#i ask because as a filipino. it is always rice for me lmao

[lokh]

*not including soup with noodles already in them which is why noodles is not an option here, this is more of a What do you eat with soup/stew on the side

[cloudy-leonhart]

AOT veterans with a Filipino S/O!!

[author note: did I write this as soon as I posted the first part?? yes. I like writing for this, it’s so fun lolol up next, Marleyan Warriors!!]

Summary: not much, just the AOT vets with their filipino S/O.

Gender Neutral Reader.

Recommended Song: Buwan - Juan Karlos.

Theme: Fluff, Modern AU.

TW: Swearing.

Characters: Hange, Levi, Miche, Erwin, Moblit, Nanaba.

Hange Zöe

Honestly they fully immersed themselves in your culture, as you know Hange LOVES learning about new things, discovering about your culture, they probably forced you to go the Philippines with them.

They started asking people for directions in english?? You had to step in translate for them, in which they responded to ask to teach them the language.

Yes they keep a small notebook of words they think are interesting. Yes even swear words are in there, not to mention they absolutely just butcher the way you say it.

One time when you both came back, Hange told Erwin that Bakla was a word for a good man, and they laughed their asses off watching Erwin tell people he was Bakla LMFAO.

They actually visited your province, they met your family and was surprised at the fact that they owned a whole farm, they tried to learn with your siblings on how to harvest rice, they nailed it btw.

they named your carabao, Sawney, and your chicken, Bean.

And respectfully so, your family started to call their animals by the name Hange gave them.

They started to cry about the fact that you guys had to go back, and like every time, your mom and dad encouraged y’all to bring filipino snacks back home, in which you did, because you knew that you’d probably miss it when you flew back home.

You guys have a tradition of going to the Philippines for your guys’ anniversary.

THEY SUPRISINGLY LISTENS TO FILIPINO MUSIC

They were the one to suggest Aegis to Levi but they prefer someone like Jireh Lim.

Favourite song is probably, Buko. They love the guitar in it.

Levi Ackerman

He first found out you were Filipino when he caught you packing a balikbayan box for your family back home, (for those who don’t know, balikbayan box is a box full of your country’s snacks to send back to the PH for your family to try.)

He had asked you what it was, and you answered that it was for your family back in the Philippines, in which he responded with helping you, and mainly scolding you about the way you packed it.

“Idiot, pack it like this, so you have more space to place stuff.”

When he first went to the Philippines, he first noticed the cleanliness of the hotels, he looked at you with a ‘is this why you’re so good at cleaning?’ look. 

God when I say your parents loved him, YOUR PARENTS ABSOLUTELY ADORED HIM. He would clean for your mom, and not only that, your mom approved of his cleaning technique, yes she told you to marry him that second.

And that you did, you had your first wedding with you family in the Philippines, and another in where you guys currently lived.

Bye, he absolutely looks AMAZING in a Barong. Your dad helped him slick his hair back.

Your mom and him, bonded of cleaning, sometimes when your mom needs help removing rust on her pans, she calls Levi.

like Hange he and you go to the Philippines for y’alls anniversary. 

Please save this man from the streets, I’m not saying it to be mean but this man almost gave his wallet to a bunch of kids who were hungry.

You gave money instead because you didn’t want your man to be broke lmfao.

He loves seeing you so happy while you’re in the Philippines, he just thinks it’s adorable when you speak your language.

Aegis listener, absolutely no discussion, mans listens to them while cleaning, he listens to “Sayang Na Sayang” religiously.

when Aegis plays in the house, you know it’s a cleaning day lmao.

Erwin Smith

Please, remember when I said Hange told him bakla was a word for a good man, yes, that’s how he found out you were Filipino, you literally was so dumbfounded, you waited for him in the living room, your friend’s laughing over the phone, man thought he did something wrong until..

“Erwin, can you tell me why you’ve been telling your friends you’re fucking gay??”

Yeah he’s got trust issues now. But he wasn’t that shocked to find out you were filipino, he just thinks it’s neat, he butchers pronouncing shit, he tries to learn filipino jokes??? It’s really bad, like you need to stop him from telling your family to save HIM from embarrassment.

He knows how to cook barbecue lmfao, he sits at your family’s barbecue spot and cooks for them, your dad appreciates the help so much lmao, also he loves drinking the gulaman whenever he’s there, your dad gives it to him for free because, he basically considers Erwin his son now. His awkward, barbecue-cooking, son.

You guys go on hiking in Mt. Butalao, yes you sneak peeks when he’s climbing because his muscles flex, and he sweats. You guys go on a double hiking date with Miche and his S/O all the time.

He was kind of fearful when you went to a province to get in touch with your grandparents, he watched you help their carabao back into their pens, he’s scared of carabaos, don’t blame him-

Surprisingly he’s as good as your dad in basketball, bye I just know the women of your community comes to watch him, he’s ripped, you’re jealous but you don’t say it lmao.

He’s got those jeep keychains lmfao, the fact that he kinda looked like a lost puppy when you’re traveling, like so many people, so little space-

please educate him, he’s confused on everything-

he probably listens to Eraserheads, Huwag Mo Nang Itanong. Yes his ultimate song. 

Miche Zacharias

probably the only veteran that knows what to do?? Beside Moblit?? He knows how to bless, he knows to call your parents nanay and tatay. He also loves going to where there’s a lot of Filipino street food because he loves the smell, he prefers the smell of bananaque over anything, hotcakes are a close second.

mf was scared when your mom suddenly said, “Oh yeah, I kept your childhood spider.”

YOU OWNED A MF SPIDER?? You were all like ‘omg i miss him’ he was a little scared bitch omg.

You had to explain that you would buy them from the local toy store and you and your friends would make them fight each other to the death.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE SMALL- IT’S A WHOLE MF TARANTULA BYE

you know those dyed chicks you get from winning a game, yeah, he was attached to one you guys won, but as always, they weren’t going to live long, I think he sulked for a whole 2 days. He named the chick Richard AHAHA.

ah yes, absolute unit in basketball, yes you and Erwin’s S/O would watch them play basketball together with your guys’ dads. Yes y’all gossiped about how hot they were in tagalog.

Just saying, Miche got some that night. 

He doesn’t fit in tricycles- neither does he fit in jeepneys lmfao- he kinda has to sit on the ground if you force him to fit, in which he has to awkwardly crawl to get out lmfao.

He literally looks godly while hiking, you guys don’t go to your parents’ house when you first arrive, you guys hike.

You guys go whenever y’all feel like it honestly.

“hey hey, reader, Mahal Kita.”

He listens to anything in filipino honestly, he likes chill filipino songs like Tell Me Where It Hurts by MYMP.

Moblit Berner

He’s a researcher, he makes sure he doesn’t disrespect the culture.

he knows to bless and all that jazz like Miche.

Wait but your family loved him as soon as you told them he was a doctor lmfao?? He’s in nursing.

He’s basically already apart of the family, all your little siblings call him kuya Moblit, he absolutely thinks it’s adorable.

when you guys are sending a balikbayan box, he places toys he bought for your little siblings in the box, with a note written and translated by you for them.

Moblit also knows about poverty in the Philippines, he’s apart of an organization where they give to those who can’t afford real food, even when he’s back home with you, he donates from abroad, everyone knows him as the generous kuya.

honestly I can see him as someone who’s also known by your community, people call him kuya Moblit or tito Moblit, it’s very wholesome when a kid asks him to carry them.

This man looks so nice and kind on the outside but when you guys are at your tita’s bday party and there’s a whole mf buffet, he’s a whole beast.

You know when your uncles have like, food stacked on their plate, and like a cup of buko pandan at the side?? yes, him. definitely.

He’s kinda like sasha in this au, he loves the food so much, he probably finished a filipino dish by himself (it’s the palabok)

he’s also a god at making ice candy?? like he’s so good at filling up the plastic with the liquid lmao.

you guys adopted a stray dog in the community and his name was Moblit, your family takes care of him while you guys are back home.

genuinely, it’s mostly wholesome with him, he doesn’t really do anything wrong besides butchering pronounciation.

Moblit probably watches boxing with your dad though, it’s just too accurate not to be true.

More of a movie watcher than a song listener, his favourite movie so far is Four Sisters and A Wedding.

he cries every filipino movie, them do it to you.

Seven Sundays, he cried for days straight.

Nanaba

Nanaba found a filipino flag from your collage years in a box, asked you about it, then encouraged you to visit the Philippines because she wanted to meet your family. 

Okay but your family thought she was a guy because of her hair?? 

your siblings can’t say Nanaba, so they call her Ate Nana.

She was kind of jealous of your bond with your family, she knows she shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help it since her and her father’s relationship absolutely sucked.

And you know this, you had talked with her about it too, it was kinda like a, “are you okay?” and “it’s nothing.”

You had to drag her out to family events, eventually, she started to feel like she was apart of the family, she went swimming with the fam, did karaoke nights, she was basically in the family now.

She felt really happy that you decided to help her educate herself in your culture, and that your family openly accepted her into your family.

when you and her married, she wore a baro’t saya for the wedding reception and she looked absolutely gorgeous in them. She took your last name.

Your mom taught her to do the tinikling dance, and she mastered it easily, you of course danced with her.

she kinda had a guilty pleasure of going to McDonalds in the Philippines, SOLELY FOR THE ROOT BEER FLOAT, that stuff be bussin.

she forces you to go to McD’s whenever’s there’s a new flavour released.

Nanaba loves going on the jeepney, she likes the fact that you ring a bell when you have to get off and she does it every time you guys use a jeep for transportation.

Nanaba knows one word in filipino and that’s Mahal, she uses it so weirdly though, but she’s adorable so you let it pass.

