10 Things 2016 Taught Me

10 Things 2016 Taught Me

(10) Potato Corner is the ultimate bae.

I mean, I've always known this, but it was in 2016 where the love was reciprocated. See below.

(9) Budgeting is a MUST.

I have a problem when it comes to keeping my finances in check. I am guilty of spending on a whim, especially on food... (Don't look at me like that you know you do it too..) I promise to budget wisely this 2017!!! So I can buy more food JOKE pero..1/2 joke.

(8) There will always be people better than you.

Smarter, better looking, funnier, more popular, parang si Liza Soberano, ganun. You can't always be the best at everything (unless you're Liza), but you can be the best version of yourself. And how do you do that? Step one: Accept that there will always be people better than you. And that's okay. In the world of dance, someone will always have higher extensions, can outdo your doubles with quadruples, and the list goes on. Important thing is to keep working towards being the best you YOU can be. 

(7) Having a happy crush (or crushes if you're malandi hahaha JOKE) is healthy. 

Also filed under: being a fan girl

Whether it's a celebrity crush or an acquaintance crush or a bff crush, these happy crushes/fan girl moments are so fun to have! In a year when the world felt so heavy too many a times, happy crushes ease that weight a little when they (unknowingly) provide a few kilig moments here and there. Admit it, ni-like lang photo mo, buo na araw mo! Tapos may DM pa awow Liza level ang haba ng hair charaught pero totoo

"Yasss ni-like niya hihi"

(6) Different sets of friends, different sets of interests.

Let's be 100% real here. You have friends you grab coffee with, and you have friends you take shots with. And there's nothing wrong with that. I mean I have friends who share my love for classical music, and I have friends who applaud my super great rapping skillz. I have friends who understand my wanting to stay in and sleep early on a Friday night, but I also have friends who sing along to throwback 90's songs til 3am with me in BGC on a Saturday night. It's all good. 

The Choice to Compete

I started writing this post weeks ago, but of course I only found time to publish it tonight: 13 hours before my competition. AAAHHHHHH OKAY let's begin.

In all my years of dancing, I have never entered a solo dance competition. This comes ultimately from my fear of stepping into the whole nature of competition: the stress and exhaustion of training for it, the nerves and anxiety at the thought of someone judging your piece and evaluating it, and the fear of not doing well enough.

At the beginning of the year, I considered entering the Youth Asian Grand Prix: An international dance competition in Hong Kong open to all nationalities. Sure would be nice to say that I've competed on an international stage, right? The more I thought about it, the more I was starting to convince myself to give it a shot. HOWEVER-- there was a slight problem. The age cut-off was 23. I am 25. And that's how you know when God says no. Hahaha.

At first I didn't think too much of it, and was able to easily let it go. But all that initial convincing I had done to myself created a restless debate in me that just won't quit: should I try another competition? Or nah?

Homecoming

July 6th marks the one year anniversary of my Acts Manila "homecoming". It's been one whole year since I decided to take that leap of faith, from a career in the non-profit sector into the the performing arts field. One year since I had one of the most restless seasons of my life, because I was trying to silence something my heart has constantly been shouting: "Go back to dance."

I tweeted this on July 6, 2015, after my first day back in the studio!

One year after, and I can't help but just be so incredibly grateful at how God has faithfully seen me through this life journey. In my one year back in dance, I have:

- Been given the responsibility of handling two schools and taking over their ballet program: Acts Manila @International British Academy, and Acts Manila @Kerusso Christian Academy
- Gotten strength back to fully dance on pointes and execute steps accomplished only through muscle memory (this was an absolute struggle)
- Performed and participated in around 15 (give or take) different events: Mall shows, corporate engagements, church numbers, workshops, etc.
-Completed seminar 1 of the official training program of the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet conducted by ballerina Christine Walsh herself
- Taken part in the annual Acts Manila recital in the CCP Main Theater after 8 years
- Experienced wearing two (metaphorical) hats during the recital: The dancer hat and the teacher hat!
- Promoted to full Director, yay!
- Helped develop the Acts Manila Public Speaking and Creative Writing Program with me at the helm
- Conducted a full Personality Development Seminar for the teachers of Kerusso Christian Academy
- Braved my fear of competing by entering a local dance competition: The Philippine Dance Cup
- Taken one student under my wing to coach for the Asian Grand Prix ballet competition in Hong Kong
- Gotten my parents' full support, no questions asked <3

Getting back to the groove; it wasn't easy, but it was worth it. 

