Gifts I Bought For My Loved Ones This Christmas
It's only a week left before Christmas. For this year, I am on a tight budget because I don't have a bonus, unfortunately. Well, that's the downside when you are working in a company not situated in the Philippines. They are not obliged to follow the 13th-month bonus. Although last year, I was among the luckiest to receive up to the 15th-month bonus.
Even so, I still want to give gifts to my family. I can still remember, when I was in college, I went to the thrift shop and spent hours looking for something to buy for my family. It's cheap, but I really find it fulfilling to buy, wrap, and give something to them.
Here are my gifts to them:
**A phone for my grandma**. I bought my Nana a smartphone so she can video call her youngest sister anytime. Her sister has been living in manila for decades already. Technology is really convenient at times like this. She wanted Mama's old Samsung phone but I told my mother not to give it to her since I'll be giving her a new phone.
**Smartwatch for the couple**. I decided to buy a smartwatch for Mama and Papa so they will also be conscious of their health. Aside from that, I remember them asking me how much the price of the smartwatch I gave to my sister was - it was a graduation gift - because they want to buy it for themselves. I also have a Bluetooth speaker for my father and a bracelet and ring for my mother on her 50th birthday on December 30.
**A violin for the youngest**. The youngest in the pack has been asking this for three years already. Last year, I bought her a tablet because it was still an online class at that time. However, because of that, she is always glued to it. Our parents can't monitor her since they're in Zamboanga. So this time, I decided to buy a violin so she can minimize her screen time. This will be a great distraction.
**A skincare overnight set for the second**. I had a hard time choosing what to give her on Christmas because I got used to being told what she wants. But this time, she kept on saying not to buy one for her because I paid the tuition and bought her a graduation gift. I was about to buy a drawing tablet for her since she's starting to show interest in NFT but then she messaged me about a skincare set.
I haven't bought a gift for the third in the pack, but I plan to avail an **installment for iPad Air** when I arrive home. I notice that most of the medical-related students own a tablet/iPad. My sister is a second-year MedTech student and she doesn't have her own phone or a laptop. I asked her to choose only one and she answered iPad.
**A luminous watch for the boyfriend**. I had a hard time choosing what gift I should give to him. It's really hard to buy a gift for a person knowing that person can already afford it or has already bought it. Luckily, after several attempts, he answered luminous watch because the one he bought is not luminous. He bought a smartwatch but he prefers a formal/casual watch to wear.
I haven't bought gifts yet for my godchildren, my close friends, and my cousins who share the same age as my baby sister. But hopefully, I can before Christmas.
Previous article:
**November Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/november-memory-dump-3e9314f7
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November Memory Dump
I haven't been around for a month. This may sound redundant and annoying, but I've been caught up with life without a map. My plate is full of this and that, and I'm still struggling with how to handle them gracefully.
Well, November was hectic.
**1 Webinar Series every Saturday**
My four Saturdays in November were intended for webinars. I haven't been in a webinar for quite a long while, so my mind had a bit of a hard time coping with the lessons.
The webinar was scheduled for four hours in the morning. I am not a morning person, so waking up at 6:30 AM is a struggle. My usual wake-up time is 9:30 AM. Now, this webinar is for my CPD points for my PRC license. But before I can have the two points per session, I need to pass the assessment and the passing is 8 out of 10.
**2 Traveling to Manila to meet my best friends**
My best friend in high school whom I haven't met for five long years and Antoni decided to surprise me. Antoni wants me to socialize with other people because I've become more and more introverted and anti-social since the pandemic started. I am not a fan of going out with his friends and colleagues, so he messaged Cindy to dine with us in Binondo.
Just a week interval and another best friend was in Manila. She called me at past 1:00 AM asking if my place is far from SM MoA. Before I answered her question, I asked her if she's in Manila. Even if it was Tuesday, I traveled from Biclatan, General Trias going to Pasay just to meet her before her flight the next day, Wednesday afternoon. I had to work in a coffee shop with Antoni while she was still busy with her agenda in Manila.
**3 Went to Alabang alone to meet my college classmate**
Another classmate arrived in Manila and I had to travel again to meet her. Antoni had another agenda with his classmates in high school, so I ended up commuting all by myself. I had two hours of sleep only, so I slept while traveling. Luckily, I managed to wake up before I arrived.
**4 Online drinking sessions with my virtual friends**
I've been missing out on Friday Game Night because of work. It was already past 11:00 PM when I decided to join the fun night. They were already started drinking their lemon-dou. That time, I hadn't eaten for the whole day, which made me order pizza and a chicken meal at Shakeys to feed my stomach first before I drink my lemon-dou as well. The voice call ended at almost 4:00 AM. I was not drunk, but I drank something, so I instantly became more of myself.
**5 Commute tutorial with my college classmate**
Antoni was in Davao for work and my classmate's husband was in Japan for work as well. So we decided to go out and visit Mitsukoshi. Mic-mic worked in Japan for 3 years so she wanted to go there and check the manga collection. That day was also my last day of the webinar. While she was on her way to PITX, I was still gearing my brain just to pass the last assessment test. (I scored 9/10. Hehe)
With me being late plus the traffic, we arrived at BGC at almost 6:00 PM already. We had so much fun walking around and dining at the Mercato, at the back of Mitsukoshi. I taught her how she can commute from her workplace to Dasma and vice versa.
**Previous articles:**
**Learn, Communicate, Understand, and Coexist** https://read.cash/@keeneek/learn-communicate-understand-and-coexist-c37fbb05
**Is It Okay to OK Emoji React at Work?** https://read.cash/@keeneek/is-it-okay-to-ok-emoji-react-at-work-374fc2f5
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • APPICS: **kneelyrac** https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
Learn, Communicate, Understand, and Coexist
In my previous article, I talked about how irritated I was with the OK reaction I've been receiving. Two days after I wrote and posted it, I informed her that we will meet once she is done with the task I gave her.
**Fast forward...**
Because of the meeting with her, I finally understand why she's like that. I listened and let her speak out for herself. We talked a lot, but these things made me realize to accept her way of response.
**Do not pressure yourself too much.**
She doesn't like asking questions because she knows she is capable. It has been more than a month since she was transferred and she expects to learn the basics by heart already. She even added she thinks highly of herself which is why whenever I gave her a task and set of instructions, she gives an OK reaction and tries to understand everything on her own.
In my opinion, that is good - no spoon-feeding and try to figure out things first. However, if an hour or more has passed and you didn't still get the instructions or there's still a missing piece, it's not a sin to ask questions to your supervisor or team leader for clarification.
I always remember my team leader who would say out of nowhere, "Caryl, you didn't ask. I'm worried." When I was just starting, I've been bombarding him with questions, researching on my own then asking him for a go signal. My usual question format is to relay the instructions based on my understanding with a sentence ender, "Am I right?". I decided to share this with her hoping she would do the same.
**Learn how to communicate even when under pressure.**
She doesn't like her subordinates, especially the newbies, to ask questions of her when she's doing her task, so her status in the company messaging app was always DO NOT DISTURB.
Hearing her say that caught me off-guard. I am not sure, but the way she talks felt like she didn't understand why she was reprimanded by her previous supervisor. But who knows, it was just based on my observation. Well, it's normal we don't like to be disturbed when our plate is full and under pressure, but it's weird to be like that all the time given that we are assigned to lead people. She was an Assistant Manager at that time.
I let her express her side, and when it was my turn, I told her I understand her and also her previous supervisor. I then added that if the time will come she will be in my position, no matter how busy she will be, if someone pings at her, she should respond as soon as possible. Everyone, even the CEO, will message her if she takes over my position, so DO NOT DISTURB is never an option.
Also, I added that I understood why she likes to react with emojis because, in the first place, she doesn't like to be asked during busy days. So I told her, I really appreciate it if she starts asking questions, if necessary.
After our call, I was somehow flabbergasted by how she works. I shared it with Antoni and my friend who is a supervisor. I wanted to know their side and both of them told me it's hard to make her change since she's in her late 30s. I'm trying to coexist with her even though I get irritated with the OK emoji.
**What I'm planning to do right now?**
If she leaves a message in a narrative form, I will not reply so I will not be receiving an OK emoji.
If she asks, I'll answer even if I'll receive an OK emoji. But if the answer is a YES, I'll just react with a Check emoji. Hehe, just kidding.
Okay, okay.
***"Do not do to others what you do not want others to do unto you." Hehe***
Anyway, she dropped info wherein she mentioned she was promoted to Assistant Manager, and it makes me bitter again. My salary was times two of my previous team leader. Even if I'm her team lead, there's a possibility we share the same salary. Why? Because I once heard it from the PH Director while she was trying to scout my friend who's an engineer with BPO experience.
Honestly, it makes me think maybe I'm not worth it with this position because I am not a Computer Science graduate just like my previous team lead. I don't know. But one thing I'm sure of, I will continue to build my skills and start arranging my GitHub profile.
I'm getting ambitious lately - I will do my best in the morning and hone my skills in the evening.
Previous articles:
**Is It Okay to OK Emoji React at Work?** https://read.cash/@keeneek/is-it-okay-to-ok-emoji-react-at-work-374fc2f5
**October Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/october-memory-dump-df769148
**Alert Level 3 But Almost Had No Food to Eat** https://read.cash/@keeneek/alert-level-3-but-almost-had-no-food-to-eat-bb974654
**Should I Feel Bitter About It?** https://read.cash/@keeneek/should-i-feel-bitter-about-it-58054771
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • APPICS: **kneelyrac** https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
Is It Okay to OK Emoji React at Work?
Honestly, I've been contemplating if I should write something about it or not. But as time passed by, I realized, I become more irritated every time I see that emoji in my messages and I feel the need to pour it out of words. This way, it might lessen the irritation and frustration I've been into since last month.
At first, I just brush it off. In my mind, I just said maybe Miss A was just internalizing everything. But when my period last month hit me so hard, I started getting annoyed by it. I was waiting for the unstable hormones to subside but two weeks later, the annoyance is still there. Then I tell myself maybe it's because of the age gap. But then, the more I think about it, I realized Miss A should've known since she worked much longer than I am.
In a context, I always receive an 🆗 emoji reaction.
Me: Hello, A. Good morning. I added your task to the Trello board. *insert instructions*. Let me know if you have questions.
🆗
Me: Kindly finish it tomorrow so I can check it beforehand. If possible, *insert instructions*.
🆗
There are days that our chat box is full of my messages with her 🆗 emojis only. At that time, my hormones were unstable. Then in the afternoon, that's when the questions start to emerge. So I got carried a little bit and somehow reprimanded her. After a few minutes, I feel bad about it tho.
Antoni kept on telling me I need to understand maybe it was because of the age gap. I'm not sure if it's okay to respond with OK emoji only. I mean, I can't imagine myself doing that to the different project managers, team leaders, and most especially, the CEO!
Well, perhaps, I'm a bit dramatic and sensitive. It's my first time handling someone, who happens to be older than me, so I tried asking a friend of mine who's already a supervisor. I skipped to my previous team leader because I know this kind of reply is a red flag to him. Even my '*Sige2. Okay.*' annoy him. That is why I tried my best not to use that and even the '*hehe*'.
Anyhow, my friend wants me to confront her if she doesn't have anything to say. Unfortunately, until now, I haven't asked her yet. When I speak to someone older than me, I tend to step back, unless he will do something I don't like at that very moment. But I did take notes.
I need more patience and understanding. I'm positive I can do that and positive as well that I might pour out my thoughts here. Not sure if it's a good thing or not.
Previous articles:
**Highlights in My Previous Cebu Trip** https://read.cash/@keeneek/highlights-in-my-previous-cebu-trip-903295d8
**Work and Board Exam Results - What a Long Friday Night!** https://read.cash/@keeneek/work-and-board-exam-results-what-a-long-friday-night-2d4ce68f
**Should I Feel Bitter About It?** https://read.cash/@keeneek/should-i-feel-bitter-about-it-58054771
**Alert Level 3 But Almost Had No Food to Eat** https://read.cash/@keeneek/alert-level-3-but-almost-had-no-food-to-eat-bb974654
**October Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/october-memory-dump-df769148
Lead image is from Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/dIMJWLx1YbE
[1] Source https://unsplash.com/photos/Hcfwew744z4
[2] Source https://unsplash.com/photos/Lks7vei-eAg
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • APPICS: **kneelyrac** https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
October Memory Dump
My October started with a fun trip to Baguio City, then it went downhill with a roller coaster of emotions concerning my career path. Honestly, I feel like I'm back in the loop. I am unsure if I'm on the right track and just when I started accepting my fate, some unexpected discoveries led me to question myself again.
BAGUIO CITY
I've yet to share my Baguio trip, but I need to include this since it's the main highlight of my October dump. I've been wanting to go to Baguio City but the trip had been canceled thrice. And on the fourth try, I was able to go there with Antoni and our friends. It was just a short trip - a weekend road trip to pause from the hustle and bustle.
We visited some of the tourist attractions of Baguio City from Saturday until Sunday morning. We went to Mines View Park, Botanical Garden, The Mansion, Burnham Park, Bell Church, Strawberry Farm, and Baguio City Market, and passed by the colorful household while heading to the Bell Church.
AUTUMN LAUNCH
It was my first time handling and managing the documentation autumn launch without my previous team lead. Although I have an immediate supervisor, he doesn't supervise me with my task and such. If things go wrong, I only have to figure it out. If it's beyond my capabilities, I try to ask for help from a colleague under the IT team who is in charge of helping me out. But usually, if there's an error/issue, I always figure it out.
So during the launch, I was low-key freaking out. My workload involves managing different branches and repositories. Before I am the one who gives a thrill to my previous team leader because my end always has errors - it never ends. But when it started to show conflicts, I decided to contact him, but he was not at home. He responded to wait for a little longer until he gets back home, but I couldn't wait.
After a few hours, I was able to resolve it and make the documentation go live before the Autumn launch. I was so proud of myself that I watched Netflix after the event.
BIBLE STUDY
Honestly speaking, since I transferred here to Cavite, I haven't attended a Sunday service. That is why I'm looking forward to going back to Cebu City and attend to the Sunday service at UCCP Bradford again.
When I was still in Cebu City, even though my religion is different from my housemates, they invited me to attend The Feast and also to a Bible Study every Wednesday night. Luckily, the leader of the Bible study group decided to have an online session and she invited me. I didn't hesitate. I said 'Yes' right away. That is why my Monday night (8 PM - 10 PM) is scheduled for this.
