Tag: 30 awesome things

Having a Bad Day is Awesome

Rhiza9 Comments

No, really. No sarcasm there. (Okay maybe a bit.) But really.

DAY SIXTEEN. Life’s funny that way, you know? One day you were saying with pride and conviction that you’re learning to create the habit of “seeing the little joys that come with everydays,” and then, the very next day, life plays a cruel joke on you and gives you the worst day ever.

What is this? Some sort of a test to see if I really mean what I say? Bring it on!

I wouldn’t want to give you a blow-by-blow of today’s series of unfortunate accidents, let’s just say it involved around 7 hours of traffic (for real!), rain, flood, a lot of waiting, a stupid lawyer, a cab that ran out of gas (for. real.), and coming home after a looong tiring day, hoping to dive into my bed only to realize that, oh yeah, I don’t have one.

Having a Bad Day

On the floor, with my laptop, and my book (and my handy dandy book light).
Bed? What bed? Who you?

Yep, I’ve been sleeping either in the couch or on the floor the whole week ever since the airbed I’ve been sleeping on for almost a year decided it’s time to pop for good. The couch is pretty comfortable, really, but the air con is in the bed room, so every night I’d weigh which is a better option — to wake up sweaty or to wake up with back pains.

Uhuh — I was pretty good dealing with it huh. I have not ranted about not having a bed the whole week, instead, I talked about book lights, and happy furniture, and yellows and cupcakes! Proud of me? LOL. I may have the worst of days, but the theme of the month is “awesome”, and I decided that I will not allow anything get in the way of that. Not even this day.

I’d be a hypocrite if I bragged about how gracefully I handled the ordeals I had to face today — I was nowhere near graceful at all. I whined, I complained, I threw a fit. If I blogged this earlier, I would have ranted like crazy! But I was able to breathe already, so now, I’m just glad that the day is over.

And tomorrow.. well, tomorrow, a new mattress is going to be delivered to me *big grin* (I’m done with airbeds, I’m ready to invest on a real bed now, thankyouverymuch), and maybe in a few weeks, I’ll be able to get a real bed frame as well. So yay, I do have something to look forward to.

“Tomorrows are the best part of everydays,” I read from somewhere. And so I quote, for lack of better ways to end this post. :)

Good night, cruel world. :)

30 Days of Awesome, 16/30.

When Riz Craves for Cupcakes, She Gets Cupcakes, Period!

Rhiza8 Comments

DAY FIFTEEN. I know, I’m a spoiled brat like that — or so my brothers would tell me. I, however, would like to think of it as being assertive and fixing your eyes on the goal. You have to work your way to getting what you want, you know. And in this case, it wasn’t hard. I just had to put on my puppy-eyed look, be extra sweet, and ta-da, we‘re on our way to Serendra in no time. ;)

Cupcakes by Sonja

15/30. Cupcakes by Sonja!!

Alas, I didn’t have to torture myself drooling over photos of cupcakes anymore, I got myself a box of the real thing! (Ate Maia, don’t be mad, I tried to call you!!)

Cupcakes by Sonja

I’m not sure though if it was a good idea to overdose on glucose and caffeine after dinner. Poor R had to endure this sugary dessert with me. (Hello, diet, we’ll deal with you later.) :p

Cupcakes by Sonja

Cupcakes by Sonja

Two Vanilla Sunshines in 2 different colors (can’t get enough of it!), a Lemon Drop, and a Chocolate Surprise. *nomnomnom*

Cupcakes by Sonja

I think I’ll save some for breakfast. :)

On another note, I’m halfway through this 30-day Blog Challenge (let the cupcakes serve as my way of celebrating) and I have to say, the past two weeks were, indeed, made of awesome. And that’s not only because I was able to blog in 2 weeks more than I ever blogged in roughly a year, lol, but also because I’m somehow, little by little, creating the habit of seeing the little joys that come with everydays. I think that is the most awesome of all.

I’m excited to find out what will come out of this, I’m already listing down a few after-30-day-blog-challenge things that I’ll try to venture in. Also, in the next few days, I’ll be giving away something to some of you who have followed this little project of mine — and I’ll make sure it’s something you’ll really appreciate. :)

Meanwhile, visit Maia’s blog, she also started a 30-day thing of her own. She’s blogging about happy things over there. And Happy is Awesome’s cousin! So yay, visit her! (This is all your fault, Mariel!)

30 Days of Awesome, 15/30.

And It Was All Yellow

Rhiza4 Comments

DAY FOURTEEN. I’m keeping it short and simple today. The late President Cory Aquino was laid to rest, and there’s nothing more awesome than seeing the color of love and support to the Aquino family everywhere in the Philippines you look.

