The life at the world of being amazing @ 30something

Once I was 7 years old, and 30 is like an ancient number where 3 perfect 10's is an indication you have successfully lived through 3 decades- and although I know I'll come to that point in my life, I still cannot accept- ok there you go ladies and gents, I just spilled the beans.

Looking back

Days of the ancient past, my life is indeed truly and absolutely blessed. I am grateful! Let's start at the very beginning- there was once a penultimate slightly curled hair and bouncing baby girl born on the eve of the 26th, and on her 7th month was welcomed to the Christian world on the same fiesta day of Taytay Tanate. 

At 7 years old, I cannot even recall or in anyway have seen any souvenir photo of my 7th bday. My other sisters birthday was however well celebrated with a chiffon cake on top of the green cake holder we now use as palangana, a fruit punch with some tiny glasses hanging around it and a fruit juice scooper, hotdog on sticks, buns, more buns, and ginataang bilo2x, and before I forgot a bilao of pancit, or spaghetti, and a striking photo of my cousin's fierce eye on-the-hotdog.

At 18, and already in a university- quite not really the happiest day of my life, but I remembered  I stayed at my apartment because I had some school work to cope up with. To be honest, it wasn't the 18th bday I dreamed of. In my tiny brain it was just a fairytale party with all the important people in my life a.k.a crush1 and crush 2 dancing with you, ok chos lang..like you know, the ones on movies. But anyway, my sister Lei surprised me at my apartment and we went malling! She bought me shoes and I could recall in fact I wrote on a piece of tissue during dinner how I celebrated my 18th, and kept it as memorabilia- which I just realized now, I lost it pala. She even gave me money for grocery and hell, that's the best part!!Student life indeed being dumb, young and broke..huhubels.    

At 22 I moved to Cebu City for review and board exam, probably this is one of the most unforgettable experience in my life. We were best known as the 5 1/2 Girl Power Team and
every night was just pure entertainment with Jheny, Berty, Dally, Bamby, Haydee and yours truly! It was also the time when my life had almost perfect routine and harmony:
4AM Pray & study 6AM Bath & breakfast, 7AM school, 12NN Lunch and powernap, 2PM- Study, 5PM Church, 7PM Dinner, 8 Study, 12MN Sleep. REPEAT.

Indeed it was hard, not just physically, mentally, also financially but God has shown us his grace because we passed it! Week by week by week was full of funny moments at Colon Street, grocery bonding, once a month Mang Inasal- all because yes we can't afford it, where a free Julie's pan de coco bread is an instant happy meal for us. Those times when happiness is as shallow as dinuguan and puto, or free laundry, or a simple birthday treat - when one is forced to death to buy Php100 Alfredo's pizza. Haha..

one of those pizza nights.

At 23, we were thrown into what is called the real world. I am blessed to get a day work, I truly am. Hello brand new chapter and so goes my routine:
Wake early, travel to work, rant about traffic, rant about pollution, rant about the crazy walk to office building, rant about the lift, work, eat, rant, rant, sleep.

Is this how is it to be #adulting? please lemme go back to school! But of course, payday is the best day when all I could think was I could eat Mang Inasal na anytime, kag basta importante may lovelife. Yes, at 23, my heart is the happiest, and I'm not broke na. Anyway, going back to Mang Inasal.. hehe.  I was blessed with a promotion and I feel like - I'm the King of the World- ay queen pala! Even much more blessed to travel abroad and meet people. It was truly liberating! I really appreciate work, and feel motivated to work.

circa 2011, and onsite, taking selfie - I mean working..after a selfie.

circa 2014, and 10lbs heavier. Yikes.

Adulting be like..

By the time I was 26th, one would think I have everything I could ever had, but somehow, but I feel at the back of my mind I'm missing something. Yes,  I am happy, but not totally fulfilled. My career reached a point where I feel I did not grow (at all),  yes even in paycheck hehe.  Like you know trabaho andami, ang sahod na parang coke- kung di sakto...zero. Char. I just lost my heart out there, so I had to change, I needed a major career overhaul. When you feel like you are on that situation I believe you just have do it- because staying would be toxic.  I left my amazing 5 year job, my friends at work, my own private room office, my comfort zone for a new career...and never looked back since then!

