My mom was many things. She could be the very traditional mom, the always high-strung mom, the talkative mom, the bossy mom—basically anything you can think of. But one thing she wasn't, was the affectionate type. She wasn't the super sweet and cuddly mom at all—at least not with me. We never had any sweet exchanges of words; it was always a lecture, lol.

I remember vividly the one time my mom showed her affectionate side. It was nine years ago when my grandfather (my dad's father) passed away from old age. I was at a resort in Nasugbu with my friends when I got a call from my dad. For context, my dad is always grumpy. He doesn’t yell, but his words cut deep, and they hurt. When I answered the phone, he broke the news to me. I was in shock and barely had time to process everything before he asked, "When are you coming home?"

I had just arrived at the resort that morning, and my friend's mom, the resort manager, had driven us there. I couldn't leave immediately and didn't know how to return on my own. I told my dad it would take at least two days to return home. That enraged him. He started shouting, telling me things like, "Don't bother coming home!" and "Why are you even there?" He said a lot of mean things. I tried to explain that I had to ask my friend's mom to drive me back, which would mean taking time out of her busy schedule, but that only made him angrier.

We were in the middle of dinner when he called, and I just went silent and started crying. I tried to hold back my tears because we were in a restaurant, but I couldn't stop. I understood my dad's frustration, probably amplified by grief, but he made me feel like it was my fault for being on the trip, which I had told him about weeks ago. Death is inevitable, and my grandpa, though his passing was sudden, was already in his sunset years. But my dad was so mad that I was away when it happened. It felt so unfair.

After silently crying a few seconds, I suddenly heard my mom's voice on the line. She must have taken the phone from my dad after hearing everything. The first thing she asked was, "Have you eaten?" Her voice was faint but comforting, making me cry even more because I had lost my appetite. She then calmly asked me about the situation, the same questions as my dad but with a relaxed and sympathetic tone.

I told you, she was never affectionate towards me, but just hearing her consoling voice made me feel loved. She was probably feeling sorry for me after everything my dad had said. I felt like I had my mom on my side. Her gentle voice echoed in my head as she spoke to me soothingly. I told her I'd try to come home as soon as possible, and we sorted out the situation like adults. My dad could never! After we got off the phone, my friends comforted me. I was overwhelmed with grief, anger, and gratitude. What was I supposed to feel?

Even after all these years, I remember it clearly because my mom became my hero that day. She might not have been the sweetest mom, but she had her way of showing she cared and loved me. It's heartbreaking that she too had to go. I miss her and wish I could call her whenever I argue with my dad. I need my ally back so badly.

 Hey kids, today Mom will share another core memory that I will always hold in my heart. 

On one random day, I was scrolling through my TikTok when I came across a video of a man wearing a tail suit singing an acapella of "Copacabana" and my initial reaction was "Who is this androgynous-looking guy?". But just like any other video, I scrolled past it after a while and went with my usual routine. However, some more videos appeared on my fyp, (taken from all different angles!) like bad bacteria, that Copacabana guy kept on coming back then I'd watch the whole thing over and over again until I could no longer get enough of him lol  From then on, I did a little research, found out his name, Elio and he is a member of one of Harvard's Acapella group called the Din & Tonics. I also watched their other performances. Immediately checked his TikTok account and I was just blown away REALLY! what a dashing young man! Not to mention the number of women simping over him on the comsec - I GET YOU, girls. I'm with you lol

Then not too long ago, while I was going to the gym, I took out my phone and randomly scrolled through my TikTok. Stumbled upon Elio's newly uploaded video about them wrapping up the European leg of their tour and when I read the comments, one of the fans suggested that they should visit the Ph and he replied that he was already in the here as he spoke. R U KIDDING ME???? I WAS FLOORED!!!

At that moment, I checked their website and found out that they were having a FREE concert in Makati Medical Center at 11 am!!! I was at the gym at 6, so imagine my excitement I couldn't even finish my sets coz I was just so spaced out thinking about what to wear etc. lol Had I known earlier, I would've packed an extra shirt and gone straight to MMC after. But since I still had to get home, take a bath, change, and of course travel, I needed more time but I managed to leave the house an hour early in hopes that I'd still make it in time. 

