Dartegnian's Mood Calendar

Monday at work

Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Poblacion, Makati

I finally finished a bunch of my mood calendar entries today and I managed to clear my backlog. Even though it came at the cost of my sleep, I'm still glad I got to get it all and done with. After that, I planned to sleep, but I didn't actually get any sleep lol. I ended up being awake until the morning. I had this extreme anxiety and I couldn't really do anything about it like use my Mac because already turned it off nor use my main iPhone because it was charging. Eventually, morning rolled around and my sister got to massage my head and temples because I had this horrible headache going on, and I got sleep for around 2 hours or so. When I woke up, I was super groggy but I had food. I still had to go to the office today so I pushed through getting ready regardless of how tired I was. I eventually got to arrive in the office just fine, but it was so damn hot out. And it wasn't even close to high noon! The heat was insane and the Angkas rider even commented on how hot it was. For the rest of my time in the office, I just plowed through my usual start-of-the-week tasks. I had lunch out with my coworkers. We all ordered from the same fried chicken store, because why not, and my coworker and I also got some “coffee” even though they got a pistachio drink and I got a matcha one. I don't know why, but the service today was extremely slow, both for the food and for the drink. My coworker, who only ordered a little bit ahead of me, got his drink first and it significantly took a while before I got my drink and food. I just had to scarf down my meal so I could run back to the office for my meeting. After that, not much else happened. I tried sleeping at the sleeping quarters, but found it uncomfortable. I did feel a bit rested even though I was only there for 10 minutes or so. After work, I eventually talked enough to my coworker to convince him to get dinner at Koobideh Kebabs with me. We walked all the way there and just talked about work stuff. They also asked why I wanted to go there, and I just told them that it's been a while and that Jaze and I went to Poblacion before, only to eat *pares* and not here. We eventually got there after a bit of walking and we just ate and talked more about work. We used the hell out of the sauces served, though, and I loved the taste of their *biryani* rice. I even ordered another plate of *biryani* rice because it was just that good. I felt so full afterwards but it was honestly worth it, despite knowing I'm going to be burping like hell for the entire evening after this. We went to 7-Eleven nearby, and I bought some snacks (which I didn't even eat). I walked with them to their hotel just so I could complete my exercise rings today and then booked a ride home. For the late evening, I didn't do much aside from talk to Mon for a while. It was a funny coincidence how we both wanted a relationship and safe space, and also eerie how she just posted about it yesterday and I mentioned it today. But I'm sure it's just nothing but a funny coincidence. I sent some messages to someone but they didn't reply so I just worked on a new feature for my site which was just basic RSS functionality. It was long overdue, especially with 3 years' worth of journal entries, but I'm glad to have it done and deployed to production after fixing some minor issues.

Song of the day: Pretty Please by Heart2Hearts

Hard-Knock Life

Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Sunday, I just spent it at home and I just tried to make the most of my weekend by being productive. I told someone about my plans for today and I mostly just talked to them on and off about some stuff. I also mostly just listened to their life problems. I also began work on updating an old Material 3 Expressive redesign that I planned on my own. I got take-out for myself since my sister was out for the day and I also got myself some Monster Energy Drink, as well as some Dr. Pepper since I was surprised it was available, and that I haven't had it since my last day in Korea that was months ago. I mostly just worked on my personal website up until the evening. It got really frustrating to not do all of this myself, and it just made me realize that I like doing development on my own projects by myself. Eventually, my sister arrived after I booked a ride for her, and she got me that USB C to DisplayPort that I immediately hooked up to my MacBook and monitor so I could enjoy the full 180HZ refresh rate. I talked to Mom for a bit, and then kept talking to someone into the evening. After that, I mostly just finished my journal entries and wrapped up on development for the day.

Song of the day: It's The Hard-Knock Life by Quvenzhané Wallis, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Nicolette Pierini, Eden Duncan-Smith & Amanda Troya

Journal entry for Saturday, May 23rd, 2026

Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Saturday had me and Jaze still out in Makati. We eventually got to The Original Pares Mami House Retiro, which we learned is a franchise of the same restaurant we kept visiting near Manila. I was honestly shocked, but also glad since they probably have the same *pares* recipe as the original place. We place our orders, some *beef pares*, *siomai*, and I wanted to be different so I got us stuffed shrimp. I quickly notice that the recipe was almost exactly the same, but Jaze says that it tastes a bit more watery compared to the original. We ate the other side dishes, but I couldn't eat much of the stuffed shrimp because it wasn't my thing, and Jaze didn't eat much, too, since apparently he had some seafood allergy that I just learned now. Afterward, we just had the food for take-out and went to Assi Fresh Plaza to just chill and grab some drinks. I got some snacks, and I just munched on them as Jaze was telling me of the latest drama that was going on in our Discord, which just shocks me because it seemed a bit extreme. But apparently it's just some minor stuff that'll blow over in a few days. We wrap it up after that and I eventually got back home safe. For the day, I didn't plan on much aside from catching up on my journal entries. I booked a ride to Starbucks 32nd Street and worked on some stuff, but for some reason I just couldn't finish my entries. I just parked them for now and eventually got dinner by myself. I tried to find a USB C to DisplayPort cable, that I know for sure Datablitz sells, but they said that they were all out of. When I stepped out, it apparently had started raining, and I was immediately glad that I brought my Cinnamoroll today. I walked down to One Bonifacio High Street and ate at Cafe Mediterranean since I was craving Mediterranean food anyway. I took a few photos and sent them to Mon, which she teased me about, but I enjoyed my food a lot. I **LOVED** the *lamb gyro* and I guess I just love lamb that much. I had some brownies, and had the leftover of my appetizer for take-out. I tried to look for a USB C to DisplayPort cable, but I couldn't find any so I just booked a ride home and then got some well-deserved rest.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Friday, May 22nd, 2026

Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday was pretty okay, I mostly just focused on work today and had the entire day to myself. I ordered some take-out for my sister and I in the afternoon because I wanted us to get some cold snacks. I also deleted my CMB profile because it was mostly useless at this point. Work came and went after I finished my remaining tasks for the week. In the evening, I mostly just waited for Jaze but I also talked to my other IMC friends. I reactivated an old Facebook account for mine and sent some of the pictures from that account. I also found an old classmate's address and I told Jaze that we could visit them in the future if we ever wanted. But I mostly just relived some nostalgia from that old account. After a while, Jaze arrived and we planned to go to Makati instead of BGC because it was getting boring to Jaze. I decided that we also try Koobideh Kebabs since it was good there, but Jaze opted for the *pares* house that had a similar name to the one we always ate at in Manila. We eventually drove there on Jaze's motorcycle.

Song of the day: Nobody's Son by Sabrina Carpenter

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Here we go again, crying in bed, what a familiar feeling
All my friends in love, and I'm the one they call for a third wheeling

Journal entry for Thursday, May 21st, 2026

Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Thursday was pretty chill. I mostly just spent it at home and talked to someone. We watched Good Boy (2025) but the pacing was too slow for someone since they said that they “could hear themselves think,” and we ultimately dropped it. We were on a call during my breaktime. But then eventually I had to focus on work. For the evening, I mostly just watched them play Kulo Niku, which was kind of similar to the cat cafe game that they were already playing, and I fiddled with my chair in the evening because it didn't support my properly. I ultimately gave up and that was it.

Rockwell Eating Out!

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Rockwell, Makati

I had to work on-site today and I started my day bright and early enough. I booked a ride to the office. I got there fine and I had just set up my stuff. I just focused on my major tasks today and pretty much had lunch out with my coworkers. During this time, I also opened up to someone that it's been getting difficult since I have a bit of money troubles and that I've been giving them so much money since September. It was kind of a heated discussion and it went on as I was having lunch out with coworkers, but thankfully it kind of simmered down when I told them my upcoming plan for it. Still, it was fun and having my coworkers there lightened up my mood since they were just teasing another coworker. After lunch, we just went back to our respective desks and I focused on my tasks for the day. In the evening, we met up with one other coworker in the office and decided that today would be the day us 3 got ramen together. I was happy to hear it since I wanted to have dinner out with my coworkers anyway, and eating out after work is the reason why I like going to the office in the first place. We decided to have ramen in Ramen Ron in Rockwell, and they even teased me to book a ride to Ramen Ron in BGC, but we still got a ride to Rockwell. I eventually got us a ride there and we were eventually there after a while. I forgot the name of my dish, but it was their best-seller supposedly. I ordered a side of noodles, too, since I expected that I'd eat a lot. We ate for a bit and I'm not sure if my coworkers liked it, but one definitely didn't. They also got made fun of because they didn't know that the paste would be similar to *gochujang*. I mostly laugh at it and laugh at him for making that mistake, but after that we just walk and talk until we get to our next stop, which was Wildflour Cafe. It was just in time that we got there because they had their usual 50% off pastries. I managed to snag the last cookie, which was a red velvet cookie, and it was funny because the girl behind me was supposed to get that. I visibly heard her cry out a bit when I told the server that I would get that cookie. I got one more pastry and then we just ate inside the restaurant to eat it. After a while, we were directed outside because the indoor seats were reserved for diners, and we were directed out by a nice waitress. I tell my coworkers that the waitress looked pretty and sweet and they tease me to her. After that, we just talk amongst ourselves and I got to open up to my coworker about my dating life since he didn't know about it. I told him how I liked this girl and how I gave her a Google Pixel, and then how I don't like her anymore. Then they get into this heated argument about meeting up in Cubao, but how their stories differed from each other. It was a funny argument to just be a listener in. We spend quite a bit of time just talking amongst each other. Eventually, my coworker had to leave and we booked a ride back to the office because we left our stuff there. My coworker books a ride this time and we eventually get back to the office. I just pack up my stuff and then my coworker and I sit next to our coworker and I open up about the girl. They shared their story and experience with that person and it surprised me that they agreed to be my wingman, even though I didn't really have any plans of approaching that girl. They tease me about that girl for a bit, but eventually my coworker and I decide to leave since it was getting late. For the rest of the evening, I just walked with my coworker and accompanied him back to the hotel they're staying at since I promised I'd walk with them if they also went back to the office. We just talked and I mostly asked them about work stuff and work drama. I just wanted to get my steps in and we eventually got to their hotel. I booked a ride home after that and just chilled for the time being.

Song of the day: Cum on Feel the Noize by Quiet Riot

Lyrics that resonated with me:
So come on, feel the noise
Girls, rock your boys
We'll get wild, wild, wild
Wild, wild, wild
Come on, feel the noise
Girls, rock your boys
We'll get wild, wild, wild

Journal entry for Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

Tuesday was pretty boring. I mostly just talked to someone and spent the day at home. I had work today which just came and went.

Song of the day: STYLE by Heart2Hearts

Journal entry for Monday, May 18th, 2026

Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Mon and I stay for a while at Starbucks and we honestly just pass by the time there until we decide that it's getting too late and Mon and I walk from Starbucks to a bench in front of Adidas. We just wait for a while as Mon books a ride first, and we just talk about life stuff until her ride arrived and picks her up. I just stay for a while and it takes me quite a while to get a ride and Mon asks me to send photos that I took of her, which I do. Mon tells me that she found one photos of us cute, which was flattering because I didn't think that it was a good photo of me. I eventually booked a ride home and then got rest after that. For today, I just had work and it was a pretty normal, chill day in the office. I actually just had lunch by myself and work passed by as quickly as it had started. When I got home, I was bored so I just watched Ocean's Eleven (2001) by myself. I liked it a bit, but I kind of expected more. I guess it was revolutionary at the time, but it didn't really stick out that much to me. Further in the evening, I just talked to someone and they revealed that they had an iPhone Air as well, we both have the same phone, in the same color, and in the same case, which honestly just surprised me. I kept talking to them about life stuff as their flight was delayed due to the weather.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Sunday and working with Mon!

Sun, 17 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Uptown and Mitsukoshi Mall, BGC

Sunday was finally Mon's day and it's actually the last day of my long weekend of just spending it with friends. Mon talked to me about changing plans and that we should just not push through with going to MoA today and I decided on someplace else instead. I found a good cafe in BGC, which was Key Coffee Kissaten inside Mitsukoshi Mall, and we agreed to that. I watched Fast Five (2011) just to pass the time and then I got some well-deserved sleep after that. I didn't do much in the morning and I just slept for most of it and then prepared to leave in the afternoon. It took me a while to book a ride to Mitsukoshi Mall, but I eventually got a ride and I told Mon that I was on the way. Mon got there first, though, and she said that she would be at the food court so she could start work on something. I eventually got there after a few minutes and then found Mon sitting by herself and on her tablet. I was surprised that she just sat at a random restaurant's seat because she didn't order anything. I found it funny and then we talked like usual. It's also coincidental that I passed by the cafe we were supposed to go to, so I got my name noted down for a reservation and then we walked around to explore. Mon kept pulling on my arm like usual and we went to Fully Booked to check out a few things. A cute wallet that looks like a PlayStation 3 controller catches my eye but I hold off on buying it as I get a phone call. It was the restaurant and they told me that a table was free for us, so we went downstairs so we could sit at our table. We get seated at a small circular table which seemed a bit too busy for comfort. We both ordered a few things, Mon gets that drink that she wants and I try out that interesting drink I saw. We also order some food, but we get our drinks first and we bring out our respective devices and do our things for a while as we wait for the food to be served. We take a few pictures before the food finally arrives and then we eat, while Mon talks about her experiences with work and what she's been doing lately, which was nice to hear. We talk until we decide to get our desserts and then Mon tells me more about her experiences and we actually take a while to finish our dessert, even though we both liked this matcha-mochi-mango-thing. I pay for our food and then we went inside Mitsukoshi Mall itself to just see the other stores inside. Mon and I visit Fully Booked and I bought a book about learning Spanish, while Mon just checks out the other books and manga inside. I also talked to someone for a bit during this time and I explained how I don't have feelings for Mon anymore, and how I didn't even have a crush on her, both of which were her false assumptions about me. After buying the books, Mon and I take a pic of us together and it was pretty cute. We went to Daiso and I bought this funny pouch that had a cat's face on it. After that, Mon and I walked to Uptown because we just wanted a proper place where we can just focus on our stuff. We tried visiting the Starbucks there, but it was full. It was also strange that we passed by an ongoing mass, but we went inside the mall and then hung out at the Muji there because they had proper seats, and we eventually found a nice spot there which had comfortable seats. Mon focused on her stuff while I finished off some of Friday's journal entries. We also settled on watching a movie, which would be Midnight Girls (2026), and I bought us tickets for it. We focused on our respective tasks for a while, and a I took a few photos of Mon, too. After that was done, we eventually went to see the movie, which had quite a bit of people watching, too. The movie was pretty nice, we found it funny and it's also funny how it opened up with a song I completely knew, which Mon definitely cringed at because I was singing it. The movie was pretty emotional, so that was nice. It got pretty late by the time the movie finished. Mon suggested that we go “Lawson-hunting” like we did before, and we bought a few things at Lawson. I wanted to try out their chicken skin, which was just okay. Mon and I walk for a while more, and Mon says that she misses walks like these because we just talk about random shit, but also serious topics, during our whole walk. I also feel the same way because I miss just walking and talking with a friend. Mon shares some story of her coworker which I just listen to, and we eventually arrive at my 3rd place, which was Starbucks on 32nd Street. We find a seat that's surprisingly the same place we stayed at in our first hangout. We stay there for a bit more as the next day comes along.

Song of the day: Just The Way You Are by Milky

Afternoon visit to Festival Mall

Sat, 16 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Festival Mall, Alabang

Saturday started with me and Jaze finally arriving in Taguig after our very long trip from Cavite. The ride back form Cavite was actually the easy part as there was little to no traffic. We decided to go to Assi Fresh Plaza and we got drinks at 7-Eleven first. We orderd our usual Mountain Dew Gulp drinks and then went to Assi Fresh Plaza to check out the place, and also since it had air conditioning. The aircon there wasn't actually cold today, and we really needed a place to just chill out and stuff. We decided to go to the 2nd floor at 7-Eleven, but when we got there, it was closed. So we just decided to drink our drinks outside like usual. I came up with the idea that I should charge my stuff and so I asked if we could go to the Starbucks down the street. Jaze agreed and we brought our stuff from there. When we got there, though, it was closed and then I asked if we could go to the one on 32nd Street instead, since I knew that would be open at this time, and so we went there. When we got there, they thankfully had motorcycle parking, but it was totally full inside. Jaze couldn't find a seat for the 2nd floor, and we decided to hang out at the community table instead. And then I still tried to find a seat at the 2nd floor, thankfully one opened up as I got there and we were able to get seated. One was near an outlet, too, so I used that opportunity to charge my stuff. We stayed for a bit for my items to charge, and funny enough I actually had the slow cable hooked up to the power bank the whole time. It's just a funny blunder and I was able to correct it enough for me to be able to charge a bit faster by the end. We then decided to end the day there and Jaze dropped me off after I got Jaze some gas. For the day, I only had my hangout with Naomi and Jane planned out. I didn't do much from the time between that so I just went to Festival Mall after spending some time in the house. I eventually got to Festival Mall and I eventually met Naomi and her girlfriend Jane. We walked around for a while, then I suggested that we go to Starbucks so I could get a drink. I treated them both to some Starbucks and I listened to them talk about the things they've been up to lately and it was nice to also share some stories of my trip to Korea. After that, I had the idea that we should do some end-of-year thing like book a hotel room and go clubbing in Poblacion since I'm familiar with the area, or go to EK. I let Naomi think about it and then we walked around for a bit. Naomi showed the Samgyupsalamat restaurant and we even went to this wide open area with a fake river or something, which surprisingly had some fish. I was surprised because the water didn't look clear enough to have fish, so that caught me off guard. I saw a weird fish in the water and I was thinking whether or not it's dead, and Jane also started at it for a bit before we realized that it's actually dead. It kinda spooked me but it was just interesting to see some fish here. We walked around a bit more and it was getting really hot because I wore the “cold outfit” I had back in Korea. I had a jacket on, and it sucked because I wasn't able to wear the intended shirt for this because it had some bird shit in it. We walked for a bit more, then decided to try the rollercoaster since the line wasn't that long. I was able to bring my iPhone Air with me along the ride because I had a strap for it, and it was a fun, but short ride. I'm glad it went for 2 loops because the track wasn't that long. I didn't expect much, but it was thrilling as far as small rollercoasters went. It made me miss my T Express ride back in Everland Korea, though. We walked for a bit more after that, then we decided where to eat and then Jane grabbed some take-out from a restaurant that her sister used to work at. We initially decided on *samgyeopsal* but Naomi said that it was out of budget, so we settled on Burger King, then we changed out idea after finally settling on that Thai restaurant that Jane got food from. I mostly just listened to Naomi talk about her and Jane's experience, and other things that they've been up to. We walked for a bit more, but we didn't really do much else aside from walk to the pickup/drop-off point in the east wing of the mall. Naomi and Jane booked a ride for themselves, and that's where I started getting a ton of hiccups, for no reason. I think it's because the Thai food was too spicy and that I didn't get that much water earlier. Naomi and Jane had a bit of confusion regarding the pickup point, and so did I because I had several drivers cancel on me before having one that did. By this time, we had all gotten rides home and then that's where we parted ways for the night. For the late evening, nothing much happened as I got home. It did rain, which was nice, but I mostly just enjoyed my time by scrolling on IG Reels and talking to a few friends. Nathan gave me some Miku candy thing because he went to this event, and it was pretty nice of him to do so. I asked him to hang out next week Saturday and he agreed, but not now because it was raining like hell. I made my sister try one out but she wasn't a fan of it because she dislikes the flavor. I stayed up and kept on browsing until the next day rolled in.

Song of the day: Pretty Please by Heart2Hearts

Night outing with Jaze and Foz

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Cavite

Friday started out with me actually staying awake for almost the whole night. I was just honestly so bored and I didn't have much to do, but I mostly just did random stuff and killed time. I also talked to someone for a bit, but it was mostly about random topics that didn't mean anything. After that, I was able to sleep and time in for work. I mostly just finished off the week's tasks since it was a Friday and time just passed. Come the afternoon, the power went out and I got notified that it would take until the evening for the power to get restored. I was surprised that we finally got hit with the rotating blackout thing. I just informed my teammates that I'll be making up some time later. I called up Jaze and told him that we should leave soon, and then my sister got ready as well since she wanted to get out of the house. I got ready, had some cereal, and then waited for Jaze to arrive. Jaze eventually arrives at my house and we both head off to Venice Grand Canal as a kind of stopover before we fully head out to Cavite to meet Foz. Jaze noticed that the power had gone out and that they were using the diesel generators, and he asked if the power was out and the guard confirmed it. We were just at the food court and Jaze had wanted to eat at SNR anyway, but I suggested that we got to Starbucks first to get a few drinks before eating, since the trip there would take a while anyway. We got a few drinks and talked amongst each other for a while, and I got to charge my devices before leaving since I felt like I would need to charge anyway. We took a while there because Foz didn't want us to go so early anyway. After a while, we finish our drinks and go to SNR at the food court. We stood in line, which took quite a while, and I talk to Jaze about some nutrition stuff that he might know about. We eventually get our orders in and find a table that's next to this Japanese couple. Jaze recommended that I get the beef hotdog, which I did, and it was honestly pretty good. We ate for a while there and Jaze packs his food up because he couldn't finish his pasta. Then we head to Cavite which would take quite a while. The drive there was pretty okay, even though I was just on a motorcycle. We passed by this sign that said “Love the Philippines” or something, which was at NAIA, and it totally brought back my memory of leaving for South Korea. It actually broke my heart because I remembered that flight so clearly and it just made me miss the day I left for my vacation in Korea. The trip went on for longer but we eventually reach Dunkin' which was someplace in Cavite. It was actually the first time I've been to Cavite, or at least this part of it. Jaze parks for a bit but Foz recommends that we go to where his car is currently parked. We then drive for a bit more to see where Foz is and we stay inside his car for a bit to cool off because it was cold inside. Foz borrowed my iPhone Air to check it out and I look around his car's dashboard while I was sitting in the passenger's seat. Foz shows Jaze the many features of his car and the things he's done to it, as well as outfitting it with a new exhaust which was pretty loud. After a while of Foz showing off his car, we went to the nearby food stalls which were similar to the ones Jaze and I have been to around McKinley Hill. We stroll through and check out the booths before we settled on getting shakes, and I got some fried food because why not. The signal was pretty dead here, which was kind of difficult for me because I relied on it to pay for my food. But eventually thing's were okay and we ate for a bit while talking about random stuff. We drove off to the restaurant because Foz had already ordered for us. Jaze took the motorcycle and essentially tailed us, while I sat in the passenger's seat and took many videos as Foz sped and drove pretty crazily. The trip took a while, and we passed by a KKK memorial, which was pretty interesting because Cavite wasn't mentioned much and didn't seem like a big historical landmark, but it was interesting to see a memorial here nonetheless. We eventually arrive at Al-Bayt because Foz is good friends with the cook here. Foz just talks to the cook and owner while Jaze teases me about something he saw, that I was already looking at. The place we wanted to stay at was affected by a power outage, so we went off somewhere else. On the way there, Foz tells me how he's gotten close to the store there and it was a cool story to hear. We eventually settled on a McDonald's nearby and Foz orders a coke float or something while we eat some of the food we ordered. The food we got was really nice, I liked the different flavors and how it was really flavorful. It's been a while since I had middle-eastern food, so that was nice. We enjoyed our food but we couldn't finish it all. We took a few pictures, but we eventually went on our separate ways because it was getting dark. One thing Jaze and I noticed as we were heading back was how short everything was, and Foz never really got to share his story, which was the reason why we headed to Cavite in the first place. We still drove back and decided to stop at Assi Fresh Plaza so we can just chill down and stuff.

Journal entry for Thursday, May 14th, 2026

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Thursday was more fun than yesterday. I got a good amount of sleep today, which was 7 hours. My morning started slow, though, and I was mostly just doing work for most of the day. I ordered Mang Inasal with my sister, which was nice, and then I talked to Mon for a bit for an idea she has to work together soon. I just listened and agreed because it seems cool. I talked to other friends and someone too, but that was only to just listen to them talk about their day. For the evening, I was pretty bored after work. I didn't know what to do but I wanted to watch a fun movie. I thought about going out again but I just couldn't decide if any of the movies now showing were any good. So I just decided to watch Project Hail Mary (2026) which piqued my interest but I couldn't watch as I was in Korea at the time. I watched Project Hail Mary and Foz asked me how I watched it, but continued to watch the whole film. I absolutely loved it and it even made me a bit teary-eyed at times. It reminded me a bit about Interstellar and I've been interested in watching space movies again, so this was pretty cool. I pretty much ended my day after that.

Song of the day: Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

Meh?

Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was pretty straightforward. I wasn't able to sleep much because I was having acid attacks and burping while sleeping. I slept for only 2 hours or so, funny enough. I was just working from home and my sister made breakfast, even though I didn't feel like eating yet. She also needed her room cooled because she locked her windows because it was so noisy outside, which led to my room being pretty hot and not properly cooled the whole day, but it was fine. I just had work in the morning. For the afternoon, I didn't do much aside from focus on my job. I eventually finished all my tasks and timed out for work, and then I watched the new episode of The Boys. It was pretty “meh” and I didn't know what to feel from it. Also, I asked Jaze if we were still down to go out tonight but he had other stuff so I just decided to watch a movie alone. I watched In The Grey (2026) at Venice Grand Canal and I really just wanted a reason to take my new iPhone Air out for a try and the movie was okay. I expected some kind of Now You See Me-type stuff or Ocean's Eleven, but nothing too spectacular. What's funny and creepy about it was that it was just me in the movie theater alone **AGAIN**. This totally reminds me of my time when I watched Tron: Ares last year. It was creepy! I was the only person watching the film in the entire movie theater, which was funny but also sad. It kind of reminded me of that IG Reel where a guy was alone the whole day and didn't talk to anyone. I did like some scenes and then had to go out with some people, which made me feel less alone. I had Army Navy and then went home, I mostly just talked to someone and asked them about their Davao trip and how disastrous their day had been going before sleeping. Today was still nice because I got to talk with a few friends, like Kai, Naomi, someone, Frits, and even Jaze for a bit. I also just remembered that I had upcoming plans for the weekend with Naomi and Kai, too, which was funny because I totally forgot since it wasn't on my calendar.

Song of the day: You'll Be In My Heart by NIKI

An iPhone Air So Soon?

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Tuesday was definitely one of the weirdest Tuesdays I've ever had. I slept early last night, mostly because I was really tired, and I woke up really early, which is a first. I talked to my sister for a while to check out her phone and then she made breakfast for us. I just spent some parts of my morning at home and I just chilled for a good while until I decided it was time to leave. I was surprised to arrive in the office so early, and I got there just in time as my coworkers were just arriving. I did my usual round of morning stuff and then we got coffee that was just a long walk full of joking around and stuff. I got some new drink named Madagascar, or something, and we decided to have lunch since we were already nearby. We had lunch since it was cheap and pretty filling there. One of our coworkers wanted chicken and we saw that they had a bucket full of them, so we ordered those and split the bill amongst the 3 of us. The chicken flavors were nice, I think we like garlic parmesan the most. The others had separate dishes while we were eating. By the time we were back, we were really full so I was pretty glad we got to walk around for a bit. For the afternoon, it was pretty boring as I just focused on clearing a lot of stuff for work and focusing on things. I also helped out my teammates, especially the ones I were with earlier. But the afternoon passed and we just had *merienda* at the end of it. I wanted to buy more food, since I didn't plan on having dinner, but one of my coworkers said that they'll be having dinner, so I decided to tag along with them. We decided to have dinner at Taiwan Chicken and we walked there. We took the route that I knew, which didn't go through any places that had air conditioning, and I decided to walk upstairs rather than take the escalators, which my coworkers made fun of me for because I was already sweating bullets lol. I kept reiterating to them that I didn't sweat as much as I did when I was in Korea, and they just shot that down, which was funny. We eventually got to Taiwan Chicken and we ordered very similar meals, even though we didn't discuss about it with each other. We both got the sea salt milk tea and Taiwan pork *xiao long bao*, we even got a rice meal. The only thing different with my dish was that I got the chicken rice meal, and I ordered an extra Taiwan sausage. I didn't know that was a thing, either. We just listened to one of our coworkers talk about this Mobile Legends-based board game that the had made using AI and we tried to finish our food very slowly because we were already full, and we ordered **A LOT** of food. We finished what we could and we began our walk back to the office. Our day is actually about to end, we just passed by a lot of stalls, joked amongst each other (they mostly joked about me), and it was a pretty nice way to just chill. Then one of my coworkers teases me, all to just lead me into buying a new iPhone. I was initially hesitant, but after thinking about it, I was convinced and got a new iPhone Air with the help of my other coworker. I was surprised I agreed so easily, but I justified the purchase later on. I bought a new screen protector and case for it, which was nice, but getting this was so unexpected, it even shocked me. I tried to set it up for a bit in the office until I got a ride back home, and I eventually just decided to get a car ride home as it was pretty late and I was kinda tired. I told someone and my sister that I got a new iPhone Air and someone congratulated me and it was cool to tell them how I got the phone. We talked about other things after that and mostly focused on them staying in Davao, until they stopped responding and I was mostly focused on setting up my new iPhone. I continued setting it up until the following day and then I eventually slept. At the end of the day, I was having confused feelings because some parts of my life weren't working out well (things with my date had completely fallen apart), but I had some things going well like the year as a whole. I just decided to look at the good things regardless.

Song of the day: Rainbow Veins by Owl City

Journal entry for Monday, May 11th, 2026

Mon, 11 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was pretty normal and boring, honestly. Surprisingly, I got a lot of sleep last night, which was 10 hours long. I knew I went to bed early but I was still surprised nonetheless. I decided to work on-site today because I wanted to return my work monitor, and I didn't want to be liable for it anyways. I booked a car ride to the office but the driver took a weird route which kind of had them reversing for the first part, but thankfully it was smooth sailing from thereon out. Work was pretty boring, too. I was just there for my coworkers and they were. One unexpectedly showed up and one didn't show up, which was funny because we ended up looking for them the entire day and wondering if they went AWOL. I had lunch out with them, then we grabbed some coffee and I had some Dubai chocolate cupcake-thing, which was funny but also kind of delicious. I also tried that new thing at Marugame Udon, it was this bolognese thing and I absolutely hated it. It was so weird, even for me. It was actually the first time where I had a lot of leftovers there. For the afternoon, work just passed by. I focused on a few things. For some reason, I just felt angry and also sad because I'm not working for my wife and kids, I'm just working for myself and I want that part of my life to change. It was quelled a bit when I got to talk to Mon and that cooled me off for a while. My workday passed and I had Coco Ichibanya with my coworker before leaving for my house. I talked to my sister when I got home and I still felt that sting of being lonely into the late evening. I just felt so sad and angry that other people were doing fun stuff that I've never done—go on cute dates, have a romantic partner kiss them, that sort of shit. In the late evening, I came up with the most brilliant idea: 1 hour per day, collectively, to just think and brainstorm what can I do to achieve my dreams, and if possible, I'd act upon those ideas. I went to sleep satisfied with that plan.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Sunday, May 10th, 2026

Sun, 10 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Sunday, I didn't really have much to do but I just couldn't sleep properly. I just couldn't get some sleep, so I just stayed up throughout the whole morning. In the morning, I didn't really do much aside from wait for my package to arrive. I ordered groceries which was well-needed, and eventually my package arrived in the afternoon. I just assembled my new chair in the afternoon with the help of my sister. I was more than happy to try out the new chair for my room and it feels nice and stable, even though I'm a little bit wary of it because my last chair kept failing and tossing me to the ground. But it was stable enough, and I was able to watch a movie with it. In the evening, I finally got around to watching Music & Lyrics (2007) and it was so cute. I played some Apex after that, and eventually had a round with my sister and her boyfriend that just ended up horribly. My graphics card kept dying on me and it froze multiple times. I didn't want to bother with it anymore and just did other stuff on my MacBook before going to sleep early because I needed the rest.

Holy Ketchup

Sat, 09 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I just had the longest-ever recorded sleep I have ever had today. I knew I was sleep deprived for the entire week, but I didn't know that I would sleep # FOR 12 FULL HOURS! I legit didn't expect that, what the fuck. That was the craziest time I've been asleep ever. I did feel well-rested, for what it's worth. And I did my usual stuff of eating breakfast and starting my morning, even had time to post on IG about sleeping for 12 hours. And for the afternoon, everything was so quiet in my life. I barely got any notifications. I decided that today would be the day I catch up on my journal entries and, holy shit, did I catch up. I completed 2 months' worth of journal entries. It made me feel sad to go through some journal entries that were about Korea because I honestly miss Korea. I published all my journal entries online for the world to see, and of course I posted an IG Story about it. I'm actually glad I was able to get back on track despite being so delayed, which is a first. I talked to a few friends today like Kai, someone, Foz, but didn't have any full-on long conversations with anyone. I just chilled for the rest of the evening and updated my other stuff.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Holy Shit, Today Was Stressful

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Samngupsalamat, Gilmore

I spent most of the morning still at Starbucks and still writing journal entries. Eventually, I decided that I had written enough at this time. Someone was still talking to me at this time and I decided to take a break from all the writing. I ate at the nearby Army Navy restaurant and tried their *naked burrito sisig* and a burger that I've always wanted to try. Both were pretty great, honestly, and I took my time to eat. I went back to Starbucks and ordered a pink drink so I could have something to drink as I continued to finish my remaining journal entries. I talked to someone and at around 3 a.m., the staff tells us that they're going to close soon. It was surprising because I thought they're open for 24 hours now, but I guess that's just for the drive-through. I went home and I get into this argument with someone again. It's crazy how many of these have happened throughout the entire week, I count at least 3. It was honestly pathetic at how my life turned out to be like this. I saw myself as pathetic, and I said that, but someone took it as an offense to them. Even though I actually saw myself as pathetic for having this shit happen to me, while my other friends are having fun with their romantic relationships, moving in together, and even becoming parents. It triggered that thing inside me where I want to change my life after seeing myself as pathetic, and I had to explain to someone that it was a good feeling because it makes me move and change my life. This feeling was literally what drove me to find jobs and led to many milestones in my life, and I have to explain that to someone. They eventually understood and we were truly okay after all that. They eventually had to go back to work and I tried to sleep. I had other shit to deal with in the morning and my sister had PC problems, and I didn't even get a wink of sleep because my sister kept waking me up. I was so cranky and angry at this point because I was extremely sleep-deprived for this week, and I didn't even get sleep today again. It truly infuriated me. I just tried to fix her PC even though I was super pissed off and I had to lend her my MacBook so she could install Zoom on it. She eventually switched back to her PC after I had fixed it and I told her that I'd be buying her a new HDD so she could throw out her 64% health HDD in the garbage, which was causing problems. Most of the day was a blur as I had work and I had to go to Gilmore to buy her that 2TB drive. I eventually got it at PCHub and the touts there ticked me off so much, but I'm glad I brought my AirPods with me. They also didn't have a card terminal that worked with debit cards after all these years, which kind of just added me to being more pissed off, so I had to withdraw at a store nearby and pass through several touts again. I eventually got the HDD quickly as it was just 1 part and I booked a ride home. Thankfully, the ride home was more chill and we went through C5, which was more peaceful. I was able to talk to some IMC friends during this time and I appreciated how blue and bright the sky looked. It definitely helped me calm down a lot. My sister had some work left and went to Makati afterward. For the afternoon, I had some free time to install her new HDD and rip out her old one. It was kind of annoying, but I got the job done and transferred her stuff in it, as well as set up some stuff. After timing out, my sister invited me to have dinner with her at Samgyupsalamat and it just occurred to me that I haven't eaten yet. I was extremely tired by now but I still pushed through with it. We just ate and then I grabbed some other stuff at the nearby FunHan Mart, and then I booked for a ride home. I didn't do anything else after arriving home, I just got my well-needed rest as this week was extremely stressful.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Thursday, May 7th, 2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

For Thursday, I just spent the day at home and I woke up pretty early since I felt I had gotten enough sleep. I talked to someone for a bit and then we left the call shortly after that. I had other stuff to do and paid for a few other things in the morning. I also saw that some of my payments for my credit cards had reflected, so that was nice. I didn't have much going on today aside from work which just passed by me. I got my new Anker powerbank in the evening just before timing out. Since I felt super productive and well-rested, I decided to go to Starbucks on 32nd Street to finally catch up on my journal entries. I booked a ride there and eventually got a seat. I was surprised that there were barely any people at this time, but eventually more and more people filled the place as the evening went on. I got to revisit some of my photos from Korea, talked to someone about my experience riding a taxi to Incheon, and we talked for a bit until they had other stuff to do. I just focused on completing as much journal entries as much as possible and my day continued from there.

Song of the day: Apple by Charli xcx

Journal entry for Wednesday, May 6th, 2026

Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

The *pares* that we ate that our friend recommended was…. okay? It wasn't stellar or anything, and it definitely wasn't a place we'd come back so. But at the very least we tried it. We went to our usual place at Assi Fresh Plaza afterward to drink and eat some snacks. It was funny because there was a DDS person sitting behind us and Jaze recognized that he was a DDS because he was blasting music for supporting Sara or some shit. We eventually decide to end our trip there and I got home fine. I have this long-ass, unwarranted argument with someone which kind of stressed me out even further, and I've had a loooonnggg day. But we eventually settle things and I tell them something nice, which was the actual truth anyway and not just some flattery. After that, I made up my mind on deciding for which credit cards I would close and I closed 3 credit card balances in the span of an hour. It was the most productive I've felt in a while and I can't wait to fully settling all my other cards moving forward. I slept as much as I could and then went to work like usual. I had lunch at some Japanese place with my coworkers and I talked to one about telecom plans and whatnot. I also had some Chagee by myself and then just worked for the rest of the day. I had *merienda* with some coworkers in the afternoon and then timed out after that, and I also took a car ride home because I had been so stressed for the week. My sleep had been so wrecked so the first thing I did after arriving home was get ready for bed and get some of that much-needed rest.

Song of the day: All Of The Lights by Kanye West

Journal entry for Tuesday, May 5th, 2026

Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC High Street

Tuesday started with me and Kai still eating out at Pancake House and we eventually finish our food. She tells me of a few organic encounters that she has in her trip to Elyu and I just listen to her stories. We also took a few pics on the 3DS that she has. After that, Kai decieds that we should walk for a bit more and I accompany her for a bit. We walk through several places in BGC, pass through this road that looks a bit liminal at night, but we essentially just circle back to Burgos Circle. Kai decides to book a ride at this point and that's where she and I part ways. I book a ride home, too, but I also get this weird feeling that I still can't explain to this sad. I got really sad and worked up about changing my life and I think the ride home helped me feel better. I also opened up about this to someone but they literally didn't reply afterward so I never got help from them, not like I was expecting them to, though. For the morning, I had on-site work and it was pretty okay. I had coffee out with my coworkers and we tried this new place. The coffee there wasn't that good, though, but it wasn't that bad either to me. But for my other coworkers, it was pretty bad. I also bought a new charger and cable for myself, which was pretty cool. I also got the tempered glass on my iPhone 16 Pro Max replaced, and I was shocked at how yellow it had gotten. I broke the tempered glass for the first time in almost 2 years after I had mistakenly dropped it face-first while eating KFC with my coworkers. I had to get the screen replaced twice because the first installation was a dud and had this weird bubble on the screen. I just had work for the rest of the day after that. In the evening, I had dinner out with my coworkers and we ate at Kawa Ramen. I had a meeting later in the evening so we had to make it quick. It was kind of a hassle as my coworkers had other things to do, so we planned to have dinner somewhere else, but we decided to push through eating at Dela Rosa. We initially wanted to eat at Señor Pollo, but it was temporarily closed when we got there, so we just settled for Kawa Ramen since it was nearby. I mistakenly told them that the skin on the edamame was edible, but I was wrong and we tossed the skin in a proper, separate bowl. We went back to the office after eating in a car that I booked and paid for. I had my meeting and I surprisingly got off work super late at around 11:30 p.m., which surprised me. I still had to go out with Jaze after this so he eventually went to a place near my office and I timed out for the day and then met him. We drove to this *pares* food stall right by the road, somewhere near NAIA. It made me miss NAIA because I last went there for my trip to Korea. We took a while to find it, but we eventually found it just before midnight. My day continued from there.

Song of the day: MAMIHLAPINATAPAI by ILLIT

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I don't care, 더워도 hot 아메리카노
(Doo-roo, doo-doo)
I don't care, 여유지 hot 아메리카노
(Doo-roo, doo-doo)

Kai's Staying Over

Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

My day started by still being outside with Kai getting her vape. Thankfully, this shop has it and she's surprised that it's way cheaper here in Taguig compared to QC. I use this to make fun of QC again, and a bunch of kids ask money from her, and she gives one of them money. After that, we had to make our way back to my house and we had to pass by some dogs, which was a scary and stressful experience. It was stressful enough that Kai had some of her hallucinations triggered, which was concerning. After that, we finished the movie we were watching earlier, The Whole Truth (2021), and it was really nice. Someone kept trying to message me during this time and they and I get into this weird altercation. We eventually finished the movie. Kai and I move to my bedroom and we decide to watch another horror movie. Someone eventually blows up on me and says that she's mad and annoyed, which was the weirdest shit because she isn't really my girlfriend and we're not even dating. I don't even have romantic feelings for them, so it was extremely off-putting. I was so ticked off from what she did and I eventually sent her a long-ass reply back and called her out. She didn't respond for the evening but I just enjoyed my night with Kai. We watched another horror movie, this time on YouTube. We watched Cult (2013) because we came across it often on IG Reels. It was nice, but it wasn't that scary and it actually got a bit funny at the end. All in all, I think we liked it due to how many jokes we were exchanging while watching. They also made me watch Eerie (2018) but we didn't finish that one. In the morning, I timed in for work but called in sick so I just timed out after. This time feels like a blur but I got breakfast for Kai and I, and we ate some *bulalo* since Kai wanted to eat some bone marrow. She played some Tomodachi Life gameplay from a YouTuber that she likes and we watched it while eating. After eating, we watched another horror movie on YouTube, which was Occult (2009). By this time, someone messaged me again and explained herself, and eventually apologized. I'm glad she did and I called her behavior out one last time as it was truly unacceptable from someone who was just my friend, and doesn't even want a relationship to begin with. Everything was all fine and I talk to them on and off as they were still on their Davao trip. Kai and I were still watching Occult and she orders some chocolate *xiao long bao*, which was pretty weird but I still ate some. The movie eventually ended after that and Kai says that she likes this one more than the other one, which was surprising. She tries to get me scared by forcing me to watch The Grudge (2004) and I was a bit terrified so I tried to hold her hand and stuff, but she kept asking me to face my fears. It was genuinely scary and I was terrified enough that my heart rate kept going up. But we eventually finish the movie and then we decide to play Tekken 7 for a bit. I didn't go easy on Kai and easily won against her in the first few rounds, and that's where I went easy on her. At this point, it was already the evening and I was honestly surprised that Kai had stayed over for a full day. I'm glad that she's hung out with me for so long, and I'm also more glad since I got my salary with my 14th month pay. After playing Tekken 7, we sang some karaoke with the Apple TV and we kept singing songs until she decides that she wants to go to BGC. She asks me if I could go to BGC High Street with her and I agree since I wanted to spend more time with her anyway. We eventually stopped singing and we got ready to leave. I booked us a car ride to BGC High Street and we drove there. After a while, we got to BGC and Kai decides on where we would eat at. She decides on Pancake House and we make our way there. We place our orders, which would seem to be the last order for the day, and we eventually got our food.

Song of the day: Terrified by Katherine McPhee, Jason Reeves

Kai Stays Over!

Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Sunday was supposed to be just like any other regular day. I kept talking to this weird person on Reddit because I was bored and they asked me to send voice messages and say that they have this tendency to like people just for their voice alone. It was kind of weird, and also unsettling, because this person didn't want a relationship in the first place. Personally, I didn't want to entertain these types of people and I focused on being more productive by completing my mood calendar entries. I continued to write and write about my mood calendar entries, and I finished a good bulk of them come the afternoon or so. Around 5 p.m., Kai messages me and asks if she could crash her. I was surprised but in a good way because I'm always down to have a friend hang out in my house. I immediately got to cleaning my stuff and she says that she started booking a ride here. I talked to her for a while and she told me about her new Nintendo 3DS that she got. She eventually got to my house and I saw her set up some characters in Tomodachi Life, like her cat and Rick from Rick and Morty. I asked her what food she wanted and I order some Chinese food for us, and it was a lot. I also watched her play a dress up fashion game on Roblox while we were killing time for the food to arrive. Kai also shows me some TikTok videos she made, which were funny and pretty cool of her. Eventually, the food arrives but it's missing some siomai because we only received one. Then Kai recommended we watch The Whole Truth (2021) on Netflix as we were eating and we wanted to introduce me to something scary. After a while, we then we left to get Kai's vape juice at some vape store nearby. It was kinda creepy since my neighborhood is known for having aggressive dogs, and even I'm scared of them. Kai was definitely twice as scared as I was. We had to essentially walk around some of the dogs and they were still scary. Our day continued from there.

Journal entry for Saturday, May 2nd, 2026

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

Saturday just had me and Jaze playing Apex and Cholo eventually joined in, but we didn't win at all for the following games. I got some rest after that. The entirety of my Saturday wasn't filled with anything important, it was just me trying and trying to rank up inside Apex so I can play with my friends who are in gold. I was actually kind of ticked off because I've just been playing Apex and I saw that the guys were in the Discord call, but they didn't invite me to play with them or anything. I was pretty alone for the whole day which kind of soured my mood a bit. Some person also messaged me on Reddit and I was talking to someone on and off for a while, and that's how my day continued to the next.

Song of the day: Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta by Geto Boys

Journal entry for Friday, May 1st, 2026

Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today was really fun. I got to finally go on a large Discord call and stay up with my friends again. We were still playing Apex Legends and it kind of brought me back to how things were back in 2021. After Jaze tapped out, I played with Batao and his friend Bucs whom I haven't talked to in a while, and we won a game. We kept playing more games after that, and I even got someone some food because they were hungry and needed snacks. I still kept playing with Batao and Bucs and we even had some fun moments like when Bucs portaled me as Wraith to a fucking warzone. We eventually had 1 final game where Batao thought that we'd win this and we actually did win! We kept getting revived over and over, and I died at the end, but I'm glad we won that round and that was good enough for us to end it. I watched ILLIT's new music video It's Me before sleeping and then I slept. For the rest of the day, I woke up in the afternoon and just continued to grind in Apex. I ordered some food in the evening because I was starving and I got to play a few rounds of Apex with Jaze and then Cholo after he joined in, which was fun.

Song of the day: It's Me by ILLIT

Journal entry for Thursday, April 30th, 2026

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

The last day of April was pretty fun, I was still out with Jaze and we eventually got to Assi Fresh Plaza after that whole Frankies thing. I felt so full because I ate 3 full meals today and I could feel them all in my stomach. But I wanted 1 last sweet thing before I went home so we just grabbed some Korean ice cream at Assi Fresh Plaza. I made a joke about seeing some girls and holding this ice cream in my hand which made Jaze laugh. But after that, we decided to head home. On the way back, Jaze took off his helmet and I kept telling him to put it on because I was worried that we might get into an accident or get stopped at a checkpoint. Jaze kept telling me that there aren't any checkpoints here until, literally a few seconds after that, there was a police checkpoint. It was very coincidental because we've never seen a checkpoint here before and we got stopped for a bit, but then let off. Jaze had finally learned his lesson of always wearing his helmet while driving, which is funny. After I got home, I just chilled, talked to someone for a bit, and eventually slept. I had work but that passed by quickly and was nothing noteworthy. It was eventually evening and I got into this huge Discord call with my old IMC friends in our old IMC server. It was loud but it was funny and kind of nostalgic at the same time, and we were playing Apex once again. I played with Batao and Jaze for a good amount of it and that call continued to the next day.

Song of the day: Dilaw by Maki

Journal entry for Wednesday, April 29th, 2026

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Frankie's New York Buffalo Wings, BGC

I felt a bit restless today so I just coded some features from my main Angular theme to my blog's theme. I pushed some fixes, stayed up a bit more after that, and talked to someone a bit. She thought about what would happen if they haven't met me or something else, and I personally didn't care because I don't believe in those “what if” scenarios, or if thing's had turned out differently. I'm a staunch non-believer in those “alternate histories” because I don't know how life would turn out if things had changed, and I'm already fine with how things have turned out. I also remember that saying about giving up all hope for a better past. I told them that all that matters to me is the life I've lived. I stayed up for a bit more after that and went to sleep after. I had work and then wrapped up early as I had finished the bulk of my work and all my stuff for today. I got into a call with someone and they played Road to Empress I and we were surprised that it kind of left on a cliffhanger, but it was nice because the story, the production quality, was pretty good. They left for dinner and I watched the new episode of The Boys. I got into a Discord call with Jaze and Loy and we finally played Apex Legends like old times. We eventually were the champion for one game and kept playing, but we didn't win again. After that, I just chilled as I waited for Jaze to pick me up since we had to go out and eat today. I decided on Frankies because Jaze mentioned it and we went to their restaurant in BGC, which was near Starbucks 32nd Street. We didn't have the ones we want available, so we tried this combination that had spicy yangnyeom and it was so spicy that I nearly passed out from how spicy and hot it was. I had their burger earlier, so I was already pretty full anyway. Our trip for the night continued after that.

Song of the day: One Less Lonely Girl by Justin Bieber

Journal entry for Tuesday, April 28th, 2026

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

Nothing much happened today as I just had work, and I got into a call with someone where they streamed some videos. In the evening, I got Anne some food because I heard that they had a long day. I had some alone time after that so I just played some Overwatch and stayed up for a good while.

Song of the day: Love Me Not by Ravyn Lenae

Journal entry for Monday, April 27th, 2026

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For Monday, I didn't really do much at the start aside from talking with someone and showing them my Screen Time. I tried out Asphalt 8 and they added me there, but I couldn't play a multiplayer game with them so we just gave up and then they slept. For me, I couldn't sleep at all and stayed up super, super early just browsing Reels and stuff. In the afternoon, I was able to talk to Mon, which was nice, and I got to tell them about something important that I've never shared with anyone, so that made me feel seen. It's nice to have things for a change and have me share stuff with them. In the evening, nothing much happened aside from me settling the bills and stuff.

Song of the day: Love Me Not by Ravyn Lenae

Journal entry for Sunday, April 26th, 2026

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday continued with me still out with my trip yesterday with Jaze. We just arrived at Assi Fresh Plaza and decided to just eat and talk there since it was kind of hot outside. Nothing much happened and I just went to sleep after that. For today, I didn't really do much and I actually expected to go out on a date with Anne, but they never acknowledged it nor followed up with me. So I just played Overwatch for the rest of the day and I thought about which European country I wanted to move to. After careful consideration, I chose Spain and I even cleaned up a bit of my resume. I was hyperfixated on doing something productive for today because I felt a bit cheesed that nothing was happening in my life here in the Philippines. I also talked to Mon, which was nice. But I just did other stuff for the rest of the evening.

Song of the day: All Time Low by Jon Bellion

Journal entry for Saturday, April 25th, 2026

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Samgyupsalamat, BGC

For Saturday, I stayed up and accompanied someone since it's been a while since I've stayed up and stuff. I got to finally try the new/reintroduced burger streak supreme from Jollibee since it was available in Grab. I also got some chicken skin, and treated someone to food as well so we could eat. We watched a few documentaries from Fern on YouTube and I wanted to introduce them to that channel since we wanted something food-friendly to watch while eating. After that, I kept sharing my screen and we kept watching some scary/spooky stuff up until the morning. Thankfully, I didn't stay up too late and end the call at 10 a.m. like usual, and we got off at around 8 a.m. or so and that's when I got my rest. In the afternoon, I woke up and got ready with my sister since we wanted to eat at Samgyupsalamat. We ordered small amounts of food at the start and my sister suggested that we take 1 min to cook the beef properly, since we all had stomach issues after our last visit. But we eventually got too bored/tired since the food was cooked so slowly. I mostly just talked to my sister about the stuff that's happening in our home and how our cousins were becoming parents and having babies, especially while unprepared. We then went to FunHan Mart after eating since I wanted some dessert, but I was so full by this time. We walked around for a bit, stopped by Fully Booked, then we tried out the Magnum Creations even in BGC High Street. It was nice, for what it's worth, and then we went home. The driver played some progressive talk show, which was pretty funny and kind of a breath of fresh air because we're so used to drivers being anti-progressive, anti-intellectual stuff, so this was a very nice change. In the late evening, I actually had to go out and eat again with Jaze. We stopped by our usual *pares* house in Retiro and we ate there, and that made me so full. My night continued on as we finished eating but we were still outside.

Song of the day: Smack That (feat. Eminem) by Akon

Journal entry for Friday, April 24th, 2026

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Friday, I initially stayed up for a while and ordered food. I got myself Jollibee and ate with someone. We watched a few things and they also showed me some stuff they missed like the Kellog's Honey Crunch cereal. We saw a few websites selling it, but in the end, we couldn't get it since they were all mostly out of stock. In the afternoon, I had some work and I ordered Army Navy since I felt like I deserved it after such a long week and it motivated me enough to push through my work and finish my tasks for the week. After working, I timed out and I got to play RV There Yet? with someone and Luan again. We mostly tried to get up from the cave and it was such a hard, irritating time since we kept falling and dying. And I could feel like not all of us were fully engaged, so we just quit playing that for the day. Someone and I still played and we had a few rounds of Overcooked 2. We tried the DLC Night of the Hangry Horde and we finished a few stages there. It was kind of irritating at times, but I mostly enjoyed it and it seems someone kind of did, too. I had one more late-night meeting but that was eventually over and I got to chill in the late evening.

Journal entry for Thursday, April 23rd, 2026

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Thursday, I spent the majority of the early morning just setting up my MacBook again. I stayed up for a while and watched someone play their cat cafe game and I saw some memories on my Apple TV of my trip to Korea, which made me miss it. Work came and passed by eventually, and I timed out. After work, I played some Overcooked 2 with someone and it's been a while since we last played. I decided on that game since it was one of the few multiplayer games we had that could run on macOS, and I wanted to try gaming on the Mac again. After that, we got into a game with Luan and we played RV There Yet? Playing RV There Yet was one of the most exhausting and mentally-tiring games we've played. We traveled through an entire cave system and it was so dark and hard to navigate inside. There was one part where me and Luan died to a large fall and I had to orchestrate how to get us revived and stuff. It strained my brain so much because the RV was super close to breaking down, and we had another lava stage at the end, and it was not over. By the lava stage, we were so close to entirely giving up but I didn't want to restart from the start of the dark cave part, so I persevered to get the RV off the lava, and they eventually helped me get the RV across by winching at correct locations. We were all extremely drained by the end but I'm glad we made it, and I'm glad because I was running on so little sleep today, too. I stayed up until the next day.

Song of the day: Tindahan Ni Aling Nena by Eraserheads

Got Mac Back!

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC

Today continued with me still in a Discord call with someone and I was streaming with my iPhone, and it was funny because we were gripped by the Manila Bus Hostage Crisis that happened in 2010. After that, I stayed up for a bit and watched IG Reels before going to sleep. For the day, nothing much happened aside from me working and also eating some Wendy's for lunch. In the afternoon after work, I got into a call with someone and they showed me the tarot cards that they bought. After that, I streamed something and then we eventually played RV There Yet? with Luan. We crossed over this large river section and built this elevator going up so we could go through a large ramp. It was so precarious and the RV almost fell apart at times, but thankfully we were able to cross it. We crossed a few canyons until I eventually got an email saying that my MacBook had been successfully replaced. I immediately decided on leaving to get to Beyond the Box in BGC to get my MacBook and, after we reached a checkpoint, we stopped playing and I had to go do my thing for the evening. I booked a ride to the service center and I'm glad that my screen had been successfully. I was also shocked because they said that they replaced the entire front part, which was good. Because I remember I dinged the top a bit and the Apple logo had some scratches. So to get an exactly new lid, and with the hinge now tight as hell, I was more than happy to get my MacBook back! The best part was that I didn't pay a single thing for the repair, as it was covered by warranty. I was so happy and relieved, but also shocked because I received it back so quickly. I expected a week or something, but this literally took less than a week to get fixed. I was still more than happy to get it back and I went to my usual spot at Starbucks 32nd Street to set it up. I felt a bit scared since it wasn't fully set up in my Find My yet, but I eventually got it initially set up. I went home after a while since I had to download so much stuff. When I got back, I streamed From while someone and I watched it. The night continued on after that.

Song of the day: Don't Matter by Akon

Journal entry for Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday had me doing something unusual as I had just gotten Anne a delivery. We got into a video call and it was nice to get them something. I also got an interesting message from someone because they apologized, which surprised me. But after that and my video call with Anne ended, I got some sleep. For the day, nothing much happened. I timed in for work and Meryll also messaged me to get the make-up I was. supposed to get her. But I was mortified to see that the only thing left in my luggage was the make-up powder that I was supposed to give to Mon. Meaning that I mixed up Meryll and Mon's stuff. I reviewed the pictures and I got Meryll something, but I mistakenly sent it to Mon. I felt like such an idiot and I wanted to make it up to Meryll but I'm glad she was cool with it. But damn, it put a damp on my mood because Meryll and I aren't on perfect terms and I just felt like an idiot. Today had been really stressful so far so I decided to get myself some good food to chill out. I also got into a call with someone and they streamed some gameplay of Red Dead Redemption 2. I also watched on my phone when I was tired because I still didn't have my Mac yet. We played R.E.P.O. in the evening, and I bought RV There Yet for Luan and gave someone some money so it wasn't that heavy on their wallet. We had so much fun learning the game's mechanics and traversing through the early stages. In the late evening, someone and I got into a call where they streamed stuff and even showed me this new music video from Sabrina Carpenter, and the call continued to the next day.

Journal entry for Monday, April 20th, 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Monday morning was my last planned day in the office for April! I got to the office and had coffee at harlan + holden with my coworkers. After that, since we were already in Greenbelt, we had lunch at Pound Flatterie. I tried their roast beef and ordered a burger patty because they were really good. After that, we went back to the office. I got an email saying that it could take my Macbook 30-45 days to repair, but I'm glad that they proceeded with ordering the replacement for my display. After that, I had a pretty normal day in the office. After my shift, I got to eat dinner with a coworker and I tried hard to persuade him since it was both our last days in the office for April. We ate at Kodawari in Makati and we walked there. I tried their salted and spicy mushrooms, which was nice. I also had their spicy beef and rice, and it was honestly so spicy. We also noticed the opposite table look at my gacha bag, which was pretty cool. After that, we ordered some pastries from Wildflour Café + Bakery and I booked a ride home after that. I gave my sister some pastries and take-out I had and attended a meeting in the late evening. I also talked to Anne and I got them some stuff from Starbucks since I felt like treating them and my night continued after that.

Song of the day: Everywhere by Michelle Branch

Bye bye MacBook

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

Sunday started out pretty unusually because I was in a game of Apex Legends and playing with Batao. He and I haven't talked in years, literal years, so it was weird to get into a call with him all of the sudden. I also got weirded out by playing Apex Legends again. We played with his friend named Em/M and we won a few rounds, which was nice. I also got to ask him how he's doing and stuff. After winning our last round, we got off the call after that and we ended on a win. In the morning, I just chilled with my sister and we got McDonald's for lunch. I showed her the actual first episode of Beast Games and I introduced her to season 2 of the Beast Games. After that, I eventually decided on getting my MacBook screen in for warranty, since the warranty was expiring soon. I got to Beyond the Box in BGC and showed the technician the dead pixels on my MacBook screen. They said that they'll take it in for repairs and I posted an IG Story about it. I walked around more, talked to Naomi since she messaged me about my laptop, and she shared her upcoming plans with her girlfriend Jane. I walked around a bit more and took photos of the cats around, but eventually decided on going home. I didn't do much when I got back home, I played a bit of Overwatch but eventually got some rest when I got too tired and just browsed IG for the rest of the evening.

Song of the day: Man I Need by Olivia Dean

Journal entry for Saturday, April 18th, 2026

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Saturday didn't have much going on, I chatted with someone on and off until I slept and I ordered some *bulalo* with my sister, and I also settled some credit card bills. I downloaded Apex Legends as well, which didn't take too long since I have 1 Gbps Internet now, so that's nice. But my night continued as I got to play Apex after that.

Journal entry for Friday, April 17th, 2026

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SM BF Parañaque

It was finally the end of the week and it had been a grueling continuous 5 days in the office. But I'm glad I got to go to the office and complete my 5 days as I had planned. We got lunch at Landmark and I think too much food because I had fried chicken, squid, and even siomai. The squid felt kind of off, to be honest, so I didn't finish it. After that, I went back to the office with my coworkers and I just worked. In the afternoon, I took a break in the breakroom and just chilled for a bit. I suddenly felt so sick after that. I wanted to barf and I was feeling anxious and dizzy all of the sudden. I booked a ride home and decided to work at home for the rest of the day. I got a ride home and got there pretty quick. While on the way home, I saw Howl's Moving Castle was playing, and I wanted to watch a movie in the evening so that I could feel better, so I decided on that since I could at least watch with someone. Thankfully, they were free and I eventually finished my work and timed out for the day. I got a ride to SM BF Parañaque and we watched the movie. At first, there was the issue that the subtitles didn't show, but it was thankfully fixed quickly. And the seat I was in was broken, so that made it uncomfortable to sit in, but it was fine since I just put up with it. And then a fire alarm blared for no reason and it went on for a while, but was finally okay. But after all that was said and done, I think someone enjoyed the film since she finally got to watch it on the big screen. I was able to re-appreciate the story since it had been literal years since we last watched Howl's Moving Castle, way back in January 2022 when we were still getting to know each other. After they paid for parking, I booked a ride home, kept talking to someone via chat for a bit, and my night continued on.

Journal entry for Thursday, April 16th, 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Thursday, it was a usual day at work for me. I woke up feeling a bit sick and I was kind of late to the office. Not by a lot, but enough so that my teammates had lunch without me, so I just had lunch by myself. I went to Greenbelt and ate at Ramen Nagi, and I finally got to try out their oyster ramen, which was their limited edition ramen for the month. It was very filling and I could taste the oyster/seafood flavor in it, which was nice. I also dried out the stuff in my bag and left most stuff on the desk so it could all dry properly. I went back to the office after that, and in the afternoon I got to go out with my coworkers to get coffee. It was very unusual for us to get coffee in the afternoon, but I wasn't complaining. In the afternoon, near the end of our shift, we went to The Marketplace to buy some ice cream. I got a crunch bar and I had my own ice cream tub while a coworker got his. I also tried a Feastables bar for the first time, and it was a rice crispy version, which was nice. My coworkers had the idea of having dinner around Poblacion and one guy suggested that we try out Tetsuo since they wanted to try their chicken there. We took our coworker's car there since he was just staying nearby. After timing out, we walked there and got our seats. We tried their flavored fried chicken with soba noodles, ginger with scallion chicken with noodles, and their beef + lettuce. Personally, the beef was the best one because it reminded me of *samgyeopsal* beef, which I love. I also loved the flavored fried chicken, which was our favorite since we ordered an entire platter of it after finishing the small portion that we had. Unfortunately, we liked the ginger with scallion chicken the least, even though that's what our coworker was looking at when he suggested. We finished all the food and a coworker and I walked it back to the office since we left our bags there. I had around 15,000 steps for today, so that felt nice, and I went home afterwards.

Journal entry for Wednesday, April 15th, 2026

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

For Wednesday, today was just a pretty chill day. I got coffee with a coworker and he suggested we go to Harlan + Holden in Greenbelt and we had lunch at the Pound Flatterie since it was nearby and we had already ate there before. We went back to the office after that. I also had a company executive give me a compliment for my cute gashapon bag, so that was nice. In the afternoon, I went out with a coworker for some *merienda* and we went to SM Makati. I wanted to try and find a Nestle Crunch bar because I haven't eaten one in a while. I finally found one and I was glad because I thought that they had gone extinct or something. I also bought a Ricoa chocolate that my coworker recommended because he liked it before. After we went back to the office, I talked to Patrice and I gave her the Starbucks Korea-themed tumbler I had bought for her. It was nice and I got to finally talk to her face to face, since I had known her since last year and it's our first time talking. My coworker teased me about it but it was fine. I eventually timed out after that and then booked a ride home. In my hurry, I wasn't able to close my tumbler properly and some water spilled in my bag. I just chilled after getting home.

Song of the day: Hold My Hand (with Akon) by Michael Jackson, Akon

Journal entry for Tuesday, April 14th, 2026

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Tuesday started with me still in a call with someone and they turned on their cam to show me some gasha collectibles that they had. After that, I got some rest since I had on-site work for the day. I got to work and I got there pretty early, considering how late I stayed in the office yesterday. I also decided on bringing my gashapon bag for work and using it as my main work bag, since it looked cute and I wanted some whimsy in my life. I got some coffee from Nanyang and then I ate out with my coworkers. We actually switched it up today and ate at SM Makati for today. I tried the steak there and… it was okay. It was kind of chewy but also really tough. I wasn't the biggest fan of it, honestly, but it was fine considering the price. I also bought that Cinnamoroll bundle on Discord since I had some free time during lunch. We went back to the office after that. In the afternoon, I made sure to finish the bulk of my tasks early and I was pretty productive. I had a lot of free time and instead of getting *merienda*, we played Avalon in the office pantry for a while. Things got heated real quick with me and the newhire, but it was all in good fun as that's how the game was supposed to be played. I had a few wins, especially at the start, but I kind of had more losses than wins. It was fine and we ended our day after that. I got home and watched someone play that cat cafe game for a while before going just chilling by myself for the night.

Song of the day: RUDE! by Hearts2Hearts

Journal entry for Monday, April 13th, 2026

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today I'm feeling okay which was weird since I should be ecstatic since my date yesterday went well. But I don't know, it just feels wKeroro stuff that they got from the gacha in for work and we got coffee at Harlan + Holden at Greenbelt, and I think we had lunch there or idk. After that, my coworkers and I accompanied one of our coworkers to get a new iPhone 17 Pro because they had their phone stolen last week. And it was cool to help them set it up and track down the current location of their phone. After that, I just finished some work and continued my tasks. I had some free time in the afternoon and I played that new board game that my coworker brought last week, Toy Battle. I won a few rounds, but it was still my coworker still mostly winning. After that, we got dinner at Masajiro Burger and it was… okay. My coworker didn't like it and I felt so full, but I couldn't finish my food in a bad way. I did enjoy the pocket spicy chicken, which was nice. I also tried that new hojicha milk tea from Chagee, which tasted great. After that, I just chilled in the office because it was already late and I had a meeting tonight, so I just stayed in the office. I watched someone play that cute cat cafe game to fill the time, and I worked a bit. Then I came to learn that the meeting had been rescheduled, so I stayed for more than 2 hours in the office for nothing. I just booked a ride home and I got into a call with someone. They showed me some Sergeant Keroro stuff that they got from the gacha machine and our call continued from there.

What A Day! WTF! My First Date!

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Molito, Alabang

Today was so crazy because it seems that I was so packed today. But it still started with Kai still being in my room and we kept playing Tekken 7 on my PC until the morning. We tried out so many new characters, and it was kind of the most fun I've had in a while. I didn't want to cheese too much, but I somehow kept losing a lot against Kai, which was fun. We kept playing and we even stayed up until 6 a.m., and that's where Kai decided to get some sleep. To be honest, it was pretty weird and new for me to have a friend sleep over in my room. I think this was the actual first time someone had stayed the night in my room, and I'm surprised that Kai and I are that close, because I didn't even have my other best friends stay the night at my house. But it was cool, and kind of funny since Kai wanted a blanket and I couldn't find it. All I could find was this massive Teletubbies onesie and Kai wore it without questions and it looked so funny on her, too. After sleeping for a while, I was woken up to what felt like a pillow hitting my face. It turns out that Kai had hit me with a pillow, which was funny because she tried to deny it at first. She made me watch Sinners (2025) and I ordered food for us since we hadn't eaten yet. After that, Kai eventually had to leave since she had other plans for the rest of the day. After she left, it took a while for it to sink in because I actually had a friend come over and stay the night at my house, and we just played games, ate, and just chilled. Friendships like these are pretty rare in my life, so that was nice. In the afternoon, I talked to Mon. Initially I thought that we'd go out today but somehow that fell through and I just ended up shipping her the make-up I got her from Korea to her house. After that, I moved on to the main thing I had going on today: which was my first-ever date. Thankfully, I had already called Ikinari Steak in Alabang and made a reservation, so that's settled. All Anne had to do was show up. I booked a ride there and I was initially worried I'd be late, but I actually arrived on time, which was pretty neat. I eventually saw Anne and gave her some of the make-up that I had gotten her, and she seemed to appreciate the gesture, so that was cool. We ordered steak and they got a good one, while I think I over-ordered because I got so much steak. It was nice to eat, though, and I listened to Anne talk about her plans and upcoming travel to Thailand and such. After we ate and I paid the bill, we walked around. Initially, I decided on a McCafe nearby but we ended up at Molito and Anne recommended an ice cream place we could eat at named Karito. We ordered a few things and Anne recommended that I taste some flavors, and we made our orders. We sat on some chairs by a table nearby and Anne mostly talked about her life so far, like her upcoming derma work or how her and her friends have this credit card roulette thing. It was also nice to hear how tech-savvy she is, even down to knowing how her current phone's S Pen was different from the newer versions, which honestly surprised me because I thought nerds like me only knew that. But after all that was said and done, we had to call it a day. I ordered some juice at Coco and Anne went on her way. I was still surprised at how the date went, because this wasn't different at all from the many times I've met women online and got to know them. Still, I consider this my first actual date because both of us agreed on it, and I didn't hear any of my past meetups/hangouts get called a date, so this actually was my first-ever date in my entire life. I can say that it went well, so that's a nice little bow to end the day on.

Song of the day: Who's Holding Donna Now? by Rhythm Of The Night

Kai Comes over After a Long Time!

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Saturday started with me still chatting with someone for a while. I stayed up for a while but eventually went to sleep. When I woke Hori RAP Pro N Hayabusahad a few messages from Kai and she asked if I was home. She eventually decided on coming to my house which surprised me because she hasn't been here in a while (almost 2 years) I immediately had to clean up my room as much as I could. It's a good thing that I didn't have any other plans for today. Kai commuted to Venice Grand Canal Mall and I booked her an Angkas ride to my home. We eventually met up and it was interesting to meet her again since it has been more than a year since we last hung out. It seems that Milktea missed her because he kept rubbing himself all over her and he was so friendly to Kai. I ordered a few things for us, which was BOK Korean Fried Chicken, and some Mountain Dew as well as some alcoholic drinks for myself. I also made rice but I added so much water, that it became mushy and kind of like *lugaw* due to how watery and sticky it was. It literally took hours to cook, and we just settled for somewhat-wet rice because it had already been hours and the food had gone cold by the time we decided to eat. Kai helped out by suggesting techniques for the rice to become more dry, but it was still sorta wet by the time we ate. Kai also drank a lot of Mountain Dew, which surprised me. But we also sang some songs on my Apple TV and I showed her how to use my phone as a microphone and we sang some songs, which was funny. After that, we just ate and watched some short horror films on YouTube. We eventually finished eating and we chilled at my room so we could play some Tekken 7. I had prepared the DualSense controller for her and I used my Hori RAP Pro N Hayabusa fight/arcade stick.

Journal entry for Friday, April 10th, 2026

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday started with Jaze and I still hanging out at the *pares* restaurant in Pasig that he recommended. We ate there and the *pares* was okay, but it wasn't good as the ones we had at Retiro Street. And it was also pretty loud, like the speaker was above us and it was blasting Bruno Mars songs. We found it difficult to talk and Jaze was talking about this BYD issue he has with his family. After that, we just decided to chill at our usual place at Assi Fresh Plaza. We got a few snacks and the usual cat there went up to Jaze, so that was funny. We talked more and then ultimately called it a night since I had to work on-site in the morning and it was already 2 a.m. For the morning, I just commuted to work and I just had lunch by myself at Marugame. I went back to work after that and finished my tasks for the week. In the afternoon, I had some free time so my coworker introduced us to this new board game he brought called Toy Battle. I didn't get the mechanics at first, but I eventually got the hang of it after playing a few rounds. We played as 4 and we had a winner's bracket and a loser's bracket. In the end, I got 2nd place, which the board game owner being the one in 1st place, which was funny because one other coworker kept accusing him of being a cheater. I went home after that and talked to someone for a while, and the conversation got pretty emotional. Needless to say, my night continued on after that.

Journal entry for Thursday, April 9th, 2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Thursday was a holiday and it was pretty shitty since our house didn't have water. I wondered why because I had just paid the water bill a few days ago. I eventually found out that it was due to a pipe bursting, and it took a while for my other relatives to fix it. It was actually nice to have running water again, all things considered. After that whole debacle, I just cleaned up my resume a bit to feel productive, but I essentially just spent the day watching season 2 of Beast Games. It was pretty entertaining, but it wasn't as spectacular or as interesting as season 1, kind of like what Squid Games felt like to me. I ended up watching it for the entire day and I posted some pictures I had of my Seoul travels to my Instagram, so that was nice. I had planned to meet Jaze in the late evening, so I was just biding time and chilling until it was time for us to go out and eat.

Journal entry for Wednesday, April 8th, 2026

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Wednesday was my actual first time in the office after my trip from Korea and it was just crazy to be back in the office once again. I got to use that Starbucks tumbler I got from Korea, so at least I had a little thing from my magical trip there with me. I got coffee with a coworker and they told me a thing that's been bugging them and their team. I also ordered some mango drink that I tried to fit in my Starbucks tumbler, but decided against it. After that, I had lunch with my coworkers at Landmark and I talked a bit about my trip to Korea, but that was mostly it. In the afternoon, I went out to grab some juice and put it in my tumbler. It was nice to try some new drinks, but the fact that it came from Korea made me miss Korea a bit more, and even made me a bit sad. But it was fine, I just continued my usual round of tasks. I eventually went home but that was mostly it.

Song of the day: Who Can It Be now? by Men At Work

Journal entry for Tuesday, April 7th, 2026

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Tuesday was pretty chill, I got a good amount of sleep and got my work started early. During my break time, someone played this new game called Road to Empress and I watched them play it for a while. I eventually finished up with work and just chilled for the rest of the evening. In the late evening, I hung out with Jaze and we ate at McKinley Hill. We had some Army Navy since we couldn't find anything else, and the night continued from there.

Journal entry for Monday, April 6th, 2026

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Monday started with me still continuing to write on my journal for my Korea trip and I was talking to Mon on the side. In the morning, I timed in for work and I had someone chat me for a bit about trying some weight loss stuff like Ozempic. It not only seemed strange but also wildly expensive since I didn't have the money for it. I continued with my work and then timed out. In the evening, I just chilled. Then I got a barrage of new messages from people, which was funny but also cool since I'm meeting new people again. I also played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan again and it was pretty fun. We got to watch that new Backrooms trailer and I got to chill for the rest of the evening. I talked to a few people for the evening but I honestly doubt any of these will last, funny enough. It kind of seems like I'm wasting my time, but I got to meet some new people, at least.

Song of the day: Who Can It Be now? by Men At Work

Journal entry for Sunday, April 5th, 2026

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

Sunday started out pretty chill as I was just in Discord and someone and I were watching a few stuff on Discord like Chilling Scares and Edvasian. We watched Edvasian by the time we got food, and I got to try out some new menu items from McDonald's, as well as the breakfast menu that Chowking was selling. After that, someone streamed this new game called Road to Empress I, and they played it for a while. After that, we eventually had to drop from the call to get some sleep. It was Easter Sunday today so we wanted to go out. My sister and I went to Samgyupsalamat first and her boyfriend tagged along with us. We ate there for a while until we were so full. After that, we walked around and ended up at SM Aura to attend mass there for a while. I made prayers for some people, and Anne actually told me that she prayed for me, so that was sweet. But after that, we booked a ride home and I just chilled for the rest of the evening.

Finally Met LK Again!

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: SM Aura, BGC

For Saturday, I got bored so I just decided to post on Instagram and I also updated my IG Highlights to match the current theme of my profile now. After that, I got **A LOT** of sleep. I actually had 0 hours of just sleep. After I woke up, I ate outside and my sister had made salmon for lunch, and after that I got into a call with someone. They played that cute cat cafe game again, which was cute, and eventually I had to leave since I planned to meet up with LK today. We planned to meet at SM Aura and we met outside at the Starbucks there. I honestly couldn't recognize her, but I'm surprised that she recognized me. Afterwards, we talked about some stuff like and I ordered food that LK recommended. I also asked what she's doing now as a doctor and how her life has been. Then I gave her the Incheon tumbler I had and her make-up that I just gave away for free. Also, while I was out with LK, someone dumped a bunch of messages, so that was a little disturbing. But I mostly just focused on having fun and talking to LK since it literally has been more than a decade since we last met. I also caught her up on some classmates of mine who have died, to which she was shocked to hear. But it was honestly nice to get to talk to her in person and catch up, and also hear what she's doing now. I'm honestly surprised that LK's hair is still super long, and it's still funny that her reason for having long hair is just because she wants it to be long. I also took selfies with LK and then we looked at some make-up products before she eventually had to meet up with her family and say goodbye. It was genuinely nice to catch up with LK since we had been friends for years, and known each other for more than that. It was a super fun experience. For the afternoon, something disturbing went on in my friend group from IMC. Someone had gone missing and disappeared, and it was out of their own volition. It made us worry but I ultimately left it up to their 2 closest friends in the group to talk with their family, since I didn't know them much at all and I didn't want to push myself in a situation where I didn't feel like I belonged to. I posted my IG Story of meeting up with LK and I got into a call with someone and Luan and we played Peak for a while. After playing Peak, my call with someone continued to the next day as we kept watching YouTube videos.

Song of the day: Thinking out Loud by Ed Sheeran

Journal entry for Friday, April 3rd, 2026

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Friday started with me talking to Mon about some serious stuff, it was mostly chill but I also just listened to her rant about stuff. I didn't do much for the rest of the day since it was a holiday, but I ordered some groceries for my sister and I. It was a bunch of groceries, and it was actually the first time I had groceries get split into 2 deliveries, which was kind of shocking. After that, I just chilled and spent the last few hours of the day to post on Instagram and stuff.

Song of the day: DtMF by Bad Bunny

A Return to Normalcy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

Thursday was a holiday so I decided to spend today by myself and I went out to BGC. It was kind of my first time seeing the sky in BGC once again, and I initially stayed at Starbucks 32nd Street. I wanted to catch up on so many mood calendar entries, but I just couldn't feel comfortable enough. And those dead pixels were still bugging me, so I just updated the packages that my websites were using, but that was mostly it. After that, I walked to Samgyupsalamat since I had actually never had *samgyeopsal* in Korea, and this was the first time in a while I'm actually going to have it. So it was nice and a bit nostalgic for me. I went home after than and just chilled for the evening. In an attempt to do something productive, I organized some journal entries of my trip to Korea so I could start on them some other day.

Song of the day: City Is Ours by Big Time Rush

Buffet with IMC Friends!

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Buffet 101, Pasay, Philippines

Wednesday was initially supposed to be just a usual, run-of-the-mill day because I didn't have anything planned for today, and that's how most of the day went. For the morning, I just timed in for work as usual and then I just worked to finish my tasks ahead of the upcoming long weekend. I then got a message from Loy asking me if I'm down to go out today and I agreed since my shift was ending anyway. After timing out for work, Loy picked me up at my house and he drove to Pasay so we could eat at Buffet 101 at MOA Seaside with Foz. We eventually got there and Foz trolled us a bit, but we eventually walked there. We talked a bit, caught up, and they asked how my trip to Korea was and I showed them a few pictures. After that, it was our time to go inside and we just ate, talked about some past events, and other stuff. There were some funny things that went on in the Buffet 101 venue itself, and it was kind of weird how there were a lot of birthday celebrants today. It was kind of funny because we kept eating and eating for the entire evening. I think I sampled all of the food and dishes that were available, and we were one of the last tables to wrap up. All in all, I enjoyed our trip tonight and we walked for a bit before Loy had to drop me back home. I just chilled after that but eventually slept after a while.

Midnight BGC Trip with Someone!

