Mazelike Days

[mazelikedays]

2025 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Futari - Oguri Cap(CV.Takayanagi Tomoyo) · Tamamo Cross(CV.Ozora Naomi) Umamusume Cinderella Gray 2nd Season ED Location: Canberra, Australia Mood: Aimless Welcome to the 19th iteration of my Year Ender post. I'm currently just at home here in Canberra, pondering whether to attend the fireworks in the city when it just rained... Anyhow, let’s do the 2025 edition of my year ender report! 1. It's been more than a year since I settled here in Canberra. While I'm supposedly settled nicely here, with a job and somehow doing my hobbies, I'm somewhat feeling aimless. I don't if it's due to finally being here, that I don't exactly know what to do next. Not to mention that Australia can be quite expensive, and that I don't feel I'm earning what I expect to earn. The weather also is something that I still can't get used to, being too cold for my liking. I guess there's also the feeling of loneliness, I might have playmates here with my hobbies, but I'm not exactly close to them for the most part. I guess I'm yearning to a genuine connection, but it seems to be hard for someone of my age. I guess I'm still adjusting, and it's taking a while to do so.

2. I feel that I need some sort of reset, I'm pretty much aimless lately. But the thing is, I don't know what's the next step. Let's see what comes up and hopefully I get out of this rut I'm currently having. 3. Health wise, I'm probably getting worse. I was able to resolve my tooth issue and and my hand issue, but later part of this year, I discovered that the ailment I had in Dubai was actually worse than anticipated. What I thought was indigestion was actually gallstones. Thankfully there's an option for a free public hospital surgery, but currently I don't know when will it be, and if the surgery might put a wrench to my travel plans and office attendance in general. It will occasionally cause a pain I can't ignore every now and then so I have to be vigilant that I might need to go to the ER. Hopefully this gets rectified soon. On the plus side, blood pressure seems to be not as high as I anticipated, and so far the blood chemistry is fine aside from the fatty liver issue. I really should get my act together and do some exercise.

4. Travel wise, I did go to places. I was able to visit Adelaide, which I find as a fun city. I'm really considering moving there, but we shall see. The fun part was visiting Japan again after 5 years, and being able to do a lot of anime pilgrimages there! (Mainly Yuru Camp, Hyouka, Garden of Words and some of Eman's anime). Aside from that, I was able to visit Singapore during the last part of 2024 and Kuala Lumpur during the last part of 2025. Just wondering though, with my health issue, I'm not sure how much I can travel. We shall see and hope I can manage.

5. TCG wise, I had two pretty good Springfest runs (both Top 8 in Melbourne and Manila) for Weiss Schwarz. I have started my BCS run in Kuala Lumpur but it ended in disaster unfortunately. Now I'm not sure if I can go to Manila and Singapore. And honestly, I'm kinda disillusioned with the game right now. I now think it's on the start of its decline and I was hoping I can get an invite to Worlds before it finally goes to oblivion. But with my current situation and current decks, I'm not sure anymore.

I also initially was OK with Grand Archive, even getting a 2nd place on a Regional in Adelaide. But not I'm finding the game a bit too expensive for me, and that my favoured decks are not doing well. In all honestly, I'm kinda considering quitting card games now, but let's see.

5. I'm not really liking the situation with my mom and my sister at the moment. I really can't do much about it, but hearing they're not getting along is stresses me out. I get it though why my mom is acting that way, my sister should have been more responsible for her actions, but alas, it seems she never changes. I can only see from here how things pan out.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

Anime and Manga wise, I was initially just watching a few shows here and there, but then my OHS friends had the idea of having an anime watch club in the later part of the year, and now I have watched more anime in the process. Pretty fun too to discuss about what we watched. Sumo-wise, not really as fervent as I used to, but I'm still updated somewhat. In a span of a year, Onosato became Yokozuna and Ukrainian Aonishki has just become Ozeki, after a very speedy run in the ranks. I guess we'll just see if Aonishiki goes even higher this year.

Currently Watching:

Symphogear - Currently going to S4

Planning to Watch: 

Frieren S2, Oshi no Ko S3,

Finished This Year:

Apothecary Diaries S2, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive?, Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, With You and the Rain, Mono the Animation, Campfire Cooking in Another World S2, Towa no Yugure, Idolmaster, 86, Girls und Panzer, 2.5 Jigen no Ririsa, Couple of Cuckoos S1, Ascendance of a Bookworm Rewatched This Year:  Honey and Clover Unfinished Anime:   The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess

Finished OVA/Movies:

Project Sekai Movie, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Look Back, Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store

New Manga Read:

Kowloon Generic Romance

Finished Manga: Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, After the Rain Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Superman (2025), Thunderbolts, Muromachi Outsiders

Series: Invincible

New Games Played: Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes

1. Better health – Unfortunately, while we solved some issues, a new one sprung up. 2. WS Worlds Invite – I will still try again, hopefully within 4 tries. I'll probably retire after this though.

3. Start camping – due to expenses, weather and health situation, this did not come to pass 4. Settle well in Australia – I'm still adjusting honestly

5. Travel to new places – While I haven't really travelled to new countries, visiting Japan and Kuala Lumpur again was nice.

New Wishes: 1. Better health – Hopefully we resolve the Gall Bladder issue soon. 2. WS Worlds Invite – Probably my final try. I was also attempting the content creator route, but I can't commit to it...

3. Start camping – a big reason why I chose Canberra is that I can do outdoor activities. I hope I can do it this coming year. 4. Some clarity with my future - I kinda need to find a new goal. I guess this is it from now. To be honest, I wasn't really up to writing this year ender this year, put it's always good to record our experiences. Hopefully I don't feel bad enough and I can go to the fireworks later.! Hoping for a better 2026 for me! 

[mazelikedays]

2024 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: America - Only in Your Heart Location: Sydney, Australia Mood: Anxiously Melancholic Welcome to the 18th iteration of my Year Ender post. I have written most of this post on a plane on route to Sydney,Australia. As of posting, I’ll be in Sydney to celebrate the New Year near Sydney Opera.. Anyhow, let’s do the 2024 edition of my year ender report!  

1. The biggest highlight of this year is the approval of my Australian Visa and my big move from Dubai, UAE to Canberra, Australia. I was quite surprised that I was expecting my visa to be approved by March this year, but it was approved even earlier around February. Everything went quite quick then. I had a vacation in the Philippines in April, resigned at my job in Dubai in May, moved to Australia in June and finally settled in Canberra by the end of July. Two years of efforts and expeses paid off, and I was quite pleased that I got it. 

2. Travel wise, I definitely went to a lot of places! I went first to Oman in January, has a vacation in the Philippines in April, went to Georgia and Armenia in May, took a 2 week stopover in Singapore before finally flying first to Melbourne at the end of June. I stayed at my cousin’s place for a month to soak in the Australian life before finally moving on my own to Canberra by end of July. I also travelled to Sydney and visited Melbourne again a few more times. I am hoping that by next year, I can finally buy a good e-bike and start of camping around the Canberra area. I also hope to travel to more places, though it’s a bit hard with how far Australia is with everything else. Let’s see what’s in store this coming year! 3. I wouldn’t say that my move to Australia was all rainbows and sunshine. I felt that this year I’m beset by feelings of loneliness and anxiety. I think the biggest challenge for me coming to Australia would be getting used to the cost of living. I found it quite steep to my liking that sometimes at the back of my mind I wonder if relocating to Australia was actually a good idea. I’m also having some challenges with looking for friends. Australians are generally cool people, but sometimes I’m not sure how to interact with them. I am able to communicate and get along with them for the most part, but I’m wondering if I can befriend them to the point of being close to them. I guess only time will tell if I can have really close friends. I was also burned out with a lot of unexpected expenses, like dental and medical expenses which I’ll explain in a bit. I’m quite concerned that there are times where my expenses ate into my savings which I really didn’t like. I was nervous that it was taking me a while to get a job as my savings were getting depleted quite fast. Thankfully after a bit more than a month, I was able to find a job.

4. I guess I must be seen as complaining a bit too much, as while the cost of living is high in Australia, there’s a lot of good things going for it. First of all, the environment is really pristine and peaceful, especially in Canberra. It took me a bit of getting used to, since I was used to cities like Singapore and Dubai where it’s so busy and crowded, but now I got used to the quiet and spacious atmosphere of Canberra. I am also very glad that I was able to get a job as a Content Producer for YWCA Canberra. I feel the job is quite fulfilling, as my role serves a higher purpose of doing advocacy work and righteoous causes, a stark contrast to my previous jobs which is all about selling products. It also helps that the work culture is so chill and not stressful compared to my previous jobs. My colleagues seem to have a positive opinion of me as well, which makes me like my job a lot. I do need a bit of adjustment with other things, but I believe I’ll stay with this orginasation for quite a while!

5. TCG wise, it was pretty much the same deal as last year where it started great but ended quite bad. I had a good start with our team getting top 8 in Springfest in Manila. I also started playing in Australia, and I had a really good experience with a big tournament called Saltfest, where I got 4th place, probably my best record in a singles tournament format so far. Unfortunately my Melbourne BCS run ended short and my Singapore BCS run was even a disaster. I was quite envious of my friend Eman who got top 4 not once, but twice. Hopefully though, there’s one to two chances of still qualifying for Worlds this coming February, so I hope to learn from my mistakes and finally get an invite.

By the way, I also started a new TCG named Grand Archive. Enri kinda duped me into playng the game, and my FoW teammate Zhimon also got into it, so I am playing it now. I also got a good placement on the trial deck tournament which gave me a reason to play the game. I have to admit though, the game is quite expensive, and I spent a lot. Let’s see how it goes! Thankfully, the Australian TCG scene is quite active and there are small communities of Weiss Schwarz and Grand Archive in Canberra where I can at least play the card games I prefer. I do want to qualify for WS Worlds soon as I feel the game is kinda in decline and I want to be able to get to my goal before it fully declines.

