2016: What A Year!

2016: What A Year!

Saturday, December 31, 2016

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To say that 2016 was a tumultuous year is an understatement. From beginning to end, it seems that the year dropped on us one bomb after another. From deaths to tragedies to political situations, our country and the rest of the world went through one tough year. You don't need to go beyond your Facebook feed to see how divisive the world has become. 

Personally though, 2016 was good for me. I needed to go through 2016 to reboot, recharge, and realign myself with what I really wanted with my life. 

The year before this, 2015, had been rough. Between family drama, a business venture that didn't pan out, and getting sick again, I needed to breathe. In the latter part of 2015, an uncle offered me a job in the province, and it was the perfect opportunity for me to reset. I stayed there for a year. 

After living independently for many years, it was refreshing to be cared for again. I didn't need to worry about cooking my own food, doing the laundry, and cleaning the place. I had to adjust living with others though, because I wasn't used to not being alone in the house anymore. 

Many afternoons in the province were spent enjoying snacks like suman sa lihiya or tamales, a delicacy from Tiaong, Quezon. 

My job was pretty easy, the office a mere five minutes away from the house, and I always had a ride to and from the municipal hall, save for some days when I had to commute. On weekends, I went back to Manila to spend time with Jay and his family. 

Slowly, I began to heal. I began to dream again. I began to pick up the broken pieces and believe that things can still get better. 

I enjoyed bonding with my aunt, who loved entertaining guests over food. We had tacos for dinner one night!

And they did. After a year in Quezon, I went back to Manila. I took classes and workshops that helped me pursue my passion for writing, and I started being active on this blog. I met with friends, family, and carefully chose the jobs I applied for. I traveled. I felt my faith being restored and my commitment to God get stronger. 

4x4 ride at the Laoag sand dunes in Ilocos. 

With authors and editors Mina V. Esguerra (left) and Ines B. Yao at the Writing for YA workshop in September.

Experienced fall and winter in Tokyo, Japan.

At the airport before our flight back to Manila, I mailed a postcard addressed to my Dad, the first of many. At that moment, my siblings and I were in different parts of the world. I was in Japan, my Kuya in the States, and my sister in Norway.

With my high school girlfriends turned maid of honor and bridesmaid.

The most important blessing I received this year was when Jay and I decided to get married. We have been together for more than half our lives, and to finally take that step toward marriage is a prayer He answered in His perfect time. 

Our Japan trip was the cherry on top of my beautiful cake. We witnessed our first snowfall (it hasn't snowed in Tokyo in November for 54 years), and were fortunate to glimpse the magnificent Mt. Fuji. With the snowcapped mountain behind us, Jay asked me to be his wife. It was amazing. 

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." -Ecclesiastes 3:11

But God wasn't finished because there was another bonus in store for me. I planned to sell my banana loaves in December just in time for the Holiday season. I prayed that people would order because having no regular job, this was my chance to earn an income. And boy, did God deliver. 

Many friends ordered for their gifts and personal consumption. My heart is full!

My baking sidehustle was such a success, orders have spilled over to 2017! This is the path I really want to pursue, and I hope I get to have an opportunity to do so. 

2016 taught me a lot of things. To patiently wait, but to also ask for what you want and need. To pray, but to also work hard. To hustle, but to also rest when needed. 

Thank you dear readers for going on this journey with me. I know you're there (so please leave a comment! heehee), and my wish is that thru this blog, may I meet new friends and kindred spirits. See you in 2017 and let's discover together! 

Happy New Year! 

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Friday Fiction: Debts, Deaths, and Dreams

Friday Fiction: Debts, Deaths, and Dreams

Friday, December 9, 2016

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Dani stared at the LED screen showing lithe, bespectacled girls riding a gold bus down Las Vegas strip. Awash in cotton candy pink and yellow lights, the models blew bubbles and strutted down the street like it was their personal runway. Tall, confident, carefree. The girls on TV were everything Dani will never be.

Deciding she's had enough, she turned her back from the digital ad billboard and turned to the crowd in the shopping mall coffee shop. It's been fifteen minutes and her client is nowhere to be found. A brown envelope of cash burned through her purse, twenty thousand pesos she failed to deposit before the bank closed for the day. A handful of money and yet she couldn't spare to waste a cup of coffee for herself. She'd have to commute back home with the cash, but it's not something she hasn't done before. 

The trick is to act like there's nothing valuable in your bag. It helps that her nondescript tote is tattered at the edges, the synthetic leather peeling in different areas. Unlike the black nylon tote she sold that afternoon, a high-end bag she purchased two years ago before she left her last company. She originally asked for a higher price since the bag was in very good condition (she only used it once on a trip to Bali), all the gold hardware scratch-free and the straps were made of Saffiano leather, but her client was a frequent buyer and asked for a discount. With another deadline from the corrupt BIR officer looming, Dani had no choice but to give in. 

The last two months had been a blur of buying and selling her things, material possessions she acquired since she started working, stuff she now realize don't really amount to much in the grand scheme of things. Not when you were left with a mountain of debt by your mother, who decided to up and leave without any warning. 

Dani had a plan. Before she resigned from the events company she toiled in for five years to start her own wedding coordination team, she prepared everything needed to make her dream come true. She crafted a business plan, consulted her network of industry insiders, reached out to her freelance friends to jump on board. Everything was ready. What she didn't count on was her mother ruining everything for her. Again. 

