So Random

And just like that, August is almost over. What's nice about old-fashioned blogs is that you can post anytime you want. But it's only been a month since my last post, and I already miss this place. This blog calls for an update.

First up, something related to the title of this post. Would you believe I am obsessed with a Disney sitcom from 2009? And I'm in my 40s!

On August 13, I clicked on a random YouTube video (above) about two teenage characters "being the definition of enemies to lovers," one of my favorite tropes. Less than a week later, I finished its 2 seasons. Although... I cheated a bit. I was only interested in the love story between Sonny and Chad, so I skipped some parts. There were several times, though, that I forgot the forward button, because the episode was too engrossing or too funny to pass up. The show, by the way, is called "Sonny with a Chance," in case, you know, you're interested.

About the Show

"Sonny (Demi Lovato) is a Midwestern girl who gets her big break when she is invited to join the cast of the hit teen sketch comedy show SO RANDOM! Sonny can't wait to become friends with her castmates, but not everyone is thrilled to share the spotlight, so Sonny must rely on her quick wit, talent and good humor to get her through any challenge." (Disney)

I thought the casting, acting, comedic timing were all excellent, especially Sterling Knight as Chad and Tiffany Thornton as Tawni. There was no weak link among the cast. And the best part? The chemistry between Demi and Sterling was unbelievable!

Unfortunately, the show was cut short and was not renewed for a third season because of Demi's health problems. Some things needed more development or a proper closure, so what we have was a bittersweet ending.

* * * * * *

Remember the trivia night with my high school friends last April? We've attended two more since then, every time with a new member. Ever since the first one, some of our friends have expressed interest in joining us if they visit Davao. We have a new regular, Pierre. Nej, who's now based in Makati, joined us during Kadayawan. And then last Saturday, we met another one who's home from the US. Unfortunately, we only found out there was no trivia night scheduled upon arriving at the venue, so we headed instead to a nice Japanese restaurant called Teitoku Izakaya for dinner. I had their Special Hakata ramen. Yum!

Meaning and Purpose

This year it seems that I'm constantly being reminded about the meaning and purpose of life so I wanted to share some quotes that I've gathered from my book and online reads. Please note that these are all from a Catholic perspective.

* * * * * *

"So it may be said that the chief purpose of life for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

* * * * * *

"My purpose is to become closely united to God through love, and my destiny is to praise and glorify God's mercy." ~ St. Faustina (729)

* * * * * *

Alicja Lenczewska: "Why am I still living?"
Jesus: "To learn to love Me and people even more."

* * * * * *

According to Arthur Brooks, "to find the meaning of your life is to seek coherence, purpose, and significance." He gave the following questions for guidance:

1. Why do things happen the way that they do in my life? (Coherence)
2. Why am I doing what I'm doing? Why am I moving in this direction? (Purpose)
3. Why does my life matter? (Significance)

Now imagine a Catholic answering those questions:

1. Why do things happen the way that they do in my life? Because this is what God wills.
2. Why am I moving in this direction? To get to Heaven.
3. Why does my life matter? Because the Lord loves me. I matter to God.

* * * * * *

"God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work." ~ St. John Henry Newman

Grogu?

I purposely brought my sister to a local Miniso store because of their Grogu merch on June 28. I had just finished all The Mandalorian seasons a few days before (sadly a month too late for the new theatrical movie) and was sharing some clips with my sister to entice her to watch the show. She seemed way more excited about buying the merch, hence the photo below.

This is the way.

The last time I watched new Star Wars content was in June 2024, when I tried Disney+ for a month. Honestly, I started to get the Star Wars fatigue before the Solo movie (2018) was completed. New films were released every year since 2014, some featuring characters I was indifferent to, so I lost interest. So when I had Disney+, I only watched Obi-Wan Kenobi, my favorite Jedi. But it was underwhelming.

Then this year, my sister's friend added us to her Disney+ account. As always with these streaming sites, the movie library is huge, but the good choices are limited, with most of the classics I have already watched and the new releases uninspiring. That's the reason I tend to subscribe only when I have enough in my watchlist.