5. Health wise, I definitely am not healthy. I believe a big part of this stems from my anxieties, which caused me not to do exercise and proper diet. I did try to do jogging and order a food subscription service to improve my diet, but I have not been consistent. It didn’t help that the farewell party in Dubai has now caused me to get frequent indigestion as it clashed with my diet. Then when I arrived in Australia, I was beset with a toothache that I cannot ignore that I decided to have a root canal. I was in shock with how expensive dental procedures in Australia are. I think the cost hurt me as bad as the toothache as well. I also had cubital tunnel syndrome, where I had issues moving my left ring and pinky finger. It’s better now, though I still fill a very slight numbness on my left hand. I aim that this coming year, I’ll be able to buy a bike to become active and get a cheaper food subscription service where I can order and cook healthier food.   6. My sister was finally able to get out of detention, but a lot of things happened. She can’t go back to work, and worse her fiancee died. Thankfully she was able to recover, and she’s taking care of my niece as much as she could. She hopes to be able to travel so she can work again soon. It’s quite hard since during this period I had to take my share of providing for both my mom and my dad, which doesn’t help with my anxiety. I hope things will be better for her soon enough.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

Anime and Manga wise, it’s kinda the same as last year. There were some good gems this year though, and there also some manga series that ended this year. I’m trying to clear some backlogs and I actually just finished an anime in the plane on route to Sydney.

As for sumo, I really don’t watch it as fervently as a few years ago, though I’m still updated with the tournaments every now and then. I think a big reason was that the JSA went overkill with punishing Miyagino Oyakata (Hakuho) for the Hokuseiho debacle, as I felt it reeks of politics. I believe that affected Hakuoho’s performance badly which left me disappointed. New young blood definitely have risen this year though, especially Onosato who is now an Ozeki. There’s also a good chance that this coming year Kotozakura (formerly Kotonowaka) will finally become Yokozuna. We shall see, but I already had a feeling he had a potential to become one. Kinda disappointed though that Kirishima fell down a lot.

Currently Watching:

Spice and Wolf (2024) – Just finished

Planning to Watch: 

Danmachi S5, Apothecary Diaries S2, not sure what else…

Finished This Year:

Kubo-San Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Isekai Nonbiri Nouka, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Aria the Origination, Flying Witch, Apothecary Diaries S1, Ganbare Douki Chan, Konosuba S3, Dangers in my Heart S2, My Tiny Senpai, Yuru Camp S3, Dungeon Meshi, Makeine, Oshi no Ko S2, Roshidere Rewatched This Year: 

Attack on Titan Series   Unfinished Anime:  

Finished OVA/Movies:

Gundam Seed Freedom, Spy x Family Code White, Seven Days War, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Kaguya Sama Movie, Belle, Look Back, Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom

New Manga Read:

I barely read manga this year actually…

Finished Manga: Oshi no Ko Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Interstellar, Sisu, Seven Samurai, In the Mood for Love, Dune Part 2, Oppenheimer

Series: Castlevania Nocturne

New Games Played: Pretty much the same with just the addition of Pokemon Pocket

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Get the Australia Visa Grant – Highlight of the year. We got there. b. Improved Health – Not the best, with bouts of anxiety and insomnia. Not being active either. c. WS Worlds Invite – Still in process. There’s still a chance for 1 or 2 events. d. Better situation for my Sis – I believe for the most part these got settled. e. Some new goal to look forward to – I still am not able to find a new goal, I guess the goal now is to become stable in Australia and do the steps to become a PR and eventually a citizen.

New Wishes: 1. Better health – I wish to improve my activity and diet, as well as treat my anxiety and insomnia 2. WS Worlds Invite – I will still try, with two more events

3. Start camping – a big reason why I chose Canberra is that I can do outdoor activities. I hope I can do it this coming year. 4. Settle well in Australia – Hope to find close friends, as well as to get used to the Australian life

5. Travel to new places – I did some nice places this 2024, and I hope I can expand this 2025! I guess this is it from now. I just finished writing this inside a plane going to Sydney. I’ll post this once I’m settled in my Airbnb then walk off to see the fireworks! Hoping for a good 2025 for me! 

[mazelikedays]

2023 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Ginger Root - Nominated Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mood: Waiting listlessly Welcome to the 17th iteration of my Year Ender post. I'll be doing this a bit earlier than usual as I'll be going off to Musandam, Oman tomorrow. As you can see in the pic, I have been trying to go to different places. Anyhow, let’s do the 2023 edition of my year ender report! 

1. Thankfully, COVID pretty much became endemic this 2023. Pretty much things have gone back to normal, travel wise. Sadly, inflation happened everywhere. Luckily, my salary also increased this year which was quite nice given the inflation and expenses I had.

2. This year was quite eventful that I was able to secure a state nomination from Canberra, Australia! All the expenses and effort paid off! I was quite surprised though that it was Australia that gave me a chance, since I thought Australia will be harder to get in compared to Canada. While sadly nothing happened with my Canadian application, now I'm waiting for that Australian visa grant. I sure hope I can get it as early as March. I was also quite lucky that I applied as soon as I could, because when July came, it became much, much harder to apply for an Australian PR.

3. Travel wise, I actually became active in camping for the first quarter of the year. I was able to try solo camping in various locations such as Hatta, Jebel Ali Beach, Al Mirfa in Abu Dhabi and Al Qudra with my colleagues in the office. I also travel twice in the Philippines and twice in Singapore. I didn't travel in the latter part of the year due to the summer heat + lethargy. Hopefully I get to travel more starting tomorrow  in Oman!

4. TCG wise, the first half of the year was quite good, with our team getting Top 3 not once, but twice! I fortunately had really good teammates, and I was able to play well. I unfortunately had a bad run though on the second part of the year, and my dream of going to worlds didn't happen. Hopefully the next year will be much better, and I'm hoping I'll get more chances of going to worlds.

5. Health wise, I can't say that it was that good. Nothing really serious, but work stress kind of got to me, especially when new members of the Cerave team joined. The system became drastically different from last year, and it became so stressful that I became easily irritated. It even went to a point where I became so stressed I got sick. I wasn't even able to stick to my diet, and was living an unhealthy lifestyle. I do hope I can reset this coming year, I feel finally going to Australia will greatly help as I feel I'm currently in a limbo waiting for my visa grant. 6. Some not so good news regarding my sister. Seems she was involved in some drug issues and she got imprisoned. She got out of jail eventually but now she's currently detained in an immigration facility as of writing. She's still waiting for a verdict, and I'm hoping for a positive outcome. Kinda fearing for her ability to travel due to this though, as kinda worried for my niece and her fiancee as well. Kinda bummed with what my sister did to her life, but it is what it is sadly.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

Anime and Manga wise, I had been watching and reading less. It's probably due to the stress I experienced for a good part of the year. I was able to attend some conventions though, like the MEFCC in Abu Dhabi and AFA in Singapore. I also have some show lined up to watch. As for sumo, I'm not able to watch livestreams for the latter part of the year, though I still check upon the results whenever there's a tournament. I was hyped when Hakuoho was competing, and got bummed that he had to pull out for a while due to injury. I sure hope he'll bounce back in the coming year. It's also exciting to see whether the two new Ozeki, especially Kirishima (formerly Kiribayama) will step up to become the new Yokozuna. I'm also happy that the coming year will have Ura going to Sanyaku!

Currently Watching:

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Aria the Origination Planning to Watch: Kubo-San Won't Let Me Be Invisible, Isekai Nonbiri Nouka

Finished This Year:

Engage Kiss, Gundam: Witch From Mercury, Hataraku Maou Sama S3, Danmachi S4 Part 2, Mushoku Tensei S3 Part 1, Tomo-Chan is a Girl, Bofuri S2, Oshi no Ko, Isekai Ojisan, Tonikawa, In/Spectre, Tondemo Sukiru de Isekai Hōrō Meshi, The Dangers in My Heart, Masterful Cat is Depressed, Chainsaw Man, Arifureta S1, Aria the Animation/Natural

Unfinished Anime: Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Swordsman Village Arc, Rurouni Kenshin Reboot,

Finished OVA/Movies:

Tensura Scarlet Bond, Gundam Hathaway, Jujutsu Kaisen Zero, First Slam Dunk, Suzume, The Boy and the Heron

New Manga Read:

Oshi no Ko, Chainsaw Man

Finished Manga: Ayakashi Triangle, Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Avatar: Way of the Water, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Flash

Series: The Mandalorian S2, Ahsoka, Andor, Castlevania Nocturne

New Games Played: Mainly just playing Mahjong Soul, Teamfight Tactics, Weiss Simulator and Pokemon TCG Live. Occasionally playing casual games and Colonist (Catan clone).

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Get Healthier - Kinda not, though I'm trying to be mindful. I need to reset this coming year and have less stress. b. Get to emigrate elsewhere - Funny enough, it was Australia that gave me the chance! Hoping to hear soon as early as March. I'm quite anxious to get there that I'm currently in a state of limbo. c. Travel to new places - This year made me do a lot of solo camping. Also was able to set foot in Qatar, albeit as a stopover. I am going to Oman tomorrow though, so that's exciting. And even more exciting if I'm finally able to go to Australia! d. TCG wise -I finally played in a teams format, and did quite well especially in PH. Sadly the worlds invite dream went downhill! Hoping this year I can finally get the worlds invite!

New Wishes: a. Get the Australia Visa Grant - Can't wait for it, hoping for a positive outcome, and soon! b. Improved Health - Hoping to reset this year and be better. c. WS Worlds Invite - Hoping to finally get that Worlds invite, so that I can finally retire in TCGs lol! d. Better situation for my Sis - I hope the issues get settled soon, and in a positive manner. e. Some new goal to look forward to - Because sometimes lately, I feel that nothing happens that much. Let's see what endeavor I can aim for the coming year.

I don’t have much else to wish for, maybe just for good health for me, my family and my friends. Hoping the Musandam trip tomorrow will be awesome, even if it's quite expensive. Anyhow, till next year!

