I am writing this on my bed, trying to be productive on a lazy holiday afternoon. And just like that, 2019 already bid goodbye. I’m trying to reminisce everything on the past year and translate them into words. I realized that it wasn't that good nor bad at all.

2019 saw a year of both reaching the highest ups and lowest lows of my life. I gained a few but I lost a lot. And after a couple of hours of finding the right words, I finally came up with a short list of things that made my 2019 a helluva great ride. Before closing this chapter, let me share the highlights of my 2019 experience.

1. Going digital in making art

Since 2018, I’ve always wanted to try digital hand lettering. So when I decided to buy an iPad as a birthday present for myself, I was so excited to draw letters on Procreate for the first time. At first it was kind of nerve-wracking but with the help of  YouTube and Instagram tutorials from my favourite artists, I was able to find my techniques and style little by little. And these days, I’m starting to write my friends' names in fancy letters and make hand lettered postcards from my recent trips as well.

2. “Sometimes, we are just a stop along the way and not the actual destination.” 

In your 20's, you get to meet a lot of people and yes, it can be overwhelming that sometimes you just found yourself being enraptured by their charms (and/or words). If you’re gonna ask me if this is normal, I would be giving you a big YES with glee. But not all the time we get that fairytale happy ending we wanted because in reality, some people come into our life, it's like they just come to visit and then they just leave. And it’s either they're great memories we like looking back or a life lesson we need to learn the hard way. But 2019 was more like the latter. It kind of gave me a trauma and a bit of trust issues. LOL. Anyway, whether we like it or not, we need to accept the fact that change is the only permanent thing in this world.

3. “Above anything else, guard that precious thing inside your ribs—your heart.”

In connection to the rambling above, we tend to feel almost all kinds of emotions that can also be sometimes overflowing. While to fall in love makes us human, I think it also important to breathe and evaluate things first before taking steps further. I must admit, I met a few people this year and really thought they were "The One" but ended up breaking my own heart because of my own expectations. Hahaha! So when Taylor Swift said, "maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much," I felt every word of these lines. Gosh! Who would've thought dating in your 20's is actually as complicated as finding a needle in an enormous haystack? LOL.

4. The formation of Grammer Session Cebu

Early this year, my online buddies and I formed GSC (@grammersessioncebu), a small Instagram community of creative individuals not only to express ideas, but also to build connections among other Instagramers here in Cebu. We organized a few Instameets where we shared out-of-the-box ideas, different stories, and fun moments. Organizing such activities might be tedious but seeing how these people you just met on the Internet turned into your real-life friends and brainstorming wonderful ideas is quite rewarding.

5. Random art dates

I had never been so busier in 2019 that I’m having a hard time keeping up with my bestie and partner-in-crime Sarah. Our hectic and different working schedule resulted into a low-maintenance friendship. However, we make time to see each other through random art dates. After shifts or Saturdays were usually filled with creating art while chitchatting with different life updates. I hope in 2020, I would be able to do museum dates as well. *fingers crossed*

6. Blurring between music and emotions

Even since Carly Rae Jepsen released E•MO•TION, aka one of the best records of 2015 and definitely one of my favorites, I really had high expectations on her next album. And yup, it didn’t disappoint! She was able to pull up another pop perfection through Dedicated. The tracks were so infectious that I usually caught myself dancing to them even if some of them have actually sad meanings. Also, she even brought the Dedicated Tour in Manila in May but due to sad and unforseen circumstances, I was able to watch it. Shout out to the Twitter folks who witnessed this spectacular event (in which some fondly called it a prayer meeting lol) and fed the #TeamBahay with tons of screaming and dancing through their fancams videos. Favourite tracks, in no particularly order: Happy Not Knowing, Real Love, and Want You in My Room.

