Hosts never eat first and why rushing never did me any good

Hosts never eat first and why rushing never did me any good

This article first appeared in the August 28, 2021 issue of The Manila Bulletin. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been in a state of rushing. Rushing to school, rushing to finish a project. I was always in a hurry to grow up, to get a job. To run after sources and to finish my stories. My time as a TV reporter was a constant state of an adrenaline rush followed by a huge crash after a…

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At Home with German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel

At Home with German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel

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Diplomatic Baggage: Brigid Keenan's Memoir is a Timeless, Entertaining Read

Diplomatic Baggage: Brigid Keenan’s Memoir is a Timeless, Entertaining Read

I first picked up Brigid Keenan’s Diplomatic Baggage a few months after I got married and I’ve read the book quite a number of times since. Funny enough, it was my husband who told me about the book and we searched for it in almost every bookstore in Manila until I finally got my copy. It was my companion during the first few months of our posting. We were in Kuala Lumpur and I was treating it…

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Column: Tasting Notes & Menu from the Interview with Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson

Column: Tasting Notes & Menu from the Interview with Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson

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Samba: A taste of Peru at the Shangri-la The Fort (Manila)

Samba: A taste of Peru at the Shangri-la The Fort (Manila)

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Recycling in Manila: From Single Use Plastic to the Victims of Decluttering

Recycling in Manila: From Single Use Plastic to the Victims of Decluttering

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Here's Where You Should Be Celebrating Bastille Day in Manila (& Cebu!) this 2021

Here’s Where You Should Be Celebrating Bastille Day in Manila (& Cebu!) this 2021

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Moving to Manila? Here are the Apps You Need For a Smoother Life

Moving to Manila? Here are the Apps You Need For a Smoother Life

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Manila Shopping Guide: SM Aura

Manila Shopping Guide: SM Aura

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Back to (the) Futur:st: Art Space Meet Great Drinks in Poblacion

Back to (the) Futur:st: Art Space Meet Great Drinks in Poblacion

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Rutz: Saving (one of) the Absolute Best for Last

Rutz: Saving (one of) the Absolute Best for Last

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Swipe, swipe, and swipe. ✨ The holidays feel so different this year. Even for us who are back home, we still feel quite... distant (no thanks to the C-word). . Here are some ways to survive the holidays and to feel the love despite the distance from home and family. And here’s a virtual hug that we all really need right now. 🤗 . . . . . #AlmostDiplomatic #Manila . . . . . . . . . . . #motivation #holidaymotivation #holidaysabroad #holidayseason #aloneforchristmas #expatholidays #expatchristmas #christmas #christmastime #manilablogger #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #expat #expatlife #expatliving #livingabroad #globetrotter #liveauthentic #liveunscripted #womenwhohustle #mentalhealthtips #christmastips #quotes #lifeinmanila #homesickness (at Manila, Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI4s8JOgeFo/?igshid=sxd1i77y9s08

Been munching on these seaweed chips for days now. A healthier alternative that doesn’t taste like paper. Finally. Also love it with the spicy vinegar. 💕 Both are from @manganbyiman — a social enterprise in Mindanao helping out members of the Sama Dilaut tribe. It’s a cause that’s really close to my heart. You’ll find out why in my stories. ✨ . . . . . . . . #AlmostDiplomatic #Manila . . . . . . . . . . #filipinoproducts #trylocal #trylocalph #lovemanila #christmasshopping #pinoygifts #filipinohomes #homeessentials #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #europe #expat #expatlife #expatliving #livingabroad  #womenwhohustle #supportlocal #supportlocalph #gifted #filipinosnacks (at Manila, Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI2huOjAO3B/?igshid=l52o0f8j68v5

Eyewear plays your music and lets you take calls? Welcome to the future, babes. The review for the Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II is now up. Link in my stories!
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I’d ask who wore it better — @juanchothecorgi or me — but I know that’s like shooting myself on the foot. 😜 Though I swear, if you start calling me Jun Ji Hyun or Cheon Song Yi, that’ll make up for choosing Juancho over me.
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📷: @rodneil, 🖥: @marcusjaie 
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#huawei #gentlemonster #almostdiplomatic #manila #huaweigentlemonster #DiplomatsWife #Diplowife #huaweieyewear2 #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #expat #expatlife #expatliving #livingabroad #globetrotter #liveauthentic #womenwhohustle #gifted #wearabletech #fashiontech (at Antipodean Manila)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIxeQxXAjEi/?igshid=1j65385ib4z22

