"Too lazy to cook that full course dinner? Too lazy to go to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for that red pasta dish that you've been craving for? Or maybe you have few of the ingredients to cook that pasta? Well my friend, you are up for a delicious and hearty dinner." For tonight's pasta, you would only need few ingredients to cook it. From watching a lot of videos about saving and cooking tips, I've learned that it is so much easier (if going to the market is an issue, which for me is often times an issue: just too lazy for the commute and generally too impatient to spend my weekend hours waiting in line to pay for my groceries) to pantry-shop or to check for any available ingredients in your own pantry and cook something out of them. Clever idea, right? I thought so. So, I found the following ingredients in my pantry and fridge: 1 bag of shell pasta (not really going to use the whole bag, unless I have friends coming over) approximately 6 tablespoonfuls of sautéed ground beef 2 pieces of red longganisa 1 pack of tomato paste 1/2 bar of cheddar cheese several pieces of ripe tomatoes Also in this recipe, I used (or sometimes your choice if you want to include them) the following: 1.5 cup of water 1 large chopped onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 teaspoonful of olive oil black pepper, chili powder, and salt to taste In a pot, sauté the onion and garlic. Once your desired color of the onion and garlic has been achieved, add the ground beef and longganisa (remove the skin). Make sure that the meat is not clumpy. Any of the two, ground beef or longganisa, will do but if you want to stick with the Pinoy theme, longganisa is the perfect choice. In my pasta, I just included the ground beef since I wanted to use it already and didn't want to see it anymore in my fridge. Once the longganisa started caramelizing, I added the sliced tomatoes, 1 tablespoonful of tomato paste, a cup of shell pasta, and water. I cooked the mixture on high heat until I saw bubbles popping on the surface. I added black pepper, chili powder, and salt to taste. Also, you may add whatever amount of cheese you want in your pasta. I stirred the mixture occasionally until the sauce achieved my desired thickness. #BetterTasteTip: Three days is the maximum length of time this pasta will be able to keep its taste if you'll be keeping the extra servings in the fridge.

"A jar of overnight oats is what I want whenever hunger strikes even in the middle of the night." I decided to have overnight oats in my refrigerator since I started to crave for something in the middle of the night. Yeah! I'm in that point of my life now where I have to eat whenever I feel like eating. I started with the recipes available on Pinterest. My go-to flavors are peanut butter, honey-banana, and fruit delight. I always use the no-cook oats. I find the flavored oats more appetizing compared to the unflavored one. I usually buy banana flavored whenever I go to the supermarket. It goes well with my three go-to flavors. I always fill one-third of my jar with oats and add milk until the oats are fully submerged. After that, I fill the second one-third with Greek yogurt and top it with whatever flavor I want to have. My number one choice for toppings is peanut butter specially for Sunday mornings. I usually wake up late on Sundays so it's a really good energy booster to start my chill day. I sometimes have this one in my bag during my badminton games on Sunday afternoons for a quick fill and energy boost during break-times. Honey-banana is what I always make for midnight cravings after at least a game-day of six hours. It's an easy fix. I just top my oats-milk-yogurt base with sliced ripe bananas and drizzle them with honey. When I started this every Sunday night, my cramps incidents started to lessen and eventually went away. Every morning of weekdays is a fruit delight morning for me. I just love that refreshing feeling that comes with different fruits in my breakfast. Watermelon, mango, and avocado are my go-to fruits for this recipe. #BetterTasteTip: Shake your oats in a blender for four seconds for that level up overnight oats experience. Blending it just elevates the taste and the overall experience.

"Ever wonder what it's like to do the opposite of a thing that you love doing?" Today, I'm taking a break from waking up early to go to my badminton game with some friends. I still woke up early though, but that's because I want to take my time to enjoy a slow-paced Sunday, savoring the moment as I write this post while having my mug of hot chocolate. I also have a Hibiscus tea that I'm currently steeping, which I'll probably drink after this hot chocolate. As Shirley Bassey's This Is My Life: Funny how I often seem, to think I'll never find a dream In my life Till I look around and see, this great big world is part of me And my life Yes, I'm a person who loves playing oldies songs on a Sunday morning and I'm currently listening to this song. But more than this fact is the realization that having a slow-paced life and just enjoying the moment has always been the dream that I want to achieve. And for now, it feels great to be able to do it at least once a month. While others find joy in going out and spending time in crowded places, I find the comfort and warmth of my place more enjoyable than that. I guess it's the introvert in me who just loves being on my own in a place where the possibility of any social interaction is very minimal to none. Sunday slowdown is when I take my time to think about my life, cry and sing songs that remind me of the ups and downs that I had, dance to music as if there's no tomorrow, read books leisurely, and write random things, just whatever things that I wanna write about.