[mazelikedays]

2022 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Yoasobi - Gunjou Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mood: Kinda chill If you see the picture, then you’ll see me at the bottom left. Finally, a Weiss Schwarz BCS Top 8 spot! On a side note, apparently my livejournal account is still alive, and I discovered my year end posts from 2006 are still alive. So I have been doing year end posts for the past 16 years. Kinda scare to read the earlier ones, since they’re likely cringey stuff. Anyhow, let’s do the 2022 edition of my year ender report! 

1. Last year, I was talking about COVID. Funny enough, I ended January 2022 with contracting the COVID virus. It just felt like a flu honestly, and I was working from home 2 days after. Thankfully though by the time of writing it was more or less dying down (except in China I think) and most countries have opened up.  Hopefully it finally becomes endemic this 2023, but then again most countries don’t care anymore as long as you are vaccinated.

2. A year came by, and I’m still here in Dubai. It’s not bad honestly, a few things happened here and there (like work from home due to my COVID stint, then having an issue with a crappy client who left months later), but overall it’s chill. I’m also getting an increase on January, which is some nice news. However, I still feel I can go elsewhere. I tried going back to Singapore, but unfortunately the job prospects there wasn’t that good. I actually got frustrated when I wasn’t able to get a job there around March/April. But then, something came up and now I’m gunning to go to either Canada or Australia, whichever invites me first. I have submitted my requirements for Canada and I’m still waiting for my final assessment for Australia, so let’s see. These things take time, but hopefully before July there would be some significant news. I’ll also try to apply to increase my chances.

3. Travel wise, I was finally able to go out of the country again as COVID restrictions got relaxed. I started the year with going to Bahrain, though unfortunately after the trip I got COVID. And then in May I was finally able to go back to the Philippines after 2 years, catching up with a lot of my friends. I was even able to go to places like Mindoro and Boracay. It was a fun and busy month for sure! Funny enough, I went to the Philippines again last October to play for WS BCS, and finally went to Singapore again this December. 

4. TCG wise, speaking of Singapore, I finally got a Top 8 placement this year! I won in the WS BCS Singapore Regional. I won using my Tokyo Revengers Dual Lane Pah-Chin deck! Finally, after playing for 8 years, I finally got a top spot! Unfortunately, I didn’t go past that as my deck decided to not cooperate, hehe! I also played in Manila last October but unfortunately lost to the guys who went Top 1 and Top 8 as well. For next year, I’m hoping to go higher and also to participate in the WS BSF in Manila so I can finally play an official team tournament major!

5. In terms of my weight, I got off to a good start. I was able to go as low as 79kg, the lowest I had since probably after childhood. Stress and non-activity though kinda made me gain weight, and going to Singapore pretty much made me fat. Now I’m at 85kg, so I finally bought weights and a stepper so that I can burn calories even if my place is small. As for cooking, I haven’t cooked new stuff lately, mostly repeat dishes. I also got lazy posting food pics and I had to cram a lot in a post recently. Hopefully the goodies I got from SG will motivate me to cook new dishes! 

6. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

I think for anime and manga, this was the reverse of last year. I watched more anime and read way less manga. I think the reason for this is that a lot of the manga I have been reading have ended this year.  As for sumo, I’m still pretty much into it, and it was fun to see new winners. I felt the sumo season ended pretty weird though, with only Takakeisho left as Ozeki, and Abi winning out of nowhere, albeit in a kinda off manner. There’s a lot of up and coming new talent though, and I’m excited to see them rise!

Currently Watching:

Gundam: The Witch From Mercury S1 Planning to Watch: Engage Kiss, Jojo: Stone Ocean, Tokyo Revengers S2, Tomo-Chan is a Girl, Danmachi S4 Part 2, Bofuri S2, maybe Ayakashi Triangle? 

Finished This Year:

Hataraku Maou Sama S2, Rising of the Shield Hero S2, Princess Connect Re:Dive S2, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War S2 and S3, Danmachi S3 and S4 Part 1, Made in Abyss S2, My Sempai is Annoying, Mushoku Tensei S2, Komi-San, Mieruko-Chan, Kimetsu no Yaiba S2, Isekai Shokudou S2, My Dress Up Darling, Tokyo Revengers S1, Love After World Domination, Lycoris Recoil, Overlord S4, My Stepmother’s Daughter is my Ex, Tensei Shitara ken Deshita, Bocchi the Rock

Unfinished Anime: 86, Ranking of Kings

Finished OVA/Movies:

Yuru Camp Movie, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, Metropolis, Her Blue Sky, FGO Camelot 2, FGO: Solomon, Quintessential Quintuplets Movie, Macross Delta Zettai Live, Fate Kaleid Liner Movies 1-2, 

New Manga Read:

Spy X Family, Ayakashi Triangle

Finished Manga: Tokyo Revengers, Dr. Stone Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Eternals, Dune, How to Train Your Dragon 3, Rurouni Kenshin the Final, The Batman, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Green Mile, 

Series: Trese, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett

New Games Played: Mainly just playing Mahjong Soul and Pokemon TCG. I actually tried Tekken 7 and FF14 but didn’t feel going all out. Also played Wordle until like a few months ago.

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Hoping to go back to SG again. - I did, but only as a tourist. I’m aiming for somewhere like Canada or Australia now. My friend will go to the UK soon so I’ll check that out as well. b. A Significant Other - I tried last Valentines Day. Miserably failed. Will put this on hold until I can go emigrate elsewhere c. Get Healthier – It was going pretty well the earlier months, but certain events made me gain a good amount of weight as well.  d. Travel more - I was able to travel to Bahrain, then went back to PH and SG. I would like to travel to either somewhere new, or in Japan again as well. e. For this COVID-19 nightmare to finally end. - It’s pretty much normal already at this point, just waiting for COVID to get endemic status.

New Wishes:

a. Get Healthier - Need to get my weight loss back on track. Hopefully new equipment will work out in my favor b. Get to emigrate elsewhere - Canada seems to be the most likely now, I sure hope there’s some news soon before July. Will check out elsewhere too that is nice and has a WS TCG community. c. Travel to new places - It’s kinda unlikely unless it’s already like Canada or Australia, but I would like to go to somewhere new. Let’s see. I’m also gonna camp to Hatta for the new year. Before I leave Dubai, I sure would like to go to Jebel Jais and do the skydive as well

d. TCG wise - Hoping to finally play in a teams tournament, and get more Top 8 or higher placements. If I can get an invite to worlds and if it’s gonna be in Japan, the better!

Oddly enough, I don’t have much else to wish for, maybe just for good health for me, my family and my friends. Typing this now because I’ll be camping tomorrow in Hatta! Anyhow, till next year!

[mazelikedays]

2021 Year Ender Part 1

Currently Listening to: Tatsuro Yamashita - Ride on Time Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mood: Kinda chill This picture is taken from my office here in Dubai. Surprisingly, our boss decided to have a half day today. Anyhow, gather up everyone, here’s the tenth iteration of my year ender post! Wow, I’m doing this for ten years already! 

1. Well, a year has passed and COVID-19 still ravages on somewhat. I think we’re currently in the 4th wave with the Omicron variant. Here in Dubai, where I’m currently located, cases spiked again from like 80 cases/day to 2.2K cases/day in a span of a month. My Christmas party here actually had an outbreak after. Luckily I’m tested negative and I’m already vaccinated twice. It also seems that while the Omicron variant is very contagious, it seems to be less lethal compared to the other earlier variants (like Delta for example). I hope that by 2022, the disease will finally settle down, just like Spanish Flu a century ago...

2. As you know, I did lose my job in Singapore. I tried looking for a job for 3 months but due to the economic downturn and local clamour, jobs for foreigners were very tight. I decided to finally give up on March and made a decision to go to Dubai to find work. Initially I wanted to go back home to the Philippines, but I decided against it as I realised I might not be able to work abroad anymore. Luckily, I found a job in a week and now I’m currently employed here in Dubai. My boss is pretty OK (he even gave us a half day today) but I really find the work environment here in Dubai a bit too odd for my taste. My salary is also lower compared to my last SG salary, and the clients here can be quite annoying. As a place, Dubai is pretty good, but personally I’m not too fond of it because the culture, food, accessibility and things to do here are quite different from what I prefer. 

3. Travel wise, I wasn’t really able to travel as there’s a lot of lockdowns. I did go a few places here in the UAE, like Khor Fakkan and soon in Al Qudra. But I wasn’t able to go out of the country due to the situation. It’s sad because I wasn’t even able to go back to the Philippines to my aunt’s wake, as she died this year. Pretty sad if you think about it. Travel plans wise, I hope my trip to Bahrain pushes through so I can see my sister and niece, then go to other places like Georgia in Europe. Hopefully I can also go back home to the Philippines.

4. TCG wise, I focused more on Weiss Schwarz lately, and more of online. I’m bummed that there’s no WS scene here in Dubai. I initially tried Pokemon, but in the end I just settled in playing the online version. I’m not even playing it nowadays. WS though, I’m practicing for Bushiroad Rumble Online and I hope I can get at least top 8. Gotta say, Discord became my friend. 

5. I’m still cooking, but not as much as when I did in SG. It’s largely due to the fact that now I’m in a sharing flat with more people, and the cooking schedule can be quite difficult. Not to mention, I’m not cooking much for other people as well. Another reason why I’m not cooking as much is because I started intermittent fasting last September. It actually works, as now I’m back to my college weight of 180 lbs (82kg). I basically lost 8 kilos in a span of three months. Gotta say, it’s my biggest achievement this year! My new goal now is to finally go to my optimal weight of around 70kg. Got some exercise tools around, hope I can utilize them all! 

6. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

For the first half of the year, I’m able to watch a good amount of anime, but when I started working, it became pretty less. I did read a good amount of new manga especially when I get downtime at work.  This is also there year where I became a sumo fan. Last year introduced me to it, now I became pretty much invested on it. From the rise of Terunofuji, to Hakuho’s last Zensho Yusho and retirement, it was so much fun. Can’t wait for the next tournament!

