I have long wanted to start a blog. First, there was Multiply, but nobody read it so I gave up on it. Then, blogging started to really become a thing and before I knew it, bloggers became a part of some press conferences I have been to, sitting among and asking questions like your everyday press.
These bloggers who covered events or did reviews, they usually have a speciality—food, make-up, sports, fashion, you name it. So when I was thinking of starting a proper blog, its theme was one of the things I needed to consider. However, I see myself as a versatile person. My interests doesn't lie on one particular topic alone. Hence, I thought "Why subscribe to a particular topic when I can write about anything?"
After determining what my blog would be like, it still took ages for me to start. There was the matter of the layout, and the name; which was the hardest part since every name I wanted have already been taken (boo!). I kept putting it off for whatever reasons I can think of, but mostly I was just lazy. Then, I met and befriended people who shared more-or-less exactly the same dream as I have, who maintain blogs! So I was finally pushed to
I marked the end of the year to start this. I thought it would be perfect since I'll have time during the holidays and I can introduce myself by showing a year in my life. Unfortunately, it didn't make it to my self-prescribed deadline, but here it still is; better late than never.
So, without further ado, welcome to my blog! I hope you have a pleasant time; and here is my 2013 in words and pictures!
2013 was a neutral year for me. It didn't start out wonderfully, but it did pick-up somewhere mid-way; had its ups and downs, but relatively stayed stable.
To be exact, by the end of January, I got half-fired from a company I've only been with for three months. No biggie, I didn't enjoy my job there anyway. What do I mean by "half-fired" you say? It's kind of a long story, so maybe I'll just make it into another entry.
Anyway, afterwards, I was unemployed for several months. I have dreams, yes, but by that time, I had already been through three jobs with three equally horrible companies and was becoming less picky.
Around late March, if memory serves me, a high school friend of mine got in touch and advised me that there was an opening in the government agency she was with. I have to clarify, personally, I see that here in the Philippines, being a government employee is not regarded as a glamorous job, nor is it anywhere near what I really want to be. But by that time, I was sort of desperate—and the pay was good—so I took it. Luckily, I got hired by mid-April. And there was where I've been since then and until now.
Remember when I said that I've been to three companies? Turns out, my ex-workmates that I was friends with from the second company were former students of one of my superiors who also works as a professor. When he found out about my friends/former co-workers, he recruited them, and we've been together again.
But yeah, having some of my friends in the same workplace was fun! Thus, most of my adventures were with them. And by adventures I mean food trip.
I did have other kinds of adventures though. To make it short, here are the pictures from this past year:
January 26: Valik-Varsi
(Photo by
Jamie Campos)
Valik-Varsi is a quinquennial reunion of former and current members of the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas. Honestly, I had second thoughts attending this event as I didn't actually had the time of my life during my stay; but I'm glad I did attend. I missed the craziness of the staffers, especially those who are my friends.
Oh, and the free food and booze. Never forget the free food and booze. :D
February 10: Art Fair Philippines
Asphalt by Gabriel Barredo
Contemporary art in my favorite city? Who am I to pass the chance?! It was fun marveling at all the amazing artworks; but it seems that with an art exhibit always comes the haughty curator. Good thing the artists themselves are often accommodating! Also, this image does not do justice, but is the best one I got. :(
February 23: Color Manila Nite Run
I wasn't able to come to the Color Manila Run which they say was really awesome because of the colored powdered thrown around, so I didn't pass up the chance to join the Color Manila Nite Run with my friends when an opportunity was given. (Thanks friends!) Admittedly, it didn't live up to our expectations, but anything you do with friends instantly becomes enjoyable.
February 24: Art BGC (and my birthday; apparently)
(Photo by
Jasmine Santos)
Forwent celebrating my birthday with the usual cake (because no one loves me and I don't get cake, or gifts) and instead enjoyed messing around with chalk; vandalizing Bonifacio High Street's walkways with my horrible drawings, while my artists friends made beautiful works.
March 1: Kate's back home! (and post-birthday celebration, apparently)
My college friends love my mother's pasta. I don't know what to call that pasta as it's not really spaghetti, nor is it really white sauce.
So, when one of them came back home after around a year in in the US, they took the chance to visit me and "celebrate my birthday"
But I know they only came for the food. LOLJK! :)
They did bring me a gift, so I guess it's fine. :)
March 8: Jack on the Rocks
For a whole lot of 2012, I've been following this band, Mr. Bones and the Boneyard Circus. I actually first heard them on radio way back in 2009 when there was still a Home of New Rock NU107 (I'm still mourning this), but first saw them in person only on May of 2012. They we're also competing in the local leg of the Jack Daniels JD Set which started since 2010 but I only caught wind of two years after. Since I've missed A LOT, I gave all the support I could during the last stretch of the competition. When finals night came around, I was there, AND THEY WON! AND IT WAS AWESOME! :D
Throughout the rest of 2013 though, I haven't been able to go to their gigs as they're usually set on weekdays, and my weekends have become really precious to me.
