2013

2012 was so eventful – I went on a two-month vacation with my family, I graduated from my post-grad degree, and started teaching in DLSU – that I thought 2013 would go by quietly.

But now that I’m looking back on the year that will be gone in a few days’ time, I was surprised with how fun and blessed it was. There were a lot of firsts, and isn’t it always refreshing and exciting to experience something new for the first time?

So here are some of the moments of 2013! 🙂

The year summarized by my hairstyles

Singapore!!! MBS, Sentosa, USS, Meet-up with college friends. ❤

New ink!

Birthday 2013.

Birthday 2013! YEY for flowers!

Got to play dress up with close friends as part of entourage for two weddings. I’m really starting to feel my age.

Entourage for weddings!

Boracay with my blockmates/college kainuman/awesomest friends

Took on a new summer job. It was tiring teaching for 8 hours a day at least four times a week. But hey, I still love what I do, and even got to go to Tuguegarao for two days and explore Callao Cave for free!

Tuguegarao sidetrip for Ahead lecture.

And finally got to lose ~20 lbs! My blogger friend Heidee wrote about it. Also, thanks to my long-time friend/thesismate/trainer/coach Barnard for getting me into running!

Finally lost a decent amount of weight

10K run with Caloy. Nike+ recorded 321 KM for 5 months. Not bad, right? And I think I have a relatively decent phase for a newbie.

 

Also got a new toy poodle this year!

This was also the year we lost our beloved lolo. May you rest in peace, Lolo Agong. I’m sure you’re now happily watching over us in heaven with Lola.

Overall, 2013 was awesome. At the beginning of each year, I always wish it to be my best year yet. Just last night, this quote from LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring struck me.

“All we have to do decide is what to do with the time given to us”

I guess it’s true. We may not know how much time we have, but we should always decide to live it to the fullest. Spend it with the people we love, and forever be grateful.

Happy New Year!!!

 

xx

 

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Skincare + Makeup products

I’ve been wanting to do a comprehensive makeup post of the products I have/use, but been putting it off. Haha! Maybe I’ll get the time to do so this month.

For now, let me share a post done by my good friend Eula bout my skincare regimen. 🙂

“Skincare Sneeks: Chrissete”

Boracay!

Semi-biglaan lakad to celebrate Jthan’s birthday/annual wasakan. This time around, instead of celebrating it in Laguna like the past years, we went to Boracay!

Awesome weekend with the greatest friends I have. From epic dance moves, to just watching the waves. Here’s to ten years of friendship and more!

The Sunshine Award!

Thank you Heidee for helping me get back to blogging. And because of that, though I won’t fully comply with the rules of this meme, I will attempt to answer the 11 questions you posted. Haha. 🙂

• What was your first ever memory?

Hmmm. Now this is hard. My first few memories would probably be here in our house. We moved here when I was ~1 year old from our old place in Tondo, Manila. I remember our old room, our old garden here, and all the renovations done with this house.

• Who is your idol and why?

This is a hard question as well! (H, why??? Hahahaha!) I’ll always be a fan of well-rounded individuals, but in terms of having an idol…hmmm….can I get back to this question someday? Haha

• What is your favorite year and why? 

So far, it would be 2011, the year I traveled with my sister to my dream city – Rome. While having coffee in one of the quaint shops in Italy, my sister told me one heartwarming statement I’ll never forget. She said “Who would have thought that one day, we’ll be having coffee together here in Rome?”. This is big for us since we are not from a rich family. And yes, it made me realize that dreams do come true.

• What is the title of your favorite book or movie?

“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas will always be my favorite book.

• If you could be somebody else for a day, who would you pick? It can be anyone alive or dead, real or fictitious.

If I would be given a chance to exchange lives with anyone right now, it would be with Victoria Beckham or Olivia Palermo. 😛 Hahaha.

• Can you point me to the best blog you ever wrote, or at least one that you think I should read?

I’ve switched blogs a few times already, and I’ve kept most of my original blog’s posts private (because you know, they’re all whiny teenage angst posts). Haha! Also, I rarely write something with “content”, so I don’t think I ever had a post I can consider the best. 😛

• What was the best birthday present you ever received?

My HK/Europe vacation last 2011! 

• Name three things you can’t live without.

Material things? My phone, chocolates, coffee.

• If you could turn back time, what would you do differently?

Personally? I’d probably be more health-conscious while I was younger. But overall, I think it’s unhealthy to look back and imagine things you could have done differently. I say acknowledge those mistakes and do the best to change them with the present.

• If a genie appeared in front of you and asked you to make one wish, what would it be?

World Peace. Cliche, but again, I’m serious with this answer. 

• Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Tinatanong pa ba yan? Eh di si Piolo Pascual

JS + Frances

Congratulations JS and Frances!

It still feels surreal that one of my oldest and closest friends is now married. (Or maybe it feels surreal because I didn’t get any decent sleep because your wedding was too early in the morning? Hahahaha just kidding! :P). Like one of your ninongs said, you guys are very lucky to have found love at a young age. And indeed the luckiest because each of you got to marry your best friend.

The lovely couple

Entourage

It was one of the warmest and simplest yet fun weddings I got to attend. I’m glad that I was part of all these.

To JS and Frances, I wish you happiness, patience, and all the things that will make your relationship stronger. I love you both. 🙂

Vacation!

I’m a little mid-way past my vacation and I haven’t written anything about it. Blech. I haven’t even written about Amsterdam/Netherlands nor Italy, my trips last year, after my Paris post. I will try to do write about some bits and pieces of my adventures.

Right now I’m in my bed with my travel journal. I’m trying to paste and write about memories of the places I visited in this journal. I think I’ll do better in this “hard copy” than my progress here in the internet. Haha.

I’m such a scatterbrain right now.

I’m just really really thankful and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to take this 2-month vacation with my family.

Tomorrow, I’m off to the market to buy some fresh produce, bike around some more to check out other stores around the block, then go home and finish a good book. The super fast internet here is hampering my travel plans. Haha.

Hope all is well with everyone.

 

xx

I’m back.

Let’s give this blog another shot. 🙂