Goodbye To You...2015

Happy 2016, year of the Monkey. And oh happy Three Kings as well since today is already January the 3rd. The holiday season is finally over.  

I hope this year will be good to me since I was born year of the Monkey which only happens every twelve years thus the next would be on 2028. 

Not that 2015 wasn't good to me, it’s just that a death of a long time family companion, our dog for ten years is just kind of hard to bear since he passed away few days after Christmas. All could’ve been perfect this year, from my sister and I’s most sought after birthday travel, the new home, me leaving my job for three years since I was never happy with it anyways, the feeling you’re finally settled until the unexpected happened, the demise of our beloved family canine. 

I truly believe you cannot have everything. The ups and downs is part of life, to maintain some sort of balance to everything, to keep the ball of fate going perhaps. I am just thankful to God for joyous 2015, nevertheless. For me and my family’s good health, and let me also mention that one of our dog who was tested positive for blood parasite infection came negative after couple of months. The news came that same fateful day of Brandon’s (the german shepherd) passing. 

stash from the Sunflower Festival, the Elephant key chain
 and the lovely mango soap, smell so good you can
almost eat it.

my DIY bathroom mirror...

Moving on, new year, fresh start, clean slate. My sissy and I will be renewing our passports this year. We’re brewing a trip to Thailand for our birthday (hopefully). My niece suggested Pattaya, Thailand to this place called Sanctuary of Truth since she recently attended this event called the Sunflower Festival. We saw the temples there through pictures and we were amazed since we love to travel to temples with intricate structures and carvings. We’re crossing our fingers it would materialise and not just wishful thinking although chances are it will because we are eager, adventurous souls who will never say never. 

another one of my DIY projects:
jutified yoghurt bottle :D

As for me, I started my year with more DIY projects such as the one I recently made--couple of flower vases from empty/recycled wine bottles which I decorated with jute twines, plain monochromatic mirror turned into work of art etc. I am also venturing into making other steamed foods other than pastries such as my new baby, rice cake with caramel custard on top (Puto Flan) recipe I found on YouTube.

freshly made Puto Flan

PUTO FLAN RECIPE

Ingredients

5 egg yolks

5 egg whites

2 cups cake flour

1 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tsp lemon

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup condensed milk

1. flan mixture : add together lemon, condensed, egg yolks

• grease pans with butter
• steam for 10mins

2. rice cake mixture: combine egg white, evap milk, sugar mix till well blended

3. mix dry ingredients: baking powder, cake flour, salt

4. combine rice cake and dry ingredients together whilst pouring water, mix until well blended.

5. pour cake mix on top of cooked flan; steam for 10mins again.

let it cool. 

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. I also cooked Aglio Oglio pasta paired with breaded pork chops which I sliced so thinly then breaded it using eggs, cornstarch and bread crumbs for Media Noche. It was heaven though especially when dashed with this homemade sauce I found in Google last minute too called Honey Garlic Sauce which is an amalgamation of  the ff:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup honey 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

I can’t find any chicken last minute before New Year’s eve and as much as I hate eating pork I had no choice though.

Again, Happy New Year!!! Let’s bury all the hatchet.

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New Beginnings

heavy traffic jams..blame it on the rain..lol.

I am officially unemployed and I'm currently loving it. I never had all the time in the world except now. I can sleep soundly and not be wary of the time. When you have work, time enslaves you, breathing is your only consolation when you're all stumped. 

I can stay up late now without thinking about enduring another day at work the next morning. A taste of freedom I haven't had for a long period of time. I left my job for three years (and three months) roughly a week ago because I haven't been earning enough to fend for myself and that defeats the purpose of having a job--to be able to fend for myself and afford life's basic necessities. 

I tried to love the north thinking I would settle here for good but I was wrong. I never felt I belong here in this cold city since day one. I longed for the cold during summer but despised the frequent rains thereafter, the damp feeling of the rain in my clothes irked me, the really chilly mornings on my way to work. I'll never get use to the cold and the mist I guess. I've never felt so sad especially during rainy days. The gloomy weather and the melancholy it brings to the soul.