While I was inside the car on the way to MMC, I kept on checking Makati Med's page for any updates and they started to livestream the whole thing. 

Thankfully coz it was already past 11 and I got stuck in the traffic :( Unfortunately, I missed Elio's iconic "Copacabana" performance. THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT!!! 

I got there around 11:30 and was so bummed but I was still lucky enough to be at the side front!! 

And there Elio was - the man I was crushing so hard on Tiktok was just a few damn feet away from me. He looked surreal and handsome and I was literally blown away by his beauty. Immediately pulled out my phone and started filming their performances. To say I was starstruck was such an understatement. My palms were sweaty and were shaking out of excitement. I got butterflies whenever he would look my way!!!!

Honestly, aside from his famous "Copacabana", I only know 3 more songs from them but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the whole set. Each one of them was given a solo for every song and I couldn't help but admire their talents! They were phenomenal! I couldn't for the love of God sing in an acapella group, It takes some serious coordination and of course, a deeper understanding of melodies, and harmonies, and I LEGIT SUCK  at it! 

Elio, I see you peeping!

so tall T^T

Elio during the "A Train" performance

ahhh so close yet so far!

they sounded so heavenly it's addicting. You could also tell how they enjoyed their performance, they'd do funny gestures all throughout and would crack a joke before introducing their next song. They were so unhinged and so unserious and I'm here for it!

After almost an hour of singing, the performance sadly, had come to an end. The MMC Directors awarded them of Certification of Appreciation 

cute reaction when the directors said they would give them more "pasalubong"

They also introduced themselves and the course they were currently taking and man, they were NOT kidding when they said they were from Harvard. I expected nothing less from the Harvard peeps but how could they study difficult courses and go on a world tour at the same time??? I took up a Business course and I felt like I lost half of my hair from stress but here they are looking all so fresh and relaxed lol

I was so hyped when the host said the Dins would be selling their merch. YOU MEAN I GET TO INTERACT WITH THEM??? SIGN ME TF UP!!

So they set up a mini booth and some of the members started talking to the fans and taking pics with them. I was lining up to see Elio and there were like 4-5 women in front of me. All were eager to get a photo with him and I was so determined to get one too!! You could literally hear their gasps and kilig! There, I spoke to the woman in front of me, and her name was Luisa. Found out she came alone too so we agreed to go around and ask for photos with the rest of the members. 

Almost!!!! 

.....

SOMEBODY PINCH ME!!!

He was so friendly and nice to us! When it was my turn, I greeted him and complimented their performance. IT WAS SO SURREAL!!!

but he was so tall - as seen in the photo lol

 I also had to go since there were still a bunch of girls behind me. ;___;

So, Luisa and I went to the next member - Shannon. We spoke to her for a while! I think amongst all of them, we interacted with her the longest. She was such a sweet soul. We talked about the long-haul flight they had and she even asked for our names after. She's drop-dead gorgeous too!!! I literally told her "If I had a face like that I'd be like, yeah it's me" to everyone who would stare and she laughed lol

After chatting with Shannon, we went to the booth to buy a signed poster! and then asked the other members who were in charge of the booth. 

We got Ben, who looked so formal lol he needed to tend to other fans who were buying merch so it was a bit rushed. 

and I was s bit shy to approach Kavi, coz he looked like a snob but turned out to be a cinnamon roll! He even had to crouch down coz he was super tall! Kavi was sweet and nice we spoke a little too!

Were most of them tall or was I just that smol? I'd say both. :(( It was like walking into a forest with gigantic trees. That feeling!

Here we got Andrew, I actually formally introduced myself and shook his hand coz I find him cute I gotta make an impression jk!! He's got this bubbly and fun personality, I could easily tell that he is the life of the party.

