omakase dinner. And can you believe I went my entire day without having a mental breakdown? A first, I think. The next day my sister surprised me with 3 already-peeled pomegranates and an arts & crafts session. And then you know what came next—Jymar planned an entire surprise party w/ some of my favorite people & granted me one of the most thoughtful gifts: the joy of knowing my guests got to do my favorite thing while thinking of me for a gift: perusing the aisles of Dollar Tree. You know how hard I am to shop for, usually. So this was actually genius. A single store but endless possibilities within even the tightest budget. Genius!!!
This was actually the best birthday I've ever had. I spent the day in clinic with my patients, including two of my favorites—a 36 year-old who works at Cooper too and a 74 year-old who specifically scheduled with me cuz she wanted to give me a birthday card and a hug. It also so happened to be Wellness Friday & we spent the afternoon eating pizza and designing bibs & onesies for two expecting co-residents. No one at work knew it was my birthday & I liked it that way. I was enjoying having a secret that no one else knew. Jymar surprised me with a spectacular at-home
Analog I've been working on being on my phone less for this month and I've picked up a few hobbies over the past few months. Firstly, crochet. I remember first learning how to crochet when I was living in Long Beach—I learned while on my OB rotation waiting for moms to give birth. Late 2025*, I picked it up again, crocheting different garlands to celebrate and decorate for Christmas. I've since made a bunch of tapestries. Now, this—a junk journal I guess you could call it. And diamond painting & journaling. I've been loving sitting in silence & being creative ♡
Thankful that my residency grants me enough free time & energy to still do my hobbies & relax.
I loved this color of yarn. I got a few from Daiso & Walmart but my main source of yarn has been Dollar Tree—we know how much I love that place!
It is such an honor to care for my patients. I love the relationship I get to build with them as their PCP.
I found out today that one of my clinic patients passed away. W.W. had cholangiocarcinoma. He felt fine every time he came to see me. His wife would insist that he was declining but too stubborn to admit it. I often think of death & dying; I think that comes w/ the doctor territory.
Work can be stressful. That's what food & snacks are for.
The last weekend before I leave for the Philippines! I braved the storm to hang out in Dumont this weekend (little did I know my drive back would be four straight hours of adrenaline). Never again will I be a weather forecast nonbeliever... I got to spend time with Jymar doing our favorite things though—eating, dillydallying, and testing (playing Brain Age). Playing in the snow w/ my family was fun too. :)
I also realized this weekend that my love for Dollar Tree & dollar stores is so very much Lolo Lito-coded. We love a deal! We love a knick-knack!
Two weeks in the Philippines. I am so lucky to have been able to travel halfway around the world. I was on Night Float when I officially bought the tickets. That was so many months ago and I remember thinking how far ahead this trip was. But next thing I know, it was January and almost time for our flight. Unfortunately I had work until 7 hours before the flight, 2 hours away from home, not to mention we had to go all the way to JFK. I drove straight from work to Dumont, where I met w/ Mom and Jymar. We took an Uber to the airport; our driver paid no attention to the lanes, driving on the lines. Thankfully despite the traffic, we made it to JFK with a lot of time to spare. JFK may be the worst airport. The workers were so rude. Granted, it was almost midnight, but still.
Korean Air was lovely. Our first flight from JFK to Incheon was flawless. The pilot's landing in Seoul had no turbulence. It was unbelievably smooth.
food! 1. Zagu: One of the first bubble tea chains in the Philippines. 2. Katsunori: omakase lunch as Jymar's anniversary gift to me. 3. Tomoro Coffee: 24-hour coffee shop in our hotel lobby. 4. Epic Eats: Manila's mall food courts are so elevated. 5. Chatime: Yum! Not pictured is also Gong Cha. I thought I had a bag from them... 6. Filling Station: an All-American themed diner w/ over the top retro decor. 7. Marugame Udon: Japanese restaurant w/ gyudon and a layout that reflected those in Japan. 8. McDo: Matcha McFlurry...yum. 9. Jamba juice: my snack at Incheon Airport in Seoul, Korea!
