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January: An Eventful Month

Published by Justine

Usually when January ends I would be like, “That was fast!” and wonder how the month flew by just like that. It’s quite different this time. Last month was pretty damn eventful that it would be a waste not to write about it and look back on all the events that took place. This might be a long one!

Birthdays
My childhood best friend Hazel celebrated her 30th with a bang. 3 decades is a feat and should be celebrated just like she did it. We’ve been friends for 23 years and I’ve missed her birthdays because I would always be out of the country for Christmas but I’m glad I was here this time, and for her 30th at that!

Jana also celebrated her 17th birthday at home with about 30 of her friends. The older my sister grows the older it makes me but honestly, it just feels like the generation gap between us gets smaller. She was such a baby to me before, but now I can even start taking her out with my friends.

Professional Milestone
It is with a bit of sadness that I say I am no longer a digital nomad. The upside is, it’s a step up the ladder in my professional journey. New industry, new challenges, new people, and a new office.. but still at the core of my “expertise” which is marketing. Excited to see what this journey brings me. It feels a bit full circle, from studying most of my life in an international school, now here I am working in one. Talk about giving back.

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Friday’s 10 Happy Things, v15

Published by Justine

This week was pretty full in terms of life, and what a better way to end it than recalling all the happy things that took place!

1. La La Land. I watched it with my girlfriends on Wednesday and I absolutely fell in love with everything. Do I need to elaborate? I don’t think so.

2. Wednesday night dinner with the girls. The good side to adulting is when you get to catch up with friends after work and you’re all coming from different jobs, and just sit and chat and update each other with what’s been happening. It somehow felt like an episode of SATC or something too because there were 4 of us. Heh.

3. Coffee shop afternoons. When my sister has her midterms, I always drag her out to coffee shops after school so that she can sit and study instead of falling asleep at home. It also gave me a chance to fully live the “digital nomad” life for the last week since before starting my new job.

4. Bittersweet (last) week at work. This is a happy thing because I left on a good note, which I always try to maintain every time I leave a job to go start a new one. My colleagues even made me a special presentation with their notes and heartfelt personal messages! This is something I absolutely love and appreciate, when you know a person has taken the time to write to you. I cried and was thankful to have had such a great time at this company, that they allowed me to experience the digital nomad life for a good 2 years.

5. New dumb (but strong) phone. My friend got me a new Samsung Keystone 3 in white and I absolutely love it!!! I think I have quite a collection of dumb phones that I collect over the years then give away to anyone who wants it, namely my dad who’s also into them. Don’t think I’ll be giving away this one though. It was quite a challenge to find.

6. Catching up with cousins. A cousin from Melbourne and his 16 friends (YUP!) took a Cebu detour after attending a wedding in Bohol before heading to Palawan. I got to catch up with him and meet his friends last night after not seeing each other for about 2 years. It was a good time spent with relatives I don’t get to see often.

7. Seeing the love of my life. Not really. To cut a long story short, there’s this guy I’ve been “in love” with since 2005 and I don’t think he has any idea who I am. I see him around Cebu because we’re almost in the same circles and last Wednesday I saw him again. It was a good start to my year. I can’t believe I’ve had a crush on him for 12 years now. Crazy.

8. Late Christmas gifts. A special someone (not presently anymore) delivered a gift to me last Tuesday, a Burberry Brit Rhythm. The smell wasn’t really what I was used to but I’ve come to really love it and use it everyday. I got a new Lokai bracelet from my Tita in New York, and a girlfriend gave me a coin purse which has my name embossed on it. I love personalized gifts, it gives it so much more meaning.

9. A chill Friday night. After being out every night of the week this week, I am here in my cold room just writing this blog post and having the most relaxing night. While everyone is partying it up at Lifedance, I’m going to be just here under my duvet and watch my YouTube videos.

10. La La Land Soundtrack. This list started with the movie, and now ending with the music. It’s been on repeat since I finished watching the movie. Enjoy below.

The Sunday Currently, v24

Published by Justine

Hello 2017 and a happy new year everyone! That greeting is still valid, right? After all we’re only 8 days into the year but it already feels like 3 months. Crazy. I’ve been a little slow on blogging, mostly because I’ve been prioritizing different things and most especially getting my daily life on track after travelling for 4 weeks. December was weirdly great and I’m always grateful to end the year on a good note.

FEELING
Crazy old. I turn 29 this year and it’s an age I never imagined turning. I’m not a fan of these feelings because I feel and look forever 19 or something. I was at a wedding yesterday where I had to make a speech and the host was genuinely shocked when I said I was only 28. And I had a full face of makeup to boot! I’m also still really lazy to wear glasses and I am feeling my eyesight just deteriorating, and been getting eye strain-related headaches lately.

