Hello!

I finally got my PR last month. Huhu I know I said this blog gets the dibs but well it happened so fast! I announced it instantly on Instagram as I am mostly active on that social media. So here’s how it happened…

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

It was a Tuesday morning around 2 AM, I had my alarm turned on because I wanted to attend this webinar. When the alarm went off, I just screen-recorded the whole thing duh because why not. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get back to sleep and was wide awake until 4 AM. I decided then that it’s better to just get things started for the day. So I did my hair and make-up and went out of the house at around 5:30 AM. I took the long route to work and decided to spend some time at Starbucks and just watch people pass by. Around 7 am, I started walking to my workplace.

It was becoming a usual day for me, except I received an email response from IRCC regarding my follow-up email on the PR Confirmation. I kinda just brushed it off but couldn’t help myself to feel hopeful that it would mean that they are actually looking at my file at that moment. An hour had passed and my phone just beeped. I received an email….from IRCC. I SQUEALED!

My co-worker immediately faced me looking confused and I told her I just received a PR email! I nervously opened the email on my laptop. The moment I saw the words ‘Congratulations! Your status as a permanent resident is confirmed.’ I let out a cry of joy!

You guys all know how I have been waiting for this day 🥺 It was radio silence for four months since I received my medical update. Anyway, I couldn’t believe it and had to read the whole thing again and again. The next thing I did was to call my mom even though she was sleeping at that time. She was like what’s up and I told her the good news!

Joe and I went to Shameful Tiki after work to celebrate. I bought her flowers to celebrate hers too and we ate more than we drank. It was a good day! I posted on Instagram and Facebook as well so lots of people were congratulating me and sending me long messages. It was so nice to read their sweet messages.

The rest of the week was eventful. I went out a lot, drank, laughed, and cried. It was amazing.

I still can’t believe it.

Thank you, Canada.

Love,

G

I’m sitting in one of my favorite cafes–not that there’s a lot of them–and writing this right now. I forgot to bring my AirPods case, so I didn’t have a choice but to listen to the people around me. I think this is the first time all the chattering didn’t actually bother me. It’s nice. So how I got here was interesting. Let’s back up a little bit and let me share with you what happened the entire week. Well, just the gist of it.

It started exactly a week ago when I had such a fantastic day. It was mostly going to the cinema and watching a Ghibli movie(talk about a dream come true for me), a mini coffee meet-up followed by a fun all-nighter. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. I would probably say that I had just entered a new phase. I’m not sure how to explain that exactly. Anyway, I haven’t shared about this(ofc my blog gets the first dibs duh) but I finally got an update for my PR application. I feel that the news had helped me be in such a good mood the entire week like I could be down for anything. So throughout the week, I had this unlimited energy because of the anticipation for my PR. The thing tho is I am old na huhu. So at the same, I felt lutang the entire week and sleepy.

Back to now, I decided not to spend my entire Saturday at home and got my lazy ass to this cafe. I did most of my to-do list for the day and that makes me feel so accomplished HEHE.

So later on, I’ll be meeting my friends for dinner which I also initiated. Huhu I’m proud of myself. But yes girl, you got this. Let’s keep up with this energy!

Have a great weekend!

Me loves you!

♡ G ♡

Happy 2022! How is this year treating you all so far? Mine hasn’t been all that bad until a few days ago. I got sick and I’m still recovering right now. I actually am not at work today, so I can just fully rest and get back out there as soon as possible.

I hate getting sick because I feel so emotionally weak like I know I’m not going to die or anything. I just wish someone was there to take good care of me. I have to do everything by myself like putting Vicks VapoRub which makes me lonely because my mom would always do it for me. 😭 Then the other day, I got food delivered good for 5 people but I had no appetite to eat when it came. 🥲 I don’t know why but I feel so fragile when I’m 🤒. It almost feels like I’m exaggerating it, but I guess not?