March 17: Pinatubo trek
My second job had drained me so much, and my third even more, that I wanted to have a little "soul searching" trip.
I found and bought the voucher for the trip when I was still at my second job, but was only able to use it when I was free from my third.
The travel agency was HORRIBLE, and I can't say that it was all worth it; but I did find out how to run a travel and tour business.
Pinatubo was beautiful. If I only knew how to get there without the aid of a travel agency, I wouldn't have bought that voucher.
March 19: Don Day pig-out
Can't remember if this was the first time I ate here, but my childhood friends have been telling me about Don Day. I think they got into Korean food when they started getting into K-pop. I'm not a K-pop fan myself, but I'm a fan of food, especially grilled beef which Don Day has on offer in unlimited quantities for Php400. My friends prefer pork though, and it's cheaper by a hundred bucks; but food is food!
April 5: :Love Desserts
I went here with more-or-less the same group of people I went with to Don Day. The place's name is Love Desserts, which fits me perfectly because I LOVE DESSERTS, and it serves NOTHING BUT DESSERTS in its buffet table for Php200.
My friends didn't like it that much; they got sick of sweets fast.
But I'd really like to go back here again!
May 4: Free Comic Book Day
On Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), which usually happens every first Saturday of May, they give out free comic books (no duh). Apparently, the local edition of this event, which is also celebrated in other parts of the globe, turned 11 this previous year.
Although free, there's usually a limit of number of comic books a person can take from each venue. The rules are not the same for each year. For instance, in 2012, there were two FCBDs held on different dates. The second was by a big bookstore that has several branches. I was able to get all comic releases for the FCBD that year by visiting all the participating branches.
This year, I wasn't so lucky. Aside from arriving a little late, it was held only in one venue. I had to take a limited pick at the left-overs since all the awesome releases where gone already.
Oh! And they also have hold activities other than giving out free comic books like, a discount sale of a bunch of geek stuff!
May 5: Manila Speed Show-The Lotus F1 Team Philippines Roadshow
I LOVE FORMULA ONE! When I was a kid watching the grand prix (on television) with my dad, I fantasized of one day becoming a F1 race driver. But for a kid coming from a barely middle-class family in a third world country, that's like wishing for a unicorn. So I contented myself of one day watching the Monaco GP, or at least the Singapore GP.
But a Filipino kid, well, half-Filipino, is realizing my dream of racing in the F1! Marlon Stockinger is being groomed by Lotus, along with other kids, for their F1 team.
Thus, when Lotus brought ACTUAL F1 RACE CARS in the Philippines (I think to increase support for Marlon Stockinger, and the Lotus F1 team in general), I JUST HAD TO SEE IT IN PERSON!
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! THE ROAR OF THE ENGINE IS JUST PURE EARGASM!
I never wanted it to end, but sadly, it had to. It did fuel my dream of watching the GP in person one day and motivated me to save up!
Five days after this, Globe held an event in Glorietta where a life-size model of Lotus' F1 race car is on display, and people can also try their hand at a simulation of driving an F1 car. That's the closest I was gonna get to my dream of being a race car driver.
Also, Marlon Stockinger dropped by the booth. He's cute, but a year younger than me. (
Sayang!)
May 23: My Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled (10-Disc Limited Edition Six-Movie Collector's Set) arrives! (Yay!)
Well, this is not really the adventure, this was the destination. The adventure was in pre-ordering this. The time I clicked "check-out" on Amazon, I was still in a stable-ish condition (meaning I have a job). It was my first ever purchase from Amazon, and I didn't know it works. Turns out, they bill you when they ship the item. When they finally shipped it, I was flat broke. I didn't know how I was gonna pay for it, but I really wanted it. I almost pawned stuff, but my mom caught me and begrudgingly lent me the money. I'm glad my mom let me get my pre-ordered purchase even though this was already being sold locally through comic hubs here. My purchase, including shipping fee and taxes, is Php2000 CHEAPER than those at the shops!
June 15: Fête dela Musique Philippines
Just like FCBD, this is also a globally held event with a local edition. Fête features LOADS OF MUSICIANS and held in several venues across Makati. It caters to all kinds of genres; you only have to look at flyers or their
Facebook page to know which venue you'd like to go to listen to your type of genre.
