Taco Truck

DAY 3
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

While living in Brooklyn, I'd noticed on the way home people lining up at this one taco truck parked along Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. In New York, they're apparently called grease trucks (feel free to comment if I'm wrong).

After buying that necklace I wrote about before this from Charles St. George's street stall, I decided to finally go ahead and give these tacos a shot. And, I wasn't disappointed. Mexican food isn't exactly the most photogenic cuisine, but to give you an idea, the Endless Summer truck had a menu of soft tacos with a variety of fillings such as beef, chicken, fish, and even vegetarian (it's NYC, after all!). Each one is served with a drizzling of sour cream and cheese, along with some homemade guacamole and a lime wedge. One serving is pretty small yet substantial.

So if you're ever in the mood for some authentic street food, you'll find many in the city. But, if straightforward, no-frills tacos are your thing, you'll have a good reason to hop, skip on the L train sometime soon.

Hungry patrons of the Endless Summer taco truck fall in line along Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.

Street Beads

DAY 2   
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

Colorful baubles around the corner.

I was walking home one afternoon and came across this necklace laid out on a table on the street. I didn't have enough cash with me and I didn't even have much with me at home, either. I had this $10 bill from my dad that I'd just been keeping in my travel suitcase, and a few bills in my wallet—just enough for food for the weekend.

Now, I've never ever been the type to forgo food for fashion (after this purchase though, I still had a little left to enjoy a soft taco that night). In college, I couldn't believe how possible it was for a friend of mine to choose not to spend her allowance on food and opt to shop for clothes instead. I'm also not one to buy items from Gucci, Fendi, or Prada on a whim, and friends would attest to my story that the only time I would consider finally buying a Gucci bag or anything from the brand (I own a single item from them, my mom's gold watch that she gifted me with for my "something old" before the wedding) is a few years from now, when I can pay CASH for the item. And one more thing: I have to buy it in Rome.

During my first trip to that city with the most breathtaking architecture bursting with rich history, I told myself that when I turned thirty, I would go back there and go through the whole designer bag shopping experience—from going inside the store, selecting the merchandise, and purchasing the item that calls out. Also, having the shopping bag with me, the carrying sack...the works. (But, if you want something a little less tedious than flying across the miles and more immediate, check out Bluefly.com for designer finds. I've only shopped there once when a friend asked me to get her these Christian Louboutin net pumps a while back, and the experience was overall pleasant.) I didn't get to fly back to Europe by the time my 30th birthday rolled around, but, the plan more or less has stayed the same since: "When in Rome..."

So, going back to the necklace, it simply called out because ever since I decided not to buy this chunky gray glass beaded necklace at TopShop years ago, I'd only grown more fascinated with big baubles of the costume kind, and this particular piece pretty much fit the bill and I just had to have it.

And, if you're curious, I got to chat a bit with the 'store' owner, Charles St. George. As it turns out, he's a liver cancer survivor. With a new lease in life, he's made it his livelihood to purchase accessories wholesale and peddle them in this fashion. I say that's one stylish and special way to get by.

That's Charles St. George of Street Boutique. He's a cancer survivor, so show support by buying!

30-Day Blog Challenge, Round 2 (Big Apple Edition)

DAY 1

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

The first 30-day Blog Challenge I did was inspired by a few online resources I'd read on giving one's blog a boost. But, for the most part, I was in the middle of my sabbatical and was caught between a dilemma of not wanting to be idle and not really having a full-time job to keep me that busy. True, I was still doing my online copy editing work for a luxury hotel group, along with my weekly beauty column, and of course, this blog. Yet, I had nagging thoughts of, "What am I doing now?" and I wasn't quite ready to get back into the daily grind of office work. I was also still recovering from a lumpectomy and had a wedding coming up in a couple of months—not exactly the best time to make new major decisions in terms of one’s living situation.

