bethgstories

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...

Psychology, factions, secret societies, and maybe even conspiracy theories - these are just some of the things you can expect from this action-packed suspense, written by Filipino author Christian Khiel Pineda Unto. Broken Bard is the first installment of the Requiem series featuring the psychology student/journalist Sky Colburn. What is it about The death of a psychiatric ward patient leads Sky Colburn to investigate the whereabouts of the seemingly righteous governor Richter Raven. As Sky dug deeper and deeper into Raven's back story, he didn't only prove that the governor was the mastermind of the gruesome murder - Raven is also up to creating an army consisting of mind-controlled soldiers who are either kidnapped or forced to undergo a brutal, underground training program. Soon, Sky finds himself at war against Raven and his men, and his accidental union with a secret society that aims to turn Raven down not only became his saving grace, but it also led to his discovery of ...

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 ...

It's been more than a week since I finished watching Her Private Life, and I still think of Ryan Gold and his pretty face. It's the first Kim Jae Wook drama I've seen and maybe it's time for me to broaden my horizon and start watching dramas of actors that are complete strangers to me. Anyway, this drama was aired in 2019, and I finally watched it because one, I'm a Kpop fan now and I knew I'd relate to this; two, it's Christmas break and there's nothing else to do; three, Ryan Gold is irresistibly adorable. image source All things relatable Not gonna lie, the main reason I was compelled to watch this drama is because of Doekmi's (Minyoung) fangirling. Man, she's obsessed with Cha Shian, a member of a fictional Kpop group White Ocean. If I didn't happen to be into Kpop, I'd wonder if her fangirling shenanigans actually happen in real lif...

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...

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...