@CarlosAndJane

@CarlosAndJane 21 November 2023

Good morning everyone! It’s so windy and cold here today. And today is the release of the Disney Movie titled “Wish”. I’m so excited to go see it! ❤️

@CarlosAndJane 18 November 2023

How To Deal With Negativity It's been so long since my previous post here and here I am, just using the platform to just express my thoughts. And just to have a place to vent out. This post is not what you think it is. Well, the title might say it that way but that is actually the same question I have and the very same reason I am writing this post. QUESTIONS I ASK MYSELF How can someone survive a day thinking negative thoughts all day? How can someone enjoy life living in fear? How do you deal with people who are in this state of mind? _________________________________________________ Negativity is so Draining I know, worrying and being negative is inevitable since, as human beings, we are bound to feel that way. But I would say, there are things in life that we shouldn't be worrying about. Let's say for example: my husband has got a the bump on his wrist. He noticed it after lifting a heavy car battery with just one hand. It should've just been a sprain, right? Maybe his muscles just got shocked after lifting that heavy thing (because he doesn't really do that more often). His grandma has told him already that she's had the same thing happen to her as well. His co-worker has told him the same thing. I have told him to not worry about it too much and just keep an eye on it. But, no matter what we say, he still worry and thinks about the worst things. He worries about it thinking it might have been some pre-stages symptoms for cancer. Which, I know for a fact that it is totally far from that. Well, to make him feel better, he said he wanted to go to the hospital to get an X-ray for it. I said "yes" hoping that after the results are found, he would be more at ease about it. He told me that when he went there, the doctor asked where the bump is (so you could really tell just how small the bump is. It's not even noticeable.). The doctor also asked him how much Tylenol he had to take for it and of course, he didn't have to take Tylenol for it because it never hurt that bad. He told me that the doctor had that look on his face that says “Why are you even here?” So, the doctor conducted the X-ray and yes, nothing was found. Everything was normal and the doctor said it might just have been a sprain (which is exactly what we keep telling him). Of course, I am happy about the results but I already knew the doctor is going to say that. I thought he would worry less about it because of what the doctor said but guess what? He still worries too much about it. It is so draining for me because I am not used to be thinking negatively for a long time especially for something so little. It is so draining because I don’t know how to make him feel better. It is draining because no matter what I say or do, it never works and he’s always so scared mostly about everything. I am just human, too and I also get drained and it is so frustrating that I cannot even do something about it. _________________________________________________ If you have any tips for me, please let me know in the comment section below so I could try it. I would really try whatever it takes to make this better, please.

@CarlosAndJane 25 July 2022

My Trip to America :) Long time ago, it has really been a dream to be in America. Not really sure why but maybe because other people seem to make living in America a really great deal - greener pasture, earning thousands of dollars, living in nice big houses, playing in snow, and a lot more beautiful things. And now, that dream has come true! I can finally say ***"I am in America!"*** So far, living in America has been a good - now I am able to spend so much time with the love of my life. It is so great having to be in person after 6 years of being in a long-distance-relationship. Now, I can see him when I wake up in the morning and see him before I go to bed every night. Before, all our pictures together were just screenshots from our video calls but now, we can finally do this :D **HOW WAS MY TRIP?** My trip here was really the most tiring trip I have ever had in my entire life! Imagine having to travel for 3 long days! Gosh! Going back, I couldn't even imagine how I endured all that. But, literally, this is what you say; ***"Tatahakin lahat ng bundok at dagat, makasama ka lang"*** Aweee. <3 Sounds so cheesy but it probably was what I did. So, I travelled from my province to Manila, Manila to HongKong, HongKong to Los Angeles, and finally, Los Angeles to Texas. Let's not talk about the layover time anymore since that was really stressful. The planes themselves were really nice planes. They were so huge and has all the tiny TVs for you to be comfortable on your travel but to me, still, it was so uncomfortable. But when I saw this, I was teary-eyed and told myself, ***"This is real, right? I am not dreaming, right? Dream come true!"*** When I got to Los Angeles, we cannot go in immediately just yet because we still need to go through immigration. The light was really long and I could barely see Filipinos already. I could see many different people - blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, tall, short, white, tan, and so many! While waiting for my turn to be interviewed by the immigration officer, I was observing the others who went before me. And the immigration officer would ask in a very strict tone of voice, ***"Why are you here?"*** Hearing how his tone was, I got really nervous and was starting to make up my answer in my mind. When it was my turn, the immigration officer didn't eve ask me anything! All he said was, ***"Hand me your passport, please?"*** When he saw that I have my Visa, he just told me to give him my yellow packet. He went through it and said, ***"Put your mask off for a while, please and look at the camera."*** I did what he said and that was it!!! I am officially free to roam around and live in America! DO I HAVE JETLAG? Talking about jetlag, I guess, I didn't have. Back when I was still in the Philippines, I really stay up so late just to be able to talk to my fiancé so, when I got here, I didn't have any trouble anymore. One of my friends even said I adjusted so quickly and seemed like I didn't even travel at all. HOW ARE THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA? Well, I could say, I am surrounded by really good people. They seem to be so nice. His grandma, who is 86 years old drove me around downtown. She brought me to different restaurants and let me try their food. They were all real good. Our churchmates were really nice, too. They give us a lot of gifts! These are gifts from one of the girls at church. And take note, this is from someone I literally just met! How sweet and nice! :) HOW AM I LIKING IT SO FAR? So far, I am really loving my stay here. Well, as of the moment, I won't be able to get a job just yet until I get my green card. Until then, I will just be a plain housewife (well, soon to be since we aren't married yet). Alright, I think that would be all for me today. I will see you guys again on my next blog! :) Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 14 April 2022

Visa In Transit. Are We Ready? Last July 2020, my fiancé submitted a petition for a K1 Visa. A week or two after that, we have received the NOA1 which means, they have already received our Visa application. I thought it would just be a very quick process but, I was wrong! Then, the pandemic happened so, the processing has gotten a lot slower. It is even slower than a moving snail. February of 2021, we have received our NOA2. And that means, we are already in the second step of waiting and our application is already sitting at NVC. Since then, we have checked the update of it everyday and always gets disappointed seeing the same thing over and over again. It feels like we are climbing up a very very tall mountain with a huge bag behind our backs. Just yesterday, the disappointed has turned into hearts jumping with joy and excitement fills our hearts because the status has finally changed after more than a year of waiting. Now, it already says "IN TRANSIT" which means, they are already forwarding our application to the US Embassy. And from here on, it would feel like sliding from the top of the mountain down to the bottom. And you know how that it, right? It means, it will already be a very quick moving process. ARE WE READY FOR THIS? After all the excitement has subsided, here comes the reality. Questions are starting to arise in our heads. `This meme shows exactly how we're feeling now :D` ***Are we ready for this?*** ***How about my family?*** ***Will my family let me go even without getting married in the Philippines yet?*** ***Is the interview going to be easy?*** ***What questions might they ask?*** ***Will I get approved?*** There are a lot more questions I have in mind. To some, I do not know the answer yet but one thing is for sure, we will push through with this because we have worked so hard for this and waited so long for this. I am starting to get scared thinking about the medical exam. What if there is something wrong with me? With my body? So far, I am not diagnosed with anything so hopefully, there will be no issues. I am starting to get so anxious about the interview. What if my answers aren't good enough? What if I will be too nervous and get a mental block? One of my friends told me I shouldn't worry about it because I can understand and speak English really well. But still. the thought of having an interview and a possibility of getting denied still scares me. HOW ABOUT THE WEDDING? I didn't tell my family about the change of the visa status yet. So for now, they still thought we'll be doing the wedding in September. But, I guess we won't be able to anymore. Because if everything will go well, in two or three months, I will be flying to the US already. (*That thought really excites me so much because finally, after 6 years of long-distance relationship, we would be able to be together*). Part of me is happy but part of me is also sad because I will be leaving my papa already. When I get sad about the thought, I will just think that it will just be for a moment. Because when I get stable out there, I will just let him come there with us. This is going to be a scary but exciting process. I hope everything will go well. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 11 April 2022

Things I Learned about Life From Crocheting Crocheting is such a great journey for me. It has been my past time and my stress-reliever. When I feel down, as long as I have my hook and yarn, everything seem to just be okay. It has been my escape to not fall asleep on my work breaks, sleep too much and miss my classes. Through my journey with it, I have learned a lot - different stitches, different yarn types and where they're best used, different patterns, different tension techniques to be able to achieve a pattern I'm following. And, most of all, I learned quite a few things about life as well. **You can make yourself better with time and effort.** Yarns in itself can be really messy. They can be so disorganized sometimes and so annoying. But, if you go and grab your yarn and hook, sit, and start crocheting, in time, that messy yarn will turn into something nicer - something more beautiful and useful, sometimes you never imagined it to be. Same thing goes with life. Sometimes, we tend to become really have a messy and disorganized life and we always feel that we are so useless and unproductive. But hey, never lose hope. With effort and time, surely, you will be able to make yourself better. If yarns could turn into beautiful products, so can you. **Be patient.** Crocheting needs a lot of patience. There may be times that the yarns get so tangled up and instead of having to finish your project for an hour, you'd end up finishing it after 5 hours just because you need to untangle the yarn on your way. But patience is key. Let us always be patient and trust the process. **Try and try until you succeed.** Well this learning, you might have heard of this a lot of times already but with crocheting, you can really apply this a lot. Many times, when you try a new pattern, you will always have a trial and error method. You try it, turned out wrong, then you have to redo it all over again until you finally get the pattern you're following `This pattern took me a lot of trial and errors. I was having so much of a hard time trying to get the sizing right. But, the end result is satisfying.` In life, let us never give up and keep trying until we reach that peak of success. **Surround yourself with the right color combination.** In crocheting, you'll deal with a lot of color combinations. Good color combinations will really make a product pop while bad color combination can really ruin it. In life, colors feel like the people around us. Every person we keep in our lives have colors. Let us always choose those people with colors that matches ours so we'll end up becoming better together. **Do not conclude you can't when you haven't even tried it yet.** I have been crocheting for quite some time now but, I was really scared to crochet clothing because I thought I won't be able to handle it and I always thought it's too hard for me to do. At some point, I lost trust in myself. Just recently, I decided to actually try it out, and guess what? Here is how it turned out! It actually turned out really good and it is a trending post on my page as of the moment! It was just 2 days ago when I posted this and I already got 4 sets of orders! See? Never hurts to try. Believe in yourself. In crocheting, I start to believe that learning is an unending process. Because everyday, looking at those crochet products on Pinterest and Youtube, I keep wanting to learn more and more! If you are a crocheter, well, I am sure you can relate to this. If you are planning to become a crocheter, well, let me tell you: **"Beware! It is so addicting. ******laughs******"** Well, that would be all for me for now. I hope you guys are doing well. Thank you so much for all your reading my blog and for all your support. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 8 April 2022

Storytime: We Almost Called Off Our Wedding Is it really normal for couples to be fighting while planning for your wedding? Last week, my fiancé and I had a fight to the point that we almost called off our wedding. So, what happened was, on that day, I have already contacted the wedding organizer and was about to set the date for our wedding. Unfortunately, the date that I was supposed to book was already taken. So that means, I cannot book that date anymore and it is kind of hard to move the dates around since on the same month, it'll be my cousin's graduation and I don't know exactly when it's going to be. So, I consulted my fiancé about it and asked if I could just move it on an earlier date. And he said, ***"Why not just have it on September instead? The plane tickets are cheaper on that month, too. So it'll be a great savings for us."*** Looking back at what he said now, there was really nothing wrong with it. I should also hear out his suggestion but at that time, my evil side just overpowered me. And I started yelling at him. ***"September? Why? Are we going to postpone it again? And then what? You're going to get my hopes up again like what happened 2 years ago?"*** `Back story: Two years ago, we were supposed to get married already but then, the pandemic happened so we don't have any choice but to just wait on it.` ***"No. But, think of it. It's a great savings for us. We could save $900."*** - him ***"Are you really ready for this? Because to me, it seems like you aren't. Why keep postponing it when we can do it earlier? And what would I tell my family? That you have changed your mind again? I don't know anymore! Go just do the wedding yourself. Go ahead and do the planning yourself. I am tired. Just marry yourself. Or, we can just get married when I'm 50."*** -me I don't know why I even said those words. Perhaps I really just got so frustrated because (1) *****I have already planned out everything***** (2) *****I have already told my family that we'll do it on July and now, he wants to move it to September***** (3) *****I am scared that maybe he'll keep doing it.***** Our fight went on the whole day. He didn't call me when he was at work (***totally different than how he used to***). I didn't want to call him, too. But, I just can't resist it. I still tried to call him for a couple of times anyway but, he didn't answer. I slept early on that day since I didn't want to be awake and keep myself getting tempted on calling him. (***Well, I guess that's one good thing about the fight - I was able to sleep early***). Morning came and I woke up. I called him out of habit and I almost forgot we were fighting and I wasn't supposed to call him. He answered. Thank God. But he told me he just accidentally answered it since he was playing on the laptop and clicked on the spacebar to let the character jump and it automatically answered the call. It was such a good timing. So, we talked everything out. I decided to just do it on September to also make things easier for him. Also, July and August are such busy months - there are a lot of family events during those months. He told me he hasn't eaten nor drank the whole day and he was crying. It breaks my heart to see him cry. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at him. I should've been more open to his suggestion since this isn't just "**my**" wedding - this is "**our**" wedding. I just got really frustrated at that time and I let my frustrations overpower me. On that day, we were able to sort things out and we're all good now. We may fight through hell and back but we also get to solve problems easily but just being open to each other and talk about it calmly. I am so lucky to have a fiancé who puts up with me all the time but I should also start changing myself for the better. I should learn to control my temper and not have tantrums like a little kid whenever I can't get what I want. I know, there will still be a lot of problems we will encounter together - more so when we are married. I still have a long way of learning ahead of me. But this time, I promise to listen more. Lesson Learned Be more open to suggestions. In a relationship, it should always be a teamwork - plan out on things together, solve problems together, and just do everything together. Also, choose to just be quiet when you're mad because you might say something you'll regret saying in the end. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 30 March 2022

