2014 in a Survey

Work and baking took up most of my time and I wasn't able to blog at all, even though I had tons of material to work with. This year, my motto was #trysomethingnew, and that brought a lot of insights and experiences. I had my fifteen minutes of mild viral fame thanks to an opinion piece I wrote in defense of my faith, felt exhilarated while white-water rafting in Davao, and became a holiday business woman and baker. 2014 was a tough year, but it made me realize a ton of things too, which helped made my 2015 goals clearer. I'm excited to take it on! But first, a look back. As per tradition, here's the year that was in a survey.

What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
- White-water rafting, cliff diving, and successfully run a micro home-based business.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- Don't make 'em. But I 'm happy to have accomplished several of my 2014 goals.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
- No.

Did anyone close to you die?
- No.

What countries did you visit?
- (Phuket) Thailand.

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
- Leveled up goals, a bigger home, a new car.

What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- That day that finally pushed me to resign from my corporate job even without a new job to transfer to.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Resolved to sell my banana loaves and actually did a great job at it.

What was your biggest failure?
- Still keeping my place neat. I want to do something serious about it this coming year though.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Nothing major. My good ol' reliable acid reflux.

What was the best thing you bought?
- Hmmm. The buy one take one sturdy plastic table I bought at S&R. It became very useful for baking.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
- Jay! For being everything from doing most of my costing, driving me to supply stores, buying and bringing me supplies, to helping mash bananas and taste testing. And mostly for keeping up with my mood swings.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- Corrupt people, and not just those in the government.

Where did most of your money go?
-Food. Bills. And work transportation.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- The Iglesia Ni Cristo Centennial, Bits & Bites, and Phuket.

What song(s) will always remind you of 2014?
- "Brave" and "Satellite Call" (Sara Bareilles),  "Lost Stars" (Adam Levine), "A Step You Can't Take Back" (Keira Knightley), Taylor Swift's 1989 album

Compared to this time last year, are you:

i.happier or sadder? -- Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? -- For most of the year, thinner. But this holiday season, I gained back the weight, plus a couple more pounds. Whut!
iii. richer or poorer? -- Poorer.

What do you wish you'd done more?
- Focused on what I really wanted.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
- Worry.

How many one-night stands?
- Zero.

What was your favorite TV program?
- I'm a TV series junkie. My new discoveries this year: White Collar, Covert Affairs, Game of Thrones, House of Lies, The Affair, How to Get Away with Murder and The Big Bang Theory. Plus the usual suspects: The Newsroom, Suits, Scandal, House of Cards, Person of  Interest, 2 Broke Girls, NCIS, The Blacklist, CSI, Grey's Anatomy, Survivor, the list goes on...

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- No.

What was the best book you read?
-  The Help, The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Sara Bareilles's The Blessed Unrest, Taylor's 1989, Begin Again OST.

What did you want and get?
- Succeed in my baking business.

What was your favorite film/s of this year?
- The Grand Budapest Hotel, Chef, Begin Again, Boyhood

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- 27, Sofitel buffet with Jay days before. On the day, I was with my brother and his family.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- If I didn't have to worry about a problem that was just handed down to me. If I was included in the Centennial Choir.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
- Still comfort over fashion. Jeans, strappy sandals, and silver Toms.

What kept you sane?
-My journals, books, TV series, and Jay. And this year, it really was prayer. I don't think I ever prayed as hard as I did this year.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- Hmmm. None.

What political issue stirred you the most?
- Not political, social. The GMA vs TAG issue. I have mad respect for the dedication of journalists and broadcast journalists in the country. It's just fair that they get what they deserve.

Who did you miss?
- Always, my Dad.

Who was the best new person you met?
- Hmmm. As an aspirational figure, I'd say Joe Magsaysay (CEO of Potato Corner).

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:
- Know what you want and work hard to get it. Learn to say no when you want to.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
- "I don't mind being under-appreciated by everyone else when I work with someone talented, passionate, and principled. Be always that person and even more than you can imagine."

The most touching experience you've had this year?
- I was playing bubbles with my niece Angela, and seeing her laugh with sheer happiness just tugs at my heart. I lover her to pieces. You know, that kind of love that makes you feel like you could die? Before she came, I didn't know you could love someone so much. I know, a little out there. Can you imagine how much I'd love my own child?

