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Showing posts from 2023

How Can You Let Go Of Your Mother?

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It's been three months since I last wrote on this blog. I have no excuse. Or perhaps I do. The last three months have been a blur. I went through an emotional roller coaster in my personal and professional life. But I guess the one thing that really demotivated me was my mother's deterioration, and eventually her passing.  I honestly do not want to use my mother's passing as an excuse for my lack of focus and determination in the last three months, but I have not completely come into terms with her passing. And with this, I mean I have not fully grieved- I think. I have not fully processed my mother's death. Believe me, she crosses my mind frequently, but somehow I always manage not to let this thought linger for long.  Perhaps I remain in denial, or perhaps it's a feeling of guilt.  It was at the beginning of August when I first felt that things were changing. My mother, since she became bedridden three years ago, would call me throughout the day, and night. I woul

New Memories Made in Lisbon, Portugal

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Lisbon is one of my favourite cities , and therefore on my list to revisit at some point in this lifetime. However, my friend Damaris kindly invited me to travel with her this year, and she is one of those friends I find difficult to say no to (please don't tell her). Besides, I have this trauma from travelling with friends in the past that until now I am still trying to overcome. Of course, I didn't tell Damaris this as I didn't want to put her off. But I'm glad that we both enjoyed the trip and made new memories together. High on our agenda was to watch the famous sunrise in Lisbon, so we headed to Jardim Julio de Castilho to do this, however we were a little bit late. It didn't matter though as this part of Lisbon is the most beautiful early in the morning.  A few metres away is the rather popular Miradouro de Santa Luzia where most people go to watch the sunrise, or listen to Fado music later in the day. I would prefer to go here early in the morning, before the

How Did I spend 16 hours in Dubai?!

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After a few years of passing through Dubai, I finally decided to extend my layover so I can meet up with two special people, my niece Erlie and my nephew Moel. And it was one of the best travel decisions I've ever made, all because of those two who made sure that my first ever travel to Dubai was nothing but memorable. I arrived at Dubai International Airport via Emirates (of course) just after midnight. My niece Erlie picked me up from the airport and we went straight back to her apartment. I haven't seen this beautiful lady for over a decade and seeing her in Dubai was so surreal. There was so much to catch up on and I can tell you now that the 16 hours I spent in Dubai was definitely not enough. As it was almost 1am, we decided to sleep as the following morning, we would meet up with Moel. We picked up Moel from his apartment around 0730. And just like Erlie, I haven't seen Moel since he was a young boy. I am so blessed that despite the distance, we remained close and ke

Finding My Purpose at 47

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I love birthdays and I always look forward to mine. This year though,it feels kinda different. The excitement seemed to have been overshadowed by feelings of regret, inadequacy and overall melancholy. These feelings have been building up for the last three months and yesterday, it finally blew up. For the first time since my 39th birthday , I was honest with myself and accepted that perhaps I was and still am having a birthday depression, or commonly known as birthday blues. I remember one of my good friends reminding me on Friday that it was soon my birthday weekend. My reply was, "I am not even thinking about it." The weekend went, and then Monday came. I started becoming an emotional wreck. I was feeling very down and cried a few times throughout the day. J tried his best to comfort me, but that even made me feel worse. I felt a complete failure. And then I started asking myself why . Why was I feeling that way?  Then I reflected on the last year, most especially the last

10 Days In The Philippines: How Did I Do It?

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People have asked me why I only stayed 10 days in the Philippines. I guess this is a question that people should avoid asking because whether I spend 5 days , 10 days or three weeks in the Philippines, it will still not be enough. I guess the most important thing is that I was able to go home and spend time with my parents, my family and some of my friends. Ten days is very short indeed, however it is definitely how you spend those ten days that matters.  In my case, I had to divide my time between my father, my mother, my pamangkins and my Aunt who was also visiting from the States at the time. Although my visit was short, I can say that I had the most amazing time. It was all about maximising each day, visiting places that mattered to us, knowing when to spend quality time with my parents and spending time with people who were worth my while. So, here's how I spent my 10 days in the Philippines: Day 1 - I arrived in Manila early in the morning, so we d rove straight to Tagaytay

10 Things I Miss About Living in Central London (West End)

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One year ago today, J and I decided to take adulting more seriously and decided to buy a property in South London. That meant giving up our rented flat in the West End and our life in Central London.  It was not an easy decision as we loved living in the Heart of London- and when I say Heart of London, between the buzzing areas of Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. It was indeed a privilege for me to have experienced living in this part of London where most people can only dream of residing. In fact, a lot of people we know didn't even realise that people could actually live in those buildings. Essentially, our flat was in the quieter part of Rupert Street, squeezed between the bustling Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street. However, as our flat was on the top floor, we hardly heard any noise, unless someone was screaming loudly in the wee hours of the morning, perhaps coming from a really good night out. Although I love our new home  and our new neighbourhood, I must admit t

Afternoon Tea in London: My Experiences in 2022

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Afternoon Tea has become a huge part of my life since 2006. It has been one of the things that's keeping me sane and happy, especially when life seems challenging and I need something to cheer me up. This is the reason why I didn't even realise that I may have actually overdone it last year. But I have no regrets because I enjoyed every single Afternoon Tea experience I had then, most especially because I shared those experiences with people who matter, old and new. In fact, I had some of the most memorable Afternoon Tea experiences last year, and I'm going to tell you why. 1. The Claridge's - Brook St. - Afternoon Tea at The Claridge's was on top of my list last year and I am glad that I was able to share this experience with two wonderful friends, Damaris and Veronica. Perhaps I could say that this Afternoon Tea sealed our sisterhood. It's amazing because despite our huge age difference, we get on very well. And this is why this Afternoon Tea at The Claridge&#