I am really thankful Sheena invited me. I'm glad I have someone to talk to and share my struggles with every Monday evening. Because honestly, aside from God and Antoni, I only talk to myself. I have best friends and close friends, but we only communicate quite often and our conversations are not that deep. I rarely share with my family because I don't want them to worry about me. If I happen to share, I always leave out most of the details.
That's it for my October memory dump. Some of the things that happened in October were written in a separate article:
**Alert Level 3 But Almost Had No Food to Eat** https://read.cash/@keeneek/alert-level-3-but-almost-had-no-food-to-eat-bb974654
**Should I Feel Bitter About It?** https://read.cash/@keeneek/should-i-feel-bitter-about-it-58054771
**A Productive Day in a Coffee Shop** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-productive-day-in-a-coffee-shop-963cb2e4
**Work and Board Exam Results - What a Long Friday Night!** https://read.cash/@keeneek/work-and-board-exam-results-what-a-long-friday-night-2d4ce68f
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • APPICS: **kneelyrac** https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
Alert Level 3 But Almost Had No Food to Eat
I did not expect Cavite would experience heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday. I only anticipated a drizzle, just like on Friday night. I was supposed to buy groceries with my boyfriend at that time, but I got busy with work and so was he. We postponed it to the next day after our supposed-to-be coffee session in Tagaytay. Antoni wants to go to Tagaytay if it rains, hoping there will be thick fog there. I was also excited since it's another content opportunity.
So we had our Friday night dinner outside and ordered Lomi Batangas. Beside the eatery are Alfamart and 7/11. I wanted to buy breakfast food but the ATM and the GCASH mode of payment were unavailable.
The next day, I woke up at noon and immediately asked Antoni if we would go to Tagaytay. He asked me if I still want to go even if Cavite is alert level 3.
*Me: We'll just wait for the rain to subside. If it wouldn't be until 4:30 PM, we'll have to postpone it.*
While waiting, I decided to just order lunch via Foodpanda. To my dismay, all of the stores were unavailable. I was starving since it was 1:00 PM already and my dinner last night was Lomi only. I tried diverting my attention by reading a book. Then, the power was cut off - no electricity and water.
It was pouring, and the wind was getting stronger. I don't have a gas stove, only a rice cooker and an induction cooker. My stomach was getting louder, so I asked Antoni if we should go to Waltermart already. It was my first time going out wearing a pajama and a jacket.
When we arrived, the first thing we did was eat at Jollibee. Thankfully, the store accepts cards. I didn't want to surprise my stomach and have a stomachache afterward, so I ordered burger steak only. After that, we went straight to the grocery.
As for fruits and vegetables, I prefer buying them on market. Because of the weather, I decided to buy meat, noodles, egg, canned goods, biscuits, and other needs. We hurriedly went to the cashier to pay because the lights had been flickering. Waltermart was using a generator only.
When the cashier swiped the card for the payment, the system was down and the payment didn't push through. The packer had to take the goods out of the box. All the cashiers had to restart their computers and rescan again the goods. For every scan, there's a 3-5 seconds delay. Just when the payment was made and the receipt was printed, the system was down again. Thank goodness!
After the grocery, we went to the pharmacy to buy medicine for me and then ordered food for our dinner in case the electricity is cut off until evening. When we went out from Waltermart, the wind and rain were even stronger. Thankfully, there were still a few tricycles amid the weather condition. The water in some areas was slowly rising, and some trees were down already. The fare is 35 PHP only, but I gave 50 PHP to the driver.
I then realized there was no power and I bought meat. I arranged the groceries and started reading again until I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already past 7:30 PM and the electricity was back.
The rain and wind were still pretty strong but praise God nothing bad happened.
*Praying for strength and healing to those who are affected by the typhoon.*
Other articles:
**A Productive Day in a Coffee Shop** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-productive-day-in-a-coffee-shop-963cb2e4
**Highlights in My Previous Cebu Trip** https://read.cash/@keeneek/highlights-in-my-previous-cebu-trip-903295d8
**Work and Board Exam Results - What a Long Friday Night!** https://read.cash/@keeneek/work-and-board-exam-results-what-a-long-friday-night-2d4ce68f
**Should I Feel Bitter About It?**
https://read.cash/@keeneek/should-i-feel-bitter-about-it-58054771
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • APPICS: **kneelyrac** https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
Should I Feel Bitter About It?
I've been very busy with work from September until last week because my team leader resigned with an upcoming Autumn launch. On the first week of October, someone was assigned to be my support. My immediate supervisor told me that my temporary support and soon-to-be one who will take over my role doesn't need to be a licensed engineer as long as she is familiar with the products and can adapt well.
At first, I didn't mind it. I just responded that I will make her study the following - Git, Vue, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - since she has zero knowledge about them. That's when he responded that he missed the technical part of my work.
**Fast forward...**
Yesterday, my previous TL asked for a favor to message the OIC of our BIR documents to send another copy of the documents. He had to reformat his laptop without backing up the files plus he no longer has an access to the company email. So I messaged the OIC and gave my previous TL personal email address.
I didn't expect that I was cc'd with the email. My curiosity spiked up and checked it. That's when I know his salary when he was still my team lead. I was stunned for a moment. I didn't expect it to be that big.
I was hyped and teased him - even told him how proud I am that he was able to let go of this monthly income. He was trying to change the topic by asking me if I want a part-time job.
My response? "Yes, please because my salary is not as big as yours when you're the team lead." He responded with a Bisaya curse. And we both laugh.
After that, I told Antoni about it. To my surprise, he doesn't look happy about it. He then shared that he doesn't like the idea that I now took over the position and yet the salary is not the same. And not only that, the salary difference is 20,000 PHP. He said again, "***Resign already!***".
Well, I can't. I signed the contract just this month. I'm not bitter about it, honestly speaking. Maybe I will if my hunch is correct. I'm guessing that my support and I share the same salary rate. If not the same, maybe a difference is not greater than 4,000 PHP. Not sure if my deduction is correct, but my gut feeling is very positive about it.
I'm not sure how to react now that three of them, including my boyfriend, keep on telling me to know my worth.
Realizations start showing up today. I remember the statement "***It doesn't need to be a licensed engineer.***" Then the question asked me before popped out, "***Magaling ka ba?***" (**Are you good?**)
I am starting to overthink. That's why I'm writing this so I can pour these thoughts that are slowly clouding my mind. I must remember that I wanted career growth regardless of the salary rate.
I don't want to question myself. What I need is to hustle more and do more. I'll just look for another part-time job, maybe, and continue my crypto side hustle.
The lead image is the computer setup of my previous (second) work, featuring my supervisor's cutie doggo - Poncho!
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APPICS: **kneelyrac**
Work and Board Exam Results - What a Long Friday Night!
I had a very busy week, especially since the product launch will happen next week. Compared to my workload before the promotion, my plate has been full for quite a while already. I am not sure if the situation is still the same after the product launch.
Friday is a busy day for me. Just when I had set my foot outside, they tagged and messaged me about the conflicts, clarifications, and to do some checking. I hurriedly bought the things I needed to buy, then I had dinner with Antoni. I was away for two hours. It was already past 8:00 PM, not my duty hours nor a valid overtime session.
Amid the schedule, I was able to join the Friday night game on Discord. During the game, Antoni called me that one of our friends in college passed the board exam. I freaked out! I then told everyone I'll be away for a while since the results are out.
My heart was thumping! I was happy with my friend in college. I frantically opened the site and but I checked first the name of my other friend, my review buddy since 2019. And my happiness was put to sadness. I was in tears. He didn't make it again. The passing rate is 29.69% only, pretty low given that there was a sudden change in the Table of Specifications for the four subjects.
I don't know how and what to tell him. I then told myself he will surely not gonna meet me before he will fly to Dubai for good. But I respect his decisions. I am not a clingy friend and I understand him very well.
So I opened my Messenger to send a voice message to the other one who passed. To my surprise, my review buddy left a message telling me that he didn't make it. I didn't expect him to message me first. Mixed emotions. I was not even sure if my reply was suitable and necessary. But I did tell him that I'll support him no matter what and God surely has better plans for him.
I talked to both of my friends for a few minutes. My message to my other friend was in a happy tune, while the other was in a comforting but still sad tune. I can't imagine the emotional and mental damage the exam and result caused.
It was a long Friday, and too many things happened especially in the evening. I was tired from work. Then my battery was emptied by the results. But I needed to work overtime (without pay) because the conflicts and errors kept bugging me. I fueled myself with a large McCafe and ended up sleeping at 10:35 AM.
Previous articles:
**A Productive Day in a Coffee Shop** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-productive-day-in-a-coffee-shop-963cb2e4
**September Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/september-memory-dump-501dd717
**Invested, Disappointed, Motivated in Less Than a Month** https://read.cash/@keeneek/invested-disappointed-motivated-in-less-than-a-month-44e1f46f
**Dinner at IKEA Swedish Restaurant** https://read.cash/@keeneek/dinner-at-ikea-swedish-restaurant-887092cd
Connect with me:
Noise • Hive • https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts
Twitter • Instagram • https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Goodreads • https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
APPICS: **kneelyrac**
Highlights in My Previous Cebu Trip
My housemates in Cebu messaged me today. She remembered the very first time when I didn't like my Matcha drink. Well, it was not Matcha flavor alone. It has a few shots of Espresso. The name of the drink is Matcha-Espresso Fusion, but my eyes immediately turned heart-shaped with the word Matcha alone.
I asked her why she ordered it when in the first place, she doesn't like Matcha. And two, she had a taste of it before. I had let her sip once and her face said enough she despised it.
Our topic went from here to there - coffee, work, Christmas, finances, and food in Cebu and Iligan. It was all random. I messaged her that I miss her already and I want to go back to Cebu so bad. I'm thinking that if my sister decides to work in Cebu, I will definitely fly and live there again. But now, she will be preparing for her board exam next year. The plan will not be executed anytime soon.
And now, I'm reminiscing about my previous visit to Cebu last July 2022.
1. I missed my flight for the very first time
I had miscalculated everything and missed my flight in less than a minute already. The staff was able to scan my boarding pass, but the system had updated by the time she pressed enter. I had to rebook another flight in the evening. Just when I was five hours early, the flight was delayed for two hours. Just wow!
2. A ramen night with my housemate
Argine and I have the same frequency and wavelength. So when I arrived at 1:00 AM, we immediately talked and got hungry at past 2:00 AM. We ate ramen in the wee hours and decided to sleep when the sun was about to say hi already. Ahhh, I miss having someone to talk to until dawn.
3. Dine in Teology Cafe
Teology Cafe was my go-to cafe when I need to concentrate on work and then study for the boards. My usual order was their Chicken Poppers and then paired it with their Frappe, either Mango Bravo, Blueberry, or Matcha Cheesecake. Dining in Teology is a bit expensive, but the food and drinks are served generously.
4. Attend The Feast Cebu
One of the musts, when I was in Cebu, is to attend The Feast. I used to attend it before COVID happened, and after more than 2 years, I finally attended the gathering. I went there with my two Cebu housemates. They are both Roman Catholic, and I'm the only UCCP. Regardless, I love attending The Feast Cebu.
5. Meet my classmate after six years
After how many attempts of meeting each other when I was still living in Cebu City, we finally met because my housemate, who happens to be her childhood friend, invited her to have lunch with us after attending Feast. She and my boyfriend are cousins, and the two haven't met for the same years as well. After our late lunch, we went to Landers since my housemate wanted to buy skincare products there.
6. Eat Siomai in Tisa
My Cebu trip will not be complete without visiting Tisa, my home for two years, and eating the famous siomai. Since I'm on a tight budget, I decided to order only the Siomai sold in Braddex. Unfortunately, their empress and bacon rolls were unavailable.
7. Coffee and Movie Date with the Best Friend
I will be sad and disappointed if I wasn't able to meet my best friend. I know she's busy because of her work as a nurse in ICU, but she made time to meet when she learned that I'll only stay for a few days only. The night before my flight, we had a coffee date at Bo's Coffee. We stayed there until closing time and then headed to her condo unit located on the 50th floor. We watched anime from midnight to 4:00 AM even though she had worked at 7:00 AM and I also need to pack my things.
These are all the highlights of my visit to Cebu. I only went there to fetch my things. Too bad I wasn't able to explore more because of the budget, but Cebu City will stay in Visayas, Philippines. Soon, I will be able to fly back there or maybe live there again. Pohon.
That would be all! Thank you for reading!
Previous articles:
**A Productive Day in a Coffee Shop** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-productive-day-in-a-coffee-shop-963cb2e4
**September Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/september-memory-dump-501dd717
**Invested, Disappointed, Motivated in Less Than a Month** https://read.cash/@keeneek/invested-disappointed-motivated-in-less-than-a-month-44e1f46f
**Dinner at IKEA Swedish Restaurant** https://read.cash/@keeneek/dinner-at-ikea-swedish-restaurant-887092cd
**Smartwatch and Concert Ticket** https://read.cash/@keeneek/smartwatch-and-concert-ticket-fc69d7ac
Connect with me:
Noise • Hive • https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts
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Goodreads • https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl
APPICS: **kneelyrac**
A Productive Day in a Coffee Shop
When I was still in Cebu, I made sure to go to a coffee shop since the condominium my housemates and I rented in Mandaue City didn't have a PLDT nor a strong Globe connection for mobile data. At that time, I had work in the morning and a review class to attend in the evening. Unfortunately, I can only afford the morning expenses, and that left me not to miss my review class for two months.
Because of that, Antoni suggested transferring to Cavite. I was hesitant to travel at first. Later on, said yes because my work and review were at stake. I can't go home to Lanao del Norte either because of my grandmother, plus I don't have my own room where I can work and study peacefully.
Just like in Cebu, coffee shops are everywhere. I rarely went out to the coffee shops, but when I did, I made sure to tick off what was on my checklist. My set-up before was to work at my apartment and then study in a coffee shop during weekends.
However, this week Tuesday, I was forced by Antoni to come along with him to BGC. He resigned from his work at General Trias, and the new company he's working with is located at BGC. He had a contract signing and meet and greet with the CEO and his colleagues. Since it was Tuesday, I had to wrap some of the tasks before noon, then we started traveling and arrived in BGC at past 3:00 PM. I planned to be online during the travel period, but my eyes shut, and slept for the whole travel.
