#Thanks2014

This year has been one of the best years I've had so far and no words can explain how thankful I am for this amazing year! I know that it has been 2 years since I last wrote an entry in this blog, but that will not stop me by ending the year with a new one. :)

I will shy away from my usual blog entries and instead focused on being thankful with everything this year.

I am thankful that my sister graduated from high school and with an academic award (naks!) to go with that. Our parents are very very much proud of your achievements and we are excited to see more in the future!



In this same year, JC also turned 18 which makes me 20+ years old. haha but, as we always tell her, being legal has a lot of implications and responsibilities that should be taken seriously. 

As with every year,  travel will always be my source of balance, and this year has also been a great travel year for me, I had a chance to see the pristine and paradise-like beaches and towns of Siquijor (opposite to the island's image of supernatural and occult beliefs), the warmest welcomes and smiles of the people of Dumaguete, their natural wonders  and of course their to-die-for sylvannas.

As a continuation from the previous paragraph, I also had a chance of visiting two wonderful countries this year, Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam always made me curious of the real taste of their authentic Pho, the mix of asian and french culture as well as their cu-chi tunnels. On the other hand, Cambodia always interests me of the Khmer rouge and the Angkor Wat temples and its cultural impact to southeast asia.

This year is indeed full of blessings and when I mean blessings, it also came in a form of an AUV, this year has been a milestone year for me as I had a chance to purchase my first ever vehicle. Indeed a dream come true, and part of my "before 30" bucket list.

In terms of my career, I am thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me at work as well as the corresponding rewards that was a fruit of my sincere labor and an award to cap it off. Indeed a good year for me at work. :)

Neverending thanks to my friends, who will always be there in times of fun and importantly in times when true friendships are tested. Love this bunch of crazy animals!! :)

Lastly, but definitely not the least, this year marks our 5th anniversary as a couple. As I always tell Cat, our relationship is so far my longest commitment/employer/attachment. :) Kidding aside, I am so proud of how we both matured into such forward thinking, practical and intellectual (naks!) or nerd maybe individuals. I don't know where time will bring us in the next few years, but I hope i am still with you! :) Looking forward to travels, dates, fullybooked tambays, and even the heated intellectual arguments that we always have!

As a whole, its #Thanks2014 and see you 2015! for those who had a time and patience to read this blog entry, I give you a simple treat below a good mashup of the pop hits of 2014 by Daniel Kim! Enjoy and Happy New year everyone!!!!

Shine Brighter 2013

DJ Earworm does this yearly mash-up of all the hits of 2012 and with this year, he titled this track as "shine brighter". As this year comes into a conclusion I would like to take this same inspiration in welcoming 2013. My goal now for 2013 is to shine brighter hopefully in all aspects of my life which is love, career, school, life in general and my spiritual life.

The year of the water snake will be in a few hours and instead of making my yearly resolutions list which i ended up not accomplishing, I would like to try a new approach this year, by saying thank you. 2012 has been such a wonderful roller coaster ride full of surprises and adventure. Words were said, paths were traveled  relationships were built and absolutely and most importantly many lessons were learned.  First of all I would like to thank the following for making me shine brighter during this past year and making 2012 indeed an amazing journey :)

To God, for always putting me where I grow best (not only physically) but holistically :)

To Dad, for being my adviser in love, career and life in general.

To Mommy, for being my number 1 fan kahit alam kong dehado na ako. for being a mother also to my pets at home most especially in times of dire need.

To JC, for being the president of my fans club, haha (alam ko naiinis ka na habang binabasa mo 'to!) pero, thanks for listening to all my stories and cesnya sa mga pangaral ko (you'll realize its importance in a few years) :)

To Catrina, my girlfriend for 3 years already and still counting, thanks for taking care of my errands, for the patience, concern, and for just being there for me all of the time. I love you! :)

To my direct relatives (Gomez'), for being a bright spot in our compound, considering what's happening right now.

To my JC friends (you know who you are!) for being my constant travel/gimik/food/kalokohan mates. I'll treasure these moments.

To my PSE friends (you also know who you are!) for always welcoming me every time I visit Ayala triangle, and making such visits indeed wonderful.

To my grad school friends for being my soft spot in rigorous academic exercises na ginagawa natin!

To my beswan for making me smile when i stumble upon your posts in fb :))

To my mentors in all aspects of my life (love, career, school, life in general, spiritual life) for believing in my potential, for giving me some of the best advices I've ever heard so far.

To my newly found friends in my new work thanks for welcoming me and letting me swim with confidence and with a life vest :) my work wouldn't be as enjoyable without you guys.

Now i'm off to some last minute preps for new year's eve celebration! see you 2013! :)

2012: Resolutions, Goals and Purpose

2011 will be over in a few hours so as I always do, let me run down on my resolutions and goals for the coming year of the water dragon (as they say in Feng Shui). Creating lists are not required for everyone, but a lot of people still do it to guide them throughout the year or just for fun :) . A new year's resolution list is similar to that of a child's Santa Clause wishlist, a Santa Clause wishlist maybe a kiddie version of a New Year's wishlist as aspirations, goals and wants change over time.

