Behind The Mask

In her 20 years of existence, Ella remains to be a conundrum. Lost in life, she considers herself as a a half-baked blogger, a frustrated writer, a self-confessed foodie and an aspiring world traveler. This blog contains chronicles of her mundane life.

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Just another update for this month since I can’t seem to get myself to finish the draft I’ve been meaning to post. You see, I need to take pictures to accompany the post but I’m too lazy to do it. The thing is, I’ve been contemplating on deleting this blog and deactivating my Facebook account but I can’t bring myself to do it. There’s so many buts noh? Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to:

1. Watching shit ton of thrift haul videos Youtube is one of my favorite websites. I could watch Youtube videos all day long, if our internet connection permits it. When this guy’s ukay-ukay OOTD posts went viral on Facebook, a lot of people followed suit and shared their ukay-ukay hauls and stories. Not a big fan of Facebook, I searched for ukay-ukay / thrift hauls in Youtube and got hooked. It’s quite addictive, if I must say.

Since I like bargain finds and ukay-ukays, I asked my sister to go with me on a thrift trip one day. Lo and behold, we got 8 items for less than 500 bucks! She scored a genuine leather bag for 100 bucks! Can you believe that? When we got home, I joked that we should do a thrift haul video haha! In fact, watching shit ton of thrift hauls makes me want to stop buying clothes from the mall and big fashion brands (note: I don’t shop a lot from big fashion brands because I am very thrifty haha)

2. Exercising Every night after work, I try my best to do a simple exercise routine. It’s no secret that I love eating but I hate gaining weight.  In order to achieve a healthy lifestyle, I downloaded an app called 30 Days Fitness Challenge. It’s very easy to use. You can choose from 5 different workouts depending on what you want to focus on - abs, fully body, arm, butt and legs. Each workout plan has three levels – easy, medium and hard! I’m currently doing the easy and medium abs workout plan. I was able to work out for two consecutive weeks last July but I had stop when I took medications. I am trying to get back on track. Hopefully, I get to see minor results by September. Before that, I’ll need to check on my weight haha!

I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to go on diet / reduce my food intake as my goal is to have a lean/toned stomach before the year ends. I have yet to discipline myself to stop eating when I’m bored and to give up on junk foods.

3. Discovering new things Last July 22, my sister and I went to SMX for the Franchise Asia Philippines 2017. I wanted to go because Skin Potions, a local cosmetics brand to watch out for, was there as an exhibitor and they were on sale! While most attendees were interested in learning about franchising a brand/business, I went because I wanted to take advantage of Skin Potion’s sale and the free admission – BPI cardholders can get in for free! I even became a personal shopper for someone. My sister and I had fun checking out the booths, eating good food (got to try Wasabi Warriors + Pin Balls + Cha Thai drink!) and learning about the costs of franchising. Who knows maybe in the future I’ll be able to franchise… right? Haha!

4. Thinking about crowdfunding As previously mentioned in my recent post, I’m all about doing research on investments and things that are related to financial education. Let me share with you what I know about crowdfunding. It’s an alternative way of financing social entrepreneurship projects or creative ventures by gathering funds from a group of people. In my opinion, it works like a mutual fund/UITF, but definitely for a good cause. In return, the group of people who invested will receive a portion of the profits. But keep in mind that there will always be risks, if and when you decide to invest, so you have to do your research.

So I stumbled upon SavingsPinay and found her article Cropital, PhilCrowd and FarmOn : Best Alternative Investment Philippines really helpful. These crowdfunding projects specifically target the agricultural sector as they aim to help local farmers. I’m interested to invest in Cropital since it has the most reasonable initial capital. These crowdfunding projects are something new and innovative, but I think these have the potential to be something big in the future. Once I have an extra cash, I’ll probably try to invest and see if my money will grow. Maybe next year haha!