“Reader..erm, I mahal?? you?..” 

she’s both a listener and a movie watcher, she listens to more modern filipino singers, like Patch Quiwa.

Favourite movie is when Vice Ganda’s in it, she just thinks all his movies are funny.

[purplesurveys]

1555

What is something you want but can't afford to buy? A projector in my room. I’ve always planned to get one of those so that I’m not always stuck watching on a smaller screen - whether it’s my phone or laptop - but bigger priorities always get in the way every month. Then again I always feel uncomfortable making gadget purchases, and I largely save those for either my birthday or Christmas.

What is something you want but aren't sure if you should splurge on it? Tae’s Mute Boston Bag – my brain’s been through a million internal fucking debates on whether I should get my own or not because the thing’s market price keeps going up lmao. 

Do you prefer ham or turkey with your stuffing and mashed potatoes? I’m gonna go ahead and assume this is a Thanksgiving thing and skip this. The closest thing we have is Christmas ham, but then again I’m not sure if any family here has it with the stuffing and mashed potatoes you’re talking about.

Do you usually eat wheat bread or white bread, or are you gluten-free? White. I never liked the texture of wheat bread.

What type of church do you like the most, if any? Not sure what this question is trying to ask since you just kinda have to go to a church that operates under your denomination, and it’s not like church-hopping is a thing people do hahaha...but in any case, I’m not a fan of the church and just attend to a Catholic one every Sunday out of obligation.

Was anyone rude to you today? No, not today. But boy did I come head-to-head with a really rude delivery rider yesterday...I get that we all have rough days, but idk, I hadn’t done anything to give him a reason to be short with me. I tried to be understanding, but he kept up quite a schtick until I lost my temper with him and in the end I gave him a not-so-generous review afterwards.

Which lost friend do you most wish you could be friends with again? I haven’t lost friendships that I regret.

Have you ever had a friend turn against you? Not turn against, but I had a couple of friends stop talking to me and my ex (then my best friend) all of a sudden, back in Grade 7. Like we were our own group, that’s how close we were, until one day when they just dropped ties with us. They must have had their reasons so I didn’t (and still don’t) resent them for it, and if anything it just taught me that people will do such things sometimes and you’ll just have to move on. What is your town known for? Being a pilgrimage site. And a bunch of rice cakes.

Do you live in the town you grew up in? Yeah, we just moved villages but pretty much the same area, yup. 

What was that good year that you had? 2014 and 2021 I’d count as really great and happy years.

Did you make a memory jar for this year? If so, is it full? I don’t keep those. I did have a since-discarded memory box when I was in a relationship, but otherwise I don’t keep one for my life in general.

Do you want to make a memory jar for next year? No. I think this blog and my camera roll already serve a similar purpose.

Are you optimistic? Generally. Being pessimistic doesn’t lead me anywhere, as I’ve learned.

Do you think people ask too nosy questions? (in real life) Oh for sure. Come to the Philippines and spend a weekend with a Filipino family and you’ll learn just how irritatingly nosy people are capable of being.

Do you think you would be happier if you had more money? Well, I would. I’ve never been wealthy or privileged enough to treat money as a passive thing, and I always actively seek it to be closer to both necessities and luxuries. That being said, that motto about money being able to buy happiness is something I can really relate to.

Who's youtube channel would you like to guest star on? JOLLY or Good Mythical Morning.

What was the last thing you purchased off of Etsy? I’ve never bought anything from there. I don’t even know if I can get stuff from Etsy, where I’m from.

What is something currently on your wishlist from Etsy? I don’t even have an account. Is there a Target near you? Um, no.

Which is closest to you: Target, Walmart, Kmart, or Meijer? 🙄

Where did your Christmas tree come from? I have no idea, my parents bought it years ago.

Would you rather be an elf or a reindeer? Why? Neither. Who do you go to when you're lonely? Or what do you do when you're lonely? I just deal with the loneliness myself and try to nurse it by watching stuff that makes me feel less lonely.

Are you alone? Yes.

Are you ok? I’m always ok during weekends. I feel like I’m happiest during weekends, these days.

What color is your favorite sweater? I don’t have a favorite.

Name 10 things that are on your Christmas list this year. Hahaha 10? That is a lot...my wishlist will be largely the same as last year’s, which is just “get me anything BTS-related, doesn’t matter if it’s original or not.”

Silver or gold? Silver.

[subvk]

HI PRINCESS!!! top 5 things to eat for breakfast, top 5 songs for when you are sad, top 5 shows or films to watch when you are sick, top 5 things that make you feel nostalgic xxx

AHHH you really went all out 😤 hi, my love! thank you for sending in!!

top 5 things to eat for breakfast

longganisa (filipino sausages)

eggs (scrambled or sunny side up)

white rice

pancakes and syrup

coffee ☕

top 5 songs for when you’re sad

“exhale” by sabrina carpenter

“modern loneliness” by lauv

“nothing” by bruno major

“breathe” by lee hi

“comethru” by jeremy zucker

top 5 shows/films to watch when you’re sick

any studio ghibli film (spirited away, my neighbor totoro, and howl’s moving castle are my top faves!!)

ratatouille - it’s oddly nostalgic to me lol

the harry potter series

the maze runner series

the little prince (I prefer the book over the movie)

top 5 things that make you feel nostalgic

the scent of car exhaust because it reminds me of the philippines

music from my childhood

stuffed animals - have always loved them to this day lmao

playing video games I used to play when I was younger

bubbles

ask me my top five/ten anything!

[itsdanii]

hey bub! i just sent in my application to attend college in the PI (i’m filipino btw) and i was wondering if u could give me any tips ab living in there since i’ve lived in america my whole life

Hey, bub! I'm so glad you've considered Philippines as a choice for your education! Depending on the University you've chosen, you'll either love it or hate it. There's no in-between 👀. I don't actually know shit about surviving in the Philippines but here are some tips which could hopefully be useful to you ♥️

Tip 1: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Philippines is a humid country. It's either hot or super hot, unless you live in the highlands (like Baguio City) of course. If you don't want to end up dying of dehydration, I suggest you drink water as much as you can.

Tip 2: Sucreen. I know that this is basic knowledge but unless you want rashes by the end of the day, do use a sunscreen - no excuses! Plus, it also helps in preventing skin cancer! ♥️

Tip 3: Always have an Umbrella. Philippines has only 2 seasons (said Google) - rainy season (June to November) and dry season (December to May). You can never go wrong with an umbrella. Our climate here is a bitch. One moment you're enjoying your walk out in the sun, the next, you're drenched in rain water.

Tip 4: Have a pail and dipper inside your bathroom. We, Filipinos, are fond of using pail and dipper instead of showers and bath tubs. It's less expensive and also prevents wasting water!

Tip 5: Academic Pressure. If you're going to study in the Philippines, make sure that your mental health is your utmost priority. Why? It's because students here are given endless tasks. Tasks are often due just a couple of days after it has been given and some professors will not hesitate to give you a failing grade when they're not satisfied with your outputs - No return, no exchange. You'll have to take summer lessons to make up for it ♥️ I'm not saying that this isn't the case for other countries, but this is what I've noticed in the educational system here.

Tip 6: Rice. In the Philippines, you'll never run out of rice. Take advantage of it! You can eat it with anything! It's basically everywhere and is basically what we, most people, eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Tip 7: When you're in Manila, avoid wearing jewelries especially when walking around Quiapo. Summary: you went out with a necklace and went home with none. 👀

Tip 8: Never hesitate to get to know people. Filipinos are one of the most welcoming people (not really sure but that's what I've heard). As long as you don't act all mighty and disrespectful, the people around you will surely love you!

Tip 9: Filipino Time. Never believe someone who would say that they'll meet you at a specific time. They'll probably arrive 30 minutes late so don't arrive too early lmao. Again, not applicable for everyone, but most.

Tip 10: "Po" and "Opo". In the Philippines, we use the expressions po and opo to show respect to our elders. Make sure to never forget these words when talking to someone of a higher authority or someone older than you ♥️

Tip 11: Jeep. Jeepney is one of the most popular mode of transportations here in the Philippines. If you're planning to ride one, make sure to know your destination as well as the route of the jeepney you're riding. Jeepneys in the Philippines have certain routes that they follow so unless you want to get lost, familiarize yourself. Paying the fare is quite unique when riding the jeepney. You don't just give your payment to the driver, you'll have to pass it the person sitting infront of you and they'll do the same until the collected payment of the passengers reaches the driver.

Tip 12: Starbucks who? KFC who? In the Philippines, there is only Jollibee supremacy. Don't argue with me, nobody can beat the taste of good ol' Jollibee chicken Joy.

Tip 13: Learn to wash dishes. In the Philippines, we use our hands in washing the dishes. Not everyone has dishwashers installed in their homes thus you should learn how to wash it your own.

Tip 14: "Pst!" and pouting. When you hear someone saying "Pst", they're probably trying to call your attention, and when someone pouts their lips, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're asking for a kiss. Most of the time, Filipinos point at something with their lips instead of saying the exact location 🤦‍♀️

Ex. NORMAL PERSON:

Q1: "Where's my pen?"

Answer: "On the table."

Ex. FILIPINOS:

Q1: "Where's my pen?"

Answer: 😗

That's it for Dani's Tips! Shall you have any questions or violent reactions, feel free to message me. Mwah!♥️

[oldmishmesh]

Headcannon: Filipino! Kageyama

Title: what the hell is a ‘halo halo’??

Prompt: Kageyama is a half filipino, combine that with a few lessons on world history involvine the Philippines, a few filipino delicacies, and some memes while you’re at it turns out to be a chaotic mess

Kageyama is a half japanese, half filipino. His mother being a filipina, and his father being the other.

