Author: Justine

Thirty Three

Published by Justine

It’s officially been one full month since I’ve turned a year older. I always try my best to at least do a birthday blog no matter how bad I am with this so I can keep myself accountable of the progress (or lack thereof) I’ve made over the course of my life. So here goes.. The past year felt like a blur—a fast-paced cloudy struggle with lockdowns, quarantines, working from home, lots of transitions, anxiety inducing moments, and lots of mentally draining situations. But it has also been a year of persevering, of trying to look at the bright side, trying to keep a positive mind, and trying to always look for that light at the end of the tunnel even though the world seemed like it was falling apart; and I have to give myself a pat on the back for that. It’s been one heck of a year, but we’re still here. Even though there are many times I feel like I’ve achieved nothing the past year, I think of all the moments …

A Year Into

Published by Justine

It’s officially going to be a week until a whole year has passed since the country declared a lockdown due to the coronavirus. I thought I’d pop in here to write about what I’ve been up to since the year started. Blogging hasn’t been on my mind for a while, thanks to my purchase of multiple Hobonichi planners and trying to do a good job of making sure I fill every page. It’s happened with my Hobonichi Weeks so far, and it’s nice to be able to spend at least a few minutes every day to jot down what’s going to happen soon or what’s happened in the past so I can look back on the year and feel like it’s been productive, despite all the shit we’re currently being dealt with, even until now. International travel has of course, been nonexistent for a while and continues to be, and I’m not sure my anxious self even dreams of wanting travel until this is all over, or at least until I receive the vaccine which …

My thoughts on Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020

Published by Justine

If you, just like me, have been following Terrace House, and which lead you to have stumbled upon my Subjective Ranking posts one way or another (thank you!), you must know by now that this season didn’t fare the best in terms of its outcome. Even with my excitement that it was coming back to Tokyo hoping that it would “go back to its roots” ITC style, in the beginning I already felt detached from it. I wanted to root for the new members and like them so much. I didn’t hate the cast mates per se, I just didn’t feel the connection I used to have when I first got so attached to it, which made me an instant fan of the show from the beginning. I guess I was sort of in a Terrace-House-is-my-favorite-show bubble that I couldn’t not support it, so I soldiered on. I didn’t want to admit to myself that it wasn’t what I expected, because I was rooting for it so much. Having said all that, Netflix international has …

Quarantine Chronicles

Published by Justine

It’s been a minute and half since I’ve written in here. And still it seems like this pandemic isn’t really showing signs of stopping a year into the whole thing. It’s just been crazy and a rollercoaster ride for everyone, and holy shit I am alive to live and witness it. Who would have thought we’d be here? The future is uncertain, but no one and their mother thought that we would have to live this future. We’re all feeling the same things, the same uncertainty, and navigating a totally new experience collectively. Excuse my lack of a better phrase, but that’s fucking insane. I guess I wanted to check in because the bouts of anxiety I’ve been experiencing all throughout this year is something that I can’t really place. There are highs and lows but it’s a I’d like to navigate this entry into a more positive note by listing down things that kept me sane through this whole year, and still continues to.. even up until this pandemic ends, or will it?

Friday’s 10 Happy Things, v16

Published by Justine

It’s been a hot minute (almost 4 years to be exact!!!!) since I posted one of these things. With everything going on in the world right now, and my recent state the past few months of anxious highs and lows, I feel like I need to do one of these again. 1) Laughing so much from our cousin group chat. This afternoon my cousins got into a bit of a funny streak of roasting each other and they were just the funniest. I recorded some 2) Meeting deadlines. Can I get a fuck yeah?? This week is one of those crazy work weeks—both for my day job and side hustle—and work just kept pouring in. I only have a bit of stuff to do before the week ends but other than that, I’m good! On to next week’s grind. 3) Good food day. It’s the last day of my the monthly visitor and I’ve been eating up a storm the past 3 days. My coworker who is in charge of ordering lunch for us today …