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

March 31 was one of the strangest days I've ever had because I started it while I was inside someone's car after she had picked me up from NAIA. I was also kind of shell shocked at seeing Philippine roads after visiting Korea. We just went to BGC and we actually got a bit lost there, for some reason, and it was funny because we kept going in circles for a while. We eventually ended up at the parking lot nearby Starbucks 32nd Street and I had to unpack some luggage because someone's gifts were inside them. We went inside Starbucks and I got us a few drinks, and had to get another drink for someone's mom. We talked for a while, and I was glad to see that she was listening to me talk about my experience in Korea, and I also showed her some photos of the trip. We wanted to try the new Harry Potter drink, but it was unavailable. After that, I got to give someone the stuff that I had bought her, and I also gave her my only-ever pack of Busan caramel. I also tried it with her, and it was pretty nice. Flavor isn't my big thing, but someone says that she likes it. After that, someone drove me home and they also went back to their home safe. It was so surreal being home after a long trip from Korea. I finally laid back at my usual bed and I got some proper rest after such a long trip away from home. I woke up and eventually talked with my sister and gave her that Piplup bag that she immediately loved. After that, I paid some bills and organized a few stuff. I also put up some Busan fridge magnets, which were cute. In the evening, I got to sit down on my PC and play Peak with someone and Luan once again. We tried out that new game mode and we passed by the tropics and mesa biome today, but we eventually ended our run without reaching the peak as we all died in the mesa. Afterwards, we played a bit of Phasmophobia and played a couple of rounds before we had to go to sleep.

Goodbye, Seoul! Goodbye, Korea!

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Incheon International Airport, Incheon, South Korea

This is honestly one of the most bittersweet Mondays I would ever have. I'm patially more sad because I'll leave South Korea today. For most of the early morning, I was packing my luggage and getting everything properly fit in. It was such a tiring struggle to pack everything, especially some of the makeup (even though it wasn't a lot). I was actually surprised that I was able to fit it all by the end. After that, I initially planned to get some take-out, but decided to have it in the morning instead. When morning came, I had a few things to do like buy food for myself, call Mom and show her Seoul before I left, and then get ready to leave. Since I had a free tall drink voucher from yesterday, I went out and walked to a nearby Starbucks to claim it. I also got to use the new Seoul tumbler I had. I checked out some food delivery apps to see if I could use my WowPass in them, since that had around 31,000 KRW still in it, but I couldn't. So I just decided to take the bus to that Burger King I've eaten in before. The bus trip was quite quick and I thought to myself that I'll miss easy bus rides like these. I eventually got off at my stop and then took a few photos of the street and sky. It was just really surreal because this was my final day in Seoul, and in South Korea. It sunk in that I would spend my morning in Seoul and end it in Manila. I posted an IG Story of it, and took photos of some of the street signs because I was actually in Gangnam-gu, the place where the Gangnam Style song was about. I eventually got to the Burger King and, while I wanted to eat there and not at the hotel, it seemed like it was lunchtime for the Koreans here as there weren't any seats available. So I just ordered for take-out. I bought 2 burgers and some chicken because it'll be unlikely for me to eat again after this, and this might be my last meal in Korea, funny enough. I took a few pictures of the street signs in Gangnam and I posted an IG Story of how absolutely insane it is to start my morning in Korea and end the day in the Philippines. Only then did it start to sink in that I'm leaving Korea soon. After I got on the bus, this really weird thing happened. Some lady came in and tripped, and she hit her forehead on some part of the wall. It was crazy and, while the bus driver helped her, she seemed to say she was fine. It was just honestly surprising to see. I eventually got back to my hotel and ate my food, then I went out to buy some snacks for someone and I got some watermelon and blueberry Pocky snacks for myself. I had a FaceTime call with my Mom and I showed her what Korea looked like and I eventually went back to my hotel room to clean up and pack my entire stuff. I headed for Incheon Airport and booked a taxi ride going there. I brought both of my luggage and essentially just enjoyed the car ride to the airport. It took a while since there was some traffic, and it was almost a 2-hour car ride to the airport. On the way, I passed by some blooming cherry blossoms, but I could only stare from within the car, which was kind of sad. I posted some IG Stories, especially a Gangnam Style one which I found funny. On the way to the airport, the driver put the pedal to the metal and he was essentially speeding like a madman I saw his speedometer reach above 150+ kmph, and I have a photo of him going 147 kmph. It was easily the scariest ride I've ever been on, funny enough. But I'm glad I got to the airport in one piece and made my way to the correct gate to drop off my luggage. I legit thought about throwing away some clothes because I just had to fit it under 25kg. I dropped off the big luggage first, which was surprisingly at 18kg and I organized and threw out some stuff on the smaller luggage so that it would be at 7kg. I seriously considered throwing away some clothes at that point, but I didn't. It was also weird how Incheon was touted as this big, busy airport when it seemed pretty dead and quiet when I visited it both times, and this was on a Monday. I finished the Pocky I was eating, got my stuff scanned, and the Incheon Smart Pass came in handy a couple of times. After screening, I was near the departures area and it started to sink in more that I was leaving Korea. I actually got to my gate right on time and I took a photo of the plane. I even cried a bit because it sunk in that I was going back to my life in the Philippines. By 6:30 p.m., I boarded the plane and I was one of the first to board because I had my Incheon Smart Pass registered, so that's cool. I got to use the restroom a couple of times and put my stuff on the overhead seat. By 7:10 p.m. or so, the airplane was taxiing and we eventually took off. It still amazes me how planes move so fast that they fly. I just chilled and slept for most of the trip back to the Philippines. I played my Antok FM playlist and slept for some parts. We eventually made our way back to the Philippines and it was interesting to see the path that the plane took in order to land at NAIA. We eventually touched down and I took some pictures of the Manila skyline and posted it on IG as we landed. I got a couple of messages from friends asking if I was back, and I told someone that they should start driving to NAIA because I had just landed. I filled up that eTravel thing. It was also super shocking how hot it was, even at night. It's an extremely stark contrast to how cold my hotel room in Korea was versus the temps I'm feeling now within the airport. I got my baggage and felt sad that it was the last remnant of my Korea trip. I eventually met up with someone and I brought my luggage to her car. I seriously cannot stress how **HOT** it was, it was SWELTERING and I was sweating like hell. After we got in someone's car, we decided on where to go and I decided on Starbucks on 32nd Street in BGC because I know we could chill there. Someone was hesitant at first, since she dislikes going to BGC, but she eventually agreed and we drove there. My night continued from that car ride to BGC.

Song of the day: 360 by Charli xcx

Last Full Day in Seoul (and in Korea)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Myeongdong, Seoul, South Korea

I didn't really have anything concrete planned today in my itinerary. Today was more of an “explore and have fun” day. I decided to visit that Kiki's Delivery Service-themed cafe, Koriko Cafe, and I took the bus going there. Afterwards, I walked to Koriko Cafe and ordered their meat pie, as well as 2 coffee drinks. The food was nice and I ordered some Ghibli-themed stuff for someone. It was kinda expensive, and it shocked me how my expenses have been because I maxed out my credit card. I reloaded some money to my card and paid for some stuff. After that, I wanted to go to another stop I was curious about but I just couldn't push through as I couldn't figure out how to book a reservation there. Naver required some Korean ID and I just couldn't figure out how to book as a foreigner/tourist, so I just decided to forgo it. Still, I decided to go there and I took the bus again. I saw some girl wear the exact same Cinnamoroll jacket that I had and my eyes lit up so much. As I was trying to figure out how to book a reservation, some elderly guy kept looking at me, even though I was just sitting at some bench. I think they were looking at me funny because they were racist or something, and I think that was my only racist encounter so far on this trip. So I got kinda spooked and started walking. I didn't push through with trying to get a reservation and tried to chill at a Gong Cha nearby. Apparently, I had wandered onto Hongdae Shopping Street without even knowing it. I took some photos of some cherry blossoms that were blooming, and then I decided to visit Mang Taho around Hyewa. I took a taxi going there and the taxi driver was a lot more patient than the one in Busan, which surprised me. We got off at a weird stop because I think it was trying to drop us off at the Catholic church inside. I just got off and I went to some stalls that we passed by. To my surprise, they were selling Filipino food, and that there were Filipinos there. It was actually an entire community of Filipinos, which was surprising as hell. I just had some Filipino food there, even though I actually kind of dislike the idea of Filipino food because I'm dreading to go back to the Philippines tomorrow. I am literally going back to the Philippines, I don't know why I ate at a Filipino food stall. The elderly lady there was impressive because she spoke Korean and Tagalog, to my surprise. I also talked to another elderly lady who said that she misses the Philippines and I was taken aback so much. It was almost offensive to me. But it was fine, I order some food and *turon* and then went to a Starbucks nearby. After a while, I got tired of wandering around Hyewa and I took some photos of some cherry blossoms that bloomed before I took the subway to Myeongdong again. I went to Cats' Playground since I was interested in visiting a cat cafe, and it's been a while anyway since I last saw a cat. I saw so many cute cats there and took photos of the various cats. I missed Milktea a bit, but I just enjoyed my time here checking out the cats and the place itself. I saw several big cats, too, which were well-fed and had this bib that said “No Food,” which was funny. Afterwards, I just walked around Myeongdong, I had some more lamb skewers and I ate another chicken skewer. I came across some Filipinos there, funny enough, and this couple approached me while I was eating a lamb skewer. A lady asked me if I was Malaysian and I told her I was a Filipino, which was interesting because she immediately clocked me as a fellow South East Asian. It was a funny exchange, and I eventually went my way after that. I tried the baby octopus skewer after that and that's where my food adventure ended for the day. I went to a nearby Starbucks to finally order those tumblers, an Incheon one and a Seoul one for myself. I also booked a window seat in the Jeju Air app and I collected my mobile boarding pass, too. I drank some drink there but eventually left. For my last night, I visited Cheonggyecheon once again. I was a bit anxious since I didn't want to have an accident and suddenly sprain myself, since I **HAD** to catch that flight out tomorrow, so I was a bit more careful. I walked downstream, I passed by some parts and eventually had the courage to walk on stones that led across the stream. Afterwards, I booked a taxi ride back to my hotel room and just prepared for my flight out tomorrow. I signed up for Incheon's Smart Pass and fully prepared my luggage by packing in everything for my flight.

Song of the day: DtMF by Bad Bunny

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las vece' que pude
Ey, ojalá que los mío' nunca se muden
Y si hoy me emborracho, pues que me ayuden
Debí tirar más foto' de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las veces que pude
Ojalá que los mío' nunca se muden
Y si hoy me emborracho, pues que me ayuden

Cherry Blossoms in Busan!

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea

I started my morning by having some complimentary breakfast downstairs. I actually loved how there was complimentary breakfast here and I had some delicious food. I ate a lot of soy eggs and sausages, as well as some rice, orange juice, and yoghurt. I gathered my stuff and eventually checked out of the hotel, then booked a taxi ride to Busan Station where I'll do this whole bullshit of hiding my stuff in separate lockers again. I did the same thing as I did before which was hide my stuff separately, and I also got a smaller luggage to store my additional stuff. The lady selling it at the subway market gave me a good deal on it, she was super nice to discount it for me and I paid in cash. After storing my stuff, I was free to explore Busan for the day, which was just hunting for cherry blossom trees that were blooming, and visiting the Haeundae beach. I got some rest at the Starbucks near Busan Station and then booked a taxi ride to Haeundae Beach. I saw some cherry blossoms that were blooming, but the taxi ride going there was kind of weird because the driver seemed a bit impatient and annoyed at the traffic. It was weird but I essentially just brushed it off. I eventually got to Haeundae Beach and it was so bright out, but it makes sense since I got there at noon. I played “Umbrella Beach” by Owl City and took a lot of photos. Weirdly enough, I didn't see anyone swimming, even though the water was crystal clear. Afterwards, I walked to some apartment complexes that had cherry blossoms blooming, and I took a few photos. It was really interesting to see cherry blossoms blooming up close. They looked whiter than I expected, but it was nice. I eventually came across a whole road lined with cherry blossoms and there were so many people just taking pictures there. I spent a good amount of my day just taking pictures here and enjoying the scenery because it was so beautiful. I took so many pictures, but eventually I took enough and then decided where to go next at around 2 p.m. I still had my train to Seoul scheduled for night. I ate at the Baskin Robbins nearby and I actually liked their ice cream. Then I booked another taxi ride to Busan Station and the driver seemed more impatient and annoyed at the traffic, weirdly enough. I got both of my luggages and then decided last-minute to cancel my other ticket reservation later in the evening to book a train ride for 4:55 p.m. in the afternoon, since I had so much dead time and I wanted to make the most use of my time, and head back to Seoul. I took the KTX train to Seoul and I actually sat on the wrong side of the seat, which was nearest to the window. I didn't notice my blunder until 1 stop out, and that's where I moved to my proper seat. Thankfully, it wasn't much of an issue and the rightful owner of the seat next to me eventually sat there and I just chilled for the rest of the ride back to Seoul and played some music. Once I got back to Seoul, I booked a taxi ride to the hotel and I was scolded a bit again, in Korean, as the taxi driver was already at the pickup stand and I was looking at the wrong way. But it was fine, I eventually got to my hotel and got checked in. The room was more spacious than the one in Toyoko Inn, but it wasn't as big nor as glamorous as my first hotel. I also purchased a weight increase for my luggage as I don't think my stuff would all just be under 20 kilograms. After placing my stuff, I went to have some dinner at a Burger King. According to KakaoMaps, the walk would just be 18 minutes or so. But that walk **WAS HELL** as I had to walk up and down several hills. It was entirely exhausting, but it felt nice to have such a safe walk, without any scary, rabid stay dogs and with the cool weather. I eventually got to Burger King and ordered their Tough Pepper Cube Steak Burger as well as some popcorn shrimp, which they didn't have at the Burger King back in the Philippines. It crossed my mind how funny my outfit was, which was essentially a loose-fitting black polo shirt I used to wear at work. It was 9°C out in Seoul and I'm not freezing nor shivering. I absolutely loved the weather. I took the bus to my hotel room instead of walking back, and I essentially just watched some YouTube videos while eating the cheesecake I got from Busan yesterday. I got some well-needed rest after that.

Song of the day: Umbrella Beach by Owl City

Busan Day 1! A Train to Busan!

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Haeundae Blue Line, Busan, South Korea

Today was finally the day of my trip to Busan! I woke up and my mood got way better compared to last night because someone eventually apologized. And I spent most of the morning just packing my stuff and preparing my luggage, which was already getting too full. I spent like an hour and a half just preparing my luggage and clothes, as well as throwing out my unused stuff. I had so much to stuff in one luggage, but I eventually got it done. I took a bath and eventually booked a taxi ride going to Seoul Station KTX. I had to say goodbye to one of, if not the best, hotel room I've ever stayed at (even compared to some 5-star hotel rooms I've stayed at in the Philippines). I also left the hotel which was kind of my home for these past few days. Eventually, the taxi had picked me up and the traffic was kind of congested and I kind of got worried because I just had to go to the correct KTX platform and navigate it, all in under one hour. I eventually got there at around 7:40 a.m. and my train was bound to leave at 7:58 a.m. so it was kind of a nail-biter. I took the elevator going up and then navigated to the platform to where my train was. It was on track 7 and it surprisingly took me only a short time to get from the main train platform to track 7 itself, and I was carrying my luggage, too. # I got to my scheduled train just in the nick of time! I left my luggage at the storage area and went to my seat. I got my MacBook out and I just listened to some music for a bit. I tried to connect to the Wi-Fi inside the train, but it wasn't that reliable, so I just connected to the hotspot that I had. I was seated across some ladies who spoke Chinese and next to some Korean man. I watched Train to Busan (2016) for a bit and I even wondered if I was on the correct train because it made several stops. But I got reassured that it was the right train and that the stops were normal. I eventually passed out as I was listening to my Antok FM playlist. When I woke up, we were close to arriving at Busan, which was kind of the expected time anyway. I got up as the people were leaving the train and that was surprisingly straightfoward. After arriving in Busan, I had a bit of a dilemma: my hotel booking wasn't until 3 p.m. or so, and I arrived in Busan at 10 a.m. in the morning, so I had a lot of free time to kill. I tried to find some lockers, but the ones were full and some guy even scolded me a bit, but it was just some random dude and not a train station employee. I had to rent 2 lockers: one at Busan Station itself and one at the nearby subway. The one at Busan Station had my large-ass bag and MacBook, and I made my way to the subway nearby so I could store my luggage. After that, I just chilled, ate at a convenience store nearby, ate some snacks and bread at the Paris Baguette, and eventually had some *mandu* and fried, cheesy chicken at the food court. The cheesy chicken kind of reminded me of the ones I used to eat at Maisen in the Glorietta food court, so that was interesting. I couldn't finish all of the mandu, though. After that, I just walked around to pass the time and eventually got my stuff from the lockers at around 2 p.m. or so. I had to carry my heavy-ass luggage and bag down to the subway to ride the train to Jungang Station, where my hotel was at. I got confused a bit, and even a lady scolded me and showed me that there was an elevator because I looked like a tired jackass for carrying my luggage down the stairs. I eventually got to Jungang Station, and a guy even helped me out by carrying my luggage over the turnstile, and another guy helped out by carrying my luggage up the stairs. He was with this woman and they were both students. We didn't talk much after that and I headed to my hotel on foot. I got checked in to the hotel and I asked if they had extra rooms for 1 more night, and they said that they were fully booked out, so I'd have this “limbo” issue tomorrow because I had to store my stuff in lockers again. When I got into the hotel room, it was tiny compared to the one I've been staying at. It felt kind of like a shock since it was extremely small, and there was barely any space. The bathroom was small as hell, too, and it kind of made me miss my hotel room back in Seoul. But I didn't have much time as I had to leave immediately so I could catch my scheduled Busan tour. I just dumped my stuff and then booked a taxi to Busan Station. I actually made it in time and I was pretty early, I ordered some matcha for myself. I met up with our tour guide, David, and there were some elderly ladies to which David spoke Japanese to, which shocked me because this dude was trilingual. I eventually met up with the others and we boarded the tour bus and met up with the others. The bus ride to pick up the other passengers took a while since the traffic was bad and that it was a Friday, but I got to see my first sighting of some cherry blossoms. I took a photo and just stared out as we headed to pick up the other tour attendees. After picking up the other people, we eventually went to our first stop which was the Haeundae Sky Capsule. We were dropped off at the Blue Line Park, took a group photo, and David gave us free time to explore and walk around for 5 minutes or so as he got to claim the tickets at Mipo Station. I got some souvenirs and some Busan caramel, which seemed interesting. I got paired up with an elderly and sweet British lady named Sarah, who was on this solo Korea trip as well. I mostly just asked her about her life back in the UK, her family and kids, and I guess she was kind of surprised that I was extremely fluent in English. We eventually rode the Sky Capsule and I took a few pictures. Sarah was nice enough to take a few pictures of me and I also took photos of her in exchange. I got to have some good views of the sunset, even though it wasn't that visible because of the air quality and that it was a bit cloudy. I got to wave and exchange glances at the other people in the capsules that passed by, which was funny. But the “ride” eventually ended once we got to the other station and I talked to some of the other people there who were solo travelers, too. One was even a Filipino-American who came from the US. I talked to him as we headed to our next stop, which was Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk, and it was this cool rainbow bridge that looped back from a cliffside. I asked our tour guide, David, to take some photos of me and cooked with those photos. I got some pretty cool shots, which were so nice. Then we made our way back to a nearby seaside restaurant. I talked to some of the other solo travelers, too, including one teacher who was from the US and another one from the UK. We ate at the seafood restaurant and we actually got to order a lot of food since we were a group. We all shared how nice it was to actually order some grilled food and have sides because we were all solo travelers, and it is notoriously hard to order good food as a solo diner in Korea. We had seafood which was a mix of some clams, this “new-to-us” sea creature which was just an abalone, and some shrimp. It was nice to eat out and talk to fellow solo travelers, and it was actually the first time I've felt less alone in Korea. What we ordered was so interesting, some people from another table took videos of the food we got, which was funny. After that, we went to The Bay 101 where we took more photos, had David explain to us some expensive apartments in Busan, and I got some cheesecake there. Us solo travelers also took a few photos together since we were all acquainted at this point. Then we went to Millac The Market and David explained some history about it, which had some funny entrance doors. I ordered some bread there, but it wasn't some stuffed bread that I wanted. Us solo travelers also tried to go to the photo booth nearby, which was PONYFILM, and it actually ate the money that we put in there, funny enough. We tried fiddling with the machine and in the end we ended up using pics that Sarah took on her iPhone 15's front camera, which was funny. Afterwards, we took kind of a long trip to a place that overlooked Busan at night. We didn't do much there aside from just stand around and look at the view, but afterwards we were all worrying about how to get to our respective places since it was getting late and around 10:40 p.m. already. We exchanged Instagram handles and I took the tour bus back to Busan Station. I took the subway back to my hotel room and eventually got some well-needed sleep after such a long and eventful day.

Song of the day: Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz

Aquafield Goyang Spa Day!

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Aquafield Goyang, Goyang, South Korea

Today was my 7th day in Korea and my last full day of staying at this hotel. I started the day by ordering a ticket and deciding which Aquafield I wanted to go to since I had 3 options: Hanam, Goyang, and Anseong. I essentially just chose the one in Goyang since it seemed the closest and most-reviewed. I also booked a KTX ticket from Busan to Seoul, and took a screenshot of my booking at Toyoko Inn Busan. After that, I slept and I got a really good night's rest according to my Apple Watch, which was a full 8 hours and 12 minutes. I barely woke up since I was so knocked out. I took things slow today and didn't really rush things, but I had to commute from the hotel to Gyeonggi-do. It was a bit confusing but I essentially took the bus to the train station at Guro Digital Complex, and then took the train from there. I eventually got off near the Dorimcheon Stream and took a few photos while I was walking to Aquafield Goyang. I saw that it was inside another Starfield mall, which kind of shocked me at how large this mall company was. I eventually went inside and the mall was super huge. I kind of got lost a bit again, but I eventually found where it was. I was able to claim my ticket that I booked through Klook, and I got changed. I was still kind of weirded out by the naked dudes at first, and I was even a bit conscious, but it was fine and I got the hang of it. I tried out a few of their spa pools, and I even got a body and foot scrub from an old guy, which was funny and definitely an interesting experience. It was funny because I initially got scolded for wandering around because I didn't know where the area was, but I eventually got queued up for the massage just fine. They also asked where I was from. But after that, I tried out the other features of the spa like the sauna room. I eventually got out of the spa and into the “common area” which had everyone else. For the afternoon, I ate at the food court and I kind of ordered a lot again. I had some *bibimbap* as well as some fried *mandu* and then some beef cuts, which were all really delicious. The beef cuts were my favorite of the bunch. Needless to say, it filled me up and I just lounged and chilled for the rest of my time there. I went to the room with beds and watched some Korean TV and lied back until the evening. For the evening, I tried out the other rooms, ate at the food court again, and this time I tried out some chicken bits and fries, as well some *yukgaejang*. I tried out the massage chair for a bit more, but eventually decided on leaving as it was getting really late. The bill for my trip was an astounding 133,500 Korean Won which was around 5,500 Pesos. It kind of shocked me, but I essentially spent a day pampering myself, so it was all worth it to me. I took a car ride back to the hotel because I didn't want to stress myself out further and I guess the taxi driver got confused because they passed by me, and then they had to make a turn and I had to cross the street just to get to them. But after that, it was smooth sailing back to my hotel room. I got another hot bath in my room's large bathtub and I essentially just enjoyed the rest of the night at this hotel room. In the late evening, I had a bit of an argument with someone over how they'd pick me up from NAIA, so that ticked me off a bit and that ruined my night a bit since I slept while not resolving anything.

Song of the day: Pookie by FIFTY FIFTY

Suwon Starfield Library and Cinnamoroll Sweets Cafe!

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Suwon Starfield Library, Cinnamoroll Sweets Cafe, Myeongdong

It was already the 6th day of my trip to Korea and I planned to visit the Starfield Library in Suwon. I checked the route that's headed there and eventually took the bus going to Seoksu Station, which would then take me to Hwaseo Station which the Suwon Starfield Library was near. I rode the bus there and at first it was funny because I'm just wearing my usual shirt, while I pass by so many people who are in full winter outfits. But I continue my commute, look up some stuff regarding my passport and employment status, and I just stand on the train until I got off at Hwaseo Station. I eventually arrived at Hwaseo Station and entered the mall. And at first, it looked just like your ordinary mall. I actually didn't know how a massive library would fit in here, but it eventually made sense when I came to find out that this mall was 7 or more floors. It even looked a bit like SM Aura. I went to Starbucks to get some coffee and I tried out their own thing on the “Dubai chocolate” by ordering their *pistaschio-chocolate-bread-thing* and some latte coffee. It was nice, but I made my stop short and then went upstairs to where the library was. I eventually got to the floor above the library and I couldn't believe it. The library was so huge. It was pretty big and stacked enough that the shelves for the books were large as hell. It was reminiscent of Murph's bedroom from the movie Interstellar (2014). It was pretty cool and I got my selfie stick out to take a few photos. Eventually, I had asked a few people to take photos of me. I even came across a Filipino couple and I talked to them in Tagalog, and I asked them to take a picture of me. I also had some American dude take photos of me and he was kind enough to take some more photos of me and he was shocked that I was fluent in English, he seemed a bit flabbergasted, which was funny. But I just took a few pictures and enjoyed the scenery. I didn't stay for long, though, as I headed out after spending an hour in the mall. I took the train and headed to Mapo-gu, which was a stone's throw away from Myeongdong. I went there because the Cinnamoroll Sweets Cafe was there. I initially had trouble finding it, but eventually found it which was inside of a mall. The place was smaller than what I expected, and there were so few people there. I honestly thought it would be packed. The place was nice but it looked like a small, temporary place rather than a permanent fixture, for some reason. I expected it to be grander, but oh well. I liked the various Cinnamoroll-themed stuff they had. I got myself a “photocard” which was essentially a plastic ID with my picture, and it looked pretty cool. I also printed out an ID that I'd give to someone since they were just 3,000 Korean Won. I printed mine but I wanted more variations, so I printed out more. The only problem was that I kinda fucked up with the orientation and placement of my picture for the 2 other ones, which came out borked. I also had 1 borked copy of someone's ID, but I was eventually able to print out a good one. For my snack there, I tried out a small banana cake-thing of Cinnamoroll and a blue drink which had Cinnamoroll's face on some ice cream. Both looked super cute and they were pretty okay. I thought that I could order some blue Cinnamoroll curry, but apparently that's only in the Cinnamoroll cafe in Japan. After I ate, I took a few pics and bought a lot of stuff at the Cinnamoroll gift shop nearby. I bought some stuff for myself, including an ID case, a big-ass laptop bag, and I also bought some Cinnamoroll stuff for someone. After that, I went to the mall downstairs to buy a Cinnamoroll wallet and this super-cute T-Money Cinnamoroll keychain. It looked like a cute keychain, but it was a functional one in that it was able to store some T-Money credits, which was pretty cool. I also went to the convenience store to try the banana milk latte for myself, and it was good. I had some trouble throwing away stuff again but I was able to dispose and clean up after myself. I then took the subway again to Myeongdong since it was already nearby. I got some stuff for Anne, then I got someone's stuff, as well as a few remaining stuff that my coworker asked of me since I was already at Olive Young. I also bought LK's stuff at another Olive Young store in Myeongdong. I walked around a bit more and I got that free Olive Young pouch, which I had planned to give to Anne, and that was it. For the rest of the day, I just chilled at Myeongdong. I tried out some street food there, which was some tempura, and I sought refuge at the nearby Starbucks there because I had to charge my iPhone for a bit. After that, I ate some more street food which was this delicious lamb skewer and I ate some spicy baby octopus skewer which was pretty delicious and spicy. Afterwards, I took the subway going back to the hotel and finally arrived back at the hotel after a long day. Dipping myself in that large hot tub was honestly just what I needed, and I also closed all of my fitness rings on my Apple Watch for today. I just chilled for the rest of the day until the next day rolled around.

Song of the day: Sky High by Elektronomia

A Trip to Everland!

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Everland, Yongin, South Korea

Day 5 in Seoul meant that today would be my trip to Everland! I had just bought tickets for today and I woke up a bit early, too, at 8 a.m. I got into a Discord call with someone and I turned on my video to show them what I was up to as I was getting ready to leave. I packed all my essentials and checked my bus route, then I rode the bus. I actually got off the wrong bus station and told someone this. All in all, they were making jokes and comments as I was commuting, but I didn't try to talk much/at all while on the public transportation. They eventually slept as I just got on the train to Seoul and I commuted on my own after that. So I got off the train and then walked to the bus stop that took me to Everland. I actually missed the bus because I was on a bench at a bus stop outside of the road, when the bus I meant to catch was in the bus stop *in the middle* of the road. So I just chilled at a nearby Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and I got some muffin and coffee. I went back to the bus stop as my bus' time of arrival was nearing, so I cleaned up my tray and went back to the bus stop. I got on the correct bus, which was a different one compared to the ones I was used to, but I got a comfortable window seat. I actually took some photos and then slept for a good bit, but I awoke just in time as the bus was arriving at Everland. After that, I left the bus and saw a sign that pointed to Everland **AND** Caribbean Bay. Wait, what? Caribbean Bay? From the CABI Song that Girls' Generation and 2PM sang? *THAT* Caribbean Bay? I was legitimately surprised because I visited another Girls' Generation landmark and I immediately sent this to someone. After asking around, I was able to enter Everland and I was surprised at how small it initially seemed. I walked around trying to look for T-Express, but I somehow couldn't find it. It was confusing because it was such a big rollercoaster, but I couldn't find it. So I just stored my stuff at a nearby locker. I rode Thunder Falls as my first ride and it was so scary! It was also exhilarating and I got so wet from the drop because I sat in the back seat. The couple in front of me saw how disheveled I looked, but I didn't care and I just laughed. It was genuinely so fun! I went and decided to try to find T-Express, and that's when the scale of this place really hit me. This place was HUGE. I've only had Enchanted Kingdom as my biggest theme park, but it was nothing in comparison to Everland. I kept walking and walking, and eventually found T-Express! I tried to see where the line started and I just waited in line. Thankfully, it wasn't that long, but it was surprising how there was still a long line despite it being a random Tuesday. It was then my turn to ride T-Express and I didn't want to sacrifice anything so I put in my wallet and phone at the locker nearby. Then the ride started. T-Express is, by far, the scariest ride I've ever been on. I felt like I was going to be ejected from my seat and my head decapitated. I thought I would end up on one of those YouTube documentaries where someone died while on the ride. It was honestly the scariest ride I've ever been on, like it genuinely freaked me out the first time. But it was the most fun I've had ever on a ride, honestly. I wanted to go again, but I wanted to eat first. So I just ate at the nearby Alpine Restaurant. I sat there and ate alone, and just thought about how crazy this all was. I was thousands of miles away from home, far away from anyone I can call myself close to. It was just so crazy how lonesome and how far I am. But it was cool, and I enjoyed my meal which was just some chicken and kimchi rice. I walked around a bit more and I tried the hotdogs being served, which tasted nice. I also found another group of Filipino tourists and I took photos of them, and they took photos of me in return. Afterwards, I rode their own take of a swinging ship ride, the Flying Rescue, and it was fun but it didn't last long, nor was it that scary, which was kind of a letdown. I walked and explored more of the park while I was talking to this girl I met on CMB. I sent her my itinerary but, funnily enough, it was cropped. But I showed her how I was completing most of the stuff on my itinerary and following it so much, which also shocked me. After this, my phone's battery was getting low so I charged and walked around for a bit. I also talked to a few friends and browsed Reddit for a while. I rode 1 more ride after this, which was Double Rock Spin, which was one of the scariest rides I've ever been on because I genuinely felt like I was going to fall or something. Thankfully, I didn't, and I talked more to that girls I matched on CMB and we connected on Instagram. I decided to have some light snacks after this and also decided on going home since it was getting late. Before leaving, I stopped by a gift shop and decided to get my sister this cute Piplup bag that was reminiscent of the cute bags that the people in Lotte World had yesterday. I also found out the place that sold that Cinnamoroll thing and it was a popcorn stand, weirdly enough. I was confused how they would store popcorn it in, but it was cool how I got a cute Cinnamoroll keychain as well. I rode the bus and went back to my hotel. It surprised me how quick the trip took and I was back at my hotel room at around 8:30 p.m. or so. I didn't do much else for the rest of the evening aside from talking to that girl from CMB and browsing IG Reels. I also ate out of that Cinnamoroll popcorn bucket, funny enough. I stayed up until the following day.

Song of the day: STYLE by Hearts2Hearts

The Lotte World Turnaround!

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea

Today started with me arriving home late from my trip yesterday. I had plans to go to Lotte World today, but I just couldn't sleep. It was like something was bothering me. In the morning, my mood was still shot from my early morning “adventure” and I woke up late, too. I decided to just take a car ride to Lotte World because I would arrive there very late in the day if I took public transportation. I got off at the wrong place and even wandered around a good bit before reaching the tickets at Lotte World Adventure. But eventually I was able to claim my ticket and go inside! And there I was, at Lotte World in Seoul. I actually got to the Lotte World ice skating rink where Girls' Generation performed Oh! in the 2010s. That live performance also shaped me going here, to be honest. I tried to ride some ride in the adventure area, but the lady said something about my clothes, so I didn't push through. I decided to try the Flume Ride instead. I was kind of surprised because there were a lot of people here and the line took a while, even though it was on a regular Monday morning. I also noticed some of the cast members look pretty and do this dance while they greeted passengers who had just finished the ride, which was pretty cute. I got into a log ride with a couple sitting in front of me, but it was fine. I got wet on the ride! But it was so fun! Honestly, just realizing that I'm at a theme park instantly turned my mood. I needed a mood shift after yesterday, so I'm glad I got to go to Lotte World. I also looked around and saw so many couples in uniforms, which was cute. I tried their viking ride, which was The Conquistador, and then I walked to the outdoor area, which was Magic Island. I took some photos of the outside and just kept walking around. I got in line for Gyro Drop and it was surprising how fast they came down, because they blew my hat away! I was able to ride it quick because the line was short and it was fun and also scary at the same time. After that, I got some food and I got a basic hotdog, some potato chips, and chicken nugget balls which cost me around 1,000 Pesos, which was super expensive, if I'm being honest. I tried the Gyro Swing next, which was also scary, but super short. After that, I walked back to the indoor area to take a few more photos. I then got in line for the French Revolution ride and it made me wait quite a while, too. And there were some people who came in front of me who were clearly in groups, even though the line was meant for solo riders. Still, I got in the ride and, while it was short, it was super fun and scary. Too bad I'll only get to experience it once due to how long the line was. I took a few more photos after that, ate some dinner there, and I wanted to try the hot air balloon ride, Aeronauts Balloon Ride, but it was closed by the time I got there. I just walked around for a bit, and I wanted to take a video of the French Revolution ride as it went in the loop, but 2 girls were dancing Twice's What is Love on the bridge, so I couldn't go there. I also didn't try out Atlantis because it was closed this day for inspection. I just walked around a bit and turned on my Strava workout. I didn't really have anything else to do at that point, and I didn't want to spend any more money, so I literally just went home. I know I still purchased a ticket that came with access to the Lotte Aquarium, but it was already getting late at this time as it was already around 7:40 p.m. and I had to take public transportation. So I just went down to the subway that led back to Seoul. I passed by Bongcheon and I thought about getting off at this stop in search of the Bongcheon-dong ghost, but I didn't really push through it because I was tired. Plus, I wanted to recoup some strength for tomorrow's Everland trip, so I just went back to my hotel and chilled. All in all, Lotte World was fun and I'm glad that I got this trip because it was the turnaround that I needed to lift my mood.

Song of the day: Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan

Lyrics that resonated with me:
"God, what have you done?
You're a pink pony girl, and you dance at the club," oh mama
I'm just having fun
On the stage in my heels, it's where I belong, down at the
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing down in
West Hollywood, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club

Board games at some cafe

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Cafe in Changsin-dong, Seoul, South Korea

For today, I didn't have much planned. I actually planned it as a rest day/free day, and I planned to just spend it at a park. But I thought that it would be way cooler if I could mingle and play board games as well. I did have 1 item on my list first: which was to get my Korail pass card. I went to Seoul Station in the morning and I took the bus and then train to get there. I was surprised to see that the Namane card booth wasn't working, so I walked around. I was shocked to see some homeless people out here in Seoul station, and I went downstairs to some tunnel which had more homeless people and people sleeping in cardboard houses, which was kind of a shock to me. I eventually got to this hotel that had a Namane card booth and I was able to print my Korail Pass+, which wasn't needed but I liked that I have a card to commemorate my trip. I took a few pics but then went straight to that cafe along Cheonggyecheon or something. I was hungry so I stopped by and initially planned to have a quick bite to eat. I ordered 3 pieces of chicken at this store and I had gizzard too. It was definitely too much for just 1 person and I saw 2 dudes at another table point and look at me, and then said “aigoo” which was super funny to me. I ordered the chicken for take-out and wrapped it in a bag myself. I was in a hurry because I wanted to play board games anyway. I then went to the cafe and got my ticket and a drink. I went downstairs to find some people playing board games and a table was nice enough to invite me to play with them. We played Da Vinci Code at first and it was this weird board game where you had to guess the numbers. I didn't initially get it at first, but the guy was super nice and friendly in telling the mechanics. I played at a table with 3 people: Chloe, who was a Korean nurse, and the couple who were also Korean and the guy was studying law. It was fun to play with them and, after that, we were joined by another guy named Solomon, who was some kind of engineer at Incheon Airport. I played board games with them and then we moved to the next game, which was Codenames. I feel like I've played this game before, but I don't have a clear memory of it. Then, as we were playing, it hit me that we already played this in Dice before. I was partnered up with the guy studying law and Solomon was teamed up with the girls. We often kept winning because I was able to guess the words that the guy was trying to link. The girls failed a few times, especially by getting the card that made them immediately lose the game, which was funny because it happened multiple times. We were joined by another woman, who was by herself. Then Chloe had to leave and another guy from Greece named Nick joined in. We played this other game next, which was Spyfall, and it was kind of a headscratcher to play because we kind of didn't get the mechanics at first. But we soon got the gist as we were playing. It was fun because we were all multilingual, but we tried to deduce who was the spy in our playthroughs. I never got the spy card, though, which was sad. Then we played Flip 7! I actually got my drink at this time because I had to ask it, but it somehow wasn't served to me, so that was cool. We kept playing, but I often got greedy with getting cards up until the point where I get a duplicate and end my turn. I think the lawyer guy won in the end, so that's cool. He was so lucky, too. Sadly, the couple had to leave after this game, but Nick, a new joiner named Sara(?), and the solo Korean lady still kept playing. We played The Island next and it was such a long game, but it was a fun one. One other Korean dude came to our table, but didn't play, and he said that it's his favorite game. It was a long game, but we eventually finished it and Sara tapped out at this point. So it was just us 3 at this point: the Korean lady, Nick, and I. For our next game, Nick picked Camel Up which was this camel betting game, which was fun but also hard to play. I didn't fully get how we were playing, and even until now I don't get it. But Camel Up was fun because it was a chill game we could play. For our last game, another Korean lady named Olivia joined in on our table to play Cascadia/Harmonies. Cascadia was actually the name of the board game in French, and the board game was in French because it was just donated by someone else to the cafe. We didn't get it at first, it was kind of confusing for me, but Nick got it quickly and Olivia had been playing it for a while, so she already understood it. I just played along and I saw how much fun the others were having and I was struggling at this game. It was fine, but our round took so long to play out. We were actually the last group to leave the cafe, and Nick took a while to tally our scores. The cafe owner was even looking at us haha. But it's fine, us 3 (Nick, Olivia, and I) as well as the guy who liked The Island from earlier tagged along with us for dinner. Too bad the other lady didn't join us, unfortunately, and no one got her contact, too. We continued for dinner and we went to a place that Olivia recommended. Nothing much happened, it was mostly Olivia asking Nick about Amsterdam and stuff, and a bunch of other things. We ate some food at a restaurant that Olivia recommended, so that was nice. I exchanged details with them but after that we parted ways. I took the bus going home and I even passed by Cheonggyecheon so I took more pictures of it. I passed by down this creepy alleyway, and the bus back home took a while since it had 44 stops or something. I eventually arrived back to my hotel room at around 1:40 a.m., which led to the next day. Overall, today was kind of a mixed bag. This was totally an unplanned part of the trip and I kind of regretted it a bit because I never really got to connect with someone here, even though I tried my best at this social event.

Namsan Seoul Tower Day!

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Namsan Seoul Tower, Seoul, South Korea

Today started with me still on my Cheonggyecheon midnight trip. I walked a few scary-looking places just to get there. They seemed scary not because I saw them as unsafe, but scary because I was unfamiliar with where I was going, and urban places without people seemed liminal. But I eventually got to Cheonggyecheon and took a few photos of it, and a few selfies of myself, too. I didn't stay for long because the Bluetooth shutter wasn't working. I just decided to go home after that, but I found some difficulty in finding a bus taking me back to my hotel. I was honestly confused and didn't know where to go because the buses servicing my stop didn't have a route going to my hotel. There was also this thing with BTS' comeback somehow diverting buses, which inconvenienced me because I was waiting at some bus stops for a bus that never came. Still, it was fine, and I just kept walking and walking until I got to a specific bus stop nearby. The N51 Night Bus I rode was freaking packed! We were packed in like sardines and I could only assume this was the case because a lot of people had their bus routes changed. I couldn't even tap my T-Money card at the terminal, but there was a guy kind enough to tap in my card and one of another passenger. That bus ride was hell and I actually forgot to leave at the specified bus stop because it was too crowded. I just decided to get off at the next bus stop and I was able to tap my card out and get out of there. Even the lady next to me was sort of crushed by the door due to how crowded it was. So I just left and decided to book a car ride back to my hotel because I'm out of options. Honestly, I kind of regretted going out this late at night lol. I booked a cab ride and I did my usual thing of saying the cab driver's name just to confirm. And at first, she didn't get why, and she kept talking to me in Korean which I totally didn't get huhu. She was a nice, elderly lady and I was able to tell her a bit in Korean that I don't speak Korean at all and that I was a foreigner. She drove like crazy but it was such a fun ride back to the hotel. I'm just glad I got back after all that and I was able to make it safe. I just chilled and got some rest after that. For the morning, I had this strange dream that I'll oversleep, but thankfully I didn't and I woke up at around noon. I got a ticket for the Namsan Seoul Tower since that was planned in today's itinerary. I wore something comfortable and stopped by at a nearby coffee shop because I also wanted to check that off my itinerary. I asked in Korean and I didn't understand what they said. But I was able to ask how I'll clean up after I finished my order, and the lady said that she'll do it herself, so that was nice. I took the bus to claim my Klook ticket because it was for the cable car and for the tower itself. I took the bus there and I dropped by somewhere near Myeongdong. I got my ticket and used a nearby elevator to go up to the cable car building. The cable car building was kind of a long wait, but it was fine. I just didn't expect that I'd be riding a cable car full of people. I thought it was in smaller groups, or something. We were packed and standing, like a bunch of sardines or something. But I enjoyed it for what it was and drank a Pocari Sweat from the vending machine at the top. I took a few photos of the tower and I overheard a few Filipinos and I assumed they wanted a group pic of them together, so I offered and asked the lady in Tagalog if I could take a pic of them. They seemed shocked, but glad, and I took a few photos of them. They also took a few photos of me, since I needed a few pics of myself anyway. So that was a nice exchange. I walked around to a nearby restaurant and had late lunch there because I hadn't eaten all day. I also rolled on this fortune paper thing and I think I got a good one. I took a few pictures and then decided that it was time to go up to the tower itself. I got a real ticket for the tower heading up and took a few photos. I also bought a few souvenirs, as well as some for myself, as a gift to bring back. I also got this N Seoul Tower card as a kind of souvenir for myself, because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get it and say that I have something tangible from this place. I got to meet another Filipino, this time a traveler coming in from Japan. She says that she isn't staying long in Korea, and she generally asked if I could take pictures of her. Thankfully, she was also kind enough to take pictures of me in return, so that was nice. I went to the lower floor and we bumped into each other again, and we took pictures at this nice window view as the sun was setting, so that was cool. For the rest of the evening, I just chilled at the base of the tower. I thought to myself for a bit, took a few photos, and oversaw Seoul's city skyline. It was still surreal and I just couldn't believe I was here in Seoul, South Korea all by myself. After a while, I went to a Starbucks nearby and got a drink. I was thinking if this was the day I got that mug and tumbler from Starbucks, but decided on another day instead. I just enjoyed my coffee which was actually served in this *trenta* size. I also had food at the same restaurant and saw a few Filipinos there, so that was cool. I walked around for a bit in Strava and then decided to go down once I felt like I had explored all of the places here. I waited in line and thought that I didn't have to wait in line, I assumed the line was for the tickets (which I already had), so I left my place only to find that I was wrong. So I waited in line again, and I think a few Filipinos were behind me, so I pretended to call a friend and speak in Tagalog, and the couple behind me were definitely looking at me. When we got to the cable car, that's when they asked me and they introduced themselves to me. They were 2 sets of couples and the girl from the Korean couple actually studied in the Philippines for a while, kind of what like what we had in our school. I talk to them for a bit, but eventually part ways with them and I kind of regret that I didn't get their number of Facebook accounts, and stuff. I took a few photos of myself at this landmark and then took the bus home. I just wanted to get home early today so I can just chill in my hotel room. I eventually arrived back and bought a few stuff at some convenience stores nearby like some toothbrushes and this banana milk.I also got my accommodation set for Busan, thankfully. After that, I went to sleep.

My First Day in Another Country!

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Seoul, South Korea

My morning started off with me still flying to South Korea so I just watched the movie that Mon recommended to me, which was Everyone Knows Every Juan. It was quite a strange, surreal, but fun movie to watch while up in the air, and it was pretty cool to watch. After I finished watching, I went back to sleeping and listening to my Antok FM playlist. After a few hours, we eventually arrived in South Korean airspace and even flew over Jeju Island. It showed on my maps and I could not believe that I was headed alone to some foreign country. We eventually got to Incheon and landed there. I was so shocked but at the same time, I couldn't believe it. We got to Incheon Airport safe and I was in a place no one in my family had ever been in. I was just walking around and taking it all in. Then I passed by this giant LCD screen that had some designs and stuff on it, and I saw some characters from Cookie Run Kingdom. It was so surreal to see Gingerbrave and the others, it felt like I was dreaming. I also couldn't believe how nice the airport looked, but also how empty everything looked. It kinda looked liminal because there were almost no people around here except our flight, and this is supposed to be a busy international airport, but it's 4 a.m. and it's devoid of people. I got through immigrations just fine and the line wasn't actually that long, since it's just people from another flight and ours, and I got through immigrations quickly. I got my bag, too, and I was off to get that SIM card that I bought. I walked around, only to find that the store I'm supposed to claim it in is on the other side of the airport terminal. So I made my way there and it didn't work on my Samsung Galaxy SCR01, so I had to use Ailysh's phone. It would then be my main networking device for the trip and I hid the SIM card and my SCR01 in my bag. I was thinking whether or not I should book a taxi to Seoul or just use the subway to get there. It was almost 5 a.m. anyway, and I decided I didn't want the wait and hassle so I just booked a taxi ride. I had a discount coupon because there was a BTS promotion, so that was nice. I also loaded some money to my T-Money card that came with my SIM card and booked a taxi. It quickly arrived and I had to exit through Gate 14 and I was immediately shocked by how cold it was. The temperature difference didn't strike me at first because I was inside the airport, but when I exited, I got spooked by how cold it actually was. Then there I was, on a taxi ride to my hotel in Seoul. The taxi was really fast, and I checked the weather app and it showed that it was 3°C in Incheon, which was super cold. I still enjoyed the taxi ride to the hotel and I had to translate/look up a common phrase to signal to the taxi driver that it's already paid. When I arrived at the hotel, I said that to the driver as he helped me drop off my luggage, and I was instantly shocked at how he understood me. I was shocked, but also glad I could do that. After that, I got checked in and I got my room number, which was pretty high up. I got in my hotel room, which would be my “home” for the next 7 days in Seoul, and I was shocked at how nice it was, and also how nice the bathroom was. There was this huge bathtub that could easily fit 2-3 people, and I was shocked at how nice this bathroom was despite the hotel's price. It easily beat all of the hotels I've stayed at in the Philippines, including the 5-star ones. After I had settled in, I wanted to walk and enjoy the Seoul morning air, so I took a walk even though I just had my basic polo shirt on, and I walked to a nearby McDonald's since I was kinda hungry. My walk felt so nice, and it was only 2°C, but I loved the temperature on my skin. I've never had dry cold on my skin before and it feels so nice. I walked past a few places, took a bunch of photos, and I just couldn't believe that I was out and alone on a foreign country. It still hasn't sunk into me yet. But then I got to the McDonald's and ate there for a bit. I used the ordering kiosk and paid using my GCash card, which worked well, so I had breakfast and I sample their coffee and talked to some friends like Nate. I also called my sister to show how cold it was, and after that I headed back to my hotel to change, clean up, and get ready. I wanted to go to Cheonggyecheon even though it wasn't planned, and I wanted to take the bus there. I tried KakaoMaps for the first time and I was a bit nervous to use the bus, but I found the directions easy. I also used the time to just chill and play songs, and also look out the window. I eventually got off near Seoul Station and walked there. I saw a few BTS promotions since it's their comeback, but I eventually got to Cheonggyecheon! I honestly couldn't believe that I was at Cheonggyecheon. I had only dreamed of visiting this place, and it feels so strange to actually be here in person. I took a lot of photos, but it sucks that I forgot to bring the selfie stick with me. So I kept walking downstream and I saw a few ducks, and some people were feeding the ducks. I sat down for a bit, took a few photos, talked to Mon and my sister, and even crossed over a few rocks that led to the other side. For a while, I just explored and walked around for a while. I also wanted to get a WowPass so I was look around for a terminal for that. I also went underground to withdraw cash, but I still continued my search for a WowPass terminal. This was also the time I rode the subway for the first time! I kind of got lost and ultimately went back to somewhere near Myeongdong. I wanted to eat since it was already lunchtime anyway, so I walked and walked. I ultimately passed by a WowPass terminal, but I couldn't claim a card because I didn't have my passport with me, so I was just in search of food. I tried navigating through KakaoMaps and trying to check out some recommendations there, and some were closed, so I went to this one other charcoal grill place. Unfortunately, since I was eating alone, I couldn't order their meat on a grill, and was just stuck with some grilled fish and their steamed egg soufflé, which was more gelatinous than anything. It wasn't my ideal meal. I got to eat and also take a few photos, as well as charge my phone. But after that, since I was already near Myeongdong, I decided to just shop and buy the stuff since I didn't want to be bothered with shopping on the next few days. I bought some stuff at Olive Young and chatted with a few of my friends while there so I could get their exact stuff, and then I checked out. They were offering a tax refund on the spot, but I didn't have my passport on me, so I couldn't get the tax refund and just paid for the whole thing. After that, I went to the K-Pop merch store upstairs to see if they have the ILLIT album, and they didn't, so that kind of disappointed me. I then went to the HBAF store across the street and I was so surprised that they had so many flavors in stock! Most of these flavors were ones I haven't even seen before, so I was really amazed. I only bought a few and then chilled at a nearby Starbucks to recoup some energy because I've been walking around all day. I also tried that new drink that they had. It was nice, but I was surprised that it was fully soda. After that, I just went to a nearby bus station that has a route that's near to my hotel. The entire ride home, I was just looking out at the window. I even slept and passed out because I was so tired, and I was shocked to see that no one stole from me or anything. I eventually arrived at my stop and I tried to find a universal adapter at a nearby ACE Hardware store, but they didn't have it. So I went to this Lotte store to ask for an adapter, and they did give me one. I also asked for an adapter in Korean and I was glad that the lady got it. At first, I was kind of disappointed, because the lady gave me a multi-plug charger, but when I got back to the hotel, I was glad because I got the right thing, which was an adapter. By this time, the sun was setting, so I just stayed for a bit to charge my stuff. Then I went to a nearby hotel which had a WowPass terminal and I got my WowPass card. I even loaded it with 50,000 KRW. It was already nighttime so I just decided to have dinner. I initially wanted to eat at this restaurant which served pork cutlet, but I decided for KFC instead since I wanted to show Jaze how the KFC was in Korea. I got there and I was surprised that they had butter rice, which kind of surprised me. I also tried out Dr. Pepper for the first time and it was great, honestly. I just ate while talking to Jaze and Cheska for a bit, then I asked if I could get my food for take-out and I said it in Korean, which made me glad because I could phonetically sound out sentences and they could understand it. I walked back to my hotel room again and contemplated for a bit if I should go out again, even though it was getting close to midnight. But I still went ahead with it. I brought my selfie stick, too. I wanted to visit Cheonggyecheon again and so I left and got on a bus going there. I also checked my finances and I was surprised to have spent 10K Pesos in one day. I honestly couldn't believe I spent so much money in one day, and I wondered how I'll survive for the next few days of my trip. But it was fine, I played Some Nights by fun. while on the bus ride to Seoul Station. Although, the bus didn't actually go there. The driver asked where this person was getting off, and they thankfully said Seoul station. I kind of figured out from the context that they're not stopping there because there was an alert saying that buses won't go to Seoul Station because of BTS' comeback. So I got off at a completely different stop and decided to walk there instead. My night continued from there.

Song of the day: Seoul by Girls' Generation & Super Junior

My First Flight Alone!

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: NAIA Terminal 3

# Thursday was finally the big day! I have literally waited MONTHS for this day to come, and today would be the day I packed and left for Seoul, South Korea! I couldn't be more excited, but also anxious at the same time. I started this morning just on a call with someone and I just ordered take-out. Nothing noteworthy happened and I didn't stay up for long because I had to sleep and get some rest eventually. In the morning and afternoon, I made sure to have everything prepared and packed. I had a little bit of help from my sister in packing my luggage. We made sure everything was prepared and I even had her clean an old jacket-thing that I bought years ago. I had my entire outfit settled: the new polo shirt that Mom got me recently. While I was packing my stuff, I read online that liquids should be stored in some quarter Ziploc bag. I didn't have it on me, so I had to spend an additional 1,000 Pesos buying other stuff from a faraway SNR and it was kind of a time pressure since I had to leave now. But I eventually get the bag, wrap some essentials in there like my perfume, and then Mom sends me the money that I lent to her back in January. I also get some messages from someone about cats. I use the remaining time I had to just pay some credit cards and settle bills because I didn't want to be bothered while I'm on vacation. After all was said and done, I booked an InDrive ride to NAIA Terminal 3 and had a little talk with my uncle before leaving for the airport. While on the way, I realized that I didn't bring my noise-cancelling headphones with me, which was a shame, but whatever. I was already on the way to the airport. When I got there, there was a line for Jeju Air and the people manning the booths weren't there yet, so I waited for a bit and played with the selfie stick. I also took a few photos of Bing Bong since I brought them out. Eventually the staff lined up and gave a loud Korean greeting, which had me shocked because I've never experienced that before. But that was so cool. After I checked in my bag and items, I also had to pay some travel tax which deducted some of my money, but it was fine. I then went back to grab my boarding pass and it looked so cool. I then headed off to immigrations and the line took a while, but I was eventually able to reach the counter. I couldn't hear the IO at all, but I got the gist that I needed to sign up for an eTravel thing in the eGov app, so I just filled that out and went back in line as a show of respect. I eventually got to the counter with another IO and they checked my stuff, I also showed them my company which I thankfully had on me, and I was stamped and good to go. After that, I had to get myself and my bag scanned. After all that, I was breathing a sigh of relief because all I had to do was just wait for the plane. It felt super nice clearing the major airport hurdles and now all I had to do was just wait for the plane. I took a pictures of the departures board and went back to an old blog post because I genuinely could not believe I was going to South Korea. I posted a few pictures to IG before leaving and left someone a few photos of me going to the plane before taking off. Honestly, I was super glad to get a window seat. I honestly could not believe my luck, because I got a window seat. I went to the bathroom a couple of times and the flight was delayed a bit due to air traffic, but I'm glad we got to take-off safely and leave on time. It's always such a shock to me to see an airplane takeoff because this thing goes fast. Fast enough to leave the ground. And that's where I spent the last few hours of my day: off the ground headed for some other country.

Song of the day: MONTAGEM - PR FUNK by S3BZS

Journal entry for Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Wednesday was one of the most boring days I've ever had and this day was essentially a filler episode in my life because I just wanted to skip this day. I did nothing but look forward to my South Korea trip tomorrow and I just did my usual round of preparation, like filling up my e-Arrival Card in Korea, and ordering some food while being on call with someone. I couldn't sleep much because of my excitement but I was also anxious because I might suffer an injury or something, and because I had to go to the office today. So I wanted to be extra careful and “protect my energy” so to speak. I got to the office, had my usual round of lunch with my coworkers, and we got some of those viral Dubai chewy cookies, and I also sent someone money so they could try those. My office also had this interesting “free banana day” and I got a free banana, for some reason. I also got some money to exchange at Rolan's money exchange business, so that was cool. I got some Korean Won and it was cool to see their currency and to actually touch it. After that, a coworker got me a cute charm from Japan and I eventually went home after timing out of work. For the evening, I played some It Takes Two with someone and we finished quite a few levels. We also watched some horror gameplay, and my sister eventually got me that selfie stick. And in the late evening, I got my ticket to Korea prepared, and I essentially stayed up late while talking to someone.

Song of the day: STYLE by Hearts2Hearts

Journal entry for Tuesday, March 17th, 2026

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday started with me still chilling in the call with someone and I was talking to Mon about some deep stuff, but that was mostly it. I actually stayed up with someone and stayed on call with them up until 7 a.m. or so. We just talked, watched some K-Pop music videos, and eventually I guess I rested and timed in for work shortly after. In my break, they played more of Shutter Story, I was organizing my playlist for my South Korea trip, and they played Needy Streamer Overload. But I eventually timed out and just chilled for the rest of the evening.

Song of the day: Terminal by Rupert Holmes

Journal entry for Monday, March 16th, 2026

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Monday was when shit got real. **THIS IS FINALLY THE WEEK I GO TO SOUTH KOREA** and I was so fucking hyped as shit. I stayed up for the morning, planning my trip and how everything is supposed to go, like my trip to Busan and what time I'd rake the KTX train to Busan, paying for the ticket, and paying for the Busan tour as well in the evening. I had the perfect plan for my day trip in Busan. I got my KORAIL Pass and I even bought the KORAIL PASS+ which is a physical card I can claim, I bought it since it was only around 300 Pesos and pretty cheap. After planning some more, I essentially just went to sleep. For the morning, nothing much happened as I just had work. I planned a bit more for my upcoming trip, and I talked to Mon for a bit, but I just went back to work after that. After my shift ended, I got into a call with Luan and someone, and Luan played Fatal Frame for us. I ordered dinner for my sister and I, and I just chilled and watch someone play Red Dead Redemption 2. They finally played that new game they recommended named Shutter Story but it wasn't that long as only the demo had been out. After that, I stayed up and was still in a call with someone up until the next day.

Song of the day: Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) (feat. T-Pain) by Pitbull

Midnight visit to Tuscany, McKIenley Hill

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Jaze and I eventually arrived at Assi Fresh Plaza and we actually ate inside the store for the first time. Jaze cooked up the noodles that we bought and I ordered the spicy ones, AND IT WAS **TOO HOT** for me. I actually felt like passing out because it was too spicy for me. I just couldn't handle it and I just didn't finish my food, but Jaze seemed to enjoy his food so that was good for him. After that, we ended our trip outside and I was back at home. I talked to Mon for a bit, and with someone as well, but that was mostly it. For Sunday, I didn't actually do much other than play CyberPunk: 2077 on my MacBook, which was a total first for me because I never actually thought about gaming on my MacBook Pro, but it was fun and I got myself hooked on the story a bit. I talked to Kai for a bit, too, but I essentially just chilled for the evening and stayed up until the following day.

Journal entry for Saturday, March 14th, 2026

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Seoul next week. I got some sleep after that and I woke up at around the afternoon after getting a full 8 hours of sleep, which was nice. I checked my matches on CMB and I saw that I matched with someone named Maria. We talked for a bit, but it wasn't much. After that, I mostly just talked to Mon and browsed some IG Reels. I had so much free time today that I was actually free to get into a call with Mon and I played some knockoff Tetris game while we were talking. We talked for a bit, but eventually had to end the call. I just chilled and passed the time as Jaze and I planned to eat out in the evening. And in the late evening, Jaze eventually picked me up and we ate at Tokyo Tokyo. We tried their ramen and it was total ass, it tasted weird and it was kind of disgusting. Of course, we couldn't talk shit about their food there, but it was just horrible. We didn't finish our food and we just left for Assi Fresh Plaza to eat proper noodles.

Song of the day: STYLE by Hearts2Hearts

Journal entry for Friday, March 13th, 2026

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Friday, I was getting more and more excited since my trip to Korea would finally be next week, and as fun as this week was, I just wanted it to be over. I started the morning a bit stressed because someone and I talked about some future stuff, but it was eventually resolved and I was able to go to sleep. I went to the office today as usual and I had my usual thing of going out with my coworkers and having lunch with them. After a while, I had to go home as the day was pretty much done and I could just finish my other tasks at home. After work, I signed up for CMB Date, even though it was the most expensive dating app subscription I've ever had. I got curious since Mon kept talking about it and I wanted to try it out. I sent a few flowers, messages, and other stuff hoping one sticks, and funnily enough I saw Mon there, too. I talked to Mon for a while and eventually had a meeting in the late evening around midnight for some work, and that's how I ended my day.

Song of the day: All Of The Lights by Kanye West

Thursday's Makati Night Trip

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was my usual day in the office and I started it by going to the office and working on-site. I had lunch out with my coworkers, but I also got some matcha by myself. I tried to look for some travel groups or meetup places in Korea for my upcoming trip because I didn't want to be lonely. For my breaktime, I got into a call with someone as I was chilling in the pantry. I talked to Mon for a while, too, but I mostly was on call with someone and watched them play Red Dead Redemption 2. I got to open up to Mon about a scar that I still had, so that was nice. I continued to focus on my tasks for the day and, after timing out, we decided to have lunch out. We wanted to eat out at this restaurant in Poblacion, but it was full and waiting would take. along time, so we had some *samosas* at the Samosa Street food card. It was so funny because apparently the seller and one of my coworkers went to the same college, so that was interesting. The *samosa* was actually good, too, it was really delicious. We couldn't decide on which restaurant to have dinner at, though, but we eventually settled on La Pita. I tried out the lamb meat since it was the most exotic one on the menu, and it tasted nice. It was so filling, though, and it took me a while to finish my food since I was just eating it all alone while my coworkers shared their food amongst each other. After that, we wanted to walk around for a bit and we decided to have some drinks at Black Kettle that's nearby. I got a drink and their pastry, which was funny because I still had yesterday's cookie in my bag. After that, we all went our separate ways and I went home because I still had more on-site work for tomorrow.

Song of the day: Club Can't Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) by Flo Rida

Work and Ramen Out

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Wednesday, it started with me fixing the Spotify integration because apparently I needed to have a paid account so I could use their API, which sucked since I don't use Spotify anymore, but whatever. I also got some messages from Mon inviting me to go out once I got back from Korea, which seemed cool. Once I woke up, I went to the office and I eventually had lunch out at the food court. I had a coworker ask me if I could pasabuy her something from Korea, and I agreed. I also still kept talking to Mon throughout the day and then I prank messaged her, which backfired. But we were cool after that and then I had dinner out with my coworkers. I saw a large group of cats just chilling out and we were going to Manmaru which was around Makati Central Square. On the way there, I kind of did a goof because some coworker pointed to some rooftop bar and I asked how could we get up there, and then they teased me by going up via the elevator as they thought I would scale the building. That was funny and we 3 just kept walking afterward. I just got some ramen but my coworker was a bit adventurous and wanted to try the *natto*. I think it was the server that recommended he try the *natto* sushi, but my coworker wanted to try just the *natto* by itself. They tried it and immediately disliked it. I also hinted that they were supposed to smell/taste like that because they're fermented. It was just funny seeing their reaction, and my coworker also took some pictures of them. After eating, we got some drinks and I got an additional matcha cookie which we got at the restaurant Edoya across the street. We walked it back to the office and then I went home since it was getting late and I also planned to work on-site tomorrow.

Journal entry for Tuesday, March 10th, 2026

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday still had me out with Jaze and we were still finishing our food from KFC and 7-Eleven, and Jaze kind of vowed to never order again at the KFC in McKinley because their fries tasted horrible according to him. It was also kind of weird for me because we loved that branch's fries back in the pandemic, I guess their quality just went down. But I mostly just ate the hot shots that I bought. After that, we went home and stopped by Petron to get some gas. When I got back, I still had time to get into a call with someone and I logged in my Steam account on their PC so they could play my games, and they played Needy Streamer Overload for a while. We chilled on call for a while until I had to leave since I still had work in the morning. For the rest of the day, I just had my usual round of tasks and there wasn't anything noteworthy going on. I talked to Mon, then I got into a call with someone where they streamed some stuff and showed me the Amazon Kindle that I got them a few years ago. I talked to them a bit and then tried to fix something on my website.

Song of the day: Regent's Park by Bruno Major

That's the Catch!

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Bad

Today initially moved like any other, with me still overthinking about yesterday and how shitty my life has become over the past few years. I was still talking to someone about it via chat and I explained to them via text and I notiAssithat they eventually slept. I didn't want to stay up anymore by overthinking it, so I just read “Goodbye, Eri” and left Mon a message and slept. In the morning, I woke up to a few messages from someone and they were worried about me because it seemed like I was spiraling to them. It was super nice to see that they were worried about me. They offered to listen to me rant while they play video games and it was really touching hearing that coming from them. It helped me feel a lot better because I've just been so beaten up by life recently. I talked to them and we got into a call where they streamed Red Dead Redemption 2 while I mostly watched and we talked for a bit. I timed in for work and started on my usual round of daily tasks. Over the course of the day, and in my free time, Luan streamed his own gameplay of Resident Evil 7. He streamed it while I was doing work in the background, too. It was around this time where Mon messaged me and told me about what she did throughout the day. I also got groceries delivered and my sister and I had Jollibee for take-out. For some reason, I just felt absolutely hurt and a bit betrayed, to be honest. I had held off on the idea that I might like them, even though I extremely enjoyed us hanging out. I always felt like they were “too perfect” and there had to be some sort of “catch” or red flag, and it was absolutely soul-crushing to have learned all of that today. Thankfully, I was at my house and I was with friends, so I felt a little shielded from the blow. In the afternoon to evening, I wrapped up with work. I eventually had the space to open this up to someone, and I was only able to tell them a bit since they didn't offer much to console me. I got back into a call with someone and Luan, and I treated someone to *tokwa* because they haven't eaten all day, and they also insisted I eat even though I wasn't planning to. I just ordered McDonald's and I ordered additional drinks and this vodka + Sprite drink because I just felt like getting drunk a little, even though I haven't had alcohol in a long time. With honestly how shitty this and the past day was, I could use a drink. I mostly just watched Luan stream Resident Evil 7 while I was eating and drinking. I was also trying to process my feelings in the background and move on. Eventually Jaze says that he's almost going to leave so that we can hang out and I eventually left the stream to hang out with Jaze. I told Jaze everything and of how hurt I felt. I'm glad that he was just down to listen and to lend an ear. We wanted to go to Popeyes but they were closed for a bit. So we went to some food tents in McKinley West as I ordered a few things. I ordered *isaw* since I was craving for it, but they didn't cook it well so I kind of felt like I wasted my money. I told Jaze of what happened and all the things I discovered today, and he suggested that I just move on. I told him that's exactly what I was planning to do and I'm glad I was able to stop myself from having feelings this early on. We tried the KFC nearby and ordered some stuff from there, then we stopped by our usual Assi Fresh Plaza we just bought stuff and talked as the night went on.

Song of the day: Man I Need by Olivia Dean

Journal entry for Sunday, March 8th, 2026

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Bad

I decided that I'm unsure about my feelings for Mon because it all seems “too good to be true.” I've been here before, and there's always a “catch” to these. So I'm holding out and keeping my feelings at a distance rather than just blatantly saying/admitting it after a hangout that went so well. For today, I had a hangout planned with Max and Meryll. I talked to Mon for a bit throughout the day and up until I had left. I booked a ride to Ayala Malls Circuit because that's where I thought we'd go. But I found out that it was just *near* it, and that it actually wasn't there. It was actually somewhere else. So I spent 15 minutes walking to The 210 Weekend Club and I eventually got there and saw Max and Meryll talking to each other. I ordered some stuff and then made friendship bracelets, and I could only give one to Max because of time constraints. We then planned to go to Ayala Triangle and I booked us a Grab ride to there because it didn't cost much anyway. I told them a bit of how I sold a Google Pixel 9 for only 1K Pesos and I heard some stories from Max. After we arrived, we walked around to find a suitable place to sit on and we just talked for a bit. It was this time when a topic was opened up that absolutely shocked me. At that moment, I was kind of left speechless but also kind of sad. I did apologize and mostly listened, and I didn't really defend myself much. When I was asked if I had any issues, I said I had none, which was true anyway. But part of me felt a little pained because this was kind of the last friend group I have. Like they were the only group of people I felt like I could tell stuff to, and especially since we've lasted since our days at Dice. It sucks to hear that even this friend group will die out on me, and I kind of cried at the thought of it when I was looking at a palm tree. We walked to Glorietta and talked, and I tried my best to feel and be engaged even though I was ruminating in my thoughts. When we arrived and went to the bathroom, I had some time to myself to just cry because I've had so many friendships collapse over the years, and I could just tell that this one is also done for. But I didn't let them know and I just said that my eyes were irritated, which is why it was watery. We went up to the Top of the Glo and just talked, chilled there, but I was mostly just disassociating and passively listening. We eventually ate at Saladstop for dinner and my mood had shifted, but I was still just listening to them and I listened to Max share her relationship experiences. We went home after that and I just ruminated in my thoughts for a while.

Song of the day: Wake Me up When September Ends by Green Day

A Surprise Mon!

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC

Saturday was initially pretty boring, I was just staying up because I didn't know if Mon would message me, or if someone will, but I just spent it alone. I just had this random need to message Mon good night and I hope she got home safe, and it was that time where she was just waking up, so that was a weird coincidence. We talked for a while before I got to get my well-deserved rest because the past few days have been extremely tiring. So I woke up and I didn't really have any plans to do. Someone's package from IKEA arrived and the driver called me, and that was a hassle to get delivered, but that was it. I talked to them for a bit on Telegram and then wished them a happy birthday. I just woke up and talked to my sister and other family members who were just chilling outside. Then I talk to Mon for a bit, she says that she's thinking of buying some stuff and seeing a movie, The Loved One (2026). We get to talking and I eventually convince her to go out, and she asks me if I'm doing anything today and I say I'm free, too. Before this, I was literally just browsing and leveling up on Steam, so I had nothing better to do anyway and I'd love to spend it with Mon. She eventually decides on hanging out with me today and we both got ready to meet at BGC Uptown. Since I didn't take long, I had some spare time to set up and sing karaoke with my cousins and sister in the living room before leaving for BGC Uptown. Mon got a ride, too, and I asked her to take care. I got to BGC Uptown just fine, and I was the first one to get there, which wasn't a surprise. I talked to William and Mariah for a bit, and I congratulated them on getting back together, so that was cool. I got a cream puff from the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory while I was waiting for Mon. She eventually arrives and gives me this big hug which was cute because it kind of feels like a long while since we last saw each other, and it kind of has been. We walk and talk for a bit, and I notice that some of the icons on her phone were themed, which looked cool. We tried to find Ramen Ibuki and I joked around because she didn't know the area. But she eventually suggests I open Google Maps and, sure enough, I find it and we walk down this street. I asked her if she goes to bars and clubs because we just passed by what used to be XYLO or something. I was surprised to hear her answer, but eventually we got to Ramen Ibuki and get seated. While we were eating, she mostly tells me about her work stories, like how many kids her coworkers have, and then I asked her what was the craziest thing she saw this week. I was just shocked to hear the answer, but it was cool to know. I also asked her how her day went yesterday and she also told me of the crazy thing she saw at IKEA, and I joked that I'd barge in there. We then wondered what was this log of charcoal inside the water, but Mon was too shy to ask and so I asked the server and asked as if it was on her behalf. But we eventually got our food and Mon mostly tells me her work stories and another crazy thing she did involving coffee and the Chagee tumbler I gave her sometime ago. After a while, we finish up and I pay for the bill. Mon approaches me and proposes to me the idea of walking all the way to SM Aura. I wholeheartedly agree and I think it's cute that she asked. We then walk all the way from Uptown to SM Aura, and I talk to her about history of playing Mobile Legends and playing League of Legends with her past friends. She told me about her group of friends that used to play with her before, and how that's turned out. Then she tells me of the place where she had her wallet stolen, and I tease her for this. We keep walking and I do notice that she has a light blush going on, which I ask her about, and she does tell me that she's does have some on by using a blended lip tint, which I was just shocked to hear because I've never heard of that way before. Then she tells me of her other relationship in college when I asked her about it, and then she unpacks a lot of stuff regarding her ex and how she found out about all this. It was some of the craziest stuff I've heard and it sucks to hear that Mon went through this. By this time, we were already at SM Aura and Mon pulled on me to drag me into the H&M store. We look around and she looks at some clothes, I also look to pick a fit because I'm going to Korea and it's going to be 0-10 degrees Celsius there, and I don't have any outfit that can handle that sort of cold temperature. Mon and I look around, she sees a few hoodies with some famous bands and their tour dates. Then she finds a jacket that has this weird texture, like it's some sort of sponge. Mon ties her hair during this and I just realized that her hairstyle had changed and it wasn't tied up anymore. After this, we keep looking for more clothes. She suggests this one jacket that looked nice, but wasn't available in the size I wanted, and no other branch nearby had it either, so we gave up on it. Mon pulled my arm again so we can get out, and she pulled my arm several times after that because she wants to show me around. It was kind of cute how she would pull and yank on my arm, it reminded me of how my old girl best friend and I used to be. We eventually stopped by Bershka and this was where I bought a jacket and pants, and I tried them out and paid at the counter. Mon and I walk for a bit to SM department store and we hang around there for a bit until we get to the 5th floor. We checked out Datablitz first and she checks out a few Switch games, and I was surprised to hear that she's actually interested in getting a Steam Deck, which was honestly pretty cool of her. We then walked to the nearby Gashapon store and we looked around and joked a lot while checking out what to get. I told her to pick whatever she wants and I'll pay for it and then we pass by some really funny stuff. I settled on getting a Minecraft one and a Sanrio one, hoping to get Cinnamoroll. We pass by this gashapon machine that had this “mojojojo” product on it, and it was pretty funny because it had these plushies and one of them was named “You never know” and we just laughed at how absurd its name was. Mon settles on her favorite character from Chainsaw Man and then I got us tokens. I first tried the Minecraft one, then the Sanrio one, and I actually got Cinnamoroll. Which is weird, but also cool I got him. Mon then tries the Chainsaw Man gashapon and she got her favorite character, too! By now, it's super eerie because the odds of us getting the characters we wanted were super low. Idk how that made sense, but okay. We rolled for mojojo and Mon wanted to get “You never know” and unfortunately we didn't get him. We both thought we got a character, Matcha, that Mon just said, but thankfully it was a character named “Loulou,” so that was cute. We stopped by to get a few things before heading to the cinemas. I settled on Gong Cha since she made me pick, and then we grabbed some snacks. I just got nuggets while Mon initially wanted Ruffles, but that was unavailable so she chose some other bag of chips. We got our complimentary popcorn and drinks inside and she asks me how I made the seat recline and such. Then we joked around and talked before the movie started. We watched The Loved One (2026) and we both thought it was pretty good. I could find myself resonating with Ellie the most, even though the protagonist Eric is literally a senior developer/engineer like me, and that he uses Python at work like I do. After the film, we split for a while to go to the bathroom and Mon surprises me by hugging me from behind. It absolutely scares the shit out of me and I scream, and a few people turn to look at us. It was so funny. I eventually tell Mon I get easily scared when approached from behind, to the point where my coworkers make fun and try to scare me for it. We stopped by Fully Booked and Mon recommended me Strange Houses, and I remarked that I've had a friend read Strange Pictures and it wasn't that scary. We then go downstairs, then to Watsons, and finally end up at the department store so that Mon can buy some toothbrushes. While walking, she tells me the story of her former long-time friend since elementary and about how they grew apart. After this, I had a stomachache and went to the bathroom for a while and then reunited with Mon as we went downstairs to get some bread. Our last stop was llaollao for the day but then Mon suggests that there's one a BGC High Street and that we should go there instead. I agree and we walk there while Mon tells me of how her last relationship went. It was some of the craziest lore drops I've ever heard and it was honestly sad and scary that she went through that. It was so horrible to hear and left me totally speechless because I can't imagine myself in that situation. That's where I draw the line, too, in a relationship. The line at llaollao was long so we essentially tried to go to Venchi Philippines in BHS Central Square because that often where my family and I go, but BHS Central Square was closed by this time. I just tried to see what store still served ice cream and harlan + holden had ice cream, so we went there instead and we just chilled at a bench nearby where we talked about life and our own dating prospects recently. After a deep conversation, it was eventually time for Mon to leave so she booked a ride home and she gave a hug before saying goodbye again. I thought about wanting to wait for a bit or walk around to just process my emotions for today, but I already had done enough and I booked a ride home instead. When I got home, I talked to a few friends and I just processed my feelings from it all. I wondered on what to think about because I hadn't come to a decision yet, and I eventually settled on a decision on the following day, early in the morning.

Song of the day: Demons by Imagine Dragons

Journal entry for Friday, March 6th, 2026

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday still had me out with Jaze as we were eating the KFC we bought at Assi Fresh Plaza. We didn't think it was that great and Jaze swears that other KFC branches were better. I agreed but also asked him to let me know. We wrap it up for that day and I eventually got home. For today, I had another day in the office and there were a lot of us there. We all had lunch out because one of our coworkers celebrated their 10th year in the company. We ate at Manam and it was pretty good. It was also someone's birthday soon so I got them a cake from Caramia Cakes & Gelato, and I got them their favorite cake. I had Chagee by myself and went back to Greenbelt because I felt stressed. I kept talking to Mon throughout the day but it was mostly just me listening to their problems and issues. In the afternoon, we had some free time and we played some card games that my coworker brought. They had this game called Dixit and we played it before the others left and timed out. It was pretty interesting and we had fun. I also got someone that IKEA shelf that I had promised them for their birthday.

Song of the day: Demons by Imagine Dragons

Journal entry for Thursday, March 5th, 2026

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I got some of the shortest amounts of sleep I ever had. I tried to writAssid finish my blog post because I was feeling super down, but I couldn't find a way to write the conclusion for it, so I just wrote some journal entries for the past few days and then slept. In the morning, I woke up and I got a few messages from Mon about a new band she found. She updated the playlist she shared to me and I messaged her as soon as I woke up. We had a little back and forth and she asked me if I was okay because I was gone yesterday. I was so swamped with work and other stuff and I got to explain to her, and thankfully she understood what happened and all that. It's still nice to hear that she got concerned, even if it was only for a bit. We got to talking until I prepared to leave for work. I eventually got a ride and then commuted to the office while listening to the new songs she had put in to the playlist she shared. It was super strange that these are mostly/all love songs, though. By the time I got to the office, I had set up my stuff and worked on my primary tasks for today. I messaged Mon in the small breaks I got between tasks and I mostly asked them how their mood was, how they were doing with regards to work, and also about the Chagee tumbler I got for her since I didn't ask about it yesterday. I honestly noticed it a bit that we shared the same humor because she made a joke I would make, and we noticed more and more similarities as we kept talking throughout the day. I was also busy with some tasks and I noticed a few things that I was messaging to my coworkers about. Until one of my other coworkers pokes me a bit in the back which scares me and I could hear them, as well as a few others in our vicinity, look at us and laugh or look intrigued. I think I startled them a bit too much. But everyone had a good laugh at my expense so it was all good. I had lunch out with some of them and I got to order some Korean cheesy noodles, which were okay but still seemed a bit expensive. They mostly just joked around and teased me throughout lunch, too, but it was cool. I went back to the office with the others after that. I still had some downtime so I talked to Mon about some games she was interested in playing and I was surprised that she was familiar with a few PC games I had like BioShock and especially Life Is Strange. She also showed me her keyboard and it was funny because her keyboard was all dark and clean looking, she even put in the effort of 3D printing stuff on her keyboard, and I teased her by calling her a nerd. I showed her my keyboard and she laughed because of how opposite we were and I was rocking this Cinnamoroll keyboard. We talked for a bit more and then I focused back on my work as my break ended. In the afternoon, I was mostly focused on completing some tasks and helping out answer some tickets. I had finished a bulk of what was needed to be done and so I took a break by going to this cafe that Mon recommended since I was down to try another one of her recommendations. I tried that drink and I showed Mon some pictures of me preparing the coffee and then gave her my thoughts on it. She also told me of her plans for tomorrow as I was just chilling. It was interesting because this was the time where I showed my drawing tablet to Mon and she told me that we both had the same brand **and model** as our first-ever drawing tablet. She also talked about how she spilt coffee on hers, which I just found funny and such a Mon thing to do. We kept talking and she eventually told me about how she was interested in watching Beyond the Spider-Verse which was showing next year. I was surprised just by hearing that she was interested in it, too, and so she drafted a makeshift contract where we both sign it and that we'll watch the last Spider-Verse movie together. After signing it, I got back to work and focused until I timed out. For the evening, my coworkers and I planned to go out and have dinner again. We walked all the way from the office to Koobideh Kebabs. I was mostly engrossed on my phone during this time because I was talking to Mon and this was the part where things got eerie due to how many similarities but opposites we shared. For starters, our main friend group is composed of 3 people. The opposite between us is that, for my friend group the Baguettes, we're composed of 2 girls and 1 guy. For her, her group has 2 guys and she's the only girl. It's also weird that, for my group, 2 members have left the company we started our friend group in, leaving only 1 member still in the company. For Mon's group, 2 members stayed in the company and 1 had left, which is the direct inverse of our group. The only weird similarity is that Mon and I are both the only single people in our friend group. It was extremely puzzling to me and also a bit crazy, in my opinion, because I couldn't believe how similar yet opposite our worlds are. I also found out that Mon likes Vocaloid and Laufey, which was pretty cute. We eventually got to Koobideh Kebabs and by this time Mon was showing me some Vocaloid stuff as well as this other Japanese singer before she slept for the night. I was talking to someone during this time as well but they also seemed busy so I just focused on talking with my coworkers and joking with them. I got questioned and put on the hot seat but I honestly didn't care as I was able to answer some of their questions and reveal a bit of backstory of how much of a simp I used to be, even getting a crate of Pepsi Blue for a girl I liked back then. I walked back to the office after this and I got someone's Starbucks gift card. I didn't have much going on so I asked Jaze if he was free to hang out today and he agreed to meet up later. I didn't have much to do so I just had work and then went home after that. I just passed time and waited until Jaze was free to hang out.