- I went on vacation and had someone take care of everything for me. I've lived independently for six years, and I forgot how it was not to worry about anything.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
- I finally had the courage to walk away from something that no longer made me grow, even when it meant instability and uncertainty.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
- That I didn't keep my home clean and in order. It's frustrating, because I really want to. But procrastination always got the better of me. And living alone, it didn't matter much since you'd think no one else would see it. Until someone springs a surprise visit.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
- And God, tell us the reason/Youth is wasted on the young//It's hunting season/ and the lambs are on the run//Searching for meaning/But are all lost stars/ trying to light up the dark.//

Was 2014 a good year for you?
- No, for most of it. But the last quarter went pretty well.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
- Choir duty in the worship service officiated by Bro. EVM in our locale, celebrating the Church's Centennial, that three-second underwater while white-water rafting in Davao, Phuket trip with Jay, playtime with my niece, whenever I received good feedback about my banana loaves.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
- On my supposed last day at work, there was a storm and we weren't made to go to the office. But there were certain power-tripping people who didn't care about our welfare and just wanted to get things done. They just made leaving so much easier.

Where were you when 2014 began?
- At Jay's family home.

Who were you with?
- Jay and his family.

Where will you be when 2014 ends?
-At Jay's home.

Who will you be with when 2014 ends?
- Jay and his family.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2015?
- Not resolutions but goals.

What was your favorite month of 2014?
- November and December.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2014?
-No.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
- My Dad

What was your favorite record from 2014?
- Sara Bareilles's The Blessed Unrest, Taylor's 1989, Begin Again OST.

How many concerts did you see in 2014?
- Just one. :( John Legend's All of Me Tour.

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2014?
- No.

Do a lot of drugs in 2014?
- Do prescription drugs count?

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
- No.

How much money did you spend in 2014?
- Less than last year.

What was your proudest moment of 2014?
- My baking business. I was overwhelmed with its success. It inspired me to dream more and learn more. And it reminded me that there's nothing like working on something you love.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2014?
- Replying on the wrong email thread.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2014 and change something, what would it be?
- It was actually a moment in 2012.

What are your plans for 2015?
- To cross off the top item on my goal list, to grow Bits & Bites, and to fix financial stuff.

How are you different now that the year has ended?
- Rejuvenated and looking forward to 2015. Bit & Bites was a real inspiration. Just what I needed to jumpstart my new year.

What are your wishes for the new year?
- :)

Time After Time

It's been a while since my last proper post and I don't really have a valid excuse except to say that I've been lazy and was consciously avoiding my own blog because of an unforeseen circumstance. But today I found myself backreading Patty Laurel's blog and while I generally love all her posts, nothing affected me as much as her entry on Time.

In her August entry, Patty was able to describe my exact thoughts and feelings about being on time and people who aren't as conscious about being late. Being late is one of my top pet peeves. All my watches are advanced and I'm almost always early for my appointments. It may be a type A personality trait, but wasting time just rubs me the wrong way. Being late speaks so much not just about how you value your own time, but how your respect other people's time as well.

Here are two paragraphs from her entry that summarizes my view on the matter:

A person's relationship with time is very telling. Punctuality does not make you a stickler, it makes you considerate of others. Of course, the same consideration allows you to be flexible and allow for a bit of a grace period in between the minutes. You'll forgive a 9:07am arrival for a casual 9:00am meeting but if it's a visa application, job interview, or a client presentation 9:00am roughly translates to 8:30am if you really want to make a good impression. 

It's not cute or cool or funny to be late, if you think about it---it actually is quite rude. In other countries, being on time is the only way to go. I can imagine being late in Japan, Germany or Singapore is like having LBM---it's something that could happen to anyone but it's something you would try your very best to avoid, something you'd be embarrassed about and something that could ruin your entire day and your dealings with others. Unless you have a valid reason like an emergency or a health related issue, then being late shouldn't become an option. 

You can read the entire entry here.

Esquire Philippines September 2014 Issue

Never been this excited about a magazine issue/collab in a long time. In his Instagram post, Esquire Senior Features Editor Jerome Gomez asked, "Where were you in 1995?" 

In 1995 I was in 2nd grade, an eight-year-old exposed to music beyond my years thanks to a family compound that allowed my cousins to play components (that's a kind of radio equipment, kids) with blasting speakers, to the dismay of our parents. My first Eraserheads memory that never left me is a fashion magazine editorial based on their single "Magasin." Folks, I know it's easy to download and spread this stuff online. But do yourself a favor and get off the Internet, buy the magazine and the CD for the sheer joy of smelling new paper, peeling off the CD's adhesive carefully so as not to tear the magazine page, leafing through the pages, and reading about the journey of this revolutionary band. Do it for the experience of putting the disc in its slot, hearing it click, and finally allowing the music to let you get lost for a minute or two. Do it for the dedicated people who made this magic happen. Buti na lang, Sabado bukas! #EsquireEheads