Ma Mon Luk Restaurant, A thriving food Haven

Today after our duty in the hospital, we decided to stop by Ma Mon Luk,  a filipino-chinese restaurant that caters authenthic chinese dishes. Among their popular delicacies are the original mami and different siopao.

As we entered the establishment located along Quezon Ave., I can honestly feel that the place is full of history. You can see the old furnitures and tables made with marbles. What captures my attention are the framed magazines and newspapers on the walls. As I scan all of them, they all dated back on the late ’90’s and astonishingly, all of them are about the famous restaurant itself.

photo by bafflechic

We are the only young adults visiting the place. Most of the customers are elderly and families who loved eating chinese food. We tried their famous mami and special siopao which is composed of chicken, pork and salted egg. It was delicious and definitely worth buying. Me, as a half filipino-half chinese, I grew up eating siopao and I can say that Ma Mon Luk’s is definitely one of the best I’ve eaten so far. I came with my friends and it is totally worth a try!

photo credits to @hmbrii (Follow my friend on instagram)

The menu is so affordable and you get big servings each of their delicacies. Aside from the rich taste of food, there is also a great history behind the creation of this restaurant.

The story goes from the arrival of Ma, a poor school teacher,  in the Philippines in 1918. It was all a quest for love as Ma desired to be rich to be accepted by his childhood sweetheart, Ng Shih, whose family was rich in Canton, China. He vowed to leave his country and make a name for himself so that he could claim her as his bride. During that time, spaniards colonize our country and their are lots of competition to make a living. But then his eureka moment happened when he decided to sell noodles.

Since pansit (made of rice, wheat flour with sauteed pork and vegetables) is already a local dish in the Philippines and practically similar to noodles, Ma made a twist by serving it with chicken broth. He made and kneaded the noodles himself then added the broth and sliced chicken. He retails it for thirty centavos.  This is the birth of what we call “mami” today.

Although way back, Ma named it gupit because he literally cut the noodles, it was then changed to mami wherein Ma came from his name meaning horse , and mi means noodles in chinese. Soon,  he was flooded by lots of clientele due to its unique presentation and taste. It was all made from pure hardwork and determination.

His first restaurant was in Binondo, a two-seater place offered by a fellow patron who frequently visited the place. Soon, Ma’s hardwork paid off. He became rich, came back to China and ask Ng Shih‘s hand for marraige. It was a happy ending for them.

Since then, the business grew and also Ma’s family. But in 1961, Ma Mon Luk died of throat cancer and his legacy lives on with his children.

As of today, only two branches of Ma Mon Luk is open and I would recommend you top by and give this a try. It is located at 545 Quezon Boulevard Corner Gonzalo Puyat st, Quiapo, Manila and in 408 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

it was a great story,  a great experience and definitely a great meal to have. Thank you for reading guys and I do hope you get some life lesson here.

Having to pursue what you love, in the expense of sacrifices and hardwork is a road to the goal you’ve always wanted. There are no limit to people’s capabilities, the only limitation is the one you put on yourself. So set your mind on it, start small, dream big and take the risk. Enjoy every moment of it

that’s it for today! It was a quick blog and I just want to share to you my experience. Comment down below if you’ve tried Ma Mon Luk, let’s help people find this great heritage! 🙂

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Start a convo and let’s be friends, Thank you and Godbless!

Xoxo,

Merryl Ann

On Blog Break: Destressing Times (The Beech Experience and Going korean at Ogane)

Hi! seeing I haven’t blog for awhile since my last post, I had a lot on my plate lately since I am on my last semester in college and things are getting really hectic with my internship plus exams. It was tough to have time as your enemy, but you all know that I’ll always get back to my first love which is blogging!

So last night has been one heck of a party with my friends whom I have been with these almost 6 months of my journey into practicing my chosen “other” profession and I can say that it was really a fun, memorable, silly escapades. Though our journey together may be dawning soon since they will be on other places, I still love how we could all could connect and rekindle friendships from time to time

Last night, we went to The Beech, Bar and Grill at Quezon Ave. The place is a popular go-to hang out place because of it’s chill vibe.

Photos courtesy of The Beech official website

The place is jam packed by lots of teenagers and young adults and we barely enjoyed the music due to the crowd’s noise. But on the brighter side, I personally think the lighting is good and the ambiance totally screams off chill vibes. (How many times do I have to use the word chill?) 🙂

So all the drinking session and beer games started and we are all screaming, having fun, chatting around and honestly, it was a crazy night. At 1am, we all started to kind of feel the punch and one-by-one, most of them started to call it a night but we end up being the last ones to leave. We all just doesn’t want to end the night yet.

To add color to our adventure, we decided to go on a mission to find a good korean restaurant. Yas, road trips, babyy. Who would’nt want to finish it off with food, right? And we definitely found one at the popular food district, Tomas Morato. We spotted this restaurant before when we went ramen hunting and now we get to try Ogane Restaurant.

We tried to be like those ones in korean dramas and ordered samgyeopsal. For those of you whose not familiar with korean cuisine, samgyeopsal is pork belly. It is most likely compared to bacon minus the fact that it’s not marinated. It is also served raw and you have to cook the meat and cut it into bite size pieces. It also comes with alot of side dishes and sauces.