Song of the day: Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan

Journal entry for Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Poblacion

Wednesday was finally the start of us having 3 days of on-site work. Today was finally the day. I don't know what to feel about this, but I sure do know that I felt tired. Because the day started with me and Jaze still outside as we were just talking at 7-Eleven. Jaze and I eventually left and I arrived home just fine to catch up on some journal entries because I didn't want to sleep with a full stomach. I eventually got my rest and started my morning. For the morning, nothing much happened as my sister was out, so all I could do was just ready myself for work. I got there just fine although the rider I was with seemed a little hotheaded and had a case of road rage. This kind of made me just wish I could save up for my own car soon. Once I got to work, I was a little confused because we had new seating assignments, and I was a little disappointed that I was seated a bit far away from my usual coworkers. But it was fine, I just focused on work and cleaning up some tasks in the morning. I was glad I got invited out to still have lunch with my usual coworkers, even though they teased me as usual and said that I shouldn't come with them, and that I was the baby of the group. They even had a new coworker and I pinched them because they kept teasing me, but it was all fine and we kept laughing on the way to get our lunch. My lunch was just my usual and I stood up while eating because I somehow didn't feel like sitting down. While on the way, I also told my coworkers that I had met someone new and that I sold them my Google Pixel 9 for 1K Pesos, which they kept teasing me throughout the day for. After lunch, 1 other coworker and I got coffee and I told him that I would pay him later. I got back to my desk and continued working on tasks until the afternoon. My coworkers invited me for a quick *merienda* break and we got food at SM Makati. I just got Paotsin and then this “big” *bola-bola siopao* while there, and I kept asking where we'll go for dinner later because my coworkers and I planned to walk for a bit and have dinner together in the evening. We went to Chagee afterward since one coworker wanted to try this specific drink, and I was surprised because him and I would be trying the same drink. I only wanted to try the “Glutinous Green Milk Tea” one because Mon said that her friend recommended it. It was really nice! I took a photo of my drink and I wanted to tell Mon about it, but it's the afternoon and Mon hasn't messaged me all day, so I figured that she was just busy or something. I went back to the office to finish my usual round of tasks until I timed out for the evening. For the evening, I was mostly waiting for my coworkers to finish up with their work. We had planned to visit Hà Nội Phố in Poblacion and one of our coworkers was kind enough to drive us there. I had time to kill so I joined Luan and someone's voice call and watched Luan continue through more of BioShock Infinite's story until I had to leave. We eventually drove there and even joked to play some songs on our coworker's car stereo. One coworker finally played fitterkarma's "Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II" and it was a pretty good, okay enough song. We eventually got to Hà Nội Phố after a while. I wanted to try something different so I got their *Phở* while my other coworkers got the other beef dishes and *Bún Chả*. I added more chili and spices to my *Phở* and it got so spicy. I had, like, 3 or 4 refills of water by the time we finished our meal. I'm glad to hear that my coworkers liked their dish. One of our coworkers eventually revealed that they watched a movie with their ex and how that affected them, and I mostly just listened to their story. I also said that I get their stance because I've been in a similar spot romantically (minus having the ex part as I've been single my whole life). We paid the bill and decided to walk to Mixue which would be deep into Poblacion, but we were all down for a walk. We just talked and made jokes, I even thought some dude was a statue until they moved, which was so funny and embarrassing. It felt comfortable to walk because I was wearing my rubber shoes and this oversized polo shirt which felt really comfy. After a while, we eventually got to Mixue, but we were surprised to find out that it was closed. We walked to Beselu Cafe instead to at least get some gelato. We just ordered, talked for a bit, and then we parted ways after that as one coworker and I still had to go back to the office and walk it back to there. It was a long walk, and my leg had somehow cramped up during the walk back. It hurt but we eventually reached the office just fine. Thankfully, I was easily able to book a ride home and then got back home safe. The whole ride home I was wishing for God to give me a sign that everything's going to turn out fine. I wished for a flashy, obvious sign and I guess I did see it in the form of an airplane flashing its lights far out and some light sources being a little bright. My day was fun but it was kind of lonely at the end because I didn't get that much time to talk with Mon.

Song of the day: Get Busy by Sean Paul

Journal entry for Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I woke up early today, for some wild reason. I got some rest again and eventually woke up in the morning. I just chilled for a while, I replied and talked to Mon for a while before preparing to leave since I would get them that Chagee tumbler and so I could drop off some stuff. After a while, I was able to pay for Mon's drink, and mine, and I even ordered a 3rd drink for no reason. I wasn't all that shocked about the bill, though, since it was only 1,500 and I just shipped the tumbler and 2 drinks to Mon for her to enjoy. I booked a ride home after all that was done. Thankfully, Mon liked my jasmine milk tea suggestion! She said that it tastes more tea than milk, which she liked. And she was kind enough to give the extra drink to one of her coworkers. She said that the tumbler looked so cute and she thanked me because it made her day. I felt appreciated a lot, and we talked in and out throughout the morning and afternoon. I mostly just had worked and focused on my tasks for the day and replied to some emails. Once my work was done, I moved into a call with Luan and someone where we watched Luan go through more parts of BioShock Infinite. I also noticed that someone wasn't paying attention much and I heard a large Telegram notification which I had called them out for, but eventually they seemed to focus more on the game afterward. We just continued to watch the gameplay and point out some stuff in the story. Meanwhile, I was just chatting with Mon and I asked about what happened in her day. Then she showed me some of her artwork and even a journal entry from December last year. They talked about how transient some relationships are and that people come and go, and it seemed super eerie because the theme was kind of like an expiration date for food. **And I literally wrote a blog post about the same topic, down to the same expiration date analogy!** It was super freaky, but also kind of cute, but also strange that we had such a similar thought occur within months of each other. I asked Mon for some recommendations on skincare stuff, like a moisturizer and sunblock for me to try out. For the rest of the evening, I just chilled at home and waited for Jaze so we could hang out again for the night. We went to our usual spot, which were the food tents in McKinley Hill. We talked about the global situation while on the way there and we eventually got there just fine. I ordered some *isaw* and Jaze took a stick of *isaw* from me since I had a lot. He suggested we go to Army Navy because I keep suggesting it, but I already had my fix last weekend so we ate at his next suggestion: Pizza Hut. We rode there and I got us a pair of pizzas for 1,100 Pesos or so. These were originally meant for take-out, but we just ate them in the restaurant just fine. I fixed his resume by looking at templates, and ultimately giving him mine so I could easily port over some details from his old resume into his new one. They didn't serve any water so we went to our actual, usual hangout spot there which was Assi Fresh Plaza. We first went to 7-Eleven to buy our usual drinks and water, plus some biscuits. Then we got to Assi Fresh Plaza. I ordered my usual Korean ice cream and I just updated Jaze's resume from the template I use. I was able to port over a lot of stuff and list down some technical skills for him. Then he closed up his laptop and we just went to 7-Eleven to just talk about random stuff like schoolmates and how rich they are. I also checked up on how much a Porsche is and I didn't know that it was 1.8 million Pesos, and I just had a bit of anxiety in me because I just want my life to get better enough to the point that I buy a Porsche one day. After that we called it a day and drove back to my house, and Jaze actually took the wrong way because he was spacing out. But eventually I got home safe and enjoyed my day.

Song of the day: OMG by NewJeans

Journal entry for Monday, March 2nd, 2026

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Monday was actually pretty chill and mostly just an okay day. I stayed up long enough to actually still see Mon online and we were both surprised, to a degree. But after that, I went to sleep. I started work in the morning and just completed through my usual tasks. For some parts of the day, I talked to someone and asked about their recent trip to Baguio. They also asked me to ask for delivery since they got fresh strawberries from Baguio and I should ship it quick before it spoils. I got the stuff shipped and eventually work ended. I got into a call with someone and Luan while he streamed BioShock Infinite for us to watch. I was talking to Mon during this time about random stuff while Luan was continuing to play BioShock. Someone eventually got tired and that was the time where we ended our call. Around this time, I was just talking to someone and we just talked about random stuff like how their Baguio trip went and stuff. They eventually went to sleep just fine. After that, nothing much happened in my day and I rested for a while at 9 p.m.

Solo Mio!

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Glorietta, Greenbelt

Today was the day I finally decided to watch Solo Mio (2026) on the big screen. My day started with me **FINALLY** publishing my remaining mood calendar entries for February. I got out of Starbucks 32nd Street at around 1 a.m. and I felt so hungry. Fortunately, there was an Army Navy restaurant nearby, along with some other 24/7 restaurants. I decided to get my usual order: a naked *sisig burrito* and it was really good. It totally hit the spot and was the best way I treated myself after completing such a slogfest that happened yesterday. I booked a car ride home since it wasn't that expensive anyway, and personally, I just wanted to relax. I arrive home okay and I chill for a bit since I just ate and didn't want my acid reflux to hit that bad, and I eventually slept just fine. In the morning, I woke up for a bit and talked to Mon and someone for a while. I mostly talked to Mon and she did such a cute thing of preparing to me a playlist full of chill love songs, and I told her that I'll be listening to it later today and she'd add some more songs later. I was feeling so tired so I slept for a while as I charged my devices. When I woke up, I believe I had overslept because I was only planning to sleep until noon, but now it's around 1:20 p.m. and I woke up to several messages from Mon and someone. I talked to Mon and messaged her back and forth throughout the afternoon and also checked in with her for a bit. We mostly talked about how she's used Photoshop in the past and she showed me some pics, which were funny. I packed up and booked a ride to Glorietta then went to Greenbelt to watch Solo Mio at 6 p.m. Since I haven't had any food since breakfast, I decided that I would eat at Sumo Niku and it was such a weird feeling eating there alone because I'm always with another friend when I'm eating there. I actually didn't have much time left and I was contemplating on whether or not I should rush my food to go see the 6 p.m. showing in Greenbelt, or just miss it and book for another ticket at 8 p.m. in Glorietta. I decided against rushing things and I actually got to have more time to talk to Mon about things, and she also got to know more about my journal and stuff. She told me that I should write more about happy days or how X specific day stood out from the rest, which was pretty nice. I don't think I've ever had a friend give me that perspective, so that was super cute and sweet of her. We kept talking and I eventually left Sumo Niku to go buy a ticket. While I was buying a ticket, the cashier gave out a seat to me, and then burped really loud and even cursed, which was funny. We both laughed it off and I told her that she should drink more water. But that interaction was funny. I got my ticket and ate at Auntie Anne's, and then grabbed a cooke from MO' Cookies near the cinemas. Going to the Glorietta food court on a non-workday felt so weird and strange. This place *is* familiar to me, but not anymore since my brain associates it with working. It's crazy. I was able to keep talking to Mon and she showed me a few things that she planned to do tomorrow and I got in the cinema and it was extremely empty. Mon got some sleep at this time and she told me to enjoy the movie. The movie was honestly really nice! It was so fun, it's been a total while since I've had fun and laughed at jokes in the movie. For a while, I felt immersed and the seat I was in was actually pretty good. I thought I'd be alone, but thankfully other people came in, even though there weren't a lot of them. I really enjoyed the movie and it's the best one I've seen so far in 2026. For the ride home, it was kind of scary. I got locked out of Glorietta, for the first time ever. I had to walk over from another exit all the way back to the pickup point and then the driver kept talking to me on the way home about the weirdest topics. He sounded drunk, but didn't seem that much drunk to me. It was totally weird but, all in all, I got home safe and I enjoyed me day out.

Song of the day: Dying Inside to Hold You by Timmy Thomas

Lyrics that resonated with me:
And I was dying inside to hold you
I couldn't believe what I felt for you
Dying inside, I was dying inside
But I couldn't bring myself to touch you

Finishing February's Entries!

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

Today was the last day of February and I had such a massive backlog of journal entries to complete so I decided to complete them all today. I stayed up just chilling and trying to get my mental health okay until 2 a.m. and decided that I should get a full 8 hours of rest today so that I would feel way better in the morning. Surprisingly, I got my rest and I felt way better in the morning. I got exactly 8 hours and 1 minute of sleep, which was great to hear since I planned on waking up at 10:30 a.m., but I somehow woke up at that time by myself. I ordered some take-out which would be me and my sister's breakfast. Someone messaged me in and out throughout the day because she was still in Baguio. For most of the day, I talked to Mon about so many things. I even went to the place that she suggested since she asked if I could check out a pair of jeans for her. I booked a ride to BGC after finishing breakfast with my sister. I walked all the way to Burgos Park from the Mind Museum to check out some jeans for Mon. I also bought jeans for myself, too. Unfortunately, I couldn't find jeans for Mon so I just continued to walk to my third place, Starbucks on 32nd Street. I got there around 3 p.m. and got a seat at this big table. I started writing some journal entries there and then finally a seat on the long sofa opened up. That's where I sat for most of the day and that's where I continued to write my remaining journal entries. I wrote 20+ journal entries throughout the entire day. I talked to Mon throughout the day, asked her what she was doing and even joked to her for a while, too. We talked about so many things and the conversation was generally about light topics. Mon also shared with me some pics that she took when we last went out and she eventually shared with me the picture we took together. Mon eventually had to go to sleep and I wished her a good night after that. I continued to focus on completing my remaining journal entries and someone checked in and out of our chat for some parts of the evening, but I was mainly focused on completing my journal entries. After all that, I finally completed all my journal entries for February before midnight. It was such an effort to complete all my journal entries but I am so glad that I did it and was able to catalog February because this month was such a rollercoaster.

Song of the day: M@GICAL CURE! LOVE SHOT! (feat. Hatsune Miku) by SAWTOWNE

Lyrics that resonated with me:
If my pain can be a cure for peace, I don't mind
I can play as a nurse healing you everyday
So what if I might shed a tear, get some bruises?
A wipe is all I need to clean a cherry blush away, ha!

Fighting through the night, but I'm wide awake
It can all be so hard for me to get through the day
Your smile is enough to heal all my aches
Wrapped in a cute Band-Aid

I can take the pain, fight all day, fill up the syringe
With love heal up the world and go again

...

On my own without anyone to know
How my job's not all rainbows
But then I think about your smile (your words are so lyrical)

I'm a magically bright invincible girl!
If you need me to heal, go on and call out my name
When you find yourself going down a spiral
I'll bonk away what puts you down, a pink hammer melee! Yeah!

Journal entry for Friday, February 27th, 2026

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: The Original Pares Mami House Retiro

The day started with continuing where yesterday had left off. Jaze and I were still at The Original Pares Mami House Retiro and we tried some of the *pares*. He said that he missed the taste and was glad that it still tasted the same. I tried some of their *siomai* and it was a bit hard, and Jaze said that it was like that because it was still raw/undercooked. I found the sauce the *siomai* was dipped in too spicy, for some reason, but I was eventually able to finish my food and we then went to the next stop, which was Assi Fresh Plaza in McKinley Hill again. We drive through EDSA and even drove adjacent through Balete Drive, and I joked to Jaze that we should go there, but he told me that it wasn't actually the real Balete Drive, which I found weird because I really know that it was this one. We kept driving and he even showed me the hospital that he thinks LK might work at and I took a photo of it and asked LK if she works there. We eventually arrived in Assi Fresh Plaza and bought some drinks like Mountain Dew from 7-Eleven as usual. We still mostly talked about life and I opened up to him about how I haven't talked to Mon in a day and he gave me some solid advice. I already knew what to do, but talking to him just reaffirmed what I already had in my head. Honestly, it was just really nice to vent to a friend in person and tell them about the difficulties I was facing, as opposed to doing it in front of a screen. I talked to someone for a bit by then and told them that I was out with Jaze. We eventually decided to leave at around 2 a.m. and I arrived home okay. The morning continued as usual but things were more quiet and peaceful in my life. Mon eventually messaged back and we talk for quite a bit, so I was glad for that. Then they recommended me a shirt and I bought it on Shopee. I focused on work for a while and finished the major tasks I had for today. After work, I had some free time and I played a bit of Genshin Impact with Mon. We called for a bit as she was doing something and they mostly helped me collect some stuff so I could level up my characters to level 90. For the evening, I mostly talked to Mon and she opened up to me about a lot of things that were going on in her life. We didn't talk all night but it was nice to get to talking with her again. Someone also messaged me after a while and told me of her experience in Baguio.

Song of the day: The Sky High - Instrumental by Elektronomia

Journal entry for Thursday, February 26th, 2026

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Thursday, I stayed up since I was working from home for today until Friday! I helped her migrate a domain and a website to that new domain, and I was able to help her without relying on some external tool. I felt glad to have helped her like that, and I eventually got some rest after a while. In the morning, I timed in for work and completed my usual set of tasks for the day. I had some free time around lunchtime and I got into a call with Luan and someone where he played some BioShock Infinite gameplay. He played for quite a while, and even played some Mirror's Edge for the break. He eventually finished Mirror's Edge because he was close to finishing it as well. After that, I got back to work and was focused on completing this major task for today. After completing all my work, I had some time to chill and got into a call with someone. I took a comprehensive attachment style quiz after someone said that she was feeling frustrated that she kept taking quizzes that had their results paywalled. I'm surprised but also not surprised to have scored “secure” in my attachment style quiz again, so it was nice to get some affirmation. I watched someone play Needy Streamer Overload for a while but she eventually dropped it since she got a bad ending where the girl left her. She played a bit of Euro Truck Simulator 2 after that and had trouble with the controls at first, but then she got the hang of it and continued playing. She said that it felt peaceful after getting used to the controls and that she was only driving. I watched someone continue playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 in the evening and then Luan eventually invited us to watch him BioShock Infinite again. Luan played for a bit but then we eventually left the call to do other stuff. Mon was surprisingly gone the whole day and so I wondered whether or not I should leave her a message. I flipped a coin and decided that if it landed on heads, I would leave Mon a message. It actually did land on heads so I left her a message. In the late evening, Jaze and I planned to go to one of our old places, which was The Original Pares Mami House Retiro. Jaze hadn't been here in years and the last time we got here was in 2022, the day I visited the house of the girl I loved in 2022. Things went to shit after that night and I'm actually surprised that Jaze remembers that trip with Batao. We eventually arrived after quite a long trip and my night continued from there.

Hello everybody, my name is

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: S Maison

Wednesday actually started with me and Jaze still outside. By this time, we were just kicking back and talking about a few things that happened in high school, over the pandemic, and mostly his relationship with his girlfriend. I also told him more about Mon and how I gave her my unused phone and stuff, and he just listened to me talk about her for a bit. I bought some *dynamite* and ate it while we were walking to the restaurant, which was Buffalo Ave, where we just had chicken wings. After that, we went to our usual place: Assi Fresh Plaza and I got some Korean ice cream and then some food from the nearby 7-Eleven. We talked for a bit more about life stuff before we both decided that it was time to head to our respective houses. For the morning, I talked to someone about Euro Truck Simulator 2 because she seemed interested in it. I commuted to work after that and eventually got to the office. When I got there, I noticed that they had some booth about bread open so I thought I could buy some bread and try the one that Mon likes. Unfortunately, they only had the one that I liked, which was the one with raisins. I continued through my normal day of work and I also realized that today was the day that Markiplier's movie would be premiering in theaters in the Philippines. I booked a ticket since I was going to watch it by myself and I decided to watch it after work. In the afternoon, I had some time and so I took a break to walk to the chapel in Greenbelt. I really needed a break because I felt so mentally exhausted, and I talked to my mom for a bit, too. I just sat there for a while and admired the view. When I got back, I asked Mon for some song recommendations and talked to her on and off for a bit. A coworker and I went out for some *merienda* and we went to Glorietta where we found a stall that sold the elusive Dubai chewy cookie that we've been looking for. We bought it and it was nice, my coworker was surprised that I was able to finish mine quickly and I pointed out that he took a while to eat his. It was expensive, but we liked it, so that was nice. For the evening, I didn't have much to do and had some time to talk and chat with Mon. Mon called me, which was a surprise, and she told me of what she was doing. Mon also told me of the few things that she would buy there and then eventually went back to focus on the thing she had going on for the night. After that, I timed out from work and went directly to S Maison to watch Iron Lung (2026). I eventually got into a call with someone and Luan since he was streaming some BioShock Infinite gameplay and I still had time left before the movie started, but we eventually ended the call as someone had to get some sleep. I watched Iron Lung and it was pretty okay. I was left confused at around the start because I didn't know what was going on, and I couldn't hear it properly either. But eventually I was able to get the gist as the story was going on. I also got a message from LK telling me to check out this thing because it reminded her of me, which was sweet because she still thinks of stuff to enlighten me after all this time. After the movie ended, I booked a car ride home because I was super exhausted. I got to check out that thing LK sent and let her know my thoughts on it. I eventually arrived home safe, even though I was a bit tired because this day had me do so many things.

Song of the day: Yuukei Yesterday by Jin

Journal entry for Tuesday, February 24th, 2026

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Tuesday, I spent it working from home and I was in a call with someone again where they played some Silent Hill 2. I had some work and I just focused on it for today as nothing much was going on. I also talked to Mon a bit and she told me about some of her past and the current state of her self-esteem since she gets a lot of compliments from people. I eventually finished up with work and my shift ended. I got into a call with someone and Luan and we tried out Super Battle Golf for the first time. We only played on the tutorial course and didn't proceed with the game because someone and Luan had to eat. After a while, we got back in a call and Luan was playing Ultrakill and told us about some of the game's lore, which someone seemed really interested in. We talked about sharing my Steam library for Luan to play games in and I got him to play games on my account. We decided that he would play BioShock Infinite because someone was interested in the story for that, too, and Luan streamed it for us. I also gave him money for 1 month of Discord nitro so he could stream in high quality and we could watch his playthrough. After a while, someone eventually slept and we all disconnected from the call. I met up with Jaze in the late evening because we planned to go out and eat somewhere in Venice.

Song of the day: DtMF by Bad Bunny

Journal entry for Monday, February 23rd, 2026

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Monday was pretty chill. I mostly just worked from home. Since I had nothing to do, I watched someone continue their playthrough of Silent Hill 2. They continued playing all throughout my lunch break, too. After my break, I talked to Mon and she told me her commute experiences to and from work. It was nice to hear of Mon's stories and I got to know more about her when I asked for her interests and stuff. I also joked to her about the chocolate bread that she bought from yesterday. Also, someone told me the full plot of the movie Wuthering Heights, and that she's reading the book because the ending wasn't that satisfying. After that, nothing much happened in the afternoon and evening.

Song of the day: Masanay Ka Muna by Silent Sanctuary

Meeting Mon!

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: BGC

I was still in at the company vacation by the time the day started. I was just in the room, charging my phone, the Samsung pocket Wi-Fi, my Apple Watch, and AirPods since they were all out from yesterday's events. Since I had nothing else to do, I gave watching a chance and watched 1 of the 2 movies that someone recommended to me: My Girl (1991). It actually didn't seem familiar at first, but I had the slightest feeling that I've watched this somehow. And I continued through watching the movie because I didn't want to watch The Substance (2024) over a fear that some sexually explicit scene might show and my roommates might walk in on. So I watched My Girl and it was genuinely cute, it had a bit of romance in it and, somehow, I already remembered the plot by the time they went to the beehive. I remembered watching this sometime around high school when I used to watch a lot of movies. I eventually finished the movie, gave someone my thoughts on it, and eventually slept. When I woke up, 1 of my 2 roommates had already left because their dog needed medicine. I woke up late and I was kind of dismayed that my roommate didn't wake me up for breakfast. I went outside to get breakfast and I just barely made it. There were only 4-5 other coworkers there who were just finished with their breakfast. We were supposed to get our breakfast with claim stubs, and, even though I was late, the dudes serving breakfast were pretty chill with letting me just eat without a stub and I just showed down on some food. The head of our department came in and they just sat down to have a nice chat with us and I just got introduced to him. It was just a nice small discussion about pickleball, how life was in their home country, and stuff like that. After that, we all went outside to enjoy the remaining time we had. I walked around, laid on the bed for a while, and also basked in the sun for a bit. I just reflected on this outing as a while and thought how nice it was since it was yet another company outing in this new chapter in my life, where I'm not stressed out nor anxious. It was really nice and I got all cleaned up. We took a few photos before we all started leaving and stuff. I figured to just hop on to someone else's ride—whoever was leaving first and was headed closest to my house. I was able to get transferred out and we headed out after a while. I slept while on the way there, and I had just come to find out that we were supposed to meet up with another ride that was headed to the same eatery. We eventually reached Bhabez Gotong Batangas and Inihaw na Liempo and we ate there. I kind of ordered a lot, but I enjoyed the food. I saw another coworker order their *chicken inasal* and the piece they got was, like, super huge compared to the ones I usually get at Mang Inasal. We ate, chilled long enough to meet and catch up with the rest, and they were even planning on going to some church but we just had to get back to Metro Manila. We were back on the road after eating and I told my sister to prep my outfit for later and I got some more rest as we were heading back. We eventually arrived the office, and I thanked our coworker as we were leaving his car, and I booked a ride home. It was kind of a race against time as I had to get home and then out to SM Aura to meet up with Mon. I did give her updates on where I was, and she suggested that we meet tomorrow, but I wanted to push through with meeting today even if I'm kind of physically tired (honestly) from the company outing. I think I got enough strength from sleeping in and out, and after preparing for a bit, I immediately booked a ride to SM Aura. I got there first and changed the screen protector on the Google Pixel. I had to have it replaced with some liquid cutout, and it was over quickly. Mon had already arrived and she eventually meets me outside the Huawei store. I was so nervous but Mon met me with a hug, which was cute because it's been a while since I met up with a friend that offered a hug. We eventually talk and walk around. She tells me this story of how she got a little late because her motor driver was feeling sad, he was playing this old love song (that even my *lola* used to listen to) and retold his story about how he had a childhood lover from Laguna and he moved to Manila for a better life for them, only for him to find out that she had been cheating on him with his cousin when he visited the girl. It was pretty heartbreaking and I found it funny that Mon called him dumb even though he was the victim, but I could sympathize with him since I kind of went through something like that where the girl was talking and entertaining other men. It was nice to hear Mon open up and talk because I was feeling so stiff. I felt really tense because I'm usually trying to gauge the other person's energy, and we eventually walked upstairs while Mon and I were talking, and we went to have dinner at Lady Luck per Mon's suggestion. She wanted to try the matcha, but they were out of it, so we tried the hojicha instead and we basically just kept talking. It was nice that she sat near me and not across the table, so that was nice. We talked about a few things and that eventually helped me ease up with her, she joked about kidnapping the child from the family that sat across us and even told me a story of how she wanted to “cosplay” in BGC, and I joked to her about how she should complete the look by bringing envelopes and stuff. We just kept joking and talking since I was warming up to her and Mon's jokes were really funny. She remarked to me about how a table near us ordered the pizza that didn't seem that good to her, and I dared her to tell that to the table that ordered. After that, we eventually get our order and we kept talking, and the waiters actually gave her the wrong drink. I got the real hojicha one and she got something completely different. But the waiters eventually correct it and then tell us that they got the order by mistake, which was okay with us. Mon finished her food first and the waiter asked to get her food and I joked to her that she was just playing with her leftovers, and at this point I was comfortable enough with her already where I can tease her and have jokes with her. We talked for a bit more until we decided to get the bill since we've finished and then I paid for the bill. We walked out and Mon asks me what kind of extrovert I am because she has a friend who often calls her, is clingy, and stuff, and she also has another extrovert friend who is fine being alone but has quite a few friends and stuff, and I say I'm the latter because I don't need to be always talking to people and that extroversion comes from socializing and talking to people itself, not just being with people. She gets it and we eventually keep walking, I joke to her that we should let couples go first because they seem more important and she laughs about it. We decide on just finding the other Lawsons in BGC and we walk past Market! Market! while I tell her about what 67 is, and stuff like that. She also makes a joke at a street crossing that I should take a photo of her getting into an accident and that she'll send it to her team leader. We pass by Serendra where she makes a few jokes and then she says that we might get cancelled for our conversations which I just laugh at. We eventually reached High Street and I tease her a bit about her height and how she's short, and I also make a joke and say that I'm not like the other guys, to which she just laughs. We keep walking and eventually turn left because she wants us to go down this place that leads to Terra 28th where she tells me her romantic preferences and I just get a bit shocked to learn that and then she lists off a few things that she's seen some disturbing stuff about. And I tell her that I can understand one of them and then she teases me about it. We keep walking and then go through past Terra 28th and she ties her shoes. I scout around and say that there's a Lawson nearby and then I tease her that she wasn't looking, but she does say that she can't actually see and we just go to it. We go inside and Mon tries to check out a few things while I try to buy the matcha that she's been recommending to me. It wasn't available there, and I was also shocked to learn that she wasn't even going to have it, so we checked out some other Lawson instead. We kept on walking and talking about the most random of things and she makes a joke about dying and then she said that she'll just lie on the ground right now. We cross the street and pass by a coffee shop that she doesn't recommend much, and we eventually reached Lawson #2! It thankfully had the matcha drink that she suggested and I ordered a large one. She looked around and bought bread, and I made a joke that I was going to rob her at gunpoint, but then she kept browsing and checking out other stuff while I tried to drink and taste the matcha drink that she recommended. It was really nice, it reminded me of the milky matcha I used to make back in 2022 and a bit in 2025, so it was nice. We eventually go outside and then talk about life, and I tell her that it's been a while since I walked and paced around BGC. I only usually walk around a lot when I'm thinking about life stuff and she asks me what was the last thing I thought that hard about. I just told her that it's about not being sure on where to go about in life and she says she agrees that it's pretty heavy. We walk down 3rd Ave as she's telling me about the things that she bought, which were just some bread, and I ask what flavors they were and she tells me that one was this chocolate one. I tell her that it's not my thing and chocolate is overrated, and I remark that the best type of bread is the one with raisins, to which she disagrees with. Mon then tell me this story of how she got invited at a friend's house one day for their schoolwork and that they made this pizza with raisins as the topping. We both found it strange, but I could understand it in a way since raisins had this tangy flavor and I guess she eventually got it after thinking of it that way. But I still made fun of it because they were seriously smoking something when they came up with the idea of that. We pass by BGC Portal and I tell her about how people just moon there, and I told her what mooning is, and then she also tells me that some people put their IG handles there to look for a foreigner. We pass through BGC Central Square and then she gets to talking about an incident that she had and I just listened through it. We kept walking up 32nd Street to sit down at my third place, Starbucks on 32nd Street, and then I tell her that I come here all the time, and that it was her first time here. I order some drink with lemon and I think she orders a pink drink. This was kind of the perfect time where I asked her how she thinks my name is pronounced, and it was funny because she says that she was dyslexic and I eventually gave her the correct pronunciation. We sit upstairs since the table that we picked was then taken and so we found a seat that had 2 chairs sat together. We saw a guy livestreaming and I joked about how one of us should find their handle and throw a comment or something. I also joked that we should pass by and make a face, and I eventually get enough courage to do it and I made a face while I was on the way to the bathroom. But it was locked and the girl just looked at me weird as she was waiting for the bathroom to open, so I made my way back and made another face before I sat next to Mon. She seemed so shy because she looked at the whole thing but she found it funny. For a while, we were just talking with each other while she's telling me her work stories and things about her coworkers. She told me one about how they “pranked” their Japanese coworker, then she told me about an Indian guy that she works with. Then she told me about the actual company that she works for and only then did it snap in my head that she was working for that specific company. I listened to a few more of Mon's stories as we continued to sit there. After that, we walked outside for a while. Mon showed me a spot where she found an ID lace at, but it wasn't here. And then we walked all the way to BGC High Street again. I asked her about her work, and the type of stuff she deals with on a day-to-day basis. I asked her about another work thing and I listened to her talk about it for a while. We eventually ended back up to Fully Booked in BGC High Street where I gave her the Google Pixel and I even joked about how she'll get a new phone now and she won't have to set low power mode for this one. She tells me that she's had her current phone near the start of the pandemic and I'm just surprised that it's holding up well. Mon eventually books an Angkas ride home and I joke to the rider that he should be careful of her. After that, Mon give's me a goodbye hug which was cute and I stood by for a bit before going to continue my walk afterward. For a while, I walked around BGC to process all of just what happened and what the past few days were. This was ultimately crazy and I couldn't believe so much good things have happened, so part of me feels scared that something bad will inevitably happen soon. I thought more about Mon and decided on her, before ultimately just thinking that I'll just keep messaging her and see where it goes. She was also talking to me while this going on and she sounded so concerned. Afterward, I booked a ride home and ended my day.

Song of the day: Focus by Heart2Hearts

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I cannot focus on anything but you, baby
I cannot focus on anything but you
초점 뒤의 흐릿한 반투명한 my view, baby
I cannot focus on anything, on anyone, but you

Advanced Summer Outing!

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Outside Metro Manila

Today would be the day that we'd have a summer outing! It was super strange that our summer outing was in February, but whatever, it was fine. I mostly accompanied someone for some part of the day through text and we messaged back and forth on Discord for a while since I was preparing my bag. But after that, I prepared my things and eventually commuted to the office where I'd be picked up. Since I had nothing to do, I went to One Ayala mall nearby got this waffle cone from The Matcha Tokyo. I actually got there super early and they haven't opened up, so I talked to Mon for a bit. I got to learn that Mon did like K-Pop at one point and was primarily interested in NewJeans, so that was cool to know. I was bored and waiting for my other coworker to come and pick us up so I just prepared a playlist of songs that Mon recommended. We eventually were picked up by our coworker and we were on the way to the resort. While we were on the way to the resort, I talked to Mon via chat and she tells me a few things like some more music recommendations and our music tastes. It was fun to talk to her and I was surprised that she even knew this artist, and that's where I knew that we were really on the same wavelength. I got to know more about her and she shared some of her pets while we were traveling down the SLEX. It was funny to just have Mon to talk to and I also listened to a few songs while on the way there. We also stopped by a Chowking and ordered food for a while before we continued to hit the road. I passed in and out while we were on the way there and I played that playlist I had of 2000s dude songs. After a while, we eventually got to the resort just fine. I eventually met up with some of my coworkers and I got assigned to a room with 2 others. I got to know some coworkers and I cleaned up. I put on my usual cologne and I got complimented by another guy because they wondered what that nice smell was, and that the scent made them remember high school. It was flattering since I don't get compliments often. Our games for the afternoon started and I was still talking to Mon while this was all going on. I had come to learn that she was looking to replace her phone and she told me she was interested in getting a Samsung or Xiaomi, or even a ROG phone. Then she told me that she was specifically interested in getting a Google Pixel 9. My jaw absolutely dropped because that's the phone I have! I have that exact phone that was just sitting in my drawer. I immediately offered to just give it to her for free since she needed a new phone anyway and I just had that phone sitting in my drawer, rarely being used. I'm glad she agreed to meet up tomorrow so I could give her that phone, so I looked forward to meeting her the following day. After that, she left for a while to do other things and I focused on the games and the atmosphere. It was nice to have another peaceful company outing, honestly. After the terrible past outings I've had, I'm surprised that I just barely knew anyone here and I'm happy to make new acquaintances. I just chilled for some parts of the afternoon. I took a quick swim in the sea because I wanted to just chill, but I didn't stay long since the water was a bit dirty, and I even saw a filled diaper float around. After I backed away into the shore, I saw a black jellyfish just swimming around and I was glad I got back because I didn't want to get stung and miss tomorrow's meetup with Mon. For the rest of the evening, I mostly just had fun. I talked to Mon and we exchanged numbers and some details, and I asked them how their haircut went. I then just chilled with my coworkers and even sang some songs. I had fun singing karaoke with my coworkers and some of them even joined me in singing some old OPM songs. In the later parts of the evening, we had some dancers perform a fire dance for us and we just watched in awe. We then had dinner after that and I watched a coworker act crazily drunk. It was funny. I barely drank liquor the whole night and only indulged in the wine. I mostly indulged on the snacks and other *pulutan* available. Once my phone and hotspot's battery was dying, I went back to the room to just chill there for the rest of the evening and watch some movies that someone recommended to me.

Song of the day: STYLE by Heart2Hearts

Journal entry for Friday, February 20th, 2026

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Friday, I didn't feel as peachy as I did like the start of yesterday. I felt super off for some reason and I used this day to just take a break because I was feeling sick. I did a few things at work and lined up a few things, so it was nice to have some stuff done. In the afternoon, Mon messaged me and we talked for quite a bit. We talked for a while about life and where we hang out, which was BGC. I somehow also revealed to her my true identity but it was because I got to know her name, too. I messaged her my MBTI and I got to find out hers as well. We kept talking for a bit. After a while, I got back to Mon and left a message for her but I eventually realized that she was asleep and after that, I just went to get some rest for a bit.

Song of the day: Leave Before You Love Me (with Jonas Brothers) by Mashmello

Stark Constrast

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

The morning and evening segments of my day were pretty different from each other. I spent most of my early morning alone, playing catch-up in Genshin Impact because I just wanted to grind and be the same level as Mon. I finished through 1 segment of the story inside Fontaine after sorting out that controller issue with my PC. I finally finished that segment and did some completion tasks to hopefully bring up my XP, but then I realized that I had to grind more parts so that I could level up higher. Not gonna lie, it dissuaded me a bit because I had to grind through quite a bit, but it's fine. I just got sleep afterwards. In the morning, for some reason, I weirdly woke up early. I woke up at 7 a.m., even though I slept at 2 a.m., and I didn't have that much sleep anyway. This was honestly weird, but I started my day talking to Mon for a bit and then I replied to someone's messages about them wanting to plan a wedding for someone. They asked me if I have any prospects, a question they don't usually asks, and it was such a timely question because I had just posted on IG and told a few friends yesterday. I told her pretty much everything I know and they seemed pretty excited and happy for me, which was surprising but also kind of made me happy. I just spent a part of the morning telling them all about the person I just recently met and I felt so giddy and happy about it. But after that, I had to get ready and eventually left for work. The commute was fairly nice, it was super sunny out and I kept playing songs from Speak Now and, I don't know, the world felt a bit more lively. It's nice to have hope and be hopeful for something. I commuted to work and actually got to work early, too. I was surprised at that. I had coffee out with Jimmy and we just got coffee from Starbucks, and then got back in the office afterward. For most of the morning, I was just in the office doing my thing. We had lunch out early where I eventually hinted and told my coworkers that I met someone charming recently, but they didn't believe it and thought it was a lie, which they joked to me about. At work, nothing much happened aside from having lunch with my coworkers and them teasing me like usual. I had some free time in the afternoon during my lunchtime and I watched someone play Red Dead Redemption 2 for a while. They also messaged me from their alt account, which was weird and I opened up a bit with them about something. But after that, nothing much happened and I mostly focused on work until the late evening. I didn't have anyone to talk to in the evening and somehow my mood felt so down by then. I booked a ride home after that and got some rest.

Song of the day: blue by yung kai

Journal entry for Wednesday, February 18th, 2026

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I spent most of my morning just playing Genshin because I wanted to catch up to Mon's level, but I eventually slept after a while since I had on-site work the following day. When I woke up, I got ready for work and commuted there. Work was mostly chill and I didn't really do anything noteworthy. I talked to Mon again and they sent a voice message so I heard their voice for the first time. I also shared something about myself like some blog post since I found that we had the same thoughts about being single and stuff. In the afternoon, I had some free time so I took a break and played Genshin with Mon while I was in the office pantry. It was only a short break and they mostly helped me defeat Childe and collect a few stones so that I could level up my characters. In the evening, I went home and I updated that playlist I have about falling in love because I might start to have feelings if this keeps up. I shared it to my IG Story and I had a few friends congratulate me because I might actually start to like someone new after years. So that was nice. I mostly worked on increasing my level in Genshin and finishing some parts of the story so I can play on the same world level as Mon.

Song of the day: Secrets by OneRepublic

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Journal entry for Tuesday, February 17th, 2026

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Tuesday was Chinese New Year, and it was a holiday. So for Tuesday, I started it while on a call with someone and we were just chilling and watching some Hearts2Hearts performances. And we ordered food since we had nothing much to do. I was staying up and accompanying someone anyway since I could sleep all day or do nothing. They showed me some grapes they were eating, which looked nice because they seemed like big grapes. I eventually got full from eating Army Navy and saved some for later, and we were just watching some YouTube videos to fill the time. I slept for a bit and in the afternoon, I was in a call with someone and they streamed some of their Jurassic Park gameplay. For some time, I was watching someone stream. I also had that person from Reddit talk to me today and we kept the conversation going. It was fun to continue to keep talking to them and we talked about a lot of other topics throughout the afternoon. I also joined in on a call with Luan and he played The Mortuary Assistant because I bought him the game. It got a little scary for someone and we eventually had to stop and leave the call because someone had to sleep. Eventually, someone messaged me after a while because they couldn't sleep over how disturbing The Mortuary Assistant was. So we got into a call and they streamed some more gameplay. I was still talking to that person from Reddit and they told me that their nickname was Mon. They gave me their username on Discord so we could talk there instead and they eventually had to sleep since they had work tomorrow. After a while, I eventually left the call with someone and had some free time. For the rest of the evening, I was just setting up and redownloading Genshin. For the rest of the evening, I was just setting up and redownloading Genshin. I also kept circling back to what Mon said, and because she said that she appreciated me. It was the cutest thing I heard in a while because I thought I was taking up so much of her free time, and I was just glad to hear that she said she appreciated me.

Song of the day: The Story Of Us by Taylor Swift

Journal entry for Monday, February 16th, 2026

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was just a boring Monday and I originally had nothing planned. But in the morning, I decided to reach out to someone on Reddit and I was super surprised that they messaged me back. I started to get to know them throughout the day and actually shared a bit about myself and got to know them as well. It was weird since they graduated IT and were into designing. It was actually super fun talking to them and I think we vibed well because we're on the same wavelength. We joked about a few things and they were easy to open up to and they opened up easily, too. In the evening, I was just finished with work and got into a call with someone and Luan. Luan streamed some fanmade FNaF game but then eventually played FNaF: Pizzeria Simulator. In the evening, I talked to Kai a bit and she mostly gave me a rundown of the horrible stuff they experienced last year. Needless to say, it was too much for me and I just felt bad that they experienced that. I continued to stay up after that.

Song of the day: DtMF by Bad Bunny

Journal entry for Sunday, February 15th, 2026

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

Sunday didn't have much going on for me aside from having this spur-of-the-moment feel to go to BGC. I asked my sister and we decided to eat at Samgyupsalamat at BGC Forum. We both got ready and booked a ride there. We are some *samgyupsal* and then found some Korean ice cream at the nearby Funhan Mart. We checked out this small art expo across the street and looked at a few art stalls, but that was mostly it. At this point, I decided on watching a movie and eventually picked Send Help (2026). It was nice, I kind of enjoyed the movie even though it was a bit gore-y at times. I booked a ride home afterward. In the evening, I watched a few IG Reels that had a song from Bad Bunny and I started liking it. I stayed up just browsing the Internet after that.

Song of the day: DtMF by Bad Bunny

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más besos y abrazos las veces que pude
Ey, ojalá que los míos nunca se muden
Y si hoy me emborracho, pues, que me ayuden

Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más besos y abrazos las veces que pude
Ojalá que los míos nunca se muden
Y si hoy me emborracho, pues, que me ayuden

Journal entry for Saturday, February 14th, 2026

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Valentine's Day started out fun. I was still in a call with someone and mostly just watched them work and play some Red Dead Redemption 2 on the side. And that mostly made up my morning. We also watched more music videos and live performances of Hearts2Hearts, along with some live performances from SNSD. After that, we tried Wordle and I got the word which was “Bloom,” funny enough. We tried a bit of poker after that. I was happy after it all, so that's nice. I didn't do much throughout the day. I just installed Cyberpunk 2077 on my MacBook Pro to basically just try it out and see if I could game on it. It turns out that I could and I had fun continuing through some parts of the story. I went to sleep after that as I didn't have much going on anyway.

Song of the day: Focus by Heart2Hearts

Dangwa Visit!

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Dangwa Flower Market

Today was Friday the 13th and it was pretty close to Valentine's, too. I accompanied Jaze to Dangwa and he bought some flowers for his girlfriend. He picked orange ones that were white at the center, and I think it looked pretty cute. I could only feel envy and a bit of jealousy because I wished that I had a girlfriend to buy flowers for. We were supposed to go to Assi Fresh Plaza afterward and I made a joke on our way back because I shouted to him in a joking way that we only went to Dangwa so he could get flowers. I was trying to make the rider and passenger next to us laugh and I was glad that I was able to make them laugh anyway, so that was nice. We eventually arrived at Assi Fresh Plaza and we mostly talked about random stuff. I also ordered coffee for someone during this time. I arrived home just fine and I got some rest since I would be working from home today. In the morning, I timed in and I did a bit of work as well as a few things needed for today's tasks. I had some free time and watched someone play Red Dead Redemption 2 in the morning. Angel also messaged me today asking if I could be added as a reference and I gave her my details and such. They also killed a legendary animal which was the large bison, and after that they tried for the White Arabian horse, but were unsuccessful. In the afternoon, I focused on fixing a major issue at work and eventually got that resolved. After timing out and in my free time, we got into a call where Luan streamed his playthrough of Five Nights at Freddy's: Pizzeria Simulator. After timing out, I had a deep conversation with someone and I wondered where the person for them could be, and they say that it's someone they already know. And I just continued to accompany them as it was a Friday.

Song of the day: Banana Man by Chonny Jash

Journal entry for Thursday, February 12th, 2026

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Thursday was pretty weird but I was supposed to work in the office today. It was a pretty chill day at work, though, with my coworkers teasing me to one of our coworkers and that I should get them a bouquet from a nearby bouquet vending machine. It was mostly all fun and games. In the evening, I wrapped up with work but stayed in the office for a while to unwind as I waited for Jaze as we were supposed to head to Dangwa tonight. I got into a call with someone and we played a game where we said a work and we would list down any words that could be made from the initial word that we gave. It was a good way to test our vocabulary and, needless to say, someone was way better at this game than I am. They consistently won, which was nice. After that, they had to sleep and I just waited for Jaze to arrive and pick me up. Eventually, Jaze arrived at around 11 p.m. and we went to Dangwa sometime around midnight and my night continued from there.

Song of the day: Easy On Me by Adele

Vietnamese Food!

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Poblacion

For Wednesday, I felt okay and ready enough to go back to the office. I booked a ride there and it was a pretty straightforward ride. I had lunch out with my coworkers and focused on work. I had some time in the afternoon to watch someone play Red Dead Redemption 2 and they streamed it for a bit during my breaktime. In the evening, I was bored and I asked my coworker if he was down to have dinner outside. He recommended that we try this Vietnamese food place near Poblacion, Makati. We walked all the way from the office to that place and it was a hell of a walk, but I was able to handle it. It's just that my feet were killing me because my shoes were in bad shape. We eventually did arrive in Hanoi Pho and I got to try out their *Bun Cha* that they recommended. We also tried their Vietnamese spring rolls and the *Bun Cha* soup I got was extremely spicy. I think the waiter mixed ours up and my coworker eventually told me that he was supposed to get the spicy soup, and not me. So that made sense. It was still nice to try out some Vietnamese food. I decided on whether or not I should walk with him to the place he'll stay at or if we'll go our separate ways. I didn't want to spend time alone in the restaurant and I was down for a long walk, so I decided to push through it, even though I was carrying my work laptop and bag. It was a tiring and long walk, and I even reached 170+ bpm on my heart rate! It was extremely exhausting and painful because my shoes were killing me. I made the decision to give up on these work shoes after tonight. We eventually arrived at a place somewhere along EDSA and he just accompanied me until I booked a ride home. My coworker actually didn't believe me when I said that I'm comfortable with walking very, very long distances, but after I showed him my Strava and some of the walks I've been on, he believed me. I'm glad I got to get some good exercise today and walked 4 kilometers in total for my outdoor walks. All in all, today was pretty great.

Song of the day: Miracle by Paramore

Journal entry for Tuesday, February 10th, 2026

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For today, I commuted to the office but didn't feel right and so I timed out for work and then went home to get some rest. Nothing much happened in the evening and I mostly just rested as I still planned to go to the office tomorrow.

Song of the day: Bubble Gum by NewJeans

Journal entry for Monday, February 9th, 2026

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Monday was pretty chill, I worked from home today and I was able to watch some gameplay of Luan playing Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location. He failed a few times but it was fun seeing him play for a bit. After that, someone and I got into a call and we watched a few videos from FunkyFrogBait and watched them playing Silent Hill 2 again. Worked pass by and nothing much happened. In the evening, I was bored and so I configured my Apple TV to make the Apple Music Sing function work. It was nice to actually get it to run and have that AUX cable properly configured. I sung for a bit and then slept after that.

Song of the day: Neverita by Bad Bunny

Journal entry for Sunday, February 8th, 2026

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For Sunday, nothing much happened aside from me finalizing which hotel I'll stay at and it took me a while to reach this decision, but I'm glad I have a hotel I've decided on. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened and I just ordered Jollibee for dinner and spent the most of it at home.

Song of the day: Opalite by Taylor Swift

Journal entry for Saturday, February 7th, 2026

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today started out with me accompanying someone for their night shift and we mostly just talked about random stuff and we both ordered pizza from Pizza Hut because we were bored and a bit hungry. We watched a few videos from YouTube while eating, so that was nice, we even watched a video about the horrors of SpongeBob. Then we tried to watch this anime that someone found called The Promised Neverland. At first, we tried to watch it through Scener, the platform that we used to watch Seohyun's Love & Leashes before. But it didn't work well and we ran into technical difficulties. So I just resorted to streaming it and someone also showed me the things she got from me like the R.E.P.O. baby and the aespa keychain lightstick which looked pretty cute because it was working. After that, they showed their screen to show me a video they're editing and they made fun of their boss in the process. But for most of the morning, we watched The Promised Neverland until the 7th episode. We left the call eventually after that. I also slept after that. In the afternoon, I woke up to a message from someone saying that she appreciates me and that she shops to be the same type of support for me. It was cute to receive a message like that, especially from someone. I also gave that old router back to my ISP along with the entertainment box that I barely used. The afternoon passed and in the evening I just finalized on the hotel I'll stay at for my upcoming trip to Korea next month.

Journal entry for Friday, February 6th, 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Friday, I was just chilling at home and working. Nothing much mostly happened during my shift aside from work. Once my shift was done, Luan, someone, and I got into a call as we watched Luan complete Five Nights at Freddy's 4. It was quick but also nice that he was able to stream the ending. After that, he moved on to streaming FNaF: Sister Location and he played a few days of it until he had to give up because it was getting difficult. After that, we just watched a few FNaF VHS tapes on YouTube and we eventually left that call and I just rested for the day.

Song of the day: Pretty Please by Heart2Hearts

Journal entry for Thursday, February 5th, 2026

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Salcedo Village

Today was the day we planned to get cookies from The Kind Cookie and I woke up alright today. I immediately booked a ride to the office just so I can catch up with them. I eventually arrived in the office and it seems that they just waited for me because they immediately noticed that I just arrived. I set my stuff for a bit and then went with them downstairs. We were all set to leave but one coworker had just come in so we had to wait for them to go down so that they would come with us. One coworker used this to peel off from us and just get coffee at a nearby coffee store because they really wanted their morning coffee already. I also tried in persuading them, but they eventually left. But eventually our other coworker arrives after unpacking their stuff and they join us in our excursion to Salcedo Village. It was actually a nice walk there. We planned to get coffee at Toby's Estate first, then visit The Kind Cookie and so we did. We walked all the way to Toby's Estate while walking, talking, making jokes to each other. It was such a nice day out, too. I mostly just enjoyed the walk there and, while it was tiring, we eventually got to Toby's Estate. I bought a “vanilla nitro sweet cream cold brew, ” or something, and it was pretty good. We hung out for a few minutes inside the coffee shop before we went to the nearby Kind Cookie store again to get that Dubai chewy cookie. But when we got there, it was already sold us. The cashier just told us that it was just sold out a few minutes before we had arrived, so that really sucks. But it was fine, we ordered other cookies instead. I ate my cookie while we were on the way back to the office and I was able to finish and toss my coffee out, too. We got back just fine, even though we took a while. But I just got back to my desk and continued on my tasks. I had lunch out with the other coworkers while the others just had lunch separately. I didn't actually eat much, I just mostly talked to them. After that, we got back to work and they teased me because the other team had already left for lunch, separately, and that I was tearing their team apart, but it was just a joke and I found it funny, too. After that, I mostly focused on work. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened and I just did my work, and then went home afterward. Nothing significant happened in the evening so I just passed the time.

Song of the day: Gimme Hope Jo'Anna by Eddy Grant

A Super-Fun After-Work Adventure

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Salcedo Village

Wednesday was pretty eventful. I woke up feeling really late and from a horrible dream But then my morning got started, albeit at a later time. I also talked to Han and someone in the morning, and spent a good amount of time talking to Han and telling him about my stay in Korea and that we should get together soon. I still tried my best to prepare early enough and I eventually got on a ride to the office. I thought I forgot something, but thankfully I had it in my pocket this whole time. For the rest of the day, I was mostly swamped with work and trying to get a few things done. I had several calls and mostly was focused on getting them done. I did have my coworkers here with me so we were able to buy lunch out and we even stopped by to get some coffee before we came back. But since then, it was just work and getting a script working which would be my main deliverable today. After work, my coworkers and I had this idea to try the new, viral Dubai Chewy Cookie and there was one in Salcedo village. We then walked there and we initially planned to go to a Vietnamese restaurant but then chose Mendokoro instead because someone else suggested it, and we just played along. We walked for a long time there and my coworker estimated that it would only take 20 minutes. We wanted to take our coworker's car, but since they said that it would only take 20 minutes, we just walked to it instead. Our entire walk spanned 30 minutes instead! They mostly teased me to one of our coworkers but I lowkey found it annoying since I wasn't interested in them anyway. But I had fun walking, laughing, and joking with them on the way to Mendokoro, it was really, really fun. It was kind of the highlight of my night: just walking together at night, having fun with coworkers after work. It's something I have never had and I last had it during my KVH days. We stopped by Wildflour Café + Bakery and bought a few things, but I didn't eat mine as I didn't want to get full. After that, we eventually arrived at Mendokoro. I just found out that the *super chashu* was just a larger pork meat version of the *shoyu* ramen they serve, so I initially opted for that. But then the server suggested to my other coworker to get this spicy dish instead, which I chose for myself since I wanted something different. Our other coworker was confused why I put down Ian as my name for the reservation, but eventually it was fine and we talked about a few things, mainly where they were staying for the night and such. After we got seated, we just ate and I sat in the middle of them. I mostly talked to them about their work and such, but then we eventually realized that it was already 8:30 p.m. and we didn't stop by The Kind Cookie Cafe. We searched for the place and it was closed, but we still tried to visit. It was just super close, literally just around the corner from where we were eating. But it was closed and we didn't really want to bother by trying to ask the staff if they could cook 1 more batch of cookies beyond closing time. It was super funny that we had forgotten our reason for going to Salcedo village in the first place. It was also funny when I realized on our walk back to our friend's car that we should've taken their offer to drive here in the first place. It would've saved us time from walking to and from the carpark in the end. But we just walked and talked about the cars that they bought. Our coworker was nice to drive us around to our drop-off. I just asked to be dropped off where my other coworker was going to be dropped off, because I didn't want to impose. And as we were arriving, I booked a ride home for myself, albeit it being a bit expensive. Still, I got on the ride and got home without problems. It was still super late so I just relaxed for the rest of the evening as I was so overloaded from all the things that happened today.

Song of the day: American Pie by Don McLean

Journal entry for Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Tuesday, nothing much happened aside from me going to work and spending most of the day alone. In the evening, I did get into a Discord call with someone and Luan. For the rest of the evening, nothing much happened aside from me planning my itenirary for my Korea trip next month. I had a few ideas of what to do and where to go, and I believe I set out an idea to travel to Busan for a day or two, but nothing's been finalized. I was just mostly looking at the massive prices for the hotel and wondering just how I would cover that. Still, I prepared for however much I can and then went to bed.

Song of the day: Sa'yo - Orchestra Version by Silent Sanctuary

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Kung tunay nga ang pag ibig mo
Kaya mo bang isigaw
Iparating sa mundo

Tumingin sa aking mata
Magtapat ng nadarama
Di gustong ika'y mawala
Dahil handa akong ibigin ka
Kung maging tayo
Sa'yo lang ang puso ko

I got tickets!!!

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I had a really, really weird dream today about finding some secret stash of money or something. It was so strange because I had this feeling that I just had so much money stuffed somewhere that could pay all of my credit card debt, but damn, it didn't really turn out to be real. In the morning, I didn't really have much to do aside from time in. Someone and I were able to get into a call and show each other stuff. They mostly got the mystery box of books that they got. It was cool to see some of the ones she got, even though I had a feeling that she wouldn't read some of them. It was also nice to see someone buy a scary Japanese book, which looks interesting because it had pictures. But they mostly streamed for a while and then tried to sleep. In the afternoon, Yza replied back to me with my ticket information and this was where it finally sunk in me that my Korea trip was all set! I finally had my ticket! After worrying about it for so long, I finally had a ticket and I'm just glad that I could finally rest easy. The day essentially just continued. With me working and trying to eat the sandwich that my sister made for my breakfast, as it was now the afternoon and I've yet to finish the damn sandwich yet lol. Eventually, someone wakes up and then we call for a bit as she tries to install Silent Hill 2 on her PC. We watch a few videos to pass the time, which were just some fun videos about past events. After that, she installs the game and then plays for a bit. She encounters a few issues like her game crashing, and she ultimately gives up after the 2nd or 3rd time her PC crashes. For the rest of the day, I just time out of work and just chill. I get really excited to plan out my future trip to Korea and I actually start building out my playlist on Apple Music. It's so nice to revisit some Girls' Generation songs and re-make my old playlist from 2012 about travelling to Korea. I just browsed the Internet on my Mac for the rest of my remaining time for the day.

Song of the day: Seoul by Super Junior & Girls' Generation

Journal entry for Sunday, February 1st, 2026

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC

For Sunday, I actually didn't do much and I got some rest in the morning. But someone messaged me in the morning and then they replied to me a bit. After that, I watched them play some AC: Odyssey, but that was mostly it for a while. They eventually left to get some rest and I went on my day like normal. After a while, Loy calls me and asks if I'm down to hang out and I immediately say yes. I got ready and he got his car here and we went off to BGC for the day. It's been a while since we hung out, but we mostly catch up in the car. He tells me the stuff he's been doing and, surprisingly, also asks what's up and opens a space for me to talk, too. Which was super nice because I haven't expressed myself to a person in a while and I just told him about recent events in my life. Real events, too, to which he listens and it was nice because I got to be the one explaining and sharing my story. We eventually got to BGC and just keep talking, and then he talks to me about the benefits of having a dedicated girlfriend at this life stage, and such. I mostly agree and we walk upstairs to Datablitz to check out some stuff, and I also planned to buy a USB cable for someone. We didn't find any, but we talked while browsing Datablitz and then we went to the Gashapon store nearby. We got a few things, I initially got an aespa lightstick keychain for someone. Then Loy got his own things, but shortly after that I saw an Apex Legends capsule container and we both got that for the memories. It was nice, I got Octane and it kind of brought back some memories of me playing Apex with them in 2021. After that, we stopped by Fully Booked and Loy was interested in this one specific book, so he had that on his mind for a while. We then passed by Card Central Cafe where I showed to Loy that it was a recently-opened place. We saw a guy in line with a really cute girlfriend and we just can't help but notice at how eccentric he was, and yet he has a girlfriend that looks so pretty. I just order for myself and it was this peanut butter coffee, which was admittedly pretty nice to drink, but it baffled me and Loy at how long it took to serve. It was just coffee. But then Loy asked me about what I do these days, and he even went further to ask about the nature of the company I work for and the team. He seemed really into knowing me and genuinely interested, so I was able to open up and it felt nice to just open up to a friend. After that, we kept walking to Starbucks since that was our ultimate destination, and after a while of walking, we eventually got there. I got drinks for us and we just sat outside, talking about life and more on Loy's trips, experiences. After a while, some guy and his kid sit next to us which then just makes us go to our next stop, which was CoCo Ichibanya on Forbestown road. I told him about the places we could eat at, and he picked Japanese omurice and curry instead. We got seated and just talked more about random things, this time about Steam games and the other games we used to play, also handheld gaming devices we used to have. But after that, we then started wrapping up our little trip for the day. We stopped by Market! Market! because I wanted to get a SIM card for someone and he passed by a few stores in SM Aura before we ultimately paid for the parking ticket and then went on back home. I got dropped off and did a few things to chill for the night.

Journal entry for Saturday, January 31st, 2026

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Saturday finally started and I felt like I could finally breathe. Friday was so stressful and now I just had time to relax and catch up on my rest. Today started with me being in a call with someone and we were watching a few K-Pop music videos. After that, we watched a proshot of Heathers, the musical. We watched the entire thing and it was actually nice to just watch, follow along with the story, and comment on it with someone watching, too. It was mostly someone noticing the differences and them pointing out to them. They were so surprised by the differences, too, but we had a laugh about them and just finished the show. For the rest of the time, I just accompanied them and watched some of their Assassin's Creed: Odyssey gameplay in the morning. They eventually completed the story and it was fun seeing them complete the whole story! I was glad they got a good ending, too. After that, I mostly spent my Saturday afternoon and evening just chilling. I needed to relax anyway and I didn't really do much aside from catch up on some sleep. In the evening, my dad called me for a project, and I was wholly on board with it. In the evening, I also got into a call with someone and Luan. First, we watched Luan play some Five Nights at Freddy's 4. After that, we played Left 4 Dead 2! It was seriously fun to play even though it was a bit frustrating at first because my graphics card kept crashing. I didn't want to try out gaming on the Mac yet, so I just continued through troubleshooting settings on my Linux PC. Eventually, it was stable enough to play on and it was so nice gaming on the new 2K monitor and at 180 FPS, which was a total contrast to the same 1080p TV I've been using for 10+ years. All in all, it was fun and I got some more well-deserved sleep afterward.

Song of the day: Piano In The Dark by Brenda Russell

Stressed as hell, but alive

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday was so damn busy, it was insane. The day started out with just me, chilling and just re-reading the blog post I had written for any grammatical mistakes. I also talked to Kai for a bit and she says that she read it and we started talking for a bit. I tell her that I really doubt I'll get married but also told her of a pact I have, but I doubt that pact will follow through anyway. Then she tells me that we both have a pact, too. I had a pact with Kai? What the fuck? Apparently, it was just to try and be with each other when they turn 25 and if we don't have a partner yet. It made me laugh a bit because I thought it was some big ticket thing like get married lol. I told her that it wasn't that serious anyway but, to her, it seemed serious enough. I doubt these 2 pacts I made will follow through anyway as I'm still believing that I'll die alone, love-less haha. Fuck it. We have a light conversation until they taper off. I also chat with someone in the background and eventually get tired at around 3 a.m., so I get my rest. The morning was pretty chill, and someone messaged but I didn't get a reply back. For the rest of the day, it was just me stressing about my tasks and the amount of things I have to finish in less than 7 hours. I barely had lunch since breakfast was good enough for me. I had very late lunch and finished just half of my stuff before having lunch. A lot of things piled up in the afternoon, too. Friday was so eager on stressing me out. I had to order food and groceries for me and my sister, and that coincided with a stressful bank transfer and a countdown to order groceries because of Grab's free delivery thing. I was super stressed and my mind was so overloaded with things. My main priority was work and, thankfully, the groceries arriving fine and okay, and eating my late lunch helped. But I was super stressed because there was another issue that popped up which just piled on top of so much stuff I had to do. This whole endeavor stretched until the late evening, until 8:30 p.m. where I had overtimed for free because I was so stressed and busy, that I had to catch up on so many tasks. My head was honestly spinning at the end. I was glad I had NO OTHER OBLIGATIONS after that. No one to answer to, no one to feel indebted to. It felt to nice to just relax and decompress after all that. My anxiety was so high after doing all that work, that it took me a while to fully calm down and get my stress levels down. I'm just glad that, at the end of the day, I was able to accomplish all that I could on my list. And I actually did follow through my promise to my sister of ordering groceries on Friday. So that was nice.

Song of the day: Neverita by Bad Bunny

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Yo 'toy puesto pa' ti y tú te me quita'
Diablo, qué piquete la chamaquita
El corazón lo puso en la neverita
Dice que este verano se queda solita
Yo 'toy puesto pa' ti y tú te me quita'
Diablo, qué piquete la chamaquita
El corazón lo puso en la neverita
Dice que este verano se queda solita

Pero nunca sola, sola
Amores vienen y van, como las ola'
El DM explotao', to's le escriben "hola"
Una fila 'e cabrone' y yo quiero la cola, yeah, yeah, yeah

Journal entry for Thursday, January 29th, 2026

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was finally the last day I would work on-site for the month. This day wasn't supposed to happen as I had originally planned to work on-site last week, but whatever. My friends seemed to even want me to work from home today, but I just got to complete this day and get it over with. Thankfully, commute was fine and perfectly normal. For the rest of the day, it was actually quite fun in the office. I spent it with coworkers. I saw a coworker that I haven't seen since December of last year, and he and I were immediately joking like usual. It was actually super fun. I had lunch with them and I got Pepper Lunch for the hell of it. It was hard carrying the tray back to the table, too! But I was able to have lunch with them, laugh, share jokes and stories, whatnot. We grabbed some drinks at CHAGEE and I got that new peace milk tea drink that they had. It was 169 Pesos or something, so it was worth it. My coworker also gave me the thermal bag for the 2 drinks we ordered, so that was cool. We went back in the office and I continued to work on my tasks for a long while. In the afternoon, I had a short break to grab some Starbucks with another coworker. He told me about his past trips to Japan and he seemed interested to go to Korea, and I told him some of the basics of getting a visa. After that, he said that I'll visit Korea at the time when the cherry blossoms will bloom. I was completed shocked! *Oo nga noh*. I will see cherry blossoms for the first time ever in my life. Holy shit. I didn't even plan on seeing the cherry blossoms, but apparently now I will. Holy crap! What followed was that I was even more excited for my trip because I wanted to see the cherry blossoms so bad as it's also a new experience for me. We then went back to the office and I continued on my work. I had a small *merienda* session with one coworker and we immediately went back to the office, and I went home early for the day because I had a meeting and I planned to work my remaining hours at home. I eventually got home while the sun was still out, so that was nice. I just relaxed but eventually did some work and attended my meeting per usual. After that, things were pretty chill. Someone eventually woke up and we started messaging on Discord after a while. Also I found enough time to think to myself and sit with my thoughts about the future and the way I've been feeling these past few months. I was able to finally write that blog post I've been thinking of since Tuesday.

Song of the day: Way Less Sad by AJR

I finally got my Korean visa!!

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Today started out pretty weird, to be honest. I had a dream about my Korean visa. It was just a piece of paper in black and white appearing to me in a dream and, wow, I couldn't believe it that it was a premonition of some sort. The rest of the morning and day was actually relatively routine and chill, thankfully. My heart couldn't take any more rollercoasters after yesterday. But for today, I had my usual stuff: commuting to work, working on-site, and doing a round of morning tasks. Before lunch, I checked out the website for issuing Korean visas and I was so surprised to see that the text had **changed**. It went from **심사 중**/in review to **허가**/approved. I was sat on my chair and I wanted to jump and shout on the spot but I was able to calm myself down enough. I immediately told my family and then someone about it, and I just had to get steak afterwards. It was such a rush of happy emotions and I was glad that all the hard work of gathering paperwork, walking to several places just to get X document prepared and Y document sorted out. And the wait for the visa, the staying in line, was now totally worth it. Well, it was already worth it just by doing it, but it's nice to see some positive payoff. So I initially tried to find a restaurant to eat at and eventually settled on a restaurant that had steak and I just had my usual lunch out, but this was the second day I'm just spending it alone. But after eating, I eventually went back to work, had a meeting, and had a few things wrapped up before finding enough time for an afternoon break. So hopefully my flight situation is fixed, and I found it reasonable enough for my ticket to be around 13,000-ish for a round-trip flight to Korea. I just continued on with my day and eventually wrapped up work late. I had some lunch and I eventually tried that Japanese restaurant that everyone kept ordering food from, and it was great! I also ordered some take-out for my sister because she wanted to eat *hakaw*. I then went home afterward and mainly just chilled. I was able to find enough time to catch up with the news and what's going on in the world, enough to form my own opinions on it.

Song of the day: YOUNG LUV by STAYC

Lyrics that resonated with me:
My love's so young, I'm young, 달콤한 나이
너만 바라볼 순 없어, na-na-na-na
Cold, I'm cold, 깜깜한 밤
아름답긴 해도 따뜻하진 않아

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
겉으로만 나 멀쩡한 거 일지도
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
쨌든, baby, I'm sorry for my young love

An Emotional Rollercoaster

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Holy shit Tuesday started with my commute to work being one fucking bad omen. I woke up on time but it was raining and I had to bring in the laundry that was left out to dry all by myself. I didn't have breakfast or what and my stomach was hurting so bad, but I still pushed through my morning. I talked to someone a bit while I was booking a ride and I was able to publish my journal entry and some code changes to my site, so that made my morning a little productive. Booking a ride took so long, almost an hour of just waiting and hoping to get a ride. Someone also asked if I had died, which was kind of a bad omen as I almost could have died. But eventually I got 2 rides, one for Angkas and in Joyride. Somehow, I forgot to cancel the Joyride one because I was actually waiting for the Angkas one. The Joyride driver arrived first, somehow, and I had to cancel the Angkas ride which I deeply regretted. The Joyride commute was **TOTAL FUCKING HELL**. The driver took so many wrong turns, ignored GPS directions, and we even almost crashed 2 times. He was also doing this strange and weird thing of spreading his legs and driving so slowly. Even one motorcyclist on the SLEX was looking at us and I was so terrified for my life because we could crash or have a fatal road accident at any minute. We drove through and we got a few vehicles honking at us because he was leaving so much space between us and the next car. He was totally out of it and only snapped out of it when I tried to guide him to an alternate route that I believed is much safer and walkable. In the end, I had to ask him to drop me off early and I even had to make an excuse about how the drop-off point was hard to drop off passengers or some shit. But in reality, I was so shaken and scared for my life. I just wanted to walk and process things while on the way to work. Work was pretty much quiet, thankfully, and I even helped out a teammate and solved a problem on my own. It was a pretty big highlight of my day, honestly. For lunch, I wanted to get some *omurice* because I saw it yesterday while watching Frieren so I decided to walk to CoCo Ichibanya in Glorietta for my lunch. After that, since I still had this “any menu item free”-thing from Starbucks Rewards, I just claimed it and got a white chocolate mocha that was a venti as a pick-me-up. I also just chilled for a while and finished my drink during lunchtime. Work in the afternoon was pretty okay but a bit frustrating since I couldn't complete what I was working on, but it was functional enough to a degree. This kind of continued the chain of **[GOOD THING]** happening and then **[BAD THING]** happening throughout my day. But eventually, I was finished with work as my work day had ended. By that point, I'm not sure why, but the stresses of the day kind of just piled up on me. Thankfully, I had this “birthday freebie” thing from Timezone wherein I got 500 Pesos worth of Powerload because it was my birthday recently. I was excited to play at Timezone to just cool off BUT I had forgotten my Wangan Midnight card! I checked my wallet and it wasn't there! Either I left it at home or I totally lost it, which just made me want to fall to my knees. I didn't give up, though, and I just claimed the free 500 Pesos Powerload and played a few games. I even played 1 round of bowling because I was so frustrated and I'm glad I did because I got 2 strikes in 1 bowling game, so that was super cool. I also just relaxed at the nearby massage chair. While resting, I saw a girl that looked like someone, which was pretty neat, but also intrigued me. While I was wrapping up, I saw that Return to Silent Hill (2026) was showing in theaters and I still had time to catch a showing! I immediately got my tickets at the ticket counter so I could go inside of the movie theater. I got seated and I enjoyed watching the movie for a bit, even ordering an extra side dish of bread with a cheese dip that somehow cost me 250 Pesos, but it was fine. All was going well until there was a couple that sat next to me, which was shocking because, while I was picking out the seats at the counter, I had absolutely no one in my entire row. Here comes this dude and his girlfriend which somehow just made me envious as usual. The dude also coughs throughout the entire film! He coughed every 5 minutes or so, it was honestly downright annoying. This dude with his stature, and his rudeness can get a girlfriend to watch Silent Hill on a random Tuesday night. I saw him caress her hands, too. And here I am, single with fucking no one to watch this shit with. Fuck me, fucking hell. This day was honestly too much and I was already so over it. The film wasn't that great either, but I appreciated some parts that tied into the video game. It kind of just made me want to play the game, or watch someone play the game while I streamed it. I was just done by the end of the day. Emotionally done. I wanted to cry so bad because I had such a rough day, but I couldn't find myself to. It was a total chain of **[GOOD THING]** happening and then **[BAD THING]** happening: - Got 10 hours of sleep - Almost got killed on my morning commute - Complete an important task at the start of the day - Fail to complete my main task for the day - Got 500 Pesos worth of Powerload - Forgot to bring my Banapassport so I couldn't play the arcade game I wanted - Got to watch a movie - The guy next to me kept coughing and I got jealous he had someone to watch with The only saving graces of this day was that my commute home wasn't that memorable and I got a ride fairly-quickly. Plus my sister cooked food for me when I got home, so that was really nice of her. I also had enough time left in the day to decompress and process my thoughts. Ultimately, I didn't know where to put my mood for today. It was such a rollercoaster, but since I weigh BOTH the good things and bad things that happened now, I just feel like I'll put it as a good day regardless. Today was pretty freakin' weird, though. And the whole time, I kept thinking of how I ended up on this timeline. But that's a blog post for future me to write about.

Song of the day: Stars by fun.

Journal entry for Monday, January 26th, 2026

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Yesterday was pretty peaceful, actually. I got some much-needed rest at the start of the day and at the end of the day. I mostly just timed in for work and did my tasks, pretty much like a usual Monday. In my downtime, I mostly used it to catch up on other things like finally watch Frieren because someone has been egging me to watch it. I finally made back my promise of watching it, thankfully. I also had a short call with Luan where he played some Hytale and Banjo-Kazooie but then left because they had dinner. Luan invited us to watch him stream in the late evening but no one was down, unfortunately. I was kind of tired from work as well to make any social interaction and I just had dinner and watched a few more episodes of Frieren before ultimately feeling so tired come 8 p.m. I guess I still haven't paid my sleep debt so I called it an early night and I went to sleep.

Song of the day: Pretty Please by Heart2Hearts

Hanging out as 4!

