2026.08.08 – Ok, I’m going through a midlife crisis

Hello, it’s me again. I just slept the entire day today despite my plans of making this weekend productive. I did play some online mahjong (Mahjong Soul) but I kept losing – 4 games in a row, I was in fourth place – and so I got frustrated and went to bed. Four hours later, it’s 8PM, and I decided to come here to let some of these thoughts out. What’s a better way to unload all of these thoughts than to the internet? I don’t think people still read this so this is the perfect venue – it’s public, but also, not really!

Anyway, I wanted to talk about midlife crisis. I never really felt this until after I turned the big 4-0. That was last year. Ever since, an invisible line has showed up, separating me from my youth. I now feel more disconnected than ever from people – from building new relationships, and even sustaining current relationships that come and go. What I mean is, I can’t be bothered anymore. Although I want to be involved in activities – things like night outs, travels, get-togethers, day-to-day interactions – it feels weird when I initiate these things. I feel like I have to be nonchalant, to drown out my excitement, to let things happen, or not happen. While the lives of the people around me go on, I felt stuck – and it was my choice. I only ever hangout with the same people, and it’s only those people who reach out. I don’t do the reaching out anymore. Sometimes I do, but if I’m met with silence or any hint of hesitation, I immediately shut down and say “never mind”. My boss told me maybe I am indeed an extrovert. I always was proud that I was an introvert – but being this distant from people has affected my energy, and my overall feelings about life in general. It sometimes gets to the point that I think of going home for good?

In terms of where I am in life – I also feel stuck. My career is not progressing as I want it to. And I’m also at the brink of just giving up and letting life take its course. When I want something so badly and I don’t get it, it gets frustrating and demotivating. So, I feel like I should be doing more with the little time I have left in this world. Sure, work gives me the means to live my life comfortably, to see the world – but I want to do something more. My conversations with friends in the same situation or “age group” now evolve around what our passion really is and are we pursuing it? When I was younger, my passion was in traveling and photography – sharing to the world the things I see and experience in my travels, especially to my favorite country, which is Japan. But now, I think about who benefits from that passion. Not me (my blogging is not really about generating income although that would have been nice), not my country (and I will expound about this in the next section), maybe only a few friends who want recommendations and tips to have a good travel experience. That used to be enough. But, with all of the resources available now (everyone’s a travel guru with just one visit to a country – sorry, not sorry), I feel like there’s no additional value that I can add to this department. This is also one big reason why I stopped posting things. People don’t really care anymore.

So where can I add value? I still like traveling, and taking photos (although now more casually than before). I still like talking to the internet, let it decide who ends up reading my thoughts (much like Threads haha). But I also want to really help out my country. The Philippines. It makes me sad when I read about the younger generation losing hope and wanting to just escape this “hell hole” as they call it. I am still hopeful – not with the government, no. But I think as citizens of this country, there are still some things we can do for us to go in the right direction. The thing is, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And this is where I struggle with people’s opinions on things. People like progress, but they don’t want to sacrifice anything to get it. A great example is transportation – we want trains and efficient bus systems. But, we don’t want to let go of our jeepneys (and how the current jeepney system works), we don’t want to let go of the lands that will be affected when we construct these railways and subways (this is a reason for major delays in development), we don’t want when some of our road space is taken to become pure bus lanes. There’s always so many complaints! And I get it, we can adapt solutions that will work for our local nuances, but we need to give up something to get something better. I am rambling, so I better go back to my trail of thought. I want to add value by promoting the Philippines more. What we have to offer to our local citizens. Not to tourists. We have to learn to love our country first. I love what Erwan is doing with FEATR, promoting not just Filipino cuisine and ingredients, but even the culture behind it. I love how Jessica Lee is doing her Probinsya series, exploring each province of the country and highlighting the not-so-common sights and things to do in those areas. That really gives me hope, and I want to do something similar. Start small, maybe my neighborhood – my hometown (Cebu), and then crowdsource for the other places I won’t be able to get to for now. Feel free to steal this idea because I want this to happen, even if I’m not the one doing it. Haha. But yes, this is a passion project I want to pursue.