Kageyama’s lunch has always been rice and ulam or also known as the main dish. His lunch always has rice. You can’t forget the rice.

Hinata, Yamaguchi, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Yachi, and Sugawara came to his house to study because of the dumb four needs help to pass their exams. When Hinata was hungry, he opened the fridge’s freezer and took the tub of ice cream.

“KAGEYAMA!! I’M TAKING YOUR ICE CREAM TUB!” Hinata says. “Oooh! I want ice cream too!” Yachi stood up and went to Hinata, “EHHH? ME TOO!” Tanaka jumped up, Nishinoya soon followed. Kageyama froze. “..But we don’t have any ice cream.” Kageyama mutters, to which only Yamaguchi and Sugawara heard. “What do you mean you don’t?” Yamaguchi looked at the obvious ice cream tub.

Hinata grabbed a spoon and opened the tub, and ate the contents of it.

He fucking ate raw fish.

“bWeeeRghHhhhh” “OH SHI-“ “WHY DOES THE TUB HAVE RAW FISH?!” “HINATA THE TRASH CAN IS OVER HERE!

He puked.

Heck, he didn’t even looked at the tub before he ate the spoonful of raw fish!

“I-I think I’m good without having any ice cream!” Yachi backed off lmao. “KAGEYAMA!! Why is there fish in the ice cream tub?!” He said, whining. “Well, my mom usually reuses the containers to put other food inside of them. She says it’d be a waste to not use them.” Kageyama said. “A-Ah. So that’s why..” Yamaguchi sweatdropped.

Sugawara, being the mom he is immediately took action and took care of his child, giving him water.

Dumb Hinata

“Ah, gomenasai! I’ll get you all something as an apology!” Kageyama’s mom says.

And that’s how the group got themselves some Halo Halo.

“Finally! Proper ice cream!” “That’s technically not ice cream.” “Blehh, better than raw fish!”

After a while, the vbc had a camping event in the mountain on the weekend for team building

They all hiked up the mountain, played volleyball, and do the things you’d normally do at camping

The managers were preparing a barbecue, so when it was time to eat, a realization had dawned on them

They had no plates or utensils prepared.

“Uhh, didn’t we bring any plates with us?” Kiyoko asked, Ukai tensed. “Fuck..” He facepalmed.

But don’t worry!! Kageyama is here!

Kageyama went into the forest and grabbed himself a large banana leaf

“Can anybody tell me why Kageyama is washing and cleaning a leaf??” Daichi sweatdropped. “Just wait.” Kageyama said.

He placed the leaf over the table and there, lo and behold! A makeshift large paper leaf plate was introduced to the server

One more problem was left

“Okay, but how do we eat though? We didn’t bring untensils or chopsticks..” “Hands.” “What?” “We’ll eat with our hands.”

The team was distaught, they were supposed to eat with their hands??? What??????

Kageyama began eating the food with his bare hands.

Everybody just awkwardly followed

On that night the team had educated themselves about filipino’s boodle fight taught by Kageyama.

One time on cooking class, their teacher was making them cook something from a different country

Kageyama’s group were supposed to make Adobo.

Kageyama just whispered something under his breath.

“Ngayon magluluto tayo ng adawbang manowk..” “Excuse me, what??”

This continued on when he saw the chicken.

“Manok na pula.. Mukhang matapang-..” “I’m not even going to ask anymore.”

Kageyama often calls Hinata ‘Bobo’ as well

Hinata thought he was complimenting him

Poor, poor Hinata.

“Bobo, Hinata!!” “Huh? What does that mean?” “It means you did great.” (sarcasm)

Hinata didn’t pick up on the sarcasm

And genuinely thought that bobo means you did great.

This leads to him calling other players bobo too.

“BOBO, HOSHIUMI!!” “BOBO, KENMAAA!” “BOBO KAGEYAMA!!!”

Sakusa was also called Bobo by Hinata

But he knew what it truly meant, as he had few filipino relatives of his own.

“Uhh.. Hinata, so you know what bobo means??” Sakusa asked. “Mhmm! Kageyama told me it meant ‘You did great!’” Hinata replied. Sakusa sighed. “..Hinata, bobo means stupid..” “E-EHH?!”

Lets just say that Hinata only called Kageyama that from now on.

EXTRA NOTES:

Halo-Halo - also spelled haluhalo, is a popular Filipino cold dessert which is a concoction of crushed ice, evaporated milk and various ingredients including, among others, ube, ice cream, sweetened beans, coconut strips, and more!

Adobo - is a popular Filipino dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine that involves meat, seafood, or vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns, which is browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.

Boodle Fight - it is a filipino activity, where people would use a large clean banana leaves as a subsitute for platers and use their hands to eat instead of spoons and forks

“Ngayon magluluto tayo ng adobong manok.” - is a filipino meme, in english it translates to ‘Now, we are going to cook adobong chicken.”

“Manok na pula, mukhang matapang.” - is another filipino meme, in english it translates to ‘Red chicken looks tough’. This line comes from a filipino song which is about betting on chickens.

Hihi! Ize is here! This is my first post! So please don’t come at me soon aha, and yes! I’m a filipino! I love the philippines and want to show the world our culture, but the philippine’s government is corrupt. Can someone just please put the president out of position?? Anyways! This was really fun for me to write! Though it got frustrating as I had accdientally deleted all of the content and had to rewrite it all again, anyways. That’s all! SAYONARA!

[emoshishi]

Bibingka // A Short Story About Celebrating Christmas

Quite Unedited

Word Count: I don't know how to copy everything since it would only let me copy one paragraph and I'm too lazy copy and pasting every thing so I could see the word count so....

a/n: this was supposed to be my entry in the creative writing contest our school held weeks ago before we had our sembreak. i haven't got the chance to join because i was too hesitant and a shy bitch. i wrote this originally in Filipino language and in my wattpad account. this is too late to post since christmas was days ago, but oh well. i hope you enjoy this piece of shit lmao.

Some other notes to take:

Lola - A Filipino word which means "Grandma" in English

Pancit - A Filipino dish

Bibingka is a rice cake that came from Indonesia and Philippines

Apo - A Filipino word which means "Grandchild" in English

Ate - Pronounced as 'a-te', a Filipino word which means "Sister" in English. Ate is like "Eonnie" and "Noona" in Korean language. The difference is anyone can use it, to address older women, usually your older sister.

Noche Buena - Filipino Christmas Eve. When it's December 24, and the clock strikes to 12, it means that it's automatically December 25, families celebrate it with having a feast. We also open presents at that time.

Simbang Gabi - Night Mass or Night Worship in English.

The soft sounds of a Christmas song coming from the radio can be heard through the whole living room. While I was arranging the table, Lola Ising come out from the kitchen with a pot of pancit.

With a wide smile plastered on her face, she walked towards me and helped me set up the table.

"Merry Christmas, apo."

I returned her smile and greetings. My grandma's attitude isn't so unusual at all. She's always so lively and energetic despite her age. There's not a time that you will see her angelic smile turn into a frown.

"I wasn't able to see bibingka at any store earlier. I'm sorry if I was unable to buy one." She apologized.

With a soft laugh, I insisted her that it's fine.

She didn't answer me and just smiled again before returning to the kitchen while I continued to work with the table and dishes. These are already enough for us three-- my grandma and I, and my younger sibling, Pao.

My mom passed away several years ago. My father, an ofw, works abroad just to send us money every month. He left a week after my mother was buried. Since then, I didn't see him anymore.

In all honesty, I never felt any rage at him when he left. I was actually sad at first, but I know that he was doing it for my sibling and I. I know that my mother's death caused him so much pain, and I knew he needed time for himself. I understood that, and I am hoping that Pao would, too.

My thoughts were interrupted when grandma placed her hand on my shoulder, asking me to fetch my brother upstairs.

Like what she said, I called Pao and told him we're going to eat. The clock's hands were pointing at 12 A.M. already, signalling that it's already Noche Buena. He cheered gleefully and as we go down, he quickly run towards Lola Ising, and he was enveloped with her comforting arms.

They spend more time together, if I'm going to be honest. Pao was unable to feel my mother's love and care. She died even before she can see and hold him.

That's why I can see why grandma and him click so much. He was taken care of by my grandma that he never even felt once with my mother. It's a pity that they never saw. each other

I catched up with them and prayed before we eat.

Like what I said, our food is only enough for us three. We are scared that the food might turn into waste if we had leftovers. Other than that, we want to make the feast simple.

While eating, my eyes went to observe what's happening outside. The street was almost empty and I couldn't see anyone passing by. From my position, I could see people in their respective houses.

It's sad that having people around is very impossible to do in celebrating the holiday. However, no one wanted this to happen in the first place. All I wish for is for the pandemic to stop.

We finished eating few moments later and cleaned up the table. I was about to wash the dishes but my grandma insisted that she can do it and that I should spend my time with my brother. I couldn't do anything, knowing that she wouldn't let me help her even if I ask too many times, so I followed what she asked me to do.

I went in the balcony and took a seat beside Pao. There, we sat in silence, until he rushed to go inside. I watched him stumble in the stairs a bit and I laughed at his clumsiness. When he go down, I saw him holding a something that is wrapped with a Christmas-themed gift wrapper.

With amusement, I asked him. "What's this?",

He became silent. I frowned and stare at the gift he lend to me. From the way it was wrapped, I can tell that the object was in a square shape. I couldn't exactly tell what it is, since it could be anything.

I ripped the wrapper slowly, making sure that I was careful enough not to rip it entirely because it can still be used for next year. My eyes widened when I saw the familiar album cover of one of my favorite band's album.