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SM City BF Paranaque

Sunday had yet another trip going on! This time we'd be 4 people in SM City BF Paranaque, it would be Naomi and her girlfriend Jane, along with Renne and I. I took a while to book a ride and I thought about something on the way there. I eventually arrived at SM BF and I heard that Naomi and the rest had already met up. Naomi teased me a bit and I eventually saw the 3 of them behind me. Naomi was being her cool, chill self, Renne was super shy and didn't even look at me, and Jane was close by Naomi's side. I joked about how Renne was so shy and that she shouldn't be, and the eventually was fine enough and got the courage to talk to me and stuff. I asked them if they're down for Starbucks and they all agreed, and I got their orders. Renne had a cheesecake and java chip, Naomi got the usual strawberry acai drink that I got her before, Jane had this chocolate chip thing, and I got a venti juice drink. All in all, it totaled to 1,000 Pesos but the cashier didn't allow me to use my Apple Wallet to pay for our drinks and said that I should use the app. Which just made me furl my brow a little because I had literally used the same card for thousands of Pesos worth of purchases with no issue. It ticked me off but whatever, I just paid for it all and got seated with the rest of them. We mostly talked about a few things going on in their lives and we took a few pictures. I don't know why, but I made it my duty to make sure that no one felt like they were left out and I asked everyone equally how they were doing, and stuff like that. It felt strange to be the extreme grown-up in this situation, which I kinda was, but it was fun too since I got to play the role of an extrovert again. We eventually finished our drinks and walked around for a bit. After that, we decided on eating at Sumo Niku instead. They told me that it wasn't like their usual *samgyupsal* place before because this was expensive and they could only afford the 200-Pesos ones, but I told them that it was fine and I was paying the bill. We cooked a lot of beef and some pork, but it was mostly beef strips. I somehow made a mistake and ordered a lot of the wagyu cubes that they had, which wasn't everyone's liking, I guess they mostly preferred the beef strips. We mostly talked, shared stories, and I mostly cooked alongside Naomi. I made sure to give everyone a piece of the cooked meat equally and make sure everyone got their orders in. I eventually had to help Naomi finish her food by the end because she wasn't looking great and it seemed like she was full, so I offered to take some of her food. I even ordered some extra *gochujang* because I really like that sauce. I eventually finished my food and then paid for the bill, which was 2,700 Pesos for all 4 of us. I was pretty much fine with it, but I was just initially surprised as my wallet took a beating these past few days, haha. But it's fine, I think I have enough money to go to Korea anyway if I budget properly AND get my visa approved in the first place. We just walked around more after that. We stopped by National Book Store and I asked if Naomi wanted a book for her birthday. She said that she wanted this FNaF book but couldn't find it anywhere so I just took a note of it. Renne said that she wanted to read this book but said that it was expensive, but I secretly took a plastic-wrapped copy of it and eventually bought it. I gave it to her and asked about the book as we were all walking and then gave her the book. It's nice to give them a gift as they gave me a painting that they made, plus I got myself the 3rd book of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid anyway. We walked a bit more but eventually had to part ways. I booked a ride home and eventually got some well-deserved “me time” which I used to catch up on so much stuff. I decided if I would go to my usual hangout, Starbucks on 32nd Street in BGC and if I should bring my MacBook Pro to work there, but decided against it and that I would just catch up on my 21 journal entries at home instead. I spent the majority of the evening just catching up on my journal entries and publishing them at the end. It even extended to the next day, but I'm glad I just locked in and finished all of it in one night.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

Lyrics that resonated with me:
J'aime danser avec toi

Binondo Food Crawl with the Baguettes

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Binondo & Poblacion

After yesterday's funny ordeal, I got into a call with my friends and they were just streaming their gameplay of AC: Odyssey. They had fought off the minotaur and eventually got into Atlantis. I also told them that I was surprised to learn recently that Batao owned a restaurant franchise, but they seemed entirely uninterested and even told me that they didn't care. It just rubbed me the wrong way and I decided on just meeting new people to befriend. For whatever reason, they asked me to tell them a story, which made me feel better because it at least showed that they give a shit about what I have to say. I told them about what happened to me and Jaze moments earlier and they seemed pretty interested in hearing it, so that was nice. Our call continued and we just discussed random topics. But at some point, it got emotional and very deep. I told them about my ideology on it: > things that aren't meant to happen, won't happen; consequently, things that are meant to happen, will happen no matter what. There is no such thing as “missing the right person” in my belief, as missing out on the “right” person just means that they're not the real, right person for you. They argued that it was boring and that it means that I believe that everything is predetermined, which I wholly believe that it is. If it isn't meant to work out, no matter what, it would never happen. I saw this first-hand in many of my romantic pursuits, I tried so hard and putting in effort for the girls I liked, and yet I never ended up with any of them. And to this day, I have been single and never found the one for me because the ones that did like me aren't the people for me, and the ones I liked, aren't for me. After this whole thing, they seemed to be in a cheery mood after that and our night continued. I also got them food again, this time it was *tocilog* from Sinangag Express. I didn't get myself food and instead just ate some candies. They played some AC: Odyssey in their free time and I got so sleepy in the morning. I was trying my best to watch through their gameplay and stay up, and they even asked me if I wanted to sleep, which was super thoughtful and sweet of them, but then I told them of my plans to stay up as I was going to leave for my Binondo food crawl with the Baguettes after this. We eventually reach 7 a.m. and I got my sister to prepare some coffee for me and then I left for Binondo. I was super late to get to the meetup as the planned time was 8 a.m., and I eventually arrived at 9:40 a.m. I had extremely miscalculated things and the trip took longer than expected, even though traffic wasn't that bad. I still saw them, it's just that they all had a catching up and breakfast already. We eventually met up and grabbed some *hopia*, and I got a dice one with *munggo* and cashew, which was nice, even though *hopia* isn't really my thing. Walked around after that and we wanted to try this restaurant, but it was full so we walked around some more. We tried some *tanghulu* and it had this weird, wax-like flavor to it, which was interesting but also weird. I took a picture of the Binondo signage and even got some sugarcane drink. I told them that it tasted like *palay*, which it kind of was, as it was just raw sugarcane extract. Meryll, funny enough, laughed at me for it but eventually believed in me as she didn't like the taste much. I took a picture of us as I was the 5th wheel in this. I was in between 2 couples: Max with her boyfriend, and Meryll with her boyfriend. We eventually moved to try out Estero Fastfood and I saw a few cats that were chilling, which was cute. We ate some fried frog legs, which was super weird, but I got used to the taste. A cat came up under our table and it seemed that one of its eyes had gone blind. This broke my heart so much and I was on the verge of crying because I feel so sorry for them and that I didn't give them that much food. I thought on ordering some more food to feed the cat but the menu was so damn expensive, there wasn't a single item worth less than 100 Pesos that I couldn't give to this poor, starving cat. I had to give it some leftovers which I still feel guilty about because I wanted to give this poor cat some food. I was super close to crying but thankfully the cat ate some of the food and we left the table. That cat stuck to my mind and I thought about visiting it some other time to properly give it food. After that, we walked around a bit more, eventually ending up at Café Mezzanine. We waited for a bit to get a table and we eventually got a table for us 5. We talked for a while amongst ourselves while waiting for our food and we planned to go to El Nido, Palawan, in the future once Ben returns to the Philippines again. We had our food and we had a bit of confusion amongst us because we got a lot of food. Thankfully, the bill wasn't that much and I didn't pay much for the amount and quality of food served, which was totally worth because the food was so delicious. We also talked about going to Poblacion later because Ben talked about this bar that had this “midget boxing” thing going on. We were all curious so we agreed to meet later at Poblacion. After paying for the bill and dividing it equally, we parted ways and I went home. The trip home was so long, but it was peaceful once we got near our place. Binondo and Manila in general were super crowded, messy, and just filled with people. Our place seemed so calm and peaceful, there was greenery everywhere. And it made me feel like home. I eventually arrived home safe and gave some of the take-out to my sister, which she liked because she was a fan of the custard bun now. I used the hours to get whatever sleep I can. In the evening, I got prepared to go to Poblacion in the evening. I only got around 5 hours of sleep or so, and I didn't continue with that hotel booking since I didn't want to spend money so soon and I also had a hangout tomorrow. I eventually got there and I was a few minutes late and just missed Max and Meryll. I eventually got to meet them by going inside the bar where the midget boxing thing was going on. Apparently, they had already watched 1 round of it, and I had just missed it. But we stuck around for 1 more round. I kept my AirPods in and turned on this “Loudness Reduction” thing so that my eardrums wouldn't burst as the music in there was so loud. It also reeked of cigarette smell, which I haven't smelled in a long time and even made me gag a bit because I don't smoke at all. We eventually watch the show, eat some *calamares* and potato chips, which took a while because they were apparently cooked at Filling Station, but we enjoyed it and had a bit of laughs at how silly all this was. It was fun regardless and I enjoyed it as I got to spend time with my friends. I joked to Ben how we were exactly 5 people as this seat wouldn't fit 6 people. They told me that I should really get a girlfriend soon so that we're 6 people but I dismissed them as I have been single my whole life. We continue to watch the show and eventually leave once everyone was okay enough. We then went to The Spirits Library and I showed them the way because they were taking the wrong route. I showed them and they wondered how I was already familiar with the place, I told them that I did go here with my former coworkers last year and they teased me a bit, but it was fine. We got inside but stood as the bar's seats were already full. I got a drink, although I don't know what it was. I just got a “cheap” drink of hard liquor worth 250 Pesos, even though I kind of regret getting it as I'm not a drinker at all. It was hard to finish, too, as it burned my throat. Meryll and her boyfriend eventually left first and I accompanied Max and her boyfriend for a bit more through the evening. I eventually got home as Max and her bf were leaving too and I passed by them one more time before ultimately saying goodbye to them. I got home safe and I eventually got some well-deserved rest.

Song of the day: I My MeaN (feat. Kagamine Rin & Kagamine Len) by Hachioji P

Night Ride with Jaze Again!

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: McKinley Hill

For Friday, I continued it by staying on call with my friends as we watched Single's Inferno. It was pretty nice and some of the women were pretty cool this season. We already had picked our favorites and one of them looked so much like Karina, and as I pointed that out, my friends also said that they had the same thought! It was honestly crazy. She eventually revealed that one of her titles was “Karina of the track” and that was so crazy but also understandable. We loved the first episode but didn't continue watching the second episode as my friends had work and I had helped them out a bit with the website. I also got them food and we ate during the night, but shortly after that I got some rest. For the morning, my Mom, sister, and I had breakfast as it was my Mom's last day in the Philippines for this vacation break. She would go back to Saudi Arabia today and we just enjoyed the meal, talked, took a few pics, had a few emotional hugs before we saw her leave in a Grab ride I booked for her. My sister started crying afterward and I consoled her, but she was eventually okay and I got started on my work. Friday's work had me pulling in a lot of effort just to get this task completed. I put in a lot of effort into completing what was on my plate and I'm glad I was able to complete a bulk of it and be so helpful to my teammate, which was nice. In the evening, I had some spare time and I asked Jaze if he was free today. I had to go home at around 12 midnight because I had a call with my friends, but Jaze eventually agreed and I was glad we got to hang out again! He eventually arrived to our house and we headed off to Venice Grand Canal Mall. We just talked and I caught him up on a few things I was into last year, even showing some pics of what I did last year. We couldn't decide on where to get dinner, but I told him that I've never tried Tom Yang before, he recommended it and we got food there instead. He mostly caught me up on what was happening in his life and how the recent wedding of our friend was, and he showed me a few pictures that were interesting. It was really fun talking to him and hanging out again and I also learned that Tom Yang was actually like a buffet. It reminded me of my time in those 5-star hotels and some hotel stays that had breakfast buffets. We had a hotpot and some meats, and it was really good. I enjoyed some grilled salmon and some grilled beef, and I even had to order more beef that I had to finish by myself because Jaze was so full. He also told me that one of our friends, Batao, owned Chicken Joo. Not just a franchise of it, but the actual brand itself and that was honestly pretty impressive because I haven't heard from him in so long, and he was part of my core group of friends back in 2021. Regardless, it was super fun catching up with Jaze as this was the first time in a while we got to catch up and tell each other of what happened since our last falling out. After eating, we went to Mercury Drug nearby because his girlfriend had an issue with their dog, but that was settled and we went to Assi Fresh Plaza for at Tuscany old times' sake. I ordered a few sweets and some Korean ice cream. I tried some new Samanco flavors and I can say I loved them, especially this custard one. I flipped through some of the Japanese magazine that was on the desk and we were also surprised to see this place have a dining area inside it. It wasn't like this during the pandemic and I can see that they took some cues from FunHanMart because they have a place to cook noodles. I just ate some ice cream while Jaze was standling and walking around, burping because he ate too much. It was kind of funny but I also felt concerned. We eventually headed home and, as we were on the way back, we drove over this pothole and I noticed something fall from the motorcycle and it lit up sparks on the road. I was worried that it was my pocket Wi-Fi or wallet so I asked Jaze to pull over. He tried to get it while I watched over his motorcycle. Weirdly, I noticed that all my items were safe and they were in my pocket the whole time, so I was wondering what fell off the motorcycle. Jaze eventually returned and it was his motorcycle's license plate! He told me how funny it was that he thought that my wallet was now a metal wallet, but he also got shocked to find out that it was his license plate all along. I laughed so hard at the situation but we eventually got back and he dropped me off fine. After that, I got into a call with my friends that extended until the next day.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Thursday, January 22nd, 2026

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Thursday, I spent the start of it in a call with my friends as they wanted me to watch Lake Mungo (2008) to see how I would react. I pretty much enjoyed it and it took me a while to settle in, but I was eventually into it after a few minutes of watching. It seemed like a pretty long movie and it dragged on for a bit, before unveiling the twists in the story which made me hooked into the story. Eventually, we got to the part where the ghost of her dead self appeared to Alice and it absolutely shocked me when it kind of “jumpscared” the audience. I definitely did not expect a jumpscare because this was framed as a “mockumentary” but, wow, that caught me off guard. I eventually finished the movie and I talked about it with my friends before I got some rest. I watched a few more YouTube videos before getting some sleep because the movie scared me a great deal. In the morning, I actually planned to go to the office today, but my friends told me something. I eventually relented because I felt sorry for them and I wanted them to be okay. I just accompanied them through the day and I got them food from Yabu because they've been wanting it for a while, too. They seemed pretty cheery after that and I eventually got to work as they had to rest. The rest of my workday was pretty uneventful and I timed out just fine. In the evening, I got into a call with Luan and eventually my friends joined in for FNaF 2. It was time for us to watch Luan's next gameplay and I got some chips from a nearby *sari-sari* store while watching some of Luan's gameplay. It was actually impressive to me that he played FNaF 2 well and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time because I wasn't sure if he was going to fail or not. But it was really impressive that he got through THE ENTIRE GAME without getting a single jumpscare. He didn't fail once. I had failed FNaF 2 so many times in my recent playthrough but seeing Luan play the game was honestly cool. After that, he played FNaF 3 and he wasn't as great as the last installment because he failed to track Springtrap a few times. I told them that this was my favorite game in the series, too, because I remember playing it a lot around college and it had the least scary jumpscares, but that's what also made it cool. Regardless, Luan eventually called it a day and I then got into a call with my friends and watch them play AC: Odyssey instead. They defeated a cyclops, which was cool. Our call continued to the next day because we also watched season 5 of Single's Inferno.

Song of the day: Cherish (My Love) by ILLIT

Journal entry for Wednesday, January 21st, 2026

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For today, I had on-site work and I spent some time spending it in a call with my friends as they faced off against Medusa in AC: Odyssey. I got some rest after they failed at the first fight and it was nice of them to be considerate of my tiredness. After that, I got rest and then got ready in the morning to spend my day in the office. Work was pretty uneventful, but most of it was pretty fun because I finally had my coworkers accompany me and I had lunch out with them. I also sent Luan enough money for FNaF: Sister Location because it was his birthday and he initially said that he didn't have enough money for it. It was really fun to socialize, joke around, laugh, and I even had *merienda* with some of them before I went home. In the evening, I talked to my friends and Luan, and Luan decides to stream Five Nights at Freddy's for us. I got to watch and he actually was skillful at this game. He only got jumpscared and failed a few times, but it was still super fun and he eventually got to complete the game. We planned to stream again for tomorrow and then I hopped on into a call with my friends and they streamed more AC: Odyssey for some of the night as our call went on to the next day.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Tuesday, January 20th, 2026

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Makati

For Tuesday, I tried to sleep early because I would be working on-site today, but I couldn't sleep properly. I just talked to Renne for a bit and then messaged my friends, too, and it was funny because they were so shocked that I replied to their message quickly. They asked why I was awake but they eventually went back to work and I got my rest. In the morning, I just played that song from Noah & The Whale as I needed a mood booster. I then got ready and booked a ride to work. Work today was pretty chill and it was just me in the office. I mostly just fixed this major thing, which was a huge accomplishment to me, even though it was something small. I'm glad I was able to fix it without the help of AI, too, because I feel like I've been using it as a crutch lately and it's stifling my native ability to troubleshoot and debug code. And I'm glad I got to prove myself again. For lunch, I had it at Marugame Udon and I took a picture of Waffle as I passed by them. I just chilled in the office and waited for my sister and Mom to arrive from their IKEA trip. They watched Wicked: For Good and it seems my Mom liked it. We had lunch at Tim Ho Wan and my sister really liked some *hakaw* and that fried custard dumpling that I recommended. After that, we had a bit of an issue getting to the Grab ride because my Mom wanted to take a few pictures. But we eventually got home just fine. In the evening, I got into a call with my friends as they played AC: Odyssey and I also called Renne for a bit, too. After all that, I got some rest as I had to work on-site again tomorrow.

Song of the day: Banana Man by Chonny Jash

New Monitor Day!

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

I finally got my new monitor today and that was honestly the main highlight of the day. I spent the start of it arguing and being stressed out at this Grab delivery to that new person I met and the driver was such an asshole. I tried my absolute best to plead with them and they were so thirsty for money, even returning to that person's address and haggling them a tip for the trouble, which is honestly pretty rude. It was such a logistical nightmare that it got me so stressed. But I'm just glad to have it done and I had a short call with that person, Renne, that wrapped up. I finally got my sleep after that. I had work once I woke up and I decided to work from home today because I had that gift from myself arriving. It eventually arrived in the afternoon during my lunch break and I spent the entirety of my lunch break just setting it up and troubleshooting my Linux install, and then making it work at 1440p at 180hz. It was really fun because I was rocking out to this variant of a song I like, it was “Banana Man” but a parody of it by Chonny Jash, which was pretty cool to listen to. I eventually got it all set up and it was worth troubleshooting broken DisplayPort connections on my GPU and setting up my Apple TV with it. I eventually retired the Sony TV that my Mom brought for me more than 10 years ago and she told the story of how it was bought with her first credit card in Saudi Arabia. After that, I continued my work and eventually timed out in the evening. I got to watch my friends play Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on Linux at 1440p and it was so breathtaking to just experience things through this new monitor. In the evening as well, I was able to log into my old GCash account and I got in! The account's suspension was finally lifted and, what's better, was that I was able to save 20K and eventually my salary came in! Holy shit, I couldn't believe it when I saw 100K in my bank account again. Holy fucking crap, having my money at 100K again feels nice and I should really have this amount often. It was kind of disheartening to give Mom 15K so soon (even though she promised to return the amount in February), which knocked that down to just 40K or so at the end of the day after paying so much bills and other stuff. It dampened my day a bit, but whatever, I still counted the good more than the bad and I eventually got into a call again with my friends in the evening.

Song of the day: Banana Man by Chonny Jash

Lyrics that resonated with me:
He says
"look you, you're too uptight you know
You could laugh and kick it back and go
(weeee) but without a rhythm or a rhyme
You do not banana all the time
Fly away from city on the run
Try to make a little fun"

So I say "what's this, fucking 1959?
With the painted face and googly eyes?
And the accent of the Caribbean?
And the imitation simian?
Weren't you born and raised in Michigan?
This banana's gotta stop"

Forget all your morals and go with the flow
Forget about the bad
The good is all you know
And forget about the voice
That's lying deep inside
The one that's screaming and screeching
Proclaiming wrong and right

Tagaytay Trip!

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Tagaytay

Our family had an adventure planned for Sunday and it had me waking up pretty early. I couldn't sleep much from last night as my body was still trying to adjust itself from my night shift. But it was honestly fine and I felt okay enough to still tag along. We'd be going to Tagaytay today and my sister's boyfriend would be driving. They woke me up and I got into the car. We quickly drove to Tagaytay, we took the expressway there and our first stop was Picnic Grove. We didn't do much there, actually, aside from just taking pictures and taking in the view. I did try some strawberry *taho* for the fun for it and it was okay, it wasn't something pretty new. But we just walked around more, took a few pics, and I guess the fun part was my sister spotting a poster my friends hung up of a Roblox character, which was funny. We then got back in the car and drove to the next spot which was Starbucks Reserve Hiraya. When we got there, they had this line and it stretched out pretty well. It actually took us a while, too. We waited for more than an hour. In the meantime, Luan offered to stream some Portal 2 but it was this mod called Portal Reloaded which had a time portal and this time travel mechanic, which was pretty cool. Since I had nothing else to do but wait in line, I was down for watching and I guided him in some sections. When we got inside the venue, my cell signal fully cut out and I was forcibly removed from the call due to bad signal. We got our seats allocated and I still stand in line to get our orders. I had a list of what to get them and I also picked out a tumbler for myself as an extra gift, but then I thought about how white this one looked and how it wasn't slim enough for my backpack, so I just put it back. My mom also asked me to put a few pastries, and it was a lot of pastries. I had to pay for everything upfront and it all totaled to 2,600 Pesos, which seemed excessive, especially since we had just planned to get coffee here and our main event was eating *bulalo*. I still pay for the bill and head back to our table and even my sister gets shocked at the bill. This leads to my mom having a tantrum and storming out of the place which just surprises me and I roll my eyes at this because this is exactly how I deal with some of my problems. But I do the adult thing and chase after her and convince her to come back. It was seriously a weird thing to play the adult in this interaction, but whatever. I just try to not put too much thought into it otherwise my brain might melt down or something. I eventually escort her back and convince her to sit between me and my sister. We just ate and I notice her tear up and cry a bit, but I thought that the best decision to make her was to let her process her feelings on her own and not ask why she feels like crying or something. Eventually, things become okay enough, and I continue eating my raspberry tartlet which was too sour for me to finish. After waiting for a while, we went out and I withdrew some money to have some spare cash. We went back to the car and headed to Mushroomburger. Mushroomburger was a pretty quick stopover compared to the others. We mostly tried their mushroom fries and I actually ordered a lot of their mushroom fries (around 3 buckets at least). My sister's boyfriend tries them out and he thankfully likes it because he says he hasn't had this before, only the burger. Mom also tries it and she likes it, and my sister likes the burger she ordered a lot, along with the fries and even the mushroom *siomai* I ordered for myself but gave my sister some of. After that, we went to our last destination for the day: Mahogany Beef Market & Bulalohan. We parked easily and we went upstairs to a *bulalohan* that my sister said was good. We got seated and then ate some *bulalo* which was pretty great. The beef here was pretty soft and I was so used to having so many hard beef chunks in *bulalo* so this was a nice surprise. I also ordered some *chicharon bulaklak* on the side and that was also pretty good, so I felt kinda full by the end because we had already eaten so much from our past stops. It was nice, all in all, and mom and I ordered some take-out for my sister's boyfriend's family and then I carried all of my mom's stuff so she could feel better while walking around. I just walked around with her, we bought some *lanzones* to take home and went back to the car so we could all go home. During the trip, they took a weird route that wasn't on the expressway, and we spent an hour or so just driving through Cavite. During that time, my phone's battery was dangerously low but I still kept playing music because I was bored. We drove through more road and even passed by Nuvali Park in Laguna, which seemed cool. We eventually got to CAVITEX and, from there, went to SLEX. It seems that my sister's phone had died and so had her boyfriend's phone, because they were using my sister's Samsung tablet as a GPS. My iPhone was hovering around 6-10% battery at this moment and I was getting worried, but we passed by Alabang quickly and we were already in NCR. Somehow, in their infinite wisdom and sheer geniusness, they decided to exit SLEX at C5, NOT at SM Bicutan. This was honestly a stupid as fuck move. Not only did they pay for **MORE MONEY AT THE TOLL GATE**, but we ALSO GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. The car also had issues climbing up hills and there was this Catholic festival-thing going on that blocked several roads. This was such a fucking facepalm because they could have just exited SLEX in Bicutan but they made this bonehead move that cost us so much time and gas. They seriously wasted so much time, money, and gas. I was already kind of livid and tired at this point because I had been wanting to go to the bathroom in so long. It was also traffic around our way home so we had to take this shortcut that I thankfully knew, otherwise we would have spent an hour or so more. Fucking hell, the drive back home was absolute bullshit and we didn't have powerbanks at all so we were kind of screwed, honestly. We eventually got home and I was just tired and done from the trip, I swear. Today was planned to be a quick trip to Tagaytay but so much drama and stupidity happened in a day that I'm honestly just glad to have been home. I was really emotionally drained and I just chilled by myself for the rest of the day and enjoyed the rest of the weekend. I got into a call with Luan and I was just guiding him through some Portal Reloaded stages. While helping him, Naomi's girlfriend Jane introduced me to her friend that wanted to get to know me. I agreed and talked to them while helping Luan with his gameplay. Also in the evening, we also had more of the *bulalo* from Tagaytay for dinner, which was pretty nice.

Song of the day: Helena Beat by Foster The People

Journal entry for Saturday, January 17th, 2026

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC

Today was a pretty cool and fun day and it was the last day of me doing night shift for the week. I just spent it while on call with my friends and I eventually timed out after my shift. My friends streamed some of their Cookie Run: Kingdom gameplay and then we also watched some cave diving videos, which were cool. Our call continued until our usual 10 a.m. and that's when we left the call. I got some sleep and in the afternoon we planned to go out tonight. I also finally ate some *liempo* and we had some food at our house.. I woke up and got ready to leave first as I had an issue activating my SIM card. But after visiting my cell provider again, I was able to make it work! It was such a cool thing to see my first SMS text from that number get sent! I also got a text back from my sister, which was shocking. After that, I tried to get the GCash account suspension lifted because I had it suspended until further use. I took a few pictures for identification and that was it. It seems the issue was that the number was somehow blocked, too. But I'm glad it's working now! I then went to Starbucks Shangri-La The Fort - 3rd Avenue and I actually passed by Nikka and her boyfriend, which was a total shocker. I didn't want to seem nosy and intrude upon them so I tried taking a pic and standing in front of them to see if she will notice, but she didn't. I just went inside and got my order and then messaged Nikka through Instagram. I told her that my family and I were chilling here and that I passed by her and her boyfriend, which was funny. We didn't meet up or anything and our chat ultimately ended. Eventually, my Mom and sister arrived and met up with them. We planned to get a massage at Breeze Oriental Spa and, like before, we just tried to walk in. But I was already facepalming since we didn't get a reservation and they still tried to book a massage, and I already knew how it was going to turn out. We got in and immediately got rejected as they told us that they were booked for the evening. Part of me feels disappointed because I already told them that this place was super busy and we wouldn't get in without a reservation. We ultimately just decided to have some ice cream and we walked to Central Square Mall. We got some gelato at our usual place Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato before and we chilled at Muji upstairs as we grabbed some drinks. I was fiddling with my SIM card on how to get it to turn into an eSIM but I ultimately gave up. We went downstairs as we planned to go home afterward but my Mom stopped by Shake Shack to get some fries. Our ride eventually arrived and we went home to finish some of the food that we had cooked in the morning.

Journal entry for Friday, January 16th, 2026

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC

For today, nothing much went on aside from me and my friends still being in a call from yesterday. I eventually finished my night shift and my friends played The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns again. I also looked around and randomly thought of that SIM number I had before. I found the SIM bed for it and I figured I should get access to it again. I decided that it was worth the hassle because I finally found the SIM bed and that the GCash inside had around 2,000 Pesos worth inside. I decided on going there after my call with my friends. They eventually finished The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns and they tried to stream AC: Odyssey for a bit while I tried to replace my SIM card. I went to this law office to get an affidavit of loss and got it notarized. I then went to my cell provider and gave out the document, a few ID photos, and I eventually got it back! Well, I got a replacement SIM that had my number, but it was cool enough. I was told to wait a day or so for it to be fully activated so I just waited. After that, I went back home to get some proper rest as I was done with my trip for the day. In the evening, I finished the rest of The Backrooms videos with my friends and Luan and I got into a call with my friends as they played some AC: Odyssey. Our call continued up until the next day.

Song of the day: Regent's Park by Bruno Major

Journal entry for Thursday, January 15th, 2026

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

The day started with me still working through my night shift and being in a call with my friends. They showed me a funny video that their friends were doing that was this “1 hour of a day in my life” thing and they did this fake-out with this fake cigarette stick that actually blew bubbles instead of smoke. After that, we just continue our call and I got off work. They just play more AC: Odyssey until we both left the call at around our usual 10 am or so. Nothing much happens in the afternoon but in the evening my friends, Luan, and I got into a call and we watch the first video to a new series we'll watch: The Backrooms by Kane Pixels. We watched the first few videos which was kind of intriguing. I also got that gift for myself: a new monitor from Samsung! I've always wanted a high refresh rate monitor and I've had so much money pass through my hands and yet I have used the same Sony TV as my monitor for more than a decade now. I found a deal that made the monitor pretty cheap and I didn't think twice about ordering it since it was a well-deserved gift to myself. I eventually got it ordered while we were still watching The Backrooms and then we finish up what we can as Luan had to sleep and the next video in the series was 45-minutes long or so. I had some work and my friends and I got into a call, they played AC: Odyssey for a while and our call continued until the next day.

Journal entry for Wednesday, January 14th, 2026

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Wednesday, I started it by continuing my night shift and eventually wrapping up with it. My friends and I were still on the same call and we watched a few videos from ILLIT, which I liked since my friends and I finally got to watch it. I also gave them some money for food, so it was nice that we ate together. In the morning, I told them about this cool thing about ChatGPT's Deep Research feature. I told them that it can help them find some really obscure thing that's hard to Google. I told them that while they were playing AC: Odyssey and they told me to try and look for this visual novel game they played before. It kind of had this cute ghost story and I eventually found it! I told them if that was the game and they were so happy I found it! It was The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns and my friends streamed it for me while we were on call. It was nice to see them play it and they seemed to like the story. They read most of it in their British accent, so that was cool to hear. After that, we just had our usual shenanigans, they showed me their Nommi again and played a bit more of AC: Odyssey before we went off the call for the day. In the evening, I woke up and saw a few notifications on my Apple Watch that summarized a few emails I got. I thought that Taylor Swift was going to have a concert in the Philippines but it was just a mis-summarization of some Google Alerts and I showed that to my friends. Eventually, we got into a call with Luan and we watched this found-footage film called The Borderlands (2013) which was pretty scary. It really got me at some parts, so that was nice. After that, I got into a call with my friends and I played some Cookie Run: Kingdom while I just passed the time waiting for my night shift work. I finally got Shadow Milk Cookie from this Dominion of the Beasts event and I was able to promote them because I had bought some soulstones. After that, our call continued to the next day.

Song of the day: Perfect Night by LE SSERAFIM

Journal entry for Tuesday, January 13th, 2026

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Tuesday, I just worked the night shift and I was still in a call with my friends. They showed me that cute Nommi doll they got, which admittedly was pretty cute. My shift continued and I just worked on my usual set of tasks. After my shift, I mostly just watched my friends play AC: Odyssey and some Prehistoric Kingdom. But after that, we both left the call to get some sleep. In the evening, nothing much happened and I just watched my friends play AC: Odyssey and my night shift started after. Nothing much went on for the day.

Song of the day: Sunday Morning by ILLIT

A Productive Monday

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Korea Visa Application Center in Manila

For Monday, I was tasked to work the night shift for this week and I made the most out of my day by applying for that Korean visa in the morning. I got there quite early, I think. I planned to get there by 10 a.m. or so, just as the place was just opening. But I spent breakfast at home which took sometime, and I got confused with the directions, went to SM Aura first and then finally at Brittany Hotel, and eventually got myself at the front desk at around 11:40 a.m. or so. I had messed up the paper sizes, but the lady at the front desk was kind enough to show me the right way and I eventually fell back in line and got a number. I found a seat nearby and waited until my number was called, which took hours. I didn't mind the wait and it actually gave me some time to focus on the music I was listening to, and to look at lyrics on Apple Music the whole time. After my number was called, I submitted my documents and hoped to get an answer soon. I actually went home after that because I was feeling pretty tired. But then my sister called me and said that they were at SM Aura, too. I had to decide to go back to SM Aura and I also brought my sister's Samsung tablet with me. When I booked an *Angkas* ride, I got the same driver! I had the same driver going home from SM Aura and then BACK to SM Aura. The situation was so funny to me because we just went in a loop, with the driver eventually ending up at the same place. The whole situation was just super funny to me. Eventually I met up with my Mom and sister. We decided to eat at Samgyupsalamat but we had to hurry up because they had to catch a movie and I had a meeting in the evening and I didn't want to be late for that. We just ate for a while, and even the staff commented how we were quick with our stay. My Mom and sister eventually left first while I paid the bill, but eventually they came back as they didn't want to leave me behind, which was sweet of them. We walked back to SM Aura and they eventually watched the movie while I thankfully found a quick ride back home. I was starting to worry a bit because my phone's battery was depleting and I had it on full brightness while listening to music earlier, but it was all good and I got home in time for my meeting. My meeting eventually started and I had some free time before my shift. My friends, Luan, and I eventually watched some Ted the Caver story on YouTube. It was pretty okay, but nothing that gripped me into the story. After that, my friends and I got into a call.

Song of the day: Sunday Morning by ILLIT

Another Walk to Remember

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: BGC

Sunday was completely tiring! My mom and sister wanted to exercise and that exercise meant going to BGC. My mom and I decided to walk there, while my sister and her boyfriend will bike there. My sister went out first to meet with her boyfriend since they were both cyclists and Mom and I were going to walk there on foot. We walked to BGC on foot, entirely on foot. We didn't even take a tricycle or anything, we just walked. It was 18,500+ steps and ~13 kilometers of walking! My feet were absolutely **killed** by the time we got there. It was extremely tiring and I struggled at some parts, but fuck, was that totally worth it. I am glad that I just kept silently going and pushing through the extreme pain because I was able to prove to myself that I really am strong and resilient through hardship, which was a pretty good achievement for myself. Our walk ended at Terra 28th as we usually did, and my sister and her boyfriend eventually met up with us. We had breakfast at Tiong Bahru Bakery nearby and just talked about plans for next week's weekend. We planned to just drive to Tagaytay and my sister's boyfriend would be the one driving us there. After eating breakfast, we all went home and I just chilled at home until the evening. For the evening, we left for our usual mass at Greenbelt church. We had some Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken afterwards and I got a free plate of food so that was pretty nice. We then went home afterward.eep playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. That call went on until the next day since I had nothing to do anyway.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

Helping Out Exavier!

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Saturday, I continued it by accompanying my friends throughout the night. They spent some time working and we watched a few YouTube videos here and there. We also ordered food for tonight and I got some Wendy's chicken fingers while we watched some video on YouTube about women flying to Korea for their boyfriends, which was intriguing. I accompanied them until the morning and we eventually left the call and I got some rest. In the afternoon, I went to Exavier's house so we can do some dev work and I could coach/teach him on a few things. I taught him how to code React a bit, but we mostly set up his website and I showed him how to buy a domain. We also talked about work and about our former colleagues, which was funny to think about. I also saw his newborn that I was the uncle to, and he was cute. I also saw his parenting style and how his kid responded to him, which was such a cool insight because I figured I'd have a kid by now. It just made me think about my own situation as well because I've been single since birth, but whatever. After setting up Exavier's site, I tried to print a few things for this Korean visa I'll be applying for. We had a few printer issues, especially on macOS and since I only had a MacBook Pro. Exavier had to try cleaning the printer head using the printer tools on Windows. He eventually made it work and I had to walk back to my house. For the rest of the evening, nothing much happened aside from me having dinner at home and sleeping.

Finally Watching Together???

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For most of the day, work just passed by and I just spent it just focusing on my tasks. That's how my first work week ended: uneventfully. Which I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. In the evening I got into a call with my friends and Luan and we finally played Peak again today! It was super fun playing Peak with them again and, on our first run, we got up until the kiln where we had some trouble getting up, and eventually we all died and couldn't make it. But it was fine and we got some new outfits along the way. My friend saw our new outfits and we all did another run as I guided them on how to get it. We tried jumping up and down on the mushrooms several times but they weren't getting the achievement, for whatever reason. We all eventually stopped playing and only then did my friends realize that they had gotten the achievement. I just figured that they had Steam notifications fully turned off, that's why the achievement didn't pop up for them. We eventually all left the game but somehow got together in a Discord call to watch a movie. We watched Noroi: The Curse (2005) and I've watched it several times at this point, at least 3. But I still watched it with them and my friends didn't seem to pay attention at first, but I guess they eventually did and liked the movie. After watching, my friends and I got into a call and I just accompanied them the whole night like usual.

Journal entry for Thursday, January 8th, 2026

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I decided to spend my workday at home because I wanted to rest and yesterday's trip got me a bit tired. I spent the first few hours on call with my friends and we watched a few YouTube videos, I helped them out with their work website, and we watched some K-Pop music videos from UNIS and NewJeans. For most of the day, nothing much happened, and I spent my evening with my friends while we got on call and they streamed AC: Odyssey. Nothing much else happened and we eventually left the call for the next day.

Song of the day: STYLE by Heart2Hearts

Journal entry for Wednesday, January 7th, 2026

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Wednesday, it was another day at work and this time I had more of my coworkers come to the office today, which was nice. I had lunch with them and in the afternoon we grabbed some *merienda* in the form of some pastries. It was funny because my coworker and I couldn't pronounce some of the pastries. I still bought an *eclair* regardless, which was nice because I bought one that had strawberries. In the evening, my mom and sister planned to meet me around Greenbelt where we would meet up and have dinner together. I met up with them after work and we decided to have dinner at Buffalo's Wings 'n Things at Glorietta. The chicken we tried was really delicious, and we got a family platter that had a few things. Mom liked it as well, so that was nice. My sister and I mostly had some of the flavors we ordered and we had the rest for take-out. While eating, my sister went to Landmark because she had to buy cheap wired earphones for us because we wanted to play Maimai DX again at Timezone. We went to Timezone to play for a while and it was really such a great experience with wired earphones on. It totally helped us focus more on the Vocaloid songs and I don't know if it was the earphones or just us gaining skill for this game, but we got better at it. It was mostly my sister having a significant gain in her score because she had an **S+** rating, and she was the first of us to get a rating, so that was pretty cool. Mom also got us a pretzel from Auntie Anne's which I just ate as we went home. For the evening, I mostly just relaxed. I had some time and got into a call with my friends and they showed me their Hacipupu, which looked cute. They also played some AC: Odyssey, which I streamed and we stayed on call for quite a while before sleeping.

Song of the day: Leave Before You Love Me by Marshmello & Jonas Brothers

To Apple Music!

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today was the day I decided to just fully migrate everything from Spotify to Apple Music. I'll miss Spotify so much because it had “Scrobbling” support built-in. I'd have to download scrobblers for macOS, my iPhone, and my Google Pixel, but whatever, I decided that it was worth the hassle. Aside from that, it was another day in the office for me so I decided to commute to the office like usual. I just worked on tasks like usual and only 1 other coworker came in today, so it was just me and him spending lunch together, which was pretty chill. I also had *merienda* but it was by myself and I tried out some coffee and beef *kaldereta* since they had it and I've never been here before, so I decided to give it a try. My usual workday followed and I just went home after clocking out for the day. In the evening, I decided to just cancel my Spotify subscription and move over some playlists from Spotify to Apple Music. I mostly just updated the playlist covers, selected new images for them, and just did some general housekeeping. I also got in a call with my friends and they just played Assassin's Creed: Odyssey in the evening. We eventually left the call around midnight or so because I still had on-site work the next day.

Song of the day: Leave Before You Love Me by Marshmello & Jonas Brothers

Journal entry for Monday, January 5th, 2026

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Monday was finally the start of my work week and I decided to kick off the first workday of the year by going to the office. I didn't plan on it for last year, I just made the decision to spend my first day like this. I got ready and booked a ride to the office, and the ride there was a little difficult, but I eventually got there fine. For most of the day, I was just alone and working on my own tasks while the hours passed. For lunch, I also had it alone and I had a few thoughts about this year, and how last year was. After that, I just went home like usual. I spent time with my friends in the evening and we got into a stream that lasted to the next day but I didn't stay long.

Song of the day: Stop by Spice Girls

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Stop right now, thank you very much
I need somebody with a human touch
Hey you, always on the run
Gotta slow it down, baby, gotta have some fun

Journal entry for Sunday, January 4th, 2026

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Makati

Sunday I kind of felt anxious at a lot of things. I think I was a bit anxious that today was the last day of my 2-week vacation and it felt really long at times, but also felt really short and, like, I didn't spend it much with friends. I tried to make the most of out it by browsing IG Reels all night and I even watched a movie called No Other Choice (2025) which was pretty long. After that, I had breakfast with my family for a bit and even got into a bit of an argument on some online forum, but it was all fine after breakfast. I slept for half of the afternoon and we just prepared to leave for mass at Greenbelt Church for the rest of the afternoon. We then got ready and booked a ride to Greenbelt Church where we had ChaTraMue before attending mass. After that, we had Ramen Nagi which was nearby, and we walked around for a bit more after that. We then went to Timezone in Glorietta where my sister and I played the Maimai DX Twin arcade game again. I saw this skilled guy with an equally-skilled girlfriend(?) accompanying him and they just played together. My sister and I played and we had some difficulty, but we had fun. I kept looking at the guy and how happy he seems with his girlfriend. It made me super sad that I don't have someone like that in my life. It made me more sad when I realized that I don't even have my own person to do fun stuff with, which sucks. I thought for a second if someone was that person, but as I've pondered many times, the answer is no because they can't even do the basic things. Which means either that person for me is out there somewhere, or that they don't exist at all. It kind of put me in a downcast mood for the rest of the evening because it triggered my anxiety for a bit. I need to do something with my life. I need to learn and pick up a technology, upskill, change something, pick up a hobby, and finally meet proper people IRL who aren't selfish and wholly about themselves. Funny enough, I enjoyed my day despite having my anxiety and sadness triggered. I got to spend the day with family and I was actually alone and able to squeeze what I want out of my day. I talked to someone for a bit but then they disappeared after I told them that I would eat this pretzel from Auntie Anne's that my mom gave me. I finished the pretzel and we went home shortly afterward. We reminisced about the time we spent at Dusit Thani over Christmas, which kind of makes me feel nostalgic about it, too. We eventually got home and I just rested and browsed IG Reels until I slept for my work the next day.

Song of the day: STYLE by Heart2Hearts

Journal entry for Saturday, January 3rd, 2026

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Saturday started with me still accompanying someone from last night. We hard ordered food and I think I overate considering the amount of take-out I got. I just convinced myself that I'll eat less food later in the day to sort of balance this thing. I just watched some commentary videos with someone as the night went on and they did some work but also kept playing Assassin's Creed. Around the morning or so, they took a nap for their work break and I also used that time to nap since nothing was going on. They eventually woke up around 7 a.m. but I kept sleeping. I woke up for a bit but then just went back to sleeping because I was really tired. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened as I was just at home and relaxing. I just browsed IG for most of the day and spent it alone. Someone messaged me for a bit, which was a surprise on a weekend, but they eventually just went away and I was just alone for most of the evening.

Song of the day: All Time Low by Jon Bellion

Journal entry for Friday, January 2nd, 2026

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For January 2, nothing much really happened and I just spent it at home. In the evening, someone messaged me and they explained their situation. Shortly after, we got into a call and I mostly just watched them keep playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. That call went on until the next day since I had nothing to do anyway.

New Year's Day

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Samgyupsalamat BGC

New Year's day 2026 was pretty fun, my family and I were in this big crowd that's just shoulder-to-shoulder with people. We got our phones out and my paranoia was somehow high for today because I thought a stampede would occur or some crazy thing would happen. But no, thankfully, we just celebrated the coming of the next year and watched some fireworks for a bit. After that, we kept walking to Burgos Circle so we could find a ride. We managed to find some seats and I walked around to find a nearby bathroom, but when I returned, we still didn't have a ride booked yet. We walked to Starbucks on 8 Forbestown Road so we could chill there, but it was closed. So we decided to just wait there on the empty chairs until we booked a ride. Thankfully, we got one and we were on our way home. We arrive home just fine and I just did a few programming tasks because I had to update my site for 2026. I added in a few things, wrote my journal entry for December 31st, and deployed my code online. I cleaned up before I got into a call with my friends. I mostly watched them play Assassin's Creed: Odyssey for a bit and they played for a good hour or so. After that, they just rested and we watched a few scary YouTube videos until morning. I noticed them sleeping so I disconnected us from the call and they immediately woke up after. They essentially tried to convince me to stay up with them for their entire night shift since this would be the last time I'd stay up with them for their night shift for a while because they have an upcoming trip and we won't get to talk for a while. I just gave in and continued to accompany them. We watched some videos about this horror channel named Product and they continued to fall asleep while the video was playing. They woke up for a bit due to work but they ultimately kept on sleeping again. Around 9:40 a.m. or so, it was already morning and I was so tired by this time. We eventually had to call it off since they were going to time out for work and sleep anyway, and I got my sleep by then as well. Nothing much happened and I woke up in the late afternoon. My family and I planned to eat at Samgyupsalamat because we weren't able to eat there yesterday. We all got ready and, thankfully, there wasn't a super-long line to get in. When we arrived, we waited for a bit for our table to get prepared and we eventually got seated. We ate a lot of food for this sitting, mostly cabbage and kimchi. We had a lot of servings of beef and some pork that my Mom wanted to try since she hasn't had it in a while. We enjoyed the food and we were so full by the end, but we had fun and our cravings were satisfied for tonight. Since we ate a lot, we decided to walk around BGC for a bit more, mostly walking to Fully Booked where my sister bought a new book about the Wicked franchise. We then walked to Starbucks on 32nd Street so we could get drinks and I could complete my 18 stickers. I ordered 4 drinks and, while waiting in line, the guy asked me where I got my Cinnamoroll AirPods case. I just told them that I got it online and they thanked me. I made my order and got my free mug for completing my Starbucks 2026 Collection required stickers. We drank our drinks and had trouble booking a ride, and then we eventually got a ride home and got some rest. I updated my site's code for a bit before going to sleep.

Song of the day: I Wanna Be The One by fun.

That Wraps 2025!

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC High Street

2025 ended with me spending time with the people I care about. I started this day by mostly accompanying someone throughout their work and they even were still playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. We continued calling and we watched a few scary videos on YouTube here and there, but things were otherwise pretty chill between us. Around 6-7 a.m. again, we sort of passed out and we eventually both left the call at around 7. For the morning, nothing much happened and I just slept for 4 hours. I eventually woke up in the afternoon and we got ready to go to Samgyupsalamat BGC. We took a while to get ready but we eventually got a ride there. Once we got there, we found out that the restaurant was closed for today! This feels like Christmas Eve all over again. So we walked to One Bonifacio High Street instead so we can try out Ramen Nagi or Soban K-Town. When we got there, we found out that both restaurants were closed! So we just ate at the Mary Grace inside the mall, which was thankfully still open. I ordered my usual beef *salpicao* and my family got a lot of food. We mostly just talked and took a few pictures, and I paid the bill. I used my Google Pixel 9 to pay and it was cool to see Google Wallet worked. After eating, we walked around for a bit as we intended to stay here up until midnight to watch the New Year's Eve countdown. We got some coffee at Starbucks and, at first, the cashier was a little weirded out because my Starbucks card was linked to my Apple Wallet, but they just scanned it and it worked anyway. We had some coffee and we sat down for a bit, changing seats every now and again but we ultimately settled on a spot near 5th Street where the event was being held. We watched a few performances, but I couldn't hear them very well. I kind of got bored so I mostly looked up if I can switch to Apple Music, but eventually gave up on it. Right around the countdown, we moved closer to the stage and it was PACKED with people. I was kind of worried that a stampede might happen or that our phones would get stolen, but the countdown to 2026 eventually started and eventually 2026 rolled around. Today was kind of like an encapsulation of 2025, minus my life working. It was stressful, tiring, but all in all, I enjoyed it because the people and my experiences with them made this year worth it.

Song of the day: You'll Be In My Heart by NIKI

Lyrics that resonated with me:
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always

Journal entry for Tuesday, December 30th, 2025

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday had me accompanying someone throughout most of their entire night shift and nothing much happened aside from me playing a few videos in the background. At around 6 a.m., they slept and I was just browsing Instagram in the background. They eventually woke up at around 7 a.m. and asked if I was still awake, but then had to bid goodbye to me and then they left the call. It was pretty weird, but I didn't care much since I wanted to sleep anyway. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened but we got into another call in the late evening. They showed off their Mini Brands and the books they got, which was cute, and the night continued from there on out.

Song of the day: Stars by fun.

Journal entry for Monday, December 29th, 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday had me accompanying someone for a few hours but they eventually fell asleep during our call and I disconnected us from the call so we could get some sleep. Nothing much happened throughout the day aside from me sleeping as much as I could. In the evening, I finished my playthrough of Five Hearts Under One Roof while someone watched it in our Discord server. I had to get the Mal-sook ending because we both liked her of the bunch and I enjoyed playing the game. Someone then played Assassin's Creed: Origins while on call and we eventually left the call around late evening to re-call later as I planned to accompany them for the entire evening.

Journal entry for Sunday, December 28th, 2025

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SMX Convention Center

I got 9 hours of rest today and I must've been pretty sleepy because I woke up at around 1 p.m. in the afternoon. I eventually talked to Nathan and he said he'd come pick me up. We eventually met up and he drove us to SMX Convention Center on his motorcycle. Thankfully, he prepared our ticket for us and he made me take a few photos with some cosplayers, mainly Peak cosplayers, which was pretty cute. Nathan also got into cosplay and dressed as Nathan Drake from Uncharted. We entered SMX and we just tried to browse and buy as much stuff as we could. Money was a little tight on me, so I didn't buy much. But I didn't even see a lot of stuff to buy anyway, and I didn't like any shirt or jacket enough for me to justify buying it. I did buy a “REPO baby” because it was so cute. I bought a lot of stuff for my sister and that's where most of my money went to. I also treated Nathan to some food and we ate for a bit. For the rest of the con, we mostly just bought stuff and Nathan told me about this new girl that he was seeing. He mostly asked for advice and I was okay with just listening and giving him advice whenever he asked. He took his damn time browsing the shops because it was already closing time and he was still not done buying. In the end, he didn't buy anything Warhammer-related and we just went to SM MoA to get some 8cuts and then he dropped me home. All in all, today was pretty nice and I got a lot of exercise in, which is always good. In the evening, I eventually went home and got into a call with someone that lasted through the early morning or something.

Journal entry for Saturday, December 27th, 2025

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

December 27 had me getting some good rest and I went downstairs to the breakfast buffet. The buffet here was nice, but it wasn't comparable to the one at Dusit Thani or City Garden GRAND Hotel. I liked it, for what it was, but I didn't overeat or anything. I then got ready and enjoyed whatever's left of my time here before checking out. I tried to get a car ride to Dusit Thani, but some weird driver kept cancelling so I just decided to hike it instead. It was a long walk, but I was able to enjoy it and I got to get some steps in for today. Nothing much happened after that, we went back home and unpacked all of our stuff. In the evening, I had planned to meet with my new Ukranian/Russian friend and we planned to meet at Starbucks on 32nd Street. We eventually met up, talked, and I helped them set up their website and handles most of the cost that came with the initial setup. We eventually had to walk so that they could meet their friend at this bar and we stopped over Burger King and treated them for dinner. She was nice, we talked about the differences between living in the Philippines vs Russia, how their kids were, and other plans that they have in the future. It was nice to have a really laid-back conversation and I eventually had to drop them off to their friend and I had to go home. I just rested and Nathan invited me to a convention tomorrow.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

Surprise Stay!

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: I'M Hotel

For the day after Christmas, I started it by being woken up from my sleep last night because I was snoring so heavily. They meant well but I really couldn't sleep after that and I know how hard it is for me to get some sleep. I spent the entire night staying up and just watching IG Reels. We were able to have breakfast at The Pantry and it was nice to eat there, for what it's worth. We didn't have anything planned for today so my sister decided that we go to this Korean spa nearby instead, it was this *jjimjilbang* not too far from here. I was still really tired from barely sleeping 2 hours and I wasn't able to enjoy it fully because I had a bit of paranoia over my items being stolen and stuff, even though it was completely safe in the end. We enjoyed the rooms and I made the most out of the time, for what it's worth. We enjoyed our time there before I had to book for another hotel room because I couldn't get some sleep at our current place and I didn't want to bother them. We eventually headed back to Dusit Thani and I packed my bag to prepare for my other hotel room stay. I stayed on my own at another hotel nearby which was I'M Hotel. The name was pretty weird, but I let it slide since the facilities seemed nice. I got a lot of freebies but I didn't really get any of them for fear of overspending, when I've already overspent today. The room I got was really, really nice. It was honestly the **nicest** room I've ever stayed at, so far. I think it even beats my stay at Ardenhills because of how luxurious and spacious the room feels. The ceiling was so high and the room had such a great view of the city and of Poblacion. I slept after that and got whatever rest I could before I woke up in the evening. My Mom and sister planned to have dinner at Italianni's in Glorietta and I had to walk all the way from my hotel to Glorietta, which was actually a welcomed surprise. We ate dinner together, we played some games at the newly-renovated Timezone near the movie theaters, and my sister and I generally had fun. We had Starbucks for a bit before we went back to our respective hotel rooms. I had a long walk back, but I enjoyed it because I played the album Some Nights which made me take a look into things because I still resonate with the songs, even though I last felt so attached to them 6 years ago. In the end, I took a few pics of me just chilling in the hotel room and enjoying the king-sized bed before finally going to sleep.

Song of the day: Year 3000 by Busted

Christmas Day 2025!

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Dusit Thani, Greenbelt Chapel

On Christmas day, we started it by eating at the breakfast buffet downstairs. The Pantry restaurant was already full so we made our way to this grand ballroom to eat. We had a lot of food for our breakfast but I noticed that the buffet at City Garden GRAND Hotel had more food, but it was fine and I just brushed it off. We had a lot of food and I was able to indulge in some cereal and several meats. A showing of Up (2009) was playing in the background that my sister watched, which was cool. I took a few photos and we also took a few photos before we all ate and then went upstairs to get ready because we planned to attend Christmas Mass. We all got ready and we all walked to Greenbelt and took a few pics along the way. We were kinda late for mass, but it was nice that we still got to attend and the priest greeted us a merry Christmas, so that was nice. We walked around for a bit more after that, took a few pics here and there. We then went to this Starbucks and we just drank coffee and chilled for a while. I also sent out money to someone and Luan as a *pamasko* and it was nice to send them something for Christmas. We bought a few more things and walked around Landmark before ultimately going back to our room in Dusit Thani. For the rest of the evening, nothing much happened aside from us getting dinner at Manam. We ate a lot of food there and I covered our expenses. We then walked back after our meal because we were so full. All in all, Christmas day was fun and eventful, and it was still really nice to walk around Makati with everything being so near.

Our Stay at a 5-Star Hotel!

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Dusit Thani

Christmas Eve started with me staying on call with someone. They mostly just worked and I just watched them play Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. In the background, I was troubleshooting why one of the games I bought didn't work. But eventually our call ended and we got started on preparing our stuff before we leave for Dusit Thani in a bit. My sister and I spent most of the afternoon just preparing our stuff for later. Around 2 p.m. or so, we booked a ride to Dusit Thani. Check-in was actually pretty quick were it not for the long line that was held up by strange people who wanted to get special rooms. But since we had everything neatly lined up, our check-in was fairly quick and generally hassle-free. We went up to the room and immediately had to set everything up. I had a bit of a hard time setting up the Apple TV box, but once that was done, we were listening to Christmas movies and Christmas songs. Around 6 p.m. or so, instead of attending Christmas Eve Mass, we instead went to NAIA to pick up Mom. We noticed that her flight was close to arriving so we booked a ride to NAIA Terminal 1 to pick her up. My sister and I book separate rides to get to NAIA and my sister gets there first, while I take a while and have to add a big tip just to get there. Also, for some weird reason, the biker's helmet smelled like puke. But whatever, we eventually get to the terminal and wait a while for our Mom to arrive. We meet up with her shortly and we book a ride directly back to Dusit Thani so we can enjoy our vacation. We quickly found a ride and the rider was pretty helpful with our stuff. We eventually got to unpack Mom's stuff in the hotel room and we got dressed and ready for our dinner. We walked around for a bit and we even walked until Greenbelt only to find that there isn't a single store open right now. We found out that they had all mostly closed by 7 p.m. and this place looked like a ghost town, even though it was only 10 p.m. My sister felt so tired and almost like she was passing out. So we just hightail it back to our hotel room. We passed by a Lawson on our way back and we ate for a bit there, which was nice. We eventually made our way back to our hotel room and we were able to order food from Filling Station. We ate for a while and then Mom watched a new episode of her Netflix show. We take a few pictures before we called it a day.

Song of the day: Last Christmas by Wham!

Escaped the Backrooms!

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: The Backrooms

December 23 was here and tomorrow would be the time Mom would come home and we'd spend Christmas with her at Dusit Thani. But for now, I started the day off by spending it in a call with someone. They played Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and I downloaded that new game. After that, time mostly passed and in the evening we played Escape the Backrooms together with Luan and someone for one last time. We continued the playthrough we had before and pushed through several stages and got to the ending. We initially got the Wrong Door Ending, but after Luan pulled up the charts to get to the different endings, we continued to push through them so that we could fully finish this game today. We got the other endings like the Empty City ending, and around The Suburbs ending I was playing Christmas music because I was in an extremely festive mood. I just kept playing Christmas songs non-stop because I was so hyped for Christmas Eve tomorrow! We kept playing and I played a crucial role in The Pink House ending where I was the last one alive, and I played Christmas songs until the ending tape played. We got the last ending of the game and that's where we all truly left off for the evening. As usual, I had that call with someone and we continued our call until the next day.

Song of the day: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! by Dean Martin

Journal entry for Monday, December 22nd, 2025

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Makati

Monday started with me continuing my stay at City Garden GRAND Hotel. I just got rest and eventually got the well-needed rest since I haven't gotten proper rest in a while. For the morning, I ate at the breakfast buffet downstairs since my stay came with breakfast included. It was honestly THE BEST breakfast buffet I've ever had. They had so much food options on the table and I was honestly able to enjoy a lot of the options. But it was still so much that I wasn't able to try them all. I did enjoy my omelette and it was probably the best omelette I've had due to how spicy and stuffed it was. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast and looked over the hotel across the street, I'M Hotel, for a future hotel stay. I eventually booked a ride home and took a few photos before leaving. Nothing much happened after that and I just passed time randomly through the afternoon. In the evening, I played Lethal Company with someone and Luan, and it was our first time trying it out with a few mods. It was so much fun and we progressed a lot through the entire evening. After that, I mostly just learned how to add passes to Apple Wallet and made custom passes of the stuff I have and the events I've been to. It was really fun and I enjoyed making passes, for what it's worth. I had a call with some after that that continued to the next day.

Song of the day: Never Gonna Leave This Bed by Maroon 5

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Wake you up
In the middle of the night to say
I will never walk away again
I'm never gonna leave this bed, oh

Hotel Extended Mini-Stay!

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Makati

Sunday still had me staying up and enjoying my suite at the hotel. For the rest of my time there, I was just on my Mac and I eventually ended up barely sleeping despite how comfortable the bed and living space was. I eventually had breakfast and it was a super small breakfast buffet, which wasn't that great and it was “good enough” for me. I booked a ride home and got some more sleep after that. Since I had nothing else to do tonight, I decided on just chilling at home. In the evening, I had nothing to do so I just spent some time browsing the Internet. I eventually got a room booked at City Garden GRAND Hotel and eventually booked a ride there. I got there quite easily and just chilled for the rest of the evening, even though I didn't do anything meaningful for the rest of the time there.

Song of the day: Marvin Gaye (feat. Meghan Trainor) by Charlie Puth

Hotel Mini-Stay!

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Makati

Saturday was pretty much half of a blur, too. But in the afternoon, I finally woke up and saw that my sister was preparing to leave for her thing today. I just ate a bit and I was mostly bored. I decided on whether or not I'll book a hotel today because I needed some well-deserved rest and I wanted to sleep at someplace better. I initially decided against it, but pushed through it regardless. I was able to book a suite this time at a fancy 4-star hotel. I took a while to get a ride and I was already so conscious because I had booked a room late and it was getting late, too. Ideally, I should book for a day at a hotel at around 12 noon to 1 p.m. at the latest. But today was fine, and it was my way of giving myself a break from all the shit that has been going on for the past few months or so. I just needed some time to be with myself, get some rest, and work on a few things on my MacBook. I eventually got there and the check-in was actually quite simple and straightforward. After I checked in and saw the room, I was kind of impressed, to be honest. This looked like some condominium room and it had a kitchen area, as well as a dining table. It was pretty nice and I immediately enjoyed the cold aircon throughout the whole unit. After that, I called Mom for a bit and we discussed what we were planning to do over the holidays. I went outside to Mendokoro to eat dinner and it was pretty nice, I got the Super Chashu again, as always, and I got a chashu burger for takeout. I walked around to get some coffee at Starbucks and I got myself a cake while I'm at it. I was surprised that there was a Ramen Nagi nearby and I decided on whether or not I should eat there tomorrow since I wanted to try the lobster tail ramen again, but then I just went back to the hotel since I was burning time while I was out. For the rest of the evening, I was mostly concerned with just chilling and catching up on my mood calendar entries for the past few days. I couldn't sleep tonight for some reason, but I mostly spent the time just enjoying how nice the stay here was and taking it all in. I eventually thought that it would be worth it to work hard enough to be able to afford a place like this as a home in the future.

Song of the day: ロキ by Mikito P

Journal entry for Friday, December 19th, 2025

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Friday was pretty much a blur. I continued accompanying someone throughout the whole night. We didn't really do much aside from just casually talking and watching YouTube videos. In the morning, before they got off work, they saw that I had purchased this Korean dating sim game. I told them that I was hopeless in getting a date this year so, pathetically, I'm kinda back with just looking for digital affection and shit. They told me that I shouldn't play it over the weekend and wait for them so that they can watch while I play the game. They also showed me a pic of the women in the game and we decided on the same woman as the prettiest of the bunch. After that, they left the call because they had other stuff to do. I mostly rested for the rest of the day and I didn't really do much, to be honest. My body clock has been extremely shot over the past few days that I couldn't stay awake much and was dozing off too much.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Thursday, December 18th, 2025

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For today, nothing really happened and I just accompanied someone throughout their night shift. I accompanied them to the end, but that's mostly it. Nothing much happened for the rest of the day. Someone mostly didn't reply throughout the whole day. And my sister had to cancel our plans for our trip tomorrow because she has someplace else to go and Dad can't travel back and forth to Manila. So we just had to call it off. In the evening, I didn't do much. I tried to get some rest on and off, and I talked to someone about Giselle. After that, I joined them for their nightly call and things continued from there.

Song of the day: bing bong by bbno$, VNLLA

Dad Comes Over

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Bonifacio Global City

For Wednesday, I initially didn't plan on anything today. I just accompanied someone throughout their entire work shift but that was mostly it. Nothing noteworthy happened the whole night. I tried to get as much sleep as I can because Dad would be coming over today and, when I woke up in the afternoon, I saw him already outside with my sister. He just handed over some gifts that he got for us from his family's trip to Japan and I liked the Cinnamoroll stuff that he gave, which was nice. My dad went somewhere else to get his back and spine adjusted, and he says that we can't go out today since he has other plans for the evening. Regardless, my sister and I wanted to go out so we just planned to go out ourselves. We got ready but also waited for Dad to come back so we can bid him goodbye. Dad eventually came back and saw us all dressed, but he didn't want to just leave us so he decided to tag along with us in going out. We got into his car and quickly drove to BGC. We stopped by our grandfather's gravestone to pay respects and we quickly met up with one of uncles. We continued to BGC after that, we ate at Ramen Nagi and Dad paid the bill for us. We then planned to go home, but on our way, we stopped to fetch our uncle from earlier. We stopped by at Dunkin' on Bayani Road and we talked for a bit as we got coffee and they basically decided in trying to goad our grandmother into coming along with us for our December 19 trip to Pampanga. We then went to my Dad's house and then we met up with our grandmother. We stayed a while at our Dad's house, it was mostly my sister that did the convincing and tried to get my grandmother to come along. After that, we had a small jamming session and Ailysh mostly played a few instruments that our uncle from earlier had in his recording studio. After that, we went home. For the rest of the evening, I still stayed up. Luckily, someone and Luan were still awake so we played Escape the Backrooms for a while. We finished a few stages, and we also completed the house stage. We ended on a level that was kind of an experimentation room. After that, we tried to install some Lethal Company mods that Luan gave us but that didn't work. So we just called it a night. I still accompanied someone after this, and I just accompanied them overnight since I didn't have work the next day.

Journal entry for Tuesday, December 16th, 2025

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

It was finally Tuesday! My last day of work for the year and the day before my looonngg vacation. I was mostly giddy today because it would be my vacation tomorrow and I could really use some rest. It was nice to get to this day. For most of the day, nothing much actually happened aside from me doing a few things with regards to my work. I just finished up some important stuff for most of the day. Once all of my tasks were done, I closed my work laptop and hopefully until next year. I got on to play Escape the Backrooms with someone and Luan. We started back at the hotel stage and I was eventually able to rescue us from that stage because I was the last one alive and we collected all of the letters. Luan also helped by providing me the key. After that, we got through a few stages, like a hot stage with large moths, a poolrooms stage, a red hospital stage, a video rental stage, a stage with liminal houses on a hill. We had other stages as well after that, like a circus stage that had this scary clown. I'm honestly glad I got us out of that stage, too. Then one dark stage with LiDAR sensors, a thalassophobia stage, an under the sea stage, and finally an underwater cave stage where we had to cross a bridge. We had to leave after that because someone had to get some rest and I joined them in a voice call shortly after. For the rest of the evening, nothing much happened aside from us watching a few YouTube videos. We watched one about Kratom but that was mostly it. Our call continued to the next day, however.

Song of the day: two by bbno$

Journal entry for Monday, December 15th, 2025

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Monday was the start of my workday as usual but I started it with little to no sleep at all. For some reason, I just couldn't get to bed. I'm not sure, but I guess it had something to do with the cat screaming nearby. I felt so heartbroken by it and I really wished that God would do something to save it or help it. Still, I eventually fell asleep at around 4 or 5 or so. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened. I just continued some usual tasks for work and I'm glad I was able to time in okay. I just did my tasks and also chilled for quite a bit. In the evening, I eventually got off from work and I got into playing games with someone and Luan. We played Peak first and we watched the bbno$ concert there which was fun. After that, we played Escape the Backrooms and, at first, it was pretty scary. But we eventually got the hang of it and we managed to make it past a few levels, both of which were a mixture of fun and scary. It was super nice to play a new game with them and I eventually realized that this was kind of an escape room game and that we were figuring out clues to escape to the next room, which was pretty neat. We eventually get to the second level of the hotel place and we called it off from there. After that, Exavier reached out to me about his work and we talked for around 30 minutes about his plans for work and the future. We eventually settled on a solid plan for him to follow and it was nice to be of help to him and I hope that we can push through it by next year. I went to take a bath after that and got in a call with someone. We eventually pushed through with watching Sunshine (2024) and we actually finished it! It was nice and someone definitely liked the movie a lot. It was so realistic to one's experiences, too. It's crazy. After that, we got to watch a video about it by ImCarl and we watched a few other YouTube videos that someone recommended as our call stretched to the next day.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Sunday, December 14th, 2025

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Saturday started with me still continuing to call someone as we normally would on Fridays. This night, we got pizza and I was able to finish mine again. I eventually got sleepy at around 6 a.m. or so and we were kind of both sleeping at that time anyway. Someone asked me if I should get some sleep and thankfully they let me go after that without issue. I slept for a while but then woke up at 11 a.m. I got ready regardless and it took me such a long time to book a ride to the KTV place. It took me more than 1 hour to book a ride and booking for apps took a big shot out of my battery, around 40% down from 100% which was just whack. Eventually, I found an Angkas ride and the whole trip was pretty quick. I eventually got to the place and I was surprised that there was a Banapple nearby so I just grabbed coffee there and waited for someone. Eventually, someone arrived and it was nice that she called out to me. We then went upstairs and got into our karaoke room. I think someone went first to song on the mic and she picked out a Taylor Swift song, she also wanted a corner seat. I saw plugs all over the room and kind of regretted not bringing a charger with me, but whatever. We sang quite a lot of songs after that, and I mostly sang pop songs that were very high pitched, so it was hard for me to match them, but I still sang them anyways. Around the end of our karaoke session, we exchanged gifts with each other and she got her Rolife but didn't open it. I did get her Bing Bong plushie and a few gashapons of aespa and Freiren. She didn't get Freiren specifically but she still enjoyed the gashapon regardless. She gifted me a Marlboro bubble thing, which was cute. But she eventually gave me my actual gift which was this Cinnamoroll gift box filled with lots of Cinnamoroll stuff. It was so cute and I was just shocked at how thoughtful this gift was. We sang a few more songs after that and someone suggested we sing more lively, upbeat songs. I was the last singer and I sang California Gurls by Katy Perry. After that, someone had to go and eventually went to do her own stuff for the rest of the day. I waited a while and then paid for the KTV session, which was only around 600 Pesos since I already paid 1,000 Pesos on Wednesday. I took a while to book a ride but eventually found a ride. It was nice seeing this new electric car and I was talking a bit to the driver. The estimate in the app showed that it was only going to be 140-160 or so Pesos which was pretty cheap. But the ride suddenly got sour as the driver asked me if he could take the expressway rather than going straight through my house. That's when it hit me that I was getting scammed. He went through the expressway, made me pay for the toll, and then got stuck in traffic through several busy intersections. When I got off the ride, I paid 387 and it was a far cry from the 160 Pesos estimate. This total bonehead took the longest route for me to pay the most amount and I fucking hated it. It seriously made my blood boil and almost ruined my day. I don't mind the amount lost, but I just got angry at how I got finessed and scammed this bad. He even tried to take a different route all in an attempt to extort more money out of me but I was able to course correct him. I was so close to just wanting to leave the car at that point. I hated every second of it and it not only burned my money, it burned a lot of the time I had for the day even though it was just 1 hour or 2 hours. When I got home, I was still fuming and I wondered if the package was stolen, too. But I eventually found it. I talked to Mom for a bit and then we left the call once my sister got home. I made her unbox her new tablet and I was glad that she did get a tablet and that it wasn't stolen in transit. After that, I then went and set it up, got it updated, configured settings, and all that. But once that was done, I gave it to my sister and she seemed to enjoy it. I just chilled for the rest of the evening, mostly I just browsed the Internet before I went to sleep.

Song of the day: Sugar (feat. Wynter) by Flo Rida, Wynter Gordon

Karaoke with Someone!

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Some KTV

Song of the day: California Gurls by Katy Perry

Journal entry for Friday, December 12th, 2025

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For the day, nothing important happened. I just had my usual shift. In the evening, I wrapped up with all my work for the week and then got to play 1 whole game of Peak with someone and Luan. Someone suggested that we play it, so that was what we played first. We passed through the shore just fine, with Luan sadly dying through a certain part. But today had the tropics which was pretty easy. Someone said that the tropics used to be hard, but I generally don't find it a hard biome and I said that the mesa biome was way more difficult. We actually all got through the jungle biome just fine and we got a mystical item, that being the “faerie” lantern. We passed by the early area of the mesa and I found that Bing Bong's temple entrance wasn't open today so I just tried to find the oasis. We haven't been in the mesa biome for a while but we were able to push through it. We found the oasis and we were able to get a crispberry since someone was planning on completing the gourmand badge today. We got through the first half of the mesa just fine, but it was the second part that culled us. We tried our best to climb and I used a shelf fungus to get us through a specific area. I used a chain launcher after that and that's where Luan died. Someone didn't have enough stamina to cross so she just tried to find her own way. I just kept climbing up and up until some static appeared on screen. It was the scoutmaster's thing and I was marked for death, in a way, because someone was still alive and I had left them behind. It was fine and eventually someone died but the static filter on my screen still persisted. I eventually was able to make it to the top of the mesa after such a grueling climb but the static filter on the screen still persisted. I had to leave the game and rejoin, and when I did, I sadly lost all of that extra stamina that I was saving up for, which sucks. But we passed through the caldera just fine with no one dying, thankfully. We got to the kiln and this is where shit began to happen. I had a lot of damage and poor stamina at the start, with a lot of hunger, too, so that was a pain. I had difficulty in passing through the first areas of the caldera to the point where I just died at 1 spot. Thankfully, since we didn't die through the caldera so our enchanted item for this biome was a scout effigy, which someone used immediately to revive me. I'm glad I got brought back and I pressed on with them. We got through a part near the middle of the kiln and this is where Luan's stamina was too low for him to climb. He fell way down and even fell again after trying again. My stamina was also too low for me to climb up a wall so someone just went on ahead without me. I tried to find an alternate route and someone eventually made it to some luggages which had a rescue claw. It was super clutch for me because it meant that someone could bring me up to the higher platform that she was on. After that, we tried to find a way up and I went back to the luggages to get the scout cannon, since I thought it would come in handy. And it did come in handy at a specific part. The wall we were facing had an easier way to the peak so we used the scout cannon. I tried to position it to the rocks as best as I could and we actually were able to make it through! The last part was the easiest part and I was so glad I was able to make it to the peak with someone. We eventually left the game to play Castle Crashers and we played a few rounds. We chose new characters and somehow our stats were reset, but we still played through and had fun. We got really stuck at one level and so we called it off after that. Someone and I were still just chatting on Discord after that until eventually someone invites me to watch them play Is This Seat Taken.

Song of the day: Saturday Night by Jessica

Journal entry for Thursday, December 11th, 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For the rest of the day, nothing much happened. Work continued as usual and I just finished my tasks for the day. In the evening, I played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan. We played through a lot of stages and it was so fun because we had a lot of weapons by the end and we were admittedly pretty powerful already. I stayed up because I wanted to buy that Galaxy Tablet for my sister.

Song of the day: Dilaw by Maki

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Ngayong nand'yan ka na, 'di magmamadali
Ikaw lang ang katabi hanggang sa ang buhok ay pumuti
'Di na maghahanap ng kung anong sagot sa mga tanong
Dahil ikaw ang katiyakan ko
Hinding-hindi na ako bibitaw, ngayong ikaw na ang kasayaw
Kung meron mang kulay ang aking nagsisilbing tanglaw
Ikaw, ikaw ay dilaw

Last Day in the Office for 2025!

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Today would be my last day in the office for the rest of the year. I'm just really glad I worked on-site for 5 days straight last year. All that's left now is to attend the other team's lunch event. I woke up and I immediately tried to book a ride to the office. I wore my usual Friday outfit even though it was a Wednesday because I wanted to wear something loose and comfortable. It was really nice to just have the best possible outfit I have for today. I tried to book a ride immediately to the office but as usual, it took me quite a long time. It was already getting late, too, and I was just left at the mercy of these apps. I was using 3 phones at this point: my sister's Galaxy, my Google Pixel, and my iPhone, all running around 8 ride-hailing apps and with different accounts. It really sucks that it was this late into the morning and I'm still having trouble finding a ride. Eventually, I found one and immediately went to them and forgot my phone charger as I left for work. I got to work and immediately left behind my things and got my computer basically set up. I walked as fast as I can to them since they were already eating. I got there really late and they were already finished with their food, but it was fine since they just let me get something for take-out. After that, I was able to join them for a quick game of Avalon and I was surprised that everyone knew the rules from the get-go. I was on the bad team for the first round and I didn't get to 'fail' the missions that much since I wasn't picked much. But I still tried to play and we eventually won the first round. We played another round and I was on the bad/red team again, with us being the same 3 players. It was seriously crazy but I'm glad I was able to win 2 games of Avalon in a row, which was pretty cool. We went back to the office after that but I had to run back because of my meeting. When I came back, though, the meeting didn't even start and I did all that running for nothing. I could've gotten coffee with them, but instead I didn't, which kind of sucked since this would be my last day in the office and I wanted to spend time with the officemates. After that, nothing eventful happened that much. I did accompany a coworker to Glorietta and to other stores to help him find a Funko Pop thing that we was looking for. He pronounced Funko so weirdly and I had to correct him, and I found it funny that the store clerks didn't understand him much either when he tried his pronunciation. But we didn't find was he was looking for, although I did enjoy the walk because it helped me get a lot of steps. I also brought the official Bing Bong with me and took a few pictures. At this point, I was also worried that my Apple Watch wouldn't make it to the end of the day. It was already super drained as it was. Adding insult to injury, I tried to charge it earlier but it wasn't actually charging because it wasn't plugged into the outlet. So now it was really around 20% charge and I didn't know anyone who had an Apple Watch charger. I just tried to turn off the screen while still walking around. Eventually, my coworkers left one by one and I was left alone. At the end of my shift, I had dinner by myself to celebrate my time in the office and my office life for this year in general. It was pretty great and work really has been a blessing. I didn't know where to eat, so I just kept walking around and settled on eating at Chili's. I had fun sitting with my barside seat and the server was really attentive, so that's nice. I also bought an additional gift for someone. The bill wasn't that expensive and, after that, I booked a ride home. Thankfully, I managed to find a ride and the ride home was pretty smooth, except for near the end because I wanted to get to the bathroom so badly. After I got home, I cleaned up and got ready for the night. Since I'll be working from home, I got into a call with someone and it extended to the next day.

Song of the day: FOCUS by Hearts2Hearts

Journal entry for Tuesday, December 9th, 2025

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday started out pretty okay. The day by itself was pretty boring with me just doing my usual round of work tasks. In the evening, I didn't do much aside from talk to someone and they made me play this new horror game they found named Shawarma Kiosk: Anomalies. It was pretty scary, even though I've played a bit of horror games in my time. I was more interested in finishing it because I had failed at it multiple times, but eventually I was able to complete an entire shift in the game. I was really surprised that a game like that could be on Roblox, I thought that Roblox was just some kids game.

Song of the day: Changes by Butterfly Boucher, David Bowie

Journal entry for Monday, December 8th, 2025

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I had just recently learned that Monday would be a holiday for the Philippines and I was honestly surprised, but I was also glad because I could really, really need the day off. And I honestly did, in a way. But I started the morning off just staying up, browsing IG Reels and, when I finally decided to sleep, I heard some super-weird sounds around my room. These were super strange sounds like paper moving or a bottle moving. At first I thought they were mice moving around my room, but the sounds were kind of loud enough for them to not be mice. It was also strange since I haven't seen any traces of mice in a long, long time. So I was honestly surprised and even spooked out a little. I even thought that I was going through a schizophrenic episode or that this was early onset schizophrenia, but I just attributed the noise to mice. I eventually passed out. In the morning, nothing much happened and I slept long enough for it to be afternoon so soon. My sister made lunch which was some fish soup, or *sinigang*. I liked it, but I couldn't finish a lot of it since it wasn't my thing. For the rest of the afternoon, I mostly just caught up on my mood calendar entries until I was fully caught up with this week's entries. Once I was done, I finally decided that this would be the day I finally got that massage I've been planning. So I decided to get ready and told my sister, who was in the middle of disassembling our old table and assembling the new one. She wanted to tag along so I agreed and we both got ready. We charged up our stuff and then separately booked a ride to BGC so we could get our massage. We eventually got to the massage place and we made the critical mistake of not booking for an appointment beforehand, so the only one available was this 60-minute aromatherapy massage, which we just took because we just walked in. We drank a few iced teas that they had and we got our massages started. I asked the masseuse to harden their massage pressure because my body felt really sore and light massages don't work with me. But I was wrong since the masseuse was really strong and they really went ham on my back and back muscles. It was painful, but I endured it as I usually would. I had a runny nose the whole time and I couldn't blow my nose, which kind of made it uncomfortable, on top of the masseuse absolutely turning my back into clay. After all was said and done, I felt nice even though I was a bit sore. I was also surprised that the masseuse's didn't ask for a tip from either of us, which was just weird since I was so used to massage places asking for tips. After we paid for our massage, we took quite a long walk to Coco Ichibanya because I wanted to try some Japanese curry again. She didn't know it, but I just showed her the way and we just talked about life stuff until we got there. We got seated quickly since there weren't that many people in there and I showed my sister some menu items. We both went for the pork cutlet omurice with curry, and we had other stuff on the side like drinks, ice cream, and a salad. We mostly talked about stuff that went on in the house a couple of days and what my cousin has been up to, and how it's been really troubling. It was fun to hear about it, for what it's worth, and we eventually finish up our meals. We take a bit of a walk around Burgos Circle more to burn off some of the food we had and then we circled back to the Starbucks on the opposite side of Coco Ichibanya. I got us white chocolate and we were able to find a ride home after that.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Journal entry for Sunday, December 7th, 2025

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was the day I finally got some well-needed rest. After how hellish Thursday, Friday, and Saturday have been, I finally got my well-needed rest and relaxation, and I made the most out of it, too. My Apple Watch clocked in 10 hours of sleep and that's quite a lot of rest, honestly. I felt so rested afterwards because my room was cold as hell. I didn't have much planned for the day, honestly. I thought about spending it outside, but nah, I just wanted to stay at home, relax, and chill. My sister made hearty breakfast and that made us feel so full, we skipped out on lunch. For the afternoon, I mostly just kept to myself and got my much-needed time alone. I watched some Arirang shows on my Apple TV and I saw one featuring UNIS' Kotoko and Gehlee! I took a photo and showed it to someone, and then talked to them for a while before I was alone again. I also got my Christmas gift for them, so that was nice. I just assisted with helping my sister and her boyfriend with the new table that my sister bought and I organized some of the cables. They were finishing up with putting the table so I thought that this would be the time that I got my sister a Google TV Streamer 4K. I've been hinting at buying that for her as some random, QoL room gift and I just thought that I'd get it now since she has this new monitor setup and it could be better if she could watch TV on her bed. I booked a ride to Market! Market! and I got there pretty quick. Too quick, honestly. I just stopped by Datablitz to buy it and thankfully they had it in stock. I had called them earlier, too, just to confirm. So I'm glad I was able to buy it right off the bat. I then thought about getting a massage, but nah, I wanted to gift this to my sister as soon as possible. Thankfully, I got to go home pretty quick and I found a ride despite how crowded this place was. When I got home, my sister and I set up the Google TV and I installed a few apps on it. I mainly installed this IPTV app so my sister could stream IPTV from Japan and she actually really liked it. She spent the entire night just watching NHK World and it was also cool that my sister has a smart TV box of her own. For the rest of the evening, I just kept to myself and just rested.

FNaF 2 with Naomi!

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

This was a very tiring and weird way to start Saturday on. I kept trying to book a ride to SM BF in Parañaque and I kept trying to book for a ride for hours, but none of those actually went through. I was already so, so late by the time I got a ride **AND**, to add insult to injury, I forgot my wallet at home. I am a bit glad that I didn't lose it or it fell off on my hectic commute, but I am just a little disheartened that I'll have to get my sister to ship it to me, and that it'll cost me money. I eventually got to SM BF fine and it wasn't long before I saw Naomi near the cinemas. I tried to ask if I could get our movie ticket rescheduled, but they told us that we couldn't. So I just paid for the 1,200 Pesos out of my pocket so that we could watch the movie at a later time. To pass the time, Naomi and I chilled at Starbucks for a few hours, and we mainly waited there because I had set that as the pickup place for my wallet. I bought Naomi some coffee and also met her “girlfriend.” Well, I didn't know what they were, but they seem to be in a mutual, romantic relationship and I talked to them for a bit, and I eventually got my wallet. Naomi's girlfriend eventually left and it was just Naomi and I walking around. I decide on Sumo Niku for us since it has been a while (kinda) since I last had samgyeopsal. And we ate there until the time before the movie started. We mostly just talked on a few topics, which was fun, and we eventually went to watch the movie afterward. The movie theater here was surprisingly pretty spacious, compared to the other SM and other theaters I've been in. This is probably the most spacious one yet. We watched the film and it was pretty okay for me, I enjoyed it to an extent. After that, we took a few more pictures before eventually exiting the mall. Naomi went to buy J.CO for her family, and it was nice to see her buy with the money that she have even though I offered to buy her, which was pretty nice. She went home after that and I was able to find a ride home shortly afterward. It was pretty fun, all in all, and I'm glad I was able to survive this day despite having so little sleep.

