2022 Roundup

 

I describe this year as a rollercoaster of emotions. This is a year started calmly, and then went on a high before dropping down, then up, then down, then up, then down that I didn’t care anymore by the end of it. I just wanna get it over with and start another year, one that’s not as much of a letdown. I feel like I’ve been pretty fragile this year, allowing myself to take in a lot of burden and pain. I can’t say up to what point it was that my hormones played, but it happened often enough that I can’t fully blame it on hormonal imbalance. This year I took a bit of a beating that I wasn’t expecting it to turn my head upside-down. There’s a specific reason for the cover photo that I used as it perfectly represents my year. What seemed like a perfectly well curated photo and promising at the start turned out to be a big disaster in the end. 

L: Harbour City Dimsum House in Dumaguete, a week before they permanently closed their branch; UR: La Familia Cafe in Kabankalan; LR: The road leading to Balanan Lake in Siaton

L: The dilapidated treehouse in Lake Balanan where snakes freely slithered reminded me of Tarzan; UR: We stopped over at this spot in Siaton as it was the southern-most tip of Negros Island; LR: Brazaville Beach Resort at Hinoba-an where we slept for the night of our south-Negros trip. 

My Top 2022 Whatevers:

Wow Moment: It was in those moments when I’ve come to realize how heightened my intuition has gotten. I was having a conversation with some friends and one was telling her story regarding her fear as a nurse, that she’d often feel when one of her patients is close to death. She’d be in the room and would feel the energy of the people, one of which is a person’s mortality. I remember having this conversation with a friend when the pandemic hit. She said that this whole fiasco one after the other is a way the world is cleansing itself, allowing for the reemergence of spirituality. This allows humans to have heightened senses, particularly in the form of spiritual awakening. We were talking about how things seem to happen whenever we feel like it’s about to happen. How intuition seems to be a little more on point than usual. I’ve dreamt many times in which it becomes a reality a day after, in one form or another. My friend and I also have met a couple of times just by feeling out each other’s wavelengths. It’s quite amazing really.  

Heart Pumping: One evening I took a wrong detour while trying to leave an area I haven’t been able to explore much. I was with my brother and cousin, coincidentally we were discussing about how the area we were at is being monopolized by a family for decades that had the habit of eliminating people at will. They are suspected as a big-time drug syndicate, but one so powerful that they could not be caught nor meddled with. So…remember a time when Waze was a bitch by making you take a longer or impossible route? This one was one heck inconvenience as it took us to a dark road that led us to several gates with signs saying “Private Road Residents Only” and “No Trespassing”. So what did we do? The gates were open, no one was on the road, and it was a two-way road that was difficult to make a U-turn in…this was enough to make me trust in the App. From our phone, the distance looked quite close from the main highway, but the more we pressed on the more tense the scenery looked. At one point we saw a huge house fenced out with steel pikes and thick cemented posts towered by century-old trees with massive trunks. Then further in we saw several men hanging out at another barrier gate with a “No Trespassing” sign, but it was open and they didn’t stop us as we drove past them. It was probably on the fourth road barrier when it dawned on us…”Oh my God, I think we’re passing through the drug lord’s territory!” That was two-thirds through the path, it would be faster if we just went straight without ever stopping. Risky? Yes. Stupid? Yes. Scary? Yes. Funny? Yes. An anxious laughter filled the car as we couldn’t really breathe easy at that point. We were around 600 meters away from the highway when we zoomed pass another road barrier and saw another enormous cement wall stretching for what seemed like 200 meters, this time it had barbed wires that reminded me of jail walls. At that point all we wanted to do was go home safe. When we saw the light from the cars crossing at a distance and a large gate slightly opened but not big enough for our car to fit, we gasped, but thankfully the guard just stared at us through the windshield and pulled open the gate to let us exit. The three of us sighed in relief the moment we moved past that final checkpoint in one piece. God! That was a tense moment for us, all thanks to Waze. 

L: Fish Tank Restaurant in Sipalay, the last stop of our south Negros trip; UR: Tabla Valley River is the prominent sight at Candoni; LR: Tractor Cafe in Talisay is one of my favorite hangouts, and this is where we had drinks before concluding our Negros Oriental drivethrough.  

U: This drone shot was quite a sight to behold in Bago as this was just one random trip we went on, but this was quite an afternoon to remember as we brought a picnic set just to have wine by the rice field.

UL: The view at Muelle Deli & Restaurant in Iloilo; LL: Alubihod Beach at Guimaras; R: California Coral Beach Resort in Guimaras where we stayed. One of the better accommodations in the island.

