A Look Back at 2025

2025 was a good year. We faced some challenges especially with my health. I broke my non-hospitalization streak by late July and had the misfortune of missing a step on the stairs. We spent most of the last quarter doing physiotherapy and exercise. 

The fall was a blessing in disguise. It was painful, but it forced me to do physiotherapy. Exercise was light, but more movement means more stamina. It helped me care for our garden better and we managed to harvest some produce!

Aside from our usual home maintenance projects, our biggest project was to clear my childhood home. Oh boy, I really did not expect that Mom kept a lot of stuff in her cave-like cabinets! I had to go through each and every box organized by our decluttering coach. 

The majority of the things were donated, stuff that were not useful anymore was thrown away, and some stuff were distributed among us siblings. I still have some stuff I need to pass to relatives. I am so glad we finished this project and don't have to worry about it anymore. 

Here's 2025 in 3 minutes -

One thing that's still a work in progress is saving Mom's plants. We moved a big batch in mid-December and have started working on re-potting them. This project will continue until we finish what we can save from her plants. It's a lot of work and a good daily workout! 

I like where I am now and have settled into retired life much better. I want to be more productive though, but to do that I have to be healthier. That's something we're working on together as a family. 2025 was a quiet year and that's the way I like it.

Have a blessed New Year everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

What I was Up to 20 Years Ago

It just crossed my mind that 2004 was already 20 years ago. My life was so different back then and in my mind I thought it was going to be the same for the rest of my life. I thought it would be my last job and my personal life would be the same. The only thing permanent in life is change.

It's nice to look back at where you are in the past because it can be a clue on how to move forward. Here are tidbits on what my life was back in 2004. I didn't have a blog yet back then, but I already had a digicam and I still have my photos!

I was still working for the Yellow Pages

Miggy was just 10 years old back then

I hung out a lot with my colleagues

and choirmates/neighbors

Me and my best friend tried to incubate a company. We ended up going to Banaue for it.

Mom and Dad still loved going on road trips

And I had a pet fish, Oscar the oscar

You can never really tell what will happen to you in the future. Opportunities and circumstances can change your path at a snap of a finger. I was content where I was 20 years ago. Two years later my life completely changed. I worked hard for it and worked harder when my life changed course. 

What were you up to 20 years ago?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Mickey Mouse Ruler from the 80s and a 20-year old McDonald's Pencil Box

I'm slowly regaining my strength, so decluttering continues. I found a few vintage stuff from one of the boxes I sorted on my Mom's birthday. Never knew I'd see a souvenir from the first time when we went to Disneyland in 1980. 

I was only 4 years old back then, but I remember a few things from that trip. I remember I didn't like walking and I preferred to be in the stroller. That or Kuya would carry me, hahaha. I also always felt cold. The most fun moment for me was when we went through the "It's a Small World" ride. 

Mom bought this super cute ruler. I remember playing with it when I was a child. Never really used it as a ruler. It's just been used for display and eventually was kept in a cabinet. It has some damage now, but it's still cute. I cleaned it up and just put it in my ruler drawer for now since everything's messy in my craft room. I probably need to spend a day organizing it.

Also found two McDonald's pencil cases. I couldn't find the exact date it was released. Probably from the 90s since Hamburglar disappeared from commercials in 2002/2003. I'm also not sure when "Love ko to" was introduced by McDonald's Philippines. The slogan though was used in the 2000s, so the pencil box may have been from 2000-2005 before Hamburglar was phased out. Found a few posts selling the pencil box and Sweetie said he wanted to collate all "vintage" stuff, so I turned it over to him. 

It's interesting to read up on old stuff, so I might do more of this for Throwback Thursdays :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: Milestones with Mom

Mom never left me. She's always been there for me every step of the way. I looked through our photos and I'm happy I was able to share milestones with her. She was also the same for Miggy. Don't really know where to start, so I'll just follow how Google Photos saved the pictures chronologically. Skipped my graduation since I couldn't find a photo (sorry, it was pre-digital era!). 

Miggy's pre-school recognition day.

