1.04.2018

A Year in Songs (2017)

In the year 2002, I made my first soundtrack of the year inspired by Larissa from LJ. To give you an idea of just how long ago that was (15 years!), it was the first time I listened to Jason Mraz (thanks to my friend Mika for introducing me to his music by way of "Sleep All Day") and I was obsessed with Babyface. Haha! I managed to find everything on the list and made a playlist of Spotify except for this song, which I totally forgot about till I pressed play.

What is it about music that instantly transports us back in time? How the first few bars of a song can make you remember an exact moment in your life and immediately fill you with...feelings. Like when I play "After Party" by Koffee Brown, I'm transported to Batangas back when my friend's resort was only two kubos wrapped in kulambo. A time when I took photos with my Advantix camera and wasted a ton of film cartridges because I covered the flash or the lens with my finger. Or when I learned how to breakdance to J.Lo and Ja Rule. LOL. Or how I played Shelby Lynne's "Dreamsome" for my imaginary radio show in Speech 160 with DocLa. Fifteen years ago, when I was editing an online zine with my online friends.



I've since made one every year save for 2004 and a momentary pause from 2013-2015. Here's last year's soundtrack.



What's on yours? ♫

12.26.2017

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♡ opportunities i didn't know were possible slowly opening up for me
♡ finding a favorite recipe for bread (we ended up gifting our family with for christmas)
♡ treating myself to a few gifts because after the year i've had, i think i deserve it haha
♡ getting to write again (1, 2, 3, 4)
♡ learning that sometimes, friendship just takes time
♡ spending hours with old friends who are like sisters to me laughing, crying, and everything in between
♡ the thrill of opening gifts on christmas eve—and seeing faces light up when they open theirs
♡ sharing laughs, sweets, and homecooked meals with family you don't see often
♡ committing to a daily habit i hope to keep well into the new year
♡ getting a hug and kiss from my favorite not-so-tiny human

12.12.2017

my day

Do you remember when we used to write down every single detail of our day, not caring who would read our words? Just typing, typing, typing. When blogging meant an online diary of sorts, chronicling crush sightings, everything you ate, and what songs you've obsessively been playing over and over.

These days, there are more photos than words, more hashtags than friends, more #content than context.

Just because I've been trying to get myself to write—not for work or anything—let me tell you about one of my days.



I took a bus from Katipunan to Makati to meet with friends on a Saturday morning. Dropped off a Kahlua cupcake in a cardboard pink oven at my friend's store before paying for my one-way ticket. I settled into a seat across the door and placed a paper bag filled with 3 more boxes with cupcakes inside beside me. Forty-five minutes later, I was in Makati making my way from Glorietta 3 to Greenbelt 5.

I slid into the couch at a table by the corner of the restaurant where we agreed to meet; we only decided where to eat that morning. J was running late but P and I ordered truffle fries ahead. When M joined us, we got pizza and sushi and pasta. In between bites, we talked and talked and laughed and got mad (but only for a moment) and laughed some more.

Three cups of coffee and 2 slices of cake later, we decided to catch a screening of Smaller and Smaller Circles but not before slipping into a stationery store to get a notebook personalized and do a bit of window shopping while walking to the cinema. We sat in the dark for two hours—a quarter of which was spent with eyes half-open and hoping the images flashed on the big screen would not haunt us in our sleep.

We head down straight to the food court and figure we could have dinner before calling it a night. But of course, after dinner, we walk over to find dessert and we spend a little more time together. We say goodbye and promise more stories for next time because sharing stuff in person is always much better than through a screen.

12.06.2017

Songs I Like: My Top Tunes for 2017

LOL, who knew I really liked that Zayn song enough to put it on top of my 100 most listened to tracks this year? HAHA!




What's on your list?

11.28.2017

Ten Things I'm Thankful for


♡ my yummy.ph debut, lol
♡ a beach trip on my birthday weekend that involved lots and lots of eating with friends who will wait for you to catch your breath under the heat of the noontime sun
♡ slowly adding to my list of easy recipes; follow me on Instagram for my cooking journey (haha)
♡ finally finished alias grace and about to start the sinner. ahh, i'm always thankful for tv time!
♡ seeing my fellow novembers to celebrate our birthdays, exchange gifts, and laugh like old times. if there's anything i miss about my old workplace, it's the people i used to see every day.
♡ hanging out with my former teammates, but more importantly, friends for lunch and coffee and dessert. we've been through a lot the past 3 months but i wouldn't trade it for anything because this friendship i've forged with them in the course of those 3 months is truly irreplaceable.
♡ knowing the right words to say to people who aren't having the best day. thankful because i have people who are the same to me.
♡ seeing harry styles live! eternally grateful to my welcoming committee of one in singapore. will always look forward to visiting you!
♡ a trip to the same place for the fifth time (my third this year alone, wow) and still discovering spaces that surprise me and make my heart flutter with joy
♡ coming home