The main stage features mixed genres though, and it usually features the most renowned, and the foreign guest. The guest for 2013 was French group Naïve New Beaters, that has a house feel to their music.
Of course, who I really wanted to see was MBBYC, but since their stage was in another area of Makati and there was no particular time stated on the flyer for each performances, we missed it.
I guess I'll have to hope they'll join this year's Fête!
June 28: Enjoying Makati
By this time, I had been with my current work for 2 months and 12 days. Our office is situated in a relatively accessible part of Makati. One of the idyllic spots there is the Ayala Triangle. You'll see a lot of joggers, foodies, and an assortment of people just relaxing and enjoying the place.
Of course, June is also the Philippine's Independence month with independence day celebrated every June 12. To commemorate the occasion, a little "bamboo museum" was set up. You could actually go through the flag that displays different uses of bamboo, as well its parallelisms to the Filipino people through history.
August 8: Disk-wiping my laptop
Back when we bought my laptop, it wasn't really my laptop of choice. It just so happened that a family friend who was seen as really knowledgeable with computers recommended this. My dad defended that the company wouldn't give it a two-year warranty if it easily broke. THEY WERE SO WRONG. Long story short—it broke a lot and we had lots of visits to the service center. Eventually, I think the technician at the service center we went to left. Getting tired, I had to learn how to reformat my laptop. However, it needed more than just reformatting. So I took a chance at another service center I found on the brand's official site. THEY SUCKED! All they know is hardware repair, and reformatting which I can do on my own! Since my laptop was teeming with viruses, I had to DBAN it. My mistake was I didn't have an OS disk, what I have were just recovery disks. Anyway, my laptop is operating now, although it's not functioning really well.
August 13: Linkin Park Living Things World Tour-Manila
 |
Tried to get them all in the photo, but Phoenix was too far
off right, and I don't even know where Brad is |
Didn't know I was such a fan of Linkin Park until I found out they were coming back here. Of course, I always liked LP; they were part of my childhood! I can even sing both Mike and Chester's parts in
In The End without looking up the lyrics! But I got myself their discography and listened to it, AND I FOUND OUT I ACTUALLY LOVE THEM. I didn't think twice about getting the VIP ticket now that I can afford it. Best Php10k ever spent! When they got on-stage, nothing mattered! It didn't matter that I was alone, surrounded by strangers. All that mattered was seeing their adrenaline-rush of a performance!
August 18: Green Tea addiction
We went to Starbucks one time, and they were giving out this free taste of Hojicha or Japanese roasted green tea. That day, I couldn't try it since I was several days in on the General Motors diet. Then, my friend got craving for the taste, but sadly, I don't think the flavor really caught on and never became a Starbucks drink. She settled on the cafe's green tea Frappuccino. I'd say her craving is infectious because days later, it was ME who was looking for the taste of matcha.
I bought green tea drinks from cafe's and a grocery that sells rarely imported products and was drinking green tea for several days.
September 14: Manila International Book Fair (MIBF)
Was supposed to go with friends to the MIBF, but we ALL didn't read the entrance pass that says what time the fair closes the day we went. We had dinner at the nearby mall first, but by the time we arrived at the venue, that day's fair was already over. We laughed at our own stupidity. The following day was a weekend and not everyone was available for the whole day. Being the lazybones that I am, I went in the afternoon when the venue was packed with people. I couldn't find the classics that I wanted so I bought these instead because I wanted to make my readings a lot more intellectual. So far, all I've read is The Guardian's WikiLeaks. Shame on me.
September 22: Don Day (again)
One of my friends texted me saying that there was a voucher on the web for a discounted meal at Don Day. They love Don Day, and of course, bought the voucher. Not wanting to be left out, I bought one too. And I did say I love grilled beef, right? So, here is a snapshot of our night. There were lots of food (of course), laughs, waiting for that one good dish that keeps running out, oh, and our grill spewed out a big fire that died down just as quickly. I must say, I like the other branch of Don Day better than this one.
September 26: The Killers Battle Born World Tour-Manila
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All my photos of this event is blurred. This is the one with
the most band members in it. Sorry :/ |
Remember when The Killers was supposed to come to the Philippines, but that never happened because of god knows what? I was actually glad that one got cancelled because I had no money that time. So when this concert got set and I had the money, I didn't let it slip. Of all their albums, all I really know about is
Hot Fuss, but I love all the songs in it. I don't know much of the other albums as I was only reliant on MTV in the past years. But music is gone from MTV, and I don't really know much about the music world anymore. It was still fun, despite getting bathe in someone else's spit while singing to the bands songs. Oh! And I wasn't alone this time. I was with
Cinderella-in-combat-boots who, gladly, survived this event even though she's still recovering from a recent asthma attack.