My Trip to Greece - Part 2 First Flight Complete We made it safely to our first destination, the Washington Dulles International Airport without any issues, though there was a small medical emergency on the plane. Unknown as to what it was. Anywho, by the time we landed, it was two minutes until the next flight took off. The gate which that plane was at was on the opposite end of the building. I ran like hell to catch that flight. I got to the gate, with stiff legs and knots, and a racing heart, the door was closed and nobody was there. I was too late. I called my boss and informed him of the situation. He told me to reschedule my flight and to get a room in case I need to spend the night in Washington. I worked my way to baggage claim area. In doing so, I had to ride an underground subway to a different section of the airport. It was night, though at the time, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be on my way. Once I claimed my bag, I headed to the ticketing counter for the airline I was on. I have to say, that these were the most unprofessional people I have ever dealt with. There was only one guy in front of me. After he was done, they called me up. I probably stood there for 45 minutes, carrying a heavy backpack and my rollaway. They had no idea what they were doing, and there was an issue with my check-in. Eventually they gave me a new ticket for the same flight, only it would be the next day. I also got a voucher with a list of hotels at a reduced cost, meant for passengers that got delayed and missed their flights. The next part of my journey to Greece would actually take me through Germany, at the Frankfurt airport. Because my flight was delayed by a day, I had a new problem. The COVID test that I took back in San Antonio would no longer be accepted. I asked the lady at the counter where I could be tested. She said that I could take a test at the airport and that I would not be charged as the delay was due to a factor out of my control. Then she said that she would forward my information to the testing clinic downstairs. I went down to the clinic and they said that they did not have any information on me. I had to go back up to the ticketing counter and I asked about my test. The lady helping me told me that even though the delay was not my fault, it was also not the fault of the airline, since it was weather related. As such, the new COVID test would not be covered. I went back down and scheduled a test for tomorrow, and then left the airport. I called my aunt to let her know that I was in Washington, but then realized that I made a small error. When I made my reservation at the hotel, I noticed that the number that I had called had a 571 area code. Looking at the call history on my phone, the location was Sterling, Virgina. I had a chance to see on the map where I actually was, and realized that I was NOT in Washington, DC, but rather in Virginia. I felt like an idiot, even though it was a small oversite. A shuttle van picked me up and took me to the hotel. When I got to the hotel, I checked and went up to my room. I didn’t like this hotel at all. The other customers looked like thugs that had been out to commit a crime or were in the process of doing a deal somewhere. I went straight to my room. When I got in, I felt like I had taken a trip back in time to 2004. The room felt like a cheap motel from the late 90’s / early 2000’s. There was no sound insulation, so I had to stay quiet. The only nice thing about that room was that the sheets looked brand new. https://deadmotelsusa.com/post/618231117979484160/motel-rooms-of-the-2000s Look at this to get an idea. I didn't have a photo, and didn't want to jack someone else's... I got on my laptop to finish some stuff for work. We had a new guy start, and he needed access to his online tools in order to work. I put in some tickets and then put the laptop away. As I was a bit hungry, I went outside to the vending machine to get a soda and some chips. When I got back to my room, I found that my card key was no longer working. This key was different than what I was used to working with. While the hotel in Arizona had a key that you just hold near the receiver in the door, this was an older type which had a tape strip. I went downstairs to ask for help, and the guy told me that the card was corrupted. It appears that the magnet for my phone wallet case was messing up the card. He reset it, and I was able to get back into the room. I went to sleep as I had to wake up early to take my COVID test at the airport. That’s all for tonight! The Next Day... I woke up at just the right time and went downstairs. There was breakfast, and actually, for being an ugly hotel, the food wasn’t bad. I got a plate of potatoes and ate them while waiting for the Uber driver to arrive to take me to the airport. When I got there, I took my test. There was a 15 minute waiting period before I would get my results. At the, I was called up and given a paper with my results. I was negative! I was relieved as I wanted to get on with my journey. Being that it was about 9:30 in the morning, and my flight was at 5:30 PM, I had a lot of time in my hands. I thought to myself, while I had no interest in visiting the Capitol of the United States, I thought that I better do so as I may not have the chance to come out here in the future. I called an Uber and got a ride to DC. It was a bit of a pricey, but I did get to see a few things. Time to Go... After taking a few photos from the car, I had reached my destination, only to find that the US Captiol Visitor Center was closed and not taking visitors at my end. I looked for a place to have lunch, and found a taco place about 15 minutes from my location. Once done eating, I got a ride back to the hotel to get my stuff and check out. This trip was a bit expensive as it was 30 minutes each time and cost about $45 dollars. Once arriving at the airport, I got checked in and made my way to the terminal. This time, I was VERY early. I ate again at an airport Chick-Fil-A and played video games on my computer until it was time to board the plane. When flying over a long distance, one common issue is jet lag. Fortunately, I had something that would make my life a whole lot easier. Once I was settled in the plane, I took some medicine which had me sleeping right after we took off. I was woken by a flight attendant so I could eat. What I was given was a plate of macaroni and cheese with mushrooms. I gobbled that down, and went back to sleep. See y’all again in Germany! -Carlos

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@CarlosAndJane 29 March 2022

My Trip to Greece - Part 1 **What's the story?** I ended up having to take a trip to Greece for work. Weeks before, the subject was brought up. Our boss mentioned in our weekly team meeting, ***"I'm going to need someone with a valid passport who can travel"***. My ears went up. My fiance, who is the other person that runs this page lives in the Philippines, and as the company I work for has a lot of sites in the Philippines, I thought this was my chance to go out there. Well, he mentioned that the place we have to go to is Greece. My ears "went down" and I stayed quiet. In that time, someone else had volunteered to go out there. That was the end of that, or so I thought. A couple of weeks later, while on a machine deployment in Arizona, my boss called me and asked me if I was willing to go to Greece. I told him I can go. The reason why he wanted me to go is because I was the only one who didn't have any personal obligations that would stop me from going, such as having to go to school or take care of kids. I simply said, ***"Sure, I'll go."*** At the time, I felt neutral about the situation. Greece was never a place that I had aspired to go to, nor did I know anyone out there. Still my coworkers, including ones from other departments had mentioned that they were jealous and have been wanting to see Greece for a very long time. Ultimately, there was one thing that could stop me from going. I still needed to get a COVID test. Throughout my life, I have always missed the big events. Usually, something would keep me back, such as finances, parents, or my own anxiety. Back when I was in school, they would have annual Europe Trips, and I actually wanted to go. The problem was with finances though. I started to feel like something was going to keep me from going, and I didn’t want that to happen. A few days before it was time for me to go, I went to take my COVID test. Waiting for the results didn't take too long. In that time, I started to gather up my stuff for my backpack and roll away. By the end of the day, I was able to get my negative test result back and finished getting ready. **It Begins** My journey began at the San Antonio International Airport. To save money on parking since I'd be gone for a long time, I got an Uber ride to the airport. Normally, I just take my car. After I got checked in, I grabbed something to eat. What I ended up getting was bean taco from Rosario’s, which was a place in the airport. It wasn't too bad though it was a bit overpriced as airport food always is. After waiting for about an hour, it was time to board the plane. I would be on my way to Washington Dulles airport. I thought to myself, ***“Hey, I’m going to be in Washington DC.”*** I would later come to find that this was not 100 percent accurate. Once we boarded the plane, we had a bit of delay as the plane had been rained on the night before, and the temperature had now gone below freezing. The result was a plane with a thick sheet of ice on it, which was very dangerous. The trucks came to hose down the plane with their de-icing solution. We started to push back from the gate. Just was we were lined up and ready to start our engines, the captain announced that we needed another de-icing as there was still a good amount of ice buildup one the plane. We had to wait for about an hour before the trucks came back. By that point, the plane go hosed down a second time. We were about to leave, but then the captain announced that they were getting erroneous readings from the pitot tubes, which are these spiky devices on the front of the plane, which measure airspeed. These need to work otherwise a plane can stall and fall out of the sky because you don't know how fast you're going. It was another hour before the trucks came back to de-ice the plane. People were starting to get mad. Me, I wasn't bothered by this as it's better that the crew take their time with the airplane to make sure it's safe to fly. Eventually, the trucks came back to do their thing one last time, then they took off. Not long after, the planes engines came to live, and we took off for our first stop. See y'all when we land! ***-Carlos***

@CarlosAndJane 28 March 2022

Breathe. Inhale some Fresh Air. *Busy world. Stresses are all the place. Work here. Work there. And we tend to be so cooped up with all the things we need to do. But, let us not forget to also balance our life and have time to also hang out with the people that matters to us.* **FRIDAY HANGOUT WITH MY CHURCH FRIENDS** Last Friday, at around 3 o'clock, me and my church friends decided to go somewhere to have a date - and that means, ***FOOD***! I asked my papa that I'll be going out and he was all like, ***"Yes, you should do that. Don't be working all the time because work will really just be there all the time. You'll just die working. Have some time to get out and smell some fresh air, too."*** And yes, he is right. We rode in my churchmate's motorcycle. I didn't tell that part to my papa because if I did, he probably won't let me go because my papa doesn't want us to ride motorcycles. He had an accident riding one before so he is scared of it happening to us, too. I, myself is not used to riding motorcycle but in the name of going out with friends, I still did it anyway. (***laughs***) *Arrival at the Place* The place was so aesthetically nice. It is a Korean store back then. If you knew me long enough, you would've known by now that I love eating Shin Ramyun and this was the place where I buy it. Before, it was just a Korean mini mart but now, they have expanded and they already have a space where you can eat there. And that is really nice. These are the food that we ordered. This comes in a bundle and is good for 2-3 person each. We got 2 sets of it and one set costs P495 (***where $1 = P50***). We got here some **Kimbap**, **Tteokbokki and Rice Cake**, **Spam with Rice**, **Samyang Noodles**, **Jjangmyeon**, and some **Nuggets**. Choosing for the drinks was a different story. It was kind of hard to find drinks there because all they have are Korean drinks. So, we ended up just having the Demi Soda because that was just the only drink we can read. Haha :D We finally got our food and drinks. The fun part is, they didn't have spoon! They only have chopsticks! My friends aren't used to using chopsticks so it was really so much fun having to watch them use it. I had no problem because I already got used to using chopsticks anyway. My other friend even said she didn't want to eat there anymore because her fingers are hurting with the chopsticks. I didn't really have much photos because it was late when I realize to take pictures. It really happens to me every time. When I am having fun, I tend to forget to take pictures. I get so lost in the moment. Are you like that, too? Or is it just me? *Window Shopping* After we eat, we decided to go to the mall and just look around. Well, one of my friends wanted to get a pen so we decided to join her. Food, laughter, random talks, walks - that was just so much fun! It is not usual that we do this so now that we do, we really treasure it. `Sometimes, it is really great to just go out for a while. Breathe. Inhale some fresh air. And add some memories in your memory lane. <3` Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 24 March 2022