Currently Watching:

86 (should continue watching this, but not sure why I’m holding it off). Planning to Watch: Mushoku Tensei S2, My Sempai is Annoying

Finished This Year:

Konobi, Mikakuin de Shinkoukei, Masamune kun’s Revenge, Yuru Camp S2, Mahouka, Hinomaru Sumo, Uma Musume, Hataraku Maou Sama, Saki (S1, Nationals, Achiga-Hen), Non Non Biyori, Tensei Slime S2, Quints S2, Ano Natsu, Barakamon, Nagi no Asukara, FMP Invisible Victory, Tensura Nikki, Kobayashi Maid Dragon S2, Cowboy Bebop, Magia Record S2, 

Megalobox, FGO Babylonia, Ghost in the Shell Series (Movies, SAC, Arise), Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Rising of the Shield Hero, Tensei Slime, Princess Connect Re:Dive, Golden Time, Emiya-san Chi no Kyou Gohan, Comic Party, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, Danmachi: Sword Oratoria, Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Madoka Magica: Magia Record, Made in Abyss, Clannad, Oresuki, K-On, Girl’s Last Tour, Blood Blockade Battlefront,

Unfinished Anime: Higurashi

Finished OVA/Movies:

The Wind Rises, From Up the Poppy Hill, FGO Camelot 1, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, Shirobako Movie (finally), Gintama Final, Rebuild of Evangelion (1-4), BHA Movie: World Mission

New Manga Read:

Dr. Stone, Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Clover, Golden Kamuy, Blue Period

Finished Manga:

Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Justice League, Snyder Cut, Alice in Borderland, Shang-Chi, Spiderman: No Way Home

Series: Castlevania S3, The Witcher (both unfinished coz I have no Netflix now)

Youtube Channels: Honestly, a lot to count, but lately aside from random ones, it’s usually Sumo or Weiss. New Games Played: Nothing actually new

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes

a. Able to find work - Did so, but in Dubai.

b. A Significant Other - There’s someone I’m interested in. Not sure how it will work out though, given she’s far away.

c. Proper Sleep – I surprisingly had better sleep here. Looks like intermittent fasting helped.

d. Get Healthier – I now lost 8kgs! Need more exercise though.

e. For this COVID-19 nightmare to finally end. And that I get my proper vaccine soon - I already got my vaccine, sadly we’re still in the 4th wave or so.

New Wishes:

a. Hoping to go back to SG again. Or somewhere else that I find nice (maybe Aus? Japan?)

b. A Significant Other - Hoping at least she looks my way and consider? I don’t know honestly, and I’m not expecting much.

c. Get Healthier – Hoping to get to my optimal weight and finally lose my belly fat! Need to exercise now too.

d. Travel more - Hopefully Bahrain pushes through for starters.

e. For this COVID-19 nightmare to finally end. - Hoping by 2022 we’re back to normal.

This year was a year of changes for me. Had to do some adjustments in a new city, but overall it was fine. Still, I miss Singapore, and I hope I can return. We’ll see, whatever will be, will be. Typing this now because I’ll be camping tomorrow! Anyhow, till next year!

[mazelikedays]

2020 Year Ender Part 2

6. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

As another side effect of the COVID-19 situation, I was able to watch a ton of anime. Funny enough though, it’s not much the latest anime but more of the anime released earlier. Netflix also helped as there’s also a lot of anime in that platform as well. I have been reading less manga though, and a few of those I continued to read have ended already.

Currently Watching:

Nothing currently, but likely to watch a lot of sequel anime this coming season.

Finished This Year:

Megalobox, FGO Babylonia, Ghost in the Shell Series (Movies, SAC, Arise), Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Rising of the Shield Hero, Tensei Slime, Princess Connect Re:Dive, Golden Time, Emiya-san Chi no Kyou Gohan, Comic Party, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, Danmachi: Sword Oratoria, Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Madoka Magica: Magia Record, Made in Abyss, Clannad, Oresuki, K-On, Girl’s Last Tour, Blood Blockade Battlefront,

Unfinished Anime: Higurashi

Finished OVA/Movies:

Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll, Violet Evergarden Movie, Konosuba Legend of Crimson, Heaven’s Feel III: Spring Song, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul

New Manga Read:

Kaguya Sama: Love is War, Uzaki Chan no Asobitai

Finished Manga:

Bokuben, Haikyuu

Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Spiderman: Far from Home, Independence Day: Resurgence, Pacific Rim: Uprising

Series: Queen’s Gambit

Youtube Channels: Bald and Bankrupt, Chris Sumo, Adam Ragusea, Various WS Channels (PGH Weiss Schwarz, Burn One, Clock Tower, Casually Weiss Schwarz, IanTCG, ThreeSixCancel), Some Gamer Dude

New Games Played: Dota Underlords, Mahjong Soul

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes

a. New, Better Work – Now that I’m out of work, I really need one now

b. A significant other – Can’t even meet other people due to COVID-19

c. Proper sleep - I still need more sleep, COVID-19 made it worse

d. More Places to go – Thankfully I was able to go Dubai before COVID-19 lockdowns happened.

e. Get Healthier – Somehow able to get a bit healthier with less weight, but I’m having issues with my bladder. Spent a lot of money, but looks like this is more of anxiety based.

New Wishes:

a. Able to find work and get my pass approved before 1stweek of Feb

b. A Significant Other (again?)

c. Proper Sleep – With my starting not having much to do as now more work, it’s kinda improving now

d. Get Healthier – I was able to lessen my weight earlier, but I’m having difficulties now. Hopefully I can get back on track

e. For this COVID-19 nightmare to finally end. And that I get my proper vaccine soon.

That’s it for this pretty turbulent COVID-19 year. Now I’m just waiting for my last day of work to end, as well as get my final pay. My fate here in Singapore will be determined in the coming weeks. We’ll see, whatever will be, will be. Till next year!

[mazelikedays]

2020 Year Ender Part 1

Currently Listening to: Nujabes feat Shing02 - Luv Sic Part 1  Location: Loyang Ave, Singapore Mood: Anxious This picture is taken from my office, as it is my last day of work today. Be prepared, this year was definitely tough, not just for me, but for everyone. Anyway, without further ado, the ninth iteration of my year ender post! 1. Let me start this post with these words. COVID-19, Corona Virus. Pretty much this virus turned the world upside down and messed up everyone. A ridiculously contagious virus that affect literally everyone in the world, whether you’re a first world country or a third world one. As of writing, 83,060,276 cases have been reported. There are currently 22,386,430 active cases and sadly 1,812,046 deaths. Sadly, one of our family members was part of that statistic, and succumbed to the virus just a few weeks ago. Due to this, a lot of things shut down. Travel, businesses, entertainment and a lot more. Life became basically out of whack. It was depressing because it was hard to go around and about when there’s a contagious virus threat around the corner. Thankfully for Singapore, they are able to manage it despite a ballooning of cases months ago. Also, vaccines were made in record time. Hopefully, the vaccine can be distributed and life can have some semblance of normality soon enough. 2. Well, due to COVID-19, a lot of businesses experienced a downturn. A lot closed, and a lot more are forced to either cut salaries and benefits to survive, and a lot were also forced to lay off their employees. Sadly, I’m one of them. I was able to stay for most of the year, but I guess there’s not much work around now to keep the current workforce. Today is my last day of work, and I’m pretty anxious of my future. While I planned to look for a new job earlier this year (I even had one interview), COVID-19 messed the heck out of my plans. I do have a hopeful job prospect for now, and hopefully I can still stay here in Singapore. Well, if I’m not able to, I plan to study UI/UX and Digital Marketing when I get back in the Philippines. We’ll see in my post next year what my future holds. 3. Travel wise, I was lucky enough to do travel before the COVID-19 lockdowns happened. I was able to visit Dubai, and it was pretty fun! It was the first time I experienced doing zipline and paramotor gliding! I was also able to meet again my college friends who are now based there. I was also able to go back in the Philippines last February to attend my good friend’s wedding. It was in pretty far north, but the experience was pretty awesome. It was also my first time to be part of a wedding entourage. Not to mention being able to play with my niece who is growing pretty fast. Would I be travel again on 2021? Only fate knows for now. We’ll see. 4. TCG wise, due to the COVID-19 situation, tournaments are cancelled. Events now are basically casual, and a lot are now done online. It did help me reconnect with my fellow WS peeps back in the Philippines, and I’m playing more WS this year due to this. As for FoW, now I’m not certain. If I’m not able to stay in Singapore, I’m pretty much quitting FoW already. I also got stressed with the meta, as it became pretty unhealthy and repressive, and my playstyle wasn’t doing well. We shall see what will come out of this. 5. If there is one upside to the COVID-19 situation, it would be a lot of free time. I had a lot of free time to cook and do exercise. As for cooking, my Instagram account is now flooded with my food posts. Well, what can I do, I really enjoy cooking now. As for exercise, I was able to lose some weight. From 94kg at the start of February, I went down as low as 86kg around August. Now it’s a bit hard though and I’m in the 88-89kg range. Still, it’s good that I lost some weight and hopefully next year I can try to lessen it even further. (To be continued, Tumblr now has a post limit. Boring)

[mazelikedays]

2019 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Breakbot feat Irfane - Baby I’m Yours Location: Loyang Ave, Singapore Mood: Burned Out