Now let me talk about SB19 and what those guys are doing for our country! I’ve been supporting them since that fateful day the Go Up dance practice went viral. I saw their passion, I saw their potential and I saw the possibilities a lot of Filipinos at that time couldn’t see or appreciate (some of my friends included). But look at where they are now? They’re a perfect symbol for what our country could be – if we nurture our culture, our talents, and just keep moving forward – we will get there! My support for the boys will continue in this second half of my life! I mean, I have traveled to Australia to see them in their Pagtatag! World Tour, and I will see them in Osaka next week for Summer Sonic! I will also keep posting about them on my socials (and maybe here as well) because I want them to succeed and carry the flag for our country. I have high hopes in what they’ve built (1Z) because if they do it right, this will not be a one-time thing – the future talents of this country now have a template to follow, the road has been paved. I said on Threads that I don’t mind if my career will not be as successful, as long as SB19’s career will be – and I mean that, in the sense that the value they bring with their success is something I want us to reap as a country. Bow.

OK, I really just rambled, huh? To sum up this post about midlife crisis – it’s not easy. There are low days, well, most are low days. But the high days are still there. With the right people around me, with my hope for the country fueling my passion for life, I can get through this, I think. Haha. I probably also need to talk to a therapist already. That’s something I need to accomplish this year. And yeah, I should post here more often. This was therapeutic. No need for AI to help me write my thoughts, I don’t care if this fails the SEO and readability scores (bloggers know what this is) – I’m going to blog like I used to. I forgot to mention how being in your 40s also make you very VERY nostalgic for the old days. We can’t bring it back but we can try to experience it again if we want. Maybe in my next post I’ll talk about the advantages of being 40, and inspire those who are dreading getting here. I hope I didn’t scare you with my midlife crisis. It’s bad for me but it probably won’t be as bad for you. I just like making things difficult for myself. 🙂

That said, I’ll end this post with a song from Pablo that perfectly encapsulates my everyday feelings, and my wanting to still be positive about it. I just need to be able to accept that I am where I am, and that things will be good as long as I keep moving forward, no matter how slow.

Les Miz in Manila – I cried!

Yes! My favorite musical is back in Manila. Les Misérables World Tour Spectacular is running until March 1st at The Theaters at Solaire in Paranaque, so go see it if you are a fan! Me, I have been a big fan since high school, after seeing the 10th anniversary concert. Immediately, I printed out the lyrics to the entire musical and memorized it, until today. I have also influenced my siblings because they didn’t really have a choice back then, they would hear the songs when I played them at home.

This is my 4th time to see the musical. The first was a local rendition back in Cebu when I was in college (circa 2006/2007 – I can’t remember exactly). The local actors did their best so I’ll consider it as my first time! The second time was in 2016 in the same theater in Solaire – yes, 10 years ago! The third time, at the Sondheim Theater when I had the privilege of visiting London last 2024.

This time, I had to share the experience with my two younger siblings (sorry big sister, there will be a next time!). It is their first theater experience and I’m happy that Les Miz is their first!

OK – so the show itself! Wow, I cried at least 10 times. All of the actors did very well! They were literally crying while singing! And the singing was also perfect, comparable even to my favorite Les Miz cast (of the 10th anniversary concert). We did notice though that the tempo for most of the songs were a bit sped up – and that’s one of the things they changed for this tour. It also wasn’t a full play, but not also just a concert. It’s somewhere in the middle – you still get to experience the musical but in a more contemporary or modern (?) way. I loved it because I could clearly see everyone’s faces and emotions. Geronimo Rauch really gave justice to Valjean, and I always have high expectations for this character because of songs like Valjean’s Soliloquy and Bring Him Home. Javert, my favorite character, was also excellently played by Jeremy Secomb! The passion was burning – and his suicide scene was full of tears! Lea Salonga also surprised me as Madame Thenardier, I didn’t think she fit the role at first, but damn, she delivered!!! Her take on Madame Thenardier was unique, too – she showed different levels of emotion with the role. Red Concepcion’s Thenardier was likewise so perfect! Now my only critique would have been that Gavroche should have gone to Filipino actor since the parents and Eponine were played by Filipinos! Haha. But that’s just me. The child actors did very well and I’m amazed at how they could perform like professionals at such young ages.

Again, I loved everything but if I had to pick my top 3 performances, it would be Valjean’s Soliloquy, The Bargain / The Waltz of Treachery, and Empty Chairs & Empty Tables!

