A Done Decade: Farewell, Twenties

 Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty. -Robert Frost

I love to be in my 20s. I had the grandest time living it - finishing college, enlarging my network of friends, working in the corporate field for the first time, committing a lot of embarrassing mistakes, falling in love, making life-changing decisions, knowing God, moving countries, saving for a house and insurance, and becoming completely independent. Sure, there were some things I'd rather not do if given a chance to re-live my life, but looking back I realized that even the silliest mistakes gave me something valuable to keep.

For some reason, now that I hit 3.0 I don't really feel pressured or anxious to join the society's cultural bandwagon. I often hear people say that once you hit a certain age, you should have already accomplished something revolutionary and have made a mark in the society. Jesus started his ministry at 30. Martha Stewart made a career change at 30 and became a billionaire in her 30s. Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity at 30. And my favorite comparative analysis - my grandmother already had seven children by the time she turned 30. 

At Madame Tussaud's wax museum

But never mind Einstein or my grandma! Life is not a competition where we are required to collect as many medals as possible. I've come to realize that each of us has a unique background, a unique set of experiences and competencies, and are created for a specific purpose that's not like everybody else's. So let's just make the best out of what we have and be who we are supposed to be.

Saying goodbye to my 20s has given me the courage (as well as a good excuse) to grab the opportunity to move to a new continent. I left a promising job and six years' worth of friendship and books to migrate to a country with reversed seasons. I have yet to settle in completely but I am definitely enjoying the change of environment (oh so much space)!

I consider 3.0 as a rebirth. I know I am about to enter into a new season opening up to a different set of issues and challenges but the past decade's memories are not far behind me. I'm expecting some major changes, especially on the anatomical front (ugh) but I hope to still be the same girl who's in love with life and her Creator.

Here's to Jules 3.0 promising to be the best daughter, friend, worker, and princess that she can possibly be!

So help me God.

WARNING: Queso-filled.

This is to the man who has mustered some courage to really pursue me and break through my diva walls. To my El Gwapo, thanks for being my new BFF, my prayer partner, my jogging coach, my shopping consultant and my ka-HHWW. 

Through you, I am becoming more and more convinced that God really really really loves me and favors me. =)

Happy birthday, Love!

My Thanksgiving slash Costume slash Birthday Bash

Last Halloween night, I celebrated my 26th birthday and 2nd year in Singapore with a costume party. My actual birthday is on the 9th but I figured it would be fun to host a halloween party for my friends. I rented the betty davis room at the House in Dempsey Hill, a quiant place located just after Orchard Road and which shelters a line of restos, bars, spas, and food shops.

There's actually ongoing halloween parties everywhere that night, and that's when I learned that people here regard Halloween seriously. Hence, the costumes...

I even had gate crashers that night!

Introducing Mr. One-Night Stand...

and Mr. (Flat) Iron Man!

Of course, my friends and I came with our own numbers...

But more than having fun at our costume party, I consider that night as very special for I was able to share my testimony to all my friends on how God has been faithful and loving as I go through troughs and valleys within my two years of stay in Singapore.

I came here last 2007 looking for a job with less than a thousand US dollars in my wallet. I only have two friends back then - an officemate from Manila and a college friend who lent me his condo while he's travelling to Japan. I lost my job two times in less than a year and found myself to a point of no hope, not to mention no funds to even buy a plane ticket to return home. But my Heavenly Dad has blessed me beyond measure. From 2 friends, I now have more than a dozen...and counting! From a jobless girl without a laptop, I'm now a fairy with wings...haha!

If there's one most valuable thing I've learned that I can share, it would be that it's better to trust God than to trust on myself. I just want to thank and honor God for being a generous, loving, and a miracle-making Father! The ROCK rocks, indeed!

View more pictures of our halloween in Singapore in my Multiply site. :-)

Ready for my post-birthday, halloween party!

For my 26th birthday, I thought of celebrating it by throwing a thanksgiving slash costume party. And there is no better date to hold it than on a halloween night! I said to myself, I better do this now while I'm still young and there's an excuse to act goofy =)

I want to dress up as a fairy in all white and glittery drama. A fairy won't be one without wings, of course. But instead of buying a ready-made set, I decided to create my own. The wings I made are quite simple but I loved the result. I learned the how-to through a youtube video which I didn't exactly follow to the letter.

This is how I did my fairy wings:

I bought the materials needed: Flimsy (yes they have to so you can bend them easily) hangers as the frame, pliers to bend the 'wingbone', super glue, black or white tights (depends on what kind of fairy you want to be), ribbons, string, a pair of scissors, and tons of glitters.

First, I bended the hangers into an oval shape. This is the most difficult part of the task. I used two small hangers for the top part and two big ones for the bottom part.

Then, I connected the same-sized circles by tying the ends, which will be the central area of the full wings. After forming the ovals, I dressed them up with white tights.

I also tied the ends of the tights and pulled them down to make a snug fit. Then the fun part begins - putting glitters to make the wings oh so pretty! I don't have much time to be more creative with the design so I just did the simple circles. The feathers helped in glamming them up even more!

Total cost in sgd: $30. Not bad. I like that it's huge and covers my entire back.

Yay! Ready to strut and party.