Mom was there when my first (and only) car was delivered. She drove it before I did!

Miggy's high school graduation.

Mom braiding my hair while I was recovering from heart surgery.

 Mom and Jet, her great grandchild. She was there for Carissa.

Of course, Mom got to visit both offices in Singapore. Dad would have never allowed me to leave.

Mom was already 78 years old when she took care of me after I had open heart surgery. She was there for everyone who needed her and let anyone in the family who needed a home to stay with her. That's how I got to get close with my other titos and titas. She was in fact stronger than me and was still busy gardening until her last days. Sister Lirio reminded me that I was lucky I always had her around me. Another friend told me it's really going to be rough, just remember all the happy memories and the pain will eventually ease up. 

Love you Mom and I miss you. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: Mom and Dad's Journey

I stumbled on old family photos when I was looking for a nice photo of Mom. I found an album where I gathered scanned photos of their wedding and anniversaries. My parents spent 51 years together. Their love story spanned so many decades. They spent a very long, fruitful life. 

25th

35th

45th

50th

Aside from growing a family, my parents spent a lot of their time for social and religious causes. They were heavily involved in the building of our parish church. Daddy also used his skills to ensure our community was protected and had proper utilities (ie water). They were active members of the Knights of Columbus and CWL. I learned a lot from their activities and I guess that's also why I enjoyed doing projects that was going to benefit communities. 

I dreamt of my parents last week. We were on an outing abroad. They were so happy together and wore matching yellow outfits. This was how they looked (photo taken months before I was born). 

It's strange I dreamt of them months before I was born. I knew it was before I was born because there was another photo together with my cousin, Tina, when she was a baby (taken the same day). Oh! I just realized that I was probably growing in my Mom's tummy when the photo was taken. She said I was probably made on Holy Innocents Day (hehe). I guess they were sending their love from heaven and telling me everything will be okay. 

Love you Mom and Dad. Please watch over us from up there. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: A Decade Ago

I have been thinking about future plans the past few days. I know things would be so much different in ten years. That got me to think about what I was up to ten years ago. I quickly search "Apr 2013" on Google Photos to get an idea of what I was doing back then. 

I had 2 open heart surgeries during the first quarter of 2013 and I immediately went back home as soon as my doctors allowed me to go. First thing I did was to get a haircut and have a part of my hair dyed red. Yup, red (haha). It looks like I bounced back really fast because I was attending events again by mid-April. 

Here's a rundown of that crazy month (just six weeks after my second OHS):

From my photos, it looks like we had a community event at Commune*. Hadi and Yansen came for the event. 

Went to GenSan to support an event hosted by Avel.

Went to Lake Sebu for an awarding ceremony.

And did a TV interview. They practically had to carry me so I could sit on the bar stool. At that point I was still not very flexible post-surgery. 

Notwithstanding OHS, I was able to cope well. My life now is very different and I am sure it'll be so much different in 10 years (if I'm still around). The only major event I had this month was going to Bacolod and Manami. I think I've been bitten by the travel bug again and I'm itching to go to the beach again. I'll probably stay home for now until the unbearable heat goes away. Cases are also going up, so it's best to stay safe and just go out when it's really necessary.

Where were you 10 years ago?

*Commune just celebrated their 10th anniversary!

Throwback Thursday: Angkor Wat

The summer heat reminded me about the time I visited Cambodia. The country is near the equator and I was warned about the heat. I went there to run an event. The people in Cambodia are so lovely and friendly. It was pretty hard to communicate since very few spoke English, but I felt very much welcomed. 

I stayed at Heritage Suites Hotel. It is a boutique hotell in Siem Reap and came highly recommended by locals. I remember the room was very unique and it smelled good. It was a great place to stay at, unfortunately I don't have any photos of the room! I think I spent most of my time outside and just literally used the room to sleep!

Most common mode of transportation in Siem Reap are motos and tuktuk. That's also how I got around except when I was brought to the airport by a car. The interesting thing though is you have to pay in USD if you want to buy something. Yup, I paid in USD for a few souvenirs. 