"The past year had been a lot of things for me. I realized that some of what I had were not worth keeping and some of what I wanted were not worth aiming for." I'm now 29 years old and I still say I'm 27 whenever someone asks about my age, at least unconsciously. The latest one happened almost two weeks ago when I had my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The doctor asked for my age at the interview station, I immediately said 27 and had it corrected on the vaccination station when I realized that I was not 27 years old anymore. But what's really with age? For me, it's just a number, so I say whatever age I want to say if it's not for legal purposes, of course. What's important is how I move forward with all the mistakes and achievements that I had in the previous years. So I think, I want to stick to 27. LOL. From Yesterday And Today In the past year, I tried to keep myself afloat and grounded in the middle of this COVID-19 pandemic. It was extra challenging for a man like me who has been living on his own. But knowing that I have people who love me for who I am has been enough for me to be living this life rather than just surviving. For the most part, I've been staying in the comfort of my apartment with occasional runs to the supermarket, and if the quarantine restrictions would permit, jogging and walking around my neighborhood. My apartment has been my safe haven since 2014. It's been witness to all of my highs and lows since then. And yes, I think I spent 90% of my time this past year in the warmth of my apartment. This warmth cleared my head when I made several important life-changing decisions this past year. My apartment was also the place where I realized that I no longer wish for temporary things in life, that I already want the constant and permanent things in life. I know, these things are not easy to come by these days but a man can dream. In my 28th year, I realized that being in any relationship, be it romantic or friendship, that aimed for nothing but a stagnant one was not and will never be worth my time. Shoutout to the people that I had in my life for making me realized this. Thank you so much for spending a page of your life with me. I will forever cherish the memories that we shared. As for my career, this year made me realized that I would like to continue with the flexibility of my current post, not just because I have more time to spend on people who matter most but also it allows me to focus on myself. As per my interests this year, since badminton isn't a good hobby to pursue at this time, reading and investing have been keeping me busy when I'm not working. Reading has been keeping me occupied whenever anxiety and stress try to pin me down. The sense of just being out of the real world calms me down every time I feel the space I'm in is shrinking around me. And whenever I want that thrill and excitement, I focus my attention on the world of investing. Though I haven't really explored the actual depth of investing, I'm still trying to figure out what specific financial instruments I want to focus on. I'm not willing to waste my resources just because of reckless and uninformed decisions. Learning For Tomorrow As I explore life in my 29th year, I want to move forward with some learnings from my experiences and with some plans for my future. For my relationships, I want to be surrounded by people who are proud to be with me, know how to communicate themselves, and see their future with me. It's not just for a romantic relationship but also friendships. With my best friends, all I can say is they are the best! Being at this age, I think it's just normal that I want to keep my circle small and tight. So yes, I'm not very much interested anymore in meeting new people. With my current career, I want to focus on my current post and not aim for a big career leap, at least in the next year. Don't get me wrong. I love the challenging nature of the industry that I'm in, I'm just not ready yet to give up the comfort that my current post gives me. But of course, I aim to improve and further widen my knowledge on how to be at my best in doing my job. As for my interests, I want to read more! I can't be more serious with reading than this coming year, at least it's what I tell myself every year. I aim to read 24 books this year, 12 fiction and 12 non-fiction. I also plan to have a deeper knowledge of the investing world- have a better understanding of stocks and forex trading. With badminton, I will continue my weekly training once this pandemic is over. In addition, I see a brighter future for Acenotes, more on having more posts- at least one post per week. To sum it all up, I plan to have the best 29th year, not that I have another shot at being 29 after this. HAHAHA!!!