Anyway, I think and I hope I am getting better now. Thankfully the snow has stopped. Nowadays, it’s just raining which means the snow has turned dangerously into ice. My gosh, speaking of ice…😂 So just yesterday, I still went to work despite not feeling 100% good. As I was walking on my way to the bus stop, I slipped on the ice and almost fell! I loudly cursed as my face almost hit the floor. Thank goodness my other hand caught the floor first saving me from what knows injury and humiliation. 🤣 I stood up and quickly gathered myself. Unexpectedly, I laughed at myself and felt so much better like I just had two cups of coffee.

All things considered, I am grateful that I am alive and still able to write my thoughts here. I hope you find a reason to keep going in life. No matter what you might be going through today, you gotta remember that this too shall pass.

Thanks for the love. Stay safe!

G

It seem snow was early this winter season, and so was our Christmas party.

It was such a fun gathering with friends that day. We had to do the party a bit early this year because one of our friends had a flight the next day to the Philippines. We did the secret Santa and I picked Joe this year. It’s funny because last year, she picked me and now I picked her. I got her a Starbucks mug and an Amazon gift card.

I loved that we had a theme and that we all looked like we could be tagged as ‘Titas of Vancouver’. 😂 Realizing that all of us now have upgraded into something else compared to what we were before in terms of financial, career, and many more, we talked about how we’d continue this tradition. We spent the night eating and drinking moderately. To top it off, we had a lot to talk about as well. I think we decided to end the night a little bit past midnight.

But anyway, I think this is just gonna be the first and last Christmas party I’ll ever attend.

I’m grateful to call these peeps my friends.

🎄,

g

Hello!

I was in the middle of a task, but had to stop and open my blog to write. Recently my creative writing spirit doesn’t visit me often, but I’m happy she’s(yes—it’s a she!) willing to stay for who knows how long. I better be fast before she goes away again.

I haven’t been here for a while, I know. To tell you the truth, I am going through something. I feel so down lately and I’ve been crying almost every day everywhere. It’s kinda embarrassing, but I know it’s what my body needs for now. Just yesterday, I had a nightmare in the middle of the day. I say in the middle of the day because I was already up by 6 am and had to return to sleep because I decided I was still sleepy. During my second nap, I had a very realistic dream that I was crying and pouring all my emotions into a confidant(I don’t remember who). I felt that heartbreaking feeling in an ohmygod-it-freakin-hurts-can’t-breathe way. Then the next thing I knew, I was crying in my dream and woke up with my fist balled into my chest at the same time bawling. I slept again and woke up with a headache. 

But today, I decided to feel happy and motivated—yes, it’s all in your mind bb. Actually, I was feeling happy until a minute ago. I cried again writing the second paragraph remembering what happened like wtf. BUT okay, back to being happy…You know, you can never be in a certain phase for too long. So I believe that I won’t be too sad forever. I just need time to be by my side. I need to feel and reflect on what just happened. I know that I did my best and that if things didn’t go my way, it’s because it’s not for me.

But I really won’t deny that I feel destroyed. However, things will get better for sure. I know that. It has to, otherwise, what the fuck right? Your girl is strong, don’t worry. I am hoping for better days in the next coming months.

So here’s to everyone that’s struggling for something. You may not be as vocal as me. You may not have the outlet to do so or just plainly like ‘why do I need to let it out to the world when I can just deal with it silently’? Here’s to us all for better days and waking up with nothing in mind but thinking about what to have for breakfast. We may not have it all in the future, but peace of mind is what we should have at least. Let’s have that. I hope we will all have that.

Thanks for dropping by. Smile, you.

xx,

g

Hello 😊 Just want to drop by and greet you all with a happy thanksgiving. I also want to share a few things I’m grateful for recently.