My words are not enough, so I implore you to watch this run of Les Miz in Manila while you can! I’d definitely rate it a 5/5! And I’d even dare say I’d watch it again if I have the funds (and time) this February. I’ve seen Les Miz in London but this was at par, if not, even more emotional for me because I was seated quite close to the stage, so I was able to really appreciate the emotions from the actors. My siblings enjoyed it a lot, too, so it was worth the money spent.

Ending the night with Korean fried chicken!

Have you seen Les Misérables? What’s your favorite musical? Please share in the comments below!

Fighting the blues

Today I woke up with no motivation to wake up. It was one of those days when I couldn’t function as a human being, so I called in sick and decided to take the day off. I acknowledged that I wasn’t okay, and that just for today, I’ll give in to the blues so that tomorrow, I’ll be better.

I woke up close to 4pm already, and prepared for a scheduled dinner with my old team. I’m glad this was planned ahead because I needed people to pull me out of the hole I dug myself in today. We had a great dinner (shout out to Los Tacos), followed by desserts at Crepe Glazik. For a few hours I was able to laugh, and I was also able to share with them my thoughts the past few weeks about life (what it’s like crossing over to the 40s – yikes!). We imagined different scenarios of how our lives would have been in an alternate universe. We also talked about our plans for the near future and what we’ll do to achieve them (desperate times call for desperate measures). It was the pick-me up I needed.

Anyway, here are some photos of dinner.

After we parted ways, I walked around the mall a bit and bought a case for my Switch 2, as well as this game that was introduced to me by a friend when I visited them in Australia! Question is – who do I play this with? 😂

Now I’m trying to fall asleep because tomorrow is another day. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop for us, no matter what we go through. So yeah, time to face the music again tomorrow. I just hope that people will be kind, work will be manageable, and that I wake up feeling better, with more energy and zest for life than today. Because today really sucked for whatever reason.

Ending today’s post with this song. Sorry Hikki, I couldn’t fight the blues today.

じゃ、おつかれ!

Day 1 again

Last night, I finally decided to go on another social media detox so that I can get my life going again. I have been spending an average of 8-10 hours a day screen time, doomscrolling. I’ve had enough. I can’t waste another year! I did not cancel my accounts, but I deleted the apps on my phone – Instagram, TikTok, Facebook (not that I use it but it’s there). I left Threads because I still need some form of outlet to shout out my random thoughts to, and get some interaction from strangers on the internet, at least for now.

Anyway, to compensate, I will try to blog here again. I recently renewed this site with the hopes of using it more this year, and the fees were expensive to be honest. I just couldn’t bear to delete the site and lose my old posts! So in a way, my leaving social media can hopefully result to me using this blog more and make the most of the money I paid to keep this alive.

What did I do today? It’s a Sunday, and I woke up very late at almost 3PM. Then I panicked because I didn’t want it to be Monday yet and I haven’t done anything for the weekend. I decided to go out, get a haircut, walk around BGC, and eat something good.

I went to my new favorite Bruno’s Barbers branch at One Bonifacio High Street because it’s not as busy as the other branches in bigger malls. Aside from a haircut, I also got a hair color (bye bye grey hair) and a relaxing scalp treatment. This is one of my favorite self-care activities because it comes with a massage! It’s a bit expensive but I deserve it, and I plan to do this quarterly moving forward.

For my first meal of the day, I went to Yayoi and got the Katsu Toji Jyu. It’s a better deal for me than the Teishoku because all I really need is a main dish and miso soup.

Then I walked around because I was so full, before deciding on a coffee shop for coffee (duh) and desserts. I saw that Common Man Coffee Roasters BGC is now open so I gave it a try! I don’t need to go all the way to Makati anymore for their coffee!

Vegan Chocolate Cake and Flat White (Oatside)

I wasn’t able to read my book because I scrolled on Threads (I need to rethink this decision of keeping Threads installed on my phone). It’s fine, I won’t go cold turkey because that would be harder.

Then I went to Fully Booked to look for gifts to get my friends, who I’m having dinner with tomorrow. I wasn’t able to buy anything for them. I almost bought something for myself – this JLPT N2 book that I’ve been eyeing for a while now. One of my goals this year is to take the JLPT N2 exam but I still have a couple of books at home that I bought from Japan and haven’t touched yet. So, I’ll start with those first.