Journal entry for Friday, December 5th, 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday was finally the last day I would spend in the office for the week, and this was such a tiring week, to be honest. My week was not over yet but I still had to push through this crucial day. In the morning, a courier arrived to deliver me the package I ordered online. It was the official Bing Bong plushie by Aggro Crab and Landfall Games! It was super cute! I loved it and I still loved my custom-made Bing Bong plushie, but I still found this one cute. I had a bit of a hard time booking for a ride and, when I did, I immediately grabbed Bing Bong to bring with me to the office. It was a pretty fun day in the office, I mostly joked around my coworkers. We ate out at this cool Japanese restaurant we've never been. I was actually in an important call when they had to leave for lunch and I basically had to rush to them after my call was finished. I'm glad I have a bit of the route to Glorietta memorized so I was able to catch up with them just as they were getting seated. But I really enjoyed the Japanese food we had, even though it was a little bit expensive. I'm glad that the bill I had to pay worked to be around 500 Pesos, which was pretty nice for a huge lunch like this. While we were on the way back, I treated 1 coworker to try that Dubai chocolate thing at llaollao and I also got to try it, my other coworker also tried it because he/they saw us get it so it was nice. Our usual things at work continued. We went out for *merienda* in the afternoon and I ordered some *siomai*. It was **A LOT** of *siomai*, actually. I wanted to get 6 pieces, half of which would've been chicken and mushroom, and the other half some sharksfin ones. But instead, I got 12 pieces, 6 being chicken and mushroom, and the other 6 being sharksfin. I couldn't finish them all, even though I offered some to my coworkers. I was so full by the end of the day, too, and I stayed for a bit to do some additional but light work. Thankfully, I was able to easily book a car ride home that wasn't much hassle, although I couldn't sleep much on the way home. In the evening, I just tried to relax and eventually someone and I got into a call for Friday like usual.

Journal entry for Thursday, December 4th, 2025

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

Thursday, December 4, has got to be the craziest start to a morning yet. In the morning, I still could not believe that I was at a hotel room somewhere in Makati. This was definitely the strangest way I've started a morning, but I wanted to make the most out of it by having some good breakfast downstairs. I'm glad I picked the room with included breakfast and I had a good dish of *beef tapa* or something served, and I added in an additional omelette because I wanted to make the most out of my stay. After that, I got up and packed my bags, and then booked a ride directly to the office. The ride to the office was the craziest part because I was just so close by and the ride wasn't even 100 Pesos or so, and I even quickly got a ride, too. I got to the office less stressed than I usually was, which was a super nice change of pace compared to my usual routine. I also brought my Google Pixel 9 with me so I was able to show that to my coworkers and even tried to add some cards to Google Wallet. In the afternoon, we tried that new brioche bun at llaollao, which was pretty good. I just had fun in the office like usual and I pretty much went home after wrapping up with some tasks. In the evening, I had enough time to play R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan. We played a few stages of R.E.P.O. until we moved on to Peak, which was our main highlight of the evening. I had a run start on the base difficulty and we had the roots and alpine biomes in rotation today. The shore was surprisingly difficult for me because it had been a while since we last played, and the new roots biome was no easy task for us either. Luan died here and it was up to someone and I to cross. I remember that I gave her a chain launcher that they eventually used as a crucial tool later in the run. I also died in the roots biome, leaving someone to climb alone for the bulk of it. I also ate a berry that I should have given her, but that's beside the point. They were able to make it and Luan and I got resurrected afterward. For the alpine biome, Luan and I also died quickly at the start, leaving someone to figure out the path alone, and I tried to heavily guide them this time. I showed them paths they can climb up to and they even had a misstep that caused them to fall down a bit. But thankfully they persevered and still finished the biome fine, which was a super big relief. For the caldera, we were complete again but somehow Luan died around halfway because he just jumped and fell into lava. My hunger, damage, and heat were taking big chunks out of my stamina bar but I was able to make it, with someone definitely passing through the biome easily. It was our last stage after that: the kiln. Luan wasn't aware that the lava starts rising now and he fell after a failed chain launcher use. I also fell in that same chain launcher path because I didn't have enough stamina, but I'm glad I didn't have much items with me anyway. It was up to someone and I tried to guide them as best as I can. It was so nerve-wracking seeing them and guide them because this part of Peak is the scariest part. One mistake or slip-up could mean the end of a hard-worked run. But I'm glad someone was able to climb so well that she eventually got to the peak and won. It was a big sigh of relief and my extremities felt so cold after that game. It was definitely one hell of a run but I'm glad that at least someone was able to go through it just fine. We stopped playing after that.

Song of the day: Topping by ILLIT

Journal entry for Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Wednesday, my workday wasn't that much special, I had lunch out with my coworkers and we just had lunch nearby. In the afternoon, a coworker accompanied me to get this gift because I was planning to be a participant in the “exchange gift”/white elephant celebration later. I initially tried to buy a hand fan, but the clerk was missing and the other stuff at the hand fan place only had the expensive ones, so I passed out on those and settled on cheap wireless earbuds. After that, I just went back to work to continue my usual daily round of tasks. In the evening, we had this small Christmas/year-end celebration for our department. It was a pretty small gathering with a few people involved, most of whom I just pass by without second thought. But it was nice to play a few games with them. Our main game was this “guess the murderer” type of game where people randomly got packs of cards. And somehow, **I GOT THE MURDERER CARD** and I couldn't believe it. I was the murderer and it was so funny and also raised my heartbeat a lot throughout the entire night. I was trying not to act suspicious and luckily our team one 5 new packs of cards, one of which I just took and used as my decoy, and I basically hid my main pack of cards for the entirety of the night. Keeping a lot profile isn't really my thing especially when I'm involved in some tomfoolery but I think I was able to keep it down okay. Luckily, no one to my knowledge was able to guess that I was the murderer and I got an electric kettle as an exchange gift present. All in all, I had fun and I was able to reveal to my coworkers that I got the murderer card before I left the building. At first, they didn't believe it, but I showed them the white card that said I was the murderer and they were impressed. I left the office after that and I booked a ride home after a bit of difficulty. At home, I got to playing a few rounds of R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan. We had some difficulty, especially with a piano that someone mostly struggled with, but we were able to get it extracted just fine. After our game session, I didn't do much aside from checking my Spotify Wrapped and talking to someone for a bit. They just gave out boring-ass lines so I didn't reply much to them and that's the time I had the idea to get a booking and book for a hotel this late at night. I just pushed on with it since it didn't seem to cost much, to be honest.

Song of the day: STYLE by Hearts2Hearts

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Baby you make me smile
네 Style은 다 맞아
그게 너라서 더 좋아
Got that one of a kind
You got it
'Cause you're just my type
and I like your style

Dududu dududu
Dududu dududu
'Cause you're just my type
and I like your style
Dududu dududu
Dududu dududu
Yeah you're just my type
and I like your style

Journal entry for Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Tuesday still had me staying up from my call with someone until 4 a.m. or so. I got a few hours of sleep, which wasn't much. It made me wake up late and start my morning late, too. I even ate before leaving. It took me such a long time to book a ride to the office, to the point that I only got one. It was such a weird feeling commuting to the office in the afternoon and it was really hot. Nothing much happened at work today, and I actually didn't even do much. I didn't even have food out because I was so conscious of the time and I had quite a few things, too. But in the afternoon, I was able to go out for a bit to grab some matcha. I had quite a lot of free time so I talked to this new girl Zel and she was kind of fun to talk to, she kept the conversation active and going. My boring day in the office continued into the evening where I had a bit of difficulty in booking a ride home, but I eventually got home fine.

Song of the day: KEEP UP by Odetari

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Keep up, I'm too fa-ast, I'm too fa-a-ast
Push my foot up on that pedal, then I'm gone
(G-g-g-gone, g-g-gone, gone)
Keep up on my track, on my track
Boy, I'll dust ya, keep my numbers going strong
(Strong, strong, str-str-str-strong; g-g-g-g-grand slam)

Journal entry for Monday, December 1st, 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

December the 1st was pretty chill, to be honest. I did wake up late and I had to go to work immediately. It took a while for me to book a ride to the office, but I eventually got there and I was pretty much alone. My usual seatmates weren't there so I was having another day in the office alone, which was both nice and kind of lonely. For lunch, I just had Pepper Lunch but I tried out this new lamb meat that they had. I haven't had lamb in years and the flavor was really something else. It was so strange tasting it, too. I just waited until it was fully cooked before I could eat it. It was a strange experience, but I can say that I enjoyed it a bit. I went to work and focused hard on this task for the bulk of the afternoon. I didn't do much nor talk to much people in the office. I chatted with 1 coworker for a bit, grabbed my Christmas gift “basket”/box, and after work I just had to grab groceries. I just got some fish and a few meats, but the line at the checkout isle was pretty long. I was thankfully able to book a ride home after a bit of wait, and I just had to get a car ride home because there was no way in hell I was going to carry this heavy-ass box and some groceries on a motorcycle ride home. Thankfully, the car driver that I got wasn't that talkative and the traffic wasn't that bad, either. I was able to sleep for a bit and I was actually surprised that the ride only took 40 minutes. But when I got home, I had a bit of rest before I got into a call with someone. The call we had was pretty long, and it stretched to a lot of topics like me just lowering my standards just to get a girlfriend. Ultimately, they just told me to have this conversation again tomorrow.

Song of the day: KEEP UP by Odetari

Journal entry for Sunday, November 30th, 2025

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I’m honestly glad that today and this weekend didn’t have anything major going on. It was kind of a good change of pace considering how much I’ve been doing out the past few weeks or so, so I’m glad that today didn’t really have much in store. I started with commuting home from Starbucks and then staying up pretty much the entire night. I pretty much finished Rush Hour 2 (2001), so that was nice, but I just stayed up because I couldn’t sleep at all. For the rest of the day, I slept at some parts and I was kind of hassled a bit since my uncle wanted me to pay for some house repairs and I didn’t have cash on hand. Eventually, my sister went home and had some money on her so I just paid her for that. I was able to order out Army Navy again and I’ve been putting it off for so long because of how it affects my acid or how big a meal it was before sleeping. I just ate it while rewatching some episodes of Smiling Friends, so that was fun. In the evening, nothing much happened and I primarily helped my sister find her lost phone and back up her device. I also took a trip down memory lane and checking out old photos of my former work laptop, the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 that I had from Dice. I couldn’t believe that I had that MacBook for 2+ years. It was such a memorable device and, while my current MacBook Pro is way better, it still hurts because that laptop had some sentimental value to it. I took a look at all of the places I went with it and it was really nice to just look back.

Song of the day: Fuck Tha Police by N.W.A.

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Fuck the police comin' straight from the underground

Journal entry for Saturday, November 29th, 2025

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Saturday had me still accompanying my friends throughout their night shift as is usual between us. Today we had a really deep discussion about a lot of things, mainly about living and dying, the nature of our friendship, their issues, and where I want to head in the future. It got really deep and real for a second but eventually we moved to our usual, basic topics and the night continued on. Our call continued until the morning where we got food and I treated them to some McDonald’s. I also had food and ordered some Jollibee as the morning was starting. We just watched a few videos on YouTube and they then asked if I’m down to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and I was. We had some trouble trying to watch it on streaming sites but we eventually able to watch it once I downloaded it. Someone recognized some of the cast members because they were also in Pride & Prejudice (2005), so that was cool. But eventually we passed out while on call. When I woke up, my friends had left the call and they disconnected me from the call, too. I just got on my day, ate some lunch and then eventually left for Starbucks 32nd Street. I didn’t order much, just a white chocolate mocha. I mostly caught up on some of this week’s mood calendar entries and then prepared that website content brief for the website designer Pat recommended. After that, I went home to just browse the Internet for a while before falling asleep.

Song of the day: All Of The Lights by Kanye West

Lyrics that resonated with me:
All of the lights
Lights, lights
All of the lights

Journal entry for Friday, November 28th, 2025

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday was finally my last day in the office for November and I was quite late in getting to the office today. I arrived at work so tired and so exhausted that I needed a while to catch my breath. But after that, I was able to bounce back and focus on my tasks. I had lunch out with 1 coworker and they were pretty chill to talk to. They told me that they bought another phone yesterday, in addition to the other phone that they got yesterday, too. We talked about our past work experiences and then we quickly headed back to the office after eating. For the rest of the day, I was mostly engrossed with my work. I did move from my seat and sat next to them for the rest of the day, so that was nice. We eventually headed out again in the afternoon to grab some *merienda* and I had some Dairy Queen. My coworker got another phone, an iPhone 15 and it was a base model with 128GB of storage. He financed it again like the ones yesterday and I was surprised that it cost around 46,000 and I really couldn’t believe it. I bought my iPhone 15 with 256GB of storage and it only cost me around 39,000 Pesos. I looked online at the base model again and it only close 28,000 Pesos online. It was seriously unbelievable how much expensive it was and my coworker really got scammed. When we returned to the office, I showed it to my other coworker and they couldn’t believe that they bought another phone and they assumed that it was actually the box for my phone, but no, my coworker really did buy an iPhone and we just laughed at how much the price discrepancy was between the financed phone and the one found online. But eventually my coworkers went home by themselves and I had a few things to wrap up before booking a ride home. I had several riders cancel on me again and it was such a pain to re-book, but I eventually found another ride. The guy told me that he wanted to cancel my booking but he eventually went with it and the ride home didn’t have that bad of traffic, surprisingly. I quickly got home and had a few things hassle and stress me out, like carrying cat food and even my uncle wanting to connect to our Wi-Fi so he could watch his shows. But I know that the people downstairs would definitely want to connect to our Wi-Fi, so I just hooked him up to the PLDT router and I had a call with my friends.

Song of the day: Crash by Matt Wills

A Day Without Music

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Thursday, it was just a usual, fun day in the office for me. But this day was totally boring because I left my AirPods Pro back at home. I had no music the entire day and it kind of made the day suck a bit. I joined my seatmates to lunch out and we ate in the food court this time. Lunch wasn’t really anything noteworthy aside from me talking to my seatmates’ new teammate, but that was mostly it. I went back to the office and I just focused on some tasks. In the afternoon, I had a lot of free time, so I joined my coworker in walking a bit to the new Bandai Gashapon place and I bought a few stuff. I specifically bought my friends an aespa-themed gatcha ball-thing and then went back to the office to do some cleanup tasks and stuff. In the afternoon, my seatmates and I accompanied another coworker in buying a phone. They wanted to buy a cheap budget phone for TikTok and I just accompanied them while joking around with the others. It was pretty fun, we had a few some jokes like our coworker’s salary being revealed and how they got scammed for purchasing the phone by financing it. They actually had to pay more for the phone than with a cash payment because they financed it, and we mostly found it funny. But after all that, we went back to the office and I wrapped a few things up at work for the day. Booking a ride home today was a total pain in the ass and took me 2 hours or so to get a ride home. It was the worst and I couldn’t believe that booking a ride home took that long. But after that I played a few rounds of R.E.P.O. with my friends and Luan. It was pretty fun and we got through a few stages before finishing our game. After that, my friends and I got into a call but we eventually left because I had work the next day.

Journal entry for Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

For Wednesday, I just called it sick at work and rested the whole day from a fever.

Journal entry for Tuesday, November 25th, 2025

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday started with me sleeping for 10 hours straight. I was extremely tired from yesterday and I didn’t even notice how tired I was, I just felt it. For the rest of the day, nothing much actually happened and my friends didn’t talk to me at all the whole day. I was even annoyed because I could’ve just went out to the office today but I didn’t, per their recommendation. I hate that I followed it, but whatever. They didn’t respond so I just watched Rush Hour 2 (2001) but I couldn’t finish it because they eventually replied. But we didn't talk much after because I started having a fever and I just got rest for the entire evening.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

I got Suede on my vinyl

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I just got home from watching Wicked: For Good (2025) with my sister today and I just browsed on the Internet for a while before I got some rest, which wasn’t a lot since I had to go to the office today. I got dressed well and that new UNIQLO shirt that my sister bought me is pretty nice. I got to the office surprisingly on time despite booking late, and I started my day. For work, nothing much happened aside from me catching up with all of the things I have to do. I spent an alone day in the office today, too, which was nice. I got to eat alone, walk around the office alone, and eventually had dinner alone. I eventually decided to have dinner at Denny’s since I pass by the cats there often and I had a really surprisingly-good dinner. It was a breakfast diner, but I enjoyed the bacon-wrapped sausage-thing and I had the pancakes for take-out. While I was eating, ILLIT released their new music video and I watched it in the restaurant, which was a new experience. Also, the bill was super expensive, this went up to 1,000 Pesos, which, considering that I just got 2 blueberry pancakes and a sausage dish, was pretty damn expensive. I pay anyway and the waitress/manager-looking-woman comments about how cute my Cinnamoroll wallet looks, which was nice of her. After that, I booked a ride home and just wrapped up on my work for today before going on that ride home. For the rest of my evening, it was just me talking to my friends. It’s strange and I really wish there were better days ahead. I also really wished I had a person I could talk about ILLIT’s latest comeback with, but don’t, so I kind of fucking hate my current life.

Song of the day: NOT CUTE ANYMORE by ILLIT

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I got Suede on my vinyl
나의 동화책

I'm not cute anymore (Uh-uh)
I'm not cute anymore (Uh-uh)
안돼 no more, 강아지보단 난 느슨한 해파리가 좋아 (Uh-uh)
'Cause I'm not cute anymore

For Good

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal Mall

Sunday had me still staying at Starbucks 32nd Street, and what I didn’t expect that it was still open even past 3 a.m.! It was a total shocker because I remember the last time I stayed up late here, we were asked to go home as the store was closing. For some reason, it would continue operations until the next day. It was a total shocker to me, but a welcome one because I really just wanted to complete my mood calendar entries and catch up on a month’s amount of journal entries. By the end, I am glad to have managed to catch up and I published the entire collection of the entries since I last published them. I also got to do some productive housekeeping with regards to my site, too, so that was nice. By the end, I wondered if I should eat Army Navy since it was also 24 hours, but I figured that I shouldn’t eat large meals before sleeping, and it was already 5 a.m., so instead I just booked a ride home and went straight to bed. Coming home at 5 a.m. there was a very unique experience, though, and I enjoyed it. For the rest of the day, I mostly just slept and chilled through the afternoon. We got ready at 5 p.m. or so because I thought that our film would start at 6:30 p.m. We weren’t able to book motorcycles to Venice Grand Canal and we didn’t really make the 6:30 cut-off. That’s when I realized that the show actually started at 5:30 p.m., not 6:30 p.m. Big fucking mistake. So instead of just rushing there, I just enjoyed my cab ride there and booked us tickets for the next screening at 8:30 p.m. I had enough time to go to the barber as well and get my haircut, which has been long overdue because my hair is getting hot and irritating. I still felt sad that my hair was balding, but whatever, I’ll probably just get a transplant soon so I could have a full head of hair again. After getting my haircut, I tip the barber and then pay for it, and then eat with my sister after at Pepper Lunch. After eating, we watched the movie and I’m glad that our seats were still well-positioned, even though we were off to the right side. It felt nice to just recline and watch Wicked: For Good (2025). The movie was nice, and I could see that my sister cried at some parts of the film. But I’m more surprised at how this movie tied in to the whole Wizard of Oz and even had Dorothy in some parts. So that was cool. After the movie, we went to a nearby Starbucks and thankfully it was still open, otherwise we would have had to book a ride to Starbucks 32nd Street, and then go home from there, but thankfully the one in Venice Grand Canal Mall was open and we had 30 minutes until it closes at 11:30 p.m. We had a little hiccup trying to order because their system was kinda slow and broken, but I’m glad I got to order **and** claim my 2026 Starbucks Traditions reward. I got the 24oz cup, which was pretty neat, since this is the 3rd year in a row that I’ve collected the cup. After that, we talked for a while and I promised my sister that I’d get her the entire Wizard of Oz book series. We eventually booked a ride home and I just relaxed and helped my sister buy the entire book series. All in all, it was a really fun day.

Song of the day: Multo by Cup of Joe

Journal entry for Saturday, November 22nd, 2025

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

Saturday was the final stretch of my entire week of working the night shift and accompanying my friends throughout the night. I just accompanied them but they mostly slept throughout their entire shift. I was mostly focused on wrapping up my stuff and doing some work. After I timed out for my shift, my friends were still mostly sleeping. I just scrolled on Bumble to pass the time and saw the chats on Reddit that just died or tapered off. I was also weirded out by the girl that tried to tell me about how she stalked a guy that sat next to her on her jeep ride home and that guy was definitely her type. It was really strange that she wanted to make me that type of guy in her life **WHEN I AM GODDAMN SICK OF LISTENING TO EVERYONE ELSE’S PROBLEMS**. I seriously couldn’t stand it and I’m glad they got the message and didn’t reply further to me. I really, really hate being the receptacle to other people’s feelings, and with them being uncaring/inconsiderate of how I feel. Ick. Regardless, my friends eventually woke up around 6 a.m. or so. I accompanied them until 10 a.m. and we just talked about random stuff. I got some well-deserved sleep after that. For the evening, I decided on staying at Starbucks 32nd Street in order to catch up with almost an entire month’s worth of mood calendar entries. I waited until my sister cooked dinner for us and I had some dinner at home before leaving. Then I booked a ride to Starbucks and started a loooonnnnggg night of just catching up with my mood calendar entries. I also found a prospective website designer that Pat Q. recommended, so that was nice. I talked to them for a bit and gave them a basic run-down of what the design system I use has and then I focused on finishing my mood calendar entries.

Song of the day: Lonely Is the Night by Air Supply

Journal entry for Friday, November 21st, 2025

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Friday started with me still accompanying my friends for our night shift work and I was just doing my usual round of Thursday stuff as well in the background. Nothing much actually happened, it was just our usual round of talking while working and I timed out from work eventually without issue. After that, my friends told me that they were frustrated with me because I never do anything and just complain about my circumstances, which kinda hurt because they definitely don’t see how much effort I still give to put myself out there and to better myself, but whatever. I just dismissed these statements. I also got Eternal Sugar Cookie in CRK, so that was nice. My friends also got pranked with AI by their friend and my sister got us coffee, so that was nice. I slept for most of the day and nothing much happened until I woke up in the evening or so and then it was the time close to my work again. But before that, my friends, Luan, and I played a lot of rounds of modded R.E.P.O. first and we tried out a lot of the new maps and saw a lot of new mobs added to the game. It was really fun and some of the maps were just cool to explore in. We had a lot of fun buying weapons and then killing so many monsters, even breaking a few of their life orbs in the process. It was fun and we eventually had to stop at this last Minecraft village state because there was absolutely no more stuff left in it. So we just logged off for the day and I just started my work. It was pretty serious on the get-go and I was just busy like usual. I eventually got into a call with my friends and we just had our usual round of talking and stuff until it got to the late evening where my friends got sleepy and eventually slept in the call while I did my work and other things.

Journal entry for Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Thursday had me continuing my shift from yesterday and I just accompanied my friends as usual since we’re both working the night shift this week. We didn’t do much aside from watch a few videos on YouTube which we streamed, and we played a bit of Cooking Run Kingdom together. In the morning, they showed her FRIENDS figurines from McDonald’s and it was cool that they has collected a few. I was also able to promote Mystic Flour Cookie today, so that was nice. For the rest of the day, nothing happened aside from me getting my sleep. In the evening, we played Peak and we finished the shore stage, but then it was the tropics today which was kinda boring. We were hoping to clear the new roots level today, but we couldn’t so we just moved to Phasmophobia. We tried out Nell’s Diner and played a few rounds for a while. It was nice but we moved to R.E.P.O. to try out a few new mods and at first it was a lot of trial and error. We couldn’t get into a game and that’s when I realized I have been running R.E.P.O. with the unmodded launch options. No wonder we couldn’t get into a game lol. I told them and they just sounded frustrated but also laughed at my sheer stupidity. It made for a very funny evening and we eventually got to go inside a game and play a few rounds with all the mods, which I kinda missed. After playing, our usual round of working and staying on call continued as the night went on.

Song of the day: Unwell by Matchbox Twenty

**** Sent you a surprise

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

I was so bored this Wednesday. So I just decided to post something on Reddit about how I don’t have a date and that I bring my plushie to watch over my seat when I’m going to the bathroom. I got a lot of message requests from people and it was kind of overwhelming. It was the first time I got a lot of message requests and people wanting to talk to me. I tried to talk to a few of them in the hopes that I might actually meet someone interesting, but I just had so many people come in and send me messages. I couldn’t keep up but I was able to talk to a few of them, for what it’s worth. My night shift continues on and my friends shows me the Starbucks tumbler that I gifted her, which was nice. We also make this playlist of Korean Christmas songs that we know and they asks me to help with some of her work stuff. Eventually, I time out and I still accompany her and we stay on call just talking about random stuff. In the morning, they shows me her AirPods Max and they puts some stickers on it. I also get some wet food for Tanuki, and it was expensive as hell. It was 3,200 for wet cat food and I just shook my head in disbelief over the amount of effort I’m putting for this girl who won’t even listen to my problems lol. Shit like this is the reason why I desperately want to find a new person so I could start a new, better life with them, and actually go and be with a person who’ll appreciate my effort. But I still stay on call with her and they streams some Cookie Run Kingdom while we call. Eventually, our call ends and I get some rest before I’ll wake up again later today to attend dinner at Buffet 101. I eventually wake up and then book a ride to Buffet 101 where I’ll be having dinner for tonight. I’m glad I was at this buffet and had good food. My friends eventually invited me to play with them and Luan and they were just waiting for me. I booked a ride home after that and played with them. It was still fun, so I enjoyed my day. Lastly, at the end of the day, I received my 13th month pay. It was honestly the most surprising amount of money I had ever received in my entire life. I was just surprised, even though I wasn’t a stranger in getting more than 100K. But since my debt was more than 100K, I kind of felt sad that this wasn’t enough. I could have honestly used this money so I could treat myself and get on a plane somewhere, but instead I’m paying off credit card debt that I’ve racked up, and this still wasn’t enough. I just sighed and ultimately promised myself to get on that trip abroad next year. I started my night shift just fine as my night went on.

Journal entry for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday had me still accompanying my friends and we were just doing your usual round of work and us talking while in call. Nothing much really went on and my night shift ended just fine. For the rest of the day, I just chilled and got Jollibee for myself, and I even got groceries for my sister to cook. Eventually, my friends pulls me into a call and I got some McDonald’s as they got her dinner. We just chilled and ate on call while my work got started in the evening. I watched her stream some Cookie Run Kingdom, but that was it.

Journal entry for Monday, November 17th, 2025

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Monday, I was still riding the high from yesterday’s Hatsune Miku Expo concert and I was still happy even though Ailysh and I were still at Starbucks S’Maison trying to get a ride. Ailysh was tired and was just sleeping but I was awake trying to get us a ride home. We took a while, but we eventually found a Grab ride home. We listened to a few songs once we got home, Ailysh also kept replaying her Miku Expo moments, but we eventually got settled in and got our rest. In the morning, I didn’t have work because I’ll be working the night shift later today and accompanying my friends. So I decided to make my time productive and went to Starbucks to go and play Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix. I even bought Crossover just so I can play it on my Mac. I went to Starbucks 32nd Street like usual just so I could catch up on my mood calendar entries and make this day productive before I start work. I got there okay and I even got to play a few rounds of Sweet Magic before I started working on some journal entries. Eventually, Luan and my friends invite me to play with them and I told them that I couldn’t because I’m not at home, but I’ll try. They initially suggested Phasmophobia, but I haven’t downloaded it yet and the download would tank my data allocation so I suggested R.E.P.O. instead. Luan was down for a game but my friends didn’t respond anymore so we just figured that we’d play later. While setting up my stuff, I noticed that the woman next to me gave me candy and, before she left, she even offered me more candy. I don’t know why she was offering it, and I was too shy/awkward to ask her more or start a conversation, so we only exchanged a few words before they left. She was a total sweetheart and it was such a kind gesture, and this was the only ever “cool” encounter I had with a stranger in all my years of spending time at Starbucks. Eventually, I had to leave since it was already 3 p.m. and I didn’t want to get caught up during the rush hour, so I booked a ride home and I eventually found one and quickly got home. In the afternoon, I played R.E.P.O. with my friends and Luan. We killed a lot of enemies and even had a lot of money during this run. After that, we moved to playing Phasmophobia. We played a few rounds and then stopped playing after that. My friends and I got into a call and they showed me the Samsung Folder 2 that they got, and they even showed the wallpaper on it, which was a cute picture of Cinnamoroll. We watched a few YouTube videos after that and my night shift started. Nothing else noteworthy went on aside from me just doing work and staying on call with my friends.

Song of the day: Calc. (feat. 星乃一歌&日野森志歩&初音ミク) by Leo/need

Hatsune Miku Expo 2025 in Manila!!!

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: MoA Arena

Today was finally the day! The day where I’d go to the first-ever Miku Expo in the Philippines! I am excited to watch with my sister and I’ve been waiting so long for this day to come. We’ve both been through a lot and this was just an extremely long journey but we’re here today! In the morning, we both did our usual stuff and just ate breakfast at home. My sister finally got to try that new electric stove I bought and they were able to make bacon and eggs with it. She cooked great and we just ate breakfast and also ate some of the bread. I enjoyed breakfast and we chilled for a while before leaving. For the afternoon, Ailysh left first and she quickly got a ride. I took quite a long time to get a ride for whatever reason, and I waited for almost an hour or something I even had a ride arrive, but then it started to rain and then I had to quickly get the laundry in, which didn’t take a while but the driver just canceled out of nowhere. They didn’t even call, try to send me a message, or anything. It was pretty weird and I just kept waiting for a ride to SM Mall of Asia just so I could catch up to my sister. I eventually got a ride after waiting and I got there fine, and it wasn’t raining anymore! When I got to SM MoA, I waited for my sister a bit and she bought a few stuff at Watsons. After meeting up, we went to Mendokoro because she’s never been there before. We see a lot of Miku cosplayers and we got a bit envious of some of the people there with the big Miku Expo shirts and stuff. We wanted to buy merch but we will once we finish eating. We quickly got a seat and enjoy some of the ramen while I charge my sister’s phone with my powerbank. I drink up A LOT of water and we finish our bowls, which was nice. We went to MoA Arena afterward and we easily got in with our tickets. The security lady took my water bottle, though, so it sucks that I’ll have to claim it later. But we got inside and my sister took some photos with a cosplayer that she knows and we wait in line to buy merch. We took a while and my sister goes to take pictures with a few cosplayers and she goes around for a while. I wait in line for a bit and it eventually took long enough and at some point we just gave up because it was 20 minutes until the show starts so we abandon the line and we went to get seated. We walked around until we found the correct entrance and we got in through the VIP area, which was pretty cool ngl. A security lady ushered us to the VIP seating and I was surprised to get a seat so close to the stage, but we were quickly moved back to the premium seats instead, which was still near but a bit away. It was so nice to get seated so damn close to the stage. We have fun and see the people around us, and the couple in front of us didn’t have proper lightsticks so they just used this JPEG of one and I downloaded the same photo as well for shits and giggles. # EVENTUALLY THE SHOW STARTED ON TIME AND I SAW MIKU HATSUNE ON STAGE It was so crazy. Everything about today was so crazy. I would have never believed that this day would come. I didn’t think that we would have a Miku Expo in the Philippines and that I would see Miku live. It was so hype and my mind was blown the whole time. I enjoyed the first few minutes and danced to some of the songs, even though I didn’t know them. Then Rin’s “Sweet Magic” came and it was a song that my sister and I both knew, and we danced along to it. It was super fun hearing the hit songs that we know and love from the Project Diva games and from over the years. We loved a lot of the songs and one of the main highlights was Luka singing. I thought she would sing Just Be Friends, but she sang Double Lauriat which I didn’t recognize at first, but it was so fun seeing Luka perform because she’s my favorite Vocaloid next to IA and stuff. There was a small break near the end of the concert and people were saying “mou ikkai” or something which meant “one more” and I was just stunned that the band had left off and then there was no message on screen and stuff. I kept thinking if that was it and I wanted 1 more song to play or them to load another video file or something. I wondered where the wowaka song was and I wanted Rolling Girl to play. Then the band came back and played a tune which led to Rolling Girl! It was so hype and all the memories I have in high school of playing Rolling Girl came back. It was seriously so fun seeing and hearing Rolling Girl play on such a loud speaker and Miku performing it live. It was such an experience and I loved every second of it. Overall, I enjoyed the whole Miku Expo experience. It was seriously unbelievable and I am just glad that I got to this part of my life. Eventually, Miku sang her last song which was Melt and I loved it as well. This whole concert was totally worth it and I wish there would be another Miku Expo soon. We left and I got my water bottle back, and another person gave out free stickers and stuff, which was pretty nice of them. On the way back, my sister and I were just soaking it all in and how the experience was for us. I couldn’t wait to play Project Diva when I go home and I was pretty hyped to play Vocaloid songs later. We took a while to book a ride home but we just chilled by the Starbucks at S’Maison and we charged our devices. It was quite a while and we tried to book with 9 apps all in all, and it took us a while to get a ride home. We eventually got a ride and I played Project Diva: Mega Mix for a while before we both got some sleep.

Song of the day: Calc. (feat. Hatsune Miku) by JimmyThumb-P

Journal entry for Saturday, November 15th, 2025

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SM Mall of Asia

For Saturday, I tried to watch an episode of House M.D. so I could pass out and I eventually slept after a while. When I woke up, I went down for the breakfast buffet but I had this feeling that I need to find the other room keycard soon. I did enjoy my breakfast, though, and I had some cereal as well as some meat, which were really nice. I talked to my friends for a bit and then told my sister that I’d be claiming the Miku Expo tickets today. I eventually finished eating and then booked a ride to SM Mall of Asia. I just waited and watched the music video for NMIXX’s Blue Valentine song, and my stay eventually ended just fine. I walked around a bit in SM MoA, and I eventually realized that they don’t do ticket claims in the department store anymore, so I went to MoA Arena to claim our tickets. After that, I had some lunch and I ate at this fancy Japanese-themed cafe that was near MoA Seaside. The omurice they had was great, and I liked the egg souffle-like omelette, so that was a nice taste. I’m just glad I got to have this job where I could eat all this and have these new experiences without worrying about the finances. And since I was already at SM MoA, I decided to watch Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) because I wanted to watch it while it was showing in theaters. I booked a seat at the director’s club cinema and sat next to some unknown woman and I actually enjoyed the movie. I’ve been a big fan of Now You See Me ever since I watched it in high school and I’m glad I got to watch the latest movie, and it’s been around 10 years since they last released a movie. After that, I booked a ride home so I could get some proper rest and I just chilled at home and watched The Bear on Disney+ to pass the time.

Song of the day: Blue Valentine by NMIXX

Journal entry for Friday, November 14th, 2025

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday would be another day spent at the office and I had a very usual day in the office. I had lunch out with my coworkers and we tried this “new” Mexican restaurant place that we always pass by but have never eaten in. So we just ate there just to try it out and it was pretty good. They had nice complementary nachos and me and another coworker split the bill for a pile of nachos that we couldn’t finish, but they were very generous with the serving. It was really nice and we walked back to the office after that. For the rest of the day, I just realized that my sister would go and sleep over with a friend. My friends was still at another house so I decided to just not accompany them since they were already at someplace else. I figured that this was the perfect time for me to have my own me time and I just decided to book a stay at the Midas Hotel & Casino for today and tomorrow Saturday. In the afternoon, my coworkers and I walked around Glorietta for our free time and we checked out some Japanese home goods before going back to the office and then timing out. I immediately went back to my house to get ready and I immediately booked a ride to Midas Hotel once I got my stuff ready. I got rained on while I was commuting home, but it was fine and I was able to dry out my shirt. I also decided to bring my MacBook with me on this trip. Eventually I got to Midas Hotel and paid for the security deposit, and then got settled in my room. I’m glad I brought my Mac but I kind of regret not bringing my Apple TV. The TV there was kind of old and it was just a dumb TV hooked up to a cable box that I couldn’t play YouTube on, so I just used my Mac to watch Smiling Friends. It was just weird that this was my room TV even though I had booked an “executive suite” which is supposed to be better than my Ardenhills Suites stay, but I guess it is what it is.

Song of the day: Bumalik Ka Na Sa'kin by Silent Sanctuary

Journal entry for Thursday, November 13th, 2025

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today was pretty stressful but fun! I woke up feeling acidic but I still pushed through it and booked a ride to work. While waiting, I played a bit of CRK and talked to my friends, but eventually I had to leave. For some reason, my commute today was so tiring and I arrived in the office feeling tired and a bit pissed off. But I really just needed water and I chilled down. For lunchtime, my coworkers teased me about joining them for lunch like usual but I still went with them and I got food from Pepper Lunch. They teased me about this cosplay pic I had because some of them haven’t seen my cosplay so I just showed it to them. After that, I stopped by the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory and I ordered the biscuit with gorgonzola. They also teased me to get them Starbucks and I didn’t mind treating them, so I did. We went to Starbucks in SM Makati and I waited in the line and got their orders. I took a photo of this cute tumbler with a gingerbread man and I sent it to my friends because it reminded me of GingerBrave. I talked to her for a while and then the cashier gets our orders. They actually mess up my order and they give me 7 stars for it, even though it was only for 6 drinks. We had a bit of misunderstanding and I eventually get a 7th drink which was weird, but I got 8 stars in total so I’m not complaining. When we returned to the office, I tried to give away the last dark mocha drink but I couldn’t give it to anyone so it hurt my heart to just throw it in the trash. For the rest of the day, I had some free time so I talked to my sister for a bit and sorted things out with my mom. I also bought an electric stove and I buy that tumbler for my friends. I got both items shipped to their respective places because I didn’t want to bring them back to the office. And while it was a logistical nightmare and a total stress, I was able to get both items delivered. I still stay in the office and do a lot of extra work since I would just be waiting for my sister for the rest of the evening. I also have dinner with a coworker and we ate at Coco Ichibanya and I’ve been wanting to eat there for some time now, so that was nice. I eventually fetch her because she’s had just finished her last day at her current work and they had an event in One Ayala. We book a ride to her BGC office so she could drop off the laptop and then we go home together after what seemed like an extremely-long day. It was just Thursday but it felt like I had enough energy for Friday.

Song of the day: Leave Before You Love Me (with Jonas Brothers) by Mashmello

Journal entry for Wednesday, November 12th, 2025

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

For Wednesday, I figured that it was finally a good-enough day for me to commute and work in the office, so I booked a ride there. My coworkers were there so I just had lunch with them and they teased me about accompanying them like usual, but I was able to accompany them and then I had lunch out with them. One of the team leaders also treated them out to Starbucks since they were collecting enough stickers for stars and I’m glad that they got me a drink. Work continued in the office for the entire day and I just focused on my tasks. In the evening, I had dinner out with my batchmates and it was nice to catch up with them and talk a bit about work and how it’s been since we last met up. I’m glad that we were able to have dinner and I was already timed out by then so it was a good use of my free time for the day. I booked a ride home in the evening and I even had enough time to get into a call with my friends as we watched American Horror Story. I accompanied them as long as I could before we disconnected as I had to go to the office the next day.

Song of the day: Blue Valentine by NMIXX

Journal entry for Tuesday, November 11th, 2025

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I spent the day at home this Tuesday but I kind of regretted it because the weather was so nice outside. The sky was so blue which was extremely weird because a super large typhoon just came here a few hours ago. The weather was surprisingly picturesque and I just regret that I spent it at home. I did my usual work and chilled after timing out. I watched that new episode of Smiling Friends and tried to game using my Mac-Linux setup. Unfortunately, I had to play R.E.P.O. on Windows and I had to move to Windows because Peak didn’t work. R.E.P.O. was the only game we could play and we had fun playing, so that was nice. I played some Cookie Run Kingdom in the evening and went to sleep at around 10 p.m. or so.

Song of the day: Infiltrator by Nine Inch Nails

Journal entry for Monday, November 10th, 2025

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

Today I was mostly out of it because of the typhoon and I just used this time to get some rest because I couldn't go to work and the weather was pretty bad, too.

Song of the day: Multo by Cup of Joe

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Hindi na makalaya
Dinadalaw mo 'ko bawat gabi
Wala mang nakikita
Haplos mo'y ramdam pa rin sa dilim

Hindi na nananaginip
Hindi na ma-makagising
Pasindi na ng ilaw
Minumulto na 'ko ng damdamin ko
Ng damdamin ko

Journal entry for Sunday, November 9th, 2025

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Sunday, nothing much really went on and I didn’t plan on leaving today because the large typhoon would be in full force today. When I woke up, I had slept for 9+ hours or so and it was really raining outside. Since I had nothing to do, I decided to watch something to pass the time. I eventually watched Smiling Friends because of all the memes I’ve been seeing about it and it was a pretty good watch. I had a lot of laughs and some aspects of the show were genuinely funny. For the rest of the day, I was still bored so I decided to set up my MacBook as my main computing device for the evening. I tried to set it up on a stand, use clamshell mode, and hook it up via the ethernet jack. I spent more of the evening trying to stream my Linux PC to my Mac and I eventually got to a “working” state where it was good enough to play games on. I call that a massive success considering that the HDMI and peripherals are now on my Mac and my PC was just a big box with an ethernet connection. For some parts of the day, I talked to my friends and Luan on and off. I played Cookie Run Kingdom and sent my friends a few gifts but that was mostly it. We just talked for a while on Discord and I was mostly alone and playing music by the end of the day. I had nothing to do so I just kept integrating passkeys to my Mac which was mostly a success.

Song of the day: Meron Nang Iba (feat. Ashley Gosiengfiao) by Silent Sanctuary

Journal entry for Saturday, November 8th, 2025

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

For Saturday, it started with me waking up a bit late to accompany my friends for their night shift. I had only slept for a while and I felt really, really groggy. I even thought twice if I should continue accompanying her because they asked if I was awake and said that it was okay if I had slept. But I was only 40 minutes late from waking up at that designated time. I mostly talked to her via chat for a while because they were still in a meeting but we got into a call eventually. Once we got on call, it was your usual affair of us talking and stuff. Nothing much happened aside from us talking and playing Cookie Run Kingdom. It was the longest Friday call we’ve been on, extending to around 1 p.m. on Saturday. I had to watch her keep buying a few things and playing Cookie Run Kingdom until they got Eternal Sugar Cookie and my friends were so excited, too. She eventually got Eternal Sugar Cookie and we left the call to do other things for the day. In the evening, I was bored and wanted to do something productive so I went to BGC to finally get my Coco Ichibanya curry. I was happy to finally eat it and it made me really full because the plate was just so big, I had to order the rest for take-out. After that, I walked a long way to my usual hangout at Starbuck 32nd Street. I did a few coding tasks there, mainly updating the packages for my website but that was mostly it. I didn’t have any screenshots from the past few days so I couldn’t write my journal entries for those. I eventually went home after a while and finally got some well-needed rest.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

No way

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday still had me crying and a bit hurt from what my friends said yesterday. Even though they still tried to cheer me up and make me feel okay by asking about the wallpaper, it wasn’t enough and remembering what LK said just made me cry more and more. My friends didn’t notice it that much, though and I just streamed some FNaF timeline video while they tried to watch and passed out. I watched the video the whole way through, so it was nice to catch up with the lore. I also got this massive headache which I wasn’t sure was from the crying or dehydration, but my head was hurting. After that, my friends eventually woke up for work and we stayed on call for a while before we disconnected so I could get some sleep. I couldn’t get sleep, though, and I just stayed up the whole night just doing random shit. I left my friends a message if they needed the money now but I just did other things to pass the time. In the morning, I decided to leave for work since the weather was nice enough. I booked a ride to the office and this was also the time where my friends asked me about why I cried and stuff, and I eventually told them everything once I got to the office. She seemed receptive enough, surprisingly, and said that they’d change even though they couldn’t be a safe space. I didn’t ask her to change, though, so I hope this was a genuine change coming from her heart and not just lip service. It was also nice seeing her type out a sorry and apologize, which I guess made me feel better. But I know for sure that nothing will change and our shtick will always be this one-way thing, but whatever. For the rest of the day, I chatted with her on and off, and I had my usual fun day of being in the office. My coworkers teased me using this AI-generated pic of me using Google’s Gemini. I had lunch with them and it took us a while to find a proper place to eat at. But we had lunch and I accompanied some of them in coming back to the office, but then I had to rush back so I could attend my meeting. My usual workday followed and it was pretty chill. I had to stay for a bit because I had a late meeting and I just did some work before leaving for the day. I haven’t got proper rest in 24+ hours so I just excused myself from calling my friends and got rest until the next day where I promised I’d accompany her like usual.

Song of the day: Blue Valentine by NMIXX

Cried for the first time in a while

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

Thursday was the day we’d finally play the new Roots update in Peak! My friends, Luan, and I got into our usual call and played the new Roots biome for a while. It was so fun and a bit scary since we found out that there were zombies and this new fungus/spore status effect. We also found a few new items in the game like this checkpoint flag that my friends used because they were being chased by a zombie version of her. She also used this new Book of Bones item and they died shortly afterward because we bounced on this big mushroom trampoline thing. We couldn’t get past the new Roots biome at all, so we just played R.E.P.O. instead and we had fun playing a few rounds of it. We finally got the tea set in the museum loaded up for once, and we faced off a bunch of new enemies in the game. It was pretty fun and we learned some of the mechanics of the new Loom monster which we had fun with. We played for a while and then had to leave because we all had other things to do. My usual workday followed and I just did my usual round of tasks. Nothing much went on for my shift aside from a usual workday. In the evening, my friends and I got into a call and I shared my phone screen. I showed her a few stuff on my phone, mainly the Kidz Bop version of Tears and we watched a few visualizers from The Life of A Showgirl in the stream. I showed her this automation I had set up on my phone where I change the wallpaper automatically and my friends just flat-out rejected it and said that they didn’t care about it. Ouch, I was pretty hurt from it. It was a cool thing that I wanted to share and I just said that this was the reason why I don’t share much with her and I said that I’ll find other people to share this with. It really ticked me off and I instantly remembered how LK said to me that her boyfriend was her safe space and it made me immediately cry. It was such a big cry, too, and I haven’t cried for the past week or so. I put up with her so much and I genuinely try to give a shit even though I really don’t give a shit about some of her things like DotA 2. I just kept crying and crying, and we watched an Edvasian video and streamed a few videos while I was crying in the background. My friends didn’t notice it that much and I just made excuses like my foot sleeping or my nose being clogged when I was actually crying hard in the background. She did try to save the situation and asked me a few things about my wallpaper, like why I change it and stuff, but the damage was already done and they didn’t say sorry at all. We just streamed this FNaF timeline video at the end of the day.

Song of the day: C'est La Vie by B*Witched

Journal entry for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Wednesday was pretty fun and I stayed on call with my friends just playing and streaming my playthrough of Cookie Run Kingdom. I eventually got lucky and got an awakened form of Pure Vanilla Cookie, so that was nice. I stayed on call with her for a long time, until 4 a.m. or so. Which was a lot. But I eventually had to get my sleep and then time in for work as usual. For the rest of the workday, nothing much happened and I mostly just did my usual set of tasks until I timed out. In the evening, my friends, Luan, and I got into a session of playing R.E.P.O. and it was pretty fun facing off some of the still-new monsters and we were able to kill a few monsters, but around 11 p.m. or so we died and stopped playing for the day. After that, I just played some more Cookie Run Kingdom and got into a call with my friends that lasted until the next day.

Journal entry for Tuesday, November 4th, 2025

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Tuesday started off weird. But ultimately, it wasn’t anything noteworthy and we just did it, which was nice enough. Eventually, my friends open up about deciding to leave or give me space because they noticed that I have been frustrated. They thought that if they stepped away, I would have time to find my new person and I just pointed out their hypocrisy in having another former lover in their life and still having them in their current life, while they want to push me away. Things were okay after that and they didn’t really move away or anything. Shortly after that, we were okay and then left the call. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened and I just did my usual round of work. I had a small dispute with my friends in the evening because I “accidentally” typed ”h” in our chat asking if we’re game and then my friends said that they were just waiting, but then it led to this argument that was quickly dispelled. But it’s just weird that bullshit arguments like this spring up from time to time. We were okay by the end, though, and we just got in a call watching scary YouTube videos. She also remarked about the song I was playing, so that was nice that we had a very regular call and conversation after all that transpired today.

Song of the day: By Chance (You & I) by J.R.A.

Lyrics that resonated with me:
You and I could be like Sonny and Cher
Honey and bears, oh-ooh
And you and I could be like Aladdin and Jasmine
Let's make it happen like

Journal entry for Monday, November 3rd, 2025

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For Monday, it was the start of the month so I had to complete my days on-site once again. So I booked a ride to the office and decided to spend my Monday there because Mondays are pretty chill. So I eventually got to the office and saw one of my coworkers there on a Monday, which was weird since I thought they were scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But it was nice to talk to them for a bit before I just focused on my tasks for the day. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, I was just alone in the office and I had lunch alone. I had Pepper Lunch, though, so that was good. I just had a chill day and talked to my friends on and off throughout the day. I also had Sbarro and got to have that lasagna, so that was nice. I had it for take-out since I couldn’t finish it. In the evening, I got home and I played a few rounds of R.E.P.O. with my friends and Luan. It was pretty and we had a few mishaps, but I enjoyed our time playing. I continued accompanying my friends for a bit through their night shift and our day continued from there.

Song of the day: little monster by ILLIT

Journal entry for Sunday, November 2nd, 2025

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Lub d Manila

I couldn’t sleep and I’ve been staying up since the night before. But I couldn’t sleep at all considering that we would have to wake up early so Raul could go jogging and we could do other things in the morning. They eventually woke up at around 7 a.m. or so and we all get ready. I planned to just accompany Ange because Raul was going to go for a jog and run a few laps. I mostly just had a chill walk with Ange as Raul eventually ran off when we got to Ayala Triangle. We just took a few pictures and went inside a mall only to see that the Starbucks there wasn’t open. So we just chilled and sat for a while until Ange decided that we’d go back to the hotel so we could have some breakfast. We walked back to the hotel and Raul managed to catch up with us while we were walking back, so that was quick of him. We eventually manage to make it just in time for breakfast at the hotel. The cutoff was around 10 a.m. or so and we arrived at 9. I managed to get a few omelettes cooked for me, which tasted nice, and we had a breakfast buffet. It was pretty nice all in all, and we mostly talked about politics and other stuff before we had to go downstairs to prepare our stuff since we had to check out soon. We went back to our room and gathered our stuff before checking out and we also talked for a bit. But we eventually got checked out and walked to another nearby Starbucks in Poblacion. I got their drinks and just offered to pay for them, so that was cool. Another guy also came in the store and gave out free food and drinks to some kids on the street, so that was nice of him. For the rest of the day, I just went home so I could get some rest and finally chill.

Song of the day: The King of Wishful Thinking by Go West

Journal entry for Saturday, November 1st, 2025

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Poblacion, Makati

Today was the day I’d meet up with Ange and Raul for our night out in Poblacion! I mostly rested for most of the day but, in the evening, I eventually got ready to meet up with them at Lub d Manila Makati. I got in and plugged my stuff in the room, and I just brought my iPhone and a few clothes with me. Eventually Ange arrives and has some food that they brought back from Modern Shang, and I tried some shanghai or something and it was really good. I also ate some of the Biscoff cookies that came with the room, and they also tasted pretty good. After a while, Raul eventually arrives and het sets up his stuff and we talk for a bit about work and life after KVH. Eventually, he tells me about his dating progress on Bumble so far and I got curious and a bit amazed at his progress. I mostly tell Ange and Raul my MO when it comes to love and intimacy and then they give me some advice regarding a few things. We eventually get ready to leave for our first stop for the night which was Rewind in Poblacion. We stopped by at 7-Eleven so we could get some money, and then we eventually went inside the bar. We mostly just talked about a few things from Raul’s experience in KVH and we also get some food and *pulutan*, and they also order a lot of drinks which I don’t finish because of my gout. I also don’t even drink a lot anyway, so I was just there to catch up with them, talk for a bit, and then chill. It got a little loud, though, and we couldn’t really talk much over the music, so we eventually left and then went to another bar. Our next bar was The Spirits Library, which was just nearby. We ordered a few drinks and they mainly gave me advice about my dating life, what I should do, and stuff like that. I truly believed that I was hopeless in the dating game but they still asked me to at least give it a try. I eventually got convinced enough to keep trying to look for a date and so I made a profile on Bumble. I even paid for a premium account. I tried out the app and placed a few pictures, but I still had it in mind that I’m definitely not going to meet this time around, just like with my other attempts. Raul also tells me of the cute server in this bar and why he primarily hangs out here to drink solo, which was cool. For this time, I would be paying for our drinks and I actually make a mistake because I paid twice and somehow had to spend 4K for this one bar, which was a total bummer. Ange also invites us to talk to the girls sitting beside us but I refused and Raul also didn’t seem interested, so we just waited and then drank out drinks before moving to our last bar for the night. Our last bar for this evening was Octopus and we just chilled there for a while. I was mostly focused on my Bumble profile but, in hindsight, it was a super waste of time and I should have just enjoyed my time with Ange and Raul. We went back to the room after a while and they mostly got some rest. I was too busy with my thoughts and I even wanted to write a blog post, but couldn’t since I didn’t feel comfortable typing on my phone at all. So I just spent the entire night just staying awake.

Song of the day: Blue Valentine by NMIXX

&FRIENDS Halloween

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Okada Manila

Today was finally Halloween and the end of October. I’m honestly just glad that today was a holiday, too. I got to call someone in the morning and we hung out on Discord just talking and playing Cookie Run Kingdom. She opened her cam and showed me Tanuki and we just talked as the day went on since someone also had other plans today with her friends. I also had to get ready in a bit because I was going to meet up with Nicole and John at Okada Manila since we had a rave. Someone and I eventually ended our call and I rested for a bit more since Nicole and I planned to meet in the late afternoon-evening or so. In the evening, I got ready to go to Okada Manila and I met up with Nicole. I also ate alongside her and told her how I’m back with someone and she asked me how much I pay for it all and I told her the truth, and then we talked about her plans for the future. After that we left and she helped me get my ticket. Everyone was in their costumes and I felt a bit ashamed because I was just wearing some regular shirt. I also had a bit of a hiccup while claiming my ticket because I didn’t have any signal and I forgot to download the QR code for my ticket, so that was a massive pain. But it was fine, we eventually met up with John and his cousins that he parties with. We eventually go to the main stage and just listen to some music throughout the entire evening. Nothing else noteworthy happened after that, honestly. I didn’t know any of the artists that were playing, so it was all a surprise to me. I did know a few songs, but I was mostly sad seeing some of the couples kissing and having cute moments in front of me while I was just single and with some friends and a few strangers. I eventually booked a ride home after that and just got rested for the night because I had other plans for the next day. I also saw someone carry a small Bing Bong plushie just like mine! So that was super cute!

Song of the day: 360 by Charli xcx

Journal entry for Thursday, October 30th, 2025

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: St. Lukes, Bonifacio Global City

It was Thursday and I was still at St. Lukes with my cousin watching over my sister. A few medical personnel come in the room and, to my surprise, it was my former classmate Kiara! It was seriously the most mind-boggling thing I have ever seen. It was such a coincidence to see an old classmate be one of the doctors overseeing my sister. It was honestly crazy because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was a crazy surprise, but at least it was a pleasant one. I talk to Kiara for a bit as she asks about my sister’s circumstances and they finish her check-up after that. I just sat in surprise for a while because I really didn’t expect Kiara to be a doctor to my sister. But eventually I was okay with it and I continued to stay up just to make sure my sister’s okay. My other cousins eventually come visit and replace my other cousin in the morning. It was really morning, like 3 a.m. or so, but I’m glad they made the effort in making sure that my sister was okay. We just wait and watch over her in the morning and I took a few pictures of them as well as my laptop. In the morning, I was able to spin up my own Jenkins instance and I wondered if I could shift some of my workload onto that server. I even wanted to expose it to the public so I could showcase some of my DevOps skills, but I read up online and did my research which just discouraged publishing it for the entire world to see. After that, I mostly just watched over my sister. Kiara came by in the evening to do some final check-ups on my sister and we caught up on a few things before her shift had to end and she had to go home for the day. It was cool catching up with a former classmate, so that was nice. I hadn’t slept yet and we were waiting for the main doctor to do a check-up and discharge Ailysh, but they never came. One of my cousins also had to go because they had other stuff to do, which just left me, Ailysh, and one other cousin. It was still nice to stay in the room even though it was too purple for my tastes. Also, my sister enjoyed watching House M.D. while on a hospital bed, so I’m glad she got to experience that. Eventually, I just had to force us to be discharged from the room so that we don’t occur other expenses. It was seriously weird that we weren’t given a proper notice that she could be discharged, but it was fine. I also had talked to my day and he said that he would be shouldering the medical costs, so that was nice because I absolutely did not have the money to cover whatever medical bill comes out from this, which is kind of an extreme fault on my side. Adding to the fact that Ailysh’s HMO and PhilHealth wouldn’t cover any of this. Today just felt really weird and it added to the fact that the payment system somehow went down in the afternoon and I had to wait for a bit more and then go to the main payment office. Thankfully, our dad covered the bill and it really was pricey for this very short stay with not a lot of operations. But I guess that’s St. Lukes for you, and I’m ultimately glad that my sister was fully okay. I paid for the bill after my dad sent the money to cover it, and I took care of some things so that Ailysh could be discharged this night. We also ate at Mary Grace in the ground floor to celebrate in a way. After that, we booked a ride home and Ailysh would have to go home and then pack her stuff so she could stay over at her boyfriend’s house and I could get my well-needed sleep. I just couldn’t wait to get my well-needed sleep after such a stressful 48 hours. Even this whole experience was kind of bad, I’m glad that there were a lot of things that helped make it okay enough.

Song of the day: Who's Holding Donna Now? by Rhythm Of The Night

Journal entry for Wednesday, October 29th, 2025

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Bad
Significant Location: St. Lukes, Bonifacio Global City

For Wednesday, I didn’t really do much aside from check on my sister after my call with someone and her boyfriend told me to check up on her to make sure she was asleep. I messaged her boyfriend and told him that he should visit us in the morning and look over Ailysh. In the morning, I got woken up by my uncle and I was told that Ailysh had to be rushed to the hospital. I booked a ride to St. Lukes because they had just been admitted to the ER there and I got there quickly enough in the morning. I got inside and it was like a maze navigating to the ER. It wasn’t obvious so I had to wait for my aunt to get to Starbucks and I met up with her. Then Ailysh’s boyfriend meets up with me there and directs me to the ER where he’ll swap with me to watch over her because only 1 person is allow to accompany ER patients. I eventually meet up with Ailysh and she tells me she’s tired of thinking about the future which just sounds heartbreaking. I saw her hooked up to a machine that monitors her vitals, so that was cool like in House MD. I stand by her and watch her have a few operations done on her, but it wasn’t that big, just a bunch of small diagnostic tests and monitoring for her vitals. I eventually meet up with my other family members Shannen and Hanna and we take turns in watching over Ailysh. We eventually reconvene in Starbucks and even get food in the afternoon. We just walked to Burger King and then ate a few burgers. After that we mostly just wait for the doctors to evaluate Ailysh’s condition because we weren’t sure if she’s going to be admitted or not. But she eventually was and it was another long wait for a room. In the meantime, I just tried to be productive by studying up on Jenkins and spinning up a new instance of one of my servers so I can install Jenkins on it. Eventually, Ailysh’s friend Thea meets up with her and they talk before we escort Ailysh into her room. For the rest of the day, I just charge up my devices and for Ailysh’s devices, too. Another one of my cousins comes over to help check up on Ailysh and it was nice to see Ailysh just get a lot of rest.

Song of the day: Year 3000 by Busted

Journal entry for Tuesday, October 28th, 2025

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Tuesday, I had the longest time asleep in such a long time. I had 10 hours of sleep. I think it’s mostly because I have been sleep-deprived for the past week so badly and I didn’t give my body enough time to properly rest. But I’m glad I got enough sleep today. I just had my usual shift today and I helped organize getting someone’s Malteser’s bucket. I eventually had it shipped to my sister’s office and she had to get it. She eventually went home early today and she just stayed at home for the rest of the day. I had some meetings that stretched into the evening, but it was fine because I eventually finished up just fine. For the rest of the evening, I finally tried out Cookie Run Kingdom because someone was suggesting it to me for a while now. I also got into a call with them and we watched some YouTube videos, mainly from Becauseimmissy. I played more Cookie Run Kingdom for the rest of the night. I also checked up on my sister after my call with someone and my sister’s boyfriend asked me to check up on them, but I just checked and they were just fine sleeping. I just asked them to come over in the morning since I had other plans for tomorrow. I shortly got some rest after that.

Song of the day: Perfect Strangers by Jonas Blue, JP Cooper

Journal entry for Monday, October 27th, 2025

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Monday, I couldn’t get some sleep so I just stayed up all night. Nothing much went on throughoStardew-esqueut someone and I did play some Sky in the afternoon, which was nice. In the evening, we watched a few videos on YouTube, mainly from Smosh where they read some spooky stories. They also showed me this Stardew-esque game on Steam and then we watched The Woman in Black (2012) for our horror movie night. The movie was pretty nice and it had a bit of some supernatural ghost stuff, so that was pretty scary.

Song of the day: check by bbno$

Journal entry for Sunday, October 26th, 2025

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I started Sunday by continuing my Tron movie marathon from yesterday. I watched the first Tron movie and, while it was nice, it felt too dated and really was a product of its time. The pacing felt super slow, but it was ultimately okay. I watched my favorite, Tron: Legacy, after and it was still so cool. I loved watching it on my MacBook screen, so that was a nice experience. I eventually got some well-needed rest after that. For the rest of the day, it was pretty boring but I enjoyed my time trying out Instagram’s new draw feature. I sent a lot of drawings to my friends, which was pretty funny. In the evening, I my sister and I ate Bonchon for our dinner.

Song of the day: check by bbno$

Journal entry for Saturday, October 25th, 2025

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: SM Mall of Asia

For Saturday nothing much happened aside from me still accompanying someone throughout their entire night shift. We watched a Dan and Phil episode to round off the day, so that was nice. We eventually left the call after that. Naomi and I planned to meet today and we planned to meet at SM Mall of Asia. We met up in the afternoon and took a few pictures upon meeting up. She was wearing a timey dress, which looked nice. We walked for a bit to Starbucks S’Maison to just chill and talk for a while. I had Naomi take a few pictures with my MacBook and we eventually ate at Mendokoro near SMX. We mostly talked about Naomi’s relationship and how that’s going for her. It’s nice to hear her be with someone that likes her and shows her affection, even gifting her a bouquet, which was cute to hear. We eventually get a seat inside Mendokoro and then ate for a while. It was her first time trying out the chashu ramen, it was cool to help Naomi try it out. We still had a lot of food by the time we felt full and unfortunately they didn’t allow take-out so we just had to leave them. Naomi mostly felt like she wasted food but I did tell her that we’ll try it again in the future. After that, we just walked around for a bit and I gave her a small bottle of my perfume. For the rest of the day, I had to hurry to the cinemas so I could buy a ticket to watch Tron: Ares in IMAX 3D. It was really nice to finally have the time to watch it and I had a lot of fun watching it in 3D even though I missed some parts in the beginning because I got there late. Still, it was nice to watch it and I liked just being able to appreciate the move a second time. I went home playing songs from the soundtrack and even continued to have a Tron movie marathon.

Song of the day: Infiltrator by Nine Inch Nails

Journal entry for Friday, October 24th, 2025

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

For Friday, I got bored working the night shift and not really doing anything extraordinary or anything at all. Someone took so long to get in a call with me and nothing was happening so I just figured that I could go to Pares Retiro and play hooky for a while. So I booked a ride to there and on my way there, someone messaged me and then eventually invited me to a call with them. I just made up this lame excuse that I was in a really long meeting. I quickly ate and I didn’t know that it’d rain, so that kinda sucked. But I eventually got to get my food and it stopped raining. But on the way back, the traffic was so heavy and it took me around an hour or so to get back. I eventually was able to return with no issues, but damn, the commute was a pain. But I’m glad I got some food for take-out and I eventually made it home without issue. Eventually my shift ended and I continued to have a normal day. Until the afternoon someone teased me about getting them expensive cake which was kind of super off considering I already give them thousands in cash for free. But eventually we were able to make amends with each other and I got a few tears from it because I really do hate my current life. In the evening, we got into our call like usual and then I continued my night shift. I also gave them the money by then.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Thursday, October 23rd, 2025

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Thursday kinda started off weird. But all in all, it was okay, I continued through my night shift just fine and in my break I got to play Sky with someone and we did our daily quests. I also bought the season pass for the both of us so here’s to hoping that we would eventually play through the whole season. We quickly logged off after we completed our dailies and went back to our separate jobs. Our call continued until the morning and I even had to treat them out because they just felt so down in the dumps. We ate food and just talked in the morning or so. We talked about a lot of stuff over the night. I also had the chance to tell them that my motivation these days is to just build a family for myself and eventually get to “that day.” We kept calling until someone had to do a test that took 15 minutes and I passed out by then. I noticed that she eventually left the call and I took that time to get some sleep. I slept uncomfortably for the rest of the day. I woke up in the late afternoon JUST IN TIME for my meeting. I literally just woke up 10 minutes before the meeting and my room was hot as hell, but I’m glad I got to attend the meeting and steer the discussion. After that, I just started my day and it wasn’t that eventful. I watched House M.D. on and off for the evening and I found one episode interesting. There was this girl who blogged every moment of her life and I found myself resonating with her because we both share our lives online for everyone to read. So that was cool. I also got lemonade with my sister for take-out and it was nice because I think we have a new favorite store now. The lemonade was really cheap, too. For the rest of the evening, nothing much happened and I just watched House M.D. and continued working my shift as usual.

Song of the day: Easy On Me by Adele

Journal entry for Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Wednesday started with me and someone continuing both our shifts. We mostly just called and talked as we were both doing work, it was pretty chill on my side as nothing much happened in my shift. We watched The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) and it was pretty average and I doubt either of us were invested in it by the end, though. Someone even asked what the artifact was by the end and I told them that it was that thing on the table, which kind of proved that they weren’t fully watching. But it was fine since I wasn’t watching either and just downloading ILLIT photos, and maybe someone was busy with her work as well. Around the morning, they mostly opened up about their plans for a Winx club costume for their Halloween thing. It was nice but I didn’t get too involved in them sharing about it because I wouldn’t see them for Halloween anyway and I doubt I’ll see their costume, so I was kind of droning out by then. I was getting sleepy as well, and thankfully someone had her shift end and we both got out of our call to sleep. I didn’t really have a good rest and it was even interrupted by my sister making me food, but it was fine. I kind of had a hard time sleeping because I was so tired but I just ate Pancit Canton so I had some difficulty sleeping. When I woke up, it was already 5 p.m. and I felt horrible, but I just did my usual stuff and ordered take-out for our dinner again. I had some free time to play Phasmophobia with someone and Luan again, and we got wrong ghosts off of the calls I made, so that was disappointing. Someone left to rest for the evening because they weren’t feeling okay, so I just let them be and focused on my own things for the rest of the day.

Song of the day: Back for Good - Radio Mix by Take That

Journal entry for Tuesday, October 21st, 2025

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today started with me continuing my night shift, I was mostly finishing my tasks and still continuing what else is there to do at work. I got bored at the tail end of my shift so I mostly just watched House M.D. as nothing much came in for work anyway, so I just chilled for the remainder of the shift. By the time the shift ended, I immediately went to sleep and got my 8 hours of rest. When I woke up, I was mostly glad I got my 8 hours of rest and I was glad that I felt okay from the gout. It wasn’t that bad today so I just took some light doses of my medicine. Someone also woke up and felt okay enough to voice call so in the afternoon we just watched The Conjuring (2013). It turns out that we both haven’t watched the movie so it was a nice watch about demons and ghosts. I was surprised that we both haven’t watched it, despite it being super famous and that we’re both horror movie enthusiasts. But we liked it and we continued our horror movie watch session by next watching Longlegs (2024) into the evening. The scenes were longer so I kind of found myself zoning out and I think I noticed it in someone as well that she wasn’t paying that much attention to it. It was definitely much more gore-y for my taste and I didn’t like it that much due to the killings and gruesome murders. But thankfully the plot was easy enough to understand and it was all explained in the end. Someone and I both finished it and she asked me which did I prefer between the two. She answered The Conjuring and I had the same preference. For the evening, I ordered take-out for my sister and myself. We got Bonchon and I mostly ate that as my night shift started. I had a lunch break to finish eating and we watched The Conjuring 2 (2016) and we both liked it, it was pretty okay. We paused the movie to continue it later on our downtimes. But we were both in voice call and we had our call continue to the next day.

Journal entry for Monday, October 20th, 2025

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

For Monday, nothing much really happened as I just started it off by browsing the Internet until I fell asleep. Since I was working the US shift for this week, I didn’t really wake up on time but I was glad to have slept a full 8 hours. For the rest of the day, nothing much really happened and I was mostly by myself since someone was feeling sick and was recovering. We didn’t really play any games nor get into a call like we usually do. The rest of the evening was uneventful as I mostly just did my job and focused on my other tasks. I got bored so I mostly passed the time doing random stuff and watching House M.D. in between. I talked to some of my coworkers and they asked me if I was working the night shift this week, so that was nice of them to check up on me.

Journal entry for Sunday, October 19th, 2025

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

I didn’t really do much for Sunday, to be honest. I continued eating the take-out we ordered and then I stayed up for a few hours. After that, I mostly just slept in the morning but I got my 8 hours of rest. I also feel like I have another gout attack today, which sucks. For the rest of the day, I didn’t really do much other than browse the web and update my mood calendar. I caught up on my mood calendar, thankfully, so that was nice. In the evening, I treated my sister to take-out because she cleaned a lot of stuff. I talked to someone on and off throughout the day and I also sent messages to our group chat with Luan but that was the most of it. Someone was feeling sick so we didn’t really get to play and I just told them to get some rest so they could feel better. For the rest of the evening, I mostly didn’t do much aside from wonder what else to do with my life.

Song of the day: Cupid - Twin Ver. (FIFTY FIFTY) [Sped Up Version] by FIFTY FIFTY

Journal entry for Saturday, October 18th, 2025

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

Saturday started and continued with me being in a call with someone and we just talked about random things while they just did work. I didn’t really do or say much and nothing really noteworthy happened for most of the call. They slept at one part of it while I was just browsing IG Reels and they woke up from one video of an old lady saying “this is sucks” which was funny. We stayed on call until someone had to go and we eventually left the call after that. I got some sleep before I would head out with Exavier later this afternoon. I just woke up and just chilled before leaving. I got to BGC just fine and met up with Exavier. But we just walk around after that, and I initially decided on eating at Chili’s. Then I thought that it could be expensive for the both of us so I settled on the old reliable Samgyupsalamat in The Forum so we could eat until we’re full and also have a chat. We ate there and a few songs from my K-Pop groups were played, and we mostly continued the talk of where Exavier was going and what his plans for the future are. We eventually felt full enough to leave and we walk for a bit to Yi Fang so we could buy some milk tea. I paid for Exavier’s drink and we also walked around to try this Japanese honeycomb ice cream that Exavier treats me to, which was cool. We found a park bench nearby to just talk on and we just talk a bit more for a while. Then we try to go to Datablitz nearby but we couldn’t go inside because I was trying to finish my drink. We went back to the picnic table and I show him some pics I have from our time from KVH and it was nice to look back at them, I also showed pictures and we talked about how I brought Pat and Kat together that one time, which was funny. After that, I finished my drink and we went inside Datablitz to take a look at a few things. I saw the infamous OceanGate controller and took a picture of it, after that we just looked around for a bit and then we left to go home separately. When I got home, Exavier messaged me and then I showed him how some of my website’s code worked. We talked for an hour more about some programming and JavaScript stuff, and then we left the call to do other things. I mostly just rested and slept for the rest of the evening, but my sister and I also ordered take-out around midnight or so.

Song of the day: Topping by ILLIT

Journal entry for Friday, October 17th, 2025

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today started with me still accompanying someone and watching her stream a DotA 2 match between Team Heroic and Team Liquid because Tofu was there. We watched the entire match and I’m surprised that the team I rooted for, Team Heroic, won the match. It was kinda cool to watch a tournament, so it was alright. I left to sleep afterward and got some rest. For the rest of the day, I just had work and I was incredibly busy. I don’t really recall what happened but it’s just me doing my usual round of tasks, which eventually ended and my work for the week was done. In the evening, I got into a game of Phasmophobia with someone and Luan. We completed a few rounds and our main objective was to just get a lot of perfect investigations. I keep getting killed a lot, but it was fine since I could take it and have them level up. We get a few perfect investigations under our belt, so that was nice, and we eventually left the game. For the rest of the evening, I just accompanied someone for their night shift.

Song of the day: Toki Yo Tomare by ILLIT

Journal entry for Thursday, October 16th, 2025

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Thursday started off a little boring because someone couldn’t watch a horror movie yesterday and she says that she still wants to continue watching Talk to Me (2022). They couldn’t really wait for me so they pushed through with watching it and I went to sleep because I had on-site work in the morning. I woke up relatively okay and things were pretty normal. I’m glad to have today as my last day in the office for the month, so I was kind of psyched. I got ready and booked for a ride to the office and my usual, boring day followed. I didn’t spend lunch with my coworkers today because they had a team lunch with other higher-ups so I just had lunch by myself. I didn’t really do anything extravagant and I was just mostly immersed in work for today. Still, it was nice to just have a breather and do some work in the office. For the rest of the afternoon, I didn’t do much aside from just doing work. A coworker invited me out and we got dinner at El Pollo Loco in Glorietta. We talked about policies and a few other things, but that was mostly it. Some of my coworkers talked to me to give me the remaining beef jerky, but that was mostly it. I went home after that and it felt nice because I didn’t have to work on-site anymore. In the evening, I finally got home and I played Yapyap with someone and Luan. It was a pretty fun game, we had some fun learning some of the spells and playing around with the new wands we unlocked. As with the start of any new game, we mostly just played around and didn’t really get the game mechanics in the first playthrough. We really didn’t meet quota and kept failing, but it was all fun and good. We moved on to Phasmophobia to explore some of the Halloween maps and we got a few good rounds where we guessed the correct ghosts, so that was nice. After that, we left the game and I mostly just accompanied someone for the evening. We tried to watch Bring Her Back (2025) but it was too disturbing after the kid rammed a knife in his face. Extreme, realistic gore wasn’t really our thing so we passed on the movie and just talked for the evening. She showed me her new hair sticks and our call continued to the next day.

Song of the day: Toki Yo Tomare by ILLIT

Journal entry for Wednesday, October 15th, 2025

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I still stay on call with her for a while, and I eventually tell her a few things that I’ve been feeling. The conversation gets somewhat deep into topics about my personal hardships this year. I guess part of me feels a bit pierced because the stuff I help out for isn’t for my own “family” i.e. for my wife and kids, and I do tell someone that it’s kind of sad to just go home from work every day and to not come home to a loving wife and kids. Someone was supposed to interject and say that we watched a movie but yeah she agrees that it isn’t the same as having a wife and kids, which was just funny to me. We talk for a while more about other topics until she gets busy in a work call and asks if I want to go and leave the call, to which I do and I just get some rest. For the morning, it was just a hectic commute to the office and I immediately got ready as soon as I wake up. I booked a ride to the office after taking so long to get a ride. We go through BGC into Makati and it was nice to pass by an IMC school service van, which kind of reminded me of my childhood and made me miss it a little. I eventually got to work fine then had lunch with my coworkers shortly after and they teased me that I should just not join them and that they should just chat each other for lunch and then leave one by one, but I just laughed at it. We had lunch at Glorietta’s food court nearby and we saw that the new Burger Beast store has opened. But I just had food from Mesa Steak Sizzlers as usual. I also got an expensive coffee from Nitro Brew because the cashier lady said good afternoon to me and I couldn’t just ignore her so I bought a drink. I eventually got my food and so did my coworkers. We mostly talked about the recently-opened Burger Beast restaurant that opened here. After that we eventually head back to the office and I continue on with my work stuff. Once we got back, the rest of the afternoon continued. I was prank scared by a coworker who has finished their shift and another coworker also shocked me by touching my back, which made me scream quite loud because I was so focused on my screen and I didn’t expect anything touching me. My coworkers in front of me laugh. For the evening, I just catch up on a few tasks and I got invited by coworker and another coworker to have some ramen. We eventually get there and have ramen. We eventually head in and I ordered a *tantanmen* for my dinner. We just talk about the skins and games one coworker has played and during our dinner, someone invites us to play Phasmophobia and Luan also messages that I’m still at work. I eventually tell someone that I’m going to commute home after dinner and our dinner was surprisingly quick. I booked a ride home and thankfully the driver went through BGC. I got home relatively quick and I immediately headed to my PC to play Phasmophobia with someone and Luan. We had a few fun rounds of Phasmo, but I often kept dying. There was that first round where someone’s audio device wasn’t working and she thought that we were ignoring her. She pulled all of the cards in the tarot card deck and that led me to being killed, but it was kind of fine even though we got a few ghosts wrong. Eventually Luan has to head out and someone couldn’t call because their brother was in the room so I just did stuff on my own and update my journal until the next day started.

Song of the day: Opalite by Taylor Swift

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Don't you sweat it, baby, it's alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Oh, so sleepless in the onyx night
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, my Lord
Never made no one like you before (No)
You had to make your own sunshine
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Journal entry for Tuesday, October 14th, 2025

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Tuesday ended up being pretty boring but peaceful. It was the first night in a while where I got a full 8 hours of rest, so that was pretty fun. But when I woke up, I still felt pretty tired. I talked to someone on and off while getting a ride to the office. Work started for me in the office and I just did my usual round of tasks when I got invited by my coworkers to eat with them for lunch. We ate at Marugame Udon and I got 2 pieces of tempura when I was only supposed to get 1 piece. I also got a lot of side dishes, which I thought was excessive until my order took a while so I just ate them while talking to my coworkers about the many natural disasters and earthquakes recently. It took a while for my order to arrive but I eventually got mine and got to eating, and my coworkers also noted that my food looked nice, so that was fun. Eventually, we were finished eating and we walked for a while and I went to Happy Lemon for to grab a drink. I eventually got one and we went back to the office after that. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened aside from one coworker leaving early. I eventually book for a ride home in the evening. The rider took the long road again home and it made the trip super exhausting. I hated the trip home and I really hate getting stuck in traffic. Eventually, I made it home and I got in a call with someone. In the evening, we watched Identity (2003) which was pretty much another mindfuck movie that we liked, and it also revealed a major plot point early on, so that was interesting. After that, we watched The Eye (2002) and we had differing opinions on when we’ve watched it, because I distinctly remember us watching it when we did a work together thing in SM Sucat, but she recalls another time, at SM North EDSA while we were standing in line. We eventually watch the movie but stopped while we were early because she knows I’ve already watched the movie. She told me to find another movie for us to watch, one that we both haven’t seen, so I decided on Talk to Me (2022). I play that movie and she falls asleep sometime afterward and I didn’t disturb her so she could get some sleep. The night continued on as we stayed in the call.

Song of the day: Punkrocker (feat. Iggy Pop) by Teddybears

Journal entry for Monday, October 13th, 2025

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

My day continued from yesterday and someone and I got into a call. We talked for a while about just random topics and life but eventually she passed out while on call and I disconnected her from the call. I couldn’t sleep after that so I just spent the remaining time just staying up and browsing the Internet. In the morning, I just ordered breakfast for myself so I could continue the day with good enough energy. What I ordered was nice and I followed that advice of starting the morning with some protein. I eventually had to book a ride to the office and eventually got there just fine. My day in the office was really a boring one, it was just me. But I kind of liked it since it was just me alone. I redeemed the Starbucks stars reward I have for this new coffee and so that I could stay up all day. I made the decision to spend some of November’s onsite days on a Monday so that there will be barely anyone in the office. No coworkers teasing me or what. And my day was just that, mostly boring and I had that feeling again that I should do more in my life, which frustrated me a bit. I talked to someone on and off about random stuff like Counter-Strike rankings and stuff. Eventually, my time to leave, but I just had to finish this AI course before I went home. I thankfully booked a ride home but the driver took the absolute worth path which made the trip 40+ minutes or so, and it was incredibly exhausting. By the end of the day, I was already incredibly exhausted but I still got into a call with someone. She suggested a few movies for us to watch. We first watched It’s What’s Inside (2024) and then we watched Heretic (2024) afterward. Both were pretty good, mindfuck films and I’m glad that someone recommended great movies for us to watch. I also downloaded Identity (2003) but we couldn’t watch it as we just watched random horror YouTube videos at the end of the night. She eventually said that I should sleep soon and I agreed so we disconnected from the call and I called it a night.

