The Saturday Agenda: Vintage Find

I love my routines but I do sneak in some variations every now and then.

 

My Saturday agenda at Angel and Islington today - the usual suspects plus a few twists:

• After having my hair cut at Hair Base Islington (Cut was okay but I really miss my Filipino hairdressers and stylists in Manila!), I found out that it was raining quite heavily. I decided to grab a cup of coffee for warmth.
• On my way to one of my usual coffee stops (Coffee Works), I bought fruits from several stalls along Chapel Market, a new discovery of fresh finds and my own small steps in supporting local.
• After warming up over a cup of flat white, I bought my protein at Turner & George -- sirloin steak for my Chipotle recipe.
• Another slight twist to my weekend routine: I wandered through Camden Passage and finally gave in to buying this vintage find. Scroll down to see what I found!
• Finally, the endnote to my Angel & Islington weekend routine: I bought my flowers, this time from the stall in front of the Angel Station.

Cheers and enjoy the remaining bits of the weekend! Stay dry!

 

Vintage clip-on earrings with Swarovski crystals:
These would be lovely for a special occasion :)

The Saturday Agenda: Indian Brunch, Kensington Palace and The Regent's Park

Hey there! How's your weekend going so far? Are you dreading Monday and wishing for the extra 24 hours to prolong the weekend bliss? Hahaha, I feel you my friend. So relatable!


My weekend buddy, travel organiser, and good friend Liza is leaving for a place with almost-year-round warm weather very soon and we are maximising the weekends left for her to have a proper 'last hurrah' with London (after staying here for more than seven years).

It was a sunny Saturday contrary to our expectations of cloudy skies. Obviously, that made us very happy. Let's keep the text brief and sweet. Here's the Saturday agenda in five bullets:

1. We had Indian brunch at Dishoom (Carnaby branch). The place gets packed quite fast and one needs to reserve ahead. Good thing we got a 9:30 AM spot.
2. We walked around the Regent Street. It was the day of the London Pride March and the streets were decked out in rainbow colours.
3. Kensington Park. It was a lovely day under the sunshine and the gardens seemed as green as they can be.
4. Kensington Palace. Our Art Fund pass allowed us free entry to visit the state apartments where royals like Queen Victoria and Princess Diana once lived.
5. Regent's Park. Incidentally, I got to cross out one from my bucket list: To visit an English Garden. Do you think I will be able to cross out the other two in my list this year?

Click 'Read more'to see my short, sort-of bucket list and the rest of the Saturday agenda pictures.

The Saturday Agenda: Kenwood House & Hampstead Heath

Hello dear. Hope summer is treating you well, wherever you are now.
I went for a "little escape" this weekend.

Here's my quick Saturday agenda:

1. Kenwood House - This stately house and its estate is located at the northern part of Hampstead Heath. This was featured in films such as Notting Hill and Sense and Sensibility. It also houses a collection of paintings which includes a Rembrandt self-portrait.
2. Hampstead Heath - A really massive park that is more "countryside" than green spaces typical of London city parks. If you want to truly detach from urban life without going very far from the city, this is the 'heath' for you. Think hilly, sometimes forest-like, grassy trails and ponds (like the one pictured above).

Click to "Read more".

The Sunday Agenda: Changing of the Guards, Highgate & Flat Iron Steak

Hi there!
Need a dash of sunshine and a generous sprinkling of warmth? I'll try my best to brighten up your day in my own little way. Here's a slight variation to my usual TSA agenda - this time S is for Sunday :)

1. Changing of the Guards
2. Highgate: Waterlow Park and Highgate Cemetery
3. Flat Iron Steak

Click "Read more" to see my Sunday agenda.

The Weekend Agenda: Paris (also Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 10)

#Paris #DearParis

 

 

Dear Paris,

By now, you may have gotten used to receiving notes admiring your beauty and charm, retelling in various versions how your cobblestoned streets, your food, your arts and culture, your architecture, your Eiffel Tower, your fashion and films, and your language truly embody romance, love and passion. Should I add any more? Aren't there enough travelogues, memoirs and poems about you? My own compilation of random thoughts will be the millionth verse to this epic ode to Paris.