October 18: Trip to Little Tokyo
I always hear about Little Toyko when people talk about getting really authentic Japanese cuisine. I am also well aware of Makati Cinema Square as my family often passes by it when on a car trip to our relatives living in that city, and eventually, often when I commute to get to areas of the city that somehow made themselves significant in my life (my grandfather, brother, and uncle all had their wakes at the Don Bosco Chapel). But I never see Little Tokyo while passing the area. Turns out, it's like a little well kept secret. Unless you know what you're looking for (a nondescript Torii, it turns out), you're probably not gonna find it. Again, I was with CICB as she is the one ALWAYS craving for Japanese cuisine. Sashimi to be exact. You can read her accounts of the evening on her
blog post. Favorite part of the night? The "breathing" takoyaki and sumptuous kokiguri (pictured right). Definitely coming back.
There's also a little Japanese grocery if you're searching for Japanese snacks and whatnot. I didn't find matcha there the last time though.
October 31: TWG
Me and some of my friends are sort of obsessed with English culture as we wish to, someday, study in the UK. For me, I think it's a very beautiful place with all its varied culture. Don't get me wrong, I know every place has its own mosaic of cultures, it just happens that Britain seems to have managed to meld the modern with the charms of the old, and the air of the Age of Enlightenment is still somehow there. One notable custom of the English, of course, is how they take their tea. As such, I always wanted to try having posh tea and heckled my friends into trying TWG as it was the only highly commercial establishment in the Philippines that serves tea in a proper manner; not cold, in a plastic cup, and full of floaters. I went by one of our managers' suggestion of the
Silver Moon (he had been to Singapore before, where TWG originated). Bad decision. I at least found out that I'm actually more into strong and bold black teas rather than the whispy and, as my friend described it, "chic" floral tea. I'd rather have it as a fragrance, thank you.
November 22: IMPAKABSAT
Our work is not without its perks. One of which is being treated out to a free meal by higher-ups. Of course, this was not the event but merely one of the highlights of the day. IMPAKABSAT is a regional trade fair organized by our agency's region three office. For some reason, we got invited to the opening of the event. I wasn't really included, but one of our managers thought of bringing me along since I lived close the event venue. So, working for only half of the day, then finding yourself in a mall in the other half? Yep! I live for these moments. :D
December 7: Vicious
I'll admit, I wasn't one of the people who saw BBC's Sherlock when it first aired, but having only three episodes per season, it was easy to catch-up to. When I finally caught-up, there were still SEVERAL WEEKS to the third season of Sherlock. I got bored. I found out that Sir Ian McKellen had a comedy series. Looking for a bit of comedy, and for the love of Sir Ian, I watched it. It's not everyday that you see Sir Ian acting like a yuppy! :D
December 12: Family Mart
I first stepped inside a Family Mart store one day when I disembarked from the MRT in Ayala station and was really thirsty but had to be some place else quickly. I thought it was one of those 7-11 knock-offs with really clean interiors. Turns out, it's actually a convenience store imported from Japan. I found out about this when I was writing about it for one of our agency's business newsletters. Since it's Japanese, it serves some Japanese dishes. Remember when I said that CICB is ALWAYS craving for Japanese food? It so happened that a few steps away from the bank we get our pay checks in-cashed in, is a Family Mart store. We dropped by and bought foodstuff you wouldn't find in most of the other convenience stores.
If you're wondering what's that pictured on the right, it's a COOKIE SANDWICH. TWO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH A MARSHMALLOW-Y CUSTARD IN BETWEEN.
Mouth watering yet?
I just hope it doesn't become a bi-monthly habit as I'm actually trying to save-up.
~//~
Well. That became a longer blog entry than I expected! And wasn't able to finish it on time either. But, it STILL IS early in January, so I guess this post is not yet too late! :P
Looking back, I see that my 2013 was filled with food. No wonder I'm fat. :D
Kidding aside, looking back, I see that 2013 was a fun-filled year all along. It may not be a "OMG! SO FREKKIN AWESOME" year, but not a bad year either.
There you have it! A look in my year that hopefully gave you an inkling of who I am and what goes on in my life.
And with that, I formally welcome you to my blog :)
P.S. I know. The layout sucks and there's far too much spacing. But I don't know how to fix it, and frankly, I'm tired of working on this one post. Just, please, bear with it.