Song of the day: Toki Yo Tomare by ILLIT

Journal entry for Sunday, October 12th, 2025

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I still felt super tired even though I had a full-enough night’s rest today. I just mostly passed time in the morning and then got ready to go out along with my sister for today. She would go to Market! Market! to put some tempered glass on her phone and I was going to my usual place at Starbucks 32nd Street to do some coding. I was just going to code there and it felt nice to just code since I’ve been catching up on mood calendar entries for the past few weeks there. But I just booked a Grab ride for the both of us and dropped off my sister first before I got dropped off at Starbucks. I got there and I got my usual white chocolate mocha and a blueberry cheesecake to eat. For the rest of the afternoon to evening I just focused on coding that Material 3 Expressive redesign for my main website. It was really productive and I mostly continued off of last night’s coding session. Eventually, I fixed a few things and added a new feature and did some code cleanup. I booked a ride home and talked to someone for a bit since she was still drinking at her mom’s birthday and stuff. I made a remark that drinking with her is something that we’ll never do. My ride home eventually arrived and I just napped for the rest of the evening. In the late evening, I woke up and still talked with someone and we continue it off for a while there.

Song of the day: Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Journal entry for Saturday, October 11th, 2025

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

My day started with me still accompanying someone throughout their entire night shift because it was a Friday. I got food for them because they were going through a lot in life and I ordered some food as well. We talked about a lot of topics during this time but one I kept in mind was this question where I asked her why she wasn’t in any relationships right now. She told me she’s too selfish but she didn’t elaborate when I asked further. It was weird but I just tried to not mind it because I should just not care if they get into relationships or not, they’re not my priority and not someone I’m pining for. I signed up for a chess.com account and they tried to coach me in a game but it didn’t really work out and I lost. I’m not sure what caused it, but I started feeling that same sense of frustration because I didn’t feel like I was doing anything in my life. Someone just kept singing along to musicals and eventually shared her screen so I could watch her play some chess against this guy she’s working with. I also asked her what made her really get into chess since she’s been really into it recently and she told me that in our playthroughs of Outlast: Trials was when she got into it because they had chess in the player lobby. Eventually their chess match ends and someone and I disconnect from the call. At this time, I was already feeling frustrated at myself because today seems like such a good day outside and to be productive but my sleep is totally wrecked and I’m probably going to just sleep this day off. I tried to plan for going out today with no sleep but held off on it when someone asked me if I’ll sleep and I tell them that I plan to do other things instead. She tells me that she wants to play BioShock Infinite so I just watch them play the game for a while. They struggle with it a lot since it’s a first-person story game and the mappings were for an Xbox controller when she was playing using the PlayStation Dualsense controller I gave her last year. She eventually ends her playthrough for the day we got off call. My sister ordered food this time and we just eat some Andok’s for today. I ate and I just passed out shortly afterward. I didn’t even lock my room or turn on the AC because I was just that tired. My sister wakes me up in the evening so I could eat and I get up feeling horrible at 7 p.m. I think I barely slept because I woke up in sweat and my eyes hurt. I still have dinner and watch a YouTube video about the distant future of Adventure Time. I thought about leaving for the night to be productive and do some programming at Starbucks but I held off on it. I just programmed at home on my Linux PC and I was able to make significant progress so I capped off the programming for the day. For the rest of the evening until the following early morning, I just caught up on things I needed to do before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Sincerely, Me by Mike Faist, Ben Platt, Will Roland

Journal entry for Friday, October 10th, 2025

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I started Friday by being on call with someone and we were just watching some K-Pop videos and she introduced me to a few songs from Laufey. I also showed her ILLIT’s First Take video, which she really liked so that was nice to see that she likes them. I also showed them a video from SMORZ that I liked recently. We kept talking for a while but we eventually had to go and disconnect from the call. In the morning, I started work and I had to bring in the laundry because it suddenly rained. I commuted to the office after doing some work in the morning. I was lucky enough to book a ride to the office but it rained super heavily on the way there. We got stuck in traffic and in the rain at some parts and my shoes as well as my clothes were completely drenched. It was horrible. The rain even got through the raincoat, but I personally didn’t feel much stress from it, just general discomfort because I got rained on. I still got to work just fine but I focused on my tasks first. In the afternoon, I mostly just focused on tasks and attended my performance review. I’m just glad that it was satisfactory and there are no major issues. I’m just glad to be doing well at this time because 2025 has been such a challenging year and it’s been literal years since I’ve been praised in a performance review and to have my strengths/good points highlighted. To treat myself for doing well, I got that 300g steak from a restaurant that I wanted to visit and it was really good, plus it was totally worth it. I mostly just talked and tried to console someone while eating. For the rest of the day in the office, it was mostly just me working and then I had *merienda* out with my coworkers for a while. We just ate nearby and I got a sandwich. My coworkers also teased me about the newhire which I still found annoying but I played along for fun. My coworkers went home first and I stayed for a while more in the office just doing tasks and finishing up stuff for the week. I got groceries afterward and I ordered and paid for some food in the food court, but they took such a long time to serve my food and my ride was here. I didn’t claim the food and instead just went to my ride where they talked a lot about their life and how they lived near my house and all. It was such a long story but I kind of didn’t feel like talking because I’m just exhausted after 4 days of working in the office. When I got home, I just cleaned up for a bit and placed the groceries in the storage room. I got into a call with someone and I accompanied them for their entire night shift since it was a Friday. The call felt long even though it was just the start so I knew I was in for a long night.

Song of the day: I want you to by SMORZ

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I want you to

Dance, wanna see your body move
Get up on your feet
Dance, dance
Put this song on repeat
And I can feel the rush to the sound of the beat
Can you feel it now?
Just dance all night, yeah

Journal entry for Thursday, October 9th, 2025

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I had quite a bit of sleep today and my morning was usual but started very late because I was kind of tired from last night’s Tron watching. I still got to the office albeit a bit late and I just decided to make up for time in the evening. I had lunch with my coworkers after that and I just had some Pepper Lunch and some mushroom enoki from nineteen degrees. We went back to the office and something happened and I don't want to explain it further. Work continued and thankfully my coworker friend invited me out for dinner and I used it as time to leave from my seat and sit somewhere else. I’m glad that my coworker friend acknowledged that it wasn’t fully my fault and that it wasn’t something to argue over, so that was nice. We just ate at this sizzling plate stall and I was talking to someone about a lot of life stuff while this was going on. Someone eventually made me promise to give out a loan to them so they could buy their own farm when I’m ultra-rich or whatever. I still agreed and we kept talking, eventually telling her that she’s “someone” in my journal entries and stuff. I even shared them my future leap year letter, which they didn’t read in full and only for the few paragraphs. I went to dinner with another coworker again in the late evening because I stayed until 8 to finish this task. I just vented to them and they just told me that it wasn’t really a big deal, which helped calm me down. At the end of the day, I finished a major task and then I booked a ride home quick. I got home safe and I got on call with someone. We talked for quite a while on a lot of life stuff and she got bad news handed to them, which kind of put a damp on her feelings. I just treated them to some take-out and promised to help them out if things ever get so bad. We just watched K-Pop videos and some horror at the end, and I’m glad that they liked ILLIT’s performance of Magnetic on the First Take YouTube channel. I ended the day feeling way better because I got to open up to someone and discuss my plans for the future as well as open up about some things in my past that I haven’t shared to anyone.

Song of the day: Infiltrator by Nine Inch Nails

Tron: After 10+ Years

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal Mall

Greetings, Programs! It’s been 10 years since I first watched Tron and I’ve waited for a successor to Tron: Legacy ever since then. That movie shaped my early teen life so much, it made me love computers, technology, and a lot of nerdy tech stuff so I’m glad to finally watch another Tron film. The day started out normally, it was just me spending time and talking to someone while in a call. She didn’t have Internet connection but we were still able to talk while I was eating my salad from Wendy’s. I eventually finished my food and eventually had to sleep so our call ended there. I woke up with a good amount of sleep, but it wasn’t the full 8 hour experience, so it was still lacking. I continue to go to the office today until the end of the week so I still had to prepare myself even though it was already raining. I just braved the rain and I thankfully found a ride. I was thankfully only a bit rained on and I’m glad the driver brought a raincoat. We passed by a section in our village that I’ve never been through before, so that was interesting. I got to the office fine, thankfully. Work today was fairly as usual as the other days but I spent lunch with my coworkers. I posted a lot of pics on my IG so I got to talk to Max, Naomi, Kai and a few other friends replied to my IG Story throughout the day so that made me feel way happy. I was super busy talking to them on my lunch break and even when I was waiting for my jasmine milk tea from this Thai milk tea place we visited, which was nice. I went back to the office and just focused on my tasks for the remainder of the day. Near the evening, we had *merienda* nearby and I just ate siomai and siopao and I was able to get a shawarma. I finished and completed a great deal of incoming tasks by the end of the evening and had some spare time sitting next to my coworkers while they were talking about DotA 1 when it was still in Warcraft. I didn’t play Frozen Throne but I saw the icon from when I used to use the PCs in Internet cafes. Eventually my shift for today came to an end and I booked a ride to Venice Grand Canal Mall. I got there fine but I didn’t know where to eat at, so I walked around for a bit until I settled on Mary Grace Cafe. I ordered beef… whatever from the breakfast menu, a mint hot chocolate, and a salad which was very filling. I went in the movie theater afterward and a lady personally walked up to me and took a picture of my ticket and told me that she would prepare my popcorn and drink, which I found weird. Then I went inside the theater and waited for a while only to realize one thing: ### I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS WHOLE MOVIE THEATER FOR THIS SCREENING I genuinely could not believe it. No one else is watching this movie as me??? What the fuck? I have never had this happen to me in my history of watching movies at Venice Grand Canal Mall. There’s always at least other people. It’s just so baffling to see no one else here that I had to take a picture of the empty cinema and post it on my IG Story. Eventually the film started and I was just glad that I wasn’t watching a horror or ghost movie. The movie was pretty good! I kept looking at the commands they were typing on the screen and it’s so nice to recognize so many Linux and UNIX commands because of my DevOps experience. I found it super funny that one scene showed a Linux systemD command as well. I also kept minding the soundtrack because I loved Daft Punk’s soundtrack for the last movie and I could say that this movie’s soundtrack was pretty nice, too. I went home happy but also creeped out that I was the only person in the theater and the only person to go home from the cinemas. I booked a ride home and talked to someone on and off, but they seemed busy and more interested in talking about Travis Kelce’s exes than anything. Which I couldn’t get into and honestly found it disappointing because they didn’t seem interested in the slightest in what I thought of the movie. It kinda sucks that I had no one to share my enthusiasm about Tron for, but whatever, I guess it’s a me thing that only I appreciate. I replied to a letter on Slowly and did some light catch up on my other things before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Year 3000 by Busted

Lyrics that resonated with me:
He said "I've been to the year 3000
Not much has changed
But they lived underwater
And your great-great-great-granddaughter
Is pretty fine, is pretty fine"

Journal entry for Tuesday, October 7th, 2025

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I tried my best to “lock in” and get my game face ready but I couldn’t sleep because I was still so bothered by what my friend said. I eventually thought about writing a blog post on how I just feel like I don’t feel connected to people anymore and I don’t believe in the strings that used to bound my heart to things. Someone eventually messaged out of the blue and I replied immediately which kind of shocked them because I was still awake. I told them that I was thinking of a few things and they surprisingly were open to listening to me vent, which was a total shocker for me. I eventually get my MacBook and got into a call with them. We talked for a while about my problems and I vented some things to them. It was kind of nice because it’s been a while since I vented to a person. They mostly sided with my friend and empathized them more which kind of wasn’t what I need but I appreciated the alternative thought. Part of me still believes that I’m right because I did tell my friend what I was going through and I didn’t get a “sorry, I didn’t know you were going through so much.” Someone and I talked for a bit more about other, lighthearted things before we left the call and called it a day. In the morning, I was still ruminating about what happened yesterday and I affirmed that my thoughts are valid. Everyone has shit they go through. Everyone has silent struggles. I went through my own and didn’t tell anybody, and I didn’t need a friend telling me “nothing’s changed with your situation.” I tried to sever the thoughts as I was getting to the office. I eventually got to work okay and it’s been a while since I’ve been back to the office. One of our seatmates has a newhire and one of my coworker friends immediately teased them to me. But we had lunch out together and just talked about upcoming performance evaluations. I went back to work and my coworkers kept teasing me and I kept acting my usual way when I get teased. But eventually work resumes and I get so busy with work. I hyper-focus on my tasks for today even though Tuesdays aren’t that stressful. I continue being busy until the evening but I took a pic of my work outfit for my IG Story and for Locket before continuing to work for hours. In the evening, I got some *merienda* and I booked a ride home afterward. Someone also tried to play chess with me on my commute home and her queen decimated all of my chess pieces until she won at the end. For the rest of the evening, I was on call with someone. I had fun talking to them and we joke around so many things like me being so picky yet not being that much of a catch. I pointed out my flaws and laughed at them as well. We tried to play Love and Deepspace but someone’s Internet got cut off and I had to give them mobile data so we could continue calling. We kept talking about Taylor’s relationships and I helped them out with their work at the end. We also ordered food separately and ate together, I mainly ate a salad from Wendy’s. After helping them out with their website, I did some catching up on my own things and got some sleep.

Song of the day: C'est La Vie by B*Witched

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I'll huff, I'll puff
I'll huff, I'll puff, I'll blow you away

Say you will, say you won't
Say you'll do what I don't
Say you're true, say to me
C'est la vie
Say you will, say you won't
Say you'll do what I don't
Say you're true, say to me (Get a life!)
C'est la vie

Journal entry for Monday, October 6th, 2025

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was kind of stressful and a bit irritating, not gonna lie. I didn’t get much sleep from last night because I drank coffee before leaving Starbucks at 10 p.m. so I was still kind of buzzed. I didn’t really do anything productive, but I just had this feeling of needing to be productive for no reason. I eventually passed out and went to sleep and I began my morning seemingly-okay. In the morning, I had some spare time to play R.E.P.O. with Luan and someone. We spent a few minutes trying out mods in R.E.P.O. but they didn’t work because of a recent update, so that sucks. We played Peak instead and we got through the shore, jungle biomes just fine. But Luan had an issue on the alpine biome while we were talking about the new Sora 2 AI videos. Luan eventually disconnected and someone and I were left to continue to the cauldron and kiln together. I died at some part in the cauldron due to lava and someone revived me at the kiln, where I died again because I didn’t really have much resources on me and the kiln seed was pretty difficult. I mostly guided someone through the kiln and gave her some directions. She eventually was able to reach the peak and we completed Ascent 2! So that was nice. For the rest of the day, work just started and continued on. A friend randomly messaged me in the afternoon and we talked for a while. They eventually told me that I’m not doing well with my finances and literally told me that my “situation still looks the same” and I was deeply offended. I didn’t need this kind of talk from anyone, especially since they don’t know how much shit I’ve gone through these past few months. It literally irritated me and was the main reason why my day turned sour. I HATE being told that my life isn’t getting better when I know it fucking is and I know how hard I’m trying. It’s honestly the most offensive thing someone can say to me as a person who fears and dreads stagnancy. It was disgusting so I told them off and I just left them on read because I don’t need friends like that. The rest of the day continued but I was already pretty pissed off at that point. Still, I was able to have good dinner and spent time with someone in a call before going to bed. We still mainly discussed Taylor Swift’s new album and we even played 1 round of chess before I went to sleep. I still enjoyed my day and the other people I spent it with made up for the difference, plus feeling productive at work and making some moves to change my life really helped at the end. I just felt this extreme feeling that I should fucking change my life. Like really change my fucking life, to run far away and to get so high away from this place. I even punched my bed frame because I got so frustrated at the end but I’m glad I felt this rather than complacency.

Song of the day: Chain Hang Low by Jibbs

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Do your chain hang low? Do it wobble to the flo'?
Do it shine in the light? Is it platinum, is it gold?
Could you throw it over your shoulder? If ya hot, it'd make ya cold?
Do your chain hang low?
Do your chain hang low? Do it wobble to the flo'?
Do it shine in the light? Is it platinum, is it gold?
Could you throw it over your shoulder? If ya hot, it'd make ya cold?
Do your chain hang low?

Journal entry for Sunday, October 5th, 2025

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

I got my full 8 hours of sleep today and I woke up well-rested. It rained a bit when I woke up, but I decided that it won’t dampen my day. I also ate the leftover meatballs from my IKEA trip with Nathan yesterday. I was thinking of whether or not I’ll go to my usual place—Starbucks on 32nd Street in BGC—so I could do some work on my Mac. I didn’t want to spend this day at home anyway and I wanted to be productive so I brought my MacBook with me and commuted there. I also brought Bing Bong with me today to watch over my seat. I get there okay and I ordered that new cherry fritter thing along with the usual iced white chocolate mocha venti. This time I was able to ask for no whipped cream on my drink. I saw that the new pumpkin spice latte was already here and I kind of regret seeing it as my order has just been completed. Darn, maybe I’ll get it next time. I waited for a while at a table seat but thankfully someone had to leave one of the sofa seats and I sat there the whole time. I had a lot of mood calendar entries to catch up on and I haven’t journaled the important days recently, so I was eager to complete and fully catch up with all the entries I’ve missed. It took me so long to write my calendar entries but I eventually was able to fully catch up and prevent another pile up of entries to catch up on. It took me 5 hours or so to write and publish them all but I was totally happy by the end. While writing my entries I found a new song to love and I also played this new K-Pop song I heard recently. I also talked to someone for a bit and they said that they’re going to tune out from Taylor Swift for a while. They really didn’t like the latest album and I wholeheartedly agreed. I took a few pictures for Instagram and posted it on my IG Story. After completing and publishing all my entries, I booked a ride home and did a few proofreading passes of my latest blog post before posting it on my IG Story as well.

Song of the day: Crash by Matt Wills

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Here you go, way too fast
Don't slow down, you're gonna crash
You should watch, watch your stay here
Don't look out you're gonna break your neck

So shut, shut your mouth
'Cause I'm not listening anyhow
I've had enough, enough of you
Enough to last a life time through
So what, what do you want from me?
Got no words of sympathy
And if I go around with you, you know that i'll get messed up too
With you, with you

Na, nee, na, nee, na, na, nee, na, nee, na, na
Na, nee, na, nee, na, na, nee, na, nee, na, na

Journal entry for Saturday, October 4th, 2025

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SMX Convention Center and IKEA Philippines

Saturday continued with me accompanying someone throughout their entire night shift. We mostly just talked about Taylor Swift’s album and other life stuff. I helped them a bit with one of their tasks and setting up the DNS and a basic website for them. I mostly just used the website builder and shared my screen. I was kind of bored so I played my Antok FM playlist on Spotify and someone noticed it. She sang along to most of the songs there and we talked about how people don’t make songs like these anymore and I agreed and said that soft rock is mostly dead. I also played “Gisingin Ang Puso” by Liezel Garcia and someone didn’t seem like she knew the song, but the lyrics eventually came to her and she sang along. We also watched the music video for 12:51 by Krissy & Ericka because someone remembered a funny scene from it and I was interested in seeing what it was. After that, we mostly continued making the website until I finished enough of it for someone to continue later. We watched Chicago (2002) after that and it was a really good movie/musical. It was extremely showgirl-themed and I told someone that Taylor Swift’s album didn’t have any of these showgirl-style songs, and they agreed. We eventually finished the movie and we played a bit of chess here and there. After that, we decided call it a day for us but someone checked on Luan first to see if he’s up for a game and he was. We played Peak and got through the shore, jungle, and alpine biomes but Luan had to drop off at the caldera and someone and I made it through the kiln section, but we couldn’t get up and we eventually died. We really called it a day after that and I messaged Nathan that I’d accompany him today for Cosmania 2025 but I slept first. When I woke up, it was already 5 p.m. or so but I still got dressed and booked a ride to SMX so I can catch up with Nathan. He was still down and was just there and I immediately got a ride as soon as I could. I eventually met up with Nathan and we just walked around the stalls. I visited the stall of my artist friend but she wasn’t manning the booth so I didn’t really buy anything there. We then went to the main convention area and I took a few photos with some cosplayers, like a Homelander cosplayer, some Miku ones, and there were 2 dudes cosplaying as Peak scouts! I was so excited taking a photo of them because I love the game Peak and I couldn’t believe there were Peak cosplayers here. I bought a few stuff, mainly bags. I saw this Cup Noodle bag that was pretty big and I immediately bought it since it was fairly-cheap for a waterproof bag. I got sales-talked by the seller because they were selling a gashapon bag for 2,800. It had this small dial on the front and a clear space where you can put gashapons and I just had to get it. It was such a cute bag and I couldn’t resist myself from not getting it. I had bought some smaller plushies so that was cool. We walked around until we got tired and the event was closing anyway since it was around 8 p.m. or so. We had dinner at IKEA and Nathan got meatballs with rice while I got meatballs, rice, pares, and another serving of meatballs because I wanted to be extra. The meatballs were really good and I kept coming back for water refills, so that was nice. We mostly talked about Nathan’s relationship. After that, I tried booking for a ride home which took so long, but eventually we got a ride and Nathan went home first and I eventually got home fine. I just spend the rest of the evening scrolling and finishing writing that blog post.

Song of the day: Gisingin Ang Puso by Liezel Garcia

Journal entry for Friday, October 3rd, 2025

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday wasn’t that eventful and I just talked to someone on and off for a while before going to bed. I woke up in the morning and mostly caught up with some stuff I missed from work. I also played some R.E.P.O. with Luan and someone in my downtime, we played through a few maps, especially the FNaF one and Peach’s castle. We didn’t really see anything new much because some of the enemies were just retextures. I also replied to a few messages from people who were surprised to see someone back in my life, so that was funny. After lunchtime, someone and I got into a call and we mostly discussed and talked about Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl. It was nice, there were some good songs that I liked and someone liked a lot of the songs in the album. But she noticed that it wasn’t as consistent or “themed” as the other albums were, which I also noticed when she pointed it out. We had a listening party and listened to a few songs together before she ultimately had to sleep and I continued on my work, focusing on completing my tasks and overtiming for a while. In the evening, I mostly accompanied someone and treated them to food again because I had some extra so we could eat together on call.

Song of the day: Cupid – Twin Ver. (FIFTY FIFTY) – Sped Up Version by FIFTY FIFTY

Dear Ella Hansen

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: The Theatre at Solaire

Today was the day! Today would be the day I watched Dear Evan Hansen with someone! I was super stoked to watch this live again and I’ll finally watch it with someone. I didn’t really do much today aside from take the day off so I could rest and feel way better and I woke up at around 2 p.m. or so. I also played Outlast Trials with someone and Luan. It was raining a bit which made me worry but I just didn’t care and eventually it was around 4 p.m. when someone asked me if I was leaving yet. We had kind of a misunderstanding and I got confused for a while but it was fine and I booked a ride from my place to theirs so I could pick her up and we could go to Mendokoro together. The commute to her house took a while and the driver said that traffic wasn’t bad, but it eventually got bad because he took the wrong route to her house and we spent and hour or so driving. We eventually got near someone’s house and we picked her up. The commute from there to Mendokoro near SMX was kind of faster, but the driver took so long and had to refill on the way. He actually cut in line for gas, which was weird and someone noticed that. I could tell that the driver was kind of frustrated but we didn’t care and someone and I just kept talking about a bunch of other topics while on the way there. After a while, we thankfully got to Mendokoro just fine and thankfully there wasn’t such a huge wait in line for food. We eventually got our orders and they were quite quick serving it, which was needed because we were running out of time. I was so conscious of the time that I wasn’t able to finish my food, but whatever. We both finished our food enough and I was thankfully able to get a ride to Solaire quickly and the driver was just nearby. It wasn’t long before we got to Solaire and we passed by the casino and joked about playing there. We eventually got to The Theatre and we got our printed tickets. I bought a tote bag for her which costed a lot, like 2,000 Pesos and it was at a different price from when I bought it last time. We wait in line and took a few photos before going down. The lady there told us that our September 26 tickets weren’t valid for today, October 2, and we had to go back to the front desk to have our tickets re-printed, which was such bullshit because I already told the guy at the counter that I had our tickets rescheduled. But whatever, we went back to the counter and it was such a time crunch because some people took a while to wait in line and our reschedule took a while to process. I also noticed one guy trying to sell their tickets because their companion couldn’t make it. Eventually, we got our properly-dated tickets and we rushed to our designated entrance. The musical had already started and someone and I awkwardly waited before we could be let in and we missed the first song. We had to watch through a super low-quality live video feed which was just ass. But we eventually got ushered inside and we got seated. I noticed that Zoe’s actress was different tonight, which was strange because she was Alana in my last watching. Someone joked that Zoe’s mom had some explaining to do because she was so different, but it was fun seeing Jared’s actor be the same person, so that was funny. We just watched and it was nice listening to the songs again and seeing people perform live. Someone was mostly focused on watching and we didn’t talk to each other much like we usually would in our calls. Someone definitely loved the performance and we just waited in our seats during the intermission. The second half of the show eventually started and there were a few moments where someone had shed tears, which was nice to hear because she seemed super moved by the songs. The show eventually ended and we took a few photos and joined in on the people giving a standing ovation. We left and we brought a program before leaving and I gave it to someone as a further souvenir. We booked a Grab ride home and we took a super weird route to someone’s house. We mostly talked about the performance and someone thinks she could be a better Zoe, which I’m sure she definitely would. We eventually got to her house and I bid her farewell. The ride to my house had a bit of rain which kind of reflected my mood because, idk, I was a bit sad that I watched Dear Evan Hansen with 2 people and I think watching it with someone I’m in a relationship with would be better. But whatever, I got home, talked to someone for a bit, and then slept after scrolling for a while. I posted a few IG Stories of my day with someone and I got a few messages, mainly from Rachel because she was surprised to see someone back in my life. Truthfully, even I was shocked because I would have never believed that she would come back in my life and that we would watch Dear Evan Hansen together, so that was nice and I noted that in my IG Story.

Song of the day: Sincerely, Me by Mike Faist, Ben Platt, Will Roland

Journal entry for Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was a pretty normal day and I was mostly waiting in anticipation for tomorrow because someone and I would watch Dear Evan Hansen together. I passed through work just fine and I focused on a lot of tasks that I had to do. Sometime in the day, I bought Outlast Trials for someone and Luan. We downloaded the game and played a few rounds together. I can definitely notice that it was kind of in the same game engine as the original Outlast. I had fun playing with them even though the game seemed a little too brutal and gnarly for me. We quickly got used to the game and I kept upgrading my kit, which was healing-focused so I could help them both out. It was super fun playing it and we finished a lot of rounds. For the rest of the evening, nothing much went on but I did notice that Belle has a new post about watching Dear Evan Hansen, so that was a nice read.

Song of the day: All Time Low by Jon Bellion

Someone finally completed Silent Hill f!

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I worked from home today and work passed by quickly. After work, I was focused on just watching complete their playthrough of Silent Hill f and it was really interesting seeing them complete it and watch the story unfold. We were both fully unsure of what the ending meant, so we did our usual thing to watch some YouTube videos explaining the plot and the story. All in all, the story was nice once we finally got it and we called it a day after that.

Journal entry for Monday, September 29th, 2025

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Monday was just another day with me spending it at home and I didn’t really do much today aside from work and watch someone continue with their playthrough of Silent Hill f. It was nice seeing them complete more of the story and we were both really confused and wondering what the entire story is about. She completed a great amount of the story and by the evening I treated them out for food and we ate on call. We mostly talked about a few things like her work and we were really weirded out by this one applicant that had a resume that looked like a scrapbook of some sort. All in all, today was nice and I got to spend it watching someone continue their playthrough.

Journal entry for Sunday, September 28th, 2025

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday was just me spending my time at home and watching someone progress through more of Silent Hill f’s story. I woke up late in the afternoon and I just watched a lot of Titanfall 2 videos and eating take-out, which kind of made me feel bloated for the rest of the day. My sister and cousins were out today for their trip to Manila so it was just me at home. I kind of felt a little dismayed that my sister didn’t do the laundry today even though it was the perfect day to do laundry as the past few days were just super rainy. In the evening, I booked a Grab ride for all of them to get home safely and they were super happy about it. Someone also got back from their trip and played through some parts of Silent Hill f in the evening before I went to sleep.

Bing Bong in Starbucks

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

Today I was kind of bored so I decided to go to Starbucks on 32nd Street so I could work on my website. I didn’t really do much aside from code for a bit and work on the new redesign. I was supposed to work on my mood calendar entries because I was kind of delayed, but I put more focus on the Material 3 Expressive redesign than anything else. I didn’t stay for long because my stomach was kind of hurting and one lady asked if I was leaving so she could take my table and have 2 tables all for herself, which was kind of rude and an asshole thing to do because these tables aren’t for 1 person to hog. But whatever, I just got home and tried doing some work at home.

Song of the day: edamame by bbno$, Rich Brian

Journal entry for Friday, September 26th, 2025

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was supposed to be the day someone and I would watch Dear Evan Hansen together but the rain was so extreme today and that there was a typhoon so our plans for today got axed. Thankfully, we were able to reschedule our viewing to October 2nd, even though I was really, really looking forward to watching Dear Evan Hansen today. I even took a leave for it, but whatever. Someone just streamed her gameplay of Silent Hill f and thankfully today's workday wasn't that stressful, if at all. I mostly just watched her play through the story and it was fun watching them beat some enemies and uncover more of the story. Too bad nothing else happened today and we didn’t really push through, but it’s kind of for the better because the weather was just absolute shit today. I just stayed at home and talked to someone but I didn’t stay up tonight to accompany her because she had someplace to go.

Song of the day: Sincerely, Me by Mike Faist, Ben Platt, Will Roland

Journal entry for Thursday, September 25th, 2025

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was another day I’ll just spend at home but today someone downloaded Silent Hill f and told me that she’ll play the game, so that was nice. She had some issues playing the game and she took a while to configure the game, but it eventually was good enough for her to play on. She completed a bit of the story before Luan had to ask if we’re down to play on Discord. We agreed and played a bit of R.E.P.O. and even reached level 13, which was already a new record for us to play on. We stopped playing after that and I wrapped up my day.

Song of the day: 1-800 by bbno$, Ironmouse

Journal entry for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Nothing much else happened again today aside from me watching videos of weirdos thinking that the rapture was happening, which was obviously a load of bullshit. I commissioned Reynald to make that new banner for me so my profile looks more cohesive, so that was cool of him to take. Nothing else happened aside from that.

Song of the day: Angel #48 by aespa

Journal entry for Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

Nothing much happened today aside from me reinstalling macOS because I wanted a clean reinstall of Tahoe and that I installed a lot of emulators that I didn't really need on my Mac.

Song of the day: Angel #48 by aespa

Journal entry for Monday, September 22nd, 2025

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was the first full day of me working from home again and with a working Internet connection. Work just continued and passed by just fine and pretty soon my workday was over. In the evening, I got to play R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan, which was nice because I have a stable connection now and it worked perfectly.

Song of the day: I want you to by SMORZ

1 Gbps Internet! Finally!

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Sunday had me playing R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan in the morning and I also called someone in the morning. We mostly talked about this toy car that she has which was pretty cool. We played a few rounds before I had to stop our game so I could prioritize getting my new fiber Internet line installed. The technicians arrived at 10 a.m. or so in the morning and they took a while fully setting up my Internet. They told me that it was a challenging task because my fiber line was already too long from a connection box and that the ones nearby were already full. The installation took so long, several hours in fact. It even rained and there was a part where I thought that they would just give up on installing it, but they pushed through. The first installation didn’t work so they had to re-lay the cable again and they took a good hour or so which felt like forever. But they eventually made it work on the second re-laying and they were able to confirm network access through the fiber cable. I was super glad and relieved to have Internet again, and it was at 1 Gbps as well! It was the fastest our Internet connection had ever been, from 30 mbps during our copper cable days to 1 Gbps. I’m personally glad and I celebrated by updating a lot of my devices. Too bad I wasn’t able to play with someone and Luan for today, but it was fine. I’m just happy I have a working Internet connection again.

Gilmore and Greenhills

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Gilmore and Greenhills

My day started with me still talking to someone from last night. We got into a call and just lounging around and talking while someone was working. I still didn’t have a working Internet connection but it didn’t affect me that much. We eventually had to drop the call after someone had to focus on her task and I was kind of happy to get off the call because I’m so tired from 4 days of working continuously on site. I got my well-deserved rest after that. When I woke up, I had to prepare and get ready because Exavier and I have plans to go to Gilmore so we could buy his PC parts. I took a while to get dressed and book a ride but I fortunately found a rider that’ll take me to Gilmore and I thankfully didn’t have much problem going there and the motorcycle was pretty comfortable, too. I was kind of weirded how Exavier was able to message me through iMessage because I knew he had an Android, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, to be exact. But I’ll just ask him when I meet up with him. I eventually meet up with him at PC Hub and he had just finished buying the PC parts that he needed and I talked with him for a while on what else to buy, like the CPU cooler. He eventually tells me that he has an iPhone now and that he was using an iPhone 16 Pro, which was super shocking to me but that’s cool. We eventually get the extra parts and we book a ride to Greenhills Mall nearby and our ride took a while there due to traffic even though it was only supposed to be a short trip. We had dinner at Ramen Nagi and Exavier treated me to Dairy Queen, which was nice. We just talked and ate for a while before booking a ride home and we just stopped at my house and Exavier had to walk all the way to their house. Thankfully, it didn’t rain that much at the end and we both got home to our respective houses just fine.

Journal entry for Friday, September 19th, 2025

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Nothing really went on much today aside from me working in the office with my coworkers. I’m just glad that I finally completed my mandatory days in the office for this month. I was mostly just busy with work and had some food with my coworkers before going home. I didn’t really accompany someone for their work today because I was super exhausted and I still didn’t have Internet connection.

Song of the day: Year 3000 by Busted

Lyrics that resonated with me:
He said "I've been to the year 3000
Not much has changed
But they lived underwater
And your great-great-great-granddaughter
Is pretty fine, is pretty fine"

Bing Bong in the Office

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I didn’t have anything better to do today but it was another day in the office for me since I still didn’t have Internet at home. I stuffed Bing Bong in my bag just so I could say that I brought him with me to the office. Too bad none of my coworkers knew where he was from but that was fine. I just spent a usual day in the office but it was fun because I got to sit near my coworkers and I had lunch with them. I went home after a usual, fun day at work. In the evening, I had a call with someone and I set over the 2 albums to her: Taylor Swift’s “Lover” and ILLIT’s “I’ll Like You” and she unboxed and checked them out during our call, which was nice to see. We talked for a while more afterward before I went to sleep.

Song of the day: 360 by Charli xcx

Karaoke with coworkers!

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Rockstar KTV Glorietta

Today was pretty fun, I worked in the office today and I completed all the stuff on my plate early because I would be singing karaoke with my coworkers later after work. I didn’t really mind much of today as nothing much happened aside from me getting the proper phone case that I ordered. I found it so cool but I had a hard time getting my wrist strap through it. I had to stop by a store and be left behind for a while but it was worth it as I eventually got the wrist strap on and I caught up with my coworkers at Mad Mark’s in Glorietta. We had lunch together and my usual day followed. I finished everything I needed to do and timed out early. I started watching Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025) on Netflix during my downtime and while waiting for my other coworkers. One coworker accidentally spoiled a plot point and it kinda shocked me, but I kept watching until we got to the karaoke place. I think I sang first and then my coworkers kept singing songs after that. I mostly sung the classic OPM songs I know and I even followed through singing “Kabet” by Gagong Rapper. It was super fun and I loved singing some songs. It was also shocking that my coworkers sang “modern”/current-year songs like “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga and some songs from K-Pop Demon Hunters. I sang a lot of songs and I got to sing my favorites, which was nice. We also had good food but I didn’t care about getting gout. We went home at around 9 p.m. and I got home safely. In the evening, I called someone and it was nice talking to them before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Favorite Thing by Nathan Farell, Lawrence

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Some people say, writing another song 'bout love is so cliché
But I am afraid, that I got one on my mind and I can't wait another day

And I'm done trying to fight it
I can't help wanting to write it
'Cause loving you is my favorite thing to do

Journal entry for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I woke up at around 4 today and I believe I got enough sleep or so because I slept at 9 p.m. yesterday. I immediately started updating ALL of my Apple devices onto their respective OS26 versions. I liked the Apple TV update, but I was more into the macOS26 and iOS26 update. I was instantly happy when my iPhone updated to iOS26 and I immediately applied the clear glass icon look for all of my wallpapers. I then tried macOS26 and it looked pretty okay. I couldn’t get colored icons to work but I was still happy to have the new journal app because I could finally have a singular place to write journal entries on, which was nice. After using my devices for a bit, I booked a ride to work and commuted to the office. Today was a chill workday. In the morning, a coworker tapped my shoulder and I got scared and screamed for a bit. It was pretty funny because they were also shocked but then they laughed at it and told me to lay off the coffee. I got Starbucks in the morning because I just felt super sleepy. I had lunch with my usual team and we just talked about iPhones, the latest iOS update, and how hard college life was for me and for them. We went back and I continued work for a while. Another coworker, my batchmate, also invited me out to hang and chill for a while and I offered to help them install the latest iOS update since I had data. We ate at Sbarro and then went back to the office as the update on their phone had finished. I was also explaining to them the basic concepts of a container, Docker, Kubernetes, etc. My other coworker and I also went out for quick bite and I just bought a small Belgian waffle from a nearby stand before going back to the office. Then once my work was all done I went out for dinner with my coworker batchmate and we also saw another one of our batchmates and we took a photo before sending it to our group chat. For the rest of the evening, the commute was very quick but I got rained on a little, which was fine. I also noticed that I got the wrong item from a place I ordered from but the people were kind enough to schedule a redelivery tomorrow. I also talked to someone on and off but that was it. I mostly spent the evening consoling my sister on a lot of stuff she was going through but I’m glad everything was okay by the end.

Song of the day: Angel #48 by aespa

Bing Bong!

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Yesterday was pretty stressful because it was the 10th day of me not having Internet connection. It seriously annoyed me and I decided to work from home today. I was able to work on mobile data just fine, but I got annoyed that I didn’t have Internet for so long so I decided to terminate my Internet connection. Aside from that, I eventually messaged the toy shop I commissioned and paid them the remaining balance for Bing Bong. I eventually got Bing Bong delivered to me and, while I wasn’t a fan of how neon green he looked, it eventually grew on me because he is Bing Bong. It kind of made me miss playing Peak with someone and Luan, though. Even though I wouldn’t play Peak with them today, I just posted on my IG Story about the Bing Bong plushie that I got. Work passed by and nothing else happened for the evening so I decided to call it at night at 8 p.m. or so.

Song of the day: All Time Low by Jon Bellion

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I was the knight in shining armor in your movie
Would put your lips on mine and love the aftertaste
Now I'm a ghost, I call your name, you look right through me

Journal entry for Sunday, September 14th, 2025

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: BGC

I got **A LOT** of sleep today and I didn't really notice it. I guess my body was just so tired from working the night shift (and from this week) that I just slept for a continuous 10 and a half hours. It absolutely shocked me that I slept that long, but then I thought about how many things went on this week, and yeah, it seemed correct. I had so many plans today like go to Starbucks on 32nd Street to hang out and work all day. I planned to write down the things I need to study and focus on so that I can have more skills in the future, like learning Docker and Kubernetes. I ate the leftover Jollibee first and then booked a ride to there. I even saw my sister while I was walking to my Angkas ride. It's funny because my sister's Angkas rider and my Angkas rider were the same person! She was the one who rode an Angkas to our place and the one she rode going home was the same one I'd use to get away from home. It's honestly so crazy but it was nice. I eventually got to my pin which was an Uncle John's nearby. I wanted to buy water so I could have something to drink and I bought 2 liters and a hotdog kind of as my lunch. I walked to Starbucks and got my usual white chocolate mocha and then I tried that new banana apple cake. The cake was nice, but I couldn't finish it despite staying for more than 5 hours. I mostly just caught up on some mood calendar entries, especially writing about all that happened yesterday. I had A LOT of mood calendar entries to catch up on and it took me so long, but I'm glad I finally got caught up. I posted some IG Stories and then went on my way to Mitsukoshi mall to finally try Mendokoro since someone had suggested them to me a while back. While on the car ride there, I noticed that there were still some dates that don't have a correct entry so I fixed them while waiting for a seat and for my dinner. Thankfully, I was fully up-to-date on my mood calendar and I was able to enjoy my dinner in peace. I got the "super chashu" ramen and a cashu burger, both of which were honestly pretty good. I especially liked the ramen because it was totally unlike anything I've ever tasted. It was worth the price, but I couldn't take my mind off how "smoky" it tasted. I believe that a smoky BBQ flavor is one of the best flavors I've ever tasted. This one tasted like ramen AND smoky, grilled BBQ which was honestly the first time I've ever had that in a ramen. I eventually finished my meal and booked another Grab ride home and the driver was pretty quiet. I didn't play any music while on the ride home so it was just me and the driver sitting in absolute silence, which was kind of a first for me. I started to have this weird neck pain and it was hurting like hell, but I was fine as the ride home didn't take long and I was able to chill for the rest of the evening. I still had some time to burn so I finally forked that PH webring that I've been putting on hold for so long and even wrote a funny PR for it. It took all of my remaining brain cells to write that PR but I'm just glad to have it done and merged. I got some well-deserved rest after that because this week was just full of events. AND I STILL DON'T HAVE A WORKING FIBER INTERNET CONNECTION!

Song of the day: Sincerely, Me by Mike Faist, Ben Platt, Will Roland

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Dear Evan Hansen
We've been way too out of touch
Things have been crazy
And it sucks that we don't talk that much

Sincerely, Me

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: The Theatre at Solaire

Dear Dartegnian Velarde, Today was finally the day! The day I'd watch Dear Evan Hansen with Belle in Solaire! I spent most of the morning on the last leg of my night shift and I was talking to someone on Discord. I thought that we would get into a call or something, but she seemed too interested in some DotA tournament and I honestly think she's just watching it with some other guy. It felt kind of weird for me to get this feeling again and I just lost interest in talking to them. I just ordered food for myself and ate because I skipped dinner last night. I just ate my food alone and slept while someone kept trying to talk to me and even tried to invite me for a Tetris battle, but I declined. When I woke up, I think I had enough sleep. I checked my sleep measurements and it says that I got 6 hours of sleep, so that was nice. It was just afternoon so I spent some time in the house just reheating the food from last night, watching a YouTube video, and eating. I took a while I honestly don't know how time passed so quickly because it was already around 1:40 p.m. or so. It takes me around 40 minutes to get there and the show starts at 3:00 p.m., so I was already cutting it close. I booked on so many apps and I booked as much and as often as I can, hoping for a rider that will accept. I eventually got one and it did take a while for me to get to Solaire, and I got wet on the ride there because it suddenly rained a few meters away from Solaire, but I was glad that I got there already. I went upstairs to The Theatre and I looked around for Belle and she tells me she's sitting on some sofa. I eventually see her again and I get a bit nervous again, for some reason. I'm only ever like this with Belle and never with my other women friends, but I just push through it and greet her. I then ask how long she has been here and I then get up to ask around if we can already go in. The usher told me that we could go in and I pick up Belle so we could go in. We got seated and the theater absolutely reminded me of the Samsung Theater in Makati, aand it was nice that I got seats so close to the edge and I got us balcony seats. The show eventually starts and I immediately remember that I really love musicals. The voices played from the speaker and I was absolutely amazed at how some of the props on staged moved on their own. It was so crazy because I couldn't get over it the minute I noticed it. I was also immensed in the story. Even though I am a big fan of musicals, I somehow missed watching Dear Evan Hansen. The plot was nice but it was really interesting and also unsettling that it was all built on top of Evan being a grifter, which shocked me. I cringed and squirmed in my seat when he admitted to Connor's parents that he had been lying all this time. During the intermission, Belle and I went out of our seats and I bought her a tote bag and tried to print out our tickets. I asked if I could and it was only 50 Pesos, surprisingly, but I wasn't able to print them out because our tickets had already been scanned, which doesn't make a lick of sense. I wanted them printed out as a souvenir and our tickets were absolutely valid, but the cashier didn't want to print them out. Belle caught me while waiting and it was kind of disappointing to go back to our seats without our printed tickets. Oh well, we just went back and continued watching the show. The rest of the show was really nice, the story concluded and we went out to take a few pictures. We walked around Solaire for a bit talking about Belle's upcoming trips and stuff. We had to pass by the casino area. The extreme smell of cigarettes made me gag and even retch. I really am not used to cigarette smoke and I can't even recall the last time I smelled it, but we eventually got through the casino and Belle got a ride to her bus terminal. I just went home instead of lounging around here, because there isn't much to do and everything else will burn a hole in my wallet. When I got home, I planned to go to Starbucks on 32nd Street in BGC but I didn't push through it and I just browsed the Internet and slept. Today was pretty great, even though I was extremely awkward and stuff around Belle. But it was nice that everything went well today and it was nice to have watched a musical I've been planning to watch for such a long time. Sincerely, your best and most dearest friend: Me

Song of the day: Sincerely, Me by Mike Faist, Ben Platt, Will Roland

Journal entry for Friday, September 12th, 2025

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today didn't have much going on aside from me accompanying someone as we were both working our night shifts. In some part of our call, she eventually shut down because of the stress which kind of seemed off and awkward because I didn't know what to say to her. She eventually was okay enough and she introduced me to this ongoing DotA 2 tournament that she was interested in. She showed me the teams, some of the tactics, and some team formations. I didn't really memorize or listened to it that much because I already know DotA 2 and other moba games aren't for me, and I've tried all of the moba games already. I even tried DotA 2 in high school but I didn't stick with it. She was eventually fully okay and played some Crime Scene Cleaner in the early morning. We also played some R.E.P.O. in the early morning, so that was nice. Nothing else went on for the rest of the day and I just got enough sleep. In the evening, we talked on Discord but we didn't get into a call, which seemed off. Kind of like she was super preoccupied or was already in a call with someone else. I didn't really care much but it bothered me that I still care about such things, when I know I shouldn't.

Journal entry for Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I was working the night shift again today and I mostly was just calling and talking to someone. I didn't really do much aside from just talking to someone about random things and watching them play Crime Scene Cleaner. I still didn't have Internet connection so I didn't have much fun today and I was still annoyed at my Internet connection. We talked about some news that happened throughout the day, but that was mostly it. I accompanied them in the evening again as both of us had night shifts again.

Journal entry for Wednesday, September 10th, 2025

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today had me still spending time with someone as we were both working the night shift and we were bored so we played some of our old, usual games like guessing the Taylor Swift song title, singing the following lyrics of this Taylor Swift song, and we even moved on to identifying the title of this pop song and identifying some of Ariana Grande's songs. It was super fun and I enjoyed it a lot. While I didn't have Internet and only relied on mobile data, I was able to stream the Apple event with someone and we watched as some of the new iPhones got released. We also watched this short film called Visuvius (2012) and it was kind of disgusting to me, but it was an okay short movie. Nothing else happened in the day and I accompanied them in the evening as well.

Song of the day: The Sweetest Pie by Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa

What a day

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Makati

Good God, today was super exhausting. I was still working the night shift from yesterday and I just got to the office recently. It was really dark in the office and honestly kind of creepy. It looked like a Backrooms level and I found out that an abandoned office floor actually was a Backrooms level, which was nice. I continued to work on some important stuff and ate some food at the nearby Starbucks that was still open. I continued my shift and eventually got home at the crack of dawn. It was such a new experience for me going home from the office *while* the sun was rising. I used to go home at times when the sun was setting, but it was the first time to see it rising on my commute home from work. When I got home, I continued my call with someone and we just watched a few videos of KATSEYE's performances. We mostly watched a few more performances and tried calling on FaceTime because both of our Internet connections are bad. We only called for a while because I had other things in the day to do. I got ready and went right back to Makati to do some special assignment. I thought it was going to take a short while since I had already made quite a bit of progress in the first 2 hours. But the people I was temporarily with had other things to do and that stalled my time there. I thought I could go home before rush hour, but I unfortunately got caught up in it. I did have some good lunch to make up for how sleep-deprived I have been, considering that I've been awake for 36+ hours or so. I was able to wrap it all in one day, though, so that was nice. I booked a ride home and it thankfully didn't take me long to get a ride. In the evening, I just slept as I had another shift in a few hours and I just worked and got into a call with someone as the night went on.

Song of the day: Topping by ILLIT

Journal entry for Monday, September 8th, 2025

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I got some good rest today because I didn't have morning work and tonight was the start of me working the US night shift for the week. I didn't do much in the day aside from playing R.E.P.O. with Luan and someone in the afternoon because I didn't have much to do. I was able to play R.E.P.O. just fine on mobile data, thankfully. But our place had an event go on in the evening which I believe caused the extreme slowdown in my Internet connection. I was super frustrated and I started my night shift work with a lot of meetings back to back. It was super hard to work at home so I just said "fuck it" and booked a ride to the office super late in the night. Thankfully, I got to the office super quickly and in 20 minutes or so. The driver took the absolute fastest route to the office and there were barely any cars around as it was super close to midnight. I got to attend my meetings and I saw how the office looked like at night, which was still pretty cool despite how frustrating my Internet connection issue has been.

Song of the day: Thick Of It (feat. Trippie Redd) by KSI

Journal entry for Sunday, September 7th, 2025

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal Mall

I didn't have Internet connection again today so that was pretty frustrating. To combat the boredom, I would spend the day at Venice Grand Canal Mall today and watch a movie. I booked a ticket to see the film My Daughter Is a Zombie (2025) and I didn't research about what it was to avoid spoiling myself. I booked a ride there and spent some time in the Starbucks just watching a few stuff on YouTube before getting up and walking to Zus Coffee because my seat at Starbucks had already been taken. I worked on my MacBook Pro for a while before going to watch the movie. There were only 5 of us in the theater, which was kind of scary because there was no one else here. I had a Korean family sit behind me but thankfully they weren't that loud or annoying. I loved the film and the plot, even though it wasn't clear at first where it was going. I still liked it and it even drove me to a few tears, so that was nice. In the evening, I planned to spend my time here as there still wasn't Internet at home. My sister was here a few minutes ago but she eventually had to go home. I kind of panicked and worried so I booked a ride home only to see her just eating with her boyfriend at home. I kind of rolled my eyes that I panicked for nothing, but I just spent the night just chilling and browsing using mobile data.

Song of the day: Topping by ILLIT

Journal entry for Saturday, September 6th, 2025

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

Saturday started with me accompanying someone throughout their night shift. Even though I didn't have Internet connection today, I still tried to talk and call with them over mobile data. We were able to play R.E.P.O. in the early morning, which was nice. But for the rest of the time, we just had our regular call and stuff. We played Monopoly and she and the bots were winning against me. Someone kept trying to actively prevent me from building properties by taking pieces of other properties and we kind of had some competitiveness going on until I kept landing on other properties. I bankrupted myself after that I just gave up because I didn't see the game as winnable. Someone kept playing and eventually won but then they left the call because they were pissed at me. It kind of devolved into this argument over Monopoly and them accusing me of being a sore loser, even though I just gave up because I was deep in debt and they didn't want to help me out anyway. Our Monopoly games usually revolve around us helping each other out when either one of us are in debt from the bots, until we run off the bots from the board and it's just a 1v1 between us. But someone was actively playing against me this game and I couldn't build enough properties to gain momentum so I just gave up. We both argued that we made valid moves but someone didn't like that I just gave up even though I knew I was going to lose anyway. I just told them that I would stop staying up at night because this was total bullshit. I didn't want to stay up all for this woman to get mad at me over a game of Monopoly, especially when I just came home from a long commute and a day in the office. I didn't want to stay up late for such an ungrateful, horrible person so I just told her that I won't be staying up anymore. She eventually had her head calm down and quickly apologized as I was sleeping. I didn't say I accepted her apology but I just agreed to treat them to food on Monday so that she knew everything was okay between us. She agreed and I got my sleep after that because I was genuinely physically and emotionally exhausted. For the rest of the day, I didn't do much aside from trying to browse the Internet on mobile data. It was so annoying that the Internet wasn't back so that kind of put a huge damp on things.

Journal entry for Friday, September 5th, 2025

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today I spent the early morning just being in call with someone and playing R.E.P.O. and Monopoly with someone. R.E.P.O. in particular was fun because we were able to kill off a few monsters and clear a few levels on our own. It was pretty fun but I had to get my sleep today so I eventually went to bed. In the morning, I didn't have Internet connection but I played a quick few games of R.E.P.O. with someone. I just planned to work from home today so it was fine. We played for a bit before I had to go to work. I tried working at home for a bit, but I couldn't even log in so I eventually made the decision to go to the office today. The rest of the day was mostly spent in the office and I worked on a few tasks. I eventually went to the office past lunchtime so I didn't have lunch with my coworkers and instead had lunch alone. it was pretty boring and I mostly just focused on a few things. We didn't eat out for *merienda* today so I just ate siomai and a Belgian waffle alone. I went back to work and talked to a coworker about Docker for a while before we all went home. In the evening, I still didn't have a working Internet connection but I was able to accompany someone for her night shift and we played R.E.P.O. as well.

Song of the day: Black Betty by Ram Jam

Journal entry for Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today I was able to get modded R.E.P.O. to work and I played some modded R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan before going to work. It was pretty fun and I enjoyed a few rounds just exploring new places. After that, I booked a ride to the office and just had a normal, usual day there. I had lunch out with my coworkers and spent the day just talking to them and focusing on a few tasks that I got. I was more excited to go home because I wanted to play modded R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan again. So the office day just passed but I had a lot of fun talking to my coworkers. In the evening, I played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan after coming home. We explored a few new stages, including a Backrooms-themed level and a Mario-themed level that was set inside Peach's castle. We also had that Minecraft stage set inside the Woodland Mansion. It was pretty fun exploring a few new places in R.E.P.O. and I had a lot of laughs while playing it with them.

Song of the day: Silvertoes by Parokya Ni Edgar

Journal entry for Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today I felt okay enough to go to the office and so I did on a Wednesday. I commuted to work and for the rest of the day, nothing really noteworthy happened. It was mostly a chill day at the office and I wasn't able to have lunch with my coworkers so I just had lunch alone. I had a lot of things to do but I also felt that kidney stone passing which gave me quite a bit of pain. I felt like passing out in the office due to the pain and I had to manage it while doing some work. But eventually I was able to manage it and nothing much happened at work after that. I eventually went home after a ride that felt like it took forever, but was only 40 minutes. I didn't really do much or play afterward and just talked to someone on Discord to pass the time.

Song of the day: Spoliarium by Eraserheads

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Dumilim ang paligid

Journal entry for Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today's kidney stone pain is more manageable than what it was yesterday and I didn't have that much pain. I mostly spent the day just relaxing at home but eventually I got bored and felt okay enough to go out and I decided to go to my usual hangout place at Starbucks on 32nd Street. I went to buy water at a nearby Uncle John's first and I got a lot of water. I also got a drink and I still had some leftovers from breakfast that I brought in my bag to eat just in case I got hungry. I mostly just caught up on some mood calendar entries while there and just took a few photos. I did quite a bit of work catching up but there was still a lot of work left to do. I planned to leave before rush hour started but my sister asked me to just wait for them so we could commute home together. I just tried to pass the time by browsing the Internet and doing random stuff until then. Eventually my sister met up with me and we had some pasta before booking a ride home. After I got home, I played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan and it was pretty fun even though we didn't play for long.

Song of the day: Island Song (Come Along with Me) [feat. Ashley Eriksson] by Adventure Time, Ashley Eriksson

Journal entry for Monday, September 1st, 2025

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

I was in **A LOT** of pain today from having that kidney stone pass and it was extremely excruciating to get through my usual work shift with this much pain. I legit felt like passing out at times from the extreme pain. It was just horrible and I didn't feel okay the entire day. I also called in sick for work tomorrow because the pain today is already unbearable enough. After work, I did try playing modded R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan and we had a lot of issues so we just played a vanilla game and then had a bit of fun playing. After that, we played a few rounds of Phasmophobia after that. I found an IG Reel of Adventure Time's "Come Along with Me" song and I kept playing it the entire day and while we played R.E.P.O.

Song of the day: Island Song (Come Along with Me) [feat. Ashley Eriksson] by Adventure Time, Ashley Eriksson

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Come along with me
And the butterflies and bees
We can wander through the forest
And do so as we please
Come along with me
To a cliff under a tree
Where we can gaze upon the water
As an everlasting dream

Journal entry for Sunday, August 31st, 2025

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday had me still waking up and wondering why it was already Sunday. I seriously can't believe I spent the entirety of my Saturday just sleeping. I seriously spent half of my weekends just sleeping. This is a first and honestly a big surprise to me, but I feel relatively great because I got to have enough sleep. I planned on going out today to relax and catch up on my mood calendar entries, but since the rain was so bad, we just had take-out at home. I enjoyed my day at home regardless, plus this day turned out pretty peaceful, for what it's worth.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Saturday, August 30th, 2025

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Saturday started with me sleeping and eventually waking up to someone leaving behind a few messages in our Discord server about their work. They kept inviting me for Monopoly and I eventually got to play with them and we also got into a call. I wasn't able to successfully win this time and it was mostly someone playing against the bots, until the bots ultimately won, which was funny. Their work eventually got free enough for us to play R.E.P.O. and I got on my PC after that. The first few rounds of us playing R.E.P.O. were okay, but it wasn't anything spectacular. We eventually progressed enough to buy this weapon called the Boltzap and we used to kill and stun a few monsters, mainly this Reaper lady. It was so surprising because we finally had a weapon we could use to kill enemies. I eventually got a gun as well and using the boltzap + gun was super OP and fun. It was like we were playing a totally different game. Someone would stun the enemies with the boltzap and I would kill them using the gun. I was so surprised to have killed a large clown with it and it was such a rush because we got to fight back and kill that thing. We kept playing until we got to Swiftbroom Academy and we were killed by No Face. Funny enough, I was looking at *another* No Face when another one came to our side and killed us both, which was a total bummer because we lost all our money and weapons. We played another game with Luan and it was fun for a few rounds, but someone eventually got tired and we all stopped playing for the morning. I went to sleep after that. For some reason, I barely woke up after that. I woke up very, very late in the day, at around 11 p.m. or so and I kept sleeping after that. I had such weird fever dreams, but I think I don't mind getting more sleep because my body's going through a few things, and I didn't get much sleep on Thursday anyway.

Song of the day: Memories by Maroon 5

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

Treating coworkers lol

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

With the extreme pain from yesterday, I wasn't really sure if I could be able to go to the office today, but my pain wasn't that bad in the morning so I just pushed through it. I thankfully got to the office early today, which was a pleasant surprise. I got seated at my proper seat because it seemed that the area around my coworkers was full, but we eventually all went out at the correct time and I was able to treat them out. We ate at Banana Leaf in Greenbelt and they had a good selection of Thai food, which was nice. They mostly kept teasing me about how often I get into medical mishaps with my kidney stones and HIV tests and whatnot, but it was all in good fun and I enjoyed the banter, I also laughed along with them. Lunch was very filling and I spent around 7K for all of them, which was okay since I expected this much. I kept teasing one other coworker to treat us since they got promoted recently, but they also agreed to coffee and donuts for us, which was nice. We got coffee and I thanked them as well. I went back to the office first because I had a lot of stuff to do and a meeting to attend, but after that it was just a chill day in the office for me. I eventually had to go home early because I got here early and I played R.E.P.O. with Luan and even Miles was able to join us. It was pretty fun but also a bit chaotic since there were 4 of us and Miles/someone was having input issues. We eventually took a break and I mostly messaged someone on Discord and I passed out for a few hours to get some rest.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Thursday, August 28th, 2025

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

I called off work for today because I didn't have any sleep from last night and I just want to spend the entire day just resting. I felt some really, really horrible pain today and it left me bedridden for the rest of the day. I was able to sleep through some of the pain and I downed a lot of water knowing that my pain was from a kidney stone that's passing. In the evening, I was okay enough to play R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan, so that was nice. I also had a lot of friends message me and ask about my wellbeing again, so I felt way better than I usually would.

Song of the day: Shalala Lala by Vengaboys

Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Bad
Significant Location: Hospital ER

Today supposedly seemed like a normal day, I would be working from home today and my workday was nothing of note. I got some rest at the end of my shift and, when I woke up, I was in searing pain. I felt like passing out from too much pain because it was just excruciating. I felt like I was going to pass out. My initial idea was to ignore it but after seeing my urine turn bloody, I knew I had to rush myself to the ER. I initially thought that it was the HIV PEP that was causing this and that my kidneys were shutting down. It felt like a true House M.D. moment where someone gets rushed to the ER. But this would be my first time rushing myself to the ER. I booked a ride to the nearest available ER and it was quite a ways away, but it was fine. I just had searing pain. I took a motorcycle ride to the ER and I just prayed that I wouldn't pass out while on the ride there or cause a major accident. I was playing Big Time Rush's "Paralyzed" and it was such a fitting song to listen to while trying my best not to pass out from the pain. I also remembered BT from Titanfall 2 saying Protocol 3 and that's what I was just thinking to myself as I was rushing myself to the ER. I had to file a lot of paperwork which just made me wonder how a truly disabled person would do all this but I just filled out my patient forms and then another doctor came to see me. They made me get a urinalysis and I just waited for the results. Thankfully, the hospital had Wi-Fi (even though I already had my pocket Wi-Fi on me, the signal was poor) and I was able to message my friends and family, also I informed my workmates that I was rushed to the ER. The doctor told me that the hospital would be kind of expensive and I asked if it would be in the hundreds of thousands of Pesos, but they assured me that they didn't cost that much. I had an IV line connected to me and I was given some pain medication, and the doctor eventually returned to tell me I had a kidney stone. I'm honestly glad the diagnosis was "just" kidney stones and not my kidney shutting down or what. I had another doctor come take a look at me and I was just given anti-pain meds and I was told that I could be discharged. I posted a few pics to my close friends on IG and messaged a few of my concerned friends that it was just kidney stones. I paid my ER bill which was thankfully around 3,000 Pesos, and I honestly expected a worse bill. Thankfully, I still had that 4,000 Peso downpayment from my staycation to pay for this, and I'd argue that medical care is priceless anyway. I got a ride home and I thankfully arrived home safe. For the rest of the night, I was mostly in pain but I felt a little better knowing that my pain had a name and that I should just make some lifestyle changes moving forward. I spent the entire night in agony but today wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. I had concerned friends message, reach out, and some were really concerned about my wellbeing, which was honestly super nice at a horrible time like this.

Song of the day: Paralyzed by Big Time Rush

Back to Work!

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I finally went back to work today and I'll be working from home today, but things are pretty usual, it doesn't feel like I missed much. I quickly got back and up to speed on all of the stuff I had to do, which wasn't much, so that was fine. Going back to work really felt seamless and there wasn't much that got in the way, so I generally had a stress-free return. For the evening, I played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan and it was pretty fun. I also tried to put some Peak stickets from Discord onto iMessage and I made it work. I didn't do much after that and I slept afterward.

Song of the day: LOVE SCENARIO by iKON

Back to Reality

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

Today was sadly the last day of my staycation. I genuinely enjoyed this place and it's kinda sad to be going away so soon, but I guess that's just life. I stayed up for a bit and ultimately was up very early. I just used my Mac for a bit and took a few photos because I had a feeling I'll miss this place. I wanted to have breakfast early today and I got down at an early time. I had breakfast and filled my plate with good food and sent some photos to my sister. I had a really, really good breakfast and I immediately felt very full. After that, I didn't do much aside from taking a proper bath and prepare myself to check out. I packed all my things and I accidentally nicked my MacBook while trying to put in the charger. I hate seeing any kind of damage on my MacBook but whatever, I just didn't care at this point. I went downstairs and I got my security deposit, which was nice because I need the 4,000 Pesos. I booked a quick ride home and thankfully the car ride wasn't that expensive, which was a surprise because the trip here via car was kind of expensive. I eventually got home and was greeted by my sister and it felt so weird seeing my room again (and the house as a whole) after my trip. I really want to make my daily life look as comfortable and as nice as my stay. For the rest of the day, I mostly just slept. I got that Sky manta delivered and I sent it to someone in the afternoon. In the evening, I played Peak with someone and we played R.E.P.O. with Luan shortly afterward. She also showed my the manta in our Discord call and it looked cute. We also played Phasmophobia and got quite a lot of ghosts right. I did a bit of trolling and filled the ghost room with trash and other props, so that was funny.

Journal entry for Sunday, August 24th, 2025

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

I didn't really do much today aside from sleep and sleep, I mostly just slept the day away because of my broken sleep schedule and my sleep debt. In the evening, I did try to play a few games by screen mirroring my iPhone to my Apple TV. I also ordered room service today, which was nice. It was a little bittersweet knowing that today was my last full day for my staycation. I tried to make the most out of it by enjoying my day. It kinda sucks that I mostly slept this day off rather than do something productive or cool with it, but that's fine. I did enjoy the hot bathtub and the really clean room, and I also played some games at the end of the day.

Journal entry for Saturday, August 23rd, 2025

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

Saturday continued with me accompanying someone for her evening work. We mostly just ate and talked about a few things. I treated them out to Burger King since they were thinking of getting it. We got our food and we ate together, which was super nice. We mostly talked and played some Monopoly games on the side for the night. We kept talking until the morning and that's when we tried playing Peak together. I tried my best to stream on the TV and use the controller, which was a super nice experience considering this big bed and me just chilling because the room was so cold. We couldn't get to the peak this time but we eventually played R.E.P.O. with Luan in the morning. After that, we stopped playing and I got my complimentary breakfast downstairs. I stayed up for a while and eventually slept. I mostly slept the day away but in the evening I watched Nobody Knows (2004) again. I just remembered how heartbreaking the story was and maybe it would give me more insight because I last watched it as a teen, and rewatching it as an adult might give me more insight on it. I also ordered room service and the serving of fries they gave was so generous, so that was really nice. I watched the movie up to the heartbreaking point after that I couldn't watch anymore. I did other things to pass the night away.

Song of the day: Night Changes by One Direction

Journal entry for Friday, August 22nd, 2025

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

My day started with me accompanying someone for a bit throughout their night shift work, but I told them that I couldn't accompany them the whole night because I'm so tired and sleep-deprived. I will accompany them for 2 full nights this week, for Tuesday and this upcoming Friday, and I didn't want to add more to my sleep debt. So instead I had to set up that boundary and we just talked for a bit. We mostly talked throughout the night and I even bought tickets for musicals that we'll watch together in the future. We've planned to watch Dear Evan Hansen and Les Misérables in the future, which was nice. I also bought them that Sky manatee ear set that I promised. For the rest of the day, I mostly just relaxed and rested. I eventually got to watch and finish the entirety of Lost in Translation (2003). It was nice, but it wasn't as deep as I had expected. It was very slow-paced, which was kind of okay for me. I ordered some food for myself from Mushroomburger and the fries didn't really live up to the taste compared to when I ordered them in Tagaytay. I had 2 liters of buko juice as well so I was able to hydrate myself well. In the evening, I played some R.E.P.O. and Phasmophobia with Luan and someone. It was super fun to play a lot of games with them and it really elevated my mood. After that, I accompanied someone for the entirety of their night shift.

Song of the day: Somebody To You by The Vamps

Journal entry for Thursday, August 21st, 2025

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

Today started with me watching Wall to Wall (2025) on Netflix. It was a good story, but it made me feel a bit more paranoid, for some reason. Eventually, we moved to watching Lucy (2014) and, even though I've already watched this before, it was kind of boring this time. After that, I tried to get as much sleep as I could, but I couldn't sleep much considering it's my first night and the bed is kind of... filled. Not to mention I was still a bit paranoid from last night about my stuff being stolen. But I was eventually able to get some sleep and I eventually woke up just in time for breakfast. I had breakfast with my guest and I had a pleasant talk with them, I mostly asked what they did and they said that they dealt in selling cars and stuff. The breakfast buffet was also nice, I enjoyed the bacon the most. After that, my guest eventually left and I had the room all to myself once again. I played with someone in Sky for a bit before they left me to do other stuff. I didn't really have anything planned for today but I read online that there was medication available for post-exposure to HIV. I thought about it since it might cost me a bit of money, but then I thought about it and figured that it was worth taking it rather than me worrying about it in the future. I went back to that clinic again and the ride to Makati was fairly quick. Ayala Avenue was fairly empty, too, which was a pleasant surprise considering that it's usually packed. Since today is a holiday, I figured that there weren't that much people around here. I eventually got to the clinic and had to get tested for Hepatitis B and C first before taking the PEP medicine, and thankfully both turned out negative. I was prescribed meds to take over the course of 30 days or so and then I was off again. I thought that I could hang out at the Starbucks nearby, like last time, but it was closed so I went to another Starbucks at Ayala North Exchange. I took a picture of a cute cat sleeping and I didn't disturb it further as I kept walking. It was honestly surprising to see almost no one around in the middle of the day. I eventually got there and I tried the new grape drink and it was honestly kind of disgusting. Totally not for me. I had another coffee drink and I took some medicine with it. I tried working here since I brought my MacBook with me, but I ultimately couldn't since I didn't feel comfortable and I wanted to go back to my room to make the most out of my staycation. I decided to just book a ride back and eventually got a ride. It didn't take long since there was barely any traffic. I planned to write and do other things, but I essentially ended up sleeping and doing a few random things. In the evening, I played R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan for a while, then we moved to playing Peak. Someone and Luan were impressively able to make it out of the kiln today, which was a surprise because they haven't been out together without me. We played Phasmophobia afterward and eventually stopped playing. I got into a call with someone after that and I talked about buying tickets for upcoming musicals so we could watch together. The night continued from there.

Song of the day: City Is Ours by Big Time Rush

Staycation 2025!

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Staycation 2025!

Wednesday started with me still accompanying someone for their shift, but I was also excited since today would be the day of my big vacation! We played a few games at this point, mostly Peak and R.E.P.O. We had fun in Peak and someone kept trying to feed me the poisonous green apples and we eventually both died at the mesa due to the sandstorms. I was trying to find the golden Bing Bong tomb to no avail so we eventually just died and played R.E.P.O. instead. After that, someone and I left the call and I tried to get as much sleep as I could, which wasn't much considering that I'll mostly stay awake tonight again as well. The day mostly passed by as I just rotated between sleeping and preparing to get ready for my trip to the hotel/building for my staycation. In the afternoon, I eventually made my commute there and it was a costly trip, but I got a Joyride car ride instead of a Grab one because that somehow would cost me 1,000 Pesos if I booked a ride, which was honestly just stupid. Regardless, I was able to get a ride and I remembered an old Big Time Rush song that genuinely served as hype music for my staycation. It was such a good song and it really did capture the vibe of today: going to my staycation and enjoying the entire evening. I eventually got to the hotel and checked in, and I was asked to pay a 4,000 Peso security deposit, which was kind of weird. I thought that I had already paid for a security deposit when I booked the room, or at least that's what I thought that the 2,000 Pesos were. I didn't have that much cash on hand so I just told them that I'll pay some cash later. I withdrew quite a bit of cash and I honestly didn't bother looking in my account after that. I was able to pay for the security deposit and then just chilled for the rest of the night watching House M.D. until I had other things to do in the evening.

Song of the day: City Is Ours by Big Time Rush

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Rolling past graffiti walls
Billboards lighting up the block
Everyone of us on a mission (Oh, yeah)
Got a whole crew by my side
Cars beep-beep when they pass us by
Be ready to get down to business (Hm-mmm)

We pull up, open the door
All the girls, scream there they are
It's packed from wall to wall and everybody is calling
Here they come, it's almost time
Feel the rush, now hit the lights
We gonna get it all started

Because the night is young, the line is out the door
Today was crazy but tonight the city is ours (City is ours)
Live it up until the morning comes
Today was crazy but tonight

The city is ours! (The city! The city!)
The city is ours! (The city!)

Journal entry for Tuesday, August 19th, 2025

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was my final day of work before my staycation tomorrow and I was honestly really excited. Work passed by quickly and ended. For the evening, I essentially just played Peak with someone and Luan in the evening. We were fine playing Peak and I was initially following someone before I had to stop for a bit to reply to some work stuff and then someone keeps going ahead on her own. I eventually die because I didn't follow either Luan or someone to the top and I just got lost. They weren't able to revive me at the top of the shore area because someone had already activated the statue for a mythical item. We continued on to the tropics where someone and Luan had both completely taken different sides and I mostly stayed with Luan because he didn't mind it and maybe that someone would get mad at me for being a backseat climber. Luan was able to reach the peak of the tropics and revive me while someone took a while to climb. I wanted to try to help them and I tried calling out to them but we got no response. We did notice that the distance meter at the campfire was shortening but eventually someone turned into a ghost and then they got so pissed off, they left the game. What happened afterwards was that someone was pissed off at me for a number of reasons, but it wasn't relevant to this round because I was really following them at the start of the game. I even showed them screenshots but they didn't want to believe me and instead wanted to believe the narrative they have in their head. They got into this weird stance and was very standoffish, which was honestly incredibly disgusting and reminiscent of how we used to work the years before with all the petty, stupid arguments and such. But somehow, someone was able to be reasoned out and things were okay after I had to acknowledge their struggles and we were okay after that. Surprisingly, we were okay with no repercussions and we continued to play R.E.P.O. afterwards in the late evening. It was fun and it saved the day from being a really poor one by someone's selfish hardheadedness. It's still a massive surprise how they're the only person in my life I often/only get into arguments like these, but whatever. I did tell someone that it trigged my anxiety and she wondered if it would be healthy, but I just continued on just enduring toxic mini-arguments like this. I had my staycation to look forward to tomorrow so I'm weathering whatever storm comes my way until then.

Song of the day: The End of the World by Skeeter Davis

Journal entry for Monday, August 18th, 2025

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Nothing much went on today aside from me just doing work throughout the morning to evening. After work, I played Peak with someone and we got into the tomb of Golden Bing Bong, but we didn't make it through the mesa this time and we eventually stopped playing Peak. We played R.E.P.O. with Luan after that and we had fun playing a few rounds before stopping to play for the day.

Song of the day: Black or White - Single Version by Michael Jackson

Journal entry for Sunday, August 17th, 2025

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday was pretty chill for me. I played Sky in the morning around 3 a.m. with someone and I was able to make Peak run on my M4 Pro MacBook Pro in preparation for my staycation next week. I just completed today's dailies with someone in Sky and we logged off after that. I didn't do much else throughout the whole day aside from just browsing IG Reels and other usual stuff.

Song of the day: I Wanna Be The One by fun.

Journal entry for Saturday, August 16th, 2025

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Saturday started with me accompanying someone throughout their entire night shift, which was the usual case/routine at this point. We did our usual things like order food together and eat for a while, but we didn't stream anything during this time or anything. We just ate and I got good food from McDonald's and got yet another footlong sandwich from Subway. Someone ordered Dunkin' and I sent her some money for coffee, but that was mostly it. We played Monopoly online as well! We were bored and someone actually was losing most of the time, which led me to bailing them out, but it was a good strategy since we were playing against bots. Ultimately, I lost against the bots and gave someone all of my Monopoly properties before declaring bankruptcy. Someone was eventually able to snag the win and I'm glad I got to see her win. I also added a funny sitcom laugh track to our server's soundboard and I found it hilarious. I kept using it but someone didn't seem that amused, but she was teasing me for it. Morning ultimately rolled around and she told me that we should play Peak and so we did. She saw that Luan was online and she invited him to play with us. I was surprised because we were playing peak so early in the morning, it was only around 7:00 a.m. or so. Thankfully, the seed for today's map was pretty easy. We got through the shore part fine, then the tropics weren't that hard once we found a path, and we eventually got to the new mesa biome again. We tried to find the entrance today but I couldn't find the way to floor glitch into the golden Bing Bong's tomb. Eventually, someone and I died to the weather conditions and Luan was alone. He tried to keep looking for it, only to give up and try to "lock in" before falling in the chasm and dying instantly. We played Peak again and didn't have any trouble going through the stages and we eventually got back to the mesa biome again. It was so hard and I tried to find the glitched entrance that allows us to go down to the tomb, to no avail. I eventually gave up and we tried to play the game normally but I saw the new "sand ant" trap and showed it to someone. She was curious and tried to go deeper in, only to die. Luan also tried to save her and died shortly afterward. I was able to dive in and rescue them but I didn't have stamina and died in the process lol. We moved on to play Phasmophobia next where we played 2 rounds. At first, were able to guess the correct ghost but I died. In the second round, we ultimately got another perfect investigation. Someone went to sleep shortly afterward and I gave my remaining 6-inch Subway sandwich to my sister as a thanks and her breakfast for cleaning up the bathroom. For the rest of the day, I mostly just slept. I had a weird dream where someone was playing Peak with other people and then I dreamed of them seeing a new guy. I woke up and I see a message from her saying that she also had a dream of being asked out but by a girl, which was super weird. I didn't know what to feel about it but I just reminded myself that she wasn't the one and that these were weird leftover feelings that'll go away again. I just watched House M.D. and did my own things for the rest of the evening and I ordered dinner as well. I helped resolve an issue between my Mom and my sister, so that was nice. But I mostly enjoyed just watching House M.D. until midnight.

Journal entry for Friday, August 15th, 2025

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I caught up on a lot of sleep debt today, but it seems that I only got the usual 7 or so hours of sleep, which was surprising. I still felt good enough to wake up early and I had breakfast at home again and talked to someone early in the morning. We played Sky and chatted there for a bit, even though it was a bit difficult to type, and we then had to leave because I had to also leave for work. My commute to work was surprisingly early today, which was nice. I was able to sit next to my usual set of coworkers today and we ate lunch together. We ate at Modern Shanghai in Glorietta because there was a 50% discount for Bistro Group restaurants. The food was nice, but also really filling and salty, which made me worry a bit because I didn't want a gout flare-up before my big vacation next week.

Song of the day: Coffee by Beabadobee

Journal entry for Thursday, August 14th, 2025

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I didn't get much sleep today on account of me watching through episodes of House M.D. on Netflix. I just couldn't sleep and just kept watching in my downtime. This is a bit alarming because I haven't been sleeping much for the past few days so I have a bit of sleep debt racked up. I also had on-and-off calls with someone but it wasn't anything too important aside from staying with them on call for a bit and helping them with their work. Eventually, I was still able to sleep, even if it was only a little. When I woke up, I was so groggy and tired that everything just felt surreal. I decided on whether or not I should call today off, but I think I'm still fine enough to power through the day and just thug it out. I booked a ride to the office and got there surprisingly okay. Today was a usual, chill day in the office and I mostly just did my usual round of tasks. I made sure to hydrate and drink coffee in the morning so that I won't feel too sluggish. Nothing was too out of the ordinary today, I mostly spent time with my coworkers and had them tease me about my upcoming vacation next week. I hate lunch out with them and had a good serving of Pepper Lunch for... lunch, and when we went back, we tried this 20:20 countdown timer game where you get a free watch if you manage to stop it on time, and I got 20:25 on my timer, which was the closest anyone got in our team. Too bad I missed by 5 milliseconds. Aside from that, we just went back to the office and I continued through my usual round of tasks, with my coworkers and I going out to buy *merienda* together in the afternoon and talking about our college curriculums. After that, I did a few things before timing out for the day and booking a ride home. I was so sleepy by then so I just slept the night through.

Journal entry for Wednesday, August 13th, 2025

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was a pretty good day, I didn't do much in the early morning to afternoon aside from just working but I had time to play with someone in the morning. After playing, I commuted to the office and just worked. It was a chill day in the office and it was just me and 1 other coworker in the isle. We didn't do much aside from work and play the board game Unmatched in the afternoon since our schedules were relatively-free. We also went out for *merienda* and got ice cream at this nearby Carmen's Best stall. After work ended, I quickly went home and spent the entire evening just playing games with Luan and someone. I also played enough Peak while waiting for them to get the Bing Bong avatar decoration on Discord, which was nice. I had effectively memorized the route to the tomb of golden Bing Bong and I had to end my solo run after I got there. Eventually, someone, Luan, and I started playing Peak and I basically just guided them to the tomb. Someone died while on the way to the tomb and Luan shortly died while we were playing around with golden Bing Bong. It was up to me to make it up the Mesa biome alone and I was able to lock in while Luan and someone were talking and chilling as ghosts. I can't believe that I actually made it to the top and I was able to resurrect both of them as we got to the caldera section. Unfortunately, we died on the way and we weren't able to get the 24 Karat badge by throwing golden Bing Bong into the lava in the kiln. We just played another game, Phasmophobia, and our night continued from there as we played a few rounds before logging off for the night.