5. Reading “Based on your zodiac sign/According to your zodiac sign” articles Some people might think that these articles are full of shit but I just find them terribly amusing. I don’t read the whole thing as I’m only interested on what’s written about my zodiac sign. In case you’re interested, Thought Catalog has a lot of these articles! A few of my favorites are The Worst Thing You’re Willing To Admit You’ve Done Based On Your Zodiac Sign, What Kind Of Traveler You Are, Based On Your Zodiac Sign and Your Game of Thrones Character, Based on Your Zodiac,  What The Last Four Months Of 2017 Will Look Like For You, Based On Your Zodiac and Stay Single Until You’re In A Relationship Like This, Based On Your Zodiac Sign.

6. Updating my Jobstreet + Kalibrr Last July, I celebrated (not really, just had a few drinks haha) my first anniversary with my first job. In my opinion, this is quite an achievement. The plans I shared in my previous post are still plans. I still haven’t done anything. I haven’t submitted any job applications. Best to say that I’m currently stuck/torn. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?

7. Socializing In the past month, I had two dinners with friends, one resigned from work to pursue law while the other one had a change of workplace. Since we all started working, it’s so hard to meet up with my friends considering that we live and work in different areas. Also, I was able to meet new people. Anyway, I feel like I need to go out more and brush up on my social skills haha! 

8. Turning a year older in a few weeks There’s two long weekends this month but I didn’t plan anything special. Most probably, I’ll spend the long weekends and my birthday with my family. Is it just me who thinks that celebrating birthdays tend to get insignificant when you get older? Anyway, that's just my opinion as a millennial tita haha! Nonetheless, there's a lot to be thankful for. Another year means another chance to learn and get better, right?  After my birthday, it’s the start of -ber months already. Everything is going so fast. We only have 4 months left for 2017.

9. Keeping myself updated with current events/news The President’s declaration of war against drugs has killed thousands. Drug-related killings are everywhere. This is so wrong in so many levels. In Bulacan, 32 alleged drug offenders were killed in anti-drugs operations. It was followed by the death of 20 people in Manila. One of the many lost lives was Kian Lloyd Delos Santos. Thinking that he was only 17 years old angers me. Thinking about his future that could no longer unfold saddens me. Justice must be served. Justice for Kian and justice for all the innocent lives that were taken away. 

I’m not sure how to end this, but thanks for taking the time to read. :)

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Holla, mi amigas. It’s been 10 months since I updated my blog and almost a year since I became part of the corporate jungle. I couldn’t remember the last time I wrote something. Not that anyone cares, but you know, I miss sharing snippets of my life online even if it’s really uneventful.

To be honest, I am missing a lot of things recently (and people, if I might add). But before I start pouring my heart out (get me drunk first lol), this post is really my attempt to test my rusty writing skills and to keep my blog somewhat alive.

I have other blog post ideas in my mind, but right now let’s answer this question as you might be interested in my answer: How am I and what have I been doing with my life lately?

1.) Doing research on investments Two years ago, my sister encouraged me to open a COL Financial account even though I didn’t fully understand how the stock market works. “If you want to be rich, you should start investing while you’re still young,” these were the very words that got me. She lent me money (initial investment of 5k), processed my application and bought my first stocks. In short, she handles my account. After reading Bo Sanchez’s My Maids Invest in the Stock Market and You Should Too, I showed interest and took over. I studied the basics of investing in the stock market by watching Youtube videos and reading blogs. I know this is not enogh so I’m planning to attend free seminars offered by COL. If this fails, I’ll probably read books (any recommendations?) that could me further understand the stock market.

To expand my investment portfolio, I also did research on mutual funds. In case you’re interested in investing, mutual funds might be for you. As a brief, mutual funds are pooled assets - bonds, cash, stocks, or combination - held by various shareholders for the purpose of investing. It is handled by a fund manager which means that someone will be professionally managing your investment money. There are 4 types of mutual funds: money market, bond, balanced and equity funds. Each type caters to a specific investment horizon, an individual’s risk profile and financial goals. I’m not an expert so you’ll have to do research in order to know what’s best for your needs.

Considering my goals and age, I initially wanted to open an equity fund account with either Sun Life Prosperity or First Metro Asset Management, Inc (investment arm of Metrobank Group). But I found out that COL Financial also offers a wide selection of mutual funds. I took the investor’s risk profile quiz and got a list of recommended mutual funds suitable for my risk appetite. Hopefully, I get to decide which one to invest in before my birthday.