"I would notice you stare at it for too long every time we would stop by at the local music store. I figured that it would be a perfect gift for you this Christmas, so I would keep my extra money and save it to buy that."

I smiled so wide that my lips could rip apart, but I was very happy. I wasn't expecting him to buy me one, knowing that he would always gushed something about a toy. It's embarrassing that I didn't even bought a gift.

I pulled him in a very tight hug as tears brimmed my eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart. I'm sorry that I didn't even bought something for you."

He pats my back as he pulled back and I held back my tears that were threatening to fall. "You're the best gift I could ever ask for, ate."

With that, I began to cry. He reached over and wiped away the tears for me. I feel like dying just by letting my brother seeing me cry, thinking that he would think of me as weak. But now, that doesn't really matter.

We just sat there as I calm myself. Once I finally stopped crying, he stood up and gave me one last hug as he scolded me. "I'll go to sleep now. You too, hm? Don't sleep to late!"

I laughed at him and simply nodded.

With my mask on and a sanitizer on my hand, I walked in the street, trying to breathe fresh air. I carefully observed everything as I walk. The streets that were used to be filled up with little kids running and playing around as the night passes by every Christmas eve now are so empty and sad. Families that would host little games and give away presents and monies were now locked up inside their houses. People who would stay up until morning just to talk to their loved ones, drink with their friends and family, are now fast asleep. It feels like the spirit of Christmas isn't there anymore. But what did really change in all these years? Is it the people? Or Christmas itself?

Without noticing, I was already in front of the church. Only few attended the mass because of the virus' threat, and they were already going outside. I could hear them chatter, but the noise died down immediately. Some looks gloomy, while some stayed cheerful. I guess celebrating this occasion really depends on people's perspective. Some may think that it's not fun, some may think that it still is, but I guess that's fine. Besides, we can't really blame people about how they feel.

I decided to stand still there and look at the church. I was just watching the light decorations flicker into different colors. Erasing my negative thoughts, I decided to smile. Regardless of the uncertainty of it being fake or real, I pulled of one. I closed my eyes and breathe deeply,

Everything will be okay, it will be.

Once I opened my eyes, I immediately heard someone calling my name. I looked around and saw a man. Despite of having a mask on his face, I recognize his features, knowing who's behind it. Waving at me, he slowly showed me a plastic bag, mouthing "Bibingka?"-----

It was my dad.

[battlestar-royco]

Let’s settle this once and for all: are the Illyrians MOC?

So, in writing the answer to this ask, I FINALLY put two and two together on something: another reason why SJ/M’s constant use of “golden-brown” to describe the I/llyrians doesn’t sit right is because that’s literally the only indication that they are MOC. Looking at fan art, it’s clear that some artists are going for a non-white skin tone. If so, then why don’t they look like MOC? Why is there so much contention and confusion around whether or not these men are white? I have been subconsciously baffled by this phenomenon for years, since AC0MAF came out in 2016. I don’t know why this took me so long to conclude, because people have been essentially saying the same thing about POC in SJ/M’s books since AC0MAF dropped, but here is the reason: in both the books and the art, their complexion is the only thing that indicates they are MOC. There’s a lot, as they say, to unpack here. This is gonna get long (seriously, RIP to your thumbs. I promise it’s half photos). Snip.

The Golden-Brown Suitcase

So. We have descriptions such as these (all emphasis mine; special thanks to @longsightmyth​ for pulling many quotes and citations!)...

1. about C/assian and A/zriel: “Like their High Lord, the males---warriors---were dark-haired, tan-skinned. But unlike Rhys, their eyes were hazel...”  (AC0MAF, pg. 140 B&N ebook).

2. “Cassian surveyed Rhys from head to foot, his shoulder-length black hair shifting with the movement” (140).

3. about A/zriel: “But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two... Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face” (140).

4. “I could have sworn Rhys’s golden-brown skin paled” (AC0WAR, pg. 223 Kindle edition).

5. “Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks” (254).

6. “I tried to catch Cassian’s gaze, but he was monitoring them closely, his golden-brown skin unnaturally pale” (280).

7. “But Nesta’s pale fingers gently probed his golden-brown skin” (514).

... spawning fan art en masse like this:

art courtesy: x x x

What’s wrong with this (these) picture(s)? They are white men with the complexions of MOC. The fandom (and thus artists) have nothing but “golden-brown” (a term that is notably introduced in AC0WAR, one installment after the I/llyrians first appear) to go on, so they default to imagining the I/llyrians as tanned Henry Cavill, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Viggo Mortensen types. You could simply lighten the value of the above artworks (but please DO NOT do this) and have white men. THIS is why, despite the golden-brown descriptor and the Darker-Than-Fayre skin tones in the fandom art, there is so much debate and confusion around whether or not the I/llyrians are MOC. Golden-brown skin with straight black hair, straight noses, and round light eyes do not a man of color make. Why not? Because “golden-brown” is a very nebulous term that can apply to countless skin tones and ethnicities. Some examples (... your THUMBS I’m so sorry slafajklsk):

^ Indian,

^ Mexican,

^ Guatemalan,

^ Hawaiian,

^ Afro-Caribbean,

^ and Filipino. For starters.

Now, why is it that upon first glance, you can tell that all the men in these photos are not white? Because race is constructed such that we can immediately identify it, whether subconsciously or consciously. We’re socially conditioned to recognize this in other people and immediately ascribe our own perception of their race and ethnicity onto them. Not only can you tell they are not white, but you also have a ballpark idea of where in the world they are from. Note the wide variance in thickness and texture of hair (head, facial, and body); the cool and warm undertones that change by the person; the wide, ridged, and/or downturned noses; eye shape, body type etc. So why can’t we put a finger on what the I/llyrians are supposed to look like as MOC? Why do so many people perceive them as white? Because SJ/M has no target ethnicity for the I/llyrians, meaning that they have no clarifying features to imply one specific ethnic background in the text or fan art. All we know for sure about the I/llyrians is that they are dark-haired, darker complected than the A/rcheron sisters, and they pale and blush. Vagueness regarding race always causes fandom to default to white, thus the general “tan white dudes” interpretation of the I/llyrians.

The Illyrian Suitcase

We’ve now come across another suitcase within this entire I/llyrian Ethnicity Moving Truck of stuff we need to unpack: the smidge of evidence that the I/llyrians are inspired by somewhere in the MENA region. Given the harem pants and henna-reminiscent tattoos that appear in the Nite Court, plus the mosques and clothing that appear in fandom edits and art, general “MENA” may be the closest approximation to I/llyrian ethnicity. However, the problems snowball from here.

1. The MENA label is far too general to treat as one single race/ethnicity. General fandom perception/depiction of I/llyrians does not nearly encompass the multitude of appearances someone could have if they are from the MENA region. Harem pants and henna are used in multiple countries, so it is impossible to pin down a non-monolithic appearance with just the Nite Court attire and “golden-brown” description.

2. The Nite Court and the I/llyrians are two separate entities. Not all V/elaris residents are I/llyrian, not all Nite courtiers are I/llyrian, and not even all Inner Circle members are I/llyrian. Therefore, we cannot conflate the Nite clothing and tattoos with I/llyrian culture.

3. This leads me to my next point: we still have white and non-I/llyrian characters wearing harem pants and tattoos. Fayre, M0r, and A/mren’s attire is not culturally meaningful to the Nite Court. It also clashes with sweaters and leggings, dresses made of chiffon, bell sleeves, and Elie Saab-reminiscent designs (ie Starfall, Court of Nightmares). Thus, the attire loses all internal consistency and meaning beyond the mood SJ/M wishes to set for a given scene, making the implication that their outerwear is meant to be sexy or aesthetic rather than culturally significant.

4. The I/llyrians as a race of POC meaninglessly perpetuate stereotypes. Granted, sexism exists in high fae society (ie Fayre being paraded as “Rice’s whore” in the CoN, M/or being treated as a commodity and broodmare, the lack of High Ladies), so the misogyny and violence against women are not unique to I/llyrians. We also get more than one I/llyrian main character, so they are not a complete monolith. But there are still issues. One, the I/llyrians are oppressed by the high fae. It is well documented that the high fae are the dominant race and look down upon lesser fae. This dichotomy has yet to be unpacked by SJ/M. Two, I/llyrian women are oppressed by I/llyrian men (wing-cutting, commodification, gender roles, etc). There are absolutely zero fleshed out I/llyrian women, so the only information we have about their experience and existence is through Fayre’s eyes and Rice’s word. This framing is white feminist at best, white savior-y at worst. Three, we only know I/llyrians who have assimilated into high fae culture. Rice, the High Lord, is half high fae and half I/llyrian. Only he and his friends, I/llyrians who have been “elevated” from bastard/oppressed I/llyrian status, know better than the other more “savage” I/llyrians. Coincidence? I think not.