On the other hand, one of my favourite bands also made a comeback in 2019. Vampire Weekend released their highly-anticipated and fourth studio album called Father of the Bride. Although it’s kinda more of musical than lyrical compared to their previous album Modern Vampires of the City (in which the theme centered to faith and mortality, making Ezra Koenig a wordsmith and great story-teller), what I love about their current album is that they explored more different musical styles, plus they collaborated with Danielle Haim of the trio-sister band HAIM in some of their songs. I couldn’t stop playing on loop to Hold You, Harmony Hall, We Belong Together, and as well Jerusalem, New York, Berlin. Anyway, a big part of me always wishes that they would come to play here in the Philippines someday.

Still talking about favourite bands, Bastille unveiled their third studio album Doom Days on June. Interestingly, lead vocalist Dan Smith even shaved his head in one of the music videos . It is said to be that this album was about a night at a party and escapism plus giving out a euphoric and clumsiness dose to the listeners. I usually like listening to the tracks like Joy, Million Pieces, and Quarter Past Midnight while walking, making me feel like I was part of a music video.

Waiting at Mactan Cebu International Airport.

Taipei at night.

7. A string of firsts while traveling abroad 

If there’s one thing that gives me an exhilarating feeling, I think it would be traveling abroad. Who would have thought this would give me a string of firsts. It was my first time to travel abroad and I was all alone. I really don’t mind traveling alone since I’ve been traveling solo since 2017, but the horror of facing the immigration officers gave me a series of mini heart attacks. If you’re a Filipino who’s planning to go outside the country, you will be thrown with tons of questions (some of them are way too personal) on why you’re leaving. I was interviewed by an immigration officer for more than 20 minutes. She was asking a LOT of questions and I just answered her honestly and politely.  I’m glad I was able to pass this phase. I'm not an expert on this but I guess one of the keys is the infamous phrase less talk, less mistake plus a LOT of patience.

A beautiful view on sunset from a window in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taouyan, Taiwan

Took a few snaps of this busy neighbourhood near the hospital.

8. Living alone in a foreign country for months

I haven’t mentioned why I went abroad. I actually flew to Taiwan because of my sister's condition. I got a call from my sister’s agency there that she was brought to the hospital due to a serious illness then had undergone a couple of surgeries and needed an immediate family to take care of her. I instantly became a nurse and a caregiver when in fact, I didn’t have a proper training of taking care of very ill patients. Don’t get me wrong but I never wanted to live in a hospital. Maybe because I don’t want to witness a lot of people suffering. Their hospital was actually amazing (state-of-the-art facilities, great medical staffs, etc.) but living in a hospital in a foreign country with no one to talk to was a lot like hell every single day. Plus, it was kind of difficult to adjust from a new environment especially their food, language barrier, and even some customs. I was in a constant battle with emotional and mental breakdowns. Thank God, I was able to cope with it. And as of writing this, my sister is also starting recovering and undergoing some therapy. When Kelly Clarkson once said, “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle,” it has never been so truer.

9. Deleting social media accounts 

The last half of 2019 hit me so hard that I was always on the verge of deleting my social media accounts. I craved for serenity and solace that I thought it was a great option to go on hiatus without telling anyone. I’m not sure if this was just part of my constant existential crisis or I was just really depressed about the shortcomings in my life lately. This also denotes that social media can be both beneficial and toxic at the same time. But later on, I realized I just needed a break. Taking a break is okay because you need to breathe from everything that’s been bothering you. Also, I've always wanted going to the beach. I don't know why but staying at the beach keeps me sane. So maybe this year I need to go to the beach more often sans the use of gadgets.

10. Getting back to writing

I’m starting to get back to one of my first loves, that is writing. One of the reasons I created this blog is to serve as an outlet and training ground for my love for writing thoughts and sharing stories. Nowadays, a lot of writing prompts has been exploding in my head like firecrackers so my Notes app on my phone has been filled with unorganized random thoughts. Haha! I must admit, I don’t have a perfect grammar but tell for sure it has been improving and I’m starting to learn new words, too. I just wish I would be able to write and update this blog more often. And who knows one of these days I’d get back to making some haikus again?