This book promises that I can pass N2 with just this 😂

I also passed by Owndays to check out if there are frames that I like. Unfortunately, none really caught my eye so maybe I’ll check out JIN’s next time instead.

This model looks like Hiro from Love Transit S3

So yeah, that was how I spent today. There’s a few minutes left before the day ends and I might try to squeeze in some laundry before calling it a night. I’m trying to get excited for the possibilities this year can bring and I recognize that I need to pursue things in order to achieve them. That’s what I’m gonna do, and so stay tuned for these exciting things to come!

じゃ、おつかれ!

Cebu 4-day Itinerary – Day 3: Cebu City

Our third day in Cebu is a Sunday! We woke up a bit later than planned because of how we were so tired the day prior. I haven’t really checked out our resort so I spent the morning going around for a walk and soaking in the island resort vibes.

We had free breakfast but this was the first time I was awake for it. I didn’t make it to the buffet but our friends took some to the room for us.

Anne and KK will not be joining our tour today since they’re leaving early the next day (7am) and wanted to take it slow. Instead, they invited us for lunch so we went to Tambuli at around 12 noon. Before that, we stopped by Mactan Newtown for coffee (Starbucks, not very Cebu again), and groceries for Anne.

Because we were celebrating Anne and KK’s wedding anniversary, they shared to us stories of how they met until they got married! It was like sitting through a movie! At around past 3pm, we had to leave since we still had a city tour planned for today. We said our goodbyes since we won’t see them after this anymore as they had back to Manila before us.

Since it was a Sunday, my friends wanted to attend mass. Obviously, I had to bring them to Cebu’s most famous church, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino. We parked near SRP and walked to Sto. Nino, passing through the City Hall and Magellan’s Cross. We queued for the Sto. Nino “halok” where we learned a lot about the history of Sto. Nino in Cebu. Then finally, attended mass. Cid and I went in and out of the church to buy Sto. Nino “souvenirs” in the middle.

After Sto. Nino, I brought them to Busay without their knowledge! Haha. Since Cid was driving, I took advantage of bringing them to Tops. Tops was still under construction at this time, so we went to La Vie in the Sky instead.

We enjoyed our time eating and talking about life in general – what our wish for each other is for the new year. We talked to our heart’s content since we were far away from our realities in Manila. It was just a nice evening, accompanied by the cool temperature on the mountains, and the sparkling city lights in the distance.

This was our last full day for this trip together, since Ivan was also leaving early for Manila the next day (to catch his flight to Hong Kong as a jetsetter). I’m already a bit sad that this vacay was ending too soon!

Cebu 4-day Itinerary – Day 2: Carcar Lechon & Simala

If you haven’t read Day 1 yet, click here!

So, for Day 2, I decided to take my friends for a road trip down south to try Carcar lechon and visit Simala. I also wanted to bring them to my hometown of Dalaguete, but we didn’t have enough time due to “heavy traffic” in San Fernando so it was already very dark when we finished in Simala. Anyway, let’s go back to the start of the day!

Today we’re 7 squished again in a 5-seater car HAHA

First we picked up Anne and KK at Tambuli, then we started heading south through CCLEX. This was their first time to pass by the new longest bridge in the Philippines, and with the stunning view of Cebu City at the end of the bridge, I was a proud Cebuano at that moment! I mean, you can’t find that kind of view anywhere else in the country (for now).

Because we didn’t have breakfast or coffee, we stopped by Coffee Project at the end of SRP in Talisay. It’s not a Cebuano place but I honestly cannot think of any other coffee shop after this area.

We started the drive again…and got stuck in heavy San Fernando traffic! I felt so bad for everyone because we were cramped in the car! The bright side is that we were able to talk about different topics from comparisons between the Philippines and Nigeria (politics, wedding customs, etc) and things we would normally not talk about anywhere else. I really believe in the saying that we only have one chance, and it was that chance that brought us together there in that traffic jam, horrific as it may sound, to strengthen our bond as friends. #char

Anyway, we finally made it to Carcar and devoured that Lechon!

Felt sorry for Anne & KK because they don’t eat pork…but they still enjoyed the whole cultural experience!

After eating (and buying some souvenirs), we hopped back on the car to Simala. When we got there, it was almost dark so we had to hurry!

