Me from A to Z!
Hello, friendsters! You've got no idea how much I enjoyed reading prompts here on read.cash for the last few days! It's kinda nice to know a lot of things about some of our writers' personal lives here. That way, we get to have a glimpse of their perspectives on writing. Today, I stumbled upon @Murakamii.7's ***What motivates you to work hard?*** and how can I just let this prompt pass when I love oversharing things about myself like that? lol https://read.cash/@Murakamii.7/what-motivates-you-to-work-hard-61b0ce31
So, these are the questions:
**What kitchen appliance do you use every day?**
As a coffee person, a kettle is a must. I'm not even sure if it's considered to be an appliance. `Maybe more like kitchen equipment? Idk.` I drink coffee two times a day, sometimes three. When I wake up, the first thing I would grab is our not so descaled kettle to make what my empty stomach wants - something hot and steamy.
I live with my family right now and my mom does the cooking, so she uses the rest of the things we can find in our kitchen.
**Do you collect anything?**
Besides hatred, no. lol! Seriously, at the moment, I don't. But just like @Murakamii.7, I've been planning to collect books too. I am such a Greek Mythology geek and I have a couple of books about greek gods and goddesses at home. I just can't afford to buy another set yet because the bills are restraining me from doing so. That's why I'm sticking to ebooks at the moment. True crime books are ideal collectibles for me too.
I have been thinking about buying a film camera too. I would love to collect memories in an old-fashioned way. I feel like taking pictures nowadays is devalued because of how too easy and convenient it has become. I would love to treasure each click, and a film cam would be a great way of doing that. Can't wait to collect a bunch of film prints soon.
**What was your first job?**
My first and only job at the moment is teaching English online. It may sound easy to some but I would say it isn't, at all! Bumping into unteachable grumpy people is certain to happen. You wouldn't always know how to react because of the huge cultural differences you got there. But I like it most of the time. `As I should!` I got to know a lot of people from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and a lot more!
**What was your favorite sport or game to watch?**
I've got none! I remember one of my teachers saying that I should call myself an ***eatlete*** instead of an athlete. That was because I, together with another friend used to spend most of our time during Intramurals at the canteen instead of participating in the games. `Food over anything, always!`
**How many languages do you speak?**
If we include my dialect, I can speak three. I was born in Visayas so I speak Bisaya. I know how to speak Tagalog and English too though I do better at the latter than the former. I have tried learning Spanish too because of *Money Heist*. Haha! How cool is that, learning a language because of my favorite series? Anyways, I only lasted a month because I'm a *Ningas Kugon*. I'm too lazy and busy to keep up so I'm stuck with ***Hola, Mi nombre es Cybelgian, ¿y tu?***
***¿Hablas Espa*****ñ*****ol? Yo hablo Espa*****ñ*****ol un poco.*** Nothing more, nothing less. lol
**What motivates you to work hard?**
Generational debt. I belong to a family that doesn't have generational wealth but debt and that has become my motivation to work hard. I am not even ashamed of it. I mean debt is a common affair among families, right? If your family is debt-free, then good for you. You're lucky! But in my case, I have to save my family from the liabilities we have. I have witnessed the things that caused this household debt, so I understand.
Thank you so much for reading, friends! Have a great rest of the week!
A drunk crybaby
I have run into @HermaniGinger 's *The drunken witch-an embarrassing tale* and that was a good read; probably the best I've had today! It gave me a trip down my memory lane and I couldn't just keep that to myself. I was honestly hesitant about joining this prompt because just today, my mom asked me for a read.cash link. And yes, she's planning to give this platform a shot. Now I'm more hesitant about letting her join because she would surely see this! lol https://read.cash/@HermaniGinger/the-drunken-witch-an-embarrassing-tale-855d5c2b
I grew up in a very strict and conservative family. My parents were so tight to the point that all of my classmates had to go with me to ask permission from my rents if I could join them whenever they go out. I promised myself that if time would let me have that freedom, I will have the blastest of all blasts.
Now let's get into the questions:
When and what was your first alcoholic drink?
If I am not mistaken, my very first alcoholic drink was ***Bahalina***. I am pretty sure Bisaya people are very much familiar with this drink which is a locally made coconut wine. ***Lambanog*** is another alcohol made from coconut trees but I am sure they're two different things. I probably had my first taste of this when I was 14, at home. My family loves drinking ***Bahalina*** so it wasn't so hard to beg them for a single try.
