My Sunshine After The Rain

I am writing this post using my phone. I'm too lazy to power up my laptop. Although it annoys me to NOT have control over the format of this Blogger app, I'd still like to share with you all how my day went.

It is an understatement to say that I have been sad or down the past couple of days. Every day I felt like crying and I was just plain miserable and annoyed at the entire world...and for my own selfish reasons. I felt like I didn't have anyone to talk to. It was all too horrible. Anyway, TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY! I am very thankful.

Along with 3 of my bestfriends (whom I haven't seen in over a month), we went to Quezon City on an errand for one of our subjects last semester. Although it's far, it's okay. You know how people say that in life, it's never really about the destination but rather the travel? Well, literally put, I enjoy my travels with these 3 rather than the destination itself. Always. So I'm quite glad that we had to travel at least 2 hours each way.

Just sitting there in the car, listening to music and sharing random stories and throwing much random insults at one another... It helped me forget why I was so miserable for the past days. We did what we always did and what we do best: EAT! My money always goes to food when I'm with them.

After that, we got to go to our Chapel and helped out on repacking some of the goods that we'll be donating to those who have suffered the wrath of Typhoon Haiyan. We also had fun on taking photos of ourselves using awesome different iPhone camera lenses.

I'm glad I for today. It made me realize that I'm still blessed no matter how crappy I may feel towards myself and some of those around me. Happiness isn't really a destination: it's a Choice.

Stay happy! No matter how hard it is, find time to count your blessings. It helps. ❤❤❤

A.

Missing In Action

     I don't really have an excuse as to why I have been M.I.A. for the past months... But all I can say is I've been too caught up with ALL the school works and my personal issues in life. 

     Anyway, I am (technically) DONE with my College days. I'm not enrolled to any subjects or in my school anymore since the list have finally ran out. I feel like I belong with the thousands or millions of unemployed population here in the Philippines. 

       I don't really have a right to complain about that now since I am absolutely sure that you have all heard about the Super or Mega Typhoon Haiyan which they say is THE strongest typhoon to ever hit the Earth in all its years of existence. I'm not sure if my information is correct, though. I try my hardest to steer clear of watching and or reading any news about the devastation it has caused here in our country. It's depressing. 

      All I can do now is help in the best way I can and continue on praying for the souls of those who have perished in the worst possible way and for the families they have left behind. I also pray that those who are still missing will be found soon so that their family and friends will have some peace of mind in the middle of all the tragedies. 

     So, I'll keep this post short. I just wanted to tell you guys that I am still here and maybe now that I have all the time in the world, I can finally work on all those backlog posts and share with you all my adventures last summer -- how many months has it been?! 

      Keep safe! I hope you find a way to somehow help my fellow countrymen. To those of you who have, I'd like to thank you all. God bless! 

      A. 

August Obsessions

     Long ago I promised to keep this blog organized. But this is the only time that I remembered on doing so. Ooooops! 

     So let me gather my thoughts first. Obviously it's just the middle of August and you may be wondering why I am already posting up my list of obsessions (or favorites). Let's just say that these are the things that, for the longest of times, I have loved dearly and no matter what month it is, it will still be my absolute favorite. Next time, though, I'd try to keep track of the exact date and exact obsessions of the said days. 

FASHION:

     This one's mostly about which style I have been obsessing over: bohemian. 

     

    Last May 2013, I have had the chance to visit one of Free People's branches at The Americana, Glendale, CA. It was my very first time to go to one since they don't have any stores here in my country. I instantly fell in love with their clothes and accessories. Every time my parents took me to the mall, I'd always go there to look at the clothes and just be amazed with it. Sadly though, I can't afford it. So since then on, I have always looked to Free People for inspiration on what to wear -- I must say though, it's difficult to find even the slightest similar looking pieces at any of the stores here in Manila. They really are unique somehow. And that makes me love them even more. 

     

     I bet this kind of styling would look better if I were thinner (I've gained so much weight during my vacation -- American food is evil!). But this kind of style is suitable for the Manila weather. Usually bohemian clothes are breezy and made out of light materials. 