Unexpected: Acquiring a beach lot property. It’s not a large property, nor is the sand a pretty shade of white…but it is literally right next to shore where some fishermen would dock their boats. I remember having a conversation with one of my friends trying to manifest a future where we’d own lots where we’ll be switching rest houses whenever we wanted to be away from the city. I’d build the rest house in the mountain, while hers will be by the beach. For some twist of fate a piece of land that I’ve been passed by a couple of times was offered to us. I had my hesitations at first, but the offer was so good that it didn’t take long before I wanted to invest in the lot and pursued to acquire it. Thankfully we were able to come to a compromise and managed to push through with the purchase.

Most Stressful: Without doubt it had to be carrying a lot of load on my shoulders when my mom underwent a colostomy procedure where part of her intestine was removed to take out the tumor that was discovered two days before her surgery. She was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer, and I was the one who had to take care of her from the time she was admitted in the hospital until throughout her recovery process. I had to learn something I had no interest in, and that is caregiving. I had to learn how to dress her operation wound that stretched at least 8 inches long. I also had to learn how to clean and change her colostomy bag, which meant cleaning unhardened poo that is being washed out from her intestine that’s protruding out of her stomach. This is surely a first for me, needing to do what nurses do because I know we have to cut back on our medical expenses. On top of that, it also meant running the household for a bit while she was not in the right state to maintain the whole house. It made me realize how hard it is to try and make a routine for a home to work properly, from maintaining its cleanliness and putting food on the table. This whole experience catapulted me into adulthood, like a proper human adult with responsibilities outside of myself.  

Most Annoying: When my partners in one of my businesses had a falling out that dealing with them to keep the business intact was very stressful as it dragged on for months. There were a lot of arguments and compromises that needed to be done in order to keep the business running.

This is the private beach house of a friend who invited us to spend a weekend at his place. This is somewhere in Escalante.

L: This is one of my favorite sights in BGC, the place I miss in Manila the most; UR: The first restaurant I ate at in Resorts World Manila that I can't remember the name of, and the food was just ok; LR: Casa Mia at Makati where I enjoy dining in for hours with the lovely owners.

L: The house in Pasig where we had a wonderful time having wine with friends; UR: This is my favorite place to pray and meditate, at Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord in SM Megamall; LR: First time to go to IKEA...bought just a few things since logistics is hard, thankfully.

Scariest: That one amusement ride we underestimated as something leisurely and kid-friendly. I was with my friend watching other people seemingly chilled as they pedaled their way around the bicycle rink. It was a 20-foot elevated bike rink looking much like rollercoaster that could only be ridden in pairs. I once saw the same type of ride in Korea that allows people to tour around a cherry blossom park that gets you up to the tree line at eye-level. Our local version got us up to the acacia tree’s top branches, but the feeling was more dreadful than a delight. We felt the vehicle shaking every few feet, worse it was tilting a little at every curve. The moment the guy pushed us out of the starting point there was no way back but to go through the entire course. We were so tense and scared at the safety standards of the ride we could think of no other thing but to finish that one round alive…also the Final Destination movie. It was rickety, and as adults we were sweating and not having fun as the whole structure that doesn’t seem so safe becomes an issue. I was laughing and cursing the whole time while my friend was screaming and praying that we don’t die that night. It was unexpectedly a very scary ride.  

Creepiest: It was seeing our bread slowly get infested by tiny lizards. We bought the bread at one of my favorite bakeries, but it was so bad that I couldn’t even look at that bakery’s logo without gaging for months. People who know me know how much I loathe lizards with their squishy-sticky bodies, black beaded eyes, detachable tails, dirty-translucent brown color, and overall ability to randomly hide in places to scare me. So, this happened in a span of three days wherein on the first day I caught sight of a small lizard trapped in the plastic of bread we bought two days prior. The lizard was a juvenile, around three inches long and its skin was that slimy kind of light brown tint…in a word…disgusting! It was unmoving in the plastic, seemingly dead at that point. I checked all sides of the plastic to try and figure out where it might enter, but everything was intact with no visible holes all around. I left it on the table because I wanted to show it to mom. Come afternoon that single lizard turned to two with the second one identical to the first, also paralyzed right next to the first…and again my brother checked the plastic but could not find any. It was impossible to miss since we both checked the bread 360 degrees and saw nothing the first time. We threw and left the bread on our front porch that night. The next morning we were freaked out when we saw that the lizards had turned to three, the third one identical and motionlessly sticking on the other side of the bread’s plastic. We were very sure that there was no other lizard hiding between the slices of bread the night prior. This time mom also got scared that she splashed holy water on the bread before crushing the lizards with a stick on the head. We left it on the porch for another night, and I was monitoring the bread throughout the afternoon, but nothing happened. Those three lizards looked horrible with their eyes popping from the pressure of being mushed on the head. The next morning, to my horror, I saw a fourth lizard in the plastic also beginning to rot with the three. It was at that point when dad decided to throw the bread out and far from our sight. It was a perplexing incident since I bought that bread and even ate a couple of pieces, and it didn’t have any traces of lizard eggs in it, plus the ones we saw emerging out of nowhere were at least two weeks old with their size not looking like it just hatched from an egg. That incident made me feel uneasy as it was beyond my logical reasoning verging on something I’d consider paranormal. 