Corona Virus? Was it Really? *The beginning of March was another disaster for me. I lost my brother. I never talked much about this before because I was still thinking he was just buying something somewhere and just hasn't gone home yet. But, let's just accept the fact that he'll never be coming back anymore.* *In this blog, I will be telling you everything that happened.* Get To Know My Brother From the very beginning, my brother was a fighter. I guess, I could say, it was his 4th life. First, when he was around 4 years old, he got admitted to the hospital ***(not sure exactly what caused it because I was still young at that time, too***) and the doctor accidentally gave him the wrong dosage of the medicine. Instead of for kids, the doctor have him something for an adult. I was there. I saw how his body turned purple. I thought we'd lose him at that time. Before that, he can already start talking a little like, **"milk"** **"bath time"** **"mama" "papa"** and those basic words. But after what happened at the hospital, he can't talk anymore. All he could say was **"ta-ta-ta-ta-ta"** Second, when he was around 6 or 7, he was really addicted to playing computer games same goes with my other brother (***he's a little older, he was I guess around 10 years old at that time***). We only had one computer back then so, the older brother gave candy to the younger brother. And he choked with the candy. My dad said that if he brought him to the hospital, he probably won't be able to make it because the hospital was a little far from our house. Luckily, one of my papa's customer arrived and he knew how to do first aid and he was able to save my brother. Third was 3 years ago. He was admitted to the hospital because he was having trouble going poop. His blood pressure was getting too low and the oxygen level in his body was very low too. We thought we're going to lose him at that time because there was a time when his heartbeat was beating really slowly. But, he survived. And we are so thankful. He has always been someone so special to me because whenever I'd ask him, "***Who's more beautiful - me or ate Lej (my sister)?***" He would always say I am more beautiful even if my sister would blackmail him that she won't give him biscuits. Haha :D He is someone who I could easily call on to whenever I need something like - buying me some snacks, giving me water at my work station, gathering the clothes that were hung outside, turning on the water hose, giving me towel at the CR whenever I forget it, and a lot more! He really have a special place in my heart. <3 Last Week of February On the last week of February, he was already starting to complain that he is having a hard time breathing every time he walks up the stairs. We didn't really paid much attention to it because we thought it was just normal because that really happens when you go up stairs, right? Also, it was also hard for us to diagnose if it was already something serious or not because he cannot fully express himself. I could say he is autistic - he cannot express his feelings much and the way he talks, you'll really have a hard time understanding. February 27, my papa is already starting to notice that his face got a little fat and his lips are getting pale but, he is still playing computer games so my papa thought he was okay. The next day, we decided to take him to the hospital to have a checkup. The nurse checked his vitals and told us that he have a very low oxygen level on his body and he needs to be sent to the emergency room. 2PM on that day, we went to the government hospital which is near our house and he was sent to the emergency room. They attached the oxygen hose to his nose but he still wasn't feeling okay. They checked his vitals again and then he had a swab test along with my other brother who was his watcher at the hospital. We were waiting for them to give him medication to at least ease what he is feeling. He was saying that his stomach was acting weird and whenever we let him eat, he will just throw up right after. There weren't any doctor who was doing the rounds so they just put him there for observation. 2:00AM of March 1 Around 8:00PM on Feb 28, they transferred my brother to the corona virus patients ward because they were saying that he was positive. I mean, how could he be? He never even goes out of the house. And what happened to him was the same thing that happened to him 3 years ago. I would never believe it was corona virus because my other brother was negative. 2:00AM of March 1, my other brother called my papa that they were putting cardiac monitor for my brother. He was saying that his pulse was really fast and his oxygen level is still very low. We couldn't do much about it. We cannot even go and rush to the hospital to see him because he is in the covid ward and it is not allowed. 5:00AM of March 1, my brother called again and said that they were already pumping my brother's oxygen and he is already unresponsive. I cried so much. We haven't even totally moved on to what happened to my mom yet and now my brother is fighting for his life again. We really can't do anything but cry and pray for the best. Around 6AM, my other brother called again that my brother's heart already stopped twice and the doctor said that if will stop again for the third time, they won't be able to do anything about it anymore. He also said that another watcher is needed to replace him pumping the oxygen because his arms were already getting sore. So, as the eldest, my papa sent me there first. I wanted so much to just go in there and see my brother but, that wasn't the hospital's process. You still need to wait and get tested before you can go in. I was there, sitting and waiting for the person who will do the test and I started feeling weird. My chest was feeling so tight, I was feeling so light-headed and dizzy and I was about to faint. So, I called my papa and he sent my sister instead. While my sister was there, waiting. We received a phone call again that my brother passed away. My world was suddenly broken like a glass just smashed by a hammer. I could feel it shatter everywhere. I cried there outside the hospital and I didn't even think about the people around me. There were so many questions I asked God. So many ***"Why's"*** and ***"What wrong I have done?"***. What God's purpose is, I do not understand. But I know His plans are better than my plans. And I am trusting Him completely. Yes, it is very hard. I never imagined our family to be broken so early like this. I still thought I would see my parents carry my children in the future. Then, we'll go travel to places together. But now, there are only 5 of us left at home. :( His Burial Since they said he was positive of the Corona Virus, they didn't allow us to have a funeral service anymore. On the afternoon of the same day, the LGU already buried him. We went there but, we were just far away because they're not letting us go near. I haven't even had a final viewing of him before he totally said goodbye. But for my dad, he thought it was for the best because he said that if we had done the funeral service for several days, it'll just be too heavy for us and more nights that we'll be crying over it. He said, it was better because we will just keep on thinking that he was just there, buying something for us and he just hasn't gone home yet. Final Thoughts What happened to my family is really tragic. But, I know, I still have to be thankful because there are still others who suffered way more than us. We all will go through death because it really is inevitable. But, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them yet. :( But, I am trusting God and His ways. ***Let's keep on fighting on this life's battle as much as we can.*** `To my brother: I really miss you a lot. :(` Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 23 March 2022

Storytime: Always Be Kind *I have always been a kind person as much as I can. I am someone who doesn't want to be of inconvenience to other people. I don't like making other people feel bad because, I also think of how bad they would feel. But, why does other people seem to just easily make me feel bad?* ****Here's what happened:**** Earlier today, I went to Jollibee because I got hungry after delivering an order. It was such a great day and I am so happy because Jollibee is my happy pill - ***it has always been***. I had my usual order "**C7 Spicy**" so, it has rice, spicy chicken, and macaroni soup and I just added some fries and a large coke. Such a great meal. After that, I had to get out and meet up another customer for their order. Apparently there was a driver who asked if I would ride and I didn't even notice it because I was too focused of my goal that time. And when it was time for me to ride, the driver greeted with, ***"I thought you're not going to ride? Why are you riding now?"*** ***"Oh, I just had some transactions to deal with."*** I replied to him nicely. And he was all like, ***"You should've said you just have to talk to someone and ride in a bit."*** He was saying that in such a cranky tone. But, I didn't give in because I don't want to ruin my mood. When I arrived at my destination, I gave him a hundred pesos and I was supposed to just give him 10 pesos because that is how much the fair is. And he was talking to me acting all cranky again and said, ***"You don't have any change? I don't have any change at all. I only have 40 pesos here."*** ***"Sorry kuya. I don't have any change either. I only have 5 pesos."*** And then he was all like, ***"I have waited there for a passenger for an hour and this is all I would get? I can't even get a full payment for the fare? This is so frustrating. I am not even gaining anything with this."*** And that was when he got into my nerves. Why would he even blame me that he waited there for an hour? I don't have anything to do with that. I am just a passenger, too. And it wasn't supposed to be my problem to look for a change. He could've asked another tricycle driver there for a change but he didn't. He chose to really piss me off. I waited in the tricycle for few minutes because I was waiting for him to find a way but he never did. Instead, he just kept murmuring. I got so full of it so I told him, ***"Kuya, just give me the 40 pesos you have. And I hope you won't be blaming me that you had to wait for an hour there. It is none of my business. I am just a passenger. You should be thankful I rode with you."*** And then I left. **FINAL THOUGHTS:** After that, my mood was totally ruined and I was so frustrated until I got home. It felt like my blood was boiling like water boiling in a kettle on a stove. I surely wouldn't mind to give him all the 100 pesos if he was just being nice to me. I have always done that with all the other tricycle drivers. But with him being rude to me like that, I could've just gave him the 5 peso coins I have because that's what he deserves. We should always be kind to everyone around us. I understand he might just be having a bad day but still, what he did wasn't right. Let's always choose to be good to everyone around us because good deeds attracts good karma and bad deeds, hmmm, well, you know what'll happen. Well, thanks for reading my rant and I hope you're reminded of a little something today. And don't forget... ***Always be kind.*** Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 22 March 2022

Planning Your Wedding in A Budget `Having a great wedding is one of girl's greatest dream. First, because it is just a once in a lifetime moment and it is a very special day when you start your journey to a new beginning.` Two years ago, I was supposed to get married but, since pandemic started, and my mom passed away then my brother passed away and then a lot more things happen after that. So, we decided to just hold it off. But now that the pandemic restrictions are not so tight anymore, well, **THIS IS IT**! ***I am finally getting married!*** **What Made Us Decide to do it?** It really wasn't the plan anymore to do the wedding here in the Philippines since we have already processed our K1 Visa. But, after my brother passed away, I kind'a decided to grant his one great wish - ***to see me on my wedding day***. Also, so he could have something to look forward to and get excited about and not just all stresses. Because after my mom and brother passed away, I know, it has the greatest impact on him. I just want to make my dad happy. And I think it is the best thing to do. **Planning A Wedding on A Budget** Since it was a very sudden decision and we only have 4 months to prepare for it, I need to reaally cut cost as much as I can. It is just so stressful to do that because most of the things nowadays are very expensive. I wanted to get the wedding organizer who was our neighbor but their price was too expensive for me to handle so I had to find another one. Luckily, I was able to find someone who can let us save P79,000. That is a lot of savings right there, right? **Listing Guests** Since we are on a budget, listing wedding guests is really so difficult. I can only list 150 people to attend my wedding. I have such a big family so most of the head counts covers them already. Luckily, I only have few friends so, that won't be much of a problem. Well, only my family and close friends know that I am getting married **(*****and now, you know, too :D***). I haven't told anybody else because I am scared of them to self-invite themselves and for sure, that'll be a disaster. **Choosing Clothes** Since I was supposed to get married two years ago, I already have a gown which was custom-made and I really regret doing that so bad. Because, my cousin introduced me to this Facebook page who sells gowns and tuxedos for just a very low price. Imagine? I was able to get a gown for only P2200 and it was already so beautiful - ***a lot more beautiful than the custom-made I got.*** As for the tuxedo, I asked my fiancé to look for some there in the U.S and he said that most of them are just for rent and it costs $250. And, I was like.. ***"Seriously?"*** So, I let them join in watching the live selling on Facebook and it was so much fun! He was also joining in commenting "**Mine**" and since there are a lot of people watching, you really have to be very fast or they'll beat you to it. Luckily, we were able to get him 2 pairs of tuxedos for only P1200 each. That was a lot of difference right there. :D I am not sure yet if I would use this gown for the actual wedding or just for the prenup shoot. My wedding theme will be a fairy tale wedding so I guess, this will be a good one. **Choosing Entourage** As for the entourage, it gets me really confused because I can only put 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen and 5 flower girls. I have a lot of girl cousins so choosing it is really so tricky. I kind of wanted to let my 2 best friends join in too but there is no slot anymore. Huhu :( But, I will still try to see how I can insert them. As for the flower girls, it is exciting me because I will be the one who will make their dresses! I will let them look like fairies. I will make them some fairy wings, too. This is a photo inspo of what I will be making. What do you think? Does it look nice? **Final Thoughts** Well, I still have a lot of things running in my mind but for now, I will stop here. If you are like me who's getting married, always remember, you don't have to break the bank to have your wedding special. As long as you have all the special people in your life and they're happy, that'll be more than enough. :) Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 21 March 2022