2.) Looking for other source of income There are three kinds of income - active, passive and portfolio. Active income is the the outcome of providing labor and services. If you have a job or you have your own business, you generate an active income. Since I’m a full-time employee, I have an active income. When you have a rental property (e.g. condominium and car), it generates and gives you a passive income. As much as I want to own either a condo or a car, I don’t think I can afford it at this point in my life. In relation to abovementioned, I’m working on building up my portfolio income - this comes from financial assets and investments.

Since I’m single and I don’t have any financial obligations, my expenses are pretty basic - monthly rental for accommodation, transportation, food and grocery. Nevertheless, I’m determined to have another source of income so I could prepare for my future (and the future of my future family lol). There are many ways to earn income online such as affiliate marketing, freelance writing/job and home-based teaching (Rarejob & 51Talk). But I still have to figure out how these things work.

When I was still in college, I already made an account in Odesk (now called Upwork) because I wanted to maximize my free time by earning money online. In the end, I opted to open an online shop where I sell preloved and brand new items. I sold most of my branded clothes and earned enough to buy things without asking additional allowance from my mom. Only a few people know about my online business because I kept it pretty quiet. But I temporarily closed it when I got busy with acads and I already lost a handful of following. This year, I’m planning to re-open it. Let’s see how I’ll manage.

3.) Thinking about my future (career / job) While I like my boss (if I could give my boss the best boss award, I would) and the team I’m in, I don’t see myself working in the company for a long time. I have my own personal reasons which I am not comfortable sharing online. Anyway, I want to share something else.. during one of the rare moments that I get to see my office crush, he randomly asked me when would I leave/resign. I would have been happy if he asked me out lols! By the time I hit my first year work anniversary (this is the kind of anniversary I celebrate lol), I’ll probably look for another job.

4.) Dreaming about travelling My family and I went to Coron last April. It’s the first family trip we’ve had in years. We stayed for 3 days & 2 nights which were not enough to fully discover the beauty of Coron. As we arrived after lunch on our first day, we didn’t get the recommended day-tour city package. Instead, we went to Mt. Tapyas and Maquinit Hotspring on our own. Our 2nd day was dedicated to island hopping - the highlight of our trip. We didn’t do anything on our third & last day as it was time to head back home. I’ll try to share our Coron experience in a different post.

Moving forward… When AirAsia had their sale last March (I think, not sure), I was able to find roundtrip tickets to Cebu for less than 2k. I booked it but didn’t pay for it. It’s in my bucketlist to go on a local solo trip. But I thought to myself, “Maybe I should try going on a trip with my friends before flying solo.” But I think trip with my friends would not happen any time soon, I regret not paying for that sale tickets. Anyway, talking about going on trips reminds me that I need to schedule for passport renewal as I want to go somewhere next year.

5.) Planning on pursuing further studies The idea of going back to university life excites me. But before anything else, I need to save up because studying isn’t cheap. If there are schools that offer weekend classes, I might consider working on weekdays and studying on weekends. I know this would require time management and determination on my part. But I’ll have to do research on courses and schools first. Another but is that.. I’m not quite sure yet about the kind of ‘further studies’ I want to pursue. So let me figure out that first haha!

6.) Listening to a lot of music My sister learned about Spotify Family Premium and wanted to try it out. It’s relatively cheaper compared to getting the standard subscription of 129 pesos per month per account. Family Premium can be shared to 5 family members and its monthly cost is 194 pesos. If I do the math, monthly subscription of one person is 33 pesos. To get the worth of paying for the subscription, I like downloading playlists and discovering new music. If I’m following you on Twitter and you tweeted a Spotify playlist/link, I’m one of those people who will check and listen to it right away. Right now, I’m listening to Lorde’s Melodrama and The Ransom Collective’s Traces.