But back to Disney+. It was in April when I finally ran out of good movies to watch. I scanned the Star Wars section and found Andor, which I knew was highly rated; not to mention Rogue One, for me, is the best Star Wars film. It got me invested, for sure. There were slow episodes early in season 2, but after the Ghorman incident, my father (and TV buddy) and I were glued to the Senate… in Coruscant... and in the Philippines. The similarity of events was uncanny! Fiction becoming reality.

"Andor" has a more serious tone compared to other Star Wars media. I noticed that there were barely any alien races; the story is more human-centric and political. I was also waiting for any mention of the Force the entire time. So imagine the warmth I felt when at last Senator Organa said the famous phrase, "May the Force be with you," at the finale.

I mentioned this show to a friend when she asked me what I was currently watching. She then recommended "The Mandalorian." So after getting impressed with "Andor," I was excited for another one.

And "The Mandalorian" WAS Star Wars! From the opening scenes alone, I felt like a kid again—the creatures, the foreign languages, the music. Its episodic structure reminded me of the 90s TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess." I did not even know Baby Yoda was another character. I am so enamored with this series that I can't name which one I love more. Grogu? Best fictional father Din Djarin? Their relationship? The simplicity? The fun family theme? The practical effects? The adventures? Pedro Pascal? All of them!

I think "The Mandalorian" stopping at Season 3 is perfect. However, they should not have included important Mandalorian and Grogu scenes in The Book of Boba Fett, because the three seasons by itself is incomplete.

Now I'm waiting for the movie to be released on Disney+. Hopefully within this quarter.

Sewing and a Crochet Sling Bag

Last February, my sister bought a sewing machine for my mother. For several weeks, she worked tirelessly on her curtains, while I ordered some fabrics online to complete the quilt I had been working on since last year. One side of the quilt was from a damaged malong of my mother's, and I sewed the usable parts by hand.

I always sewed by hand. Growing up, I have been hesitant to touch the sewing machine ever since my mother recounted an incident when she was young: the needle broke, pierced her finger, and... yeah, I'd rather not continue. Suffice to say, it was not a story you tell people averse to needles.

This time, though, I was determined to learn. So when my mom was done with her project, I sat down and she taught me. It was initially really hard and needed more hand-eye-foot coordination than I thought. I can already imagine how difficult learning to drive a car would be.

But I eventually got the hang of it, and I am glad that (finally!) I now know how to use the sewing machine. I'm still on the straight-line phase, though.

I finished the quilt last April.

My sister modelling the crochet bag.

Then last month, I crocheted a sling bag using a local thick cotton thread brand. The pattern was from a Japanese book, and as always, when using different materials from what the pattern required, I ended up changing some things.

The final bag fits my phone, a small wallet or notebook, and maybe a couple of pens.

Trivia Night

Last Saturday, I went out with two of my high school friends (one of whom I haven't seen for more than a decade) for trivia night at The Daily Table in Ma-a. Tin has been inviting me since last year. Recently, she has been putting off her weekend travel plans because of the rising fuel prices, so we finally had the chance.

That's us to the left of the host. (Photo courtesy Trivia Nights Pinas)

I genuinely thought I wouldn't be able to answer anything, but it's surprising what random things we have stored in our brains. And we won the night! We were lucky enough that some of the questions catered more to our age group. Most youngsters would not have heard of Diana Ross, much less know what group she's in. It was overall a very enjoyable game, with a funny host, and great company!

After the game, we went to Starbucks to chat. Tin and I meet yearly, so it was mostly Jeck who gave us life updates. But the highlight every now and then... was BTS. I'm not really a fan, so they ended up trying to convince me. Just so you know, I'm not a hater. I'm more into vocal groups like BtoB, Beast, Pentagon... and my favorites have goosebump-inducing voices (Changsub, Yoseob, Jinho, Sandeul). The sole BTS song in my K-pop playlist is a ballad called "The Truth Untold" sung by their vocal line.

I got home at around 1:30 AM. That's how much we needed catching up. Next time, we'd have to meet earlier.

BBC's The Other Bennet Sister

Spoilers ahead.

The Other Bennet Sister - Mary and Tom (BBC)

It's been a week since I finished watching The Other Bennet Sister, and I am having a hangover, an obsession. The last time I felt like this was last year's season of The Wheel of Time (I'm still devastated that it was cancelled). I had done one rewatch with my sister. I've invited (more like pestered) friends to watch it. My sister's close friend borrowed my copy of the book, and I already want it back. I devoured clips and tributes on social media, but I still can't get over it! So I hope writing about it will help.

