Aca-ganapan, Aca-nthoughts, Aca-ptured, Acan’t Forget, Blabbermouth, Lamyerda Diaries, Mema, Random Snippets

01:56 – 062024

I’ve been sneezing non-stop over the last hour. My eyes are starting to swell and nose very runny. Madaling araw na, tulog na lahat tapos saka ako aatakihin ng hay fever. Hence.

While I wait for the medications to kick in, might as well magsulat dito diba? I can’t even remember when and what my last entry was pero sige, brief catch up tayo?

January – celebrated my birthday and also, my 10th year here in the UK. Siyempre, andami kong realisations sa buhay as I age, lalo na how my personality evolved over time. Dagdag narin natin ang pagsheshameless selfie sa CR with a little bit of skin kasi feeling ko I’m in my bomba star era. Chariz!

February – since bomba star era, siyempre kelangan maghanda. I’ve started taking pilates classes and actually loving it, kahit may nginig factor yung ibang steps or positions ba tawag dun.

Believe it or not, continuous padin ang pagigym namin and I’ve come to accept the fact na di nako papayat as before, pero I want to be healthy and have the freedom to do and eat anything kasi may balance.

March was very special. If I haven’t already mentioned before, I looooove scandinavian countries, snow and of course, the northern lights. And for this month, I was lucky I got to travel to Finland with friends where I tried to ski (best in tumba si gorl) and maypakandong kay Santa. Later that month, we went to Iceland (adventure to pero chika ko next time) to see Park Seo Jun and get to taste his cooking. As a bonus? Best in appearance and dance si Madame Aurora Borealis super looove!

April naman is lie low sa lamyerda, but still may pa-activity. We had two shows lined up to watch in West End – Your Lie in April and Spirite Away – both Japanese animè which we love and of course, blown away kame how it was translated into theatre, as in live action chururut. As a wildcard, we also booked to watch The Play That Goes Wrong and we thoroughly enjoyed best in tawa kame kahit english lol.

Si May – may pasabog din. This was hubby’s birth month so as per usual, we went away to have some R&R under the sun pero ang pinaka highlight, si Madame Aurora B. naman and dumalaw sa mismong bahay!

I think fully updated and nakahabol narin ako dito sa blog for my very few avid readers (wow kala mo naman) although alam ko namang this is mainly for me to read in the future. For some reason, di rin pala nagupdate yung domain ko, so it has changed from amazingcharrozcaldos.com to amazingcharrozcaldos.blog na. Anyway, dama ko na si Cetirizine at Otrivine. After 5-6 months ulet, taaaa!

Aca-ganapan, Aca-ntahan, Aca-nthoughts, Acan’t Forget, Blabbermouth

Acantahan: FINCH!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

Sorry, super happy lang. okay, ikekwento ko ng maayos. But, as usual, just for background.

I was in high school when I first heard of the band – Finch. Kumbaga, tapos nako sa pop/ hip hop and RNB era so I was starting to dabble into rock, metal, hardcore, screamo, punk music na purely influenced by people around and close to me. Since medyo rebel girl din ang peg ko during that time, parang akma sa theme ko yung mga rockers ang tugutugan so kinareer ko naman.

So ayun nga, when I heard Finch, natuwa ako. Kasi may growls and all pero teka, may kanta padin. May tune, melody ek ek and, may laman ang lyrics. Weird ba na tandang tanda ko kung pano yung gigil na pindot sa volume ng grey na stereo pag plinay na sila. Tapos, sa mga battle of the bands, suki din yung mga kanta nila. Plus, yung mga bet ko talaga before yung mga rockers/skater/banda na siga look so benta sakin si Nate.

Years later, I still listen to their old songs. Pag nasa sigawan mood din ako, top 2 ko na yang what it is to burn at three simple words. May mood din na gusto ko lang pakinggan yung letters to you in acoustic tapos tatry alalahanin yung kaisa-isang alam kong kantang tugtugin sa gitara – na actually, diko nadin maalala ngayon so waley.

Fast forward to 2023 – my cousin sent me a link to their concert and they’re touring pala to celebrate 20 years of the What it is to burn album. I checked the venues and sakto may LDN. Of course, naexcite ako but, didn’t book right away kasi adulting. So I just made a mental note na I need to revisit my decision by November. And then Nov came, and kahit papano, nakaluwag luwag naman charing so I asked the hubs if I can go – emphasis in ‘I’ kasi he didn’t know the band and ayoko naman i-drag siya sa mga trip ko and also worried nadin na baka di niya maenjoy. But being the gentleman that he is, he offered to go with me.

Wednesday – looong day at work and sa pagod ko nakaidlip din ako sa train OTW to Kentish Town. Good thing the weather was tolerable and it wasn’t raining so wala namang hassle. We got there half an hour before the doors opened and the queue wasn’t that bad too. It was also comforting having to attend a concert and seeing people na alam mong ka-age bracket mo. Nakakatuwa lang na yung crowd will probably be like me, reminiscent of our younger selves.

It was my first time sa O2 Kentish town and I think it was the perfect venue for this. It’s a bit smaller in size compared to the other o2’s but gusto ko yung intimate performance feels. I also got the balcony tickets and seated siya so super sakto for my aching body parts. Di ko na kaya sa mosh pit and mga slamman.

I still knew every song guys. As in the whole setlist super kanta ang lola niyo. It was also surreal to see and hear them live kasi part sila ng kabataan ko, ng core memories. Habang pinapakinggan ko sila, parang I felt a sense of comfort cause it reminded me of home. Haaaaay ❤️

Anyway, here’s their setlist!

And of course, the memory hoarder in me took some videos kasi gusto kong balik balikan tong experience na to AND gusto ko din maanoy sa boses ko lol.

Aca-ganapan, Acan’t Forget, Blabbermouth, Lamyerda Diaries

Clearing Ops: 22:48 (10 | 2021)

Do you ever miss your old self?

I miss my ‘young, wild, not free but still crazy’ era. I have been looking at old pictures and videos and grabe, I had so much energy. So much life. So much light. So much fun. It’s like I knew that by the time I’d hit 30, I will more or less be tired and my introvert self will take over so ayun, sinulit.

One favourite memory: filed under year 2009, this photo resurfaced. I can recall parts of that night and the rest, well it’s self explanatory. This was roughly a month after the nursing boards – went to Manila. Met up with friends, nag Star City, nag- tambay, anxious with the exam results, heartbroken (7-year itch), basically trying to figure out what’s next. It was such a confusing stage. Next thing I know, napasarap ang kwentuhan, napadami ng bucket at sisig hence, this. My tita self is cringing – ang dumi dumi jan ghorl.

This was me, drunk. But for the record, not drunk enough to be sleeping on the grass ha. Acting lang yan, then unli tawa after. This was a loooong time ago but still feels fresh in my mind. I guess it wasn’t anything grand but the feeling of comfort lang to be with friends during that time really stuck to me. Fun times mga bords (Anye and Chy). <3