Oh My Janey

Late Lunch at Ying Ying Tea House, Binondo

ying ying tea house binondo manila

If you ask me about night shift perks, it has to be the breakfast and lunch dates after work. Twice or thrice a week, some of us head straight for breakfast before going home. Be it a quick meal at McDonald’s or Jollibee, or something a little heavier at Tapa King of Sinangag Express, we spend an extra hour together. Our choices are limited, since not a lot of restos open at 7AM. We fondly call ourselves the Breakfast Club, because why not?

Last Saturday was a bit different since we trooped all the way to Binondo to feast on Chinese food. We were supposed to go there earlier, but we ended up leaving the office at around 11AM due to overdue tasks.

First, Tihn, Stan, Kaedi, Malorie and dropped by The Para Shop Manila to buy some paracord for the night shift bracelet. We battled the summer heat, drowsiness and hunger as we waited for Tihn to decide which paracord she wanted for her personal bracelet. Heh. She had to leave early, though, so it’s just Kaedi, Stan, Malorie and me who had to devour all the glorious food.

Excuse the messy hair, eye bags and oily skin. We just really wanted to eat. [Read more…]

The Quarter Life Wishlist

25 wishlistIn less than two weeks I’ll be turning 25. I’m excited and nervous and terrified. Truthfully, birthdays don’t always appeal to me. Instead of growing older, I’d rather grow taller. But as I mature (ha!), I learn to accept that it’s not so bad. Not that I’m getting any wiser, but there’s comfort in knowing that I don’t really have to rush anything.

I’m only 25! I have a lifetime ahead of me! Why am I panicking! So I learn to cope and pray for the best, because what else can you do right? (Answer: Do something about my situation, duh.)

Just like every year, I anticipate my birthday with a wishlist. Surprisingly, it’s a lot shorter than my previous wishlists. Maybe because I’m needing less material stuff and leaning more towards the immaterial yearnings of my heart. I’m kidding. I have about three dozen books on my to-buy list, but I have more than 50 unread books gathering dust at home.

I’d also love to get a MacBook Pro, but it’s next to impossible with my salary and non-stop spending. Instead, I’ll ask my lovely officemates to fix my vintage MacBook since they’re IT guys and all.

Now, off to my materialistic wishlist! [Read more…]

Fall in Korea Day 4: Ihwa Mural Village at Naksan Park, Seoul

naksan park seoul featured photo

Fresh from Busan, our first day back at the Capitol capital of South Korea was spent exploring artsy-fartsy neighborhoods in Seoul. Despite being incredibly tired and groggy, we dragged ourselves out of our comfy hostel to travel all the way to Hyehwa-dong.

On my first trip to Seoul back in 2012, my family stayed in Hyehwa-dong but we didn’t get to explore the district. It’s known for the student theaters dotting the area, but we didn’t know that back then. This time, my friends I still didn’t go there to watch a play. Instead, we went to Hyehwa-dong to walk up to Naksan Park.

At Naksan Park, you can find the Ihwa Mural Village, which has been featured in numerous Korean dramas like Rooftop Prince. It’s an off-the-road destination, but just like the Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, the community has turned into a booming tourist spot.

In 2006, the community transformed itself in what they called the Naksan Project. About 60 artists participated in painting the walls and installing art pieces around the area. Now, local and foreign tourists alike regularly visit the park. [Read more…]

Fall in Korea Day 3: Busan Tower and BIFF Square

busan tower korea Some of the best things in life don’t last forever. Thus, our Busan trip sadly had to come to a close. It was short, but it’s definitely my favorite part of the trip. We decided to end the day exploring some of the popular landmarks in the province.

From the Jagalchi Fish Market, we flagged a taxi and asked to be dropped at Busan Tower located at Yongdusan Park. It’s near the market, but we wanted to save time so we rode a cab. The taxi driver drove away from Napo station, but ended up taking a U-turn and dropping us back near the market. Apparently, we merely had to cross a street or two to reach Busan Tower! We should have just asked for directions. Oh well.

The entrance of the stairway leading to the tower is at BIFF Square, but we decided to leave the shopping street for later.

On our way up to Yongdusan Park, two Korean college girls working for the tourism department asked us to answer their surveys. They asked us what’s the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Busan, and we unanimously answered, “CNBLUE!” [Read more…]

My Life as a Night Owl in Bullet Points

life latelyThis lazy blogger is back, and I’m proving my laziness once again by writing this post! It’s a really quick update, mostly because I realized that I haven’t been doing much blogging around here.

As you already know, I started a new job last month. I’ve been a busy bee and adjusting to the night shift schedule has proven to be difficult. Not only do I get to start living life as a night owl, I also get to see people less! Even people around me are learning to sync their schedule with mine, and for that I’m eternally grateful. I feel like Alex has a more difficult time adjusting than I do!

The cons are more striking than the perks. First, I can no longer go on movie dates on weekdays because I’ll end up being late to work. Second, traveling with friends even on weekends is near impossible because I’m mostly asleep on a Saturday. Goodbye Batad, goodbye Nagsasa. Oh well. The things you have to sacrifice for you career, right?

It’s not so bad, though, because I am enjoying my schedule much more than I thought I would. [Read more…]

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