When was the first time you got drunk?
Oh, how can I forget?! It was in the year 2015 when I was a first-year college student. That was what I consider my first *"alcoholic drink"* because it wasn't mixed with anything else. My then-boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me at that time, so what better way to drown our sorrows than with alcohol? Funny thing was, I only had Redhorse 500 ml that was shared by three people - me and two of my roommates. I wasn't really sure how a single glass of it made me so drunk to the point that I slumped against the sidewalk and bawled my eyes out while singing **Hasula!** I even called out a few passersby and asked them if they wanted to drink with me. I woke up to a body full of rashes caused by the alcohol the next day!
When was the last time you got hammered?
It was December of last year when I and my college besties had a get-together after quite a long time due to the pandemic. The original plan was just to have samgyup and go straight to a KTV bar. But guess what? We always had this problem where no matter what we plan, we would always end up drinking. When I was in college, I often wonder why we were still alive when all we did was drink almost every other day! This time, we hang out in a sports bar and had a few bottles of alcohol I despised. I don't even remember how I managed to get home and embrace my toilet bowl to puke.
**What's the most stupid or craziest thing you did under the influence.**
I mean, every time I drink is always a crazy one. The title says a lot. I am such a crybaby whenever I have alcohol in my system. Do you know that one friend in a group whom everybody takes a drunk video of? Well, that friend is me and I am never proud of that! When I am very much intoxicated, I would start crying while sharing stupid things I can never take back. I would start telling my friends that they never really cared about me and didn't know what I have been going through. For the love of God, take my dramatic self outta here! I would cry over petty things that I never even cared about if I was sober.
**If there's someone here on the platform you would like to get drunk with, who is it? Why? Tag them!**
First of all, I am sure that @Murakamii.7 doesn't drink at all. Or am I? lol I would like to get drunk with her because I know she doesn't drink and that's how evil of a friend I am. She's a talker without alcohol so I want to see whether she'd be the opposite of her sober self or the same but times two! I would like to drink with @HermaniGinger too because I just learned she's Bisaya like me! Bisaya people are the best ***tagay*** buddies for me because . . . can I really speak *Tagalog* fluently? No! haha And according to her article, she's a cry baby too, so we're a match made in heaven! It would be fun to have someone to wail with in the middle of a drinking sesh!
What's your poison of choice?
I honestly hate every form of alcohol that exists! Just because I drink them doesn't mean I like how they taste. lol! But if I can only choose one poison for the rest of my drinking life, I would go with Amarula. It tastes light and creamy but still kicks like a stallion! Mojitos Tequila Gold would be fine with me too.
**What's the brand or kind of alcoholic beverage that you won't like to drink again?**
I would never ever drink The Bar Pink again! Never in the world would I have this one again not because it's strong (it isn't really), but because my mind has associated this drink with puke. There was one time when we had God knows how many bottles of The Bar. We then followed it with G.S.M Blue and that did not go well! I puked a lot, some of my friends did too! So The Bar = Puke!
**Have you cried drunk?**
Every. Single. Time! I did not put that title for no reason, haha! I am known as the emotional drinker of the group. I said it once and I'll say it again, I am never proud of that!
No matter what and where we drink, we always have to make sure that we are in the right crowd. We have to see to it that the people we are going with are the people whom we can trust in case we pass out. But the most important thing I've learned from drinking is, *to drink what our body can handle!* Just because our friends would take care of us doesn't mean we can always cross the line and not take care of ourselves.
And that is all for today, friends! I would like to hear your drunk stories too! Have a good one and drink moderately!
Thank you for this prompt, @meitanteikudo! https://read.cash/@meitanteikudo/drunkeness-and-a-leg-fetish-94aeadeb
Hey, it's me!
I have come across @Murakamii.7 's So it's me and I had fun reading it so I thought I'd give it a try. Thank you @Murakamii.7 for saving my ass from thinking about what to write today. I will be answering some questions she did in her article just to give a little bit of something about me too. https://read.cash/@Murakamii.7/so-its-me-d33d82cb#comment-de47a7e5
Have you ever had a nickname?