Both of us were in a hurry. Antoni needed to buy a polo shirt so he can have something formal to wear and I needed to go to a coffee shop with an outlet, so I can work and charge my laptop. Luckily, Starbucks at Market Market has an outlet. I was able to sit down and start working. When I opened the company's messaging app, the CEO left a message mentioning me regarding the documentation page. I freaked out a bit because the message was sent at 3:00 PM, and I replied an hour late.
Because I was out for four hours, I decided to extend until evening while waiting for Antoni to finish their company dinner. I stayed in Starbucks from 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM. I ordered Java Chip, a Matcha donut, and an egg-ham crepe. For 5.5 hours, I finished all my workload and read documents and other related stuff. I even explored other topics. Surprisingly, I had grasped the context even though some are new to me - Docker and DevOps. I suddenly remembered Antoni and our thesis adviser had mentioned docker, and my previous team leader mentioned to me he's studying DevOps.
I'm quite surprised how my brain is pretty active in a coffee shop. I am unsure if it's the ambiance or the people surrounding me. Or, maybe both. It's costly, but I'm considering going to a coffee shop twice a month. I'm in a work-from-home setup, so it's time for me to consider working outside the four corners of my apartment. Also, Antoni has the same setup as me. He will only go to their office if he wants or needs to, so this coffee shop plan will be highly likely to be pushed through.
**Previous articles:**
**September Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/september-memory-dump-f54f219d
**Invested, Disappointed, Motivated in Less Than a Month** https://read.cash/@keeneek/invested-disappointed-motivated-in-less-than-a-month-44e1f46f
**Dinner at IKEA Swedish Restaurant** https://read.cash/@keeneek/dinner-at-ikea-swedish-restaurant-887092cd
**Smartwatch and Concert Ticket** https://read.cash/@keeneek/smartwatch-and-concert-ticket-fc69d7ac
**Currently Reading These Books** https://read.cash/@keeneek/currently-reading-these-books-22ef7757
Connect wit me: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
September Memory Dump
I have two highlights in my September that are worth remembering and sharing with you: COVID and Promotion. These two are the exact opposite, like black and white. I've realized September feels like the starting point, the beginning of the ending.
COVID
I started my September being exposed to a COVID-positive individual, and that individual was no other than my boyfriend. He was assuming he got it from their previous 3-day training, wherein he was one of the staff of the said event. Honestly, just the thought of being a COVID positive scared me a bit. I am asthmatic (since a baby), and acquiring a virus that targets the respiratory system is definitely a mortal enemy to asthmatic people.
When Antoni received the swab result, I calmed myself and just did the same routine - work, eat and sleep. Antoni has hypertension and a history of a heart disorder. He had shortness of breath, cough, and colds. He was panicking and was more worried about me. I, on the other hand, was calm and didn't feel anything, not until the third day. I slept in an almost sitting position. I positioned myself and was inclined to about 70 to 80 degrees from the bed.
My breathing was heavy and deep. My chest was heavy with every breath I take. I was on the verge of sobbing, but I remembered it would make me breathe even harder. I didn't tell my family about my situation. I only had my boyfriend, who was also sick at that time. He kept on telling me he will borrow Kuya P's oxygen. But I told him not to since I have four Ventolin Rotacaps.
Years of dancing, asthma attacks, ROTC training, and working out helped me how to control my breathing. The next day, my breathing was back to normal, except for chills and severe headaches. I decided to file a 2-day sick leave (Thurs and Friday), but I still ended up working because my previous team lead resigned already and I didn't have support - no one can proxy me.
By the grace of God, I was feeling okay by the next week Wednesday, and my headache was mild only. The funny thing was, Antoni and I were given some food and COVID kit from the LGU after we completed the 2-week quarantine. It was very late, but still grateful for the food, medicine, and vitamins.
PROMOTION
I was hoping to be transferred to the ECE team. I have been told about it several times, but it has been postponed for the reason that no one can replace me and take over my job position. The transition will take time since my support is a beginner.
Initially, I was asked for some qualifications that can take over my role. Before I could say it, I was already told that they plan to transfer someone that is not an engineer, but someone from customer support. Since they had this in mind already, I just said that if he or she is adaptable and a fast learner then it's good to go.
I didn't expect it will backlash on me. Honestly, I needed someone who knows web development and Git. They have missed the part that the position has technical sides.
I expected so much from the contract. I made an onboarding guide starting from the installation of different software since I wanted to transfer fully the knowledge I have from my 2-year work experience with my ComSci team leader, who started the vue.js project. So when I read the contract, I was greatly disappointed. But after a good talk with Antoni, I decided to accept the promotion as a team lead.
And now, I have decided to study and do electronics projects on my own since my work is more engaged with web development rather than the electronics side. Frankly, I am not delighted totally but still thankful enough because it is still an opportunity and a blessing.
Some of the pros of this promotion is the salary increase and I'm more determined to do something else - to do more and be more.
Previous articles:
**Invested, Disappointed, Motivated in Less Than a Month** https://read.cash/@keeneek/invested-disappointed-motivated-in-less-than-a-month-44e1f46f
**Dinner at IKEA Swedish Restaurant** https://read.cash/@keeneek/dinner-at-ikea-swedish-restaurant-887092cd
**Smartwatch and Concert Ticket** https://read.cash/@keeneek/smartwatch-and-concert-ticket-fc69d7ac
**Currently Reading These Books** https://read.cash/@keeneek/currently-reading-these-books-22ef7757
**Tough Week But Still Grateful** https://read.cash/@keeneek/tough-week-but-still-grateful-4dc5747e
Connect wit me: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Invested, Disappointed, Motivated in Less Than a Month
All this time, my eyes have been set on finances, but when my sister, the second in the family, graduated from college in July this year, that was when the fire started to ignite. It is one of my goals to help my sisters finish their studies, and now that my two college sisters are down to one now, I've decided to do something for my career.
I started looking for jobs and went to interviews, but then I decided to stop it in the meantime. I stopped my job hunting quest for a greener pasture when my team leader resigned. His request to the management was to transfer me to the team more involved in electronics, specifically firmware.
Honestly, I got hyped about it. I've been praying for career growth since I achieved and got my license. After years of working, it is my first time wanting to achieve something in my career. I didn't even mind if my salary rate will downgrade as long as I'll achieve the career growth I've been yearning for, then it's good enough for me. Well, frankly, a salary that is good enough to send my sister to school.
It hasn't been a month since the transition ended. I can already feel the growth I've been wanting, but it's not inclined with electronics that much. It is more of web development and multiple repository and branch management. The only electronics that my job position is tackling is the documentation side - datasheet, manual, tutorials, stuff like that.
The initial plan of giving me a more technical role has been put aside since the workload of two is given to one. I am juggling with reading and checking raw documents, pull requests, and articles, fixing errors and conflicts, and communicating with almost everyone - the graphics team, engineers, marketing team, and even to the CEO. I am thrilled to be busy and needed.
When I received the news that someone will replace my role and I'll be transferred to the ECE team, it pumped my excitement. I was determined to start with the transitioning already so I even created an onboarding guide starting from installation. Then, this week, I received a contract and it contradicts the initial plan, more so, my expectation. Everything went downhill. I messaged my direct supervisor immediately and also asked HR both in China and the Philippines.
I do get the point with the delay but it's quite disheartening since my hopes are high. I slept early that night. The next day, the same feeling was heightened because of the response I received. I thought so hard about it. I cried, feeling heartbroken. Then I consulted Antoni. We had a good talk. After that talk, I decided to sign the contract as a team lead and emailed it back to HR at 1:00 AM. I even added to disregard my questions earlier.
I hope the growth I am experiencing at work right now will continue. I still have a long way to go, but I will brisk walk or maybe run if that is what it takes to catch up.
My September is like a rollercoaster of emotion. Nonetheless, I learn something from this ride:
Never set your expectation unless it has been sealed.
Plan from A to Z, it helps.
Cry, then stand again.
Look on the brighter side.
Wait, but keep swimming.
I know everything has a purpose. I may be confused now, but later on, I'll reach where I am supposed to be. My plans seem like the better plan, but God's plan will always be the best. I'll trust Him and accept whatever He will give me as of now.
Connect with me here: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Dinner at IKEA Swedish Restaurant
Antoni and I went to SM Mall of Asia to meet our classmate in college. He was in Manila since the group joined Dance Supremacy held at Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City around August. I wasn't able to watch the performance because I was not feeling well at that time. Nonetheless, regardless of being able to watch the competition or not, they all have my full support. Always.
I woke up at noon and immediately called him. He didn't answer. I checked the Instagram stories of the other members and saw they had an after-party at one of the finest bars in BGC. I concluded he was still sleeping, so I messaged him to call me if he is awake already. He called me at past 2:00 PM and I hurriedly prepared and told Antoni that we will meet Uriel together with Levin in SM MoA.
Since we are from General Trias, we expected to arrive at MoA around 4:30 to 5:00 PM. It was already 5:00 PM when we arrived. The mall was big, so it was another set of walking sessions for us to find Uriel and Levin. We met them in Fila Store, near Sports Central. They had already bought something, so we decided to have dinner right away.
Antoni and I decided to eat in the IKEA Swedish restaurant since they hadn't been there. The queuing time lasted for 20 minutes. When it was our turn, we immediately looked for a table for five. Uriel, Levin, and Antoni went with me to order our food while Earl waited at the table. We grabbed two push carts and took six trays. They were planning to have a Samgyup with the other members, so we just ordered a few.
The drinks and coffee are bottomless. We took five goblets and one cup (for the coffee). Drinks are worth 50 PHP, and the coffee is 40 PHP. Some of the food is self-service, and one of them is the cake. I took two almond cakes worth 90 PHP each. At the center, the staff asked for our order, and they hurriedly prepared it. I ordered 20 pieces of Swedish meatballs for 310 PHP, spaghetti with meatballs for 140 PHP, and baked salmon for 375 PHP. Uriel suggested ordering two baked salmon, but I insisted on only one since it's expensive.
Then I grabbed three cups of rice while Uriel took two bowls of mushroom soup. I forgot to tell him that I don't like their soup. He also ordered two pieces of chicken (40 PHP each), vegetable spring rolls (40 PHP good for two), and two pieces of pork barbeque (55 PHP each). Unfortunately, the garlic bread and the buttered croissant were out of stock. The only available was cinnamon bread. I headed to the cashier to pay for our orders and paid a total of 1,705 PHP.
After we placed the food at the table, Levin, Earl, and I headed to the drinks section. While Earl was busy preparing his coffee, Levin and I filled the goblets with drinks. There were eight different drinks to choose from, and you can choose any drink — it's bottomless!
My favorite is the sparkling lemon. It is also Anthony's favorite. Since Uriel and Levin didn't order a bowl of rice, so it was just me, Anthony, and Earl who ate the meatballs with rice. Uriel and Earl loved the mushroom soup, while the three of us didn't like it. But the common denominator was we all loved the meatballs and the almond cake and didn't like the spaghetti. Well, maybe because we are used to sweet-style (Filipino-style) spaghetti.
We spent more than an hour eating while talking. Then we decided to go out already since the others were waiting for them. They invited us but declined the offer. I wanted them to explore the showroom, but unfortunately, we were running out of time.
IKEA Manila is the largest IKEA in the world. The restaurant is on the 4th floor, and the exit is on the third floor, after the cashier. We had to walk the whole area before we reached the first exit from the top floor.
Previous articles:
**Smartwatch and Concert Ticket** https://read.cash/@keeneek/smartwatch-and-concert-ticket-fc69d7ac
**Currently Reading These Books** https://read.cash/@keeneek/currently-reading-these-books-22ef7757
**Tough Week But Still Grateful** https://read.cash/@keeneek/tough-week-but-still-grateful-4dc5747e
**August Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/august-memory-dump-40c328d5
Connect with me here: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Smartwatch and Concert Ticket
As the eldest in the family, my top priority is to support my family, especially my sisters in their studies. Aside from that, I want to spoil them when they deserve it and of course, if I have extra bucks.
Last June, before I went back home, I decided to buy something for everyone, including my dogs and cats. Mother has always been fair about rewarding or treating us. That is why, if I buy to one, I should also buy something for the rest of the pack.
But for today, I'll just share the things I bought for my two sisters — the second and the third — since it's my graduation gift to them. Aside from that reason, I also forgot to take a snap of the things I bought for Mama, Nana, Papa, the youngest, and the fur babies.
The Third
Cookie, the third in the pack, graduated last year. I wasn't able to buy a graduation gift for her at that time because it was still pandemic. She graduated in STEM with good grades and was a scholar for her whole SHS. It was a relief that her tuition fee had been reduced. I am proud of her because she's serious about her studies and is determined to be a doctor one day. I promise she has my full support on that and then give her something as her SHS graduation gift as soon as I have money.
When she messaged me about borrowing money to buy a concert ticket for her favorite K-POP idol, I immediately told her that I'll buy it, and it'll be my late graduation gift to her. I also paid for her round-trip plane ticket, light stick, and other stuff. Basically, she only needs to bring herself and her OOTD. However, my sister saved her allowance and was able to contribute almost 44 USD.
The Second
Mai2, the second in the pack, graduated from college, and I couldn't help but be overjoyed and grateful. My sister stopped in college for two years, so I can finish my studies first and also, just to not make the third stop her studies. She sacrificed a lot for me and Cookie. That is why, when I started working, I made sure I'll cover her tuition fees.
Even though she always comes in late, she still loves to wear a watch. Ironic, right? And also, she does exercise, especially hiking and running, so it was a good choice to gift her a smartwatch. The price is extra lower than the total expenses I paid for Cookie's gift. But I had already gifted her a concert ticket, way back in January 2018. And she understood why I'm treating the other one a concert ticket.
Aside from that, even with a tight budget, we went to Tagaytay, explored Manila, and had a food trip, as well. It was fun to see my sisters having fun after graduating from college and before the face-to-face class started.
Previous articles:
**August Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/august-memory-dump-40c328d5
**Tough Week But Still Grateful** https://read.cash/@keeneek/tough-week-but-still-grateful-4dc5747e
**Currently Reading These Books** https://read.cash/@keeneek/currently-reading-these-books-22ef7757
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Currently Reading These Books
Every year, since 2016, I've been joining the annual Reading Challenge of Goodreads. For this year, I aim to read at least 30 books, and so far, I have read 11 books only. This means I'm 10 books behind my schedule. I only have less than five months to complete this challenge. So I'm trying to speed things up amid the now hectic schedule.