There were several changes made from the book, and I was initially disappointed, but it gradually became its own entity. The book had a more serious tone and rightly so because it followed Mary's thoughts, while the show was more light and funny. It had me alternately crying and in stitches from a combination of second-hand embarrassment and kilig. While the book focused on Mary's growth through her journey from one place to another, the TV series decided to jump to the London plot, a.k.a. the love story, and what a story it was!

Some parts were improved by the show, notably the Pemberley segment. I especially loved that conversation between Mary and Elizabeth and that we got to see more of the sisters in action.

I thought the book needed more scenes between Mary and Tom, and it's still the case with the show. I felt that since the show added a non-book character, Miss Baxter, it lessened what could have been more screen time and development for our couple.

Then there was the proposal. It was beautifully made. In the book, it happened indoors. In the show, it was in a park, which is true to the theme of their favourite poet, Wordsworth. I'm happy that it was still Mary who said 'I love you' first.

Ella Bruccoleri and Dónal Finn were phenomenal! This show has really cemented Dónal's abilities for me. He was great as Mat in The Wheel of Time. I've already seen him as James Moriarty in Young Sherlock's first episode (it's on my watchlist). Plus, he's a musical actor.

I'm so glad that the show is getting more attention. We have definitely been missing some good old-fashioned and meaningful period dramas for years.

The Other Bennet Sister will be released in the US and Canada on May 6th, while the rest of the world is still waiting for an announcement. There are, however, unconventional ways to watch the show, which I used, if you really can't wait to see it. Then support it still when it comes out in your area. Personally, I cannot wait for the DVD!

National Museum of the Philippines – Davao

I read about the term microadventure last January. It is defined as an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding. Come to think of it, as kids we had this all the time. We didn't need to travel to distant places; every new experience, however small, was an adventure.

So I made a short list of places in my area that I haven't gone to yet. Just a short one, otherwise a homebody like me would be overwhelmed. I started listing our neighboring villages, which I realized I haven't ever explored. Then I moved on to important landmarks in Davao City.

On February 28, I initially only planned to go out to use my voucher in NCCC Mall grocery, Ma-a. But then my sister wanted to come with me and that meant we'd be wandering around somewhere. After buying the groceries, she suggested we check out sewing machines in the Brother store downtown (our mother wanted to sew curtains).

So we went there and were shown the different machines available. We called our mother, and she was fine with the most basic one. We thought we'd show her the brochure first, so we decided not to buy it yet.

It was still early in the afternoon, and we were near People's Park, so off to the National Museum we went.

When the plan for the museum was first released, I thought the durian-inspired design was a bit overused and awkward. In spite of that, the final building looked neat. It is hidden by trees when you enter the park and will only be visible once you get closer. It was interesting to look at, a modern structure framed by a green canopy, with an eye-catching interplay of light and shadow.

There are four floors that are open to the public. When we visited, however, the 4th floor was closed for renovation or something.

On the first floor, we found paintings by my former high school art teacher, Sir Bong Perez. My sister was impressed! I thought his were the best paintings displayed there.

Fisherman's Village by Bong Perez

We lost track of time on the second floor, particularly the display of rocks found in the different blocks of Davao Region. They reminded me of some small rocks I collected during my high school and college field trips to the geothermal plant at the base of Mt. Apo.

The second floor was dedicated to natural history, while the third floor was about Davao's cultural heritage. Overall, there was excellent representation of Davao City.

We then had dirty ice cream outside the park. I wondered why my sister looked at me funny when I ate it all, including the bottom of the cone. Turns out the vendor, who wears a plastic glove on his left hand where he holds the cone, receives money with the same gloved hand. She thought I saw it, too. Anyway, she finished the cone as well.

Before going home, we were back at the Brother store for some last-minute shopping.

43 Years

We didn't have anything prepared for my birthday last week. We had no time to plan because things had been busy the previous few days. So it was a normal lunch at home after attending noontime Mass.

My sister, however, really wanted to go out because she filed for leave. She insisted on having a snack at Azuela Cove in Lanang, but it was too far, so I suggested places in Juna instead. She was not interested.

