Sitting here sipping this americano... Relishing the precious minutes I have to myself before the storm comes... 

Solitude. Even just for a moment... 

Bitter americano, hot oatmeal and Beatles... 

Psyching myself up for the day ahead. 

There is something profound and complex in the taste of an americano. It has depth... 

And as I sip this cup, I can't help but associate it with life. 

Dose of good thoughts

Today's thoughts...

This I must constantly remind myself....

Vegan day 8

I forgot to post this... I made some really good kimchi fried rice this morning. 

Instead of using the sticky dark purple rice I usually use, I used light red rice. 

It tasted really good especially because I topped it with seasoned seaweed. 

Seaweed just makes everything better.  It's pretty amazing. 

I've been salivating over my favorite blog nowadays which is vegan8korean. Just really amazing vegan korean recipes. 

Anyway... I'm so agit nowadays. 

ㅠㅠ 

This... For inspiration. 

Getaway

Thinking of going somewhere for a bit.... To re-energize... Get my inspiration back...

Even just for a weekend. 

지겹다 지겨워

지겹다 나... 

모두 다...

힘들다. 

Vegan week day 7

Conclusions?

I think I just want to really cut out dairy but would like to have some egg on occasion. 

Since I'm doing this to feel better and lose weight, I think that change would be pretty much okay. 

I did have some Pipino yesterday again. 

Its really good... I die. I had eggplant and tofu miso rice. 

It was so creamy and rich it was amazing!

Ice cream! I had dessert! Vanilla graham vegan ice cream. It had weird texture. It was alright. I won't order it again. Haha

My skin has improved a lot! Yay!!! 

Vegan week day 5

Posting my past 2 meals today... 

I didn't intend to... I accidentally made sisig for breakfast. 

This is made with vegan Boca burger, bell peppers, onions, garlic, cooked in sunflower butter, black pepper and liquid aminos.

 

I had it with a piece of pita bread and some cranberry-pomegranate juice. :) 

For lunch, I asked my mom to deliver a packed lunch of the curry and some fruits and veggies to me as I was busy getting a hair cut. 

Its my veggie curry, with mixed veg and some papaya.

Oh my goodness... Total negative vibes at the Bench Fix Salon at UP technohub. Rudest, rudest stylist I've ever experienced in my life. Oh my... Never going back there again!!!!!

Groceries

And then I realized how much crap I've been eating all my life.. Chips, instant noodles, canned goods, sweet baked goods... 

I'm hoping I can sustain healthy eating. So I decided to go grocery shopping. 

Please, time, make me cook all of these! 

Dress up

Last week I decided that whatever day it is.... I will dress up as if I have a date with someone important. 

Yes.. And I've started preaching this to other people. 

The confidence boost I get when I think I'm nicely dressed makes up for all the stress I get on a daily basis.

I suck at selfies but yes, this dress is making my day a little brighter :) 

Vegan week day 3

Not the prettiest photo but here's to vegan lunch number 3!

Japanese veggie curry and toasted pita bread. I also had orange slices which are not in the photo. 

So posting an outfit photo from yesterday... 

Crop top and no bloating and this photo was taken after having dinner. I am amazed. Haha

Snack attack

A drawback of this vegan diet is since I have faster metabolism... I always feel hungry!

Which leads me to always have to snack.. 

Today's snack is salted cashews... Cashew is my favorite nut hands down. 

On to my 3rd vegan day...

I'm feeling pretty happy about this. Not bloated at all. 

Willpower, please!!!

The bad side of humans

I wish people will just realize how blessed they are instead of being so miserable or discontent about their lives...

Vegan week day 2

Day one of vegan week, passed with flying colors! 

Most difficult part of the day was a family dinner that we had at home for post-Father's Day celebration and everyone had key lime cake! I'm a major sucker for anything lemon or key lime when it comes to dessert but yep... Self-restraint. 

Breakfast today was miso soup, black rice and slices of mango. 

I made a packed lunch for today because we have our weekly super long meeting and I'm pretty sure it would be difficult to find vegan choices for takeout.

So I made korean rice rolls, kimbap... I also packed some side dishes of pickled seaweed and kimchi.

Yes so much probiotics!

