where I will be anticipating more conflicts. Hindi puedeng happy-happy all the time, diba? 

Key takeaway from this drama- I should take care of my health if I want to enjoy life. Mahal magkasakit and hindi all the time pogi ang doctor mo (kung yun lang ang consolation mo sa pagkaka-ospital). 

Business Proposal 

💜💜💜💜

This one is still actually ongoing- two more episodes to watch, but I guess I can write something about it now. This drama was not in my To Watch list but when nurses in the hospital recommended that I watch it, I immediately picked it up and here we are now, just waiting for the last two episodes. Maganda naman siya, not 'ANG GANDA!' levels pero it was very entertaining. Aside from the enemies-turned-lovers trope, contract marriages/relationships is another trope I like which explains why I'm enjoying it. 

And oh, if you want to enjoy this story, you have to suspend your disbelief. Sige, make-up daw and wig, but if you keep on meeting up and more often, at close range, one would eventually put two and two together. Boses pa lang. And Ha-ri has two noticeable moles on her face... I mean, wala man lang 'you look/sound familiar' from Tae-moo? So ayun nga, suspension of disbelief ay kailangan.

Fun and nakakakilig to watch, definitely my cup of tea ☺ And may I add, our lead guy fell for the lead girl first. Excited to watch episodes 11 and 12 later. 

Key takeaway from this drama- Yellow umbrellas bring good luck in love. Makabili na nga ng yellow na payong 😂

So there, one drama for every month. Ang bagal considering I sort of have all the time in world right now. I think Twitter is the culprit (and BTS!) since I spend so much time on Twitter, nakiki-Maritess on election-related news and stuff. I actually started watching Flower of Evil while waiting for Business Proposal episodes and promising naman. I wish to be delighted and surprised by this drama. On second thought, baka surprised lang pala at hindi delighted. Hehehe. 

22 for 2022 (Awaiting Completion)

I think I won't be able to complete my 22 things to do for 2022. We are again in a state of semi-lockdown. Self-imposed. Omicron kasi. I don't think I'll also be able to do a 40 things I want to do before I turn 40 because... pandemic. Oh yeah, I turn 40 this year. Blech. But my sister taught me to see this as a blessing- not all people are given the opportunity to live until their 40th birthdays, so now I almost always see getting older in a positive light. Ayun lang may mga downsides like white hair, triggered hyperacidity due to the littlest of things (such as but not limited to not eating or pooping on time, TMI, harharhar), takes time to catch up on sleep when I make puyat, 

So here are my sort of resolutions this year and also what I want to do/happen ☺

💜1. Track my expenses RELIGIOUSLY. I started March last year- I was able to list down my expenses and also make an excel file of my cash flow- but come November and December which were my busy months, I failed to write everything down. I need to train myself to write all expenses at the end of the day. 

💜 2. Start reading books again. YA na nga lang hindi pa ako makarami, harhar. And to think I kinda have a lot of time in my hands because there weren't many orders coming in. Well, I have BTS and kdramas to blame for that. My resolution for this year is only eight books and I hope I get to accomplish that.

💜 3. Eat healthy. Which means less Coke, less chips, less sugar, more veggies. It's relatively easier since I can't go out and eat whatever I want when I crave for it (like samgyup, for example), but we still have our friendly neighborhood sari-sari store that sells Coke and chichirya and also village marketplaces that sell merienda (kwek-kwek 👀) and have it delivered to our doorstep. Dahil nga tumatanders na ako, I need to somehow lessen my intake of these sinful food. I need to make a conscious effort to eat healthy para pagdating ko ng 50,60, I will still be able to enjoy life. 

💜 4. Exercise more. At the start of the pandemic until October last year, I was religiously exercising in the morning with my father at the balcony. Medyo mandatory yung attendance but come Nov/Dec when we were busy with Christmas orders, I stopped. And until now I haven't started again. Late December, I got sick and isolated myself for more than 10 days, so naunsyami na naman ang aking dapat morning routine. Because of omicron, I also avoid being at the same spot as my parents. Mahirap na. I need to exercise inside my room or at least do stretching but, you know, my mind is willing but the body is weak. I hope I muster enough discipline to do this again. 

💜 5. Take my vitamins/supplements everyday- not to be kunat with my money and buy the needed meds. Health is wealth after all. Bakit kasi ang mahal ng Liverprime!

💜 6. Post more photos on Instagram. I take lots of photos but only a few make it on Instagram. Or Facebook. Most of these photos end up in my computer memory or external storage and I get to see them only when I look for some photos or when I try to organize my files. I want to post them on IG because when it's there I see it more often- I'll be reminded more often of the memories that come with the photos. 

💜 7. Plan ahead. Be less of a procrastinator. A N G H I R A P N I T O ! ! ! Bilang isang master procrastinator (and a good one at it 😉), I always wait for the last minute to do things. Lalo na ngayon na you can't really plan things. We make orders, a surge happens, customers cancel or postpone their orders. But with regard to life in general, I should train myself to not wait for the last bottle of whatever that is to be opened before I buy a new one. I want to put this quote a saw on Twitter- If it takes less than five minutes to do, do it immediately. Your life will instantly become much more organized and productive.

💜 8. Try watching Goblin again. Haha. Pang-ilan ko nang attempt ito. 

💜 9. Start journaling on paper again. Ang limit ko na mag-blog at hindi na ako nagjo-journal on paper. Sometimes I read my old posts and I'm reminded of things or events that I would have never remembered had happened if it weren't for those posts or journal entries. Pero gusto ko this time, with more photos, with washi tapes- mas may art eme. Hihi. Let's see if I can actually do this. 

** to be continued **