hazelfayexx

[hazelfayexx]

[hazelfayexx]

To an extraordinary mentor...

If we can just choose our professors next semester, we will choose you, Ma’am! Thank you for the a whole semester of lessons not just from books, but also from life. You’ve shared a part of your life that will always inspire us. Your stories will be kept in our hearts forever! Thank you, Teacher Med ♥

[hazelfayexx]

Our GRUB HUB Food Experience!

After a long time of not being together, my cousins and I decided to have a night out bonding through a heavy snack/dinner! Driving along Visayas Avenue, Quezon City, we stopped at Grub Hub food park.

I must say that once we stepped in to the entrance, the ambiance was really fascinating! The food and drink stalls are in different, cute shapes. Each corner has a different table and chairs. One is made up of wood, the other is made up of tires and everything we never thought could be sat on for a meal! The walls were full of art and its bright light was perfect for the whole room.

Moving through the foods, there were plenty of choices! Each food stall offers special dishes. Mexican snacks, French snacks, Italian snacks, sweet desserts, salty cravings and cool drinks in unique glasses. My top choices of food were:

S’mores. The sweetest we ordered. I’m a big fan of scooping chocolate-dipped marshmallows with a graham cracker. There was a tingling sensation on the mouth as we ate it and I totally loved it!

Isaw and Barbeque. They said that these two taste better when bought dirty. Which defines that it tastes better as street food. But nope! This order tastes as good as the ones bought outside! Dipped with special vinegar and sweet sauce, this combo is awesome.

NACHOS. NACHOS. NACHOS. Yup, I repeated it three times. ‘Cause this is probably the BEST NACHOS I have ever tried! The cheese and sauce were just accurate that it wasn’t too something. It is sumptuous that we finished eating the huge plate in just a few minutes!

We also tried fries at cheese and sour cream, chicken wings, orion rings, cheesy pizza, a good crepe and a lot more on the top of the menus. The drinks we ordered were super cute in a beaker-like glass.

Grub Hub offers palatable dishes perfect for heavy snacks as the people spend a happy bonding time together!

[hazelfayexx]

[hazelfayexx]

The Province of My Mother

I’m not good at photography nor videography. I take pictures with my family and relatives but never of my province. Dad was from Tondo, Manila. Mom was from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. It had been months since the last time I paid a visit at both places. At least, I will be talking about Mom’s province for now.

San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, as I have heard, is one of our country’s rising cities today. Talk about the huge supermalls, famous subdivisions, buildings being established and roads that are under construction for improvement. Mom isn’t a storyteller of her past, but she’s a “metaphorical” woman. I don’t know how to explain the adjective I used for her. But I remembered the time when we were off to my grandma’s house, Mom said that Bulacan has changed a lot since she was a young girl. All the years that passed by and seeing all the work in progress, obviously, I thought. But she smiled at me like she meant something different. I thought deeper. I realized she was talking about family.

Indeed, as the town progresses, we were all growing up. Every home visit we make to Nanay’s house, we become new and better. Mom was talking about how we embrace change in ourselves and in our families, but carrying the love that should never change. And will never change between us.  Just like how the city progresses.

The video clip above is a drone video taken by Kuya Charles, my cousin-in-law. My relatives from Mom’s side are here happily waving at the camera. I wasn’t able to take images of what my province looks like, but I have here a copy of what my family looks like when we visit our province, which matters more than my town’s appearance.

Hometown doesn’t just defined by the province, it defines the people who completes it and makes it feel like home. 

[hazelfayexx]

“We’ll be the Stars” by Sabrina Carpenter

We are young, we are gold Trying things we didn't know Looking at the sky, see it come alive All our fears became our hopes Climbed out every locked window Rode a lion's mane and fell upon the rain

We can reach the constellations Trust me, all our dreams are breaking out

We’ll be the Stars will always be my motivational song. Other than it is sang by my favorite artist, Sabrina Carpenter, this song gives hope to every girl out there to reach their dreams and overcome their fears. 

This song reminds the youth that we are more than special to a gold. Because we are both strong and beautiful. It reminds us that we are the bravest soldiers of today’s generation, ‘cause our curiosity brings us to incredible places where we learn lessons and have the capability to find ourselves. It tells us to never be afraid to fly and see the city lights below us. Lastly, it inspires everyone to reach the constellations, in a non-metaphorical way, achieve our dreams.

Sabrina produces recordings that will never be skipped on my playlist. ‘We’ll be the Stars’ is one of them.

[hazelfayexx]

My Mood Comfort Zone

There are thousands of things that makes us lonely and there are millions of reasons to be happy. Whenever it feels like the world is tearing me apart, or when I feel super alone in the corner of my bed, I try my best to find something that could at least, calm me down. I took a list of the things that cures my inevitable dynamic mood.