This month of September, I plan to read at least four books. I have already read two books, and currently reading three.
**Let's start with the two books I've read:**
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
✨✨✨✨
It's a story about a young mother, who spent years in prison for the tragic death of her boyfriend and longs in meeting her daughter. This book is about second chance, acceptance, and redemption.
This was heartbreakingly good. As usual, CoHo never fails to make me cry. It was indeed a good read that I couldn't stop and finished the book in less than three days.
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Sōji Shimada
✨✨✨✨
A story of a murdered artist who mutilated the body of six girls to create Azoth, a perfect woman based on astrology. Then a detective must solve this 40-year-old murder case in a week only.
The murders are sick to read. Imagining it sends a shiver down my spine. It was well-described in the book. It's a bit of gore, but I find the ending a bit sad. It's not that satisfying but was somehow warm.
**Here are my Current Reading List:**
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
This is book 2 of the Hercule Poirot book series. Hercoile Poirot is like the old version of Sherlock Holmes. For this book, the story revolves around a millionaire stabbed in the back.
I'm still 16% of this book, so there's nothing much to share.
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
This is super light and fun, and I'm quite enjoying this book. It's a story of a girl, the wedding planner's cousin, who stopped the wedding because she found out that the bride is in love with her best friend just before the wedding ceremony started.
I'm 30% done with this book, and hopefully, I'll finish this three days from now.
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
This has been sitting on my To-Read list for quite a while already. The story revolves around the forensic anthropologist attempting to find the story behind the unrecognizable mutilated body.
I'm still on my 12% of this book, and at the moment, nothing major happened yet.
Majority of my reads are crime, mystery, and thriller. But if I want to relax, it's the romance for me. Fantasy is one of my favorites, as well. However, I don't feel like reading any of my fantasy books.
Hopefully, I will be able to finish one book amid the busy schedule.
Previous articles:
**August Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/august-memory-dump-40c328d5
**Tough Week But Still Grateful** https://read.cash/@keeneek/tough-week-but-still-grateful-4dc5747e
Connect with me: Noise • Hive • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Tough Week But Still Grateful
This has been a tough week for me—physically, mentally, financially, and above all, emotionally. I'm in a low spirit right now, and I'm trying to cheer myself with all the self-confirmation, sleep early as possible, and also pray and talk to Him. I always trust His process, but I can't help but be sad with all these burdens. But I don't want this to be a sad write-up. It's still Thursday, but I will share some of the things I've been grateful for despite this tough week.
New Opportunities
Now that my previous team leader resigned, and his last day was on September 9, I am grateful for the new opportunity given to me. Honestly, I was planning to resign and started hunting for jobs on LinkedIn because I feel stagnant in my previous job position. After the board exam, I kept on praying for new opportunities to grow as an individual and a professional.
Aside from the new learning, I will be able to learn accuracy, efficiency, communication, and time management. Before, our team was composed of four members, including the team leader. But now, it's just me only. I can ask for help from the IT team member assigned to help me, but the rest will be all up to me.
I want to be more engaged with the electronics side, but I equally want to work out the communication, too. Hopefully, I will be able to overcome this lack of confidence when communicating with others.
New Friends
Since I've been inactive for how many months, it felt like I'm already left behind with my old set of online friends. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but the lack of communication for the time being made me too shy to talk to them like before. But now, I am starting to communicate and be active from time to time and do my duty as a moderator and ambassador.
Aside from that, I have gained a new set of online friends and even followed each other on my other Twitter account. It's not my main account yet but will get there. I am also trying to communicate on the Discord channel from time to time.
Sleep Early
My body is used to sleeping for 3-5 hours only. The thing is, my sleeping time got worse. I used to sleep from 2 AM to 3 AM, and then wake up around 6 AM - 7 AM. However, these past few months, I've been sleeping from 6 AM to 8 AM. I tried being in bed as early as possible, but my mind was still active until sunrise.
Antoni knows I've been sleeping in the morning already, so I asked him if he can buy the vitamins that always make me sleep early. And for five days already, I sleep from 1 AM to 2 AM and wake up at 7 AM to 8 AM. It's huge progress already. As early as 10 PM, I'm already sleepy, but not enough to make me fall asleep tho. Old habits never die...easily.
Free Food
From July until the next four months, I have projected that I'll be on a very, very tight budget. Not because I am saving something, but it's because of the bills I've been paying every month. I'm not an impulsive buyer, honestly speaking. I use Shopee for my family, especially my three sisters and ten furbabies. I only buy stuff for myself if I need it.
But, I am always grateful to Antoni for always spoiling me with food. Whenever he asks me what I want to eat, I always reply with nothing in particular. Or, I'll reply I still have biscuits.
Now that he was back in his office, he's been using his meal allowance to buy food for me—2 boxes of Angel's Pizza (my goodness!), 1 large Chocolate Muffin of Figaro, 10 pieces of Takoyaki, my all-time favorite siopao from 7/11, and a lot more.
There are so many things to be grateful for. Even just waking up every morning is already a huge blessing. I may be weary and exhausted, but I know this, too, shall pass.
Again, I'm a Pisces, so I'll just keep on swimming.
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August Memory Dump
I started my August with a bang with my sisters coming over here in Cavite. Our family hasn't experienced yet going to different places together. So it was a great joy that two of my sister were with me, and even though we didn't explore that much because of a very tight budget, we were able to go to some places and enjoyed our time together.
Since I am currently residing in Cavite, our first stop was Tagaytay City. Antoni wanted to see Taal Volcano at night and see the reflection of the moon at Taal Lake. However, it started pouring while we were on our way. We decided to dine in Leslie's Restaurant and took pictures even though there was drizzle and pitch black. So we decided to come again and have coffee with a view.
Again, when we arrived it started pouring. It was cold and beautiful at that moment because of the fog. We went to Starbucks and had a great view of Taal Volcano. We waited there until the rain stopped, but it didn't. Instead of going to Twin Lakes, we headed on to Acienda. Sadly, the eldest was broke, so we went there just to take pictures and roam around the palace-like mall with big discounts. I told my sisters we would go back there when I recovered financially.
They stayed in Cavite for 8 days, and for 5 days, they were just chilling and watching Netflix. My sisters are also heavy eaters, so I cooked Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) for them. I was happy to finally eat Army Stew again because Antoni is no longer a fan of this Korean dish. We also had Samyang and Takoyaki night while we watched Korean dramas.
Then, I booked a condo unit in AirBNB, so we have a place to stay while we were in Manila and while waiting for their flight as well. The day before their flight, we went to the National Museum of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to explore the museum. Closing time was 6:00 PM and we arrived there at 5:00 PM. Instead of going straight to Intramuros, we had our dinner before heading on to BGC.
We only visited Fullybooked, bought Krispy Kreme donuts, and then headed back to the condo. One of the things that I wanted them to experience is riding a train. Then I told them that we will explore Manila again soon.
The next day was their flight going back to our province. Before their flight, we went to IKEA and had our breakfast there. I wanted them to try the things that I've tried, all thanks to Antoni. I was supposed to pay the bill but Antoni insisted on paying them. We didn't explore IKEA because our checkout time was at noon. Luckily, the condo unit we rented is just in front of SM MoA - the Shell Residences.
After my sister, it was my co-dancers who are in Manila. They joined a dance competition held in Tanghalang Pasigueno. I decided not to go there and watch because the ticket was pricey. I just told my friend — my dance mentor, the coach of the team, classmate, review buddy, and my closest guy friend — to meet me in SM MoA. He wanted me to join them at BGC after the competition but I have no budget for those expensive drinks. They spent almost 300 USD on drinks. That was EXPENSIVE!!!
The day after the competition, I thought we were not able to meet because he hadn't called me yet not until it was 2:30 PM. He just woke up and called me right away. I immediately prepared and told Antoni that we were going to meet Uriel.
It was already 5:30 PM when we meet. We immediately hugged each other. He is one of my guy friends that I hug and probably the only guy friend who I allow to kiss me on the cheeks, on my hair, or forehead. He's straight but it has no malice. So we went to IKEA and had dinner together with Levin and Earl (fellow co-dancer). We only had a few hours to spare to catch up, and by 8:00 PM, we bid goodbye.
After that eventful two weeks, the rest of August was stressful for me. I was stressed financially and hadn't recovered yet from the tuition fees of my two sisters, and then it was enrolment again plus my sister requested to live in a boarding house. With that, I decided to sell the printer I bought during review days. I was even planning to sell some of my books, but Antoni was against it. There was one time I sold 10 of my books for the operation of my dog, and I was sobbing while selling them. But I had to, for my dog.
I was stressed financially. It's better to be stressed at work than to be financially stressed. I even used my checking account maintaining balance for the meantime and tried to deposit back the money before the clearing. Then, at work, we had a meeting regarding our taxation. That was one of the trigger points that I wanted to resign and look for another job. But then my supervisor resigned first and I took over his role.
Even so, I still look for a job - Test Engineer, Failure Analysis Engineer, or Associate Software Developer. Unfortunately, I couldn't land a job. I have no experience with these since all of my work is related to RND or Academe. On the brighter side, I received a salary increase because of the promotion. But still, part of the increase will probably be spent on an accountant. Until now, I'm looking for an accountant whom I can trust. My CPA friends are in Iligan City, and I'm in Cavite.
Then, Antoni started inviting me to dine outside. He even bought food for me, especially my comfort food and that would be Krispy Kreme, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Korean food. Even with a messed-up life - the perks of being the eldest in the family, I'm still blessed to have a partner who is my beam and column. We even went to Bulacan because of his Aunt, and all I did on that trip is to sleep and eat.
Hopefully, I'll overcome this financial crisis sooner or later with God's grace. I know brighter days are yet to come. I'm a Pisces, so I'll just keep swimming!
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Caving, Diving and Jumping in Sohoton Cove
It's been a week since my last post here on Read about my caving adventures in Sohoton. I have shared the fun I experienced with the twin caves, and now, I'll be sharing another caving adventure in Sohoton Cove. I intentionally separate these two caves from the other two since they gave me a different level of excitement and fun. It involves rock climbing, diving, and cliff jumping.
En Route to Sohoton Cove
Before entering Sohoton Cove, we enlisted at the tourist registration area of Sohoton Cove. After the registration, we grouped into eight and seven with one guide and two boatmen. Each of us had a helmet and life vest.
While heading to the secret cove, there were islets everywhere covered by trees. It's like Sohoton is a gigantic maze of nature. Also, the water was serene and clear. Because of the lush green islets, for the most part, the color of the water is emerald green.
After 15-minutes of a boat ride, we reached the sole passageway of the secret cove, accessible only during low tide or when the high tide subsides. The cave has a very low ceiling with stalactites that we need to duck in as we enter the cavern. The boatman slowed down and there was no way that we can take pictures in a sitting position while in a cave of 60-meter in length.
HAGUKAN CAVE
Hagukan Cave is labeled as a snoring luminescent cave. The cave's namesake comes from the Cebuano word "Haguk", which means snore. The narrow opening of the cave produces a snoring sound, specifically during a certain period of the tide's regression. As the waves of the tide subside and a splash hits the cavern's ceiling, the air from the cavern rushes out in sync with the waves producing a snoring sound.
During low tide, the entrance is visible where you can go swim into the cave and witness the luminescent water as you keep on splashing. The ceiling is full of stalagmites making the water cold. However, when the water is still not at its lowest, you need to dive and hold your breath for about ten seconds to reach the inside.
Our tour guide led the way into the cave. We were instructed to neither move our legs nor our arms. All we did was hold our breath. My batchmate in ROTC, the husband of my high school classmate, came out of the cave and told me not to enter since I am also asthmatic. He lasted for a few seconds only and instructed the guide to steer him out of the cave. His face was beet red while he was grasping for air. The guide warned me, but I insisted on going in.
I was the last person to enter the cave and had to inhale as much as I can before the guide held the back of my neck. He pushed me as he dived deeper into the cave.
The inside was considerably dark. Our guide instructed us to start splashing. We kept splashing like little kiddos playing around, and then the water started glowing in an electric-blue color. The water was so refreshingly cold, but the area had provided thin air. I was sweating and got tired of the fun splashing.
At the center, there's a big rock where I stood on top of it and rested for a few minutes. Because of the cold water, my leg muscles began stiffening, so I decided to go out and asked our tour guide to lead me out of the cave.
MAGKUKUOB CAVE
From Hagukan Cave, it was another 15-minute boat ride until we arrived at the second cave destination, the Magkukuob Cave. Before jumping off into the water, our tour guide warned us those who will enter the cave would have their way out through cliff jumping. We were not allowed to wear a life vest, only a helmet.
At that time, the water was still high. The tour guide instructed us to form one line and put our arms on the shoulders in front of us. The water became deeper and deeper as we walked like a train at a slow pace. The water reached my forehead, and I had to hold my breath again for about ten seconds.
When we reached the part of the cave with big rocks, our guide flashed the light to the ceiling. It was pitch-black with bats. The only light was from the narrow exit above filled with stalactites and stalagmites. We had to climb our way out of the cave. It was steep, slippery, and dark. Our guide had to flash the light so we can see the rocks.
After exiting the cave, we went down another steep pathway to the wooden jumping board. It was a 16-feet high jumping board and the water was around 80-90 feet deep. While waiting for the others to jump, we enjoyed swimming in the lagoon. I dared myself not to wear a life vest knowing how deep the water was.
Compared to the previous twin caves we visited, the caving adventures we had were more fun and thrilling. The fun adventures never stops when we were instructed again to ride on a two-man capacity paddle boat upon arriving at the reception area.
Related Sohoton articles:
**The Twin Caves of Sohoton** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-twin-caves-of-sohoton-40fd38e5
**A Full-Packed Adventures in Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Island** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-full-packed-adventures-in-sohoton-cove-bucas-grande-island-db670911
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The Twin Caves of Sohoton
In my previous article, I mentioned the four caves in Sohoton Cove. The two caves are accompanied by a water adventure which makes it thrilling and fun and the last two don't have the water adventures but require trek for a few minutes.
The spelunking adventures of this twin cave is like the typical cave we often heard and saw on the textbook whenever the topic is about stalactites and stalagmites. These two caves boast rock formations in various sizes and shapes. It was dubbed as twin caves since they are adjacent to each other. Although these two are the exact opposite of one another.
