Each passing day I am out exploring the world by myself do I come to learn about its diversity; some eye-opening, some liberating; some that lead me to a gazillion questions, and some which I am not in favor of. I then come to realize the importance of having an open and strong mind to withstand tests of character. To constantly remember that you always have a choice.

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way. ... You're in a fight against an opponent you can't see. Oh, but you can feel him on your heels can't you? Feel him breathing down your neck. You know what that is? That's you... Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky, but don't lose heart. While they aren't easily defeated, they are far from invincible. Remember this is the grind, the Battle Royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who's telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you. Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat. Burn away your self doubt with the fire that's beneath you. Remember what you're fighting for.

- excerpts from a motivational speech entitled "Rise and Shine". Been trying to search for the writer, but failed.

Also! I was fortunate enough to have time to go to mass again yesterday, and the homily closed with this thought: "Live today as if it were your last day. Live today as if it were your only day. Live today is if it were your first day."

I am more than happy to continue spreading sunshine in this world. May I never lose heart for it.

1 Year

I haven't written on this blog as much as I had wanted to, but I deem it only appropriate that I post on this very day, which marks my 1st year in China.


In a year, I have become smarter in getting around. (If you know me well, you would know I'm not the best person when it comes to directions). I have become more responsible in taking care of myself and of my own home. I've discovered I can still ride a bike and have conquered my fear of riding it on the busy streets of Beijing. I have experienced the four seasons. I have learned how to cook. I've ditched the gym and have become more disciplined in keeping fit by myself. I've ridden an overnight train and, not to mention, a camel. I've gone to the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, Shanghai, Taishan Mountain, Inner Mongolia, and a lot of other places. I have learned just about enough Chinese to get around. I have learned how diverse people can be. I am now a Disney Trainer and have conducted at least 3 academic trainings for my team; being a teacher has extended from delivering fun learning experiences inside the classroom to helping co-teachers in what we do.

The decision to come and work here has been a good one as I have clearly grown so much. The lessons I have learned are endless. I am looking forward to more days of adventure and surprises ahead. :)

What's in a Name?

I once had a student named Peach, whose name was given by her kindergarten teacher, who, apparently, named all of her students after fruits. Later on, Peach just didn't want to be Peach anymore, and so, told her mom that she wants to be Angela.

Presently, I have a class with little Disney princesses named Ariel, Anna and Elsa, who decided to change her name from Fiona about a week ago, and stepped into my classroom yesterday wearing the Snow Queen's dress.

Yup, changing English names in China is as easy as changing t-shirts!

Avocados and Soy Milk

I transferred to a new (super cozy) apartment and inherited a new (old) bike, which I use to bring me to work. Today, I felt brave and decided to bike outside the Fengtai area and get myself some avocados and soy milk and other delicious goodies at the Sanyuanli Market in Liangmaqiao. I checked my map app and it told me that it's about 20 kilometers away from my place. And I said, bring it on. All for avocados and soy milk. I started today's adventure at around 7:30 in the morning.

I enjoyed the bike ride going there. The air is cool and relatively good today (AQI at about 50-60... Yes, that is good for China standards). I got even more amused to realize how easy it was to travel from my place to the busier parts of Beijing. I felt so accomplished when I started seeing familiar places; areas that I would go to back to when I still lived in the central business district. Being out on the road gave me the opportunity to actually see Beijing's charm. I usually just take the subway... You can imagine how not so pleasant that could be.

Finally, I reached Sanyuanli Market, and it was already 9:30. It took me two hours. WOW. But I didn't feel tired at all! After getting my goodies, I hopped on my bike and started to pedal home.

...But I didn't go home. I was bursting with energy! I went to Sanlitun, stopped by Yashow (the less aggressive version of the Silk Market) and got myself a sim card for my pocket wifi (Side story: When I got home, I realized I paid less than what I was supposed to and felt awful. I bargained for it at the beginning, but the guy who attended to me said it's at a fixed price. He was really nice and spoke English, too. I'm sorry!), looked for Jenny Lou's, got lost, went to U-Town, found Jenny Lou's, got myself 3 cartons of Vitasoy and sunflower seed bread.

Only then, did I start my journey back home. This was at around 12:30.

By 13:00, my legs were already dying. I had to talk to myself a lot (don't judge) to distract myself from my aching right knee (which always hurts whenever I run for a long time... Apparently, when I bike, too) and also to push myself to just keep going. It worked for a while. Eventually, I just got dead tired and slowed down. I made some wrong turns again. Totally expected, but I was just dying to get home.