The good part about arriving close to closing hours is that there isn’t a crowd anymore! You can freely go around and take photos. There was literally no line for the “Halok” which can usually take up to over an hour. The Halok is basically an act of “kissing” the miraculous statue of Mary, enshrined behind the church’s altar. The bad part is that the stores were already closed, so we couldn’t buy candles to light up with our intentions. I’m not a practicing Catholic, but this would have also been a good experience for our guests.

As it was getting dark, the “castle” lit up, as if a castle in the sky. It was my first time to see Simala in the dark as well so I enjoyed taking more photos.

Because it was already dark, I decided not to push through with bringing them to Dalaguete because that was still an hour away. I noticed they were also already tired, especially because of the traffic that we went through. Good thing the traffic was better on the way back to the city!

Before we went to our hotels in Mactan, we stopped by Il Corso in SRP for dinner. I took them to Fishes where we were all surprised by how good the food was, and how affordable it was, too!

We were starving so we weren’t able to take photos of the food. I think we ordered too much because we were on the verge of exploding, so we took the leftovers home.

A core memory is the walk back to the car, with the breeze from the sea – it just felt so relaxing, talking and then suddenly laughing out loud! There were people “camping” along the sea side, and that’s something I want to do next time I visit!

We dropped Anne and KK home, dropped the leftovers at my house, then went back to our hotel. We were tired but we didn’t sleep yet because this was the last night we can have some drinks and play mahjong!

It was still a productive second day overall. What I would do differently next time is convince my friends to leave early (like 5AM) to avoid the traffic! If there will be a next time!

Cebu 4-Day Itinerary – Day 1: Mactan Island

Last November 2023, I visited Cebu with my office friends for a short weekend trip. We arrived Friday afternoon and went back to Manila Tuesday 1AM. So, this is to share what we did over that weekend, in case you are looking for an itinerary to follow for a weekend trip in Cebu. There are so many things you can do in Cebu, but I chose these activities as this was the first time for most of my guests.

We stayed in Lapu-Lapu for this trip. So, upon arrival at around 2PM, we decided to check in first. We stayed at separate places, Tambuli Seaside Living for our Nigerian guests, while the rest of us stayed at Pacific Resort Cebu.

After checking in, we met-up at Lantaw Floating Restaurant in Cordova for late lunch. It rained so hard when we got there, but grateful that it stopped in the middle of our meal. We ordered a lot of fish for our Nigerian guests. We were so hungry that we weren’t able to take decent photos.

After Lantaw, we crossed the street to 10,000 Roses, one of Cebu’s well-known tourist spots. You need to pay an entrance fee of P20. Inside, you’ll find the 10,000 LED roses (but who’s counting, right), a cafe, and a nice view of the sea with Cebu City right across. We waited for sunset so we can get a nice photo by the sea, so we ordered coffee and took photos in the area.

Sunset came and the skies turned dark blue. The cafe lit up and so we took more photos before heading to our next stop.

From Cordova, we headed to Pueblo Verde which houses several outlet stores, food places and a grocery. This was actually Black Friday so there were a lot of items on sale. We gave each other an hour to go around and shop. I went to get a haircut and scalp treatment at Tuf. Then, we met up at 10 Dove Street for coffee/cake. Anne and KK went to buy groceries for the weekend since they plan to cook at their place.

From here, we dropped Anne and KK off at Tambuli, then looked for a massage place because it was a long day, including the flight waiting time. We got our massage at Baan Thai in Maribago. It was around 750 for an hour massage, which was a bit pricey, but overall service was good. We enjoyed our massage so much that we probably disturbed other guests with our excessive laughter.

Our last stop for the day is quick dinner at Alberto’s. Alberto’s is a famous affordable pizza chain in Cebu – and so I had to make my friends try their Hawaiian Pizza which is my fave. We also smuggled a bottle of soju, mixed it with 1.5L Sprite, and had a good time until the place closed!

And then we called it a day! It was a long day, also being squished in a 5-seater car when there were 7 of us. Still, it was a lot of fun! If you don’t have a car, you can book a Grab, although booking may take a while as there isn’t as many cars in Mactan as there are on the main island. You also need to account for the traffic because a lot of roads are under construction.

See you in the next post for Day 2!