Dear Mr. Made Right,

First of all, I am not calling you Mr. Right. As much as I believe each person is destined to be with her Mr. Right or his Ms. Right, I doubt anyone is "born right" for you.

In between the moment I let out my first cry up until this point in my life where I am nearing the quarter of a century mark (gasp!), thousands of circumstances have already come and gone and have shaped me into who I am today. The 16-year-old me is so different from the present me. I could have been "wrong" for you back then, but who's to say what the stars have for us now?

Second of all, Mr. Made Right, I am a firm believer in God's perfect timing. While I feel that that is a phrase many release too casually, I hold on to it like a child clings to his mother's hand on the first day of kindergarten.  If we have not met yet, I am confident there is a reason why. I probably need more work, maybe we both do. Maybe we are at a point in our lives where our faith is not fully seasoned enough for us to step on to the next journey just yet. Maybe, maybe. But there is definitely a reason.

Third of all, when we do meet and you decide you want to pursue me (haba ng hair), please be patient with me. I probably won't make it easy, admittedly, because I am still a girl and I will tend to overthink. Are you "The One"? How will I know? What if there's someone else? How will our future look like if we end up together in the long run? Why aren't you texting with smiley faces?!

When you don't hear from me the whole day, I hope you don't sit on your man ego and not reach out to me "just because I didn't initiate the conversation first". Send me good morning texts to start my day, and good night messages that leave me smiling as I drift off to sleep. Excuse me, pakiligin mo naman ako! Charaught. When at times you feel I am being distant, I hope you will find strength and patience to deal with my distress. Pursuing me means pursuing God, too, maybe even pursuing Him more. You can only really get to my heart if you have God in yours.

Fourth of all, MMR, pursuing me also means that I won't be pursuing you. Wow, taray! Sometime last year, I came across a blog post by Ann Luna where she declares to a boy that she will never do the pursuing because that's simply not her part. I agree. So, dear MMR, when we finally meet, please do not expect me to chase after you. I will not force situations just so the two of us could be together. Even at the height of gender equality and feminine rights, I will still not do the pursuing. Call me old-fashioned, but the whole courtship process trumps modern dating (Tinder, anyone?) any day in my book. Swipe right? More like swipe wrong.

Fifth of all, I will care about you and what you do for a living. I sincerely hope you love what you are doing, and are not just going through the motions of the day with only that end-of-the-month pay check as your source of motivation. People say passion won't necessarily (and quickly) pay the bills in the beginning, and maybe they're right, maybe they're not, but I pray there is heart in your work.

I hope that you are in a place where there is favor upon you, where you feel fulfilled, and where your faith can grow. You might have already found your calling in your career, and that is fantastic! But if you feel as if you could still use a little push, you can rest in the thought that I will be right there with you with a push of encouragement and a tight embrace of support. I will care about you and what you do for a living because it will affect us today, and the tomorrows of our future family.

NGO Kingdom: A Tale of Five Realms

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom (aka The NGO Kingdom) located in a far, far away land (aka Quezon City). There lived a King (aka The Panda) with his Queen (aka The Chicken), and their royal household (aka The Office Cuties). Together, they formed one big happy royal family.

The King and Queen govern five noble realms: Excel Center for Educational Leadership (Excel), Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, The Jesse M. Robredo Foundation, Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON), and The Institute for Governance and Strategic Partnerships (IGSP). These realms represent three advocacies: good governance, public health, and public education.

The Royal Family of the NGO Kingdom operates with a unified vision in mind--a better Philippines, fueled by change and empowered by passion to build the nation. As one of the royal workers, living in the Kingdom the past ten months has helped me become a better person, and a better Filipino (naks). When what you do revolves around service to others, you learn to think less of yourself, and more about your fellow Filipinos (naks times two).

Konichiwa!

Here it is! My travel article on Japan :)

Click link below to read:

http://aquazorb.com/japan-urban-jungle-of-the-east/

Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate with you, Aquazorb! Three cheers to getting to know the world, one destination at a time!

Love,
Laura

#JaFun

Since my article on Japan isn't out yet, here is a short video of our #JaFun trip instead! Sit back, relax, and (hopefully) enjoy the video :) 

EDIT: My article just got published today on Aquazorb, hours after I posted this, haha! Will post it next time.

Happy Travel Thursday!

Love,
Laura