The Lucien Suitcase

All this gets even more confusing when you consider the fact that SJ/M uses “golden-brown” as a blanket non-white coding tool. In the T0G series, at LEAST the following characters are described as golden-brown: S/artaq (T0D, pg. 345 Kindle edition), Nesrin (K0A, 180), and Irene (403). In AC0WAR, at LEAST the following are described as golden-brown: the I/llyrians, Vassa (685), and L/ucien (183, 302, 456). Our best approximation is that S/artaq and Nesrin are South Asian given their southern continent origin, Irene is part-black given her E/yllwe father, Vassa is... golden brown, and L/ucien is part black and part white. The term is used so frequently that it is meaningless as an indicator for race. We’ve again found the golden-brown suitcase, which in SJ/M’s novels encases allll the aforementioned ethnicities and more. Again, this causes very anglicized and/or inconsistent looks to pop up in fan art:

x

x

x

Conclusion

it seems that the I/llyrians are MOC, based on the fact that they and other POC are frequently described as “golden-brown.” That said, the golden-brown descriptor is not enough. The I/llyrians do not serve their purpose as representative characters because they are not easily identifiable to their target demographic, nor are they a positive representation. In a social context where we are so trained to recognize these things, explicit media representation is much preferred, if not necessary. It is the reader’s prerogative---namely, non-white readers’ prerogative---to interpret these characters how they wish. We’d be unpacking a whole other house if we were to go into the meaning behind L/ucien as a black man, Irene as a black woman, Nesrin as South Asian, etc, and that is for another day. Thanks so much for reading all this way if you got this far. I know I’m extra, sorry. The creative writing/women’s and gender studies major jumped out lmao. My inbox is always open if you want to parse that out or if you have any further questions!

[ditchedxxx]

21 questions

I'm late I'm so sorry vslndjwndks.

/////

Nickname: Katie. Sometimes Kates?

Zodiac: I'm not sure if you mean starsign or the chinese year thing, so I'm doing both. I'm a libra, born in the year of the dragon lmao

Height: 4'11 and 3/4 shut up i'm tiny

Last movie I saw: Bleach, the Diamond Dust Rebellion lol. My dad just downloaded it and I had nothing to do so.

Last thing I googled: Uh. A recipe for afritada bc my dad wanted that for dinner.

Favorite musician: ooohhh that's so hard I listen to a lottttt of artists. I think rn the answer is Jojo, because I've loved her music since I was little! Too little too late was my jam as a kid, and god, did I love her newest albums. Oooooh and the updated old ones? The 2018 versions of leave (get out) and too little too late... so good.

Hm. I gotta add tho bc Sara Bareilles and Michelle Branch are right up there with her. 3 year old me could sing Michelle Branch's Breathe, and i still throw it on when i feel senti. Sara bareilles music makes me feel soooo much and i love her.

Song stuck in my head: Ghost of You by 5SOS. It inspired an angsty fic that I'm gonna plot tonight, and probably shelve for future use after I finish my zine piece and my other chapterfics.

My other blogs: oof okay. @apieceforthewrongpuzzle is my studyblr. I don't use it much and mostly reblog, just for resources and helpful tips. @themundanebeautyproj was for a school assignment and I haven't deleted it bc i use it to save posts i want to find easily since i dont use it as often-- ergo, less reblogged shit to scroll through. And @haikyuutales-a-collection is the blog for my haikyuu folktales zine! I'm currently taking a short break from the PR since I don't have discord access, but follow that blog if you wanna be updated about the zine's progress and see sneakpeeks and stuff later on in the creation process!

Do I get asks: I've had a few. Some on anon, most from friends. I wouldn't mind more though!

Following: uhhhhhhh 524...? Whoops

Followers: 80! Wow that's a lot. Thanks guys!

Amount of sleep: usually 8-10? All i know is almost always, regardless of what time i fall asleep, i wake up around 9ish. Recently, anyway.

Lucky number: i've always really liked 7.

What I'm wearing: an "okay? Okay." Shirt that has two sad little cuts in the bottom left from who knows where and black and green sports shorts-- yknow, the weird holey ones.

Dream job: teaching, or something involving museums or libraries. Editing would be nice too.

Dream trip: honestly? Anywhere. I'd love to visit more asian countries tho, especially japan and korea!

Favorite food: bacon or chocolate! Also rice. Fuck yeah rice is great

Play any instruments: i briefly tried to learn guitar but soon gave up. So no. I sing tho.

Languages: English is my mother tongue, obviously, it's what I grew up speaking, but I have a pretty decent grasp of Filipino (mostly comprehension, my grammar is shit). I also know very very basic Mandarin. Not a lot. Briefly tried to use duolingo for french so i have a smattering of vocab in that language. I also once had a phase where i tried russian. I remember like. 2 phrases and nothing of the alphabet. Uh. I know some ASL? Like. 5-10 signs and fingerspelling only tho.

Favorite songs: ..... don't ask me this. I listen to a Lot

Random facts:

I'm Catholic, but not super devout

I sometimes write poetry

You can't see them unless you're rightttt up in my face, but i have some freckles on my nose and cheeks. They're hidden by my dark-ish skin tho.

I like to lick my lollipops slow and whatever idk, and i only eat orange ones

I studied STEM in my last 2 years of hs and hated it, my whole class knew I should've gone humanities bc that's where my passion was

I discovered I liked writing in 7th grade a week after I turned down an invitation from the writing club to join the invitational science club instead. I didn't have much fun. (Seems like foreshadowing....)

I was once in the top 24 students for math in my grade level-- out of 280 students give or take. Only for 4th and 5th grade tho.

Uh. My SAT score was 1440?

Lol they're all acads related bc i went to visit my old school today and have no idea what else to say.

Bonus-- describe yourself as aesthetic things: polaroids and old letters, open notebooks and fountain pens, calligraphy inks in bottles lined up on shelves. Sunsets through windows and a girl with her arms spread wide in the rain. Also fairy lights and lanterns. A single knife blade. Headphones.

Okay! Tagging is hard. I tag!!! @mooifyourecows @sugaandyams @i-am-a-bit-of-a-crank @rootnjoons @lovetinted @cheetahleopard @tentaclebubbles @tendous-satoris @that-one-guy-in-naruto @onceabluemoonwrites @tottwriter @raincloud10 @satans-little-rabbit @cathxstra @glitch-writes @icannotbebotheredanymore @kenmagoesblep @cubistemoji andddd idk im out of ideas for who to tag wow ok.

Just do it if you want!!!!

[swordmaid]

tagged by @tylerjoxeph . thanks cirrena !

Rules : Answer 30 Questions then tag 20 blogs too much for me lmao.

Questions:

1. Nicknames: variations of elloise---elle, ell, ello. 

2. Gender: female.

3. Star sign: gemini.

4. Height: 5′5″ --- i think ? i’m not so sure. anyway, i’m average-sized, though leaning more into the shorter end of the spectrum.

5. Time: 6:34 a.m lol.

6. Birthday: june 3rd.

7. Favourite bands: paramore , blondie , queen , parokya ni edgar.

8. Favourite solo artists: fka twigs , matd , sia , lorde , whitney houston , beyonce, & so many more.

9. Song stuck in my head: lovergirl by teena marie.

10. Last movie watched: mommie dearest, i think. i don’t remember.

11. Last show watched: riverdale.

12. When did I create my blog: i’ve recreated my blog so many times but granted, i’ve been in this dumb website since 2012.

13. What do I post: text posts, aesthetic, lots of memes and the occasional ( not really ) sersher velur

14. Last thing googled: fabric paint

15. Do you have other blogs: i have a lot of side blogs.

16. Do you get asks: would be nice

17. Why did you choose your url: in the past i’ve always changed my url depending on what series i’m currently raving about, but that kinda got annoying so i settled with dusktint bc. A. i love dusk. there’s just that vibe that comes when it’s dusk and i love it. B. tint is like rose colored glasses-esque kinda thing, so a+b= go figure.

also wanted something with roses because i love them. roses = rose-coloured glasses= tint.

18. Following: 224.

19. Followers: 532.

20. Favorite colors: white, mustard, and pastel pink.

21. Average hours of sleep: 4, i think. would like to get 8 hours tho but that sounds unrealistic.

22. Lucky number: 3.

23. Instruments: no ma.

24. What I am wearing: t shirt and undies.

25. How many blankets I sleep with: one.

26. Dream job: art director, animator, concept artist, film maker, etc. i want to work in film.

27. Dream trip: traveling to another country is always feels like a dream so. 

28. Favourite food: rice.

29. Nationality: filipino. 

30. Favourite song now: i wanna dance with somebody by whitney houston ! 

Tagging: @tea-tower @glinomomagon @damnlettuce @tahimikamaxtli @wr3h @beachmccree and anyone else that wants to do this. just say i tagged you lol

[hwangminyeo]

30 Questions Taggg

Rules: answer 30 questions then tag 20 blogs you would like to know better.

I was tagged by: @emperorhwangs thank you for tagging me~!

