where is this sun you speak of?

"For you, a thousand times over" It's from a second-hand bookstore-slash-library where I got this book. I knew this book is well-known based from the author's name and even though I did not know much about it, knowing that a lot of people liked it, I quickly grabbed it out of the box lying near the bookstore's swinging door! It took a while for me to read the book as I was in a reading slump (ah, the dreaded reading slump~) but I finally managed to read the book and I love and hate it. There is so much to feel about the book. It was a wonderful journey all throughout in a sense that the story is written in such a way that the reader is able to understand the characters and are actually get attached to them from beginning to the end. There were love, loss, and betrayal for the most parts of the story and I think that's what makes it an incredible book as it brought me to so many different experiences... and also, what an eye-opener. This is the first...

A store in Lille, France 2019 Haaaaaaaaaaaaa- feelings. I've had a roller coaster ride these past weeks and for an introvert, it's kind of overwhelming. I think I am at the point of my journey where I find myself at the end of the road that splits into two directions. Do I need to choose between the two or take a U-turn? This is the question that keeps going on and on and on... it never ends! As I am randomly browsing on the internet, I come across a page showing a full text of a "number 1 bestseller" book about life rules in a chaotic world. It's interesting that I might just have to add it to my to-read list. Anyway, one of the points there is this: Pursue what is meaningful . And I think it also correlates with another point highlighted in the book which is: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today. In this day and age, we often see a grandiose facade of everyone's lives and as much as we are happy to see that ev...

So I had the chance to cook pesto chicken and veggies in the weekend and I wanted to share this recipe to the internet because (1) it's yummy, (2) perfect for preparing lunch at work for the whole week, (3) and for future purposes! So here it goes! Ingredients: Asparagus Basil pesto Celery Cherry tomatoes Chicken breast Mushrooms Olive oil Procedure: Heat a large skillet on medium heat Add olive oil, chicken breast, and cherry tomatoes. Cook on for 5 to 10 minutes. Once chicken breast and cherry tomatoes are cooked, set them aside. In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add in asparagus and celery until cooked through. Add the chicken breast and cherry tomatoes back into the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of basil pesto. This varies if you are cooking a large amount of ingredients. So you can season upon your liking. You can add pepper and basil leaves if you want as well.

 Dear FutureMe, You can't please everyone. Right now, it feels like everyone is talking behind your back and you constantly ask yourself "Why the hell would people take so much time spending negativity all around me?" Me? I am nobody. No one is supposed to waste time because of me. And then you realize that some people have boring lives that all they can find joy in is condescendingly talk about other people just to make themselves a little bit "higher". I get this. You are not supposed to please everyone to like you because you can not please everyone. These individuals do not just hate you. They hate everyone else. Which means they hate even those whom they talk with about the people they hate. So, even though you meet them almost every day (and who knows until when - probably when you decide to leave), even though they make you feel different, even though they cut you when you are talking which is making you feel like you are talking nonsense, even though you...

Brugges, Belgium 2019 Ten things I am grateful for: The time to break a sweat in the gym in order to enhance my mood, drain some fats (!!) and be assertive. The free will to live my life the way how I want it every single day.  Easy access to listen to podcasts. I am binging on 'The Linya Linya Show' and 'Wake Up With Jim & Saab'. Great books - I just had finished reading 'The Kite Runner' and loved it! I'm planning to watch the movie later in the day. My connection to the internet in order to feel my family's presence although I am miles away from home. A safe place to live in. The people I've met for the last 4 years that I have lived in Dubai. Knowing that I will come home soon to be with family. A job that gives me satisfaction. Food on the table.

Apart from trying to lose some extra weight (simply because I cannot afford to buy new clothes if those won't fit anymore), I have been challenging myself to have a work-and-life balance.  For quite a few months earlier (or should I say the past year?!), I have been always thinking about work. It has been 24/7 in my mind. I think I am just too passionate about what I do which is a good thing. However, I also wasn't able to do more fun stuff or more me time. So in order to change that, I slowly reset myself to balance these two things. So far, I think I am back on track. These past few weeks, I was able to leave work behind at 6 pm on weekdays and proceed with my personal things after that. Although I want to prepare my to-do list before I start my week again but that is fine because I want to prepare everything ahead. That's my way to stay organized :) Let me have a rundown of some highlights in the past three months: New Year 2019 - I spent my New Year's back...

Living on your own is quite liberating. I think being in your 20s is the most interesting part of life since this is the age where you can do whatever you want in order to "find yourself" and "know yourself" more. Having a career in the travel industry really helped me get inspired more on what I like best. I never thought  I would land a job that somehow relates to things close to me - blogging, travel, and techy stuff. Although it's not blogging per se. It's more on managing content for a travel website and as a graduate of Computer Engineering, I guess what I have now is a perfect combo that I can ever land into. I'm forever grateful. One of the challenging parts is not knowing until when you are able to stay. There is no way for me to stay longer where I am now due to visa restrictions and even though it is mostly based on my employer - as long as I have the contract then I can stay. One of the challenges would be a career path. It's norm...