Song Breakdown: MAPA SB19

One of my recent favorite past times is watching reaction videos of SB19’s Mapa, especially those where the reactors have no idea what was going to hit them. Mapa was released May 16, 2021 and I think it was just in time for Mother’s Day that year (and of course, Father’s Day the following month). I’ve probably spent three nights in a row just watching these reaction videos, and laugh-sobbing at the reactors. Yes, it makes me laugh when they cry, but it also makes me cry at the same time when they explain why they couldn’t stop the tears.

SB19 – Mapa (Lyric Video)

That said, I wanted to breakdown the lyrics of the song in this post just to give it more context, especially for foreign listeners who are not familiar with the Filipino language. Also, don’t come at me if you don’t agree with my “breakdown” because this is my interpretation of the song. I also added my own translation which I feel suits the message of the song better.

As an A’Tin (SB19 fan), I wish for nothing but for more people to listen to and appreciate SB19 songs. So, without further ado – here goes my first SB19 Song Breakdown!

*Filipino Lyrics*	*English Translation*	*Lyric Breakdown*
Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	This is a lullaby that mothers sing to their babies, as they carry them in their arms and help them fall asleep. You’ll notice that this also becomes the Chorus for this wonderful song!
Mama, kumusta na? ‘Di na tayo lagi nagkikita Miss na kita, sobra	Mama, how are you? We don’t see each other often anymore I miss you so much	This stanza already gives us an idea that the child is now grown, could be living away from their mother (or parents)
Lagi nalang kami ang nauuna ‘Di ba pwedeng ikaw muna Akin na’ng pangamba	You always put us first Can’t you put yourself first Leave your worries with me	Mothers always put their children first, to the point they sacrifice the good things they could have for themselves, and give it to their children
Dahil ikaw ang aking mata Sa t’wing mundo’y nag-iiba Ang dahilan ng aking paghinga	Because you are my eyes Each time the world changes The reason why I breathe	This line acknowledges that without one’s mother, a child wouldn’t be alive (whether that be literally or figuratively)
Kaya ‘wag mag-alala Ipikit ang ‘yong mata, tahan na Pahinga muna, ako na’ng bahala Labis pa sa labis ang ‘yong nagawa Mama, pahinga muna Ako na	So don’t you worry Close your eyes and stop crying Take a rest, let me handle it You’ve done more than enough Mama, take a rest Let me handle it	The child is now able to support the parents (and in typical Filipino setting – the rest of the family, especially if there are younger siblings that still need support). If you’re the family’s breadwinner, I’m sure you’ve teared up at this pre-chorus.
Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	At this point, it’s like the child is the one signing the lullaby to their mother, asking her to rest 😊
Papa, naalala mo pa ba Nung ako ay bata pa, diba? Aking puso’y ‘yong hinanda sa Mga bagay na buhay ang may dala	Papa, do you still remember When I was young, right? You prepared my heart for The things that life will bring	Now the child is singing to the father. While mothers tend to be gentle in their approach, fathers are usually stricter, but they do this to teach their children to be strong.
Dala ko ang ‘yong bawat payo At hanggang sa dulo, magkalayo man tayo Ako’y tatayo, pangako, tatay ko	I carry with me all of your advice And until the end Even if we’re apart I’ll stand up, I promise, my father	In the Filipino setting, children may find themselves more scared of their father than their mother, so this last line “I Promise” paints a picture of a child doing their best to stand up and not let their fathers down.
Dahil ikaw ang aking *paa* Sa t’wing ako’y gagapang na Ang dahilan ng aking paghinga	Because you’re my *feet* When I’m about to crawl The reason why I breathe	Again, we see father’s influence in this line as more of the person who helps us stand up (a show of strength). This also echoes the same message that the child wouldn’t be alive (literally or figuratively) without the father
Kaya ‘wag mag-alala Ipikit ang ‘yong mata, tahan na Pahinga muna, ako na’ng bahala Labis pa sa labis ang ‘yong nagawa Papa, pahinga muna Ako na	So don’t you worry Close your eyes and stop crying Take a rest, let me handle it You’ve done more than enough Papa, take a rest Let me handle it	Same as the message to the mother, the child is saying, Father you can now rest, I stand up and be the strong person for the family.
Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Now, the child is singing his father the lullaby 😊
‘Di ko na sasayangin pa’ng mga Natitirang paghinga	I won’t waste any more of your remaining breaths	This recognizes that as we grow up, our parents also grow older and their time left in this world is getting shorter and shorter
Tutungo na kung sa’n naro’n ang mahalaga	I’ll go to where the important things are	Personally, I feel like this is saying that the child will go to where the parent is to spend more time with them
Kahit na kailan pa ma’y ‘di mawawala Pagka’t dala ko ang mapa Sa’n man mapunta alam kung sa’n nag mula	I will never ever get lost Because I have with me a MAP Wherever I’ll go, I know where I came from	Mapa is the Filipino word for map – one of the many definitions of this word as used in this song. The map is basically the love, guidance and support that the parent gives their children to help them find their own way in this world.
‘Wag mag-alala Ipikit ang ‘yong mata Tahan na, pahinga muna Ako na	Don’t you worry Close your eyes and stop crying Take a rest, let me handle it	I just love Ken’s deep voice here, it adds so much emotion to the song as it builds up to Stell’s high notes.
‘Wag mag-alala Ipikit ang ‘yong mata, tana Pahinga muna, ako na’ng bahala Labis pa sa labis ang ‘yong nagawa Ma, Pa, pahinga muna Ako na	Don’t you worry Close your eyes and stop crying Take a rest, let me handle it You’ve done more than enough Ma, Pa, take a rest Let me handle it	The second meaning of the word Mapa is a conjugation of Ma & Pa, as used in this section. The child is now asking both parents to take a rest and to let them take care of them
Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata Lataratara lataratara Lataratara lataralata	Again, a lullaby for both parents,
Ma, Pa Pahinga muna Ako na	Ma, Pa, Take a rest first Let me (do it)	The third meaning of the word is a conjugation of Ma being the Mata (Eyes) and Pa being the Paa (Feet). This might be intentional, or not but it fits!