I moved to a new apartment with my sis afterwards, had to pay rent, do own laundry, cooked, cleaned and so on. It was freedom at its purest form, and I am grateful for that experience now. Even my new work requires me to travel from time to time, Asia, Europe  and always alone.

what Superheroes looks like, after a day at work.

At 28th, I overcome my fear of being alone. I learned to do things alone, operate on my own because I  have only myself to depend on. By traveling abroad, it gave me a different perspective about the world, and what a humbling experience to see how big the world is out there and I am never the same again!

Then it hit me, there are still so many things I could do, so many things I'm capable of doing. So like a time bomb ticking until explosion, I  did stuff I hadn't imagined I would be doing: go to school for certification courses, do gym, try to blog etc. jog on weekends, drink coffee as much as I can, and most importantly enjoy a bottle of beer! Oh look, what I've been missing..

If I had known what I know now..

I think life is but a series of lessons, and one cannot move forward unless you have accomplished its pre-requisite. One does not learn lesson from someone else's mistakes, but you learn from doing your own, indeed true.  Ha and I wish I had listen earlier, maybe I'd been better. I wish I'd paid attention to investing time, energy and money in myself, I'd stop worrying about what other people think of me by taking risks! Being different.. and live according to what I currently have. I wish, I'd been more nicer to people I worked with, and be more adventurous!

Feeling forever young...

So yeah this time, I will just sit down and enjoy my cup of coffee, have a free refill, read a good book,  try some mindless trash because duuh #millenialsbelike.  I think, I don't know how it ends now. I usually flip ahead to last chapter to find out in a book, because I am impatient as that, but maybe this time, I don't need to know!

I will treat people nicely, express myself freely be kind with words at all times.  I will take the longer route, be grateful to everyone I meet, because there's so much more to learn. I'll dye my hair as I want it, even curl it as I please. I will learn to live in suspense and have amazing life because hellooo I'm too thirty to care!!!

Forever young @ 30,

itsmelory (^.^)

Free the Heart ( A trip to Tagaytay)

Summer ain't over yet, so what's the plan besh? A year ago, I remembered busy planning for the friendship's ultimate bonding experience (UBE). How I love the slow afternoon I spent on the white sands of Kalanggaman. Speaking of which kita mo nga naman, how things have turned up! Last year lang, a good friend of mine was all too happy, heart too happy it's too annoying! hehe, joke lang. Love is a many splendid thing. Now, this friend would text me midnight, or call me early morning crying, and I'm heart broken for her too. The heart is frail like that.

Somehow the thought made me realize, we needed to let her break free from all the noise. Cue in, light bulb on and this is "the moving on weekend". So after a short call with tropa who happen to be available, we're on it! At time like this, unplanned trips "where whatever goes" could be surprisingly better. No expectations, no plans, free flowing! 

Hola weekend

Minsan ang ulan nega para mema, but it ain't stopping us for our #movingonweekend. Picked up Dar and Riz at Alabang. Darren came with all his crisp blue well-pressed uniform. Riza can't help but say, "Gosh wag mo kaming ginagalit sa OOTD mo, why naka uniform ka ya?"He has this grin over his face, and bribed us with chocolates not to spill out his obvious plan of skipping work with his uniform on. Wait what?

The long drive commence after a hot cup and pancakes along the way. Dar managed to take off his crisp blue thing and changed to something casual, prepared sya in fairness! With a light heart and laughter while we recall our Kalanggaman escapades, but these radio stations are all playing cheesy love songs..no drama please, k bye? 

Tara Tagay 'tay

Here goes what we have not planned at all about our #movingonweekend.

~ First, a visit to Our Lady of Lourdes church first to pray. Few tears was shed inside. 

Ugh, need to change the mood, now na!

~  So what could best change the mood but food. Bulalo goodness, just perfect for a rainy weekend, and we're only just begun. Extra rice pa more, hala Bulalo pa more!

(Pic to be uploaded soon)

while waiting for our Bulalo..

~ Drive further to Sonya's Garden, but it began to rain sooo hard. Seriously, was too scared to drive but since dito na nga, aura lang kaya lets go to Sonyas na. Freshly baked bread, soft earth smell because of the rain, flowers, quiet halls, clean restrooms, herbs and teas.  

Sonya's Garden is a perfect place to move one.. joke! but it looks too romantic in a way. I bought quite a handful of freshly baked bread na rin before leaving.

