Author: Justine

Tonsillectomy: A 2 Year Reflection

Published by Justine

In July of 2015 I made the decision to finally have my tonsils out. I remember it was an emotionally tough time but I figured it was for the best. Throughout that year I had been severely hit with bouts of tonsilitis that were even more frequent than usual (I used to get it at least once every 2 months), and I realized it didn’t feel right anymore. I may have been used to getting it, but never those that limited my day to day activities or even be admitted to the hospital! To cut the story short, here I am 2 years later, tonsil free and couldn’t have been more thankful and relieved that I made that decision. I still get the remnants of mental reflex though. Whenever I eat or drink something sweet I always try to feel my tonsils in case they flare up or swell. I don’t think I’ll truly ever get over that. Something 27 years of habitual actions can never fix. To this day it is one of the …

RIP, Chester Bennington

Published by Justine

“Who care if one more light goes out? I do.” Waking up to read about the passing of Chester, and his methods moreso, was such a shock to me and to many people who grew up in the same music generation as me. What a huge loss and tragedy to his family, his 6 children, his bandmates, and the music industry as a whole. In my case, it also contributes to a portion of an end of the mainstream nu metal music era, one which I loved and influenced by as I was growing up. Liking Linkin Park considered to be such a “revolution” to kids my age because we’d been depending on Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Kittie (in my case because I was looking for a female-centered heavy metal band at the time) and similar bands who spewed out bad words after bad words with especially nonsensical lyrics to 11/12 year olds. Their lyrics, on the other hand, were heartfelt and full of emotion, angst, meaning, and that resonated with a whole lot when …

Saying Hello to Inner Demons

Published by Justine

I’m not sure what’s causing this inner terror that’s bothering me right now but I don’t like it at all. It’s making me lose my subconsciousness and depriving me of being grateful for the little things, which I always try and focus on daily for my mental health. I can’t even enjoy a single K-drama without revisits of this annoying mental clutch. I’ve been so focused on my new job and the unknowingly jarring difference of now getting into the hang of an office life vs the remote life that I lived for a year and a half. That was good for my mental and professional reset after having been in a toxic environment for a while, before the lone wolf life took a toll on me again. This time however, the demons in my head seem to be self-inflicting and I’m not a big fan. I’m always beating myself up for losing control of my and letting anxiety win again. By writing this I hope I at least feel a little better. A part …

Manila Weekend Recap, Part 1

Published by Justine

Prelude: When Bianca told me she needed help in planning her wedding, I gladly obliged, despite being a plane ride away. Whatever I could do, I tried to help. Fortunately and to our pleasant surprise, the church she chose had very limited slots and her chosen date was May 20 at 9am. I didn’t expect to be spending my birthday in Manila this year, but I was glad! It meant I would be spending it with the Jakarta famkada again, just like 2014 and a bit of last year. We (Mom, Jana, me) left on the 18th, taking the last flight out by PAL. It was an early night for us because we wanted to avoid traffic, and we did. What I hated the most was that our flight was delayed by 2+ hours, so it was quite a bitch waiting in the airport. The only thing that consoled me was PAL planes are better, so it was a very comfortable trip. I joked to Jana that we spend more hours waiting in the airport …