UL: I spent Good Friday in Baguio, and I managed to do the du-aw at a nearby church; LL: This is the Jimny that I got to drive around Benguet; UR: Choco-late is a famous place at Burnham Park where we waited for quite some time to get seated; LR: Laperl White House where my friends and I hung out at 11pm hoping for something to happen. Nothing did, but I can feel the energy drawing me in and it was quite heavy.

UL: Northern Blossom Flower Farm in Atok Benguet; LL: The rows of shawarma and street food right next to our creepy hotel; UR: The traffic in Baguio I hate the most; LR: I finally got to see those famous cabbage rose patches, and it's really pretty despite not its peak season.

Worst: That feeling of betrayal sometime on the first part of the year. I felt betrayed and ripped off of one of my biggest dreams that time, but it also made me realize in the end that maybe it was for the best as it opened an opportunity to fulfill another big dream. It’s just one of those that is considered a heartbreak that took me a few months to gain my composure.  

Heartbreaking: That moment when I was about to say what was probably my most important piece this year…and realizing that it wasn’t possible to make it happen. It broke my heart for quite some time. Realizing that I have to let go of something I thought was possible. It hurt me a lot for quite a bit, but it is what it is. I finally came to my senses, and accepting that fact helped me focus on other things in my life. That was the silver lining of that moment.

UL: A wedding invitation from my college friend, this was the perfect excuse that I went back to Manila for; LL: Burrow Café at Antipolo, it was quite the wait to dine in here. Food was nice, but the place was well curated; R: Kaulayaw Coffee was situated in a place that reminded me of the outskirts of Taiwan. The food was creatively named, and it tasted comforting as well.

Funniest: That one night out with my cousin Pam. It was the night we were both laughing so hard we were crying, out of breath, couldn’t speak any more words and had a total ab workout, all thanks to Ian. Dad even opened the gate before we could ring the doorbell claiming that he heard us laughing as we were approaching the gate several meters away. It all started with us joking to our parents that we’ll be going out to hunt for some men when in truth all we wanted to do was eat out. After dinner we decided to either have dessert or drinks somewhere. We ended up doing the prior, wanting to have some halo-halo. As we ate, a random guy suddenly approached us and spoke with my cousin who was seated right next to me. The man was slender, around his mid-40’s, wearing a gray polo shirt and named Ian. I was disinterested at first since I knew what his intention was, but somehow the conversation dragged on longer than expected to the point that he gave information that we were not expecting to hear. In the end we handed Ian over some cash so that he could be on his merry way while we too could head on home. The bottom line of the whole conversation was that he needed some cash and was trying to convince us that he legitimately will be using the money to buy his dinner. As my cousin was driving me home I started laughing at the thought and told her that we did get a guy to approach us that night. We banked on expanding that statement until we were laughing so hard it was painful. The irony of what happened to us that night was so pitiful that we could barely catch our breaths from laughing at the banter we were throwing at each other. 

L: The eucalyptus road leading to the millennia balete. This has got to be one of the best sites I've been in the Philippines. UR: The 1328-year old balete tree of Dalakit in Canlaon City; LR: Sprouts of Japanese rice being cultivated in Canlaon. Apparently we produce locally grown Japanese rice at Canlaon. 

UL: At Café Ganin where I bought some Liberica seedlings and learned how the process of coffee from bean to brewing; LL: At Coffee Culture where I learned the basics of coffee cupping; UR: At Carmen's coffee farm where my cousins and I attended a private lecture about coffee cultivation with one of the DA's coffee expert; LR: Liberica white beans being grown in Bago.