~ Wine it out at Cliffhouse. While there are many nice places to hang out around Tagaytay. My favorite place to be is Cliffhouse. next to Antonio's. Next plan? The reason we traveled here that is to tagay ta (lets's drink)! Somehow it's funny when I try to translate it like that. Honestly, we plan on having coffee before we drive back, but the wine is just too inviting. So we ended up ordering a bottle along with mango crepe for sharing! And so the short story began. Before we knew it, we finished the bottle along with a few sniffles, and in between sobs how her lovestory with a seminarian ended 4 weeks passed!

Empty bottles, empty glass, now we need to move next. We transferred to another place where we can have some more drinks like errr beer. Cold, and comforting, beer you're the best. When we have sobered, we finished with some groufie/selfie of course! 

How can you mend?

I don't know, and I can't remember the last time I felt so brokenhearted as but let me share something I read like this:

"What does it feel to be broken hearted?! It feels like someone stabbed your heart with an eyeliner pencil fifty times, then stepped on it forty nine times with an eight inch sassy red heels, blended it forty eight times like a Starbucks latte macchiato, deep-fried it one hundred and one degrees boiling French fries oil, dropped it from a ninety nine storey skyscraper and abandoned it in the road to be run over by a thirteen wheeler Iron Mountain truck. The worst part is it's still beating, limply, only to be painfully and deeply feel everything it went through. Maybe it would have been better if our hearts just gave up beating, but it just won't damn stop. Therefore we conclude that the human hearts are stubborn, it still helplessly and hopelessly struggles to be whole after all the brokenness.."

I could rant all rant how she ended up having a relationship to  a man promised to serve someone greater than us. I'm really dumbfounded also speechless, and angry at the same time but then again..who am I to judge? The heart wants what it wants. Sometimes, we know how things might end, but we still go for it..simply because doing so makes you whole and alive even if that means you'll end up breaking within. 

Maybe you cannot mend it fast, but I believe, give it some time.  It heals through time. So now while it feels everything is breaking within..feel it, embrace it, cry, scream if you want, accept the truth but resolve that after a thousand levels of pain, you have to hope that something good will come out of it. So hope, always hope, and then maybe, one day, the heart becomes strong and will learn to beat again. 

Happiness and love,

itsmelory (^.^)

A trip back in time at Las Casas Filipinas

June arrived and half the year's done in a blink of an eye! Not really complaining because it's exactly how I want it though. The first 2 quarters of 2017 was nothing but sweet to me, I've been to Jakarta, Dusseldorf, and a birthday date in Singapore. Always a lovely time when I travel abroad, and especially on a holiday, the experience, culture and food is something I go for. Anyway, I might probably share my amusing Dusseldorf-work experience here soon. The meantime, come join me marvel and go nostalgic at probably one of the most "romantic places" to be- located north at Bagac Bataan for this year's company trip! 

To Las Casas

I initially planned on skipping, since  week prior I just arrived from Germany, and I thought I could use the weekend for recovering time zone problems, but hell, what time zone problems? Call time at 7AM, thanks McDo for saving the day, we could use a cup of what is this...orange juice?! No coffee? urgh. After an hour and half, surprise we're still trailing along Edsa. Thanks to pusoy game coined by game master himself Alvin, traffic was bearable more or less. 

Las Casas is accessible via SCTEX and NLEX. We took the SMBA route to Balanga town proper. You can find other options for getting to Las Casas at their official website. 

A trip back in time

Mr. Jose or Jerry Acuzar to his friends of New San Jose Builders started reconstructing Spanish mansions in 2003. From his passion for ancestral houses this heritage park was born and was opened to the public by 2010. To date, the park has over 27 colonial mansions spread over at the 400ha property. By half past 12noon, and 157.8km away from Manila, we finally arrived at the unsullied, far-flung beauty of Bataan.

Señor, Señora bienvenido a Las Casas! (Welcome to Las Casas) 

Immediately upon arriving, major throwback travel starts. I was looking forward to seeing colonial mansions but surprised to found out that Las Casas is a little paradise made of everything so breathtaking! Spanish mansions everywhere, stone-cobbled street right across Bagac Bay. 

We were guided to Café Marivent's comedor for lunch. A warm soup is just what we need right now. To start, tinola soup ftw, yummy lechon kawali, all-time-favorite-pancit, sweet and sour fish fillet, and choice of fresh fruits! 