Clearly, 2019 may not be my best year but it definitely taught me a lot of new things. I kind of know everything happens for a reason but sometimes we just don’t know why and how to accept them. I can’t tell yet if I already matured enough but these experiences and lessons gave a better version of my current myself. How about you? What were the highlights of your 2019? Share us your story below.

April came too swiftly but it never failed to leave me breathless, both literally and figuratively. I had a few string of firsts in the past month but mostly were just the tedium of my work-to-home (and vice versa) routine. I was getting busier than before that I didn't notice those thirty days just passed by like a moving bullet train in a span of minutes or hours. Yes, my life is kind of bland sometimes, just like everybody else. Nothing really special happened except that I made a handful of unforgettable memories with my chums. Anyway, here are some of the highlights why April was a month worth remembering!

Organized an event with Instagram friends

My April experience kicked off with an epic Instameet that my online buddies and I organized. A few months ago, we formed a group of creative Instagrammers here in Cebu and named it Grammer Sessions Cebu. We aim not only to share our knowledge on curating an awesome Instagram feed but also to build a connection with other Instagrammers in the metro. We would love to make the Instagram community here in Cebu be active again just like its glorious days.

During the first installment of our mini Instameet, which happened last February, each participant shared their stories—from how they came up with their witty usernames to curating and maintaining their Instagram feed to connecting people online to real life. And who would've thought a simple gathering like this would've resulted into another Instameet but a bigger one?


On the first week of April, we had the second edition of our mini Instameet and called it Grammer Session Cebu 2.0: Summer in the City. Some of the attendees were the ones we've met on the previous Instameets, but most of them were new faces. It was exciting and scary at the same time because the new ones were Instameet virgins, meaning it was their first time to attend such an event. Luckily, we were able to keep up with their expectations. Haha!




The participants were divided into group wherein they've brainstormed on how to get picture-perfect moments in different places in the hostel—from the arcade to the swimming pool to the bar to the rooms. We had lived up to our theme as we held it at Mad Monkey Hostel Cebu City, a new and one-of-a-kind hostel in The Queen City of the South. The hostel just got what we needed to have that perfect summer in the city experience.

[Read: Experiencing that thing called 'Monkey Madness' at Mad Monkey Hostel Cebu]

It's always nice seeing how these online friends turned real-life friends getting together and brainstorming ideas on the things that they love. Also, organizing events may be tedious and draining, but it will always be a fun and rewarding experience at the end! Can't wait for the next Instameet. (Special thanks to Aldrin for the event snaps, btw.)

"Science motif for a cafe? Ground-breaking!"

Please don't tell me you didn't read these lines in Miranda Priestly's voice from The Devil Wears Prada movie adaptation. Lol. My good friend Marco and I just found a new cafe to hang out to called Microscoffee. As a logophile (lover of words), I must say, I like the wordplay of their name and how their quirky interiors related to its unique name and motif. Cafe owners in the city are really stepping up their games as they make their cafes surely millennial-friendly and Instagram-worthy. I kind of know geeks would love this place. Plus, we got to peek a special room on a corner in which, in my opinion, might serve as a study area for students or anyone who wants a lesser noisy or more peaceful ambiance.



Microscoffee offers a variety of delicious food and thirst quenching drinks. My favourites are their waffle and Thai milk tea. And when I say quirky, they even served our drinks in Erlenmeyer flasks and Marco's ketchup with an unused syringe. Not to mention these foods and drinks are quite affordable. I don't know if this is necessary but they have cute and friendly baristas, too. (Wow! I can't believe I actually have to write that down here. Hahaha!)


To experience all these great things, all you got to do is to visit their place on the second floor of Dr. Bb Tiu Medical Clinic, at J. Alcantara Street in Barangay Sambag 1 in Cebu City. Enjoy!