Turning Your Hobby Into Business Lately, I have been really into doing crochet. I have always wanted to learn how to crochet even back when I was in high school but, I didn't have the tools needed back then and I didn't know if they were cheap or expensive at that time. I kept trying to ask my mom to get me some crochet tools but she never paid attention. Now that I have a job, I realized that crochet tools aren't even that expensive! I checked it from **Shopee** (*one of the most famous online shops in the Philippines*) and found out that a crochet beginner set only costs less than 400 pesos (*where $1 = Php 50*). At first, I was hesitant to order it because I have a lot of questions in my head like, *"What if I would never learn?"* *"What if learning it is harder than I thought?"* *"What if my money will just turn out to be a waste?"* But, I took the risk and ordered it anyway. And that was, perhaps the greatest decision I have ever made. I started watching videos on **Youtube**. The first project I tried was supposedly a mini amigurumi heart but, I failed because I never learned how to do it. It was too difficult for me to handle. So, I started to switch to another project - something a little more beginner-friendly. So, I ended up making baby hats. But, the very first baby hats that I made, I sent them to one of my friends from Noise.cash because he was the one who suggested me to make baby hats. And since his wife just gave birth at that time, I just gave it to him. From there, I continued learning my crafts. I posted about them on Facebook and guess what? There are a lot of people who were inquiring how much they were and it all started from there. **PRICING** Pricing my products was really one of my weakness. As someone who hates math and numbers, it was never easy. Every time someone would ask me, *"****How much is it****?*" I would just smile and say "***Let me calculate it first***." My first products were way too cheap. But, that was something that also helped me get my products be known. But now, I am starting to increase my pricing a bit (*but I still have trouble sometimes*). **TIME MANAGEMENT** Time management is also a very important thing because I do not only crochet. I have another job, too. And there are some customers who needs their products on a specific period of time. It was a bit hard to manage my time because I am someone who would really not stop working unless I finish everything. I had so many sleepless nights. I know it isn't a good thing but, well, that's just me. **MY PRODUCTS GALLERY** **WHAT I HAVE LEARNED** In doing business, it isn't always a happy one - there will be times that there will be no people who will order from you, there will be people who will all of a sudden cancel their orders after you finish making them, there will be some times when you get tired. But, let us always continue and push through it because one day, the customers will just come right up. Just keep believing in yourself and make yourself become better at what you do every single day. ***Never give up!*** ***Fighting!*** Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 27 August 2021

What is Noise.cash and How Can You Earn? Hello everyone! I know most of you here already know what Noise.cash is. So, this video is intended to my friends who wanted to join Noise.cash. Just recently, Noise.cash had an update and they now have an affiliate program so I tried posting about noise.cash on Facebook and to my surprise, a lot of people are actually interested in it and they are asking me questions about it. So, let me use this blog post to answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions. ****What is Noise.cash?**** Well, noise.cash is also a kind of a social media platform just like Facebook, Instragram, and Twitter. But in noise.cash, you can earn cryptocurrency (bitcoincash) that you can convert to peso and use it to spend for little things here and there. Before I continue, let me just tell you some terms that noise.cash uses: ****Tips**** - they are the amount of bitcoincash given to you and they come from people clicking "heart" on your post ****Heart**** - this one is equivalent to "like" on Facebook ****Renoise**** - this is equivalent to "share" on Facebook **How To Earn?** Well, basically, you just have to post some contents anything under the heat of the sun. Just be careful not to copy and paste from Google and **DO NOT SPAM** or post any rude contents. You can earn money when people hearts your post - there will be an equivalent tip for that. You can also heart and comment other people's post. If they hearts your comment, there will be an equivalent tip on that, too. And, you might as well be able to gain subscribers then. Make friends and enjoy. Do not think too much about the earnings because if you do, for sure, you will really end up getting bored with it. Just enjoy and you just won't notice that you're already getting many tips. ****How much tip is equivalent to one heart?**** Well, only noise.cash knows about this. It varies from time to time, really. I have been trying to figure out how the tipping works but it just gave me headache. Sometimes, people can give you big tips and sometimes, you can only get small tips. But, don't be discouraged with it. Just keep going. You'll get there. ****How can I withdraw my earnings?**** For me, I link my noise.cash account to my coins.ph wallet. There, I can receive my bitcoincash earning. When they get to my coins.ph account, I then transfer it to my Gcash and use my Gcash mastercard to withdraw it. But, you can also cashout from coins.ph to Palawan Express of you do not have a card. ****How to link noise.cash to coins.ph account?**** First and foremost, make sure you have a coins.ph account. If not, please download it from **Playstore** and sign up. Once you already have a coins.ph account, you have to find your BCH wallet. Click on it and click **"Receive"** Once you clicked it, you should be able to see this... Click on **"Show my BCH address"** Now, copy the "**Wallet Address**" and make sure you're able to copy the whole thing. Since you have already copied it from coins.ph, now it is time to paste it to your noise.cash account. First, go to your noise.cash **"Wallet"** and you can see this... Paste it here in **"Your Bitcoin Cash address"**. But before pasting it, type in **"bitcoincash:"** first and then, paste your BCH wallet address. Just like how it it shown in the picture. **What is the Minimum Payout?** For the minimum payout, you can set it depending on how you like it as long as it will not be below $0.0034. Once you hit the minimum payout that you have set, it will automatically be sent to your coins.ph BCH wallet. But, it will take few minutes. So, be patient. **Do I need to invite before I can cashout?** Definitely **NO**! Noise.cash has just updated the affiliate progam. Yes, you can now invite your friends to noise.cash to earn a little extra but, it is not a need for you be able to cash out. You can still cashout even without any invites. ****Do I have to pay something upfront?**** Nope! You won't even spend a penny. ****Can I do it as a part time?**** Well, yes! You can! Your own pace. Your own time. **is it legit? Does it really pay?** Well, **YES**! I have earned quite a lot from here already and was able to buy little things here and there with the use of my earnings from noise.cash. This is even more real than the "**I love you.**" he/she said to you. Haha :D Just kidding. But before you start everything in noise.cash, please take some time to read this post from noise.cash itself. https://noise.cash/post/16289j8k P.S. I have already told many people about this before but, they never really paid attention since they thought it was just a scam but, hey! What would you lose if you try? You don't pay for it anyway. Just have fun and the earnings are going to come after you. Also, I am inviting you because sharing is caring - especially in this pandemic. To those reading this who are already in noise.cash, please comment down your noise.cash experience so my friends who will read this can also see your comments. And, maybe I missed some tips, let me know in the comment section below. **THANK YOU!** I hope this has been helpful. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 26 August 2021

Top 10 Things I Cannot Live Without There are so many things we have in this life time. A lot of them we use on a daily basis. Some of them, we don't usually use but are very essential or us. But, have you ever asked yourself, **"What are the things that you cannot live without?"** If you ask me, yes, I have asked myself that question but it really hasn't gotten into me but today, let me gather my thoughts up and share to you the Top 10 things I cannot live without. Let me just brace myself and let's begin! 1. Bible Growing in a Christian family, Bible has been always with me since I was a kid. Yes, I admit, I always fail to read it every day even if I say I wanted to. But, despite that, it has been my go-to thing whenever I feel lonely, depressed, anxious, or stressed out. I also grab on to it when I am happy and excited about something. It is my way of connecting with my Creator. 2. Laptop I have been working as an online English Teacher for almost 4 years now and just recently, I am doing it for full-time now. So, to me, laptop is very important since this is the thing that allows me to work and earn money. Without my laptop, it will be very hard for me to earn a living. 3. Lipstick I am a makeup addict. Yes, I admit that. But, among all of the makeup products, the one that I cannot live without is lipstick. Why? Well, first is that, my job requires me to put lipstick on because if I don't, I would look pale and sick. Second is because lipstick can be multi-purpose. I can use it as a blush on too. I can even use it as an eyeshadow so, it is basically all I really need - others are just extra stuff. 4. Phone Well, we live in a world of social media now and in a very high-technology world. And I bet if I would ask you, you cannot live without your phone too, right? Comment down if I guessed it right. But, for me, I can actually live without my phone but for now, I cannot since it it the only thing that connects me with Carlos (*my fiancé*) since we are in a very long distance relationship. Through the years, the phone is really what makes our relationship last this long since it is the tool we use to communicate every single day for almost 24/7. And I would love to say "**THANK YOU**!" to the person who first invented smartphones. I am so thankful to you, whoever you are! **5. Wifi** Well, if I mentioned those two gadgets above, this one will not be gone too since without this, those two gadgets (*laptop and phone*) will not be used as much. I think everybody at home cannot live without wifi because when the wifi gets slow, everybody at home would really complain about it - much more when it really is gone. It seems like we lost oxygen when the wifi goes off. 😂😂 6 - 7. Notebook and a Pen I am an introvert person. I tend to get shy and not really open up that much to people (well, except to those I know). I could express my thoughts better in writing and it has been something I use to release my stress. They have been like a best friend to me. But actually, these days, I am getting more confident and starts talking more now - I am thankful. 8. Anti-radiation Glasses Back then, I could really live without this. I don't even mind staring at the phone or laptop for so long without wearing this. But just recently, my eyes are starting to hurt when I look at the laptop for a long time and my job really requires that. I am glad I was able to find a nice anti-radiation glasses brand that actually works. with it, my eyes doesn't hurt as much anymore even after facing the laptop for more than 8 hours per day. 9 - 10. Pillows and Blanket I am someone who requires four pillows to go to sleep. 😂 Yes, 4 pillows. One for my head, one for me to hug, one for my feet, and one on my knees. I guess, I got used to it since that is how I really sleep back when I was a little kid. Until now, I couldn't sleep without them. If it is only 2-3 pillows, that is still fine with me but one pillow? Gosh! I cannot sleep with that really. And yes, if I cannot sleep without pillows, much more without my blanket! I would even use my blanket even when I sleep in the afternoon and it is scorching hot. I wouldn't mind it being all sweaty waking up as long as I have my blanket. My sister would even complain at me about it and would be asking me, **"Why do you have your blanket on when it is so hot?"** Well, it's just that, I cannot sleep without it. 😂😂 *Yes, I also cannot live without money, food, water, shelter but I did not include them anymore since all these are obvious things that people cannot live without. I think this one is general.* *Also, I cannot live without my pets. They keep me sane.* I think that would be all for me today. And as always, I hope you enjoyed today's readings. And if you want to challenge yourself and ask this question, you can also try making your own entry and tag me @CarlosAndJane in it. I would love to read yours, too. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 23 August 2021

Storytime: A Week After Having A Puppy Truly, dogs are man's best friend and they are one of the sweetest thing on earth. I have had my dog, Cola, for a little more than a week now and the experience was a roller coaster ride but I never regretted riding on it. For those who do not know yet, Cola, is the first ever dog I have on my own. She is a Shipoo puppy with a black and brown color. She is two months old now and I got her last Thursday. I have always wanted to have a puppy for a long time now but, puppies can really be so expensive so I waited on buying it and really doubting and asked myself a million times the question, *"Should I get one? Should I? Should I?"* And then one time, I saw someone on Facebook who is doing an installment for a pet dog so I grabbed the opportunity and yes! Here comes Cola! **How is Cola as a pet?** Well, **Cola is such an active puppy**. She can be very hyper and would bite everything she sees! Luckily, she hasn't damaged anything at home --- ***YET***. Here is a video of her playing with my headband. She really plays like there is no tomorrow. https://youtu.be/9TFO0QZthq4 **She is very clingy** and she wants to always have somebody to play with her. **She can't sleep when nobody is sleeping with her.** I remember one time when I went on my grandma's funeral, I needed to stay there overnight for the last vigil and I left Cola at home in my room. My dad said Cola has been whining and crying at night so he decided to bring Cola to his room instead and there, Cola fell asleep soundly. **She pees and poop everywhere!** Well, about pooping, she usually poop on the pee pad, actually but sometimes, she forgets it. About peeing, gosh! She pees everywhere and she pees on the bed. I am still working on training her though. I am planning to get an indoor toilet for her so she would have a place exactly where she could go poop and pee. **She is a very photogenic puppy.** She looks really pretty in photos (*but of course, she looks a lot prettier in person*). She knows how to pose whenever I tell her, *"Cola, Picture!"* ***"Cola, Pose!"*** This photo was her first ever photo. This is my first and last shot of her on this pose since she really can't stay still. Haha 😂 **She knows when she does something wrong and when you're mad at her.** I am not sure how she knows it. Is it because of the tone of my voice? Is it with my facial expression? Or, can she really feel how I feel? One time, she kept going under the cabinet and I didn't want her to. I got mad at her and got her out of where she was at and gave her a sermon and this is exactly how her face looks. She looks like a baby trying to make you feel guilty of getting mad at her. HAHA 😂 **She doesn't have any problems travelling.** If it is not because of her not completing her vaccinations yet, I would really let her travel with me whenever I have to. Because she is very easy to travel with. Aside from her small size, she also don't puke like my aunt's dog does. She just sleeps on your lap. But since she hasn't completed her vaccinations yet, I have to be careful travelling with her. **Cola is a very smart puppy.** Yes, I could really say that she is because I trained her how to do sit when I ask her to. It just took me few hours to teach it to her and she already knows it. Now, she would even sit when I ask her to even without giving her a treat. Looking forward for more tricks to teach her soon. **She doesn't want to be pet when she sleeps.** Most of the dogs I know love to be pet while sleeping but Cola is different. When she sleeps, she doesn't like you touching her. Whenever I pet her while she sleeps, that is when she would go under the cabinet and be by herself. I am not sure why. Is it that she is still a baby? Or that she is just different? **How Cola changed my life?** Well, believe me or not, Cola has changed my life. Before, I could stay up until 8 in the morning doing my thing but now, I would really look forward to sleeping since I know Cola is there, waiting for me to sleep with her. In the past week, I haven't slept at 8AM anymore. I learned how to be responsible. Well, I have been responsible with my other pets too but with Cola, I really feel like having a real baby. Buying her stuff she needs like shampoo, soap, colognes, diapers and all that stuff. I always feel loved. I could really tell how Cola loves me because when I do my classes, I go to my work station and leave Cola in my room. Whenever I'd go back in the room, Cola would really jump to me as if she is always excited and looking forward to seeing me. Before, I used to be a cat person but now, I am a dog person for sure! She taught me that dogs are the best pets ever as long as you'd also be a responsible paw parent to them. Is it expensive to raise a dog? Well, it can be but hey! Happiness can never be replaced by any amount of money. So, if you are planning on getting a dog, I guess, this is a sign for you. Go and get that puppy you have always dreamt of and I promise, it will be the best decision you will ever make. *How about you? Have you a pet dog? If so, how was your experience with them? Let me know in the comment below or, you can also attach a photo of your dog. I want to see them!* Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. **Love lots,** **Jane🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 22 August 2021