If there’s one thing I learned from therapy, it’s to be your own best friend. Anxiety makes it hard because it magnifies the things that are difficult to accept about your environment, the people around you, or how you react to certain situations.
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A lot of times, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. The what ifs and the maybes that plague us. We all have those moments in the past that make us realise things. It could be how you reacted to something/someone or how you wasted your time on certain people and things that were not worth it. “I could have avoided that if…,” is something I would say to beat myself up over undesirable situations that happened in the past. It’s tough when it’s still pretty raw and new. But it’s necessary for me to take time from that situation and examine it when it doesn’t feel so painful anymore. Just one more time to help me gain better perspective of what went wrong and how I can be more resilient next time. Through therapy and being more open about my struggles, I learned how to forgive others and myself for anything that went wrong. Close that chapter and fully move on.
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I can honestly say that just taking time to sit and examining my feelings go a long way. You know how babies learn to soothe themselves as they get bigger? We adults need to re-learn this as life gets tough and our emotions and our relationships become more complex. It takes time, sure. But being your first best friend and being able to heal on your own is a life skill we should all work on. Our crosses are ours to bear and while it’s great to get help from our friends and family but passing it on to others completely is a huge no in my book.
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You cannot control how other people will treat you. Will they be true? Will they end up hurting you? Or are you ‘lucky’ enough to be drawn to a covert narcissist? As cheesy as it sounds, I believe in that saying that people come to your life for a reason, a season , or a lifetime. To add to that, some also come to teach you a big lesson. Learn to let go, move on, and be grateful in the end. You won’t be where you are today without each hurdle. ✨
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📷: @mmontajes12 (at Museumsinsel)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIuoXuCgJZT/?igshid=1v9bff52cgk0p

Most of my bags had to go into our shipment for their Berlin-Manila journey and that would take about two months. But I just had to have my @ZarahJuan Jeepney Tote in my check-in luggage during our flight so that I can use it right away. 😂 . I just love how it looks and how it elevates even my most casual of outfits. The wicker shell is sturdy and is just too cute — I get asked about it everywhere I go. The Inabel lining is soft to the touch and keeps the contents private while the adjustable strap (swipe to see it), made by Benguet weavers, adds that bold pop of colour. . Such a great product designed and made in the Philippines, supporting local artisans. Zarah and her team deserve so much more attention locally and abroad. Friends in Malaysia, Germany, and other countries — they ship abroad! 😉 . What makes my Jeepney Tote even more special is it’s from Amb. @mtdizondevega and we’re twinning! She has this in pink.💕 . P.S. Swipe all the way to the end to see some-bunny stealing my thunder. Again. 🐶 . . . . #AlmostDiplomatic #Berlin . . . . . . . . . . #Filipiniana #zarahjuan #jeepneytote #jeepneytotebag #filipinofashionfridays #phfashion #fashionphilippines #trylocalph #FilipinaFashion #filipinianaootd #ifugao #modernfilipinianaootd #modernfilipiniana #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #expat #expatlife #expatliving  #womenwhohustle #tagaytay #sonyasgarden (at Sonya's Garden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIpyU0CAnAQ/?igshid=1ilpcqff5bizt

Filed under ‘answers to the question why I didn’t take the Foreign Service Officer (FSO) exams myself’. 😆 . When I was a journalist covering the Department of Foreign Affairs, I would often get told by senior diplomats that I should give the FSOE a go. Even our foreign minister at that time told me the same thing after I cornered him for a quick interview. It’s a great career and I did mull it over. But in the end, I know I love journalism more. In my 20s, I was also way too impatient, way too opinionated, and I can’t help but call out things I don’t agree with or when things are unfair. So it really is much better for our country that my mouthy self didn’t do it. . But life does love to make funny jokes on people and I ended up marrying one. In the last six years, while we were posted abroad, I had to learn to let things go, be less mouthy, be a bit more patient, and to express my disagreement without being disagreeable. It could be my husband’s traits rubbing off on me but I can always say I just matured as I neared my 30s. 😛 . And for aspiring diplomats, watch Ambassador @mtdizondevega talk about how one can become an effective FSO on my Youtube channel. ☺️ Will add a swipe up link in my stories. . If you have any questions that you would like to be answered in the upcoming videos, do comment below or send me a DM! . . . #AlmostDiplomatic #Manila . . . . . . . . . . . #manilablogger #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #asia #southeastasia #expat #expatlife #expatliving #livingabroad #globetrotter #liveauthentic #liveunscripted #womenwhohustle #becomingalady #quotes #mondaymotivation #lifeinmanila #quotes #funnyquotes #keepitclassy #fso #fsoexams (at Manila, Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIpExytAPm1/?igshid=zop3g9n29rh5