7.) Watching kdramas My rekindled love for kdrama started with Descendants of the Sun. In the past months, I’ve watched dozens. Legend of the Blue Sea, Goblin, Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo, Scarlet Heart, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Hello Monster, Pinocchio, W, She Was Pretty, Hwarang, K2, The Healer, Master’s Sun, Cheese in the Trap, Romantic Doctor and Shopaholic Louis are some of the kdramas I’ve watched. You name it, I have probably seen it. I’m currently watching Suspicious Partner. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

8.) Decluttering I threw / give away some of my stuff that I have no intention of using anymore. Worn-out shoes, old bags and clothes took up a lot of space in our apartment. I’ve been wanting to declutter since last year. In fact, I still have a lot of things in Bulacan that I want to throw but my mom wouldn’t let me touch anything. There’s something about giving up on old things that make me feel at ease. 

There’s still 6 months left for 2017! I do hope that I can make those remaining months worthwhile and meaningful. Many things can happen, we’ll never know; I might go somewhere unexpected or meet someone I would fall in love with (eww haha so cheesy). I’m both excited and anxious to see if my plans will work out or not. So.. how about you? What have you been up to?

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44th  UPLB Commencement Exercise June 25, 2016

After two months of saying goodbye to UPLB, I’m finally blogging about one of the most important events in my life – my college graduation. To be honest, I don’t even know what to say. I’ve already forgotten some of the things I want to share but I’ll try my best to think of that day’s highlights. I even planned on writing something like “Things I’ve Learned in College” but that kind of post isn’t really my thing.

Looking back on the 25th of June, I was very emotional but it didn’t show because I didn’t cry. Also, I panicked when I found out that I had period & I was so worried that I would have stains on my bloody white dress. Imagining myself walking during the procession with stains on my dress was enough to send me running to the nearest 7/11 store and restroom. I didn’t want that special day to be unforgettable in an embarrassing way.

During the procession, I wanted to cry because my Math professor called me out and congratulated me. Admittedly, I was shocked that he would even remember me since I didn’t really do well in his class. During the last few days of the semester, I was anxious that my Math subject would prevent me from graduating. Anyway…. Since our call time was 4:30AM and the procession started at 6:00AM, the ceremony surely challenged the candidates for graduation to stay alive, awake and enthusiastic lol.

By the time I got onstage to receive a blank paper for my diploma, I was starving. I even slept for an hour or so while waiting for the other colleges’ roll call. Considering the large number of graduates, the ceremony lasted for approximately 8 hours but the brief moment of being onstage was worth it because I heard that my mom cried so hard even though she didn’t see me haha. I’m just so happy that my mom’s proud of me. Both of our efforts (her effort to send me to school & my effort to study) finally paid off! Wearing the sablay felt so good. <3

PS: I scheduled this to be posted on my birthday. So happy birthday to me ~

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I can’t remember the last time my family went to the beach together. In the past years, beach trips were always with my siblings. So when my sister organized a beach weekend trip a few days before my graduation, I was quite excited. Together with my sister’s friends from work, we reveled in the isolation and relaxation brought by Cagbalete’s splendor.

Surrounded by the enormity of the blue-green water and blinded by the brightness of the sun, I realized how much I want to see the beauty that the world has to offer. During the boat ride, there were so many things running through my mind. I was mentally listing down all the things I want to do, all the places I want to visit and all the food I want to try/eat. But I stopped daydreaming when I realized that doing these things will not be easy as I will need money, time & effort. Instead of thinking about the uncertainty of the future, I focused on enjoying the quality time with my family.

During this trip, my mom found out that I drink alcohol and I think she’s okay with it as long as I drink moderately and responsibly (or this is just my assumption since she didn’t exactly tell me not to drink haha). We talked about random things, we swam and we ate a lot. Overall, this trip became a pre-graduation celebration of some sort.

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Summer Sun Music Festival April 30. 2016

This was my first ever attendance to a music festival. Since I won two tickets from Camey Flores, my sister was able to tag along with me! Marc Marasigan’s set was the bomb. Although I’m not really a party/night person, I did enjoy the music! Before going home. Fedde Le Grand’s Rhythm of the Night was already on repeat in my mind!