This picture is taken from my second trip to Japan, and not to mention my first ever anime pilgrimage, featuring the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. This place was the basis for the scene where Haruhi makes her existential monologue. Anyway, without further ado, the eighth iteration of my year ender post! 1. I currently feel so burned out at work right now. Not exactly physically, but more of mentally. A lot of weird workplace changes, friendly colleagues who left one by one, realizing that your pile of work is not that significant in the grand scheme of things; and a client that working with feels like Chinese water torture. If I had a choice, I rather would like a 6 month sabaticcal. But with my current state of being an overseas worker, I can’t afford not to secure a job. So no choice but to find new work soon. Hopefully a much green pasture. 2. I didn’t travel to new countries this year, but I was finally able to secure a multiple pass visa for Japan. As I got another invite for the Force of Will WGP, I went to Japan again, this time in Osaka. I finally made the most out of my trip here, and went to a lot of nice places. I even made the Haruhi Anime Pilgrimage in Nishinomiya City. Travelling around got tiring, but it was so much fun. I even mingled with some of the locals when I went to the Macross themed FireBomBar in Osaka. Hopefully I get another FoW WGP invite so I can go back to Osaka and finally reach the bridge in Hoshi no Buranko, which I failed to reach in time. 3. Speaking of travel, I already have a trip planned for Dubai for January. I’m still pretty excited to visit Dubai even though I have visited it around 8 years ago. This also sparked in me the interest to travel to far off places that I have never been. Currently, my bucket list includes Australia, Qatar & St. Petersburg and hopefully the US, so I can finally visit my uncle who I haven’t seen in almost 20 years. At the very least, I hope I can visit Melbourne, Australia to visit my cousin and check out the place. 4. A pretty surprising development this year was the birth of my niece. I didn’t expect to be an uncle so suddenly, but my niece became the family’s pride and joy. Seeing her for the first time gave me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Hopefully I can see and play with my niece when I come home on February. Which reminds me that I’ll attend the wedding of a good friend of mine. Hoping my Feb vacation will be a nice one. 5. TCG wise, things are more or less the same. As stated earlier, I got another invite to play in the FoW WGP. Of course I didn’t win anything, aside from the three boxes and 2 starter decks which was worth enough. Unfortunately though, the company seems to be not doing so well, so likely invites for 2020 will be less. Let’s see how it goes. 6. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff. Same as last year, I’m watching less and less anime. I did watch some new ones this year, mostly those from Netflix, or those that have been shown for quite a while but I only watched now. I think I watched a lot more anime movies too. I think I read less manga as well, and some of the ones I have been reading have ended. However though, I spent a lot on anime goods when I was in Osaka, so I guess I’m still pretty much an anime fan? Hahaha.

Currently Watching: Nothing currently, if you set aside me watching Mitsudomoe clips on Youtube. Finished This Year: Carol & Tuesday, Quintessential Quintuplets, Oregairu (barely finished this one), Kmietsu no Yaiba,  Yuru Camp, Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Aobuta, Senryu Girl, Tamako Market, Oreimo, Lucky Star, Youjo Senki, Ancient Magus Bride, Tada-Kun Does Not Fall in Love, A Place Further than the Universe, New Game Unfinished Anime: Cells at Work Finished OVA/Movies:  Aobuta Movie, Weathering with You, Heaven’s Feel: Lost Butterfly, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection, Saekano Movie, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, Cencoroll Connect, Psycho Pass: Sinners of the System, Tamako Love Story, Godzilla Anime Movie 3

New Manga  Read: Quintessential Quintuplets, Kimetsu no Yaiba Finished Manga: Shokugeki no Soma

Other Stuff Watched: Movies: Avengers Endgame, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Aquaman, Ant Man and the Wasp, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Spiderman: Homecoming Series: Rilakkuma and Kaoru, The Witcher, Brooklyn Nine Nine,  Youtube Channels: Davie504, TwoSet Violin, Sam Chui, Mitsudomoe Channel

New Games Played: Princess Connect, Borderlands 2, Cities Skylines

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Work Pass Renewal - Renewed with no issues b. A significant other - Tried events but lately I’m derailed due to plans c. Proper sleep - I still need more sleep d. Stable Work - I haven’t looked yet. I really should soon e. New Places to go - This year was Osaka, pretty fun! New Wishes: a. New, Better Work b. A Significant Other (again?) c. Proper Sleep - I still need it d. More places to go - Getting the itch to travel. Dubai to be visited soon. e. Get Healthier - I forgot to tell that I have a bit of high blood now, so I hope I can do a good diet and exercise regimen

That’s all for this year. I’m supposed to be busy at work, but working on New Year’s Eve feel so unrewarding lol. Till next year!

[mazelikedays]

2018 YEAR ENDER

Currently Listening to: Queen - Doing Alright Location: Pasir Ris, Singapore Mood: Partly OK, Partly Meh, Partly Anxious This picture is one of my highlights this year. I finally struck one thing off my bucket list, and that is going to Japan. Anyhow, this is now my eight year end post here in Tumblr as well as my seventh (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well… As usual, time flew by!

1. In a few days time, I’ll be two years here in Singapore. So far, it was fun overall. I do like to stay much longer, and earn more. It’s kinda fulfilling sending six digits total worth of savings and support for my mom. I can never do this if I stayed back in the Philippines.  2. As usual, I continued my usual things, like cooking. The only difference now is that I also post in instagram. I also have people taste my cooking, which was nice. It’s rewarding when people like what I cook. Speaking of which, a friend from back home, Emman, started working here in SG. Now, I have someone to hang out here with aside from my other friends who have been here for a while.  3. Love-wise, a lot of weird stuff that did happen this year. The girl I used to like literally told me to leave her alone, then I liked another girl only to learn she’s with someone already. I got used to the disappointment somewhat, but now I get this feeling again of thinking whether being alone is okay or not. I’m trying to join some events for singles though, so let’s see.   4. Work meanwhile is quite topsy turvy as well. I got transferred to another floor, and initially I thought the change will be weird, but actually it was pretty good. Workload was much lighter compared to last year, I can afford to take less OT, and I had a reliable partner. I got used to it that I felt the setup was OK and I can stay like that for quite a while. Then suddenly, weird company changes made my OK situation into an unstable one. My reliable partner left because he was given such an unfair choice, leaving me alone again to deal with my work. And I have to return to the old floor I don’t want to go back to, but no choice. I would like to resist and give a piece of my mind, but I’m now in a precarious situation where I need my work pass renewed. It’s causing me to be anxious lately. My hope right now is to have my pass renewed, then after a year or so, look for greener pastures. Let’s hope for the best. Oh, and my client is getting more annoying lately. Makes me want to strangle her. Hope I can cope next year until I find somewhere else better. Hahaha! 5. For something more lighthearted, this year has been the most significant for me TCG-wise. I was also able to strike off another thing in my bucket list, which is to get an invite and play in a TCG world championship. I placed 4th in the Force of Will Indonesia GP (where I got my invite), then placed 2nd in the FoW Malaysia GP. This was a pretty good year, GP wise and I’m hoping to get in Japan again next year. I’m thankful for my teammates (which you can see in the pic) and to the SG FoW Community! 6. This year, I travelled to a whole lot of places. This year alone, the new places I went to were Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, MY), Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and finally Japan. It was a real blast. Also went to the far north in Ilocos back in the Philippines. Hoping to go to new places next year as well! 7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

Lately, I have been watching less anime. I’m not sure why, guess either I’m too lazy to watch straight or I’m not too fond of the latest anime. I did read some new manga though. Let’s go with our lists! Currently Watching: Weirdly enough, none at the moment, aside from rewatching Toradora? Finished This Year: Violet Evergarden, Overlord S2&3, Konosuba, Ancient Magus Bride, Card Captor: Clear Card Arc, Shokugeki no Soma: San no Sara, Wotakoi Finished OVA/Movies: Flavors of Youth, Godzilla (1-2), Macross Delta: Gekijou no Walkure,  Unfinished Anime: Orange, Re:Zero, Fate Extra Other Stuff Watched: Movies: Bohemian Rhapsody, Avengers Infinity War, Black Panther,  Series: Castlevania Youtube Channels: Queen Official Channel, Various Food Channels New Manga Read: Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Senryuu Girl, Tomo Chan is a Girl, Fire Brigade of Flames, Goblin Slayer, Boruto, Blue Exorcist, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, Kobayashi no Maid Dragon, Maid Dragon: Elma OL Nikki, New Game Finished:  New Game Played: Destiny 2, Company of Heroes 2 8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. A significant other - will try again next year -_- b. More places to travel - Fulfilled! I traveled a lot! c. Win a FoW GP - Fulfilled, got an invite and played in Japan d. More friends in SG - lucky a friend from PH is now working here, working to meet more New Wishes: a. Work Pass Renewal - Very Important b. A significant other - I’ll try events this time around c. Proper sleep - Lately I don’t sleep so well d. Stable Work - My current work is making me anxious lately, and my client is annoying e. New Places to go - I do love to travel the world Pretty much this is it for now. As a Queen song says: “Anyway, I should be doing alright... Doing alright” I hope I am... Till next year end!

[mazelikedays]

2017 YEAR ENDER

Currently Listening to: Choucho- Sora to Kimi no Message Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Mood: Chill This picture pretty much summarizes everything that happened to me this year. I realized that I was braver and stronger than what I thought I could be. Smarter? Maybe just a bit. Anyhow, this is now my seventh year end post here in Tumblr as well as my Sixth (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well… Time sure goes fast!

1. The most significant thing that happened to me this year is obviously my move to Singapore. I am very lucky enough to get work there and be employed. I braved a lot of things, like managing expenses, looking for work, having to exit a bit just to extend my stay, and a lot more. Ia have to learn a lot of new things, and have to experience a culture very different from mine. Was it worth it? Oh hell yeah. 2. I guess one of the perks of my move to Singapore was being truly independent. I learned to decide things on my own, learn how to do my own laundry and cook. Ah cooking, I really enjoy cooking! I never realize how rewarding it could be. Thank goodness for Youtube! 3. Of course, not everything is all rainbows and sunshine. While I got lucky to have work, the current employment is tenuous, due to the weird office politics in the office. Not to mention I'm pretty much overworked without OT pay. Somehow though, I'm holding on. Hopefully, either things get better, or I find a better job. Then got my heart broken by a girl who pretty much did nothing, which is pretty effin weird. I fell for a girl who I knew was taken, and lots of things got complicated due to that. Well, now our situation is awkward, thankfully I'm able to move on from her. Then I also learned that my father has cancer, which pretty much shocked us. Later on, I was able to get in terms with it though and for now my dad seems to be holding up well enough. I hope for his recovery, but I'm prepared for the worst. 4. Thank goodness that SG has a nice TCG community. I'm able to play competitively well, especially for Force of Will. Almost got Top 8 in one Grand Prix, and then got 3rd in a Team Tournament. I almost actually wanted to retire from TCG but now I'm planning to play much longer. Hahaha! 5. Being in Singapore made me travel more than usual. Aside from Singapore, I also travelled to Legoland, twice in Kuala Lumpur and now here in Kota Kinabalu. Next year I'm going to Hong Kong, and hopefully to Japan as well!

