Life Note: Gratitude

In life, we meet so many people... the good, bad, acquaintance, friend, movie buddy... you name it. Each one will have a role, no matter how big or small, in our lives. 

When I was a kid, I would often say to my "favorite" friend that he or she (though it's usually a she as you know, kids have this inborn annoyance of the opposite sex) will be my bestest  friend forever.

from Littleki.blogspot.com

Forever. We usually use that loosely when we were younger as we do not have a full grasp of reality. Come high school, that's when things become clearer. Not everyone who comes in our lives will forever be in our lives, or hold that special place for eternity. Remember why tears are shed during graduations?

from Japanesense.wordpress.com

Reality is, people come and go. Yes, everyone has the option to stay. But sadly, not everyone opts to stay. Priorities change, we change. The usual brunch dates every week turn to every month to every other month and so on. The long calls turn from hours to minutes to half a minute. It's not because of the changes that happen to us. It's by choice. 

At first, I find it hard to understand why set ups I'm comfortable with have to change. But change helps us grow, to get to know ourselves more. We all used to be dependent on certain people for something, may it be comfort, laughter, or the daily dose of gossip. But in the end, we all have to learn to live without them. No, it doesn't mean throwing them out but being independent, being strong on our own. 

People come and go. Yes, at times we grow to question what went wrong on why some of whom we were close to suddenly went the other way, leaving us wondering. But instead of asking why, it's best to just be thankful. Be thankful to have them become a part of your life. Be thankful for their time, concern, friendship, love, and simply being there for you for a while. Let go of the sorrow, the grudge, the regrets for those will do nothing but inflict pain. Instead, remember the nice memories, how these people helped you become the person you are now. Do not let anger or sorrow cloud the good times. For I am definite, there are those memories you would love to cherish.

from Observantbystander.wordpress.com

In more than two decades of meeting people, I can no longer count how many people came and left. But I am thankful. Each exchange of words helped me be more mature and realize how wonderful life is and could be. The shared experiences made me who I am today. The laughter once shared would be great memories for me to keep.

I am also thankful for the people who left and came back. These people made me realize that you should never close doors. Life is interesting that way. 

And for those who never left and patiently watch me grow, I love you beyond words. 

To everyone, thank you. <3

-Mary Love (a.k.a. Gluttonshopper, the sentimental birthday girl)

THANK YOU!

When I started blogging, I jump for joy whenever I hit 100 views in a month! I then noticed that I get to have more readers whenever I blog more often.

I still remember that the first entry that got the most views was NAV, then a new restaurant in Kapitolyo serving really good Thai food. That motivated me to blog almost everyday (if not everyday, as long as dear tummy allows it). 

Soon, more of my entries get more hits. But what really makes me do cartwheels (mentally that is as I can only do side rolls and tiny jumps) is when I hear people tell me that they read my blog and some even do follow it! *happy*

I then confidently set 50,000 hits as my goal for 2012. To date, I reached way more than I hoped for. :D (Okay, maybe I didn't hit my blog posts goal but I'll try to change that and blog even more!!!)

I love you all! Expect more food finds in the next days, weeks, months, and years to come! 

-a very happy Gluttonshopper

2011: A Gluttonous Year

Disclaimer: Yet another random blog but is surely something from the bottom of my heart (and tummy).

I can’t believe that today is the end of 2011 and awesome 2012 will begin. So many things happened to me this year and I do not regret any of it. I have experienced a lot and visited so many different places this year and met awesome people who are as passionate as I am when it comes to food and exploring Manila.

To end the year, I’d like to highlight some things that made this year extra special.

Intramuros

Oh how I love this place! The Old Manila feel plus the numerous kalesa makes this place an ideal dating and hangout place for me. I remember touring a not-so tourist here and I was the one who ended up enjoying it more. It was like a blast from the past. Educational, fun and truly memorable.

Binondo

I have mentioned before that I have never been to Binondo till June 19, 2011. It was a rainy, rather, stormy day when we decided to explore Binondo in search for some warm soup. We went to Ying-Ying, a popular Chinese (well, almost every food establishment there is Chinese) restaurant in Chinatown. The congee was bland but the experience was… delicious. (Okay, perhaps that sounded a bit wrong.) Now I always find myself in Binondo searching for food; may it be exotic dishes like Soup #5 or ice cream from the Chinese supermarket or the got-almost-everything Korean mart. Plus, this was the place where I got my first kalesa ride!!!