I've never enjoyed a dose of hot taro tea 
& brownies' s'morse since recently 
#worryfreelife

I have no regrets for leaving, my decision was personal though. I spent my whole life down south and built my world around there and the big difference between the weather here up north and the culture is something I'll never get used to. Life here moves in such a slow pace. The days, years and months seemed eternal. I hated getting up in the morning when it's so cold, I would rather spend it in bed, reading a book and sipping hot tea or coffee.

I was only grateful that the move my sissy and I made here up north made our Mom happy, little did we know we're just gonna be spending a couple of years with her out of those four years of settling here. I think It was God's plan, for the family to be together during her last few days here on earth.

Now it's time to go back home. I'm planning to relieve and rebuild my life, save up again to further my passion for travel. I don't want to do anything else but follow my heart, work hard to travel. I learned a lot from this experience, that, time is more precious than gold so don't take it for granted. Above all it's never too late to pick up the pieces again.

So for now, I'll try to savor this moment. I'll just busy myself with my new read by Vina Jackson called "Eighty Days Amber," this book is pretty interesting. I'll write a review once I'm done reading it. 

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time for another cool change

whew, t'was my last day at work last night with my now ex-job. i had a great and rough time though. during the first few months t'was a struggle though i emerged victorious during our graduation. but then, life there wasn't always easy having been an achiever in this industry where i've been for the past going 9 years now. i guess i should stop aiming for the best at all times and just learn how to chill as things don't go always as planned. haizzt. i guess as well i will miss some folks at work and my daily routine. everything just happened in an snap. it's like it hasn't even sinked in. just few days back i was really dealing with all the worries cuz i don't know how it'll work by not rendering the usual 30 day scenario. but..all went well the least i expected. geez. why did i even bother worrying while the only repercussion was i won't be eligible for rehire anymore because i went on immediate resignation? i could've just continued on and read chelsea cain's ebook instead of worrying.

moving on, i will miss some people at work but i guess life goes on. this cold city is such a small place not to bump around someone you used to know unlike in manila. i think i'd rather stay in a small town than go back to the south and endure all the shit. i never thought i would enjoy living a simple life around here. 

on that note, my sister and i will start with our new found job next week. haizzt. i guess we'll be spending our birthday at work and not be able to pursue our out of the country getaway. that's sad but i know we're better off now. i just wanna be in a stress free and less intelligent job but earn more. i mean, it's all about money baby. i may sound so practical but hell yeah, i really am and being smart doesn't mean you need to be on a job for smart people but earn less. whadda heck? i don't wanna be hero anyways. i'm better off in my own little bubble. 

i know it's quite late for my new year's resolution but i just realized that now that tomorrow's plan begins today so i wanna end the year not meager. i just don't wanna waste my time away like i did with my now previous job. time flies and flicks away so fast though life here is so sluggish. but then, i'm done and over with the big city life in the south. so my new thing is to just chill.

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my life in the world of woes

free at last. today's my last day with my current job. i spent 3 years and 2 months with the company. it was the longest with my many years of working. i just need change i guess. i've never felt so relieved. i can finally read books again without the need to worry that i will sleep late and i have work tomorrow. i am beginning to unlearn a lot of things. i'll be embarking on a new journey.  i want to rest first and appreciate each and every day. then, i'll start anew.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another... - Anatole France

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so i got a new job...what's next?

things went on pretty fast, for all i know i got a new job! i hate job applications really. such a pain in the ass. i never expected things will run smoothly so i haven't quit my job yet just to make sure i have a fallback in case (although at the back of my mind i'm confident i'll get the job).  it wasn't bad at all except i need to get used to the morning shift, rubbing elbows with fellow commuters, the snarling traffic jams, scorching heat of the sun and last but not least, endure 'standing' on the bus. sucks. all i need is to be able to have morning job and be able to sleep in the evening. i just want a normal life for crying out loud. my current officemates were shocked. nobody knew i was leaving in the first place. i hate saying things right before they happen. i don't like blabbing about my future plans like it's their business.

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