August 20, 2020

Questions for Me and You - Timeless Thursdays 13

I am the kind of person who loves sharing who I am and what I do to my friends and I thought aside from my trips and the food I have enjoyed in my posts, let me share some more things about me, to you all. Let me take you to memory lane on some of the answers on the questions below and hopefully they can make our Timeless Thursday something fun and sentimental at the same time. 

Pont d'Arcole, Paris - January 2020

**OPTIONAL: At the end of my Q&A, I set-up a short survey about my blog that I am hoping you can take some time to answer as well. I would love to keep myself updated with your thoughts so I can better provide my dear readers and blog friends with a good blog experience with every visit.

Let me thank Julie Wunder's Blog for her take on this and I thought it would be interesting for me to answer some of her questions as well.

Maybe you would care answering 2 or 3 questions that I answered below? I would love to know more about you too through your answers to it in the comments section. Let me proceed with my questions, let's go!

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born at a hospital in Manila but I was raised all my life in my hometown in the province of Cavite in the Philippine Islands. Though I did spend a couple of years of my childhood in California where we were once immigrants (I did not push through because I was so young that time and I chose to live in the Philippines. Would have been different if I was a little more grown up I think).

My dad carrying me, my two brothers in San Francisco - 1994

2. Do you have any nicknames?

Growing up, my uncle gave me the nickname Seven. It has been derived from taking out a few letters from my real name, Stevenson, to arrive with Seven and I stuck with that until I was in college. though some college friends called me Steve so I thought I'd move forward with it. But in the office, since I work in the North America bureau, they call me Stevenson as a whole.

3. Where did you go to college?

Been dubbed as a dark green school, De La Salle University - Dasmarinas. It's just beside our city but I had to travel an hour and a half going to and going home every single day through two jeepney rides. But it was a lot better than studying in the hustle and bustle of Manila, especially that my parents will not allow me since I was just 15 years old when I entered college.

We wore school uniforms at our University - Senior Year 2010

4. What did you study in college?


I majored in Computer Science. With my young age, I still did not know what I really want, or should I say I think I did but only chose a different course to major but thankfully I was able to finish it on time and with good grades.

5. What was your first job out of college?


I was invited by my professors to join the faculty so I applied as a College Instructor. I stayed at my University full-time for five years. It was one of the best years of my life, pay was not high but my students' love and respect are priceless.

Yup, that's me carried by my IT majors - 2012

6. What kind of music do you like?


I don't have just one style and it changes depending on my mood. Lately I am very much into Korean Pop Ballads but if we talk about timelessness, I would say Andrea Bocelli, Coldplay, ABBA, and Taylor Swift are my go-to's. they say I have a weird Spotify playlist with a lot of songs including Thai, Italian, and Spanish but hey, that's my music!

7. What’s one hobby that you’d like to take up?


I would love to do more trekking. I did enjoy some trails that I trekked, especially the Pinatubo Trek. It took us hours but there were no steep ascents which was good for me (I am week when it comes to steep climbs)

Mount Pinatubo Volcano Trek, January 2019

8. What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?


A Doctor. Well every Filipino kindergarten student during my time wanted to be one. But being a doctor takes full responsibility of lives and I'm not something that is up for that to be honest, not to mention the years of study which was not for me at all before I went to college.

9. What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now?


Be more active! this pandemic has worsen my sedentary lifestyle and it did produce not just a big series of aches and pains in my body but I also think most of my anxiety worsen from staying at the bed and the chair in my bedroom almost the whole time. Well I cannot go outside, too dangerous here in the Philippines right now but I know I should find ways to be more active like stationary exercises and aerobics.

10. Have you ever traveled outside the country? If so, where?


Yes! It is my pride and forever joy to have traveled. I have been to the United States, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, Guam, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the Vatican, Belgium, and Prague.

Me and my Sister Judy in Jeonju, South Korea - April 2017

11. When’s your next vacation and where are you going?


I had plane tickets planned out for trips to Dubai last march and laos and Myanmar this May but they all got cancelled because of you know, Corinna (how my dear friend Iris calls it) came and stayed until now. But if time allows, I will push through with Myanmar and Laos with my father since it's the last two countries of the ASEAN which I haven't been to yet. I would also love to go back to Paris and hopefully see Spain and Germany. Also starting to dream of visiting Iran and see more of Persia and it's history.

