chekwa

[chekwa]

1. The Undoing (2020-current)

I love a good drama mystery series. Especially one so well-presented, well-shot and well-acted!

2. Barre

Lol im thankful for barre every frickin day. It started my ~fitness journey~ in june and it's still my fav type of workout ever to date bec the burn it leaves is so good and the endorphin high after is no other! This week though im particularly thankful for it bec it's finally on my workout app, Sweat. I used to use Down Dog for classes but now, having it in my primary workout app will hopefully make it more convenient!!!! Plus im so excited bec Sweat workouts typically kick my butt and it the ones i saw look quite different from the ones i usually do in Down Dog so aaaaghhghh cant wait!!!

[chekwa]

1. Normal People (2020-current)

Oh it's such a sweet show! I'm only halfway through the season and im trying to consume the episodes slowly bec i want them to last hahah. The story reminds me of One Day so much! 2 people weaving in and out of each other's lives for years. It's beautiful. One Day is one of my favorite books and im sad the film didnt give it justice.

2. Plain Paratha - Kawan

Hahahah fuckin-a man, who knew store bought paratha could be so convenient AND delicious. I love it. It tastes amazing. Flaky and not super oily, savory and light. I fuckin love it w hummus. And the best part is it's so easy to fricken make! Need to pan fry lang for a few mins, like u dont even need oil uGH best!

3. Gouache paint

Im on my 2nd wk of painting now!!!! It's so fuckin therapeutic man hahah it's so nice. I'm enjoying it so much. I mean idt im super good at it. I copy well enough, but to create something from my mind to put on paper, im having a hard time hahah. Still though it's been really great learning to mix and blend colors. I realized i wanna master watercolor painting more than acrylic or oil, and gouache is great because it gives me the option to practice both and it's very forgiving. I've been trying to stop myself from buying the expensive watercolors and materials bec im still a beginner and my Maya Himi set is still serving its purpose well, but i feel so close to giving in just bec i wanna feel premium hahahahah

[chekwa]

1. Yoga Mat - Core™

Obsessed with this new yoga mat my dad got me! I'd started working out 6 days a week---right?!?? Who am i even lol. Hopefully i can keep this going but it's Week 3 so i have high hopes!---and i was getting sick of my cheap shopee-bought yoga mat hahah my real mat is in the condo in manila so i asked my dad to buy me a new one from the mall. My only request was that he buy a grippy one w good quality. He came home with a beautiful gray mat (or maybe it's a very very pale teal, lol) thats both comfortable to use and v grippy! It's made all the difference in my stability and knee/palm pains during certain exercises hahah im in love with it! It feels so premium and heavy duty. He bought it for Php2995 at one of those sports center stores. Made my whole week!!!!

2. Hamilton The Film

Oh my god bitch. I love theatre talaga. I know i only started appreciating it and going to shows in 2016 palang, but grabe Hamilton was so nice! I understand why it's been voted best musical of the decade because the songs are AMAZING and they're new and they've never been done before! They're really something else. The prod itself was also great, and the cast had zero weak links. Imagine a historical rap and hiphop musical. Crazy.

3. Period panties

I only just found out about period panties and jfc they blew my mind! I cant believe they exist hahah the idea is so ludicrous to me but it rly is so simple it can be effective! I'm looking at the most famous brand, Thinx, but theyre too expensive for my life! The pair i was recommended to buy, based on their quiz assessment, costs Php2000 each and thats without shipping pa eh theyre an american brand. Tapos id need to buy like 5 minimum so um nope. I found a local brand, Mirko, but i saw that they market their panties as like a supplement lang to pads pa rin. You cant wear them alone kase likely there will be leaks pa rin, unlike yung sa Thinx, so im not sold. God idk if ill make patol one day. I feel like i will if i find a seller here who already has it on hand hahah

4. Homemade horchata

I've been making homemade horchata for my family since last week! Hahah my craving has been suuuper bad and i finally decided to take matters into my own hands since i couldnt find anywhere to get it here in pampanga thats hassle-free. I think i make a pretty good batch. I followed a recipe online called Lola's Horchata (just google, you cant miss it) and i tweaked it a lot to suit my taste. Increased the rice to water ratio then i blended cinnamon + vanilla in already to soak overnight, and i used evaporated milk instead of fresh milk. All trial and error until i got the mix right. I wanna keep drinking but storage is such a bitch. It doesnt keep well! Like you cant leave it out at room temp or it spoils, and also putting it in the ref delays the spoilage but only by a few hours. Even then it gets a tiny bit more sour pa rin. So annoying kase it's an overnight recipe, or at least i like mine to soak overnight for maximum flavor, so it's fussy to make completely but nghhh for the love of horchata

