itMIKEbeyou 2.0

Article 034. If there was a year who really trolled me (or is trolling me) like its bitch, its gotta be 2024. Even before it started I already ruled it out. Told the world I wanted it to be over with (see 2023: In Retrospect article). So did 2024 hear me say that out loud and did not appreciate my attempt to skip him on my timeline? Apparently so. Just when I was trying to keep everything on the down low-- staying out of social media, keeping expenses to a minimal, putting my personal life in the backseat-- it hits me with a curve ball and now my trajectory has been definitely skewed. Not in a bad way, in fact it’s the exact opposite, and not that I'm complaining either. I am thankful because I’m honestly blessed more than I deserved. I was sent a person to tame me, to interest me, to reinvent me. So now I bend the knee to 2024. You are such a prick but I appreciate you nevertheless! Let’s be clear about something, love doesn’t win all the time. At least that's how I see it (a...

Article 033. I made sure my visit was on the down low but how am I ever gonna get away from family when one of my Aunts physically saw me going into my parents house? Explain that. So I told everyone that I work fully remote and that the company was not privy to my trip (which they are actually). So no social media posts until I get back, to which everyone that I asked seem to oblige. Appreciate them. And how could I not meet up with friends and family that I have not seen for what it seems like a lifetime? I gotta. But I had a tight schedule and I could not possibly squeeze in each and every one that I wanted to meet in a two-week period. This includes any other of my High School friends, college acquaintances and one-off friends I've accumulated during my life in Manila. I was on a mission for this visit, and that mission comes first. BACARDI NIGHTS Always a delight to meet up with my former Jardine Caldbeck co-workers. I may have been with the company for just several months but...

Article 032. Last February when I wrote "I Hear Laughter In The Rain" (Article #24), I implied whimsically that I need to visit the Philippines. That was more of "I wish I could" rather than "I actually will". I haven't been there for almost 13 years, so there's gotta be a compelling reason why I suddenly would make that trip. It can't be just me feeling nostalgic all of a sudden due to rainfall. Well... fate gave me a reason. The timing for my visit was rather unfortunate. My bad for underestimating the heatwave eventhough everyone was telling me it was really hot out there. I mean, " How bad could it be? " The heat index was at its all time high since about 7 years ago and it was a scorching 100+ degrees for majority of my stay. At night it drops a few degrees lower and I tell you with no exaggeration, that I never felt so relieved reading lower 90s on my weather app. And this is coming from someone in SoCal who lives on sunlight al...