Kim Balila

This is a blog of a young woman who pursues to share what life has offered her – the good and the damned.

[kimbalila]

Delta Airlines and Atlanta United had an event for fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a chance to win roundtrip flights to the destination of your choice.

Since Rome looked like the easiest goal, I chose that. I’ve only been a goalkeeper once or twice during intramurals in the Philippines because I hate to get my foot stomped or my shins injured—and since I’m the tallest at that time. Fast forward to now, I knew it would be hard for me to get the soccer ball through a mini goal. But anyway, with the help of Tito Villalba, probably the most handsome player in the team, I got the ball in with just one try. I was pretty lucky I would say! I’m excited to see Rome, Italy next year!

[kimbalila]

I have a year’s worth of photos that I have not posted. College have consumed me whole and Tumblr wasn’t really in my to-do list... but now that I have time before my spring break starts, I opted to allot effort to give y’all some updates. Also, I’ve been wanting to dye my ends again, but I’m thinking about the cost and things that is tied to that change.

Maintaining this type of hair was never easy. The tips are dry, almost dead actually and they stick together. I had to lather it in purple shampoo (to keep it platinum and not yellowish) and use a handful of conditioner. Blowdrying it is also a different type of ball game. I can never not add oil before blowing it and I hate hair oil, but I had to do it or else I’ll have trouble combing it. Oh and don’t even think of letting it air dry. It’s a nightmare. All in all, it is very time consuming.

But, I dare you to do it.

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Should I use this photo and submit it as a part of my portfolio? I’m so nervous to send it for critique.

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Hi. Where are you from? ❤️

I am from the Philippines, but I live in the US. 💕

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#GRAMMERPH_LOSANGELES*

I got to meet a few talented Filipino and foreign photographers during the instameet held by Grammer.Ph ambassador of Los Angeles, Justin Alforque. I was iffy to meet them because they were mostly men and you know how parents be like...

“Saan mo sila nakilala?” “Bigay mo number nila sakin.” “Di ka pwede sumama kasi walang ibang babae.”

Anyway, my kuya suggested to chaperone me, so when my mom founds out that I did go, she won’t go off on me. Meeting these guys was fun. I learned some of the things that they do in terms of angles, photoshoots, and posing. At first, nakakahiya... but eventually, I got used to it. They’re easy to work with. I hope that they will do another meet soon!

*two years late post, and the bridge is currently being reconstructed.

Sixth Street Viaduct E 6th St,  Los Angeles, CA 90013

[kimbalila]

It’s not even halloween and I am posting this just now. 

Our organization, KSU Filipino Students Association, held our very first pumpkin carving event in Jamie’s apartment. Of course, like all of our events, KSU VSA participated as well! All of our creative skills were put to a test on our self-bought pumpkins, and all of it turned really great. Can you see No Face? 

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The perks of collaborating.

Honestly, out of all the collabs that I have participated in, I really enjoyed this shoot the most. It was probably because I had a chance to do it with the person I love. Everything was very natural, I was on my element. I was calm, it was just plain fun. Kuya Enrico (check him out here) had initially posted on his story that if anyone wants to collaborate, he’s more than willing to do so. It was easy to communicate with him, he was very professional but laid back. He had a lot of ideas in mind, it was actually awkward between us (me and Ferny) because it was our first time to have our photo taken by a photographer. At the end of the day, our photos turned out well as expected.

PS We sneaked in to our location and nobody noticed.

SkyView Atlanta 168 Luckie St NW Atlanta, GA 30303

[kimbalila]

Here’s a little bit about my family... half of us live on the west side, so family gathering are not as fun as it was in the Philippines but when we do, it’s chaotic. The ratio of child to adult is 3:1, but that’s mostly because my cousins are much older than me and my sisters. I like these type of gatherings because there’s always food, 24/7. Our family on the east side (including us) flew to Seattle to celebrate my aunt’s birthday. 

Now, is my aunt that special? Yes. A few months before her birthday, she had a stroke, was paralyzed, and declared brain dead in one day. My mom flew to New Jersey to see her condition and to relieve my other aunt, her older sister. I was in school when it happened and I had to pick up my little sister in asp. A few days later, we received a phone call from my mom. My aunt woke up, and since then, she is a family miracle. She had told us what she saw, she theorizes that it might have been Heaven; she also saw their oldest brother, my tiyo, whom I have never met because he died when I was still a baby. I always wondered if she ever saw my father, but I never had the courage to ask.