12. If you weren’t in your current job, what would you want to be doing?


Practically speaking, I would have been a Teacher. But if I had all the choice in the world, I really dreamed of being a journalist for the longest time, a Travel and Talk Show Host to be exact. Well, until now, I still dream of having my own talk show.

***

OPTIONAL: Stevenson Que Blog Reader's Survey


May I invite all of you my dear friends to answer this simple survey below. This will greatly help my blog and how I will present it in the future. I know that one's blog is all about the author but your say is important for me to hopefully enhance your experience with every single visit, besides, you are the reason why I started and the reason why I continue this blog.


***

I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join Timeless Thursdays.


Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.

This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Sunday at 11:59 pm (Manila/Perth Time)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

52 comments:

  1. ...I try to stay more private about myself with my blog. My advice to you is make your blog the way you want it, if you like it others will too!

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    1. Thank you so much for that advice Tom. I'll remember it :)

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  2. Mount Pinatubo! For me this is about as remote a location as I can imagine. Thank you for showing this photo and experience, illustrating that it isn't all that remote after all! Like you, I have missed several planned trips in the last 6 months, and unfortunately don't feel optimistic enough to plan any more at the moment. So sad!

    be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Hello dearest Mae! I am so happy you know about Mount Pinatubo. I was just 1 year old when it erupted. You are so right, I have been to quite a few places in the Philippines and being an archipelago, we have a lot of nice places, but Mount Pinatubo so far took my breath away the most!

      Oh you are right, I did move out our travel dates but sadly, there is no guarantee that that again will push through even if it's dated next year... Have a great week ahead Mae!

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  3. Boa tarde meu querido amigo. Obrigado por nos apresentar um pouco da sua estória.

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    1. Bom dia meu amigo! Obrigado por voce commento en mi estoria :)

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  4. #1 - I was born in Bad Gandersheim - that does not mean it´s "bad" it means it´s a healthy town, "bath". My Brother and first Niece were born there also and my Mum left us there.
    I grew up in Seesen, a small town nearby, lived also in Hildesheim, Rhüden and now Braunschweig
    We wanted to go to Perth, but I was, haha, too young! Zero points on work experience and now Ingo is too old.
    Cute pic of your family, dear Stevenson!!!

    #2 - since I´m small they called me "Easy". Not nice!
    Seven, LOL, isn´t that the sexy woman from Star Trek Voyager, Seven of Nine, you got a joker there!

    #3 - Hildesheim. You were 15??? How? Different systems or you are a true genius!!!

    #4 - Architecture. Bad choice. Ah, OK, we are at level genius!!! WOW.

    #5 - IT. I digitalized my work and then architects wanted to hire me to build them websites. Nope. Started at zero and did the proper thing.
    Cool pic with your students!!!!

    #6 - Surprise, I go with you! Queen, mainly, Cuban music and... every Monday when I get Ingo´s bread and pass "Waterloo" Street, guess!!! LOL ABBA sure joins me on the way!

    #7 - I´d like to go to Perth again, but not stay, instead again buy a 4WD-car and go to the Outback (Ingo still owes me a pizza in the world oldest open air cinema in Broome, too).

    #8 - I only knew what I do NOT wnat to be. Being older sibling my Dad asked me if I want his shop (goldsmith (HOT), optometrist, hearing aids (getting near to strangers), watches (tiny)) - Nooooo...

    #9 - job. And back to training. "Too hot" for the latter, crazy, isn´t it?! I love heat!

    #10 made me smile, we are some travellers, are we. Austria, Australia (whole country, I know more of it than Germany), Spain, Greece, Cuba, Isla Margarita, Jamaica, Switzerland, Tuscany, France, England, Egypt... guess that was it!

    #11 - :-)... see, we need to keep our humour! Hope the lille one reaches you soon! Hope her real Sister "shuts up" soon!

    #12 - Something arty maybe. The blogging world drew me back to it. Journalist comes to mind, also!

    # on to the survey!

    This was fun, dear Seven, ummm... Stevenson!! Hugs from here!
    Btw.. the survey is in German for me... Crazy!