READING
Then Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell. I started this book since mid December to keep myself entertained before and during travel lulls, most especially if I couldn’t sleep in the cruise. I had no trouble sleeping in the cruise and did not have many travel lulls so naturally the book is still unfinished. I’m looking forward to at least finishing it this month!

THINKING
About blogging backlog and updating this blog with things that happened in chronological order for the sake of my OC-ness. I didn’t want to start the year without a “2016 in retrospect” post and an update of my travels but I realized I need to start doing whatever I want and just go with it. So here it is!

WANTING
A new dumb phone. I currently have two smartphones right now, one for work and one personal, but since I’m getting a new job(!!!!!) I don’t think I need an extra smartphone anymore. I’m not sure where I’m going with this but yeah. I want a new cheap-ass phone.

WATCHING
I just finished the third season of Younger. As I grow older my time and mental capacity with TV shows and binge-watching them has greatly shifted. I used to have all the time in the world to just watch everything but now I limit to the shows that truly make me happy. Anything that stresses me out (no matter how great—don’t get me started on Black Mirror) is immediately a no in my book. Not saying I completely dismiss them, it entirely depends on my current state of mind, of course. I hope they never stop making light-hearted smart shows like Younger for my viewing consumption.

LOVING
My new Glossier Generation G in Crush. This is really bad, because now I want to get all the colors. The good news is (just a little consolation here), even after countless of Sephora trips last month I only bought very little. Yay me and reducing makeup obsession!

HOPING
For a smooth sailing month. As I leave my current job to start a new challenge in my professional journey, I am excited yet super nervous as this is uncharted territory. The fact that this position was given to me makes me all the most hopeful that I can perform up to what is expected of me.

LISTENING
Ed Sheeran released two really good songs in the past few days, one of them which I absolutely love. Shape of You is such a great song and will no doubt be one of his million dollar hits.

WISHING
For this year to be a kind one. Nothing more, nothing less.

My Top Songs of the Year 2016

Published by Justine

I use Spotify religiously this Top 100 most listened songs of the year playlist that they generated is close to accurate. It includes a lot of the songs on the charts and I can say that pop music was pretty damn good this year. I didn’t see the need to complain about the quality of hits, except of course when they are overplayed but I can get past that. I can activate my selective hearing skills pretty well so I don’t die when I hear Chainsmokers’ Closer everywhere. For the record, Don’t Let Me Down trumps Closer in my book. All day err day.

I listened to a lot of PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Come and See Me the most, I was obsessed with this song. My two most listened albums in its entirety are Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Kings of Leon’s WALLS, and Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book so I’m not surprised why they showed up sparingly in this list. I also loved Solange’s A Seat at the Table. It wasn’t as much of a just one track but the whole album.

Non-Spotify included albums should include 2PM’s Gentlemen’s Game, which would have populated this list but are sadly not in the Spotify database. I had to buy a 30-day Melon pass for it. Boo, JYP!

Three Korean songs showed up on this list that I was pretty pleased with. Tiffany’s Heartbreak Hotel were one of my favorites this year, as well as Luna’s Free Somebody, and Dean’s What 2 Do. Dean is a very recent favorite this year, having sporadically listened to him just the past few months. He is so talented.

The Top 50 tracks on above’s list say enough of what songs I listened to the most. My favorite Top 40 song of the year would have to be Mike Posner’s I Took A Pill In Ibiza – Seeb Remix and Ariana Grande’s Side to Side (not in the list because I got into that song so late into the year!).

Here’s my Last.fm profile if you’d like to add me!

Another December

Published by Justine

Another December

I’m in Singapore right now as I type this, and just like last year, I’m spending the whole month out of the country again. The difference this time is that it’s super hot and humid as opposed to my snow-filled 2015 December in the East Coast. My trip here isn’t purely pleasure as I’m here for work at the head office. But then again, I count work as pleasure so it’s a win-win for me nevertheless. My family is coming down in the next few weeks and we all decided to just spend Christmas here.

I left on December 2 and started on a good note spending the weekend with old colleagues and Singapore reunions with old friends. This is my 4th time to Singapore this year (and probably my 65th all time), but I’m glad I got to go to places I haven’t been to before and do things I haven’t despite being so familiar with the city. In hindsight there isn’t much to do here, but if you find the right events and the right places to go to, and see it as a new experience each time, Singapore never disappoints. Especially when it comes to food.

Honestly, it doesn’t feel like December or the end of the year all too much. In less than a month another new year is arriving and it’s probably going to pass us by like a rocket ship once again. Wasn’t I just raving about how excited I was to be in New York last year? Ahh, the magic of time. One year older, but probably none the wiser.

After last year’s craziness, I appreciate that this year was a bit more tension free and just about taking it easy. In retrospect, the issues that fazed me didn’t involve any hospital visits and I’m trying to face them as much as I can in a more mature and adult fashion. Sure, #adulting will always be a challenge but facing it should always be worth it. Life will always be an uphill climb, right? Might as well go with the motions.