10 Things

Leahleur tagged me agessss ago--I'm supposed to write about 10 things that I love. So, ta-dah!

1. Books. I can’t claim to be well-read, because far too many people have read many, many more books than I have. But I love getting lost in the pages of an engaging book. My love affair with reading started with the Mr. Men and Little Miss books, with bible stories and Childcraft. By the time I was in second grade, I was reading hard-cover Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew. Then it was Sweet Valley Twins (not so much High) and Newberry Award-winning books. In college, sadly, I fell behind on reading (to give you an idea of where my time went: I spent more hours in a dance studio than in a classroom). I did, however, start reading Harry Potter then--people would give me weird looks as I was in line during registration (a college student reading a children’s book?). Then when I started a career in writing, I plunged right back into reading.

So many books, so little time. I’m not great at picking books though—I normally ask for recommendations. My genre of choice: magical realism (GGM, I heart you). I also love stories set in the past, and I try to read classics in between contemporary selections.

2. Iced tea. I’m addicted. Ever since I started working, I would have iced tea practically every day. It's my version of coffee. It really adds up, so I’ve taken to bringing my own flask of iced tea (a blend of Nestea and Strawberry Kool-Aid). My current favourite: All My Tea, which has hints of calamansi and vanilla.

3. Dancing. I often wonder what my life would be like if I had had proper dance training when I was younger. And I sometimes think that I was born too early…this dance boom comes 10 years after I got into it. During my time, jazz/modern dance was the prevailing style; now, it’s my beloved hip-hop.

Hmm, haven't attended dance class in a while...

4. Good food. I used to have a blog about food, and friends often ask me for restaurant recommendations. I would think twice about buying a new dress, but rarely do I think twice about having a good meal. It's the reason why I never have been, and most probably never will be, skinny!

5. Underwear! I CANNOT wear underwear that doesn't match. It used to be that they had to be a set, but now I can do coordinates. Haha. People sometimes don't get why I'm willing to spend money on stuff others can't really see. But seriously, having a nice set of undies underneath gives you a little somethin'-somethin'. If I were loaded, I would buy me some La Perla!

6. Milk. I really pile on the liquid calories (another reason I'm not skinny). I drink milk practically every day, so every time I have that bone density test, my numbers are literally off the charts—one time, the tester had to draw an extended line and extra numbers just to plot where I was on the bone density number line. My milk of choice is Magnolia Low-Fat. I’d love it even more if it still came in old-school bottles!

7. Marriage. It’s not for everybody, but it’s most definitely for me! Marriage totally rocks. Or, well, marriage to the right person totally rocks!

8. Planning baby showers, bridal showers, weddings... My teammates joke that my specialty is "KBL": kasal, binyag, libing (weddings, baptisms, funerals). I've planned a number of baby showers, and I love making decorations (the one above is for a football-themed one after the World Cup) and thinking of games. I've hired striptease teachers for bachelorette parties. And just over the weekend, I helped a friend coordinate a wedding.

9. Traveling. If I had the moolah, I would spend most of my time traveling. I love the change of scenery (and weather), experiencing a different culture, trying out all sorts of food. Traveling with my husband is even better!

New York City kind of feels like my second home, even though my visits only last about a couple of weeks. I constantly miss it. But my absolute favorite place in the world (so far) is Capri, Italy. In the book Neither Here Nor There, Bill Bryson writes that he fell "spectacularly, hopelessly, and permanently in love with Italy" while he was in Capri. It was nice having my feelings validated. Haha. The place is just utterly charming, and it makes my heart ache when I think about how much I want to go back.

10. Disc. It’s a sport I started playing in 2005. I joined my first tournament in late 2007, my first provincial tourney in 2009, and will (hopefully) be joining my first tournament abroad next month!

I'm tagging EVERYBODEH! What are your 10 favorite things? Leave a comment or send me a link!


Photo sources: books, dance, disc, iced tea, steak, milk, lingerie, Capri