1. Nicknames:  abby (my full first name is abigail and i hate it so much argh), babby, bee, beebee, goosey

2. Gender: Female

3. Star sign: Leo!

4. Height: oompa loompa size 5′3, like 161-162 cm ??? 

5. Time: 11:49 PM

6. Birthday: August 1st

7. Favorite Bands/Groups: I’m assuming this is supposed to be kpop related :o ??? Nu’est, Wanna One, B1A4, Apink, Blackpink, and Oh My Girl

8. Favorite solo artists: Maybe Zion T and Suran? I don’t listen to many solo artists

9. Song stuck in my head: since I said Suran, now If I Get Drunk Today is stuck in my head lol

10. Last movie watched: To the Bone

11. Last show watched: My cousin got me hooked on iZombie, its rly rly good

12. When did i create my blog: Mid May

13. What do I post: Reblogs of beautiful gifs of beautiful people 

14. Last thing googled: Too Faced Natural Love Limited Edition Palette, I was hoping they’d have it at the mall today at Sephora but they don’t sell it anymore. Welp. :(

15. Do you have other blogs?: Nope.

16. Do you get asks?: Sometimes! And it’s usually for those ask games or someone needing nu’est information which I am always glad to help with/research! I mainly talk through direct messaging even though I’m really bad at replying sometimes bc I am distracted or busy so pls don’t think I ignore you!!! ;w; 

17. Why did u choose your url?: Because Hwang Minhyun is a beauty and it’s his best nickname (fun fact: it was either this or minhearts) I used to have a dash in between hwang and minyeo but Ellie @hyun95 let me know hwangminyeo was an open url and i am super thankful~ ♡

18. Following: 64! I go blog stalking sometimes bc I know I need to follow more but when I’m on tumblr I’m usually multi-tasking at the same time which makes me distracted and forget asdfghjkl

19. Followers: Just surpassed 1.2k the other day and I’m shook and everyone is so sweet and kind and put up with my shitty text posts (which are mainly jokes or me freaking out) :((

20. Favorite colors: pastel colors! but pink is my favorite

21. Average hours of sleep: 6-7

22. Lucky number: asdfghjkl ??? idk maybe 5? bc i’m the 5th child in my family and i rly like the number

23. Instruments: I taught myself piano for about 3 months then gave up and now I play ukulele lmao

24. What am I wearing: a pajama t-shirt bc this florida heat got me fcked up even though I should be used to it by now

25. How many blankets I sleep with: 2 because I sleep with my fan on and if I don’t then it gets really hot and i’m not about to let my legs be grabbed by a ghost

26. Dream job: Anything in the medical field (but I have a sensitive stomach and can’t stand the sight of blood or injuries no matter how small) bc I can help people

27. Dream trip: I’ve wanted to go to France and Greece for forever!!1! I also took a Euro History class and would love to go to other European countries as well bc I’m a nerd for history and want to see everything I learned about~

28. Favorite food(s): Steak, Rice, Beef, Pizza, Burgers, Sushi, Pho, anything and everything except pork because I don’t like the taste of pork :(

29. Nationality: Filipino-American 

30. Favorite song now: I’ve been listening to Sorry by Ciara a lot :)))

i am going to tag: @extraongdinary @wannabl @2hyeons @jaehwanspsychopathlaugh @sleeptalkingg @bbaekmin @dank-danik @jinguos @swoojin @hyuncakes @daybreak-mp3 @onibugi-jr @oneminhyun @danik-chu @pockyjonghyuns @nuest-rebirth @kangdan101 @hyun95  @minhyunisperfection @kangdanielprotectionsquad @luminous-point @nuestlovestory @peachgodkangdaniel @minsbugi @godkangdaniel  (pls ignore this if you have already done it/don’t feel like doing it!)

[queenofblending]

🌈 an athletic shoe, specifically meant for physical activity, never appealed to me so much!😍 Finally used the gift card @famousfootwear sent me & picked up these rainbowtastic @filausa beauties , thanks so much! ❤️💛💚💙💜 I may have waited too long but better than never to get back into it! I refuse to take my dog for daily walks in the heat, I need this summer to end asap.😒. can't go in the evenings when it's cool, because of school (almost over btw!!!) SO there's always the gym, with AC 😁 Malaea has been asking, practically begging to go so I can't wait to spend some positive, quality time with her. pumpin iron (5lb dumbbells 😂) and awkwardly fumbling with treadmill buttons. Just the two of us, like the good old days before a certain someone came and stole the show 👼🏽 anyway- here's to new, rainbow motivation! I lost 45lbs on my own from walking & cutting down on white rice. White rice is like catnip to Filipinos lmao Pretttty sure I can do it again and nowwwwww people can't complain about my shoes! 😘 💛 💙 💕 #famousfootwear #fila #filashoes #rainbowlife #fitnessmotivation #queenofblending (at Pasadena, California)

[guacnroll]

that 100 question jawn

Yeah so @starsburnouttoo tagged me in this like a month or two ago and I typed it up and never posted it so here it is.  My bad.

1. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR CLOSET DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED?

Closed.  I always thought some kind of monster was in there as a kid. Now it’s out of habit.

2. DO YOU TAKE THE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER BOTTLES FROM HOTELS?

Why?  That’s just more shit to pack and potential spillage to clean up later.

3. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR SHEETS TUCKED IN OR OUT?

Sheets tucked in.  You know, like a normal person.

4. HAVE YOU STOLEN A STREET SIGN BEFORE?

I haven’t, but I would and I will.

5. DO YOU LIKE TO USE POST-IT NOTES?

I just use the memo app on my phone.

6. DO YOU CUT OUT COUPONS BUT THEN NEVER USE THEM?

I don’t use coupons unless I need them, so nah.

7. WOULD YOU RATHER BE ATTACKED BY A BIG BEAR OR A SWARM OF BEES?

Swarm of bees, because they could probably be dealt with easier.  Smoke or some shit.  Worse comes to worse, there’s a better chance of survival with a swarm of bees.

8. DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES?

I don’t think I’ve known any full Filipino with freckles.

9. DO YOU ALWAYS SMILE FOR PICTURES?

Lmao barely.

10. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE?

Getting interrupted while tal-

11. DO YOU EVER COUNT YOUR STEPS WHEN YOU WALK?

There’s an app for that, bruh.  Count calories.

12. HAVE YOU PEED IN THE WOODS?

I went backpacking in the mountains for a week for a class, so yeah.

13. HAVE YOU EVER POOPED IN THE WOODS?

A week.  At least we had toilet paper.

14. DO YOU EVER DANCE EVEN IF THERES NO MUSIC PLAYING?

Why would I do that? I’m not even a good dancer in general.

15. DO YOU CHEW YOUR PENS AND PENCILS?

I used to.  Not anymore.

16. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH THIS WEEK?

Do engineering textbooks count as people?

17. WHAT SIZE IS YOUR BED?

Twin because that’s what the apartment provided.

18. WHAT IS YOUR SONG OF THE WEEK?

Suede – NxWorries

19. IS IT OK FOR GUYS TO WEAR PINK?

Why would it not be okay?

20. DO YOU STILL WATCH CARTOONS?

Listen man, there’s so much anime out there, and with that Steven Universe shit coming out, damn. Speaking of which when is Koe no Katachi and Kimi no Na wa getting subbed this needs to be a thing also back to Steven Universe what’s Cartoon Network doing like are they trying to lower rati-

21. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE?

If I don’t like a movie I’ll just stop watching it.  The worst movie I remember having to watch all the way through is the second Percy Jackson movie, and I only watched it because my little sister wanted to watch it.

22. WHERE WOULD YOU BURY HIDDEN TREASURE IF YOU HAD SOME?

I’d probably take a long drive somewhere, and find a nice secluded area.  Then I’d bury it there, and record the geo coordinates somewhere.

23. WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH DINNER?

It depends on what I’m eating man.  You gotta match the drink to the food, bruh.

24. WHAT DO YOU DIP A CHICKEN NUGGET IN?

Chick-fil-a sauce, Polynesian sauce, BBQ, ketchup, honey mustard.

25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

Filipino food’s da bomb.com.

26. WHAT MOVIES COULD YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL LOVE?

Any Studio Ghibli movie, probably.  Or, you know, Shawshank Redemption.  Maybe Clerks? Idk.

27. LAST PERSON YOU KISSED/KISSED YOU?

Someone at a New Year’s Eve party.

28. WERE YOU EVER A BOY/GIRL SCOUT?

Luh mao.  Nah.

29. WOULD YOU EVER STRIP OR POSE NUDE IN A MAGAZINE?

Yall are funny.

30. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ON PAPER?

I dunno, like, sixth grade? Yall ever heard of e-mail?  Game changer, man.

31. CAN YOU CHANGE THE OIL ON A CAR?

I drive.  I better know.

32. EVER GOTTEN A SPEEDING TICKET?

Nah.

33. EVER RAN OUT OF GAS?

I try to make sure that doesn’t happen.

34. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF SANDWICH?

Either chicken parm or pulled pork.

35. BEST THING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST?

I was talking to a few of other Filipino friends earlier.  Bacon, eggs, and rice seems to be a staple in Filipino, or at least, Fil-Am culture.  Idk if that’s just an Asian thing or a Filipino thing, tho.

36. WHAT IS YOUR USUAL BEDTIME?

Electrical Engineering major and late working hours dictate between 12-3 AM.

37. ARE YOU LAZY?

Despite all the work I piled onto myself, I still find time to take naps.  So yeah.

38. WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN?

Astronaut, Harry Potter, the usual.

39. WHAT IS YOUR CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN?

Year of the ox.

40. HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK?

My parents tried teaching me Tagalog as a kid but apparently my bitchass was like “Speak English I’m an ungrateful brat hahahah.”  I know a few words but other than that, nah.

 And English.  But that’s a given.

41. DO YOU HAVE ANY MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS?

Nah.

42. WHICH ARE BETTER: LEGOS OR LINCOLN LOGS?

Better question: who would answer Lincoln Logs?

43. ARE YOU STUBBORN?

Only on something that really matters to me.  So like “drop this class it’s getting in the way of your grades,” I’ll be like “nah.” Other than that prolly not.

44. WHO IS BETTER: LENO OR LETTERMAN?

I don’t watch a lot of late night talk shows, and those guys are like before my generation, bro.

45. EVER WATCH SOAP OPERAS?

My sister told me to watch this K-Drama called Goblin and that’s basically a soap.

46. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS?

If there’s no railing then yeah.

47. DO YOU SING IN THE CAR?

Not unless I’m the only one in the car honestly.

48. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER?

Lmao nah.

49. DO YOU DANCE IN THE CAR?

Only when I’m with close friends or alone.

50. EVER USED A GUN?

Yeah.  It was pretty fun ngl.

51. LAST TIME YOU GOT A PORTRAIT TAKEN BY A PHOTOGRAPHER?

Last year.

52. DO YOU THINK MUSICALS ARE CHEESY?

[has flashbacks of high school pit band]

53. IS CHRISTMAS STRESSFUL?

The most stressful part of Christmas is my mom bringing us to Church for like 3 hours.