Yes, I do. A lot of people call me ***Cy*** regardless of whether we are close friends or not. My real name starts with ***Cy,*** so they find it very easy to remember me that way. A few people also call me by my second name ***Anne*** which makes me feel uncomfortable every time. I don't know why I see the ones calling me that way as aliens. lol
What are your hobbies?
This question is quite hard to answer since I'm all over the place and love doing many things. I have written about my hobbies here but those are the ones I classify as productive. If we talk about what I usually love doing just to fill in my time, I would say that it's watching true crime documentaries on youtube or listening to the same thing on a podcast. I can honestly watch and listen to this kind of thing all day long without getting bored. True crime story narrations are my thing too. My favorite YouTubers who cover these topics are Stephanie Soo, Bailey Sarian, Bella Fiori, and Kendall Rae. My parents don't understand what's with me that makes me so glued onto these gruesome and grotesque contents. I don't know but I find it fascinating how evil people could get over petty things.
What is your biggest fear?
It may sound uncanny but my greatest fear is starting my own family. I just couldn't imagine myself popping babies like that. Being a mom and a wife is what fears me at my age. I'm afraid of the responsibilities I got to face and the possibilities of failing to do so.
I'm also terrified of the unknown. Uncertainty makes me anxious and that's why I hate thinking too much about my future. I'm afraid of the things that are yet to come and the ones that I don't see coming. I don't know, but it's always hard for me to cope with things that are out of my plan and expectation like a sudden death of a loved one, breakups, and accidents.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
I actually have a lot in mind but I have this one memory that I keep on reminiscing about and I'll trade the world to relive it again. It was Christmas Eve of the year 2010. I was probably 12 years old at that time and was still seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child. This particular Christmas was so special to me because my family was complete, so different from the previous holidays we had in the past, for my dad worked as an OFW and we only saw him once in a blue moon. `I'm honestly being filled with nostalgia as I am typing this down right now`. I remember running around the house, being so happy while everyone was busy in the kitchen. The smell of Christmas food lingered on every part of our old house. I'm quite sure we had *bola-bola* that night. My uncles and aunts were all there, both of my grandparents and my younger sister were still alive, and the rest of my extended family was present. As a 12-year-old kid, I remember fighting off sleepiness just to wait for midnight. We ended that Christmas Eve with a feast and fireworks display which my grandpa hosted. Ever since that, Christmas was never the same again. As I got older, I lost some family members, and a lot has happened to me that changed how I look at this special day.
What three things do you think of the most each day?
*What time should I start working?*
As someone who has a flexible working schedule, it's always a struggle to stick to the same working time every day. I often battle with my brain whether to start hustling in the morning or just work the graveyard shift. Sometimes, I would end up not working at all because of thinking about it too much that it tires me to even start.
*What should I eat?*
Just like the rest of you, this question never leaves me at all. With a lot of mukbang and food videos around social media, it's impossible not to think about eating. The worst thing is when you badly want to eat what you are watching and it's not available at the moment.
*How to get rich without working?*
Because of how tiring life is, I just couldn't help but think about how to get rich without getting snowed over workloads. I want to know the shortcuts to success that are obviously nonexistent.
I guess that ends here, my friends. Thank you for taking some time to read. Stay safe! Ciao!
"The day I was hired vs Every day since" meme made sense
***How are you since you were hired?*** I suddenly had to ask myself this question when I saw this meme on Facebook.
I honestly found it very funny at first, but later realized that there was something deeper than what this joke might seem.
How are you? No, seriously, how are you after you got the job you were so excited about before; the one that you were praying that could potentially change your life? People often go the extra mile just to be successfully part of a company. We do a lot of research to know more about the firm we are aiming for. We make our resumes super impressive and meaningful to wow the HR managers. Some even enroll themselves in skill training programs and pay extra bucks/pesos before applying just to hear the words ***You're hired!***
Getting the job you've worked so hard applying for might be the best feeling in the world. The first two years would pass and you're still doing fine. But after some time, a lot of people find it hard to stick to what they're working on for some reason. Waking up and getting up from your bed starts to be frustrating and makes you feel like you're just doing it out of having no choice.
When it slowly feels heavy from the inside, you might want to consider reevaluating yourself and ask these questions to see if the current job you have is still working for you and your career.
1. Is it still engaging and stimulating?
When everything at work becomes boring to you, I guess you have to recheck the reason why you're still in it. Your job should be something that stimulates you and your curiosity where you can see yourself thirsty for growth and knowledge. It has to be something that excites you not every single day, but the majority of your time.