While looking at Google Maps again, I rediscovered the French farm-to-table restaurant in Tacunan called Tomate Cerise. This was formerly called La Fermette, and I have always wanted to go there. I showed it to her, and voilà! Instead of going far north through the city traffic, we'd go far south to the more rural part of Davao.

Inside Tomate Cerise, Tacunan, Davao City

My father was a little sick, so he stayed home; it was only us sisters with Mama.

The distance was totally worth it. The place was cozy, the air fresh, the staff helpful, and the food nice and a bit different from the usual offerings of restaurants popping up around the city. If it didn't rain, we could have enjoyed the surrounding area a bit more.

A generous serving of salad. I didn't know I could just pick and eat bougainvillea flowers.

The highlight of the trip, however, was chatting with the drivers during our rides. The taxi driver going to Tacunan questioned our choice to travel that far just to have a snack. When the taxi entered the compound of the restaurant, he exclaimed, "Mura ma'g manukan!" (It looks like a chicken coop/farm!)

Our Grab driver going home detoured inside a subdivision in Catalunan Grande. It was where he grew up, and he pointed to the house of his father.

When we got home, my father told us Kuya Jay from Bohol visited. We invited him again to visit the following day.

* * *

From the Mass that day:

"Fasting is the prayer of the body," the priest said in his homily. He also added that this Lent, we should strive to fast from the 3Ps: pleasure, possession, and power.

I am grateful for another year. <3

Mergrande's Eco Park and thoughts on green spaces

My cousin had his early birthday celebration on Chinese New Year because it was a holiday. We were informed just the day before that it was going to be held at Mergrande Ocean Resort (formerly Villa Victoria). I got excited because I've always wanted to go back after they reopened in 2022. I filmed a walking tour the last time I visited.

During their pandemic closure, Mergrande added the Eco Park, which has among its features a koi pond, a gazebo with swings, an aviary dome, and my favorite, the maze-like Bougainvillea garden. (I recorded my short walk around the garden.)

Mergrande's bougainvillea garden and aviary dome

I expected a lot of people that day. Most of the visitors, however, gathered by the beach and the pool. So my sister and I had the Eco Park all to ourselves after the ladies ahead of us left. It was windy and peaceful, aside from the squawks of the parrots at the aviary. Otherwise, it was the perfect spot to escape the bustle of a party. I was glad my father and uncle followed us inside the park. They chatted while swinging in the gazebo.

How I wish Davao City had more green spaces within its urban area. I grew up here when the city still had a small-town feel, so whenever a tree-covered area was being replaced by a building/mall/subdivision, I always felt a kind of grief for the loss of trees.

In the 80s and early 90s, it was easy to be with nature. It was in our backyards or just a short walk away. Now, to get to the nearest ones would require public or private transportation (Shrine Hills, Mergrande, People's Park, Malagos, Eden in Toril) and they are few and far between. You'd have to go out of the city to visit, guess what, even more resorts! It's a shame public parks are not a thing here.

The Other Bennet Sister

So I finally read The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, my first book of the year! I particularly sought this out because of an upcoming BBC miniseries adaptation, and was lucky to find a secondhand copy in Shopee last year.

The Other Bennet Sister tells the story of Mary Bennet, the often overlooked middle sister from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The book is divided into five parts, with part 1 recounting her early childhood and the events of Pride and Prejudice told through Mary's eyes.

In this version, Hadlow gives us a background of why Mary became who she was in the original novel. As a child, she learned (from her own parents nonetheless!) that she had neither beauty, wit, nor charm. And she believed it, so much so that she eventually felt undeserving of anything good. As a result, she retreated into her books and music. This core belief is what drives the story. We follow Mary as she pursues her own path, slowly lets go of the lies she held on to, and finally learns to love herself. And in the process, she finds love, of course.

It's funny that as I was reading this book, I kept recalling things I'd learned from therapy and my readings about mental health. Terms like childhood trauma, emotional neglect... "Mary's aunt is teaching her to reframe her thinking"; "Mary's rewiring her brain", and so on... It felt like an example was laid out before me of how healing happens. And in Mary's case, it was through the help of good and healthy relationships, along with self-compassion, that she was finally able to come out of her shell. Mary definitely deserved her own happy ending.