Aside from the event and meeting a lot of people, getting to visit the Angkor Wat was truly memorable. The place is so massive! We were told to avoid the monkeys and not to feed them because they can get very excited. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go around the complex since I had a plane to catch. Of course, I managed to have my photo taken with the Angkor Wat behind me. I got lucky because everyone else went on the tour, so I got a nice photo without anyone walking around.

I promised myself I'll go back someday with my boys. I was advised to go at the end of the year when it's much cooler. They said the rest of the year is just hot. Ahh, someday :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: That Time I was a Fairy

While we were sorting our stuff when I saw the fairy dress my beloved Gaylas made for me. They dressed me up as a fairy when they surprised me during my 40th birthday celebration.

I had so many nicknames through the years. People picked up the nickname Winston gave me, Ms. Google Earth Philippines because of the mapping program I initiated. A few years later, the Gaylas started calling me FGM, fairy godmother, haha. It stuck and they still call me FGM until now. 

So that's probably where they got the idea to dress me up as a fairy with a crown to boot! Haha.

Love you girls ❤️

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: Bag Memories

We've been working on decluttering our home. Our coach had 7 boxes of bags sorted by her team to make it easier for us to decide which to keep and donate. We sat down the other night to go through all the bags. Much as we'd like to keep some as souvenirs there's just a lot. So I thought I'd write about some of the interesting ones I've used through the years. 

Here's a few I managed to take photos of. Most of it has been sent for recycling. 

Thought I'd mark some that hold special memories. I finally gave up my super favorite backpack. I don't remember how I got it (haha), but this one traveled the world with me. It carried all the laptops I used for work for over a decade. I loved it because it was light and sturdy. It had a few tears, but I think it's still going to be useful for the Lalamove driver who picked up the boxes for donation. Goodbye Mr. Belkin, enjoy your new adventure.

Startup Weekend Davao schwag bag. It came with a mug and I'm still using the mug! I super enjoyed attending this Startup Weekend. Don't remember though whether I mentored or judged, haha. 

The only schwag that Yahoo every gave me, an eco-bag and a handkerchief. I think this was a freebie from an event. The hanky was given to me by Jonas. It's still with Sweetie. 

If you're a blogger from the 2009/2010 era, then this bag would be very familiar for you. The huge Geiser Maclang schwag bag was a staple for a lot of bloggers. We got all sorts of goodies with this bag. It was pretty sturdy too and we used it extensively to bring stuff around. 

Do you remember Lola Techie? Well, this I think was a giveaway during the event when they launched the character in 2009 (see here). That was a super fun campaign. 

I'm going to review the ones we decided to keep. I think we could downsize more and let others enjoy the pre-loved items (especially the cloth eco-bags). I didn't take photos anymore of the hand bags I gave up. I just kept a few since I rarely go out, plus I think others can benefit and enjoy them more. It also gives me the opportunity to make some new ones! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

 

Throwback Thursday: One Second Everyday | February 2023

February was a much better month than January. It went by so quickly though and has been the busiest month for me. I say busy because I was able to move more, but I still had a lot of bad days. Needless to say, I'm happy i was able to be more productive. 

Here's a short highlights video of my month -

The highlight for the month was Sweetie's Valentine surprise. He brought me and Miggy to Nuvali to have lunch at Amare La Cucina. It was a joyous occasion because the last time we ate at Amare was during their soft opening in Baguio many, many years ago. I've wanted to try their pizza again for a long time now, so the surprise was a happy one. We were also finally able to visit Landmark again on the same day (not our usual branch though). 

I rarely go out and it sometimes takes weeks before I get to go out again. I'm content when we go on a joyride around the park to spin Pokestops. Still need to be cautious since I'm immunocompromised. I've made it part of my Lenten 40-day challenge to go out at least once a week. That way I can move around more. So I'm really grateful we were able to go out almost weekly in February. I think that has helped me generate more steps at home. Yay!