2. Does this position still allow you to be yourself*?*
If the answer is no, then who is it doing the job? If you have to pretend to be someone else at work and act as if you know or like what you are doing, it surely isn't worth it. For an employee to be efficient, he has to be his total self so he could function in the best way he can. If it does not coordinate with your skills, judgment, and passion, you might be in the wrong job.
3. Is it allowing you to live the life you want?
Your job has to be flexible enough to let you have your ideal lifestyle. If your schedule messes with your weekends or rest days, you would end up feeling like your job is your whole life. And if that's the case, you won't get anything else in return but burnout. Your job must offer you a nontoxic environment you can enjoy and a right to rest and leisure.
4. Are you well compensated?
Sometimes, you have to say yes to whatever is available on the table even if you don't feel valued for doing the work. When you take a lot of responsibilities for less compensation, it is understandable if you choose to stay for a bit and play the long game. Getting a promotion, new title, and pay raise doesn't happen overnight. But if you feel like you've been working your ass off for so long and you're not getting anything in return, maybe it's time for you to look for another job that values you and your contribution to the company.
5. Does it put your mental and physical health at risk?
Now, this is the question you have to consider the most. If your job is taking a toll on your mind and body, you should think about changing your workstyle or you better just say goodbye to whatever you are doing now. Being too exhausted physically and mentally leads you nowhere. You have to remember that the reason why you are working is *you* and your *family*. If you are risking your body and might even lose your life because of it, the purpose of having a job is defeated.
And that is all for tonight, friends! I am wishing you the best and I hope that whatever you are doing now is right for you. Have a great rest of the week! Ciao!
Eye candies at home!
I love how @Bloghound flexed her plants in the little paradise she’s got in her home. This article is inspired by her post. When I read her article, I felt the need to showcase my mom’s passion for growing plants too, and give her the credit for being one of those who help nature reveal its breathtaking beauty. As far back as I can remember, I have been surrounded by plantitas my whole life - my mom, aunties, and grandmom. I grew up in a small hut in the countryside which was our very first home. The house didn't matter since the beautiful landscape was what people always noticed first. We moved houses three times and my mom never changed. It's as if she left a green mark wherever she went. https://read.cash/@Bloghound/back-in-the-countryside-to-my-tiny-garden-f3b57f01
No one, to this day, really bothers to stop my mom from doing what she loves. Aside from knowing that plants are good decors, we notice that taking care of them improves her mood and well-being too. She might even choose to talk to them over us.
These are the flowering plants my mom loves and I'm gonna include some reasons why you should try growing them too.
Sunflower
These are Dwarf Sunflowers, as you can tell by the size. They are such eye candies! There are so many varieties of sunflowers out there including Common Sunflower, Schweinitz's, Sunshine Orange, Sunrich Lime, and so forth. One good reason for keeping these in your garden is that they're one of the pollinators' favorites. When you have a vegetable garden, you might want to plant sunflowers along with them to attract bees. Bees make it easier for fruit-bearing plants to thrive.
COSMOS
Just like any other flowering plant, Cosmos also attract insects that are of great help in the pollination process. They are very easy to take care of and they live quite a bit longer than others. They make landscapes look more elevated too! When you have Cosmos, you've got yourself low-maintenance plants and great decorations to surround your home at the same time.
Chrysanthemum/Mum
Mums are my personal favorites! I just love these flowers no matter what colors they come with. One of the good reasons to have these in your garden is, of course, their beauty! Look at those lovelies! You can instantly have a whole bouquet when you have Mums at home. Your flower vases will never be empty and would even thank you later. These plants make the air smell ooooh so good! I love to sit near them while having my afternoon tea, and I'm sure you will too.
Marigold
They say Marigolds come with good luck. Their beautiful golden color might be the reason why they're associated with good fortune. Lucky or not, you would love to have these at home. Aside from their charm, Marigolds are also helpful in controlling pests. You should grow these alongside your crops because they draw in harmful pests. Instead of attacking your vegetables, insects would attack Marigolds for how attractive they are, saving your crops in a very organic way.
