On Self-Esteem or Lack Thereof

This morning, over my usual cup of cold brew coffee, I realized that I've inadvertently allowed my fears to govern my life. For the past two weeks, along with my most recent attempt at following a ketogenic diet and fasting intermittently at the same time, I've been on an emotional roller coaster of a journey …

Embarking on a Journey of Self-Exploration

It’s ridiculously easy to forget how far you’ve come when all you do is compare yourself with others and you do this habitually, automatically. These past few days, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection and have made an insane amount of realizations, many of which are not at all easy to accept. After revisiting …

Applying for a Japan Visa in the Philippines

Warning: I rant a lot in this entry. When I started writing this, I had never traveled out of the country. Heck, I'd never even flown domestically. My mom was then the only person in my family who has left the Philippines (for a temporary stay in Australia). My dad, when asked why he never …

On Awareness and Transience

Only yesterday, I was sixteen years old, fresh out of high school, clad in a black t-shirt, flared jeans, and blue Chucks. I navigated a strange new world far from the home I've always known and shared a tiny bedroom in a dormitory with a girl from the South who spoke her native tongue with …

My Tiny Wedding: The Venue

I'm married! And I've been married for over two months now. 😂 I haven't been able to write about the wedding day because I've been caught up in all the hullabaloo of daily life, but my husband has been reminding me that I haven't updated my blog in a long time, so I thought it's high …

My Tiny Wedding: The Dress

I didn't want to spend much on my wedding, so I knew there was no way I was going to buy a gown I'll possibly only wear once. I spent hours and hours searching for a dress online and in shopping malls, and even considered wearing a dressy white top and skirt at some point. …

Ten Things I’ve Learned by Following a Ketogenic Diet

This morning, while showering, I ruminated on how nutrition is like religion. We are taught early on in school and at home about healthy eating—the food pyramid, Go, Glow, and Grow, too much fat causes heart attacks, among other things—and we believe everything because we're young and still impressionable, so who better to believe than …

My Tiny Wedding: The Invitation

I've decide to turn my wedding-related entries into a series called My Tiny Wedding. Hopefully it would help other people who also want a small, intimate affair rather than a traditionally grand event. I've so far written about why I don't want a big wedding and the marriage license application process here in the Philippines. …

My Struggle with Weight and PCOS

Warning: This post contains mentions of disordered eating. I've been overweight pretty much all my life. I was a fat baby, a fat toddler, a fat teenager, and now a fat adult. It runs in the blood, as many of my cousins also have weight issues, but more than that, it's a result of a …

My Tiny Wedding: Applying for a Marriage License in the Philippines

My fiancé and I recently applied for our marriage license at Parañaque City Hall and the process went a lot more smoothly than we both expected. To be honest, I thought it would be a pain in the ass because of how troublesome dealing with government offices could be. To keep that from happening, I …