No long weekend 😑

Well, the Lunar New Year fell on a Sunday and the government neglected to declare a non-working holiday… so we had to leave for Manila during lunch time today.

I went out to buy my handmade shampoo bar and dishwashing liquid from the local weekend market. I also bought brunch for me and my twins… Not happy with our food 🙄 I should have stuck with the artisanal breads.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I also bought vegetables to bring with me to QC because I knew I wouldn’t have any time to spare to shop for veggies when I get home.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

By the time we left my mom’s house, the traffic jam was already bad near the hot spring resort areas. This is a sign of what is to come this summer. 🤦‍♀️

Right now, I’m already racking my brain regarding the logistics of moving houses. I will be leaving mid-May and that is the height of traffic jams in this part of the world. I have to do the major move on a week day. If I do it on a weekend, my cargo truck will be stuck on the road for 5 hrs.

Sign of things to come. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We went straight to Mitsukoshi in BGC to check out what’s there. Our main destination is Kinokuniya.

Checking out the manga on display. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

The girls got excited by the large selection of manga in Japanese and English.

I think their selection of manga and the number of aisles devoted to it is larger here than in Kinokuniya at Takashimaya in Singapore. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My girls were crestfallen when they saw the price of each manga volume. 😁 So they’re just going to stick readinmg manga online.

As for the stationery… 🥱 That was a big disappointment. It was just the usual Fullybooked fare. I wish Loft or Maruzen would open a branch here.

But I did find a few stationery items outside Kinokuniya x Fullybooked, like Sailor fountain pens and other ink brands. They also carry Travelers Notebook refills but not the leather notebook covers. No Hobonichi as well.

Fountain pen inks. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We checked the accessories section and got stuck there. Well, the girls got stuck because they were overwhelmed with the earrings choices.

The girls choosing their earrings carefully. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

In the end it was only Twin I who bought earrings with her money in her Maya account. Twin A decided to save her money to prepare for the February Fair in my university hometown because they will be hanging out with their review center friends.

I finally found this umbrella brand. Wohoo! Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I bought my first Waterfront umbrella in Asakusa, Tokyo and I never took it out of my handbags. My current umbrella is almost six years old and is still going strong. It’s small, very lightweight, and yet sturdy. Perfect for sudden rainshowers in the city or when I travel abroad.

I didn’t find Prior by Shiseido in the cosmetics area. *sigh* I can’t even find it online.

We tried the food court but our choice was not a good one (Tenya) and we were not happy… again.

Cheese!

To make up for our disappointment in food and stationery, we went to Fresh, Mitsukoshi’s supermarket.

This time, we were satisfied with what we saw. And bought.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I finally was able to buy: light miso paste (a whole bag weighing 800g!) for less than PhP 200, dashi, bonito flakes, green tea powder, cooking sake, tsuyu for cold soba, and Japanese ramen that are cheaper than what are sold in SM and online.

And beer.

Beer! Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I wanted to buy one for each variant but it will be too heavy to carry to the car.

Because, why not? Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Next time I drop by here, I will take home with me the canned goods and seasonings ❤️ Mitsukoshi Manila is still on soft opening and only a few vendors and brands are still being carried. The food court is not yet SG Takashimaya-level in terms of choices but there is potential given that the department store itself is huge and it has sprawling gross floor space, unlike in Mitsukoshi Taipei where everything is crammed into small shelves, sacrificing the presentation of the merchadise. I don’t remember entering a Mitsukoshi in Tokyo so I can’t compare.

I’ll be cooking Japanese this week. 😁

Miss CallMeCreation.com’s night out

Waiting for friends at Boat Quay.

Hah! After a very productive week, I finally had a relaxing night for socials. Despite feeling a little bit under the weather. I just discovered there is a little lounge room at the office that has an Osim massage chair that I enjoyed for a few mins before walking over to this pub. 😎

I took my time this morning and had a leisurely breakfast of kaya teh set at Kopitiam. I missed the softboiled eggs.