54. EVER EAT A PIEROGI?

They’re pretty good.

55. FAVORITE TYPE OF FRUIT PIE?

Apple, probably.

56. OCCUPATIONS YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID?

Musician, author, scientist, somebody famous with lots of hoes and money, idk.

57. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?

My friend claims he talks to ghost and I’m inclined to believe him tbh.

58. EVER HAVE A DEJA-VU FEELING?

Yeah, a bunch.

59. DO YOU TAKE A VITAMIN DAILY?

Nah.

60. DO YOU WEAR SLIPPERS?

Don’t touch my chinelas cuh

61. DO YOU WEAR A BATH ROBE?

Nah.

62. WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED?

Sweatpants, t-shirt.   The basics.

63. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT?

Kanye West, floor tickets, TLOP PSU 2016 heh heh

64. WALMART, TARGET, OR KMART?

Target bruh

65. NIKE OR ADIDAS?

I have a pair of Adidas sweatpants so like Adidas I guess

66. CHEETOS OR FRITOS?

Cheetos if I had to choose.

67. PEANUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS?

I hate peanuts.

68. EVER HEAR OF THE GROUP TRES BIEN?

Ohhh you tryna go there? You think just because you know one obscure band means you’re all that but I bet you don’t even listen to prog rock you hipster piec-

69. EVER TAKE DANCE LESSONS?

I should.

70. IS THERE A PROFESSION YOU PICTURE YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE DOING?

Nah.  But the dream girl is probably Yuja Wang, so if you’re classically trained in any instrument then you’re probably an 8/10 in my book already.

71. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE?

Nah I got dem recessive genes bruh.

72. EVER WON A SPELLING BEE?

Like, once.  In third grade.  It wasn’t a huge thing.

73. HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE YOU WERE SO HAPPY?

The only time that would’ve happened in my life is when my sister was born.

74. OWN ANY RECORD ALBUMS?

I got a vinyl of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band b/c y not ya feel

75. OWN A RECORD PLAYER?

I’ll probably buy one. Eventually.

76. DO YOU REGULARLY BURN INCENSE?

The only thing I burn regularly is dat broccoli heh

77. EVER BEEN IN LOVE?

Yeah, that’s like a thing most people do.

78. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN CONCERT?

I’mma see Chance the Rapper soon, but other than that, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Isaiah Rashad, and I’d like to hear Yuja Wang perform some Prokofiev or Rachmaninoff or something.

79. WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU SAW?

Kanye West lol

80. HOT TEA OR COLD TEA?

Hot tea preferably.

81. TEA OR COFFEE?

I like both, but given my life I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee to stay awake recently.

82. SUGAR COOKIES OR SNICKERDOODLES?

Idk.

83. CAN YOU SWIM WELL?

I know how to swim, I guess.

84. CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITHOUT HOLDING YOUR NOSE?

Who can’t?..

85. ARE YOU PATIENT?

I wouldn’t be able to be an engineer if I wasn’t :^)

86. DJ OR BAND AT A WEDDING?

I’ll figure it out when I’m at that point.

87. EVER WON A CONTEST?

Does winning a music scholarship for my high school count.

88. HAVE YOU EVER HAD PLASTIC SURGERY?

Nah.

89. WHICH ARE BETTER: BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES?

I’m not, like, an olive expert man.

90. CAN YOU KNIT OR CROCHET?

Nah.

91. BEST ROOM FOR A FIREPLACE?

The living room I guess.

92. DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED?

Yeah sure.

93. IF MARRIED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?

Nah.

94. WHO WAS YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CRUSH?

There was some cute bassist in the pit band in my junior year.  I prolly could’ve asked her out, but like she was a senior going to college so I didn’t really see a real reason at that point.

95. DO YOU CRY AND THROW A FIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR OWN WAY?

No because I try to be better than that.

96. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Nah.

97. DO YOU WANT KIDS?

Sure.

98. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?

Idk, blue, maroon.

99. DO YOU MISS ANYONE RIGHT NOW?

I’m at home rn so nah.

100. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TAG TO DO THIS VIDEO NEXT?

Is this a video?  This isn’t a video.

@katie-be-happy @bluebrry  What’s up yooo

[purplesurveys]

944

Things won’t get better unless you make them better Survey by emptyspaces

Do you agree with the quote in the survey title? For the most part, yes. A lot of the good things that have happened or come to me did so because I did something about them to some extent. I wouldn’t have begun dating my girlfriend if I didn’t ask her out, I wouldn’t have gotten this internship offer if I didn’t send a letter of interest, etc.

How many windows are on the front of your house? There’s one tiny window on the left side, then on the right is one big window but with three panes.

What common problem have you never experienced? Commuting at rush hour or getting the chickenpox.

Alternatively, what's an uncommon problem you have experienced? Being chased by a giant bird that I was trying to take a quick snapshot of from a distance.

Do you know anyone who opposes marriage equality? You mean the entire Filipino population who isn’t a millennial or from Gen Z? Sure. I can give you a novel with a list of names.

Are you an early riser or a night owl? I’m...both. I barely sleep. I have a 9-6 day shift but I also accompany Gab for a few hours on her 9-6 night shift, but honestly I don’t get tired from it at all. I seem to do well with only 3-4 hours of sleep.

What was the last thing you got really emotional about? Her and I.

What's the longest amount of time you've been ill for? That week-long fever I had a few months ago. Prior to that I only ever had quick overnight fevers, so you could just imagine my horror when my fever turned into 2 days, then 3, until a whole week passed and I was still playing around 38-39ºC.

What's your cure for hiccups? I hold my breath but it doesn’t always work. I don’t have other cures for it and I just let it naturally go away.

Who is your closest male friend? My eldest cousin on my mom’s side. Or Hans, but we only ever talk when Angela’s present or involved.

Do you track your spending? Yes. I only get an allowance so it’s not much, and I especially had to track it when I was still in school because back then I had to allot for gas, food, and course readings. 

Are you addicted to anything? I love love love my dogs, but I don’t know if that counts as an ‘addiction.’

What was your life like 5 years ago? Where were you living, working, etc? I was in my senior year in high school. It was two months after I went through a bad breakup, less than a month since I went through a grandparent’s death for the first time, and it was around the time I had taken the ACET. Not the best of times, and I can’t believe my life is as turbulent five years later. It just doesn’t feel fair, lol.

Have you ever let a mental health issue go untreated? It’s been untreated for around a decade now. Idk man, it will take a lot for me to be convinced to share my life story and most inner thoughts to a therapist who is also a stranger.

Do you know anyone who hunts for meat? No.

Have you ever lived with a boyfriend/girlfriend? I haven’t. I wouldn’t want that at 22, I think it’s way too early to be doing it. I don’t even have my own place yet.

What do you wash dishes with? Sponge, scrub brush, rag, something else? A sponge and the wire ball thing that makes it easier to scrape off dried rice.

Is there anything you prefer to do the old-fashioned way? Weddings. I will always fall head over heels in love over weddings where the color scheme is super simple and there aren’t a lot of over-the-top gimmicks that will kill the vibe of it being a serene ceremony.

How old were you when your parents first let you have a TV in your room? Well I shared a room with my parents and siblings up until I was 10 and we had a TV. When I was 11 and we moved in to a new house, my new room already came with my own TV. They eventually removed it when I was around 17 because I never used it anyway.

Are you more practical or creative? Practical. Not a creative bone in my body.

Have you ever seen Requiem For A Dream? I have seen it twice, unfortunately. I really should’ve seen it just the one time. I felt for the women the most, especially Marion. That girl had a goddamn dream, man.

Do you put your glasses and mugs right side up or upside down on the cabinet shelf? Upside down.

Are you planning to make any big purchases soon? Like what? For how much? Nothing big. I’m just trying to save my internship allowance so that I get to buy my parents nice things. The only purchase I’m planning for myself, admittedly, is a vape lmao and that’s like ₱199 or a little under $4. Otherwise everything is going to either savings or treating my loved ones.

Are you a recent university grad? I am indeed.

What changes to the environment/climate have you noticed in your lifetime? The highway I live on used to be peppered with trees, now there are buildings everywhere. It’s also impossible to see the stars at night, especially in Metro Manila; thankfully it’s not as bad where I live.

Do you own any power tools? We have some at home but none of them are mine.

How old were you when you first flew on a plane? 11.

Does everyone in your family get along with each other? My brother and I don’t.

What did you have for dinner last night? My dad prepared sisig and munggo, but I only ate the sisig.

What was the worst part of your childhood? The alcoholism and domestic violence I was exposed to the second I was born.

What grocery items do you buy the most frequently? I don’t buy my own groceries yet but I would say my parents go for eggs, bread, onions, garlic, frozen meat, and some veggies the most.

Have you ever seen a high school relationship last long-term? (like 10+yrs) Not from my own high school, but someone I used to work with from my first internship has been with her guy for like 15 years now or something.

Do you know any cancer survivors? Yes.

What color is your bed frame? It issssss black.

How old were you when you first started dating? I’ve never really...dated around. Doesn’t happen as a demi. I started liking someone for the first time when I was 16.

What's the highest-level science course you've taken? I’m from a humanities/arts course so I never needed to push myself when it came to science courses haha. I took only the most basic biology and physics electives because that was all that was required for journalism students in my school.

Have you ever had something stolen from you? Yes.

Leftover pizza for breakfast... yay or nay? YAY. Cold, fast food pizza is my guilty pleasure.

Do you personally know anyone who's a psychopath or sociopath? No. Again, what’s up with surveys asking the exact same questions? Y’alls telepathy games are strong, lol.