"Ever wonder what you will do for the rest of your life? I have these moments, especially when I'm having my morning coffee on a weekend. Why on a weekend? I'm not very sure but perhaps I always have all the time in the world on weekends since I have no work tasks to bother me." Most of the time, thinking of a life in a cozy home with my future husband is what I think of. I always picture myself waking up beside him with our dog greeting as with licks and kisses. Maybe waking up around seven and have a great morning make-out or sex? Of course, a nice bath right after. We will go downstairs to cook our breakfast of egg, bacon, fried rice, and freshly brewed coffee. We will have breakfast at the table set up in our back patio facing our beautiful backyard garden with our two cats perched on the beam of the patio rails judging us for having breakfast before them. Thirty minutes past eight, maybe we're all done in washing the dishes and the cats and dog are already done with their breakfast. It's time for our in-door hobbies. I'm definitely be reading a book or probably writing another entry for this blog and my husband doing his own thing as we sit on a cozy sofa in our living room while our cats bully our poor dog. After some time, maybe we'll receive a catch-up call from our relatives or friends and talk about things that happened between their call and the last time we talked, which will probably be a week ago, and ultimately reminding us of a lunch or dinner with them in the next few days. Or maybe, it's our turn to host the Sunday dinner and they can't wait to be in our home. After realizing that it's almost 11, we decided to end the call and remind everyone of what to bring to our in-person catch-up. My husband and I will go straight to the kitchen and decide on what to cook for lunch. After an hour, lunch is ready and we decide to take a bath first before eating to free our bodies from the sticky feel of our sweat and the grizzly heat of the mid-afternoon sun. It's one in the afternoon and we're done with lunch and just want to lay down and watch a movie as we try to doze off for our siesta with our dog and cats sleeping on each side of the bed as the AC blasts its cold air. Around 30 minutes past three, our alarm goes off and wakes us up to be reminded that tonight is a special dinner so we have to prepare early to be able to serve it at seven. As we take a light snack while preparing the ingredients of the dinner that we decided on at least a week ago, we talk about the things that we need to do in the coming week. Perhaps, a mid-week dinner with a friend or a former colleague to talk about investments and maybe future travels with them. It's five o'clock and we're ready to cook dinner. After a few minutes, we hear the ring of the doorbell and a text from an expected visitor. My husband will be welcoming our guests while I start the fire of the stove to sautee some onion and garlic to start our planned three-course dinner. After a few minutes of appreciating our wall gallery and painting collection, our guests go to the kitchen to greet me and hand me the three bottles of red wine that they bring for the dinner. As they politely offer to help in the preparation, I tell them to just have a seat and talk to me as I cook. My husband comes in after getting some ingredients from the basement pantry and joins in the conversation as he helps me with the cooking. Finally, dinner is almost ready. Since it's a starry night, we decided to have dinner on the back patio. As my husband sets up the table with our first guests, I prepare our food and use our dinnerware collection for special occasions. When the clock strikes six-thirty, two cars pull over in front of our house and a series of rings from the doorbell can be heard after a few seconds. At last, it's the last guests that we're expecting. So I wash my hands, make sure that the stove is already turned off, remove my apron and put it back in its place, and hurry to greet our visitors. After setting up their bags in the living room, I lead them to the back patio so we can start our dinner. After all the hugs and chit-chats, and everyone is settled, my husband and I decide that it's time to serve dinner. And the night has been filled with the funny stories and laughter of a great company.

