on the Verge of

Inspired by my good friend Karla's Encouragement Weekly Photo Challenge , I have decided to join in and start my own. Bits of encouragement go a long way. Not only does it aim to encourage others but it also challenges us to carry on and do better each day. I hope that through this photo challenge, I am able to uplift others through my insights, discernments, and my favorite quotes in life and encouragement.  To start my first week in this challenge, my first encouragement photo is about a Bible verse which I find fitting for my recent struggles. “Be strong. Be Brave. Be fearless. You are never alone.” — Joshua 1:9

Manzoku is a local Japanese restaurant in Felcris Centrale Mall. To be honest, I didn't know about Manzoku until I started working around the area. They have been open for two years now but I haven't heard a thing or two about them. Curious and starving as we were, Keen and I decided to try it out. Among the only three restos in Centrale, Manzoku is probably the most expensive. But among all the Japanese restaurants I've tried here in Davao, they have the most value for money. They serve bigger sushi at a budget friendly price. Tip: order their sushi platter for maximum savings Manzoku's Premium Sushi Platter There was no salmon available during our first visit so they used malasugue instead. It was my first time to try a malasugue sushi and it was good. Then on the second visit, there was only tuna so we asked if we could mix it with unagi. Good thing they agreed! All the fish they served were fresh. Their unagi sushi did not disappoint us either. It had the...

Keen and I have grown a love for food since we began our relationship. We've physically grown in proportion to that love as well. Since we've been documenting our foodtrips with pictures (mostly in Instagram), I thought of expanding our gastronomic adventures through blogging. Aptly, our adventures will be labeled as #KaonSerye, a hashtag coined by Keen to document our every foodtrip since last year. Through our blogs, we wish to provide better insights and share more details about our foodtrip experiences. I'm really excited to blog more about food this year. We will be focusing a lot on Davao since we want to promote its local restaurants. We are also excited about the unique food we will get to try during our travels. We will try to check out every cuisine possible and perhaps get an inspiration for a future venture. Cheers to more food and love! ❤️ Jap Food Street Food  7-11 Food

A year ago I bid farewell to Cebu, a place I call my second home. It seemed a long time ago, I almost forgot. It's a good thing Facebook has a way of reminding people of some memories that are mostly forgotten. I remember my lonely room in Sedona Parc. I could close my eyes and remember every inch of that room. I remember singing Adele's songs in the shower and no one really cared if I was out of tune or not. I remember my kitchen experiments and the joys of cooking pasta. I remember the nostalgic sunsets by the window and the silent evenings that followed thereafter. I remember the morning and afternoon walks I took to and from the office. I remember the trees I passed by the lonely park. I remember the food festivals in that park selling Cebu lechon and pusó. I remember our old office building and its eerie ambience during the night. I remember my usual afternoon stroll at Ayala Center Cebu. I remember the movies I watched alone in the cinema. I remember the shops and t...

It's the first week in my new work and everything so far has been quite a chill. But I'm expecting more tasks in the coming weeks especially when I'm finally deployed in my permanent area. One significant event that happened this week was yesterday, February 23, we experienced a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. The building shook for ten seconds before it came to a stop. My colleague and I immediately went out of the office but came back a few minutes after the brief quake. There have been recent warnings from PhilVocs about an imminent earthquake that could struck the Philippines, especially Luzon. Other scientists are predicting massive earthquakes to hit the Philippines and other countries due to some planetary alignments. Some deep sea creatures like the oarfish and sunfish are getting stranded in our coasts recently, which could be signs of underwater seismic activities. With all these things happening, I can't help but feel anxious about what lies ahead in the next f...

Yesterday, people went on to celebrate Valentines day with their loved ones while others spent it alone at home or somewhere else. Nonetheless, it was a lovely day full of surprises, bouquets of all sorts, and Jollibee burgers. Lol I remember last year's Valentines day. The night before was a karaoke night with new friends from the previous weekend's climb. We went on singing until Valentines day and we were just so happy. It was also the day when we (boyfie and I) admitted that we liked each other. It was a crazy whirl of events thereafter. Fast forward to this year's Valentines, James and I are celebrating our first as a couple. We had a wonderful time at the White House Fusion Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge. We were back at the place where we had dinner before I said yes to be his girlfriend. As usual, the food was great. We loved the unagi, wagyu beef and pumpkin soup. We wished we had more! Appetizers  Picture after dinner Also, today is my mom's ...

Today is a sunny Monday. I cleaned up my desk and made some breakfast. I looked outside my window and saw the plants in our backyard basking brightly under the sun. It's a beautiful day, a contrast to the gloomy rainy days in the past week. I woke up with a good feeling about the days ahead. Sure, there are some things that remind me of the past I left behind. Sometimes I miss the places and the people. But we know better for ourselves on which path to trod, what decisions to make, and the time we need to do so. There will be new things to look forward to this month of February. I know there will be new challenges ahead. But I gather my strength and confidence to claim victory over them.  I think I've grown enough to know better things for myself. This time I'll do so much more. Full speed ahead :) Breakfast in desk