When Dani was about to apply for a sole proprietorship at the BIR, she discovered that she was in fact, several years due for tax payments and penalties. It turns out, her mother used her TIN in opening a short-lived massage place (one of her many big ideas), forged her signatures, didn't pay the taxes, and never bothered to inform the bureau when it closed down.

So instead of starting her dream venture, Dani had to spend her savings to first pay for the fines of a business she never benefited from. 

Sadly, it was an all too-familiar scenario for the petite, insecure, and uptight lady now waiting to let go of another possession at a loss. She dug through her purse and felt the small drawstring pouch that holds a gold 18k necklace with a medallion pendant bearing the letter "D". It was a gift from her late father Danilo, after whom she was named. 

Dani tried her best not to break down. She had no time for drama right now. She gripped the wooden table before her, holding on tight as the tears threatened to spill. The necklace was the last thing her father gave her on his last trip back to the Philippines, when he spent two whole weeks of uninterrupted quality time with Dani and her mother. They went to a beach in Zambales, gorging on mangoes and grilled seafood. They went to Baguio and hoarded jars of Good Shepherd Ube Jam and Lengua de Gato.  

The next time Mang Danilo came home from Saudi he was in a coffin. A freak accident with a cement mixer at the factory where he had worked for ten years. Dani was sixteen. 



Mang Danilo made sure Dani and her mother would have a good life even after he was gone. But all his hard work went down the drain in two years when Dani's mother started gambling. It was small time at first. Cards and Mahjong whenever she and her friends would meet up for dinner at one of their houses. Then a friend introduced her to e-games, where she spent hours in front of a digital slot machine, befriending all the attendants and security guards where she played. She was winning too, but became too addicted that she ended up losing more than what she won. 

Soon Dani noticed pieces of furniture and appliances were missing. Her mother's handbag collection, gifts from Mang Danilo every time he went back home, started disappearing too. Then she saw a text message on her mother's phone, to an unnamed number, saying she needed to see him and pawn her ring because she already lost three hundred thousand that night.



When Dani confronted her, she denied everything. She said she was just destressing, handling her grief and passing time. A month later she disappeared, leaving a trail of debts and angry former friends banging at their door.



That was six years ago. And now the ghost of her mother still haunts her. Dani slid the necklace back to its pouch and began to stand up. It looks like her client is a no-show, and just as well. She won't be selling the necklace after all.



She's done paying for debts she doesn't owe.









*Friday Fiction is my attempt at writing again. Writing to better myself, and not just because I need it to earn money. On Fridays (not every Friday though), I'll be posting something I wrote. It can be snippets, short stories, or even poetry. Hope you can come back and check! 

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Flawless is Fab@15, and They're Having the Biggest Beauty Blowout

Flawless is Fab@15, and They're Having the Biggest Beauty Blowout

Monday, December 5, 2016

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I went to Flawess Trinoma branch to redeem the Revlite Insta Facial gift certificate I received during the Blog Biz Blogging Workshop. But I found out that the beauty clinic is celebrating their 15th anniversary this year, and clients are in for a treat!



December 8 is National Flawless Day, and because Flawless is Fab@15, they're hosting the biggest beauty blowout this entire month. They are giving away coupons that entitle patrons to awesome beauty deals good until December 31: buy 1 take 1 on facials, free products, service upgrades, and discounts on purchases. You can get these coupons at any clinic with no purchase necessary, and you can redeem them immediately!

So I took mine and chose the Free Facial Upgrade. My Classic Facial was upgraded to Oil Control Regular Facial. That means I only pay Php399 instead of Php625, and I save Php226! The catch is, I wasn't able to use my Revlite Insta Facial gift certificate because I can only use one promo at a time. But not to worry, because I can use it on another day.



Before the procedure started, my aesthetician showed me the sealed bag of tools she will be using for my facial. Flawless prides itself in ensuring hygienic practices for the safety of its clients. I have gone to different facial clinics and this was the first time I've seen this practice. It's important because no matter how beautiful the ambiance of a facial clinic is, if they're not implementing hygienic practices, then you're in the wrong place.



At the treatment room, my aesthetician showed me the locker by the foot of the bed where I could store my bag and other things. She gave me the key and asked me to lie down. We then started with my facial. She cleaned my face, started the steam, and proceeded with the pricking. During the procedure, she mentioned that instead of the Oil Control Regular Facial I chose, we should switch to Acne Control Regular Facial because she noticed my breakout on my chin area. This way, my skin would benefit from the facial more. I love that she mentioned it to me first before proceeding, so I was able to clarify if there was a price difference between the two (there was none).

Part of my kilay was erased. Heehee.

After pricking, a mask was applied to my face and left on for about 10-15 minutes. Next to steaming, it was the most relaxing part! The final step was the laser for my face. All done! I was advised not to wet my face for eight hours, and that I can come back the following week to redeem my Revlite Insta Facial gift certificate.

Me-time is pamper time!

When I finished paying, I filled out a coupon for a chance to win awesome raffle prizes, including a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in Rose Gold and a Yamaha Mio 125 motorcycle!



So this holiday season of giving, don't forget to treat yourself. Drop by any Flawless branch and celebrate the Fabulous You!

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