bethgstories

If there's one more thing I should have done in 2020, it's checking out a nice set of wine glasses from Shopee. Strawberry Farm Benguet, March 2020 There's nothing more to be said about 2020. The devastation of the pandemic has made everyone vulnerable in all life aspects. The year when I said I'd finally say yes to brand new adventures without hesitation became the year of brand new routines and accidental isolation. The year when I said I'd live life to the fullest became the year of trying to get through the day, every day. It became all about the new normal, clinging on to divine faith, and working a bit harder for survival.  I'm done writing about my fears. I've already acknowledged how I felt this year. I want this year-...

And just like that, my most awaited day of the year is gone. It's been two days, Christmas already came and went, my holiday also started days ago but I am just starting to really feel it.  During the Christmas week, I'd make sure my hair is taken cared of - either it's going to be rebonded or cut or colored. I'd shop for new set of clothes for the New Year. I'd meet some friends over cups of coffee. Attend the Sunday mass. Stop by Power Books in Shangri-La and check out a couple of books to read during the holiday break. Binge-watch My Love From The Star which is what I've been doing for the past 4 Christmases now because for some reason, it somehow adds to the festive mood and I love Do Min Joon to the stars and back. Arrange my room a little bit and sort out my possessions by the items to keep, items to give away, and items to discard. All while Ariana Grande's Santa Tell Me and Backstreet Boys It's Christmas Time Again play on repeat on Spotify.  Thi...

Oh yes, it's the Natalie Imbruglia song that's on my head right now. You know that moment - when you're in a certain situation and a song lyric just fits perfectly? You're breaking up with your really nice boyfriend and so you just can't have the heart to tell him it's over, you sing, "breaking up is hard to do." Or maybe you're trying to explain the customer over the phone why her bill is so high and you're just going back and forth with your explanations, and suddenly at the back of your head you sing, "round and round and round it goes..." Yes, this is me right now. Nothing's fine, I'm torn... I am torn between a lot of things right now. I am torn between reading Rant and Tomorrow In Battle Think On Me. Should I continue writing in my old blog and make my future posts count or start anew? I am caught between leaving and forgetting everything behind to enjoy a clean slate and actually live continuously and accept that triump...

When I said I'd go #NoGoals2020 , I only meant I was gonna take a break from all the goals I set for myself, something that I do every year. Goals that I may or may not be able to achieve depending on my laziness the circumstances. Little did I know that I would literally be taking a break – from planning an overseas trip with my high school friends, exploring more museums, spending idle time in newly-discovered coffee shops, walking through aisles and aisles of items on sale at Forever 21, and browsing unfamiliar titles at book fairs. The pandemic has brought me a reasonable amount (I think) of fear, anxiety, and even cognitive dissonance (aren't we all?). Okay, I always have fear and anxiety even over the littlest of things but this accidental confinement just made it much worse. I fear the virus itself, on how that micro-tiny thing claimed thousands of lives in a span of a few months. It’s not that I’m afraid to die, contrary to what some church people conclude about thi...

Okay, I did a complete 180 degrees. Over the years I've been boasting about my 20-year-old playlist that's consisted mainly of boyband music and grunge-y rock ballads. Those illegally downloaded mp3s helped me big time, in making it through the long, sleepless, and stressful nights in the call center, along with coffee from vending machines, instant cup noodles, and stale sandwiches. Fast forward to 2020. Now we're in the middle of a pandemic and still expected to function like we usually do on a normal day. Man, it's proving to be so difficult and it's chasing my sanity away. So to make it easier for myself to keep it together, of course, I turned not just to Kdrama but to that one thing that helped me through it all - music. And, ho ho ho, did I take a huge leap on this? 2020 is my year of K-pop Thanks to Heartstrings , I discovered what I have been missing all this time. CNBLUE has been there for a decade, Jung Yong Hwa...

I see it's been more than a month since the last time a wrote an entry, but it didn't feel like it. Just when I promised myself I'd update this space more, but then again I am at times a disappointment to myself. But maybe I just have nothing to say. Or maybe what I wanted to say didn't matter, or maybe it's an unpopular opinion. And I am here now because, in the end, I really don't care about oversharing what's going on with my life.  Bullet journaling is still on, but I can't wait to start on a new notebook and be more creative. I stopped my The Sunday Currently saga, just because I am too lazy couldn't keep up. I have a lot of things to do on Sundays including laying in bed until late in the morning, listening to the Kpop CDs I hauled thru this cute player I bought from Shopee, straightening up my room a bit because in the afternoon my friends are gonna come over and we'll do bible sharing over cups of coffee - and I am holding on to this ver...

I didn't plan on reading this book - but after reading Before The Coffee Gets Cold , I figured I need more dose of Japanese literature. I loved Strange Weather In Tokyo just as much, despite the time I took to finish reading it (I really miss the times when I can finish reading a book in one night). It was full of so many things I could relate to, things that I never thought could be beautiful if put together. Surprises, what? One thing I noticed in the two Japanese books I've read is that there were no surprises. No, of course, they weren't mystery books, but if you're expecting an unusual twist to the story, you'd be disappointed. This book is straightforward - you know what's going to happen, and it will happen. The art, however, lies on how the story unfolds, on haikus and little poems you'd stumble upon along the way. And the way it was written is just too beautiful it's almost lyrical. I know this is just a translation, so I could only imagine how ...