When the crowd lessened around Elio, we went back to him. I was surprised when he mentioned my phone case, he was like "Oh that was you???" he said he noticed it during their performance because it looked funny which explains why he kept glancing my way! 

We spoke a little longer this time and when I asked him to say "Hi" to my video, he asked me who was he saying hi to and I said it was just for me, for keepsake lol and he was like "Oh look who I am with!!" 

He was so game with anything!! You wouldn't feel any awkwardness at all!

When we took this photo, he even offered to hold the other corner of the poster. My heaaaaaart!!

I might be pretty chill on the outside but my kilig was soooo pigil na pigil! It was hard to contain it. 

But we had to say goodbye since other fans lined up behind us. So the next order of business was their music director, Carolyn. She was so nice and bubbly too! 

Next up was Sean, who turned out to be a Filipino! Being the business manager, he was rarely at the booth going to and fro so when we spotted him back at the booth, I quickly walked up to him and asked for a photo. Parang bagay kame???

Honestly, I was intimidated by Ria coz she looked a bit "mataray" but she even went outside the booth so we could have a moment and distance away from the other fans. My girl I love her curly hair the most!

I almost forgot to have a photo with Kieran who was so busy packing up their stuff but I managed to take a quick photo with him and he was all smiles! We didn't have much interaction since he was also busy. 

More snippets of Elio back at the booth

And lastly, here is Luisa! We decided to take a quick photo with the Dins at the back. 

We watched them pack the rest of their stuff and leave the area. At that point, we agreed to grab some coffee. 

Outside Seattle's Best, we spotted them again leaving MMC. 

Goodbye guys! It was a pleasure meeting you all and  I hope you will visit us again. I was lucky enough to talk to each one of them and that makes my heart full! ♥

SUCH A CORE MEMORY! Tysm MMC for having them and for making it free! Sadly, I might not be able to see Elio again on their next tour since he's going to graduate next year but I will still support the Dins on their next world tour if PH is included. :) For now, I can proudly tell the world that I was able to see them live and meet all of them esp. Elio yall can suck it HAHA

bye kids!

Hi kids and silent viewers. I hope yall are doing good. July just started and I finally got some time to publish backlogs. It's crazy and as much as I wanted to stay on top of things here in my blog, life gets in the way. If May was busy, my June was much busier. Here, I'll break each one of them down for you.

June started with a bang with IU's concert here in the PH held at the Philippine Arena. Such a memorable night. Now I could proudly say, "I heard her live!!!". and it was awesome. If you are someone who pays to see an artist live, you'd know that there's a fine line between listening to studio versions and live vocals. It's also fascinating to watch the artists showcase their crafts. I personally love IU's voice and her singing style. She has a soothing and sweet voice that adds charm to her songs. More so, her certified bops are hard to sing, at least for me! 

Some snips from the concerts! Here's the full blog. 

On the second week, I was invited to La Union with my former colleagues (Ash, Chi, & Carl) turned friends and also met new ones (Kai, Eiron and Dash)! These people are for keeps and they have my back despite being the new addition to their group. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any hesitations when I got the invite since at this point of my life, I'd typically just keep my constant circle but that time I was just down to have some new company. It didn't take long for us to warm up to each other.♥ Now, I'm just waiting for another invite... guys.. pls.. don't embarrass me I've shown your faces on my blog. 

Elyu behind the scenes... Full Blog here! 

On the third week - Saturday - my chingus and I met up at Ayala Malls Manila Bay to have a quick life catch-up and plan for another trip. (gastos na naman lol) We dined at NineTea, a Taiwanese restaurant where I had my first meal of the day. It tasted bad honestly, I forgot the name but I didn't like it. 

I enjoyed the Strawberry and Peanut Butter Toast though. And of course, Taiwan is famous for its boba milk tea so we had those in different flavors. 

Overall, the service was okay, but the waiting time was long and the food was a bit pricey too like 400+ for a single rice bowl meal and it wasn't even a generous serving. I love the restaurant's interior and ambiance though, very shala so kaya mahal?