6. Going to Singapore has made realize that there are some things I miss, and some I don't. I miss my friends obviously, and probably the food. I will never miss the traffic and the politics though.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff. Being in Singapore gave me access to watching actual anime movies in the theatre. I realized it's actually nice to watch them on the big screen. Also, netflix has given me access to some anime as well! Anyway, for the lists…Currently Watching: Fate/Apocrypha, Orange, Sangatsu no Lion S2, Shokugeki no Soma S3 Finished This Year: Iron Blooded Orphans S2, Danmachi, No Game No Life, Demi Chan wa Kataritai, Chuunibyou, Kobayashi no Maid Dragon, Saekano, AOT S2, Finished OVA/Movies: SAO Ordinal Scale, Heaven's Feel, Fireworks, No Game No Life Zero Unfinished Anime: UQ Holder, Sakura Quest Other Stuff Watched: Movies: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Guardians of The Galaxy 2 Series: Game of Thrones S6, Narcos S3, Arrowverse Series Youtube Channels: Real Love Music ( Sudden addiction to Future Funk) New Manga Read: Chihayafuru, Blend S, We Cant Study Finished: Magi New Game Played: FF7 8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Employment in Singapore - DONE! b. A significant other - Had my heart broken this year c. Independence - Pretty Much d. Clarity - A bit I guess e. Fun and Happiness - Working on it New Wishes: a. A significant other - As always, looking b. More places to travel - Hopefully Japan c. Win a FoW GP - Or just a world invite would do d. More friends in SG - Would like to meet more people Pretty much this is it for now. Continuing on new frontiers. Till next year end!

[mazelikedays]

2016 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Nothing Specific Location: Home Mood: Hesitant I haven’t realized how quickly December 31st came. I am not ready for next year. Anyhow, this is now my Sixth year end post here in Tumblr as well as my Sixth (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well… Enough chatter then.

1. I’m not sure if regressing as of late. A sense of hesitation, dread for the future and nihilism seem to permeate into my being this year. As if there is nothing to look forward to anymore. I know I shouldn’t be like this, but I can’t seem to help it. I’m trying to look for ways to make my self genuinely happy, but I can’t seem to be that. I guess it’s partly because some of the ventures that I go into as of late (and actually many other ventures in the past) have failed or did not prosper, leaving me disappointed and tired.  2. I finally left my job at the start of July. It wasn’t bad, I guess I got my much needed sabbatical. It wasn’t all vacation though. I had this big freelance job with my former boss, and the pay was lucrative enough to make me last three months or so. I also did my portfolio, and I feel it wasn’t bad. I hope it would help me get a job soon. Speaking of which, I’m finally pushing my plan to work abroad, specifically in Singapore. To be honest, I’m conflicted in this one, since a part of me wants to stay here in the Philippines. But a part of me also wants to go abroad; to try new things, to be challenged, to learn to become independent and probably to help me change. I really hope this plan would become successful. I have many reasons for going abroad, earn money for capital, support my mom, further my career and do something new for a change. 3. I guess another reason to go abroad is that I feel family is becoming stressful as of late. My dad is retiring soon, and it’s causing some undue tension in the house. I’m not sure what my mom’s up to these days, seemingly keeping secrets. I really don’t want to pry though, and neither care what she does, as long as I do what I want in life. I guess I really want to live a life independent of family for a while. It might be selfish of me as it sounds, but sometimes you need to put your self first, you only live once anyway. It would be a waste if you just give up your life for others and not leaving some for yourself. 4. Speaking of ventures that fail, it seems a lot of the things I gave a whole lot of effort in are going down the drain. The TCG community that I devoted a significant amount of time and effort is in the verge of dying. Another want I went to participate in is not prospering. I’m getting disappointed that they all seem to fail no matter how much effort I gave into it. I’m not winning in these either, leaving me salty. That’s why as of late, I’m not much into card games. Funny though, there’s a good TCG following in Singapore, so things might change once I go there. 5. As usual, I haven’t gone out of town. The only notable one is my trip to my father’s province, in Occ. Mindoro. It was not as bad as I thought it would, though I got bored easily because it was pretty remote and I really don’t know anyone there. Hopefully, if I get into Singapore, it would give me the money and opportunity to go to many places. Let’s hope for the best.

6. 2016 was a pretty chaotic year in general. Electing an unconventional leader made for some pretty noisy year. You would admit though that change actually came. If it was for bettter or worse, that remains to be seen. Not to mention a lot of deaths of significant people. And a lot of fake and trolling news in the internet. I guess it would leave me less stressful once I get to a new country.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff. My consumption for pop culture stuff was pretty much the same as last year I guess. It might actually got less, fewer anime, fewer new manga read. I did watch a lot of youtube channels this year though, as well as more western series. Anyway, for the lists…Currently Watching: Iron Blooded Orphans S2, Sangatsu no Lion Finished This Year: Amaama to Inazuma, Drifters, Prisma Ilya Series, GATE (Season 1 and 2), Hibike Euphonium S2, JJBA: Diamond is Unbreakable, Macross Delta, Iron Blooded Orphans S1 (probably the best AU Gundam), Shokugeki no Soma S2, Acchi Kochi, Erased Finished OVA/Movies: Gundam the Origin 3 and 4,  Digimon Tri 3 and 4, FFXV Kingsglaive, FFXV Brotherhood, Gargantia OVA 2, Kimi ni no Wa Unfinished Anime: Luck and Logic, Durararax2 Ketsu Other Stuff Watched: Movies: Star Wars  Rogue One, Series: Game of Thrones S5, Flash, Arrow, Narcos Youtube Channels: Vlog After College, Man at Arms: Reforged                                Demolition Ranch, Feasts of Fiction, BBQ Pit Boys New Manga Read: Boku no Hero Academia, World’s End Harem, GATE, Konosuba, Memorandum of Kyouko Okitagami, CCS: Clear Card Arc Finished: Lone Wolf and Cub, Blade of the Immortal, Hellsing, New Game Played: Shadowverse, Age of Empires 3 8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. A significant other - [NOPE. Not again this year] b. Lots of money  [YEAH. I guess I have enough funds] c. Win a major TCG tournament [MEH. Top 16 I guess, not to mention the games I play have low turnout lately] d. A sense of life direction [NOPE. I’m confused actually. I’m forcing my way though] e. Independence [NOT YET. But soon hopefully] f. Get my artistic groove back [NOPE. I don’t think I’ll ever get it back now] New wishes a. Employment in Singapore (I really would like this to happen) b. A significant other (hopefully soon) c. Independence (I really would like this to happen) d. Clarity (to do things with a clear mind and with no fear) e. Fun and Happiness (I do want to become truly happy) Pretty much this is it for now. On to a new frontier. Till next year end!

[mazelikedays]

2015 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Lost Stars by Adam Levine Location: Home Mood: Conflicted How time flies. Another year will once again end. And another one starts once again. Anyhow, this is now my FIFTH year end post here in Tumblr as well as my FIFTH (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well… Let’s get on it I guess?

1. I guess I can safely say I recovered from the events last year, and that we moved on. However, I feel I can’t really move forward either, in terms of what I want to do. I don’t exactly know now what I want to do in the future, like I’m stuck in a sort of limbo. I know I need to fix this as soon as possible, but I don’t know how. It’s as if I’m waiting for a sign on what I really want to do. I’m not sure anymore. 2. Related to that, I’m now bored at my workplace. It’s because I’m becoming less of a designer and more of a grunt. Like, I answer more phone calls than do artistic work. And most often than not, I don’t call the shots. And the company culture is not to my liking anymore. The only thing that keeps me there is the pay and bonuses, but soon enough, it won’t be enough to make me stay. I was planning on working abroad, but I’m a bit iffy about it now. If I had the choice, I really don’t want to, but you really can’t earn well in this country, not to mention family pressure. The ironic thing though is, I kinda want to leave home. And live all by myself, with out family intervention, and that means not going home on the weekends. Arrgh! Oh well, let’s just see next year. 3. Also having some anxiety as I’m nearing 30. It’s like, I’m 30 already? It’s like my age is reminding me to be serious in life and what not, but I don’t feel like it. Hahahaha. Let’s see what will happen once that day happens. 4. Finally, Since I’m planning to leave the country, I should be lessening my card game hobby. But instead, it has intensifiied, since I’m now playing at least casually, a lot of cardgames. I can’t help it, card games are fun and taking care of the card game community is fun as well. I hope I can adjust if ever I need to leave for abroad. 5. Haven’t gone out of town much as of late. Some of the notable ones include a sudden Boracay trip (which I didn’t enjoy, as the water was full of weird algae and the place seems to be too modernized and overrated), and some places I have to go due to company stuff. 6. Anime, Manga and J-Pop stuff. As of late, I have been watching really few anime. But instead, a read a whole butt ton of manga, probably thanks to the fact that I can read during office downtime. Anyway, for the lists…Currently Watching: Iron Blooded Orphans Finished This Year: Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2nd half), Shirobako, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (and Egypt Hen), Shokugeki no Soma, Durarara X2 season 1, Gangsta, Hibike Euphonium, One Punch Man, Log Horizon 2, Shigatsu Kimi wo Uso Finished OVA/Movies: Gundam the Origin 1 and 2, Gundam Thunderbolt, PsychoPass Movie, Digimon Tri, Unfinished Anime: Chaos Dragon, Overlord Other Stuff Watched: Star Wars the Force Awakens, Heneral Luna, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Mass, Mockingjay pt 2, John Wick, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies New Manga Read:Feng Shen Ji, Blood and Steel, Terraformars, Nisekoi, Shokugeki no Soma, Aoki Hagane no Arepeggio, CLAMP: X/1999, CCS, Chobits, Clamp School Detectives, Wish, Clover, Angelic Layer, Tokyo Babylon Nanatsu no Taizai, Noragami (unfinished), Haikyu, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Prison School (unfinished), Mushoku Tensei, Danmachi, Himouto Umaru chan New Game Played: Fate/Grand Order 7. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. A significant Other - as usual none. I do need to look for one now. b. Travel money - got too busy, though I did go to Boracay for free mostly c. Training  - I got one, but I need more d. Get thinner - stress eating got the best of me, but I’ll get braces next year e. Money for hobbies - more or less managed, even if I got more card games f. Learn how to invest - putting some money for mutual funds this January g. Get my artistic groove back - this proves to be too challenging. I tried a bit but lost the motivation New Wishes a. A significant other (for the nth time) b. Lots of money (so that I won’t have problems going abroad) c. Win a major TCG tournament (11th was the best I managed) d. A sense of life direction (to know what I want to do for the rest of my life) e. Independence (doing things solely my way) f. Get my artistic groove back (hopefully get inspired) Pretty much this is it for now. Let’s see how life goes at 30. Till next year.

