Yours Truly

My blog is a collection of thoughts and an ocean of feelings translated into words.

[yourstrulydane]

A mini-step to my goal today.

[yourstrulydane]

One of the items on my 2018:WIP is to learn how to drive. I tried it today! My boyfriend taught me the basics. 😊💓

[yourstrulydane]

2018: Work In Progress

I'm not sure if it's the 3AM jitters that's got me feeling so ambitious or if this is for real. (Hoping it's the latter.)

It's December and the holidays are upon us; Christmas which I truly love celebrating dearly and the New Year is just around the corner. So you know how everyone's got their heart set out for the upcoming year to be their year? I've had that as well. This year though, I'm claiming it that it'll be a bit different.

Here are some of the things that I (hopefully) will be accomplishing in 2018:

TESOL - Tesol is an english certification course that stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Nihongo classes - Just basic Japanese.

Online ESL Teaching - via 51talk/Bibo/RareJob

Driving Lessons

Investing in more formal office attire.

I'm not done but let's pause. For the ones listed above, if you haven't guessed yet, I'm hoping to teach english abroad. Specifically Japan. I've done my research and apprarently they need the following stated above as their requirements. Yes, even the driving lessons. I don't think I've told anyone yet aside from my parents and my boyfriend, Cyle.

Here are some of the other things I hope to work on:

Fitness and Meal Prep - Which I will be trying for the nth time.

Yoga - If the budget permits. Most likely it won't.

A proper skincare routine. (long overdue)

Setting up an online shop. This one will take a lot of commitment and will surely eat up my time.

Building my network of referrals at work. (We have a well paying incentive scheme at work that I should be taking advantage of.)

Tutoring (?) - Haven't done my research yet on how to go about this, hence the question mark.

Coron trip with Honey on our anniversary.

I'm not writing this down to brag. They say work hard in silence and let success make all the noice. (which is exactly why I'm not posting it on my other social media pages.) I'm writing this blog article because I read somewhere that if you write down your goals and make it visible for you to check on every now and again, it is more likely to come true.

So this is me, praying to the universe to give me a shot at my goals and help me maintain the self discipline I so desperately lack to get my life on the track I want it to be in.

Hey, universe! Hey, 2018! Hey, goals!

I'm coming for you! 💋

[yourstrulydane]

Trying to treat my tumblr account like twitter for a bit.

Let's see how it goes?

xoxo

[yourstrulydane]

Current weight: 148 lbs

Goal weight: 120 lbs

[yourstrulydane]

Thank you, Lord for giving me a man that makes me absolutely happy. 💓

[yourstrulydane]

L'amore trova la strada 💓 (at Venice Piazza, Grand Canal Mall Mckinley Hill)

[yourstrulydane]

Happy New Year! (2016)

January 1, 2016 5:09 AM It's been a while since my last update here on a count of my laptop gave up on me. I've decided to not let that stop me from writing on my blog. I can't post pictures in between anymore cause I'm on my phone and it's really hard unlike when you do it on a laptop so I plan to use tumblr on my phone as a diary instead. Now that the introduction's done, let's take a quick look at the highlights of my 2015: *I learned to play the piano. *I learned to cook a lot of new dishes. *I got a car! *I got my student's permit. *I learned the basics of driving my car. *I've saved up almost 50k at one point but ended up spending most of it because of the holidays but I still have a fair share of my savings. *Crossed go-kart racing off my bucket list. *Also got to ride an all terrain vehicle! *Formed a wholesome friendship with a childhood sweetheart. Hooray for being in good terms with an almost-ex! *I did some exploring but still remembered my limits. Wink. *I got promoted as a trainer! I've always wanted to teach and got the opportunity. It was an amazing experience but I felt like it wasn't for me. *I finally quit my toxic job that isn't course related and got hired immediately in a company that I've been eyeing for so long. Plus it's the position I wanted, so yay! *I lost almost 50 lbs. (WOAH, RIGHT?) and even got the guts to wear a bikini top and post it as a Facebook profile picture. Love your curves and all your edges! *I met JM, my first and current boyfriend. (DOUBLE WOAH!) This one's for the books! He was a huge part of my 2015. So far he's both a blessing and a headache. One thing's for sure, I love that pain in the neck. There's probably a lot more but these are all I could think of for now. 2015 was epic! I'm so proud of all my milestones for the year. I never could've imagined how much things would change in a year. Hopefully if things change even more this year, it'll be a change for the better. Game on, 2016! Life is so cray cray. But I definitely wouldn't have it any other way! Yours Truly, Dane 💋

[yourstrulydane]

I gave it a shot

Your beauty captivated me so, I did not mind the dirt. I wanted to have you despite the thorns. I knew that I'd be hurt. Mesmerized  by the thought of you. My feelings went too far. Clouded by my fantasy, I did not notice the scar. But it's not your fault for hurting me. For your thorns, you did not hide. I just thought maybe being with you, I could set the pain aside. Rose -by Dane

[yourstrulydane]

The so-called "20 Facts About Me Challenge"

This is a really late response to the challenge. I have not found the time nor the urgency to do it but right now I'm bored so here we go.