[chekwa]

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Dad recently got us 4 a nintendo switch and I have been playing Mario Kart nonstop hahahah obsessed!! I think the tracks are so prettyyy like they’re always so fun and so bright and so unpredictable! I also love being able to compete against my sibs again hahah cant even remember the last time we were able to play together. Was it Worms on PS4? Anyway, it’s also been a while since I enjoyed a game other than Sims so this is nice loool

2. Overcooked 2

Yet another game on the Switch hahahh i love this game bec it provides an opportunity for us sibs to yell at each other for doing a horrid job at the kitchen lolz and Thanks to our years of watching Masterchef US, we know the basics of strategizing to get a proper meal service out hahah

3. Buttery Project - Dynamic Dream Seamless Set

I LOOOOVE WORKOUT WEAR! I mean I dont love working out but i fucken love workout wear! I think theyre so cute hahah I love this brand specifically because they're durable, squat proof, well-fitting and quite cheap! Plus they come in the prettiest colors haahah id been scavenging instagram for nice local brands for gym sets and I think this one is a gem! My fav so far

[chekwa]

1. Drip Kofi

I LOVE ICED VIET COFFEE SO MUCH (So it's no surprise I loved it here)!! Another gem in Taytay. Bac Xiu was my fav back in Vietnam, like I would get that repeatedly in cafes and convenience stores hahah but Drip only had Ca Phe Sua Da in the menu; it still hit the spot!

2. Joker (2019) dir. Todd Phillips

I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WORDS FOR HOW MUCH OF A MASTERPIECE THIS MOVIE IS. Everything was so flawlessly executed! The cinematog, the scoring, the acting, the dialogue and the story!!!! Has to be my fav DC movie of all time and my fav Joker of all time. Joaquin Phoenix should get an award I swear! His dedication to the character is unparalleled!!

3. Uncle Moe's

Lolz living near Tomas Morato, I should be ashamed for not liking this place sooner hahah. But I remember having eaten here only once 3 yrs ago and I didnt like middle eastern food yet back then, plus I remember hating their OxBrain which I had that time hahahhah. Went here with HS friends for dinner this wk, was apprehensive but had a v good experience!

[chekwa]

1. Midsommar (2019) dir. Ari Aster

I loved this movie hahah it wasn’t scary, but it was disturbing that it stayed with me a few days after watching. My favorite scene was the one at the start, I thought it was masterfully made. Felt haunting and powerful. it set the tone and made me excited for the rest of the film, but I found it to already be the best couple of mins out of the entire thing. However this movie made me realize I’ve seen too many cult films. And horror films in general maybe. I’ve seen enough weird, gory things that it no longer had the effect on me I think Ari Aster wanted it to have hahah. To be fair though, after seeing Hereditary, maybe I had expected something worse for Midsommar. so maybe that kind of muted the horrified reaction I was supposed to have?

2. Hot milktea

I tried a cup in Tea Gumps since we were stationed in Taytay Emergency Room for the week. it was glorious! I got it because I was craving for hot cocoa and the Dark Chocolate Milktea was the closest thing they had on the menu. I thought I would hate it but I’m so glad I was careless enough to order it hahah. I don’t know if I’ll be able to find more places that serve their milktea hot, since I don’t think it’s a common thing? Or is it? 

3. BROCKHAMPTON

I’d been hearing about the group for a while but it’s only now I bothered to actually explore their music. Now I’ve been listening to IF YOU PRAY RIGHT on loop! I also love SUGAR, GINGER, and GOLD hehe

4. The Politician (2019-current)

Obsessed with this show! I initially watched for Lucy Boynton bec she's been my girl crush ever since I saw her in Sing Street (2016) so I legit follow her filmography, but ngl I stayed for Ben Platt! Didnt expect to love him sm bec I hated his charac in Pitch Perfect hahah. Gotta say the humor of this show is reminiscent of Scream Queens for me, though it's less ridiculous lol, but then again it's the same producers and director so that's to be expected.

5. Kmttp - 1$T

I know I said I had BROCKHAMPTON on loop, which I truthfully do, but when thats not playing (and there is a significant amt of time where it wasnt), this is what I have on hahah. I AM OBSESSED. I love the song so muchhhh like I can play it for hours and hours and I still cant get enough! It's like a lofi chill version of Soulja Boy's Kiss Me Thru The Phone hehe

[chekwa]

The Happy List

Wanted to start a project to make clerkship less depressing! Hahah will put up a happy list weekly, aka just random things I loved that made the days a tad bit brighter, until this hell is over and done with. Might help me look back at the experience with less vengeance lol