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9.May.20. -  Cooked raw tteokbokki and improvised gochujang sauce. Since you can adjust the measurements based on your preference, I liked mine spicy and tangy.  I made two different versions of gochujang. The first one was used to cook spicy stir fried samgyup, and the other one was used as the sauce of tteokbokki. Both sauces were just as good. It might not taste exactly like gochujang as how locals prefer it to be, but because made some twist to it.

Before I started my own recipe, I tried to search for recipes on the internet - most of them are not available in our kitchen. I consulted my mom since she’s best at “doing more with less”, she mentioned, “why not use tomato paste (as main ingredient) since that’s what we have at the moment”. And guess what, it was a surprising discovery, tomato paste saved my cravings!

I will list down two versions of my homemade gochujang recipe. There isn’t much of a difference, but it could be a tip as well for those lacking some ingredients. I won’t specify measurements as well as it would be better to adjust it on your own based on your taste preference:

GOCHUJANG VER 1 (the recipe I used to make spicy stir fry samgyupsal [I used seokjin’s recipe] + spicy fried tofu)

1 canned tomato sauce (good for two dishes) Soy sauce Sesame oil Chopped garlic Chopped onion Shredded ginger Chili powder White sugar Vinegar (my alternative to white wine / mirin)

GOCHUJANG VER 2 (used to make tteokbokki) Italian tomato sauce Soy Sauce Sesame oil Chopped garlic Chili powder White sugar Cheese spread (Optional)

There you go folks! Hope my recipe could save a craving soul most especially during ECQ.

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4 May 2020. - (photo ctto)

Grabbed this relatable office set up animated photo from youtube while listening to lo-fi music. I’ve been really hooked up to this genre lately, it just helps me concentrate on my work and craft. I have been looping and going through different lo-fi music videos the whole day and it felt so therapeutic to my ears. 

If you find this interesting and if you’d like to try it out, I recommend feardog. They got some really cool artwork as well which really goes well with the flow of music and it defines the mood that you are in for. 

Anyways, I stumbled upon Shopee since they have this huge 5.5 sale going on, and I have been contemplating on all the things I add in my e-kart. It’s been there for weeks now and I’ve been stuck thinking if I should checkout or do I need more time to think if it’s worth my money. If you’re wondering what’s weighing in the majority, is the thought of not buying it instead. The justification is hard since these are just stationery stuff that I don’t see myself using for a greater purpose in what I do. The reason for buying this is for the fact that I’ve been thinking of filming a video of stationery stuff and post it on youtube. I’m thinking of ways to earn money, and this thought of mine was the most millennial and obscure way to earn money. But I got the idea from watching too much korean stationery unboxing videos that I want to create one myself because I love stationery and cute stuff. It’s ECQ, it’s a way to kill time as well. I might find it a hobby and maybe I’d find my happiness in here as well. I don’t want to heavily rely my time on netflix so there’s that too.

In the end, I checked out items from two stores. Hopefully I could receive them tomorrow or by Wednesday so I could start filming the video during my off.

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productive day

30 April 20. 10:45 PM - Gosh, I was supposed to write an hour and 30 mins ago, but I mindlessly dove into the depths of social media once again. Who am I to blame for being so busy today? I didn’t get a chance to browse through my social accounts the way I used to dedicate most of my time for it. Anyway, let me break down the hectic schedule of the day:

9:30 AM - got out of bed

10 AM - prepared breakfast and re-watched S1, ep. 5 of One Punch Man

10:58 AM - on the call with my manager to talk about work transition and details

11:45 AM - washed the dishes; decided to cook Tofu using leftover gochujang sauce (I plan to write the recipe on my next blog, I just couldn’t take the time to do this right now)

1:00 PM - lunch time

1:45 PM - watched the last 6 episodes of One Punch Man S1

Finished at 4:50 PM

5:00 PM - browsed for a short while then decided to pull out a desk at the storage room

5:36 PM - did a 30 min cardio and ab workout

6:15 PM - daily prayer with the family

6:40 PM - painted the desk with white paint base

7:15 PM - took a break and ate dinner

7:35 PM - went back to painting

8:40 PM - finished painting, rested for a while, then washed the dinner plates

9:10 PM - took a shower

9:45 PM - settled in bed, browsed.... until I decided to write a blog at 10: 45 PM

This is the kind of day I’d enjoy during quarantine, keeping myself busy and occupied. I actually prefer unleashing the creative side in me especially that being at home could really cloud your thoughts with anxiety. I usually think loudly when I’m alone in my room, and end up crying since I tend to overthink a lot. 