The food is really great and it is too much for me exactly. I actually is still in food coma right now because of the unlimited pork and side dishes. It only costs 365 in Philippine peso (7.12 US Dollar) not bad because you will surely leave belly satisfied. See what I did there? #badpuns 🙂The crew is also very accommodating and friendly. I would definitely come back! ❤

So this is it guys. See you again on my next post. I will try to establish a schedule for my blog post and also up my game with taking photos. I swear I’ll do better next time. So, If you would like, kindly follow me on my social media accounts and let’s be friends? I follow back 🙂

Instagram: @iammerrylann

Facebook: Merryl Ann Tan

Twitter: @queenstarann

Thank you for reading guys. You can leave a comment down below and recommend some place to visit or even start a convo. I’ll reply, promise!

Xoxo,

Merryl Ann

 

 

#Keep going (Mental Health Awareness Campaign)

In accordance to alot of socio-economic crisis that is happening in our country, people today have been raising awareness in alot of issues and right now, the most hot topic is mental health.

Having heard alot from it in the news and also the raising statistics of suicide in the Philippines is very alarming adding to the fact that there are some celebrities getting involve in the heated argument regarding how serious mental health is. I know that this is not just happening in our country but also all over the world and I would just like to share what I do believe would help tshare light regarding the issue.

Lately, as I observed alot from the sidetrack of all this, I came to realize that alot of this is rooting from people’s insensitivity. I cannot blame alot of it since having problems on our own is sometimes too much to handle and getting yourself involve in other’s struggles could be extra work too. But sometimes, a little “are you ok?” Or “you can talk to me” can really help in saving someone’s life. Helping others can’t just come from giving money, or offering extra hands, it can also come in kind words, caring thoughts and even just a simple smile or a tap on the back. Who knows what else you have  or can do to give light to a doomed persons’ life.

I don’t know in other countries but in the Philippines, people are known to be joyous and happy as our culture have alot of festivities, curated with mix beliefs and high sense of hope (as the saying, Wag kang mawawalan ng pag-asa, which means do not ever lose hope) digged in our minds even as a child by our elders. And it is quite alarming to see that even the happiest people on earth are fighting a battle no one’s even aware.

I, as a friend of someone dealing with depression,  knows how sadness can really affect a person’s whole thinking, it can go from “I am Okay :)” to “I want to die 🔫” real quick and seeing and understanding all the signs can really help save an individual’s life.

This fight against mental health could all just be learning to know how to understand the signs or even just being sensitive enough to what others feel. Here are some I have observed on people suffering from depression. (Not a professional regarding this but thought I might share some I know based on my experiences with people suffering from it.)

Too much happiness 

Sometimes being to happy and too energetic can still be a sign of dealing with something far from positive. People tend to divert theirselves from their own issues and redirecting it to other things or it could just be a mask to cover up their fucked up thoughts. A simple “are you okay?” Or “it’s okay to tell me everything” could help them face the reality of their problems.

Too quiet or frequent blank stares

People suffering from inner battles can sometimes seclude themselves from the rest of the world. They may not say anything or do something but you can see in their blank stares that there is something going on. A tap on the back or a simple “its okay” can help trigger them to talk to you and share what they are experiencing. Just be a good listener and it can be all that they want.

Too much shared content regarding sadness or some suicidal jokes

Almost all people are using social media as a means of expressing themselves and sometimes it can be a clue on what other people are going through. If you have a friend who likes a lot of sad quotes, sharing some content regarding people suffering from depression, or even posting weird things you can totally pinpoint to someone on the verge of a breakdown, it can be their own subconsciousness sending signals for help.

People are naturally curious about what is going on especially on their life. They can feel a bit of everything and try to search for explanation on the hows or whys of their situation. Being curious in these kind of things can be a key in knowing that someone might be feeling the same way and is trying to appease him/her that what they feel has an explanation or is also a reality to other people.

 

Seeing these signs may or may not pinpoint a person is currently suffering from suicidal tendencies, it can be just pure sadness and sometimes a fleeting feeling of inadequateness but always remember that little things can pile up and cause bigger problems. Why wait for things to get worse? So if you are feeling these things, or you know someone who quite fit these descriptions, kindly talk to them, ask someone for quality time, talk your problems out and always remember that you can always have a buddy to conquer your battles with.

I hate to hear news of someone causing his/her own life just because someone failed to ask how they are or because someone is too late to understand what is happening. It is a matter of initiative. An initiative to get better, an initiative to help others, an initiative to love and care for each other.

We all have problems and everyone is fighting over it in ways different from ours but we can all support each other and better each other in a way that no one gets left behind. So start a conversation, open yourself up and do not die alone. Killing yourself will not solve your feeling of loneliness, so if you ever hear a voice saying, “You could just die to end all of this” , tell it to fuck off because that is totally wrong. Because at the end of the day, If you come to a point of killing yourself, you are only spreading the disease of loneliness to the ones you love; your family, your friends, your partner, imagine them thinking what they had done wrong for you to come to that point? There was this conversation on How to kill a Rockstar and the conversation goes like this:

“Did you really want to die?”
“No one commits suicide because they want to die.”
“Then why do they do it?”
“Because they want to stop the pain.”