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    1. Dearest Iris! I has so so so much fun reading your Answers! I am so happy you answered all of them and it made me learn more about my friend from Germany! It is a little coincidence that you were born in Bad Gandersheim because one of my old classmates in Elementary now lives there with her husband and two kids! Oh and about my age, during that time, the school system here is just 10 years compared to the now 12 years that is the same in most countries in the world so usually Students enter college at 16-17 but I went to school a year early so I entered college at 15 :)

      Oh you have been to soooo many places as well Iris and the places you have been to are so diverse and so beautiful! I hope I can see more of the world as well and I hope you and Ingo can go back and visit Perth again soon when big Corinna shuts up (love that!) And so happy you also like ABBA :) Waterloo is one of their songs that makes me dance in an instant! (ok and I have to admit, Dancing Queen makes me wanna dance too!)

      Again thank you so much dear Iris! I very much enjoyed our fast QnA haha :)

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    2. Dearest Stevenson, isn´t that a very crazy world?!!! Bad Gandersheim, really?!
      Wow. Well, all I know there is the hospital and the staff was sooooo kind and caring with my Mum in her last weeks.
      I must say, 10 years really do it for school, right? We learned so much nonesense I never needed. Still not sure if college and university is the same but reckon it does notm matter and what I heard of colleagues the school system in Germany has changed a lot again.

      We will go to Perth! But I don´t know if we can travel the Outback again - if you ever get the chance: do, it´s the best!

      Yes, I always feel like dancing, too, when I read that street name. I guess people think I´m a bit looney grinning every time.
      It was really a lot of fun doing this, reflecting on life! On mostly good things, too! :-)

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    3. P.S. I told Ingo about Bad Gandersheim and after biiiig eyes he asked if I told you this (I did not):
      We met a blogger friend for the first time in 2013. She brought another bloggy-friend along.
      Friend: "I lived in Germany once, also, my kids were born there, too". Guess.
      Braunschweig!
      It´s a very small world...

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    4. That is right! I am so amazed as well with the coincidence! You said that right Iris, I do agree that 10 years is very much enough, coming from experience on being part of that system, because now, students are just being taught some redundant stuff in the added two years!

      Oh I sure will, that is part of my list because of you, I am so amazed by your stories and pictures of your trip to Australia! a few students of mine are now living there so I hope I can visit them someday.

      Hahaha I am so much like you because I will sure feel like dancing too if I pass by that street! ABBA is timeless, I was born at a time that is very far already from their golden time but I very much love their music especially because of the Mamma Mia Movie and Musical.

      Whaaaaatttt that's where you live now right! That is so amazing! These coincidence just never fails to give us surprises and amazements!

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    5. I live in Braunschweig. But that Perth-friend lived here, also. Looong ago, when I was still in Hildesheim.
      :-) My big Niece turns 10 tomorrow. Her name is Mia.
      Make plural, we went to Australia in 1995 for 6 months and another 7 months in 1999.
      Great. Now I have an earworm, "Mama Mia, here we we go again...", "Super trooper", you! 😂

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    6. Whoooaaa in Perth! And you also love Australia too right! That is a very very big coincidence!

      HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIA! I wish her all the best and happiness in life!

      OMG dear Iris, you just got my favorite song out of the whole soundtrack! Super Trooper!!! I don;t know why, but whenever I hear that song, It's like my mom is somewhere near me singing it for me. OMG IM CRYING NOW IRIS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! It's just a super beautiful song that reminds us that the people we love is always just there around us, "somewhere in the crowd". Oh dear Iris I wa sso touched by that!

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    7. My Brother very firmly believes our passed loved ones are somehow still here, watching over us. Maybe your mom sings that song in your dreams to you.
      I hope I made you cry in a more or less happy way, I feel with you, truly, dear Stevenson.
      My Dad passed 2002, Mum 2011 and I still cannot keep a straight face when someone asks me about them.
      I hope Monday I remeber to take a pic of the sign for Tom´s meme.
      And then we dance, OK? 💃🕺

      But: As long as we cry they are not forgotten.

