#Singapore

2017 and the moments that were

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When I got laid off at 27, I thought I was too young to be laid off. I should’ve known better — no one is. I knew what was going to happen the night before, because the calendar invite sent to me, at 9 pm, was from HR and the venue on the invite was set outside of the office. There was only one reason why I had to meet with HR outside of the office. I slept that night thinking, “I won’t have a job after tomorrow,” and dressed my hair up in lovely braids the next morning. If it was going to be the worst day of that week, I believed I should meet it splendidly.

When I was 19, I published this status message on my very new Facebook wall: “If you can’t blind them with your bullshit, dazzle them with your brilliance.” I can’t remember what possessed me when I wrote that, but I guess I was in the similar frame of mind eight years later. Ish. I didn’t dress up as fabulously as I should have. I was laid off along with 1/3 of the office. Some of them who also lost their job just moved to Singapore a few months before. They were probably going to break their lease. It was a good thing I was only renting a room. Their circumstances seemed more unfair, but no amount of silver linings made me feel any less uprooted than that moment when my big boss handed me that getting-laid-off-letter.

Continue reading2017 and the moments that were

A brief look at 2014 and a late welcome to 2015

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(After Victor published his blog post, I forced myself to finish writing this, too. Thanks Victor!! :P)

This post is a bit late, but I feel that 2014 deserves a dedicated post to help me recount where I am in life now; what my previous goals were for the last year, and what I have achieved.

2014 is a bit of a murky year. I moved jobs thrice, and I have failed and succeeded in different things. I moved out, but not only from my parents’ house, but also to a different (but familiar) country.

Continue readingA brief look at 2014 and a late welcome to 2015

Branding workshop with Orange Hive

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I attended a branding workshop today. Which might be weird because I should’ve learned about it in college, having graduated from a design course. But the workshop made me realize how outdated my course a few years back was because this time we didn’t just dive into type and colors and logos, trying to find an evasive muse from the land of nowhere.

It was only a few hours, but we went step by step to really think about what your brand is and who your customers are. This is important as a solid, starting ground that you can use as reference when deciding the visual aspect of branding. We had to think about our customers through personas. We had to come up with what our brand wants to communicate, how we want to make our customers feel and what we want to make them do at various touch points with the brand.

It was a good refresher workshop also because it reminded me of important points that I might have missed whenever thinking of branding. The structure of the workshop served as a guide — like a template you can start with when you feel lost, but something which you can definitely tweak based on how you think best. Sharing what we’ve written down with people in a group also made me realize that I have to work harder in being articulate because it’s challenging to describe some ideas I have in mind.

It was great; I had fun and met new people and learned about some points that I forget to consider when doing branding. I’m definitely looking forward to more workshops from Orange Hive. Much thanks to the awesome folks who held the workshop: Trech, Aishy, Kelvin, Hanyang, and Angela!

Reminiscing Singapore

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I just received from the mail a card my friend from Singapore sent over a month ago. Yes, Philippine post sucks but I’m just glad it didn’t get lost.

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I arrived in Singapore, met new friends, and had one of the best experiences with so many wonderful people. It always seems like I just came back months ago. The girl who left the Philippines for Singapore then wasn’t the same as the girl who returned, and that girl certainly isn’t the same girl now. I feel so different that the words my friend wrote in the card made me remember how a lot of things changed for me since then:

The crazy times at Kbox, hearing you talk about your dreams and aspirations, and how your batteries just instantly recharge when you’re around people! It’s really encouraged me seeing how you’d go the extra mile for your friends and how you really treasure them…And your zest for life too!

I miss Singapore. I miss my friends there. I miss IFG. I remember making a lot of jokes or just kidding around. I remember smiling so wide. I remember laughing a lot. I remember looking forward to see everybody. I remember being excited whenever we go out. I remember having so much fun that I just didn’t want the night to end.

I also miss being that person my friend described. I’m not quite the same person anymore. Some priorities have changed. I feel so drained. Going the extra mile…even when I tried to do that, I still got left behind. My enthusiasm in life then, well, I wish I had that back. I’m so lost and confused about so many things in my life right now, over so many people, over almost everything, and every time somebody reminds me that I used to be a much better person I try to believe I haven’t completely lost everything yet. There used to be someone more cheerful, more hopeful, more trusting, more optimistic in me and I want to believe that everything’s still there. That it’s just taking me time to find myself again.

I wish I could hug all the friends I’ve made in Singapore. I swear, I’ll visit you guys again.

The destructive touch of Midas

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Everything break-able should be kept at a 5-meter radius away from me. I dropped my camera on the ground and now it’s dented and I’m still wondering if I should have it fixed (if it’s fix-able. I don’t think so though). I’m a walking accident, I tell you, and it’s just so damn unlucky of me. My luck lies only in the fact that at least most of the things I destroy or break are mine. Imagine having to pay for someone else’s S$600-worth camera. I’m so frustrated with myself right now (because of my camera) and I think I’d have to personally strangle myself if I break someone else’s. I’m so stupid this way.

This morning, community service was having fun and helping the old uncles and young kids fly kites! I was taking everyone’s picture because I was just too tired to run around.

I’m also so frustratingly weak as proven by my aching legs (from yesterday). :( I think if I taxed my legs more I’d have started to walk like a penguin. I have no toned muscles to boast of and my stomach is getting fat because of all the food I eat (I starve for a few hours and then there are just some days like this when suddenly I eat like I’ve never been fed before. Especially when it involves new food). But that doesn’t stop me from pigging out.

This afternoon, Shine-oppa was kind enough to bring us to a Korean restaurant: Togi. Jiang Shang said I get amazed by things too easily because this afternoon I was expressing that same sense of awe when the dishes were served as when I come into contact with things like ice cream, cheesecake, and cute animals:

these are just the side-dishes!
these are just the side-dishes!

So those were, apparently, just the free-flowing side dishes. I was starting to get really, really excited! After they served the main dishes, we dug in faster.

digging in!
digging in!

When I started eating with the SILVER CHOPSTICKS and the SILVER SPOON WITH A LONG HANDLE, I got much, much happy. Too happy! Hahaha. I finally had an experience of how they eat Korean food which I often see in Korean dramas! AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! I was eating their rice and their kimchi and their vegetables and the green thing where you stuff beef and rice and some sauce! WHO CARES IF IT WAS A BIT SPICY? It wasn’t very spicy so I was able to eat a lot! I tasted everything! I just didn’t drink the soup because I think I won’t be able to take it, haha.

my favorite side-dish: the fish cake :3
my favorite side-dish: the fish cake :3

I like this fish too! :D
I like this fish too! :D

I enjoyed this pancake a lot! :D I took a picture of Jeannie's food because I finished mine before I knew it, haha.
I enjoyed this pancake a lot! :D I took a picture of Jeannie's food because I finished mine before I knew it, haha.

This post will almost be all about food, seriously. Continue readingThe destructive touch of Midas