Was there ever a moment in your life when you felt overwhelmed by how fast time flies? 

I'm turning 26 in a few weeks and honestly, I don't know what to feel. I'm the type of person who usually just go with the flow and didn't care much on where the waves of life would take me. I'm easily contented with what I have and how my life is. Contented to the point that I built walls around me and just stayed inside my comfort zone. Technically, a person who keeps floating on an endless sea. 

Then all of a sudden I felt like I was being dragged to face the battlefield called adulting. The problem with this battle is that no one can escape from it and that 20+ years is such a short time for training. What frustrates me more is that your "enemies" in this battle are time and yourself. And as of now, I still have no idea of how you can consider yourself victorious in this battle. Maybe I'm still young to know the answer? I'll let you know in a few years, chos. Haha.

Sometimes I just wish that I could freeze time and just stay young forever. There were even some moments when I wanted to go back in time and just stay there. To go back in time wherein my biggest dilemma is which anime to watch during the afternoons or wonder which clow card Sakura will capture next. To go back in time wherein I waste my time inside my room and just draw and draw and draw the whole day. (Ironic isn't it? I wish to go back in time to waste more time. Ang labo.) To go back in time wherein I didn't care about politics, how to earn money, how I look like, or even the monthly bills.  

The thing is, I wanted to go back in time/ stay young because the future scares me. The uncertainty of the future scares me. I guess we will all come to a certain point when we'll realize how important time is. 

I'm no superhero and I can't do anything about it. My ranting won't help me either. I guess all I can do now is just cherish every moment and slowly prepare myself mentally, physically (?), and emotionally. 

And to answer my own question above, yes. I'm having a mid-life crisis indeed. 

Hi!

Honestly speaking, I still can't think of a topic that would best fit my first post on My Trending Stories. While thinking of possible topics, let me give you an idea first of who I am and what you can expect on my future posts.

I started blogging in 2011 using Tumblr and eventually migrated to blogger in 2012. Why did I even start writing? Maybe it was the pressure of being an AB Communication student; or the boredom while waiting for the companies I applied for after graduation? I'm not really sure. 

I didn't really expect that I would enjoy blogging sooo much. I was a lazy writer, a heartless an inexpressive person, and I usually prefer visuals over words. In short, I never appreciated the beauty of words. 

So what changed?

Being vacant for almost a year after graduation, a lot of things went on my mind and I suddenly felt relieved by expressing myself more through my blog. It's also interesting to see that blogging helped me document my growth as a person through the wide range of topics that I previously wrote about: from fashion to drama reviews, food trip, travels, and even personal experiences.

Hopefully, you can join me in my new adventure on My Trending Stories. <3

I consider November as my official hell month. With lots of deadlines and bulk of customer requests in the lab, I would normally prefer to just stay at home and relax after work. 

What's good about 11-11 is that aside from the 2016 AFSTRI Cultural Night at IRRI, my officemates and I were able to dine our stresses out. We're only halfway through this hell month, and we desperately need to prepare for the remaining 19 days of November. 

In continuation of my eLBi Diaries, here's an entry for one of the most recommended restos at eLBi: Faustina's.  

The place. Let's start off with the overall ambience and location of the restaurant. If you're not from Los Banos, Faustina's may be a bit difficult to find. The restaurant is small and can't accommodate a lot of customers, but it can create a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere. 

I also want to give a double thumbs up for the interior design. 

The food. Faustina's menu is somewhat similar to that of Bonitos'. Since our trio is composed of pasta-lovers, we ordered Spaghetti and Meatbombs (one of their bestsellers) and Classic Crispy Bacon Alfredo. 

Obviously, being a white-sauce enthusiast, it was love at first bite. I find it a bit salty though. Just imagine lots of bacon toppings on a creamy and cheesy white sauce. But well, you have to accept its flaws if you love something. HAHA. Hugoooot!

I am always on the safe side when I order pasta. I always end up ordering whichever white-sauced pasta is available on the menu since I'm not really fond of the authentic Italian red sauce. You can blame Jollibee for my sweet spaghetti preference! Chos! 

I had a taste of Spaghetti and Meatbombs from Ate Mitzi's plate, and I know that I'd definitely give this one a try on my next Faustina visit. 

One of the things I like at Faustina's is that you can order a junior size of their pastas. This is highly recommended if you're also planning to order their pizza. (Random thought: am I the only one thinking that pasta is best partnered with pizza??)