Related article:
***A Full-Packed Adventures in Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Island*** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-full-packed-adventures-in-sohoton-cove-bucas-grande-island-db670911
**En Route To Sohoton Gamay**
From our accommodation, we rode with the pump boat to Sohoton Gamay from where the twin caves are located. On my second travel, we stayed in Tiktikan Lagoon and Resort. It was a fifteen-minute boat ride from there to our destination. The boat was included in the package we availed.
Trekking
To reach the two adjacent caves, we had to trek and follow the trail up to the hill. A helmet and a flashlight were given for the spelunking activity. The trail is surrounded by trees and flowers. We were serenaded by the sound of nature which makes the climbing fun. It sounded like they were cheering for us. The climbing took only for a few minutes but it was good enough to make us sweat.
Crystal Cave
Flashlights were turned on upon reaching the mouth of Crystal Cave. Unlike other caves, the Crystal cave immediately showcased some of its rock formations. It was full of stalactites and stalagmites in various shapes and sizes. Our tour guide was discussing how these rock formations were formed like the columns, flowstones, and other rock formations. These were formed either because of Stalactites or Stalagmites or both.
The cave's namesake came from some of the stalagmites, stalactites and other rock formations that twinkle and sparkles when light shines upon them. The quartz crystals embedded in the rock glitters beautifully in the dark, like the stars in the night. These glittering formations are for your eyes only to preserve the crystals. A single and slightest touch can scrape the crystals off. There were boundaries installed but it was still mentioned by the tour guide to prevent such thing to happen.
Crystal cave is an open-ended cave. On my first travel, after more than a hundred meters of walking into the cave, our guide instructed that we are near the wishing well. We were fortunate there was still water flowing in the area. The way to the well was very slippery because of the droplets coming from the stalactites. We had to bend over and balance our way while avoiding the stalactites and stalagmites at the same time. We reached the area one at a time, then we threw coins and made our wish.
Bolitas Cave
After the wishing well, we were instructed not to go further for safety purposes. The rest of the Crystal Cave will be a mystery to us. With that, we went back to the mouth of Crystal Cave to "supposedly" explore another cave called Bolitas Cave. The name of the cave refers to the tiny spherical stones on the cave ground. It resembles pellets or tiny metal balls used in ball bearings. These spherical stones are droplets from the tiny and sharp stalactites of this cave. Also, Bolitas Cave is home to Balinsasayaw of swiftlet. It is a rare bird that produces very expensive and edible nests.
After the guide had discussed the cave's name, he announced that those who are asthmatic and have heart failures are not allowed to go inside. For the reason that it's the exact opposite of the spacious and chill walk in the Crystal Cave. Going into the Bolitas cave requires you to belly crawl and to wiggle yourself into the center of the cave. Then another belly crawl from the center of the cave towards the entrance.
The cave entrance was very tight, and the ceiling was so low. I am asthmatic, but as a stubborn girl, I wanted to go inside. My other friends exited their way out of the cave. Let's just say most of us are quite big and healthy.
Because of the narrow passageway, only one person could pass through at a time. Ella and I wanted to go inside. Our tour guide can't accompany us. Ella attempted going first. Wearing a helmet is not allowed. Later on, she crawled backward and then told me that it's not safe for me to go in. I might have an asthma attack. It was very disappointing that I was unable to explore fully the Bolitas cave. I only knew what was inside because of our guide.
When all of us were out in the cave, we followed the trail again for another good sweat. We returned the helmet and flashlight we rented and then rode back to our pump boat for another adventure.
Previous articles:
**July Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/july-memory-dump-875b968f
**I'm Back with My License** https://read.cash/@keeneek/im-back-with-my-license-9880e793
**A Full-Packed Adventures in Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Island** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-full-packed-adventures-in-sohoton-cove-bucas-grande-island-db670911
**How I Format My Blog on Hive** https://read.cash/@keeneek/how-i-format-my-blog-on-hive-a12a3659
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July Memory Dump
Hi!
It's been a long while since my last post here on Read. My July was another jam-packed month. Well, I could've spared a few hours to write something, but unfortunately, the internet connection in my father's hometown is unstable. The place only has Piso WiFi - the connection is slow to none. Even the Messenger application takes time to load.
Amid the busy schedule, the main reason I was the unstable internet. With that, I was hoping to get back on track when I arrived here in Cavite on the 29th. Sadly, I still can't for the reason that I can no longer use my laptop for personal use. The company required the employees to only use the laptop for work purposes, hence the monitoring software installed. As of now, I have no budget to purchase a laptop since I just recently bought my phone. So I need to get used to using my phone for blogging in the meantime. Just like the old days.
Cebu City
I spent the first week of July in Cebu City, wherein I experienced missing my flight for the very first time. Though the traffic was heavy, I can only blame myself for not going to the airport in the morning. I decided to work in the morning instead. So I booked another flight, on the same day and arrived in Cebu City safe and sound. It feels like home.
Because I spent my extra money on the fare, I arrived in Cebu City with a very, very tight budget. I was planning to have a food trip there but decided to postpone it because I was broke.
Nonetheless, my Cebu trip was good. My cravings were satisfied! I ate in Teology Cafe and went to Tisa for their siomai. Also, I was able to eat Budae Jjigae again with my Cebu housemates.
Aside from that, I was able to attend The Feast Cebu after almost three years. I even met a classmate in college whom I haven't seen for five years. Lastly, I had quality time, as well, with my best friend (slept in her condo unit on the 50th floor!) the day before I fly back to Cavite.
Iligan City
After a week of staying in Cebu City, I flew back to Cavite and then after three days, I went to Iligan City. This time, I made sure to go early and just work at the airport. However, my team lead was kind enough not to give me a task since I'm at the airport. Unfortunately, we had a scheduled meeting at the same time as the boarding time. I had no choice but to leave the meeting by the time the plane was about to take off.
When I arrived at Laguindingan airport, I didn't expect that my classmate in high school would fetch me. And guess what, Cha was with Hazel and Imboi. Cha has been one of the few people who know my struggle during the review. We had a similar situation, so we really know and understand each other very well. We only exchanged messages, but we haven't seen each other for more than five years already.
Fast forward, I was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of my college classmate and thesis adviser. The day before the wedding, my classmates in college (team aryat) held a bridal shower in the bride's residence. It was my first time attending a bridal shower.
During the wedding, Antoni and I were called out as the next groom and bride. Thankfully, we were just called to pass the bouquet and have a group picture. Thank goodness!
After the wedding, together with the groom and Antoni's colleagues, we went to Tinago and Timoga. Since the guests are from Luzon, Antoni wanted them to have a taste of the food in Iligan City: Pater, Papa Mais, Halang-Halang, Lechon Baboy, and Mackis fried chicken.
Baganian, Zamboanga del Sur
After almost three years, I was back in Baganian! I know it's too late. I was supposed to go there last December 2021 but didn't make it because of the circumstances. So my grandpa passed away early this year, and he wasn't able to see the license I promised. Even so, I know he's with me all the time, and he sees my gift to him.
Baganian is still a secluded place. There is no signal for call and text. Fortunately, the place now has Piso WiFi. It's super slow but better than nothing, I guess. It was hard for me to catch a strong signal since the router was a little bit distant from our bakery.
Without the influence of the internet, I was able to enjoy Baganian. My cousins had me drink a Tuba and a Koter (Tuba with milk and egg yolk). My zodiac sign is Pisces and has been deprived of water since I started living independently and away from my hometown. With that, I was hungry for water - from a cold spring, jumped into the water from the port, swam session on the beach, and then had a cliff jumping in the Blue Lagoon.
Graduation Day
Two days after I arrived home from Baganian, I attended the graduation of my sister, the second in the pack. It was unfortunate our parents weren't able to witness my sister had her graduation walk. They were traveling the night before graduation day. It was past 10:00 PM when my mother called. They were still in Zamboanga del Sur and the place was still almost a two-hour drive to Pagadian City. And from Pagadian City, it's another 3-4 hours of driving to arrive home.
I had to video and picture everything and send it to Mama. She was sad she couldn't see it personally. Nonetheless, she was happy and proud. I am also happy and proud. After all the sacrifices my sister went through just to make me finish college and also to not make the third in the pack to stop her studies in high school, she finally finished college.
After the graduation ceremony, we went to the city, and I bought something to eat for our lunch. We didn't get to celebrate with our parents since they were still traveling.
Manila
After lunch, I cuddled my baby sharks since my flight together with my sister (the third in the pack) was at 7:55 PM. I was waiting for our parents to arrive, but the time was ticking. Going to Laguindingan airport from my hometown would take 2.5 hours, given that there's no traffic.
My sister was traveling with me because I gift~~e~~d her a Treasure concert ticket. It was my late Senior High graduation gift. I also bought a light stick for her. Hence, the brokeness until September (projected month). That is why I need to hustle more to compensate for all my expenses. It was her first flight, the first concert to attend, and her first time in Manila. The next day, she also had her first train ride. I'm happy she was able to experience it in one go.
Many things happened. With the hectic July, I wasn't able to achieve the goals I had set. Because of that, I decided not to post my August goals since I am still busy looking for a new job. But I'm hoping that I will be able to complete my July goals before August ends.
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I'm Back with My License
After three long years, I am finally back in the hometown of my Papa, here at Baganian. It is situated in the southernmost part of Zamboanga del Sur. It took me a very long while to visit again because of the review, then the pandemic happened. And because of that, I wasn't able to say goodbye to my beloved Lolo Panyong. I promised him that I will be back when I claim my license.
I was hesitant to go here because Baganian is still a secluded place. When I stayed here for a month last 2019, my phone was only necessary to take a picture. I can neither text nor call. No WiFi either. But thankfully, this place has been installed with a Peso Net. At the moment, I paid 25 PHP for five hours. The downside: our bakery is a little bit distant from the router so the loading time feels like forever.
It was a good decision that I didn't follow my mother's request to travel on Tuesday. Else, I'll be absent from work for four days.
From my hometown in Lanao del Norte, it took me and my 20-year-old uncle 7-long-butt-cracking hours of land travel. It was a total of three rides: a bus, an electric tricycle (bajaj or bao²), and a van.
The last trip going to Baganian departs at 4:00 PM. We were able to depart at almost noon, and I doubted that we will be able to make it on the last trip. The bus ride travel time could've been lessened if not for the fetching and dropping off the passenger. Not to mention the road widening. If by chance, we couldn't make it, Mama messaged me to stop at Culabay and Papa will fetch us.
Papa is already tired from waking up at around 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM, doing deliveries in the morning and then in the afternoon. So I was desperate to ride on the last trip. And thank God, we were able to make it. We were the last passenger in the van.
For the whole travel, I didn't munch any food or drink water and didn't even eat breakfast. Reason? I don't want to pee at the bus stops or terminals, especially have an upset stomach during travel.
It was already past 6:00 PM when we arrive in Baganian. And what surprised me the most is that 90% of the road going to Baganian is cemented already.
During my first visit to Baganian, Papa had to tie me around his waist with a thick rope because I easily fall asleep. He had to tie me since we were only riding a motorcycle. I was in a deep sleep that I didn't notice the road was very, very bumpy. I only knew about the rocky road when we had to go back to Lanao del Norte. I even asked Papa how did I manage to be in a deep sleep state. He just laughed and was amused, as well.
The last time I visited Baganian, in late 2019, I almost fell out of the motorcycle because of the rocky road. I tried so hard not to fall asleep so Papa will not have a hard time driving with a sleepy log on his back. At that time, the road was 30% cemented.
It feels so odd not to see Lolo here with teary eyes and a big smile on his face. I'll be visiting his tomb tomorrow, bringing along my license. I know he is proud to have an engineer grandchild. He will be watching from afar.
Also, I'm happy I still have Tatay, Lolo's sibling, who always says yes whenever I ask him to have a boat ride. He knows that I write blogs.
I am not sure we will be able to go in the underground river, the two caves, have an island hopping, and then do a port and cliff jumping since it's pouring heavily here. Hope Mr. Sun will say hi tomorrow.
Hays, I miss you, Lo.
PS. I writing this on my phone. It's hard to add a footer.
K N E E L Y R A C 🌻
A Full-Packed Adventures in Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Island
Hiding behind the broad wall of fame of Siargao — *the Surfing Capital of the Philippines* — is the Sohoton on Bucas Grande Island. Sohoton has been blessed with wonders of nature. I've been there twice in a row with less than two months of an interval apart. And surely Sohoton never fails to give me thrills.
I was fortunate enough that on my first travel, all expense was paid by the project plus I even had a per diem. How awesome is that, right? The team was also very fortunate to have a Project Development Officer who religiously researched a travel destination just to give the team an amazing trip before the project ends.
Usually, the main destination of the tourists is Siargao and they would have a side trip to Sohoton. But for us, we interchanged it and turned Sohoton as our main destination and Siargao as a side trip.
SOHOTON COVE
Sohoton Cove is located in the southwestern part of Bucas Grande Island, which is situated off the coast of Surigao del Norte, Philippines. It is a one-hour boat trip from the popular tourist island, Siargao. Bucas Grande Island lies within the breadth of the Pacific dubbing as the hidden jewel of the Pacific.
The island screams tranquility and adventure. It is an all-in-one travel experience where escaping from the hustle and bustle is possible. Sohoton is a secluded area and it is a great place where you can relax and savor the beauty of nature. The calm and pristine waters, the greenery of the islets, and the caves and their rock formations are breathtakingly beautiful.
Here are the must-visit destinations in Sohoton:
Bolitas Cave
Bolitas Cave is a low cave ceiling in which you have to belly crawl from the pinch-sized entrance to a 10-meter long, narrow passageway. Reaching the cave's end, you will see rock formations in a spherical ball-like form scattered on the cave ground. It resembles tiny metal balls used in ball bearings locally termed bolitas.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fully enter this cave because I am asthmatic. We tried to crawl, but we were big enough for the then narrow passageway.
Crystal Cave
Bolitas Cave and Crystal Cave are adjacent to each other. Upon entering the cavern, on the left side, you will encounter first the passageway of the Bolitas Cave. If you walk further, you will reach the crystal cave at the end part.
There are stalagmites, stalactites, columns, flowstones, and other rock formations. As you walk in its wide and long chamber, you will see some rock formations twinkle like stars in the night when light shines upon them.
If you can imagine a gown full of Swarovski, then that's what the rock formations look like.