My room is a venue for me to get creative. My walls are painted with my colors and this helped me see this space as my personal canvas. I love decorating with things that feed me happiness. Since I love watching youtube videos, specifically room tours, desk tours, stationery hauls, etc. I felt inspired creating my space filled with my preference. I’ll talk about my room deeply on my upcoming blogs. 

Anyways, this day has been very busy but I prefer it be this way. I was not able to study today though, but at least I can schedule it tomorrow after work. Better to keep myself occupied than dwell on deeper thoughts and end up feeling bad about myself for no reason. To end this blog, my mom said something to me while I was washing the dishes, and it hit me like a truck. I couldn’t help but tear up after she said “don’t be too hard on yourself”. This should always be a reminder for myself. Please don’t be too hard on yourself. Take things easy. You can do this.

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6:41 PM of 22 April. - Pink clouds and Purple skies 

I was closing my windows at my bedroom, when I noticed the sky. I had to go out to our garden just to take photos of it. It felt good going out of the house even though it is still within our space. I never thought of going out even just to breath fresh air at the garden as I’d rather secure myself within our walls. But because of the sky, I made a choice but to risk it and it was worth it. But all I can say was that I missed outdoors. 

As I was thinking about my daily life on a normal day, I remembered being too exhausted and grumpy going to and from work due to a lot of certainties: bad traffic, distance from home, time wasted, etc. But those challenges are created because people tend to take everything for granted that others who follow the law, suffer. I just pray that once everything’s back to normal, people won’t take the roads and time for granted.

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22 April 2020. -  Class picture with my favorite professors: Koro sensei, Karasuma sensei, Irina sensei and the best 3-E section class at Kunugigaoka Junior High School.

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2! 3!

It’s okay. When I say one two three, forget it.

Erase all sad memories hold my hand and smile.

Smile holding onto each other’s hands.

Hoping for more good days.

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Any book suggestions / good reads during quarantine period, please?

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15 April 2020. - I finally made Dalgona Coffee after 3 failed attempts. I wasn't supposed to make one after those failures, since I got so frustrated by how it seemed easy for a lot of people, while I struggled just to be on the trend. Thanks to minimoni, I felt that I had to do it again. After work, a pop up appeared on my phone, and it was a vlive of them demonstrating how to make and whip, and voila! I was able to make 4 cups of dalgona, 1 for me and for the rest of the fam.

Results: It tasted really bitter and sweet, that the combined tastes balanced each other out. Hoever, I just didn't like the fact that it kept me awake all night. I was awake 2am and woke up at 4am. I guess I was too carried away with my excitement in having successfully made one, that no matter how bitter tasting it was, I gulped it and didn't mind the after effects - palpitation and contentment.

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Decision making process: The Maximizer vs. The Satisficer

Maximizers want to make optimal decisions. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets their requirements, they can't make a decision until after they've examined every option so they can make the best possible choice.

Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn't mean they'll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high, but as soon as they find the hotel, or pasta sauce that has qualities they want, they're satisfied.

Most people are a mix of both.

I am a 70% satisficer, and 30% maximizer. But I can definitely say that I live completely as a satisficer. The 30% was just for instances when I can't get a grip of anything I want in life.

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last holi-day

11 April 2020. - At 12NN, I took a 40-minute zumba exercise through one of my favorite Zumba/fitness youtuber, “Sunny’s Fitness”. I just loved how easy and effective her dances are, and her style fits my preference in exercise. 

2:00PM. - I watched my brother’s favorite anime, one of the best and first ranking Ghibli films, “Spirited Away”. I loved the elements that this film put together, and I understood why my brother kept on talking about it for days, when he first watched it years ago. During this period, I pledged myself to watch at least 5 Ghibli films, so that I could somehow change a bit of genre and add some interesting spice onto my watching habit.

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'Find explanations in charity' is more holy way of saying 'cut people slack'

The Happiness Project

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Acknowledge to yourself what you enjoy, not what you wished you enjoyed

Gretchen Rubin

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10 April 20. - My brother's birthday falls on a Good Friday.

5:06pm - Just finished watching a 2015 HYYH On Stage concert film by BTS. A pack of oreos and a glass of milk was my snack. Whenever I run out of things to do during my free time, I always rely for a BTS content, and it's a sure thing that I'll enjoy it. I mean, every Army can surely relate to this. Bangtan never failed to make us smile.