[mazelikedays]

2014 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: Gymnopedie by Erik Satie Location: Home Mood: Melancholic

Okay. This is pretty awkward... Aside from the fact I currently on post here on Tumblr for the year ender posts, I think this will be pretty much the most poignant year ender I'll ever do here. Anyhow, this is now my FOURTH year end post here in Tumblr as well as my FOURTH (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well... In any case, let 's start… If last year was turbulent, this one is pretty much one of the most sad. Pretty much due to a reason that everyone dreads, and that I thought I wouldn't experience soon enough. But it did.

1. This is the year where I lost a close member of the family. My brother to be exact. My brother died last June due to suicide. It was frighteningly shocking for me, looking at the lifeless body of my brother. Up to now, I still think about it every now and then; and often it stills stir me a bit... Remember that family issue I told the last year ender? Seems thing got worse after that. My brother got low grades, he was forced to change schools and I guess pretty much he went under extreme depression, to the point that it seems he felt he has nothing to live for. It's pretty sad, since I told him around March to hold on, and told him that if he ever had problems he could just tell me. His loss hurt me a lot because of all the family members, he's the one I could relate to the most. We had more or less the same interests, and more or less we think of the same things. Unfortunately, it seems his coping mechanism was quite different from mine and gave up. What hurts me most was that I wasn't able to help, or even notice it because during that time, I was busy with work to the point that I go for overtime. And then it happened all of a sudden. I never expected a death of a family member, at least not this early. I had to muster the courage to carry on as I needed to be strong for my mother. Somehow now, I'm coping. I guess? The worst part of this tragedy is that instead of this making us realize our mistakes and make amends, the family members instead decided to go on separate ways. I just felt that my brother's death was all in vain. Well, I guess that's all there is to it. I just hope for my brother's soul to rest, wherever he is, and that he's already in peace. It was such a shame, only in his death do we realize how much people loved him. And now he's gone. Forever. Hey bro, wherever you are, I hope you're doing fine out there.

2. Last time, I told you that I quit my job. Luckily at the start of the year, I was able find a job. It's not bad at all. Higher salary, kind boss, lots of perks, and a schedule I can pretty much control (aside from the occasional overtime that can be quite long). I intend to work here longer, until I get enough training and experience for my next career plan, Singapore. For now, I'll just make the most of my job now. It's still not the closest to what I want but somehow I learned to be patient and get on with it. Let's see after this year...

3. My brother's death has taught me a few things. One is to move forward and hold on to any piece of happiness, no matter how small it could be. I decided that I'll never follow the path that my brother took and instead I'll make sure that I will survive life, no matter if I'll live of scraps of happiness to do so. The other thing I learned to is to find ways to either prevent stress, or lessen any stress that I can't avoid. Even if people would find me cold and uncaring in doing so. Because I realize, I only have one life to live. If I die, everything ends. Now, if I don't live my life for my own, and give to much of my life for others, what will be left of mine? I don't want regret to happen. 4. My artist block pretty much continued. Instead of dwelling on it, I decided to focus my efforts on my current hobby instead, card games. I guess it was a good decision, as it lessened my stress and let me do thing I don't usually do. This coming year though, I might have to go back and re evaluate what I want to do with my career. I guess I need those lessons and programs for me to improve. Sorry again if my posts were pretty depressing. I just got worse I guess. This year was pretty much draining me mentally and emotionally. So I just continued to do a lot of stuff that would fight that. So we go to…

The light hearted stuff of this year…

5. I might be weird in saying this, but card games pretty much saved my life this year. With the loss of my brother, card games helped my cope and focus on other things. Not to mention that the growth of community that I have been handling is pretty much stellar. The growth of the game was such that from less than players earlier this year, we have reached to 160 players in the National championships. It's been a while since I've seen the fruits of my efforts grow so fast. It's also in this community that I learned how to damage control, lead events, compromise with people and fight adversaries when necessary. I also got new friends through this community, and I'm glad to be part of this. If you want more detail about this, I would be happy if you read this article of ours. 6. This was also the year where I went back to Singapore. I did not have any other vacation trips so I went all the way with this Singapore trip. It's also the first time that I attended Anime Festival Asia. It was a really, really fun experience. It was also a trip made to help me in my resolve to work in Singapore. I'll probably be back in Singapore sooner than I think.

7. Anime, Manga and J-Pop stuff. Well, this never changes. I still watch anime, though there are times that I limit the shows I watch. Still, it's a pretty good I guess. Anyway, for the lists…

Currently Watching: Shirobako, Log Horizon

Finished This Year: Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (1st half), PsychoPass Season 2, Aldnoah Zero, Wixoss S1-2, Silver Spoon S2, Terra Formars, Hajime no Ippo - The Rising -, Finished OVA/Movies: Gundam Unicorn 7, Gargantia OVA, Persona 3 Movie, Madoka Magica Rebellion, Ano Hana Movie

Unfinished Anime:

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Nobunaga the Fool, Barakamon Other Stuff Watched: Legend of Korra Book 3 and 4, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Godzilla, 22 Jump Street,

New Manga Read:

Feng Shen Ji, Blood and Steel, Terraformars, Nisekoi, Shokugeki no Soma, Aoki Hagane no Arepeggio, 8. Fulfilled Wishes and Wants a. A Significant Other  - as usual, none again… b. Money for Card Games - pretty much fulfilled c. A much enjoyable job - I could say close enough? d. A much more happy family - I lost hope for this one... e. Being able to do my choices in life - I guess I'm working on it New Wishes a. A significant Other (again) b. Travel money (I want to travel to many places) c. Training (I need to get training certificates and such) d. Get thinner (I'm being bugged to get thin, let's see) e. Money for hobbies (They can be costly if not planned) f. Learn how to invest (I want to earn more than just my means) g. Get my artistic groove back.

Pretty much this is it for now. Things will never be the same. Still, I need to move forward and fight on. That is life. Till next year.

[mazelikedays]

2013 Year Ender. 3rd Tumblr Year Ender Post

Currently Listening to: Losing My Religion by REM

Location: Home Mood: Anxious

Funny that my plurk post has dwindled to a point that it is now 1 post per year. With the year ender posts. Anyhow, this is now my THIRD year end post here in Tumblr… This would mark my THIRD (nonexsitent) year in Tumblr as well! Funny how time flew from my first post 2 years ago to now. In any case, let us begin this post... This year was probably one of the most turbulent I ever had. The cynicism and nihilism pretty much continued. It went to the point where it seems everything I believed in was shattered to pieces. And it was so turbulent that even at this time of writing, we were currently facing a problem.

1. Probably the biggest issue of this year was the family issue. This is the year that we realized, the family has a problem. A pretty big one. Factions were made, words were said, anger was thrown about. Frustration and anxiety abound. Funny that at first, I had just taken for granted what my brother said, which is that the family is fractured. I never knew how true his words was. It came to a point where everyone was clashing, the was no common ground and it felt like it was every person for him or herself. It is hard. The problem persists even to this very day that I am writing this. Thankfully, a major crisis was somewhat averted. Though I guess it is still not over yet. I guess what happened as of late is a wake up call for me and the whole family, to look at our selves, face our inner demons, and try to unite as a family. I hope that as the year ends, everything gets better. I sure hope so.

2. You might find this quite iffy, but I left my job again. It was a job where I realized I was going to a dead end. The work schedule was toxic (every month it shifts from day to night), the workload was heavy, the metrics (productivity and accuracy) was uncomfortable and the kind of work itself was utterly uncreative, boring and repetitive. I decided not to renew my contract, because I wanted a job that I really wanted, not a job that is born out of impulsive necessity. It is very, very hard though after I left though. I never trying to get what you really wanted was this hard. I had so many interviews, and so many rejections. I tried to go to an industry where I felt I could enjoy, but I was either set aside or not even taken notice. It became frustrating. Frustrating to the point that I wonder, would my life be filled with settling for less just so I can survive? It is really, really sad. For now, I'm trying to do what I can to get the job that is closest to what I want. I hope I get it soon. I really need a job. Badly. As much as I have to settle for less, I need to accept it. As long as it is not as bad and as unrewarding as my last job.