March is here now and the biggest challenge would be the change in the weather. We need to make a few adjustments at home to keep the temperature down. Hopefully Architect Wansi and his team can squeeze it in their busy schedule because I don't want to be stuck in the bedroom all summer! 

Let's all make March a grateful month!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: When I Turned 30

It feels just like yesterday when I celebrated my 30th birthday. Let's not count how many years it's been, haha! I usually celebrate my birthday at home. It did not even occur to me to host the party elsewhere. Nowadays though it's easier to just book a place or a resto to celebrate. 

My 30th birthday was really memorable. I had all my closest friends come to the party. My besties, my choir fam, work fam and school friends (HS and college). It was a really special day for me because it marked the beginning of the next chapter in my life. My birthday actually marked my first day at Google (things started rolling a few weeks later). 

Most of the food was homemade (plus some Baliwag probably). The cake was ordered by Mom and Dad from Goldilocks (of course!). We had games and did a lot of singing (videoke!). By then most of my friends from school and my neighbors knew each other, so everyone was comfortable with each other.  

I realize now why I looked back on this day. It's the day where I want to re-start from after retiring from my job. Things have changed a lot since then. My best friend moved back to Cebu, most of my friends are married and moved elsewhere (abroad/other cities). Some are still around and I've been hoping to see them. Hope it will be safer and hope our renovations will finish soon. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: Changi Airport

It's been almost 14 months since I last visited Changi Airport. It's one of my favorite airports since it's very efficient and there's so much to see in the airport. According to Google Maps it's one of my most visited places. I used to travel a lot for work and going through Changi was truly effortless. 

Here are some of my memorable experiences at Changi Airport -

• 
  Since I had a work pass I enjoyed going through the automated gates. The only drawback is most of the time the scanner can't read my fingerprints. I oftentimes had to go through the special immigration table so I could exit. One immigration officer advised to put lotion on my fingers before exiting. That trick finally worked and I finally got to enjoy the automated gates. 
• Teh Tarik before flying out. I always went to the airport early because I don't like rushing (I walk very slow). I eventually set a tradition to drink some teh tarik before flying out. I'd buy some and just work before heading to the gate. Too bad you can't bring some to the plane.
• The Raffles Hospital clinic at Changi saved me a couple of times. One time I rushed back to Singapore from the Southern part of Asia after getting food poisoning. I presented all the medications the hotel gave me and they said that none of those meds were meant for stomach issues. No wonder I kept getting sick even after I took it. 
• One thing I enjoyed most was the themes Changi Airport would take on. They change it every few months and there was one time they did Star Wars. To me that was the best theme I experienced. 

• Do you know that Changi Airport has a special scent? I actually didn't know, I just always thought that the airport smelled good. I only found out when a friend gifted me a bottle last year (haha). Super love it since it brings back good memories. 
• Eventually I was able to accumulate points and I got to use the lounge. It was super useful for me after I had my first PE since I had a place to rest and I got first to board privileges. I also got additional baggage allowance which was very useful whenever I went to Japan and Australia (I liked grocery shopping there haha). 

• I liked buying electronics at Changi Airport. I remember buying Sweetie a camera once, but it wasn't working! I immediately got in touch with the shop and they replaced the camera with a new one when I came back. The person who responded to my email was also the one who took care of the replacement when I arrived. So far everything I got from there still works (even the Phillips CD player I got even before I moved to SG haha). 
• On our last flight out of SG, I had to use a wheelchair. They took care of me from check-in until we landed in Manila. I was so anxious about the flight, but they made sure we were okay all the way. 

• My favorite terminal was terminal 3. I would go to the food street on the second floor if I was hungry or the restos in the common area if I was picking up someone. I preferred terminal 2 though for shopping since they had more variety. 
• I wish though I had more time to explore Changi Jewel. I've been there a couple of times. We enjoyed going there since it had a lot of unique shops and restos. 

Captured our last trip out of Changi in a vlog. I was supposed to come back last August for a check-up, but we decided to cancel the trip since the boys got sick and my stamina wasn't at its best. Someday we'll go back at the right time :)

#BeKind #StaySafe