Tintin and the City

A few weeks ago, I finally made the decision to go home after my father was hospitalised for an urgent operation. I know the world remains unstable and perhaps it was and still is not the best time to go home, but I know that I needed to see my parents sooner than later or I may not be able to forgive myself easily should anything happen to either of them, God forbid. I guess the universe was on my side during this journey because everything went smoothly as far as I am concerned.  I would normally book my plane ticket directly from the airline, however on this occasion, I decided to use a travel agent as my flight was urgent and the only flights I could find online were business class. As much as I wanted to travel on business class (one day), this was not the right time. Mabuhay Travel was helpful in booking my flight and was very accommodating until after my transaction was completed. I still have reservations in using travel agents, so I would try my best to avoid them in the futu

One of my favourite things to do in London is hang out in a cafe, alone or with some friends. Whenever I am in much need of a me-time, most especially when I am frustrated and stressed out from work, I would drop by a cafe to wind down before heading home. When I need some "clinical supervision", I would invite a work friend or two to join me. And when family and friends visit me in London, I like to bring them to cafes that I love to share the experience with them, or to a cafe that I have never been to, to make new memories together.  To be honest, I have not always been a coffee lover. My love affair with coffee only started when I was 36. I was convinced that caffeine would keep me awake at our morning meetings, and therefore would buy it from a corner cafe every morning on my way to work. Since then, I have not stopped drinking coffee (although I was recently advised to reduce my caffeine intake).  Then I went to New Zealand where I drank some of the best coffees in the

My Dear Keith , Happy 21st birthday in heaven, anak ko. I have no doubt you are celebrating this milestone in the kingdom of heaven with lighters all around you, and in the presence of all other angels. Perhaps, you have crossed path with Daddy Henry where you are, too. Time has gone by really fast. You could have been 21 today. I always wonder how life would have been if you were still around. I wonder of the man you could have become being the boy who believed he could do anything because he could! Most of your friends are now in college. I know of one who is pursuing his Medical degree, one her Psychology degree and another her Culinary degree (or maybe Hotel and Restaurant Management- not entirely sure). Your best-friend, the last time I chatted with him, was pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry. Would you have pursued your passion in art or music, or would you have been a firefighter as you said when once asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? Whatever you would ha

Having celebrated my 44th birthday in lockdown last year, when life seemed so obscure and most people were living in fear, I chose to be hopeful that my journey to 45 was going to be meaningful regardless of what the world was going through. This is not to say that the journey between 44 and 45 was without challenges, but things could have definitely been worse. So, I remain grateful for what was, what is and what may be. This morning, I woke up to the sight of one of my greatest blessings in life. He was stood by our bedroom door having just come back from the kitchen to get a glass of water. He talked gibberish (which he sometimes do to amuse me). We both giggled and whilst he cosied up back into bed, I said I was getting up. It was only 6am and already, I was wide awake. Perhaps I was excited to turn 45 today, or probably because I was thinking of the errands that I needed to do. Then I was reminded of the message that my staff sent me yesterday, "promise me boss, you will res

It's almost six months since I started my new role as a Ward Manager- my third managerial role in 3 years. Yes, so unlikely of me to change jobs this often, however circumstances compelled me to do so. Unfortunately, I was made redundant from the job that built my foundation as a manager in March last year, then difference in values made me quit the next job after that. But here I am now, finally settled in a place where I can say I am happy.  I remember going for my interview amidst the second lockdown. I was asked to present on "How to Ensure the Right People with the Right Skills are in the Right Place" . I really wanted to get this job, so I worked really hard for it although I was only given a few days to prepare. But you know what, I had a very good feeling about this job because every conversation I had with HR was positive. When I submitted  my presentation, she called me and said that the panel has seen my presentation and that they were impressed and couldn'

I have been extra emotional lately due to a few things that have been bothering me, mainly about my mother. It has been rather difficult for me to share any of my feelings to anyone because I know that no one will ever understand how I feel. So why am I here, you may ask? The simple answer is because no one is obliged to listen to me and understand me when I write. So, please allow me. Firstly, I feel guilty that I didn't make an effort to go home to my parents in the past six years. And with the virus still raging (especially in the Philippines), I am unsure when I will be able to go home safely. It is very hard because I know that my mother is not very well, and all I want is to see her and hug her one more time. I didn't go home for six years because I was selfish. The only time I decided to prioritise myself because I finally realised that I've given so much to others and so little to myself, was the time fate played its trick on me. I would blame it to the circumstance

It's been over a week now since I finally had my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Just like some people, I was skeptical about the vaccines when they first emerged because there was not enough clinical studies to evidence their efficacy and the side effects that they may potentially cause. I felt that the scientists rushed the production of the vaccines. But one of my closest friends who is very sensible and is a doctor told me to believe in science. And why shouldn't I? After all, I am in a profession governed by science. However, I wanted to wait until there was enough study at least for the side effects. And then COVID-19 hit me. That's when I realised that maybe I should get the vaccine sooner than later, but I was told that I couldn't get the vaccine until 21 days after my positive COVID test. Unfortunately, there were no longer appointments available at work when I finally could have the vaccine, so I had to book via the NHS. And so, two Thursdays ago, I arrived a

I have been blogging for sometime now, but I've never written about books. So, this blog is my first. Just to be clear that this is not a review as I am not a book critic. I just thought I'd share the books that I read in 2020 which helped me get through the lockdown, one way or the other. Back in high school, I used to read a lot of books- from the Bible, to Sweet Valley High, to Danielle Steel and Sidney Sheldon. Somehow I lost interest when I started university. I very rarely read pocket books, if not at all. Perhaps because I was focused on my studies- too focused that I used to cram for my exams quite a lot. Hehe. Seriously speaking though, in hindsight,  I shouldn't have stopped reading pocket books because it would have helped me with my writing. But whatever. Here we are now. A few decades later, I am actually writing about some of the books that I've read. Another milestone in my blogging adventure. :)  Actually, I have already posted these on my Instagram acco