See You Every Friday It's a busy world, it sure is. People work from sun rise to sun down. Students do their modules. People strive to earn a living. I guess, everybody is really busy nowadays. But, we also shouldn't forget that despite the busy schedule, we should always find time to relax and bond with your loved ones. In our family, we have a traditional Friday hangout with my aunts, uncles, and my cousins. We live in the same neighborhood and every Friday, we gather in my aunt's house just to hang out with each other and have fun after the busy week. **How it started...** It all started back when I decided to have Friday as my day off at work. Friday seem to have lesser students for me than any other day so I decided to just have it as my day off. At first, I play badminton with my cousins and then time went on, it has been a tradition. **What do we do?** *****Karaoke***** We do not really do much. We only go with the flow as to what we wanted to do on that day. Usually, we have karaoke where we sing our hearts out. Well, if you are a Filipino, you know how much we all love karaoke even if we do not have a golden voice. *****Playing Uno Flip***** Most of the time, we play **UNO FLIP.** We have been to many places and we always bring the Uno Flip cards with us to play. This game is really so addicting for us. We could stay up late just playing this game. Also, it is a great game since your strategic side will really be tested and will really be enhanced. Also, a great way to have a break with social media and gadgets. While playing **UNO FLIP**, we love eating **Dragon Sid** (***if you do not know what it is, it is basically salted squash seeds***). https://the.ivanalcantara.com/2020/12/dragon-sid-squash-seeds-nutrition-facts.html Just like **UNO FLIP**, **Dragon Sid** is also very addicting that once you start eating it, you can't stop until it runs out. *****Food Trip***** Of course, this won't be gone every Friday. We always have food trip - we eat any food we like eating on that day and we also eat dinner altogether at my aunt's house. Last Friday, we had some pizza. We got this pizza from **Rafael's Pizza.** It is a lot cheaper than **Pizzaro Pizza** which is the usual pizza we get. With Rafael's Pizza, it only cost $2-$3 and Pizzaro Pizza costs about $6-$7 for the same size of pizza. Of course, Pizzaro Pizza is also a lot tastier but Rafael's pizza is good, too. Not bad for its price. Me and my cousin also had this Cheesy Bacon Fries. When we were buying the pizza, we got hungry so we stopped by for a moment and eat this. It was really good. I love how the pizza blended so well with the cheese and the bacon. It is one of the best fries I have ever had! ***Overnight on a beach*** Sometimes, we also go on an overnight trip on the beach and go home on Saturday afternoon. So far, we have been on an overnight to a beach three times now. Luckily, my aunt has a car and whenever my aunt will plan for an overnight beach trip, we could easily go in the car and go! Well, perks of having a car. So, those are basically what we do to get rid of the stress. Yes, working is good because it is a way of being productive. But if we only work and work and work, we'd get exhausted in the long run. We should also enjoy life from time to time. And trust me, with the right life balance, you will get more productive in life. ***How about you? What do you do to relax and unwind? Do you it with your family? Or, do you prefer having it by yourself? Let me know in the comment below.*** Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

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@CarlosAndJane 16 August 2021

An Open Letter to my Grandma Dear Mimi, How have you been? I wonder what place you are in right now. I wonder how beautiful it is there. I wonder if you can still see me. I wonder if you can see how I am doing. You have been the best grandma I have ever had. You were there to listen to the talkative side of me. You were there when my mom gets mad at me and beat me up. I remember one time, my mom hit me with a stick because I made a mistake. I cried so hard and you were there. You called me and handed me a 200 peso bill just for me to buy Barnuts (***my favorite chocolate***) and everything seemed to be fine afterwards. When my mom would let me go out of the house, you are the person I could easily run to and you accept me with open arms every time. Whenever I talk to you, time seem to be so fast and we tend to not notice it because it is so much fun just talking to you. I could tell you everything I am thinking of - even things I don't have the courage to tell my parents about. You have spoiled me with love and every time I feel happy or sad or excited or everything in between, I would always get so excited to tell all of them to you. I would always remember all the stories you have shared to me. I will always treasure the advice you have given me. I would always have the courage to face this world full of struggles because you've told me I am a strong girl. To be honest, I don't really feel so sad about you being gone because I know, you are in a better place now and that you will no longer suffer. And I guess I have already gotten used to family members dying. First, my mom, next, your brother, and now, you. I hope you all would have a great reunion out there. Have a happy trip to paradise, Mimi! I love you and will always miss you. Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 12 August 2021

We Got a Puppy!!!! Last night's article was a bit dramatic and today, well, I will be sharing to you as to how happy I am today. Well, life is just like that - one time you're sad, and the next, you'll be really happy. Everything shall pass. Last June, I joined in a **"Paluwagan"** for Shipoo puppies because I really want to have a puppy. The seller said that my slot will still be on October and I got a bit sad since October is still a long way ahead. Luckily, today, the seller chatted that the Shipoo puppy is ready and that I could already get it! The seller chatted at around 6:30PM and asked where to deliver the puppy. I told my brother and my cousins about it and they all got really excited that they were screaming really loud! And then they ran downstairs to the highway to wait for the seller. The seller took a very long time to have the puppy delivered since he said he got really busy at their store. Few minutes later, my cousins and my brother came back to the house - feeling disappointed and stared complaining about it. My cousin was all like, ***"Ate, chat him again and ask where he is. What color is their car?"*** I then chatted the seller and asked him and he said, ***"I'll be there in a bit, ma'am."*** My cousin was able to read it and she was all like, ***"In a little bit again? He's been telling that since earlier. When will "in a little bit' be? What is wrong with him?"*** And my brother was all like, ***What is taking him so long? I already want to see the puppy.*** To reduce their excitement, I asked them to buy some chips and snacks just so they would divert their attention into something else. We were in the middle of eating when the seller chatted he's already on his way. The kids (my cousins and my brother) really stopped eating and jumped out of the table to go to the highway to wait for the seller. Yep! That's how excited they are! Few minutes later, the seller arrived and gave us the puppy! She is a Shipoo puppy with a black and a little spots of brown. We named her ****"Cola"**** because of her dark color and also because we love Coca-Cola. We were all playing with Cola when she reached home and we fed her since there was a freebie dogfood and also, we got her vet card and a free comb and a free shirt (***but the shirt was still a little too big for her since she is a tiny puppy***). Everyone is so happy. Imagine how a tiny dog could make a lot of people happy? That's also the same with the little things we do that could make other people happy. Tomorrow, we will be going on an overnight outing with my cousins and I guess, we will be bringing Cola with us. Do you have any suggestions what to take with us? Like dog essentials we will be needing? It is my first time to take care of a puppy. Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

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@CarlosAndJane 11 August 2021

Losing A Mom At 24 Crying, my mom told me, ***"Go to sleep. I will be leaving abroad when you go to sleep and will be back when you're already a teacher."*** *-* my mom told me back when I was still in third grade when she had a really big fight with my dad. I could still remember how scared I was to go to sleep at that time thinking that she might not be there when I wake up. I got so scared and my mind was travelling to places thinking how long it'll still take before I become a teacher because, I was still in 3rd grade at that time. I hugged my mom really tight and tried so hard not to fall asleep so she won't leave. I ended up falling asleep though since back then, I still didn't have the vampire power that could stay up all night like I have now. Luckily, she's still there when I wake up. Starting that day, one of my greatest fear was really losing my mom. I didn't realize yet back then that losing her forever will be a lot more painful than losing her for abroad. My mom passed away last June 16, 2020. I was 24 years old back then. I was sleeping and was waken up by my aunt and the first thing she told me was, ***"Your mom is gone."*** When I heard that, I felt as if I had woken up the night my mom told me she was going abroad. My whole world has just started to fall apart and all I can do is to just cry it all out. The whole day of that day, I was processing some papers for her funeral but my tears really just won't stop falling to the point that people from the places I have gone to kept asking me if I was okay. **Of course, I wasn't.** My mom was diagnosed with cancer and the doctors said it was already Stage 4. They never figured out what kind of cancer it was though since, due to the pandemic, the processing of things and lab results were too slow. **HOW I COPED WITH IT** Sometimes, I still feel like my mom is just in one of her trips away from home and that she will just come home one day but sometimes, when I'd realize she's not coming back anymore, I would feel devastated about it. I'd end up missing her so much and crying because I want to be able to see her and talk to her. Being the eldest in the family, all my mom's responsibility is on me now and I am not used to it. I used to be just an easy-go-lucky kind of daughter. I spend my earnings here and there and everywhere. And now, my life seem to have turned at the total opposite angle. I have a dad and 4 siblings to take care of. I am still coping with it and haven't totally coped up with it yet. I am still struggling to straighten up my life and trying to figure out how to do this and how to carry this huge responsibility. But I know I have to carry on. I have no choice. Sometimes, I'd think I am doing good but sometimes, I feel like, there is a lot more things missing. **HOW MY FAMILY COPE WITH IT** My dad hasn't moved on from it yet. He keeps on playing computer games just to forget about what happened and it is so hard to talk to him since then. He's laughing with his play mates but I know how hurt his heart is. I know how heavy the burden is. He doesn't even want us to clean their room yet nor get rid of my mom's clothes. He doesn't like going with us on family outings because like what he always say, *"I don't want to go because you know it's really your mom that I always go with whenever there are outings."* I have a 23-year old sister, a 22-year-old brother, a brother with special needs at the age of 16 and my youngest brother is still very young at 11 years old. Sometimes, we tend to fight because my dad seem to be still stuck at the situation and he feels like it was just him who lost something. We tend to quarrel about it because it wasn't just him who lost a wife. We have lost a mom, too. And it will forever be a wound in our family that we will be brining for the rest of our lives. People say, we should be happy when people die because we know they are already in a better place now. We, Christians, believe that dying is a happy moment since the person is already going to his/her eternal home - ***in heaven.*** But, it is so hard to be happy when it is you who lost a loved one. Yes, I know she is in a better place now and that she isn't suffering anymore. But to us who are left here, we will always be sad for her loss. My mom and I still have a lot of plans. We still plan to go to Korea together and I still wanted to make her feel like a queen on my wedding day but I guess, all those plans I shared with her, I will be doing it on my own now and just look up to the skies wishing to see her there waving at me behind those thick clouds. Sometimes, I'd wish they would have Facebook Messenger in heaven too so I could just video call with her from time to time. But sadly, there don't. **TO MY MOM,** I hope you are proud of me. I hope I have been the daughter you've dreamt of. I hope you are watching at me now. I hope I will get to see you again one day. If only there is something I can do to bring you back, I'd do it. ***To whoever you are reading this now,*** If you still your mom with you, cherish every moment with her. If you keep fighting with her, apologize and hug her tight when you still can because one day, in the day we least expect it, when God will ask them to go home, you will regret the things you haven't done with your mom. Because losing a mom isn't just like losing a pen at school that you can just replace any time you want. Losing a mom is like losing the most precious gem you have in this treasure chest called - **LIFE.** So, treasure her as much as you can when you still can! Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻** I just want to take some time to thank the people who supported me on this platform, **THANK YOU!**