3. This year was the year not only did my pessimism, nihilism and cynicism continued, there also was the feeling that everything I believe in seems shattered into pieces. From beliefs, to people whom I believe in, to even what I see, I don't even know what to believe. It's hard, since you aren't even sure what the truth is anymore. I guess from now on, I have to rely on my own truth and justice. 4. I pretty much had a year long artist block. I guess I can blame my former job for sucking my creativity and leaving me feeling empty. The schedule, the work has demotivate me in doing artistic pursuits. I can't find the time or energy to do them since the job took up most of my time or energy. Coupled with the fact that every job application I had related to drawing failed miserably. That added the self-esteem issues in terms of drawing. I am trying though to fight that little by little. I joined a convention again late in the year. But somehow, I felt I wanted to do something that can bring back that artistic feeling. I hope I can go back. Even if I had to accept that my ability is just good enough for a hobby, not a career. I'll settle for that. Sorry if that was pretty depressing. I know it is. This year was pretty much depressing. So I really tried my best to do a lot of stuff that would fight that. So we go to...

The light hearted stuff of this year...

5. Since work was pretty hard, and I can't find the motivation to do artistic endeavors, I decided to do an entirely different hobby to de-stress my self. That lead to my new (or actually revived) hobby. Card games. I started with Pokemon TCG again ever since I saw the online version. Pokemon was my first card game, that is why I decided to play again. I never felt this feeling of fun and competitiveness in a long long time. I also met new people, and did lots of accomplishments as a card gamer. Recent changes to the Pokemon TCG though did not suit me, so now I am playing another card game, the anime themed Weiss Schwarz. I played this card game basically because it combines two things I really like, anime and card games. Not to mention the sets have anime that I really, really like. I am now very active with the game because I feel like I am growing with the game itself, little by little, we are trying to build a community. I hope my endeavors with this community get more fun for next year! 6. This was also the year where I went to places I have never been. My college friends had urged me to go to far places, like Caramoan in Camarines Sur and Baler in Aurora. It is really fun to see new places and new experiences. Not to mention I had utilized the family DSLR pretty well with this trips.

7. Anime, Manga and J-Pop stuff. My love for anime and manga never changes, though as of late, I have been very, very picky with my tastes in shows. So I only watched quite a few, most of them are even retro! Anyway, for the lists…

Currently Watching: Hajime no Ippo: The Rising (this is the only one left that I'm currently watching) Finished This Year: Macross 7, Sakamichi no Appollon, Silver Spoon, Coppelion, Genshiken Nidaime, Haganai NEXT, Jojo's Bizzare Adventure, Kyoukai no Kanata, PsychoPass, Shingeki no Kyojin, Zetsuen no Tempest, Suisei no Gargantia, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Accel World Finished OVA/Movies: Gundam Unicorn 6, Saint Onii-san OVA, Kotonoha no Niwa, Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Unfinished Anime:

Golden Time, Space Brothers Other Stuff Watched: Pacific Rim, Wreck It Ralph, BBC Sherlock

New Manga Read:

Shingeki no Kyojin, UQ Holder 8. Fulfilled Wishes and Wants a. A Significant Other  - as usual, none again… b. Toaster and Gas Chair - in the end, I never needed this c. Video Card (since PC got broken and I can only afford the motherboard) - in the end, I never needed this d. To be a bit more fashionable (Uniqlo stuff) - I did buy some... e. Camera accessories (in-flash diffuser, tripod) - Dad bought a tripod. f. Learn how to cook - I did not have the time or the resources to do so. New Wishes a. A significant Other (again) b. Money for my card games c. A much enjoyable job d. A much more happy family e. Being able to do my choices in life.

Pretty much this is it for now. I will do my best to change my self and become more eager in my pursuit of happiness. I hope things go for the better. Happy New Year folks.

[mazelikedays]

For the sake that I can say I have done a drawing for January. (Even though it's not actually finished and tomorrow's February already) It's supposed to be Rika from Haganai... ... But she doesn't seem to look like her! *cries in a corner* Maybe if I color her later... Oh well.

[mazelikedays]

2nd Tumblr Year Ender Post. 2012 Year Ender.

Currently Listening to: Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers Location: Home Mood: Cynical

This is now my SECOND year end post here in Tumblr… This would mark my second year in Tumblr as well! (Though I haven't used Tumblr much as of late) And again, time flies like it was nothing. So let’s begin this! I guess this was a melancholic year for me. To the point that it became aloof and cynical. Much happened to me that it changed the way how I looked at life. It made me a bit more realistic, and at the same time a bit nihilistic. Kinda sucks, but that's how felt. Anyhow, let me explain...

1. I left that company that I had a problem after a year and a month. It went to the point that work became more of a punishment, as there was no proper compensation. It was such a hassle really, going to different government institutions in an attempt to get the rights we should have deserved. Well, as of late, the only positive development would be the SSS. As for the 13th month pay (of which the supposed agreed deadline should be this day, Dec. 31), it never came to any of us. I so want to rant it out, but well, things might get messy, not to mention they can just use another excuse again. Oh well.

2. After that job, I decided to try the thing that I really wanted to do the most. I tried studying animation at Take One Animation Studio. Using all of my savings left from my old company, I decided that I should use the time to see if I should fully pursue animation or not. To be honest, my experience here was one of the best I had. I really didn't care if I had to ride from Santolan to Cavite everyday just to do my animation exercises, and got frustrated every now and then. But every animation exercise was really fun, and I tried my best. I actually finished the module by around four months. Well. interest-wise, this was what I really wanted to do. Reality-wise though, I realized it wasn't worth doing though. My mentor there even told me the inconvenient truths about the Philippine animation industry. I realized it wasn't pretty, and chances are my parents would be against it if I pursued it. Not to mention that the pay and benefits pale in comparison to even an average company. I'm not willing to take that risk, so that's why reluctantly, I have to forgo of my dreams as an animator. And this really affected me. Up until now, the effects of my frustration clearly affected my motivation to draw. I almost did not draw for a total of four months. This was a big part of why I wasn't able to draw.

3. Speaking of drawing, I still did draw. I also participated in conventions around the early half of the year. However, motivation and goals decreased due to a lot of reasons. If not with work, it would be with the sense of nihilism. Like finding no sense or goal in doing it, that's why I stopped at times. I'm still trying to draw, as with the piece I posted earlier. It took me a long while though to do that part. :))

4. After my animation training, about a month later, I landed with a new job. Compared to my old company, and working with an animation studio; this one was way better in terms of salary and compensation. Work wise, I can say I'm enjoying it, though there are times when work it horribly unbalanced. Like at one week, there's too much work, then on another week, there's almost no work. But overall, this company I have now is one I plan to keep for a long while. The adjustment from this work though caused me not to draw as often as I wanted, since the schedule sometimes is iffy.

5. And because the work is far away, I experienced again living on my own. The last time I had this was when I went to ADMU as a student. Now, I'm an employee with my own room around Q.C., since going back and forth to and from Cavite would be like torture. :)) It kinda gets lonely at times too, especially if there's no net, or people in plurk or FB are busy and unavailable. I do favor the freedom though. Less troubles, less quarreling, more choices for me.

6. I still have issues with loneliness and whatnot. It's almost the same as last year actually. The main difference is that I learned that friends, even though with you for years, will not always be there. I learned that people change, and the only choice you have is to take care of those who are still there, making sure you don't do something that they'll leave you for. I'm trying my best actually. As for my friend whom I don't always talk to anymore, oh well. I just hope that person is happy with the company that person has.

7. The biggest challenge that I have this year would probably that I am becoming more pessimistic, cynical and at times nihilistic. Like losing the hope that I can find a significant other. Like the feeling that I'm losing my soul and I have began to live a meaningless existence. Like the feeling that since the things I want or like are so far away, I can never be truly happy. It's terrifying to have these feelings actually, since I feel like I'm starting to lose it. I do hope I can shake off these feelings away as soon as possible.

Okay some light hearted stuff this year!

8. As of late, I am really active with Plurk. I don't think I can go on a week without at least being able to access Plurk, since most of my good friends nowadays are there. Now, I'm also two years with my Tumblr and DA accounts. I really do hope for more productivity!

9. Anime, Manga and J-Pop stuff. I guess being a fan will never be out of my system! :)) Aside from new anime and manga, I am now engaging on another aspect of J-Pop culture. That would be Visual Novels and Light Novels. I think I can thank those two for bringing me back to the love of reading. The stuff helps me get ideas for my stories. Anyway, for the lists... Light Novels

Sword Art Online, Fate/Zero(though I actually read this last year)

Visual Novels

Fate/Stay Night(Heaven's Feel), Saya no Uta, Kikokugai. (becoming more and more of a Gen Urobochi fan!)

Currently Watching: Psycho Pass, Zetsuen No Tempest, Space Brothers, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Finished This Year: Fate/Zero, Last Exile: Fam, Persona 4, Gundam AGE, Mirai Nikki, Eureka Seven AO, Hyouka, Jormangund, K, Sword Art Online, Tari Tari,  Macross 7, Durarara, Baccano, Working, Gundam ZZ, Escaflowne, Honey and Clover Finished OVA/Movies: Evangelion Rebuild (1.11 and 2.22), Macross Plus, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled/Nunnally in Wonderland

Unfinished Anime:

Guilty Crown, Natsuyuki Rendezvous

New Manga Read: Team Medical Dragon, Nozoki Ana, Solanin, Drifters, A Friendly Winter, Deep Love: Ayu's Story Other Stuff Watched: The Dark Knight Rises, Game of Thrones, Avatar:Legend of Korra, My Little Pony, Rurouni Kenshin (live action), Solanin (live action) 8. Fulfilled Wishes and Wants a. A Significant Other  - as usual, none again... b. To study in an animation studio - finally did. bittersweet though... c. Being able to participate in Ozine and Komikon again - did that with Summer Komikon and Indieket New Wishes

a. A Significant Other (again) b. Toaster and Gas Chair c. Video Card (since PC got broken and I can only afford the motherboard) d. To be a bit more fashionable (Uniqlo stuff) e. Camera accessories (in-flash diffuser, tripod) f. Learn how to cook. Okay, this post is way to long already. Not to mention only 25 more minutes till the New Year. Let's try our best this coming year peeps! :D Till next year I guess? :))

[mazelikedays]

Got a lot of issues this year.

That is why my year was pockmarked with blanks! :)) Hope I do better next year!

Oh, and I'll post my year ender later! XD