Kaya toast set breakfast for SGD 3.10. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Fish skin chips. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

While I was buying takeaway lunch at the basement of Raffles Place, I saw these fish skin chips being sold at that Japanese resto. I was weighing whether I should buy now or before I leave on Tuesday. I decided against it so I just proceeded to our office to do some serious work.

My laptop can lay flat. I don’t have an external keyboard so this will do. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I was so busy today that I ate lunch at my desk because I needed to finish my edits and a million emails.

Eating oyakudon at my desk. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Then I went to Suntec to meet a source. On the way back to the office, I got held up because there was a Delsey luggage sale. 🤣 Buying new luggage is one of my missions here in SG and just my luck I came across this store. The 55″ luggage I bought only costs SGD 164 (minus the GST because I will claim refund at the airport when I leave. My old American Tourister is already falling into pieces and I already had the wheels replaced in Manila.

It was still raining when I arrived at Raffles Place.

Wet and wet. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Back at the office, I had a lonely dinner at my desk because I needed to finish some tasks because that luggage shopping held me up by an hour 🤣.

Bento dinner at my desk… Again. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

And now I’m having a pint since my friends are taking quite a while to arrive. The rain. They’ve already forgotten how to navigate much worse thunderstorms in Manila.

Summer Ale. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It will be almost a week since I had taken my antidepressant. I’m doing good. ❤️

First death anniversary

Nabe.Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We made ourselves happy by going to Bijin Nabe at Greenhills. It’s still delicious like the last time we have been there two years ago. The last time the girls went there was with J and they barely ate the hotpot and just went for the karaage. This time they got so full–mushrooms, radish, and all–from eating too much of the the hotpot that we couldn’t finish the extra collagen soup and ramen so we had them packed for takeout.

Mmmm. Chicken and its collagen soup. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Then we proceeded to the gadgets section of the Theater Mall to do business.

Selling my iPad 7 and having my iPad 9 installed with a tempered glass screen protector. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We went around Virra Mall to look for keyboards but it turned out that they were too expensive for Twin A. She had self-restraint and didn’t want to spend on something she really doesn’t need. She’s saving up for a camera.

We were so preoccupied that I almost forgot that today is my first death anniversary. I only got reminded of it when a friend from high school was telling me she is breaking up with her partner because he could not commit, saying some stupid thing like being traumatized by the soon to be ex-wife. (I don’t understand why he couldn’t divorce his wife when divorce is not that hard to get in Singapore unlike here where there is no divorce and annulment takes years to be granted, if you have enough money).

I told her it’s hogwash. I was in the same boat as this guy is but I never made an excuse like that when in fact I am really traumatized by my ex and that marriage. But I gave my all and didn’t hold back. I loved J unconditionally and did not hesitate with committing. It was he who didn’t want to commit.

I told my friend that he didn’t love her enough. Better walk away.

She said yeah, he didn’t want to put a label on whatever they had. He neither wanted to commit. She said, what are we, fuck buddies?

Looks like it, I said. Then I told her:

R was an instrument for you to realize what was important to you just as God showed me what kind of love I deserve. The unconditional love I gave J is the kind of love that I should have and not just the loose change that I received from him and from the girls’ dad. Because I grew up not knowing what a healthy love looks like. So in a way God let J into my life to make me realize that even if I forever remain single, it’s ok. Because I learned now what unconditional love is. It just so happened it was me who gave it instead of receiving it.

It’s kinda sad, right? But I’m still healing, a year after. It still hurts, I have to admit but I know it always will. It’s just a matter of managing that hurt and the degree by which I will allow myself to be affected by it.

He has moved on a long time ago. He started messaging that girl in April, so I was told. Four months after we broke up. How convenient.

I hope I won’t get triggered after today. I’m so tired of riding this roller coaster ride of emotions.

I’m getting better. I will be ok.