Sorry for abandoning you for five whole years, blog! At this point so much has changed and I’m really not the same person that used to actually sit down and blog like we all used to in 2008. Blogging was always so much about my relationship with photographs – i used to photograph my daily life for my blog, now I photograph for … instagram stories??? My groupchats? Which is arguably much more private and deemphasizes the socialmediafication of the daily practice of photography; but in any event, I thought I’d dust this ol’ thing off – because I am paying for it after all.
Also I used to hate the word “blog”! It was not normal to say that when I started on this here internet! I used to insist it was “”””journaling”””. Sadly I was unable to curb its usage. So blog it is.
At the end of every year since 2004 (!!!!! i am an internet grandma), I was answering the same 40 questions on my Livejournal to recap the year. That is every year since I was 17 until I turned 36 — bonkers! Bananas. Batshit coco crunchers! Last year marked the 20th year I had been doing that, and so I decided I wanted to change up the year ender post, and possibly migrate it to this blog. And so I’m trying that!
The ol’ LJ questionnaire was kind of dusty and a lot of it stopped being relevant after I got married (lotsa love life questions ooh spicy) so I did some googlin and discovered this thing called the Year Compass – it’s a free booklet you can download to help you reflect on the past year and plan the next one. Now, I’m not so keen on the planning part, especially not in public, and I kind of wanted to make this a photographic exercise. And so, I have adapted the Year Compass booklet into a 2000s blog style questionnaire that I will fill out with images ! :D
I’m not really going for showing off my photography chops here, I tried to stick to stuff on my phone. The images I’ve selected here are mainly the ones that answer the question posed. Not really trying to reinvent the wheel here.
Let’s go! If you want to borrow this format for your own blog you can do that too! No need to ask permish!
A quick study of the past year
Share a photograph that sums up…
Personal life & family
Ok off to a great start – this question was SO HARD wtf. Also i’m trying to stick to just one picture per line item so this doesn’t just turn into a fully tita facebook album (though honestly……. we skirtin) and it’s very very not easy! Already I have spent an hour on this.
Offhand, this was the first entire year since we got married that things have been relatively back to normal social-wise – no more social distancing or masks, no more red alerts when my throat hurts, we didn’t constantly need to eat outdoors. We remained vigilant of covid long after most people stopped giving a fuck and I don’t regret that, but its meant that a lot of readjustment into the old/new world.
Tita Baba prepared an incredibly sumptuous meal of hotpot-style laksa for Nico’s birthday party, and it was one of our first social gatherings of 2024. We biked to their house and stuffed ourselves, hung out with people we hadn’t seen in YEARSSSS. In a house I hadn’t been back to in YEEEAAARSSSS. And then biked back on full bellies wondering if we wd just fall over in the streets from being so full. I think it just felt nice to visit someone’s home without feeling so guarded. Also I love that she still has Lola’s painting in the bubble wrap here – baka daw kasi matalsikan ahhahaha
Career & studies
I was granted tenure this year, which I think I walked into somewhat reluctantly – that “sayang kasi” mentality provoking me to go through the motions of the application process. Or so I thought? I am actually finding, half a year in, that mentally there is so much more space to think about what I want to do with my life when my work and income is secure. Like I …. don’t have to worry about retirement?? Whaddyamean?!!?
Cynics will always view security as something that induces laziness but I think this view ignores that happy people are, in general, better equipped to bear good fruit. I can actually spend time with my students and their work without having to worry about maximizing my income-generating capacity, you know? Like I’m fine, I can spend half an hour writing about how this project can be improved, it’s time well spent.
What color is my hair even in that photograph lord knows
Friends & community
Because I work across the street from Krebs, and also visit Krebs on the weekend, I was basically here EVERY DAY most weeks. I think there actually is a vibrant little community forming around our smol bike shop. We have regulars and people know our names, and there’s ritual and there’s breaking bread, it’s a save point and a sanctuary. We replenish inventory and heal damage. May mga cleric, bard, artificer, ranger – minsan may barbarian. Occasionally may rogue.