Journal entry for Tuesday, August 12th, 2025

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Tuesday started out with me playing Peak with someone and Luan. We were just continuing our game and call from yesterday and we surprisingly go through the Mesa today as a whole team. We got through the caldera and kiln section as well without anyone dying! We even carried Bing Bong all the way to the top and escaped the island as 3! It was super nice and I'm glad we were able to get out AND bring Bing Bong with us. After that, we all left the game but someone and I still stayed to call and watch the next installment of The Two Embers in Sky. It was deeply sad for us, especially when it hit me that the manta was actually dead. I hold out for the idea that they could be resurrected or something, but they really did die. It was kinda sad for us but we played a few quests and watched some seasonal outfits parade around the Aviary Village. But I eventually had to sleep as I had work in the morning. Work passed by just fine and it quickly rolled around to the evening. We played for quite a bit in the new Mesa biome but we didn't get golden Bing Bong today. It was fun playing Peak but we eventually stopped and played Phasmophobia instead. We stopped playing after a few rounds after that. Someone also showed me Theodore on cam while we were talking on Discord so that was something. All in all, today was pretty great.

Angrily Running on Zero

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Surprisingly, I couldn't sleep today and I don't know why but I just stayed up all night doing absolutely nothing. I was just scrolling and browsing the Internet on my phone all night and I barely felt sleepy until it was time for my sister to wake up and she made me some Mie Goreng for breakfast. I also got coffee today because I needed something to help keep me up and it did. I was able to time in for work early and fix up a few things and work continued as usual. The morning and afternoon wasn't really noteworthy and I talked to someone on and off until my shift ended. After work, I was still surprisingly awake but kind of sleepy. I'm not sure if I was irritable but someone invited me to a game and I accepted. It was initially just us two playing Peak and she kept teasing and making fun of me from the start of the game. It kind of started to irritate me a little how often her jokes on me were and I didn't even get a normal minute to have some banter or talk as she was just relentless. Luan eventually joined us before the jungle stage and we kept going. He talked about being able to stay up to play the Mesa update later since he's already on vacation and I had this idea in my head of us just playing games until the update. Eventually we get through the jungle and then it's the alpine stage. Someone died midway through the run and I jumped in after them to save Bing Bong and have their character pass out. Since we had the Scout Effigy, I thought we could just revive them at a later time since we're strapped for utilities and food. I managed to save and get Bing Bong as me and Luan climbed up and found a way to the top of the alpine. While on the way, someone kept joking about me going after Bing Bong and then Luan eventually also did. They kept teasing and someone laughing so loudly hit a nerve and I started to get ticked off. At the caldera stage, we continued through but near the end, someone fell and took down Bing Bong with them. I tried to search for Bing Bong in the lava but I eventually couldn't make it and died. When they revived me before the kiln stage, I was already pissed off. I went back to try and save Bing Bong but I couldn't see him anywhere and my heart just broke. I was trying to bring them the whole run so that us 4 could at least get to the top together, but all that happen this run was have them make fun of me and then lose Bing Bong. I was honestly pissed off at this point but I didn't want my anger to show so I just shut up at the end. I went back to the kiln alone and had to speedrun it to the top. I passed by them and someone and Luan wondered why I wasn't talking but they could hear my keyboard sounds so my mic wasn't muted. I really just wasn't in the mood to talk. I kept climbing and climbing alone but I still helped them and showed them the way. Somehow, someone fell on the way and died leaving me and Luan to climb. I was still pointing and helping him, even giving my rope gun. Luan eventually used the scout effigy to bring someone back but she eventually died again before we got to the top and it was just me and Luan at the top by the end. Someone asked me why I was quiet and then I told them that I was ticked off. The airport stage started after the credits rolled and I left the game without saying anything. Someone and I got into kind of like an argument but it ultimately ended up in her telling Luan to back off from joking and she herself toning it down. She didn't say sorry or seemed to feel bad about her actions, which just made me shake my head at this and I just told them that this wasn't how I expected the evening to turn out and wished them a good evening instead. Eventually, she asks if I'm still g to play and I say I was, even though I was preparing to sleep. I got back on my PC where we played R.E.P.O. for a bit. It was honestly awkward for the first while because I was just really mad around an hour ago but we just played on. I was tense and felt off at first but things were okay and they acted completely fine, but it was mostly someone left alone trying to go through the stage and revive us. Eventually, Luan feels sleepy but I ask them to stay up and get coffee instead. I offered to order him coffee but he just made coffee on his own. I just treated someone to Starbucks to calm things down and to show that I'm not that mad anymore and as a show of good faith, which just sounds ridiculous but whatever. We kept playing R.E.P.O. until the next day rolls around. We were supposed to play Phasmophobia but then played Peak instead when the new update was out. I'm not sure what to make out of this day, it felt horrible but continued really well so I'll jot this down as good since that idea of us playing games together throughout the whole night came true.

Song of the day: Again by Fetty Wap

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I want you to be mine again, baby, ayy

Journal entry for Sunday, August 10th, 2025

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday was pretty boring again. I mostly just published some mood calendar entries and watched a lot of episodes of House, M.D. on Netflix. I ate spicy food today, which was nice, and I got to eat some good nachos and order dynamite from Peri-Peri as well. Today was pretty chill and nothing much went on.

Journal entry for Saturday, August 9th, 2025

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Glorietta

Saturday started with me accompanying someone while she does her shift all night. We mostly talked and they said that One Missed Call (2003) wasn't that cary to them and I agreed. It didn't seem as scary when we watched it, but it was fine since I got to watch a full horror movie with someone again. We stayed up just talking, making jokes, and I was honestly surprised at how energetic I was considering I barely got any sleep last night. Eventually, we ordered food and she got some from Starbucks while I over-ordered (again) and got food from McDonald's and Subway. I ate the McDonald's fries and burger first but also ate half of the footlong sandwich from Subway, which I just learned was only around Venice Grand Canal Mall. We eventually got our food and I ate while someone ate and then drank her coffee. Since she was bored, she curled her hair and showed that Dyson Airwrap I got her for. She turn on her camera and we mostly just talk while on cam. Time passes quickly and I didn't even notice that it was already early morning out. We also play a game where we start naming names that start with each letter of the alphabet and it was a pretty frustrating and hard game. She realized that I was horrible to play against because I'm very competitive and so is she. We keep talking and naming names until she eventually says that it sucks that she hasn't watched Dear Evan Hansen yet and that other people watch more musicals than her. I eventually cave in to buy tickets for her so she can watch Dear Evan Hansen with me, but only if she pays around 2K for tickets. At least she agreed because I don't want to be shelling out that much money for tickets again, especially for free, and I already bought tickets for my sister and I for free, too. We talk about other things like my upcoming trip and I give her some details but we eventually had to leave the call to do other things and she stopped replying afterward. I got some well-needed rest after that, but it wasn't a good amount of rest because I slept in the morning to afternoon. When I woke up, I noticed that my sister was out for her birthday celebration and I eventually got ready to go to Greenbelt to accompany her and have dinner together. We walked around and talked about a few things but I'm glad she was mentally doing okay. We walk and talk until we settle on a place to eat which was Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken in Glorietta. We ate some chicken and pork belly while we were discussing some drama that's going on in the house. I tell her that we'll be fine and the house will collapse without us because I pay for the electricity and water, and I know for a fact that they can't handle all of that on their own. Then I tell Ailysh that I'll give her money for any book that she likes and we get some other stuff served later before we go out and she buys a book at Fully Booked. She then visited Regatta to get gifts for her manager and then we book a ride home where I just chilled and caught up on a few things before going to bed.

Song of the day: Love Me Like You by Little Mix

Journal entry for Friday, August 8th, 2025

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday started with me and someone still in "VHH" and we were watching One Missed Call (2003). She was just watching and it didn't seem that scary to her. When I was watching, it didn't scare me that much either. The pacing of the movie was kind of off, too, since most of the things happened in the first hour of the movie. It was 2 hours long and the second part just felt so long and I kind of lost interest, honestly, but someone was still watching as intently as she could. It was eventually late for me but I was able to sleep with the many hours that I had left. I woke up feeling so much in pain, for some reason. I had this severe stiff neck pain, too. But whatever, I'm determined to power through it and get to work. I was still able to go to work, despite having difficulty getting a ride there. My workday was pretty usual but there were a lot of people here in the office again today so I sat separate from my usual coworkers, but it was fine. I still had lunch out with them and we ate at the food court in Glorietta. I got Pepper Lunch this time and I got matcha from Pickup Coffee because I needed something more to wake me up. When I placed my coffee on the tray that had my food from Pepper Lunch, it was heavy and a bit unbalanced. I went to our table and I just dropped the additional drink I had from Pepper Lunch! I spilled the cucumber juice all over the floor! Fuck! I had to ask a janitor to clean it up, which was kinda sad because I had to inconvenience someone and I lost my drink, too. But I still ate and had a fun lunch with them. They kept teasing me to treat them out since I just got regularized and I agreed anyway. We ate and some of them teased me for spilling the drink, but it was all in good fun. There also was that joke that I always get food worth more than 500 Pesos. But after eating, we all went back to the office. For the rest of the day, I was battling between this sharp pain and working on this script. I was able to finish it early, but still, I had to just fight through the pain. I took a rest at the break room for a bit and then went back to work. My coworkers were happy that I finished the script, though, and they suggested one more feature. I'm glad I was able to add that additional feature, too. My coworkers also sent me a calendar invite for me to treat them out, which was nice because they settled on some Thai restaurant that hopefully won't break my bank this month. In the evening, we all went home separately and I stayed for an hour or so more in the office just doing some additional tasks from my boss and cleaning up my script. I eventually finished it and booked a car ride home because I was so tired and I honestly needed a breather. I got home at around 10 or so and it was pretty late. Someone still asked Luan to play with them but she eventually had work things to do so we just called the game off. We both got into a call in "VHH" and I talked to them and accompanied them all night because it was a Friday.

Song of the day: Night Changes by One Direction

I Guess I’m Regularized ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today started with me just planning for my upcoming "staycation" because I believe I can call in an early win and say that I'm going to be regularized for my job. I had my doubts, but I do believe I will be regularized. So I booked a hotel for August 20-24 and I slept after that. I then got ready for work and commuted, and thankfully the drivers today weren't speed demons. I was supposed to meet with my sister today after work because their company had an event in Makati, but it got cancelled and she just stayed at home. Thursday was a pretty average day, I had lunch at Landmark together with my coworkers and it was pretty chill. During the workday, I received a call from an HR personnel regarding a question I had about regularization. It seems as though I *am* getting regularized. It's honestly terrific! I'm honestly glad and relieved that I did a good-enough effort at this new job for me to stay in it for a while. It's my 3rd company after working for 7 years which is pretty good because I'm loyal to my companies and I guess I'm going to stay here for a pretty good while. It bolstered my resolve to find a better place to have a staycation at and I eventually found a new place! I'm also staying for 1 more day, so that's August 20 to 25. It should be good enough for me to get some well-deserved rest after working corporate for 7 straight years of continuous employment (and not even having a work week of unemployment). It's honestly a major feat how I got this far in life with no diploma. For the rest of the day, I just enjoyed the company of my coworkers and did my tasks. I worked really hard on this script, so I hope it'll be appreciated well. It did get good feedback from my boss, which was nice. For dinner, we ate at Popeyes in Glorietta while we were talking about life stuff, credit cards, and such. I went home after that. In the evening when I got home, I had enough time to play Peak with someone and Luan! We died in the alpine section because it was pretty hard, and we kept trying again and again on multiple difficulties to no avail. We event just died in the short biome, which was funny but also sad because we were struggling to make progress by then. We called it off afterward. After playing, someone and I got into a call and I streamed my screen. We decided to watch One Missed Call (2003) together because someone apparently hadn't watched it yet.

Song of the day: I'll Be Home For Quismois by Camilla Cabello

Journal entry for Wednesday, August 6th, 2025

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I slept early last night because I had to go to work today and I still had to go even though I have a bit of gout in me. Whatever, I just pushed through it and went to the office anyway. I booked a ride there and the driver seemed like a lunatic. It was honestly the scariest motorcycle ride I've experienced in a while. The driver was just barreling down the street at full speed. It was honestly so scary and I didn't want to die. I got to work on time, exceptionally early this time, but I was shaken from the ride. But I just continued through a normal day at work. It was mostly busy and hectic because we have this big meeting, but I'm glad that we had a pizza party afterward. I was honestly surprised at how much people there were, so that was nice. I talked to someone and we just talked for a bit while I was having lunch and then they dropped off after that. My stomach was also feeling a bit weird today, which sucked because I felt really sick and drained after my stomach turned. But I still completed my shift regardless. I passed by Denny's and I also noticed that the cat there had a new cat house! It was in the shape of a camping tent and they were sleeping inside, and they looked so cute. I took some pictures and then did other things for the day. I even discovered this new Sabrina Carpenter song that apparently has something to do with the 2007 movie Juno. I kept singing it over and over all day. I eventually booked a ride home after work but it took so long for me to find a decent ride. The riders kept cancelling. It took so long for me to get a ride home! I just wanted to get home as quickly as I could so I could play games with someone and Luan again. But I only found a ride super late into the night, around 8:10 p.m. or so. The ride home was almost as terrifying as my ride to work! The rider was yet another speed demon and I'm just glad I got home alove. For the rest of the evening, I was lucky enough to play R.E.P.O. with someone and Luan. I carried them hard this game, but I also died early at the start lol. We bought a gun and I tried to kill an enemy, but that thing attached to me and someone had to shoot me to get rid of it, which didn't work. But I eventually got revived and I helped Luan carry this big clown statue in the museum level which helped us get the win for that stage. We kept playing and we even got a grandfather clock to go into the extraction point area, but it got broken and we died to the disembodied head enemy. We kept playing and eventually went to this wizard stage where we met this new enemy mob that looked like "No-Face" from that Ghibli movie Spirited Away. It was scary but we were able to get through the stage just fine. We played through a couple of stages and we event went to the wizard stage again where I destroyed the C.A.R.T., which was funny. But we were able to just carry objects to the extraction point just fine. It was fun and we kept playing until we got to that science lab stage where Luan died first to some fire hazard item, then someone was attacked by a monster, and I was left alone again. I kept pushing through and eventually found a big server that, if I got to the extraction point, I would've been able to revive both of them. But unfortunately that was cut short when my game suddenly disconnected as Luan had to sleep and someone had work. It sucks because I put so much effort in getting that win but oh well. I just went to rest after that.

Song of the day: Juno by Sabrina Carpenter

Lyrics that resonated with me:
You make me wanna make you fall in love
Oh, late at night, I'm thinking 'bout you, ah-ah
Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?
Oh, I hear you knockin', baby, come on up

I know you want my touch for life
If you love me right, then who knows?
I might let you make me Juno
You know I just might
Let you lock me down tonight
One of me is cute, but two though?
Give it to me, baby
You make me wanna make you fall in love (Oh)

Journal entry for Tuesday, August 5th, 2025

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Nothing much happened today aside from a usual workday for me. I started with still talking to someone and we played a short game of "guess the pop song" where we tried to guess but we quickly had to stop because someone was doing work. We also played some Sky: Children of the Light and we watched the next part of the The Two Embers. It was really sad and I was so heartbroken after watching it, and someone was feeling the same, too. I eventually had to drop the call and go to sleep. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened. Work came and passed. I talked to someone on and off a bit but we didn't play a game in the evening because someone was mostly busy.

To the Peak, Together!

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Monday was a pretty normal day for me, work-wise. I timed in for work and completed a busy Monday shift. It was mostly catching up on my tasks and I believe I was pretty productive today, too. Work came and passed without me doing anything really noteworthy. After work, I played Peak with Luan and someone again! It was a new day, so a new seed was expected. We continued our way through the shore, the tropics, the alpine section, and surprisingly we got to the caldera section. It was a surprise because the alpine section seemed hard and I died, which sucks because I died and took Bing Bong with me! Luan also died shortly after and someone had to climb up alone. Thankfully, she was able to resurrect us, but I lost Bing Bong! Our climb continued regardless and we surprisingly passed through the caldera section just fine and we then got to the kiln. The kiln is usually the make-or-break part and this is where one of us usually dies, but surprisingly, we got through this part! We helped each other, organized our climbing paths, helped each other up, and we didn't leave anyone fully behind. It was a miracle and we kept climbing up until someone got out first, then it was me next, then finally Luan. ### I can't believe it, we 3 made it to the top together! Sadly, it was a little incomplete without Bing Bong, but I was so happy for us regardless. We've been playing this game for a while and it was the first time we were able to climb up to the top as three! It felt really nice that we were able to accomplish this because we've been trying hard to reach the peak for more than a month. After playing Peak, we talked about what game to play and I think Luan recommended that we play R.E.P.O. and I'm honestly surprised that neither of them have bought/played the game. I used to always see this game on IG Reels and I'm honestly kind of happy that I'm able to play this game with them now. I buy it and we all move to it, with someone inviting us both into their hosted lobby. At first, it was kinda scary and it worked a bit like Lethal Company. But I eventually got the hang of it, and so did someone and Luan. We got through the first round but we eventually all died and failed. We had this fun minigame where we'd try to fight each other and whoever wins gets a crown and a "King of the Losers" title. Luan got that both in our playthrough. We continued and it was honestly a fun game because the characters talked so wackily. I kept replaying the Samsung ringtone and they laughed at it, which was funny. We eventually stopped playing at around midnight and it was a pretty great day for me. I got into a call with someone and we kept talking until the next day.

Journal entry for Sunday, August 3rd, 2025

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday was pretty boring, I just stayed at home and watched videos of Peak on my phone. I didn't really do much else aside from that.

I Climbed with Someone AND Bing Bong to the Peak!!!1!!

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I had a discussion with someone yesterday about accompanying them the whole night today. It started with me on the bed with my MacBook typing and chatting with someone on Discord while glancing at some Korean TV channel playing in the background. Someone was still busy with her work in a meeting so we didn't call much at first. Then she asks if we're going to play Peak and I tell her that she's the one who's being monitored. She eventually turns on her PC and I get on my PC as well so we can play. Since it was a new seed, we didn't really know how to get through today's world seed but we just braved through it anyway. Of course, we're bringing Bing Bong with us and I took a few screenshots of someone holding Bing Bong at the start. The shore/beach part looked easy enough and we were able to navigate ourselves through it. The jungle/tropics part was the one that seemed really challenging. I couldn't figure out the right way and I couldn't see a proper way that easily led to the top. We just went for the middle and kept climbing up. It proved difficult but we were getting by fine. Someone says that I should go "to the left" and I told them that the phrase was actually from Beyonce's song "Irreplaceable" which I had just found out this year. I sing a few lines and she does sing it as well, and she ends up playing the entire song and singing it while we were playing. We got through a wall by having someone come through first and I tossed her bag across the gap once she got to the other side. I was next and it was a bit difficult for me, but I got through it. We struggled finding a path but I used a chain launcher to get us from one side to another. Then we kept climbing up and that's where I had trouble. Someone was able to successfully climb first, but I fell multiple times and kept getting injured. Eventually, I died and lost all of the stuff I was carrying, which was a shame. But someone was able to resurrect me once she got to the peak of the tropics/jungle. We got through the alpine section and we tried looking for the capybaras at the start, but we couldn't find them at all. We tried looking but eventually gave up when we didn't see any smoke. Someone sadly had to give up her chance at a gourmand badge for this run. It was difficult, but we somehow got through it after I placed a rope launcher near the top and we were able to climb up just fine. For the caldera section, it was a little brutal but we got through it after tanking a few burns. It wasn't long before we passed that part, too, and got to the final stage: the kiln. Some bullshit always happens here. I just had the feeling that this place was cursed. Either someone dies or some major inconvenience causes us to stop or have problems. Last time, someone and I had a good run but then she got caught in a meeting and had to die by falling, and she brought Bing Bong down with her. This time, she was in a meeting again. It sucked a lot because she was held up for quite a while at the start, she almost slipped and fell, too. I was so frustrated and annoyed because this place truly was cursed. But somehow, we kept climbing together. We used up all of the tools in our arsenal. I chose the wrong path and had to use the chain launcher for us to get to another side at the start of the kiln. Someone pointed out that it was the wrong path. And then, after climbing up, I used a piton stuck to the wall so we could climb up further. Then, finally, an anti-rope spool to climb up a wall to some rocks. I was so scared because we were so close to the peak. Finally, we had this difficult part where we had to climb up some rocks. I *almost* fell at this area because I was running out of stamina and didn't see a way up, but I was able to make it somehow. Lastly, it was someone's turn and she climbed the correct path and I was able to grab her as we climbed the few easy steps to the peak. I almost cried at this stage. We had reached the top of the volcano and exited the kiln 😭 This run was so legendary. Someone didn't die nor pass out and it was actually me who died. This was a flawless run for her and the first time she got through ALL the stages, and ON OUR FIRST RUN. ### AND WE BROUGHT BING BONG TO THE PEAK WITH US! I immediately started signing that God Is and Defying Gravity mashup we hear on social media about the game. We finally got Bing Bong to the top and both of us survived this run. It's so unbelievable. This was our first run at this seed, no do-overs, just a blind run to the top. I seriously am glad we got to finish this game and someone got a few achievements, mainly the "survivalist" achievement and the achievement for carrying Bing Bong to the end! She finally got it and I'm so happy for her! After such a legendary run, I just knew I was the one treating her and so I did. I ordered some food for myself, I mainly had that new Fantastic Four meal from Burger King and I wanted that affogato as well. I also had KFC since it had free delivery. For someone, I got her a *lauriat* from Chowking and I got her Starbucks as well so she could keep staying up for her work. It's funny that we got through all that and got food while she was in a meeting. We went back in Peak to test out the new cannibalism feature and she made a mistake when my character turned into a big turkey. She was so embarrassed but she was fine after she got her food and we were eating. We watched a video from Edvasian while eating and I actually liked my food, it was pretty "fantastic." Someone and I watched other videos after that, mainly ghost stories from one of our favorite YouTubers, Megan. After that, she was mostly busy with work but we were still on call. I played some Tetris while waiting and then played SSX Tricky like before. She mostly just watched and saw me playing that game while her work was going on. I often picked this character, Mac, while playing and she said that her brother used to pick him as well. I kept on playing that game as she was doing her work and was in her meeting. She eventually ends her work and we play around in Sky to do some dailies, see some baby manta, and explore some areas. It was fun and we eventually leave the call afterwards. I was really, really tired at the end of it but I had so much fun. It was the good kind of tired and it definitely was the highlight of my weekend. I mostly slept on-and-off for the rest of the day. In the evening, my sister was missing and I thought she would be there, but she was somewhere else. She asks me what I want for dinner and I suggest Andoks. She eventually arrives home and I see that she dyed her hair brown. My sister also brings the dinner I requested, which was nice of her. It was a surprise and she was wondering if it looked good or not. It looked okay to me but I wasn't used to seeing my sister have a different hair color than black. Even she seemed to regret it a bit but I tell her that she looks fine. Eventually, she calls her boyfriend and plays games with him for the rest of the day. I didn't really do much after that but I just browsed social media and got some well-needed rest and relaxation for myself.

Song of the day: Wicked X God Is by Kanye West

Lyrics that resonated with me:
[Elphaba]
Oh

[Kanye]
Everything that hath breath praise the Lord
Worship Christ with the best of your portions
I know I won't forget all He's done

Salt air

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was *finally* the "salt air" month and I'm honestly curious as to how August will turn out. I got a good amount of sleep last night and I'm going to head out today for work because I don't want to waste such a sunny day like this. After waiting a while to book a ride on 3 separate ride-hailing apps, I finally got my ride and eventually got to the office just fine. I was still kind of tired from last night so I do a few stuff and wrap it up before going to the nearby Starbucks to have some breakfast. When I got there, there was this large tumbler that I debated on whether or not I'd get it. I ultimately decided against it, since my existing 60oz Aquaflask is still holding up well. I just order this new "churro" coffee and this chicken and "macaroni" pasta. I don't exactly know what I got, but it was good. Especially, the pasta, it made for a really nice breakfast. After eating, I immediately went back to the office and continued working. For lunch, I decided to have something from Pepper Lunch. I got the chicken and salmon one and it made me feel pretty full. Nothing noteworthy happened after that aside from me bumping into one of my coworkers as they were just heading out to lunch, and I was on the way back to the office for a meeting. Today was all well and good, it was a quiet day in the office and I enjoyed the peace and calm for today since it wasn't that busy. I went home after work and the commute was straightforward as well. The driver took a different route, going near SLEX but also going through Bayani Road, which was interesting. I got home and talked to someone for a bit. I tell them that I don't think I can stay up all night with them at this state. Either I sleep now for a few hours until 12 midnight, or I stay awake until midnight and stay for a while. She just asks me to sleep now and accompany her for the entire night so that's what I ended up doing. I slept for a while, which was kind of sad because I think I only slept for 90 minutes, which was 1 REM cycle. I woke up and couldn't sleep anymore after that.

Song of the day: august by Taylor Swift

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Salt air, and the rust on your door
I never needed anything more
Whispers of "Are you sure?"
"Never have I ever before"

But I can see us lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away like a bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine

I Got Someone and Bing Bong (Separately) at the Peak!

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

My day started with me being in a call with someone and she was going to stay up really, really late. I offered to get them coffee and food like we used to and she chose McDonald's. I got Wendy's and even made a joke about how perfect it would be at this time of day (because I used to eat Wendy's very, very late back in 2024), and she teased me about it. It was still funny and I took the joke just fine. We got our food and we watched a few videos from Edvasian about Crumbl cookies. Eventually, someone messages me that she was playing Peak and that the seed for today's run was very easy. We got on call and she shared her screen showing that she was able to make it to the alpine section alone. She did make a mistake, though, and that caused her to somehow fall into a deep crevice where she died. We both played multiplayer afterwards. In our run together, we got pretty far. We passed the alpine section with my help and even got through the caledera section through pure teamwork. And we even brought Bing Bong with us! When we got to the final stage, the kiln, that's where we started having problems. She told me to put Bing Bong in her bag so I could get it just in case she dies. I also had a scout effigy in my bag that I could use to revive her at any time. When we started climbing to the last stage, she had a call with her boss and she was basically preoccupied. This was on "tenderfoot" difficulty so hunger wasn't much of a problem, but it slowly ate our character's stamina bar because she was on a long call. I thought about taking Bing Bong from her bag and doing it all alone but I didn't. I eventually instructed her to jump and she did, but she took Bing Bong down with her and my heart absolutely shattered into a million pieces. I just had to grit my teeth and keep climbing. By some miracle, I actually got through it! I was able to bring back someone from the dead using the scout effigy, but Bing Bong wasn't here with us which just made things bittersweet and gave me so much regret. Someone was able to get a few achievements, including the "naturalist" one that she's been wanting for a while. We then left the call after that as it was finally someone's time to reach the end of the game. But me not taking Bing Bong left a super sour taste in my mouth. I kept playing that decision over and over. I couldn't sleep and the self-inflicted regret was eating me. So I played Peak again and I'm bringing Bing Bong with me this time. I went through the run alone. Again. And again. And again. At first, I fucked up because I swung on to the chain at the caldera section too early and I fell into lava. I was just about to invite someone back again, too. I got too hasty. I tried again AND I got to the kiln section. That's where I invited someone. She was in another meeting and was preoccupied, so I couldn't instruct her to climb up this certain ledge. I was the one who fell this time and I fucked up because I carried Bing Bong and a lot of stuff with me. Someone died shortly afterward. I decided that I wasn't going to sleep without bringing Bing Bong to the top. On my 3rd or so attempt, I was able to get through the caldera with Bing Bong in tow. I invited someone **BUT I HAD JUST REALIZED THAT I HAD PLAYED THIS RUN IN OFFLINE/SINGLEPLAYER MODE**. It was seriously such a misclick. I couldn't invite someone to this run no matter what. At this point, the sun had risen and I was so fatigued and tired, but I just said "fuck it" and kept going anyway. I felt like absolutely crying at this point. Still, I was able to bring a lot of stuff with me and I eventually got to the peak! I got Bing Bong with me and I was so scared because he almost fell through the floor when I was taking photos. But I finally got him and I got so many achievements by myself. I just powered through all of that while playing a lot of songs, first from Benson Boone and a lot of repeats from Kanye's song "Heartless" and then some of my "Programming Focus" playlist so I could "lock in." Still, I had work today and I decided to sleep for 1 hour before going to work. Thankfully, I'm super productive today and I actually did a lot of stuff. I was surprised at how awake I was at the end of my shift despite sleeping for only 3 hours overall. Work eventually finished and it was my time to play Peak again with someone and Luan. This was kind of a weird run. I somehow had forgotten a few paths that I took and a few markers. We fucked up around the alpine part trying to look for the capybaras because someone wanted to complete this "gourmand" achievement, but was unsuccessful. She fell at some part and lost Bing Bong in the process. We still pushed on and I guided them through the caldera part where they both died and I was able to bring them both alive for the kiln stage. We basically had nothing for this round aside from food and bandages. But thankfully, Luan was able to navigate some parts of the kiln and found shortcuts that I missed in my runs. He even joked that we still needed him which someone and I laughed at as I tried to pull him up from a wall near the top. Someone fell in the process because her stamina was so low and she wanted to see this new feature of seeing us as turkeys when her hunger bar got big. But she fell at the same spot where she took Bing Bong down with her in our earlier run. Still, Luan and I were able to make it through and I was able to gain 2 new achievements, which was nice. We all stopped playing after that since someone was so sleep-deprived, too. We ended up still talking and I was fully wide awake up until I finished writing my journal entry at 10 p.m. All in all, today was kind of what July was like overall. I spent a lot of time with friends and with the people that mattered, work was pretty good, and I was able to spend a lot of time just smiling and having fun despite all the stress.

Song of the day: Heartless by Kanye West

Lyrics that resonated with me:
In the night I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless

Peak Marathon!

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was finally the day I was able to catch up with all of my past mood calendar entries for the past month. I honestly thought that things were going to go awry or that I'd fall off, but thankfully I was able to update everything **AND** post my recent adventures in Peak to my IG Story, which was nice. I had Rachel invite me to play it with her and a couple of my friends noticed it. For everything else, today was just a typical day working from home. I also found a toymaker who I can commission and I sent them what Bing Bong looked like. Work was going by smoothly and I was able to finish all of the work I had today early. Once work had died down, someone invited me to have a Peak marathon with them and Luan was so eager to play as well that he dropped everything he had doing just to play Peak with us. I had finished up with work and joined them in as well. We played for hours and the seed for today's mountain was absolutely brutal. The jungle/tropics section was the hardest part, with someone always falling/dying early in the run and losing Bing Bong. I had felt so much attachment to Bing Bong at this point that I made it into a duty to save and retrieve them when someone dies. I often fell to the bottom of the floor and had to climb up while Luan just kept walking through the jungle part. This map was totally brutal. There was one part chance were Luan was able to reach the peak but someone and I died along the way, and of course he didn't bring Bing Bong along. In the subsequent runs, we kept trying and dying. We had reached Ascent 2 by then and we were really hopeless by the end of that run because our hunger bars were too big and it stopped us from climbing up. We all died after that and we stopped playing for the day. I was still able to get into a call with someone and I'd stream some videos while she worked and did stuff in the background. I eventually told her about gifting her the plushies and she was so excited to get them. Since making 2 plushies from the same manufacturer was expensive, I just bit the bullet and bought the baby manta plushie from the official Sky shop instead. It was surprisingly cheaper and, of course, it was the real thing. Someone even joked that it was the official version and my commission piece can't do the cool things the official one can do. We continued calling until the next day.

Song of the day: I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) by Taylor Swift

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Oh-oh, oh, oh

I can see you waitin' down the hall from me
And I could see you up against the wall with me
And what would you do? Baby, if you only knew, oh
That I could see you throw your jacket on the floor
I could see you make me want you even more
What would you do? Baby, if you only knew

Journal entry for Tuesday, July 29th, 2025

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was a pretty usual day, as far as things were concerned. My gout had been significantly reduced and I was fully able to walk with my right foot again like normal. I also noticed Ailysh clean the microwave and she left it open for it to ventilate and kill all the mold inside. I felt super-better after getting a full 8 hours (and 40 minutes) worth of sleep. I got started on my work as usual and ordered some Jollibee for me in the morning so I could have something to eat throughout the day. I also did some cleaning up like throwing away the pillows outside that were just a seedbed for all of the mold, which was disgusting to throw out, but hey, someone's gotta do it. I also bought some more vinegar and thoroughly scrubbed the interior of the microwave with a sponge, dipping it in vinegar so it kills all of the mold and then ventilating it. The weather was also really nice today. For once, I'm glad that it wasn't raining like hell and that it was fairly dry outside. I don't want a wet day anymore and I'm happy with having the entire living room dry as hell. For work, nothing much happened as I just caught up on a few tickets and did some work writing some documents and stuff. One weird thing that happened was that someone and I had a slight argument over some slang that she thinks I misused and that it turned into this one big thing during lunch. We were supposed to play Peak during my lunch break but we had an argument instead. Thankfully, it wasn't anything major and I apologized first, which then made her apologize and even open up an avenue for me to vent my frustrations, because I expressed to her that I bottle up my frustrations and don't express it at all. I was surprised to have her say that she's fine hearing my frustrations and that she will apologize, too. It seemed a little too good to be true, but okay, that's cool to hear. I continued with work and didn't really mind all that until my shift ended. After work, I didn't do much aside from eat dinner with my sister and I did some minor cleaning up. I ordered 4 pieces of chicken earlier, one I ate in the morning, one for dinner, and one that my sister ate for dinner. I was surprised to have 1 more chicken leftover for tomorrow, but that was nice. Eventually, someone replied to me again and she invited me to play Peak with her. Our run this time was pretty good, although I was kind of a doomer at the first stage already. Something about this run didn't feel right, but it actually was the longest run we've done together as a duo. We got through the shore stage, then tropics/jungle, then, surprisingly, through the tundra. I died at the tundra stage but someone was able to find a way out of that miserable situation. Then we got through the caldera and went through a wrong series of rocks. Also, someone fell down deep at the caldera at the start and they almost died. She died while we were trying to get to this piece of luggage that miraculously had a first-aid kit inside. I used it on someone after saving her and we immediately got to work moving through the rocks, but I just couldn't calculate a proper way through and we ended up panicking and dying an hour into the run. I was super devastated but whatever, I just knew that we had to keep going in the next few runs. Today was nice and I liked talking, playing games with someone. It was also really nice to know that she hadn't thrown away some of the stuff I gave her, which was nice. Because of that, I decided to gift her a Bing Bong plushie and a baby manta plushie soon and that I'll be contacting toymakers to have them make it, so that I can gift it to someone soon.

Song of the day: Naengmyeon/Ice Boy by Girls' Generation

Lyrics that resonated with me:
차가워 너무나 속이시려 너무나
이빨이 너무시려
냉면 냉면 냉면
가슴이 너무시려
냉면 냉면 냉면

널보면 너무나 또 다시봐도 너무나
차디차 몸이 떨려
냉면 냉면 냉면
찔겨도 너무 찔겨
냉면 냉면 냉면
그래도 널 사랑해

Journal entry for Monday, July 28th, 2025

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

The rain finally started clearing up today, it didn't rain as much as it did for the past week and I'm glad it stopped because it was honestly getting pretty annoying. I don't know how or why, but I loved the rainy season back when I was in my teens. As an adult, I truly hate it. Monday was pretty normal, for what it was worth. It was mostly me catching up with a few things at work, but it was also pretty chill as nothing much went on. I also didn't each much because someone in our house had turned off the rice cooker which the Andoks was heating up in (we couldn't use the microwave because it was still moldy). After work, I got myself some *lugaw* because I could start to feel myself getting sick and I didn't want my gout to flare up. I also got myself some stuff from Chowking, like *wonton mami* for myself while I got a *chicken lauriat* for my sister. It was a good pick-me-up and both were really nice. I got to eat and kick back while listening to some dumb Internet drama. After eating, someone invited me to play Sky with them. They had premiered the second part of The Two Embers. We did our dailies together first and we bumped into Jinn/Flame at the home island. We talked to them for a while then went on doing our dailies. One of the daily quests required us to visit Grandma's place and we were also just in time for a Grandma event. We got some free flames and someone got to talk to a few nice people over a witches cauldron. Once we were done, we went to the cinema inside Sky and watched the second part of The Two Embers! The game on my Linux PC was having issues like the video being flipped upside down and showing blank, so I moved as fast as I can to my MacBook and watched the movie there. Granted, I missed a few title cards but it was only the beginning of the movie. We eventually watched the whole thing and someone loved the baby manta in it so much. It was super cute and the movie was heartwarming. We also completed the Resourceful Recluse story afterward and it was nice to complete that mini-quest together. Someone had to abruptly leave as she had work stuff to do and I eventually went to sleep after that because I felt a bit sick.

Journal entry for Sunday, July 27th, 2025

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Sunday was pretty boring. It was just a usual day at home and I'm so sick and tired of the rain at this point. Still, things were fine enough and I bought *litson manok* from Andoks for my sister and I. I also bought Tera Fries from Potato Corner for us to eat. We both liked it, both were pretty good. I didn't really do much else aside from watching House, M.D. and passing the time on my own. My gout also returned but I immediately went to get ahead of it by taking the recommended dosage for it as soon as I noticed some slight pain in my right big toe. Also, my sister treated us to some Starbucks and I was able to drink some hot caramel macchiato, even though it's already nighttime and I didn't plan to stay up. Still, it was nice of her to buy something for us.

Song of the day: Lost The Breakup by Maisie Peters

12 hours deeply asleep

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

I slept for 12 hours! My Apple Watch says that I slept for **12 straight hours**. What a shocker. To be fair, I know I'd have to repay my sleep debt, which was fine because I needed to sleep that much anyway after staying up for an all-nighter. I'm just glad that someone left me alone for the night and day. I also saw some mold inside the microwave which was honestly disgusting and kind of disappointing. I asked my sister to clean it since she does the chores in the house as I pay for all the bills and groceries. Since I had nothing better to do and since I didn't want to stay at home with all of the mold and shit, I just decided to spend the day at my favorite Starbucks, the one at 32nd Street in BGC. I got a seat at the long couch there and I ordered my usual hot white chocolate. I also got myself their chicken sandwich, which was nice. I spent the entire afternoon there and evening, too! It was a craze because I sometimes had to get up and use the bathroom, but I had to keep my seat occupied so I had to bring my MacBook with me (it's new, I don't want to get it stolen). I placed my umbrella and Ailysh's running bag (from Tuesday) on the table so that no one else would occupy it. For what it was worth, it worked, and no one claimed my seat. My time was mostly spent on catching up with a bulk of the mood calendar entries and fixing things for my website. It was nice to see a lot of progress made and I'm super glad to have taken out the silver MacBook out for a spin again. I didn't have dinner after that and just went home after midnight and I was luckily able to book a ride home and get home safely while not being drenched in the rain.

Song of the day: SWICY by UNIS

Lyrics that resonated with me:
사르르르 Swicy
사르르르르르 Sweet & Spicy
사르르르 Swicy
너를 홀릴 My recipe

사르르르 Swicy
사르르르르르 Sweet & Spicy
자꾸 끌려 넌- Ah ha

33+ hours wide awake

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Friday started with me agreeing to keep someone company through the entire night, even though that was supposed to be for later today, not right at this night. But I pushed through and called in a favor for me next month to offset the stress. I got myself a coffee from McDonald's as well as a few other things like nuggets and a Big Mac which I've been wanting to eat. But someone stopped me because she hasn't eaten yet and I just offered to order her something since I had some spare money and I kind of missed staying up late with them and eating with them, even though it was usually me ordering for the both of us. I had to wait while someone got her food, which took a while and even the driver got mad at me because I was stalling them. Someone couldn't get their delivery because they were in a meeting, but thankfully someone in their house was able to get it and we were both able to eat for a bit, even though my food was kind of cold at this point. We didn't really talk much or it wasn't anything noteworthy because I don't remember much of what happened. All I know was that someone was mostly in meetings the whole night. We did watch a few horror videos on YouTube and they showed me the kittens at one point throughout the night, so that was cool. Our call eventually ended around 9 a.m. or so and that's when I got ready to go to work. Thankfully, work wasn't all that tiring and I just had to complete a few things and keep up with a few tickets. I was even awake enough to still be talking to someone during my free time and we both suggested a few K-dramas for us to watch when we can. It quickly passed by and nothing much happened. I did play some Eminem throughout the day to keep me motivated to push through. Eventually, I got through the workday and ended Friday on a good note. It was nighttime and I was already asleep come 9 p.m., and I honestly got the well-needed sleep after that.

Song of the day: The Monster by Eminem, Rihanna

It's Fant4stic!

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Venice Cineplex, Venice Grand Canal Mall

Today was my usual day at work and in the morning. Nothing noteworthy happened during those times so I just passed the time just doing work. Someone didn't talk to me much either so I figured that I would just book a ticket to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) in Venice later. I also realized it yesterday while playing Peak that yesterday was the premier date of the movie, but I somehow didn't watch it. I figured that watching it today was a good a time as any, plus I didn't want to spend my weekends watching this or trying to watch this, so I went for today. After work, I played Peak with someone for a bit and we tried our best to climb up, but we couldn't make it past the jungle stage. We just died there since it was hopeless anyway, plus it was almost 8:20 p.m. and I had to leave by that time. Thankfully, I was able to book a ride there after several attempts, but I was a bit worried because I got a Move It ride and I read that they weren't very safe, which kind of spooked me. Thankfully, it didn't rain much on my way there because I was honestly almost out of outdoor clothes. Too bad I was short 2 Pesos because my Move It wasn't linked to any of my digital accounts and I had to pay by cash, but the driver was cool with it. I got in as the movie was just starting and I was early enough because I had a few trailers to sit through. Eventually, the movie started and I watched the film! It was so much fun and it was really hype. I haven't watched such a fun, upbeat superhero in a while and July's superhero movies were really worth the wait as both Superman (2025) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) were really good. I booked a ride home afterward and I thought I would get some sleep by the time that I arrive home. But I was just chilling until midnight and then someone asked me to accompany them for their entire work today, this night, instead. It honestly surprised me and I thought for sure I was going back to my old habits of killing myself, but whatever. I just got myself coffee and accompanied someone for the entire night.

Song of the day: Gnarly by KATSEYE

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Oh, we're going out tonight, gang, gang

Lethal Company Again and Almost at the Peak!

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Nothing noteworthy happened in the morning and for work so my time during those periods really just passed by. But after my shift, someone invited me to a game of Lethal Company with Luan because he missed it. I installed it and played with them for a few rounds before we decided to go and play Peak again. This run started like any other typical run and I even thought it was a doomed run because someone poisoned me at the start. This ticked me off a bit so I killed my character by getting fully poisoned and dying, not speaking much for the first stage. Luan also died at the first stage so it was just someone carrying us both at the top. She brought along the plushie in the game, Bing Bong, and someone was able to revive us at the end of the first stage. I was honestly pretty ticked off but I just decided to not speak much because I was still frustrated. We kept going and I scouted out a spot/way for us to climb up the jungle stage and we all surprisingly made it. Next was the tundra stage which we usually die to or have severe difficulties in getting over. But we were able to get through a massive chasm by using a chain launcher to get across a piece of ice and using an anti-gravity rope to get us up a difficult wall. Someone was still carrying Bing Bong in her inventory during the past runs. We get to the cauldron stage and that's where it finally gets serious for me. My mind was entirely locked in since this stage. It was the first time us 3 got through the tundra stage with everyone alive so it was honestly serious that we could have a shot at reaching the peak with us 3 still alive. We push through the several mountains and islands of rocks across the lava pool and we eventually got through the cauldron stage! We unpack the various luggage at the start and I take a photo of someone holding Bing Bong out while we were unpacking the luggage. ONE LAST STAGE REMAINED BETWEEN US AND THE PEAK. It was time for us to go through the kiln and get up the volcano interior to reach the Peak. Luan had to AFK for a while before starting which honestly took up a while and made our hunger bar larger but we pushed through. We then kept climbing up until we had to use the Bugle of Friendship to get to the top. Someone was playing the bugle while me and Luan climbed up. Unfortunately, someone didn't have enough stamina to climb up and she couldn't reach the rope even though Luan tried setting it. I tried to grab her while she was climbing but then fell and died, which honestly broke my heart. Someone also didn't have a chance so she just brought out Bing Bong and jumped to their death. It was honestly soul crushing to see someone die with Bing Bong. We then spectated Luan as he had a piton in his inventory which could have helped and a lollipop in his bag. It honestly broke my heart because we could have made it out as 3 but this horrible twist of fate just had to happen. I felt like my heart was crushed or that I had just been broken up with. In the end, Luan boards the chopper and left us to die, including Bing Bong. It left a bittersweet taste in my mouth but someone was still game to play and we played a few rounds of Lethal Company afterward. It was okay, but it wasn't as fun as the accomplishment we could have gotten if we had just gotten to the peak with us 3 complete. It was a shame, but I honestly had a lot of fun and days like this remain a treasure to me.

It's been more than a while!

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Starbucks - San Antonio Parañaque

I was feeling really horrible in the morning so I had to call it off from work. I just slept the morning off because I didn't feel okay. But eventually, I woke up feeling better and actually just in time to buy Hatsune Miku tickets for my sister and I. It was totally expensive but it seemed like a waste because the more expensive VIP seats were all sold out! I wanted to get a closer seat to see Hatsune Miku! It's such a shame, and I tried to get in on the tickets early but I overslept a bit. Whatever, I just sucked it up and bought tickets for my sister and I. After that, I planned on meeting someone and she told me to go to the Starbucks nearby so we can play Sky on our MacBooks there, I also planned on giving her the PSP there, too. I booked a car ride there because I didn't want to get more sick and I didn't want to go through the horrible way. The Grab ride eventually arrived and I was sitting comfortably inside **WHEN I REALIZED THAT I FORGOT TO BRING THE DAMN PLAYSTATION PORTABLE!!!** I just realized **IN THE CAR RIDE** that I **FORGOT THE PSP**. Goddamn it, I was in such a rush that I forgot the main thing I was going to give her. I didn't forget my MacBook, but sure, I totally forgot the PSP. So, while in the car, I booked a Grab Express delivery from my house to the Starbucks and I had my sister package it up. I only booked the ride when I know for sure that the car was going to get to the Starbucks first. The car eventually did get there but the flood was so high there, it was crazy and I had to take a picture of it. Thankfully, the car arrives there and I find a good sofa seat, I also got myself a hot coffee drink and a cookie. I was able to get the PSP shortly afterward and all was well. I also noticed that Ailysh placed the PSP in her running bag. I just had to wait for someone to arrive and she took a while because she had several attempts to go out but had to come back due to the harsh rain. Eventually she arrives and it was just an okay greeting. We haven't met in-person for months and even almost a year, but things were pretty usual between us. Someone sits next to me and gets her drink while she also sets her MacBook up and we just talk for a good while. We play Sky for a bit with our DualSense controllers and, while she had some pairing problems, we were able to work it out and play Sky together there. I took a few pictures because this meetup was literally unbelievable months ago or even a month ago in early June. Here was me, playing Sky with someone, at a Starbucks on a rainy day. It was honestly unbelievable and sounded a bit dreamlike, but this really happened. Someone and I talk and the time passes quickly for me, which is weird because she felt that it passed slowly for her. I showed her my iPhone 16 Pro Max and she calls it a girly phone because it looks pink and has some ILLIT plastic-sticker-thing at the back. We also talk about a few things and she says that her mother's asking if I could get her something, to which I agree. Eventually, it was starting to get late so I order some stuff for someone's mom before she goes back. Then some random guy comes in with 2 girls with him. That guy honestly looks like someone I know, like he's my former orgmate in college. I message him on Instagram but didn't receive a reply. I whisper to someone that I think I know that dude and I just keep looking at him. Then when I try to sit next to someone, he looks at me and says my name. I couldn't believe it! **IT WAS HIM!** Holy shit. I haven't seen this dude in years! To think that I would meet him, at a time like this, at a random-ass Starbucks that I don't even visit, **ON A RAINY DAY WHERE THERE ARE BARELY ANY PEOPLE OUT** is just insane. After this, someone eventually leaves and heads back to her house to rest and they invite me to play Sky later. Me and the dude catch up about life after college. I told him that I'm still in IT and formerly did DevOps but was still into DevOps. He gets interested so I tell him more about it and how, honestly, it has a lot of money in it. Then we talk about the various things he's done after college, his programming stints, and a Lazada shop he made during the pandemic. He catches me up on a lot of things and also tells me that the girl he sits across to was his fiancee, which was honestly kind of a pain to hear because even the people I haven't caught up with are getting married and moving on to the next stage in their life. It was really nice to catch up with him and talk shop. After a while, I booked for a ride home while still talking to him. He and his family members eventually leave but I thankfully book a ride home shortly after. The Grab rider asks me to buy a drink for him, which I was hesitant because I honestly believed that he wouldn't pay me back. I still bit the bullet and got him a drink because I really wanted to go home and it was getting late. Thankfully, he did pay me although I just asked him to pay 200 even though the drink costed 300 Pesos with his extra 2 shots. Whatever, it was fine and wasn't much of a loss. The driver tells me that he's been sleeping in his car for a few days now and he usually just does this because his province is far away from here. Thankfully I got home safe and I still had enough time in the day to play a round of Peak with someone and Luan before the day ended.

Song of the day: SWICY by UNIS

I hate the rain

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

It was still raining a lot today and the entire living room was just soaked in rain, including the hallway. It was honestly kind of a mess because we don't have tarpaulin anymore to cover our living room, so it was just soaked and the floor was wet and sticky, which was just gross. I didn't like the rainy weather at all, even though I liked it a lot as a kid. I had a package delivered from Mom which I had a hard time carrying into the house considering how wet everything was, but I'm glad my cousin helped me carry it upstairs. For the rest of the day, work continued until it ended. In the evening, I played Sky with someone since it's the start of a new season! I bought myself the seasons pass bundle and gave someone the first seasons pass gift. We did our dailies in Sky and we checked out some of the new events. It was the premier of Sky's new movie: The Two Embers. We checked out the new event first, which was the one about the Tender Toymaker and the story was pretty cute. Then we watched the first part of the movie which was super touching to us. It was super cute and we loved the baby manatee. We played around and then went back to complete the quest again because we wanted to see the things they had in the shop. Someone saw a hair piece that they really wanted to get so they spent some money to buy that new hair piece and hairstyle. We called it a day after that.

Song of the day: Raining in Manila by Lola Amour

Lyrics that resonated with me:
It's been raining in Manila, hindi ka ba nilalamig?
And it's been raining in Manila, hindi ka ba nilalamig?
But if it's raining in Manila, hindi kita maririnig
(Nakahiga, mag-isang nanginginig)
So I'll be waiting in Manila kahit 'di ka na babalik

Maulan ba sa inyo 'pag bumubuhos dito?
Paumanhin, at mukhang hindi ko
Masasabayan ang 'yong yapak sa pagngiti at pag-iyak
Sa paglipad at pagbagsak ng araw-araw
Sa pagpikit na lang kita matititigan sa mata
Sa panaginip na magpapaligaw

Kamusta ka na? Kahit 'wag nang sagutin
'Di ba nawala ang kintab ng bituin?
Sana gano'n ka nga pa rin

Journal entry for Sunday, July 20th, 2025

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Nothing much went on today aside from me feeling a bit sick and tired of all the rain recently. I was thinking of going out to buy someone's PSP but I went on Facebook Marketplace and ordered to buy from a guy who was able to deliver it instead. It seemed like a scam until I actually got the item and it was a legit PSP. Thankfully, I didn't lose someone's money to a scam and all's well that ends well.

Song of the day: Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) by Taylor Swift

Journal entry for Saturday, July 19th, 2025

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SM Megamall

I started the day accompanying someone for her work which led me to having almost zero sleep at all. I don't recall much from our call either, which I guess was pretty much filler for the time. Still, I got to see her on call and have some company to talk to the entire night, which was nice. In the morning, I had to get ready even though it was raining hard as hell. It looked like my hangout with Max and Meryll was going to push through so I just had to go through with it. I was able to book a ride and then I was the first to arrive. I was just at Starbucks and then Max arrived. We talked for a while and eventually met up with Meryll and her boyfriend who was tagging along with us. We didn't do much aside from just talk, walk around, buy that matcha mochi that we've been wanting to try. We also ate at Pepper Lunch, which was funny because I ate here, at Pepper Lunch in SM Megamall, 1 week ago and I ordered the exact dish as I did last week. We also watched Superman (2025) because Meryll and Max haven't seen it, but me and Meryll's boyfriend have already watched it. We still watched it regardless and Max had some... strong reactions with Lex Luthor. But I guess I just got used to comically-evil bad guys because I watch so many comic book movies and shows, that it's normal at this point. When all was said and done, we at some salads for dinner. I had to choose between bread with ice cream filling or macarons. I was choosing between the two but went with macarons instead, and funnily enough, Meryll made the decision to get macarons after I had them. We all just looked out at the Fantastic Four installation nearby while eating before we all went to the bathroom and went our separate ways. For going home, I was able to book an Angkas ride home, even though it was extremely rainy. It was the only one I could take since I couldn't book a car home so I just had to thug it out. The driver gave me a raincoat to wear, so that helped me a bit. I got home safe, thankfully, and I just chilled for whatever minutes the day had left.

Song of the day: Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA

Failed Five Stars!

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Glorietta

Today was once again a day in the office but, thankfully (and sadly), it would be my final day in the office for the month. Today actually started with me and someone still playing, but I eventually went to sleep after that. Thankfully, I wasn't super late to the office and I got there relatively on time. It was just my coworker and I, just like yesterday, and it was your usual day in the office for me. Nothing much went on and we had lunch at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken in Glorietta. I ordered their dynamite (which was superior than Señor Pollo's one, sorry), their chicken skin which I missed, and I had their new menu selection which my coworker also got. We mostly talked about their time and experience in the company, and it shocked me to hear that there were salary reductions when they entered. It honestly put a lot of fear into me but they reassured me that it only happened once and they haven't seen it happen again. We kept eating and I eventually ordered my dynamite and chicken skin as take-out. After that we went back to the office and work went on as usual. In the afternoon, I was kind of bored so I went out to get some *merienda* alone and I got Dairy Queen. I also called someone during this time because I wanted to talk to them and have them watch as I do some spins in Genshin. It was super painful because I kept spinning and spinning for this Genshin archon, Mavuika. I kept topping up and adding more and more money, but I ultimately didn't get her even after spending 6,000 Pesos on spins. I kind of regret not getting the 5,000 Pesos worth of spins since I would've gotten so much more for that, but whatever. I also toured someone on how I entered my workplace building and she says that it looked so futuristic. It was also dumb of me because I spilled some Dairy Queen on the way there. My mobile signal also got cut off while in the elevator so someone didn't really see me enter my workplace. I was still in a call with her and did a few spins while eating my Dairy Queen in the office pantry and she eventually asked me to stop after spending so much money on spins. I did get a 5-star character, and it was Dehya, which I didn't like at all because she didn't fit in any of my team compositions. But whatever, we played some Genshin and I showed her Wanderer's boss fight and she was a bit interested in facing off against them. We ended the call after that and I went back to my desk to finish my work for the week. For the remainder of the day, I met up with my sister because we were working in the same building today, surprisingly enough. We had dinner and I suggested Peri-Peri again, and I ordered dynamite again but I didn't get a sharing bundle. We both got the dish my coworker and I ordered earlier and my sister liked it! After that, she mostly shared about her day and what happened at her work. She was mostly fine, albeit a bit rattled over what to do/feel on what happened earlier. I tell her that it's fine and we finish our food and I get the dynamite for take-out. I bought her a few books at the newly-opened Fully Booked nearby and I bought Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules for myself. I book us both a car for our ride home and, thankfully, we got home safe and alright. Since it was a Friday, I stayed up late with someone and got into a call with her that lasted all night, even though I had to meet up with my friends the next day.

Song of the day: Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan

A Walk to Señor Pollo and We're Back in Genshin!

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Señor Pollo, Legazpi Village

Today was another day in the office for me and I got there relatively okay. My sister also ordered some McDonald's for us and I just had it placed inside her lunch box which I brought to the office. It was just my coworker and I there and since I was close to them, I left my assigned seat to sit next to them and talk while my shift went on. We had lunch out and, thankfully, we went out for lunch early. They asked me what my favorite chicken restaurant was and I had a few in mind, we ultimately decided on going to their favorite chicken restaurant, Señor Pollo. It was a bit of a walk away, but I didn't mind the walk there and figured it was good exercise. We took a while to get there, but we eventually made it and it didn't take us an hour to walk there, thankfully. We got seated and ate some chicken, and the sides were really good. They also had their own version of dynamite, which tasted nice, but it was too spicy for us to finish there. But the chicken and the sauces were so good. It honestly shaped up to be one of my favorite chicken places. I had my leftover dynamite for take-out and we went back to the office. Thankfully, nothing big happened that I missed and I just continued my shift and finished eating the McDonald's and the leftover dynamite. Before going home, my coworker was having a hard time opening their locker because their biometric lock wouldn't work. I recognized this lock from McNally's videos and I remembered that this can be easily opened with brute force. I decided to try it out for myself and hit it with my metal water bottle. My coworker didn't believe me and he thought that it would be too loud, but I eventually got it opened and he was in complete shock when I opened it. After that, we both eventually went home and I was able to book a ride despite the rain. In the evening, I played Peak with someone and I helped her recover her old Genshin account. She still remembered her password but it kept asking her to verify her account with an old Gmail account that she doesn't remember. We first tried recovering her old Gmail account, but it didn't work. So we just tried logging into her Hoyoverse, but it couldn't go through for her. I tried logging in instead and I was able to log in and change her email. We played Genshin afterwards, after years of not playing it, and my level was enough to join her world and we fought the same-level enemies together. We had a difficult time fighting Childe but we eventually got the hang of it. We also had enough time to watch a few caving videos on YouTube like we used to. All in all, today was super fun and extra, but I didn't feel exhausted at all in the end.

Song of the day: Mystical Magical by Benson Boone

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Once you know what my love's gonna feel like
Nothing else will feel right, you can feel like
Moonbeam ice cream, taking off your blue jeans
Dancing at the movies, 'cause it feels so

Mystical, magical
Oh, baby, 'cause once you know, once you know
My love is so mystical, magical
Oh, baby, 'cause once you know, once you know

New Permanent Work Seat

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I planned to go to the office today because I want to complete my required on-site days. I commuted to work as usual and I got told that I was then assigned to be seated somewhere, which was nice that I wasn't placed as far from my coworkers. But I was kind of scared since I got seated at the front of an executive's office. I spent most of the day alone because my usual coworkers weren't here and it was only their team leader and one of their teammates who I'm not close to. It was kind of awkward because I had to manuever myself out of their vision and I mostly remained seated as to not make the situation awkward. I usually sat next to them but I didn't for today and it was a nice decision because their row eventually got filled up with other people who needed the seat more than me. I just had lunch by myself, had llaollao, and went home early because I had several meetings in the evening. For the evening, I played Peak with someone before attending my meetings. I went to sleep after that.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Journal entry for Tuesday, July 15th, 2025

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Today was pretty boring and nothing much went on. I went to work as usual and had fun talking to someone. Today, we made a pact to gift the other a "pro" version of whatever Apple device when one of us gets married first. I told her that I'm looking forward to getting a MacBook Pro from her when she gets married, and we both placed our signatures on it. Aside from that, we had a bit of a spat about siblings ordering stuff for each other being a norm, but it wasn't that much of an argument. I eventually slept after that.

Song of the day: Join Us for a Bite by JT Music, Andrea Storm Kaden

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I lost it long ago, you're not alone, baby

Can't wait to meet you
So join the animatronic family
We open real soon
Try your best to hold on to sanity
Come get to know me
And you won't want to leave after tonight
Down here, we're lonely
And we would love you to join us for a bite

Superman!

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal Mall

I'm glad that my gout was fully gone today but I was still kind of frustrated because I didn't watch Superman (2025). I eventually just decided on a whim to finally watch Superman today. I bought ticket and had planned to watch it at my usual, favorite place to watch movies: Venice Grand Canal Mall. For the rest of the day, nothing much went on aside from me going through my usual day at work and then talking to someone on the sidelines. In the evening, I went to Venice and ate at the KFC there for dinner. I tried that new spicy, cheesy bowl that someone recommended and it was pretty good. I got a Zinger as well, but I was honestly too full to eat both. After that, I was just in time to watch Superman and I watched the film. It was pretty fun! I actually liked James Gunn's portrayal of Superman and it was honestly the first standalone Superman movie I've watched in theaters. I didn't watch any of the Superman movies in theaters back in the 2010s so watching this one was pretty fun. It also felt very relevant, which was a nice touch. Overall, I liked it and it was such a nice entry into the new DC movie universe. I liked one of the songs in the movie and kept playing it on loop in the commute home.

Song of the day: 5 Years Time - Sun Sun Sun by Noah And The Whale

Lyrics that resonated with me:
In five years time, I might not know you
In five years time, we might not speak
In five years time, we might not get along
In five years time, you might just prove me wrong

Journal entry for Sunday, July 13th, 2025

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: SM Megamall

For today, nothing much went on aside from my sister and I planning to have her Samsung Galaxy Watch taken in for warranty and to have it fixed. We settled on SM Megamall because it was the only support center that was reasonably open and it was in a good-enough place. We both separately commuted to SM Megamall and we got there okay. We both ate first at Pepper Lunch and then we went to the repair center. It took us a while to find it because, apparently, it was inside the Samsung store itself! It was so hard and confusing to find, but eventually we were able to get a ticket. We waited quite a long while to get it serviced. **We waited more than 2 hours for us to be able to get it in for warranty.** It was such a long while, but I'm glad I brought my MacBook so I was able to do some work while waiting. We went to Power Mac Center after that so I could buy an AirTag for my bag and then we went downstairs to eat at Panda Express. We went home shortly after that and I got to enjoy a day out with my sister for what it's worth. I wasn't able to watch Superman (2025), though, which kinda sucks. But I enjoyed my day out with my sister and I'm glad we got her Galaxy Watch in for repair while it was still under warranty.

Song of the day: 360 by Charli xcx

Journal entry for Saturday, July 12th, 2025

Sat, 12 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

Today started with me accompanying someone through her working hours. We were still in a call on Discord and we talked about a lot of things. She also showed me the kittens that she's taking care of, which were cute. I was still not used to seeing her with black hair, which was still a nice surprise. We kept talking and talking all throughout the night and it was genuinely nice to hear her say that it was nice to talk to me again. Her shift eventually finished and we stopped talking at around 7 a.m. or so. I had told her that I just planned to code and do some stuff at my favorite place in BGC, which was Starbucks 32nd Street, and I slept after that. I followed through with going to Starbucks even though my foot wasn't fully healed. It was walkable enough for me to walk comfortably around and bring my MacBook along with me. It was really nice to go to Starbucks with the "right" MacBook now. I was able to do some work like switching over to my own fork of Material Color Utilities and publishing that as an NPM package, which was pretty nice as I plan to use the updated fork in my Material 3 Expressive update. Unfortunately, I didn't stay there for long as I eventually had to go home to play games and be in a call with someone. I played Sky with them and we played Peak with Luan. After that, we played a few rounds of Buckshot Roulette where they both teamed up on me for a round or so. It was all pretty fun and I got to keep talking with someone about her feelings and a few things she's anxious about.

Song of the day: Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA

Up All Night

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

My foot still hurts but I had to suck it up again today because I'm still determined to go back to the office. I commuted there and it wasn't as painful as yesterday, but I still had that funny limp in my walk because my foot wasn't 100% okay. I got to the office but I didn't have lunch with my coworkers and instead had lunch alone. I had Subway for lunch and I ate it in the office lunchroom while talking to someone. Work passed by as usual and I was still able to go out with my coworkers for *merienda* and we ate at SM Makati and NYFD, which was nice because we just got to chill and talk about work matters and previous work experiences, with Jimmy telling us about his past office encounters, which was funny. After work, I went to SM Makati to buy groceries and I was honestly impressed because I was able to carry heavy groceries despite having a painful gout attack. I booked a Grab ride home and I was talking to someone while on the way home. When I got home, she tells me to accompany her all night and I did accompany her until the morning like we used to back in 2024.

Song of the day: HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan

Journal entry for Thursday, July 10th, 2025

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

My gout still hurts and my foot still is a pain to walk on, but fuck it, I just sucked it up and decided to go to the office. I had to commute there via Angkas and it was such a pain getting off the motorcycle. Walking for the first few minutes to the office felt like absolute hell and I had such a weird walk, which was extremely noticeable. Eventually, I got to the office and took a few painkillers as well as my meds. Work eventually started and things were pretty okay, work-wise. I had some pain from my gout, but I just endured it since I was already in the office. I had lunch out with my coworkers and we ate at Sukiya, and the walk there was a bit painful and I told them about my gout, which they were shocked to hear because I'm still pretty young to have it. I didn't eat much because my appetite was mostly gone because I felt some pain in my foot, so I just had my food for take-out. We went back to the office after that. For the rest of the afternoon, I didn't do much and had some free time. I played the expanded version of Veil of Eternity with my coworkers and it was pretty fun. I had so much fun playing the expanded version and it wasn't that hard to play as it only added a few new characters. We played Unmatched after that and I picked Sun Wukong because I remember him from that game named Black Myth Wukong. I won a round, thankfully, and we played for a few more rounds after that. It was pretty fun and I enjoyed our playthrough before we had to walk back to our desks to finish our work. I went home after work and played some Sky with someone before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Everything at Once by Lenka

A Black MacBook for a Silver MacBook

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

My foot was still hurting so much because of my gout and I had originally planned to go to work today, but I didn't push through it on account of the pain in my foot. I just worked from home and got my usual stuff done. Despite my gout, I had planned to meet up a person who was exchanging their MacBook. It only had 2 charge cycles and was just bought on July 1, while mine had 8 charge cycles already. I felt bad trading away my own, first-ever bought MacBook, but I just had to trade it away because black is such a horrible color. Thankfully, the guy isn't asking much for us to swap because it's practically the same MacBook, just with a different color. I met up with him in BGC, thankfully it wasn't far and I got there fairly quickly. It was a bit of a pain walking around, but I'm glad I got dropped off nearby and I didn't have to walk far. I met the guy exchanging his laptop and he tells me that he actually does this "professionally" and it sounded interesting to me. I removed my Apple account from my MacBook and I got my account set up on the new, silver MacBook. I was a bit paranoid and worried that he still has his Apple account in this new MacBook, but I had to quell those thoughts because he didn't have an Apple account in this one when he exchanged it to me. All of my fears were eventually quelled when I saw this MacBook pop up in my iCloud and Find My app. After that, I played Sky with someone and we took a few pics together while in the event place in the Aviary Village. We stopped playing after that and I enjoyed my time with the new MacBook.

Song of the day: Starving by Hailee Steinfeld

A Gouty Comeback

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Below Average

My gout came back today and I didn't mind it much for most of the day, which was a mistake because I should have taken my medicine instead of not paying attention to it. I'm pretty sure that the sausage from yesterday was what caused it to come back because it was the only new thing that I ate that was out of the ordinary. I continued through the day and work passed by just fine. But my right big toe started hurting pretty badly. Regardless, I still played Peak with someone since she invited me to play together. We also played Supermarket Together and I put my foot down to cancel the pain, but it just got worse and my right foot had swollen up completely. It was so painful by the end of our playthrough, I was in so much pain. I went to bed after that and I just took some colchicin and raised my foot while sleeping.

Song of the day: Baba O'Riley by The Who

Properly Back in Sky!

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today was a usual day for me. I was working from home and nothing much went on for my shift. But after my shift, someone invited me to play Sky with them again and we both fully got back into Sky. We even made a new friend named Elkie who was in her 20s. She was Chinese and was super friendly. I tried playing from my bed, which was a total pain because I had to set up my controller and keyboard. I eventually got everything working but we stopped playing Sky for the day shortly after that. We played Peak again with Luan in the evening and it was pretty fun, but we didn't get past the lava stage. We downloaded this new game called Buckshot Roulette on Steam and I immediately got the hang of it. It was so much like a card game. I also ate dinner today which was sisig and then sausage. It was so fun eating and then playing Buckshot Roulette with someone and Luan. I won a few games but it was ultimately a tie between me and Luan on the most wins. We still had a lot of time left in the late evening so someone and I joined a call and they made us watch K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025) on Netflix. They have already watched it before, but wanted me to watch it, too. It was pretty nice and I liked some of the songs, even though it felt a bit short for me. I still enjoyed it and someone sang a lot of the songs in the movie. Today was super fun and I enjoyed a lot of what happened today.

Song of the day: Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John, Kiki Dee

Journal entry for Sunday, July 6th, 2025

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

I had nothing planned today and I eventually woke up late, but a person from my ISP came over by the house to install our new router and a set-top box which was basically just an Android TV box. We had "cable" in the house again after a long while and it was pretty nice to watch some Philippine TV channels. We also got our older router replaced and the speeds on the new router were insane, especially on Wi-Fi powered devices. I also got to change the password on the router, which was a long overdue task because my cousins TV downstairs used to connect to our Wi-Fi. For the rest of the evening, there wasn't much to do as I just rested and enjoyed the new router. It was a pretty productive weekend overall.

Song of the day: Gabriela by KATSEYE

All Health Checks Cleared!

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

I had plans today to visit the dentist to have my teeth get checked up. I also found a dentist that accepted my HMO and I had my teeth cleaned for free, which was super nice. I had to pay 1,000 out of my pocket because my teeth had some dirt that somehow wasn't covered by the HMO. But whatever, it was fine and I still got my teeth cleaned. It was super painful, by the way. It honestly felt like my teeth were being "downloaded" because the entire operation sounded like some downloading operation. It was super painful but I'm glad I got through it. The dentist also checked my teeth and it was just your usual, run-of-the-mill **gingivitis**. Thankfully, it wasn't some health problem because I had a lowered immune system from HIV. I breathed a large sigh of relief when the fix was just some over-the-counter drug named Orahex. My next stop was this public health clinic in Taguig because they offered free HIV tests. But when I got there, it was closed. I went to another clinic that had it and they said that it was only available for pregnant ladies. I went to Vista Mall to buy Orahex and I decided to find another clinic. The weather was kind of rainy, but I was already outside, so I didn't want to waste my efforts and decided to get an HIV test, even if I'll have to pay for it myself. I found a clinic in Makati and it was thankfully close to Ayala Avenue. I paid for my HIV test and admitted my sexual history to the doctor and then I got the test itself done. Thankfully, it's the latest version of the test and it was only a quick 10-minute finger prick. I waited for what felt like eternity and, by my sheer fucking luck, it turned out **negative**. Negative. A negative fucking HIV test. It's good that I got a test around the proper time, too, so that was nice. But wow, I just felt so light after taking that test *and* having a negative result. I then walked to the Starbucks downstairs and had a cookie and some matcha, which was really nice. I talked to my Mom about it and she scolded me, but ultimately understood and was kind of glad (I think) of my negative result. I walked through the Dela Rosa Walkway and got a footlong sandwich from the Subway we used to visit back when we were working in Makati in 2020. I kept walking and passed by Greenbelt Chapel and decided to go there to thank God for all that they've done for me recently: from the wishes being granted, my HIV result being negative, and things being generally okay. Somehow, while praying, a mass had started and I enjoyed the entirety of it and then booked a ride home. I just ate the Subway sandwich and chilled for the rest of the evening.

Song of the day: 360 by Charli xcx

Journal entry for Friday, July 4th, 2025

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today I pushed myself to still go to the office and I got there okay. I worked through my normal shift and I also ate with my coworkers for lunch. I had Paotsin and I was talking to someone, and they had told me that they would be gone for the day, and I wished them well. I continued eating lunch with my coworkers and I had to run back to the office afterwards. In the afternoon, I had a lot of free time and had *merienda* with my coworkers. I also bought myself a new Hatsune Miku mouse and some cables. I went home pretty much afterwards and rested for the day.

Song of the day: Neverita by Bad Bunny

Journal entry for Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

I called in sick from work today and I was too tired to go to the office today, which kind of ruined my plan to go to work for 4 days straight this week. I just rested at home and chilled for the rest of the day. Since I had nothing to do, in the late afternoon, I played Cuphead with someone. I also played some of those "Guess the Taylor Swift Song" game and we played for a while, which was super fun. I got an early start but someone eventually got more points that me, but it was super fun. They also made me play this new game called Dollmere, which was super scary and creepy. We eventually left while I haven't completed my playthrough and I slept after that.

The Peak!

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was another day in the office and nothing noteworthy really went on today. I had Burger King in the morning and just ate breakfast there while listening to KATSEYE's "Gabriela" because someone and I listened to it a few days ago. I went back to the office after that and I just chilled in the office for a while. I was still mostly full from Burger King. In the afternoon, I had some time to kill and I was talking to someone by then. She asked me to play Sky: Children of the Light again with them and we logged back in together after a long time. We mostly just talked, played for a while, and we had fun walking around and collecting candle flames around the Hidden Forest. We only played for a while and I noticed my phone get noticeably hot even though it was the latest iPhone, which kind of surprised me because I thought that my phone can handle this game's graphics, but it even struggled. Oh well, I went back to my workstation to finish my remaining tasks for the day and then booked a ride home afterward. When I got home, I got into a call with someone and we played Peak again with Luan. I ordered food from Sinigang Express with my sister and I ate while playing Peak. We actually died in the first few stages and someone and I had to wait by the sidelines while Luan went on and tried to figure things out. He eventually reached the lava stage, which was after the tundra stage (and we were having a difficult time going through it), and I was able to rejoin him at the end before the volcano stage. We both climbed up and someone got to join but she got resurrected at the start of the lava stage and she wasn't able to get through it. So, for the remainder of the climb, she was just a ghost who tagged along and helped us climb. It was honestly exhilarating and our climb was kind of difficult, but we were able to get through it to reach the peak, which was the game's title. For the rest of the evening, I stayed with someone on call. They showed me a few parts of this new musical that she likes named Epic. She made me listen to it for a few hours and the story was pretty nice.

Song of the day: Gabriela by KATSEYE

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Hands off, Gabriela, Gabriela
Hands off, Gabriela-la-la
Back off of my fella, Gabriela
Back off, Gabriela-la-la
'Cause, ooh
You could have anyone else you wanted to
I'm begging you (Hey)
Hands off, Gabriela, Gabriela
Hands off, Gabriela-la-la, la-la-la-la

Journal entry for Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

For July, I want to have my mandatory days in the office fully rendered out early in the month because I'm expecting it to be a rainy month. I honestly don't want to get trapped by being "at risk" for my mandatory days so I went with trying to fulfill the days as early as I can. I went to the office and today was a pretty chill day. There were barely any people in the office and I was just fully alone. So I just worked, ate whatever, and just relaxed. I had llaollao and it was pretty good. I took a few photos in the office and I even saw a rainbow, which was pretty interesting. In the evening, I played Peak with someone and Luan, and I had fun. Today was really nice and chill.

Song of the day: Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell

Journal entry for Monday, June 30th, 2025

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

Monday was kind of weird. Elements of the past came back in my life. Today was supposed to be just a normal day but it didn't turn out like that. Work went by and ended as usual. But I had problems and an argument with someone because she was spiraling and felt burdened by cat problems, and she told me that it was just like before. Thankfully, I got through to her and I told her my side as well which was that I can't take Kit in because I'm just sharing the house and there are some bad instances where even Milktea got mistreated, so taking in another cat is just not possible. She calmed down after that and I reassured her that I'd try to help her out with her cat stuff as much as I can, and told her my plan of giving her 40K for Kit's surgery. She eventually calmed down and things were okay again between us, thankfully. Also, Val came back and found me on IG. We talked again and she said we should call again sometime. I told her that I'm really busy right now and I was, swamped with thinking of someone's cat problems but also dealing with her. For what it's worth, we played Peak with Luan again and it was fun. Someone and I were also okay by the end of the day, we had a video call and I got to see her face in a while, so that was nice. So having that and Val come back saved this day from turning into a bad day. I also had an opportunity to go to Europe (The Netherlands, I think) if this online thing with me goes well, so here's to hoping for that.

Song of the day: Love Me Like You by Little Mix

Journal entry for Sunday, June 29th, 2025

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Sunday was pretty chill with me just staying at home. I started off the day by watching Squid Game Season 3 and finishing it. I also ate a bag of hot Cheezy while watching it, and it was pretty good watch for what it was. I wasn't "wowed" like in Squid Game Season 1, though, and I downright **hated** all of the remaining characters except Gi-hun and the baby in the end. I finished watching and eventually went to bed. The rest of the day had me playing fun games with someone, at first we were playing Cuphead together, and then she invited Luan for us to play Phasmophobia together. In the evening, we tried out this new game called Peak and it was really fun. We climbed over the first stage but failed climbing the subsequent ones. It was super fun and we had a lot of laughs while we were playing. At the end, someone and I stayed on call while I just played analog horror and scary videos for us to watch. I saw the opportunity to play old PS2 games like in 2024 and I was able to play some Tokyo Extreme Racer, but I couldn't easily play SSX Tricky like I used to. It was kind of disappointing because my graphics card is total garbage now compared to my GTX 1080 Ti, but whatever. I still enjoyed the experience of playing games with someone and then us having to stream and watch analog horror together and they even fell asleep in the call just like before.

Song of the day: Love Me Like You by Little Mix

Lyrics that resonated with me:
So, baby, baby, come and save me
Don't need those other numbers when I got my number one

Last night, I laid in bed so blue
'Cause I realized the truth, they can't love me like you
I tried to find somebody new
Baby, they ain't got a clue, can't love me like you (Ah)

Back at My Favorite Place!

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Starbucks 32nd Street

My Saturday was totally free and I didn't plan on meeting with any of my friends this weekend, so I decided that today would be the day I "broke the MacBook in" and enjoyed using it at a Starbucks. While I still didn't like the black color of the Mac that much, I just decided that it's fine. I booked a ride to Starbucks and thankfully the weather was kind of good when I commuted there. I got there and I got coffee as my drink, which was kind of weird because I'm really not into coffee that much these days. But since it's my usual drink when hanging out at Starbucks, I just decided to go for it. I got my drink and went upstairs to find a seat and I thankfully found a seat, a sofa seat with a table. It was the perfect spot and I took some photos of me working on my website with my new MacBook. I took some photos of it and I liked the black color, which made me think that getting the black one wasn't that bad at all. There are some smudges here and there, smudges that definitely wouldn't show up if I got the silver one, but it is what it is. I took a photo of my MacBook because it still looks beautiful. I coded on it for a while, mostly figuring out some Material 3 Expressive shapes and adding them to my site, and then working on that new DynamicScheme color theming system. Both features took a while to figure out and I passed the whole afternoon and early evening on both. Throughout my stay, I was a bit apprehensive about leaving my MacBook alone. Sure, it's not a flashy device and it honestly looks like any black Windows laptop, but I didn't want this stolen, so I brought it with me when going to get water or going to the bathroom. I just left my Cinnamoroll umbrella on the desk I occupied so that no one takes my seat. I also played some of my old favorite sogns from Claire Rosinkranz while coding. After all that coding, I was able to make some progress on my future site redesign, which was nice. Also, nothing really bad happened, thankfully. I eventually left and found out that it was a bit stormy, with some light rain. I left to go grab dinner somewhere and I didn't really plan on anything, so I walked around for a bit. I stopped by The Loop on Bonifacio High Street because I wanted to buy a USB dongle for my MacBook, and I was kind of disappointed to get one that cost 2,600 Pesos and didn't even have an ethernet plug, which sucks. I walked around a bit more, and even thought of eating at Mendokoro, but that's near Mitsukoshi mall, which isn't feasible to walk to in the light rain, so I settled for Ramen Nagi and ate there for a bit. The food was nice, although I really don't remember tasting much of it, for some reason. Regardless, I finish my food enough and booked a ride home. It rained a bit, but thankfully the MacBook wasn't affected. I went home safe and just chilled for the rest of the evening. I used this time to watch the entirety of Squid Game Season 3 and it was a pretty fun and thrilling watch.