1. Opportunities — I won’t go into detail about this but I have been busy with work and other things. It’s slowly making me crazy because I can barely sleep with the busyness. However, every second is fulfilling that I don’t mind not having enough rest.
2. PR Application — Slowly, I can see the end of the line for this one. I am grateful that my friends have gotten their applications approved and it’s just a matter of time until I get mine too. I don’t want to jinx it by sharing it here instead, I am manifesting it.
3. Growth — I find myself looking forward to things like buying a house, starting a family, owning a car, changing my career for the better, and many more. When I just started out as an international student here in Canada, it was hard for me to visualize these things because I was too preoccupied with my studies. It just shows how I’ve grown in these past few years.
4. YouTube Channel — I started out this channel for fun, but little did I know how it was gonna changed my life. It paved way for so many opportunities that I didn’t know were possible for me.
5. Mom — I’m not sure where I’ll be in this life without her guidance.
6. Myself — Well, I should celebrate myself as well. I am proud of the woman I’ve become, since she was strong enough to get through her past and believes she will be successful in the future!

There ya go my with my little message today. I hope you all have a great day!

love,

I never know what to write at every beginning of my post, so here I am writing about it just to get started. It’s currently 1 AM and my eyes feel heavy from a long day I just had. I guess my week started right as I was productive today. I got off work early today for my biometric appointment—omg I gotta share this story.

Last August 27, I finally heard back from my PR application. I received a Biometric Instruction Letter around 5 PM that day. It was funny because I was out with our director and I was like, ‘OMG I think I just received my biometric letter instruction.’ He was as ecstatic as I was! Based on the timeline from the other applicants, if there won’t be other documents required, then it won’t take long for me to hear the final decision. I’m hopeful! I know it’s too early to tell, but I feel happy to share the news already. I don’t know what’s got into me, but I feel like sharing every little news to the world from hereon regarding my PR journey.

Continuing with the happenings today, as I said, I had to get off from work due to an appointment. It was for my biometric appointment. I booked it right away when I received the letter last Friday. I would’ve done it right away the next day, but the office is closed on weekends. I went straight after my work and got late a little bit. I got too preoccupied with my work huhu—another story to share, here we go:

Finally, we are moving to another office starting next month. The building manager emailed us this morning that the key is finally available to be picked up and that we can move our things right after. Upon hearing about it, I was instructed to start packing. And start packing I did. Tomorrow afternoon—technically, later—we will move everything to the new office. I was told to come late to work tomorrow, as I will finish late due to moving and setting up the new office. I don’t mind. So that’s what happened today at work. I was hoping I could start with a new edit tonight after my appointment, but then—damn another story coming up…

After my appointment, I went straight to Costco. I traveled half an hour from downtown to Richmond and met with my friend there. We went shopping—well, I mostly did the shopping. It was for my balikbayan box to be sent next month. The majority of my purchases are for my business, anyway. So when I got home, I had to sort everything out that took the rest of my evening. I so badly want to start editing 😦 I need to at least get started if I want to get it done and uploaded by this weekend. And now I can’t see it happening because I realize how busy I am this week, what with the moving and packing my balikbayan box. I sooo much want to make it happen. If I’m able to do so, then it’d be a whole month of consistent uploads. My my! I guess I have to surprise myself this week and be a superwoman.

I’ve got so much to share, but I’m afraid my whole body is starting to protest for a good night’s rest.

sleepefwsdfy,

gee

Hello po.

I have a lot to share with you guys. I’ve been wanting to write since last weekend, but I’ve been busy! It’s good, don’t worry. Being busy means I am somehow being productive and stuff. Anyway, the first thing that I want to share is that I’m finally fully vaccinated(Moderna). Joe and I had our second dose last Sunday. Afterward, we went to buy Korean hotdogs near the area. It was really tasty and cheap. I had the double cheese hotdog. The same night though, I started feeling weak and dizzy. My arms felt heavy. I woke up the next day feeling so tired and with a slight fever, so I called in sick for the day. The following day, I was feeling normal like nothing happened. Hmmm very interesting!

Second, my company is finally moving to another office location. If I haven’t mentioned, it’s been more than a year since I’ve been working in the storage room as my office. My boss finally did something about it and signed a lease to a proper office. Not that I pushed him to find something grand, but any decent office would do. Anyway, the place seems great. I’ve only been there once last week, but I liked it! I will have to travel by bus for about half an hour—not too far!