Un-luckiest Moment: That time when a freak accident happened to me. An entire shelf rack in 7Eleven suddenly collapsed and hit me—ONLY me on the arms and toe. But even if I was unlucky to be the only victim of that accident, I was lucky enough that it hit me with minimal damage, just a bruised left arm and left toe. It was also lucky that the shelves were full of cup noodles and not anything too heavy or glass bottles else the damage could have been much worse. The crew seemed to have panicked—as they should be—when I said I was hurt and can spot that the color of my skin start to change. They asked me to stay in order to treat my bruise with an ice pack but all I could think about was that my cousin, oblivious with the incident, will be late for her work if I stayed any longer to file a formal complaint or wait to be treated. All I did was grab the ice pack and told them on top of their incessant apologies that they make sure it doesn’t happen again. Thankfully the ice pack worked that the bruise on my arm didn’t appear the next day, however the injury on my toe lasted a couple of days making it a little hard to walk properly. It was a freak accident that I didn’t really opt to share to a lot of people, including my parents, since it’ll be more trouble than inconvenience should a lot more people know.  

UL: At Atmosphere Resort in Dauin, one of the best diving resorts in the Visayas; LL: Flying Fish Hostel where we stayed in Dumaguete; UR: Buglas Isla Café has an old world charm but quite new in Dumaguete; LR: This is at The Henry's located at the new phase 3 of Dumaguete's Boulevard.

L: This river in Valencia was one of the prettiest I've seen in the island; UR: I finally got to see the famous roadside sulfur vents in Valencia; LR: After years of curiosity of wanting to get near this always closed church on our way to Dumaguete, we finally got our chance when I saw the gate open. The church itself was locked though, but at least we were able to go to its grounds.  

Stupidest: Not selling my stocks sooner. Now I’m stuck waiting for it to bounce up again. I haven’t done my part in reviewing any of the stocks that I bought this year resulting it more of a loss than getting any gains. I no longer know what’s going on with the country since I’ve stopped watching 

Regretful: I don’t know if that 5/23 moment is something I should be regretful about.

Coolest: Going to a rice field one random afternoon for a picnic with my friends. It was a full table setup with two bottles of wine and an array of colorful food spread.  

Heart Warming: Those moments whenever Tako would bury his head on or between my legs waiting to be hugged. After I hug him, he reciprocates his adoration by biting my arms.

Proudest Moment: Seeing my coffee trees blooming for the first time this year. I planted a couple of marcotted robusta in the farm two years ago and I was expecting it to bloom after four years, but for some reason a few of my trees started sprouting out flowers this November. It must mean that I planted it in the right soil for them to bloom this early at this stage. They’ve grown around 4.5 feet tall, and it’s a matter of time before I start experimenting with the whole process of making coffee from scratch. 

Cutest: Getting a golden retriever puppy this April. This is my first official pet since that heartbreaking moment when my mom gave away my labrador retriever away named Pig over twenty years ago. I decided not to have any pets since then because life happened. This time though I felt like my maternal instincts kicked in that I wanted to take care of something…and for some reason I realized that I’d be a strict mother as I ended up trying to disciple Tako a lot. 

This is Tako, my golden retriever pup that was born Jan 17, 2022 and now he's huge and quite the troublemaker. I love him but he's also annoying in so many ways.

UL: This is the first bloom of my Robusta coffee that I planted in my farm two years ago; LL: The beach lot property that my cousins and I bought this year. A lot of work needs to be done; UR: We've finally made some changes in the domes at Domeino. We made bedframes and split the mattresses in two; LR: I had a small greenhouse built in the farm where I'll be putting in my seedlings. So far I haven't used it much.

Most Fun: This year’s Masskara Festival is the first in since the pandemic, as well as our new mayor’s first chance to spearhead the Masskara. He had a lot of activities in store, but it was mostly hanging out with friends and walking on a crowded street that made me forget that we are still in a pandemic. I managed to go out for three nights in a row meeting different sets of friends every night, having some light drinks and street food. My last Masskara wherein I really went out to the streets and partied was probably 2010 as I don’t usually go home for the festival after my friends left Bacolod. This year a couple of my friends are back, funny part though is that we didn’t see a whole lot of our batchmates unlike before that we’d spot random familiar faces every several meters. 