FEB // 2026 Blind boxes and plushie keychains are all the rage! From ChowKing, I got the one I really wanted: siomai chao fan. From Chatime, I wanted the cup wearing a barong, but I got my second pick: one carrying a bubble tea plushie of its own. I recently realized Cry Baby Sad Clubs have been discontinued so I was on the hunt at all the hobby consignment shops! I found two that I really wanted & just need 3 more to collect the top 5 that I wanted :)
I did two major sightseeing tours in the Philippines—Tagaytay & Batangas for Taal Volcano, and Intramuros. I'm not a big sightseeing person since I'd rather go shopping, restaurant-hopping, and walking along the local street but I knew I wanted to at least see these locations. Taal was recently active so we couldn't get onto the actual volcano but I got to be five meters away by boat. The sulfur actually killed a bunch of the farmers' fish so I saw them sorting through the ones still alive. Intramuros is the site of many historic buildings, including where Jose Rizal was held prior to his execution and where Spanish colonizers kept the bodies of people they killed. It was surreal walking on those grounds. I hit 15k+ steps that day.
OBSESSED! The only words I have for Common Room in the Philippines. It's a chain of small business-owned stores that house arts, crafts, & supplies made by other small businesses throughout the Philippines. I went to 5 of the 6 locations—they all housed different things—and that's where I got the majority of my pasalubongs. Everything from stickers to keychains to washi tape to postcards. Love!!!
The Philippines is obsessed w/ customizations & pop-ups. Sunnies is a brand that sells makeup, glasses, coffee, & water bottles. I customized my flask w/ a light blue top, purple body, & light green rubber boot. Not pictured is a brown handle. I've talked about Common Room already & I got all these stickers from there! Open the pocket to customize the bottle :)
Can you freaking believe both Jymar & I got sick on the trip?? Jymar got some sort of stomach bug that lasted a few days but thankfully got better right on time for the family reunion (shoutout to Erceflora). At almost the exact same time he got better, I got sick w/ some viral respiratory illness. I'm pretty sure I had a fever too. So much sipon and phlegm. Thankfully I don't think I got any of the lolos or lolas sick.
I have no words to describe how much this trip meant to me. Even now, as I'm writing this weeks later. I knew I wanted to take a trip to the Philippines this year—I hadn't been since the summer after 3rd grade. I wanted to go catch up with my mom's side of the family. I wanted to get to know them as adults. I wanted to introduce Jymar to my Lola. I wanted to see nature. I wanted to go with Mommy for the first time. I know 2 weeks wasn't gonna be enough time but it was way better than nothing—before it was too late. I still ruminate about death & dying, though thankfully not as often as I used to.
I am so happy I planned this trip. Lola Linda thought I was bringing home a bag full of garbage, but all of that "junk" lives here now, as memories of our quality time together.
I think my family Liked Jymar. The reunion we had with so many people was a great chance for him to meet everyone. Heck it was a great chance for me to re-meet everyone. I know Mommy loved our trip. It was really funny every time she'd get annoyed by something Lola did; it was like seeing her & myself. Aw man I'm crying. Until next time, Philippines. I'm hoping that's next year. I am so grateful for my family, the time I got to spend w/ them, & the privilege I have to be able to do that.
I am so glad I have access to all this bubble tea! I didn't realize how much I've drank in just this year-to-date. Gong Cha remains my top bubble tea place, and of these here, Tsaocaa dead last. They took so long to make my order and the bubbles weren't even good! Yeah I'm still a bubble tea snob. Anyway what better time than among labels of my favorite food group to say I got elected as one of the Chief Residents for next academic year! I've now been selected 3 out of 3 times for leadership positions in my residency classes: 1, admin Intern; 2, Junior Chief; and 3, Chief!
I'm not one to buy designer. I don't even really like designer things (evidenced by my yearly Christmas & birthday wishlists consisting of panty liners & lotion). But I bought Figs brand-new for the first time ever! They were having a little bit of a sale & one of the pant styles I've been interested in was going to get discontinued. I bought 2 pairs of pants and 6 tops, and I love them! The tops are unique styles like henley and crew-neck boxy tee-ish. I wear scrubs 75% of the time; I might as well invest in myself! I deserve to feel like I look good while working!! Maybe this year, I put more effort into the everyday.