In New York (more of my adventures in separate post)! 

      I want this to be my personal style but every now and then I have the urge to wear Chuck Taylors or Doc Martens and that totally ruins my vegan-look. Hahahahaha. Totally love this style. ♥

FOOD:

       Personally, I don't have a "favorite food". I can probably eat anything so long as I'm craving for it or that it looks absolutely appetizing (yes, don't wonder why I've grown fat). However, there are some food that I've been eating nonstop for the past few weeks. 

1. Speculoos Cookie Butter - This shouldn't be a surprise because for the past few months, this has been the talk of everyone from Instagram to blogs to Ebay. During my stay in the US, I tried buying some of these to take back home with me. But I failed. Everyone beat me to it. You're considered lucky if you actually get to snag some of these babies. But lucky for me, one of my bestfriends has a couple of these and we shared it amongst us and ate it like there's no tomorrow. We got stuck in traffic with this and boy, I have never been so happy! Krispy Kreme has a donut flavored after this and I've been eating that a lot lately too. In my opinion, this is what they should be calling Food For The Gods and not that little pastry made with rum or the other! 

2. Salmon Sashimi - Japanese food, to be exact! But my favorite for a while now has been salmon sashimi. I used to hate Jap food especially these raw stuff...but then the tables turned and now I can't go by a day without craving for some of these! Wish I have this now while I'm writing this blog post.

 3. Starbucks' Belgian Waffle and Chocolate Chip Cream - Twice this month I've  eaten the same exact combo. I can't imagine ordering other food from Starbucks rather than these two together!

4. Milktea/Bobba Tea - Since it's the topic for my group's thesis, I have had the chance to drink a cup of this at least once a day. I know it's bad and fattening but with our ocular inspections, I feel obliged to at least order one from one of the many branches we visit every weekend. Also, it has been helping me stay up late every night since I have to study and finish school projects. I don't do coffee.

5. J. Co Donuts - Those looooooong lines that people endure just to get a handful of these? Yep, they're worth it. Especially the Alcapone flavored ones! I remember my Dad (who's never been back in Manila for 12 years) asking me about this brand and asked me to bring him some the next time I go the the US. I sure will!

6. Hello Panda! - Who doesn't love these little Pandas?! Not only are they fun to look at, but they're also fun tasting. I can live on an island solely living off of these. Seriously. 

BOOK:

     Same with the food, I do not think it is fair to say that I have a favorite. But a book I have recently read and which I can not get off my mind is "Eleanor and Park" by Raibow Rowell. It reminded me so much of my cherished high school days that I wanted to read it over and over. But since I only read it on iBooks, I kind of don't want to because it hurts my eyes. I've been wanting to buy my very own copy but it's always been out of stuck anywhere I asked! :( 

SONG:

      I don't know about you but I have absolutely no permanent taste in music. Sometimes I like the mellow ones but sometimes I want the noisy kind. For this month though, I've been listening nonstop to "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake. 

       I have also been loving "We Own It" by 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa. It's mostly Fast and Furious 6 to be blamed for that. ;) 

RANDOM THING:

       Okay, for this, it can be anything that I can think of. And on top of my list for August are:

         Dreamcatchers! This probably has something to do with my love for anything bohemian since I noticed that each is related to the other. I got the chance to buy 2 authentic dreamcatchers at Bryce Canyon, UT a couple of months ago. And it's just the prettiest thing I've ever seen! I even got a necklace from Chicago. ♥ 

       So that's the end of my post! I just wanted you all to know what has been causing my happiness for the past month. I've been so stressed with school and just plain sick of life that I had to see and list what I actually love and what actually makes me happy. ♥ 

       What're your favorites for this month?

        A. 

TRAVEL: Orlando, Florida

     April 25-29, 2013, I flew out of Panama City Beach via Delta Airlines onto Tampa, Florida. 

    Chrissie (the friend I stayed with) and her family tagged me along their weekend trip to Orlando where we all enjoyed spending 2 days in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.