It's just that I've always dreamt of visiting you, experiencing you --- the Parisian flair that many talked about. Until recently, Paris was a good idea, but only that, a good idea. Who would have guessed? I was presented the opportunity to move to the UK and I have found the perfect excuse. You're now literally just hours away --- a Eurostar train trip and a Schengen visa are the only things that keep us apart. Cheesy as it may sound, it felt like falling in love with someone from across the miles for so many years, with only literature and pictures to keep you inspired, and realising that finally you're meeting him in the flesh.


I was wary and guarded when I walked your streets for the first time, knowing that I do not speak French (at least conversationally) and that tourist traps and thieves are out and about (as in many cities in the world). In a way, you were still a stranger, beautiful and promising in paper --- like most men are, putting their best foot forward when they want to win you over.


I sampled the food from your brasserie and wondered what is it that sets your cuisine apart from the rest. It wasn't love at first sight (or taste), to be honest. It took some more buttery croissants for breakfast and a couple of glasses of wine for lunch AND dinner for me to finally make up my mind. Yes, you do excellent pastries and you've got the wine and food pairing down to a T. The baguette or any 'hard' bread is not something I fancy much though. I like my food less messy to eat, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and flavourful.


Despite all these, I love you still --- imperfections, quirks and all. It may be a one-way street, and you may not feel the same. I am after all another stranger, and we had less than three days together. Nonetheless, it was indeed an exciting and magical experience, and I will never forget this 'first time' in my lifetime. If you and the universe permit, I will see you again.


Enchanté!


With love,
Genefel


Click "Read more" to see my #Paris weekend, as told in 35 snaps.

The Weekend Agenda: Budapest

 

Where do I begin?

 

I've previously travelled to some cities on my own but all of those were for work. Budapest was my first solo travel for leisure outside the Philippines (my home country), and I chose to do it on the week of my birthday!

 

 

 

After so much internal debate on the pros and cons of Budapest and travelling solo, I finally clicked the "Buy" button for the dates of the trip and accommodation. I remember feeling an indescribable rush afterwards - a combination of excitement, that sense of being daunted by the new challenge, and sheer happiness over the fact that I will soon be breaking away from another comfort zone. 

 

I posted my 35 #birthdayseries in Instagram (@genefel) during my Budapest trip. As mentioned in my captions, I don't usually post that many pictures in succession in any of my social media accounts. But I was so enthralled by the entire experience that I felt it justified to share these in Instagram (where I have comparably the smallest number of followers among my social media accounts so I thought it was most appropriate for such a meaningful  milestone in my life.) Why 35 posts? Well, that was because I turned 35 recently.

 



Happy 35th



 

In this blog post, I slightly reframed my #birthdayseries story to share with you my three-day Budapest itinerary. Hopefully, this inspires you to travel more (if Budapest is something you haven't visited yet or wants to revisit), to travel solo for leisure (if you were like me who mostly travel for work), and to view age more positively (if you tend to hide the years rather than count your blessings). ;)

 

 

 

I included a post-script on pre-travel basics at the end of this post. You may find these useful if you're traveling from London, or need some references on airport and hotel essentials.

 

Warning: Loads of pictures, i.e., probably more than twice my Instagram #birthdayseries, but hopefully with lesser text so I won't bore you with much details. Should you decide to validate these by taking the Budapest trip yourself, there are more stories left to uncover! :)

 

Now go on, click "Read more", but you've been warned ;)

The Saturday Agenda: Making Handmade Soaps + Persian Lunch

Why do I share my Saturday agenda with you? Good question. My two cents on this:

1. Currently, it is my only "free time" when non-work events of interest actually happen. Other than these, I'd most likely bore you with a lecture on audit, risk and controls, hahaha. And on a Saturday, no thanks.
2. I want to encourage you to go out, get out of your comfort zone (which will most likely be your very comfortable, warm and cosy bed) and LIVE OUT LIFE!! Don't get me wrong. I am an introvert myself and staying indoors with a cup of hot cocoa and immersing myself in the world of books are my closest to heaven. However, I've made a pact with this introvert self of mine that I will go out more and see the "outside world" every now and then. Why? Life is short. We are here for the journey - THE experience. :)

So here goes my agenda for this Saturday...