Wildest: My adventure to Atok with three of my friends this April. After sixteen months of being away from Manila, I returned and had the time of my life. It felt like total freedom and making the most of two-week stay there. Since my friend Jhaey missed me so much, we ended up going on random trips, from cafes around Antipolo, to IKEA, to Baguio and all the way up to Atok, Benguet. It was one of those random trips wherein we’d just reach a destination and decide when we got there. Four of us went on that trip, and based on my trips for years, four is the perfect number of people to go on trips with. We were able to explore and eat well without a lot of fuss. What made it wild was because I was the one who drove my friend’s new Jimny half the time. To those who have tried my driving know what I mean by wild. The zigzag road of the Cordilleras was quite fun to drive through, especially when using a new car.

The frozen manufacturing business that one of my closest friends and I developed. We happen to have made the perfect lumpiang shanghai recipe that we can't wait distribute in the market.

Most Challenging: It’s facing the reality that I feared the most: Having to deal with the reality that my mother has been diagnosed with cancer. This is one of my biggest fears coming home…that instinctive feeling that I had to go home to take care of my parents. But to hit by this too soon seems so unfair. I just got here, I’m just beginning to set a life back home and then I’m hit with the confirmation. It’s draining in all aspects. I had to carry a lot of the burden when mom asked me to stay with her in the hospital, take care of her after the operation, all while needing to keep the news that she had cancer between the two of us for a while. It’s hard to work around a schedule when I’m on call. I’d have to cut short a lot of my personal stuff to make way for being a caregiver.

Magical Moment: It was last June 24 at 3:30am when I witnessed a rare planetary alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. I wasn’t really planning on seeing the phenomenon since it was raining earlier that night, but I somehow woke up at 3am and could no longer fall asleep. So I went out to try my luck and my God I was in awe staring at the night sky. There lined up the brightly lit planets together with the moon that took the place of Earth on the sky. The night sky is always so amazing to gaze at, but even more so when something magical like this happen. 

UL: Signature Poke Bowl from Keeka; LL: Buffalo Wings from Kurv; UR: Truffle Pasta with Smoked Brisket from Primo's; Ceviche Rolls from Casita de Val

Awe-Inspiring: Seeing the 1300+ Year-Old Balete tree at Canlaon. The road leading there is so beautiful that I couldn’t believe how amazing Negros is. Considering that we went there at a time when they have harvested the rice and Mt. Kanlaon was covered with clouds, it was still enough to take my breath away. Whenever I see places like these I feel energized and like a child who wants nothing else but to wander alone. I felt most present that moment, and it was a feeling I felt most alive. 

Best Feeling: Having my whole body aligned by a chiropractic practitioner. Feeling and hearing all nooks of my body crack felt so good. 

OMG Moment: That moment when I saw my newly renovated bathroom and used it. I was kinda tolerating while suffering every time I used my toilet and bath for the past years. If there’s one thing that I have learned while growing up, it’s finding a way out of a situation that I refuse to tolerate with. I took some time to think it over especially considering the cost and time it’ll take for the renovation, but it was one of the best decisions I made this year. It’s so rewarding to take a shower with tiles not stained with mold that were impossible to remove, and use a toilet that I didn’t hated sitting on every single time. So OMG, it is possible to live not so miserably.

Best Discovery: Radio Garden app. I love listening to radio, and it’s one of the things I try to do whenever I’m new to a place to get acquainted with the vibes. This app is amazing as it allows the user to click on any available radio station around the world and listen to it live. It transports me anywhere in the world via music.

UL: Dimsum from Wok Kitchen; LL: The Fancy from Nosh; UR: Spicy Thai Pork with Coriander from Delicious Bacolod; LR: Smooth Mess from Fria

Favorite 2022 Drink: Salvacion’s Spanish Latte; Matcha latte from Origami, Coffee Culture and also coffee; Strawberry-Matcha Soy Latte that I whip up 

Favorite 2022 Food: Cheesebomb Takoyaki with Bonito Flakes from Takoyaki Sensei; Chicken Kaffir Lime Pesto Salad from Fresh Start; Plain Croissant from Gorda; Buffalo Chicken Wings from Kurv; Signature Poke Bowl from Keeka; Shrimp Dumpling from Wok Kitchen; Pork Alapana from Esquinita Bar & Café; Birria Tacos from Pasabor

Best Thing I Ate: Mixed tempura from Chaya, Baguio; Spicy Thai Pork with Coriander from Delicious Bacolod; Salmon Poke Salad from Nezu; Miso Glazed Salmon from Gorda; Adlai Paella from Slow Kichen; Sea Bass special menu dish from Blackbird; The Fancy from Nosh

Favorite 2022 Dessert: Burnt Basque Matcha from Delicioso; Durian Ice Cream from JKN Farm; Rose Cardamom Cake from Tiffany’s; Smooth Mess from Fria; Hokkaido Soft Serve from Kiwami 

Favorite 2022 Restaurant: Lanai by Fresh Start; Delicious Bacolod; Casita de Val; 

Unforgettable Meal: Chaya at Baguio because of how much I loved the mixed tempura I ordered…everything was delicious, but we did had to wait a while before we got to eat. Everything was really good though, it tasted clean and just good Japanese food.

