Category: Life

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Insights Life Secrets

Thursday Letter #16 | Honesty is the Best Policy

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Sometimes, I get conscious sa mga sinusulat ko dito, kasi pakiramdam ko minsan paulit-ulit. Or I sometimes negate myself, lalo na pag nababasa ko yung mga luma kong posts. Despite this worry, it’s not stopping me from hitting the publish button. Kasi yun talaga yung reality ko eh. Yun ang pinagdadaanan ko. Perceptions change. Tastes change. Normal lang magbago, at normal din na magpaulit-ulit.

It’s also a universal reality na mabagabag sa isang bagay, tapos akala mo resolved na at naka-move on ka na, until dadating yung araw na mababagabag ka ulit. Or yung may sasabihin kang gagawin mo, proud na proud ka sa plano mo, tapos sasablay ka nanaman. Wala eh. Yun talaga ang realidad. Sabi nga nung isang guest sa Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast:

I’m not here to be a role model,
I’m here to be the real deal.

Inah Evans

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Family Free Posts Life

My Gen Z Cousin Helps Me Keep Up with TikTok

I’m three months TikTok-free (my longest TikTok detox yet?), and out of curiosity, I asked my cousin what’s happening there and what are the things I should know:

1. KATSEYE

First, she sent me a voice message of her singing and bombarded me with videos of her dancing. Akala ko mga general TikTok dance trends yung sinesend nya. Yun pala dance trends specific to KATSEYE songs. I told her I would finally listen to their music.

2. 6-7
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Money Diaries Secrets

2025 Money Wrapped

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Kahit luhaan ako sa mga gastos namin, I am equally excited to look at our last year’s spending because I have now gained clarity. Since nagkaron ng major changes sa aming 2025 expenses, mas alam ko na ngayon yung i-eexpect for 2026. Nung naka-apartment pa kami, kasama na sa monthly rent namin yung utilities, kaya hindi kami sanay na nagbabayad ng tubig at kuryente. Ngayon, based on the monthly averages, alam ko nang kelangan naming mag-allot ng extra $250 every month.

Ang daming adjustments na nangyari last year. Lumaki yung housing costs namin because of the mortgage, tapos ang dami pang nadagdag na bayarin (home insurance, property tax, utilities). Bukod pa dun, nawalan ako ng income nung August. Kaya ang malaking bottomline ng lahat ng ito ay: kailangan ko nang makahanap ng trabaho STAT.

Natuwa akong gawin yung mga graphics this year. Favorite ko yung ‘Money Wrapped’—tingnan nyo mamaya hehe. Just like before, I’ll start with a snapshot of our average monthly spending, then show the numbers after.

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Family Free Posts Pals

Holiday Season 2025

I think the holiday season officially started for us when one of Kenneth’s college friends invited us to go on a holiday train ride.

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state…
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Free Posts Life

Gleniz da Menace: Year in Review 2025

Just like the previous year, I rounded up all my published posts and organized them around the recurring themes of this blog (paid posts are marked with an asterisk) . My utmost gratitude goes to those who find joy and comfort in my writing. I hope it was worth your time. When you love to write, being seen and heard means a lot. But probably the more compelling motive is my internal one. Writing is how I make sense of the world. Thank you for being with me on this voyage of self-expression and discovery.

Writing has so much to give,
so much to teach, so many surprises.

The act of writing,
turns out to be its own reward.

Anne Lamott
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Life Pals Secrets

Thursday Letter #15 | Releasing Expectations

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Happy Stranger Things Vol. 2 day! Also, Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël !

Ngayon ko na lang ulit ‘to na-feel. Yung super excited ako sa isang TV show. Bukod sa curiosity ko kung anong mangyayari after that epic Will-has-powers!! episode, airing the next volume on Christmas day (and the season finale on New Year’s Eve) gave me an anchor. Here’s why.

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Life Secrets

37th Birthday Bop

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My birthday started with “Meh. Not having the best time.” and ended with “Tangina mamamatay na ko!”

Pretty morning

Matabang na congee

Kinantahan muna ako ni Kenneth ng happy birthday na walang lyrics kasi kakagising nya lang. Antok-antok pa sya. Then I was on Instagram reposting birthday greetings (ang cute ng mga inaanak ko). After a couple of minutes, nag-ready na rin kami kasi ang una sa birthday to-do list ko ay mag-brunch sa Maven, my favourite brunch spot in Calgary (pero wala pa ring makakatalo sa Clementine Cafe in Winnipeg—huhu I miss).

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Family Secrets

Thursday Letter #14 | Holiday Funk

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Good morning/evening!

Ang nasa utak ko ngayon ay Pilipinas. Kasi nai-imagine ko kung gano ka-festive dun ngayon. Yung ramdam na ramdam mo yung holiday cheer, lalo na sa mga malls. Ang sarap umuwi! Ang tagal ko nang dream na makauwi ng holiday season. Kaso hindi pa matuloy-tuloy. Sa ngayon, magpapatugtog na lang ulit ako ng “Di ba’t kay ganda sa atin ng… Paskoooo… Naiiba ang pagdiriwang ditooo…” like every other December, habang medyo teary eyed.

If we have unlimited funds, we would spend every Christmas and New Year in the Philippines.

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Free Posts Throwback

My 19 Year-Old Playlist

Many years ago, after getting my first iPhone, pinamana ko yung iPod Touch ko kay Illysa (my cousin) because I figured hindi ko naman kailangan both at the same time. But now that she’s no longer using it, I retrieved it for nostalgia purposes (buti na lang hindi nya naiwala or tinapon). Nung binigay ko yun sa kanya back in 2016, ang tanging hiling ko lang ay wag syang magbura ng photos. Thankfully, she didn’t delete them all and I was happy to see some of those old photos again.

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Happy Things Hobbies Life Secrets

Happy Things #29

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Feeling Pro

First time kong makagamit ng stand mixer nung nag-bake ako sa bahay ng friend namin (Hello Aryan and Hudas!) Ang saya pala talaga nyang gamitin! As in konting seconds lang combined na lahat ng ingredients. Walang kapagod-pagod. Sobrang bano ko. Noon, ang tingin ko sa stand mixer ay pang-pro levelzz lang. Napapanood ko lang yun sa mga experienced bakers. Pero nung nakita ko sya sa bahay ng friend namin, at ginamit ko sya pang-bake ng revel bars, napaka-smooth and convenient pala talaga!

Nung una nga na-intimidate pa kong gamitin. Plano ko na talaga na i-mix lang yung dough using a spatula. Pero sa sobrang thick nung mixture, sumuko na ko. Sinubukan ko na yung stand mixer kahit hindi naman ako marunong mag-operate ng ganun. Pero siguro sa dinami-rami ng napanood kong baking videos sa buhay ko, na-figure out ko sya agad. Na-amaze din ako sa sarili ko kasi alam ko kung pano i-tilt yung head, kung pano i-detach yung mixing bowl sa base, kung pano yung pag-push and turn to remove the beater—all in one try. I was practically a natural at it. Meant to be talaga kami! Haha! Kaya naman sa isip-isip ko, “Gusto ko nitoooo!” And that’s what I got for my birthday!!

Hindi ko pa naman birthday pero in-advance ko na hehe. At buti na lang merong 12 months to pay, 0% interest sa Amazon (may kamahalan din baga). Sa sobrang excitement ko, chinat ko si Aryan para i-share ang good news. And her response made me cryyy…

I Love My Friends

This is my second happy thing. Literal na naiyak talaga ko sa reply ni Aryan:

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