Hibiscus
Who wouldn't love to have another low-maintenance plant in their garden? Hibiscus comes with hundreds of varieties you can choose from. I've heard that some people love making teas out of Hibiscus. Though I never experienced drinking this type of drink, I know that they're famous for medicinal purposes. I remember how my mom used to crush Hibiscus flower, turn it into a paste, and apply it to skin infections like boils.
There are so many benefits of growing flowering plants at home. They help reduce soil erosion, helps in pollination, give off clean scented air, and undoubtedly feed our souls in so many ways.
And that is all for tonight's article, friends! I hope your day was as beautiful as these flowers. Thank you so much for reading. Toodle loo!
Early morning coffee on the beach!
I just spent my morning with two of my favorites - coffee and the beach! Today, my mom woke me up at 6:00 AM from my sleep that I consider very short. lol, I wasn't really having it because I was up very late last night for some reason. She wanted me to go with them to directly buy some fish from the local fishermen.
In our place, we call it ***Tabo*****/*****Manabo*** which means ***to welcome*** or ***to meet*** in English. What we actually do when we ***Tabo*** is meet the fishermen right after they dropped their catch on the market and before they moor their boats from fishing. With that being said, we have to meet them at the shore to be in time for their leftovers. By leftovers, I mean the ones they weren't able to sell on the market. Sometimes when they're feeling extra generous, they give them to you for free no matter how hard you insist on paying!
As sleepy as I was, I still gave in to my mom's request. She wanted us to have breakfast on the beach with the whole fam. Who would say no to freshly caught fish anyway? So, I brought with me a thermos of hot water for my coffee because that's rule number one. Sipping my daily dose of caffeine while listening to the sound of sea waves was probably the best thing that happened to me this week. I had no regrets at all for waking up earlier than I was planning to.
And oh, the fish and squid we bought from the fishermen were grilled along with the pork that we got on our way to the beach, by the way. That breakfast was busting and if you're not drooling at the thought of grilled seafood, maybe you're allergic to it? Kidding aside, it was quality time for the fam. We had a quick dip after eating and took advantage of that sunshine vitamin - vitamin D!
Weekends are not for the weak but for you who deserve a break! Enjoy your rest days, folks! I guess that's all for tonight. I would love to hear about your weekend too if you care to share hehe! But I do hope you had a good one. Tomorrow's Monday again, we gotta rock and roll our way through the week. Ciao!
Five Hobbies That Might Interest You
Are you bored and not sure how to spend your days off? You might be one of those who wonder what's the best pastime for you. I have read somewhere that taking up a hobby potentially lowers the risk of getting depressed. That's when I realized how important it is to engage ourselves in a recreation or two once in a while. We can trick our brains into thinking that we are just as productive as ever while having fun at the same time. This personally works for me and helps me divert my attention from all the negativities and worries I have.
These are the things I do in my free time instead of just staying on my bed while scrolling on the never-ending Facebook posts from dawn to dusk. Note, I'm a homebody so most of my hobbies are done indoors.
Needle Work: Crocheting
You literally need just two things for this: yarn and a crochet hook. I guess I would say this is one of the hobbies I enjoy the most. It is not easy at first, of course, just like any other thing when done for the first time. You need not worry about how to begin because there are like a bajillion videos you can find on youtube that can help you. Once you start it, it would be hard for you to stop especially with the fact that after getting your crochet projects done, you'd get yourself new bags, coasters, beanies, or even clothes!
Learning an instrument
It's never too late to bring out your musical side. Try to remember what instruments you've tried learning when you were still young. If you never really tried any, then decide what you want now. People often find it hard to learn this hobby but I guess the only thing you need for this is initiative and commitment. You just have to start it and commit to it. I'm starting to learn Ukelele at the moment but I consider the electric keyboard as my forte.
Gardening
You can be green-thumbed and not know it! When the pandemic started, I've found an interest in plants because of my mom. I, unfortunately, don't have that green thumb everyone's wishing for, but she does. I've tried growing my plants though I wasn't really good at it and I would say that seeing them flourish was the most satisfying thing I've ever felt that time. You can always ask for free seeds from your local DA office or choose from a wide variety of them online.
