What Happened in March…

Greetings Barbarians! Long days and pleasant nights!

March is nearing its end, but the lockdown continues and COVID-19 is still running rampant. I do wish every one of you is well and at the safety of your own home until the government sorts out this whole mess. I do wish for these to be over and for life to continue as it was before, but I’m afraid that things will take a bit more longer. So, in hopes to lift everybody’s spirits, I’d like to share a few good things that happened to me this March. 

Amidst the threat of the virus, I started March with very high hopes. I ended February on a high note. I welcomed March with an evening with Pancake wherein we spent the night and had a wonderful dinner. All the things I’ve been working on finally paid off, I’ve managed my finances well and even went for a job interview. Sure, I didn’t land the job but still a win for me, I managed to get myself out there. 

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But before we get down to it, I would like to apologize for not giving an immediate reply to your comments recently. It has been a handful of a week and I sure missed out a lot of your comments. You are the inspiration for these, and you deserve better. So, again I’m sorry and I will do my best to catch up with you. I hope that wouldn’t stop you from liking this post, and if you still haven’t subscribed yet, please help yourself. You are all welcome here, thank you and I’m sorry. 

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Like I’ve said earlier, March had a promising start. I’ve managed to invest some money into a few books and made some profit from it. Yes, you heard that right, I sometimes make decent money off selling books. I have a curated list of books that I try to look for on various book sales and bring them home to sell for a profit. Though I have a hard time parting with some of them, especially when I’ve been looking for that book for quite a while. 

Mah hommies, Hemingway, Twain, Stoker and Coelho
#literarygangstah

Coffee with “Max”

Early, I mentioned that I went for a job interview before the lockdown. It was a programming gig that I am excited to be part of. It’s too bad that things didn’t go my way and I’m starting to think if I should let go of my notions of programming. I’d be honest, it’s been two years since I’ve resigned from my previous work. Not that I regret anything but a little bit of income would help right now. Would blogging fulltime be a viable source of income? Let me know in the comment section. 

Presentation is half the battle, too bad things didn’t go my way

I got so excited, I even prepared for a follow up interview

Now, it’s time for the not so fun part, the lockdown (AKA Enhanced Community Quarantine). The Enhanced Community Quarantine is a government’s solution to slow down the spread of the virus and not overwhelm my country’s medical professionals. The government advised us to stay at home and avoid going out if not necessary. To be honest, it’s not that hard if you made preparations. So I planned to keep my mother and daughter in a room and avoid contact with them. The risks are much greater for them so I volunteered to be the one who goes out when it’s time to replenish our supplies. I figured out I have a better chance of surviving COVID-19 if ever I’m unlucky enough to catch it. I stay most of the time in my room to act as another layer of safety for the kid and my mother. I only go outside the room when it’s time to do some chores or spend a little bit of time to unwind. Now, what did I do to pass the time during this lockdown? A lot and I have fun! I had time to make new friends as well as reconnect with old ones. I had time to tend to some of my hobbies and catch up with my reading and tv habits.

Coffee with Mr. Pirsig (P.S. I’m running out of coffee, please send me some!)

Me and the guys planning on how to beat Thanos

Battle for Zendikar Fullart Lands, I wonder how much would it make me if I sell these?

I got the chance to cook and even had fun with instant noodles.

I love breakfast food and dark haired women

Presentation is half the battle, Instant noodles and frozen shumai

Chicharong Bulaklak – A local delicacy, deep fried crispy pork intestines served with spiced vinegar dipping sauce

What does writing and cooking have in common? Both must have both simplicity and elegance

Tokwa’t Baboy (Pork and Tofu) – I often avoid soy, but this one is an exception

And of course, steak, mashed potatoes and corn

I have the chance to contemplate life and relax for a while amidst the threat of the virus. 

Looking at common things around the house on a different perspective

Skin care must still be on point up to this point.

Flush and a refill

“He understood well enough how a man with a choice between pride and responsibility will almost choose pride – if responsibility robs him of his manhood” – Stephen King

I do wish for this to end but I don’t see that coming anytime soon. All we can hope for right now for things to become manageable until everything sorts itself out. 

Another thing, if you get bored or have time to spare here is a round-up of all my post in March

• How to Keep Your Sanity During Lockdown
• TMI Tuesday #71
• Dissolving the Layers (Be Willing to Change Everything in your Life)
• No Toilet Paper, No Problem (the Filipino’s Solution to the World’s Toilet Paper Problem)
• TMI Tuesday #70
• The Barbarian Book Club: Book of the Month (March): World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War – Max Brooks
• Fundamentals of Style: Understanding Color Part III
• Discover your Purpose
• Fundamentals of Style: Understanding Color Part II
• TMI Tuesday #69

Please, don’t forget to like, subscribe and comment! 

For Courage and Freedom, and March!

“Human greatness is not discovered until it is tested; we must be hardened against fortune by fortune itself”
― Seneca, 7 Dialogues