Third, I have been starting to be active on my social media platforms. Ever since I got my new laptop last month, I have been actively editing my vlogs. I’ve finished two vlogs this month so far and currently editing another one. As I have said on my Instagram story, I am not trying to post weekly. It’s just that I am in the phase where I have the time to edit. Although I promised to post at least once a month. Soon it will be every week, maybe before this year ends.

Lastly, I’d like to say that with the recent unfortunate happenings in the other parts of the world, I am grateful to be alive and healthy. I want to extend this sentiment to you as well. Don’t forget to look at the bright side of things. Remember that we don’t have it bad as much as they do. Yes, our feelings are valid, but at the same, these unfortunate events should encourage us to hope for better days ahead of us.

me again,

g

Hey reader,

How have you been doing? I hope all is well. We may not know each other personally, but I want you to know that you got this! Fighting! Hihihi. I seem to be in a good mood, right? Anyway, here’s why:

I bought a new laptop yay! I purchased it two days ago and it’ll be delivered in 2 weeks. The thought of owning a new laptop hasn’t sunk in with me yet until tonight. So then I suddenly got into a really good mood and I literally grab my laptop and started typing. My old lappy has been with me for a whole 6 years now. It’s still fully functioning and no damage whatsoever. My only concern is when I try to edit, the fan goes supersonic on me. It’s driving me nuts.

Another thing is that I’ve been wanting to have the freedom to edit my videos anywhere and anytime I like. But with my current situation, I can only edit on my iMac because it’s the only decent computer that would make it as far as importing and not go freeze.

I was working on my newest vlog which is all about my birthday week. It was a week-long vlog, so you could imagine the number of footage I have. Anyhow, my hard drive gave up on me while I was importing my videos. Then I bought more space in Google Drive hoping it would solve the problem, but it didn’t. Then I was like, okay seriously, I need a new laptop.

I’m super grateful for this blessing. I’m sure my new laptop will last for more than 6 years. I’ll have to pass down this oldie to my baby brother. I can’t wait! I’m gonna post my new baby when it comes. Hihi.

xoxo,

g

I just turned 26 yesterday. I took a 4-day vacation from work to take a rest. It was exactly what I needed after a stressful month.

My friends gave me presents that I actually could use omg. One gave me a Swiss knife which is the complete replica of what I lost 5 years ago—I screamed a little when I received it. I also received a hairdryer which is so useful because mine broke a month ago and my hair has been looking like it belongs in the jungle. A big thanks to all of you for actually giving me something practical. 🥺 This is the best birthday I’ve had in Canada. I didn’t enjoy my birthdays when I was still living at White Rock. Not only was I living quite far from Vancouver at that time, but also I was stressing with my studies.

Two days before my birthday, my ex-housemate planned a dinner with us at DT Vancouver. We had drinks after work at Cactus Club. It was our first night out together. Hopefully, there’s more in the future!

The day before my birthday, I made stuff happen on my special day. I realize that waiting for something good to happen without doing something about it is just stupid. So I bought myself a cake and candle to blow at midnight. I also ask my housemates if they could celebrate it with me. It worked pretty well because on that same day we had a little gathering at the house, so everyone was in a party mood. Just minutes before midnight, two of my other friends crashed the party and made it even more fun. I love how it all turned out in the end.

On the day of my birthday, I woke up late around lunchtime. I was too drunk from the night before. But I still managed to have afternoon drinks with my Filipino friends. They gave me a 1.14L Jack Daniels as a gift. Damn it. I was planning to go clean na after my birthday. Charot. I really should because I’m having my vaccination next Saturday. Anyway, we went to an ice cream shop in Richmond. They were no tables available inside, so we crowded outside the shop. Good thing the weather was nice!

And that’s how my birthday celebration went. It sounded so chill, but I’m so glad I have today as a rest day to recover from all the madness. I am extremely grateful for all the people who made my day special! Now, I can’t wait to get back to work tomorrow and wait for Friday to come again! Hahaha. Always something to look forward to, right?