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    8. I really like what you said dear Iris, "As long as we cry, they are not forgotten". I very much remember the movie "Coco" with what you said. Its a very beautiful movie! We are so much the same, when people ask me about my mom or my grandma, I really get emotional on the inside. Though I am happy when they talk good things about them :)

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  5. Excellent Review There Brother Man - Very Entertaining - A Pleasant Read For Sure - Quite The Travel List For Such A Sedentary Life - Really Enjoyed The Photos - Stay Strong And Be The Better Person

    Cheers

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    1. Hello my dear brother Padre! Thank you very much for your kind words and I wish we can all travel soon again. That is also the reason why I am so happy whenever I visit your blog because it lets me travel through the beautiful mountains of CO even on my desk! God bless you my brother and stay happy and healthy and safe :)

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    2. Damn Brother, Just Saw The Bombings South Of You - Sending Positive Vibes

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    3. It's getting more and more crazy here brother Padre. Thank you very much for your thoughts, I really appreciate them.

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    4. Still Cracks Me Up To See Your Family Photo In Front Of That Old Trolley Car - Good Times - Be Well And Stay Brave

      Cheers

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    5. You said it right brother Padre! I miss those days :)

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  6. I must sayI am not inclined to respond to this kind of survey. It seems that one can hardly do anything any more without being asked to complete a survey afterwards, and I generally decline to do so. In terms of how you should construct your blog, I am quite sure that if it pleases you, and you can complete a post and know that you are happy with it, your readers will react in kind.

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    1. Hello David, Happy Thursday! My apologies if this post made you feel like you are tasked to answer the survey, it is just optional and just in case, I added the optional tag on the post after I read your comment.

      And thank you so much for you advice, I sure will remember that :)

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  7. I enjoy your blog as it is so different to mine - and it gives me the chance to do some armchair traveling. I have only traveled to Australia (several times) and Tonga. I did have dreams of traveling to South Africa and Europe, but age, and the times, have put paid to that, so I am planning a trip around the South Island instead. I have spent the majority of my life in the central/upper North island.
    Stay safe
    Blessings
    Maxine

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    1. Thank you so much Maxine for you kind words about my blog and it makes me happy that you appreciate my trips and adventures. Being in your country, it's okay even if you don't go to international trips because you already are in probably the most beautiful country in the world! I am very happy as well that you have Filipino friends and I would love to share more with all of you things about my country and hopefully bringing all of you to more trips around our islands :)

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  8. Dearest Stevenson,
    Some precious insights from your family life, as usual.
    It is one of your strong points! You have a great ability to tell the stories as they really were, without any altering or pretending. That sets you apart from a lot of others.
    You dare to be pure and honest and I can only applaud that.
    Strange, that those that are blogging with a kind of visor on, do at times viciously attack others (mainly leaders) but prefer to stay 'private' themselves...
    We always got taught to treat others just like you would want to be treated.
    Maybe they kind of push those golden morals, which we were taught early on, to the side and they think that gives them the right to attack others that still adhere to them. Those that dare to speak out on behalf of the vulnerable and defenseless and always by acknowledging God. Selfishness never wil be rewarded by our final Judge! Criticizing with hollow words is cowardly, and never wins from actions by others to show true values.
    You sure entered college at a young age!
    You still are very young and you got plenty ahead of you for filling in many of your wishes.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Dearest Mariette, I am so touched with your kind comment and insights! Thank you very much and you are right, I really need to write more about my family and friends as well so I can share with all of you how our life in the Philippines and how family life affects not just our lives but even our decisions and choices. I am very thankful for commending my honesty, I am not aware of that to be honest but if it's sharing things the way I really share them in person and get the same energy into writing, then I guess I'm guilty :)

      Thank you so much dearest Mariette for your kindness and wished and for sharing yours and Pieter's stories and experiences to all of us. I hope and pray with all my heart that we all get more years to come in our existences so we can share more to others the happiness and joy that we can readily give. Hugs to you too dear Mariette!

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  9. You certainly traveled to a lot of places and have a nice list for more. I hope you get to expand it in the near future. A nice read for today's post, good photos and lots of happy memories with your students. Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading your blog, take care and have a great day.

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    1. that is very nice of you to say Bill, thank you so much and I really hope your wishes will come true for me to see more of the world! I am also so happy that you get to read about my students, I miss them so so much! god bless you my friend and have a great weekend coming!

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  10. Thanks for stopping by my space since you made me discover your blog which is excellent.

    Personal, photographic, travel, all things that I like.

    Hug from the Argentine winter and I am going to complete your survey. Regards!