The book is quite long (655 pages!), but if you love Jane Austen and do not mind reading derivative works or fan fiction, then this is for you.

Dónal Finn and Ella Bruccoleri in The Other Bennet Sister (BBC)

I also cannot wait for the TV series! The first-look photos and teaser released last December all looked promising. I'm so looking forward to watching Dónal Finn's (Mat Cauthon in A Wheel of Time) portrayal of Tom Hayward.

Snapshot of 2025, Hopes for 2026

How time flies! It's almost the end of January. I started the year a bit weak, but the Lord is merciful, I feel much better now.

The last year has not been good to me: my anxiety came back, and then I was diagnosed with endometriosis --- a bad combination for health anxiety. I was sick almost every month with either the flu or digestive issues.

I also got into talk therapy, which helped me somewhat to not lose my way to healing. But then I sometimes felt invalidated when my health issues were dismissed as just anxiety.

For my endometriosis, I was given medicine called dienogest, a synthetic progesterone, which helped ease menstrual pain. However, last December, I was bleeding almost every day. It was not heavy, but I got worried because I was prone to low hemoglobin.

So came early January, I went back to my gyn, but she only gave me more meds to stop the bleeding. I asked if I could stop dienogest, and she told me to just finish the remaining pack, which was not for another two weeks. I sought the advice of another gyn, same thing. The meds for bleeding worked for only two days, then it came back. After four more days of bleeding, I decided to stop dienogest and not finish the pack.

A day after stopping, I had like a regular period. By this time I was already pale, so aside from iron supplements, I made sweet potato tops juice, ate more iron rich food. Thankfully within five days the bleeding stopped.

I don't know how long it would take for my body "normalize". The doctors warned me the menstrual pain would come back and the cyst might grow. Yet I have been dealing with dysmenorrhea for more than 30 years now. I'm already in my 40s. I would rather choose a few more years of pain than taking medicine with all its side effects (mental health included).

I've read some success stories of lifestyle changes lessening pain and other symptoms. That's what I'm trying out right now. Maybe it will help, if not, then at least I tried.

Last year I was frozen, stalled, fearful. So I hope for a joyful, more active 2026. I always pray for guidance in this life full of uncertainties. It's a daily struggle, but as long as I'm making even the smallest progress everyday, then all is well. God bless us all!

Nostalgia for the old web

It is interesting how a health issue made me think of the things of the past. When I look back on my childhood, it is always the joy of simplicity that stands out. I felt nostalgic for simple times when we had less stuff; when people visited homes instead of restaurants to meet up; when we sent messages by mail or email and didn't expect instant replies. And in this age of social media, I especially missed the old web --- colorful and unique blogs and their lovely authors, hobby forums, GeoCities, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, and more.

And I found out I was not alone. When you google "nostalgia for the old web", there's a growing trend with several articles and Reddit threads written about it. It was last year that I read these two pieces:

• Why the Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore by Kyle Chayka
• I miss the internet: A love letter to webmasters and GeoCities by JA Westenberg

The website of Gavin DeGraw, one of my favorite singer-composers of the early 2000s, also looks like we're back in 2003, which is really cool. You should check it out!

 

Here's another one: google "GeoCities" and automatically the search results will be displayed in Comic Sans font.

Comic Sans font used on Google search results for GeoCities

 

Lastly, Miracoli Eucaristici, the website made by Blessed Carlo Acutis, along with his other web projects, is still up and looks to be in its original early 2000s design.

 

On health and peace of heart

I have never been comfortable being vulnerable, nor am I particularly good at expressing my feelings, but I wanted to talk about this at least once on this blog.

I’m one of those who developed anxiety during the pandemic. Although I have always been a nervous kid, I never imagined it could get worse. I’ve learned that I have become too comfortable with my way of life --- working from home, being surrounded by family, and having the comforts of life. I discovered I was weak, and that my faith needed some work.

2021 was brutal, at least for my nerves. We were flooded in April, and because of the damages, the family decided to elevate and renovate the house. I first noticed recurring palpitations and irregular heartbeat in June and had it checked.