Basic mechanics to the challenge: Someone tags 20 people (via Instagram or Facebook, etc.) to a post they made regarding 20 facts about themselves and then asks the 20 people tagged to do the same and share their own 20 facts and then tag another 20 people and so on and so forth.

I was tagged by Kim Wee Ebol via Instagram and as to put a little fresh twist on the challenge, I decided to post mine on my blog and encourage all the people I tag next to hopefully put this on their corresponding blogs too. I've actually tried to respond to the challenge before but on Instagram there is apparently a maximum amount of words per post. On blogs you can write to your heart's content and I think that this would encourage people to write more if they do the challenge this way.

So without further adieu:

20 random facts about me. In no particular order.

1. Self-proclaimed 1/2 of 2 broke girls. PHL edition. Alongside the other half (of 2 broke girls PHL edition,) big dreams are soon to be made a reality!

2. Arianator since Victorious i.e. before anyone barely even knew her name. Also love Maroon 5.

3. I suffer from constant anxiety, paranoia and I have an inferiority complex, all cleverly hidden by my extroverted personality.

4. Sushi and pizza. Love hate relationship with food. Wouldn't it be absolutely lovely to eat as much as you want but never gain even the slightest amount of weight? That's the dream.

5. Dog lover. Cat hater. Nothing in between. (My apologies to all the cat lovers of the world.)

6. Oh so fond of clothing with the following: lace/crocheted, floral prints and pastel colors. (Not necessarily all at once.)

7. Sunflowers.

8. I've never seen a penguin in real life. But I really really really REALLY want to see one.

9. Never smoked a cigarette ever. Never even placed one on my lips nor do I plan to any time soon.

10. I make weird spitting sounds when I brush my teeth. I don't mean to do it. It just feels natural.

11. Laway (Saliva) conscious. So much so that two of my past dorm-mates teased me by making my phone's wallpaper, a picture of them trying to lick my favorite mug. I love you too Aye and Pau.

12. Not a morning person. Nope. Just no.

13. Pink. The color not the singer. 

14. Anime and my series (2 Broke Girls, Awkward, The Big Bang Theory, American Horror Story, etc.) > movies

15. Passion for knowledge. Basically just learning/trying new things. My bucket-list of soon to learn activities include: archery, gun shooting, magic, go kart driving, knitting, painting, baking, gardening and most especially learning to play the piano. There are a lot more but these are the priority.

16. I hate chocolate. Chocolate bars, not chocolate flavoured food. Like, I really don't like Snickers/Hershey's chocolate bars, but chocolate cake is okay. Also not fond of candies. My dentist should be proud.

17. Weakness: Axe body spray. I feel like you're judging me now.

18. Never had a nosebleed or a broken bone.

19. Guilty pleasure: Salon and Massages.

20. Blogger but sadly an inconsistent one. 

There we go. I'll be tagging my friends via Instagram and hopefully they choose the alternative and blog their challenge. So if you're reading this and you're one of the tagged persons then, tag! You're it.

[yourstrulydane]

Shoppa: One with Nature

Aug 16, 2014

We've been planning this for days and you would not believe the amount of research we had to go through and at the same time keeping in mind the budget, schedule and travel time just for this little escapade of ours. I've wanted to have a picnic for so long that I didn't mind the hassle of all the preparations. Once in a while it's nice being able to do a fun and different activity much like this picnic, rather than to just go with the plain old window shopping and movie watching that the usual group of friends do.

The night before we met up at the mall and ate at a banchetto, which is like a bazzar of supposedly (but not really) affordable food. Not everyone could join the sleepover and the picnic the morning after so we opted to chat 'til around 2 a.m. to make the most of the time we had with the ones who had to leave early. We all had some #RealTalk that night. It still surprises me how much our conversation topics has changed since high school.

Back at my house, we had the queen sized bed all to ourselves. To prepare the girls for a mystical day of nature the day after, I decided to do a little decorating on our sleeping area.

It looks better in real life because in pictures the lighting is different. I was going for a fairytale-girly-tumblry kind of vibe, which I hoped would continue on in the picnic so we planned on wearing dresses and flower crowns on our picnic. Sadly, only 50% of the plan pushed through because the girls fell asleep one hour before we had to get up and prepare ourselves so everyone except me were all groggy. In addition to that, we had to go to the wet market to buy the ingredients for the food that day and cook it. I guess we lacked proper planning on that part because we focused too much on the venue. At least we still got to wear the flower crowns.

It was a perfect day for a picnic because it wasn't raining. The heat during the commute was unbearable though, but thankfully the spot we chose had just the right amount of shade for our picnic to have a cool and relaxing atmosphere.