But in reality, they are not stopping pain, they are spreading it. Curating false beliefs in the minds of people suffering the same that it would stop when they are killed. But no. They are actually building a cycle of pain that goes in circle. And don’t be a part of that cycle. We put an end to it.

So strengthen yourself, find beauty in everything and find your purpose to live. Because there are a lot of things we can still be grateful of. Do not lose hope and always remember to keep going. If you had the courage on planning to kill yourself, why not have the courage to stand up and turn your life around? Put your bravery in the right direction. Take risk in change rather in constant oblivion.

 

Let us be friends! Click on the following accounts below and follow (Follow this blog too. I post every Tuesdays and Fridays) 🙂 I follow back ❤

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Thank you for reading this post. I hope I encourage you all to take a stand in mental health awareness. Let’s all support each other and help fight depression

Xoxo,

Merryl Ann ❤

A Glimpse of Mt. Banahaw’s Famous Miracle

Growing up in the outskirts of the city, a girl like me who lives in a sub urban town, surrounded by trees and the sea, have so long been used to a lot of things concerning nature. But as I moved to Manila to start college, it’s been 3 years since I last had an out-of-town vacation with my relatives. And I am so thankful I had the chance to visit some ‘miraculous’ place that is really popular here in Southern Luzon

Mt. Banahaw which is situated in borderline between Laguna and Quezon province

Mt. Banahaw, as you have heard, has been famous for its water’s healing powers. According to patrons who have come and visited the place, they had experience miraculous healing from different kind of diseases when they bathe and drink in Mt. Banahaw.

Our journey towards the place started at 04:30 in the morning. We travel for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from Batangas to Dolores, Quezon where we made a stop at sunrise to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Our Lady of Sorrows shrine is the largest and oldest catholic church in Quezon.

We made a brief tour around the place and we’ve seen a lot of statues depicting different stories in the bible. I also noticed the intricate design of the glass windows where Mama Mary and Baby Jesus were painted.

After an hour of praying, touring and taking selfies, we left the place to go to our primary goal which is to bathe and experience the legendary Mt. Banahaw.
We made our first stop minutes away from the shrine and there we ate our packed lunches. The place is surrounded by stores which sells hand-crafted images of Holy Mary, a cross with benediction and also triangular pieces with “buhay na mata” as what they call the decor at the middle of the triangle. The storekeeper told us that it serves as protection from the evil spirits that we may come across in the river. They also have those for health, business and throwing bad luck. They also sell souvenirs, like bracelets for children which is a good “pasalubong” for your families and friends. We also bought some for souvenirs.

After that, we proceeded with our hike and we found out that we will have to go down a series of stairs to reach the river where they say ‘miracle’ happens. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the chance to take a pic of the whole area but for you guys, I’ve searched some pics to give you ideas. (Credits to the owner of the photo)

We hiked 300 steps of stairs to reached the river. Along with the healer that we travelled with, He whispers litany of prayers before letting us bathe which is, as they say, to bless us.

The water is surprisingly clear and refreshing despite the place. The healer instructed us to drink from the falls where the water, according to them, comes from a spring at the top of the mountain. The water is cold and surprisingly tastes like distilled water. It is so refreshing!

The rocks are slippery and the current is strong. If you will visit the place, you would like to take note of that because you really have to be careful. The place also experience constant rain which adds to the danger of climbing on the rocks. The water is also so cold on your first try so better be ready with that. 😂😄 You would literally bathe in cold, almost freezing, water.

Our adventure doesn’t stop there because we changed into another interesting location. We went to another part of Mt. Banahaw where there is a river and a cave famous for their altars for praying and also because of its healing. This one is much farther from our last stop because we had to take almost half an hour drive since it is on top of the mountain. We could see the fog and it adds to the cold breeze the rain is bringing which actually makes us doubt if we would still continue to swim because it will be 10x more chilling compared to the freezing water on our latter location.

This time, we don’t need to hike down, which is good. We discover the place just in the middle of a small barangay.

As you can see, the rocks are really big and slippery that’s why it is more dangerous but that didn’t stop us. We visited the cave where according to the guardians of the place, has different kinds of spirit that’s why many people who came by lights candles for them.

The cave has a wide entrance but the rest of the way inside is through a rabbit hole. I first tried to go in there but I eventually backed out because I feel suffocated and scared because there is literally no light inside. My  cousins and uncles push it through though and even them had chills while entering the place. The only light is from the candles they hold and the hole literally fits only one average-sized person at a time. The cave leads to another exit just around the river and It is said that the cave is home of spirits so a healer accompanied my relatives in going through that. After that, we continue enjoying the water till past 1pm. It is a day well spent and we got home super tired but happy..