     It was my first time to go to a theme park aside from Enchanted Kingdom since it's probably the only theme park in the Philippines. Imagine my joy and excitement when it dawned on me that I will be getting a chance to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!! For weeks I have watched my Delta Airlines mobile app do its countdown as to when I will be boarding the plane and leave PCB (I have more than once shared with you all how I disliked Panama City Beach).

April 25, 2013

      My flight was at 5 in the afternoon. I booked it at that time since I thought I had work that day. But since it turned out that I didn't, I had to wait for how many hours just so I can finally call a cab that will take me to the airport. After the long dragging hours was through and I was at the airport, I was glad that I only had my little personal bag with me and a small duffel bag that carried all my essentials for my 4-day trip.

      I of course opted to wear comfortable clothes since I know that I'll just mostly wait around the airports and sit still in the plane. So I wore a Topshop cosmo leggings which I paired with an awesome Star Wars spoof shirt that I got from my workplace. I also sported my favorite Rue 21 hooded denim jacket and my comfortable Mossimo sandals.

     Although Tampa is also in Florida, I did not get the idea of my flight having to take me all the way to Atlanta before heading to Tampa. Since there were time differences between the PCB, Tampa and Atlanta, I got disoriented and thought for a moment that I must've rode a different airplane by mistake (if that was possible). I didn't know that it was that short of a flight! Anyway, I arrived in Tampa late at night. So I didn't get to see the beauty of it until the following day.

The TRAINS inside Atlanta airport and other airports around USA never failed to impress me.

April 26, 2013

     Early on this day, we drove from Tampa to Orlando where we will be staying over night. Although we all lacked sleep due to my late arrival the night before, we were all excited and ready for an entire day filled with fun and adventure! It was great because although they lived near there, they haven't been to the places we'll be going to... so I had someone else to share my excitement with!

   

Beautiful sunrise of Tampa! ♥ 

      Since we got up far too early, we all fell asleep in the car. Sweet Echo kept on giving me a pillow and covering me with a blanket so as to make sure that I remain warm. Even though I was asleep, I woke every now and then because I know that when the blanket slipped off or my pillow fell off, he'd just hand it back to groggy me. How sweet can he be? ♥

     After an hour or so of driving, we finally arrive at our destination: Universal Studios Orlando!!!

     Although we got lost in the process of looking for the parking lot (the place was HUGE enough to get lost around it even if you know you're already in the vicinity), we managed to get to the covered parking area and we each grabbed a bottle of water each and headed off to Islands of Adventure which is also part of Universal Studios but is much newer and comprises of different movie themes such as Harry Potter, Dr.Seuss, Marvel Heroes, Shrek's world and others.

April 27, 2013

      One day is not enough to roam around Universal Studios. So we went back the following day and went to the Universal Studios Florida where all the classic and original Universal Studios attractions lay. I was ecstatic to see that Transformers NEST Headquarters was inside! Although it wasn't open yet, I loved walking by it because of the loud soundtrack it was playing and I really felt like any of the Autobots or Decepticons will come out any minute. Here we also got to experience life in the vintage days of New York, Beverly Hills and other places. The Minions Mayhem place was also here! Oooh how I loved it too.

     That night, I asked if they can kindly accompany me to visit my Uncle (Mommy Annie's older brother) and Auntie who lived in a city beside Orlando. Thankfully, they said yes. I wanted to visit them because I haven't seen them for years and I know that they aren't intending to visit Philippines anytime soon so I might as well go to them since I'm already there. Right?

      While we were there, I was silently hoping that Mommy Annie was still alive. She would've been happy and excited with the fact that I was in America and I even got to visit her brother and his wife. But I knew Mommy was just around there that day - watching us eat the delicious food that Auntie prepared for us and listening to Uncle as he shared his stories about when he met Auntie and when he wasn't retired yet. Their home was beyond lovely and their stories and prayers were all too warm. I knew they were family.