When we got to The Rainforest Park in Pasig it took us a while before we could find a picnic spot. Most picnic goers were there renting a cottage with tables and chairs but we wanted to go all out and do the traditional picnic where we would set down a picnic blanket on the ground and eat there.

Nothing beats a classic!

We even had a picnic basket and everything. It was really fun plus we got to enjoy the spoils of our labor with delicious food we had prepared. Our menu for the picnic consisted of spaghetti noodles with carbonara sauce, egg sandwiches, fried chicken with gravy and ice cold orange juice.

After we ate, we had a little chit chat while we listened to some Ariana Grande songs (of course). We also did each other's hair and tied them up into buns. I helped with Zeph's.

Since I brought along playing cards we also played Pusoy Dos. One us wasn't really in the mood to play because of the lack of sleep we had. Guess who?

We also tried to take a group picture. In a stroke of bad luck both Zeph and I had forgotten to bring our monopods so we had to improvise.

Yes dear readers, that is my pink ribbon doll shoe holding up Zeph's phone. Not sure if silly or ingenius. Don't judge, we were desperate for a group shot. We didn't want the picnic to end without a little remembrance of our shared bonding together, right? Though, even without taking pictures, it would still truly be a memorable experience. Here's to more non mainstream bonding activities in the  future!

[yourstrulydane]

A movie review of The Truman Show

Disclosure: To those who have not yet watched the film, this is not a spoiler-free post. If you are a spoiler-hating person like me, you have been warned!

I have this weird lingering feeling after I watch a movie that really touches me. A feeling that will not go away for a while that I can't move on just yet. I can't watch another movie instantaneously, nor can I just go on Facebook and just forget about it. A part of me stays in the universe made by the writers and directors of the film I've just watched. Not just with this movie in particular but to some as well.

Thus, this post is born. This will not be an overdetailed critique of the film. I'm not sure you can even call it a review really. Mostly these are just my opinions, suggestions and frustrations toward the film.

I don't believe such a thing as a giant, camera-monitored world can even exist. Firstly because of the amount of people that would probably be against it. I'm sure a number of people would protest against such an inhumane and traumatic means of a mere television show. Secondly, would the government really approve of such a thing? Isn't this basically kidnapping? I mean, I get the part that a corporation adopted him as said in the movie but is that even legitimately possible? Then again, this is fiction.

Another thing about the film; Isn't this like playing God? There's an insanity to it really. There was a scene that I found to be quite creepy, specifically the part where Truman was trying to leave on a boat and the director ultimately tried to kill him in the process of forcing him to stay within the dome. Kudos to the actor that portrayed him because I really felt irritated with his character. Didn't he mention in the interview on tv that if Truman really wanted to leave, he could? So I guess Truman has to almost kill himself just to prove that he does want to leave, huh? How hypocritical.

I also wish the movie had a short part wherein they'd show Truman's life outside the dome. I could only imagine the amount of fame he must have gotten going outside. I can see it right now, he walks out that door and suddenly the security guard beside it comes up to him and asks Truman if he could take a picture with him! The first ever selfie with the famous Truman Burbank! Can you imagine this awkwardly hilarious situation? I also really really want to see Sylvia and Truman meet again. Even though the so called "romance" between them only happened for a day, and he should've been able to move on since he technically got married and all. I mean, seriously, you barely got to know her. You just ran around the beach and pretended to order pizza in a joking manner and what not FOR LESS THAN A DAY and you've never gotten over her even after getting married? Either that was some faulty writing or that is true love write there. Somebody help me find my Truman, please? Kidding.

All kidding aside, this is still a really nice movie. There. I think I've shared enough of my insights for me to move on. This is exactly why I need someone to watch a movie with, so I don't bottle up all my feelings and need to make a post such as this. So to all those who have not watched it yet, (even if I've said so much spoilers here) please do try it. It's worth watching. :)

Posted: 8/28/2014, 4:27 AM

[yourstrulydane]

Asked for a sign that everything's going to be okay and was reminded that there's always a rainbow after the rain. 🌈😊 (at ELJ Building, Mother Ignacia, Quezon City)

[yourstrulydane]

Bloggie baby, I miss you!

Time is of the essence. Every word I type here takes a second or two of sleep away from me. I have so much to share. Both good and bad. Some good but possibly bad, some bad but possibly good. When I think about getting the least bit of free time, I think of my blog and how un-updated it is. Things just suddenly pop up. I promise to make time for you soon! This also goes to the readers (followers) who give a damn about what I share here. As for now, here's a  random picture of me next to two Adventure Time miniature paintings I saw at an art exhibit I once went too. 

Goodnight! 

[yourstrulydane]

😉✌️ (at Bonifacio High Street)

[yourstrulydane]

Billiards and Dance Central with @mharlipss earlier today. 🎱💃 #childhoodbestie (at Market Market, The Fort)

[yourstrulydane]

I like to write poems, At least once each day. I don’t know how or why, But they make the pain go away.

iElle