We had awesome experience and this is something that we would be reminiscing throughout our lifetime.❤💋😂😁😁:)
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

yay! Another post and this is my first ever travel post. Sorry if it feels kind of like a diary, I just want to share to you guys my experience. For the complete location of the area: Sta. Lucia at Kinabuhayan, Mt. Banahaw, Dolores, Quezon

I also changed my Ig account. I created a blogger acct because my other acct is like my personal diary so I really want to have like a reserved acct for my blogs 🙂 hope you understand and kindly, follow me.. I definitely follow back, promise!

Ig: @iammerrylann

 facebook page: Merryl Ann Tan

Twitter: @queenstar_ann

Thank you  guys and God bless! 😘😘 also please click the follow button 🙂

Tearing down Insecurities and Building Confidence

​

” You’ll never be good enough”

“You won’t be able to do that”

“You’re such a failure”

Living in this world unsure of who you are, what you can and be able to do, is undeniably the most  painful thing in this world. Unfortunately, a lot of people does not only add salt to these wounds but also planted seeds of doubt on others. Making it worst than it should be. 

Being a teenager and growing up with the heightened expectation of the society is a big obstacle. I say obstacle not just to beautify this sentence but also to emphasize that it is difficult. HARD. You either fall and get up or fall and stay low. This is the struggle that a lot of us has gone through at one point in life. Maybe it is something that you are also experiencing right now. And today, I would like to tell you that it is something that you should get over with and conquer.

As I grow up, I learned that in a lot of ways, people would like to state their opinion. Either in a good way or in a bad way. I cannot say that it is okay since there is what we call freedom of expression or freedom of speech. Yes those human rights exists. But there are some who certainly abuse these rights and deliberately hurt others with their words. Not realizing that words are knives that can cut through souls is one of our too-many-to-mention shortcomings.

I cannot say that I am perfect and I know that I am so far from that, but I come to realize a lot about myself this year and some of it, I want to share to all of you who, from the deepest corner of their hearts, have been experiencing a lot of pain. Pain brought by others, pain brought by their selves. INSECURITIES.

That pain may be brought by a lot of experiences, words or situation in your life that doesn’t turn out to be what you wanted. Either way, it hurts you like hell. When I was in a situation so much like yours, I experienced a lot of indecision. Mainly because most of the opinions are from different people. People who may be similar to me and sometimes worse, a lot different from my own personality. As I come to my way of building confidence, I came to realize that choosing which opinions work best for you helps in a lot of ways. There are some people who really cares and would give constructive criticism to make you a lot better and those, for me, are the people who matters. I know, they are difficult to find but I honestly suggest not to look farther. You have your family and close friends who are there to fulfill that role. All you have to do is ask and trust what they say.

In life, there will be a lot of things to come to you, a lot of bulbs you will encounter. But I suggest that you should pick the bulbs that emits just enough light to brigthen your way and not those who might burn your eyes. This is practically applicable when it comes to building confidence. Know what opinion of others are of good will. Do not focus much on the ranting and the destructive criticisms. It will only crash you down and nothing comes good out of it.

Love yourself. This is what Justin bieber’s popular song has been advocating on a lot of the beliebers. There may not be a lot of things to agree about the man but the song delicately touch a subject that we all should open our eyes with. Yes, there are so many needles that could pop your balloon of confidence anytime but I do believe that shielding yourself from the constant pricking others throw in your way helps a lot in saving that balloon. Anyway, you only have one goal. Do not ever let it pop. Because confidence, just like the metaphor I used, could easily pop and fly away. And once its popped, it will be hard or even impossible to bring back. So if you ever feel like there are too much thorns around you, too much negative things thrown in your way, too much destructive opinions, shield yourself. Try telling yourself soothing words like..

“It’s okay. Just do your best.”

“You can do it”

“You’re good! “

Do not be harsh on yourself. Build up confidence from the inside first. Trust your capabilities. Others may not see it yet but it’s there. We all have our own talents. It’s just a matter of time and discovery.

Lastly, open yourself. Wherever or whatever bad situation you have or you’re in, always find a way to crack your miserable thinking and always look for a way out. You have something special up on your sleeves. All you have to do is get out of those negative thinking, get out of that shell other people put you in. Be whoever you want to be and be better. It’s just a matter of thinking. What your mind perceives, it happens. Think of what you want to be and be it. You will never build confidence if you will not work on it yourself. Be vigorous about it. Strive hard!

There is a saying that tells us, ” If you don’t like where you are, move! You are not a tree!”. Yes, you are absolutely not a tree. You can get out of it. Yes, you could. Just take the first step and the other, and another step. Until you are far from your past and you are who you want to be in the future.

So That’s it! And that’s all for now. Those are my thoughts regarding building confidence. Hope I helped in a little way. 🙂 I would like to know how you feel. 🙂 We can definitely have some small talks in the comment section below.. thank you and love you guys! 💕❤💖💗

Xoxo,

Merryl Ann

P.s

Follow me on my social media accounts:

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Korean MakeUp Look ft. Olay Philippines, 4U2 cosmetics, Nyx, Avon, etc.