Song of the day: Hotel by Claire Rosinkranz

Journal entry for Friday, June 27th, 2025

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Glorietta 5

Today was your usual, chill day at the office and nothing much happened aside from just a usual day at work. After work ended, I had to meet Mariah and her boss because she would like to present something to me and I agreed a few days ago. We met at Starbucks in Glorietta 5 and her boss thought I was buying a condo unit, or at least interested in one (I was not), so she presented a few properties to me even though I wasn't that interested. I had good questions, though, and Mariah also thought that I was legit looking for a property, and even though she herself knew that I wasn't. It was fun regardless and Mariah and I both went home at the same time. She seemed really tired and we were just joking around, talking, and making jokes as we were going home. She was going to tag along with me and I got a Grab ride for us since it was already raining and she didn't want her dad to pick her up. We got in the Grab ride and I could tell that she was really tired as she was going to only rest for a while before waking up for a work thing tomorrow. She eventually got dropped off at her place and I had the rest of the Grab ride all to myself, which was pretty fun and chill.

Song of the day: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

Journal entry for Thursday, June 26th, 2025

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today started with me getting ready earlier than usual because I had to leave to my other workplace so I can meet my teammates again. I was to report to the other workplace down south so I had to prepare early, even though it averaged out to the usual time I'd prepare and leave the house. Thankfully, I was able to book a ride there and I was on my way. On my way there, I passed by SLEX because that's where I'd usually pass through. The trip was typical but, at one point, I saw a vehicle burning in the northbound track of SLEX. It was a bit horrific to see how much smoke was coming out of the vehicle and I was only happy that it wasn't an oil tanker or that it didn't blow up and cause a major issue. When I got to the office, I was relatively-okay and not that shaken from seeing what happened earlier. I got off on the wrong floor because I couldn't remember what floor we were on, and so I chose the 7th for good luck. Apparently, I was on the wrong floor and the right one was the one above. Regardless, I got to meet my coworkers and we got to talking about the agenda for today and what our tasks were for the day. And then we had a small meet and greet, as well as catching up, with out local supervisor and we just talked about a few processes, some changes, and so on. They were nice and friendly, but it was just super interesting that they started working for this company in 2013, and I can vividly remember that I was just in high school at the time. Time acts so weird but they also joked about it because I kind of made them and my teammates feel old. But eventually, we finish talking and our meet and greet ends there. We return to our work for a bit before having lunch. We decided to go out for lunch and they had some plans to eat somewhere near. Since it was just a nearby walk, we went to Conti's and had lunch there. We talked while on the way and I had to get my Cinnamoroll umbrella, which they found cute and I told them of the other Sanrio characters that they might recognize like Keroppi, Hello Kitty, and others. We eventually get to Conti's and I order a few things, mainly beef salpicao, *palabok*, match strawberry, and even iced gulaman because my teammate also ordered that. We ate and mostly discussed a few things like their lives, how it is at the company, and so on. I mostly just asked my coworker how it's like raising a kid in the 2020s because inflation is such a pain. We keep talking until it was our turn to pay the bill and I was shocked that the amount of food I bought totaled to 1,000 Pesos (1,070 to be exact). But whatever, I ate good food and it was nice, although the *palabok* isn't as good as the one in Jollibee and Mang Inasal. I paid for the bill and collected their payments and then we went back to the office. For the rest of the aftrnoon, I was working on a script and debugging it. It was kind of hard to work out the complexity because I was dealing with recursion and part of me kept thinking of just getting home and using my MacBook. Time passed by quick and I had to go home early anyway because I had a meeting in the evening. Before that, I got to talk to other coworkers nearby as my teammate introduced me to them. After a bit, I asked my teammate where the Starbucks was and I told them that I'd grab a quick bite/*merienda* for a bit and they also decided on getting food as well. I mostly talked about how my teammate was able to afford their house and they said that their husband bought it in the late 2000s, which kind of made sense since everything was still super cheap and plentiful back then, and then I told them that it's kind of hard now. But I mostly asked how their house renovation went. I saw some cute cats nearby, too! And I took a lot of pictures of them! We eventually arrived at Starbucks and I just ordered a fruit drink because I wanted to just chill for the evening, not stay up. We then went to Subway where I bought this big footlong sandwich that I filled to the brim with jalapeños. We went back to the office and I ate a bit of it while refactoring and running my script. Eventually, it was time to head home and I initially planned to go to Mendokoro because someone recommended it. They also asked me if I'm down to place Phasmophobia later and I was down for that, but prioritized that and moved Mendokoro for tomorrow. Thankfully, I got a ride home quickly and traffic back home wasn't that bad, but it did take a while. After getting home, I checked on the medicine that my sister has bought and then I opened my Mac to use it for a bit. I played Phasmophobia with someone and we had a few good games. By the end of our playthrough, we got a perfect investigation again and that was good enough to end this night's playthrough. After that, I just talked to Max and Meryll about hanging out next month, and they were both free so thankfully we had plans for next month set. Nothing much happened with my evening after that. I just attended the meeting and I did fairly well presending for a bit, and following up on action items. After that, I just continued using my Mac. I wanted to see if I could return it because the black wasn't a really good look, but I couldn't find a way so I just decided to stick with it. I just calculated my finances for the rest of the evening.

Song of the day: Despacito by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee

Hi, Mariah?

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Filling Station, Poblacion

I originally had nothing planned for today, but it became really busy by the end. My morning started out like it usually would, though. I woke up a bit early, but also very tired because I slept late this morning. Someone left messages for me on our Discord server so I just replied to them and also talked to them a bit in the morning. For the rest of the day, I was mostly busy with work. I remember trying to make this piece of code work and I spent most of the afternoon on it, and I eventually figured it out by the end and put a flag on it to finish it by tomorrow. After all my work was done, I played Phasmophobia again with someone and Luan. It was really fun! We tried our best to get a "perfect investigation" and we completed a few rounds, mostly with me dying. But, by our last playthrough, we actually got a perfect investigation! It was a long round of Phasmophobia, we even took a small break to eat food, but we all got back in the game and actually got a perfect investigation! And I didn't have to die in the process! We were so happy after finishing the game and we all left to do other things, with me originally planning to sleep early. But out of the blue earlier, Mariah replies to my IG Story asking me what I do now and we got to talk again. It's been years since we met up and she invited me to meet up with her and have a chat. While I was skeptical at first, I figured it wasn't any harm to meet an old friend from high school. She eventually did tell me that she wanted me to meet with her boss on Friday so they can discuss some sales plan or thing to me, but I was okay doing that on Friday. For today, I figured Mariah and I would just meet up, talk, and catch up with each other's lives. I booked a ride to her workplace in Poblacion and it was interesting seeing her again. She looks so mature from when I last met her back when we were teens, but I guess that's just life. It's nice because she seemed so bubbly and peppy, and she even hugged me when I greeted her, which kind of shocked me since I'm not touchy with people often. But I appreciated Mariah being friendly and we walked around, just looking for a place to eat. I suggested Filling Station because we both didn't plan on anything and she went with it. Mariah and I just walked and caught up on our way there. She mostly just told me about how her life and family life have been recently, the challenges she's faced, and I'm seriously surprised to know that she hasn't been to Filling Station yet. I was more shocked to hear that she's never done partying or clubbing here in Poblacion. I tell her that she's really sheltered and she actually agrees. We eventually make our way to Filling Station and we're given a table. Somehow, I told Mariah that I couldn't hear properly and I asked her if it was fine sitting next to her, which she agreed and I'm glad I asked because my hearing is starting to get really bad. Plus, the music in the place was loud so I wouldn't hear her anyway. It also helped because I don't feel comfortable sitting face to face and talking to people. We got our food and Mariah chose the angus burger I recommended, and I got steak for myself. I told her that I'd be treating her and she says she'll make up by treating me on Friday, which was nice of her. We also both got iced teas and I remarked that she should do a tierlist and she says that this one was the best for her, with the next being the iced tea from Bonchon, which I found funny. Eventually, our food was served and we ate while talking. Some of the people in the restaurant also had birthdays. The speakers played a loud "Happy Birthday" jingle that sounded obnoxious at first, but downright horrible because that song played 5 times or so for 5 birthday celebrants. It was so weird that so many people had today, June 25, as their birthday and I joked that the likelihood of that was super low, and then Mariah laughed. But she was irritated by the jingle as well and she didn't like it at all. I catch up Mariah on some parts of my life that I've unpacked recently, like my situationship, how I gave so much to someone, and so on. I even shared secrets to Mariah that I've barely shared to anyone. Thankfully, she was receptive and super friendly when I was kind of telling her the gray-area stuff I've been doing. Mariah also tells me the stuff she's been doing the past few years and we talked about a few things from her life, mainly her family life, career, studies, and her history leading up to this point. We also talked about our mutual friends and the people that we know. Mariah then tells me that she's happily single which kind of shocked me because I thought she'd have a boyfriend or seeing someone, and then I tell her that I'm single as well and avoiding meeting new people because of how tragic my past "relationships"/romantic encounters have been. Mariah even joked that she mostly shared about her life and apologized for talking a lot, but I was fine listening since I often do that for my other friends who just want a friend to listen and talk to. It was nice talking to Mariah again after so long. We both found it funny because it's been 8 years since we last met up, but I'm glad we were able to pick up where we left off and that we're still good friends. We eventually had some food for take-out and we walked around because we felt a bit bloated. I recommended the Starbucks nearby and she was surprised that there was one nearby. We went there and I order a drink for myself, while Mariah just tries to rest because she's really tired. We talk for a bit more until we eventually decide to head home and Mariah books a ride to her place. I wait for her ride to arrive and she gives me one last hug before saying goodbye, which I found super cute and kind of her to do. I went back to the Starbucks and booked a ride home eventually. The trip home was nice, I mostly listened to good music and I just took in our interaction for the evening. When I got home, I got a message from Mariah and I joked to her that I'm still alive. We talk for a bit and I joke to her that I plan on selling my new MacBook because I don't like the color. I put it as an IG Note which she replies to, and I recommend that she just paint my acrylic laptop case for it since she's an artist as well, and I tell her that I'll give it to her come Friday. She says she's down for it and I promise to repay her by treating her out, but then she recommends that we could hang out without having money involved, which was super nice of her. Elaine also replies to my note and I joke about not liking the color of my MacBook to her. Eventually, I had to go to sleep and I wrote my journal entry before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld

Lyrics that resonated with me:
(I love me) (hey)

Ah, la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la ah (nobody else) (hey)
Ah, la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la ah (nobody else) (hey)
Ah, la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la ah (nobody else) (hey)

Anytime that I like

Journal entry for Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was my first actual day with my new MacBook Pro! And damn, I'm seriously starting to regret that I wasn't able to get a silver option. I used the laptop in my room all day and I also looked back at some photos of the old Dice MacBook Pro, the silver one, and in those pictures, the silver really looked nice. I really, really regret not getting the silver one and I just told myself that I'll get a silver one once a new OLED model is announced. For the rest of the day, it was your usual workday. I was kind of surprised how the majority of my day was just work. I did eat a healthy (but late) lunch for my oral and gum health, so here's to hoping my gums recover soon. I also bought groceries, paid the electricity bill, and hung out the clothes to properly dry when it wasn't raining. I was more glad that I took the clothes to dry out because those were my work clothes and putting them out for a few hours to dry really helped with that "indoor wet laundry smell." I also talked to someone a fair amount today. In the morning, I helped them with this Google AppsScript thing where they need to get data from Google Calendar to Google Sheets. And then I excused myself from talking to them once my shift started. We talked again after my shift ended and I invited them to play some games with me. We started out with Phasmophobia because there was apparently a new update for it. I played with Luan once again and I realized that we 3 haven't played together **in more than half a year**. It was crazy and I missed playing multiplayer games with people. We played Phasmo and I mostly died while someone was chilling in the van and Luan was doing his best to help. We ended on a win and someone and I played Left 4 Dead for a bit. I had gifted them that game since they, apparently, didn't have it in their library yet and we played through the first few stages of No Mercy. Overall, today was really fun even though the only regret I had was getting a black MacBook.

Song of the day: The Tide Is High - Radio Mix by Atomic Kitten

Lyrics that resonated with me:
The tide is high, but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one (Ah, ah)
The tide is high, but I'm holding on (I'm gonna be, yeah)
I'm gonna be your number one (Ooh)

Back to Mac!

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

It was already Monday for me too soon, but I had a pretty chill and lax day at work. Nothing much happened and I mostly caught up on the things I needed to do, as well as a few emails. Work was nothing noteworthy and my time just passed. I found some spare time in the day to go out to Glorietta and I decided to buy a new MacBook today! I was initially waiting for the new MacBook M5 models, but since the M6 models were going to have an OLED screen and that the new MacBooks won't get here until late November, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new MacBook now, and then upgrade to an OLED MacBook somewhere down the line. Despite the heavy rain, I was able to book a ride to Glorietta and I initially went to Greenbelt to the Power Mac Center there. I thought it was a big store, so they definitely would have the exact MacBook model I wanted. When I got to Power Mac Center, they told me that they didn't have the 16-inch MacBook model that I wanted. I asked for the 14-inch one, and they didn't have it either. In fact, they didn't have any of the M4 Macs and that they haven't had stock for a month now, which I found extremely weird considering how they're this high-end shop for Apple products. It just made me regret my trip back to Glorietta because I walked all this way for nothing. I then visited Switch Glorietta and they didn't have any M4 MacBooks either, just M3 ones, which I kind of cringed at. They told me to try Digital Walker next door and, while I had my doubts since their store seemed small and packed with other tech products, I was surprised that they had the model I was looking for. I wanted an M4 MacBook Pro and, sure enough, they had it in stock. They didn't have the 16-inch model, though, just the 14-inch ones. What's worse is that the only one they had in silver was a 16GB RAM one, even though my Dice work MacBook had 24GB of RAM before. The only 24GB model they had came in black. Yeesh. I wanted to buy a MacBook because I want to be a social climber and do my work at a Starbucks again, and having a black one where the Apple logo is barely visible isn't going to cut it. I had to make a decision on whether or not I'd sacrifice being vain for worse performance, or if I'll just go with the better option. In the end, I just went with a black MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip. I just shook my head but whatever, I had to be happy with my option because this is the only one that was in stock. I set it up and I started to feel anxious because some goon might steal it from me, which didn't sit well with me because I read Reddit posts of people having their phones stolen at Greenbelt nearby. I just tried to set it up and the salesman recommended that I buy a screen protector for it. I went to the other store after buying my MacBook to have a screen protector installed and the salesperson told me that they also sold acrylic covers. I read online that both were bad for Macs, but I was already here so I couldn't refuse. I just chose to get the acrylic cover and went out of the store after buying it. I set up my Mac and then booked a Grab ride home, and I tried to download a few things while on the ride home. When I got home, I still felt a bit upset that the silver color option I didn't have wasn't available. I read that getting the black one was prone to coating and scratching issues long term and that kind of made me regret my purchase. Still, this is a big accomplishment for myself. This is the first MacBook I own. Unlike the Dice work MacBook, I don't have to return this and this was actually my device. After setting it up and my sister ordering food, someone invited me to play Phasmophobia with them and we played 1 round before having me stream a video while they watch before going to sleep, just like how we were back in 2024. We just watched some analog horror and Left 4 Dead lore. Someone eventually disconnected from the call and I did other things. I posted an IG Story about getting my MacBook and I talked to a few friends, especially LK. I thought she was going to get married so I kind of congratulated her, and she found it odd because she wasn't going to get married. It was so funny because her friends posted this IG Story of her wearing a bridal veil and I thought that it was a sign that she would be married soon, and I can't believe it was just a prank. I found it so funny and I just asked LK to send me the a link to her future wedding registry so I could buy them a coffee maker. For the rest of the evening, I mostly just set up my MacBook and published my past journal entries.

Song of the day: Better When I'm Dancin' by Meghan Trainor

Got to meet Belle!

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal Mall

I can't believe it! Today was finally the day I would meet up with Belle! I've known her for 4 years and yet today was the day we would first meet up. I was tossing and turning last night in my bed and even had this horrible dream about the weather being bad because the rain was just pelting my bedroom window. But when I woke up, the weather seemed okay and it was even sunny a bit. Belle messaged me and told me that she was on the way and that she was close by, which made me panic because she's the one further away, and I didn't want to be too late. I immediately wore my usual outfit and got ready to book for a ride to Venice Grand Canal Mall. I played that new Sabrina Carpenter song while on the way there because I heard it a lot last night on IG Reels and it made the ride very funny and interesting. I eventually got to Venice Grand Canal Mall and Belle tells me that she's just waiting outside of Jollibee and I try to find her just sitting outside. And eventually I do just find her sitting outside and I immediately felt myself tense up. It was kind of weird because I could feel myself having a hard time finding the right words and talking, which seemed weird because I'm extroverted and usually great with people. I'm not sure why I tensed up so much at meeting Belle. But thankfully, I was able to fight through it and give her the tote bag I bought from Boracay, the usual Boracay sand in a jar, and her keychain. We walk for a bit and then I ask her if she was hungry yet, and she says no so I decide to have us go on that gondola ride while it was still sunny out. We went to the ticket booth and I asked how much was one gondola ride for 2, which the guy pointed out that the real ticket booth was on the other side of the escalator. I didn't understand what he meant by that, but we make our way to the other side of the escalator and that's where the gondola ride ticket booth was! The cashier told me that they only accept cash so I had to withdraw at a nearby BPI while Belle accompanies me. We talk about a few things like horror and the Annabelle doll while making our way there. I was surprised to hear that Belle was into horror, too, and not the gory kind. I can honestly feel myself tense up like a rock and not say anything. I was watching myself and I was too self-conscious towards Belle that I probably scared myself stiff. I had to withdraw some money and I was awkward as fuck, but we eventually made our way back and I paid for the tickets. I talked to Belle about her new phone and I found it funny that she was on the verge of complaining to the DTI because her phone replacement still wasn't ready. We then went to the place where the gondolas and other boats were parked and we waited our turn. We talked mostly about Belle's travels abroad and I was shocked to find out that she's been to so many places abroad already. I asked her what her trip to Japan was like, why she wants to ride a bike, and her recent Hong Kong trip as well. It was nice to hear stories about her travels and I'm really impressed that she's been to so many places already. Eventually, it was our turn to ride the Gondola and I was so conscious of taking pictures with her. I honestly think I look too fat and I just didn't feel comfortable in my skin for whatever reason. I still took some pics with her regardless and took some photos of her while on the Gondola ride. We took a photo together, too, and even Belle offered to take my photos, which was nice. We essentially circled the entire Venice Grand Canal and then went back to claim our photos. We got 2 sets of the same photos so we'd split them. By this point, we were kind of hungry and I was looking at which restaurant would be a good place for us to eat. Since Belle let me decide for us, I chose Italianni's. We had lunch and I chose the spaghetti and meatballs, as well as a calamari platter for us to share. I also ordered a Pinky Swear which was an alcoholic drink, a cocktail. It kind of shocked me internally because I hadn't drank alcohol in months, not even in Boracay, but I figured I was too tense and that maybe alcohol would help me tense up less. I realized that it might give Belle a bad image of me, like I'm some alcoholic drinker, but I know I'm not so I didn't care for my image being that. I recommended the pastas to Belle and then the iced tea, which she also ordered. She got the halibut with angel hair pasta and we just talked while waiting for the order. By this point, it was starting to get gloomy and I point out that it was already raining. I asked her about her glasses and we talked about a few things, like her work schedule, work in general, and even if she smoked, haha. I was shocked because we were both non-smokers and I tell her that almost everyone I know has some strong relationship with smoking or nicotine except me, but it was funny to hear that Belle doesn't smoke at all. Eventually, our food and iced teas get served and Belle talks to me about how she ranks iced teas that she's tried, which I find cute and interesting. I asked her what her top iced tea was and she says that it's from Shakey's, and that her worst was the one from KFC, which I totally agree with because it's always so bitter, even with the sweetener mixed in. But then we eventually ate and kept talking about other things. We eventually finished our meals and had the calamari ordered for take-out. I paid for our bill and we went to the movies afterward. When we got there, it was still early so we waited outside the entrance and sat on a bench for a bit. Belle tells me a story about going to Starmall Alabang's movie theater and how it had a lot of people when they entered, but had quite a few people when they left the movie theater. I ask her if she's familiar with the rumor that it was built upon a cemetery and then I tell her about the other haunted places in Metro Manila that I want to visit, particularly the Manila Film Center. It was eventually our time to go inside the theater so we get our complementary popcorn and water as we went in. We were the first ones inside the theater so it was a little creepy. We kind of scared each other and talked about how eerie and creepy it was, and then I joked to her that I'd go to the bathroom and leave her alone for a bit. But we eventually waited for the other people to arrive and that's when I went to the bathroom. I was shocked because the bathroom had speakers and a loud sound just came out of nowhere and then the various movie trailers played. I rejoined Belle and I watched the other trailers, some of which were scary enough for me to check them out in the future. The movie eventually started and I picked 28 Years Later (2025) for us since Belle was undecisive, haha. The movie started and it was pretty brutal than what I had expected, and then I remembered how Belle didn't like gory movies that much, which just made me regret my decision of choosing this movie. I kind of wish I played it safe and chose the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) instead. I didn't want to choose Elio (2025), though. The movie was okay to me, but it was honestly too brutal for my taste. I also had time having trouble understanding the people speaking because they spoke with a heavy Scottish accent. I'm not sure how Belle found it, but we talked through some parts of the movie, so that was nice. After the movie, we walked around Venice Grand Canal Mall for a bit. We checked out the Timezone nearby for this drum game that Belle likes, but it wasn't there so we kept walking. We stopped by Dairy Queen and I ordered a large New York cheesecake for me, and a regular-sized mango serving for Belle. We continued to walk around and talk, and I kind of avoided the mascots because they were too creepy for me. I told this to Belle and she found it a bit funny. Belle and I sit outside at the pigeon-feeding place and I tell Belle how there are pigeons in the Philippines, and that my village even has a squirrel in it. We talked and ate our ice cream before coming back inside the mall when it was starting to rain. We walked a bit more, I bought some stuff at Sanrio and I asked her if she was into Harry Potter. She wasn't, but she and I shared the same houses: Hufflepuff! It kind of caught me off guard since most people I know are Slytherin and Belle was the first one I know who was the same house as me. I buy some Slytherin socks for Ailysh because I know how much she loves her Slytherin socks and I bought a Cinnamoroll-themed hand cream for myself. We walked around for a bit more, sat down, and talked a bit more about each other's lives. I asked Belle how her commute would be like and I kind of said sorry because I didn't have a car to drive her home with and make her commute easier. She tells me that she'll take the bus and get a Grab ride there since it was already raining. We keep talking until it was around 7:19 p.m. or so and then she books a Grab to the bus. I show her where to wait and then escort her to the Grab car and say goodbye to her. Once Belle got in the car, I went back to the mall to just analyze and take it all in. It was so weird how I was so tense around Belle. I even found myself stuttering and not having the right words to say. I kept telling myself of my usual assurances, but nothing worked and I just seemed too tense, and I'm not sure why. Still, I booked a ride home and just chilled for the night. I saw that Belle posted a picture of us and her other pics of the day in her IG Story and I was able to reshare that to mine. I didn't look too bad in the photo that Belle chose, and I even looked "okay" so I don't know what the hell I was worrying about the whole time. I had fun spending the day with Belle, all in all.

Song of the day: Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter

Lyrics that resonated with me:
It's all just so familiar, baby, what do you call it?

Stupid
Or is it slow?
Maybe it's useless?
But there's a cuter word for it, I know

Man-child
Why you always come a-running to me?
Fuck my life
Won't you let an innocent woman be?

Journal entry for Saturday, June 21st, 2025

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average

My Saturday was pretty boring, I was mostly catching up on mood calendar entries and getting ready to post them. I did get my commissioned artwork in the evening and that felt like an ending of some sort. I just had this feeling to sing Adele's "Easy On Me" for the rest of the night, I guess it's because I just feel guilty that I fucked up recently. But whatever, the past is past. I just looked forward to what I had planned tomorrow which is to just meet a friend. I was still worried because the rain is really strong. I just hoped that the weather tomorrow would be favorable enough for us to hang out and enjoy our day out.

Song of the day: Easy On Me by Adele

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
Didn't get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose
What I chose to do
So go easy on me

Journal entry for Friday, June 20th, 2025

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was just your usual good day. I woke up and got ready for work, I actually got to work earlier on time, so that was nice. My workload today was fairly-easy and I spent the morning just catching up on emails and things to do for the day, as well as logging the stuff I did for the week. I skipped breakfast at home so I had breakfast at the Starbucks nearby and talked to someone while eating. They eventually had to leave for the day and for the weekend and I thought nothing about them being gone. It's funny because I kind of feel more secure with being by myself now and that I don't really need anyone else to be happy. I finished my breakfast and went back up to do some more work. I had lunch out with my coworkers and they wanted to go somewhere far this time, which kind of put me to the test because I had a meeting at 1:30 p.m. We walked all the way to Greenbelt 3 and ate at Soban K-Town Grill. This is a looooonnngggg walk back and I could just feel the kind of sprint I'll have to do after this. We got seated and we were initially confused about the menu and I kept laughing at how absurd the menu options were and there were so many "ultra"s involved, but we didn't even know which meal offering had iced tea. It just seemed too funny in my head. My coworker also invited me out to buy some phones with them because they asked me which cheap phone to buy and I recommended an Infinix or a Techno phone. I then played Clash of Clans while we were waiting for the food to be served. Eventually, we got the food and it was really nice. I was just eating while being mindful of the time because I had to run back. And then the waitress serves another plate, which I believed was mine, and that I had actually been eating the bowl of my coworker! It was supposed to be for them but I ate it instead and they've been waiting for their dish in forever. I found it funny but my coworker was fine with it. I just bought and paid for the 2 dishes and I ordered my original plate to go because I had to run soon. I paid and then got the fuck out of there because I had 10 minutes to run back to the office. And running back was such a pain! My stomach immediately felt unwell but I had to keep running and I already knew I was sweating hard as hell. I took a while to get to the office and the elevator was kinda weird, but I eventually arrived, albeit late by 2 minutes, to my meeting. I just gave updates and I continued through my usual set of daily tasks. In the afternoon, I was all caught up in my tasks and I was essentially done for work. I accompanied my coworker in buying 2 phones for his wife's workers and we went to a phone store nearby to buy them. They got a Redmi 14C and it totally fit their budget, and I was just shocked that smartphones were that cheap now. We went to his car so he can put the phones in and then to Dairy Queen because I wanted another mint Blizzard again. We went back and I just finished up with my tasks at work. We were all preparing to leave by 6 p.m. and us 3 went out at the same time. Today kind of feels weird because my stomach and mood turned bad in the late afternoon. But also because my seat was going to reassigned. I'd be placed a bit far from them which made me think that I won't have lunch out with them anymore, and it just made me feel bad. While I want to be left alone these days because I've been a bit hurt by my new relationships, I actually do cherish my "coworkers" even though they're from a different team. Part of what was in my mind was that I enjoyed my time with them, eating out, having lunch, joking around, and playing board games with them. It was bittersweet to know that I might be separated from them come next week. When I got home, my body just felt so tired and in pain. I just couldn't do anything and rested for the entire evening. I wanted to update my mood calendar and even felt like writing a blog post, but I couldn't do either and just rested for the entire evening.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

Playing Again??

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

I go to work today! And I started my morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I immediately got ready for work and booked a ride quickly. I played a good selection of songs and, while the driver was chatty, I didn't mind and enjoyed the conversation a bit. I played a few good tracks on my way to work, especially one from Andy Grammer. We took a good route on my way to work, passing through BGC, and I got to work really early, too. It was such a nice surprise. When I got to work, I got started on some of my usual tasks. Someone asked for their Dyson Airwrap today and I was wondering how I could get that for them when I didn't bring any of my credit cards with me. But I went in and checked and, to my surprise, one was actually in my wallet. It had enough credit on it for it to be used, too. Someone pointed that things always worked out for them, but, for me I was shocked since it's protocol for me to store my credit cards at home and not bring it with me. But regardless, I agreed, and my coworkers invited me to get some Zus coffee with them. I ordered my usual matcha blend and we went out to get our drinks. There were a lot of moths today! I took so many pictures of my phone and posted it on my IG Story. I also sent it to someone, but she didn't show much regard for it. We got our coffee and quickly went back to the office. Someone also confronted me today if I still had feelings for them and that they felt uneasy talking to me because I might still harbor feelings for them. I didn't really feel butterflies for them, nor for anyone anymore, so I just told them that I'm not interested in them. It's nice that they felt bad about how they treated me, though, so that was nice. I also sent them a screenshot that basically says that I'm not the one for them and someone else probably is. Besides, I know that the one for me won't treat me like shit and put me through so much pain. I told them that I deserve proper love, regardless of how weird I am, and I'm glad that they got the message. I know better now, anyway. I did some work for a bit and then we all had to go out to get lunch. We went to the food court and I took more photos of moths while on the way out. We had lunch at the usual Glorietta food court and I just got some squid. My order took a while, surprisingly, and I just passed the time talking to someone on Discord. After a while, I went back to my coworkers. We joked and ate, while they asked me why did I buy a new iPhone 15 recently. Another coworker also joked about Crab N' Bites and I teased them about visiting that place. Then we went back to the office and I talked to a coworker about some audio stuff and that I was shocked when they shared something about ILLIT. Work for the rest of the day was nice, I did a lot today and made good progress on my tasks. I went home at the usual time and arrived pretty quickly. When I got home, someone invited me to play games with them and we played Overcooked 2 again. It was so weird, too, since it's been months since we called, but we were back in a Discord call, playing games like no time had passed. It was nice and they were frustrated for a bit because some of the levels were hard, but it was fun to finally play games with them again. They slept after that and I just continued to rest for the entire evening before going to sleep.

Song of the day: Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer

Lyrics that resonated with me:
So suddenly, I'm in love with a stranger
I can't believe that she's mine
Now all I see is you with fresh eyes, fresh eyes
So suddenly, I'm in love with a stranger
I can't believe that she's mine, yeah
And now all I see is you with fresh eyes, fresh eyes

Journal entry for Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was just a pretty fun day at home. I finally listened to ILLIT's new song and **I LOVED IT**. I played it so much today. I also talked to someone throughout the whole day, so it was nice to finally have someone to talk to. I continued to work and I had a really productive day. I accomplished something big at work and, while I really wanted to treat myself, I didn't. But I got Pickup Coffee for my sister and I. I also ordered Mang Inasal for us for our dinner. I had fun today and I thought someone and I would play on Discord today, but they told me that they had to sleep so we had to postpone it to tomorrow. Regardless, I had fun today and did a lot at work, so that was nice.

Song of the day: Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance) by ILLIT

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Dance, do a little
Do, ah, do a little

Dance, do a little dance, do ya, do ya, do you wanna dance?
대답은 하나뿐, say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes
Dance, 손을 잡은 채, do it, do it, 너와 나의 date
마법에 걸리게, say "Yeah, yeah, yeah"

Am I dreaming? Or was my wish to God granted?

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special

My day started out still watching Severance and then sleeping afterward. When I woke up, I checked my Apple Watch for notifications and I got this message: > you still write like a child That message came from *someone*. I couldn't believe it. I've had **MANY** dreams like this before where they suddenly talk to me again and we'd be talking. So I replied back, saying "Am I dreaming?" because I wasn't sure if I was awake or not. I woke up in a very dreamlike state so I found it hard to believe that *someone* would be the first one to reach out after 7+ months, but I guess this was reality. I had a short conversation with them and we talked, caught up over the course of the day. Work continued and was nothing really noteworthy. I just had a lot of stuff on my plate for today, but I was able to power through it all today. I was kind of busy in the late afternoon, but I was able to time out without issues and with most of my board cleared. After work, I didn't really do much aside from talk to *someone* on iMessage. I thought they wanted to play a game so I invited them to Discord, but they said that they were going to sleep soon. I just watched Severance until I passed out at 11 p.m. or so, I felt really tired for some reason. It's so odd that God granted 2 of my wishes this June. I don't know why, but my 2 main wishes got granted. June is weirdly special.

Severed

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was actually the first day where I worked from home and didn't turn on my PC. I started the day by still watching Korean stuff on my Apple TV and I tried to watch a few Korean CFs before eventually passing out. When I woke up, it was a Monday and a usual workday for me. My workload today was nothing unusual and I found a new Chappell Roan song to like, so that got me through the day. I also spent some of my lunch time just watching House M.D. on the TV, which was such a nice change of things. I also got myself Pickup Coffee and ordered 2 drinks, which seemed excessive as I had trouble finishing both. I also got myself Potato Corner fries, which was a nice snack to munch on throughout the afternoon. Come evening or so, I finally decided to watch Severance. I even had to get an Apple TV+ subscription, which I have to take into account when paying my monthly bills, but I got one and continued to watch the entire first season. I was really **hooked** and I love the finale. I continued watching up to the second season and then I stopped after watching the first episode just so I knew what happened after the ending. I also made a wish to God to just bring everything back. To bring the past back, but to keep some parts of my current life intact, like my job and parts of my "new" life. I really tried hard to ask if God could grant me that wish.

Song of the day: HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan

Lyrics that resonated with me:
H-O-T-T-O-G-O
Snap and clap and touch your toes
Raise your hands, now body roll
Dance it out, you're hot to go
H-O-T-T-O-G-O
Snap and clap and touch your toes
Raise your hands, now body roll
H-O-T-T-O-G-O

H-O-T-T-O-G-O
You can take me hot to go
H-O-T-T-O-G-O
You can take me hot to go

An Apple TV?

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: BGC High Street

Sunday was pretty boring for me and I didn't plan on going out today. I just spent the entire day just chilling and doing my best to catch up on my journal entries, especially logging my top songs for the past week. But for the rest of the day, I was just chilling. Suddenly, I felt the need to go out in the afternoon. I initially decided to "treat myself" again after completing my mood entries, but I just went out regardless. I kept watching videos of how to set up an Apple TV and thought if I should buy myself one. I was hesitant because they'll just release a new version this year, but whatever, I just wanted to buy one now so I booked a ride to SM Aura and the driver was kind of chatty, which put me off a bit. He went on about how we shouldn't have bike lanes and that kind of put me in a bad mood. But eventually, I reached SM Aura and I checked Power Mac Center if they have an Apple TV with ethernet available. They didn't, so I had to walk to The Loop in Bonifacio High Street. It took me a while to walk there and my Apple Watch even recorded my walk as a workout, but I eventually got there. The saleslady wasn't sure if they still had the ethernet version in stock, but the first Apple TV box she pulled from the display shelf was the ethernet version! It was the last one they had, too! I was so lucky! I immediately purchased the Apple TV and walked to One Bonifacio to buy an HDMI and an ethernet cable. I was able to get both for pretty cheap, which was nice, and I booked a ride home. Thankfully, I got home quick and I excitedly set up my new Apple TV. I immediately downloaded some apps and set it up with my iPhone. I figured out how to add an IP TV app to this and I watched some KBS Drama. I saw that Seohyun's drama was airing and I took pictures. I was so excited and enjoyed this new device and it just felt so nice. I was just watching Korean TV and Korean CF ads until I passed out.

Song of the day: Somebody To You by The Vamps

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Oh-oh-oh, now!

All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah
Is somebody to you
All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah
Is somebody to you
Everybody's trying to be a billionaire
But every time I look at you I just don't care
'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah
Is somebody to you (Yeah, you! Hahaha)

Journal entry for Saturday, June 14th, 2025

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Samgyupsalamat BGC

Today was just a boring Saturday. I planned to update my mood calendar for the past few days and I typed out a bit, but I suddenly just had this feeling of just wanting to go out. But first, I had breakfast with my sister and we ate McDonald's for breakfast and I tried that new cotton candy float they had. I rested for a bit more in the afternoon and then planned to go out. I initially planned to convert my old SIM card to a postpaid plan, but things didn't work out that way so I just had to cancel that and just hang out in BGC. So I just walked around deciding on where to eat. I walked around High Street for a while before ultimately deciding on Samgyupsalamat since I haven't eaten there in a while. So I went there and it looked new. It looked completely different from my last time going there. It was so crazy seeing their new inteior and it looked more Korean. Too bad they got rid of the TV that kept playing Korean music videos in the background. They still have the same selection of food and I just tried the usual beef ones I often ate. They also played some 2NE1 and Girls' Generation songs, which was nice. They specifically played "The Boys" which I recoded a video of and sent to my sister. Nothing much happened aside from me eating samgyupsal by myself, as usual, and I paid for my meal and left without worries. Since McDonald's was already downstairs, I went and tried the same cotton candy float I had earlier and drank it while playing Clash of Clans. I booked a ride home and just rested for the rest of the day.

Song of the day: Somebody To You by The Vamps

Back to Your Regularly-Scheduled Programming

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today was just a usual, boring quiet day at work. But something about today just made me appreciate my usual routine. I booked a ride to work and I actually arrived a little earlier than I usually do. The traffic to work wasn't that bad. In fact, it was surprisingly low traffic for a Friday. I arrived early and got a lot of tasks done in the early part of my shift. I decided to get Zus Coffee as a pick-me-up and decided on getting lunch from Homer Easy Middle Eastern. It was nice, although they gave me chicken instead of beef because they were out of it. I ate lunch alone, surprisingly, since it's been quite a while eating out alone on an office workday. The rest of my shift was just boring and I was mostly by myself. My usual seatmates weren't here, except for 1 person but we didn't talk at all. I was mostly by my lonesome today. Not bothering anyone and nobody else bothering me. Today was really just a peaceful day and I appreciate days like this. In the afternoon, I went outside to grab *merienda* and decided on Subway since I kind of missed working in Makati and eating Subway. I ordered a footlong, which was kind of expensive, but I ultimately enjoyed it while I was scarfing it down in the office breakroom alone. By the end of the day, I booked a ride and it was relatively-easy getting one, despite it being on a Friday. I also played a new song from Taylor Bickett while I was on my way out of the office and it felt like I was at the closing scene of a movie or something. Something about it felt cinematic, for some reason. The weather helped a bit since it didn't rain much in Makati (if at all) and the traffic going home was also surprisingly low. I just enjoyed the ride home and then rested for the entire evening. The whole trip home, I was just thinking how I really am in a new chapter of my life. Away from all the anxieties of before and all those toxic relationships. I spent most of the day alone and in peace, which I like, to be honest.

Song of the day: QUARTER LIFE CRISIS by Taylor Bickett

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I'm terrified of rejection
But I get high off attention
I drink my coffee light
'Cause I'm not fuckin' pretentious
Say that I read for fun
But haven't read in months
Say that I'm settlin' down
But I blacked out at brunch

iPhone 15 for Me, Samsung for Sis

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: Venice Grand Canal

It's the Philippines' Independence Day today and I initially didn't plan on anything for today. But in the morning, I had received a promo for iPhones and I've been thinking of having a backup iPhone for a while now. I decided to just bite the bullet and buy myself an iPhone 15 base model as a sort of backup. I booked a ride to Venice Grand Canal and I eventually got there quick, despite it drizzling a bit on my ride there. When I got to Venice Grand Canal, I immediately found Beyond the Box nearby and I tried to buy an iPhone 15 from them. But it turns out that I could only be eligible for an iPhone 14 base model and I kind of reeled a little bit because I don't like the Lightning port. I really didn't want a new device that wasn't USB C so I sat there in the store thinking for a while on what I'm going to do. Ultimately, I decided that I wouldn't leave without a new iPhone 15 so I just decided to buy one regardless and walked out with a new phone. One regret I have about it is the 60hz display, which kind of feels sluggish. It felt a bit like it was lagging, and I'm completely okay with 60hz displays. But this one felt like it hurt to look at. It was so different compared to my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it didn't have the action button nor the camera button that I was already used to on my 16. I kind of had buyer's remorse, but I decided to just fuck it, I have a proper backup phone now. I drank at the Starbucks nearby and got coffee even though I'm not supposed to, and then booked a ride home. While I was on the ride home, I thought about it for a while and I just got myself a new phone, while my sister has been rocking her shitty Samsung phones for quite a while now. I felt guilty so I asked my sister to get dressed as I plan to buy a new phone for her today as well. When I got home, she was all dressed up and ready to go, and we booked a ride to SM Aura. We got to the Samsung store on the 3rd floor, only to find out that it was being closed for renovation. We then decided to go to Market! Market! nearby since it's the nearest official Samsung store. When we got to the ground floor, we noticed a pop-up official Samsung store that's selling phones. It was perfect! We didn't want to walk to Market! Market! anyway and my sister ultimately decided on getting an S25 Plus. She decided the color, Icy Blue, and I paid for her phone. I somehow didn't take a picture of her holding her new phone and I only realized my mistake as we were on the way to purchase a new case for her phone. When we got a transparent case for her on the 4th or 5th floor, that's when I took a photo of her and sent it to Mom. We immediately booked a ride home since I know that my sister would want to set up her new phone and she spent the rest of the day setting up her new S25 Plus. I also used the time to set up my new iPhone 15, changing the settings, installing apps and it only hit me at the end of the day how I was able to buy 2 new phones in a single day.

Song of the day: We Belong Together by Mariah Carey

Journal entry for Wednesday, June 11th, 2025

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good

Today started with me coming home from my trip outside and it was really, really fun. I enjoyed it and I was just happy and chilling for the rest of the trip home and then going to sleep. When I woke up, I got ready for work and booked a ride there. Work was the usual and I just spent most of the day just catching up on the piles of emails and things I have to catch up on. Thankfully, tomorrow's a holiday so I just had to get through today before getting an ample day of rest. It's funny that there were a lot of people in the row today, the seats were practically filled with people. Some of my coworkers didn't have any other place to sit at and I believe I took the seat of a coworker, but he didn't take me out of my seat and he just looked confused before moving someplace else. For the rest of the day, I was productive and I had a fun time with my coworkers. A coworker sold me his Ugreen power brick which had this robotic face that was kinda cute. But after that, I mostly just focused on work before booking a ride home. Overall, today was pretty ordinary but my trip from yesterday really made me just feel happy, it's as if life was worth living again.

Song of the day: Save Your Tears (Remix) by The Weeknd

Back from Boracay!

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: NAIA Terminal 3

Today started with me and Nathan eating our burgers. He was watching some protests in the US and he easily called the protest stupid, which I fought back against because I didn't think it was stupid. He was more conservative with his views and I was liberal on mine so we had different opinions on various matters. We debated a few world topics but we eventually had to conclude it after Nathan stopped eating and I felt too full to eat anymore. I waited for a bit and browsed on my phone before going to sleep. Come morning, we had one more lunch before our trip back to NAIA and eventually Manila. I enjoyed the breakfast one last time and then we went back to the hotel room to pack up and then check out of the hotel. We eventually bid farewell to the hotel and made our way out of the island and to Caticlan Airport. The trip was alright, it was nothing noteworthy. We did arrive early enough to have been offered an earlier return flight to NAIA so we chose that instead. We got our tickets reprinted and we went to the airplane separately, mostly because we had different seats and my boarding group was sooner than they were. My boarding group was first and we rode a bus all the way to the planes. I got on my seat and I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get a window seat, but whatever. My seat was sat in a row with the emergency exit on it so we were given a few reminders and that didn't help with my anxiety. Eventually, the plane took off and it was still scary, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I slept on the trip back to NAIA and woke up as we were close to landing. I eventually got to NAIA and reunited with Nathan in the men's bathroom near the baggage claim area. We got our stuff and we all went out but had to part separate ways. I had other plans for the day so I had to make my way home and I thankfully booked a Joyride home easily. When I got home, my sister was at work so I just had to clean up, wash, and organize my stuff. My trip from Boracay was finally over and I missed my cat Milktea! I enjoyed my time home for a bit before going out to do other fun things for the rest of the day.

Song of the day: Lost The Breakup by Maisie Peters

Journal entry for Monday, June 9th, 2025

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Boracay

I hadn't slept from last night and just looked online for places to visit in Boracay and I stumbled upon Club Galaxy in Boracay. I figured I had nothing better to do anyway, so I went out (again) and I didn't tell anyone exactly where I was going. I made my way to Club Galaxy and eventually got a standing table there for around 1,000 Pesos. I just saw a few people dancing in the middle and the club kind of looked dead, to be honest. But I guess it's understandable since it's the off season. I had a guy pull me in the dancing crowd and I danced for a bit, but that was the extent of it. I went back and, since I had spent 1,000 Pesos on the table already, I bought some food. I didn't finish the food, though. Nothing much was happening aside from me standing and looking at the people dancing. There was an Indian dude that stood next to me and he was nice, he regularly checked up with me by nodding and stuff, which was nice. Eventually, I had to leave since nothing was happening and everyone was just located at their usual tables. I guess I just entered Boracay on a horrible season. I just decided to go home and it was really rainy outside and that's where I got into other stuff. Eventually, after the rain, I was able to settle back into the room and Nathan was still awake. We talked for a bit before I eventually went back to sleep. I eventually woke up when it was time for breakfast and we had breakfast at the usual restaurant across the street. After having breakfast, I noticed that the tide was really high this morning so I took a few pictures of it. I also noticed this large log wash up on the shore, so that was cool. The weather was also not that bad so I took a few pictures of the beach, Nate and his mom, and then they took a few pics of me. We then got ready because we just planned to walk around and buy stuff today. We went to E Mall, which was a bit away from D'Mall and we walked around for a bit across the stores and then through the shoreline. Suddenly, it hits me that it's a Monday and I'm *still* in Boracay. I wanted to enjoy this moment so I played the most "beach-like" song I know: Kolohe Kai's "Ehu Girl" and it was so fun listening to it while at the beach. It made me feel like I'm actually at the beach (even though I was), having fun, kicking it back, and just vibing along to the music. I also passed by another Boracay sand castle with today's date and I posted it on my IG Story. We passed by a few shops where we bought some souvenirs and Nathan gave me 2 free name tags and I made one for my sister Ailysh and for my friend Belle because I plan to meet her this June. We kept walking and then got to another Ice Flakes Boracay store where we ate and I tried that mango-coconut thing that Nate and his mom tried on the first day. It was nice! I loved the coconut and... the mango, a bit, because it was super sour. I still enjoyed it and we kept walking when it started to rain heavily. Thankfully, I brought my Cinnamoroll umbrella with me this time. We sought shelter inside D'Mall and the rain eventually stopped. We had lunch at Tres Amigos Boracay and I enjoyed the blue lemonade they had. It was a shame it wasn't bottomless or something, but it did have a crazy straw which I posted on my IG Story. I ordered a lot and even opted to build my own burrito because I want to taste some jalapeños. My burrito was so big, and I had quesadillas that I couldn't finish. I just ordered those for take-out as we walked around a bit more around D'Mall. I bought another of that cat with a ball of yarn tote bag which I'll decide to give to a friend. After that, we then eventually went back to the hotel room. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened. We spent the late afternoon having one more dip in the water before we had to return to Manila tomorrow. I went to the beach first and I saw how eerie the clouds looked before it made rainfall on land. I just enjoyed my time in the beach, despite being soaked and actually pelted by the rain. I made several wishes to God, mostly just wishing and hoping that I meet my soulmate or future wife soon. I said that I didn't care what difficulty I had to go through, I just want to meet her. Life's been lonely and it would really be more fun to have a person to share my days with. After making my wish, I just stayed partially in the salty water, but I didn't go far because I don't want to get swept out to sea. Eventually, Nathan's mom visits the beach and sits nearby, and I told them not to face the sea because the rain is painful and is coming from that way. I just spent my time with my back towards the sea and then Nathan's mom eventually left. I left soon afterward but went to the swimming pool nearby where Nathan and his mom were. I dove for a meter or so and then swam a bit, which was nice. I showed Nathan my Apple Watch and how it recorded depth, and then we eventually had to decide where to get dinner. Since the restaurant that Nathan wanted to visit was closed, we couldn't decide on a place for dinner. We eventually had enough of the swimming pool and went back to the hotel room to clean up and ready our stuff so that it'll be easy for us to leave tomorrow. Since I was bored and hungry, I wanted to have one last burger from 2 Brown Boys before I left Boracay so I took my wallet and some cash from Nathan because he wants a burger as well. I just had my Apple Watch and AirPods with me and left my iPhone in the room. I just thought that it would be fine bringint those 2 along but I had some weird audio issues. I couldn't play music at all until I restarted my watch, which fixed it. I got to 2 Brown Boys and I ordered the blue cheese burger for Nathan and I got the UFO burger for myself. I didn't do much and I just waited for the burgers to be cooked before returning back to the hotel room. After that, Nathan and I talked while eating the burgers.

Song of the day: Ehu Girl by Kolohe Kai

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Said it happened last night
About ten to eleven when I first laid eyes on you
We're standing in line
Into Club Triple 7, it was just like heaven
And a dream come true

We're standing in the right place at the right time
When you, this ehu girl, caused the crime

You're my pretty little ehu girl
Who made me a fool in love
You got my heart all in a whirl
And now, it needs cooling off
You set my heart on fire
And now, I don't know what to do
You set my heart on fire
And now, I'm so in love with you
My ehu girl

Parasailing!

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Above Average
Significant Location: Boracay

Day 2 of us in Boracay started with us still feeling really tired from yesterday and the rainy weather made us want to stay in our beds more. But we had to get up and get dressed so we can make our way to the restaurant across the street for our complementary breakfast. I got the hot choco and the food was nice, even though the portions were extremely small. Afterwards, we took a walk across the Boracay shoreline to Willy's Rock from the restaurant. We took a short walk and took some photos while on the way and then we went back to the hotel room to freshen up. We just stayed at the hotel room from morning to afternoon. By around 2 p.m. or so, we got hungry and they appointed me as the one who'll choose where we'll have lunch today. I searched for a few posts on Reddit about what good restaurants were open and I decided on Two Brown Boys Boracay since they seemed to have good burgers. We got dressed and left the hotel room by then. We had a hard time finding the location, but we eventually found it tucked inside an alleyway and it was thankfully close to D'Mall, so it was somewhere familiar and not that far. The interior of the place was actually really nice. We took a lot of photos and Nathan's mom was really impressed with my iPhone's camera. We took a few more photos before having our really big burgers served. Mine was big, **like an actual big burger**. The biggest burgers I have eaten before were from Zark's, but wow, this one was something unique. I had the Gusman burger and it had a whole sunny-side-up egg inside it, what the hell? It took a while for me to eat it and we took a while to finish our burgers. We were there for an hour or so and then we had to contact the guy Nathan's mom met recently because we want to avail the parasailing trip. We took a few photos and waited around for a bit before we got to the man-made floating harbor that the parasailing company set up, and then we took a boat to that floating harbor. We had to wait for a while and we had a couple go before us, but then it was our turn to go parasailing! The guys hoisted up this big balloon thing and it was starting to get swept by the wind as the boat was moving. We were attached to some harnesses and a kind of harness for our bodies and then we were off! I brought my iPhone with my and it was the scariest thing to be high up there. I was so scared that my phone was going to fall off (even though I always have my lanyard on it). I took some videos and a lot of photos while up there and it was just nice, even though the sea was kind of dark and the weather was a bit cloudy. I took a few pictures for my IG Story and we eventually were hoisted down to the boat and made our way back on shore from the floating harbor thing. Funny enough, **we were the last ones to go parasailing** and the employees rode with us on the boat back to the shore. It's also doubly funny once we got to the shore and were walking to the van that it started to rain so hard. It's funny because, had we been late by a few more minutes, or maybe an hour or so, we would be soaking wet and we might've not been able to go parasailing at all. Thankfully, the office of the parasailing company was just right next to our hotel. I guess that's also why Nathan's mom chose that company. For the rest of the night, we initially didn't have anything planned. We didn't even plan to have dinner. The rain was a big factor, too, since it just kept raining and raining. The staying in the hotel room, the rain, and just me scrolling on my phone watching videos eventually pissed me off because I could be doing all these things at home. I came to Boracay to enjoy and have a good vacation. So I made up an excuse to go out under the guise that I'd be withdrawing from the ATM (even though I still had thousands of Pesos in my wallet). Nathan, being the good friend that he is, accompanied me and we went out to places near D'Mall and we walked around for a bit. We ate some seafood at Boracay Uptown and the bill was expensive, around 2K for essentially 2 squids, a pork barbeque stick, and some pasta and bread. But I treated Nathan to it so it was fine. We listened to some live performers who sang a few songs and eventually watched a bit of a fire dancing performance before going out to walk around the shoreline in the evening. We were looking for some nightlife but we eventually figured out that there were none considering that it's an off season and that it's raining hard as fuck. We passed by Exit Bar which just had a bunch of foreign dudes hanging around, so we just continued to walk across the shoreline. We kept walking and walking until we got to the shoreline that was in front of our hotel. It actually surprised me how walkable it was and then Nate and I just went back to the hotel room. The night continued on with just me scrolling, which was kind of a bummer because I really wanted to make the most out of my trip.

Song of the day: Cold Heart - PNAU Remix by Elton John, Dua Lipa, PNAU

Boracayyyyyyy

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Special
Significant Location: Boracay

Today was finally it! After literal months of waiting, today would be the day I'd get to fly out to Boracay. Today started a little tense because I was super excited and worried for the trip. I wasn't sure if I had packed enough, but ultimately I was able to ensure that I had brought enough stuff for the trip. I was able to close my eyes and rest for a bit before waking up for my 5:30 a.m. alarm. When I woke up, I immediately got ready and booked a ride to the airport. Since I haven't had breakfast yet, I figured I'd have some breakfast at the Burger King near the arrivals area. I got a burger with some nuggets as my breakfast. At this point, I was talking to Nathan and he asked me to buy food for them, which I did. Leaving my bag (my clothes bag) at the seat so I can order is so anxiety-inducing. I was so scared and paranoid of my bag being stolen, even though it's just full of clothes and my valuables are with me. Thankfully, my worries were just that: worries. I was able to order food and then leave to get checked in afterwards. I was able to print out a stub or something for my flight and met up with Nathan and his mom shortly afterward. It really feels nice to be in NAIA again, it kind of just fills me with this feeling that I want to leave for good. But today's not that day since I'll just be on a domestic flight. Nathan tells me I shouldn't have brought my passport because we're just taking a domestic flight but I still bring it with me regardless. We wait for the flight and lounge a bit before ultimately boarding. Thankfully, I got a window seat! I was lucky enough to have a window seat for my flight and I'm sitting next to strangers, which is nice because Nathan would make me hold his Insta360 camera had we sat together and I was at the window seat. The plane takeoff was so loud and it's honestly been so long since I've been in an airplane. I don't remember it being this loud. After watching a lot of Air Crash Investigations on National Geographic, my fear of flying has only increased and it's making me paranoid right now. The plane eventually taxied on the runway **AND IT SPED UP**. I've been in fast-moving vehicles before, but this was the fastest. It was so surreal to see the ground and then have it disappear from view. It's also funny to see the many rain droplets on my window just streak away and vanish as the plane took off. The plane also had to turn around slightly which made it feel like a rollercoaster as it was ascending and turning. I was thankfully still able to capture the flight on video and post a part of it on my IG. The flight itself was absolutely scary. At one point, there was nothing to see outside the window but clouds. It wasn't turbulent, but it was still scary to see nothing but white outside of my window. It made for a surreal experience and felt like I was in heaven or something. I managed to charge my phone to an outlet that the plane had and I passed out while playing some K-Pop songs. After waking up, we eventually reached the skies near Caticlan/Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. I was surprised at how the wings and the flaps swayed in the air, which kind of frightened me. But after doing some quick research, I found out that it was normal and I was just overly paranoid. We got off the plane and I bought a Boracay-themed bag with knotted rope as the bag's handle. I also got a water bottle because I didn't bring one. We made our way from the airport to Boracay after an hour or so of commuting, even via ferry. Nathan mostly stuck to me but I kind of felt like I wanted to be alone and just look out to the sea and surroundings. We rode an e-tricycle that took us directly to where we were staying at: Diamond Water Edge Resort. I was surprised to have ended up in Boracay, though, and I took a lot of pictures while it was still sunny out. We got into the hotel and checked it, and then we unpacked all our bags. We rested for a bit as we were all tired and a bit sleep-deprived. By the time we woke up, it was around mid-afternoon and we left so we can eat. We took another tricycle to Meze Wrap, which Nathan and his mom recommended since they've tried this before. We took pictures and I paid for their meal since I had money in my Gcash. I tried some skewers and they were pretty good. It was nice and then we shopped for a bit around D'Mall. I found a shop that had such a cute tote bag. It had a cute cat holding a yarn ball and I wanted it for myself, but I then decided to just give it to my sister when I get back. We walked to the beach and that's when it started to rain. I took some pictures with my iPhone and, thankfully, the pictures didn't come out as stormy as I'd hoped. But the rain was getting stronger so we sought shelter at an ice cream shop nearby. It was Ice Flakes Boracay and it seemed like some kind of Korean ice cream shop. We ate some ice cream and I ordered the matcha one, while Nathan and his mom shared this coconut mango one. I liked mine and it had cute googly eyes, which I just had to post on my IG Story. We ate there for a bit, then went back to the entrance of D'Mall and bought a few things at Budget Mart. I bought a Cinnamoroll cologne because it was cute, a big bottle of Pocari Sweat, the strawberry Samanco fish that I like, and a spicy cheese Buldak cup. I first tried to use my credit card and, to my surprise, it worked. So that was nice to have some stuff purchased. We went back to the hotel room because it was starting to rain really bad. For the rest of the evening, we didn't do anything much. We didn't even eat out, we just spent it in the hotel room and I ate the spicy Buldak cup.

Song of the day: Sucker by Jonas Brothers

Journal entry for Friday, June 6th, 2025

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Good
Significant Location: Bonifacio High Street

Today, I just wanted to cut myself some slack from all that's happening in life and to set the mood for what's going to happen tomorrow at Boracay. I really just wanted to think of myself and my plans for today. Plus, as a consolation, I decided to gift myself something. For today, I just made some software preparations, updated my sites, server, PC, whatnot. I also added in a location thing that shows my significant location for that specific journal entry and have retroactively added it to some recent dates. So that was something productive. Since the weather was favorable, I decided to go out to treat myself in BGC. I didn't need any earbuds at all, I still love my same-old Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and I've been fine using it with my iPhone. But AirPods are the only "cheap enough" gift I could get myself. I gave my Galaxy Buds to my sister who'll definitely love it more than I do. I booked a ride to BGC and got myself AirPods Pros with the USB C case. I also bought a few accessories like a bundled powerbank and extra Bluetooth headphones for only 1K that was on sale. Then I got an AirTag to use on Milktea's collar. I'm actually surprised I spent that much money but I didn't flinch from spending that much, which doesn't sound like a good feeling. But it's okay because I know I'm spending it all for myself (and my cat), so it's all worth it. I sat at a bench thinking about the people I was with a few years before. That group who all had iPhones, talked on iMessage and showed off their latest Apple products, and I was always seen as different because I had a 2nd-hand Samsung Android who couldn't iMessage with them. It's funny how I'm the one now who has all of the latest, brand-new shit from Apple. The latest and most expensive iPhone model, the latest Apple Watch, and now the latest AirPods. I guess part of me is petty and wants to get back at them because they were such materialistic people when I just loved using my old Samsung phone, even if it was just a 2nd-hand phone I bought at Greenhills. Since I didn't feel like eating yet, I went to the Starbucks on Bonifacio High Street nearby but the line took a while, I just decided to walk a bit more to my "favorite place" in BGC, which was Starbucks on 32nd Street. I got my order and I really missed just having a MacBook and coding/doing work on here like I used to. I really should get a new laptop soon. Eventually, it started to rain and it rained like hell. I didn't want to get stranded so I immediately booked a ride home. Thankfully, I got an Angkas ride and I was able to still enjoy the ride home despite it raining so heavily. The thunder was so loud, too. But I thankfully made it okay and the rider sought shelter nearby. I had to ask my sister to come pick me up with an umbrella because my stupid ass didn't carry one (although, it didn't seem like it would rain when I left). Thankfully, the paper bag carrying all of the boxes and stuff was still relatively-dry and I unpacked and charged all of the new stuff I would bring for my vacation trip tomorrow. I also packed my bags and I'd be using the same Dice bag I got last Christmas. For the rest of the day, nothing much happened. I mostly packed and got everything organized for my trip to Boracay for the next few days. I haven't had a proper vacation in a long time and I really just want to rest and recoup. I've dealt with so much over the past few years and the last thing I could give myself is a vacation. I couldn't sleep much for the rest of the day because I was excited for tomorrow and also because I'm watching over Milktea and hoping that he's okay.

Song of the day: Last Rizzday Night (T.G.I.R.) by Jelly House

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Last rizzday night, yeah, we rizzed up all the gyatts
And we griddied on the opps, think we streamed, but I got doxxed
Last rizzday night, yeah, we readied up our squads
And ate Feastable bars, IShowSpeed jumped over cars
Last rizzday night, we went streaming with John Pork
Livvy rizzed up Baby Gronk, then we canceled Eminem
Last rizzday night, I got plus ten thousand aura
Kai Cenat, we're gonna rizz in Ohio

But this rizzday night
Skibidi again
But this rizzday night
Skibidi again

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today wasn't Christmas-themed or anything, and today kind of made me feel the most sorrow out of all days recently, but today was just weirdly interesting. The morning started with me doing a check on myself to see if I'm fit enough to go to the office. I woke up with a bit more sleep today and my stomach wasn't that bad, so I decided to get ready. While I was just lying in bed, I could hear my neighbors playing "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" and that kind of set the tone/mood for the day. I've been thinking about it for a while, but, in the morning, I eventually found out that I kind of did lose a person recently. I just found out when I checked IG and that kind of put a damp on things. I took it to mean that we're just back to being strangers or I'm out of their life, and then I got on with my morning and commuted to the office. While on the way there, I suddenly thought of that poem from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). I wanted to read that part so bad but I couldn't since I was on a motorcycle. It wasn't until after I safely arrived in the office where I read the t from Alexander Pope's poem that was read in the movie: >How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd; I looked up what it meant and what vestals were because I didn't know what they were. Apparently, they're just nuns. Forgetting the world and, in turn, being forgotten by the world. Spotless and unburdened by pain of regret, scars, memories. With no wishes to make to God, all their prayers are accepted. I kept circling back to that idea because I've been having a lot of regrets lately. Struggle, strife, pain. I seriously hate all of it. Losing friends, relationships, even people that I wish to get along with. I'm kind of regretting putting myself out into the world and I have this feeling that I just want to be left alone and not bother anyone. For a good part of the day, part of me just wanted to be like them, a blameless vestal (despite being male). I just have my site that anyone can check, but I don't overtly advertise my site and send links to everybody. In due time, people will forget about my site, a place the world forgot. These were my thoughts as my coworkers and I were out for lunch and we ate at Landmark. I just got lemon chicken from the store I ate at last month and we went to get Zus Coffee after. It was fun because they kept teasing me and I was able to laugh at it, despite feeling a bit sad and grieving inside. We went back to the office and I continued my usual round of tasks. I was, weirdly enough, really productive today as well. I cleared up a big backlog recently and I'm just making sure stuff doesn't pile up on my plate next week. I was even productive enough to fix that Converge issue I've been dealing with since last week. In the afternoon, I had finished all of my tasks early. I had free time and a coworker asked if I had free time and I did, so we played this board game called Radlands. I had to watch a loooooonnnnngggg YouTube tutorial for it and my coworker had to tell me the mechanics and give me a tutorial first, so it took a while before we actually got going. But we played our first game. That actually *was* their first game, which surprised me because they own the damn board game. But I'm surprised I got a good card that they didn't counter and I won! I'm surprisingly good at board games lol. But we played another round after that, which dragged on and I eventually lost. It's okay, I'm glad I had fun and I was able to take a break from all this thinking in my headspace. For the evening, I just made sure I was clean on tickets and all the stuff I had to do. We went out for dinner which was just KFC nearby and we talked about a few stuff, mostly how one coworker often goes to Europe every year, which made my eyes light up because I've been dreaming of going to Europe. We finished our food and went back to the office so we could pack up and leave for the night. We were concerned because it was raining so heavily. I was concerned as well because I was fucked. I wasn't getting any motorcycle rides back home and the only method of transportation was by booking a private car, which costed me 600 Pesos. Yikes. I even asked my sister to help me book for one because I was getting nothing, but they were able to secure a ride and I was able to thankfully rest on the car ride home. The car ride home took an hour or so. The driver kind of talked to me here and there, which kind of made me feel uncomfortable because I just wanted to be left alone and relax while listening to the radio. I also listened to a short video essay about the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. They talked about how Joel and Clementine were doomed in a cycle of meeting, breaking up, and forgetting each other. It just resonated with me because I've been in that cycle before. It made me a bit sad when they did say that the way they were able to overcome it was by still choosing each other despite what comes in their way. Hearing that kind of pierced me through the heart because I've only seen people I loved leave me or not choose me. They usually push me away after some time. Not just in a romantic sense, but yeah, in that way as well. It also made me think of the people I chose to move away from, the people who chose me but I didn't like them back and didn't choose them. I just thought about how love is so difficult and the defining feature of couples that work is that they always choose each other in the end. After a long ride, I finally got home and unloaded all my stuff. I still had productive stuff to do in the evening, organizing, cleaning up, deleting files, whatnot. Cleaning up made me feel a lot better, too. I had my sister and Milktea come in for a bit and I got to play with Milktea, so that was nice. But at the end of the day, I just wanted nothing more than to read the full verse by Alexander Pope which the "eternal sunshine" verses came from: Eloisa to Abelard. It was a long read, but I liked the story. It feels weird, but I share Eloisa's pain. A few of the lines stuck to me: > Come! with thy looks, thy words, relieve my woe; Those still at least are left thee to bestow. Still on that breast enamour'd let me lie, Still drink delicious poison from thy eye, Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be press'd; Give all thou canst—and let me dream the rest. These lines are so funny. I've been in toxic, "poison"-ous love like that before. Where I had been suffering, but seeing that person and them talking to me relieved me of all my woes. Where they gave me all they could and I just dreamt of being with them. > Forget, renounce me, hate whate'er was mine. Fair eyes, and tempting looks (which yet I view!) Long lov'd, ador'd ideas, all adieu! I don't know why, but I just feel like I'm eventually forgotten by the people I've long loved. All those adored ideas of having fun with them, the plans I drew up of us having fun like baking a cake or going out for pares late at night like we used to, of "what could be" are just gone. I stuck to those lines because, even now, I still feel sad over the so many "what could have been"s in my life. And I guess that ties into the underlying question of today. If people will eventually forget about me, should I just forget everything, too? As if things never happened? Like in the movie? > Then, ages hence, when all my woes are o'er, When this rebellious heart shall beat no more; If ever chance two wand'ring lovers brings To Paraclete's white walls and silver springs, O'er the pale marble shall they join their heads, And drink the falling tears each other sheds; Then sadly say, with mutual pity mov'd, "Oh may we never love as these have lov'd!" Ultimately, I don't know, haha. I highlighted these last lines on my notes app because all of these stories about love, fighting, forgetting just makes me sad. I look back at my past and I just see the same cycle over and over again. I'm really sick of it. I really do hope I never may find love like that anymore. Hopefully the type of love that finds me in the future won't put me through that vicious cycle again and again. I'm so broken from seeing the same type of love (friendly, romantic, otherwise) just repeat in a cycle. I just want to be happy to find love that chooses me, one that doesn't love me in the same way my past ones have.

Song of the day: Like I'm Gonna Lose You by Meghan Trainor, John Legend

Lyrics that resonated with me:
I found myself dreaming in silver and gold
Like a scene from a movie that every broken heart knows
We were walking on moonlight, and you pulled me close
Split second and you disappeared and then I was all alone

I woke up in tears, with you by my side
A breath of relief, and I've realised
No, we're not promised tomorrow

Christmas in June!

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent

Today was super Christmas-themed, what the hell. It didn't start out this way, though. I woke up feeling a bit better than yesterday. I started my morning feeling more okay than yesterday, too. I wasn't sure if I was "okay" and, more importantly, diarrhea-free enough to go to the office. I thought about how the stalls there weren't that good but wasn't sure if I'd risk it. My friend eventually messages me and checks on up on my stomachache, which kind of shocked me for a bit because I thought things were kind of over after yesterday. It was still awkward and I had a heavy heart while talking to them because I still feel guilty, I'm apprehensive, and I'm playing it safe. Still, it was really nice and thoughtful of them to check up on me. I just told them what happened to me yesterday and I eventually had to prepare because I've made up my mind that I'll leave for the office today. Today seems like a good, sunny day anyway. I don't want to commute on a future date where it'll rain. I got a ride to work and eventually got there just fine. The seats were **PACKED**, though, and there was a lot of people in the booth today. I had to sit at another seat because the one I usually occupied was already taken by someone else, and I also felt guilty taking a seat that wasn't mine because I just saw 1 dude (who usually sits at this one) look so confused. He sat at another seat somewhere else I don't know, so it was pretty cringey for me to see him wonder where to sit. Another one of my seatmates also didn't know where to sit so they sat somewhere else. I did my usual round of tasks and got started on work. After a while, I called my ISP to have the account transferred from being under my grandma's name, to my name since I handle all of the bills anyway. I had submitted her death certificate yesterday and I was just catching up on emails in the office pantry for a while. I eventually got all of that done and I was able to catch my coworkers leaving for lunch. I'm glad that I was able to catch up with them and we went downstairs. We passed by the Denny's cat who was sleeping in their usual cathouse so I took a pic of them sleeping and posted it on my IG Story. We kept walking and eventually arrived at Mad Mark's Creamery and Coffee where we had lunch again. We just ate and talked stuff like the rising HIV cases, especially amongst Gen Z, which they pointed out that I was a part of. It kind of hurt me inside to hear them say the "kids these days" line and it offended me, to an extent, because I don't sleep around like that. Our lunch eventually got served and had a bit of a kerfuffle when it came to paying, which ate a bit out of my time because I was late to my 1:00 p.m. meeting. After we got out of the restaurant, **I RAN BACK AS FAST AS I CAN** back to the office and it was tiring as hell. I was so out of breath just to get back to the office and I just found out that the meeting for today was at 1:30 p.m., not 1:00 p.m. So I did all that running for nothing. But it was fine, I killed the time by doing some tasks before the meeting. I got into the meeting and the people around me were so loud, which made my teammates ask where I was because it was unusually loud, and I told them that I was in the office today. But the meeting ended just fine and I continued on my day. Somehow, I just had a feeling that I miss Christmas. I tried to find that IG page that shares Reels about Christmas during the other months, and I eventually found one about thinking of Christmas while in June and I shared it on my Story. I really love the feeling of Christmas, and I really miss it at this point. Family, friends, loved ones, and just the general ease that time of year has. I kind of miss it so I just listened to Christmas songs during my shift. I couldn't stop listening to Christmas songs, and I loved them all. I wanted to have a Christmas-themed day because I could kind of use a little warmth and a safe space. I also laughed around with my coworkers, which lifted my mood a lot. I had stomachache in the latter part of my shift, but I was able to handle it and continue working (and playing Christmas songs). I eventually finish all of the tasks and my plate, and them some, and eventually made my way home by booking a ride. The ride home was so scary! The motorcycle rider drove so fast and it was terrifying. He also was a bit chatty, which I kind of found hard to understand while listening to "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and other Christmas hits. It was fun, but also really terrifying because I didn't know if I'd make it to next Christmas. Luckily, I made it home in one piece and... didn't have anything else to do for the evening. I was bored so, to fully enjoy this out-of-place Christmas day, I thought it'd be nice if I wrapped it up with a Christmas movie. I immediately thought of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It has a runtime of 2 hours, but, since I started watching at 9 p.m., I figured that I'd still have enough time left in the day to do other stuff. I microwaved an extra-butter popcorn bag and made the poor man's version of hot cocoa (a warm, sacheted chocolate drink that my sister thankfully bought for me), and watched the movie. I watched Home Alone and it was pretty funny. It's been a long time since I watched it, so I forgot the plot, but it was funny and warm-feeling at times. It made me miss my family spending time on Christmas a bit. I was surprised when Kevin said something in the movie that resonated with me. > I always think I'll have a lot of fun if I'm alone, but when I'm alone, it isn't that much fun at all. I don't care how much people bug me sometimes, I'd rather be with somebody than by myself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm only extroverted because I can't handle being alone, but I know I can. I have been alone most of my life and single for the entirety of it. But when I find something fun or interesting, I have no one to share my joy with. It made me miss *someone* a bit because they always invited me to play video games and watch stuff with. I also remembered that day where they made me watch "Christmas Tree Farm" by Taylor Swift. But they're out of my life now, so, I just have no one but myself for the foreseeable future. What Kevin said just stuck to me because I've been feeling very alone for a long time now. The movie eventually ended around 11:55 p.m. and I think I shed a few tears here and there. I didn't finish my popcorn, though, but I was able to finish my cocoa and I can say that I really had fun today. Even if it wasn't Christmas today.

Song of the day: Last Christmas by Taylor Swift

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?
Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
"Merry Christmas," I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying "I love you," I meant it
Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kiss me now, I know you'd fool me again

Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special

A crowded room and friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice
My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A girl undercover but you tore her apart
Maybe this year
Maybe this year I'll give it to someone special

'Cause last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special

Journal entry for Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Bad

Today started with me having my stomach churn. I felt something bad, but I didn't know that it would be happening to me. I couldn't sleep much and I was tossing and turning in bed as my stomach started to ache really bad. I woke up feeling so tired and exhausted, despite getting my usual 5-or-so-hours of sleep. I decided on whether or not I'd take a sick leave for work, but I decided against it. I just had to power through today because I have 2 leaves in the upcoming week. I was talking to a friend by this time and they were really nice and friendly. In the morning, it seemed that today was just going to go great, despite my stomachache. But things kind of took a turn for the worse come afternoon. Part of me knew I screwed up and, while I tried to apologize, I don't think my apologies were accepted. There was this looming feeling that everything's starting to crumble and my stomachache had devolved into full on diarrhea making me super thirsty and tired. I didn't show that to anyone but I was trying my best to nurse myself in the background while juggling between work, my health, and other things. I got myself Pocari Sweat and some medicine, and I also got myself *lugaw* to feel better because I haven't eaten anything all day. I only ate a bit, but didn't have much appetite as my stomach was giving me the worst time. I kept going back and forth to the bathroom and kept getting tired. I just felt so beaten up today and it's kind of sad that I just found myself in another situation like this again. Things just feel really broken today in a way that probably won't be repaired. Work continued on and I tried to do as much as I can despite being bedridden and going back and forth in the bathroom. After my shift ended, I continued to just get some more sleep. I just decided to get my health back up, despite still having stomachache and diarrhea the whole night. I tried to catch up with my journal entries and other things just to salvage the day and stop it into turning to an awful day. At the end of the day, I saw a video on IG Reels about how people having a rough year, thinking that 2025 would be a good year and finding themselves sad by June. I also read a comment about a person saying that they lost so many people and broke so many relationships, and I can't help but laugh and feel so sad about it because I could relate. I just tried my best to finish up my journal entries after that.

Song of the day: I Really Want to Stay at Your House by Samuel Kim, Lorien

Lyrics that resonated with me:
'Cause I really wanna stay at your house
And I hope this works out

A Thousand and One Emotions

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Average

Monday was mostly pretty boring for me. I mostly timed in for work and talked to a friend. They told me earlier that I could find a safe space in them, which was nice. On one hand, I kind of felt happy but, at the same time, the happiness was just laced with uncertainty because I just had a feeling things will blow up soon. Regardless, work went on and it wasn't anything noteworthy. My shift started and ended just as quickly. I didn't eat much throughout the day because I was so busy and I was doing so much. Come evening, my sister brought home *menudo* and I ate that. Since I was bored, I tried to feel productive by doing a few things and sending out emails. I tried to rest after that, but I couldn't because my stomach was starting to turn. I felt a lot of emotions and thoughts today that just ended up making me feel confused and unsure. It all averaged out by having this day just be average.

Song of the day: Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Oh, I
I want to be with you everywhere
Oh, I
I want to be with you everywhere
(Wanna be with you everywhere)

Baguettes with Special Guests

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Mood: Excellent
Significant Location: SM Megamall

I felt really anxious about how today would turn out. I know the reason, but something inside me just felt like things weren't going to end well today. But I'm glad Ane did a reading on me yesterday and told me that things would be all right. Eventually, after tiring myself out, I eventually slept. The morning was super interesting. But first, of course, I had some breakfast. It wasn't much and I was pretty much set to leave for the morning since us Baguettes agreed to meet at 10 a.m. I booked a ride and hurriedly left the house and that's when I noticed something. I was missing my wallet! I was fiddling in the motorcycle ride but I just know for sure that I left it at home. I asked my sister to pack it up along with some paper trash that I can just throw away. I also had to ask her to put my small bottle of Listerine mouth wash in there for good measure. After preparing a literal bag of trash with only my wallet and mouthwash in it as valuables, I had the bag shipped from my house to SM Megamall while I was on the ride there. Obviously, I got to SM Megamall first and I just waited around, had matcha at Starbucks, and kept waiting for my wallet and stuff to arrive. Eventually, the driver arrived and at the right spot, too! I'm able to get my wallet and mouthwash, and I breathed a large sigh of relief. I went on to meet Meryll at Watsons and I couldn't find her, and Max was here already but I didn't see either of them until I turned the corner and found them together already. We walked around for a bit and then decided here to have lunch. While walking, I told them that there was a food convention upstairs and that I would be meeting a friend there, but they were open to checking it out as well after lunch. Meryll suggested Bad Bird and I was okay with it, and so was Max. We immediately got a table and we just talked about life, career and the general things we were up to while eating. I also revealed to them that I would be meeting up with a new friend I had met online and I gave a short introduction about my friend and what they does. I told them about her and a short summary of how things have been between us. After eating, we took a quick break before going upstairs and checking out the food convention itself. It was packed with people. We tried out a few free samples given out and Max was really interested in this bottle of mead, which kind of had a hint of cinnamon for me. She bought it and got a tote bag. We kept walking and we tried this cocoa booth which us 3 got samples of, and I bought Max and Meryll packs each. We also take a pic by a sari-sari store and I ask a female guard to take a photo of us 3. By this time, I messaged my friend that we were here already and they went to meet me (us) at the entrance. They immediately recognized me and I immediately recognized them. We immediately talked to each other and they showed us the book that was on display. We asked the person manning the counter about the details of how to get the book, and we essentially had to listen to the book's author finish their whole talk. Afterward, we asked my friend to tag along with us while we explore the rest of the exhibit. They were really nice and kind enough to introduce us to their parents, which were also super nice. I had a lot of stuff written about them but I'll just keep it hidden on my private copy. We exit the convention center for now and we walk around the mall. Max has things to do so we had to wait for her a bit but we continued on and went downstairs to the bowling alley place, and we also pass by a Genshin artbook that Max and Meryll take interest in. We don't linger for long as we head into the bowling alley and try to get a lane. Meryll's going to sit this activity out so it's just Max and I, but the waiting time for an available lane is 30-40 minutes, which seems risky because we had to go to back to the convention center soon. We then check out the wait time for a KTV and ping pong table, both of which were 30 minutes to 1 hour away from an available table. So we just pass on it since we're scrapped for time. We try Arrowland and the waiting time was the same, around 20-30 minutes and we'd play for 20-30 minutes, which would put us at a hard position. We walk for a while and Max's tote bag breaks. It absolutely breaks the bottle of mead and it spills out on the floor. I reach out to a janitor that was thankfully wheeling around a cart as well, so thankfully he was able to help us dispose of the leaking mead bottle. Max also suffered a super small cut because she got in contact with a shard of glass, but thankfully the cut wasn't that deep. I just promise Max that I'll buy her another bottle for the trouble. Since we were already exhausted, we just find a table chill on for a while. My friend messages me about a few things and that the event is starting, and that they were also handing out claim stubs for the cookbook. I tell Max and Meryll this and we had to head back to the convention floor. My friend and their parents let us sit next to them, which was really nice and we eventually got cookbooks. My friend and their family eventually come back to the table and we talk for a while, and eventually Max and Meryll return with their copies. We talk for a bit more before deciding to wrap up our stay at the convention. Thankfully, I managed to ask them if they could take a pic with us and I ask the same guard earlier to take a picture of us 4. We then walk around trying to find the cinemas and I ask the guard for directions. I also ask where the groceries were so Max can buy a stronger tote bag from there. We decided that it was best for us to split up. I just wait in line to buy tickets for 3 of us since I'm the one paying. Regardless, I made it up to the front desk after a long line and I got the three tickets. I waited by Meryll and asked where Max was, because I thought that the two of them would be going together. Eventually, Max returned with her new tote bag which was Japan-themed. Then we watched Lilo and Stitch and I enjoyed the movie enough. I didn't expect to watch this today, but I'm glad I did. After that, we were mostly focused on getting home so Max and I booked via ride-hailing apps. We both quickly got a ride and our drivers kind of arrived at relatively the same time, so that was nice. I got home and just rested for the evening after that.

Song of the day: Toothbrush by DNCE

Lyrics that resonated with me:
Baby, you don't have to rush
You can leave a toothbrush at my place, at my place
We don't need to keep it hush
You could leave a toothbrush at my place, at my place