But anyway, enough with the backstory. We had fun exploring downtown Seattle even though our convoy was whack. 

Space Needle 400 Broad St. Seattle, WA 98109

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I owe this dinner to my father who has been deceased for six years now. My sister and I went out to celebrate as if he was still here on Earth. My father really loved dining out, and so did we. We inherited his sophisticated taste bud--and I wanted to explore the food community more than he did. So here we are. 

This photo was the sole reason how I got into the food scene. I got invited by Atlanta Eats TV for lunch with other foodies around Atlanta. It was quite intimidating at first because my Instagram is not aimed for food photos, but somehow, they stumbled upon me. I took the invite and met cookbook authors, food bloggers, aspiring critics, restauranteurs, journalists, and the founders of GA FOLLOWERS. Crazy, right? I thought so too... all because of one photo. So kids, go post stuff, tag people, use hashtags, and just be involved. 

King + Duke 3060 Peachtree Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30305

[kimbalila]

I, like any other foodie, always craves the most random food.  So here I am, serving you another post about food. But I mean, who doesn’t enjoy this kind of post? Oh. Yeah, picky eaters.

ANYWAY.

The first photo is obviously a bowl of ramen, but it ain’t yo ordinary ramen, boiiiiiiiii. They loaded this bad boy with garlic. Yes, garlic. Though I wished that they had noodle substitutes ‘coz I’m not really a fan of thick noodles. Yeah, I know, I’m super extra. Also, we ordered takoyakis. It’s kinda disappointing because the octopus was tiny, so I’m not getting that again next time. But the interior was lit and small, I guess they tried to resemble Japanese ramen shops in Japan but it occupies maybe 30 people inside and 20 outside. Overall, I give them four out of five stars!

Location:  5975 Roswell Rd NE, Unit B217 Atlanta, GA 30328 United States

[kimbalila]

Spring break meant food trip, so we did.

Ever since the first Jollibee in Florida opened, we did not hesitate to plan a three-day trip down the sunshine state. We rented a house through Airbnb and luckily, it was only five and ten minutes away from Jollibee and the beach, respectively. It was the ideal location, and we only had to pay $44 per person--that pretty much covered the gas and the house for three days! And as we all know, food is kanya-kanyang bayad (covered by oneself) but who’s complaining if the food is cheap? Not me. I also had no problem eating at Jollibee for three consecutive days and bringing it back home. 

Oh, and uhhhh... I have a new beau! But for now, I think I’ll let the photos talk.

[kimbalila]

HAAAAA, OKAAAAAY KILIG MUCH.

I just went to William Singe and Alex Aiono’s collaboration concert... and. it. was. sexy. af. AF! Apparently, this was not the first time that William had a concert in Atlanta--and where tf was I when it happened--but, this was definitely Aiono’s first! Words cannot even explain how talented these two were; they gave me goosebumps! Ugh. I hope they visit again soon ‘coz why not.

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Clubhouse playmate.

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"You think you know people, then they surprise you."

[kimbalila]

Inner Battle

2016.

How can I not remember you? In twelve months, you turned me into a completely different person; a person I never suspected to become. From Los Angeles to the city of Atlanta, you followed me. You hunted me. You were invincible. The laughter I used to share, the smile I used to give was replaced by lies, betrayal, and hopelessness. I am lost. 

2017.

Please save me.

[kimbalila]

Hey y'all!!! It’s been quite a while since my last post. I was busy with school, work, and packing my things to go back to my home state—Georgia. After I moved every bit of me from California, I immediately applied to Kennesaw State University as a transfer to catch up on their deadlines. Luckily, I got accepted for Fall 2016!

I’m a little backed up from blogging, and I promised myself to post my simple joys accumulated from two years of stay in the golden state. Ergo, it’s good to be back, Tumblr!

[kimbalila]

Ten hours before my final, I found time to blog. It’s definitely not the right moment nor the right hour to be typing down and share a piece of my life but, I really need fifteen minutes to de-stress before my 7:30am Chemistry test the following day. If not, my body will shift to sleep mode. 

Anyway.

The Commissary is not a fancy-schmancy place, in the contrary, it’s as simple as its very environmental-friendly setup. The food is great, the noise level is moderate, and the staff is friendly. Most importantly, free coffee refills! I will definitely try dinner some day soon.