Thanks for reading, love.

xoxo,

G

Hey,

What’s up? It’s almost midnight again. Lately, I’ve been having a hard time sleeping. I’m not sure if it’s my daily coffee intake that’s causing this but it’s not like I increased my caffeine dosage. Anyway, I feel so unhappy with my work. I wanna quit soon. I wanna quit now. I’m not sure why but I feel so restless.

I wanna quit my job… Ghad I feel so frustrated I wanna scream so loud 😦

Good morning! I feel relax today knowing that I’m finally done with my CELPIP exam. I took it yesterday morning for 2.5 hours. It was an exhausting couple of days anticipating it that I was always anxious whenever I thought about it. It wasn’t a very difficult exam, but just another bothering task. The result is to be expected this week, hopefully, it’s not too bad. I didn’t review that much, so I’m not hoping for a great score anyway.

I woke up at 7 am today with nothing on my mind. I wasn’t that hungry, but since I’m so used to eating breakfast I made myself a coffee and bread. Then, I started watching a Netflix movie before I remembered I have to at least write something today. I’ve been wanting to do it since last month but the motivation wasn’t always that strong.

This coming June, I will be applying for my permanent residency here in Canada. Wow. Time flies, eh? I am hoping that my application gets to be picked almost as instant after I apply. Although it is always unpredictable, I’m still optimistic about the lower score since we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.

Another thing I’m looking forward is to travel soon. It’s either my family visits me here in Canada or I travel out of the country. I miss planning and booking for places I want to see. And I know there are more important things to be thinking about right now, but it’s just been too long.

Of course, I always think about how grateful where I am for this life at such a young age. Sometimes when I look back, I tell myself how on earth was I able to achieved all of this? I remember being lost for a long time and finding my worth again. To tell you, it was beating myself to get out of that black hole that pushed me to do great things. As there are always positive outcomes in every darkness we face, I make sure to purge out every goodness in disappointments in my life. I always move forward, so should you.

It’s been a little over a year since the pandemic happened and I still use the same excuse for being idle. I don’t see myself exerting more effort than I know I could. But I think it’s time to admit to myself that I need to start improving myself again. It’s time to find out a little deeper about myself.

It’s such an interesting morning today. I guess once I started writing, all of my thoughts wanted all at once to be written. I wanted to write more, but this post doesn’t need more random things right now. I shall save it for the next ones.

Have a great day, you.

Love,

Gee

hi self,

I know January is almost over and I can start hearing yourself asking the accomplishments you’ve done so far this year. I can also feel the slight disappointment in you every time that question arises. I hope you don’t get too hard on yourself. I want you to know that whatever you do in every single day is a contribution to your future goals in life. Be happy. Be present. Be patient.

xx

Holiday greetings from Canada! It’s currently 9 pm here in Vancouver. You would think there’d be some big Christmas celebration, but nope, no thanks to this pandemic. We, however, had a lovely lunch together with the host family and Korean housemates. I didn’t feel the Christmas spirit just until we were busy passing the food around the table earlier. Afterward, I just head back to my room where I had been and will be spending the rest of the weekend. I’m supposed to start editing another vlog, but my editing spirit is on vacation too. Mehehe. It’s okay, I uploaded three videos last week anyway. I want to have a glass of wine tonight, but I’m still full from all the festivities earlier.

I remember being in a bad mood yesterday. I’m not sure whether it had something to do with the holiday blues, but something doesn’t feel right. 😦 But I’m okay now! I had some wine last night on Christmas Eve while listening to my newly bought record player. Then, mom and I facetime-d each other for hours. I was just casually drinking wine in front of her and I suddenly felt old. I remember three-four years ago when I would feel awkward drinking in front of her, you know, like the thought that she knows I can already drink was kind of weird for me.

Wow, I had to pause writing for like good ten minutes there. Uhm, there were these thoughts and sentiments that washed over me. It was all over the place, but mostly, I thought of how days flew by it feels like a blur.

Let me end this post on a good note! Again, Merry Christmas! 🎄 I hope you all got what you wished for this Christmas! I’m extremely thankful for the love and support from you guys. Keep safe and God bless always. Let’s spread love not hate 🙂