Books. As cliche as it sounds, yes, let’s escape from reality. Novels are the best material to get out of who you are temporarily and be someone else. Get inspired from how Alice defeated the dragon despite her fears, how Snow White never stopped waiting for true love to find her and how Hermione’s wit helped Harry on protecting Hogwarts from all of Voldemort’s dark magic. Stories take us to a world where nothing, nothing, nothing is impossible.

Flowers. A rose can never be a sunflower. A sunflower can never be a rose. So when we feel down and hopeless for who we are or what we do, nature reminds us that God made us all imperfectly perfect in our unique ways.

Ukulele. I’ve started playing the ukulele since last summer. Since my eldest sister, Ate Hyra, gave it to me as a gift from getting honors in school. I have enjoyed learning how to do all the chords and practice every day until I was able to play different songs. Music is the language of the soul, and also my special way of self-expression.

Sunrise. I like sunsets too (who doesn’t?), but there is something with the sunrise that makes me feel good. Like I am the kind of person who is more than willing to wake up very early to catch the sunrise. It simply gives me optimism that better days are yet to come.

Stars. I can proudly call myself a night sky fanatic. I take pleasure in star-gazing, using telescopes, space observations and waiting for all astronomical events to happen (I search for the schedules haha). When my day is extremely, depressingly, stressful, I go out, face the night sky, and aaaaaaah, “it’s just a bad day, not a bad life.”

Hugs. --- are better than words. Getting cuddles from the people who really cares about you is the best feeling ever. Even without words, and embrace speaks that it’s only myself who underappreciates my own existence.

BONUS! This last one isn’t included in the photos above, because it is something that can’t be seen, heard or captured by a camera. It is my faith. Faith in God changes my mood. He turns all negativity to positivity and because of Him, I realized that everything will be okay.

These are my mood changers. What’s yours?

[hazelfayexx]

Field trip Part 1/2

A Real Enchanted Garden

Ever since the Church Administration launched about The Garden at Philippine Arena, I have always anticipated visiting the most talked about Garden. As a girl who has always been one with nature, whenever there is a privilege to visit the place, I waste no time to take that chance. 

Once entering The Garden, there was an instant feeling of serenity. There is no question why the Church Administration exerts effort to invite as many people as possible to see The Garden. This place won’t disappoint anyone. In fact, it will exceed beyond all expectations. The flowers were all beautifully landscaped in a very pleasing manner to the eyes of the visitors. I truly admired the flowers and plants that I only got to see there for the first time. The wide space allowed the wind to move freely and provide all the visitors enough room to enjoy without inferring others. From the gazebo, the bridge, the trampoline, the playground, the maze and the carousel, the orchidarium, the planetariums and to the cafe are all instragrammable. The Garden is definitely a place for those who enjoy taking photos --- whether as a hobby or as a professional career.

We also got a chance to visit the Animal Kingdom, where we were able to see animals rarely to be seen in the world, sine only a few of them exists today.

The Garden is definitely a world-class destination that is worth the visit whether for adults or kids, with family or friends alike. After our visit to The Garden, I bid a short prayer to God and thanked Him for the perfect nature He blessed us.

[hazelfayexx]

Field Trip Part 2/2

A Magical Escapade

“True friends will always stay by your side, even when life goes up and down, round and round like a rollercoaster.“

Although it was a bright, sunny day of February 16, 2018 when we had our field trip at the Enchanted Kingdom, the weather didn’t stop us from riding the fun rides of the theme park. Me and my friends were all excited to try the rides that the park has to offer — from the lowkey ones to the extreme ones. Even though we all have been to EK several times before, we were excited as if it’s our first time, since this is in fact, the first time that me and my classmates are together to be there.

There were noises and chitchats inside the bus when our tour guide happily told us to check out the windows. The scene was the huge ferris wheel, cool rollercoasters and other super high rails! We have arrived in Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa, Laguna! Once we touched down, my friends and I got our tickets and ran inside the park. We began riding feel-good rides like carousel (we were like kids!) and even the extreme rides like Space Shuttle, Anchors Away, Jungle Log Jam and Flying Fiesta. It was unforgettable on how we spent hours on the line just to ride the Rio Grande Rapids and ended up getting ourselves wet from bottom to top! We got some snacks and enjoyed the joyful ambiance of the place. We entered the Ghostbusters horror house where we just ran along the corridors almost not seeing anything! We took unlimited pictures at almost every corner, the same way we shared unlimited laughs with each other.

We were having so much fun that we almost lost track of time. The setting sun signaled us that it’s finally time to go home. As we journey back, we exchanged stories of our experience during the whole trip My heart is filled with so much joy since I know that these memories are the ones that I’ll keep forever.

We only had a little time, but I realized that with a click on the camera, I was able to capture and freeze the moments that me and my friends are having fun. Truly, there is no limit for happiness.