One of the many things I've learned from watching too much Kdrama is taking good care of my skin. For a brief period during the lockdown that I stopped my skincare routine, I felt like my skin was building grudges on me, lol! Anyway, I just knew I had to start over so I took refuge in Instagram and online beauty stores for new products to try. In my persistent search for local products that are worthy of my time and money, I stumbled upon Fltr Beauty. Fltr Beauty Brightening Set Fltr is a Filipino brand whose products range from skincare to makeup, including solid scents. What has drawn me to it is the fact that it's locally made, and the packaging is just too simple and minimalist, but elegant. It also doesn't have flashy advertisements and I think that's important - the product has to speak for itself. Later on, I've learned that the products are clean, meaning they only contain safe and non-toxic ingredients which is great for people who want to be cautious about...

After Love Lasts Forever , I wanted another feel-good drama that I could finish watching overnight. It wasn't easy to find one - it just so happened that Lee Jungshin was so cute in his latest vLive video (again, happy birthday Jungshin!) that I decided to look for his dramas. And, surprise, surprise! His 2018 drama, My First Love only has ten episodes and it's all about one of my favorite romance tropes - young love.  It was love at first sight - Kang Shinwoo was sure of it the moment he saw Han Jisoo sleeping on the bus all by herself. He had wanted only her ever since, and that's probably the reason why his heart had never beaten for someone else. Ten years later, they meet again, Jisoo appears to be remorseful in front of her. Too many questions need to be answered. What happened ten years ago, when Jisoo left him and their friends without a trace? Why did she leave without even saying goodbye? If only he could go back in time… And so he did. In that magical lake that ...

Gimme a drama to watch this weekend, I'm so sad, I told Russ last Friday and she recommended Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko Made mo (Love Lasts Forever). It's not Kdrama, she said, but it's like Heartstrings . Of course, as she was the first to witness me when I was losing myself to the seemingly arrogant but charming Lee Shin, she perfectly knew what I needed. Love Lasts Forever is a Japanese drama starring Takeru Sato (Rurouni Kenshin) and Mone Kamishiraishi (Your Name). It only has 10.5 episodes and it kept me up all night. Because why would I wait until the next day to finish when it was so good I didn't notice it was already 4:30 am? If Ultimate Crush were in front of me, I could look at him, say hi, and maybe ask him about how he liked the last film he's seen, or bring him some frozen cookies. Mind you, this happens after a few more meetings. But Nanase Sakura is bolder that anyone I knew, and she's one of the bravest women I've ever seen. The first time she s...

Oh yes, it's September and my favorite season of the year is fast approaching (can you hear the bells???) This year's Christmas might be a little different though, as there'd be no simbang gabi , and I doubt if there's ever gonna be puto bumbong and bibingka on the streets. Sure, there's bibingka and puto bumbong on Facebook Marketplace but eating them on the streets at dawn with your friends and the cool breeze reminds you that it's just less than 9 days before Christmas is different. Extra. A little magical. Anyway, we're still three months away though (the pandemic is over by then, who knows), and I should be writing about my bullet journal's September spread. It's not that different from my July spread which was pink and girly, it's just that my August spread has become my least favorite. I mean, it's cute in its own way, I used some green and yellow to experiment but maybe the colors didn't suit me and it gets a little distracting...

If you are given the chance to travel back in time, who are you going to meet? Would you rather go back to the past or see the future? What if there are a lot of conditions? What if there are limitations? Are you still going to do it? I came across this book via the internet, and though I could no longer remember what I was searching for that I came up with this result. I was probably drawn to it because the title has the word "coffee", plus the simplicity of the book cover worked its charm. The fact that it was written by a Japanese author also helped, as I am trying to widen the range of books I'm reading based on region. There's rarely Asian literature on my shelf (except for the books by Filipino authors) so I figured this could be a good addition. The hovering loneliness Cafe Funiculi Funicula is the book's prominent setting where all characters have met and told their respective stories. There's something lonely about the place, being so small that only ...

It's Tuesday morning and I dread logging in for work. I've been working since Sunday night (not sure how I was made to work ON A SUNDAY but apparently I did), and it felt like my private time is violated. As if I could get back the used time in one full blow. Anyway, instead of brooding over the lost time, lemme talk about some of the books in my shelf using the How I Choose My Books tag. I got it from The Bookish Underdog when I was looking for something to write about. Let's begin: 1. Find a book on your shelves or e-reader with a blue cover. What made you want to pick up this book? Far From Xanadu, Julie Anne Peters. I could have picked The Fault in the Stars (behind it) but I figured everyone must have read and heard about it. Plus, this one is already in front. This book is also called Pretend You Love Me (alternate title), and it's about unrequited love of all sorts. I got it in 2007 after reading Peter's 4 other books. Her writing is just so beautiful it...