Hi guys, it’s been awhile since I posted about makeup stuff here in my blog and today I am going to talk about my new found loves! You all know that I am only a beginner when it comes to make up and I am actually just discovering my way through it and here are some of the stuffs that I’ve been fond of lately.

Talking about the climate here in the Philippines, it isn’t a joke how humid the weather here and how difficult it is for makeup enthusiasts like me to find the perfect cream that would not melt on this kind of weather. But luckily, I’ve found out about this super affordable day cream from Olay.

It has SPF 15 which helps protect my skin from the harsh sunlight. Also it is very light on the skin and gives off a dewy feeling. It makes your skin look youthful and moisturized. This small tub is just superb because it isn’t irritating  and is perfect for sensitive skin. It covers up blemishes just like a BB cream and is also packed up with moisturizing effects.

The next one that I really love is from Avon cosmetics’ #SIMPLYPRETTY line. It is the cream blush in the shade Peach.

It is very light and easy to blend blush that gives off the same color as the natural flush on your face. I am so in love with this because it makes my face more lively and youthful. it also comes in an easy to carry tub which is like a lipstick and prevents any unnecessary mess it would cause if it was a powder blush. You all know how messy it is if it spills right?

Next one for me is the Nichido eyeliner i love this one because it is very affordable 😉 and easy to use eyeliner. Really perfect for beginners like me. If you want to practice that perfect wing and is considering your budget, you can definitely practice using this one. It has a brush tip which makes it a little more sensitive to movements because the brush tends to spread which can ruin your lining if you are not careful enough. But it’s good and it lasts long, especially for its price 😉

Next item I want to talk about is the 4U2 BB cream. This one I got for sale at a mall and I practically bought it because it is cheap but when combined with the Olay daycream, I find this BB cream effective especially in covering the blemishes that the daycream missed to hide. It also matches my skin color pretty well and has a finish that makes my face more youthful looking. It is also easy to blend and has very good packaging. For those of you who wants to experiment on BB creams, this one is worth the try!

Next one is also my favorite. You know I am a sucker for lipsticks and this lippie from Nyx totally knock it off for me. The line Nyx Lingerie has the perfect sets of nude to berry colors and I love how each can give its user the perfect personality it represents. Since I am going for a Korean look, I chose the nude one and I loved it. It gives off an orangey-brown color on my lip which is also a good trend on korean makeup today. It is very easy to apply and it sticks on my lips for the whole day. Really perfect for everyday use.

That’s all for now and I hope you liked it! Here is the look I achieved using my newfound faves and I am really satisfied on the way it turned out! I can actually use this look at school 😉

Thank you for reading! Dont forget to click the follow button and let’s not be strangers! would also love to talk to you on the comment section below! I ALWAYS REPLY

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Twitter: @queenstar_ann

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Love you guys! Thank you and Godbless!

20 Things I’ve Learned in 20 years

Hello guys. It’s already the start of Christmas season and for those of you who knew me, You all know that I’m turning 20 on the 26th of December. Whoa! How fast time flies.. I even remember being a tiny being and now, I’ll be entering adulthood. Legit!

Anyways, as I am thinking of something to update my blog, I came to realize that my goal in writing is to express my ideas and feelings to you and as far as my blog goes, I haven’t really shared something personal to all of you (not that  I am assuming that you want to know things about me. It’s just that, I just want to share things and sharing it through writing is a fun, and a dream I always thought of doing in the future, which I am doing now.. hahaha)

As I am pondering on my life, I’m surprised of how mature I had become these past few years. I’ve come to realize a lot of things and I really want to share to you some of these wisdom that I gained based on experiences. Yeah right, experience is the best teacher! Yay! T.T (But some of it, I wish I haven’t had to experience, though.)

So here are some of the life lessons I want to impart to you. I’m not claiming that all of this will apply to your life but I just want to let you know that you’re not alone. Sometimes, you experience things that you thought you’re the only one experiencing. But actually, in real life, you’re not! You are actually thinking the opposite..

Let’s talk about it from the bottom to the top.

20 “Treat people the way they treat you is not a general rule”

We always hear this quote in a lot of movies, or even read it in multitudes of books. This is a very popular quote but it doesn’t really apply to all. Tested and proven..

When I was younger, I always stick to this idea. I actually even apply this in real life. But as I got older and experience a lot, I came to realize that there are some exceptions and it’s not necessarily the truth. Growing up, I am encountering a lot of people and I am in complete awe of the extremities and ranges of personality this world has. Yes, I’ve seen the good and bad sides of it all. To tell you a story..

When I was living in a dormitory, I am forced to live with strangers and I saw how other people treat each other. I even experienced being bullied (not physically but verbally) by my dorm mates. They wouldn’t say it in front of me but I know because others who heard it will tell me. And I am surprised by that because I never really do anything to deserve that kind of treatment. I am just a typical quiet girl. I don’t even answer phone calls inside the room because I might disturb them, I never complain of their noise when they chit-chat while I study for major exams, or even when they turn off the light when I’m still reading. I never curse or back stab them either. I am so confused and hurt of the things they said that I build up hatred for them. I even slowly become like them which is the worst to happen to me, of all people. And I hate it. I even felt guilty about it. That’s what will happen if you base your personality on other people. You’ll end up being who you are not. So, today, as I go on with my life, I already made peace with them. Even if I haven’t heard a  tiny bit of sorry from them, I forgave them. I even nod and smile at them when I see them in school. And as of today, I always try to treat people in a way, I want to be treated and it’s so much better. I get to remove my hatred and I end up happier and more assured of myself.