Click to "Read more".

Cosmopolitan Notes

Some interesting factual notes from last night's dinner with the ladies from my team:  a 25-year old lady from India and a newly married lady who grew up in Brazil and worked in Ireland. We talked about cultures and things that surprised us in our first few weeks here in London (random and verbatim):

1. If we don't get married by 25, we will be considered an outcast. 
2. We still observe the tradition of paying the dowry for the man to marry a woman. 
3. You can talk to somebody for two hours, and he can act like he doesn't know you the next day / time you meet. (Thanks for the heads-up!)

Some more interesting takes here:

1. In my country, there are more women than men. Not verbatim: Men tend to be "clever" and take in more than one relationship.
2. In my country, there are more men than women. Again, not verbatim: Men still have the upper hand because they get to choose even if they have less options.

We are citizens of the world. We are different but we are similar in many ways. Then again, we are similar but we have to respect our differences; understand them first before we expect others to behave as we thought they should. That's just that. No judgment here.

 

 

 

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 3

#bucketlist


I am not really a bucket-list person. But sometimes, you just have to write them down --- your dreams, aspirations and plans --- however vague, silly or pointless they may seem at first. Sometimes the universe listens, and sometimes it indeed conspires with you.


I only have these three written down so far. They came to me in various moments --- those endlessly quiet nights of reflection, those me-time afternoons spent thinking through the logic in the illogical, and those unexpected prose coming out of nowhere. They seemed fairy-tale-ish and have nothing to do with my career or personal goals at the moment but I still wrote them down (also an excuse to practice some calligraphy). Sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust (literally a room spray), they're now safely locked here >>> ❤.

Yes, dreams do come true. And sometimes they don't. However, putting them out there helps pave the way, gives us some sort of direction, and pushes us to take these adventures. It's like betting on fate. What are the odds of winning against something as powerful? Fate, which has the unfair advantage of knowing the crossings of the stars and the secrets of the universe? These bets may break us into pieces but we know that our pains will redeem and strengthen us in the end. The betting, the uncertainties, the detours and the fairness or un-fairness of all of these are the adventures themselves. Whilst we lose time and people in the process, we gain experiences and memories. And maybe, that's what bucket lists are for?

Full text:
genefel One year later. @tonibirdsong, remember this? I'm not really a bucket list type of person and I usually have a short list of mini adventures that I want to take. But I read your book and I believe it subconsciously pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Thanks again! #bucketlist #page149

tonibirdsong Hope you have a great 2017 @genefel - I'll be cheering you on! Thanks for posting; warms my heart! 💞☺️

genefel Thanks @tonibirdsong!! I wish you the same

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 2

#hello #goodbye


I wanted to say...

• Whilst everything may have not been as top-notch and flawless as you or I wanted, I saw the effort and diligence and I truly appreciate these.
• The moments and circumstances are not perfect or even right this time. But they allowed us to find each other still, and for good reasons.

I wanted to ask...

• How are you feeling that day? (And expect to hear beyond the usual, 'Good, thanks, and yourself?' response.)
• Why you never shared much and seemed to keep to yourself?
• Why now? And what would have changed your mind?
• Why me? I just happened to be there.

I wanted to tell you...

• Thank you.
• It's so sad to see you go.
• It's been a pleasure knowing you and I wish you all the best really.
• May you find your happiness someday soon.

Instead, I just said...

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 1

#happynewyear2017

While everyone else is still asleep and / or drunk in last night's merriment, let me greet you all a happy and blessed 2017!

Cheers to another year of life, laughter and love!!!

Cheers,

Genefel

Post-Christmas: Little Red Riding Hood Meets the Big Ben

Two days after Christmas, I still haven't written any post for my blog. Must be going through some form of writer's block? I told myself that this is expected after having not done any blogging for a very long period of time other than the Instagram posts-turned-random-reflections which I've been posting at least on a weekly basis. I thought I needed some fresh air and sunshine to regain my bearings.
 