"Sa tuwing uuwi ng hating-gabi si Anthony mula sa trabaho ay palagi siyang nagdarasal na sana ay hindi siya makasalubong ng pusang itim sa daan. Pero bakit nga ba ayaw na ayaw niyang makasalubong ng pusang itim?" Alas-nuwebe na ng gabi nang mag-log-out si Anthony sa trabaho, para sa kaniya eh mas maigi nang ganitong oras umuwi para hindi na gaanong trapik sa EDSA. Bagamat sanay nang umuuwi ng ganitong oras ng gabi ang binata ay palagi pa rin siyang nagdarasal bago umalis ng opisina at habang nasa biyahe. Palagi niyang ipinagdarasal na sana ay hindi siya makasalubong ng pusang itim sa daan. Sa tuwing mangyayari kasi ito ay palaging may masamang nangyayari sa huling taong nakausap niya bago makasalubong ng pusang itim, kaya naman naging habit na rin niya na hindi makipag-usap sa mga katrabaho niya bago umalis ng opisina. Habang naglalakad sa Paseo de Roxas papuntang sakayan ng bus ay umaalingawngaw pa rin sa tainga ni Anthony ang mga sinabi ng boss niya kanina bago ito umalis sa meeting ng kanilang team. Ito ay lubhang ikinapahiya niya kaya naman hindi na niya nagawa pang kausapin ang mga teammates niya pagkatapos ng meeting at kaagad na nagpunta sa kaniyang cubicle para itama kaagad ang katiting na mali sa document na ipinasa niya sa kaniyang boss. "Estupido! It's just a simple report but you can't perfect it? Did I just hire a member of my team to give me an erroneous document? God! You're just wasting the salary that this company is paying you." Para mawala sa isip niya ang mga nangyari sa trabaho kanina ay minabuti niyang makinig na lamang sa Spotify. I ache for the touch of your lips, dear But much more for the touch of your whips, dear You can raise welts Like nobody else As we dance to the Masochism Tango Let our love be a flame, not an ember Say it's me that you want to dismember Blacken my eye Set fire to my tie As we dance to the Masochism Tango Naging effective naman ang pakikinig niya ng music. Hindi na niya namalayang malapit na pala siya sa babaan niya. Makalipas ang ilang minuto ay naglalakad na siya papunta sa inuupahan niyang apartment nang walang anu-ano ay may pusang itim na bigla na lamang dumaan nang patakbo sa kaniyang daraanan. Sa sobrang gulat ay muntik pa niyang maitapon ang hawak na cellphone. Maya-maya ay nakatanggap si Anthony ng text mula sa isa niyang ka-team. Patay na si Sir Richard, nabangga daw ng taxi kanina habang tumatawid pauwi ng bahay nila.

"Tilaok ng mga tandang, ingay ng mga sasakyang dumadaan, lagaslas ng tubig sa sapa, at tunog ng kapeng kakatapos lang ma-brew. Alin ang naiiba?" I just woke up from a three-hour nap after working for seven and a half hours of my Wednesday night. It's another Thursday morning when I just have this sudden rush of excitement. I want to write ideas and plans for my dream homestead. One of the things that I do to get inspirations for my dream homestead is watching videos on YouTube about off-grid and homestead life. This way, I realize the things that I want and need to have in mine. Waking up at around 05:30 in the morning sa mga tilaok ng manok, while still in my PJs, washing up before going downstairs. I want to start my morning with a cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate, depending on what I want while waiting for sunrise in the porch. Well, it's going to be the best with someone I dearly love. Around 06:00, I'm going to cook breakfast, usually fried rice with egg, both scrambled and sunny-side-up, and either hotdog, tocino, or longganisa. At dahil may homestead na ako, it's going to be served with side veggies, either blanched spinach, sweet potato tops, or kang-kong. To be continued...

"On a personal level, how can we prepare for the next health crisis? Are there things that we can do to prepare for the next one?" This COVID-19 health crisis has been making me think of the things that I can do to prepare for the next pandemic that will make countries around the globe to quarantine their people again. So, while most are sound asleep in the comfort of their homes, here I am in the middle of the night watching videos on YouTube about homesteading and homestead life. Personally, the greatest impact of this quarantine to me is not being able to work. Thus, no cash inflow to my bank account that further leads to getting behind in my rent and insurance and running out of cash for groceries and some other miscellaneous expenses. I'm still thankful though that at least I have an apartment to stay in during this quarantine. Since I have nowhere to go and no one to constantly talk to, I spend most of my time watching YouTube videos that I think will be able to help me come up with ideas that can help me prepare for whatever crisis that may happen in the future. The best idea that I think will help me avoid the challenges that I'm having right now is living off-grid in a permaculture property. Below are the ideas that I have so far to get to this kind of living: Job that allows work-from-home anytime Piece of land outside of Metro Manila Fully off-grid home Own vehicle With this kind of crisis in the future, earning money in the comfort of my own home is the best solution for me to be able to avoid the congested Metro Manila and all the bad things that come with it. With this in mind, I need to find a job that will allow me to work from any place. Since the goal is to avoid Metro Manila, I need to have a property outside the metro but will still allow me to access it easily. A small piece of land in the woods will be the best option for me. And having a fully off-grid home in this property will be great: a home powered by solar energy, with a rainwater catchment system, surrounded by edible plants, and with a mini-backyard poultry for easy access of food. And of course, my own vehicle for easy transportation. In my next posts, I'll be sharing my thoughts and ideas on how I plan to have these in the next ten years.