19 “Bitterness is next to ugliness”

Being bitter of your situation, your appearance or any other aspect of your life affects you in a major way. I experienced that in my past too. I always thought when I was young that things should be this way, that I should be like that, or  I hate this about me. And it slowly eats me inside. I lost confidence and I also become a pessimist. I always thought that things will never be the way I want it to be. That I will forever be a loser and that I’ll stay stagnant for the rest of my life.

That didn’t motivate me at all. I even lost friends along the way because of my insecurities and my uncertainty about things. To summarize it all, nothing good comes out of being bitter. It only makes you uglier on the inside out.

On the contrary, being positive helped me in slowly being the person I want to be. In the past, I always thought of becoming a writer or a blogger, but I didn’t do anything to achieve it because I always say negative things that draw me back. I never even tried anything but I always thought that I cannot achieve it because of so many excuses and belittling thoughts. But now, as I looked at the bright side of life and being positive, I actually opened a blog that I want and slowly doing what I thought is impossible back then. So, yes, positive thinking really helps a lot and being bitter ruins you. Stay out of bitterness, bes!

18 “Life is not a tea party”

Chilling is a good thing. It helps in a lot of ways in your mental and physical health. But overdoing it will not help.

I am currently studying BS Medical Technology in FEU-Manila and I honestly know this one very well. I always experience a lot of hammering and stress in school because of tons of exams and practical that we are taking. We are always in a rush to study and to go to school because of shifting exams.

I personally know that chilling is not an option when you are a college student because it can cost you a whole semester and even ruin your life plans. That’s why, we should all learn to study hard, harder or even hardest if it is what’s needed. Life is not a tea party in reality. It will be like a bar/club where you have to be eager to have seats, you have to make your way to have drinks, and even bump on other people on your way out. It’s basically the same thing with life. You have to pursue and be eager to achieve your dreams, you have to make your way and establish a plan/goal to live your dream and you will even encounter people who will try to stop you in any way but still, you have to continue and reach for it no matter what.

17 “Trust evaporates faster than alcohol”

How catchy is the phrase isn’t it? But aside from it being expressed creatively, this phrase actually is a fact. I, myself, is a proof of this. My friends know me for being uptight. I never talked to everyone about everything that is going on with my life. I only talked to few trusted friends and I love how they kept it a secret. I always value my friends and I always appreciate loyalty. This is the reason why I always make sure that I do the same. They value the trust I’ve given  and so do I to them. Trust is really a fragile thing. You cannot just broke it and then fix it as if it’s the same. It will never be the same. Trust me.

16 “College friends are like extended family”

Who among you agrees to this? I personally have a bunch of friends that I already considered as family. I’ve known them since my first year in college and now that I am on my final year, we still managed to be together in a larger version, I may say (because we keep on adding up as years passed) College life is actually a very stressful journey and you will experience a lot of ups and downs while in it. I myself experienced tons of it. And I can safely say that, I would never make it without them beside me. So, if you are ever in college right now or will be soon, I honestly want to advice you to be with a bunch that would definitely accept you with open arms. they will be your anchor and they will definitely make your college life much easier and memorable.

15 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love”

Yes, I know that I’ve mentioned that I seldom  talked and yes, I honestly am and this has been an obstacle with my friends when we are in our sophomore years. I love my friends and I love everything about them but there are some instances that we would have misunderstandings and I will misinterpret their intentions. I tend to be upset about things and It’s so hard for me to open up to them. But that was in the past. Now, I’ve learned that keeping your mouth shut about something that could improve your relationship with other people just because you don’t want to hurt them with the truth or what you “think” is the truth, will eventually end up making a crack on that relationship. It is better to talk things out and clarify things than just be quiet about it. You dont have to ignore and pretend that things didn’t happen just to avoid confrontation. It will never make your friendship or any other relationship deeper. It will have boundaries and you’ll end up not being able to connect to them because there are unresolved issues. Openly rebuke each other and reconcile. It will make your bond much stronger.

14 “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Yes, it’s another verse from the bible and it’s from the book of Ecclesiastes. I love the wisdom of the bible. It really speaks truth in my life and this verse is an example. I received this verse on my devotions when I am having trouble with someone I am assigned to work with on a school project. I don’t know why but I feel like she would always want to try to pull me down on every thing that we do. It’s like a cold war and I don’t even know why that’s happening. We talked and we already clarify that there’s nothing wrong but her actions imply the opposite. So I’m really searching for answers when my bible app popped this verse to me. I came to a realization that it will be better to just distance myself from people who can’t be true or honest of what they’re intentions are. It’s okay to have misunderstandings with friends because its part of the friendship you had. But having trouble communicating and interacting with someone who doesn’t even want to talk and straight things out with you can’t be trusted. It’s like sweet coating a bitter pill. And I am not up to that because I’ll end up thinking things on my own and it will just stress me out. So if you are experiencing what I had experienced, I highly recommend to distance yourself from those people. They will not do you any good and you’ll just end up stressing yourself.