Saturdates and art tambay with the bestie

I must admit, it's really hard to keep up with a low-maintenance friendship with my bestie Sarah since we both have different work schedules and priorities. I kind of know that a lot of struggling (young) adults out there can totally relate on this. Haha! So I was so happy the Saturdays of April were filled random art dates. Imagine catching up with each other while making art, from late afternoon until it's almost ten in the evening. Time flies really that quick when we're together, sans the dull moments.

When Lana del Rey said, "I got that summertime sadness," I really felt that

You know it's really the peak of the summer season in the country when it barely rains as the humid weather was killing me. In this kind of weather, I usually imagine myself heading to the nearest resort, chilling with my pals and listening to summer tracks by the beach with a bottle of cerveza in my hand. Too bad, I was so caught with tons of workloads that this just remains a daydream and wishful thinking at the office. But at least I had an awesome summer in the city experience early this April. Anyway, I'm looking forward to May since I might be hitting the salt waters! Fingers crossed.

On writing more but also learning to take a break

In the beginning of this year, I swore to myself that I should keep this blog alive again. That I should write more often no matter what. I never consider myself a writer but whenever I try to write a blog post, I usually get writer's block. There was a long weekend in which I decided to stop doing my usual weekend hand lettering drills, sat down in front of my laptop, and really tried my best to write something but believe it or not, it took me couple of hours just to compose the introduction. Haha! I know it normally happens to me but sometimes it can be frustrating. Until I came across this article, and found out that I was not alone after all! This is really helpful and I've also learned that I should take a break or lose myself sometimes, like as singing or dancing like nobody's watching. I might be making a special playlist for this!

Another hindrance I've been facing while creating blog posts is the lack of free time. It's really difficult juggling between having a daytime job and doing the things you love. I can't help but feel amaze to those people you can do both and at the same envy them. I really do. Lol! I hope someday I can master the art of multi-tasking.



One thing I like about writing this monthly recap is that it always keeps me on track if I was productive or not on the past month. With all these happenings, I guess last month was kind of a balance, even if I was on a constant battle with procrastination and creative block. Haha! But I'm glad that I'm slowly learning how to fight them. And I think it is a good sign. I may be taking baby steps now but I'm pretty sure I'm getting there. ☺

Three things to sum up my April experience: bad decisions, unhappy endings, and Mercury retrograde. I don't really believe in astrology stuff but some forecasts on my sign during Mercury retrograde somehow actually happened. But, I didn't blame the stars nor other heavenly bodies because those unfortunate things were the consequences of my bad decisions and stupid actions. Haha!

Yes, April was a month full of zany dramas, mental and emotional breakdown (both literally and figuratively), and stressing myself out on petty things. It was hell of a roller coaster plus Ferris wheel ride of emotions. So this time, can I blame gravity for falling for the wrong person, again? Kidding aside, I know it sounds really cliche but I always believe that everything happens for a reason. And maybe one of the reasons is that it served as a wake-up call...a wake-up call that I should stop chasing people and I should know my worth and I should love myself more. And oh, I forgot to warn you, this might be one of the dramatic blog posts that I wrote before. I just need to get things off my chest and I think pouring it into writing might help.

The infamous Boracay sunset. Yes, I am forever that kid who really get's excited when the sky is in pretty hues.

I had my first out-of-Cebu getaway during this month. I went to Boracay with so much excitement because a) I would finally be able to visit to one of the world's best islands; b) I would be able to watch the beautiful and saturated sunset/sunrise before my very eyes and not just on my Instagram feed; c) I would be seeing an online buddy in person. (Yes, I'm an ambivert and I really love meeting new people especially those I usually talk to on the Internet.)

Hand lettered this by the beach. I've always wanted to that stuff during my beach trips and now, was able to do it!