That’s it! This is really a great song, no one can deny how wonderfully it was written – both lyrically and melodically. And these couldn’t be conveyed without SB19’s amazing vocal ability. The emotions are all there – even if you can’t really fully grasp the nuances behind the language, it won’t be difficult to shed a tear hearing this and just reading the English subtitles on the lyric video.

What are your thoughts on this song? Also, what song should I do next? Let me know in the comments.

Krapow! Thai Food in BGC

This is a late post from my first time eating in Krapow! in BGC. I believe this branch just opened around the first quarter of this year, so when we visited last March, the place was packed. They have a small space so the queue can get long. We were second in line but we had to wait for a good 40 minutes before we were seated.

These are the items we got – and all of them were good! Serving per item is probably good for two to three. There were four of us so we ordered 4 mains and 1 dessert, all to share.

Khao Pad Moo Krob (Thai Fried Rice with Crispy Pork)

Gaeng Massaman Neua (Beef Massaman Curry)

Because the place was so busy, our dessert arrived very late – good thing it tasted good!

I’m not enough of a foodie to describe each and every item in detail, but suffice to say that food was good, price was OK considering this is in BGC, and service was so so.

It’s been a good several months since my last visit so I want to try eating here again soon! I’ll end this post with a mirror selfie! 😀

Krapow! BGC is located at GF Unit 122-B High Street South Corporate Plaza Tower 1, 26th St Cor 9th Ave. I don’t know if they take reservations but you can call them at (02) 7004 5990.

Why is my PC in Japanese?

Spotify application in Japanese language

A couple of months ago, after one Windows 11 update, my laptop’s default language switched to Japanese and I can no longer change it.

Basically, Windows is saying that my license only allows one language – and for some reason, it chose Japanese as that language. It might be because I have Japanese set-up as a secondary language while I was taking online Japanese classes. But that doesn’t mean I want to set it up as the default language?

Maybe there is a benefit to this – as a Japanese language learner, it can be considered as an immersion. I’m now a lot more familiar with words used on the computer. But, sometimes, it can be a bit “めんどうくさい” (bothersome) especially when I’m in a hurry. My mind takes time to translate, and sometimes, I need Google to translate! Also, it’s not just the operating system that’s in Japanese, but all apps that have language support.

I guess I need to live with it for now. I’ve done all of the troubleshooting steps I can find on the internet, and apparently, this is a common issue. At least it’s not a language that I’m totally not familiar with.

In case you have this problem and you’ve found a way to resolve it, let me know!