13 “when you fall, clear your butt and stand up”

I am not a perfect person and I know that you aren’t either. We, from time to time, experience some downfalls and it’s okay. It’s totally normal. And the most important thing about experiencing failure is learning from it and using it to propel forward. As of today, I’ve come to realize that failures are not exactly a drawback but rather a way to align you to the path you’re destined to go. It is not necessarily a flaw but rather a test of strength.

Always remember that there is no standard story. Each one of us will end up in a totally different endings and same goes on with the process of going there. It will be different one way or another. You don’t finish your college degree on time? So what? You’ll end up having a diploma anyways. Just like riding a bicycle, focus on the way you wish to go and not on the pedals. It will prevent you from falling and staggering for balance,right? Same goes with your failures. Focus more on what’s ahead of you and don’t bother looking at your mistakes. It will only make you lose confidence and will totally hinder you in moving forward. Just focus on your goal and achieve it. Kaya mo yan, bes!

 

12 “Never rush in finding your partner in life”

This may be embarrassing but to tell you honestly, I never had any love (boyfriend-girlfriend) relationships…yet. Yes, I am open to experience love but I never really rush myself. Love for me is something that is far deeper than watching movies, buying gifts and texting each other good night. I want to find someone who I can completely be true and honest with. Someone I could share my thoughts, my ideas and aspirations. Someone I could really say “the one”. And besides, it is more important to build love for yourself first and be whole before going into a commitment. I always like a quote which I find true and real. The quote describes love as a cake where the whole cake represents yourself and slicing it into parts is the relationship you have. Because being in a relationship is not about finding someone who will make you whole but rather having someone to share your life with.

11 “when your emotions are on fire, learn to distance yourself”

Our newspaper adviser once told me that emotions makes an article meaningful. I totally agree with that. But not the same goes with words. Dont get me wrong. Love confessions would surely be more romantic if emotions are expressed but turning that emotion into the negative side like anger is not the best fuel to use for expression. It may exaggerate the fire and you’ll end up burning yourself too in the process. I, myself, personally had times where I regret things that I said when I am angry. I end up feeling guilty of saying awful things even though I know that I’m just carried away by emotions. We should always be responsible of our words and actions. It will affect not only us but other people as well. We might hurt them permanently with our words  and we wouldn’t wan that to happen. Especially if you don’t really mean it.

10 “stay grounded, no matter where you are, what you are and what you’ve achieved”

Being able to still look back on your past no matter what happens in your life is also a great value that everyone should be able to practice. I’ve seen people who attain success but lose character. And I personally would not want that to happen to me. I always keep in mind what my parents told me over and over again, that being able to stay humble no matter what blessings God lays in your way is a very essential trait. That no matter what position you have, belittling someone is not an option.

As I’ve said, I have seen how money changes people and I see how distorted it made them to be. I may have not yet experienced being on top but I’ll surely try my best to still look down and always remember that staying grounded to where I came from when I reach it.

9 “Not all people will like you and it’s okay. But make sure when you look in the mirror, you’ll like what you see”

You all know that I always promote self-appreciation in all the writings that I wrote in this blog. It’s because, it is something that I lose for quite some time. I experienced being labeled by other people based on my appearance, especially my size and I develop low self-esteem because of that. It is an awful experience. Yes, I’ve been there. But I’m also thankful to that episode in my life because I realized a lot regarding my self and other people too. I realized that hating yourself makes other people hate you also. And that, to make other people appreciate you, you should appreciate yourself first. And I love the idea of that.

In the end, the only opinion that will matter when we are on our deathbed and reflecting on our life and how we live it is our inner self. Did we experience happiness? Are you proud of yourself? And when you say yes, that will be the most beautiful feeling in the world.

8 ” Be who you want to be”

Some people always have this crazy idea of crab mentality. And its a sickness that our society should stop practicing. I always love to say to my friends and acquaintances that being true to themselves is the ultimate key to success. It may sound redundant but its the truth. You cannot say that you will be the best of all the best because everyone is unique in their capabilities. You cannot label a rabbit as the fastest animal if you compare it with a frog. Sure, they can both hop but it’s not the only thing that makes them fit that category. Same goes with people. This is why I always ask my friends, “what do you really want?”. Because realizing what you are passionate about helps in cultivating strengths and realizing weaknesses.

When I was young, I always imagine to do a lot of things because I saw it on tv, or on magazines. I didn’t consider what I really like to be but rather I’m consumed by my admiration that I always said that I want to be like that. why want to be like anybody else? Now, I’ve realized that owning yourselves and branding your identity with what you want to be is an important aspect of finding the real you. Just look into your heart and ponder deeply unto your desires because no one can out best your version of “you”.

7 “If you are tired, take a rest.”