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Everyone looks forward to the weekends. Most of us, if not all, enjoy it by resting at home or going out with friends and family. In my case, I usually spend some quality time with my family. On June 12, we went to The Mind Museum. It was fun to be immersed in the world of science surrounded by trivia and facts. There were some interactive activities and short film screenings that made our little visit interesting. There was also an outside playground for kids that my sisters wanted to look at. But it rained so we didn’t get to stay as much as we would have liked.

You see, we dedicated the whole day to enjoy the museum because we had all-day passes. My sister bought discounted tickets when The Mind Museum had their anniversary sale on their website. To be honest, I got quite bored after an hour or so but I made sure to maximize the time and enjoy the day with my family. I did not have a lot of photos because the lighting isn’t too nice inside (or my camera phone just couldn’t handle it haha). Overall, I think the museum is more suitable for kids.

PS: Will try to post backlogs whenever I can. :)

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If you happen to be interested with what’s going on with my life or if you are bored with nothing else to read, then go ahead and waste a few minutes of your time by reading this post.

I will be graduating in a few days (on June 25 to be exact) and I have mixed emotions about it – happy that four years of hard work finally paid off, sad that I would be leaving the university and some of my friends, anxious and excited about my future/career. Right now, I’m just trying to enjoying the bum life and catching up/hanging out with my friends. After graduation, I would have to figure out my game plan but I’m already sending a few online job applications – embracing the adult life.

When the grades were finally up in our SystemOne account, I saw two words – Program Complete? – that made my heart swell with pride. But I was also a bit sad when I computed my grades and found out that I could have graduated with honors if I did better and exerted more effort in one of my subjects. I could have saved a seat for my mom on our graduation ceremony. Anyway, I’m just really happy that I survived my Math subject. However, deleting all my Math-related files when I found out that I passed the final exam made me even happier LOL

Anyway, my grades don’t really matter because the last semester of my college life was the bomb! I did a lot of fun things – went to a party, got drunk, and had the best time with the best people – and went out of my comfort zone. I became really close with a handful people who made me realize that I am capable of having a fun social life.

I also realized that I have changed in a lot of ways. During the first semester, I have this tendency to say “No” when people invite me to go out. I had a lot of excuses – too lazy, no money, busy, school work, etc. Second sem came and I changed. I seemed to have learned the ability of saying “Yes.” From “tinatamad ako” to “G ako/text niyo ko kung anong plano” real quick. Who would have thought I could be spontaneous to the point that I could go with the flow? YOLO, as they say. This made me regret not going out and interacting with people more in the first few years of my college life.

Writing this post made me realize that I did not document/blog about my college life as much as I would have liked. I blamed stress, acads and my lack of motivation for this. Speaking of which, I am seriously contemplating on leaving Tumblr and starting anew on Blogger. But I don’t have the patience to fix my Blogger account and I’m too attached to Tumblr that I can’t seem to let go. #SorryHumugotPaAko

Now that I don’t have to worry about acads, I’ll try my best to take blogging seriously. I miss writing random things. I miss blogging more than I care to admit. #DamingDramaNiAte

I attended my first ever gig almost 2 weeks ago. It was a John Mayer Tribute Night at 12 Monkeys that featured local bands and artists. Since then. I’ve been listening to OPM more. I get kilig vibes courtesy of Jensen & the Flips and Sud. So I suggest that you check them out!

To end this, I am already mentally planning a series of blog posts that I should probably work on if I want to make things work. 

Speaking of planning, I created a mini bucket list which I’m calling “21 Things To Do Before I Turn 21″ lol I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to accomplish everything but we shall see haha

How are you guys doing? Someone talk to me haha 

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Campus Boulevard: The Newest Place To Be in LB

I haven’t updated my blog in months because I’ve been very busy with life - academics and whatnot. Now, I’m back with a post because my friend @murieldizon invited me to the soft opening of Campus Boulevard last March 31. If you’re from around Los Baños or a UPLB student like me, you might be wondering what would be in store at Centtro Mall especially if you consider the space in the second floor. You’re gonna find out now, or you already did. Still, let me share with you my experience.