I took the bus to Canary Wharf. Sales spotted everywhere! I did some quick window shopping but unfortunately the coats I like didn't come in my size or even if they did, they were still too big for me. Note to self: Need to gain more pounds!

Jubilee - Canary Wharf Station

It was a bit cold so I had a cup of coffee (from Notes) before heading to the tube. I took the Jubilee line to the Westminster station. While waiting for the train, this "Little Red Riding Hood" theme got me out of nowhere. Maybe it was because I was wearing my favourite red coat?

Click to "Read more".

Another Christmas Eve?

Was it just another Christmas eve?


23 December 2016 - from 4 p.m. to about past 9:00 p.m.


My annual leave officially started on the 22nd but I was only truly free from office work on the 23rd.


Liza, one of the Filipina friends that I've met here in London, knew that I'm all game for anything about culture and the arts. She invited me to see the promenade performance called 'Christmas Carol' at the Victoria & Albert Museum. I met up with her at 4:00 p.m. The performance was actually about Queen Victoria's reminiscing of times with her late husband Prince Albert, injected with a bit of Christmas cheer - some singing and dancing, and the character of Sir Robert Peel playing a violin in Queen Victoria's imagination. As it was a promenade performance, the audience had to walk around the British Galleries along with the actors.


After the 35-minute performance, Liza and I decided to head to the National Gallery which was right across Trafalgar Square. I had a grand albeit brief time checking out the 18th century to early 20th century paintings (much shorter compared to my V&A museum visit weeks ago). I finally got to see some greats in the flesh - Van Goghs, Renoirs and Monets.





Van Goghs
(The painting in the centre called 'Sunflowers' used to hang in Van Gogh's guest bedroom in anticipation of the arrival of his artist friend, Paul Gauguin.)

Click to "Read more".

Construction in Progress [Rebuilding Blog]

Hello blog !!!

It's been a really LONG time since my last post in March 2016. The year is about to end and I haven't updated my dear friends on the key events in my life! Now, more than ever, I need this blog to keep connected with those who are important to me - almost the same circle of friends whose physical distance and figurative proximity to my life led me to start this blog more than 10 years ago.

While I try to rebuild the pieces into this blog from April 2016 and hopefully finish this before 2016 ends, please bear with any backdated entries that I may be posting every now and then. However, if you have been following me in Instagram @genefel, you will have a fairly good idea of how my life is turning out, i.e., if you could read through the vague anecdotes and figure the lyrics out of the medley of my so-called life. ;)

 

For now, here's a quick snapshot of how it has been for me:

• April 2016...I was back in Singapore for three weeks for work. Anything is better and sweeter the second time around?
• May 2016...Happy birthday to me! You know exactly how old I am, right (just search this blog ;)? I had my non-negotiable birthday break in Iloilo, my home city. While it seemed different and a bit sad with Uncle Costan now gone, this trip is pivotal. For the first time in a really long time, I was not sure when I will be coming back home again :(
• June 2016...The ball started rolling and decisions were made.
• July 2016...I tried to make the most of the time I had left --- caught up with my closest friends and enjoyed my solo trips to cafes and restaurants that I knew I will miss soon.
• August 2016...Another non-negotiable trip 'cause it was Mama's birth month. This time though, the quality of time spent with her and my eight furry pals have to be upped several levels than the usual. I also managed to convince Tatay to take this vacation with me, which meant A LOT for me and Mama.
• September 2016...Moved to London, UK. Yes, my dearest friends, a new chapter indeed! Whenever I get asked why I made this move, I gave the usual press release, i.e., to specialise in financial services. THAT is true. But what is also true is that a huge part of me honestly don't fully understand why. It was maybe about taking chances and going out of my comfort zone while I can still afford it. Yes, there were still strings that I had to regrettably cut loose from and huge sacrifices I had to make. However, this would have been a lot harder and more costly (emotionally and mentally) as I get older and my roots more anchored in a certain place.
• October 2016...I look back and remember how wide-eyed and innocent I was a few weeks back. Bear with me, this is my first time in the UK and in Europe! I had to constantly remind myself that this is not an assignment for two days, two weeks or two months. This is a 'permanent transfer', yes until London wants me here. I marvelled at the old and beautiful. I was impressed by how the gentlemen here are so well dressed and courteous. I was awed by this much culture around me. I was just starting though and I knew realities were waiting around the corner.
• November 2016...Settling in but there is more for sure. More tough times and rough roads. More special and happy moments. More heartbreaks. More lessons.
• December 2016...And here I am, on the last month of 2016. I look around and feel my way through --- the fog, the winter chill, the different colours of people and places. This is uncertainty. This is the adventure. I'm not really sure if this is exactly what I prayed for but nonetheless, I feel blessed in many ways. I feel stronger after every bucket of tears. I make plans but He --- the greatest of all architects --- has written them better.