Back on friendly Night Shift this month. I appreciate the biphasic sleep schedule I adopt; it makes me feel like I have more hours in the day. But I think my segmented sleep really messes with my food and appetite, unfortunately.
Sometimes I forget seasonal depression exists until it hits me like a ton of bricks. Being on Night Shift, working 7 days in a row; it took a toll on me last week. Jymar surprised me with flowers and sushi despite how far away he is. I am so privileged to be able to go home to my own apartment after a crazy shift but it can get lonely. I'm grateful for Jymar and my family that checks up on me, even when I don't want to talk or socialize. Thank you for my surprise babes :)
I have a long-standing complicated relationship with my body, as I'm sure most of us do. I don't recall a time I wasn't subconscious about my physical appearance, whether that was my weight, my hair, or what I was wearing. I mourn the number of hours—days—I've spend worrying about what other people saw. I want to give Little Me—and Little Ally & Little Mommy—hugs, reassuring them of their beauty. We have so much to love and it so happens that I love food. Yolo!
Jymar came over this past weekend for the first time in a while. I've had many different restaurants & meals on my "Want to Go" list and realized I'll be moving out of Cherry Hill soon so I should start chipping away at my list. Friday night, we had AYCE sushi at Sushi Boss. On Saturday, we had lattes and breakfast at Ensora, lunch at Bao Mama, then dinner at KPot. On Sunday, after our adventure in Philly, we had lunch at Oli Oli Poke then dinner at The Cheesecake Factory for their new menu, before ending the night with Kung Fu Tea. Our favorite meal was at Cheesecake: pickle fries, pork belly BBQ buns, chicken baja bowl, and pasta Da Vinci.
Jymar and I had a bit of an adventure and drove to Philly on Sunday. There were a handful of stationery stores that I wanted to go to & it just so happened that there was also a card shop hosting a One Piece tournament. Although I only bought a handful of stickers, the star of the trip was the Early Bird sandwich from my first ever trip to Federal Donuts & Chicken. A chicken, BEC, and cherry pepper relish sandwich...yum!! A perfect breakfast sandwich.
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Transcript
omakase dinner. And can you believe I went my entire day without having a mental breakdown? A first, I think. The next day my sister surprised me with 3 already-peeled pomegranates and an arts & crafts session. And then you know what came next—Jymar planned an entire surprise party w/ some of my favorite people & granted me one of the most thoughtful gifts: the joy of knowing my guests got to do my favorite thing while thinking of me for a gift: perusing the aisles of Dollar Tree. You know how hard I am to shop for, usually. So this was actually genius. A single store but endless possibilities within even the tightest budget. Genius!!!
This was actually the best birthday I've ever had. I spent the day in clinic with my patients, including two of my favorites—a 36 year-old who works at Cooper too and a 74 year-old who specifically scheduled with me cuz she wanted to give me a birthday card and a hug. It also so happened to be Wellness Friday & we spent the afternoon eating pizza and designing bibs & onesies for two expecting co-residents. No one at work knew it was my birthday & I liked it that way. I was enjoying having a secret that no one else knew. Jymar surprised me with a spectacular at-home
Analog I've been working on being on my phone less for this month and I've picked up a few hobbies over the past few months. Firstly, crochet. I remember first learning how to crochet when I was living in Long Beach—I learned while on my OB rotation waiting for moms to give birth. Late 2025*, I picked it up again, crocheting different garlands to celebrate and decorate for Christmas. I've since made a bunch of tapestries. Now, this—a junk journal I guess you could call it. And diamond painting & journaling. I've been loving sitting in silence & being creative ♡
Thankful that my residency grants me enough free time & energy to still do my hobbies & relax.
I loved this color of yarn. I got a few from Daiso & Walmart but my main source of yarn has been Dollar Tree—we know how much I love that place!
It is such an honor to care for my patients. I love the relationship I get to build with them as their PCP.
I found out today that one of my clinic patients passed away. W.W. had cholangiocarcinoma. He felt fine every time he came to see me. His wife would insist that he was declining but too stubborn to admit it. I often think of death & dying; I think that comes w/ the doctor territory.
Work can be stressful. That's what food & snacks are for.