Sooooo, we ordered one of their bestsellers. Presenting... Faustina's Hungarian Sausage and Onion Pizza!!! *tugs tugs tugs* (insert party music here, lol)

The photos above are not enough to give justice on the savory taste of the pizza. The crust is one of the most important part of the pizza to be considered. If the crust is too thick, there is a high tendency to feel fed up or to feel full instantly (actually what I'm trying to say is MADALING MAUMAY in Filipino. But I can't find the right term huhu). If the crust is too thin, there's also a tendency to not savor and appreciate the pizza's flavor. Pizza analyst ang peg. 

Faustina's definitely put this into consideration and made sure that their pizza crust's thickness is just right. Their pizzas are definitely the best in town and I have to say that the Hungarian Sausage and Onion pizza owned my heart.

Now let's move on to the desserts. A meal is not complete without a bite of sweets~ Mango Crepe for Ate Mitzi...

...and Blueberry Cheesecake for me~~

Personally, I wasn't extremely satisfied with my dessert. The texture is super thick and creamy and I can barely taste the "cheese" in the cheesecake. Somehow disappointed. For the first time, I wasn't able to finish a dessert. 

The service. So far. I find the staff very accommodating. I think they had fun watching us with our mini pictorial while waiting for the food. HAHA.

Hi guys! Time flies so fast that I barely realized that it's already the last day of October. To be honest, I didn't really had the time to doodle that much, all thanks to that horror called life, jk. Hehe. 

While thinking of what to draw, a very familiar collection of blue soft- and hard-bound books covered with a thin coat of dust and spider web (haha huhu) on the shelf caught my attention. The nostalgic feels gave me an idea of my first and last post for #inktober.

Soooo....

Let me introduce you to Nina, my first ever manga character. Reading this manga again not only takes me to Nina's magical world, but also in 2005 when I was still on my third year in high school. 

I feel really happy whenever I look at my little works of art as it also contain my precious memories of the time when I was making them. It reflects my inner thoughts and maybe my hidden desires as well of how I want my life to be?? C'mon. I was fifteen back then, lol. Naniniwala pa 'ko sa forever noon HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.

I'm glad that I was able to pressure myself in doodling something for Inktober. It gave me a reason to pause for a little while and remember the simple things that used to make me happy when I was fifteen. 

P.S. You might be wondering what "jempang" means. I'm not really sure either haha! I think it means papansin (someone who wants attention) or the like. A word invented by my batchmates that only we could understand. Haaay, fifteen truly is an age of creativity. <3

It's been one month since my officemates and I decided to go on food trips every once in a while. And by "every once in a while," it means every pay day (or ako lang ba ang nag-iisip nito??! Chars.) Oh well. It's our second session and we have decided to eat at one of eLBi's most popular food trip getaways: Seoul Kitchen.

As a frequent customer, I would always order one of SK's best sellers: red chili carbonara, the popular creamy "white" and bacon-y pasta with a little touch of chili and spice. 

This time, however, I decided to try my friend's recommendation: the oriental chicken pasta. Maiba naman. The dish is good, sweet, and savory but personally, I would still prefer the red chili carbonara. HAHA. (Not really a fan of sweet pasta dishes, sareeh).  

Aside from the good food and Korean MVs shown on the resto's TV screen, the homey and relaxing ambience plus the cute architecture (and eating utensils, lol) contributed a lot on why I prefer Seoul Kitchen among the many other restos in eLBi.

Location: 9005 Pearl Corner F.O. Santos, Umali Subd., Los Banos, Laguna 4030 (nostalgia feels~)

Price Range: Around Php 90-200~

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ [4/5]

Ravioli Lasagna

Kalderetang Batangas

Kani Salad

Seafood Pizza

Red Velvet Cake

Blueberry Cheesecake

Tea

"Kung pagod ka na at ayaw mo lang bumigay dahil ayaw kitang bitawan, wag mo na kong isipin. I'll be fine." These were the exact words I told my Beni last Saturday. 

We were both sick and bed-ridden for almost a week. For me, I got a lot better after taking lots of medicines, but that's not the case for my canine bestfriend. He was with me for 11 loving years and it seems the time has come to finally bid our goodbye. 

A few months earlier, our veterinarian found a variety of lumps over his body but the most alarming was the hand-sized cyst on his neck. He was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, I broke down after I heard the diagnosis and our vet told us that he needs to undergo surgery to remove the cyst and also needs chemotherapy afterwards. We didn't dare to take the risk as it is not practical and the very low probability that he can survive the treatment considering Beni's age.