Accomodations  at Las Casas

Las Casas have available hotel rooms across the beach side if you want to enjoy some breeze but you could also opt to stay at private casas which they have upgraded for rent for a more personal heritage experience. The fun part was each one is trying to scare another because, hello old mansions are supposed to be scary right? but surprisingly, the rooms and amenities are really in good condition, on fleek.

La aparador. Personally not a fan of cabinets with mirrors near or across bed. 

Imagine having to pee at night and you see something probably your own reflection, 

but still scary.  

Warm lights 

Don't be surprised if the baño takes up a whole room, because this is 

exactly how rooms were constructed way back. 

Veranda and admiring all the details..

and overlooking the veranda is this #instagramworthy pic

Let the games begin

The beach faces South China sea, a bit sandy and scorching hot as it is mainly composed of silicon, so don't go walking barefoot in mid-day! I enjoyed afternoon siesta at the calming hush of the sea. 

but the beach is calling with every crash of the waves, chos

Walang basagan ng itlog. Part of our stay includes Filipino-themed-games 

for the team building

Kadang2x at its finest, and Chris mastered it already! 

and the winner gets carbs-pa-more, I was looking forward to some traditional 

Filipino snacks but anyways

Las Casas by Night

So after the fun part, we went for an afternoon stroll around the park in hope to find some kutchinta or sapin2x but found interesting things why you should go here! 

Las Casas is perfect for doing Prenuptial shots. 

You will never ran out of perfect backdrop!

So many beautiful details to fall in love with. We come a crossed ladies in traditional Filipino costumes preparing for dinner at La Bella Teodor. They serve Italian and Filipino dishes 

al fresco style while enjoying a clear river view under a night full of stars. 

Santuario de San Jose Church right in the middle of Las Casas, 

in fact a replica of Balanga Church. 

What a stunning beauty, prenup and wedding- you could do it here! 

and still no kutchinta. 

Thankfully, beef kare-kare saved the night! 

and grilled tanique paired with rice, diet no more!

Finally, we stayed at the beachside with bonfire, it must've been a great night except that the "bartender" asked us if we could occupy other area because we did not order from the make shift bar. It was a bit rude when we have ordered the drinks from their own restaurant, so we had to ask for the manager.  It was really an awful experience, so much for ruining the mood! Anyway, still annoyed but ordered some frozen margarita and it was badly served on a plastic cup. Don't come to the bar by the beachside. 

The walking day tour

Good morning Las casas, margarita got me slight headache, 

but moving on to our activity for the day

Breakfast perfection with old timer longganisa, sinangag and two full cups of coffee, headache gone. Buenas dias! 

Pandesal at kape, what a pair!

Okoy, okay?

When the tummy has been filled, time for the tour! Starting with Casa Lubao, a colonial mansion that was taken piece by piece, brick by brick owned by Arastia and Vitug of Lubao, Pampanga in the 1900's.

Maria Clara, nakadungaw sa bintana, babain and iyong sinta..

 

In all its glorious beauty, Hotel de Oriente the first class plush hotel in 1899, also well known as the best lodging located before in Binondo before Manila Hotel became the Finest Hotel in the Far East now serves as convention center at Las Casas. An interesting trivia, the first ever telephone was installed in 1. Malacan 2. Hotel de Oriente, #phonepalgoals

Old but Gold

Sure our past is something painful, history tells us how Spaniards colonized the country for 333 years. How they often referred to locals as indio. Books we read through high school like Noli me Tangere and El Fili have opened our eyes of the cruelty and abusive treatment and how the alta sociedad regarded as nobles who associated themselves to Spain to level up their position is something we now call as classy. 333 years ago from Spain and 50 years from Hollywood, I guess our culture of slaves remain.   We have tolerated our Filipino time as being late, because in the past la alta's always arrived late and they get everyone's attention. Spanish influence is everywhere, from the names of streets and cities, fiesta's, religion and all the Spanish surnames, de los Santos (of Saints), del rosario (of rosary), dela Cruz (of the cruz).
Las Casas Filipinas brings us back to a memory lost in time. If you are an old soul like me, go visit Las Casas and get lost in time! 

Instagram, or it didn't happen. 

Happiness & love.

itsmelory (^.^)