Posts

Table for one: Banh Mi Kitchen

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I always misspell BANH MI, forgive me. Banh Mi Kitchen has been one of my go-to favorites whenever I need that quick fix of a no-rice heavy meal. There’s only two branches I know of—the one in Pearl Drive where I would normally go since it’s near my workplace and the other one is in SM Megamall and I’m not even sure if it’s still there. This signature Vietnamese sandwich is something that everyone should try because in my opinion, it’s healthier and more socially acceptable when it came to quality and price. Let’s take a closer look of what it is made of. The bread. I’ve read somewhere that white bread is bad. They provide excess calories and since they are pre-sliced and packaged, they mostly consist of highly-processed simple carbs that is digested quickly and do not really provide many nutrients (Medical News Today, 2017). This Vietnamese baguette which is most probably average pre-packaged white bread is so crunchy the sound will make your forget the bad things in ev...

The Ex files: When to call it quits

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Not all exes are the same—I mean, your former boss is also an ex, right? I get it. It’s not every day we’re motivated to go to work. Yuppie flu really does exist… and it’s when you wake up in the morning to your alarm clock (sometimes before that), and you sit in the bed or maybe stare at the ceiling for several minutes trying to decide upon the reasons why you have to drag yourself up and get ready for work. All the reasons you come up with are perfectly valid, but at the back of your head you’re trying to justify just why they’re not valid at all and how you deserve to just stay in bed all day. Yup, I call it yuppie flu. I’ve been to a total of 4 employers my entire working life, including the one where I’m currently employed. That means I’ve submitted 3 resignation letters, and the last one was handed in because I was dying, literally. Every ending has a story before that, and resignation letters are just the same. If my high school book report has 5 major parts, I have 5...

I rummaged thru my old files and this happened

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Oh yes, for once the traffic wasn’t so bad—I got home much earlier than my usual ten-thirty. Of course, I was pretty excited because that meant I’d be able to work on some of my projects list. I just finished outlining another story, so I thought of adding more words to the actual manuscript or maybe finish a chapter. But I didn’t do that, not right away. Instead I rummaged my old file folders, lingered a bit in the short stories sub-folder, and found some hidden gems. There were short stories, all written several years ago that reminded me of how I used to write. Wordy. Conflicts that are no longer (maybe) socially acceptable. And they all involve accidents. I had no idea what to do with these back then. All I know is that, I wanted to write, and that I did. Plus, my frustrations toward the customers I handled during my long nights as a customer care specialist was just too much to behold I would sometimes just write them down. I put everything into words. I wrote when my hea...

Revisiting my very first self-published book, I Still...

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I wrote I Still… in 2015, during the very first writing workshop I attended, #JustWritePH. This was by far the most generous workshop I attended, because it was free and didn’t require me anything but to attend the live session and it’s only if I wanted to ask questions to the speakers. The speakers were also great,   including Liana Smith-Bautista, Ria Lu of Komikasi, Mina Esguerra of #romanceclass, Ines Bautista-Yao of Summit Magazines—just to name a few. In this workshop I learned about loglines, narrative elements, the importance of beta readers, editing, publication, and even how to pick the right cover for your book. All of this while we were writing our story which we would eventually launch in its digital format as an output of the workshop. This book is technically the second book published under my name, followed by Come and Rescue Me which would be released October that same year. I could still remember how many nights I spent trying to somehow perfect the story. Nic...

Table for one: Lucca Bakery

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Nicole introduced me to Lucca Bakery as she wanted their five-layer chocolate cake for her wedding. It became our “place” after that, where we’d catch up over cups of coffee, otherwise formulate scenes for my next story which usually involve our ultimate celebrity crushes and ourselves. But my girl has to leave, so I’d sometimes go there by myself, thinking of the good times and that’s when I would be able to play with words and write again.  The bakery has been there for years now, and the only branch I know is located at SM Megamall. This place is perfect for grown-up catch ups (when you gossip with class) and I sincerely believe it was built in a way that would encourage people to talk to each other rather than hide behind their laptops and consume a single cup of americano for their six-hour stay. With its variety of excellent food in affordable prices, I think this is the place where everyone in the barkada belongs, when all of them are tired of fast food and the line...

How I motivate myself to be productive every day

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Should I get up now? Wait, it’s still dark outside, I can still have like, seven minutes, right? Should I go to work today, though? What if I just call in sick? After all, I feel very sick and exhausted right now… and it’s for tomorrow. Oh yes, these malicious thoughts cloud my mind, if not all the time, then most of the time when I wake up and think about going to work. I believe most of us have gone through this most daunting decision every working person has to make. The decision that could make or break your career, depending on the circumstances. When I was working in the call center industry, this was something I always ask myself in front of the mirror as I brush my hair and put on my eyeliner. Should I go to work today? Surprisingly, the answer is always yes. Should we go to work today? Starting your day right I’m not really sure what it means to “start your day right”. Is it watching gruesome news while having your morning coffee? Or smi...

Thoughts on a random Saturday errand day

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The forever symbol of consumerism My Saturdays have already been devoted to working on my freelance projects, or some of my almost forgotten WIPs—but today was different. I realized I was running low on prescription drugs and my skin badly needs intense moisturizing. So I went out, met with Kim, had lunch, and after picking up everything we need, had coffee. She’s one of the few friends I’ve got with whom I can share my most obscene and vilest thoughts without the fear of being judged. So we talked. Shared thoughts. And what else is the better way to do this but over good food and cups of coffee? After all, we’re both self-proclaimed Titas. Tonight, as I sit in my room with another cup of coffee (evening coffee it is), I replayed the entire day in my head. And I realized a few things.  Not all rewards are worth the trouble. This is the reason why I didn’t pressure myself to graduate with flying colors. I didn’t want to be in charge of anything that the profess...