The Birth Of Venus: January 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

13 Time's A Charm

I'm finally writing this blog and that could only mean one thing, I got a job. Shocker. After rambling over and over in this blog about my unemployed diaries, I finally caught the rarest fish in the sea. I've been a bum for as long as I could remember. I spent my parents' money to go places just so I could take my mind off the post college depression. I went through interviews that I couldn't count in my hands and toes. I get lost in the course of the search for every building every freakin' time. I heard gazillion "We'll just get back to you". It was pretty depressing. I started to wonder what was wrong with me.

Since after the day I graduated, I've felt incomplete (waw). The society and my subconscious tells me that in order to feel worthy, I have to get a job related to what I studied for overpriced education of 4 years. After serving for a youth camp in Visayas, I tried to make my way in "the real world". I took my chances in every company that suits to my degree. I sent applications to every publishing, PR and Advertising companies I know. I had to conceal my probinsyana aura everytime I hop on that Cubao route bus. I would get lost in my feet as I wander around the streets of Taguig, Ortigas and Makati. I would let taxi drivers make me pay them double the taxi fare. At the end of the day, a burning hope lives in me as I embark on another 2-hour ride back home.

Mind you, I went through that 13 times! Everytime I'd count the number of companies that gave me false hopes, it makes me feel sick. Grabe! Ano bang mali sa 'kin? Ano ba kasing kailangan nyo? I feel like I've wasted so much time and my parents' money for nothing. It's as if I'm an aspiring celebrity who goes to every auditions and never got the break. It was horrifying!

I gave myself a hard time during those months. Some people thinks I'm taking that time to travel and live up to YOLO. But little did they know I felt so ashamed and inferior. Everyone's life is moving on except mine. I'm still stuck at 19 and unemployed. I spent those time worrying about my future. I was afraid that I wouldn't stick to my goal and re-route my life to something I did not plan.

But then I thought why am I taking so much time working on my plan, well in fact God made plans ahead of me. The struggle I went through is just the part of the story. It doesn't define who I am, maybe I just worry too much about what other people think of me. I thought maybe the road I'm taking isn't the right direction. I might need GPS after all... God's Plan Starter plack (oh di ba nai-push ko pa yun). I thought maybe He's leading me to something grand or He just wants me to live in the moment and have the best of time while I'm still young.

Now, as I write this blog, I have a job waiting for me.

As the year kicks off, a new chapter of my life is about to unfold. Drastic changes will be anticipated. Emotions will pour out. You might witness some of my woes in this blog... or not. Maybe I'll put this blog on hiatus... or not. Dunno. But looking back on what I went through before I came about to where I am right now is just errrrr! But I did not regret any second of it. I'm glad I had those experiences and rejections. At least I've got some story to tell, a story that's 9 months in the making. I could've given birth over those months. Woah.

So if you who's reading this right now questions why your plan isn't working out yet, I advise to not take eternity to craft your plan. Let God work your way into it. Trust Him wholly. We'll never know what the future holds. That's why I hate when someone asks me "What do you think you'll be doing 5 years from now?" Because hey, I don't even know what I'll do tomorrow. Only He knows. Don't be too hard on yourself. Stop worrying! It'll give you wrinkles. Your life is in perfect hands, I tell you. The steering wheel is His, and we're just a passenger waiting to get to our destination.

Puerto Galera '15 Vlog

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Baguio Vlog

In search for "Forevermore"

After the camp, we still have half a day at Baguio because we opted to go on a midnight trip back home. As some of the singles pull off the pasan ko ang daigdig bit with their bags and prep to go home, Cha, Ate Heidi, P-Ann, Arvie and I went on our way to have the so-called "best chocolate batirol in town" @ Choco-late de Batirol just a few meters from the hotel. My judgment: hmm maybe I'm not into chocolate batirol, it was rather okay but the bibingka and suman that comes with was amazing.

We didn't want to just head back to the hotel and wait for midnight, we hopped on the first vacant cab that we saw with no planned destination at all. "Sooo, san tayo?" *kroo kroo* Until Manong driver suggested that we go to La Presa. If you're not familiar with La Presa (are you living under a rock?), it's the filming location of the pinoy hit teleserye, Forevermore. It's where kambal strawberries symbolizes "forever". *wink wink* It will only take us Php 100 each to rent the cab for the entire afternoon. Helloooo y nat?

We're blessed enough to land on the best cab driver in town! He was very chatty and cool. There were absolutely no dull moments during the trip. He talks about the stuff that we all can relate to. For his age, it's quite shocking haha. We even joked that we bet being a taxi driver was just his part-time job because he literally could've been a blogger, photographer, politician, tourist guide and he's also the head of youth activities in his church.