Hagukan Cave
Hagukan is a Visayan term for snoring. The two narrow entrances that look like nostrils produce a snoring sound as the water slams into the cavern. Hagukan Cave is also dubbed the luminescent cave because of its water that turns into a luminous green when the light comes in through the entrance.
During my two visits, I experienced entering the cave at low tide and the other one before high tide. The latter was the most fun part. (I'll share this in detail on my next blog!)
Magkukuob Cave
Magkukuob Cave is the highlight and the best cave for me! You enter the cave and exit thru cliff jumping. Fun, right?
Entering the Magkukuob Cave requires you to walk into the dark and rocky floor with high-waist deep water or more. Then, you have to rock climb towards a skylight leading to the jumping board.
Entering this cave means you have to cliff jump to a 5-meter high wooden jumping board. We were not allowed to wear a life vest. The guide said this: "***It's okay if you don't know how to swim since we are here waiting to rescue you. But if you don't know how to jump, then do not enter the cave.***"
Stingless Jellyfish Sanctuary
Get onboard a two-man capacity paddle boat and enjoy the picturesque view of Sohoton Cove until you reach Tojoman Lagoon, which is the home of a swarm of jellyfish. You can touch, hold, and swim with the stingless jellyfish in the clear and calm water of the lagoon.
An underwater camera is a must to have a selfie with these jelly creatures. Lotion or sunblock can harm the jellyfish, so it's best not to apply any of these two when visiting the lagoon.
SUMMING UP
These must-see destinations can all be visited in a day. But if you want to relax and breathe, then you can extend your stay. Just bring enough snacks. Sohoton is very secluded where resorts are located on an islet or a lagoon.
To summarize the fun-packed adventures in Sohoton, here are the things you must never miss to do:
Swim in the Marka-a Island and Bubon Group of Islets (*Stop-over only*)
A tour in Sohoton Cove where the entrance and exit are a cave passable only when high tide subsides
Have thrilling cave adventures in Hagukan Cave and Magkukuob Cave
Swim with the playful and stingless jellyfish in the Tojoman Jellyfish Sanctuary
Cliff diving in Tiktikan Lagoon
Trek and have a boat ride in Tiktikan Lake
See the dancing glitters in the Crystal Cave
Crawl into the Bolitas Cave (*If you dare to belly crawl, then go!*)
Kayaking in a lagoon
Island Hopping
Sightseeing in Club Tara Resort
Have a sumptuous meal with freshly caught seafood.
This is just an overview of what Sohoton has to offer. In my succeeding Sohoton blogs, I'll share with you the detailed, fun, and thrilling experiences in the must-see destinations in Sohoton!
Previous articles:
**How I Format My Blog on Hive** https://read.cash/@keeneek/how-i-format-my-blog-on-hive-a12a3659
**Waterfalls and Man-Made Lake in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte** https://read.cash/@keeneek/waterfalls-and-man-made-lake-in-kapatagan-lanao-del-norte-04a9a622
**Faces and Poses** https://read.cash/@keeneek/faces-and-poses-28af63ef
**June Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/june-memory-dump-e654a92a
**Square One: July 2022 Goals** https://read.cash/@keeneek/square-one-july-2022-goals-88a1e0c6
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
How I Format My Blog on Hive
My hands were full these past few days, which limits me to publish an article on Read. Aside from that, the internet connection at home is slow to none. It's very unstable, especially in the daytime. I am not sure if I can publish 15 articles for this month with my current situation. I'll be here in my hometown until the 28th, so I guess my July goals are at risk. But I'll try...I'll try as much as I can.
Anyway, I have decided to share on Read how I format my blog on Hive since some of my online friends here asked me for some Hive stuff. One of the many things that I told them is about the formatting technique. It is not compulsory, but to attract more audiences and curators, it is needed.
Unlike Read, Hive is not easy to navigate. It's a little bit complex since you have to familiarize terminologies like Resource Credits, Hive Power, Staked token, Liquid token, and a lot more.
In writing blogs on Hive, it uses Markdown, a simple and easy-to-use markup language. There are tons of Markdown cheatsheets on the internet, but some of them do not apply to Hive.
Here is the Markdown I use when writing a blog:
HEADERS
Adding headers to your blog provides emphasis on the topic. This way, the reader will have a hint as to what the next section/topic is all about.
The title is Header 1. Then the next headlines, I will use the succeeding header numbers. I rarely use Header 2 and 3 since they are quite big for me.
<h1> Header 1 </h2>
<h2> Header 2 </h2>
<h3> Header 3 </h3>
<h4> Header 4 </h4>
<h5> Header 5 </h5>
<h6> Header 6 </h6>
# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3
#### Header 4
##### Header 5
###### Header 6
In placing the headers, I like to place them at the center.
### <center> HEADLINE </center>
If there is a need to put a sub-headline, I use a line break and subscript.
### <center> HEADLINE <br> <sub> Sub-Headline </sub> </center>
line break `<br>`
subscript `<sub> </sub>`
TEXT/BODY
The default format in Hive for the normal text (body of the blog) is at the left. As for me, I like justifying the text like how a paragraph should be written on the paper.
Before anything else, I will set first that my blog should be justified. Hence, I will type this in the first and last parts.
Justify `<div class="text-justify">TEXT</div>`
Pull Left `<div class=pull-left>This text is on the left</div>`
Pull Right `<div class=pull-right>This text is on the right</div>`
Center `<center>This text is in the middle</center>`
<div class="text-justify">This is an example only for you to see that this sentence is justified because of the markdown code that I used before filling out the body of my blog. </div>
**Preview**:
<div class=pull-left>
ROMAJI LYRICS
Kaze o Sagashite
kaze o kanjiyou kaze o kanjiru nda
namida kawakashitekureru kaze o sagashi ni ikou
bouken no tabi dareka to deau tame ni
tachidomaranai sa
hora, mae ni taisetsu na kimi ga matteru
</div>
<div class=pull-right>
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Search the Wind
Feel the wind, just feel the wind
Let's go looking for the wind that will dry our tears away
The journey of adventures is for meeting someone special
I won't stop here
Look, just ahead there's you, my dear, who's waiting for me.
</div>
**Preview**:
PHOTOS
Photos are essentials in blogs, but be mindful of the arrangement of the photos that your blog will not look like a blog with photo dumps. The default alignment of Hive Markdown for photos is on the left side. To avoid editing your photos in layout, use the **pull left** and **pull right**.
Pull Left `<div class=pull-left> Image link </div>`
Pull Right `<div class=pull-right> Image link </div>`
Note:
When using pull left and right, use the generated image link only. Erase the following: `![Image-Filename.png]` and the open and close parenthesis.
<div class=pull-left>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kneelyrac/23vi673xJ77GZhgvGYFWnx2sHRNfnz4SgUeMfdtytCHFcLNwBJTuRe85D1hfqBcJbGuA1.jpg</div>
<div class=pull-right>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kneelyrac/23vi5tVQJ6zpWmd3tdGHB5LRL59u33zaQ3nKjqgwxGZRvdThB9iYTa7AVspB9XURTXoDa.jpg </div>
**Preview**:
CAPTION
I sometimes include a photo caption. It doesn't need to be a paragraph long. When adding a caption, make sure to include it at the center.
Also, I use the subscript for the caption. This is to separate the caption from the normal text.
<div class=pull-left>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kneelyrac/23vi673xJ77GZhgvGYFWnx2sHRNfnz4SgUeMfdtytCHFcLNwBJTuRe85D1hfqBcJbGuA1.jpg</div>
<div class=pull-right>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kneelyrac/23vi5tVQJ6zpWmd3tdGHB5LRL59u33zaQ3nKjqgwxGZRvdThB9iYTa7AVspB9XURTXoDa.jpg </div>
<center> <sub> My eye as the reference </sub> </center>
Preview:
If I want to add a caption per image, I include it in the pull left and right.
Pull Left `<div class=pull-left> Image link <sub> Caption </sub> </div>`
Pull Right `<div class=pull-right> Image link <sub> Caption </sub> </div>`
<div class=pull-left>https://images.hive.blog/DQmZup4BUW3e1KxfLnsJMdSLBU4pEg8dKBGQAHGVFTxv5bh/20200222_180116_394.jpg <center><sub> Twilight at SM Seaside, Cebu City </sub> </center></div>
<div class=pull-right>https://images.hive.blog/DQmaTyu51yQZN2pt4JMRHpyVoNZQmRQpuyJErFooXWpEhxN/20210213_191633_899-01.jpeg<center><sub> Valentine's Day </sub> </center></div>
**Preview**:
FONT STYLE
Highlighting a text or a line is necessary for emphasis. I use bold, italic, or a combination of both. You can opt to use any of these three:
<b> Bold </b>
<i> Italic </i>
<b><i> Bold Italic </i></b>
**Bold**
*Italic*
**_Bold Italic_**
__Bold__
_Italic_
__*Bold Italic*__
***Bold Italic***
**5) Links**
If you want to promote your website and other social media, make a clickable word or image for the viewers to check.
Other Hivers use About the Author as their footer. But instead of having an About the Author section, I like to put my username and social media account as a footer.
<center>
[**`K N E E L Y R A C`**](https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts)
<sub> • [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lingaleeng/) • [Twitter](https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp) • [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl) • </sub>
</center>
**Preview:**
Final Thoughts
The above-mentioned formatting techniques and guidelines are my preference whenever I write blogs. You can copy them if you want to, or make this article as a basis on how you format your blogs. The markdowns listed are not complete since I only listed those I always use.
You can search Markdown Tutorial, or head on to this cheatsheet: Markdown Cheatsheet. https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet
When writing and not sure about your English, seek a little help from these two sites: Grammarly and Scribens. https://app.grammarly.com/ https://www.scribens.com/
If you are using images from the internet, it is best to use the following sites with free images: Pixabay and Unsplash. Even if it is free, remember to give proper credit. https://pixabay.com/ https://unsplash.com/
For Photo Editor, you can download and install Snapseed and Lightroom. You can also use Canva, especially for your cover photo. https://www.canva.com/
I hope this article will help the newbies on Hive with no blogging experience. If you are still confused, let me know in the comment section.
**Previous articles:**
**Waterfalls and Man-Made Lake in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte** https://read.cash/@keeneek/waterfalls-and-man-made-lake-in-kapatagan-lanao-del-norte-04a9a622
**Faces and Poses** https://read.cash/@keeneek/faces-and-poses-28af63ef
**June Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/june-memory-dump-e654a92a
**Square One: July 2022 Goals** https://read.cash/@keeneek/square-one-july-2022-goals-88a1e0c6
**A Coastal Tour Around Samal Island** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-coastal-tour-around-samal-island-5c59cd3d
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Waterfalls and Man-Made Lake in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte
Sometimes, it's good to have a spontaneous getaway when the person you're planning to be with is your close friends and even your siblings. Because most of our planned trips ended up as a drawing - it remains as a picture/plans on paper.
So when my best friend and I decided to have a chasing waterfalls getaway, we said that we wouldn't wait for our other classmates' confirmation. If they will join, then good. But if they can't, we still proceed to our initial plan. It was good that we were able to go together with our classmate and my sister.
Since we only had a day to unwind and have fun, we agreed to go to a municipality not too far from our municipality and has at least two (2) waterfalls. For the record, the nearest city, Iligan City, has a lot to offer. It boasts 24 waterfalls, but still, we chose to go to Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte. Reason? For a change. Also, I kept on passing by this municipality but as far as I can remember, I never had set foot in the place. The situation was the same with my two friends and my sister. Kapatagan, known for its vast green and golden scenery, is a 2-hour bus or van ride from our hometown.
Cathedral Falls
Cathedral Falls is a 15-minute tricycle ride from the town center situated in Barangay Waterfalls, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte. Usually, when we talk about waterfalls, it is always accompanied by an extensive trek, climbing stairs, crossing a river, or hiking to the heart of the forest just to witness the falls. You need to activate your sweat glands before you witness a majestic beauty. However, this does not apply to this waterfall since it is one of the most accessible waterfalls I've been to.
The water drops approximately 35 feet high in a wide basin. The Cathedral Falls is named because of its distinctive rectangular rock formations that clumped unevenly in a vertical manner. The wide rectangular rock formation resembles the huge bamboo pipe organs found inside a cathedral.
The basin is wide where you can swim, although we decided not to do some plunging and splashing. The sandbank is spacious enough and can accommodate an estimated 30 people.
It was unfortunate we weren't able to go to the top of the waterfalls and see a different perspective. To have a glimpse of what's on the top of the Cathedral Falls, you have to trek on a rocky slope from the falls.
La-Libertad Man-Made Lake
From the town center, La-Libertad Man-Made Lake is situated at the top of La Libertad, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte with an estimated total land area of 15 hectares. It is a 20-minute ride from the town center where you can either ride a motorcycle or a tricycle.
The lake screams serenity. It is big enough to do some water activities like a big bicycle ride, kayaking, or riding a swan pedal boat. Upon exploring and pedaling around the lake, there is huge Majestic Kapatagan signage. Since the lake is surrounded by trees, specifically coconut trees, the wind is refreshing, which is like an award to the tired legs that are busy pedaling. We didn't tire out our legs going to the waterfalls, but instead, we got exhausted pedaling.
Overlooking View
Since La Libertad Lake is at the top of Kapatagan, as we go down back to the town center, we stopped by a site with a picturesque view. We decided to make a stopover to treat our eyes and be mesmerized by the overlooking view of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.
The vast green and golden scenery are already visible along the highway. But it felt different from the elevated area - it is like a painting on a canvas. How I wish my phone at that time gave justice to the beautiful scenery.
Failed To Visit: Sta. Cruz Falls
As mentioned, one of the requirements is to go to a place with at least two waterfalls. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit the Sta. Cruz Falls.
After Cathedral Falls, we took a break and had our lunch in one of the eateries (small restaurants) along the highway. Then, we found out that we need to trek for two (2) hours for an average trekker to reach the falls. We need a guide since we are foreigners in the area. But for safety purposes, we decided to not go since we are all girls and it was already past 1 p.m. and we don't know what might happen.
With that, we decided to head on to the man-made lake of Kapatagan.
If time permits, I want to go back to Kapatagan. When that time comes, I will definitely go to Sta. Cruz Falls.
Sadly, these two classmates are currently living in Texas already. But I am still hopeful we will be able to have a spontaneous one-day getaway, just like this.