@CarlosAndJane 10 August 2021

Let's Talk About Crushes! Well, today, I feel like going back to my teenage days when I used to still have crushes. But now, I do not anymore because my heart is already loyal to my one and only love. Aweeeee.. **🥰🥰** They say, it is normal to have a crush and if you do not have a crush, you are abnormal. Do you believe that? 😂 When did I start having crushes? 1. Kindergarten Crush Believe me or not, I started having a crush when I was in kindergarten. He used to be my play mate and he always share his snacks with me. To me, he looks really handsome. At the time, that was the only thing why I could say I have a crush on him. He was my crush from kindergarten until 4th year high school. Yes, he is my long-time crush. I had a super-duper crush on him that even if I am far away, I would know he's there because I could smell his perfume even from far away. 😂😂 When I was in high school, I could always pass by their house whenever I would walk home from school. Sometimes, he won't be there but most of the time, he will be there at their balcony or sometimes playing basketball outside. Whenever I see him, my knees would really start to tremble that I could hardly walk! 😂😂😂 He is also a churchmate of my cousins and yeah, him and my cousins were close and sometimes, I would really ask my cousin that we'll go to my crush's house together to get sugar cane! Well, yes, I do love sugar cane but that's not the main reason why I wanted to go there. I just wanted to go there to see him. 😂😂 He didn't know I had a crush on him until my cousins spilled the tea to him. 😂 We ended up becoming text mates when I was in high school but he never got to be my boyfriend. He courted my best friend instead. And yeah, that really hurt. I could still remember how I cried that time. But, oh well, past is past. I am happy now. 😂 2. College Crush It was the first day of school during my first year in college when I started to notice him. When he introduced himself to the class, I really got attracted to how long his nose is. He is also very witty and he keeps on raising his hand in class during oral recitations. Yes, he was my classmate. Whenever I have a crush on someone, I really do not tell them because I am not that kind of person. If you meet me in person, I am just that one person who just sits at the back and someone who is very shy. I am just talkative when it comes to writing because I could express my thoughts better. ***Held his hand at the path walk*** So, yes, I could remember, I would be all following wherever he goes (***not being obvious though***). When he goes to the canteen, I will go there too. When he go from classroom to the next, I would like to always be walking behind him. 😂😂 Until one day, we were walking on the path walk going to our next classroom. So, the path walk was elevated and when you fall there, it'll be really a bit hard to go back up. While we were walking, he was goofing around with one of my other classmate (***and yes, a girl***) and then the girl pushed him that made him fall from the path walk. Since I was walking behind him, he held my leg and he was all like, ***"Hey, help me please!"*** He reached his hand towards me and I held it to help pull him up. And, that was the time when I could say, ***"My always walking behind him worked."*** When I was in front of him, I was so calm like, really calm as if nothing happened but after that, I ran to the rest room and was holding and smelling my hand like crazy. HAHAHA 😂😂😂 ***Keeping his quiz papers*** Since we are classmates, I have the perks of being able to check his papers during quizzes (***not all the time though***). When I get lucky and I check his papers, gosh! I get embarrassed about myself because usually, he'd get one of the highest scores and I am the total opposite. Then, after our quizzes, the teacher will then call on our names and would ask for the scores and then asks us to return the papers to the owners. But, I never return his. 😂 Instead, I put them on my diary. Lol 😂😂 ***Keeping things from him*** This is probably the craziest I have done. Well one time, we were outside eating hot cakes and he was there, too. He was eating hot cakes too. And then, when he finished, he asked me to throw his garbage away since I was near the garbage bin but guess what? I didn't throw it away! I kept it. 😂😂 Also, one time, he left his handkerchief on his desk in the classroom so, I took it and kept it. (***I used to have them before but now, not anymore. I threw away my old diary because my sister keeps on reading them. lol 😂***) *****I get the happiest when he gets to be my partner***** One time during our P.E. class, our teacher paired us up for our dancing activity. Well, dancing really is not my thing and I hate dancing. I am one of those girls who doesn't have a male partner since there are more girls in our class than guys and the ones who sure do have guy partner are those girls with last names starting with A-K but my last name starts with "P". So, yeah. I was just sitting in one corner of the room since I didn't even want to do the dance either but, he approached me and asked me to dance with him. I wasn't supposed to dance but, I took his hand when he asked me to dance with him. And, oh my gosh! I was the happiest at that time. Our teacher even said **"You both look good together."** And he just didn't know how my heart was beating super fast that I was even praying he wouldn't hear it. So yeah, we danced waltz together. He was one of the guys I really had a super duper crush on. I even made a lot of poems about him. But, nope, we didn't end up being in a relationship. He didn't even know I had a crush on him even until now. 😂 **3. Internship Crush** So, this guy was not my classmate but, we were together during our internship days since we were assigned at the same school. Well, yes, he is good looking. But, the time I started having a crush on him was at the time when I got a blood stain on my skirt because I had red days and I didn't notice (***because I barely have red days. It would even take like 3 months before I would get the next one so, I wouldn't really know when it'd come since it ain't regular***). We were in the classroom full of students and it was so embarrassing having to walk with a blood stain on the skirt. He probably noticed I was uncomfortable so he asked me if I was okay. I told him what happened and he then asked one of the students to get my bag at the office. He let me borrow his jacket to cover up and when it was time to go home, he walked behind me just to make sure the blood stain won't be seen. I just felt like he is such a gentleman and yeah, that was when I started having a crush on him. We have gotten really close that we'd go together mostly every time, eat lunch together and walk out of school to go home together and even the students thought we were in a relationship and was all teasing us. 😂😂 **But, he had a super crush on my college best friend.** One time, when we were eating lunch together, he asked me, ***"Why did you just come to my life just now? If you have gotten into my life first, I should've fallen for you more because you're very easy to love."*** But seriously, I guess I have a curse that my crushes would have a crush on my best friend. Good thing the second guy didn't. 😂😂 This guy was able to figure out I had a crush on him since he was stalking me on social media platforms and he saw the online diary where I was writing on that's why he figured it out. But, after our internship ended, we never get to communicate anymore since we were all busy for graduation. And the feelings just went away. He didn't end up with my best friend since he is such a coward. He doesn't know how to tell his feelings for her. 😂😂 **Well, I could only remember three guys I had a crush on. 😂😂 Finishing this blog with a smile since I had a great time reminiscing those moments and I am just laughing at myself that I was so crazy and stupid like that before. 😂😂** **Have you also experienced any of these? If so, let me know. 😂** Before I end this blog, I just want to thank my sponsors for inspiring me to write. I would've really stopped writing here if not because of your motivation and support: @ARTicLEE @Momentswithmatti @Bloghound @TengoLoTodo Check them out if you haven't yet. They're all great writers here, too. And that would be all from me today guys. Once again, thank you so much! Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

@CarlosAndJane 9 August 2021

Random Questions For Taken The other day, I have read an article here about questions for single but I forgot from whom I red it from (sorry). I thought it was so much fun but, I couldn't do the challenge since I am not single anymore. Just today, I have seen two blogs from @Momentswithmatti and @Zhyne06 about this random questions for taken and was all like, **"Now, this is something I can join."** So, here I am, looking for questions and answering them for you guys. :) **Let's start!** I don't like other couples doing PDA (***Public Display of Affection***). It is not like I am bitter because I can't do it since my boyfriend isn't here but, I just don't think it is appropriate. Well, holding hands, hugging each other is okay but being all cuddly and kissing each other passionately in public, gosh! Please don't do it if I could see you. Just please don't. At first, I'd say "Leave me alone!" But deep inside me, I'd really want him to stay there beside me and spend time with me even without talking. (***I don't know if it is just me but sometimes, I say some things I really mean the opposite of.***) I don't want him to ask me if I am okay because that question will just trigger the bad day in me. Just the thought of him being there beside me is all I need for me to cheer me up. I am not a very adventurous person. I prefer simple things more. For me, I would spend a special day travelling at a beach maybe and having a picnic and watch the night sky, looking at the stars and the moon above and having some heart-to-heart talks. Or, it could be a simple and romantic candle light dinner. That'd be something I'd really treasure. Cheating, definitely. I have always told my boyfriend that once he cheats on me, then, everything will be over. Actually, he cheated on me once before. Being in a long-distance relationship isn't really easy. He cheated on me and I didn't even have any idea about it. Like absolutely zero idea. A month after they were texting each other, I was awaken by a lot of calls from him. I picked it up as soon as I heard it and realized he was calling. When I answered it, all I could hear was him crying and saying, **"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"** He told me nothing beyond the lines happened to them. They were basically just texting each other and that day he called me crying, was the day he tried to go to the girl's house but he couldn't because he got scared of losing me. I was really hurt that time and asked myself "**We were mostly on a video call almost 24/7. How did I not notice that?**". Well, to cut the story short, I forgave him at that moment since I could feel how sincere his apology was. But if he'd ever do that again and do things beyond the lines, **WELL**, he'll never really see a trace of me in his life, **AT ALL**! For me, my fiancé is both my lover and my best friend. He knows everything about me and I am very comfortable around him. I could say that there isn't a thing that I haven't told him about. You know what I mean? Like things you tell your best friend but can't tell your parents kind of thing? Well, to him, I could tell it all! Candlelit dinner for the win! I usually am in a hurry during mornings and mostly don't even wake up early so I might not be able to appreciate it that much but a candlelit dinner would be perfect! Well, if you're still boyfriend-girlfriend, I'd say "No". But, if you are already married, then, YES! Because when you marry, the two of you already become one in Christ and that includes your finances. Normally, the wife would be the one holding the family's money and do the budget for the household and husbands should always remit their money to the wives. His being anxious about every little things. My fiancé always worry about every little things and I hope one day, he'll be able to change that. I hope one day he'll learn to live life without worries. Live life to fullest. Sometimes, he gets too hesitant to do something because of him worrying and getting scared. I think I'd be someone who'd just treat my children as my friends. I also want them to treat me the same as well. I don't want them to be scared of me. I want them to be able to share their secrets with me and the things that worries them and everything. I have the tendency of spoiling my kids since that is how I show love. But, luckily, my fiancé is more on the strict and serious side. So, I guess, he'd equal with me. Haha :D That was fun! Before I end this blog, I just want to thank @Eybyoung for initiating this challenge. Ayun! Meron nang challenge ang mga taken and not just singles. Once again, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. If you want to join this challenge, you can surely make your own entry and you can drop it down in the comment section or tag me. I'd love to read your entries. Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

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@CarlosAndJane 8 August 2021