Everything went well during our first two days in the island until I wasn't able to accomplish the third reason I went there due to some unavoidable circumstances. To be honest, I'm even mad at that person but I was just so upset. Maybe because I expected too much. Or maybe because it happened to me not just once but thrice already. And what makes me so sad is that we already stopped talking as if we're back from being strangers again. And I don't know yet how to move on from that. Lol. This was my least favorite getaway not because I didn't like the place but because of what just happened.


Okay. Enough of the drama. On April 14th, I was able to attend the launch the debut EP of an up-and-coming electro-indie duo Mandaue Nights at A SPACE Cebu. Mandaue Nights was one of the opening acts for December Avenue and Clara Benin's gig here in Cebu last January. That was the first time I saw them performed and totally feel in love with their music as it reminded me of some of my favorite indie/alternative bands like The 1975, LANY, and Vampire Weekend. And I just found myself watching some of their gigs after. The duo performed their hit songs You and I and First Kiss.


Local artists like .fc, Sepia Times, and Eskina Jones also performed during the event. Mandaue Nights and Eskina Jones also performed their collab song called Super Sonic Love that is so LSS-worthy. By the way, you can stream to the rest of the tracks here.

It was one epic night of music and love that kind of reminds me of one of my favorite movies Nick and Norah's Playlist...except that I was all by myself. I've always wanted to have a friend slash musical soulmate who also loves indie music. Haha!


Also during month, my other favorite artists dropped some new songs. December Avenue released a new song called Bulong. Watch the music video of the song and find out why I got emotional. Lol. My favorite duo HONNE also dropped two tracks Me & You featuring Tom Misch and I Just Wanna Go Back. They never fails to deliver songs are quite infectious and eargasmic and it was like a love at first listen especially the track Me & You since I have a huge thing for cosmos stuff. And of course, the highly-anticipated comeback single of Ariana Grande called No Tears Left to Cry, in which the  music video visuals (as well as the cover art) remind me of Brandon Woelfel's trademark photography techniques. April was such a beautiful month for music lovers out there like me.



And to end the month with a bang, I surely didn't missed to attend the yearly Japanese summer festival called Bon Odori. Who would have thought that we've been attending this awesome event for five years already! The Bon dance, the variety of Japanese food, the people (whether Japanese or not) who wore their colorful yakatas, the Japanese songs played—it was definitely a great way to experience the Japanese culture without flying to the Land of the Rising Sun.


My April experience might be a bit heartbreaking but I always remind myself that not all the time you're going to suffer because after the rain, there's always a rainbow. People either come to your life and stay or they leave a lesson that will mold you as a better version of your current self. Moreover, Demi Lovato once said, "Life can be difficult at times but fighting through the pain is so worth it." and that gave me a silver lining to continue living in this world of scary unknowns.

Oh, June! Time flies super fast as we say hello to the second quarter of the year. I must admit, I was a bit depressed because I wasn't able to go new places this month. However, it was still a great month as I celebrated it with tons of creativity and music. I've noticed that I've been writing a lot during the month. I had some hand lettering drills, both hits and misses. Here are some of my favorites during the chapter six of twelve:

My dear homeland, Philippines, celebrated its 119th Independence Day on the 12th of June. As a tribute to the national holiday, I decided to write down the Tagalog word "kasarinlan", which means independence, in 3 colors: blue, red, and yellow, the same colors we can see in the Philippine flag. Even though it is quite far from where I live, I still decided to go to Fort San Pedro, a military defense structure during the Spanish era and one of the famous historical sites in Metro Cebu, I made it as a background of my hand-lettered work. The struggle was real at that time since the it was a bit rainy and I'm concerned about my hand-lettered work because the ink usually scatters whenever there's a liquid on its surface. Good thing, I was able to manage things. Haha! I'll do anything for you, my beloved motherland!
After three years of waiting for her comeback, Lorde finally released Melodrama, after the award-winning (and one of my favorite albums ever!) Pure Heroine. Although I was expecting her to collaborate with Joel Little again for her sophomore album, she worked with fun.'s lead guitarist and Bleachers' Jack Antonoff this time. The result? It was so divine. I mean, it was really great and the music critics can attest to that. Melodrama is may be different from Pure Heroine. The latter made me reminisce my teenage years while the former is about growing up and it's like a sad party girl's anthem. In other words, I am totally in love with this album.