In the following months, our living arrangement was, well, chaotic. It was not carefully planned before the construction commenced. And then it happened, I got covid in the last quarter of 2021, along with my sister. We were not allowed to stay in the house we were currently living in, but my sister was whisked off to a hotel managed by her employer while I had to go to a government facility. Our elderly parents were left to take care of the construction.

I really thought I would be fine because I was used to being on my own, but that was not the case. After a week inside the hotel room, I started having difficulty sleeping. I brought with me a blood pressure monitor and every day my bp and heart rate increased. Eventually, I started taking bp medicines. Because no doctor or nurse was allowed to see me, I asked to be transferred to a different facility, where nurses could monitor me and patients were allowed to go out of their rooms.

While inside the isolation facility, I also developed numbness throughout my body especially on the head, shoulders, and back, which made it even harder to sleep. It was only after I got out that I was able to get medicines to help relieve the symptoms...

Fast forward to today, I am still on my healing journey. While the world is back to normal, I lag behind trying to remember how it felt like before, trying to regain my health physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I have hope. I understand that events, people, and things that may make me nervous or scared will always be there. It is my inner disposition, how I react to these triggers, that is important.

Picture Jesus sleeping on the boat in the midst of a storm—an image of interior peace that can only be acquired through absolute confidence in God's providence. That kind of interior peace is my prayer, not just for me, but for all. It may take us a lifetime to get there, but, no worries. :)

“It is not the exterior circumstances that must change; it is above all our hearts that must change. They must be purified of their withdrawal into themselves, of their sadness, of their lack of hope: Happy are the pure in heart; they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). Happy are those whose hearts are purified by faith and hope, who bring to their lives a view animated by the certitude that, beyond appearances to the contrary, God is present, providing for their essential needs and that they lack nothing.” ~ Father Jacques Philippe (Searching for and Maintaining Peace)

Help me pray for all people struggling with anxiety. May God grant us the grace to look forward with hope and wonder!

♡ Julienne

Love-hate Relationship

"Love-hate relationship," started kuya Alfer. That was his relationship with his mom. He told us in the most honest, uninhibited eulogy I have ever witnessed.

Love-hate relationship -- that is me and my parents. But mostly love... I hope. So when I heard kuya Alfer relate his story, I started to cry, although I tried so hard not to. That was the first time I ever cried in a funeral, and I couldn't even get out of the packed canopy tent to hide my face because of the sudden rainfall on a sunny afternoon. In our own language, when it rains while the sun is out, we say there's a "Pista sa Langit" (Feast in Heaven). And there really was a celebration in Heaven that day because it also happened to be Mama Mary's birthday.

After a short while, I could hear a few sniffles here and there. What a relief! I was not alone then.

Thoughts on Rings of Power Season One

Gil-galad, Galadriel, and Elrond

[ Spoilers ahead ]

Some thoughts a week after The Rings of Power Season 1 finale:

• Before anything else, a big thank you to one of my dearest friends, my LOTR buddy! If not for your constant nudging, I wouldn't have watched the show on its premiere release (I initially planned to watch it after all episodes were up).
• While the overall production was pretty solid, the pacing and writing could use some improvement. There were a lot of memorable dialogues this season, and some I'd rather just erase from memory. I really hope they work on this next season.
• Still about the writing --- I am aware it didn't closely follow the lore, and I still have to read The Silmarillion (done ordering a copy of the book), but from what I've gathered and what others have also noted, the backstories clarified each character's intentions and gave the plot more depth. Will find out soon enough. Whatever the case may be, I'm sure I will like the book as it is, and the show as it is, just as I was fine with the changes made to the Lord of the Rings. I'm just happy I get to see more of Tolkien's world.
  
• Character development I am most looking forward to for the whole series: Elrond and Isildur. Young Isildur seems idealistic and sweet, but also stubborn, reckless, and lost. I already feel sad for him. ROP Elrond, on the other hand, is considerably different from the LOTR movies version, but more consistent with the books, and I love it. Will this Elrond eventually become like movies Elrond?
• Again, I adore Elrond! (Now that I think about it, Robert Aramayo has played two favorite characters now: young Ned Stark from Game of Thrones, and now young Elrond.)
• I have watched the show twice as of posting. Will be watching again as soon as I have free time and probably more times before season 2 drops. Patience, patience...
• I've missed you Middle-earth! <3