I would like to call it a miracle that the lumps eventually subside a few weeks after diagnosis. Even the hand-sized cyst also dried up. I was really thankful for that short-term miracle and that we were given the chance to shower him with love a little bit longer.

But then, 11 years is no joke. His age actually hit him these past few days. It was hard for me to see him so weak. So fragile. So helpless. It came to the point that he could barely stand up, eat, and even take a sip of water. My heart shattered every time I greet and kiss him during his last few days. 

After he left us, I realized how selfish I was. I keep thinking, maybe he was really suffering even before but he couldn't let go because of me. He has always pretended to be strong as he stood before me, even if he's always trembling due to his frail legs. He has always acknowledged my presence by wagging his tail once just to not make me worry and to give the assurance that he's still alive. He has always pretended and forced himself to eat so that I wouldn't nag him for not eating. He made sure that my heart is at ease knowing how paranoid his mom was. 

No one is ever mature enough when you are a dog-parent. I thought a day or two would be enough to grieve over my loss, but I think it will take a little more time. Friends, please bear with me. Beni has been with me for almost half of my life. He was more than just a pet nor a best friend. He's part of my family. A part of my life. A piece of my heart. 

P.S. Beni died on 5 September 2016, my dad's 12th year death anniversary. 

*Disclaimer: hover the mouse over the images for source. Thanks! 


My heart can't contain continuous heavy dramas after watching The Princess' Man so I decided to watch something lighter. While browsing my favorite k-drama hosting website, I saw something intriguing. After reading the synopsis, I knew right there and then that I would be hooked with this drama.

Plot. A story about the struggle of 33-year old lawyer, Kang Joo-eun, to bring back her former glory as Daegu's Venus by shedding the excess baggage she accumulated over the years. She seeks the help of a professional trainer, Kim Young-ho (a.k.a. John Kim), who returns to Korea to escape a scandal with a Hollywood actress. The two eventually falls in love as they venture the road to health and fitness.



I've read a lot of negative reviews on Oh My Venus and I completely understand why. Poor writing and some minor lapses on the storyline may be the culprit why this drama didn't receive top ratings despite the overflowing cuteness and chemistry of our OTP. To briefly describe the plot: it is light and uncomplicated. I greatly appreciate these factors, honestly, since it didn't give me the emotional stress that I usually encounter while watching k-dramas. However, I believe the viewers would've appreciated OMV more if they added a little more substance to the background details underlying the characters' lives. I think the last few episodes also seemed shortened. Parang minadali.

Despite the many loopholes on the plot, I really love how the drama demonstrated women empowerment and emphasized the importance of inner health over beauty especially now that women are so obsessed with their physical appearances.



Cast and Characters.

Shin Min-ah as Kang Joo-eun. Branded as Daegu's Venus during her teenage years, Kang Joo-eun is everyone's first love. She dreams of becoming a lawyer with both beauty and brains. But after becoming a lawyer, Kang Joo-eun gained a lot of weight and her self-esteem dropped low. She then meets Kim Young-ho who always come to her rescue during difficult situations.



One of the things I was looking for in the plot is the reason behind Kang Joo-eun's strong motivation to become a lawyer. At the beginning of the series, I was really expecting that maybe her father died and their family didn't receive any justice or she experienced something bad during her younger years, idk. I also noticed that despite her strong personality, she was sometimes a damsel-in-distress that needs to be saved, as she frequently utters "Please save me" and her exxagerated reaction when she was being followed on the street as if she had a traumatizing experience before. And I also want to know why always removes her band-aids and stick them to the wall?

I really really wanted to understand Kang Joo-eun's character more, but a part of her still remained a mystery.


Being naturally cute and charming, I think Shin Min-ah was effortless in giving life to Kang Joo-eun's character which is the wackiest that I've seen of her. If I were as cute as the chubby Shin Min-ah, I wouldn't even try to lose weight, jk haha~



So Ji-sub as Kim Young-ho (a.k.a John Kim). Like the typical male leads of k-dramas, a chaebol. He spent most of his childhood in hospitals due to a devastating illness which also led him to live a healthy lifestyle. After gaining the spotlight in America, he decided to go back to Korea until the scandal settles down. Unfortunately, his grandmother stopped him from returning to America and convinced him to take over as the Director of their family business.

Kim Young-ho can be described as strong (both emotionally and physically), determined, serious-type but bubbly, and of course, insanely sexy. 


