No matter how optimistic I envision myself to be about writing travel updates on schedule, Body and Mind just don't give a damn if rest comes a-knocking. The trip from the Philippines was a long and tiring one, no thanks to Philippine Airlines for making us get up at 3am, only to wait more due to a 3-hour delay. But we're finally here in Singapore, and we made it to our hotel, The Quay Hotel, safe and sound! This is our second visit since 2012—7 freakin' years ago—and the kids are so excited for what we have in store for them. For their first day, we gave them a taste of public transportation by taking the MRT from Changi Airport Singapore all the way to Clarke Quay, which was a 45-minute ride + a 15-minute walk to the . . .
My First Japanese Stationery Haul—from Japan
Don't be fooled. The entire collection wouldn't fit this tiny bag even if I tried. As soon as we received our Japan visas, all I could dream about was bringing home beautiful, quality Japanese stationery. Some would even say it has a cult following—communities of enthusiasts gushing over the creamy pages, clean-cut bindings, and gorgeous inks. I fell head-over-heels in love when I first held the Apica CD notebook (A5) with grid paper. It had some of the smoothest paper any writer could behold. 😍 But try as I could, my budget and my suitcase wasn't big enough to bring back every Japanese notebook, paper, and pencils I could get my hands on, but I did choose items that were both in my wish list for some time and that I just had . . .
Turns of Place: a 4-year correspondence between two writers
Visit the project at https://www.turnsofplace.com/ Four years worth of correspondence, four years of stories. That pretty much sums up what this writing project is about. I've not mentioned it since launching Diwa Daily, so I thought today's a great time to introduce this collaboration between myself and my good friend and fellow writer, Johna Baylon: Turns of Place What's Turns of Place? It's an exchange of letters across borders between myself 🇵🇭 and Johnalene Baylon 🇭🇰/🇨🇦 The project highlights the key events of our travels, lessons those journeys have taught us, and the experience of returning and finding our way back home. The main section of the project consists of twenty letters, each of us writing ten . . .
Finish What I Started: The gist of 2019
Taken at four in the afternoon—not the best time for raw phone photos It is never too late to be what you might have been.George Eliot Three months have gone by in such a hurry. As soon as I got back from Japan, I was head down in work for two weeks before I was on another plane to the USA. Those three long weeks were some of the best I've had, with so many experiences that completely trumped my trip back in 2016. But I know this also meant I had left Diwa Daily to dry, to gather cobwebs once again and completely break the system I've set up for it. So, hi 👋, and I'm really sorry for not updating DD for the past three months. 🙏 My theme for 2019 One of the reasons why I started this blog was to be more in tune . . .
Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun: Universal Studios Japan
Jayson and I have made it our personal mission to take Noah to Universal Studios to see Jurassic Park in all its dino glory. 🦖 We eventually managed to save up and book plane tickets to Singapore for this summer, but I was ecstatic when Universal Studios Japan made it to our Japan itinerary as well! Not only does Noah get to see all the dinosaurs at the park, but I'll be able to finally see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time—another dream come true for this Hufflepuff! ⚡ We're about to enter the theme park RAAAWWRRR! Day 2 of our trip was reserved solely for the theme park, and we got there around 9-ish to be able to make the most out of our stay. What we didn't expect was how intense the crowds were, and . . .
Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun: Kyoto
Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.Artistotle The family and I are visiting Japan for the first time to celebrate the new year with my dad, his family, and my sisters. I've been looking forward to this trip since the beginning of the year that being here at this hotel desk at 5:30 in the morning truly sweetened the long and arduous wait. Though we've got our hands full with three boisterous children every minute of the day, I'm so glad we're all given this opportunity to experience what Japan has to share with the world. I've seen the torii gates in photos and anime, and have always been drawn to their serenity and history. Taking my own tranquil steps through the gates, and standing in front of the . . .
Mindful love
Recalling those high school days when all that swirled in my head was the thrill and warmth of being loved, I always considered myself as one who'd love someone like waves crashing onto a beaten shore. I thought I was a person who loved with such unrelenting force, blinding myself to whatever mistakes or flaws a person had so long as they loved me back. It didn't matter that I was broken. It didn't matter that I didn't understand what it meant to love an equally imperfect person. So long as my own personal love meter was above average, I believe I could give love and all that came with the package. Fast forward to this hour of the day when everyone's asleep, I'm writing off that older, delusional version of myself. She's . . .
Bookmark Love with Mark Your Book PH
I've always had this penchant for collecting things—books, stationery, Pokemon, pen bodies, bookmarks. Collecting and using bookmarks date waaay back when I had so much time on my hands. As I journeyed through pages upon pages of words, worlds, and dialogue I'd use anything I can grab as a bookmark. I'd stick receipts, tags, collectible cards, and scraps of paper in books just to pick up where I left off. When college started, I eventually had to set reading aside for college, career, and raising a family. Though this meant spending more time online, I wouldn't have rediscovered my love for collecting or found up-and-coming brands making amazing creative work without it. One such brand is Mark Your Book PH, a maker . . .
Reflections on the (Remote) Job Hunt
Just thinking about how I even managed to land my new job leaves me speechless and humbled. I remember how each job-less day was a stressful ordeal Jayson and I had to manage in silence. We did our best to keep our composure and focus to be able to maintain peace and order in the household. What scared me the most was the thought of my credit card finance charges rising till it's impossible to catch up with the amount I'm earning. I told myself that if I was going to prevent this from happening, it has to start working towards getting out of this mess strategically and methodically. Mind mapping my work goals To fight the rise and fall of stress in my chest, I created a mind map. It's the brainstorming method I always use . . .
The KeepCup: Clean the Earth One Coffee Cup at a Time
Choosing to stop plastic usage and go reusable was easy-peasy. Training my family to adopt a no-plastic lifestyle was and is still hella hard. It took me months before I could convince Jayson to stop using plastic bags for our weekly groceries, and even then we're still not 100% plastic-free. If I don't have any of my canvas totes or reusable bags at hand, we'd end up coming home with plastic bags filled with fruit, snacks, or food for dinner. One of my bigger challenges was getting Jayson to stop using coffee cups. 7-11 and Starbucks are his favorite stops for a coffee fix, and the number of plastic caps that end up in our trash always drives me nuts. I eventually got myself a reusable Starbucks coffee mug, and convinced him to . . .
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