Journaling
People here quite love writing so I don't see any reason why you wouldn't like journaling. I've started doing it not that long ago. It's a bit tough getting it as a hobby that lasts but I'm trying my best to stay on track. I don't do bullet journaling though. That one's too complicated for me, not to mention the budget you need because you have to buy a lot of things to make it look artsy. You don't need too much to start this. It only takes a pen and a notebook. I suggest choosing a cheap but nice notebook that would inspire you to write. It feels good and liberating to let your thoughts bleed-the ones that you can't speak about with other people or post on any platforms like this.
Painting
Yeah, I get it, but do you really have to be a professional artist to paint? Uhm, no! Get that brush and play with your acrylics! I grew up surrounded by people who paint. My uncles were artists and that's what inspired me to try this even though they never really gave me any free tutorial on how to do it. I was never good at painting but it really gives the artistic side of me an itch to try. Looking for an inspo from google helps. I personally love Vincent van Gogh, so I often copy his works. If you're really not into freehand painting, try buying yourself some stress-relieving coloring books instead. Those are awesome too!
And those are the five hobbies I love doing to kill time. You might pick yours from these or try anything else. You can rearrange furniture, give your dogs some grooming, sew yourself some DIY masks, stack your pantry with random stuff, or whatever it is you feel like doing. My point is, there are so many things you can do to stay sane. You just have to listen to your soul and give yourself some pleasure you won't ever feel when working.
That would be all for tonight, friends! Thank you for reading. Please keep yourselves sane! Until next time. Ciao!
My Bread & Butter, my Cage!
Have you ever felt like the stuff you are good at is sometimes the same stuff that's holding you back from growing and discovering new things? I had and still do. I have been working as an online ESL teacher for almost four years now. I started this job when I was in my second year at the university. I was not compelled by anyone to do so, not even my parents. It was my own decision to study and work at the same time as influenced by some of my friends who did the same. It honestly didn't feel like I was working because I only conducted classes whenever I feel like it. My fees and allowance were still shouldered by my parents so I suggested paying for the rent to somehow make things a bit easier for them.
I didn't have high hopes about this job because I used to hate talking to people. No offense, but I guess my fellow introverts at the back can relate. I thought I wouldn't last for long but it kinda grew on me. I realized that this is what I like doing so I started getting serious about it. The majority of my classes were with adult people: professionals, students, graduate students, grandmas, and grandpas, name it! And no, I am not into kids, to be honest. I started to feel like I am at my best whenever I converse with people. I even feel like I have traveled a lot because of how my students proudly talk about their lives, culture, beliefs, local cuisines, and religions. It's a two-way learning process.
I forgot to mention that I studied Civil Engineering. I could tell that being an ESL teacher in some way, changed my focus and I was left unsure about how to adjust my sails. Instead of thinking about taking the board exam, getting hired by a construction firm, and working in the field that I was studying, all I was imagining about is getting English certificates that I could use to teach in a non-native English-speaking country. **"Why didn't you change your degree program then?"**, you may ask. I honestly don't know how to answer that. It might be because I didn't want to disappoint my parents and put their money to waste. Now that I'm already out of school, I am still doing my ESL job, full-time. I'm starting to feel like it's stopping me from trying other things that might be for me too, because of how comfortable and good I am at it. It has become my comfort zone and I've caged myself inside it to the point where I'd believe it's the only thing I am capable of doing. I can't even imagine working outside my house because I have been working from home for the past 3+ years.
The bottom line is that I am honestly still confused about what to do next. My bread and butter for a long time had me in a box and instilled a fear in me to go out. The salary and experience satisfy me so much so that I refuse to consider applying for another job. After all, I ended up disappointing a lot of people around me because of not being what they've expected me to be.
Thank you for reading, friends! I would love to know if you had experienced the same dilemma and what you did about it. It would help me big time! And that would be all for tonight. Toodle loo! ♥
City of my dreams no more!
Growing up in a small rural town gives every kid the impression that living in the city is "the ultimate dream". My longing for big cities honestly had become my drive for some time. The idea of having the ability to afford a small apartment in the middle of a hustling and bustling place pushed my ambitious self to try and study harder.
It did not take me too long to reach the "dream" that the younger me used to be crazy about when my parents sent me to a university in Cebu. I know that Cebu City is not that big of a deal for some, but for a probinsyana like me, the thought of living there seemed surreal. I could still vividly remember how excited I was on my way to my then dream place! I remember not being able to sleep thinking about the fun, thrill, people, and the crazy stuff waiting for me. I was thinking that **that was it** until the stress of apartment-hunting hit me. I was not aware that looking for somewhere that's cheap and comfy to live in was that hard in the city. I didn't know that traffic jam was that energy-draining and that universities were not as cool as they seemed in the movies. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Cebu. I love it! Some of my best years were spent there and I couldn't just throw that part of me away just because of some realizations. It's just that, life there turned out to be different from what I had imagined as a young girl.