What is your most used kitchen appliance? I don’t use any of them other than the refrigerator.

[mirrorgrets]

4, 5, and 7 for the ask game!!

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

nilagang baka! it's my top 1 comfort dish whenever i feel sick or just bad in general and because it's a soup it literally always makes me feel warm after a hearty bowl of it with rice!

5. favourite song in your native language?

it's laro by autotelic! it's got a catchy tune and while it's not like a deep song compared to other songs I really like, it's what made me really get into OPM after a long time of just listening to English songs. Here are the lyrics with an english translation if anyone's interested in it :3

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

im no romantic but i really like how the word kasintahan just rolls off my tongue :> it means romantic partner in filipino. another one is pursigi which means to persevere! and lastly tubo which means a LOT of things like pipe, farm plants specifically, roots, to grow, to hit someone with a pipe, business income, and like other meanings that are specific to sentence usage lmao

runner ups: takipsilim (twilight), gigil (urge to pinch someone's cheeks), harana (a song to court/woo someone), ligaw (to court someone), kilig (giddiness but more romantic), taranta (overwhelmed or flustered)

not from the us ask game

[purplesurveys]

1011

1. Five facts about your current relationship OR five facts about your single life.

a) I haven’t been truly single in...around 6 years, so it’s been a bit of an adjustment.

b) It was my last day as an intern yesterday (but they hired me, so I’m staying after all, haha) and since I’ve felt like I gained a family in the last two months, I thought it would be okay to give professionalism a break and share what had actually been going on with me on my first day on the job, aka when the breakup was still fresh and I was still figuring out how to function all over again. It unsurprisingly surprised everyone and my superior said something like, “Omg it’s the [company name] curse; it’s so strong it broke you guys up before you even got hired” which got a laugh out of me.

c) I’m not interested in seeing other people.

d) Probably wouldn’t be, for a long time. My trust has been irreparably broken.

e) Seeing couples in public has now become annoying. I’m happy for them, but it’s still annoying.

2. Five facts about a past relationship.

a) I’ve known her since kindergarten, but we didn’t become friends till 7th grade and didn’t start dating until junior year of high school.

b) We were legal with her family and her parents loved me and I them. On the other hand, I was never able to come out to my family because she broke up with me before I could be able to do so.

c) She introduced me to vaping.

d) We were never able to truly travel together, which we always planned to do after graduating. The farthest we reached was Batangas.

e) She never knew where she wanted to eat whenever we were out, so I was mostly the one who decided which restaurant we were going to have lunch or dinner in.

3. Five facts about your mother.

a) She has always worked in hotels, which is great because it has always allowed us to get room and buffet discounts, heh.

b) Her family (aka my grandparents, her, and my uncles) struggled financially for a little bit when my grandpa lost his job when she was in college. When her friends would go to fast-food restaurants, my mom would always decline, saying she had schoolwork to finish. In reality she just couldn’t afford anything, and the only money she held was for public transport.

c) She is a little childish considering her age, and I cannot stand her petty tantrums. She was childish even when I was a kid, and I believe my emotional well-being suffered because of that.

d) She has a high pain tolerance and the only time I’ve seen her struggle was when she was getting a tattoo on the back of her shoulder.

e) She is also extremely religious and it especially grinds my gears when she gets hypocritical about it, which is just about all the time.

4. Five facts about your father.

a) He has only ever dated my mom.

b) He grew up extremely poor and at some point his parents actually stopped being able to afford his tuition. Instead of being kicked out, a few nuns who served in the school paid my grandparents a visit and told them my dad would be given a scholarship since he had good grades and it would have been a waste if he got expelled.

c) He was a dancer in high school, knows how to play the guitar, and he also apparently knows how to draw very well. There’s a lot I don’t know about him, considering he has worked abroad my whole life.

d) He breaks or loses his reading glasses once every few months. I know which parent I definitely take after.

e) I have never seen him cry.

5. Five facts about your sibling. If you have more than one, pick one. Or do them all!

a) She had problems crying in school until she was in around 2nd or 3rd grade.

b) She’s in college and is currently taking up digital filmmaking.

c) She’s the biggest introvert I know. I’ve never seen her be willing to do anything silly; not even with her friends.

d) She can’t handle spicy food.

e) Her main interests have shifted from Harry Potter, to One Direction, to 5SOS, and now K-pop. I believe she’s into Seventeen the most.

6. Five facts about your town.

a) The upper part of the city offers amazing views of the Metro Manila skyline, which has recently made the place a kinda popular nightlife destination.

b) There’s a lot of hidden gem restaurants here but because most people spend more time complaining about how far my city is and how difficult it is to get to than actually just making the damn ride over here, the restaurants stay hidden and uncrowded. Their loss.

c) Used to be massively underdeveloped for most of my childhood and teenage years. Now there are several malls and I can easily go to a McDonald’s, Burger King, and Starbucks right outside our village.

d) Because you basically have to drive through a mountain to get to the upper part of the city, it’s not the safest highway and fatal crashes are unfortunately common.

e) The city is known for its suman, except I hate Filipino rice cakes and this actually doesn’t do anything for me.

7. Five facts about your house.

a)  It used to have a balcony until we had that transformed into another bedroom. So technically it is still a balcony; it just hasn’t had that purpose for a while now.

b) My mom used a little cheat in our dining room and installed a huge wall mirror. Most people visiting for the first time always note how much larger it made the room (and thus the house) look.

c) I live in a neighborhood where the houses are of the same model and look (think the Squidville episode from Spongebob). That said, balconies are included in all properties. When my parents decided to renovate ours and turn it into a room, so many houses slowly followed suit as well. It was amusing to see it unfold, knowing the idea undoubtedly originated from us. It was like a revolution.

d) We don’t have a gate, which irritates me to no end because it allows noisy neighborhood kids to just march and run around our property. Sometimes they even make it to our carport and backyard, ugh. :(

e) Speaking of backyard, the landscaping for it used to be a pebble mosaic designed to look like a swan. But over the years the quality deteriorated, so my parents to opted to have the pebbles crushed into tiny rocks and embedded onto the ground. I don’t exactly know what this technique is called, but yeah.

8. Five facts about your niece or nephew. If you have more than one, pick one. Or do them all! Skip if you don’t have one. I don’t have any, but I do have a godson so I’m going with him as I don’t want to leave any section blank.

a) He was born sometime in December. I honestly don’t remember when, loooooool. Worst godmother ever.

b) He’s actually one of my first cousins, but I guess my aunt saw something in me and wanted me to be his godson. I’ve been a terrible one, though; I’ve never bought him gifts or money or anything – to be fair, I was made a ninang when I was like, 14 or 15 lmao.  But I can definitely make up for it now that I’m starting to earn my own money.

c) He’s the calmer, sweeter version of his older brother. His kuya was a pretty naughty kid when he was his age.

d) He mainly speaks English, as how most younger parents raise their kids these days. He understands Filipino of course, but he mostly communicates in English.

e) The last time I saw him, he was in the middle of a ridiculously adorable interviewing phase where he’d approach anyone in the family and start asking them a series of questions: what’s your favorite color? What food can’t you live without? What’s your favorite subject in school? Would you rather win $1 million dollars or know how to fly? It typically got exhausting after the 25th question, but it was so cute nonetheless. None of us have any idea where it came from.

9. Five facts about your education.

a) I went to a private, all-girls, Catholic school from kinder up to high school, and then moved to a public, co-educational, non-sectarian university for college. It was the very epitome of culture shock, lemme tell ya.

b) Some classes I had in my first school that might be uncommon in others have included penmanship (because my school has its own brand of cursive), environmental education, and I don’t remember what this next class was called anymore but we were basically taught how to write professionally? Like how to write cover letters and resumés and all.

c) My first school is extremely homophobic and went so far as to ‘hire’ spies  tasked to check up on who’s been in same-sex relationships, list them all down, and report them to the guidance office so that they can be called one by one and be interrogated, and for the most part, pressured to come out. I don’t know if they still do this, but the younger batches are definitely more vocal and woke now thanks to social media and I doubt those practices would still fly today.

d) My university education was a breath of fresh air. Suddenly people were wearing sleeveless tops, mobs and rallies were a common sight to me, and my instructors were now atheist and not shoving Catholicism and Jesus and salvation down my throat. I loved every single day of it.

e) The most interesting class I took in college was a course called Pornography in Electronic Media, under the broadcast communication department. Getting to tell people I take a class where we sit down to watch porn was such a fucking ride.

10. Five facts about your job.

a) I got hired last Wednesday, but I had been interning for the company for around two months before they extended the offer.

b) I’m pretty much gonna be doing the same things I did as an intern, except I’m now accountable for any boo-boos I make HAHAHAHA. Also, I’m gonna be paid a lot more, obviously, which is sweet. I really thought we interns were severely underpaid considering the work that we help with on a daily basis.

c) My role is going to be with another department which is a little scary because it means the things I learned with the department I actually interned at will be pretty much useless. I’ll be starting from scratch again, but I’m still excited.

d) It’s a work-from-home situation, which is a relief for me because I don’t have to wake up early and I don’t have to face traffic. 

e) My job interview for the position was actually a bit of a bomb because I absolutely fumbled with and messed up the first question I was asked; and since first impressions matter, I really thought I lost the gig from the very start of the interview. I made up for it as the interview continued and fortunately was able to break the ice and build a rapport with the team members who spoke with me, and I guess I did enough for them to want to take me in anyway.

For those who are curious, I blanked the fuck out when they asked “Tell me something about yourself that isn’t in your resumé.” Slowest 15 seconds of my life.