I went through my apartment door at around 14:00.

That's six and a half hours. Around 50 to 60 kilometers in total.

All initially for avocados and soy milk.

I conclude that I will never do that again.
But I have a feeling that I most probably still will.

AQI 33

For the first time in my OFW life (HAHA), I took a jog around my neighborhood for about 28 to 30 minutes then walked about for a few more. I thoroughly enjoyed the relatively clean air and the thought of burning calories whilst feeling the sun on my face. I get extremely happy when air pollution isn't bad around here. In other parts of the world, the air that we breathe really is something that we take for granted, and I pray that Beijing will find a way to get around it.... FAST.

I'm missing home more than ever. I have been here for almost 8 months now, and still can't believe how terribly fast things are going! I am very proud to say though that I have learned and grown so much from living alone, working for Disney, and meeting different kinds of people. Keeping my fingers crossed on my professional growth. Maybe I'll expound more here in a few months once things work out! HOPEFULLY!

Past the Halfway Mark Along with 10 Significant Learnings

1. I can cook. Before I moved to China, I could only bake cookies and brownies. I didn't even know how to steam rice nor make eggs. But to date, I've already learned how to make adobo, steamed salmon, pancakes, giniling, and pasta, among others, and I have a bunch more line up for kitchperimenting. This leads me to my second point...

2. Cooking is fun! I'm extremely happy when my food is beyond edible, and the same goes for my taste buds.

3. It pays to be OC... Or at least to get into the habit of planning and organizing things in advance. Like writing a menu for each week before heading off to the supermarket just to make sure you don't buy too many ingredients or food items, especially vegetables that can rot in a matter of days. Or Or bringing out your subway card before leaving the house to make sure you have it and to save time. Or taking note of deadlines for bills and sticking them on the refrigerator door.

4. Drinking more than enough water makes a whole lot of difference. There was a time when I lost my voice completely, and it was because the weather was dry and I wasn't drinking enough water. Not only that, keeping myself hydrated helps improve the condition of my skin as well.

5. Sleeping early and waking up early make a big difference, too. Waking up early means I get to do more chores and then have plenty of time for myself right after. Waking up early also means I get to sleepy early in the evening, which is good for the body! There was a time when I would sleep late and sleep in until around 9 to 10am and I'd feel very lazy. Waking up early, on the other hand, makes me feel really energized!

6. Get rid of the habit of converting another currency to Philippine peso whenever buying groceries and other essential items. Things are just more expensive here. So for a while, I tried to be as thrifty as I could by not buying too much. But then, I would always have a very noisy tummy simply because I didn't eat enough food. So I just decided to set a reasonable budget for each month, and it's helping me so far.

7. You are responsible for disciplining yourself, and if you do it right, you'll pat yourself on the back for it. Back at home, I had the gym and dance classes to keep myself fit. I would go to work, then go on whatever fitness activity I could do right after, then just go home, maybe eat dinner, take a shower and go to bed. Here, however, I have to do chores on top of my day job... And the tendency is to get really lazy to do anything else. So I later on realized that I have to develop the habit of exercising again, and discipline myself into doing so even if it's just by myself. So I downloaded some fitness apps and now, I really make sure that I get, at the very least, 30 minutes of exercise a day.

8. There is more to life than the internet. I'm trying to read more books, watch more movies, engage in different activities, and even explore more places around Beijing.

9. Take every opportunity to learn something new. For one, I've taken interest in learning Chinese. As advised by a fellow teacher, I carry around a small notebook to jot down Chinese words and translations. There are a bunch of other things that I would like to venture in-- some just for fun while others are work-related.

And lastly...

10. Sunny skies are beautiful. I can't deny that air pollution is horrible here, and it covers up the whole sky most of the time. Sometimes, you can't even see buildings from a distance anymore because of the smog. It's very different compared to Manila. I rejoice every time the sun is up and the sky is a clear blue.

Kocoon Spa: A Relaxing Experience

Living in a city that has dry winter season and bad air pollution gave my oily skin quite a challenge. So I decided to head out and hunt down a spa for a facial. I particularly looked for one that could speak English and uses high-quality products-- I wouldn't want just anything on my skin.

So a friend recommended Kocoon Spa, which has two branches, the nearest one closest to me being the one along South Sanlitun Road (past the Worker's Stadium), and is owned by a French-Japanese mother-daughter tandem.