 

In the meantime, still rebuilding...

See you around!!!

 



Credits: V&A Museum, South Kensington, London, UK
Building - The architect communicates the final design to the contractors and specialists who will construct the building. The instructions must provide enough information to turn the design into a real building. Working drawings, and details drawn at full size, help the team put everything together. Models are used to show how the building will be constructed and to alert the team to complicated technical details.

 

Figuring Out the Maze of London Transport







I've never been good with directions. Even probably with a full gear of detailed maps and a compass, I will most likely get lost. And that's putting it mildly. Perhaps, I am not wired for trekking unknown territories without a little bit of help. Oftentimes, I believe in the good of humanity and asked for directions. But in some rare circumstances, I got lucky and found my way :)

Put in some buffer time and install the mobile application

My first few weeks of trying to understand the London transportation were challenging ones. I placed a lot of buffer, especially when going to client meetings, in case I get lost. Thankfully, I always arrived on time. It was often in the routes going home when I had those 'where I am now'  moments. I have the Google Maps application in my mobile and that saved me.

Make sure you're heading to the right destination

My first rides were usually in buses because I was more comfortable seeing the landmarks when I go from point A to B. But travel time was longer. I also found out later (after getting lost several times) that I should take note of the bus number AND the bus destination (where the bus trip ends) because several buses with the same bus number may pass by the same bus stop. Case in point: 135 Crossharbour and 135 Old Street, with the two going in opposite directions - one going to my Canary Wharf office and the other passing by my Limehouse flat. The same applies to train lines; you have to check that you're in the right direction - eastbound, westbound, northbound, southbound, and the destination where the train terminates.

Study the tube map

Over time, I got more comfortable taking the tube and found it more convenient since travel time is much faster than taking buses (even with slight delays). Although the tube map seems like a maze of spaghetti wires, it later became easier for me to figure out my routes and I relied less on my mobile application. It is the "walking" bit that remains challenging. If getting to my destination involves at least four (4) minutes of walking, trust me that I will head off to the wrong direction for about 1-2 minutes before I will realise that and figure out the right one. Again, the point of putting in buffers, so I can make it in time. I guess I will just have to live with that :)

Buy the ticket that works for you

Since my client work requires me to travel throughout the City and I also plan to visit some destinations in certain zones, I got the annual season ticket (at a discounted price c/o my company) which allows me unlimited travel across the four zones in London. This link may be helpful in finding the ticket that works for you: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/where-to-top-up-and-buy-tickets. I haven't been to many places as of date, and below are the few ones which deserve invisible pins in my 'getting lost' map:

• Aldgate - My company booked my first two weeks of interim accommodation here. I'd walk around the place for early morning or late night groceries. Now that I've moved to my own flat in Limehouse, I still find myself going back to Aldgate. When the Northern Line gets too crowded at rush hours after work, I'd take the Metropolitan Line or the Hammersmith & City Line to Aldgate / Aldgate East and take a bus from there. Sometimes, I'd stop by this little coffee shop in St. Botolph Street just because.
• London Bridge - I had my first week of orientation in our More London Place office. Sometimes I'd go back here for a few meetings and administrative stuff.
• Canary Wharf - When I'm not at client sites or need to have face-to-face meetings, I'm usually in our Churchill Place office. When I need to take my mind off work on weekends, I'd go window shopping around the malls because it's generally more quiet here compared to those in Oxford street.
• Angel - I found this because of Turner & George, my go-to shop for fresh meat. I love the creative and 'small community' vibe here and this is a place I'd consider should I think of moving to another place in London.
• Camden Town - It gets touristy and crowded on weekends, but I came here for the creative stuff. I loved going around Camden Lock and while I ended up empty-handed, it was enough to dust off my artsy cobwebs.
• Bank - This is like the point of convergence for most train lines. In my mind, if I get confused, I'll just find a train that goes to Bank and take it from there.
• Monument - Can't miss this great monument which commemorates both the Great Fire that destroyed most of London and the rebuilding of the City.
• Moorgate - This will always be special. I spent eight of my 10 weeks in London (to date) in Moorgate. I'm usually here on Wednesdays and Fridays, and some weeks even more, for client-related work. I will remember both the good fun and stressful times.

Take it easy; you'll figure it out

There are journeys in life that we do not plan for. We allow ourselves to get lost in the process. Many times, we will lose some things and gain some memories, good and bad. But in all these times, we will find bits of ourselves that will make getting lost seem worthwhile.

The Friday/Saturday Agenda: My Favorite Shots

Hello my friends!!! It's a Saturday again. What's your agenda? :)

It is usually a "Saturday Agenda". (The only exception was when we celebrated Lovella's birthday which fell on a Friday.) I am a Saturday kind of girl. Without intending to, my best friend Lovella and I seemed to have scheduled at least one Saturday Agenda every month since November 2015. 

A long long time ago when we were both living in the same city (Makati), putting together our schedules to find a common time was close to impossible. But as the adage say: You don't find time; you make time. Nowadays, we find that Saturday is just perfect for catch-up and some celebration. Lovella will usually end her Friday shift and take a nap in her office until the morning of Saturday. Kudos to her for staying alert and enthusiastic throughout our Saturday agenda! In my case, I make it a point to really wake up earlier than usual.

In the past months, I have shared The Saturday Agenda posts to my Facebook friends instead of here in my blog. To avoid being redundant, I will no longer repeat them here. If that makes you curious and you do want to see how we spend our Saturdays and try putting together our stories through the pictures and captions, add/follow me in Facebook and check out these posts :)

• The Saturday Agenda (12-December-2015): Last Hurrah for 2015 - Last Saturday catchup with bestie, Lovella. Bye 2015 and hello 2016 soon...

• The Saturday Agenda (23-January-2016) - Chase the sunrise. Pick a random place for brunch. Catch-up and brainstorm.

• The Saturday Agenda (27-February-2016) - Transitio 1945: It's February; Mahal Ko Ang Pilipinas [It's been quite a while since my last TSA post, and since it's almost the end of February, the besties decided to cap it with another culture trip to celebrate our love for Pilipinas.]

• The Friday Agenda: (11-March-2016) - Birthday celebration, another culture trip: Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

For this post, I want to pick out and share with you my top four favorite shots from the above Friday/Saturday Agenda Facebook albums. The foodie shots were taken by me while the "emo" shots of yours truly were taken by Lovella.


Click to "Read more".

Dear Stardust

Today is March 20. 

Your ninth death anniversary.

Hey, stardust. 

Can you see me from where you are?

How do my moments in this side of the sky

Appear from light years away?

How do my prayers sound

When I often keep them inside?

It's been a long time

But what gives and what holds on?

Could it be that a small part of me 

Was set aside for you alone?

That some part of me still hope for the day 

When my candle's wick is all consumed

And we meet again in another life,

If there is another life...

I would recognize you and you would recognize me,

We'd redeem lost times and find our way?

And if it's meant to be,

Another serendipity...

I cannot relate to Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Except for these lines:

In another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in another life I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

So long, Mr. P. 