"Once a year, I try to sleep early on a Sunday night just to have full energy the following morning because somewhere on Earth, someone will be crowned as the new queen of the universe." Pero iba ang nangyari kagabi, nakatulog ako eh 03:00AM na. Bakit? Dahil sa kakapanuod ng Hot Picks ng ibat-ibang pageant channels sa YouTube. I thought it was a great way para mas maintindihan ko kung bakit pwedeng manalo si ganito from this country. But deep inside, alam kong hinahanap ko lang talaga ang mga masasabi nila tungkol kay Miss Philippines. And yes, masaya ako whenever I heard positive things about her, that she'd make it to the Top 20. Aaminin ko, umasa talaga ako na may chance na mag-back-to-back ang Pilipinas with Gazini on the stage. With all the things na napanuod, narinig, at nabasa ko online, I thought malakas talaga ang laban niya. Si ate gurl, aminin natin, magaling siyang rumampa. I think it's the model in her that just made me thought na kayang-kaya niya, that she could slay all the way. Hanga ako sa performance niya during the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competition. Isama mo pa ang bonggang-bongga niyang national costume. But some of the videos na napanuod ko last night made me realized na baka hindi rin kayanin ni ate gurl. Pero dahil alas-tres na eh natulog na lang ako and didn't think of those things anymore. So nag-alarm ako ng 07:30AM para may time pa akong mag-prepare bago magsimula ang live telecast. And 08:00AM came, sigaw ako nang sigaw ng "Philippines!" sa apartment ko kahit na solo lang ako. Maybe some of my neighbors heard me pero keri na, basta sisigaw ako. Even my groupchat in Telegram with my officemates eh ang ingay-ingay. Then, came the announcement of the semi-finalists from Africa and Asia-Pacific. I died inside when Philippines was never called. Sa isip-isip ko, baka magaya 'to kay Rachel Peters. But I was relieved when she was called first during the wild cards announcement. I smiled when Steve Harvey was interviewing her, she looked so relaxed. But I think kinabahan na siya during the opening statement, with all the other candidates na nauna nang nagsalita like Indonesia and Mexico na super ganda at klaro ng speech template and delivery. Sa unang rinig ko sa sinabi nya, may parts na halos hindi ko talaga naintindihan. So, I searched and re-watched her speech on YouTube, and here's what she said: “The world is aging and my grandparents raised me, and I worked in an organization that was supporting elderly care. I realized that there’s this stigma between ageism, poverty, exclusivity and invincibility. It is rightful for us to remember that they were the ones who paved the way for us and we should reciprocate that love and no one should ever be left behind. Thank you!” I think it's her way of delivery kaya hindi ko gaanong naintindihan ang speech niya, she sounded so rehearsed, not to mention na nag-stutter din siya. You may or may not agree on this, pero mas nakaka-move talaga ang isang speech kapag ramdam mo ang puso at sincerity ng speaker. Also, parang ang daming nangyayari sa speech niya. I think a brief and concise story of her advocacy would have been enough. Kung ako siguro ang gumawa ng speech niya, I would have made it this way: "I was raised by my grandparents and through the years, I've observed and realized that there's a stigma around ageism. I believe that we, the younger generations, should always give love and compassion to our beloved elders. That's why I've been dedicating my time and have been working with an organization that has been supporting elderly care. Thank you!" Sa lahat ng mga narinig at nabasa ko about public speaking, it's always effective to tell a story using simple words, words that when