Sometimes, we experience a point where we couldn’t take it anymore. We all had this at one point in our life. I had it too. And most of the time, we tend to overdo things eventhough our mind screams stop. We just couldn’t get the red signal right. We always thought that our limits are our weakness and we should strive harder to pass through it. Yes, it’s true that overcoming limits is a major achievement. But we also have to realize that overcoming things doesn’t happen in a quick span of time. It takes series of pause and play but never a stop button.

I learned that pushing yourself in doing what you have to do tends to draw you back more than taking time doing it. I, myself experienced it physically. Lately, I am into a lot of fitness fiascos and I always want to be healthy and fit. I eat healthy foods and even tried exercising.

At first, exercise is doing fine for me. I burn fat and I stay lively all day long. But in the long run, as days passed and I saw slow progress on my weight and the result of my exercise, I started to think of doing a shortcut. Instead of doing the beginner phase, I jumped into the heavy routines and did it with too much intensity that I end up sweating alot. I’m satisfied with how it makes me lose more weight than my usual routine. But on the next day, all of my gladness faded away as I feel muscle cramps and pain all around my body. I wasnt able to continue my exercise that day because I couldn’t even move with the pain I am experiencing. See? Its actually more tiring physically and even emotionally when you try to push yourself to the limit and not resting for a bit to gain energy. We are all humans. We have our limits and we should be cautious about that. Take time to rest your mind and your body when you are feeling sore and awful. It will all heal, just take the time to fuel up and ready yourself for another day. 💪

6 “You dont need lots of friends, only real ones”

I, myself, have an inner circle of friends that I do treasure and love. They are all essential part of my life and I am  glad to say that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I haven’t met them. They all have impart with me good memories that helped mold me as a person.

There was once a time during our retreat in highschool where we were asked to write the good and bad sides of each other. I have a classmate back then that approached me and wrote on my bad side, “not easy to talk to, only chooses her friends to talk with”. And I am very much aware of that. So when my time is up to explain to them why I’m like that, I just said it plain and simple,”I don’t need lots of friends, only real ones.”

And up until now, I am still like that. Yes, I’ve gained lots of friends now that I am in college but I also make sure that I filtered them in a good way. Not in a choosy brat kind of way but rather based on the quality of bond we have. Yes, I talk to other people, I mingle, I chat, I joked around. But only few are those whom I really considered my friend. And they all stay up till now. That is what I am really proud of. I have my elementary friends, highschool friends, and others who’ve been part of my life and I am glad that up to this date, I still manage to be in contact with them despite busy schedules. Friendship is not really a matter of quantity but of quality.

5 “Explore and never be afraid to wander”

I remember a time during my childhood wherein we would play hide-and-seek at night in our compound. We had no posts or light bulbs that would lit the whole area but we love it like that. It gives more challenge and an even better place to hide.

During that time, we are not afraid to go into corners we never normally goes to. And we aren’t even afraid of the dark. Why do lot of things changed? Well, that’s the crazy thing about human life. The more we know lots of things, the more we lose interest in exploring it. Right now that I am already an adult, I always want to challenge myself to do things I have never done in my life. Being bold and courageous is genius. I always want to try new things, meet new people and travel (though I still can’t because of studies) But I am always looking forward to that. And you should be too. There are greater things ahead and I want to embrace it as I continue my journey of life. I wish you would be too. There are still lots of things we do not know. And I believe that we haven’t really unravel the real secrets of this world. So let’s be enthusiastic in this life. You’ll never know what things this world could really offer.

4 “value your loved ones”

Its sad that the more our lives innovate, we tend to forget little things that makes each other happy. Like small talks, cheesy letters, corny jokes and even little sweet gestures. Today, we tend to forget how our time is being engulfed by other things. We forget our family.

In my 20 years, I learned that my family is my everything. That if someone would ask me how rich I am, I’ll probably say that I am rich with love. I have a complete family who loves me and that makes me the luckiest person in the world.

In reality, its important that we value the ones we love because it’s not all the time that we will be with them. We’ll never know how the world goes and taking the time we have now to express each other’s love for one another is a great opportunity.

 3 “it’s okay not to be okay”

This world is not perfect. And we aren’t either. So we don’t have to pretend to be the happiest person in the world all the time. We all have different reasons to be sad but always keep in mind that its okay to feel that way. We all get hurt, after all. It’s just a matter of when, where, why and how.

2 “imperfection is beauty”

We are not dolls made in a factory with standard sizes and standard appearances. We are all different and everyone is branded with his or her own looks and personality. I am not perfect. And it’s okay. Your flaws are beautiful, it is your own. Embrace it, love it.

1 “Let go, and Let God”

we should all accept the fact that no all things will work the way we want it to be. There will be a lot of turning paths and mislead corners. But you should understand that everything happens for a reason. Yes, its been what everybody else says. But it’s the truth! You just have to learn to trust to the greater being to lead your way and it’s no other than God himself. Trust his plans. You’ll never be wrong with him.
So here are the  20 things I’ve learned in 20 years. How about yours? You could comment down on the things I’ve missed and I’ll be happy to learn it from you. 😍 Thank you for reading and always remember:

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.   Ashley Smith