August Happy Long Weekend

Brimming with excitement, I sacrificed sleep (as I always do) in order not to miss my early flight last August 19, 2015.

Five years ago, as you will read in my previous post back then, I surprised my Mama by going home to Iloilo for the first time to celebrate her birthday (at that time, her 65th). That was one of the most priceless things ever, worth all the toll and sweat to get to that special moment.

Moving forward, it has become a "pinned holiday" for me to come home for Mama's birthday since I got back here in Manila. 

How did this one turn out? Please click 'Read more'.

A Short Side Trip to Home

However short, time spent at home and with loved ones will always be cherished.

I grab every opportunity to go home to Iloilo --- that's a given. When I had a client assignment in Victorias City, Negros last June, I took advantage of the proximity and the weekend break to have a short sidetrip and spend some time with Mama and the dogs!

I left Victorias at 6:00 am Saturday and boarded a bus for a one-hour trip to Bacolod City. Then, I took a cab to reach the port where the ferries going to Iloilo are. I didn't make it in time for the 7:30 schedule so I made use of the downtime to buy some pasalubong (Merci tarts and napoleones, Bongbong piaya, and two coconut shells of kalamay- hati). I also had a relaxed breakfast of sandwich and soda (my soda intake has increased during this recent client assignment, in my effort to gain weight).

I arrived in Iloilo via the new Lapuz port at around 10:30 am, and reached home before lunch. My doggies were ecstatic over my arrival, fighting for my attention even as they were still wet from their bath. Obviously, I was wet as a fish after the whole crazy group hug, smelling good of dog shampoo.

Hope, one of my doggies, relaxed and contented on his favorite spot, right after his bath and grooming

Please click 'Read more' for the rest of my home-sweet-home post.

Make or Break @ 33

What's so special about 33?

I don't think that anyone ever reaches an age when you will feel ready and complete. At least, that's how I see every milestone or birthday. 

I'm always a work in progress... 

• I try to be better, kinder, productive and more patient every year. I try every time to be the person that my Mama can be proud of. 
• I try to be more friendly, more optimistic and more fun. 
• I try to take care of my health, love myself more, and spend quality time with the people who matter. 
• I try to be thrifty and not use stress as an excuse to go spend-crazy. 
• I try to achieve that ultimate state of simplicity and selflessness made for saints. 
• I try to always look for silver linings beneath the many sad layers of life's daily journeys. 
• I try to be more independent and self-sufficient, but still stay in touch and grounded. 
• I try to smile more, wake up much earlier than I'm used to, and work smarter to make the most of an ideal eight-hour work day. 
• I try to drink less coffee and eat more fruits and vegetables. 
• I try to read more and watch less TV. 
• I try to go on more adventures, with friends or alone. 

I don't even wait for my birthday or the new year to do all these things. I wrote them down --- a long list of random things --- pinned them to my imagined cork-board, and try to live them out every chance I get.. .

And yet not everything goes as planned, right? Other than life being short and bumpy, accidents and detours pair up for the best surprises. To make us stronger or to lead us to the right path.

Yes, I don't always achieve all my resolutions or life goals. Not always on target, or I completely failed. There were momentary successes, and then I realized that that was not the end of it. I kept going. Made mistakes. Started all over again.

There are lessons that I never seemed to perfectly learn. It felt like at some points, I was at a similar bend of the road and still made the same wrong turn. Just too many arts made for life, I think. I keep them in three compartments --- falling (Gene falls), failing (Gene fell) and fulfilling (Gene's fallen). 

I'm okay with rules but I'm also okay with excuses. I just have to know the right venue to give them the reins.