**Previous articles:**
**Faces and Poses** https://read.cash/@keeneek/faces-and-poses-28af63ef
**June Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/june-memory-dump-e654a92a
**Square One: July 2022 Goals** https://read.cash/@keeneek/square-one-july-2022-goals-88a1e0c6
**A Coastal Tour Around Samal Island** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-coastal-tour-around-samal-island-5c59cd3d
**A Fun Night at Isla Reta** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-fun-night-at-isla-reta-4788e148
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Faces and Poses
My interest in photography started when I bought my first-ever smartphone. I like to capture random stuff, but if there is someone with me - except for my boyfriend - I like to snap portraits. I love instructing my friends and my siblings to do this and that, like give me a poker face, don't smile, and many more. It always amuses me when they can pose effortlessly, while I, on the other hand, struggle in not having an awkward pose or face.
So let me share with you the photos I took with my friends:
I like this photo because it shows how pretty her armpits are. Right? That snow white armpit. Here in the Philippines, we all say, "***Sana all***". Anyway, this was taken in Tinago Falls, before COVID happened. If I am not mistaken, this was in the summertime on 2018.
After the Tinago Falls getaway, we went to Paseo de Santiago. It was crowded at that time since there was an ongoing beach volleyball tournament. Then I saw some lamp posts near the shore and asked this petite girl to pose under.
There was a time that this girl ambushed me in my office at my previous work. I was planning to work overtime until 8 PM, but she was already at the university around 5:00 PM. She can enter since she is also an alumna. After logging out, we went to the college of engineering landmark and did some photoshoots.
HAZEL
I took this photo on Virgin Island, Bohol, when we had a mini-reunion with our classmates in high school. She asked me to picture her using her phone, and while she was scanning and checking the photos, I took the liberty to take a snap. She loves to pose, by the way.
I was busy taking photos of our other classmates when she saw the output and then asked me again to take a photo of her on the very same spot. As mentioned, she loves to pose, and I have too many photos of Hazel with the Chocolate Hills.
This photo was taken in the man-made forest in Bohol. It was definitely a buwis-buhay photoshoot because gram-worthy photos are a must in every stopover or tourist spot we visited. I instructed her where to look with a half-open mouth, and she pulled it off. It was casual and at ease. If only I could do the same. Hehe.
ARGINE
She's my colleague for three years in Iligan City, my housemate for more than two years in Cebu City, and my Korean food buddy since 2017. Aside from my dogs, she has more photos on my phone than me. She may not acknowledge it, but she is photogenic, candid or not. In this photo, I told her not to move, and then I took a photo of her. That's it, very effortless. (***Sana all!***)
This photo was taken at Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Island. It was the last official travel with the whole team, two months before the project ended. The resort we were staying at has a stunning view of the emerald green water and the islets. I had a photo of her looking at the camera. However, the sun was too bright, and her face looked like an orange. hehe. So I instructed her to look at the islet in front of us.
I took this during Valentine's day when we booked a condo unit and low-key celebrated heart's day. The rate was cheap, and the building has a swimming pool on the sixth floor. I used a filter on this one to give off a classic and vintage aura even though she's wearing a two-piece. Hehe
I think that would be all. I still have lots of photos, but it would definitely bombard this blog.
These photos were all taken by my Huawei P10, my 5-year-old phone. I used Snapseed and 1998 Cam for the editing. I am looking forward to sharing with you some of my clicks. Soon I'll share the portraits I took using my new phone.
Previous articles:
**June Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/june-memory-dump-e654a92a
**Square One: July 2022 Goals** https://read.cash/@keeneek/square-one-july-2022-goals-88a1e0c6
**A Coastal Tour Around Samal Island** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-coastal-tour-around-samal-island-5c59cd3d
**A Fun Night at Isla Reta** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-fun-night-at-isla-reta-4788e148
**The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-animals-in-davao-crocodile-park-95019813
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
June Memory Dump
It's a bit late to do this memory dump. I was busy with life lately and still contemplating what to do with my career. So many things happened even though July has just started. What a great way to welcome the second half of the year.
But anyway, I am obliging myself to follow what has been set. And here I am, trying to squeeze my brain with the photos I took to remember some of the things happened in June. Of course, the highlights have already carved on my head.
To start with, I welcomed June with determination, specifically in the losing weight and studying department. I started eating healthy green salad and made sure to consume enough nutrition during my eating window. I also decided to go with the 16-8 intermittent fasting. At the moment, my longest fasting hours were 27 hours.
Four hours after my last meal of the day (my fasting window starts then), I did yoga for 20 minutes, then workout for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes, I did cardio for 5-10 minutes. I tried working out in the morning, but I felt so weak and demotivated. With that, I changed my workout session in the evening.
I am satisfied with the current result. I still have a long way to go, but I am enjoying the progress I have been seeing since day 1 - from 69.5 kg to 62 kg in two months.
In addition, I started studying again because I want a career shift and want to engage more in the electronics side. I started realizing this after I took the board exam. I even applied for a Test Engineer position, but unfortunately, I failed the technical interview. Job interview never fails to make me nervous and anxious. Fear is such a strong word, so let's just say I don't like to be interviewed/questioned. My mind will always go blank.
And so, it happened. Some simple circuit analysis, but I wasn't able to answer the questions correctly. And I think I even failed to answer those questions about life and such. I cried after the interview and called my classmate in review. We talked for more than an hour until I calmed myself and started laughing at my stupidity. After that, I patted myself for stepping out of my comfort zone.
I didn't have time to mope around because my best friend, whom I haven't seen for five years, had arrived from Texas together with her husband and the two kiddos. Just like in the old days, we hopped like a kangaroo as we saw each other. We stayed in their hotel and talked for more than three hours. It was just a short time, but I was over the moon to see her again and my godchild, and also to finally meet the little boy.
It was also the first time my best friend and her husband met Antoni. They've been friends on social media only and even left comments on each other's posts, but they never met in person before.
While the catching-up was ongoing, we also waited for the food we ordered in Chowking. My best friend requested it since there's no Chowking in the US. Before we bid goodbye, the couple gave me Harry Potter merchandise - a wand and a book!
Then my June was starting to become dull. I tried keeping the pace I have started and continued studying, exercising and even made time reading books. Then, my friend reminded me about claiming my license. I already forgot about it and was thankful for his reminders.
I was excited about claiming the license, but it went downhill when I saw my face was distorted in the ID. The printing was low quality, and the card was not the same as what I usually see on the internet or on social media with my friends. Nonetheless, it was still a license, and I'm thrilled about it. And I wrapped the last day of June 2022 with a good food from Kenny Rogers - a mini celebration.
That's how my June started and ended. But my June highlight is definitely seeing my best friend again, followed by claiming the license - the product of hard work, sleepless nights, and tears.
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
Square One: July 2022 Goals
June was the last month of the first half. I am happy I was able to close a certain chapter of my life that I've been dreading to achieve. But, if I see the whole picture, my June was full of questions and uncertainties.
Thank you, ladies!
This might be one of the most cliche things to say - but I am feeling lost right now. I still don't know what to do with my career. It felt like engineering is not for me, knowing that doctor has always been my dream job since I was a grade-schooler. I have something in my mind, dream position I want in the engineering world, but it feels like it is not right.
Maybe I am just confused since I haven't figured things out. But I am trying to sort things out to see a clearer vision of the path that I want to take - the path that is really for me.
My long-term goals are indeed on the hard level, and I was able to achieve one of them on the last day of June. Sadly, neither of the June short-term goals I listed were achieved. I tried tho, but it didn't work out.
Write at least 12 articles.
I have only posted 11 articles in June. I started posting every day when I got demotivated and lost in the track. That was the questioning happened, and then I got busy with life, in general. I was supposed to publish my 12th article but got delayed with the pictures. My earnings were still pretty low, but it is okay. I will get there. Soon.
Here are the June articles I have published:
**May Memory Dump** https://read.cash/@keeneek/may-memory-dump-11047f31
**Start Anew: June 2022 Goals** https://read.cash/@keeneek/start-anew-june-2022-goals-a75397fa
**A False Hope to an Applicant** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-false-hope-to-an-applicant-7d9d0caf
**Yearning for a Grandfather's Love** https://read.cash/@keeneek/yearning-for-a-grandfathers-love-a129672f
**APPICS Updates** https://read.cash/@keeneek/appics-updates-a1aca8a1
**A Day of Disappointment and Embarrassment** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-day-of-disappointment-and-embarrassment-0caf9669
**A Cold and Refreshing Dip in Iligan City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-cold-and-refreshing-dip-in-iligan-city-47a1d6d5
**Big Bad Wolf Book Haul - Part I** https://read.cash/@keeneek/big-bad-wolf-book-haul-part-i-bce83b29
**A Quick City Tour in Davao City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
**The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-animals-in-davao-crocodile-park-95019813
**A Fun Night at Isla Reta** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-fun-night-at-isla-reta-4788e148
Make three electronics projects.
I was a little bit ambitious on this part knowing that it has not been my field of expertise. But I did start watching a Youtube tutorial, and then I performed the required homework given in the last part of the episode. I did a total of five simple tasks, and I can't name them as projects. I still failed on this one.
Lose at least six pounds.
Again, I got a little air on my head and didn't think clearly. I was into strength exercises, which are more on weight, and losing at least six pounds is quite hard for me. I am more focused on gaining muscles and muscles are heavier than fats.
If I weigh myself, I lost 4.9 pounds only (2.2 kg). Still, just by facing the mirror, the changes are already visible. My jawline is more defined and my curves are back. My collarbone is starting to peep out already.
Read at least four books.
Another reading goal that I haven't reached. I have only read two books, and I was so close to finishing the other two books. However, Medical-related Korean dramas are the enemy of my reading habit. I forgot about it and ended up watching two K-Dramas in less than a week.
Here are the June 2022 reads:
**Sadie by Courtney Summers**
**Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood**
Even though I haven't ticked a single goal, I am still happy that I get to start my bearing again. There have been changes, and it is still good enough for me. But since I am on my second try, I will try to push myself harder this time. I am trying to practice again my time management, growth, focus, and consistency with the following goals:
Write 15 articles
I was able to write 11 articles only in June, but I will still be more ambitious and goal of 15 articles for this month. I am aiming for more travel blogs and then some random thoughts about life.
Back to painting and/or calligraphy
It has been very, very long, and I miss doing it. I'll start with simple ones to let my hand remember how it feels like to do the things that I love doing before. I also want to use the art materials gifted to me on my birthday by my housemate. Hopefully, my rusty hand will manage to remember and catch up.
Finish the tutorial series I started watching on Youtube
My aim for the second half of the year is career growth. Lately, I started to become bored, but I want to be more and do more. I want to lift myself and build skills. I know I am still not sure about this path, but one thing is for sure, I want to grow as an individual and professional.
Lose weight
As for this month, I don't want to give myself a quota since I have been trying to gain more muscle. My sequence is Strength - Nutrition - Cardio. So it is expected that my weight will not go down remarkably in a month because of the muscles that weigh more than the fats I have. As long as I lose weight, it is good enough for me.
Read four books
The same reading goal in June, which I, unfortunately, didn't achieve. However, I am positive that I will be able to read four books, and probably more since I have already been geared up. It is still a fair number of books to read in a month. The initial plan was to set the July readings, but I am sure to fail on this because I read books depending on my mood. So I will just state the quantity tho.
That's it for my July 2022 goals. June 2022 goals weren't achieved, but hopefully, I will tick off my July 2022 regardless if I'm busy.
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
A Coastal Tour Around Samal Island
In my previous posts, I have shared the places I've been in Davao City and the animals I've seen in Crocodile Park. For this article, I will share my whole-day boat trip around the coastal area of Samal Island.
Related articles:
**A Quick City Tour in Davao City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
**The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-animals-in-davao-crocodile-park-95019813
**A Fun Night at Isla Reta** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-fun-night-at-isla-reta-4788e148
For a mermaid soul (like me), Samal Island is a must in the itinerary. A whole day boat trip is enough to tour unwind and loosen up from the stressful things in life.
Thank you, ladies!
We rented one boat to tour around Samal Island. My classmates and I waited for the boat to arrive, together with our one classmate, who had just logged out from his graveyard shift. He waited for the boat we rented at Sta. Ana Wharf. Since we rented the boat alone, we can decide what time we will go to our next destination.
The boat was good for 30 people, so it was really big for the ten of us, excluding the three crew. It has a very decent comfort room and a mini kitchen, where we prepared and grilled fish and seafood. Life vest and goggles were hung and displayed, so we had easy access to grab and then wear them. Of course, when traveling, it is best accompanied by music. Luckily, the boat had a well-surrounded Bluetooth speaker, plus our choice of music was definitely a head-turner.
We had five (5) stop-overs, and each of them was pristine. The advantage of not having joiners in the boat is we can decide what time we will head to our next destination.'
Babu Santa Beach Resort
Babu Santa Beach Resort is our first stop and is located on Talikud Island. It is said to be a good spot for free diving and snorkeling. However, we weren't able to do this, and I regretted that. From a distance, the milky-powdered white sand was already visible.
The resort has cottages and rooms, for tourists who'd like to stay overnight or for a couple of days. During the daytime, expect there will be lots of tourists in the resort since Babu Santa is one of the stopovers on the Samal Island Boat Tour.
Coral Garden
We only stayed for half an hour in Babu Santa Beach Resort because it was pretty crowded, then we headed to Coral Garden. Coral Garden, as mentioned by the crew, is known to be the home to soft and hard corals, anemones, and different fish species. Hence, it is a suitable spot for diving and snorkeling.
Since goggles are included in the boat rent, we didn't ignore the chance to see the underwater beauty. Because of that, we stayed for an hour here.
Angel's Cove
It seemed like we didn't get enough of what we had seen in the Coral Garden, so we did another snorkeling in our next destination - Angel's Cove. The color of the water here was different from the previous two. The emerald green water is a bit shallow, but we still can see the school of fishes. Here, we decided to stay longer because it was noontime already.
Sabang Cliff
After our lunch, we stayed for a little while in the Angel's Cove, and then we headed to Sabang Cliff. The Sabang Cliff has three levels for you to choose from. The first level is 14 feet above sea level; the second is at around 21 feet, and the third is 40 feet.
When we arrived, none of my classmates were willing to swim from the boat to the cliff, then climb and jump. I wouldn't dare to go there by myself, so we chose to have plenty of jumping in the turquoise water from the boat.
