This should have been published before 2017  even started but I wasn't able to write it on time. I got it drafted in my head but for a lot of reasons (which in my defense are considerably valid), I wasn't able to give time to put myself in front of my laptop and  just write. So here I am at my bed covered in sheets on a Monday morning, trying to type my sickness away so I can report to work tomorrow.

Who said Halloween should be all dark and scary? That's definitely not the point of view of the Children's Fashion Management Corporation (CFMC) team when we joined the SM Life Corporation's Spooky-fied 2016 Halloween Decoration Contest.

It's been a year since I became a surfer for a day but the calming sound of the waves and the invigorating feeling of being able to ride it lingers in me as if it was just yesterday. So how could someone like me who can't swim and has no sense of balance be able to surf? Well, it's because I surfed in Baler! There are so many places to visit in Baler but it is very popular when it comes to surfing.

One of our itinerary in Bohol was to visit the Simply Butterflies Conservation Center situated in Bilar. Aside from the fact that it is the first butterfly livelihood breeding and conservation program in Bohol, what makes it really popular is the creative photos taken in this place. Here are some of the popular spots in this conservation center where you could unleash your creativity through photographs.

Take a Snap at their Visitor Center

It took me two months, an endless shopping spree (with an almost empty pocket), a trip to the salon (pinagdiskitahan ko nanaman buhok ko),  a buwis buhay adventure in Cebu and a relaxing day tour in Bohol before I finally had the guts to say goodbye to 2015 and face 2016. I know I still have a long way in mastering the art of moving on but I guess this is a start.

It took me awhile to compose myself and get back on track. It's definitely not easy to say goodbye to a year that brought you a lot of new experiences and realizations. A year wherein I finally got to find out my answer to the question "If you were given the chance to do something for the rest of your life without getting paid from it, what would that be?" To finally find a purpose far much greater than desiring to be so filthy rich that I could afford to travel every freaking country without even knowing how much I'll spend. Yeah. That kind of rich. But I'm willing to trade all of that just so I could make my answer into more than just an answer. 2015 made me do things in order to make my realization to such mind-boggling question into a reality. There were times wherein I thought that I was getting nearer to my goal. There are times where I felt like it's impossible for me to reach it even by sight. Sometimes I feel like I could still give it a fight but there are also times wherein I nearly raised the white flag. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotion. A ride that scared the hell out of me but for some weird reason it is also a ride I'll gladly do again.

Last October 16, 2015, I attended a seminar for administrative professionals in SM Learning Center, Cubao. I was informed a day before to attend the said seminar and with an unwilling heart ransacked any corporate attire that I could find at my sister’s closet (cause 90% of my wardrobe are all shirts).

“Secretaries’ Learning Day: Stepping Up to Our Role as Professionals” was the first seminar intended for all the assistants/administrative professionals/secretaries (we get called by different names despite the similarity of our work) of all the executives in our head office. It was meant to provide additional learnings for all of us and at the same time a gateway to know each other beyond telephone calls and emails.

There were a lot of sharing that occurred which I didn’t really felt comfortable with. I just didn’t like the idea of opening up my personal thoughts and feelings to people I just met for the first time (which is weird because I got no problem posting them online. Haha!). I guess I was not meant to speak infront of a crowd. Also, maybe because I am a certified crybaby. Every time I experience any kind of strong emotion, I cry and it is not a pretty sight. I thought I would handle that day with finesse and grace until they handed out our souvenir at the end of the seminar.

It was a very cute box and oddly it had our names on it. We were instructed to open it and the next thing I knew, I was holding a piece of paper with my left hand and simultaneously wiping the tears that were running down my cheeks with my other hand. What was inside the box? It was a letter from my boss. It was short but it was exactly what I needed to know.

“We are blessed that the huge task of supporting me and the operations team of CFMC has fallen into your very capable hands. At this early stage of your career, you have displayed good initiative and consistently delivered more than what is expected of you. Continue to do great work and the opportunities will be there for you. Stay hungry and I will be there to guide you to your full potential.”

Rhoand Glorioso

After that, tears just sprung into my eyes. It was one of those rare moments wherein all the stress that I have inside of me suddenly disappeared. Who would have thought that a piece of paper with words of gratitude would change something inside of me? It's as if my confidence with how I work came back. That somehow if I put my heart and mind into it, I could be capable of greatness. I found myself again.

This seminar really made a difference compared to the other seminars that I have attended to under my current company. It made me understand who I really am and what I would really want to be. I had a clearer vision of myself and of what I want to achieve careerwise. No matter what decision I make in the near future, the words of my boss will always remain in my mind. Thank you boss!