The last weekend before I leave for the Philippines! I braved the storm to hang out in Dumont this weekend (little did I know my drive back would be four straight hours of adrenaline). Never again will I be a weather forecast nonbeliever... I got to spend time with Jymar doing our favorite things though—eating, dillydallying, and testing (playing Brain Age). Playing in the snow w/ my family was fun too. :)
I also realized this weekend that my love for Dollar Tree & dollar stores is so very much Lolo Lito-coded. We love a deal! We love a knick-knack!
Two weeks in the Philippines. I am so lucky to have been able to travel halfway around the world. I was on Night Float when I officially bought the tickets. That was so many months ago and I remember thinking how far ahead this trip was. But next thing I know, it was January and almost time for our flight. Unfortunately I had work until 7 hours before the flight, 2 hours away from home, not to mention we had to go all the way to JFK. I drove straight from work to Dumont, where I met w/ Mom and Jymar. We took an Uber to the airport; our driver paid no attention to the lanes, driving on the lines. Thankfully despite the traffic, we made it to JFK with a lot of time to spare. JFK may be the worst airport. The workers were so rude. Granted, it was almost midnight, but still.
Korean Air was lovely. Our first flight from JFK to Incheon was flawless. The pilot's landing in Seoul had no turbulence. It was unbelievably smooth.
food! 1. Zagu: One of the first bubble tea chains in the Philippines. 2. Katsunori: omakase lunch as Jymar's anniversary gift to me. 3. Tomoro Coffee: 24-hour coffee shop in our hotel lobby. 4. Epic Eats: Manila's mall food courts are so elevated. 5. Chatime: Yum! Not pictured is also Gong Cha. I thought I had a bag from them... 6. Filling Station: an All-American themed diner w/ over the top retro decor. 7. Marugame Udon: Japanese restaurant w/ gyudon and a layout that reflected those in Japan. 8. McDo: Matcha McFlurry...yum. 9. Jamba juice: my snack at Incheon Airport in Seoul, Korea!
FEB // 2026 Blind boxes and plushie keychains are all the rage! From ChowKing, I got the one I really wanted: siomai chao fan. From Chatime, I wanted the cup wearing a barong, but I got my second pick: one carrying a bubble tea plushie of its own. I recently realized Cry Baby Sad Clubs have been discontinued so I was on the hunt at all the hobby consignment shops! I found two that I really wanted & just need 3 more to collect the top 5 that I wanted :)
I did two major sightseeing tours in the Philippines—Tagaytay & Batangas for Taal Volcano, and Intramuros. I'm not a big sightseeing person since I'd rather go shopping, restaurant-hopping, and walking along the local street but I knew I wanted to at least see these locations. Taal was recently active so we couldn't get onto the actual volcano but I got to be five meters away by boat. The sulfur actually killed a bunch of the farmers' fish so I saw them sorting through the ones still alive. Intramuros is the site of many historic buildings, including where Jose Rizal was held prior to his execution and where Spanish colonizers kept the bodies of people they killed. It was surreal walking on those grounds. I hit 15k+ steps that day.
OBSESSED! The only words I have for Common Room in the Philippines. It's a chain of small business-owned stores that house arts, crafts, & supplies made by other small businesses throughout the Philippines. I went to 5 of the 6 locations—they all housed different things—and that's where I got the majority of my pasalubongs. Everything from stickers to keychains to washi tape to postcards. Love!!!
The Philippines is obsessed w/ customizations & pop-ups. Sunnies is a brand that sells makeup, glasses, coffee, & water bottles. I customized my flask w/ a light blue top, purple body, & light green rubber boot. Not pictured is a brown handle. I've talked about Common Room already & I got all these stickers from there! Open the pocket to customize the bottle :)
Can you freaking believe both Jymar & I got sick on the trip?? Jymar got some sort of stomach bug that lasted a few days but thankfully got better right on time for the family reunion (shoutout to Erceflora). At almost the exact same time he got better, I got sick w/ some viral respiratory illness. I'm pretty sure I had a fever too. So much sipon and phlegm. Thankfully I don't think I got any of the lolos or lolas sick.