Your filthy shoes won't be allowed inside.


And the moment you step in, the staff serves you a cup of tea. In my case, I was offered one of the most delicious teas that I have ever tasted. Apparently, it came straight from Japan (and, sadly, was not for sale).


The interior is very simple and cozy. I lingered around the lounge area for a while because I felt so comfortable, especially with an awesome cup of tea in hand.


The woman who attended to me was very pleasant. I felt so relaxed during my facial, which included a quick neck, shoulder and leg massage. She used different kinds of scented oil that added up to the calming experience. When the treatment was finished, I didn't even look the least bit swollen or red, which is unusual since my skin is sensitive. Days after, I noticed my skin looked brighter, and impurities lessened slightly.

To top the experience off, they, again, offer refreshments (I opted to still drink their tea even if they offered juice and others) as well as a simple snack from Japan before you step out.


Aside from facials, Kocoon Spa also offers massages and waxing services. The price list isn't cheap, but at least it's foreigner friendly, and you have an idea of what it is you are paying for as well as the products that will be used. If you want to learn more about Kocoon Spa, you can visit their website here.

Will Power, Optimism and the Human Heart

This is quite an insightful talk that triggered a whirl of thoughts and reflections about how I've been living my life-- and I basically realized that I am doing just fine as I don't experience too much stress because apparently, I have pretty much been doing what Kelly McGonigal tells her audience in this video. Do take the time to listen 'til the very end of the clip. :)

Kitchperiments

Heart pancakes.


Veggie adobo. It has broccoli, rosemary, string beans, mushrooms and garlic.


Spaghetti and boiled tomatoes in olive oil. To boost the flavor, I just added salt and pepper.


Steamed salmon. MY FAVORITE. This one I'm very proud of because I combined recipes and simply followed my gut. I soaked the fish in lemon and sprinkled rosemary on top. Then, I made a bed of lemon slices for the salmon and steamed it for a few minutes. Once it was ready, I drizzled lemon butter sauce, and voila! My taste buds were in heaven.

I'm a VoluntEAR!

Some of you may be wondering, why VoluntEAR? To be honest, I first thought it was VolunTEARS-- like, you bring tears to other people's eyes by doing something special for them. Hahaha! But it's actually because we come with invisible Mickey Ears! This would probably be the most appropriate Walt Disney quote to explain it:

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."

Christmas of 2013 is the first holiday that I ever spent away from Manila and on my own, and what better way to celebrate than to voluntEAR to spread the holiday spirit in one of the migrant schools in China. I did my research and, apparently, Chinese migrants are citizens that come from the rural parts of China; they earn very low income and are troubled by poverty and discrimination.

The Christmas VoluntEAR event was announced a week before, and we all generally knew that we will be doing story-telling, games and arts and crafts for the kids, but we didn't really have any concrete plan. We didn't know the age range of the kids, what materials we were to use, how we will be grouped and how many kids there will be. It was only when we set foot inside the campus that we grouped ourselves and were given boxes of materials that we were to choose from. At this point, we still didn't know how many kids would be under our care, so we were unsure if the materials that we got would be enough.

Into the classrooms we went! And we discovered that there are around 30 kids, probably ranging from 9 to 10 years old. They were so excited when we came in! That really pumped our group up and, despite time constraints and lack of preparation, we brought so much fun into the classroom by teaching them how to sing a Christmas tree song (ahem, thank you, CPC!) and allowing the kids to make their own Christmas tree. It was so cute because they don't speak English but they were so game and really tried to sing along, plus they took their sweet time in decorating their artwork.

Amidst the hustle bustle, a big box of goodies came in, and their eyes lit up when we started distributing sets of Mickey and Minnie Mouse school supplies. Santa came in, too, and they couldn't help but squeal and crowd around him.



It was such a heart-warming experience. We were together for only an hour but it really made my Christmas day, and seemingly, everyone else's, too! :)

(To see more photos from my Disney holiday, click here)

Long Days Like Today

Whew! I'm almost over the hump of my work week! I'm feeling quite exhausted but I'm glad the longest day is over and done with. Dear, oh, dear, I have, yet again, not written in so long, but it's better late than never...
HELLO, 2014 and HAPPY SPANKIN' NEW YEAR!!!!
(speaking of which, I owe my blog a new year write-up. Next time!)
So for now, I'm out! Just wanted to say hello before I catch some Zzz's. It's always during Saturdays when I just drop dead and feel my body melting on my bed like a bar of butter in a heated skillet.