I still have a super long way to go in making my blog acceptable to the public but I’m just so happy that it made it possible for me to get invited on the Bloggys Gala Night 2015.


What is Bloggys?
To quote Paul Agabin, CEO of Essays.ph, #bloggys2015 is a nationwide blog awarding event in the Philippines. It continues the legacy of recognizing Filipino bloggers through a variety of niches and industries across the nation.

When and Where?
This event will take place on November 21, 2015 at SMX Convention Center, SM Aura, Taguig from 5:00 PM-10:00 PM.

Why do I want to get invited?
Bloggys is a blog awarding event for 17 categories/niches which only means that I’ll get to meet the best bloggers from almost every category that a blogger could write about. Plus, I get to be a part of such a prestigious event for bloggers which hopefully could inspire me to write more and just stop compiling my back logs.

Before the invites
I found out about Bloggys 2015 a month ago from Essays.ph, an online freelance writing community that I’ve been working part-time for. As someone who enjoys reading and writing blog posts, I just had to be there to witness the best of the best bloggers in the Philippines get recognized. As a newbie in the blogosphere, I know I’ll find inspiration from those great bloggers and learn from them. Which is why I was totally disheartened when I found out that the guests are selected and I’ll have to be on the waiting list. With so little faith that I’ll make it on the guest list, I registered my blog and waited. I was about to totally dismiss the idea of being able to go when I received an email.


Getting invited
I was so ecstatic that day I received that invite. I swear I couldn’t stop smiling my cheeks got sore! My only dilemma now is to find a decent outfit for the event and hope I won’t look so out of place with such great bloggers. Yelp! See you on Saturday!

Some people find it amazing. Some people find it weird. Some think it’s worth it, while others say it’s just a waste of time. No matter what others think about cosplay, if you want to do it, you shouldn’t give a damn and just do it.

Image Source: http://assets.theindiechicks.com/

Getting rejected is hard. It can be emotionally destructive to one’s whole being. Worst, it can make you give up on the things that you love the most.

Lately, I haven’t been doing any writing. Unfinished blog posts, pending writing assignments and unopened modules kept hunting me every night yet I chose to ignore them. Either I’m too exhausted from my 9AM-7:30 PM shift of being a corporate slave or I’m just too uninspired and confused after the bitter rejection of most of my articles for a freelance writing company. I was just too depressed. I started questioning myself on almost every decision I have done. Am I just wasting my time trying to chase a dream I should have chased sooner?

The experience was definitely new but it felt so familiar at the same time. It was like travelling in a foreign country. You are the stranger who knows nobody. You should be scared but the scenery felt so comfortable, to the extent that it reminds you of your home. Attending Toycon reminded me of home.

It’s Throwback Thursday once again, another day where I can find an excuse to post some of my long forgotten articles. Nonetheless, I’d still post this because in just about two more months, this event will happen again and also because the storm makes me reminisce the past. The gloomy weather just makes me feel so nostalgic!

Legal holidays such as the Labor Day last May 1, 2015 gave an opportunity for people like me who belongs to the working class to at least unwind and do the things that we love. For me, I was actually planning to just stay in my room and start to do some writing but I knew back then that I’d end up staring at that blinking cursor for hours and hours. Lately, I’ve been feeling so uninspired that I can’t make myself write single short filler for a magazine. Good thing I was invited to go to Art in Island 3D Museum to refuel my creativity.

They say that traveling is for the brave. This must be the reason why up until now, I never traveled anywhere that is considered far-flung on my own or even with anyone that I don’t share the same blood with. I never wanted to spend for anything that I am not sure I’d be satisfied. I was never the type who takes risks. I don’t diverge into paths where I am not 100% sure of. When it comes to making decisions, I look at it in every angle before I provide my verdict. I’d like to say that this is because I’ve emerged as a wiser person after all the turmoil that I have gone through but the bitter truth is just so obvious. I’ve turned myself into a coward- a characteristic I hated the most.

Alanah Ramelb is a 28-year-old writer by heart who is doing her best to survive life by living in a corporate employee's body. She is currently residing in Manila, Philippines but spent her childhood in the beautiful province of Ilocos Norte. She started this blog in the year 2015 to keep her sane while catapulting from one industry to another. She claims that despite all the chaos in her life, her love for writing is the only constant thing that made her happy. She writes about how she lives, work and dream in this digital space with the hope to inspire other people to keep working hard for their dream lives by never letting their current circumstances stop them from being what they ought to be.

You can contact her at alanahwrites@gmail.com to know more about the things she writes about.