I have no words to describe how much this trip meant to me. Even now, as I'm writing this weeks later. I knew I wanted to take a trip to the Philippines this year—I hadn't been since the summer after 3rd grade. I wanted to go catch up with my mom's side of the family. I wanted to get to know them as adults. I wanted to introduce Jymar to my Lola. I wanted to see nature. I wanted to go with Mommy for the first time. I know 2 weeks wasn't gonna be enough time but it was way better than nothing—before it was too late. I still ruminate about death & dying, though thankfully not as often as I used to.
I am so happy I planned this trip. Lola Linda thought I was bringing home a bag full of garbage, but all of that "junk" lives here now, as memories of our quality time together.
I think my family Liked Jymar. The reunion we had with so many people was a great chance for him to meet everyone. Heck it was a great chance for me to re-meet everyone. I know Mommy loved our trip. It was really funny every time she'd get annoyed by something Lola did; it was like seeing her & myself. Aw man I'm crying. Until next time, Philippines. I'm hoping that's next year. I am so grateful for my family, the time I got to spend w/ them, & the privilege I have to be able to do that.
I am so glad I have access to all this bubble tea! I didn't realize how much I've drank in just this year-to-date. Gong Cha remains my top bubble tea place, and of these here, Tsaocaa dead last. They took so long to make my order and the bubbles weren't even good! Yeah I'm still a bubble tea snob. Anyway what better time than among labels of my favorite food group to say I got elected as one of the Chief Residents for next academic year! I've now been selected 3 out of 3 times for leadership positions in my residency classes: 1, admin Intern; 2, Junior Chief; and 3, Chief!
I'm not one to buy designer. I don't even really like designer things (evidenced by my yearly Christmas & birthday wishlists consisting of panty liners & lotion). But I bought Figs brand-new for the first time ever! They were having a little bit of a sale & one of the pant styles I've been interested in was going to get discontinued. I bought 2 pairs of pants and 6 tops, and I love them! The tops are unique styles like henley and crew-neck boxy tee-ish. I wear scrubs 75% of the time; I might as well invest in myself! I deserve to feel like I look good while working!! Maybe this year, I put more effort into the everyday.
Back on friendly Night Shift this month. I appreciate the biphasic sleep schedule I adopt; it makes me feel like I have more hours in the day. But I think my segmented sleep really messes with my food and appetite, unfortunately.
Sometimes I forget seasonal depression exists until it hits me like a ton of bricks. Being on Night Shift, working 7 days in a row; it took a toll on me last week. Jymar surprised me with flowers and sushi despite how far away he is. I am so privileged to be able to go home to my own apartment after a crazy shift but it can get lonely. I'm grateful for Jymar and my family that checks up on me, even when I don't want to talk or socialize. Thank you for my surprise babes :)
I have a long-standing complicated relationship with my body, as I'm sure most of us do. I don't recall a time I wasn't subconscious about my physical appearance, whether that was my weight, my hair, or what I was wearing. I mourn the number of hours—days—I've spend worrying about what other people saw. I want to give Little Me—and Little Ally & Little Mommy—hugs, reassuring them of their beauty. We have so much to love and it so happens that I love food. Yolo!
Jymar came over this past weekend for the first time in a while. I've had many different restaurants & meals on my "Want to Go" list and realized I'll be moving out of Cherry Hill soon so I should start chipping away at my list. Friday night, we had AYCE sushi at Sushi Boss. On Saturday, we had lattes and breakfast at Ensora, lunch at Bao Mama, then dinner at KPot. On Sunday, after our adventure in Philly, we had lunch at Oli Oli Poke then dinner at The Cheesecake Factory for their new menu, before ending the night with Kung Fu Tea. Our favorite meal was at Cheesecake: pickle fries, pork belly BBQ buns, chicken baja bowl, and pasta Da Vinci.
Jymar and I had a bit of an adventure and drove to Philly on Sunday. There were a handful of stationery stores that I wanted to go to & it just so happened that there was also a card shop hosting a One Piece tournament. Although I only bought a handful of stickers, the star of the trip was the Early Bird sandwich from my first ever trip to Federal Donuts & Chicken. A chicken, BEC, and cherry pepper relish sandwich...yum!! A perfect breakfast sandwich.