Now, if there's one thing that I am sure of, it would be the fact that I was looking at the wrong picture. The "ultimate dream place" is my home - the province. Indeed, the more mature we get the more appreciative we become of the things we have overlooked in the past. At the end of the day, all of us are just exhausted people trying to look for peace amidst our messy, hectic schedules. And that peace could mean the slow flow of things, the breath-taking color of the sunset at 5 or 6 PM, the rustling of mango tree leaves as the wind blows, the calming sound of waves crashing the shore, and the chirping of crickets at night. Who would pick traffic noise over these?
I would leave some pictures which convinced me that the countryside is where it's best to settle in.
I guess I would end it here, dear friends. Wherever you are right now, I hope you get to find the peace that you deserve - may it be in the city or the countryside. Thank you for reading! Toodle loo!
Productivity of being Unproductive
I used to believe that beating up myself is the only way to grow. As someone who used to be a goal-getter, I always thought that I am in control of my life and everything in it as long as I hustle hard. As I've reached the age of 24, I tend to compare myself to others of my age who seem to be winning in life. This would leave me feeling upset and make me wonder where I went wrong knowing that I am still unfocused and a bit lost. **Is it just me or are days moving at a very fast pace?** Whenever this question pops up in my mind, I freak out. It's as if the rest of the world is leaving me behind no matter how hard I try to keep up. I would start to work more than I should do, skip meals, stay up very late, and forget that weekends exist. "Sunday? Blah! Who is she?"
And there my friend is where I went wrong. I couldn't just torture myself that way and expect success. It's okay to be unproductive for a little while. I owe it to myself to let some days just get away like that. I might think the other way sometimes, but I should say that taking some days off is not a waste of time. Resting might sound like I'm shirking my responsibilities when in fact resting itself is my responsibility. I need it. And if the stock market goes up and down, who am I to think that my progress goes in a straight line? The thing is, we always forget to be in the moment because of how badly we were caught up thinking about what we want to become in the future.
Here are some of the things I do whenever I wake up and don't feel like doing anything:
***Sleeping in.*** I intentionally sleep a lot longer than I normally do and ignore my alarm clock. This is to make up for the unearthly hours of the night I spent at work.
***Enjoying every sip of my coffee.*** On a normal day, I would be drinking coffee needily as if my life depends on it. It's like a way of pretending that things still make sense and a way of saying to myself **"I got this!"**. But on my lazy days, I make sure to enjoy its aroma and taste, savoring each drop as if it's not an instant coffee. It's best with brownie cupcakes, of course.
***Rewatching some of my favorite Netflix series.*** Watching my favorite films for the second time gives me a much clearer understanding of the movies. Rewatching them makes me feel like I am stuck in something too. I don't usually watch new series, especially during my random lazy days for no apparent reason.
***Treating myself to a strawberry cheese pie.*** I spoil myself with food I don't usually eat every day and Jollibee is obviously one of them. I don't know why my best days are always associated with this bee.
***Feeding myself with random things I could think about.*** This photo may look planned to fit the "I only ate orange food for 24 hrs challenge", but I swear it wasn't. I honestly just grabbed everything I had at that time and later realized they kinda looked uniform in color.
***Binge-watching mukbang/true crime videos.*** What better way to end the day than with my favorite YouTuber? Yes, I'm one of the people who are highly fascinated with true crime documentaries. It's complicated but it honestly calms me in some weird ways and helps me get better sleep. At this point, I would just watch as many videos as I can until I doze off.
And that is all for my ways of recharging. I'm going to end this by saying that if ever you come across this, bear in mind that this is not an excuse to procrastinate but a reminder to take a breather. The days we spent on nothing are the best days to reevaluate our lives and remember what drives us to strive more. Phones need breaks to be recharged and so are we. We sometimes have to lower the bar and stop being so hard on ourselves. As they always say, "**Work hard but play harder"**.
Thank you for taking some time to read. Till next time!
@cybelgian