So, I started the 30-day Blog Challenge. Oh, now I remember: I'd also read a former boss's blog about how one can create a habit by doing something for 30 days straight (the original theory, I believe, was 21 days). I was toying with the idea of getting up daily at 5am and doing some morning workouts. The early-morning thing never quite materialized but I did manage to complete all 30 days of blogging (read it here or visit the spin-off site, 30-dayblogchallenge.com). What a challenge, indeed!

It's been a year since and I'm truly happy about having done that first round because so much has sprung from that Challenge: from the blogging series for Cosmo.ph, to my own baking blog at Yummy.ph, the online home of Yummy Magazine. I also did the Inspiration Series here at Ny Minute Now. Along the way I also discovered some online revenue streams; if you look at them individually, they’re not much, but they somehow add up. Now, I have some ongoing and upcoming writing and editing work online, assignments that are actually capable of letting me afford to mull about and explore the city while I await my next full-time job, which is just so amazing. I couldn't be grateful enough.

In celebration of all of that, and so it begins. In the words of former Good Housekeeping Philippines editor-in-chief Jing Lejano in a recent comment, "Clang, clang! Round 2!"

Watch this space and thanks in advance for reading!

Stop Complaining!

I love how people in New York are so blunt and straightforward, traits not necessarily always welcome in other parts of the world. (Oh, don't get me started on how often I've been berated for speaking my mind.)

I've been feeling very sluggish and sleepy these past few days, not uncommon when I'm gearing up for deadlines. So, I decided to get some work done in the library instead of moving back and forth between the kitchen table and bedroom of my temporary home, not really accomplishing much.

Now seated in the library, again, I couldn't escape the feeling of sleepiness. I couldn't concentrate. A gentleman who'd just sat next to me heard me heave and exhale loudly and uttered, "That bad?"

I replied, "I'm just so sleepy, and I have all these deadlines."

"Stop complaining."

Oh boy, did that wake me up! I thanked him profusely and sat up straighter.

You've got to love New Yorkers.

Time Out, New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made...if you have the stamina and chutzpah.

One day in 2008 I lay in bed thinking, "What if I never had to work? What if I didn't have to get up everyday to be somewhere?" It was around fall, I was working as a proofreader and copy editor at J.Crew, and the prospect of another cold, bone-piercing winter had long lost its appeal. And, I was simply...tired. From the time I was 20 until I moved to New York at 27 to pursue my publishing dreams, I never stopped working. I never had that year off college co-eds usually take after graduation to "explore and look around," only because I was lucky to have found the perfect job match off the bat, working at Seventeen Magazine when it launched in Manila in 2000. (I did get to go on yearly US vacations though.)

Yet, it's true that we gravitate toward the things that we want and have a hand at making them happen. By December of that year, I'd lost my job and had to quickly pack up my apartment; stashed meaningful and useful items in storage, donated the rest of my belongings to the Salvation Army, and off I was to Denver to recuperate from the whirlwind that was New York Round One.

Fast forward to 2010: I've made three trips back and forth between Manila and Denver; vacationed in beautiful beaches; had a lovely destination wedding (with a beach-side reception); cooked and baked my heart out; blogged and wrote about food and musings on life, love, and career (and got paid for it at times!); spent quality time with family, flying/boating to far-flung places; took on lucrative freelance projects (to help finance the above), and more.

I couldn't have asked for a better sabbatical.

While I agree that a certain amount of stress can be beneficial (studies show that a little of it actually helps you perform better), too much can be detrimental not only to your health, but also to your productivity and morale.

So, if you're feeling the onset of a burnout, I highly recommend taking some time off. True, you may have to cut back on certain things (I've had to give up living in NY full-time to ease the pressure of rent and other expenses) but, in the bigger scheme of life, it's absolutely worth it.

That said, I'm now back in New York, recharged and ready for Round Two. With my freelance plate full, I no longer dread having to work at a new job requiring me to be somewhere everyday—no matter the weather, whatever the season.