where is this sun you speak of?

This is one of the best fantasy novels I have read so far that I want to get my own copy of it and carry it with me anywhere I go! Of course, I am exaggerating - I just want to see it on my bookshelf and get reminded of how inspiring and beautiful this story is. It definitely helped me escape the realities of life during the lockdown/quarantine period in 2020! It's so easy and simple to understand because it does not try to be complex; it is trying to tell a story. It's very charming! Even after reading the book, it gave me a feeling that the story never ends - that it happens now - and this thought makes me happy! I mean, if this bookshop exists, I would go and do the same thing to be on the same adventure as Atreyu! It reignites my inner-child, I really love this book!  Also, this book made me realize how important reading is to a child so I asked my nephew if he wanted to read a Fantasy book. I have never received a reply, but that is probably because he plays so much PS4 an...

Early morning in Al Barsha, Dubai This year is ending soon and I hope this craziness also ends along with it. This year, at least in the past few months, I've been experiencing a lot of emotional highs and lows. Because of these pandemic restrictions, I cannot do so much that I am trapped in a bubble with the unkindest of all things.  I'm just glad that I have the kindest people around me, virtually (because family and friends are too far away, sadly), who remind me to be kind to myself and who diverts my attention so something else happy. I am forever grateful for a handful of people who are genuinely kind - I admire them so much. Living alone, far from these people, is really challenging sometimes... I really miss my family and friends.

November early morning run view These past few weeks have been really emotional for me. I have a feeling that the ground beneath is completely unstable and there is nothing that holds me down to the point that I feel so helpless that I spend the night crying until I doze off.  I want to write everything down but I also think that time will pass and that writing down the specifics would be too childish of me especially when it is about those people who are not so kind. I know that things happen for a reason and I just need to always take the high road. The problem is, I am such a cry baby... crying makes me feel better afterward. It always does. So that's why I resort to that. Anyway, despite having the instability of life in general, I am still grateful for those people who always remind me that we are all lucky to be alive and being able to live. Things may not be so perfect right now, but soon it will all be okay. It will all be okay. Hang in there.

Grilled chicken berry salad :) I have been preparing my meals for the week and here's what I had prepared for my lunch from Sunday to Thursday last week. It's called Chicken Berry Salad. It's very simple, easy to make, and yet nutritious. I am not a fan of dressings recently so I have not included a dressing in the recipe below, but you may add honey mustard. apple cider vinegar, and/or any vegetable oil. Or you may also sprinkle of orange juice if you would like to! Ingredients: Chicken breast Mixed salad Strawberries Blueberries Raspberries Edamame Almonds Instructions: Grill the chicken breast.  In a plate (or bowl), assemble your greens, berries, edamame, and almonds.  Et voila! Your lunch is prepared! 😊

A chibi of myself as drawn by my College classmate, Carlo :) Not just one, but several. Back in the early days of my teenage years up to college, I know that I cannot keep a secret to myself when I have a crush on someone. My friends (both close and not close) know about it obviously because I show my feelings when the cute guy is just around the corner. It's so obvious that they would just look at me and ask if I have a crush on someone and all I have to do is, of course, deny but my body language just does not align with what I ought to say. And it is an endless teasing from then on until my friends would do all they could to tease me such as inviting the cute guy in the class I am in (and telling the professor about it). It's so funny to recall each and every "crush" moment back in the day! It just adds up to how joyful my youth was, I think! 😂

Excuse me while I try and show off my cooking skills in the past weeks this month. I've been "experimenting" how to cook and so here is a photo dump of food I prepared myself. These are just a few of those recipes that I tried to follow. The others don't look so good, but hey they are tasty (sometimes) 😂 Shrimp, Zucchini and Bok Choy stir fry Quinoa Chickpeas Tabouleh Anyway, I really love this dress that I bought from a thrift shop nearby. So anyway, lately, I find myself wanting to be fully back in the office however transportation stresses me out because sometimes there are too many people on the train, and working at home is getting boring because I have no one else to interact with and so I thought of spending my Wednesday afternoons at the coffee shop nearby. I am so getting used to working remotely now and I love having to use the free time for longer breakfasts and early dinners at home instead of spending it on commute. I wonder when are we getting back to n...

Always clueless at Magpupungko, Siargao 2019 My weekend was spent mostly consuming movies and TV shows, just like the recent weekends this month. In between glorious naps and TV, was (1) me wondering what's important in my to-do list, (2) should I do it right after this episode, and then there was (3) me reassuring myself that I should not feel the guilt of not doing anything at all - that I deserve a whole day mostly spent in bed, in pajamas, under the blanket. It's fall, the days are supposed to be cozy. Who am I kidding - it's summer all year long in Dubai. 😂 In the midst of all that mind battles against my own self, I realize that most of the things in my "to-do" list are not really important apart from doing chores, the rest of them are just to entertain myself. I appreciate myself for keeping a list of "I will never run out of things to do YAY" just in case, and I guess I have been keeping it since a decade ago. I guess my younger self somehow rea...