bethgstories

Never tell your friends to lower their standards, especially when it comes to relationships. As a friend, you, of all people, should be the one encouraging them to know their worth. You should be the one telling them that they deserve better things, great things. You should be the one supporting them in aiming for that person who would commit to them, won’t hurt them, and would take care of them. If you’ve been on your own for a long time, you’d know what I am talking about. If you used your alone time to improve, take care of, and love yourself, you’d discover what you want from a relationship. And knowing what you want is important. We live in a world where all people have opinions on everything about all life aspects. It is important that your decisions are not easily swayed or influenced by them, people’s thoughts. Remember, your happiness and well-being is at stake. You wouldn’t want to end in a situation that does not genuinely fulfill you, which could lead to unhappiness and...

Funny how it took me almost a year to put down my overused phone and do something to rekindle my passion for art. Kdramas these days require a lot of braining and my non-practicing intellectual self would not be able to meet that requirement. Ebooks are a godsend, but the more of them I get, the lesser my interest in even opening them because I didn't even spend a single dime on them so why bother? So what does the girl suppose to do when all else fails? Right, go back to start.  I can confidently say that my call center years were also my best years in movies. Watching American shows has been our requirement since day one to sharpen our English listening skills. I remember getting off the MRT Central Station on Saturday mornings to rummage through the piles of pirated DVDs from the lined-up pop-up stores and get a couple of new movies or more because it was my last shift of the week and there was no need to sleep early in the midmorning. Fun times. But then I'd also go to the ...

This blog has been a place of neglect for weeks and I am sorry. It feels like I was just writing my election woes a few days ago and here I am realizing it's been almost a month. Ahh, time really flies by when you're having fun! The truth is, I am extremely busy. The second quarter of the year meant I need to check if there was something good that was going on with my life and if the plot of my story is getting exciting or is it starting to get dragging.  Yes, I am busy. At the beginning of this year, I said I was tired of being tired and it was time to change that. And I did. But my glow-up project didn't go as planned (more of this later), but that doesn't mean we abandon the mission. Always think about the other 25 letters of the alphabet whenever Plan A fails. You see, spending the weekend lying in bed and scrolling aimlessly through social media doesn't sound so fun (or is it?). My back aches and my head hurts and by the time the rest days end I feel more str...

It’s a glorious time to be alive. Enjoy every second of it. I know you are worried – you were just diagnosed with a neurological condition last year. You are thinking about how you are supposed to live a life of restrictions when you badly want to meet the world. Let me tell you that everything is okay right here, several years into the future. We survived two neurological ordeals and you could say that we are a miracle. Sounds cool, right? Actually, I just realized that we’re cooler than we always let on, while I am writing this. Do not worry too much over there because you are doing just fine. Just please stop whining and sulking about not being able to take the UPCAT because years later, it will be irrelevant to the path we are going to take. UP will always be the dream that we woke up from, and you can count me on this. Here in the future, we always get good-paying jobs because we know our worth, and we know what we can do. Although, I’d ask you to fall in love with knowledge, and ...

I wanted to ditch this blog.  I haven't been myself lately, especially in this space, and hate this feeling. I've been overthinking what to write and what to share when I told myself over and over that this space is my breather where I am allowed to talk about the fun stuff, the good stuff, and more bad stuff. Damn, I terribly miss the days when all I cared about was my scheduled MG clinic visits to pick up my prescription and meet with my MG friends and we'll talk about all kinds of stuff over cups of McDonald's coffee until dusk, and Ate Dee would remember that she's from Cavite and it's time to say goodbye and call it a day. Those days were gold. I was glowing and life was more simple. Productive. Happier. It's not that I am not happy these days. But then, not everyday I am happy and motivated. There are days when all I want to do is lie in bed, stare at the ceiling for hours and wonder if I am really where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to ...

It's the Blue Magic season (if we're still in the 90s)! Piles of chocolates are arranged neatly by the entrance of the supermarkets and flowers and heart-shaped red candies in sticks are in every corner. Memes are trending about how couples would probably do Netflix and chill on Valentine's Day while single people would do just Netflix, and maybe some bottles of wine and self-bought chocolates.  Which is totally fine, I mean for the singletons. It's the day to celebrate love - and because love comes in different shapes and sizes, celebrating self-love totally counts!  Valentine's Day has always been special to me though I haven't been in a relationship for as long as I can remember. And being alone and spending more time with myself made me realize that it's way more fun to buy myself books and read them in a coffee shop rather than carry a Blue Magic paperbag that was given to me half-heartedly. It's a lot cooler to buy myself varieties of dark chocolat...

Look, I am tired. For the past two years, I didn't know what it was to be not tired. Just like everyone else, I was too busy just trying to survive and searching for things that will help me keep my sanity at bay. Those two things needed every ounce of my strength that I didn't have anything left for the things I used to love and spend time on.  This year I figured, I'm tired of being tired. My inner self, the one that has the ball of sunshine, tells me to let her take charge. She says that maybe, we don't need goals. Goals are just an unhappy long-term to-do list that makes you hate yourself when not achieved. Habits, on the other hand, ignite motivation. And perhaps habits are what we need. Some healthy ones. Or maybe that's the goal - establishing healthy habits. Hence, the glow-up project.  Body We've seen it on TikTok and YouTube - hundreds of girls filming their aesthetic and motivating morning routines. We've also seen videos defying the concept of be...