It was all Yellow

The Filipinos will never see the color yellow the same way again. To us, this color will always stand for hope for the country, love for family, trust in God, and everything President Aquino lived her life for.

It was all Yellow

So thanks, President Cory. To live a life like yours, and to be loved the way the Filipinos and your family loved you.. that is beyond awesome.

I’m putting on a yellow ribbon in my blog header for the whole of August, in honor of Cory and the awesome life she lived. You should, too! :)

*Scrapbooking credits: Ecologie by Paislee Press.

Other blogs of support to Cory Aquino:

30 Days of Awesome, 14/30.

Happy is now a Couch, thanks to Heima

Rhiza4 Comments

DAY THIRTEEN. I was really planning to blog earlier, but akdfaldsfj!! There are just too many distractions around here, and before I know it, I spent the past 2 hours blog-hopping and window-shopping (yes you can do that online) and eventually ended up buying stuff I don’t need. (Inthefishbowl is sooo addicting, and that’s not only because Sheila is my friend, no, I’m really just a sucker for pretty things, is all.)

Anyway. I’m thinking of coming up with a “Store of the Week” or “Wish List” kinda thing here. Since I’ve been spending a lot of money and time online shopping anyway, I thought perhaps I could point you guys to these awesome online shopping sites I frequent lately so you too can, uh, splurge with me. (What a lame. I’m sleepy.) No commissions involved, don’t worry.

Today, I shall point you to the direction of.. ta-da, the Heima Store.

Heima Store | Cubao Expo

Hi, I was at Heima last week, and I bought two rolls of film. And a pillow.
(Btw, that’s Heima featured at Real Living Magazine’s July Issue)

I first heard of them from a friend who happens to be college-friends with Heima’s store owner, Rossy Anne Yabut (graduate of UST, BA Interior Design, one year my junior — impressive indeed). I loved what I saw in the online store, hence, when I had the chance to drop by Cubao Expo, I made it a point to check out their showroom as well.

And oh-my-golly-wow, their showroom is awesome, I love everything I saw — from the furniture, to the home decors, to the lomographic cameras. Their collection ranges from vintage classic to modern glam, just about everything that makes me drool these days.

And the Happy House Collection is probably the most awesome thing there. Check. This. Out.

Wishlist - Happy Couch and Bench from Heima!

Now if only the heavens would pour out 35,000 PhP my way right this instant so I can buy this Happy Couch, then I’d start rain-dancing now. And then I’d rain-dance some more for another 12,000 PhP so I can get the Happy Bench. Or that Ms Cupcake Secretary Desk, which will really look pretty in my bedroom, the turquoise one please. *wipes drool*

Seriously though, I think this is the type of furniture I’d want in my home, when I have one. I can imagine the colors I can mix and match with this happy set already, the possibilities are endless, and I like what I see in my head! Someday, maybe.

Meanwhile, you can always just buy a roll of film from Heima, or a pillow, and leave the store happy just the same. ;)

Happy = awesome.

P.S. I know I sound like a sappy TV commercial, you don’t have to point that one out okay. It’s 5AM, cut me some slack here!! Zzzzzzz.. zzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 13/30.

Reading a Book in the Dark

Rhiza9 Comments

DAY TWELVE. I’m pretty sure that at one point in your adolescence, your mom or your lola told you to not read a book in the dark, or inside a moving vehicle, because it’s going to make you blind. I heard that warning many times, violated it many times over, and yet, my vision is still 20-20! But that doesn’t mean you can ignore your mom or lola’s warnings now, children, don’t follow my footsteps.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is, one can’t help it when the best times to get engrossed in a book are while in transit or in bed before she sleeps. How awesome is it that LightWedge actually thought of creating something to aid this form of rebellion?!

11/30 Reading a Book in the Dark

12/30. Reading a Book in the Dark

The LightWedge Book-Light is probably the greatest invention since toasted bread. (No wait, was it sliced bread?) Would you look at that:

Light Wedge Book Light

Isn’t that the most awesome thing? :)

It’s another one of R‘s gifts. It still makes my heart flutter how he would be supportive of the things I’m obsessed about — like finding a typewriter, or collecting toy cameras, or sitting through a 3-hour movie not just once but twice — you know? ♥

Okay, I wasn’t blogging about him, although I think he’s awesome too. I was blogging about this awesome book-light that he *secretly* got and paid for while I was wandering around the area where the pretty notebooks are in one of our trips to Fully Booked.

(By the way, can I just say that Fully Booked is heaven?)

Since then, I’ve been carrying around my book and this lightsaber, er, book-light, to bed at night, and everywhere I go lest I get stuck in traffic somewhere — at least I get to spend the idle time doing something worthwhile.

