I'm cured!

People who are close enough to me know that I am slightly stressed about being 28 and not yet married. 

Why? 

Every single person in my family were already married by 28.  I know it's something that some would find absurd as I am living the life that I live. 

However, to me, it was really something I was genuinely worried about.   

It was only when I was talking to a random person I had a meeting with yesterday that I found the answer.  I know I should stop feeling that way, I just didn't have the actual reason to back it up.  To back up my decision to not feel stressed about not being married at 28... 

In a random conversation, she mentioned that she used to be stressed because she had her father as her benchmark and she was always comparing herself against the milestones of success her father has achieved at the age of 30 when she turned 30.  But what changed that is when she read somewhere that times have changed.... For us to compare our milestones at the same age where we are to our benchmark's achievements they had at that stage in their life would be truly invalid.  Invalid because their realities could be slightly to even extremely different to our realities right now.  

Simple. 

Thanks.  Now I'm psychologically and emotionally prepared to face my life confidently.  (LOL!)

I am grateful that God made me in a way that I recover and regenerate from being emotiononally and psychologically wounded fast. 

Yesterday was my 2nd consecutive Sunday attending Church at the 11am am Chinese mass at Megamall. I find that its such a treasure finding a mass so solemn I was compelled to take notes because of all the messages God was telling me. 

Being emotionally, physically and psychologically tired the past weeks, this one hour prayer and time with God fully regenerated me and I find myself stronger and inspired.

I know that I don't believe in finding external motivation because I know it all has to come from our willpower to be better and God is the only source of that for me. He delivers messages to me in the most unexpected places and situations. 

I thank God that I am able to find inspiration in the simplest places. 

Well, that was powerful

"I drove home pondering how He illuminates the darkest journey... how pity parties keep me from savouring life's sweetness... then asking forgiveness for my selfish attitudes. It was a powerful reminder that one day life will be complete on the sunny side of the street... in Heaven, where there's no darkness, disease or death"-Jane Johnson Struck

Not to be a Gutierrez

The struggle is real.....

Why is it easier to be critical and negative than be positive and even-tempered. 

I have a temper of a man. 

Am I really a girl? Hmmm.... 

There are days when you feel as if just by waking up and continue on living, it's already the bravest thing to do.

There are big struggles, however, it's the small day to day decisions to live that is the most meaningful to overcome.

These kinds of feelings just remind me to refocus and to put my heart on the strength that is blessed upon me by a Being much higher than I.

Vegan day 67

Today is vegan day 67!

Thank you 416vegan on Instagram for making me laugh so hard at 12mn...

Way too funny. Yep... I feel like when I talk about being vegan, nobody cares haha 

Anyway... I always try to get more fermented food in my system, so for lunch I had red rice, 2 kinds of kimchi-cabbage and perilla leaf, and a boca vegan burger. I didn't get to take a photo of it... 

The fermented food does not end there.. I decided to transform my nearly sour kimchi into kimchi stew to salvage it. 

Turned out quite good... I also added flavor with miso paste. 

Fermentation overload! 

Keep in mind

When pride comes, then comes shame. But with the lowly comes freedom.
Proverbs 11:2

snippet of today

Words to live by according to Shakespeare… 

Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest. 

This hit home to me big time and is something that I've been trying to practice for a long time. Seeing this in Hwangssabu's quotes for today was an affirmation of the feelings I've been feeling but could not verbalise. 

Thank you, William. 

Today was a Monday. 

Any other dreadful work day. 

But today, I got the chance to meet someone exceptional. 

I met Isay Alvarez-Seña and she is one amazing woman.  A woman with a cause just exudes something so beautiful that goes way over and beyond what the eye can see.  She is a person dealing with leukaemia and no, it does not show on her, physically, mentally, emotionally.  She handles herself with such grace and regality, you would not suspect that she's going through that. 

She is an advocate of promoting Philippine theatre.  Being a seasoned theatre actress herself who's starred numerous plays here and even playing in Miss Saigon… You could say she's got loads under her belt.  She says if only Filipinos would just balance their interest between local productions and foreign ones… She isn't even all purist about it because she says she also enjoys going to Broadway herself… 

It's truly inspiring meeting people that inspire, spark a glimmer of fire in me. 

Dressing up

I never thought I'd be able to wear anything aside from A-line...

Celebrating with a selfie of a little black dress bargain I found last night. It's the opposite of my usual clothes which is usually business in front and party at the back... This one is party in front and business at the back. 

Got this at Forever21 at 40% off so I just paid 870 and it's buy one take one... I just picked a random shirt which I'll probably give away for Christmas. 

I can't even buy anything that's not on sale anymore. I guess it's a sign of getting old. 

Also got this sweet letter this weekend...

I love Tita Tess... I miss her and I miss California. Including this in the post because she also got me a dress from our favorite $16 dress store at Manhattan Beach. I am not posting a photo of the dress because I haven't figured out how to wear it yet. 

Coming soon. 

Currently...

Closely monitoring my blessings nowadays because life isn't easy...

Today I was able to do my usual cardio routine + squats that I put off doing yesterday. 

Having a hard time getting up nowadays.

Yesterday, I was able to spontaneously whip up this meal over lunch of miso soup with lots of seaweed (always saying yes to fermented food!), bokchoy and tofu cooked in vegetarian chinese stir fry sauce and brown rice.  

Work is tough... Robin Williams just died... Its magalogue season... And its almost a year since... 

I'm back to my early morning coffee dates with myself to reflect on life and pray before I face the daily storms.... 

Vegan day 51

It's been awhile since I last posted about my vegan food journey so I shall update today with my green and filling lunch break with Angie at Pipino.

Angie got fried brown rice loaded with so much broccoli and taro chips which she really, really enjoyed. It was super affordable too at P155.  

What I got was adobong kangkong with grilled eggplant and mango. It was a super big and filling serving at P165. 

Super happy tummies! 

We just had to have dessert because its THAT kind of day... I got a vanilla cinnamon cupcake and Angie got an oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie. 

This diet is already so well integrated in my life. I am still not closing my doors to going back to meat, but seeing all the positive result being vegan does to my health and well-being, I can't give up on it just yet. 

Hard times nowadays. 

It's a hard knock life for us - Jay-Z 

Hard times nowadays. 

It's a hard knock life for us - Jay-Z