New Life, 2018 Q2

And just like that, it’s the end of Q2.

The second quarter of 2018 just breezed past me without me even noticing. School was out for the summer so that certainly made it easier for me to unclench and let my bones turn to gummy worms. I’m sure that’s good for me in a lot of ways but i’m generally a busybody, honor student, type A ESTJ (last time i checked anyway) brimming with obedience leftover from Catholic school – what some people might call a “Martha” if you know your Bible at all. I gots to crank me outs my jams. . . so idleness makes me antsy (sorry Jesus).

(He says i’m forgiven.)

That said, put me in a situation where all i can do IS work and i will also turn into a 2/2 vampire bat with flying. As i mentioned in my previous post, i’d been working out of my bedroom since the start of the year and that was driving me kind of batty. I woke up staring at my workstation daily and it was damaging my calm, making me less productive, and honestly making me more of a pain to work with (sorry Sean). Q2 was when we finally transitioned into a real dedicated office office – a mythical land that my generous parents kindly allow me to use rent-free.

It’s a new space that i got to fill out completely from scratch, which i had never done before. I’d never even really gone shopping for furniture before. I didn’t know a thing about interiors or rugs or couches or finishes or moulding, how to choose it, where to get it, how much things cost. Until the ripe old age of 29, having to go to the hardware store out of desire rather than necessity was a foreign concept. I super didn’t care about ergonomics or upholstery or really understand the artistry that goes into interior design. I kid you not, i have worked on a plastic monobloc seat with a smashed up pillow pet on it for the past five whole adult years.

Needless to say I am a changed woman. I made a floor plan (!!!!), created a bunch of moodboards and colour palettes, scoured all the buy and sell groups and the local showrooms for pieces at a good price, assembled, screwed, cut and pasted, painted, sprayed, glued, set, melted, hammered, and varnished. I’m learning that you can plan for spaces, but rooms change, they evolve organically, especially when you’re in them constantly, and that’s okay. It would be nice to periodically update you guys on how the office looks, i think i’ll do a separate post on that, but for now i’m featuring this damn pink beanbag that i hug daily because i love it (and really flattened out my budget, i gotta tell ya).

Ain’t she a beaut. I DIY’d a couple of things like a cubby shelf with my dad (cause i wanted a Kallax shelf but can’t afford one!), and some flower pots. I’m a plant mom now! It’s a thing! If you follow me on Instagram you can see more of those projects in detail.

Speaking of beauts, this little guy busted into the world head first out of my sister in law. That is graphic but not untrue. We welcomed little Timminy Cricket into the world of humans on the same day that Infinity War premiered. I drove like a 2/2 bat out of hell to the hospital after the screening with my face all askew, feeling all the feels. New babies make people crazy.

That night also happened to be my brother and sister and law’s 4th wedding anniversary. Good job, Timoun!

I thought about it, but i’m not going to pre-apologize for this blog turning into a shrine to my new nephew, Timberlake. I’m probably biased and i’m sure i’ll change my mind when he turns 5 or whatever age they start making you want to put them in a cage (i guess that’s 72 if you are an American president haha… huhu wait no turn it back to cute nephew) but i’m PRETTY sure he’s the most adorable baby that ever babied his face into babyhood.

We have been enjoying being his aunties immensely.

Lots of babies hit the scene in my immediate vicinity in Q2. I also visited my friend Jin, seen here with her newborn and her mom, a new grandmother. (Her baby’s pretty cute, too)

Tinka also gave birth a few weeks ago but i have yet to pay her and her new daughter a visit. See here, instead, the decor we put up for her baby shower. It’s raindrops. And clouds. Cause it’s a baby. . . . . shower. Har har.

I am also highly anticipating this baby when it pops out, for i know that he too will be the love of my life.

Friendship-wise, i feel like Q2 was really fruitful for me. I think at this stage in my life, it’s pretty easy to just assume that I’ll eventually have the time to see people that I like. But because of the time dilation effect of just having been on earth for 30 odd years, a lot of relationships have ended up taking a backburner to more immediate concerns like work, and money, and having to pick up the TV I bought off of that Facebook group, and whether we are spending the weekend with Sean’s family or my family, etc.

So while i am grateful that i have relationships that can withstand my hyperfocus on busyness (aaaand it’s a callback: Martha!), this quarter i tried to make a concerted effort to Hang Out With People, No Agenda.

It’s been good!

I was even graced with a visit by a good friend from the ol’ Hong Kong days, the lovely Ann Chih. We got massages, climbed a mountain, ate cheese and bulalo, had a complicated sleepover. We even freaking taught her to play Magic: The Gathering because WHEN ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO IT?

She kicked our asses with Hazoret Aggro, what can i say.

We also did the Masungi trail out in Baras, Rizal. This was definitely a Q2 highlight, as i’ve been looking for an excuse to do this and a visitor from Hong Kong was THE PERFECT excuse. I don’t ordinarily have a fear of heights, but i guess it kicks in when i have to traverse really really high things? It was challenging, fun, i learned a lot. And the sights were S T U N N I N G.

Hi Leandro.

Finally, I photographed a wedding again a few weeks ago. My cousin Danica and my new cousin-in-law Luke run a Backpackers hostel down in Busuanga, and they got married on their property.The whole thing got absolutely soaking wet, because it got absolutely freaking rained on , so the wedding photos are really unusual and i love that. Check out that album that i linked to. I know some people getting married have huge anxieties about their event getting rained on, hopefully this serves as an example of what can happen when you just embrace the weather. Can i get a wetness~

Some possible updates on my end re: wedding photography. Stay tuned.