Relaxation, hobbies, creativity
I taught myself to sew this year!!!! Who even am I! I started off with embroidery, then I moved up to a machine and made a pincussy, and then I learned sashiko, and then I made a matching set out of some old backdrops, and then I made a jacket out of other old background textiles that was too hot to wear biking so i had to press all the air out of it with one bajillion little sashiko stitches, and then i made three prototypes of my favorite dress that I was sad that I had grown out of, and then I made sean a haori… and that’s just the stuff I am able to rattle off right now! I actually made a fuuuuckton of stuff! I upcycled a lot of old garments as well.
Pictured here is my last project of the year, my very first quilt/throw blanket. It’s made from the scraps of all my projects this year, which, is this cheating? It’s hard to pick one project as the apotheosis of the entire year, each thing I made was a labor of love – or at least, the labor of an unpaid Filipina sewist. I am happy to report that I am still able to learn new tricks at the ripe old internet age of almost 40, and this is definitely my favorite hobby that i’ve picked up in recent years.
I kind of wish I had gotten into it during covid,when i haaaad to be indoors a ton, but tbh i probably couldn’t have afforded the machine.
Physical health & fitness
According to my app I biked approximately 1,056.56 KM by Dec 8 this year (that’s the last time I checked).
Ok next question
Mental health & self-knowledge
Saw my girlfriends a good amount this year. We even managed to make it out of the group chat and on to an actual beach! Aside from Sean, they are my self-awareness and mental health lifelines, I’m very lucky to have these robust, easy friendships. Going on what, 25+ years now? Every time i try to count any years i feel like these numbers are just far too large ??????
Habits
Because of the sewing, I think I was able to really manage my relationship with one of the industries that i’ve always felt somewhat powerless to fight back against: fast fashion. I love fun clothing and dressing up, but thrifting is difficult for me because of my skin condition, and lbr it’s not always cheaper than new stuff. Sewing is power, repair is radical, etc. I’ve mostly upcycled rather than making new items from scratch, mostly because I don’t know how to choose textiles online and it’s easier for me to deal with deconstructing something rather than creating a new thing as a beginner anyway.
Pictured here: I think this jacket thing is the thing I spent the most time on this year. I drafted this pattern myself – my first attempt! It’s nothing fancy, just a whole lotta right angles. It’s made of scraps from my backdrops and some of Sean’s old tshirts. I had to handstitch all over to press all the air out of it so it would be light enough to bike in. Took me about a month!
Travel
We did quite a few major trips this year – the most since we got married five years ago! This was probably my vision as a younger me for how frequently we should have been traveling pre-pandemic, but to be honest lockdown has made me a huge homebody as well, so i fear my desire to travel conflicts somewhat with my desire for bedrot. In any event, I was in Seoul for the first time this year, and we were in Japan for two weeks to celebrate my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, among many other local trips. Sorry bank account!
The Future (What have you done to leave the world better than you found it?)
I (probably) helped a bunch of these folks graduate! Thesis is the most challenging subject that I handle, but it’s always one of the most rewarding because of the nature of the work we do. Design and visual communication can be forces for good, just as much as they can be used to perpetuate oppression and harm, so working with students fully committed to the work of liberation can be very heartening. The kids are all right, they are in fact the future, just gotta let them do their thang.
Proud of this lot especially – a lot of them are from the first batch of freshmen I ever taught! This is the first batch I’ve seen through graduation! Again, I truly am an old bag.
Superlatives
The best decision I made
We started on a meal plan in the latter half of the year! This was really mostly an ADHD motivated decision rather than a health one. Sean has a really hard time transitioning from work to chores (he is our cook), so we decided to try a meal plan to alleviate the executive dysfunction. We found one that costs a bit more than what we pay for groceries, but arguably less than medication, which we aren’t really ready for. It’s been great – and we’ve continued with this into the new year! ADHD + weight management in one go?? Works for us!
Pictured here is a delicious meat pasta thing, i can’t remember what it was called. It’s also really helpful to not have to deal with the analysis paralysis of “what do we have for dinner?” every night anymore – the plan we are subscribed to is sufficiently varied and pretty tasty!
Biggest lesson I learned
Ok this is going to sound very dumb but I learned a bunch of car shit AGAINST MY WILL because our car kept breaking down this year. I think for the most part it is fine now – thanks in no part to me, a useless refuser of car knowledge. Anyway I still couldn’t fix it if you asked me to so I’m not sure any lessons were earned here, but I definitely learned some car words.