I can't stop listening and dancing to Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, Sober, and Perfect Places while Supercut has this "I want to scream or dance while crying" kind of vibe. She even let us know how she was like when she fell in love with The Louvre. Sometimes, I can't help but to feel melancholic whenever I play Liability and Writer in the Dark. But my favorite track may be (I'm killing the repeat button, sorry. Haha!) is Hard Feelings/ Loveless. I can't relate entirely on this song but you know how painful it is when you broke up with your lover as you try to recover. To be honest, these songs gave me so much emotions that I put into words. I guess these are more than enough reasons why I love her. She's not only a singer, she's a wordsmith and great storyteller. And if you haven't heard of her album, do yourself a favor: LISTEN TO IT NOW!
On the other hand, we celebrated Father's Day on the 18th of June, as a tribute to the pillars of our homes. I didn't miss this chance to make simple hand lettered greeting to the man who usually drives me to the office safely. I've been late so far since he drives like one of the dudes in The Fast and The Furious movies. Lol. He's also the man who's literally like a crouching tiger and hidden dragon at times, and the man who is the most solution-oriented guy I know. Love you always, Pa!
My June roller coaster ride ended with a sweet one. My heart was jumping when I read a post that she'll going to Cebu for the book signing of her first novel, Sad Girls. Finally, after years of wishing, I was able to meet one of favorite poet and artist, and now a novelist, Lang Leav! It was so astonishing and surreal or whatever. I don't know which word to use to describe the feeling. I'm going to make a separate post for that but I even don't know how and where to start. Ha ha ha!


We're already at the mid quarter of the year yet so many things (but great and depressing) had already happened. Hagdrid once said, "What's comin' will come and well meet it when it does." I'm not always ready on the changes in the future but I believe everything happens for a reason and eventually all things fall into place. The best is yet to come. Remember that. :)

May was basically the height of summer in the country yet I wasn't able to go to the beach, not even once. However, it was a great month because I was able to catch up with my friends during the weekends. When you're the phase of your life when you and your friends are too busy being corporate slaves and you rarely see each other. As a result, May was a month full of food trips and random chitchats. This blog post is going to be like a visual diary, a lot of photos but less words. Haha!
 My close friend and cosplay buddy Sarah and I decided to go to a cosplay competition sans wearing costumes. It's been a while since I attended a cosplay con. I think the last cosplay event I attended was last February this year. It was nice to see familiar and new faces in Cebu cosplay community. Also, it was a great time to take random photos since there were a lot of Instagram-worthy spots in SM Seaside City. But we only took a few photos since there are a lot of photobombers. Ha ha ha!
Another sunny afternoon date with Sarah at Coffee Prince Cebu. I love how they filled their interiors with new awesome designs including this table. And, I am a matcha lover. Always.
On the second Sunday of May, we celebrated the Mother's Day. I made this piece in honour of our real-life Wonder Woman, confidante and our number one fan! It has been my tradition to give my mother a simple greeting since I started doing hand lettering stuff.  And just when she thought I won't be giving her one this day but voila, I made this for about 3o minutes! The Flash possessed me, I guess. Haha!
And to end the month with a bang, I attended the Japanese Summer Festival popularly known as Bon Odori at SRP Sugbo Grounds. I've been a loyal attendee for the last 4 years but this year without wearing a yukata. It was a bit odd but it was super duper fun. I'm going to blog my experience for this year's Bon Odori real soon. Stay tuned! ^^

Last month's realization? I guess, if you enjoy being with your friends or loved ones, no matter where you go (within or away from the city) you know you won't have that summertime sadness. :)