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    1. It is my pleasure JLO. All the pleasure is mine because I have always wanted to have a friend from Argentina. I am always been at awe about your country from beautiful mountains to vast forests. there was once a Filipino TV show that was set in Buenos Aires and since then I fell in love with Argentina!

      Thank you so much for completing my survey, means so much! Sending you big hugs from the Philippines and will be a frequent visitor to your blog :)

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  11. Hello my friend Stevenson.
    I'm glad you wrote your description.
    It makes us know more about yourself.
    I have also filled in and sent out the survey, I hope this is useful for you.
    May your day always be filled with happiness.

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    1. Thank you so much my friend Himawan and I am happy that you enjoyed the post and you got to know me a little bit more :) Thank you so much for answering my mini survey :)

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  12. I really enjoyed getting to know you through your thoughtful answers. I will do the survey.

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    1. Oh thank you very much Regine :) I am happy you enjoyed my post and thank you very much for answering my mini survey :)

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  13. It's nice to get to know you better :) You can see that you are a very open person to the world and people :) It's interesting that you lived in California for a few years in your childhood. Maybe that's where this love of travel came from? :)

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    1. Than kyou so much for appreciating my post Rodzina. I am quite open, that is very true and there's just something in me that loves expressing myself and sharing pieces of me with the world :)

      Oh you got that right Rodzina! Tha is a very good point and I agree!

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  14. This entry says a lot about you Stevenson, your clarity and transparency, how well you reach all of us, it is a reflection of the kind of person you are.
    A pleasure to have you as a friend.
    Best regards.

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    1. José Antonio, my heart is touched by your heart-warming words. Thank you so much for appreciating my sharing on this post and I, as well, am very blessed to have a friend like you. Again, thank you so much, your words are so kind!

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  15. I have somehow seemed to lose your blog link up so I am glad you commented and I am back. This is a fascinating post about you Stevenson. It is really interesting to find out about people and how rich their lives are, which sometimes just a blog post or two doesn't do. I think I might need to do a post like this also. Hope all has been well. Hugs-Erika

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    1. I am so so happy to see you again here dear Erika! Thank you so uch for visiting and hope to have you again here often. I am happy that you appreciate my post and you are right, it was fun for me to write it because everytime I answer a question, I put myself on a gaze and trace back myself through memories. It was a nice experience and I hope you be on that journey back as well as you share pieces of your heart to us :)

      Please do, I'll stay tuned for it dear Erika. Sending you hugs :)

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  16. Enjoyed this post and learning more about you, Stevenson. Thanks for feeling free enough to open up about yourself, your past, present and future. As far as replying to the questions you posed, at first I was thinking of replying to all, but decided not to do so, Bloggers share what they want to on their blogs and some do not name themselves or family members. This is something we did when we first started by selecting aliases (Beatrice & Grenville) and now also using our actual names but people reply using both which is no problem. I opted not to reply to the optional survey, but noted that it did not allow for a "no" response if the respondent did not choice to answer and, if so, the survey could not be submitted.

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    1. Hello Beatrice. Thank you so much for your kind comment :) I totally understand what you meant when you decided not to respond, and about the survey, thank you very much for pointing that out. I'll take note of that advice when I construct surveys for school and work in the future :)

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    2. Thanks for the reply, Stevenson, and I will continue to read and comment on future blog posts.

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  17. I too don’t do surveys. I enjoy learning about your own country as much as I do your travels, because of course learning about where you live is a virtual travel experience for me! And even better because learning where and how people live leads to understanding (just as real life travel does).

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    1. That is very nice of you to say Sallie, thank you so much! And I will do more posts about my trips locally here in the Philippines so I can share the beauty of our islands to all of you my friends!

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  18. Good to know. I love the photo of you and your sister in South Korea! Great :-D I took your survey too!

    I am just back to blogging having taken a few weeks off from it and painting my nails! Back now though and missed it :-D

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    1. I love that too Ananka :) We really made sure to do the costume thing while in Korea :) Thank you very much for taking the Survey Ananka and I am so happy you are back to the blog world! I am also very slow this past weeks. Busy with a lot of work and school is coming back :)

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Thank you for taking time to visit my space on the web. I would love to hear about you and your thoughts about this post. Feel free to leave a comment, it would really make me happy!