The cab couldn't go all the way to La Presa. We had to take a hike for a few minutes to actually get there. It was a foggy and chilly afternoon. Our goal was just to go to Cafe in the Sky and have that bragging rights that we went to La Presa (char lang hahaha) because we didn't anticipate that the cast were in set. But they were there! I sound like a fan, but really I'm not. Hehehe. All the cast were there filming a New Year's paputok scene. The taping took about 30 mins. for a 30 secs. scene. We were not the only ones there, La Presa became a tourist attraction already so a lot of tourists were there taking a glimpse on Enrique's golden hair. Some were ranging mad because the crew wouldn't let the non-VIP take a photo with the cast. While all we want was a photo with 'Welcome Sitio La Presa' board.

By the time we got the photo with the famous La Presa board, we left and stopped for a pee break at some paid CR booth. As we hold our bladder, a black and heavy tinted van with bursting speakers came towards our direction. Some guy rolled down the window of the van as he pumped to the tune... I saw a golden hair... wooop and yes it was Enrique. Hahahaha kina-cool nya 'yon.

All that La Presa madness got us super hungry so we went on a little adventure to find an affordable yet super sarap diner, and it led us to tenenen Good Taste! And off we head back to the hotel to pick up our bags and go home.

That's me right there with "di ko na kaya" position

Choco-late de Batirol menu

Uhmmm suman

Bibibibingka

Yeee friendship!

Batirol vibes

@ the parking lot

Bratz char hahaha

Feeling yamanin by the golf course

Forevermore begins

CR sa La Presa

Kabayong pumoproject!

Welcome!

The famous La Presa board

Yves showing his perfect white teeth haha

Ang saya po, 'di ba? Hehehe

Can you not

Uuuh girl!

NEWS FLASH: Enrique Gil, kumakain ng apoy!

Lights, parol, kuya

Faney mode

Haping hapi ang new year!

They wanted photo with the cast, we wanted photo with them struggling to take a photo with the cast hehehe

By the pink sunset and barb wire

Thank you, kuya! Da best ka!

The view tho

Cafe by the Ruins

Hahahaha that benta FB sticker of Cha. Yaaaaay foood!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

2015!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Singles' Camp '14 | Last Day

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Singles' Camp '14 | DAY 3

Bittersweet third day. It's when it dawns on you that the last day is nearing and you felt like you haven't gotten in the zone yet. And it's also the day when you finally get the hang of everything and almost everyone (for me at least) and yet the camp is almost over. Noooooo!

The start of the day embraced me with cold Baguio morning mist and it was just aaaaahhhh brrrr! Ptr. Rex Dela Pena gave the talk for the day where he talked about the meaning of this year's theme "Level Up!" Some defined leveling up as a way of becoming a better version of yourself everyday, in other term... change. But Ptr. Rex pointed out that it's not about you making a constant change in your life whereas it's about you walking in your destiny. However, for us to level up, we have to have the idea of where we're supposed to go. But before that, we have to assess where we are up to this point in our lives and assess in what particular areas of our lives we want to level up. With that, we'll have growing awareness of who we are.

To fully grasp the idea of assessing where we are right now before we level up, Ptr. Rex made us take the "Myers Briggs Test Indicator". It's a test that lets us know more about ourselves, where we're coming from, and understanding the differences of everyone. Everyone had different types of personalities and the meanings of the personalities really justified everyone's personalities. I've really gotten to know myself more. It turns out I'm an INTJ (Introversion/Intuition/Thinking/Judging) and I'm the same as John and Solomon.

The whole afternoon was up to our hands. We can gala all over Baguio for 5 hours. So I fought lethargy after lunch and went with Arvie, Kerri, Chloe, Dandan and Luigi for some Baguio explorin'. Usually, when I'm at Baguio, I go to the typical crowded tourist spots like Burnham Park, Mines View Park or Wright Park. Ayoko talaga mag-park. Char hahaha. But this trip took a turn, we first went to the Old Diplomat Hotel. It was legit old. I didn't care much of the history of it (haha typical me) but as I looked at the old photos from the hotel, some serious Dominicans lived there and eventually built a school in it. And the rest was history hahaha. Me going to that place was unusual because for starters I'm very duwag but I find it cool anyways. It was such a bummer that we didn't get to the second floor of the hotel. Manong guard wouldn't let us in for some reason.

We decided to go to Bencab Museum instead and after an hour of Baguio traffic, we got to the museum only to find out it was closed. -_- We shrugged it off and went to Ketchup community to eat a decent meal and surprise surprise... they closed out early that day. Hoooo patience! Just across Ketchup, Arvie and I did our annual horseback-riding photo. Since we're on the back of the horse already, we became a typical Baguio turista and slowly made the horse go for rounds. It wasn't fun. Haha. We capped the trip off with a Volante's pizza topped with the hottest hot sauce.

Just in time for the dance night. :) Oh, you know how it goes.

After the dance night, my tummy felt funny and I was curling up in pain but that didn't hinder me to have a late dinner @ 50's Diner.