UL: Seabass Special from Blackbird; LL: Miso Glazed Salmon from Gorda; UR: Salmon Poke Salad from Nezu; LR: Pork Alapana from Esquinita Bar

Worst thing I Ate: It's actually a drink, Agimat ni Diyos Buhawi from Lanai…it seriously tasted like I was drinking the smoke being emitted by random dried leaves. Three of us cannot finish a small coupe glass even if we tried.

Favorite 2022 Hang Out: Tractor Café, Esquinita Bar & Cafe, Lanai, Quedan, the kubo in our farm  

Favorite 2022 Songs: Light Switch by Charlie Puth; You Can Take Me High by Candelion feat. Andy Delos Santos; Oh My God by Adele; Strawberries and Cigarette cover by Harryan Yoonsoan

Favorite 2022 Movies: Sandman the series, favorite episode is Episode 6: The Sound of Her Wings; House of the Dragon Episode 5

Favorite 2022 People: My cousin Pam for helping me a lot on being my legal counsel; Nadine for being being one of my pillars during my struggle with taking care of mom after her operation; My cousin Kim for taking over whenever I can't; Tako for loving me unconditionally 

Will Be Most Missed in 2022: Lola Harriet, Hanging out with Nadine, Tako’s puppy stage

UL: Chicken Kaffir Pesto Lime Salad from Lanai; LL: Red Curry from Delicious Bacolod; UR: Mixed Tempura Set from Chaya; LR: Birria Taco from Pasabor and Creme Brulee Donut from Firehook  

Achievement Unlocked this 2022:

1. Starting to learn more about coffee. Attend coffee cupping and coffee cultivation class.

2. Buying an espresso machine and learning latte art.

3. Getting a puppy for myself, a golden retriever I named Tako.

4. Driving from NLEX to Baguio, and from Atok to Baguio. Driving around Dumaguete and up to Kabankalan.

5. Plating a whole lot of trees on the farm, both fruit trees and ornamentals.

6. Buying my first real estate property, a beach lot. I bought it with family though. 

7. Renew my driver’s license with a 10-year validity.

8. Start a new dream business, food manufacturing of frozen food.

9. Having to dress an operation wound and learning how to change colostomy bags.

10. Preparing a surprise proposal for a friend wherein the girl says no.  

11. Being a registered Safety Officer S1  

12. Complete the whole perimeter of Negros Island. Managed to reach the south-most tip of the island.

UL: Flat White from Toby's Estate; LL: Shrimp Dumpling in Chili Sauce from Shi Lin; UR: Strawberry Eclair from Paul; Curry Udon with Onsen Egg from Marugame Udon

2022 Realization: 

I realized and have accepted my working habit this year. I could not work consistently non-stop…I’m not a workaholic; I just love working a lot the moment I have rested enough.

Lesson Learned for 2022: 

If you refuse to openly say something, don’t assume people will catch on to what hasn’t been said.

2022 Quotes:

“If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.” –Bernard Byer

“A life of independence is no mere consolation. Indeed, many would think it the better prize. After passion cools and fate intervenes, who else is a woman left with but herself?”  Lady Danbury of Brigerton 

“Doing well with money has little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave, and behavior is unfortunately hard to teach even to really smart people.” –Morgan Housel   

First Time Places I Went to this 2022: A lot of places in Negros Oriental (Zamboanguita, Siaton, Santa Catalina, Valencia, Bayawan, Basay), Candoni, Mailum Bago, Atok Benguet

2023 New Year’s Resolution:

Let go of people I no longer want to be associated with. I guess the older I get the more loosely I hold onto broken strings as it makes things less painful.

Live more in the moment and not online. Basically reduce my online presence and electronic footprint by more than 50%. I want to reconnect with people on a more intimate level, be able to look in their eyes and listen without thinking of anything else but the stories they are telling.

2023 Bucket List:

Go on a trip abroad, anywhere in the world...it doesn't really matter at this point.