Campus Boulevard is like a posh university cafeteria/food court that offers various dishes. There are five food stores namely Nutri Bar (Ice Cream and Drinks), Yum Cha (Chinese Dimsum At Its Finest), Ramen (Noodles + Sushi), Deliciosa Italian Brick Oven and American BBQ + Grill.

The tall guy right there is Chef Gerald Bauer, the head chef of Campus Boulevard. When we arrived, he shared some interesting stories - how everything came to be, the menu and his love for Filipinos. Having worked with different chefs and having traveled to a lot of countries, he chose to come in the Philippines because he developed a liking to the Filipino people. He’s so friendly. He taught us how to order using the computer. He also shared that a Filipino food store and an American diner (imagine burgers and fries) would be added to Campus Boulevard in a few months.

Time to order and we had difficulty (the good kind) because there were so many things to choose from! We’re like, what to order? This one and that one and this also!

The way of ordering is modern and systematic. After punching in your order, a receipt would be printed out then you’ll pay for it at the cashier. A number would be given and you’ll wait for it to appear at the LCD screen. When your number appears, you’ll pick up your food at the store where you ordered it from.

When you pick up your order, you will see the chefs doing their magic. Here’s a little trivia: They use local ingredients. Chef Bauer, said that in order to help the community, there’s no better way than buying local food. In fact, most of the ingredients they use are from Laguna.

Say hi to Kuya who smiled for the camera!

This is the uniform look of the food stores. Very nice noh?

I also like the decor of the place, especially the inspirational words hanging in the walls. They make you want to stop and read... or to stop and take photos (like what I did).

People waiting for their order and enjoying their meals. Spacious noh? Perfect for lunch/dinner meetings.

After taking photos of the place while waiting for our order, this happened when the food arrived at our table. The struggle is real. #KunwariFoodBlogger LOL

What we ordered from Yum Cha: Wanton noodles, Hakaw/Prawn Dumpling and Pork Dumpling With Shrimp. My top choice among the three is Hakaw. I highly suggest you try Hakaw because it’s soooo goooood!!! I also like the Wanton noodles. :)

Since I love Japanese food, Crazy Maki would have to be my favorite among all the food we tried. Just look at the amount of crab rolls on top! It’s delicious, I swear.

Of course, we couldn’t pass up trying their pizza! This one is called the American BBQ 8″ from Italian Brick Oven. They have two sizes (8″ and 14″), both of which are good for sharing. So if you have a big group of friends and you want to have some snacks, go for pizza!

Muriel wanted to have chicken so she ordered BBQ Chicken Quarter Leg and added two side dishes - Mashed Potato and Mac & Cheese - from American BBQ + Grill. I took a bite and I like taste and tenderness of the mashed potato. I believe the rice meal also came with the marble potato salad which I also enjoyed munching.

I met a fellow blogger from Tumblr. Say hi to Sam of @smilinglittlemushroom. She tried a shake from Nutri Bar.

As a student, one of the things to consider in buying food is the price. Here’s some photos of their menus for reference.

After a considerable amount of time admiring the place, taking photos, waiting for our order and eating all the delicious food, I had fun. I would definitely go back and try other dishes in their menus. After dinner, I had to stay for a short meeting.

I have a feeling that some of my orgmates would be spending a lot of their time here for dinners and meetings.

They will also be opening a bar/wine store soon! Campus Boulevard is not only for students, but for the whole family as well! If my family visits me here in LB, I’ll definitely invite them to eat here.

If you're from LB and have tried their food, I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations! :)

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Sharing the before and after of my haircut - courtesy of Matrix Philippines for the 8″ Cut for Cancer Challenge. 

Saying goodbye to my long hair wasn’t easy but I had to let it go. Before signing up for the challenge, I asked my friend to measure how long would my hair be if 8 inches were to be chopped off. Using a measuring tape, we estimated that it would reach my shoulders at the very least. Imagine my surprise when the hairdresser cut most of my hair. She even asked what style I wanted. I said, long bob. She didn’t do it because I think she believed that it wouldn’t be 8 inches so she gave me a short bob instead. 