April 28, 2013

     Before we headed back to Tampa, we went to one of the best places I was ever blessed enough to go to: Orlando Premium Outlets - International Drive!!! Everything there was 50-65% off with an additional 50% off! How awesome is that?? I wish they did that here in the Philippines. Not only were they on sale but the brands? To. Die. For.

     I was able to buy myself a bag and a purse from COACH (which I can never afford under normal circumstances) and some clothes from Charlotte Russe (it has become my favorite US brand!). I wished I had more money while I roamed the halls of the outdoor mall. It was just like a dream come true for shopaholics like me.

April 29, 2013

     Back in Tampa, I was able to tour around for a while and do a little extra shopping before I'd be dropped off at the airport to head back to PCB. I was overwhelmed and ashamed of the fact that after 2 months of staying in the US, I have never been to ROSS and TJMaxx! Good thing they brought me there... otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to buy half of the things I did over my entire stay in America.

      And so, after quick goodbyes and lots of than yous, I had to leave Tampa. Everything and everyone involved in that 4-day vacation, I can never be thankful enough of. ♥

      To Chrissie and her family, you all know how forever grateful I will be to all of you. Not just for welcoming me to your wonderful home but for also making me feel like I was part of the family and not a stranger. May God continue to bless all of you! You deserve all of it. :)

     That concludes my short vacation in Tampa and Orlando. However, I will share more and be specific on my following posts! This is just too long as it is without all the details and specifics. So watch out for the next posts!

     Have a wonderful day! Go find adventure. ♥

     A. 

Missed Me?

     Me too! Hahahaha. 

    Even if you didn't, I missed blogging in general. In one of my subjects this semester, I am required to keep a blog but I'm NOT interested because first, it's school related and second, I don't get to post whatever I want. 

   But since last week we have finally got to do our thesis proposal defense, my schedule has slackened...even for a bit. So I now have some time to update this blog before it dies. I must save it. In connection with my having some time now, I have decided that it was time to color my hair back to purple since that's when my hair coloring obsession has started. 

      While I was in Florida last April, I have successfully bleached and dyed my hair into pink...all by myself. Perks of living abroad by yourself, I guess? Being independent, that is. 

(1)Original hair color (2)After bleaching (3)After applying pink dye

     I knew that I needed to learn how to fix my hair while I was away from my sisters. The fact that I couldn't find any hair salons around Panama City Beach only added to my wanting to learn how to do it. So during one of my trips to Target (one of my favorite stores in the USA!), I decided to buy these Splat Hair Coloring Kit so as to start working on my hair during one of my days off work. 

      One of the things that bothered me when I bought these was the fact that I did not read the box. I am completely to blame because I bought a separate set of hair bleach when the pink hair dye includes its own set of bleach. How silly of me. I ended up using both bleaches on my hair since it's as stubborn as me and the color won't completely come off. So I guess it's good that I bought the extra bleach?

      What I loved about this brand is the fact that the dye wasn't that liquid-y. It was sort of gooey so it's not that messy to apply onto the hair. I can say this because I've tried a different brand for my hair just last night and that one's a bit harder to control once you apply it to the hair. It drips all over the floor! But both brands work, nonetheless. 

     The color isn't exactly pink once applied to my hair because after I bleached it, it just turned orange-red instead of white blonde. So upon applying the pink one, it turned reddish. 

     Last night, I asked my sister to bleach off my hair again and apply purple - the very first color I applied onto my hair more than a year ago. I wasn't expecting it to turn too purple because after bleaching it, I noticed that my hair just turned orange red again and some of the pink didn't come off. But surprisingly, it showed better than I expected it to. 

Tony Moly Berry Trendy Bleach and Adore Violet Gem Hair Color

After bleaching - see how there are still orange and pink tints? 

     I've long given up in hoping that my hair will cooperate and actually turn white blonde when applied with bleach... But I still try. Anyway, I love how the purple came up. It still has tints of pink and orange but what the heck? I still love it! ♥ 

So many colors to choose from! It took me 30 minutes to pick out mine! ♥

     If you guys want to buy hair colors, just leave a comment! I'm thinking of selling some of these. Have a nice day! 

      A.