Wishing Island
Wishing Island is one of the many islets that surround Samal Island. This rock islet is beautified with mangroves and surrounded by deep blue waters. But when we got closer to the islet, from deep blue, it was surrounded by clear green water. Sea cucumbers, corals, starfish, and schools of fishes were present in the area. The sea urchin was also abundant, especially in the shallow area.
The islet is best to visit and stay on the island for a bit longer during low tide. It is a good spot for a picnic. Over time, the islet is now a sacred ground, where the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary was anointed in the islet in the year 2014.
The whole boat trip was indeed fun. The colors of water in the different areas of Samal Island vary. The marine ecosystem in Samal is rich and diverse. If only we could do more than snorkeling. By far, the water in front of Sabang Cliff is my favorite.
After the Wishing Island, we then headed straight to Sta. Ana Wharf. The boat had a bathroom - while we were on our way to the port, we had our turns and washed there. We arrived at past 5:00 PM, and the van we rented was waiting for us. We went straight to our classmate's condo unit, so we can take a bath and fetch our things.
We ended our day by meeting our classmate in the mall who just arrived. We had dinner first before going home.
You can find me here: Noise • Hive • Steemit • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
A Fun Night at Isla Reta
After visiting the Davao Crocodile Park, our next destination was supposed to be the D’Bone Museum Collector, then the People’s Park. However, we were informed that the last boat trip going to Isla Reta departs earlier than its schedule. The schedule was unexpectedly moved, which made us decide not to visit D’Bone Museum and People’s Park instead.
Related articles:
**A Quick City Tour in Davao City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
**The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-animals-in-davao-crocodile-park-95019813
Isla Reta Beach Resort is located at Barangay Sta, Cruz, Talicud Island, Davao del Norte, Philippines. Talicud is a Visayan/Cebuano which means back because Talicud Island is seen at the back of Samal Island.
Isla Reta is famous for its untouched sea kingdom and beautiful and serene beach with its long stretch of fine white sand. The turquoise water invites every tourist to have some plunges and splashes. The island boasts its naturally beautiful corals with marine creatures. The sunrise is exquisitely beautiful, so better wake up early and witness the beauty as the water sparks while the sun rises.
From Davao City, we traveled for several minutes to reach Barangay Sta. Ana Pier. And from the port, it took us 45-60 minutes to arrive in Isla Reta. White fine sand welcomes you with the turquoise water that sways to and fro.
When we arrived, the resort was already full of tourists. The cottages were already fully booked - even the rooms and the rest house. A reservation should be made beforehand to secure a room, and unfortunately, we didn't do so. Since the resort was spacious, renting a tent with pillows and foam is available.
We rented four tents and had set them under the towering coconut trees. Some were camping along the shore, though. We also rented a table and chairs where we placed our food and ate.
The place is really spacious. Even if there were lots of tourists at that time, still there was enough space for leisure and other activities like playing volleyball. On the right side of the island facing the sea, there is a good spot where you can have an Instagram-worthy post. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go there since I chose not to wander around.
We had a very long day. We were exhausted since we immediately traveled for hours after work. Then we went straight on a city tour and then to Isla Reta. We were starving.
The resort has only one store, hence the price. Even so, the food was all delectable. We all had chicken and beef since we had two Muslim classmates. Also, the resort has a grilling area. They sell freshly caught fish and charcoal, too. With that, the tourist need not worry about how to grill the fish or meat. Or request to cook it for you since it is one of their services. Bringing food is allowed in the store without corkage, except for liquor and soft drinks and Lechon baboy (roasted pig).
After devouring the food hungrily, we decided to chill and play some games. Unfortunately, there were not enough lamp posts in the tent area. We didn't have a flashlight, but we had a tripod and phone.
Games
We played three games. Two were card games, and one was a vocabulary game.
**Bakak**
*Bakak* is a Cebuano term for Lie. It's a card game wherein the player will guess whether the cards said and thrown is either lie or truth.
The goal here is to throw all your cards.
Minimum of three players. Each player is given five (5) cards at the beginning of the game.
The first player releases one or two, not more than three cards, and then says what card it is. A card is thrown downcard.
The next player guesses if the preceding player releases the exact cards spoken. If he thinks it's the truth, he will release another card and do the same process as number 2.
If the player guesses it wrong, then he will draw another card placed at the center.
Once the player has completed a suit, he will put it in the center in an upcard orientation. You can only draw three sets of the same cards at a time. Otherwise, it shall be surrendered and placed at the center.
The one who will no longer have cards in his hand will be the winner. There can be multiple winners depending on the number of players, but there is only one loser in every game.
**Example:**
**First Player**: Two (2) Jack. (Throws 1 Jack and 1 Nine of Spades)
**Second Player**: Lie.
**First Player will take the two cards again.**
**Second Player**: 1 Alas. (Throws 1 Alas)
**Third Player**: 1 Alas. (Throws 1 King)
**Fourth Player**: 2 Alas. (Throws 2 Alas)
**Fifth Player**: Lie.
**Fifth Player will take the four cards thrown.**
Go Fish
Go Fish is another card game that involves memorization. Memory is tested in this game. The player needs to catch those who are carrying the same set of cards. In other words, you have to steal the cards from your opponent.
The goal is to house a suit. Those who house a suit more is the winner of this game.
Players must be a minimum of five.
Four cards are given to each of the players. The remaining deck of the cards is downcarded at the center and will be drawn every wrong guess.
If the player guesses it correctly, the player mentioned must give all his cards the eldest player asked.
If the player guesses it incorrect, he will draw another card and the next player in the game is the one who is mentioned by the preceding player.
**Example:**
Player 1 has 1 Jack of Diamond, 1 Jack of Spades, 1 Three of Spades, 1 Nine of Diamond and 1 Ten of Club.
Player 2 has 1 Jack of Heart, 1 Queen of Heart, 1 Two of Diamond, 1 King of Club and 1 Five of Spades.
Player 1 will look for the cards that are in his set of cards only.
Player 1: Player 2, give me the Jack card.
Player 2 will automatically give his Jack of Diamond and Jack of Spades to Player 1. Player 1 will still continue to look for cards.
Player 1: Player 2, give me the three cards.
Since Player 2 doesn't have three cards, then it's Player 2 turns to look for the other set of his cards.
S-Game
S-Game is a game of vocabulary. Words thrown per player should be related, but words with an S sound are prohibited in the game.
The goal is to give a word or set of words connected to the previous word such that it doesn't end with the letter S and the sound of the letter S. There is only one winner in this game.
Minimum of two players.
Each player is given five (5) seconds to think of another word or set of words connected to the first/preceding word/s.
After 5 seconds, if the player failed to give a word or the word given by the preceding player is not connected, he will be eliminated.
Words that end with the sound of the letter S are prohibited. For example, Science, Disease, Osmosis, Hindrance, Sax, Fox, Metamorphosis, Thermodynamics, and Electronics
Another language is acceptable such that all the players know that language.
Repetition of words is not allowed, otherwise, the player will automatically be eliminated.
There is only a maximum of two set words with the same meaning to be dropped. Otherwise, the sequence will automatically be reversed.
**Example:**
Player 1: Cardiovascular
Player 2: Vein
Player 3: Heart
Player 4: Broken
Player 5: Nagbulag ("*Nagbulag*" is a Cebuano term for Break-up. )
Player 6: Depressed
**Another one:**
Player 1: Chemistry
Player 2: Periodic Table
Player 3: Carbon Dioxide
Player 4: Lead
The previous two players said two synonymous words such that both are chemical elements found in the periodic table. The next player must not use other elements found in the periodic table but rather involves in the word Lead (Pb). However, Lead can be interpreted differently.
Player 4: Leader
Player 5: Organization
Player 6: Businessmen
One of the rules and regulations in the resort is to avoid making noise after 10:00 PM. And my classmates and I were guilty on this part because we played until past 2:00 AM.
My classmates were very competitive and did not want to end our game. They enjoyed the game that I suggested, the S-game, and wanted to defeat me. Haha. When they all had at least one point each, we decided to rest already for our coastal tour early in the morning.
Some went directly to the tent, and some of us stayed a little longer since the sky was stunning. The place was peaceful and relaxing - the cool sea breeze, the sound of the crickets and the waters, and the sparkling stars at night. What a perfect way to wrap my day!
Even though we had only a few hours of sleep, we still woke up early to see the sunrise of Isla. I was the last one to sleep, and the last one to wake up. My time lapse plan was ruined. Still, I'm thankful enough I get to see it somehow.
After the sunrise viewing, we all ate our breakfast - bread and coffee/hot choco - for another tiring day was ahead of us. We waited for our one classmate who will arrive riding with the pump boat we rented for the Samal Island tour.
Previous Articles:
**The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park** https://read.cash/@keeneek/the-animals-in-davao-crocodile-park-95019813
**A Quick City Tour in Davao City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
**Big Bad Wolf Book Haul - Part I** https://read.cash/@keeneek/big-bad-wolf-book-haul-part-i-bce83b29
**A Cold and Refreshing Dip in Iligan City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-cold-and-refreshing-dip-in-iligan-city-47a1d6d5
**A Day of Disappointment and Embarrassment** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-day-of-disappointment-and-embarrassment-0caf9669
You can find me here: Noise • Hive • Steemit • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
The Animals in Davao Crocodile Park
This article is the continuation of the previously posted article: **A Quick City Tour in Davao City****.** Going to Davao Crocodile Park was the last part of our itinerary for our quick tour of the city. We only spent not more than six hours touring the city. https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
Thank you, ladies!
The Davao Crocodile Park is considered one of the finest tourist attractions In Davao. It boasts thousands of its self-nurtured crocodiles. Contrary to its name, the park houses different animals like monkeys, tigers, snakes, eagles, fishes, and other reptiles and birds. It showcases a vast collection of crocodiles with its high-end facilities for the animals.
Crocodile
The park has more than five spacious rooms for these carnivorous reptiles. Aside from that, it was the home of the Philippines’ largest crocodile in captivity - Pangil, an 18-feet saltwater crocodile. The word ***Pangil*** is a Visayan term for fangs.
Pangil was before the second largest crocodile in the country. But when Lolong, the 20-feet crocodile, died, Pangil is now considered the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity.
Bird
One of the four icons of Davao that symbolizes pride and hope is a bird, the Philippine Eagle. Now the park has different kinds of birds that vary according to their habitat and lifestyle. These are the aerial, arboreal and terrestrial birds.
To name a few, the Philippine eagle, a parrot, ostrich, and a peacock. For the first time, I was able to witness in full glory the beauty of the peacock feathers. It was really beautiful and mesmerizing. He then slowly faced at us then turned around like he was flaunting his butt to us. Haha.
Iguana
There’s a placard, Dragon’s Den, before entering the area. But fear not, for this dragon will not burn you alive. It is friendly and harmless, and I must say, photogenic. I don’t know if it has only one Iguana in the area or if there are plenty. The area is spacious, so most probably, there is more than one.
Tortoise
While I was busy having a photoshoot with the photogenic Iguana, I saw a Tortoise beside the Iguana, which I mistakenly thought was a big rock. His head was hidden at first, but when his head emerged from the shell, that was when I know that this big fella is a Tortoise coexisting with the Iguana.
Turtle
Now before entering the dragon’s den, there is a well with lots of cute turtles in it. The well is divided into two. The other part is water and the other one has full of stones, wherein the turtles can either choose to stay under the water or above the ground or stone, perhaps.
Orangutan
I wasn't able to have a close encounter with the charming orangutan though I caught him peeping like Tom. His room has a tree where he can swing and glide in it. The park has a show which they named “Animals Got Talent” but unfortunately, we were too early for the said show.
Siberian Tiger
There are also wild animals in the park. If I am not mistaken, there are four Siberian Tigers in the park. Unfortunately, they were hibernating in their cages. If only they are harmless, I would love to hug them and squeeze their cute big paws.
Lion
I was really expecting to see an Alpha Male walking around dominantly, but I saw a sad-looking lioness. I don’t know, but I can see the sadness in her eyes. For a wild animal like her, the same as the tiger, it was rather small for a queen.
Koi
The bright and vivid colors of the Koi were refreshing and vibrant to look at. You can buy available fish food in the park and feed it to the school. Expect some splashing as they flip their fins and open their mouth for the food.
I remember one of my classmates wanted to have a picture with the koi. So she came closer, and then the boys kept feeding the koi. Her face was wet though. Haha
Farmville
Beside the Koi’s pond, there is a mini Farmville in the park - there are domesticated animals like goats, ducks, and rams. There are also native chicken and ostrich in the area. You can feed the ostrich in the two viewing sheds.
Other Animals
There are still plenty of animals in the park. I missed the chance to take a picture or see them since we only stayed there for an hour. Here are some of the animals:
**Civet Cat**
**Wild Pig**
**Monitor Lizard**
**Porcupine**
**Philippine Deer**
**Python**
**Leopard Cat**
**Philippine Sail-fin Water Dragon**
**Fruit Bat**
Also, we were too early for the Davao Crocodile Park 'Animals Got Talent'. The participants in the said show are the Orangutan, Python, Siberian Tiger, Parrot and the Crocodiles. It was about to start, but we couldn’t afford to stay longer since we needed to catch the last boat trip going to Isla Reta.
Instead, we decided to try Lechon Buwaya (roasted crocodile). The meat was really, really expensive - 1000 PHP per kilo. For seven boys and two girls, we only bought 1/4 kilo enough to know its taste. It was delicious, by the way. But I still prefer Lechon Baboy (roasted pig) in Iligan City.
Previous Articles:
**A Quick City Tour in Davao City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-quick-city-tour-in-davao-city-692292cc
**Big Bad Wolf Book Haul - Part I** https://read.cash/@keeneek/big-bad-wolf-book-haul-part-i-bce83b29
**A Cold and Refreshing Dip in Iligan City** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-cold-and-refreshing-dip-in-iligan-city-47a1d6d5
**A Day of Disappointment and Embarrassment** https://read.cash/@keeneek/a-day-of-disappointment-and-embarrassment-0caf9669
**APPICS Updates** https://read.cash/@keeneek/appics-updates-a1aca8a1
Connect with me: Noise • Steemit • Hive • Blurt • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram https://noise.cash/u/kneelyrac https://steemit.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://peakd.com/@kneelyrac/posts https://blurt.blog/@kneelyrac https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23935722-caryl https://twitter.com/kneelyracimp https://www.instagram.com/waling.arts/
@keeneek