you hear you could readily paint a picture in your mind. Anyway, the moment na natawag na si Mexico, tinanggap ko na sa isip ko na hindi na makakaabante ang Pilipinas, though sumigaw pa rin ako ng "Philippines" hanggang tawagin na ang Thailand. Then came Olivia Culpo. Naalala ko na naman ang nangyari kay Janine, hanggang ngayon eh naiinis pa rin ako na hindi siya ang nanalo noong 2012. Mas lalo tuloy akong nalungkot. Kaya after ng unang paglabas ni Cat, pinatay ko na kaagad ang TV ko and tried to sleep the loneliness away. Also, below were some of the other things that were in my mind while watching the pageant: Magaling magsalita si USA, Indonesia, at Mexico. Sana si Indonesia ang manalo kung sakaling makapasok si Thailand at hindi na umabante si Philippines. Eh hindi nakasama sa Top 5 si Indonesia, Mexico at South Africa na. Gustong-gusto kong makita ang evening gown ni Gazini pero hindi na siya ulit nahagip ng camera bago ko i-turn off ang TV. Dahil nga tinulugan ko na ang crowning, I had to watch every segment na hindi ko napanuod on Twitter. At iba din talaga ang kalibre ng Top 3 this year pagdating sa public speaking, lahat nangangain ng mic. Very commendable ang sagot ni South Africa sa final question. Pero tumatak din ang final statement ni Puerto Rico. Talking about making a statement, she really nailed that part. And I think hindi rin makakapasok ang Pilipinas sa Top 3 given how the announced Top 3 performed. Last na 'to, I was so relieved na hindi Thailand ang nanalo. Don't ask we why, hindi ko din alam kung bakit. Hahaha.

"Sa tuwing sasapit ang gabi, ang katawan ni Antonio ay sadyang nag-iinit sa kadahilanang hindi niya malaman. Isang linggo pa lamang ang nakakalipas mula ng lumuwas siya ng Maynila para mag-aral sa isang sikat na unibersidad." "Gabi na naman", ang wika ni Antonio sa sarili habang nakaupo sa isang bakal na upuan sa beranda ng inuupahan niyang apartment. Kung siya ay makikita ng ibang tao, siya ay mukhang may malalim na iniisip pero ang totoo, sadyang gusto niya lang talagang pinag-mamasdan ang paglubog ng araw. Gustong-gusto niya ito dahil ito ang hudyat na mapapawi na naman ang init ng kanyang katawan. Sa tuluyang paglubog ng araw ay pumalit ang buwang nagbibigay ng sapat na ilaw para makita niya ang kaniyang sariling repleksiyon sa salaming nakaharap sa beranda ng kaniyang tirahan. Mabusising pinagmasdan ng lalaki ang sariling katawan sa harap ng salamin at napangiti nang akala mo ay nakakaloko. "Ang katawang ito ay siguradong makakabingwit na naman mamaya ng mga taong katulad niyang nagtatago sa dilim", sa isip-isip niya. Matapos kumain ng gabihan ay kaagad siyang naligo. Kinuskos ng lalaki maging ang kasuluk-sulukan ng kanyang kawatan gamit ang tinuyong patola na galing pa sa likod-bahay nila sa probinsya. Matiyaga niya ring nilinis ang kaloob-looban ng kaniyang katawan sa abot ng kanyang makakaya. Muli na naman siyang napangisi at galak na galak na tinapos ang paliligo habang pakanta-kanta ng Milkshake ni Kelis. My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard And they're like, it's better than yours Damn right it's better than yours I can teach you, but I have to charge I know you want it The thing that makes me What the guys go crazy for They lose their minds The way I wind I think it's time Matapos makapagsuot ng puting sando at boxer shorts ay metikuloso niyang sinuklay ang fade cut na buhok at kinuha ang android phone na regalo pa sa kaniya ng kaniyang mga magulang noong magtapos siya sa senior high school. Pagkaharap na pagkaharap sa salamin ay kaagad na kumuha ng ilang litrato na kita lamang ang kaniyang torso pababa. "Busog ka na naman ngayong gabi, Antonio", sa isip-isip niya at sabay bukas ng isang app sa kaniyang phone.