In between the concert film, I answered a call coming from one of my bosses, just to catch up and share our state of being during the ECQ madness. I really felt more at ease being able to share my thoughts about our current situation. To put everything I shared in a bubble: in time of crisis, it is better to help one another and share positivity around, than drag people with negativity as it spreads fast like a virus. It is better to share these thoughts to the right person who can help you, than become the cause of sickness for those who are battling the crisis in their own terms.

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9 April 2020 - A Cigarettes After Sex kind of mood.

As I work my way till 4pm, in between free moments, I was re organizing my Spotify playlists - deleted and unfollowed a few, mostly those overly played on the radio, occupying a heck of space on my phone.

I updated my Hippie Feet playlist, and changed its name to "spotify and chill". That playlist contains some Indie goodies that I believe deserves more recognition in the music industry.

Sharing my top 5 "spotify and chill" vibe:

1. Die Trying - Michl

2. I Can't Help - Shoffy, Sarcastic Sounds

3. My Favourite Clothes - RINI

4. Lay You Down - RINI

5. Drift - Benji Lewis

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8 April 2020

After hearing the news on the extension of the enhanced community quarantine, I was thinking about numerous ways to keep myself busier at home, aside from all the ‘hassle’-and-bustle with the new work setting and routine. In the middle of a detrimental crisis, it has become an opportunity to focus on myself, and my family. Today, while spending a day-off from my duties, I answered a Briggs-Myers Personality test, from a page I randomly searched on google. The last time I did this test was during a seminar course in college 6 years ago. I don’t recall the results, but I’m definitely sure that my personality falls under “Introvert”. When I was able to complete the test, it resulted that I am an ISTP-T. They call people under the same tree as The Virtuoso which means explorers. After reading a very informative piece about my personality type, I could not help but feel so amazed, reading a perfectly constructed detail of myself. I am a very hard person to read considering all the facts that has been said in that piece, and I suddenly felt considerate with how the people around me coped, understood, and stuck around. If you find this as your cup of coffee, if you know people who are under the same personality as I am, or maybe you would just like to get to know me, here is the link to save lives.

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I browsed through my dusty old shelf, where my books are placed. I have sold some of my books using the Carousell app, and left the other half, which are mostly books that I have not read yet. It was a new sight to me seeing the pages have turned yellow as it aged, not being moved over time. Now that I have time to spare, I picked up The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and took in all motivational stories. When I landed on a chapter in which the author mentioned, “Aim Higher - Launch a blog”, I recalled that earlier this year, I was really planning to open up a blog. Did the Gretchen Rubin pushed me and validated that I, Launch a Blog? I was feeling giddy reading that article. After finishing 4 chapters, I did not think twice and looked up google for popular blogging sites. I was juggling between WordPress and Tumblr - I recalled opening an account using Wordpress, however, I remembered it being a complex site for a starter, so I opted for a more millennial approach of blogging. 

Now that I have my own blog, I am excited on how things will unfold in my feed. 

But first, in line with my iced coffee themed blog, I started my day off following a recipe through youtube on how to make dalgona coffee. This dalgona craze has been in heights ever since the ECQ began. Different versions of this coffee has been introduced all over social media. There was a time when most of my friends on Facebook uploaded photos and stories of their DIY dalgona coffee. 

There are two ways to make dalgona coffee - whipped or dalgona candy as a topping. I did two attempts last week trying the whipped dalgona coffee, unfortunately, it did not work for me. So I decided to do the dalgona candy and add as toppings for my coffee. Sharing with you the ingredients I used for creating this drink:

DALGONA COFFEE

For the dalgona Candy (adjust measurements based on your liking)

White Sugar

Baking Soda

THE BASE

Milk

A shot of coffee

First, I poured an amount of white sugar onto a small pot bowl while on low heat. I kept stirring until it became syrupy in texture. After the sugar melts, add a pinch of baking soda onto the syrup and continue mixing. Remove the bowl from heat and pour it on a greased parchment paper, then let it sit for a few minutes.

Once the candy cools down, grab a pestle or any hard object that could crush the candy into pieces. Once it turned into bits, prepare a glass of milk, and spread the dalgona candy as toppings. To finish the drink, pour a shot of coffee to officially make it your own, dalgona coffee. You are now part of the trend!

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