• I may have improved some of my technical skills but I think that I have become ruthless and impatient. My Mama sees the better side of me, nonetheless. Talk about winning the "Mama lottery"? Someday, hopefully I can be patient and kind as Mama.
• I don't think I will ever be a natural in making friends and being fun to be with. I'm alright in my own definition of FUN which may be good as "boredom" for most. This definition showed me treasured friendships so I have no regrets. 
• Loving myself more and being health-conscious are both easy and hard. Easy, because they make me better physically and emotionally. Hard, because the "metrics" are not always easy to measure. On another note, spending quality time with people who matter is NON-NEGOTIABLE for me.
• I am supposed to be thrifty given my roots (half-Ilocana). I may have drops of Chinese blood, too. But I SPLURGE. Most of the time, I do not regret them. Sometimes I do. But then, my mantras are there: "Life is short", "I worked hard and deserve much better", or "Spend that now to feel better or with a shrink much later". (The third one, I just made that up).
• Yes, I am simple. I want less and I'm content with my blessings. But I am unabashedly high-maintenance. It takes me at least 30 minutes to get ready and I'm obsessed with skin care. I have sensitive skin, literally, that I take extra measures to research and look for stuffs free of parabens and sulfates. I hate the smell of cigarettes and other extremely fragrant or unpleasant smells. And I will not be too shy to call you out, cover my nose and mouth, or show the world that your puffs of smoke are causing my allergic rhinitis at that exact moment. Though I think less about ME...More about my family, my dear friends and my eight dogs...
• Bad traffic, lack of discipline, trash and dirt in gutters and sidewalks, impolite strangers and unreasonable demands. I have at least three of these on a daily basis. I think I handle them much better now. I leave the WORK compartment behind, as much as I can, as soon as I step out of the office. I see my long walk to get to the BGC bus as exercise, and I'm usually rewarded with organized queues and better seating. I tidy my room as "OC-ified" as I can so I can forget about the filth of the world outside. Yup, these gets me through the mundane challenges of every day. When the heavy load comes to chop me to pieces, I have enough strength most of the time. If I needed to, I take a few minutes (or hours, when put together) to shed tears and grit my teeth in anger. In frustration. In having maybe too high expectations. And then I MOVE ON. Tomorrow's another day.
• After about nine years of living on my own, I still have MORE room to learn the ropes of being independent. Much more, being self-sufficient. Not achieving the latter in its perfect state is okay. I'm perfectly fine with depending on my dependable circle of family and close friends. The wisdom of older folks keep me sane and grounded. "It's not the end of the world". "I am not invincible".
• I smile at strangers, especially at service personnel who might just need some cheering up in the middle of a tiring day. I say "Thank you" whenever I have reason to. I try to find reasons to wake up early. Like a warm cup of coffee at 7-11, breakfast with my dear early-bird friends at the office, reading a blog post at my first hours of spare time before 8:00 am, or riding a very spacious BGC bus to work. I start work early so I can finish early. If I came in late though, I still try to cut myself some slack. If I needed to stay in the office for much longer, I make time for in-between breaks to unwind and take in some fresh air. A fresh perspective from window-shopping or browsing through books did miracles on most days.
• I love coffee. But I have more strength now to say NO when I already had one cup for the day. The once-a-month challenge may have been hard for me. But at least, it still landed me on the moon. Unless I have a solid excuse (e.g., late nighters, should not be asleep at certain times), I never go for more than one cup of coffee a day. Chamomile and English breakfast tea are my second bests now. I love juices and fruits. I feast on fresh strawberries and bananas as much as I can. Vegetables are plenty when I'm back home in Iloilo. However, in Manila, I limit myself to lettuce, sayote or bean sprouts (my preference).
• Definitely watching less TV now, and reading more books. I prefer no specific genre. Reading any book make up my blissful weekends. I'm also glad to know that I have a two-year 10% discount on imported books c/o my Powercard.
• I love discovering new things. It's not enough that I went to a new place and played tourist like most. I have to EXPERIENCE the place. If someone is coming with me, that's good. If I have to do it alone, why not? I still take calculated risks, though. But I'm game for discovering something new, sometimes getting lost in the process.

What's so special about 33?

It's another magical year, if I may call it that. I'm grateful for all that have come my way, and I don't know what's going to happen. For me, I'm already blessed that I get to live this moment now. With or without resolutions. Make or break. The moon or the stars.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the 32 years and for giving me another chance to start this 33rd.

:)