Reading for pleasure implies the existence of reading for pain, and I wonder if there's something in between. I have been reading books that are supposed to tell me how to do my job well, and they're teaching me a lot. And I've come to think of it, it's been so long since the last time a boss required me to read books that'd help me handle my job more efficiently (it was in a law firm during my college internship) and I think all bosses should do the same. I mean, jobs shouldn't only be just about work and earning money. It should also be about learning and getting all the support you need to become a better employee. And to become a better person.  I've finished reading one of the books before the weekend. It was awesome and the bosses answered all my questions about the things I didn't quite understand. There are two more but I plan to read something else in between. And it's not reading for pleasure or reading for pain. Just plain reading because ...

I wanted this month to be over and write an entry for August. I wanted to share something uplifting - perhaps a piece of good news or a new milestone. Except that I can’t think of any. I feel so tired and my back pains are killing me, hence the turmeric tea, the pain relief rub on my table, and some lo-fi version of Moonlight Densetsu to calm my senses. Oh and yeah, let me include the fairy LED lights on my mesh grid and the faint glowing lights of my keyboard, mouse, and headphones. My life’s looking bright, ain’t it? I discovered the wonders of turmeric tea when my sister-in-law made some, back when our entire household got flu. Its earthy-sweet flavor made it up for its pungent smell, an aroma that I’ve learned to appreciate as it became the smell of relief and answered prayers, much like the smell of hug, companionship, and clarity with coffee. That cup of hot tea took away my body aches and I sweated like I went to the sauna which made me feel a whole lot better afterwards. That e...

Uh-hmm... it's 0150 and I can't seem to sleep. I just finished watching that Kdrama about adulting, the one that I should have finished watching over the weekend had I not chosen to lay on the bed and stare at the ceiling for hours. Come to think of it, is it still a do-nothing day if your mind's not empty? Probably not. But that has become my way of coping. Especially these days when there's nowhere to go but the kitchen, the bathroom, and the happy corner in my room. When everything appears to be falling apart and there's nothing else you can do but to watch idly as things break in front of you, you just stare at nowhere and wonder if life has ever been kind to you at one point. I don't really need to wonder about that, though. Life has been more than enough kind to me. I still have a job. My family's intact. I've a place to live. I've friends to call when I need help.  Maybe I am just anxious. Another year has gone and it's the season where I ...

Just like my March entry , my April welcome post is one day late. I just completed the finishing touches of my April bullet journal spread this morning because I had to do something else last night. Excuses. Anyway, April has always been exciting because first, it's my birth month; second, it's when I published Right Where You Left Me in 2018 (wow has it really been 3 years?); and third, it's summer and ripe mangoes are everywhere (though there's only dry and wet season in the PH, I will always refer to April as the summer month). But I am not so keen this year because I do not look forward to another (god forbid) quarantined birthday celebration. I'm out of copies of Right Where You Left Me so how can I promote it? Public markets are the last thing I want to visit these days because I am still scared af with corona. Millennial problems? Maybe. I can hear people saying "people are dying everywhere and you worry about quarantined birthday how dare you!"  A...

This entry should have been written and published yesterday, as the month officially begins. But Spotify decided to deprive me of CNBLUE music (or is it Kakao M? Idk they have contradicting statements) and work pay is a little bit too late. Not that I am complaining - I bought physical albums of my Kpop stars so I can still enjoy their music with or without a streaming service, and most people don't even have work pay to wait for. My millennial problems are too grave, ain't it? Thus the reason why I thought it's forgivable for me to post this one day late.  February was a good month, though. Very promising. Just like in 2020, February showed me the things I should try, places I should visit, and different kinds of arts to experience. In 2021, it's the month when I started to wake up at 0530 to enjoy my morning coffee and do brisk walking at six. The plan is to do it everyday except on Sundays (because on Sundays we go to church). I've also started eating healthier f...

First things first, register to vote.  When we hear the world adulting, it automatically translates to bills, making home-cooked meals, drinking tea, and maybe owning a bunch of discount cards and essential oils. While all of these are true, it's not where you start - at least in my experience. There's still some other stuff that needs to be taken care of, things that we normally do not consider as part of the process. Some might not see these as necessary, but if I had known these things early on, I might have accomplished much more things than ever.  Yes, you can do it! Clean your social media accounts. I repeat, clean your social media accounts. While working at Krusty Krab makes you look cooler than your friends, some potential employers and clients might think differently. Sure, your social media profile is your personal space, but keep in mind that it is also a reflection of who you are. Use a proper profile picture, consider deleting inappropriate posts, and use a more ...

Tabula rasa - a phrase I've learned from my favorite Gayle Forman book. It means clean slate. Starting over. Begin fresh. Leave everything behind as you move forward. The new year is a beautiful opportunity to do all of these, in addition to setting new goals for the year, creating vision boards and working on some long-term projects. But after everything we went through in 2020, is it still worth it? What are the odds that 2021 would not be different? What if it's tougher? What if I'd just go #NoGoals2021 again? If you have goals then there's nothing you can't do. But first, coffee. Why creating goals is important Goals make me more determined, and they provide for this constant need to prove myself. This is the reason why despite my last year's mantra, I still started working on some projects. It doesn't matter if it's something I've done before, or something simple. I set goals because they bring me joy and self-fulfilment. They give me motivation...

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...

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...

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...

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...