of numbers and letters

Birthdays can be a witty thing. A very amusing, enthralling thing.

Isn't it a strange representation of time? Such a significant but also somewhat futile start to a new chapter.

I had planned to have a dinner buffet somewhere in Makati or BGC for my birthday, but the night before, I saw a Facebook post about the "Top 10 restaurants with great interior design." So I went through the page and one caught my eye- Memory Lane. Yes, I must admit that I have admired Jolina since I was in elementary school, seriously! Having said that, I asked that we celebrate my birthday in Tagaytay instead. I'm glad he agreed to scrap the original plan. Yey! We left the house around midday and drove to Tagaytay;  Yey! We left the house mid day and drove to Tagaytay, I’m as giddy as a kid and jumpy as a puppet. Hahahaha! 

The first stop is Memory Lane. It was a cozy spot away from the hustle and bustle of the Metro. If you like vintage items, this is the place to be. The interior is exactly as described in the Facebook post. A very quiet place where you can completely relax and unwind. However, the food is far too expensive for me. I had Memory Lane's Special Iced Tea and Garden Salad, while he chose the Aligue pasta and Oreo Smoothie. Anyway, if you find it interesting, go check it out and possibly leave a review.

We went to the Ayala Mall after lunch to get some food (again) while deciding where to go next. So, after taking a few selfies, we decided to visit the Puzzle Mansion. The entrance fee is 100php/person. It was a truly unforgettable experience. Pinoys can do wonders, really as it was  in Guinness World Record "world's largest collection of jig-saw puzzle. You’ll see different types of jigsaw puzzles and all of these were made by one person – Gina Gil-Lacuna. 

Half past five, we've set our feet to the famous Bag of Beans , because coffee and cheesecake shouldnt be out of the list!

The place is cozy and will give you a warm feeling- a feeling of belongingness. Family, couples, yuppies, and even a few foreigners fill the place with smiles and good cheer.  

I ordered blueberry cheesecake and  a hot caramel Macchiato, while my boyfriend had his favorite chocolate mouse and frappe. While waiting for our food, he went back to the car park and brought me his gift-  a Pandora bracelet! Lucky girl. Hehehe. I excitedly tried the bracelet and oh btw, I love the  “Eiffel tower” charm on it. Thank you! :)

I have the happiest heart that day. There’s a lot of things to be thankful for. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and crazy friends.

I am no longer a child, but I still bring all the optimism, hope, and inquisitiveness that comes with being young. I am an adult, but only just. I am both this and that, neither this nor that, and despite all of my responsibilities, I am still granted the occasional bad decision.  Let's face it, I'm more or less nuts about finding patterns in letter and numbers. Hahaha.

Anyway, it was a happy birthday. God's goodness and love have completely overwhelmed me. Thank you for all of your birthday wishes via Facebook and text messages, and yes, for the overseas call at 12 a.m. just to wish me a happy birthday! 

Cheers!

xx

Ash

My FAT self

It’s been a while since I visited this blog, so I am sorry if I haven’t updated this lately. Well, I’m not sure if I have a reader/follower, so whatever.  I've noticed that I have a number of blog posts sitting in my drafts – Calaguas Summer Escapade, Boracay Experience, Love advice, diet and exercise etc.  And speaking of diet and exercise, I guess I got to start with the latter.

I’ve been wanting to write something about my love-hate relationship with food and how my weight gained terrifically, but I always end up clearing off the drafts. So today, I decided to totally share what I think and feel about my almost-michelin-like body. Yes, I am fat and I’m not loving it. My normal weight is between 49-53kgs. Last November 2014, my weight soared awfully high to 57kg and as of this writing, it went up to 60-freakin-kgs! Yes, I know, how did I let this happen to me, to my body? I don’t have anything against fat or chubby people. This is all about me- my feelings because it’s a day after day challenge for me to look for a dress, a blouse, a simple shirt, a pants or shorts, sigh! Everything seems to be too small for me. I’ve been trying to go on a  diet- not eating rice for a week, just bread and fruits which I believe is really helpful, but every weekend, I can’t say no to rice and pork or any meats served on our dining table. I can’t resist the temptation. The more I tried not to say yes to those yummy food, the more I crave in. *Sigh. I lack discipline. I exercise ONLY if I want to. Pilates really helps, but I got too lazy and busy, alright, just plain lazy! I am really frustrated that I am this big now.

I can’t enjoy going to the beach because I feel like the swimsuit doesn’t fit me well or better say, the swimsuit doesn't look good on me. I felt bad seeing other ladies on their bikini walking pompously at the beach, flaunting their sexy flawless body while I am on my swimsuit, covered with shorts and crocheted blouse and wrapped with a shawl. Can you imagine that? I was covering my fat self because I am ashamed how fat I am and scared that people will boo me in their minds. I know I know, I shouldn’t hate my body. I should have taken good care of myself if I want to feel better. But please, please don’t blame me that I am feeling this way. I just really felt frustrated about this ugh body! And yes, I only have few pants left – yes, I do have a lot of jeans but I can only wear 2 of them. Hear that? 2 of out 12 jeans? I don’t want to buy new not because I am being so frugal, but I want to challenge myself that I can still wear those jeans.  

So, I am giving myself 3-4 months to lose weight. And my goal? That’s 53kgs again. Yes, that may sound too unreal but, that’s a challenge that I need to face. Whatever the result is, I’ll be happy. So, cheers to a sexier and healthier me! *crossing my fat fingers.

Xoxo

Ash