I’m still reading The Virgin Suicides right now, but I like having a stack of books ready anytime I’m finished with the current one. I recently got a Murakami and a Nicholas Sparks, so I have a choice between something philosophical and something that doesn’t require too much thinking. And woot, I tell you, these books are much more interesting to read in the dark! Think Inkheart, minus the part where the characters come to life, of course, that part’s creepy in real life, not awesome.

Hi, Mom. Hi, Lola. Proud of me? :)

Okay. Enough of this. I go read now.

30 Days of Awesome, 12/30.

Experiencing Student Life Once a Week

Rhiza7 Comments

While it’s good to have a few days away from the internet once in a while, it also feels like being quenched of thirst when you’re finally back online. LOL. Imagine the frenzy, opening about a dozen tabs in Firefox, responding to emails here and there, checking up on Google docs, downloading attachments that have to be proofread or uploaded, etc, etc, all at the same time.

I knew the weekends are going to be my problem in doing this 30-day challenge. I go home to my Mum’s place in Caloocan Saturday and Sunday nights, and whether intentional or not, we never really thought of hooking up on DSL there. I’ve recently just terminated my Globe Visibility too — 2,000PhP a month is just too expensive for a secondary internet connection. Hence, when I’m not in my batcave in Ortigas, I join the ranks of people who are on the lookout for wifi hotspots everywhere they go. At least I have the E71 now, which is my only connection to the cyberworld during the weekends.

So.. looks like a looong night of catching up.

DAY ELEVEN. (Woot! Finally!) So that’s my usual weekend schedule. Saturday nights I go to church for practice, and sleep at my Mum’s in Caloocan; Sundays are spent in church; and Mondays are spent in our church‘s student center, The Life City Campus.

College Life oh College Life

11/30. Experiencing College Life Once a Week

Student center what? Don’t tell me you didn’t have a favorite hangout in college? When I was in UP Diliman, my hangout would either be the Sunken Garden, or the State Varsity Christian Fellowship’s tambayan* just under the main library. (SVCF was my only org/frat/sorrority in college). You’ve gotta have a hangout when you’re a student — a place to breathe and relax and spend free periods at, or a place where you can take out your books and study (or pretend to study).

That Starbucks place in Katipunan is perhaps the most sold-out tambayan* in the Diliman/Katipunan area, always teeming with students from Ateneo, UP, and Miriam College. I once tried to spend free period in that place (years ago), but all seats were taken so I just went away dejected — everyone seemed to have camped out in there! At one point I wondered if students really go there to study or to just be seen studying, heh. Peace, Ateneans. :p

The Life City Campus is the new student tambayan in the University Belt block in Manila. *Shameless plugging starts here*. A project by our church’s youth ministry, the TLCC staff has provided more than just an air-conditioned place to spend free periods at. We have comfy couches, a snack bar and cafe (the coffee and mocha flavored smoothies are the best!), badminton area, table tennis, board games, and wifi, which makes the place not only appealing to students, but for the working class as well (such as myself). I happen to spend my Mondays here (and soon, Fridays too), thank God for having a job that allows me to work anywhere-as-long-as-there’s-wifi. But inasmuch as I want to work here everyday, I have to regulate my tambay* hours — it’s so easy to get distracted here!

I love being around students. Being around them never fails to remind me of life’s simple pleasures. Right now, a bunch of students are playing UNO cards, their way of rewarding themselves for a successful study group (just a few hours ago they were discussing chemical formulas in the same table, studying for their mid-term exams.) Some guy is playing guitar by the couch, surrounded by people singing along. The tennis table is occupied too. My brother is playing Mobwars while eating tuna carbonarra, and I’m slurping my smoothie while thinking of which awesome thing to blog about today.

The positive vibe is contagious. Being in this place reminds me how it is to feel young again. I know I’m still young at 26, but you know how “adult stuff” (like paying the bills, and working hard to pay the bills, and venturing into businesses and finding other forms of income so you can pay the bills, lol) would always come seeping through the youthfulness that people my age should still be enjoying, that you would suddenly feel old and wrinkly at 26. Life.

Drop by, when you’re in the area. The Life City Campus is located near the University of Sto. Tomas, near the intersection of Espana and Lacson Avenue. When you drop by on a Monday, you’ll most likely see me here somewhere, blending in like a student, sipping a Vanilla smoothie. Say hi, tell me you got here because of my blog, and maybe I’d buy you a smoothie too.

In case you’re interested, email me for the complete address. ;)

*Tambay, tambayan, are Filipino words for hang out, and hang out place respectively.

30 Days of Awesome, 11/30.