I also made a salad out of the leftover cucumber, mango and carrots and I just put some light sesame dressing. 

I'm definitely still at the excited, creative stage of this vegan week. Hoping to have the willpower to sustain this :) 

Thank You

Veg it out..

I really think I got inspiration about being vegan from Pipino...

Here are additional inspiration for me...

Exhibit A - improved skin

Exhibit B - amazing weightloss 

So here's my vegan packed lunch... Black rice balls with loads of seaweed, kimchi and tofu "spam" haha 

It doesn't look so pretty but it sure is tasty! 

Vegan week

Tofu 

Black rice

Miso

Seaweed

Satay sauce 

Potatoes 

Bell peppers

Pineapples

Bananas

All in my grocery cart yesterday because today I start my vegan week. 

Yep its pretty funny how I do these random stuff but the reasons for deciding were: 

1. My skin is getting pretty bad thus I need more veggies in me 

2. I have randomly come across vegan fitness gurus on Instagram and their food posts look so delicious 

3. Just for the heck of it

Well I have been going to Pipino the past week and they make it too damn easy to eat vegan food. 

I had their kare-kare and during the time I went with Angie I got a squash risotto. 

Yeah so... Don't these look amazing? I personally hate cashew cheese but everything else I can totally live with. 

I'm a sucker for tofu and I just had thinly sliced tofu this morning and they taste like friggin' bacon! (Yes, with a lot of psychological convincing and imagination , of course)

Anyway, I made lunch today. Will post it later. 

Here's to me being crazy and random! 

Parentals

Welcoming Father's Day with a too-sweet-for-words photo of the father with the mother.

This photo just captures my definition of true love. 

Random realizations thanks to MTV

Watching The Ride: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on MTV..

It just gives me goosebumps hearing about Macklemore talk about his experiences that he creatively expressed through his music.

It just totally hit me how huge a world creativity is. 

How Macklemore expressed his through his rhymes and how Ryan Lewis expresses his through his beats... I am just amazed by creativity and its processes...

"To make art that makes an impact on peoples lives..." - Macklemore 

This really resonated something inside me... 

Anyway, I find Ryan Lewis extremely hot too. Haha 

Despite all this..

I've been feeling really emotional lately. It may be because of the whole birthday week thing. 

Ultimately because I've turned 28. Yes, to a lot of people, 28 is a great age, a time for all your opportunities to flourish, a phase in your life when you ultimately gain stability in what you do in your profession, etc. 

Yes, however, in my family, its a different story. At 28, every single one has settled down. Well, except for Celine of course.

I guess there is also something about the weather that encourages these kinds of emotions. 

There are small things in the everyday scenes I see that bring me hope... Just like the two women chit-chatting on the left side of the photo. They were so animated in conversation sharing smiles and stories. 

I am also thankful for the holiday yesterday, despite having to go to work still because of some unfinished load, I did get to spend a lazy afternoon doing leisurely things like having late lunch with Angie at Pipino, getting a massage and some Vietnamese coffee.

Yes, I need to be mindful of the blessings despite the occasional sadness I feel. 

Feelings of..

Read. Repeat 100x. Memorize. Recite to self 1000x. Move on. 

Mint and coral

Business in front and party at the back....

Today's inexpensive dress c/o co-worker :) 

I'm so stressed and upset.

Must internalize this.

Miracle noodles made of unicorn excretion and leprechaun urine!

Got this last night at Healthy Options... Sooooo friggin' expensive but I was too curious to pass it up!

Zero calories!!!!!

Will post an update once I cook something amazing with it :)

Enchanted Kingdom!

Sunday was spent with the rest of the company in Enchanted Kingdom :)

Had fun with my sister and went around with Isah, Reby and Hannah since not alot of people from RND went. 

Felt like a kid again because the last time I went there was back in 3rd year high school for Reby's birthday bash. 

We had to take a photo to commemorate going back to Enchanted Kingdom together and because our clothes sort of match. Haha 

I realized that I'm too old for all the tummy turning rides..  My prime of being an amusement park goer was back when I was 14.. In Florida... Oh yes... Back then, I could ride anything with no problem at all, now.. Nausea and vertigo would always kick in. Haha 

Getting old. Hello birthday month!!!