Top 10 Things In My Bucket List Everyone of us have dreams and as the saying goes, ***You are the poorest person on earth if you don't have dreams. It is free and still can't afford it?*** The more we age, the more experiences we have, and the more knowledge we have about the world, our dream changes. It changes from time to time. I guess I have already written about my bucket list in other blogging platforms but those were my bucket list years ago. So today, I will be sharing with you the recent ****Top 10 in my Bucket List****. ****1. To be able to get my Visa**** As for the moment, this is really the number one in my bucket list. (*If you have followed me here for quite some time or if you are read my introduction post or, you've known me from other sites, well, you'd know that my fiancé is from the U.S*) Our petition was filed last July 2019 and got approved back in February of this year, but it is still stuck at the National Visa Center. It has been past a year and I really want to get it over with so I could finally go to America with him. To be able to get to know us more, you can check out our ****Introduction Post********.**** https://read.cash/@CarlosAndJane/carlosandjane-an-introduction-5db09a57 **2. Get a House of our Own** I have written in my previous blog that our house doesn't have walls. Yes, no walls at all. We have been living in this house for 11 years now and my dad is getting old so one of my greatest dream is to get a house for the family. One of the reasons why I am striving so hard. If you want to read about the article about our house, you can check it out here: ****Living in a House Without Walls********.**** https://read.cash/@CarlosAndJane/life-living-in-a-house-without-walls-e32f33d1 I want to have a big house with 5 bedrooms, 2 main restrooms and restrooms in each of the bedrooms. I want to have a spacious kitchen where we could cook freely. I want to have a huge living room where we can bond together. I want to have a garage and a car parked in there. Yeah, I know. It might sound a little too much but hey, let's **DREAM BIG**! **3. Travel to Places with my Family** Travelling has really been something that I wanted but since my budget is so tight, I couldn't do it. I wanted to travel with my family but since our house doesn't have walls, we can't go together at all. We always end up having one of us be left at home. I wish one day, we would be able to travel together. Stay at a night place for a week away from the stresses of life and just enjoy the beauty of the world. **4. Get Married** https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/wedding-couple.html As a romantic person as I am, finding my prince charming and getting married is really my greatest dream. Well, I guess you can blame fairy tales for that since I have grown reading all the fairy tale stories on the library back when I was in grade school. Hence is the reason why I wanted to have a fairy-tale themed wedding. My wedding was supposed to be last September 2020 but the pandemic hit us and my mom passed away, so my plan of getting married has been set aside. But I guess it is all for good, so we will still have a little more time to actually plan my dream wedding. ****5. Have a Pet Parrot**** https://www.wikihow.pet/Teach-an-Amazon-Parrot-to-Talk-and-Sing **I love pets**! I really do. May it be cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, pigs, birds., hamsters. I love them! (*just not really into fishes, though*) But, my dream pet is really to have a parrot. My grandma told me that back then, when she was still young, she caught a parrot while she was walking on a farm. It was still a baby parrot and couldn't even fly very well yet hence is the reason why she was able to catch it in the first place. She brought it home with her, took care of it until the parrot has grown and learned how to speak. Every time there would be a cat who will go near the parrot, the parrot would shout, ***"There's a cat! There's a cat! Help me! There's a cat!"*** and whenever my grandma would cry, the parrot would be all like, ***"Are you okay?"*** It is just so fascinating to have a pet that could actually make a conversation with you. You know what I mean? But these days, it is so hard to get a parrot. I don't even have any idea where to buy it from or how much it would cost but I hope one day I would be able to have a pet rabbit that can talk. ****6. Have a Rabbit Farm**** I have been really into rabbits lately and one of my dreams is to have a rabbit farm. I want to have a rabbit farm where people can visit - something "***instagrammable****"*. A place that when people visits, they'll be leaving with smiles on their faces. We would have rabbit shows where we show different rabbit breeds to also give information to the people who visits, a free area where rabbits and people can just play along together, a place where you can also buy rabbits either for pets or for meat. I also want to have some rabbit crafts that people could buy for souvenirs. That would really be so cool, right? I wonder if I would ever be able to make this dream come true. **7. Go to Paris!** https://pixels.com/featured/i-love-pink-paris-eiffel-tower-full-moon-emiliano-deificus.html The city of love and lights. The city where the great **Eiffel Tower** is located. Oh, how I love to be able to see it in person! Back when I was still in grade school, I have always seen many photos of the **Eiffel Tower** at the library (*well, yeah, library is like my favorite go-to place back when I was at grade school that we're already friends with the librarian.* 😂) I could remember there are even like a thousand pieces puzzle with a photo of the Eiffel Tower! I have always been mesmerized by how beautiful it looks. Growing up, I have learned more about Paris, their culture, how big they are with fashion, how romantic the place is, and the more the details I know of, the more I fall in love with Paris. One day, I want to have our honeymoon there and be able to kiss under the Eiffel Tower. 😂😂 ****8. See Aurora Borealis**** I love beaches and the cool refreshing wind it provides when you're there, but I am really more into looking at how mysterious the sky is. I love looking at the clouds, the stars, the moon, and YES, **Aurora Borealis**! Whether it be at Canada, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, either of them! I don't care much as to which place it'll be as long as I can see the Aurora Borealis! https://guidetoiceland.is/the-northern-lights/the-northern-lights-aurora-borealis-in-iceland Look at how cool it is! It is like the sky's own version of a fireworks without the loud noise - just serene. **9. Have a Baby** I love kids and yes, if you'd ask me, I would want to have a baby now but, of course, a baby isn't a toy - it's a great responsibility. So, it needs a lot of planning before actually having it. I want to have a daughter first so I could have someone to do skin care together when she grows up, someone who I can practice my hair dressing skill with, someone who I could have matching clothes with and someone who can be my forever girl best friend. Right now, I am 25 and hopefully before I reach 30 years old, I will be able to scratched this out of my bucket list since it has already come true. **10. Grow Old with the Person I Love Most** Yes, I know, life is unpredictable and we do not know until when we will be on this Earth but, I still dream to be able to grow old with the person I love. I want to see how his hair would turn grey. I want to see how he'd lose his teeth and we'd together to the dentist to get dentures. 😂 I want to see how his wrinkles would add up year by year. I want to be able to be there to hold his hand and help him walk when he already have arthritis (*even if I would already have arthritis, too*). I want to be able to share many years of my life with him and I want to have a love story that would make people believe that there is still love that would last a life time in this world full of divorce and broken marriages. It was so much fun to have to write this. It made me stop for a while and get to take a look at the things I actually dreamt for. These past days, I don't even know my dreams anymore since I got so busy with life and adulting but with this article, it feels like I was able to get myself back on track - to the things I actually want to achieve. I hope you enjoyed reading it. And, you could write your own entry of this, too. I would love to see them. If you already have one, please do comment it down below so I could take a look a it. ***Never be afraid to dream big!!!*** Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻 **P.S. All photos are from Google Images. Copyright links are attached in each photos.**

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@CarlosAndJane 7 August 2021

Back to Back Beach Escapade *There is really something with beaches that even if I know I can't swim and that my skin would hurt afterwards, I still dip in the water anyways. There is just something that keeps me lured to it.* Today, we went to not just one beach but, **THREE**!!! 🤣🤣 It was around 7:30AM when we gathered up in my aunt's house and we left at around 8:00AM. We rode in a pick-up truck of my uncle. I personally love riding at the back of the pick up truck and not inside since I hate travelling in an airconditioned vehicle since it'd make me feel nauseous. My cousins feel the same way too so, we were all ready riding at the back of the pick-up truck but, my uncle didn't want us to ride there. So, we didn't have any choice but to really stay inside. We travelled about a little more than an hour until we reached our destination. It was ****Emilio's Beach Resort**** located at ****Hornasan, Sto. Nino, Surigao del Sur****. When we reached the beach, we got disappointed since it was low tide and the sea water is way too far from the seashore so, we really couldn't go swimming unless we walk forward. Since we couldn't swim, we just ended up taking photos. We got really bored so we then decided to just walk around. We walked toward where the mangroves are. They really are just so beautiful. The greenery it provides, and the blues from the sky and the sea, it is just such a perfect refreshments for the eyes. While we were walking around, we saw a shrimp swimming in a little puddle of water. It was so cool having to see a shrimp in its natural habitat. It is actually my first time to see a shrimp that is alive because the usual shrimp that I see is the ones being cooked in the pan. I have always thought shrimps are red in color! **🤣🤣** As we were walking, we ended up reaching the spot where there is water so we decided to go swimming a bit. Just look at how much fun they're having! **🤣🤣** At around 3:00PM, we have left that beach resort and went to another one! **🤣🤣** It is called ****Rafritz Beach Resort**** and is located at ****San Agustin, Surigao del Sur******.** We didn't go swimming at this beach. We basically just went there to check on how the place looks like - the ambiance, the cottages, the beach. Then, finally, we have reached the third beach resort for today! It is called ****Villa Luisa Beach Resort**** located at ****Lianga, Surigao del Sur****. Among the three beach resorts that we went to, I could say, this one is the best! It also look fancy. They have rooms where you can stay if you want to stay there overnight. They have clean restrooms. They also have this slide! The swimming experience was the best since the water was deep and the waves are very active. When I was there, I thought I was inside a washing machine for a second. **🤣🤣** I didn't go too far though since I cannot swim. I just stayed at the stairs and was holding on to the rail the whole time while swimming. I tried to go there where the slide is but, I really couldn't. The water is already deep. It is just as tall as me already. The reason why we went to all these three beaches was because, we were planning to have a whole family get-together overnight where all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and everybody in the family will be there. So, we were trying to find a nice place where we could do it. And, the final verdict was at ****Villa Luisa Beach Resort.**** At around 6:30PM, we reached home. It was kind of tiring but it was so much fun! 😊😊 That would be all from me today! Thank you for joining my fun and tiring day. I hope you were able to enjoy it as much as I did! 😊😊 Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

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@CarlosAndJane 6 August 2021

Awwww 😇😇😇 Thank you for the sponsorship @TengoLoTodo. I can only say "THANK YOU!" since my brain cells aren't working properly anymore now . It has expired. Hahaha :D But seriously, thank you so muuch! :)

@CarlosAndJane 6 August 2021

My Skin Care Routine + Tips *For me, skin care is not just about making our skin look nice and pretty. It is more about showing ourselves that we care and getting a self-confidence boost. Also, skin is the biggest component of our body and it is what people can see so, we should take care of it and for sure, your future self will thank you for it.* Hello everyone! In this blog, I will be sharing to you about "When and how I started my skin care routine" and also the skin care products that I am recently using. Skin care has been a part of my daily routine and I will be very happy to share it with you. So, yeah, without further ado, let's get started! ****WHEN AND HOW I STARTED MY SKIN CARE ROUTINE**** I couldn't remember exactly the exact time when I started doing my skin care but I guess it was when I was in college. I have been watching videos on Youtube back then and I keep seeing video of girls doing their skin care so, I also followed. And then, I have also known how important it is to take care of our skin. Back when I was in college, I still wasn't really that serious about doing skin care. I would just do it whenever I feel like it but just recently, I have been really into it and doing it religiously. I have been jumping from one skin care brand to other skin care brands because trust me, it ain't easy to find the perfect skin care brand that would suit your skin. ****MY SKIN TYPE**** I am more into the sensitive skin type. I am a combination oily and dry. Sometimes, my skin gets really dry and sometimes, it gets really oily. I am have an acne-prone skin and I guess that has something to do with my hormones since I have irregular periods. And I guess, I have to deal with pimples for a long time. ****SKIN CARE PRODUCTS**** This skin care product that I will be showing you now is the one that I am currently using. Before I started using this, I really have so much pimples all over my face but now, my pimples has dried out and just pimple marks are left. It has been 3 weeks that I am using these products so I guess, I could say, it is working well. https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/ryx-clear-bomb-advanced-exfoliating-kit-i1060332148.html So, now, I am using this Clear Bomb set from Ryx Skincerity. ****The package includes:**** 60ML Toner 135 grams Exfoliating Soap 10 grams Night Cream 10 grams Day Cream With the price of **Php300** per set (*where $1 = Php50*), I could say that the price is really reasonable for the products that are included in the set. You could really say that it is very affordable. I could also say that this skin care set is very convenient to use even if you say that you are lazy doing skin care since it will only be a 3-step process in the morning and at night. Let me tell you, I have tried a lot of skin care sets before and this one is really the most convenient and easy to apply. ****MORNING SKIN CARE ROUTINE**** In the morning, when I got out of bed, the first thing I'd do is to really wash my face with the **Ryx Exfoliating Soap**. Then, I wipe my face with a facial tissue or if I ran out of it, I just use a towel, or a shirt that is soft to the skin (*a cotton cloth is preferable*). Then, I get my cotton, put toner on it and then apply it on to my face. Let it get absorbed to the skin for few seconds and then apply the day cream. And **YES**! As easy as that! ****NIGHT TIME SKIN CARE ROUTINE**** At night, before going to bed, I never forget to do my skin care no matter how tired I get. Because if I miss it, well, I'd really say "hello" to new pimples in the morning. 😂😂 And hey, I don't want that to happen. So, at night, I wash my face with the soap, wipe it, put toner, and then put on the day cream. So, it's basically doing the same steps as I do in the morning except for the Day Cream and Night Cream. Yes, I know, it is very boring to read steps on doing skin care and it is nicer to actually see how it is done. 😂 (*I can't blame you, I am like that, too. 😂😂*) Well, to show you how I do my skin care routine, join me in doing my night time skin care routine today. https://youtu.be/5mHGY0Sxths *This video is taken real-time - only for you guys.* *****TIPS:***** Never rub the soap directly on to your face. In the video I was using this foaming bottle with brush. I melted the soap in it and just used the foam from the soap because the soap itself is too harsh and can damage your skin. When you wipe your face, do not be too harsh. Just try to pat it on to your face. When applying toner and creams, always do upward motion so your skin will be lifted up and will not turn saggy. You can also massage your skin in a circular motion when applying your creams to help with blood circulation. Do not apply toner on your eyelids since it has a very thin layer of skin there. That's about it from me today. I hope you enjoyed my blog and I hope you were able to learn something from it. Also, you can share the skin care products you're using in the comment section below. I would love to know about it. ❤️❤️ Love lots, Jane **🌻** **🌻**