When my friends saw me, they were quite surprised. Why did you cut your hair? What happened to your hair? When did you have a haircut?  Sometimes, I would joke about being brokenhearted. More often than not, I told the truth that I donated it. Some said that my new look suits me. I don’t know how to respond to that because I’m still not used to it. I miss my long hair. The advantage? Short hair = less shampoo.

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Before closing on July 26, we went to Magnum Manila at SM Aura. After eating Cookie Dough Skillet, Death by Chocolate and make-your-own-Magnum, my sister and I were joking that we would be contracting diabetes due to our high sugar intake at that time. 

PS: This is just one of my many backlogs. 

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Do you have clothes that bear the label ‘Made in Bangladesh’? Because if you do, this documentary will open your eyes to a lot of things.

To be honest, I have quite a few things that are made in Bangladesh. Some of them are branded overruns that I bought at a bargain price compared to their regular mall price. They’re cheap, that’s why I buy them. After watching this, it made me question myself and the companies that adhere to this oppressive system. 

I’m also planning to watch The True Cost which is about the impact of the clothing/fashion industry on people and the planet. 

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In a Few Notes, In a Few Days

As much as I want to express how much I miss blogging, I would like to say that I no longer have the motivation to blog (what’s new?) because I feel like there’s nothing interesting going on with my life.

 However, I have a few things I would like to blog about - my Thailand trip last December 2014 - January 2015, my internship experience this June - July 2015 and several things in between. I’m just too lazy ~~ so many backlogs, so little motivation. 

I’m already on my senior year and I promise to take my acads seriously. At the same time, I would like to do some crazy stuff!

Did you know that a few days after  our classes started I dyed the locks of my hair with Manic Panic Purple Haze? I  had to bleach and everything. But I was so disappointed because it only lasted for a week or so. I bought the purple dye for a cheap price because the seller used it already but I think the she combined it shampoo or idk. Meh ~

My domain is going to expire in less than 48 hours. Saying goodbye to randomella.com because I would not be renewing it. In the future, if I take blogging seriously, I promise to get a domain again.

In a few days, I will be saying goodbye to being a ‘teen’. I will be turning 20 years old! 

With that in mind, I want to make a wish list. But who am I kidding?

To make things simple, here’s what I want for my birthday: a new phone with a nice camera, a nice watch, a floppy hat and a boyfriend who’s gonna buy the aforementioned (kidding!)  These are the top 3 on my list right now.

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Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That's me: I'm not that.

John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson

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Free hair cut + Chance to be a part of a good cause

I just signed up for this. I’m saying goodbye to 8 inches of my hair next month. I have a soft spot for cancer patients because of what my mom experienced a few years back when she had breast cancer. 

If you have long hair that you are willing to chop off, this is your chance. It’s free and for a good cause, all you have to do is click the link and sign up.

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There's a saying cited in popular song, that if you love someone you must set them free. Well, that's just non-sense. If you love someone, you bind them to you with heavy metal chains.

David Nicholls, Us

[ellagener]

Blogger’s United 9 | June 6, 2015 | Whitespace, Makati

Since my sister and I’s first attendance at Blogger’s United in 2012, attending BU became our annual tradition. Every time, I would score free tickets and my sister would be responsible for our transportation.

Blogger’s United is my favorite bazaar of all time because it is always a fun day to meet bloggers, to shop their closets and to spend some quality time with my sister. As usual, we went crazy trying to look for the best finds that we ended up getting 4 pairs of shoes each. Most were only worn once while some are still brand new. My sister bought a pair Aldo sandals originally priced at 3k+ for the price of 350 pesos while I got Elements slippers for only 100 pesos! 

Apart from the shopping, our favorite part of this installment was getting free mocktails from the Smart booth! Considering all the fun we had and the number of items we got, my sister and I are really excited for the next installment by the end of this year!

[ellagener]

I’m having trouble accessing Tumblr using my laptop. Normally, I use Google Chrome. But I’ve also tried using different web browsers such as Opera and Internet Explorer. I still get the same annoying message. I’m pretty sure it’s not about my connection because I’m using my sister’s laptop and it’s connected to the same internet. I’m not really a tech-y person. Please, someone help me. What do I do?