Elrond

Favorite Scenes

• Elrond meeting Disa for the first time
• Arondir and company fighting for the old tree
  
• The Singing: Disa's plea to the rocks and Poppy's This Wandering Day
• Adar bidding farewell to the sun
• Isildur and Galadriel waiting for the sunrise
• Isildur and Elendil catching up after the battle
• Conversation of Galadriel and Theo (Galadriel's turning point)
• Elrond and Durin mining for mithril
• The Stranger VS the Mystics
• Galadriel and Halbrand's confrontation

Favorite Music Themes

• Main Title
  
• Khazad-dûm
  
• Númenor
  

Favorite Lines

"My father single-handedly sailed to Valinor, and convinced the Valar to join the war and vanquish Morgoth. So great were his deeds that the Valar lifted him beyond the bounds of this world to forever carry the Evening Star across the sky. For many years, at days end, I would look up at it wondering what might he think if he were watching me. Would he be proud of what I've accomplished with his legacy? Or disappointed by the countless ways I'd failed to live up to it? But then, one night, it struck me that I would be only too happy to hear any judgment, so long as it granted me the opportunity to have but one more conversation with my father. Do not waste what time you have left with yours." - Elrond's speech on his father

”Hope is never mere, Elrond, even when it is meager” - Gil-galad

“Where there is love it is never truly dark. How could it not grow... in a home like yours?” - Elrond

"Because a burden shared may either be halved or doubled, depending on the heart that receives it." - Elrond

"Despise not the labor which humbles the heart. Humility has saved entire kingdoms the proud have all but led to ruin." - Galadriel

"What cannot be known hollows the mind. Fill it not with guesswork." - Galadriel

“What kind of father would I be if I teach our children the will of a king should be counted as dross to be cast to the wind?” - Durin IV

"We do not say goodbye. We say Namárië. It means more than simply farewell. It means 'go towards goodness.'" - Elrond

"I admire all who can see into the mystery of things, who can divine from the plainness of what is, the beauty of what could be." - Celebrimbor

"There is a fateful hour in the destinies of men. An hour of judgment, in which each of us, every one, must decide who we shall be." - Miriel

Zombie Dream

Zombie Detective

Zombie Detective's first episode reminded me of a dream I had a year ago. In the drama, the zombie woke up retaining human consciousness, although unable to speak. And his first few days were spent contemplating his current state and what brought him there. His thoughts, or because he HAD thoughts, were what brought me back to the early hours of September 2, 2020, when I almost turned into a zombie...

I found myself in a room full of people who were hiding from zombies. There were two classroom doors (the ones with glass) and a big hall outside. I was guarding one of the doors when outsiders --- two kids, two men, and a woman --- rushed into the hall. There were zombies, too, but they were not yet attacking the people clamoring to be let in.

The people with me agreed to open the doors simultaneously. Then when we opened the doors, there was suddenly a struggle, and out of nowhere, my hand was bitten by a female zombie. I didn't have a choice; the classroom people had to let me go.

When I got out, I saw another room full of people inside the single-storey building. One by one, the zombies went out of the building until only two of us were left. I was determined to make the last zombie leave. As a distraction, I banged and locked one of the exit doors of the building (again, there were two). And startled by the sound, she got out of the door nearest her. I got out after her and locked the door behind me. The people inside were now safe.

I looked back at the building. I supposed no one would be watching or go looking for me as I had no family there. I decided to await my transformation quietly under a tree just a short distance away...

In the movie #Alive, a bitten man was fighting his transformation. He knew it was inevitable, yet his mental state was borne out of fear of becoming a zombie. Mine was of sadness. It was one of those dreams that made me cry when I woke up. I cried thinking about how it was going to be a lonely, slow death. I guess it also represented the events of this pandemic, and a realization that eventually we all die alone.

Keep safe.

P.S. I forgot about Warm Bodies. I liked that, too.

Family Trip at Eden Nature Park

Photo by my sister Jamie

When I was young, we always had family outings with cousins to the beaches. Because we lived just a few kilometers away from two of the most popular beach resorts** in Davao City in the 80s, we just walked. We would start early in the morning and pass by rows of tall coconut trees. Our humble breakfast by the sea consisted of canned sardines in tomato sauce paired with loaves of bread.