@CarlosAndJane 5 August 2021

My Entry: This or That Challenge The other day, I saw a post from @Angel_183 about this challenge and I got motivated to write my own entry too. So, I hope you will enjoy my entry and hopefully, I will be able to get to read your entry, too. Ready? **Let's START!!!!** **1. Coca-cola or Pepsi?** Without a doubt, I choose Coca-cola. ❤️ I drink it almost everyday. Pepsi seem to be a little too sweet for me. **2. Comedy or Horror?** I prefer Comedy since I cannot watch a Horror movie because if I do, it would just create a fear in my mind. My mind seem to be very imaginative so, I don't want to risk it. 😨 **3. Rain or Snow?** I personally hate rainy season because I hate bringing umbrella, seriously. But, I love wearing sweaters and boots and scarf because it'll make such a great OOTD. So, I guess, I would prefer snow. I haven't experienced being on a snow yet but, seeing it on TV on how they make snowman and snow angels, I would love to try it too, one day. **4. Car or Motorcycle** For me, I'd choose car. My dad will always get mad at us whenever we ride on a motorcycle since it really is dangerous. **5. T-shirts or Sweaters?** SWEATERS! ❤️❤️ I have more sweaters in my wardrobe than T-shirts, to be honest. I know, it is very hot in the Philippines to be wearing sweaters but, I don't usually wear sweaters out. I usually wear them at home when I have my classes at dawn since it gets really cold sometimes. **6. Phone or Computer?** Both. I like using computer more when I am writing articles like this but whenever I go out to places, I use phone. **7. Straight or Curly Hair?** I have a curly hair but, if I could choose between the two, I would love to have straight hair. (*That's really how we are, right? If we are curly, we want to be straight. If we have dark skin, we want to be fair but those who have fair skin also want to have dark skin. Haha* 🤣🤣 *It's funny*.) **8. Love or Money?** Love. ❤️ It makes the world go round. It is what gives butterflies in your tummy. It is what makes you smile and makes your heart skip a beat. It is good to have money, yes. But, having someone who loves you dearly is a lot better. **9. Apples or Oranges?** Well, I'll choose oranges since it's my favorite fruit! I could eat them all day! **10. Swim in a pool or in the sea?** I can't swim so, I'd prefer swimming in a pool since I would be sure how deep it is. And, I am scared to swim in the sea since there might be some sea creatures there I do not know that could hurt me or something. I am so afraid of this... 😨😨😨 **11. Sweet or Salty?** Salty. My taste buds can't handle too much sweetness anymore these days. 12. Writing poetry or reading poetry? I prefer writing them since i love writing poetry in the first place. 13. Family or friends? I do not have a lot of friends so I prefer family. We may have many misunderstandings at times but they always got my back. 14. Day or Night? I am a night owl. I am more active at night and feel so weak during days. Haha :D 15. French or Spanish? Spanish. I have Spanish students and the way they speak with their own language is just so pleasing to my ears. I want to learn how to speak Spanish. 16. Text message or call? If it is with other people, I prefer text message since I don't like talking actually. But, if it is my fiancé, I prefer call since I want to be able to hear his voice and his answers real time. (yes, he is an exception) 17. Stuffed animals or dolls? Dolls. Especially if they're Barbie dolls. I love looking at their makeup and their clothes. 18. Cat or Dog? I used to love cats but now, I prefer dogs more. My cat just killed 5 of rabbit's babies and starting that, I didn't like them anymore. I mean, I am not blaming the cat on doing that because it is their nature but, I just start to not like them anymore. 19. Book or Movie? I didn't have much time reading anymore these past days. Adulting hits me really hard. I prefer movies. 20. Boat or Plane? Plane. I love to be near the clouds and the sky. Pwew! 🥵🥵 That was a lot of questions! But, I am glad you stayed with me until the end. I hope you enjoyed it! Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

@CarlosAndJane 4 August 2021

I Fell In Love with a Catfish People always say, *Love isn't about what you see but it is about what you feel from the heart.* And, yes, I believe that. Today, I will be sharing to you a story of my first love. Well, it is a bit funny but also, tragic at the same time. So, yeah, let me begin... **WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED** https://www.inc.com/ryan-jenkins/why-texting-is-future-of-recruiting.html It was way back when I was still in my 4th year in high school. Text mates are still very common back then and Facebook has just began to be popular. I am one of those people who keeps sending group messages from time to time so I ended up having a lot of text mates. I even join some celebrity text clans before. One day, I got a call from an anonymous number and I picked it up. We became friends and then, more than friends. **Why did I fell in love with him?** Well, he was very witty which I loved. He always speaks in English to me (*I don't know why but I seem to be attracted to men who speaks English very well).* He was very sweet and he sure knows the words to say to make my heart flatter. He sings for me. He is very concerned with me. And he calls me because he likes talking to me. I haven't seen him in person but still, my heart really beats for him. Days has passed and we were asking for each other's Facebook so we would be able to see each other's photo. When I saw him, I fell more in love because he looked so cute in his photos. This is one of the photos he has on his Facebook. You see? He is so cute. He's got this "***chinito***" eyes which made him even cuter. Also, he has such long nose (t*his is really what I first notice when I look at someone*). He looks really tall. Who wouldn't be so in love with that, right? I could say, he really managed to steal my heart. **When everything got messed up..** When I first saw his photos, I printed them out and put them in a clear book. I showed his photos to my friends the next day. But, that was when everything got so messed up. My other classmates managed to see his photos and they were saying he was really handsome and that, I was very lucky to be able to catch such a big fish as him. Their lines were all like, ***"Jane, can I borrow your boyfriend?"*** ***"Can he just be mine?"*** ***"You're not compatible with each other. He's better off with me."*** And then, I told him how my classmates reacted and his answers just made me feel really secured. ***"They're just jealous. Don't mind them. I love you, that's what matters."*** ***"You'll be the only one to me."*** ***"How many times do I have to tell you? I accept you for you for who you are. I don't care what other people will say to me or to us. I'm just expressing what I feel for you. I love you."*** Those were the things he told me so I felt really secured. But, one day, my dad had to take away my phone from me since he noticed I have been on my phone most of the time. And then, we lost our communication. But of course, I was like BDO and found ways to take my phone back. But, it took me like 2 days to do that. When I got my phone back, he wasn't responding to me anymore and then, I just knew that he's starting to flirt with my classmate. I confronted him and he just told me, ***"Let me tell you, I don't feel like the way I felt before. I don't feel like whatsoever!"*** ***"You can't blame me. We've lost our communication and temptations are everywhere."*** And in my mind, I was like, ***Really? That quick?*** How could someone fall out of love so easily? I was really so heartbroken and cried many nights. All my emotions has just gone to waste. But, yeah, I was still very young back then so I guess, I didn't know better. **When I suspected he was catfish..** Before we broke up, he told me he will coming to my place to see me. He even asked me to book him a place where he could stay. But, days passed, his friend came over to my town. She was a girl. Her name was Shandy. But she didn't meet up with me because we didn't have communication anymore and Shaun and I already broke up. She met up with my classmate and accidentally, I saw them together when I was on my way to church. What is so weird is that, Shaun and Shandy are friends. She said they were really close friends but I never see even a single photo of them together. Also, days after we broke up, he has deactivated his Facebook and then, few months after, he activated it again but, he never post any updates anymore nor friends tagging him in photos. His Facebook account seem to be - DEAD. Looking at it now, still nothing has changed on it. It was still the same as how it was way back at 2011. So, I guess, he really was a cat fish after all. **An undiscovered mystery** Until now, it is still a mystery to me as to who that person really was. I wanted to know why he/she did that. I wanted to know if those feelings were even real. I wanted to know who really was that person in the photos? But, I m happy where I am at now. Looking back, that experience was just a broken road that lead me to my fiancé now. He speaks better English than he does. He has longer nose than he has. He is sweeter and more concerned about me than he was. He is way much better than he was. And, what's more important, **HE IS REAL**. I could see him. I could touch him. I could get to video call with him and see what he's doing every time. And I know that the emotions I invested in him will not go to waste. ***Conclusion..*** I know, we all have tragic stories. It may not be similar to what I have encountered but one thing is for sure - ***we all learn in those experiences.*** So, let's be happy it happened because it makes us stronger and helps us to make better decisions next time. We should look back to them and learn from them. To the people who have hurt us, let us not hold grudges. It will only make us bitter and make our life miserable. Just forgive and let God handle the rest. I hope you enjoyed reading my story. **P.S. All the lines from him that I wrote here are really verbatim. Exactly how he said them to me back then because I actually wrote a whole autobiography about this experience before and wrote it online so I still know where to find it whenever I want to. (*****Not like I want to read it anymore. I don't even want to. It's just funny to look back at it. It's so funny how stupid I was*****)** Love lots, Jane 🌻🌻

@CarlosAndJane 3 August 2021

Jollibee? Or, Maybe not. Earlier today, I craved to eat some "halo-halo". *To everyone who do not know, "halo-halo" is an ultimate Filipino dessert especially in summer. Its name literally means "mix-mix" in English. So, basically, it is a mixture of so many ingredients that every bite of it is never the same as the other.* Well, here is a photo of it for you to actually see how it looks like. https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/5-facts-about-halo-halo-you-didn-t-know-adv-con So, yes, back to what I was talking about. I was craving for some halo-halo so I decided to ask my cousin to go with me so I'd have someone to eat with. When we got there, their menu kind of caught my attention because it kind of looks like how Jollibee's menu looks like. Well, take a look at it and be the judge. It does look like Jollibee's right? Me and my cousin ordered two S1 (*Spaghetti, Hamburger, and a glass of Nestea*), 1 Cheesy Bacon Fries, and two of their Halo-halo. They first served us this and their food presentation is good and their service crew is also very nice. I don't know if it is just me but one of the reasons I go back over and over to a place is because of their staff. If they are kind, I tend to go back there again and again. But if they're not, no matter how good their food is, nah, I won't even bother going back. Now, let's talk about their food. My cousin said their Nestea was too bland and not sweet at all but for me, it is okay. Their spaghetti is very saucy which I like but it isn't as cheesy and meaty as how it is in Jollibee. I still like the Jollibee spaghetti more. I kind of don't like spaghetti which are too saucy. I like it when it is just enough. Next is their Cheesy Bacon Fries and I think of all the food we ordered, this is the best! I love how their fries tasted - they're long and not too crispy. Just right. The cheese and the bacon mix is just so good. The serving is also good for 2-3 persons. And here is the reason why I came there in the first place - ***HALO-HALO*** !! It was really perfect to lessen the heat earlier but I was a bit disappointed about it. The last time we came here, their halo-halo has many ingredients to it but the ones they served today seemed to have less ingredients. It didn't even have jackfruit anymore. But, overall, it was okay though. Me and my cousin ended up realizing we bought too much food or, maybe we just really only have very little storage room in our stomachs. So, we ended up not finishing our food. We brought our leftovers instead. Tomorrow, me, my sister, and my brother planned to go there again. Well, that would be all for me today. Thank you for reading. 🧡 Love lots, Jane 🌻 🌻

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@CarlosAndJane 2 August 2021

My Day: Celebrating My Grandma's 84th Birthday :) Today was my grandma's 84th birthday. Well, yes, she is 84 years old now. I wasn't able to take photos there since we got really busy. ****So this is how my day went:**** First things first, we did a serenade in the morning. In my dialect, we call it ***"Manyanita"***. This is a tradition Filipinos have. So basically, we serenade the birthday celebrators before the sunrise of their birthday. It is kind of like, waking them up with your songs. It kind of reminds me of the tradition ***"Harana"*** but the difference was that ***"Harana"*** is for courtship. It makes me so happy that these kind of tradition is still alive up until this day. However, also a bit sad because only very few people are still following this. I hope this kind of tradition will never grow old because seriously, it is such a great tradition. :) So, we were there, singing and waiting for my grandma to open up the door. When she did, I could really see how happy she was - she's even teary-eyed because of happiness. Then, we went inside and shared the food that we have brought with us. It is such a great way to bond with the family. Afterwards, we went back to our homes and went back to my grandma's house again for dinner. :) There, we sang more birthday songs for my grandma and just celebrating her birthday to thank God for the years He has given my grandma. Few months ago, my grandma keep telling that she might not be able to reach her birthday anymore since she is getting weaker and weaker but, hey, **SHE DID!!!** *****And there I realize********d...*** *We never really know when our time on Earth will be - only God knows. We should always treasure the days we have here on Earth and be thankful for every day that God has allowed us to borrow this life we have. We should continue to be a blessing to others and not a headache. Just like my grandma, I hope we would all live a long and happy life on this Earth and enjoy life together with our loved ones. :)* *Have a blessed night to you! :)* Love lots, Jane **🌻🌻**