Biggest risk I took
I went way too light on the blonde in preparation for my hot pink era. I usually only do one session of bleach when I color my hair but because I used really old and probably expired bleach the first round (ended up working out well but that was SUPER risky and would not recommend), my hair did not lift evenly and I had bright orange sections amid the blonde. I decided to do a second round with fresh bleach to even it out – thinking I could halve the cooking time and basically just rinse the orange out.
A good 6 months later I can heartily say that even if I was able to nurse my hair back to health eventually, I would really not repeat that. Two sessions is one too many – my curls are not as springy, and my hair requires more product to remain in shape, and the texture is generally dry. I can’t wait for it to grow back ? I promise I’ll keep it au naturale for a bit!
My favorite new something (person / place / experience / etc)
I discovered MENTHOL INHALERS when I was having an allergy attack while I was out at lunch without access to my meds. All they had at the nearby convenience store was a menthol inhaler and I haven’t let go of them since. I gave these away for Christmas as a means of brainwashing.
What I am proudest of
I made this dress from the pattern of a favorite dress that I outgrew! This was my third prototype, it fits well and falls almost exactly like the original, I’m so happy with it and want to wear it everywhere!
Biggest disappointment
The removal of the East Ave bike lane protections by the Quezon City government. This is now what my daily commute is like.
Biggest heartbreak
We lost my Lola Moms this year, which we are all still reckoning with. Even the street where she lives doesn’t feel the same without her. The Dans side of the family has always been fun loving and silly and supes weird, so being together in mourning for the second time in just a few short years (we lost an uncle in ’21 as well) has been, well, a mixed bag. Andaming funny stories around this event and andami ding nakakaiyak. We miss her dearly every day, but especially on Sundays.
The timeline for dealing with the deceased’s affairs is mind bogglingly and cruelly short – we’re all still sad, why are you making us fill out tax forms! So inhuman.
What I am most grateful for
This cutie is stuck with me forever but I think he likes it so we are in the green.
Consumption
Best Movies & TV 2024 – This year I gave up on Hollywood for my entertainment needs! I am sick to death of sequels and prequels! Just give me regular degular quels?! So I have been watching a lot of documentaries on Netflix and Nebula and YouTube instead (yes true crime, yes I know all about why it is problematic), as well as finally indulging in Pinoy cinema. Shake Rattle & Roll Extreme was very fun, we saw Mallari and Kampon (SHOUT OUT NICO DANS WEEHEEEWWW) Gomburza and The Kingdom and a bunch of others – I have genuinely enjoyed Filipino movies this year!
I guess special mention ang Wicked because it has always been my favorite musical, so much so that I got so skittish about who was manning it that I just ignored all press until it came out. Thankfully iz good! My TikTok feed is still not over it.
Also in “is this a pattern???” i was so nervous about the Ranma 1/2 remake, mostly because they hired all the same voice cast (why???????? why remake it then????). But five minutes into the first episode and all my nerves melted away – the new animation is superb! It’s a beautiful show. I hope they hew closer to the manga this time round – we gotta see a wedding!
Best Music 2024 – I am a fan of all the lesbians and wlw-adjacent folk! Chappy R, Sabrina C, Remi Dubya, I even listened to a bit of Charli. Of course I had Bini on rotation. Also late to the Doechii game. And a whole lot of Japanese city pop for when I am grading plates and need music that I cannot understand!
Best Games 2024 – I lost the entire first half of the year to BALDUR’S GATE 3 and i’m not even sorry. I’m trying to let some time elapse so I can forget everything that happened and play again for the first time lmao.
Best of the Internet 2024 – I left Twitter this year because fuck that weirdo that owns it, so now i am on Bluesky, which is significantly less toxic and annoying. I bought Nebula for a year and it has been great seeing what UGC could look like without a strained reliance on the Google algorithm.
Letting Go
Say goodbye to 2024 with an image.
One of my most beautiful sunsets this year on the shores of Boracay – I hadn’t been back in at least 15 years, since I was shooting a ton of weddings really. It’s changed a lot since then with the pandemic and all, but i think it’s really an unbeatably beautiful shoreline. Thank you 2024!
Ok that was fun I’ll do it again next year! Hopefully I’ll have better photos to share!
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