By the time I reached high school, these trips eventually stopped happening. The beaches near home became more polluted and were replaced by the white sands of Samal Island. Our family of five only had opportunities to visit beaches and resorts on reunions or other important events. We've never had a family vacation with just the five of us, ever --- until this August.

It was the Sunday after all of us got fully vaccinated. I booked a day trip to Eden Nature Park & Resort, an 80-hectare mountain resort in Toril, where I wanted to film my walk. I was expecting a sunny day because the first half of the week was clear and hot until it rained hard three days before our scheduled visit. It stayed cloudy with some showers till the end of the week. Thankfully, it didn't rain while we were at the resort. Instead, we were greeted by a lot of fog.

My father always expressed interest in fishing so, I chose Eden's consumable Fishing Village Package. He caught four tilapias and had them deep-fried. Meanwhile, my siblings and I had our walk through the park. We took the long and ascending road to one of the sights, which, I found out later, can be reached by a shortcut. My mom only rested thru the day and walked about just a little because of her knee pain. But when she thanked me, it made my day! Next time, I will look for a place with flatter terrain.

**Both Times and Bonguyan Beaches are now blocked by the new coastal road.

Late Bloomer

After more than ten years, this dragon fruit has finally flowered!

Originally planted by a neighbor, it crossed over our back fence and crawled up to another neighbor's wall and roof. But because this thorny plant was all over the place, we decided to cut it down, except for a short unreachable branch left on the other neighbor's rooftop. Without roots on the ground, it continued to grow hanging down the wall. And just days before I took this photo, we noticed a little bud.

I didn't know that the dragon fruit is a night-blooming cactus. It was my father who luckily found the flower blooming one night last May. Who would not take out the camera for this?

After this bears fruit, we would take it down for good to protect the neighbor's property from damage.

 

Bike Dream

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

There were four of us biking in town, and I was third in line. The last one was a boy who was supposed to be a younger cousin. While on the road we chanced upon news that a relative of ours would be featured on television. Both of us got excited and talked about it while riding side-by-side. At the end of our conversation, the boy exclaimed how great the news was. I agreed. Because I thought our little chat ended, I moved in front of him again.

For a second time, the boy repeated his last sentence, "Isn't it great, ate?" And once again I replied, "O." (Yes.) I moved farther ahead trying to avoid the boy. But once I turned a corner, I heard the same thing, so I just said "O" without looking back. I was pretty sure the boy was out of hearing by now, but this time his voice came out reverberating around me, "Isn't it great, ate?" I got a nervous hunch, so I stopped, then told the two other guys to wait. However, I went back for the boy too late... That's when I woke up.

It was one of those dreams that made me pause and think. What did it want to tell me? The boy was not someone I knew in real life. His face was unfamiliar, yet he represented the family.

I don't like repeating myself, and in the dream, I chose to ignore my cousin to keep from being irritated. I guess the point was for me to learn to listen even if I am hearing the same thing for the hundredth time. My parents are now in their 60s, and it won't take long before they start to be like normal old people and repeat their stories. I would need to remind myself of this dream and be patient.

(May 23, 2021)

Scrap Yarns and a Fair Isle-Inspired Crochet Beanie

It has been almost a year since I had a finished crochet project. The largest I've made was a grey granny square cardigan, which unfortunately came out short. Perhaps someone smaller than my size would be happy to have it.

Last year I had this urge to minimize my possessions, to focus on the essential things, and let go of unnecessary distractions. I didn't need a Marie Kondo to organize my life because I have always done what she was teaching. I was never a hoarder and kept everything simple. But I still felt the need to pare down a lot of things, including lists, projects, and online presence.

So I started with the easiest: books and craft supplies. I have been gradually donating my books and reducing my reading list to the ones I really want to read. No more pressure from peers and "books everyone should read" lists.

Fair Isle-inspired crochet beanie

Next, I started to gather my leftover yarns and looked for projects that could use all those up. The first one was a Fair Isle-inspired crochet beanie. This took a long time to finish because I had no idea how to do it. It's not perfect, nevertheless looks pretty when worn by my sister.

I have another ongoing scrap crochet project, but it looks lousy; I don't know if I can save it. We'll see.

Stay safe, everyone!