On the third week- Sunday- I met up with Chino, Sadae, and Yoyo. We ate at Maisen at Greenbelt for lunch which was so good and a value for money! This is often compared to Yabu but I think I like this better. 

We also went around some more before getting cocktails at La Latina. The interior was really nice. I like the mix of Mexican and Latina-coordinated displays and paint. Everything about this restaurant screams "estetik", even the glasses they used for our cocktails! 1M/10 will go back.

On Monday, same week - my bestie and I stayed over at Azumi Boutique Hotel in Alabang. The overlooking pool was my favorite part of them all. The amenities and facilities of the hotel were well-maintained and it wasn't crowded when we got there. We also went around Molito to have ramen and some desserts. Full Blog here!!

highlights >>>>>

In the 4th week, I met up with Ruth, Bill, and Jobs to have dinner. But first, I got myself a cocktail from Malabar, this was good considering the price, I think this is around Php180! Dibaaa? di na masama. Bill was so eager for me to try the Watermelon Sinigang at Manam in SM Aura, he wouldn't shut up about it. Well.. it was really delicious. I liked the taste, albeit a weird combination. Niceuu Bells! 

That same week - was when we celebrated my nephew's birthday at The Heritage Hotel. I'm starting to enjoy staying at hotels, they can be a little expensive, yes, but the comfort and the relaxing ambiance help me take my mind off the reality - like a quick escape.  I also can't believe that my nephew is already 2 years old. He was just the size of a potato not too long ago :( 

Full Blog here!!

Some more snapshots

- more time w/ my nephew 

- a heavily edited selfie I took from Tiktok gosh if I were THIS GORGEOUS, life would be easier lol

- A food delivery from Yoyo, lablab Jabiii! tysm♥

- watched a TBBT episode in between work

Looking back, I realize that I met all my circles of friends this month lol girl was so busy socializing I'm surprised I still have any social battery left. It was tiring though but I'm thankful to live my life like this, no matter how imperfect it may be, I get to have genuine friends who will always be excited to see me. :) Thanks, friends! 

Now let's go to my Netflix Department. 

Topping this list is the Season Finale of Young Sheldon - I was able to find a site where I could watch the whole season because it still wasn't released on Netflix. I couldn't be the only one who bawled their eyes out when George died, such a tear-jerker! But I love everything about the ending especially when Jim and Mayim made an appearance in the last episode. I liked how they stayed true to their character in the finale because that is how they are known to be in The Big Bang Theory, personality-wise. The inside jokes from TBBT too are gold! I was expecting them to at least show the kids but it's still perfect to me. What a good way to end a long-running series. They ended it when it should. 

Watched a classic film, "Pretty Woman" - because why not? being out and about taught me one thing - I go broke and hard so I might need some side hustle, thus, this job lolol am I kidding? ask yourself, friend. It was a lovely film nevertheless!

"Under Paris" is another shark film, thanks to this movie now I'll be suspicious of every body of water I see. Because who's to say sharks can't breed in a river? remember we were all just monkeys a million years ago then just evolved into the human beings that we are today. Or.... could it just be me?.... lol Okay na ba??? 

Top Songs of this Month

1.) Please, Please, Please - Sabrina Carpenter - believe me when I say this song was on repeat all throughout the bus ride back to Manila from Elyu!!

2.) L'Amour De Ma Vie - Billie Eilish (fave song off Billie's new album)

3.) Birds of a Feather - Billie Eilish  (second fave!)

4.) Good Luck, Babe - Chappell Roan (recently discovered her songs, she's the moment!)

5.) Red Wine Supernova - Chappell Roan - what a bop! 

That's pretty much sums up my June. Grabe, will you believe it? We're halfway through 2024!! So far it's been both eventful and tiring but I loved every bit of it. 

Thank you, self kase gastadora ka at ayaw mong magpa awat!

July calendar is looking a little chill, the perfect time to recuperate both my body and my wallet.

kids and silent viewers, see ya in my next blog!