To start off, here's my new year's resolutions:

1. To attain financial wellness - i need to cut down on my unnecessary expenses, WHATEVER it is.
2. To live a healthier lifestyle - minimize or ultimately quit smoking this year as i am not getting any younger anymore.
3. Minimize tardiness - not only in work, but in other commitments, in meeting deadlines, in school work, and in the on-the-side work that i do.
4. Read more books - though this is not a problem for me, i think i should be more open to other genres as well as not only look but MAKE time for it.
5. Fix my desk at the office and room at home - studies show that a more organized and cleaner workplace can be more beneficial for the person.

On top of my new year's resolutions, I also have a separate list of goals for 2012:

1. Hopefully finish my degree :) - excited about having an M.S. after my surname in due time, but diligence and patience on passing through Comprehensive Examinations and Master's Thesis within the year is the key.
2. Learn a new language - a multilingual individual can go a long way, so as this has been always on my list each and every year, I need to do this asap so as to not lose the momentum.
3. Travel and discover the world - Malaysia and Indonesia is within reach in the next few months. More to come for the next few years.
4. Learn a new skill - would love to enroll in a writing or painting workshop or might go back to violin classes or learn something else. The possibilities are endless.
5. Meet new people - to establish great friendships and network which in due time will really pay off.

However long our lists are, the very essence of it is that we have aspirations and dreams that make us live life in its fullest. It is with these dreams and aspirations where we get the ultimate source of that flame that lights a fire under our asses, the very purpose of how we want to live. Speaking of purpose, let me share with you a very good song from the 2004 Tony Awards' Best Musical Avenue Q, titled Purpose.

2 years and all the cheesy pick-up lines

Just want to share my facebook wall post for Cat & I's 2nd Anniversary:

It has been two years and we are still standing strong, happy and very much in love. We may not agree in a few things, but that's part of it. There are so many words i want to utter in my mouth right now but let me put it down into three simple words "I LOVE YOU". Let me get back to that day when i delivered my classic pickup line that swept you off your feet and started my intense appreciation for the what they say, kabaduyan ng mga pick-up lines. :))

Setting: Meeting Room while preparing some Christmas decors

Characters: Myself, johnlloydwannabe & Cat, johnlloydwannabewith

Me: Mayroon isang lugar na gusto ko talagang puntahan...
Cat: Saan? Sa Aman Pulo? (and some other places)
Me: Malapit lang yun, soobrang lapit lang! as in!
Cat: Saan nga?! Nasa Makati?
Me: Hinde
Cat: Saan!?
Me: SA PUSO MO! :)

The rest was history ika nga.

Happy Happy 2nd anniversary!! I LOVE YOU

Wishing that this wall post doesn't destruct you on your exam later today rather will give you INSPIRATION. :)

HAIRvironment

As a working professional in my mid-20s there have been a multitude of dillemas that I have experienced through the years. Besides the so called unofficial quarter life crisis I am supposed to be experiencing, there comes the multiple adaptations that I go through from everyday life shifting from being single to being in a relationship, from being a full-time student to being a working one, from transferring from one workplace to another, from meeting new people or just meeting people from my past, this world is such a whirlwind of whichever is under the sun.

Much from my very kathartic and long introduction, my point being is to introduce a truly amazing product that i started using just a few months ago to sort of address my unhealthy, hair-thinning/balding problem.

Presenting JĀSÖN, a 100% all-natural personal care brand from the US which is being locally distributed by Healthy Options, one of my favorite shops around. I am using their thin-to-thick hair care system. The product in all fairness has been addressing my hair problems. One, my white hairs suddenly disappeared after just a few months after using, second as weeks pass by, I see that my hair has been going back to that thickness it has been before (though gradually, more moths to come), there were time a few months back that I was really desperate in getting all my hair shaved so i could not see or feel that I am already losing hair at such a young age. Third, my hair became softer and more healthy looking as before. It looks like that I am doing a very manufactured-prime time TV-major multinational company-advertisement but the bottom line is that this particular product works.

Scanning through products out in the market, I can say that JĀSÖN's thin-to-thick hair care system is such a wonder. Not only this, but what truly made me admire the brand itself is that it doesn't need to have multimillion dollar advertising campaigns to sell its products, second it is very close to my heart since we have the same goal of being environmentally conscious of not using harmful chemicals in its ingredients thus protecting the environment in the long run.

At the end of the day its good to know that there are still companies/brands that are very conscious in meeting halfway in terms of satisfying both the customers, as well as the environment at the same time. Corporate greed is not in their line of thought. Just quality, life-changing, and lastly and importantly environmentally-conscious products.

Indeed, going back to the shower is more responsibly done :)