• The 20-Peso Ticket: My Accidental Night at the MTV Pilipinas 2004 Music Awards

    It was late afternoon, and I couldn’t sit still. I told my mom I was going for a walk, I just needed to isolate myself and be invisible, anonymous, audienceless. Just me, my thoughts, and the twenty pesos in my jean pocket. Good enough for fishballs and sago’t gulaman. The moment I stepped out our…

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  • Defying Lactose Intolerance

    There are days when I try to defy my limitations. Today was one of them. I had plans. I was supposed to be somewhere. But instead, i had vanilla ice cream, then washed it down with black coffee. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal. My stomach has been exceptionally non discriminating for as long…

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  • Unicorn Thoughts and The Gratitude Theory (part 3 : Malcolm’s wallet)

    (Entry dated : April 2024) Malcolm had saved up for weeks, and today he decided—it was time to buy his very own wallet. So off to the mall we went, each with an errand in mind. After a long and careful search, he finally found the one. He paid for it himself—his first official purchase—and…

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  • Unicorn Thoughts and The Gratitude Theory (Part 2)

    (Entry date : February 10, 2023) I went to pick up the kids’ school IDs. It was a quick errand—got some documents from the admin office, paid some fees, and headed home. On the drive back, I felt an odd tug, a sudden craving for coffee. Not my usual thing, but a little café called…

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  • Unicorn Thoughts and The Gratitude Theory (Part 1)

    This three-part series explores the extraordinary coincidences of lost wallets returned, each encounter quietly reinforcing the power of belief, gratitude, and the idea that our thoughts might open unexpected doors. (Entry date : September 2014) Last week, I lost my wallet. I did the whole “retracing my steps” thing – digging through car seats, flipping…

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  • Believe us, we’re sober.

    Can the feeling of ‘high’ be self-induced? Fresh out of college, my two closest friends and I joined an immersion activity where we had to run a workshop. It was another adventure in our ongoing saga of chaotic brilliance, and traveling together meant one thing – we’d find humor in everything, even from the most…

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