I started writing when I was 8. My mom got me a journal where I could rant (prob so I won't be an annoying brat). I stopped writing for 8 years until the pen and then later on the keyboard called on me again. I blog because I like writing and that's just about it. Hope you get inspired though... Bite the apple!
Bistek Tagalog is one of the dishes I learned early on. I prefer making dishes that are marinated first since it allows me to rest between preparing and cooking. I've also been just preparing and having Miggy cook lately since he likes cooking.
Here's our recipe:
500 grams beef (I normally use sirloin)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 to 4 calamansi
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 medium onion
And here's how we cook it -
It's very easy to make and that's why it's a staple in our home cooked meals!
Celebrated the new year at home contained in our family room. Had to do this to avoid the bad air quality. Didn't want to welcome the new year with asthma, haha. We also just prepared the ready to cook food Kuya and Ate Joy sent. I'll cook pink pasta today so we could have noodles.
I was so surprised so many neighbors had fireworks! There wasn't as many last year when we welcomed 2023. By 11:20 pm it was super noisy in our neighborhood. It wasn't the same though as the 80s/90s when it was non-stop. There were moments of silence in between. Of course, the loudest bangs came five minutes before midnight.
I feel 2024 is going to be very different! I haven't crafted any goals yet, but I have some ideas in my head. I'll let it simmer for now and will write it out in the next few days.
Here's how my 2023 went as a one second everyday vlog!
When Sweetie said he had some travel fund expiring we tossed around ideas on where to go. We decided to go to Bohol since that was the last place we visited in 2019. It felt bitin so we thought we needed to give it closure. We defined our trip goals since we had to work around my medical condition. You really need to plan properly when traveling with someone who has health issues.
We originally planned to go in June to celebrate their birthdays, but they both had the flu. We re-booked it a few weeks later to avoid the rainy season. Well, it was a blessing in disguise because a waterspout appeared during the week we were supposed to be there and it was a wet week. The weather was perfect the week we were there.
Friends have been asking where we stayed and what did we do. Finally finished our travel diary vlog, so here it is --
After a lot of deliberation we decided to stay at Modala Beach Resort. It had a mall adjacent to it which saved us the trouble of taking a tricycle to the town to eat. We were so happy that one of a favorite restos, Mooon, had a branch at the strip. We also finally got to try eating at the Bohol Bee Farm restaurant. That also meant we had ice cream everyday we were there. Well, you can also check out our "Happy Tummies in Bohol" vlog here -
It was a really great family vacation for us. We were able to rest and relax and staying under the sun effectively reset my sleep pattern! My body is finally back in Asian timezone haha. We were also able to pamper our bodies with a massage and foot scrub. It was overall a chill and happy vacation and we'll probably come back soon!
The last time I bought myself a laptop was in 2013. I had a rocky relationship with that laptop because it started deteriorating just before it turned one. The keyboard became unusable and had to be changed. Good thing it was still under warranty, but it was never the same after that. I still used it until early last year even though some keys were not working anymore.
Oh yes, I'm a cheapskate when it comes to purchasing devices. It takes me years to decide to buy something new. Instead of buying I would use Sweetie or Miggy's discards until the laptop dies on me. I'm not fussy when it comes to devices as long as it works smoothly. I realized I probably spent more usage time on Miggy's old Toshiba Chromebook (2015) than on my 2013 laptop. Why? Because the Chromebook never gave me any headaches. I turn it on and boom I can do my tasks seamlessly.
It was like Christmas when I received my first Chromebook. It was just there sitting on my desk. I started using it immediately. It was the first Pixel Chromebook. It was heavy but a beauty. I've had it for more than 5 years now and it still works! I fell in love with it and used my Mac less and less and one day just completely stopped using it. I realized I could do everything on the Chromebook anyway.
The Chromebook has been perfect for me. Here are the reasons why I super love Chromebooks:
1. No maintenance needed. It updates by itself and just tells you to restart when needed (which is rare!).
2. It doesn't make me wait to use it. I turn it on and tada I could immediately do my stuff on it.
3. You can do anything using a Chromebook. I write, edit videos, do social media etc. on it. There are a gazillion apps you can use from the Chrome Web Store and Play Store (Android).
4. Amazing battery life. You can just go on and on.
5. It's lightweight. I'm not allowed to carry heavy stuff so the weight has been perfect for me.
6. It just keeps running! I have the gen 1 Samsung Chromebook which I got in 2014. It still works! Actually all my Chromebooks still works.
7. You can work seamlessly on any device.
8. In my experience, any Chromebook brand is good. I've used the Pixel (gen 1 and 2), HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, and Asus. It all worked for me.
9. I never needed servicing for any of my Chromebooks. They all still work!
10. I feel secure when I use a Chromebook. Do you know Google pays money if you're able to hack it's browser? (News here).
So after 8 years and using Sweetie and Miggy's old devices I finally decided to gift myself with a new laptop. I got a new Lenovo Thinkpad Chromebook C13 Yoga. Reasons on why I got this device are here. It's supposed to be the Chromebook for grown-ups. It's a bit pricey, but I decided to invest on this Chromebook because I expect it would beat the number of years of service my 2013 laptop gave me (7 "good" years). I hope to have many years of happy time on this Chromebook.
Oh, here's my unboxing video!
Day 18 Minimalism challenge, Go out without your phone. Oh this is something I can't do. I need to have a phone with me all the time in case of an emergency. Maybe I should remember to use my medical bracelet whenever I go out!