Given So Ji-sub's manly and strong facial features, I never expected that he can also pull off the cutesy and playful character of Kim Young-ho. Asdfghjkl~~ The way that he delivered the diversity of scenes is also highly commendable.



Jung Gyu-woon as Im Woo-shik. Kang Joo-eun's first love and long-time boyfriend. After 15 years of being together, he eventually lost interest of her and secretly went out with Oh Soo-jin. *** SPOILER ALERT*** Despite the break-up, Woo-shik still genuinely cared for Joo-eun even up to the point of beating up her stalker. *** END OF SPOILER***


Some may view Im Woo-shik's character as a total asshole. I was also expecting that, honestly. But over the course of the drama, you will find that he's not really hateable. Here are two of my expectations that didn't happen:  *** SPOILER ALERT***

1. He would eventually try to win Kang Joo-eun back after she has achieved her Daegu-Venus-figure, but no.
2. He will do everything just to ruin Kim Young-ho's image and try to stop him from being the Director at all cost (hey, that's a norm for dramas right?), but no. *** END OF SPOILER***

Relationship goals na sana oh.. Haha~

Yoo In-young as Oh Soo-jin. Kang Joo-eun's former best friend in high school, who is back with a vengeance. She was overweight back then and very lonely until Joo-eun befriended her. After a failed date set-up by Joo-eun, Oh-Soo-jin's self-esteem was crushed and thought that Joo-eun only befriended her out of pity. Now that she has also achieved her dreams: love, successful career, and killer body, she still finds herself lonely and full of insecurities.


Another character that did not meet my expectations. Haha. I like how the drama showed her fragility despite her bitchy attitude towards Kang Joo-eun. Even if she claims that she hates her former best friend, you will see that she deeply cares for her and her bitchy attitude is superficial.


Before Oh Soo-jin, I first saw her as Han Yoo-ra in My Love From Another Star. Oh Soo-jin and Han Yoo-ra are quite similar given the not-so-friendly roles. Han Yoo-ra is the more bitchy and despiteful one while Oh Soo-jin is more of the irritatingly cute side. You want to hate her but you also feel sympathetic towards her. Yoo In-young was able to deliver a different side of malevolence effectively.

Sung Hoon as Jang Joon-sung. Joon-sung has a troubled past and he was saved by John Kim, who later trained him to become a professional boxer. Also known as the "Korean Snake", he was invited to do a CF with Jang Yi-jin who fell head over heels for him.


Even if I like the depth of Jang Joon-sung's character, I was really disappointed with how his love story with Jang Yi-jin was written. This is one of the flaws that I noticed with the plot. It was cute and promising, but it lacks substance. **Sighs**


I was really surprised with Sung Hoon's performance as Jang Joon-sung. Most of the episodes, we would see him act as a serious boxer during his training, as a cutie pie (during his scenes with the main characters), a little snobbish/irritable/surprised towards Jang Yi-jin. ***SPOILER ALERT*** But what impressed me the most was  his heartbreaking scene on episode 13 where he sees an injured Young-ho inside the car. You can feel the intensity of the scene and heaviness of the atmosphere through his effective delivery. Very, very impressive indeed. ***END OF SPOILER***     


Henry Lau as Kim Ji-woong (Ma'am!!). He acts as Jang Joon-sung's manager and initially, Kang Joo-eun thought that he is John Kim. Unlike his partner in crime, the Korean Snake, little is known about the background of his character. His character is light and goofy, but OMV definitely is incomplete without Ji-woong. The, Perfect. Mood. Setter.


As an ELF, Henry is definitely not my bias in Super Junior. But after watching OMV, I had to say that I grew fonder of him in every episode. (Ma'aaam!!!! Haha!) I know very little of Henry but I can say that Ji-woong's character is quite similar with the real Henry. After all, Super Junior is Super Junior if you know what I mean. Haha.

Overall Production. For Kang Joo-eun's chubby face, it really looks realistic and you might think that she really gained some weight just to fit the role perfectly. However, for the body I think the fat suit is quite obvious. Still, I want to applaud the production team for a job well done and dedication in transforming the sexy Shin Min-ah to the oversized yet cute Kang Joo-eun.

Just what I've mentioned earlier, Oh My Venus might have a number of flaws with regards to poor writing of the story line, but I would assure you that it's not a total waste of time. As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed watching it and I may watch it again some other time. It is light and less dramatic, and it would definitely make you laugh your asses out. Every episode is worth looking forward to. I would still recommend this drama to every k-drama fans out there.

Final verdict: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ ♡ [3/5]